Emperor Xiaowen of Han had four sons: Empress Dou gave birth to Emperor Xiaojing and Prince Liang Liu Wu; other consorts gave birth to Prince Dai Liu Can and Prince Huai of Liang Liu Yi. In the second year of Emperor Xiaowen's reign, Liu Wu, Liu Can, and Liu Yi were all made princes on the same day. Liu Wu was initially titled Prince of Dai; four years later, he was transferred to the principality of Huaiyang, and twelve years later, he was relocated to Liang Kingdom. From his initial title as prince to his final relocation to Liang Kingdom, he experienced a total of eleven years. In the fourteenth year of Emperor Xiaowen's reign, he went to court to pay his respects to the emperor; in the seventeenth and eighteenth years, he entered the court for two consecutive years and remained at court for some time before returning to Liang Kingdom the following year. In the twenty-first year, he entered the court again; in the twenty-second year, Emperor Wen died; in the twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth years, he entered the court twice more. With no crown prince yet named, Emperor Wen once remarked casually over drinks to Prince Liang, "One day, this kingdom will be yours." The prince hastily demurred. Although he knew it was not the emperor's sincere words, he was still very happy. The empress dowager was also pleased. That spring, the seven states of Wu, Chu, Qi, and Zhao rebelled, first attacking the Jibi of Liang Kingdom, killing countless people. Prince of Liang defended Suiyang City and appointed Han Anguo, Zhang Yu, and others as generals to resist the combined forces of Wu and Chu. The Wu and Chu armies were deterred from advancing westward due to the obstruction by Liang Kingdom, and they confronted the Han army's Grand Commandant Zhou Yafu for three months. The rebellion of Wu and Chu was eventually suppressed, and the enemies killed and the spoils of war captured by Liang Kingdom in this war were shared equally with the central government of the Han Dynasty.
In the second year, Emperor Wen of Han made his son crown prince. The Prince of Liang, because he was close to the Emperor, had done great things, and ruled a rich land—bordering Mount Tai to the north and Gaoyang to the west, with over forty cities and many big counties, making it really powerful. Additionally, as the youngest son of the Empress Dowager, who totally doted on him and gave him tons of riches, the Prince of Liang built a huge Eastern Park (over 300 li), expanded Suiyang's city walls (70 li), and threw up palaces and a 30-li-long covered walkway linking them all. He got to use imperial flags, traveled with a thousand carriages and ten thousand cavalry, and made a big show of it—alarms when he traveled, trumpets when he entered a city. He was practically living like an emperor. He attracted heroes from all over the country, with Shandong scholars flocking to him, including Yang Sheng, Gongsun Gui, and Zou Yang from the Qi state. Gongsun Gui was a master of intrigue. The Prince of Liang met him once, gave him a thousand gold pieces, made him a captain, and called him General Gongsun. He also cranked out hundreds of thousands of crossbows and bows. His treasury overflowed with over a million in gold and silver, and even more jewels than the capital.
In October 148 BC, Prince Xiao of Liang, Liu Wu, went to the capital to see Emperor Jing. Emperor Jing sent a fancy four-horse carriage to meet him at the border. After the visit, Liu Wu asked to stay in Chang'an, and the Emperor let him. Because the Empress Dowager loved him so much, he and the Emperor rode around in the same carriage, hunted together, and hung out in the Shanglin Garden. His Liang officials—attendants, court officials, and envoys—were treated just like Han officials; same deal.
A month later, in November, Emperor Jing abolished Prince Li. The Dowager Empress wanted to make Prince Liang the crown prince. However, the ministers in the court, including Yuan Ang and others, urged Emperor Jing to reconsider. The Dowager Empress was also stopped, and Prince Liang dared not bring up the matter of the crown prince with her again. This remained a secret. In the end, Prince Liang went home.
The following summer, Emperor Jing appointed the King of Jiaodong as the crown prince. Prince Liang resented Yuan Ang and the other ministers who dissuaded him. He conspired with Yang Sheng, Gongsun Gui, and others to have Yuan Ang and more than a dozen other officials assassinated. However, the assassination attempt failed. Emperor Jing suspected Prince Liang was behind it, so he sent people to investigate. It was confirmed that the assassins were indeed sent by Prince Liang. Troops were sent to Liang to investigate the matter. Gongsun Gui and Yang Sheng hid in Prince Liang's palace but were captured. The envoys put pressure on Liang's officials, and Prime Minister Xuanqiu Bao and Interior Minister Ang Guo pleaded with Prince Liang, both in tears. Only then did Prince Liang order Gongsun Gui and Yang Sheng to commit suicide, and their remains were sent away. This incident made Emperor Jing resent Prince Liang even more. Terrified, Prince Liang sent Han Anguo to apologize to the Dowager Empress through Princess Chang, and he was eventually pardoned.
Emperor Jing calmed down a bit, and Prince Liang requested to enter the capital again. When they got to the pass, Mao Lan advised Prince Liang to ride in a humble cart with only two cavalrymen, hiding out in Princess Chang's garden. When they sent someone to greet Prince Liang, he had already entered the pass, leaving his carriage and horses outside, so no one knew where he was. The Empress Dowager wailed, "He wants to kill my son!" Emperor Jing was beside himself with worry. So Prince Liang threw himself at the emperor's mercy at the palace gate. The Empress Dowager and Emperor Jing wept with relief, their mother-son bond rekindled. Emperor Jing ordered all of Prince Liang's attendants and officials to return to the capital. However, Emperor Jing grew distant from Prince Liang, refusing to share his carriage.
In the winter of 143 BCE, Prince Liang entered the capital again. He requested to stay in Chang'an, but Emperor Jing did not agree. After returning to his country, Prince Liang was consumed by gloom. Once, while hunting on Liang Mountain, someone gave him a cow with legs that reached its back, which Prince Liang considered an ill omen. In mid-June, Prince Liang came down with a fever and was dead within six days.
Prince Xiao was incredibly devoted to the Empress Dowager. Whenever the Empress Dowager fell ill, he'd lose his appetite and long to be in Chang'an at her side. The Empress Dowager Dou wailed, refusing food and drink, "The Emperor has murdered my son!" The Emperor was terrified and heartbroken, at a loss for what to do. After discussing with Princess Chang, they split the Liang Kingdom into five smaller kingdoms, making Prince Xiao's five sons kings and granting his five daughters Tangmu Yi (a type of land grant providing income). The Empress Dowager was appeased and finally shared a meal with the Emperor.
While Prince Xiao was alive, his wealth was unimaginable, a king's ransom. His treasury still held over 400,000 catties of gold, along with mountains of other riches.
Prince Cān, the son of King Xiào, was made King of Taiyuan. Four years later, King Wǔ of Dài was moved to Huáiyáng, and Cān succeeded him as King of Dài, also incorporating Taiyuan, with the capital still in Jìnyáng. He saw the emperor once every five years, for a total of three times. He died in the seventeenth year, and his son King Gòng succeeded him. King Gòng reigned for twenty-nine years before dying, and his son King Yì succeeded him. During the Yuándǐng period, the Han Dynasty stationed troops at Guǎngguān, with Chángshān serving as a barrier. As a result, the King of Dài was moved to Qīnghé and renamed King Gāng. He reigned as King of Dài for a total of forty years, and after his death, his son King Qǐng succeeded him. King Qǐng reigned for twenty-four years before dying, and his son Nian succeeded him.
During the Dièjié period, Inspector Lin of Jìzhōu reported that when King Nian was the Crown Prince, he had an affair with his sister. After King Nian ascended the throne, his sister was pregnant with his child, and her husband wanted to get rid of the baby. The sister said, "Kill it!" Her husband angrily replied, "This is the prince's child; it should be raised by the royal family." So the sister sent the child to the Empress Dowager. When the Empress Dowager found out, she prohibited the sister from entering the palace. King Nian then sent his uncle back and forth to escort the sister every year without interruption. King Nian was reported for his debauchery, and as a result, he was deposed and moved to Fánglíng, given a mere hundred households in Tāngmù. Three years later, the state of Dài was abolished.
In the second year of Yuánshǐ, the Marquis of Xīndū, Wáng Mǎng, rose up, claiming to be the heir to the defunct line, and reported to the Empress Dowager, making Nian's grandson Rúyì King of Guǎngzōng to honor King Xiào's widow. Later, Wáng Mǎng usurped the throne, leading to the complete extinction of the state of Dài.
Liáng Huáiwáng Yì was the youngest son of Emperor Wén. He loved the Classics, and Emperor Wén favored him above all his other sons. He saw the emperor once every five years, for a total of two times. Later, he died in a riding accident, reigning for ten years before passing away. He had no sons, leading to the abolishment of the state of Liáng. In the following year, Liáng King Wǔ was appointed as the King of Liáng.
King Xiaowang of Liang had five sons who were all made kings. They were: the eldest son, Mai, who became King Gong of Liang; the second son, Ming, who became Chuan's King; the third son, Pengli, who became Dong's King; the fourth son, Ding, who became King of Shanyang; and the fifth son, Bushi, who became Yin's King. They were all given their titles on the same day during the sixth year of Emperor Xiaojing's reign.
King Gong of Liang, Mai, died after seven years. His son, Xiang, inherited the throne and became King Ping of Liang.
Chuan's King Ming was made king because he was the Marquis of Yuanyi. Seven years later, he killed a lieutenant, and the authorities wanted to execute him. Emperor Wu, out of mercy, deposed and exiled him to Fangling, and his kingdom was abolished.
Dong's King Pengli ruled for twenty-nine years. He was arrogant, reckless, and foolish, leading a gang of unruly youths to go around robbing and killing for kicks. He'd killed hundreds, they say, terrorizing the whole country. The victims' kids begged the government to kill him, but Emperor Wu, still unable to bear it, deposed and exiled him to Shangyong, and his kingdom was changed to the Dahu commandery.
King of Shanyang, Ding, died after nine years, with no sons, and his kingdom was abolished. Yin's King Bushi died after one year, also with no sons, resulting in the abolition of his kingdom.
The four sons of King Xiaowang of Liang all died without leaving any descendants.
King Ping of Liang, Xiang, was the son of Dowager Empress Chen, while King Gong of Liang, Mai, was the son of Dowager Empress Li. Dowager Empress Li was King Ping's grandmother. King Ping's wife later was Ren, who was greatly favored by him.
At the beginning, King Xiao of Liang had a precious thunder vessel worth a fortune, and he warned his descendants to preserve it well and never give it away. Lady Ren heard about it and wanted to obtain it. Empress Li said, "The late king left an edict that this thunder vessel cannot be given away. As for other things, even if they are worth millions, you can do whatever you want with them." Although Lady Ren wanted it very much, she still restrained herself. In the end, King Xiang sent people to open the treasury and gave the thunder vessel to Lady Ren. Furthermore, King Xiang and his mother Empress Dowager Chen were both unfilial to Empress Li. Once, an envoy from the Han Dynasty came, and Empress Li wanted to speak to the envoy personally. However, King Xiang sent the Chamberlain Hu and others to stop her and closed the door. Empress Li argued with them. They shoved and pushed her. She cried out, but never saw the Han envoy. Empress Li also had secret liaisons with officials in charge of food and drink, as well as with Langyin Ba and others. King Xiang and Lady Ren used this to spread rumors about Empress Li. Empress Li laid low because of this and later fell ill and died. When Empress Li was sick, Lady Ren did not visit her; after Empress Li's death, Lady Ren did not attend the funeral.
During the reign of Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty in the Yuanshuo period, a man named An in Suiyang rebelled. His father was humiliated by someone, and at that time, he was riding in a carriage with a guest of the Suiyang Prefect. An seized the chance to kill his enemy right there in the carriage, then ran. When the Suiyang Prefect heard about it, he was furious and reported the matter to the prefect of Liangguo. In order to show his proactive approach to handling matters, the prefect arrested An's relatives and friends.
An knew about the power struggle between King Liang and the Empress Dowager, so he reported to the court and exposed the ugly side of their power struggle. The court ministers, including the Prime Minister, knew about this and wanted to use this opportunity to strike at the officials of Liangguo, so they petitioned the court. The emperor ordered officials to investigate, and the investigation proved it true. After much discussion, the ministers deemed An unfilial and requested the execution of King Liang and the Empress Dowager.
The emperor said, "This whole mess is the Empress Dowager Ren Hou's fault; she was a real handful. My prime minister and the rest of those officials were useless. They should have kept a tighter rein on Prince Liang, but they didn't, and now look what happened. I can't bring myself to throw the book at them." Therefore, the emperor reduced five counties of Prince Liang, stripped the Empress Dowager of her Tangmu title and her Yangyi estate, had Ren Hou's head stuck on a pike in the town square to make an example of her, and those involved in the matter, including Zhonglang Hu, were also executed. That left Liang with just eight cities.
King Xiang of Liang ruled for forty years, then his son, King Qing, took over. King Qing reigned for eleven years, then his son, King Jing Dingguo, succeeded him. After forty years, King Jing passed away, and his son, King Yi, took the throne. King Yi ruled for six years before passing away, and his son, King Huang Jia, succeeded him. King Huang ruled for fifteen years, then passed away, and his son took the throne.
During the Hong Jia period, the Grand Tutor submitted a memorial saying, "King Liang breaks the law at least eleven times a day, scaring the bejesus out of everyone around him. Nobody dared to get near him, let alone offer any advice. I hope you can order that, apart from farming and sacrifices, King Liang should not easily leave the palace, all horses should be kept in the outer garden, all weapons should be stored in the palace and not used to reward others." The prime minister and the imperial censors chewed it over and finally gave it the go-ahead.
However, King Liang kept breaking the rules, ordering his guys around and sneaking out of the palace at night. The Grand Tutor submitted this matter multiple times, so they chopped away at his land, sometimes a thousand households, sometimes five hundred. Happened again and again.
King Huang had a sister, who, also known as "Garden," was married to Ren Bao, the uncle of the Standing King. Ren Bao's nephew, Zhao, became the queen of the Standing King. Ren Bao frequently visited the King's sister for meals and drinks, then told the Standing King, "I really like the King's sister and want to be with her." Ren Bao replied, "But she's my aunt; that's illegal." The Standing King responded, "So what could we do?" So he and the King's sister hooked up.
Years went by. During the Yongshi period, Prince Liang had a conflict with his relatives and said some unpleasant things. They investigated and found evidence of Prince Liang's beastly behavior, reporting that he acted like a wild animal and requesting his execution. At this time, Gu Yong, a high-ranking official, wrote to the emperor, saying, "I've heard that according to the rites and laws, the emperor should maintain a distance and not meddle in his relatives' affairs. Therefore, the emperor's style is not to snoop around in people's private lives or believe in baseless gossip. It's always been said that family matters should be kept private. The 'Book of Songs' also teaches that even if there are conflicts between brothers, they shouldn't air each other's dirty laundry. Now, Prince Liang is young and may have some strange habits. He was only investigated because of his unpleasant remarks, but no substantial evidence was found. Instead, his personal life was thoroughly investigated, which was not the focus of this inquiry at all. Prince Liang himself does not admit guilt. Trying to pin false charges on him has led to a confusing situation. Convicting him based on hearsay is of no benefit to governing the country. Airing the royal family's dirty laundry is not a way to cover up their shame, increase the court's glory, or promote moral virtues! I believe that Prince Liang is young, and his father was also his older brother, a confusing family dynamic. Liang was rich enough to afford any woman he wanted. His father should also feel ashamed. The investigation should have focused on his offensive words, not his personal life. From these points of view, this whole thing is ridiculous. I suspect that Prince Liang may have spoken out of impulse, and the officials hounded him mercilessly without giving him any room to maneuver. They should have shown mercy early on and let it go. Since the investigation has been conducted and followed legal procedures, if Prince Liang does not accept the verdict, the court should order the Judicial Officer to select respected officials knowledgeable in legal principles to re-examine the case, find out the truth, determine the mistakes, and instruct lower-level officials to correct them. This will demonstrate the court's tolerance and benevolence towards the royal family, cleanse their shame, and this is the correct way to handle internal conflicts within the royal family." The emperor, having heard Gu Yong's plea, dropped the case.
After a few years, during the Yuan Yan period, Prince Liang butted heads with his underlings and the Suiyang magistrate over official business. He had his servants kill them, then whacked the servants to keep them quiet. Three dead, five wounded, and he personally strong-armed twenty-plus officials. Prince Liang begged for a pardon, but the Emperor said no. He was also plotting a coup, a capital crime. The officials wanted him dead, but the Emperor couldn't bring himself to do it, so he just stripped him of five counties' worth of titles.
During the reign of Emperor Ai of Han, Wang Li committed another murder. The Emperor sent the Justice Minister and the Grand Herald, armed with the imperial seal, to grill him. After they arrived, they wrote to the Prime Minister, the Grand Secretary, and the Commandant saying, "Wang Li defied the emperor's orders, acted arrogantly and unreasonably, repeatedly committing capital offenses, poisoning the well. He has received imperial grace many times before without severe punishment, yet he shows no remorse and commits murder again. Fortunately, he has received imperial grace again. The PM's top clerk and the Grand Herald went to question him. Wang Li faked sick, acted like a royal pain, refused to fess up—basically, he was acting like a rebel. The Prime Minister and the Grand Secretary requested the seizure of Wang Li's seals and jade pendants and to imprison him in Chenliu prison. The Emperor, knowing full well what was going on, sent the Justice Minister and the Grand Herald back for another round of questioning. Now Wang Li is to face the emperor's questioning, fearing he will still deny and not admit guilt, as the Book of Documents says, 'repeated warnings, and still no obedience? Then I revoke my orders!' The Prime Minister, Grand Secretary, and Commandant all have the duty to assist the emperor and rectify the court. If the tigers and rhinos get loose, and the turtles and jade get smashed, who's to blame? When this letter arrives, you must clearly explain this principle to Wang Li. If he keeps lying, he'll be in even deeper doo-doo. And if the officials below the PM don't do their jobs, they'll be held accountable too."
Wang Li was so frightened that he was trembling all over. He took off his hat and replied, "I lost my parents when I was young and lived a vulnerable life in the deep palace. I only stayed with eunuchs and maids, gradually picking up the habits of the court. In addition, I am of limited intelligence, and some bad habits cannot be changed. In the past, the prime minister and the grand censor did not wholeheartedly assist me with benevolence and righteousness. The ministers were harsh and nitpicky. Court factions constantly undermined each other, leading to discord and mutual suspicion. In the palace, any slip-up was immediately reported. I should have been severely punished to warn the world, but I have received forgiveness many times. Now I admit that I killed the general of the Zhonglang Cao. In the urgency of winter, I was terrified of dying, so I pretended to be sick and fainted, delaying for a while. I now truthfully answer, awaiting punishment." At that time, winter was coming to an end, and with the arrival of spring, there was a general amnesty, so Wang Li's case was no longer pursued. During the Yuan Shi era, Wang Li was accused of colluding with the external relatives of Emperor Ping, the Zhongshan Wei clan. Wang Mang, Marquis of Xindu, had Wang Li stripped of his title, demoted, and exiled to Hanzhong. Wang Li committed suicide. Twenty-seven years later, his kingdom was abolished. Two years later, Wang Mang submitted a memorial to the Empress Dowager, requesting the appointment of Yin, the great-great-grandson of King Xiao, as the King of Liang from Pei County, to serve the Empress Dowager of King Xiao. Later, Wang Mang's usurpation led to the destruction of the Kingdom of Liang. Now, about King Xiaowang of Liang: because he was filial to his parents, he was granted fertile and rich land as his fiefdom. However, he lived in a peaceful and prosperous era of the strong national power of the Han Dynasty, so he was able to accumulate a large amount of wealth, build luxurious palaces, and acquire exquisite chariots, horses, and clothing. However, it must be said that he also pushed his luck.
King Xiao of Liang: Though favored with a rich kingdom and riding the wave of Han prosperity and the people's wealth, he was extravagantly self-indulgent. His over-reliance on his parents' favor led to his downfall, ultimately causing his sorrowful death. It is truly regrettable! He overindulged, like a cow that eats itself sick. Spoiled by parental indulgence, he suffered the consequences, ultimately dying a sorrowful death. Alas!
