In Beijing's Fangshan District at the beginning of the 21st century, workers accidentally dug up a luxurious double tomb from the Tang Dynasty while building a cultural Silicon Valley project. The owner of the tomb was an envoy of Youzhou in the Tang Dynasty named Liu Ji. It's not just a simple archaeological find, it's the story behind it that's really powerful. Think about it, how can a local official have such a luxurious tomb? How many historical secrets and power struggles are hidden?
Liu Ji, the envoy of Youzhou Festival, was not appointed by formal channels in the imperial court, but inherited the position from his father. This situation became commonplace after the Anshi Rebellion, and the Jiedu envoys gradually formed a semi-independent local power, some even more arrogant than the little king. However, don't look at the power of Liu Ji's subordinates, his story is also full of drama.
Liu Ji's family actually began to control the military and political power in Youzhou from his father Liu Ji. Liu Yi was originally Zhu Tao's cousin and his loyal right-hand man. During Zhu Tao's lifetime, Liu Tao not only won Zhu Tao's trust with his loyalty and wisdom, but was also designated to replace Zhu Tao before his death. After Liu Ji's death, this power was naturally passed on to his son Liu Ji.
After Liu Ji took over, the scene can be described as a masterpiece, and his power is so great that even the imperial court does not dare to touch it easily. However, Game of Thrones is never a one-way street, it is like a double-edged sword, it can both make people soar into the sky and plunge people into the abyss from which they will never recover. Although Liu Ji's power is great, internal contradictions and family disputes also follow. Legend has it that during Liu Ji's reign, his family staged a thrilling drama of power struggle, and even involved a struggle between father and son.
At this point, you may ask, why do these knots have so much power? It's not hard to see why. After the Anshi Rebellion, the authority of the central government of the Tang Dynasty was much less than before, and the Jiedu envoys in various places took the opportunity to expand their power. Some of them, such as Youzhou, where Liu Ji is located, have the capital of their own country. They could represent the Tang Dynasty externally, but internally they had almost the autonomy of an independent kingdom.
There is also a creepy detail in Liu Ji's story. It is said that at the height of his power, Liu Ji was haunted by a mysterious ghostly affair and was eventually forced to become a monk in order to seek peace of mind. However, fate does not seem to let him go, he died mysteriously and violently shortly after becoming a monk, and this strange ending makes future generations full of speculation and imagination about the legend of the Liu family.
This ghostly legend, while somewhat bizarre, reflects the society's deep fear of the consequences of power struggles and belief in supernatural powers. In that era of belief in gods and ghosts, many unexplainable things were blamed on the role of gods. And Liu Ji's story is the product of this interweaving of folk beliefs and power struggles.
Liu Ji, who was in power, also had to face threats from all sides. His political enemies are constant, and even within the family there is a turbulent undercurrent. This kind of loneliness and pressure in a high position makes Liu Ji's life full of drama and tragedy. Although he has enough power to defend himself against foreign enemies, the fear and uneasiness in his heart are always there.
In addition to this, Liu Ji's luxurious tomb is also a mystery. According to the regulations of the time, it was impossible for a local festival envoy like him to have a tomb of this size and decoration. It's not just a symbol of wealth, it's a display of power. The reason why his tomb was so lavish is largely a testament to his absolute control over the area and his disregard for central government regulations.
Liu Ji's story is not only the history of one person, but also the epitome of that era. After the Anshi Rebellion, the centralized power of the Tang Dynasty gradually weakened, and the expansion of power was almost inevitable due to local moderation. They are like the emperors of the soil, and some even dare to contend with the central government. This situation of secession did not reach its peak until the period of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
Liu Ji's life is the epitome of a typical festival envoy in the Tang Dynasty. From the succession of power to the infighting of the family, from the lavish tombs to the mysterious ghost legends, every detail profoundly portrays the characteristics of that era. His life is like a wonderful historical drama, with both a struggle for power and a struggle of human nature.
Through the historical trajectory of Liu Ji, it is not difficult to see the complexity and variability of politics and society in the late Tang Dynasty. His story is not only a footnote to history, but also a window into our understanding of that era. Although Liu Ji has extremely high power, his life is full of contradictions and struggles, which eventually ends in tragedy.