0p0 Chapter 236 The Master of Balance - A Show
Chapter 236 The Master of Balance - A Show
"Not long after, Liu Xiu was sent to Hebei. This trip to Hebei was indeed difficult for him; he spent a period of time hiding and fleeing."
"Furthermore, Liu Xuan is eyeing him covetously, so marrying Guo Shengtong in order to gain the support of the King of Zhending is not a difficult task for him!"
"The marriage alliance between the two families was ultimately a result of the alliance between the powerful clans in Hebei and Liu Xiu. After Liu Xiu became emperor in 25 AD, he sent people to bring Yin Lihua from Nanyang. At this point, a rather awkward question arose: who should be made empress?"
"The Book of the Later Han Dynasty says that Liu Xiu wanted to make Yin Lihua empress, but she declined because Guo Shengtong had children and refused to take the position. She only became a concubine."
"Here's an explanation of Liu Xiu's harem system. Unlike that of Emperor Wu of Han, he abolished the ranks of Zhaoyi, Jieyu, and so on. Below the Empress was the rank of Guiren."
"However, the treatment of concubines in the Eastern Han Dynasty's imperial harem was not very good. Even a Noble Lady's salary was only a few dozen bushels, not to mention the beauties and palace maids below them!"
A farming expert from the Song Dynasty: Being a concubine is so boring! I thought I'd be living a life of luxury and extravagance!
A peasant girl from the Ming Dynasty: Aren't they climbing the social ladder for men, or is it just for better treatment?!
A spoiled young master from the Tang Dynasty: Actually, both of these endings were pretty good. At least their lives were safer than during Liu Che's time!
……
Liu Che from another timeline was speechless. They were talking about Liu Xiu, so why was he being compared to him?!
Hmph! He didn't demote his wife to a concubine like he did!
……
The live broadcast continues.
"Before Guo Shengtong was made empress, something happened. After Liu Xiu ascended the throne, Liu Yang, the King of Zhending, became increasingly dissatisfied with him and created something popular in the Eastern Han Dynasty—a prophecy: 'After the Red Nine… become the ruler.'"
"The gist of it is that he has a tumor on his neck and is the tenth son after the Great Ancestor, which is exactly what the prophecy refers to!"
"In the spring of 26 AD, Liu Xiu sent someone to summon Liu Yang to court, but this man had already plotted a rebellion, so the city gates were kept closed. So Liu Xiu sent Geng Chun, who was related to Liu Yang, the King of Zhending, to deal with him."
"Geng Chun also made great contributions to the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty, so Liu Yang's rebellion was quelled by Geng Chun with little effort."
"In June of that year, after eliminating Liu Yang, Guo Shengtong's biggest backer, Liu Xiu made her empress and her son Liu Jiang crown prince."
"Perhaps Liu Xiu still liked Guo Shengtong quite a bit during this period, as he was still willing to make her empress even though her family had lost power, and he even granted a general amnesty."
A skilled farmer in the Song Dynasty: His fondness for her at this time didn't prevent him from later deposing the empress!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: "If you ask me, neither of these two women is a winner!"
The daughter of a high-ranking official in the Tang Dynasty: Why do we have to fight this man to see who is more favored?!
……
"However, Liu Xiu treated both Guo Shengtong and Yin Lihua equally, not only treating their children the same but also providing them with roughly the same level of care."
"However, as the first wife, Yin Lihua was still a concubine for more than ten years. As mentioned before, the treatment of concubines was not very good, which may be related to Liu Xiu's advocacy of frugality."
"For example, when Guo Shengtong was empress, Liu Xiu did not give important positions to Guo Shengtong's relatives and brothers. On the contrary, it was Yin Lihua's brothers who were given important positions."
"When Yin Lihua became empress, Liu Xiu began to lavishly reward Guo Shengtong's relatives and brothers, showing no sign that Liu Xiu had ever suppressed their family."
A spoiled young master from the Song Dynasty: Tell me, aren't you a master of impartiality? Hahaha!
A bystander from the Ming Dynasty commented: "How did he manage to have children of the same gender? I'm really curious!"
Liu Xiu, the Chosen One of the Great Han Dynasty: ...
The son of a high-ranking official in the Tang Dynasty: Don't ask, the answer is simply talent!
……