Preface
Empress Lü, a controversial woman in history, her life is full of stories of intrigue and strife. When she was in power, it seemed to be commonplace to kill heroes and exclude dissidents, but the most puzzling thing is that although her actions caused so much controversy and dissatisfaction, she was included in the Imperial Chronicles in the "Records of the Historians" by Sima Qian.
What is the charm of Empress Lu that can make historians remember it so much? Perhaps behind her story lies a deeper secret of humanity and political intrigues?
Lv Pheasant: A self-made heroine
From the background of an ordinary peasant girl, to later becoming the founding queen of the Han Dynasty, and finally monopolizing power, Lu Pheasant's life experience is legendary. In her, we can see a female image who loves her family and country, is shrewd and capable, and is resolute and decisive.
Kill the heroes and strengthen the foundation
After Liu Bang ruled the world, although the princes and kings had made great achievements, their existence was a big hidden danger for the nascent dynasty. These fighters are versatile, and it is not difficult to fight back.
Seeing this clearly, Lu Pheasant decided to strike preemptively and ruthlessly kill Han Xin, Peng Yue and other heroes, completely cutting off the possibility of their future rebellion.
Although this practice was cruel and ruthless, from the perspective of maintaining the foundation of the dynasty, Lü Pheasant's approach was a wise choice. Just as she thought, not long after, a strong wind of living and working in peace and contentment really rose up from top to bottom of the government and the opposition, completely eliminating the possibility of a new round of war.
Persuade farmers to restore people's strength
After eliminating the internal troubles, Lu Pheasant began to work on the country's economic construction. She understood that only by developing agricultural production and restoring the people's strength could a solid foundation be laid for the new dynasty.
So she abolished the harsh laws of the Qin Dynasty and implemented a lenient policy to encourage the people to farm. At the same time, she also greatly reduced the tax on land rent and implemented the policy of 15 taxes and one tax, which directly reduced the economic burden on the peasants.
In this way, in the following years, the economy of the Han Dynasty began to recover steadily, the supply of agricultural products gradually increased, and the lives of the common people gradually improved. These achievements are all due to Lu Pheasant's wise decision-making back then.
Settle internal disputes and avoid disputes between concubines
Another major contribution of Lu Pheasant is the classic "Dispute between Princes and Heirs". Her husband Liu Bang loved his concubine Mrs. Qi deeply, and was bent on rebelling against him, and made Liu Ruyi, the son born to him and Mrs. Qi, the crown prince.
But once the old crown prince Liu Ying is deposed, a tragic coup d'état will inevitably be triggered in the palace, and the government will come to a standstill. Seeing that the crisis was coming, Lu Pheasant invited the folk V "Shangshan Sihao" to stand for Liu Ying, and coerced the masses to deter Liu Bang.
The coup d'état was barely suppressed, and the country was spared from turmoil. It can be seen that Lu Pheasant not only has the wisdom of knowing people, but also has the ability to crisis public relations.
Defending against foreign insults is sure of the overall situation
In terms of foreign relations, Lu Pheasant also showed outstanding political wisdom. At that time, the Han Dynasty had just been established, and it was embattled, and the biggest threat was the Xiongnu in the north.
Lü Pheasant did not act rashly, but adopted a strategy of "expediency", neither groveling nor going to war easily, but using beautiful treasures as gifts to appease the greed of the Xiongnu and win a period of peaceful development for the Han Dynasty.
It was thanks to Lü Pheasant's foresight that he laid a solid foundation for the later rule of Wenjing, allowing the Han Dynasty to gradually prosper in a thriving situation. Therefore, Sima Qian praised Lü Pheasant in the "Records of the Historians", believing that her outstanding talents were comparable to those of other emperors.
Lv Pheasant: What is the sin?
Although Lu Pheasant has many achievements, her life is not completely flawless. Her ruthless personality and ruthless methods leave a not-so-glamorous impression. Among them, her treatment of the concubine was particularly appalling.
Kill Mrs. Qi
Lu Pheasant's most criticized thing is that she killed Mrs. Qi with extremely cruel means. Mrs. Qi was Liu Bang's concubine back then, and when Lu Pheasant was taken hostage by Xiang Yu, Mrs. Qi took refuge in Liu Bang, and the two got along.
After Lu Pheasant was rescued and returned to the King of Han, Liu Bang loved the new and the old again, and loved Mrs. Qi even more. Seeing that the former virtuous helper was reduced to a concubine, Lu Pheasant was secretly jealous, and once asked Mrs. Qi to "feed people" to vent her personal anger.
Until the end, although Lu Pheasant's approach was too cruel, it was not without some pity. After all, she was also forced to dedicate herself to her husband and contribute to him, but in exchange for her husband's coldness and contempt for her. In the face of Mrs. Qi, the "little three", her resentment can be said to have been accumulated for a long time.
Kill the descendants of the Liu family
At the same time, Lü Pheasant also killed many descendants of the Liu family, and once wanted to pass on the throne to the Lü family. Later generations often blame her ambitions, but if you think about it, in fact, what she did was not without reason.
After all, after the death of her husband Liu Bang, as a widow, she held the power alone, penniless, and the power of the government and the opposition was still in the hands of the descendants of the Liu family. If she doesn't strike first, she will only be afraid that she will not escape the doom of being retaliated against by others in the future.
It can be said that although Lu Pheasant's killing of the Liu family was despicable, it was also a helpless move to maintain his own power and had no other way. Behind her is the pressure and struggle she faced as a woman and a widow in that era.
Liu's country or Lu's world?
Although Lu Pheasant's methods are brutal and despicable, a careful analysis of what she did is not out of a kind of helplessness and self-preservation. What she carries behind her is the oppression and dilemma faced by women in the feudal male society. Therefore, we should not be too harsh on her, but should understand her from her point of view.
We often forget that the reason why Lu Pheasant was able to be named the queen and be able to take charge of the government was not because she married into a royal nobleman, but because she and her husband Liu Bang were "little people" who started from scratch all the way. Relying on their courage and wisdom, the two worked hard bit by bit to build a career. Among them, Lu Pheasant's sweat and hard work are no less than her husband's.
But in this territory that Liu Bang single-handedly laid down, he didn't seem to pay much attention to his wife Lu Pheasant. When Lu Pheasant was hostage, Liu Bang was not in a hurry to serve; When Lu Pheasant was rescued, Liu Bang was even more fond of his mistress Mrs. Qi. In the end, when Liu Bang died, this piece of the country that originally belonged to the joint efforts of the two could only be counted as Liu's world.
As one of the co-founders of this world, can Lu Pheasant not be heartbroken? Perhaps it was this obsession that finally prompted her to kill Mrs. Qi and the heirs of the Liu family, and once wanted to change the dynasty and pass the country to the Lu family. The reason why she did such a cruel thing may be more of an obsession and desire for glory and power in addition to the lust for power.
epilogue
Throughout history, we can find that in fact, many male emperors have also used despicable methods and acted shamelessly when seizing power and rebelling. But after all, we have more than enough energy for them, but we blame Lu Pheasant in every way, is it just because she is a woman?
It is true that Lu Pheasant has had many sins and flaws, but we should not demonize her. Because in her, there is also excellent wisdom and vision, and there is also a shimmer of indomitable feminine strength.
She is indeed to blame, but the social pressure and gender discrimination she endured also make us reflect on human nature and help but have more understanding and sympathy for her situation.