Why Emperor Ming Was Remembered as a Strong Eastern Han Ruler

Once the throne was secure, Emperor Ming used his own style to continue the restoration left by Emperor Guangwu.

After the shadows of Liang Song and Liu Jing faded, Emperor Ming, Liu Zhuang, could finally turn his attention to governing. The stability of early Eastern Han moved from the Guangwu Restoration toward what later historians called the rule of Ming and Zhang.

An Emperor Who Honored His Teacher

Liu Zhuang's posthumous title was Ming, "bright" or "illuminating." In ancient posthumous language, to illuminate the four directions was called ming. It was high praise.

Compared with his father Liu Xiu, Liu Zhuang was less fascinated by prophecy texts. His best-known personal habit was respect for his teachers.

When Liu Zhuang was crown prince, his teacher was Huan Rong. Huan Rong was already old, but Liu Zhuang never acted arrogantly as heir. When Huan Rong was seriously ill and could not teach, Liu Zhuang sent people morning and evening to ask after him and sent him fine things the emperor had given the prince.

When the weather was bad, the road dark, or travel inconvenient, Liu Zhuang kept Huan Rong overnight in the crown prince's residence so the old man would not have to struggle back and forth.

Years of teaching made Liu Zhuang learned in the classics. Later he wrote to Huan Rong, warmly urging his teacher to take care of food, rest, and health.

After Liu Zhuang became emperor, he still did not treat Huan Rong as an ordinary minister. When Huan Rong was over eighty, Emperor Ming exempted him from the regular requirement to come to court and report. He could rest at home and be consulted when needed.

When Huan Rong became critically ill, he memorialized asking to return his rank and fief. The emperor understood that his teacher's condition was serious. The next day he canceled court ceremony, did not even eat breakfast, and rode to Huan Rong's residence.

When the imperial carriage entered the narrow alley, Emperor Ming got down and walked so as not to disturb his teacher. At the bedside, seeing Huan Rong barely breathing, he could not hold back tears and could only comfort him again and again.

After Huan Rong died, Emperor Ming personally wore mourning clothes, went to the house, performed rites before the coffin, and gave support to the Huan family.

Respecting a teacher was one side of his personal virtue. To understand why he was remembered as Emperor Ming, we also have to see how he handled great affairs of state.

The Yellow River Could Not Wait

The most important engineering project of early Eastern Han was controlling the Yellow River.

Since the river had breached during the reign of Emperor Ping of Western Han, it had not been repaired effectively. It was not that the court did not know the danger. River control required money, labor, and real technical skill.

After the Guangwu Restoration, state resources slowly recovered and population rose from the postwar low. By Emperor Ming's time, the court finally had the ability to act.

But Yellow River work was risky. If handled badly, money and labor would be consumed while the river remained uncontrolled. Large projects also invited corruption and perfunctory work. A great state project could easily become a hollow construction.

Ancient governments often did not fail to act because they did not care. They hesitated because action itself could become dangerous. Large works required mass labor, transport, food supply, and supervision. If any link broke, resentment could rise.

Emperor Ming needed someone who truly understood water control.

That man was Wang Jing.

Wang Jing had broad learning. He read the classics, astronomy, and technical arts, and he was especially skilled in hydraulic work. Before being recommended to Emperor Ming, he served in the Grand Minister of Works office as a low-ranking clerk.

The emperor did not immediately hand him the Yellow River. He tested him first. Near Luoyang, Chenliu Commandery had an old canal that had fallen into disrepair and often caused flooding. Emperor Ming sent Wang Jing to repair it.

Because Wang Jing's rank was low, local officials might not listen to him. Emperor Ming also sent Wang Wu, an engineering envoy, to assist. Wang Wu had enough authority to make local officials carry out Wang Jing's plans.

Wang Jing completed the canal repair quickly. Only after this test did the court entrust him with the Yellow River.

Wang Jing Managed the River

In Yongping year twelve, Emperor Ming ordered hundreds of thousands of laborers to repair the Yellow River.

Wang Jing's method had two main parts: dredge the old channel and build embankments. From Xingyang eastward all the way toward the sea, he dredged and fortified more than one thousand li of river.

He also set water gates roughly every ten li so the flow could be regulated in sections, reducing the danger of breaches and leaks.

The project cost a great deal. Even with Wang Jing trying to save resources, it consumed money counted in the tens of billions. But the money was not wasted.

After Wang Jing's work, the Yellow River did not make a major course change for a long time, and flooding decreased significantly. A stable river improved irrigation, which in turn helped central plains agriculture.

When harvests improved, grain prices fell. The histories say that a hu of grain cost thirty cash, cattle and sheep filled the fields, and people's lives were much more stable than in the years of war.

A Fierce Emperor

Emperor Ming continued many of Guangwu's institutions, but his style was fiercer than his father's.

Following Liu Xiu's wish, he had portraits of Deng Yu, Feng Yi, and other founding ministers painted on the Cloud Terrace, creating the famous Twenty-Eight Generals of the Cloud Terrace. Yet his own father-in-law, Ma Yuan, General Who Calms the Waves, was not included.

By merit, Ma Yuan had every reason to be there. Emperor Ming's omission may have reflected the fact that Ma Yuan's case had not yet been fully cleared. It may also have been deliberate avoidance of favoritism. If the emperor did not give special grace even to his own father-in-law, other imperial relatives could expect even less.

During Emperor Ming's reign, his own brothers-in-law held no more than Nine Minister posts and were not specially elevated.

Toward powerful relatives and strong families, he was also severe.

The founding minister Dou Rong was personally decent, but he did not control his family well. The Dou clan was eminent, and many of its sons broke the law. After Emperor Ming succeeded, one of Dou Rong's nephews committed a crime for which execution was possible but not inevitable. Emperor Ming chose strict punishment and had him killed.

At the time, the Dou family included dukes and marquises, had marriage ties with princesses, held many high offices, and owned property throughout the capital. If the emperor yielded before the Dou, other great families would be even harder to restrain.

Emperor Ming later issued repeated edicts rebuking Dou Rong. Dou Rong's eldest son once falsely transmitted Empress Dowager Yin's command to interfere in a marriage involving the Marquis of Liu'an. When discovered, he was dismissed. Except for Dou Rong himself, many Dou relatives were sent back to their home region.

Later the eldest son was pardoned and returned to the capital, but he still spoke resentfully and bribed officials. Emperor Ming became furious and had him and two sons imprisoned until death.

The Yin family was not exempt either. A son of Yin Jiu, Empress Dowager Yin's brother, married a princess but had a bad relationship with her and finally killed her. Emperor Ming did not spare him because the empress dowager was still alive. The son-in-law was executed, and Yin Jiu and his wife killed themselves afterward.

This happened while Yin Lihua was still alive. By acting against his own maternal relatives, Emperor Ming drew a line for the whole court: closeness was possible, but crime would not be excused.

The Case of Liu Ying, King of Chu

Emperor Ming's fierce style also appeared in the case of Liu Ying, King of Chu.

Liu Ying was a son of Liu Xiu, but not born of the same mother as Emperor Ming. His kingdom of Chu was small and relatively poor. Dissatisfied, Liu Ying became absorbed in strange practices.

He made gold turtles and jade cranes, carved words on them, and claimed they proved he responded to Heaven's mandate. Such things had no real power. They were more like self-created fantasies.

He also secretly listed famous men across the realm, imagining they would become his followers.

Someone seeking advancement reported these actions to the court. After investigation, officials memorialized that Liu Ying had committed great treason and should be executed.

Emperor Ming remembered brotherly feeling and did not kill him. He stripped him of the royal title and moved him to Danyang Commandery. Liu Ying later killed himself there.

But the case did not end. Liu Ying's list included many local strongmen and famous scholars. When Emperor Ming saw the names, he suspected they had links with Liu Ying and used the chance to open a large judicial investigation. Many people were arrested. The case dragged on for more than a year, and many died under pressure.

Later a minister advised that even if these men bullied local society in ordinary times, they might not truly have plotted rebellion. Emperor Ming personally reviewed the matter and found more than one thousand innocent people in Luoyang prison. Only then did he issue an amnesty.

This shows another side of Emperor Ming. He could suppress powerful families, but he could also push severity too far. When he found the injustice, he could pull back.

Strict but Not Confused

Emperor Ming also handled officials strictly in daily government. He liked to use informants to learn about ministers, and high officials were often scolded. Close attendants were sometimes struck by him personally.

Once, angered by a minor matter, he wanted to beat a palace gentleman with a staff. The man quickly fled under the emperor's bed and refused to come out.

Emperor Ming called for him to come out and accept the beating. From under the bed, the man answered that the Son of Heaven should be dignified and lords should be reverent. How could an emperor personally beat a palace gentleman?

Emperor Ming laughed and let him go.

He had a quick temper, enforced law harshly, and dared act against powerful families and imperial relatives. But he was not simply confused or violent. River control, restraint of great families, and correction of wrongful cases all pushed Eastern Han further upward in his hands.

The White Horse Carrying Scriptures

In Yongping year ten, Emperor Ming dreamed at night of a golden figure more than one zhang tall, with light behind its head. When he woke, he asked his ministers what it was. Someone answered that in the west there was a divine being named Buddha, and perhaps the emperor had dreamed of him.

Emperor Ming sent envoys west to seek the teaching. The envoys later met the Indian monks Kasyapa Matanga and Dharmaratna, who came east with the Sutra in Forty-Two Sections carried on a white horse.

In this story, Buddhism formally entered China. White Horse Temple in Luoyang became known as China's first Buddhist temple.

Emperor Ming's domestic government now pauses here. But in his age, foreign relations soon produced a figure of lasting importance. Next, Ban Chao goes west.