Preface
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the phenomenon of foreign relatives interfering in politics was so serious that it was shocking. However, this situation did not exist at the beginning of the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty, but began with an emperor who did not follow the old system - Emperor Zhang of Han. It was under his rule that the phenomenon of relatives seizing power became more and more intense, which eventually led to the power of his cousin Dou Xian, and even tried to usurp the throne.
Emperor Zhang of the Han Dynasty reused his relatives and sat idly by as his relatives interfered in politics, which laid the foundation for his relatives to seize power. As a clever and scheming eunuch, Dou Xian quickly seized this opportunity and became a representative figure of foreign relatives in politics during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Through ingenious strategies, he gradually expanded the power in his hands, repeatedly defeated his opponents in political struggles, and even became the de facto ruler of the Eastern Han Dynasty for a period of time.
Dou Xian's scheming shocked the government and the opposition at that time. He was able to handle internal and external affairs with ease in political struggles. However, the wheel of history cannot stand still, and the ministers cannot escape the entanglement of fate after all.
Fate made people, this once powerful minister, but finally died at the hands of the fourteen-year-old Han He Emperor.
So, why was the real Dou Xian in history so crazy? And why was Dou Xian at his peak killed by Emperor Han He, who was only 14 years old at the time?
A troubled childhood
Dou Xian, a famous minister who once held great power in the late Eastern Han Dynasty and pacified the Northern Xiongnu, his childhood was not as smooth as he imagined. On the contrary, Dou Xian's early life was full of uncertainties and uncertainties.
As the great-grandson of Dou Rong, Dou Xian should have been the son of a prominent family in the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, due to his grandfather Dou Rong and father Dou Mu, Dou Xian's family was forced to migrate back to his hometown when he was a child and was placed under strict house arrest.
In the past ten years of house arrest, although Dou Xian and his family have no worries about food and clothing, they have not been able to step out of the house. This kind of life had a profound impact on Dou Xian, and buried a faint resentment and unwillingness in his heart.
To add insult to injury, his grandfather and father died in prison during this period. For the young Dou Xian, this is undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. He couldn't help but wonder in his heart what unforgivable sins his family had committed to befall such a fate. This deepened the resentment and hatred in his heart.
My sister entered the palace to help me become domineering
The good times did not last long, Emperor Zhang of Han died, and after Emperor He of Han, who was only seven years old, succeeded to the throne, Dou entered the palace as Dou Xian's sister, and eventually became the queen.
For a time, the Dou family re-emerged, soaring from the predicament of house arrest to the peak of power.
For Dou Xian, this is undoubtedly the best outlet for the long-suppressed resentment to pour out.
He began to unscrupulously retaliate against those officials who had participated in the purge of the Dou clan, and even beheaded the confessor Han Wei to worship his ancestors, doing his best to coerce.
And as his sister's status became stronger and stronger, Dou Xian was also encouraged by this and began to be more arrogant. He even forcibly occupied a royal garden, causing the wrath of Emperor Zhang of Han, and was finally able to escape only because his sister Empress Dou took responsibility.
It can be seen that after all these years of suppression, Dou Xian already wants to show his strength to gain the feeling he has lost over the years. And this kind of emotion that needs to be vented urgently has aggravated his arrogant and domineering character.
The Northern Expedition to the Huns was a shame
However, the good times were short-lived. Soon after, Emperor Zhang of Han died and was succeeded by Emperor He of Han, who was only eight years old. Dou became the Empress Dowager's reign, and Dou Xian also soared and became the second person in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
For a time, he held great power and leaned towards the opposition. Presumably, this also made Dou Xian feel an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.
But soon, he was caught up in a dispute over the assassination of Liu Chang, the marquis of the capital, and had to be imprisoned in the palace.
This is undoubtedly a heavy blow to Dou Xian's domineering style. He understands that if he wants to regain power, he will have to do something more.
So, Dou Xian applied for the Northern Expedition to the Xiongnu to atone for his sins. After receiving approval, he immediately went north to the front, vowing to be disgraced.
As the commander of the northern front of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Dou Xian was extremely active in launching an attack on the Northern Xiongnu.
In the military layout accumulated over the years in the Eastern Han Dynasty, he commanded the army to penetrate deep into the hinterland of the Xiongnu, pressing step by step, forcing it into a desperate situation. Eventually, after the death of Mao Dunshan, the Northern Xiongnu fell into civil strife.
Dou Xian keenly seized this opportunity and took the opportunity to launch a final decisive battle against the Northern Xiongnu.
This is known as the Battle of Le Shicheng.
Here, the Eastern Han army completely defeated the remnants of the Northern Xiongnu, and the rest of the troops also surrendered south. At this point, the Eastern Han Dynasty officially destroyed the Northern Xiongnu and fulfilled the wish of a hundred years of shame.
As the commander of this war, Dou Xian also received countless praises and glory at the first time. He has finally fulfilled his long-cherished wish and regained power.
Excited usurpation thoughts
However, power is a double-edged sword. It can bring you infinite glory, but it can also make you pay a terrible price.
After the victory and the arrival of power, Dou Xian had already begun to swell.
He was no longer a cautious minister, but an arrogant careerist.
In the war with the Northern Xiongnu, he allowed his subordinates to plunder in the territory of the Xiongnu, embezzle and accept bribes, and expropriate expropriation. This caused dissatisfaction among many courtiers, who impeached Dou Xian one after another.
What's more serious is that there are rumors that Dou Xian has begun to brew ambitions to usurp the throne.
When Dou Xian returned to the capital in triumph, many courtiers went to meet him, and they all shouted "Long live" in unison. This was the highest etiquette for the emperor at the time, but now it is used on a military general. This made everyone look at it, and they were worried that Dou Xian would take the opportunity to seize power.
In fact, Dou Xian's psychology at that time was just as people feared.
He felt that he had made a great contribution, and he had already surpassed the famous generals Wei Qing and Huo Quai. Now that the time and place are favorable, it is the best opportunity to seize the throne.
As a result, he began to secretly contact his henchmen, preparing to launch a coup d'état when the opportunity was ripe and usurp the throne.
This made the fourteen-year-old Emperor Han and Emperor panic. He realized that this uncle, who had a heavy army, had become his biggest confidant. You have to find a way to get rid of him so that you can sit firmly on the dragon chair.
However, at this moment, what can Emperor Han and Emperor Dou Xian?
In this critical autumn, he can only secretly contact the minister to find the best opportunity to get rid of this great trouble.
was killed by his uncle and nephew
The opportunity was not long in coming.
In 92 AD, in order to pacify the frontier, Emperor He of Han visited Chang'an. He deliberately issued an edict summoning Dou Xian to Beijing for an audience.
Sure enough, Dou Xian immediately left the army and entered the capital.
This is the opportunity that Emperor Han He has been waiting for for a long time!
He quickly staged a coup d'état and hunted down Dou's henchmen in the capital. At the same time, Empress Dowager Dou was placed under house arrest and deprived of her power. As for Dou Xian and the others, although they were not immediately executed, they were also driven back to their hometown, and they had actually lost all power.
In this way, the power game between Dou Xian and Emperor Han and Emperor He ended in the victory of the latter. This powerful minister, who held a heavy army and was once in power and opposition, was easily calculated by a fourteen-year-old child.
Soon after, under the arrangement of Emperor Han He, Dou Xian was forced to commit suicide. At this point, this arrogant and arrogant minister came to a heroic end, and his life came to an end.
So, Emperor Han He was really not wrong? He got rid of his uncle, and it seemed that he was just protecting himself.
But how can we easily judge Dou Xian's life. He made great contributions to the Northern Expedition of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Xiongnu, which was the most glorious moment of his life.
But power made him arrogant and ultimately self-defeating.
Is this kind of life really worth judging and praising and disprorating?
Perhaps, we just need to remember that brilliant moment of victory and admire it. As for the final outcome of his life, let history decide.