Qin and Han · Emperor of Western Han

Emperor Jing 孝景帝

Xiaojing Di

First attested BC 154; died BC 141

Passages: 20
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Jing was an emperor of Western Han.

Life and dates

Death

BC 141 梁共王三年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 94

Attested activity

BC 154 吳楚七國反
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 32
BC 141 景帝崩
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 94

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Grand Princess (長公主)
elder princess 長公主 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 67, 85
Child of Emperor Wen (孝文皇帝)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 1, 3
Child of Empress Dowager Dou (竇太后)
mother 母
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 1-2
Sibling of Liu Wu (劉武)
same mother 同母 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 1

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Liu Wu (劉武) · Mode quotation Speaker Emperor Jing (孝景帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 28

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 58House of Prince Xiao of Liang · 20 passages

梁孝王武者，孝文皇帝子也，而與孝景帝同母。 King Xiao of Liang, whose given name was Wu, was a son of Emperor Wen, born of the same mother as Emperor Jing.

孝文帝凡四男：長子曰太子，是為孝景帝； Emperor Wen had four sons in all. The eldest was appointed Crown Prince and would later become Emperor Jing.

景帝使使持節乘輿駟馬，迎梁王於關下。 Emperor Jing dispatched envoys bearing the imperial tally, with a chariot drawn by four horses, to welcome the King of Liang at the pass.

王入則侍景帝同輦，出則同車游獵，射禽獸上林中。 At court the king rode in the same carriage as Emperor Jing; abroad they hunted together, shooting birds and beasts in the Shanglin Park.

大臣及袁盎等有所關說於景帝，竇太后義格，亦遂不復言以梁王為嗣事由此。 The great ministers and Yuan Ang remonstrated with Emperor Jing. Empress Dowager Dou, moved by considerations of propriety, relented and from that point on never again raised the matter of making the King of Liang the heir.

於是天子意梁王，逐賊，果梁使之。 The Son of Heaven suspected the King of Liang, and when the assassins were tracked down, it was indeed confirmed that Liang had sent them.

景帝憂恐。 Emperor Jing was deeply alarmed.

於是梁王伏斧質於闕下，謝罪，然後太后、景帝大喜，相泣，復如故。 The King of Liang then appeared before the palace gate, prostrating himself beside the executioner's axe and block to beg forgiveness for his crimes. The Empress Dowager and Emperor Jing were overjoyed, wept together, and all was restored as before.

然景帝益疏王，不同車輦矣。 Yet from that time on, Emperor Jing grew increasingly distant from the king and no longer shared a carriage with him.

景帝哀懼，不知所為。 Emperor Jing was stricken with grief and fear, at a loss for what to do.

梁共王三年，景帝崩。 In the third year of King Gong of Liang, Emperor Jing passed away.

景帝與王燕見，侍太后飲，景帝曰：「千秋萬歲之後傳王。」 Emperor Jing and the king attended a banquet together, serving the Empress Dowager wine. Emperor Jing said, "When I am gone, I shall pass the throne to you."

於是景帝默然無聲。 Emperor Jing fell silent.

梁王上有太后之重，驕蹇日久，數聞景帝好言，千秋萬世之後傳王，而實不行。 The King of Liang, backed by the Empress Dowager's formidable influence, had long grown arrogant and willful. He had repeatedly heard Emperor Jing's promise that the throne would pass to him after a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, yet this promise was never fulfilled.

蓋聞梁王西入朝，謁竇太后，燕見，與景帝俱侍坐於太后前，語言私說。 I have heard that the King of Liang traveled west to court, paid his respects to Empress Dowager Dou, and was granted a private audience. He sat together with Emperor Jing before the Empress Dowager, and they spoke freely among themselves.

景帝跪席舉身曰：「諾。」 Emperor Jing straightened on his mat, bowed, and said, "Yes."

景帝甚憂之，問公卿大臣，大臣以為遣經術吏往治之，乃可解。 Emperor Jing was deeply troubled and consulted his ministers. They advised that officials well-versed in the classics be sent to handle the matter, as this was the only way to resolve the crisis.

來還，至霸昌廄，取火悉燒梁之反辭，但空手來對景帝。 On their return journey, when they reached the Bachang post station, they set fire to all the incriminating documents from Liang and came before Emperor Jing with empty hands.

景帝曰：「何如？」 Emperor Jing asked, "What did you find?"

景帝喜說，曰：「急趨謁太后。」 Emperor Jing was delighted and said, "Go at once and report this to the Empress Dowager."