Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 4 Scroll 12 (continued)
The 10th year of the Emperor Gaozu (197 B.C.)
The Emperor Emeritus(the emperor’s father) passed away at the Yueyang Palace in May of the summer. He was buried at Wannian tomb on July 14 in the autumn. The kings of Chu and Liang both attended the funeral. The prisoners of Yueyang county were granted amnesty.
Consort Qi of Dingtao was favored by the emperor and gave birth to Prince Ruyi, the King of Zhao. The emperor regarded the crown prince as weak and believed Liu Ruyi looked more like himself. Although Prince Ruyi held the title of King of Zhao, he was always kept in Chang’an. When the emperor traveled east of the Huangu Pass, Consort Qi often accompanied him, weeping day and night, hoping to make her son the heir. Empress Lü, who was aging, often stayed behind and grew distant from the emperor. The emperor wanted to depose the crown prince and make Prince Ruyi the heir, but officials opposed it, and no one could change his mind. The Grand Master of Censorate, Zhou Chang, vehemently opposed the decision in the court. When the emperor asked for his reasoning, Zhou Chang, who was a stutter, infuriated and stuttered, “I have trouble speaking, but I know it is just…just not right! Your Majesty wants to depose the crown prince, but I… I cannot obey the order!” The emperor was amused and laughed. Empress Lü, listening from the east side room, thanked Zhou Chang on her knees after the meeting, “Were it not for you, the crown prince would have been deposed!”
Prince Ruyi of Zhao was ten years old at the time, and the emperor feared he would be unable to protect his son after his death. The Censor of Imperial Seal and Insignia, Zhao Yao, suggested appointing a powerful and respected figure as Prince Ruyi‘s advisor—someone held in high regard by Empress Lü, the crown prince, and the court officials. The emperor asked, “Who would be a suitable candidate?” Zhao Yao replied, “The Grand Master of Censorate, Zhou Chang, is the right person.” The emperor then appointed Zhou Chang as Prime Minister to Prince Ruyi of Zhao and replaced Zhou Chang with Zhao Yao as the Grand Master of Censorate.
The emperor also appointed Marquis Yangxia, Chen Xi, as Prime Minister of the kingdom of Dai and tasked him with overseeing the border troops of kingdom Zhao and Dai. Before Chen Xi left, he met with the Marquis of Huaiyin, Han Xin, to bid farewell. The Marquis took his hand, dismissed his attendants, and walked with him in the courtyard. Gazing up at the sky, he sighed and said, “May I speak with you?” Chen Xi replied, “Please give me instructions, General.” The Marquis of Huaiyin said, “Where you are going to stations the best soldiers in the world, and you are a trusted servant of the emperor. If people accuse you of rebellion, the emperor will not believe it the first time. The second time, he will begin to doubt. By the third time, he will be mad and lead the army himself. I can support you from within, and together we can take over the country.” Knowing the Marquis’s abilities, Chen Xi trusted him and said, “I will follow your advice carefully.”
Chen Xi had long admired Wei Wuji (Lord Xinling) for his practice of cultivating talented individuals. While serving as Prime Minister guarding the border, he reported back to the capital and passed through the principality of Zhao, accompanied by more than a thousand carriages filled with his retainers. The official residences in Handan were packed with them. The Prime Minister of Zhao, Zhou Chang, requested an audience with the emperor and reported that Chen Xi had a large number of clients and had commanded troops near the border for several years, raising concerns about possible unrest.
The emperor ordered an investigation into the unlawful activities of Chen Xi’s retainers in Dai, many of which implicated Chen Xi himself. Fearing for his safety, Chen Xi was persuaded by the King of Hán, Xin, to defect, with the assistance of Wang Huang, Wanqiu Chen, and others.
When the Emperor Emeritus passed away, the emperor summoned Chen Xi, but Chen Xi claimed illness and did not come. In September, Chen Xi rebelled with the help of Wang Huang and others, declaring himself the King of Dai and plundering the principalities of Zhao and Dai. The emperor led troops from the east to attack him. Upon arriving in Handan, the emperor was relieved and said, “Since Chen Xi did not occupy Handan and block the Zhang River to the south, I know he does not have what it takes.”
Zhou Chang reported, “Of the 25 cities in Changshan commandery, 20 have been lost. I request that the commanders and officials responsible be executed.”
The emperor asked, “Did the commanders and officials rebel?”
Zhou Chang replied, “No.”
The emperor responded, “Then it’s because they lacked strength, not because of any crimes.”
The emperor ordered Zhou Chang to select capable young men from Zhao to be appointed as commanders. Zhou Chang presented four candidates to the emperor, who scolded them, “Can young fellows like you really be commanders?” The four were ashamed and prostrated themselves. Despite this, the emperor rewarded each of them with a thousand households and appointed them as generals.
His attendants objected, “Even the rewards from the campaigns to conquer Shu, Han, and Chu have not been as generous as this. What have these men done to deserve such rewards?”
The emperor replied, “You do not understand. Chen Xi has rebelled and controls the territories of Zhao and Dai. I have called for troops from all over the country, but no one has responded yet. The only troops I have are those in Handan. Why do I hold dear these four thousand households, instead of giving out to lift the spirits of the youngmen of Zhao?”
The attendants agreed and praised the emperor’s decision.
It was also reported that most of Chen Xi‘s generals were former merchants. The emperor remarked, “Now I know what I should give to them.” He then used large amounts of gold to bribe Chen Xi‘s generals, leading many of them to defect to him.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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