Liu Chang (Southern Han)

In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.
Liu Chang
劉鋹
4th and last emperor of Southern Han
Reign958–971
PredecessorLiu Sheng
Born942
Died980
Issue4 sons
Names
Surname: Liú (劉)
Given name: Jìxīng (繼興), later changed to Chǎng (鋹)
Era name and dates
Dàbǎo (大寶): 958-972
HouseLiu
DynastySouthern Han
Liu Chang
Traditional Chinese劉鋹
Simplified Chinese刘𬬮
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinLiú Chǎng
Wade–GilesLiu2 Ch'ang3

Liu Chang (Chinese: 劉鋹; 942–980), originally Liu Jixing (劉繼興), was the fourth, last and youngest emperor of China's Southern Han dynasty during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, reigning from 958 until the Southern Han was annexed by the Northern Song dynasty in 971.

Life

He succeeded his father Liu Sheng because he was the eldest son. He only left eunuchs in power in his court and mandated castration for anyone who wanted to work for his court because he believed people with children could not be completely loyal.[1] When Liu Chang became Emperor he was only a "mere youth".[2]

Reign

Liu became Emperor when he was sixteen years old. Historical records report that Liu Chang spent so much time with his harem that he abandoned government affairs.[3][4] His most favorite concubine was one young Persian girl he called Mèi Zhū (媚豬).[5] The "History of Five dynasties and Ten Kingdoms" described the Persian woman as having copper colored skin and large eyes. It was told that she loved pearls so Liu Chang ordered fishermen to dive to find thousands of pearls for his Persian lover Mei Zhu. Many of the fishermen died. He gave her a pearl dudou, pearl crowns, pearl blouses, and pearl skirts. He also used pearls and silver to renovate his palaces.[6]

The historical text Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms recorded that Liu Chang indulged in sex games. He had alchemists create aphrodisiacs to induce sexual desire as pregame warmup. One of his games was called "Naked in Twos" (大體雙) in which he paired young men with palace women, made them strip naked and have sex together while he and his Persian lover were carried around to watch them.[7] Liu and Mei Zhu then decided whether the man or woman "won". If the man "defeated" the woman, both were rewarded, but if the woman won and defeated the man, Liu had the man castrated.[8][9]

Liu had sex all day and night and his body was physically unable to bear it, so he started to learn Jianyang techniques (健阳法) to invigorate his "yang" male energy (Jianyang involves increasing sexual desire and delaying ejaculation and orgasm, also see Taoist sexual practices).[10][11] The Historical Records of the Five Dynasties says that Liu Chang spent all his time in the harem, and that he never came out to handle governance work, leaving it to Kong Chengshu and the eunuchs to take over government business.[12] The naked orgies he had were similar to those his uncle Liu Bin had.

Graphic descriptions of what the Persian woman and Liu Chang did together were recorded in Qingyilu written by Tao Gu.[13] The Yanyibian (豔異編) gives the same account as the Qingyilu. They mention a hall installed in his palace called "Hou chuang jian" (候窗監)[14][15][16][17] where he indulged himself with her.[18]

The fact that Liu Chang's harem had Persian girls is seen as evidence for the existence of a Persian community in southern China during this time.[2][19][20] There was a thriving Persian community in Guangzhou during the 10th-12th centuries.[21][22][23][24] The Persians in Guangzhou were called either Bosi 波斯 (Parsi) or Pusaman (菩萨蛮 "Bussulman") meaning "Muslim" in Persian.[25][26][27][28][29]

Liu Chang also employed women shamans.[30] He is also known to have held the "Red Cloud Banquet", a festival for the litchi fruit.[2]

He was the last Emperor of Southern Han as his kingdom was defeated and taken over by the Song dynasty in 972. He reigned for a total of 14 years.[31]

Family

Known Concubines

  • Noble Consort Li (李貴妃)
  • Beautiful Lady Li (李美人)
  • Lu Qiongxian, Talented Lady (才人 盧瓊仙)
  • Su Xin, Beautiful Lady (美人 素馨)
  • Mei Zhu (媚豬)[32][33][34][35]

Sons

  • Liu Shoujie (劉守節)
  • Liu Shouzheng (劉守正)
  • Liu Shousu (劉守素)
  • Liu Shoutong (劉守通)

Statues of two of Liu Chang's sons were described as looking like "barbarian devils" and they may have come from the Persian woman.[36]

See also

References

  1. ^ Xiu Ouyang; Richard L. Davis (2004). Historical records of the five dynasties (illustrated, annotated ed.). Columbia University Press. p. 544. ISBN 0-231-12826-6. Retrieved January 4, 2012. Liu Chang, originally named Jixing, had been invested Prince of Wei. . .Because court affairs were monopolized by Gong Chengshu and cohort, Liu Chang in the inner palace could play his debauched games with female attendants, including a Persian. He never again emerged to inquire of state affairs
  2. ^ a b c Miles, Steven B. (June 2002). "Rewriting the Southern Han (917-971): The Production of Local Culture in Nineteenth-Century Guangzhou". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 62 (1). Harvard-Yenching Institute: 48–49. doi:10.2307/4126584. JSTOR 4126584.
  3. ^ Ouyang, Xiu (2004). "Chapter 65 Hereditary House of Southern Han". Historical Records of the Five Dynasties. Translated by Davis, Richard L. Columbia University Press. pp. 535–547. ISBN 9780231128278. JSTOR 10.7312/davi12826.53.
  4. ^ Shanghai Literary and Scientific Society (1890). Journal of the Shanghai Literary and Scientific Society. The Society. p. 299.
  5. ^ 東方文化學院 (Tokyo, Japan). 京都硏究所, 東方文化硏究所 (Kyoto, Japan), 京都大學. 人文科學硏究所 (1954). Journal of Oriental studies, Volume 25, Issue 1. 東方文化學院京都硏究所. p. 364. Retrieved January 4, 2012. 5) Ch'ang was particularly fond of a Persian girl whom he styled " Seductive Pig ". Like his uncle Pin, Ch'ang enjoyed naked revels ; see CIL a.7b for a description of his "Great Body Pairing" game. For more on Persians in Canton, see my "Iranian Merchants in T'ang Dynasty Tales ", Semitic and Oriental Studies, University of California Publications in Semitic Philology, XI. 403-422 (1951).{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ^ Franke, Herbert (1976). Sung Biographies, Part 2. Münchener ostasiatische Studien, vBd. 16 vBd. 16-17. Steiner. p. 620. ISBN 3515024123.
  7. ^ 吳, 任臣. 十國春秋 [Spring and Autumn Annals of the Ten Kingdoms]. Vol. 六十一 61. (link: stream/06072245.cn). 美人李氏亦托養女後主既立托長女為貴妃復以其次女充美人之職一時竝寵宫中稱極盛焉又同時有宫人素馨以殊色進性喜揷白花遂名其花曰素馨花波斯女失其名氏黒腯而慧光艷絶人性善淫後主甚嬖之賜名媚豬後主荒縱無度益求方士媚藥為淫䙝之戲又選惡少年配以宫婢使褫衣露偶扶波斯女循覽為樂號曰大體雙卒以此亡國
  8. ^ 许, 慕羲. "第二十九回 霞裾云幄启巫风 斗虎抵象残民命 29". 宋代宫闱史 [Song dynasty palace living quarters history]. (link: Quanxue.cn).
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  12. ^ Ouyang, Xiu (1073). 新五代史 [Historical Records of the Five Dynasties]. Vol. 卷六十五 南漢世家第五: 劉隱 卷65 Chapter 65: Hereditary House of Southern Han. (links: Zggdwx.com/Xinwudaishi, Guoxue123.com/Shibu). 澄樞等既專政，鋹乃與宮婢波斯女等淫戲後宮，不復出省事。 鋹，初名继兴，封卫王。晟卒，以长子立，改元曰大宝。晟性刚忌，不能任臣下，而独任其嬖倖宦官、宫婢延遇、琼仙等。至鋹尤愚，以谓群臣皆自有家室，顾子孙，不能尽忠，惟宦者亲近可任，遂委其政于宦者龚澄枢、陈延寿等，至其群臣有欲用者，皆阉然后用。澄枢等既专政，鋹乃与宫婢波斯女等淫戏后宫，不复出省事。延寿又引女巫樊胡子，自言玉皇降胡子身。鋹于内殿设帐幄，陈宝贝，胡子冠远游冠，衣紫霞裾，坐帐中宣祸福，呼鋹为太子皇帝，国事皆决于胡子，卢琼仙、龚澄枢等争附之。胡子乃为鋹言："澄枢等皆上天使来辅太子，有罪不可问。"尚书左丞钟允章参政事，深嫉之，数请诛宦官，宦官皆仄目。
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  14. ^ 息庵居士. 豔異編. Vol. 13. 大體雙 　　劉昏縱角出，得波斯女，年破瓜，豐鷂而慧豔，善淫，曲盡其妙。嬖之，賜號「媚豬」。延方士求健陽法，久乃得，多多益辦。好觀人交，選惡少年配以雛宮人，皆妖俊美健者，就後園褫衣，使露而偶。扶媚豬巡行覽玩，號曰：「大體雙」，又擇新彩異與媚豬對。鳥獸見之，孰亦作合。
  15. ^ 清異録 (四庫全書本). Vol. 卷上. 大體雙 　　劉鋹昏縱角出得波斯女年破𤓰黑腯而慧艷善淫曲盡其妙鋹嬖之賜號媚猪延方士求健陽法乆乃得多多益辦好觀人交選惡少年配以雛宫人皆妖俊美健者就後園禠衣使露而偶鋹扶媚猪延行覽玩號曰大體雙又擇新採異與媚猪對鳥獸見之熟亦作合
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  •  This article incorporates text from Journal of the North China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Volume 24, by Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. North China Branch, Shanghai, China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. China Branch, Shanghai Literary and Scientific Society, a publication from 1890, now in the public domain in the United States.
  •  This article incorporates text from Journal of the China Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society for the year ..., Volumes 24-25, by Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. China Branch, a publication from 1890, now in the public domain in the United States.