On this date in 146 A.D., the treacherous Han Dynasty courtier and official Liang Ji (梁冀) poisoned the young Emperor Zhi (Liu Zuan b. 138). Liang Ji was the brother of the Empress Dowager and he used his position to amass considerable wealth, power and political control, making deals with eunuchs, allegedly carrying out homosexual and heterosexual affairs with key people (though his wife Sun Shou was the real player), intimidating upright officials…the standard playbook for usurpers in Chinese history. Even at a tender age, the Emperor Zhi was aware of Liang Ji’s machinations, and called him out at a morning assembly, referring to Liang as an ‘arrogant general.’ On July 26, 146, Liang got his revenge, and had the Emperor’s soup poisoned. Following the death of the Emperor, Liang was able to establish his younger brother-in-law Liu Zhi (132-168) as the Emperor Huan. Ironically, Emperor Huan would ultimately tire of Liang’s activities and ordered his arrest and execution in 159.
Speaking of batshit in-law usurpers, on July 26, 291 A.D., Empress Jia Nanfeng (257-300) took power from her husband, Emperor Hui of the Western Jin (Sima Zhong, 259-307). According to the standard histories, Emperor Hui was…let’s just say that something was not right with the boy. The Chinese records call him ‘feeble-minded,’ more contemporary writings might use the term ‘developmentally disabled.’ Either way, imperial material he was not. He provided China’s version of Marie Antoinette’s famous quip (“The peasants don’t have rice? Why not eat mincemeat?”). Empress Jia was a real winner herself, reportedly carrying on a number of affairs (and offing those who kissed and told…good thing for Chinabounder-types there was no internet back then). She allied herself with a bevy of princes and officials before finally seizing control from her husband. Empress Jia ruled, more or less, until she was forced to commit suicide following a counter-coup in 300. By this point, the government was in complete disarray leading to widespread hardship and suffering while internecine warfare and rebellions weakened the dynasty and depopulated vast stretches of North China. Not good times, bad times.
It’s tough to get a good read on usurpers because dynastic histories often paint such attempts in the worst possible light…especially if a woman is involved. And those are nothing compared to the unofficial histories (yeshi 野史) which abound with the most detestable and detailed descriptions of sexual predelictions, avarice, hubris, and ambition. Lady Macbeth comes across as a four-square virgin school marm compared to the stories written about ‘usupring women’ in Chinese history. Perhaps not suprisingly, these histories were mainly written by men. Go figure.
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