Lecture 1: The Historians Swan Song

  Off-screen sound: More than 2,000 years ago, a scholar suffered great humiliation and completed a magnificent historical work with his heart and soul. For the next few thousand years, this magnificent work stood like a shining pearl and a towering monument in the long river of Chinese literature and history, which later generations could not surpass or match. This person is Sima Qian, and this historical work is "Records of the Grand Historian". "Records of the Grand Historian" is the first of the 24 Histories, recording more than 2,000 years of history from the Yellow Emperor to Emperor Wu of Han. In our countrys traditional Confucian classics, only "Records of the Grand Historian" is an unparalleled "encyclopedia". Mr. Lu Xun called "Records of the Grand Historian" "the ultimate song of historians, the unrhymed Li Sao". Such a magnificent work, its author Sima Qian was originally an ordinary historian in the Western Han Dynasty, and there was nothing special about him among the many historians in our feudal society. But why could Sima Qian later write such a magnificent historical masterpiece? What changed the trajectory of Sima Qians life? Professor Wang Ligong from Henan University takes us through thousands of years of history, into the inner world of the "Historical Saint" Sima Qian. A magnificent general history, "Lecture Room" large program Wang Ligong reads "Records of the Grand Historian" - The Ultimate Song of Historians.

  Hello everyone, starting from today, we begin to read "Records of the Grand Historian". "Records of the Grand Historian" pioneered Chinas historical biography literature. Before "Records of the Grand Historian", Chinese history books were only divided into two categories: one was the annals form, which recorded history in chronological order, with famous examples including "Spring and Autumn Annals" and "Zuo Zhuan". The other category was national histories, which recorded history by state or nation, such as "Discourses of the States" and "Intrigues of the Warring States". There were no comprehensive histories written in the biographical style. The so-called biographical style refers to recording history centered around figures. "Records of the Grand Historian" is Chinas first comprehensive history written in this style, which had a great impact on later generations. Therefore, from "Records of the Grand Historian" onwards, all official Chinese histories, also known as the Twenty-Four Histories, were written in the biographical style. However, while "Records of the Grand Historian" is a comprehensive history in the biographical style, other histories are dynastic histories written in the same style, each focusing on one dynasty at a time.

  "The Records of the Grand Historian" and other historical books are all among the Twenty-Four Histories, but there is a great difference between them.

  The first point is that "Records of the Grand Historian" is filled with emotions of love and hate, which is not possessed by other historical books. Originally, a historian only needs to record history objectively and fairly, without expressing emotions. However, when recording characters, "Records of the Grand Historian" often carries the authors strong emotions of love and hate. He was particularly sympathetic to some tragic figures, such as "Xiang Yus Basic Annals" writing about Xiang Yu, and "Li Guangs Biography" writing about Li Guang. The records of these characters in "Records of the Grand Historian" can be said to be a sad and stirring song, which is very moving.

  The second feature of "Historical Records" is that the description of characters incorporates many literary techniques. For example, "Hongmen Banquet", which has been a traditional teaching material in our high school Chinese language textbooks for over half a century, is simply a masterpiece.

  Thirdly, "Records of the Grand Historian" has also filled in many blanks in the history of our Chinese nation. In other words, if there was no "Records of the Grand Historian", we would not know about many great men of our Chinese nation today. For example, the author of "Analects of Confucius", Confucius, Sima Qian wrote a "Family of Confucius" in "Records of the Grand Historian", which for the first time fully outlined Confucius life. This is the first and most authoritative biography of Confucius to date.

  "Records of the Grand Historian" also incorporates the authors criticism of feudal emperors, which is even more remarkable. We can cite two examples to illustrate this point. Sima Qian criticized two people most sharply in "Records of the Grand Historian", one was Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Han Dynasty, and the other was Emperor Wu of Han, who was Sima Qians contemporary ruler.

  It is extraordinary for a historian to dare criticize the founding emperor and his own superior. It takes courage to write such things, and Sima Qian not only wrote about Emperor Wus achievements in recruiting talents and accomplishing great deeds but also wrote about Liu Bangs narrow-mindedness, killing of meritorious officials, coarse language, and many other unfavorable records.

  As for the exposure of Emperor Wu, it is even more numerous. This is the spirit of "Records of the Grand Historian", a critical spirit. Who completed this magnificent historical work? It was Sima Qian.

  The life of Sima Qian was not particularly unusual, he came from a family of historians, had traveled thousands of miles, read tens of thousands of books, and studied under some famous teachers of his time. These were all common experiences for ordinary historians at that time. So what event led to the transformation of Sima Qian from an ordinary historian into a great historian? It was fate.

  Off-screen sound: In 145 BC, Sima Qian was born into an ordinary historian family. His father, Sima Tan, was a historian during the Han Wu Emperor period. After Sima Tans death, Sima Qian inherited his fathers position and continued to serve as a historian in the Han Wu Emperor court. Under these circumstances, Sima Qian read extensively from the imperial library, which prepared him for writing "The Records of the Grand Historian". However, such family background, experience, and conditions were not unusual for historians in feudal China. At most, Sima Qian was just an ordinary historian. So, what event led to Sima Qians transformation from an ordinary historian to a great historiographer?

  In 99 BC, during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, due to diplomatic failures, tensions between the Han and Xiongnu rose again, and war broke out. Emperor Wu sent his favorite concubines brother, Li Guangli, to lead an army against the Xiongnu. However, it was this campaign that changed the course of Sima Qians life. What event occurred during the battle with the Xiongnu that altered Sima Qians fate? This event took place in the second year of Emperor Wus Tianhan era, 99 BC. That year, Emperor Wu sent a general named Li Guangli, who was the older brother of his favorite concubine, to lead an army against the Xiongnu. Emperor Wus intention was to let Li Guangli gain military merit and become a marquis. To ensure Li Guanglis success, Emperor Wu ordered a famous general, Li Ling, to provide logistical support for Li Guangli. However, Li Ling was unwilling to do so and publicly expressed his desire to lead his 5,000 infantrymen on a separate campaign to divert the Xiongnus military pressure away from Li Guangli. This proposal displeased Emperor Wu, who felt that Li Ling was not showing him enough respect. Emperor Wu told Li Ling that he had no extra cavalry to spare for him, implying that Li Ling should lead his 5,000 infantrymen on their own. Under these circumstances, Li Ling set out with his 5,000 infantrymen. Initially, the campaign went smoothly, and Li Ling even sent a messenger back to Emperor Wu with a map of the terrain, reporting the successful advance of his troops. Emperor Wu was delighted.

  However, the situation took a drastic turn as Li Lings 5,000 infantry encountered the Xiongnu Chanyus main force of 30,000. Li Ling was indeed skilled in battle, and his 5,000 infantry killed several thousand of the Chanyus soldiers. Although the Chanyu had six times more troops than Li Ling, he couldnt gain an advantage, so the Chanyu became enraged and felt that Li Lings infantry was not to be underestimated.

  In a fit of anger, the Chanyu summoned 80,000 additional troops from the Left and Right Wise Kings, adding them to his own army for a total of 110,000 cavalrymen against Li Lings 5,000 infantry. Despite being vastly outnumbered, Li Ling continued to fight bravely, gradually wearing down the Xiongnu forces until even the Chanyu felt that the battle was unwinnable.

  Just as the Chanyu was preparing to retreat, an unexpected event occurred: one of Li Lings subordinates, who had been insulted by his superior, defected to the Xiongnu and revealed two crucial secrets about Li Lings army. Firstly, Li Ling had no reinforcements; secondly, his infantry relied heavily on a type of repeating crossbow called the "zhūgōng" which was running low on arrows.

  Emboldened by this information, the Chanyu decided not to retreat after all and instead launched a massive assault against Li Ling. The Xiongnu army attacked from both sides of the mountain valley where Li Lings troops were trapped, hurling large rocks down at them. As a result, Li Lings remaining 3,000 soldiers suffered heavy casualties, and their arrows ran out.

  In this desperate situation, Li Ling decided to attempt a breakout. During the chaotic retreat, only 400 of his original 5,000 infantrymen managed to escape. Li Lings deputy was killed in action, and Li Ling himself was captured and surrendered. This event became known as the famous "Li Ling Incident" in history.

  When the news of Li Lings defeat and surrender reached Han Wudi, he was furious and extremely angry. The ministers saw that the emperor was angry, and public opinion was one-sided, with many demanding severe punishment for Li Ling. It was at this time that Han Wudi noticed Sima Qian by his side. As the Grand Historian, Sima Qian had to participate in court discussions, so he asked Sima Qian for his opinion. Sima Qian saw that the emperor was extremely angry and wanted to ease his mind, so he made three points: Firstly, Li Ling is a national hero. A national hero refers to the most outstanding talent in a country, and Li Ling is one of them. He wholeheartedly wants to serve the country, which is the first point. Secondly, Li Ling led 5,000 infantrymen and fought against the Xiongnu Chanyu for over ten days, killing many more enemies than his own soldiers, and his achievements are enough to comfort the world. Thirdly, Sima Qian believed that Li Lings surrender was not genuine but a ruse. If Li Ling had the opportunity in the future, he would definitely find a way to repay the Han Dynasty.

  Originally, Sima Qian said these words to comfort the heart of Emperor Wu of Han and also to make some excuses for Li Ling. However, he never expected that as soon as his words fell, Emperor Wu would be furious, immediately throwing Sima Qian into prison and charging him with "defamation against the emperor", a very serious crime punishable by death. Because of the Li Ling affair, Sima Qian was suddenly thrown into a death row cell and sentenced to death.

  According to the Han Dynastys regulations, those who were sentenced to death had three options: first, to await execution; second, to redeem their lives with money, which would cost 500,000 coins and spare their lives; third, to undergo castration, which meant cutting off a mans reproductive organs. At this time, Sima Qian had already started writing "Records of the Grand Historian" for some time. If he were to accept the death penalty at this point, "Records of the Grand Historian" would be finished and could not be written. In this situation, it was impossible for Sima Qian to accept the death penalty, so there were only two options left: first, to pay with money; second, to undergo castration. Although Sima Qian held a relatively high position as the Grand Historian, his income was still quite low, and he did not have enough money to redeem his life. He could not afford 500,000 coins, so there was only one option left: castration. Therefore, in order to complete "Records of the Grand Historian", Sima Qian finally chose to undergo castration. This event is what we call the Li Ling incident, which had a huge impact on Sima Qian and changed his life forever.

  Voiceover: The Li Ling incident was undoubtedly a major blow to Sima Qian, who chose castration in desperation. Castration was not only a cruel physical punishment but also a brutal trampling of ones spirit and dignity. During the Western Han period, many people would rather die than undergo castration. So what did choosing castration mean for Sima Qian? How would his life change? The Li Ling incident had an enormous impact on Sima Qian.

  Firstly, his identity was different. Sima Qians original identity was that of a central government official, but after being castrated, he became an eunuch who wasnt quite a eunuch. This was a huge blow to Sima Qian because his identity had changed. Firstly, he became a man who wasnt quite a man. Secondly, he became a scholar-official who couldnt be accepted by the scholar-official class. Thirdly, he became an outcast among cultured people, meaning that Sima Qian was originally a cultured person, a scholar-official, and a reader. However, the group he originally belonged to expelled him, refusing to acknowledge him as a man, a cultured person, or a scholar-official. This blow to Sima Qian was enormous, which is the first point.

  Secondly, lifelong shame. When Sima Qian talked about the pain of being castrated, he said a few very sad words. He said that there is no greater shame than disgracing ones ancestors, and no greater humiliation than undergoing castration. Therefore, Sima Qian later mentioned in his famous letter, "Letter to Ren An" or "Letter to Ren Shaoqing", the pain he felt after being castrated. He said it was like having a stomach that churned nine times a day. When sitting at home, he would feel dizzy and disoriented, as if he had lost something. When going out, he wouldnt know where to go. Every time he thought about his shame, cold sweat would break out on his back, soaking through his clothes. So he felt that the shame of being castrated was a lifelong companion. Therefore, Sima Qian felt that this shame was too great, which is the second point.

  Thirdly, the fate of Sima Qian was in conflict with his own destiny. He was a talented person, but the misfortune of Li Lings case made his talent and his own life sharply conflicted. So he said that even if he had talents like Heshibi and Suizhuzhu, and was as noble as Xuyu and Boyi, how would others see him? They would think he was worthless. "It is not something to be proud of." This principle is simple because humans are social animals, and their social nature is a fundamental difference between humans and animals. As a social person, he must get recognition from society. The biggest point after Sima Qian accepted castration was that he was no longer recognized by this society. So the cost of Sima Qian preserving his life was to pay with his dignity as a man, which is a painful price. After accepting castration, Sima Qian as a man died, and Sima Qian as a feudal scholar also died, but Taishi Gong who wrote in "The Records of the Grand Historian" gained new life. This is a historical transformation of Sima Qian.

  Off-screen sound: During the Western Han Dynasty, palace punishment was a cruel double punishment of spirit and body. The punished person was humiliated for life, and even Sima Qian, who had strong willpower and great ambitions, would sweat profusely whenever he thought about his own humiliation. It can be imagined how cruel this punishment was. And Sima Qian, who accepted the palace punishment, was already 47 years old. The writing of "The Records of the Grand Historian" had been going on for some time. So, after experiencing the double torture of spirit and body, what kind of understanding did Sima Qian have about life and society as he approached the age of knowing his fate?

  After being castrated, Sima Qian was forced to view people, life and history from the perspective of a social outcast at the very bottom of society. As a result, his evaluation of historical figures underwent a fundamental transformation compared to before he was castrated and in comparison with other historians of the Twenty-Four Histories. This change can be discussed from several aspects.

  First, it changed Sima Qians view on life and death. We all know that Sima Qian said a few very famous words, saying "people have only one death, death is heavier than Mount Tai or lighter than a feather." Sima Qians views on life and death underwent a fundamental transformation before and after the Li Ling disaster.

  For example, if we look at the "Historical Records", there is an article in the middle called "Ji Bu Lie Zhuan". It writes about a general under Xiang Yu named Ji Bu. This person was a brave general under Xiang Yu and defeated Liu Bang several times, so Liu Bang hated him very much. After Xiang Yus death, Liu Bang issued a wanted notice for Ji Bu and ordered that anyone who harbored him would be executed along with their three clans.

  Ji Bu had no choice but to first take refuge in someones home, and later this person sold him to the Zhu family, a wealthy and powerful family at that time. The Zhu family knew that the slave they bought was actually Ji Bu, so they went to the capital city to find Liu Bangs most trusted general, Xiahou Ying, also known as Teng Gong, who was Liu Bangs charioteer.

  They told Teng Gong: "Now that you have become the emperor, can you kill all of Xiang Yus subordinates? It is impossible. And now that you have just become the emperor, are you going to kill Ji Bu because of your personal grudge? If you really force him into a desperate situation, he will either flee north to the Xiongnu or south to Nanyue. Arent you giving a strong warrior to aid your enemy?"

  After saying this, Teng Gong believed the Zhu familys words and used them to advise Liu Bang. Later, Liu Bang listened to this advice and pardoned Ji Bu. Ji Bu became a Lang Zhong in Liu Bangs court, and during the reign of Emperor Hui, he became a Zhonglang Jiang. During the reign of Emperor Wen, he became a Taishou. Ji Bu eventually became one of the famous ministers of the Western Han dynasty.

  When Sima Qian finally talked about Ji Bu, he was very moved. Ji Bu was such a general under Xiang Yu, but in the end, he could bear the humiliation and become someones slave. He didnt think it was shameful to be a slave; he just thought that his talent couldnt be wasted, so he endured the humiliation and lived on.

  When we look at Sima Qians understanding of Ji Bu and his evaluation of him, in fact, it was only after he experienced the Li Ling disaster that he came to understand Ji Bu and correctly evaluate him. Therefore, when we read historical books, when we read "Historical Records", if we want to truly understand "Historical Records", we must gain insight into life and society. The deeper our understanding of life and society, the more deeply we can understand "Historical Records".

  Furthermore, Sima Qians acceptance of castration had a very important reason - his family was poor. If they had money, Sima Qian would not have suffered such humiliation. Therefore, after the Li Ling incident, Sima Qian had a new perspective on wealth. He believed that people pursuing riches is human nature and is not wrong, as long as it is done in a proper way. So, Sima Qian wrote a special chapter called "The Biographies of Merchants" in his book "Records of the Grand Historian", where he fully affirmed the legitimacy of peoples pursuit of wealth.

  He cited many examples, among which the most famous one is: "The world is full of hustle and bustle, all for the sake of profit; The world is full of noise and commotion, all for the sake of profit." He said that everyone in the world, from kings to common people, are all pursuing profit. Pursuing profit itself is not wrong, whats wrong is the improper means used to pursue it.

  This perspective was also a conclusion drawn by Sima Qian from his own painful lessons. Therefore, over two thousand years ago, Sima Qian recognized the legitimacy of peoples pursuit of material interests, which is truly remarkable. We should thank Sima Qian and thank "Records of the Grand Historian".

  Here is the translation:

  Moreover, Li Lings misfortune thoroughly changed Sima Qians evaluation of historical figures. Therefore, "Records of the Grand Historian" presents a particularly sharp and profound evaluation of many characters. We can take an example from the chapter "Xiao Hes Family", which writes about Xiao He, a high-ranking official under Liu Bang. Xiao He was one of Liu Bangs most trusted ministers, but during the rebellion of Chen Yi in the tenth year of Han Gaozu, Empress Lü falsely accused Han Xin of colluding with Chen Yi and had him killed. When Liu Bang learned that Empress Lü had killed Han Xin, he immediately granted Xiao He an additional 5,000 households and appointed him as a general with 500 elite soldiers. Xiao He was overjoyed and hosted a banquet for all the officials. However, just then, someone named Zhao Ping appeared at the banquet to dampen the mood by mourning Xiao Hes impending doom. He said that since Liu Bang was away suppressing the rebellion, Xiao He had not made any special contributions, and therefore, the emperors grant of additional households was actually a sign of distrust. Once the emperor returned, he would surely deal with Xiao He. Xiao He was devastated and couldnt think of a solution. Zhao Ping then helped him come up with a plan, suggesting that he donate all his familys wealth to the military as a way to alleviate the crisis. Xiao He had no choice but to reluctantly donate all his familys property to Liu Bang as military expenses. When Sima Qian wrote about this event, he used five words: "The Emperor was greatly delighted". These five words came from a deep understanding of the psychology of an emperor who had just founded a dynasty and were extremely insightful in revealing the emperors suspicious nature towards his meritorious officials. Liu Bang could suspect anyone, but he shouldnt have suspected Xiao He. Xiao He had been taking care of Liu Bang since they were both young men in the same county, when Xiao He was still a low-ranking official and Liu Bang was just a minor local administrator. From the time Liu Bang started his rebellion, Xiao He followed him with his entire family. Therefore, after Liu Bang conquered the empire, he should have rewarded Xiao He first. In fact, Liu Bang even cited an example to illustrate this point, saying that when hunting, there were hunters and hunting dogs, and the dogs were the ones who chased down the prey. All of you great generals are like the hunting dogs, whereas Xiao He is like the hunter who commands the dogs. Liu Bang then presented a theory, saying that Xiao He was the "hunter" and the others were just "hunting dogs", so whose contributions were greater? Of course, it was the hunters. Therefore, Xiao He should be ranked first, and Cao Shen second. And yet, in his later years, Liu Bang became suspicious of Xiao He, and Sima Qian revealed this suspicion. After reading all 24 chapters, no historian can analyze the inner secrets of an emperors mind as sharply and profoundly as Sima Qian did. One important reason for this is that after the Li Ling incident, Sima Qian gained a new understanding of the emperors autocracy and cruelty. Han Wudis persecution of Sima Qian changed his lifes trajectory and also gave birth to a great historian and a great historical work, "Records of the Grand Historian". From next time on, we will start reading "Records of the Grand Historian" from the chapter about Han Wudi, who was closely related to Sima Qians life. What kind of person was Han Wudi? How did he rise to power? Please wait for the next episode, "The Struggle in the Palace".

  Lecture 2: The Struggle for the Imperial Harem

  Off-screen voice: Emperor Wu of Han is the last emperor recorded in "The Records of the Grand Historian", and also the emperor with whom Sima Qian had the closest relationship. It was because of Emperor Wu that Sima Qians life underwent a major change. So, what was Sima Qians perspective on this controversial Emperor Wu? How did he record and evaluate his superior in "The Records of the Grand Historian"? For people of later generations, how should we evaluate Emperor Wu? From today on, Professor Wang Ligong from Henan University will lead us to dispel the historical haze, starting with the records of Emperor Wu in Sima Qians "The Records of the Grand Historian", and savoring the vivid characters created by Sima Qian.

  Starting from today, we will talk about Emperor Wu of Han. Emperor Wu of Han is a very important figure in the history of the Han Dynasty, and he created six firsts in Chinese history. Firstly, he was the first emperor to unify Chinas thought and culture with Confucianism; secondly, he was the first emperor to establish the Imperial Academy and cultivate talents; thirdly, he was the first emperor to greatly expand Chinas territory; fourthly, he was the first emperor to open up the Western Regions; fifthly, he was the first emperor to use the imperial era name to mark the years; sixthly, he was the first emperor to use the form of self-criticism in his edicts. Therefore, Emperor Wu of Han is a very important figure in Chinas feudal monarch history of over 2,000 years.

  We mentioned his six firsts above. These six firsts, especially his abolition of the Hundred Schools of Thought and the establishment of Confucianism as the states ruling ideology, have had an impact for over two thousand years. To this day, our society is still deeply influenced by Confucian thought, and Han Wudi was its founder. Due to his long reign, he created so many firsts that peoples evaluations of him differ greatly. Some say he was a brilliant and ambitious leader, while others say he was extravagant and warlike; some say he made significant contributions, while others say he was extremely autocratic. What kind of ruler was he? What kind of emperor was this Han Wudi who has been talked about for over two thousand years without end? Lets take our time to talk about him.

  The birth of Emperor Wu of Han was in the first year of the reign of his father, Emperor Jing of Han. As I mentioned earlier, Emperor Wu was the first to use an era name for his reign. Before him, emperors did not have era names, so there were no era names during the time of Emperor Jing. Thats why when we look at historical records today, they all say "the nth year before", "the nth year in the middle", and "the nth year after" to refer to the years of Emperor Jings reign.

  The first year of Emperor Jings reign was 156 BCE, which was also the tenth year of his reign. That year, a son named Liu Che was born. Liu Che was the tenth son among Emperor Jings sons, so he belonged to the tenth rank of princes. We know that Emperor Jing was a prolific emperor who had a total of fourteen sons with six consorts.

  Among them, Wang Zhi, also known as Empress Wang, gave birth to one son. Tang Ji, a consort surnamed Tang, gave birth to another son. Two more sons were born to Jia Fu Ren, including Liu Sheng, who was later enfeoffed as the King of Zhongshan. As we all know from the Three Kingdoms period, when Liu Bei talked about his imperial lineage, he would trace it back to this son of Emperor Jing, Liu Sheng.

  Liu Sheng had over 120 sons, but we cant figure out which one was the ancestor of Liu Bei. However, just by being related to Liu Sheng, Liu Bei managed to establish a connection with Emperor Jings family. So when people say that the Shu Han regime emphasized its legitimacy, its actually because Emperor Jing already had many sons, and among them, Liu Sheng was particularly prolific, having over 120 sons.

  Two other consorts, Li Ji and Cheng Ji, each gave birth to three sons. Finally, there was Wang Erxu, a younger sister of Empress Wang who also entered the imperial harem and gave birth to four sons. In total, Emperor Jing had fourteen sons, but Liu Ches ranking among them was not high, being only the tenth son.

  In ancient Chinas feudal society, the system of imperial succession followed two principles: "zheng" (legitimate) and "chang" (long-lived). Clearly, Liu Che did not meet either of these criteria, so how did he leap from being the tenth son to becoming the crown prince? This involved five women who competed with each other for the position.

  These five women were Wang Zhi, Jia Fu Ren, Tang Ji, Li Ji, and Cheng Ji. They competed with each other for the position of empress, which ultimately led to Liu Ches ascension to the throne as Emperor Wu.

  Off-screen voice: In the imperial succession system of ancient Chinas feudal society, it was generally the case that the eldest son or the most capable son would be appointed as the crown prince. Liu Bang, who was tenth in line, would never have become the crown prince under normal circumstances. Since he couldnt even become the crown prince, let alone the emperor, but history can play tricks on people, and Liu Bang actually became the emperor. So why did fate favor this tenth-in-line Liu Bang? Did his nine older brothers all voluntarily give up their claim to the throne? In Mr. Wang Ligongs many years of studying "The Records of the Grand Historian", he believes that who exactly pushed young Liu Bang onto the imperial throne? How does Sima Qian record this complex process in "The Records of the Grand Historian - The House of the Imperial Consorts"?

  The first woman, Empress Bo, was also the first empress of Emperor Jing of Han. Empress Bo was appointed by his grandmother when he was still a crown prince.

  Who was his grandmother? His grandmother was Empress Dowager Bo. This Empress Dowager Bo was originally a concubine of Wei Wang Wei Bao, one of his concubines. Later, Wei Bao was defeated by Liu Bang and eventually killed in Xingyang. After Wei Baos death, this concubine, Consort Bo, was taken in by Liu Bang. However, when Liu Bang first took her in, her status was very low, just as a female worker, an ordinary female worker. Later, Liu Bang discovered this female worker, Consort Bo, who still looked very beautiful, and selected her into his harem. After entering the harem, Liu Bang did not favor this Consort Bo because there were two women in his harem who were good friends with Consort Bo when they were young. These two women would mock Consort Bo while chatting together. Because the three of them were close when they were young and had promised that whoever was favored by the emperor would not forget the other two companions, but these two were favored by Liu Bang first, so they mocked Consort Bo. This conversation happened to be overheard by Liu Bang, who asked what was going on, and the two concubines told him about it. After hearing their story, Liu Bang felt sympathetic towards Consort Bo, thinking that since the three of them were close friends and two had been favored, he should summon this Consort Bo to accompany him in bed. This Consort Bo was originally an unknown person in the harem, but after this opportunity, she became someone who would be remembered. That night, when she met Liu Bang, she spoke eloquently, saying that she had dreamed of a dragon coiled around her abdomen, dreaming that there was a dragon on her belly. Originally, Liu Bang had summoned her out of pity, but after hearing her words, he was delighted, and because of this one nights romance, Consort Bo became pregnant and gave birth to Liu Bangs eighth son, Liu Heng, who was the fourth son among his eight sons. This was her first stroke of good fortune.

  The second lucky place is where? It was when Liu Bang was alive, Liu Bang only summoned her this once and never summoned her again, so Lü Hou knew that among the many concubines in Liu Bangs harem, this Bo Ji was the least favored person. So after Liu Bang died and Lü Hou took power, she locked up all of Liu Bangs favorite concubines in the palace, not allowing a single one to come out. Only this Bo Ji was let go, because she thought she was an insignificant person, so she let her go. Where did she let her go? She went to live with her son, Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, and that was her second lucky break.

  The third lucky thing is that when Empress Lü persecuted the Liu princes in the seventh year of Emperor Gaos reign, Liu Heng escaped this calamity, which we have discussed in our series on "Empress Lü". Of course, since Liu Heng escaped, Consort Bo also escaped, and this was the third lucky thing.

  The fourth lucky one, we mentioned in the episode of "Eliminating the Lü Clan", when King Liu Xiang of Qi rose up in arms, Zhou Bo and Chen Ping, who were in the palace, eliminated all the Lü clan members in the capital city. Originally, who made the greatest contribution to eliminating the Lü clan? It was King Liu Xiang of Qi and his younger brother Liu Zhang who made the greatest contribution. However, when it came to deciding who should be the successor, the ministers were unwilling to make Liu Xiang or Liu Zhang the emperor. Because Liu Xiang and Liu Zhang were the sons of Liu Hei, they were very young and capable, and the ministers thought that if they came to power, they would not be easy to control. On the other hand, the obscure Prince Liu Heng of Dai was considered by the ministers to be honest and easy to control, so they made him the emperor, who became Emperor Wen of Han. Therefore, the fourth lucky one refers to the son of Empress Lü, who rested in Dai while others were eliminating the Lü clan and fighting bloody battles. After the Lü clan was eliminated, he was welcomed back to become the emperor.

  This Empress Dowager Bo was extremely fortunate to have become the empress dowager, but after becoming the empress dowager, she began to change. She first thought of making her own family rich and noble, and in this regard, she almost committed the same mistake as Empress Lü. Her son, whom she could no longer control, made her consider her grandson. This grandson was the crown prince at the time when Emperor Jing of Han was still the crown prince. Empress Dowager Bo chose a crown princess for her grandson from their own familys clan, selecting a granddaughter of the Bo family as the crown princess. What prospects did this crown princess have? The crown prince would one day become the emperor, and his consort would naturally become the empress. As she had been an empress herself, she knew that being an empress was very honorable, and she wanted her clans granddaughter to also become an empress, committing the same mistake as Empress Lü. Empress Lü had arranged for a Liu family member to be paired with a Lü family member, creating a Liu-Lü pairing. Empress Dowager Bo did the same, selecting her own clans granddaughter to create a Liu-Bo pairing. In fact, Emperor Jing of Han did not like the crown princess chosen by his grandmother, but he had no choice - she was the empress dowager. In that era, if he did not obey, he might lose his position as crown prince, so he accepted it. After Emperor Jing of Han ascended to the throne, this crown princess naturally became the empress, known as Empress Bo. This Empress Bo indeed had a short life. During her time as the crown princess and later as the empress, she never bore any children for Emperor Jing of Han. As we mentioned earlier, Emperor Jing of Han had fourteen sons with six consorts, but this official empress did not have any sons. A legitimate empress without an heir, while six consorts gave birth to fourteen sons, created a very complicated situation in the palace of Emperor Jing of Han. The empresss position was precarious, and the struggle for power in the palace began due to Empress Bos lack of children.

  Off-screen voice: Mr. Wang Ligong just mentioned that during the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, due to Emperor Jings dislike for Empress Bo, who was appointed by his grandmother, Empress Bo had no favor and no children. As a result, all 14 sons of Emperor Jing had the possibility of being made crown prince. Mr. Wang Ligong believes that according to the feudal imperial succession system, the establishment of the crown prince is generally based on the principle of "zheng" (legitimate) and "zhang" (eldest). Liu Ruyi, who was tenth in line, had no hope of being made crown prince. So what will happen to the fate of young Liu Ruyi? Who will be the second woman to affect the fate of young Liu Ruyi?

  The second woman, Wang Zhi. Wang Zhi was the birth mother of Emperor Wu of Han, and this woman played a crucial role in influencing Emperor Wus ascension to the throne. Her experiences were also quite unusual.

  We want to talk about Wang Zhi, first from his mother. Wang Zhis mother was called Zang Er, and the historical records just call her Zang Er. Who is Zang Er? Zang Er was a granddaughter of Yan Wang Zang Yu, one of the eighteen vassal kings appointed by Xiang Yu. Later, he surrendered to the Han Dynasty. In the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, Zang Yu rebelled again and was put down by Liu Bang, so the Zang family perished. Zang Er was a granddaughter of Yan Wang Zang Yu, and her family had a glorious past. Moreover, Zang Ers marriage experience was also very bumpy. Her first husband was married into a family with the surname Wang, named Wang Zhong. After marrying Wang Zhong, she gave birth to three children: a son named Wang Xin, and two daughters, Wang Zhi and Wang Er Xu. Wang Zhi was later known as the biological mother of Emperor Wu of Han. However, after giving birth to one son and two daughters, her husband Wang Zhong unfortunately passed away. After becoming a widow, Zang Er remarried into a family with the surname Tian. She gave birth to two more sons, Tian An and Tian Sheng. Everyone who has seen "The Story of Emperor Wu of Han" knows that there is a prime minister named Tian An, who is this Tian An. Having given birth to five children in two marriages, we can see from Zang Ers remarriage that the customs of the Han Dynasty were relatively relaxed regarding womens marriage, and it was common for women to remarry after becoming widowed or divorced. This view of marriage also influenced her guidance on her daughters marriages and their grasp of marriage.

  Wang Zhi was married off by her mother to a man surnamed Jin, and she gave birth to a daughter. After Wang Zhi had her first daughter, her mother had her fortune told, and the fortune teller said that both of her daughters would become wealthy and noble. Wang Zhis mother believed this so strongly that before her younger daughter was even married off, she decided to take Wang Zhi back from the Jin family. This is not recorded in historical records, but it must have been very difficult because Wang Zhi had already married into another family and had a child. At the time, Wang Zhis mother made a decision based on this fortune telling, and she took Wang Zhi back by force. The Jin family was unwilling to let her go, and they caused trouble for a long time, but in the end, they were unable to stop it. After taking Wang Zhi back, not only did she take her daughter away from the Jin family, but she also sent her to the palace of the Crown Prince (Han Jingdi). This is unthinkable today - sending a married woman who already had a child into the palace. I think that she absolutely would not have dared to reveal her previous marriage history, and if she had been married before and had a child, the Crown Prince would not have accepted her. Its certain that this part of her history was hidden. And yet, sending her to the palace was unexpectedly successful.

  Off-screen voice: Zang Er, who once had a glorious family history, was unwilling to accept the poverty and decline of her own family. She put all her bets on her daughter, risking the extinction of her clan and deceiving the emperor by forcing her married daughter into the palace. As the saying goes, "Once you enter the nobles gate, its like entering the deep sea." Can Wang Mou, Zang Ers daughter, gain the favor of the crown prince as Zang Er had imagined? Will Zang Er win this gamble?

  When Wang Mou was married off to the Golden Kings grandson, her mother took her back and then sent her into the imperial harem. From this, we can see that Wang Mou had at least a few characteristics:

  First, shes ruthless. Think about it, as a mother, she can cut off her maternal affection and come out with determination. When she came out, she wasnt sure if she could enter the imperial harem, and she faced many variables. First, whether she could enter the imperial harem at all. Second, whether that fortune-telling was accurate or not. These were all unknowns, and even after entering the imperial harem, it was uncertain whether she would gain the emperors favor. Despite this, Wang Mu came out with determination after hearing her mothers words. In my opinion, this woman is at least extremely ruthless.

  Secondly, she is ambitious. Wang Mou is a very ambitious person, and she is not satisfied with this ordinary life in the Jin Wang Sun family. She wants to have a beautiful future.

  Third, Wang Zhi had a spirit of adventure. You see how much risk she took, if her marriage history was reported, what would be the result? Its likely that she wouldnt be able to stay in the palace, and the Jinwang Sun family wouldnt want her anymore. But she still entered the princes palace. Her mother, Zang Er, not only sent Wang Zhi into the palace but also sent Wang Zhis unmarried younger sister, Wang Yu Xiu, into the palace. In other words, she sent both of her daughters to serve the crown prince (Han Jingdi) in his palace. This crown prince later became Han Jingdi. So, Zang Er is not a simple person. Were not focusing on her today, but shes quite bold. According to our modern insurance concept, she bought two insurance policies. Because no matter which of her daughters gained favor, she would be the winner in the future. If both daughters gained favor, then she would be a big winner. This was a very daring move by this mother. As for whether they gained favor after entering the palace, lets look at the result: Wang Zhi entered the palace and gave birth to one dragon (a son) and three phoenixes (daughters), while her younger sister, Wang Yu Xiu, did even better, giving birth to four princes. Among Han Jingdis 14 sons, Zang Ers two daughters had five sons together. Of course, there is a condition that the historical records didnt mention, but I think its a necessary condition: these two daughters must have been extremely beautiful, which is an unspoken condition. Think about Wang Zhi getting married, having children, being taken out of her marriage, and then entering the palace again to gain favor with the crown prince and giving birth to one dragon and three phoenixes. If Wang Zhi and her sister werent very beautiful, it would be difficult for them to achieve this. Of course, Zang Er dared to take this gamble, betting everything on her daughters beauty. This gamble paid off.

  Off-screen sound: Zang Ers adventurous actions finally succeeded, and her two daughters successfully entered Tai*zhong and gave birth to the emperor. Emperor Wu of Han was born in such a situation, and there are different versions of folklore about the birth of Emperor Wu. Many mysterious colors were attached to this emperor. So how did Sima Qian record the birth of this emperor in "Historical Records"?

  Here is the translation:

  After Wang Zhi entered the palace, she soon became pregnant. During her pregnancy, Wang Zhi told the crown prince that she had a dream. What was this dream? It was called "Ri Ru Qi Huai", which means the sun entering her womb. This dream was very unusual. In ancient China, like other nations in the world, our ancestors have always worshipped the sun. Even today, we use the sun to symbolize emperors. So when Wang Zhi told the crown prince about this dream, he immediately said that it was a noble omen.

  However, I think there are three possible explanations for this dream: Firstly, Wang Zhi may have been deifying her own son. In our society today, it is rare to hear of someone dreaming of the sun entering their womb during pregnancy, because no one dreams of becoming an emperor anymore. So I think Wang Zhis dream about the sun was probably a sign that she wanted to deify her son, as he would later become emperor.

  Secondly, it is possible that later generations deified Liu Che (Wang Zhis son). After he became emperor, people may have attributed this dream to Wang Zhi. Thirdly, both of these possibilities could be true: Wang Zhi may have been deifying her own son, and later generations may also have done so.

  In our previous discussions about Xiang Yu and Empress Lu, I did not mention any unofficial histories. However, there are two unofficial histories related to Emperor Wu of Han: "The Story of Emperor Wu" and "The Inner Biography of Emperor Wu". The latter is even more fantastical, saying that Emperor Jing had a dream in which a goddess handed him a sun and told him to give it to Wang Zhi (also known as Wang Meiren), who then swallowed the sun. After swallowing the sun, she became pregnant for 14 months and gave birth to a child.

  Of course, this account is unreliable, but "Ri Ru Qi Huai" is recorded in both "The Records of the Grand Historian" and "The Book of Han", which makes it true. However, I think that this truth has something to do with Wang Zhis own machinations.

  In such a context, Liu Ruyi was born, and her mother was an extraordinary woman. So in the fourth year of Han Jingdis reign, when Liu Ruyi was four years old, he was appointed as the King of Jiaodong. At the same time that Liu Ruyi was appointed as the King of Jiaodong, Emperor Jing also appointed his eldest son Liu Rong as the Crown Prince. Wang Yus first goal of entering the palace had been achieved. She entered the palace and gave birth to a dragon child, and was also granted a title. However, Wang Yus ambition did not stop there, because after all, the position of King of Jiaodong was still far from that of Crown Prince, and this gap was still quite large. In this way, we have introduced two women: one is Empress Bo, and the other is Wang Yu. Among these two women, Empress Bo had no children and was not favored, while Wang Yu was sent into the palace and received favor as well as giving birth to a prince. In this way, among the five women, two have already appeared on stage, so next there are three more women we havent introduced yet. How will these three women affect Liu Ruyis path to becoming Crown Prince? Please see the next episode of "The Succession Crisis".

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