Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Liu Heng, was originally a vassal king who was unknown in a remote place, but once he took over the Han Dynasty, he became very powerful. Liu Heng had never made achievements in the court and politics before, and even his mother Bo Ji was just a noble lady who was indifferent to fame and fortune, but after the dictatorship of Zhulu was purged, he was selected by Chen Ping and Zhou Bo to inherit the throne. What is the reason for this? Is it just because he is the oldest among the Liu family's heirs? Or is there something else about him? For this man who has gone from being unnoticed to becoming Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, we have to ask: What is unique about him, that he can immediately take charge of the dynasty after succeeding to the throne, stabilize the foundation, and make the Han Dynasty more prosperous?
Prudent and decisive decision-making
Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty showed extraordinary caution and decisiveness at this critical moment when he entered Beijing to succeed to the throne. When Chen Ping and Zhou Bo took the lead in sending envoys to Daidi and urging Liu Heng to enter Beijing as soon as possible to succeed to the throne, Liu Heng did not rashly obey his fate. He first solicited opinions from the left and right Lang Zhongling, Zhang Wu and others. Zhang Wu knew that there was a turbulent undercurrent between the old and new ministers in the capital, and he was worried, so he suggested that Liu Heng delay it for the time being in order to see what would happen in the future.
However, another important minister, Song Chang, strongly expressed a different opinion. He believes that the foundation of the Han family has been deeply implanted in the hearts of the people of the world, and the rebellion of Zhulu is nothing more than an ant riot, although it was culled, it was harmless in the end. At this time, the government and the opposition have been loyal to the Liu family, and the ministers welcomed the king to enter the throne out of the people's will, how can the king be in doubt? After saying that, Liu Heng still did not reply decisively, but returned to report the matter to his mother Bo Ji, and divined the turtle omen to decide the big thing.
It wasn't until Bo Ji ordered the turtle diviner to return the auspicious omen, and Bo Zhao personally verified with Zhou Bo and Chen Ping that there was no fraud, that Liu Hengfang let go of his worries. But he did not move forward happily, but ordered Song Chang and the other six to go to Chang'an first, stop at Weiqiao, and let Song Chang continue to go to the capital to visit the movements on the ground. Sure enough, as soon as Song Chang arrived at Weiqiao, he was greeted by the ministers, which completely eliminated Liu Heng's doubts.
Liu Heng's series of actions after entering Beijing also confirmed his cautious and decisive character. He not only immediately worshiped Song Chang as the general of Wei, but also controlled the military power inside and outside the Beijing Division; and personally ordered Zhang Wu to be the commander of Lang Zhong, responsible for the palace guards. After the proper arrangement, he officially entered the Weiyang Palace and ruled the world. This series of cautious and rational behaviors is an important reason why Liu Heng was valued by Chen Ping before he succeeded to the throne.
Surprising political wisdom
After succeeding to the throne, Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty unexpectedly showed extraordinary political wisdom. As an unknown vassal king, outsiders thought that he would be at the mercy of Chen Ping, Zhou Bo and others, but Liu Heng immediately used his power skills freely, took the initiative to attack, and dealt with it skillfully.
First of all, Emperor Wen of Han had a lenient attitude towards the heroes and did not have the slightest guard against them. Not only did he not suspect those who had advocated the king of Liqi or the king of Huainan, but he turned a blind eye and forgave him. After entering the Weiyang Palace, he generously appointed Chen Ping, Zhou Bo and others as auxiliary ministers without derogation. This kind of lenient and virtuous approach has aroused the admiration of all the government and the opposition, and has also alleviated the vigilance in the hearts of Chen, Zhou, and others, and cleared the way for future administration.
Second, Emperor Wen of Han properly pacified the ambitious princes. Although Liu Chang, the king of Huainan, Liu Xiang, the evil king of Lang, and others were not selected because they were a little younger, Emperor Wen did not hold a grudge, but instead used them and placed them in a pivotal position to correct their spirit. What's even better is that Emperor Wen also pushed the boat down the river, skillfully using the example of Liu Chang, the king of Huainan, to embody the tradition of "establishing a long and being obedient" to comfort other vassal kings who were left out in the cold. This kind of political wisdom not only resolved the dissatisfaction of the princes and kings, but also insisted on the authority of the central government, which can be said to be a proper trade-off.
Again, Emperor Wen of Han resolutely suppressed the potential danger of rebellion. At the beginning of the succession, there were no children under his knees, and there were many cronies and relatives who coveted the throne. Emperor Wen of Han was keenly aware of this crisis, so he quickly dispatched his cronies and important ministers to garrison the capital and closely monitor these backers. As soon as there is a stir, it will immediately punish it severely, kill the chickens and make an example of the monkeys, and raze all threats. Through these positive and promising tactics, Emperor Wen of Han consolidated the imperial power in a short period of time and cleared the party conspiracy in the capital.
On the whole, Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty was not only unexpected, but also showed extraordinary political wisdom. not only treated Chen Ping with generosity and courtesy, but also skillfully appeased the ambitions of the princes; It is necessary to combat potential threats and avoid causing major upheavals. It can be said that weighing the pros and cons and planning to act later, reflecting the superior skill of a generation of masters. This kind of wisdom is the key to his ability to consolidate his foundation and unify the dynasty in a short period of time.
A unique concept of governance
Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Liu Heng, had a unique concept of governance after succeeding to the throne, which was clearly different from the founding monarchs of other dynasties. His philosophy of governance can be described as simple and natural, advocating the rule of inaction and following the rules of etiquette, which fully reflects the influence of Confucianism.
First, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty adhered to the governance concept of "rule by inaction". He believes that at the beginning of the founding of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, he tried his best to reform the old system, reform the law, and recruit meritocracy, and it was this drastic style that enabled the establishment of the Han Dynasty. But now that the foundation of the Han Dynasty has been solidified, the national strength has grown, and the dynasty has become more and more perfect, it will be futile to carry out thorough reforms, and may even cause chaos in the world. Therefore, after Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, he advocated "rule by inaction", not to make major reforms, but only to follow the existing rules and maintain the status quo. Although this kind of governance idea was criticized by some enlightened ministers at the time, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty judged the situation and insisted on his own opinion, and in the end there was no big mistake.
Second, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty paid attention to the statecraft of "following the code of etiquette". As a representative of the traditional scholarly class, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty was deeply influenced by Confucian education since childhood, and attached great importance to observing etiquette and upholding moderation. Therefore, in his thinking on governance, the ritual tradition occupies an extremely important place. He not only personally wrote the Linqu Order, which consolidated the foundation of the legal system of the Han Dynasty; In the government and government, he repeatedly emphasized the importance of "cultivating the good and evil scriptures and solemnizing the things of ritual and music", and tried to achieve the ultimate goal of "changing customs and customs" through strict etiquette and religious constraints. This philosophy of rule of law is inseparable from one's background.
Third, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty drew on the successful experience of Han Gaozu in his administration. As the son of Gaozu, Emperor Wen of Han knew the arduous process of overcoming many difficulties and seizing the world in those years. Therefore, when he ruled the world, he often reviewed Gaozu's practices and regarded them as a guideline. For example, in terms of employing people, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty attached great importance to virtuous, square, diligent and conscientious talents, and regarded them as "humerus humerus". This practice is in line with the "black cloth" of the Gaozu era, which aims to recruit talents and recruit talents. For example, in the military aspect, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty also followed Gaozu's practice of "intensive study", vigorously reorganized military affairs, and strengthened military discipline, so as to ensure that the frontier was safe. It can be said that Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty's governance philosophy is to a large extent the result of gradual and progressive progress on the basis of Gaozu.
In general, the governance philosophy of Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty after his succession to the throne was not made up by his personal subjectivity, but was the result of careful consideration, combined with the actual situation of the Han Dynasty, and absorbing Confucian wisdom and the experience of Han Gaozu. This unique and pragmatic philosophy of governance is undoubtedly one of the important reasons why the Han Dynasty was able to continue to prosper during his reign.
A trick to follow the trend
Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, Liu Heng, was a man of great talent, not only with a unique concept of governance, but also showed outstanding scheming skills. At the beginning of his succession, he set about cultivating cronies and alienating dissidents in order to lay out the plan for his future rule.
First of all, Emperor Wen of Han relied on Song Chang and other confidants. As mentioned above, Song Chang was the first important minister to persuade Liu Heng to enter Beijing. After succeeding to the throne, Liu Heng worshiped Song Chang as General Wei and controlled the military power of the Beijing Division. Not only that, Song Chang was also in charge of confidential affairs and became the right-hand man and adviser of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. In addition to Song Chang, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty also recruited other cronies to reuse, such as Chen Ren, Zhou Bodi, Zhou Ke and others, all of whom were rewarded with real power and became the right and left hands of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. Through this pro-trustworthy policy, Emperor Wen of Han built his own core team in a short period of time, laying the foundation for future governance.
Secondly, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty intentionally or unintentionally alienated the powerful ministers who were highly meritorious. For example, the king of Liqi, the king of Huainan and others who had been advised were no longer given important tasks, but were exiled from the frontier. Even Chen Ping and Zhou Bo, who advocated Liu Heng's succession at the beginning, remained in office in the early days, but they were gradually removed from power and transferred from the core decision-making level. Interestingly, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty did not directly reform these people, but arranged them gradually and easily. For example, although Zhou Bo still retains the post of prime minister, he has died in name only; Chen Ping was even entrusted with the honorary title of "King of Han", but in fact he has been excluded from the core of the imperial government.
Thirdly, the skill of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty is also reflected in the flexible use of rewards and punishments to motivate the virtuous. He often set up various titles and honors to encourage his ministers to work hard, such as the title of "Kundi Jiuqing" is a reward for the virtuous people in the Liu clan. For those who have made outstanding political achievements, they should take precautions and promote them to prevent them from having different intentions. On the contrary, those who make abnormal moves in the government and the opposition will be severely punished and will not be tolerated, so as to set an example. For example, after the rebellion of King Huainan was quelled, although King Huainan was pardoned, all his henchmen were severely punished to ensure that hidden dangers were eradicated.
It can be seen that Emperor Liu Heng of the Han Dynasty not only has extraordinary wisdom, but also has extraordinary skills in taking advantage of the situation. At the beginning of his succession, he deliberately cultivated a team of cronies and gradually alienated dissidents; In the day-to-day administration, it can also flexibly impose rewards and punishments to motivate meritocracy. This kind of brilliant skill is undoubtedly an important reason why he was able to continue to rule for more than 40 years and establish the foundation of the Han Dynasty.
Outstanding martial arts
In addition to his extraordinary prudent decision-making, political wisdom, governance philosophy and scheming skills, Liu Heng, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, also made outstanding achievements in cultural governance and martial arts, and can be described as a well-deserved generation of Ming monarchs.
In terms of cultural governance, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty not only focused on cultivating Ming etiquette and maintaining the unification of the dynasty, but also personally wrote books and lectures to promote cultural prosperity. The "Linqu Order" compiled by him was innovative by drawing on ancient rites, and was the most representative legal classic at that time. He also personally wrote poems such as "Chun Yu's", "Soap Hidden Cave Room", and "Shi Zeng", which can be described as literary and talented. In order to motivate scholars to write and cultivate, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty specially set up titles such as Doctor Pavilion and "Taichang Pavilion" Doctor to establish the orthodox status of Confucianism in the dynasty. These practices undoubtedly laid the basic pattern of Confucianism in the Han Dynasty and laid a solid foundation for the cultural development of later generations.
In terms of martial arts, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty also focused on rectifying military affairs and strengthening his troops. He knew very well how hard Han Gaozu had paid in order to seize the country, so he attached great importance to field military and repeatedly personally visited the military camp to train soldiers. In order to strengthen military discipline, he set up a special "five watches" system to regulate military operations; He also ordered the imperial history to supervise the army and severely punish violations of discipline. After experiencing several border army expeditions to eliminate external troubles, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty set the criterion of "living in Luliang with Rong", and well-trained elite soldiers coexisted with Rongshi day and night, thus strengthening the strength of border defense.
Of course, both civil and military, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty paid more attention to the cultivation of literature and morality. He used some wealthy families in the northwest frontier as officials, enlightened them in many ways, called for attaching importance to reading and self-cultivation, and forbade bad habits such as fighting and drinking. At the same time, in central areas such as Jingshi, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty also set up schools to encourage elegant poetry and books. This concept of emphasizing literature over military force and cultural governance is different from that of Gaozu of the Han Dynasty, reflecting the development trend of social governance and gradual stability of the foundation in the era of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty.
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It can be said that Liu Heng, Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, has made remarkable achievements in cultural governance and martial arts, covering not only system construction, but also talent training, paying equal attention to civil and military affairs, complementing each other. It was this kind of wise and comprehensive action that laid the foundation for the long-term stability of the Han Dynasty and made Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty worthy of the praise of "civil rule and force".