When the emperor of the new dynasty ascends the throne, he always has to leave something special in the history books, such as giving a domineering name to the dynasty he is about to start.
But there is such an emperor, who doesn't play cards according to the routine at all, and after people ascend the throne, they don't even bother to think about the country name, so they just wave their hands and name them with their surnames.
What's even more unexpected is that such a seemingly random surname has now blossomed everywhere and has become a well-known surname.
Who is so "willful"? How did this surname grow step by step?
The counterattack script of the grassroots emperor
There was a terrible figure in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, named Chen Baxian. This person is not a relative of the emperor, he has lived a hard life since he was a child, farming, fishing, and doing everything.
But don't say it, in fact, he is holding back a lot of energy in his heart, and he wants to do big things. I usually like to study the art of war when I have nothing to do, and I have also practiced a good martial arts.
Here's your chance.
At that time, there was a clan named Xiao Ying in Nanliang, who took a fancy to Chen Baxian's potential at a glance and took him by his side to promote him. Chen Baxian also fought for anger and made great contributions to quelling the rebellion, and Emperor Wu of Liang was impressed by him.
Later, the Hou Jing Rebellion broke out, Emperor Wu of Liang was starved to death, and the Southern Dynasty became a pot of porridge. Chen Baxian stood up at this time, united with other generals to quell the rebellion, and became the "talker" of the Southern Dynasty.
In 557 AD, he simply proclaimed himself emperor and established the Chen dynasty.
What is the saying behind the country name "Chen"?
The emperor's accession to the throne was a groundbreaking event, and the first important thing was to give a resounding name to the dynasty he was about to start.
Open the history book, which emperor is not racking his brains, hoping that this country name can imply auspiciousness and eternal stability. But there is such a person, who does not follow the usual path, he is the founding emperor of the Chen Dynasty of the Southern Dynasty - Chen Baxian.
This Chen Baxian, with a direct wave of his hand, took his surname "Chen" as the country name. That's too casual, isn't it?
Of course, historians don't see it that way. They analyzed the Tao at the head, saying that behind the word "Chen", there are many doorways.
We have to know that this Chen Baxian is not an unknown person.
His ancestor was the famous Yingchuan Chen family, which was a well-known family at that time.
Although by Chen Baxian's generation, the family power is not as good as before, but "the emaciated camel is bigger than the horse".
Using "Chen" as the national name can evoke the memories of those old courtiers of the Chen family's past glory; Second, it can also make those people who miss the old feel at ease.
After all, who doesn't like to have an emperor with good roots?
And Chen Baxian is a good hand at fighting, but if you want to say that dancing and writing and reciting poetry are not his strong point.
He was previously named "Chen Gong", and he was directly used as a national name, which was simple and direct, time-saving and labor-saving, and also in line with his vigorous and resolute character.
Of course, some people also say that Chen Baxian is in the next big game of chess, the country name is simple and easy to remember, and the people are catchy, which invisibly deepens the impression of this new dynasty.
Moreover, the word "Chen" itself has the meaning of "exhibition ambition" and "opening a new era", maybe Chen Ba first hoped to show his determination to make great efforts to create a prosperous era!
Therefore, don't look at the surface of history, dig deeper, and there is learning everywhere.
Chen Baxian's seemingly random "Chen" country name may be hidden behind it.
Short-lived Dynasty, Immortal
Chen Baxian, the emperor's life, was not very good, and before he had time to show his ambitions, he drove to the west early. Fortunately, his nephew Chen Qian, who later became Emperor Wen Chen, is a reliable successor.
Emperor Chen Wendi is not the kind of gentleman who only knows how to eat, drink and have fun, he works hard, is diligent in political affairs, and is stunned to govern the original crumbling Chen Dynasty in an orderly manner, and the people live and work in peace and contentment, known as "the rule of Tianjia" in history.
When it came to Emperor Chen Xuan, it was even more blue and better than blue, and he continued to hold high the banner of "Qingming Politics", leading the Chen Dynasty all the way forward, and the national strength was thriving.
Seeing that the signboard of the "Chen" family is getting brighter and brighter, everyone thought that they could create brilliance again, but they ended up killing halfway!
Emperor Chen Xuan's son Chen Shubao, the one who wrote "The Flower of the Yushu Backyard", perfectly inherited his father's literary cells, but did not inherit his father's political talent at all.
This Empress Chen is obsessed with singing and dancing all day long, intoxicated with poetry and songs, and ignores all major national affairs.
As the saying goes, playthings are demoralized.
After such a toss, the national strength of the Chen Dynasty plummeted, and was finally taken down by the Sui Dynasty, which was eyeing the tiger.
Pity the signboard with the word "Chen", which has only been hung for more than 30 years, and it ended hastily.
But the Chen family doesn't have to be too sad. Although the dynasty was short-lived, the surname "Chen" took root in the south because of these emperors.
The emperor's surname is "Chen", so he must take care of his relatives, so during that time, the Chen family was quite beautiful, and the population was also rising, and it became a prominent family in the south.
Unexpectedly, the surname "Chen" is now blooming everywhere
Time is fast and fast, and hundreds of years have passed.
The vigorous Chen Dynasty has long disappeared into the dust of history, and it is estimated that few people still remember it except for those historians who are buried in the pile of old papers.
But the surname "Chen" is like a tenacious sapling, which has taken root in the ups and downs of history, and the branches are luxuriant, growing stronger and stronger. From south to north, from east to west, the "Chen" family can be seen everywhere.
Flipping through the latest surname rankings, you will find that the surname "Chen" has been ranked fifth, a proper surname.
Thinking about those years, if Chen Baxian knew that the country name he took casually at the beginning had inadvertently achieved the glory of the family, he would probably wake up with a smile in his dreams, right?
Of course, this also shows from the side that Chen Baxian's vision is still good.
The surname "Chen" is catchy to read, easy to write and easy to remember, and is inherently suitable for wide dissemination.
Coupled with the governance of Emperor Wen Chen and Emperor Xuan Chen, although the Chen Dynasty was short-lived, it also laid a solid foundation for the prosperity and development of the surname "Chen".
So, history is sometimes a joke. A seemingly random decision may change the fate of a family in the dark.
Who would have thought that the emperor, who was "too lazy to think" about the country name, would inadvertently let his surname spread all over the land of China?
Epilogue:
After listening to the story of Chen Baxian and the surname "Chen", do you feel that history is sometimes quite interesting?
Who would have thought that that seemingly random decision at the beginning would actually achieve the glory of a surname?
At the end of the day, history is like a bottomless well, and you never know what treasure will be dug up in the next second.
And behind those seemingly absurd stories, there are often unexpected truths hidden. So, it's okay to flip through the history books, and maybe you'll find those interesting stories that have been buried by time.
Source: CNKI "The monarch does not use his surname as a country name" Lu Jin