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)
Wei Wan, the Grand Tutor to the Prince of Hejian, achieved great success in his military campaign against Wu and Chu and was promoted to the position of Commandant of the Capital Guard. While serving as a General of the Household, Wei Wan was known for his diligence, integrity, and loyalty to Emperor Wen. On one occasion, when Crown Prince (i.e. Emperor Jing) invited Emperor Wen’s attendants to a drinking gathering, Wei Wan declined, claiming illness, and did not attend.
As Emperor Wen approached the end of his life, he confided in his successor that Wei Wan was a venerable and virtuous elder who should be treated with respect. This special regard from Emperor Wen led Emperor Jing to hold Wei Wan in high esteem as well, granting him considerable favor and trust.
In the summer, on June 25, an imperial edict was issued pardoning all officials and commoners who had been deceived or falsely implicated in the rebellion led by the Prince of Wu and others, including those who had evaded military service.
The Emperor intended to establish Liu De—the son of Marquis Ai of Wu, Liu Guang, and younger brother of the Prince of Wu—as the successor to the throne of Wu; and Liu Li, son of Prince Yuan of Chu, as the successor to the throne of Chu. However, Empress Dowager Dou opposed the continuation of the Wu lineage. She argued that Prince Liu Pi of Wu, being of advanced age, should have served as a model of mercy and loyalty, yet instead led a rebellion that brought turmoil to the realm. She insisted that the throne of Wu should not be restored. She did, however, consent to the appointment of Liu Li as the new Prince of Chu.
That same day, Prince Liu Yu of Huaiyang was enfeoffed as the Prince of Lu; Prince Liu Fei of Runan was enfeoffed as the Prince of Jiangdu, ruling the former territory of Wu. Liu Li, previously Minister of the Imperial Clan, was promoted to Prince of Chu. Prince Liu Duan was elevated to Prince of Jiaoxi, and Prince Liu Sheng was appointed as Prince of Zhongshan.
The 4th year of the Emperor Jing’s Early Era (153 B.C.)
In the spring, the checkpoints at the mountain passes were reinstated, and permits were once again required for passage.
On April 23 of the summer, the Emperor designated his son Liu Rong as Crown Prince and his son Liu Che as Prince of Jiaodong.
In June, a general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm.
In July, during the autumn season, Prince Liu E of Linjiang passed away.
In the winter, on October 25, a solar eclipse occurred.
When the seven principalities of Wu and Chu rose in rebellion, an envoy from Wu arrived at the Principality of Huainan. The Prince of Huainan intended to dispatch troops in support of Wu. His prime minister said, “If Your Highness is resolved to aid Wu, I am willing to lead the army.” The Prince agreed and entrusted him with command. However, once the prime minister assumed control of the troops, he fortified the city and defied the Prince’s intentions, instead aligning himself with the Han Dynasty. In response, the court dispatched the Marquis of Qucheng to lead reinforcements to Huainan, and the principality was thereby secured during the upheaval.
When envoys from Wu reached the Principality of Lujiang, the Prince(Liu Ci) did not respond favorably and instead initiated diplomatic exchanges with the Kingdom of Yue. When the envoys arrived at the Principality of Hengshan, the Prince of Hengshan, Liu Bo held his ground resolutely and refused to waver. After the defeat of Wu and Chu, the Prince of Hengshan visited the Han court. The Emperor, moved by his loyalty and endurance, praised him, saying, “The southern regions are damp and low-lying.” The Prince was relocated to Jibei, where the climate was more favorable.
The Prince of Lujiang (Liu Ci), owing to his proximity to the Yue kingdom, had frequently dispatched envoys for diplomatic exchanges. He was subsequently transferred to become the Prince of Hengshan, located north of the Yangtze River.
The 5th year of the Emperor Jing’s Early Era (152 B.C.)
In January of the spring, construction began in Yangling town for a mausoleum.
During the summer, the Emperor issued a call for citizens to relocate to Yangling, offering a reward of two hundred thousand coins as an incentive.
The Emperor also arranged for a princess to be married to Xiongnu Chanyu.
Prince Liu Pengzu of Guangchuan was relocated and enfeoffed as the Prince of Zhao.
In the winter, Prince Liu Bo of Jibei, posthumously titled Prince Zhen, passed away.
The 6th year of the Emperor Jing’s Early Era (151 B.C.)
When the Emperor was still Crown Prince, Empress Dowager Bo arranged for a girl of the Bo family to become his wife. After his accession to the throne, she was made Empress, but soon fell out of favor. In September of autumn, Empress Bo was deposed.
Prince Wen of Chu, Liu Li, passed away.
Zang Tu, the former King of Yan, had a granddaughter named Zang Er. She first married Wang Zhong of Huai’li, with whom she had a son, Wang Xin, and two daughters. After Wang Zhong’s death, Zang Er remarried into the Tian family of Changling and gave birth to two sons, Tian Fen and Tian Sheng.
During the reign of Emperor Wen, Zang Er’s eldest daughter, Wang Zhi, married Jin Wangsun, and they had a daughter named Jin Su. Zang Er once performed a divination, which revealed that both her daughters were destined for nobility. Acting on this prophecy, she took Wang Zhi back from the Jin household and forced her to divorce. Jin Wangsun, angered, refused to release her, but Zang Er persisted and eventually placed both her daughters into the palace of the Crown Prince (later Emperor Jing).
Wang Zhi later gave birth to a son, Liu Che. While he was still in the womb, his mother, Madame Wang Zhi, dreamed that the Sun entered her bosom.
Upon Emperor Jing‘s accession to the throne, his eldest son, Liu Rong, was made Crown Prince. His mother, Consort Li, hailed from the state of Qi. Princess Guantao, Liu Piao, the elder sister of Emperor Jing, wished to marry her daughter to Crown Prince Liu Rong. However, Consort Li angrily refused, as she was mad at the Princess, who often introduced beautiful women from the palace to the Emperor.
The Princess Guantao then turned her attention to Madame Wang’s son, Liu Che, proposing that her daughter marry him instead. Madame Wang readily agreed. From that point on, the Princess Guantao frequently spoke ill of Consort Li and extolled the virtues and appearance of Liu Che. The Emperor, too, began to favor Liu Che and recalled the auspicious dream omen Madame Wang once had. Still, no final decision had been made.
Aware that the Emperor disliked Consort Li, Madame Wang secretly urged the Grand Usher to recommend Consort Li’s elevation to Empress. Enraged, the Emperor rebuked the attempt, saying, “Do you presume to have a say in such matters?” He then ordered the Grand Usher to be executed.
The 7th year of the Emperor Jing’s Early Era (150 B.C.)
In the winter, on December 19, Crown Prince Liu Rong was deposed and demoted to Prince of Linjiang. His tutor, Dou Ying, strongly objected to the decision but failed to overturn it. In protest, he feigned illness and submitted his resignation. Consort Li, filled with resentment and sorrow, passed away.
On January 30, a solar eclipse occurred.
In February, Chancellor Tao Qing was dismissed. On February 16, Grand Commandant Zhou Yafu was appointed as the new Chancellor, and the position of Grand Commandant was subsequently abolished.
In the summer, on April 17, Madame Wang was formally established as Empress.
On April 29, Liu Che, Prince of Jiaodong, was designated as Crown Prince.
In that year, Liu She, the Grand Coachman, was appointed Grand Master of the Censorate, and Zhi Du, the Prefect of Jinan(Principality downgraded to Commandery), was appointed Commandant of the Capital.
Zhi Du served as a General of the Household and was known for offering frank advice. On one occasion, while accompanying the Emperor to the Shanglin Park, Consort Jia went to the restroom, and a wild boar suddenly entered after her. The Emperor looked to Zhi Du for action, but Zhi Du did not move. When the Emperor made to fetch a weapon himself to rescue the consort, Zhi Du knelt and said, “Losing a consort is insignificant; there will always be another. Does the empire lack ladies like Consort Jia? Even if Your Majesty wishes to act humbly, how can you risk the ancestral temples and the Empress Dowager for her sake?” At this, the Emperor abandoned the attempt, and the wild boar eventually left on its own.
When the Empress Dowager heard of the incident, she rewarded Zhi Du with a hundred catties of gold, and from that point, his influence steadily increased.
Zhi Du was renowned for his bravery, integrity, and uncompromising character. He never accepted private letters or gifts and refused audiences without just cause. After becoming Commandant of the Capital, he enforced the law strictly, without regard for rank or privilege. Marquises and imperial relatives, when encountering him, would avert their eye contact and give him a nickname “Gray Hawk”.
The 1st year of Emperor Jing’s Middle Era (149 B.C.)
In summer, on April 23, a general amnesty was declared throughout the realm.
There was an earthquake. In Yuandu of Hengshan principality, there was a hailstorm, with hailstones as large as one foot and eight inches.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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