Crown Prince Liu Ju (The Prince of Li): An Eternal Tragedy Beneath the Hexing of the Curse

Brief Introduction

Liu Ju (128 BC – 91 BC) was the eldest son of Emperor Wu of Han, born to Consort Wei Zifu. He served as the Crown Prince for thirty-five years, making him the longest-serving prince in the history of the Western Han Dynasty. However, this heir apparent, once the center of great hopes, never ascended the throne. Instead, he was forced to commit suicide after a failed military uprising triggered by the "Hexing of the Curse" (also known as the Witchcraft Curse Incident), earning him the posthumous title "Prince of Li" (Li meaning "the wronged one"). Liu Ju was the grandfather of Emperor Xuan of Han, and his fate profoundly shaped the political landscape of the mid-Western Han period.

Core Knowledge Points

1. Divergence in Governing Philosophies
From a young age, Liu Ju was nurtured in Confucianism, giving him a gentle and benevolent temperament. He advocated for "lenient governance to rest the people." This stood in stark contrast to Emperor Wu of Han in his later years, who had become autocratic, favored Huang-Lao philosophy and strict legalism, and grew superstitious in his interest in alchemical arts. In his later years, Emperor Wu often delegated imperial authority to Liu Ju, who implemented humane policies during this period. While this earned him the affection of the common people, it aroused the emperor's suspicion, leading Emperor Wu to criticize him for not being "like his father."

2. The Spark of the Hexing of the Curse
The explosion of conflict originated with the eunuch Jiang Chong. Having offended the Crown Prince, Jiang Chong sought revenge by designing a scheme to frame the prince using "Hexing" (a form of curse magic involving burying straw effigies underground to inflict harm). The aging and increasingly suspicious Emperor Wu, combined with his deep trust in Jiang Chong, easily believed Jiang's accusations of a rebellion by the Crown Prince. Consequently, he dispatched Jiang Chong to search for and arrest those involved at the prince’s residence.

3. A Tragic Conclusion
Prince Liu Ju was powerless against the central military power and unable to prove his innocence. Forced into a corner, he issued a forged imperial decree to mobilize troops in resistance, attacking Jiang Chong. Emperor Wu mistakenly believed the Crown Prince was genuinely rebelling and ordered the Imperial Guard to suppress the uprising. In the ensuing chaos, the prince fled to Hu County (present-day Pengzhou, Sichuan). With no escape route and driven by despair, he hanged himself. His wife, Consort Liang, and their son, Liu Yin, perished along with him, and the entire power base of the Li Clan was destroyed.

Relevance to the Book of Han

In the Book of Han (Han Shu) written by Ban Gu, the tragedy of Liu Ju is a key thread for understanding the psychological state and political ecosystem of Emperor Wu of Han in his later years.

Mutual Verification between the Chronicle of Emperor Wu and the Biography of Prince Li: The Chronicle of Emperor Wu briefly records the palace coup triggered by the Hexing incident, while the Table of Princes and Marquises and related biographies in the Book of Han* provide detailed descriptions of the fall of Liu Ju and the Wei family group. Through the death of Liu Ju, Ban Gu reflects the psychological shift in Emperor Wu's later years, specifically his regret for being "stingy with favor" and his growing remorse.
A Marker of Political Turning Points: The Book of Han notes that after Liu Ju’s death, Emperor Wu was deeply grieved and soon thereafter built the "Palace of Thoughts" (the Garden of Li) to express his remorse. This event directly prompted Emperor Wu to dismiss several harsh officials, issue the Edict of Luntai Self-Blame*, halt external wars, and shift toward a policy of recuperation and rest, thereby opening the prelude to the "Zhao-Xuan Prosperity."
Complexity of Historical Evaluation: The Book of Han* does not simply label Liu Ju as a rebel. Instead, through detailed descriptions (such as Emperor Wu’s remorse upon learning the truth), it emphasizes that this was a political tragedy caused by power structures and mutual suspicion between ruler and subject. In the text, Liu Ju’s image is that of a vulnerable victim and also a typical symbol of an individual within the system who was powerless to change their destiny.

Conclusion

The life of Crown Prince Liu Ju of Li was a microcosm of the fate of an heir apparent under the centralized imperial system of the Western Han. His death was not merely a personal tragedy but a political watershed moment for the Western Han dynasty, marking its transition from prosperity to decline and from an aggressive stance to a defensive one. Through the records in the Book of Han, we can glimpse the complex power struggles and human fragility behind a powerful empire.