Background

Liu Hongxi was born in 920, as the fourth son of Liu Yan, who was then already the emperor of Southern Han (as Emperor Gaozu)—and therefore, was likely born at Southern Han's capital Xingwang (興王, in modern Guangzhou, Guangdong).

The first historical reference to Liu Hongxi was in 932, when Liu Yan created his sons imperial princes—with Liu Hongxi receiving the title of Prince of Jin. As his two oldest brothers Liu Yaoshu (劉耀樞) and Liu Guitu (劉龜圖)—both of whom also received princely titles in 932 and therefore were likely still alive then—died early, his third older brother Liu Hongdu the Prince of Qin became the expectant heir as the oldest surviving son of Liu Yan.

In 942, Liu Yan fell seriously ill. As he had become concerned by this point that both Liu Hongdu and Liu Hongxi were arrogant and inappropriate in behavior, he considered sending them out of the capital Xingwang to defend Yong (邕州, in modern Nanning, Guangxi) and Rong (容州, in modern Yulin, Guangxi) Prefectures respectively, while diverting succession to a younger son, Liu Hongchang the Prince of Yue, whom he considered filially pious, careful, and intelligent. When he consulted the official Xiao Yi (蕭益), however, Xiao argued that passing the throne to a younger son would create disturbances, and so Liu Yan stopped considering that. He soon died, and Liu Hongdu succeeded him as emperor.

Liu Bins reign

After Liu Yan's death, Liu Hongdu became emperor and changed his name to Liu Bin. Liu Hongxi became the head of his administration. Liu Bin was arrogant and inattentive to the matters of state. Even though he was still within the mourning period for his father Liu Yan, he often drank and played music, and often took prostitutes on night out-of-palace excursions. He also liked watch naked men and women. Liu Hongxi was ambitious and had designs on the throne. He decided to encourage his older brother's behavior. With the assistance of general Chen Daoxiang (陳道庠) and five others, Liu Hongxi had his older brother killed after an arm-wrestling match at the palace on April 15, 943. With the support of his brother Liu Hongchang, Liu Hongxi proclaimed himself emperor and took the name Liu Sheng.

Reign

Early reign

Upon taking the throne, Liu Sheng made his brothers Liu Hongchang the Prince of Yue and Liu Honggao the Prince of Xun chancellors. Immediately after his enthronement, however, there were rumors throughout the Southern Han state about how Liu Bin's death occurred. To quell the discontent, Liu Honggao suggested putting Chen Daoxiang and the other conspirators to death. Liu Sheng refused, and eventually, Chen heard about Liu Honggao's suggestion. He therefore falsely accused Liu Honggao of plotting treason. On Liu Sheng's instructions, Chen and one of the conspirators, Tan Lingyin (譚令禋) ambushed Liu Honggao at a feast that Liu Honggao was holding at his mansion and put him to death. After this incident, Liu Sheng became suspicious of his brothers, particularly Liu Hongchang, due to Liu Hongchang's virtues and popularity. In 944, he sent Liu Hongchang to pay tribute to the tomb of their uncle Liu Yin, and then had bandits intercept Liu Hongchang on the way and kill him. Hongchang was then the main chancellor and Liu Sheng made Chen Wo the chancellor after Hongchang's death. He also put one brother, Liu Hongbi (劉弘弼) the Prince of Qi, under house arrest, and poisoned another, Liu Hongze (劉弘澤) the Prince of Zhen, to death. In 945, he killed another brother, Liu Hongya (劉弘雅) the Prince of Shao. He also put four of Chen's coconspirators to death, and forced the high-level official Wang Lin (王翷), whom he believed had supported Liu Hongchang's succession, to commit suicide. It was said that after these deaths, the entire state was in fear. In 946, he also put Chen and another official who warned Chen, Deng Shen (鄧伸), to death.

In 947, Liu Sheng, concerned that his brothers would contend for the throne with his sons, executed many, possibly all, of his remaining brothers—Liu Hongbi, Liu Hongdao (劉弘道) the Prince of Gui, Liu Hongyi (劉弘益) the Prince of Ding, Liu Hongji (劉弘濟) the Prince of Bian, Liu Hongjiǎn (劉弘簡) the Prince of Tong, Liu Hongjiàn (劉弘建) the Prince of Yi, Liu Hongwei (劉弘偉) the Prince of En, and Liu Hongzhao (劉弘照) the Prince of Yi (different character than Liu Hongjìan). He took their daughters into his palace to be part of concubinage. He also built palaces with a total of a thousand rooms and adorned it with jewels. He further created a number of inhumane punishments, calling it, "the Living Hell." (It was said that Liu Sheng's killing of his brothers was encouraged by and planned in conjunction with his trusted eunuch Lin Yanyu.)

In 948, Liu Sheng commissioned the official Zhong Yunzhang (鍾允章) on a diplomatic mission to Southern Han's northern neighbor Chu, seeking a marital alliance with Chu's prince Ma Xiguang. (Liu Yan's wife—likely not Liu Sheng's mother—was a sister of Ma Xiguang's.) Ma Xiguang refused, angering Liu Sheng, and Liu Sheng, after Zhong advised him that the Chu state was embroiled in fraternal struggles for power among Ma Xiguang's brothers, decided to attack Chu. Later in the year, he sent the general Wu Huai'en (吳懷恩) to attack Chu. Wu defeated the Chu general Xu Zhixin (徐知新), and seized He (賀州, in modern Hezhou, Guangxi) and Zhao (昭州, in modern Guilin, Guangxi) Prefectures for Southern Han.

Middle reign

In 950, Liu Sheng commissioned his ladies in waiting Lu Qiongxian (盧瓊仙) and Huang Qiongzhi (黃瓊之) as "female Shizhong" and had them officially participate in the governance of the state. It was also said that by this point, prominent members of the imperial Liu clan and officials with past accomplishments had largely been executed, so eunuchs such as Lin Yanyu were very powerful.

By 951, Chu, weakened by the internecine struggles between the Ma brothers, had fallen to its northeastern neighbor Southern Tang. Ma Yin's son Ma Xiyin, however, was still in control of Chu's Jingjiang Circuit (靜江, headquartered in modern Guilin) as its deputy military governor. Liu Sheng commissioned Wu Huai'en with an army and sent Wu to the borders with Jingjiang, planning to conquer it. Meanwhile, another Ma brother, Ma Xi'e, who had briefly seized the Chu throne before being deposed, was still had some followers, and he sent the general Peng Yanhui (彭彥暉) to Jinjiang's capital Gui Prefecture (桂州) to take over actual command, drawing Ma Xiyin's ire, so Ma Xiyin secretly summoned the general Xu Keqiong to Gui Prefecture, and Xu was able to expel Peng from the city. Wu took this opportunity to capture Chu's Meng Prefecture (蒙州, in modern Wuzhou, Guangxi) and send his soldiers to pillage the rest of Jingjiang territory, causing Ma Xiyin and Xu to be terrified, but they had no strategy to defeat Wu. Liu then wrote a letter to Ma Xiyin, claiming that his intent was to aid Ma Xiyin:

Ma Xiyin considered surrendering to Southern Han, but could not decide immediately. When Wu quickly reached Gui Prefecture, Ma Xiyin and Xu instead abandoned it and fled to Quan Prefecture (全州, in modern Guilin). Wu was thereafter able to take over not only Gui but the rest of Jingjiang, allowing Southern Han to possess all of the Lingnan region. Later in the year, Liu further sent the generals Pan Chongche (潘崇徹) and Xie Guan (謝貫) to capture Chen Prefecture (郴州, in modern Chenzhou, Hunan) from Southern Tang.

Late reign

In 953, Liu Sheng created his five sons—Liu Jixing, Liu Xuanxing (劉璇興), Liu Qingxing (劉慶興), Liu Baoxing (劉保興), and Liu Chongxing (劉崇興)—imperial princes.

In 954, Liu Sheng commissioned one of his remaining brothers, Liu Hongmiao (劉弘邈) the Prince of Gao to be the military governor of Xiongwu Circuit (雄武, headquartered in modern Nanning, Guangxi). As both Liu Hongbi and Liu Hongze had previously served at that post before their deaths, Liu Hongmiao became apprehensive and tried to decline the post, requesting that he remain as an imperial guard officer, but Liu Sheng refused the offer. When Liu Hongmiao reached Xiongwu, he tried to ward of suspicion by entrusting the governance to others, instead spending his days drinking and praying to the gods and the spirits. There were nevertheless accusations of treason made against him, and Liu Sheng sent Lin Yanyu to Xiongwu to force him to commit suicide. In 955, Liu Sheng further killed Liu Hongzheng (劉弘政) the Prince of Tong, and it was said that by this point, all of his brothers were dead.

In 956, Lin died, causing the people of the realm to celebrate. Before Lin's death, he recommended another eunuch, Gong Chengshu, to succeed him, and Liu Sheng commissioned Gong to oversee the eunuchs.

In 957, Liu Sheng, hearing that Later Zhou, which controlled the Central Plains, was repeatedly scoring victories in its war against Southern Tang, became worried that if Later Zhou conquered Southern Tang, Southern Han would become its target. He tried to send emissaries to submit tributes to Later Zhou's emperor Guo Rong, but the emissaries were blocked by Later Zhou's vassal Zhou Xingfeng, who then controlled the former Chu lands. In fear, he began to build up his fleet and prepare for defense against an invasion, but not long after began to take up drinking and feasting again, stating, "It would be fortunate for myself to be spared. Why worry about future generations?"

In 958, Liu Sheng died. Liu Jixing (who then changed his name to Liu Chang) succeeded him as emperor.

生平

南漢帝劉玢即位後驕傲奢侈，不理政事，荒淫無道，並且猜忌諸弟，原封晉王的劉弘熙因此有政變之意。南漢光天二年（943年），劉弘熙找來力士數人表演角力，與劉玢飲宴觀賞，當晚宴會結束，劉玢大醉，劉弘熙即命力士抓住劉玢，摧擊其前胸，斃命。翌晨，越王劉弘昌率諸弟至寢殿，迎劉弘熙即皇帝位，劉弘熙繼位後，改名劉晟，改年號應乾，同年稍後又改元乾和。

然而劉晟掌握神器後，亦如其兄劉玢一樣猜忌諸弟，因此不久後就逐漸殺光其弟，並將他們的兒子殺死，女兒收入後宮。又興建離宮一千餘間，以珠寶裝飾，並設有許多殘酷的刑具，號「生地獄」。命宮女為女侍中，參與政事，由於宗室元勳幾乎剷除殆盡，當權者就是宦官、女官這些人而已。

劉晟生性荒淫暴虐，得志之後，專門用威勢刑法統治下民，多誅滅舊臣以及自己的兄弟、侄子，將侄女收入後宮。數年之間，劉家被他差不多殺盡。又修造「活地獄」，大凡開水鍋、鐵烙床之類，無不齊備。人們犯有小的過失，就備受其刑罰之苦。到南楚的馬家兄弟互動幹戈時，劉晟趁此機會，派兵進攻桂林管區內各郡以及彬州、連州、梧州、賀州，都被攻克，從此全部擁有南越之地。

乾和六年（948年）劉晟派兵攻南楚，不久南楚內亂，乾和九年（951年）趁南楚為南唐所滅之際，占有南楚嶺南之地。

乾和十三年（955年），劉晟又殺其弟劉弘政，於是，劉龑的諸子被誅殺殆盡。

顯德三年（956年），後周世宗柴榮平定江北，劉晟這才恐慌，派人到後周朝貢，但被南楚所攔住，使者過不去，劉晟憂慮萬分。劉晟曾說過知曉占星術，同年六月在甘泉宮觀天，牛女星間有月食，劉晟去對照占星之書，立即把書丟到地下，嘆道：「自古以來，有誰能不死嗎！」從此徹夜放縱飲酒。

乾和十六年（958年），在城北選定墓址，修建陵墓，劉晟親自視察，是為昭陵。同年秋去世，終年三十九歲，諡號文武光聖明孝皇帝，廟號中宗，其子劉鋹繼位。

家庭

后妃

• 李麗姬，一作李麗妃。

• 李蟾妃，是否為中宗後宮，待考。（《十國春秋》記載為中宗後宮，《南漢書》對此未詳）

子

• 後主劉繼興

• 桂王劉璇興

• 荊王劉慶興

• 祥王劉保興

• 梅王劉崇興

參考書目

• 《南漢書》

• 《十國春秋》