In February of the second year of the Later Yuan Dynasty (87 BC), Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che, was about to reach the end of his life. This powerful ruler who ruled China for 54 years, attacked the Xiongnu in the north, merged with Korea in the east, executed Baiyue in the south, and hollowed out the Western Regions, making the territory of the Han Dynasty unprecedentedly vast. However, behind this powerful empire lies numerous crises, external threats have not been completely eradicated, internal turmoil has been continuous, and peasant uprisings have erupted frequently in many parts of the country. The Great Han Empire has reached a critical moment of life and death. Who can help the general of the building tilt, turn the tide to the collapse, and thus avoid the tragedy of the fall of the Qin Dynasty, with the gloomy passing of Emperor Wu of Han. The Han Dynasty ushered in another important period – the Zhaoxuan period.
In 91 BC, under the rule of Emperor Wu of Han, the Great Han Dynasty had already gone through 49 years of history. This emperor, who had once achieved great success, was already in his seventies and was plagued by illness. He often entrusted state affairs to the Crown Prince. Prince Liu Ju was the eldest son of Emperor Wu of Han, who was only 29 years old. He was appointed as the crown prince at a very young age and was deeply loved by Emperor Wu. Just when Emperor Wu of Han went out of the palace again to recuperate, a major event that caused a stir in the court and the public – the disaster of witchcraft and witchcraft.
Witchcraft and witchcraft is a type of witchcraft used by wizards to curse, shoot puppets, and poison their enemies. This type of witchcraft was popular during the Western Han Dynasty, and Emperor Wu of Han firmly believed in it, providing opportunities for conspirators to cause trouble. Jiang Chong was a famous cruel official who was at odds with the Crown Prince. He then spread rumors that someone in the palace was using witchcraft to curse Emperor Wu of Han. Emperor Wu was furious and ordered him to thoroughly investigate. Jiang Chong secretly buried himself in the Tongmu people’s womb and pretended to discover that the Crown Prince was very afraid. He was unwilling to be wronged and wait for death, so he arrested and killed Jiang Chong to send troops to protect himself. Emperor Wu of Han was furious at the news and sent the Prime Minister to lead a large army to fight against him. After five days of fierce fighting, the Crown Prince was defeated and escaped from Chang’an, ultimately committing suicide. His mother, Empress Wei, was also forced to commit suicide.
The calamity of witchcraft and witchcraft occurred in the ruling center of the Han Dynasty, involving and killing tens of thousands of people, affecting and shaking the foundation of the Han Empire.
(Professor Xu Weimin from Northwestern University: This (the disaster of witchcraft and witchcraft) was a significant event for the Han Dynasty society, as well as for the prosperous era of Emperor Wu of Han. More importantly, I believe that through this incident, Emperor Wu of Han truly realized that there were many social contradictions hidden in such a prosperous society. Without this incident, Emperor Wu of Han might not have realized the need to change course, and Han society might have lost control of Emperor Wu of Han.)
After multiple investigations, Emperor Wu of Han learned that the Crown Prince was completely driven to a dead end. The father son relationship, which was suppressed by anger, erupted strongly, and he was deeply saddened. He could never believe that he had personally caused the tragedy of father son violence, not only losing his beloved son but also causing the empire to lose its ideal successor. Shortly thereafter, even more deadly blows came one after another. The Xiongnu invaded the border, and General Li Guangli of the Second Division led a 70000 strong army to counterattack, leading to a deep and isolated defeat and surrender. Emperor Wu, who had a glorious life, had never encountered such a painful failure before. At the same time, the domestic situation was extremely severe, with excessive military activity leading to weak national strength and frequent peasant uprisings in various regions. The court was busy responding and exhausted.
Emperor Wu of Han and his empire were both plunged into numerous crises, which forced him to deeply reflect on his years of governance strategy. He began to realize that his governance strategy must make significant adjustments. At this moment, Su Duwei Sang Hongyang suggested recruiting more garrison soldiers to settle in Luntai, and Emperor Wu of Han issued the famous Luntai edict. His criticism of Sang Hongyang’s suggestion is to disrupt the world and increase the burden on the people, which is of no benefit to the people. I cannot bear to hear such a suggestion. He deeply reflected and reflected on his previous policies, saying, “Since I ascended to the throne, I have acted recklessly and caused great sorrow and regret throughout the world. From now on, if anything harms the people and wastes the world, I will abandon it.” The Luntai Edict can be regarded as the new program for governing the country in the last years of Emperor Wu of Han.
(Professor Li Kaiyuan from Jushi University in Japan: Emperor Wu of Han was overjoyed and caused political turmoil. He almost brought a intact Han Empire to the brink of destruction, but in the end, he made a retraction. He believed that he had done something wrong for decades, so there was an edict to punish himself. Based on this, he made a policy transformation.)
The Luntai Edict clarified a new approach to governing the country, which was to return policies to recuperation, prosperity, and nurturing the people. The time left for this old man was running out, and he had to quickly select a new successor. However, the remaining princes were either young or at a loss in their integrity, which made it difficult for Emperor Wu of Han to control them. This painting depicts the story of the famous Duke of Zhou assisting in becoming a king in history. Legend has it that after the death of King Wu of Zhou, King Cheng of Zhou was young and was assisted by his uncle Zhou Gongdan. Duke Zhou lived up to the trust of King Wu of Zhou and governed the Zhou Dynasty firmly and strongly. When King Cheng of Zhou grew older, Duke Zhou returned to power under him. Before Emperor Wu of Han fell seriously ill, he ordered the painter to draw a picture of Duke Zhou’s downfall into the dynasty and present it to Huo Guang, the commander of Fengche and the Grand Tutor of Guanglu. This was equivalent to declaring that he would appoint his eight year old young son Liu Fuling as emperor and Huo Guang as the head of the auxiliary minister to assist in politics.
Huo Guang was the half brother of the late general Huo Qubing. He had a calm personality and was meticulous in handling affairs, earning the trust of Emperor Wu. Before his death, Emperor Wu of Han appointed Huo Guang as the Grand Marshal, Jin Ridi as the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Shangguan Jie as the Left General, and Sang Hongyang as the Imperial Envoy. He personally assisted the Young Lord together. Obviously, Huo Guang, who was entrusted with the mission of Duke Zhou, will become the most important role of the future Han Dynasty.
As the wheels of history roll forward, Huo Guang will lead the other three ministers to shoulder the heavy responsibility bestowed upon them by history, and together they will embark on the era of Zhaoxuan.
(Professor Li Kaiyuan from Jushi University in Japan: When it comes to the issue of successors, he has chosen a very good person named Huo Guang, who has been praised in Chinese history as someone of the same high status as Duke Zhou. He knows how to guide policy changes, but he does not create political turmoil.)
In February of the second year of Later Yuan (87 BC), Emperor Wu of Han’s life finally came to an end. He wrote in his posthumous edict: “The vast sky cannot be seen for a long time, and the grand land cannot be walked for a long time. This is the end of the road. With nostalgia for the empire and unwillingness to live, Emperor Wu of Han slept in Maoling.”.
(Researcher Wang Zhijie, Director of Shaanxi Maoling Museum: This is the Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han, the tomb of Liu Che, and the largest among the tombs of Western Han emperors. There are more than twenty accompanying tombs around the Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han. According to accurate historical records, the known accompanying tombs include two major military figures from the Western Han Dynasty, including Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, as well as Lady Li in the northwest corner of the Mausoleum of Emperor Wu of Han, and the farthest one is Huo Guang.)
Director Wang Zhijie has been working in Maoling for 53 years and is very familiar with every plant and tree here. More than a decade ago, he began researching and writing a book called “The Chronicles of the Han Wu Dynasty”. The last chapter of this book is about four auxiliary ministers, of which Huo Guang is the most important part. In the first few years of Emperor Zhao’s reign, apart from implementing some preferential policies in response to emergencies, the country did little. Huo Guang personally experienced the political turning point in the middle and later years of Emperor Wu. Whether from his personality or ideas, he would choose to faithfully implement Emperor Wu’s policy of resting with the people in his later years. However, this is seriously different from the radical reformists represented by Sang Hongyang.
Sang Hongyang was an outstanding financial planner in ancient China. Around 119 BC, when the country faced a serious financial crisis, Emperor Wu of Han utilized Sang Hongyang for comprehensive economic reform. Sang Hongyang implemented reform policies such as salt and iron, equal supply, and balance throughout the country, with the most important being the salt and iron state-owned enterprise, which was to nationalize the country’s important strategic materials, salt and iron. The salt pond located in Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province is the oldest salt production center in China, formerly known as Hedong Salt Pond. It was the most important salt production area and distribution center during the Western Han Dynasty. In the past, the endless convoy carrying salt was transported in all directions, and Yuncheng was named after it. Now, the vast salt ponds and deep ruts vaguely tell the story of its former glory.
Yuban Ancient Salt City, Yuncheng City, Shanxi Province
Salt has been an important pillar of national finance since the Warring States period. The reform of Sang Hongyang changed the production of salt from private ownership to private ownership and official collection. The state provided iron pots for boiling salt, and the salt produced was uniformly purchased, transported, and sold by the state. The state has established dedicated officials to oversee salt affairs and salt officials in most counties across the country, with unprecedented distribution and scale, making salt tax an important pillar of national finance. The numerous economic reforms carried out by Sang Hongyang have achieved results to varying degrees, temporarily alleviating the financial crisis. It is said in history that the people do not benefit and the world uses resources.
Professor Jin Wen from Nanjing Normal University: One of the biggest characteristics of Sang Hongyang’s financial thinking is his emphasis on commerce. His most significant contribution in Chinese history is twofold: first, Sang Hongyang believed that a prosperous country does not necessarily have to rely on agriculture, and industry and commerce can also enrich the country; He was the first in history to propose the superiority of mass production
The Han Dynasty Iron Smelting Site in Guxing, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province
Zhang Zhenming, former director of the Guxing Han Dynasty Iron Smelting Site Museum in Henan Province: What we are seeing now is the Guxing Han Dynasty Iron Smelting Site. The well preserved No.1 Iron Smelting Blast Furnace has a long axis of 4 meters and a short axis of 2.8 meters, a volume of 50 cubic meters, and a daily iron production of about 1 ton. This was unique not only in our country but also in the world at that time
Zhang Zhenming personally participated in the excavation of the Han Dynasty iron smelting site in Guxing 40 years ago. In this 120000 square meter site, they discovered two huge iron smelting furnace foundations and numerous iron deposits at the bottom of the furnace. In the first iron smelting furnace alone, more than 20 tons of iron deposits were found at the bottom of the furnace. Numerous signs indicate that the scale of iron production expanded even more after Sang Hongyang nationalized the iron smelting site. There are still many Han Dynasty iron smelting sites like Guxing in China, and managing them by the state has many benefits. It concentrates a large amount of human, material, and financial resources, with a high degree of concentration achieving a significant increase in iron production and promoting the strength of the entire country.
The reform of Sang Hongyang quickly restored the almost collapsed economy of the Han Dynasty, enriched the national treasury, further strengthened centralization, and ensured victory in the counterattack against the Xiongnu War. However, the drawbacks of the Sang Hongyang reform have become increasingly apparent with the deepening of the reform. In the view of the current director of the Guxing Han Dynasty Metallurgical Site Museum, the drawbacks of the Sang Hongyang reform far outweigh his achievements.
(Museum of Han Dynasty Iron Smelting Site in Guxing, Henan Province: The most important reform measure of Sang Hongyang is the Salt and Iron Law. The Salt and Iron Official Camp has played a positive role in increasing the country’s fiscal revenue, suppressing the influence of merchants, improving and promoting advanced production technologies. However, it also has the drawbacks of feudal official businesses, such as low quality of iron products produced, specifications that do not meet requirements, high selling prices, and officials forcing farmers to make purchases.)
The numerous drawbacks of the Sang Hongyang reform have become increasingly prominent after more than a decade of implementation, with complaints from the people and strong dissatisfaction from landlords, bureaucrats, nobles, and merchants. After taking power, Huo Guang advocated for a slight relaxation of the state monopolized industry and commerce in order to alleviate severe social contradictions, while Sang Hongyang firmly advocated strict management. In order to reach a consensus within the ruling class, Huo Guang listened to the suggestions of his colleagues and elected virtuous and literary figures nationwide, inquiring about the suffering of the people and preparing for the upcoming court meeting.
On a day in February of 81 BC, more than sixty virtuous literary figures from all over the country gathered in the capital city of Chang’an with court ministers to discuss governance strategies. No one expected that the debate at the meeting would be extremely intense, making it one of the most famous conferences in Chinese history. The imperial censor, Sang Hongyang, did not expect that he would become the target of criticism. Xianliang Literature fiercely criticized the economic control policies implemented by Emperor Wu, such as salt and iron state-owned, liquor trading, and equal distribution, and counted their drawbacks, believing that they were a struggle for profit with the people and the root cause of poverty and hardship among the people. As the creator of these policies, Sang Hongyang countered that these regulatory measures are the main source of funds for balancing neighboring ethnic groups, stabilizing the border areas, and meeting national needs, and are an indispensable part of the national cause. The debate between the two sides was brilliant and varied, and this meeting can be called a rare debate competition in ancient China, known as the Salt and Iron Conference in history. Huan Kuan wrote the book “On Salt and Iron” based on the original archives, preserving the precious records of this meeting. However, the venue for the debate at that time had already disappeared.
This is a farmhouse in Gaobaozi Village, Sanqiao Town, Xi’an City. It is hard to imagine that the famous Salt and Iron Conference in Chinese history was held here.
(Researcher at the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Liu Zhendong: This is the famous site of Jianzhang Palace in the Western Han Dynasty. Jianzhang Palace was built during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han and was still in use during the early period of Emperor Zhao. Therefore, it is very likely that the very famous Salt and Iron Conference was held here. The conference discussed many topics, including political, economic, military, and cultural aspects. One of the important topics was salt and iron. There was a fierce debate about the issue of salt and iron during the conference. The villagers cultivated land here and cultivated all the tiles in the ruins, which is from the Han Dynasty. This decoration is still quite clear.) Rope pattern, like the pattern pressed on a rope, is called rope pattern.
Between these readily available bricks and tiles, the conference over two thousand years ago and that period of history still seem clear.
Five months after the Salt and Iron Conference, the court issued a decision to abolish the monopoly of alcohol and the iron pipes in the Guannei area. According to the “Salt and Iron Treatise”, this decision was proposed by ministers including Sang Hongyang, and approved by Huo Guang on behalf of Emperor Zhao. Huo Guang fully respected the opinions of the minister on this matter, but it still laid the hidden danger of Sang Hongyang’s rupture with Huo Guang. In Sang Hongyang’s view, the promotion of virtuous and virtuous individuals, literature, and the convening of the Salt and Iron Conference itself have already reflected Huo Guang’s attitude.
Sang Hongyang was an extremely intelligent and confident person, especially in the middle and later stages of Emperor Wu’s reign when he saved the country from financial crisis. However, in his later years, Emperor Wu’s thoughts did not turn along with Emperor Wu’s, and he always believed that a positive and proactive policy was correct. The inaction policy of resting with the people adopted by Huo Guang after his reign made it difficult for him to accept. In addition to Sang Hongyang, another auxiliary minister, Shangguan Jie, and Yan Wang Liu Dan, among others, were also deeply dissatisfied with Huo Guang. Soon, these dissatisfied people colluded with him and wanted to get rid of him. They secretly watched and waited for the opportunity.
On this day, Huo Guang went out of the palace to rest. A letter claiming to be the Yan King Dan took the opportunity to enter the palace and submit it to Emperor Zhao. This letter reported that Huo Guang had gone out of the capital to inspect the Yulin Lang and had arbitrarily appointed a shogunate colonel, exercising his power and possibly usurping the throne. The emperor immediately ordered the Yan King Dan to come to the capital for protection. However, Shangguan Jie and Sang Hongyang clearly underestimated the intelligence of Emperor Zhao, and at the age of fourteen, Emperor Zhao immediately realized that this letter was forged. Shangguan Jie and others saw that greed could not destroy Huo Guang, so they planned for Princess Chang to hold a banquet to invite Huo Guang, set up an ambush to kill him, and deposed Emperor Zhao.
In September of the first year of Yuanfeng (80 BC), a conspiracy was leaked, and Princess Chang and Liu Dan committed suicide. All other participants in the rebellion were exterminated. A crisis of overthrowing the regime passed peacefully, and Huo Guang gained the full trust of Emperor Zhao of Han. There were no more forces in the court that could compete with him, and it was known as Weizhen Hainei. This period of history has led to divergent opinions among future historians regarding the evaluation of Huo Guang.
On the day of Dinghai in the fourth year of Yuanfeng (77 BC), Emperor Zhao, who was eighteen years old, added Yuanfu to the Weiyang Palace and held the ceremony of coming of age – the coronation ceremony. Although generally speaking, young emperors can govern themselves as adults, Emperor Zhao still entrusted political affairs to Huo Guang, who continued to implement the policy of resting with the people, relaxed the control of state power over the people, and significantly improved social order.
However, three years later, in April of the first year of Yuanping (74 BC), Emperor Zhao, who was only 21 years old, suddenly passed away. This young emperor, who had ascended to the throne at the age of eight and had only been in power for thirteen years, inherited the policy of enriching the people in the late years of Emperor Wu of Han with the assistance of Huo Guang. In a relatively short period of time, the turbulent social situation in his later years was basically reversed, and social stability and development laid a good foundation for the revival of Emperor Zhao and Xuan. Huo Guang also fulfilled his mission, with appropriate internal and external measures and significant results. The relationship between Emperor Zhao and Huo Guang was praised in the Book of Han as King Cheng not doubting Duke Zhou, and Emperor Xiaozhao appointed Huo Guang to become famous at that time, which is truly remarkable.
(Song Yanping, Associate Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Huo Guang identified himself as Duke Zhou. He was indeed loyal and wholeheartedly, like Duke Zhou, assisting Emperor Zhao of Han. During his reign, Emperor Zhao’s politics did indeed achieve certain results, laying the foundation for the revival of Emperor Zhao.)
Emperor Zhao had no children, and his sudden death caught Huo Guang and his ministers off guard. Huo Guang and his ministers discussed appointing Liu He, the grandson of Emperor Wu, as emperor. The fact proved that this was still not a good choice. After Liu He became emperor, he not only lived a luxurious life but also was eager to break free from Huo Guang’s control and establish his own leadership team. Huo Guang conspired with several important officials and reported to the Empress Dowager to depose Liu He. Prince Changyi only reigned for 27 days, and choosing a new emperor was once again put on the agenda.
Due to the decline of the descendants of Emperor Wu, there were not many people to choose from, and at this time, Liu Bing, the grandson of Liu Ju, who was a commoner, had entered Huo Guang’s field of vision. Liu Ju committed suicide after being defeated in the witchcraft and witchcraft incident, and his wife, concubines, and children were all killed. At that time, Liu had just been born a few months ago and was imprisoned. The court captain, Bingji, ordered Zhang He and others to pity him for being still in his infancy and sent female prisoners to feed him. After enduring hardships, he survived. During the reign of Emperor Zhao, he acknowledged his royal lineage.
In July of 74 BC, during the reign of Emperor Gengshen, this unfortunate young master was welcomed into the Weiyang Palace, and on the same day, a enthronement ceremony was held for Emperor Xuan. However, at this time, Emperor Xuan of Han did not show any special performance. In front of Huo Guang, he appeared submissive. When Emperor Xuan ascended to the throne and paid respects to the high temple, Huo Guang followed the chariot, and he felt like there was a thorn in his back.
(Professor Jin Wen from Nanjing Normal University: Huo Guang abolished King Changyi and established Emperor Xuan of Han for the sake of authoritarianism. The reason why he established Emperor Xuan of Han was because his power was relatively isolated, and he did not have relatives or supporters who were deeply intertwined to support him. However, Emperor Xuan of Han knew that his political fate was completely in the hands of Huo Guang. Since Huo Guang could establish him, he could depose him.)
In January of the second year after Emperor Xuan of Han entered the court, Huo Guang expressed his intention to return to the throne. Emperor Xuan humbly stated that he still needed to appoint a general. As a result, everything was reported to Huo Guang first, and then to Emperor Xuan of Han. At this time, Huo Guang had already gained power over the court and the opposition. Although he was loyal to the Han dynasty, he had a strong desire for power and control. On the one hand, he firmly controlled the court, and on the other hand, he generously rewarded and promoted his relatives, which is known as the alliance of the party and the family, and the foundation of the court.
After firmly holding the court for twenty years, Huo Guang passed away in March 68 BC. This veteran of the Three Dynasties lived up to the dying instructions of Emperor Wu of Han and implemented a series of political and economic measures in domestic and foreign affairs, ensuring a smooth transition and stable development of the country. After the death of Huo Guang, Emperor Xuan of Han buried him in Maoling with a burial ceremony comparable to that of an emperor, often accompanying Emperor Wu of Han.
Wang Zhijie finally completed the chapter of Huo Guang, which means that the “Han Wu Dynasty Character Chronicle” took more than ten years to be finally completed. During this period, he climbed several times to the tomb of Huo Qubing to gaze at the distant Huo Guang’s tomb. Every time, the image of Huo Guang that came to his mind seemed different. On the day the manuscript was completed, when he looked at it from a distance again, the seal in the distance was now exceptionally clear.
After the death of Huo Guang, Emperor Xuan of Han declared himself in power. At this time, Emperor Xuan of Han was no longer a submissive person. He began to truly exercise the emperor’s supreme power, gradually weakening the power of the Huo family and concentrating it in his own hands. This made the Huo family restless. In a desperate situation, the Huo family decided to take risks and conspire to poison Emperor Xuan of Han. However, by this time, Emperor Xuan of Han had already become fully fledged.
In 66 BC, Emperor Xuan exterminated the Huo family on charges of rebellion.
(Song Yanping, Associate Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Huo Guang, he was completely self proclaimed as Duke Zhou. During his reign, he gradually excluded other auxiliary ministers such as Shangguan Jie and monopolized power. Moreover, he brought his entire family to the upper echelons, holding political power. The saying goes that when the water is full, it overflows, and when the moon is full, it loses. If a powerful minister or even a family controls the government for too long, and even to the point of manipulating the emperor’s overthrow, his downfall is inevitable.)
Although the Huo family was liquidated, the tone set by the Luntai edict of Emperor Wu of Han, which was implemented by Huo Guang, was continued and developed by Emperor Xuan of Han. During its twenty-five years of rule, with a clear political system and emphasis on education, the Han Dynasty once again showed vibrant vitality.
Duan Qingbo, a professor at the Department of Archaeology at Northwest University, has been engaged in the protection of major archaeological sites in Shaanxi for a long time. A few years ago, he participated in an archaeological exploration work, which opened the prelude to the comprehensive excavation of the Du Ling Nature Reserve of Emperor Xuan of Han.
(Zhang Ting, Cultural Relics Custodian of the Western Han Emperor Mausoleum Protection and Management Center in Shaanxi Province: Approximately at this location, more than sixty accompanying burial pits have been discovered to the east of the east gate of the emperor’s tomb. Originally, we only knew of five accompanying burial pits.) The discovery of numerous accompanying burial pits has made Emperor Xuan of Han the Han Dynasty emperor with the most accompanying tombs after Emperor Liu Bang of Han. This has also prompted Professor Duan Qingbo, who has studied Emperor Xuan of Han for many years, to re-examine this period of history under his rule.
Professor Duan Qingbo from Northwestern University: Under this towering enclosure in front of us on the right, the tenth emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Xuan of Han, is buried. The area we are currently in is called Du Ling. In addition to burying emperors and empresses, there are also a large number of accompanying tombs for ministers in this cemetery, totaling 107. Among the emperors of the entire Western Han Dynasty, Emperor Xuan of Han is the only one who has been in prison since childhood and has lived in the folk since childhood. Therefore, once he became emperor, he deeply understood the current situation of the country, all the sufferings of the people, and the problems that exist in society. He also knows the most serious problems that exist in the country at present. The first measure taken was to completely rectify the wrongful cases caused by witchcraft and witchcraft
Shortly after taking power, Emperor Xuan of Han personally participated in the trial of some cases, which brought about a new social atmosphere. He also followed the advice of his ministers and changed the practice of strict punishment since Emperor Wu, advocating for provincial legal system and lenient punishment. In order to ensure the seriousness and impartiality of law enforcement from a systemic perspective, Emperor Xuan of Han issued an edict to appoint four court officers, Ping, and subsequently announced a series of measures to reduce or reduce penalties. In order to encourage filial piety, Emperor Xuan issued an edict that children who sheltered their parents, wives who sheltered their husbands, and grandchildren who sheltered their grandparents would not be punished, which had a profound impact on future generations.
Emperor Xuan also issued an edict to reprimand some local officials for their tricks and deceit. In order to facilitate the people’s avoidance of taboos, Emperor Xuan of Han even changed his name from “sick” to “inquiring” and pardoned those who had previously committed taboo crimes. He also ordered ten times to grant amnesty to the world. While advocating for leniency and simplicity in government, Emperor Xuan of Han continued the policy of light corv é e and light taxes, as well as encouraging the people to engage in agriculture and mulberry production during the reign of Emperor Zhao. Shortly after ascending the throne, he exempted the rent and taxes of that year, and subsequently reduced the corv é e and taxes three times.
In the later period of Emperor Xuan of Han’s rule, the domestic economy prospered, agriculture had abundant harvests year after year, and the price of grain was the lowest since the establishment of the Han Dynasty. In order to prevent the harm of low grain prices to the people, Emperor Xuan of Han specifically established a regular warehouse. When the price of grain was low, it was bought at a higher price, and when there was a famine, it was sold at the original price. This measure of intervening in the price of grain with the power of the state benefited the people and stabilized the country. Under the strong advocacy of Emperor Xuan of Han, officials at all levels made encouraging agriculture and developing production their top priority.
(Professor Duan Qingbo from Northwestern University: We have a data from the period of Emperor Wu, where grain cost 50 yuan per stone, to this period when grain cost only 5 yuan per stone, and the number of people in society has also greatly increased. Emperor Xuan of Han also knew that a good set of measures and a good system also required a large number of officials to help him implement and execute.)
The so-called Xunli refers to the honest and capable local officials that poets refer to. The “Biography of Xunli” in the Book of Han includes six biographies, of which five appeared during the reign of Emperor Xuan. Emperor Xuan of Han believed that the key to governance lies in the governance of officials, and the key to governance of officials lies in local officials. Whenever local officials such as prefects, county governors, and feudal lords were appointed, Emperor Xuan personally summoned them to inquire about the governing strategy in detail, and then comprehensively verified the effectiveness of governance by issuing edicts to encourage and reward them. At the beginning of each year, when the counties and states came up with plans, Emperor Xuan personally inquired about the gains and losses of local officials and understood the people’s situation. He opposed frequent changes in county governors and believed that only in this way would the people have a sense of stability and obey management.
But Emperor Xuan did not blindly implement benevolent education, but adapted to the local conditions and times. While vigorously promoting the politics of obedience to officials, he also appointed capable officials who were famous for their punishment in areas dominated by bureaucrats and powerful forces such as the Three Assistants. Zhao Guanghan was one of the capable officials during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han. During his tenure as the prefect of Yingchuan, he used tactics to sow discord among local clans and clans, encouraging them to report and expose them. Within a few months of taking office, he executed the head of the evil county, Zhongzhenli.
When serving as the governor of Jingzhao, Zhao Guanghan became the first person to dare to attack the Huo Guang family. Shortly after Huo Guang’s death, the Huo family still had power over the court. Zhao Guanghan discovered that the Huo family was illegally brewing and slaughtering, and personally led people to break into Huo Guang’s son’s mansion to search, smashing wine utensils, and damaging the door. Huo Guang’s daughter was then the empress and cried to Emperor Xuan, who supported Zhao Guanghan in his heart. However, considering the face of the empress, he had to issue an edict to blame Zhao Guanghan.
Han Yanshou, Yin Wenggui, Yan Yannian, Zhang Chang, and others were also capable officials during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han. They severely cracked down on powerful forces and corrupt officials, achieving considerable success.
At the end of 49 BC, Emperor Xuan passed away in the Weiyang Palace, ending his 25 year rule. Emperor Xuan of Han was posthumously honored as the Zhongzong by his descendants, and the king of Zhongxing proclaimed him the Zhongzong. Emperor Xuan of Han spared no burden and taxes, reorganized the administration of officials, stabilized the border areas, and officially incorporated the Western Regions into the territory of China. His numerous achievements made him one of the four emperors in the Western Han Dynasty who officially had temple titles, alongside Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, Emperor Wen Liu Heng, and Emperor Wu Liu Che. Emperor Xuan of Han and his predecessor Emperor Zhao of Han jointly ruled for 38 years, practicing Emperor Wu’s policy of rest and recuperation in the later period. The politics were clear and presented a harmonious and prosperous scene where officials held their positions and the people enjoyed peace and prosperity. Historians of later generations referred to this as the Zhongxing of Emperor Xuan of Han.
From the issuance of the Luntai Edict by Emperor Wu of Han to the Salt and Iron Conference during the reign of Emperor Zhao, and then to the tyrannical rule of Emperor Xuan of Han, from being proactive to recuperating, the rulers of the Han Empire struggled to choose the direction of history. The smooth transition of the Han Empire during its glory and crisis is destined to leave a lasting memory in the long river of time and space. The Zhaoxuan era outlined a gentle silhouette of a powerful dynasty for history.
90 Seconds of History: Togo Reform
At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, there was a continuous debate between the study of modern and ancient texts. During the reign of Emperor Ai of Han, Liu Xin led the school secretary and discovered that the ancient texts were not only different from the doctoral texts that were beneficial to scholars at that time, but also incomplete since the burning of books in Qin. Based on this, Liu Xin requested the establishment of ancient texts for scholars, but it was not realized. In 22 BC, at the age of 24, Wang Mang was appointed as the Yellow Gate Attendant and met Liu Xin. These two ambitious individuals began to excavate Confucian texts and ancient texts that could not stand in official schools, and advocated for the establishment of a doctoral degree in ancient texts and classics. On January 15th, AD 9, Wang Mang conquered the Liu family’s territory through abdication and changed the country’s name to new. Wang Mang was determined to restore ancient times and, deeply influenced by Confucianism, planned social order based on the Book of Rites. Wang Mang followed Zhou Gong as an example and began to admire ancient texts. Therefore, he became a doctoral student in the Zuo Shi Chunqiu, Mao Shi, Yili, Shangshu, and Guanzhou scriptures. The study of ancient texts and classics was flourishing during the New Dynasty, but the social problems left by the Han Dynasty were very severe. In order to get rid of the difficulties, he aspired to reform, and thus a large-scale reform of ancient texts was fully carried out in the New Dynasty.