Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"Deep Affection for the Old Sword - Xu Pingjun," a poignant story.
Xu Pingjun, though not immortalized in historical texts for great achievements, possessed a love that all women envied. She shared an epic and tragic romance with the emperor, who even challenged the most powerful family in the Han dynasty for her revenge.
When the emperor was enraged, blood flowed like a river. Thus began a vivid depiction of events.
The story of Xu Pingjun is inseparable from Emperor Xuan of Han, Liu Xun.
Before his rise to power, Liu Xun was known as Liu Bingyi, a poor boy raised in prison, a spirited youth who roamed the streets and engaged in cockfighting and horse racing.
Liu Bingyi's great-grandfather was Emperor Wu of Han, his grandfather was Liu Ju, the crown prince of Emperor Wu, and his grandmother was Wei Zifu.
When Liu Ju was 21 years old, Liu Bingyi was born. He should have been a royal youth showered with love, the most esteemed great-grandson of the empire.
However, a few months later, the Witchcraft Catastrophe erupted, nearly annihilating Liu Ju's faction. Only the infant Liu Bingyi escaped disaster but could only hide in a prison in Chang'an.
Fortunately, a benefactor named Bing Ji took pity on Liu Ju's lineage due to their tragic fate and secretly raised Liu Bingyi.
A baby often fell ill in the prison environment, so Bing Ji named him "Bing Yi," hoping he would grow up healthy.
Eventually, Emperor Wu of Han discovered that his great-grandson was still alive. By then, Emperor Wu gradually understood the events of that year and felt remorseful. To release Liu Bingyi from prison, he granted amnesty throughout the land.
Soon after, Liu Bingyi's royal status was restored. Although he became a nobleman, due to his ancestry, his political identity remained sensitive, and people in the palace did not treat him well.
Fortunately, Yeting Ling and Zhang He had once been retainers of Liu Bingyi's grandfather, Crown Prince Liu Ju, so Zhang He took good care of Liu Bingyi.
As time passed, Liu Bingyi reached the age to marry and have children.
Zhang He intended to marry his granddaughter to him and repeatedly praised Liu Bingyi to his brother Right General Zhang Anshi. However, Zhang Anshi firmly disagreed, believing that Liu Bingyi's children could barely meet their basic needs and were not a suitable match.
Left with no choice, Zhang He had to make other plans.
He turned his attention to his friend Xu Guanghan's family. Seizing an opportunity to invite Xu Guanghan for drinks, he persuaded him that Liu Bingyi was related to the emperor and would eventually rise to prominence; thus he should marry his daughter to him.
After drinking too much, Xu Guanghan impulsively agreed without thinking. However, upon returning home, Xu Guanghan's wife viewed this marriage proposal like any rational person would—she believed that Liu Bingyi was destitute.
However, having already made a promise, Xu Guanghan could not go back on his word, leading to an intense argument between the couple.
The quarrel between the husband and wife caught the attention of their daughter, Xu Pingjun, who became curious about Liu Bingyi.
She secretly observed Liu Bingyi and found him quite handsome with good character. So she suggested to her father to find a persuasive matchmaker to propose marriage.
Ultimately, in 75 BC, Xu Pingjun and Liu Bingyi successfully got married. Although their life after marriage was modest, they were content and happy together.
In 74 BC, Han Zhao Emperor Liu Fuling passed away, and General Huo Guang and others supported Han Zhao Emperor's nephew, Prince of Changyi Liu He, to ascend the throne.
After Liu He took the throne, he indulged in debauchery and was deposed by Huo Guang after just 27 days.
As a result, Liu Bingyi unexpectedly became emperor. It can only be said that fate has its cycles, and the throne eventually returned to their family.
Although he became emperor, at that time Huo Guang held immense power; whether the emperor remained or was deposed was entirely up to him.
When Liu Bingyi first ascended to the throne, he was acutely aware of his precarious situation. The ministers began discussing the establishment of an empress and leaned towards Huo Guang's youngest daughter, Huo Chengjun, while completely forgetting Liu Bingyi's original wife, Xu Pingjun.
Liu Bingyi knew he could very well become the second emperor to be deposed. He could only indirectly say, "I have an old sword left among the people; who can help me retrieve it?"
This led to the phrase "Deep Affection for the Old Sword - Xu Pingjun."
The ministers were clever; upon hearing that the emperor had a loyal wife who should not be cast aside, they immediately proposed to establish Xu Pingjun as empress.
When Liu Bingyi joyfully shared this good news with Xu Pingjun, she was shocked. She had never imagined her husband would rise to such heights or that she would become the empress.
She understood that she was not a match for Huo Guang and worried that this major decision might bring trouble to Liu Bingyi. Thus, she said, "Your Majesty must not jeopardize your future."
However, Liu Bingyi believed that while he could overlook many things, he could not allow Xu Pingjun to suffer any injustice.
Yet his insistence became a death knell for Xu Pingjun.
Lady Huo wanted her daughter Huo Chengjun to become empress but had not found an opportunity until now. In 71 BC, Xu Pingjun became pregnant again.
The audacious Lady Huo finally found her chance; she colluded with Chunyu Yan, who often treated Xu Pingjun.
Chunyu Yan sought help from Lady Huo regarding her husband, and Lady Huo urged her to poison Xu Pingjun. At first, Chunyu Yan hesitated, but Lady Huo pressed her, assuring her that Huo Guang would definitely protect her.
Thinking of Huo Guang's power, Chunyu Yan gained courage, especially since Huo Guang had previously dealt with the deposed emperor.
Thus, the two reached an agreement, and Chunyu Yan accepted the task of poisoning Empress Xu.
Liu Bingyi was heartbroken, but at that time he believed that Xu Pingjun had died due to postpartum weakness and did not suspect poisoning.
After Xu Pingjun's death, the officials began to propose marrying Huo Chengjun as the new empress. This time, Liu Bingyi had no reason to refuse and had no choice but to marry Huo Chengjun as his empress.
Later, Liu Bingyi started holding the caregivers responsible for their inadequate care during Xu Pingjun's confinement.
Upon learning this, Lady Huo felt guilty and informed Huo Guang. To ensure that Chunyu Yan kept the secret, Huo Guang had to plead with Liu Bingyi for leniency regarding Chunyu Yan's negligence.
This made things even more complicated; Liu Bingyi superficially agreed while secretly investigating.
After uncovering the truth, Liu Bingyi was filled with extreme regret and a desire for revenge. However, he knew he could not act against the Huo family yet and had to remain patient while consolidating his power.
In 68 BC, after Huo Guang's death, Liu Bingyi immediately sought revenge against the Huo family.
Although Xu Pingjun would never return to his side, they remained closely connected throughout history. Their names continued to be mentioned as a loving couple, and their story inspired many who pursued love.
Comment 0 Comment Count