The statements in this article are based on reliable sources of information and are detailed at the end of the article
Since ancient times, it has been difficult for the "monarch of the dead country" to get a good end, after all, as the monarch of a country, it is natural to bear the most violent impact when the dynasty falls, such as the fall of the cliff and the fall of the mountain in the Song Dynasty, and the crooked neck tree in the last years of the Ming Dynasty.
This was not only the case in China, but also in France, where Louis XVI's family was guillotined. However, as one of the most famous dynasties in Chinese history, the "king of the dead country" of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Emperor Xian of Han - Liu Xie, had a different ending.
Although in his life, it can be said that he has never really exercised the power of "life and death", but not only got a chance to spend his old age safely, but even got the local people's memorial after his death, and buried him with the "imperial gift", how did he do it?
1
Born in the middle of the court
曹操
In fact, when everyone mentions that period, the first thing that comes to mind is not Liu Xie as the "emperor", but the countless singing and crying characters in the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, and the splendid and bloody history they created, discussing the well-known figures at that time, whether it was the traitorous Prime Minister Cao Cheng.
is still the uncle Liu Huang who has struggled all his life and has been upside down for half his life, and even Sun Quan, who is jokingly ridiculed by many people, is estimated to be more well-known than him, I am afraid that even the "Taiping Daoist" who responded to every call and buried the last "luck" of the Han Dynasty may have a stronger sense of existence than Liu Xie, the emperor of the "background board".
He Empress
In fact, from the time he was born, he may have foreseen his future fate, his mother Wang Rong was just a "beauty" of the emperor at that time, this position was probably similar to the later "side concubine", and at that time, as the emperor's main palace, Empress He was very jealous, and the concubines in the harem were afraid of her.
It is precisely for this reason that in fact, when I learned that I was pregnant with this child at the beginning, it was not a "surprise" but more "fright" to Wang Meiren, after all, with Queen He's ruthless heart, if it is okay to give birth to a princess, if giving birth to a prince has the possibility of threatening Queen He's child, it is very likely that his life will be difficult to protect.
So at first, she even thought about secretly "knocking out" the child, according to historical records, she had taken "secret medicines" many times to try to kill the child, but it may be a great fortune, or it may be that the drug is not effective enough, Liu Xie did not move. His mother may have given up later, and the history books record that she dreamed that she was carrying the sun on her back.
As an ancient person who believed in "signs" very much, she would naturally think that such a sign was a "revelation from heaven" and therefore left this child, but she probably didn't expect that just a few days after the birth of this little boy, the queen secretly arranged for someone to poison her.
Fortunately, although he did not have the blessing of his mother and relatives, the emperor at that time still attached great importance to this child due to the loss of his son many times, not only protected him, but also found a new "backer" for him in the harem, that is, the Empress Dowager Dong, the mother of Emperor Ling, and even let Liu Xie recognize the Dong family as his "foreigner".
This is a very important agreement in ancient times, with such a relationship and protection, Xiao Liu Xie finally succeeded in surviving and passed the "first hurdle" in his life, but unfortunately the smooth life was not too long, and Liu Xie encountered the second hurdle in his life at the age of nine.
Emperor Liu Hong of the Han Dynasty
That is, his father died, in all fairness, although Emperor Ling may be a mediocre emperor in history, he still treated Liu Xie very well, and entrusted him to the most loyal ministers before he died. It's a pity that Empress He's family is powerful, especially He Jin, who is the "great general".
We must know that the general of the Han Dynasty is actually not a simple position, and it can even be said that it is the most powerful role in addition to the emperor, and even many powerful ministers are leading the "great general", in fact, doing the work of the emperor, such as how to enter and later Dong Zhuo, Cao Cao and even Sima Zhao of Wei, all of whom have the rank of general but even the emperor can call and drink.
2
The life of the "puppet emperor".
Dong Zhuo held Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty hostage
Relying on his brother as a general, Empress Dowager He quickly mastered the situation, but as a butcher family, she really lacked political skills, and He Jin could fight, but it was really not good to engage in conspiracy and play politics, and he was soon killed by the eunuchs, and then began Liu Xie's life as a "political puppet".
Throughout his life, he was used as a tool for power and profit in the hands of several people, and he almost never controlled any power independently. In fact, it cannot be said that he did not work hard, but he sadly found that whoever came up would only continue to maintain him as a "puppet emperor" and would not give him any actual power.
Cao Operating: "Watching the Sea"
Even every time he rebelled against his fate, he would hurt the few people close to him, especially after meeting Cao Cao, who can be said to be one of the representatives of the ancient "traitorous male figures", it can be said that he was "pinched" in all aspects. His scheming ability and even the available people were not as good as Cao Cao.
may be because of the powerless struggle, he finally chose to give up, and even accepted Cao Cao's daughters as concubines, almost completely "lying flat", and even when his queen was killed, he was helpless, after all, what if he himself was "precarious"?
Emperor Wei Cao Pi
But it may be confident enough to control the situation, or it may be proud enough to think that there is no need to be on the throne if the world is uneven, or it may be that he is afraid of the remaining loyal people at that time, Cao Cao at least maintained the dignity of Liu Xie's "Son of Heaven", but Cao Pi obviously did not have such patience and confidence.
After all, compared with his father, Cao Pi can be said to be much worse in all aspects, and if he wants to completely win the hearts of the people, he can only rely on rewarding the subordinates below, but the so-called name is not right, so he simply focused on the throne, and finally seized the national throne through the "Zen position", but because Liu Xie has been obedient over the years.
Jiaozuo City, "Shanyang Ancient City" site
And several concubines are also sisters and sisters of the Cao family, plus after all, there are many people in the court who are old ministers of the Han Dynasty, in order to appease these people, although they are no longer the emperor, but they still gave him the identity of "Shanyang Gong", and the fief was Shanyang County during the Han Dynasty (that is, part of today's Jiaozuo City, Henan Province), to worship the temple of the Han Dynasty.
After leaving the palace wall that had imprisoned him all his life, Liu Xie seemed to be rejuvenated, no longer had to worry about his family, country, and society, nor did he have to be so worried every day, nor did he have to abide by strict rules and monitor all day, he and his wife Cao Jie began to live a simple life, and Liu Xie often used his accumulated medical knowledge to treat the local people.
Playing in the middle of the mountains and rivers all day long, planting fields, whether he is sincere, or in order to save his life, but in such a leisurely life, he lived longer, even lived to the age of fifty-four, and survived the first emperor of Cao Wei, Cao Pi, this "king of the dead country" compared to the life of the upheaval and displacement, his end is a little bland, maybe if he was not born in the emperor's family from the beginning, it is the best ending for people like him.
Resources:
[1] Later Han Ji - Later Han Dynasty Filial Piety Emperor Ji, Vol. 26-30
[2] Book of the Later Han Dynasty - Volume 9: Filial Piety Emperor Nine
[3] Zizhi Tongjian - Volumes 59-68, Han Ji 51-60