Emperor Xiao Jing had fourteen sons. Queen Wang gave birth to Emperor Xiao Wu. Li Ji gave birth to Prince Liu Rong of Linjiang, Prince Liu De of Hejian, and Prince Liu E of Linjiang. Cheng Ji gave birth to Prince Liu Yu of Lu Gong, Prince Liu Fei of Jiangdu, and Prince Liu Duan of Jiaoxi. Lady Jia gave birth to Prince Liu Pengzu of Zhao Jingsu and Prince Liu Sheng of Zhongshan. Tang Ji gave birth to Prince Liu Fa of Changsha. Lady Wang gave birth to Prince Liu Yue of Guangchuan, Prince Liu Ji of Jiaodong, Prince Liu Cheng of Qinghe, and Prince Liu Shun of Changshan.
Prince Liu De of Hejian was appointed as a prince two years before Emperor Xiao Jing's death. He was studious, enjoyed studying ancient classics, was serious and practical, and valued accuracy. If regular people obtained valuable books, he would spend money to have them copied, preserving the originals, and would also reward them with gifts to show his gratitude. This attracted talent from all over the country. Knowledgeable individuals traveled from far and wide, and some even offered books passed down from their ancestors to Prince Liu De. As a result, the books collected by Prince Liu De were numerous and rivaled the imperial library's collection from the Han Dynasty. At that time, Prince Liu An of Huainan also liked collecting books, but most of the people he attracted were boastful. The books collected by Prince Liu De were all ancient classics from the pre-Qin period, including classic texts like the *Zhou Guan*, *Shang Shu*, *Li Ji*, *Mengzi*, and *Laozi*, all annotated by the seventy disciples of the pre-Qin era. His knowledge covered the Six Arts (the six essential subjects in Confucian education: rites, music, archery, charioteering, calligraphy, and mathematics), and he also established the positions of professors of the *Classic of Poetry* and the *Zuo Commentary*. He placed great emphasis on ritual and music, dressing in accordance with Confucian norms, and was always accompanied by Confucians wherever he went. Many Confucians from Shandong sought him out as a teacher.
During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, Prince Xian came to the capital to pay his respects to the emperor, presenting court music and answering over thirty questions posed in the imperial decree at Sanyong Palace. His answers were all based on morality, brief but insightful, emphasizing the key points.
After reigning as king for twenty-six years, he died. Commander Chang Li reported to the court, "Prince Xian was upright, lived frugally, was gentle and kind to others, respectful and humble, and deeply loved by the people. He had keen insight and showed great care for widows and the elderly." The Imperial Minister recommended, "According to the 'Law of Posthumous Names,' which states that 'one who is intelligent and wise is called Xian,' he should be posthumously named Prince Xian."
His son, Liu Bu Hai, reigned for four years before dying. Liu Kan, his grandson, succeeded to the throne and ruled for twelve years before his death. Liu Shou, his great-grandson, took over for seventeen years until he passed away. Liu Qing, his great-great-grandson, then ascended the throne and ruled for forty-three years before dying. In the end, his great-great-grandson succeeded to the throne.
So, there was this King Hanyuan. He married the widows of King Guangling Li and his crown prince, as well as the former concubine Lian Shi of King Huai of Zhongshan. Anyway, during the Ganlu period, Jizhou Inspector Chang accused him in a memorial, which reached the Ministry of Justice, where Lian Shi and the others were arrested. King Hanyuan panicked and made seven people kill themselves! This scared the court officials stiff, who all demanded his head! In the end, the Emperor just took away two counties and 11,000 households.
Later, Hanyuan got his knickers in a twist over some trifle and ticked off the junior historian Liu Gui. Liu Gui jumped the wall to rat him out, but Hanyuan had his mum whacked! This was the last straw. Everyone agreed Hanyuan was a brutal tyrant, unfit to be a prince, let alone a role model. So they deposed Hanyuan and shipped him off to Fangling in Hanzhong. A few years later, he and his wife, Ruo Qi, had a row about a fancy carriage, and he beat her and shaved her head! The local governor was about to get him, but he croaked. He was king for seventeen years, then his kingdom was done for.
Five years later, under Emperor Chengdi, in the first year of the Jian Shi era, King Hanyuan's brother, Liang, who'd been a warehouse manager in Shangjun, became King Hui of Hejian again. King Liang was a good egg, and did a great job as king. When his mum, the Queen Mother, died, he mourned her properly for three years. Emperor Chengdi even issued an edict praising him: "King Liang of Hejian mourned his mother for three years, setting a fine example for the royal family. He'll get a bonus of 10,000 households!" He ruled for twenty-seven years, then his son Shang took over. But when Wang Mang took over, Hejian was finished.
Next up, King E of Linjiang. He became king two years before Emperor Jing, died three years later with no heir, and his kingdom became a county.
Prince Rong of Linjiang was named Crown Prince in the fourth year of Emperor Jing of Han, but was deposed at the age of four and given the title of Prince of Linjiang. At the age of three, he was summoned by the emperor for taking temple land to build a palace. As Prince Rong set off for Chang'an, the axle of his carriage broke while he was boarding at the north gate of Jiangling. The people of Jiangling wailed, "He'll never come back!" Upon arriving in Chang'an, Prince Rong was interrogated by Zhi Du, the commander, and was so frightened that he committed suicide. He was buried in Lantian, where it is said that thousands upon thousands of swallows brought soil to pile on his tomb, showing the sympathy of the people. Prince Rong was the eldest among his brothers, but left no sons. His kingdom was dissolved, his lands added to the Han empire, becoming part of Nanjun.
Lastly, there was Prince Gong of Lu, who was made Prince of Huaiyang two years before Emperor Jing of Han, and was later transferred to the state of Lu three years before Emperor Jing of Han after the suppression of the Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu. He enjoyed building palaces and gardens, raising dogs and horses, and in his later years, he loved music, disliked reading, had a speech impediment, and was not articulate. He died at 28. His son, Prince Guangsi of An, loved music and fancy carriages initially, but later became frugal, worried he'd run out of money. He passed away at 40. His son, Prince Qingji of Xiao, inherited the throne and died at 37. His son, Prince Jin of Qing, took over and died at 28. His son, Prince Su of Wen, succeeded to the throne and died at 18 without leaving any sons, so the kingdom was done for. In the third year of Emperor Ai's reign, Prince Jin's younger brother, Marquis Min of Xiāng, was appointed as king. During the reign of Wang Mang, this kingdom just vanished.
Prince Gong initially enjoyed building palaces and even tore down Confucius's old house to expand his own palace. However, after hearing the sound of bells and zithers, he dared not continue demolishing and instead discovered ancient scriptures and biographies hidden in the walls.
Prince Liu Fei of Jiangdu became the King of Runan two years before Emperor Jing took the throne. During the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu, Liu Fei, at the age of fifteen, showed guts and talent by asking to lead the charge against Wu. Emperor Jing granted him the general's seal and allowed him to attack the Wu Kingdom. After beating Wu, he became King of Jiangdu, ruling over the old Wu territory. His military success earned him the emperor's banner. During the Yuanguang period, when the Xiongnu attacked the Han border, Liu Fei requested to lead an expedition against them, but the emperor did not agree. Liu Fei loved showing off his military might, building lavish palaces, and attracting heroes from all over; he lived a life of luxury and excess. He died at 27, and his son took over.
When Crown Prince Jian was still the crown prince, a Handan fella named Liang Fen wanted to marry his daughter off to King Fei. Jian heard she was a looker, so he secretly summoned her and wouldn't let her go. Liang Fen spread rumors everywhere that "your boy stole my wife!" Jian had Liang Fen killed. Liang Fen's family cried foul, but a general amnesty squashed the whole thing.
King Yi was dead and hadn't even been buried yet. Jian lived in the mourning house and summoned ten women, including Nao Ji, whom King Yi loved before his death, and slept with all ten of them. Jian's younger sister, who is also Gai Hou's wife, had an affair with him as well when King Yi passed away and she returned to her family for mourning. Jian's half-brother Dingguo, the Marquis of Huaiyang and King Yi's youngest son, was well-liked because his mother was favored. Dingguo found out about Jian's actions and paid off a guy named Tuo Tian to rat Jian out, claiming he was not fit to be emperor. The case went to court, and it was discovered that Tuo Tian took a bribe to squeal, resulting in his death sentence. But Jian got away with it. Later, Jian kept sending people to Chang'an to get his sister. When Queen Dowager Lu Gong heard about this, she wrote a letter to his sister saying, "There are rumors flying around, so don't come back to Jiangdu!" Jian later sent a messenger to ask Queen Dowager Gong about it, and she cried and said, "Tell the king that he has done too much in the past; he should restrain himself now. Haven't you heard about the events in Yan and Qi? Tell the king that I cried for him!" The messenger relayed the Queen Dowager's message to Jian. Jian blew his top, beat the messenger senseless, and threw him out. While having fun at the Zhantai Palace, Jian made four women get in a little boat and kicked it over, causing two of them to drown. Later, while partying in Leibo, a strong wind blew, and Jian made two guys sit in a small boat in the waves. The boat capsized, and the two guys fell into the water, bobbing up and down. Jian watched, laughing his head off, and ordered them killed.
There was a palace maid whose name was lost to history in the palace. If she made a mistake, the king would make her stand naked and was made to beat a drum, or he would put her on a tree. Sometimes, she'd be left naked for up to thirty days; or he would shave off her hair, torture her with pliers and a lead hammer, beating her until she obeyed; or let a wolf bite her to death while he watched, roaring with laughter; or lock her up and not give her food until she starved to death. The king killed a total of thirty-five innocent people. He also wanted people to mate with animals, forcing palace maids to be naked on all fours and mate with rams and dogs, purely for sadistic pleasure. The king knew he was in deep trouble, and many people in the country wanted to report him. Fearing for his life and feeling uneasy, he and his concubine Cheng Guang sent a shaman named Yue bi to sacrifice to the gods and curse the emperor. He also complained to the Minister of Health and other officials, saying, "If the envoy of the Han court comes to investigate me again, I'm not going down alone!"
It is said that King Wu Liu Jian heard that the King of Huainan and the King of Hengshan were plotting a rebellion in secret, and he was worried that if things were revealed one day, he would also be implicated. So he secretly began to prepare weapons. He appointed his father-in-law Hu Ying as a general and promoted a man named Ji, a skilled officer with great strength, good archery skills, and superb riding skills. Liu Jian dubbed him "Lingwu Jun." He also had a palace with a yellow roof built, carved the emperor's seal, cast gold and silver seals for generals and captains, made twenty Han dynasty envoys and thousands of silk ribbons, and prepared rewards for various military officers' ranks, positions, titles, and fiefdoms. He even had maps of the empire and detailed battle plans prepared.
He also sent people to contact the King of Yue and the Marquis of Min, sending many precious silks and exotic treasures to seek their support. The King of Yue and the Marquis of Min also returned many treasures to Liu Jian, such as pearls, gemstones, rhinoceros hide armor, emerald bird feathers, and rare fierce beasts. Both sides sent messengers back and forth multiple times, agreeing to help each other in case of any trouble. As a result, the Huainan King's rebellion was exposed, and the court began to investigate the faction, implicating Liu Jian. Liu Jian quickly sent people to hush it up, spending a lot of money to suppress the matter.
Later, Liu Jian said to those around him, "Since becoming king, many people are imprisoned in the imperial prison every year for various crimes, living without any happy days. Why should his loyal followers sit idly by and die? I want to do things that others dare not do!" At that time, Liu Jian often wore the general's seal given to him by his father and flaunted the emperor's authority. After several years of turmoil, the matter finally came to light. The Han court sent a high-ranking official from the Prime Minister's office and the magistrate of Jiangdu to investigate the case together, uncovering the weapons, jade seal, sashes, and envoys hidden by Liu Jian, with conclusive evidence. The relevant department requested the arrest and execution of Liu Jian. The emperor said, "First discuss with the marquises, high-ranking officials, and scholars." Everyone unanimously agreed, "Liu Jian, as a subject, has violated his duties. He acted wantonly, ignoring repeated warnings, and even plotted rebellion. His actions were outrageous, surpassing even Xia Jie and Shang Zhou. This was a crime against heaven and earth, unforgivable, and he should be executed for treason!" Therefore, the emperor ordered the imperial censor and the justice minister to interrogate Liu Jian immediately. Liu Jian ultimately committed suicide, and his accomplices, Cheng Guang and others, were also executed. Six years later, the state of Wu was abolished, its land incorporated into the Han dynasty, and renamed Guangling Commandery.
After 121 years, during the reign of Emperor Ping, Wang Mang, the Marquis of Xin Du, came to power. In order to continue the severed royal lineage, he made Liu Gong, the younger brother of Liu Jian, the King of Wu. Later, Wang Mang usurped power and the state of Guangling was abolished once again.
The King of Jiaoxi was named Yu Wang Duan, who was appointed king three years before Emperor Jing of Han. This guy was a real piece of work, and his health wasn't great; he was a bit… shall we say… sexually challenged. Any intimacy with a woman laid him low for months. He fell in love with a young man and kept him by his side as an attendant. As a result, this attendant got involved with the women in the palace, and Yu Wang Duan just had them all killed, not even sparing the parents of the children. He often broke the law, and officials of the Han Dynasty kept begging the emperor to kill him, but the emperor couldn't bear to, so Yu Wang Duan became more and more arrogant. Later, the officials again petitioned for his punishment, and his fiefdom was reduced by almost half. Yu Wang Duan flipped his lid and just gave up. His treasury was a disaster; everything rotted, the losses were astronomical, and he never even tried to fix it. He told his guys to stop collecting taxes, went into hiding, locked down the palace, and only left one way in and out. He was always changing his name, dressing like a peasant, and running off to other countries.
The officials sent to run Jiaoxi—all by the book—were constantly harassed by Yu Wang Duan, who'd accuse them of anything; if he couldn't find anything on them, he'd poison them. He was a master manipulator, ignored anyone who told him what to do, and was a whiz at covering his tracks. So, even though Jiaoxi was tiny, he managed to kill a ton of officials. He ruled for 47 years, died without an heir, and his kingdom became Jiaoxi County.
King Pengzu of Zhao was made King of Guangchuan two years before the reign of Emperor Jing of Han. After King Zhao's rebellion failed, he was moved to the state of Zhao. This guy, a real master of flattery, would appear humble and submissive on the surface to please others, but was actually cunning and deceitful, loving to find loopholes in the law and framing people. He had many concubines and children. Whenever two-thousand-stone officials tried to govern the country according to the laws of the Han Dynasty, they would offend the royal family. So whenever such officials arrived, Pengzu would dress shabbily and personally greet them, then deliberately create doubts and lead them to speak, quickly jotting down anything they said wrong or that was off-limits. If the officials wanted to get him, he would use this information to threaten them; if they did not listen, he would rat them out or falsely accuse them of corruption. Pengzu ruled as king for over sixty years, and none of the two-thousand-stone officials could last for two years, either being charged and driven away, or killed or roughed up. Therefore, those officials wouldn't touch him with a ten-foot pole, and King Zhao got even bolder. He had people doing business all over, cornering the market and making more than the government in taxes. So the guy was loaded, but he blew it all on women and kids.
Pengzu did not like building palaces or engaging in auspicious activities; he preferred to do what officials do. He petitioned to crack down on thieves. He often patrolled Handan City at night with soldiers. Messengers passing through thought Pengzu was a dangerous dude and didn't stick around Handan long.
Long after, Prince Dan and his sister, as well as their half-sister, committed incest. Jiang Chong reported Prince Dan for his immoral conduct and engaged in widespread extortion and other criminal activities. Emperor Wu of Han sent people to arrest Prince Dan, imprisoned him in Zhaoyu (a prison in Weijun), and eventually sentenced him to death. Peng Zu wrote a petition to defend Prince Dan, offering to lead brave warriors from within the country to fight against the Xiongnu to atone for Prince Dan's crimes, but the emperor did not agree. After some time, Prince Dan's charges were finally pardoned. Later, Peng Zu went to the capital and requested to reinstate Prince Dan as the crown prince through the emperor's sisters, Princess Pingyang and Princess Longlu, but the emperor still did not agree.
Peng Zu became intimate with Nao Ji, King Yi's favorite concubine, who bore him a son named Naozi. Peng Zu died in the first year of Zhenghe and was posthumously named King Jingsu. After Peng Zu's death, Nao Ji's brother served as a eunuch in the Han Dynasty. The emperor summoned him and asked, "How is Naozi?" He replied, "This man is driven by excessive ambition." The emperor said, "Those with too many desires are not suitable to be rulers or govern the people." The emperor then asked about Wushi Hou Chang, and the eunuch said, "This person has no faults or achievements." The emperor said, "Very well." He then appointed Wushi Hou Chang as king, King Qing, who ruled for nineteen years before his death. His son, King Huai, succeeded him, but died five years later without a son, leaving the throne vacant for two years. Emperor Xuan appointed King Gao, the younger brother of King Huai, who later became known as King Ai, but died a few months later. His son, King Gong, succeeded the throne and ruled for fifty-six years before his death. His son, King Yin, succeeded him, but his line ended during the reign of Wang Mang.
Initially, Emperor Wu of Han, because they were related, appointed Yan, the younger son of King Jingsu, as the King of Pinggan, who later became King Qing. He died after reigning for eleven years. His son, King Miu Yuan, succeeded to the throne and died twenty-five years later. The Grand Herald, Yu, reported, "King Miu previously used a knife to kill servants, and his son also killed an envoy. The governor accused him, and the charges are clear. He previously ordered that servants be buried alive with musicians, forcing a total of sixteen people to commit suicide. The guy was brutal. The *Spring and Autumn Annals* say you can't appoint the son of a murdered king as the successor. Although King Miu has not yet been executed, he shouldn't have an heir." The emperor agreed, and thus the Kingdom of Pinggan was abolished.
Liu Sheng, Prince Jing of Zhongshan, got his title three years before Emperor Jing of Han. Emperor Wu had just ascended the throne, and the ministers still remembered the rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu. They thought Chao Cuo's plan to cut down the fiefdoms was unfair, and many people figured Chao Cuo's whole fief-slashing thing was a raw deal. They wanted to start chipping away at their power, constantly accusing and exposing them. The vassal kings thought to themselves, "We're all family! The old emperor gave us all this land to keep the family strong. Now we may not have committed any wrongs, but we’re being bullied by courtiers. Those officials jump on any little thing, yelling at and beating our guys until they rat us out. It's a total outrage!"
In the third year of Jianyuan, King Liu Deng of Dai, King Liu Fa of Changsha, King Liu Sheng of Zhongshan, and King Liu Ming of Jichuan came to visit the emperor, who hosted a banquet for them. When Liu Sheng heard the music, he started to cry. The emperor asked him what troubled him, and Liu Sheng replied: "I've heard that truly sorrowful people don't cry out loud, and those who truly miss someone don't sigh. Just like when Gao Jianli played the zither by the Yi River, Jing Ke put down his chopsticks and didn't eat; when Yomenzi sang softly, Meng Changjun arranged a residence for him in his fief. I've had a weight on my chest for ages, and whenever I hear some sad music, I can't help but shed tears.
Many hands make light work, and little strokes fell great oaks. When people band together like tigers, ten people working together can move a large rock. That's the power of public opinion—it can bring even the mighty down. My position is humble, and I'm far from the court, with no one to speak for me. A bad reputation is hard to shake. Small mistakes can also weigh heavily on a person, like a plucked chicken, feeling completely exposed and vulnerable. I'm afraid, so I can't help but cry.
I've heard that sunlight can reach any dark place, and moonlight can make even the night's insects visible. But if thick clouds cover the sky, or dust fills the air, obscuring the view, even Mount Tai can't be seen clearly. Why is that? Because something is blocking the view. Right now, I'm blinded, unable to hear the truth. Those who spread rumors and cause trouble are as numerous as bees, and the journey is long, with no one to speak for me. My heart aches!"
I heard that the mice in the clan temple don't have to worry about being flooded, and the mice on the roof don't have to fear the incense. Why is that? Because they're safe and sound! I'm just a nobody, yet I've been fortunate enough to gain your trust and favor; though my position is humble, I can rule the eastern frontier, and you treat me like a brother. But now, the ministers in the court, who have no blood relation or significant merit, are forming cliques, cozying up to their friends, and sidelining the royal family, making family ties cold and distant. This is like when Boyi was exiled, and Bigan was killed by being split open! In the Book of Songs, it says: "My heart is sad, restless and anxious, like pounding grain with a pestle; I doze off for a moment, then sigh deeply, just worrying about having no one to rely on; my heart is anxious, like suffering from a serious illness," which describes how I feel now!
I have detailed all the corrupt behaviors of these officials to you. As a result, the Emperor showered the vassals with favors, cut down on the paperwork about them, and showed more favor to his relatives. Later, you adopted the strategy of Zhu Fu Yan, allowing the vassals to divide the land among their children based on personal favor, while the court established titles and allocated these lands to the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty's counties. This way, the Han Dynasty kept the vassals in check while steadily reducing their power and land holdings.
King Sheng of Zhongshan, a notorious drunk and lech, has over 120 sons! He often needled Prince Zhao, saying, "You're a king! Get on with ruling, not fiddling with music and whores!" Prince Zhao would fire back, "You're just a big spender, King Sheng. You don't even help the Emperor look after the people. What kind of king are you?"
King Sheng of Zhongshan died after reigning for forty-two years. His son, King Ai Chang, reigned for one year before dying. His son, King Kun Chi, took the throne and died after twenty-one years. His son, King Fu, reigned for four years before dying. His son, King Xun, reigned for seventeen years before dying, leaving no son, which caused the Zhongshan Kingdom to cease to exist for forty-five years. In the second year of Emperor Chengdi of the Han Dynasty, King Yunkai, the grandson of Lord Lixiang, was reestablished as the King of Guangde. Two years later, King Guangde died without leaving a son, leading to another fourteen years of extinction for the Zhongshan Kingdom. Emperor Ai of the Han Dynasty then established Yunkai's brother, Guanghan, as the King of Guangping. After King Guangping died without leaving descendants, in the second year of Emperor Yuanshi of the Han Dynasty, Lün, the great-grandson of King Guangchuan, was made King of Guangde, inheriting the title after King Jing. During Wang Mang's reign, the Zhongshan Kingdom finally ceased to exist.
It is said that Liu Fa, the Prince of Changsha, was the son of Tang Ji, a maid of Cheng Ji. Once, Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty summoned Cheng Ji, who was a bit hesitant to go, so she dressed up her maid Tang Ji and sent her to see the emperor secretly at night. Emperor Jing was drunk and did not recognize her, mistaking her for Cheng Ji, and they had a sexual encounter, resulting in Tang Ji becoming pregnant. When Emperor Jing sobered up, he realized his mistake. After the child was born, he was named Liu Fa. Liu Fa was appointed as the Prince of Changsha two years before Emperor Jing of the Han Dynasty. His mother's low status and lack of favor meant he had a rough go of it as a prince. He died after reigning for twenty-eight years.
His son, King Liu Yong, succeeded him, but only reigned for twenty-seven years before dying. He was followed by his grandson, King Liu Fúxū, who reigned for seventeen years before also dying. Next in line was his great-grandson, King Liu Jiande, who during the reign of Emperor Xuan of Han, burned down ninety-six homes during a hunting trip, killing two people. He also had conflicts with local officials and tried to get the Minister of the Interior framed and killed. As a result, he was stripped of eight counties and removed from his position as a chief officer. He died after thirty-four years of reign.
His son, King Liu Dan, succeeded him, but only reigned for two years before dying without leaving a son, leaving the Changsha kingdom vacant for over a year. It was not until the third year of the Chu Yuan reign of Emperor Yuan of Han that Liu Dan's brother, Liu Zong, was appointed as king, later known as King Xiao, who reigned for five years before dying. His son, Liu Lu, succeeded him, but later Wang Mang usurped the Han dynasty, leading to the end of the Changsha kingdom.
Now, let's talk about King Liu Yue of Guangchuan, who was appointed as the King of Guangchuan during the second year of Emperor Jing of Han, and reigned for thirteen years before dying. His son, King Liu Qi, succeeded him and reigned for forty-four years. King Liu Qi had a favorite named Cheng Ju, who later committed a crime. King Liu Qi wanted to kill him, but Cheng Ju escaped. In retaliation, King Liu Qi arrested Cheng Ju's relatives and friends. Cheng Ju, filled with resentment, wrote a letter accusing King Liu Qi of having an affair with him and committing unspeakable acts. Subsequently, King Liu Qi kept accusing Han officials and favorites of crimes, even accusing the chief officer Cai Pengzu of hiding a son, and screamed at Cai Pengzu, "I'll wipe your whole family out!" After an investigation, it was found that all of King Liu Qi's accusations were false, so he was impeached for false accusations and disrespect, and it was recommended that he be arrested and punished. Fearing for his life, King Liu Qi wrote a letter stating that he wanted to lead the brave warriors of Guangchuan to fight the Xiongnu. The Emperor agreed, but before he could depart, he fell ill and died. They recommended getting rid of the Guangchuan kingdom, and the Emperor approved.
After a few months, the emperor sent out a royal decree, saying, "Prince Hui of Guochuan is my elder brother. I cannot bear to end his line, so let his grandson inherit the title of King of Guochuan." This grandson, Prince Mi of Qi, was well-versed in the *Book of Changes*, *Analects*, and *Classic of Filial Piety*, and enjoyed literature, the arts, chess, and the theatre. There was a painting of Chengqing on the gate of his palace, depicting people in short clothes and large pants, wearing long swords. He particularly liked this painting and had a seven-and-a-half-foot sword made, dressing himself exactly like the people in the painting. He also fell for two beautiful women, Wang Zhaoping and Wang Diyu, intending to make them his mistresses.
Once, he fell ill, and two maids, Ji Yangcheng and Zhao Xinfang, took care of him very attentively, earning even more favor from him. Later, while playing with Diyu, he pulled out a knife from his sleeve and used it to interrogate her. Diyu admitted wanting to kill Zhao Xinfang with Zhaoping. He then questioned Zhaoping, who denied it, so he used an iron needle to force her to confess. He then gathered all the mistresses together, ran Diyu through with his sword, and had Zhao Xinfang kill Zhaoping, resulting in the deaths of both. Zhao Xinfang said, "Word might get out through their maids." So, he also strangled the three maids.
Later, Zhao Xinfang fell ill and dreamed that Zhaoping and the others were accusing him. Upon hearing this, he said, "These women dare to be afraid of me! I might as well burn them all!" He had the bodies dug up and burned.
So, later on, the Emperor made Zhaoxin the Empress. The favored concubine Tao Wangqing became Lady Xiumi, in charge of silk; Cui Xiucheng was made Lady Mingzhen, in charge of the palace gardens. Zhaoxin began to complain to the Emperor, saying about Tao Wangqing: "She's rude to me, her clothes are always better than mine, all obtained from the palace maids." The Emperor said: "Even if you keep running her down, it doesn't lessen my favor towards her; but if she’s really messing around, I will kill her."
Later, Zhaoxin told the Emperor: "When the painter was painting Tao Wangqing's residence before, she was practically naked, applying makeup and powder right next to him. And she keeps popping in and out of the side gates of the harem to spy on the officials inside the palace; I think she's having an affair." The Emperor said: "I understand." Therefore, the Emperor became less fond of Tao Wangqing.
Once, while the Emperor and Zhaoxin were drinking with other concubines serving, the Emperor wrote a little ditty about Tao Wangqing: "Going against the teachings of elders, acting recklessly, plotting evil, ultimately leading to self-destruction. Behaving wildly and inviting disaster upon yourself, don't you get it? Who would still hold a grudge against you now?" Then he had the palace maids sing this song together with musical instruments. The Emperor said: "Somebody's gonna get the message." Zhaoxin knew the Emperor was angry, so she falsely accused Tao Wangqing of sleeping around with various palace officials, even naming names, and bringing up the Langzhongling's fancy quilt as evidence.
The emperor, along with Zhaoxin, went to Tao Wangqing's residence with other concubines, stripped her naked, and then pounded her mercilessly. He ordered the other concubines to hold burning-hot iron pokers to scorch Tao Wangqing. Tao Wangqing escaped, jumped into a well, and committed suicide. Zhaoxin pulled her out, rammed a stake into her vagina, cut off her nose and lips, and severed her tongue. Zhaoxin then sneered at the emperor, saying, "Before, I killed Zhao Ping, which made you fear me. Now I will torture Tao Wangqing beyond recognition, so she can no longer harm anyone." Then she and the emperor dismembered Tao Wangqing together, put her in a large pot, added peach ash and poison, and boiled her continuously day and night until she was boiled to a pulp. Afterwards, they also killed Tao Wangqing's sister.
Later, the emperor frequently called for Rong Ji'ai to drink with him, and Zhaoxin started accusing her in front of the emperor, saying, "I sense something amiss with Rong Ji'ai; her shifty eyes and nervous demeanor raise my suspicions of an affair." At that time, Ai embroidered a square-collared garment for the emperor, which he then burned. Ai was afraid and committed suicide by jumping into a well. After pulling her out while she was still alive, the emperor whipped and interrogated her, and she falsely confessed to having an affair with the imperial physician. The emperor tied her to a pillar, seared her eyes with a red-hot knife, brutally cut off her thighs while still alive, and poured molten lead into her mouth. Ai died, and the emperor dismembered her and buried her with thorns. All the concubines who were favored by the emperor, as long as Zhaoxin accused them, he killed. In total, fourteen people were buried in the Changshou Palace where the empress dowager lived. Fear of Zhaoxin gripped the palace.
Zhaoxin wanted to monopolize the favor, so she told the King that Lady Mingzhen should manage the other concubines. "They're impossible to manage," she said. "It's better to lock up these concubines and not let them run around." Then, she appointed her chief maid to be in charge, responsible for guarding Yongxiang and locking up all the rooms. Only during big parties could these concubines see the King at all. She also had a woman named Qulian compose a song for them: "Worry not, no lord to accompany. Heart heavy, mind not at ease. Internal worries, accumulated sorrows. Unable to see the sky above, what's the point of living! Days pass, time never returns. Willing to abandon the body, no regrets in death." Zhaoxin's band accompanied them, teaching these concubines to sing the song together. After singing, they were sent back to Yongxiang, with the gates tightly locked. Only Zhaoxin's brother's son, as a servant of Lady Chenghua, could frequently see the King. Zhaoxin, on the other hand, was partying it up with her friends and a dozen or so servants, carefree and at ease. That was a brilliant move by Zhaoxin – she essentially put the other concubines under house arrest! She even found a grand reason, saying it was to avoid chaos in the harem, but in reality, she just wanted to monopolize the King's favor. Imagine being cooped up like that – no sunlight, no freedom. Brutal. The lyrics of that song are full of helplessness and despair, with deep sadness between the lines. After singing it, these women probably felt even more uncomfortable. And Zhaoxin herself? She was having a blast! Her brother's son, on the other hand, benefited from this, being able to frequently enter the court. Probably Zhaoxin's doing – she wouldn't want to let anyone else get close to the king, would she?
So, I heard that last year, when he was only fourteen or fifteen, he started studying the I Ching with his teacher. The teacher advised him several times, but he didn't listen at all. Instead, he became even more defiant and eventually had his teacher driven away. Later, the guy in charge of the palace wanted him to become a minor official, but he kept making the Wang family toe the line. He even had his teacher's son whacked, and this incident was never discovered.
After that, he threw these wild parties with singers, acrobats, and even naked people putting on a show for entertainment. A minister couldn't stomach it and ratted him out to the palace. They looked into it, and the performers said they were all doing it to please Queen Zhaoxin and her brother. So, the messenger called Zhaoxin and Du for questioning, and they both admitted to doing the nasty, then committed suicide. Lucky for them, there was a pardon, so they got off scot-free. However, before Zhaoxin died, she gave her mother Du's body and another dead guy's, telling her mom they were together. Her mom said, "They're both my kids, you did nothing wrong!" Then she started wailing and wanted to die, so Zhaoxin had her whacked. The servant did it and spilled the beans.
In the third year of the Ben Shi era, the Minister of Palace Attendants accused him again, detailing the crimes he committed before the general amnesty. The Emperor dispatched a team including the Grand Herald, the Chief Secretary of the Prime Minister, the Deputy Imperial Censor, and the Chief Justice to investigate the matter at the prison in Julu, and ordered the arrest of him and his wife, Zhaoxin. The imperial edict came down: "Zhaoxin, his wife, as well as all the concubines and maids who testified, are to be imprisoned!" They all confessed. Then, the relevant departments requested the execution of this prince. The Emperor said, "This matter must be discussed with the Marquis, officials of the second thousand-stone rank and above, and the scholars." The ministers unanimously agreed that this prince was far too cruel, believing Zhaoxin's slander, burning people, boiling people, cutting flesh alive, ignoring the advice of his teachers, and even killing his teacher and his son. In total, he killed sixteen innocent people, including a mother and her two children, which was utterly barbaric and completely unconscionable. Among these sixteen, fifteen had committed crimes before the general amnesty, with serious offenses that warranted making an example of him.
The Emperor said, "I'm reluctant to punish him; let us discuss how to proceed." The relevant departments suggested that his title be abolished, and he and his wife be exiled to Shangyong, rewarding him with a land grant providing tax exemptions for a hundred households. As a result, the prince subsequently committed suicide; Zhaoxin was executed.
In 128 BC, I was dethroned, and my kingdom was done for. Four years later, during the fourth year of Emperor Xuan of Han's reign, my brother, King Wen, was reinstated as the King of Dai. King Wen was upright and repeatedly warned me against my reckless behavior, which is why the emperor reinstated him as king. Unfortunately, he died after only two years in power. His son, Haiyang, succeeded the throne and reigned for fifteen years. However, he got himself dethroned in the fourth year of Ganlu after commissioning paintings of naked people doing it, then throwing a party for his siblings to watch. He also let his sister sleep with a favorite courtier and conspired with his brother to murder a whole family, and ultimately, his kingdom was wiped out. Fifteen years later, during the second year of Emperor Ping of Han, my brother's son, Yu, was made the King of Guangde, keeping the Hui line going. However, he died after only two years. His son, Chi, succeeded the throne, but the whole royal family was wiped out under Wang Mang.
King Kang of Jiaodong was made king in the second year of Emperor Jing of Han, and he died after ruling for twenty-eight years. When the Prince of Huainan started plotting his rebellion, although he only heard some rumors, he made weapons on the sly and prepared for battle to prevent the uprising. When the government investigated the rebellion case of the Prince of Huainan, he just quit his job. He was tight with the emperor, and this incident saddened him greatly, causing him to get sick with worry and die before getting his affairs in order. The emperor heard that he had an eldest son, Xian, whose mother was not favored, and a younger son, Qing, whose mother was favored. King Kang had always wanted to appoint Qing as his successor, but thought it wasn't right and didn't say anything because of other stuff he'd done wrong. The emperor got what he was going through and appointed Xian as the Jiaodong king to take over King Kang's religious duties, while Qing was made King of Liuan, with his territory in the original Hengshan area. King Xian of Jiaodong ruled for fifteen years before he died, and he was called King Ai after he died. His son, King Tongping, succeeded him and ruled for twenty-four years before he died; his son, King Yin, succeeded him and ruled for fifty-four years before he died; his son, King Shou, succeeded him and ruled for fourteen years before he died; his son, King Yin, succeeded him, but later during the Wang Mang period, the royal line died out.
King Qing of Liuan ruled for thirty-eight years before he died. His son, King Lu, succeeded him and ruled for ten years before he died; his son, King Ding, succeeded him and ruled for twenty-two years before he died; his son, King Guang, succeeded him and ruled for twenty-seven years before he died; his son, King Yu, succeeded him, but later during the Wang Mang period, the royal line died out.
King Cheng of Qinghe Ai was made king in the third year of Emperor Jing of Han, and he died after ruling for twelve years without any sons, and the kingdom was also abolished.
King Xian of Changshan was made king in the fifth year of Emperor Jing of Han. Xian was the emperor's youngest son, a total playboy, and he was always breaking the law, but the emperor let him get away with it. He ruled for thirty-one years before he died, and his son, Bo, succeeded to the throne.
At first, Prince Xian had a son named Zuo (足) by a concubine who was not favored. Because his mother was not favored, he rarely saw the king. Later, the queen gave birth to the crown prince Bo. Prince Xian had a vast harem, and his favored concubines gave birth to two sons, Ping and Shang, while the queen rarely received attention. When Prince Xian fell seriously ill, those favored concubines all served by his side, but the queen, out of jealousy, often left and returned to her own residence. The royal physician delivered the medicine. Prince Bo didn't even bother to taste it, let alone tend to his ailing father. After Prince Xian's death, the queen and the crown prince arrived late. Prince Xian never treated Zuo as his son during his lifetime, nor did he give him any property. Some people suggested to the crown prince and the queen that Zuo should be given some property, but they both refused. After the crown prince succeeded to the throne, he paid no attention to Zuo's life or death. Zuo resented the queen and the crown prince in his heart.
When envoys from the Han Dynasty came to inspect Prince Xian's funeral, Zuo accused the queen and the crown prince of not attending to Prince Xian when he was sick, and they didn't show up for six days after his death. Crown Prince Bo spent his days carousing—drinking, gambling, strumming his zither, and even joyriding with women through the city streets, past the marketplace, and shockingly, even into the prison itself to gawk at the inmates. The emperor sent Dai Xingqian to investigate and arrest witnesses, but Bo hid the witnesses. When officials tried to arrest them, Bo sent people to beat and scold them, releasing those suspected by the Han Dynasty envoys. The authorities requested the execution of Bo and the queen dowager. The emperor said, "That woman Xiu was always up to no good, giving Zuo the perfect opportunity to turn them in. Bo didn't have good teachers, and I cannot bear to kill him." The authorities then requested the removal of Bo from the throne and the relocation of Bo and his entire family to Fangling, and the emperor gave the okay.
Bo only lasted a few months as king before his kingdom was wiped out. A month later, the emperor, feeling nostalgic, issued an edict to the relevant departments, saying: "King Xian of Changshan died young, the royal women were at each other's throats, and his sons were constantly fighting amongst themselves, leading to the destruction of the country. It breaks my heart! I'm appointing Xianwang's son Ping as the King of Zhending, with 30,000 households as his fief; and I'm appointing Shang as the King of Sishui, with 30,000 households as his fief." King Ping reigned for 25 years, succeeded by his son, King Lie, who reigned for 18. Lie was followed by King Xiao, who reigned for 33 years, then King An (26 years), King Gong (15 years), and finally King Yang, whose reign ended with the fall of the kingdom under Wang Mang.
King Shang of Sishui died after reigning for twelve years. His son Ai Wang Anshi succeeded to the throne but died one year later without leaving a son. This had Emperor Wu sweating bullets, thinking the Sishui line would die out, so he appointed Anshi's brother He as king, Dai Wang. Dai Wang reigned for 22 years and also died. When he was about to die, his wife was pregnant and gave birth to a son named Nuan. But the palace eunuch kept it quiet. Later, the Empress Dowager wrote a letter to the emperor about this matter. Emperor Zhao felt sorry for the kid and chewed out the eunuch, then appointed Nuan as king, Qin Wang. Qin Wang reigned for 39 years and also died. His son Li Wang Jun succeeded to the throne, reigned for 31 years, and also died. His son Jing Wang succeeded, but the Sishui line ended with Wang Mang's rise.
Man, think about what Duke Ai of Lu said: "I was born in the deep palace, brought up by women, never knowing sorrow, never knowing fear." That's so true! No matter how hard you try not to fall, you will. Back in the day, they thought comfort was poison, saying that those without virtue but rich and noble are unfortunate. During the establishment of the Han Dynasty until the reign of Emperor Xiaoping, there were hundreds of princes and kings, most of whom were wild and reckless. Why is that? Because they were addicted to pleasure, in high positions—it's only natural. Even regular folks get swept up in it, let alone someone like Duke Ai! Only the truly virtuous can escape that fate, and Prince Xian of Hejian came pretty close.
