Dynasties of ChinaWestern HanWestern Han lineage
?–180 BCE
Assisted Liu Bang to pacify the world, ruled as regent for eight years after the death of Emperor Hui, and rested with the people, but broke the contract and granted the title of Zhu Lu.
Lü Zhi is the daughter of a single father, Lu Gong. Lu Gong married her to Liu Bang after he moved to Pei County. During the Chu-Han War, she was captured by Xiang Yu in 205 BC, and was released only after the peace negotiation in Hong Kong in 203 BC. After Liu Bang became emperor, she was established as queen, participated in cutting off princes and kings with different surnames, and conspired with Xiao He to kill Han Xin. In her later years, Liu Bang wanted to change Zhao Wang Ruyi, the son of her favorite concubine Qi Furen, to Crown Prince. She used Zhang Liang's plan to invite "Shangshan Sihao" to assist Crown Prince Liu Ying, thus preserving her son's throne.
Emperor Hui came to the throne in 195 BC, and she was honored as the empress dowager. She poisoned King Zhao Ruyi and murdered Qi Furen. After the death of Emperor Hui in 188 BC, she successively established the Early Young Emperor and the Later Young Emperor, rule as regent. Regardless of the opposition of the Right Prime Minister Wang Ling with the White Horse Alliance, she named Lu Tai, Lü Chan, Lu Lu, etc. as kings. In terms of government affairs, she followed Xiao He and Cao Can's policy of quietness and inaction, abolished the crimes of the three clans and the evil orders, and the social economy continued to recover. After she died of illness in 180 BC, Zhou Bo, Chen Ping and the Liu clan immediately executed Zhu Lu.
Empress Lü is the first female ruler in Chinese history to rule as regent. She actually ruled for fifteen years during the period of Emperor Hui and the two Young Emperors, and continued the policy of resting with the people. Sima Qian said that "the world was at peace" at that time. However, she was cruel, killing Qi Furen and her son, and violated the White Horse Alliance to seal Zhu Lu, which intensified the conflict between the Lu family and the Liu family and heroes, and eventually led to Zhu Lu's clan being exterminated after her death.
PeopleTrapped in Chu camp
The Han army was defeated in the Battle of Pengcheng. Liu Bang's father, Liu Taigong, and Lü Zhi were captured by the Chu army and held as hostages in the Xiang Yu army for more than two years. In 203 BC, Chu and Han used the divide as the boundary to negotiate a peace, and the two were sent back to the Han camp.
PoliticsKill Han Xin
Chen Xi rebelled and Liu Bang went to the army himself. Someone reported that Huaiyin Hou Han Xin wanted to raise troops in Chang'an to respond. Empress Lü conspired with Xiao He to pretend that Chen Xi had been pacified, lured Han Xin into the palace to congratulate him, and beheaded him in the bell chamber of Changle Palace, annihilating the three tribes.
PoliticsShangshan Sihaobao Crown Prince
Liu Bang wanted to depose Crown Prince Liu Ying, Empress Lü sent his brother to ask Zhang Liang for help. Zhang Liang suggested hiring four hermits who Liu Bang could not recruit many times to assist the Crown Prince. Liu Bang saw four white-haired old men attending the Crown Prince at the banquet, and thought that the Crown Prince had grown up, so he gave up the idea of Yi Chu.
PoliticsKill King Zhao with poison
After Emperor Hui ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Lu summoned Zhao Wang Liu Ruyi to Beijing. The Emperor will personally greet him, rise and lie down with him to protect him. In December, Emperor Hui went out hunting early in the morning, and King Zhao was too young to accompany him. Empress Dowager Lu took the opportunity to send someone to poison him to death, and also mutilated his mother Qi Furen.
DiplomacyLetter from Mao Dun
The Xiongnu sent a letter from Chanyu to the Queen Mother Lu, with insulting words. The Empress Dowager Lu was furious and wanted to send troops to conquer. Fan Kuai asked him to lead 100,000 people to rampage the Xiongnu. Ji Bu bluntly said that Gaozu had been trapped in Pingcheng and accused Fan Kuai of bullying the emperor. Empress Dowager Lu finally replied with humility and continued the marriage.
PoliticsMake Zhu Lu king
Rule as regent Later, he wanted to make Zhu Lu king. Wang Ling, the prime minister on the right, fought hard with the White Horse Alliance. He was changed to Tai Tu and took away the power of prime minister. Chen Ping and Zhou Bo agreed. After that, Lu Tai, Lü Chan, Lu Lu, etc. were successively crowned kings, and the descendants of the Lu family took control of the N&S army guarding the capital.
SocietyAbolition of the evil words of the three clans
An edict was issued to abolish the crimes of the three Yi tribes and the "demon speech order" that punished people for their speech. Emperor Hui had previously abolished the law of holding books, and the harsh punishment laws in the early Han Dynasty were further relaxed. Sima Qian said that during this period, "punishments were rarely used, and sinners were hopeless."
Politics"Two Years of Law"
At the end of 1983, a batch of legal bamboo slips were unearthed from Han Tomb No. 247 in Zhangjiashan, Jiangling, Hubei Province. They were self-titled "Legal Orders of the Second Year", which are generally believed to be the legal orders implemented in the second year of Empress Lü, including more than 20 types of laws such as thieves' laws, bandits' laws, household laws, Tian's laws, Qian's laws, and the "Jinguan Order".
Lasting legacyZhangjiashan Han Bamboo Slips "Er-Nian Ling" is one of the most important original documents for studying the law, land and household registration system of the early Han Dynasty today.
EconomyChanged to eight baht coins
In the early Han Dynasty, people were allowed to mint frivolous pod coins, which were cheap and valuable. In this year, the imperial court changed the currency to eight baht, with a nominal weight similar to Qin banliang, in order to rectify the currency system; in 182 BC, it changed to five cents.
PoliticsDied of illness and Zhu Lu was executed
In July, Empress Dowager Lu fell seriously ill. She appointed Lu Lu as general to lead the Northern Army and Lü Chan to lead the Southern Army, and warned them to guard the palace. After her death, Taiwei Zhou Bo entered the Northern Army with a command, and ordered "the Lu family to be on the right side, and the Liu family to be on the left side." Everyone in the army was on the left side, and then Zhu Lu was killed.
A native of Dingtao, he was good at singing and dancing, and was favored by Liu Bang. His son Liu Ruyi was named King of Zhao. She cried many times and begged for the Crown Prince to be changed, and had a grudge against Empress Lü. After Liu Bang died, she was imprisoned in Yongxiang for pounding rice. After King Zhao was poisoned, she was also brutally killed.
A native of Peixian County, he accompanied the captured Empress Lü during the Chu-Han War and was deeply trusted. Empress Lü was the Prime Minister of Zuo at that time, and he often handled affairs in the palace, and most ministers made decisions through him. Emperor Wen was killed by Huainan King Liu Chang with an iron spine.
A native of Peixian County, he had good relations with Liu Bang in his early years. Later, he led his troops to return to the Han Dynasty and was granted the title of Marquis of Anguo. Emperor Hui was the right prime minister at that time, and Empress Lü wanted to be king of Zhu Lu. He opposed it with the White Horse Alliance and was changed to Taifu. He claimed that he was ill and was exempted from the official position.
The nephew of Empress Lü, he was named King of Lu and King of Liang successively. In his later years, Empress Lü served as Prime Minister and commanded the Southern Army. After Empress Lü's death, she planned a rebellion with Lu Lu and was chased by Zhu Xuhou Liu Zhang in the toilet of the official residence of the doctor in Weiyang Palace.