Empress Deng of the Eastern Han Dynasty (8 1-12 1), a female politician in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was named Sui, a new savage in Nanyang (now Xinye, Henan Province), and was the granddaughter of Deng Yu, the teacher of Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty. Yu is a famous family in Nanyang and a great hero in the early years of the Eastern Han Dynasty. His father, Deng Xun, used to be a captain to protect the Qiang nationality, and his mother was the cousin of Yin Lihua, the second queen of the Eastern Han Dynasty. childhood

Deng Sui was filial and caring since childhood. At the age of six, he read history books. At the age of twelve, he read The Book of Songs and The Analects of Confucius and often discussed with his brothers. She didn't like learning to do housework, so she was scolded by her mother many times. According to the traditional view that men and women are different, her mother thinks that the most important thing for girls is only women workers, so she has to study classics at night besides women workers during the day, while her father supports her study and thinks that she can surpass his other sons.

Although girls like Deng Sui are used to reading classics and history books, they are often not praised, but this should be a common phenomenon in aristocratic families who attach importance to family studies in the Eastern Han Dynasty. She has been so interested in reading classic history and other activities that are considered as men since she was a child. Deng Sui's performance had an impact.

From nobility to queen

Deng Sui was elected to the palace at the age of 15 (95). Because of his outstanding appearance, he was promoted to nobility the next year. After she entered the palace, she was very humble to the empress dowager. For example, at the banquet, all the concubines wore gorgeous clothes, only she wore plain clothes without any decoration, and the color of the clothes was different from that of the Empress Dowager. In addition, when she saw the emperor, she dared not sit side by side with the empress dowager, walked humbly and dared not speak in front of the empress dowager; When Empress Dowager Cixi was alienated, she often excused herself from being summoned by the emperor. But also because she was so cautious and obedient, she was favored by the emperor. Although she is a noble and deeply loved, she is still only the concubine of the emperor, and her status is far from that of the queen. She must humble herself to avoid being envied. However, her increasing favor still made Queen Yin greatly worried and jealous, and tried to hurt her many times. For example, once the emperor was seriously ill, Queen Yin came to power and began to expect to kill the Deng family. Fortunately, Deng's family escaped after she recovered from illness with the emperor.

In the 14th year of Yongyuan (102), Queen Yin was deposed by the emperor because the defendant practiced witchcraft. He Di favored the Deng family and thought she was virtuous, so he named her queen. After Deng Sui became a queen, she gradually took part in politics because of her knowledge and talent.

Ruling queen

The death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty in the first year of Yuan Xing (105) made Empress Deng enter the center of political power. As early as when she was a nobleman, she often chose talents for Di Zi because of mutual destruction, hoping to broaden her heirs; Many children born after Emperor Yong were secretly raised by the people. Although this is for the heir of the Liu family, it also provides Deng with the opportunity to support the new emperor and his mother to take power. After He Di's death, although Queen Deng had no children, she was welcomed back to the throne as the youngest son of He Di, and was raised by the people. She was 100 years old. After Deng Di was honored as the Empress Dowager, she obeyed the court because Shang Di was young. She has repeatedly issued a document in the name of the Queen Mother, calling herself me; Therefore, although she said in the imperial edict that she was only "authorized to assist and listen to politics", in fact she has become the de facto leader of the country. ? Deng Sui was less than one year old, and Shang Emperor died. Empress Dowager Deng and her elder brother rode general Deng Zhi. On the grounds that Wang Sheng, the eldest son of Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty, was ill, Liu Hu, the grandson of Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty at the age of 13, was first regarded as the heir of Emperor Xian of Han Dynasty, and then he was made emperor, which was a tribute to the Han Dynasty. This arrangement of setting up a nephew instead of a son has aroused the dissatisfaction of some ministers, such as Sikong Zhouzhang, who tried to establish a plain in Sheng Wang, but failed to commit suicide. After Andi ascended the throne, Empress Dowager Deng continued to visit the DPRK until her death, regent 16 years.

Although Empress Deng is a woman, she studied the history of Confucian classics since she was a child and was educated in Ban Zhao when she was in the harem. Later, she often read them, so she was quite familiar with the treatment techniques, and her rule was very successful in many ways. In the harem, when she abandoned other concubines, she was very fond of the other nobles of the emperor. In the palace, she practiced frugality, so she refused to be a ceremonial temple official, avoided sending many imperial envoys, and reduced various expenses such as food, clothing, banquets and entertainment. Smart observation in prison can often get rid of grievances; Academically, besides being very eager to learn, Empress Deng also tried her best to reward academics. She once called scholars in Dongguan to proofread biographies. In employing people, Empress Dowager Cixi and Deng Zhi quoted many celebrities such as Yang Zhen. During his regency, there was constant chaos in Qiang and natural disasters, which led to thieves everywhere and people in distress. Every time there is a disaster, Empress Dowager Deng saves herself from disaster.

Although she has political ability, as a woman, she is not convenient to show her face at any time, so she often needs some personal help in the harem. She employs many of her brothers. First, I took my brother Deng Zhi as an assistant to ride a general, and then I was promoted to general. She often stays in the forbidden school and often discusses with her if she has major problems. Other brothers, such as Deng Yan, Deng Hong and Deng Chang, also held important positions and became assistants to Empress Dowager Deng's rule.

Although Empress Deng reused her consorts, she realized that it was necessary to manage them and make them obey the law. She once told all the officials around the capital not to take a vacation because of Deng's mistake. Later, Empress Dowager Deng also ordered some royal children to open schools with Deng's children, teach scriptures and supervise them personally, hoping that the children would not be too comfortable. And Deng Zhi and other consorts are also modest and thrifty, winning glory for the country, so consorts have not become a disaster.

In addition to consorts, Empress Dowager Deng also used many eunuchs, such as Cai Lun and others, to pass on internal and external news with them, and rarely met the minister directly. Although there was no chaos in the official palace at that time, their power gradually increased, which had a bad influence on politics in the late Eastern Han Dynasty.

Opposing women are in power.

Although Queen Deng has ruling ability and her style is self-righteous, according to the tradition of China, she belongs to a woman who shouldn't "cure chickens before they are too late", and she repeatedly uses her personal friends. In addition, Andi is getting older and has already grown up, but the Queen Mother's delay in abdicating has not only made some ministers dissatisfied, but even some Deng's family feel scared and uneasy.

For example, at that time, there were many natural disasters, and many people attached importance to those who had disasters, believing that it was caused by the queen mother's regency; For another example, Dugan and Cheng both wrote that they hoped that the older Andi would lead the government, but the Queen Mother not only refused to listen, so Dugan was culled in the temple, but survived his death and Cheng was convicted. However, Tang Kang, the cousin of the Empress Dowager, is worried that the Empress Dowager will stay in the palace for a long time. First, she advised the empress dowager to respect public office and damage private rights. The empress dowager was unhappy and avoided Deng Kangguan.

It can be seen from the dissatisfaction and fear of courtiers and even their own families about Queen Deng's administration that at that time, regardless of the queen's regency ability, the queen's regency was still controversial. Even if it is implemented, it can only be considered as a stopgap measure, because the emperor is too young to listen to politics. So when Andy is an adult and can lead the government, but the power is still in the hands of Empress Dowager Deng, there will be so much dissatisfaction.

It is precisely because of the accumulation of so much resentment that after her death in the second year of Yongning (12 1), when Andi finally got pro-government, the Deng family was quickly falsely accused, and the Deng brothers and others committed suicide one after another. After Andi overthrew his consorts, the politics of the Eastern Han Dynasty began to decline.

Palace gate resentment

As soon as Deng Sui entered the palace, he won the admiration of everyone with his stunning appearance. Slim and graceful, delicate skin, thick hair, wide eyebrows, slightly parted nose, eyes shining with intelligence, slightly pale cheeks slightly pink, revealing a bit of seductive charm. Standing there, dignified and beautiful, graceful and on cloud nine.

At this time, the Han and Emperor were seventeen or eighteen years old, prosperous in the Spring and Autumn Period, and the customs were solved early. As soon as I saw Deng Sui, I was immediately impressed by her beautiful appearance and deeply loved. In the eighth year of Yongyuan (96), Deng Sui was made a noble, lived in the Guardian Palace, and became the highest-ranking concubine below the Queen. As a result, Deng Sui was jealous of Empress Yin.

And the Emperor's Yin Empress is the great-granddaughter of Yin Shi and the younger brother of Yin Lihua, the Empress of Emperor Guangwu. Theoretically, she and Deng Sui are cousins, one generation lower than Deng Sui. Empress Yin entered the palace in the 4th year of Yongyuan (92). She is very popular because she is good at calligraphy and smart, and she is also a relative of Queen Yin. Soon after she was made a nobleman, she was made a queen. After Deng Sui entered the palace, the status of Empress Yin was threatened and challenged. The so-called "love for pets has declined slightly, and there is also a lot of hatred." At this moment, Deng Sui is "respectful and cautious", but he is not arrogant. She is well aware of the delicacy of life in the palace and often condescends to other concubines to comfort them. Even as a slave in the palace, Deng Sui is a kind person, never domineering. So up and down in the palace, Deng Sui is quite praised.

Deng Sui, who is in charge of the Yin Empress, shivers at night and is cautious, for fear of being caught by the Yin Empress with a slight negligence, which will lead to great disaster. Every time there is a big banquet in the palace, the concubines and nobles of the Sixth Palace compete to decorate with heavy makeup and bright hair, while Deng Sui wears plain makeup alone and sweeps his eyebrows lightly. If your clothes are occasionally the same color as your vulva, change them immediately to avoid arousing the suspicion of your vulva. On weekdays, whenever she and the Empress Dowager met with the Emperor, Deng Sui always stood by and did not dare to sit down. If you meet the Yin Queen, Deng Sui will bow down and stand erect, so that the Yin Queen can start first and never keep pace with the Yin Queen to show humility. Before the emperor, whenever asked, Deng Sui always lingered over and over again, never saying a word before opening his mouth in the shadow. After a long time, He Di also saw what happened. Knowing Deng Sui's humility to Empress Dowager Cixi, he couldn't help but say with deep feelings: "Xiu De's labor is probably like Deng Sui!" Deng Sui's humility won He Di's appreciation, and he visited Deng Sui more and more frequently. In this way, the queen mother was left out and alienated, and her inner jealousy became stronger and stronger, so that she was uncharacteristic about He Di. Every time he and the emperor came to the Long Autumn Palace where she lived, Empress Yin said that she was ill and didn't make out with the emperor. At this time, she and Deng Sui had no children, and several princes born in the harem died unfortunately. Clever Deng Sui, considering that the emperor's heirs were not wide, often cried and sighed, and repeatedly chose a virtuous person to go to the palace, hoping to give birth to a dragon seed for the emperor in order to win the favor of He Di. Over time, He Di thought that Deng Sui was more human than Empress Yin and considerate of the Han family everywhere, so he spoke highly of her. On one occasion, Deng Sui was ill, and the emperor specially ordered Deng Sui's mother and younger brother to take care of the decoctions in the palace to show his favor, and there was no limit to the number of days. According to the palace ban system of the Han Dynasty, this is indeed a special grace. Deng Sui knew this, but declined politely. She said to the emperor, "The palace is the most important place where the son of heaven lives. It is against the sacred system and etiquette to keep my concubine away from home for a long time. Although this is the emperor's special kindness, in this way, your majesty will be laughed at by relatives and private people, and my concubine will be vilified by dissatisfaction. I really don't want to come to this. Your majesty will not abandon my humble quality, even if I die, I will cry in the grave. " Hearing this, he couldn't help saying to Deng Sui in an appreciative tone: "Others are proud of being able to let their families into the palace many times, but you are worried and deeply restrained. It's amazing! " ? Empress Yin of Deng Sui was angry when she saw that Deng Sui's fame was getting bigger and bigger and worse. Seeing that she was weak, she wanted to use witchcraft to curse Deng Sui. It also happened that in the summer of the 13th year of Yongyuan (10 1), Hedi was critically ill. Empress Yin thought that once the emperor fell, Deng Sui would be like duckweed in the water, and it would be a piece of cake to rely on it again. She once said maliciously in private: "When I come out, I must let Deng taste my strength and see that I don't behead." Deng Sui was very popular in the palace, so someone secretly told her these words, hoping that she would be prepared. Deng Sui was surprised. She knew very well that the emperor was dying and his life was so weak, but except for the queen, the Sixth Palace was not allowed to inquire about him except when the emperor summoned him. If anything happens to the emperor and there is no heir, it is not impossible for Queen Yin to follow the example of Queen Zhang Didou and commit suicide. At that time, even if you have the ability to reach the sky, you will not escape bad luck. She burst into tears at the thought. She said to the people around her, "I treat the queen wholeheartedly." Instead of being blessed, it is really a sin from heaven. Although women's folk had no consciousness of death, when Zhou Wuwang fell ill, Duke Zhou asked him to die. King Zhao of Chu was ill, and Yue Ji prayed for peace with her death. History is clear and is a model for generations to come. Now that the emperor is seriously ill, I should follow the example of the sages and martyrs and beg the emperor to be peaceful with my death. Although I die today, I can report to Emperor Long En, which can solve the family disaster, and I will not let the Yin Queen be arrogant and make me suffer from the' human embarrassment' of Miracle in those years. " Deng Sui made up his mind to drink medicine and died. Imperial secretary Zhao Yu hurriedly dissuaded him and lived in a hurry. She lied to Deng Sui and said, "A messenger just came and said that the emperor has recovered." Deng Sui turned grief into joy and gave up the idea of suicide.

What a lucky coincidence. The next day, he and the emperor recovered. And the emperor learned that Deng Sui was forced to die, so they sympathized with her and became more and more thankful for her.

As time went on, the story of Queen Yin's dark magic reached the ears of the emperor. This kind of witchcraft was very popular in the Han Dynasty and was strictly forbidden by the court. Many people died because of this move. In the summer of the 14th year of Yongyuan (102), Emperor He ordered an investigation into the witchcraft of Empress Yin and her grandmother Deng Zhu. Soon, Empress Yin was abolished, moved to Tonggong, and finally died of fear.

When Empress Yin offended, Deng Sui interceded for her. Although the emperor didn't approve her request, she was moved by her tolerance and generosity. Deng Sui's reputation in one's hand and in one's hand, both inside and outside the palace, is not small. Deng Sui was never complacent when he heard the praise. Instead, he repeatedly claimed that he was ill, saying that his illness was very serious and trying to reduce unnecessary social intercourse. Her "seclusion" is deliberately avoiding the scene of praising her.

In the winter of the 14th year of Yongyuan, the courtiers said: The vacant position of Changqiu Palace (Empress) should be filled by virtuous people. And the emperor chose Deng Sui without thinking. He said: "The queen's respect, with me, inherits the ancestral temple and is the mother of the world. Can we despise it? I think it is most appropriate for Deng Guiren to be crowned in the harem, and the sage is called the world. " Deng Sui listened to, hurriedly on hydrophobic said to resign. Despite her repeated refusal, the discussion was decided. On the solstice of this winter, Deng Sui was made queen.

Just after paying homage to the Queen, He Di received a chapter written by Deng Sui himself. Deng Sui sincerely expressed his "virtuous" in the table, which is not enough to be the choice of "Jun", and once again showed his humility and courtesy.

After the feud in the harem, Deng Sui became more and more mature politically.

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Tianxiamu

After Deng Sui ascended the queen's throne, she remained modest and easy-going, never proud, and lived frugally without any indulgence. Deng Sui banned all the rare things that were paid by counties and countries, and only provided some paper and ink at the end of the year. Moreover, the emperor wanted to reward Deng's in-laws as a rule, but Deng Sui refused repeatedly and politely. Deng Sui's brother Deng Zhi was only the commander of a samurai army when he lived in peace with the emperor.

In the first year of Yuanxing (105), He Di died of illness at the age of 27. Liu Sheng, the eldest son of Pingyuan, is the oldest in Wang Zizhong, but he suffers from a serious illness. Dozens of other princes died one after another, and only the youngest son, Liu Longcai, was born one hundred days ago and was still in infancy. Therefore, Deng Sui, who was only 25 years old, had to shoulder the heavy responsibility of supporting the overall situation of the imperial court. She was the first person to decide the successor and establish Liu Long, and was known as Shang Emperor in history. As the empress dowager, she calls herself "I" and has actual power.

After Deng Sui's imperial edict, he granted amnesty to the whole world. She pardoned criminals imprisoned during the period of the founding of Wu (), and even the deposed Empress Ma, Dou and Zhang were pardoned as civilians. Deng Sui also advocated Dehua. For temple officials set up in various places, in the name of ghosts and gods being difficult to levy and offering sacrifices without blessing, those who do not receive gifts will all strike. She also advocated frugality and reduced the use of royal clothes in the palace. Anyone who is not recommended as a mausoleum temple will not use rice and pork; Eating only one meat dish in the morning and evening is not extravagant. This regulation alone saves tens of millions of dollars every year in the palace. She also reduced her contribution to the DPRK by more than half. Rent reduction and exemption for those who suffer from natural disasters in counties. All the eagles and dogs used for entertainment in Shanglinyuan were sold, and the weapons specially supplied by Shu and Guanghan counties were equipped with swords, and the tribute was also ordered to stop. All kinds of luxurious decorations in the palace have also been cancelled. Splendid decorations, ice sculptures, exotic flowers and grasses, gold and silver, pearls and jade, rhinoceros elephants, tortoise shells, sculptures and other decorations in the palace, squares, weaving rooms and other institutions are prohibited and cannot be made any more. The rice noodles and firewood stored in the Palace Museum are all omitted. For ladies-in-waiting, Deng Sui personally watched it again, releasing five or six hundred people at a time. These measures formulated by Deng Sui made the court thrifty, and she was deeply loved by the people. Five baht copper coins in the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Deng Sui's insight and prestige are also fully reflected in some specific little things. It is said that when he and Seer died, someone took advantage of the chaos in the palace to hide a big pearl. Deng Sui believes that if a confession is extracted by torture, it may be forced to confess and implicate the innocent. So, she called the relevant personnel together, carefully observed the words and deeds, and scanned everyone with a mean method. Those who hid pearls were guilty, which was even more forced by Deng Sui's prestige. At that time, they voluntarily admitted and kowtowed and confessed. Soon, Ji Cheng, his favorite Sandy, was accused of publishing witchcraft. After Ji Cheng was taken to Ye Ting for interrogation, he confessed and the case was decided. Deng Sui felt something strange. Ji Cheng was beside the first emperor and was very kind to him. There are no bad words on weekdays. The first emperor died. How did Ji Cheng cast this spell? Seemingly unreasonable, there must be a reason. So, Deng Sui personally review. Sure enough, Ji Cheng was wronged by all the charioteers. Deng Sui presided over justice for Ji Cheng, and everyone was impressed and praised Deng Sui's wisdom. Emperor Gaozu Deng Sui died less than a year after he ascended the throne. Deng Sui and his brother Deng Zhi agreed to establish Liu Hu, the emperor's brother and the son of Qinghe Wang Liuqing. In this way, 13-year-old Liu Hu became the emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Han 'an Emperor. Deng Sui once again took orders from the government as the empress dowager. She felt that the country had suffered a lot (and the death of the emperor and the Shang emperor), and the people must be very distressed by the heavy labor, so she ordered that the scale of the construction of the Shang emperor Kangling and other projects should be "reduced by one tenth."

Since Deng Sui was declared to the imperial court twice, Deng Zhi began to be valued, and Deng Sui's brothers often lived in the Forbidden City. In the first year of the Shang Emperor Yanping (106), Deng Zhi was appointed as the general of chariots and horses and the third department of rites. The establishment of Yitong Third Division began with Deng Zhi.

The rise of Deng's consorts is an inevitable product of the politics of the Eastern Han Dynasty. During the Eastern Han Dynasty, when the Empress Dowager knew about state affairs, she invited her consorts to participate in confidential affairs and entrusted them with important tasks. After all, for the empress dowager, the relatives of the maiden's family can be trusted completely. According to the Records of the History of the Later Han Dynasty, throughout the Eastern Han Dynasty, "the imperial power was unified, and the power belonged to women. Four emperors (An, Zhi, Huan and Ling) stood outside, and six emperors (Zhang Di Dou Hou, He Hou, Yan Hou, Hou Liang and Huan Di Dou Hou) came to the DPRK, so it was uncertain. But during Deng Sui's visit to North Korea, he can learn from historical experience and restrain his consorts. In the first year of Emperor Andi's Yong Chu (107), she gave Li Si, He Nanyin and Nanyang prefect an imperial edict: "Every time I visit the foreign guests of the previous generation, it is under the guise of authority, and it is lawless and cannot be punished according to law. General Deng Zhi, who is riding a motorcycle now, has the ambition to respect and obey, but his family is vast and there are many in-laws. It is inevitable that some people are cunning, don't care, and commit more constitutional prohibitions. You should strictly examine, act according to law, and do not tolerate shielding. "You know, since the establishment of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, a captain from Li Si has been responsible for public security around the capital, especially for picketing the offenders in the county near the capital; During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Henan Yin was in charge of Kyoto affairs because his official position was in Luoyang. Nanyang County is the birthplace of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu and the hometown of Empress Dowager Cixi Deng Sui. There are strong families everywhere. Deng Sui specially instructed a captain, Henan Yin and Nanyang Taishou to strictly enforce the law and severely punish treachery, which is very obvious. In fact, Deng Sui never gave loans to illegal relatives. Deng Zhi and others are also humble and law-abiding under the strict requirements of Deng Sui. Deng Feng, the son of Deng Zhi, wrote a letter to Zhang Xiaosheng, recommending the doctor to join the cabinet, which involved asking for help. On another occasion, Ren Shang, a corps commander who gave several good horses to Deng Feng, was taken to Tingwei yamen for trial for stealing and embezzling rations. Deng Feng surrendered himself to Deng Zhi for fear that the horse thief would be exposed. Hearing this, Deng Zhi did not hesitate to shave his wife and son Deng Feng into baldness (punishment) for fear that Queen Deng Sui would be punished, and took them to Deng Sui to apologize.

In Deng Sui's view, it is to ensure that consorts live forever. She always remembered the lesson that Dou Jiande's consorts were punished when Zhang was in office, and took it as a warning. In the history of the Eastern Han Dynasty, the Deng family was almost the most precious consort. The history books say that "twenty-nine people waited on the throne, two people, thirteen people below the general, fourteen people among the two thousand stones, twenty-two people in the school, forty-eight people in the state shepherd and county magistrate, and countless servants, generals, doctors, lang and worshippers". It is precisely because of Deng Sui's emphasis on "checking the clan" that clan members can be restrained, which is called "living quietly behind closed doors". In fact, this is the genius of Deng Sui. She relies heavily on her spouse, but she is not marginalized to prevent being taken hostage. In order to select people of insight and stabilize the rule, Deng Sui also wrote many times to recommend sages. His brother Deng Zhi and others understand the meaning of Deng Sui. In order to show their loyalty to the royal family, they also recommended world celebrities He, Li He and Tao Dun. At that time, it was listed as the imperial court, and at the same time, it set up a shogunate for Yang Zhen and Zhu Chonghe Chenchan. Deng Zhi, like Deng Sui, advocates frugality, does not abuse power for personal gain, and has also won a good reputation.

During Deng Sui's pro-Korea period of more than ten years, floods, droughts and locusts broke out one after another, and the surrounding ethnic minorities invaded constantly, and thieves were everywhere. Natural and man-made disasters are undoubtedly a severe test for Deng Sui. Faced with the challenge, Deng Sui, with her wisdom and talent, took effective measures, brainstormed, targeted and methodically handled everything. Whenever she heard that someone was starving to death, she stayed up all night and cut down on her diet. She also sent officials to patrol the four sides to help the people, persuade farmers and mulberry, and comfort the people all over the world. Due to her diligence, the social economy of the Eastern Han Dynasty was still able to recover after serious natural disasters, which is known in history as "the world is back to peace and the times are still full". She adopted the suggestions of Seo Woo and others, and changed from defending to attacking, first quelling the riots in Xiqiang, and then appeasing, gradually calming the border disputes around the country and maintaining the relative stability of the border.

In the second year of Yongchuan (108), there was a severe drought in Beijing. Deng Sui went to Luoyang Temple to review the prisoners and the unjust prison. A condemned man actually didn't kill anyone, but falsely accused himself of extorting a confession by torture. Seeing Empress Deng Sui, he wanted to take the opportunity to complain, and the jailer was around, but he dared not expect anything. When he was about to be taken down, he looked up and stared at Deng Sui closely, as if he had something to say. When Deng Sui knew this, he ordered the prisoner to be taken back for interrogation. As a result, this person is really wronged. Deng Sui then released him and put Luoyang, who was in charge of the case, in prison to make amends. When Deng Sui finished the case, the sun was shining and the sky was suddenly overcast. On the way back to the palace, the capital had to have a shower after a long drought. Later, during the drought, Deng Sui personally went to Luoyang Temple to review prisoners, try unjust imprisonment and rectify the judiciary, which played a positive role in the stability of social order. Although faced with heavy military affairs every day, Deng Sui attached great importance to the study of Confucian classics and history and educated the world. As early as the beginning of entering the palace, she accompanied Cao Dajia, a well-read woman (that is, Ban Zhao, the sister of Ban Gu, the author of Hanshu), to study classics, astronomy and arithmetic. Now she takes the lead in reading, setting an example for the palace and forming a reading atmosphere in the palace. She often asks Cao for advice.

In the fourth year of Yongchuan (1 10), Deng Sui's mother was seriously ill and took care of her own affairs. Mother died, and she was very sad. Deng Zhi wrote a letter, asking to go home to mourn for his mother. Deng Sui had intended to let him stay and continue to be in power, but Cao advised her to let Deng Zhi return to his hometown for mourning, which would not only be in the name of filial piety, but also win a modest reputation. Deng Sui listened to the advice and made Deng Zhi go back to his hometown and stay at his mother's grave for mourning.

Deng Sui listened to politics in the imperial court during the day, handled state affairs, and studied classics at night, tirelessly. Later, she found many mistakes and omissions in the book, and she was afraid of being a good judge. She specially selected more than 50 scholars such as Serina Liu and Dr. Liang Shi to collate the Five Classics and school history in Dongguan, and appointed eunuch Cai Lun to be in charge. This Cai Lun has made great contributions to the progress of papermaking. Because of Deng Sui's favor, he was named Long Tinghou, hence the name "Cai Hou Paper". When he was writing a book, Deng Sui called the minister Yu Dongguan's palace to study the classics, and the people in the palace studied it day and night. Deng Sui also attaches great importance to the education of future generations. In the sixth year of Yuan Dynasty (1 19), she founded the official school to teach Confucian classics, and specially recruited more than 40 children of the emperor's younger brother Jibei Wang and Hejian Wang, and more than 30 children of Deng's close relatives. Sometimes, she even tries it in prison. Regarding this practice, she once said to her cousins, such as He Nanyin and Deng Kang, a captain: "The reason why I recruited a group of children and set up an official school is because I inherited the disadvantages of the previous generation, which was superficial, skillful and false, and lacked five classics. If we don't strengthen guidance, customs will become thinner and thinner, and people's hearts will be difficult to teach, especially in families where nobles eat and eat. They are careless and ignorant of good and evil, and often get into trouble and lose like a mountain. Therefore, we should educate our children and grandchildren with morality and let them know that they are bound and do not violate the national law. Hope? Deng Sui, you know what I mean. "

In the fifth year of the Yuan Dynasty (1 18), Hou wrote to Andi, thinking that a note should be given to Deng Sui according to the imperial system: "The queen mother is virtuous in the posture of a great sage, and her concubine (and) is the queen, and her husband (and) wife (Wu) is the queen. Being in the inner court, wandering in the world. ..... mighty industry, audible but unreachable; You can recite the honor, but you can't call the roll. There was no author like Empress Dowager Cixi in ancient times. It is necessary to make notes on it according to the old Han canon, so that the queen mother can make endless achievements. " Since there is such a motion in the court, of course I can't refuse it. This incident reflects that Deng Sui's power and position have been very stable.

During this period, Deng Sui made full use of his power and created a big stage for himself to display his talents. Some ministers suggested that Andi had grown up and the empress dowager should be the emperor. Deng Sui basically dismisses these people, and puts them to death in serious cases. As a result, the doctor Dugan was put into a big bag by Deng Sui, culled outside the temple, and then left outside the city. Who knows that Dugan's life should not be unique, but he gradually wakes up. When Deng Sui was sent to autopsy, he had to pretend to be dead for three days, so that maggots were born in his eyes. Dugan narrowly escaped death and later became a bartender. Deng Sui didn't dare to show up until his death. Cousin Deng Kang was scared when she saw that she had been in politics for a long time. She gently advised her to follow everyone's advice and return to the government. After being rejected by Deng Sui, Deng Kang shirked his illness and stopped going to court. Deng Sui sent a maid in the palace to inquire about the truth. This maid is a slave of Deng Kang's family. After seeing Deng Kang, she was disdainful and rude and was reprimanded by Deng Kang. After returning to the palace, she reported to Deng Sui that Deng Kang pretended to be ill and was rude to the Queen Mother. Deng Sui dismissed Deng Kang from his post and moved him out of his clan. At this point, Deng Sui still firmly holds the power of state affairs. It seems that the magic of power is equally effective for her.

As early as the autumn of the third year of Andiyong (109), Deng Sui suffered from a serious illness. At that time, people around prayed for her and wished to die on behalf of the Queen Mother. Deng Sui was very unhappy, and ordered the court to order that only the following people can pray, and don't say ominous words. Soon, her body recovered.

In the second year of Yongning (12 1), Deng Sui's physical condition became worse and worse, and he often coughed all night. In February, the condition became more and more serious. Deng Sui knew that he was going to die soon, but he still insisted on taking the imperial chariot to meet the court officials and ministers, and went to the new palace just renovated by Bao Huangguan. When she came back, she pardoned the world and issued an imperial decree: "I have no virtue and the sky is not beautiful, so I will go with the emperor." On the occasion of Yanping (the year of Shang emperor), there was no owner in the sea, and the country unified and the people moved, which was in danger of accumulating eggs. Although I have to go to the DPRK, I am diligent and painstaking, and I dare not take pleasure in it. I always thought that I would not bully the world, be worthy of my first emperor and live up to my old wish. Sincerely help the people and protect Liu. I thought I was blessed by nature, but I was saddened by the double loss of internal and external disasters, the premature aging of two emperors and the eternal violation of my mother. Now I am sick and stagnant, and I can't wait on the shrine for a long time. Ever since I paid a reluctant visit to Dean Yuan Ling (Guangwu Emperor Liu Xiuling), I have been coughing day and night, and I often have hemoptysis. Life and death are determined by fate, and there is nothing to do. I am willing to be loyal to the court, loyal. "Deng Sui announced his illness to the people all over the world, and thought of the great events of the imperial court, indicating that the political outlook of the Eastern Han Dynasty during this period was still in a very normal state.

In March of that year, Deng Sui, 4 1 year-old, could not afford to get sick. After Deng Sui's death, he was buried in Shunling, Queen posthumous title. According to the ancient obituary law, "meritorious service makes people happy" just sums up her diligent life for the Han Dynasty.

Although Queen Deng has ruling ability and her style is self-righteous, according to the tradition of China, she belongs to a woman who should not "cure chickens before they are too late", and she repeatedly uses her personal friends. In addition, Andi is getting older and has already grown up, but the Queen Mother's delay in abdicating has not only made some ministers dissatisfied, but even some Deng's family feel scared and uneasy.

For example, at that time, there were many natural disasters, and many people attached importance to those who had disasters, believing that it was caused by the queen mother's regency; For another example, Dugan and Cheng both wrote that they hoped that the older Andi would lead the government, but the Queen Mother not only refused to listen, so Dugan was culled in the temple, but survived his death and Cheng was convicted. However, Tang Kang, the cousin of the Empress Dowager, is worried that the Empress Dowager will stay in the palace for a long time. First, she advised the empress dowager to respect public office and damage private rights. The empress dowager was unhappy and avoided Deng Kangguan.

It can be seen from the dissatisfaction and fear of courtiers and even their own families about Queen Deng's administration that at that time, regardless of the queen's regency ability, the queen's regency was still controversial. Even if it is implemented, it can only be considered as a stopgap measure, because the emperor is too young to listen to politics. So when Andy is an adult and can lead the government, but the power is still in the hands of Empress Dowager Deng, there will be so much dissatisfaction.

There are countless fierce and calculating emperors in history. Compared with Kangxi, Qianlong was as bad as Kangxi, but he made progress without China. On the contrary, it has regressed, but the chief Kangxi is more diligent than Ganlong.