Chapter 20: A Beautiful Woman

Chapter 20: A Beautiful Woman

Empress Chen was a descendant of Chen Ying, Marquis of Tangyi and a founding hero of the Western Han Dynasty. She was the daughter of Chen Wu, Marquis of Tangyi and Princess Liu Piao. During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, she was married to Crown Prince Liu Che as his Crown Princess. In the first year of Jianyuan (140 BC), she was made empress.

In the fifth year of Yuanguang (130 BC), he was deposed on the charge of "being bewitched by witches and wizards" and retired to Changmen Palace. He later died between Yuanding and Yuanfeng (116 BC-107 BC).

"A Beauty Hidden in a Golden House" and "Buying a Poem at Changmen" describe Chen Ajiao's life, one is about the innocence and cautious care at the first meeting, the other is about the long-lasting hatred in the boudoir, the greatest hatred being the ruthless imperial family. One after the other, they tell the story of Chen Ajiao's life.

Guantao: "Zi'er, is Sister A Jiao pretty? Do you want to marry her?"

Liu Zhi subconsciously looked at his mother, Concubine Wang, and then said: "If I can marry A Jiao, I will keep her in a golden house."

"Haha, Liu Zhi'er knows how to marry a beautiful girl at such a young age. Concubine Wang, your good days are still ahead." Guantao touched Liu Zhi's head, waved goodbye and left.

When Zhang Shan saw her mother coming back, she quickly went up to Guan Tao and complained, "Brother Rong doesn't like me. He likes Li Ji's niece. He doesn't want A Jiao to be his crown princess anymore."

"Don't worry, Gillian. Our Gillian will definitely be the Crown Princess, but Liu Rong may not be the Crown Prince."

It has to be said that A Jiao was very favored. Both her mother Princess Guantao, her grandmother Empress Dowager Dou, and her uncle the Emperor Liu Qi loved her very much.

But only Liu Rong and his mother could not see the situation clearly, which made Gillian embarrassed.

Look, A Jiao had just suffered a setback at the hands of Liu Rong, and Guantao had also suffered a setback at the hands of Li Ji, and now she wanted to replace Liu Rong's position as crown prince.

Guantao was able to influence Liu Qi's decision, which meant that he had some power, but Liu Zhi...

"Mother, Liu Zhi is too young. I don't like playing with him. I want to play with Liu Fei."

Liu Fei, the fifth son of Liu Qi and the son of Cheng Ji, was more brave and resourceful than Liu Zhi, who came later, but he died too early.

"Our Gillian can play with whoever she likes."

After that, Zhang Shan started to pester Liu Fei. Liu Fei didn't want to pay attention to her at first, but after Zhang Shan defeated him in horse riding and archery several times, he became submissive.

"Ah Jiao, how could you play with Liu Fei? You are such a fickle woman!" Pingyang blamed Ah Jiao. Her mother said that if Ah Jiao married her younger brother Liu Zhi, they would not have to stay in Yongxiang anymore. Although Pingyang did not like Ah Jiao, she was willing to coax her at the right time.

But now it seems that Gillian clearly likes Liu Fei more.

"Pingyang, your skin is itchy. Do you want me to loosen it for you?" Zhang Shan pulled the whip in her hand, making a snapping sound.

Pingyang took a few steps back, her voice trembling, "Ah Jiao, I am a princess, more noble than you, you..."

"Noble? Ask the people behind you, who do they listen to? You can't even order the palace people around, how can you talk about nobility with me?"

Seeing Pingyang's fearful eyes, Zhang Shan waved her hand, "Liu Fei, let's go!"

Li Ji offended Guan Tao, and no amount of pillow talk could change Guan Tao's position in Liu Qi's heart.

Empress Dowager Dou had three children, Guantao was her only daughter, who was doted on and had great power. Between her two sons, Empress Dowager Dou favored her younger son Liu Wu. When Liu Heng was still alive, Empress Dowager Dou wanted to change the crown prince. It was Guantao who saved Liu Qi's throne, so Liu Qi was particularly close to Guantao.

Li Ji's efforts were in vain, but Guantao went straight to the point and said that Li Ji was jealous and quite superstitious about witchcraft. At that time, witchcraft was a forbidden technique and also the heel of the royal family. Whoever was touched by it would die.

This thorn was buried in Liu Qi's heart, waiting for its time to break out. As Liu Fei's popularity in the previous dynasty grew louder and louder, Liu Rong could still sit still, but Li Ji could not. She asked the ministers of the previous dynasty to advise her to be made queen.

This stirred up a hornet's nest. Liu Qi was furious and executed the minister who made the suggestion. He also deposed Crown Prince Liu Rong and made him King of Linjiang.

Li Ji was confused.

"Why is the emperor so heartless?"

"Li Ji, I have said long ago that it is just a position of crown prince. I told you not to be too arrogant. It is still uncertain who will be the winner in the end!" Guan Tao looked like a smug villain, which made Li Ji angry.

But she is no longer the prince's biological mother, the powerful Li Ji.

In the second year of Liu Rong's enfeoffment, he was recalled to Chang'an for building a palace on the ancestral temple land without authorization. He was strictly interrogated by Zhidu and committed suicide because he could not bear the humiliation.

Li Ji knew that this was Guantao's revenge, but she could do nothing. She had regretted it a long time ago, regretting humiliating Guantao's mother and daughter, but it was no use saying it now.

After Liu Rong died, Li Ji also died of illness.

Liu Fei was made crown prince and married Zhang Shan as his crown princess.

The next year, Zhang Shan gave birth to a son named Liu Xingyuan. This son was selected by the system to form a new gene chain, commonly known as the emperor gene. Those who have this gene are all capable of becoming emperors, thus ensuring the high quality of the emperor of the Han Dynasty.

Liu Xingyuan was very healthy and strong, which made Liu Qi and Empress Dowager Dou love him very much. However, Guantao's love for him was a bit more vulgar. He gave him gold, silver and jewelry, and even planned to build a palace in Changmen as a gift to A Jiao.

But Zhang Shan refused, as she still had a use for the money.

Liu Qi had always been in poor health and died when Liu Xingyuan was three years old. Liu Fei ascended the throne and made Zhang Shan the queen.

Cheng Ji died early, and there was only the Empress Dowager in the palace. With Zhang Shan's efforts, the Empress Dowager delegated power to the couple and focused on raising the children.

After Liu Fei ascended the throne, he began to train troops, grow crops, and start various reforms. Although there were obstacles, these were not a problem as they had plenty of time and manpower.

In the third year, the Han Dynasty reached its peak of prosperity, with thriving economy, society and culture.

In winter, the Huns moved southward, burning, killing and looting. With funding from Guantao, Liu Fei personally led an army of 100,000 to repel the Huns.

Zhang Shan stayed in Luoyang to supervise the country. During this period, some princes rebelled. The biggest one was Liu Che, the King of Jiaodong. However, Zhang Shan was a more ruthless woman than Liu Che. Although she did not kill those rebellious princes, it was tantamount to murdering them.

Liu Che and others were exiled to the land of Southern Barbarians. Southern Barbarians have always been the most troublesome place for all dynasties. The people there are fierce and difficult to civilize. If these cousins ​​are sent there, those who are incompetent will suffer, while those who are capable will gather their forces again to rebel and then be defeated by Zhang Shan. In this way, Zhang Shan will gain a well-educated territory and people.

Liu Che, I have confidence in you, keep going!

With this inspiration, Zhang Shan took advantage of Liu Fei's war to induce the princes to rise up in arms, so that he could easily achieve the goal of reducing the power of the princes and unifying the regime, and he could also pack up several cousins ​​and send them to the south to "educate the people."

The Empress Dowager did try to stop it. She didn't understand Zhang Shan's approach. Why did she want to reduce the power of the princes? Without territory, the princes would only cause trouble if they stayed in Chang'an in the future.

But the Empress Dowager had no energy to take care of Zhang Shan's affairs. When Liu Fei came back, the government was in order. It was not that he was not afraid of the interference of foreign relatives in politics, but he himself could not do anything about Zhang Shan, so he could only hide.

Guantao has been letting itself go since Chen Wu's death, and lovers have been brought to the princess's mansion one after another. In order to prevent the queen from learning bad things, Liu Fei keeps a close eye on her. It's not because of love, but purely out of fear that she would be cuckolded and the throne would fall into someone else's hands.

Ten years later, Liu Che and others finally gathered troops and planned to rebel, but he had been away from Chang'an for a long time and was not familiar with the troops in Chang'an. He only needed 30,000 cavalry to defeat them.

When he saw that the soldiers and people he had worked so hard to recruit and educate were taken over by people sent by Zhang Shan, he was so angry that he vomited blood and died.

When Liu Xingyuan was sixteen years old, Princess Nangong wanted to emulate Guantao and give her daughter to Liu Xingyuan as the Crown Princess. From then on, Liu Xingyuan did not dare to marry another woman.

But no one paid any attention to her. She went to Princess Guantao's mansion several times, but was turned away every time.

Princess Pingyang married Zhuyinhou for the second time, but was not loved by him. His favorite was Wei Zifu, who was a singer. Pingyang thought about sending Wei Zifu to the palace, but Zhuyinhou would not allow it. Since it was not his own brother who was the emperor, Pingyang was not only unable to force Zhuyinhou to death, but was also suppressed by him.

Zhang Shan disliked Pingyang and supported Wei Zifu's ascension to the throne. He adopted Wei Zifu's nephew Huo Qubing and promoted Wei Qing, allowing the uncle and nephew to expand the territory for the Han Dynasty.

Thirty years later, from south to north, from the Himalayas to Kaya, and the nearby islands all became the territory of the Han Dynasty. The people supported it. After Liu Fei's death, Liu Xingyuan ascended the throne, Zhang Shan became the queen mother, and began to vigorously develop agriculture and commerce, improve the status of merchants, establish chambers of commerce, develop maritime transport, transfer agricultural taxes to commercial taxes, and enrich the national treasury.

The Han Dynasty today is more prosperous and open than the Han Dynasty in history. It is powerful and attracts all nations to pay tribute.

Zhang Shan also became an outstanding politician, military strategist and economist in history comparable to Wu Zetian.