Liu Xuan, styled Shenggong, was the cousin of Emperor Guangwu Liu Xiu. When his younger brother was killed, Shenggong recruited a group of people to seek revenge. However, this group got into trouble with the law, so Shenggong took his family and hid in Pinglin to evade the authorities' pursuit. The officials captured his son and the Zhang brothers, so Shenggong pretended to be dead and organized a grand funeral in his hometown of Chongling. Only then did the officials release his son. Shenggong then quietly ran away.
In the later years of Wang Mang's rule, there was a famine in the south, causing people to flee to the wild to dig up water chestnuts, leading to fights over food. In Xinshi, there were two men named Wang Kuang and Wang Feng who were known for getting involved in neighborhood disputes. Eventually, they were elected as leaders, gathering a following of hundreds. Later, some notorious outlaws, including Ma Wu, Wang Chang, and Cheng Dan, joined their ranks. They attacked nearby villages, took refuge in the Lulin Mountains, and within a few months, their ranks swelled to seven or eight thousand. In the second year of Di Huang, the Governor of Jingzhou sent twenty thousand troops to surround them. Wang Kuang led his forces to a decisive victory at Yundu, killing thousands of enemy soldiers and seizing all their supplies, then captured Jingling. They continued to attack Yundu and Anlu, taking many women captive, before returning to the Lulin Mountains with their numbers exceeding fifty thousand, leaving the local authorities helpless.
In the third year, a major epidemic broke out, resulting in nearly half of them perishing, which led to the group's dispersal. Wang Chang and Cheng Dan went west to Nanjun, later known as the Xiajiang Army; Wang Kuang, Wang Feng, Ma Wu, along with their subordinates Zhu Wei and Zhang Yang, went north to Nanyang, later known as the Xinshi Army; all of them declaring themselves generals. In July, Wang Kuang's forces launched an attack on Sui County but were unsuccessful. At this time, the people of Pinglin, Chen Mu and Liao Zhan, gathered more than a thousand people to lend their support, known as the Pinglin Army. Shenggong then joined Chen Mu's group and took on the role of logistics officer.
Once upon a time, Emperor Guangwu of Han and his brother Liu Boshi also raised troops from Chongling and teamed up with other forces to launch an attack. Four years later, in January, they defeated the vanguard generals Zhen Fu and Liang Qiu Ci of Wang Mang, killed them, and then proclaimed Liu Xuan as the "General of Gengshi." Despite the large number of people, there was no unified leadership, so the generals held discussions and decided to proclaim Liu Xuan as emperor. On the day of Xinsi in February, they constructed an altar on a sandy bank by the Yushui River, arranged themselves in formation, and held a grand ceremony. Liu Xuan ascended the imperial throne, sat facing south, and received the tribute of the officials. He was naturally timid and meek, and at this time he was even more ashamed and embarrassed, sweating buckets and at a loss for words. Afterwards, he declared a general amnesty and renamed the era to the first year of Gengshi. Then, he bestowed titles upon various generals, appointing his cousin Liu Liang as one of the National Elders, Wang Kuang as the Duke of Dingguo, Wang Feng as the Duke of Chengguo, Zhu Wei as the Grand Marshal, Liu Boshi as the Grand Tutor, Chen Mu as the Grand Minister of Works, and other generals as Nine Ministers and generals. In May, Liu Boshi captured Wancheng. In June, Liu Xuan took over Wancheng, appointed officials for the imperial family and generals, and over a hundred individuals were granted the title of marquises.
Liu Xuan feared Liu Bosheng's prestige, so he had him killed, and then appointed the Grand Chancellor Liu Ci as the Grand Minister. During this time, the former Marquis of Zhongwu, Liu Wang, also rebelled, occupying the area of Runan. At that time, the generals Yan You and Chen Zang, who served under Wang Mang, were defeated in the Battle of Kunyang and fled to Liu Wang. In August, Liu Wang proclaimed himself Emperor, appointing Yan You as Grand Commander and Mao as Prime Minister. Wang Mang sent the Grand Tutor Wang Kuang and the National General Ai Zhang to guard Luoyang. Liu Xuan sent Duke Wang Kuang of Shangguo to attack Luoyang, and also sent the Western General, Shentu Jian, and the Prime Minister's Attendant Li Song to attack Wuguan, causing widespread panic in the Three Regions. At this time, ambitious men from across the nation began to rise up, killing local officials and declaring themselves generals, adopting the era name of the Han Dynasty, and waiting for the imperial edict. In just a few months, this uprising spread across the nation.
In Chang'an City, there was a sudden rebellion that attacked the Weiyang Palace. In September, Gong Bin from Donghai killed Wang Mang in Jiandai, took his jade seal and imperial seal, and then delivered Wang Mang's head to Wancheng. Emperor Gengshi was seated in the Huangtang at that time, and when he saw Wang Mang's head, he exclaimed happily, "So this is Wang Mang, how can he compare to Huo Guang and the others!" Beloved Lady Han smiled and said, "If Wang Mang hadn’t acted this way, Your Majesty, how could you have gained the realm?" Emperor Gengshi was very pleased to hear this, so he hung Wang Mang's head at the gate of Wancheng to display to the public. That month, they also took Luoyang, captured Wang Kuang and Ai Zhang alive, and brought them back and executed them. In October, Emperor Gengshi sent General Liu Xin to Runan, killed Liu Wang, and also executed Yan You and Chen Mao. After that, Emperor Gengshi relocated the capital to Luoyang and appointed Liu Ci as the Prime Minister. Shentu Jian and Li Song delivered the emperor's ceremonial guards and chariots from Chang'an, and also sent the Chamberlain and other officials to welcome the emperor's relocation. In the second month of the following year, Emperor Gengshi set out from Luoyang to Chang'an. As they set out, Li Song led the way ahead, but the horses were spooked and bolted, crashing into the iron gate of the Beigong, which led to the deaths of all three horses.
At first, Wang Mang was defeated; only the Weiyang Palace had been burned, and the other palaces and houses were unharmed. Thousands of palace maids were still staying in the harem, and everything—clocks, drums, curtains, vehicles, clothes, granaries, armories, government offices, and markets—remained unchanged. After Emperor Gengshi arrived in Chang'an, he resided at Changle Palace, ascended to the main hall, and all civil and military officials were lined up in the courtyard. Emperor Gengshi felt a deep sense of shame, lowered his head and scratched the mat, not daring to look at them. A few generals arrived later, and Emperor Gengshi asked them how many prisoners they captured and how much loot they secured. The attendants on the side were all old officials who had been in the palace for a long time, and they exchanged surprised glances.
Li Song and Zhao Meng from Jiyang discussed that Emperor Gengshi should bestow royal titles on those who have made great contributions. However, Zhu Wei objected, stating that Emperor Gaozu had established a rule that only relatives of the Liu clan could be made kings. Unable to do anything about it, Emperor Gengshi first made several members of the Liu clan kings: General Liu Zhi was made King of Dingtai, Liu Ci was made King of Wan, Liu Qing was made King of Yan, Liu Xie was made King of Yuanshi, General Liu Jia was made King of Hanzhong, and Liu Xin was made King of Ruyin. He then also made Wang Kuang King of Biyang, Wang Feng King of Yicheng, Zhu Wei King of Jiaodong, Grand General Zhang Yang of the Guard King of Huaiyang, Grand General Wang Chang King of Deng, Grand General Liao Zhan King of Rang, Shentu Jian King of Pingshi, Minister Hu Yin King of Sui, Grand General Li Tong King of Xiping, Li Yi King of Wuyin, Grand General Cheng Dan King of Xiangyi, Grand Minister Chen Mu King of Yinping, Grand General Song Liao King of Yingyin, and Yin Zun King of Yan.
However, Zhu Wei declined, stating, "I am not a Liu clan relative and cannot accept such a high title." He firmly refused to accept the kingship. Consequently, Emperor Gengshi appointed him as Left Grand Marshal, appointed Liu Ci as the former Grand Marshal, and sent him, along with Li Yi, Li Tong, Wang Chang, and others, to guard the eastern region. Finally, Emperor Gengshi appointed Li Song as Prime Minister and Zhao Meng as Right Grand Marshal, entrusting them with the management of court affairs.
Emperor Gengshi appointed Zhao Meng's daughter as empress and was very fond of her, entrusting all political affairs to Zhao Meng. Every night, he would drink and revel with the empress in the palace. The ministers who wished to present matters were often too drunk to see the emperor. They had no choice but to allow the attendants to sit behind the curtain and address the emperor. Upon hearing that it was not Emperor Gengshi's voice, the generals complained, "The outcome has not been determined yet, and he is indulging himself like this!" Empress Han had a particular fondness for alcohol. Every time she drank with the emperor and saw the attendants coming to report, she would furiously exclaim, "The emperor is drinking with me, what are you doing bringing reports now!" She would then rise and crash the desk. Zhao Meng wielded absolute power, controlling matters of life and death. Some officials cautioned Zhao Meng against such indulgence, but Emperor Gengshi, in a fit of rage, executed them. From that point on, no one dared to voice their concerns. Zhao Meng secretly harbored resentment towards an attendant and summoned him to be executed. Even when Emperor Gengshi pleaded for his life, Zhao Meng remained unmoved. During this time, Li Yi and Zhu Wei were issuing commands in Shandong without authorization, while Wang Kuang and Zhang Yang were behaving tyrannically in the Sannong region. The titles they conferred were awarded to ruffians, as well as cooks and butchers, many of whom donned extravagant clothing and shouted obscenities on the streets. A saying circulated in Chang'an City: "The cook became a general; the sheep's stomach, a captain; the sheep's head, a marquis." Li Shu, the Prefect of Yuzhang, wrote a memorial offering advice:
"Now that the bandits have just been pacified and reforms have not yet been implemented, officials should be careful in selecting and employing talents. The positions of the Three Grand Officials are noble, and the responsibilities of the Nine Ministers are crucial, so Heaven should appoint capable individuals to take up these roles. Your Majesty has managed to establish a foundation, albeit with the help of the terrain of the Yangtze River and Pinglin, but this is merely a stopgap that cannot last. The system needs to be reformed, talented individuals should be chosen, and titles awarded based on merit to strengthen the nation. Currently, most of the important positions of court officials and ministers are filled by promotions from the military camps, and the prominent Shangshu positions are also filled by promotions from soldiers, village heads, and constables, yet they are expected to bear the heavy responsibility of assisting the court and maintaining order. Reputation and possessions are valued by sages. Now, entrusting these important positions to incompetent individuals, hoping they can make a difference in governance, is like looking for a needle in a haystack. The people of the world are watching, using this to speculate on the fate of the Han Dynasty. I'm not writing this out of hatred, but out of concern for the appointment mistakes made under Your Majesty's reign. Poor materials can ruin exquisite silk, which is a matter that deserves serious attention. I hope Your Majesty can learn from past mistakes and follow the example of King Wen of Zhou, a wise and virtuous monarch."
Emperor Gengshi, enraged, imprisoned the author of the Edict of the Virtuous Women. Since then, the people in the Guanzhong region have grown disheartened, and rebellions have broken out in various places. Those generals who went out to fight each appointed their own local officials, resulting in chaotic governance and confusion over authority. In December, the Red Eyebrow Army invaded the Guanzhong region.
In the first month of the third year, the people of Pingling wanted to support the former young emperor Liu Ying as their emperor. Initially, Fang Wang observed the chaos of the Xin dynasty and felt it was doomed. He said to the people of Anling, Gong Lin, and others, "The former young emperor Liu Ying is the son of Emperor Ping. Although Wang Mang usurped the throne of the Han dynasty, he had once been the emperor of the Han dynasty. Now everyone says that the Liu clan is the legitimate line and should be restored by heaven. Let's work together to accomplish something great, what do you say?" Gong Lin and the others agreed, so they found Liu Ying in Chang'an and planned to enthrone him as emperor in Linjing. They gathered thousands of people, with Fang Wang declaring himself prime minister and Gong Lin as grand marshal. Emperor Xin sent Li Song and General Su Mao to attack them, which led to the deaths of Fang Wang and Gong Lin. Emperor Xin then sent Su Mao to defend Hongnong against the Chimei army, but Su Mao's forces were defeated, suffering over a thousand casualties. In the first month, Emperor Xin sent Li Song to meet Zhu Wei, and together they fought against the Chimei army in Moxiang. However, Li Song and his troops suffered a crushing defeat, with over thirty thousand casualties.
At that time, Wang Kuang and Zhang Ang were stationed in Hedong, but were defeated by Deng Yu and fled back to Chang'an. Zhang Ang discussed with other generals, saying, "The Chimei Army is now near Zheng County and Huayin, and it looks like they are about to attack Chang'an. Right now, there are just a handful of us left in Chang'an, and we will soon be wiped out by the Chimei Army. It's better to quickly loot the riches in Chang'an and make ourselves wealthy, then scatter to different places, head back east to Nanyang, and join forces with King Wan’s army. If things go south, we can always retreat to the lakes and turn back into bandits!" Shen Tu Jian, Liao Zhan, and others also agreed with Zhang Ang, and they all persuaded Emperor Gengshi. But when Emperor Gengshi heard this, he got furious and completely dismissed them, and no one dared to speak again. Later, the Chimei Army enthroned Liu Penzi as emperor, and Emperor Gengshi stationed Wang Kuang, Chen Mu, Cheng Dan, and Zhao Meng in Xinfeng with their troops. Li Song's remnants also joined them to resist the Chimei Army. Zhang Ang, Liao Zhan, Hu Yin, and Shen Tu Jian conspired with the Grand Secretary Wei Xiao, planning to launch a coup on the day of the beginning of autumn to overthrow Emperor Gengshi. They arranged the plan well. However, an attendant named Liu Nengqing caught wind of their plot and quickly reported it to Emperor Gengshi. Emperor Gengshi pretended to be ill and then summoned Zhang Ang and the others to the palace. He originally wanted to capture them all, but Wei Xiao didn't show up. Emperor Gengshi grew suspicious and had Zhang Ang and the other three wait outside the palace first. Zhang Ang, Liao Zhan, and Hu Yin felt that something was wrong and immediately fled. Only Shen Tu Jian was still in the palace and was eventually killed by Emperor Gengshi. After Zhang Ang, Liao Zhan, and Hu Yin escaped, they immediately led troops to attack the markets on both sides of Chang'an. They set fire to the palace gates at night, rushed into the palace, and fought with Emperor Gengshi's army, which led to Emperor Gengshi's defeat. The next morning, Emperor Gengshi fled to Yuemeng in Xinfeng, taking his wife, kids, and more than a hundred carriages and horses with him.
Emperor Geng Shi suspected that Wang Kuang, Chen Mu, and Cheng Dan were in cahoots with Zhang Yang, so he summoned them to the palace. Chen Mu and Cheng Dan arrived first and were executed on the spot. Wang Kuang, out of fear for his life, led his troops into Chang'an and joined forces with Zhang Yang. Meanwhile, Li Song escaped from Emperor Geng Shi's side and, together with Zhao Meng, attacked Wang Kuang and Zhang Yang in the city. After more than a month of fighting, Wang Kuang and his crew were defeated, and Emperor Geng Shi stayed put in the city, sending Li Song out to battle. However, Li Song was defeated, losing more than two thousand troops and being captured by the Red Eyebrow Army. At that time, Li Song's brother Li Fan was the gate captain. The Red Eyebrow Army sent a messenger to say, "Open the city gate, and your brother will be spared!" When he heard this, Li Fan immediately opened the gate. In September, the Red Eyebrow Army stormed into Chang'an. Emperor Geng Shi made a solo escape on horseback, exiting through the kitchen gate. His concubines followed behind, crying out, "Your Majesty, please dismount and beg for forgiveness!" Emperor Geng Shi dismounted, bowed, and then rode off again.
Initially, the Minister Liu Gong was imprisoned in the imperial prison because the Red Eyebrow Army had proclaimed his brother Liu Penzi as emperor. Upon hearing of Emperor Geng Shi's defeat, he escaped and walked to Gaoling, where he stayed in an inn. The Assistant Minister Yan Ben, fearing that Emperor Geng Shi would be killed by the Red Eyebrow Army, stationed troops outside, pretending to guard the emperor while actually keeping him under wraps. The Red Eyebrow Army wrote a letter saying, "If the emperor surrenders, we will appoint you as King of Changsha. We will not accept surrender after twenty days." Emperor Geng Shi sent Liu Gong to ask for surrender, and the Red Eyebrow Army sent General Xie Lu to accept the surrender.
In October, Emperor Gengshi, Liu Xuan, brought gifts to the Changle Palace and handed the imperial seal to Liu Penzi. As a result, the Red Eyebrow Army took control of Emperor Gengshi and threw him into the courtyard, preparing to execute him. Liu Gong shouted as he chased after them, "I’ve done everything I can; please let me die first!" As he spoke, he was about to draw his sword to commit suicide, but the leader of the Red Eyebrow Army, Fan Chong, quickly stopped him and finally pardoned Emperor Gengshi, ennobling him as the Marquis of Weiwei. Liu Gong pleaded once more and was finally ennobled as the King of Changsha. Emperor Gengshi stayed at Xie Lu's house all along, and Liu Gong always protected him.
The people of the Sanfu region suffered greatly under the oppressive rule of the Red Eyebrow Army, and they all sympathized with Emperor Gengshi. However, Zhang Yang and others were deeply concerned. They said to Xie Lu, "Many camp leaders now want to usurp the power of the Holy Lord (referring to Emperor Gengshi). If we lose the Holy Lord, they will join forces to attack us, and we will be doomed!" So Xie Lu ordered the soldiers to take Emperor Gengshi to the outskirts, where he was strangled. Liu Gong secretly retrieved his body under the cover of night. Emperor Guangwu was deeply saddened upon hearing the news and ordered the Grand Minister Deng Yu to bury Emperor Gengshi in Baling.
Emperor Gengshi had three sons: Liu Qiu, Liu Xin, and Liu Li. The following summer, Liu Qiu and his brothers, along with their mother, went to Luoyang. The emperor appointed Liu Qiu as the Marquis of Xiangyi, in charge of the sacrifices to Emperor Gengshi; Liu Xin as the Marquis of Gushu; and Liu Li as the Marquis of Shouguang. Later, Liu Qiu was renamed the Marquis of Chengyang. After Liu Qiu's death, his son Liu Xun inherited the title and was subsequently renamed the Marquis of Huoze. After Liu Xun's death, his son Liu Yao inherited the title.
It is said that King Wu of Zhou observed the troops at Mengjin, but later withdrew his troops because he believed King Zhou of Shang was not yet ready to be attacked, as the timing was perfect. When the Han Dynasty rose, they led a motley crowd that could easily gather together, not even one in ten thousand people, but wherever the banners of the Han army reached, wherever the Han Dynasty's documents were sent, everyone laid down their weapons, bowed in submission, and eagerly accepted imperial appointments. This was not only due to the prestige of the Han Dynasty, but also because the timing was perfect. Those who held great power rarely failed. Even Chen Sheng and Xiang Yu could rise up, let alone those less remarkable individuals!
Liu Penzi was from Taishan County and descended from Prince Jing of Chengyang, Liu Zhang. His grandfather, Liu Xian, was granted the title of marquis during Emperor Yuan's reign, and his father Liu Meng inherited the title. After Wang Mang usurped the throne, Liu Penzi's kingdom was abolished, so he became just an ordinary citizen.
In the first year of the Tianfeng era, there was a woman named Lü Mu by the sea in Langye. Her son was a minor official in the county and made a small mistake, but the county magistrate wanted to kill him. Lü Mu despised the county magistrate and secretly gathered a group to plot her revenge. Her family was quite wealthy, with assets in the millions, so she brewed a lot of good wine, bought knives, swords, and clothes. She extended credit to young customers buying wine and lent clothes to those in rags, no matter how much they borrowed.
After a few years, she had almost spent all her money, and those young people wanted to return the money to her. Madam Lv wept and said, "I've treated you well, not for any reward, but because the county magistrate is utterly unreasonable and wrongfully executed my son. I want to seek revenge. Will you stand by me?" The young people were touched by her resolve, having previously benefited from her kindness, so they all agreed. Among them was a very brave young man who went by the name "Fierce Tiger." They gathered hundreds of people, followed Madam Lv to the sea, recruited those desperate men, and the group quickly swelled to thousands. Madam Lv declared herself a general, led the troops to attack Haiqu County, and captured the county magistrate. The other officials in the county fell to their knees and pleaded with Madam Lv to spare the county magistrate. Madam Lv said, "My son made a minor mistake, not enough to be killed, but he was killed by the county magistrate. A life for a life; what more is there to plead for?" So she killed the county magistrate, brought his head to her son's grave to pay homage, and then returned to the sea.
Well, after a few years, in Langya, a man named Fan Chong gathered troops in Juzhou. At first, there were only over a hundred people, but later they made their way to Mount Tai, calling themselves the "Three Elders." At that time, there was a severe famine in Qingzhou and Xuzhou, and there were bandits everywhere. Due to Fan Chong's exceptional bravery, many rallied to his side, and within a year, their numbers swelled to over ten thousand. His fellow villager Pang An, as well as people from Donghai like Xu Xuan, Xie Lu, and Yang Yin, each raised their own troops, totaling tens of thousands of people, all following Fan Chong. They attacked Jucheng together, but after failing to capture it, they shifted their focus to raiding Gumo. They encountered Wang Mang's scout Tang Hou Tian Kuang, achieved a resounding victory, slaying tens of thousands of foes. After that, they headed north, entered Qingzhou, and burned, pillaged, and slaughtered along their path. Finally, they returned to Mount Tai and established their camp in the southern city.
At first, Fan Chong and his group were so poor they were practically destitute, and they never thought about conquering territories. As more people joined them, they set rules: killers would be killed, and those who injure others would cover their medical costs. They relied on spoken agreements to keep everyone in check, without any paperwork, banners, military structure, or commands. The top position was known as "Three Elders," followed by "Officers" and "Chroniclers," who often called each other "giants." Wang Mang sent Pingjun Gong Lian Dan and Taishi Wang Kuang to attack them. Fan Chong and his group wanted to fight back, but they were afraid of facing Wang Mang's army, so they all dyed their eyebrows red to recognize each other; hence they were later called the "Red Eyebrow Army." The Red Eyebrow Army scored a major victory, killing tens of thousands of Wang Mang's soldiers, and chased them all the way to Wuyan. Lian Dan died in battle, and Wang Kuang fled.
With over a hundred thousand troops, Fan Chong then besieged Jucheng for several months. Someone advised him, "Jucheng is your hometown, why are you attacking it?" Upon hearing this, Fan Chong withdrew his troops. Meanwhile, Lü Mu died, and some of the Red Eyebrow Army's forces split and joined the Red Eyebrow Army, Qingdu Army, and Tongma Army. The Red Eyebrow Army then went to raid Donghai, fought against Wang Mang's Yiping Dayin, lost thousands of men, retreated, and raided areas like Chu, Peixian, Runan, and Yingchuan, finally arriving at Chenliu, where they took Lu City before heading to Puyang.
Emperor Gengshi was in Luoyang as the emperor, and he sent envoys to recruit Liu Chong, the leader of the Red Eyebrow Army. When they heard the Han Dynasty was making a comeback, Liu Chong and his men temporarily disbanded their forces, and he led over twenty subordinates to surrender to Emperor Gengshi in Luoyang, where they were all granted noble titles.
However, Liu Chong and his men had not yet been assigned territory and cities, and the soldiers under them began to revolt. So they retreated back to their camp, taking their soldiers into Yingchuan and splitting the army into two parts. Liu Chong and Pang An led one part, while Xu Xuan, Xie Lu, and Yang Yin led the other. Liu Chong and Pang An captured Changshe, then headed south to attack Wancheng, killing the county magistrate of Wancheng, while Xu Xuan and his men also captured Yangzhai, then advanced to Liangdi, killing the Governor of Henan.
Although the Red Eyebrow Army had won several battles, they were already exhausted from the war and weary of fighting, crying all day and wanting to return home. After some discussion, Liu Chong and his men concluded that heading east would likely lead to the army disbanding, so it was better to attack Chang'an to the west. In the winter of the second year of Gengshi, Liu Chong and Pang An marched from Wuguan, while Xu Xuan and his men marched from Luhun Pass, both armies marching west simultaneously.
In the first month of the third year of Gengshi, both armies arrived in Hongnong and won several battles alongside the army of Emperor Gengshi, rapidly increasing their numbers. They organized ten thousand men into a camp, totaling thirty camps, each with three elders and a supervisor. The army continued to advance until they reached Huayin.
In the camp, there were often shamans performing rituals, worshipping Prince Jing of Chengyang, praying for victory. One shaman rambled on, saying that Prince Jing was angry, asking why they did not surrender when he was an official, but now that he was a rebel, they came seeking his help. Anyone who mocked this shaman would become ill, which terrified the people in the camp.
At this time, Liu Yang, the brother of Liu Penzi, harbored a deep resentment towards Emperor Gengshi for the death of his brother. He secretly told Liu Chong and his men, "Emperor Gengshi is incompetent and his orders are not effective, that's why you have reached this point. Now you have a million-strong army, marching towards Chang'an, but you have no recognition, only being called a group of rebels. This won't hold up for long. It's better to establish a Liu family member as emperor, under the banner of justice, to topple Emperor Gengshi. This way, who would dare to disobey?"
Liu Chong and the others felt that Liu Yang's words made sense, and the wizard's prophecies were becoming more and more accurate, always mentioning Emperor Zheng. They discussed together, saying, "We are almost in Chang'an now, but the ghosts and gods are warning us like this; we should find a member of the Liu clan to support him as emperor." In June, they proclaimed Liu Penzi emperor and changed the era name to the First Year of Jiandi.
At first, the Chimei army came to our place, taking my younger brother Penzi, as well as my second brothers Gong and Mao, who were serving in the army at the time. Second brother Gong had been studying the "Book of Documents" since he was young and probably had a basic understanding of important principles. Later, he surrendered to Emperor Gengshi with Liu Chong and was immediately appointed as Marquis of Shi. Because of his knowledge of the classics, he often made suggestions and was appointed as a court official (侍中), serving under Emperor Gengshi in Chang'an. Penzi and Mao stayed in the army, following Right Commander Liu Xiaqing, responsible for managing livestock feed, known as the "livestock officer."
Later, they wanted to support an emperor, looking for descendants of Prince Jing among the soldiers. They found more than seventy people; only Panzi, Mao, and the former Marquis of Xi'an, Liu Xiaoguan, were closely related to Prince Jing. They discussed, "It is said that in ancient times, the emperor led the army and called himself the Supreme General." So they wrote a token inscribed with "Supreme General" as a symbol, prepared two blank letters placed in a box, and then set up an altar to sacrifice to Prince Jing of Chengyang in the north of Zheng County. The three elders and county officials attended the ceremony, with Panzi and the other two standing in the center, drawing lots in order of age. Panzi was the youngest and drew the token with "Supreme General" inscribed on it last, and the other generals all bowed to him. Panzi was only fifteen years old at the time, with disheveled hair, bare feet, wearing tattered clothes, sweating profusely, and when he saw everyone bowing to him, he was scared and overwhelmed, almost crying. Mao told him, "Quickly hide the token!" Panzi immediately bit the token and discarded it, then went back to follow Liu Xiaqing. Liu Xiaqing made him a red single garment, put on a red half hat, wore straight shoes, let him sit in the carriage, ride a tall horse, the carriage draped with red curtains, and the horse was also beautifully adorned, but he still played with the cowherds as before. Although Chong was admired for his bravery, he could not read or do arithmetic. Xu Xuan used to be a jailer in the county and was well-versed in the I Ching. So everyone appointed Xu Xuan as Chancellor, Chong as Grand Minister of Justice, Pang An as Left Grand Marshal, Xie Lu as Right Grand Marshal, and others below Yang Yin were appointed as ministers. The army reached Gaoling, joined forces with the rebel generals of Emperor Gengshi, including Zhang Yang, attacked the eastern city gate and breached Chang'an, and Emperor Gengshi surrendered.
This little brat, Pot, became the chief of the Eastern Palace. Every day, the generals gathered together to argue over merits and rewards, shouting loudly, drawing swords and banging on pillars. It turned into a complete mess. Officials from various counties sent tribute, but the soldiers just took it by force. Furthermore, these soldiers often oppressed the common folks, who were too scared to step outside, causing fear and unrest everywhere, with everyone hunkering down in their own little corners.
On the day of the Winter Solstice, Pot and his men threw a lavish banquet. Pot sat in the main hall, with the Imperial Yellow Gate standing behind him, flanked by soldiers, and the court officials sitting in the hall. Before the wine was even served, a scribe wanted to write a congratulatory message, but those who couldn't read insisted on pulling him up, creating total chaos. The Minister of Agriculture, Yang Yin, shouted, "You old geezers! Today is a day for joy between ruler and subjects, but you've turned it into this mess. Even children would behave better than you, you lot ought to be put to death!" This led to arguments breaking out, fists flying, and the soldiers barging into the palace, scaling walls and gates, stealing food, and even turning on each other.
When the Captain of the Guards, Zhuge Zhi, heard the commotion, he led his troops over and took down over a hundred people before finally restoring order. Pot was terrified and spent his days sobbing, only sleeping and waking up with the Imperial Yellow Gate, hiding up in the high watchtower and ignoring what was happening outside.
At that time, there were still hundreds of palace girls in the imperial courtyard. After the downfall of the Xin dynasty, they were trapped in the palace, digging up radishes and fishing in the pond to stay alive. Those who perished from starvation were buried right there in the palace. There were also some musicians who used to perform in the Ganquan Palace, still wearing their flashy outfits, playing drums and dancing. When they spotted Pot, they’d bow and plead for food. Pot had the Imperial Yellow Gate send them rice—just a few dou each. After Pot left, these palace girls all ended up starving, with no one looking out for them.
Liu Gong saw that the Red Eyebrow Army was in chaos and realized they were surely doomed, and he would suffer as well. Both of us would be doomed. He quickly whispered to Penzi, asking him to keep the national jade seal and imperial seal safe, and also to prepare reasons for declining.
In the second year of Jianwu, when they officially started counting the days, the leader of the Red Eyebrow Army, Chong, held a meeting. Liu Gong spoke first, saying, "Everyone, let's support my younger brother as the emperor. His virtues are indeed profound. However, after being emperor for a year, the world has grown increasingly chaotic, which shows he’s unfit to rule! I am worried that even if I die, the problem will not be solved. So I want to step down from being emperor and live as a commoner, letting all of you choose a wise person to be the emperor. It's up to all of you to decide." Chong and others quickly said, "This is all on us!" Liu Gong insisted on stepping down. Someone whispered, "Is he trying to imitate Ning Shi Hou's approach?" Liu Gong was frightened and quickly got up and left.
Meanwhile, Penzi got off the bed, took off the national jade seal and imperial seal, knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "Now we have appointed county officials, yet we still act like thieves. The taxes collected from the people are often looted. This has spread all across the country, and they no longer trust us. This all stems from appointing the wrong person as emperor. I want to resign and retreat, away from the light of a wise emperor. If you have to kill me to silence the public, then so be it; I’ll accept that. I just hope you all can pity me!" With that, he broke down in tears.
The leader of the Chimei Army and hundreds of participants in the meeting were all moved by the vessel. They stood up, knelt down, and kowtowed, saying, "We are truly useless and have let down Your Majesty. From now on, we will never be so indulgent again!" Then everyone gathered around the vessel in a group embrace and put the imperial seal and ribbon back on him. He cried out in despair, saying there was nothing he could do. After the meeting, everyone returned to their camps to defend. The three counties surrounding Chang'an quickly settled down, with everyone praising the wise Emperor! The common people were eager to return to Chang'an City, and the streets were crowded with people.
After more than twenty days, the greedy members of the Chimei Army emerged once more, plundering without restraint. The food in Chang'an City was depleted, so they collected a large amount of treasures, then set the imperial palace ablaze and headed west with the army. Passing through the sacrificial sites in the southern suburbs, their chariots, horses, and soldiers were the most imposing, claiming to have an army a million strong. He sat on the royal chariot, driving three horses, followed by hundreds of cavalry. They went around the southern mountains, plundering towns along their route. They fought against General Yan Chun in Meixian County, defeated him, killed him, and then captured Anding County and Beidi County. When they reached the Yangcheng and Fanshu area, they encountered heavy snow. Many soldiers froze to death in the valleys, so they had to retreat. They then began excavating the imperial tombs, looting treasures, and even desecrating the remains of Empress Dowager Lu. Any tomb that was unearthed and sealed in a jade box remained remarkably intact, as if it were still alive, so the Chimei Army obtained many valuable burial items and committed numerous heinous acts. The Grand Tutor Deng Yu was in Chang'an at the time and sent troops to fight the Chimei Army in Yuyi, but was defeated. Deng Yu subsequently retreated to Yunyang. In September, the Chimei Army returned to Chang'an and set up camp at the Gui Palace.
At this time, the bandit Yan Cen from Hanzhong emerged from Sanguan and stationed at Duling. General Pang An led over 100,000 troops to confront him. Deng Yu believed that Pang An's best troops were deployed outside, leaving only a handful of old and weak soldiers in the city, so he personally went to attack the Red Eyebrow Army. Consequently, Xie Lu arrived with reinforcements and fought a night battle at Gaojie Street, where Deng Yu's forces were defeated and scattered in all directions. Yan Cen and General Li Bao of the Red Eyebrow Army joined forces with tens of thousands of soldiers to fight Pang An at Duling. They were heavily defeated, with tens of thousands of soldiers killed. Li Bao capitulated to Pang An, while Yan Cen retreated with his surviving forces. Li Bao covertly sent a message to Yan Cen: "If you make one more push, I will coordinate from within, and we can completely defeat them with an attack from inside and outside!" Yan Cen returned to challenge, and Pang An intentionally created the illusion of an empty camp to lure them into an attack. Li Bao pulled down all the Red Eyebrow Army's flags from behind and replaced them with his own flags. Pang An and his weary troops returned to camp and were shocked to see all the flags had been changed to white. They panicked, jumped into the river valley to take their own lives, and over ten thousand people died. Only Pang An and a few thousand troops managed to escape back to Chang'an. At that time, there was chaos in the Sanfu area, as people turned against each other, leaving both the city and countryside deserted; the ground was littered with white bones. The survivors huddled in small groups, each holding their ground, refusing to surrender. The Red Eyebrow Army failed to loot anything of value, and in December, they withdrew eastward, still commanding over 200,000 troops, with many troops deserting along the route.
Emperor Guangwu deployed General Hou Jin to garrison in Xin'an and General Geng Yan to station in Yiyang to intercept the Red Eyebrow Army's retreat. He instructed the generals, "If the enemy runs east, consolidate the forces from Yiyang and Xin'an; if the enemy runs south, merge the troops from Xin'an and Yiyang."
In the second year, during the first month, Deng Yu crossed the Yellow River from Hebei and engaged the Chimei army in Huxian. Deng Yu was defeated once more, allowing the Chimei army to emerge from Hangu Pass and flee southward. General Feng Yi defeated them at the foot of Mount Xiaoshan. Upon hearing this, the emperor personally led his troops to Yiyang, established a formidable formation, and prepared to cut off the Chimei army's retreat.
Caught off guard by a large army, the Chimei army was paralyzed with fear and didn’t know how to react. They sent Liu Gong to negotiate their surrender, saying, "Our leader Fan Chong is surrendering with a million troops. How does Your Majesty intend to treat us?" The emperor replied, "I will spare your lives." Fan Chong then surrendered completely stripped, along with Fan Chong and more than thirty others. The emperor received the imperial seal, a ceremonial ribbon, a seven-foot-tall treasure chest belonging to Emperor Gengshi, and a jade bi. The weapons and armor of the Chimei army piled up in the west of Yiyang city, as numerous as the mountains themselves. The emperor ordered the county kitchens to prepare meals for these exhausted soldiers, and over ten thousand soldiers were well-fed and well-watered.
The next day, the emperor arranged a display on the Daluo River for Fan Chong and his officials to watch, then asked Fan Chong, "Do you know that you deserve death?" Fan Chong replied, "I do deserve death for my crimes, but I am fortunate to have Your Majesty's mercy and forgiveness." The emperor laughed and said, "You are very clever; you're the shrewdest one in the royal family." He then said to Fan Chong and the others, "Do you regret surrendering? I am sending you back to organize your troops. Beat the drums and attack each other to determine the winner; I do not want to force you to submit." Xu Xuan and the others kowtowed and said, "When we left the East Capital Gate of Chang'an, we had agreed to submit to Your Majesty's grace. The people can enjoy peace and prosperity together, but it is difficult to conspire together, so we did not inform everyone. Today, being able to surrender is like escaping the jaws of a tiger and returning to a loving mother's embrace. We are sincerely happy, without any resentment." The emperor said, "You are truly steadfast; among the ordinary, you stand out."
The emperor continued, "You guys are indeed too cruel, killing the elderly and weak wherever you go, destroying the country, and polluting the water wells and stoves. However, you also have three advantages: you have conquered cities and traveled the world, yet you have not remarried your wives—that's the first good point; when appointing a monarch, you have chosen members of the royal family—that's the second good point; other rebels, after appointing a monarch, only surrender with the heads of enemies in critical situations, thinking they have achieved merit, but you handed everything over to me intact—that's the third good point." So the emperor ordered these people and their wives to live in Luoyang, each rewarded with a plot of land and two hectares of land.
That summer, Fan Chong and Pang An conspired to rebel and were killed. Yang Yin, who had received the favor of Prince Zhao Liang in Chang'an, was granted the title of Marquis of Guannei. He returned to his hometown alongside Xu Xuan and eventually passed away there. Liu Gong, in order to avenge the killing of Xie Lu by Emperor Gengshi, imprisoned himself and was later pardoned and spared execution.
The emperor took pity on Penzi, rewarding him with many things and appointing him as the attendant of the King of Zhao. Later, when Penzi went blind, the emperor rewarded him with the land of the Yingyang Junsu position and allowed him to open a shop there, earning a living through tax collection until his death. The emperor's kindness towards Penzi is truly commendable.
The poem is even more direct: "The saintly lord is seldom heard of, borrowing from my fortunes, starting with the restoration of order, and eventually collapsing. The Red Eyebrow rebels disrupt the peace, Penzi seeks out the signs. Though he may have stolen from the royal family, he lived a modest life." As for the changing fortunes and the rise and fall of Penzi, we will not go into detail. In any case, Penzi experienced many trials and tribulations, yet in the end, he was able to enjoy his later years in peace, which can be seen as a fitting conclusion. You see, although he once stole from the royal family, the emperor still gave him a peaceful retirement, allowing him to make a living through the tax revenue of the Junsu official, which can be seen as a fitting conclusion.
