History is like a pool of autumn water, sometimes quiet as a mirror, sometimes magnificent. When we gaze at the long history of the abyss, there are always some waves rippling in it, casting a little ripple on this ancient water surface. Exploring the causes of these ripples is a unique way of interpreting history. The "Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms" that broke out in the middle of the Western Han Dynasty was a raging tide on this historical river. This turmoil caused by the joint rebellion of the princes and kings was undoubtedly a major test in the unification process of the Western Han Dynasty. So, how did this unrest brew? Why did it erupt at this time? And how did Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty quell this wave? More importantly, what kind of human nature and historical philosophy can we get a glimpse of from it?
1. The dictatorship of eunuchs and the stupidity of princes
In the middle of the Western Han Dynasty, some hidden dangers began to appear in the dynasty. Since the time of Emperor Xuan of the Han Dynasty, the eunuch Empress Dowager Dou's power has been expanding day by day, domineering and domineering, and has a profound influence. She not only interfered in the government's politics, but also killed and snatched life, acting recklessly. At that time, although the princes and kings and ministers were dissatisfied, they were helpless. After Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty succeeded to the throne, Prime Minister Chen Ping greatly strengthened the centralization of power in order to weaken the strength of the princes, and the power of the princes' royal families gradually drifted away.
The princes and kings couldn't help but feel resentful when they saw that the central government was gradually squeezing the power of their own families. They began to brew a rebellion in private, looking for an opportunity to break through. For example, at that time, Liu Xiongqu, the king of Jiaodong, had secretly sent people back and forth to Wu, Chu, Zhao and other places, secretly colluding. Liu Sui, the king of Zhao, also sent people to sneak to Jiaodong and colluded with Liu Xiongqu. It can be seen that the princely family is preparing to go, waiting for an opportunity to break out.
In addition, there is a new force that is quietly rising - that is, warlord secession. In the later period of the Western Han Dynasty, due to frequent wars, the imperial court had to recruit important ministers and old generals to guard the county and have private troops. As a result, warlordism has emerged in many places. During the period of Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty, Dou Mian, the Taishou of Shangjia County, and Feng Yi, the Taishou of Huaiyang County, were all regarded as local warlords. These forces are above the subjects, the manipulation is important, and even the army is committed, quite like a prince and a king.
Second, two new factors have exacerbated the conflict
As the central government continued to centralize power, discontent built up among local warlords and princely families, which became urgent. At this time, two new forces emerged, further aggravating the situation.
At the same time, the princely family also stepped up the pace of action. During the reign of Emperor Yuan of the Han Dynasty, the imperial court delegated power to Huaiyang Taishou Feng Yi, so that he had 100,000 heavy soldiers. His son Feng Zu gradually gained military power and was respected as the "King of Huaiyang" by the local people. Another Yuzhang Taishou Wang Ling was revered by the local people as the "King of Yuzhang". It can be seen that the princes no longer waited for the central government's authorization, and began to expand their territory in the local area on their own and regain military power.
Faced with the phenomenon of civilian warlord groups and local military separation, the central government is in a dilemma. Once the force is used to exterminate it, it may cause greater civil strife; If left unchecked, these armed forces will inevitably grow wildly and eventually eat up the umbilicus. Therefore, the imperial court had to tolerate it for the time being and ignore it. However, this appeasement attitude is tantamount to pouring oil on the raging fires of war.
The emergence of peasant armies and local warlords undoubtedly further aggravated the contradictions and antagonism between the princely families and the central government. All forces seem to have become jackals living in the same crack, and their fates are intertwined. Once one of the paths strikes first, the others will follow suit and rebel en masse. This turmoil can be set on fire just by a fire.
3. The rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms raged one after another
Soon after Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, the central government suffered a major upheaval. This war, caused by the rebellion of the princes and kings, was called the "Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms".
The fuse was the policy of "cutting the feudal domain" put forward by the powerful minister Chao Cuo during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Chao Cuo advocated the weakening of the land and wealth of the vassal states in order to weaken local power and strengthen centralized rule. This policy was tantamount to stabbing the hearts of the princes and kings, and they refused to obey their orders.
First of all, Liu Wu, the king of Chu, openly despised Chao's edict to cut the feudal domain, and was cut and deprived of his fief by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Subsequently, Wu King Liu Bi and other countries followed suit and united to raise troops. Liu Bi led the army of Wu to march out, and gathered soldiers and horses from other countries to assemble in Wuchang. Soon, seven countries including Zhao, Qi, and Chu responded together, gathering hundreds of thousands of soldiers and horses in Wuchang.
As a result, the central army was defeated one after another, and the armies organized by the warlords of Hebei, Longxi, and Sanhe were routed one after another. Even the army of the chief guard knight Cao Jie was hit hard. The imperial court was worried that the party was not strong enough and it was difficult to quell the chaos. So he adopted a flexible strategy, appointed Cao Jie as the Great Sima, and urgently ordered all localities to recruit strong men and recruit new troops.
In the face of the strong combat effectiveness of the rebels, the central army gradually lost its heart. People of insight have written to the imperial court, suggesting that the crisis should be resolved by rewarding the counterinsurgency. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty adopted this suggestion, did not kill or injure those who surrendered, and rewarded the princes with generous rewards. Sure enough, soon the warlords of all countries left Germany one after another and returned to Han. Only the men and horses of Wu were left to stick to the mouth of the lake, and gradually fell into an isolated and helpless situation.
Fourth, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "used force to control force" to quell the chaos
Faced with the powerful threat of the Seven-Nation Alliance, Emperor Wu of Han made up his mind and personally supervised the expedition. He first concentrated all his efforts on exterminating the remnants of the peasant army such as Zhang Qian and Xiang Yan, so as to avoid endless troubles in the future.
At that time, although Zhang Qian and others were temporarily accepted by the imperial court, they were eventually external warlords and could not be fully controlled. Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty first gave Zhang Qian and others a lot of money to coax them to retreat. After the strength was weakened, he ordered the generals Wang Hui and Chen Peng to lead the army to attack and wipe them out. The peasant army was eventually annihilated in bloodshed.
The cunning Emperor Wu of Han saw that the time had come, so he personally conquered the state of Wu. He first waved his army to press the border and cut off the back road of Wu. In order to avoid the ravages of the position, Liu Bi, the king of Wu, had to abandon Wuchang and move to Changsha. But the Han army followed closely and quickly surrounded the city of Changsha. Liu Bi's courtier, Han Wangtuo, suggested sticking to the strong wall and could not attack it for a long time. But Liu Bi failed to catch it, and it was difficult to persevere.
Seeing that Wu Guojun's heart was gradually lost, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ordered people to make noise about the news of the Han army's victory. The soldiers and civilians of Wu suddenly lost confidence. At this time, the meritorious military advisor Zhou Yafu and others came forward to mediate, and finally Liu Bi was gradually convinced. In the end, Liu Bi, the king of Wu, returned to Han with his family.
Although Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty used force to quell the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, he did not increase the punishment. He believed that if the punishment was too severe, it would only increase the fear of the prince and would not be conducive to long-term peace and stability. Therefore, he not only forgave the princes, but also gave them rich rewards, and gave them money and grain. For the soldiers who have made great contributions, such as Chen Peng, Zhou Yafu and others, they are even more rewarded.
This policy of "rewarding but not killing" not only temporarily stabilized the post-war situation, but also greatly restored the prestige of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Subsequently, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent ministers to visit various places to express condolences to the people and express the sincerity and goodwill of the central government. Coupled with the continuous issuance of amnesty decrees, the society gradually became more peaceful.
Fifth, the way to balance centralization and decentralization
After the "Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms" was put down, the government and the opposition began to reflect on the deep roots of this turmoil. It was realized that centralization was indispensable for maintaining a unified and unified dynasty.
Centralization was able to unify the princes and curb division. If there is too much decentralization and the local power grows, it is easy for the princes and kings to hold the country in the country hostage and have the idea of detaching from virtue. It was precisely because of the overindulgence of the feudal system of the previous dynasty that the power of the princes swelled day by day, and finally led to the alliance of the seven countries and declared war on the central government.
At the same time, excessive centralization can lead to discontent. When Chao Cuo proposed the policy of "cutting the feudal domain", the princes and kings saw the central government as emasculating their own power, thus triggering a revolt. It can be seen that if the central government blindly strengthens centralized rule and ignores local interests, it will inevitably lead to turmoil.
In view of this, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made some reforms after quelling the rebellion. He relieved the common people of the burden of servitude, abolished the policy of "cutting feudal domains", and worked hard to balance the relationship between the central and local governments. He also ordered the dismissal of eunuchs and weakened the power of the ministers, in order to clear the court.
However, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was a generation of heroes after all. He also took a number of measures to consolidate the authority of the central government. For example, the original county-state system was abolished, the county system was replaced, and local officials were directly appointed by the central government. He also appointed a large number of his cronies and important ministers as local governors to enrich his local power.
It can be said that these reforms of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty are trying to find a balance between the central and local powers. It warned future generations that it is not advisable to blindly emphasize centralization or decentralization, and only dynamic balance is the secret of the longevity of a great unified dynasty.