Stirring for four hundred years: Tuoba Hong violently killed Empress Feng and used his lover to rule the country and administer grace and power

This article is the 408th in a long series of articles, "Four Hundred Years of Turmoil"

On June 13, the fourth year of yuan hui (476 AD), Tuoba Hong suddenly died violently, at the age of twenty-two. The Northern Wei dynasty buried him in Jinling as Emperor Xianwen.

The cause of Tuoba Hong's death is not clearly recorded in the history books, but most of them are inclined to be poisoned by Empress Feng.

On June 19, Northern Wei made Tuoba Changle the Grand General of The Expedition to the West and The King of Anle the Prince of Anle the Taiwei, Shangshu Zuo Shu and Tuoba Muchen the King of Yidu the Situ, shangshu Li Bi of the Southern Zhou dynasty as sikong, and Empress Dowager Feng as the empress dowager. Because Tuoba Hongshang was young, Empress Feng once again came to the court to claim the throne.

After regaining power, Empress Feng immediately made her brother Feng Xi the attendant, Taishi, and Zhongshu Supervisor. Feng Xi considered himself a foreign relative and resolutely resigned, so he was reappointed as the Assassin of Luozhou, still retaining Shizhong and Taishi.

Empress Feng was intelligent by nature, meticulous in her mind, knowledgeable in books, well versed in political affairs, simple and simple in clothing, and saved 78%10% of her daily diet than the prescribed reduction, but she was jealous and cruel by nature, and worked in power.

Tuoba Hong was raised by Empress Feng from an early age and was extremely filial to Empress Feng, and things were decided by Empress Feng, no matter how big or small. Empress Feng acted arbitrarily and did not bother to tell him.

After Empress Feng ascended the throne, her favorite eunuchs Wang Ju (王琚), Zhang You (張祐), Qi Ling (杞嶷), Wang Yu (王遇), Xiang Chengzu (苻承祖), and Wang Qian (王質) all relied on her power to take power in the imperial court.

Zhang Youguan to Shangshu Zuo Shu (張祐官) to Shangshu Zuo (尚書左仆射), fengxin ping (新平王); Wang Juguan (王琚官) to the general Zhengnan (征南將軍), the prince of Gaoping (高平王); and Qi Ling (杞嶷) were also made princes, officials of Shangshu, and Assassin Shi, and were given the title of dukes and rewards of tens of thousands of dollars. Empress Feng also gave them iron coupons, promising that they would never be executed.

In addition, Empress Feng also had two male favorites, namely Taibu Ling Wang Rui and secretary Ling Li Chong, and Empress Feng's rewards to them were too numerous to calculate.

Wang Rui, born in taiyuan Wang Clan, is the ancestor of the Zhongshan Wang Clan, good at divination, and has a magnificent posture. After Empress Feng came to the throne, Wang Rui was fortunate to see the luck, internal secrets, external pre-government affairs, and love to spoil Rilong.

Li Chong, a native of Di Dao, Longxi, was the younger son of Li Bao, Duke of Dunhuang. Li Chong lost his father at a young age and was raised by his eldest brother, Xingyang Taishou Li Cheng, who often said: "This child is extraordinary and will become the hope of the family." ”

Li Chong is deep and elegant, with atmosphere. At that time, mu shou's sons often violated and harassed the people, but Li Chong and Li Cheng's eldest son Li Shao was highly pure and widowed, bright and upright, and had nothing to ask for, which was praised by the people of the time.

After Tuoba Hong ascended the throne, Li Chong was promoted to secretary Zhongsan and in charge of the affairs of the palace Chinese, and because of his rigorous behavior, sensitivity and wisdom, he gradually received favor and preferential treatment from Empress Feng, and was promoted to Zhongshu Ling.

Wang Rui and Li Chong have one thing in common, they are both handsome men, but also quite talented, Empress Feng developed them into lovers, which can be described as killing two birds with one stone, taking into account public and private interests.

Because of her improper standing, Empress Feng was very jealous of others sneering at her, and as long as a sentence in the official's speech was suspected of being a satire on her, she was immediately killed.

For the favored left and right attendants, even if there is a small mistake, Empress Feng must whip, or even beat more than a hundred whips. However, Empress Feng never took revenge on people, and the next day she was still kind, as usual, and even some people were whipped and became richer. Therefore, although the left and right receptors are punished, there is always no centrifugation.

With her superb personal charm and skill in taming people, as well as her talents, Empress Feng, although the heroine of the dynasty, for the Northern Wei Dynasty, ensured the efficiency of governance and the strength of the country.

On August 25, the first year of the Shengming Dynasty (477 AD), the Northern Wei Dynasty issued an edict saying: "Craftsmen, merchants, and servants all have fixed identities, and the relevant departments allow them to indulge and indulge, so that they can be mixed into the career." From now on, where there are people in the family who serve as craftsmen, their official positions will only go up to the various ministries, and there is no limit to those who can make meritorious achievements. ”

It can be seen from this edict that the Northern Wei Dynasty began to improve the status of scholars, deliberately suppressing other classes, which was a close proximity to the Han Dynasty and one of Empress Feng's reform measures.

However, Empress Feng was a woman after all, and it was inevitable that she would have some intentions in some things, such as the death of her lover Li Yi, which made her always hold a grudge against Li Bi.

At the instigation of Tuoba Hong, Li Bi framed Li Yi to death. In the process, Lu Nu ordered Fan Meng to advise him and became his confidant.

Li Ying's younger brother Li Ying warned him of this: "Fan Yu has always greeted people with a smile, made friends with wealth and wealth, despised endear morality, and only snobbishness in his eyes." His words are sweeter than honey, but his deeds are very evil, and we should cut off contact with him as soon as possible, otherwise we will regret it. ”

Li Bi did not think so, and still trusted Fan Meng, telling him all his secrets.

Previously, both Shangshu Zhao Hei and Li Bi were favored by Tuoba Hong, and at the same time served as the official Shangshu.

Once, When Li Bi privately appointed his cronies as assassins, Zhao Hei reported the incident to Tuoba Hong, and the two began to have conflicts. Soon, Li Bi retaliated and accused Zhao Hei of embezzling and misappropriating state property while he was in his previous official position. Zhao Hei was deposed and punished as a city gate guard.

Zhao Hei hated Li Bi to the bone, and he couldn't eat well and couldn't sleep at night. A year later, Zhao Hei was again appointed as a servant of The Middle And Shangshu Zuo, and concurrently served as an official.

After Tuoba Hong's death, Zhao Hei privately reported to Empress Feng that Li Bi was arbitrary and arbitrary, so he was released as the Assassin of Xuzhou. Fan Yu knew that Empress Feng hated Li Bi and took the opportunity to fall into a well and accuse Li Bi of collaborating with the enemy and committing treason, and she was bound to put Li Bi to death.

Empress Feng summoned Li Bi back to Pingcheng for interrogation, and Li Bi denied, "There is no such thing at all!" Empress Feng ordered Fan To testify in person.

Li Bi angrily said to Fan Meng, "You spew blood and frame me, what else can I say!" Yet, you have received so much of my favor that you can bear to do this? ”

Fan Xian calmly said, "I have received your favor, how can I compare to your favor from Li Shi?" You can't bear to poison Li Shi, why can't I bear to treat you? Li Bi was dumbfounded, and sighed: "I didn't listen to Li Ying's words, I really regret it." ”

On October 26, under the various frames of Zhao Hei and Fan Meng, Empress Feng ordered that Li Bi and his sons Li Linghe and Li Lingdu be beheaded, which was regarded as revenge for her lover Li Yi.

Empress Feng used her human way to cure li bi as a killer, not only revenge for her sweetheart, but also established a good image of the imperial court rectifying the rule of officials, killing two birds with one stone.

On the seventh day of november, Yi Qigou, a native of Huaizhou in Northern Wei, claiming to be a descendant of Yao, gathered a crowd in Chongshan to rebel, and Feng Xi, the assassin of Luozhou, sent an army to defeat them.

Afterwards, Empress Feng planned to massacre the entire city, but Zhang Baize, the assassin of Yongzhou, dissuaded: "The rebel party has been ambushed, is there not a loyal and benevolent man in the city?" How can you kill them all indiscriminately! Empress Feng dispelled her thoughts.

It can be seen from this incident that although Empress Feng is a strong person, she can still advance into the advice of others in the face of great right and wrong, and is not a person who is self-conscious.