Emperor Jing of Han had thirteen sons who all became kings of fiefdoms, with five different mothers. Full brothers became close family. The sons of Li Ji were Rong, De, and E Yu; the sons of Cheng Ji were Yu, Fei, and Duan; the sons of Lady Jia were Pengzu and Sheng; the son of Tang Ji was Fa; the sons of Lady Wang were Yue, Ji, Cheng, and Shun.
King De of Hejian was made the King of Hejian two years before Emperor Jing of Han. He had a special fondness for Confucianism and had Confucian scholars attending to his every need. Scholars flocked to him from Shandong to study. He died at the age of twenty-six, leaving behind his son King Gong, who inherited the throne. Four years later, King Gong died, and his son, King Ji, took over. Twelve years later, King Ji died, and his son, King Shou, succeeded him.
King E Yu of Linjiang was made the King of Linjiang two years before Emperor Jing of Han. He died three years later, leaving no heir, and his fiefdom was abolished, becoming a commandery of the Han Dynasty.
King Rong of Linjiang was made the Crown Prince four years before Emperor Jing of Han, but was deposed at the age of four and later made the King of Linjiang. Four years later, he was called back to Chang'an by Emperor Jing of Han, whose palace construction encroached on the temple walls. His carriage broke down as he boarded it in Jiangling. The townsfolk wept, whispering, "Our king will never return!" In Chang'an, the Prefect of the Palace Guard, Zhi Du, interrogated him. Terrified, King Rong took his own life. He was buried in Lantian. Legend says thousands of swallows brought soil to his grave, a testament to the people's sympathy. As the eldest among his brothers, King Rong left no heir, and his fiefdom was abolished and incorporated into the Southern Commandery of the Han Dynasty. All three, sons of Li Ji, met untimely ends.
King Yu of Lu became the Prince of Huaiyang in the second year before Emperor Jing of Han. Two years later, after the rebellion of the Seven States of Wu and Chu was suppressed, he was made King of Lu. He loved building palaces and hunting parks, and kept dogs and horses. In his later years, he enjoyed listening to music, disliked debates, and could be a bit rough around the edges. He died at 26, and his son Guang succeeded him as king. As a young man, his son loved music and riding, but in his later years became stingy and always worried about money.
King Fei of Jiangdu became the Prince of Runan in the second year before Emperor Jing of Han. During the rebellion of the Seven States of Wu and Chu, he was fifteen years old and very capable. He requested to lead troops to attack the state of Wu, and Emperor Jing granted him the seal of a general for this purpose. After Wu was pacified, two years later, he was appointed as the King of Jiangdu, governing the former lands of Wu, and got the emperor's banners as a reward for his service. In the fifth year of Yuanguang, the Xiongnu launched a massive invasion. King Fei requested to lead troops to resist the Xiongnu, but Emperor Jing did not agree. King Fei loved showing off his army, building palaces, gathering heroes from everywhere, and living the high life.
In 161 BC, Prince Liu Jian of Jiangdu died at the age of 26. His son Liu Li succeeded him but killed himself after reigning for 7 years. At that time, the Prince of Huainan and the Prince of Hengshan were plotting a rebellion, and Liu Jian heard some rumors. Because Jiangdu was very close to Huainan, he was scared stiff that one day the Prince of Huainan would attack, and he would be finished. So he secretly manufactured weapons, often wearing the general's seal given to him by his father, and went out showing off his power under the guise of the emperor. Even before his father, King Liu Yi, was buried, Liu Jian had his eye on Nao Ji, a beauty favored by King Liu Yi, and secretly brought her to his residence to sleep with her in the middle of the night. After the rebellion of the Prince of Huainan was exposed, many people, including Prince Liu Jian of Jiangdu, were implicated. Panicked, Liu Jian sent a lot of money to try to settle the matter. He also believed in superstitions, sending people to pray and make sacrifices, spouting gibberish. What's even more outrageous is that he slept with his sisters. When these matters reached the court, Han officials requested the arrest and punishment of Liu Jian. The emperor, couldn't stomach it, sent officials to interrogate him. Liu Jian admitted to his crimes and killed himself. They abolished his kingdom, annexed his land to the Han Dynasty, and renamed it Guangling County.
King Liu Duan of Jiaoxi was the son of a prince who was enfeoffed as King of Jiaoxi after the suppression of the rebellion of the Seven States of Wu and Chu during the reign of Emperor Jing of Han. Liu Duan was a ruthless individual, with a brutal disposition, and also impotent, becoming incapacitated for months after any sexual encounter with a woman. However, he favored male consorts, having a particularly favored male attendant. This attendant later engaged in indiscretions with the women of the harem, and when Liu Duan discovered this, he killed them along with their parents. Liu Duan repeatedly broke the law, and Han officials repeatedly requested his execution, but the emperor, out of brotherly love, could not bring himself to do it, leading Liu Duan to become increasingly arrogant. Subsequently, the officials requested a reduction of his land holdings, reclaiming half of his territory. Angered, Liu Duan abandoned all pretense of governing. The government treasury was damaged and leaking, with mountains of rotting riches lying unattended, and no one was managing it. He ordered officials not to collect taxes, while he had the palace gates sealed, allowing access only through one entrance for leisure. He frequently disguised himself as a commoner and fled to other counties to avoid detection.
Court officials who went to Jiaoxi to carry out their duties according to the laws of the Han Dynasty were reported by Liu Duan for any mistakes, and if they were innocent, he poisoned them. He was skilled at setting traps, cleverly handling unexpected situations, forcefully suppressing advice, and skillfully concealing his crimes. They became victims of Liu Duan. Despite being a small kingdom, many court officials were killed by him.
After ruling for forty-seven years, Liu Duan died without a son to inherit the throne, leading to the abolition of his kingdom, which was incorporated into the Han Dynasty and renamed Jiaoxi County. The kings of these three countries were all born to Consort Cheng.
Zhao Wang Pengzu was made King of Guangchuan two years before Emperor Xiaojing kicked the bucket. Later, after a failed rebellion, Pengzu became King of Zhao. Fifteen years later, Emperor Xiaojing passed away. Pengzu was a real snake in the grass, appearing respectful on the surface but actually two-faced and malicious. He particularly enjoyed studying legal texts, was a whiz at bending the rules, and often used these tactics to set people up. Pengzu had many concubines and descendants in his household. Local officials and senior officials who wanted to follow the laws of the Han Dynasty would rub the royal family the wrong way. Therefore, whenever these officials visited Zhao, Pengzu would personally welcome them in coarse clothing, arrange their accommodation, stir the pot, and try to catch them out. If officials made mistakes or committed taboos, Pengzu would immediately take note. If they wanted to follow the law, Pengzu would use this information to threaten them. If they didn’t comply, he’d have them hauled away for corruption. Pengzu was King of Zhao for over fifty years, and no local officials or senior officials could last more than two years. They were either fired, killed, or otherwise punished, so everyone feared him and dared not enforce the law seriously. Zhao Wang was rolling in it, having a monopoly on trade throughout the land, earning more money than the national tax revenue. Most of that cash was spent showering his concubines and sons with gifts. Pengzu also took the favorite concubine of the former King Yi of Jiangdu, that hussy who’d slept with Wang Jian and that slimeball Naohui, as his own concubine, and he loved her very much.
Peng Zu did not like building palaces, nor did he believe in omens of good or bad luck. Instead, he was all about good governance. He even wrote a letter requesting to supervise the thieves within the country, often patrolling Handan city at night in casual clothes with ordinary soldiers. Word got around that Peng Zu was a dangerous man, and travelers and envoys got the jitters around him, so they did not dare to stay in Handan for long.
His son Prince Dan and his daughter, as well as Dan's half-sister, were involved in a romantic relationship with his guest Jiang Chong. Jiang Chong reported this, leading to the removal of Prince Dan and the appointment of a new crown prince by King Zhao.
Prince Jing of Zhongshan, Liu Sheng, was appointed as King of Zhongshan three years before Emperor Xiao Jing died. Fourteen years later, Emperor Xiao Jing passed away. Liu Sheng was fond of drinking and women, and had over 120 descendants. He and his brother, King Zhao, were always at each other's throats, with Liu Sheng saying, "My brother became king but focuses on state affairs. A king should spend his days living the high life." King Zhao criticized him, saying, "You, King of Zhongshan, are indulged in drinking and women all day, not assisting the emperor, nor caring for the people. Seriously, what kind of king are you?"
After ruling as King of Zhongshan for forty-two years, Liu Sheng passed away, and his son, King Ai, Liu Chang, succeeded him. A year later, Liu Chang also died, and his son, Liu Kunchi, became the new King of Zhongshan.
Both kings of the Zhao and Zhongshan states were sons of Lady Jia.
King of Changsha, Liu Fa, had a mother named Tang Ji, who was originally a maid of Cheng Ji. Emperor Jing of Han summoned Cheng Ji, who was reluctant, so she dressed up her maid Tang Ji to attend to him at night. Emperor Jing, drunk, did not recognize her and had a relationship with her, resulting in Tang Ji becoming pregnant. It was only when Emperor Jing sobered up that he realized it was not Cheng Ji. The child born was named Liu Fa, and two years before Emperor Jing's reign, he was appointed as King of Changsha. Due to Liu Fa's mother's low status and lack of favor, he got stuck with a really poor kingdom.
Liu Fa became the King of Changsha for twenty-seven years and died. His son, Liu Yong, succeeded him and became the King of Changsha for twenty-eight years before he also died. His son, Liu Fu, then succeeded him as the King of Changsha. So, all these Changsha kings were Tang Ji's grandsons.
King Liu Yue of Guangchuan was the son of Emperor Jing of Han and was made King of Guangchuan in the second year of Emperor Jing's reign. He died after ruling for twelve years, and his son Liu Qi succeeded him. Liu Qi had a favored minister named Sang Ju. Later, Sang Ju committed a crime, and Liu Qi wanted to kill him. Sang Ju escaped, so Liu Qi arrested his family. Sang Ju nursed a grudge against Liu Qi and reported to the authorities that Liu Qi and his brothers were engaging in an incestuous relationship. After that, Liu Qi frequently reported on the disloyalty of Han officials and favorites.
King Liu Ji of Jiaodong was the son of Emperor Jing of Han and was made King of Jiaodong in the second year of Emperor Jing's reign. He died after ruling for twenty-eight years. When the King of Huainan rebelled, Liu Ji caught wind of something and privately made chariots, arrows, and weapons to resist the rebellion. When the government dealt with the rebellion of the King of Huainan, Liu Ji slipped away. Liu Ji was closest to Emperor Jing of Han, and this incident saddened him greatly. He got sick and died before he could name an heir. Liu Ji had an eldest son named Liu Xian, whose mother was not favored, and a younger son named Liu Qing, whose mother was highly favored. Liu Ji had always wanted to designate Liu Qing as his successor, but because it broke the rules, and he'd already made mistakes, he did not have the chance to do so. Emperor Jing of Han sympathized with him and made Liu Xian King of Jiaodong to succeed his father, and Liu Qing King of Lu'an in his old territory.
King Liu Xian of Jiaodong ruled for fourteen years before dying and was given the posthumous title of Mourning King. His brother, Liu Qing, succeeded him. King Liu Qing of Lu'an became King of Lu'an in the second year of the Yuanshou era.
Prince Liu Cheng of Qinghe was the son of Emperor Jing of Han and was made Prince of Qinghe in the third year of Emperor Jing's reign. After ruling for twelve years, he died without any heirs, and his kingdom was dissolved, becoming part of the Han Dynasty as Qinghe County.
Prince Liu Shun of Changshan was the son of Emperor Jing of Han and was made Prince of Changshan in the fifth year of Emperor Jing's reign. Liu Shun had the closest relationship with Emperor Jing, being Emperor Jing's youngest son. He was a bit of a wild child and didn't care about the rules, but Emperor Jing always forgave him. After ruling as Prince of Changshan for thirty-two years, he died, and his older brother, Liu Bo, succeeded him as Prince of Changshan.
Initially, Prince Shun did not like his eldest son, Zeng. Since his mother wasn't favored, neither was he. Prince Shun's queen gave birth to Crown Prince Bo. Prince Shun had a whole bunch of concubines, and the concubines he favored bore him sons Ping and Shang, while the queen rarely received his favor. When Prince Shun fell seriously ill, his favorite concubines nursed him day and night, but the queen, jealous, barely lifted a finger. When the doctor came with medicine, Bo didn't even bother to taste it or stay to care for his father. Only after Prince Shun's death did the queen and Bo arrive. Prince Shun never cared about Zeng and left him nothing in his will. Some ministers suggested splitting the inheritance between Zeng and his brothers, but the crown prince and queen refused. After succeeding to the throne, the crown prince also did not take care of Zeng, so Zeng really resented his stepmother and brother.
Han envoys showed up to check out Prince Xian's funeral. Turns out, when the Prince of Xian was sick, neither the Queen nor the Crown Prince even bothered to look after him. After the Prince of Xian passed away, they didn't get back from gallivanting for six days. Prince Bo was up to no good – partying, gambling, playing music, joyriding with women all over town, even visiting the jailhouse. The Emperor sent Daxing Qian to investigate the Queen and grill Bo, but Bo hid all the witnesses to his adultery. When the cops went to make arrests, Bo panicked, sending thugs to rough up and even let go of anyone the Han envoys suspected. Officials wanted the Queen, Prince Xian, and his whole family executed. The Emperor figured the Queen was a bad egg anyway, and Bo was a spoiled brat without any good guidance, so he couldn't bring himself to kill them. So, officials asked to get rid of the Queen and banish Bo and his family to Fangling, and the Emperor said okay. Bo was only 'Prince' for a few months before getting shipped off to Fangling, and his kingdom was done for. A month later, thinking back, the Emperor ordered: "Prince Xian died young, his wives were fighting like cats and dogs, and there was a whole mess of backstabbing that led to the kingdom's downfall. It breaks my heart. Therefore, I will make Xianwang's son Ping the King of Zhending, with a fief of 30,000 households; and make his son Shang the King of Sishui, with a fief of 30,000 households."
Ping, the King of Zhending, was made king in the fourth year of Yuanding. Shang, the King of Sishui, was also made king in the fourth year of Yuanding. Eleven years later, he passed away, and his son Anshi succeeded him. Eleven years later, Anshi also passed away without a son. Therefore, the Emperor took pity on the King of Sishui for having no heir, and made He, Anshi's brother, the King of Sishui.
Those four kingdoms? Their kings were all sons of the Queen Mother, Empress Lü's kid. Later, the Han also gave titles to some of Empress Lü's other relatives, making them kings of Luan and Sishui. So, six kings were Empress Lü's grandkids or something.
In his *Records of the Grand Historian*, Sima Qian describes the decline of the Han Dynasty's vassal kings, noting: During the reign of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, all the kings had the right to appoint officials, and officials from the rank of Neishi (內史, a high-ranking official) and below could be selected by themselves. Only the Emperor of the Han Dynasty could establish the position of Prime Minister (Chengxiang) and bestow the golden seal. The kings could appoint censors, the Chief Justice, and learned officials themselves, which was similar to the Emperor's authority. However, after the chaos of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu, the five kings of the Lü clan were reformed by the Han Dynasty, only allowing them to have officials at the level of 2000 shi (a unit of rank and salary), changing the "Chancellor" to "Prime Minister," and the seal was changed to a silver seal. Their powers were curtailed, their ability to appoint officials of all ranks below 2000 shi being removed, and they were only allowed to collect taxes. Consequently, some kings were reduced to traveling by ox-cart.
