Huo Guang Auxiliary Government

To fight the Xiongnu and open the western region, plus his extravagant life, he liked to talk about pomp and circumstance, and also superstitiously believed in gods and goddesses, he spent a lot of manpower and material resources on building and construction for many years. For many years, he spent almost all the money and food accumulated during the reign of Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing.

In order to get money, he reused cruel officials, increased taxes and donations, and even allowed rich people to pay to buy titles and sell official positions. These people became officials, of course, to desperately scrape the people, coupled with floods and droughts, forcing the people to live a difficult life, there are a large number of peasants in various places rose against the government.

It was only in the last years of his reign that he resolved to stop using the military, and advocated improving farming tools and techniques. He even went to the land himself and made an appearance in farming, instructing the officials of the whole country to encourage farmers to increase production. In this way, the country gradually stabilized.

In 87 B.C., Emperor Wu became ill and died. The reigning Emperor Zhao was only eight years old. According to the instructions of Emperor Wu before his death, he was assisted by the great general Huo Guang.

Huo Guang took control of the court and helped Emperor Zhaoge continue his policy of rest and recuperation, reducing taxes and labor, and managing state affairs well.

However, there were some ministers in the court who saw Huo Guang as a thorn in their side and had to get rid of him.

The left general Shangguan Jie wanted to marry his six-year-old granddaughter to Emperor Zhaoge as his queen, but Huo Guang did not agree. Later, Shangguan Jie made his granddaughter the empress with the help of the emperor's sister, Princess Gai. Shangguan Jie and his son Shangguan An wanted to make one of Princess Gai's sidekicks a marquis, but Huo Guang did not comply in any way.

The father and son of Shangguan Jie and Princess Gai saw Huo Guang as a thorn in their side, and they collaborated with Liu Dan, the king of Yan, to try to frame Huo Guang.

When Emperor Zhao was fourteen years old, Huo Guang once inspected the field army (the emperor's guard army) and transferred a lieutenant to his great general's residence. They seized on these two events, forged a letter from the king of Yan, and sent one of their beloved men, posing as the king's messenger, to Emperor Zhaoge.

The letter said to the effect that when the great general Huo Guang was inspecting the feathered army, he sat on the same carriage and horse as the emperor. He also took it upon himself to call on his lieutenants. There must be a conspiracy here. I am willing to leave my fief and return to the capital to defend the emperor from the bad guys.

Emperor Zhao of Han received that zheng, read and re-read it, and set it aside.

The next day Huo Guang was about to enter the palace for a pilgrimage when he heard the news that Liu Dan, the king of Yan, had denounced him in a petition and scared him to enter the palace.

Emperor Zhao of Han ordered his chamberlain to summon Huo Guang in. As soon as Huo Guang entered, he took off his hat and fell to the ground to apologize.

Emperor Zhaoge said, "General, put on your hat, for I know that someone is trying to frame you."

Huo Guang bowed his head and said, "How did Your Majesty know?"

Emperor Zhaoge said, "Isn't it very clear? The Great General's review of the feathered army was near Chang'an, and the call of the lieutenant was a recent event, less than ten days in total. The King of Yan was far away in the north, how could he know these things? Even if he knew, he would have written a memorial and sent it to us immediately, and it would not be too late to get here. Besides, if the general wants to rebel, he doesn't need to rely on the transfer of a lieutenant. It is obvious that someone is trying to frame the general, and that King Yan's medal is a forgery."

When Huo Guang and the other ministers heard this, none of them did admire the wisdom of the young Emperor Zhaoge.

Emperor Zhaoge's face sank and he said to the ministers, "You must bring in the person who sent the fake medallion for questioning."

Fearing that their plot would be exposed if Emperor Zhaoge pursued them closely, Shangguan Jie said to Emperor Zhaoge, "Your Majesty does not need to pursue such a small matter."

From here on, Emperor Zhaoge became suspicious of Shangguan Jie's group.

Shangguan Jie and the others did not stop there, they secretly agreed to invite Huo Guang to drink, with the appearance of Princess Gai. They set up an ambush and prepared to stab Huo Guang to death while he was at the banquet, and sent someone to inform Liu Dan, the king of Yan, to ask him to come to the capital.

The king of Yan, Liu Dan, was told to come to the capital. Shangguan Jie also planned to abolish Emperor Zhaoge after killing Huo Guang and make himself emperor. The secret was leaked out to Huo Guang.

Huo Guang hastily reported to Emperor Zhaoge. Emperor Zhaoge ordered his prime minister Tian Qianqiu to send troops to arrest and execute all of Shangguan Jie's group.

The emperor died at the age of twenty-one, without any children. Huo Guang listened to the advice of others and made one of Emperor Wu's grandsons, Liu He, the king of Changyi, the emperor. Liu He was a wanderer who brought more than 200 cronies from Changyi (southeast of Juye in Shandong province) and ate, drank, and played with them every day.

When Huo Guang and his ministers discussed the matter, they wrote a joint petition and asked the empress dowager to issue an edict to abolish Liu He and establish Liu Xun, the great-grandson of Emperor Wu of Han, as Emperor Xuan of Han.