Liu Zhiyuan (895–948), who changed his name to Liu Huan (劉暠) after his reign, was a native of Taiyuan County,Taiyuan Prefecture (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi). Founding Emperor of the Later Han Dynasty (947–948).
In the first month of the first year of Qianyou (948), he died of illness at the Wanzai Hall at the age of fifty-four, and was buried in Ruiling Tomb.
So today Xiaobian will talk about the wonderful life of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of The High Emperor of the Later Han Dynasty, let's take a look at it together!

A brief biography of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty
Early life
Liu Zhiyuan, born in the second year of Emperor Zhaozong of Tang 's Qianning (895), grew up as a calm and solemn person, and was not good at playing. In his adolescence, when Li Keyong and Li Cunxun's father and son divided Taiyuan, Liu Zhiyuan served as a pawn under Li Keyong's adopted son Li Siyuan (later Later Tang Mingzong). At that time, Shi Jingyao was a general of Li Siyuan's army, and during the battle, Liu Zhiyuan disregarded his own life and death and twice rescued Shi Jingyao from difficulties. Shi Jingyao felt and loved it, and with his protective support, he asked Liu Zhiyuan to stay under his account and become a Yamen Du School.
In the third year of the Later Tang Dynasty (936), Liu Zhiyuan moved to the town of Wenyang and was promoted to the command of Ma Bujun. In the same year, Shi Jingyao was able to help Liu Zhiyuan and others plot, under the pretext of the strength of the Khitan army, to eliminate the Later Tang, proclaim himself emperor in Taiyuan, and establish the Later Jin, which was the ancestor of the Jin Dynasty.
In order to repay the Khitan help, Shi Jingyao did not hesitate to cede yanyun sixteen prefectures to the Khitan and called Yelü Deguang, who was 11 years younger than him, as his father, Liu Zhiyuan did not think much of Shi Jingyao's approach, he believed: "It is enough to be a vassal of the Khitans, but it is too much to be a son, send more gold to make the Liao soldiers assist without having to give permission to cut the land, and the cutting of the land will cause endless troubles in the future!" ”
Sure enough, Shi Jingyao ceded Youyun Sixteen Prefectures to the Khitans, and from then on, the Central Plains Gateway was wide open, and there was no danger to defend. After the establishment of the Later Jin Dynasty, Liu Zhiyuan, with his military and political ability and zuoming merit, successively served as the inspector sikong, the bodyguard Ma Budu commanding envoy, the inspection and driving of the Six Armies, the Xuzhou Jiedu envoy, the Zhuzhou Jiedu envoy, the inspection school Taifu, the Beijing (present-day Taiyuan) left guard, and the Hedong Jiedu envoy, and became increasingly prominent.
Aim for the world
Shi Jingyao served as emperor for seven years and died in the seventh year of the Later Jin Dynasty (942). The adopted son Shi Chonggui ascended the throne for the Later Jin Dynasty, and Liu Zhiyuan also moved to inspect the School Taishi and enter the throne of Zhongshu Ling. In the first year of the Later Jin Dynasty (944), the Khitan lord Yelü Deguang led an army south, and the army reached Liaozhou and sent the general King Wei to lead his troops into Yanmen Pass. Liu Zhiyuan, as an envoy to the Youzhou Daoxing camp, broke the Wei King at Xinkou, the King of Taiyuan concurrently served as the commander of the northern camp, the king of Beiping County, and the taiwei, and then killed Tuguhun Bai Chengfu and other five tribes totaling 400 people, with another tribe of Wang Yizong to lead the rest of the five tribes, and then broke the Khitan at Yangwuguan in Shuozhou.
Liu Zhiyuan's main intention during this period was to dominate Hedong and achieve wang ye, so he half-pushed the edicts of the imperial court, on the one hand, he did not obey the dispatches, and could not advance in the battle, on the other hand, he also took the initiative to attack. On the first day of the first month of the fourth year of the Later Jin Dynasty (947), the Khitan invaded the Jing Division and captured the Later Jin Emperor Shi Chonggui to the north, and the Later Jin Dynasty perished. On February 1, Yelü Deguang, who had made ceremonial clothes for the Han people, ascended to the Chongyuan Hall to accept the worship, and decreed that the Jin state be changed to the State of Liao, and the world was pardoned, calling the year name Huitong Ten Years.
Liu Zhiyuan sent his teeth to surrender Wang Jun to the Khitans, and Yelü Deguang issued an edict praising and rewarding Liu Zhiyuan as his son and giving him a wooden abduction. According to the Khitan etiquette, the noble minister could receive this reward, just as the false festival was given according to the Han etiquette. Wang Jun took the wooden crutch, and the Khitan people saw that he had all gone to the side of the road to avoid it. After Wang Jun returned, he told Liu Zhiyuan that the Khitan politics were chaotic and that they must not conquer the Central Plains, so he discussed the establishment of the country.
The founding of the country is called the emperor
At this time, Qin Zhou Jiedu made He Jian surrender to Hou Shu. On February 12, the fourth year of the Later Jin Dynasty (947), Sima Zhang Yanwei and his wen and military generals in Hedong, believing that there was no master in the Central Plains, Liu Zhiyuan's prestige was growing, and the hearts of the people returned, they wrote a letter to persuade him to ascend to the throne, Liu Zhiyuanqian did not agree, and after that, the officials wrote three times, and the generals of the army and the elders of the nobles, one by one, earnestly asked for it, and then issued a letter of reply. On the fifteenth day, Liu Zhiyuan saw the opportunity and proclaimed himself emperor in Taiyuan, establishing the Later Han regime. He did not immediately change the name of the country, but abandoned the year number of Yun, and continued to use Shi Jingyao's era name, called Tianfu Twelve Years.
Subsequently, Liu Zhiyuan issued an edict prohibiting the taking of money for the Khitans; comforting the people who defended the localities and arming the Liao; and executing all khitans in all provinces. Therefore, the old ministers of the Jin Dynasty surrendered one after another. After the Khitan withdrew under the resistance of the people of the Central Plains, in June of the same year Liu Zhiyuan entered Kaifeng and established the capital, changed his name to 暠, changed the name of the country to Han, changed the thirteenth year of Tianfu to the first year of Qianyou, exempted him from taxes, pardoned the world, and called him emperor.
Consolidate rule
After Liu Zhiyuan ascended the throne as emperor in Kaifeng, he resolutely adopted the advice of Empress Li and changed the past practice of relying on the people's wealth to reward the army, but instead took out all the treasures in the palace to reward the soldiers, which was indeed popular with the people. After the Khitan army entered the Central Plains, it plundered property and killed innocent people everywhere in the name of "hitting the grass valley", the people in the Central Plains continued to resist, Yelü Deguang was forced to retreat north, leaving Xiao Gan to guard Beijing, Liu Zhiyuan saw the opportunity, adopted Guo Wei's correct suggestion of "taking Henan from Fenshui to the south, and then trying to conquer the world", ordered Shi Hongzhao to be the vanguard, raised troops to the south, and was invincible all the way, and quickly took Luoyang and Fenjing.
After Liu Zhiyuan stabilized the situation in the Central Plains, he ordered Du Chongwei of Wei Prefecture to move the town of Guide (present-day ShangqiuNan, Henan), and to reconcile with the former Guide Jiedu to gao Xingzhou, Du Chongwei disobeyed, Liu Zhiyuan ordered Gao Xingzhou and Murong Yanchao to lead an army to attack Du Chongwei, Du Chongwei swore to defend the city to the death, the Han army was long and fruitless, Liu Zhiyuan was afraid of changing himself, personally attacked, the casualties were huge, Liu Zhiyuan could not resist the strong attack, repeatedly sent people to surrender Du Chongwei, Xu did not die, at this time Weizhou ran out of grain and grass, the generals in the city fled over the city, on November 27, Du Chongwei went out of the city and surrendered, Liu Zhiyuan did not kill Du Chongwei, but made him the Inspector Taishi, Shou Taifu, Zhongshu Ling, and Duke of Chu. At this point, the Central Plains were basically pacified.
Dying orphans
In the first month of the first year of Qianyou (948), Liu Zhiyuan became seriously ill due to the death of his eldest son Liu Chengxun, and summoned Shi Hongzhao, Wang Zhang, Su Fengji, Guo Wei and others to be orphaned, and before his death, Liu Zhiyuan thought that Du Chongwei was capricious, so he instructed the minister to get rid of him. He died immediately, at the age of 54, and was buried in Ruiling Tomb. His son Liu Chengyou succeeded to the throne as Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty.
What are the famous sayings and famous texts of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty?
"It is enough to call a subject a father, but why should he be called a father; if he gives a gift of gold, why cut the land?" ——Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty
Appreciation: In 936 AD, just when Shi Jingyao and Later Tang Li Congke were undecided on the eve of their break, Liu Zhiyuan said: The Ming Gong unified the army for many years, from the hope of returning, with the favorable terrain and elite troops of Jinyang, it will certainly be able to achieve hegemony, how can it be subject to a paper edict and throw itself into the tiger's mouth, under the advice of him and Sang Weihan, Shi Jingyao finally made up his mind to start an army. However, at this dangerous moment when the War of the Backwaters was unpredictable, Liu Zhiyuan still maintained a sober mind and a long-term vision, and when Shi Jingyao was preparing to proclaim himself emperor in order to use the khitan power, Liu Zhiyuan advised: It is enough to claim the khitan as a vassal, and it is really a bit excessive to perform the father's courtesy, as long as the bribe is used with rich property, it is enough to make the Khitan send troops, and there is no need to promise to cede land to them, so it is only afraid that the Khitan will become a major disaster in the Central Plains and regret it. However, Shi Jingyao, who insisted on going his own way, was already a leaf obstacle and did not see Mount Tai, and eventually left himself with an ancient name.
What are the idiom allusions about Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty?
1. Recruit soldiers
Source: So he raised an army to camp in Runan, recruited troops and horses, and Xu Tu marched in. Ming Luo Guanzhong's "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" twenty-eighth time.
Interpretation: In the old days, it referred to the organization or expansion of the armed forces. After the metaphor of organizing or expanding the manpower.
Appreciation: During the Five Dynasties period, Liu Zhiyuan was exiled to Pei County, Xuzhou due to the death of his parents, and married the third miss of Li Yuanwai as his wife. Because the family was poor and oppressed by his brother-in-law Li Hong, the matchmaker Li Sanshu told Liu Zhiyuan Taiyuan and Yue Jiedu that he was recruiting soldiers and buying horses, and could go to the conscription to mix up a future. Liu Zhiyuan went to enlist and went from Gengfu to Kyushu to pacification envoy. He eventually became emperor.
What are the legends and stories of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty?
1, there is a Liu Zhiyuan to fight the world, there is a melon essence to send armor
According to legend, once during a war, Shi Jingyao's armor was torn off by the enemy, and Liu Zhiyuan took off his armor to Shi, and exchanged warhorses with each other, and fled separately. People began to think that Liu Zhiyuan, who did not have armor, would undoubtedly die, but unexpectedly, he returned to the camp safely. Asked why, Liu Zhiyuan said that he met the melon essence when he planted melons, and gave himself a set of armor to escape. In this legend, the 39th time of the Dream of the Red Chamber has a saying: "There is a Liu Zhiyuan who fights the world, and there is a melon essence to send armor." ”
2. The legend of Sanniangjing
In Sanniang Village, Tangxiang Township, Jiangdu County, there is an ancient well that is rumored to have a history of more than a thousand years, known as "Sanniangjing".
At the mouth of the well, there is a granite well bar with white dots in red, and under the well rail there is a circular dark red granite plate base with a diameter of about 1 meter. The well is more than 10 meters deep, the well water is clear, the inner wall of the well is made of small green bricks, covered with green moss, and the water quality is sweet. The people of Sanniang Village have been drinking her for generations, living, reproducing, and living and working in peace and contentment. To the south of the well is a clear river, and the lower ridge of the well has dozens of stone tablets erected by the successive repairs of the well. Unfortunately, the small river has long been filled in, and the stone stele was dug up in the era of the "four olds".
There are many mysteries in Sanniangjing: one is that there are 29 half-grooves on the inside of the well railing, 29 of which are very clear, and the other is only half of the other trenches; the second is the 3.5 cm wide iron hoop on the base of the well rail to prevent the base of the well rail from breaking, which is wet almost every day, but it is black and shiny, and it has not been rusty and corrosive, why?
According to legend, this is closely related to the legendary story of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty. It is said that there is a smart and beautiful woman named Sanniang in this village, who gets along with the people day and night, and everyone likes her. Liu Zhiyuan chose her to enter the palace when she chose a concubine, but she still liked to live the life of a poor village woman and wanted to live in harmony with the villagers, and she has been depressed since entering the palace. Liu Zhiyuan liked her simplicity and kindness, and was very fond of her, but the third lady told him that she still liked rural life and hoped that the emperor would still allow her to return to the countryside and be with her neighbors. Liu Zhiyuan had no choice but to endure the pain and send the Third Lady back to his hometown.
In order to benefit the villagers, Sanniang returned to the village and asked someone to dig a well. At first, when she invited everyone to come to fetch water, everyone thought that she was the imperial lady and did not dare to come close, but later saw the third lady treating people kindly, and every morning, she cleaned the well platform for the masses; in winter, when the well platform was frozen, she got up early to freeze, chiseled the ice, and waited for the villagers to go to the well to carry water. The third lady respects the old and loves the young, cherishes the poor and pities the poor, does not have the slightest majesty of the imperial mother, but has the kindness of the village women, and everyone gets along with her as before. There are 29 families in the village, all of whom are husband and wife, and the children are full of children, except for the third wife. Although the third lady treated them as before, everyone still had a sense of awe for her, and when she came to fetch water, she also drew water in their respective habitual positions, so there were 29 deep ditches left around, and where the third lady fetched water, others never stood, she was only one person, the water was small, and the natural traces were shallow.
One day, when everyone came to fetch water, they found that the well railing was cracked, so they quickly went to tell Sanniang that sanniang was dead and looked very calm. Legend has it that after Li Sanniang's death, whenever the fog filled the morning, people can still often see Li Sanniang's footprints at the well in front of her house. In order to commemorate her, posterity called this well "SanniangJing". The original village was then called Sanniang Village. The iron hoop on the well is said to be Liu Zhiyuan after learning the news of the death of the third lady, specially asked someone to hit, this iron hoop is strong, or the environment loves it, or people's hopes, anyway, the iron hoop has never been changed, and it has never rusted.
About a mile to the northeast of the "Sanniangjing" there is an "Imperial Tomb Pier" that rises above the ground. According to legend, Liu Zhiyuan married many concubines in his life, but he could only feel comfort when he was with the third lady, so in his later years he missed his hard-working and simple wife Li Sanniang, who was buried here before his death. There is also a small lake in the southwest of the imperial tomb mound, called "Bai Mat Lake" by the locals, in the middle of the lake there is a mound that rises above the water, known as bai mat, and legend has it that people put the mat when they worship Liu Zhiyuan. Some people also say that the emperor is not only buried in the imperial tomb, but also Li Sanniang, everyone worships the emperor by the head, and worshiping the third lady is the purpose. Over the years, no matter how much rain falls, no matter how much water the lake has, the mat will not be submerged. Everyone said that the imperial lady was thinking of the people, and she was afraid that everyone would get wet when they came to see her, so the mat was always above the water, so the crops on the mat grew better than anywhere.
How to evaluate the post-Han Gao zu Liu Zhiyuan?
Although the evaluation of Liu Zhiyuan by historians of all generations is mostly criticism, various views are not unreasonable. However, it should be known that the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms were a period of disturbance and division, a period of further development of the Fangzhen division in the late Tang Dynasty, and the people were not only suffering from the brutal rule of feudal warlords, but also suffered from the scourge of Khitan disturbances. As a feudal emperor in this turbulent period, Liu Zhiyuan used military strength and political power to gain a dominant position in the war, which naturally brought many disasters to the people of the Central Plains, but his efforts to curb the Khitan invasion of the south played a certain positive role in restoring and developing production in the Central Plains. Of course, like other feudal warlords, the struggle and division in the midst of war and chaos ultimately victimized the broad masses of the people.
Although the evaluation of Liu Zhiyuan by historians of all generations is mostly critical. The various views are not without merit. However, the chaotic hero Liu Zhiyuan was precisely to meet the needs of the situation in the world, using Jinyang, which could be withdrawn to prevent the Khitan from entering the central plains military town in the south, to set up an anti-Liao banner, to win the hearts and minds of the people, to claim the title of emperor in time, to achieve hegemony, and to enter the ranks of the True Dragon Heavenly Son from a low-level soldier. In addition, Liu Zhiyuan's reign was not long, but Liu Zhiyuan was able to stabilize the Central Plains and avoid further in-depth destruction by the Khitans when the situation in the Central Plains was chaotic.
Who was the father of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty?
Liu Zhen: Shatuo people. The lieutenant colonel used for Li Ke, the father of Liu Zhiyuan and Liu Min. In 947, when his son Liu Zhiyuan ascended the throne to establish the Han Dynasty (known as the Later Han Dynasty), he posthumously honored his father Liu Ju as emperor, with the temple name Han Xianzu, the courtesy name Zhangsheng Emperor, and the imperial tomb called Suling.
Who was the mother of Liu Zhiyuan, the ancestor of the Later Han Dynasty?
Lady An of the State of Wu was the mother of The Later Han Emperor Liu Zhiyuan and Northern Han Dynasty Ancestor Liu Chong.
Who was the younger brother of Liu Zhiyuan, the Emperor gaozu of the Later Han Dynasty?
Liu Chong (895–954), also known as Liu Min (旻), was a native of Jinyang (present-day Taiyuan, Shanxi), the founding emperor of the Northern Han Dynasty and the younger brother of Liu Zhiyuan, the emperor of the Later Han Dynasty.
Liu Chong, a gambling scoundrel in his early years, later enlisted as a military pawn, and because of Liu Zhiyuan, he was promoted to the commander of the Hedong Horse Infantry Army. After the establishment of the Later Han Dynasty, the officials stayed in Beijing, the Envoy of Hedong Jiedushi, and the town guarded the Hedong area.
In the fourth year of Qianyou (951), Guo Wei destroyed the Later Han and established the Later Zhou. Liu Chong, who then declared himself emperor in Taiyuan and established the Northern Han Dynasty, still using the Later Han Qianyounian name, but with only twelve states under his rule. In order to revive the Han Dynasty, he begged for help from the Liao State, about the kingdom of father and son, calling the Liao Emperor an uncle and calling himself the Nephew Emperor; the Liao State crowned him as the Emperor Shenwu of the Great Han Dynasty. Liu Chong, with the assistance of the Liao state, fought many wars with Later Zhou, but still won fewer and lost more.
In the seventh year of Qianyou (954), Liu Chong, taking advantage of Guo Wei's death, united with the Liao state to attack Houzhou in the south, only to be defeated by Chai Rong at the Battle of Gaoping. After hardships, he fled back to Taiyuan, but was besieged in the city by Chai Rong for more than two months. The Northern Han Dynasty was seriously injured at this point, and it was no longer able to go south. Liu Chong, because of this, became angry and died soon after, at the age of sixty, and the temple number was the ancestor.
Who was Empress Liu Zhiyuan of the Later Han Dynasty?
Li Sanniang (913?) –954) Yu Ciming Liren. Empress Dowager Liu Zhiyuan of the Later Han Dynasty.
Li was born as a peasant daughter, and her marriage to Liu Zhiyuan is full of legends. When Liu Zhiyuan was young, his family was poor, and he was a slave in the army, and when he herded horses in Jinyang, he met the Li clan and developed a feeling of admiration. Liu Zhiyuan asked Li Father for affection, but Li Father refused to think that the Liu family was poor. Liu Zhiyuan invited several friends to go to Li's house at night to rob relatives, and in 930 he gave birth to a son, Liu Chengyou (later Emperor Yin), who was about 18 years old when Li was about 18 years old and Liu Zhiyuan was 38 years old. After the marriage, Liu Zhiyuan was promoted to the post of envoy to Hedong with military merit, and was made the Prince of Beiping, and the Li clan was made the Lady of Wei.
In 947, Liu Zhiyuan raised an army in Taiyuan, and due to insufficient military pay, he had to levy heavy taxes on the people. Li Shi advised: "Fang is now in trouble, called a righteous soldier, the people do not know the benefits and take their wealth first, not the new Tianzi so the intention of saving the people is also." In the future, all the palaces should be informed, although they are insufficient, the soldiers will not complain. (The New Five Dynasties History, volume XVIII, "Empress Li Shi", Liu Zhiyuan took advice, and indeed won the hearts of the people.) In February of the same year, Liu Zhiyuan was proclaimed emperor and Li Shi was made empress. The following year, Gao Zu died, and Liu Chengyou succeeded him as Emperor Yin and Honored Li as empress dowager.
In 950, Emperor Yin, at the instigation of his favorite ministers Guo Yunming and Li Ye, prepared to kill the privy envoy Yang (分阝) and the envoy Shi Hongzhao (史弘肇) and accuse Empress Li. The empress dowager said, "This important matter should also be discussed with the prime minister." The later brother Li Ye said at the side: "The first emperor said in his life, the imperial court is a major matter, don't ask the scholar." The empress dowager's persuasion was ineffective, and Emperor Yin flicked his sleeve and said, "Why bother with the boudoir." After Yang (分阝) and Shi Hongzhao were killed, Emperor Yin prepared to kill his envoy Guo Wei (郭威), the capital of The Privy Council. Empress Li also advised: "Guo Wei's family, if it is not his danger, why should he be here!" If the soldiers do not move now, and if they are commanded and will be mighty, then when the king and the subject are at the time of the king, they will still be complete. (New History of the Five Dynasties, vol. 18, Empress Li) Emperor Yin did not listen, and finally forced Guo Wei to oppose the Han and invade Kaifeng, after which the Han died.
After Guo Wei entered the capital, he did not immediately claim the title of emperor, and in the name of Empress Li, he issued a plan to establish Liu Zi, the Duke of Xiangyin, as emperor, and asked the empress dowager to come to the dynasty before Liu Capital arrived. And Guo Wei went out to attack the Khitan and the soldiers supported him, and Guo Wei still respected Empress Li as his mother. Empress Li knew that the general situation had been decided, and moved to the Taiping Official, with the honorific title of Empress Dowager Zhaosheng. In 951, Guo Wei declared himself emperor and established Northern Zhou. Empress Li was not killed for opposing the killing of Guo Wei until she died in 954, at the age of about 42.
Expanded Information: Introduction to the Han Dynasty after the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms
Later Han Dynasty (947–950), a dynasty established by Liu Kuan (real name Liu Zhiyuan) during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, was the capital of Kaifeng Prefecture (present-day Kaifeng, Henan Province). After the fall of the Later Tang Dynasty, Shi Jingyao established the Later Jin Dynasty and appointed Liu Zhiyuan as the envoy of Hedong Jiedu. In the fourth year of the Later Jin Dynasty (947, the tenth year of the Khitan Dynasty), the Khitan occupied the Central Plains after the destruction of the Jin Dynasty, but because the Khitan soldiers burned and plundered in the Central Plains, they lost the hearts of the people and had to retreat north. In February of that year, Liu Zhiyuan seized the opportunity to proclaim himself emperor in Taiyuan, still using the title of Emperor Jingyao of the Jin Dynasty, called Tianfu Twelve Years; in June of that year, he began to change the name of the country to Han, and the history was called Later Han. Later, it was conquered and the capital was set at Beizhou. There are also those who call the Eastern Han the Later Han and the Western Han the Former Han. In the first month of the following year (948, the second year of Liao Tianlu), Liu Zhiyuan changed his era name to Qianyou and changed his name to Liu Yu, but he died of illness in the same month, and Liu Hui's second son Liu Chengyou took the throne, that is, Emperor Yin of Han. In the third year of Qianyou (950, the fourth year of Liao tianlu), Li Shouzhen and other feudal towns rebelled, and Emperor Hanyin ordered Guo Wei to conquest, but Emperor Hanyin was jealous of Guo Wei and wanted to kill him, Guo Wei had no choice but to rebel, Emperor Hanyin was killed by the defeated army, and Later Han perished.