Liu Xiu was the sixth generation descendant of Emperor Jing of the Western Han dynasty. He was the son of Liu Qin (劉欽), magistrate (縣令 i.e., head official) of Nandun County (南頓縣), near present-day See more

The Gengshi Emperor
By this point, many other rebel leaders had become jealous of Liu Yan's capabilities, and … See more

Victory over the Chimei
Soon after Emperor Guangwu's ascension, the Gengshi Emperor's regime was destroyed by the Chimei, who supported their own … See more

While still under the Gengshi Emperor's reign, Emperor Guangwu married his childhood sweetheart Yin Lihua. Later, in AD 24, while he was on his expedition north of the Yellow River, he entered a political marriage with Guo Shengtong (郭聖通), the niece of … See more

In AD 22, with virtually the entire empire rebelling against Wang Mang's incompetent rule, Liu Yan prepared his rebellion. He planned, along with his brothers, and Li Tong (李通) and his cousin Li Yi (李軼), to kidnap the governor for See more

In the autumn of AD 24, Liu Xiu, still ostensibly an official under Gengshi Emperor, successfully pacified some of the larger agrarian rebel groups and merged them into his own … See more

Although Emperor Guangwu had already created many of his generals and officials marquesses, in AD 37, after the conquest of the empire was largely complete, he readjusted their See more