Qin and Han · Royal Family Member

Liu Qin 劉欽

First attested BC 63; died BC 28

Passages: 21
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Liu Qin was a Royal Family Member.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Prince Xian	憲王	Xianwang

Life and dates

Death

BC 28 三十六年薨
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 88

Attested activity

BC 63 元康三年立
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 6

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Maternal grandmother of Liu Qin (欽外祖母)
maternal grandmother 外祖母 · maternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 15
Child of Emperor Xuan of Han (漢宣帝)
begot 生
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 4
Child of Lady Zhang (張婕妤)
bore 生
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 4, 6
Kin of Zhang Bo (張博)
maternal uncle 舅 · maternal line
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 15, 63
Parent of Liu Xuan (劉玄)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 89

Career and standing

Prince of Huaiyang 淮陽王
BC 63 元康三年立 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 6
Prince Xian of Huaiyang 淮陽憲王
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 5-6
pardoned from arrest 勿治王事
Pardoned · Authority Emperor Yuan (孝元帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 62, 66

Places and affiliations

At Huaiyang 淮陽 · Relation Enfeoffed at
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 6, 14

Works and attributed material

Letter · Author · With Zhang Bo (張博)
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 43-44, 54
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 83-86

Events and relationships

Favored as uncle
BC 33 成帝即位 · Political · Beneficiary · With Emperor Cheng (成帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 199
Sent to fief
BC 49 元帝即位，乃遣憲王之國 · Travel · Subject
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 14
Sought return of exiles
Petition · Petitioner · With Zhang Bo (張博)
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 200, 203

Assessments and attributes

Assessment intelligent-and-capable · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passages 10, 197

References in the histories

Search passages

History

21 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 91Volume 80: The Six Sons of Emperors Xuan and Yuan · 21 passages

許皇后生孝元帝，張婕妤生淮陽憲王欽，衛婕妤生楚孝王囂，公孫婕妤生東平思王宇，戎婕妤生中山哀王竟。 Empress Xu gave birth to Emperor Yuan. Lady Zhang the Honored Lady bore Prince Xian of Huaiyang, Qin; Lady Wei the Honored Lady bore Prince Xiao of Chu, Ao; Lady Gongsun the Honored Lady bore Prince Si of Dongping, Yu; and Lady Rong the Honored Lady bore Prince Ai of Zhongshan, Jing.

淮陽憲王欽 Prince Xian of Huaiyang, Qin

淮陽憲王欽，元康三年立，母張婕妤有寵於宣帝。 Prince Xian of Huaiyang, Qin, was established in the third year of Yuankang (63 BCE). His mother, Lady Zhang the Honored Lady, enjoyed Emperor Xuan’s favor.

而憲王壯大，好經書、法律，聰達有材，帝甚愛之。 As the Prince of Huaiyang came of age, he took to the classics and law, proved quick and capable, and won the emperor’s deep affection.

太子寬仁，喜儒術，上數嗟歎憲王，輔曰：「真我子也！」 The crown prince was mild and humane and loved Confucian scholarship; the emperor would sigh over Prince Xian and tell his attendants, “Now that is my son!”

久之，上以故丞相韋賢子玄成陽狂讓侯兄，經明行高，稱於朝廷，乃召拜玄成為淮陽中尉，欲感諭憲王，輔以推讓之臣，由是太子遂安。 Years later he recalled how Wei Xuancheng, son of the former chancellor Wei Xian, had played mad to yield his noble title to an elder brother—learned in the classics and renowned for integrity—and summoned him to serve as commandant in Huaiyang, hoping such an example of deference would steady the ambitious prince and quiet the succession.

宣帝崩，元帝即位，乃遣憲王之國。 When Xuan died and Yuan ascended, the new emperor sent Prince Qin to his fief at Huaiyang.

時，張婕妤已卒，憲王有外祖母，舅張博兄弟三人歲至淮陽見親，輒受王賜。 By then Lady Zhang was dead. The prince still had kin on his mother’s side: each year his uncles Zhang Bo and his two brothers visited Huaiyang and went home laden with the king’s largesse.

後王上書，請徙外家張氏於國。 Later the prince petitioned to bring his mother’s Zhang relatives to live in his state.

王乃遣人持黃金五十斤送博。 The prince then dispatched an agent with fifty jin of gold for Bo.

王得書喜說，報博書曰：「子高乃幸左顧存恤，發心惻隱，顯至誠，納以嘉謀，語以至事，雖亦不敏，敢不諭意！ The prince was delighted and answered: “Zi Gao, you have turned back to pity and care for me, spoken from the heart, offered wise counsel and weighty truth—dull though I am, how could I fail to grasp your meaning?

博常欲誑耀淮陽王，即具記房諸所說災異及召見密語，持予淮陽王以為信驗，詐言：「已見中書令石君求朝，許以金五百斤。 Bo had long wanted to impress the King of Huaiyang, so he wrote down everything Jing Fang had said about disasters and anomalies, along with confidential remarks from imperial audiences, and brought the notes to the king as proof. He falsely claimed, “I have already gone to Palace Secretary Shi to ask for an audience; he agreed in exchange for five hundred jin of gold.

王喜說，報博書曰：「乃者詔下，止諸侯朝者，寡人憯然不知所出。 The prince wrote back gladly: “When the edict lately barred princes from audience, I was at a loss.

王以金五百斤予博。 The prince handed over five hundred jin of gold.

有司奏請逮捕欽，上不忍致法，遣諫大夫王駿賜欽璽書曰：「皇帝問淮陽王。 Officials asked to arrest Prince Qin; the emperor relented and sent Grandee Remonstrant Wang Jun with a sealed edict: “The Son of Heaven addresses the King of Huaiyang.

於是淮陽王欽免冠稽首謝曰：「奉籓無狀，過惡暴列，陛下不忍致法，加大恩，遣使者申諭道術守籓之義。 Prince Qin doffed his cap and kowtowed: “I have disgraced my charge as a bulwark; my crimes lie bare. You would not punish me but sent envoys to teach the duty of a vassal.

臣欽願悉心自新，奉承詔策。 I, Qin, will devote myself anew to obeying your command.

至成帝即位，以淮陽王屬為叔父，敬寵之，異於它國。 When Cheng succeeded, he honored the king of Huaiyang as his father's younger brother, showered favor on him, and treated his domain unlike any other.

王上書自陳舅張博時事，頗為石顯等所侵，因為博家屬徙者求還。 The prince memorialized the court about his uncle Zhang Bo, claiming he had been wronged by Shi Xian and his faction, and asked that Bo's banished kin be restored.

丞相、御史復劾欽：「前與博相遺私書，指意非諸侯王所宜，蒙恩勿治，事在赦前。 The chancellor and imperial counselor again indicted Qin: "You once exchanged private letters with Bo in ways unbecoming a prince. Though you were spared before the amnesty,

淮陽憲王於時諸侯為聰察矣，張博誘之，幾陷無道。 Prince Xian of Huaiyang was the sharpest of the kings of his day; Zhang Bo led him to the brink of treason.