A Dynasty at the Crossroads: The Eastern Han in the 60s CE

The Eastern Han dynasty found itself at a critical juncture during the reign of Emperor Ming (57-75 CE). The son of the illustrious Emperor Guangwu who had restored the Han dynasty after the Wang Mang interregnum, Emperor Ming inherited an empire that was still consolidating its power and defining its character. The 60s CE proved particularly pivotal, witnessing religious transformations, territorial expansions, and intense court intrigues that would shape China’s trajectory for centuries.

This period saw the delicate balance between central authority and regional power, between Confucian orthodoxy and emerging Buddhist influences, and between military expansion and domestic stability. The emperor’s court became a stage where these tensions played out through dramatic confrontations, principled stands, and sometimes tragic consequences for those caught in the political crosscurrents.

The Perils of Princely Power: The Downfall of Liu Ying and Liu Jing

The early 60s CE witnessed several high-profile cases of imperial relatives overstepping their bounds, revealing the constant tension between the throne and regional kings. In 61 CE, Liang Song met a grim fate when accused of harboring resentment against the court and writing anonymous letters of slander. His execution served as a stark warning about the limits of dissent in imperial politics.

More dramatically, Liu Jing, the King of Guangling, faced execution after his plot to assassinate the emperor came to light through a physiognomist’s report. The king’s desperate attempt to seize power at age thirty—believing he mirrored his father’s rise to power at that age—ended in his forced suicide in 67 CE. The court’s handling of these cases demonstrated Emperor Ming’s attempts to balance family loyalty with state security, often with tragic results.

The most complex case involved Liu Ying, the King of Chu and early patron of Buddhism. His 70-71 CE downfall began with accusations of creating suspicious objects (golden turtles and jade cranes) and escalated into a massive witch hunt that implicated thousands. The case revealed both the paranoia of the court and the growing influence of religious movements that challenged traditional power structures.

The Buddhist Dawn: A New Faith Takes Root in China

Amid these political storms, a profound cultural transformation was underway. Liu Ying’s patronage of Buddhism marked its first significant appearance in Chinese historical records. The King of Chu’s devotion to Buddhist practices—including vegetarianism, fasting, and rituals—prompted an imperial edict that notably tolerated this foreign religion: “The King of Chu recites the words of Huang-Lao and reveres the humane rituals of the Buddha.”

This royal endorsement coincided with Emperor Ming’s legendary dream of a golden deity, which tradition holds prompted his dispatch of envoys to Central Asia to bring back Buddhist scriptures and monks. The returning party included the monk Kāśyapa Mātanga and the scriptures carried on white horses—giving name to China’s first Buddhist temple, the White Horse Temple in Luoyang.

The court’s initial tolerance of Buddhism reflected both curiosity about foreign ideas and confidence in Chinese culture’s ability to absorb them. However, the religion’s spread among elites would eventually force confrontations with Confucian orthodoxy and Daoist practices in later centuries.

The Steel and Silk of Diplomacy: Zheng Zhong’s Unyielding Stand

The northern frontier presented constant challenges, with the Xiongnu confederation remaining a formidable threat. In 65 CE, the court faced a diplomatic crisis when envoy Zheng Zhong refused to perform the kowtow before the Xiongnu chanyu. Surrounded by armed guards and denied water, Zheng dramatically drew his sword and swore to die rather than compromise Han dignity.

Zheng’s unyielding stance—and his accurate warnings about Xiongnu intentions to divide Han alliances—eventually earned him imperial respect despite initial punishment. His principled stand became emblematic of Han diplomatic philosophy: firmness in defense of protocol and national prestige, even at personal risk.

The court complemented such diplomatic firmness with military preparedness, establishing the Duliao Garrison in 65 CE to monitor and control interactions between northern and southern Xiongnu factions. This combination of diplomatic principle and strategic military positioning characterized Han frontier policy at its most effective.

The Art of Governance: Principles and Pragmatism

The reign of Emperor Ming offers striking case studies in governance philosophy. Two contrasting approaches emerged through officials like Zong Jun, who as Governor of Jiujiang eliminated burdensome tiger-hunting corvée labor, trusting that local communities could manage such issues themselves. His minimal-interference approach—”removing all traps and reducing taxes”—paradoxically solved the tiger problem while easing peasant burdens.

Conversely, the brutal handling of Liu Ying’s case showed governance at its most paranoid and interventionist. The investigative official Jian Lang risked execution to expose the witch hunt’s excesses, arguing that interrogators “would rather implicate ten innocents than release one guilty person.” His courageous appeal—and Emperor Ming’s subsequent prison review that freed over a thousand wrongly accused—revealed the constant tension between security and justice in imperial administration.

The case of Yuan An, newly appointed governor of Chu Commandery, demonstrated principled administration. He personally reviewed each case connected to Liu Ying’s rebellion, prepared to release all without clear evidence despite subordinates’ protests about “aiding rebels.” His famous declaration—”If there are mistakes, I alone will bear responsibility”—epitomized the Confucian ideal of official accountability.

The Western Expansion: Ban Chao’s Daring Gambits

While court intrigues unfolded in Luoyang, the western frontier saw some of Emperor Ming’s most lasting achievements. The brilliant diplomat-general Ban Chao emerged as the architect of Han influence in Central Asia through bold, unconventional tactics. His 73 CE night raid on a Xiongnu embassy in Shanshan—”How can we catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger’s lair?”—established Han dominance through psychological shock rather than massive force.

Ban’s subsequent exploits—from beheading a manipulative shaman in Yutian to installing a new king in Shule—demonstrated his mastery of what we might now call asymmetric warfare. With never more than a few dozen men, he reestablished Han influence across the Tarim Basin after 65 years of isolation, creating the conditions for the Protectorate of the Western Regions under Chen Mu.

This western push culminated in 74 CE with the defeat of the Xiongnu at the Battle of Barköl and the submission of Jushi (Turfan), securing the strategic northern route into Central Asia. The establishment of garrisons at Liuzhong and Jinpu marked the high point of Han westward expansion under Emperor Ming.

Twilight of the Reign: Succession and Legacy

As Emperor Ming’s health declined in 75 CE, the empire faced new crises—Xiongnu attacks on the Western Protectorate, the heroic defense of Shule by Geng Gong, and natural disasters across several provinces. The emperor’s death in August 75 at age 48 marked the end of an era characterized by both consolidation and innovation.

His legacy was complex—a ruler who maintained his father’s frugal policies (rejecting lavish tomb construction), promoted Confucian learning (establishing schools for aristocrats and guards), yet whose reign saw both the birth of Chinese Buddhism and some of the dynasty’s most notorious political persecutions.

The new emperor, Zhang, inherited both a expanded empire and unresolved tensions—particularly on the frontiers where Han garrisons now stood besieged. The stage was set for the dramatic rescue missions and difficult choices that would characterize the next chapter of Eastern Han history.

In retrospect, Emperor Ming’s reign encapsulated the paradoxes of imperial China at its height—cultural confidence alongside curiosity about foreign ideas, administrative sophistication paired with occasional brutal repression, and territorial ambition constrained by practical limitations. These contradictions would continue to shape Chinese civilization long after the Han’s eventual fall.