During the reign of Emperor Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiu of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he appointed his eldest son Liu Yi as the crown prince. However, one day 17 years later, Liu Yi suddenly asked Emperor Guangwu to "retreat" and took the initiative to resign as the crown prince. This is a rarity among ancient imperial families.
Why did a crown prince, who had been the prince of 17 years and had great power, take the initiative to give up the succession to the throne? What was the reason for his seemingly "confused" decision? What far-reaching impact would this decision have under the political situation at that time? Let us find out.
Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiuli is a great drama
It is said that Liu Xiu, the founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, experienced ups and downs when he was young, and once became a pawn of a peddler. Later, with extraordinary wisdom and perseverance, he finally fired the first shot of the restoration of the Han Dynasty in 208, passed all the way, and finally officially ascended the throne in Luoyang in 25 years, and was the "Guangwu Emperor".
The issue of establishing a reserve has always been a major problem during Liu Xiu's administration. It stands to reason that Liu Xiu's eldest son Liu Yi should inherit the throne, but Liu Xiu doesn't like his biological mother Guo Shengtong very much. The reason is that Guo Shengtong was forced to be accepted by Liu Xiu as his wife in order to form an alliance with Liu Yang, the king of Hebei, and there is a lack of sincere feelings between the two. What Liu Xiu really loves is Yin Lihua, a beauty from a humble background but with a peerless demeanor.
In 41 AD, under the pretext of Guo Shengtong's "stubbornness and resentment, Lu Huo's style", Liu Xiu ordered her to be dismissed from the position of queen and renamed "Empress Dowager". Yin Lihua was able to take the throne and became the new empress of Emperor Guangwu. The status of the queen has changed, and the position of the crown prince is naturally in jeopardy.
Liu Yi is an understanding person, knowing that his mother has fallen out of favor, and he is not in line with etiquette as a concubine. So he conveyed to the kings several times, asking Emperor Guangwu to allow him to "retreat" and abdicate as the vassal king. Liu Xiu was a little unbearable at first, but after two years of persistence, at the suggestion of lecturer Zhi Yun, Liu Xiu finally agreed to Liu Yi's request.
In this way, Liu Yi took the initiative to let Gui and withdrew from the position of prince. The most important political event of the Guangwu Dynasty has come to an end. Although this decision seems "confused", it has avoided bloodshed and conflict in the subsequent battle for storage positions, and it has contributed a lot.
Liu Yi took the initiative to let you go
Liu Yi took the initiative to resign as the crown prince, which is rare in the ancient imperial family. As the eldest son, it stands to reason that he should inherit the throne, but he unexpectedly "retreated". Exactly for what reason, let's go through them one by one.
First of all, Liu Yi has been deeply influenced by family education since he was a child, and his personality is kind-hearted. He understood that his mother Guo Shengtong had been removed from the position of queen, and it was really inappropriate for him to live in the position of concubine. So he took the initiative to ask for abdication, so as not to cause royal conflicts in the future.
Secondly, Liu Bi had high hopes for his younger brother Liu Zhuang and was convinced that he would be able to inherit the unification. It is said that Liu Zhuang has been brilliant since he was a child, and he knew the classics of "Spring and Autumn" when he was 10 years old. In 43, when Shan Chen, Fu Zhen and others rebelled, Liu Zhuang once made a suggestion, suggesting that "a small and slow down, let you escape", and finally make the Han army defeat the enemy. It can be seen that he is talented and well-deserved.
Moreover, Liu Yi also hopes to maintain the dignity of his mother Guo Shengtong by taking the initiative to let you go. Although she has been deposed, after all, she was once the empress of Emperor Guangwu. If Liu Yi insists on not abdicating, it will inevitably lead to royal fighting in the future, which will hurt Guo Shengtong's dignity too much.
Therefore, out of the maintenance of the family, the trust of his younger brother, and the filial piety to his mother, Liu Yi made this seemingly "confused" decision. He would rather abdicate on his own initiative than cause royal conflicts and disputes in the future.
Liu Yi's move is really a rare magnanimity in the imperial family throughout the ages. He gave up his power and interests, but in exchange for family harmony and avoided bloodshed and conflict, which can be described as immeasurable merit.
Emperor Guangwu's gratitude and reward
Liu Yi took the initiative to make Gui's move deeply gratified Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu. After all, if Liu Yi insists on not abdicating, it will inevitably lead to royal infighting, and may even lead to bloody conflicts. And his magnanimity, avoiding all this, preserved the peace of the royal family.
Emperor Guangwu was naturally grateful for this. In order to express his gratitude, he gave Liu Yi and his maternal relatives extremely high courtesy and generous rewards.
First of all, for Liu Yi himself, Emperor Guangwu gave preferential treatment, increased the closure of the country, and the number of food towns reached 29 counties. And give the tiger warriors, cavalry honor guards, with wooden bells and chimes to set up ceremonial music, similar to the emperor. It can be said that he is a marquis and pays homage to the prime minister, and the treatment is extremely good.
Secondly, for Liu Yi's mother Guo Shengtong, although she has been removed from the position of queen, Emperor Guangwu still gave a very high courtesy. He respected Guo Shengtong as the "Empress Dowager" and nicknamed "Empress Guangwu", which shows his respect for her.
Moreover, Emperor Guangwu also rewarded Guo Shengtong's younger brothers Guo Jing, Guo Jing, Guo Kuang and other relatives. Guo Kuang was named the Marquis of the Great Powers and became the Marquis of the Temper Dynasty; Guo was actually made a meritorious service in the conquest of the Imperial Commander of the Imperial Palace, and was named the Marquis of Xinyun and became the Minister of the East China Sea; Guo Kuang was the Marquis of Fagan and the official was the doctor of Taizhong. Even Guo's son-in-law, Nanyang Chen Mao, was named Nanhou. It can be seen that Emperor Guangwu has a generous meaning to the Guo family.
Finally, at the major ceremony of Mount Tai's enshrinement, although Emperor Guangwu did not bring the new crown prince Liu Zhuang, he only brought Liu Yi. It can be seen that he has a special respect for this kind-hearted eldest son.
Through a series of generous courtesies and generous rewards, Emperor Guangwu fully expressed his gratitude to Liu Yi for taking the initiative to let you go. This kind of warmth that is rare in the imperial family is really rare.
Liu Zhuang's succession to the throne and his repayment to Liu Yi
In 57 AD, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu died at the age of 62. According to the arrangement during his lifetime, his second son Liu Zhuang succeeded to the throne as Emperor Ming of the Han Dynasty.
Liu Zhuang has been highly regarded by his father since he was a child. In 43, when Shan Chen, Fu Zhen and others rebelled, Liu Zhuang suggested that "Xiao Tingzhi was slow and let him escape", so that the Han army finally won, which shows his military talent. In the same year, Liu Xiu made Liu Zhuang the crown prince.
After ascending the throne, Liu Zhuang was naturally grateful to his brother Liu Yi for taking the initiative to let you go. In order to repay Liu Yi's kindness, he gave his brother and his maternal relatives extremely high courtesy.
First of all, for Liu Yi himself, Liu Zhuang respected him as "Shizu" and nicknamed him "Emperor Guangwu". This nickname was supposed to be given to Liu Yi's mother Guo Shengtong, but Liu Zhuang specially gave it to Liu Yi, which shows his respect for his brother.
Secondly, Liu Zhuang also gave Guo Shengtong a very high courtesy. Although she has been deposed as the empress dowager, Liu Zhuang still respects her as the "Empress Guangwu" to show respect for the former empress.
Moreover, Liu Zhuang also gave great favor to the Guo family. Guo Kuang was named the Marquis of the Great Powers and became the Marquis of the Temper Dynasty; Guo was actually made a meritorious service in the conquest of the Imperial Commander of the Imperial Palace, and was named the Marquis of Xinyun and became the Minister of the East China Sea; Guo Kuang was the Marquis of Fagan and the official was the doctor of Taizhong. Even Guo's son-in-law, Nanyang Chen Mao, was named Nanhou. It can be seen that Liu Zhuang's generous meaning to the Guo family is the same as that of his father Liu Xiu.
Finally, at the major ceremony of Mount Tai's enshrinement of Zen, although Liu Zhuang did not bring his son, he only brought Liu Yi. This gift of public opinion is enough to see Liu Zhuang's respect for his brother.
Through a series of generous courtesies, Liu Zhuang fully expressed his gratitude to Liu Yi for taking the initiative to give you up, as well as his respect for Guo's family. This kind of warmth that is rare in the imperial family is really rare.
Liu Yi took the initiative to let Gui go, and Liu Zhuang then succeeded to the throne, and the battle for the storage position seemed to be calmed down, but in fact it had a far-reaching impact.
First of all, it avoided imperial strife and maintained political stability in the early Eastern Han Dynasty. If Liu Yi insists on not abdicating, it will inevitably lead to bloody conflicts within the imperial family. And his magnanimity, avoiding all this, created a good political environment for the start of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
Second, it sets a new paradigm for storage inheritance. In ancient times, it was an unwritten rule that the throne of the prince was often inherited by the eldest son. However, Liu Yi took the initiative to let Gui break this tradition and open up new possibilities for the inheritance of storage positions. From then on, the position of prince was no longer the preserve of the eldest son, but could be flexibly arranged according to the specific situation.
Moreover, it consolidated the inheritance of imperial power in the Liu lineage. If Liu Yi insists on not abdicating, it will inevitably lead to infighting among the royal family in the future, and may even lead to a change of dynasty. And his initiative to make the noble ensured the stable inheritance of imperial power in the Liu family, laying the foundation for the long-term stability of the Eastern Han Dynasty.
In addition, Liu Bi's initiative to let you go has also set an example for future generations. He gave up his power and interests, but in exchange for family harmony and avoided bloodshed and conflict, which can be described as immeasurable merit. This magnanimous spirit deserves to be remembered and inherited forever by future generations.
Finally, Liu Yi and Liu Zhuang's generous courtesy to the Guo family also reflects the enlightened politics of the early Eastern Han Dynasty. They did not retaliate against Guo Shengtong for being deposed, but gave them extremely high courtesy, which shows that the politics of the early Eastern Han Dynasty were quite enlightened and tolerant.
In short, Liu Yi's seemingly "confused" decision to take the initiative to let Gui actually have a far-reaching impact, creating a good political environment for the start of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and also setting a model for future generations, which is worth remembering forever.