Chinese mythology, folktales, and literature
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Jing’s Early Reforms Upon ascending the throne in 157 BCE, Emperor Jing of Han inherited his father Emperor Wen’s legacy of benevolent rule – but with pragmatic adjustments. While maintaining low taxation (collecting only half the land tax in his first year), he recognized that some revenue was essential for state function. He also…
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A Humble Beginning Emperor Wen of Han (Liu Heng) was not born to power. His mother, Consort Bo, had been a low-ranking concubine of Emperor Gaozu – so obscure that she and her son lived quietly in their fiefdom of Dai, far from the treacherous politics of Chang’an. This exile proved a blessing: it…