本文藉重塑東漢政權建立的歷程，分析劉秀於不同階段所面對的統治問題如何導致用人政策的調整。本文將東漢政權建立歷程大致分為三個階段：第一階段為更始二年（24）至三年（25）的徇略河北時期，劉秀進入河北之初未有兵眾隨行，官屬團隊亦以潁川人為主體，其後河北兵將的加入雖有助劉秀成功建軍，然河北兵將勢力過大卻同時導致軍團內部勢力嚴重失衡；第二階段為建武元年（25）至六年（30）的平定東方勢力時期，劉秀於此階段透過積極提拔南陽籍將領，逐漸抑制河北兵將勢力的發展，然這同時使南陽籍將領的勢力日益壯大，不利於統治集團內部的勢力平衡；第三階段為建武六年（30）以後，劉秀有鑑於南陽功臣勢力日益膨脹，遂改為提拔更為親密的南陽籍親屬，並與河西豪族結為姻親及授以軍職，以壓抑南陽功臣勢力的過度膨脹。劉秀的一系列舉措有效壓制南陽功臣勢力的發展，並成功將政治及軍事權力收歸以劉秀為核心的親屬圈，從而確保皇權的鞏固及穩定。換言之，劉秀的用人政策不單決定功臣與外戚在東漢前期統治集團中的位置及角色，更深刻影響東漢前期的政治發展走向。

By reshaping the process of the establishment of the Eastern Han regime, this article analyzes how the problems of governance faced by Liu Xiu at different stages led to the adjustment of the Official Appointment policy. This article roughly divides the establishment of the Eastern Han Dynasty into three stages. The first stage was the period from 24 to 25 C.E. Liu Xiu was not accompanied by soldiers at the beginning of his entry into Hebei. When Liu Xiu striked for independence in Hebei in 24 C.E., he had to recruit Hebei soldiers to build the army due to insufficient military power on his own. This move caused a serious power imbalance within the ruling clique. The second stage was the period from 25 to 30 C.E. Liu Xiu actively promoted the Nanyang generals so as to suppress the power of the Beizhous’. But at the same time, the forces of the generals of Nanyang were growing, which was not conducive to the balance of power within the ruling group. In the third stage, Liu Xiu discoverd that the power of Nanyang generals was expanding, so he changed to promote more close relatives of Nanyang, and formed marriage bonds with Hexi nobles to suppress the excessive expansion of Nanyang generals’ power. Liu Xiu’s series of measures effectively suppressed the development of Nanyang generals’ forces, and successfully brought political and military power back to the circle of relatives with Liu Xiu as the core, thus ensuring the consolidation and stability of imperial power. In other words, Liu Xiu’s employment policy not only determined the positions and roles of heroes and relatives in the ruling group in the early Eastern Han Dynasty, but also profoundly affected the political development trend of the early Eastern Han Dynasty.