•
From Nameless Slave to Warlord At the end of the Western Jin dynasty, chaos engulfed China. Borderland peoples – Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di, and Qiang – rose in rebellion, carving out kingdoms across the north. This era, later called the Sixteen Kingdoms, saw over twenty states emerge, many founded not only by non-Han groups…
•
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 Foothold in Xindu After their grueling flight through Hebei, Liu Xiu and his exhausted band were warmly welcomed into Xindu by Governor Ren Guang and Pi Tong of Hucheng. There, they convened to plan the campaign against the false emperor Wang Lang. Pi Tong urged bold action: “If the Grand Marshal raises his…
•
The Last Stand of a Doomed Regime By late 23 CE, Wang Mang’s Xin dynasty was on the brink of collapse. The Gengshi Emperor Liu Xuan had dispatched Grand Duke Wang Kuang to attack Luoyang, while Generals Shen Tu Jian and Li Song marched on Wuguan Pass (in modern Danfeng, Shaanxi). Panic-stricken, Wang Mang…