Preface
Why did they embark on the path of turning against each other?
What kind of monarch deserves the good name of "Ming Jun"? Is it the faint monarch who does not ask about the government and plays all day long? Or is it the virtuous monarch who is diligent in government and loves the people and makes the country prosperous? Every monarch in history seems to have his own answer, and Liu Heng, the Emperor of Han Wen in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, was no exception.
When power and hearts are in a desperate game, the fragility of friendship between kings and ministers will be exposed. Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and his confidant Jia Yi are the most typical examples.
An enterprising young monarch, a brilliant prodigy, who were supposed to go hand in hand to create a prosperous world. However, in the end, it evolved into a victim and perpetrator of power struggles. Why did they embark on such a cruel path of rebellion? The answer is probably only known in the depths of the court, the indescribable heaviness and darkness.
Turmoil in the court is frequent, and it is difficult for the new monarch to ascend the throne
When Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, died, it should be the crown prince Liu Ying who inherited the unification. However, infighting among the Bang clan was frequent, and Liu Ying had already died in the center of the whirlpool. At this time, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Liu Heng, who was in the prime of life, took the lead in ascending to the throne.
For a time, the government and the opposition were shaken. A group of important ministers led by Zhou Bo immediately took action, knowing full well that if this adventurous young man succeeded, he would inevitably pose a threat to the status and power of Liu Bang's old subordinates.
So, when Emperor Wen of Han wanted to go to Weiyang Palace to meet the coffin of the first emperor, ten Praetorian Guard warriors blocked his way. "What kind of monarch are you, are you really worthy of the position of emperor?" their difficult words made Emperor Wen of Han's face look ugly.
This is actually just a small episode in the period of power alternation, but Emperor Wen of Han is deeply aware that if he wants to stabilize the throne, he must get rid of these old Liu Bang departments as soon as possible.
Only by stabilizing the morale of the military can we create a new situation
As a result, Emperor Wen of Han took immediate action, appointing his confidant Song Chang as the general of Wei to control the Praetorian Guard, and appointed Zhang Wu as the commander of Lang Zhong, responsible for the security of the palace, and seized the core force system in Chang'an City in one fell swoop.
At the same time, he also realized that power alone was not enough, and that the old subordinates had to be given enough benefits to appease people. Therefore, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty began to reward important figures in the Liu clan and military merit groups on a large scale.
One of the most typical examples is that he restored Zhao Guoyu to Liu Ze and generously rewarded Zhou Bo, the chief lieutenant. Zhou Bo not only received the grace of adding 10,000 households, but also received a gold reward of 5,000 catties, which is equivalent to 500 million yuan!
Emperor Wen of Han knew that if he wanted to gain the support of these Liu Bang's old subordinates, the reward was only the first step. More importantly, it is important to give them enough real power to participate in core decision-making.
Otherwise, it is just a reward, which is just the icing on the cake for the military merit group. What they really crave is the supreme power that can only be embodied by the emperor's side.
So, after stabilizing the morale of the army, Emperor Wen of Han immediately set about letting Liu Bang's henchmen participate in politics. He appointed Chen Ping and Zhou Bo as the left prime minister and the right prime minister, and officially let them participate in the imperial government.
At first, everything went well, until one day, Emperor Wen of Han asked Zhou Bo in the court how many lawsuits he dealt with in a year. After Zhou Bo couldn't answer, it aroused the dissatisfaction of Emperor Wen of Han.
Since then, rumors have spread about Zhou Bo's arrogance as an official. Under the offensive of public opinion, Zhou Bo had to ask Emperor Wen of Han to resign as the right prime minister.
However, Emperor Wen of Han was not relieved. On the contrary, when he saw Zhou Bo leave Chang'an and return to his hometown, he had mixed feelings in his heart. He realized that the process of power change would inevitably hurt people's hearts, and it seemed that he still needed to learn how to stabilize people's hearts and create a prosperous era in Xi.
Jia Yi came to run Emperor Wen to gain allies
Fortunately, at this time, Emperor Wen of Han ushered in a vital ally - Jia Yi, who was only in his early 20s at the time.
Jia Yi was born in a scholarly family, open-minded, and has unique opinions. He recommended himself to Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, and after applying for the position of doctor, he was appreciated by Emperor Wen.
In the second year of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Jia Yi became an official doctor in Taizhong and became a celebrity around the emperor. He and Emperor Wen of Han often discussed major affairs behind closed doors, and even couldn't sleep all night.
Gradually, Emperor Wen was full of praise for this genius who gave advice and brilliant writing. With his support, Jia Yi put forward his first political proposal - "Lingliehou Country".
This suggestion seems simple, but it goes straight to the crux of the military merit group. Its essence was to weaken the influence of the princes in the court and force them to return to their fiefdoms. Once realized, the military merit group is bound to fall apart and fall apart.
Emperor Wen of Han was naturally overjoyed. He directly wanted to promote Jia Yi to the minister, but this move immediately aroused the strong dissatisfaction of Zhou Bo and other old ministers.
In the face of the situation of the old ministers besieging in groups, the situation of Emperor Wen of Han was particularly difficult. On the one hand, he needs the assistance of a far-sighted person like Jia Yi, and on the other hand, he can't offend Liu Bang's old department, who commands the armed forces.
This also indicates that the contradictions between the government and the opposition will continue to intensify in the future, and even evolve into endless power games.
Friends turn enemies at the cost of power
However, what Emperor Wen of Han never expected was that the gap between him and Jia Yi would expand rapidly in such a short period of time.
At the beginning, Emperor Wen of Han had a lot of trust in Jia Yi. They often discussed confidential matters behind closed doors, and they talked to each other almost non-existently.
But gradually, conservatives in North Korea and China began to complain about Jia Yi. They accused Jia Yi of acting arrogantly and arguing about the government. These rumors soon reached the ears of Emperor Wen of Han, making him unconsciously shake his trust in Jia Yi.
This subtle change begins to manifest itself in the detailed interaction between the two. Emperor Wen of Han no longer took the initiative to discuss political affairs with Jia Yi, nor did he frequently summon him to the palace.
Until one day, Jia Yi put forward reform proposals at the court meeting, but once again attracted a collective attack from conservatives. This time, Emperor Wen of Han did not come forward to defend him, but just quietly watched all this.
From then on, the gap between Emperor Wen of Han and Jia Yi will never be bridged. The latter fell victim to the power struggle, and his talents and ambitions could not be unleashed.
When Emperor Wen of Han recalled all this, he couldn't help but feel sorry in his heart. He and Jia Yi could have worked side by side to start a new era.
epilogue
However, Emperor Wen of Han underestimated the cost of power after all. He had to compromise temporarily in order to secure his rule, and he ended up sacrificing his talented friend for the sake of his own future.
How many old people have fallen into a dream, and they are already in the dry bones. All kinds of lamentations in the court are telling of the desolation behind the power.
What can we hope for? Perhaps, only by keeping watch day after day can we protect the light of life that has passed away in the long river of history.