Everyone knows that assassinating the emperor is an extremely dangerous thing to do, but how dangerous is it? Why did any warrior in history dare to do this? And why are there fewer and fewer assassinations of emperors? But before we get into these questions, let's ask a more basic question: What is a real "assassination"?
Definition of assassination: assassination and killing, deceptive assassination
When it comes to the term "assassination", we have to first clarify its definition. According to the Chronicles of the Assassins, assassination refers to "assassination and killing, using stratagems to deceive others, and secretly killing people with weapons". The phrase "secretly killing" refers to "killing people when they are not prepared". It can be seen from this that there are two elements that must be present in order to make an assassination: one is deception, and the other is the means of assassination.
If it's just a blatant killing, it doesn't count as an assassination. For example, if you kill people in public with a weapon, you will kill the king; If it is a collective armed uprising, it is a rebellion. Although these two cases are also harming the monarch, their means are not secretive, and they are different from the meaning of assassination.
On the other hand, the famous assassins recorded in the history books can be regarded as real assassinations.
For example, Jing Ke during the Warring States Period, he once disguised himself as a "disabled person", infiltrated the Qin Palace, and stabbed his sword at the King of Qin when he was unprepared. Although he failed to harm the King of Qin in the end, his methods can be called a classic assassination case. Another example is Yu Rang in the late Eastern Han Dynasty, he pretended to swallow charcoal and self-harm in order to get close to Cao Cao, making people think that he was seriously ill, so as to gradually win Cao Cao's trust, but unfortunately he failed in the end.
Looking at the later Nie Zheng, this person tried his best to study the piano for many years, just to enter the court to serve the emperor and wait for the opportunity. Although his actions were staggering, his determination to endure hardships just to complete the assassination was a true portrayal of the Assassin.
Overall, the assassination requires a great deal of resourcefulness and patience, and requires the greatest trick to deceive the opponent's guards, and to stab them suddenly when they are lax. This practice is undoubtedly dangerous, but in the eyes of the ancients, it is precisely this courage to risk one's life that makes the assassination industry tainted with a certain heroism.
The emperor's security is extremely tight
The monarch is divinely endowed, the emperor is the son of heaven, and his status is supreme. For this reason, successive dynasties have regarded the safety and protection of the emperor as a top priority and take precautions.
First of all, there were tens of thousands of guards and forbidden troops around the emperor, known as "at the feet of the Son of Heaven". These guards are served by strong martial artists, and they are closely protected day and night, even if the emperor takes a break, they are also guarded by special personnel. One more layer is the army responsible for the guards of the imperial city and the palace walls. For example, during the Qing Dynasty, there was a "Eight Banners" forbidden army with tens of thousands of people to guard it. They patrolled along the walls and guarded the palace, making it inaccessible to outsiders.
In addition to the manpower, the design and layout of the palace itself is also extremely exquisite. The Forbidden City in the Jingshi City covers an area of about 72 hectares, the walls are about 10 meters high and thick, surrounded on all sides, and there are thousands of doors inside and out, which are intricately intertwined. Even if you can enter the Forbidden City, it will be difficult to find where the emperor is.
What's more, the emperor's whereabouts have always been secretive. As early as the Sui and Tang dynasties, there was a strict "avoidance" system in the palace, and only a few cronies knew the emperor's whereabouts, and the rest of the palace people only needed to serve blindly. On weekdays, when the upper and lower courts are in full swing, all the areas along the way will be completely cordoned off for safety.
In addition to these, there are special measures to prevent assassinations. It is reported that when the emperor of the Ming Dynasty, Zhu Qiyu, always brought a bronze mirror to protect himself from sneak attacks. For example, every time the palace has a grand ceremony, the search is extremely strict, whether it is a palace person or an external minister, they all need to be interrogated to prevent hiding the murder weapon.
It can be seen that whether it is from the strict position of the army, or the geographical location and architectural pattern of the palace, or various protection methods, they are all trying to prevent the assassination of the emperor. All of this points to the fact that those who murder kings will pay a heavy price.
Royal customs and cultural influences
In addition to the strict defensive measures, the difficulty of assassinating the emperor is closely related to the royal customs and cultural traditions of ancient China.
First of all, the legitimacy of imperial power was based on sacrificial and patriarchal ideas. The monarch is regarded as the "son of heaven", and the power to govern the country and society comes from the grant of the "mandate of heaven". Thus, the emperor was not only a political leader, but also the central pillar of the entire dynasty. Disobeying and harming the emperor is equivalent to going against the will of heaven, which is absolutely not something to do in the eyes of the ancients.
Second, the imperial power has the supreme position and authority in the ritual system and education. Confucianism pursues a hierarchical system of "monarchs, ministers, fathers, and sons", and courtiers must be absolutely obedient to the monarch, and even if there is disagreement, they cannot openly oppose it. Such hierarchical concepts are deeply rooted in education and public opinion, and people have a sincere reverence for the sanctity of imperial power.
What's more, the assassination itself is severely condemned in traditional culture. It is clearly pointed out in the "Great Dai Li Ji" that assassination is a "great rebuke". The "Book of Rites" even lists "killing the king" as the first of the "five remnants", which is regarded as the biggest sin. Successive dynasties also defined the assassination of the emperor as a felony of "great rebellion", and severely punished the prisoner and his entire clan.
This kind of cultural practice and indoctrination constantly strengthened the people's concept of the sanctity of imperial power. Even in times of crisis, few people would think of overthrowing a ruler by assassination. In contrast, overt methods such as rebellions and palace coups were more common in ancient times.
It can be seen that the assassination of the emperor is not only a difficult operation itself, but also a conceptual and cultural taboo. This taboo was firmly rooted in the hearts of the subjects for a long time, creating a strong deterrent and binding force on them, making the assassination attempt unsustainable.
Conspiracy in the night: palace changes, conspiracy methods
However, there are no absolutes in history. Even if the assassination of the emperor is so difficult, there are always some cases of conspiracy succeeding. However, these assassinations often did not come from the hands of famous and decent people, but took place in the depths of the palace, stemming from the power struggle in the inner government.
The most typical is the palace change, conspiracy and other means. As the closest confidants serving the emperor, the palace maids and eunuchs have many military secrets, and they may be used by different forces at any time to do things that harm the emperor.
For example, during the Northern Song Dynasty, Song Shenzong was poisoned to death by the palace maid Li Shizhen. It is reported that the Li family colluded with Zhao Yanqing, the favorite concubine of Song Huizong, and then mixed poison with poison when Song Shenzong took medicine, but he died in a few days. Zhao Yanqing then helped Huizong succeed to the throne, and Li Shizhen was also named a virtuous concubine.
Another example is the struggle between the palace and the Ming Dynasty, which is even more treacherous. Emperor Jiajing was poisoned by the palace maid Guo Xiu's fornication with the eunuch He Zhisheng, and finally the conspiracy was revealed and he was imprisoned. His son, Emperor Jiajing, was also suspected by his mother, Empress Xiaoning, and was almost brutally poisoned. Later, in order to consolidate his power, Emperor Jiajing killed hundreds of eunuchs and their families in the palace.
Not only that, but even at critical moments in the near dynasties, the emperor was often in danger of assassination. According to historical records, Emperor Wanli of the Ming Dynasty was poisoned on the way to the dynasty and died of poisoning on the spot. The government and the opposition were shocked, and finally found out that it was their son who murdered him.
From these cases, it can be seen that the temptation and selfish desire for power can often carry people away, causing some people to have the urge and courage to harm the king. It's just that unlike frontal assassination, this practice is often hidden within the palace walls, in the undercurrent, and acts more secretly and viciously, so it is more unexpected.
Pros and cons of assassination: Defying the world's condemnation
From the above, it can be seen that assassinating the emperor is really a dangerous and costly matter. Not only does it take careful planning and courage, but if it fails, the consequences can be devastating. Therefore, even those warriors who are determined to overthrow their rulers rarely choose this path of no return.
First of all, from a personal point of view, the risk and cost of assassinating the emperor is simply too great. Whether it is Jing Ke and Nie Zheng who went deep into the tiger's den to assassinate, or poisoned and drugged in the palace change, once it is revealed, it will be the disposal of the nine clans of Zhulian, and the family will be ruined. Even if it succeeds, it will not be able to shake the foundation of the dynasty, and the final benefits will be limited. History is any guide, and none of the Assassins escaped being killed.
Secondly, from the perspective of family interests, assassinating the emperor is more of a practice that outweighs the losses. As mentioned above, the legitimacy and legitimacy of imperial power is based on patriarchal thinking, and if you hurt the king without permission, you will be spurned by your courtiers. Even if he was able to usurp the throne for a short time, it would be difficult to establish his authority in the hearts of his subjects.
For example, Dong Zhuo in the late Eastern Han Dynasty first seized power by killing the young emperor through the palace mutiny. But he was soon defeated by Sun Jian, the minister who held the rule, and finally ended in a broken family. Another example is the disaster of the party that occurred sixteen years later, the Sima clan, which was originally in power and opposition, was also wiped out because of killing the emperor.
It can be seen that if there is a complete change of dynasty, it is much more reasonable to rebel or wait for natural decline than to assassinate in secret. The former has the legitimacy of competing for power and inheriting orthodoxy, while the latter is undoubtedly the most heinous act. This is why the most severe punishment has been given to famous Assassins throughout the ages, and why they have risked their lives.
So back to the original question, there is not only one simple reason why emperors are rarely assassinated. Tight defenses, unique cultural practices, inner palace struggles, and the risk-benefit ratio of the assassination itself are all important factors that restrict the occurrence of this behavior. Therefore, although there have been occasional exceptions in history, in general, assassinating the emperor is not a feasible path, and it is difficult to sustain it.