Chapter 6

Compared to the Western Han, the princes of the Eastern Han were much more obedient. By the time of Emperor Ling, a total of twenty-three princes had been punished for breaking the law, mostly during the reigns of Emperors Ming, Zhang, He, and An. During Emperor Huan's reign, there were two cases, and during Emperor Ling's reign, there was only one, which was Prince Liu Kui of Bohai, who was punished due to false accusations. Among the other princes who were punished, some were also falsely accused, including Liu Kui, making a total of four.

In the Western Han, many princes falsely accused court officials, leading to their punishment and death. However, in the Eastern Han, it was the princes who were falsely accused and punished, with the power dynamics reversed. Compared to the Western Han, the princes of the Eastern Han had lost their authority and were like birds in a cage.

The low status of the Eastern Han princes was also evident in their self-entertainment with dogs and horses and their respectful attitude towards the officials in their states. During Emperor Ming's reign, Prince Liu Mu of Beihai sent a zhongdafa (a high-ranking official) to the court. The zhongdafa wanted to praise him, but Liu Mu sighed, "You are putting me in danger! You should say that I am entertained by music, dogs, and horses, and that is what I love, to show your affection." To avoid arousing suspicion in the court, he dared not be praised.

The tutors, prime ministers, and zhongwei (military officers) of the princely states had the responsibility to supervise the princes, and when they broke the law, the princes had the right to impeach them. However, some Eastern Han princes did not dare to impeach them. For example, the tutor of Qinghe State was corrupt, but Prince Liu Qing of Qinghe did not dare to impeach him. When the emperor questioned him, he replied, "With the respect of a tutor, chosen from the holy court, I, being foolish, only know to follow orders and listen, and do not scrutinize much."

The power of the tutors and prime ministers completely overshadowed that of the princes.

The fewer legal violations by the Eastern Han princes were also related to the social climate. In the Western Han, the social climate was aggressive and reckless, with young people in the streets disregarding the law and rushing to their deaths. However, by the late Western Han, with the deepening influence of Confucianism, the social climate became more cautious and profound. As a result, the Eastern Han princes were mostly humble, respectful, and filial, with many being well-versed in Confucian classics and maintaining strict discipline in their states. For example, Prince Liu Cang of Dongping was highly regarded. In the Tang Dynasty, when Emperor Taizong asked Wei Zheng which of the princes was the most virtuous, Wei Zheng answered that it was Prince Wu, saying he could be compared to the princes of Hejian and Dongping in the Han Dynasty. Prince Liu De of Hejian was a prince of the Western Han, the third son of Emperor Jing, who had elegant talents and promoted Confucianism, forming the Hejian School.

In summary, the status of the Eastern Han princes was far lower than that of the early and middle Western Han princes. Yuan Hong said, "The restrictions on the princes increased day by day, and by the end of the dynasty, they had become weak and humble. The imperial family feared punishment, and the same surname was suppressed by the common people. One man raising his arm could thus cause chaos in the world."

During the Han Dynasty, the princes went from being arrogant to adhering to the rules, which was closely related to the policies of the central government.

At the beginning of the Western Han, Liu Bang, learning from the fall of the Qin Dynasty due to its isolation, granted large fiefs to members of the imperial family to support the capital. As a result, the imperial family flourished. After Emperor Wen, the imperial family became powerful and began to challenge the central government. The court then began to impose strict restrictions on the imperial family. After the Rebellion of the Seven States and the reforms of Emperor Wu, the imperial family declined. By the end of the Western Han, the imperial family was "weak and without strong fiefs," and "both inside and outside were in danger, with the root and branches both weak," allowing Wang Mang to seize power without fear, leading to the fall of the Han Dynasty.

At the beginning of the Eastern Han, Emperor Guangwu, learning from the lesson of Wang Mang's usurpation, initially relaxed restrictions on the imperial family. However, the situation at the beginning of the Eastern Han was different from that of the Western Han. The objective conditions did not require Emperor Guangwu to rely on the imperial family to consolidate his power as Emperor Gaozu had. Therefore, soon after, Emperor Guangwu continued to impose stricter restrictions on the imperial family, "increasing the restrictions on the princes day by day, leading to their decline and weakness, with the imperial family fearing punishment and being suppressed by the common people." The control over the imperial family became increasingly strict, and the imperial family feared punishment, so they were cautious and meticulous. Under the support of the court, the officials in the states strictly supervised the imperial family, and in some respects, the imperial family was even worse off than the common people.

However, the central government did not always restrict the imperial family. When the imperial family declined, the central government no longer had to worry about local rebellions, but without the support of the imperial family, others would rise to seize power and rebel, "one man raising his arm could thus cause chaos in the world." Therefore, for the sake of the Han Dynasty, when the political situation was unstable, the central government would use the imperial family.

In the middle and late Eastern Han, the power of the empress dowagers and eunuchs grew, and they alternated in power, leading to the loss of central authority. Starting from Emperor Huan, the central government began to rely more on the imperial family. Liu Shu became one of the "Three Leaders" of the nation's scholars, alongside Dou Wu and Chen Fan. At the end of the Han Dynasty, with the country in chaos, the imperial family was increasingly relied upon. Liu Yu, Liu Yan, Liu Dai, Liu Biao, Liu Zhang, Liu Yao, and Liu Bei were either appointed as high officials or as provincial governors and inspectors. From the first year of Jianwu to the third year of Yanxi, over 130 years, only a dozen members of the imperial family held high office. From the fourth year of Yanxi to the first year of Zhongping, over 23 years, at least 11 members of the imperial family held high office. From the first year of Zhongping to the first year of Chuping, over 6 years, 17 members of the imperial family held high office.

The imperial family was dissatisfied with their low political status. When the central government changed its policy and began to rely on the imperial family, they actively participated in politics. In the first year of Jianning, when Dou Wu plotted to eliminate the eunuchs, six members of the imperial family were involved. The various Liu families at the end of the Han Dynasty were even more active, either participating in the campaign against Dong Zhuo or taking on the responsibility of reviving the Han Dynasty.

Throughout the Han Dynasty, the central government's attitude towards the imperial family can be summarized as: restriction and utilization, from utilization to restriction and back to utilization. When the political situation was stable, the central government restricted the imperial family, and when it was unstable, the central government utilized the imperial family.

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