Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 4 Scroll 12 (continued)
The 12th year of the Emperor Gaozu (195 B.C. continued)
During the campaign against Ying Bu, the emperor was struck by a stray arrow and became gravely ill while on the road. Empress Lü brought a skilled doctor to treat him, but the emperor refused medical care, “I rose from nobody to power by my own hands—was this not fate? Fate lies in Heaven; what benefit will a doctor bring, even if Bian Que[a legendary doctor] was here?” He dismissed the doctor, rewarding him with fifty catties of gold.
Empress Lü then asked him who should succeed Xiao He as Chancellor after his passing. The emperor responded that Cao Shen would be a good choice, followed by Wang Ling, “Although Wang Ling is somewhat slow-witted and would require Chen Ping’s assistance. Chen Ping, whose wits are plenty, is not suitable for the role on his own. Zhou Bo, though not very educated or eloquent, is honest and straightforward, and he would be the one to secure the Liu family’s safety, so he should be appointed Grand Commandant.” When asked who should succeed after that, the emperor replied, “That is beyond what you need to worry about.”
In the summer, on April 25, the Emperor passed away at Changle Palace, and a grand mourning ceremony was held. A general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the empire.
Lu Wan, along with several thousand men, was stationed at the frontier, awaiting the Emperor’s recovery. He had hoped to admit his mistakes and solicit a pardon when the Emperor regained his health. However, upon learning of the Emperor’s death, Lu Wan fled to Xiongnu.
On May 17, Emperor Gaozu was buried at the Changling mausoleum.
Although Emperor Gaozu was not a scholar, he had a sharp mind and a magnanimous nature. He was skilled in strategy and willing to listen to advice. He treated his former gatekeepers and soldiers like family. To address the people’s needs, he established the Law of Three Articles. After unifying the country, he appointed Xiao He to organize laws and regulations, Han Xin to codify military strategy and discipline, Zhang Cang to establish the legal code, and Shusun Tong to set the ceremonial system. He also rewarded his meritorious subjects by inscribing oaths of immunity and storing them in ancestral temples in the form of red books, iron tablets, golden boxes, and stone chambers. Despite his demanding schedule that had not enough hours in a day, he successfully established a comprehensive administrative system with a lasting impact.
On May 20, the crown prince ascended the throne and became emperor, bestowing upon the Empress Lü the title of Empress Dowager.
When Emperor Gaozu was gravely ill, someone accused Fan Kuai of conspiring with the Lü clan, alleging that they planned to order soldiers to execute the King of Zhao, Liu Ruyi, and his followers once the emperor died. Enraged, Emperor Gaozu sought the counsel of Chen Ping. He then ordered the Marquis of Jiang, Zhou Bo, to retrieve an imperial edict from his bedside: “Chen Ping, as my representative, is to go immediately to Fan Kuai‘s camp and replace him with Zhou Bo as commander. Once there, Chen Ping is to have Fan Kuai beheaded.”
Zhou Bo and Chen Ping deliberated: “Fan Kuai has been with the emperor since childhood. He has accomplished so much and is married to the empress’s sister. He is both a noble and a member of the imperial family. The emperor, in his fury, ordered his execution, but what if he later regrets it? Let’s arrest him and take him to the emperor. Let the emperor decide his fate personally.”
They set up a platform and summoned Fan Kuai using the emperor’s insignia. Fan Kuai, upon receiving the imperial edict, complied and was taken to Chang’an in a cage cart. Zhou Bo replaced Fan Kuai as the general in charge of pacifying the Yan rebellion.
On his way back to the capital, Chen Ping heard of Emperor Gaozu‘s death and feared that Empress Lü‘s sister, Lü Xu, might denigrate him. He hurried back to Chang’an, but along the way, he encountered an imperial messenger ordering him and Guan Ying to station at Xingyang. Chen Ping accepted the order but quickly returned to the palace to mourn the emperor’s passing, weeping sorrowfully. He requested to stay in the imperial palace as a guard, and the Empress Dowager appointed him minister of imperial household to teach and assist the young emperor. As a result, Lü Xu‘s libels against Chen Ping were ineffective, and when Fan Kuai arrived in Chang’an, he was pardoned and restored to his former position and privilege.
The Empress Dowager ordered to lock Consort Qi in the palace prison. She was shaved, shackled, dressed in a coarse red robe, and made to do manual labor such as pounding grain. The Empress Dowager also sent envoys to summon the Prince of Zhao, Liu Ruyi. After three attempts, Zhao‘s Prime Minister, Zhou Chang, refused to let Liu Ruyi accompany the envoys to the capital. He told them, “Emperor Gaozu entrusted the Prince of Zhao to me. The prince is still young, and I have heard that the Empress Dowager hates Consort Qi and intends to execute both her and the prince. I cannot send the Prince of Zhao as he is ill and unable to follow the imperial order.”
The Empress Dowager, enraged, summoned Zhou Chang to Chang’an. After his arrival, she sent for the Prince of Zhao once more. The king was en route, but when the Emperor learned of the Empress Dowager’s animosity, he personally welcomed the Prince of Zhao at Bashang, brought him into the palace, and engaged him in daily activities. Although the Empress Dowager wished to kill Liu Ruyi, she could not find an opportunity.
The 1st year of the Emperor Hui(194 B.C.)
In December of that winter, the emperor went hunting in the early morning. The young Prince of Zhao could not rise as early, and the Empress Dowager sent someone to give him a cup of poisoned wine. When the emperor returned at dawn, he discovered that the King of Zhao had already died. The Empress Dowager then ordered Consort Qi’s hands and feet to be cut off, her eyes gouged out, her ears burned, and a potion administered to render her mute. She was kept in the outhouse and referred to as a “human pig.”
A few days later, the emperor was summoned by the Empress Dowager to see this “human swine.” He recognized her and cried bitterly. His grief made him ill, and he remained bedridden for over a year. He passed messages to the Empress Dowager, “This is not something a human being should do. I am the son of the Empress Dowager, but I will never be able to govern the realm.” After this, the emperor indulged in drinking and pleasures, neglecting state affairs.
Sima Guang’s commentary: As a son, one should remonstrate with his parents if they do something wrong. If the remonstration is ignored, one should weep and continue to persuade. How can one abandon the country and its governance, indulging in alcohol and carnal pleasure, because they cannot bear their mother’s cruelty, especially when entrusted with the legacy of the founding emperor and rulership of the realm? Emperor Hui can be seen as someone devoted to small acts of kindness but ignorant of great principles.
The Prince of Huaiyang, Liu You, was removed from his position and made Prince of Zhao.
In January, during the spring, construction of the city walls began in the northwest of Chang’an.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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