Preface
There are many refreshing stories in ancient Chinese history, and one is particularly fascinating. During the Song Dynasty, a nun was fortunate to be blessed because she was waiting for the emperor to take a bath, and this night's decision actually led to the birth of a later eternal emperor.
The impulse of an emperor has changed the direction of the entire history, so who is this emperor of the ages? Today, let us talk about the truth behind this story!
1. The love silk in the depths of the palace wall
Song Zhenzong Zhao Heng was an elegant and amorous monarch. Under his rule, the Song Dynasty enjoyed unprecedented cultural prosperity and a thriving economy. However, under this prosperous surface, there is an unknown emotional entanglement.
Zhao Heng fell in love with the palace maid Liu E at first sight and was deeply attracted by her talent and beauty. Liu E comes from a humble background, but she has great ambitions, and she hopes to use her wisdom and skill to show her skills on the stage of power in the court.
The encounter between the two is like a spark, igniting the fire of love in each other's hearts. Under the corridor of the court, they often looked at each other and smiled, and every look revealed endless restraint. Zhao Heng's love for Liu E also made her stand out among the many women in the palace.
Although Liu E's background is modest, she has extraordinary talent and wisdom. She is proficient in poetry and songs, and she can always recite touching poems at court banquets, which makes Zhao Heng fall for her. At the same time, she is also good at political strategy, and she can always gain insight into the disputes in the court and give advice to Zhao Heng.
Zhao Heng was fascinated by Liu E's talent and beauty, and he doted on her. He often went to Liu E's bedroom in person to discuss his life ideals with her and pour out his heart. In this closed court, their love is like a delicate peony, blooming under the shadow of power.
However, fate always seems to play tricks on people. Although Liu E won the hearts of the monarch, she never gave birth to a prince for Zhao Heng. This filled her heart with anxiety and uneasiness, because in the arena of the court, where power and emotion are intertwined, the absence of a prince meant that her position was in jeopardy.
Liu E understands that if she can't give birth to a prince for Zhao Heng, her position will be in jeopardy. She began to worry that she would be replaced by other favorite concubines, and might even be belittled. So, she began to secretly plan, a big situation related to the future.
Second, the tanuki exchange the prince's plan
Faced with this dilemma, Liu E did not give up. Instead, she began to secretly plot a big picture for the future. She carefully selected a nun, Li, and asked her to pretend to be a palace maid. This woman is gentle and beautiful, which is exactly the type that Zhao Heng loves. On a spring night, Liu E skillfully arranged the encounter between Li and Zhao Heng.
Li's dancing posture was like a light butterfly, which attracted everyone's attention at the banquet in the palace, including Zhao Heng. The young emperor was plucked in an instant, and that night he discussed his life ideals with the little nun. The little nun naturally waited for Zhao Heng to bathe and change clothes, and was intimate with each other.
Soon after, Li became pregnant, and all of this was under Liu E's control. Almost at the same time, Liu E was also pregnant! When Li gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Liu E immediately carried out a plan to change the tanuki for the prince, and passed off the child she gave birth to as Zhao Heng's biological son.
This is a well-thought-out plan. Liu E not only arranged the encounter between Li and Zhao Heng in advance, but also skillfully grasped the timing to get pregnant with Li at the same time. When Li gave birth to a baby boy, Liu E immediately impersonated her own child and successfully deceived Zhao Heng's trust.
Zhao Heng was overjoyed and immediately canonized Liu E as the queen. And the children of the Li family were taken away and became a stepping stone for others to climb the peak of power. Within the walls of the court, her tears could only flow silently, and no one could know her suffering. All this has become an eternal secret in the depths of the court.
Lee's experience is heart-wrenching. As an ordinary nun, she was supposed to live a quiet and peaceful life, but she was caught up in this whirlpool of power. Her children, her flesh and blood, were taken away and became a stepping stone for others to climb the path to power.
In this cold court, her tears could only flow silently, her sadness and helplessness that no one could understand. This conspiracy of changing the tanuki for the prince not only hurt the Li family, but also deceived Zhao Heng.
As an amorous monarch, his love for Liu E is sincere, but he never thought that he would become a puppet who was fooled. This kind of betrayal and deception will surely leave a wound in his heart that will not heal.
3. Control of power
As Liu E ascended to the throne of the empress, she began to gradually grasp the power of the court. Her fingers slid lightly over the folds on the dragon table, each annotation revealing her mind and strategy. In the court, her words were gentle and powerful, and gradually, the ministers began to obey her, and her will became the vane of the court. Liu E's power is like a sharp sword, ruthlessly cutting off all dissent.
She first set about purging ministers who were not in line with her own interests. Under her instructions, some old ministers loyal to Zhao Heng were demoted or dismissed one after another. Instead, there is a group of cronies who are completely obedient to Liu E's orders. These people were loyal to Liu E, and under her command, the government was gradually firmly controlled by her.
At the same time, Liu E also skillfully manipulated the appointment and dismissal of personnel in the court. She carefully selected people who were loyal to her and placed them in key positions. Whether it is an important military and political position or an important position in the palace, as long as it is related to power, Liu E will bring it into his control without exception.
Under Liu E's manipulation, an atmosphere of fear and submission gradually formed in the court. The ministers did not dare to have any objections, for fear of violating Liu E's taboo. Even Zhao Heng himself gradually felt the pressure from Liu E.
However, as time passed, Zhao Heng of Song Zhenzong gradually sensed the expansion of Liu E's power. He began to question some of Liu'e's decisions, especially her exclusion of dissidents and authoritarian rule.
Zhao Heng's eyes began to show dissatisfaction and worry, and he was worried that Liu E's power game would endanger the stability of the Song Dynasty. At night in the palace, Zhao Heng often meditated alone. He recalled the past when he met and fell in love with Liu E, how innocent and kind she was at that time.
Now, she had become strange and frightening to him. Zhao Heng's heart, like a torn kite, swayed between power and emotion. Zhao Heng was angry and helpless at Liu E's authoritarian behavior. As a monarch, he was supposed to hold the highest power, but now he was being manipulated by the woman he loved so much.
This betrayal and deception filled his heart with struggle and pain. He began to question his own judgment and began to worry that Liu E's power would endanger the stability of the entire country. In this whirlpool of power, Zhao Heng's heart is experiencing a fierce struggle.
His reason tells him that he must stop Liu E's authoritarian behavior, but his emotions can't let go of his deep attachment to her. This ambivalence made him fall into a state of helplessness and confusion.
Fourth, Liu E's endgame
Time flies, and Liu E's face is gradually dyed with traces of time. Her health began to deteriorate, but her heart was still worried about the government. In her bedchamber, she summoned her confidant ministers to plot how to maintain her influence over the court after her death. Her gaze is resolute, as if she wants to hold the future firmly in her own hands.
Liu E knows that her life is short, and she must make arrangements for the future as soon as possible. She gathered a group of loyal cronies and consulted with them on how to maintain her influence over the government after her death.
They had a series of elaborate plans. First of all, he must ensure that his son can succeed to the throne smoothly and become the next emperor. For this reason, Liu E did not hesitate to use means again to ensure that her biological son could be canonized as the crown prince by Zhao Heng.
At the same time, she also arranged for some loyal ministers to continue to control the government after her death. These people are Liu E's henchmen who have been carefully cultivated over the years, and they are loyal to Liu E and will definitely continue to carry out her will.
Driven by these plans, Liu E's power was gradually consolidated. Her son succeeded to the throne as the new emperor, and her cronies were firmly in control of the government. This made Liu E feel satisfied, and she believed that her legacy would be continued.
Finally, Liu E's life came to an end. Her death, like the fall of a superstar, shocked the entire court. Zhao Zhen grew up under the influence of Liu E, but he always had thoughts of his biological mother Li in his heart, as well as dissatisfaction with Liu E's authoritarian behavior.
Liu E's death marks the end of an era. She once used her wits and skill to establish her own kingdom of power in the court, but in the end, she could not escape the end of her life. Her death plunged the entire court into a state of confusion and turmoil.
Zhao Zhen has always been dissatisfied with Liu E's authoritarian behavior. As a person who grew up under Liu E's influence, he knows how insidious and vicious her methods are. He has always longed to correct the injustices of the previous dynasty and rebuild a clear political environment.
Now, with the death of Liu E, Zhao Zhen finally has the opportunity to realize his ideals. He was determined to clear the gloom from the court, restore the clean politics of the Song Dynasty, and bring peace and well-being to the people. This determination will surely serve as a guide for his future governance of the country.
5. Song Renzong's benevolent government
After Liu E's death, Zhao Zhen became pro-government, and he was determined to clear the gloom in the court and restore the Qing Dynasty's clean politics. Zhao Zhen first set out to redress the wrongful convictions of Liu E's period and bring justice to those officials and families who had been wronged in the power struggle.
His decision not only restored the reputation of these people, but also won widespread praise from both the government and the opposition. These wronged officials and families suffered unjustly under Liu E's rule. They were either degraded or imprisoned simply because they were unwilling to submit to Liu E's power.
Now, under the leadership of Zhao Zhen, these unjust cases have been completely rehabilitated, and their innocence has been upheld. This move not only made the government and the opposition feel Zhao Zhen's sense of justice, but also made the entire Song Dynasty feel a fresh breath.
People began to believe that under the rule of this new emperor, the Song dynasty would usher in a new era. Zhao Zhen's concept of governing the country undoubtedly set a noble example for later monarchs. He not only valued the rule of law, but also paid more attention to moral cultivation and treated his subjects with benevolence.
epilogue
It is true that the temptation of power corrupts human nature, but a benevolent heart can overcome everything. The story of Zhao Heng of Song Zhenzong and Zhao Zhen of Song Renzong is a vivid portrayal of this point of view.
The lesson of this history is that power is important, but if we lose our benevolence, we will eventually perish like Liu E.
Only by being like Zhao Zhen, who is people-oriented and has a benevolent heart to govern the world, can we win the hearts of the people and benefit future generations. Let us hope that in this troubled world, there will always be a beam of benevolent light that illuminates the dark side of human nature.