•
A historical text compiled by Fan Ye (398–445 CE) during the Liu Song dynasty of the Southern Dynasties period. The work originally comprised 100 scrolls of Annals (Benji) and Biographies (Liezhuan), but the present standard edition contains 120 scrolls: 10 Annals, 80 Biographies, and 30 Treatises (Zhi).
•
A foundational Chinese historical text compiled by Ban Gu (32–92 CE) of the Eastern Han dynasty.
•
Restoring Peace Through Frugality and Reform After decades of civil war, Emperor Guangwu of Han (Liu Xiu) turned his focus inward. His domestic reforms followed two clear principles: reduce state expenditure and lighten the people’s burden.
•
The Ambitious Warlord of Longyou Wei Xiao, a respected scholar from Chengji (northwest of modern Qin’an, Gansu), rose to prominence during the anti-Wang Mang uprisings. Appointed by local elites, he seized control of Tianshui and built a powerful regional base. Though he briefly submitted to Liu Xuan (the Gengshi Emperor), he later joined the…
•
The Collapse of the Gengshi Regime As the Red Eyebrows advanced on Chang’an in two columns, Liu Xuan, the Gengshi Emperor, suffered defeat after defeat. His generals – Zhang Ang, Wang Kuang, and others – had already been routed by Deng Yu and fled back to the capital. Seeing the end near, they plotted…
•
The Gengshi Emperor’s Downfall Begins In early 24 CE, Liu Xuan, the Gengshi Emperor, moved his capital from Luoyang to Chang’an, likely seeking greater security (sidenote: Dong Zhuo did the same in the end of the Easter Han). At first, he governed with surprising competence: he forbade looting, restored order, rewarded loyalists, reinstated Han…
•
A Fragile Victory and a Fateful Decision After proclaiming Liu Xuan as the Gengshi Emperor, the Han restoration forces split their efforts: Liu Yan was sent to besiege Wan County once more, while Wang Feng, Wang Chang, and Liu Xiu marched on Kunyang (modern Ye County, Henan). Kunyang, lightly defended, fell quickly, followed by…