During the Eastern Han Dynasty, the succession of Liu Hu, the Han Emperor, did not bring stability to the imperial government, but on the contrary, the political situation was chaotic, and there were internal and external troubles. Empress Dowager Deng wielded actual power, while Liu Hu himself lacked talent, leaving the dynasty in chaos. His reign is considered the starting point for the decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty. However, Liu Hu's position did not rely on his own intelligence, but on chance.
Liu Hu's father Liu Qing was once made crown prince, but was later deposed, making it a coincidence that Liu Hu succeeded to the throne. Empress Dowager Deng continued to rule after he succeeded to the throne, turning Liu Hu into a puppet emperor. Despite his intelligence and etiquette at a young age, he failed to receive proper political training. Thus, under his rule, Empress Dowager Deng became the de facto ruler, while Liu Hu was only a nominal monarch.
Liu Hu's rule was not strong, and he was too close to the eunuchs and showed immoral behavior. Although Empress Dowager Deng was dissatisfied with him, she did not dare to depose him because of her own power interests. Liu grew up in a power vacuum and lacked leadership skills. However, when Empress Dowager Deng died, Liu Hu finally had the opportunity to become pro-government.
However, his leadership skills were limited, and he trusted the eunuchs and favored courtiers around him, which led to further chaos in the imperial government. The power of eunuchs continued to expand, affecting the stability of the political situation. During Liu Hu's reign, the eunuchs in the palace were made marquises one after another, and the eunuch group became more and more arrogant, committing all kinds of evil deeds. In addition, Liu Hu's power over foreign qi was too connived, resulting in the growing power of foreign qi.
This chaos eventually led to the decline of the Eastern Han Dynasty, and the country fell into internal and external difficulties. During Liu Hu's reign, honest ministers were framed and traitors became arrogant. Liu Hu's incompetence in political affairs and connivance with unjust forces put the Eastern Han Dynasty on the road of decline. Although his reign lasted only 19 years, he left the Eastern Han Dynasty with a chaotic political situation.