Qin and Han · Royal Family Member

Liu Li 立

Li

First attested BC 20; died AD 1 to AD 5

Passages: 15
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Liu Li was a Royal Family Member.

Life and dates

Death

AD 1 to AD 5 元始中
suicide 自殺
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passage 175

Attested activity

BC 20 to BC 17 鴻嘉中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 56, passage 119

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Ren Bao (任寶)
maternal uncle 舅 · maternal line
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passage 125
Child of Mother of Liu Li (立母)
mother 母
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passage 166
Spouse of Ren Zhao (昭)
queen 後 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passage 125
Child of Liu Jia (嘉)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passage 118

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passages 166-172

Events and relationships

Incest
Criminal · Perpetrator · With Yuanzi (園子)
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passage 129
Murdered
Criminal · Perpetrator · With Cao Jiang (曹將)
Directly stated · Book of Han 56, passage 171

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 56Volume 47: The Three Sons of Emperor Wen · 15 passages

十五年薨，子立嗣。 Fifteen years later King Huang died, and his son Li inherited the kingdom.

鴻嘉中，太傅輔奏：「立一日至十一犯法，臣下愁苦，莫敢親近，不可諫止。 During Hongjia, Grand Tutor Fu memorialized, “In a single day King Li broke the law as many as eleven times; his subordinates were bitterly troubled, none dared draw near, and he could not be remonstrated with or stopped.

荒王女弟園子為立舅任寶妻，寶兄子昭為立後。 King Huang’s younger sister Lady Yuánzi was married to Li’s uncle Ren Bao, and Bao’s nephew Ren Zhao had become Li’s queen.

數過寶飲食，報寶曰：「我好翁主，欲得之。」 Li began visiting Bao’s house for feasts and told Bao, “I fancy the princess; I wish to have her.”

立曰：「何能為！」 Li said, “What harm can it do!”

積數歲，永始中，相禹奏立對外家怨望，有惡言。 Years later, in the Yongshi era, Chancellor Yu impeached Li for muttering slander against his in-laws.

有司案驗，因發淫亂事，奏立禽獸行，請誅。 A full investigation exposed the incest; the prosecutors denounced Li for bestial conduct and demanded his life.

今梁王年少，頗有狂病，始以惡言按驗，既亡事實，而發閨門之私，非本章所指。 The king of Liang is young and somewhat unstable; you began with vague charges of slander, found no solid proof, and are now airing bedroom scandal—far from the point of the original accusation.

居數歲，元延中，立復以公事怨相掾及睢陽丞，使奴殺之，殺奴以滅口。 Some years into Yuanyan, Li nursed a grudge against a secretary of his chancellor and the assistant magistrate of Suiyang over routine business; he had them murdered by slaves, then murdered the slaves to cover his tracks.

有司請誅，上不忍，削立五縣。 Prosecutors again demanded his head; the emperor spared him but carved five more counties from his fief.

哀帝建平中，立復殺人。 Under Emperor Ai’s Jianping reign he killed yet another man.

立惶恐，免冠對曰：「立少失父母，孤弱處深宮中，獨與宦者婢妾居，漸漬小國之俗，加以質性下愚，有不可移之姿。 Trembling, Li doffed his cap and said, “I was orphaned young and grew up shut inside the palace with only eunuchs and women; a petty frontier kingdom was all I knew, and I am dull by nature—habits that are not easily broken.

今立自知賊殺中郎曹將，冬月迫促，貪生畏死，即詐僵仆陽病，僥倖得逾於須臾。 I know I murdered Palace Gentleman Cao Jiang; in the depth of winter, clinging to life, I feigned a seizure, hoping to buy a few moments’ reprieve.

元始中，立坐與平帝外家中山衛氏交通，新都侯王莽奏廢立為庶人，徙漢中。 Under Yuanshi, Li was convicted of dealing with the Wei family of Zhongshan, in-laws of Emperor Ping; Wang Mang of Xindu had him reduced to commoner rank and banished to Hanzhong.

立自殺。 Li took his own life.