The Life of Characters in Liu Zhuang's Works

Liu Zhuang was familiar with Chunqiu when he was ten years old. At that time, musicians sang four poems praising the virtue of the prince: one was Sun, the other was Moon Wheel, the third was Star, and the fourth was Hai Chongrun.

In the 15th year of Jianwu (AD 39), Liu Zhuang was made Duke of Donghai. At that time, the court found that the number of acres cultivated was different from the population, so it began to re-check the number of acres, which was a famous event in history. County officials report to Beijing. When Emperor Guangwu saw Chen Zhao, he said, "Yingchuan and Hongnong can ask questions, but southern Henan and Wan can't." So he asked Chen what it was. Chen said he didn't know what it meant. He got it on the Longevity Street in Luoyang. At this time, Liu Zhuang, who was only twelve years old behind the tent, chimed in that the county magistrate taught him (Chen) to check the fields. Guangwudi asked again, why can't Nanyang, Henan ask? Liu Zhuang also said that Henan is the imperial city and Nanyang is the imperial township. The fields and houses in these two places are definitely out of control, so it is impossible to check them carefully. Guangwudi then asked the samurai to question Chen, and Chen said exactly what Liu Zhuang said. Guangwudi likes 12-year-old son more and more.

In the seventeenth year of Jianwu (AD 4 1 year), Liu Zhuangjin was made King of the East China Sea.

In the 19th year of Jianwu (AD 43), Chen Shan, Fu Zhen and others rebelled, occupied the former Wucheng and hijacked officials. Emperor Guangwu sent Cang Gong to lead an army to encircle and encircle. Because Chen Shan and Fu Zhen had plenty of hay, although Cang Gong trapped them in the city and killed many soldiers, they could not break the city. Emperor Guangwu summoned ministers to study countermeasures, and everyone offered a reward for attacking the city. Only Liu Zhuang advocated that the siege should not be too tight and too hasty, so that the rebels could break through and a pavilion leader could deal with it. As a result, as expected by Liu Zhuang, the rebels were pacified and destroyed after their breakthrough. In the same year, the Crown Prince of Liu Zhuang studied the Book of History with Dr. Huan Rong as his teacher. In the second year of Jianwu Zhongyuan (AD 57), Emperor Guangwu died, and Liu Zhuang succeeded to the throne as Emperor Hanming.

After Liu Zhuang ascended the throne, he continued to carry out various policies implemented during the reign of Emperor Guangwu to consolidate the rule of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Those consorts and ministers who relied on their power to control their affairs were severely punished. For example, Dou Lin, a captain in Hu Qiang, is a relative of Dou Rong and a great general. He is both the son of a hero and the home of a consort.

In the second year of Yongping (AD 59), Dou Lin was sentenced to death for taking bribes and bending the law. Liu Zhuang used Dou Rong to discipline his children, and punished them many times, dismissing Dou Rong. Later, Liu Zhuang's younger brothers Liu Ying, Liu Jing, Stuart Rosa and Stuart Xingmu all committed suicide. Hedong Yin, a captain Han Guang and a captain Xu Han Guang all sat down and died. It can be seen that Ming Di's control over consorts, ministers and even imperial clan kings is extremely strict. Once he breaks the law, hell to pay will never be lenient because of his high official position and close position. As a result, the minister was shocked and the court stood in awe.

Liu Zhuang also paid attention to the rectification of official management, and made a strict inspection of local officials. Starting with the careful selection of officials, we should rectify the management of officials. Yongping nine years (AD 66) and "make a captain, secretary of the secretariat of more than three years old, a person over three years old, special, and plan; And those who are particularly unreasonable are also heard. " It is stipulated that the inspection system for local officials should be conducted once a year. In selecting officials and employing people, Liu Zhuang strictly put an end to the right to ask for help. His sister Princess Guantao begged Lang to have her son, but refused, but gave him 10 million yuan.

During Liu Zhuang's reign, he repeatedly issued a letter to reduce taxes and corvee to reduce punishment; Make officials suggest supervising farming and mulberry trees to control pests and diseases; Then give it to the poor or to the poor. In addition, Liu Zhuang vigorously builds irrigation and water conservancy projects, of which the biggest project is to harness the Yellow River. Since the end of the Western Han Dynasty, the Yellow River has been in disrepair for a long time, benefiting the people of Yanzhou and Henan. Ming Di asked famous water conservancy experts Jing Wong and Wu Wang to lead hundreds of thousands of people to manage water conservancy. From Xingyang to the east for more than 1000 miles, to Haikou for thousands of miles, a sluice is set in ten miles, which is more unobstructed and has no leakage, ensuring the normal agricultural production in the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Liu Zhuang advocated frugality, and court life was not extravagant, but for a while, it was effective.

Therefore, at that time, the people were safe in their jobs and their hukou was cultivated. At the end of Emperor Guangwu's reign, the registered population of the whole country was more than 2 1 10,000, and it surged to more than 34 million in less than 20 years after Liu Zhuang's reign. During the reign of Hezhang, there was a prosperous situation, which was called "the rule of Mingzhang" in history. On the basis of strengthening national strength, Liu Zhuang actively managed the frontier and competed with the Northern Xiongnu for the Western Regions. During the reign of Emperor Guangwu, he was busy restoring social production and stabilizing social order, unable to manage the frontier, and temporarily adopted the policy of detaining the northwest region. In the last years of Yongping in Ming Di, the country was strong, but Liu Zhuang changed its course and changed the past negative fetters into active management. In the 15th year of Yongping (AD 72), Liu Zhuang sent a captain Dou Gu and a captain Xu Gengbing to station troops in Liangzhou, thinking that they were going to run the northwest.

In the spring of the 16th year of Yongping (AD 73), Liu Zhuang ordered Dou Gu and Geng Bing to attack the Northern Xiongnu in four ways. Dou Gu led the army out of Jiuquan, defeated Xiongnu Huyan King in Tianshan Mountain, stayed in Yiwu Lucheng (now Hami West, Xinjiang), and sent Sima Ban Chao and other 36 officials to defeat pro-Xiongnu forces in Shanshan (now Ruoqiang, Xinjiang) and Khotan (now Hotan, Xinjiang). "So all countries sent their sons to serve, and after 65 years, the Western Regions and the Han Dynasty resumed diplomatic relations."

In the seventeenth year of Yongping (AD 74), Dou Gu, Geng Bing and other armies defeated the northern Xiongnu Yu Prehai (now Bakou Lake in Xinjiang) again, and then they restored Duhu in the western regions, Yu Qiuci (now Kuqa in Xinjiang) and Che Shi (now Turpan in Xinjiang), and restored the Han Dynasty's rule over the western regions. Strictly prevent Liu Zhuangfei from following the Guangwudi system after she acceded to the throne. Liu Zhuang advocated Confucianism, attached importance to the grammar of criminal names, held a critical attitude towards politics, and took power without borrowing it. He strictly forbade the imperial harem, and also took precautions against noble heroes. When he was in office, his uncles were just nine ladies. Guantao princess royal wanted to ask A Lang to do it for his son, but Liu Zhuang would rather give his nephew10 million yuan than promise. Minister Yan Zhang has outstanding knowledge and excellent work. However, because her younger sister was a concubine of the harem, Liu Zhuang refused to promote Yan Zhang in order not to break the rule that consorts should not be appointed to participate in politics.

But at the same time, Liu Zhuang appointed Hou, the founding father of Gaomi, as a teacher, and Wang, his mother's brother, as a general in title of generals in ancient times. Zhao Xi, imperial clan, heroes and bureaucratic groups all have their own political representatives. At the same time, he showed great respect for his mother, Queen Yin, and his half-brother Guo Shengkun, and won the praise of his consorts and adjutants. Under strict control, Liu Zhuang's officials are very strict, because when his father Guangwu was in office, he was lenient with ministers, because his prestige was high, and Ming Di did not have his father's prestige. It is obviously not enough to control his father's veterans with his prestige. So he was very harsh on officials, which was rare among emperors in the Han Dynasty.

The petty officials in the inner dynasty mistakenly recorded the offerings of the vassal States in the western regions. Liu Zhuang found mistakes in his own audit, sent someone to recruit the wrong business, and personally punished him with a wooden stick. It was not until Qiu Shangshu heard the news and asked the emperor to punish him for his dereliction of duty that Liu Zhuang calmed his anger. Although Liu Zhuang's attitude towards his subordinates was too strict and his supervision was too harsh, it effectively ensured that the military and political disciplines were purged, the bureaucracy was strict, the administrative efficiency was improved, and the achievements of the central and local governments were obvious. When attacking Emperor Guangwu of the imperial clan, the restrictions on the imperial clan king with the same surname were stricter. Although his 10 sons are all kings, their fiefs are relatively small, which is much worse than that of the same surname Wang in the Western Han Dynasty. And in the county, there is no actual power. Liu Jing, Ming Di's half-brother, is one of the more talented princes in Guangwu Emperor. He wrote to Liu Jiang, the abandoned prince, saying that he was innocent and ruined. He should, like Emperor Gaozu, start from his fief in the East China Sea and seize the world, that is, the throne. Liu Jiang was frightened after receiving the letter and immediately handed it to Liu Zhuang. Liu Zhuang did not pursue the matter. Later, the Qiang people fought against the Eastern Han Dynasty, and Liu Jing moved around again. Liu Zhuang sent him to fief again. When I went to the fief, he asked the fortune teller that I looked like my late emperor, who became emperor at the age of 30. Now that I'm 30, can I start playing? The fortune teller was afraid, and soon told the county officials that Liu Jing was afraid and jumped into prison. Liu Zhuang did not pursue it. Later, Liu Jing cursed with witch sacrifices and was reported by county officials, who committed suicide in fear.

Liu Ying, the king of Chu born to Emperor Guangwu and Xu, had a good relationship with him when he was a prince. Liu Ying made friends with guests and made a golden turtle and jade crane in China, engraved with the word Fu Rui, actively preparing for rebellion. A man named Yan Guang turned him in and asked permission to kill him. Liu Zhuang could not bear it, so he was dismissed and exiled. Later, Liu Ying committed suicide. Liu Zhuang found the list of scholar-officials who made friends with Liu Ying, so he set up a prison, which implicated many people.

Queen Guo's two sons, and, also made friends in the fief, just because they were not as serious as Liu Ying. In view of Wang Mang's usurpation of the throne, there are still restrictions on consorts, but at the same time, consorts are used to guard against imperial clan. After Fu Cha's death, Emperor Guangwu wanted his brother-in-law, Yin Xing, to succeed Fu Cha, but he did so because of the opposition of the minister. But after his death, he still asked his son-in-law Song Liang to help the government.

After Ming Di acceded to the throne, he changed the judo when martial arts was in power and replaced it with fortitude. According to the meaning of Emperor Guangwu's life, Liu Zhuang painted 28 paintings in Yuntai, but he didn't get any income from his father-in-law Ma Yuan, which gave ministers a signal to restrict and restrain consorts. In addition, when he was in office, his three brothers-in-law Mario, Ma Guang and Ma Fang were all in the position of Jiuqing.

Then began to deal with consorts strongmen, one of the 32 strong men, Dou Rong, who was given to Guangwudi by He Naxi five counties. He was a good man but not good at restraining his family and children, and as a result, his descendants were even more illegal. Dou Rong was convicted of bullying and hiding his brother and son Dou Lin, and died in prison. The eldest son, who also belonged to Guangwu, wanted to occupy Lu 'an because the fief was close to Lu 'an, so he forged the will of Empress Yin and asked Lu 'an to divorce his wife and marry his daughter. Later, this matter was known by Ming Di, and Dou Mu was dismissed from his post. Among Dou's people, except for staying in Beijing, everyone else moved back to the old county. Dou Rong was also reprimanded by Liu Zhuang, so he was afraid that Dou Rong would also resign and go home for illness. Dou Mu and others were later pardoned and allowed to live in Beijing, but Ming Di sent people to closely monitor them. Dou Mu was dissatisfied, complained and bribed officials. As a result, he and his two sons, Dou Xuan and Dou Xun, died in prison.

The son of Yin Lihua, the younger brother of the Empress Dowager, attached himself to Ma Yinfeng and killed the princess. Although the Empress Dowager Yin was still there, Liu Zhuang killed Yin Feng mercilessly, and the couple also committed suicide.

Liu Zhuang killed Liang Tong, the son of Hexi hero, and his brother-in-law Song Liang. The reason is that the book of the Later Han Dynasty says that it is a crime of libel to sit idly by and complain about counties. Confucianism of respecting ceremony

Liu Zhuang, a Confucian, ordered the children of the Crown Prince and princes to read the Bible. He also founded a business school in Nangong and hired talented teachers to preach and teach. Among the Five Classics, Liu Zhuang attached great importance to filial piety. Advocate "ruling the world with filial piety". Even the guards in Yumen Yulin were ordered to recite the Book of Filial Piety. Liu Zhuang also attaches great importance to the etiquette system. He personally negotiated with Liu Cang, the king of Dongping, and made a ceremony of offering sacrifices to heaven, earth and ancestors, and made a set of car and clothing system for princes and ministers according to their grades. Introduction of Buddhism With the normal development of foreign exchanges, Buddhism began to be introduced into China in the late Western Han Dynasty. On one occasion, Liu Zhuang had a strange dream, in which a tall golden man, with white light shining overhead, descended in the middle of the palace. Liu Zhuang was about to ask when Jin flew west with a shout. When I woke up, I was puzzled. The next day, at the court meeting, he told the ministers in detail what he saw in his dream, and most people didn't know why. Later, he had a learned minister who said it might be the Buddha of the Western Regions. Ming Di heard that there was a god in the western regions, so he called it Buddha, so he sent messengers to Tianzhu to get his scriptures and shaman (Shaindi, translated from Sang Men), and established the first Buddhist temple in China-Luoyang White Horse Temple. After the reconstruction of the relationship with Hungary in the Han Dynasty, due to the lack of national strength, the strategic attack on Xiongnu in the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was changed to defense. Later, the Huns were divided into north and south parts. The Southern Xiongnu volunteered to attach themselves, praised the Southern Xiongnu and kissed them. Seeing the affinity between the Eastern Han Dynasty and the Southern Xiongnu, the Northern Xiongnu also demanded affinity. Guangwu then discussed with the ministers, and it was difficult to decide at the moment. Liu Zhuang, who is already a prince, said that the northern Xiongnu is afraid of us because the southern Xiongnu is attached to it, so if we don't attack the northern Xiongnu, we will kiss them again. The northern Xiongnu is not afraid of us, and the southern Xiongnu will have second thoughts on us. Guangwu decided not to kiss the northern Xiongnu.

During Liu Zhuang's reign, he basically eliminated the threat of harassment by nomadic people around him caused by Wang Mang's abuse of government, and restored and developed the friendly relations between the Han nationality and ethnic minorities. Liu Zhuang allowed the northern Xiongnu to exchange markets, but it did not eliminate the plunder of the northern Xiongnu. On the contrary, it shook the southern Xiongnu who had already joined. We have to change the strategy of stopping troops to help the people in Guangwu period and go to war against Xiongnu again. In sixteen years, Dou Gu and Geng Zhongzheng were ordered to attack the northern Xiongnu. The Han army arrived in Tianshan Mountain, attacked the Prince of Yan, beheaded more than a thousand steps, chased the Prehai Lake (now Barkun Lake in Xinjiang) and took the land of Yiwu. Later, Dou Gu went to the Western Regions with Ban Chao, so all countries in the Western Regions sent their sons to serve. From the first year of the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC) (AD 9), the Western Regions and the Central Plains resumed normal communication after 65 years of severance. The following year, it returned to the Western Regions. The stories of Ban Chao's thirty-six people conquering Shanshan, arriving in other countries, and Geng Gongshou defending Shule City to repel Xiongnu all happened in this period. Liu Xiu, Emperor Guangwu of the Western Regions, devoted himself to internal construction after the unification of the whole country in Jianwu 12. Xiongnu turned to strategic defense and rejected the request of western countries to reset the capital protection and send protons into the DPRK. This is the right choice when the national strength is insufficient.

After about 30 years of rest and recuperation in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the national strength of the Eastern Han Dynasty was greatly restored. Three years before Liu Zhuang died, Liu Zhuang decided to take tough measures against Xiongnu again. Geng Bing (nephew of Geng Yan, a famous Eastern Han Dynasty star) and Dou Gu (nephew of Dou Rong, a hero of the Eastern Han Dynasty) were sent to attack the northern Xiongnu. Geng and Dou each lead one way. Dou Jun fought all the way to Tianshan Mountain, and Geng Jun attacked Sanmulou Mountain. A total victory. Two years later, Geng and Dou led troops out of the Western Regions to attack Che. The former king and the former king of Che surrendered one after another. After defeating the Northern Xiongnu, Ban Chao was sent to the Western Regions. He took 36 people across the western regions. The famous idiom "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" means that he attacked the mission of the northern Xiongnu with 36 people in Shanshan country and destroyed the mission of the northern Xiongnu. In fact, tough messengers like Ban Chao were everywhere during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, but they didn't leave their names. The result of Ban Chao's activities in the western regions was to rebuild the capital protection office, and Ban Chao often took the multinational forces in the western regions to attack those countries that refused to obey orders. Liu Zhuang's strategy towards the Northern Xiongnu and the Western Regions also laid the foundation for the thorough elimination of the Northern Xiongnu and the control of the Western Regions.