贪生怕死 — “To be extremely afraid of death and cherish one's life excessively”

The State of Liang was a vassal state during the Western Han Dynasty. In the late Western Han, Liu Li was enfeoffed as the King of Liang. He was profligate and cruel, oppressing the common people, carving out his own territory, and acting as he pleased.

After Emperor Cheng passed away and Emperor Ai ascended the throne, Liu Li became even more reckless, disregarding court laws and arbitrarily killing subordinates such as Zhonglang Cao Jiang. Upon learning this, Emperor Ai was greatly angered and dispatched officials to investigate the case. Liu Li feigned illness and was bedridden.

The investigating officials then let it be known that Emperor Ai was about to issue an edict to confiscate the King of Liang's royal seal and imprison him. Only then did Liu Li realize the gravity of the situation. He immediately removed his crown and knelt to plead guilty. He claimed his crimes were due to losing his parents at a young age and being influenced by eunuchs and palace maids, which led him to develop bad habits. He also stated that some ministers often slandered him before Emperor Ai, leading to the emperor's displeasure.

He continued, "I killed Zhonglang Cao Jiang, and I had thought that winter was almost over, and a spring general amnesty was approaching. I was afraid of being executed, so I decided to feign illness, hoping to delay until next spring to receive a pardon." Indeed, the following spring, Emperor Ai issued a general amnesty across the land, and Liu Li narrowly escaped punishment.

Later, after Wang Mang usurped the Han dynasty, Liu Li was stripped of his title and became a commoner. He committed suicide not long after.