Dynasties of China Explore by year Search
Dynasties
Early China
Qin & Han
Wei, Jin & the Northern and Southern Dynasties
Sui, Tang & the Five Dynasties
Liao, Song, Xia, Jin & Yuan
Ming & Qing

Dynasties of ChinaWestern HanWestern Han lineage

Earlier Young EmperorLiu Gong

Reign 188–184 BCE

Nominally the son of Emperor Hui, he was raised to the throne by Empress Lü when he was young. He was imprisoned and killed for threatening to avenge his biological mother.

IBiography

Reign
4 years
Order of accession
Ruler #3 · Western Han lineage
Life dates
?–184 BCE
Titles
No posthumous title·Historically known as Early Young Emperor

Liu Gong is nominally the son of Emperor Hui. According to "Historical Records", Zhanghuanghou was childless, so Empress Lü asked her to pretend to be pregnant, take the son of a beautiful woman in the harem as her own, kill her biological mother, and make her the Crown Prince. Emperor Hui died in 188 BC, and he ascended the throne as emperor, with Empress Dowager Lu ruling as regent. After he grew up, he learned that his biological mother had been killed, and he threatened, "Can Hou An kill my mother and name me? I am not strong, and strong will change." Empress Dowager Lu imprisoned him in Yongxiang and told the public that he was seriously ill. In 184 BC, he was deposed and killed. After all Empress Lü was killed, the minister claimed that he was not the biological son of Emperor Hui, and his life experience became a mystery.

IITimeline

During the reign · 188–184 BCE

  1. PoliticsAscended to the throne at a young age

    Emperor Hui passed away and the Crown Prince ascended the throne. He was still young, and Queen Mother Lu ruled as regent, giving orders to the Queen Mother. The history books do not chronologically record the Young Emperor separately, but refer to the following year as "the first year of the reign of Emperor Gaohou".

  2. PoliticsImprisoned and killed

    Young Emperor complained when he learned that his biological mother had been killed. Empress Dowager Lu imprisoned him in Yongxiang, saying that he was seriously ill and was not allowed to see each other. She also issued an edict to depose him on the grounds that he was "confused and confused and could not inherit the ancestral temple" and soon killed him.