In 199 BC, Liu Bang was having fun with his son-in-law's concubine and was about to go to bed when he suddenly felt wrong. He asked his men and found that he couldn't stay in this place for long. So he couldn't even take care of his son-in-law's concubine, and hurried back to Chang'an overnight.
In the winter of 199 BC, Liu Bang, the then king of Han, came to Zhao and was welcomed by Zhang Ao, the king of Zhao. Zhang Ao arranged the palace early and waited for Liu Bang's arrival. Zhang Ao also deliberately put on court clothes and sat on the throne and waited.
Soon, Liu Bang's car arrived at the capital of Zhao State. Zhang Ao greeted him out of the city gate and bowed down from afar: "Minister Zhang Ao see his father!" Liu Bang nodded, and Zhang Ao led him into the palace hall.
As soon as he entered the hall, Zhang Ao took off his court clothes and changed into coarse cloth overalls. He personally picked up the hot tea and knelt beside Liu Bang, and respectfully let Liu Bang eat.
Liu Bang looked impatient and asked Zhang Ao, a son-in-law, how to talk to him. Zhang Ao was silent when he heard this, and retreated to the side and stopped talking.
After the refreshments, Liu Bang sat down on the ground and ordered his ministers to lay a soft cushion for him. The ministers hurriedly fetched soft cushions and spread them at Liu Bang's feet. Liu Bang sat down satisfied, and ordered all the courtiers of Zhao to kneel for him. Zhang Ao and the ministers had no choice but to bow their heads.
Liu Bang insulted Zhang Ao with nostrils to the sky, and a blacksmith's son dared to marry his daughter as a concubine, which was a deliberate insult to the royal family. Zhang Ao was embarrassed, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead.
Guan Gao, the minister of Zhao State, couldn't see Liu Bang insulting his lord so much, and secretly suggested that Zhang Ao take the opportunity to get rid of this chaotic minister and thief. Although Zhang Ao was also very dissatisfied with Liu Bang, he still rejected Guan Gao's suggestion when he thought of his deep affection for Princess Lu Yuan.
That night, Zhang Ao asked his beloved concubine Zhao Ji to serve Liu Bang. Zhao Ji's complexion was stunning, Liu Bang was thrilled when he saw it, and he spoiled her that night.
Early the next morning, Liu Bang suddenly felt a bad omen and hurriedly asked where he was. After learning that this was Bairen County, Liu Bang immediately ordered someone to prepare for the car and left in a hurry.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Ji after bidding farewell to Liu Bang turned out to be pregnant. Zhang Ao felt deeply embarrassed, so he had to put Zhao Ji under house arrest in the side hall of the palace and send someone to take care of her daily life.
Hey, speaking of which, a month ago, someone made a small report to Liu Bang, saying that Zhang Ao and Guan Gao were in an ambush in Bairen County and wanted to kill him. As soon as Liu Bang heard this, the fire came up, and he immediately sent troops to arrest them in Chang'an's cell, and even Zhao Ji was imprisoned together.
In prison, Liu Bang used torture to extract a confession, and Zhang Ao and others did not admit any intention to murder him. In order to protect Zhang Ao, Guan Gao insisted that the plot to assassinate Liu Bang was planned by himself. Liu Bang also found Guan Gao's fellow countryman to confirm that he also proved Zhang Ao's innocence.
Eventually, Liu Bang released Zhang Ao, but drastically reduced his fiefdom and power. Guan Gao was dissatisfied with Liu Bang's sentence and committed suicide after a hunger strike for several days in prison.
Zhao Ji couldn't bear it after giving birth to a baby boy in prison and hanged herself in her cell. Liu Bang adopted the child, named it Liu Chang, and handed it over to Empress Lu to raise.
Zhang Ao returned to his hometown of Xuanping County and spent the rest of his life in a bitter state. He often thinks of his beloved Zhao Ji and the dead Guan Gao, and regrets very much that he didn't follow Guan Gao's advice and missed the opportunity to eliminate violence.
He later became a petty official and spent his life peacefully. He often misses his former brother Guan Gao, and sighs at Guan Gao's integrity and righteous deeds.
Liu Chang grew up in Empress Lu's home, with a perverse personality and great ambitions. He tried to seize the imperial power many times, but he was guarded against by Emperor Wen of Han. Liu Chang was later exiled to the frontier, where he contracted an illness and died.
After Liu Bang's death, Emperor Wen of Han ascended the throne and adopted a policy of mercy for the people of Zhao State, reducing taxes, and the people lived a stable life again. The deeds of Zhang Ao and Guan Gao have also gradually been forgotten. Later generations occasionally mentioned it, and they also lamented the ill-fated fate and sighed.
