Family background

Then-Prince Bing was born to Emperor Shun and his concubine Consort Yu in 143. Virtually nothing is known about his mother, other than that she entered the palace when she was 12 (but it is not known what year that was), and that she was also the mother of Prince Bing's sister Princess Sheng. He was Emperor Shun's only son.

On 3 June 144, Emperor Shun, apparently already ill, created Prince Bing crown prince. Less than four months later, Emperor Shun died, and Crown Prince Bing, at the age of one, ascended the throne as Emperor Chong.

Brief reign

As Emperor Chong was only a toddler, Emperor Shun's wife Empress Dowager Liang served as regent. She apparently was fairly diligent and open-minded in her duties, but her major fault was in trusting her corrupt and violent brother Liang Ji (梁冀), who was the most powerful official in the administration. (While Emperor Shun was still alive, Liang Ji was already the most powerful official, but the near-absolute power that he wielded became even more evident after Emperor Shun's death.) When the capable official Huangfu Gui (皇甫規; uncle of Huangfu Song) submitted a report that, in circumspect language, suggested that Liang Ji and his brother Liang Buyi (梁不疑) be humble and live more thriftly, Liang removed Huangfu from his post and tried several times to falsely accuse him of capital crimes.

During Emperor Chong's reign, agrarian revolts, which were already a problem late in Emperor Shun's reign, became more serious—and even the tomb of Emperor Shun was dug up by bandits.

In February 145, Emperor Chong died. Empress Dowager Liang was initially going to keep Emperor Chong's death a secret until she would decide on who the successor would be, but she listened to the key official Li Gu (李固) and decided to properly and publicly announce Emperor Chong's death immediately. She summoned Emperor Chong's third cousins Liu Suan, the Prince of Qinghe, and Liu Zuan, the son of Liu Hong, Prince Xiao of Bohai, to the capital, and considered the two of them. 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, 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 Prince Zuan as emperor (as Emperor Zhi).

Emperor Chong, having died in young childhood, was buried in his father's tomb complex in order to save costs.

Long after Emperor Chong's death, in November 175, Emperor Ling bestowed on Emperor Chong's mother Consort Yu a more elevated imperial consort title (貴人, Guiren) than her original title (美人, Meiren) in recognition of her status as an emperor's mother.

Era name

• Yongxi (永熹) 145

生平

劉炳是漢順帝的獨子，他的母親是虞美人，建康元年（144年）被立為太子。同年順帝死後，兩歲的劉炳于八月庚午登基，是為漢衝帝，改元「永嘉」。

順帝的皇后梁氏被尊為皇太后，臨朝問政。趙峻為太傅；李固為太尉。在位時期外戚梁氏當政，朝政腐敗，民不聊生，九江發生暴亂，叛軍在145年初一直攻到合肥。

145年正月戊戌（2月15日），衝帝病死在玉堂前殿。梁太后與其兄大將軍梁冀合謀，沒有聽從太尉李固的建議立年長血統近有德行的清河王劉蒜，而是降旨立劉蒜叔父樂安王劉鴻年僅八歲的獨子劉纘入承大統，是為漢質帝，藉此再度以皇太后身份臨朝稱制。正月己未（3月8日），葬於漢懷陵。其治下的人數達到戶9937680、口49524183。

家庭

• 父親：漢順帝劉保

• 母親：虞美人

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