The great man will live forever

Chapter 215 The Western Han Dynasty should be dead
Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xin, was not outstanding in his ability to govern the country. His political power was controlled by his relatives, Fu and Ding.He himself indulged in wine and sex, favored the sycophant Dong Xian, which led to the ruin of the government.

During this period, natural and man-made disasters were intertwined, various disasters occurred frequently, and riots even broke out in the capital and suburbs.Peasant uprisings also broke out in Longxi, Beidi, Xihe and other places, causing serious social crises.

In this context, the trend of "more destiny" gradually became popular.People believed that the fortunes of the Han Dynasty had declined and that they had to accept the destiny of heaven again.

In June of the second year of Jianping (5 BC), Liu Xin changed the Yuan Dynasty to "the first year of Taichu Yuanjiang" and called himself "Emperor Chen Sheng and Liu Taiping".He tried to save the decline of the Western Han Dynasty in this way, but this "more ordered" farce did not really solve any problems.

The society during this period was in turmoil. People were dissatisfied with the status quo and confused about the future.And Liu Xin's "more ordered" action only made people feel more confused and disappointed.Although he tried to save the Western Han Dynasty in this way, the attempt ultimately failed.

Wang Mang was still keeping a low profile at this time. Even though the emperor's power was weakening, it was not the time for him to take action. He was brought back to Chang'an by Liu Xin, but he had no official position and was nominally serving his aunt Wang Zhengjun. Wang Zhengjun was already 65 at this time. Up and down the age.

Of course, it was not that he had done nothing. When Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty Liu Xin took over the throne, he appointed Zuo General Shi Dan to replace Wang Mang as Grand Sima to assist in government affairs and vigorously weaken the power of the Wang family. This was a good job.

As soon as Shi Dan took office, he proposed to Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty to limit the number of land and slaves, hoping to help the Han Dynasty get out of trouble. At this time, the land annexation brought to the Han Dynasty was too serious, which was the reason for the demise of almost all feudal dynasties.

After discussions among the ministers, Prime Minister Kong Guang, Grand Sikong Hewu and others formulated specific regulations:

First, the land occupied by princes, princes, princes, princesses, and officials must not exceed thirty hectares;
Second, the number of servants of the princes and kings is limited to 200, 100 princes and princesses, and 30 officials and civilians;

Third, businessmen were not allowed to own land or serve as officials.

Those who exceeded the above limit would not be allowed into the imperial court.

Although this plan gave great advantages to the bureaucratic landlords, it still encountered opposition from the powerful people who controlled the government, first of all from the relatives of Ding and Fu.

If this was strictly done, the Western Han Dynasty would probably last for many more years, and Wang Mang would not succeed so easily.

What is ridiculous is that Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty did not give any support to this edict. Later, he rewarded Dong Xian with two thousand hectares of land at once, which was nearly seventy times the maximum land limit.

Good guy, you, the emperor, took the lead in violating the rules and followed the rules. Therefore, the decree restricting the number of land and slaves has become a piece of paper, which is disgusting even if you wipe your butt.

In particular, this guy's love for Dong Xian has reached an extreme level. He tried every means to make Dong Xian a marquis.

In the Western Han Dynasty, the title of nobility was relatively precious. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, princes were added to the Qin nobility system. However, after a series of domestic turmoil, Liu Bang ordered that people of the opposite sex should not be granted the title of king, and later issued an order that no one should be granted the title of marquis without merit. .

He was thinking about how to give Dong Xian some credit, but at this moment, an excuse appeared.

It turns out that a large boulder on the mountain in Wuyan County erected automatically, and two speculators, Xi Fu Gong and Sun Chong, felt that an opportunity had come.

Xi Fu Gong, courtesy name Zi Wei, was born in Heyang, Hanoi (today's Meng County). He was a doctor when he was young. During the reign of Emperor Ai, he was friendly with Fu Yan and Sun Chong, the Marquis of Kongxiang, the queen's father, and had extensive friendships.

Xifu Gong found Sun Chong immediately, with an excited expression on his face: "Brother, our good days are coming!"

Sun Chong asked in confusion: "How do you say this?"

Xifugong replied excitedly: "A few days ago, the big stone in Wuyan County stood up on its own. Have you heard about it?"

Sun Chong nodded: "I heard, what does this have to do with me?"

Xifugong said mysteriously: "After a huge stone on Mount Tai stood up on its own, Emperor Xiaoxuan rose from the people. Now that the big stone without salt has also stood up, many people think that another emperor will rise from the people."

Now Dongping King Liu Yun and his wife are worshiping and cursing the emperor day and night, obviously hoping to become the emperor.What's more, Queen Dongping's uncle Wu Hong, who knows alchemy and can cure diseases, is favored by the emperor and can enter and exit the forbidden areas of the palace at will. Huo Xian's conspiracy is likely to happen again!

Thinking about this situation makes my scalp numb. If we expose the treacherous ministers and kill the emperor's enemies, we will definitely be able to become a marquis! "

After hearing this, Sun Chong's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands and said, "You are so awesome. Go right away!"

They are not considered to be rumour-mongers. After all, during the reign of Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty, two very famous supernatural events occurred in the Western Han Dynasty.

The first one is "There is a stone standing up on Mount Tai"; the second one is "There is a willow tree in the forest, it is withering and growing, and insects are eating the leaves - Gongsun disease has been established."

Mount Tai has been a holy place for emperors to worship since ancient times. When people discovered that a big stone on the mountain stood up on its own one day, it seemed to be some kind of warning from God, triggering endless speculation.

However, this is just the beginning.In the royal back garden, a long-withered willow tree suddenly grew again and became full of vitality.

What’s even more surprising is that after the bugs on the tree devoured the leaves, they formed a special pattern, which seemed to be telling some kind of message.

Upon closer inspection, the shape of the pattern is very similar to the words "Gongsun disease has been resolved".

This strange sight immediately attracted the attention of officials from the DPRK and China, and people began to discuss and speculate on the meaning behind these two incidents.

Among them, a small local official named Sui Hong guessed the deeper meaning behind this with his wisdom and courage.

He was not afraid of death, and boldly reported to Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty: "Your Majesty, the rising of the big stone on Mount Tai is a sign from heaven, which means that a commoner will become the emperor; and the resurrection of withered willows means that the Gongsun family will be revived. We The Han Dynasty is the descendant of Yao, Shun and Yi Fangxun. It should comply with the will of God, give the throne to a common man, abdicate by oneself, and become a marquis of a hundred miles."

He may be a fool, but more like he was poisoned by the theory of destiny. At this moment, he not only interpreted the meaning of these two mysterious events, but also made an unprecedented suggestion to the emperor. It was really unprecedented.

As long as Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty was not stupid, he would not give up the country of Han Dynasty to outsiders because of two supernatural things.

How many people in my Liu family have worked hard to fight, and just give it to outsiders like this, are you crazy?
The result is self-evident. Instead of listening to his words, Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty executed Suihong in anger for deceiving the public with his evil words.

Suihong was dead, but what was unexpected was that five years later, his guess came true.

"Gongsun Bing has been established." should be interpreted as: "Liu Bing, the great-grandson of Emperor Wu, has been established as emperor."

Liu Bing has fully met the two conditions predicted by Suihong: "the grandson of the deposed family" and "the common man is the emperor".

What is very strange is that when "Taishan Stone Stands Up" and "Chongshiwen" appeared in Shanglinyuan, Liu Bing was only about 13 years old. He was still a commoner boy, and there was no possibility that he would become emperor at all. , it’s not his turn no matter what.

If this is not destiny, then it is only possible that those mysterious old guys are doing it. Only they can be sure that Liu Bing can become emperor. Or, in order to ensure that there will be no major changes in history, they actively create destiny and secretly push Liu Bing. Already in position...

Even if Liu Bing is still alive, they may be there.

At that time, when Liu Bing was still in prison and was just a little boy under five years old, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was already seriously ill. He was tired of traveling between Changyang Palace and Wuzha Palace.

At this time, a qi-watcher told Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty that there was emperor qi in Chang'an Prison, which made Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty deeply uneasy.Therefore, he sent an internal emissary, Guo Rang, to Chang'an No. 26 Prison to investigate the prisoners and execute them regardless of the severity of their crimes...

It was a night full of fear and uncertainty. As expected, Liu Bing was already dying, and no one dared to disobey Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's orders.

However, in the official prison where Bingji was located, Bing Ji showed determination and courage. He closed the door tightly, blocked Guo Rang's entry, and said righteously: "The great-grandson of the emperor is here, and ordinary people who are innocently killed will be killed." That's not allowed, let alone the emperor's great-grandson!" Bing Ji stood guard at the door and did not let Guo Rang in until dawn.Guo Rang had no choice but to return to Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, report the incident to him, and take the opportunity to impeach Bingji.

Perhaps at this time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty realized that his great-grandson was still alive. He was deeply shocked and said: "This is what God asked me to do."

Therefore, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made a fate-changing decision-to grant amnesty to the world.The news reached the official prison where Bingji was located, and all the prisoners were released from prison because of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty's amnesty and Bingji's persistence.

A Bing Ji has such great power, courage, and determination?Dare to disobey Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty?Is there anyone pushing behind this?These may always remain a mystery...

Because of Liu Bingji's story, the two speculators Xifu Gong and Sun Chong went ahead and immediately reported King Dongping's rebellion to Liu Xin through Song Hong, the permanent servant.

Liu Xin was shocked when she heard that, and immediately handed over the case to the relevant departments for investigation and handling.The investigators understood the master's ideas and soon found out that King Dongping Liu Yun was a rebel.

Liu Xin issued an edict, demoting Liu Yun to a commoner and banishing Fangling.Liu Yun committed suicide immediately.Liu Ye, Wu Hong, and Wang Fang, the wife of Wang Chong, the uncle of Emperor Cheng Liu Ao, were all beheaded on the street. The matter involved Wang Chong, the imperial censor, who was also demoted to the rank of chief agricultural officer.

Liu Xin immediately promoted Sun Chong to be the prefect of Nanyang County, and Tan, the right master, to be the captain of Yingchuan County. Song Hong and Xifu Gong were both appointed as Guanglu doctor, Zuocao and Gishizhong.

Regarding these, there are records in the Later Han Dynasty and Zizhi Tongjian.

After this series of operations, Xi Fu Gong, Sun Chong and others finally achieved their goals, exposed King Dongping's conspiracy and successfully destroyed it, and they received the rewards and honors they deserved.

This was not over yet. Fu Jia, the servant, knew what Liu Xin was thinking, so he came up with an idea and said, "Your Majesty, Xi Fu Gong and Sun Chong's report on King Dongping was reported to Your Majesty through the regular servant Song Hong. Just cut it off on the memorial. If Song Hong's name is changed to Dong Xian, he will have merit..."

Liu Xin was very happy after hearing this, so she conferred the title of Marquis of Guannei on all those who had meritorious service, except Dong Xian, who was the only one missing.

Of course, Liu Xin still wanted to save face at the beginning. Although he wanted to officially make Dong Xian a marquis, he was a little afraid of Prime Minister Wang Jia, so he first sent his father-in-law Fu Yan to take the imperial edict to Wang Jia and the imperial censor Jia. Delayed.

Sure enough, Wang Jia and Jia Yan submitted a secret report and firmly opposed the conferment of a marquis on Dong Xian. Liu Xin was angry, but could not refute, so she had to suspend the matter of the conferment for the time being.

By August, Liu Xin couldn't help it anymore. How could he let Dong Xian be wronged? What I have, you must have. What I don't have, you can also have. This is his partiality for Dong Xian.

If you show preference to someone, you are willing to be generous for the rest of your life. Liu Xin, Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, made this sentence vivid and vivid.

He couldn't bear it anymore and didn't care about the opinions of Wang Jia and the others. I am the emperor and I can do whatever I want. You can't control it. Why should I look at people's faces?

So he directly issued an edict: "Since I came to the throne, I have not recovered from a long-term illness, but the conspiracy of rebellion has continued one after another, and the danger is around me. Moving forward, King Dongping Liu Yun cursed me, and sent his uncle to diagnose my illness. , almost killed me!
In the past, there was a minister named Ziyu in the state of Chu, which made Duke Wen of Jin uneasy.In recent times, Ji An also foiled the rebellion of the King of Huainan.Now Liu Yun and others are plotting to kill the emperor, but no one from the Manchu Dynasty has discovered it!What do you do for food?
Fortunately, the ancestors had the spirit to send the servants, Prince Consort Dong Xian and others to expose the conspiracy, and then the criminals were put to death.Now, Dong Xian is granted the title of Marquis of Gao'an, Sun Chong, the prefect of Nanyang, is granted the title of Marquis of Fangyang, Xifu Gong, the doctor of Cao Guanglu on the left, is granted the title of Marquis of Yiling, and Master Tan on the right is granted the title of Marquis of Guannei. "

Good guy, shameless, extremely shameless. After hearing the news, everyone was shocked.

There is no other way. When the emperor starts acting like a rogue, you can only accept that the world is big and the emperor is the biggest.

Time passed, and on the first day of the first lunar month in 2 BC, Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty continued to trust Dong Xian, even more than he did, but something bad happened, a solar eclipse occurred.

Liu Xin had no choice but to issue an edict and ordered officials above the doctor level to sincerely point out his mistakes.

There is a detailed record of these Zizhi Tongjian: "At the end of the first year of Yuanshou, in the spring of the second year BC, in the first month of Xinchou Shuo, the generals and the two thousand stone men were awarded the Ming Dynasty to practice the art of war. Therefore, they worshiped Fu Yan, the Marquis of Kongxiang, as their great master. Sima and General Wei, Yang'an Hou Dingming was the Great Sima and General Piaoqi.

That's the day, there will be food on the day.The ministers were ordered to report their faults carefully, and they were also ordered to recommend one person each who was virtuous, upright and able to speak out.Amnesty to the world. "

Good guy, he may just say this and show off, but an old stubborn man, who is still the prime minister, Wang Jia, once again submitted a secret report, severely criticizing Liu Xin's excessive appreciation of Dong Xian, and advising Liu Xin to show his preference for Dong Xian. A little restrained...

There are a lot of words, the memorial is very long, it quotes from classics, and it doesn't include any curse words. Maybe Wang Jia's memorial is too realistic, and realistic words are often the most embarrassing words. Liu Xin's eyes were filled with smoke, so I hate Wang Jia to the core.

Soon, the prime minister Wang Jia and the imperial censor Jia Yan impeached Xi Fu Gong, Sun Chong and others for committing crimes. Liu Xin gave him face first and ordered Xi Fu Gong and Sun Chong to be removed from their posts and repatriated to the feudal state.

He also deposed the ministers, Zhu Cao (heads of various units of the Palace Secretariat), and Huang Menlang (advisor of the Forbidden Palace), reaching dozens of people...

Anyway, as long as Dong Xian is not moved, he can accept it. Moreover, Liu Xin's grandmother, the Empress Dowager Fu, and his mother, the Empress Dowager Ding, are both dead at this time. Liu Xin no longer has any scruples and promotes Dong Xian's family members.

What's even more outrageous is that before her grandmother's body was cold, Liu Xin pretended that the Empress Dowager Fu had a posthumous edict, and asked the Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun to order the prime minister and the imperial censor to increase Dong Xian's fief by [-] households, and then reward it to Fu Yan, the Marquis of Kongxiang, and Fu Shang, the Marquis of Ruchang, and Zheng Ye, the Marquis of Yangxin, had fiefs.

Dong Xian is the main one, and the other three are incidental, just to cover up others' eyes.

Prime Minister Wang Jia was not ambiguous at all. He actually returned the edict to Liu Xin!
Then he presented a secret report and said: "I have heard that the land and land belong to heaven. And our king is the representative of heaven, so he must be cautious in the use of land and land.

If the territory is divided improperly, the people will be dissatisfied and the yin and yang will be imbalanced. How can the emperor's body be restored to health?Don’t you still understand this truth?
Speaking of Dong Xian, Marquis of Gao'an, this man is truly a scum, and your reward for him, Your Majesty, has undoubtedly damaged your own reputation.

At that time, Emperor Xiaowen wanted to build a terrace, but gave up because the budget required a hundred gold.Now, Your Majesty, your reward to Dong Xian is worth thousands of gold. You see, the more favored he is, the more the people will hate him.

I remember that on the first day of the first lunar month last year, landslides, earthquakes, and a solar eclipse happened at the same time. All of these were caused by excessive Yin energy invading Yang energy.

The emperor's illness could not be cured for a long time, and there was no heir to inherit the throne.I think the emperor should think carefully and comply with the wishes of heaven, earth and the people in order to bless him. Why should he be so contemptuous of himself and indulge his personal feelings?
Emperor Gao has gone through untold hardships to build a kingdom. How should you protect it, Your Majesty?How could the prosperity of the Han Dynasty be let down so easily?

The reason why I cautiously returned the edict is not because I am afraid of death, nor because I dare not take responsibility, but I just don’t want the world to know about this..."

Good guy, I really meant what I said, and I really dared to say it. I just pointed at the emperor’s nose and scolded him. Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty, Liu Xin, was naturally very unhappy after seeing it.
Later, he was ready to send Wang Jia to prison for any reason, and issued an edict to "uphold integrity" and send the prime minister to Tingwei's prison...

Originally, the envoy wanted Wang Jia to commit suicide directly by taking medicine. There was a custom in the Western Han Dynasty that since Zhou Yafu died in prison, once the king, general and minister were imprisoned, they would definitely be killed.

This was to safeguard the imperial power. Regardless of whether they were guilty or not, His Majesty could not be at fault, so before the arrest, they all committed suicide to leave them with some dignity.

But this guy decided not to commit suicide. His eyes were full of regret and determination. He said: "If I am guilty, I should be tried in the market and beheaded in public instead of taking poison and dying like a woman."

Finally, he put on his clothes and walked calmly and firmly into the prison.

In prison, facing humiliation and trial, he remained sincere. Wang Jia said: "The good ones are the Prime Minister Kong Guang and the Grand Sikong He Wu who cannot enter; the evil ones are Dong Xian and his son, the Marquis of Gao'an, who are corrupting the dynasty. You can’t retreat. Sin deserves death, but there is no regret in death!”

On the twenty-first day of Jia Xi Prison, if he did not eat, he would die of blood.

This was the only good prime minister in the late Western Han Dynasty. Just like when Zhao Paopao killed Marshal Yue later, the person who framed you often knew how wronged you were than you yourself.

After Wang Jia's death, Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty may have regretted his actions and promoted Kong Guang and He Wu mentioned by Wang Jia, but he still did not restore Wang Jia's reputation and he would not admit his mistake.

Wang Jia was a thorough gentleman, a Confucian scholar, and a person that people admired. Or maybe he was thinking about this bright heart before he died. What else can I say?

His death also completely kicked off the demise of the Western Han Dynasty.

(End of this chapter)