The fatal mistake that destroyed the 200-year-old Han Empire | Chinese Chronicles (2 BC)

The collapse of a 200-year-old dynasty is never an accident. For the Western Han Empire, the point of no return can be traced to a single, catastrophic decision made in 2 BC: an appointment that broke every rule of politics and reason. The man elevated to supreme command of the entire imperial machine was Dong Xian, the emperor’s 22-year-old male favorite. This event, forever linked to the romantic tale of the "Passion of the Cut Sleeve," is often misunderstood as a simple case of a ruler losing his mind to infatuation. The reality is far more profound.