Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 8 Scroll 16 (continued)
The 3rd year of the Emperor Jing’s Early Era (154 B.C. continued)
During the siege of Linzi by the three princes—of Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, and Zichuan—the Prince of Qi sent his official, Grandee of the Household Lu, to report to the Emperor. The Emperor instructed Lu to return and tell the Prince of Qi to hold his ground, as “Han‘s army has already defeated Wu and Chu.”
Grandee of the Household Lu returned, but by then, the three princes had surrounded Linzi with multiple layers of troops, preventing him from entering the city. The generals of the three princedoms struck a deal with him: “If you declare that ‘Han has already been defeated, and Qi must surrender at once—otherwise, the city will be slaughtered,’ we will allow you to return.”
Grandee of the Household Lu agreed and approached the city. Upon seeing the Prince of Qi from afar, he shouted instead, “Han has mobilized an army of one million! Grand Commandant Zhou Yafu has crushed the forces of Wu and Chu, and reinforcements are on their way to rescue Qi. Hold your ground—do not surrender!”
Enraged by his deception, the generals of the three principalities executed Grandee of the Household Lu.
Earlier the siege of Linzi was intense, prompting the Prince of Qi to secretly negotiate with the three rebellious princes. However, the alliance had not yet been finalized. When Grandee of the Household Lu returned from Han, the ministers of Qi urged the Prince not to surrender.
Meanwhile, Han generals Luan Bu and the Marquis of Pingyang Cao Xiang (a descendant of Cao Shen) arrived in Qi and defeated the troops of the three princedoms. After lifting the siege, they discovered Qi’s earlier negotiation with the three princes and prepared to attack Qi. Fearing the consequences, the Prince of Qi committed suicide by taking poison.
Following the defeat of Wu and Chu, the Princes of Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, and Zichuan each led their armies back to their respective principalities. The Prince of Jiaoxi, in an act of repentance, walked barefoot, sat on straw mats, and drank only water, praying for mercy to the Empress Dowager.
His crown prince, Liu De, urged him, “Han‘s army has retreated. I believe the war is over, and they are now vulnerable to a surprise attack. Let me gather our remaining forces and strike them. If we fail, it is not too late to flee to the sea.”
But the Prince replied, “My troops are already demoralized. They can no longer be deployed.”
The Han general Han Tuidang, also known as Marquis of Gonggao, sent a letter to the Prince of Jiaoxi:
“By imperial decree, I am tasked with punishing the unjust. Those who surrender will be pardoned and have their previous status restored, but those who resist will be annihilated. My prince, the choice is yours.”
The Prince of Jiaoxi bared his back and walked to the Han camp, kowtowing before Han Tuidang.
“I, Liu Ang, have failed in upholding the law, bringing fear and distress upon my people. Now, I have troubled the general with this arduous journey to my impoverished principality. For my heinous crime, I dare to request the harshest punishment—to be cut into pieces.”
Marquis of Gonggao arrived at the meeting with his golden commander’s drum and asked:
“Your Grace went to great effort to mobilize your princedom. May I hear the exact wording of your mobilization order?”
The Prince kowtowed again, walked forward on his knees, and replied:
“Recently, Chao Cuo wielded great power in the imperial court, altering the laws established by the esteemed Emperor Gaozu and encroaching upon the territories of various monarchs. I, Liu Ang, along with the other princes, believed this to be unjust and feared it would bring turmoil to the empire. Thus, the seven princedoms raised their armies to eliminate Chao Cuo.
“Now that we have learned of Chao Cuo’s execution, we have chosen to disband our forces and return home.”
Marquis of Gonggao rebuked him:
“If you truly believed Chao Cuo was in the wrong, why did you not report it to the Emperor? Instead, you took it upon yourself to raise troops and attack loyal principalities—without the Emperor’s decree or the Tiger Tally. Given this, it is clear that your intentions extended beyond merely executing Chao Cuo.”
He then presented the Emperor’s edict and read it aloud, then said to the Prince of Jiaoxi, “You must find your own way out.”
The Prince admitted his guilt, “Death is too easy for the likes of Liu Ang.”
With that, he took his own life. His mother, the Empress Dowager, and his son, Crown Prince Liu De of Jiaoxi, also perished. The princes of Jiaodong, Zichuan, and Jinan were executed.
Meanwhile, when Han General Li Ji attacked Zhao, the Prince of Zhao withdrew his forces and fortified the city of Handan. Li Ji laid siege for seven months but failed to breach the defenses. Upon hearing of the defeats suffered by Wu and Chu, the Xiongnu abandoned their plans to invade Han territory.
General Luan Bu, fresh from his victory over Qi, returned and ordered the flooding of Zhao’s city walls, causing them to collapse. As the city fell, the Prince of Zhao, Liu Sui, took his own life.
The Emperor commended the Prince of Qi for remaining loyal despite the pressure exerted by the rebels. Although he had been coerced into the conspiracy, the Emperor judged that he had not committed a crime. He summoned Liu Shou, the Crown Prince of Qi, and appointed him as the new Prince of Qi, known as the Prince Yi of Qi.
The Prince of Jibei, despairing of his situation, also wished to take his own life in hopes of sparing his wife and children. But a man from Qi named Gongsun Jue offered him counsel: “Allow me to approach the Prince of Liang and convey your plight to the Emperor. If he refuses, it will not be too late for you to end your life.”
Gongsun Jue then met with the Prince of Liang and said, “The territory of Jibei is bordered by the powerful principality of Qi to the east, and is influenced by the kingdoms of Wu and Yue to the south, and Yan and Zhao to the north. It is a fragmented and vulnerable state, lacking both the strength to defend itself and the power to resist invasion. It possesses neither supernatural omens nor magical means for protection. Even if the Prince of Jibei appeared to align with Prince Wu, it was not his true intention.
“If the Prince of Jibei had refused to cooperate with Prince Wu and remained steadfast, the Wu forces would likely have bypassed Qi, conquered Jibei first, and then forged alliances with Yan and Zhao to unify the region. That would have led to a consolidation of the eastern states, free of internal strife.
“When Prince Wu was rallying the forces of various monarchs and pushing ill-prepared troops westward in haste to confront the Emperor, Jibei alone held fast to its principles and refused to yield. As a result, the Wu army advanced cautiously and without reinforcement, eventually collapsing without support. Jibei’s contribution should not be excluded as one of the factors.
“For a state as limited in resources as Jibei to aspire to stand alongside greater powers is like a frail lamb trying to hold its ground against ferocious tigers and wolves. To maintain its position with such determination is truly admirable. Yet, despite doing what was right, they incurred the Emperor’s suspicion. Now they stoop in fear, unsure where to place their hands and feet, regretting their earlier restraint. This is not beneficial to the realm. I fear that other dutiful vassals may now harbor doubts and unease.
“In my humble opinion, only you, Prince, have the ability to cross mountains and traverse vast distances to reach the heart of the capital and present your righteous counsel. You alone have safeguarded your domain and become a symbol of peace and well-being for the people. Your virtue runs deep in your bones, and your benevolence knows no bounds. I earnestly hope Your Highness will consider my words with care and deliberation.”
The Prince of Liang was pleased with Gongsun Jue’s counsel and sent a courier to deliver the message to Han court. As a result, the Prince of Jibei was spared indictment and was later relocated and enfeoffed in Zichuan.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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