On the Wuyin day of August in the autumn of the seventh year (188 BC), Emperor Xiaohui died. During the funeral, the Queen Mother cried but did not shed tears. Liu Hou's son, Pi Qiang, who was only 15 years old, served as the Attendant of the Court. He said to the Prime Minister: "The Queen Mother only has one son, Emperor Xiaohui. Now he has passed away, but her cry has no sadness in it. Do you know why?" The Prime Minister said: "What is the reason?" Zhang Pi Qiang said: "The Emperor has no adult sons, and the Queen Mother is afraid of you. Please ask the Queen Mother to appoint Lü Tai, Lü Chan, and Lü Lu as generals to lead the northern and southern armies. When the Lü family enters the palace and holds power in the court, the Queen Mother will be at ease, and you will be able to escape the disaster by chance." The Prime Minister did as Zhang Pi Qiang suggested. The Queen Mother was very happy, and she cried sadly. The power of the Lü family was thus established. So the court pardoned the world. On the Xinchou day of the September, Emperor Xiaohui was buried. The crown prince ascended the throne as emperor and paid homage to the temple of Emperor Gaozu. In the first year (187 BC), all orders were issued by the Queen Mother.
The Queen Mother, acting as the Emperor, wanted to discuss the enthronement of the descendants of the Lü family as kings, and asked the Right Prime Minister Wang Ling. Wang Ling said, "Emperor Gao killed a white horse and swore an oath: 'If anyone who is not a descendant of the Liu family claims the throne, all the people of the world will attack him together.' Now enthroning the descendants of the Lü family as kings violates Emperor Gao's covenant." The Queen Mother was very unhappy. She then asked the Left Prime Minister Chen Ping and Marquis of Jiang Zhou Bo. Zhou Bo and others replied, "Emperor Gao pacified the world and enthroned his descendants as kings. Now the Queen Mother is acting as the Emperor, and there is nothing wrong with enthroning brothers and descendants of the Lü family as kings." The Queen Mother was very happy and retired. Wang Ling blamed Chen Ping and Jiang Hou, saying, "Were you not present when we swore an oath of blood with Emperor Gao? Now that Emperor Gao has passed away, the Queen Mother, as a woman, is in power and wants to make the sons of the Lü family kings. Even if you want to flatter and violate the covenant, how can you face Emperor Gao in the underworld?" Chen Ping and Jiang Hou said, "Today, we are not as good as you in criticizing others in person and speaking out in the court; but you will not be as good as us in preserving the country and stabilizing the descendants of the Liu family." Wang Ling had no way to respond to them. In November, the Queen Mother wanted to dismiss Wang Ling, so she appointed him as the Emperor's tutor and deprived him of his prime ministership. Wang Ling then resigned and went home on the pretext of illness. Empress Lü then appointed Chen Ping, the left prime minister, as the right prime minister, and Shen Yiji, the Marquis of Piyang, as the left prime minister. The left prime minister did not handle state affairs, but only supervised the affairs of the palace, just like a imperial attendant supervisor. Shen Yiji was therefore favored by the Queen Mother and often participated in state affairs. The ministers all relied on him to make decisions on political affairs. At this time, the Queen Mother honored Marquis Li's father as King Daowu, and wanted to use this as a beginning to ennoble the children of the Lu family as kings.
In April, the Queen Mother wanted to ennoble the children of the Lu family as marquises, so she first ennobled Feng Wuze, a meritorious official of Emperor Gaozu, as Marquis of Bocheng. Princess Lu Yuan died and was given the posthumous title of Queen Mother Lu Yuan. Princess Lu Yuan's son Zhang Yan was ennobled as King of Lu. The father of King of Lu was Zhang Ao, Marquis Xuanping. The Queen Mother ennobled Liu Zhang, the son of King Daohui of Qi, as Marquis Zhuxu, and married him to Lu Lu's daughter. Qi Shou, the Prime Minister of Qi, was ennobled as Marquis Pingding. Yang Chengyan, the Shaofu, was ennobled as Marquis Wu. So Lü Zhong was ennobled as Marquis Pei, Lü Ping as Marquis Fuliu, and Zhang Mai as Marquis Nangong.
七年秋八月戊寅，孝惠帝崩。发丧，太后哭，泣不下。留侯子张辟强为侍中，年十五，谓丞相曰：“太后独有孝惠，今崩，哭不悲，君知其解乎？”丞相曰：“何解？”辟强曰：“帝毋壮子，太后畏君等。君今请拜吕台、吕产、吕禄为将，将兵居南北军，及诸吕皆入宫，居中用事，如此则太后心安，君等幸得脱祸矣。”丞相乃如辟强计。太后说，其哭乃哀。吕氏权由此起。乃大赦天下。九月辛丑，葬。太子即位为帝，谒高庙。元年，号令一出太后。
太后称制，议欲立诸吕为王，问右丞相王陵。王陵曰：“高帝刑白马盟曰‘非刘氏而王，天下共击之’。今王吕氏，非约也。”太后不说。问左丞相陈平、绛侯周勃。勃等对曰：“高帝定天下，王子弟，今太后称制，王昆弟诸吕，无所不可。”太后喜，罢朝。王陵让陈平、绛侯曰：“始与高帝喋血盟，诸君不在邪？今高帝崩，太后女主，欲王吕氏，诸君从欲阿意背约，何面目见高帝地下？”陈平、绛侯曰：“于今面折廷争，臣不如君；夫全社稷，定刘氏之后，君亦不如臣。”王陵无以应之。十一月，太后欲废王陵，乃拜为帝太傅，夺之相权。王陵遂病免归。乃以左丞相平为右丞相，以辟阳侯审食其为左丞相。左丞相不治事，令监宫中，如郎中令。食其故得幸太后，常用事，公卿皆因而决事。乃追尊郦侯父为悼武王，欲以王诸吕为渐。
四月，太后欲侯诸吕，乃先封高祖之功臣郎中令无择为博城侯。鲁元公主薨，赐谥为鲁元太后。子偃为鲁王。鲁王父，宣平侯张敖也。封齐悼惠王子章为朱虚侯，以吕禄女妻之。齐丞相寿为平定侯。少府延为梧侯。乃封吕种为沛侯，吕平为扶柳侯，张买为南宫侯。
No comments:
Post a Comment