Qi He Academy, Historical Debate: Princess An Rong or Empress Ping De, the Greatest Contributor to the Ping De Golden Age?
This friendly indoor debate began.
The students in the class had already divided themselves into groups: some supporting Princess An Rong, others Empress Ping De.
"Now, Party A will present their opening statement!"
The class monitor, acting as the debate moderator, gestured to the left. The first speaker on the left immediately stood up and stated:
"Our side's viewpoint is that the greatest contributor to the Ping De Golden Age is undoubtedly Empress Ping De. This should be beyond question, as the nearly century-long prosperity is named the Ping De Golden Age, not the An Rong Golden Age!
Princess An Rong passed away in the thirteenth year of Ping De.
Empress Ping De passed away in the eightieth year of Ping De.
Empress Ping De's life spanned the entire Ping De Golden Age, while Princess An Rong died only a few years after the golden age began. Therefore, at most, we can acknowledge her significant contributions to the Ping De Golden Age, but in terms of the greatest contributor, Princess An Rong absolutely cannot compare to Empress Ping De!"
"Our side disagrees with this view.
The Ping De Golden Age is named Ping De not because Empress Ping De's contributions surpassed Princess An Rong's, but because she was an Empress. Historical convention dictates that the era's reign title is used for the golden age's name, which has nothing to do with the magnitude of her achievements.
Without Princess An Rong's contributions, it's questionable whether Empress Ping De could have even secured her throne, let alone created a golden age. Anyone who has studied history knows the vast difference between the Ping De court before Princess An Rong's intervention and after it!
Before Princess An Rong contributed high-yield grain seeds and superior livestock breeds, the entire Ping De dynasty was in turmoil. Statistics show that in just three years, there were over eighteen rebellions across various regions. Not only were there widespread public disputes, but many officials directly resigned.
Empress Ping De's throne was extremely unstable.
However, after Princess An Rong contributed the high-yield grain seeds and superior livestock breeds, the entire Ping De dynasty quickly stabilized. While the public praised Princess An Rong's achievements, they also stopped discussing her and even began to praise her.
And within a mere three years.
They achieved granaries filled and clothing and food for all.
This reached an accomplishment that countless emperors before them had strived for and failed to achieve!
Are these not Princess An Rong's contributions?
Therefore, our side's viewpoint is that Princess An Rong is the greatest contributor to the Ping De Golden Age, and she is irreplaceable!"
As it was still early in the debate, the first speaker for Party B maintained a relatively calm tone, simply stating the merits of Princess An Rong and their position.
Following this, it was naturally the turn of Party A's second speaker:
"I disagree with Party B's viewpoint. Empress Ping De's strategic brilliance and foresight are recorded in historical texts. Even without Princess An Rong's contributions, she would have been able to create the Ping De Golden Age. At most, the pace would have been slower, and the prosperity of the golden age might not have been as abundant.
Princess An Rong's actions can only be considered embellishments; they fundamentally did not affect the emergence of the Ping De Golden Age. After all, Empress Ping De's continuous encouragement of women to work, attend school, participate in imperial examinations, and hold office was a measure that unleashed half of the productive forces of feudal society, which had been constrained by propriety.
With this half of the labor force unleashed.
How could a golden age not be created?
Golden ages throughout history are created because the emperor himself possesses great vision and capability, follows the correct policies, and allows his officials and the populace room to maneuver.
This is how golden ages are forged.
No matter how great Princess An Rong's contributions, without Empress Ping De's comprehensive promotion, it's likely that even by the day of her death, high-yield grain seeds and superior livestock breeds would have struggled to achieve nationwide distribution. How can their contributions be compared?
Therefore, our side's viewpoint remains—
Empress Ping De is the greatest contributor to the golden age."
"Our side believes that Party A's understanding of productive forces is likely too superficial, and their assumption that Empress Ping De could have created the Ping De Golden Age without Princess An Rong's help is overly optimistic.
According to data from countless dynasties in the past, Empress Ping De ascended the throne in the mid-to-late period of the dynasty, which is a period of transition from peak prosperity to decline. Some feudal dynasties that were already not doing well had, at this point, already entered a state of decline.
Even in the most developed dynasties.
At most, it would be a period of resurgence.
We hope Party A's students remember that Empress Ping De, throughout her life, was unable to curb common feudal problems like land annexation, nor could she enhance social productivity through technological means.
Without addressing the issue of land output, the notion of unleashing the productive forces of women is utterly ridiculous. With no increase in overall societal productivity and no curbing of land annexation, what use is a small amount of female labor?
Can it lead to cultivating more land or appointing more female officials?
Many historians have long analyzed that the foundation of the Ping De Golden Age lies in increased grain production and lower grain prices, allowing less land to support more people.
To a certain extent, this curbed the consequences of land annexation. Many people, even without land, could afford grain and eat, avoiding starvation. It was on this basis that a large amount of labor was freed up to develop other industries, leading to an early stage of industrialization.
Without those high-yield grain seeds and superior livestock, Empress Ping De, let alone creating a golden age, would likely have been fully occupied with disaster relief, expending all her efforts and schemes.
You can check the natural disasters during the Ping De era if you don't believe it.
If not for the appearance of grain with a yield of a thousand catties per mu, those natural disasters alone would have caused countless deaths from starvation and likely sparked numerous uprisings and rebellions. Forget about a golden age; it would have been a success if the dynasty hadn't collapsed under Empress Ping De.
Therefore, our side's viewpoint is that the Ping De Golden Age was developed on the foundation of Princess An Rong's contributions.
Without Princess An Rong's high-yield grain seeds.
There would be no Ping De Golden Age!"
Party B's second speaker continued with conviction, almost to the point of presenting facts, reasoning, and data to support their view.
"Our side..."
Party A's third speaker was momentarily stumped, as they couldn't think of any other significant contributions Empress Ping De might have had.
"Our side acknowledges that even without Princess An Rong's contributions, Empress Ping De would likely have achieved some success.
However, the achievements would have been extremely limited.
Because Princess An Rong's contribution of high-yield grain seeds surpassed the limitations of the era, the core criterion for judging the magnitude of contributions should be their irreplaceability.
Many of Empress Ping De's actions are replaceable.
Including the promotion of high-yield grain seeds.
Anyone with a modicum of sense would promote them.
But Princess An Rong is irreplaceable. This single point of distinction is enough to prove that Princess An Rong's importance far exceeds that of Empress Ping De, and she is the greatest contributor."
With the third speaker's conclusion, the outcome was clear.