In ancient times, the power and prestige of the emperor was supreme, and no one except some of them could waver. For example, some emperors who came to power at a young age, puppet emperors who were marginalized by power, were a bit sacrificial lambs. As early as the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, the kings of Eastern Zhou had long since lost their previous status, and those princes who were originally under the feudal titles had long ignored the Zhou King, as well as Cao Cao, who we know as cao, who was the emperor and the Han Xiandi emperor was also his puppet.
But he did not usurp the throne in his life, which was quite inexplicable. It was Cao Pi who came to power and usurped the throne, secretly dealing with Emperor Xian of Han, as were most of the usurpers of other dynasties. However, the man we are going to introduce next, who killed six emperors in his lifetime, is unique in the long history.
Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of Song, is our protagonist today and the founder of the Southern Dynasty Liu Song Dynasty. Speaking of Liu Yu's lineage, his ancestor was Liu Jiao, the younger brother of Liu Bang, the ancestor of Han Gaozu, and the twenty-second generation of grandchildren, but it has only one name. By his generation, his family was in decline, not to mention that he was born in the first year of Xingning (363). Liu Yu, who grew up in a poor family, also engaged in the same work as Liu Bei, that is, selling straw shoes, chopping firewood, farming, fishing, etc. But he was just barely getting by. In theory, a man like him should be ordinary and make no difference. It's normal to be ridiculed by others. However, there is still Bo Le, and Wang Mi of the Langya Wang clan believes that Liu Yu can become a hero of a generation.
In those turbulent times, the easiest way to achieve something was to join the military. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the situation changed from unification to division. Small countries continue to be established, and the speed of update iteration is also very fast. Liu Yu's first defection to the Northern Fu Army of the Jin Dynasty was very famous. The Jin Dynasty defeated hundreds of thousands of troops at Fujian with fewer victories and more defeats. After joining the army, Liu Yu quickly showed his outstanding military talent, and was a rare bold and resourceful talent. However, at that time, Huan Xuan, a powerful minister of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, rose up to claim the title of emperor, and Liu Yu temporarily surrendered to Huan Xuan's command in order to keep a low profile and preserve his strength. Liu Yu, a famous soldier in the Northern Province, turned to himself, and Huan Xuan was naturally happy. Even if someone warned him to be careful, Liu Yu did not pay attention to it, and in the end he was eliminated by Liu Yu
After that, Liu Yu gradually became a rare star in the Eastern Jin Dynasty, often quelling rebellions in various places. At that time, there was a dynasty called Southern Yan in the north, which often attacked the Eastern Jin Dynasty. However, since the Eastern Jin Dynasty moved its capital to Jiankang, it has been a corner, just taking this opportunity to go north. Southern Yan, Emperor Murong Chao, was the second emperor to be killed by Liu Yu, and after the easy defeat of the Yan army, Liu Yu refused to accept Southern Yan's submission and directly attacked the capital, killing thousands of members of the Southern Yan royal family, including Murong Chao. After destroying Southern Yan, Liu Yu continued to lead the Northern Expeditionary Army of the Former Qin Dynasty. The two families are also old enemies, and they have to meet several times before. However, the former Qin forces at that time were not as strong as before. Liu Yu took advantage of the succession of the new emperor Yao Hong, and in the face of unstable power, he decisively attacked and captured Chang'an in one fell swoop, leading to the demise of Later Qin. Coupled with the destruction of the Shu state regime, Liu Yu beheaded four emperors in the course of his battle for the Eastern Jin Dynasty. This was followed by liu yu, whose status and power grew, and he also became the new minister of power.
Sima Dezong, who was reigning at the time, was a "stupid emperor" who was said to be unable to take care of his daily life. After Liu Yu deposed him, he re-established the last Emperor of the Jin Dynasty, Dewen, Sima (司馬), however, he settled in Liu Yu after only a year or so on his reign. In the second year of Yuan Xi (420), Liu Yu officially declared himself emperor and became the emperor of the Song Dynasty. Generally speaking, the former emperor would be executed secretly, but Liu Yu directly killed the entire Sima family in order to eradicate the weeds.
In general, a brave and resourceful general Liu Yu had his own way of governing the country after coming to power. After all, Liu Yu actively strengthened the centralization of power. In order to prevent the emergence of powerful ministers who led troops to fight like himself, he also specifically stipulated that the ministers should match the imperial army when they went out on a crusade, and then returned the army to the imperial court after the war, thus avoiding the fact that the minister had substantial military power. In the end, although Liu Yu was an emperor, his life was simple. Perhaps this is also a common feature of many emperors who grew up poor. They did not like extravagance and waste, interrupting the extravagant style that had formed between the imperial family and officials since the Wei and Jin dynasties. I don't know if you know more about such an "emperor harvester". Please share your thoughts in the comments section