The Zhongshu Sheren, the Zhongshu in the matter, and the actual prefect of the door were not confirmed in the system in the Tang Dynasty. When the Northern Song Dynasty Yuanfeng was restructured, the imperial court set up the Zhongshu Hou Province with the Zhongshu Sheren as the chief and the Menxia Hou Province with the Zhongshu Shi as the chief. This evolutionary trend is finally finalized.

At the same time as the functions of the three provinces have changed, the name of the prime minister has also undergone major changes. In the seventeenth year of Zhenguan (643 AD), Li Shimin, Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, appointed Li Tao as the crown prince Zhan Shi and the third product of Tongzhongshu. At this time, the governors of Zhongshu Province and Menxia Province were all officials of the three grades, and the meaning of "Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin" was to enjoy the same power to participate in politics and discuss politics as the governors of Zhongshu and Menxia provinces.

In the first year of Yongchun (682 AD), Guo Zhiju, the waiter of the Yellow Gate, Cen Changqian, the waiter of the Ministry of War, Guo Zhengyi, the secretary of the foreign young eunuch, and Wei Xuan, the waiter of the Ministry of Rites, together with the four of them, received the same decree and the chapter of the Zhongshu Sect.

This marks the title of the prime minister under the Tongzhongshu Men Pingzhangshi and the Tongzhongshu Men under the Sanpin. The names of the two prime ministers exist at the same time, but they are different.

"Information Governance? Volume 203 records: "Those who are the governors of the fourth rank or below of the foreign department are shown to be in the name of Pingzhangshi. "The name of the prime minister gradually moved from the complexity of the Tang Taizong and Li Shimin periods to unification.

The coexistence of the two prime ministers' names is to distinguish the status of the prime minister. Among the first-to-third-rank officials, in addition to serving in the middle and Zhongshu orders, those who serve as prime ministers will be awarded the three grades under the same Zhongshu Sect, and the fourth-rank officials will be awarded the same Zhongshu Men Pingzhangshi.

During the Xuanzong period, the frequency of use of the three products under the Tongzhongshu Sect had been greatly reduced. In the second year of Zhide (757), Suzong appointed Li Lin as the third rank of Tongzhongshu.

This is the last time the title of Sanpin under the door of Tongzhongshu appeared. In the second year of the Great Calendar, the Tang Dynasty Sect upgraded the grade of Zhongshu Ling and Shizhong from the third grade to the second grade. The grades of the Chinese scholar and the subordinate servant have been upgraded from the fourth grade to the third grade.

With the change of the grades of officials in the two provinces of Zhongshu and Menxia, the three grades under the door of Tongzhongshu have lost their meaning of existence. Completely withdraw from the stage of history.

At the same time, the Zhongshu Orders and Shizhong were rarely actually awarded to the ministers because of their prominent status. When serving as an official envoy or important minister, he often only obtained honorary titles, and did not actually manage the affairs of the province, so the "ex-officio prime minister" gradually faded out of the historical stage, and almost all prime ministers were required to be awarded the title of Pingzhangshi under the Zhongshu Sect.

This change embodies two deep-seated ones. Although the seniority and prestige of the prime ministers are not the same, there will be no significant differences. The emperor could grant promotion to the position of prime minister to officials he trusted with little or no restrictions. Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi then became a proper noun for the prime minister.

In view of the changes in the political system, there have been four important new changes in the prime minister's system. First, the prime minister has changed from an official position to a qualified one.

In the early Tang Dynasty, once he served as the governor of the three provinces, he would inevitably be the prime minister. The "ex-officio prime minister" constitutes the main body of the prime minister, while the "appointed prime minister" is only in a subsidiary position. The governors of the three provinces are all official positions within the system.

In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the prime minister inevitably conferred the title of Pingzhangshi under the Tongzhongshu Men. The Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi, which represents the qualifications of the prime minister, is not an official position in the system. There is no grade per se, just a certificate of qualification.

Second, the prime minister has shifted from a part-time job to a full-time one. In the early Tang Dynasty, the prime minister spent most of his working time in his own department, and only went to the council hall to discuss state affairs. "Those who are in charge of government affairs will return to the department in the afternoon of the solstice." In the middle and late Tang Dynasty, the prime minister mainly worked under the Zhongshu Gate, and his time in the official office was limited.

"The number of ministers is small, and they always respect their responsibilities and do not return to this department." "Don't look back at the business". Third, the prime minister has changed from high-end to mid-range. In the early Tang Dynasty, prime ministers were generally third-rank officials, and sometimes fourth-rank officials.

Mid to late Tang Dynasty. The situation of five-rank officials such as Zhongshu Sheren (Zheng Wupinshang) and Zhishi Zhong (Zhengwupinshang) began to appear as prime ministers. During the period from Dezong to Xianzong, the favor of the Hanlin scholars reached its peak, and they were known as the "inner minister". Serving as an official of the Hanlin Bachelor's Decree became an important way to become a prime minister. The rank of an official who serves as a bachelor of Hanlin is generally a fourth- or fifth-grade official.

Fourth. The honorary prime minister has changed from controllable to flooded. In order to show respect, Tang Xuanzong conferred the title of Pingzhangshi under the door of Tongzhongshu, who held heavy troops. It is called "making phase".

When the prime minister of the court left Beijing to serve as the envoy of the festival, the court sometimes retained his title of Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi in order to show respect. However, he no longer actually performs the duties of the prime minister. As can be seen from the table below, the "appearance" will become more and more common.

In addition, high-ranking official positions such as the Third Division, the Three Princes, the Zhongshu Order, the Shizhong, the Left and Right Servants of the Shangshu were also frequently granted to the Jiedu envoys of the separatist side.

First, the contradiction between Princess Taiping and Tang Xuanzong was extremely acute and even irreconcilable, so she had a motive to launch a rebellion.

Princess Taiping once teamed up with Li Longji to get rid of Empress Wei and supported Ruizong Li Dan to ascend the throne. When the common enemy disappears, contradictions between the two powerful characters are inevitable. Princess Taiping wanted to appoint a cowardly prince as crown prince so that she could maintain her political influence for a long time.

Li Longji is not Li Dan's eldest son, and was canonized as the crown prince because of his great achievements. Princess Taiping took the opportunity to create public opinion that the crown prince was not the eldest son of the emperor and should not be made the crown prince. Princess Taiping planted a lot of eyes and ears to monitor what Li Longji was doing. This made Tai Li Longji walk on thin ice and sit on pins and needles.

Princess Taiping once stopped the prime minister in a chariot inside the Guangfan Gate, suggesting that they should change the crown prince. The prime ministers present were all shocked. Song Jing asked loudly: "The prince has made great contributions to the Tang Dynasty, why did the princess suddenly make such a suggestion!" ”

Soon, Tang Ruizong said to the courtiers beside him: "The diviner said that there will be a rebellion in the palace within five days. Zhang Shuo hurriedly said: "This must be another treacherous villain using slander to drive a wedge between His Majesty and the crown prince." I hope that Your Majesty will let the crown prince handle government affairs on his behalf, so that all kinds of rumors will naturally disappear. "On the second day of the second month of the second month of Jingyun (711 AD), Tang Ruizong issued an edict to let the crown prince Li Longji handle government affairs on his behalf.

In the face of the aggressive Princess Taiping, Li Longji naturally will not sit still, but the political counterattack planned by Li Longji is not known because it is deliberately covered up. The history books still left a certain mark from the side. Song Jing and Yao Yuanzhi secretly said to Tang Ruizong: "Princess Taiping deliberately provoked the contradiction between Li Chengqi, King of Song, Li Shouli, and the crown prince, and asked Your Majesty to release King Song and King Feng as assassins, and place Princess Taiping and Wu Youji in the eastern capital Luoyang." Tang Ruizong said: "I only have the sister of Princess Taiping left. How could she be placed far away in the Eastern Capital! ”

When Princess Taiping learned about it, she was furious and blamed the crown prince Li Longji for this. Li Longji, who was trying to protect himself, told Tang Ruizong that Yao Yuanzhi and Song Jing deliberately provoked the relationship between himself and his aunt Princess Taiping, as well as his brother Li Chengqi, the king of Song, and Li Shouli, the king of Feng, and asked that the two of them be severely punished. Tang Ruizong demoted Yao Yuanzhi to the history of Shenzhou. Degraded Song Jing to the history of Chuzhou.

These political disputes undoubtedly brought the relationship between Princess Taiping and Li Longji to the point of incompatibility.

Second, the powerful Princess Taiping has always maintained a strong control over the political arena, so she has the ability to launch a coup d'état.

October of the second year of Jingyun (711 AD). Ruizong Li Dan made a decision that shocked the government and the opposition. The five prime ministers of the dynasty, Wei Anshi, Guo Yuanzhen, Dou Huaizhen, Li Rizhi, and Zhang Shuo, were all dismissed. Ruizong Li Dan immediately appointed a group of new prime ministers. Liu Youqiu, Wei Zhigu, Cui Xiang, Lu Xiangxian, Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, and Xiao Zhizhong successively served as prime ministers. Except for Liu Youqiu, the old friend of the crown prince Li Longji, and Wei Zhigu, a close confidant of Ruizong Li Dan, the other five prime ministers are all from the Taiping princess.

Princess Taiping gathered a powerful political force around her. Among them, there are not only the prime ministers of the current dynasty, Dou Huaizhen, Cen Xi, Xiao Zhizhong, and Cui Xiang, but also the former prime minister and the current crown prince Shaobao Xue Ji. There are not only royal members of the Yongzhou Governor Shi, Xinxing King Li Jin, but also the commander of the army General Zuo Yulin General Chang Yuankai, Zhiyou Yulin General Li Ci, and Zuo Jinwu General Li Qin; There are not only the emperor's attendant Li You, the right scattered cavalry attendant Jia Ying, but also the religious leader Hu Seng Hui Fan Zen Master.

Although the history books are conclusive about Princess Taiping's rebellion, it inevitably raises all kinds of questions.

First, the timing of the coup

In 712 A.D., in July, it was the season of high autumn and cool. A comet appears in the west, passes through Regulus and enters Taiweiyuan, and reaches Arcturus. The appearance of the comet marks the removal of the old and the new. Originally, Princess Taiping hoped to use this to set up another prince. On the third day of the eighth month, Tang Ruizong unexpectedly gave way to Li Longji, known as "Tang Xuanzong" in history, and changed the first year of the Yuan Dynasty.

Princess Taiping did not take drastic political action against this major political change, but silently accepted it. Although the relationship between the two has always been strained, looking through the history books, there are no signs of a sharp deterioration in the relationship between Princess Taiping and Li Longji. Why didn't Princess Taiping take advantage of Tang Xuanzong's unstable foothold to launch a coup d'état, but instead took a risk when Tang Xuanzong's feathers were growing a year after he ascended the throne?

Second. Sources

"Information Governance? Volume 210? The twenty-sixth year of the Tang Dynasty recorded: "(In the second year of Xiantian, that is, in 713 AD), in the autumn and July, Wei Zhigu told the princess that he wanted to make a rebellion on the fourth day of the month. The New Tang Dynasty Book and the Old Tang Dynasty Book record this is basically the same. Wei Zhigu, who once served as the Sima of the Prime Minister's Mansion, was an old minister of Ruizong, and once served as the prince's right concubine. Planning a rebellion is a matter of secrecy. And Wei Zhigu neither belongs to Princess Taiping's camp nor has a close relationship with Princess Taiping, how did Wei Zhigu learn about Princess Taiping's conspiracy?

The only reasonable explanation for this is that Wei Zhigu learned this important news from Princess Taiping's camp, and Lu Xiangxian, the prime minister from Princess Taiping's disciple, was a suitable candidate. Because although he was recommended by Princess Taiping to become the prime minister, he was not close to Princess Taiping as a maverick.

"Zizhi Tongjian" records: "At the beginning. Princess Taiping and her party plotted to abolish the establishment, Dou Huaizhen, Xiao Zhizhong, Cen Xi, and Cui Xiang all thought so. Lu Xiangxian thought it was impossible to ...... The princess went away in a rage. "Abolishing the emperor is an extremely secret and important matter, so isn't Princess Taiping worried that Lu Xiang will reveal this matter to Tang Xuanzong first?

Neither the "Zizhi Tongjian" nor the old and new Tang books have any record of Lu Xiang first reporting to Wei Zhigu or directly to Li Longji. This shows that Lu Xiangxian should not have leaked the matter, but if Lu Xiangxian knew about the matter and did not report it, it would be a violation of the criminal law, but Tang Xuanzong not only did not pursue the matter afterwards, but Lu Xiangxian also actively exonerated the implicated people.

Third, the course of action

On the third day of the seventh month, the day before Princess Taiping and others were accused of a coup d'état, Tang Xuanzong ordered Wang Mao Zhong to lead more than 300 forbidden soldiers to ambush in Qianhuamen. Li Longji immediately summoned the generals of the forbidden army, Chang Yuankai and Li Ci, and beheaded them. Tang Xuanzong then arrested Jia Yingfu and Li You in Neike Province, and Xiao Zhizhong and Cen Xi in the court. The four were then beheaded. Dou Huaizhen fled into the trenches and hanged herself. Xue Ji was given to die in Wannian County Prison.

The coup d'état is imminent, why did Princess Taiping's henchmen completely lose their vigilance on the eve of the coup d'état and were killed by Xuanzong one by one without taking any measures to resist? "Shoot the man first and shoot the horse first, and the thief captures the king first." Tang Xuanzong's purge action did not first target Princess Taiping, but chose to purge her henchmen one by one. When Princess Taiping heard the news, she fled into the mountain temple in a hurry. Three days after the incident, Princess Taiping, whose face was like ashes, slowly came out of the mountain temple and was immediately given death by Tang Xuanzong. Whether it is to launch a rebellion or quell a rebellion, capturing the leader of the other party is the key to victory, but why did Tang Xuanzong do the opposite?

Fourth, summon Cui Xiang

Before killing Princess Taiping's henchmen, Tang Xuanzong unexpectedly summoned Cui Xiang from Princess Taiping's camp. The reasonable explanation for this is that Tang Xuanzong wanted to give Cui Xiang one last chance, but the history books are vague about the content of this meeting.

According to the situation at the time, Cui Xiang should have faced two choices, either to inform Xuanzong of the coup plan and cooperate with him to eradicate Princess Taiping's party, or to quickly tell Princess Taiping about the leaked information of the coup plan to launch a coup d'état first, but Cui Xiang did not adopt the above countermeasures.

Judging from the fact that Princess Taiping's party was successfully eradicated, Cui Xiang was not able to inform his comrades of the leakage of the coup plan, and obviously did not meet Xuanzong's requirements. At such a critical moment, the approach of both ends of the first rat is undoubtedly the most unwise. We don't know exactly what happened.

Why did the history books avoid mentioning the content of this important meeting between Cui Xiang and Tang Xuanzong, giving people a vague feeling?

For the above many questions, it is inevitable that people will have such associations. Could it be that Princess Taiping didn't plan a rebellion at all? The rebellion was nothing more than an excuse for Tang Xuanzong to eradicate Princess Taiping's party.

"If you want to add sin, why is there no word?". History is always strikingly similar. In the ninth year of Wude (626 AD), the contradiction between Li Shimin, the king of Qin, Li Jiancheng, the crown prince, and Li Yuanji, the king of Qi, had become increasingly hot.

On the third day of the first month of June, Li Shimin secretly played the harem of the crown prince Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Li Yuan decided to hear the matter the next day. In the early morning of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Li Shimin launched the Xuanwumen Rebellion. (To be continued......)