Introduction: He ascended the throne wearing straw sandals, his imperial robe patched and mended. After reigning for 23 years, he never built a new palace, repaired a garden, added to his carriages and ceremonial guards, or even acquired an extra dog or horse. He repeatedly issued edicts prohibiting regional kingdoms from offering rare treasures. Even for his own pre-constructed tomb, he demanded simplicity. This wasn't due to a lack of funds in the treasury—on the contrary, money was so abundant it was uncountable, and grain piled up outside the granaries. Yet he was so "stingy" that he couldn't even afford to be extravagant in death. This emperor, renowned throughout his life for his simplicity, was Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng. As later generations truly said: "An emperor who lives like Emperor Wen is truly missing out... But the common people love him, remembering him for thousands of years!"
Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, was the fourth son of Gaozu Liu Bang, the founding emperor of the Western Han Dynasty. In 197 BC, on the recommendation of 33 court officials including Xiao He, the seven-year-old Liu Heng was enfeoffed as the King of Dai. Liu Heng's mother, Lady Bo, remained among the "concubines" (zhū jī) throughout Emperor Gaozu's reign, never advancing to the rank of "Lady" (fūrén). Precisely because of this low status, mother and son were able to escape the persecution of Empress Lü and survive in peace. In 188 BC, Emperor Hui, only 22 years old, died young. Empress Lü installed Liu Gong and Liu Hong as emperors (historically known as the Former and Latter Young Emperors of Western Han, not officially recognized by orthodox history as they reigned during Lü's autocracy and were believed not to be Emperor Hui's true heirs). In 180 BC (the eighth year of Empress Lü), Empress Lü died, and a palace revolt erupted. The princes of Qi raised an army against the Lü clan, and Grand Commandant Zhou Bo and Chancellor Chen Ping joined them, exterminating the Lü family—a historical event known as the "Purge of the Lü Clan." The faction of meritorious officials, fearing the powerful princes of Qi, preferred the isolated King of Dai and supported his ascension. In 180 BC, Liu Heng ascended the throne, becoming the third emperor in Western Han history (or the fifth if counting the aforementioned young emperors)—Emperor Wen of Han. In 157 BC, Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, passed away after a 23-year reign, aged 46. He was buried in the Ba Ling mausoleum (east of present-day Chang'an District, Shaanxi), with the temple name "Taizong" and posthumous title "Xiaowen Emperor." He is also the protagonist of the story "Tasting Medicine for His Mother" in the "Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars."
The Northern Song literatus Wu Jiang recorded in his "Wu Zong Zhi": "Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, ascended the court wearing 'bu jie' (straw sandals)." The earliest name for straw sandals was "jù." Made primarily from grass and hemp, they were very economical, inexhaustible, and could be made by ordinary people themselves, hence the Han Dynasty name "bu jie" (meaning "not borrowed," as everyone could make their own). By Emperor Wen's time, cloth shoes existed, and straw sandals had become the footwear of the poor. The phrase "wearing bu jie to attend court" meant that Emperor Wen himself wore straw sandals while conducting state affairs, setting an example of frugality. Not only did he wear straw sandals, but even his imperial robe was called a "tì yī," where "tì" referred to a coarse, dull-colored silk at the time. He wore this same robe for many years, and when it became worn, he had the Empress mend it and continued to wear it.
Not only did Emperor Wen wear coarse cloth himself, but the imperial harem also wore simple clothing. At the time, it was fashionable for noblewomen to wear long robes trailing on the ground. To save cloth, Emperor Wen forbade even his most favored consorts from wearing garments long enough for the hem to drag on the floor. The curtains and canopies in the palace had no embroidery or decorative borders.
Ancient emperors' palaces typically featured large, beautiful terraces for enjoying scenic views. Emperor Wen originally wanted to build one. He consulted craftsmen to estimate the cost. The craftsmen said, "Not much, just a hundred jin of gold will suffice." Emperor Wen was startled and quickly asked, "How many middle-class households' wealth does this hundred jin of gold equal?" The craftsmen roughly calculated and replied, "Ten households." Upon hearing this, Emperor Wen shook his head and waved his hand, saying, "Quickly abandon the plan to build the terrace. The court's money is very little now; we should save this money instead." Sima Qian recorded in the "Records of the Grand Historian": "For twenty-three years after his accession, Emperor Wen made no additions to palaces, gardens, hunting grounds, dogs, horses, carriages, or ceremonial attire." "Palaces" refer to palace buildings; "gardens and hunting grounds" refer to royal gardens and places for royal hunting and recreation; "dogs and horses" are animals and facilities for the emperor's entertainment; "carriages and ceremonial attire" are the clothing, vehicles, and ceremonial guards serving the emperor. These were all essential for emperors to display grandeur, authority, and enjoyment, and most emperors valued them highly. Yet Emperor Wen, during his 23-year reign, actually built no new palaces, repaired no gardens, added no carriages or guards, and didn't even acquire an extra dog or horse.
Emperor Wen repeatedly issued edicts prohibiting regional kingdoms from offering rare treasures, declaring he absolutely would not be a collector. He also cared about the people's hardships. Soon after becoming emperor, he ordered that the state support citizens over eighty years old, providing them monthly with rice, meat, and wine. For those over ninety, additional cloth, silk, and cotton were provided to make clothes. During spring plowing, Emperor Wen personally led ministers to work in the fields, while the Empress led palace maids in silkworm rearing and mulberry picking.
Before his death, he made one final frugal arrangement—his funeral. In his will, he harshly criticized the vulgar custom of lavish burials, demanding a simple funeral for himself. Regarding his final resting place, the "Ba Ling," he explicitly required: "Use only earthenware vessels; do not use gold, silver, copper, or tin for ornamentation; do not build a large tomb; I wish to save expenses and not trouble the people." "The Ba Ling mausoleum should follow the natural landscape, making no alterations," meaning a simple tomb should be built according to the original terrain, without large-scale construction that would alter the natural features of the mountains and rivers.
Emperor Wen also advocated sending palace women below the rank of "Lady" back home after his death so they could remarry.
During his reign, Emperor Wen implemented light taxes and corvée labor, even exempting the entire nation from land taxes for 12 years. He personally farmed, setting an example for the whole empire, promoting the rapid recovery and development of productivity. Politically, he strengthened centralization internally, consolidating state power. Externally, he properly handled relations with Nanyue and the Xiongnu. He adopted a policy of appeasement towards Zhao Tuo, King of Nanyue, and while implementing a policy of marriage alliances with the Xiongnu, he strengthened border defenses. The Xiongnu invaded Han territory three times, and Emperor Wen promptly dispatched troops each time to repel the enemy. Emperor Wen abolished harsh and cruel laws,带头 (led by example) in enforcing legal judgments, and was skilled at recognizing talent, open to advice, and promoted capable individuals. This allowed the Han Dynasty to gradually move from initial stability towards prosperity and strength, laying a solid foundation for Emperor Wu's later conquests in all directions.
An emperor like this, who dedicated his life to the people, practiced frugality and diligent governance, constantly improved policies, and tirelessly pursued national strength and people's prosperity, is truly rare in history. It was precisely because of Emperor Wen's spirit of integrity and love for the people, combined with his efforts to govern diligently, that the prosperous era known as the "Rule of Wen and Jing" was created. Historical records state that at the time, the treasury was overflowing with uncountable wealth, the cords used to string coins had rotted away; grain in the granaries piled up year after year, spilling outside the storage buildings. Therefore, Sima Qian highly praised Emperor Wen, saying: "His virtue was utmost!" and "Was he not benevolent!" Indeed, an emperor who lives like Emperor Wen truly "misses out." Think about it: as emperor, he didn't eat well, didn't dress well, and couldn't spend money freely—wasn't it a waste? But the common people loved him, remembering him for thousands of years! Later, when the Red Eyebrows Army attacked Chang'an, they looted the tombs of all the emperors, but left Emperor Wen's tomb untouched, because they knew there was nothing valuable inside.