The erosion of the years has turned all the vigor and vitality into smoke and clouds. Emperors, generals, talents and beauties, no matter how powerful and famous they are, they all have no choice but to return to the loess. Deng Sui is also one of them, too beautiful and brilliant. She was the longest-serving queen mother in the Eastern Han Dynasty . She came into power at the age of 25 and ended up in power for 16 years. According to historical records, she "holds power and invites slander, but fortunately she does not think it is herself; anxious heart is bloody, and those who are strong only serve the country." She can be described as virtuous. Is it too far away from us? She did not leave as many merits, demerits, and anecdotes as Empress Lu , Empress Wu, etc., causing people to have different opinions today. We can only pick up some fragments of history to piece together the life of this equally extraordinary woman.
The girl has high aspirations
With the click of the scissors, strands of light yellow and soft hair fluttered down. An old lady with gray hair and luxurious clothes was cutting the hair of a five-year-old girl.
The slow and rhythmic rhythm of the scissors makes the whole atmosphere enveloped with a sense of warmth and tranquility. Suddenly, the little girl clenched her teeth and grasped the frame of the chair she was sitting on with her little hands. Looking further up, she could see bright red blood oozing out from her small, white forehead.
Some of the maids around noticed the blood stains and let out an "ahhh" sound. "Madam, the young lady's forehead is bleeding." Following this reminder, the old lady was startled and approached the little girl to see that it was indeed the case. She hurriedly ordered the maid to find medicine and bandage.
The five-year-old girl closed her lips tightly and did not cry out in pain.
Afterwards, a maid was surprised at the little girl's patience and asked her why. The little girl said seriously: "It's not that I'm not afraid of pain. The lady cut my hair personally because she loved me. I didn't want to make her sad, so I couldn't bear to scream."
This little girl was Deng Sui, later the empress of Emperor He of the Eastern Han Dynasty. At the age of five, he has become so considerate and considerate that he not only makes people lovable, but also respects him.
Deng Sui was born into a family of officials in Xinye, Nanyang. His grandfather Deng Yu was the founding hero of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He had great military exploits and was awarded the title of Taifu; his father Deng Xun was worshiped as the Protector of the Qiang School; his mother Yin was the niece of the late Empress Guanglie of the previous dynasty.
Such a prominent family provided Deng Sui with not only the luxury of fine clothing and fine food, but also the nobility of her family. More importantly, it allowed her to be influenced by the strong atmosphere of books. She transcended the shackles of "a woman's lack of talent is virtue" and grew into a woman with extraordinary mind and knowledge.
Influenced by her father and brother's reading, as well as her natural intelligence, Deng Sui could read history books at the age of six. By the time she was 12 years old, she had already mastered the "Book of Songs" and "The Analects of Confucius". Deng Sui often discussed the essence of classics with his brothers, and sometimes his brothers had difficulty answering questions.
Deng Sui loved studying classics and did not worry about trivial chores related to housework. This made her mother very dissatisfied, and she often warned her: "As a girl, you should learn to dress like a girl and tailor your clothes, so as not to be laughed at." Deng Sui may not necessarily think that his mother's words are completely correct, but after all, she is knowledgeable and polite and values filial piety. In order to please his mother and not violate her wishes, Deng Sui practiced women's business during the day and continued to recite classics at night. Seeing that she was so fond of learning, her family gave her the nickname " Taisheng", but she didn't care.
The person who admired Deng Sui the most was his father Deng Xun. Deng Xun was a very knowledgeable father. He had no prejudice against men and women. He liked his daughter's intelligence and valued her erudition. He would discuss it with Deng Sui every time he encountered big or small matters. Deng Sui never let his father down. He always gave good insights and won his father's praise.
In this way, accompanied by the fragrance of books and father's love, Deng Sui spent her peaceful and decent girlhood.
The palace courtyard is deep and deep
Deng Sui is destined to be destined to the palace.
When she was 12 years old, she was already pretty and pretty. Her bookish aura made her elegant and dignified, and her behavior was outstanding. At the time of the general election in the palace, Deng Sui, who came from a well-known family and was very beautiful, was quickly selected, and the palace beckoned to her for the first time.
However, all good things are hard to predict. At this time, Deng Sui's beloved father Deng Xun suddenly passed away. This fact almost caused Deng Sui to collapse, as if her whole life had been hollowed out. She cried day and night and became a tearful person. She did not think about food or tea, and thought about her father's benefits all day long.
The voice and smile of her loving father lingered in her mind, as if she could reach it, but it was already the difference between life and death. This blow made Deng Sui grieve for three years. Because she was overly sad and ate a simple diet, with only clear soup and water every day, her pretty face became haggard and haggard, losing all its former brightness. Even her relatives at home almost no longer recognized her, and they could only comfort her in every possible way while feeling sorry for her.
also gave up on entering the palace for the first time.
When she recovered from the grief of losing her father, she was already 15 years old. Under the careful care of her family, she gradually regained her former beauty and grew taller, slimmer, and more attractive.
This year, the palace held another beauty pageant, and Deng Sui was selected into the palace for the second time. From then on, she began her 26-year harem life.
Among the selected beauties, Deng Sui was not only tall and beautiful, but also had an outstanding temperament. The elegance of her movements was far beyond anyone else's. She soon stood out from the crowd and was appreciated by Emperor He. When she was 16 years old, she was elected to Yeting and made a noblewoman.
Deng Sui has read poetry and books since he was a child, and has a deep understanding of human nature and world principles. After entering the palace, his behavior was even more careful and respectful at all times.
The queen of Emperor He at that time was of the Yin family. She was the great-granddaughter of Emperor Guangwu of the Han Dynasty.
Deng Sui and Queen Yin were driving together at the same time, and they were all cautious in their words and deeds. Every time there was a palace banquet, the concubines and nobles in the harem were vying for beauty. They were all dazzling with jewels and bright clothes. Deng Sui only scanned his eyebrows and wore plain clothes without any jewelry, for fear of taking away the beauty of the Yin Queen. If she accidentally wears the same color clothes as her vagina, change them immediately to show that there is no dispute. If she and the Queen of Yin meet at the same time, they will never come out straight and stand in the same direction. When walking, they will also bow and turn sideways to show their low status. When Emperor He asked questions, Deng Sui always looked at Queen Yin's face and thought carefully before answering, not daring to say a word before Queen Yin did.
Being so respectful to her superiors, Deng Sui also adopted a humble and tolerant attitude towards the nobles with the same status as herself, never arguing about right and wrong. For those whose status was lower than hers, even if they were just servants in the palace, she never yelled at them, but was always kind and caring.
Deng Sui's conduct and style were praised by everyone in the palace. Emperor He was deeply fond of Deng Sui and looked at him with special eyes. Once Deng Sui was ill, Emperor He took pity on her and allowed her parents and brothers to visit and take care of her until she recovered.
Although Deng Sui was grateful to Long En, she knew that as a noble, receiving this honor would be too ostentatious, so she said to Emperor He: "The imperial palace is an important place of the royal family. People from outside the family are allowed to stay in the palace for a long time. Your majesty above is biased and ridiculed to the detriment of my concubines, and below, I allow my concubines to be dissatisfied with slander. This is for you." It's no use to me, I don't want to do this." After hearing this, Emperor He said with emotion, "Others are proud that their family members can enter the palace many times, but you are worried about it. It is really impossible for ordinary people to restrain yourself like this!" From then on, Emperor He became more and more favored by Deng Guiren.
Deng Sui became increasingly uneasy about the emperor's favor, because Queen Yin was increasingly neglected. Deng Sui did not want to compete for favors. In the strict hierarchy in the palace, she was always aware of her status. Many times when the emperor wanted to visit, she excused herself because of illness and left the opportunity to others.
At that time, the Eastern Han Dynasty was not very prosperous. The emperor died many times in infancy, and Deng Sui was deeply worried about it, often crying and sighing. Because she herself was unable to give birth to a prince, she repeatedly selected talented people to donate to Emperor He, so as to have a wide range of heirs and please the emperor.
Deng Sui's forbearance and restraint only increased his reputation in the palace, but failed to bring more favor to Queen Yin. The empress's prominence could not make up for the loneliness of a woman who was neglected by her husband. The Queen Yin, who relied on her famous family background, could not bear the bad breath of losing favor. She was so jealous that she actually came up with a way to use witchcraft to kill Deng Sui.
At that time, Emperor He suddenly fell seriously ill and was about to die. Instead of being anxious and sad, Queen Yin secretly rejoiced and said to her confidants privately: "If one day I can succeed, I will definitely kill the nine tribes of the Deng family!"
There is no airtight wall. This word quickly reached Deng Sui's ears, and she couldn't help but feel even more sad, with tears streaming down her face, and she was in pain. He said to the left and right: "I serve the queen wholeheartedly, but I can't please her, and now I have been punished. Although a woman has no obligation to die, the previous generation's Zhou Gong offered his life to King Wu, and Yue Ji vowed to die in exchange for your life. Now I am willing to die to repay the great power. I will use the emperor's kindness to relieve Deng's misfortune, and prevent the Yin family from ridiculing me with the punishment of "human pig"!"
Then he was about to commit suicide by taking poison. The palace maid Zhao Yu tried her best to dissuade him. She lied that the emperor had sent a messenger and said that the emperor had recovered from his serious illness. Deng Sui believed it. The strange thing is that on the second day, the emperor was indeed very good, probably because he was so sincere!
This life will finally realize the dream of Futian
After a near-miss disaster, fate more closely linked the fates of Deng Sui and Liu Shi.
In the summer when Deng Sui was 22 years old, the story of Queen Yin secretly using witchcraft and sorcery reached the ears of Emperor He. This kind of black magic was very popular in Han Dynasty , and the government strictly prohibited it. Emperor He was very angry when he heard that the queen, even though she was the mother of the country, was practicing such sinister and vicious tricks. He immediately sent people to investigate the matter, and soon found out that the queen and her grandmother Deng Zhu and others were practicing witchcraft together. Queen Yin was immoral because she used witchcraft to curse people, so she should be deposed according to the law of the country. After learning about it, Deng Sui believed that the Queen's dethronement was related to him, so he hurriedly interceded for Queen Yin and asked the emperor for mercy. Seeing that Deng Guiren was so generous and kind, Emperor He secretly strengthened his intention to abolish Yin and establish Deng, and was determined not to grant the favor.
As a result, the Yin family was deposed and moved into the Xiang Palace. Deng Sui saw that the rise and fall of the mother of a country depended on the emperor's words, and he felt that the emperor's heart was unpredictable, "accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger." Although Queen Yin was usually jealous of her, Deng Sui not only did not feel relaxed after being deposed like this, but his mood became increasingly heavy. He claimed to the outside world that his illness was more serious and he lived in seclusion.
The country cannot be without a queen for a long time, so the ministers of the court discussed with Emperor He about re-establishing a queen. Emperor He had already chosen a candidate, so he said without thinking: "How can it be easy for the queen to be the same as me, inherit the ancestral temple, and mother the world? Only Deng Guiren is the most virtuous and worthy of the queen!" In the winter of the year when Queen Yin was deposed, Deng Guiren was officially established as the queen. She ranked first in the three palaces and six courtyards, below one person and above ten thousand people.
Deng Sui repeatedly resigned after being granted the title, but the holy will was decided and she still ascended to the throne of queen. After Deng Sui became queen. He personally wrote a memorial letter, deeply stating that he had little virtue and was not qualified to take on the important responsibility of the queen, once again showing his humility.
As the saying goes: "Auspicious people have their own destiny." Deng Sui was the queen, on the one hand, because she not only had stunning appearance, outstanding talents, but also extraordinary virtues; on the other hand, it seemed that God had already destined her to be noble in this life.
According to historical records, Deng Sui once had a dream when he was a child. He saw a vast night sky with few stars and deep blue. There was something like a stalactite hanging in the middle. Deng Sui raised his head to suck it and reached out to touch the sky. Seeing that this dream was strange, the Deng family asked someone to interpret it. The interpreter said that Emperor Yao dreamed of climbing to the sky, and King Tang dreamed of licking from the sky. This dream was similar to the dream of the previous sage king, so it was very auspicious, and this woman must be extraordinary.
html At the age of 222, Deng Sui was honored as a queen and favored by the emperor. As expected, his dream of touching the sky came true.
Diligent and diligent for An Liu
After Deng Sui entered the Changqiu Palace, he became more diligent and diligent, and did not dare to slack off.At that time, prefectures and states from all over the country paid tribute to the imperial court and scrambled to search for precious things among the people and donate them to create something new and different.
After Deng Sui became the queen, he strictly prohibited this and only ordered them to pay tribute to some paper and ink every year. On the one hand, this move promoted a frugal and studious style in the palace, and on the other hand, it also greatly reduced the burden on the people. With Deng Sui as the queen, the Deng family was expected to be noble as usual, but whenever Emperor He wanted to promote the Deng family to a higher rank, Deng Sui would beg for humility in front of the emperor. Deng Sui's brother Deng Zhi was only a tiger and a lieutenant during his lifetime.
Three years later, the 27-year-old Emperor He died prematurely, leaving the country without a master. Although Emperor He's eldest son, Prince Pingyuan Liu Sheng, was an adult, he was suffering from a serious illness. Dozens of other princes died in infancy. Only the youngest son Liu Long was secretly fostered among the people for the sake of raising him. He was only a hundred days old and was still in his infancy. The important responsibilities of state affairs naturally fell on the shoulders of the 25-year-old Queen Deng Sui.
It was unfortunate that Queen Deng was widowed in her youth. One of the misfortunes is that the country has lost its pillar; the other misfortune is that the young queen, as a woman, can no longer stay with her loving husband and enjoy the pleasures of life and water. However, state affairs were top priority and there was no choice. The early collapse of Emperor He also made Deng Sui's greater value as an independent person. Deng Sui had the quality of remaining calm despite chaos. It hurts, but I also know the weight of every move I make at this time. She first decided on the emperor's heir and forced Liu Long to be the Shang Emperor. She used the title of Empress Dowager when she came to court, and called herself "I", which can be regarded as a thorough understanding of "Heaven".
The emperor was newly mourned and the court was changed. In order to stabilize the people's hearts, Deng Sui issued an order to grant amnesty to the whole country. Those who had violated the law since the founding of the military were exempted from punishment. The imprisoned relatives of the Ma family and the Dou family were also released and restored to ordinary people. This move won the hearts of the people, and the rescued people were even more grateful to the Empress Dowager.
Deng Sui also strictly rectified the backyard of the palace. She requested that the cost of food and clothing in the palace should be frugal. Rice, beams and meat should not be used for anything that was not used for sacrifices in the mausoleum and temple. The daily diet in the palace should only prepare one meat dish in the morning and evening, and no extravagance was allowed. With this provision alone, the palace saves tens of millions in expenses every year. For counties and counties, more than half of the tribute will be reduced. For states and counties affected by ice or floods, land rent will be reduced or reduced.
She stipulated that all the eagles and dogs used for entertainment in Shanglin Garden should be sold, and the two counties of Shuhan specially provided nine mother-of-pearl utensils with sabers, and also ordered that tribute should be stopped. Various extravagant furnishings were also removed from the palace. Brocades, ice sturgeons, gold and silver, pearls and jade, rhinos, elephants, turtles, carvings and other frivolous things made by Yufu, Shangfang, Zhishi, etc. were all prohibited. All the rice, noodles and firewood stored in the palace annex were also saved. For the nobles in the palace, they were arranged to live in the outer garden. Their maids selected the old and weak among them and dismissed them. Five or six hundred people were dismissed at one time. This measure promoted the trend of frugality in the palace, set an example for the subjects across the country, and was deeply praised by the people.
The young emperor Liu Long was still a short-lived king. He died less than a year after taking the throne and was known as the "Sad Emperor" in history. There was once again no emperor in the country. Seeing that Emperor He had no biological son to ascend the throne, Empress Deng, after discussing with her brother Deng Zhi, established Liu Hu, the son of Emperor He's brother King Qinghe of Han Dynasty, as emperor. In this way, 13-year-old Liu Hu became the emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty again, as Emperor An of Han Dynasty. Emperor An was still too young to govern personally, so Empress Deng once again came to the court as the empress dowager to listen to the government. She felt that the country was suffering from the loss of its master and the people were also suffering from hard labor. She ordered that when building the Kangling Mausoleum for Emperor Shang, both the secrets in the mausoleum and the construction projects outside the mausoleum should be reduced, and the ten points should be used instead of one point.
The royal families of the past dynasties all enfeoffed their own clansmen and held important positions to consolidate their power. China's nepotism has been prevalent since ancient times. This is inseparable from the traditional Chinese cultural tradition of valuing family relationships. Deng Sui tried his best to resist adding relatives to his clan when the late emperor was still alive, in order to avoid the suspicion of being favored by the emperor. But when she came to the court again to personally manage the government affairs, she felt that she needed a particularly close and caring hand to help her. After much thought, the most trustworthy candidate was her elder brother and clan relative.
Therefore, during Deng Sui's pro-government period, Deng's relatives also rose to prominence, and his brother Deng Zhao was named General of Chariots and Cavalry and the Third Division of Yiguo. The three divisions of Yiguo were established since Deng Zhao, and the brothers have been in their positions for a long time.
Deng Sui is Deng Sui after all. She is familiar with Ming Dynasty and Ming Dynasty and knows the pros and cons. She wrote in an edict to the captain of Sili, Yin of Henan, and the prefect of Nanyang (the parents of Deng Sui's hometown): "When I read history, I often see relatives and guests of the previous generation using their authority to commit lawlessness. The fault is that law enforcement is lax and cannot be punished in accordance with the law. Although today's chariot and cavalry generals Deng Zhao and others have aspirations of respecting and obeying the country, the Deng family is vast and has many relatives. There are many, it is inevitable that some people will be treacherous and unjust, so you should strictly supervise and act in accordance with the law, and do not cover up. "
Because of this principle taught by the Empress Dowager, no one of Deng's relatives who committed crimes was ever released without reason; and because of Empress Deng's strict requirements, the cavalry general Deng Zhi and others were humble and law-abiding despite their high position.
Once, the chariot general Deng Zhi entered the palace to see the Queen Mother and apologized. The Queen Mother summoned him into the palace and saw that Deng Zhi was followed by two men with shaved heads. She was surprised. The visitor looked up and took a closer look. It turned out to be his sister-in-law and nephew Deng Feng. He asked why. Deng Zhi said: "Zhonglang General Ren Shang seized the military rations and was taken to the Tingwei Yamen for trial. Quanzi had previously given Ren Shang Liang several horses. After the incident, Ren Shang surrendered to me because he was afraid of being implicated. I shaved the hair of my wife and son to confess my crime to the Queen Mother, and I hope she can forgive her." After hearing this, Deng Sui was deeply moved by his brother's self-discipline. He spared Deng Feng's mistake and greatly praised Deng Zhi.
Deng Sui believed that strict restraint on relatives was a sign of caring for them. The execution of Dou's relatives during the reign of Emperor Zhang of Han always made her a warning, for fear of following in Dou's footsteps. According to historical records, the Deng family was extremely favored during the Eastern Han Dynasty. "There are twenty-nine nobles, two dukes, thirteen below the general, and the rest are countless servants, generals, officials, lieutenants, and courtiers. There is nothing comparable in Tokyo." Despite this, the Deng family has never been as domineering as the relatives of the previous dynasty during the years when Empress Deng came to rule the dynasty.
In fact, this is the brilliance of Deng Sui. She relies heavily on her relatives, but does not let her power slip to the side to avoid being hijacked by others. In order to show their loyalty to the royal family, Deng Zhi and others also recommended famous celebrities like He Xi, Li, Tao Fang, etc. to the imperial court at that time. They also appointed Yang Zhen, Nian Chong, Chen Chan, etc. to the shogunate. They advocated frugality and did not rely on power for personal gain, which earned them a good reputation.
Man-made disasters may be easy to prevent, but natural disasters are ultimately unpredictable. Deng Sui worked hard to manage the Han Dynasty. However, during the more than ten years of her rule, there were ten years of floods and droughts, and the people's livelihood was in sorrow. Every time Deng Sui received a memorial about the people's severe hunger, she would stay up all night and worry. She took the initiative to reduce her daily diet to show that she shared the suffering of the people, and went to the disaster areas in person to understand the people's conditions.
This year there was a severe drought in the capital, so the Queen Mother personally went to Luoyang Temple to review unjust imprisonment. When she finished the review and was about to drive back to the palace, she suddenly saw a very thin prisoner standing aside and looking around
. He hesitated to speak, as if he had countless difficulties. The attentive Queen Mother immediately ordered someone to bring him closer and asked: "I see that you are very thoughtful, but you have something to say to me? Don't be afraid, I
will make the decision for you if something happens. I have my own justice." When the prisoner heard the Queen Mother's question, he became bolder, and then he fell down and shouted "Unjust", Mrs. Then he asked: "Where did the injustice come from?" The prisoner replied: "The villain was falsely accused of killing, but he never dared to kill. The Luoyang order was forced to do so, and the villain had to give in. It is really unjust!" When the Queen Mother heard that there was something fishy, she sent someone to re-examine the case. Sure enough, it was found that the accusation was true, and the Luoyang order was bribed to kill people. In order to comply with public opinion, the Empress Dowager immediately ordered her officials to imprison the Luoyang Order who had neglected his duties as punishment. After everything was done, he drove back to the palace.
On the way back to the palace, the clear sky that had been dry and rainless suddenly became covered with dark clouds, followed by lightning and thunder, and rain fell all over the capital. The people in the capital braved the heavy rain and knelt down on both sides of the Queen Mother's path and refused to get up for a long time. They even called the Queen Mother a saint for the benefit of the people.
Empress Dowager Deng was hands-on in everything, and was good at accepting other people's opinions and brainstorming, so she was able to get the best deal with many major national affairs. At that time, ethnic minorities on the border of the Eastern Han Dynasty continued to harass and invade the mainland, which seriously affected the normal life of the people.On this issue, she adopted the suggestions of , Yu Xu, and others, and turned from defense to offense. She first used force to quell the riots of border residents in various places, and then gave them comfort and gentleness, making them feel the generosity and kindness of the Celestial Empire. She transformed the people with virtue, and finally gradually calmed down the border wars.
In the autumn of such internal and external troubles, Deng Sui turned the tide with her calmness, wisdom, and kindness, so that "the world is restored to peace and the years are prosperous", which is far beyond the reach of some male emperors.
Deng Sui's ability to govern the country stems from her consistent study of classical and historical books and other academic studies.
She was "ambitious about classics" when she was a child. After entering the palace, she continued to study classics, astronomy and arithmetic with the famous talented woman Ban Zhao, who was known as Cao Jia at the time. After she became the empress dowager and came to power, she also studied tirelessly. Empress Dowager Deng attended the court during the day to listen to politics and handle state affairs, and at night she insisted on reading history and chanting scriptures without interruption.
Deng Sui himself deeply felt the importance of being able to understand the classics and Ming history for a person's conduct. Not only did he love reading, but he also ordered his ministers in the palace to teach and read scriptures in Dongguan. Deng Sui knew very well that no matter what, he would eventually retire, and the future of the world would have to be governed by the younger generation, and governing the world was not something that could only be done by the unlearned and unskilled.
So she summoned more than 40 male and female children over five years old and King Hejian of Hedi's younger brothers, as well as more than 30 close descendants of the Deng family, to open a coeducational school, teach them classics, and personally supervise the examinations. She taught them step by step and loved them very much.
She spoke in detail about her original intention of convening her children to study in the edict to her cousin Henan Yin Dengbao, Yueqi Colonel Deng Kang and others: "There are many evils in the world today, the current customs are superficial, and all kinds of clever and counterfeit techniques are flourishing. However, there are fewer and fewer people who really study the Five Classics. Without guidance, academics will perish. Therefore, I want to promote the holy way to correct the vulgarity. Ancient sayings He said: "How difficult it is to live full of food all day long and have no intention of doing anything!" Nowadays, the descendants of Liangliang, who have warm clothes and good food, ride in carriages and good horses, are ignorant and ignorant, and do not distinguish between good and evil. This is the source of future disasters..."
It is this sense of crisis that allows Deng Sui to be prepared for danger in times of peace. Empress Deng had been in court for many years, and she had received many praises from both the civil and military circles for her "politics that were not harmonious and not based on the heart; she made old classics and did not write poems for the court." Pingwang Hou Liu Yi had always admired the Queen Mother and believed that Queen Deng should be given a note of discipline according to the imperial system. In his memorial to Emperor An, he highly praised Empress Deng. He believed that Empress Deng's virtues were obviously comparable to those of E and Nv Ying. She was frugal and not extravagant. Her virtues spread all over the world. She was kind to the people, forgiving sinners, and self-denial. She could be described as : "Pi (meaning great) contributed to the great Han Dynasty, and brought great benefits to the living. The lofty deeds can be heard but cannot be reached; the splendid achievements can be recited but cannot be named. Looking at the famous concubines and virtuous mothers in ancient times, there is no one like the Empress Dowager. The author of the meritorious service should record it according to the old Han Dynasty, so that the empress dowager's merits will continue to the world. "
Although Emperor An was unhappy with Empress Deng for many years and her difficulty in governing personally, many of the things Liu Yi said were true. He had no reason to refuse, so he had no choice but to approve it and ordered the historian to write "Notes on Changle Palace" and "Ode to the Holy Virtue" to praise the empress dowager's virtues.
The emperor is still young, and the queen mother's assistance to the government is acceptable to the courtiers. However, once the emperor has reached adulthood, the queen mother still controls the government, which will arouse some criticism from everyone. The ancient saying goes: "If the name is not right, the words will not be right." Although Deng Sui has been a virtuous government for many years, as time goes by, Emperor An and Liu Hu have gradually grown up, and according to their age, they can be personally in charge. Of course, she has not returned to power for a long time, and she has been discussed a lot.
Is Deng Sui a person who does not understand the general picture? It was not that she had not considered returning to the throne as Emperor An, but at this time of internal and external difficulties, she had to worry about the Han Dynasty. Whether he returns to power or not is not only related to the honor and disgrace of himself and the Deng family, but more importantly, it involves the stability of the Liu family and the well-being of the people of Li.
She had long observed Emperor An, and found that Emperor An had a cowardly character and was easily manipulated by others. He listened to the words of the wet nurse Wang Sheng in the palace, and had long been dissatisfied with her own rule. She was only frightened by the authority of her queen mother, and dared to get angry but dared not speak out.Deng Sui believed that the matter should be discussed in the long run. Although there were many slanderers from the officials in the DPRK and the Central Government, and there was no need for her to bother and be humiliated, she felt that state affairs should still be given priority. She would never trust to hand over state affairs to Emperor An who was not very satisfactory in terms of ability and magnanimity.
There was a minister in the court named Du Gen, who was appointed as a doctor. He once took the lead in writing a letter to the Queen Mother, saying that since the emperor had grown up, the Queen Mother should step back and let the emperor take charge of political affairs. This petition was related to the stability of the imperial court, and Empress Deng was well aware of its interests. Life and death in the court are far different from the jealousy in the harem. Every decision is related to the future of the country and cannot be solved by forbearance and humility. In order to stop the uninformed ministers from admonishing them to retreat, she decided to kill one person as a warning to avoid future troubles.
Empress Deng ordered Du Gen to be tied up in front of the palace and tortured. Du Gen made arrogant remarks one after another and was beaten half dead and thrown into the wild. According to records, Du Gen gradually regained consciousness after arriving in the wild. Queen Mother Deng sent someone to check Du Gen's life and death, so he pretended to be dead and lay motionless on the ground. He did not eat or drink for three days, until maggots appeared in his eyes, and he was let go and escaped from the tiger's mouth. Later, Du Gen fled to a restaurant in the mountains of Yicheng and worked as a waiter for 15 years. Later, he was recalled by Emperor An and was named Shi Yushi. This is a story later.
Fan Ye, who wrote " Later Han Shu ", also understands and appreciates Empress Deng, but he still thinks that Empress Deng's treatment of Du Gen was a bit too much. He believed that "the cattle in the field have been taken too much", which means that if a person leads a cow and tramples on other people's fertile land, the person who leads the cow is certainly at fault, but taking his cow for this is a bit too much.
However, the complexity and subtlety of political struggles in the feudal court led Deng Sui to use this method, and it was not without her difficulties.
Deng Sui worked diligently in government and worked hard for many years. She finally became ill due to overwork and felt that her health was getting worse day by day. She was only 41 years old this year. She already had a premonition that life was not long for her. Since the death of Emperor He, as a woman, she has endured enough disasters and sorrows: the country has been suffering from famine for many years, and she has to worry about the country and the people; her mother has passed away unfortunately, and although she has fulfilled her filial duty personally, she cannot help but feel the sadness of the loss of her relatives; how can she really turn a deaf ear to the incomprehension and slander towards her within the court? She lost her husband in her old age and had no heirs, and she did not enjoy the happiness of having children around her knees like other women. She was aloof and toiled, but she was ultimately a lonely woman at heart.
When Deng Sui thought about his life in his spare time, he could only shake his head and smile bitterly. She was used to wiping away tears by herself, and she had been tempered to the point where she would not cry easily, but why didn't she long for the kind of ordinary life where she could enjoy her sex to the fullest? She can't, because she is the queen mother of a country, she has responsibilities and a heavy sense of responsibility.
Now that she expected that she would not have much time left, she began to calmly take care of some posthumous matters. She granted another amnesty, knowing that most of the prisoners would appreciate this second chance at life. She rewarded nobles living in foreign countries, kings and lords in various places, and officials in the court one by one. She could no longer give them more favors. They may be grateful to her, or they may be resentful, but there is no need to care about these.
She issued the last edict in her life to the Minister of Civil and Military Affairs: "Because of my lack of virtue, I entrust the world to my mother, but I cannot help God. I am worried early. In the long years, there is no one in the world, and my life is in danger. I am diligent and hard-working, and I dare not take pleasure in Wanrou. I do not despise the late emperor, and I am sincere in helping the people and bringing peace to the Liu family. I call myself mighty in the world. It is a blessing and a blessing, but it brings misfortune both internally and externally, and the pain is endless. After a while, his illness became stagnant, and he could not attend the temple for a long time. He went to the original mausoleum on his own, and he coughed and spit blood, and he became incomprehensible. There is no choice but to decide between life and death. The ministers and officials will do their best to assist the court. "
This text left more than 1,800 years ago is a heartfelt confession made by a once powerful woman before her death. It is still awe-inspiring to read today. Deng Sui passed away. It cannot be said that he left without regrets, but he did so with a clear conscience. So another scene quietly fell on the stage of history.
Reference materials: "Book of the Later Han Dynasty", "Zi Zhi Tong Jian", "Book of the Later Han Dynasty·Volume 10·Queen's Chronicle 10", "Dongguan Han Ji", "Taiping Yulan"
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