Preface
Liu Bang, as the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, has been praised for his glorious history and legendary stories throughout the ages. However, his eldest son, Liu Fei, seems to have become a mystery in history, a figure very different from his father.
Liu Bang was brave and resolute in his life, but his eldest son Liu Fei was recorded by history as a person who had no quarrel with the world, with a gentle nature and did not like to fight. So what kind of person was Liu Fei, and how did he survive the power struggle of Empress Lu?
1. Liu Fei's origin and growth
Liu Bang was a romantic man who left several sons. And Liu Fei is the eldest son among them, but his mother is only a widow in Liu Bang's village, Cao. In the society at that time, it was usually the eldest who did not establish a successor, that is, Liu Fei, as the eldest son, should be the heir to the throne.
However, this is not the case. Liu Fei did not have the opportunity to get the throne due to his background. His father, Liu Bang, was just a mixed pavilion chief at the time, and the Cao family was just an ordinary widow. Such a background doomed Liu Fei's fate to be not smooth.
Even if Liu Bang later became the emperor, for Liu Fei, this glory was only an unattainable dream. When Liu Fei was a child, he experienced many hardships. His father, Liu Bang, although he later became the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, was just an idle person when Liu Fei grew up.
Liu Bang often reprimanded Liu Fei and told him not to be idle, but he was a standard bastard waiting for death. This kind of contradictory words and deeds will inevitably bring a huge psychological shadow to Liu Fei. And Liu Fei's mother, Cao, was soon abandoned by Liu Bang. A child loses his mother's love and father's love at the same time.
This double whammy is undoubtedly fatal for a child. Liu Fei lacked a sense of security and belonging from a young age, and he didn't know what his future would look like, which also made him more timid and cautious.
2. The power struggle of Empress Lü
When Liu Bang died of illness, the entire Han Dynasty fell into the hands of Empress Lü. As Liu Bang's widow, Empress Lü wielded great power, and her goal was to support her son Liu Ying on the throne. However, in front of her, there are still a whole bunch of obstacles that need to be cleared.
In order to achieve this goal, Empress Lu did not hesitate to resort to cruel means. She first cleaned up Liu Bang's other sons one by one, including Liu Ruyi, Liu You, Liu Hui and others. These people are Liu Bang's biological sons, and in the eyes of others, they deserve to inherit the throne.
But in the eyes of Empress Lu, they were all obstacles to her son's ascension to the throne and must be removed. Empress Lu's methods can be described as extremely vicious. She first used her position and power to suppress these sons. Some were imprisoned, some starved to death, and some were forced to commit suicide.
Even Liu Bang's favorite son was merciless in the eyes of Empress Lu. She has only one goal, and that is to put her son Liu Ying on the throne and become the new monarch of the Han Dynasty. As for Liu Fei, although he is also Liu Bang's son, he has not received much attention due to his background.
Although Empress Lu also wanted to get rid of him, she was worried about causing unnecessary trouble. So, she adopted a more ingenious method, that is, to use the way of marriage to firmly control Liu Fei in her own hands.
Lu Hou's method is also very clever. Not only did she clear all the obstacles, but she also kept Liu Fei, a potential threat, firmly in her own hands. It can be said that she is a wise and cruel woman, and her goal is to put her son on the throne, and she will pay any price for it.
3. Liu Fei's way of survival
During the power struggle of Empress Lü, Liu Fei realized that he had to find a way to curry favor with Empress Lü in order to save his life. So, he took the initiative to dedicate his largest fief to Princess Lu Yuan, the daughter of Empress Lu. This move made both Empress Lu and Liu Ying very happy.
Because this means that Liu Fei no longer has the ability to rebel, and they can safely exclude him. However, Liu Fei did not stop there. He also took the initiative to respect Princess Lu Yuan, the daughter of Empress Lu, as the queen mother, and completely let go of his dignity and identity.
This kind of behavior is a great kind of self-sacrifice. Liu Fei was originally Liu Bang's eldest son and was supposed to inherit the throne, but in order to survive, he had to give up everything.
In this way, Liu Fei finally managed to survive and became the "grandson" of Empress Lu. Although he lost his original position and power, at least he saved his life. It can be said that Liu Fei is a very smart person. He is well aware of his situation, and he also knows how weak his strength is.
Faced with such a formidable opponent as Empress Lü, he chose to surrender and compromise rather than heroically surrender. This kind of survival wisdom not only saved his life, but also made him a figure worthy of our learning.
In those turbulent times, survival was often more important than honor. Liu Fei's approach may seem humble to others, but in fact, this is the key to his survival. If a person's survival cannot even be guaranteed, how can he talk about honor? Although Liu Fei's approach seems humble, it is the wisest choice.
Fourth, Liu Fei's character and inner world
Liu Fei, as Liu Bang's eldest son, is not a heroic and warlike person. On the contrary, he is a very timid and fearful person. This may have something to do with his upbringing. Since childhood, Liu Fei has experienced many hardships.
His father, Liu Bang, although he later became the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, was just an idle person when Liu Fei grew up. This kind of environment will inevitably affect a child's personality. Liu Bang often reprimanded Liu Fei and told him not to be idle, but he was a standard bastard waiting for death.
This kind of contradictory words and deeds will inevitably bring a huge psychological shadow to Liu Fei. He would feel that even if he tried, he would not be able to gain his father's approval. Moreover, Liu Fei's mother, Cao, was soon abandoned by Liu Bang. A child loses his mother's love and father's love at the same time.
This double whammy is undoubtedly fatal for a child. Liu Fei lacked a sense of security and belonging from a young age, and he didn't know what his future would look like, which also made him more timid and cautious. Even later, when Liu Bang became the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, Liu Fei did not receive much attention and attention.
On the contrary, his stepmother, Empress Lü, became the de facto ruler of the Han Dynasty. This situation further strengthened Liu Fei's timidity and caution. He knew very well how small his status was, and if he was not careful, he would be eliminated by Empress Lu.
However, Liu Fei is not a completely unintelligent person. In the face of Empress Lü's power struggle, he soon realized that he had to find a way to curry favor with Empress Lü in order to save his life. So, he took the initiative to give his largest fiefdom.
epilogue
Liu Fei's story allows us to see the survival wisdom of a vulnerable group in the face of powerful power. Although he came from a humble background, he relied on his wisdom to survive in the end. This kind of survival wisdom not only saved his life, but also made him a figure worthy of our learning.
Power, status, and survival are people's eternal pursuit. In turbulent times, the weak often have to rely on the strong to survive. Liu Fei is a typical example, he came from a humble background and suffered the merciless blow of fate, but finally survived with his wisdom. And his sons, perhaps seeing what happened to their father, chose an ambitious path.