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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…
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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…