Late Reign
However, Emperor Zhang himself remained fairly diligent and open-minded. For example, in 84, when two university students, Kong Xi (孔僖) and Cui Yin (崔駰) were accused of improperly criticizing his ancestor Emperor Wu and, by criticizing Emperor Wu, making veiled criticism of Emperor Zhang, Emperor Zhang accepted the letter that Kong submitted in his own defense and made him an official in his administration.
In 86, the first of the Qiang (羌) rebellions began, and while the Qiang were pacified fairly quickly, this would be bad omen for the decades to come, as the Qiang, mistreated frequently by Han officials, would constantly rebel throughout the rest of the Eastern Han Dynasty and become a major factor in the decline of the Han Empire.
In 88, Emperor Zhang died and was succeeded by Crown Prince Zhao, who became Emperor He.
Read more about this topic: Emperor Zhang Of Han
Famous quotes containing the words late and/or reign:
“But this was the old tree’s late branch wrenched away,
Grieving the sapless limbs, the shorn and shaken.”
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“Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven.”
—John Milton (1608–1674)