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In the early years of the Western Han Dynasty, the economy was in ruins and everything needed to be rebuilt. The rulers of the early Han Dynasty learned from the lessons of the Qin Dynasty's demise, adopted the Huang-Lao philosophy of governing by inaction, implemented a policy of recuperation, and promoted measures such as light taxes and levies and encouraging agriculture and sericulture.

From Liu Bang and Empress Lü to Empress Dowager Dou, the wife of Emperor Wen of Han and mother of Emperor Jing, the Huang-Lao school of thought reached its peak.

Empress Dowager Dou admired the philosophy of Huang-Lao. She lived through the reigns of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing. She served as empress for 23 years during Emperor Wen's reign, empress dowager for 16 years during Emperor Jing's reign, and grand empress dowager for 6 years during Emperor Wu's reign. Her influence in the court lasted for more than 40 years.

The result of her Huang-Lao philosophy of non-intervention was that by the time of Emperor Wu of Han, "the capital city had so many coins that they were so rotten that they could not be counted; the grain in the granary was piled up one after another, overflowing and leaking out, and it was rotten and inedible." (Records of the Grand Historian, Book of the Price Balance)

This means that the ropes that string the money in the treasury have all rotted, and the money is too much to count; the corn in the state warehouse is piled up and even spilled out, rotten and inedible. This is exactly why Huang-Lao's teachings can be called "the art of the emperor."

However, as Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty "rejected all schools of thought and respected Confucianism alone", the Huang-Lao school gradually declined and lost a large number of talents. When the Wei and Jin Dynasties' metaphysics emerged, the Laozi and Zhuangzi school replaced the Huang-Lao school and became the orthodox Taoist school.

The fundamental reason is that Confucianism after the pre-Qin period was completely castrated and became an autocratic tool serving the emperor.

Certain Confucian propositions greatly strengthened the power of those in power, giving them the natural legitimacy to decide life and death over the ruled; for those below them, it greatly strengthened their obligations and required them to obey unconditionally.

The stronger the degree of despotism, the deeper the cultural brainwashing of the grassroots. After Confucianism replaced Taoism as the orthodox ideology of the country, Huang-Lao Taoism did not completely disappear.

Most of the time, rulers "mixed the ways of hegemony and kingship" as Emperor Xuan of Han said, that is, sometimes it was "Confucianism on the outside and Legalism on the inside", and sometimes it was "Confucianism on the outside and Huang-Lao on the inside".

Whenever military power was partially restricted by subjective and objective conditions, Huang-Lao Taoism would revive and bring prosperity to the economy and culture, because the rulers' "rule by inaction" was limited to the economy and culture.

Wise rulers like Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, Emperor Zhenzong of Song, Zhu Yuanzhang and Kangxi all annotated the Tao Te Ching.

The great economic and cultural prosperity during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing, Emperor Taizong, the Kaiyuan Period, Emperor Kangxi, and the two Song dynasties, as well as the enlightenment thought and the achievements of reform and opening up in the late Ming and early Qing dynasties, are all closely related to the Huang-Lao thought of "governing the world, pacifying the world, and being at peace with the world."

Therefore, there is a saying among the people: "In a peaceful world, practice Taoism; in a chaotic world, practice Buddhism; and from chaos to order, practice Confucianism."

[Read all the life history knowledge of Emperor Wu of Han Dynasty's peerless beauties in one go - Western Han Dynasty]

Emperor Wu of Han loved four women in his life: one was his childhood sweetheart Chen Ajiao, one was the rising star Wei Zifu, one was the stunningly beautiful Lady Li, and the last one was the mysterious and beautiful Lady Gouyi.

So what kind of stories do these four beauties have? In this video, let's talk about the beauties of Emperor Wu of Han.

Chen Ajiao: The tragedy of a beautiful woman in a golden house

Chen Ajiao was the first woman that Emperor Wu of Han fell in love with. There is an allusion in history that has been passed down through the ages - "A beauty hidden in a golden house".

However, it should be noted that this story actually comes from "Stories of Emperor Wu of Han" and is not recorded in official history books such as "Records of the Grand Historian", "Book of Han" and "Zizhi Tongjian". Chen Ajiao's name is not clear in official history books, and most historical books refer to her as "Ms. Chen" or "Empress Chen".

Chen Ajiao became the first empress of Emperor Wu of Han, which was a political marriage. Her mother was the eldest princess, the elder sister of Emperor Jing of Han, and had a lot of say around Emperor Jing of Han.

In order for her son to inherit the throne, Emperor Wu of Han, Liu Che's mother, Lady Wang, agreed to the marriage proposed by the eldest princess.

Therefore, his marriage with Chen Ajiao was a political marriage on the one hand, and a close relative marriage on the other. The two were childhood sweethearts, and she was made a concubine when Emperor Wu of Han was the crown prince. Emperor Wu of Han initially doted on her.

However, as the influence of Chen Ajiao's mother, the Princess, in front of Liu Che gradually weakened, Chen Ajiao became arrogant and jealous, arousing Liu Che's disgust.

Chen Ajiao had been unable to bear children for many years. In order to regain the favor of Emperor Wu of Han, she spared no expense in seeking a child, and even resorted to witchcraft. Historical records say that Empress Chen "sought a child, prayed with witches and sorcerers, and spent a huge amount of money."

It was not until Emperor Wu of Han fell in love with Wei Zifu that Lady Wei's status became increasingly respected. She gave birth to three princesses for Emperor Wu of Han, while Empress Chen was unable to give birth.

In order to regain the favor of Emperor Wu, Chen Ajiao learned witchcraft and cursed the concubines favored by Emperor Wu under the guidance of some witches. Later, the matter was exposed, and Emperor Wu ordered a strict investigation, and finally traced it back to Chen Ajiao.

In the face of irrefutable evidence, Chen Ajiao was demoted to a commoner and imprisoned until her death. Her fate was similar to that of Concubine Hua in "The Legend of Zhen Huan", and there were many political considerations behind it. Having been unable to give birth for decades, one can't help but suspect that her ending was also quite pitiful.

Wei Zifu: The legend from a singer to an empress

Wei Zifu was the second woman that Emperor Wu of Han fell in love with. She was originally a singer in Princess Pingyang's mansion. She was not only outstanding in appearance, but also good at dancing.

Emperor Wu of Han once visited his sister Princess Pingyang's residence and fell in love with Wei Zifu at first sight. In this way, Wei Zifu entered the Han Palace with a humble status.

Wei Zifu's rise to fame not only changed her own destiny, but also affected the destiny of the entire country.

She later became the second empress of Emperor Wu of Han and gave birth to one son and three daughters for him, thus continuing the bloodline of the Han Dynasty. More importantly, her family brought two great men of the empire, Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, who made great contributions to the Han Dynasty.

In history, Wei Zifu was very virtuous in the harem. She did not fight or compete. No matter how Chen Ajiao slandered her, she did not retaliate and let Emperor Wu of Han deal with her.

However, the beauty fades, and the new generation is better than the old. Emperor Wu of Han later fell in love with Lady Li, and Wei Zifu gradually fell out of favor. However, she remained calm and did her job carefully.

However, the imperial family has always been ruthless. In his later years, Emperor Wu of Han believed in witchcraft and trusted the treacherous minister Jiang Chong, which led to a witchcraft disaster. In this disaster, the virtuous Wei Zifu's son, Crown Prince Liu Ju, was forced to commit suicide, Wei Zifu also committed suicide, and the Wei family was also implicated.

Madam Li: The Short-lived Glory of a Beauty That Stole the Country

Lady Li was the third woman that Emperor Wu of Han fell in love with. She entered his vision through a poem: "There is a beautiful woman in the north, who is peerless and independent. One glance from her is enough to conquer a city, and another glance is enough to conquer a country." Therefore, the idiom "beauty that conquers a city and a country" came into being, which describes Lady Li.

Lady Li was young and beautiful, and soon won the favor of Emperor Wu of Han. Once, when Lady Li was with Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Wu of Han felt a headache, so Lady Li took out her jade hairpin to scratch his head, and thus the allusion of "jade scratching head" came into being.

Lady Li was very smart. Unlike other women, she did not want the emperor to stay by her side all the time, but tried her best to get Emperor Wu to leave. This tactic of playing hard to get made Emperor Wu even more obsessed with her.

After Lady Li gave birth to a son for Emperor Wu of Han, she became weak and seriously ill. She desperately covered her face with her quilt to prevent Emperor Wu of Han from seeing her face, which left a good impression on Emperor Wu of Han.

After Lady Li died, Emperor Wu of Han missed her very much and showed much favor to the Li family. However, as time went by, the Li family gradually fell out of favor.

Her elder brother Li Yannian was ordered to have his clan exterminated by Emperor Wu of Han. After her younger brother Li Guangli surrendered to the Huns, the Li family was again liquidated and eventually massacred.

Lady Gouyi: A mysterious and tragic ending

Lady Gouyi was the fourth woman that Emperor Wu of Han fell in love with. Her deeds were very legendary, and her end was extremely tragic. Lady Gouyi's surname was Zhao. Her name was not recorded in the official history, and she was often called Zhao Jieyu. She was originally from Hejian. When Emperor Wu of Han was touring Hejian, it was said that she clenched her fists so tightly that many people could not open her fists. Later, Emperor Wu of Han opened her fists and found a jade hook in her palm. Emperor Wu of Han liked her very much, so he took her into the palace. Because of the jade hook in her palm, she was called "Lady Gouyi".

At that time, Emperor Wu of Han was already over 60 years old, which means that his love with Lady Gouyi was a "twilight romance". Lady Gouyi did not disappoint Emperor Wu of Han. She was pregnant for 14 months and gave birth to Liu Fuling, who later became Emperor Zhao of Han.

However, the outbreak of the witchcraft disaster caused Emperor Wu of Han to lose the crown prince Liu Ju, and Empress Wei Zifu also committed suicide. Therefore, Emperor Wu of Han was hesitant in choosing an heir.

After careful consideration, he finally chose his youngest son Liu Fuling. However, as Liu Fuling's mother, Lady Gouyi did not wait for the glory. Emperor Wu of Han was worried that Liu Fuling was young and a woman ruler behind the curtain would bring disaster to the country, so he executed the innocent Lady Gouyi.

Looking at the fates of these four peerless beauties, history is always so cruel.

Since ancient times, beauties are like famous generals, and they are not allowed to grow old. Even as the emperor's women, even if they are favored, they are ultimately just playthings in the hands of the emperor. Their life and death, as well as the honor of their families, all depend on the emperor's whim.

[Read all the most underestimated counselor of Jiangdong, Lu Su, in one go, historical trivia of the Three Kingdoms]

He is the best strategist in Jiangdong, who is not inferior to Zhuge Liang. He made great contributions to the Eastern Wu. He is also the character whose performance is most different from history.

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, he is portrayed as a simple, honest, and almost pedantic man, but in the history books, he is a generous and open-minded chivalrous man. He is the most underestimated counselor in the Three Kingdoms period - Lu Su.

Lu Su, whose courtesy name was Zijing, came from a very wealthy family and had the unquestionable status of a "rich second generation".

However, Lu Su was not a playboy despite his good family background. He was generous and generous. He was extraordinary and strategic when he was young, and he was also good at fencing, riding and shooting. Lu Su became good friends with Zhou Yu in his early years.

As the situation in Jiangdong changed, Sun Ce was assassinated and Sun Quan took control of Soochow. On Zhou Yu's recommendation, Lu Su came to Soochow.

The first meeting between Lu Su and Sun Quan was quite legendary. The two sat together and discussed the general situation of the world. Lu Su's strategy was called "the strategy on the couch".

Although his "Couch Strategy" is not as famous as Zhuge Liang's "Longzhong Strategy" in history, it is no less strategic. Lu Su's "Couch Strategy" accurately pointed out the strategic problems and development direction for Sun Quan:

Denying the hegemony: Lu Su pointed out that Sun Quan's idea of ​​emulating Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin to pursue hegemony was unrealistic because Cao Cao had gained a favorable position to control the emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Han Dynasty could no longer be restored, and Cao Cao's power could not be easily eliminated.

Secede Jiangdong and wait for an opportunity: Lu Su suggested that Sun Quan seize Jiangdong and take advantage of Cao Cao's lack of time to attack Liu Biao, occupy Jingzhou, and then occupy the south of the Yangtze River, dividing the world into three parts. Then he established his title and proclaimed himself emperor, and gradually seized the world.

Lu Su's "Plan on the Couch" and Zhuge Liang's "Longzhong Strategy" agree on many points of view. Both are top strategies with great strategic vision. Both accurately grasped the objective situation at the time and put forward ambitious political goals.

Lu Su proposed the "Plan on the Couch" seven years earlier than the "Longzhong Plan", which shows that Lu Su's profound insight and political vision are in no way inferior to Zhuge Liang's.

As Cao Cao stabilized the north, he was worried that Sun Quan would seize Jingzhou first, so he led his troops south, which triggered the world-famous Battle of Chibi.

On the eve of the Battle of Chibi, Liu Biao died of illness. Lu Su went to Xiangyang under the pretext of "condolences" and took the initiative to meet Liu Bei who had fled south in panic, laying the foundation for the alliance between Sun and Liu. Therefore, Lu Su was undoubtedly the first contributor to the alliance between Sun and Liu.

Liu Biao's son Liu Cong had surrendered Jingzhou to Cao. All the officials of the Eastern Wu urged Sun Quan to surrender to Cao. Only Lu Su woke them up with one word. He pointed out the key point that everyone could surrender except Sun Quan. This greatly strengthened Sun Quan's determination to fight Cao Cao to the end.

In the end, relying on the "double swords" of Lu Su and Zhou Yu, they coordinated the overall situation and burned Cao Cao's dream of going south with a fire at Chibi.

After the Battle of Chibi, Sun Quan used Lu Su more and more, and once called him his "Deng Yu". Considering the overall situation, Lu Su suggested that Sun Quan lend Jingzhou to his strategic ally Liu Bei to promote the plan of Sun and Liu to unite and fight against Cao.

Perhaps many people think that this move is "throwing a meat bun at a dog", which is not worth the loss, but what is behind it is Lu Su's far-reaching strategic vision:

Necessity of uniting to resist Cao: After the Battle of Chibi, although Sun Quan and Liu defeated Cao Cao with the weak, Sun Quan was still far inferior to Cao Cao in terms of strength. The only correct choice was to unite to resist Cao.

As the saying goes, "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." On the one hand, Lu Su's move increased the forces resisting Cao Cao, and on the other hand, he used Liu Bei as a barrier to block Cao Cao's threat to Eastern Wu.

Farsighted politician's vision: As a farsighted politician, Lu Su was very clear about this, so he adhered to this strategic policy throughout his life and did his best for it. When Cao Cao heard the news that Sun Quan lent Jingzhou to Liu Bei, he was writing a letter and dropped his pen to the ground in shock.

As Liu Bei occupied Yizhou and his power continued to grow, Dongwu demanded the return of Jingzhou. The two sides were on the verge of war.

As the military commander at the front, Lu Su had constant friction with Guan Yu, the military commander Liu Bei left in Jingzhou, but he repeatedly put the overall situation first and tried his best to appease both sides. So the famous "single-handed meeting" took place.