Preface
In ancient Chinese history, there are many breathtaking stories, and the legend of the first traitor of the Sui Dynasty is even more fascinating.
However, he not only killed the emperor and occupied the empress, but also left a wise saying in history known as "Famous Sayings for the Ages". Let's explore the intrigue and calculation behind the traitor, as well as the deep meaning behind this famous saying!
Abuse of power
Yu Wenhua and the famous Yuwen clan from the Xianbei clan. His ancestor's surname was Po Yetou and he was a Huns. Later, he changed his surname to Yuwen and gradually became a prominent family in the Northern Zhou Dynasty. Yu Wenhua's father, Yu Wenshu, was the Shangzhu State of the Northern Zhou Dynasty and was in a high position. After the fall of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, Yuwenshu took refuge in Emperor Wen of Sui Yang Jian and became one of the founding heroes of the Sui Dynasty.
Yu Wenhua grew up in such a prominent family background since he was a child. He was bright from a young age, but he was arrogant and lawless. Relying on his father's power, he often led his family to run rampant on the streets of Chang'an, and the people dared to be angry with him.
When Emperor Wen of Sui Emperor Yang Jian was in power, Yu Wenhua was already a palace guard. He often went in and out of the East Palace and had a close relationship with the crown prince Yang Guang. Yang Guang likes to make friends with the children of wealthy families in the DPRK and China, and is very fond of Yu culture. Yu Wenhua also took the opportunity to make a lot of money, and was repeatedly dismissed for corruption and bribery, but it was soon reactivated by Yang Guang.
Power leads to a loss of mind
After the death of Emperor Wen of Sui, Yang Guang succeeded to the throne as Emperor Yang of Sui. Yu Wenhua's power was even more inflated, he did whatever he wanted in the court, and Emperor Yang of Sui favored him even more. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty also promoted Yu Wenhua and became the servant Shaoqing, becoming a hot celebrity in the court.
Yu Wenhua and beside Emperor Yang of Sui, it can be said that he is calling for wind and rain, covering the sky with one hand. He relied on the emperor's favor and did whatever he wanted in the court, doing all kinds of evil. What he is best at is corruption and bribery, and preying on the people.
According to historical records, Yu Wenhua once took a fancy to a family's house during a patrol, and forcibly took it for himself. The owner of the house did not dare to resist, so he could only swallow his anger and move away.
In addition to corruption and bribery, Yu Wenhua often violates the law and discipline and acts recklessly. He once took his family to beat people on the streets of Chang'an, and even killed people and set fires, but he was never punished. Once, Yu Wenhuaji's family was molesting a woman from a good family on the street, but was stopped by the woman's husband.
Yu Wenhua was furious and ordered the family to beat the man to death. Afterwards, Yu Wenhua also wrote to Emperor Yang of Sui, claiming that the man intended to rebel, so he was killed. Emperor Yang of Sui listened to the slander, and instead of punishing Yu Wenhua, he rewarded him.
Ambitious
Yu Wenhua and his influence in the court are getting bigger and bigger, and even the emperor's relatives have to bow down to him. He made friends with many children of wealthy families, and formed a force to be reckoned with inside and outside the government and the opposition. Emperor Yang of Sui knew this, but he favored Xinyu Culture and was unwilling to punish him.
Yu is very cultural and ambitious, and has long wanted to replace him and become the emperor himself. Although Emperor Yang of Sui favored him, he was not a fool after all, and he was still wary of him. Yu Wenhua knew that if he wanted to seize the imperial power, he had to gather more forces and wait for the opportunity to move.
Yu Wenhua and high-ranking families, but he was treacherous and cunning, and gradually became the "big traitor" in the court by the side of Emperor Yang of Sui. His greed and wolf ambition eventually led to a huge rebellion. This rebellion completely buried the rule of the Sui Dynasty, and also made Yu Wenhua and this name nailed to the pillar of shame in history forever.
Conspiracy against the conspiracy
Yu Wenhua secretly stepped up the pace of rebellion, won over the important ministers of the court, and cultivated power for himself. He also secretly contacted foreign forces such as the Turks and Tuyuhun in an attempt to coordinate with the outside and launch a coup d'état.
According to historical records, Yu Wenhua once met with the Turkic Khan in private, promising to cede the six counties of Youzhou to the Turks if the Turks helped him seize the throne. Yu Wenhua also sent his henchmen to secretly contact the Tuyuhun chieftain in an attempt to win them over to join the rebel camp.
In the middle of the court, Yu Wenhua and also secretly wooed important ministers. He promised that if the rebellion was successful, he would make the heroes kings and reward them with fiefs and wealth. Yu Wenhua also secretly spread rumors, saying that Emperor Yang of Sui was tyrannical and unpopular, and intended to drive a wedge between the monarch and the minister.
Ignorant
At the beginning of the reign of Emperor Yang Guang of the Sui Dynasty, he was ambitious and made great efforts. He inherited the career of his father, Emperor Wen of Sui, and built many magnificent palaces and gardens. He also ordered the construction of the Grand Canal to connect the north and south water systems and promote economic development. However, these measures require a lot of manpower and material resources, which increases the burden on the people.
With the passage of time, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty gradually indulged in the sound of dogs and horses, and abandoned the government. He indulged in wine all day long, ignoring the government affairs, and almost all the government affairs in the DPRK and China were controlled by Yu Wenhua and his own hands. Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was also indulged in amusement, often taking his concubines on trips, and building luxurious palaces in various places, which were extravagant.
Emperor Yang of Sui's mediocrity gave Yu Culture and an opportunity to take advantage of. Yu Wenhua and the conspiracy of rebellion were finally discovered by Emperor Yang of Sui. Emperor Yang of Sui was furious and ordered Yu Wenhua to be arrested and brought to justice. However, Yu Wenhua was prepared early, he took his henchmen and generals to hide in Taiyuan City, and established Yang Hao, the nephew of Emperor Yang of Sui, as the emperor, and he himself served as the prime minister and controlled the government.
Civil war broke out
Yu Wenhua and supporting Yang Hao as the emperor were ostensibly to respect the emperor's orders, but in fact they were to create legitimacy for their own rebellion. In the name of Yang Hao, he wantonly recruited troops and stepped up preparations for rebellion. At the same time, he also sent people to spread rumors that Emperor Yang of Sui had been deposed and Yang Hao was the real emperor, trying to confuse the public.
Emperor Yang of Sui was furious when he learned of Yu Wenhua and supported Yang Hao as emperor. He ordered himself to lead an army against Yu Wenhua, vowing to break this traitor's body into pieces. However, Emperor Yang of Sui had already lost the hearts of the people at this time, and his army was demoralized and not strong in combat. In contrast, Yu Wenhua's army was highly morale and combat-ready.
Yu Wenhua led his army to meet Emperor Yang of Sui, and the two sides fought fiercely in the area of Liyang (now Jun County, Henan). After months of fierce fighting, Emperor Yang of Sui's army was finally defeated, and Emperor Yang of Sui himself was captured. Yu Wenhua ordered Emperor Yang of Sui to be escorted to Luoyang and imprisoned in the palace.
At this point, the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui came to an end, and Yu Wenhua took control of power. However, the world is not peaceful, and the four sides are divided, and the heroes rise together. Although Yu Wenhua controlled the Central Plains, his rule was not stable, and the forces opposing him still existed.
Tyrannical rule
After Yu Wenhua took control of power, he adopted a series of brutal measures in order to consolidate his rule. He first ordered the killing of Emperor Yang Guang of Sui to prevent future troubles. Subsequently, he ordered the massacre of Yang Guang's family and cronies, and killed many ministers loyal to Yang Guang.
Yu Wenhua also occupied Yang Guang's harem concubines, including the famous Empress Xiao. Empress Xiao is Yang Guang's favorite concubine, with a beautiful appearance and outstanding talent. Yu Wenhua occupied Empress Xiao and forced her to become his concubine. When Empress Xiao refused, Yu Wenhua imprisoned her and was humiliated.
Yu Wenji's brutality and debauchery aroused strong dissatisfaction among the people. Revolts broke out in many places against Ubunka's rule. The most famous of these was the uprising of the Wagang Army. The Wagang Army was an armed group of displaced people, and under the leadership of Li Mi, Dou Jiande and others, they rose up against the tyranny of Yu Wenhua.
The Road to Perdition
In order to suppress the uprising, Yu Wenhua sent the general Changsun Wuji to lead the army to conquer. However, the eldest grandson Wuji took the opportunity to rebel and took the army to Li Mi. Yu Wenhua was furious and personally led the army to the conquest.
Yu Wenhua and led the army to Liyang and fought a fierce battle with the Wagang army. The two sides have come and gone, and the battle is very fierce. Although Yu Wenhua and the strength were superior, the morale of the Wagang army was high and they fought bravely to kill the enemy. After several days of fierce fighting, U Wenhua's army was finally defeated, and Yu Wenhua and himself were captured in the chaos.
Li Mi captured Yu Wenhua and wanted to correct him on the spot. However, Yu Wenhua expressed his willingness to submit to Li Mi and serve Li Mi. Li Mi was suspicious, imprisoned Yu Wenhua and sent someone to guard him.
During his captivity, Yu Wenhua once said to the soldiers guarding him: "I could have been the emperor, but I know that what I have done has lost the hearts of the people, and no one in the world will support me." Although I am brave and resourceful, I have no virtue and no way, and I am not worthy to be an emperor. "
Yu Wenhua also said: "What I regret most in my life is to kill Emperor Yang of Sui and occupy Empress Xiao." In doing so, I not only lost people's hearts, but also lost their heavenly principles. I deserve death for my sins, and it is not a pity to die. "
Yu Wenhua's words were spread by the soldiers guarding them, causing a lot of discussion in the army. Some people think that Yu Wenhua is sincerely repentant and should spare his life. But more people believe that Yu culture and sin are extremely evil and unforgivable.
Eventually, Li Mi ordered Yu Wenhua to be executed. Before Yu Wenhua died, he said another sentence: "People are inherently dead, or heavier than Mount Tai, or lighter than Hongmao." This sentence later became a famous saying through the ages and was recited by countless people.
epilogue
Power is a double-edged sword, it can make people climb to the top, but it can also push people into the abyss. After Yu Wenhua and his original illustrious family, he fell due to greed and ambition, and finally caused a catastrophe and buried the Sui Dynasty.
His downfall became a bloody lesson, warning future generations: if a person loses his morality and people's hearts, no matter how talented and powerful he is, he will eventually be unable to escape the fate of destruction.