As Crown Prince
It is unclear when Crown Prince Ju became involved in government, but as he matured and his father became more and more often absent from the capital about 113 BC, his father entrusted him with more governmental responsibility, acting as regent while Emperor Wu was not in the capital. Unlike Emperor Wu, who was at times megalomanic and always looking for territorial expansion who burdened his people to the limit, Crown Prince Ju was regarded as a man of peace, interested in allowing the people to rest. Even as Emperor Wu started to favor other consorts than Empress Wei, she and Crown Prince Ju remained respected by him. Crown Prince Ju was well known for his hospitality and desire to listen to different opinions, and he maintained a large group of advisors and friends at his palace. Because Crown Prince Ju favored being lenient, he often came into conflict with some of his father's officials who favored harshness in dealing with the people.
In 113 BC, he would marry the only well-known consort of his, Consort Shi (史良娣). She bore him a son, Liu Jin (劉進). He had two other sons and a daughter.
While Crown Prince Ju's well-respected uncle, the great general Wei Qing was alive, Crown Prince Ju was secure politically. After Wei died in 106 BC, however, the officials who disagreed with him politically began to plot against him.
Read more about this topic: Liu Ju
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