Author: CHUNG Yoon Ngan
Date: 05-11-04 19:48
The first Prime Minister of the Han Dynasty
Xiao He (¿½¦ó ? to 193AD) was born in Pei county (¨K¿¤) of Jiangsu province (¦¿Ä¬¬Ù). In 209BC, when Liu Bang (¼B¨¹), a petty officer in the county of Pei, organized a group of armed peasants to go against the Qin Dynasty (¯³´Â 221BC to 207BC) Xiao He was then a petty official in the Pei county administrative office. Xiao He, Cao San (±ä°Ñ) and Fan Kuai (¼ÔéD) had the county administrator officer killed and joined Liu Bang.
Liu Bang joined forces with Xiang Yu (¶µ¦Ð), who was the leader of another armed group. Xiang Yu was an offspring of Xiang Yan (¶µ¿P) a general of the State of Chu (·¡°ê) which was exterminated by the Qin Dynasty. Together, Liu Bang and Xiang Yu had the Qin Dynasty overthrown. Xiang Yu installed himself as the Conqueror of the West Chu (¦è·¡ÅQ¤ý) and appointed Liu Bang the King of Han º~¤ý or the Prince of Han. Liu Bang made Xiao He his Priemer. Xiao He was a resource and wise man full of strategems. Xiao He often offered good advice and made good suggestions to Liu Bang. Xiao He suggested to Liu Bang to use Han Xin (Áú«H) as the commder-in-chief of the army.
In 205 BC civil war broke out between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu. In 202BC Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and establish the Han Dynasty (º~´Â 206BC to 220AD). Liu Bang was crowned Emperor Gao Zu (°ª¯ª¬Ó«Ò) and he Xiao He was appointed the Prime Minister.
Since Xiao He had studied diligently well the records of the preceding Qin Empire he had a good knowledge of the topography, the conditions and customs of the people, number of households and total population of the Qin Empire aswell as many other topics regarding the country. Armed with this knowledge Xiao He made laws and regulations, enacted decrees and institutions, formulated policy and government system etc. Soon, the fledgling Han Empire consolidated its rule over the vast empire.
Seeing that Han Xin was becoming too powerful, Xiao He suggested to Emperor Gao Zu to have Han Xin arrested. Eventually, Han Xin was executed. There is a Saying about Xiao He. "¦¨¤]¿½¦ó, ±Ñ¤]¿½¦ó Cheng ye Xiao He, bai ye Xiao He or It is because of Xiao He that it has succeded. It has failed because of Xiao He".
Liu Bang died in 195BC and was succeeded by his son Liu Ying (¼B¬Õ) who was crowned Emperor Hui Di (´f«Ò¬Ó«Ò). Xiao He continued to serve as his Prime Minister until he died of old age in 193BC.
CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (¾G¥Ã¤¸)
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