Summary:
In the long history of ancient China, the period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties was like a magnificent picture, with frequent regime changes and heroes. However, in this period of history, the Northern Qi Dynasty was particularly glaring because of the debauchery and brutality of its rulers. In that turbulent era, power and desire were intertwined, and the dark side of human nature was infinitely magnified. As the saying goes, "Tiger poison does not eat children", but the rulers of the Northern Qi Dynasty lost even basic humanity. Their actions are outrageous, and one begs the question: Are these rulers human or beast?
Body:
The Northern Qi Dynasty, a regime dubbed the "Dynasty of Beasts" by later generations, lasted only 27 years, but left behind countless shocking atrocities. Gao Huan grasped the actual political power,
And his second son, Gao Yang, after inheriting his father's power, behaved even more extremely. Emperor Wenxuan Gao Yang, the founding emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty, his actions were simply beyond human imagination. Not only did he insult and kill his own mother-in-law, but he also whipped his own mother.
His cruelty and madness make people shudder. What's even more unbelievable is that after Gao Yang was drunk, he actually wandered around the palace and the streets naked, completely disregarding his identity and dignity.
Gao Yang's atrocities are much more than that. Because Concubine Xue had an affair with one of his uncles, he killed her after drinking and hid her head in his arms. At a banquet, he suddenly threw his head on the table, frightening the officials present. What's even more outrageous is that Gao Yang also dismembered Xue Concubine's body and made a pipa from her thigh bone, which is simply unbelievable.
Gao Yang's death did not end the tyranny of Northern Qi. His successor Gao Yin and let his younger brother Gao Yan assist him, and then Gao Yan had a little power and usurped the throne himself as the emperor with a strategy, and killed Gao Yin the next time, although Gao Yan, who was only seventeen years old at the time, ascended to the throne through usurpation, but during his reign, with the purpose of invigorating his spirit and ruling Qingming, he governed the country well and made remarkable achievements.
He pursued a policy of political clarity and reduced the tax burden of the people, but regrettably, he died of illness after only two years of his reign. Then he passed the throne to his younger brother Gao Zhan in order not to repeat his son's mistakes, and earnestly advised him not to repeat his mistakes and not to harm his nephew. However, Gao Zhan has a dissolute temperament and unclear ambitions, and in the end he still chooses the cruel methods of treating his nephew Gao Bainian.
Gao Zhan, as the emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty, was also a mediocre and incompetent monarch who indulged in pleasure. During his reign, the country was troubled internally and externally, and Northern Qi was in danger. After only four years in power, in order to pursue more pleasures, he chose to pass the throne to the crown prince Cushman Williamsman, and called himself the emperor, but eventually died at the age of 32 due to his addiction to wine.
Then the crown prince Gao Wei succeeded to the throne, and during Gao Wei's reign, he did not save the decline of the Northern Qi family, but indulged in sound, causing the country to fall into a more dangerous situation. Gao Wei, on the other hand, called himself the "Son of Heaven", continued to alienate himself from the government and government, indulged in wine, continued his father's indulgent style, and finally accelerated the demise of the Northern Qi Dynasty.
The absurd life of the emperors of the Northern Qi Dynasty can be described as innumerable, with frequent changes of imperial thrones, only two generations from Gao Yang to Gao Wei, and the corruption of this character has been passed down from generation to generation. They not only intermarried with relatives, but also committed adultery between brothers and sisters, which is a shocking damage to the stubborn destruction of human morality. Such various acts made the fate of the Northern Qi doomed to the end and became an embarrassing history. Cushman & Wakefield and others also behaved in extreme ways and were extravagant. In order to stabilize the throne, Gao Zhan did not hesitate to kill his half-brothers and nephews, even the widowed sisters-in-law, and included them in the harem. And Gao Wei ignored the government and politics, favored Feng Xiaolian, and even killed his right-hand men Hu Luguang and Gao Changgong. The actions of these rulers are even more cruel than beasts.
The tyranny of the Northern Qi eventually led to its demise. Under the attack of Emperor Wu of Zhou, Yuwen Yong, this "beast dynasty" finally came to an end. When the Zhou army invaded Yecheng, those rulers who were once high and invincible fled one after another, and their cruelty and debauchery eventually ended in death and the destruction of the country.
Epilogue:
Looking back at the dark history of the Northern Qi Dynasty, we can't help but sigh at the complexity and changeability of human nature. In that turbulent era, the interweaving of power and desire allowed the dark side of human nature to be infinitely magnified. However, history is always fair, and those tyrannical rulers are finally punished as they deserve. The demise of the Northern Qi Dynasty was not only the end of a regime, but also the end of an era. It teaches us that no matter how tempting power is and how strong the desire is, we must not forget our own nature and bottom line.
Although the history of the Northern Qi Dynasty has passed, the lessons it has left us are profound. We should learn from this lesson, cherish the time of peace and stability, stick to the moral bottom line, and pursue a life of truth, goodness and beauty. Only in this way can we avoid repeating the mistakes of the Northern Qi Dynasty and create a better future.