In 189, Dong Zhuo arrived in the capital Luoyang and successfully mastered the imperial government. In this context, he first deposed the nominally weak Han Shao Emperor Liu Fu, and then installed Liu Xie as the new emperor, that is, Emperor Xian of Han. Of course, similar to Emperor Shao of Han, Emperor Xian of Han also became a puppet of the powerful ministers Li Wei, Guo Qiang, Cao Cao and others. However, in the history of the Han Dynasty, there are still three puppet emperors who have successfully freed themselves from the shackles of their powerful ministers, who are they?
1. Emperor Xuan of Han Liu Xuan
Emperor Xuan of Han Liu Xun (91 BC ~ January 9, 48 BC), formerly known as Liu Sick, was the tenth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, the great-grandson of Liu Che, the emperor of Hanwu, the grandson of Liu Zheng, and the son of Liu Jin. Liu Xun suffered disasters in his childhood and grew up in the people. In 74 BC, Huo Guang deposed Liu He the Prince of Changyi and made Liu Xun emperor. At the beginning of his accession to the throne, Huo Guang held real power, while Liu Xun adopted a strategy of low-key tolerance. However, after Huo Guang's death, Liu set out to regain control of the imperial government. In 66 BC, he deposed Empress Huo on the grounds that Grand Sima Huo Yu had plotted against him, and since then he has completely eliminated the power of the Huo family. Liu worked to rectify the official system in order to strengthen the emperor's position. In addition, he also took a number of measures, such as appeasing the displaced people, setting up permanent liquidation positions, and reducing rent and rent, in order to improve the lives of the people and stimulate production. He also actively promoted cultural development and contributed to the cultural progress of the Han Dynasty by convening Confucians to discuss the differences and equalities of the Pentateuch. Under the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, Liu Xun, the national strength of the Han Dynasty reached its peak and was known as the "rule of filial piety".
However, Emperor Xuan of Han also had shortcomings, and his rule was excessive in purging dissidents, resulting in innocent people suffering unjustly. In addition, his rule also laid the seeds for the political intervention of foreign qi and eunuchs, which became the starting point for the decline of the Western Han Dynasty. On January 9, 48 BC, Emperor Xuan of Han Liu Xuan died of illness in Weiyang Palace and was buried in Duling, with the temple number Zhongzong.
2. Han and Emperor Liu Zhao
Emperor Liu Zhao of Han (79 – February 13, 106) was the fourth emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, born in 79. He was the fourth son of Liu Wei, the emperor of Hanzhang, and his biological mother was Liang Guiren, and he was later succeeded as a son by Empress Dou. In 88, Emperor Zhang of Han died, and Liu Zhao ascended the throne, and Dou's descendants served as the rulers. Empress Dowager Dou promoted her brothers Dou Xian and Dou Du, as well as her younger brothers Dou Jing and Dou Huan, and the family held the power of the imperial government. During this period, Liu Zhao was actually a puppet emperor, as the power of the dynasty was held by the Dou family. However, in 92, Liu Zhao managed to crush the power of the Dou family and regain power in the dynasty. He also sent troops to conquer the Xiongnu, conquered more than fifty countries in the Western Regions, and sent envoys to the Roman Empire, opening a new chapter in foreign exchanges. He also attached great importance to rent reduction, improvement of people's livelihood, and a significant increase in population. At the same time, he also supported the prosperity of culture, encouraging Ban Zhao to continue writing the Book of Han and Xu Shen to compile important cultural projects such as the Shuwen Jiezi. As a result, Liu Zhao, the emperor of Han Huan, was hailed as a Ming monarch. However, during his reign, he coveted women and installed a number of empresses, which also caused the disaster of the party. On February 13, 106, Liu Zhao, the emperor of Han Huan, died of illness at the age of 27.
3. Liu Zhi, Emperor Huan of Han
Liu Zhi (132 – January 25, 168) was the eleventh emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was the great-grandson of Liu Wei, the emperor of Hanzhang, the grandson of Liu Kai the Prince of Hejian, and the son of Liu Yi, the Marquis of Liwu. Liu Zhi ascended the throne in 146 and became Emperor Huan of Han. When she first ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Liang Yu and her foreign minister Liang Ji held great power, putting Liu Zhi in a similar situation, and the Empress Dowager and her family took control of the imperial government. In order to fight against foreign qi, Liu Zhi also adopted the strategy of eunuchs. In 159, relying on the power of the eunuch Shan Chao and others, he successfully killed the general Liang Ji and purged his henchmen. After that, Liu Zhi presided over the pacification of the Qiang Rebellion, defeated the Kushan Empire, conquered more than fifty countries in the Western Regions, and established diplomatic relations with the Roman Empire. He also deposed the five eunuchs and purged them of power. However, Liu Zhi also had shortcomings, he indulged in women, and installed a number of empresses, which led to the disaster of the party. On January 25, 168, Liu Zhi, the emperor of Han Huan, died of illness at the age of 36. In general, Liu Zhi's achievements are relatively low, and historical evaluations are also biased negatively.