Looking for Li Yu's humanity

The past is unbearable-Zhou Fu, the wife of Li Yu, Queen of Southern Tang Dynasty.

At the end of the Tang Dynasty, the warlords were king in melee. Yang Xingmi, a native of Luzhou (Hefei, Anhui), is such a mess. With natural strength and indispensable good luck, he rose from an orphan born in a peasant family to the upper class step by step, and was made a prince by Tang Zhaozong two years later (AD 902). About the second year of Yue King, Yang Xingmi captured Haozhou (Fengyang) and got all kinds of "trophies", including men and women who were sacrificed as slaves.

When reviewing the spoils, Yang Xingmi saw at a glance that among the shivering crowd, a little novice monk stood out. His clothes are not only different, but also his appearance and manners are particularly different.

Little novice monk, surnamed Li, was born in the third year of Guangqi (AD 887) and his ancestral home was Xuzhou (Xuzhou, Jiangsu). Father Li Rong, a devout Buddhist, pinned all his hopes on the Buddha's body and regarded living in a temple with a monk as a kind of enjoyment of life. He is called "Li Daozhe". After the war in Xuzhou, Li Daozhe didn't know what to do, whether to live or die, or to practice in the mountains. In desperation, Li Daozhe's wife Liu had to let her two daughters become nuns and take her son to Huainan to make a living. However, not long after arriving in Huainan, Liu, who had suffered a lot, could no longer support his illness and finally gave up.

When his parents died, Dr. Liu was only six or seven years old, so he had to join the Buddhist temple like his two sisters and become a little boy at Kaiyuan Temple in Haozhou. The monk temple lives in poverty, often goes out for alms and wanders around Sizhou and Haozhou, but finally has a home and can learn some literature and ink. Only the war resumed, but now he has become a prisoner of the prince of Wu, either in the army or as a servant. But life is always unexpected. The doctor would never have thought that there was no kindness in catching his military school. In fact, he put himself on the road of Qingyun.

When I saw Dr. Yang Xingmi, I didn't know why I felt particularly cordial. I think he looks different and he is very smart. I left him with me. Before long, Yang Xingmi became more and more fond of this child, thinking that he was much better than his own son, and simply adopted him.

Yang's sons are very dissatisfied with Yang Xingmi's undisguised preference. They won't tolerate this wild boy falling from the sky, they will embarrass him. Over time, Dr. Yang Xingmi also knew that if he stayed in this house again, something would happen sooner or later, so he had to make other plans for his adopted son and entrust it to his cronies, Xuwen.

From then on, Xu Wen had an adopted son named "Xu Zhi Patent".

God bless two years (AD 905), 54-year-old prince Yang Xingmi died of illness. His eldest son, Yang W, and his second son, Yang Longyan, were crowned King of Wu successively, while Xu Wen won a series of power struggles and became a powerful minister in charge of everything. In the 16th year of God Blessed (AD 9 17), Xu Wenqiang supported Yang Long to become a puppet. Although it is also known as the "King of Wu" in name, it has actually become a country. Xu Wen took the lead as the prime minister, supervised Chinese and foreign military affairs, and sealed the king of Donghai County. Because the eldest son Xu Zhixun died the year before last, Xu Zhimo, the adopted son who ranked second and made great contributions to Xu Jiali, was named as a left servant who was second only to his adoptive father and participated in the discussion of state affairs.

A year later, 24-year-old Yang Long died of depression. Xu Wen promoted Yang Pu, the fourth son of Yang Xingmi, as the new puppet. Xu and his son have more power. Xu Zhigao's kindness and courtesy are very popular in Wu. He also participated in almost all the power games of his adoptive father, and he was familiar with all the tricks. Therefore, after Xu Wen's death, Xu Zhimo immediately took measures to successfully hold the title of adoptive father in his own hands, and Xu Wen's own son could not even touch the edge.

After Xu Zhisheng became the minister of Wu, he first forced Yang Pu to be the emperor and made himself the "King of Qi". Then he became popular and married his daughter to Yang Lian, the king of Wu. Finally, in October of the third year of Tianzuo (AD 937), Xu Zhimo fulfilled his adoptive father's last wish, replaced him with his in-laws Yang Pu, established the State of Qi, and changed his name to "Sheng Yuan". (Poor Princess Wu became "Princess Yongxing")

After Seo Ji-Hye proclaimed himself emperor, Xu Wen's sons saw through his mind and wrote to ask him to restore his real name. After some ceremonies, Xu Zhimo regained his real name as a "doctor", claiming to be the fourth grandson of Rainbow, the son of Tang Xianzong, and built the Taizong Hall in Tang Gaozu, renamed it the Tang Dynasty, which was called "Southern Tang" in history.

In order to keep his throne, Dr. Li was mean to his two adoptive fathers, Yang Xingmi and Xu Wen's descendants. However, Nantang, as the emperor, was able to recuperate under his rule. It was not only one of the most extensive countries in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (including all of Jiangxi, most of Jiangsu and Anhui, and a small part of Fujian), but also the richest.

On the eve of Dr. Li's accession to the throne, that is, in Chinese Valentine's Day in 937 (the seventh day of the seventh lunar month), on the day of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl Queqiao Club, Dr. Li Jingtong's first wife, Zhong Shi, the eldest son of Dr. Xu Zhimo, gave birth to a boy in Jinling House. This is Jing Li's sixth son, named Jia Cong.

When Li was six years old (AD 943), his legendary grandfather Li Jue died, and his father Li Jingtong became the Emperor of the Southern Tang Dynasty and changed his name to Li Jing.

It is said that Dr. Li felt dissatisfied with his eldest son in his later years and once wanted to make another second son, Li Jingsui, a prince. But Li Jingsui said he didn't dare to cross the line, so Li had to give up. Perhaps for this reason, as soon as Li Jing acceded to the throne, he found his brothers and made a Covenant in front of his father's coffin, vowing to pass on the throne to his younger brother.

Li Jing did what he said. When he acceded to the throne (in 943 AD, the first year of Baota in Southern Tang Dynasty), he ordered to hand over government affairs to his younger brother, King Qi Jing. Four years later (AD 948, the fifth year of Baoda in Nantang), Jing Sui was officially declared as the younger brother, and another brother, Jing Da, was promoted to King of Qi and was named Marshal. Li Hongyi, the eldest son of Excavate, was promoted to prince and appointed as deputy marshal.

Some people think that Dr. Li Jing doesn't want to pass on the throne to him because he has no ambition, weak personality and loves poetry. However, judging from the performance of Li Jing after he ascended the throne, perhaps the reason is just the opposite: he is too ambitious and too smart, which is why Dr. Li Can is not at ease. A person who is not smart enough but has a steady personality as a monarch may not be able to create great achievements, but he can accumulate strength for the country in harmony. In contrast, if a smart person's smart energy is not used in the right place, it is easier to get things done than ordinary people.

Not long after Li Jing proclaimed himself emperor, he began to devote himself to expanding the territory. It wasn't long before Li Jing expanded the territory of Southern Tang Dynasty from twenty-eight states to thirty-five states. However, his achievements made him dizzy, and he began to become greedy and aggressive. At home, he was so intoxicated with praise and praise that he loved those little people. Chen Jue, Feng Yanji and others, slaves, were called "Five Ghosts" at that time, but Li Jing only regarded these five ghosts as a kind of pride, but rewarded and punished the soldiers who went out to fight to the death, causing widespread indignation and discontent. At the same time, the performance of the new king also made other countries more and more worried about the direction of the Southern Tang Dynasty. Some countries that made friends with Nantang during the period of Li Jing also began to change their attitudes, and Nantang became the target of public criticism. Zhou Shizong and Chai Rong, on the other hand, paid close attention to the humble abode and devoted themselves to disintegrating the former friends and neighbors of the Southern Tang Dynasty.

In the fifth year of Xiande at the end of the Zhou Dynasty (AD 958), Nantang was defeated by Zhou Shizong and Chai Rong. Excavate not only gave up a large area of land in the fourteen States of Huainan in the Southern Tang Dynasty, but also had to bow to the later Zhou Dynasty and become the emperor. At such a heavy price, she only got the remaining half of the country to steal peace.

What makes Li Jing unbearable is the struggle for power and interests within the royal family. Although the national situation is declining, the position of the king of a country still shines with attractive light. As he grew older, Jing Li's biological eldest son, Li Hongji, couldn't stand the fact that he had to "retire" to his uncle.

Of course, Li Hongji also has the capital to compete with the emperor's uncle. Although he is very young, he has a harsh temperament. Of course, he is better than his uncle in running the army. He has made many military achievements, and his reputation in the army is getting higher and higher.

In March of that year, Li Jingsui, the "emperor's brother" who was defeated under the wise leadership of his elder brother, could not help but hope that his nephew could save the country's fortune. He handed ten resignation letters to Li Jing in succession: "Now the country is in danger, please leave and go to town. Hong Ji, the prince of Yan, deserves to be the heir because of his military exploits. I hereby present my brother's collection. " Resolutely cede the position of Chu Jun to Li Hongji. Li Jingda also advanced and retreated with Li * * *, and also self-destructed with the retreat of the army, demanding to resign as a marshal.

Li Jing accepted the request of his two younger brothers. Li Hongji became the Crown Prince and participated in the decision-making of government affairs. Li changed the title of King Jin to General, Marshal of Military Forces on Jiangnan West Road, Governor of Hongzhou, Qiu and Shang Shuling. Li Jingda appointed Fuzhou as the governor of Runzhou.

However, Li Jing's wish of "family harmony and prosperity" has not been realized, and the development of things is beyond his expectation. The new prince Li Hongji is full of doubts about his uncle who has been in Chu Jun for ten years. As soon as he became a prince, he showed his unkind and ungrateful nature and carried out a large-scale reshuffle. Even the waiter who was used by his uncle in the East Palace will be driven away.

Probably because his father, Li Jing, once filmed "Brother and Sister", Li Hongji also had doubts about his younger brothers, fearing that they would be bad for their children and grandchildren one day. So he also sent many cronies to monitor the actions of his younger brothers. Of all the emperors, Li is the oldest and the most terrible.

According to the natural ranking, Li is the only sixth son. However, the royal family in Li Tang is responding to the old saying that "wealth is not lewd", and the child mortality rate is extremely high. By the time Li Changda arrived, he had become the de facto second son.

It's hard to say that Li looks different from ordinary people-he has a "double pupil" in one eye, that is, there are two pupils in one eye socket-which is puzzling. If it wasn't that the embryo development of Queen Zhong was defective when she was pregnant, it was probably that the prince's eyes had dark spots. However, this kind of appearance has always been relished in history books, so according to the old legend, Shun Di Yao Zhonghua is a "heavy pupil", and Xiang Yu and Wang Mang heard that there is also this difference. Although the luck of the last two emperors was not as good as that of Shun Di, they occupied a position above ten thousand people after all. Li's marriage made people angry, and the officials and people in the Southern Tang Dynasty talked about it one after another: this prince with half eyes actually married the wife of a maiden named Li and became the son-in-law of Stuart, an old minister in the Southern Tang Dynasty.

Lee certainly knows what the world is saying, and he knows more about Big Brother's methods. He was afraid of the prince's eldest brother and tried his best not to lose himself. He doesn't ask any political affairs, but he is addicted to poetry and painting. Finally, I simply learned my grandfather's demeanor, wandered among the pavilions of the pagoda, recited scriptures and meditated every day, and received three returns and five precepts, calling myself a "layman." Put on a posture of "fame and fortune are like clouds". There are many names of laymen, including An Baili laymen, Lianfeng laymen, Zhongshan laymen, Zhongfeng laymen, Zhong Yin, etc.

Since the younger brother is so available, Li Hongji can't find anything wrong at the moment. The prince was a good soldier during the war, but he couldn't settle down when he was free. He does everything in order to make trouble and put on airs. Before the prince took office for half a year, he angered Lao Tzu. Excavate reprimanded Li Hongji more than once, but he never showed any remorse. Excavate was already sulking in the last Zhou Dynasty. Seeing that her son was so unscrupulous, she was so angry that she finally couldn't help doing it herself, holding a bat and starting from Li Hongji. Call names while hitting him. Li Hongji didn't listen to a word that Lao Tzu earnestly hoped for success, but Lao Tzu shouted at him, especially Li Jing's words: "I should call Jing Sui again!" "

Jing Li's words may be subconscious, or they may just come out in a huff. But in Li Hongji's ears, the consequences are terrible.

Li Hongji immediately took the initiative to give way to his uncle as his greatest enemy (where is the emperor of the Zhou Dynasty? ), full of suspicion also immediately evolved into a full of pitfalls. No sooner had Excavate left the Prince's East Palace than Li Hongji began to plan the murder.

Li Hongji soon discovered that the son of Yuan Congfan, the special envoy of Zhaoqing Palace, had offended Li Jingsui and was almost killed by Li Jingsui. Therefore, Yuan Congfan not only has a grudge against Li Jingsui, but also has no possibility of letting go. And Yuan Congfan is with Li Jingsui at this time, serving as the "Hongzhou viceroy" under the governor of Hongzhou. Li Hongji inquired and acted immediately, and handed the task of eradicating political enemies to Yuan Congfan.

Like his brother Li Jing, Li Jingsui is keen on ball games, and he likes them whether it is cold or hot. This is still the case after arriving in Hongzhou (now Nanchang). Finally, one day, after playing the ball, he was thirsty. He picked up a cup of drink handed over by Zhang Congfan and gulped it down-it soon took effect. That night, Li Jingsui died suddenly. Although others died, the terrible effect of poison continued: before the funeral, the body began to rot. This strange situation, of course, caused panic, but Li Jing, who was in Jinling, was kept in the dark. He held a grand funeral for his younger brother without any doubt, and called him "the younger brother of Emperor Wencheng".

The funeral was held when the eight laurels bloomed. At this time, it was only one month before Li Hongji was beaten and scolded. Li Jingsui changed from an energetic star to a terrible rotting corpse in a coffin.

Li Hongji was even a little scared when he learned that his uncle had passed away, but I'm afraid he was still in a good mood. But after only a month, his own life came to an abrupt end.

How did Li Hongji die? History books only have the word "sudden death", and the truth is vague. Leave room for countless guesses. People who believe in "Emperor Saint" can be considered as Li Jing's thorough understanding of his son's handling, people who like watching martial arts can be considered as righteous and loyal ministers who avenge Li Jing, and people who are keen on fantasy can also be considered as ghosts and revenge. ...

But judging from the later situation, it is more likely that Li Hongji was exposed and cleaned up by the angry and hateful Excavate.

After his death, Li Jing made his sixth son, Li, the de facto second son, the King of Wu, and moved to the East Palace of the Prince. In fact, what Li got was the identity of an acting prince, and all he needed was a formal letter of appointment. This is of course an open secret. However, Zhong Mo, a bachelor of Hanlin, felt that the master plan was too unreliable, so he found an opportunity to persuade Li Jing that Li was young and energetic, and he was not the material to do great things at all. He should never give the country to him. To establish it, it is necessary to establish Qi Guogong and Li. Unexpectedly, excavate immediately flew into a rage-excavate so, perhaps because he learned the lesson of Li Hongji, dare not easily change the fixed post system. He hopes that Li's gentle temperament can not only avoid causing more flesh and blood, but also protect himself from a natural death.

As a result, Zhong You was not only demoted to imperial academy, but also had the opposite effect: Li was immediately officially made a prince!

Li was only twenty-three years old when he was made Prince of Southern Tang Dynasty. He didn't stay long in the position of the crown prince. Excavate was afraid of fighting again next week, and planned to move the capital from Jinling to Du Nan (Nanchang), so he left his son in Jinling to supervise the country and left with all the officials. However, Li Jing, who came to Du Nan, was seriously unaccustomed to the new environment and was ashamed to admit that he had made a big mistake. She had to bite the bullet and gain a foothold in Du Nan, and soon she died of depression.

After the death of Li Jing, 25-year-old Li succeeded to the throne in Jinling on July 29 (the second year of the Northern Song Dynasty) and was renamed Li Yu, who was called the Queen of Southern Tang Dynasty.

I'm afraid Li Hongji in the nether world never imagined it. He just cleared the way to the throne for this little brother who didn't want to see him the most. Of course, no one will know what it will be like to be king at this time.

Li Yu, the new national leader, is a gifted scholar and is recognized as "clear-sighted, good at painting and calligraphy, far beyond the ordinary flow, higher than accidental talent." However, Li Yu is not only a gifted scholar, but also a monarch of a kingdom. This is his job. Li Yu in history books always seems to know nothing about politics, but some scattered fragments make people vaguely feel the other side of this talented person.

Li Yu knows exactly what she is facing. As soon as he acceded to the throne, he immediately sent an envoy Feng to the Song Dynasty to offer a large number of tributes to the Song Emperor in exchange for Song's recognition of his inheritance.

Tribute belongs to tribute, in fact, Li Yu is unwilling to admit his status as a Song State. In his own palace, he still wears a yellow robe, and all regulations still follow the emperor's rank. He even wrote to Song Taizu Zhao Kuangyin, demanding that his father be reinstated as emperor. All these show his true psychology. Of course, he also knows very well that his country, even the strength of his own head, is far from enough to compete with the Song Dynasty, so whenever the Song envoy comes, he will take off his dragon clothes and put on a purple robe. What Li Yu did was not only to change clothes to make his mouth happy, but also to make the Song Dynasty feel uneasy about Li Yu, thinking that he "did not dare to take clothes outside and cultivate the ceremony of the princes, but recruited troops inside and prepared for war."

Many years later, I once asked Pan and Li Yu, the veteran of the Southern Tang Dynasty, is he really a dark coward? Pan replied, "He is so incompetent and ignorant, how can he defend his country for more than ten years?"

However, the reality at that time was that having the desire to return to heaven does not mean that you can return to heaven if you are strong. Li Yu is a gifted scholar with a delicate mind, but like his brother Li Hongji, he is suspicious and always uses it improperly. With the passage of time, the vigor when he just ascended the throne was gradually consumed by facts. Li Yu realized more and more that he and his country would be swallowed up by strong neighbors one day, so it was better to have fun while there was still a chance. So the ministers advised him to cheer up, but he turned a deaf ear and even put the admonisher in prison. The master who is good at this way is more and more involved in political affairs and spends more and more energy on pleasure.

Li Yu's wife, Zhou Ehuang, is the main figure who accompanies Li Yu in having fun in Jinling City.

Li Yu's wife, Zhou Ehuang, is the main figure who accompanies Li Yu in having fun in Jinling City.

Zhou Ehuang was born in 936, one year older than Li Yu. Her real name can't be verified. "E Huang" is actually just a word of hers. She was born in a family of Southern Tang Dynasty, and her father, Zhou Zong, had followed the future Southern Tang Liezu as early as the year when Xu Zhimo was appointed as the secretariat, and was an out-and-out founding hero. Zhou Ehuang married Li Yu when she was nineteen. This marriage was decided by Yuan Zong Li Jing of Nantang personally. According to records, Li Jing praised the pipa she played and specially gave her the "burning flute pipa" she used. This shows that Li Jing is very satisfied with this hand-picked daughter-in-law.

Zhou Ehuang is talented. "He is familiar with history, good at melody, and especially good at pipa", "He is not good at games and chess". All leisure and elegance are exquisite. He and Li Yu are husband and wife, playing and dancing together every day. It is said that after a snow banquet, Li Yu was invited to dance in a toast after drinking for half a week. Li Yu quipped, "If I want to dance, unless you can compose a new song for me." The following week, I sat on the bench, raised my pen, and soon composed music. It was really beautiful and moving. Li Yu kept her promise and danced for his wife's new song. Therefore, this piece was named "Inviting Drunk Dancing". Besides this song, I wrote a song "I hate being late" for Li Yu a week later. Li Yu also wrote many touching poems, such as Ah Huzhu, Huan Xi Sha, Yu Lou Chun, Midnight Song, etc., especially The Later Zhou. Both Zhou Zhou's songs and Li Yu's ci are full of beautiful scenery and show their love. What national events and dangers are forgotten in whispers.

Zhou Ehuang is not only a virtuous queen, but also a charming king. There is no trace that she once advised her husband to be diligent, but there are countless official anecdotes telling the world that her life is extremely luxurious. Legend has it that she likes to be in the fragrant wind and fog, so Li Yu set up a class for her. The incense burners she uses are all made of gold, silver and jade, including only dozens of famous utensils. How the people of Southern Tang lived outside the palace was beyond her concern. But strictly speaking, Zhou Ehuang's husband Li Yu is also more like a gifted scholar than a king. They are a perfect match for talented people and beautiful women. I'm afraid that's all I can think of when the scholar Li Jing tied the red line to the child. I never thought that fate would push this young couple who are only suitable for "money and leisure" to the position of emperor.

Almost all talented scholars in the world have the same problem. The talented women in their minds must be "gifted scholars and beautiful women". Of course, Li Yu is also inevitable. And Zhou Ehuang is not only a talented woman, but also an extremely beautiful woman. History books solemnly call her "national color", which is the level of peerless beauty. More importantly, this peerless beauty also knows how to maintain beauty and improve her appearance, and has created original makeup such as "high-bun slim skirt" and "upturned temples on her head", showing her peerless beauty and graceful figure. Everyone she meets thinks she is a fairy, and women inside and outside the palace are scrambling to follow suit. Li Yu is fascinated, of course, so Zhou Ehuang has a special room.

The direct effect of "Pets in Special Rooms" is that Zhou Ehuang has been constantly giving birth to Li Yu, and even gave birth to three sons. Seeing that her heirs are prosperous and her children are handsome and elegant, Li Yu's love for his wife is also growing steadily.

Among the three sons, Zhou Ehuang likes his youngest son Zhong Xuan best. Originally, as a queen, the work of raising children was undertaken by servants and maids, but Zhou Ehuang loved Zhong Xuan so much that she had to worry about the child's food, clothing, housing and transportation, and brought him up personally.

Like all the people in the world who are intoxicated with love and family, Li Yuhe Zhou Ehuang never thought that their marriage in the world was actually very short.

Legend has it that the end of this marriage is a sign.

There was a famous Daqu "Nishang Feather" in the prosperous Tang Dynasty. Since the split of the Tang Dynasty, no one in the world has been able to restore its melodious voice. Knowing that his wife loves melody, Li Yu managed to get the score of this Daqu at last. However, there are many variations in the spread of this kind of Daqu, and the score itself is not complete enough, so professional musicians can't make a clue. After Zhou Ehuang knew about it, he studied it and made a series of additions, deletions and adjustments. Finally, this Daqu reappeared and won the praise. However, China calligrapher Xu Xuan was surprised. He had a private conversation with musician Cao Sheng and said, "Why do the echoes of French music end so quickly now?" I'm afraid it's not a good sign to change the old spectrum like this. "

Sure enough, it was not long before the news came from the palace that Queen Zhou was ill.

Sick Zhou Ehuang moved four-year-old Zhong Xuan from his own palace to another. It was originally a kindness made by a mother to prevent her children from being affected by the disease, but she never expected that Zhong Xuan had just moved out of the queen's palace and suddenly fell ill and died a few days later.

Hearing the news of Aiko's death, sick Zhou Ehuang almost fainted. No matter the queen or the woman, the mother's heart is the same. However, most poor women who have suffered great pain can still face the same bereavement, but Zhou Ehuang, who has a successful life, can't bear it anyway. Her condition deteriorated rapidly.

According to folklore, Zhou Ehuang's illness worsened and suffered another heavy blow: she learned that her sister Zhou Xiao was having an affair with her husband. Zhou Xiao is fourteen years younger than his sister, while he is only fifteen. Li Yu always liked Zhou Ehuang, but all the concubines in the harem turned a blind eye. Somehow, she was moved by this sister-in-law and took Zhou Ehuang to the palace while she was ill. Everyone knows that Zhou Xiao is talented, but he is young and ignorant. He was not only discovered by Zhou Ehuang, but also told Zhou Ehuang that he had been in the palace for several days. Zhou Ehuang was greatly stimulated. A few days later, Aiko died again, both sides were attacked and finally passed away.

Compared with this romantic version of the story, another story is more practical: the reason why Zhou Xiao's family stayed in the palace for a few days when her sister was seriously ill was not Li Yu's work alone, but the masterpiece of the state government, which was intended to prevent other "blanks" from appearing around her son-in-law during the illness of her eldest daughter, thus avoiding the "danger" of her eldest daughter calling a spade a spade and later changing her surname. Li Yu's biological mother, Queen Zhong, never wanted her son to fall in love with her daughter-in-law, and of course she was willing to contribute to it. Li Yu is romantic and affectionate, and some traces of women except Zhou Ehuang can be seen from time to time in his early ci poems. Zhou Ehuang is ignorant. The reason why she has the reaction of "evil" and "ignoring" at this time is not because of jealousy, but because she deeply feels that her parents and family have regarded herself as a dying person.

In a word, after learning of Zhong Xuan's death, Zhou Ehuang soon became critically ill.