Life

Liu Ruyi was the third son of Liu Bang, the founder of China's Han dynasty who became posthumously known as Emperor Gaozu ("High Ancestor"). He was the only son of the concubine Qi.

As a boy, after his uncle Liu Zhong abandoned his post during a Xiongnu invasion, Liu Ruyi was created prince or king of Dai in 200BC.

After Zhang Ao was falsely accused of conspiring against the throne, Ruyi replaced him as prince or king of Zhao in 198BC. The next year, he received Chen Xi as his chancellor of the realm but Chen soon launched a rebellion at Julu (within present-day Pingxiang County, Hebei); he was defeated in battle but remained at large for several years. When Liu Bang fell ill in early 195BC, he found that Empress Lü Zhi was plotting to kill Ruyi in order to eliminate a rival claimant to the imperial throne; Liu Bang at one point had considered making Liu Ruyi crown prince, but eventually did not do so after advice from various officials, including Shusun Tong, Liu Ying's teacher. The emperor then appointed Zhou Chang as chancellor in Zhao to protect the prince from his stepmother.

The emperor died later that year, and the new emperor Liu Ying—posthumously known as the "Hui" or "Benevolent Emperor"—continued to protect his half-brother from his mother's numerous attempts on the boy's life. Lü Zhi was finally able to accomplish her task in 194BC; she also had Consort Qi brutally tortured to death in the same year.

簡介

劉如意是劉邦愛妃戚夫人所生的兒子，再加上長得很像劉邦，自小已受劉邦寵愛。因此戚夫人橫生非份之想，想立自己的兒子為太子，於是在戚夫人的唆使慫恿下，劉邦想廢去呂后的兒子劉盈，改立劉如意為太子，幸而為人正直的御史周昌與商山四皓等勸阻才作罷。但這件事讓呂后深感自己的地位受到威脅，便想殺了劉如意。劉邦也知道呂后欲殺劉如意，與趙堯討論後，認為勸阻立劉如意為太子的周昌是個正直的人，於是反而把周昌調為趙國相，命周昌保護劉如意。

漢高祖十二年（前195年），劉邦去世，呂后的兒子劉盈即皇帝位，是為漢惠帝。呂后召趙王劉如意赴朝廷，欲謀殺之。周昌知呂后意，堅持護主，就多次推說趙王有疾，無法動身，讓呂后不能得逞。呂后於是先召周昌入長安，然後再召劉如意入長安，劉盈愛護這個同父異母的弟弟，怕呂后把劉如意殺掉，便親自迎接劉如意，且跟劉如意形影不離，同吃同住，呂后數次欲殺劉如意，但每次都被劉盈阻止。

漢惠帝元年（前194年）十二月，劉盈出外打獵，劉如意年少，不能早起。呂后趁劉如意單獨在寢宮時，派人逼劉如意喝下毒酒，將劉如意毒死，年僅十四歲。而劉如意自入都到死亡，只有一個月餘。死後葬於咸陽原劉盈安陵旁。