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Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was the great-grandson of Emperor Zhang of Han, Liu Da, and the son of Liu Chang, Marquis of Jiedu, and Lady Dong. He was the twelfth emperor of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Liu Hong inherited the title of Marquis of Jiedu in his early years. In the first year of Jianning (168), Emperor Huan of Han died without an heir, and Liu Hong was able to inherit the throne.

After Liu Hong ascended the throne, the political infighting between eunuchs and imperial relatives within the court intensified, with the imperial relatives joining forces with "partisans" to fight against the eunuchs.

General Dou Wu and Grand Tutor Chen Fan conspired to kill the eunuchs, but the plot was exposed and Dou Wu was killed by the eunuchs, thus giving the eunuchs power.

After the eunuchs seized power, they continued to suppress the scholar-officials. In September of the second year of Jianning (169 AD), the eunuch Cao Jie submitted a memorial to the throne, ordering the imprisonment and execution of scholar-official leaders Li Ying and Du Mi, and also launched a large-scale crackdown on "partisans," resulting in the deaths of more than one hundred people. Six or seven hundred people were implicated and killed, exiled, dismissed, or imprisoned.

This was the second "Disaster of the Partisan Prohibitions". In the fifth year of the Xiping era, Liu Hong once again thoroughly investigated the "partisans", dismissing and imprisoning all their disciples, former officials, fathers, sons and brothers.

During his reign, Liu Hong was arrogant, extravagant, and licentious. In the first year of Guanghe (178 AD), he openly sold official positions in the Western Garden to amass wealth. He also favored eunuchs, which led to chaos in the court.

This ultimately led to the Yellow Turban Rebellion in February of the first year of the Zhongping era (184 AD). In April of the sixth year of the Zhongping era (189 AD), Liu Hong died in the Jiade Hall of the Southern Palace in Luoyang. He was posthumously honored as Emperor Xiaoling and buried in the Wenling Mausoleum.

Liu Hong was fond of poetry and prose, and had works such as "Huang Xi Pian", "Zhui De Fu", "Ling Yi Song" and "Zhao Shang Ge". During his reign, he established Hongdu Gate Academy, which marked an important transformation of the education system. He also summoned Confucian scholars to compile Confucian classics and carve them into the Xiping Stone Classics.

The Xiping Stone Classics provided standardized texts for Confucian classics and spurred the emergence of rubbings, a rubbing technique, as a prototype of printing. Technologically, Liu Hong introduced the "Hu bed" (a type of folding chair), changing the Han people's kneeling posture and contributing to improved public health.
He also appointed Bi Lan to invent the "Fanche" and "Kuwu" water-sprinkling devices, which reduced road cleaning costs. Politically, he reformed the official system, changing the title of Prefect to Governor and establishing the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden.

However, the emperor's favoritism towards eunuchs and his pursuit of pleasure led to political corruption, social unrest, and ultimately the decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty.

Liu Hong was the great-great-grandson of Emperor Zhang of Han, Liu Da. His great-grandfather was Liu Kai, the Prince of Hejian, his grandfather was Liu Shu, his father was Liu Chang, who inherited the title of Marquis of Jiedu, and his mother was Lady Dong.

Liu Hong inherited the titles of his grandfather and father in his early years and lived in the Hejian Kingdom.

In December of the first year of the Yongkang era (167 AD), Emperor Huan of Han, Liu Zhi, passed away, and Empress Dou became Empress Dowager, ruling as regent. Since Emperor Huan died without an heir, his maternal relative Dou Wu and the ministers discussed the succession, and Liu Yu, a censor from Hejian, recommended Liu Hong.

Dou Wu reported to the Empress Dowager and decided that Liu Hong would succeed to the throne. He then sent Liu Yu with imperial insignia and the Imperial Guard to Hejian Kingdom to welcome Liu Hong to the capital to ascend the throne.

In the first month of the following year (168 AD), Liu Hong arrived at the Wanshou Pavilion outside the Xia Gate of Luoyang, where Dou Wu, holding the imperial insignia, went to greet him. The next day, Liu Hong ascended the throne and changed the era name to Jianning.

After Liu Hong ascended the throne, he posthumously honored his grandfather as Emperor Xiaoyuan, his grandmother Xia as Empress Xiaoyuan, his father as Emperor Xiaoren, and his mother Dong as Consort Shenyuan.

In the same month, Liu Hong ordered Duan Jiong, the Protector of the Qiang, to conquer the Xianling Qiang. In February, Duan Jiong defeated the Xianling Qiang at Fengyi Mountain.

In July, General Duan Jiong defeated the Xianling Qiang at Jingyang. In December, the Xianbei and Huimo invaded Youzhou and Bingzhou.

After Liu Hong ascended the throne, he rewarded those who had made contributions to the policy-making process. He enfeoffed Dou Wu, a relative of the emperor, as the Marquis of Wenxi, and his sons and nephews were also enfeoffed as marquises. He also enfeoffed Cao Jie, a eunuch, as the Marquis of Chang'an Township, making a total of eleven marquises.

Dou Wu collaborated with Grand Tutor Chen Fan to recruit renowned scholars from across the land and reinstate the "partisans" who had been imprisoned during Emperor Huan's reign, with the aim of revitalizing the court.

Meanwhile, eunuchs Cao Jie and Hou Lan were favored by Empress Dowager Dou, which worried Chen Fan and Dou Wu. So they secretly plotted to kill the eunuchs at a court meeting.

Dou Wu informed the Empress Dowager of their conspiracy and requested that Cao Jie and others be executed, but the Empress Dowager could not bear to do so. Chen Fan also submitted a memorial to the Empress Dowager, requesting that the eunuchs be executed, but the Empress Dowager ultimately did not agree.

In September of the first year of Jianning (168 AD), the eunuchs learned of Dou Wu's conspiracy with Chen Fan. The eunuchs falsely accused Dou Wu of wanting to depose the emperor and swore an oath of blood at night, preparing to kill Dou Wu and others.

Cao Jie entered the palace and took control of Liu Hong. He then sent troops to kidnap Empress Dowager Dou, obtained the imperial seal and ribbon, and controlled the main roads of the palace. Afterwards, he sent people to arrest Dou Wu and others.

Chen Fan was captured by the eunuchs and killed that night. Dou Wu refused to accept the imperial edict and fled to the camp of the Infantry Commandant. There, he and his nephew, the Infantry Commandant Dou Shao, shot and killed the messenger who had arrested him, and gathered several thousand troops from the five Northern Army Commandants to resist.

Cao Jie and others forged an imperial edict to deceive Zhang Huan, the Protector-General of the Xiongnu who had just returned to the capital, ordering him to lead troops to attack Dou Wu. The imperial guards had always been afraid of the eunuchs, and many of them fled to the eunuchs' side.

By the morning of the next day, Dou Wu's army had collapsed, and Dou Wu and his nephew Dou Shao committed suicide. The eunuchs launched a massive manhunt for Dou Wu's relatives, guests, and in-laws, killing them all. They also dismissed and imprisoned all the officials promoted by Chen Fan and Dou Wu, as well as their former protégés and subordinates. Empress Dowager Dou was also moved to the Yuntai Palace in the South Palace.

In the second year of Jianning (169 AD), Zhang Huan, the Grand Minister of Agriculture, submitted a memorial requesting the pardon of the relatives of Dou Wu and Chen Fan who were imprisoned, and for the improvement of the treatment of Empress Dowager Dou, who had been moved to the Southern Palace.

Liu Hong appreciated his opinion, but the eunuchs were furious, and Liu Hong could not make a decision on his own. Zhang Huan later recommended imprisoned scholars, which angered the eunuchs, and he was punished.

Physician Xie Bi also submitted a memorial pleading for Dou Wu and Chen Fan, but was persecuted to death by the eunuchs. In October, the eunuch Cao Jie submitted a memorial to the throne, ordering the imprisonment and execution of scholar-official leaders Li Ying and Du Mi, and launched a large-scale crackdown on "partisans," resulting in the deaths of more than one hundred people. Six or seven hundred people were implicated and killed, exiled, dismissed, or imprisoned, thus initiating the second partisan persecution.

In July of the same year, General Duan Jiong defeated the Xianling Qiang at Shehu Pass Valley, and the Eastern Qiang were thus completely pacified.

In the first month of the fourth year of Jianning (171 AD), Liu Hong came of age and held a coming-of-age ceremony, granting a general amnesty, but not pardoning the "partisans" who were imprisoned. In July of the same year, he made Consort Song his empress.

In the fifth year of the Xiping era (176 AD), Cao Luan, the prefect of Yongchang, submitted a memorial to the court requesting a pardon for the "partisans." Liu Hong was furious and imprisoned Cao Luan, who was tortured to death. He then conducted another thorough investigation of the "partisans," dismissing and imprisoning all their protégés, former officials, fathers, sons, and brothers.

In the first year of the Guanghe era (178 AD), the eunuch Wang Fu falsely accused Empress Song of using witchcraft to curse the emperor. Liu Hong believed him and sent men to confiscate the empress's seal and ribbon. Empress Song died in prison in grief and indignation, and her father and brothers were also executed. Minister Lu Zhi pleaded for the "partisans" and Empress Song, but received no response from Liu Hong.

After Liu Hong ascended the throne, the Xianbei invaded year after year, attacking Youzhou and Bingzhou almost every winter. In December of the third year of Xiping (174 AD), the Xianbei invaded Beidi Commandery. Xia Yu, the governor of Beidi, led his army to join forces with the Xiongnu Tu Ge tribe to pursue and defeat the Xianbei army. Xia Yu was promoted to Protector of Wuhuan.

In the sixth year of the Xiping era (177 AD), Xia Yu submitted a memorial requesting the mobilization of troops from various prefectures of Youzhou to attack the Xianbei beyond the Great Wall. Tian Yan, the former Protector of the Qiang who had been punished for a crime, also hoped to redeem himself by attacking the Xianbei, so he raised the matter in court through the eunuch Wang Fu.

Liu Hong appointed Tian Yan as General Who Destroys the Xianbei and sent him to lead troops with Xia Yu. However, most of the ministers at the time disagreed with sending troops, so a court meeting was held. Cai Yong submitted a memorial advising against it, arguing that sending troops would be a waste of manpower and resources, and that the Xianbei were too powerful to be defeated. However, Liu Hong did not listen to his advice.

In August, Liu Hong dispatched Xia Yu, Tian Yan, and Zang Min, each leading 10,000 cavalry, to attack the Xianbei in three routes. The Xianbei leader, Tan Shihuai, sent his three chieftains to meet the attack. Xia Yu and his men suffered a major defeat, losing 70-80% of their army. The three men escaped with only a few dozen cavalrymen each. Liu Hong imprisoned the three and later demoted them to commoners. The Xianbei continued their invasions year after year until Tan Shihuai's death, when his son, Helian, was killed by arrows from the people of Beidi Commandery during an invasion, finally weakening the Xianbei's power.

In the first year of the Guanghe era (178 AD), Liu Hong established the Western Residence, specifically responsible for selling official titles and ranks. The fees varied depending on the rank of the official. The proceeds were used for the construction of the Western Garden.

At this time, eunuchs Wang Fu and Cao Jie seized power, and Grand Commandant Duan Jiong also attached himself to them. Wang Fu and Cao Jie's fathers, brothers, sons and other relatives served as officials at all levels, and they were greedy, cruel, and levied exorbitant taxes.

Yang Qiu, the Commandant of the Capital Region, personally impeached Wang Fu before Liu Hong, and Wang Fu was imprisoned and executed. Yang Qiu intended to continue investigating Cao Jie and others, but the eunuchs preemptively entered the palace and slandered Yang Qiu to Liu Hong.

Liu Hong reassigned Yang Qiu to the position of Commandant of the Guards. Yang Qiu later conspired with Liu He, Chen Qiu, Liu Na, and others to assassinate the eunuchs. The plot was exposed, and Liu Hong, enraged, imprisoned and executed them all. The eunuchs' power once again grew.

In the third year of the Guanghe era (180 AD), Liu Hong ordered the construction of the Gui and Lingkun Gardens. Situ Yang Ci advised against it, arguing that it would be a waste of resources and manpower. Liu Hong was about to agree to Yang Ci's request, but Shizhong Ren Zhi and Yue Song thought there was no problem. So Liu Hong was very pleased and ordered the construction to begin.

In December of the same year, Liu Hong made Consort He his empress and summoned her brother, He Jin, the governor of Yingchuan, to the court to serve as a court attendant. Empress He came from a butcher's family in Nanyang County. She was selected to enter the inner palace because of her beauty. She later gave birth to Prince Liu Bian and was thus made empress.

The following year, He Zhen, the father of Empress He, was posthumously granted the title of General of Chariots and Cavalry and Marquis of Wuyang, with the posthumous name Xuande. In the sixth year of Guanghe (183), He Zhen's mother was granted the title of Lady of Wuyang.

In the fourth year of Guanghe (181 AD), Liu Hong built a market in the palace and had the palace maids engage in various commercial activities. He also disguised himself as a merchant and participated in the activities, drinking and making merry with the palace maids.

Liu Hong also played with dogs in the West Garden, dressing them in the clothes of a civil official. Liu Hong also enjoyed accumulating wealth and collecting all sorts of rare and precious treasures.

Each time a region presented tribute to the imperial court, a selection of precious items would be sent to the emperor's private treasury, the "Central Treasury," as a form of "guide fee." The eunuch Lü Qiang advised against this, but Liu Hong ignored him.

In the spring of the first year of the Zhongping era (184 AD), Zhang Jiao, a native of Julu in the Taiping Road, launched the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which was met with widespread support. In a short time, prefectures and counties fell, and the court and the public were shaken.

In March, Liu Hong appointed He Jin, the governor of Henan, as Grand General, leading the Imperial Guards to garrison at Duting to protect the capital, and also set up commandants at eight passes near Luoyang.

On the advice of Huangfu Song and Lü Qiang, Liu Hong lifted the restrictions on "partisans" and mobilized elite troops from various regions to suppress the Yellow Turban Rebellion.

In May, Huangfu Song, Zhu Jun, and Cao Cao joined forces and defeated the Yellow Turban Army at Changshe in Yingchuan, beheading tens of thousands. In June, Qin Jie, the governor of Nanyang, defeated and killed Zhang Mancheng, the Yellow Turban leader in Wancheng.

In October, Huangfu Song confronted the main force of the Yellow Turban army led by Zhang Liang, the brother of Zhang Jiao, in Guangzong. Huangfu Song used a stratagem to defeat the Yellow Turban army and killed Zhang Liang.

In November, he defeated and killed Zhang Bao, another brother of Zhang Jiao, at Quyang. By the end of the year, under the command of Huangfu Song, Lu Zhi, Zhu Jun, and others, the Yellow Turban Rebellion was basically quelled. In December, Liu Hong granted a general amnesty and changed the era name to Zhongping.

Although the Yellow Turban Rebellion was basically quelled, new unrest emerged in the border regions. In November of the first year of the Zhongping era (184 AD), Beigong Boyu, the leader of the Huangzhong Yi Cong, joined forces with the Xianling Qiang and bandits from Fuhan and Heguan to launch an uprising. In the second year of the Zhongping era (185 AD), Liu Hong successively sent Huangfu Song and Zhang Wen to lead troops to suppress Beigong Boyu, but neither succeeded in quelling the rebellion.

In February of the third year of the Zhongping era (186 AD), Zhao Ci, a soldier from Jiangxia Commandery, rebelled and killed Qin Jie, the governor of Nanyang. The rebellion was later quelled by Wang Min, the governor of Jingzhou.

In October, the barbarian tribes of Wuling Commandery rose in rebellion, but were suppressed by the local commandery troops. In December, the Xianbei tribes invaded Youzhou and Bingzhou.

In the fourth year of the Zhongping era (187 AD), Zhang Chun and Zhang Ju, both from Yuyang, joined forces with Qiu Liju, the leader of the Wuhuan tribe, to openly rebel against the Han Dynasty.

In October, Qu Xing, a man from Changsha, rebelled. Liu Hong issued an edict appointing Sun Jian, a court advisor, as the governor of Changsha, and ordered him to lead troops to quell the rebellion.

In the fifth year of the Zhongping era (188 AD), amidst the turbulent situation in various regions, Liu Hong accepted the suggestion of Liu Yan, the Grand Master of Ceremonies, to change the title of Inspector to Governor of Province, and appointed Liu Yan as Governor of Yi Province, Huang Wan, the Grand Master of the Palace, as Governor of Yu Province, and Liu Yu, the Director of the Imperial Clan from Donghai, as Governor of You Province.

Local power thus expanded. In the same year, Wang Fen, the governor of Ji Province, plotted to depose the emperor and install the Marquis of Hefei in his place, but the plot failed, and Wang Fen committed suicide out of fear of punishment.

In August, the Eight Colonels of the Western Garden were established. Since the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Liu Hong had begun to pay attention to military affairs. In October, Liu Hong proclaimed himself "Supreme General" and held a military review at Pingleguan.

On the day of Bingchen in the fourth month of the sixth year of Zhongping, Liu Hong died of illness in the Jiade Hall of the Southern Palace in Luoyang. He was posthumously honored as Emperor Xiaoling and died at the age of 33.

Two days later, Liu Hong's eldest son, Liu Bian, ascended the throne and changed the era name to Guangxi. In June, Liu Hong was buried in Wenling.

Emperor Ling of Han, Liu Hong, was the son of a prince and was not capable of inheriting the throne, but luck struck him.

After Emperor Huan of Han, Liu Zhi, died, the court and the country were controlled by Empress Dou and her father, Dou Wu. Unfortunately, Liu Zhi was dissolute throughout his life, and although he had three empresses, he could not produce a single son.

Since there were no princes, the throne could only be chosen from among the nephews. Liu Heng had quite a few nephews, many of whom were quite capable, but only the 12-year-old Liu Hong caught the eye of Empress Dowager Dou.

Empress Dowager Dou valued Liu Hong not because of his promising future, but simply because a young child would be easier to control. In short, Empress Dowager Dou wanted to install a puppet emperor.

At Empress Dowager Dou's command, Liu Hong was brought into the palace in a daze to mourn his suddenly acquired "father".

After Liu Hong ascended the throne, he neglected all affairs and indulged in pleasure all day long. Meanwhile, Empress Dowager Dou was having a passionate affair with the eunuchs. Unexpectedly, she made a mistake and was replaced by the Ten Attendants, after which Liu Hong finally gained power.

While the Ten Attendants were trying every means to amass wealth, Emperor Liu Hong was too lazy to pay attention to them and instead indulged in "openly selling official positions."

Liu Hong put a price tag on all official positions and titles, setting different prices based on the level of power. If multiple people competed for the same position, the highest bidder would win.

Besides buying official positions, officials also have to pay bribes to get promoted. This leads to officials never thinking about doing good deeds, but instead focusing all their energy on exploiting the people. With such rulers, how can the common people live in peace and prosperity? (End of Chapter)