Liu Xiu himself is a person who loves Confucianism. As soon as the court proceedings were over, I often talked with the minister of civil and military affairs about the truth in Confucian classics and didn't go to bed until midnight. Liu Xiu sometimes personally presided over and ruled the debate between the Confucian classics of modern literature and the Confucian classics of ancient literature. Since the pacification of Xiao Wei and Gongsun Shu, Liu Xiu has never talked about military issues unless there is an emergency.
In order to adapt to the fundamental need of changing from taking the world to defending the world, Liu Xiu gradually changed the quality and structure of the official team, and ordered most of the heroes who were promoted by military exploits in the war to hand over their power, go home and pamper themselves and replace them with literati positions. Liu Xiu also made great efforts to reduce the establishment of the government and officials. Since Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, he has greatly expanded, merged the government and reduced the number of officials, thus greatly saving expenses and reducing the burden on the people.
Liu Xiu often shows a gorgeous, generous and modest appearance. In AD 29, Xiao Wei, the regime of Longyou separatist regime, received surrender letters from Gongsun Shu and Liu Xiu respectively. Hesitant, he sent his general Ma Yuan from Gongsun Shu to Chengdu and Liu Xiu to Luoyang. When Ma Yuan arrived in Chengdu, Gongsun Shu was heavily guarded when he saw him. When he arrived in Luoyang, Liu Xiu met Ma Yuan, but he didn't bring a cushion, just dressed in plain clothes and met Ma Yuan alone. As soon as he saw Ma Yuan, he smiled and said, "You know a lot by traveling between two emperors. I am deeply ashamed to see you today. " Seeing Liu Xiu's modesty, Ma Yuan immediately kowtowed and said, "In today's situation, not only the monarch is choosing his liegeman, but also the liegeman is choosing the monarch. I'm coming from far away now, and your majesty didn't even meet me with a guard, so you don't have to be careful that I'm a spy assassin? " Liu Xiu said with a smile, "You won't be an assassin, just a lobbyist." Ma Yuan was persuaded. He persuaded Xiao Wei to join Liu Xiu when he got back. Xiao Wei wouldn't listen, so he got off the bus and turned himself in.
Taiyuan County (Jinyang, south of Dayuan City) has many descendants of the State of Jin in the Spring and Autumn Period. They often remain hostile to the new rulers and refuse to give in. So in the era of Liu Xiu, O 'Hara was still called "the land of difficulties". Liu Xiu treated them generously and modestly, which soon convinced them.
After ruling the country with judo, Liu Xiu promulgated some laws in favor of handmaiden. He has issued nine orders to release handmaiden and forbid hurting handmaiden. After that, he ordered many times to exempt people from being common people, reduce taxes and corvees, distribute relief funds, build water conservancy projects, and reduce more than 400 counties, streamline officials, save expenses, curb strongmen and consolidate centralization.
In order to strengthen the imperial power, Liu Xiu also issued divination to deify the imperial power. He didn't believe this at first, but later he found that it was really a "magic weapon" to support and maintain his rule, so he vigorously promoted it and announced in his later years that he would use it as a legal tool for ideological rule.
During Liu Xiu's reign, he never indulged in luxury. He doesn't like drinking, listening to music and holding pearls and jade in his hand. After Liu Xiu acceded to the throne, only the queen and nobles had titles, and the treatment of nobles was only a few dozen fights. In addition, there are beautiful women, officials and talented women, all of whom have no rank and no prescribed treatment. When Liu Xiu was alive, he wanted to build a mausoleum. He specifically told the ground not to be too big and not to build high graves, as long as there is no water in low-lying places. In the future, I will not be buried with precious pearls like Emperor Wen of Han Dynasty.
Liu Xiu often takes a calm and sometimes even disgusting attitude towards courtiers' praise and flattery, and praises some upright officials. On one occasion, Liu Xiu went out hunting and didn't come back until late at night. He wanted to enter the city from the northeast gate of Luoyang, but the doorman refused to open the door. Liu Xiu had no choice but to turn to the East Gate and enter the city. The next day, Lu wrote to criticize, was rewarded with cloth 100, and was demoted to Dongmen as Dengfeng County Commandant. But Liu Xiu is an emperor after all, and can't tolerate anything that harms his dignity. Big Stuart Han Xin, outspoken, Liu Xiu often dissatisfied with him. At a court meeting, Han Xin quoted a lot of facts to prove that there would be famine and unrest, and his words were fierce and imaginative. Liu Xiuqi, whose self-esteem was hurt, was so angry that he immediately dismissed Han Xin's official. After Han Xin returned home, Liu Xiu was still very angry and sent a letter to condemn him. After his dismissal, the emperor condemned him, meaning that he would be sentenced to death. As a result, Han Xin and her son Han Ying were forced to commit suicide.
Liu Xiu has some constraints on the excessive behavior instructed, and can generally treat it rationally. Liu Xiu's elder sister, Princess Huyang's servant, was murdered in broad daylight and hid in the princess's house, so officials could not catch her. Dong Xuan, the magistrate of Luoyang County, can't enter the princess's house to search, so he sends someone to guard the princess's house every day, just waiting for the murderer to come out. I heard that the princess was going out of Xiamen, and the murderer followed her. After Dong Xuan got the news, he personally stopped Princess Huyang's car with the leader. Princess Huyang thought that Dong Xuan had violated her dignity, so she lowered her face and said, "What a bold Luoyang Order! How dare you stop my horses and chariots? " Undaunted, Dong Xuan told the chief to arrest the murderer and execute him on the spot, regardless of the princess's obstruction. The princess immediately returned to the palace to report to Liu Xiu, who was furious and immediately called Dong Xuan into the palace, and ordered the chamberlain to beat Dong Xuan in front of Princess Huyang, trying to calm things down for the princess.
Dong Xuan said, "Don't hit me yet, let me say something. When I am finished, I would rather die. " Liu Xiu said, "What do you want to say?" Dong Xuan said: "Your Majesty is the emperor of ZTE, so you should pay attention to laws and regulations. Now that your majesty has let the princess indulge her slaves in killing people, can she still rule the world? There is no need to fight, I will commit suicide. "
Say that finish, he stood up and ran into the post. Liu Xiu quickly ordered the attendants to hold him, and Dong Xuan was already bleeding. Liu Xiu hurriedly wanted to be embraced by Xiao Dajian. Let him kowtow to the princess to calm down. Dong Xuanjian never knocks at the door. Liu Xiu needs someone to knock according to Bo Jiang. Dong Xuan puts his hands on the ground and finally doesn't bow his head. Knowing that Emperor Guangwu of Han Dynasty didn't want to punish Dong Xuan, the minister said loudly, "If you go back to your majesty, Dong Xuan's neck is too hard to hold back." Liu Xiu had to smile and give an order: "Get this stiff neck out!" Princess Huyang said discontentedly, "When your majesty was a civilian, he also took in fugitives and people who committed capital crimes. Officials dare not come to our house to search. Since I am the son of heaven, why can't I deal with Xiao Luoyang? " Liu Xiu said with a smile: "This is the difference between the son of heaven and ordinary people." Liu Xiu rewarded Dong Xuan and gave him the good name of an "injunction" (meaning a strong county magistrate who refused to bow his head).
In 57 AD, Liu Xiu, a martial arts master, finally died of illness.