Prince Li of Huainan was the son of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty. His mother was King Zhao Zhang Ao's favorite concubine at that time. When Liu Bang was passing through Zhao, King Zhao presented his favorite concubine to him. Later, she conceived and bore Prince Li. Because of this, King Zhao did not dare to let her stay in the palace, so he specially built a separate residence for her. Later, Chen Xi's rebellion was uncovered. This implicated King Zhao. His family—brothers, sisters, and concubines—were arrested and imprisoned in Henei. Prince Li's mother was also arrested, and she told the officials, "I was the Emperor's concubine and bore his son." The officials reported this to Liu Bang, but at that time, Liu Bang was furious and hadn't gotten around to dealing with Prince Li's mother yet. Prince Li's younger brother Zhao Jian wanted to plead with Empress Lü through Marquis Biyang, but Empress Lü, consumed by jealousy, refused to help, and Marquis Biyang didn't dare press the issue. Enraged, Prince Li's mother took her own life. Later, Liu Bang, filled with regret, had Empress Lü adopt Prince Li and had his mother buried in her hometown of Zhending.
In the eleventh year, Prince of Huainan Ying Bu rebelled, and Liu Bang personally led troops to suppress the rebellion. After the rebellion was quelled, Liu Chang was made Prince of Huainan. Liu Chang lost his mother at a young age and had always relied on Empress Dowager Lu. During the reign of Emperor Xiaohui and Empress Dowager Lu, he managed to get along, but he harbored a grudge against Marquis Piyang but kept it to himself. When Emperor Xiaowen Liu Heng ascended the throne, Liu Chang felt closest to the emperor and became cocky and lawless, often disobeying laws. Emperor Xiaowen was lenient and pardoned him. Three years later, Liu Chang went to the capital to pay his respects, his behavior becoming even more audacious. He hunted with the Emperor in the imperial park, shared his carriage, and even called him "big brother." Liu Chang had incredible strength and could lift a tripod. He went to Marquis Piyang's residence, and when Marquis Piyang came out to see him, Liu Chang whipped out a hammer and smashed Piyang's head in, then had his men finish him off. Next, Liu Chang ran to the palace gate, took off his upper garment, and begged the Emperor's forgiveness, saying, "My mother was wrongly implicated in Prince Zhao's rebellion, and Piyang could have saved her but didn't. He let Ruyi and his mother be murdered by the Empress Dowager, and he did nothing. Finally, he stood by while she threatened the entire Liu dynasty. I've killed him to avenge my mother and save the empire!" Emperor Wen was moved, and because they were related, he did not punish him and pardoned him.
At that time, from the Empress Dowager Bo to the Crown Prince, the ministers in the court were all very afraid of Liu Chang. After returning home, Liu Chang got even bolder, not following the laws of the Han Dynasty, parading around with a full imperial entourage, making his own laws, and constantly mouthing off. Emperor Wen was furious and personally chewed him out several times. At that time, Emperor Wen's uncle Bo Zhao served as a general with a prominent position, so Emperor Wen had Bo Zhao write a letter to advise Liu Chang, repeatedly advising him:
"I have heard that Your Majesty is upright and brave, kind and generous, honest and trustworthy, with strong judgment. Heaven gave you this brilliant mind – it's a gift, you know? But you're wasting it! When the Emperor first took the throne, he wanted to give you the Marquisate of Yihou in Huainan, but you refused. Later, he changed his mind and granted you the actual power of three counties, which was incredibly generous. You hadn't even met the Emperor yet, so you asked for an audience. But instead of catching up with your brothers, you killed a marquis to make yourself look good – seriously? The Emperor did not send officials to investigate your actions but instead pardoned you, adding insult to injury. According to Han law, the court appoints officials, but you fired them all and demanded to pick your own Prime Minister and top officials. The Emperor violated the norms of the world to satisfy your request, and that was incredibly generous. You even wanted to give up being a prince and become a commoner, guarding the Zhuding tomb. The Emperor did not agree, allowing you to continue to maintain the noble status of a feudal prince, doubling down on his generosity. You should be following the law, doing your job, and showing some gratitude. But you're running your mouth, acting like a jerk, and getting everyone mad at you. Not smart!"
Your Majesty, you possess thousands of miles of land as your residence, and you have a myriad of people as your subjects. These are all bestowed by the grace of the late Emperor Gaozu! The founding emperor endured countless hardships and battles, facing down storms and strife, and bore numerous scars on his body to establish this enduring empire for future generations. The difficulties he endured are truly unimaginable! Yet you do not consider the late emperor's struggles. Instead of diligently cultivating yourself day and night and performing sacrifices to honor his merits, you insist on giving up the title of vassal king, which is simply unconscionable! Furthermore, you seek glory in surrendering your lands and rashly abandon the foundation laid by the late emperor. How can this be considered filial piety? You are unable to protect the empire established by your father, which shows a lack of wisdom and capability. You neglect to guard Changling but wish to protect Zhending, which dishonors your parents' memory. You repeatedly defy the emperor's orders, which is also disobedient. You use your supposed righteousness to browbeat your brother, which is extremely disrespectful. You fail to execute guilty favorites, whether by death or corporal punishment, which is unrighteous. You value the sword in the hands of the common people yet belittle the titles of nobles and kings, lacking judgment. You do not study the ways of governing the country properly, instead being ruled by sentiment, which is also inauspicious. These eight points are all roads to ruin! Yet you persist in all of them, abandoning the honorable position of vassal kings, squandering valor like Peng Yue and Ying Bu (notorious figures known for their martial prowess), frequently living on the edge of a knife. In my opinion, the heroic spirit of the founding emperor will surely not protect you; this is plainly your downfall.
Listen, back in the day, Zhou killed Guan and exiled Cai to stabilize the Zhou Dynasty; Qi Huan killed his own brother to bring stability to the country; Qin Shi Huang killed two brothers and even moved his mother away to make it easier to run the Qin Dynasty; Han Gaozu Liu Bang deposed King Huai of Chu and took over the world to make governing the country easier; later, when the King of Jibei rebelled, Han Gaozu also defeated him, thus stabilizing the Han Dynasty. Look, the Zhou, Qi, Qin, and Han all did it this way – and it still works today! Your Majesty, if you don’t understand the principles of stabilizing a country and governing it efficiently throughout history, but instead try to pull the Emperor’s heartstrings with family connections, it’s simply impossible! Those runaway lords, officials on the lam, and anyone else hiding out all have corresponding legal punishments. This is all *your* fault, Your Majesty! And those officials are going down with you! Currently, the Censor's in charge of any vassal's sons who are officials; the Commandant handles those who are soldiers; the Guard Commander deals with guests coming and going from the palace; and the Interior Minister and County Magistrates handle those who've surrendered from barbarian lands or are using fake names. Don’t even think about blaming your guys and trying to weasel out of this!
If you don't clean up your act, the Han army will surround your mansion. Then what'll happen to you and your guys? If you destroy the empire built by your father and become a commoner pitied by the world, your cronies will be executed. You'll be the butt of every joke and bring shame to the late emperor. This is not the ending you want! You should change your attitude, turn over a new leaf, and write a letter to the emperor apologizing. In the letter, you should say: "Your Majesty, I messed up big time. Losing my dad young, then living scared under Empress Lu… and now, since you took the throne, I've been a total jerk, acting like a spoiled brat. I'm so sorry. I'm on my knees begging for forgiveness." The emperor will surely be pleased to hear this. You and your brothers can live in harmony, and things will be peachy for everyone at court. We'll all be a lot better off if we work together. Think it over, and act fast. If you hesitate, you're toast.
But the king didn't listen. Six years later, he hatched a crazy plan: seventy guys, including Marquis Chai Wu and Prince Qi, forty wagons packed with weapons, a sneak attack from the valley, and deals with the Minyue and Xiongnu. It was a disaster waiting to happen. But the plot blew up in his face. The court was all over it, and they sent word to bring in the King of Huainan.
Wang Mang arrived in Chang'an. Prime Minister Zhang Cang and Feng Jing, the acting Grand Minister of Justice, along with the Zongzheng and the Tingwei, jointly submitted a memorial stating: "Wang Mang has long abandoned the laws of the former emperor, disregarded the decrees of the emperor, and led a wildly extravagant life. He even used a carriage with a yellow canopy to imitate the emperor's travels, disregarded existing laws, and enacted his own. He appointed officials, such as promoting his aide Chun to the position of Prime Minister, secretly gathered the Han princes and some fugitives guilty of crimes, housed them in his own home, built houses for them, and rewarded them with money, titles, and land, with the highest title reaching Marquis Within the Pass, enjoying a salary of two thousand stones.
More than seventy people, including the Grand Minister Dan and the official Wu Kaizhang, conspired with the Prince of Jipu to overthrow the imperial family and the state, and even planned to have the Minyue and Xiongnu tribes invade. After the plot was exposed, the magistrate of Chang'an went to arrest Kaizhang, but Wang Mang concealed him, did not hand him over, and conspired with former Commandant Jianji to kill Kaizhang and cover it up, preparing a coffin, shroud, and bedding for him, burying him in Feiling, and then deceiving the officials by saying, 'I don't know where he is.' He even erected a marker that read, 'Kaizhang died, buried here.' In addition, Wang Mang personally killed an innocent person; his subordinates killed six innocent people on his orders; to evade responsibility, he fabricated cases of capturing fugitives; he arbitrarily punished fourteen criminals without proper accusation and trial, directly sentencing them to harsh penalties; he pardoned eighteen death row inmates and fifty-eight criminals below those penalties; he granted titles of Marquis Within the Pass to ninety-four individuals. When Wang Mang was sick a while back, the emperor was really worried and sent envoys with dates and dried meat, but Wang Mang wouldn't even see them, let alone thank them."
Folks in Nanhai kicked off a rebellion in Lujiang, and Huainan's troops rolled in to put it down. The emperor sent envoys to deliver five thousand bolts of silk to reward the hardworking officials and soldiers. However, Wang Mang turned down the reward, lying that none of the troops had worked hard. The King of Nanhai sent a gift of jade and silk to the emperor, but Wang Mang secretly torched the letter and never mentioned it to the emperor. Officials demanded Jian Ji be brought in for questioning, but Wang Mang refused, claiming Jian Ji was sick—a flat-out lie. Wang Mang's crimes called for the death penalty, so we demand he be dealt with accordingly.
The emperor said, "I can't bring myself to punish the King of Huainan by the book. Discuss it with the nobles and high-ranking officials." The nobles, high-ranking officials, and 43 others discussed together and all said, "He should be dealt with according to the law." The emperor said, "So, let's spare his life but strip him of his title." The relevant department reported, "I recommend exile to Yandao and Qiongyou in Shu, letting his son, daughter-in-law, and grandchildren go with him. The local government will build houses for him and provide all the necessities." The emperor said, "Make sure his meals are top-notch—five catties of meat and two dou of wine daily. He gets to take his ten favorite concubines with him." So, all those involved in the rebellion were executed. Then the King of Huainan was exiled, hauled off in a supply wagon, with each county taking a turn at escorting him.
Yuan Ang said, "Your Highness used to trust the King of Huainan too much, without assigning tough tutors and advisors to guide him, which led to the current situation. Moreover, the King of Huainan has a strong personality. Now that you are coming down on him so hard, I am worried that he will get sick and die on the road, and Your Highness will get a bad name for killing his own brother. What should we do?" The Emperor said, "I just want to teach him a lesson and make him see reason." The King of Huainan said to his attendant, "Who says that I am a tough guy? It is because of my arrogance and refusal to listen to advice that I have gotten myself into this mess." The King of Huainan then died from fasting. The officials escorting him didn't dare open the carriage seals. When they arrived in Yong County, the county magistrate opened the seals and reported the death of the King of Huainan to the court. The Emperor wept in sorrow and said to Yuan Ang, "I did not listen to your advice, and now the King of Huainan is dead." Yuan Ang said, "The situation with the King of Huainan is irreversible. I hope Your Highness can grieve." The Emperor asked, "What should we do now?" Yuan Ang replied, "The only way to make amends is to execute the Prime Minister and the Imperial Censor." The Emperor immediately ordered the arrest of the Prime Minister and the Imperial Censor, and executed the attendants who neglected to feed him on the way. Finally, the King of Huainan was buried in Yong County with marquis honors, and thirty households were assigned to guard his tomb.
In the eighth year of Emperor Xiaowen's reign, he took pity on the King of Huainan. The King of Huainan had four sons, all around the age of seven or eight. Therefore, the eldest son An was made Marquis of Fuling, the second son Bo was made Marquis of Anyang, the third son Ci was made Marquis of Yangzhou, and the fourth son Liang was made Marquis of Dongcheng.
Twelve years later, the common people composed a song mocking Prince Huainan, singing: "A foot of cloth is still useful; a dou of grain will still see you through the spring. Those two brothers couldn't stand each other!" When the emperor heard this, he said: "In the past, even Yao and Shun exiled their own flesh and blood; Duke Zhou killed Guan Shu and Cai Shu, and the world called them saints. They didn’t harm the country’s interests for personal reasons. Would the world really think I'm coveting the land of Huainan?" So, the emperor moved Prince Chengyang to the former land of Huainan, posthumously naming Huainan Prince Li, establishing a garden for him, and treating him like a prince.
Sixteen years earlier, the emperor thought that Prince Huainan was a lawbreaker and a menace, and his own actions had led to the early demise of the country. Therefore, he moved Prince Liu Zhang of Huainan to the former state of Chengyang, and then enfeoffed the three sons of Prince Li (Emperor Jing) in the territory of the original Huainan state, dividing it into three: Marquis of Fuling Liu An became Prince of Huainan, Marquis of Anyang Liu Bo became Prince of Hengshan, and Marquis of Yangzhou Liu Ci became Prince of Lujiang. As for Marquis of Dongcheng Liu Liang, he died young, leaving no heirs.
In the third year of Emperor Jing's reign, Wu and Chu, along with five other states, rebelled. An envoy from Wu dashed to Huainan, where the King wished to send troops to help. His prime minister said, "If Your Majesty truly wishes to aid Wu, I am willing to lead the troops." So the King of Huainan sent him. However, after the prime minister led the troops, he relied on his strong city, ignored the King of Huainan, and surrendered to the Han. The Han, under Marquis Qucheng, sent reinforcements to Huainan, ultimately saving it. The Wu envoy then approached Lujiang, but its king spurned him and actively corresponded with Yue. When the envoy arrived at Hengshan, the King of Hengshan held his ground steadfastly. In the fourth year of Emperor Jing's reign, the rebellion in Wu and Chu was suppressed. The King of Hengshan then thanked the court, and the Emperor, finding him loyal and reliable, comforted him by saying, "The southern climate is quite oppressive." He rewarded the King's loyalty by transferring him to Jibei. Upon his death, he received the posthumous title of King Zhen. The King of Lujiang, because of his border location and close ties with Yue, was later moved to Hengshan.
King Huainan Liu An was a man of books and music, far preferring the qin to the hunt. He sought to appease the people through good deeds and establish a good reputation. He recruited many guests and scholars and alchemists, creating a retinue numbering in the thousands. He authored the *Nei Shu* (Inner Writings) in twenty-one chapters, the even more extensive *Wai Shu* (Outer Writings), and the eight-volume *Zhong Pian* (Central Chapters), which detailed the arts of immortality, alchemy, and medicine, comprising over two hundred thousand characters. Emperor Wu, who held Liu An in high regard as an elder, was a great admirer of his writings. Imperial correspondence and gifts to Liu An were always drafted by Sima Xiangru and other scholars before being sent. On his first visit to court, Liu An presented the newly written *Nei Pian* to the Emperor, who liked it very much and kept it hidden. The Emperor also asked him to write annotations for *Li Sao*, and he completed the annotation by lunchtime, having received the imperial decree that morning. He also presented *Song De* and *Chang'an Capital Song*. Their late-night banquets often turned to discussions of statecraft, the arts, and poetry.
When An first came to court, he had a particularly good relationship with Marquis Wu'an. Marquis Wu'an welcomed him in Bashang and said, “With the Emperor having yet to name a crown prince, only the late Emperor’s grandson remains, a man renowned for his benevolence. Should the Emperor pass unexpectedly, who else could claim the throne?” King Huainan was overjoyed to hear this and gave Marquis Wu'an many valuable gifts. His ministers and guests, largely from the Jianghuai region, were deeply grateful for his kindness, particularly after the death of King Li in exile.
In the sixth year of Jianyuan, a comet appeared. The King of Huainan thought it was mighty odd. Someone told him, "When the Wu Kingdom was at war before, a comet also appeared, only a few feet long, but it still led to a bloody mess. Now this comet is crossing the sky; things are definitely about to go sideways." The King of Huainan considered that since the emperor had not appointed a crown prince, the vassals would all fight for the throne. So he became more actively engaged in bribing officials and accumulating wealth. Some sycophantic scholars deliberately spread flattering lies to please the King of Huainan, who was very pleased and rewarded them handsomely.
The King of Huainan had a daughter named Ling, and the comet had a tail (like an open mouth). He doted on Ling, giving her a lot of money to spy on the emperor and his court. In the second year of Yuanshuo, the emperor gave the King of Huainan a walking stick, essentially retiring him from court. Later, the emperor favored Hou Tu. She bore him a son, Qian, who he named crown prince. To solidify his position, Qian married the Empress Dowager's granddaughter, the daughter of Xiu Chengjun, as the crown princess. The King of Huainan was plotting a rebellion, but worried the crown princess might spill the beans if she found out. So he conspired with the crown prince to pretend not to favor the crown princess, giving her the cold shoulder for three months.
In a fit of (fake) rage, he locked up the prince with the princess but studiously avoided her. The crown princess requested to leave, and the King of Huainan wrote to request sending her back to her family. Later, Hou Tu, Crown Prince Qian, and Princess Ling ran roughshod over the people, seizing their homes and land and throwing anyone who displeased them in jail.
The Crown Prince practiced swordsmanship, thinking he was invincible in the world. Upon hearing that the physician Lei was highly skilled in swordsmanship, he summoned him for a competition. Lei repeatedly declined, but accidentally injured the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince flew into a rage, terrifying Lei. At that time, many people wanted to join the military in Chang'an, and Lei expressed his willingness to fight against the Xiongnu. The Crown Prince continued to hold a grudge against Lei, so the Emperor ordered the Minister of the Imperial Household to rebuke and dismiss Lei from his position in an attempt to appease the Crown Prince's anger.
In the fifth year of Yuanshuo, Lei escaped to Chang'an and submitted a petition explaining his grievances. This matter was handed over to the Imperial Censor and the regional prefecture of Henan for handling. When the Henan prefecture was investigating the case, they arrested the Prince of Huainan. The Prince and the Queen tried everything they could to stop the Prince's arrest, even deploying troops. They hesitated for more than ten days. Later, the court ordered an immediate interrogation of the Prince. The Huainan Prime Minister was furious that the Shouchun Chancellor had held the Prince and accused him of insubordination. The Prince of Huainan requested the Chancellor to release the Prince, but the Chancellor refused. So the Prince of Huainan sent someone to report the Chancellor, and this matter was handed over to the Imperial Censor. With the Prince of Huainan now implicated, he dispatched someone to investigate.
Han officials requested the arrest and punishment of the Prince of Huainan, who got scared stiff and plotted a rebellion. The Crown Prince suggested, "If they come for Father, we'll have guards with halberds standing by. Anyone who makes a move gets killed! I'll have the Huainan Chief assassinated, then we strike! It's not too late to act now!" At that time, the Emperor did not agree to the officials' request but sent Lieutenant Hong to interrogate the Prince of Huainan. The Prince of Huainan saw that Lieutenant Hong was calm, only asked him about his reprimand of Lei Bei, and felt that it was not a big deal, so he did not raise an army. After Lieutenant Hong returned and reported to the Emperor, the accusing officials said, "He deserves to be strung up! The Prince of Huainan conspired with Lei Bei and others who wanted to achieve merit by fighting the Xiongnu, disobeying the imperial edict!" The Emperor did not agree. They then requested the removal of the Prince of Huainan, but the Emperor still did not agree. Finally, they requested taking away five of his cities, and the Emperor only agreed to reduce two. The Emperor ordered Lieutenant Hong to pardon the Prince of Huainan and to reduce his land as punishment. Lieutenant Hong rode into Huainan and announced the pardon. Initially, the Prince of Huainan heard that the officials wanted to kill him, not knowing that only his land was reduced in the end. Hearing the Han envoy was coming to get him, he was afraid and discussed with the Crown Prince, preparing to act according to the previous plan. When Lieutenant Hong arrived, he immediately congratulated the Prince of Huainan. His earlier fear kept him from rebelling. Later, the Prince of Huainan lamented, "I played nice, and this is how they repay me? I'm mortified!" So he became more actively involved in planning a rebellion. The envoys from Chang'an, buttering him up, spun tales, saying that the Emperor had no sons, which made the Prince of Huainan happy. If they said the Emperor *did* have a son, he'd blow a gasket, convinced they were lying.
Me and Zuo Wu, we were glued to the map all day, figuring out how the army should move. My father said, "The Emperor ain't named no crown prince yet. If he croaks, the ministers would definitely back the Prince of Jiaodong or the Prince of Changshan. Those lords would be at each other's throats. Can I not make preparations in advance? Besides, I’m the grandson of the founding emperor, always doing what's right. The Emperor has treated me well, so I can endure for now. But what about my kids and grandkids? Are they gonna kiss up to those no-good sons of guns forever?" My father had an illegitimate son named Bu Hai, the oldest, but he treated him like dirt. His stepmother and the crown prince didn’t see him as a real son or brother. Bu Hai had a son named Jian, a real go-getter, who resented the crown prince for not understanding his father. At that time, many vassals could appoint their nephews as marquises. The King of Huainan got his son made crown prince, but my old man got nothin'. Jian was scheming to off the crown prince so his father could take his place. The crown prince found out about this and had Jian hauled in and roughed up more than once. Jian knew the crown prince wanted to kill the Hanjun Lieutenant, so he found a guy named Yan Zheng he knew in Shouchun and had him write a letter to the Emperor, saying, "A little tough love never hurt nobody. Right now, the grandson of the King of Huainan, Jian, is sharp. The King of Huainan's stepmother and her son Qian are always sick, actually trying to kill Jian. Jian's father Bu Hai hasn’t done anything wrong but is always getting arrested, and the crown prince wants to kill him. Jian's still around, and he can spill the beans on the King of Huainan." Once the Emperor got the letter, he ordered the court and the governor out in Henan to investigate the matter. This all went down in the sixth year of Yuanshuo.
Shen Qing, grandson of the Marquis of Biyang, was tight with Prime Minister Gongsun Hong. He was pissed his grandpa got whacked by King Huainan, so he snuck around, digging up dirt on the guy, then ratted him out to Gongsun Hong. Gongsun Hong figured King Huainan was cooking up a rebellion and launched a full-scale investigation. They grilled Shen Jian from Henan, and he spilled the beans about the Crown Prince and his crew.
At first, King Huainan was itching for a rebellion and kept asking Wu Bei what to do. Wu Bei always talked him out of it, using the Wu and Chu rebellion as a cautionary tale. Huainan brought up Chen Sheng and Wu Guang, but Wu Bei said it was a totally different ballgame—a surefire recipe for disaster. Finally, Huainan was ready to roll, but paranoid about leaks, he hit up Wu Bei for a plan. The whole thing's laid out in *The Biography of Wu Bei*.
Huainan got even more fired up and immediately had the Emperor's jade seal and the seals of the Prime Minister, Grand Secretary, generals, and everyone else important—even the county bosses—made. He even got Han envoy uniforms ready. His plan, courtesy of Wu Bei, was to send someone to falsely accuse General Wei Qing and Prime Minister Hong, stir up some trouble, then ambush Wei Qing and hoodwink Hong—a total cakewalk, he figured.
But Huainan worried his army wouldn't follow orders, so he and Wu Bei cooked up a plan to torch the palace. The idea was to ambush the Prime Minister and other bigwigs when they showed up to fight the fire. He also planned to send a fake runaway with a bogus military order, screaming "Nanyue invasion!" from the south to trigger a panic. He was also trying to stir up some "bandit" trouble in Lujiang and Kuaiji, but nothing had come of it yet.
The Imperial Inspector knew about this matter, which also implicated the Crown Prince. The Emperor sent the Imperial Inspector and the Huainan Commandant to arrest the Crown Prince. When the King of Huainan heard about this, he hurriedly conferred with the Crown Prince, planning to summon the Prime Minister and other high officials to kill them before starting a rebellion. The Prime Minister arrived, but the Grand Secretary made an excuse to leave. The Huainan Commandant said, "I'm acting under orders; I can't see the King." The King of Huainan saw that only the Prime Minister was present, while the Grand Secretary and Huainan Commandant did not come, so he released the Prime Minister. So, the rebellion was still up in the air.
The Crown Prince, accused of murdering the Huainan Commandant, thought that those who conspired with him had all died, and there was no evidence left. He said to the King of Huainan, "All the officials who could help are locked up; there's no one left. If you start a rebellion now, it may not be beneficial. I suggest you wait." The King of Huainan began to hesitate and agreed with the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince took the fall and got off lightly. Wu turned himself in and confessed to the rebellion with the King of Huainan. The officials immediately arrested the Crown Prince and the Queen Mother, surrounded the palace, and detained all the guests of the King of Huainan in the country, collecting evidence of the rebellion.
The whole court began to investigate this matter, involving marquises, high-ranking officials, and powerful magnates who conspired with the King of Huainan. Thousands were executed, some more swiftly than others, with punishments varying in severity.
Hengshan, the King's brother, should have been incriminated as well. However, officials requested the arrest of the Prince of Hengshan. The Emperor said, "Princes should look after their own kingdoms, not drag each other down. We need to discuss this with the other princes and marquises." As a result, Prince Pengzu and forty-three marquises agreed, "King An of Huainan has committed a great crime of rebellion, with conclusive evidence, and should be executed!"
King Jiaoxi further analyzed, "King Huainan has abandoned the laws, acted wickedly and defiantly, was full of deceit, intended to destabilize the empire, spouted treasonous ramblings, and betrayed the ancestral temples. The *Spring and Autumn Annals* states, 'Ministers who incite rebellion should be put to death.' King Huainan's crimes are more serious than inciting rebellion; the fact of his treason has been confirmed. I have personally seen his treasonous letters, seals, and other evidence; the evidence is conclusive, and he should be executed according to the law. Officials with a rank of two hundred stones or higher, as well as his unpunishable associates, should all be dismissed, demoted to commoners, and not allowed to hold office again. Those who are not officials should pay a fine of two pounds and eight taels of silver to atone for their sins. This will serve as a warning to all, demonstrating the consequences of treachery." Prime Minister Hong, Court Minister Tang, and others reported these circumstances to the emperor, who ordered the Imperial Inspector to handle King Huainan. Before the Imperial Inspector arrived, King Huainan had already taken his own life. Following this, the Crown Prince and all other conspirators were arrested and executed; the Kingdom of Huainan was abolished and reorganized as Jiujiang Commandery.
Prince Hengshan later had three more children, with his eldest son named Shuang appointed as the crown prince. He also had a daughter named Wucai and a son named Xiao. Lady Xu gave birth to four more children for him, while the beauty Jie Ji had two children. The Kings of Huainan and Hengshan were at loggerheads, constantly sniping at each other over etiquette, and their relationship was very poor. Upon hearing about the rebellion plans of the King of Huainan, the King of Hengshan became uneasy and secretly gathered supporters, fearing he might be annexed by Huainan. In the sixth year of Yuanguang, the King of Hengshan went to court, where a courtier named Wei Qing, who dabbled in the occult, wanted to submit a memorial to the emperor. The King of Hengshan became very angry and framed Wei Qing for a capital crime, strong-arming a confession out of him. The Minister of the Interior thought it was a dodgy move and threw the case out. The King of Hengshan then sent someone to accuse the Minister of the Interior, and after investigation, it was revealed that Hengshan was a shady character. He was constantly grabbing other people's land, even tearing down graves to get at it. Officials demanded Hengshan's head, but the Emperor just shrugged and stuck some high-ranking officials on him to keep an eye on things. Furious, he teamed up with Xi Ci, Zhang Guangchang, and others, hunting down military strategists and astrologers to help him plot his rebellion around the clock.
After the death of Empress Shu, then Empress Li Xu took her place. A bitter rivalry developed between them as both she and the original concubine, Jue Ji, received the Emperor's favor. Jue Ji whispered that Li Xu had employed witchcraft, using a maid, to curse the Crown Prince's wife. The Crown Prince nursed a grudge against Li Xu. Later, when Li Xu's brother visited Hengshan, a drinking bout with the Crown Prince ended with the latter being knifed. As a result, the Empress resented the Crown Prince and repeatedly spoke ill of him in front of the Emperor. The Crown Prince's unmarried sister, Wu Cai, was left at home and took a lover. The Crown Prince reprimanded her many times, but Wu Cai became angry and refused to interact with him. Upon hearing this, the Empress cultivated Wu Cai and Xiao, the Crown Prince's younger brother. Xiao, who lost his mother at a young age, relied on the Empress. The Empress skillfully used Xiao, who was devoted to her, to bring about the Crown Prince's downfall. Consequently, the Emperor repeatedly had the Crown Prince imprisoned and flogged.
In the fourth year of Yuanshuo, someone attacked and injured the Empress's adoptive mother. The emperor suspected it was instigated by the Crown Prince, so he had the Crown Prince flogged again. Later, the emperor fell ill, and the Crown Prince used the excuse of illness to avoid serving. Xiao He and Wu Cai reported to the emperor, "He's faking it! I heard him say so myself, and he's got a grin on his face!" The emperor was furious upon hearing this and wanted to dump the Crown Prince and make Xiao Wei the new one. The Empress knew that the emperor was determined to depose the Crown Prince and also wanted to get rid of Xiao Wei. The Empress had this dancer, a real favorite of the Emperor's. She wanted her to have an affair with Xiao Wei to tarnish him. Her plan was to ruin his reputation, get rid of both sons, and make her own son Guang the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince learned of this and, knowing that the Empress always unjustly framed him, wanted to have an affair with the Empress to shut her up. The Empress threw a party for the Crown Prince. He toasted her, then, bam! He grabs her leg, trying to drag her into bed. The Empress was furious and told the emperor about it. The emperor summoned the Crown Prince, planning to have him tied up and flogged. The Crown Prince, knowing that the emperor had always wanted to dump him and make Xiao Wei the Crown Prince, said to the emperor, "Xiao's shagging your maids, Wu Cai's screwing the slaves, and you're forcing me to be your servant! Please allow me to write a letter of complaint." After speaking, he turned and ran away. The emperor sent people to chase him, but they couldn't stop him, so the Emperor himself had to chase him down. The Crown Prince spouted a load of rubbish, so the emperor locked him up in the palace.
He was deeply favored by the Emperor for his filial piety. Because Wang Xiao was both filial and outstanding in ability, the Emperor granted him the royal seal, appointed him as a general, allowed him to live outside the palace, gave him a lot of money, and enabled him to cultivate a wide network of contacts. His visitors, though dimly aware of the rebellious plans of the Kings of Huainan and Hengshan, all advised Wang Xiao not to participate. Wang Xiao also had the people of Jiangdu, Mei He and Chen Xi, make war chariots and forge arrowheads for him; he even had the imperial seal and those of generals, ministers, and officers carved. Wang Xiao searched day and night for strong warriors like Zhou Qiu, frequently alluding to the strategies of the Wu and Chu rebellions. In fact, King Hengshan, unlike his more ambitious brother, harbored no such designs on the throne; he was only afraid that King Huainan would rebel and then swallow up his country. He felt that Huainan's forces were massing on the western border, and that as long as they sent troops to pacify the Jianghuai region, they could occupy it, so he just watched quietly.
In the autumn of Yuanshuo 5, the Emperor held court, and in the sixth year, he passed through Huainan. King Huainan talked to his brothers to smooth over past tensions and discourage any further rebellion. King Hengshan petitioned the Emperor for leave, which was granted. Then, King Hengshan had a petition submitted to depose Crown Prince Liu Shuang and install Wang Xiao in his place. When Liu Shuang heard about this, he immediately sent his trusted Bai Ying to Chang'an to report, accusing King Hengshan and his son of plotting rebellion, saying Wang Xiao was making war chariots, forging arrowheads, and having improper relations with palace women. Before Bai Ying could reach Chang'an to report, he was arrested by officials and implicated in King Huainan's rebellion case. Upon hearing this, King Hengshan feared that Bai Ying would reveal all the country's secrets, so he immediately wrote to denounce the Crown Prince, accusing him of disloyalty and unfilial behavior. The case was transferred to Pei County.
In the winter of the first year of Yuanshou, officials hunted down those who'd plotted with the King of Huainan to rebel and captured Chen Xi in Wang Xiao's home. Officials accused Wang Xiao of sheltering Chen Xi. Wang Xiao believed that Chen Xi often conspired with the King of Huainan to rebel, and fearing that Chen Xi would spill the beans, he came clean, hoping to avoid punishment. He also suspected that the Crown Prince sent Bai Ying to report on him, so he ratted out Meiheng and Chen Xi, who conspired with him. After the investigation, the case was clear-cut, and the arrest of Prince Hengshan was requested. The Emperor said, "Let it go." He sent Zhongwei An and Daxing Xi to inquire about Prince Hengshan, who laid it all out. The palace was surrounded and guarded. After Zhongwei and Daxing returned, they reported the situation to the Emperor. The court ministers requested that Zhong Zheng, Daxing, and officials from Pei County look into it together regarding Prince Hengshan. Upon hearing this, Prince Hengshan committed suicide. Wang Xiao was spared from the death penalty because he confessed to the rebellion first. However, Wang Xiao was eventually killed for his affair with the king's women, sorcery, the Chariot Incident, and Prince Liu Shuang ratted him out for being disrespectful to his father. All those involved in the rebellion of the King of Huainan were executed, and Hengshan was made a county.
Prince Jibei, who was moved to Jibei in the fourth year of Emperor Jing, lived there for two years. Adding the time he was king in Hengshan before, he ruled for a total of fourteen years before his death. His son, King Shi, inherited the throne and ruled for fifty-four years before his death. Then Shi's son, Kuan, inherited the throne.
Twelve years later, King Kuan was told he was going to die by the authorities for sleeping around with his father Shi's wife and Jixiao, as well as blaspheming the Emperor. The Emperor sent Dahonglu Li to call him in, but King Kuan committed suicide with a knife. Jibei became Beian County, part of Taishan Commandery.
Okay, let's recap. In the Book of Songs, it says, "The Rong and Di must be subdued; the Jing and Shu must be punished," and this saying is really true! Both the King of Huainan and the King of Hengshan are relatives, with such large territories at the marquis level, but instead of faithfully serving the emperor, they schemed to rebel. As a result, both father and son lost their thrones and didn't live long. This isn't just a problem with King Kuan; it's also partly due to the bad local customs, which contributed to the ministers becoming more and more corrupt. The people of Jingchu have always been known for their arrogance and rebelliousness, and that's a well-known fact.
