Ancient emperors, on the one hand, inherited their family's dynasty through blood relations, and on the other hand, established a new regime by conquering other people's territories.
In fact, the latter tests one's talents more than the former. However, in order to continue the rule of a dynasty, it must rely on blood ties to ensure legitimacy and legitimacy.
In history, the most controversial issue about the bloodline of the emperor is Liu Bei, the Zhaolie Emperor.
When Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty was in trouble, Liu Biao even asked Cao Cao for help in order to maintain the status of Emperor Liu, showing a lot of efforts.
Therefore, whether Liu Bei is really the king of Zhongshan is not the most important question, the key is that the orthodox Han Dynasty emperor Liu Xie recognized his identity. The emperor decided that he was, and it was the same if he didn't.
How was Liu Bei's identity found in the Liu family tree? This involves the influence of the royal family.
Genealogy is an ongoing record, Liu Bei's grandfather, Liu Xiong, was awarded the title of filial piety and served as a county magistrate; And Liu Bei's father, Liu Hong, also raised filial piety and was a small official in Youzhou.
Although these positions have a low status, and can even be said to be a small official, it is a pity that Liu Hong died early, and Liu Bei did not like to study since he was a child, and no one recommended him to enter politics, so he had to weave straw sandals with his mother at home to barely make a living.
Liu Bei was poor in his early years and studied with Liu Deran, thanks to the financial support of Liu Deran's father, Liu Yuanqi, and the information of these people records the identity of King Jing of Zhongshan.
At that time, genealogy was an extremely important family tradition and could not be easily modified. Especially for the royal family, in order to consolidate the imperial power and rule, the genealogy was specially sent by the imperial court to revise it, and ordinary people were not qualified to compile the genealogy.
Liu Bang was an emperor of civilian origin, and in order to highlight his identity, he needed to establish a family tree, so he asked people to associate his family ties with Emperor Yan.
Once the genealogy is established, it is managed by a dedicated person and is highly valued. Liu Xiu was also a commoner at the time, and his father served in the position of petty official, but his identity was never doubted.
In the aftermath of the uprising, the scattered Liu clan united to reclaim the Han dynasty, and their identities were never questioned, thanks to the professionals who worked tirelessly to restore the Liu family genealogy.
Therefore, everyone's identity is clear. The reason why these descendants of the imperial family had such a difficult time was mainly due to the edict of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, which greatly weakened the power of the princes and kings.
However, this policy of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was an unsolvable problem. Pushing backwards, the power of the descendants of the clan will gradually decrease until it disappears.
Although the names of these people are recorded in the Liu family tree, they do not enjoy the slightest royal privilege in their lives. However, as long as there are descendants of the Han family, the Liu family tree will continue to be strictly and perfectly maintained.
Therefore, Liu Bei's name is indeed recorded in the family tree, and even if he was in trouble, this identity will be passed down from generation to generation, and he should have a clear understanding of his identity and family.
As for whether he is really Liu Sheng's descendant, it is impossible to be sure. Whether Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty privately manipulated the genealogy and made Liu Bei a descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan is also difficult to say.
In the external propaganda, Liu Bei mostly emphasized that he was the uncle of Emperor Liu recognized by Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty, because the identity recognized by the emperor himself was more convincing. And whether he is the descendant of King Jing of Zhongshan is no longer the key.
What matters is his current status, which helps him attract more strategists and generals to help him achieve great things.
However, the authenticity of the genealogical identity did not hinder Liu Bei's personal efforts. The reason why he was able to establish Shu Han and create a family business completely depended on his personal hard work.