Emperor Wu of Han: the story on HearLore

Emperor Wu of Han

In 153 BC, a five-year-old prince named Liu Che made a promise that would echo through Chinese history for two millennia. When his aunt, Princess Guantao, held him in her arms and asked if he wanted to marry her daughter, Chen Jiao, the young boy did not hesitate. He declared that if they were to be wed, he would build a golden house to house her. This declaration, recorded in the Hanwu Stories, became the origin of the idiom jin wu cang jiao, meaning to shelter a beloved woman in luxury. The promise was not merely a child's fantasy; it was a political maneuver that secured the future of the Han dynasty. Princess Guantao used the boy's words to convince Emperor Jing to approve the marriage, which in turn gave her a powerful ally against the emperor's favorite concubine, Lady Li. This alliance would eventually lead to the downfall of Lady Li and her son, the original crown prince, Liu Rong. The young Liu Che, who would become Emperor Wu, was not just a child playing with words. He was the 11th son of Emperor Jing, born to Consort Wang, who had been forcibly divorced from her first husband, Jin Wangsun, by her own mother, Zang Er. Zang Er, a granddaughter of the Prince of Yan, had been told by a soothsayer that both her daughters would become extremely honored. This prophecy set in motion a chain of events that would place Liu Che on the throne. The early years of Liu Che were marked by political intrigue and the ruthless maneuvering of court factions. His mother, Consort Wang, was a master of court politics, and she used her influence to secure the position of her son. The marriage to Chen Jiao, who was at least eight years older than Liu Che, was a strategic move that would later prove to be a source of great personal and political turmoil. The young prince's intelligence and charisma were evident from a very young age, and he quickly became Emperor Jing's favorite son. However, the path to the throne was not smooth. The political landscape was fraught with danger, and the young Liu Che had to navigate the treacherous waters of court politics to secure his position. The story of the golden house is a testament to the power of words and the importance of alliances in the ancient world. It is a story that would shape the destiny of the Han dynasty and the life of one of its greatest emperors.

The Reformer Who Lost His Way

In 141 BC, at the age of 15, Liu Che ascended to the throne as Emperor Wu, inheriting an empire that was still reeling from the aftermath of the Rebellion of the Seven States. The Han dynasty was run according to a Taoist wu wei ideology, which championed economic freedom and government decentralization. However, these policies had their drawbacks. The non-interventionist policies resulted in the loss of monetary regulation and political control by the central government, allowing the feudal vassal states to become powerful and unruly. The heqin policy, which was used to maintain a de jure peace with the Xiongnu, had failed to protect the Han borders against nomadic raids. The young emperor was unwilling to put up with the status quo. Only a year into his reign, Emperor Wu took the advice of Confucian scholars and launched an ambitious reform, known in history as the Jianyuan Reforms. The reforms included officially endorsing Confucianism as the national philosophy, forcing noblemen back to their own fiefdoms, removing checkpoints that were not sanctioned by the central government, encouraging the reporting and prosecution of criminal activities by nobles, and recruiting and promoting talented commoners in government positions. However, Emperor Wu's reforms threatened the interests of the nobles and were swiftly defeated by his powerful grandmother, Grand Empress Dowager Dou, who held real political power in the Han court and supported the conservative factions. Most of the reformists were punished. Emperor Wu's two noble supporters, Dou Ying and Tian Fen, lost their positions, and his two mentors, Wang Zang and Zhao Wan, were impeached, arrested, and forced to commit suicide in prison. Emperor Wu, deprived of any allies, was now the subject of conspiracies designed to have him removed from the throne. His first wife, Empress Chen Jiao, was unable to become pregnant, and his political enemies used his childlessness as an argument to seek to depose him. The young emperor's political survival now relied heavily on the lobbying of his influential aunt, Princess Guantao, who served as a mediator in seeking the Emperor's reconciliation with his powerful grandmother. Princess Guantao took every opportunity to influence the Grand Empress and also constantly made demands on behalf of her nephew. However, Emperor Wu's mother, Empress Dowager Wang, convinced him to tolerate Empress Chen and Liu Piao for the time being, as his aging grandmother was declining physically and would soon die. He spent the next few years pretending to have given up any political ambition, playing the part of a docile hedonist, often sneaking out of the capital Chang'an to engage in hunting and sightseeing and posing as an ordinary nobleman. The early years of Emperor Wu's reign were marked by political intrigue and the ruthless maneuvering of court factions. The young emperor had to navigate the treacherous waters of court politics to secure his position. The story of the Jianyuan Reforms is a testament to the power of reform and the importance of political alliances in the ancient world. It is a story that would shape the destiny of the Han dynasty and the life of one of its greatest emperors.

When was Emperor Wu of Han born and when did he die?

Emperor Wu of Han was born in 153 BC and died in 87 BC. He ascended to the throne in 141 BC and ruled until his death in 87 BC.

What was the Golden House promise made by Emperor Wu of Han?

Emperor Wu of Han made a promise to marry his cousin Chen Jiao and build a golden house to house her when he was five years old. This declaration became the origin of the idiom jin wu cang jiao and secured his political future.

How did Emperor Wu of Han change the Han dynasty's military strategy?

Emperor Wu of Han switched the Han army's doctrine from defensive chariot and infantry warfare to highly mobile cavalry-against-cavalry warfare. He expanded and trained officers from his royal guards and launched full-scale wars against the Xiongnu starting in 133 BC.

Who was Zhang Qian and what mission did Emperor Wu of Han give him?

Zhang Qian was a diplomat commissioned by Emperor Wu of Han in 139 BC to seek out the Kingdom of Yuezhi. He was captured by the Xiongnu but escaped around 129 BC and established diplomatic relations with several kingdoms including Dayuan and Kangju.

What happened to Crown Prince Ju during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han?

Crown Prince Ju was framed for witchcraft by Jiang Chong and committed suicide in 91 BC after a failed rebellion. Emperor Wu of Han later issued the Repenting Edict of Luntai in 92 BC to apologize for his past policy mistakes.

When did Emperor Wu of Han establish the Imperial Music Bureau?

Emperor Wu of Han is widely cited to have established the Imperial Music Bureau in 120 BC. The bureau was charged with collecting popular songs, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting the arts.

The Conqueror Of The Steppes

In 133 BC, Emperor Wu decided that Han China had sufficiently recovered enough to support a full-scale war against the Xiongnu. He first ended the official policy of peace with the Battle of Mayi, which involved a failed plan to trick a force of 30,000 Xiongnu into an ambush of 300,000 Han soldiers. While neither side suffered any casualties, the Xiongnu retaliated by increasing their border attacks, leading many in the Han court to abandon the hope for peace with the Xiongnu. The failure of the Mayi operation prompted Emperor Wu to switch the Han army's doctrine from the traditionally more defensive chariot, infantry warfare to a highly mobile and offensive cavalry-against-cavalry warfare. At the same time, he expanded and trained officers from his royal guards. After a series of defeats by Wei Qing, the half-brother of Emperor Wu's favorite concubine, and Wei's nephew, Huo Qubing, between 127 and 119 BC, the Xiongnu were expelled from the Ordos Desert and Qilian Mountains. As a result of these territorial acquisitions, the Han dynasty successfully opened up the Northern Silk Road, allowing direct access to trade with Central Asia. This also provided a new supply of high-quality horse breeds from Central Asia, including the famed Ferghana horse, further strengthening the Han army. Emperor Wu then reinforced this strategic asset by establishing five commanderies and constructing a length of fortified wall along the border of the Hexi Corridor, colonizing the area with 700,000 Chinese soldier-settlers. The Battle of Mobei in 119 BC saw Han forces invade the northern regions of the Gobi Desert. The two generals led the campaign to the Khangai Mountains where they forced the Chanyu to flee north of the Gobi Desert, and then out of the Gobi Desert. The Xiongnu, destabilized and worried about further Han attacks, retreated further north into the Siberian regions where they suffered starvation due to livestock loss from harsh climates. The battle was however also costly for the Han forces, which lost almost 80% of their warhorses. The cost of the war led the central Han government to introduce new levies, increasing the burden on average peasants, and the population census of the empire showed a significant drop from famines and people fleeing to avoid having to pay the taxes. The story of the conquest of the steppes is a testament to the power of military strategy and the importance of political alliances in the ancient world. It is a story that would shape the destiny of the Han dynasty and the life of one of its greatest emperors.

The Explorer Who Found A New World

In 139 BC, Emperor Wu commissioned Zhang Qian to seek out the Kingdom of Yuezhi, which had been expelled by Xiongnu from the modern Gansu region. Zhang was to entice the kingdom to return to its ancestral lands with promises of Han military assistance, with the intention that Yuezhi forces would fight against the Xiongnu. Zhang was immediately captured by Xiongnu once he ventured into the desert, but was able to escape around 129 BC and eventually made it to Yuezhi, which by then had relocated to Samarkand. While Yuezhi refused to return, it and several other kingdoms in the area, including Dayuan and Kangju, established diplomatic relations with Han. Zhang was able to deliver his report to Emperor Wu when he arrived back in the capital Chang'an in 126 BC after a second and shorter captivity by Xiongnu. After the Prince of Hunxie surrendered the Gansu region, the path to Xiyu became clear and regular embassies between Han and the Xiyu kingdoms commenced. The exploration into Xiyu was first started in 139 BC, when Emperor Wu commissioned Zhang Qian to seek out the Kingdom of Yuezhi, which had been expelled by Xiongnu from the modern Gansu region. Zhang was to entice the kingdom to return to its ancestral lands with promises of Han military assistance, with the intention that Yuezhi forces would fight against the Xiongnu. Zhang was immediately captured by Xiongnu once he ventured into the desert, but was able to escape around 129 BC and eventually made it to Yuezhi, which by then had relocated to Samarkand. While Yuezhi refused to return, it and several other kingdoms in the area, including Dayuan and Kangju, established diplomatic relations with Han. Zhang was able to deliver his report to Emperor Wu when he arrived back in the capital Chang'an in 126 BC after a second and shorter captivity by Xiongnu. After the Prince of Hunxie surrendered the Gansu region, the path to Xiyu became clear and regular embassies between Han and the Xiyu kingdoms commenced. The story of the exploration of the Western Regions is a testament to the power of diplomacy and the importance of political alliances in the ancient world. It is a story that would shape the destiny of the Han dynasty and the life of one of its greatest emperors.

The Witch Hunts And The Crown Prince

In 94 BC, Emperor Wu's youngest son Liu Fuling was born to a favorite concubine of his, Lady Gouyi. Emperor Wu was ecstatic in having a child at such an advanced age, and because Consort Zhao purportedly had a pregnancy that lasted 14 months, he named Consort Zhao's palace gate the Gate of Yao's mother. This led to speculation that the emperor, due to his favor of Consort Zhao and Prince Fuling, wanted to make Liu Fuling the crown prince instead. While there was no evidence that he actually intended to do anything as such, over the next few years, conspiracies against Crown Prince Ju and his mother Empress Wei arose that were inspired by such rumors. Up to this point, there had been a cordial but somehow fragile relationship between Emperor Wu and his crown prince, who perhaps was not as ambitious as his father wished. As he grew older, the Emperor came to be less attracted to Ju's mother, Empress Wei Zifu, though he continued to respect her and she had such absolute power over palace affairs that Emperor Wu did not ask for any report from Empress Wei, contrary to the custom and law that emperors asked empresses to report on important actions regarding the house and the royal family once every five days. When he left the capital, the Emperor would delegate authority to Crown Prince Ju. Eventually, however, the two began to have disagreements over policy, with Ju favoring leniency and Wu's advisers urging the opposite. After Wei Qing's death in 106 BC and Gongsun He's execution, Prince Ju had no strong allies left in the government. The other officials then began to publicly defame and plot against him. Meanwhile, Emperor Wu was becoming more and more isolated, spending time with young concubines, often remaining unavailable to Ju or Wei. Conspirators against Prince Ju included Jiang Chong, the newly appointed head of secret intelligence, who had once had a run-in with Ju after arresting one of his assistants for improper use of an imperial right of way. Another conspirator was Su Wen, chief eunuch in charge of caring for imperial concubines, who had previously made false accusations against Ju, claiming he was joyful over Wu's illness and had an adulterous relationship with one of the junior concubines. Jiang and others made many accusations of witchcraft against important people in the Han court. Jiang and Su decided to use witchcraft as the excuse to move against Prince Ju himself. With approval from Emperor Wu who was then at the Ganquan Palace, Jiang searched through various palaces, ostensibly for witchcraft items, eventually reaching Prince Ju's and Empress Wei's palace. While completely trashing the palaces up with intensive digging, he secretly planted witchery dolls and pieces of cloth with mysterious writings. He then announced that he had found the items there during the search. Prince Ju was shocked, knowing that he was framed. His teacher Shi De, invoking the story of Ying Fusu of the Qin dynasty and raised the possibility that Emperor Wu might already be dead, suggesting that Prince Ju start an uprising to fight the conspirators. Prince Ju initially hesitated, wanting to speed to Ganquan Palace to defend himself before his father. But, when he found out that Jiang's messengers were already on their way, he decided to follow Shi's suggestion. Prince Ju sent an individual to impersonate a messenger from Emperor Wu to lure and arrest Jiang and the other conspirators. Su escaped, but Ju accused Jiang of sabotaging his relationship with his father, and personally killed Jiang. With the support of his mother, Ju enlisted his guards, civilians, and prisoners in preparation to defend him. Su fled to Ganquan Palace and accused Prince Ju of treason. Emperor Wu, not believing it to be true and correctly believing that Prince Ju had merely been angry at Jiang, sent a messenger back to Chang'an to summon Prince Ju. The messenger did not dare to proceed to Chang'an, but instead returned and gave Emperor Wu the false report that Prince Ju was conducting a coup. Enraged, Emperor Wu ordered his nephew, Prime Minister Liu Qumao, to put down the rebellion. The two sides battled in the streets of Chang'an for five days, but Liu Qumao's forces prevailed after it became clear that Prince Ju did not have his father's authorization. Prince Ju was forced to flee the capital following the defeat, accompanied only by two of his sons and some personal guards. Apart from a grandson Liu Bingyi, who was barely a month old and thrown into prison, all other members of his family were left behind and killed. His mother, Empress Wei, committed suicide when Emperor Wu sent officials to depose her. Their bodies were carelessly buried in fields without proper tomb markings. Prince Ju's supporters were brutally cracked down on and civilians aiding the crown prince were exiled. Even Tian Ren, an official city gatekeeper who did not stop Prince Ju's escape, and Ren An, an army commander who chose not to actively participate in the crackdown, were accused of being sympathizers and executed. Emperor Wu continued to be enraged and ordered that Prince Ju be tracked down. After a junior official, Linghu Mao, risked his life to speak on Prince Ju's behalf, Emperor Wu's anger began to subside. However, he waited to issue a pardon for Prince Ju. Prince Ju fled to Hu County and took refuge in the home of a poor peasant family. Knowing that their good-hearted hosts could never afford the daily expenditure of so many people, the Prince sought help from an old friend who lived nearby. However, this move exposed their whereabouts, and he was soon tracked down by local officials eager for a reward. Surrounded by troops and seeing no chance of escape, the Prince hung himself. His two sons and the family housing them died with him after the government soldiers eventually broke into the yard and killed everyone. The two local officials who led the raid, Zhang Fuchang and Li Shou, wasted no time in taking the Prince's body to Chang'an to claim a reward from the emperor. Emperor Wu, although greatly saddened to hear the death of his son, had to keep his promise and rewarded the officials. The story of the witch hunts and the crown prince is a testament to the power of political intrigue and the importance of political alliances in the ancient world. It is a story that would shape the destiny of the Han dynasty and the life of one of its greatest emperors.

The Emperor Who Repented

In 92 BC, when Tian Qianqiu, then the superintendent of Emperor Gao's temple, wrote a report claiming that Emperor Gao told him in a dream that Prince Ju should have only been whipped at most, not killed, Emperor Wu had a revelation about what had led to his son's rebellion. He had Su burned and Jiang's family executed. He also made Tian prime minister. Although he claimed to miss Prince Ju greatly, he even built a palace and an altar for his deceased son as a sign of grief and regret, he did not at this time rectify the situation where Prince Ju's only surviving progeny, Liu Bingyi, languished in prison as a child. With the political scene greatly changed, Emperor Wu publicly apologized to the whole nation about his past policy mistakes, a gesture known to history as the Repenting Edict of Luntai. The Prime Minister Tian he appointed was in favor of retiring the troops and easing hardships on the people. Tian also promoted agriculture, with several agricultural experts becoming important members of the administration. Wars and territorial expansion generally ceased. These policies and ideals were those supported by Crown Prince Ju, and were finally realized years after his death. By 88 BC, Emperor Wu had become seriously ill. With Prince Ju dead, there was no clear heir. Liu Dan, the Prince of Yan, was Emperor Wu's oldest surviving son, but Emperor Wu considered both him and his younger brother Liu Xu, the Prince of Guangling, to be unsuitable, since neither respected laws. He decided that the only suitable heir was his youngest son, Liu Fuling, who was only six at that time. He therefore also chose a potential regent in Huo Guang, whom he considered to be capable and faithful, and entrusted Huo with the regency of Fuling. Emperor Wu also ordered the execution of Prince Fuling's mother Consort Zhao, out of fear that she would become an uncontrollable empress dowager with full power like the previous Empress Lü. At Huo's suggestion, he made ethnic Xiongnu official Jin Midi and general Shangguang Jie co-regents. He died in 87 BC, shortly after making Prince Fuling crown prince. Crown Prince Fuling then succeeded to the throne as Emperor Zhao for the next 13 years. Empress Chen Jiao and Empress Wei Zifu were the only two empresses during Emperor Wu's reign. Emperor Wu did not make anyone empress after Empress Wei Zifu committed suicide, and he left no instruction on who should be enshrined in his temple with him. He lies buried in the Maoling mound, the most famous of the so-called Chinese pyramids. Huo Guang sent 500 beautiful women there for the dead emperor. According to folk legend, 200 of them were executed for having sex with the guards. Huo's clan was later killed and the emperor's tomb was looted by Chimei. The story of the emperor who repented is a testament to the power of political intrigue and the importance of political alliances in the ancient world. It is a story that would shape the destiny of the Han dynasty and the life of one of its greatest emperors.

The Patron Of The Arts

Emperor Wu was a patron of literature, with a number of poems being attributed to him. As to the poetry on lost love, some of the pieces attributed to him are considered of well-done, there is some question to their actual authorship. The following work is on the death of one of his concubines. Emperor Wu facilitated a revival of interest in Chu ci, the poetry of and in the style of the area of the former Chu kingdom during the early part of his reign, in part because of his near relative Liu An. Some of this Chu material was later anthologized in the Chu Ci. The Chuci genre of poetry from its origin was linked with Chu shamanism, and Han Wudi both supported the Chu genre of poetry in the earlier years of his reign, and also continued to support shamanically linked poetry during the later years of his reign. Emperor Wu employed poets and musicians in writing lyrics and scoring tunes for various performances and also patronized choreographers and shamans in this same connection for arranging the dance movements and coordinating the spiritual and the mundane. He was quite fond of the resulting lavish ritual performances, especially night time rituals where the multitudinous singers, musicians, and dancers would perform in the brilliant lighting provided by of thousands of torches. The fu style typical of Han poetry also took shape during the reign of Emperor Wu in his court, with poet and official Sima Xiangru as a leading figure. However, Sima's initial interest in the chu ci style later gave way to his interest in more innovative forms of poetry. After his patronage of poets familiar with the Chu ci style in the early part of his reign, Emperor Wu later seems to have turned his interest and his court's interest to other literary fashions. Another of Emperor Wu's major contribution to poetry was through his organization of the Imperial Music Bureau as part of the official governmental bureaucratic apparatus: the Music Bureau was charged with matters related to music and poetry, as lyrics are a part of music and traditional Chinese poetry was considered to have been chanted or sung, rather than spoken or recited as prose. The Music Bureau greatly flourished during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, who has been widely cited to have founded the Music Bureau in 120 BC. However, it seems more likely that there was already a long-standing office of music and that Emperor Wu enlarged its size as part of his governmental reorganization, changing its scope and function and possibly renaming it and thus seeming to have established a new institution. The stated tasks of this institution were apparently to collect popular songs from the people, to preserve the cultural heritage of the Han dynasty, and to promote the arts. The story of the patron of the arts is a testament to the power of cultural patronage and the importance of political alliances in the ancient world. It is a story that would shape the destiny of the Han dynasty and the life of one of its greatest emperors.