After Emperor Wen of Han, Liu Heng, ascended the throne and saw the court thrown into chaos by the Lü clan, he decided to first reorganize the imperial system so that the core of the state could function smoothly, thereby ensuring stability for society and the people.
Among all forms of power, military authority was undoubtedly the greatest—whoever held a strong army could command the obedience of everyone under heaven. Emperor Wen of Han was well aware of this. On the very first night of his ascension, he summoned Zhang Wu and Song Chang to the palace. He appointed Zhang Wu as Gentleman of the Palace, responsible for patrolling and securing the imperial palace, and Song Chang as General of the Guard, in charge of both the Southern and Northern Armies. To prevent the forces cultivated by Lü Zhi from regaining strength, the emperor ordered the execution of the young emperor and his three younger brothers. Finally, Emperor Wen of Han proceeded to the main hall, issued an imperial edict before all civil and military officials, and decreed a general amnesty for the realm.
In 179 BC, Emperor Wen of Han rewarded those who had made outstanding contributions in suppressing the Lü clan. Zhou Bo was appointed Right Chancellor, Chen Ping was appointed Left Chancellor, and Guan Ying served as Grand Commandant—these three formed the core of imperial power. When Emperor Wen entered the capital, he brought some officials from the Dai state, who were all granted rewards after his ascension, with the highest being appointed as high-ranking ministers. Emperor Wen also made adjustments regarding the feudal princes. The original princes were allowed to retain their lands and titles, and additionally, some new princes were enfeoffed. Liu Sui, son of the late Prince You of Zhao, Liu You, was made Prince of Zhao; the former Prince of Langya, Liu Ze, was re-enfeoffed as Prince of Yan. Soon after, Emperor Wen appointed Liu Sui's younger brother Liu Qiang as Prince of Hejian; the former Marquis of Zhuxu, Liu Zhang, was made Prince of Chengyang; the former Marquis of Dongmou, Liu Xingju, was made Prince of Jibei. Emperor Wen also established his youngest son Liu Wu as Prince of Dai, later changed to Prince of Huaiyang, and finally Prince of Liang; Liu Can was made Prince of Taiyuan; and Liu Yi was made Prince of Liang.
After rewarding the meritorious officials and feudal princes, the ministers suggested that Emperor Wen of Han should designate the crown prince as soon as possible, both to stabilize the court and to allow the prince to learn state affairs early. Emperor Wen accepted their advice, and in the third month after his ascension, he declared Liu Qi as the crown prince; three months later, he established Consort Dou as the empress.
Since the establishment of the Han Dynasty, there were many feudal princes, and the emperors were not strict with them, not only granting them regular rewards and titles but also allowing them to maintain their own armies. Over time, the power of these princes grew increasingly strong, inevitably leading some to contemplate overthrowing the emperor and taking the throne for themselves. By the time the central court tried to eliminate them, it was already too late, as they had gained enough strength to resist the imperial government, threatening the emperor's authority. This threat became increasingly evident after Emperor Wen of Han came to power.
In 177 BC, Liu Xingju, the King of Jibei, launched a rebellion, marking the first revolt by a prince of the same surname against the central court since the founding of the Han Dynasty. Upon hearing the news, Emperor Wen of Han immediately dispatched troops to suppress it, and the Han army swiftly routed Liu Xingju's forces, with soldiers either killed or fleeing, and Liu Xingju himself was captured. As the Han army prepared to escort him back to Chang'an, he took advantage of a moment when his guards were not paying attention and committed suicide, dying on the road.
The rebellion of the King of Jibei ended with the victory of Emperor Wen of Han, but three years later, the King of Huainan, Liu Chang, launched another rebellion. Liu Chang and Emperor Wen, Liu Heng, were the only two surviving sons of Liu Bang, the founder of the Han Dynasty. When the ministers eliminated the Lü clan, they supported Liu Heng, the Prince of Dai, to ascend the throne, while Liu Chang lost his chance to become emperor because his mother's family was too powerful. Filled with anger and resentment, he watched Liu Heng, also a feudal prince, live a carefree life in the palace while he himself was confined to a small fiefdom, feeling deeply aggrieved. However, he never expected that before he could even raise his banner in open revolt, someone secretly reported him to the emperor. Upon hearing this, Emperor Wen of Han immediately summoned Liu Chang to the capital, revoked his title and territory, and exiled him to the distant Shu Commandery. Liu Chang was utterly despairing; reduced from a prince to a prisoner, his state of mind was unimaginable, and he died before even reaching Shu Commandery.
Later, Emperor Wen of Han adopted Jia Yi's suggestion to divide a large vassal state into several smaller ones, so that when the father died, his sons would be enfeoffed simultaneously, splitting the state into multiple parts. This weakened the power of the vassal states and centralized the emperor's authority. Although breaking up the vassal lords' power was a good strategy, it did not truly resolve the conflict between the emperor and the feudal princes, leaving hidden dangers for future generations.
During the reigns of Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Hui, and Empress Lü of the Han Dynasty, society and labor productivity developed greatly, with the people living in peace and prosperity. However, after Emperor Wen ascended the throne, the nation suddenly began to decline, the treasury grew increasingly empty, and the emperor, at a loss for what to do, urgently summoned his ministers to discuss solutions. It turned out that the reason for this decline was that fewer and fewer people were farming the land, while more and more were simply reaping the benefits without working, placing a heavy burden on the common people. The conflicts between different social classes were becoming increasingly apparent and had to be resolved quickly, or the consequences would be unimaginable.
Jia Yi advised Emperor Wen of Han that to stabilize society, the first priority was to reassure the common people, as their greatest concern was their own food and clothing, making the security of their livelihoods the most important task. After hearing Jia Yi's words, Emperor Wen of Han implemented a series of policies to pacify the people.
In 178 BCE, Emperor Wen announced a reduction in land taxes to encourage more people to farm. In 168 BCE, he further lowered the already reduced taxes. Originally, each plot of land required a tax payment of one-fifteenth of its yield, but now only one-thirtieth was needed, and after this policy had been in effect for thirteen years, the land tax on a plot could be completely eliminated.
During the Han Dynasty, men were required to perform military service upon reaching a certain age, but Emperor Wen of Han changed this to once every three years. As a result, society gained more labor, farmland was developed, and grain production increased, greatly benefiting the people's livelihoods. This measure by Emperor Wen was a remarkable innovation not only for its time but throughout the entire feudal era.
In the early years of Emperor Wen's reign, most feudal princes resided in Chang'an rather than their own fiefs, so when anything happened in their territories, couriers had to travel from the fiefs to Chang'an to deliver the news, wait for the prince's decision, and then carry the result back—this grueling back-and-forth exhausted the couriers, drained resources, and placed heavy burdens on the people. Therefore, Emperor Wen ordered all princes to return to their fiefs, allowing them to come to Chang'an only for urgent matters or when summoned by the court, and forbidding them from using any excuse to remain in the capital.
During the Han Dynasty, anyone wishing to enter or leave the border, especially important military frontiers and towns, had to possess a permit. This measure controlled the flow of people crossing the border and prevented enemy spies from sneaking in. However, obtaining such a permit was no simple matter—the process and procedures were extremely cumbersome, and many who wanted to do business in neighboring countries abandoned the idea due to the tedious formalities. In 168 BC, Emperor Wen of Han announced the abolition of this decree, and the people cheered with joy upon hearing the news. From then on, interactions between Han citizens and neighboring states became very frequent, with many starting businesses along the border. The border economy developed significantly, and agriculture, handicrafts, and other sectors also improved due to the introduction of foreign technologies. The growth of the commodity economy led to a gradual increase in tax revenue from goods, which eventually surpassed the state's land tax income. With the treasury secured, the ruler was naturally pleased to reduce the people's land taxes, easing their burdens, and life became increasingly prosperous.
Emperor Wen's series of measures significantly increased the state's grain revenue, but it still could not meet the needs of the people across the country, and the supply of grain for the border troops was even more insufficient. Emperor Wen was also troubled, as he could not simply seize the people's grain to give to the army. At this time, the Imperial Secretary Chao Cuo stepped forward and said he had a solution. Chao Cuo suggested that Emperor Wen purchase surplus grain from officials at a price higher than the market rate, store it all in the granaries of border commanderies, and promise to grant them promotions and titles in return, of course, depending on how much grain the officials provided. Chao Cuo confidently stated that this method could solve the problem of feeding the soldiers without affecting the people's livelihood, while also ensuring the granaries were well-stocked and allowing for a reduction in taxes—truly a multi-beneficial approach. Emperor Wen was very pleased and immediately issued this decree.
Due to Emperor Wen of Han implementing the above policies, during his reign the Han Dynasty gradually moved from initial stability to prosperity and flourishing, with social and economic development, improved living standards for the people, and stable national order. His son, Emperor Jing of Han, was not to be outdone and added many new policies to stabilize the people on this foundation, leading to the emergence of the first golden age in Chinese history—the Rule of Wen and Jing.