gengshi was a descendant of emperor jing of early western han dynasty, via the lineage of liu mai, prince ding of changsha. his third cousin, liu yan, was a prominent general in the rebellions against the reign of wang mang in the short-lived xin dynasty. in the year 22 ad, many rebel leaders were jealous of liu yan's capabilities despite many of their men admiring liu yan and wanting him to become the emperor of a restored han dynasty. they found liu xuan, then another local rebel leader who was claiming the title of general gengshi (更始將軍) at the time and was considered a weak personality, and requested that he be made emperor. liu yan initially opposed this move and instead suggested that liu xuan carry the title "king of han" first (echoing the founder of the han dynasty, emperor gaozu). the other rebel leaders refused, and in early 23, liu xuan was proclaimed emperor. liu yan became prime minister.