The Jin Dynasty was an indescribable and bitter period in Chinese history. From Sima Yi's usurpation of Cao Wei's power to the killing of Sima Dewenzhi, the last emperor of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, nearly two centuries passed. During this tragic time, wars continued, corruption was rampant, external troubles were frequent, and lives were devastated, and the Central Plains suffered unprecedented suffering.
During the Eastern Jin Dynasty, Liu Yu, a famous general of the Beifu Army, killed six emperors successively, so he was nicknamed "Liuwei Dihuang Pill" by later generations. He took extraordinary steps in establishing the new dynasty and mercilessly exterminated Sima Yi's descendants. What is the reason behind this decision?
Sima Yi is known for his cunning and calculation. Some people are Xi to compare Cao Wei's usurpation of Han with Sima Wei's usurpation. At the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty, political corruption led to the general He Jin to dispatch the Western Liang warlord Dong Zhuo to Beijing. Dong Zhuo was ambitious, usurped the throne, and controlled the government, causing the princes of the Eighteen Roads to form an alliance to discuss together. Dong Zhuo fled to Chang'an and burned the palace in Luoyang, the eastern capital. Dong Zhuo was eventually killed by his son Lü Bu, and his army fell into disarray. Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty fled to Luoyang and was devastated. In desperation, Cao Cao led his army to bring safety and shelter to Emperor Xian of Han.
Cao Cao sent troops to the east and west, defeated strong enemies, and won prestige. Although he later lost the Battle of Red Cliffs, he still controlled the entire north. Cao Cao did not seal the throne and was honored as the King of Wei. He respected Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty and suppressed a number of people who claimed to be kings and emperors. Cao Cao's son, Cao Pi, forced Emperor Xian of Han to give way, and still respected Emperor Xian of Han as the Duke of Shanyang. Sima Yi initially served as a clerk under Cao Cao, and later assisted Cao Pi in ascending the throne. He made many suggestions to help Cao Pi win the final victory.
However, starting from Cao Pi, the fate of the Cao family has been bumpy. Sima Yi seized the throne of Cao Wei through the "Gaopingling Change". By the time of Sima Shi and Sima Zhao, the Sima family was in power in the court. They wiped out Western Shu and completely took over the power of Cao Wei. Sima Zhao's son, Sima Yan, established the Jin Dynasty, destroyed Eastern Wu, and reunified China. However, the Jin Dynasty fell into chaos after it was once powerful.
After the establishment of the Jin Dynasty, Sima Yan worked hard, but after unification, he indulged in pleasure, causing the country to be disordered. After Sima Yan's death, his son Sima Zhen succeeded to the throne, but his intelligence was poor and he had no way to govern the country. His wife, Jia Nanfeng, was strong and domineering, causing dissatisfaction within the Sima family. The civil war of the Sima family continued, and the eight princes participated one after another. Frequent foreign invasions and nomadic invasions of the north led to the misery of the people. The Sima family crossed south and continued to rule the Eastern Jin Dynasty.
In the north, the Hu regime was established, and wars continued. Liu Yu rebelled and restored the Sima clan, but eventually deposed Sima Dewen and established a new dynasty, the Song dynasty. He resolutely slaughtered the Sima family because the Sima clan caused resentment among the people during his reign and his power was too large. Liu Yu was born in the Shu clan and knew that his future descendants would not be able to control the Shi clan, so he made this move.