Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 25 Scroll 33 (continued)
The 1st year of Emperor Ai’s Jianping Era (6 B.C. continued)
On January 4, Grand Master of Merit Fu Xi was appointed Grand Marshal and granted the title of Marquis of Gaowu.
In autumn, on September 15, two meteorites fell in Yu County.
The Chamberlain Ling Bao, the Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Duan You, and others again submitted a memorial, saying: “The Empress Dowager Gong of Dingtao (formerly Zhaoyi Fu of Emperor Yuan and grandmother of the Emperor) and the Queen Dowager Gong of Dingtao (Madame Ding, the Emperor’s mother) should not retain the designation of the Dingtao fief in their exalted titles. Their carriages, clothing, and all other distinctions should conform to the imperial style, and officials below the rank of 2,000 piculs should be appointed to attend to their needs. Furthermore, a temple should be built in the capital for Emperor Gong of Dingtao.”
The Emperor again issued a decree, and many officials, accommodating themselves to his wishes, agreed: “The mother is honored through her son; it is proper to establish a still more exalted title in order to manifest filial piety.”
Only Chancellor Kong Guang, Grand Marshal Fu Xi, and Grand Excellency of Works Shi Dan dissented. Shi Dan said: “The sage kings established rites in accordance with the principles of Heaven and Earth. The distinctions between high and low exist in order to rectify the positions of Heaven and Earth, and must not be disturbed. Now, to append the designation ‘Gong of Dingtao’ to the titles of the Empress Dowager Gong of Dingtao and the Empress of Dingtao implies that the mother follows the son and the wife follows the husband. To establish officials for them, and to grant them carriages and garments comparable to those of the Grand Empress Dowager, does not make clear the principle that ‘under one ruler there cannot be dual sovereignty.’ The title Empress Dowager of Dingtao and its posthumous designation have already been settled and should not be altered.
“According to the rites: ‘If the father is a gentleman and the son is the Son of Heaven, he sacrifices to his father with the rites of the Son of Heaven, but wears the mourning garments of a gentleman.’ A son has no principle by which he may ennoble his father with rank—this is the proper way to honor father and mother.
“He who is made heir to another becomes that man’s son; therefore, for the one to whom he is heir, he wears the full three years of unhemmed sackcloth mourning gown, while for his own father and mother he reduces it to the one-year term. This makes clear that one honors the original ancestor and esteems the proper line of succession.
“The Filial Emperor Cheng, whose sacred grace was deep and far-reaching, therefore established an heir for Prince Gong, so as to uphold and continue his sacrifices, causing Emperor Gong of Dingtao to stand as the Great Ancestor of one state, not to be destroyed for ten thousand generations. Grace and duty were thereby already complete.
“Your Majesty has now inherited the person of the late Emperor, upholding the great ancestral line and bearing responsibility for the sacrifices of the ancestral temples, of Heaven and Earth, and of the altars of soil and grain. In principle, you cannot again serve the sacrifices of Emperor Gong of Dingtao by bringing them into the late Emperor’s temple.
“Now, to wish to establish a temple in the capital and have the ministers and officials sacrifice to him is to leave him without a proper presiding descendant. Moreover, when kinship is exhausted, the temple should be destroyed. To cast aside the sacrifice of the Great Ancestor of one state, which ought not to fall, and instead follow an irregular rite—one without a proper presiding heir and one that should be destroyed when kinship is exhausted—this is not the correct way to honor and magnify Emperor Gong.”
Shi Dan gradually lost the Emperor’s regard through his repeated dissent.
At that time, a memorial was presented, saying: “In ancient times, tortoise shells and cowrie shells were used as currency; now they have been replaced by coins. Because of this, the people have become poorer, and it is appropriate to reform the currency.”
The Emperor asked Shi Dan for his opinion, and Shi Dan agreed that the currency should be changed. However, the officials charged with reviewing the memorial considered it impractical to alter the coinage after it had been in use for so long. Shi Dan, already advanced in age, forgot his earlier view and instead concurred with the opinion of the other officials.
Furthermore, Shi Dan had instructed an aide to draft a memorial, but the aide secretly kept a copy of it. When the relatives of the Ding and Fu families learned of this, they sent someone to submit a memorial accusing Shi Dan of “submitting sealed memorials, while men in the streets hold copies of his drafts.” The Emperor consulted the generals and ministers, and they all replied: “Loyal ministers ought not to make their criticisms known to the public. When ministers submit sealed memorials, they must not be leaked; such improper conduct should be dealt with by the Minister of Justice.” The case was therefore referred to the Minister of Justice, and Shi Dan was charged with grave disrespect.
Before the matter had been settled, the Palace Steward and Erudites Shen Xian and Gui Qin submitted a memorial, saying: “Shi Dan’s learning in the Classics and his exemplary conduct are outstanding; among recent ministers, few can compare with him. Moved by deep feeling, he submitted a sealed memorial, but in allowing his chief clerk to handle it without sufficient care, it was leaked. The fault for the leak does not lie with Shi Dan himself. If he is demoted on this account, public opinion may not be satisfied.” The Emperor thereupon demoted Shen Xian and Gui Qin by two ranks each.
Shi Dan was then dismissed with the following statement: “We, considering your station exalted and your charge weighty, find that you harbor deceit and mislead the state, advancing and withdrawing memorials contrary to my intent, wavering back and forth and speaking inconsistently. This is a great disgrace to you.
“Yet because you once held the office of Grand Tutor, I have not had the heart to hand you over to the Minister of Justice for investigation and punishment. Let the seals and ribbons of the Grand Excellency of Works and the Marquis of Gaole be surrendered. You are hereby dismissed and sent back to private life.”
The Director of the State Secretariat, Tang Lin, then submitted a memorial, saying: “I have seen the decree dismissing Grand Excellency of Works Shi Dan, and I am deeply pained by it. When a gentleman composes writings, he conceals the faults of the worthy.
“Shi Dan, in his mastery of the Confucian Classics, has served as a model for the scholars of the age; in virtue, he has been a venerable elder of the state. He personally instructed Your Sacred Majesty, and his rank stood among the Three Excellencies. The error for which he was condemned was slight, and within the Four Seas no one has seen in him any grave fault. The matter is already past; to deprive him of rank was too severe. Those in the capital who understand such things all deem it fitting that Shi Dan’s rank and fief be restored, so that he may again attend court audiences.
“I pray only that Your Majesty, weighing and observing the hearts of the multitude, may find some means to comfort and restore a minister who once served as imperial tutor.”
The Emperor agreed with Tang Lin’s words and issued an edict granting Shi Dan the title of Marquis Within the Pass.
The Emperor also followed Du Ye’s advice and summoned Zhu Bo, reinstating him as Grand Master of Merit and then promoting him to Intendant of Jingzhao. In winter, on October 23, Zhu Bo was appointed Grand Excellency of Works.
The Prince of Zhongshan, Liu Jizi, had suffered from blue baby syndrome since childhood. His grandmother, Queen Dowager Feng of Zhongshan, formerly Zhaoyi Feng of Emperor Yuan, personally cared for him and frequently prayed and made offerings at temples. The Emperor sent Zhang You, an usher-physician, to treat him in the principality of Zhongshan. Zhang You, who was known for mental instability and erratic behavior, fell ill while in Zhongshan, lost his reason, and returned on his own to Chang’an in the west. The Ministry of Personnel reprimanded him for abandoning his post. Fearing punishment under such pressure, Zhang You falsely accused the Queen Dowager of Zhongshan, formerly Zhaoyi[Lady of Bright Deportment] Feng, of cursing the Emperor and Dowager Empress Fu.
Dowager Empress Fu and Queen Dowager Feng of Zhongshan had both served Emperor Yuan, and Dowager Empress Fu harbored old resentment against her. Censor Ding Xuan was therefore appointed to investigate the matter. After several days, no evidence was found. The Emperor then sent Shi Li, Chief Usher and a eunuch, to take charge of the case. Hoping to win the title of marquis, Shi Li followed the wishes of Dowager Empress Fu and investigated the Queen Dowager Feng’s female relatives, including her younger sister Feng Xi and her sister-in-law Junzhi, causing the deaths of several dozen people. He then falsely reported that they had plotted to murder the Emperor and place the Prince of Zhongshan on the throne.
Queen Dowager Feng was interrogated but did not confess. Shi Li said, “How was it that you were so brave when facing a bear in court, yet so cowardly now?” The Queen Dowager then told her attendants, “This is language from the inner palace of the previous generation. How could this official know of it? They are trying to frame me!” She then took poison and killed herself. Among those accused, including Feng Shen, Marquis of Yixiang, Junzhi, Feng Xi and her husband, as well as their children, some committed suicide and others were executed, for a total of seventeen deaths. Everyone mourned them.
Sun Bao, Inspector Colonel of the Capital Region, petitioned for a review of the Feng family case. Dowager Empress Fu was greatly enraged and said, “The Emperor has appointed the Inspector Colonel to supervise and investigate me! The matters concerning the Feng family are already clear. They wish to expose and malign me, and I shall be condemned for it!” The Emperor accordingly followed her wishes and imprisoned Sun Bao.
Tang Lin, Director of the State Secretariat, disputed this decision, and the Emperor demoted him to Dunhuang as Marquis of Yuzezhang, accusing him of partisanship. Grand Marshal Fu Xi and Grand Master of Merit Gong Sheng firmly contested the matter as well. After soothing Dowager Empress Fu, the Emperor released Sun Bao and restored him to office. Zhang You, having been the first to bring the accusation, was granted the title of Marquis Within the Pass, and Shi Li was promoted to Grand Coachman.
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