Gao Yang, the emperor of Northern Qi, is a very boring emperor, what ridiculous things has he done?
In the long course of Chinese history, the Northern Qi dynasty was a short and controversial dynasty. Among them, the founding emperor Gao Yang has become a highly controversial figure in history with his unique personality and behavior. Some people say that he was eloquent and strategic in the early stage, but he was absurd in the later stage; Some people say that he is schizophrenic, and some people think that he is pretending to be crazy by drinking. So, what kind of emperor is Gao Yang? What nonsense did he do?
The glory of the early days of the country
Gao Yang, whose name is Zijin, Xianbei name Hou Niyu, is a native of Beixian County, Bohai County (now Jing County, Hebei Province), the second son of Emperor Gao Huan of the Northern Qi Dynasty, and the half-brother of Emperor Gao Cheng of Wenxiang. He was born in Jinyang, nicknamed Jinyang Le, and has shown a unique intelligence and Taoguang character since he was a child. After Gao Cheng's death, Gao Yang, who was only 23 years old, quickly took power, stabilized the political situation in the Eastern Wei Dynasty, and forced Emperor Xiaojing to take the throne in 550 AD, ascended the throne himself, and established the Northern Qi Dynasty.
At the beginning of his reign, Gao Yang was indeed a wise monarch. He made great efforts to promote Confucianism, appoint virtuous ministers, rectify the rule of officials, reduce redundant officials, crack down on corruption, revise the "Northern Qi Law", and compile the "Book of Wei", making important contributions to the cultural and political development of the Northern Dynasties. At the same time, he also personally led the army to fight in the south and the north, repeatedly performed miraculous feats, expanded the land for thousands of miles, and shocked the Quartet, and was even called "the heroic son of heaven" by the Turkic Khan.
However, it was such an emperor who was so brilliant in the early stage quickly degenerated in the later period and became an absurd tyrant.
Absurdity: wine-colored wealth
Gao Yang's absurdity is first reflected in his addiction to wine. According to historical records, in the later part of Gao Yang's reign, he was immersed in the anesthesia of alcohol almost every day and could not extricate himself. He set up feasts day and night, stayed up all night, and when he was drunk, he behaved abnormally, taking off his pants and running naked in public, which was extremely ridiculous.
Once, because Gao Yang suspected that his favorite concubine Xue Concubine was having an affair with Gao Yue, the king of Qinghe County, he brutally killed Xue Concubine after getting drunk, cut off her head and hid it in his arms, and then continued to drink and have fun with the ministers as if nothing happened. When the wine was half-drunk, he suddenly took out Xue Concubine's head from his arms and threw it on the wine table, and then moved Xue Concubine's body, dismembered it on the spot, and even made her hip bone into a pipa, playing and singing on the wine table, which made everyone present frightened.
In addition to the color of wine, Gao Yang is also extremely greedy for money. He built a lot of buildings, built palaces, and plundered the people's fat and ointment, so that the treasury was empty and the people were miserable. At the same time, he also instituted many cruel punishments to satisfy his tyrannical heart. He built an execution ground in the palace that belonged only to him, and when he was drunk, he often used his own hands to kill innocent people in various cruel ways.
The helplessness and pathos behind the absurdity
However, when we delve deeper into Gao Yang's absurd behavior, it is not difficult to find the helplessness and pathos hidden in it. Gao Yang's fall did not happen overnight, but had deep historical and personal reasons.
First of all, Gao Yang's family background is complex and the power struggle is fierce. His ability to quickly take power and stabilize the political situation after Gao Cheng's death was itself fraught with hardship and danger. In order to consolidate his position, he had to resort to some extreme measures to deter political opponents and dissidents. This long-term power struggle and mental pressure undoubtedly had a profound impact on his psychology and character.
Secondly, Gao Yang's absurd behavior also reflects his escape and helplessness from reality to a certain extent. As a founding emperor, he faced a myriad of challenges and difficulties. However, as time went on and the political situation changed, he gradually felt powerless and unable to control the situation. So, he chose to use alcohol and tyranny to numb himself and escape from reality. Although this escape temporarily relieved his stress and pain, it also caused him to gradually lose his reason and humanity.
Finally, Gao Yang's absurd behavior is also related to his personal character and psychological defects. He has a complex and changeable personality and is extremely emotionally unstable; At the same time, he is extremely inferior and sensitive, and often gets angry and cruel because of small things. This kind of personality and psychological defects make it easier for him to lose his reason and judgment in the face of difficulties and challenges, and thus to commit some absurd and cruel acts.
epilogue
To sum up, Gao Yang, as the founding emperor of the Northern Qi Dynasty, his life was full of glory and absurdity. He worked hard in the early stage and shocked the Quartet; In the later period, he was addicted to wine and cruel. However, when we delve deeper into his absurd behavior, it is not difficult to find the helplessness and pathos hidden in it. His fall did not happen overnight, but had deep historical and personal causes. At the same time, his absurd behavior also left us with a profound lesson and reflection: power is a double-edged sword, it can both make and destroy a person. Therefore, we should always remain sober and rational, correctly exercise the power in our hands, and bring benefits to the country and the people.