Text: Rain and Snow Qiyun (Columnist for Reading History)
In 91 BC, the heroic Emperor Wu of Han had reached the twilight of his life, and in this year one of his great-grandsons was born, and this infant nobleman who was still learning to speak in his teeth and teeth would not have thought that a catastrophe was about to come.
A few months later, one of the bloodiest political conspiracies of the Western Han Dynasty, the Case of the WitchCraft, broke out, and the crown prince Liu Zhao, all his children, wives and concubines were killed, and the grandson of the prince, who was several months old, became the only survivor, but was also imprisoned because of the case. In prison, the baby meets the first noble man of his life, one of the officials in charge of pursuing the case, Ting wei Bingji.
Bing Ji was well aware of the grievances of this case, and the crown prince Liu Zhao's temperament was stable and kind before his death, and he won the hearts of the people, but under such circumstances, the only thing he could do was to keep the only bloodline of the prince.
Bingji found two female prisoners in prison to feed the baby and came to visit every day. The prison environment was harsh, and several times the baby fell ill and almost lost his life. Bing Ji took care of him day and night, taking his own Qilu to seek medical treatment, and finally his health gradually improved, and Bing Ji gave him the name "Sick".
Liu Yi has grown up slowly under the careful care of Bingji and two prison nurses.
But things were not so smooth, Liu was sick when he was four years old, Emperor Wudi of Han was seriously ill, and some magicians said that there was Tianzi qi in Chang'an's prison (now think carefully, this warlock observed it correctly, and had to admire the wisdom of the ancients), and the ignorant and fearful Emperor Wudi of Han ordered people to lead troops to all prisons in Chang'an, regardless of the severity of the crime, and kill them all.
When these people came to the prison where Liu Yi had been, BingJi closed the door, and no matter how much he negotiated and threatened outside, he desperately guarded the child. The indignant Bingji shouted, "Even ordinary people should not be innocently executed, let alone your majesty's pro-emperor great-grandson!" ”
When Emperor Wudi of Han heard such a reply, he finally woke up and granted amnesty to the world. Liu's illness has once again been desperate.
A few days later, Liu Che came to the end of his life. Before his death, he left a will and testament to restore Liu's royal status and adopt him by the Court of Ye.
Liu Yi, who came to Yeting, had already met the second nobleman in his life, Zhang He, the ling of Ye Ting. Zhang He was once a doorman of Liu Zhao, the Prince of Wei, and he was very distressed about this child who suffered at birth, and not only took good care of it, but also took his own Feng Lu to provide Liu Yi with his own books.
At the age of sixteen, Zhang He personally acted as a matchmaker and used his family wealth to prepare a dowry, marrying the most important woman in his life, Xu Pingjun, a commoner woman.
A year later, Liu Yi had his first child, and he lost his parents shortly after birth, and for the first time felt the joy of becoming a new father.
Although the Xu family was not a wealthy family, his father-in-law Xu Guanghan and his wife Xu Pingjun worked hard to provide him with education and travel.
Liu Yi, who has no branches to rely on since childhood, has felt the warmth of home.
Seventeen or eighteen-year-old Liu Yi has a lot of similarities with his ancestor Liu Bang, he not only studied Confucian classics, but did not read dead books, liked to travel around Chang'an, he often took his wife Xu Pingjun to The Honggu Plain in Du County to overlook the four directions, and also fought cocks and dogs with the disciples of the city, so as to do chivalry and righteousness.
In such an experience, Liu Yi had gained a different growth experience from those princes who were born in the deep palace and grew up in the hands of women, and he deeply realized the operation mode of officials and the sufferings of the people, laying the foundation for his later concept of "wang domineering and mixed".
In 74 AD, the 21-year-old Han Zhao Emperor Liu Fuling died childless. The auxiliary chancellor Huo Guang supported Liu He the Prince of Changyi as his successor, but only 27 days later, Liu He was deposed by Huo Guang, and the entanglement and game in it are difficult to say, I don't know whether it is really Liu He who lost his morality or Huo Guang's power.
When the throne was vacant, BingJi seized the opportunity to recommend Liu Yiji to Huo Guangjin. At this time, Zhang He had died, but he had repeatedly praised Liu Anshi to his younger brother Zhang Anshi before his death, and Zhang Anshi was Huo Guang's deputy at this time, and undoubtedly sided with Liu Yiji.
The gears of fate all turned for him very coincidentally.
Eighteen-year-old Liu Yi has officially entered the stage of history, but the situation is not easy at all. Huo Guang was entrusted by Emperor Wu of Han to assist Liu Fuling, the Emperor of Han Zhao, for more than ten years, and was able to depose Liu He, and his family and subordinate forces could be described as monstrous. At that time, Huo Guang himself was the Grand Sima and Grand General in charge of the national military power, the entire Chang'an City guard was in the hands of his son and nephew, and the entire Palace Janissary was in the hands of his sons-in-law.
On the day of his ascension to the throne, Huo Guang and Liu Yi had already taken the same car to worship the ancestral temple, and Huo Guang's majesty and powerful network of power were clearly displayed in front of him for the first time, and the history books recorded that Liu Guang had been "like a thorn in the back".
This folk tianzi may have been chosen by Huo Guang precisely because of his weak strength, and the only thing he could do at this time was to endure and wait. After succeeding to the throne, Huo Guang's tentative request to return the government to him, he firmly refused, and also gave Huo Guang an increase in title, indicating that he had no intention of fighting for power.
However, the reclusive Liu Yi had not made concessions on one thing—the establishment of empress.
When the courtiers at that time saw his attitude towards Huo, they all thought that Huo Guang's younger daughter Huo Chengjun would become empress. The wise Liu Yi had already issued a subtle edict to his subjects: "I have a very beloved old sword left in the folk, can you help me find it?" ”
Although he has become a heavenly son, Liu Yi will not forget that there was once a person who gave him a warm and complete family when he was lowly. The courtiers immediately understood and asked for Xu Pingjun. Since then, the allusion of "the love of the old sword" has been passed down through the ages, and later Wang Changling of the Tang Dynasty once lamented in a poem: "Once you hear the Han Lord thinking about the old sword, the concubine will have a long soul." ”
However, the development of the situation is far beyond the expectations of most people, and it can even be said that it has become the pain of Liu's life. Huo Guang's wife, Huo Xian, was very dissatisfied when she saw that her daughter had actually lost to a folk woman. Perhaps it was because she had lost her mind after too long a power tilt, and she secretly bribed the palace doctors to poison Xu Pingjun during childbirth.
We can't imagine what kind of mood Liu Pingjun was in when Xu Pingjun was dying. With his intelligence, he should have known the truth at that moment, and a few days after the incident, he sent all the doctors who treated the empress to prison for the crime of great rebellion.
Since the day he ascended the throne, he has been stoic and obedient in everything, and now, the only impulse he has killed his wife!
Guilt, remorse, self-blame, all kinds of painful moods surged into his heart, he cried loudly, in the face of the opposition of the courtiers, violated the ancestral system, and moved his wife to Du County for burial- that is where they often played when they were a folk couple.
However, the situation was compelling, and he was not allowed to express his grief too much, so he had to put away his tears, continue to endure the humiliation, smile and face Huo Guang, and at the same time make Huo Chengjun empress. What was very peculiar was that Huo Chengjun had never given birth.
In 68 BC, Huo Guang died, and for this day, Liu Had waited for 6 years. He clearly knew that the only pillar of the Huo family was Huo Guang, and the other generations such as Huo Yun and Huo Shan were nothing more than clumsy disciples.
Liu Yi has gradually begun to act. First of all, Huo Guang was given a generous burial with a ceremony close to the emperor, and Huo Shi was knighted, paralyzing them and beginning to rise and fall. He stripped Huo Yun and Huo Shan of their military positions, and then gave them the position of Shangshu. Shangshu's duty was to dispose of the song before the emperor inspected it, but Liu Yi had ordered his subjects to play it secretly without going through Shangshu, which was equivalent to emptying the two of them.
Subsequently, he transferred Huo Guang's sons-in-law who held military power out of beijing to serve as magistrates, and at the same time handed over all the guarding duties in the palace and the capital to his own hands.
Although the Huo family was very dissatisfied, they did not move too out of line. However, gradually there was a lot of discussion in the capital, and the Huo family's remarks about killing Empress Xu spread. Huo Xian was very panicked and told Huo Yun and Huo Shan the truth of the matter. After they heard this, they finally understood the real purpose of Liu Yi's series of actions—if it were not for this, the Huo family might still be able to withdraw from the government and preserve wealth. At this point, they understood that there was no way back, only the fish dead net was broken.
Huo Yun and Huo Shan began to secretly contact their brother-in-law and brother-in-law outside Beijing to prepare for trouble, but the matter was soon revealed.
Liu Yi has been waiting for this day! He quickly preemptively attacked, and all the Huo clans were captured, and then the clan was destroyed, and Empress Huo was also deposed.
What was very valuable was that this king with clear merits and merits still ranked Huo Guang first in the list of the eleven heroes of the Later Qilin Pavilion. He said that although Huo Shi plotted rebellion, Huo Guang's exploits to the Great Han should not be erased.
Since then, Liu Yi has officially begun his era. He issued such an edict that had never been written before: "The ancient Tianzi is well-known, difficult to know and easy to conceal, and its name is changed." ”
In ancient times, the names of emperors needed to be avoided, and if they were not paid attention to, they were easy to punish. Liu Yi was already the first emperor to change his name for the people. The words "sick" and "have" were too commonly used in the folk, and he did not want innocent people to be punished for such things, so he changed his name to Liu Qian.
Although it is a small matter, we can see that Liu Qing's "knowing the sufferings of the people" is not an empty word.
This Tianzi who came out of the people attached great importance to the quality and deeds of bureaucrats, especially the local officials who were closest to the common people. In the history books, we can frequently see his review, examination, and admonition of officials.
Ban Gu sincerely praised in the Book of Han that this was the best era of the entire Western Han Dynasty.
The best is not just the rule of officials. During this period, food prices reached their lowest points, and agricultural development flourished, even exceeding the time of Wenjing.com.
Militarily, Liu Qing inherited the legacy of Emperor Wu of Han and organized the largest battle against the Xiongnu in the past four hundred years of the two Han Dynasties, 160,000 iron cavalry went out of the blockade in five ways, returned with a great victory, the Xiongnu completely divided, the Southern Xiongnu went to Chang'an to pay tribute, the Northern Xiongnu were far away, and there was no more war in the following decades - he did what his grandfather Emperor Wu of Han could not do - the Western Regions Capital Protectorate was established in his hands, the north and south of the Tianshan Mountains were incorporated into the territory for the first time, and the Great Han Tianwei was far away and beyond the Wanli Ridge!
In 49 BC, at the age of 42, Liu Que died of illness, and his title was Emperor Xiaoxuan and emperor Zhongzong. Propagators, GwanJin Tetsuhye, Junda Yutokuya.
The temple number of Emperor Zhongzong shows Liu Yuan's ability and contribution. In the Western Han Dynasty, which was known for its strict formulation of temple numbers and nicknames, Liu Qing was one of the four emperors with official temple numbers. The other three were Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gaozu, taizu of the temple name; Liu Heng, emperor of the Han Dynasty, and Taizong of the temple; and Liu Che of the Han Wu Emperor, and Emperor Shizong of the temple. (The temple number originates from the Shang Dynasty, and there are only four original temple numbers, the creation of the foundation of the establishment of the industry is known as "Tai", the meritorious person is known as "High", the generation sacrifice is known as "Shi", the Zhongxing is known as "Zhong", and in addition, according to the standard of "ancestors have merit and sects have virtue", the title of ancestor or sect is given.) ）
Emperor Xuan left his life and was buried with his wife Xu Pingjun in Duling, Du County. On the sealed mound of Duling today, you will find a unique layout, most of the funeral tombs of the past dynasties are on the east, west and north sides, because the south is respected, and Xu Pingjun's sealing mound is in the south of Emperor Xuan, Liu Xiang expressed his guilt and thoughts for his wife in such a unique way.
On the tiles excavated by Duling, the period is described by this sentence: "All the subjects in the sea, the years are mature, the Tao is not hungry, and the practice is long live."
Since then, the Western Han Dynasty, which inherited the legacy of the Qin Empire, has endured a hundred years of struggle, from Emperor Wen's cautious and heavy-handedness and resting with the people, to Emperor Jing's pacification of civil strife and Taoguang's obscurity; from Emperor Wu's attack and defense of alien forms and the opening up of territory, to Emperor Xuan's Siyi Binfu and the world's Yin fu, the four emperors with different personalities and abilities have been properly arranged into their positions, the pattern of great unification has been consolidated, and the concept of great unification has been deeply imprinted into the imprint of the Chinese nation, and history has shown its most benevolent side in the Western Han Dynasty.
Wen, Jing, Wu, Xuan, start, inherit, turn, close, perfect rhythm, perfect footnote, but also a perfect period.