Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 4 Scroll 12 (continued)
The 2nd year of the Emperor Hui (193 B.C.)
In October of that winter, Prince Daohui of Qi, Liu Fei, came to court and drank in the presence of the Empress Dowager. The emperor gave his elder half brother, the Prince of Qi, the seat of honor. Infuriated, the Empress Dowager poured a cup of poisoned wine and presented it to the Prince of Qi as a blessing for longevity. As the Prince of Qi stood, the emperor stood up and took the cup instead. Horrified, the Empress Dowager quickly rose and knocked over the cup from the hand of the emperor. The Prince of Qi, surprised, dared not drink and pretended to be drunk and left.
Upon learning that the wine had been poisoned, the Prince of Qi was terrified. The Minister of Internal Affairs for Qi, named Shi, advised the Prince of Qi to offer Chengyang Commandery as a fiefdom for Princess Yuan of Lu, the Empress Dowager‘s daughter. Pleased with this offer, the Empress Dowager let the Prince of Qi return home.
In the spring, on January 4, two dragons were seen in a well by a household in Lanling.
There was an earthquake in Longxi.
There was a drought in the summer.
The Marquis of Heyang, Liu Zhong(Emperor Gaozu’s elder brother), passed away.
During the illness of the Marquis of Zan, Chancellor Xiao He, the emperor visited him and asked, “After you reach the age of one hundred, who could replace you?” Xiao He replied, “Your Majesty knows me the best.” The emperor then asked, “How about Cao Shen?” Xiao He immediately kowtowed, “Your Majesty has found the right man. I will die without worries.”
In the autumn of that year, on July 5, Xiao He passed away. He always chose to live in modest and remote areas, and his home lacked elaborate walls or fancy structures. He once said, “Future generations should learn from my frugality. If they are wise, they will follow my example; if they are not, their homes won’t be taken away by powerful families.”
Cao Shen was appointed Chancellor on July 27. Upon hearing of Xiao He‘s death, he told his attendant, “Pack up my luggage, I will become the Chancellor.” Shortly after, a messenger arrived to summon him. Cao Shen and Xiao He had been good friends as commoners. Although some tension arose between them when they held high offices, Xiao He always regarded Cao Shen highly and only recommended Cao Shen as an excellent leader in his waning hours.
After assuming the role of Chancellor, Cao Shen made no changes and followed Xiao He‘s principles. He selected his assistants from commanderies and princedoms, based on their reputation for modesty and respectfulness, rather than their eloquence or literary talent. Those who were good at talking but lacked substance and practicality were dismissed.
Cao Shen enjoyed drinking wine day and night. When officials or guests came to discuss important matters, he would simply drink with them until they were drunk and then send them away. It became a common occurrence that these officials had not spoken about what they came for before they were drunk. He overlooked minor mistakes of his subordinates, maintained order, and ensured that the government ran smoothly without trouble.
One day, the Emperor asked Cao Shen‘s son, Cao Zhu, who was Grandee of Palace, why the Chancellor wasn’t doing his job properly. He remarked, “Does he take advantage of my young age?” Cao Zhu privately asked his father about this, which enraged Cao Shen. He whipped his son two hundred strokes and scolded him, “Hurry back to wait on the emperor! You don’t talk about state affairs with me!”
When Cao Shen went to court, the Emperor reprimanded him, “The other day it was We who asked Cao Zhu to remonstrate with you.” Cao Shen removed his cap and apologized, asking, “Does Your Majesty consider yourself as wise as the Emperor Gaozu?”
The Emperor replied, “How could I compare to Emperor Gaozu?”
Cao Shen then asked, “Does Your Majesty think I am as capable as Xiao He?”
The Emperor said, “You don’t seem to be.”
Cao Shen responded, “Your Majesty speaks the truth. Emperor Gaozu and Xiao He established order and justice in the empire. Now, Your Majesty sits on the throne, and we, your ministers, make sure that the rules are properly followed. What more could you ask for?”
The Emperor praised him, “Well said!”
Cao Shen served as Chancellor for three years. During his tenure, the people praised him and sang, “Xiao He established laws, being clear and straightforward; Cao Shen succeeded him, kept compliance without error; The people lived in peace, when no one interferes.”
The 3rd year of the Emperor Hui(192 B.C.)
In the spring, 146,000 men and women were conscripted within a 600-li radius of Chang’an to build its defenses. The work was completed in 30 days.
A girl from the imperial family was given in marriage to Xiongnu‘s Modu Chanyu, in the name of the emperor’s daughter. At that time, Modu was very powerful and sent a letter to Empress Dowager Gao, using highly disrespectful and insulting language. Furious, Empress Dowager Gao summoned her generals and ministers to discuss beheading the messenger and launching an attack on the Xiongnu. Fan Kui declared, “I want an army of 100,000 to roam through the Xiongnu!”
However, Ji Bu, General of the Palace, responded, “Fan Kui should be executed! When the Xiongnu besieged Emperor Gaozu at Pingcheng, there were 320,000 Han troops, and Fan Kui was the top general, yet he failed to break the siege. Now, families of the soldiers have only just begun singing their laments, and the wounded have barely recovered, yet Fan Kui talks recklessly of leading 100,000 men. This is nothing but lying to our faces! Moreover, barbarians are like wild beasts—if we receive their kind words, there is no need to rejoice; if we receive their insults, there is no need to be outraged.”
Empress Dowager Gao replied, “Well said!” and ordered Grand Internuncio Zhang Shi to send a letter of apology, humbling herself deeply. She also sent two carriages and two pairs of horses as gifts. Modu Chanyu, in turn, sent an envoy to express his apologies, “I have never learned Middle Kingdom etiquette and righteousness. Your Majesty was kind enough to pardon me.” He also presented horses to the Han court as a gesture of goodwill, leading to the establishment of peace.
In May of that summer, the lord of Minyue, Yao, was established as the King of Donghai. Yao and Wuzhu were both descendants of the King of Yue, Goujian. They had aided the other feudal lords in overthrowing the Qin dynasty and achieved many accomplishments, earning the people’s loyalty. As a result, they were established as kings. Yao’s capital was located in Dong’ou, and he was known as the King of Dong’ou.
In June, 20,000 prisoners from principalities and marquises were sent to build the city wall of Chang’an.
In the autumn of July, there was a fire at the imperial stables.
This year, the people of Jiandi County in Shu rebelled, but the rebellion was suppressed.
The 4th year of the Emperor Hui(191 B.C.)
In October of that winter, the Emperor anointed Lady Zhang as Empress. Empress Zhang was the daughter of Princess Yuan of Lu, the Emperor’s elder sister. The Empress Dowager sought to establish a dual kinship bond with the Emperor, so she arranged the marriage.
In the spring of January, individuals who demonstrated filial piety, sibling respect, or excellence in farming were exempted from corvée labor.
On March 7, the Emperor was crowned in a coronation ceremony, and he declared a general amnesty throughout the country.
The Emperor issued an edict abolishing laws and regulations that hindered officials from serving the people and caused harm. He also eliminated Qin dynasty laws that punished the carrying and preservation of books.
In January of that spring, the Emperor frequently visited the Empress Dowager at Changle Palace, disrupting public traffic due to road clearances. To address this, he ordered the construction of a double-deck road south of the imperial arsenal. However, the Minister of Ceremony Shusun Tong remonstrated, saying: “This is the route where Emperor Gaozu‘s ceremonial dress and hat are paraded to the ancestral temple each month. How can his descendants ride on a road that passes above this sacred path?”
The Emperor, alarmed, ordered the road to be demolished. But Shusun Tong advised, “A ruler’s actions cannot go unnoticed. Since Your Majesty has already begun, and the people are aware, I suggest building another ancestral temple north of the Wei River. The monthly processions for the dress and hat can go to the new temple. A newer and larger ancestral temple would better reflect the foundation of great filial piety.”
The Emperor agreed and ordered the relevant authorities to construct the new ancestral temple.
Sima Guang’s commentary: Everyone makes mistakes, but only the wise can recognize and correct them. The ancient sages feared failing to recognize their mistakes, so they established the wooden post of defamation and daring-you-remonstrating drum. How could they fear the people hearing of their errors? Zhong Hui praised King Tang of Shang for his ability to correct his mistakes: “Never hesitate to correct your mistakes.” Fu Yue admonished King Wu-Ding of Shang: “Never be ashamed of errors, thus preventing more mistakes.” From this, we understand that a monarch is not considered wise for being faultless but for being willing to correct his faults.
However, when Shusun Tong admonished Emperor Hui, he claimed, “The Ruler is infallible.” suggesting that he taught the monarch to use sophistry to justify his errors. Wasn’t this itself a mistake?
There was a disaster at Hong Terrace in Changle Palace.
In the autumn of July, two fires occurred in the imperial palaces. On July 20, the Ice Storage Room in Weiyang Palace caught fire, and on July 21, the Weaving Room also burned.
The 5th year of the Emperor Hui(190 B.C.)
In the winter, thunder was heard, and peaches and plums blossomed. Dates ripened early.
In the spring of January, the Emperor once again conscripted 145,000 men and women from within a 600-li radius around Chang’an to work on the city walls. The project was completed in 30 days.
In the summer, there was a severe drought. The Yangtze River and Yellow River had very little water, while the streams and creeks were completely dry.
In the autumn, on September 11, Cao Shen, the Marquis Yi of Pingyang, passed away.
The 6th year of the Emperor Hui(189 B.C.)
In the winter of October, Wang Ling was appointed as the Right Chancellor, and Chen Ping was appointed as the Left Chancellor.
Prince Hui of Qi, Liu Fei, passed away.
In the summer, the Marquis of Wencheng, Zhang Liang, passed away.
Zhou Bo was appointed as Grand Commandant.
The 7th year of the Emperor Hui(188 B.C.)
In the winter, chariots, cavalry veterans were dispatched to Xingyang, led by Grand Commandant Guan Ying.
In the spring, on January 1, there was a solar eclipse. Another solar eclipse occurred on May 29.
In the autumn, on August 12, Emperor Hui passed away in Weiyang Palace. A general amnesty was declared throughout the empire. On September 5, the Emperor was buried in the Anling Mausoleum.
Previously, Empress Dowager Lü had ordered Empress Zhang to adopt someone else’s son and kill his mother to make him the crown prince. After the burial, the crown prince ascended the throne, but as he was still young, Empress Dowager Lü served as the regent.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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