Liu Bang's heroes were killed
Liu Bang after the establishment of the Han Dynasty,He was deeply jealous of the heroes, and was always worried that these people would threaten his throne. Especially those princes and kings with different surnames,Liu Bang couldn't control them at all. As a result, Liu Bang set out to get rid of the princes and kings with different surnames in the second year of his succession. At that time, he had completely forgotten that it was the work of these people that allowed him to ascend to the throne.
Liu Bang is most worried about Han Xin. During the Chu-Han conflict,Liu Bang has twice shown wariness of Han Xin. One time was when Liu Bang secretly transferred most of Han Xin's troopsAfraid that Han Xin would get out of his control. Another time was when Liu Bang took advantage of Han Xin as the king of Chu to take away his military power. This fully shows that Liu Bang does not trust Han Xin. Later, Liu Bang executed Han Xin in the name of rebellion, which shows Liu Bang's jealousy of the heroes.
Han Shin's tragic fate
Han Xin was a general under Liu BangHe was also a military genius who made great contributions during the Chu-Han War. But he trusted Liu Bang too simply and failed to see Liu Bang's true intentions. Liu Bang is very schemingIn fact, he has been guarding against Han Shin all along. Han Xin twice took the advice of others to persuade him to stand on his own, but he chose to believe Liu Bang in both cases.
As a result, Liu Bang still designed to frame him. first tricked him into letting down his guardand then took away his title and military power under the pretext of excuses. In the end, even his life was taken. Han Xin could have stood with Liu Bang and Xiang YuBut he eventually fell victim to Liu Bang's removal of heroes with different surnames. This military genius died a very undignified death under Liu Bang. Han Xin's tragedy is precisely because of Liu Bang's miscalculation.
Han Wangxin's rebellious journey
Han Wangxin was a hero under Liu Bang, the ancestor of the Han DynastyHe is also a descendant of the Korean royal family. After Liu Bang founded the country, he was named the king of HanBut he was always on guard against him. In order to weaken Han Wangxin's power, Liu Bang changed his fiefdom to the northern border. Liu Bang hoped that he could consume each other with the Xiongnu.
It's a pity that Han Wang's letter is not successfulWhen the Xiongnu invaded, he chose to surrender and join forces with Liu Bang. So in the early years of the Western Han Dynasty,A large-scale rebellion led by Han Wangshin broke out. Han Wangxin and Mao Dunshan set a trap and almost got rid of Liu Bang. This crisis directly threatened the Han Dynasty.
Later, Liu Bang finally defeated Han Wangxin, but SJ LV also almost suffered a defeat. This rebellion fully exposed the failure of Liu Bang's policy of guarding against heroes and changing fiefdoms. It also warned him that the loyalty of heroes cannot be forced, and more reasonable restraint and appeasement are needed.
Liu Bang eliminated the princes and kings with different surnames
Liu Bang in order to consolidate the imperial power,To prevent the heroes from threatening themselves, they adopted the means of eliminating the princes and kings with different surnames. He successively got rid of Han Xin, Han Wangxin and other important heroesAmong them, Han Shin's tragedy is the most typical. This was a last resort at the time, as it was difficult for the princes with different surnames to control.
But there are significant drawbacks to this choice. It undermined the trust between Liu Bang and the heroesled to political turmoil in the early Han Dynasty. also made Liu Bang lose a large number of excellent generals who helped him become emperor. In order to prevent a similar crisis, Liu Bang later divided the princes surnamed Liu to replace the kings with different surnames. Yet decades later,This led to the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms, which backfired Liu Bang's actions.
If Liu Bang can establish mutual trust with the heroes,Conduct reasonable checks and balances, rather than rushing to eliminate the king with a different surnameThe early Han Dynasty may not have been so turbulent. The issue of meritorious service requires political wisdom, not arbitrary handling. Liu Bang clearly lacks foresight in this regard.
The cycle of irony in history
Ironically,Liu Bang eliminated the heroes with different surnames to prevent them from threatening the imperial power, only to cause his own descendants to suffer the same fate. A few decades later, the Liu clan launched the Rebellion of the Seven KingdomsNearly overthrew the Western Han Dynasty. And in the end, it was the descendants of Han Gaozu's heroes with different surnames who suppressed this rebellion.
Liu Bang was afraid that the heroes would seize power before his deathAs everyone knows, children and grandchildren will also be greedy for power. He defended himself like a snake and scorpion, but he left a bane for his descendants. In the end, the descendants caused civil strife due to the struggle for powerNearly repeats the fate of his youth. Ironically, it was the bloodline of the heroes he once feared who saved his children and grandchildren.
The astonishing cycle of history warns the monarch,Killing heroes doesn't solve the problemInstitutions need to be established to restrain power. Liu Bang was jealous of the heroes and disrupted the political stability, and eventually caused his descendants to suffer. His heart is worthy of reflection today.