Zheng Xuan (127–200 CE) was a preeminent Confucian classicist of the Eastern Han dynasty. His courtesy name was Kangcheng, and he was a native of Gaomi, Beihai Commandery (in present-day Gaomi, Shandong).
Brief: This article explores Eastern Han’s Partisan Prohibitions. Eunuchs branded scholar‑gentry like Li Ying and Chen Fan as “partisans,” triggering two brutal purges. Many were killed, exiled, or banned for life. The crackdown destroyed honest officials, fatally weakening the Han and paving the way for its collapse.