In our impression, the emperor has supreme power, and as long as he says a word, he can change a person's life, even life and death. And what the emperor wants, there is nothing that cannot be obtained, and the emperor can take possession of other people's property, family property, and even his wife. But these are not the manifestations of Ming Jun.
If you want to be a good emperor, not only can you not do whatever you want, but there are many things that even have to listen to the words of the ministers. Just like the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu, as the king of a country, he wanted to help his sister talk to the mediator, but he was rejected by the minister with a sentence, and there was no emperor's majesty to speak of.
So what's going on? Why did the minister dare to refuse the emperor's request?
(Liu Xiu stills)
Liu Xiu's father died when he was young, leaving them orphaned and widowed, at this time, Liu Huang, as the eldest sister, had to take on the role of the eldest sister and help her mother take care of her younger siblings. Later, his uncle Liu Liang adopted them, and Liu Huang helped his uncle's family to do some farm work, and then the family moved to Baishui Village, living an ordinary peasant life, and barely able to support the family.
At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, Wang Mang usurped power, causing great chaos in the world, so Liu Xiu followed his brother Liu Yan to raise an army. After 12 years of brutal war, Liu Xiu finally regained the world and reunited the divided country again. In the end, he restored the Han Dynasty, ascended the throne as emperor, and established a new regime, known in history as the "Eastern Han Dynasty".
After Liu Xiu became emperor, he did not forget the people in his family, and he added officials to the family' relatives, especially those who were kind to his family, among which the eldest sister Liu Huang was crowned as the Princess of Huyang.
(Huyang Princess Stills)
Liu Huang transformed from a poor village girl into a princess of a country, and she began to become arrogant. Just as the so-called "dog fighting human power", Liu Huang was arrogant, and the slaves under her natural hands also became blind, and her domestic slaves even dared to commit murder in the street during the day, but the official government obstructed the princess's face and did not dare to arrest this slave.
After dong xuan knew about it, the county personally took people to the princess mansion to arrest people, but trespassing on the princess mansion was a capital offense, and they had to wait outside the door to wait for the rabbit.
One day the princess went out with the murderous house slave, who was still flaunting her might when she saw the catch. Dong Xuan immediately asked people to surround the princess's car, and then scolded the house slave to let him get out of the car, and accused the princess of harboring. Liu Huang saw that Dong Xuan was so bold, so he immediately went to Liu Xiu to file a complaint.
Liu Xiu respects her sister very much, after all, when she was a child, her family was poor, it was her sister who helped her mother take care of them, and then the eldest sister was like a mother, Liu Xiu naturally could not let her sister be wronged. Hearing that Dong Xuan was so disrespectful to his sister, Liu Xiu quickly ordered someone to arrest him and planned to kill him. At this time, Dong Xuan actually asked Liu Xiu to let him say a word before he died, and Liu Xiu thought that this request was not excessive, so he agreed.
Dong Xuan said: "Your Majesty is a wise monarch who can make the Han Dynasty prosperous, but it is only by indulging slaves to kill innocents, what else can we talk about governing the world?" The subject does not need to wait for the rod to die, please allow me to commit suicide. "After saying that, I hit the pillar with my head, and suddenly the blood flowed all over my face, but fortunately I didn't hurt my life."
"Declare: 'Your Majesty's holy virtue zhongxing, and from slaves to kill good people, how will the world care?' The subject does not have to be punished, please commit suicide. 'That is, to strike the jacaranda with the head, and to bleed on the face. ——Quoted from the Book of the Later Han Dynasty
(Dong Xuan stills)
This sentence was like a slap in the face to Emperor Guangwu, and he immediately forgave Dong Xuan's guilt, but the princess was still here, saying that she would give an account to her sister. Liu Huang also kept holding on and demanded that Liu Xiu must severely punish Dong Xuan, but Liu Xiu explained to her: "The Son of Heaven is not the same as Bai Yi. Liu Huang gave up.
Just said that Liu Xiu wanted to give an explanation to her sister, at that time Princess Huyang was a widow, Liu Xiu thought that Dong Xuan's matter was not handled well, resulting in her sister not being satisfied, so she wanted to find a good marriage for her, to show her apologies to her sister, and at the same time to ease the feelings between sisters and brothers. However, Liu Xiu chose many excellent children, and Princess Huyang couldn't look at it, and later learned that she already had a favorite candidate in her heart.
(Stills of Liu Xiu and Empress Yin Lihua)
This person is the Great Sikong Song Hong.
Song Hong followed Liu Xiu very early and was his right and left arm, after Liu Xiu established the Eastern Han Dynasty, he named Song Hong the Grand Master of Taizhong, and in the second year of Jianwu, he was promoted to the title of Grand Sikong, which shows Liu Xiu's trust in him.
Originally, with Song Hong's character and status, he and Princess Huyang were also a good match, but unfortunately, Song Hong already had a wife at that time, and the princess could not be a concubine, so if the two wanted to be combined, Song Hong had to divorce his wife.
However, Song Hong's friendship with his wife was very deep, when he was fighting with Liu Xiu, he was once injured, and due to the urgency of the situation, Liu Xiu had to entrust him to a family, let him recuperate there, and then go to pick him up. The family's surname was Zheng, and they were very kind to Song Hong, not only curing his injuries, but also marrying their daughter to Song Hong.
During Song Hong's injury, Zheng Shi took good care of him every day, boiling medicine for him, serving tea and water, which can be described as caring, and the two gradually developed feelings. Later, under the mediation of Zheng's parents, the two were officially married, so Song Hong had deep feelings for his wife and had no idea of divorcing his wife at all.
But the sister said that Song Hong was indispensable, and Liu Xiu could only try, one day he called Song Hong and asked Princess Huyang to wait behind the screen. Liu Xiu saw Song Hong and said to him: "Proverbs are expensive and easy to make friends, rich and easy to wife, and human feelings? This means that when people have a high status, they will change friends, and when the family is rich, they will marry another wife, and ask Song Hong if this is the common sentiment of people, Liu Xiu can be said to be very direct.
When Song Hong heard this, he also understood what he meant, so he replied: "The knowledge of the poor and the lowly should not be forgotten, and the wife of the chaff does not go to the church." Liu Xiu was also stunned when he heard this, he originally thought that Song Hong agreed because it was not good to refuse, but he did not expect to refuse with a sentence. However, Liu Xiu was not angry, but went to Princess Huyang and told her that this matter was no longer a play.
As a result, Liu Xiu once again promised his sister but did not do it, and Liu Huang, who was rejected, was discouraged and finally converted to Buddhism.
(Song Hong refuses to kiss)
From this incident, we can see that Emperor Guangwu was indeed worthy of the title of Ming Jun, and he did not bend the law for personal gain because of his sister's relationship, but instead spared Dong Xuan's crime, nor did he blame Song Hong's rudeness.
And Princess Huyang was not willful, even if she had connived at the house slaves, but Liu Xiu let Dong Xuan go and explained to her, Liu Huang did not pester. Later, Song Hong rejected her, and she did not fight for her position, forcing Liu Xiu to let Song Hong agree.
As for Song Hong, he can prove his wisdom and sincerity to his wife. He did not forget the wife of the chaff because of his honorable status, but thought that she was irreplaceable. And the words that Song Hong said from the heart, as a result, have also become famous sayings that have been passed down to this day.
I only hope that everyone can achieve "the knowledge of the poor and the lowly cannot be forgotten, and the wife of the chaff does not go to church." ”
(Reference to the Book of the Later Han Dynasty)