Liu Gong, seeing the dangers of the situation for his brother the emperor, decides in 26 to make one attempt to either put the situation under control or disengage his brother from the mess.

At the New Year's Day imperial gathering, Liu Gong first speaks and asks that Emperor Penzi be allowed to yield the throne, and Emperor Penzi jumps off the throne, removes from his person the the imperial sea, and speaks while crying: “Now there is an emperor, but everyone continues to act as robbers.

The people hate us and do not trust us.

This is because you chose the wrong Son of Heaven.

Please return my body to me.

But if you want to kill me to divert blame, then I must die.” Fan and the other leaders are ashamed, and they leave their seats and bow down to Emperor Penzi, apologizing for their failures.

They physically force Emperor Penzi back onto the throne and restore the imperial seal onto his person.

For weeks after the incident, the generals restrain their soldiers from unlawful acts, and the people praise Emperor Penzi as a merciful and brilliant emperor.

However, the lawlessness returns before long.

Soon, the food supplies are completely depleted, and the Chimei forces burn many Chang'an palaces and other buildings and pillage the city, then march west into the modern eastern Gansu region.

In autumn 26, The Chimei forces attack the territory held by the regional warlord Wei Xiao, but are repelled by Wei.

At this time, they suffer from a sudden cold spell that freezes many soldiers to death.

They head back east and reenter Chang'an and engage in a series of battles with Deng and, despite their reduced strength at this time, continue to defeat Deng regularly.

The wars lead to a severe famine in the Guangzhong region, which affects not only the people of the region but also both Chimei and Deng's forces.

The Chimei, lacking food, eventually abandon Chang'an and head east.

Liu Xiu sets up two forces at Xin'an in modern Luoyang, Henan) and Yiyang (also in modern Luoyang) to block their progress, as his forces under Deng and Feng Yi, whom he had sent to relieve Deng, continue to battle the Chimei.

Pontius Pilate, becoming, under Tiberias, the fifth Roman procurator (governor) of Judea in 26, also has jurisdiction over Samaria and part of Idumaea.

Pilate's title was traditionally thought to have been procurator, since Tacitus speaks of him as such.

However, a damaged dedication by a Pilate of a Tiberieum on a limestone block known as the Pilate Stone—a dedication to Tiberius Caesar Augustus—that will be discovered in 1961 in the ruins of an amphitheater at Caesarea Maritima, the capital of the province of Judaea (Iudaea), refers to Pilate as "Prefect of Judaea".

The dedication states that he was [...]ECTVS IUDA[...] (usually read as praefectus Iudaeae), that is, prefect of Judaea.

Thus, the early governors of Judaea appear to be of prefect rank, whereas the later are of procurator rank, beginning in CE 44 with Cuspius Fadus.

The inscription, discovered by a group led by Antonio Frova and dated to CE 26–37, is currently housed in the Israel Museum, Jerusalem, while a replica stands at Caesarea.

The Chimei win a great victory against both Deng and Feng at Hu (in modern Sanmenxia, Henan) in spring 27—a rarity in the records regarding them in that the battle tactics demonstrating Chimei generals' brilliance are recorded in historical accounts.

The Chimei general engages in the tactic of feigning defeat and retreat—abandoning what appeared to be supplies of food.

Deng's forces, also hungry, try to take the food, which turns out to only contain one layer of beans with dirt underneath.

Having lured Deng's forces into a condition of panic, the Chimei forces then converge, defeating their foes.

The victory at Hu is to be the last for the Chimei.

About a month later, they suffer a major defeat at Feng's hands—in which Feng creates confusion for the Chimei by also coloring his troops' eyebrows red.

The remnants of the Chimei withdraw east toward Yiyang.

Liu Xiu personally leads the troops to wait for them.

As the Chimei arrive at Yiyang, they are surprised to see Liu Xiu's overwhelming forces, and decide to negotiate surrender terms.

After Liu Xiu agrees not to execute Emperor Penzi, the Chimei emperor and generals surrender.

The Chimei generals and their families are settled in the Eastern Han capital of Luoyang and given regular stipends and land, but not official positions.

Eventually, Fan and Pang prepare to rebel again, and they are discovered and executed.

Yang and Xu return to their home lands, where they will die of old age.

Xie is assassinated by Liu Gong to avenge Emperor Gengshi, and Liu Xiu, sympathetic to Liu Gong, pardons him.

Liu Xiu makes the former Emperor Penzi an assistant to his uncle Liu Liang, the Prince of Zhao.

Liu Penzi will later suffer an illness that will leave him blind, and Liu Xiu will give him a large swarth of farmland, allowing him to survive on the rent from the farms.

The Trung sisters, whose names are Trung Trac and Trung Nh, are Vietnamese military leaders who rebel against Chinese rule in 39.

Regarded as national heroines of Vietnam, their rebellion begins at the Red River Delta, but soon spreads to other Yue tribes along the coast to the north and south.

A Thracian settlement called Serdica or Sardica, named after the Celtic tribe Serdi that had populated it, had been possessed for a short period during the fourth century BCE by Philip of Macedon and his son Alexander the Great.

The city is conquered by the Romans around 29 BCE and renamed Ulpia Serdica.

The Middle East: 28–39 CE

Parthian Struggles and Roman Diplomacy

During the period from 28 to 39 CE, tensions within the Parthian Empire continue to challenge regional stability. Artabanus II, initially successful in consolidating authority, now faces intense internal opposition driven by powerful Parthian aristocratic factions increasingly dissatisfied with his centralization efforts and assertive foreign policy.

In 35 CE, discontent among these elites culminates in open rebellion, prompting some Parthian nobles to seek assistance from Rome. Seizing this diplomatic opportunity, Roman authorities under Emperor Tiberius actively encourage instability by supporting rival claimants to the Parthian throne, notably backing Tiridates III, a Parthian prince with significant Roman connections. Roman support for Tiridates culminates in his temporary installation as a rival king in 36 CE, forcing Artabanus II into exile among eastern nomadic tribes.

However, Artabanus swiftly regroups, leveraging tribal alliances to mount a successful counteroffensive. By 37 CE, he regains control over Ctesiphon, expelling Tiridates and restoring his authority. Understanding the limits of Roman intervention, Emperor Caligula, who succeeds Tiberius in 37 CE, chooses not to pursue aggressive confrontation, instead accepting Artabanus’s reinstatement and renewing diplomatic relations.

Simultaneously, Rome carefully manages the delicate political situation in Armenia, maintaining the kingdom as a crucial buffer state and preserving influence through client kings and strategic diplomacy. The Roman-Parthian rivalry thus remains largely unresolved, characterized by intermittent proxy conflicts, strategic maneuvering, and cautious diplomacy, shaping the region’s ongoing balance of power.

The Middle East: 40–51 CE

Parthian Rivalries and Roman Regional Strategies

Between 40 and 51 CE, the Parthian Empire again descends into internal strife, exacerbated by external Roman intervention. In 40 CE, Emperor Caligula dispatches forces to strengthen Rome's grip over client states and indirectly assert influence over Armenia. His assassination in 41 CE and the accession of Claudius usher in a pragmatic shift in Roman eastern policy, characterized by strategic restraint and careful diplomacy rather than overt military campaigns.

Parthia’s Artabanus II dies around 38 CE, leading to further instability. His successor, Vardanes I, ascends the throne but faces immediate opposition from his brother, Gotarzes II, sparking a destructive civil war. Throughout the early 40s CE, the two brothers engage in intermittent conflicts, with Vardanes briefly securing dominance before his assassination in 45 CE. Gotarzes II regains power but continues to contend with widespread aristocratic unrest and regional rebellions.

Seizing upon Parthian disarray, Rome employs diplomatic maneuvers, indirectly supporting rival claimants to maintain Parthian internal divisions while preserving a manageable frontier. In 49 CE, the Parthian nobility invites Meherdates, a hostage prince raised in Rome, to challenge Gotarzes. Meherdates, however, suffers defeat, securing Gotarzes' tenuous rule until his death in 51 CE.

Amid these conflicts, Rome consistently focuses its influence on Armenia, which remains pivotal to regional stability. The kingdom alternates between pro-Roman and pro-Parthian rulers, reflecting the ongoing, careful diplomatic tug-of-war. Thus, by 51 CE, the Middle East continues as a theater of indirect conflict, shaped by Parthian dynastic rivalries and Rome’s strategic emphasis on diplomatic intervention rather than outright conquest.