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The abortive intrigue against Ho Kuang

The only serious difficulty Ho Kuang had to face was a palace intrigue
which threatened his life and the throne itself. Emperor Chao was
Emperor Wu's youngest son. After Emperor Wu's first Heir-apparent,
Liu Chü, had been killed, his next eldest living son was Liu Tan4a, King
of Yen. Liu Tan naturally expected to be made the Heir, and asked to
resign his kingdom and come to the capital to attend upon Emperor Wu.
The latter however resented the suggestion, executed the messenger who
brought it, and later, on a legal pretext, deprived Liu Tan4a of some
territory.

When Emperor Chao had been enthroned, Liu Tan4a naturally felt
he had been cheated. To pacify him, Ho Kuang had him granted thirty
million cash and the income of thirteen thousand families. But Liu Tan4a
continued to be dissatisfied, and caused an ugly rumor to be circulated
that Emperor Chao was not an actual son of Emperor Wu. He also
made military preparations, executing those of his officials who remonstrated.
Ho Kuang heard of the matter and executed Liu Tan4a's agent,
who had circulated the rumor.

The marriage of the youthful Emperor fanned the opposition to Ho
Kuang. Closely associated with Ho Kuang in the government were Shang-kuan
Chieh and Chin Mi-ti. Ho Kuang had married two of his daughters
to the eldest sons of these two men. Chin Mi-ti died a year after Emperor
Chao came to the throne. The new Emperor's elder half-sister,
the Elder Princess of O-yi, was made the boy Emperor's nurse to care for
him in the palace. She was a widow, and fell in love with a commoner,
Ting Wai-jen. To please her, Ting Wai-jen was made her personal
attendant. Shang-kuan Chieh and his son, Shang-kuan An, were
ambitious; to secure their power, they planned to make Shang-kuan An's
young daughter, who was Ho Kuang's granddaughter, the Empress.
The Elder Princess had already taken a girl into the Palace to be Emperor
Chao's future mate; therefore Shang-kuan Chieh and his son promised
Ting Wai-jen a marquisate if he would induce the Elder Princess to have
Shang-kuan An's daughter married to the Emperor. If he were a
marquis, Ting Wai-jen would be able to marry the Elder Princess. Ho
Kuang disapproved, thinking that the girl was too young. But the Elder
Princess, being the titular mother of the Emperor, decided the matter.
The girl was summoned to the Palace and married a month later. The
Emperor was then in his twelfth year and the Empress in her sixth year.

This marriage was disapproved by later Confucians, who criticize the
ministers for lack of education and the courtiers for failing to protest
against permitting a marriage before the boy was capped.

Ho Kuang now refused to make Ting Wai-jen a marquis or even to
promote him. So Shang-kuan Chieh, his son, and the Elder Princess all
came to have grudges against Ho Kuang. The Grandee Secretary, Sang
Hung-yang, who was proud of the fiscal arrangements and government
monopolies he had founded, was smarting under the criticisms made
against him, with Ho Kuang's permission, by the common people recommended
to office, and he joined the clique opposing Ho Kuang. They
communicated with Liu Tan4a, who sent them large presents and, at their
direction, made an accusation against Ho Kuang to the Emperor. When
this accusation had no effect, the clique planned to have the Elder
Princess invite Ho Kuang to a feast at which he would be assassinated.
Thereafter Emperor Chao would be degraded and Liu Tan4a would
become emperor; or, as Shang-kuan An planned it, Liu Tan4a would be
lured to the capital, killed, and Shang-kuan Chieh would become emperor.
But a member of the Elder Princess' suite heard of the plot and Ho Kuang
was informed. Shang-kuan Chieh, his son, Sang Hung-yang, and
the other conspirators were executed; the Elder Princess and Liu Tan4a
were allowed to commit suicide. Liu Tan4a's sons were merely pardoned
and made commoners; six years later, when Emperor Hsüan came to
the throne, Ho Kuang had Liu Tan4a's two younger sons made marquises
and the elder son made a King. Henceforth Ho Kuang's power was
unchallenged.