Han Shizu

Chapter 2178 Peninsula History: Princess Anping
The Emperor of Han was not only the monarch of Daozhou in Han territory, but also the common ruler of many vassal states under the Han Empire system. This fact remained unshakable during the Jianlong era. Even a powerful leader like Anxi and a profound leader like Andong had to admit this.

Therefore, the death of the emperor was not only a major event that changed the Central Empire, but also a major event that shook the court and the people in the vassal states at home and abroad. Blood is thicker than water, and there are various complex interest relationships, as well as dependence on the population, culture, and technology of the Central Empire. All of these made most of the vassal states pay close attention to important changes in the empire, especially those involving the vassal policy relationship. In this regard, the countries in Southeast Asia were the most active.

As Emperor Sejong was the one who promoted and laid the foundation for the current vassal structure of the empire, his death also meant the passing of the old era and the arrival of a new era for the major vassal states.

It is still unknown what the attitude of the new emperor and the new court will be towards the feudal states, whether policies will change, and whether interests will be affected. Everything is unknown and we still need to observe and wait.

But one thing is certain: without Emperor Shizong Liu Wenji, the deterrence and influence of the imperial center on the vassal states would inevitably decline. This is a historical law and scientific development.

From the death of Emperor Sejong until the accession of the throne to the crown prince Liu Weizhen, during this period of time, in addition to the busy ministers of the empire, the major princes and descendants of the Liu family were also very active and worked hard, intending to gain some benefits for their country at the time of the transition from the old to the new empire, or at least to keep the food on the plate.

In addition to the Chongyi envoys who were stationed in the imperial capital, various countries also sent important officials and special envoys to Xijing. Among these envoys, the most famous one was undoubtedly the Annan envoy. What was special about her was that she was a woman, Princess Anping Liu Ying.

Princess Anping Liu Ying is the daughter of the late King of Annan, Liu Wenhuan, and the regent Queen Mother Liu E. She is 31 years old now. She is not an ordinary woman, nor is she a royal princess who enjoys a life of luxury. She is also a politician who can call the shots in the Annan court and is regarded as a remarkable woman who brought peace to Annan.

Of course, Liu Ying's extraordinaryness mainly came from Liu E's favor. She was also Liu E's most important political successor. Liu E had no children, and as her only daughter, Liu E naturally doted on her, and Liu Ying was not buried in doting.

He was smart and clever since childhood. He always had his own thoughts when encountering things, and he did not follow the crowd. He often had surprising ideas. After the age of thirteen, Liu Ying, who had been with Liu E for many years, was able to judge the politics of Annan, and his remarks were not groundless, and he often made surprising remarks.

And when she discovered that her beloved daughter had a strong interest and outstanding talent in politics, even though Liu E was busy dealing with state affairs and fighting against political enemies all year round, she still devoted a lot of energy to pay special attention to her and cultivate her carefully.

With her own outstanding talents and Liu E's many years of teaching and practice, it is not surprising that Liu Ying, who has inherited Liu E's true teachings, has evolved into such a remarkable woman after growing up. At the same time, the period when Liu Ying grew up rapidly was also when Liu E had just become regent and was facing extremely difficult challenges.

It can be said that Liu Ying personally experienced the extremely complex and chaotic political period of "The Queen Mother Regency" in Annan, and observed and learned from his mother's wisdom and methods. He watched Liu E maneuver in Jiaozhi and even the entire Annan Kingdom, eliminating, suppressing and subduing her opponents one by one.

In the 1031th year of Jianlong (), when Liu Ying was years old, in order to please Liu E, who had completely controlled the Annan government, the Annan King Liu Jidan canonized Liu Ying as Princess Anping and gave her the entire Anping County as her fief. Anping County is located in the Red River Plain, rich in resources, and is a large county with households.

Although she was given generous treatment, Liu Ying was not tempted. She firmly believed that "who says women are inferior to men" and did not go to the fiefdom, but only sent her family to manage it. At the same time, she also asked Liu Jidan for an official position, expressing her willingness to serve the country.

King Liu Jidan of Annan was unhappy with his sister's whimsical request and even sneered at it. He originally planned to refuse, but a close minister reminded him that he should ask the Queen Mother for her opinion.

Then, without asking Empress Dowager Liu's opinion, Liu Jidan directly appointed his 20-year-old sister as Shangshu, without any specific duties, but allowed her to assist in military and state affairs. But Liu Jidan thought that the person in power in Annan was also a woman, even though that woman was old.

However, that was the power of Empress Dowager Liu E in Annan, the prestige she had accumulated over more than ten years of regency. Even King Liu Jidan of Annan, who had already reached adulthood and had begun to hold power himself, did not dare to disobey or challenge her easily.

Since that year, the subjects of Annan gradually became familiar with and accustomed to the situation of having Empress Dowager Liu above them, Minister Liu below them, and the King of Annan in between. However, this situation did not last long.

Although Empress Dowager Liu E was strong and a woman, she created a "feminist era" in Annan. However, time is fair to everyone. As she grew older, her health gradually failed. She finally died in the Jiaozhi Palace in the 1036th year of Jianlong ().

Of course, before Liu E died, she also made full considerations and arrangements for her afterlife. To sum up, there are actually two aspects: one is to return power to Liu Jidan, and the other is to give instructions to Liu Ying.

Liu Jidan did not really start his personal government career until he was 30 years old. It was frustrating to say that as a king, a king who stood tall and upright, he was influenced and controlled by women all his life.

If it was Empress Dowager Liu E, there was nothing she could do, because not only did she have the late king's will and the central imperial edict, but she also supported, raised, and taught him. However, the rise and power of Princess Anping Liu Ying made Liu Jidan very depressed.

Of course, this result was caused by the historical legacy of the Empress Dowager Liu's era and Liu Jidan's own problems. When Liu E just passed away, Liu Ying followed his mother's will and chose to keep a low profile, reduce his interference in government affairs, and give power to his brother.

Empress Dowager Liu's explanation was very clear, explicitly pointing out that during the more than ten years of her regency, the country's development gradually improved and the political order tended to be stable. However, beneath this peace, there were many contradictions hidden, and the sharp contradictions originated precisely from her regency.

After her death, things would inevitably turn around, and the resentment that had been suppressed for more than a decade would eventually erupt. Based on this, Liu Ying chose to retreat and wait and see. The development and changes in the situation in Annan were exactly what Empress Dowager Liu had expected.

After Liu E's death, Liu Jidan took over the government. For many Annan dignitaries, this was a revival of royal power and a good opportunity to restore order. So, after only three months of peace, the Annan court launched a campaign to liquidate Empress Dowager Liu.

Of course, it is impossible to target the Queen Mother herself, but the policies she implemented and the talents she promoted were all targets of attack and adjustment. A new emperor appoints new ministers, which is an irrefutable truth, but if it is overdone, problems will often arise.

With the political counterattack, the Annan court inevitably fell into chaos. When the scope of the attack expanded uncontrollably, the counterattack from the vested interests also followed.

Liu E was in power for more than ten years. While cracking down on enemies and consolidating her authority, she also promoted and cultivated a large number of talents and forces. Among them were powerful people, the military, scholars, and landlords. With the support of the Queen Mother, she accumulated a strong voice in Annan.

The final choice of these people was to unite under the banner of Princess Anping Liu Ying, asking her to lead the people to eliminate the traitors, restore order and restore law and order. However, Liu Jidan was not good at employing people and had no grasp of the situation. Seeing the government in disarray, which was completely different from what he expected, he was also very troubled.

But when Liu Ying, as a spokesperson, came with great momentum, he actually felt ashamed to face people. Therefore, without too fierce a confrontation, Liu Jidan followed his request and dismissed all the "villains" gathered around him. At the same time, he appointed Liu Ying as the Recorder of the Secretariat to assist him in handling state affairs. Thus, Liu Ying's career as a "female prime minister" began.

Twenty years have passed, and the operation of Annan is still on the track of "independence from women".

Of course, Liu Ying's power was not as legitimate as that of his mother, and the powerful people in Annan, even those "confidants of the queen's party", might not be willing to be under the shadow of a woman again.

Therefore, the situation Liu Ying faced was more complicated, and the challenges and pressures she endured were also greater. That is, Liu Jidan was the king and could tolerate her, and she also paid attention to "respecting" her brother.

At the same time, Liu Ying, who had inherited Liu E's teachings, also did a good job in coordinating relationships and winning people's hearts. One of the most iconic things she did was that she kicked out her husband Liu Kai and married Zhao Congzhi, the grandson of Zhao Defang, to mend the relationship with the Zhao family.

Over the years, no matter how the Zhao family was suppressed by Liu E, they were still one of the most powerful nobles in Annan. This was determined by the status of the Zhao family in the empire. If even the Zhao family could compromise, then the rest would not be a big problem.

It should also be mentioned that Liu Kai was the great-nephew of Liu Kai, a famous official of Kaibao, and was also a famous talent in Annan. Even though he was kicked out by Liu Ying, he still loved her deeply and still firmly supported his ex-wife in the Annan court.
(End of this chapter)