釋氏稽古略 1.490

1.490

His taboo name was Xiu, and his style was Wenshu. He was a native of Nanyang, a seventh-generation descendant of Emperor Jing of the Han, a descendant of King Ding of Changsha, [Liu] Fa, and the son of Liu Qin, Magistrate of Nandun. In the guimei year, the first year of Gengshi, he was appointed Lieutenant General and acted as Grand Marshal. In the jiashen year, the second year of Gengshi, he was created King of Xiao. He attacked the Bronze Horse rebels, and the people west of the Passes referred to him as the Bronze Horse Emperor. Earlier, Guangwu had raised troops at Mount Lülin (now in the Hubei Circuit of Jingmen and Jingzhou in Jiangling Route; the territory of Jingzhou according to the 'Tribute of Yu'). In the yiyou year, the generals deliberated on offering him the exalted title, but the Emperor refused three times. When the four armies reached South Pingji, the generals again firmly petitioned him. Geng Chun advanced and said, "If you do not rectify the title and position, the hopes of the scholar-officials will be dashed and they will scatter, making it difficult to reunite them." Proceeding to Hao (that is, Jingzhao), he ordered the officials to set up an altar on the Wucheng embankment at the Qianqiu Pavilion south of Hao. In the sixth month, he ascended the imperial throne, changed the reign era to Jianwu, and proclaimed a great amnesty. The Emperor was on the throne for thirty-three years, and passed away at the age of sixty-two. With the virtue of benevolence and generosity, the Emperor brought to fulfillment his heroic ambitions. Sixteen years after ascending the throne, the empire was unified. He governed with diligence and care, preserved the meritorious ministers, honored Confucian arts, and the common people were at peace. He visited the Imperial Academy to foster civil culture and education, and unless there was an urgent emergency, he did not speak of military affairs. He recruited hermits and recluses, treating them as ministers not bound by ordinary court etiquette. Reign eras: Jianwu (31), Zhongyuan (2).