Zhu Wen rejected all the honors given to him by the imperial court, including "Prime Minister", "King of Wei", "Add Nine Tins", "Three Divisions of Capital System"...
The establishment of the "Three Divisions of Capital Envoys" is also the first time in history. It is the collective name of the three major financial agencies (Salt and Iron, Duzhi, and the Ministry of Household Affairs). Before this, the "Three Divisions of Sentences" were only temporary working groups. Since Zhu Beginning with the Wen Dynasty, the imperial court established the "Three Divisions of Capital Envoys", officially concentrating the country's financial power into one person.
Just like "Prime Minister", only Zhu Wen in the entire Tang Dynasty received this honor.
In addition, as mentioned earlier, Zhu Wen also won the honor of "Painted Portrait of Lingyan Pavilion". Moreover, in order to express extremely high respect for Zhu Wen and to distinguish him from other people whose portraits were painted in Lingyan Pavilion as a show of favor, the imperial court specially opened a single room for Zhu Wen in Lingyan Pavilion.
At this point, as a courtier of the Tang Dynasty, if Zhu Wen was the second most honored person, no one would dare to be the first.
List Zhu and Wen’s official titles and argue if you are not convinced:
"Return to heaven and rebuild the loyal and upright heroes, the marshals of all Taoist soldiers and horses, Xuanwu Xuanyi, Tianping Huguo and other military commanders to observe and deal with, build palaces and palaces, Dujie County Chichang, Bozhou Taiqing Palace and other envoys, Kaifu Yi Tongsan Si, Shou Taiwei, Zhongshu Ling, Hezhong Yin, Bian Huayun and other prefecture governors, Shangzhu Kingdom, Liang Wang, 15,000 households in the city, and 1,500 households in the real seal."
This is Zhu Wen's official title. In the edicts, edicts, and regulations issued to him by the imperial court, these words must be added before his name. This does not include titles and positions such as "Prime Minister Baikui, King of Wei, and Envoy of the Three Divisions", because Zhu Wen refused to accept it.
Official titles may seem complicated, but they do have a strict order of writing. According to the "Zhiguanzhi", the official titles in the Tang Dynasty were divided into four types: San, Zhi, Xun and Jue, each with its own grade.
San, that is, Sanguan, also known as rank official or Sanshi, is only used to express status and has no actual power. There are twenty-nine levels of Wensanguan, and the highest one is "Kaifu Yitong Sansi";
Zhi, that is, a ministerial official, has an actual position, such as Jiedushi and governor;
Xun, that is, the level of military merit of meritorious soldiers, is divided into twelve ranks, the highest is "Shangzhu Kingdom";
Jue, best understood, is a title divided into nine levels. The highest level is the "king", with a settlement of 10,000 households; the second level is a county king, with a settlement of 5,000 households.
In the Tang Dynasty, when official titles were written, they were written in the order of San, Zhi, Xun, and Jue, while in the previous dynasty, when ranking ranks, they were in the order of Jue, Zhi, San, and Xun.
After understanding these basic common sense, look back at Zhu Wen's official title. The highest among "San" is "Kaifu Yitong Sansi"; not to mention the "position"; the highest among "Xun" is "Shangzhuguo"; The "jue" almost enjoyed the treatment of two kings. The first-class king had a settlement of 10,000 households. Zhu Wen had already settled 15,000 households before. When he was granted the title of King of Wei and added nine tins, he also added a settlement of 10,000 households. Five thousand households have reached the standard of 20,000 households with food and housing, that is, one person can enjoy the standard of two princes. However, it was rejected by Zhu Wen, but 15,000 households is still the standard of two princes with a prince and a county king.
Zhu Wen didn't like this kind of complicated and bells and whistles official title. The life of the rich was simple and boring. Zhu Wen only liked the plain, simple, short and concise two words - emperor.
After killing Jiang Xuanhui, Zhang Tingfan, and Liu Can, Zhu Wen delayed the "abdication" for another year because of the Heshuo incident. It was not until Luo Shaowei persuaded him to join Weizhou and the old matter was brought up again that Zhu Wen rekindled his passion.
In the first month of the fourth year of Tianyou's reign in the Tang Dynasty (907), Zhu Wen returned to Bianzhou from Weizhou and controlled Luoyang to make concessions.
Under the blood sacrifices of Jiang Xuanhui, Zhang Tingfan, Liu Can and others, no one dared to delay any longer. Emperor Ai ran and gave in.
Emperor Ai sent Xue Yiju, the imperial censor, to Bianzhou to once again express his intention to the Zen throne to Zhu Wen.
Xue Yiju was from a well-known family. His father and grandfather were both famous. Xue Yijue was famous for his literary talents and was well-known in the cultural circle. He became a Jinshi in the Xizong Dynasty and later became a Hanlin bachelor. He is a scholar-type talent who is in line with Zhaozong's employment standards and should reach the pinnacle of his life during Zhaozong's reign. However, when Zhaozong fled Chang'an and went to Shimen, Xue Yiju failed to follow him because he was not strong-willed enough and was dismissed from office.
Later, when the eunuch Han Quanjie took charge of the government, Xue Yiju actively flattered the eunuchs, gave full play to his writing skills, and praised Han Quanjie and other eunuchs, so he was able to re-enter the official career.
Clearly, he was on the wrong team again.
After Han Quanjie's death, Zhaozong purged the eunuchs, and Xue Yiju was demoted again after the Dongchuang incident.
Later, Xue Yiju took the initiative to defect to Zhu Wen and asked to be taken in. Zhu Wen recommended him to the imperial court and became the Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Soon after, he was changed to the imperial censor.
History books say that Zhu Wen always thought highly of Xue Yiju (Su Zhongzhi), so he recommended him to become an official in the court. "Su Zhongzhi" is just an appearance, but it actually has a deeper political logic that is not difficult to understand:
Xue Yiju was famous when he was young and had a lot of traffic, but he was not reused due to his political stance. He was famous but failed in his ambition, and he was very eager to rise to the top. This was the political pawn that Zhu Wen needed most.
Zhu Wen promoted him to the imperial court. Xue Yiju will definitely be grateful to Zhu Wen and remember Zhu Wen's kindness in knowing and supporting him. What's more, Zhu Wen today is far more powerful than Han Quanjie back then. In order to get promoted and make a fortune, Xue Yiju once acted shamelessly. How could he remain indifferent to Zhu Wen's kindness when he wags his tail to the eunuchs? Therefore, Xue Yiju must serve Zhu Wen wholeheartedly and be willing to become Zhu Wen's lackey.
Let's look at the position Zhu Wen gave him - Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. The Personnel Department is mainly responsible for the selection, assessment, appointment and removal of civilian officials, and is roughly equivalent to today's Organization Department. Zhu Wen arranged Xue Yiju to the Ministry of Civil Affairs in order to let Xue Yiju play an exemplary and leading role, to facilitate the development of the Zhu Wen Group, and to make Xue Yiju become Zhu Wen's agent in the civil service group, so that the new civil service group could be closely united with Zhu Wen In a power system with comrades as the core.
After Cui Yin and Liu Can were defeated one after another, Xue Yiju became Zhu Wen's most important agent in the civil servant group. So this time, Xue Yiju held the edict and rushed to Bianzhou to convey Emperor Ai's intention to abdicate.
On the twenty-seventh day of the first lunar month, Xue Yiju met Zhu Wen, just like a dog meeting its master, wagging its tail and sticking out its tongue, showing respect and obedience beyond words.
Zhu Wen was still playing the role of a loyal minister of the Tang Dynasty at this time, so he bowed to Xue Yiju in return, and respectfully invited him to come up the stairs, because he was a minister of the Tang Dynasty, and he, Xue Yiju, read out the imperial edict of the emperor of the Tang Dynasty.
Xue Yiju did not dare to make a mistake, saying that your highness, your virtues are higher than those of the three emperors, and you have surpassed the five emperors. Heaven, earth, and people all turn to you. The emperor of the Tang Dynasty sincerely imitated the ancients. He wanted to imitate Yao and Shun and practice the etiquette of abdication. How could I dare to violate it? ?
Afterwards, Xue Yiju went to Zhu Wenxing in the courtyard and knelt three times and kowtowed nine times as a courtesy to the emperor and his ministers. That means that although you have not officially taken up the leadership position of the emperor, in my heart, Xiao Xue, you have always been the reddest and reddest red sun!
Zhu Wen turned slightly to receive the gift, saying that he was not the emperor after all and could not accept it calmly. But I was very pleased with Xue Yiju's well-behaved nature.
After Xue Yiju returned to Luoyang, he finally brought good news to Emperor Ai: Zhu Wen had relented and was ready to accept the abdication!
The whole court was rejoicing and there was no need to worry anymore.
Emperor Ai expressed his willingness to abdicate immediately. It was already the end of the first year, so he issued an edict to pass the throne in early February and entrusted the prime minister to notify Zhu Wen in writing.
Zhu Wen replied and politely declined, "Isn't this inappropriate?"
Emperor Ai: "I think it's very suitable."
Zhu Wen: "Okay."
As soon as February entered, all civil and military officials couldn't wait to join forces with Shang Shu to petition Emperor Ai to abdicate.
On February 5, Emperor Ai ordered the Prime Minister to lead hundreds of civil and military officials to Bianzhou to persuade them to advance, but Zhu Wen sent envoys to stop it. This is the general procedure for abdication.
At the same time, the vassal towns (pro-Zhu faction), central and local officials all over the world also collectively petitioned Zhu Wen to accept the abdication, in order to comply with the destiny of heaven and the people.
Zhu Wen still refused again and again.
In March, Emperor Ai sent Xue Yiju to Bianzhou again to patiently convey the emperor's sincerity in abdication. He also sent Su Xun, the Minister of Rites, to Bianzhou with a memorial jointly signed by all civil and military officials.
Subsequently, Emperor Ai wrote an imperial edict to abdicate, determined to give up the throne to Zhu Wen. Comrade Zhu Wen, if you continue to refuse to accept the throne, you will be disobedient and treasonous! I'm not happy anymore.
Emperor Ai appointed Zhang Wenwei as the ceremonial envoy, and Su Xun was his deputy; Yang She was the special envoy to transport the national jade seal (the national treasure envoy), and Zhang Ce was his deputy; The rest of the civil and military officials, together with the emperor's special "legal driver", went to Bianzhou to welcome Zhu Wen to Luoyang to ascend the throne and inherit the throne.
Zhang Wenwei, Su Xun, Yang She, Zhang Ce, Xue Yiju, and Zhao Guangfeng, these six people are the coffin bearers of the Tang Dynasty. They used the superb professional skills of a professional team to carry the coffin and dance for the Tang Dynasty. Their names also went down in history.
