From the Western Han Dynasty to the Han Ping Emperor Liu Yan period, it was already considered to exist in name only, at this time, the Wang family of the Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun had basically controlled the power of the dynasty, and the most famous figure was Wang Mang.
The Zizhi Tongjian says that Liu Yan was poisoned by Wang Mang, and the facts are unknown, but Liu Yan was the last emperor in the true sense of the Western Han Dynasty, and Liu Bao, who took the throne next, did not really inherit the throne.
Baby Liu
After the death of the Hanping Emperor, Wang Mang felt that the time was not ripe for him to become emperor and decided to create another puppet emperor, this time choosing Liu Bao.
Liu Bao was the grandson of Emperor Xuan of Han, the great-grandson of Liu Huan the Prince of Chu, and the son of Liu Xian, the Marquis of Guangqi, and was only one or two years old when he was chosen by Wang Mang. Because of his too young age to be pro-government, generally speaking, there were empresses of the harem and queens of heaven who listened to the government, but at that time, the entire imperial court was controlled by the Wang family, even if the empress dowager Wang Zhengjun wanted to defend the Liu family, he was forced by the members of the Wang family to obey, and ordered Wang Mang to act as the emperor and become the regent.
After Wang Mang became a false emperor, he began to change his era name, sacrifice heaven, and establish Liu Bao as the crown prince, indicating that he was the emperor of the Western Han Dynasty, and the sacrifice of heaven was originally presided over by the emperor, and now Wang Mang presided over, it can be said that Wang Mang has actually become the real emperor of the empire, but there is no change of dynasty.
After Wang Mang made Liu Bao crown prince, the courtiers and disciples who supported Liu were very dissatisfied, or withdrew from the court or raised an army.
Although the rebel army continued to grow, but in the end it was suppressed by Wang Mang, and the victory of the war made Wang Mang feel that it was the destiny of heaven to become emperor, and began to plan a series of events to make himself a true emperor.
At first, he made up the "Rune of Heavenly Destiny" or "The Rune of the Holy King's Destiny" that he was destined to return, and then removed the regent emperor's regent, and later the lamentation under his hand made a brief that said that Emperor Tiandi and Han Gaozu Liu Bang passed the throne to Wang Mang.
After Wang Mang accepted the throne, he accepted the Zen throne and ascended the throne as the Imperial Title and changed it to "New".
After Wang Mang ascended the throne, Liu Bao's puppet was useless, Liu Infant was demoted to the Duke of Ding'an, Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun was honored as empress dowager, and Empress Wang was honored as Empress Dowager Ding'an, and the Western Han Dynasty was officially destroyed.
Wang Mang
After Liu Bao was demoted to the Duke of Anding, he was raised by Wang Mang in the Anding Gongfu in the capital and was not allowed to go to the feudal state, at this time Liu Bao was only four years old. Wang Mang also ordered no one to talk to Liu Baby, resulting in Liu Baby growing up without knowing the six animals, and his words were not clear, almost a fool.
After Wang Mang came to the throne, Liu Mang rebelled against the rebels, Wang Mang was defeated by Liu Xuan, at that time others believed that Liu Infant was the orthodox of Liu Clan and wanted to make Liu Infant the crown prince, but was later defeated by Liu Xuan's troops, and Liu Infant was also killed by the rebels, only 21 years old.