Liu Xuan刘玄

Where the histories differ

The Book of Han only appends Liu Xuan to the end of the biography of Wang Mang, while the Book of the Later Han establishes a separate biography for the Gengshi regime.

• histories differThe official historical positioning of Liu Xuan's Gengshi regime

  The Book of Han, in the lower chapter of the Biography of Wang Mang, only includes Liu Xuan as one of the bandits in the process of Wang Mang's downfall, recording his establishment of the Gengshi reign: 'Pinglin, Xinshi, and Xiagiang troops' generals Wang Chang, Zhu Wei, and others jointly established Shengong as emperor, changed the year to the first year of Gengshi, and appointed various officials.' The Book of the Later Han, in the Biographies of Liu Xuan and Liu Penzi, establishes a separate biography, giving the Gengshi Emperor an independent biographical status, with a eulogy at the end: 'Shengong was unheard of, borrowing our wind and clouds... initially following the calendar, ultimately collapsing and dividing.' The Book of Han regards him as a rebel attached to the Lulin, while the Book of the Later Han grants him a proper biography.