Liu Qing (Prince)

Liu Qing ( Chinese  劉慶  /  刘庆 , Pinyin Liú Qìng ), formally Prince Xiao of Qinghe ( 清河 孝王 ) or Emperor Xiaode ( 孝德 皇 ; * 78 ; † 106 ), was a Crown Prince of the Han Dynasty . His father was Emperor Zhang , his mother the concubine Song . In 82 he was deposed at the instigation of the Empress Dou and demoted to Prince of Qinghe. His son Liu Hu ascended the throne as Emperor An in 106 .

childhood

Liu Qing's mother, Song, was favored by her husband, the emperor, and the empress mother, Ma . Since Empress Dou had no son, Liu Qing was made crown prince in 79. The empress was dissatisfied with this and adopted the newborn prince Liu Zhao , who was a son of concubine Jia , the next year . In order to make him crown prince in Liu Qing's place, she set up intrigues.

When Ms. Jia fell ill in 82 and asked for raw devil's twine as medicine, the empress falsely accused her of witchcraft. Emperor Zhang was outraged and banished Liu Qing from the palace. He had his mother and her sister interrogated by the eunuch Cai Lun . They poisoned themselves in prison. Crown Prince Qing was deposed and demoted to Prince of Qinghe. His brother Liu Zhao became the new crown prince. However, this plot does not seem to have harmed the brothers' relationship, as they continued to be on friendly terms with one another.

After Emperor Zhang's death in 88, Liu Zhao succeeded him to the throne as Emperor He. He allowed Liu Qing to stay in the capital, Luoyang .

Counselor to the emperor

At the beginning of Emperor He's reign, the Dou clan dominated the political scene, especially Empress Mother Dou and her brother Dou Xian . Over time, the emperor decided to put an end to their corruption. Encouraged by Liu Qing and the eunuch Zheng Zhong , he overthrew the Dou clan in a coup in 92 . Liu Qing's involvement in the coup is not clear, but his dismissal and his mother's death may have been motives.

After the death of Empress mother Dou in 97, Emperor He learned that his concubine Jia was his birth mother. Prince Qing took advantage of this auspicious moment and asked permission to bury his birth mother Song again. The emperor granted his brother's request and also ordered that he be provided with the means necessary for a funeral ceremony. Prince Qing stayed at the court in Luoyang for the remainder of his brother's reign and served as a counselor.

After Emperor He's death

When Emperor He died in 106, Liu Qing was so upset that he spat blood and became seriously ill. His recovery came about, but his health was seriously affected by the attack. In addition, he was forced to return to his principality in Qinghe (in central modern Hebei ), which was certainly an additional burden. Emperor Hes widow, the empress mother Deng Sui , worried about the young successor of the emperor, Shang . He was less than a year old; therefore the Empress mother ordered Liu Qing's wife Geng and his son Liu Hu, whose mother's name was Zuo Xiao'e ( 左 小娥 ), to stay in the capital and possibly stand by as successors. Emperor Shang died that same year, and the empress mother did not appoint his older brother Liu Sheng ( 劉勝 ) as successor, but Liu Hu, who ascended to the throne as Emperor An . The Empress Mother sent Ms. Geng to her husband in Qinghe and ran the government herself. It seems that Liu Qing was unable to influence his son's early reign.

Liu Qing also died in 106 and was buried next to his mother Song at his own request. After the death of Empress Mother Deng in 121, Emperor An posthumously appointed his father Emperor Xiaode.