In the imperial government, the correctness of the king's decision-making needs to be referred to by a wide range of opinions, they should avoid being overly inclined to a certain point of view, let alone deviating from their own judgment, the Ming monarchs of the past dynasties are good at accepting advice, but can also maintain independent thinking, and there are few kings who can be widely questioned and insist on their own opinions. However, Emperor Liu Xiuguangwu was an exception. In order to kill one person, he ignored the opposition of a thousand people. During Liu Xiu's reign, he implemented many reforms that benefited the country and the people, but because of the killing of one person, he was the enemy of a thousand people, what is the reason for this?
Who is the target of the killing?And what kind of situation did this operation cause?
As we all know, during Liu Xiu's reign, he did a lot of practical things for the people of the country, but in order to consolidate his authority and implement reforms, he resolutely ignored the opposition of thousands of people and eradicated a school that became famous at that time, the Ouyang School.
Out of childhood experience, Liu Xiu not only has the world in his heart, but also cares about the people. In his view, people's livelihood is paramount. In order to promote reform and consolidate political power, he resolutely did so. The "head" who was killed was none other than Ouyang She, who was famous at that time.
Ouyang She was born in the late Western Han Dynasty and had a privileged family, and his father was the famous Ouyang Xun. Intelligent, he naturally became the head of the Ouyang School. Ouyang She witnessed the plight of the Han Dynasty in his early years, experienced the hardships of the common people, and cherished the feelings of the world in his heart.
However, all this was wiped out by political changes.
As a man of letters, he wanted to improve people's livelihoods, but he was unable to do anything in turbulent times. In the turmoil of the times, the wise men forbearance and survival, the major regimes wrestled with each other, and there was no time to think about other things at that time. Therefore, it triggered the reason why Liu Xiu later implemented the new policy, and Ouyang She vigorously resisted.
But what kind of character is Liu Xiu?According to legend, Liu Xiu was born with an abnormal celestial phenomenon and was considered a good omen. However, this auspicious omen disappeared when he was ten years old, and that year, his father died, leaving him to run around with his sister and his uncle. Fortunately, his uncle treated him more favorably, gave him the opportunity to read and write, and trained a group of henchmen for him in Chang'an. Although Liu Xiu had a bad fate, his family background was quite respectful, and he was a descendant of Liu Bang.
Therefore, in the era when the people were miserable, Liu Xiu had a deep resentment towards Wang Mang, who oppressed the people, and secretly determined that when the Han Dynasty was restored, he would definitely reduce the burden on the people. Although Liu Xiu has an imperial appearance, his road to the throne is not smooth, and it can even be described as bumpy. At the age of 27, he gradually rose to fame due to his confrontation with Wang Mang, but as a person with no roots and background, it was really difficult to become emperor.
What's more, there is a more legitimate successor - Liu Xuan. Although Liu Xuan's bloodline is much better than Liu Xiu, it is worth noting that he does not have Liu Xiu's mind and strategy. Seeing that Liu Xuan got the throne, Liu Xiu was not anxious, and even took the initiative to surrender. However, Liu Xuan did not trust Liu Xiu at all, and even drove him to a remote place. Liu Xiu was a little dissatisfied with this, but he didn't expect that Liu Xuan's behavior became more and more excessive, allowing Liu Xiu to establish himself as king with the support of a group of supporters.
And the talent he showed was far better than Liu Xuan's, and there were more and more supporters. After Liu Xiu's reign, he carried out a comprehensive reform in a big way, and it was precisely because of Liu Xiu's decisiveness that he created the famous "Guangwu Zhongxing" in later generations. It was precisely because of his series of reforms that he had a conflict with Ouyang She, and he was misunderstood by others for a period of time because of his policies, but this period of time was enough to prove Liu Xiu's political ability.
This reform is the field system implemented by Liu Xiu.
What kind of reform is the system of fields?It is an economic system implemented during the Han Dynasty to collect taxes, but because the Eastern Han Dynasty was established with the support of many powerful people to strive for their own maximum interests, there have long been various loopholes in the Dutian system. Problems such as deception, misrepresentation of land, and arbitrary falsification of the number of slaves to evade taxes arose one after another. Seeing that the people were drifting, Liu Xiu learned Liu Xuan's lesson and made up his mind to implement reforms.
Liu Xiu knows that this is a tough battle, after all, he has to cut out the cake that many people have mastered, but he has experienced hardships since he was a child, he has experienced self-made, and he can face any difficulties. The struggle for power and interests quietly unfolded in the court. As a representative of interests, Ouyang She was the first to bear the brunt, relying on his talent and status, in order to protect his own interests, he resolutely opposed Liu Xiu's reforms.
As the leader of the Ouyang School, he was obsessed with preserving traditional culture, believing that reforming the old system would go against the wishes of the previous kings. Although it seems reasonable, in fact, the last thing he wants to give up is his own interests. The most prominent thing about Ouyang She is that he not only opposes himself, but also mobilizes a group of supporters to oppose it together, trying to exert pressure on Liu Xiu with the best force. In his speech, it seems that Liu Xiu has become a sinner through the ages, which will definitely lead to a popular uprising. In the face of tremendous pressure, Liu Xiu tried to give up, but considering his oath and the original intention of his imminent accession to the throne, he chose to persevere.
In 26 AD, when Ouyang She was preparing how to put more pressure on Liu Xiu to give up reform, a group of officers and soldiers suddenly broke in and brought Ouyang She to Liu Xiu. Subsequently, Liu Xiu ordered a search of Ouyang She's mansion and found a large amount of gold, silver and jewelry. Liu Xiu announced in public that Ouyang Shu had rebelled and was immediately executed. Ouyang She's death also became a turning point in the Dutian system.
The heroes no longer objected, the Ouyang School was unsustainable, and the lives of the people began to improve, just as Liu Xiu wished, ushering in the "Guangwu Zhongxing".
In summary, the duel between Liu Xiu and Ouyang She is not only reflected in reducing the people's taxes and suppressing the powerful, but also the importance of sticking to the original intention. In turbulent times, Liu Xiu rose to prominence and fulfilled his promises;And Ouyang She's accumulation of strength in the chaotic era can be safe and prosperous throughout his life.
Although both of them may have used unscrupulous means, one for the people and the other for themselves, it is clear which of the two is better or worse. If Liu Xiu gives up his original intention and no longer works for the people after ascending the throne, then there will definitely be another Liu Xiu, and there will be no legend of "Guangwu Zhongxing". If Ouyang Shu sticks to his original intention and remembers the suffering of the people, he may be able to become Liu Xiu's right-hand man and become a figure who has been praised through the ages.