Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, was a generation of heroes, but died young after unifying the Six Kingdoms and establishing the Han Empire. When he was dying, he entrusted his young son Liu Ying to several confidant ministers, hoping that they could assist the young new monarch and maintain the hard-won country. However, 15 years later, a bloody storm swept through Chang'an City. It is shocking that the minister of Tuogu, who was once trusted by Liu Bang, actually ordered the slaughter of Liu Bang's grandson. What kind of conspiracy and struggle are hidden behind all this? Did Liu Bang's purge of meritorious heroes during his lifetime lay the groundwork for this tragedy? Who can have the last laugh in the game of power? Let us walk into this confusing history together and uncover those unknown truths.
Liu Bang's untimely death and the arrangement of orphans
Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, spent his life in the unification of the six countries and the establishment of the Han Dynasty. However, when he was successful, he was plagued by illness and pain, and died young. When Liu Bang died, he was only 48 years old and reigned for only 7 years.
According to historical records, Liu Bang often lamented in his later years that "although the world is fixed, the princes are strong and difficult to control." He knew that once he died, the young prince Liu Ying would be difficult to control the situation. In order to ensure the stability of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang made an important decision when he was dying-entrusting his young son to several confidant ministers, hoping that they could assist the new monarch and jointly protect the hard-won world.
The ministers chosen by Liu Bang are all confidants who have followed him for many years. Among them, the most trusted by Liu Bang is Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jiang. Zhou Bo is Liu Bang's old subordinate, who once accompanied Liu Bang to fight on the battlefield and made great achievements. Liu Bang once commented on Zhou Bo's "brave champion of the three armies and outwitting the generals", which shows the recognition of his ability. In addition to Zhou Bo, Guan Ying, Chen Ping, Jianghou and others are also Liu Bang's confidants.
In Liu Bang's arrangement to support orphans, these ministers performed their own duties. Zhou Bo was appointed as a lieutenant and was responsible for assisting the prince in governing the government, Guan Ying was appointed as prime minister and was in charge of the imperial government, and Chen Ping was appointed as the imperial historian and was responsible for supervising the hundred officials. Liu Bang handed over the heavy responsibility to these henchmen, hoping that they could work together to assist the young prince and maintain the national honor of the Han Dynasty.
However, the sky is unpredictable. Although Liu Bang has high hopes for these ministers, it is unknown whether they will be able to live up to their trust. Especially in the face of the temptation of power and profit, the weakness of human nature is often easily exposed. Although Liu Bang has a lot of trust in these ministers, he probably also has a clear understanding of the complexity of human nature and the cruelty of political struggle.
In fact, before Liu Bang's death, he was worried about the power of the heroes. He knew very well that these heroes who had followed him to fight the world were all eloquent people, and once they had their own power, they could become a threat to the imperial power. In order to prevent this from happening, Liu Bang took many precautions against the heroes when he was in power, and even did not hesitate to kill them to weaken their power.
Liu Bang's killing of Han Xin, Peng Yue and other meritorious heroes, although it seemed to be unrighteous at the time, was a necessary political means from the perspective of consolidating imperial power. Liu Bang knew that only by controlling the power of the heroes within a certain range could the stability of the imperial power be ensured. His purge of the heroes was, to a certain extent, also to create a relatively stable political environment for the crown prince Liu Ying.
However, the wheels of history are rolling forward, and whether Liu Bang's layout can really achieve the effect he expects will have to withstand the test of time. In the 15 years since Liu Bang's death, the situation inside and outside the court has changed, and the undercurrent of Game of Thrones has surged. Will the ministers who were once trusted by Liu Bang be able to fulfill their duties, assist the young crown prince, and safeguard the national honor of the Han Dynasty? Or will they make the choice of betraying the righteousness of the monarch and ministers under the temptation of power? All these will leave an indelible mark in the long river of history.
Empress Lü's usurpation of power and assassination plans
After the death of Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han Dynasty, his wife Lü Pheasant, as the empress dowager, quickly took control of the imperial power. Empress Lü was born in the Lü family, which was famous for manufacturing cold weapons during the Warring States Period, and it can be said that it has deep roots. Empress Lu herself is even more shrewd and capable, and is well versed in the art of power and scheming. When Liu Bang was alive, she had already begun to secretly cultivate her own power, win over the ministers of the DPRK and China, and prepare for the seizure of power in the future.
After Liu Bang's death, Empress Lü immediately took action to consolidate his position. She first took control of Liu Bang's funeral and used the opportunity to establish her authority. Under the arrangement of Empress Lü, Liu Bang's coffin was parked in Weiyang Palace, and Empress Lü actually took all the important affairs of the court and politics into his own hands in the name of guarding the spirit. She frequently summoned her ministers to adjust the government's policies, and would not obey her ministers, or depose them, or transfer them from afar. In just a few months, the DPRK and China have become the world of Empress Lu.
In order to further consolidate power, Empress Lü launched a purge of potential threats. There are two main targets for her: one is Liu Bang's other concubines, and the other is the alien power in the Liu clan. At the behest of Empress Lu, the CRRC government ordered Zhao Gao to secretly launch an operation and assassinated Liu Bang's favored Mrs. Qi and Mrs. Wang. These two ladies are not only favored by Liu Bang, but their respective families are also quite powerful in the court, and they are the thorn in the side of Empress Lu. Through this move, Empress Lu not only eliminated the competitors in her harem, but also sent a strong signal to the Liu clan and courtiers.
In addition to the harem, Empress Lu also suppressed the dissident forces in the Liu clan. As the empress dowager, she successively deposed the prestige princes such as Liu Chang, the king of Huainan, and Liu Wu, the king of Liang, and weakened their power. At the same time, Empress Lü also secretly sent people to spread rumors in various places, saying that these princes had the intention of rebelling and intending to drive a wedge between them and the imperial court. Under the skillful operation of Empress Lu, the contradictions within the Liu clan gradually intensified, forming a situation of mutual containment.
Although Empress Lu's actions temporarily stabilized her rule, they also laid far-reaching roots. Her brutal suppression of Liu Bang's concubines and clan members intensified political contradictions and made more people dissatisfied with her dictatorship. In particular, Empress Lu's treatment of Mrs. Qi and Mrs. Wang is even more outrageous. According to historical records, Empress Lü not only sent people to assassinate them, but also dismembered their bodies and put them into wine vasks as an example. This kind of cruel act aroused the shock and indignation of the government and the opposition at that time.
Empress Lu's suppression of the Liu clan was ostensibly to consolidate imperial power, but in fact it was paving the way for her own family interests. While purging dissidents, Empress Lü vigorously promoted her cronies, including her nephew Lü Lu and nephew Zhang Ao. With the support of Empress Lü, the power of the Lü family continued to grow and gradually became an important force in the court. This kind of nepotism not only exacerbated the contradictions within the imperial court, but also laid the groundwork for future political turmoil.
Empress Lü's thirst for power is also reflected in her manipulation of the issue of succession to the throne. At the time of Liu Bang's death, his eldest son, Liu Ying, was only 14 years old and could not govern independently. Empress Lu took advantage of this and skillfully pushed Liu Ying to the throne, and she listened to the government as the empress dowager. Under Empress Lü's control, Liu Ying became a nominal emperor, but in reality had no real power. Empress Lu also took advantage of Liu Ying's youth many times to be angry in the court to deter the ministers. Although this practice temporarily consolidated the authority of Empress Lü, it also further exacerbated the contradictions within the imperial family.
In order to maintain his rule, Empress Lü also adopted a series of economic and cultural measures. She ordered tax reductions and reassuring the people, and at the same time built a large construction project and built palaces to show the power of the country. In terms of culture, Empress Lü advocated Confucianism and reused Confucianism as a way to win people's hearts and shape the legitimacy of his rule. However, these superficial measures could not hide the brutal nature of Empress Lü's rule.
As time passed, Empress Lü's authoritarian rule caused more and more discontent. In the Liu clan, many people are secretly brewing plans to resist. In the DPRK, there are also many ministers who have complained about Empress Lu's approach. Although they did not dare to openly oppose it for the time being, their dissatisfaction with Empress Lu was already accumulating. By all indications, a political storm is brewing.
Although Empress Lü consolidated her rule through a series of means, her practices also laid far-reaching roots. Her brutal suppression of the Liu clan and dissident forces intensified political contradictions and laid the groundwork for future turmoil. And her partiality to the interests of the Lu family has exacerbated the contradictions within the imperial court. This kind of domination, based on violence and oppression, is doomed to be unsustainable.
The story of Empress Lu is an allegory about the desire for power. It tells us that if a regime is maintained only by violence and conspiracy, even if it succeeds temporarily, it will eventually doom. The fall of Empress Lü is not only the result of her personal tragedy, but also a historical portrayal of the inevitable decline of autocratic rule. This story, for us today, still has profound implications.
The heroes fought back and borrowed knives to kill
The outbreak of the Zhulu Rebellion marked a major turning point in the political landscape of the Han Dynasty. After Empress Lu died, those heroes who had been suppressed and rejected by her finally waited for the opportunity to make a comeback. They are determined to take advantage of this rare opportunity to regain their power and position.
Among these heroes, Cao Shen's sons Cao Yuan, Zhou Bo, and Chen Pingren are the most active and key players. They know that to turn things around, it's not enough to do it alone. Therefore, they decided to join forces and work together against the Lu clan led by Lu Lu.
In order to achieve their goal, these heroes adopted an extremely ingenious strategy - killing people with knives. They did not directly confront the Lü clan, but used the Liu clan and other forces dissatisfied with Lü's rule to provoke a huge political storm.
The heroes first attacked the court, and they demanded a thorough investigation of all kinds of crimes during the reign of Empress Lü on the grounds of the Lü family's dictatorship and the chaos of the dynasty. This move quickly received the response and support of the conservative faction led by the Liu clan. Inside and outside the court, for a while, the voices of condemnation of the Lu family came and went, and people were panicked.
Although the Lui Group realized the seriousness of the situation, it was too late. The layout of the heroes in the court has begun to bear fruit, and the supporters of the Lu clan began to defect one after another, turning to support the faction of the heroes. Although Lu Lu and others tried to take measures to stabilize the situation, they had little success.
In addition to the game in the court, the heroes also took a series of military actions to further attack the power of the Lu group. They sent elite troops and quickly took control of the capital's key points, cutting off the Lü clan's connection with the outside world. At the same time, they also secretly contacted the local Haoqiang to enlist their support in order to form an encirclement of the Lu clan.
Under the internal and external attacks, the power of the Lu group quickly collapsed. Lu Lu and other major leaders were arrested after taking the lead, and the rest of the party were also arrested. In just a few days, this once powerful political group collapsed.
Although the actions of the heroes are under the banner of clearing the side of the Liu clan, they are essentially clearing the obstacles for their own power. By killing the Lu family, they not only eliminated their political enemies, but also showed the world their political strength. However, the coup d'état also laid hidden dangers for them. After all, what they did was beyond the scope of assisting the new monarch, and was more like an act of usurpation.
After the fall of the Lü clan, the heroes began to rearrange the government. On the one hand, they supported Liu Heng as the new monarch to stabilize people's hearts, and on the other hand, they manipulated behind the scenes, placing their henchmen in various key departments to consolidate their power. On the surface, the Han Dynasty ushered in a peaceful and prosperous era again, but in reality, it was just the calm before the storm.
The internal contradictions of the heroes began to gradually emerge after the fall of the Lu clan. The alliance they formed in the coup quickly fell apart in the face of interests. Cao Ji, Zhou Bo, and Chen Ping all had their own political ambitions, and their competition between the DPRK and China became increasingly fierce.
At the same time, the new emperor Liu Heng also began to gradually show his political talents. Although he was young, he was well versed in the art of power schemes. In the internal strife among the heroes, he adopted a strategy of "divide and rule", skillfully balancing the forces of all parties and steadily increasing his authority.
With the passage of time, the influence of the heroes gradually declined, and Liu Heng's position became more and more stable. Through a series of political reforms and military campaigns, he reshaped the political landscape of the Han Dynasty and raised imperial power to unprecedented heights.
Although the heroes won the victory in the Zhulu Rebellion, their actions laid the groundwork for future political struggles. Although their practice of killing people with knives temporarily achieved their goal, it violated the righteousness of the monarch and the ministers, and laid the root of their own destruction.
Although Liu Bang's purge of heroes during his lifetime seemed biased at the time, it was a political vision from the perspective of big history. He knew that if the power of the heroes was not controlled, they would eventually become a threat to the imperial power. Therefore, he took a series of measures to weaken the power of the heroes and laid the foundation for the long-term peace and stability of the Han Dynasty.
After the Zhulu Rebellion, although the Han Dynasty temporarily ushered in peace, it was only the calm before the storm. Under Liu Heng's governance, the Han Dynasty entered a new historical stage. And those heroes who once dominated the world have gradually faded out of the stage of history and become the footnotes of the times.
Purge the Liu bloodline and establish a new order
The pacification of the Zhulu Rebellion marked a major turning point in the political landscape of the Han Dynasty. The once dominant Lu clique collapsed in this bloody political purge. And those heroes who had been suppressed under the rule of Empress Lu regained the dominant power of the government. However, they did not stop there and began to embark on a larger restructuring of power.
In the eyes of the heroes, in order to completely consolidate their rule, it is far from enough to simply eradicate the Lu clan. They know that only when all potential threats are eliminated can they be truly worry-free. Among these potential threats, Liu Ying's descendants are undoubtedly the biggest hidden danger. As Liu Bang's descendants, they have the blood of the royal family in their veins, which makes them nominally have the right to inherit the throne in legitimacy.
In order to completely cut off this threat, the heroes began a great purge of the Liu bloodline. In the name of exterminating the remnants of the Lu clan, they launched a frenzied persecution of Liu Ying's sons. Some of these young princes were brutally killed, some were exiled to the frontier, and some were imprisoned for life. Their crimes are only because of their identity - Liu Bang's descendants.
In this bloody purge, the most shocking thing is the disposal of Liu Ying's eldest son, Liu You. Liu Youben was Liu Ying's eldest son, and according to the inheritance law of the Han Dynasty, he should be the first heir to the throne. However, at the behest of the heroes, Liu You was accused of being the illegitimate son of the Lu family, not Liu Ying's own son. Although there was no conclusive evidence for this accusation, it became an excellent excuse for the heroes to get rid of Liu You in the political environment at the time.
Liu You's tragic experience represents, to a certain extent, the fate of the entire Liu clan in this purge. As Liu Bang's descendants, they deserve to be honored and protected, but in the game of power, they are victimized. Their bloodline has become a stepping stone for heroes to consolidate their power.
However, the wheels of history never turn according to the will of individuals. Just when the heroes were complacent about their victory, an unexpected change quietly happened. The newly enthroned emperor Liu Heng began to show extraordinary political talent. Instead of becoming a puppet emperor at the mercy of others, as his heroes had hoped, he began a series of political reforms to reshape the power structure of the Han dynasty.
Under Liu Heng's rule, the Han Dynasty entered a new era. Through a series of decrees, he weakened the power of the heroes and strengthened the centralization of power. In military affairs, he reused meritocracy and rectified military discipline, which made the military strength of the Han Dynasty unprecedentedly improved. Economically, he reduced taxes and encouraged agricultural production, which led to rapid social and economic recovery and development.
These measures of Liu Heng not only consolidated the rule of the Han Dynasty, but also laid a solid foundation for the prosperity of the Han Dynasty in the future. Under his rule, the Han Dynasty was on its way to an unprecedented period of prosperity. And those heroes who once dominated the world gradually faded out of the stage of history. Although they won the coup d'état, they did not really control the direction of history.
Looking back on Liu Bang's purge of heroes during his lifetime, we may be able to find some enlightenment. Although Liu Bang was ruthless to the heroes, his purpose was to maintain the long-term peace and stability of the country. He knew that if the power of the heroes was not controlled, they would eventually become a threat to the imperial power. Therefore, he took a series of measures to weaken the power of the heroes and lay the foundation for the stability of the Han Dynasty.
From this point of view, Liu Bang's approach, although cruel, has its political necessity. His foresight and wisdom provided a guarantee for the long-term stability of the Han Dynasty to a certain extent. And the purge of the Liu bloodline by the heroes after the Zhulu Rebellion, although it temporarily consolidated their power, but in the long run, it laid the root of the curse.
History teaches us that any rule based on blood and violence will not last. True political wisdom lies in achieving long-term peace and stability in the country through the building of institutions and the cultivation of culture. And those short-sighted schemes, although they may succeed temporarily, will eventually be eliminated by history.