Song Renzong Zhao Zhen (May 12, 1010 - April 30, 1063), was first named Zhao Youyi. The fourth emperor of the Song Dynasty (reigned from March 23, 1022 to April 30, 1063), the sixth son of Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng, his mother was Concubine Li Chen.
In the second year of Ming Dynasty (1033), he began to take charge of the government. The first "Song-Xia War" broke out in the middle of his reign. After three years of fighting, the two sides signed the "Qingli Peace Agreement." During this period, the Liao Dynasty took the opportunity to suppress the territory with heavy troops and forced the Song Dynasty to increase the loss of Sui coins, which was known in history as "Chongxi Increased Coins". In response to the increasingly serious governance crisis in the Northern Song Dynasty, Zhao Zhen appointed Fan Zhongyan and others to launch the "Qingli New Deal" in the third year of Qingli (1043). However, due to the huge opposition, the reform was immediately suspended.
In the eighth year of Jiayou's reign (1063), Zhao Zhen died at the age of fifty-four. Reigning for forty-two years, he was the longest-reigning emperor in the Song Dynasty. "History of the Song Dynasty" records that after the news of Zhao Zhen's death came out, "the capital (Bianliang) went on strike and cried in the streets for several days. Even beggars and children burned paper money and cried in front of Da Nei." After the obituary of Zhao Zhen's death was sent to the Liao Kingdom, "people in the Yan Kingdom cried no matter how far away they were." Yelu Hongji, the Taoist Emperor of the Liao Dynasty, was also shocked. He rushed up to grab the hand of the Song Dynasty envoy and howled bitterly, saying: "Forty-two years He didn't know how to fight." He also said, "I want to build a tomb for him to express my condolences." After that, the emperors of the Liao Dynasty "regarded him as their ancestors."
During Zhao Zhen's reign, the economy prospered, and science, technology and culture also developed greatly. "History of the Song Dynasty" praises: "The "Biography" says: 'Being a ruler should only be benevolent.' The emperor was sincere and unashamed." Historians summarized the period when he was in power and pro-politics in governing the country as "the prosperous rule of Renzong". He is good at calligraphy, especially Fei Bai Shu.
Personal allusion: The remonstrating minister Bao Zheng repeatedly offended Yan Zhijian, and his saliva even splashed on Zhao Zhen's face. But Zhao Zhen wiped his face with his sleeves and accepted his suggestion without blaming him. Once, Bao Zheng objected to the appointment of Zhang Yaozuo, the uncle of Renzong's favorite concubine Zhang (i.e. Queen Wencheng), as the third envoy. Zhao Zhen changed the appointment of Zhang Yaozuo as the Jiedu envoy. Bao Zheng objected even more fiercely and led the seven famous officials to fight with Zhao Zhen theory. Zhao Zhen said angrily: "Do you want to talk about Zhang Yaozuo? The Jiedushi is a rough official, why are you still arguing?" Tang Jie, the official, replied unceremoniously: "The Jiedushi, Taizu (Zhao Kuangyin), Taizong (Zhao Guangyi) has done it before, I'm afraid he is not a rough official." Zhao Zhen finally adopted Yan Guan's suggestion.
After he returned to the harem, he said to Mrs. Zhang: "You only know how to declare the emblem, don't you know that Bao Zheng is the censor?"