Biography

Liu Ji'en, the son of the foot soldier Xue Zhao was originally surnamed Xue. Liu Chong, the Northern Han's founding emperor, married one of his daughters to Xue Zhao. Because Xue Zhao was a son-in-law, Liu Chong assumed personal command of him. Xue had no talents, so Liu fed and clothed him without employing him. Xue Zhao's wife often stayed with her father, Liu Chong, rarely seeing Xue. This made him discontent. While drunk, he stabbed her with his sword, injuring her, before killing himself. Liu's daughter later married into the He family, giving birth to Liu Jiyuan. After Liu's daughter and her husband had died, Liu instructed his son Liu Chengjun to adopt Liu Ji'en and Liu Jiyuan.

Once Liu Chengjun became emperor, Liu Ji'en was appointed metropolitan custodian of Taiyuan. Liu Chengjun once commented to Guo Wuwei that "Liu Ji'en is pure and filial, but he does not have the skills to save the age, and is unfit to manage family affairs, I fear." Guo did not respond. Later, as Liu Chengjun lay bedridden in the Qinzheng chambers, he summoned Guo Wuwei, and held his hand, entrusting future decisions to him.

When Liu Chengjun died, Liu Ji'en delayed his own accession to inform the Khitans of the mourning underway. Wearing a coarse outfit of mourning, he insisted on living in the Qinzheng chambers, while the officials that formerly served Liu Chengjun remained at the Taiyuan prefectural offices. In the ninth month of his reign, Liu Ji'en summoned high officials and imperial family members for banquet. Afterwards, he went to the Qinzheng chambers to rest. That night, palace services offical Hou Barong led more than ten men with daggers into the chamber, killing Liu Ji'en. Other men led by Guo Wuwei infiltrated the room using ladders and killed Hou Barong and his men.

生平

其母刘氏为刘旻之女，因此刘钧是他的舅父；其父薛钊，本来只是士兵，早年娶刘旻之女，刘旻之兄刘知远发迹后，薛钊就很难见到其妻，因此很不快乐，有一天乘著酒意求见，竟拿刀刺伤其妻，薛钊后来因此自尽。当时刘继恩年纪还小，刘旻因为刘钧无子，遂命刘钧收养刘继恩。

刘继恩在刘钧在位时任太原尹，然而他本人资质平庸，刘钧生前也曾向郭无为说过刘继恩不是济世之才。北汉天会十二年（968年）刘钧病逝，刘继恩继位，仍以天会为年号，不久就将郭无为的权力架空。两个月后，刘继恩于酒宴后被供奉官侯霸荣刺杀，死后无諡号及庙号，史家习称其为少主。