After Liu Yu, the founding emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, seized power, he unexpectedly gave an order to exterminate the Sima Yi family. Normally, a new emperor would usually clear out the main hostile forces after seizing power, but often not all of them. Ancient society attached great importance to the virtue of loyalty to the king, and excessive killing was easy to attract the spurning of the people of the world. As a result, those who become new emperors usually behead major rivals and adopt a tolerant attitude towards the rest of their family members as a sign of benevolence and generosity. However, after Liu Yu took power, he decided to issue the death penalty to everyone in Sima Yi's family. This begs the question, why did he do this, and did he no longer care about the reputation of kindness?
Liu Yu did not just assert his authority and strength, but more importantly, he faced a series of challenges and threats. In his quest for power, the Sima Yi family has always been his most formidable opponent. Sima Yi was a famous general during the Cao Wei period, and his family had a high degree of influence in politics, military and social status. Liu Yu knew that if he didn't eliminate the Sima Yi family, they might become his biggest threat, and might even unite with other forces to overthrow his rule.
In addition, Liu Yu is also facing instability in the country. After seizing power, the Southern Song Dynasty had just been established, and the regime was not yet stable. He needs to secure his power through heavy-handed tactics and prevent internal and external hostile forces from challenging his rule. The extermination of the Sima Yi family was a means for him to show his hard-line attitude and to send a clear signal to other forces that he was capable and willing to take any action to defend his position.
Liu Yu also considered that the Sima Yi family had always been regarded as masters of power and scheming in history, and they had great influence in political struggles. Liu Yu may have feared that if the descendants of the Sima Yi family were left behind, they might use the family's power to fight against his rule with the goal of revenge. Therefore, in order to avoid potential threats in the future, he decided to completely exterminate Sima Yi's descendants and ensure the stability of his rule.
Liu Yu's decision to exterminate the Sima Yi family had a profound impact on his rule. On the one hand, this decision established his image as a consolidator of power and ruler. By demonstrating his determination and toughness, Liu Yu sent a clear signal to the people of the country that he would not tolerate any challenge to his rule. This determination and forceful action created a sense of awe and trust in his rule, which helped to consolidate his dominance.
On the other hand, Liu Yu's decision to kill also caused some doubts and disgust. Some felt that his actions were too cruel and ruthless to fit the image of a benevolent and generous monarch. Although Liu Yu took some steps to reassure people at the beginning of his reign, such as rewarding the people and forgiving some political opponents, his decision to kill made many people doubt his character. This suspicion may lead some to oppose his rule and even bring a certain element of instability to his regime.
Liu Yu's decision to kill also contributed to the decline of the Sima Yi family. This family, which once had a high status politically, militarily and socially, was completely wiped out because of Liu Yu's actions and could never be restored. The decline of the Sima Yi family also meant that Liu Yu's rule over the entire Southern Song Dynasty was more secure, and he could focus more on consolidating power and promoting the development of the country without potential hostile forces.
Overall, Liu Yu's decision to kill was motivated by the consolidation of power and the stabilization of his rule, which had both positive and negative effects on his rule. Although his decisions were questioned and repulsed, they also established his image as a power consolidator and ruler, establishing him as a powerful political standing.