Ruzi Ying
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Emperor Ruzi of Han (AD 5–AD 25), commonly known[citation needed] as "Ying the Kid" (traditional Chinese: 孺子嬰; pinyin: rúzi yīng) and with the personal name of Liu Ying (劉嬰), was last emperor of the Chinese Western Han Dynasty from AD 6 to AD 9. After Emperor Ping died without heirs, Wang Mang chose the youngest of the available successors in order to maintain his power in the government. He was soon deposed by Wang Mang who declared the Xin Dynasty in place of the Han. During Xin Dynasty, he was under effective house arrest -- so much so that he did not even know common animals once he was grown. Before and after Xin Dynasty was overthrown in 23, there were many ambitious people claiming to be restoring Han. In 25, a rebellion against the temporary Emperor Gengshi rose involving the former Emperor Ruzi, and when the rebellion was defeated, he was killed. He is often viewed as a tragic innocent child who was the victim of circumstances. (The expression, "Emperor Ruzi" is a misnomer, as he never assumed the throne and held the title of crown prince while ruler of the empire. Nevertheless, he is commonly referred-to as such.)
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[edit] Choice as the titular ruler
In 5, Wang Mang, then already nearly unlimited in power as the imperial regent and fearful that the 13-year-old Emperor Ping, once further grown, would retaliate against him for having slaughtered his uncles in 3, murdered Emperor Ping by poison. Because the young emperor had not had any children by his wife Empress Wang (Wang Mang's daughter) or any of his concubines, there was no heir. Further, by that point, Emperor Ping's grandfather, Emperor Yuan had no surviving male issue -- of his three sons, Emperor Cheng had no issue, and the other two, Prince Kang of Dingtao (劉康) and Prince Xing of Zhongshan (劉興) have already had their own sons succeed to the imperial throne (as Emperor Ai and Emperor Ping, respectively) and die without issue. The progeny of Emperor Ping's great-grandfather Emperor Xuan were therefore examined as possible successors.
There were 53 great-grandsons of Emperor Xuan then still living by this stage, but they were all adults, and Wang Mang disliked that fact -- he wanted a child whom he could control. Therefore, he declared that it was inappropriate for members of the same generation to succeed each other (even though Emperor Ping had succeeded his cousin Emperor Ai several years earlier). He then examined the 23 great-great-grandsons of Emperor Xuan -- all of whom were infants or toddlers.
While the examination process was proceeding, the mayor of South Chang'an submitted a rock with a mysterious red writing on it -- "Wang Mang, the Duke of Anhan, should be emperor." (During his regency, Wang, building a personality cult about himself, had made it an open secret that he encouraged the manufacturing of false prophecies that would call for him to have more and more power; this appears to be one of those instances.) Wang had his political allies force his aunt, Grand Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun, to issue an edict granting him the title of "Acting Emperor" (假皇帝), with the commission to rule as emperor until a great-great-grandson of Emperor Xuan could be selected and raised.
In the spring of 6, Acting Emperor Wang selected Ying -- then just one-year-old -- as the designated successor to Emperor Ping, claiming that soothsayers told him that Ying was the candidate most favored by the gods. He gave Ying the epithet Ruzi -- the same epithet that King Cheng of Zhou had when he was in his minority and under the regency of Ji Dan, the Duke of Zhou -- to claim that he was as faithful as the Duke of Zhou. However, Emperor Ruzi did not ascend the throne, but was given the title of crown prince. Empress Wang was given the title empress dowager.
[edit] Brief "reign"
Several members of the imperial Liu clan were naturally suspicious of Acting Emperor Wang's intentions. They started or assisted in several failed rebellions against Wang:
- In 6, Liu Chong (劉崇), the Marquess of Anzhong, made an attack against Wancheng (宛城, in modern Nanyang, Henan). His attack failed, but historians did not specify what happened to him, other than that as punishment, Wang had his house filled with filthy water.
- In 7, Zhai Yi (翟義), the governor of the Commandery of Dong (roughly modern Puyang, Henan) and Liu Xin (劉信), the Marquess of Yanxiang (and the father of Liu Kuang (劉匡), the Prince of Dongping (roughly modern Tai'an, Shandong) started the largest of these rebellions -- and they were joined by agrarian rebellion leaders Zhao Peng (趙朋) and Huo Hong (霍鴻) from the area immediately west of the capital Chang'an. They declared Liu emperor. Wang responded by sending messengers all around the nation to pledge that he will in fact return the throne to Emperor Ruzi once he was grown. Wang's armies defeated Zhai and Liu's armies in winter 7, and Zhai was captured and executed by drawing and quartering. Liu fled and was never captured. Zhao and Huo were also eventually defeated and executed.
- In 9 (after Wang Mang had usurped the throne -- see below), Liu Kuai (劉快), the Marquess of Xuxiang, attacked the Dukedom of Fuchong, of his brother Liu Ying (劉殷), the former Prince of Jiaodong. He was defeated and died while fleeing from the battle.
After Zhai and Liu Xin was defeated, Wang became even more convinced that the empire was entirely under his control, and decided to finally seize the throne and start a new dynasty. In winter 8, after receiving a false prophecy written by the hoodlum Ai Zhang (哀章) which pretended to be a divine decree from Emperor Gao (Liu Bang) stating that the throne should be given to Wang, and that Grand Empress Dowager Wang should follow this divine will, Wang issued a decree accepting the position of emperor, establishing Xin Dynasty.
[edit] Life during Xin Dynasty
In the spring of 9, Wang Mang, the emperor, created the former Emperor Ruzi the Duke of Ding'an (and made his daughter, the former empress dowager, duchess dowager). The dukedom allegedly included 10,000 households, in which Han emperors were to be enshrined in temples, and Han calendars and uniforms would be allowed. However, Wang did not actually follow through on these promises. Indeed, he never allowed the Duke of Ding'an to rule his dukedom, but effectively put the child duke under house arrest under heavy guard. Not even his wet nurses were allowed to stay with him. After he was grown, he did not even know of such common animals as cattle, horses, sheep, chickens, dogs, and pigs. Wang gave his granddaughter, the daughter of his son Wang Yu (王宇) (whom he forced to commit suicide in 3 after Wang Yu, unhappy with his dictatorial rule, conspired with Emperor Ping's uncles of the Wei clan to overthrow him), to the Duke of Ding'an in marriage. Other than these, not much is known about the Duke of Ding'an's life during Xin Dynasty.
[edit] Death
After Xin Dynasty was overthrown in 23 and Wang Mang killed, the imperial descendant Liu Xuan (劉玄) became emperor (as Emperor Gengshi of Han). However, due to Emperor Gengshi's incompetence, there were many conspiracies and rebellions throughout the entire empire, seeking to displace him.
Two farfetched co-conspirators started one of these rebellions in 25 -- Fang Wang (方望), the former strategist for the local warlord Wei Xiao (隗囂), and a man named Gong Lin (弓林) -- and their group of several thousand men, after kidnapping the former Duke of Ding'an, occupied Linjing (臨涇, in modern Qingyang, Gansu). Emperor Gengshi sent his prime minister Li Song (李松) to attack them, and wiped out this rebel force, killing Liu Ying.
[edit] Era names
- Jushe (居攝 py. jū shè) February AD 6- October AD 8
- Chushi (初始 py. chū shĭ) November AD 8-January AD 9
[edit] Personal information
- Father
- Liu Xian (劉顯), one-time Marquess of Guangqi, son of Liu Xun (劉勳) the first Marquess of Guangqi, son of Liu Xiao (劉囂) the Prince of Chu, son of Emperor Xuan of Han
- Wife
- granddaughter of Wang Mang (daughter of his son Wang Yu (王宇))
| Preceded by Emperor Ping of Han |
Emperor of the Han Dynasty AD 6–AD 9 |
Succeeded by none (dynasty interrupted) |
| Emperor of China AD 6–AD 9 |
Succeeded by Wang Mang of the Xin Dynasty |
