Family background

Liu Qing was born to Emperor Zhang and Consort Song, then one of Emperor Zhang's favourites and also a favourite of Emperor Zhang's mother Empress Dowager Ma, in 78. As Emperor Zhang's wife Empress Dou was sonless, Prince Qing was created crown prince in 79, while still in infancy.

Tragedy in childhood

Empress Dou was not satisfied with the situation, however, and in 79, after another imperial consort, Consort Liang, gave birth to a son named Liu Zhao (劉肇), she adopted Prince Zhao and intended to make him crown prince instead. After Empress Dowager Ma died later that year, Consort Song was left without anyone to protect her, and Empress Dou began to plot her destruction.

In 82, an opportunity came for Empress Dou. Consort Song had become ill, and in her illness, she craved raw cuscuta, and she requested that her family bring them. Empress Dou seized the cuscuta and falsely accused Consort Song of using it for witchcraft. Emperor Zhang was enraged and expelled Crown Prince Qing from the palace. He had Consort Song and her sister, also an imperial consort, arrested and interrogated by the eunuch Cai Lun. Consort Song and her sister saw that they were in deep straits, and they committed suicide by poison. Crown Prince Qing was deposed and created the Prince of Qinghe instead; he was replaced by Prince Zhao as crown prince. Prince Zhao, however, was friendly to his brother, and they often spent time together.

In 88, Emperor Zhang died, and Crown Prince Zhao succeeded to the throne as Emperor He. The still-young Prince Qing remained in the capital Luoyang, and he and his emperor brother continued to spend great amounts of time together.

As advisor to his brother

During the first part of Emperor He's reign, the clan of Empress Dowager Dou, particularly her brother Dou Xian, dominated the political scene. That trend continued even as Emperor He grew older and older. Dissatisfied with the autocratic authorities of Dou Xian, Emperor He pondered his options. Apparently encouraged by Prince Qing and the eunuch Zheng Zhong, Emperor He carried out a coup d'état in 92 and toppled the Dous' power. (Prince Qing's involvement in the plot is not completely clear but apparently major, and it is speculated that his motivation was to avenge himself (for being deposed) and his mother (for being forced to commit suicide).)

After Empress Dowager Dou died in 97, it finally became revealed that Emperor He was born of Consort Liang. Only at that time did Prince Qing dare to request his brother to allow him to rebury his own mother Consort Song. Emperor He agreed and further ordered that Prince Qing be supplied with the proper items to worship his mother posthumously. For the rest of Emperor He's reign, Prince Qing remained in the capital and was a close advisor of Emperor He.

After Emperor Hes death

When Emperor He died in 106, Prince Qing was so saddened by his brother's death that he vomited blood and became seriously ill. While he would recover, his health would be poor for the rest of his life. The fact that he was required to report to his Principality of Qinghe (in modern central Hebei) after his brother's death probably did not help. However, Emperor He's wife Empress Dowager Deng Sui, because Emperor He's son Emperor Shang was still an infant, ordered that Prince Qing's wife Consort Geng and his son Liu Hu (by his concubine Consort Zuo Xiao'e (左小娥)) remain in the capital to serve as a potential successor. When Emperor Shang died later in 106, instead of making Emperor Shang's older brother Liu Sheng (劉勝) the Prince of Pingyuan emperor, Empress Deng made Prince Hu emperor, as Emperor An, due to her concerns that Prince Sheng would bear a grudge for not having been selected first. Empress Deng sent Consort Geng to Qinghe to join Prince Qing and dominated the government, and there was no sign that Prince Qing had significant input into his son's early reign.

Late in 106, Prince Qing died, and at his request was buried next to his mother Consort Song. Later, after Empress Dowager Deng's death in 121, Emperor An posthumously honored him as Emperor Xiaode.

Family

Consorts and Issue:

• Princess consort, of the Geng clan (王妃 耿氏), first cousin

• Empress Xiaode, of the Zuo clan (孝德皇后 左氏)

　• Liu Hu, Emperor Xiao'an (孝安皇帝 劉祜; 94–125), first son

• Unknown

　• Liu Huwei, Prince Qinghemin (清河湣王 劉虎威)

　• Liu Changbao, Prince Guangchuan (廣川王 劉常保; d. 108)

　• Princess Nieyang (涅陽公主), personal name Shinan (侍男)

　　• Married Cen Xi, Marquis Wuyang (岑熙)

　• Princess Wuyin (舞陰公主), personal name Biede (別得)

　　• Married Deng Bao, Marquis Gaomi (鄧褒), and had issue (two sons)

　• Princess Puyang (濮陽公主), personal name Jiuchang (久長)

　　• Married Geng Liang, Marquis Haozhi (耿良), and had issue (one son)

　• Princess Pingshi (平氏公主), personal name Zhide (直得)

　　• Married Lai Ding, Marquis Zhengqiang (來定)

　• Princess Yincheng (陰城公主; d. 130), personal name Jiande (堅得)

　　• Married Ban Shi of Fufeng, Marquis Dingyuan (扶風 班始; d. 130)

Ancestry

生平

劉慶生于建初三年（78年），是漢章帝第三子，宋貴人。第二年夏四月戊子，越過兄長劉伉和劉全，他被父親立為太子。嫡祖母馬太后逝世，嫡母竇皇后誣陷其母宋貴人，使得漢章帝與其母子疏遠。劉慶出居承祿觀。

建初七年（82年）夏六月四寅，劉慶被廢黜太子之位，封為清河王。異母弟劉肇成為新的太子。其母宋貴人與姨母宋小貴人後被送于暴室，兩人飲藥自殺。外祖父宋楊免職回到故鄉。此時，劉慶雖然年幼，但知道避嫌畏禍，言不敢及宋氏。父親漢章帝對他更為憐愛，命令竇皇后讓他的衣服與太子劉肇等同。劉肇與他關係友愛，入則共室，出則同輿。劉肇即位後，是為漢和帝。和帝與劉慶常共議私事，待遇甚渥，諸王無人能比。而劉慶亦「小心恭孝，自以廢黜，尤畏事慎法」。

永元十五年（103年），有司奏請讓諸王就國。元興元年（105年），漢和帝逝世，劉慶號泣前殿，嘔血數升，因此發病。延平元年（106年），諸王就國。時掌權的鄧太后對其待遇甚優，置中尉、內史，賜什物皆取乘輿上御，以其舅宋衍等並為清河中大夫。由于新帝——漢殤帝過于年幼，鄧太后僅讓他去到清河國，而將他的長子劉祜和妻子耿氏留于清河王邸。

侄子漢殤帝死後，其兄平原王劉勝不得立。其子劉祜被鄧太后立為新帝，是為漢安帝。同年十二月甲子（107年2月1日），劉慶去世。4月22日，劉慶在廣丘下葬，賜龍旂九旒、虎賁百人，儀比東海恭王。其子劉虎威繼承清河王位。鄧太后逝世後，漢安帝掌權，追尊父親劉慶為孝德皇。

家庭

劉慶嫡妻耿氏，妾室中僅記錄劉祜生母左小娥及左小娥的姐姐左大娥。

除漢安帝王劉祜外，劉慶的另一子劉虎威承嗣，後無嗣而亡，清河王由其堂侄劉延平續封。少子劉常保永初元年封廣川王，劉慶女十一人皆為鄉公主，食邑奉。次年劉常保也無嗣而亡，國除。

劉慶的女兒劉侍男後為涅陽長公主，劉別得後為舞陰長公主，劉久長後為濮陽長公主，劉直得為平氏長公主，都是安帝的妹妹。另七個女兒早卒，故無爵。還有一個女兒陰城公主劉堅得。

備註