Ma Huanghou (AD 39 -79), a mingde in the Eastern Han Dynasty, was the youngest daughter of Ma Yuan, a general of Fubo, and was born in Maoling, Fufeng (now southeast of Xingping, Shaanxi). Ma Yuan is not only a great star, but also a legendary figure and a well-deserved wise man. Among the three most powerful forces at that time, Wei Xiao, a separatist regime in Longxi, was his fellow countryman, trusted him immensely, and obeyed, while Gongsun Shu, who occupied Shu, was his classmate, and he was also very attentive, promising to be crowned king. But he thought that neither of them would become a climate, so he went to Liu Xiu, a stranger. When Liu Xiu first met him, he was very modest and said, "Your wandering between two emperors made me feel ashamed to see you.". Ma Yuan said a word that surprised and admired future generations. He said: At present, it is not only the monarch who chooses his ministers, but also the ministers who choose him. This is a bit unorthodox and very modern. There are many famous articles and famous sentences in Ma Yuan that have been passed down to later generations. For example, if a husband is ambitious, he will be healthy when he is poor, and when he is healthy when he is old, a man will die in the border field and they died with their boots on will be buried. It's all his words that inspire himself, and his Book of Commandments for Sons and Nephews is a treasure book of dealing with people. However, although Ma Yuan was a wise man, he was good at making a living before he died. In his later years, he offended Liang Song, the son-in-law of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu. At that time, Ma Yuan was favored by Emperor Guangwu, and Liang Song could only hold a grudge. When Ma Yuan went to Wuxi for the last time, he died in the army because of miasma. Guangwudi sent Liang Song to lead the army, and Liang Song took the opportunity to frame Ma Yuan in every possible way. Guangwudi was very angry and took away the marquis and official seal of Ma Yuan, and all the treatment he should give was cancelled.
When the nobles in Beijing saw Ma's downfall, they took the opportunity to bully Ma's family. Ma Yuan's nephew Ma Yan defiantly wrote to Emperor Guangwu, asking Ma Yuan's daughter to enter the palace as the princess, hoping to revitalize the Ma family in this way. Emperor Guangwu may still be thinking about Ma Yuan's old love, so he chose Ma Yuan's little daughter to enter the womb, which was the later Empress Mingde. When Ma Yuan just died, Ma Yuan's youngest son died soon because he missed his father. Ma Yuan's wife is in a trance again because she misses her youngest son. Ma Yuan's ten-year-old daughter? The later Ma Huanghou? She began to deal with housework. She commanded the servants and consulted them both inside and outside. Like an adult, the neighbors were all amazed. In 52 AD, the thirteen-year-old girl was elected to the palace of Prince Liu Zhuang. Liu Zhuang was born to Queen Yin Lihua and won the favor of Emperor Guangwu. After she entered the palace, she served the Empress Yin with care, and her every move met the requirements of feudal etiquette. She was amiable and got along very well with everyone in the palace. Therefore, it won the love of the Yin Queen. In 57 AD, Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu passed away, and Prince Liu Zhuang was the emperor? That is, Emperor Han Ming? , sealing her as a noble. In 6 AD, ministers jointly played, please establish a queen.
Ming Di went to ask the Empress Dowager Yin Lihua, and the Empress Dowager said, "Ma Gui-ren is a man.". Ma Huanghou inherited his father's wisdom and skills in dealing with people, and finally stood out from the bitter harem. After she became a queen, she remained diligent, respectful and frugal, and her clothes were simple. She liked reading. When she was free, she read books such as Yi, Chunqiu, Songs of the South and Rites of Rites, and her favorite ones were Zhou Guan and Zhou Li. She didn't give birth to a son, which was the biggest regret in ancient times, because the mother was expensive with her son, and it was difficult to hold the position of queen without giving birth to a prince. At that time, Jia Shi, the daughter of one of her half-sisters, was also elected to the womb and gave birth to a prince. Ming Di asked Ma Huanghou to raise the prince as his own son. Ma Huanghou devoted himself to raising the prince, which was even harder than his own. Because the prince doesn't know that Ma Huanghou is not his own mother, there is no gap between mother and child, just like their own.
in 7 ad, Liu Ying, the king of Chu (Ming Di's half-brother), attempted a rebellion. After the incident failed, Ming Di could not bear to be executed according to the law, but only deposed the baron of Liu Ying and moved to Jingxian County, Danyang County? This belongs to Anhui? Liu Ying committed suicide in Danyang. Although Liu Ying died, the case was not over. Ming Di thought that some villains encouraged the King of Chu to rebel, so he ordered the investigation of henchmen. The relevant departments carried out Ming Di's will and tortured people severely. However, those who were arrested were punished. As a result, there were more and more people in the prison, and the case was reviewed for several years without results. Countless people have been implicated, and thousands of officials have been imprisoned and sentenced to exile. Some ministers in honest and frank also remonstrated with the Emperor, but Ming Di didn't listen. Ma Huanghou was very worried when he knew that most of the arrested people were wronged. One day, when Ming Di returned to the palace, she took the opportunity to advise the Ming Emperor and asked Ming Di not to expand the case indefinitely, looking sad. Ming Di was deeply moved, couldn't sleep in the middle of the night, and repeatedly missed Ma Huanghou's words. After that, many people were released, and the case was quickly closed. Ma Huanghou's exhortation saved many families from extinction.
Ming Di knows from this incident that Ma Huanghou is very talented in handling state affairs. Sometimes, when Ming Di meets something that is difficult for ministers or ministers to decide at court, he goes back to the harem and tries to let Ma Huanghou solve it. Ma Huanghou made an in-depth analysis of things for him and put forward solutions, and Ming Di always listened. From then on, when Ma Huanghou served beside Ming Di, he helped him deal with state affairs, making up for many defects in state affairs. But she never mentioned her family, so she was respected by Ming Di.
In 75 AD, Ming Di died, and Prince Liu Ju ascended the throne as Emperor Zhang of Han Dynasty, and Ma Huanghou was also honored as the Empress Dowager. Ming Di's new funeral, the queen mother's younger brothers, Ma Liao, Ma Fang and Ma Guang, thought they were royalty, regardless of state laws and regulations, and broke into the palace to mourn. Yang Ren, the guard guarding the official gate, obeyed the order and refused to let anyone in. Ma Liao and others complained to Emperor Zhang afterwards, saying that the guard Yang Ren was arrogant and dared to be so rude to his uncle. After Emperor Zhang told Matthew about this matter, the Queen Mother was not angry, but praised Yang Ren for not enforcing the law and avoiding the powerful. This is the loyal minister of the country. Emperor Zhang promoted Yang Ren to the post of Shifang. According to the system of the Han dynasty, after the death of the emperor, the nobles moved to the Nangong. Ma Huanghou was deeply moved by parting, and each of them was given a red coat, a chariot and a horse, three thousand pieces of miscellaneous cloth, two thousand pieces of miscellaneous cloth and ten catties of gold. She wrote Ming Di's Ju Zhu herself, and cut off her brother Ma Fang's service to Ming Di medicine. Emperor Zhang said: My uncle has served medicine for my late emperor for more than a year. Not only has he not been rewarded, but even his hard work has not been recorded. Is it too much for my mother? Ma Huanghou replied: I don't want future generations to say that the first emperor reused the queen's family, so I didn't write it in.
After a year, Emperor Zhang wanted to make three uncles marquis according to the system of the Han Dynasty, and all three younger brothers after Matthew refused, and the Queen Mother did not allow it. At that time, the state affairs were in the hands of the Empress Dowager. Some ministers thought that the Empress Dowager was pretending to be modest. In order to please the Empress Dowager and her uncle, they took advantage of the drought in most parts of the country the following summer, and jointly wrote that it was because your majesty did not seal consorts that the yin and yang were out of balance. Your majesty, please, according to the traditional law of your ancestors, make your uncles princes. After Matthew saw the memorial, he was very angry and wrote a letter saying: All these people who wrote to me wanted to flatter me and seek promotion. The reasons they gave were absurd and groundless. When Xijing became emperor, the younger brothers of the Queen Mother, Wang Tan, Wang Shang, Wang Li, Wang Gen and Wang Feng, were sealed on the same day. On that day, the yellow dust was all over the sky and the fog was everywhere, and they did not hear the rain. Dou Ying and Tian Wei, consorts of Emperor Wudi, were very expensive, and they ran amok and capsized, which was well known to the world. The first emperor learned the lessons of these cases, in order to prevent the consorts from interfering in politics and not letting them be in the position of national cardinals. The fiefs of the kings were also reduced by half of the former kings. He often said,' My son should not be equal to the son of the late emperor.' Even so, why do some officials take Ma Shi to compare Yin Shi now? I am the mistress of the world, wearing coarse clothes, and I don't want to eat sweetly. My left and right attendants only wear cloth clothes, and I don't need fragrant flowers. This is frugal, in order to set an example for the world. My family doesn't understand this. Recently, when I went out and passed by my house, I saw the people who went to your uncle's house to pay their respects. The cars were like running water, the horses were like dragons, and the servants at home were all wearing extremely gorgeous clothes. I was very uncomfortable. At that time, I didn't condemn them, but after I came back, I immediately cut off the support for them, hoping that they could understand their mistakes and turn over a new leaf. But they don't think so, and they are still the same, not focusing on national affairs, and blindly pursuing enjoyment. Those who know the minister are mo ruojun, besides, they are my brothers. How can I fail to live up to the will of my ancestors, shame my ancestors' virtue, and repeat the failure of Xijing? Matthew did this not only because he was modest, but because he was afraid that his mother's family would not know how to converge when she was too powerful, and after her death, she suffered genocide like those consorts in the Western Han Dynasty. It was for her family's sincere consideration.
After reading the imperial edict, Emperor Zhang felt a little ashamed of his three uncles. Re-request to the queen mother: the Han Dynasty system, the prince's uncle sealed the Hou, just like the prince sealed the king. Although the queen mother is modest, why not let her son Garn's three uncles? Besides, my uncles are very old, and if they die one day, my son will not regret it for life. Empress Dowager understands Emperor Zhang's feelings, and further explains to Emperor Zhang: I made this decision because of the interests of both you and your uncle, and I didn't accuse you of being ungrateful to my relatives for the reputation of humility. Jingdi, Dou Taihou to seal the queen's brother, Prime Minister Zhou Yafu insisted on refusing, thinking that the high-impedance had vowed first, and those who had no military merit were not allowed to seal Hou. How can my brother be compared with the Empress of Yin and Guo Zhongxing now? I often think that those rich families, who occupy high positions and rich salaries, are trying to increase their titles and seal the land, just like trees that bear fruit again, which will inevitably hurt their foundations. Moreover, the purpose of people seeking to be sealed is nothing more than being decent when sacrificing ancestors in the above picture, and enjoying themselves in the following picture. Now, my bride's family sacrifices to the four treasures, and food and clothing are provided by the state. What is the need to be sealed by a county? My decision will not be changed. You are a filial son, so you should reassure your parents. Now the weather is abnormal, the agricultural harvest is poor, the food price is soaring, the people's life is still very difficult, and the Huns are picking fights at the border, which makes me sleepless day and night. But you regard sealing my uncle as something important. Isn't this against the loving mother's heart? I was born with a quick temper and a bad temper, so I have to go against it. If yin and yang are harmonious, the weather is smooth, the year is getting better, and the border is safe, then it is not too late to realize your wishes. Emperor Zhang saw that the queen mother insisted on this, so he had to put the matter of sealing Hou aside for the time being.
After Matthew, he insisted on thriftiness in the world. Three princes had simple clothes for horses and chariots. When the Empress Dowager learned about it, she praised it and gave each prince five million yuan. Some of her relatives are simple, modest and righteous, and she encourages them, while those who are extravagant in clothes, horses and chariots are expelled from the palace and sent home. Under her advocacy, the whole country is proud of simplicity. Later, her mother Taitai died, and the family built the tomb higher than the national system. After Matthew, he ordered Ma Liao to cut off the higher part.
In 79 AD, the whole country had a bumper harvest in agriculture, and the border was peaceful. Emperor Zhang proposed to make three uncles liehou, but the Queen Mother still resigned and the three Ma brothers refused to do so. Emperor Zhang insisted on the seal. Before the seal, the Queen Mother summoned the three brothers and advised them: When I was young and young, I always reminded myself that I didn't want to live in peace, I didn't want to eat too much, I was humble and conscientious, and I only hoped that I could manage the country well and let the people live better, so as to live up to the wishes of my former emperor. I hope that all brothers can also * * * bear this ambition, so that when they die, they will have no regrets. The three brothers accepted the Queen Mother's persuasion, and soon after being sealed, they resigned from their official positions and went home to provide for the elderly. In this year, Matthew died of illness at the age of 41. Ma Huanghou was thrifty, simple and humble all his life, knowing books and rituals, and understanding and reaching righteousness. What she did had a positive influence on the politics of Ming Di and Emperor Zhang, so she won the praise of later generations.