Zhu Chao accompanied me to watch short videos

By improving transportation, he promoted foreign trade, especially maritime trade, making Southern Han a relatively prosperous country.

However, Liu Yan's rule was not all smooth sailing. The Southern Han was always under pressure from the powerful countries in the north and was often invaded.

In addition, his approach of strengthening central power also caused a lot of controversy, especially aroused some resentment, especially dissatisfaction among local nobles. These factors ultimately laid hidden dangers for the later fate of Southern Han.

In 942 AD, Liu Yan died and his third son Liu Fen ascended the throne. Liu Fen only knew how to drink and have fun all day long, and ignored the government affairs. He was killed by his younger brother Liu Hongxi after one year in office, and Liu Hongxi proclaimed himself emperor.

He changed his name to Liu Sheng. Liu Sheng was worried that his younger brothers would follow suit, so he killed all of his younger brothers. In addition, he favored eunuchs, plundered the people, and officials were corrupt, which led to increasingly fierce social conflicts.

In 951 AD, Southern Tang conquered Chu, and Southern Han took the opportunity to seize 10 states of Southern Chu and the Lingnan area of ​​Jinde. Seven years later, Liu Sheng died of illness due to excessive debauchery at the age of 7.

His son Liu Jixing succeeded him and changed his name to Liu Chang. This Liu Chang was even more bizarre, requiring officials to castrate themselves before they could be appointed. Liu Chang favored Persian women and ignored state affairs, leaving all state affairs to the witches.

The court was in a state of chaos, and when the Song army attacked, Liu Chang was still complacent and thought that the Song army would stop advancing after conquering Zhaogui and Lianhe for four weeks.

As the Song army gradually approached the Southern Han capital of Guangzhou, Liu Chang wanted to escape with the gold and silver treasures. Unexpectedly, before he set out, his boat was stolen by eunuchs and guards.

Liu Chao had no choice but to surrender to the Song army. The Southern Han Dynasty was destroyed, and Emperor Taizu of Song, Zhao Kuangyin, named Liu Chang the Marquis of Enshe. In 980 AD, Liu Chang died in the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty. He was 39 years old.

【The Emperor Forgotten by History: A Little History of the Emperor】

Guo Wei is one of the prototypes of Liangshan hero Lu Zhishen. He married widows three times, and his experience from a bohemian warrior to a monarch who loved his people like his own children was quite legendary.

So, how did Guo Wei rise to power? After ascending the throne, why did he pass the throne to his adopted son Chai Rong? This video will let us understand the life of Guo Wei, the first emperor of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

Guo Wei, courtesy name Wenzhong, was born in 904 AD in Xingzhou Yaoshan. His father, Guo Jian, was the governor of Shunzhou under Li Keyong, the King of Jin.

When Guo Wei was young, his father was killed and his mother died early. He was raised by his aunt. When he grew up, Guo Wei was tall and unruly. Because he had a flying bird tattooed on his neck, he was also called "Guo Que'er".

At the age of 18, Guo Wei joined the Luzhou Jiedushi Li Jitao. Li Jitao was amazed by his extraordinary bravery and ferocity.

Once, Guo Wei got drunk and asked the butcher to cut the meat. He was not satisfied after several cuts. The butcher was furious, and Guo Wei killed the butcher with a knife without saying a word.

Everyone was stunned, but Guo Wei remained calm. In the end, it was Li Jitao who helped him settle the matter. After Li Jitao was defeated by Zhuangzong of Later Tang, Guo Wei was also incorporated into the Later Tang army.

If you say that such a brave and aggressive warrior will become an emperor who understands the sufferings of the people in the future, I am afraid no one will believe it.

However, Guo Wei was not a reckless man. On the contrary, he loved reading, especially military books, and was good at using strategies, which won the appreciation of Liu Zhiyuan, the commander-in-chief of the imperial guards.

Liu Zhiyuan was the future Emperor Gaozu of the Later Han Dynasty. At that time, he was a subordinate of Shi Jingtang. Li Congke, the last emperor of the Later Tang Dynasty, was very suspicious of Shi Jingtang. Shi Jingtang was preparing to rebel. Liu Zhiyuan participated in the planning and became a meritorious official of Shi Jingtang.

As a subordinate of Liu Zhiyuan, Guo Wei's net worth also rose accordingly.

In his early years, Guo Wei married Pingyu Chai from the Later Tang palace, but they had no children. Guo Wei then adopted Chai's nephew Chai Rong as his adopted son. After Chai died, Guo Wei married the widow Yang. After Yang died, Guo Wei married the widow Zhang.

In 946 AD, Shi Chonggui, the emperor of the Later Jin Dynasty, severed ties with the Khitan. The Khitan emperor Yelu Deguang personally led his army south to destroy the Jin Dynasty. Shi Chonggui opened the city and surrendered, and the Later Jin Dynasty was destroyed. Yelu Deguang took control of the Later Jin capital Bianjing and changed the country's name to "Da Liao".

The people of the Central Plains rose up against the Khitans. Liu Zhiyuan proclaimed himself emperor in Taiyuan and established the Later Han Dynasty, to which the generals of the Later Jin Dynasty responded.

Seeing that he was unable to rule the Central Plains, Yelu Deguang led more than 3000 members of the Later Jin royal family and officials northward for his country. He died of illness while passing through Shahe.

In order to stabilize the situation in the Central Plains, Liu Zhiyuan spent a year personally conquering Du Chongwei. In 948 AD, Liu Zhiyuan died of illness and entrusted his son to Guo Wei and other old ministers before his death.

Guo Wei was therefore appointed as the Privy Councilor and took control of the national military power of the Later Han Dynasty. However, the newly succeeded Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty, Liu Chengyou, did not trust Guo Wei and other old ministers at all. After Guo Wei destroyed Li Shouzhen, the governor of Hezhong, Liu Chengyou became even more suspicious of Guo Wei.

Guo Wei's daily living and clothing were no different from those of the soldiers in the army. He also shared all the rewards and spoils of war with his subordinates, which made him very popular with the soldiers. Liu Chengyou plotted to kill Guo Wei, but he didn't expect the plot to be exposed.

Guo Wei adopted the strategy of "doing things for others" and forged an imperial edict to announce to the soldiers that the young emperor Liu Chengyou wanted Guo Wei to kill all the generals. The soldiers were outraged and recommended Guo Wei to start an army to "clear the emperor's side".

In 950 AD, Guo Wei started a rebellion, and Liu Chengyou killed all of Guo Wei's family members, even the children.

Soon, Guo Wei's army was at the gates of the city, and Liu Chengyou was killed while fleeing. Liu Zhiyuan's brother Liu Chong established his own 12 states in Hedong and proclaimed himself emperor, still using the reign title of the Later Han Dynasty, which was known in history as the Northern Han Dynasty.

After Guo Wei occupied Bianjing, he was not in a hurry to become emperor, but instead established Liu Yun, a member of the Later Han royal family, as emperor. However, Guo Wei's soldiers were anxious and wanted Guo Wei to take the throne quickly and reward him according to his merits. A good show of "wearing a yellow robe" was about to begin.

Soon military news came that the Khitans were heading south and Guo Wei was leading his army to fight. When passing through Chanzhou, the soldiers put the yellow robe that had been prepared long ago on Guo Wei.

Guo Wei immediately returned and forced Empress Dowager Li of the Later Han Dynasty to abdicate, and then he ascended the throne and became emperor, establishing the Later Zhou Dynasty.

After Guo Wei ascended the throne, he abolished the harsh policies, bad policies and severe laws that had existed since the end of the Tang Dynasty. He was compassionate to the people and lived a very simple life. He often said to his ministers: "I am a poor man. How dare I, as an emperor, live a poor life and make the people suffer?"

Guo Wei's series of policies not only stabilized the political situation, but also laid the foundation for the strength of the Later Zhou Dynasty.

However, the Later Zhou Dynasty still faced a serious problem: no successor. Guo Wei's biological sons were killed by Liu Chengyou, the Emperor Yin of the Later Han Dynasty, and Guo Wei wanted his adopted son Chai Rong to inherit the throne.

However, Prime Minister Wang Jun, who believed that he had followed Guo Wei for many years, was proud of his achievements and opposed Chai Rong becoming the crown prince. He repeatedly obstructed Chai Rong from entering the court and forced Guo Wei to replace the other two prime ministers, Li Gu and Fan Zhi.

Guo Wei could no longer bear it and cried to the ministers, "Wang Jun is going too far!"

Wang Jun was demoted and exiled, and soon after, he died of worry. Guo Wei appointed his adopted son Chai Rong as the King of Jin, thus establishing his position as the heir. In 954 AD, Guo Wei, the founder of the Later Zhou Dynasty, died at the age of .

——"This Guo Wei is not that Guo Wei. I thought it was the Guo Wei in Fast and Furious."

[The poet who is best at describing beauties. Is "The Goddess of Luo River" really a masterpiece of all time? A little history about Cao Zhi]

Cao Zhi was the most accomplished scholar among the Seven Scholars of the Jian'an Period, and he was praised as "there is only one stone of talent in the world, but Cao Zhi alone has eight buckets of talent." Not only could he compose a poem in seven steps, he was also praised as "the poet who is best at describing beauties in the world," and the dream lovers he described are still unmatched.

He is Cao Zhi, Prince Chensi, one of the "Three Immortals of Poets", the third son of Cao Cao and Lady Bian, and the younger brother of Emperor Wen of Wei, Cao Pi.

The year Cao Zhi was born, Cao Cao had just recaptured a million-strong Yellow Turban Army in Qingzhou, and selected 30 elite soldiers from them to form the Qingzhou Army, earning the first pot of gold for his business.

From a time perspective, Cao Cao only had the capital to dominate the world after Cao Zhi was born. Cao Zhi and his brother Cao Pi learned archery and horse riding under the supervision of their father since they were young.

When they grew up a little, Cao Cao began to lead his two brothers to fight in all directions. Therefore, when Cao Zhi grew up, he would often proudly say that he was "a child born in troubled times and grew up in a military camp."

Cao Zhi was very smart and had an amazing memory since childhood. He could read thousands of words without forgetting them. At the age of 10, he could express his ideas and write articles. His articles quoted from classics and his language was sharp.

When Cao Zhi was 16 years old, he followed his father to the east to fight against the Wuhuan. When Cao Zhi passed by Jieshi Mountain, he wrote the magnificent "Viewing the Sea" to express his ambition to conquer the world.

Cao Zhi must have been moved by the soldiers' bravery in battle and wrote the famous poem "The White Horse" which states "Dying for the country is like returning home". It can be said that Cao Zhi at this time was no less talented than his father in literature.

As a father, he naturally sees and remembers his son's talent.

From then on, Cao Cao would always bring Cao Zhi with him whenever he went on an expedition. From the East China Sea in the east to Yumen in the west and to the borderlands in the north, Cao Zhi participated in almost all the major battles during Cao Cao's time and accumulated rich experience in marching and using troops.

In 210 AD, the Bronze Sparrow Tower built by Cao Cao in Yecheng was completed. On a whim, he summoned civil and military officials to hold a martial arts competition in front of the tower, and ordered scholars to compose poems to liven up the atmosphere.

Cao Zhi took on the responsibility and wrote the "Ode to the Bronze Sparrow Tower" in one go, which is full of gorgeous words and phrases, and fully demonstrates Cao Cao's ambition to conquer the world and achieve empire.

Cao Cao was naturally overjoyed, and from then on he favored Cao Zhi even more, and soon made him Marquis of Pingyuan.

In 214 AD, Cao Cao went south to attack Sun Quan, and Cao Zhi was ordered to stay in Yecheng. Although Cao Cao did not say it explicitly, throughout history, the princes and heirs of the royal family were often left behind in the capital when the emperors went on expeditions.

Anyone with a discerning eye could immediately see how much Cao Cao valued Cao Zhi. Before leaving, Cao Cao even specifically instructed Cao Zhi that he was 23 years old when he became successful, and Cao Zhi was also 23 years old this year, so he must work hard to become successful.

This news soon spread throughout the Cao Wei court, and almost everyone believed that Cao Zhi's succession was a foregone conclusion.

As a result, a large number of famous scholars and children of aristocratic families came to assist Cao Zhi. The most famous among them were the brothers Handan Chun, Ding Yi, Ding Yi, whom Cao Cao admired the most, and Yang Xiu, the son of Yang Biao, the Grand Marshal of the Han Dynasty, who was from the Hongnong Yang family. Together, they formed the once famous "Four Friends of Cao Zhi".

Although Cao Zhi was talented, he was not as utilitarian as Cao Pi. He liked to do things as he pleased. Not only did he not care about his appearance on weekdays, he also drank without restraint and often drank and had fun with his staff in his own mansion.

Once, Cao Zhi, who was drunk, drove his car into the forbidden Sima Gate, which was only used by the emperor for ceremonies. Cao Cao was furious when he learned about it and directly ordered the execution of the Gongcheling, who was in charge of the royal carriages.

The next year, he found a reason to kill Yang Xiu, Cao Zhi's confidant. This indicated that Cao Zhi had completely fallen out of favor and was no longer able to compete for the position of the crown prince.

However, Cao Zhi did not restrain himself and became even more aggressive. Shortly after Yang Xiu's death, the Battle of Fancheng took place. Cao Ren was trapped by Guan Yu, and Cao Cao urgently ordered Cao Zhi to lead troops to rescue him.

But when the military order was delivered to Cao Zhi's house, Cao Zhi was found to be drunk and could not even stand up to obey the order. Cao Zhi not only failed to become the crown prince, but also lost his father's favor.

Cao Pi was made the crown prince by Cao Cao that year. After Cao Cao's death, Cao Pi ascended the throne. In the same year, he abolished the Han Dynasty and proclaimed himself emperor, changing the country's name to Great Wei.

Cao Zhi's fate began to change dramatically from then on. First, his good friends Ding Yi and Ding Yi were executed by Cao Pi, and then his own title was downgraded again and again, and he was demoted several times within two years. At this time, it was simply a fantasy for Cao Zhi to participate in state affairs, and saving his life was the top priority.

In 222 AD, the 31-year-old Cao Zhi was named King of Dong'e.

On his way back to his fiefdom Juancheng in the east, he stopped to water his horse by the Luochuan River. In a trance, Cao Zhi seemed to see the goddess of Luo River, Mi Fei, so he wrote the famous "Ode to the Goddess of Luo River" in sadness.

"The Goddess of Luo River" has gorgeous language, delicate description, varied techniques, timeless form, and extremely rich imagination, which brings the portrayal of women in words to the extreme.

Among them, "graceful as a startled swan, graceful as a swimming dragon", "glorious as autumn chrysanthemums, luxuriant as spring pines", "as if light clouds are covering the moon, and fluttering like snow blown by the wind" are called "strokes of genius" that are beyond human reach.

"The Goddess of Luo River" inherits the romantic folk songs of the Han Dynasty and initiates the trend of formal beauty in the Northern and Southern Dynasties. It is even better than Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs" and Song Yu's "The Goddess".

Although some people say that "The Goddess of the Luo River" was written by Cao Zhi for his sister-in-law Zhen Mi, it has been verified that this was fabricated by Li Shan in the Tang Dynasty and there was no such saying for more than 400 years before the Tang Dynasty.

But no matter who Cao Zhi wrote it for, it must be mixed with Cao Zhi's understanding of the various aspects of life and the ups and downs of the world. The influence of "The Goddess of Luo River" extends to the fields of literature, calligraphy, painting, etc.

After reading it repeatedly, the Eastern Jin Dynasty painter Gu Kaizhi painted "The Goddess of the Luo River", which became his representative work.

The regular script "Ode to the Goddess of the Luo River" by Yuan Dynasty calligrapher Zhao Mengfu holds an unshakable position in the history of calligraphy. Wang Shizhen, a scholar in the Qing Dynasty, said: "In the past 2000 years, the only three people who were interested in immortals were Cao Zijian, Li Bai and Su Shizhan."

Although "The Goddess of Luo River" was so shocking, it could not hide the ups and downs of Cao Zhi's later life. In 232 AD, Cao Zhi died of illness at the age of 41.

——"Everyone doubted that Xie Lingyun monopolized one bushel of wine, but no one doubted the value of Cao Zhi's monopoly of eight bushels of wine."