In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, most of the prime ministers were noble-born and high-ranking nobles, which exacerbated the contradiction between the imperial power and the table power in the early Han Dynasty during the period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. In order to strengthen the centralization of power, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty set up the inner court as a decision-making body on the one hand, which weakened the power of the prime ministers of the foreign dynasties, and on the other hand, vigorously encouraged Confucianism to be the prime minister, breaking the practice of aristocrats as the prime minister. As a result, most of the fourteen prime ministers appointed during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty became pitiful.
1.Wei Wei: Failed to do anything in the performance of his duties and was dismissed for dereliction of duty. Wei Wei served as the county commander of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, and was later promoted to lieutenant and prince of Hejian. When Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, he was there"Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms"He was promoted to lieutenant, and later served as the crown prince and the imperial historian. In the last years of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, because of his generosity and sophistication, he was worthy of being a young monarch and was promoted to prime minister, but from the beginning of his career to becoming prime minister, he had no merit. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, Wei Jue continued to serve as prime minister, but during the Jianyuan period, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty died of illness, and Wei Jue was deposed for failing to avenge the innocent prisoners of the imperial court.
2.Dou Ying: Suspended for supporting the change of the law, because"False proclamation"Sin is put to death. Dou Ying was the nephew of the Empress Dowager Dou Yifang, and became a prince during the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms. When Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty made Liu Rong the crown prince, Dou Ying was his guardian. In the first year of the founding of the Yuan Dynasty (140 BC), Prime Minister Wei Jue was deposed, and Emperor Wu of Han appointed him prime minister. In the second year of the founding of the Yuan Dynasty (139 BC), the dispute between Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and the Empress Dowager Dou escalated, and the Empress Dowager Dou deposed Zhao Juan and Wang Zang in a fit of rage, and Dou Ying was also deposed for supporting the reforms of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. Dou Ying's friend Gu Father had a conflict with Tian Wei, and Dou Ying argued with Tian Wei to save Gu Fu, but under the pressure of the Queen Mother, Gu Father was still executed. Later, according to the edict issued by Emperor Jing of Han after his death, Dou Ying requested to meet Emperor Wu of Han, saying"If there is something wrong with this matter, it is advisable to discuss it cheaply", but because there was no edict, it was taken"Forged edicts"He was sentenced to death at the end of December of the fourth year of Yuanguang (131 BC).
3.Xuchang: After the death of Empress Dowager Dou, he lost power and was dismissed from office for his unfavorable funeral affairs. Xuchang is the grandson of Xu Wen, the Marquis of Bochi, the founder of the Western Han Dynasty. Empress Dowager Dou disagreed with Emperor Wu of Han on the issue of reform because of her support for the Yellow Emperor's statecraft, Prime Minister Gu Ying was deposed, and Xu Chang was appointed as the new prime minister. Since Xuchang was appointed by the Empress Dowager Dou, he also followed the instructions of the Empress Dowager Dou in everything and did nothing. Empress Dowager Dou died in the sixth year of her reign (135 BC), and Xuchang lost the support of Empress Dowager Dou and was replaced by Emperor Wu of Han"Funeral is not for"dismissal from office.
4.Tian Wei: Dou Ying's relatives and former prime minister, Dou Ying was frightened and died when he was killed. Tian was the younger brother of Wang You, the mother of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. In the last years of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty, Tian Wei was favored by Wang You, and his status began to rise. In the first year of Jianyuan (140 BC), Dou Ying was appointed prime minister and Tian Wei was appointed Zhonglang general, but was deposed by Empress Dowager Dou for supporting the reforms of Emperor Wu of Han. After the death of Empress Dowager Dou in the sixth year of Emperor Jianyuan of the Han Dynasty (135 BC), Xuchang dismissed Tian Wei from his position and made him prime minister, which led to a dispute with Dou Ying and Guifu, although Dou Ying and Guifu were eventually killed with the support of Empress Dowager Dou, but Tian Wei was assassinated in the spring of the fifth year of Yuanguang (130 BC), that is, the year after Dou Ying and Guifu were assassinated. In the spring of the fifth year of Yuanguang (130 BC), the year after their assassination, Tian fell ill in fear and sought medical treatment in vain.
5.Han Anguo: Imperial Doctor, former prime minister, was later deposed due to injury. Han Anguo was educated since childhood, and worked as a ** under Liu Wu, the king of Liang, and became a strategist under the king of Liang, and was valued by Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty. After Liu Wu's death, Han Anguo was dismissed for his crimes, and since then he has been unofficial and light. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, Han Anguo successfully entered the palace as an official by bribing Tian Wei and was promoted to the imperial historian. After Tian Wei's death, he served as the imperial historian as the prime minister, but soon fell and was paralyzed while serving the emperor, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty had no choice but to remove him from his sickbed. Later, due to disagreements with Emperor Wu of Han on the treatment of the Xiongnu, he became estranged from Emperor Wu of Han, and eventually died of illness in the second year of Yuan Shuo (127 BC).
6, Xue Ze: He has been in power for many years without success, but after all, he is better than most prime ministers. Xue Ze is the grandson of Xue Ou, the founder of the Western Han Dynasty. There are few records of him in the history books, only that he served as prime minister after the abolition of Han Anping, but there is no record of what he did during his tenure. Sima Qian said:'(Xue Ze) does nothing, so there is no evil, and Ze is fortunate to live a long life'。
7, Gongsun Hong: The first prime minister, after the death of the prince, he served as prime minister for six years. Gongsun Hong was appointed as a doctor in the Han Dynasty, twice recommended by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty as the prince of the country, he was generous, eloquent, familiar with documents and officials, and because of his Confucianism to appreciate grammar, he was promoted to the imperial history by Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, in the sixth year of Yuanguang (134 BC), he moved left to manage the capital, and in the third year of Yuan Shuo (126 BC) he succeeded Zhang Ou again. In the fifth year of Yuan Shuo (124 BC), he replaced the state of Yu. But according to the Han system, the prime minister must be a marquis, so Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty gave Gongsun Hong the title of Marquis of Pingjin, and Gongsun Hong not only became the first person to be promoted to prime minister as a marquis since the Western Han Dynasty, but also the first person to be awarded the title of marquis by the prime minister. During his tenure, Gongsun Hong admired literati, paid attention to people's livelihood, and made irreplaceable contributions to the promotion of Confucianism, but was assassinated by the crown prince in March of the second year of Yuan Hao (121) at the age of 79.
8.Li Cai: Li Cai had a great political career during his tenure, but committed suicide for committing adultery with Emperor Jing's garden. Li Cai is the cousin of Li Guang, a famous general of the Western Han Dynasty. In his early years, Li Cai joined the army as a son of a good family to resist Hu, and was later promoted to a free cavalry attendant because of his merits. In the fifth year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (124 BC), the light cavalry general Li Cai accompanied Wei Qing to Shuofang and defeated the Xiongnu, the king of Youxian. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty named Li Cai as the Marquis of Le'an, and soon he was promoted to the imperial historian. In the second year of Yuan Hao (121 BC), Gongsun Hong died, and Li Cai was appointed prime minister. During his four years as prime minister, Li Cai made outstanding achievements, mainly helping Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty to manage the rule of officials, change the currency system, and ban salt and iron. In the fifth year of Yuan Hao (118 BC), Li Cai was interrogated for committing adultery in a vacant lot in Emperor Jing's garden, but Li Cai refused to be interrogated and committed suicide.
9.Zhuang Qingzhai: He had a grudge against Zhang Tang, and after Zhang Tang committed suicide, he also participated in Zhang Tang's death. Zhuang Qingzhai is the grandson of Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was the imperial historian and the young prince of the imperial prince. After Li Cai's death, Zhuang Qingzhai was appointed prime minister. At that time, Zhang Tang, the imperial historian, also intended to serve as prime minister, and after Zhuang Qingzhai became prime minister, the dispute between the two became increasingly fierce and repeatedly slandered each other. Later, Zhuang Qingzhai conspired with the three elders Zhu Maichen, Wang Chao, and Bian Tong to successfully overthrow Zhang Tang, who committed suicide after leaving a letter to Emperor Wu of Han. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty read Zhang Tang's letter, knew that Zhang Tang had died unjustly, and regretted it, so he arrested Zhu Maichen, Wang Dynasty, and Bian Tong and killed them, and put Prime Minister Zhuang Qingzhai in prison, and committed suicide by pouring medicine himself.
10.Zhao Zhou: During his tenure, his political performance declined, and he later committed suicide in prison due to his ineffective performance of duties. Zhao Zhou was the son of Yi Wuren, the prince of Chu, whose father was killed by Liu Wu, the king of Chu, for meritorious service in the second year of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty (148 BCE). In the second year of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (115 BC), after Zhuang Qingzhai was assassinated, Zhao Zhou, who was then the crown prince of Murowei, succeeded Zhuang Qing as prime minister. In September of the fifth year of the Yuan Ding Dynasty (111 BC), when the imperial court sacrificed to the temple, he ordered the princes to contribute **, and the Shaofu was responsible for inspecting **. On the sixth day of the ninth month, Zhao Zhou was sentenced to prison for failing to report the insufficient contributions from the princes, and finally committed suicide.
The 11th Shi Qing: Reigned for nine years, flaunted his might, was cautious, and finally died of illness. He is the son of Shi Feng, the king of Wanshi Kingdom. In the first year of Yuan Hao (122 BC), Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty made Liu Ati the crown prince and selected a tutor for him. Shi Qing, who was the Taishou of Peijun at the time, was promoted to the crown prince and the prince, and seven years later he was appointed as the imperial historian. In the fifth year of Yuanzhan (111 BC), Zhao Zhou was imprisoned, and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty appointed Shi Qing as prime minister and made him the Marquis of Muqiu. During his tenure, Sang Hongyang and Wang Wenshu were in power, while the loyal and cautious Shi Qing, although he was in the position of prime minister, was more of a show. Shi Qing has been in power for nine years, but he lacks the ability and strength to perform his duties. He once accused a close minister of being the Son of Heaven, but he was convicted of it, so he had to continue to be cautious. In the second year of Taichu (103 BC), Shi Qing died, and the imperial court posthumously named him Marquis Peng.
12.Gongsun He: Forced to serve as prime minister, he later died in prison due to the scourge of witchcraft. When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty Liu Che was the crown prince, Gongsun He was his bodyguard. After Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, Gongsun He was promoted to Taibao, and later successively served as the general of the light car, the general of the chariot and the general of the Taibao Zuo. He attacked the Xiongnu seven times, and was named the Marquis of Nanzhong for his military exploits, and was later defeated by the Marquis of Shujin. In the second year of Taichu (103 BC), after the death of Shi Qinggong, Sun He was appointed prime minister under the strong command of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and was named the Marquis of Ge. In the first year of Zheng He (92 BC), Gongsun Jingsheng, the son of Gongsun He, was found guilty of breaking the law**. At that time, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was defeated by Zhu Anshi"It is forbidden to use force"Enraged by his arrest, Gongsun He demanded that Zhu Anshi be arrested to save his son. After Zhu Anshi**, Gongsun Jingsheng falsely accused him of fornicating with Princess Yanshi and cursing the Son of Heaven with witchcraft. Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty was furious"Xingmen valve, regardless of human death"and other crimes, Gongsun He was imprisoned. Gongsun He and Gongsun Jingsheng father and son died in prison"Witch curse"It starts here.
13.Liu Quao:"Witch curse"Later, he wanted to set up another prince, but he was beheaded after the incident. Liu Quao is the grandson of Emperor Liu Qi of the Han Dynasty, the nephew of Emperor Liu He of the Han Dynasty, and the son of Liu Sheng, King Jing of Zhongshan. Prior to his appointment as prime minister, his official position was unknown. After Prime Minister Sun He** was imprisoned, Liu Qiuren was promoted from Zhuojun Taishou to Zuo Prime Minister and named Peng Hou. In the second year of Zhenghe (91 BC),"Witch Calamity"broke out, the crown prince Liu Ju was falsely accused by Jiang Chong, and he couldn't prove it, so he gathered troops to kill Jiang Chong and invaded the Prime Minister's Mansion. After Liu Kuren fled, he sent Changshi to report to Emperor Wu of Han, who ordered Liu Chuan to quell the rebellion, and as a result, a large number of ** were killed and tens of thousands of people died. In the third year of Zhenghe (90 BC), the crown prince Liu Ju died"Witch curse"。Liu Quao secretly colluded with Li Guangli, the general of the Second Division, to prepare to establish Liu Sheren, the king of Changyi, as the crown prince, but was accused and cursed by the wife of the internal official Guo Qian, who ordered the investigation and punishment. Liu Quao was escorted to a grain cart and sent to Chang'an to be beheaded.
14, Tian Qianqiu: Because the prince sued for the promotion of prime minister, he died of illness in 12 years in office. Tian Qianqiu is a descendant of Tian Qi during the Warring States Period, and he was originally the high keystone of the tomb of Gaozu, and it is said that the prince Liu Xia"Witchcraft"and died, Tian Qianqiu wrote a letter to appeal for him, so he won the emperor's sympathy, so Liu Xia Dahonglu was promoted after a few months in prison, and Tian Qianqiu was crowned the Marquis of Fumin and promoted to prime minister. Tian Qianqiu is a noble person, before the death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Tian Qianqiu and Huo Guang assisted Emperor Liu Fuling of the Han Zhao Emperor, after Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, due to the increasing power of Huo Guang, Tian Qianqiu could only retire, and then, in the sixth year of the Yuan Dynasty (81 years ago) presided over the Salt and Iron Conference, and in the Yuan Feng period (80 years ago) in order to quell the rebellion of Liu Dan, the king of Yan, arrested Shangguan Ji. In the fourth year of Yuan Feng (77 BC), Tian Qianqiu, who had served as prime minister for 12 years, died of illness and was nicknamed"Loyalty"。
These are the 14 prime ministers of the Han Wu Emperor period, and most of them did not die well. The difference is that most of the early prime ministers died against the imperial power, while most of the later prime ministers were killed for their crimes, and only a few of them had a good end.