Chapter 22 Chapter 21 and Emperor Liu Zhao

Liu Zhao, Emperor He of the Eastern Han Dynasty, was born in the fourth year of Jianchu (AD 79) and was the fourth son of Emperor Zhang.In the seventh year of Jianchu (AD 82), he was established as the crown prince, and in the second year of Zhanghe (AD 88), he became the emperor. He was the tenth emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Liu Zhao was not born to Empress Dou, Emperor Zhang.Empress Dou of Emperor Zhang was barren, so Emperor Zhang first made Liu Qing the crown prince.Liu Qing's mother was a nobleman of the Song Dynasty, and Empress Dou was afraid that she would threaten her status, so she framed her for doing crooked ways and cursing the emperor.Song Guiren was forced to commit suicide, and Liu Qing was also deposed as King of Qinghe.Liu Zhao's biological mother, Liang Guiren, died of grief and anger because her mother's family was framed and convicted by Empress Dou. Therefore, Liu Zhao was adopted by Empress Dou when she was young.In the seventh year of Jianchu (82 AD), Liu Zhao was established as the crown prince.In the second year of Zhanghe (88 A.D.), Emperor Zhang of the Eastern Han Dynasty passed away, and Liu Zhao took the throne as Emperor He. He was 10 years old at the time.Empress Dou was also renamed Empress Dou.The following year, it was named "Yongyuan".

In the eighth year of Yongyuan (AD 96), Empress Dowager Dou died in solitude.Before that, Emperor He never knew that he was not born of Dou's family.After the death of Empress Dowager Dou, the family members of Emperor Hedi's biological mother Liang Guiren revealed this secret, and Emperor Hedi was very sad.The three princes jointly wrote and said: "We should follow the story of Emperor Guangwu's demotion of Empress Dowager Lu, remove the title of Empress Dowager Dou, and prevent her from being buried with the first emperor." All officials also echoed this proposal.Emperor He said: "Although Dou Xian brothers are rampant and lawless, the queen mother understands righteousness, lives frugally, and works hard for state affairs. I have lived with her for more than ten years and I know it very well. Don't say more." In remembrance, Emperor He chased and honored Liang Guiren as empress dowager; Liang Guiren's father, Liang Song, was framed to death by Dou Shi, and Emperor He Emperor chased him to be the Marquis of Baoqin; Liang Tong's son Liang Tong was named Marquis of Leping, Liang Yong was named Marquis of Chengshi, and Liang Zhai was named Marquis of Single Father, and he was rewarded with huge sums of money.The power of the Liang family, the most powerful and most harmful foreign relative group in the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty, sprouted.

Emperor He ascended the throne at a young age, and Empress Dowager Dou came to court to handle government affairs.Although Deng Biao was regarded as the grand tutor and recorded the affairs of the minister, Deng Biao was cowardly, wise and wise, and did not ask about political affairs.Situ Yuan'an, Taiwei Song You, and Sikong Renkai all had no real power.The Empress Dowager's brother, Dou Xian, was in charge of royal secrets as a servant and read out the imperial edict.Dou Du, the younger brother of the Taihuang, was the general of Huben Zhonglang, and Dou Jing and Dou Huan were the regular servants of the Zhongzhong, controlling the guards of the palace.In this way, the dark period of the Eastern Han Dynasty's foreign relatives began.

During the funeral of Emperor Zhang, Liu Chang, the son of King Qi Shang, the Marquis of Duxiang, came to the capital to mourn. The Empress Dowager Dou met him many times, which aroused Dou Xian's suspicion. Fearing that Liu Chang would gain the trust of the Empress Dowager and seize his power, he sent assassins at the city gate. Liu Chang was killed in the guard, but the responsibility was passed on to Liu Chang's younger brother Lihou Liu Gang.After the truth came out, Empress Dowager Dou felt ashamed, and in a fit of anger, she shut Dou Xian in the palace, and said to the outside world that she would punish him severely.

At this moment, the Eastern Han government received a letter from the Southern Huns Shanyu.It turned out that there was a plague of locusts in Mobei, the people were famine, a large number of Northern Huns fled south, and the ruling group was divided. Nan Danyu asked the Eastern Han Dynasty to send troops to attack the Northern Huns.Dou Xian was afraid of being punished, so he asked the Huns to go north to make atonement.Most officials in the Eastern Han government opposed Dou Xian's conquest of the Huns.Sangong and Jiuqing successively wrote admonitions in the court hall. They were talking about the strategy against the Xiongnu, but they were secretly opposing the power of their relatives.However, Empress Dowager Dou just ignored it.

In the first year of Yongyuan (89 A.D.), Dou Xian and Geng Bing led their troops out of Shuofang, together with Nandan and more than ten thousand elite cavalry, they defeated the Northern Xiongnu at Jiluo Mountain (now Ebugen Mountain in the northwest of Mobei). to escape.The Han army achieved brilliant results, beheading and capturing many Northern Huns soldiers.There were 81 tribes with a total of more than 200,000 people who belonged to the Han Dynasty successively.The Han army took advantage of the victory and pursued them all the way to Yanran Mountain (now Hang'ai Mountain).After the event, Dou Xian led the army back to the court.Two years later, in the third year of Yongyuan (AD 91), Geng Kui, the general of the Han Dynasty, defeated the Northern Xiongnu again in Jinwei Mountain (now Altai Mountain). .Since then, the power of the Huns withdrew from the Mobei area.

The victory of the military expedition against the Huns strengthened the political power of Dou's relatives group.In the first year of Yongyuan (89 A.D.), Dou Xian's class teacher returned to the court and was promoted to a general.According to the system of the Han Dynasty, the general is above the Sangong.In addition, Emperor He also ordered Dou Xian to be Marquis of Wuyang, with 20,000 households in Shiyi.Dou Xian resigned from the title for fear of irritating his ministers too much.One person attains the Tao, chickens and dogs ascend to heaven, Dou's father, son, and brothers are both ministers and schoolmasters, filling the court, and his arrogance is even more arrogant.

In the fourth year of Yongyuan (AD 92), Hedi was 14 years old, and he had already entered adolescence from childhood.He began to be dissatisfied with his powerless position, which aroused Dou's suspicion and fear.Dou Xian and others conspired to kill Hedi.He Di heard the news and began to make contingency preparations.Due to the monopoly of Empress Dowager Dou, Emperor He could not directly contact the country's administrative officials.All he is familiar with and can rely on are the eunuchs around him.Among them, Zhong Chang served Zheng Zhong, who was alert, calm, resourceful, and not attached to the power of the Dou family, and was most trusted by Emperor He.So Emperor He and Zheng Zhong discussed secretly, and concluded that it is better to strike first than to wait for death.Unexpectedly, Emperor He came to the North Palace in person and ordered Zhi Jinwu and Wu Xiaowei Le Bing to station Weinan and Beigong, close the city gates, and arrest Dou Xian's party feather Shesheng Xiaowei Guo Huang, Shizhong Guo Ju, Weiwei Deng Die, and Infantry Xiaowei Deng Lei, all executed.He also sent a guest servant to shoot and lead troops to surround the general's mansion and take back Dou Xian's seal and ribbon.Concerned about the empress dowager's face, Emperor He was unwilling to kill Dou Xian publicly, and even made Dou Xian the champion, and ordered him and his brothers Du, Jing, and Huan to return to their own kingdoms, and then forced them to commit suicide.All the guests of the Dou clan who were officials were dismissed.Taiwei Song You had to commit suicide because he was attached to Dou Xian.This struggle opened up a new situation in the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty where eunuchs and relatives struggled for power.In order to reward Zheng Zhong's achievements, Emperor He promoted Zheng Zhong to Da Changqiu.When rewarding his ministers, Zheng Zhong tended to accept less, be modest and prudent, and gained the trust of Emperor He more and more.For any major state affairs, Emperor He often discussed with Zheng Zhong first, and then handed over to the ministers for discussion, and the power of eunuchs began.

After Emperor He grew up, the daughter of the former Jinwu Yinzhi was selected into the harem.Yinzhi is the elder brother of Queen Guangwuyin.The Yin family was a noble relative in the world, coupled with her young age, intelligence, and beautiful appearance, Hedi fell in love with her, and in the eighth year of Yongyuan (AD 96), she was registered as a queen.However, Hedi is not specific in his love.Soon, the daughter of Deng Xun, the former Huqiang school captain, was also selected into the harem.Deng's grandfather was Deng Yu, Marquis of Gaomi, who was born in the "Yuan Gong Clan" and was also a family of nobles for generations.Deng was younger and more beautiful than Empress Yin, especially with a more docile personality, so he was favored by Emperor He and was registered as a noble person.Once, Deng Gui felt a cold and was bedridden. Emperor He quickly ordered the family members of the nobleman to visit the palace and allowed them to enter and leave the palace freely.Deng Guiren dissuaded Emperor He and said: "The palace is heavily restricted. Your Majesty allows your family to come and go as a concubine. I am afraid of being criticized. I dare not accept this kindness." On the contrary, I think it is worrying, knowledge and insight are very accessible!" So he loved Deng Guiren more and more.This aroused the jealousy of Empress Yin, who said ruthlessly, "If I succeed in the future, I will make the Deng family inexhaustible!" The maids in the palace usually received many favors from Deng Guiren, and passed on the words of Empress Yin to the nobleman.Seeing that he could not tolerate the queen, Deng Guiren said in tears: "I usually respect the queen, and I am very careful. I have not tolerated it. How can I get along well in the future. Rather than suffer disaster in the future, it is better to die today, and I can also report to the emperor for forgiveness. Family disaster, death without hatred!" After finishing speaking, he wanted to drink medicine to commit suicide.When Deng Guiren said these words, Zhao Yu, a court official, was by his side and hurriedly dissuaded him.The matter gradually became known to Emperor He, and he alienated and hated Queen Yin, so he planned to abolish the queen.

In the fourteenth year of Yongyuan (AD 93), someone accused Queen Yin of being a witchcraft and cursed the emperor.Zhang Shen, the regular attendant of Hedi Ling, had a hasty interrogation, and then the case was finalized, and the Empress Yin was abolished, and she was ordered to move to Tong Palace.Empress Yin suffered unbearable grief and indignation in Tong Palace, and died soon after.After the Queen of Yin was abolished, Emperor He wanted to make Deng Guiren his queen immediately.Deng Guiren refused at first, saying that he couldn't afford it.However, Hedi has made up his mind, and she is none other than her. After several months of pushing and shoving, Deng finally became the empress.

In 108 AD, Emperor He changed the Yuan to "Yuan Xing".In the same year, he died in the front hall of Zhangde at the age of 27 and reigned for 17 years.The following year, he was buried in Shenling, with the temple name "Mu Zong" and posthumous title "He Di".