Imperial China had a lot of crazy royals—and no surprise, given that the verified history of Chinese monarchy goes for a little over 3,500 years (from the Shang around 1600 BCE to the fall of the Qing in 1912 CE).
- Qin Shi Huangdi, the very first emperor, started an unfortunate trend of emperors and noblemen seeking "immortality elixirs" that were dodgy enough to be fatal. Shihuangdi experimented extensively with mercury, which turned him from a suspicious but fundamentally sound monarch into a total paranoiac. He eventually took it a step too far by taking pills containing pure mercury, which killed him in 210 BCE. And yet, for over a thousand years after that, people kept experimenting with mercury, thinking that it was just too high a concentration that killed Shihuangdi (technically correct, but not especially helpful), and dismissing the side effects as signs that the medicine was working. This is how the exact same thing happened to the last good Tang Emperor Xuānzong Li Chen, who similarly degenerated into a paranoid wreck, except he died of chronic rather than acute mercury poisoning in 859 CE. The last Chinese emperor to die of mercury poisoning was the Qing Emperor Yongzheng, as late as 1735. In fact, the only dynasty to be completely unaffected by mercury poisoning is the Yuan dynasty (the Mongol dynasty of Kublai Khan, which tended to look down on Chinese alchemy in general when it wasn't making gunpowder).
- The Northern Qi dynasty was perhaps the most dysfunctional family in Chinese History besides Liu Song.
- Gao Yang/Emperor Wenxuan of Northern Qi was a raging alcoholic who attacked people, including his own concubines and children, while drunk — and he was constantly drunk. He raped his sister-in-law based on the dubious claim his brother had raped Wenxuan's wife (though the brother was still a Jerkass even if the incident never happened). He was also a sex maniac who would have sex with multiple women at once. He raped every woman in his family. One concubine refused and he killed her with his own hands. He was Ax-Crazy when he was drunk, and his ministers set up a line of prisoners that would be brought out by guards for the emperor to kill. He even beheaded a woman for feeling sad about her husband's death. When one of his commanders died he blamed the man's lieutenant Lu Huili, had Lu killed by being cut open, and ordered the soldiers to eat Lu's internal organs. A man snubbed him, so Wenxuan had the man beaten to death then beheaded all twenty of his sons. During an argument with his mother Wenxuan accidentally injured her; when he sobered up he was so upset that he attempted suicide and his mother had to stop him. He finally died of alcohol poisoning at the age of 30.
- After Wenxuan's death, his relatively normal son Gao Yin/Emperor Fei inherited. However, he had a panic disorder due to his father beating him. When he was only sixteen he was overthrown and poisoned by his Evil Uncle Gao Yan/Emperor Xiaozhao. Xiaozhao seemingly skipped the crazy gene (though he murdered Fei due to prophecies) and was a relatively competent ruler compared to his brother. When he was twenty-six he was thrown from his horse and fatally injured. He passed the throne to Gao Zhan/Emperor Wucheng (his brother), instead of his son Gao Bainian, on account of the kid being five. This did not work out.
- Emperor Wucheng's first act was to rape his sister-in-law Li Zu'e, threatening her only remaining son Gao Shaode's life if she didn't comply. Because of biology, she got pregnant with Gao Zhan's child. When she gave birth to her Child by Rape Li killed her daughter, which prompted Gao Zhan to beat her son to death in front of her. That same year, his mother died, and not only did he not mourn for her, he continued partying throughout her mourning period. (Filial piety was a very important thing in Ancient China.) Then he severely injured her and sent her to be Locked Away in a Monastery. Three years later, he heard about some bad omens and wanted to kill his nephew Gao Bainian, who was now eight years old. He got some 'evidence' of treason from the boy's calligraphy teacher, and he used that as an excuse to beat him to near death then behead him.
- Wucheng's son Gao Wei was just as evil as his father. He ascended to the throne aged eight or nine, and when it became clear he was incompetent, his thirteen-year-old brother Gao Yan (different character to Emperor Xiaozhao) rose up against him, however he was stopped by Gao Wei's father-in-law Hulu Guang. Gao Wei was also known for listening to his wet nurse Lu Lingxuan and her corrupt son Mu Tipo. Gao Wei then paid Hulu Guang back by having him executed on false charges of treason and murdering most of his relatives. He then executed his cousin Gao Changgong, believing he would overthrow him. It turned out that maybe, killing his two generals who were practically the only thing holding Northern Qi together due to his and his father's corruption, was a bad idea. Northern Zhou, a rival kingdom, saw the perfect opportunity to invade. Gao Wei, only 20, was too busy playing with his concubine Feng Xiaolian to deal with the invasion, and having lost his best generals, Northern Zhou overthrew Northern Qi. At first, Gao Wei was treated well, however, he was soon accused of treason and murdered with his sons, brothers, uncles, cousins, and other relatives.
- When the Zhou King Zhen Ding died in 441 BCE, he was succeeded by his oldest son, who became King Ai. King Ai only reigned for three months before he was murdered by his younger brother, who became King Si. Five months later King Si was murdered by his younger brother. King Kao, the third of the brothers, managed to stay on the throne for fourteen years. He had a younger brother, Prince Jie, but luckily for Kao — and the kingdom, which had already endured the deaths of three kings in one year — Jie was content with the title of Duke of Western Zhou and didn't murder his brother to become king.
- The Liu Song dynasty lasted only 59 years, in which time it had an astonishing number of tyrannical emperors:
- Crown Prince Liu Shao paid a witch to curse his father Emperor Wen and cause his death. When Wen found out about his son's plot he decided to depose him, but Liu Shao struck first, had the emperor assassinated, claimed the throne, and promptly executed many of his cousins. Liu Shao's half-brother Liu Jun raised a rebellion, overthrew him, and had Liu Shao and his sons beheaded and forced Liu Shao's wives and daughters to commit suicide.
- As Emperor, Liu Jun was embroiled in multiple scandals. He slept with many of his female cousins, forced several of his brothers to commit suicide, and reportedly even slept with his mother.
- Liu Jun's son, Liu Ziye, suffered from parental issues. As a young child, he was captured by his uncle Liu Shao, and almost killed several times. After Liu Jun ascended, his brother Liu Ziluan was favoured over him. Liu Ziye appeared a normal child, although Liu Jun tried to make Liu Ziluan crown prince instead of him. When Liu Ziye became emperor he went on a Roaring Rampage of Revenge, forced Liu Ziluan to kill himself, and murdered Ziluan's brother and sister. He then had an affair with his own aunt and was rumoured to be sleeping with his sister Liu Chuyu. He brutally murdered his great-uncle and gouged his eyes out, then humiliated three of his uncles (including his successor Liu Yu) by literally treating them like animals. He held orgies where his male guests raped imperial princesses and gave Liu Chuyu a harem of thirty men after she asked for them. He murdered anyone who tried to stop his excesses and redrew his father's portrait to give it a big nose. Eventually, Liu Ziye was killed and Liu Yu was declared emperor.
- Liu Zi Ye was succeeded by his uncle Liu Yu (Emperor Ming of (Liu) Song). When it became clear that he was also a tyrant, officials rose up in favour of Liu Ziye's brother Liu Zixun. After Liu Yu defeated Liu Zixun and murdered him aged ten, he decided to execute all of Liu Ziye's remaining brothers, none of whom were older than 10. He then murdered several of his brothers. Officials who displeased him were executed, often by being disembowelled or having their hearts cut out.
- Emperor Ming's son, also called Liu Yu, took the throne when he was only nine. He quickly became as violent as his father. He personally cut people open and even became depressed if a day went by without killing someone. He went on expeditions outside the palace, murdering every man, woman or child he saw, practiced military skills on live people, and massacred the entire families of four officials who had plotted against him and cut their bodies open. His downfall came when he saw a sleeping Xiao Daocheng (one of his generals who was very powerful). Intrigued by his big belly, he shot him with arrows with cotton on the tip (so they didn't kill Xiao) and successfully targeted his belly button. Xiao Daocheng got fed up much sooner than Liu Yu and murdered him. He was 14.
- Liu Yu (the younger) was succeeded by his brother Liu Zhun, who was a Puppet Emperor to Xiao Daocheng, and seemed the only emperor in 24 years who wasn't crazy in some way. At the age of 11 he was forced to abdicate to Xiao Daocheng, who proclaimed Southern Qi. Worried he was going to be murdered, he famously said "When I am reincarnated, may it be that I will never be again reborn in an emperor's household!". He was murdered a month before his twelfth birthday, and Xiao Daocheng murdered the rest of the royal family.
- Juqu Mujian of the Northern Liang dynasty had an affair with his brother's wife, Lady Li, who decided to poison Mujian's wife Wuwei. Wuwei happened to be the sister of Northern Wei's Emperor Taiwu, and Taiwu didn't take kindly to her almost being murdered. He promptly declared war, setting in motion a chain of events that led to Northern Liang's defeat and Mujian being Ordered to Die.
- The Southern Qi had Xiao Baojuan
, a teenage emperor who murdered his officials on a whim. He spent all his time on fun and games and listened to eunuchs and bodyguards instead of actual advisors. He spent all his time visiting places outside the palace but did not like people seeing his face; he would forcefully evacuate the people from the places he was visiting and anyone who didn't evacuate was executed. He was eventually assassinated at the age of 18.- Xiao Baojuan's father Xiao Luan, as Evil Chancellor for Xiao Zhaowen, murdered all of his adult cousins. He then overthrew and murdered Xiao Zhaowen. After a few other executions of relatives, on his deathbed, he purged the rest of the previous Emperor Gao and Wu's children, most of whom were thirteen or under, and the youngest of whom was six. He was also a Bad Boss who frequently murdered his officials.
- In the early days of Northern Wei, Emperor Daowu married his aunt Consort Helan. They had a son, Tuoba Shao. Tuoba Shao was known for being frivolous and violent and his father punished him by locking up his mother. Consort Helan asked for her son to save her, and Tuoba Shao murdered his father. Tuoba Shao tried to kill his much nicer brother Tuoba Si, but Tuoba Si struck first and killed Tuoba Shao, Consort Helan, and Tuoba Shao's allies and took the throne as Emperor Mingyuan.
- Northern Wei, from Emperor Daowu to Emperor Xuanwu, had a policy where the mother of the crown prince would be forced to commit suicide. They also had problems with filicide. Empress Dowager Feng was rumoured to have poisoned her stepson Tuoba Hong. Tuoba Hong's son Tuoba/Yuan Hong(with a different character) had a troubled relationship with his eldest son Tuoba/Yuan Xun. Yuan Xun couldn't bear the weather in the new capital, Luoyang, and decided to flee back to the old capital. Yuan Hong put his son under house arrest and reduced him to commoner rank. Yuan Xun was later accused of rebellion and his own father forced him to commit suicide at the age of fourteen. Empress Dowager Hu, Xuanwu's concubine and later empress dowager under her son Emperor Xiaoming, was exceedingly corrupt. When Emperor Xiaoming murdered her lover she poisoned him in retaliation. Empress Dowager Hu then put his newborn daughter on the throne, pretending she was male... for all of a few hours, when Hu admitted she was a girl and put the two-year-old Yuan Zhao on the throne. His reign was also brief as the general Erzhu Rong arrived and ordered both of them drowned in the Yellow River.
- Also in Northern Wei, Emperor Wencheng (Tuoba Jun) fathered his successor Emperor Xianwen (Tuoba Hong) at the age of 14. Xianwen proceeded to father his successor Emperor Xiaowen (Tuoba/Yuan Hong) at the age of 13. To top it off, Wencheng's father Tuoba Huang fathered Wencheng at the age of twelve, Had Tuoba Huang not died at the age of 23, he would have been a great-grandfather at the age of thirty-nine.
- Xiao Yan Yan of the Liao dynasty had two older sisters and hated both of them. One of them tried to poison her, so Xiao Yan Yan forced her to commit suicide. The other one was imprisoned and executed on Xiao Yan Yan's orders.
- Emperor Daozong of Liao wasn't interested in ruling and allowed corruption to go unchecked in his court. His wife Xiao Guan Yin attempted to convince him to rule properly, and in the process angered an official named Yelü Yixin who retaliated by falsely accusing her of adultery. Daozong believed Yelü Yixin and executed her. Then Yelü Yixin arranged the executions of anyone he didn't like, including the crown prince. Daozong finally became suspicious after an unknown number of innocent people had been killed, but by then it was too late and the Liao dynasty was doomed.
- Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty fell in love at first sight with a commoner named Wei Zifu and made her his concubine. Wu's official wife Empress Chen was furious when she heard, and she set out to make Wei Zifu's life miserable. Wei Zifu attempted to escape, but Wu caught her and forced her to stay. Towards the end of his life, Emperor Wu became convinced people were using witchcraft against him. Enemies of Wei Zifu and her son Liu Ju jumped at the chance to plant evidence against them. Liu Ju fled for his life but was hunted down and killed, Wei Zifu committed suicide, and most of her family were killed in the chaos that followed.
- Wei Zifu's nephew Huo Qubing staged a Hunting "Accident" for a man who attacked his uncle. Emperor Wu covered up the incident by claiming the man had been killed by a deer.
- Emperor Xizong of the Jurchen Jin dynasty became an alcoholic after the deaths of his sons and also became increasingly violent, killing people indiscriminately. One of his victims, Ambaghai Khan (a great-granduncle of Genghis Khan), was crucified then hacked to death. Xizong was eventually overthrown and assassinated by his nephew Digunai/Wanyan Liang.
- One of Wanyan Liang's first acts as emperor was to massacre many of his relatives so they couldn't overthrow him. He also enjoyed watching people be publicly flogged. In 1156, he decided to humiliate two of his former enemies who were now his prisoners. He forced the former Emperor Qinzong of Song (who was fifty-six and physically frail) and the former Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (who was eighty-one) to compete in a polo match. Qinzong quickly fell off his horse, while Tianzuo attempted to escape but was shot by Wanyan Liang's archers. Wanyan Liang also attempted to take his cousin's wife as a concubine, driving her to suicide to escape him. Eventually, Wanyan Liang's subordinates had enough and assassinated him.
- Emperor Hui of the Western Jin dynasty (not the Jurchen Jin dynasty; there were two Jin dynasties) was the tragic sort of screwed-up. He was developmentally disabled and spent his entire seventeen-year reign under the control of one or more regents. His wife Jia Nan Feng, on the other hand, was the Axe-Crazy sort of screwed-up. When his concubines got pregnant she murdered them, and she got her stepson drunk then forced him to write a letter claiming he was planning to murder Emperor Hui. She used this incident as an excuse to assassinate her stepson, and as a result, she was accused of murder and forced to commit suicide. Emperor Hui was assassinated six years later, possibly by his uncle.
- Most emperors of the Eastern Han dynasty certainly had issues. For starters, since Emperor Ming of Han (the second emperor) died, no emperor reached the age of 40 until the final emperor Liu Xie, and Liu Xie did so after he was deposed.
- In 144 Liu Bao (Emperor Shun of Han) died aged only 29. His one-year-old son Liu Bing (Emperor Chong of Han) was enthroned by his stepmother Liang Na and her brother Liang Ji. Liang Na was known for her virtue and governed the country to the best of her ability, but Liang Ji was corrupt and violent. Emperor Chong of Han died of illness within a year (at this time, infant mortality was high and this had happened to Emperor Shang of Han as well in 106).
- Liang Na and Liang Ji then chose Liu Zuan (Emperor Zhi of Han), who the officials didn't support, because Liu Zuan was seven at the time and therefore needed a regent. However, within a year, Liu Zuan became aware of Liang Ji's corruption and openly offended him at a meeting by calling Liang Ji "an arrogant general". Liang Ji was not happy and poisoned the young emperor. Liang Na and Liang Ji then put their fourteen-year-old brother-in-law Liu Zhi (Emperor Huan of Han) on the throne. Liang Na died in 150 and Liang Ji became even more corrupt, which angered Liu Zhi. In 159 his neglected wife Liang Nuying (Liang Ji's sister) died and Liu Zhi massacred the Liangs.
- However, the eunuchs filled the gap created by the Liang family's death. Liu Zhi died in his thirties. He had only daughters so the throne went to Liu Hong (Emperor Ling of Han). During Liu Hong's reign, the eunuchs eventually became the Ten Attendants (yes, they were in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, although some are different). In 182 a self-proclaimed wizard called Zhang Jiao (Zhang Jue) started the Yellow Turban Rebellion, which led to many peasant deaths. Liu Hong was forced to call warlords to defeat the Yellow Turbans, which weakened his own power. He also had family problems. The eunuchs persuaded him to depose his first wife Empress Song (though it was an Arranged Marriage for her status and he never liked her). He then married Empress He (the mother of his eldest son Liu Bian/Emperor Shao of Han). Empress He was a Yandere who was known for her jealousy. In 181, she poisoned Lady Wang, a concubine of Liu Hong, who had given birth to a son, Liu Xie (Emperor Xian of Han). Liu Xie was his father's favourite and the son he wanted to succeed him. However, on his sudden death, the Liu Bian faction (headed by Empress He and He Jin) defeated the Liu Xie faction (headed by Empress Dowager Dong and Dong Chong). He Jin tried to summon warlords to deal with the pro-Xie eunuchs. Empress He however disapproved, but He Jin was murdered by eunuchs in 189. Shortly afterward Dong Zhuo arrived at the capital, deposed Liu Bian and murdered Empress He. Liu Bian was later forced to commit suicide during a rebellion against Dong Zhuo.
- Hongshi of the Qing dynasty was very close to his uncle Yunsi. This alarmed his father the Yongzheng Emperor, since Yunsi had formerly been the emperor's rival for the throne. In 1725 Yongzheng stripped Hongshi of his title, removed him from the clan, and banished him from the Forbidden City on a trumped-up charge. This situation lasted for two years and only ended when Hongshi died mysteriously at the age of only 23. It's unknown what he died of, but some historians believe Yongzheng had him killed. Yunsi, meanwhile, was also banished and forced to change his name to a humiliating and insulting word. He also died mysteriously.
- Xiao Yuyao of the Liang dynasty had an Awful Wedded Life with her husband, and she fell in love with her uncle, Xiao Hong. Xiao Hong told Yuyao that he would make her empress, so she attempted to kill her father Xiao Yan. She was found out, Xiao Hong was executed, however Yuyao was Easily Forgiven.
- Yuyao's cousin/adopted brother Xiao Zhengde suffered from Chronic Backstabbing Disorder. Originally an adopted son of Xiao Yan, he defected to Northern Wei when Xiao Yan made his biological son Xiao Tong crown prince. When Northern Wei didn't treat him well he went back to Liang and Xiao Yan welcomed him back with open arms. Xiao Yan sent Zhengde to be a general under his son Xiao Zong, who fled to Northern Wei thinking he was the Southern Qi Emperor Xiao Baojuan's son. Xiao Zhengde abandoned his forces. When Xiao Tong died, Xiao Yan skipped over Xiao Tong's sons and made his son Xiao Gang crown prince, which made him jealous. When Hou Jing, a general fond of Rape, Pillage, and Burn rebelled, Xiao Yan sent Zhengde to deal with him, however Xiao Zhengde joined him. When Hou Jing took the capital, he failed to fulfill Zhengde's promises, Xiao Zhengde tried to betray Hou Jing, but was found out and executed. Hou Jing then starved Xiao Yan to death.
- Xiao Gang then became the emperor, however was essentially a Puppet King under Hou Jing, who married his thirteen-year-old daughter Princess Liyang, who he loved greatly. Liyang had disputes with his second-in-command Wang Wei, who wanted Hou Jing to spend less time with her. Wang Wei then persuaded Hou Jing, who already had imperial ambitions, to depose Xiao Gang, and murdered most of his sons, shortly before killing Xiao Gang. Hou Jing then usurped the throne from Xiao Dong in 552, declared himself Emperor of Han—only to die himself six months later. His body was displayed to the public—Princess Liyang among them—and they promptly ate its flesh. Wang Wei received a Cruel and Unusual Death later that year.note
- Möng Mao (a kingdom covering parts of what's now China, India, and Burma/Myanmar) had eleven kings, only four of whom died naturally. The third, fourth, fifth, and eleventh kings were murdered, while the eighth and ninth were executed.
- Hong Taiji of the Qing Dynasty married a woman named Jerjer. Later he married two of Jerjer's nieces, Harjol and Bumbatai (posthumously known as Empress Dowager Xiaozhuang). After his death, Bumbatai became close to his half-brother Dorgon, and rumour has it that she secretly married him.
- Even Emperor Taizong of Tang (personal name Li Shimin), considered one of the greatest emperors of China, wasn't immune to this trope. His older brother Li Jiancheng was the crown prince, and felt threatened by Li Shimin, whose achievements during Tang's founding outranked his own. He allied with his other brother, Li Yuanji, to kill Li Shimin. Li Shimin killed them both in the Xuanwu Gate Incident, killed their children to get rid of loose ends, forced his father to Abdicate the Throne and made Li Yuanji's wife his concubine.
- Taizong's eldest son, Li Chengqian, was noted for his strange behaviours. He refused to speak Chinese, dressed up like a Turkic Khan, sent assassins after his tutor, and pretended to be dead. He also had his male favourites use magic, which drew the ire of his father who had them executed. Taizong began to think about making his second son, Li Tai, the crown prince instead. Li Chengqian planned a coup to kill Li Tai and depose his father. Li Tai then said that he'd kill his sons and pass the throne to his brother Li Zhi if he was made crown prince. Taizong decided to make Li Zhi the crown prince.
- Li Zhi favoured a certain Consort Wu, who had previously been his father's concubine. Eventually he had his first empress and another of his favourite consorts deposed, and Consort Wu was said to have killed them in an extremely brutal way. She is also rumoured to have killed her own baby daughter to frame the empress note Li Zhi also went through crown princes very quickly: the first, Li Zhong, was forced to commit suicide after being framed for treason. The second, Li Hong was allegedly note poisoned by Wu for suggesting she treat the daughters of the consort she deposed well. The third, Li Xian, had been at odds with Wu, leading to his exile and forced suicide.
- Eventually, Empress Wu became Wu Zetian, after deposing two of her sons. She is said to have been fond of torturing her political opponents. In her old age, she became smitten with the brothers Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, who eventually reigned supreme in politics. Anyone who expressed dissatisfaction with the Zhang brothers was punished note Eventually Wu Zetian was deposed in favour of her son Li Xian (not to be confused with the crown prince Wu Zetian executed, whose name has a different character). However, despite this, Wu Zetian is now regarded as a wise and fair empress who gave greater opportunities for those of lower backgrounds to influence politics by reforming the imperial examination system, and many of her crimes are now regarded to have been made up by her political opponents. Even the most misogynistic of later historians begrudgingly admitted she was a good leader with a good eye for talent.
- The Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty also had his moments of this. In 1398, he rebelled against his nephew the Jianwen Emperor. After becoming emperor in 1402, he carried out a purge of Emperor Jianwen's officials, in which he was said to have carried out the only incidence of the ten familial exterminations in Chinese history (nine familial exterminations were usual). Later, he married a Korean noblewoman named Consort Yu. Consort Yu was executed for having an affair with a eunuch. The Yongle Emperor wasn't satisfied with this, so he ordered a mass execution of almost all his concubines, their maids, and the eunuchs. As if things weren't screwed up enough, some time later, Yongle's grandson married Consort Yu's sister.
