 | THE HISTORY OF THE FORMER HAN DYNASTY The history of the former Han dynasty |  |
Liu Ho4b's brief reign and deposition
Emperor Hsüan was not the Heir-apparent of Emperor Chao, but was
selected to be Emperor by Ho Kuang and the ministers. The actual
successor to Emperor Chao was Liu Ho4b, who was dismissed from the
throne after a reign of twenty-seven days. This episode is passed over
with a bare mention in the "Annals," since Emperor Hsüan did not
figure in it. A full account of this as well as of other matters discussed
in this introduction is to be found in the relevant "Treatises" and "Memoirs,"
which are abstracted in the glossary.
Emperor Wu had six sons, three of whom died before their father.
Liu Chü, his Heir-apparent, was killed in the insurrection caused by the
famous witchcraft and black magic case (91 B.C.). With him died all
his sons. The only descendant saved alive was an infant grandson only
a few months old, Liu Ping-yi (the future Emperor Hsüan), who had been
born of a singer and dancer slave-girl sold into the household of Liu Chü's
son. Since the babe was a grandson, he was not executed, for the Chinese
death only to the first generation of the dead man's descendants. Consequently,
the Chinese law of inculpation similarly required the execution,
in heinous crimes, of only the three sets of closest relatives (cf.
glossary, sub Three sets of relatives). The courage of Ping Chi prevented
this babe's death in the general executions that occurred after that
insurrection. By 74 B.C., when Emperor Chao died, Liu Ping-yi had
already been restored to membership in the imperial clan, from which
he had at first been excluded, and was known as the Imperial Great-grandson.
Another son of Emperor Wu, Liu Hung1a, King of Ch'i, had died in 110
B.C. without descendants. A third son, Liu Po6, King of Ch'ang-yi, had
also died before his father (89 B.C.), leaving a son, Liu Ho4b. A fourth
son of Emperor Wu, Liu Tan4a, King of Yen, had intrigued against
Emperor Chao and Ho Kuang, and had been executed (80 B.C.). A
fifth son, Liu Hsü, King of Kuang-ling, was still living. The sixth and
youngest son, Liu Fu-ling, had become Emperor Chao.
There were thus, at the time of Emperor Chao's death, only three
eligible descendants of Emperor Wu: Liu Ping-yi, Liu Ho4b, and Liu Hsü.
Liu Tan4a's three sons were then commoners, and, because of their
father's crimes, were not eligible. Liu Hsü had not proved himself a
suitable person for the throne. He had been far from decorous and had
delighted in such things as music (dancing), wandering, and feats of
strength, such as lifting weights and fighting bare-handed with bears,
boars, and other wild animals. He was passed over. Twenty years
later he was executed for murder.
The obvious choice for the throne was Liu Ho4b, and he was accordingly
invited to come and perform the funeral rites as the heir of Emperor Chao.
Liu Ho4b was then in his eighteenth or nineteenth year and had already
been King of Ch'ang-yi for twelve years. The manic-depressive insanity
that seems to have afflicted him in later years was probably
already beginning to affect him. He was expecting the message; it was
sent by fire-beacons from Ch'ang-an to Ch'ang-yi, which latter place
was located in the present southwestern Shantung. In a fit of enthusiasm,
Liu Ho4b started for the imperial capital late the same afternoon,
spurring as hard as he could, killing horses recklessly, traveling
135 li in the remainder of that day. Meat, intercourse with women,
and joyful amusements were forbidden during the period of mourning;
in his delight at being on the way to the throne, Liu Ho4b forgot all prudence
and had his slaves secure women and meat. When, forty-two
days after, he reached the capital, instead of weeping as the heir of a
palace Portal, he however performed the required prostrations.
Liu Ho4b was now given the imperial seals and the title of Emperor.
Emperor Chao's Empress (née Shang-kuan), who was a grand-daughter
of Ho Kuang, was made Empress Dowager, thus becoming the
adoptive mother of Liu Ho4b. Emperor Chao died on June 5th; Liu
Ho4b became Emperor on July 18th; Emperor Chao was buried on
July 24th. An essential feature of the coronation was the presentation
of the new Emperor in the ancestral Temple of Emperor Kao, the
founder of the line. Liu Ho4b, in his pursuit of enjoyment, postponed
this event.
Meanwhile he gave rein to his wishes like a care-free youth. He played
with the imperial seals. He gave his followers a thousand catties of
gold in order that they might secure ten wives for him. He gave elaborate
rewards to his boon companions. While the imperial coffin was
still in the Palace Hall, he had music performed. He indulged in elaborate
feasts, and did not refrain from meat, sending his followers out to
buy chickens and pork when the palace officials refused to provide them
for him. He committed fornication with the Palace Maids and threatened
death to anyone who revealed the fact. In the twenty-seven days
of his reign, he sent out messengers with credentials and edicts on 1127
missions. Officials who admonished him were warned to keep silent
or were imprisoned.
Ho Kuang was in distress at this flaunting of the dynasty's customs
and institutions, and asked his intimates what could be done. He was
reminded of the precedent set by Yi Yin, the venerated minister of
T'ang the Victorious, the founder of the Shang dynasty. Yi Yin had
imprisoned to the third year, in a place near his grandfather's tomb,
T'ai-chia, an unworthy grandson and successor of T'ang, until T'ai-chia
had repented of his wild ways. Thereupon Yi Yin had handed the rule
back to T'ai-chia. This account was part of the Confucian tradition (it is
found in Mencius V, i, vi, 5, also in the SC [Mh I, 189]), and was consequently
part of the state constitution. Ho Kuang summoned the
officials and members of his party to a conclave and explained the
situation to them. They were astounded at the proposal to dethrone
the Emperor, and did not dare to say anything, until T'ien Yen-nien
arose, pulled out his sword, and asked for permission to kill anyone who
dissented. The officials thereupon agreed unanimously.
The Empress Dowager, Ho Kuang's grand-daughter, was three or four
years younger than Liu Ho4b, but was technically his mother, so that
she could command Liu Ho4b. To lure Liu Ho4b out of the imperial quarters,
pay his court to her; when he returned to his apartments, he alone was
allowed to enter the doors; the eunuchs held the doors and kept Liu Ho4b's
followers out. These followers were arrested and imprisoned. Liu Ho4b
was summoned to the Empress Dowager. She received him in full
regalia (probably in the throne room), seated in the military tent, with
several hundred attendants bearing arms. The courtiers ascended into
the audience hall according to their proper order and Liu Ho4b was
commanded to prostrate himself and hear the proceedings. A Master
of Writing thereupon read a memorial signed by Ho Kuang and all
the important officials, which asserted that Liu Ho4b had abandoned the
rules of proper conduct and moral principles, and enumerated his misdeeds
one by one. When the reading reached the point where Liu Ho4b
was charged with fornication, the Empress Dowager said, "Stop. Could
any subject or son of mine act in so disorderly a manner as this?"
Liu Ho4b left his mat and prostrated himself while the Master of
Writing continued reading the memorial. It ended by saying that Liu
Ho4b had not yet presented himself in the Temple of Emperor Kao to
receive the imperial mandate and was not fit to continue the imperial
line nor to uphold the sacrifices in the imperial ancestral temples, so that
he should be dismissed. It begged that the proper officials should be
instructed to give information of that fact in the Temple of Emperor Kao.
The Empress Dowager assented to this memorial and Ho Kuang ordered
Liu Ho4b to arise, bow and accept the edict. Liu Ho4b protested, whereupon
Ho Kuang held Liu Ho4b's hands and took away from him his
imperial seals, the insignia of imperial authority. These he presented
to the Empress Dowager, and led Liu Ho4b down, out of the palace Hall,
out of the palace gate, and to the residence at the imperial capital for the
kings of Ch'ang-yi. Liu Ho4b was then sent back to Ch'ang-yi, where
he was given a stipend; his wealth was distributed among his daughters
and sisters and he was left without any title. Ten years later, when he
had proved to be harmless, he was made a marquis.
| THE HISTORY OF THE FORMER HAN DYNASTY The history of the former Han dynasty | |