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Liu Ji'en (Chinese: 劉繼恩), also known in historiography as Shaozhu of Northern Han (Chinese: 北漢少主), was the third emperor of China's Northern Han dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He ruled for 60 days in 968 before being killed.

Biography

Liu Ji'en, the son of the foot soldier Xue Zhao (薛釗), was originally surnamed Xue. Liu Chong, the Northern Han's founding emperor, married one of his daughters to Xue Zhao. Because Xue Zhao was a son-in-law, Liu Chong assumed personal command of him. Xue had no skills, so Liu fed and clothed him without employing him. Xue Zhao's wife often stayed with her father, Liu Chong, rarely seeing Xue. This made him discontent. While drunk, he stabbed her with his sword, injuring her, before killing himself. Liu's daughter later married into the He family, giving birth to Liu Jiyuan. After Liu's daughter and her husband had died, Liu instructed his son Liu Jun to adopt Liu Ji'en and Liu Jiyuan.

Once Liu Chengjun became emperor, Liu Ji'en was appointed metropolitan custodian (尹) of Taiyuan. Liu Chengjun once commented to his powerful chief minister Guo Wuwei that "Liu Ji'en is pure and filial, but he does not have the skills to save the age, and is unfit to manage family affairs, I fear." Guo did not respond. Later, as Liu Jun lay bedridden in the Qinzheng chambers (臥勤政閤), he summoned Guo Wuwei, and held his hand, entrusting future decisions to him. Liu Jun died in the July of 768. Liu Ji'en succeeded him, despite Liu Jun and Guo Wuwei's strong doubts about his ability to govern. Liu Ji'en had already been acting as regent since Liu Jun fell ill.

Liu Ji'en delayed his own accession to inform the Khitans of the mourning underway. The envoys sent by the Northern Han to the Liao court to inform them of the death of Liu Chengjun and the accession of Liu Ji'en arrived on 16 August 968. Emperor Muzong of Liao sent envoys to condole and sacrifice. Wearing a coarse outfit of mourning, he insisted on living in the Qinzheng chambers, while the officials that formerly served Liu Jun remained at the Taiyuan prefectural offices.

On 10 September, Emperor Taizu of Song ordered troops to gather at Luzhou (潞州) to prepare to invade the Northern Han. Two days later, he established the top command, with Li Jixun [zh] as Chief Administrative Officer of the Hedong Forward Army, Dang Jin [zh] as his second in command, and Cao Bin as his Director in Chief. He Jiyun (何繼筠) was made Administrator of the Vanguard and Kang Yanzhao (康延沼) his Director in Chief. Zhao Zan [zh] was made Administrator of the Fenzhou Route, Si Chao (司超) his second in command and Li Qianpu (李謙溥) his Director in Chief.

The attack reached as far as the Dongguo River, just outside the Northern Han capital of Taiyuan.

In September, Liu Ji'en summoned high officials and imperial family members for banquet. Afterwards, he went to the Qinzheng chambers to rest. That night, palace services official (供奉官) Hou Barong (侯霸榮) led more than ten men with daggers into the chamber, killing Liu Ji'en. When he was killed, Liu Ji'en was 34 years old and had ruled for only 60 days. Other men led by Guo Wuwei infiltrated the room using ladders and killed Hou Barong and his men. Guo Wuwei then installed Liu Jiyuan.

Two versions of the assassination are given in the Xu zizhi tongjian changbian. One states that Hou brought Liu Ji'en's head to Guo after killing him. The other states that Hou acted without direction.

Notes

1. The Song Shi uses 洞渦河 to refer to the Dongguo River, but the Shiguo Chunqiu and Xu zizhi tongjian changbian use 銅鍋河

References

1. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "繼恩本姓薛氏，父釗為卒，旻以女妻之，生繼恩。"
2. Song Shi, vol 482: "繼恩本姓薛。父釗，娶崇女，晉初為護聖營卒。"
3. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "漢高祖以釗壻也，除其軍籍，置之門下。"
4. Song Shi, vol 482: "漢祖典禁兵，以釗崇婿，釋其籍，館門下。"
5. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "釗無材能，高祖衣食之而無所用。"
6. Song Shi, vol 482: "漢祖後領方鎮，爵位通顯，釗罕得見其妻，居常怏怏。"
7. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "妻以旻女常居中，釗罕得見，釗常怏怏，因醉拔佩刀刺之，傷而不死，釗即自裁。"
8. Song Shi, vol 482: "一日乘醉求見，即引佩刀刺妻，妻奮衣得脫，釗乃自剄。"
9. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "旻女後適何氏，生子繼元，而何氏及旻女皆卒。"
10. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "旻以其子承鈞無子，乃以二子命承鈞養為子。 "
11. Song Shi, vol 482: "繼恩時尚幼，漢祖令鈞養為子，遂冒姓劉。"
12. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "承鈞立，以繼恩為太原尹。"
13. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "承鈞嘗謂郭無為曰：「繼恩純孝，然非濟世之才，恐不能了我家事。」無為不對。"
14. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "承鈞病臥勤政閤，召無為，執手以後事付之。"
15. ^ Worthy 1975, p. 75.
16. ^ Lorge 1996, p. 176.
17. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "承鈞卒，繼恩告哀於契丹而後立。"
18. Bielenstein 2005, p. 558.
19. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "繼恩服縗裳視事，寢處皆居勤政閤，而承鈞故執事百司宿衞者皆在太原府廨。"
20. Song Shi, vol 482: "八月，太祖詔伐繼恩。以內客省使盧懷忠等二十二人將禁兵赴潞州，昭義節度李繼勳為行營前軍都部署，侍衛步軍都指揮使黨進副之，宣徽南院使曹彬為都監；棣州防禦使何繼筠為前鋒部署，懷州防禦使康延沼為都監；建雄軍節度趙讚為汾州路部署，絳州防禦使司超副之，隰州刺史李謙溥為都監。"
21. Shiguo Chunqiu, vol 105: "峰至铜锅河，〈宋史作洞涡河，今从宋史纪事本末。〉"
22. Xu zizhi tongjian changbian, vol 9
23. Song Shi, vol 482: "九月，繼勳敗繼恩軍於洞渦河，其左勝軍使李瓊來降，賜襲衣、金帶、鞍勒馬。"
24. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "九月，繼恩置酒會諸大臣宗子，飲罷，臥閤中。"
25. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "供奉官侯霸榮率十餘人挺刃入閤，閉戶而殺之。"
26. Song Shi, vol 482: "至是謀持繼恩首獻太祖，遂乘繼恩無備，白晝挺刃而入，反扃其門，繼恩繞屏環走，霸榮以刃揕胸弑之，年三十四，時立六十日矣。"
27. Wudai Shiji, vol 70: "郭無為遣人以梯登屋入，殺霸榮并其黨。"
28. Song Shi, vol 482: "無為遣卒登梯入，殺霸榮，立其弟繼元。"
29. Xu zizhi tongjian changbian, vol 9: "于是，谋杀继恩，持其首归朝，旋为无为所杀。或谓无为实使霸荣作乱，亟诛霸荣以灭口，故人无知者。"

Bibliography

Early

• Li Tao (17th century). Xu zizhi tongjian changbian 續資治通鑑長編 [Extended Continuation to Zizhi Tongjian] (in Chinese). Vol. 9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
• Ouyang Xiu (1073). Wudai Shiji 五代史記 [Historical Records of the Five Dynasties] (in Chinese). Vol. 70.
• Compiled by Toqto'a (1346). Song Shi 宋史 [History of Song] (in Chinese). Vol. 482.
• Wu Renchen (17th century). Shiguo Chunqiu 十國春秋 [Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms] (in Chinese). Vol. 105.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Modern

• Bielenstein, Hans (2005). Diplomacy and Trade in the Chinese World, 589-1276. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-1-4294-5520-6. OCLC 191940199.
• Lorge, Peter Allan (1996). War and the Creation of the Northern Song State (PhD thesis). University of Pennsylvania.
• Worthy, Edmund H. (1975). The Founding of Sung China, 950-1000: Integrative Changes in Military and Political Institutions (PhD thesis). OCLC 4294233.

• 10th-century births
• 968 deaths
• Northern Han emperors