汉冲帝 / Emperor Chong of Han

Overview

Emperor Chong of Han, personal name Liu Bing, is represented here as a child ruler whose political significance lies less in personal agency than in the succession machinery around him. Hanji 824 adds the crown-prince designation and palace credential crisis; Hanji 825 then records his death in 145 and the regime’s pivot to Liu Suan versus Liu Zuan under Empress Dowager Liang Na and Li Gu.

Current Profile

In 144 CE, Emperor Shun designates Liu Bing as crown prince and places him in Chengguang Palace under Zhong Hao’s supervision. When Gao Fan tries to fetch him without an edict credential, Zhong Hao blocks the transfer until formal authorization is produced. After Shun dies, Liu Bing succeeds at age two as Emperor Chong.

In 145 CE, Emperor Chong dies young. His death exposes the gap between a child emperor’s nominal sovereignty and the real decision space held by Empress Dowager Liang Na, Li Gu, Liang Ji, and other succession actors.

Key Characteristics

• Child successor whose agency is minimal but whose person anchors the succession order.
• Crown prince whose physical custody requires strict credential control before accession.
• Short-reign emperor whose death triggers the Liu Suan versus Liu Zuan succession debate.
• Figure whose reign illustrates the dependence of imperial legitimacy on regents, ministers, and palace access.
• Bridge between Shun’s final-year succession setup and the later Emperor Zhi/Emperor Huan transition.

Evidence

• Crown-prince designation - Hanji 824 records Shun establishing Liu Bing as crown prince in 144.
• Palace custody risk - Hanji 824 records Zhong Hao refusing Gao Fan’s undocumented request to remove the crown prince from Chengguang Palace.
• Child accession - Hanji 824 says Liu Bing succeeds at age two after Shun’s death.
• Death and succession struggle - Hanji 825 records Emperor Chong’s death and the choice between Liu Suan and Liu Zuan.
• Regency context - Hanji 825 frames the post-Chong decision through Empress Dowager Liang Na, Li Gu, Liang Ji, and Du Qiao.

Qualifications

The current evidence does not support a substantive policy profile for Emperor Chong. The page should treat him primarily as a succession node until sources supply independent actions or decrees.

What Changed

• Added the 144 CE crown-prince designation, Chengguang Palace custody scene, and child accession from Hanji 824.
• Reframed the 145 CE death in Hanji 825 as the endpoint of a succession-security chain rather than an isolated opening event.
• Preserved the existing source inventory and appended Hanji 824.

Relationships

• Emperor Shun of Han - Shun designates Liu Bing crown prince and is succeeded by him.
• Zhong Hao - Zhong Hao guards Liu Bing and enforces credential control before accession.
• Gao Fan - Gao Fan’s undocumented mission targets Liu Bing’s movement from Chengguang Palace.
• Empress Dowager Liang Na - Liang Na governs as regent around Chong’s brief reign and after his death.
• Li Gu - Li Gu becomes a key ministerial voice in the succession after Chong’s death.
• Liu Suan - Liu Suan is the stronger succession candidate rejected after Chong’s death.
• Emperor Zhi of Han - Liu Zuan succeeds after Chong as Emperor Zhi.