Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 17 Scroll 25 (continued)
The 2nd year of Emperor Xuan’s Yuan’kang Era (64 B.C. continued)
The ministers of the Xiongnu deliberated: “The land of Jushi is fertile and lies near our borders. If Han secures it, they will possess rich fields and abundant grain, which will surely imperil our nation. We must regain it at once.”
Thus they repeatedly dispatched troops to attack the Han settlers in Jushi. Zheng Ji led more than seven thousand soldiers from the Qu’li military farm to relieve them, but he was surrounded by the Xiongnu forces. Zheng Ji memorialized: “Jushi lies over a thousand li from Qu’li, and the Han troops stationed there are few. We cannot provide support in time. I request that additional troops be sent to defend the settlers.”
The Emperor consulted with General of the Rear Zhao Chongguo and other ministers. They resolved to strike while the Xiongnu were weakened and send armies westward into their territory, to prevent them from further disturbing the states of the Western Territory.
Chancellor Wei Xiang submitted a memorial of remonstrance:
“It is said: To aid the oppressed and eradicate tyranny is righteous warfare; those who uphold righteous warfare shall reign supreme.
To take up arms in self-defense, being compelled by assault, is reactive warfare; those who wage reactive warfare shall prevail.
To go to battle out of anger over trifling slights, being unable to restrain one’s wrath, is irked warfare; those who wage irked warfare shall be defeated.
To fight for the sake of population control, lands, riches, and treasures is greedy warfare; those who wage greedy warfare shall perish.
To rely upon the might of a great state and vaunt its multitudes, wishing thereby to overawe the world, is egocentric warfare; those who wage egocentric warfare shall be destroyed.
These five forms of warfare are not merely matters of men, but accord with the laws of Heaven.
“Of late, the Xiongnu have shown signs of goodwill. Whenever they capture Han people, they return them, and they have not encroached on our borders. Though they contest the farmlands of Jushi, the matter is not so grave as to demand urgent reprisal. Yet I hear that the generals now wish to mobilize troops and march deep into their territory. In my folly, I do not understand under what principle this campaign shall be justified.
“Now the borderlands suffer bitter hardship. Fathers and sons chew the hides of dogs and sheep; they survive on wild plants. They live daily in fear and can scarcely be called upon to serve. The Master said: Where armies are raised, years of calamity follow. Laozi explains that when the people’s spirits are anxious and distressed, the harmony of yin and yang is thrown into disorder. Even if the army achieves victory, lingering calamities will remain, and disaster may arise from warfare.
“At present, many prefects of commanderies and prime ministers of principalities have not been chosen for their worth, and the customs of the people have grown depraved. Natural portents occur out of season. According to the registers of this year, there have been two hundred twenty-two cases of sons murdering fathers and brothers, and wives murdering husbands. I fear these are not trivial signs.
“Yet instead of rectifying these pressing ills, they would dispatch an army to avenge a slight against distant barbarians. This is as Confucius said: “I fear that the trouble of the Viscount Kang of Jisun lies not in the vassal state of Zhuanyu, but within their own residential walls.”
The Emperor accepted the Chancellor’s advice and halted the military campaign. He dispatched the Marquis of Changluo, Chang Hui, to lead cavalry from Zhangye and Jiuquan to Jushi, escorting Zheng Ji along with his officials and soldiers back to Qu’li. He then summoned Junsu, the former Prince of Jushi who was residing in Yanqi (Karasahr), and reinstated him as King of Jushi. All the people of Jushi were relocated to Qu’li, and the former territory of Jushi was ceded to the Xiongnu. Zheng Ji was appointed Marshal of the Guard, entrusted with protecting the Silk Road west of Shanshan.
Chancellor Wei Xiang took great interest in studying the historical records of the Han Dynasty and the proposals of former ministers regarding state affairs. He frequently referenced events from the rise of the Han and the writings of esteemed ministers such as Jia Yi, Chao Cuo, and Dong Zhongshu, advocating for the implementation of their policies. The Chancellor instructed his assistants to investigate and report local affairs whenever they traveled on public duties to commanderies and principalities or when they returned to their hometowns on personal leave. Upon returning to office, they were required to report any news or events from different regions. If there were rebellions, natural disasters, or other unusual circumstances in the provinces that had not been reported to the court, the Chancellor would promptly inform the Emperor. Wei Xiang worked closely with the Grand Master of the Censorate, Bing Ji, in assisting with governance, and their efforts were highly esteemed by the Emperor.
Bing Ji was a man of profound integrity who never boasted of his virtues. Although he had worked to protect the great-grandson of Emperor Wu—now the reigning Emperor—he remained silent about his past contributions, and thus the court did not fully recognize his merit. Later, a former palace maid, Ze, persuaded her commoner husband to submit petitions claiming that they had rendered meritorious service by raising the Emperor in his infancy. The memorial was sent down, and the magistrate of the Women’s Quarters was ordered to interrogate the matter; in Ze’s testimony she told the investigator that Bing Ji knew about the facts. The Magistrate of the Women’s Quarters then escorted the accused to the Office of the Grand Master of Censorate Bing Ji. Recognizing her, Bing Ji addressed Ze: “You were once punished for failing to properly care for the Emperor’s great grandson. How can you now claim merit? Only Hu Zu of Weicheng and Guo Zhengqing of Huaiyang took part in nurturing the Emperor.”
Bing Ji then reported separately on the efforts of Hu Zu and Guo Zhengqing, recounting their devoted service. The Emperor issued a decree in their honor; since both were deceased, their descendants received generous rewards. Ze herself was exempted from punishment but stripped of her status and reduced to common rank, though she was granted a reward of one hundred thousand coins. After personally questioning Ze, the Emperor realized that Bing Ji had never spoken of his own past service and admired him all the more for it.
The Emperor regarded Xiao Wangzhi as a learned and prudent man, well-versed in analyzing matters of state. Believing him suitable for the position of Chancellor, he sought to thoroughly test his administrative ability and reassigned him as Intendant of Left Pingyi. Xiao Wangzhi, fearing that his transfer from Minister of the Treasury constituted a demotion and suspecting he had fallen short of imperial expectations, feigned illness. When the Emperor learned of this, he sent the Privy Counselor, Marquis of Chengdu Jin Anshang, to convey his intentions: “All appointments are made for the sake of governing the people well. You served as Prefect of Pingyuan only briefly, and thus your performance must now be reassessed in the Three Metropolis of the capital. There have been no unfavorable reports about you.” Upon receiving this message, Xiao Wangzhi immediately returned to duty.
The Magistrate of the Women’s Quarters, Zhang He, often praised the exceptional talent and virtue of Emperor Wu’s great-grandson—the present Emperor—, as well as the auspicious phenomena around him, in front of his younger brother, Zhang Anshi. Yet Zhang Anshi always stopped him, believing it improper to extol the Emperor Wu’s great-grandson while a young sovereign was still alive and well. After the Emperor ascended the throne and Zhang He had passed away, the Emperor said to Zhang Anshi, “The Magistrate of the Women’s Quarters continually praised me in his lifetime, and you always restrained him. That was indeed appropriate.”
In remembrance of Zhang He’s kindness, the Emperor intended to grant him the posthumous title of Marquis of Ende (Benevolence and Grace) and assign guardians for two hundred households to maintain his tomb. Since Zhang He’s own son had died young, the heir was designated as Zhang Pengzu, the youngest son of Zhang Anshi. Though still a child, Zhang Pengzu sat at the Emperor’s side, studying books and pointing out passages. The Emperor wished to grant him a noble rank and first conferred upon him the title of Marquis of the Interior.
Zhang Anshi earnestly refused the marquisate on Zhang He’s behalf and further requested that the number of guardian households be reduced, gradually lessening them to thirty. The Emperor replied, “I am honoring the Magistrate of the Women’s Quarters; this is not about you, General.” Zhang Anshi thereupon ceased his objections and did not dare raise the matter again.
The Emperor harbored suspicions toward the former Prince of Changyi, Liu He, and issued a sealed letter to Zhang Chang, Prefect of Shanyang, instructing him to remain vigilant against thieves and bandits, to monitor the movements of travelers, and not to disclose the contents of the letter. Zhang Chang then submitted a report on Liu He’s whereabouts and his demeanor after being dethroned, stating:
“The former Prince of Changyi has a dark complexion, small eyes, a sharp and flat nose, sparse eyebrows and beard, a tall frame, and suffers from lameness, which renders his gait unsteady. When I spoke with him, I attempted to observe his reactions. Upon the topic of ominous birds, I remarked, ‘Changyi has many owls.’
“The former prince replied, ‘Indeed. When I traveled west to Chang’an, I saw no owls; but when I returned east to Jiyang, the hooting of owls could be heard again.’
“I observed his attire, speech, kneeling, and bearing—all signs of an imbecile. Previously, I proposed dismissing Zhang Xiu and other ten singers and dancers who served Prince Ai of Changyi, Liu Bo, as they were childless. But the former prince objected, saying, ‘Let the mediocre tend the garden, and do not trouble yourselves with the sick. Those who harm or kill one another should not be punished. I want them to die sooner on their own. Why would the Prefect wish to dismiss them?’
“His nature seemed to revel in disorder and decay, and he never displayed benevolence or righteousness.”
Upon hearing this report, the Emperor understood that Liu He was not someone worth worrying about.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
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