Emperor Renzong of Song: The Era of Co-Governance cover

Emperor Renzong of Song: The Era of Co-Governance

Rating 4.5
Word count
280K words
Chapters
86
ISBN
9787559826725

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Summary

Was Emperor Renzong of Song a mediocre ruler or a model later emperors sought to emulate? This question has long been debated. Taking time as its thread, this book recounts the life of Emperor Renzong in detail, covering both his personal joys and sorrows and, above all, the many trials he faced as emperor. Under the Song dynasty's founding policy of valuing civil over military affairs, Renzong, with his deep understanding of the imperial role and his mild, tolerant character, gradually built a relatively benign mechanism of dynastic operation together with his chief ministers. Under this mechanism, the emperor did not monopolize power but governed the realm jointly with scholar-officials. They quelled rebellions, carried out reforms, and successively introduced measures to select talent, improve livelihoods, and refine the legal system. Thus, in the middle and later years of Renzong's reign, Song politics, economy, culture, and technology all made great strides, and the whole era displayed a spirited vitality, earning it the name "Jiayou Governance"; later scholars regarded its style of governance as a model for running a state. On the surface, Renzong, both as an individual and as emperor, always seemed constrained by his chief ministers. Yet it was precisely his lack of freedom in all matters, and the chief ministers' insistence on reasoned argument, that brought about this era's unprecedented prosperity.

Editor's review

Song Renzong: The Era of Shared Governance is a recent major work by the historical writer Wu Gou. It focuses on a monarch often regarded by later generations as 'mediocre' in Chinese history—Emperor Renzong of Song, Zhao Zhen—and the era in which he lived. With his customary solid command of historical sources and vivid narrative touch, Wu Gou redraws for us that high point of the Northern Song, praised by historians as the 'Governance of Qingli and Jiayou.' This book is not a simple biography of an emperor; rather, with Renzong as its axis, it probes deeply into the distinctive mid-Northern Song political model of 'the emperor and the scholar-officials governing the realm together.' Through a wealth of detail, the author shows how, under the influence of Renzong's magnanimous and restrained personality, a relatively enlightened and tolerant political culture took shape at court, enabling a large group of famous ministers—Fan Zhongyan, Ouyang Xiu, Bao Zheng, and others—to realize their ambitions and jointly create an era of cultural flourishing and relative social stability. Wu Gou's interpretation overturns the stereotype that a 'wise ruler' must be a man of great talent and bold strategy who expands territory, and guides readers to consider a governing wisdom centered on 'preserving the achieved,' 'stability,' and 'the operation of institutions,' along with its modern implications. For readers who wish to understand Song political civilization, the spirit of the scholar-officials, and another successful paradigm of rule in China's imperial era, this book offers a highly valuable perspective and rich material for thought.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers with a strong interest in Song dynasty history and culture
  • Thinkers concerned with ancient Chinese political institutions and models of governance
  • Reading enthusiasts who enjoy glimpsing the character of an era through biography
  • People seeking wisdom about management and social coordination from history

Not a good fit for

  • Readers looking for sensational court intrigue and secret palace history
  • Beginners seeking a quick overview of the entire Song dynasty

Reading tips

  1. It is advisable to first have a basic framework of early Northern Song history to better understand the transitional position of Renzong's reign.
  2. While reading, focus on the book's descriptions of how 'shared governance' actually operated, such as the censorial system and exchanges between ruler and ministers.
  3. Read in conjunction with works by the famous ministers mentioned in the book (such as Memorial to Yueyang Tower) to feel the spirit of the age.

About the publisher

Guangxi Normal University Press China · Founded in 1986

Guangxi Normal University Press is a publisher known for literature, foreign literature and history titles. Its 1,175 books in the database show a solid accumulation in classics and prose collections, including foreign literary works such as Les Fleurs du mal: Annotated Poems of Baudelaire, Snow Country, Dubliners and The Wild Palms, as well as modern prose compilations like The Complete Prose of Zhou Zuoren. History and philosophy also hold a notable share, with titles such as Running Dogs: Clerks and Runners in Qing County Yamen and The History and Thought of the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom reflecting attention to Qing local administration and modern history. In art literature there is the 16-volume Ten Bamboo Studio Painting and Calligraphy Manual. Its author resources include foreign writers Charles Baudelaire and Yasunari Kawabata, translators and annotators Liu Nanqi and Zou Bo, and scholars such as Zhong Shuhe, Bradly W. Reed and You Chenjun. As public information is limited, this characterization is based only on the books in the database, which together present a profile balancing Chinese and foreign literary classics with academic works in the humanities and social sciences.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 楔子
  3. 第一章 “狸猫换太子”
  4. 第一节 小皇子出生
  5. 第二节 赵祯的三位母亲
  6. 第三节 “狸猫换太子”传说
  7. 第四节 天禧四年的政争
  8. 第五节 皇太子的童年
  9. 第二章 乾兴风雨
  10. 第一节 真宗上仙
  11. 第二节 丁谓弄权
  12. 第三节 权臣倒台
  13. 第四节 别了,真宗皇帝
  14. 第三章 垂帘听政
  15. 第一节 太后用人
  16. 第二节 曹利用之死
  17. 第三节 太后的野心与理性
  18. 第四节 少年天子
  19. 第四章 仁宗亲政
  20. 第一节 太后宾天
  21. 第二节 仁宗认母
  22. 第三节 反刘后之政
  23. 第四节 废黜郭皇后
  24. 第五章 皇帝的烦恼
  25. 第一节 仁宗病了
  26. 第二节 亲政的挫折
  27. 第三节 景祐议乐
  28. 第四节 朋党之议
  29. 第五节 吕夷简罢相
  30. 第六章 边境风云(上)
  31. 第一节 元昊叛宋
  32. 第二节 战前动员
  33. 第三节 首场大战
  34. 第四节 攻与守
  35. 第五节 胜与负
  36. 第七章 边境风云(下)
  37. 第一节 辽国来使
  38. 第二节 富弼使辽
  39. 第三节 连环离间计
  40. 第四节 宋夏议和(一)
  41. 第五节 宋夏议和(二)
  42. 第八章 庆历新政(上)
  43. 第一节 吕夷简致仕
  44. 第二节 开天章阁
  45. 第三节 公用钱案
  46. 第四节 争水洛城事
  47. 第九章 庆历新政(下)
  48. 第一节 新鲜的“朋党论”
  49. 第二节 进奏院案
  50. 第三节 众贤离朝
  51. 第四节 阿张嫁资案
  52. 第十章 流年不利
  53. 第一节 皇帝的娱乐
  54. 第二节 贝州兵变
  55. 第三节 宫门惊变
  56. 第四节 重开天章阁
  57. 第五节 黄河决口
  58. 第十一章 欲采蘋花不自由
  59. 第一节 册立贵妃
  60. 第二节 台谏的抗议(一)
  61. 第三节 台谏的抗议(二)
  62. 第四节 礼官的抗议
  63. 第五节 温成之殇
  64. 第十二章 又是多事之秋
  65. 第一节 广南有变
  66. 第二节 狄青平广南
  67. 第三节 宰相被弹劾
  68. 第四节 仁宗不豫
  69. 第五节 六塔河决口
  70. 第十三章 嘉祐之治(上)
  71. 第一节 初议立嗣
  72. 第二节 嘉祐二年贡举
  73. 第三节 嘉祐六年制举
  74. 第四节 众贤在朝
  75. 第十四章 嘉祐之治(下)
  76. 第一节 嘉祐嘉政
  77. 第二节 东南茶通商
  78. 第三节 解盐通商
  79. 第四节 垂拱而治
  80. 第十五章 最后的岁月
  81. 第一节 伤心的父亲
  82. 第二节 再议立嗣
  83. 第三节 仁宗上仙
  84. 第四节 英宗继位之初
  85. 尾声
  86. 附录 主要参考文献

FAQ

What makes this book unique compared with other Song history books?
The book's core is an in-depth interpretation of the political model of 'shared governance,' rather than a simple account of Renzong's life or Song events. It focuses more on analyzing political culture and institutional operation, offering a distinctive perspective.
What is the author Wu Gou's style of historical writing?
Wu Gou excels at viewing history through the lens of modern concerns; his writing is fluent, and he combines source excavation with storytelling, striking a good balance between scholarly rigor and popular readability.
Is this book suitable for history beginners?
There is a certain threshold. The book involves many historical figures, events, and institutional concepts, but readers with a basic understanding of the Song dynasty can gain deeper knowledge through it. Complete beginners are advised to supplement it with basic readings.

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About the author

Wu Gou Author · Chinese · 1975

Wu Gou, born in 1975 in Shanwei, Guangdong, and now based in Guangzhou, is a Chinese historian of the Song dynasty and a well-known history writer. He has long focused on the social, everyday, and political-legal history of the Song dynasty, advocating the idea of "rediscovering the Song." Through his writing, he seeks to present a Song dynasty that is closer to daily life and carries a more modern resonance. His "Wu Gou Talks About the Song" series includes Elegant Song: The Visible Civilization of the Great Song, Knowing the Song: A Song History for My Daughter, Song: The Dawn of Modernity, Song Renzong: The Era of Shared Governance, and Song Shenzong and Wang Anshi: The Era of Reform, among others. He is also the author of Song Dynasty Daily Life: A Thousand Years of Earthly Life, A Close Reading of Jin Yong: A Serious History of Ancient Society, and So This Is How Interesting the Song Dynasty Was. Fifteen of his works are included in the library. Elegant Song was named one of CCTV's "2018 Books of the Year." His writing balances readability with historical research and brings Song history to general readers.

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