昌邑王刘髆 / Liu Bo, King of Changyi (Western Han)

Overview

昌邑王刘髆 / Liu Bo, King of Changyi is a son of 汉武帝 and 李夫人 whose 97 BCE enfeoffment establishes his royal position before his later importance as a succession candidate. His sources present him mainly as a favored younger son and as the passive object around whom maternal-family political hopes form.

Current Profile

Hanji 380-2 says Wudi enfeoffs Liu Bo as King of Changyi in 97 BCE. As Lady Li’s son and Wudi’s younger son before 刘弗陵 is born, he is presented as receiving particular affection, but the source does not show him exercising policy or factional agency.

Hanji 388-1 supplies the later succession-risk layer. Liu Bo is Lady Li’s son and therefore 李广利’s nephew. Because 刘屈氂 is tied to Li Guangli by marriage, both men have family and interest-based reasons to favor Liu Bo’s elevation as crown prince.

Liu Bo is not shown acting directly in the episode. His importance is structural: the hope of making him heir is what turns Li Guangli’s front-line expedition and Liu Quli’s chancellorship into a dangerous succession faction. Once curse-and-prayer charges are raised, Liu Bo’s possible accession becomes the alleged objective around which treason is defined.

Key Characteristics

• Son of Lady Li and royal son of Han Wudi in the episode’s succession branch.
• Enfeoffed as King of Changyi in 97 BCE and presented as a favored younger son before Liu Fuling’s birth.
• Nephew of Li Guangli, whose military and family fortunes are tied to his potential elevation.
• Preferred crown-prince candidate for Li Guangli and Liu Quli.
• Mostly a passive succession object rather than an active decision-maker in this source.
• His potential accession gives the curse-and-prayer accusation its political meaning.

Evidence

Enfeoffment and favor:

• Hanji 380-2 says Liu Bo is made King of Changyi in 97 BCE and frames Lady Li’s son as a favored younger prince before Liu Fuling’s birth.

Family basis:

• Hanji 388-1 says Liu Bo is Lady Li’s son and Li Guangli’s nephew.

Succession interest:

• Hanji 388-1 says Li Guangli asks Liu Quli to petition for Liu Bo to be made crown prince.

Political accusation:

• Hanji 388-1 says Guo Rang’s report accuses Liu Quli’s household and Li Guangli of praying for Liu Bo to become emperor.

Qualifications

This page is bounded to Hanji 380-2 and Hanji 388-1. It does not reconstruct Liu Bo’s complete biography, Changyi kingdom administration, the degree or duration of Wudi’s favor, mother-line politics beyond these episodes, or later succession implications. His current role remains favored younger prince, succession object, and family-interest anchor rather than an independently acting faction leader.

What Changed

• Added Hanji 380-2’s 97 BCE enfeoffment and favored-younger-son context before Liu Fuling’s birth.
• Preserved Hanji 388-1’s later succession-interest branch linking Lady Li, Li Guangli, and Liu Quli.

Relationships

• 李夫人 / Lady Li (Western Han) - mother whose status gives Liu Bo his maternal-family support.
• 李广利 / Li Guangli (Western Han) - maternal uncle who favors Liu Bo’s accession.
• 刘屈氂 / Liu Quli (Western Han) - chancellor and Li Guangli in-law asked to petition for Liu Bo.
• Emperor Wu of Han / 汉武帝 - father and ruler whose succession decision makes Liu Bo politically consequential.
• Heir / Claimant Support Threat Perception / 储君与宗室候选人威胁感 - adjacent concept for how backing an heir can be read as threat under an aging ruler.