Emperor Xiaowu of Liu Song - Early Reign

Early Reign

One major issue with Emperor Xiaowu's personal conduct immediately became a political issue as well—as he was said to have engaged in incest with all of Liu Yixuan's daughters who remained in Jiankang, drawing Liu Yixuan's ire. Further, because of both Liu Yixuan's and Zang Zhi's contributions to his cause, they expected to be able to act with absolute powers within their domains (Jing and Jiang Province, respectively), and yet Emperor Xiaowu was trying to establish his personal authority and therefore often overrode and questioned their actions. Liu Yixuan and Zang therefore resolved to rebel. In spring 454, they sent messengers to persuade Lu Xiu's brother Lu Shuang (魯爽) the governor of Yu Province (豫州, modern central Anhui) to join them in rebellion in the fall—but when the messengers arrived, Lu Shuang was so drunk that he misunderstood the messengers and declared a rebellion immediately, declaring Liu Yixuan emperor, and he was joined by Xu Yibao (徐遺寶) the governor of Yan Province (兗州, modern western Shandong). Upon hearing Lu Shuang's premature actions, Liu Yixuan and Zang had to quickly declare rebellion as well, although they fell short of declaring Liu Yixuan emperor.

Emperor Xiaowu, hearing of the four provinces' rebellion, initially felt that he was unable to withstand them and considered offering the throne to Liu Yixuan, but at earnest opposition by his brother Liu Dan the Prince of Jingling, decided to resist. Most of the other provinces quickly declared their support for Emperor Xiaowu, and Yuan Huzhi (垣護之) the governor of Ji Province (冀州, modern northwestern Shandong), along with Ming Yin (明胤) and Xiahou Zuhuan (夏侯祖歡) quickly defeated Xu, forcing him to flee to Lu Shuang. Lu's ferocity in battle was feared by many, but he continued to drink heavily throughout the campaign, and when he encountered the troops of Emperor Xiaowu's general Xue Andu (薛安都), he fell off his horse and was killed, greatly discouraging Liu Yixuan's and Zang's troops. Liu Yixuan also did not personally trust Zang, and declined Zang's strategy of attacking Jiankang directly, instead choosing to engage Emperor Xiaowu's troops at Liangshan (梁山, in modern Chaohu, Anhui), and after some initial losses, Liu Yixuan's troops collapsed, and he fled. Zang was forced to flee as well, and soon was killed in flight. Liu Yixuan was captured and executed, ending this episode of opposition against Emperor Xiaowu. In response to the rebellion, Emperor Xiaowu decided to cut down on the strengths of the major provinces (Jing, Jiang, as well as the capital province Yang Province (揚州, modern Zhejiang and southern Jiangsu) by reducing them in size, carving East Yang Province (東揚州, modern central and eastern Zhejiang) out of Yang and Ying Province (郢州, modern eastern Hubei) out of Jing and Jiang Provinces, which had the side effect, however, of adding administrative expenses due to the multiplicity of provinces.

In 455, Emperor Xiaowu's 16-year-old younger brother Liu Hun (劉渾) the Prince of Wuchang, the governor of Yong Province, in jest, wrote a declaration in which he referred to himself as the Prince of Chu and changed era name -- but Liu Hun had no intention whatsoever to rebel. However, when this document was brought to Emperor Xiaowu's intention, Emperor Xiaowu stripped Liu Hun of his title and reduced him to commoner rank, and then further forced Liu Hun to commit suicide. This would start a trend in which Emperor Xiaowu suppressed the authority of his brothers. In addition, the authority of the provincial communication officers, because they served as liaisons between the emperor and the provincial governors and doubled as the emperor's watchdogs on the provincial governors, began to expand greatly.

Emperor Xiaowu, after he had completed the mourning period for his father Emperor Wen, began to spend his energy on various pleasures and construction projects. Yan Jun the mayor of Jiankang, who had assisted him greatly during his campaign against Liu Shao and who had been a long-time subordinate of his, repeatedly urged him to change his ways, and Emperor Xiaowu became displeased at him, and sent him away to be the governor of East Yang Province. Meanwhile, Emperor Xiaowu also became suspicious of his brother Liu Dan the Prince of Jingling, then the governor of South Yan Province, who was capable and who had gathered many warriors about him, and he set up military safeguards between Liu Dan's post at Guangling (廣陵, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu) and the capital.

In 458, a coup plot by Gao Du (高闍) and the Buddhist monk Tanbiao (曇標) was discovered, and Emperor Xiaowu issued an edict reducing the number of monks and nuns greatly, but because members of Emperor Xiaowu's households often associated with nuns, the edict never actually took effect. (Emperor Xiaowu also took this opportunity to falsely accuse the official Wang Sengda (王僧達), who had disrespected Empress Dowager Lu's nephew Lu Qiongzhi (路瓊之), of being involved in Gao's rebellion, after being urged to kill Wang by Empress Dowager Lu.)

With Emperor Xiaowu being distrustful of high level officials, he often consulted his long-time associates Dai Faxing (戴法興), Dai Mingbao (戴明寶), and Chao Shangzhi (巢尚之). The three became therefore very powerful and wealthy, notwithstanding their actual relatively low rank.