Chapter 23 Chapter 22 Emperor Shang Liu Long

Liu Long, Emperor Shang of the Han Dynasty, was born in the first year of Hedi Yuanxing (AD 105) in the Eastern Han Dynasty. He was the youngest son of Emperor He and Empress Deng.More than 100 days after his birth, Hedi passed away.According to tradition, the heir to the throne should be Liu Sheng, the eldest son of Emperor He.But Liu Sheng was ill and hadn't recovered for many years.Therefore, Liu Long was first established as the crown prince, and then that night, the infant Liu Long officially became the emperor.Empress Deng was also promoted to the title of Empress Dowager Deng, who was in charge of the court.

After Empress Dowager Deng came to court, she first took effective measures against some disadvantages of Eastern Han society.First, against prostitution; second, Empress Dowager Deng believed that the governance of the country should be based on enlightenment, and punishment can only be used as an auxiliary means.In May of the first year of Yanping (AD 106), an imperial edict was issued to amnesty the world, and all those who violated the law were released as civilians, and the world was governed by "judo".Thirdly, during the more than 80 years from the founding of the Eastern Han Dynasty to Emperor Shang, court ladies entered the palace continuously, and even a cloud of court ladies, resulting in the situation of "there are resentful women inside, and there are husbands outside", and aggravated the situation of the Han Dynasty. court's financial expenditure.Empress Dowager Deng entered the palace since she was a child, and she knew this very well. In June of the first year, five or six hundred people who were weak, old, and sick in the back court were exempted at one time.

In addition to adjusting and abolishing some disadvantages, Empress Dowager Deng also paid great attention to frugality and persuading farmers.In June of the first year of Yanping, the decree decreed the reduction of delicacies, curtains, curios and other things that were expensive and labor-intensive.After that, it was also ordered that the tribute of the prefectures and countries should only be half of the original amount, and the brocade, ice, Qiluo, gold and silver, pearls, jade, tortoiseshell, carvings, etc. that the Yufu, Shangfang, and Zhishi were responsible for were all to be removed. Continue to pretentious, thereby reducing huge financial expenses.

But after all, Queen Mother Deng is the general representative of the power of foreign relatives. While actively governing the country, she still never forgets to consolidate and strengthen her own rule.In April of the first year of Yanping, she promoted her elder brother Deng Zhi from Huben Zhonglang General to Chariot General, and took control of the inner court organization with decision-making power. In August, when Empress Dowager Deng was busy giving orders, Liu Long, who had only been emperor for 8 months, passed away quietly.Because of his premature death, he was posthumously named "Emperor Xiaoshang" and buried in Kangling.