Service Under Emperor Wu
Huo's early career in Han government was not well documented, but it is known that as of 88 BC—near the end of Emperor Liu Che (Emperor Wu)'s reign, he was already a fairly highly ranked official with dual titles of fengche duwei (奉車都尉) and guanglu dafu (光祿大夫). When Emperor Wu, near the end of his life, chose his youngest son Liu Fuling (later Emperor Zhao) as heir, he commissioned Huo, ethnically-Xiongnu official Jin Midi, and imperial guard commander Shangguan Jie (上官桀) as coregents, but with Huo effectively in command of the government, with the titles of dasima (大司馬) and dajiangjun (大將軍). When Emperor Wu died in 87 BC, Emperor Zhao, then eight-years-old, was left in the tutelage of Huo, Jin, and Shangguan. Emperor Wu's will created the three of them as marquesses, but all three declined.
Read more about this topic: Huo Guang
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