Preface
In Chinese history, there is a female hero who braved hardships and dangers, stepped forward, and showed extraordinary demeanor in troubled times with her wisdom and courage. She is Princess Hezheng, a heroine who has emerged in the "post-red makeup era".
When the Anshi Rebellion was raging, the country was in danger and the society was in danger, and at this critical moment, Princess Hezheng stepped forward, she not only took on the heavy responsibility, but also made a great contribution to quelling the chaos with her wisdom and courage.
Let's take a look at the legendary life of this heroine and find out what kind of talented and courageous princess she is.
The growth process of golden branches and jade leaves
In 733 AD, Li Heng, the concubine of Tang Xuanzong, married the palace maid Wu as a concubine. Wu is not only peerless in appearance, but also a talented woman who is deeply favored by Li Heng. Soon, the Wu family gave birth to a daughter, Li Yi, the princess of Hezheng.
It's a pity that the sky is jealous, and the Wu family died young when Princess Hezheng was 3 years old. Li Heng was so grief-stricken that he handed over this smart and lovely daughter to his wife Webster to raise. Webster regarded Princess Hezheng as his own, taught her to read and write, and cultivated her conduct.
Under the care of Wei, Princess Hezheng gradually grew into an out-and-out talented girl. She is not only good at poetry and writing, but also proficient in music and rhythm, which is unparalleled in the world. In addition to her profound literary attainments, Princess Kazumasa is also quite talented in riding and archery, and often rides and hunts with her brothers, and has excellent skills.
With a talented body and a prominent background, Princess Kazumasa was supposed to live a carefree life. However, the trajectory of her life changed dramatically when she was 10 years old.
A bumpy experience in turbulent times
In the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755 AD), An Lushan raised troops in Fanyang, raising troops against the Tang Dynasty under the banner of "Qingjun's side". When the news reached Chang'an, the government and the opposition were in a panic. Tang Xuanzong decided to personally lead the army to quell the rebellion, leaving the crown prince Li Heng in charge of the country.
At this time, Li Heng had already become the crown prince, but Tang Xuanzong became more and more suspicious of him, for fear that he would threaten his country. As a result, Tang Xuanzong suppressed Li Heng in every possible way, forced him to divorce Wei, and made Weishi a monk.
Princess Hezheng, who was only 10 years old, lost her adoptive mother after her biological mother. The father, who loved her, also became sad and more and more reticent. The once happy family has now become cold and depressing.
After the outbreak of the Anshi Rebellion, Tang Xuanzong fled to Shuzhong in a hurry, leaving behind many princes, grandsons, princesses, and county lords. Princess Hezheng's sister, Princess Ningguo, is one of the royal families left behind in Chang'an.
After learning of her sister's situation, Princess Kazumasa was anxious. She decided to take the risk and go to Chang'an to pick up her sister and flee with her. Although her husband Liu Tan was worried about his wife's safety, he also understood her brotherhood and decided to go with her.
The husband and wife took only one horse and set off overnight. Along the way, they evaded the pursuit of the rebels, trekked through mountains and rivers, and endured hardships. Whenever she encounters danger, Princess Hezheng always asks Liu Tan to protect the safety of Princess Ningguo first, and would rather be injured herself than affect her sister.
After several months of wandering, they finally came to Sichuan, where they joined Tang Xuanzong, who had fled here, in Chengdu. However, staying away from war does not mean peace. Soon, Sichuan Jiedu made Guo Ziyi's subordinate Guo Qianqian rebel and besieged Tang Xuanzong's palace.
Seeing that the rebels were about to attack, Liu Tan led his servants to rush to the forefront and fight with the rebels. Princess Hezheng and Princess Ningguo also came to the front line to deliver bows and arrows to Liutan to boost morale. With their help, Liu Tan stabbed dozens of rebels and finally repelled Guo Qianren.
After quelling the rebellion in Sichuan, Tang Xuanzong decided to return to Chang'an. Along the way, Princess Hezheng never forgot to share the worries of the imperial court, she was good at business and financial management, and earned a lot of money through trade with merchants from all over the world, all of which were donated to the imperial court as military expenses.
Contribute to the suppression of rebellions
After returning to Chang'an, Princess Hezheng did her best to assist her father and brother in quelling the rebellion. She often proposed good policies for governing the country to Tang Suzong and Tang Dynasty Sect, and many suggestions were adopted. The ministers of the court also had great respect for this wise princess, and often consulted her on state affairs.
In 763, when the Tibetans invaded, Emperor Zong Cang of the Tang Dynasty fled to Shaanzhou, and Princess Hezheng led a group of imperial relatives to retreat to Jingnan. The capital of the country has fallen, and the people are panicking. In order to stabilize the situation, Princess Hezheng stepped forward and personally appeased the exiled princes and nobles, and generously donated money to compassionate the soldiers.
Along the way, they encountered many thieves, and Princess Hezheng always came forward in person, knowing and reasoning, and moving with affection. The thieves were all impressed by her bearing and wisdom, and knelt down to plead guilty, willing to serve her.
Fifteen days later, the Tibetan army plundered and took the initiative to evacuate Chang'an. Tang Dynasty Emperor and Princess Hezheng returned to the capital and began the difficult reconstruction work. However, only a year later, the Tibetans made a comeback and once again invaded the city.
In Chang'an City, people are panicked and everyone is in danger. At this time, Princess Hezheng was already pregnant. It stands to reason that pregnant women who are about to give birth should take good care of their bodies and wait for delivery. However, seeing that her family and country are in danger, where can she still take care of herself?
Died young, and will be remembered for a hundred years
Princess Hezheng decided to venture into the palace and discuss with Tang Dynasty Sect a strategy to retreat from the enemy. Her husband Liu Tan tried his best to dissuade her, worried about her health, but Princess Hezheng said: "You also have a brother, don't you understand my mood at this time?
After speaking, Princess Hezheng ignored Liu Tan's obstruction, got on the sedan chair, and went straight to the palace. With her high belly, she had a long talk with the Tang Dynasty Sect and made suggestions for the survival of the Tang Dynasty.
The suggestions put forward by Princess Hezheng were all to the point, and Tang Dynasty Zong nodded again and again after hearing it. However, before she could finish speaking, Princess Kazumasa clutched her stomach and moaned in pain. It turned out that she was already giving birth.
Tang Dynasty Zong was shocked, and hurriedly asked the imperial doctor to send Princess Hezheng back to the mansion, and sent the best midwife to be on standby at any time. However, even the best imperial physicians and midwives were unable to save Princess Kazumasa's life. The next day, Princess Kazumasa died in childbirth at the age of 36.
Tang Dynasty Emperor was grief-stricken and ordered to stop the government for three days, and personally dressed up the princess in linen and filial piety. He also ordered Yan Zhenqing, the first calligrapher of the dynasty, to write an epitaph for Princess Hezheng.
Yan Zhenqing wrote the "Princess Hezheng Shinto Tablet" with more than 3,000 words, which recorded in detail the life deeds of this great woman. In this epitaph, he said of Princess Wamasa: "The princess is brilliant and courageous... Although the princess is a woman, she has the world in her heart, does her best, and dies. The untimely death of the country is really a heavy loss to the country and a misfortune for the dynasty!"
epilogue
Although Princess Hezheng died young, her deeds are forever engraved in the annals of the Tang Dynasty. In that turbulent era, she was not intimidated by fate, but with a weak body, she shouldered the burden of her family and country. She used her practical actions to interpret what is "women's morality" and what is "righteous martyrdom".
It is precisely with the existence of these great women that the Chinese nation has been able to continue to develop and grow in the wind and rain of 5,000 years, and to reach today's prosperity and prosperity. The legendary life of Princess Hezheng will always inspire future generations to move forward!