The Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu was a very modest and easy-going person, and after becoming emperor, he did not put up a shelf and refused to be thousands of miles away. As early as when the world had not yet been unified, Liu Xiu received Kui Huan's emissary Ma Yuan in Luoyang. Earlier, Ma Yuanxian went to Chengdu to meet with his old friend Gongsun Shu, but Gongsun Shu did not miss the old feelings at all, and posed as an emperor. When Liu Xiu received Ma Yuan, he did not hold a formal ceremony, but dressed in civilian clothes, without even a hat, and sat alone under the corridor of the Xuande Hall. After Emperor Guangwu saw Ma Yuan, he smiled and said, "It is really rare for your distinguished guests to travel between two emperors, and it is a great honor to have the opportunity to meet your distinguished guests!" Liu Xiu's peaceful attitude deeply infected Ma Yuan. Ma Yuan said that today, not only the king chooses the subject, but also the subject chooses the king, and His Majesty is really the Ming Emperor. Ma Yuan, after comparing Liu Xiu's ease of mind with Gongsun Shu's hypocrisy, said, "Isn't Your Majesty afraid that I am an assassin?" Liu Xiu laughed and said, "You are not an assassin, but a lobbyist!" Liu Xiu's approachability deeply impressed Ma Yuan, although Ma Yuan failed to persuade Kui Huan to submit to Liu Xiu, Ma Yuan himself submitted to Liu Xiu with satisfaction.
In the seventeenth year of Jianwu (41), the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiuyijin returned to his hometown and came to his former residence in Nanyang Commandery (南陽郡, in modern Nanyang, Henan) to gather with his clan relatives and friends. At the banquet, Emperor Guangwu's aunts and aunts drank too much wine and said: "Uncle Wen (Liu Xiu's character) used to be a very cautious person who rarely interacted with people, and felt very weak and introverted, and now he can achieve such achievements. After hearing these words, Liu Xiu laughed and said, "I govern the world and rely on 'jiu-jitsu'." ”
The peace of the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu was also reflected in his attitude towards "Yimin" and "Hermit" and others. During the reign of Emperor Guangwu, there was a man named Zhou Dang in Taiyuan Commandery (太原郡, in modern Taiyuan, Shanxi), who was very famous, and the imperial court repeatedly recruited him to become an official, but he always refused to come out, and even wore coarse cloth clothes and wrapped his head in bark to see the imperial court officials. Emperor Guangwu personally summoned the Zhou Dang, who did not bow down because Liu Xiu was emperor, and expressed his reluctance to serve Liu Xiu in person. As for Zhou Dang's unruliness, some people at that time accused him of being arrogant and rude, and should be punished according to "great disrespect." However, the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu was quite free, and he issued an edict saying: "Since the reign of Emperor Shengming in ancient times, there will be people who refuse to become a soldier, such as King Wu of Zhou, who had Boyi and Shuqi. The Zhou Dang of Taiyuan County was unwilling to come out, and I was not strong enough to make it difficult for others, so I gave him forty horses of silk and let him go home. ”
Zhuang Guang, Zi Ling, a native of Yuyao, Zhejiang. Later, because the name of Emperor Ming of Han was Liu Zhuang, according to the system of avoidance at that time, the word "Zhuang" was changed to a synonym "Yan", so the history books called him Yan Ziling. Yan Ziling was a classmate of the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu when he was studying at Taixue, and he was not only talented, but also of high moral character. After Emperor Guangwu became emperor, he thought of his former classmates and ordered all places to visit Yan Ziling. Later, the Shandong region reported that there was a person who was very similar to the person the emperor was looking for, so the Guangwu Emperor sent someone to invite him, and invited him to Luoyang many times.
After Yan Ziling came to Luoyang, he arranged to live in the Beijing Guard Barracks, and the government specially provided him with mattresses and other utensils, and even the food and drink were provided by the officials in charge of meals in the palace every morning and evening. Situ Houba and Yan Guang were old acquaintances and sent someone to send a letter to Yan Guang. The messenger then said to Yan Guang: "When Lord Hou heard that Mr. Yan was coming, he wanted to visit him immediately, but he was limited to the relevant system of the imperial court, so he could not come." Hopefully, after dark, I can personally come and apologize to you. Yan Guang did not speak, threw the book to the messenger, and dictated a reply: "Mr. Junfang: You have now achieved the three dukes in your official position, which is very good." If you assist benevolence with kindness, the whole world will be happy. But if you just pat yourself on the back and look at people's faces, you will have to be in a different place. Hou Ba received the letter and read it, sealed it and then gave it to emperor Guangwu. Emperor Guangwu smiled and said, "This crazy guy is still the same." On the same day, he personally came to the pavilion where Yan Guang lived, yan Guang pretended not to be able to sleep, and Emperor Guangwu entered his bedroom, touched Yan Guang's stomach and said, "Alas, Yan Ziling, can't you help me do something?" Yan Guang continued to pretend not to speak, and after a while, he opened his eyes, looked at it for a long time, and said, "In the past, Tang Yao had such a holy character, and Father Chao, Xu You, and others heard that Tang Yao was going to grant him an official position, and he still went to wash his ears." People who read books have their own aspirations, so why should they be determined to be strong and difficult to make people officials? Emperor Guangwu said, "Yan Ziling, I can't make you make concessions?" So he got into the car, sighed and left.
Later, Emperor Guangwu invited Yan Guang to the palace to talk about the past exchanges, and the two spent many days together. Once, Emperor Guangwu pretended to inadvertently ask Yan Guang, "How am I better than in the past?" Yan Guang replied, "Your Majesty has changed slightly from the past." "After speaking, I slept together. Yan Guang slept soundly, and pressed his foot on Emperor Guangwu's stomach. The next day, Taishi sang a warning that a guest star had rushed to the throne, which was very powerful. Emperor Guangwu smiled and said, "My old friend Yan Ziling just slept with me." ”
Yin Lihua in film and television works
Emperor Guangwu granted Yan Ziling the post of Counselor, but Yan Ziling refused to accept it, so he returned to Fuchun Mountain and lived a farming life, and his descendants named the place where he fished yanlingse. In the seventeenth year of Jianwu (41), Emperor Guangwu once again summoned Yan Ziling, but he did not go. Yan Ziling lived until he was eighty years old and died at home.
After Emperor Guangwu became emperor, he was able to not forget his old feelings and not put up a shelf, while Yan Ziling was able not to covet wealth after his late man became emperor, and they maintained a relatively pure friendship between them, so they were admired by posterity.