Assassinating the emperor is high risk and low reward, and no one has tried
Ancient emperors rarely died from assassination, so why? First of all, we need to clarify what assassination is. Assassination is the act of using stratagem and deception to secretly kill the other party.
Covert killing refers to killing when people are unprepared, and with this concept understood, we can better understand assassination. Examples such as Breaking the Arm, Jing Ke's Offering Picture, Yu Rang Swallowing Charcoal, Nie Zhengxueqin, and Zhuzhu Zangjian are all obviously deceptive, and they are not just assassinated by secretly placing a shot.
Assassinations in ancient history, such as the assassination of Emperor Xiaowu of the Jin Dynasty by his concubine and the killing of Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty by Xiaoguo Cavalry, although similar in form to assassination, cannot actually be called assassination.
Assassination requires unique skill, courage, determination, and awareness, and its usefulness has diminished over time. Historically, although many assassinations have been recorded in the official history, the truth of some events has not been fully revealed.
Therefore, we cannot rely solely on historical records to determine the cause of a person's death, but need to confirm it through multiple evidences.
Why was the life span of an emperor so short? They enjoy the best medical conditions in the country, but why is it that the life expectancy is often lower than the average life expectancy of ancient people? It's puzzling. In the case of Zhao Kuangyin, the Taizu of the Song Dynasty, the official claim that he died of illness, but folk rumors say that he was killed by his younger brother Zhao Guangyi.
Zhu Yuanzhang's death is also controversial, with Yeshi claiming that he was poisoned by supporters of Emperor Jianwen, but this claim lacks reliable basis. Historically, the cause of the emperor's death was often covered up by the royal family, who may choose to hide the truth in order to save their own face.
Only when the last emperor is replaced, will they tell the truth. Therefore, the question of the emperor's lifespan may not be as simple as recorded in the official history.
During the reign of Empress Dowager Cixi during the Qing Dynasty, the White Lotus Sect attempted to assassinate her, but failed and fled. Cixi was so angry that she ordered a full investigation, and it turned out that the group had climbed the wall from outside the palace, and then climbed out of the wall as well.
As a result, Cixi ordered all the trees inside and outside the Forbidden City to be cut down to prevent similar incidents from happening again. Although this group of people tried to infiltrate the palace, due to the good work of keeping the map secret in the palace, they didn't know where to go, wandered around, and were finally discovered by the guards.
This also shows that the palace is very tightly guarded. After being discovered, these anti-Qing forces disappeared into the outer city, but did not find any valuable information.
At the same time, due to the large population and the strong anti-Qing forces, the spy network was no longer sufficient. Faced with this situation, Cixi could only take measures such as cutting down trees and strengthening patrols to ensure the safety of the palace.
It is said that in the palace, there is a limit to the range that each person can walk, regardless of their status, in order to prevent the map from leaking. Assassinating the emperor requires costs and benefits, and as the head of a dynasty, the emperor's guard measures will naturally be very tight.
In the long course of history, the assassination of the emperor was considered an extremely dangerous and unrewarding task. This is because trying to assassinate the emperor requires a very high price and can even be considered a crime.
Even if someone succeeds in assassinating the emperor, they will not necessarily be able to replace the emperor as the new ruler. Therefore, for ordinary civilians, the idea of assassinating the emperor is tantamount to a dream.
Because the risk of assassinating the emperor is extremely high and the rewards are so low, few people are willing to try it. Assassination within the royal family is also extremely risky. Despite this, such assassinations occurred from time to time within the royal family.
This is because power struggles between members of the royal family are often extremely intense, even using extreme measures. However, while such assassinations can lead to the lives of the victims, the result is often a loss-making deal, as the loser often faces more serious consequences.
In fact, most emperors in history have been assassinated or forced to abdicate in power struggles, rather than assassinated. This may be due to the fact that according to the power structure of the time, the emperor had the upper hand in the struggle, and the greatest gain could be obtained by killing.
This may also have something to do with Chinese Confucian culture, as in ancient times, assassination of a king and killing one's father was considered an extremely serious crime. Therefore, we can conclude that the assassination of the emperor is an extremely dangerous and unrewarding task, and it often happens within the imperial family.
Although some emperors in history have been assassinated or forced to abdicate, most emperors have been victorious through power struggles.
In this world, every choice, whether successful or not, has its price. It's like the emperors of ancient times, whether in the palace or outside the palace, they had to face all kinds of dangers and challenges.
Assassinating the Emperor would not only connect the Nine Clans, but would also make his own glory the beginning of destruction. At the same time, the ancient long-range ** was not developed, and it was almost impossible to use the skills of flying eaves and walking on walls and silently taking people's lives in front of the emperor.
Even if the emperor left the palace, it would be difficult for the Assassins to approach, as the guards would fight to protect the emperor and make the Assassins pay with their lives. In this world, each of us is the master of our destiny, and every choice affects our lives.
Whether we choose success or failure, we all need to pay the corresponding price. It is only through the means of centralization and fooling the people that the rulers can maintain their position and power.
And the existence of the Assassins, just because they were indoctrinated in the cradle of education, was indoctrinated with the ideas of the Three Principles and the Five Constants and the Monarch and the Ministers, and could not truly understand their own power and freedom.
The relationship between culture and education is far-reaching, and the influence of education on ideology cannot be ignored. Looking back on history, people often say that "the two sides do not kill foreign envoys when they fight", and "the division is famous".
Assassinations undoubtedly require careful organization and premeditation, and Ah Tou often disdains to act in person. Moreover, in the era of cold weapons, one-on-one combat is almost impossible, not to mention attacking the imperial city and approaching the emperor is like winning the lottery.
The difficulty of assassination, the suffering of assassins, and the way of attack imagined by ordinary people, such as a sword stabbing and sweeping with a knife, are often difficult to achieve in reality. Only a true master can do where to fight, without the slightest difference, and such a master, what do they want, why should they work for you?
For the top of the Assassins, if they can afford to let go, what can you do to control them?
Ancient emperors did not all die well, but there were many cases of unexpected deaths. Some emperors died in assassination, others by enemies who plotted to usurp the throne.
Some emperors died of food poisoning, while others were overindulged and their bodies collapsed. Historically, 97 of the 223 emperors of the Great Unification Dynasty died in accidents, of which 55 were assassinated, 13 were poisoned, 7 died of indulgence, 6 died of poisoning, 5 died of grief, 4 died of unknown causes, 4 committed suicide, and 3 died of serious injuries.
These data tell us that emperors are not as powerful as we think, and that their lives may also be in danger.
The Assassins of ancient China played a key role in the affairs of the state. Their loyalty and courage are respectable. These warriors have left a deep mark on the stage of history, and their stories have been included in the "Historical Records: The Biography of the Assassins", "Warring States Policy" and "Qing History Manuscript".