常山王刘勃 / Liu Bo, King of Changshan (Western Han)

Overview

常山王刘勃 / Liu Bo is the son and brief successor of 常山宪王刘舜 whose failure of sickbed service and mourning restraint, followed by interference with a central investigation, ends the Western Han Changshan kingship.

Current Profile

Hanji 342-1 supplies the outcome: Liu Bo inherits Changshan but is removed after only several months. Hanji 342-2 supplies the mechanism. It presents Liu Bo as the son of 王后脩, an inattentive heir during his father’s terminal illness, and a new king whose conduct during mourning becomes evidence of unfitness.

The case is more than private misconduct. 刘棁’s accusation triggers an investigation by 张骞, and Liu Bo allegedly hides witnesses, orders violence against officials, and releases suspects. Han Wudi declines to execute him but accepts deposition and household exile to Fangling, combining kinship lenience with removal from royal authority.

Key Characteristics

• Crown prince and son of Liu Shun and Queen Xiu.
• Accused of failing to taste medicine or remain with his dying father.
• Succeeds as King of Changshan but reigns only several months.
• Accused of leaving mourning quarters early and pursuing alcohol, gaming, music, sex, public carriage display, and prison visits.
• Escalates the case by allegedly hiding witnesses, beating investigating officials, and releasing suspects.
• Spared execution but deposed and moved with his household to Fangling.

Evidence

Succession and removal:

• Hanji 342-1 says Liu Bo succeeds Liu Shun and is soon deposed.
• Hanji 342-2 links deposition to nonattendance during illness, mourning misconduct, and the investigation.

Conduct and investigation:

• Hanji 342-2 reports Liu Zhuo’s accusations and Liu Bo’s later concealment of witnesses, coercion of officials, and release of suspects.

Punishment boundary:

• Hanji 342-2 says Han Wudi rejects execution because Liu Bo lacked a good tutor, then approves deposition and exile.

Qualifications

The allegations reach the wiki through a popular-history summary of an interested denunciation. Liu Zhuo had been excluded from affection, inheritance, and support, while Liu Bo then obstructed the investigation; motive and evidentiary weight must therefore remain separate. The episode does not reconstruct the complete legal record, testimony, exact offenses, Fangling conditions, or Liu Bo’s later life. Its transcript form “刘伯” is normalized to 刘勃.

What Changed

• Created the first canonical profile by joining Hanji 342-1’s deposition outcome to Hanji 342-2’s family and investigative mechanism.
• Separated the mourning accusations from the later obstruction that independently worsened Liu Bo’s position.

Relationships

• 常山宪王刘舜 / Liu Shun, King of Changshan (Western Han) - father whose illness and death create the service and mourning test.
• 王后脩 / Queen Xiu of Changshan (Western Han) - mother and co-accused household authority.
• 刘棁 / Liu Zhuo (Western Han Changshan) - elder half-brother and accuser shaped by exclusion from property and care.
• 张骞 / Zhang Qian (Western Han) - central investigator whose inquiry Liu Bo allegedly obstructs.
• 西汉常山国 / Changshan Kingdom (Western Han) - kingdom Liu Bo inherits briefly and loses through deposition.
• Accession Mourning Legibility / 继位守丧可读性 - framework explaining why visible mourning conduct affects succession fitness.