Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 5 Scroll 13 (continued)
The 1st year of the Emperor Wen’s Early Era(179 B.C.)
In the winter, on October 1, Liu Ze, the Prince of Langya, was relocated to become the Prince of Yan, while Liu Sui, the son of Prince of Zhao–Liu You, was enfeoffed as the new Prince of Zhao.
That winter, Chen Ping requested to resign from his position due to illness. The Emperor inquired about his decision, and Chen Ping replied, “During Emperor Gaozu’s reign, Zhou Bo did not accomplish as much as I did. However, during the elimination of the Lü Clan, I did not accomplish as much as Zhou Bo did. I would like to step down as Right Chancellor in favor of Zhou Bo.” On November 8, Emperor Wen appointed Chen Ping as Left Chancellor, Zhou Bo as Right Chancellor, and Guan Ying as Grand Commandant. The territories of Qi and Chu, which had been seized by the Lü Clan, were returned to their rightful federation.
After the execution of the various members of the Lü clan, officials, from the Chancellor down to those of lower rank, were rewarded with increases in their fief households and gifts of gold. The Marquis of Jiang was particularly pleased and left the court with great satisfaction. The Emperor, who held him in high regard, watched him depart with admiration.
The attendant Yuan Ang from Anling remonstrated with the Emperor, saying, “The Lü clan rebelled, and all the high-ranking officials worked together to exterminate them. At that time, the Chancellor was also the Grand Commandant and in charge of the military. He was merely successful in his duties. Now the Chancellor seems to show signs of swagger, and Your Majesty remains humble and accommodating. When ministers are disrespectful and the sovereign is permissive, It is not an appropriate relationship, in my humble opinion.”
After this, the Emperor became more solemn, while the Chancellor grew more cautious and fearful.
In December, an edict was issued stating, “The law is intended to govern justly. While those who violate the law have already been sentenced, it is unacceptable to us for innocent parents, spouses, relatives, and associates to be punished and enslaved as a result. Therefore, the laws concerning the punishment of children and others guilty by association will be abolished.”
In January, during the spring, the officials requested that a crown prince be established early. The Emperor responded, “Since I lack virtue and have not been able to extensively search for virtuous and capable individuals to whom I might abdicate, establishing a crown prince prematurely would only highlight my own lack of virtue. Let us delay this matter.”
The officials, however, insisted, saying, “Establishing a crown prince underscores the importance of ancestral temples and national altars, ensuring the country is not neglected.”
The Emperor said, “The Prince of Chu is my uncle, the Prince of Wu is my brother, and the Prince of Huainan is my younger brother. Are they not suitable candidates for succession? If I overlook them and only consider my sons, people will think I’ve ignored virtuous and capable individuals in favor of my own children. This is not the way to care for the country.”
The officials persisted, “In ancient times, the dynasties of Yin and Zhou thrived in peace and prosperity for over a thousand years by following this practice. Selecting a son as the heir has been the tradition for generations. When Emperor Gaozu unified the world, he became the primogenitor. His descendants have succeeded the throne ever since. It would not be appropriate to alter his will now and select an heir from among the princes of the royal family. Such a change would go against Emperor Gaozu’s precedent. Prince Liu Qi, your eldest son, is pure, kind, and benevolent. We humbly request that he be established as the crown prince.”
The Emperor, after hearing this, agreed to their request.
In March, the mother of the crown prince, Lady Dou, was made Empress. She was originally from Guanjin County in Qinghe Commandery. Lady Dou had a younger brother named Dou Guangguo, whose courtesy name was Shaojun (Young Lord). As a child, he had been kidnapped and sold multiple times before finally managing to return home. Upon learning that his sister had become Empress, he wrote her a letter recounting his story.
The Empress summoned him, and after questioning him, confirmed his story was true. She then granted him land, houses, and money, allowing him and his family to settle in Chang’an alongside his older brother, Dou Zhangjun (Older Lord).
The Marquis of Jiang and General Guan Ying said to each other, “We have just escaped death with the Lüs, but our fates now rest in the hands of these two brothers. They come from humble origins, and if they do not choose good teachers and advisers, they may end up like the Lü clan. This is a matter of great importance!” As a result, they selected virtuous and upright scholars to serve as the brothers’ teachers and advisers. From that point on, the brothers became modest and respectful, never allowing their elevated status to turn them into reckless or egoistic brats.
The Emperor issued a decree to provide support and loans to widows, widowers, orphans, the elderly, and the destitute. He also ordered that individuals over the age of 80 would receive monthly grants of rice, meat, and wine, while those over the age of 90 would also be given silk and cotton. The county magistrate must inspect all porridge and goods for elders, and the administrator and military officer were tasked with delivering them to those over 90 years old. For those under 90, the distribution was handled by town managers and the staff of the county magistrate. High-ranking officials were assigned to monitor local officials to ensure proper execution of the distribution, with punishments in place for those who failed to dispense the grants correctly.
The Prince Yuan of Chu, Liu Jiao, passed away.
In April of that summer, earthquakes struck the principalities of Qi and Chu. On the same day, twenty-nine mountains collapsed, and great floods erupted.
Around this time, someone presented the Emperor with a horse capable of running a thousand li per day. The Emperor remarked, “With imperial banners leading and baggage carts following, my procession can march no more than fifty li a day, and the army can only manage thirty li. Should I ride this thousand-li horse and leave everyone behind?” He returned the horse to the giver and compensated them for their expenses. He then issued an edict: “I will not accept any more gifts. Let it be known throughout the realm that no one should present me with further offerings.”
Emperor Wen had long shown kindness to the people, and the monarchs and neighboring tribes, both near and far, were pleased. At last, he rewarded those from Dai who had aided in his ascension, appointing Song Chang as the Marquis of Zhuangwu.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
Leave a comment