Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 212): Intendant with Five Day Tenure

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

By Sima Guang

Translated By Yiming Yang  

Annals of Han Book 19 Scroll 27 (continued)

The 1st year of Emperor Xuan’s Ganlu Era (53 B.C.)

In January of spring, the Emperor visited Ganquan and performed the sacrifice to Heaven at Taizhi Altar.

When Yang Yun was executed, the three excellencies and ministers accused Zhang Chang, the intendant of Jingzhao, of being Yang Yun‘s associate and therefore unfit for office. ‘

The Emperor valued Zhang Chang‘s talent and quietly withheld the accusation, not allowing it to proceed. Zhang Chang ordered his subordinate Xu Shun to conduct an investigation. Xu Shun discreetly returned home and said, “He’ll only be the intendant of Jingzhao for another five days; how could he still hand down more errands?” 

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chang ordered officials to arrest Xu Shun and imprison him. They interrogated him day and night, which eventually led to his death sentence. As Xu Shun was about to be executed, Zhang Chang instructed his chief clerk to hand his handwritten notes to Xu Shun, “Do you want to know how your ‘Intendant with five days tenure’ is doing? The winter month is over; Do you want to extend your life?” Xu Shun was executed in a public market.

Coinciding with the start of spring, the court sent envoys out to investigate wrongful imprisonments. Xu Shun’s family carried his corpse and attached a copy of Zhang Chang‘s note to the appeal, presenting it to the envoy. The envoy reported Zhang Chang for killing an innocent man. The Emperor intended to be lenient to Zhang Chang and thus sent down the previous tabled accusation regarding Yang Yun, dismissing Zhang Chang from his position and demoting him to a commoner. Zhang Chang presented his official seal at the palace gates and fled immediately.

Several months later, there was negligence among officials and citizens in the capital, with frequent alarm drums being sounded about bandits, and a major rebellion occurred in Jizhou. The Emperor, recalling Zhang Chang‘s abilities, sent an envoy to summon him. Zhang Chang had been seriously impeached, and when the envoy arrived, his family wept in fear, but Zhang Chang laughed and said, “I am a regular fugitive, and the local officials should have arrested me. Now that the envoy is here, it means the Emperor wants to employ me.” 

He prepared to leave with the envoy and submitted a letter to the envoy to present to the Emperor, stating: “I was fortunate to hold a high office and serve as the Intendant of Jingzhao, but I was dismissed for killing my subordinate Xu Shun. Xu Shun had been a close associate who had often received mercy pardons from me. When I was accused, he thought I would be dismissed.  He went home to rest when I ordered him to do an investigation, mocking me as ‘Intendant with five day tenure,’ showing ingratitude and spreading evil influence around. I executed him for his misconduct to get revenge on him, disregarding the law. Therefore I wrongfully killed an innocent man, mishandled the case, and thus deserve to be punished under the law. Even if I am executed, I will have no regrets!” 

The Emperor personally met Zhang Chang and appointed him inspector of Jizhou. Upon Zhang Chang‘s arrival, the bandits and robbers disappeared.

The Crown Prince, gentle and benevolent, admired the Confucian scholars. Seeing that the Emperor often employed legalistic officials and used punishments to discipline subordinates, he once expressed his thoughts during a leisurely conversation: “Your Majesty, you enforce laws too harshly and severely. It would be better to employ Confucian scholars.” 

The Emperor’s expression changed, and he said: “The Han dynasty has its own system, originally a combination of the way of the hegemon and the way of the holy king. How could we solely rely on moral teaching and use the policies of the Zhou dynasty? Furthermore, the lowborn Confucians do not understand the needs of the time. They praise the ancient and criticize the present, causing people to be blinded by dazzling fame, confusing renown and reality, not knowing what to adhere to. How could they be entrusted with responsibilities?”

Then he sighed and said: “The one who brings chaos to my family will be the Crown Prince!”

Sima Guang’s Commentary: The way of the benevolent king and the hegemon is not different. In the past, during the flourishing periods of the three dynasties, rituals, music, and military expeditions were ordained from the Son of Heaven, and this was called the way of the Holy king. When the Son of Heaven was weak and unable to govern the vassal states, and a vassal state leader could lead allied states to punish those who did not submit, thereby upholding the royal court, this was called the way of the hegemon. The ways they take may differ, but were based on benevolence and righteousness, employing the worthy and the capable, rewarding good and punishing evil, prohibiting violence and exterminating chaos. The differences lay only in the hierarchy of titles, the depth of virtue, the magnitude of achievements, and the scope of decrees, not like the contrast between black and white or sweet and bitter.

The reason why the Han dynasty could not restore the governance of the three ancient dynasties was due to the rulers’ lack of effort, not because the ways of the former kings could not be implemented in later generations. Confucians include both gentlemen and scoundrels. Those lowborn Confucians are indeed not fit for governance, but why couldn’t true Confucians be sought and employed? Hou Ji, Xie of Shang, Gao Yao, Bo Yi, Yi Yin, Duke of Zhou, and Confucius were all great Confucians. If the Han dynasty could have employed them, wouldn’t their achievements have been much greater? Emperor Xuan believed that the Crown Prince was weak and unfit to rule, and that his lack of understanding of governance would bring chaos to the imperial family, which might be acceptable. But to say that the way of the Holy king could not be practiced and that Confucians could not be employed was extreme! This is not the way to instruct descendants and establish lasting principles.

The Prince Xian of Huaiyang, Liu Qin, loved legal studies and was intelligent and capable; his mother, Jieyu(Consort) Zhang, was especially favored. Because of this, the Emperor distanced himself from the Crown Prince and favored Liu Qin, often sighing and saying, “He is truly my son!” The Emperor frequently considered making Liu Qin the Crown Prince. However, since the Crown Prince had been raised from humble beginnings, and the Emperor had been indebted to Xu clan when he ascended the throne, and considering that Empress Xu had been killed after his enthronement, he could not bear to replace the Crown Prince. After a long time, the Emperor appointed Wei Xuancheng as the Commandant of Huaiyang, because Wei Xuancheng had once yielded his rank to his elder brother, hoping this would serve as an example to enlighten Liu Qin. In any case, the Crown Prince’s position was secured.