Wang Lang

Wang Lang (; died AD 24), originally named Wang Chang (王昌), became a leader of one of the revolts that rose up towards the end of the Xin dynasty by pretending to be a son of Emperor Cheng of Han. Originally a native of the Zhao State, he was acclaimed as emperor and managed to briefly establish an independent regime in the area of Hebei. Life Wang Lang began his working life as a fortune teller, with expertise in astronomy and calendrics, who determined that Hebei had the qi of a Son of Heaven. Before Wang Mang established the Xin dynasty in AD 9, there was a man living in Chang'an named Liu Ziyu (刘子輿) who claimed to be the son of Emperor Cheng of Han. When Liu Ziyu was murdered on the orders of the Xin dynasty emperor Wang Mang, Wang Lang took the opportunity to pretend to be the real Liu Ziyu. Together with (劉林), son of king Miao of Zhao (赵缪王), he claimed that in order to avoid Empress Zhao Feiyan's persecutions they had fled to Sichuan, and knowing that Hebei had the qi of the Son of Heaven. Liu Lin planned, with the support of the powerful families of Li Yu (李育) and Zhang Can (張参), to declare Wang Lang emperor. At that time there was a rumour that the Red Eyebrows army was crossing the Yellow River heading north. In the tenth month of AD 23, Gengshi Emperor had ordered General Liu Xiu and acting minister of war to pacify Hebei. Upon visiting the city of Handan, Liu Xiu met with Liu Lin, who suggested opening the dams in order to drown the Hebei Red Eyebrows troops. Liu Xiu declined this option, and moved on north, towards (真定).