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Text: Yanyan
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Preface
After Liu Heng ascended the throne and became emperor, he went on a killing spree and almost killed all the sons of Emperor Hui of Han, but in this bloody palace purge, the empress of Emperor Hui of Han survived.
This unusual move has caused countless speculations and questions: What made Liu Heng open up to her under iron-blooded means? Is it because of the calculation of power, or is it out of some deep emotion?
The reason for this not only reveals the cruelty of the palace struggle, but also makes people feel the complexity of history and the depth of human nature. This article will take you to explore this historical mystery and uncover the real motive behind Liu Heng's killing.
The power vacuum after the "Zhulu Rebellion".
Back in 180 BC, Empress Lü, the female monarch who single-handedly created the prosperity of the Western Han Dynasty, passed away. Before her death, she handed over the power of the court to the two brothers, Lü Lu and Lü Chan, hoping to use their military superiority to continue to control the situation.
However, the stupid actions of these two people gave the heroes and the clan a great opportunity. I saw that Lu Lu and Lu Chan were divided into military power, and they were soon killed and wiped out. This can stump the ministers present - who will be the emperor?
After all, the one sitting on the dragon chair was just a newborn baby, and it was personally supported by Empress Lu, so the ministers were naturally worried that he would be influenced by the Lu clan when he grew up, and he might be unlucky at that time.
At that time, the most prestigious was Liu Xiang, the king of Qi, and if he hadn't taken the lead in raising troops against the Lü clan, it would have been difficult for the ministers to succeed so smoothly. But which of the ministers is not an old fox?
They knew that Liu Xiang was too eye-catching, and once he ascended the throne, he could only bow down and be small, which was not their wish. Their ideal emperor should be an incompetent and docile man so that the ministers could do whatever they wanted.
So they tried every means to deny Liu Xiang's succession and instead elected Liu Heng, the acting king. Although this Liu Heng is stronger than Emperor Hui of Han, he can only be regarded as a little transparent, and basically meets the requirements of the ministers.
Empress Lu ordered the execution of Liu Hui, Liu You and other Liu Bang's sons before his death, and only Liu Heng was temporarily spared because of the protection of Emperor Hui of Han. For this weak and incompetent Liu Heng, Empress Lu didn't take him seriously at all, thinking that he was not to worry. Who knows, Liu Heng showed unexpected ruthlessness later.
Liu Heng's iron-blooded rule
After Liu Heng ascended the throne, the first thing to solve was the sons of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty. Although the ministers said in a beautiful name that "these are all raised by Empress Lu, not the heirs of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty", everyone understands that this is a big lie.
After all, these children are all royal blood, who knows when they will be used by people with ulterior motives to rebel, and the ministers will naturally not be able to attack them. Therefore, this killing order can only be given by Liu Heng personally.
What is heart-wrenching is that on the eve of going to Chang'an to ascend the throne, Liu Ying's queen and four sons died mysteriously one after another. The specific situation is very vague in the history books, but according to the analysis of later scholars, it is likely that he was secretly executed by Liu Heng.
The reason is very simple, in order to monitor the clan during her lifetime, Empress Lu wantonly gave the women of the Lu clan to the princes and kings as wives, and Liu Heng's queen is likely to be from the Lu family. Now that Liu Heng is going to be the emperor, he naturally has to completely cut off from the Lu family, otherwise how can he rule with peace of mind? This was probably one of the conditions for the ministers to give in and support him.
For his wife and children who have been with him for many years, Liu Heng is so ruthless, which shows his hard-heartedness. Since the Zhulu Rebellion, all those related to the Lu clan have been dealt with cleanly by Liu Heng. But what is puzzling is why he left Zhang Yan, the empress of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty?
Zhang Yan - a queen with a tragic fate
To solve this mystery, we need to first understand Zhang Yan's life experience. Zhang Yan was originally the daughter of Princess Lu Yuan, which means that she was the niece of Liu Ying, Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty. Sadly, she married her uncle Emperor Han Hui when she was 11 years old. What's going on here?
In fact, all this is due to the Empress Lu who has controlled the government for many years. Empress Lu loved her daughter Princess Lu Yuan the most, in order to let her daughter Zhang Yan get the highest glory, she forced her to marry the emperor at the time at the age of 11 - Liu Ying, Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty.
Princess Lu Yuan was deeply disturbed by this, she knew that once her mother made a decision, no one could change it. So she tried hard to persuade her, but in exchange for Empress Lu's displeasure. Empress Lu said categorically that the queen is the most noble identity in the world, so that Zhang Yan can be happy for a lifetime.
In desperation, Princess Lu Yuan had to agree to this "kiss and kiss" marriage. For 11-year-old Zhang Yan, this marriage is undoubtedly a nightmare. She didn't understand what marriage was at all, just that it was a game. And for Emperor Han Hui, who has become an adult, marrying his niece is even more outrageous.
Even if he was reluctant, Emperor Han Hui finally accepted this reality. The two of them couldn't even share a bed, so they had to sleep in separate beds. Empress Lu was anxious to hold her grandson, but unfortunately Zhang Yan was still a minor and could not get pregnant. In the end, Empress Lu had to find another way out, let a palace girl give birth to a prince, and then forcibly hugged Zhang Yan, falsely claiming that this was her biological son.
This prince was Liu Gong, who was later revered as the crown prince. In order to maintain this secret, Empress Lu even ordered Liu Gong's biological mother to be killed. However, the incident was eventually discovered.
When Liu Heng ascended the throne, he did not embarrass Zhang Yan, who was nominally the queen of the previous dynasty. On the one hand, Zhang Yan has lost all power and poses no threat to Liu Heng; On the other hand, as his niece Zhang Yan, Liu Heng may still have a little compassion in his heart.
More importantly, leaving Zhang Yan can allow Liu Heng to create a benevolent and tolerant image in the minds of the people, which is conducive to consolidating his dominance. After all, for Liu Heng, who was once dissatisfied with both the hero and the clan, this was undoubtedly a good "political operation".
However, it is such a poor woman who finally falls victim to helplessness in the whirlpool of power change. Although she is full of halo, she can't get rid of the shackles of the "queen" for the rest of her life, and lives a lonely and helpless life.
The myth of human nature in the context of political rivalry
Through the combing of the above incidents, we can find that behind Liu Heng's letting go of Zhang Yan, there are actually some deep-seated political considerations.
First of all, we must understand that Liu Heng's road to the throne was not all smooth sailing. As an emperor who was propped up to the throne by his ministers, he always lacked the basis of legitimacy he deserved. Therefore, for a period of time after his accession to the throne, the most important task was to quickly increase his popularity and win the support of the people.
And treating Zhang Yan well can just add some aura of kindness and generosity to Liu Heng. Zhang Yan, as the granddaughter of Empress Lu, is still slightly related to the Lu Group, which allows Liu Heng to let her live, which can undoubtedly show her tolerance and restraint.
At the same time, as the empress of Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty, Zhang Yan's fate once again aroused people's sympathy. Liu Heng's kindness to her is also equivalent to expressing his respect for the royal family of the previous dynasty, which is undoubtedly conducive to winning the support of more people.
Therefore, this is not out of brotherhood, but more of a political calculation. For a person who is so ruthless and resolute that he can kill his wife and children, what is a mere niece?
But Zhang Yan's tragic fate undoubtedly reflects the ruthless nature behind the change of power. She was originally of noble birth, but she suffered endless humiliation and torture, and finally became a veritable "prisoner". I am afraid that such a tragedy has been staged countless times in this land.
How can life be? For Zhang Yan, she is destined to be only a pawn to be manipulated at will, sacrificed for the interests of others. This has to make people feel that in the struggle for power, the brilliance of human nature is often buried under dark interests.
epilogue
History is always bleak and cruel, but it is precisely through the telling of these past events that we can better understand the weaknesses of human nature and reflect on the laws of the operation of power. Although Liu Heng's move to leave Zhang Yan behind is based on political considerations, it also allows us to see the myth of human nature behind the change of power.
How will you and I choose? Is it rational or conscientious? This is actually a multiple-choice question that everyone has to face. Let's work together to find the way to a better future.