“Legacy of Virtue: The Tale of Emperor Xiaoxuan”
Emperor Xiaoxuan, the great-grandson of Emperor Wu, was born to Prince Li, who married Lady Shi and bore the imperial grandson Shi. The imperial grandson married Lady Wang and fathered Emperor Xuan, known as the Emperor’s great-grandson. Just months after his birth, they fell victim to the witchcraft incident, and the Prince, Lady Shi, the imperial grandson, and Lady Wang all met tragic fates. This account is documented in the “Biography of the Prince.”
Although still an infant in swaddling clothes, the great-grandson was confined to the provincial prison under guard. Bing Ji served as the Chief Justice and oversaw the witchcraft case at the provincial prison. Pitying the great-grandson’s innocence, he arranged for Huaiyang’s Zhao Zhengqing and Weicheng’s Hu Zu to nurse and raise him in secret, providing clothes and food generously. The witchcraft case dragged on for years.
By the second year of Houyuan, Emperor Wu fell ill and visited Changyang and Wuzhuang palaces. Astrologers claimed that there was an imperial aura in Chang’an’s prison. The Emperor dispatched officials to interrogate and execute all prisoners held by the central court, regardless of their crimes. Guo Rang, the inner counselor, was sent to the provincial prison at night, but Ji refused to open the gates, and the emissaries could not enter, saving the great-grandson thanks to Ji. Due to a subsequent amnesty, Ji escorted the great-grandson to his grandmother Lady Shi’s home. This account is found in Ji and the extended family’s “Biographies.”
Later, an edict ordered the Yeting Palace to oversee his care and upbringing, under the supervision of the Ancestral Registrar. At that time, Zhang He, the prefect of the Yeting Palace, had once served Prince Li and remembered their past friendship. He mourned the great-grandson and took great care of him, using his personal funds to provide education. As he grew up, he married Xu Guanghan’s daughter, a humble man from Baozhu, due to his reliance on Guanghan’s brothers and his grandmother’s Shi family. He mastered the “Shi” and “Lunyu,” and “Filial Classics,” demonstrating frugality, kindness, and love for others, worthy of inheriting Emperor Xiaozhao’s legacy, continuing the tradition of honoring ancestors and benefiting the people.
The court decreed that the Yewuting Palace should prepare to welcome him, where he was given ceremonial bathing and dressed in imperial attire. The Grand Chariot of the Grand Eunuch greeted him, and he was brought to the Zongzheng Mansion. On the day of Gengshen, he entered the Weiyang Palace, met the Empress Dowager, and was named the Marquis of Yangwu. Eventually, he received the imperial seal and ribbon from the courtiers and ascended to the throne, paying homage at the Gao Temple. In the eighth month of Yisi, the Prime Minister Chang died. In September, a general amnesty was declared nationwide. On the day of Renzi in November, the Empress Xu was established. The nobles below the princes were given gold and silver, and the officials and people, including widows, widowers, orphans, and the elderly living alone, were granted special privileges.
The Empress Dowager returned to Changle Palace, which initially housed the garrison. In the spring of the first year of Benshi, the first month, officials and people from the counties and counties were recruited to relocate to Pingling. Envoys were sent to the counties and counties with strict instructions to manage and nurture the people and promote virtues and culture. The Grand Marshal, Huan Guang, submitted a memorial to the Empress Dowager to summon Prince Changyi Wang. In the sixth month of Bingyin, the Wang received the emperor’s seal and ribbon, and the Empress Dowager was honored as the Empress Dowager. On the day of Guiyi, light vehicles and sharp soldiers were dispatched to the capital to bring order to the countryside. The Grand Marshal Guangming was appointed as the General of Changshui, and the General of the Back Guangguo as the General of Pulei. The imperial subjects Ta Shun, the Tiger Tooth General, Tian Shun, and the Duke of Duli were all given a different status. The Minister of Great Justice Guangming was awarded the title of Changshui Marquis, the Hou Jun was awarded the title of Yanyuan Marquis, the General of the North was awarded the title of Yancheng Marquis, the Houlei was awarded the title of Tuqi Tang, the Shao Fu Chang was awarded the title of Yichun Marquis, the Hou Tang was awarded the title of Yizhi,