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Text: Yanyan
Edited by Yeon-yeon
Preface
Wang Mang, a controversial figure in ancient history, did he really kill Liu Xiu? Is this shocking rumor true history, or was it fabricated to brag about Wang Mang's authority?
The truth about this period of history is still debated to this day, and the story behind it is even more eye-opening. What really happened between Wang Mang and Liu Xiu?
Does this confusing historical rumor hide an unrevealed, shocking truth? What kind of complicated entanglement is Wang Mang's true appearance and the relationship between him and Liu Xiu?
Folklore: The Mythical Escape
In Chinese folklore, the story of Wang Mang chasing and killing Liu Xiu has been widely circulated. Liu Xiu in these stories seems to have magical powers, and he can save the day every time.
However, are these legends really just made up to brag about Liu Xiu? The generation and circulation of these stories reflect the people's expectations and imagination of heroes, and also reflect the concept of the Mandate of Heaven in traditional Chinese culture.
Let's take a look at these popular legends first. It is said that after Wang Mang learned of the proverb that "Liu Xiu is the Son of Heaven", he sent people to chase and kill Liu Xiu.
Liu Xiu encountered all kinds of adventures on the way to escape, and each time it was thrilling but magically turned the danger into a disaster. These legends are not only rich and colorful, but also contain profound cultural connotations and folk wisdom, and have become important themes in Chinese literature and opera.
Once, Liu Xiu fled to a place called Miwan Village, and he found a well when he was thirsty and hungry. But the well water was too deep for him to drink. At this moment, a miracle happened, the wellhead turned out to tilt, and the clear well water flowed out.
Liu Xiu and his mounts were able to quench their thirst, and when the pursuers arrived, the wellhead was restored to its original state. The "tilted well" in this story has become a common magical element in folklore, symbolizing the favor of the hero by the Mandate of Heaven.
Another legend tells of Liu Xiu and Wang Mang staying in a village on both sides of a small river. Early the next morning, Liu Xiu's village crowed very early, allowing him to set off early.
But the chickens on Wang Mang's side did not crow for a long time, causing him to miss the opportunity. The "rooster crowing" in this story is given a special meaning, implying that Liu Xiu has been favored by the heavens, while Wang Mang is doomed.
There is an even more magical story: Liu Xiu is chased into a dead-end cave, and he is about to be caught. But he silently recited "the kiln penetrated" in his heart, and miraculously, a hole appeared behind the cave, allowing him to escape.
The "kiln penetration" in this story has become the embodiment of folk wisdom, expressing people's beautiful expectations for a turning point in a difficult situation. These legends also include tales of mole crickets, spiders, and even tiger saviors. They are all creating a unique image of Liu Xiu, who is destined to become the emperor.
The stories of these animal saviors not only embody the concept of harmony between man and nature in traditional Chinese culture, but also imply that Liu Xiu has the support of all things in heaven and earth.
However, these legends are far from historical truth, and they reflect more of the people's imagination and expectations of heroic figures.
The real Liu Xiu: an ordinary young man from Chungling
The real Liu Xiu in history is actually a fairly ordinary young man. He was born in the Han dynasty and was the sixth grandson of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, a contemporary of the last emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Ping of Han.
However, Liu Xiu's family had lost their title as early as his great-grandfather and had become ordinary people. This change of identity reflects the decline of the clan power in the late Western Han Dynasty, and also lays the groundwork for Liu Xiu's rise in the future.
Liu Xiu's youth was not prominent. Like his brother Liu Xuan, he studied Taixue in Chang'an. But he was not a good student, but instead indulged in cockfighting, business, and befriending the powerful.
Although this way of life may seem absurd, Liu Xiu has accumulated a wealth of social experience and interpersonal relationships, which laid the foundation for his future success.
After graduation, he failed to find a good job and had to return to his hometown to be "unemployed". This experience reflected the reality of society at the time, and even the descendants of the royal family could not guarantee a good way out.
During his time in Taixue, Liu Xiu had indeed seen Wang Mang's motorcade from afar. Facing the majestic guard troops, the young Liu Xiu once said enviously: "Shi Eun is regarded as the ruling Jinwu." This sentence not only reflected Liu Xiu's ambition at that time, but also hinted at his yearning for power.
This sentence drew ridicule from his eldest brother, Liu Xuan, who thought that he was not of high style and should follow the example of their ancestors, rather than be satisfied with being a ruling Jinwu. This dialogue between the brothers shows their different outlooks on life and values, and also predicts their different destinies in the future.
Liu Xiu in this period was just a nobody in Wang Mang's eyes. Although they were in Chang'an together, it was impossible for Wang Mang to know this ordinary young man from Chungling.
This huge gap in identity just highlights the legend of Liu Xiu's rise in the future. At the same time, it also reflects the solidification of social strata at that time, as well as the difficulty of rising through normal channels for those at the bottom.
Another "Liu Xiu": Liu Xin, who was killed by Wang Mang
So, where did the saying "Wang Mang killed Liu Xiu" come from? It turns out that there is indeed another "Liu Xiu" in history, and he is the famous economist, astronomer, and bibliographer Liu Xin.
The existence of this story reflects the complexity of the historical record, and also reminds us to pay attention to distinguishing different historical figures when studying history.
Liu Xin, whose name is Zijun, is the son of Liu Xiang, a famous scholar in the Western Han Dynasty. The ancestor of their family is Liu Jiao, the younger brother of Gaozu Liu Bang, the king of Chu, and it can be said that he is an authentic Han clan.
Liu Xin was originally called "Liu Xin", and later changed his name to "Liu Xiu" in order to avoid Liu Xin, the emperor of the Han Dynasty. This practice of changing the name and avoiding secrecy is an ancient Chinese tradition, reflecting the political culture and etiquette system of the time.
Liu Xin and Wang Mang were close friends, and during Wang Mang's reign, he once became the second person in the new dynasty. However, with the failure of Wang Mang's reforms and the withering of people's livelihood due to natural disasters and other factors, opposition forces began to stir.
This change in the political situation reflected the instability of the new dynasty's rule, and also laid the groundwork for the subsequent regime change.
A warlock named Ximen Junhui concocted a "Red Fu Fu" to spread rumors that "the Han family should be revived, and Liu Xiu would be the Son of Heaven", and tried to win Liu Xin into the rebellion.
Under the temptation of huge interests, Liu Xin wavered. This plot reflects the influence of the Doctrine of Latitude at the time, and also shows the role of prophecy and rumor in political struggles.
However, their plans were revealed before they could be implemented. Liu Xin was arrested, although Wang Mang did not kill him for the sake of his old friend, but Liu Xin had no face to face his former friend and chose to commit suicide.
This tragic ending not only reflects the cruelty of political struggle, but also shows the plight of ancient intellectuals in the political maelstrom. This is the real "Wang Mang killed Liu Xiu" incident.
And Liu Xiu, the later founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was just an unknown young man when this incident occurred. This historical coincidence provides material for later legends and adds complexity to historical interpretation.
The rise of Liu Xiu: from Chungling to Hebei
Not long after Liu Xin committed suicide, Liu Xiu's life also ushered in a turning point. His eldest brother, Liu Xuan, raised troops in Chung Ling to rebel against Wang Mang's rule. Liu Xiu rode a cow and followed his eldest brother to start his first business.
Although this scene may seem simple, it symbolizes the beginning of Liu Xiu's transition from the ordinary to the extraordinary, and also reflects the difficult conditions of the peasant uprising at that time. Although the uprising ultimately failed, it accumulated valuable experience for Liu Xiu.
In his defeat, he learned how to organize the army, how to win the hearts and minds of the people, and how to deal with complex political situations. These experiences laid the foundation for his future success and reflected the importance of failure to success in history.
After Wang Mang's regime was overthrown, Emperor Liu Xuan ascended the throne. He sent Liu Xiu to Hebei, which became the second entrepreneurial opportunity in Liu Xiu's life.
This decision seems to be a reuse of Liu Xiu, but in fact it may be that Liu Xuan wants to squeeze this potential threat out of the center. However, it was this decision that gave Liu Xiu a stage to display his talents.
In Hebei, Liu Xiu won the support of the local wealthy forces with his outstanding political wisdom. He succeeded in defeating the Zhao Han regime and gradually broke with Liu Xuan.
During this period, Liu Xiu displayed extraordinary military talents and political means, which laid the foundation for his later establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty. His success is not only due to his personal ability, but also to his deep understanding and skillful use of local social structures.
It is worth noting that when Liu Xiu rose to prominence in Hebei, Wang Mang had already been dead for two years. Wang Mang didn't know that there was such a "Nanyang Liu Xiu" all his life.
This historical fact completely overturns the folklore theory that Wang Mang chased and killed Liu Xiu, and at the same time reflects the accident of history and the unpredictability of personal fate.
Liu Xiu's "divine operation": reshape his life experience and consolidate his rule
After Liu Xiu established the Eastern Han Dynasty, he faced a serious problem: how to prove the legitimacy of his throne. In the political environment of the time, the ruler had to prove that he was in accordance with the "Mandate of Heaven" or else he would be considered a usurper.
This idea is deeply rooted and reflects the ancient Chinese philosophy of politics and governance. In order to solve this problem, Liu Xiu made a surprising move: he severed his relationship with his biological father and passed himself on to the late Emperor Yuan of Han.
This "divine operation" made him a descendant of the Western Han royal family, thus nominally realizing the inheritance of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Western Han Dynasty.
This approach, while unethical today, was a clever strategy in the political environment of the time, reflecting Liu Xiu's political wisdom and deep understanding of the workings of power.
This move led to a series of interesting "kinship": Liu Xiu became the son of Emperor Cheng of Han's younger brother, Wang Zhengjun (Wang Mang's aunt). And Wang Mang became Liu Xiu's cousin.
This complex "kinship" not only provided legitimacy to Liu Xiu's rule, but also subtly linked the Eastern Han to the Western Han Dynasty, creating the illusion of a continuation of the regime.
However, Liu Xiu is not very kind to this "cousin". In order to perfectly connect the Eastern Han Dynasty with the Western Han Dynasty, he had to negate Wang Mang's new dynasty. As a result, in Liu Xiu's historical narrative, Wang Mang was characterized as a usurper and a thief, and his rule was seen as illegal.
This rewriting of history reflects how ancient rulers used historical narratives to consolidate their rule, and it also demonstrates the subjective and political nature of historical records.
This rewriting of history, although it may seem unethical today, was necessary for Liu Xiu to consolidate his rule in the political environment of the time.
It not only provided legitimacy for Liu Xiu's rule, but also provided an orthodox basis for the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty. This approach reflects the complexity of ancient politics and gives us a glimpse of the power play behind the historical record.
epilogue
By combing through this complex history, we see a huge gap between folklore and historical truth.
Wang Mang did not hunt down and kill the later founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Xiu, and the real "Wang Mang killed Liu Xiu" refers to another person. And Liu Xiu's rise really began after Wang Mang's death.
This history teaches us that truths are often more complex and intriguing than legends. It not only reveals the truth of history, but also shows us the political methods adopted by ancient emperors to consolidate their rule.
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