Liu Ju facts for kids

Liu Ju (Chinese: 劉據; born 128 BC, died 91 BC) was a Western Han dynasty crown prince. He was also known as Crown Prince Wei and later as Crown Prince Li. Liu Ju was the oldest son of Emperor Wu of Han and was expected to become the next emperor.

However, he died at age 37 during a time of political trouble in 91 BC. Liu Ju led an uprising against his father's army. He took his own life when soldiers came to find him. His two sons and the family who were hiding them also died.

Who was Liu Ju's family?

Liu Ju's mother was Wei Zifu, Emperor Wu's second wife. The Emperor's first wife, Empress Chen Jiao, could not have children. She was also known for being jealous.

In 130 BC, Empress Chen Jiao was removed from her position. This happened because she was found using what people believed was "witchcraft" against others. Wei Zifu had become a favorite of Emperor Wu.

By 128 BC, Wei Zifu had given Emperor Wu three daughters. Then, she gave birth to Liu Ju, the Emperor's first son. Because of this important birth, she became the Empress in April of that year.

Emperor Wu was 29 years old when Liu Ju was born. He was very happy to have a son. He even had poets write songs to celebrate Liu Ju's arrival. This showed that Liu Ju would likely be his heir. Liu Ju was officially made crown prince in June 122 BC, when he was six years old.

Life as a Crown Prince

Emperor Wu had big plans for Prince Ju. He made sure his son received the best education. He even built a special academy called the "Broad Vision Academy." This allowed Liu Ju to learn from many different scholars.

As Liu Ju grew older, he started helping with government matters. From 113 BC, he often acted as a prince regent when his father was away. His mother, Empress Wei, was older and not the Emperor's favorite anymore. But she still managed palace affairs and advised her son. Both Liu Ju and Empress Wei were respected by Emperor Wu.

Unlike his father, Emperor Wu, who often sought to expand the empire, Liu Ju was a peaceful person. He cared more about the well-being of the people. He wanted to help the economy recover. He often disagreed with his father's harsh policies.

Liu Ju was known for being welcoming and open to different ideas. He had many advisors and friends at his palace. He often helped people who had been wrongly accused. This caused problems with officials who supported the Emperor's stricter rules.

In 113 BC, Liu Ju married Lady Shi. She was his main wife and gave birth to his son, Liu Jin. Liu Jin later had a son, Liu Bingyi. This grandson was only a few months old when his family was killed in 91 BC. Liu Ju also had two other sons and a daughter.

For a while, Liu Ju was safe because his uncle, General Wei Qing, was alive and respected. But after Wei Qing died in 106 BC, some officials began to plot against Liu Ju.

The Uprising and its Aftermath

Towards the end of his rule, Emperor Wu became very worried about "witchcraft." He believed people were using magic against him. He ordered a huge search, and many people were punished or killed. This included important families, even some of Liu Ju's relatives. This removed many of Liu Ju's supporters in the government.

At this time, Emperor Wu's favorite was Lady Zhao. She gave birth to his youngest son, Liu Fuling. The Emperor was 66 years old and very happy. People started to think he might want to make young Prince Fuling the new crown prince instead of Liu Ju. This led to more plots against Liu Ju.

One person plotting against Liu Ju was Jiang Chong. He was a ruthless head of secret intelligence. Jiang Chong feared Liu Ju because they had clashed before. He worried that if Liu Ju became emperor, he would be punished. Another plotter was Su Wen, the Emperor's chief eunuch. Su Wen also stopped Liu Ju and Empress Wei from talking to Emperor Wu. The Emperor was staying at his summer palace far away.

In 91 BC, Jiang Chong and Su Wen decided to act. They used the "witchcraft" accusations again. Jiang, with Emperor Wu's permission, searched Liu Ju's palace. He planted dolls and strange writings there. Then, he claimed he found proof of witchcraft.

Liu Ju was shocked. His teacher, Shi De, suggested he start an uprising to remove Jiang. Shi De worried that Emperor Wu might already be dead or unable to help. Liu Ju hesitated, wanting to explain himself to his father. But he learned that Jiang's messengers were already reporting the "crime." So, Liu Ju decided to follow Shi De's advice.

Liu Ju had one of his men pretend to be an imperial messenger. This person arrested Jiang Chong's group. However, Su Wen escaped. Liu Ju then personally punished Jiang Chong on September 1st. He told his mother, Empress Wei, what he had done. She allowed him to use her palace guards and gather supporters.

Meanwhile, Su Wen fled to Emperor Wu and told him that the Crown Prince was rebelling. Emperor Wu at first did not believe his son would betray him. He thought Liu Ju was just angry at Jiang Chong. So, he sent a low-ranking official to summon Liu Ju. But this official was scared and reported falsely that Liu Ju was going to kill him.

Now angry, Emperor Wu ordered his nephew, Liu Qumao, to stop the uprising. Prince Ju tried to get help from regular armies, but they did not join him. Without their support, Liu Ju's forces were no match for Liu Qumao's army. When Emperor Wu's banner was shown, people realized the Emperor was still in charge. Public support for Liu Ju disappeared.

The two sides fought in the streets of Chang'an for five days. Liu Qumao's forces won. On September 9th, Prince Ju had to flee the capital with two of his sons. On the same day, his mother, Empress Wei, took her own life. This happened after Emperor Wu sent messengers to take away her official seal. Most of Prince Ju's family were then killed. Only his baby grandson, Liu Bingyi, was spared and put in prison.

Emperor Wu ordered Liu Ju to be hunted down. But a junior official, Linghu Mao, spoke up for Prince Ju. This made Emperor Wu's anger lessen, but he still did not pardon his son. Liu Ju had fled to Hu County and was hiding with a poor shoemaker. He tried to get help from an old friend, but this revealed his location.

Officials quickly found and surrounded the house. Seeing no way out, Liu Ju took his own life. His two sons and the family hiding them also died when soldiers broke in. The officials then took Liu Ju's body to Emperor Wu to claim rewards. Emperor Wu had to keep his word, but he was very sad about his son's death.

What happened after Liu Ju's death?

Eventually, Emperor Wu realized that many of the "witchcraft" accusations were false. In 89 BC, a man named Tian Qianqiu told Emperor Wu about a dream. In the dream, an old man said that Prince Ju should have only been punished, not killed. Emperor Wu then understood what truly happened.

He was furious that the plotters had tricked him and caused his son's death. He ordered Su Wen to be severely punished. Jiang Chong's entire family was also punished. Every official who had gained promotions for hunting down Liu Ju was killed. Emperor Wu then made Tian Qianqiu his prime minister. He also changed many policies to support the ideas his son had believed in.

To show his regret, Emperor Wu built the Palace of Son-Grieving and the Platform of Longing for Return. This officially cleared Liu Ju's name.

Liu Ju's only surviving family member was his grandson, Liu Bingyi. Liu Bingyi later became emperor (as Emperor Xuan of Han) in 74 BC. This happened after Liu Ju's younger brother, Emperor Zhao of Han, died without children. Out of respect for Emperor Zhao, Emperor Xuan did not immediately restore his grandfather's title. It was not until 73 BC that he restored Crown Prince Ju's title. He also reburied his grandparents and parents.