Liu Bang
Liu Bang (256 BC - June 1, 195 BC), named Ji (some say it is a nickname), was the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty (Western Han Dynasty), and his temple name was Taizu (but since the time of Sima Qian, he has been called Gaozu, and later generations often use it), and his posthumous title is Emperor Gao (there is no "high" in the posthumous method, so he is regarded as the Taizu of the Han Dynasty because of his highest merits, so he is named Yan). Emperor Taizu Gao, Emperor Gaozu of the Han Dynasty or Emperor Gao of the Han Dynasty. Born into the common class. Before becoming emperor, he was also called Peigong and King of Hanzhong.
Early career
Liu Bang was born in Zhongyangli, Fengyi, Pei County, in a farmer's family in Pei County, Fengyi, Jiangsu Province today. His father Liu Zhijia and his mother Wang Hanshi. Legend has it that Liu's mother gave birth to Liu Bang after having intercourse with a dragon. When Liu Bang was young, he didn't like to help his family with production work. When he grew up, he initially served as the head of the pavilion in Surabaya. I once saw Qin Shihuang traveling in Xianyang, the capital of Qin, and sighed, "Oh, this is how a man should be born." He got acquainted with Lu Gong Shuping and married his daughter Lu Fei. Later he served as the pavilion chief of Peixian County.
Anti-Qin War
On the way to escort a prisoner, the trip was delayed due to weather conditions. Liu Bang knew that delaying his trip would result in the death penalty. Without "any loss", Liu Bang decided to plot a rebellion and "Slay the White Snake Uprising" to capture Peixian and other places to resist the Qin Dynasty. Prisoners became the core of his early strength.
In the second year of Qin II, Yan, Zhao, Qi and Wei all established themselves as kings. Xiang Liang also rebelled in Wu, and Liu Bang took refuge with Xiang Liang. The latter supported the grandson of King Huai of Chu as king, also known as King Huai. After Xiang Liang's death, King Huai of Chu named Xiang Yu the Marquis of Chang'an, and followed Song Yi to the north to confront the main force of the Qin army and rescue Zhao. In addition, he also named Liu Bang the Marquis of Wu'an and ordered him to move westward and enter the Pass. And it was agreed that "the one who enters Dingguan first will be the king." As the Qin army was restrained by Xiang Yu, Liu Bang easily entered Guanzhong and approached Xianyang. Zhao Gao killed Qin II and Ziying was established as the king of Qin. After Ziying killed Zhao Gao, he surrendered to Liu Bang and the Qin Dynasty was destroyed. Liu Bang made a pact with his fathers in Guanzhong in Chapter 3: Historical Records, Volume 8, The Anthology of Emperor Gaozu: He made a pact with his father in Chapter 3: "Those who kill will die, and those who hurt others and steal will not be punished.". Xianyang quickly restored social order.
The conflict between Chu and Han
Liuhou-Zhang Liang
Before entering Xianyang, when Xiang Yu was stationed at Hongmen, He once invited Liu Bang to a banquet, which was also known as the Hongmen Banquet. However, Xiang Yu did not follow his father Fan Zeng's plan, so Liu Bang escaped. Xiang Yu entered Xianyang, burned Epang Palace, and claimed to be the overlord of Western Chu. Xiang Yu enfeoffed Liu Bang to the Hanzhong area of ????Bashu as the king of Han, but he granted the Guanzhong land previously promised by King Huai of Chu to three Qin Dynasty generals (among them, Zhang Han was granted the title of King Yong, with jurisdiction over the western part of Guanzhong, and Sima Xin was granted the title of King of Sai, Jurisdiction over the eastern part of Guanzhong, granted Dong Yi the title of King Zhai, and jurisdiction over the northern part of Guanzhong). Xiang Yu's enfeoffment failed to convince the public, and various countries rebelled. Liu Bang took advantage of Xiang Yu's absence to quell the rebellion and sent troops to Guanzhong. Even Xiang Yu's base of Pengcheng was occupied by him.
After a long period of tug-of-war between Chu and Han, with the assistance of Xiao He, Zhang Liang, Han Xin, etc., the Han army led by Liu Bang gradually became stronger. The agreement between Chu and Han was to use the chasm as the boundary, with Han to the west and Chu to the east of the chasm, and they would not invade each other. But when Xiang Yu kept his promise and retreated, and released Liu Bang's parents and wife who had been taken hostage, Liu Bang broke his promise and launched a sneak attack. Xiang Yu retreated to Gaixia, and Liu Bang used the tactic of being surrounded on all sides to undermine the morale of the Chu army. Finally, Xiang Yu was desperate and felt that he could not see his elders in Jiangdong, so he had to commit suicide by the Wujiang River. This Chu-Han War, which lasted for five years (from January to December in the fifth year of Emperor Gaozu's first year (206 BC)), ended with the death of a generation of overlords and Liu Bang's unification of the world.
Establishing the Han Dynasty
After Liu Bang overthrew the Qin Dynasty and eliminated Xiang Yu and other forces, in the first month of the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu (202 BC), he proclaimed himself emperor on the Flooding Sun. The capital was established in Luoyang (soon moved to Chang'an), the country was named Han, and it was known as the Western Han Dynasty in history. And he made Lu Pheasant his queen.
After taking the throne, Liu Bang took many important measures, such as enfeoffing the princes of the world, reducing taxes, and "resting with the people." Free him from corvee service, etc.
After the fall of Qin, the Huns from Mobei took the opportunity to go south and harass the northern border of the Han Dynasty. In 201 BC, King Xin of Han surrendered to the Huns. In 200 BC, during the Northern Expedition against the Huns, Liu Bang himself was besieged by 300,000 Maodun Shanyu in Baideng (today's Datong, Shanxi Province). Later, Chen Ping's plan was used to bribe the Xiongnu family to escape. He also accepted Lou Jing's policy and started the policy of peace and marriage with the Huns.
When commenting on why he was able to defeat Xiang Yu and win the world, Liu Bang once said: "I am planning the strategy and winning the battle thousands of miles away. I am not as good as the ovary. I govern the country, care for the people, and give I am not as good as Xiao He in terms of payment and continuous supply of food. Even with an army of millions, I am sure to win in battle and capture in attack. I am not as good as Han Xin. These three are all outstanding people and I can use them. This is why I conquer the world. Xiang Yu has an increased fan but cannot use it, so I captured him." However, "the cunning rabbit dies, the good dog is cooked; the tall bird is gone, but the good bow is hidden." After winning the world, Liu Bang, in order to avoid the kings of different surnames from committing crimes, successively killed Han Xin, Peng Yue and other meritorious deeds on the charge of rebellion. Minister.
Liu Bang was dissolute in his early years and despised Confucian scholars. After becoming emperor, he still believed that reading was useless. Lu Jia reminded him, "Is it better to cure it immediately than to get it immediately?", so he ordered Lu Jia to write about the reasons for Qin's fall, take it as a warning, and implement the policy of practicing benevolence and righteousness, recuperating and recuperating, and governing by doing nothing; he also ordered Xiao He to follow Qin's example The laws of the imperial dynasty "were adapted to the time and composed of nine chapters", which is known as the "Nine Chapters of Han Law".
In his later years, Liu Bang favored his beloved Lady Qi and alienated Empress Lu. He wanted to depose the crown prince Liu Ying (Emperor Hui of the Han Dynasty) born to Empress Lu many times and replace her with Liu Ruyi, the son of Qi's son. Due to the opposition of the ministers, especially Zhu Lu, he had to give up. In his later years, Liu Bang returned to his hometown of Peixian County, drank with his father and children, and composed "Song of the Great Wind" during the dinner: "The strong wind is blowing, the clouds are flying, the powerful winds are coming to the sea, and I am returning to my hometown, and the warriors are here to guard the four directions!"
In the twelfth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, in 195 BC, he was attacked by a stray arrow when he was crusading against Yingbu's rebellion. Shortly after making arrangements for his death, he passed away in Changle Palace on the first day of April. Buried in Changling in May.
After Liu Bang's death, Empress Lu made Liu Bang's second son Ying the emperor, who was named Emperor Xiaohui.