vrcanaries Chapter 163 The Huo Clan's Self-Destructive Acts
Chapter 163 The Huo Clan's Self-Destructive Acts
During the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han
Upon hearing this, Huo Guang's vision blurred, as if he were about to collapse at any moment.
He felt as if a giant hand was gripping his heart, and his heart was filled with despair!
Treason! Even with his immense power, he never considered doing such a thing!
If he were to go to the underworld, how would he have the face to meet His Majesty! The glory of his Huo clan was all brought about by his elder brother Huo Qubing, but in the end, the clan was wiped out!
Thinking of this, Huo Guang first ordered Huo Xian to be imprisoned. Before Empress Xu was harmed, he wanted to go to the palace to plead guilty!
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Back to the live broadcast room.
"Let's skip Liu Bingyi's personal political achievements for now and talk about his relationship with the Huo family."
"First of all, the Huo family already wielded immense power before Liu Bingyi became emperor. Think about it, which powerful minister could depose an emperor?!"
"Although Huo Guang himself may not have been that kind of person, it is a fact that he did not restrain the Huo clan behind him. For example, Huo Yun, Huo Shan and other members of the Huo clan indulged in debauchery. If they did not want to attend court, they would simply send a servant to tell them."
"It is said that the Huo family once had a conflict with the servants of the Imperial Censor, but the Huo family dared to rush into his residence and make the Imperial Censor apologize in person. This shows that the Huo family had extremely little respect for imperial power."
A scion of a prominent family in the Song Dynasty: How arrogant! On the surface, he seems to be at the height of his power, but in reality, he's burning hot!
A bystander in the Ming Dynasty commented: No wonder Huo Guang was purged as soon as he died; he had no sense of propriety!
A romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: But Huo Guang was also quite unlucky, running into a scoundrel!
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"After Empress Xu passed away, someone wrote a letter accusing the doctors of not treating the empress properly, and they were all imprisoned and sentenced to death."
"Chunyu Yan was among them, and Huo Xian was very anxious, fearing that the matter would be exposed. So he told Huo Guang and said: 'Since the matter has been done, you should tell the officials not to interrogate Chunyu Yan.'"
"Huo Guang must have been devastated at the time! He was a very cautious person, but his wife caused such a big mess. He didn't say anything, and finally petitioned the emperor to believe that Xu Pingjun died because of her weak health and difficult childbirth. That was how the matter was dropped."
"However, I think Huo Xiancai is the source of all the trouble. Not only did he undertake large-scale construction projects and poison the Empress, but it is said that when Huo Guang was alive, he valued the head servant Feng Zidu. However, when Huo Xiancai became a widow, he got involved with Feng Zidu. So, it is not fair to treat Huo Guang as a victim because of such a person!"
Huo Guang, the great wronged son: !!!
"On the other hand, Liu Bingyi, as the emperor, may have been familiar with the whole matter long ago. Even if he did not know the details, he understood that Xu Pingjun's death was inseparable from the Huo family. However, he did not yet have power and could only endure it in silence."
"After Xu Pingjun's death, Huo Xian did not feel guilty. On the contrary, he prepared Huo Chengjun to enter the palace to become empress. A year later, Liu Bingyi made Huo Chengjun empress. As for whether he liked the empress or not, well, at least on the surface he doted on Huo Chengjun."
A spoiled young master from the Song Dynasty: Got it, it's all an act!
A farming expert from the Ming Dynasty: Poisoning his wife! That's forcing him to remarry; who would want that?!
A romantic scholar from the Tang Dynasty: But it's quite remarkable that he waited until Huo Guang died before taking action!
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"As the son of Liu Bingyi and Xu Pingjun, Liu Shi is in a very dangerous position. Can a stepmother who killed his mother treat him well?"
"Similarly, Liu Bingyi was well aware of this, so he kept him by his side at all times. However, what happened later proved that Emperor Xuan of Han's concerns were not unfounded."
"In 67 BC, which is the third year of the Dijie era, eight-year-old Liu Shi was made crown prince. This made Huo Xiankuai so angry that she vomited blood. Her scheming and plotting were all for the purpose of making Huo Chengjun empress and giving birth to a child with the blood of the Huo family!"
"So, Huo Xian, unwilling to give up, tried the same old trick again, wanting Huo Chengjun to poison the crown prince. Perhaps Huo Xian thought that even if Liu Bingyi lost a crown prince, he would be fooled by them just like he was when he poisoned Xu Pingjun a few years ago."
"But unexpectedly, Liu Bingyi had already taken precautions against this. All the food the Crown Prince ate was tested for poison in advance, so that she could not find an opportunity to poison him, and in the end she did not succeed."
Zhu Bajie of the Ming Dynasty: Shameless! We can't stand it anymore! He's harmed people time and time again!
Li Erfeng of the Tang Dynasty: ...So stupid and vicious! Does she have no brains?!
A certain academically challenged young man from the Song Dynasty: Doesn't she have any self-awareness?! Why didn't she punish Liu Bingyi back then?! Instead of keeping a low profile, she continued to cause trouble?!
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During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han
Wei Qing and Huo Qubing have both claimed illness and taken leave these past few days, intending to "treat" Huo Guang well.
What kind of eyesight is that! Marrying this wife is tantamount to wiping out your entire clan!
Where did they get the audacity to rebel! Do they perhaps want a member of the Huo family to become emperor?!
Don't they even realize they have the fate to have it?
于是，小少年霍光喜提了好几顿揍，心里暗暗发誓绝不会娶一个叫霍显的人！
……
"Liu Bingyi, who was biding his time, first had to establish the legitimacy of his throne. In less than two years since his ascension, he knew that an emperor without real power was no different from a puppet, and at this time his weakness was still there."
"Emperor Xuan first gave Emperor Wu the temple name Shizong. Although Emperor Wu of Han achieved a very high level of civil and military achievements, the people of Han Dynasty under his rule lived very poorly. In his later years, he became senile and waged war year after year, causing the people to suffer.
"His 'Edict of Reincarnation' enabled Huo Guang to assist Emperor Zhao in allowing the Han Dynasty to recuperate for more than ten years, which can be considered as pulling the Han Dynasty back from the brink of collapse."
"As the next emperor, one needs to accumulate political capital before seizing power. This is a more prudent step. However, Liu He took the second step directly. With his example, Liu Bingyi would know what to do no matter what choice he made."
"I also mentioned that Huo Guang wanted to return power to Liu Bingyi, but Liu Bingyi not only disagreed, but also treated him with even more courtesy. Now, before bestowing temple names, he posthumously honored the deposed crown prince Liu Ju and Liu Jin, and then posthumously honored Consort Shi, to ensure the legitimacy of his succession."
Emperor Taizong of Tang (Li Shimin): In this way, it is unlikely that Huo Guang would depose him, since he has already been declared the legitimate ruler!
A young man from the Song Dynasty: But Emperor Xuan of Han was clever, so his children weren't very capable!
An official from the Ming Dynasty: The Western Han Dynasty may really be coming to an end!
Big Han Liu Zhuzhu: ...
All Han Dynasty emperors: Speechless! ...
"Afterwards, Huo Xian put Huo Chengjun on the throne as empress. From this point on, Liu Bingyi showed great favor to this empress and bestowed even more favor on Huo Guang and his family, which effectively lulled the enemy into a false sense of security."
"Until the second year of the Dijie era (68 BC), Huo Guang, the leader of the Huo family, passed away. Liu Bingyi buried Huo Guang with the mourning rites for an emperor and posthumously honored him as the Marquis of Xuancheng."
"However, the Huo family is closely connected with the court. Even with the loss of Huo Guang, Liu Bingyi still cannot hold absolute power. But the Huo family members, especially Huo Xian, show no restraint."
Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty: ...
"In order to appease the Huo family, Liu Bingyi allowed his son Huo Yu to inherit Huo Guang's title of Marquis of Bolu. He then enfeoffed Huo Guang's grand-nephew Huo Yun as Marquis of Guanyang and Huo Shan as Marquis of Leping. At the same time, he issued an edict that Huo Guang's descendants could inherit his titles and fiefs."
"But such favors were not enough for Huo Xian. On the one hand, she expanded Huo Guang's mausoleum, building gate towers, spirit paths, and other structures that were only permitted for imperial mausoleums. Not only that, she also extended the imperial ancestral halls and temples to them."
"On the other hand, she herself was extremely happy, adorning her sedan chair with all sorts of luxurious accessories, and she was having an affair with Feng Zidu, living a life of unbridled freedom."
A spoiled brat from the Song Dynasty: Verdict confirmed! Huo Guang's wife is truly courting death!
An official of the Ming Dynasty said: "Marrying an unvirtuous wife will bring disaster to three generations." This saying is not without reason!
A Tang Dynasty bystander commented: "Three generations? What? They were all wiped out! I didn't realize Huo Guang liked this kind of thing! ? Since he knew the Empress was murdered by her, he still sent his own daughter to the palace!"
Huo Qubing, the Crown Prince of the Great Han Dynasty: Brother Guang... really!
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"However, it's not just Huo Xian's fault in the Huo family. All the members of the clan are the same. People like Huo Yun, Huo Yu, and Huo Shan are also indulging in sensual pleasures. This family is truly beyond saving!"
"On the contrary, Emperor Xuan of Han did not relax at this time. After all, he had waited for five or six years, so a little longer wouldn't make a difference."
"First, he gave the position of Grand Marshal of Huo Guang to Zhang Anshi. His brother was Zhang He, who provided tuition and betrothal gifts. In addition, Zhang Anshi was Huo Guang's subordinate. Giving him this position would better deceive the Huo family."
"However, Zhang Anshi was a cautious and meticulous man who strictly adhered to the duties of a subject to his ruler. After taking over this position, he was constantly filled with anxiety and never sought personal gain for his family. Perhaps this is why he died a peaceful death!"
"Secondly, Liu Bingyi also re-employed Wei Xiang, who had been imprisoned by Huo Guang, and gave him the position of Attendant-in-Ordinary. In addition, Bing Ji was promoted to Grand Censor. These two men played important roles during Emperor Xuan's reign."
"Therefore, the Book of Han states: 'During the reign of Emperor Xuan, the Wei dynasty was revitalized.' However, Liu Bingyi's actions also attracted the attention of Huo Xian. In addition, the fact that Xu Pingjun's son was made crown prince made Huo Xian unable to remain calm."
Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty: The Huo family is nearing its end!
A farming whiz in the Ming Dynasty: All his plans and schemes have come to nothing!
A scion of a prominent family in the Tang Dynasty: Huo Xian is quite a talent! Instead of keeping a low profile, he plotted a rebellion!
……
Lin Ke really thought Huo Xianzheng was a real show-off! His thought process was just more peculiar than others!
"After that, Huo Xian ordered Huo Chengjun to poison the Crown Prince, but the Crown Prince was surrounded by too many guards, and Huo Xian did not succeed."
"Liu Bingyi then removed Huo Yu from his position as Right General and his military officers, and only appointed him as Grand Marshal, in other words, he was only given a nominal position with no real power."
"At the same time, Liu Bingyi appointed his trusted confidants, Empress Xu and Consort Shi, to command the Imperial Guards and the troops guarding the palace.
"At this time, the Huo family members were unaware that Huo Xian had poisoned Empress Xu and even plotted to harm the Crown Prince. They only knew that their Huo family had once been prominent and how they had been dismissed from their posts and had their power taken away."
"They're more likely to panic at times like these. They actually want to invite the ministers, led by Chancellor Wei, to a banquet in the name of Empress Dowager Shangguan, and then kill them all!"
"Finally, Huo Yu was made emperor. I wonder if Huo Xian instigated this rebellion in part? Are the Huo family members really that stupid to think they will succeed?!"
"However, in the fourth year of the Dijie era (66 BC), the Huo family was wiped out before they could even make a move. Even Huo Guang would have to shake his head at this operation!"
Huo Guang of the Han Dynasty: !!!
A scion of a prominent family in the Song Dynasty: Is all the Huo family's intelligence and competence attributed to Huo Qubing and Huo Guang?
A farming expert from the Ming Dynasty: 666, this move will make Huo Guang furious!
A Tang Dynasty bystander commented: "Huo Guang must have thought about his descendants before he died, but he never expected that these people would be so stupid as to reunite with him in the afterlife so quickly!"
……
The Huo family members in the other timeline stared wide-eyed, completely dumbfounded!
No way! You're so bold!?
Kill the Empress! Poison the Crown Prince!? And you still won't tell us?!
What kind of rebellion is this? What deep-seated hatred do you have? If you had told us earlier, we would have had to keep a low profile. Why are you being so arrogant?
For a moment, the whole scene became unusually quiet, with only their heavy breathing remaining.
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"Subsequently, Huo Yun and Huo Shan committed suicide, while Huo Yu was cut in half at the waist. At this time, rumors suddenly spread among the people that Huo Xian had instructed Chunyu Yan to poison Empress Xu. As a result, Huo Xian, his sons-in-law, and Chunyu Yan were all purged."
The Book of Han, Biography of Huo Guang, records that thousands of families were exterminated because of the Huo family. It wasn't until the second year of the Yuanshi era that the court found Huo Yang, the grandson of Huo Guang's cousin, and enfeoffed him as the Marquis of Bolu to worship Huo Guang.
"As a politically gifted and even mature emperor, it would have been enough to punish a family that murdered the empress and the crown prince, resulting in the execution of nine generations of their relatives. However, Emperor Xuan of Han still chose to implicate his followers."
"Huo Chengjun was deposed because she had once plotted against the crown prince. It is said that she was to be moved to Shanglin Palace, which was directly opposite Empress Xu's tomb and was also one floor lower. Therefore, Huo Chengjun felt humiliated and eventually committed suicide."
"However, despite the extermination of the Huo family, Emperor Xuan of Han still recognized Huo Guang's merits. Huo Guang was still ranked first in the Qilin Pavilion, but he was only referred to as a member of the Huo clan. The other ten were almost all meritorious officials who later participated in the extermination of the Huo family."
"Furthermore, Xu Pingjun's posthumous title was Empress Gong'ai, and she was the only empress in the Western Han Dynasty to have an independent posthumous title. Compared to other emperors of the Liu family, she can be considered to be more sentimental!"
A noblewoman from a prominent family in the Song Dynasty: Actually, the Huo family deserved it! How old was Empress Xu when she died!
A young woman from the Tang Dynasty, observing the drama: To be fair, this guy is pretty good.
Liu Zhuzhu, the Great Han: ...Truly worthy of being my grandson!
A scion of a prominent family in the Song Dynasty said: "This incident teaches us that if you don't court death, you won't die! It also teaches us that no matter how capable a person is, if they have too many troublesome family members, they'll all be dragged down with them!"
A farming expert in the Ming Dynasty: Huo Guang was a brilliant strategist, but he was implicated in the downfall of the dynasty. However, he himself failed to properly manage his descendants and his wife!
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