People in the world often say that fate is ill-fated, and creation makes people. However, in the long river of Chinese history, there is a woman who is enough to make people sigh, she is the tenth daughter of Liu Yilong, Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty in the Southern Dynasty - Liu Yingmei, Princess Xincai. The princess, who should have been well-dressed and glorious, fell into a chilling tragedy under the tricks of fate. Her life is like an absurd drama, full of betrayal, deception and blood. What kind of circumstances made this noble princess fall here? And how did she end? What is the hidden secret behind this shocking farce? Let's uncover this dusty history together and explore the legendary life of Princess Liu Yingmei of Xincai.
The Glory of the Princess: Liu Yingmei's Early Life
In the second year of Song Yongchu of the Southern Dynasty (421), Liu Yingmei was born in the emperor's family. Her father, Liu Yilong, was the crown prince at the time, and later became the third emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty, known as Emperor Wen of the Song Dynasty. As the tenth daughter of the emperor, Liu Yingmei has enjoyed a life of glory and wealth since she was a child.
At that time, Jiankang City was prosperous, the streets were full of traffic, and the market was bustling. The little Liu Yingmei often follows the palace maids to play in the palace. Her favorite thing is to go to the Imperial Garden to enjoy the flowers. In spring, the flowers in the garden are vibrant, peonies, peonies, begonias, all gorgeous and colorful. Liu Yingmei's favorite is the blooming peach blossom, the pink petals, delicate, just like her innocent smiling face.
Liu Yingmei has a gentle personality and is very intelligent. The teachers in the palace praised her for being a studious child. She is not only proficient in poetry and songs, but also good at piano, chess, calligraphy and painting. Whenever a banquet is held in the palace, Liu Yingmei always wins the applause of the house with her excellent piano skills. Her slender fingers plucked the strings, and the melodious sound of the piano echoed through the palace, as if one was in a fairyland.
In the first year of Yongguang (465), Liu Yingmei was fifteen years old, and it was the cardamom year. This year, Emperor Wen of Song held a grand coronation ceremony for her. On the day of her coronation, Liu Yingmei was dressed in a gorgeous dress and wore a phoenix crown, and under the gaze of everyone, she completed this ceremony symbolizing adulthood. From then on, she is no longer the little girl chasing butterflies and bees in the imperial garden, but a slim big girl.
Soon after, Emperor Wen of Song held a princess ceremony for Liu Yingmei. On the splendid Taiji Palace, Liu Yingmei accepted the canonization of her father and officially became Princess Xincai. At this moment, she felt extremely proud and proud. From now on, she will be the dignified Princess Xincai.
However, the glory of the princess did not last long. In the third year of the Ming Dynasty (459), Emperor Wen of Song died, and Liu Yingmei's brother Liu Jun succeeded to the throne as Emperor Xiaowu. Although Emperor Xiaowu is also quite friendly to his sister Liu Yingmei, the atmosphere in the court has quietly changed.
During the reign of Emperor Xiaowu, Liu Yingmei's marriage was put on the agenda. After careful consideration, Emperor Xiaowu chose a young talent named He Mai for his sister. He stepped out of a famous family, was upright, and was quite prestigious in the court. In the sixth year of the Ming Dynasty (462), Liu Yingmei and He Mai got married. On the day of the wedding, the entire Jiankang City was immersed in a festive atmosphere. The streets are lit up with lights, and people come out to watch the grand wedding.
After marrying a wife, Liu Yingmei's life can be regarded as happy. He Mai treats her very well, and the two of them are harmonious, and they look like a loving couple. In their spare time, the husband and wife often chant poems together and talk about life. Liu Yingmei feels that this kind of life is what she yearns for.
However, the good times were short-lived. After the death of Emperor Xiaowu, the ten-year-old crown prince Liu Yu succeeded to the throne as Emperor Shun. But Emperor Shun reigned for only one year before being deposed and replaced by Liu Yingmei's other nephew, Liu Ziye.
After Liu Ziye ascended the throne, the situation between the DPRK and China changed abruptly. Although Liu Yingmei is a princess, she is inevitably affected. She vaguely felt that a huge storm was brewing, and she would become a flat boat in this storm, drifting with the current, not knowing where it would be swept away.
The Shadow of Imperial Power: Liu Ziye's Absurdity
In the first year of Jinghe (465), Liu Ziye ascended the throne and became emperor at the age of sixteen. The young emperor, despite his young age, had already shown unsettling tendencies to rule. He ignores the government and politics, indulges in lustful dogs and horses, often sings every night, drunk and dreams of death. The ministers of the DPRK and China are very worried about this, but they are helpless.
Soon after Liu Ziye ascended the throne, he began to build palaces on a large scale. He ordered the construction of a large garden called "Hualin Garden" in Jiankang City. This garden covers a vast area, with exotic flowers and plants, rare birds and animals. Liu Ziye often held extravagant banquets here, banqueting ministers and concubines in the palace. Every banquet costs so much that it almost empties the treasury.
However, these absurdities were only the beginning of Liu Ziye's tyrannical rule. He began to be suspicious of the ministers of the DPRK and China, and he was prone to condemn him. Many loyal ministers were deposed or even killed. Everyone in the DPRK and China is in danger and does not dare to speak.
In such an atmosphere, on October 27 of the first year of Jinghe, Liu Ziye made a shocking decision. He suddenly summoned his aunt, Princess Xincai Liu Yingmei, into the palace.
At that time, Liu Yingmei was already a woman in her thirties. When she received a summons from the emperor, she was puzzled, but she didn't dare to disobey. So, she dressed up and rode in a carriage to the palace.
Liu Yingmei was introduced to the imperial study. Liu Ziye sat on the dragon chair and looked at his aunt with a smile. At first, the conversation between the two was normal, just a short small talk among some parents. However, as time went on, Liu Ziye's words began to become ambiguous.
Liu Yingmei sensed that something was wrong, and she tried to tactfully remind the emperor to pay attention to etiquette. However, Liu Ziye suddenly stood up and directly stated his intentions. He said: "My aunt is very beautiful, and I admire her very much. I wonder if my aunt can stay in the palace and spend the night with me? "
These words were like a thunderbolt from the sky, which made Liu Yingmei stunned. She hurriedly knelt down and begged bitterly: "Your Majesty, the concubine is your aunt!" Isn't such a thing unethical? Your Majesty, please think again! "
However, Liu Ziye was unmoved. He sneered and said, "I am the Ninety-Five, and under the whole world, it is not the king's land. If my aunt doesn't comply, I will not only kill my aunt, but also exterminate my aunt's nine clans! "
Faced with such a threat, Liu Yingmei fell into despair. She knows that with Liu Ziye's character, this is by no means empty words. If she refuses, not only will she die, but her entire family will suffer.
In this way, under the threat of imperial power, Liu Yingmei was forced to submit to Liu Ziye's demands. This night, the palace was brightly lit, but it could not hide this appalling scandal.
Since that day, Liu Yingmei has been left in the palace. In order to hide people's eyes, Liu Ziye announced that Liu Yingmei had passed away. He even killed a palace maid and sent the body to He Mai's mansion in an attempt to confuse the real with the fake.
Liu Ziye's series of behaviors are not only a personal injury to Liu Yingmei, but also a stain on the dignity of the entire royal family. However, in this era, imperial power was supreme and no one dared to question or rebel against the emperor's decisions.
In the following days, Liu Ziye intensified and became more and more extravagant. Not only did he maintain an improper relationship with Liu Yingmei, but he also often summoned other palace maids and concubines, and even had bad thoughts about the wives and daughters of some ministers.
Although the ministers of the DPRK and China are well aware of this, no one dares to speak out. In order to protect themselves, some people choose to protect themselves; Others are secretly plotting how to overthrow this tyrannical rule.
In such an atmosphere, Liu Yingmei's husband He Mai began to notice some abnormalities. He found that his wife had not returned home for a long time, and that the body sent by the emperor was also suspicious. All this made He Mai feel uneasy and angry.
However, at this time, He Mai did not know that an even bigger storm was coming. Liu Ziye's absurd behavior not only ruined Liu Yingmei's life, but also pushed the entire court into the abyss. This tragedy caused by imperial power has just begun.
Game of Thrones: He Mai's Rebellion and Liu Ziluan's Rise
In the spring of the second year of Jinghe (466), there was a strange atmosphere in the government and the opposition. Liu Ziye's tyrannical rule has reached the point where it is beyond control, and the ministers of the DPRK and China are panicking, while Liu Yingmei's husband He Mai is secretly planning an earth-shattering counterattack.
Although He Mai showed a grief-stricken look at his wife's "death" on the surface, he had already noticed the strangeness. As a high-ranking minister in the court, he has his own intelligence network. Through various clues, he gradually pieced together the outline of the truth. When he finally confirmed that Liu Yingmei was still alive and imprisoned in the palace by Liu Ziye, He Mai decided to take action.
He Mai first contacted several courtiers who were close to him, including Yuan Yan, a Chinese scholar, and Wang Daolong, a free cavalry attendant. They met in secret to discuss countermeasures. On a dark and windy night, several people made a bold plan in the secret room in the Ho Mai Mansion.
They decided to unite with the Taiwei Xiao Daocheng to overthrow Liu Ziye's rule. Xiao Daocheng was the most powerful minister in the court at that time, with a strong military force. He Mai sent someone to secretly contact Xiao Daocheng, stated to him all kinds of evil deeds of Liu Ziye, and promised that after the matter was completed, Xiao Dao would be proclaimed emperor.
Xiao Daocheng was very moved by this. He has long been dissatisfied with Liu Ziye's absurd behavior, but he has never found the right opportunity to take action. Now, with the support of He Mai and others, he finally made up his mind.
At the beginning of March of the second year, Jinghe began their operation. First, they spread rumors that Liu Ziye was seriously ill and unable to govern. This news quickly spread throughout the government and the opposition, causing quite a commotion.
Just when the people in the court were panicking, Xiao Daocheng led the army, in the name of "escort", and suddenly surrounded the palace. Liu Ziye was immersed in the wine, and he didn't realize the danger at all. By the time he heard the sound of the palace gate being breached, it was already too late.
Xiao Daocheng, He Mai and others broke into the imperial study and took down Liu Ziye on the spot. At the same time, they also rescued the imprisoned Liu Yingmei. Years of solitary confinement have left Liu Yingmei haggard, but the joy of regaining her freedom makes her forget the pain for a while.
After Liu Ziye was deposed, the ministers were momentarily locked in controversy. Some people advocate the immediate execution of Liu Ziye to prevent future troubles; There are also people who believe that the ancestral system should be upheld and demoted to a common person. Eventually, under the leadership of Xiao Daocheng, Liu Ziye was demoted to the rank of King of Lingling and exiled to the far south.
However, new problems arose. Who will inherit the throne? According to the normal order of succession, Liu Ziye's younger brother Liu Ziluan should succeed him. But Xiao Daocheng is obviously unwilling to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
At this critical moment, He Mai stood up. He proposed to make Liu Ziluan emperor, but in fact Xiao Daocheng controlled the government. This suggestion was well received. As a result, Liu Ziluan was welcomed into the palace and officially ascended the throne as emperor, which was Emperor Ming.
After Emperor Ming ascended the throne, he immediately issued a series of decrees. He abolished the harsh government of Liu Ziye's period, released ministers who had been wrongfully imprisoned, and reused a group of virtuous people. These measures have given hope to the people, and there is an atmosphere of joy and encouragement in the government and the opposition.
However, beneath the surface of harmony, an undercurrent surges. Although Emperor Ming was nominally the emperor, in fact, the power of the court was in the hands of Xiao Daocheng. As a lieutenant, Xiao Daocheng controls the affairs of the DPRK and China. This situation made some old ministers feel uneasy.
As a major participant in the coup, Ho Mai should have been reused. But Xiao Daocheng was wary of him, thinking that He Mai was too ambitious to be reused. As a result, although He Mai was reinstated, he was actually excluded from the core circle of power.
At the same time, Liu Yingmei's situation is also quite embarrassing. Although she regained her freedom, years of life in the palace made it impossible for her to adapt to the changes in the outside world. Although He Mai cares about her on the surface, there has been an irreparable estrangement between the two.
In this way, a new regime was established, but the Game of Thrones was far from over. Xiao Daocheng, He Mai, Emperor Ming, and other ministers of the DPRK and China were all carefully laid out in this war without gunpowder. And Liu Yingmei, the former tragic protagonist, seems to have been forgotten by the torrent of history. However, the twist of fate is often unexpected, and a new storm is brewing.
The Fall of Power: The Rise of Xiao Daocheng and the Fall of Liu Ziluan
In the first year of Taiping (476), ten years had passed since Liu Ziluan's accession to the throne. In the past ten years, on the surface, the court has been peaceful, but in fact, there is an undercurrent. Xiao Daocheng, as a lieutenant, has a heavy army, and has actually controlled the power of the court. And although Liu Ziluan is the emperor, he is gradually becoming a puppet.
In the spring of that year, an unexpected event shattered the apparent calm. Liu Ziluan's biological mother, Xi Shi, died of a sudden illness. It was customary for the emperor to hold a solemn funeral and personally preside over the memorials. However, surprisingly, Liu Ziluan behaved extremely coldly, and was even unwilling to worship in person.
This move caused an uproar in both the government and the opposition. Many ministers wrote letters advising the emperor to be filial. But Liu Ziluan ignored this, but indulged in wine every day, drinking and feasting with the concubines in the palace.
Xiao Daocheng was keenly aware that this was a great opportunity. He began to secretly collude with the ministers of the DPRK and China, spreading Liu Ziluan's unfilial and immoral remarks. At the same time, he also sent people around to collect evidence of Liu Ziluan's extravagance.
It was at this time that an unexpected character re-entered the stage of history - Liu Yingmei. For many years, she has lived in seclusion in He Mai's mansion and rarely appears in the field. But this time, she suddenly took the initiative to ask to meet Liu Ziluan.
Liu Yingmei's appearance caused a wave in the palace. Although Liu Ziluan was reluctant, because of her identity, he still met with her. In this meeting, Liu Yingmei painstakingly persuaded Liu Ziluan to treat his mother well and not to repeat Liu Ziye's mistakes.
However, Liu Ziluan not only did not listen to the advice, but became furious and drove Liu Yingmei out of the palace. This scene happened to be seen by Xiao Daocheng's henchmen, and he immediately reported it to Xiao Daocheng.
Xiao Daocheng realized that the time was ripe. He summoned a group of ministers loyal to him, including He Mai, Yuan Yan and others, to discuss countermeasures. At this secret meeting, Xiao Daocheng proposed a plan to depose Liu Ziluan.
He Mai was a little hesitant at first, but under Xiao Daocheng's persuasion, he finally agreed to this plan. They decided to launch a coup d'état on the grounds that Liu Ziluan was unfilial, immoral, and extravagant.
In June of the first year of Taiping, on a sweltering summer day, a coup d'état broke out. In the name of "Qing Jun's side", Xiao Daocheng led the army to surround the palace. Liu Ziluan was drinking and having fun with his concubines, and was caught off guard and was easily captured.
Xiao Daocheng summoned hundreds of officials and read out an edict on the spot. The edict listed various crimes against Liu Ziluan, and finally announced the deposition of Liu Ziluan and the establishment of his brother Liu Zhun as emperor.
Although Liu Zhun is Liu Ziluan's younger brother, he has always lived in seclusion and has no interest in court politics. Xiao Daocheng chose him precisely because of his characteristics. Sure enough, after Liu Zhun ascended the throne, he completely became Xiao Daocheng's puppet.
After the successful coup, Hsiao began a large-scale purge of dissidents in the DPRK and China. A number of officials close to Liu Ziluan were removed or exiled. Although He Mai participated in the coup, he was also excluded from the core power circle because Xiao Daocheng was always wary of him.
At the same time, Liu Yingmei once again became the focus of everyone's attention. Someone proposed that she re-enter the palace to assist the new emperor. But Xiao Daocheng cleverly put her under house arrest in a remote palace on the grounds of "avoiding suspicion".
In this way, Xiao Daocheng completely controlled the power of the imperial court through a series of well-planned political actions. Although Liu Zhun was nominally the emperor, in fact Xiao Daocheng was the real ruler.
However, Game of Thrones never ends easily. Xiao Daocheng's rise has aroused the covetousness of other careerists. Some old ministers began to secretly form alliances in an attempt to balance Xiao Daocheng's power. Although He Mai is low-key on the surface, he is actually secretly arranged.
At the same time, although the deposed Liu Ziluan was exiled, he did not completely lose hope. He began to contact the old ministry in an attempt to make a comeback. These undercurrent forces are waiting for a suitable moment to set off a new round of power struggle.
And in this intricate power struggle, Liu Yingmei has once again become a key chess piece. Her existence is not only a threat to the Liu royal family, but also the object of Xiao Daocheng and other careerists. This once tragic protagonist seems destined to be drawn into the whirlpool of history again.
The End of Power: Xiao Daocheng's usurpation and the fall of the Liu Song dynasty
In the first year of the founding of the Yuan Dynasty (479), Xiao Daocheng had been in control of the government for more than three years. During these three years, he actually led the entire empire as Dazai and Nakassho. Although Liu Zhun is the emperor, he is like a puppet, and Xiao Daocheng decides all the affairs of the court.
In the spring of this year, at a seemingly ordinary court meeting, an unexpected thing happened. Liu Zhun suddenly proposed to handle government affairs in person and no longer rely on Xiao Daocheng for everything. This move immediately caused a shock among the ministers of the DPRK and China. Some people think that this is Liu Zhun finally awakened and wants to take back the imperial power; There is also speculation that this may be behind the push of some anti-Xiao Daocheng forces.
Xiao Daocheng respectfully agreed on the surface, but in fact, he secretly strengthened the surveillance of Liu Zhun. He sent his henchmen into the palace to monitor Liu Zhun's every move. At the same time, he also began to secretly contact some important ministers to prepare for the next operation.
At this time, an unexpected news came - Liu Yingmei, who was under house arrest, escaped. The news was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples. Xiao Daocheng immediately ordered a city-wide search, but no trace of Liu Yingmei was found.
Then, something even more shocking happened. A document claiming to be written by Liu Yingmei was widely circulated in the capital. The article exposed Xiao Daocheng's various acts of usurping power, and called on hundreds of officials and the people to rise up and resist. This essay was like a fire, igniting a long-standing discontent.
Xiao Daocheng realized that the situation had reached a critical juncture. He gathered his henchmen and discussed countermeasures overnight. In the end, they decided to take the most radical plan - an immediate coup d'état, deposing Liu Zhun and enthroned themselves as emperor.
On August 15 of the first year of the founding of the People's Republic of China, the Mid-Autumn Festival was supposed to be a day of celebration for the whole country. However, on this very day, Xiao Daocheng suddenly led an army to surround the palace. In the name of "Qing Jun's side", he forcibly deposed Liu Zhun, demoted him to the king of Lingling, and exiled him to a distant place.
Subsequently, Xiao Daocheng summoned hundreds of officials and read out an edict that had been prepared for a long time. The edict listed in detail the various crimes of the Liu Song royal family, declaring that the Mandate of Heaven had been transferred and the Xiao family was in trouble. Under the deterrence of the army, the ministers of the DPRK and China expressed their support one after another.
In this way, Xiao Daocheng officially ascended the throne and became the emperor, the country name Qi, and the Yuan was changed to Jianyuan. The Liu Song Dynasty thus fell, and the reign that lasted for nearly sixty years came to an end.
However, Hsiao's ascension to the throne did not quell all the turmoil. Some forces loyal to Liu Song began to rise up in various places. The most striking of these was the rebel led by Ho Mai. Under the banner of "Kuang Fu Liu", He Mai gathered a large number of followers in the Jiangnan area.
What made Xiao Daocheng feel even more troublesome was that Liu Yingmei actually appeared in He Mai's camp. Her presence has added great appeal to the rebels. Many forces that were originally waiting and watching also began to fall to He Mai's side.
Faced with this situation, Xiao Daocheng adopted a strategy of division and disintegration. He secretly sent people to contact He Mai, promising to make him king as long as He Mai gave up resistance. At the same time, he also sent people to spread rumors, saying that Liu Yingmei had secretly taken refuge in Xiao Daocheng.
These methods have had a certain effect. Divisions began to appear in He Mai's army, and some generals secretly contacted Xiao Daocheng and prepared to surrender. Although Liu Yingmei tried her best to defend herself, it was difficult to completely dispel everyone's doubts.
Just when the internal contradictions of the rebel army intensified, Xiao Daocheng sent a large army and launched a fierce attack on He Mai. The two sides engaged in fierce battles in the area south of the Yangtze River. After months of fierce fighting, He Mai's army was finally defeated by Xiao Daocheng's elite troops and retreated.
In the spring of the second year of the founding of the Yuan Dynasty (480), He Mai was unfortunately killed by an arrow in a battle. The rebels, having lost their backbone, quickly collapsed. Liu Yingmei disappeared again in the chaos and has not been heard from since. Some say she fled to the mountains and never saw her again; Others say that she has secretly left Middle-earth for other countries.
With the defeat of He Mai, the last force that resisted Xiao Daocheng's rule was also completely wiped out. The rule of the Xiao Qi Dynasty was finally consolidated. However, the trauma that this unrest has caused on the country is profound. The people's livelihood is withering, and the people are miserable.
Although Xiao Daocheng succeeded in usurping the throne, he soon found that it was much more difficult to govern the war-torn country than to seize power. The feudal towns in various places were divided, and the imperial court was powerless. And in the middle of the court, those ministers who once supported him also began to tilt against each other for their own interests.
And just like that, a new game of thrones began. The fall of the Liu Song Dynasty and the fate of Liu Yingmei, He Mai and others have gradually become people's after-dinner conversations. The wheels of history never stop, new dynasties are built on the ruins of old, and new heroes rise in old legends. This magnificent change of power eventually became an important chapter in the long history of China.