Game of Thrones: Intrigue and reversal sparked by a forbidden love
In that cloudy era, imperial power seemed to be the source of all power. Rulers control the lifeblood of the country, and any threat to them can be costly. In such an environment, Liu Ziye, the young emperor of the Northern Wei Dynasty, showed a desire for power that did not match his age. Not only did he get rid of the control of his guardian and take control of the power alone, but he also triggered a shocking forbidden love.
Power opens the door to the taboo
In 465 AD, 15-year-old Liu Ziye inherited the throne. In ancient times, the hereditary power of the emperor was often accompanied by a strong personality and an arbitrary style of rule. And Liu Ziye is surprisingly precocious at this point. Since he was a child, he showed an extreme thirst for power, and after ascending the throne, he was even harsh on his ministers, even showing no mercy to his relatives.
In the court, Liu Ziye, the young emperor, showed a terrifying side. He had a lot of thoughts about his aunt Liu Yingmei, trying to make her his concubine. According to the ethics of feudal society, this kind of transgressive behavior between aunts and nephews is undoubtedly a major moral anomie.
Faced with her nephew's request, Liu Yingmei was resolutely opposed at first. Not only is she from a famous family and noble character, but she is also married to her cousin He Mai, and the marriage relationship between the two should be inviolable. However, under the oppression of the imperial power, her resistance seemed powerless, and in the end she could only obey Liu Ziye's will.
In this way, Liu Yingmei was forced to separate from her husband and became a golden phoenix in a cage. Behind the life of worship, her inner world is tormented. Although he has gained glory and wealth, it is a forbidden love that he is forced to accept.
An unbeatable tyranny
Liu Ziye's thirst for power was reflected as early as the beginning of his accession to the throne. In his opinion, as an emperor, he should be a supreme being, and the government and the opposition must submit to his will. This extreme view of power made him decisive and cruel in handling government affairs, and he did not hesitate to use force to suppress dissent.
Interestingly, Liu Ziye took a completely different attitude towards Liu Yingmei. In his eyes, Liu Yingmei is not only outstanding, but also a resourceful woman. Perhaps because of this, he finally decided to keep her by his side as an accomplice and enabler of his tyrannical rule.
Liu Yingmei is undoubtedly a shrewd and capable woman. After being forced to marry into the palace, she gradually adapted to a new way of life and began to actively intervene in the political struggles in the palace. She not only influenced Liu Ziye's decision-making, but also took the initiative to encourage him to make some wrong decisions at some moments. For example, her ex-husband He Mai was punished.
The motivations behind this behavior are extremely complex. On the one hand, Liu Yingmei needs to maintain her position in the palace; On the other hand, perhaps she also harbors anger and revenge for being forced to marry into the palace. In any case, she seems to have ceased to be the gentle and frugal lady who has begun to participate in the brutal power play.
The price of the Game of Thrones
During the short and turbulent reign, Liu Ziye's tyrannical behavior finally triggered a counterattack by the government and the opposition. In 472 AD, he was killed in a coup d'état that took place in the palace. And behind this coup d'état, there may also be some connection with Liu Yingmei.
Game of Thrones has always been like that. When one side wins, the old alliance will inevitably collapse and reorganize. After Liu Ziye's death, Liu Yingmei continued to maintain the status of queen for a time. But soon, she was forced to withdraw from the palace and live an obscure old age.
The story of Liu Ziye and Liu Yingmei reflects the brutal side of the power game. Treachery again and again, life threats again and again, this is the price paid by the aunt and nephew. They just wanted to enjoy the taste of power to the fullest, but in the end they were ruined by it.
It also leads us to reflect on the nature of power: power is a double-edged sword, it can bring strength and power, but it is also full of temptations and dangers. If we can't restrain our thirst for power, it's easy to go beyond the norm and eventually destroy our future.
When we look back at history, we not only appreciate the great storyline, but more importantly, learn the lessons from it. Liu Ziye's tyranny and Liu Yingmei's reversal once again demonstrate the terrible price that can be paid for the abuse of power. Therefore, whether it is an individual or a state, while pursuing power, it must have correct values and moral bottom line as the yardstick. Only in this way will we be able to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.
Overall, this forbidden love affair is not only shocking, but also a thought-provoking mirror that deserves to be chewed on over and over again. It vividly shows how power confuses and demagogues, how it gradually breaks down moral defenses, and finally drags the parties into the abyss from which they will never recover. We learn from this lesson so that history does not repeat itself and that our society will never be at peace.