I don’t know yet: For readers of Wu Zetian and Di Renjie, the History Encyclopedia editor will bring you a detailed introduction below. Keep reading~
Empress Dowager Wu Zetian’s prime minister, Di Renjie, challenged her bottom line three times, including her hobbies, her men, and her country. How did Di Renjie do it?
Wu Zetian revered Buddhism and wanted to visit the burial site of Buddhist relics. Worshiping Buddhism was actually a personal hobby of Empress Wu Zetian, but Di Renjie opposed it and knelt in front of her horse, refusing to let her go.
Wu Zetian was very helpless and ultimately agreed not to go. But she also said, ‘I am not giving up my hobby, but rather’ to become my direct minister ‘, which means that Wu Zetian did not go in order to give you Di Renjie a good reputation as a direct minister.’.
Wu Zetian doted on her face (male pet) Zhang Changzong very much. One day, Di Renjie went to see Wu Zetian and saw her playing chess with Zhang Changzong.
At that time, Empress Wu Zetian gave Zhang Changzong a priceless leather robe that was imported from a foreign country and wore it on him. Di Renjie said to Zhang Changzong, ‘I will compete with you once and win two out of three games. If I lose, I will give you the purple robe on my body.’; If I win, then give me your leather robe.
Wu Zetian said, do you know how much that leather robe is worth?
Di Renjie said, ‘My purple robe was worn by a minister when he met the emperor, and it is incredibly noble.’; His leather robe was a reward obtained through favor, how can he compare with me?
This made Zhang Changzong feel ashamed, and as a result, he panicked and lost. After obtaining the leather robe, Di Renjie took it back and had a servant wear it.
The above is an example of Wu Zetian’s bottom line being challenged twice by Di Renjie.
The third example is that Wu Zetian wanted to appoint her nephew Wu Sansi as the crown prince, but Di Renjie repeatedly advised Wu Zetian to appoint Li Xian or Li Dan as the crown prince. This matter made Wu Zetian very unhappy.
But Di Renjie repeatedly said it, and finally managed to persuade Wu Zetian to change her mind. But Wu Zetian was not convinced and acted like a child, asking someone to secretly bring Li Xian back and hide him at home.
Di Renjie went to meet Wu Zetian and mentioned the issue of establishing a crown prince. Di Renjie spoke incessantly again, crying bitterly.
Wu Zetian had someone call out Li Xian and say, ‘Don’t cry, I have called back the crown prince you wanted.’.
Then Di Renjie said, how could we call him back like this? We need to welcome it back with great fanfare and let the world know. So Wu Zetian listened to Di Renjie’s words and started over again.
These three examples illustrate that Di Renjie touched Wu Zetian’s three most important things and also her three most important bottom lines: her hobbies, her men, and her country. However, Wu Zetian still had great faith in Di Renjie, who remained his most trusted minister.
There is one thing that shows the level of trust Wu Zetian had in Di Renjie.
Wu Zetian repeatedly requested Di Renjie to help her recommend talents, especially prime ministers. Di Renjie recommended Zhang Jianzhi, and Wu Zetian promoted him to an official position.
Later, Wu Zetian asked Di Renjie to recommend her. Di Renjie said, the Zhang Jianzhi I recommended to you is not useful yet. Wu Zetian said, ‘Why is it useless? Didn’t I promote him to a higher position?’?
Di Renjie said, I recommended him to be the prime minister, didn’t you let him be the prime minister. Wu Zetian then appointed Zhang Jianzhi as prime minister.
You should know that Zhang Jianzhi was the last person to drive Wu Zetian out of power. The reason why Wu Zetian used him as prime minister is obviously because she absolutely believed in Di Renjie. Otherwise, or in other words, if she understood Zhang Jianzhi’s words, she would never use him.
So, why did Wu Zetian trust Di Renjie so much? Because Di Renjie embodies a word, which is: true. And what Wu Zetian meant by ‘direct minister’ was sincerity.
After Wu Zetian became emperor, she hated those who opposed her, but she was even more afraid of those who openly supported her but secretly opposed her, because these people could easily drive her out of power.
And Di Renjie is very sincere, he says whatever he has to say. Di Renjie was falsely accused of wanting to “respect Tang” and rebel. When Lai Junchen tried him, he immediately admitted that he was a “Zuntang” rebel. Then, taking advantage of Lai Junchen’s loose management, he secretly wrote a letter to Wu Zetian.
After Wu Zetian found out, she asked him, if he was wrongly accused, why should he admit it?
Di Renjie said, if I don’t admit it, I will be tortured to death by Lai Junchen.
Look, how true Di Renjie is!
When Di Renjie was the prime minister, one day Wu Zetian said to him, ‘Many people say you’re not right in front of me. Do you want to know the names of those who say you?’.
Di Renjie said, ‘If Your Majesty trusts me, no matter what they say, it’s useless. I don’t need to know.’. If you don’t trust me, I know their names have no meaning either. Di Renjie revealed himself in such a way that Wu Zetian had to believe in his sincerity.
There is one more thing that shows the ‘truth’ of Di Renjie.
Di Renjie looked down upon the cautious and cautious Lou Shide, thinking that he lacked ability, and repeatedly accused him in front of Wu Zetian. Finally, he was impeached.
After the impeachment, Wu Zetian said to Di Renjie, ‘Do you know who recommended you to be prime minister?’? Then Wu Zetian took out a recommendation letter and showed it to Di Renjie, which was clearly the name of Lou Shide.
Di Renjie is very ashamed and feels that his moral character is not as good as Lou De’an’s. What does this matter indicate? It indicates that Di Renjie does not form factions for personal gain, and he does not put on airs.
It was his genuine effort to persuade Wu Zetian to crown Li Xian as the Crown Prince. Because he sincerely considered the interests of both Li Tang’s country and Wu Zetian’s country, and believed that only in this way could it benefit the overall situation of the country, including Wu Zetian.
It is precisely because Di Renjie has the advantage of being “true” that Wu Zetian likes and trusts him very much.
