Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 27 Scroll 35
Duration of 4 years
The 1st year of Emperor Ai’s Yuanshou Era (2 B.C.)
In the spring, on January 1, an edict was issued ordering the generals and officials of the 2,000-picul rank each to recommend a man well versed in military strategy. Thereupon, Fu Yan, Marquis of Kongxiang, was appointed Grand Marshal and General of the Guards, and Ding Ming, Marquis of Yang’an, was appointed Grand Marshal and General of Agile Cavalry.
On the same day, there was a solar eclipse. The Emperor issued an edict to the Three Excellencies, the ministers, and the officials, ordering them to present with utmost sincerity their criticisms and acknowledgments of fault; he also commanded each of them to recommend a man of integrity, uprightness, and frank speech. A general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the empire.
The Chancellor, Wang Jia, submitted a sealed memorial, stating: “Emperor Yuan upheld the great enterprise and was gentle, reverent, and sparing in his desires. At that time, there were four billion coins in the capital treasury. On one occasion, he visited Shanglin Park, accompanied by Noble Consort Feng. While they were viewing the animal enclosure, a wild beast suddenly charged out. Noble Consort Feng stepped forward to confront it. Emperor Yuan admired her courage and awarded her 50,000 coins. Although the women of the inner palace received special favor and rewards, they were not permitted to display excessive gratitude in public. The Emperor maintained fairness without partiality and was careful not to lose the hearts of the people. Rewards were modest, and at that time there were very few wealthy relatives of the imperial house. For this reason, the treasuries of the Privy Treasury and the Office of Waterworks held abundant reserves.
“Although the Chuyuan(48 B.C.-) and Yongguang(43 B.C.-) eras were marked by calamities and famine, and there was also the rebellion of the Western Qiang, the state was able to sustain military campaigns abroad and relieve the poor at home, yet there was never any anxiety over financial exhaustion, because the state coffers were amply supplied.
“During Emperor Cheng’s reign, officials repeatedly criticized the harm caused by incognito excursions and by exclusive favor shown to certain consorts. They also warned that the Emperor’s indulgence in wine and sexual excess would damage his virtue and shorten his years. Their words were severe, yet the Emperor never resented them. Favorites such as Chunyu Chang, Zhang Fang, and Shi Yu were repeatedly demoted; the property of Shi Yu’s family never exceeded ten million coins. Zhang Fang was exiled, and Chunyu Chang died in prison. The Emperor did not allow private affections to injure public justice. Thus, although there was much criticism within the court, the state remained secure, and the succession was transmitted to Your Majesty.
“When Your Majesty was still a prince, you delighted in the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents and practiced frugality. When you were summoned to the capital, people everywhere praised your virtue. For this reason, the hearts of the people were transferred from Emperor Cheng to Your Majesty. After ascending the throne, you replaced costly hangings and removed embroidered fabrics. The imperial carriage used only plain silk to bind the edges of the mats. When plans were made to rebuild your own ancestral temple, you were concerned lest it burden the people, and because of financial strain you halted the construction. Only now has it begun again.
“Meanwhile, Dong Xian, Commandant of the Cavalry, has begun constructing an official residence in Shanglin Park and has built a grand mansion, its gate facing the northern watchtower, using the imperial canal to supply water to its gardens and ponds. Court envoys supervise the construction, and the rewards granted to the officials and laborers exceed even those bestowed for the building of Your Majesty’s ancestral temples. When Dong Xian’s mother was ill, the imperial kitchens of Chang’an supplied sacrificial provisions, and all travelers along the roads were furnished with food and drink. Whenever articles were made for Dong Xian, Your Majesty personally examined and approved them; and if the workmanship was fine, the artisans received special rewards. Such generosity surpasses even the offerings made to the ancestral temples and the Three Palaces(Palaces for Emperor, Empress and Empress Dowager).
“When Dong Xian’s family holds banquets for marriages or other occasions among their close relatives, the various offices of the administration pay the expenses, and rewards of up to 100,000 coins are bestowed even upon lackeys, maidservants, and house slaves. When Dong Xian’s household goes shopping in the public markets, envoys of Your Majesty oversee the transactions, causing alarm among the merchants and tumult in the streets, while the ministers stand bewildered and fearful. An edict was once issued ordering the abandonment of the gardens, yet more than 2,000 hectares of land were granted to Dong Xian, thereby undermining the law limiting the extent of private landholding. This extravagance and indulgence have disturbed the harmony of yin and yang, giving rise to numerous disasters and strange portents. Rumors have spread among the people; they run about in alarm carrying sticks, and Heaven has confounded their minds so that they cannot restrain themselves.
“Your Majesty is known for benevolence, wisdom, and caution, yet now faces criticism of such severity. Confucius said, ‘When there is danger and one does not avert it, when the state is falling and one does not uphold it, then what use is such a minister?’ I, Wang Jia, am fortunate to hold this office, yet inwardly I grieve and lament that I have been unable to convey my loyal and sincere counsel. If my death could benefit the state, I would not dare to cherish my own life. I hope that Your Majesty will carefully reflect upon your particular inclinations and examine what is widely questioned by others. In former times, favored courtiers such as Deng Tong and Han Yan became cocky and transgressed the proper bounds, indulging themselves without restraint. Petty men are unable to curb their desires and in the end fall into guilt or sins, bringing disorder to the state and perishing before they can enjoy their rewards. This is what is meant by spoiling someone rotten. It would be fitting to reflect deeply upon the lessons of the past, to restrain the excessive favor shown to Dong Xian, and thereby ensure his safety.”
Reading more memorials like this, the Emperor gradually became displeased with Wang Jia.
Former Inspector of Liangzhou, Du Ye, submitted a strategic memorial after being recommended as a candidate for Uprightness, stating: “I have heard that the superiority of yang and the subordination of yin are the way of Heaven. Thus, even if a man is of humble status, he remains the yang of his household; whereas even if a woman is of exalted rank, she remains the yin of her state. Therefore, the rites clearly establish the principle of the Three Obeisances(women’s obeisance to her father before marriage, her husband after marriage, or her son when her husband dies). Even if a woman possessed the virtue of King Wen of Zhou’s mother, she would still be obliged to rely upon her son. In ancient times, Duke Zhuang of Zheng indulged the favoritism of his mother Wu Jiang toward his younger brother Gongshu Duan, which in the end led Gongshu Duan to attempt the usurpation of the state; King Xiang of Zhou suffered internal pressure because of Queen Dowager Hui, and was driven into exile in Zheng. After the rise of the Han dynasty, Empress Dowager Lü wielded power on behalf of her kin and nearly endangered the state.
“I have observed that Your Majesty has disciplined yourself through austerity and righteousness, intending to revive the realm. Yet no auspicious omens have appeared, while solar eclipses and earthquakes have occurred. According to the Spring and Autumn Annals, disasters and anomalies speak through symbols. A solar eclipse signifies that yang is overshadowed by yin. The character kun 坤, which represents the earth, is composed of the radical for soil(土) and the radical for mother(母), and embodies the virtue of stillness and tranquility; an earthquake is a manifestation of abnormal yin. These omens are exceedingly clear, and I dare not refrain from speaking candidly on the matter.
“In former times, Zengzi asked about the righteousness of obeying one’s father, and Confucius replied, ‘What kind of question is that?’ He praised Min Ziqian for adhering to propriety and not blindly following his parents, acting always in accordance with reason, so that no one could drive a wedge between him and his family. Nowadays, all the brothers of the imperial affines, regardless of worthiness, serve within the imperial chambers and are appointed to official positions. Some command the guards or even hold garrison commands as generals. Such favoritism within a single family, accumulating power and privilege without precedent, is rarely seen or heard of in history. They have even been granted the posts of Grand Marshal and Grand General concurrently. Even at the height of the Huangfu clan under King Xuan of Zhou, or during the dominance of the Three Huan in Lu, when the armed force was divided into three armies, matters were never as extreme as they are today. On the very day of these appointments, a solar eclipse occurred. That it happened neither before nor after, but precisely at that moment, shows that Your Majesty is overly yielding and insufficiently decisive, listening to every suggestion and complying with every wish of the Empress Dowager. Those who are guilty are not punished, while those without merit receive rank and title. To allow such errors to accumulate into this disorder is a failing of Your Majesty, and I wish to make it plain in order to warn the holy court.
“What the poets criticized and what the Spring and Autumn Annals condemned point to situations of this very kind and are by no means irrelevant. Looking back from the present, we may feel indignation and disapproval; yet when it concerns our own conduct, if we do not reflect upon it, we regard it as acceptable. This is the root of miscalculation. I hope that Your Majesty will be more earnest and sincere, reflect upon the beginning of the reign, act in accordance with ancient principles, satisfy the hearts of the people, and thereby cause the common people to rejoice, while Heaven and the myriad spirits withdraw their wrath. When that is so, why should there be any doubt that auspicious signs and blessings will arrive?”
The Emperor thereupon summoned Kong Guang to the imperial carriage and questioned him about the solar eclipse. Kong Guang was appointed Grand Master of Merit, with a salary equivalent to that of a 2,000-picul official, and was also made Palace Steward, his rank being second only to that of the Chancellor.
After Wang Mang had been sent to his fief, he shut his gates and lived in seclusion. During this period, his son Wang Huo killed a servant; Wang Mang severely rebuked him and forced him to commit suicide. After Wang Mang had spent three years in his fief, officials and commoners submitted more than a hundred petitions protesting that he had been wrongfully treated. At this time, the men recommended for virtue, Zhou Hu, Song Chong, and others, also submitted memorials, once again earnestly praising Wang Mang’s conduct and merits. Consequently, the Emperor summoned Wang Mang and Wang Ren, Marquis of Ping’e, back to the capital to attend to the Grand Empress Dowager.
Dong Xian, taking advantage of the solar eclipse, obstructed the policies of Fu Yan and Xifu Gong regarding war with the Xiongnu. On January 11, the Emperor confiscated Fu Yan’s seal and ribbon, relieved him of his duties, and sent him back to his residence.
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