University of Virginia Library

How Wang Mang secured the loyalty of Liu Hsin1a

Among those whose loyalty he secured was the famous scholar, Liu
Hsin1a. Even after Wang Mang usurped the throne and took away
imperial and royal honors from the Liu clan, Liu Hsin still remained loyal,
until just before Wang Mang's death, when the mounting resentment
against Wang Mang, together with an astrological portent and a prophecy,
led Liu Hsin finally to head an abortive rebellion (cf. 99 C: 22b-24a).
The fact that an outstanding member of the imperial clan and a famous
Confucian scholar should have become one of Wang Mang's most loyal
supporters and highest officials is so remarkable that it is worth while
studying the means by which Wang Mang secured this man's loyalty.

During the reign of Emperor Ch'eng (in 28-25 B.C.), Liu Hsin1a had
been ordered to assist his father, Liu Hsiang4a, in cataloging the imperial
private library. Emissaries were sent about the country to collect
ancient manuscripts, and people were encouraged to present their books
to the imperial library. Thus there was gathered the magnificent imperial
collection, whose catalog, extracted from that published by Liu
Hsin, is to be found in HS ch. 30, the "Treatise on Arts and Literature."

In the course of this study, Liu Hsin came upon some books that had
previously been neglected, particularly the Tso-chuan and some writings
in ancient characters said to have been discovered about 150 B.C., when
tearing down the wall of Confucius' house. These writings were said to
have been presented to Emperor Wu about 100 B.C. by K'ung An-kuo.
The ancient writings secured then or at other times included some 39
chapters of the lost Book of Rites (i.e., part of the present Chou-li), and
16 chapters of the Book of History. As a good Confucian, who esteemed
everything that came from the ancient Chou period, Liu Hsin was deeply
impressed, especially by the Tso-chuan. It was in the form of a commentary
upon the Spring and Autumn, which latter was thought to have
been compiled by Confucius. (The Tso-chuan, according to Maspero
and Karlgren, actually dates from the end of the iv century B.C. It
has been dated in Han times, but I see no adequate evidence for that
dating. There are however doubtless minor interpolations datable in
Han times, such as the data for the ancestry of Emperor Kao; cf. HFHD I,
148, n.1.) Tso Ch'iu-ming, its reputed author, is mentioned in the
Analects; Liu Hsin1a argued, with a young man's enthusiasm, that Tso
Ch'iu-ming had talked personally with Confucius, so that his commentary

on the Spring and Autumn should be elevated to a place above those by
Kung-yang and Ku-liang, which had previously been the only authorized
commentaries, for the latter authors had not known Confucius in person,
hence were not so likely to have transmitted his conceptions. Liu Hsin
sought out those persons who knew the traditional explanation of the
Tso-chuan, studied with them, and made new discoveries by comparing
its text with that of the Spring and Autumn. His father, Liu Hsiang,
was however an adherent of the orthodox Ku-liang Commentary, and remained
unimpressed by Liu Hsin's arguments.

In his youth, Wang Mang had known Liu Hsin, as he had known every
other person of any consequence in the capital. The two had been associated
when they were Gentlemen at the Yellow Gate, and Wang Mang
had been impressed by the scholar. When Emperor Ai came to the
throne, Wang Mang recommended Liu Hsin to the new Emperor. He
was given some honorary positions and asked to complete his father's
work in the imperial private library. Liu Hsin now proposed to set up
the books he esteemed as authoritative Confucian books for study in the
Imperial University, i.e., as authoritative Classics: the Tso-chuan, the
Mao text of the Book of Odes (the one now extant), the Chou-li, and
the ancient text chapters from the Book of History. When this matter
was presented to the Erudits, who were the professors in the Imperial
University, they opposed the innovation, and did not even deign to
discuss the matter. Liu Hsin felt the cut deeply, and sent a letter to the
court, reproaching the Erudits bitterly. They resented his words, one
eminent scholar even asking to resign. One of the three highest ministers,
a Confucian scholar, was so enraged that Emperor Ai had to intervene
in order to protect Liu Hsin. The latter left the court in order to save
his life and spent the remainder of Emperor Ai's reign in disgrace as an
administrator of distant commanderies.

When Wang Mang came to power after the death of Emperor Ai, he
recalled Liu Hsin and gave him an honorary position at the capital.
Wang Mang then granted what Liu Hsin had been fighting for—the
establishment of the Tso-chuan, the Mao text of the Odes, the Chou-li,
and the ancient text of the Book of History as authoritative subjects for
study at the Imperial University and for the civil service examinations
(88: 25b, 26a). Thus Liu Hsin became attached to Wang Mang through
his Confucian loyalties. Wang Mang made him his Hsi-and-Ho, which
was Wang Mang's title for the state treasurer, and had him build a
Ming-t'ang and a Pi-yung, two Confucian ceremonial buildings. Thereupon
he was made a marquis and was put in charge of divination, fixed

the calendar, and wrote out his famous San-t'ung astronomical theory.
He became an influential advisor of Wang Mang, recommending the
Confucian precedents that guided Wang Mang's conduct. He fixed the
new regulations for officials' marriages, burials, betrothments, etc. Thus
Wang Mang really gave Liu Hsin the opportunity to do his life's work
and rewarded him with high office and great honors. In addition, the
Confucian doctrine of the five elements, which had become accepted in
part through the efforts of Liu Hsin's father, plainly pointed to Wang
Mang as the next emperor. It is hence not surprising that when Wang
Mang usurped the throne, Liu Hsin should have continued to be loyal.

Most of the influential Confucians were likewise loyal to Wang Mang,
because the latter had shown himself loyal to Confucian principles. He
not only erected Confucian ceremonial buildings, he also enlarged the
Imperial University, increasing the number of authorized classics and
establishing five Erudits for each classic. Ten thousand houses were
erected for its students, a thousand students and teachers were appointed,
a market-place and government granary were established for this new
town. Each year, a hundred of its best graduates were taken into the
government service by competitive examination. In A.D. 4, Wang Mang
also summoned to the capital all the teachers of the empire who had as
many as eleven pupils, all those who could teach and explain ancient
books on the classics, astronomy, divination, revelations, music, the
calendar, military arts, and philology. Thus he gathered thousands of
the most learned men in the empire, collected and supported them at the
imperial palace, and made use of their learning. In the previous summer,
he had ordered the establishment of public schools in commanderies,
prefectures, districts, and even in villages; now he probably sent most of
these teachers to the government schools. Thus he gathered thousands
of the empire's scholars, collected and supported them at the imperial
palace, and then gave them government positions. In this way he attached
to himself practically the entire body of learned people in the
empire. Wang Mang thus invented the method, used so effectively by
the Ch'ing and other dynasties, of reconciling learned people to a new
ruler or dynasty by giving them scholarly employment in government
enterprises.

After Wang Mang took the throne, he continued to honor Liu Hsin,
finally making him the State Master, one of the four greatest ministers,
and ennobling him as a Duke. Liu Hsin recommended to Wang Mang,
as models for government, various practises mentioned in the Chou-li and
elsewhere in Confucian tradition, and Wang Mang adopted these Confucian

precedents. Many of his famous economic reforms came about
in this manner. Wang Mang married his son and heir to Liu Hsin's
daughter. In these ways, Wang Mang bound Liu Hsin to him by the
greatest honors and the closest possible ties. Only when these ties were
broken by Wang Mang himself, did Liu Hsin think of rebelling. Liu
Hsin was Wang Mang's guide and advisor in Confucian matters. Liu
Hsin thus owed his fame, his opportunity, and his fortune to Wang Mang.
Under the circumstances, he could hardly have been otherwise than loyal
to such a benefactor.