Early Reign: Regency By Empress Dowager Deng
After Emperor Ān ascended the throne, however, the real power remained in Empress Dowager Deng's hands, and Emperor Ān's parents Prince Qing and Consort Gěng (who was sent by Empress Dowager Deng to join her husband in the Principality of Qinghe, in modern central Héběi) appeared to have no influence on the administration.
Empress Dowager Deng was generally a capable ruler, and while there were natural disasters and wars with Qiang and South Xiōngnú, she generally coped with those emergencies well. She also carried out many criminal law reforms. During her regency, Emperor Ān appeared to have minimal input into the affairs of state. Meanwhile, he became heavily personally influenced by the eunuchs Jiāng Jīng (江京) and Lǐ Rùn (李閏), and even more so by his wet nurse Wáng Shèng (王聖). He also was heavily influenced by his favorite, Yán Jī (閻姬), whom he created empress in 115—even though she had poisoned to death one of his other consorts, Consort Li, who had given birth to his only son Liú Bǎo (劉保) in 115. While these individuals lacked real power as long as Empress Dowager Deng lived, they were long planning to take power as soon as she would no longer be on the scene. Empress Dowager Deng was somewhat aware of these plans and was offended; she was also disappointed that Emperor Ān, who was considered a precocious and intelligent child, had neglected his studies and become only interested in drinking and women. It is suspected that at some point, she even considered replacing the emperor with his cousin Liú Yì (劉翼), the Prince of Pingyuan, but then decided against it.
In 120, Emperor Ān named his only son, Prince Bǎo, crown prince.
Read more about this topic: Emperor An Of Han
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