Lesson 2: From the "Reign of Chastity" to the "Reign of Enlightenment"（654words ...

The Establishment of the Tang Dynasty and the Reign of Zhenguan

During the great peasant uprising at the end of the Sui Dynasty, Li Yuan, a Sui bureaucrat formerly guarding Taiyuan, took the opportunity to rise against the Sui Dynasty. After Emperor Yang was killed, Li Yuan became the emperor in 618 and established the Tang dynasty, setting the capital at Chang'an and then eliminating all the rebellious armies and secessionist forces to pacify the country.

During his reign of more than 20 years, Emperor Tang Taizong created a prosperous era for the Tang Dynasty. He learned the lesson of the quick death of the Sui dynasty, was diligent in government, was open-minded in accepting advice, and accepted good advice as it came. The minister Wei Zheng was outspoken, advising more than 200 times. After Wei Zheng's death, Emperor Taizong of Tang regretted the loss of a "mirror" that could tell the gains and losses. The Tang emperor was a great successor to the Tang dynasty, and he was able to recruit talented people and appoint them well.

During the Zhenguan period, a series of innovative measures were implemented. Politically, the system of three provinces and six ministries was further improved to clarify the powers and decision-making procedures of the central government; laws were enacted to reduce penalties; the number of subjects in the imperial examinations was increased to encourage scholars to take the examinations, and the subject of jinshi gradually became the most important subject; the performance of officials at all levels was strictly examined. Economically, it reduced the burden of labor on the people and encouraged the development of agricultural production.

At the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the Turks controlled a large area in the north and west of the desert and often harassed the Tang Dynasty. During the reign of Emperor Tang Taizong, he launched a counter-attack, defeating the Eastern and Western Turkic provinces and strengthening his rule over the Western region.

During the reign of Emperor Tang Taizong, politics was clearer, the economy was further developed, the state was stronger, and culture and education flourished.

Female Emperor Wu Zetian

Wu Zetian was originally the consort of Emperor Gaozong, the third emperor of the Tang Dynasty, and was very resourceful. After she became empress, she shared the reigns with Emperor Gaozong. After the death of Emperor Gaozong, Wu Zetian abolished her two sons, who had already become emperors, and replaced them with her own, renaming the country Zhou. She was the only female emperor in the history of China.

During her reign, Wu Zetian cracked down on rival bureaucrats and aristocrats; she expanded the base of her rule by vigorously developing the imperial examination system, creating a system of hall examinations, interviewing candidates in person, and selecting talent from a wide range of categories. She continued to implement the policies and measures that had been in place since the reign of Zhenguan to reduce the burdens of the people, and emphasized the development of production. During her reign, social and economic development was sustained, the population continued to grow, and the frontier was consolidated and opened up. This laid the groundwork for the emergence of the "Kaiyuan Dynasty".

The Reign of Kaiyuan

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, the grandson of Wu Zetian, was not only versatile but also capable of governing the country. After his accession to the throne, he stabilized the political situation, encouraged governance, relied on wise people, and implemented a series of reforms with the support of the wise minister Yao Chong and Song Jing: reorganizing officials and cutting redundant staff; developing the economy and reforming the tax system; emphasizing education and compiling scriptures. During the first period of Emperor Xuanzong's reign, the year was called "Kaiyuan", when the government was stable, the economy was prosperous, the treasury was full, and the people lived in stability.（654words）