Reproduction is one of the instincts of animals, and in the history of our country, there is a very special existence, that is, Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan Jing, who gave birth to more than one hundred and twenty sons. As the son of Emperor Jing of Han and the half-brother of Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Sheng seems to have loved the birth of a son the most in his life, and he has thus become a "strange flower" among the kings of the domain. However, the main reason why King Jing of Zhongshan now has a certain degree of popularity is that Liu Bei, the founder of the Shu Han regime at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was his descendant.
As we all know, due to factors such as backward health conditions and unprofessional birth process, the premature death rate of ancient babies is quite high, and even the imperial family will inevitably die. However, King Jing of Zhongshan was able to give birth to more than one hundred and twenty sons two thousand years ago, and it is also said that he was a total of more than one hundred and twenty children, in short, either way, it is surprising. So, how many wives and concubines did King Jing of Zhongshan have in total, and which of them was Liu Bei, as his descendant?
There is much known about the wives and concubines of King Jing of Zhongshan, after all, in ancient times, when the status of women was extremely low, the wives and concubines of the king of the clan were difficult to record in historical records. According to archaeological findings, the tomb of King Jing of Zhongshan is a joint tomb of him and his wife Dou Xuan, and according to the "Changxin Palace Lamp" found in Dou Qi's tomb and the female golden jade robe and jade lacquer coffin, Dou Xuan should be a woman of the same ethnic group as Empress Dou, the mother of the Han Jing Emperor, and her status is extraordinary.
Although it is not exactly recorded, we may be able to refer to other historical figures. Emperor Zhao Ofe of the Song Dynasty had the most children in china, with a total of thirty-eight sons and forty-two women, for a total of eighty, and according to the Kaifeng Fu Zhi, there were one hundred and forty-three concubines and female officials in his harem, and as many as five hundred palace women without titles. Tang Xuanzong Li Longji had thirty sons and twenty-nine daughters, and in his harem there were three empresses, nine concubines, and more than twenty Zhaoyi and Cairen whose surnames were recorded.
By the end of the feudal era, the Kangxi Emperor had thirty-five sons and twenty daughters, and there were a total of sixty-five people in his harem, from empress to promise to be recorded in historical records. Judging from these data, Liu Sheng's wives and concubines probably have at least a few dozen people, not including the maids who may have given birth to children but no name for them. Next, let's talk about which branch Liu Bei came from.
Regarding Liu Bei's aristocratic status, in fact, many people have always doubted it, after all, the king of Zhongshan Jing alone had more than one hundred and twenty heirs, and by the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, there were almost countless people who had his bloodline. However, there is a detailed record of Liu Bei's lineage in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which reads: "The Han Jing Emperor Zhongshan Jing Wang Sheng also after victory. Sheng Zizhen (胜子贞), the Marquis of Lucheng Pavilion in Zhuo County in the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty, was appointed Marquis of Jin, because of his family. Ancestor Zu Xiong, Father Hong, Shi Shi Zhou County. Xiongju filial piety, official to the East County Fan Ling. ”
According to this theory, Liu Bei was from the line of Liu Zhen, the son of Liu Sheng. At first, Liu Sheng was addicted to sound and color dogs and horses, and gave birth to a large number of heirs, which gave his brother Emperor Wu of Han the opportunity to weaken his territory. In order to solve the problem of the powerful power of the princes, Emperor Wu of han first issued the "Tui En Order", requiring the princes of the clans to divide their fiefs among their heirs, and repeatedly stripped the princes of their titles on the grounds that the tributes offered by the princes were not good in color and insufficient in weight.
Liu Zhen was one of the many unlucky eggs who were stripped of their titles by Emperor Wu of Han. In the second year of Yuan Shuo (127 BC), the Tuien Decree was promulgated, and the thirteen-year-old Liu Zhen, as Liu Sheng's fifth son, was given the title of Marquis of Lucheng, and his fief was located in Lucheng County, Zhuo County, also known as Lucheng County. Fifteen years later, Emperor Wu of Han stripped him of his title. After losing his title, Liu Zhen simply settled in the fiefdom, and after that, the world changed, and this line was transmitted to the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and there was the birth of Liu Bei.
To sum up, almost all of Liu Sheng's more than one hundred and twenty sons, or more than one hundred and twenty sons, of the King of Zhongshan Jing, are difficult to determine. According to the currently known information, we can only determine that Liu Sheng had a wife named Dou Xuan, and that this person was of extraordinary origin. Finally, the famous Liu Bei "Uncle Liu Huang" should be a descendant of Liu Sheng's fifth son Liu Zhen according to historical records, which can be determined from liu Zhen's settlement in Zhuo County, and Liu Bei was born in Zhuo County.
One theory is that Liu Zhen was the eldest son of Liu Sheng and Dou Xuan, but there is no conclusive basis for this claim. Moreover, Liu Sheng's throne was passed to another son, Liu Chang, and if Liu Zhen really had the status of the eldest son, I am afraid that it would not be Liu Chang's turn to inherit the title. Incidentally, in addition to Liu Bei, the Zhaolie Emperor who founded the Shu Han Dynasty, Liu Sheng's son Liu Quyi was appointed by Emperor Wu of Han as a chancellor. In addition, Liu Kun, a famous minister of the Western Jin Dynasty who left an allusion to "smelling the chicken dancing", and Liu Yuxi, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, are also considered to be descendants of Liu Sheng, the King of Zhongshan Jing.
Liu Sheng indulged in wine all his life, and while giving birth to a large number of heirs, he was also accused by his brother Liu Pengzu. The latter once criticized him: "The king of Zhongshan is extravagant, and does not follow the people of the heavenly son, why is he called a vassal!" "I have to say that Liu Sheng's life really has nothing but children and pleasure, but no matter what, he is a rather maverick in the history of our country, which makes people can't help but be stoic when talking about it.