The An Lushan Rebellion was the biggest disaster of the Tang Dynasty. It was precisely because of this cholera that the prosperous Tang Dynasty fell to the bottom of the valley in an instant, and at the same time opened up an era of regional separatism that continued to weaken the Tang Dynasty. The initiator of the An Lushan Rebellion was An Lushan, and 20 years before the outbreak of the An Lushan Rebellion, a wise man had seen signs of An Lushan’s rebellion, but Emperor Xuanzong of Tang did not make any statements. So who is the person who saw that An Lushan was plotting rebellion? How did he see it again? The history encyclopedia editor brings relevant content to everyone. Interested friends, come and take a look.
This divine figure is a great poet that we are familiar with when we were in school. His poem “Looking at the Moon and Remembering the Past” has been passed down for thousands of years, and the line “The moon rises on the sea, and we share this moment at the end of the world.” It not only allows readers to experience the beautiful scenery at that time, but also expresses their longing for their loved ones. I believe everyone has guessed who it is, his name is Zhang Jiuling. His achievements in history are not only in poetry and songs, but also in politics.
Zhang Jiuling, also known as Zishou and Bo Wu, was born in Qujiang, Shaozhou, which is now Shaoguan City, Guangdong Province. Zhang Jiuling was quick witted from a young age and became a master through exports, earning him the nickname of a child prodigy among the locals. After growing up, he passed the imperial examination in high school and entered the officialdom. Although the officialdom faced many setbacks, he eventually rose to the position of prime minister.
Zhang Jiuling, who served as the prime minister, was wholeheartedly concerned about the people and dared to speak frankly and advise Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. He repeatedly advised Emperor Xuanzong to be prepared for danger in times of peace and to rectify the court order. At that time, Tang Xuanzong, who was striving for excellence and governance, had already become complacent and no longer had the same fighting spirit as in his early years. He only wanted to indulge in pleasure and didn’t listen to any of Zhang Jiuling’s words. Instead, he despised Zhang Jiuling even more.
Just when the relationship between Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Zhang Jiuling was strained, An Lushan appeared. Although An Lushan led the Tang Dynasty into the abyss, he worked very hard in his early years. He wandered around various places and even learned the languages of six ethnic groups. Due to his strong physique and eloquence, An Lushan gained the favor of Zhang Shougui, the military governor of Youzhou, and thus entered the military. Later on, An Lushan fought bravely, and Zhang Shougui adopted him as his adopted son, while promoting An Lushan to the position of Pinglu Pacification Envoy.
During the period when An Lushan served as the envoy of the Pinglu Campaign, he suffered a major defeat in the battle against the Khitans. According to the rules, he should be beheaded. Zhang Shougui was not at all lenient towards this adopted son and reported to the court that An Lushan was to be killed.
Zhang Jiuling had seen An Lushan before and could tell that he was a treacherous person. She concluded that this person would definitely cause trouble in the future. Now seeing Zhang Shougui’s memorial requesting the beheading of An Lushan, Zhang Jiuling immediately gave instructions: “During the Spring and Autumn Period, Sima Rangju went on a campaign and executed the delayed Zhuang Jia; Sun Wu trained his troops and beheaded the concubines who violated the order. Zhang Shougui’s military order must be executed, and An Lushan must die!” However, Tang Xuanzong disagreed. He believed that An Lushan had won so many battles and was a rare talent, so it was better to keep him. Zhang Jiuling still refused to give up and reported that An Lushan was ambitious and had a rebellious appearance. He requested the emperor to kill him based on his crimes, hoping to cut off any future troubles.
But Tang Xuanzong refused to listen to Zhang Jiuling and returned An Lushan to his own residence. Twenty years later, An Lushan launched a rebellion, bringing an indelible disaster to the Tang Dynasty.
And the relationship between Zhang Jiuling and Tang Xuanzong became increasingly distant. Later, under the instigation of Li Linfu, Xuanzong dismissed Zhang Jiuling and exiled him to Jingzhou. The departure of Zhang Jiuling also represents the end of the prosperous era of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Afterwards, the political power of the Tang Dynasty remained in the hands of two treacherous ministers, Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong,
The people of the Tang Dynasty also lived in dire straits.
And Zhang Jiuling, in the spring of 740 AD, requested to return to his hometown to visit the tomb of his ancestors, but later fell ill and died on the way back. Shortly after his death, An Lushan, who had been declared by him to be “absolutely rebellious,” indeed sparked the “An Lushan Rebellion,” leading to the rapid decline of the Tang Dynasty from its “peak.
