Preface
In the Later Han Dynasty, an emperor named Liu Chengyou issued an edict to give the death of a general, however, a holy decree was changed by a few words, and history changed dramatically. What is the far-reaching impact of this seemingly small change? This article will delve into this suspenseful historical event, revealing the political intrigue and court intrigue behind the altered decree.
This fascinating journey through history takes us through time to explore how this altered decree reversed the course of history and influenced the political and power struggles of the Later Han Dynasty. In this forgotten history, we will unravel the mystery of this subtle event and deeply understand some of the seemingly small but hugely impactful turning points in history.
Liu Zhiyuan's life, Anbang established a business
In 950, Liu Zhiyuan, a warlord of the Han people in the north, established power in Hebei and proclaimed himself the Emperor of the Han Dynasty, known as the "Later Han Dynasty" in history. Previously, Liu Zhiyuan had been under the command of the Khitan warlord Yelu Deguang for several years and was well versed in the way of using troops. In 950, when the Later Jin Dynasty fell and the situation in the Central Plains was chaotic, Liu Zhiyuan saw the opportunity and took the opportunity to raise troops in Hebei. He soon occupied the Daimyo Mansion (present-day Daimyo, Hebei) and set his capital here, and the Later Han regime began to take shape.
Liu Zhiyuan was originally a general from the Han nationality, and later followed the Khitan separatist force Yelu Deguang to invade the Central Plains. He witnessed the demise of the Later Jin Dynasty and the turbulent division of the Central Plains, which fueled his ambition to establish his own regime. As a seasoned soldier, Liu Zhiyuan knows well that "attacking the city and pulling out the village." He chose to raise troops in Hebei, on the one hand, he could rely on the situation where Han people were the majority to stabilize people's hearts; On the other hand, the geographical location of the Daimyo Mansion was extremely important, and it was easy to defend and difficult to attack, so it could be established and gradually expanded.
At this time, the Central Plains region was at the time of the chaos of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. Since the decline of the Tang Dynasty, the feudal towns have been divided, and various warlords have been fighting each other. Taking advantage of the gap between the ownerless in the Central Plains, Liu Zhiyuan made a decisive move and soon occupied the core area of Hebei Daimyofu. He pacified the people, encouraged production, and gradually settled the originally turbulent Hebei region under his rule. In just three years, Liu Zhiyuan made the territory of the Later Han Dynasty continue to expand, and the national strength became more and more prosperous, so that this emerging regime took off steadily.
When Liu Zhiyuan died in 950, he had successfully established himself in Hebei and laid the foundation of the Later Han Dynasty. It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, just when the Later Han Dynasty was first showing its edge, Liu Zhiyuan died suddenly of illness at the age of 48. Before his death, he entrusted his confidants Guo Wei and Li Yun, hoping that they could assist the eight-year-old young lord Liu Chengyou. However, these two people have become Liu Chengyou's biggest confidants in the future.
The young lord Liu Chengyou, the minister contained
After Liu Chengyou was made emperor, Guo Wei and Li Yun began to unite with other ministers to control the power of the court. The two controlled the Forbidden Army and the Xuanhui Yuan respectively, and joined forces to hold the important positions of the cardinal in the central government. Among them, Guo Wei, who is the regent, is the strongest, and he quickly leans towards the government and the opposition, and there is no major event in the court that does not come from him.
Liu Chengyou lost his father when he was a child, and his biological mother had a low status and was unable to fight for power for him. Liu Chengyou has been neglected since he was a child, and his personality has begun to become withdrawn and perverse. He was very eager to be pro-government, and Guo Wei and other ministers strictly guarded and controlled, only allocating a small amount of money and food to the young emperor, and strictly forbidding him to contact political affairs, Liu Chengyou was indignant about this.
Since the age of twelve, Liu Chengyou has gradually shown a brilliant mind and strong political ambitions. He excelled in his studies, was well-read, and was well aware of the country's major events and the situation at that time. Liu Chengyou understood that in order to grasp power, he must first take back the right to decide political affairs from Guo Wei. At first, he kept a low profile, trying to get the ministers to slowly accept him into politics through Guo Wei. Guo Wei and others also softened their attitudes and allowed Liu Chengyou, who was still accumulating strength, to observe the court discussion.
In reality, however, Guo Wei still holds the power firmly, and Liu Chengyou's suggestions are often rejected outright. During the court discussion, Guo Wei's condescending attitude made Liu Chengyou even worse, and he saw the helplessness and pain of power slipping away from his fingertips. This strong desire forms a huge contrast with the repression of reality, and gradually turns into hatred for Guo Wei's political enemies. The ministers around him saw the opportunity to exacerbate the conflict between the two, and Liu Chengyou also had the idea of killing Guo Wei in his heart, and the political enemy was about to break out.
The infighting intensified, and Liu Guo broke up
In the winter of 960, Liu Chengyou and his henchman Cai Qu planned a coup d'état, intending to assassinate Guo Wei and other three ministers. However, in the end, the operation failed due to the leakage of details, and Liu Chengyou had to give up his plan to assassinate Guo Wei himself. But he still executed Guo Wei's family and some of his henchmen, which succeeded in angering Guo Wei. Regarding the control of the Later Han regime, the contradictions between Liu and Guo were completely made public.
Guo Wei, who has been hunting in the suburbs, was furious when he learned the bad news that his family had been killed. He used the fact that Liu Chengyou killed his own family to successfully incite the morale of the army, and the soldiers became strongly dissatisfied with Liu Chengyou. Guo Wei then immediately led the forbidden army and his main army to the Daimyo's mansion, intending to seize power and usurp the throne.
At this time, Liu Chengyou had no intention of fighting, he felt that his future was bleak, and he felt desperate for himself who could not control the situation. The ministers talked about peace with many ministers, and even intended to give way, but Liu Chengyou still reluctantly organized the remnants to resist under Cai Qu's instigation. In the spring of 961, the two armies fought a decisive battle under the castle of the Daimyofu.
The morale of Guo Wei's army was high, while Liu Chengyou's army was already scattered and defeated, and as expected, the entire line soon collapsed. Soon after Liu Chengyou was captured, he was given to die in prison at the age of 20. His mother was also killed at the same time. After Guo Wei took over the Daimyo's Mansion, he immediately established the Later Zhou Dynasty and established himself as emperor. At this point, the short 11-year reign of the Later Han officially came to an end.
Liu Guo's grievances warn future generations
When the balance of fate tilted in the end to Guo Wei, and the grievances and hatreds between Liu Chengyou and Guo Wei achieved and tied up the short-term glory and end of the Later Han Dynasty, we can't help but ask, is this power game a moral victory or a victory of ambition in the end?
The alternation of power is inherently cruel, and the rise of a new monarch often means the end of an old dynasty. However, on Liu Guo, the grievances and hatreds between them made this law even worse. Liu Chengyou and Guo Wei can be said to be the epitome of the rise and fall of the Later Han Dynasty.
Liu Zhiyuan chose to entrust Gu to Guo Wei, hoping that he could assist the young master; And Guo Wei chose to be treacherous in the face of power. Liu Chengyou did not hesitate to turn against his benefactor in order to regain power, and also buried hidden dangers emotionally; Guo Wei went one step further and took advantage of this to overthrow Liu Chengyou. All kinds of details make it impossible for future generations to judge who is right and who is wrong, and can only lament the complexity and incompleteness of human nature in this power game.
The grievances and hatreds between them also sounded the alarm bell in any dynasty and even in today's power change. It reveals the erosion of power on human nature, and also reminds future generations to consider and make choices in all aspects in recruiting talents and distributing power. The problems revealed in this change of power also plague every dynasty and even today, which also brings us profound revelations and warnings.
epilogue
The change of power is like the Yangtze River rolling eastward, and the rise of a new monarch often means the fall of an old dynasty. We cannot predict the direction of history, but we can strive for a better tomorrow by reflecting on the lessons of our predecessors.