The House of Prince Jing of Jing, Twenty-first

King Jing of Jing, Liu Jia, was a member of the Liu clan, but it is unknown which branch he belonged to at the beginning of Liu Bang’s uprising. In the first year of King of Han (206 BC), Liu Bang turned his forces to pacify the Three Qin region. Liu Jia served as a general, responsible for conquering the Sai region, and subsequently followed Liu Bang eastward to attack Xiang Yu.

In the fourth year of King of Han (203 BC), the King of Han was defeated at Chenggao, crossed the Yellow River northward, and incorporated the armies of Zhang Er and Han Xin, stationing at Xiuwu. He deepened moats and fortified walls, sending Liu Jia with twenty thousand troops and several hundred cavalry to cross the Yellow River at Baima Ford into Chu territory, where they burned Chu’s grain and supplies, thereby disrupting Chu’s logistics and depriving King Xiang’s army of food. Soon after, Chu forces attacked Liu Jia, but he always held his fortifications and refused to engage, coordinating instead with Peng Yue.

In the fifth year of King of Han (202 BC), the King of Han pursued Xiang Yu to Guling and sent Liu Jia south across the Huai River to besiege Shouchun. After returning, Liu Jia secretly sent agents to win over Zhou Yin, the Grand Marshal of Chu. Zhou Yin betrayed Xiang Yu, assisted Liu Jia in capturing Jiujiang, and welcomed the forces of King Qingbu of Jiujiang. They converged at Gaixia to jointly attack Xiang Yu. The King of Han then ordered Liu Jia to lead the Jiujiang army, together with Grand Commandant Lu Wan, to attack King Gongwei of Linjiang southwest. After Gongwei’s death, the court converted the Linjiang region into Nan Commandery.

In the spring of the sixth year of King of Han (201 BC), Liu Bang convened the feudal lords at Chen, deposed the King of Chu, Han Xin, imprisoned him, and divided his territory into two kingdoms. At that time, the Emperor’s sons were young, his brothers few and untalented, so he wished to enfeoff members of the Liu clan as kings to stabilize the realm. He issued an edict: “General Liu Jia has merit; select a suitable member of the Liu clan to be enfeoffed as king.” The ministers all said: “Establish Liu Jia as King of Jing, governing the fifty-two cities east of the Huai; and the Emperor’s younger brother Liu Jiao as King of Chu, governing the thirty-six cities west of the Huai.” Thereupon, the Emperor also enfeoffed his son Liu Fei as King of Qi. This was the first time Liu brothers were enfeoffed as kings.

In the autumn of the eleventh year of Emperor Gaozu (196 BC), King Qingbu of Huainan rebelled and attacked Jing eastward. King Jing of Jing, Liu Jia, engaged him in battle but was defeated, fleeing to Fuling, where he was killed by Qingbu’s forces. The Emperor personally led troops to defeat Qingbu. In the twelfth year (195 BC), he enfeoffed Liu Pi, Marquis of Pei, as King of Wu, governing the former territory of Jing.

King Yan, Liu Ze, was a distant branch of the Liu clan. In the third year of Emperor Gaozu (204 BC), Liu Ze served as a Gentleman. In the eleventh year (196 BC), Liu Ze, as a general, attacked Chen Xi, captured Wang Huang, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Yingling.

During the regency of Empress Dowager Lü, a man from Qi named Tian Sheng traveled about lacking travel funds, so he used a scheme to seek an audience with Liu Ze, Marquis of Yingling. Liu Ze was very fond of him and gave him two hundred catties of gold as a birthday gift. After receiving the gold, Tian Sheng returned to Qi. The following year, Liu Ze sent someone to say to Tian Sheng: “Will you no longer associate with me?” Tian Sheng came to Chang’an but did not visit Liu Ze; instead, he rented a large mansion and had his son seek an audience with Zhang Ziqing, the Grand Intermuncio favored by Empress Dowager Lü. After a few months, Tian Sheng’s son invited Zhang Qing to his home, personally preparing lavish food and drink. Zhang Qing agreed. Tian Sheng arranged splendid curtains and utensils, with a display as grand as that of a feudal lord. Zhang Qing was greatly astonished. When the wine was flowing freely, Tian Sheng dismissed the attendants and said to Zhang Qing: “I have observed that over a hundred mansions of the feudal lords are all those of meritorious officials from the time of Emperor Gaozu. Now, the Lü clan has long sincerely assisted the High Emperor in achieving the realm, with great merit and the honored status of the Empress Dowager’s relatives. The Empress Dowager is advanced in years, and the Lü clan’s power is weak. She wishes to enfeoff Lü Chan as king, governing the Dai region. But the Empress Dowager finds it difficult to broach the matter, fearing the ministers will not comply. Now, you are the most favored, and the ministers respect you. Why not subtly suggest to the ministers that they propose it to the Empress Dowager? The Empress Dowager will certainly be pleased. Once a member of the Lü clan is enfeoffed as king, you will not miss the title of Marquis of ten thousand households. The Empress Dowager has this in mind, and you are a court minister; if you do not act quickly, disaster may befall you.” Zhang Qing thought this was very reasonable, so he subtly urged the ministers to propose it to the Empress Dowager. When the Empress Dowager held court, she asked the ministers for their opinions. The ministers requested that Lü Chan be enfeoffed as King of Lü. The Empress Dowager rewarded Zhang Qing with a thousand catties of gold, and Zhang Qing gave half to Tian Sheng. Tian Sheng did not accept it but advised him again: “Lü Chan being enfeoffed as king does not fully satisfy the ministers. Now, Liu Ze, Marquis of Yingling, is a member of the Liu clan and serves as a Grand General. Only he still harbors discontent. Now, go to the Empress Dowager and propose that she allocate a dozen counties to enfeoff Liu Ze as king. Once he obtains the kingship, he will depart happily, and the Lü clan’s kingship will be even more secure.” Zhang Qing entered the palace and proposed this to the Empress Dowager, who agreed. Thereupon, Liu Ze, Marquis of Yingling, was enfeoffed as King of Langya. The King of Langya then went to his fief with Tian Sheng. Tian Sheng urged the king to hurry and not to linger. Just after they passed through Hangu Pass, the Empress Dowager indeed sent pursuers to intercept them, but the King of Langya had already passed the pass, and the pursuers returned.

After the Empress Dowager’s death, the King of Langya, Liu Ze, said: “The Emperor is young, the Lü clan holds power, and the Liu clan is weak.” He then led his troops and conspired with the King of Qi to march westward, intending to exterminate the Lü clan. Upon reaching the Liang region, he heard that the Han had sent General Guan to station troops at Xingyang, so Liu Ze turned back and stationed his forces on the western border, then traveled lightly on horseback to Chang’an. King Dai, Liu Heng, also arrived from Dai. The various generals and ministers, together with the King of Langya, supported the King of Dai as the Son of Heaven. The Son of Heaven then transferred Liu Ze to be King of Yan and returned Langya to Qi, restoring its original territory.

Liu Ze served as King of Yan for two years before dying, posthumously titled King Jing. The throne passed to his son Liu Jia, known as King Kang.

When it reached his grandson Liu Dingguo, he committed adultery with one of his father King Kang’s concubines, fathering a son. He also seized his younger brother’s wife as a concubine. He further committed incest with his own three daughters. Liu Dingguo wanted to kill a minister, Ying Ren, the Magistrate of Feiru. Ying Ren and others reported Liu Dingguo, but Liu Dingguo sent an intermuncio to charge Ying Ren with other crimes, arrest him, and kill him to silence him. By the first year of Yuanshuo (128 BC), Ying Ren’s brother again submitted a detailed report exposing Liu Dingguo’s hidden depravities, leading to the exposure of the matter. The Emperor referred it to the ministers for deliberation, who all said: “Liu Dingguo’s beastly conduct corrupts human relations, violates heavenly principles, and warrants death.” The Emperor agreed. Liu Dingguo committed suicide, and his fief was abolished and converted into a commandery.

The Grand Historian says: The reason King Jing of Jing was enfeoffed as a king was that the Han dynasty had just been established, and the realm was not yet stable. Thus, although Liu Jia was a distant relative, he was enfeoffed as a king due to his strategies, to stabilize the region between the Jiang and Huai rivers. Liu Ze was enfeoffed as a king through maneuvering that stirred the Lü clan, yet he ultimately faced south as a king and passed the title through three generations. Events relied on each other—was this not remarkable!

Liu Jia first followed the High Emperor, pacifying the Three Qin. Then he crossed the Baima Ford and proceeded to besiege Shouchun. He first welcomed Qingbu and then alienated Zhou Yin. Merit was rewarded with land, bordering the state of Chu. The Marquis of Yingling was initially enfeoffed for merit from attacking Chen Xi. Tian Sheng’s persuasion earned a reward of a thousand catties. With maneuvers he stirred the Lü clan; after success, he gained personal glory. His fief was transferred to descendants, but ultimately he perished through Ying Ren.