Wang Feng's autocratic power was seen by Wang Shang, Wang Zhang saw it, and Liu Ao realized it directly and personally. After Shi Xian's fall, Liu Ao appointed Liu Xiang.
The Wang family was granted the title of five marquises in one day, and these marquises all controlled key departments. Liu Xiang was very worried. Liu Xiang knew that he couldn't defeat Wang Feng, so he could only "collect natural disasters" from all over the place and make innuendoes in Liu Ao's ears. Liu Xiang had a son named Liu Xin. Liu Xin was extremely intelligent and a well-known child prodigy. He was deeply loved by Liu Ao and was appointed as a regular attendant to accompany the emperor at all times.
One time, Liu Ao wanted to appoint officials, but his attendants asked Liu Ao to ask Wang Feng for instructions first. Obviously, this meant that Wang Feng had more power than the emperor. After this small incident, Liu Ao knew that Wang Feng had placed eyes and ears around him, and he felt sulky in his heart, but he also had some concerns. However, what made Liu Ao even more angry was that Wang Feng openly expelled his beloved brother Liu Kang. Liu Ao was in poor health and had poor fertility. By the first year of Yangshuo (24 BC), the twenty-nine-year-old Liu Ao still had no son. Liu Ao liked Liu Kang, and Wang Zhengjun did not interfere with the friendship between the two brothers. When Liu Kang came to court, Liu Ao was ill in bed, leaving Liu Kang to accompany him. Seeing how Liu Ao treated Liu Kang, everyone knew that Liu Ao intended to pass the throne to Liu Kang.
Wang Feng, who pretended to be stupid, told Liu Ao that according to national regulations, Liu Kang's pilgrimage period had expired and he should be sent back to his fiefdom. Liu Ao disagreed and insisted on Liu Kang accompanying him. Wang Feng used the solar eclipse to scare Liu Ao, saying that Liu Kang's delay in leaving would anger God. Just when Liu Ao was speechless, Wang Zhang's memorial arrived in his hands.
After reading Wang Zhang's memorial, Liu Ao was very happy and summoned Wang Zhang. Wang Zhang told Liu Ao that Wang Feng must be fired. Liu Ao also wanted to fire Wang Feng. However, if Wang Feng resigned, who would manage government affairs? Liu Ao was weak and sick, so he couldn't do it without a powerful figure to manage government affairs on his behalf. Seeing Liu Ao's hesitation, Wang Zhang recommended Feng Yewang to succeed Wang Feng.
Feng Yewang, courtesy name Junqing, his father is Feng Fengshi. King Feng Ye was proficient in the Book of Songs. When Liu Shi was still the prince, King Feng Ye became the prince's bastard by virtue of his father's relationship. Despite his family background, Feng Yewang had a rough life and was depressed because several powerful figures continued to suppress him. After Liu Xun became emperor, he saw that King Feng Ye was very talented and ambitious, so he wanted to promote him. Prime Minister Wei only said that the promotion was inappropriate, and King Feng Ye spent half his life in depression. Faced with indifference, Feng Yewang did not lose heart and worked diligently. His political achievements are convincing. Liu Shi saw a vacancy in the imperial censorship and wanted to promote him, but Shi Xian said no, so King Feng Ye sat on the bench for several more years.
Shi Xian obstructed King Feng Ye because King Feng Ye was not only talented, but also a relative; the most fatal thing was that King Feng Ye's brother offended Shi Xian. King Feng Ye's sister is Liu Shi's wife. If King Feng Ye is promoted, Shi Xian is afraid that power will fall into King Feng Ye's hands. No, Liu Shi listened to Shi Xian. After King Feng Ye heard this, he looked up to the sky and sighed, saying that everyone was noble because of their relatives, but their brothers were devalued because of this.
After Liu Ao became emperor, Feng Yewang's treatment became even more miserable. Some people say that King Feng Ye is the uncle of the country and is not suitable to be an official in the court and should be transferred to another place. Liu Ao believed the slander and appointed King Feng Ye to be the county governor. Feng Yewang, a talented person, suffered several severe frosts one after another, and the flame of life could no longer shine.
Since ancient times, whenever there is a conspiracy, one must be very careful. The conversation between Liu Ao and Wang Zhang is extremely confidential. It's a pity that there is no airtight wall in the world, not to mention that Wang Feng has already placed an informant around Liu Ao, namely Wang Feng's cousin, the well-behaved and incompetent Wang Yin. After Wang Yin stole the secret, he immediately reported it to Wang Feng. Wang Feng couldn't stand the big shock. When he heard that he was going to be dismissed, he panicked and showed no demeanor like a great Sima. When success or failure was hanging by a thread, Du Qin used his talents as a counselor and successfully saved Wang Feng's career without spending a single soldier, so that several Wang's descendants continued to imitate him.
Du Qin's family background is very strong. His father is Du Yannian and his grandfather is Du Zhou. Although Du Qin was talented and had a good family background, he was born without an eye. As a result, he could not join the officialdom and had to work under Wang Feng's family to make suggestions. Du Qin was Wang Feng's man, but he knew enough was enough and never killed everyone. He was not as vicious as Wang Feng. Du Qin asked Wang Feng to resign due to illness and request to return to his fiefdom. At the same time, he wrote a sad, depressing and tearful letter to Wang Zhengjun. Du Qin wanted Wang Zhengjun to speak out. Liu Ao was filial and would naturally obey Wang Zhengjun. If Wang Zhengjun comes forward, Wang Feng will definitely be able to keep his official position and escape unscathed.
As expected, Liu Ao's whole person changed when he came out of the Queen Mother's Palace. He turned his spear and flew a sharp arrow towards Wang Zhang's door. Wang Zhengjun didn't say anything serious to Liu Ao, because Liu Ao was like a woman, knowing what to do just by looking at the other person's eyes. Liu Ao was incompetent, and Wang Zhang could only accept his fate. Some people impeached Wang Zhang, saying that King Feng Ye was obviously not suitable to serve as an official in the central government, and Wang Zhang deliberately recommended him with ulterior motives.
It is necessary to strike while the iron is hot, so Tingwei immediately arrested Wang Zhang and secretly executed him in prison. Under the crushing power of power, Wang Zhang could not punish Wang Feng. After Wang Zhang died, King Feng Ye was frightened. He wrote a letter saying that he was ill and retired, and ran back to his hometown to escape. King Feng Ye was not involved in this matter and was only recommended as Grand Sima. However, he was so scared that he forgot the Han Dynasty's regulations that people who were on duty to recuperate could not leave the place where they were official.
Seizing the excuse that King Feng Ye ran home while working to recuperate, Wang Feng ordered Yushi Zhongcheng to impeach King Feng Ye. Du Qin advised Wang Feng not to bully others too much, but Wang Feng insisted on going his own way. In the end, King Feng Ye was dismissed and Wang Feng succeeded. However, Wang Feng paid a heavy price because more and more people opposed him. After King Feng Ye was dismissed, Chang'an spread the news that Wang Zhang had been unjustly killed. Wang Zhang died in prison. Even if he died of illness, Wang Feng, the mastermind behind it, could not escape his involvement. People in Chang'an were furious and demanded that the cause of Wang Zhang's death be found out and made known to the world.
Faced with the emotional rumors, Wang Feng was afraid and no longer arrogant. Du Qin was able to predict the future, so he naturally knew the way to rescue him. Du Qin asked Wang Feng to recruit people from all over the world who were outspoken and able to give advice in the name of Da Sima, thus showing that Wang Feng was a person who could accommodate people who dared to give advice. Everyone in the world believed that Wang Zhang was killed because he spoke out and remonstrated. Du Qin's move was like setting up a altar in Chang'an City to arrange a fog to prevent ordinary people from seeing the truth, and easily resolve Wang Feng's predicament.
In the first year of Emperor Jingning of the Yuan Dynasty (33 BC), Wang Yin was awarded the title of Yushi Dafu because of his meritorious service in "finding out information". Wang Feng likes Wang Yin. On the one hand, Wang Yin knows how to please, and on the other hand, Wang Yin has great power and will not recruit or provoke people. For Wang Feng, Wang Yin is not the best successor, but he is not the worst either.
In the third year of Emperor Yangshuo's reign (22 BC), Wang Feng, who had been rampant for a while, fell. Before his death, Wang Feng entrusted Wang Yin to Liu Ao and asked Wang Yin to serve as the Grand Sima. Liu Ao wanted to let Ping'ahou Wang Tan succeed him in order of age, but Wang Feng resolutely refused. Wang Feng said that the other Wang family's children had bad conduct and only indulged in extravagance and enjoyment, and could not take up the post of Grand Sima. This is indeed the case. Since being granted the title of Marquis, the Wang family's children have been extravagant and even competed with each other for wealth, which made everyone look at them angrily. If other children are allowed to take over as Chief Sima, not only will they not be able to keep their positions, but they will incur criticism and arouse public outrage. Of course, Ping'a Wang Wang Tan and Wang Feng didn't get along, which was why Wang Feng promoted Wang Yin in an unusual way.
On August 24, Wang Feng finally passed away. On September 2, Liu Ao made Wang Yin the Grand Sima and also the Chariot and Cavalry General.
Wang Feng, who dominated the government and the public, passed away, but did the Wang family's exclusive power end because of Wang Feng's death?
