Empress Lü was with Liu Bang when he was still a nobody and was the mother of Emperor Xiaohui and Empress Dowager Lü Yuan. After Liu Bang became King of Han, he favored Consort Qi and had a son named Prince Zhao Ruyi. Emperor Xiaohui was kind but weak, unlike Liu Bang, who always wanted to depose the crown prince and replace him with Ruyi because he felt Ruyi was more like himself. Consort Qi was highly favored and often accompanied Liu Bang to the east, persistently campaigning for her son to replace the crown prince. As Empress Lü aged and spent more time in Chang'an, her relationship with Liu Bang cooled. After Ruyi was made Prince of Zhao, he almost replaced the crown prince several times, but thanks to the strong opposition of the ministers and the strategies of Zhang Liang, the crown prince was not deposed.
Empress Lü was a powerful woman who helped Liu Bang conquer the world, and many of the ministers who were killed were due to her influence. Her two brothers were both generals. Her brother Lv Ze (Marquis of Zhoulu) died in battle, so Liu Bang made his son Lv Tai the Marquis of Li and his grandson Lv Chan the Marquis of Jiao; her other brother Lv Shizhi was made the Marquis of Jiancheng.
On the day of Jia Chen in April of the twelfth year of Liu Bang's reign, he died in Changle Palace, and the crown prince succeeded to the throne, becoming the emperor. At that time, Liu Bang had eight sons: the eldest was called Fei, the older brother of Emperor Xiaohui from a different mother, Fei was the Prince of Qi; the others were all younger brothers of Emperor Xiaohui, including Ruyi, the Prince of Zhao, Heng, the Prince of Dai, and the sons of several other concubines: Prince Liang Liu Hui, Prince Huaiyang Liu You, Prince Huainan Liu Chang, and Prince Yan Liu Jian. Liu Bang's brother Liu Jiao was the King of Chu, and his nephew Liu Bi was the King of Wu. There were also other meritorious officials not from the Liu clan, such as the son of Wu Rui, who was made the King of Changsha.
Empress Lü hated Consort Qi and her son King Zhao the most, so she imprisoned Consort Qi in Yongxiang and sent someone to summon King Zhao. The messenger went three times, but Zhou Chang, the Marquis of Jianping, said to the messenger: "Emperor Gaozu entrusted King Zhao to me, and he is still young. I've heard the Empress Dowager wants both Consort Qi and King Zhao dead. I dare not let King Zhao go. Besides, King Zhao is currently sick and cannot obey the decree." Empress Lü was furious upon hearing this and immediately sent for the Marquis of Jianping. After he was summoned to Chang'an, Empress Lü sent someone to summon King Zhao again. King Zhao arrived, but had not yet reached Chang'an. Kind-hearted Emperor Xiaohui knew that the Empress Dowager was angry, so he personally went to meet King Zhao at Basha, then took him into the palace and accompanied him in his daily life. Empress Lü wanted to kill King Zhao, but never found the opportunity.
In the twelfth month of the first year of Xiaohui, the Emperor went hunting early in the morning. King Zhao, being young, could not get up so early. Empress Lü heard that King Zhao was alone in the palace, so she sent someone to deliver poisoned wine for him to drink. By the time dawn approached, Emperor Xiaohui returned from hunting, and King Zhao was already dead. So, Empress Lü made Liu You, the Prince of Huaiyang, the new King Zhao. That summer, the court issued an edict to posthumously confer the title of Wuhou to the father of Marquis Li. Empress Lü then had Consort Qi brutally mutilated and threw her into the toilet, naming her "Human Pig." A few days later, Empress Lü summoned Emperor Xiaohui to see "Human Pig." When Emperor Xiaohui saw her, he realized it was Consort Qi, and he wept bitterly, falling ill and bedridden for over a year. He even sent someone to plead with Empress Lü, saying: "What kind of person does that? I am your son; if this continues, I'll never be able to rule properly." From then on, Emperor Xiaohui drowned his sorrows in alcohol, indulged in pleasure, neglected state affairs, and remained sick.
Two years later, both King Chu Yuan and King Qi Daohui came to pay homage to the emperor. In October, Emperor Xiaohui and King Qi drank together in front of the Dowager Empress. Emperor Xiaohui treated King Qi like a brother, letting him sit in the seat of honor and being affectionate. When the Dowager Empress saw this, she hit the roof and had two cups of poisoned wine poured in front of them, asking King Qi to stand up and make a toast. King Qi stood up to make a toast, and Emperor Xiaohui also stood up, ready to toast together. The Dowager Empress became afraid and quickly stood up, drinking Emperor Xiaohui's cup of wine first. King Qi sensed something was wrong, dared not drink, pretended to be drunk, and quickly left.
Later, they learned the wine was poisoned. King Qi was scared and figured he was done for in Chang'an. Qi's chief minister, Shi, advised King Qi, saying, "The Dowager Empress now only loves Emperor Xiaohui and Princess Lu Yuan. You are in charge of more than seventy cities, while the princess only receives taxes from a few cities. Offer the Chengyang Commandery to the Dowager Empress. Make the princess Queen Dowager. She'll be thrilled, and you'll be safe." So, King Qi offered the Chengyang Commandery and honored Princess Lu Yuan as Queen Dowager. The Dowager Empress was delighted and agreed. Then, a feast was held at King Qi's palace, and everyone happily drank together. After the party, King Qi returned to his country.
Three years later, they finally started building Chang'an. It took another four years to get halfway done, and it wasn't finished until five or six years later. Then all the lords came to pay their respects, and there was a big celebration in October.
In the autumn of the seventh year, on a day in August, Emperor Xiaohui died. During the funeral, the Empress Dowager cried, but her tears wouldn't come. At that time, there was a young man named Zhang Biqiang, the son of the Marquis, who was only fifteen years old and working as a court attendant. He said to the Prime Minister, "The Empress Dowager only loved Emperor Xiaohui. Now that he is gone, her tears do not seem genuine. Any ideas why?" The Prime Minister asked, "Why?" Zhang Biqiang replied, "The Emperor had no adult sons, and the Empress Dowager fears you ministers. You should ask the Empress Dowager to make Lü Tai, Lü Chan, and Lü Lu generals. Station their troops north and south of Chang'an. Let the whole Lü clan move into the palace and take control. That'll ease her mind, and keep you all safe." The Prime Minister followed Zhang Biqiang's advice. The Empress Dowager was very pleased upon hearing this and finally wept. That's when the Lü family's rise to power began. Then, they issued a general amnesty. On a day in September, Emperor Xiaohui was buried. The Crown Prince took the throne and performed the imperial sacrifices, and from then on, the Empress Dowager ran the show.
Now that she was in charge, the Empress Dowager wanted to make members of the Lü family kings, so she consulted with the Right Prime Minister, Wang Ling. Wang Ling said, "Emperor Gaozu once held a covenant in front of the White Horse, saying 'If it is not a descendant of the Liu family who becomes emperor, then all the people of the world will rise up against him.' Now, to make the Lü family kings breaks the agreement." The Empress Dowager remained silent. So she asked the Left Prime Minister, Chen Ping, and the Marquis of Jiang, Zhou Bo. They replied, "Emperor Gaozu pacified the world, and now his sons and brothers are still alive. With you in charge, Your Majesty, making your brothers and the Lü family kings is perfectly acceptable." The Empress Dowager was pleased and dismissed the court.
Wang Ling went to find Chen Ping and Zhou Bo, saying, "When we fought bloody battles alongside the old Emperor, making a vow together, you were also present, right? Now that the old Emperor has passed away, the Dowager is in power and wants to make the Lv clan kings. However, you are breaking our pact to suck up to the Dowager. How will you ever look the old Emperor in the eye?" Chen Ping and Zhou Bo replied, "We can't argue with the Dowager like you can, but when it comes to saving the Liu dynasty, we're better than you." Wang Ling had no way to refute them.
In November, the Dowager wanted to dismiss Wang Ling, so she appointed him as the Emperor's tutor and took away his ministerial powers. Wang Ling fell ill and retired home. Then, the Dowager appointed Chen Ping as the Prime Minister and Shang Shiqi as the Left Prime Minister. Shang Shiqi, the Left Prime Minister, was actually not in charge of anything, only responsible for supervising the palace, similar to the Master of the Imperial Household. Because of the Dowager's favor, Shang Shiqi often participated in court affairs, and all the courtiers relied on him to handle matters. Subsequently, the Dowager gave the Marquis of Li the posthumous title of Mourning Martial King, intending to gradually grant titles to the various Lv clans as kings.
In April, the Dowager wanted to grant titles to members of the Lv clan as marquises, so she first made the meritorious minister of the old Emperor, Langzhongling Wuze, the Marquis of Bocheng. Princess Lu Yuan passed away, and the Dowager granted her the posthumous title of "Empress Lu Yuan." Her son, Yan, was made the King of Lu. The King of Lu's father was Marquis Xuanping, Zhang Ao. The Dowager also appointed Zhang, the son of the Prince of Qidao Hui, as the Marquis of Zhuxu, and married Lv Lu's daughter to him; made Shou, the Prime Minister of Qi, the Marquis of Pingding; made Yan, the Minister of Works, the Marquis of Wu; made Lv Zhong the Marquis of Pei, Lv Ping the Marquis of Fuli, and Zhang Mai the Marquis of Nangong.
The Empress Dowager wanted the Lü family to take power. First, she made the sons of Emperor Xiaohui kings and marquises. Liu Qiang was made King of Huaiyang, Liu Buyi was made King of Changshan, Liu Shan was made Marquis of Xiangcheng, Liu Chao was made Marquis of Zhi, and Liu Wu was made Marquis of Huguan. The Empress Dowager discussed this matter with the ministers, and the ministers suggested that Lü Tai, the Marquis of Li, be made King Lü, to which the Empress Dowager agreed. After Marquis Kanghou Shizhi died, his son committed a crime and was stripped of his title, so his brother Lü Lu was made Marquis of Huling, inheriting the title of Marquis Kanghou.
Two years later, King Changshan died, and his brother Marquis Xiangcheng Liu Shan inherited the title of King Changshan, changing his name. In November, King Lü Tai died and was posthumously named King Su, and his son Lü Jia inherited the throne. The third year passed without incident. In the fourth year, the Empress Dowager appointed Lü Yu as Marquis of Linyang, Lü Ta as Marquis of Yu, Lü Gengshi as Marquis of Zuiqi, Lü Fen as Marquis of Lucheng, and several other ministers were also made marquises.
Now, Empress Lü, she never had kids of her own, so what did she do? She faked a pregnancy, snuck a palace maid's baby, gave it a name, killed the maid, and *bam* – instant crown prince! Later, when Emperor Xiaohui died, this child became the Emperor.
When the Emperor grew up, someone told him that his birth mother was killed by Empress Lü and that he was not the Empress's biological son. Upon hearing this, the Emperor said, "The Empress killed my real mom and then named me? I was a kid then, but now I'm all grown up, and this needs sorting out!" When Empress Lü heard about this, she freaked, terrified he'd revolt, so she locked the Emperor in Yongxiang and claimed that the Emperor was seriously ill and no one was allowed to see him.
Lü Zhi said to the ministers, "To govern the world, seek the well-being of the common people, keep the ancestors happy, and the country safe. When the emperor's happy, the people will be happy too, and everyone will live in harmony, leading to peace in the world. The Emperor has been ill for so long, mentally unfit, unable to inherit the throne, perform ancestral sacrifices, or govern the world. So, we need a new emperor, don't you think?" Upon hearing this, the ministers quickly kowtowed and said, "Your Majesty, you've thought of everything! We'll do as you say!"
As a result, the Emperor was deposed, and Lü Zhi secretly had him executed. On a day in May, Lü Zhi enthroned Prince Liu Yi of Changshan as Emperor, renaming him Liu Hong. The reason this year was not counted as the first year was that Lü Zhi held all the power. She also appointed Lord Liu Zhao as Prince of Changshan and established the position of Grand Commandant, appointing Lord Zhou Bo to that role.
Over the next few years, in the eighth month of the fifth year, Prince Huaiyang passed away, and Lü Zhi appointed his brother Lord Liu Wu as Prince of Huaiyang. In the tenth month of the sixth year, she deposed Prince Liu Jia of Lu for being arrogant and appointed Liu Chan, the younger brother of Prince Liu Tai, as Prince of Lu. That summer, Lü Zhi ordered the amnesty of all criminals in the realm. She also appointed Liu Xingju, the son of Prince Liu Fei of Qi Daohui, as Lord of Dongmou.
In the month of July, Empress Dowager Lü summoned King Zhao You. King Zhao You had married the daughter of Lady Lü as his queen, but he did not like her and instead favored other concubines. The daughter of Lady Lü became jealous and angrily left King Zhao, then went to the Empress Dowager to accuse him of crimes, saying, "How dare the Lüs give up the throne! After the Empress Dowager's gone, I'll wipe them all out!" Upon hearing this, the Empress Dowager was furious and summoned King Zhao to the palace. When King Zhao arrived, he was kept prisoner, not allowed to see the Empress Dowager, and surrounded by guards who did not give him any food. Some ministers secretly sent him food, but they were all caught and punished. Starving, King Zhao sang a song: "Lü's in charge, the Lius are doomed, forcing the lords to marry. My queen is jealous, falsely accusing me, slandering the country, the Empress Dowager is deceived. Without loyal ministers, how can I abandon the country? I will die honorably in the wilderness, the heavens are just! Alas, regret comes too late, self-destruction early, who will pity the hungry death of a king? Lü's tyranny will be repaid by heaven!" On the day of Dingchou in the first month, King Zhao starved to death in captivity, and the Empress Dowager buried him with a commoner's burial near the commoner's cemetery in Chang'an.
On the day of Jichou in the second month, a solar eclipse occurred, causing darkness during the day. The Empress Dowager felt a bad omen and said to those around her, "This is aimed at me."
In February, the Empress Dowager appointed Prince Liang, Liu Hui, as the new King Zhao, and Prince Lü was appointed as the new King of Liang. However, Prince Liang did not go to Liang but stayed in Chang'an as the Grand Tutor. At the same time, the Empress Dowager appointed her son, Prince Pingchang Marquis Liu Tai, as the new King Lü, and renamed Liang as the Lü Kingdom and the Lü Kingdom as the Jichuan Kingdom. The daughter of the Empress Dowager's sister, Lady Lü, married Marquis Yingling, Liu Ze, who was a general at the time. Fearing the Lius' revenge after her death, the Empress Dowager showered the Lüs with favors, making Liu Ze King of Langye to keep him happy.
King Liu Hui of Liang was shunted off to Zhao to be its king, much to his displeasure. The Dowager Empress then married him off to Lv Chan's daughter. The Queen's court was packed with Lv family cronies, a bunch of arrogant bullies who kept the king under constant surveillance, leaving him with no freedom whatsoever. The King of Zhao wrote a four-part poem about it and had it performed by his musicians. Grief-stricken, the King of Zhao killed himself in June. Hearing this, the Dowager Empress reckoned he'd chucked the ancestral rites for a bit of skirt, so she stripped his heir of his title.
When Marquis Xuanping Zhang Ao died, his son Zhang Yan took over as King of Lu, and his father was posthumously titled King Yuan. That autumn, the Dowager Empress sent word to the King of Dai, wanting him moved to Zhao. He refused, saying he'd rather stick to guarding Dai's borders. Grand Tutor Chan, Prime Minister Ping, and top-ranked Marquis Wuxin Lv Lu all pushed for Lu Lu to become King of Zhao. The Dowager Empress agreed, and posthumously made Lu Lu's dad, Marquis Kang, King Zhao Zhao.
In September, King Ling Jian of Yan died. His son by a concubine was promptly murdered by the Dowager Empress, leaving Yan without an heir and thus dissolving the kingdom. Eight years later, in October, she made Lv Su's son, Lv Tong, the new King of Yan, and his brother Lv Zhuang the Marquis of Dongping.
Mid-March, the Dowager Empress Lv was passing through Zhi Dao when she saw what looked like a blue dog, then it vanished. Divination blamed the restless spirit of King Zhao, and the Dowager Empress fell ill from the fright.
In March, Empress Lv went to perform a purification ritual, and on her way back to the palace through the Zhi Road, she saw something like a black dog lying next to her, but it suddenly disappeared. When she consulted a diviner, it was said that Zhao Wang Ruyi was causing trouble. This caused Empress Lv to fall ill and injure her arm. Seeing her young, orphaned grandson, Lu Yuanwang Yan, Empress Dowager Gao made Zhang Ao's two sons by his former wife marquises, one named Chi as Xindu Marquis and the other named Shou as Lechang Marquis, to assist Lu Yuanwang Yan. She also named Zhang Shi as Jianling Marquis and Lv Rong as Zhu Zi Marquis. Every eunuch in the palace was made a marquis, each receiving 500 households as a fief.
In mid-July, Empress Dowager Gao's illness worsened, and she appointed Prince Zhao Lv Lu as Commander of the Northern Army, with Prince Lv Chan in charge of the Southern Army. Empress Dowager Lv warned Chan and Lu, "Emperor Gao has already unified the world and made a pact with the ministers, saying, 'Anyone not of the Liu family will face the combined might of the empire.' Now the Lv clan is in power, but the ministers are not at peace. If I die, the Emperor is young, and the ministers might rebel. You must control the troops to guard the palace; don't let anyone manipulate you." On Xin Si, Empress Dowager Gao passed away, leaving a decree granting each vassal king, general, marquis, official, and clerk a thousand gold pieces. They declared a general amnesty. Lv Chan was appointed as Chancellor, and Lv Lu's daughter was named Empress.
In July, Empress Lü fell seriously ill and appointed Zhao King Lü Lu as the general to lead the Northern Army; Lü Chan led the Southern Army. Empress Lü instructed Lü Chan and Lü Lu, "After Emperor Gaozu pacified the world, he made an agreement with the ministers that 'if a non-Liu clan member becomes emperor, everyone would gang up on him.' Now that the Lüs are all kings, the ministers are not happy. After I die, the emperor will still be young, and the ministers may rebel. You must control the palace's army, so don't let things get out of hand!" On the day of Xin Si, Empress Lü passed away, and her will stated that each vassal king would be rewarded with one thousand gold, while generals, marquises, and officials would be rewarded with gold according to their rank. A general amnesty was declared. Then, Lü Chan was made Prime Minister, and Lü Lu's daughter was made the Empress. After Empress Lü's burial, Shi Shiqi, the Prime Minister, was appointed Grand Tutor. Liu Zhang, also known as Lord Zhu Xu, was a strongman, and his younger brother Xingju was the Marquis of Dongmou. Both of them were brothers of King Qi'ai of Qi, and they were living in Chang'an at the time. The Lüs held all the power and plotted a rebellion, but they held back, fearing the old ministers left by Emperor Gaozu, such as Lord Jiang and Lord Guan. Lord Zhu Xu's wife was Lü Lu's daughter, and she knew of the Lüs' plot. Afraid of being killed, she secretly informed her brother, King Qi, hoping he'd march west, wipe out the Lüs, and put a new emperor on the throne. Lord Zhu Xu planned to work with the ministers in Chang'an. King Qi wanted to attack, but his Prime Minister said no. In August, King Qi tried to kill his Prime Minister, but the Prime Minister rebelled and attacked King Qi instead! Cornered, King Qi killed his Prime Minister, then marched east, tricked the King of Langye into joining him, and finally headed west. This is all in the *Records of King Qi.*
King Qi wrote to the other vassal kings, saying, "After Emperor Gaozu pacified the world, he enfeoffed royal family members and appointed King Dao Hui as King Qi. After King Dao Hui passed away, Emperor Xiao Hui appointed Marquis Zhang Liang to make me King Qi. After Emperor Xiao Hui died, Empress Dowager Gao took control. She was old and under the sway of the Lu clan, arbitrarily deposing and installing emperors, and even killed three Zhao kings, wiping out the kingdoms of Liang, Zhao, and Yan, handing these territories over to the Lu clan and carving Qi into four pieces. Loyal officials pleaded with her, but Empress Dowager Gao, blinded by the Lu clan's influence, refused to listen. Now that Empress Dowager Gao has passed away, the emperor is young and unable to govern, relying on ministers and vassals. The Lu clan is grabbing power, amassing troops, and acting like they own the place. They even faked imperial orders to run the country. The Han Dynasty is teetering on the brink of collapse. I'm marching on the capital to get rid of the Lu clan – this isn't treason!" When the Han court learned of this, Prime Minister Lu Chan and others sent Yingyin Marquis Guan Ying with troops to attack King Qi. Upon reaching Xingyang, Guan Ying realized, "The Lu clan controls the Guanzhong army and is plotting to overthrow the Liu family to seize the throne for themselves. Beating King Qi and going back would only make the Lu clan stronger." Therefore, Guan Ying stayed in Xingyang, sending someone to inform King Qi and the other vassals to unite and wait for the Lu clan to show their hand, then we strike. Hearing this, King Qi pulled his troops back west to wait for the signal.
Lü Lu and Lü Chan wanted to stir up trouble in Guanzhong, but they feared Zhang Hou Zhou Bo, Zhu Xu Hou Liu Zhang, and others. They were also worried about the Qi and Chu armies and feared that Guan Ying would betray them. So they hesitated, wanting to wait for Guan Ying's army and the Qi army to join forces before taking action. At that time, the young emperor's nominal younger brothers—Prince Jichuan Liu Bi, Prince Huaiyang Liu Wu, and Prince Changshan Liu Bo—along with the Empress Dowager Lü's grandson, Prince Luyuan Liu Yu, were all young and still resided in Chang'an, un-apportioned to their fiefdoms. Meanwhile, Prince Zhao Lü Lu and Prince Liang Lü Chan, both members of the Lü clan, commanded their armies stationed north and south of Chang'an, respectively. The remaining nobles and ministers lived in constant fear, their lives hanging by a thread.
Zhou Bo, the Marquis of Jianghou (and General), was unable to enter the military camp and command the troops. The Marquis of Quzhou, Li Shang, was old and sick, and his son Li Ji had a good relationship with Lü Lu. Zhou Bo and Prime Minister Chen Ping discussed and sent someone to put Li Shang under house arrest. Then they sent Li Ji to deceive Lü Lu, saying, "Emperor Gaozu and Empress Dowager Lü won the empire together. The Liu family was granted nine kingships, and the Lü family was granted three kingships. This was the result of the ministers' deliberations, and word had officially gone out to the various princes. Everyone thinks this arrangement is appropriate. Now that the Empress Dowager has passed away and the Emperor is young, you are holding the seal of the King of Zhao and not going to your fiefdom to rule as a prince at ease, but instead serving as a general here with an army, causing suspicion among the ministers and princes. Why not hand over the seal and the army to the General, and ask the Prince of Liang to hand over the Prime Minister's seal, swear an oath with the ministers, and then return to your fiefdom? This way, the Qi army will pull back, the ministers will rest easy, and you can enjoy your vast kingdom in peace. It'll benefit your family for generations!" Lü Lu believed it to be true and wanted to hand over the seal and the army to the General. He then sent someone to inform Lu Chan and the elders of the Lü family. Some thought the idea was good, while others disagreed, and opinions were divided, unable to make a decision. Lü Lu believed Li Ji's words and often went hunting and playing with him. On the way, they passed by his aunt Lü Ye's house. Lü Ye hit the roof when she heard the news and said, "If you give up the army, the Lü family will be finished!" Then she threw all the jewelry and jade in the house on the ground, saying, "Don't let others keep them!" Left Prime Minister Shi Qi got the axe.
On the morning of August Gengshen, Pingyang Marquis Cao Can acted as the Censor-in-chief, handling national affairs. At this time, Langzhongling Jia Shou returned from the state of Qi and reported to Cao Can, saying, "Emperor Wen did not grant the state of Qi to the Lü family earlier, but now wants to do so. Is it still possible?" Jia Shou explained how Guan Ying was working with Qi and Chu to eliminate the Lü clan, urging Cao Can to head straight to the palace. After hearing these words, Pingyang Marquis Cao Can immediately rushed to report to the Prime Minister and the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant wanted to enter the Northern Army but was blocked by guards. Fortunately, the Marquis of Xiangping held the token, so Cao Can let the Marquis of Xiangping use the token to order the Northern Army to mobilize.
The Grand Commandant then sent Li Ji and the official Liu Jie to persuade Lu Lu: "The Emperor sent the Grand Commandant to protect you and secure the Northern Army. Quickly hand over the seal and get out of here! Otherwise, there will be a big mess!" Lu Lu felt that Li Ji would not deceive him, so he took off the seal and handed it to the official Liu Jie, transferring military power to the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant led the troops to the gate of the camp and ordered the entire army: "Anyone for the Lü clan, raise your right flag! Liu clan, raise your left!" As a result, the entire army raised the flag of the Liu family. By the time the Grand Commandant arrived, General Lu Lu had already handed over the seal of the commander-in-chief, and the Grand Commandant easily took control of the Northern Army.
But what about the Southern Army? When Marquis Pingyang Cao Can heard about it, he tipped off Prime Minister Ping about Lu Chan's plot. Prime Minister Ping immediately summoned Marquis Zhuxu to assist the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant had Marquis Zhuxu guard the camp gate and told Marquis Pingyang to inform the Guard Commander, "Keep Lu Chan out of the Prime Minister's residence!" Unaware that Lu Lu had already handed over the Northern Army, Lu Chan stormed into the Palace of Wanyan to start a rebellion but found himself stuck outside, pacing. Worried about losing control of the situation, Marquis Pingyang Cao Can hurried to inform the Grand Commandant. The Grand Commandant, still fearing the Lus, hesitated to order their deaths, so he sent Marquis Zhuxu to say, "Get to the palace and protect the Emperor!" Marquis Zhuxu requested troops, and the Grand Commandant gave him over a thousand men. They entered the Palace of Wanyan and found Lu Chan in the courtyard. They caught Lu Chan in the middle of his meal and attacked him. Lu Chan fled, and then, whoosh! A sudden windstorm hit, scattering Lu Chan's men, who lost their nerve. They chased him down and finished him off in the Langzhong Mansion's latrine.
Duke Zhu Xuhou killed Lü Chan, so the emperor sent a messenger with imperial tallies to console him. Duke Zhu Xuhou wanted to snatch the tallies, but the messenger refused to give them to him. Duke Zhu Xuhou then followed the messenger onto the carriage and quickly snatched the tallies, then rushed to kill Lü Gengshi, the Commander of the Changle Guard. After killing him, he hurried back to the Northern Army headquarters to report to the Grand Commandant. Upon hearing this, the Grand Commandant immediately got up and happily congratulated Duke Zhu Xuhou, saying, "That Lü Chan was our only worry; now he's gone, the kingdom's safe!" Therefore, he ordered people to wipe out the entire Lü clan, sparing no one. On Xin-You day, Lü Lu was arrested and killed, and Lü Ya was whipped to death. People were sent to kill Prince Lü Tong of Yan and depose Prince Lü Yan of Lu. On Ren-Xu day, the emperor's Grand Tutor Shiqi was reappointed as Left Prime Minister. On Wu-Chen day, Prince Jichuan was transferred to the Kingdom of Liang, and Liu Sui, the son of King You of Zhao, was made Prince of Zhao. Zhu Xuhou was dispatched to tell Prince Qi to pull back his troops. Guan Ying's army also withdrew from Xingyang.
Next, the ministers secretly discussed, saying, "The young emperor, Prince Dao of Liang, Prince Huaiyang, and Prince Changshan are not Emperor Xiaohui's biological sons. Empress Lü used a scheme to have other people's sons impersonate Emperor Xiaohui's sons, killed their biological mothers, then raised these children in the palace, had Emperor Xiaohui recognize them as his sons and install them as princes. The same goes for these princes, all to strengthen the power of the Lü family. Now that the Lü family has been destroyed, if we continue to let Empress Lü's people rule, we ministers will be in danger. It's better to choose the most suitable prince among them to be the emperor." Someone said, "Prince Dao of Qi is the eldest son of Emperor Gaozu, and his legitimate son is the Prince of Qi. In terms of seniority, the legitimate eldest grandson of Emperor Gaozu should inherit the throne." Concerns were raised that the Lü family almost caused the downfall of the imperial family and created chaos among the ministers due to the misdeeds of the in-laws. Now the mother's family of the Prince of Qi, the Si family, is filled with bad people. If we make the Prince of Qi the emperor, won't it mean a return to Lü family rule?" They also considered making the Prince of Huainan the emperor, but thought he was too young and his mother's family was not good either.
Finally, the ministers said, "The Prince of Dai is the biological son of Emperor Gaozu, the eldest in age, kind and filial, and his mother's family, the Bo clan, was known for its discretion and reliability. Besides, appointing the eldest son was in accordance with tradition, established a kind and filial image, and was beneficial to the whole world." So everyone secretly sent people to welcome the Prince of Dai. The Prince of Dai initially declined, but the ministers persisted. The Prince of Dai finally traveled to Chang'an in six carriages. On the last day of September, on the day of Jiyou, the Prince of Dai arrived in Chang'an and took up residence. The ministers paid their respects, presented him with the imperial seal, and formally declared him emperor. The Prince of Dai declined several times, but after repeated entreaties from the ministers, he finally agreed.
Xingju of Dong Mouhou declared, "I had no part in killing the Lu clan; I just want to wipe out the Lu clan's influence in the palace." So he and Teng Gong, the Grand Preceptor, entered the palace together and, in front of the young emperor, said, "You're no Liu, you can't be emperor." He then ordered the armed guards to stand down and leave. Several guards refused to disarm, so Eunuch Zhang Ze talked them into it.
Teng Gong had the emperor's carriage brought around and took the boy emperor out. The young emperor asked, "Where are you taking me?" Teng Gong replied, "To a safe place." They took him to the Shao Fu. Then they formally welcomed the crown prince into the palace and reported, "We've secured the palace." That night, the crown prince entered the Weiyang Palace. Ten armed guards at the gate demanded, "Where is the emperor? Who are you to enter without permission?" The crown prince sent the Grand Commandant to explain, and the ten guards then put down their weapons and left. The crown prince entered the palace and took up the reins of government. That night, they executed the Prince of Liang, Prince of Huaiyang, Prince of Changshan, and the young emperor.
The crown prince ascended the throne and became the emperor. He died twenty-three years later and was given the posthumous title of Emperor Xiaowen.
Sima Qian said that during the reign of Emperor Xiaohui and Empress Dowager Gao, the common people finally found peace after all those years of fighting in the Warring States period. Both the ruler and subjects wanted to recuperate, so Emperor Hui basically didn’t handle government affairs. Empress Dowager Gao ran the country from the harem, and the world was at peace. They hardly ever punished anyone, and crime was rare. The common people could farm in peace, and food and clothing were abundant.
