Fortune teller Cai

Liu Xiu, the first emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, is the ninth grandson of Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. According to the thirty-eighth volume of Zi Jian, Tomb-Sweeping Day was born to the king of Changsha in the Western Han Dynasty, and Marquis Liu Mai was succeeded by his son. When Wang Mang usurped the throne, their fief was cancelled. Liu Mai's youngest son, Liu Wai, was a magistrate in Yulin. Liu Hui, the son of Liu Wai, is a captain of Julu, and Liu Qin, the son of Liu Hui, is a Southampton commander. Liu Xiu is the third son of Liu Qin. Liu Qin died early, and Liu Xiu's brothers were raised by his uncle Liu Liang. As an adult, Liu Xiu likes agriculture and is regarded as an excellent farmer.

Judging from Liu Xiu's family background, their family is really getting worse from generation to generation. From sealing the king to sealing the marquis, to the prefect, a captain, a county magistrate, and to this generation, they have all become civilians. Young Liu Xiu, who also does some small businesses such as selling grain in his spare time, does not have a high social status. On one occasion, Liu Xiu and his brother-in-law visited fortune teller Cai Shaogong. Cai Shaogong took a hexagram and said that "Liu Xiu should be the son of heaven". The people present immediately said, "That must mean Shi Guo Gong Liu Xiu?" It turned out that there was a senior official named Liu Xiu under Emperor Wang Mang at that time, and his rank was only one grade lower than that of the emperor, so everyone thought that Liu Xiu must be the emperor. Liu Xiu, a grain seller, joked with everyone: "You are too young to look at people. How do you know that's not Liu Xiu? " When this came out, it caused a burst of laughter-no wonder that although your ancestors were emperors and princes, now they don't even have a cadre status and want to be emperors. Isn't that ridiculous? Besides, there is really a leader as big as Liu Xiu.

Who is the Buddhist master Liu Xiu? Speaking of which, he is not an idle person. His father, Liu Xiang, is a famous scholar, and he himself has made great achievements in academics. His original name is not Liu Xin. This Liu Xiu is an old colleague and friend of Wang Mang. As early as the Han Dynasty, Wang Mang recommended Liu Xiu to be a waiter. Later, he was promoted to Dr. Guanglu and became one of the red people around the emperor. This is also the time when he changed his name to Liu Xiu. In 9 AD, Wang Mang removed the name of the Han Dynasty and officially proclaimed himself emperor. When he appointed Minister of Fuzheng, he made Liu Xiu, an old friend and best friend, a Buddhist teacher and gave him a new title. He and a surname, a teacher, Jiang Guo tied for "work". At the end of the Western Han Dynasty, since Wang Mang's "regaining sight", various rumors among the people have also increased, and "Liu Xiu will be the emperor" is one of them. For those who believe this sentence, Liu Xiu mentioned in my heart is of course a Buddhist. How can he be a small grain vendor?

However, people's fate is so unpredictable. Just after Liu Xiu, a grain merchant, was laughed at, a few years later, he really became an emperor and restored the Han Dynasty. Among many emperors in history, he is the most accomplished one.

Was Liu Xiu, a grain merchant, inspired by folk rumors and became emperor? This possibility cannot be completely ruled out. According to the book, Liu Xiu was originally a farmer who loved labor and had a good character, unlike his eldest brother who was bent on resisting Wang Mang. When Liu Xiu's eldest brother officially mobilized the children in his hometown to rebel, everyone was too scared to play with him. Looking back, Liu Xiu also rolled up his trouser legs and put on his military uniform. Everyone was even more surprised: "How dare such a cautious honest man rebel?" So feel free to follow them. Liu Xiu, an honest man, if he didn't look at his wealth, would he take the throne as his goal? It's hard to say.

So, did Liu Xiu become emperor entirely by this so-called "prophecy"? It's too idealistic to say so, underestimating Liu Xiu's inner quality. According to the records in Volume 41 of Zi Tong Zhi Jian, Liu Xiu, a Buddhist master of Wang Mang, changed his name because the prophecy circulating at that time said that Liu Xiuke was emperor, so he changed his name. At the end of Wang Mang's reign, Taoist Simon Junhui planned to establish Liu Xiu, the founder of China, as emperor. When Liu Xiu committed suicide, Simon Junhui said to the onlookers when he was tied to the execution ground: "It is predicted that Liu Xiu is indeed your emperor!" From this point of view, the Buddhist master Liu Xiu is also a man with ideas, but after all, he didn't succeed and his name was changed for nothing. This is also a lesson for those who want to change their fate by changing their names instead of trying to change their lives.

After all, when Liu Xiu became emperor, he relied on his excellent ability to speak with strength. Unfortunately, Liu Xiu himself thought that he had fulfilled the folk "prophecy" and was destined to be an emperor, so that after becoming an emperor, he was used to solving problems by fate and strongly supported the publication of such feudal superstitious publications. In Liu Xiu's later years, such superstitious publications flooded (affecting the construction of spiritual civilization at that time). In the first year of the Central Plains (AD 56), Emperor Guangwu wrote to Huan Tan, urging Liu Xiu not to believe Fu Shu, believing that Fu Shu's prediction was just a coincidence even if it was consistent with the facts. This touched a sore spot for Liu Xiu. He had a fit on the spot and almost beheaded Huan Tan. Later, although it was calmed down, Huan Tan was demoted from the central government to Lu 'an as a county magistrate. As a result, Huan Tan, outspoken, did not die directly in the hands of Liu Xiu, but died on the road. It didn't take long for Liu Xiu to be "forever". The scene he treated Huan Tan made people feel that superstition eclipsed this originally excellent Guangwudi.