Liu Yigong (413 – September 18, 465), Emperor Zongzong of the Southern Dynasty, fifth son of Emperor Liu Yu of the Song Dynasty, younger brother of Liu Yifu of the Song Dynasty and Emperor Wen of Song. Liu Yu had seven sons, Liu Yigong ranked fifth, with four older brothers and two younger brothers. Liu Yigong was first enfeoffed as the King of Jiangxia, and served as six emperors, Liu Yu, Liu Yifu, Liu Yilong, Liu Shao, Liu Jun, and Liu Ziye, and was very favored during his lifetime, and his death was very tragic.
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Liu Yu, the emperor of the Song Dynasty, was the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty and was very spoiled for Liu Yigong. Book of Song, Vol. 61, Liechuan No. 21, Wu Sanwang: "Wang Yigong of jiangxia literature, young and bright, beautiful in posture, loved by Gao Zute, is beyond the reach of all sons." Eat and sleep, often not far from the side. Gao Zu was frugal in nature, and the sons could not eat five plates, and the righteous and respectful loved the pets, and asked for fruit to eat, and there was no calculation in the day, and they did not taste it, and they begged and begged. The kings of Luling did not dare to ask for it, nor could they ask for it. "Wang Yigong of Jiangxia Literature was very intelligent and beautiful at an early age, and Gao zu especially loved him, and other sons could not compare. Eat and sleep, often without leaving your side. Gao Zu was frugal, and his sons did not eat more than five plates of dishes. And Yi Gong, because he was very favored, asked for fruit and food every day, and there were too many to count, but he never ate it himself, and gave all the food he had begged to others. The kings of Luling never dared to ask for it, and even if they asked for it, they could not get it. It can be seen that he has been intelligent and handsome since childhood, and he is the most favored by Liu Yu among the seven brothers, and is often taken with him. Favored is always fearless, Liu Yigong under Liu Yuci's fatherly pampering developed an arrogant and arrogant problem, and did not change it for a lifetime.
Although the reign of Liu Yifu, the Young Emperor of Song, was short, as the eldest brother, he also took good care of this fifth brother. "In the second year of Jingping, he supervised the military forces of Nanyu, Yu, Si, Yong, Qin, and Liuzhou, the champion general, the assassin of Southern Yuzhou, and the town of Liyang, the town of Yizhen, the king of Luling, at the age of twelve." In the second year of Jingping (424), Liu Yigong served as the champion general, the assassin of Southern Yu Prefecture, the town guarding Liyang (南豫州州治, in modern Hexian County, Anhui), and supervising the military forces of The Six Prefectures of Southern Yu Prefecture, Yu Prefecture, Si Prefecture, Yong Prefecture, Qin Prefecture, and Hezhou Prefecture. You know, this year's Liu Yigong is only 12 years old, and today is only the age of Xiaosheng.
In the same year, the chancellor Xu Xianzhi joined forces with Fu Liang and Xie Han to depose the young emperor Liu Yifu and send people to kill Liu Yizhen, who was only eighteen years old, and establish Liu Yilong as Emperor Wen. At that time, Cheng Daohui had suggested that Liu Yigong be made emperor, and it is estimated that he also took a fancy to Liu Yigong and was once loved by Liu Yu, but was rejected by Xu Xianzhi. After all, even if you line up in order, there is still the third and fourth Liu Yikang in front! Later, Liu Yigong also added envoys to hold the festival, enter the general of fujun, seal the king of Jiangxia, and eat five thousand households. However, after being crowned king, he did not go to his post for a long time and was left in Beijing. Later, Liu Yilong killed Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang to kill Xie Han, which ordered Liu Yigong to leave the domain. Out of town, Taizu Liu Yilong deliberately and admonished the book, bitter mouth, earnest teaching, the words are full of doting and care for this younger brother. Since Liu Yilong's letter to Liu Yigong is meticulous, it is of course very long, and it is more than once. Liu Yigong was in the Song Dynasty's imperial towns of Nanyu Prefecture, Southern Xuzhou, Jingzhou, and Southern Yanzhou, and his brother Liu Yikang was released for trespassing and entered the imperial ranks as a situ and attendant, and later became a lieutenant. He learned the lesson of Liu Yikang's failure, and was cautious on weekdays, although he held the position of prime minister, he never seized power, and all administrative affairs were left to the emperor to decide, and he was only responsible for signing documents. The emperors and emperors are therefore at peace with each other, and there is no suspicion. For such a sensible brother, the third brother Liu Yilong was of course very relieved, and the brother who was closest to him at that time was Liu Yigong. Later, during emperor Wen's Northern Expedition, Liu Yigong led the war and presided over the Northern Expedition, first resisting the enemy weakly, and then fearing the enemy without fighting, so he was dismissed from the posts of Tai Wei and Situ, and demoted to the rank of General of the Hussars and the Kaifu Yi Tongsan Division. However, Liu Yilong's favor for Liu Yigong remained undiminished, and only three months later he was asked to take charge of the Southern Yanzhou Assassination History with his own post, guard Xuyi, and bring the eleven prefectures of Southern Yanzhou, Yuzhou, Xuzhou, Yanzhou, Sizhou, and Yongzhou into the capital districts under his jurisdiction. Liu Yigong's jurisdiction reached thirteen states, covering almost all the territories of the Southern Dynasty in Huainan and Huaibei.
In the thirtieth year of Yuan Jia (453), in February, the crown prince Liu Shao secretly launched a coup d'état and led the Forbidden Army of the Eastern Palace to break into Taicheng and kill Liu Yilong. He first gained the support of Liu Jun, the king of Sixing, and then summoned his uncle Liu Yigong to the palace on the same day. Forced by the situation, Liu Yigong had no choice but to cooperate with the coup and voluntarily surrender his military power in order to protect himself. Liu Shao immediately proclaimed himself emperor, with Liu Yigong as the Taibao (太保) and the governor of the prefecture (都督) and the military commander of the prefecture, leading the grand master. As soon as Liu Yilong died, Liu Yigong's status in the Liu Song imperial family was the highest, and Liu Shao was still willing to listen to the opinions of this fifth uncle. At that time, the three towns rebelled against Liu Shao's father, and Jiankang was shaken. Liu Shao planned to kill all the family members of the officials of the three towns who remained in Beijing, but was eventually dissuaded by Liu Yigong and He Shangzhi. The rebel ships were rudimentary and not conducive to water warfare. Liu Jun suggested that Liu Shao personally lead the water army up the river and fight a decisive battle against the rebel army. However, Liu Yigong claimed that this move would cause Jiankang's defense to be empty, and would allow Liu Shi to take advantage of the void, and suggested that Liu Shao stay in Jiankang to wait for work. Liu Shao therefore did not move, and as a result, he missed the fighter. The rebel army was able to drive straight in. Not listening to the old man's words suffered losses in front of him, but Liu Yigong's words made Liu Shao plant his head one after another, precisely because Liu Shao trusted him. Because of this, Liu Shao was actually not at ease with Liu Yigong, fearing that he would defect to Liu Jun, so he forced Liu Yigong to live in Shangshu Province in the palace, and put his twelve sons under house arrest in Shizhong Province. At that time, Liu Yigong was also held hostage and went to war, and has been following Liu Shao around. Taking advantage of Liu Shao's great defeat, he escaped from Dongye Gate on a single horse and crossed the Qinhuai River with a pre-prepared boat to Liu Jun. Liu Shao heard that Liu Yigong had defected and was busy sending cavalry in pursuit. But by the time the pursuing soldiers arrived, Liu Yigong had already crossed the Qinhuai River. Liu Shao was furious and ordered Liu Jun to execute all of Liu Yigong's twelve sons.
Emperor Xiaowu of Song, Liu Jun, was the fifth emperor of Liu Song and was also a nephew of Liu Yigong. Because Liu Yigong, after the death of his third brother Emperor Wen of Song, participated in the pacification of Liu Shao's rebellion, supported the Xiaowu Emperor Liu Jun, was worshipped as Taifu, Sima Da, and Lu Shangshushi, and during his tenure as an official of emperor Xiaowu to Dazai and Shangshuling, although he did nothing during his tenure, he was quite trusted by Emperor Xiaowu, and when Emperor Xiaowu was seriously ill, he served as a minister of honor as a minister of life as Dazai, Zhongshu Supervisor, and Lu Shangshushi, assisting the former deposed emperor Liu Ziye.
In 464, the crown prince Liu Ziye ascended the throne, known in history as the deposed emperor of the Song Dynasty, which was the sixth emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty. Liu Yigong is from his grandfather, who can be called the ancestor of the royal family. According to Liu Jun's will, Liu Yigong was reappointed from Shangshuling to Zhongshu Supervisor, and together with Liu Yuanjing, who succeeded Shangshuling, entered Taicheng and led the imperial government. Soon after Liu Ziye ascended the throne, he reinstated the post of "Lu Shang Shu Shi" and appointed Liu Yigong as Dazai, Zhongshu Supervisor, and Lu Shang Shu Shi. Liu Yigong, together with Liu Yuanjing and Yan Shibo, took control of Shangshu Province and became the de facto ruler of Wugu's fate. Because Liu Jun wantonly slaughtered the clan ministers before his death, at that time, the clan and the ministers rejoiced at Liu Jun's death. Liu Yigong and others also feasted and drank all day, drinking and having fun day and night, believing that they could avoid death from now on. However, the good times did not last long, and in August of the first year of Yongguang (465), Liu Ziye wanted to pro-government, first giving Dai Faxing the death, and weakening Yan Shibo's power by dividing up left and right servants. His true nature is gradually revealed, and he is more absurd and tyrannical than his father. Liu Yigong, Liu Yuanjing, and Yan Shibo were terrified, so they plotted to depose Liu Ziye and make Liu Yigong emperor. They plotted for many days, but they were always hesitant. Liu Yuanjing, because Shen Qingzhi held military power, informed Shen Qingzhi of the plot, hoping to gain Shen Qingzhi's support. Shen Qingzhi had always been ostracized by Yan Shibo, and already had a grudge in his heart, and his relationship with Liu Yigong was not very harmonious, so he reported to Liu Ziye that they were plotting to depose the emperor. Liu Ziye was furious when he heard of his uncle's rebellion, and personally led Yulin's army to invade Liu Yigong's mansion and kill Liu Yigong and his four sons. Liu Yigong was fifty-three years old.
If you think that Liu Yigong died so painfully, it is a big mistake, and the "Book of Song Chronicles of the Twenty-first Wu three kings" records Liu Ziye's treatment of Liu Yigong: "Cut off the Yigong branch, split the stomach and intestines, pick the eye essence, and use honey to stain it, thinking that it is a ghost spirit." "It means that the emperor split his limbs, split his stomach, picked out his eyes, and soaked in honey to make ghost dumplings." Liu Ziye not only killed Liu Yigong, the emperor's uncle, and dismembered his body, if it was dismembered after death, it would be fine, after all, the dead did not know pain, if they were dismembered alive or treated so cruelly before Liu Yigong died thoroughly, it would be really unbearable. In addition, Liu Yigong had a total of sixteen sons, the first twelve sons died in the rebellion, the last four sons were born after Liu Jun ascended the throne, and finally killed by Liu Ziye together with Liu Yigong. Although Liu Yigong had sixteen sons, he had no grandchildren, that is to say, he was a queen. In any case, Liu Yigong can be called one of the princes in history who have the worst fate, especially the death method.
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