The wheels of history spun rapidly, and the Qin Dynasty fell in 206 BC. After four years of the Chu Han War. In May 202 BC, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and, with the support of six feudal lords, became the founding emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. In the top-level design of the new dynasty’s rule, the rulers and officials of the Han Dynasty chose to follow the basic legal system of the Qin Dynasty, known as the Han Dynasty inheriting the Qin system. However, there is a system that has not been copied and inherited. It was the comprehensive implementation of the county system in the Qin Dynasty. Unlike the Qin Dynasty, the rulers of the early Han Dynasty adopted a parallel system of county and fiefdom. However, this integrated system laid hidden dangers for the stability of the early Han regime. The power game between authoritarian monarchy and feudal lords has torn apart the bonds of allies or blood ties, and is filled with bloody storms.
This is the highest standard certificate in Chinese history, the Dan Shu Tie Coupon. Made of iron, the characters on it are cast in red, and the iron securities firm bears the oath. At the beginning of the Han Dynasty, the iron coupons were engraved with promises to make the Yellow River like a belt, Mount Taishan like a stone, and there were temples in the Han Dynasty. This indicates that the Han Dynasty will forever recognize the vassal states, and the vassal kings and their descendants will also remain loyal to the Han court forever.
In 202 BC, shortly after becoming emperor, Liu Bang, in order to consolidate his rule and win over meritorious officials, made an oath with seven different surnames of feudal lords in the form of a written and iron voucher, stating that as long as the Han Dynasty’s territory existed, the feudal states would never be extinct. The Danshu Iron Coupon is divided into two parts, with each emperor and the recipient holding half, representing the emperor’s highest commitment to the feudal lords and kings. These seven feudal lords were Han Xin, the King of Chu, Peng Yue, the King of Liang, Ying Bu, Han Xin, Zhang Ao, the King of Zhao, Zang Tu, the King of Yan, and Wu Rui, the King of Changsha. As they were not members of the royal Liu family, they were historically known as feudal lords with different surnames.
Hangu Pass was the most famous pass during the Qin and Han dynasties. After Liu Bang unified the country, it became the dividing line between Liu Bang and the ruling forces of the feudal lords. Although Liu Bang was an emperor, his direct jurisdiction was limited to the fifteen counties in Guanzhong, west of Hangu Pass and centered around the capital Chang’an, adopting a comprehensive county system. Central rule extends directly to local townships through counties and counties. The vast Kanto region east of Hangu Pass was allocated to seven feudal lords with different surnames. Although the feudal states were under the unified management of the Han Dynasty, they had significant administrative, judicial, and military power, making them a highly autonomous and independent kingdom that was capable of competing with the central court.
Director of the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Bu Xianqun: In the early Han Dynasty, the political system choices faced were either a single county system or a parallel system of counties and states. However, Liu Bang ultimately chose the parallel system of prefectures and states, which had both subjective and objective reasons. But in my personal opinion, the objective reason may be even greater, which is that he has no choice but to adopt such a system in order to maintain a seemingly unified situation, and to obtain the title of emperor and receive more support from people.
During the Qin and Han dynasties, major military groups stood side by side, competing for the Central Plains. Liu Bang came from a humble background and was weak. In order to win the Chu Han War, he must unite all forces that could be united. The seven princes of different surnames had strong military strength at that time and were allies and assistants that Liu Bang must strive for. Splitting the soil and enfeoffment was not only a means for Liu Bang to win over them, but also a prerequisite for them to support Liu Bang and resist Xiang Yu.
In October 202 BC, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu engaged in a decisive battle, inviting Han Xin and Peng Yue to jointly attack Xiang Yu. However, since Liu Bang did not enfeoff them as kings, both of them remained silent, resulting in Liu Bang’s great defeat. Liu Bang assessed the situation and appointed them as kings. Only then did the two lead their troops to jointly defeat Xiang Yu. Therefore, the enfeoffment of princes with different surnames was a helpless move for Liu Bang.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: So Liu Bang later defeated Xiang Yu in the Chu Han War. In this process of victory, he tried to unite the forces that could unite and strive to quickly defeat Xiang Yu. Therefore, he reluctantly adopted the method of dividing fiefdoms at different times to consolidate and strengthen himself.
However, due to the excessive power of the feudal lords with different surnames in the fiefdoms, they quickly became a huge threat to the Han Dynasty. Only five months after Liu Bang ascended the throne, the rebellion of the Yan King Zang Tu occurred. Liu Bang personally led a large army to quell the rebellion. Zang Tu’s strength was not outstanding among the seven feudal lords, so Liu Bang successfully quelled the rebellion in less than two months. Zang Tu’s power had just been flattened, and someone accused King Han Xin of rebellion, which made Liu Bang’s nerves tense again.
Han Xin, one of the Three Heroes of the early Han Dynasty, was the most outstanding military strategist during the Chu Han War, playing a decisive role in Liu Bang’s victory in the Chu Han War. If Han Xin rebelled, the newly established Han Dynasty would face fatal danger.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: When someone accused Han Xin of rebellion, first of all, Liu Bang felt very panicked, but his mentality was to believe in what he had rather than what he had. Because his suspicion or fear of Han Xin has a long history, not a day. So when someone accuses Han Xin of rebellion, he will definitely go and cut him off.
Pingxin Bridge, Huaiyang County, Henan Province
This is an ordinary bridge in the urban area of Huaiyang County, Henan Province, called Pingxin Bridge. Although it has undergone multiple renovations, its name has never changed for over two thousand years. The reason it is called Pingxin Bridge is because it is said to be the place where Liu Bang arrested Han Xin. At that time, Liu Bang ultimately adopted Chen Ping’s plan and pretended to patrol Yunmengze. When Han Xin came here to pay his respects, he ordered the samurai to arrest him. Liu Bang couldn’t bear to execute Han Xin and demoted him to the Marquis of Huaiyin, placing him under strict control under his own eyes in the capital.
Bu Xianqun, Director of the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, “Liu Bang has never trusted Han Xin very much. This can be seen from his repeated migration and renaming of Han Xin. Of course, whether Han Xin truly rebelled is not the same as the views of historians, but Liu Bang must eliminate Han Xin, which is his true idea in his heart. Of course, when we fought together, Han Xin made great contributions to Liu Bang, and this is also very clear in Liu Bang’s heart.”.
Terra Cotta Warriors
In ancient China, the feudal system had a history of thousands of years, while the comprehensive county system was only implemented in the Qin Dynasty for more than a decade. Although a comprehensive county system could highly centralize the central government, the seemingly incredibly powerful Qin Empire quickly perished in just fifteen years. In the early Han Dynasty, rulers and officials could not help but doubt the comprehensive county system implemented by the Qin Dynasty. They attempted to find a balance between the county system and the feudal system, in order to ensure the long-term stability of the Han Dynasty. After Han Xin was deposed as the Marquis of Huaiyin, Liu Bang’s major mental illness was eliminated. However, what should he do next to deal with the Chu territory led by Han Xin? After Han Xin was arrested, Liu Bang, on the suggestion of a minister, ceded the Chu region and other parts of the Kanto region to the royal family’s children, and placed his own family among different vassal states to compete with different vassal kings.
In January of that year, Liu Bang conferred upon his cousin Liu Jia the title of King of Jing, with fifty three counties. My younger brother Liu Jiao is the King of Chu, with thirty-six counties. My older brother Liu Xi was appointed as the acting king, with fifty three counties. Liu Fei, the illegitimate son, was the King of Qi and was the King of 73 counties. The feudal lords with the same surname and those with different surnames form a situation of interlocking teeth, with roughly equal strength.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: In this case, there may still be a historical inertia in it. Firstly, the system of enfeoffment has always been implemented, and secondly, he was after cutting off the feudal lords with different surnames. He believed that the reason why the princes with different surnames betrayed him was because they did not have the surname Liu and were not united with him. So he believes that children surnamed Liu are more reliable. At the same time, perhaps in his consciousness, he also believed that if the Great Han encountered difficulties, it was still crucial to enfeoff those feudal lords and kings to maintain the Great Han. Therefore, he gave birth to the feudal lords and kings with the same surname.
A storm swept from the north, and another war was about to break out. The Xiongnu, Modun Chanyu, took advantage of the internal turmoil in China and quickly took control of the Mongolian Plateau in northern China, invading the Central Plains to the south. In 201 BC, the Xiongnu attacked the capital city of the feudal states, Mayi. Faced with a strong attack from the Xiongnu, Han Wangxin surrendered to the Xiongnu. In 200 BC, Liu Bang personally led a 320000 strong army to launch a northern expedition against Han Wangxin and the Xiongnu. However, due to recklessness, Bai Dengshan in Pingcheng was surrounded by 400000 elite Xiongnu soldiers, narrowly missing his life. It was only seven days later that he narrowly escaped danger.
Zhao Wangcheng Site Park, Handan City, Hebei Province
This was once the capital city of Zhao, the King of Zhao. In December 199 BC, Liu Bang returned to Chang’an and passed by here. Zhao Wang Zhang Ao was the son-in-law of Liu Bang and married Princess Lu Yuan, the daughter of Liu Bang and Empress Lv. Zhang Ao showed great respect for Liu Bang’s visit this time.
Shen Youshun, Vice President of the Chinese Ancient Capital Society: Liu Bang is a very arrogant person with a very big airs, so he always puts on airs and looks down upon him. In this situation, some ministers under the state of Zhao looked down upon him. At that time, the Prime Minister of Zhao was called Guan Gao, and there was another minister named Zhao Wu, who couldn’t stand Liu Bang’s actions‘ Why is he so arrogant? We are angry. Let’s fight for him, sell him to death, and in the end, he will come to see us like this when he becomes emperor. It’s better for us to kill him.
Guan Gao and others decided to assassinate Liu Bang while he was using the restroom. Due to Liu Bang’s sudden decision to leave, he escaped a disaster. The following year, Liu Bang demoted King Zhang Ao of Zhao to Marquis of Xuanping and appointed his son, Prince Dai Liu Ruyi, as King of Zhao. However, the state of Zhao remained unstable.
In September 197 BC, Chen Xi (XI) of Zhao Xiangguo rebelled and proclaimed himself as the acting king. Liu Bang commanded his troops to conquer, and before leaving the capital, he ordered Han Xin and Peng Yue to follow him on the expedition. Unexpectedly, Han Xin and Peng Yue, like when Liu Bang fought against Xiang Yu, once again declared themselves ill and unable to comply. This incident was deeply ingrained in Liu Bang’s mind. At this time, someone reported that Han Xin, the Marquis of Huaiyin, had colluded with Chen Xi to take advantage of Liu Bang’s absence in Chang’an and attack the left behind Empress Lv and Crown Prince Liu Ying. While Liu Bang led his troops to quell the rebellion, a heart wrenching scene was staged in the Chang’an Palace, led by Liu Bang’s Empress Lv Zhi. She conspired with the Prime Minister Xiao He to falsely claim that Liu Bang had killed Chen Xi, deceived Han Xin into entering the palace to congratulate him, and arrested him. Xiao He originally thought that Empress Lv would first detain Han Xin and deal with him after Liu Bang returned to court. Unexpectedly, Empress Lv showed a fierce side, not only immediately beheading Han Xin in the Bell Room of Changle Palace, but also annihilating the three tribes of Han Xin. Suddenly, up and down the court and fields, the Yin wind was dismal.
Han Xin, Liu Bang’s former ally, eventually became the biggest threat in Liu Bang’s heart. Under political necessity, his life came to an end. The Dan Shu Tie Coupon that was given to Han Xin back then has become nothing but waste paper. When Han Xin was arrested by Liu Bang, he once looked up to the sky and sighed, “As the saying goes, the cunning rabbit died, the good dog cooked, the high bird died, the good bow hid, the enemy country was broken, and the strategist died.” Han Xin, this generation of hero, ended his life in this way. But the story related to him did not end because of his death. In his hometown of Huai’an, many commemorative buildings and legends related to it can still be seen everywhere today. His lifelong achievements are still praised by countless people today. Meanwhile, Peng Yue, who claimed to be sick at the same time as Han Xin, was not spared. In the end, he was beheaded and publicly displayed for treason, and his body was chopped into meat paste, which was distributed to the feudal lords and kings.
Han Xin and Peng Yue were killed one by one, and King Yingbu of Huainan was terrified. When he received Peng Yue’s meat sauce, he was worried that he would also end up like this, which prompted him to ultimately choose rebellion. Yingbu believed that among the Han generals, only Han Xin and Peng Yue were his opponents, but both of them were killed by Liu Bang. As Liu Bang was old and sick, it was impossible for him to personally go on an expedition. Therefore, Yingbu remained fearless and quickly captured the Kingdom of Jing. The Han Dynasty was once again in a state of turmoil, and at a critical moment, Liu Bang had to embark on another and final expedition.
In the winter of October 195 BC, Liu Bang defeated Yingbu in the west of Qi County. Yingbu fled to Fanyang and was killed by the locals. However, Liu Bang also paid a huge price as he was hit by a shooting arrow and his life was about to come to an end.
From 202 BC until 195 BC, Liu Bang’s main energy was devoted to eradicating the feudal lords with different surnames. The seven feudal lords he enfeoffed, including Zang Tu, Han Xin, Peng Yue, and Ying Bu, were killed, Zhang Ao was deposed, and Han Wangxin fled to the Xiongnu. These people were his allies, but for the benefit of the dynasty, Liu Bang abandoned his friendship. Even Lu Wan, who was later enfeoffed as the King of Yan, was Liu Bang’s closest friend, but he also received a large army due to suspicion of rebellion. Conquered and forced to flee to the Xiongnu. Among the feudal lords with different surnames, only the least influential Prince of Changsha, Wu Rui, remained. At the same time, Liu Bang attempted to maintain the dynasty through blood ties, and successively enfeoffed Liu’s descendants such as Qi King Liu Fei, Wu King Liu Bi, and Dai Wang Liu Heng as kings. Compared to other feudal lords with different surnames, the territory occupied by Liu’s feudal lords was broader.
This is the popular opera “Da Feng Ge” in Peixian County, which has been popular for many years. The lyrics are written by Liu Bang, who once lived in Zhongyang Village, Fengyi, Peixian. On his way back after defeating Ying Bu, Liu Bang passed by his hometown of Peixian and vaguely realized that he was about to pass away soon. He decided to stay overnight for a few days and hold a banquet to entertain his parents and fellow villagers.
Gefengtai, Peixian County, Jiangsu Province
Time seems to flow backwards, the scenery of his hometown has not changed, and he is already old. Looking at everything familiar in front of him, recalling more than a decade of ups and downs, Liu Bang was filled with emotions and couldn’t help but lament: “The strong wind rises, the clouds fly, the majesty adds to the sea. Returning to his hometown, he is content with a fierce warrior, guarding the four directions.” After singing, tears welled up in his old age. Before Liu Bang’s death, he and his ministers swore a blood oath by killing a white horse, stating that he was not the Liu family but the king, and that the world would fight against him together. So, it seems that Liu Bang can rest assured that the Han Dynasty he established can continue to develop steadily.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: Take the White Horse Oath, those who do not share the same surname but are kings will be jointly attacked by the whole world. He made this oath in the hope that the Liu surname regime could be extended forever.
In May 195 BC, Liu Ying, the 17-year-old son of Liu Bang and Empress Lv, became the new emperor, Emperor Hui of Han. Empress Lv was honored as the Empress Dowager. Emperor Hui was a kind and gentle person, and naturally found himself at a disadvantage when interacting with his mother, Empress Lv, who had a strong personality. Therefore, during his seven-year reign, the political power was actually in the hands of Empress Lv, who had a strong personality.
In 1999, archaeologists discovered the burial tomb of the first generation Lv Wang, Lv Tai, in Luozhuang, Zhangqiu, Shandong. In the accompanying burial pit, not only were three official seals of Lv State unearthed: Lv Daguan Seal, Lv Neishi Seal, and Lv Daguan Cheng. And a large number of bronze and lacquerware with inscriptions on them have been unearthed. According to archaeological research, these items should have been made by the state of Qi, and were voluntarily offered as tribute by the Prince of Qi surnamed Liu to please Empress Lv.
Cui Dayong, Vice President of the Shandong Archaeological Society: In the first year of the L ü Hou era, which was 187 BC, six feudal lords and kings were enfeoffed, including the L ü Kingdom. L ü Guo is the nephew of Empress L ü, so she directly sealed him up and cut off the original Jinan County of Qi State as L ü Guo’s territory, making Jinan the capital of L ü Guo. It is also possible that at that time, the prestige of Empress Lv and her influence were relatively large, so everyone flattered the Lv family group more, so they gave him a lot of things.
The Seal of the Empress of the Western Han Dynasty, Jade Seal, Shaanxi History Museum
The Shaanxi Provincial History Museum, 800 kilometers away from Luozhuang, houses the only surviving Han Dynasty jade seal in China, and its owner is Empress Lv. At that time, Empress Lv used this seal to enfeoff numerous princes surnamed Lv. Because at that time, the highest ruling power of the Han Dynasty was firmly held in the hands of Empress Dowager L ü, opening the way for Empress Dowager to listen to politics during her reign. When Emperor Hui of Han died, Empress Lv had been in power for five years. She appointed Liu Gong, who was only a few years old, as the young emperor and proclaimed himself the ruler of the court, granting the L ü clan the title of king.
Director of the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Bu Xianqun: After personally listening to politics, Empress Lv clearly tended to take care of the interests and political interests of the Lv family. This has caused a lot of dissatisfaction among the ministers in the court. While she was alive, she could still be suppressed. However, once she dies, the conflicts between the Lv family and these ministers will intensify.
In July 180 BC, Empress Lv died of illness, marking another turning point in history. Before his death, Empress L ü ordered L ü Lu to lead the northern army and L ü Chan to lead the southern army, warning the two: “In the past, Emperor Gao pacified the world and made an agreement with his ministers that anyone who was not the King of the Liu family would fight together. Now that L ü is the king, the ministers will definitely not be convinced. If I die, the emperor will be young, and the ministers will probably launch a mutiny. You must lead the army to defend the palace, rather than mourn and be controlled by others.” Even as she took her last breath, Empress L ü still wanted to protect the position of the L ü family. However, as soon as she died, King Liu Xiang of Qi joined forces with the feudal lords surnamed Liu to rebel against Lu. In Chang’an, there was a tense atmosphere. Grand Commandant Zhou Bo, Prime Minister Chen Ping, and Marquis Zhu Xu Liu Zhang set up a plan to seize the Northern and Southern armies, exterminate the L ü clan, depose the other young emperor established by Empress L ü, Liu Hong, and welcome Liu Bang’s son, Liu Heng, as Emperor Wen of Han.
Shizishan Chu King Mausoleum, Xuzhou City, Jiangsu Province
This is thousands of painted Terra Cotta Warriors unearthed from the burial pit of King Chu’s Tomb in Shizishan, Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province. Wang Kai, who once served as the curator of the Museum of Han Terra Cotta Warriors in Xuzhou, participated in the whole excavation process of the tomb of King Chu. Although he is old, he will come here to see it whenever he has time, because there are too many feelings gathered here.
In 1984, a construction team found the burial pit by accident. Thousands of painted Terra Cotta Warriors were unearthed in the pit. Most of the symbolic weapons in the hands of the terracotta warriors are models of the military of Chu State enfeoffed in the early Han Dynasty. At that time, the power of the feudal kings was evident. After the discovery of the burial pit, the question that followed was where the tomb was located? This is actually a question in Wang Kai’s heart. After multiple explorations, opportunities are always left to the most hardworking people, but never found at all. Wang Kai has traveled to every corner of this place, and he knows every blade of grass and every tree in his heart. In the end, at a distance of 300 meters, Wang Kai walked for ten years, and the veil of this tomb of Han Dynasty feudal lords was finally lifted. Just 300 meters away from the burial pit, Wang Kai discovered a tomb. The tomb was hidden in the belly of the main peak at an altitude of 54.3 meters on Lion Rock, with a magnificent momentum. The total length from north to south was 117 meters, with more than 5100 cubic meters of excavated stones and a tomb chamber area of over 850 square meters. The discovery of the Chu King’s tomb on Lion Rock reproduces the powerful power of the same surname feudal kings in the early Han Dynasty.
In the third year of Emperor Wen, Prince Liu Xingju of Jibei rebelled. In the sixth year of Emperor Wen’s reign, Liu Chang, the King of Huainan, rebelled. Although neither of these rebellions caused significant chaos, the feudal system formed by blood ties showed significant drawbacks, and a new crisis was expanding.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: After the issue of Empress Lv was resolved, a new problem emerged, which was that the power of feudal lords with the same surname was dominant, and the central government could not control it. Therefore, there was an irreconcilable contradiction between the development of the power of feudal lords and the central monarchy in the local area, and once it escalated, it would be very troublesome. So, the subsequent regime was surrounded by a very important issue of how to solve the same surname feudal lords and kings, which made the rulers after Empress Lv the first problem that Emperor Wen faced.
Jia Yi, who once served as the Grand Tutor of Changsha, was an outstanding figure during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han. Although he was very young, he was highly talented and had a keen insight into the overall situation of the country. He presented famous public security policies to Emperor Wen of Han, elaborating on the long-term stability of the country, especially analyzing the huge hidden dangers brought by the feudal system to the Han Dynasty at that time.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: At that time, Jia Yi analyzed the situation of the feudal lords with the same surname. He analyzed it this way. He said that the current Han Dynasty was like a patient suffering from a severe illness of the hands and feet. His calves were as thick as his waist, and his toes were as thick as his calves. If this condition is not treated in time, even if Bian Que is still alive, it will be difficult to cure. So what he means is to quickly heal his power and weaken his fiefdom against this vassal king with the same surname. Therefore, a strategy was proposed to build the feudal lords with less power.
Emperor Wen of Han took Jia Yi’s suggestion seriously, but believed that the timing was not yet ripe and did not immediately adopt it. Emperor Wen of Han insisted on prioritizing the policy of tranquility and inaction, trying to avoid causing trouble and disturbing the people, so that the country could recover vitality and gradually prosper after a long period of war and turmoil.
In 168 BC, Jia Yi passed away at the age of only 33, which can be considered a major loss of the Han Dynasty. However, another young talented person stands out, he is Chao Cuo, the head of the Crown Prince’s family and known as the wise advisor. In 165 BC, Chao Cuo wrote a letter suggesting the reduction of fiefdoms, which was to weaken the power of the feudal lords. That year, King Liu Ze of Qi died without a son, and Emperor Wen took this opportunity to divide Qi into six and Huainan into three when he re enfeoffed the states of Qi and Huainan the following year, fulfilling Jia Yi’s policy of building feudal lords with less power. In 157 BC, Emperor Wen passed away and Crown Prince Liu Qi ascended to the throne, becoming Emperor Jing. After Emperor Jing ascended the throne, Chao Cuo was further valued and proposed many reform measures. In 154 BC, Chao Cuo once again suggested the reduction of fiefdoms and wrote thirty articles to Yang Yang, with the main focus on the Wu King Liu Bi.
Bu Xianqun, Director of the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said, “Chao Cuo believed that if you depose this feudal lord, he will rebel; if you don’t depose him, he will also rebel. So he strongly advised Emperor Jing to depose his fiefdoms and strengthen military power. In fact, Emperor Jing did not fully listen to his opinions, but only took a small part of measures, which aroused strong backlash from the feudal lords.”.
Shi Qigang, the inheritor of the Xiangshan sea salt sun drying salt making technique in Zhejiang Province: Our Xiangshan has a long history of salt production. Salt production has been in place since the Han Dynasty, with a history of nearly two thousand years.
Shi Qigang is a descendant of the traditional salt making method in Xiangshan. Over two thousand years ago, King Liu Bi of Wu managed the present-day Xiangshan area. King Liu Bi of Wu was Liu Bang’s nephew, with the strongest strength among the princes. Wu Guodong faces the sea and can make profits by boiling salt. Within its borders, there are copper mountains. Liu Bi sent people to cast copper coins, claiming that Wu coins were spread throughout the world. At this time, other vassal states also expanded their own strength. Emperor Jing was full of concerns and feared that a careless move would lead to irreparable consequences. Liu Bi knew that his next turn was on him. So, they secretly contacted Chu, Zhao, Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, Zichuan, and Jinan to prepare for a rebellion. At that time, as soon as the imperial edict to weaken the fiefdom of Wu arrived, Liu Bi took the lead in uprising in Guangling, shouting slogans to punish Chao Cuo. The feudal lords responded one after another, which is known as the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion.
For a moment, the smoke of war filled the whole country. Although Emperor Jing of Han was prepared, seven vassal states rebelled simultaneously. This was clearly far beyond his expectations. He quickly dispatched General Zhou Yafu and other generals to divide their troops into three routes to intercept the rebels. But Emperor Jing was young after all, and his reign was not long. He was restless all day, and he was wondering if the act of cutting off his fiefdoms was too hasty.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: It should be said that the Wu Chu Rebellion was the largest internal turmoil since the establishment of the Western Han Dynasty. For Emperor Jing, as a newly succeeded monarch who had not been around for long, he should have been panicked in the face of this situation, so all he could think of was to quickly resolve this war. At that time, the slogan of King Liu Bi of Wu was to punish Chao Cuo and clear the emperor’s side. So he wondered if sacrificing Chao Cuo could eliminate this war. If that’s the case, that’s the best. So he accepted Yuan Ang’s suggestion and prepared to kill Chao Cuo.
In addition to being frightened, Emperor Jing accepted Yuan Ang’s suggestion and arrested Chao Cuo when he went to court, and immediately executed him. Chao Cuo was sentenced to waist cutting in Dongshi wearing court uniform. However, Chao Cuo’s death did not stop Liu Bi’s rebellious steps. When the imperial envoy ordered Liu Bi to accept the emperor’s edict, Liu Bi had already claimed to be the Eastern Emperor. At this point, Emperor Jing gave up his illusions and focused solely on suppressing rebellion. The Wu Chu army first encountered the resolute resistance of King Liang, the younger brother of Emperor Jing, and was unable to resist the siege. Captain Zhou Yafu took the opportunity to cut off his food supply, and the rebels turned to attack Zhou Yafu’s army stationed in Changyi. Zhou Yafu stood firm against the wall and waited for the rebels to run out of food, causing morale to scatter and ultimately defeating his army. Liu Bi abandoned his army and fled, with only thousands of soldiers accompanying him. The King of Chu committed suicide. Liu Bi fled to Dongyue, and the King of Dongyue killed him and sent his head to Chang’an. The Seven Kingdoms Rebellion was quelled in just three months. In 145 BC, Emperor Jing ordered the feudal lords and kings not to govern the country, and to transfer their power to appoint officials to the central government. The rank of officials was lowered, the prime minister was changed to prime minister, and the number of provincial officials was reduced to distinguish them from central officials. The power of feudal lords and kings has been greatly weakened, and centralization has significantly increased.
Bu Xianqun, Director of the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: After the Wu Chu Rebellion was quelled, Emperor Jing of Han took a series of measures to weaken the power of the feudal lords. One is to build feudal lords without their strength. In places like the former feudal kings of Wu and Chu, he divided them into many small vassal states, weakening their power. So the second aspect is to reform its official rank, which means that these officials of the feudal lords were previously established by the feudal lords themselves, but now they are changed to the emperor, who will appoint officials for them.
In 142 BC, Prince Liu Che, who was only fifteen years old, was holding an early coming of age ceremony because Emperor Jing was already critically ill. One year later, Emperor Jing passed away and Liu Che ascended to the throne, becoming Emperor Wu of Han. After the rule of Wen and Jing, the Han Dynasty had entered its heyday, and the power balance between the central government and the feudal lords had undergone a comprehensive reversal. The dominant Emperor Wu of Han would completely solve the problem of the feudal lords.
In 127 BC, Emperor Wu of Han adopted the suggestion of his master Yan and issued a decree to promote the emperor’s favor to his descendants. This meant that the feudal lords could extend the emperor’s favor to their descendants, and that the emperor would be granted a fiefdom to his descendants, who would then be appointed as vassals. With a grace order, the fiefdoms of the feudal lords were reduced to smaller and larger, further weakening their power. Emperor Wu of Han was determined to carry out the final rectification and specially promulgated the Left Official Law and the Supplementary Interest Law. The former stipulates that kingdom officials are left officials to show discrimination; The latter restricts the interaction between scholars, bureaucrats, and kings.
Professor Zhang Xiaofeng from the University of International Business and Economics: The Left Official Law refers to the court’s regulations that all officials who serve in feudal lords are left officials. In the Han Dynasty, the right was considered superior and the left was considered inferior. Therefore, in terms of title, if you serve in feudal lords, you are considered inferior. At the same time, it is stipulated that any official appointed by the feudal lords and kings shall not be employed by the court.
Director of the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Bu Xianqun: The Supplementary Interest Law prohibits ministers in the court from forming cliques with feudal lords, and ministers in the court are not allowed to interact with these feudal lords or officials. This is the Supplementary Interest Law. Both the Left Official Law and the Supplementary Interest Law are actually aimed at strengthening centralization.
From then on, the feudal lords were only allowed to pay taxes on clothing and food, and were not allowed to participate in national politics, which was no different from the general wealthy. The system of enfeoffment finally came to an end in name, and the problem of feudal lords and kings, which had been troubling for over a hundred years, was basically solved. The parallel administration of prefectures and states also came to an end.
In the cruel struggle and in the new historical stage, when allies and blood ties were unable to become stable forces to maintain the Han Dynasty, the advantages of the county system stood out. After long-term competition, the feudal system eventually faded out of the historical stage. From then on, for more than 400 years during the Han Dynasty, the issue of feudal lords and kings no longer became a major concern for the central dynasty. In the following two thousand years of Chinese history, although the system of enfeoffment still existed, it was insignificant. The county system has undoubtedly become mainstream.
It has been widely implemented and continuously improved nationwide, creating a favorable political environment for establishing an administrative system that is balanced between upper and lower levels, with equal emphasis on power. Unlike the feudal system, as an important pillar of centralization, the county system plays a positive role in maintaining national unity, ensuring social stability, and promoting economic development. Because of this, it is a historical inevitability for counties to adopt a system of proxy enfeoffment.
90 Seconds of History: Plain Yarn (dan) Clothes
The plain silk robe unearthed in Mawangdui, Changsha in 1972 is a masterpiece of skilled craftsmen during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han. It can be regarded as an unparalleled masterpiece. The entire piece of clothing weighs only 49 grams and is the treasure of the Hunan Museum. The plain silk garment is made of yarn material, thin as cicada wings and light as smoke, making it the lightest garment in the world at present. Although the plain silk robe has been seen again, its production method has been lost along with the skilled craftsmen who woven it, leaving no trace. The process of making plain silk clothes is complex, from planting mulberry, spinning and cocooning to weaving and cutting, each step needs to be carefully explored. Although the plain silk robe originated from the period of Emperor Wen of Han, such lightweight clothing had never appeared in the imperial palace at that time. The rulers of the early Han Dynasty were like making plain silk and clothing, dedicating themselves to cherishing people’s livelihoods and recuperating. After decades of effort, they jointly woven the plain silk robe of Wen Jingzhi, which set an example for future generations, and woven the first prosperous era in Chinese history with precise documentation.