In the late Western Han Dynasty, government corruption, economic decline, and people’s livelihood difficulties caused great social unrest. In the year 8 AD, the Western Han Dynasty, which lasted for more than 200 years, passed away and Wang Mang took advantage of the situation to establish a new dynasty. However, due to the failure of reforms, society became even more turbulent, and China once again fell into extreme chaos. The world has once again developed a nostalgia for the Liu family during the Han Dynasty, with people yearning for Han. From Guanzhong to Shandong, from Jianghuai to Hebei, uprisings have erupted in various regions, with various separatist regimes and various peasant armed forces, mostly under the banner of the Liu family, each displaying their abilities and competing for the Central Plains. However, no one expected that Liu Xiu, who was not very prominent at this time, was walking towards the historical stage in his unique way.
This is a year of ups and downs. In the spring of 23 AD, the Southern Anti Mang Alliance led by the Green Forest Army grew stronger, and Liu Xuan, a member of the Liu family, was appointed as the Gengshi Emperor, claiming to be the Gengshi regime and constantly expanding outward. The new emperor Wang Mang was determined to use absolute military advantages to first eliminate this uprising alliance. When the main force of the Gengshi Army was still besieging Wancheng under the leadership of the Grand Tutor Liu Yan, Wang Mang’s 400000 army had already marched south from Luoyang and directly attacked the military fortress of Kunyang. The uprising army in Kunyang was only eight or nine thousand people, which could not compete with Wang Mang’s army. The situation was extremely dangerous, and what was even more deadly was that Wang Mang’s army had not yet arrived, and a sense of terror had enveloped Kunyang City. The defending generals planned to retreat and protect themselves, causing a sense of disharmony among the people.
(Researcher Wu Wenling from the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: By the first century AD, China’s population had reached 60 million, with a land area of approximately 6.6 million square kilometers. Although the comprehensive national strength had greatly improved and economic strength had been greatly enhanced after many years of development in the Western Han Dynasty, its military logistics support system still had some military characteristics of the classical era, especially the agricultural era. It still mainly relied on a rear base for transportation and long-distance transportation for supply. Therefore, whether there was a very effective logistics support system at this time became a crucial factor for a military strategist to deploy strategies.)
Liu Xiu, who was only 29 years old, was also a general in the Anti Mang United Army. At this time, he was leading thousands of troops to operate near Kunyang. This is the Kunyang Ancient City Wall Site (Pingdingshan City, Henan Province), which was also the site of the Kunyang War. According to historical records, Liu Xiu, with the courtesy name Wen Shu, was born in Caiyang, Nanyang. According to the genealogy, he is the ninth generation descendant of Han Gaozu Liu Bang, belonging to the royal family. However, among the numerous branches and leaves of the Western Han royal family, Liu Xiu’s blood status is not prominent. When he was young, Liu Xiu was thick and gentle, and had studied Shangshu while traveling in Chang’an. In the year 22 AD, Liu Xiu and his elder brother Liu Yan rebelled in Nanyang and joined the uprising. After the establishment of the new regime, Liu Xiu was appointed as the General of Taichang Pian. After receiving the news that Wang Mang’s army was heading south, Liu Xiu was forced to retreat to the city of Kunyang due to the momentum of the Mang army. His first task was to persuade the Kunyang garrison to unite and resist the enemy, not to disperse, otherwise there would be a dead end. However, Liu Xiu’s position in the revolutionary army was not very high, and his refined and scholarly demeanor made the rebellious generals look down on him. The Kunyang garrison angrily rebuked Liu Xiu’s persuasion, and General Liu dared not speak recklessly. Liu Xiu only laughed and walked away. The situation became even more urgent. Wang Mang’s army was about to reach the north of Kunyang City, with a force of hundreds of miles, which made the defending soldiers of Kunyang tremble with fear. They were unable to come up with countermeasures, which led them to think of Liu Xiu. On the one hand, Liu Xiu urged everyone to unite and resist the enemy, and on the other hand, he proposed an emergency plan to break through with a few people for help. That night, Liu Xiu led thirteen people on horseback to run out and successfully broke through under the cover of night. Then, Liu Xiu recruited reinforcements nearby and personally led three thousand warriors back to Kunyang. The 3000 death squads led by Liu Xiu plunged like knives into the headquarters of the enemy leader’s central army, causing chaos in their formation. Other reinforcements also took advantage of the situation to attack. The defending army in Kunyang saw the opportunity and launched a fierce attack from both inside and outside. At a critical moment, it seemed that the heavens were also helping Liu Xiu in the formation. According to historical records, there were tens of thousands of people drowned by the Mang army, and the Gengshi army became completely proactive, miraculously defeating Wang Mang’s army, who claimed to be worth over 400000 yuan, with countless valuable chariot armor obtained.
The Battle of Kunyang is a classic example in Chinese military history of winning more with less. As the planner and organizer of this battle, Liu Xiugang’s style of balancing softness and softness has begun to take shape. He is adept at persuading dissenters, uniting the forces he can unite, and demonstrating a profound strategic vision, outstanding military command ability, and fearless fighting spirit, which amazed the world. (Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Song Yanping: The Battle of Kunyang was a decisive battle between Wang Mang’s army and the Green Forest Army at the end of the New Dynasty. The main force of Wang Mang’s army was annihilated. In this battle, the power balance between the Wang Mang regime and the reform regime underwent a fundamental change, accelerating the downfall of the Wang Mang regime. This battle also made Liu Xiu famous and laid the foundation for the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty.)
After the Battle of Kunyang, the Gengshi regime took strategic initiative and almost simultaneously with the great victory in Kunyang, Liu Xiu’s brother Liu Yan led a large army to capture the capital of Nanyang, Wancheng. Emperor Gengshi entered Wancheng and established the capital here. At this time, the brothers Liu Yan and Liu Xiu had a great reputation, especially when Liu Yan had just established the Gengshi regime. Many people believed that Liu Yan should be appointed as the emperor instead of the Gengshi emperor. Now that Liu Yan had a stronger reputation, it inevitably caused more concern for the Gengshi emperor. Under the instigation of some generals, the Gengshi emperor even found an excuse to kill Liu Yan, and Liu Xiu was instantly in an extremely dangerous situation. Liu Xiu once again made an unexpected move, this time rushing to the city of Wancheng where Emperor Gengshi was located. After arriving in Wancheng, Liu Xiu apologized to Emperor Gengshi and pretended not to whisper to any officials as if nothing had happened. He also dared not mourn his brother Liu Yan, eat and laugh as usual. Liu Yan’s subordinates did not take any extreme actions when they saw Liu Xiu like this, and the uprising army avoided even greater chaos. Liu Xiu’s enduring humiliation even made his clan brother, Emperor Gengshi, feel ashamed. Not only did he not kill Liu Xiu, but he also worshipped Liu Xiu as the general who defeated the enemy and conferred the title of Marquis Wu Xin. Liu Xiu continued to conceal her talents, be gentle, and behave appropriately, gaining greater trust from Emperor Gengshi. In October of the 23rd year of the lunar calendar, the Gengshi Army invaded Chang’an, and Wang Mang was killed. The New Mang regime, which lasted for fifteen years, was completely destroyed. At this time, Emperor Gengshi first moved his capital to Luoyang and then to Chang’an the following year. Although heroes from various regions emerged to dominate the region, in a situation where people yearned for Han, the world generally recognized Emperor Gengshi’s position as the ruler of Han.
Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Zhao Kai: Gengshi Emperor Liu Xuan, who claimed to be the successor of the Western Han Dynasty, and the capital of the Western Han Dynasty was Chang’an, not Luoyang. Therefore, Liu Xuan first entered Luoyang, and soon he arrived in Chang’an again. He chose Chang’an as his capital, which means that he wanted everyone to see that since he was the heir of this dynasty, he naturally should go to the capital of the Western Han Dynasty and make Chang’an his capital. This can improve the legitimacy of his new regime, maintain his legitimacy, and gain more support. Therefore, he chose Chang’an as his capital..)
And when the Gengshi Army invaded Chang’an and overthrew the Wang Mang regime, even another powerful anti Mang uprising army, the Red Eyebrow Army, surrendered to the Gengshi regime. The situation was very good, and Emperor Gengshi attempted to restore the territory of the Han Dynasty and unify the whole country. He sent envoys to various places to establish local political power, and Liu Xiu finally reached a major turning point in his life. In the winter of 23 AD, under the recommendation of the Grand Tutor Liu Ci, Emperor Gengshi finally ordered Liu Xiu to defeat the general and act as the Grand Marshal, crossing the Yellow River and pacifying Hebei with integrity.
(Associate Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Song Yanping: The position of Grand Marshal was the highest military officer in the country, and holding a fiefdom meant representing the emperor and having the power to seize life and death. The position of Grand Marshal originated from the position of Grand Marshal in the Qin Dynasty, which was abolished and replaced by Grand Marshal during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han. More importantly, after his elder brother was killed, the days of anxiety and instability around Emperor Gengshi finally came to an end. Liu Xiu, who had been hiding and enduring for several months, could finally develop his own power under the banner of Emperor Gengshi. This was the most important turning point in Liu Xiu’s career.).
Hebei is the foundation of Liu Xiu’s royal career. In the Han Dynasty, Hebei referred to Jizhou, Youzhou, and Bingzhou to the north of the Yellow River, equivalent to present-day provinces and cities such as Hebei, Shanxi, Beijing, and Tianjin. Since the Western Han Dynasty, after hundreds of years of development, the North China Plain has become an important grain producing area, with a considerable population and abundant production of high-quality weapons and war horses. It is a national military stronghold. At that time, there was a popular nursery rhyme that “disharmony, in the red eyebrows; if not, in Hebei.” However, Liu Xiu’s development in Hebei was not smooth. Although Emperor Gengshi conferred Liu Xiu an official position, he did not give him many people and horses. Although he worked hard to unite local forces, there were also some. The notorious defector, but the powerful Wang Lang, was not willing to accept it and lived under the reign of Emperor Gengshi. He proclaimed himself emperor in Handan and offered a reward of 100000 households to arrest Liu Xiu. Liu Xiu repeatedly encountered dangerous situations, The situation is difficult. In order to establish a foothold in Hebei, Liu Xiu went against her personal emotions and married Guo Shengtong, the daughter of the Guo family of the Zhending Haozu. Through political alliances, she gained the support of local powerful forces. Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Zhao Kai: Guo Shengtong. Her father is a local powerful family, and her mother is the daughter of the feudal lords of Zhending Kingdom. Her family is very influential in the local area, both economically and politically. So when Liu Xiu developed his influence in the north of the river, he married such a powerful family, which is beneficial for developing his own power. In this understanding, this marriage is more like a political marriage. Liu Xiu also united the armed forces of Yuyang and Shanggu counties and received their strong support. Yuyang and Shanggu were the front lines of the Han Dynasty to resist the Xiongnu, with a large number of elite cavalry stationed, known as Tu Cavalry. Cavalry had the advantages of fast movement speed and strong impact ability, making them undoubtedly the most feared types of troops in the era of cold weapons. Youzhou Tu Cavalry repeatedly made military achievements in Liu Xiu’s unification of the world.
Han Dynasty Ancient City Wall, Handan City, Hebei Province
This is the Han Dynasty city wall that is still preserved in Handan, with 6 meters buried below the surface layer. The original city wall reached a height of 20 meters, but only a small part remains today. In May of the 24th AD, Liu Xiu invaded Handan and eliminated his formidable enemy Wang Lang. The situation of dominating Hebei had already taken shape, and he had the capital to go south to Heluo and dominate the world. He was determined to completely rid himself of the Gengshi Emperor.
Qianqiu Tai, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
This is Qianqiu Terrace located in the southeast of Gaoyi County, Hebei Province. In June of the 25th year AD, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu held a grand ceremony for his ascension to the throne at the Qianqiu Pavilion in the southeast of Qian County. The country was named Han and the year was Jianwu. The location for his ascension was temporarily selected, and the altar for the ceremony was built temporarily, making everything simple. The congratulatory words for ascending the throne, which read: “To pacify the world, there is grace within the sea.” are actually just empty words. Around the year 25 AD, the world and the sea did not belong solely to Liu Xiu. Amidst the smoke, the 31 year old new emperor had a solemn expression. In the same year that Liu Xiu declared himself emperor, there were several other emperors in China’s territory, and the most powerful one was the Gengshi Emperor, who had already established his capital in Chang’an. By comparing the strengths of both sides, it is difficult to predict which Liu Xiu Group will win or lose against the Gengshi regime. However, the military actions of the Red Eyebrow Army have led the victorious Libra to lean towards Liu Xiu’s side. Unlike Liu Xiu’s hard work in entrepreneurship and efforts to unite various forces, the capital of Chang’an was quickly corrupted by the Gengshi Emperor. For the Red Eyebrow leaders such as Fan Chong who voluntarily defected to him, the Gengshi Emperor could not properly settle them and only dealt with them with empty promises, causing strong dissatisfaction. He soon left and turned to attack Chang’an in the west.
In the spring of 25 AD, the Red Eyebrow Army broke into Guanzhong and continuously dealt heavy blows to the defending forces of the Gengshi regime. The restraint of the Red Eyebrow Army left the Gengshi regime with no time to look eastward. Liu Xiu certainly could not miss this blessed opportunity. He sent Deng Yu to lead a team to the west and successfully captured Hedong, then crossed the Yellow River and attacked Guanzhong. Liu Xiu himself led the main force to besiege Luoyang. In September of that year, the Red Eyebrow Army captured Chang’an, and the revolutionary regime, which was supposed to be Liu Xiu’s strongest opponent, collapsed in an instant. In October, Liu Xiu’s army entered Luoyang without bloodshed. The Red Eyebrow Army, which was severely weakened in Guanzhong, returned from Guandong and was surrounded by Liu Xiu’s Han army. They were forced to surrender, and this largest peasant army during the Han Dynasty collapsed.
Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Wu Wenling: The Red Eyebrow Army initially achieved great momentum, they were invincible all the way, and finally they directly attacked Guanzhong, occupied the Guanzhong area, and drove away the Green Forest Army, which had established a new regime in Guanzhong at that time. The Red Eyebrow Army actually had a very good initial momentum, and they persisted for almost ten years, but ultimately ended in failure. I think there are multiple factors to the Red Eyebrow Army’s failure, but I think the most important factor is that they lack a long-term political strategic goal, especially the goal of unifying the whole country. If they have conquered the territory, they have already defeated it. Without effective administrative jurisdiction over it, he was in a state of mobile warfare, so he never established a stable rear base, Compared to them, I think Liu Xiujun was in a completely different state. Firstly, he wanted to conquer and unify the whole country, and had established a long-term strategic goal. Therefore, his combat style was to go step by step. After conquering a place, he immediately took effective control and jurisdiction, on the one hand, he attacked the city and territory, and on the other hand, he carried out effective governance.
The Han Wei Luoyang Palace Site in Luoyang City, Henan Province
Luoyang, one of the famous ancient capitals of China, was considered an ideal location for the capital of a dynasty in ancient Chinese beliefs. In October of the 25th year, Liu Xiu led his troops to enter Luoyang, making it the capital of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Luoyang was located east of Chang’an. To distinguish it from the Han Dynasty, which had established its capital in Chang’an, it was customary for later generations to refer to Liu Xiu’s regime as either the Eastern Han or the Later Han Dynasty. Liu Xiu took it as his own responsibility to restore the Han Dynasty and proclaimed himself as the legitimate successor of the Han Zuo. It seems that restoring the former capital of Chang’an would better reflect the legitimacy of the regime. Two years ago, Emperor Gengshi Liu Xuan chose the latter between Luoyang and Chang’an, and Liu Xiu established the capital. What is the reason for abandoning Chang’an in Luoyang and taking the opposite path?
Qian Guoxiang, the captain of the Han Wei Luoyang Ancient City Archaeological Team at the Institute of Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: What we see now is the northern wall of Luoyang City in the Eastern Han Dynasty. This section of the wall is still well preserved. As for the relationship between Liu Xiu and Luoyang City, we all know that he was initially sent by Liu Xuan to Luoyang to build it while following the Revolutionary Army, in preparation for use as the capital city. Of course, after Liu Xiuguang regained the Han Dynasty and officially established the Eastern Han regime, there were several reasons for using Luoyang as the capital city. One reason is that at that time, Luoyang City was in the entire East, and Liu Xiu’s army started from Nanyang. He gradually started as his base in Hebei, where his power flourished. This place was not far from Luoyang, and another city, Luoyang, could rule the entire eastern region, At that time, the Green Forest Army and Red Eyebrow Army in Chang’an City of the Western Han Dynasty carried out multiple raids, and the palace buildings were burned to the ground.
In the year 30 AD, which was the sixth year of Jianwu, Emperor Guangwu basically eradicated the hostile forces in the East and controlled four fifths of the country with Luoyang as the center. However, the great cause of unifying the country was still full of variables. Gongsun Shu has proclaimed himself emperor and firmly occupies Yizhou, with a desire to covet the world. In the northwest of Yizhou, Wei Xiao (ao) controlled the area of Longyou, with strong troops and strong horses. Dou Rong firmly controlled the Hexi region. During the Han Dynasty, the Hexi region was far from the flames of war, and Dou Rong was elected as the military commander of the five counties in Hexi. He planned to protect himself, the people were strong, and the army was strong. Although they are not opponents of the Guangwu regime, as long as the three sides unite and act as horns, not only will the entire northwest and southwest no longer belong to the Han Dynasty, but Guanzhong will also be attacked from both sides. The winner is uncertain, and a new round of challenges quickly lay before Liu Xiu. From Luoyang to Tianshui, from Tianshui to Chengdu, and from Chengdu to Luoyang, groups of envoys gallop and crisscross on the road. They shoulder the heavy responsibility of their respective lords, exploring reality, lobbying the other party, and even engaging in debates over the issue of the illusory fate. Time seems to have returned to the Warring States period when strategists roamed freely
Ma Yuan was one of the messengers who traveled between the East and the West. He was entrusted by Wei Xiao to go to Luoyang and observe the situation. Ma Yuan had realized that the trend of Emperor Guangwu’s unification of the world was irreversible, and the road to victory was right in front of him. The news brought back by Ma Yuan disappointed Wei Xiao, but he was still obsessed with his dream of division and separatism. Wei Xiao’s ultimate choice was to unite with Gong Sunshu to form a family and resist in a corner. This was the chess game that Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu did not want to see. He had repeatedly fought for Wei Xiao and Gong Sunshu through peaceful means, but now sending troops to Longshu has become the only means to solve the problem. This emperor has been on the battlefield for a long time, but he has a deep aversion to war. He once lamented that people are not satisfied with their hardships. After pacifying Long and looking back at Shu, every time he sends out troops, his head must be white.
Years later, in AD 49, some negative events occurred regarding Emperor Guangwu’s governance policies. He once again sent Ma Yuan to quell the uprising of the Wuxi Barbarians in Wuling County. During Ma Yuan’s suppression of the rebellion, politicians who opposed Ma Yuan made some false accusations against Ma Yuan in front of Emperor Guangwu. Emperor Guangwu believed these accusations and began investigating Ma Yuan, resulting in his death due to illness during the investigation. This is a transfer appointment document notified by the county magistrate of Juyan County in Zhangye County to the heads of various subordinate institutions
Unearthed in 1973 at the Jiaqu Marquis Site in the Juyan Han Dynasty, the document was actually formed in the fifth year of Jianwu, which means that the Hu people violated the border. A frontline outpost named Wang Bao accused improper management and accusation of dereliction of duty. Wu Wenling, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: According to historical records, the Dourong Group in the Hexi region was officially under the jurisdiction of Liu Xiu, the Guangwu Emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, in the eighth year of Jianwu. The entire Longyou region was finally conquered in the twelfth year of Jianwu. However, from the materials unearthed from the Juyan Han bamboo slips, we can see that there were very early Guangwu Emperor’s reign names, including those before Jianwu’s eighth year and earlier. In fact, at this time, Liu Xiu, the Guangwu Emperor, had not yet implemented effective jurisdiction over the Hexi region. The Jianwu reign names that appeared in this area have a very profound meaning because Everyone knows that in ancient times, adopting the reign title of an emperor was actually recognition of his political power
The Marionette Troupe in Heyang County, Shaanxi Province
In Heyang County, Shaanxi Province, there is a traditional string puppet theater troupe that masters a series of puppet skills from carving to performing. In their performances, they also retain some programs about the career of Emperor Guangwu, including the story between Liu Xiu and Dou Rong. This historical story well illustrates the strategies adopted by Emperor Guangwu in dealing with Dou Rong and other forces. Liu Xiu hopes to reach a peace agreement with him to gather strength and attack enemies in other regions. The Eastern War had not yet ended, and Liu Xiu extended an olive branch to Dou Rong. Unlike Wei Xiao and Gong Sunshu, Dou Rong recognized the situation of people’s minds and sweat, decisively changed his flag to return to Han, and accepted Liu Xiu’s command to send troops to assist in the battle, becoming the key to solving the northwest transformation. In the year 34 AD, the Wei Xiao Group was completely defeated. In the year 36 AD, Wu Han and Zang Gong led the Han army to attack Chengdu and eliminate Gongsun Shu. (Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Sun Xiao: Emperor Guangwu himself had many good generals under him, such as Wu Han, Jia Fu, and Geng Yan, all of whom were eventually listed as the 28 generals of Yuntai. Emperor Guangwu himself was a wise man and a strategist. According to historical records, he could judge the victory or defeat of a war based on the formation ahead and the preparation before the war.)
The turbulent and chaotic situation since the end of the Xinmang era has finally come to an end, and Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu has completed the historical mission of restoring the Han dynasty to rule the world. Song Yanping, Associate Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Wang Mang, after establishing the New Dynasty, carried out a reform through ancient times. However, the New Policy did not solve the serious social crisis, but instead caused strong dissatisfaction from various social classes. People yearned for the political clarity, social stability, and prosperity of the people in the early Western Han Dynasty, and the revival of the Han Dynasty became the aspiration of the people. Liu Xiu cleverly utilized this social trend of people thinking about Han. He borrowed the prophecy (chen) in the red fu fu fu fu presented by the Confucian scholar Qianghua. Liu Xiu’s army was unable to capture him, and the four barbarians gathered in the fields of dragon fighting. During the period of April and July, fire became the main force for him to seize power. A legitimate basis, thus successfully transforming the social trend of people’s longing for Han into an important force supporting his revival of the Han dynasty
Wang Fuzhi once said that the difficulty of Emperor Guangwu’s virtue of the world was higher than that of Emperor Gaozu of Han. The evaluation of scholar Hao Jing in the Yuan Dynasty was “Although it was a revival, my husband started his own business.”
The 28 generals of Yuntai, also known as the 28 generals of Zhongxing, are still widely circulated among the people today. As founding heroes, they followed Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu through life and death, and fought in both the south and north, making remarkable contributions to the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty. They should be valued and respected by the new regime.
However, after unifying the country, like every emerging dynasty, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu had to face the problem of how to place the founding heroes, which was actually a thorny problem. Two hundred years ago, when Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, established the Western Han Dynasty, he faced threats from meritorious officials such as Han Xin and Peng Yue to the Han Dynasty. He also ruthlessly targeted assassins, leaving behind a negative review of killing meritorious officials.
Unlike Emperor Gaozu of Han, Emperor Guangwu adopted a completely different approach. The heavyweight founding fathers were rewarded with high titles, as well as honorary privileges such as special advancement and court invitation. However, except for Deng Yu, Li Tong, and Jia Fu, who could participate in national affairs, others basically withdrew from the center of national power and no longer participated in national management. This disposal was understood and supported by the founding heroes, and the monarch and subjects were in peace. Liu Xiu was able to more smoothly implement his predetermined policies.
Zhao Kai, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Overall, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu’s attitude towards his meritorious officials is to show respect and distance himself. Respect means to take care of and favor these founding heroes as much as possible economically, politically, and personally. Distance means to prevent these heroes from participating in national management affairs, especially in the national management center, after the founding of the country, so as to protect them. Anyway, this policy was understood and supported by the founding fathers, and in the end, the monarchs and ministers were in peace. I think this turning point of history can be compared to Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu in history. Only the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, Zhao Kuangyin, is beautiful
Retirement of meritorious officials and promotion of civil officials is the core personnel policy of Emperor Guangwu. Retirement of meritorious officials can protect meritorious officials and help prevent the tyranny of powerful officials. Promotion of civil officials is to attract outstanding individuals, including a large number of Confucian scholars, to the bureaucratic team, making it easier for the emperor to grasp the power outline, oversee officials and workers, and prevent the rise of political dissidents. The Confucian master Ouyang She (xi) was appointed as the Grand Tutor by Liu Xiuzheng and ranked among the Three Princes, with a rare reputation in the world.
Wu Wenling, a researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences: Retirement of meritorious officials and promotion to civil service was actually a very important measure taken by Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu during the early establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The so-called withdrawal of meritorious officials was simply to remove their power, allow them to enjoy high honor and status, and provide them with generous salary and treatment, which was to empty their power. At the same time, governing such a huge country also required some civil officials who knew how to govern the country and the people, and those who knew how to punish officials. Therefore, at this time, he also took another measure, which was to promote civil service. The measure of retiring meritorious officials and promoting civil service actually took the role of civil service. The military official system has basically lifted its ruling system, fully realizing a transformation from a military official system to a civil official system, and in fact, it has also achieved the transition from martial arts to literature The transformation of governance from being a meritorious official to becoming a civil servant was a landmark measure, and Emperor Guangwu’s system of using civil officials to govern the country also had a profound impact on future generations
Liu Xiu likes Confucianism. Whenever the political proceedings are over, he always talks with the civil and military ministers about the principles in Confucian classics until midnight. Crown Prince Liu Zhuang advised him not to be too tired. He said he likes this and doesn’t feel tired.
(Associate Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Song Yanping: Liu Xiu attaches great importance to Confucianism. During the war, he did not have time to get off the car and first visited Confucianism. After the establishment of the Eastern Han dynasty, he placed even greater emphasis on Confucianism. He established a Doctor of the Five Classics and a Imperial Academy in Luoyang, using the classics of Confucianism to educate the world. Every time after leaving the court, he would discuss Confucianism with the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs, and even go to universities to discuss Confucianism, which created a social atmosphere of valuing Confucianism and valuing Confucianism in the Eastern Han dynasty.)
In politics, Liu Xiu emphasized the rule of virtue, believing that political rule is not only about collecting taxes and taxes, managing prisons and listening to lawsuits, but also about guiding the people to do good, promoting education, and changing customs.
(Researcher at the Institute of History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Sun Xiao: After Emperor Guangwu unified the country, he abolished officials and merged them into counties, abolished the establishment of the Three Officials, and returned the affairs to the Taiwan Pavilion. He used many talented people, but he was very strict with these officials. Once these officials who were ranked as Shangshu Tai had an accident, he would often bring them to the court to whip and punish them very strictly. I think Judo governance may be his goal, and iron fisted governance of officials is a means. If we understand the relationship between means and purposes, we can find a balance between Judo governance and iron fisted governance of officials.)
In the Biography of Cool Officials in the Book of Later Han, Dong Xuan, Fan Ye, and Li Zhang were all famous cool officials during the reign of Emperor Guangwu. The phenomenon of appointing cool officials from the beginning of the founding of the country has been rare throughout history. Most of these cool officials were able to start and end well, which is also a rare occurrence. The political style of Emperor Guangwu’s fierce governance of officials continued to the later Ming and Zhang emperors, creating the most commendable era of official governance in the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty for decades.
Han Dynasty Bamboo Slips, Eastern Han Tomb on Hantan Slope in Wuwei, Gansu Province
These are two wooden slips unearthed from the Eastern Han Tomb on the Hantan Slope in Wuwei, Gansu Province in 1989. The wooden slips indicate the 19th year of the Jianwu era and record the Dutian system, requiring grassroots officials to check the amount of land in May each year. Those who hide more than three acres of land will be punished. Behind these simple and cold legal statements, there is a faint sense of the murderous spirit and determination of the law makers.
(Researcher at the Institute of History, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences – Zhao Kai: The so-called “Du Tian” refers to the country re measuring land and then counting population. The purpose of doing so is to verify the land and population hidden by the previous powerful people, and have them pay taxes based on the actual land and population to bear the burden of taxes. Only by doing so can we ensure the normal development of this country.)
Since the middle period of the Western Han Dynasty, the state management has been disorderly, and land mergers have become increasingly fierce. In the later period of the Western Han Dynasty, wise people have noticed the terrible phenomenon and dangerous trend of land and population losing control. However, the declining Western Han regime was unable to solve this problem, and the subsequent Xinmang dynasty quickly failed due to not finding the right medicine. For the new Eastern Han regime, the issue of Dutian was crucial. If the chronic disease of Dutian being untrue cannot be solved, it is inevitable to repeat the mistakes of the previous dynasty, let alone long-term stability.
When Ouyang She (xi) served as the governor of Runan County, he did not implement the court’s policy of seizing farmland well and secretly took more than ten thousand stolen goods. Although Ouyang She was a prominent civil servant with considerable social prestige at that time, Emperor Guangwu still arrested him for his dereliction of duty in land verification and wanted to execute him.
In the winter of AD 39, with a cold and solemn wind, thousands of Confucian scholars knelt on the cold ground outside the Sima Gate of the Southern Palace in Luoyang, pleading with the court to punish the guilty Grand Sima disciple Ouyang She lightly. Some even shaved off their beards and made a vow to accept the punishment on their behalf. However, Emperor Guangwu, who had always shown great respect to Confucian scholars, spoke harshly and refused to pardon the highly respected Ouyang She. This story is the most important performance of the Heyang County Marionette Troupe. The cutting of the marionette signifies that Ouyang She has been brought to justice, and also demonstrates Emperor Guangwu’s continued insistence on land verification, strict crackdown on hidden activities, and the need for everyone to understand his determination to adhere to the Dutian policy.
Emperor Guangwu implemented strict measures to increase the taxable land and military service sources directly controlled by the state. Since the mid Western Han Dynasty, the problem of land consolidation that had plagued rulers has also been alleviated to some extent, with cattle and horses grazing and the city gates not closed, creating a peaceful scene. In 57 AD, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu passed away in the front hall of the Southern Palace in Luoyang. Before his death, he left a posthumous edict requiring him to handle his affairs in a concise manner, even believing that he was not beneficial to the people. However, as an excellent politician, Liu Xiu’s achievements were highly praised by future generations.
Wang Fuzhi compared Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu with Han Gaozu Liu Bang: he believed that Liu Xiu was particularly difficult, highly praised, descended from three generations, took over the world, and was the only one who was independent of Emperor Guangwu, while Song Taizu followed suit. On the surface, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu continued the Western Han Dynasty and was a reviving emperor. In fact, he was the founding emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty and a pioneer of the new historical era.
90 seconds in history: Zhang Qian leads to the Western Regions
In 138 BC, Zhang Qian led his delegation from Chang’an on a difficult and unknown journey to the west. Zhang Qian was originally an ordinary Langguan, but his heart was filled with a longing for honor. He liked to explore unknown fields and was not willing to spend his entire life. He happily stepped out and embarked on a difficult journey to undertake the important mission of sending to the Ming Dynasty in the Western Regions. However, this was a daunting path of death. The vast and boundless Gobi Desert, the undulating mountains and snow ridges, the tenacious Populus euphratica, and the eternal yellow sand witnessed Zhang Qian’s difficulties in chiseling through the Western Regions. After many years of youth, Zhang Qian His journey to the west has been recorded in the history of humanity. With his unique tenacity and courage, he realized the dream of King Mu of Zhou to travel to the Eight Wildernesses and explore the universe, opening up a Silk Road that connects the East and the West, This road records the magnificent history of human communication, breaking through the huge barriers between nature and human beings, declining and flourishing several times, becoming a great achievement in human history. Until now, it can still be revitalized with vitality.