In order to consolidate power, the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu sat in the capital Luoyang and took a large number of measures in the political field to strengthen the centralization of power.
First, prevent heroes.
In the process of competing for the world, Liu Xiu used knighthoods and rewards to win over his subordinates. But with the establishment of imperial power and the increasing consolidation of rule, how to deal with heroes became a problem for him. During the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang killed the heroes, and even the cautious Xiao He was thrown into prison by Liu Bang. At the beginning of the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in order to consolidate the centralization of power, Liu Xiu took a series of measures to prevent the dictatorship of heroes. The practice of treating meritorious heroes with preferential courtesy and generous treatment, but depriving them of their actual powers, strictly prevented the emergence of a situation in which meritorious heroes in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty controlled the government of the dynasty. This not only preserves the meritorious person, but also prevents the situation of the hero's monopoly of power.
Second, control foreign relations.
In view of the situation that the monopoly of foreign relatives in the late Western Han Dynasty eventually led to the subjugation of the country, Liu Xiu also strictly controlled foreign relatives, and the officials appointed by foreign relatives were also limited to Jiuqing. The Fubo general Ma Yuan's military achievements were great, but because he was a foreign relative, he could not be included in the image of the twenty-eight generals of Yuntai, nor did he add the city to the city because of his merits. The foreign relatives headed by Empress Yin Lihua were also very self-disciplined, so as not to cause trouble due to the monopoly of foreign relatives. Emperor Ming of Han followed the old system of emperor Guangwu and clearly stipulated that the harem house could not be crowned and participated in politics. He also ordered his relatives Yin, Deng and other families to picket each other and not to deviate from deviance.
Third, suppress the king of the clan.
The Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu not only guarded against foreign relatives, but also imposed severe restrictions on the kings of the clan clan. First of all, the policy of demotion was adopted for the royal princes who were far related by blood. After Jianwu unified the world in the thirteenth year (37 years), the Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu issued an edict pointing out that Liu De, the King of Zhending, Liu Shao the King of Hejian, Liu Mao, the King of Zhongshan, and other kings were very distantly related by blood and should not be crowned kings again, so they all demoted them to marquises. Second, use legal means to strengthen control over the king of the domain. In the twenty-fourth year (48) of the reign of Emperor Guangwu, Emperor Yousi affirmed the law of the King of Afu Domain during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, further restricting the power of the kings of the clan. In the twenty-eighth year of Jianwu (52), Liu Li, the son of Emperor Gengshi, colluded with Liu Fu, the Prince of Pei, to kill Liu Gong, Liu Gongzi's brother, and Liu Xiu ordered the counties to hunt down the kings' guests, resulting in the deaths of thousands of people.
Fourth, weaken the authority of the three dukes and strengthen the Shang Shutai.
Emperor Guangwu learned the lesson of Wang Mang's usurpation of power in the late Western Han Dynasty, weakened the power of the Three Dukes, and relied heavily on Shang Shutai to strengthen imperial power. At that time, the highest official position in the name of the central government was the three dukes, namely Situ, Sikong, and Taiwei. Situ was renamed from the chancellor, and his power was reduced, and he was only in charge of civil affairs. Sikong was renamed from Mishi Dafu, regardless of supervision, only in charge of large-scale civil engineering. Tai Wei was supposed to be renamed Sima (司馬), because Emperor Guangwu had served as the Grand Sima (大司馬事) in the later regimes, and he avoided changing his name and was in charge of the military. Although the position of the three dukes is high, it is in vain, and the real power is concentrated in Shang Shutai. "Although the three dukes are placed, the matter belongs to the Taiwan Cabinet." Since then, the three public offices have only been prepared. (Book of the Later Han Dynasty, p. 1657) The "Tai Ge" mentioned here is the Shang Shu Tai. Corresponding to the weakening of the Three Dukes, the power of Shang Shutai became heavier and heavier. The chief officer of Shangshutai is Shangshu Ling, and the deputy chief is Shang Shu Shu Shu (yè). There are six Caos under the ShangshuTai: the official Cao is in charge of elections and sacrifices, the two thousand stone Cao is in charge of the county and the two thousand stone affairs (one is in charge of litigation), the min cao is in charge of the repair project, the salt pond garden and other matters (one is in charge of the official's letter), the three Gong Cao is in charge of the year-end appraisal of the political achievements of the county officials (one is in charge of prison), the Ke Cao is in charge of ethnic and foreign affairs, and the Zhongdu official Cao is in charge of natural disasters, thieves and other matters. The chief officer of Liu Cao is Shangshu, and the chief and deputy chief of Shangshutai are collectively known as the Eight Seats. Shang Shutai is the central body for decision-making and giving orders, and all government affairs are no longer studied by the Three Princes, and the Three Princes and Nine Secretaries are only subject to success and are outside the core power. The Three Dukes or Great Generals can only participate in the central decision-making if they have been approved by the Emperor and added the title of "Lu Shang Shu Shi".
Fifth, strengthen the supervision system.
In order to exercise effective supervision over government officials, Liu Xiu, on the basis of inheriting the supervision system of the Qin Dynasty and the Western Han Dynasty, formed a supervision agency from the central to the local level, including Yushi Zhongcheng, Si Li Lieutenant, and Zhou Shishi. In this way, a complete supervision system was formed, which played an important role in strengthening the weak branches and consolidating the imperial power. Yushi Dafu was originally set up in the Qin Dynasty, and its status was second only to that of Xiang Xiang. In the first year of the Western Han Dynasty 's Reign of Emperor Suihe ( 8 BC ) , Yushi Dafu was renamed Grand Sikong , and although he was later included in the Three Dukes , his actual role declined. In the twenty-seventh year (51) of Jianwu after the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Guangwu Emperor changed the name of Sikong to Sikong, whose duty was to "control water and soil affairs" and was not responsible for supervision. Corresponding to the weakening of the position of The Imperial Master, the Imperial History Ofaka under the Imperial Master has always been in charge of supervision. Yushi Zhongcheng was responsible for supervising the hundred officials, and his power was equally important as that of the Lieutenant colonel and Shang Shuling. Beginning with Emperor Guangwu, during the imperial meeting, Yushi Zhongcheng and Si Li Colonel and Shang Shuling all sat at special seats, and the Beijing Master was called "Three Single Seats". The Eastern Han Dynasty abolished the higher status of Yushi Dafu in the central government, and replaced him with a lower status of Yushi Zhongcheng, which was more convenient for the emperor to control. The Lieutenant Colonel was set up in the Western Han Dynasty when emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, with a rank of 2,000 stones. The Eastern Han Dynasty reinstated the lieutenant colonel and led a state. Lieutenant Colonel Si Li had great power, not only had a higher status than that of the Assassin Shi, but also picketed the hundred officials of the Beijing Division and the nearby counties that he assisted, and was feared by the hundred officials and nobles. Emperor Guangwu reused lieutenants as distinguished from Yushi Zhongcheng in suppressing nobles and courtiers in order to improve imperial power. The Eastern Han Dynasty divided the country into thirteen prefectures (ministries), and each prefecture set up a thorn shi person, who was an inspector sent by the central government, who went out on a tour in autumn and winter, and returned to Beijing at the end of the year to play. Although the thorn shi rank is 600 stones, he represents the central government when he is on the mission, and can supervise the officials of the two thousand stones, and can also supervise the kingdom and even the kings. At first, the history of thorns did not have administrative powers, but with the expansion of the power of thorn history, after the middle period, the history of thorns had a system of leading soldiers. In the late Eastern Han Dynasty, Shi Shi became a local administrator above the county. During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, he changed the history of thorns to State Pastor. The expansion of the imperial power was a manifestation of the strengthening of imperial power, but when the imperial power declined, the state pastor took the opportunity to sit on the throne, and finally developed into a local warlord with military self-respect, which was unexpected by the Guangwu Emperor.
Sixth, centralize military power.