Liu Bing (劉秉) (433 – 12 January 478),

courtesy name A courtesy name ( zh, s=字, p=zì, l=character), also known as a style name, is an additional name bestowed upon individuals at adulthood, complementing their given name. This tradition is prevalent in the East Asian cultural sphere, particula ...

Yanjie (彥節), was a high-level official of the Chinese

Liu Song Song, known as Liu Song (), Former Song (前宋) or Song of (the) Southern dynasties (南朝宋) in historiography, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China and the first of the four Northern and Southern dynasties#Southern dynasti ...

dynasty and a member of Liu Song's imperial clan, who near the end of the dynasty made a futile attempt to prevent the general Xiao Daocheng from gaining sufficient power to take the throne.

Background

Liu Bing was born in 433. His father Liu Yizong (劉義宗), as a son of the dynasty founder Emperor Wu's brother Liu Daolian (劉道憐) the Prince of Changsha, was the Marquess of Xinyu. In 444, Liu Yizong died, and initially, Liu Bing's older brother Liu Jie (劉玠) inherited the title. However, after Emperor Wen was assassinated by his

crown prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title, crown princess, is held by a woman who is heir apparent or is married to the heir apparent. ''Crown prince ...

Liu Shao in 453, Liu Shao, because he particularly disliked his cousins from Liu Daolian's line, had a number of them, including Liu Jie, put to death under a false accusation that they conspired with the official Wang Sengchuo (王僧綽) to overthrow him. Because Liu Jie was sonless, after Liu Shao was defeated and killed by his brother Liu Jun the Prince of Wuling, who took the throne as Emperor Xiaowu, Liu Bing was created the Marquess of Xinyu to inherit his father's and brother's title.

Service before the reign of Emperor Ming and under Emperor Ming

Little is known about the chronology of Liu Bing's subsequent activities until the reign of Emperor Ming, his second cousin, but he was promoted in rank throughout the years. After Emperor Ming became emperor in January 466 after his violent and arbitrary nephew

Liu Ziye Former Deposed Emperor of Liu Song or Emperor Qianfei ((劉)宋前廢帝; 25 February 449 – 1 January 466), personal name Liu Ziye (劉子業), childhood name Fashi (法師), was an emperor of the Chinese Liu Song dynasty. His brief reign as a t ...

(Emperor Xiaowu's son) was assassinated, Liu Bing continued to be promoted. Because the imperial Liu clan then lacked people with talent, because Liu Bing was himself not particularly talented but was known for his studiousness and virtues, Emperor Ming favored him. By the end of Emperor Ming's reign, he was a powerful provincial governor.

Service under Emperor Houfei

After Emperor Ming died in 472 and was succeeded by his son Emperor Houfei, initially, the governmental matters were in the hands of

Yuan Can Yuan Can (c. 420 – 12 January 478), originally named Yuan Minsun, courtesy name Jingqian, was a high-level official of the Liu Song dynasty who, near the end of the dynasty, made a futile attempt to prevent the general Xiao Daocheng from gain ...

and Chu Yuan. Late in 472, Yuan and Chu promoted Liu Bing to join them in making important decisions, because it was considered appropriate to incorporate a member of the imperial clan into the decision-making process. During the rebellion of Emperor Houfei's uncle Liu Xiufan (劉休範) the Prince of Guiyang in 474, Liu Bing was given a general title as well, but did not appear to actually command troops. After Liu Xiufan's rebellion was suppressed by Xiao Daocheng, Liu Bing was created the greater title of Marquess of Dangyang, and he shared the decision-making process with Yuan, Chu, and Xiao. In 477, Xiao Daocheng, fearful that the violent Emperor Houfei would kill him, engaged in a plot with Emperor Houfei's associates and had him assassinated. Xiao then forced Yuan and Liu Bing to effectively grant him near-imperial powers, leading to concerns that Xiao would next take the throne.

Resistance against Xiao Daocheng and death

Xiao Daocheng made Emperor Houfei's brother Liu Zhun the Prince of Ancheng emperor (as Emperor Shun). In response, the general

Shen Youzhi Shen Youzhi (沈攸之) (died 9 March 478), courtesy name Zhongda (仲達), was a general during the Chinese Liu Song dynasty, who, in the final moments of the dynasty, made a final failed attempt to prevent Xiao Daocheng from seizing the throne. ...

arose with the troops of his Jing Province (荊州, modern central and western

Hubei Hubei is a province of China, province in Central China. It has the List of Chinese provincial-level divisions by GDP, seventh-largest economy among Chinese provinces, the second-largest within Central China, and the third-largest among inland ...

), accusing Xiao of wanting to usurp the throne. Yuan and Liu Bing also believed that that was Xiao's intent, and, as Xiao prepared for a campaign against Shen, secretly planned another uprising within Jiankang to overthrow Xiao. However, Yuan, believing that the plot would not succeed without Chu Yuan's support, told Chu of the plot as well, and Chu, who was friendly with Xiao, quickly informed Xiao. Yuan, not aware of this, continued his preparations, aligning with a number of generals and preparing to rise. However, Liu Bing panicked during the preparation stage, and fled to Yuan's defense post at the fortress of Shitou Cheng several hours in advance of the scheduled time, alarming Xiao and allowing him to further start a counter-insurrection, arresting and killing several generals aligned with Yuan and Liu Bing before they could act. Xiao's troops then sieged Yuan's defenses at Shitou. Liu Bing and his sons fled, and Yuan and his son Yuan Zui (袁最), who stayed to try to protect his father, were killed in the battle by Xiao's subordinate Dai Sengjing (戴僧靜). Liu Bing and his sons were soon captured and executed. On 26 April 483, Xiao Daocheng's son

Emperor Wu of Southern Qi Emperor Wu of Southern Qi (南齊武帝) (440– 27 August 493), personal name Xiao Ze (蕭賾), courtesy name Xuanyuan (宣遠), childhood name Long'er (龍兒), was the second emperor of the Chinese Southern Qi dynasty. He is generally considere ...

, recognizing Liu Bing's faithfulness, reburied him with honors.

and

received similar honours on the same day.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Bing Liu Song government officials 433 births 477 deaths