In 422 AD, Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of the Southern Song Dynasty, was seriously ill and entrusted the throne to four ministers on his deathbed. However, in the second year of the reign of the young emperor Liu Yifu, four ministers joined forces to depose and kill him. At the same time, Liu Yu's favorite second son, Liu Yizhen, the king of Luling, was not spared. Why did the four ministers, who were entrusted with great trust, take such a reckless and shocking move? What kind of power struggle is behind this? Let us walk into the treacherous history of the Southern Song Dynasty and uncover the unsolved case of this period of history.
Liu Yutuo is lonely and four ministers who take care of their lives
In March 422, Liu Yu, Emperor Wu of the Southern Song Dynasty, fell seriously ill and died soon after. On his deathbed, the founding emperor entrusted the throne to four confidant ministers: Sikong Xu Xianzhi, Shang Shu Fu Liang, leading general Xie Hui, and protector general Tan Daoji.
Liu Yu fought all his life, fought in the south and the north, and created the foundation of the Southern Song Dynasty. Although he came from a humble background, he has great ambitions, is good at employing people, and his generals are full of talents, and the civil and military generals are all the choice of the moment. During the reign of Liu Yu, he made two northern expeditions to recover lost territories such as Luoyang, which brought the national power of the Southern Song Dynasty to its peak.
Among the four ministers, Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang are Wenchen, and Xie Hui and Tan Daoji are military generals. Xu Xianzhi was originally Liu Yu's henchman Liu Muzhi's deputy, and after Liu Muzhi's death, he took Liu Muzhi's place and became a celebrity around Liu Yu. Xu Xianzhi is generous, decisive, and has the style of a prime minister, and has won Liu Yu's trust.
Fu Liang made great contributions to Liu Yu when he ascended the throne. Back then, after Liu Yu crusaded against Huan Xuan, he intended to usurp the throne, but it was difficult to speak. At a banquet, Liu Yu deliberately said that he wanted to return to the Sima royal family and retire to the mountains and forests. The ministers all praised Liu Yu for his loyalty and patriotism, but Fu Liang was the only one who sensed Liu Yu's true thoughts. That night, Fu Liang knocked on the palace to ask for a meeting, took the initiative to ask Ying, and went to Jiankang to lobby Sima to abdicate. Fu Liang lived up to his trust, and the Sima royal family finally ceded the throne to Liu Yu. Since then, Fu Liang has become the minister of Liu Yu's mind.
Xie Hui was Liu Yu's confidant and strategist, he was decisive and resourceful, and was one of the main planners of Liu Yu's Northern Expedition. However, Xie Hui was upright and often spoke out, offending many ministers of the DPRK and China. Liu Muzhi has slandered Liu Yujin many times, saying that Xie is obscure and has no king, and he is vain about the government. Although Liu Yu did not take this matter to heart, Xie Hui's career was also hindered. It was not until Liu Muzhi's death that Xie Hui was able to make a name for himself in the court.
Tan Daoji is Liu Yu's descendant general, he is brave and good at fighting, and has made many military exploits, and is the main force of Liu Yu's Northern Expedition. Liu Yu once said: "Although Tan Daoji is brave, he has no far-sightedness and is easy to control." It can be seen that Liu Yu also trusts Tan Daoji very much.
When he was in Tuogu, Liu Yu had high hopes for the crown prince Liu Yifu and the second son Liu Yizhen. Liu Yu only had a son at the age of 44, and Liu Yifu and Liu Yizhen are both his heart. However, Xie Hui once bluntly said that Liu Yifu is playful, and Liu Yizhen is frivolous, both of which are unworthy of the task. Although Liu Yu was displeased, he was helpless. Before he died, he told the prince to beware of Xie Hui, and instructed four ministers to assist the prince and protect Liu Song's country.
However, only a year after Liu Yu's death, the four ministers who took care of their lives joined forces to depose the young emperor Liu Yifu and kill him. Liu Yu's words of entrustment turned out to be a mountain on the heads of the four ministers, and finally caused a shocking bloody case.
The young emperor Liu Yifu's personality and governance
Liu Yifu is Liu Yu's eldest son, who has been smart since he was a child and is deeply favored by Liu Yu. However, Liu Yifu has lived a prosperous life since he was a child and has developed an arrogant and playful personality. He likes to make some fox friends and dogs, and he messes around in the palace all day long.
After Liu Yifu ascended the throne, the government was almost deserted. He ignored the government and indulged in lustful dogs and horses all day long. A wine shop was set up in the palace, and Liu Yifu personally played the role of the shopkeeper to solicit business, and set up a market in the imperial garden to play a game with the palace maids and eunuchs.
Liu Yifu also likes to raise parrots, deer and other rare birds and beasts in the palace, and builds luxury palaces on a large scale, spending extravagantly. He also often went out of the palace in small clothes, befriended the ruffians and hooligans in the capital, drank and gambled, and even did not hesitate to fight with others in person.
The ministers of the court and the central government were deeply dissatisfied with such an absurd behavior of the young emperor, and repeatedly admonished him, but Liu Yifu turned a deaf ear. Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang and other auxiliary ministers wanted to meet the young emperor and discuss state affairs, but the young emperor often shirked it. Even if he sometimes summons his ministers, he is still interested and ignores political affairs.
Soon after Liu Yifu ascended the throne, the Northern Wei army marched south, captured Luoyang, Hujiao and other places, and the entire territory of Henan fell. This was a major blow to the Liu and Song courts. Luoyang was the old capital of the Western Jin Dynasty, and Liu Yu had worked hard to recover it, but now it was lost under the rule of the young emperor, which shook the hearts of the generals and soldiers.
However, in the face of such a critical situation, the young emperor Liu Yifu still went his own way and did not want to forge ahead. Instead of personally commanding the Sixth Army and turning the tide, he was in trouble with villains day by day and abandoning major military affairs.
Liu Yifu also often abused palace maids and eunuchs, beating and scolding them at every turn, and even beating people to death. He also connived at the fox friends around him to do evil outside, and the security in the capital became increasingly chaotic, and thieves were rampant. The people were miserable and complained.
Xu Xianzhi and other auxiliary ministers saw that the young emperor was so mediocre and the country's strength was declining, but they were helpless. They originally wanted to assist the young emperor and support the great cause, but the young emperor completely ignored political affairs, and it was difficult for the court and China to unify the pace and coordinate the battle.
In the face of the step-by-step advance of the Northern Wei Dynasty, Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, Xie Hui and others deeply felt that the general trend had gone, and if the young emperor was allowed to continue to be in power, I am afraid that the Great Liang country would be difficult to protect. They had to consider deposing the young emperor and setting up another plan for the lord.
However, deposing the Young Emperor was not an easy task. Although the young emperor is mediocre, after all, he is the son of the first emperor, and he is supported by the powerful clan. If the emperor is abolished rashly, I am afraid that he will be opposed by the government and the opposition. Moreover, after the abolition of the emperor, the selection of the new monarch is also a major problem.
Xu Xianzhi and others were once in a dilemma. Xie Hui once bluntly pointed out that he thought that Liu Yifu was not worthy of the great responsibility, but the first emperor had made up his mind, and they didn't say much. Now the young emperor is really incompetent, but to depose him, it is difficult to find a suitable successor.
After some consideration, Xu Xianzhi and others agreed that Liu Yilong, the third son of the first emperor, should be the successor. Although Liu Yilong is a concubine, he is humble and polite, and does not lose the style of a king. Although he doesn't like martial arts, he has a talent for governing the country, and if he can assist properly, he will definitely be able to turn the tide of the tide.
In this way, the proposal to abolish the emperor gradually took shape among several auxiliary ministers. It was imperative for them to discuss the abolition of the emperor. The only thing that worried them was Tan Daoji, who was in charge of the forbidden army at that time.
Although Tan Daoji was born in the army, he was loyal and won the hearts of the military. Without his support, it would have been difficult for the deposed emperor to succeed. Xu Xianzhi and others inquired about Tan Daoji's tone many times, but Tan Daoji was always reluctant to express his position.
Just when Xu Xianzhi and others were at a loss, the young emperor Liu Yifu did an outrageous absurdity. He even ordered people to build dragon boats in the palace, drank and had fun on the dragon boats day and night, and ignored state affairs.
When the news reached the ears of Xu Xianzhi and others, they were all annoyed. They immediately decided that the matter of abolishing the emperor would be tonight!
The contradictions and choices of the four ministers
The absurd behavior of the young emperor Liu Yifu after his accession to the throne deeply worried the auxiliary ministers. Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, and Xie Hui often discussed the government in private, and they had a lot of complaints about what the young emperor did. Only Tan Daoji has an ambiguous attitude and is always reluctant to express his position.
Xu Xianzhi once advised the young emperor in person, hoping that he could restrain himself and concentrate on politics. However, the young emperor turned a deaf ear to Xu Xianzhi's words and still went his own way. Xu Xianzhi had no choice but to discuss countermeasures with Fu Liang and Xie Hui.
Fu Liang said straight to the point: "The young emperor is so absurd, it is really difficult to entrust Sheji. The spirit of the first emperor in the sky will not sit idly by and watch Liu Song's rivers and mountains be destroyed. As Auxiliary Ministers, we owe it to us to make a difference. ＂
Xie Hui nodded in agreement: "Not bad." Although the young emperor is the son of the first emperor, his actions are really entrusted by the first emperor. I don't think it's better to abolish it and set up another virtuous monarch to calm the world. ＂
Xu Xianzhi pondered for a moment and said, "The matter of abolishing the monarch is very important. Although we are the first emperor to trust the orphan, but after all, we are only auxiliary ministers, if we act rashly, I am afraid it will be difficult to convince the public. ＂
Xie Hui retorted: "The matter has come to this, if you don't act, I'm afraid it's too late." The Northern Wei Dynasty is eyeing the tiger, Henan has been lost, and the girder is in danger. The young emperor is ridiculous, and the country is about to die, how can he sit idly by?"
Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang glanced at each other, although they agreed with Xie Hui's words in their hearts, they also knew the difficulty of abolishing the monarch. The three of you come and go, and they can't argue.
At this moment, Tan Daoji, who had been silent, spoke: "What you said is very true. However, the abolition of the monarch is not trivial. If you want to do it, you have to have a perfect plan to get it done. ＂
Xu Xianzhi asked, "What is General Tan's opinion?"
Tan Daoji said slowly: "If you want to abolish the young emperor, you first need the support of the generals in the army. I am in the forbidden army, and I can escort you. Secondly, the selection of the new monarch after the abolition also needs to be considered in the long run. ＂
Fu Liang said: "Among the sons of the first emperor, only Liu Yilong, the king of Yidu, is virtuous and virtuous, and can take on a great responsibility. ＂
Xie Hui had reservations: "Although Liu Yilong is talented, he is suspicious and difficult to control. It is better to choose Liu Yizhen, the king of Luling, although he is young, he abides by his duty and is easy to control. ＂
Xu Xianzhi shook his head and said: "Although Liu Yizhen was favored by the first emperor, after all, he was young and difficult to take on a big responsibility. Moreover, he and the young emperor are brothers and sisters, and if he is established as the king, it may be difficult to convince the public. ＂
Several ministers have their own opinions, and they do not agree with each other. Seeing this, Tan Daoji said, "You don't have to argue. Let me think twice about this matter and discuss it at a later date. ＂
Although Xu Xianzhi and others were unwilling, they had no choice but to give up because of Tan Daoji's military power.
The next day, Tan Daoji summoned Xu Xianzhi alone and said straight to the point: "Duke Xu, the matter of abolishing the young emperor must not be in a hurry. There are still many generals in our army who are loyal to the young emperor, and if they act rashly, they may cause civil strife. ＂
Xu Xianzhi sighed and said, "I understand the general's concerns. But the young emperor is absurd, the country is declining, and if he doesn't act, I'm afraid it's too late. ＂
Tan Daoji pondered for a moment and said, "In this way, I will arrange it in the army first, and when the time is ripe, I will discuss the abolition of the emperor." Xu Gong did not move, waiting to see what happened. ＂
Xu Xianzhi had no choice but to agree.
A few days later, a ridiculous move by the young emperor Liu Yifu completely angered Xu Xianzhi and others. It turned out that the young emperor actually ordered people to build a dragon boat in the palace, drank and had fun on the dragon boat day and night, and ignored state affairs.
When the news reached the ears of Xu Xianzhi and others, they were all annoyed. Xie Hui immediately took the case and said, "The young emperor is so ridiculous, can he still be allowed to reign?"
Fu Liang was also filled with righteous indignation: "Yes! If this continues, the country will not be a country!"
Xu Xianzhi said in a deep voice: "Everyone, be angry. Let me discuss this matter with General Tan, launch it on a certain day, and depose the young emperor!"
In this way, stimulated by the absurdity of the young emperor Liu Yifu, the four ministers finally reached a consensus on abolishing the emperor. They secretly agreed to launch a coup d'état on a certain day, first depose the young emperor, and then welcome Liu Yilong, the king of Yidu, as emperor.
However, what they didn't expect was that on the eve of the coup, the young emperor Liu Yifu made an even more absurd move. He actually ordered people to build a market in the palace, played a game with the palace maids and eunuchs, and completely abandoned the government and government.
When the news came, Xu Xianzhi couldn't hold back any longer, and immediately summoned Fu Liang, Xie Hui, and Tan Daoji to discuss the coup d'état.
The four of them hit it off, and they led troops into the palace that night and captured the sleeping young emperor Liu Yifu. Before Liu Yifu could resist, he was escorted out of the palace by the soldiers and imprisoned in Wu County.
The next day, the four ministers issued an edict, announcing the deposition of the young emperor Liu Yifu and the establishment of Liu Yilong, the king of Yidu, as emperor. The government and the opposition were shaken, and the whole country was stunned.
In this way, a thrilling palace coup d'état, under the planning of the four ministers, quietly ended. However, none of them imagined that this coup d'état would become a mountain on their heads, and eventually lead to a shocking bloody case.
Coups and bloody purges
The proposal to abolish the emperor was a foregone conclusion among the four ministers. In the early morning of the next day, Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, Xie Hui, and Tan Daoji led their troops into the palace without encountering any resistance. The young emperor Liu Yifu was still asleep on the dragon boat, and when he woke up, the guards around him had been killed, and he was captured by the soldiers.
When Liu Yifu was escorted out of the palace, hundreds of officials from the court and the central government had already lined up outside the palace gate to "bid farewell". The young emperor was first imprisoned in Wu County, and was soon killed by Xu Xianzhi. It is said that Liu Yifu struggled desperately before he died, trying to escape, but was knocked down by the pursuers with a door latch and was brutally killed. The young emperor, who was only in his early twenties, died like a lost dog.
What's even more shocking is that Liu Yu's favorite second son, Liu Yizhen, the king of Luling, was not spared. He died even earlier than the Young Emperor. Obviously, this was a bloody coup d'état orchestrated by the four ministers.
When the news broke, the whole country was shocked. The deposition of the emperor has always been regarded as a great rebellion in ancient times, let alone the killing of the emperor. The move of the four ministers is tantamount to lifting a stone and shooting themselves in the foot. Not only will they ruin their own future, but they are more likely to harm their families.
However, the four ministers don't seem to care about any of this. After the coup d'état, they quickly established Liu Yilong, the king of Yidu, as emperor and changed the Yuan to Jingping. Liu Yilong is Liu Yu's third son, although he is a concubine, he is talented and political.
After Liu Yilong succeeded to the throne, his attitude towards the four ministers was unpredictable. On the one hand, he praised them, calling them "ministers of society", and on the other hand, he secretly curtailed their power. Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang asked for retirement many times, but Liu Yilong pretended to keep them, but in fact, he took the opportunity to empty them.
Xie Hui saw Liu Yilong's thoughts and secretly planned a counterattack. He asked Ying to serve as the assassin of Jingzhou and be in charge of the upstream military, so as to contain Liu Yilong. Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang also pinned their hopes on Xie Hui, thinking that they would be able to save their lives in this way.
However, Liu Yilong is not an idle person. He adopted a strategy of division and disintegration and successfully won over Tan Daoji. Tan Daoji was originally a military general, and he was not proficient in the art of power and strategy. Liu Yilong promised to be a high-ranking official, and soon bought him off.
In the second year of Jingping, Liu Yilong staged a coup d'état and issued an edict to kill Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, and Xie Hui on charges of "rebellion". Xu Xianzhi was desperate after hearing the news, so he had to hang himself. Fu Liang was arrested and killed. Xie Hui led his army back from Jingzhou to seize the throne.
Xie Hui's rebellion annoyed Liu Yilong. He sent Tan Daoji to lead a large army to quell the rebellion. Xie Hui learned that Tan Daoji had defected, and his subordinate troops were disheartened, and they soon collapsed. After Xie Hui was captured, he was brutally killed.
So far, all four ministers have been killed. Liu Yilong firmly controlled the power and had no worries.
A few years later, Liu Yilong was in poor health, and when he saw that Tan Daoji's sons were already high-ranking officials, he was worried that he would repeat Sima Yi's mistakes. So, Liu Yilong beheaded Tan Daoji on the charge of "rebellion".
Before his execution, Tan Daoji was full of remorse and scolded Liu Yilong for being ungrateful, but he didn't want to betray his colleagues and help him abuse him.
At this point, this bloody palace coup came to an end. The four ministers who took care of their lives all died, and Liu Yilong, Emperor Wen of the Liu Song Dynasty, sat firmly in the country. This ending is probably something that Liu Yu never expected before his death.
The four ministers could have assisted the young emperor and supported the great cause, but because of a momentary thought, they made a big mistake. Although they controlled the government for a while, they could not get out of the vicious circle of power struggle, and finally lifted a stone and shot themselves in the foot, and ended up dead without a corpse.
end
And although Liu Yilong got the throne, he also paid a great price. He killed his brother and killed his heroes, and trembled during his reign for fear of reprisals. How can such an emperor really enjoy the world in peace?