Wang He and Wang Lai's Yong Zhen innovation failed only for half a year, but it was a progressive movement that shook the whole country. The measures taken dealt a blow to the autocratic eunuchs and separatist forces in the buffer region at that time, benefiting the country and the people and conforming to the historical development. Liu Zongyuan and his good friend Liu Yuxi are the core figures of this innovation. They are called "Two Kings Liu Liu". Young Liu Zongyuan had a sharp struggle with eunuchs, aristocratic families and old bureaucrats on the political stage. His innovation and spirit of struggle are very valuable.
Yongzhou
With the downfall of Shunzong, Xian Zong came to power, and the innovation failed, the reformists such as "Two Kings Liu Liu" were immediately demoted. In August, Xianzong ascended the throne, and in September, Liu Zongyuan was demoted as the secretariat of Shaozhou (now Shaoyang City, Hunan Province) and Sima of Yongzhou (now Lingling City, Hunan Province). This time, seven people were demoted to Sima at the same time, so history called this incident "two kings and eight Sima events."
Yongzhou is located at the junction of Hunan and Guangdong. It was lonely at that time. It was a terrible place with few people. Liu Zongyuan went to Yongzhou with his 67-year-old mother, cousin Liu Zongzhi and cousin Lu Zun. After they arrived in Yongzhou, they didn't even have a place to live. Later, with the help of a monk, they boarded in longxing temple. Because of the hard life, his mother Lushi died before he arrived in Yongzhou for half a year.
After Liu Zongyuan was demoted, his political opponents still refused to let him go. Gossip and personal attacks turned him into a "strange man", and after several years, he kept cursing. This shows the extent to which conservatives dislike him. In Yongzhou, cruel political persecution and hard living environment made Liu Zongyuan sad, angry, depressed and miserable. Coupled with several ruthless fires, his health was seriously damaged, even to the point where his knees trembled when he walked, but he was paralyzed as soon as he sat down. Liu Zongyuan's political ideal was not shaken by all kinds of persecution and hardships he suffered in his relegation career. In his letter, he clearly stated: "Although everything is excluded, it is nothing more than this."
The fall of Yongzhou 10 year was a major turning point in Liu Zongyuan's life. When he was in Beijing, he directly engaged in innovative activities. After arriving in Yongzhou, his struggle turned to the ideological and cultural field. Ten years in Yongzhou is a decade in which he continued to struggle. He has extensively studied some important issues in philosophy, politics, history and literature since ancient times, and has written articles and books. Most of his masterpieces, such as Feudalism, Unofficial Dialect, Heaven Pair and Six Contradictions, were completed in Yongzhou.
Liuzhou
In the first month of the 10th year of Yuanhe (8 15), Liu Zongyuan and Liu Yuxi were recalled to Beijing. But it has not been reused. Due to hatred of Wu and others, he went to Chang 'an in February and announced his demotion in March. Liu Zongyuan was demoted as the secretariat of Liuzhou (now Liuzhou, Guangxi), and Liu Yuxi was the secretariat of Bozhou. Although it was promoted from Sima to the secretariat, the demoted place was far more secluded and difficult than before. Liu Zongyuan thought Bozhou was more difficult than Liuzhou, and Liu Yuxi had an 80-year-old mother to take care of, so he wrote to the court several times and asked for an exchange with Liu Yuxi. Later, because someone helped, Liu Yuxi changed to Lianzhou and Liu Zongyuan went to Liuzhou.
Liuzhou is farther from the capital Chang 'an than Yongzhou, and it is even more backward and desolate. Most of the residents are ethnic minorities, living in extreme poverty, and their customs and habits are quite different from those of the Central Plains. When Liu Zongyuan first came here, he didn't understand the language and everything was uncomfortable, but he was still determined to use the limited strength of the Secretariat to continue to carry out reforms in this place and do something good for the local people.
In Liuzhou, Liu Zongyuan was determined to abolish the cruel habit of "taking money from men and women as ransom from time to time, and if the child is like this, he will not be a handmaiden", and formulated a set of measures to release the handmaid, stipulating that the slave can calculate his salary by time, restore his personal freedom after paying off his debts, and go home to reunite with his relatives. This move was welcomed by the poor and was later extended to counties outside Liuzhou. In view of the local people's superstitious and backward customs, Liu Zongyuan prohibited Jianghu witch doctors from defrauding people. Organize the development of cultural and educational undertakings, set up schools and popularize medicine, so that Liuzhou, which has never dared to drill wells, has successively drilled several wells and solved the drinking water problem. There are many wasteland in Liuzhou, and Liu Zongyuan organized idle labor to reclaim it. Only one reclaimed wasteland in Dayun Temple has planted 30,000 bamboo poles and hundreds of beds of vegetables. He also attaches importance to tree planting and participates in tree planting activities in person.
In four years, Liu Zongyuan carried out some reforms within the scope of his authority, which benefited one party and actually carried out the reform of the king in some areas.
The long-term relegation career, the hardships of life and the mental torture have made Liu Zongyuan's health worse and worse, and he is really old before he is old. His good friend Wu Wuling ran to the door of Pei Du, the ruling minister, many times, trying to save him from Liuzhou to Beijing. Pei Du and Liu Zongyuan are from Hedong. In the fourteenth year of Yuanhe, Xian Zong was pardoned for his honorific title. After Pei Du interceded, Xianzong agreed to recall Liu Zongyuan. However, it is too late. Before the imperial edict arrived in Liuzhou, Liu Zongyuan died with a cavity of grief and indignation at the age of 47. Before his death, Liu Zongyuan wrote to his good friend Liu Yuxi and left the manuscript to him. Later, Liu Yuxi compiled the Collection of Liu Zongyuan.
Consistent wood
Liu Zongyuan died in Liuzhou in the 14th year of Tang Yuanhe (AD 8 19). The following year, the coffin was transported back to Yuan Qifeng, Wannian County, Jingzhao (now Lintong County, Shaanxi Province). "Liuzhou County Records" said:' Zongyuan was originally ruled by Guzhou. Although it was restored, it still closed the land. "This soil is now the tomb of Liu Zongyuan. The original tomb of Mao was rebuilt in the Qing Dynasty. The tombstone reads "Tomb of Shi Wenhui, Hou Liugong, Zongyuan, Tang Temple" and has a couplet "Wenneng punctuality, Yang Min, Yi Hui". This tomb was destroyed in the Cultural Revolution. 1974 restoration, Guo Moruo wrote an inscription: "Tomb of Liu Zongyuan in Tang Dynasty".