Historical figures mentioned in my article 62

Wang Mang​​王莽 (45 BC – 23 AD), the sole emperor of the Xin Dynasty（9-23AD）, was a reformist and politician, as well as the nephew of Wang Zhengjun王政君, empress of Emperor Yuan of Han汉元帝(r.48-33BC).

In his early years, Wang Mang was known for his humility, frugality, diligence, erudition, and filial piety toward his mother, earning a reputation for virtue. During the reign of Emperor Cheng of Han汉成帝(r.33-7BC), he served as a Gentleman of the Yellow Gate黄门郎, was promoted to Captain of Archers射声校尉, and later enfeoffed as Marquis of Xindu新都侯. He subsequently rose to Captain of Cavalry骑都尉, Grand Master of Imperial Entertainment光禄大夫, and Palace Attendant侍中. Eventually, he replaced Wang Gen王根 as Grand Marshal大司马 and welcomed Emperor Ai汉哀帝（r.7-1BC） to the throne.

During Emperor Ai's reign, Wang Mang was forced to retire and lived in seclusion. After Empress Dowager Wang Zhengjun assumed regency, she appointed Wang Mang as a regent. He became Grand Marshal, was enfeoffed as the "Duke of Anhan安汉公(stabilizing the Han)" and took control of the government. He eliminated political opponents, cultivated factions, and gained widespread support. During the reign of Crown Prince Ruzi Ying孺子婴(4-9AD), Wang Mang held the position of acting ruler, wielding imperial authority.

In 9 AD, Wang Mang deposed Crown Prince Ruzi Ying, usurped the throne, and proclaimed himself emperor, changing the dynasty's name to Xin新. He implemented reforms based on classical ideals: nationalizing land as "Royal Land" to restore the well-field system of the Zhou Dynasty; planning to move the capital to Luoyang洛阳; redesignating slaves as "Private Dependents" and banning their trade; abolishing the universal coin and issuing archaic currencies like turtle and cowry shells, which led to economic chaos; implementing the Five Equalizations and Six Monopolies to control industry and commerce; restoring the five ranks of nobility; frequently reorganizing the bureaucracy and administrative divisions; imposing heavy taxes, burdening the people; launching large-scale construction projects, imposing corvée labor, squandering resources, and waging relentless wars. These policies caused severe social unrest, and his brutal suppression of peasant revolts resulted in a dramatic population decline of 75%. Historical records describe the devastation: "The people were exhausted, with only two out of ten surviving."

In 23 AD, Wang Mang was killed when the Green Forest Army captured Chang'an. He reigned for 15 years and died at the age of 69.

Wang Mang has always been a controversial figure. Traditional historians, viewing him through the lens of orthodoxy, regarded him as a usurping "arch-villain." However, modern historians often praise him as "China's first social reformer." The Book of Han classifies him as a "treacherous official," while the modern scholar Hu Shi evaluated him as "China's first socialist."