Shi Xian
Under Emperor Yuan of Han he dominated power as Zhongshu Ling (Director of the Secretariat) and framed Xiao Wangzhi and other senior ministers.
Life
Eunuch domination
As a young man Shi Xian was castrated for breaking the law and entered the palace as a eunuch. He was well versed in the laws and good at divining the emperor's wishes.
Framed Xiao Wangzhi
Emperor Yuan of Han was frail and often ill, and entrusted much of the government to him. As Zhongshu Ling he dominated power for more than ten years, framing the General of the Van Xiao Wangzhi and forcing him to commit suicide, and pushing aside Liu Xiang and other ministers of the imperial clan.
Fell from power and died
In 33 BCE Emperor Cheng of Han took the throne; having lost his patron, Shi Xian was dismissed from office and died of depression on his way home.
Legacy
Shi Xian was a leading example of eunuch domination in the Western Han, and his grip on power sent the politics of Emperor Yuan of Han's reign into decline.
Did you know? Xiao Wangzhi, an eminent minister under Emperor Xuan of Han, was driven by him to commit suicide by poison.
Key dates
- 48 BCEGiven high office when Emperor Yuan took the throne
- 46 BCEFramed Xiao Wangzhi
- 33 BCEDismissed from office, died on the road