Family background and accession to the throne

Liu Zuan, the future Emperor Zhi was born to Liu Hong, the Prince of Le'an, and his wife Consort Chen, in 138. (Eventually, after his son became emperor, Prince Hong would be moved from his very humid and small principality of Le'an to the larger and drier principality of Bohai.) Prince Hong was a great-grandson of Emperor Zhang. Other than these facts, virtually nothing else is known about Prince Hong or his wife.

In February 145, when the two-year-old Emperor Chong died, he had no close male relative to inherit his throne. His stepmother Empress Dowager Liang (the wife of Emperor Shun) therefore summoned two of his third cousins—Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe, and Liu Zuan, then seven-years-old, to the capital, to examine them as potential heir to the throne. (Prince Suan and Zuan were first cousins of each other, through their grandfather Liu Chong, Prince Yi of Le'an.) Liu Suan was apparently an adult (although history did not record his age) and was described as solemn and proper, and the officials largely favored him. However, Empress Dowager Liang's autocratic and violent brother Liang Ji wanted a younger emperor so that he could remain in absolute control longer, and he persuaded Empress Dowager Liang to make the seven-year-old Zuan as emperor. To avoid having a person without an official title becoming emperor directly, he was first created the Marquess of Jianping, and then the same day he ascended the throne as Emperor Zhi.

Brief reign

Empress Dowager Liang served as Emperor Zhi's regent, and while she overly trusted her brother Liang Ji, who was violent and corrupt, she herself was diligent and interested in governing the country well—in particular, entrusting much of the important matters to the honest official Li Gu (李固, who was Grand Commandant). For example, the agrarian rebellions that started during Emperors Shun and Chong's reigns were largely quelled in 145, after she selected the right generals to lead the armies. She also encouraged the young scholars from over the empire to come to the capital Luoyang to study at the national university.

Emperor Zhi, as young as he was, was keenly aware of how much Liang Ji was abusing power (but befitting of a young child, not aware of how Liang Ji also had the power to do him harm), and on one occasion, at an imperial gathering, he blinked at Liang Ji and referred to him as "an arrogant general." Liang Ji became angry and concerned. In the summer of 146, he had his underlings poison a bowl of pastry soup and had it given to the emperor. After the young emperor consumed the soup, he quickly suffered great pain, and he summoned Li immediately and also requested for water, believing that water would save him. However, Liang, who was by the emperor's side, immediately ordered that the emperor not be given any water, and the young emperor immediately died. Li advocated a full investigation, but Liang was able to have the investigation efforts suppressed.

After Emperor Zhi's death, Liang Ji, under pressure by the key officials, was forced to summon a meeting of the officials to decide whom to enthrone as the new emperor. The officials were again largely in favor of Prince Suan, but Liang Ji was still concerned about how he would be difficult to control. Rather, he persuaded Empress Dowager Liang to make the 14-year-old Liu Zhi, the Marquess of Liwu, a great-grandson of Emperor Zhang, to whom Liang Ji's younger sister Liang Nüying (梁女瑩) was betrothed, emperor (as Emperor Huan).

Long after Emperor Zhi's death, in November 175, Emperor Ling bestowed on Emperor Zhi's mother Lady Chen the honorific title of Princess Xiao of Bohai, in recognition of her status as mother of an emperor.

Era name

• Benchu (本初) 146

生平

前任皇帝漢衝帝駕崩時只有3歲，清河王劉蒜於是奉召入京。太尉李固提議劉蒜年長有德、血統近，應該立為新帝。梁太后（漢順帝皇后）與其兄大將軍梁冀合謀，擁立劉蒜的堂弟樂安王子劉纘，先封為建平侯，再登基，承漢順帝嗣，改元本初，是為漢質帝，劉蒜仍回本國。

當時梁冀一家專權，朝政腐敗、吏治不修，威勢橫行朝廷和宮外；大臣們害怕梁冀的威勢，不敢抗命。質帝雖年幼，但聰明伶俐，不堪梁冀的專橫跋扈，曾在朝會見大臣時，當面對梁冀說：「此跋扈將軍也！」

梁冀聽罷，大為反感，便命手下在質帝的湯餅裏下毒弒君。146年7月26日，9歲的質帝食用毒湯餅死亡。8月26日，葬於漢靜陵。當年東漢治下戶數為9348227、口有47566772。

質帝崩後，李固等又提出劉蒜繼位，梁冀又不從，立自己的妹夫蠡吾侯劉志為漢桓帝。後來梁冀一家被桓帝所滅。

家庭

• 父親：勃海孝王劉鴻

• 母親：陳夫人

• 嗣父：漢順帝劉保

影視形象

• 《三國演義》，李楊 飾 漢質帝

• 《八歲龍爺鬧東京》，釋小龍 飾 漢質帝

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