Reflection by Rio Grande

Category: Zizhi Tongjian

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 247): Breaking up Fraternity

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 23 Scroll 31 (continued)

    Jue, bronze wine cup from Han dynasty

    The 2nd year of Emperor Cheng’s Yongshi Era (15 B.C. continued)

    The Emperor once held a banquet in the inner palace with Zhang Fang and several attendants, along with the Zhao sisters, the concubine Li Ping, and several Privy Counselors. They drank freely, raising their cups and laughing loudly; anyone who failed to empty his cup was penalized. At the time, the Emperor sat before a painted screen depicting King Zhou of Shang drunkenly reclining with the concubine Daji, reveling in the pleasures of the night.

    The Privy Counselor and Grand Master of Merit, Ban Bo, who had recently recovered from a long illness, was present. The Emperor pointed to the painting and asked Ban Bo, “Did King Zhou truly become so depraved?”

    Ban Bo replied, “The Book of Documents says, ‘He heeded the words of women,’ but he never reclined so brazenly in court. This painting exaggerates his misdeeds to focus public hatred upon the woman; that is not what actually happened.”

    The Emperor asked, “If he was not like this, what warning does this painting give?”

    Ban Bo answered, “It is recorded that ‘he drowned in wine,’ which led Weizi to depart. The Great Odes speak of ‘shouting and yowling,’ describing downfall through drunkenness. The admonitions against debauchery in the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents all address excessive drinking.”

    The Emperor sighed and said, “I have not heard such frank words from Ban Bo for a long time.” Zhang Fang and the others were displeased and gradually withdrew.

    At that time, a Linbiao[female officer] from Changxin Palace visited the court as a messenger and witnessed the scene. Later, when the Emperor visited the Eastern Palace, the Empress Dowager wept and said, “The Emperor’s complexion has grown thin and dark. Privy Counselor Ban Bo was recommended by the Grand General and should be held in high esteem; seek out more men like him to assist in your virtuous rule. It is also fitting to send the Marquis of Fuping, Zhang Fang, back to his fief.”

    The Emperor replied, “Yes.”

    When the Emperor’s uncles heard this, they urged the Chancellor and the Grand Master of the Censorate to find grounds for impeaching Zhang Fang. Accordingly, Chancellor Xue Xuan and Grand Master of the Censorate Zhai Fangjin submitted a memorial stating: “Zhang Fang is insolent, indulgent, extravagant, and uncontrollable. He obstructs envoys, harms the innocent, and allows his followers to abuse their power and commit outrages. We request that Zhang Fang be dismissed and sent to his fief.”

    The Emperor, though reluctant, demoted Zhang Fang to the post of Commandant of Beidi.

    In the years that followed, a succession of calamities prevented Zhang Fang from returning, yet he received constant letters of concern from the Emperor. When Princess Jingwu fell ill, the Emperor summoned Zhang Fang back to attend to his mother. After several months, when the Princess recovered, Zhang Fang was reappointed Commandant of Hedong. Though the Emperor was deeply attached to Zhang Fang, he was constrained by the Empress Dowager and compelled to heed his ministers, and often sent him away in tears.

    When Empress Dowager Qiongcheng, the Emperor’s grandmother, passed away, the funeral arrangements were rushed, and officials imposed heavy levies to meet the expenses. On hearing of this, the Emperor held the Chancellor and the Grand Master of the Censorate responsible. In winter, on October 8, he demoted Chancellor Xue Xuan to the status of a commoner and reduced the Grand Master of the Censorate, Zhai Fangjin, to the post of Bearer of the Mace.

    For more than twenty days the office of Chancellor remained vacant, and many officials recommended Zhai Fangjin for the position. The Emperor also valued his abilities. On November 2, Zhai Fangjin was promoted to Chancellor and granted the title of Marquis of Gaoling. The Emperor appointed Kong Guang, Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and Grand Chamberlain, as the new Grand Master of the Censorate.

    Zhai Fangjin rose through his mastery of the Classics, but in office he enforced the law with severity, favored the exercise of power, and sought to establish his authority. He harbored deep resentments and often assailed others with cutting memorials that caused lasting injury. There were accusations that he pursued private vendettas and acted deceitfully, but the Emperor believed his recommendations conformed to law and precedent and did not judge them to be improper.

    Kong Guang was the youngest son of Kong Ba, Marquis of Baocheng. He served as Minister of the State Secretariat, managing confidential documents and affairs for more than ten years, always adhering to law and established practice. When the Emperor consulted him, he answered according to the Classics and the statutes, speaking what he believed to be right without seeking to curry favor. If his advice was not adopted, he did not press the matter, and thus maintained his position in stability for many years. Whenever he drafted a memorial, he destroyed the rough copy, considering it a grave impropriety for a minister to appear loyal and upright by exposing the ruler’s faults. When he recommended someone, he feared that the person might learn of it. On his days of leave, he remained with his family and never spoke of court affairs. When asked about the trees in the Wenshi Palace, he would fall silent or reply with unrelated topics, maintaining such a tight-lip that he revealed nothing at all.

    The Emperor traveled to Yong to offer sacrifices at the Five-Deity Altar.

    General of Guard Wang Shang disliked Chen Tang and accused him of “falsely claiming that the construction of Changling would be resumed, and that the appearance of a black dragon in winter was a sign of the Emperor’s frequent incognito outings.” The Minister of Justice advised that “Chen Tang’s statements were improper and showed grave disrespect.” However, in consideration of Chen Tang’s past service, the Emperor pardoned him, reduced him to commoner status, and exiled him to the frontier.

    The Emperor, remembering that Zhao Feiyan’s elevation to Empress had been greatly aided by Chunyu Chang, sought to reward him. He cited Chunyu Chang’s earlier recommendation to halt the construction of Changling and ordered the ministers to deliberate on conferring a title upon him. The Grand Herald Ping Dang argued, “Although Chunyu Chang offered a sound proposal, it does not meet the standards for ennoblement.” For this, Ping Dang was demoted to the post of Prefect of Julu.

    The Emperor then issued an edict commending the Attendant-in-Ordinary Wang Hong and the Privy Counselor and Commandant of the Guards, Chunyu Chang, for their outstanding counsel, and granted both the title of Marquis within the Passes.

    At the same time, the Grand Architect Xie Wannian was accused of sycophancy and disloyalty, causing widespread harm among the people. He was exiled to Dunhuang along with Chen Tang.

    Previously, Chen Xian, the Privy Treasurer, and Pang Xin, the Commandant of the Guards, both held posts superior to that of Zhai Fangjin. Zhai Fangjin rose later, becoming Intendant of Jingzhao, and was on amicable terms with Chen Xian. When the post of Grand Master of the Censorate fell vacant, all three were prominent candidates, yet Zhai Fangjin was selected. When Chancellor Xue Xuan was later found guilty and implicated Zhai Fangjin, the Emperor ordered five ministers of the two-thousand-picul rank to investigate both the Chancellor and the Grand Master of the Censorate. Chen Xian accused Zhai Fangjin in hopes of taking his position, and Zhai Fangjin thereafter harbored deep resentment toward him.

    Chen Tang, favored by Wang Feng and Wang Yin for his abilities, was also on good terms with Chen Xian and Pang Xin. He often praised them before Wang Feng and Wang Yin, which helped them gain advancement among the Nine Ministers. When Wang Shang dismissed Chen Tang, Zhai Fangjin inculpated that Chen Xian and Pang Xin had colluded with him to seek recommendations and secure offices through improper means. As a result, all three were removed from their posts.

    That year, Zhu Bo, Prefect of Langya, was appointed Intendant of Pingyi. In governing the commandery, he often selected the influential and powerful in each county for high civil or military office, according to their qualification. When notorious bandits or unusual disturbances arose, he issued letters of censure; those who exerted themselves effectively were generously rewarded, while those who failed through deceit were punished at once. Thus the powerful were brought to submission, and every policy was carried out without obstruction.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 246): Mirror of History

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 23 Scroll 31 (continued)

    Bronze Mirror from Han Dynasty

    The 2nd year of Emperor Cheng’s Yongshi Era (15 B.C.)

    In the spring, on January 3, the Marquis Jing of Anyang, Wang Yin, passed away. Wang Yin was the only member of the Wang family who was diligent and upright, often offering corrections and counsel, and displaying loyalty and integrity.

    On February 28, meteors fell like rain, numerous and unceasing, yet they extinguished before reaching the ground. On February 30, a solar eclipse occurred.

    On March 12, the Marquis of Chengdu, Wang Shang, was appointed Grand Marshal and General of the Guards. The Marquis of Hongyang, Wang Li, was promoted as a special appointee and placed in charge of the city gate troops.

    The Intendant of Jingzhao, Zhai Fangjin, was appointed Grand Master of the Censorate.

    Gu Yong served as Inspector of Liangzhou. When he reported to the capital and, having completed his business, was about to depart for his post, the Emperor sent a minister of the State Secretariat to ask whether he had any message to convey. Gu Yong wrote:

    “I have heard that for those who rule the realm and govern the state, the great concern is that urgent and disquieting speech may fail to reach the Emperor’s ears. If such words were always heard, then the dynasties of Shang and Zhou would not have changed their surnames in succession, nor would the calendars of the Three Dynasties have been altered in turn. When the Xia and Shang were about to fall, even the common people knew it, yet their rulers complacently believed themselves as secure as the sun in the sky and could not perceive the danger. Thus they were blind to the spreading evils, and their great mandate was overturned without their awareness.

    “The Book of Changes says, ‘Those who are mindful of danger will find safety; those who are mindful of peril will preserve themselves.’ If Your Majesty will listen with an open and unclouded mind, without censorship or punishment, allowing even the humblest laborers to speak what they know, it would be the greatest wish of your ministers and the lasting blessing of the state.

    “In the first year of the Yongshi era, in September, a black dragon appeared in the sky; at the end of that month, there was a solar eclipse. This year, on the night of February 7, a star fell; on the February 14, there was a solar eclipse. Within six months, there have been four great anomalies, occurring in pairs within the same months. Even at the end of the Three Dynasties and amid the turmoil of the Spring and Autumn period, such things did not occur. I have heard that the reason the Three Dynasties lost their altars and ancestral temples was the indulgence of women and in wine by a gang of evildoers inside palaces; the reason the Qin dynasty perished within sixteen years or mere two generations was the extravagance of life and the lavishness of funerals. Your Majesty has done both, and I beg your pardon to explain their consequences.

    “During the Jianshi and Heping eras, the households of Empress Xu and Consort Ban dominated the court and cast their influence in all directions. Favor toward women then reached its height and could not be surpassed; now, those who follow in their footsteps have risen ten times higher still. Your Majesty has abolished the laws and regulations of the late Emperor, taken these women’s words as truth, and bestowed offices and ranks without measure. You have released criminals from royal punishments, emboldened their relatives, granted them power and authority, and disrupted governance at will, so that officials fear to act in accordance with the law. Moreover, the inner court’s prison has become a private snare, where tortures more brutal than flogging, branding, and roasting are employed, and many perish. Your Majesty has repaid favors and pursued vendettas for the families of Zhao(Feiyan) and Li(Ping), overturning rightful judgments and punishing upright officials who seek reform. Many innocent officers are imprisoned, beaten, and coerced into confessions. The inner court issues loans for profit, shares in their gains, and accepts bribes. Countless enter and never return. This is why the two solar eclipses have appeared, to reveal these offenses.

    “Heaven withdraws its aid only after a ruler places himself in helplessness first. Now Your Majesty sets aside the supreme dignity of the imperial carriage, delights in the petty affairs of commoners, disdains the lofty and august title of the Son of Heaven, and prefers the lowly names of ordinary men. You elevate and gather frivolous and unworthy persons as private companions, often leaving the secure depths of the palace, traveling day and night with such men, flocking and mingling like crows, drinking in the houses of officials and commoners, sitting together in disordered attire, indulging in excessive revelry, mixing without distinction. You pursue pleasure eagerly, spending days and nights upon the road. Those who guard the gates and serve in the imperial guard hold their weapons and keep watch over an empty palace. For several years, ministers and officials have been wondering Your Majesty’s whereabouts.

    “The ruler takes the people as the foundation, and the people rely upon their private resources. When private resources are exhausted, the people rebel; when the people rebel, the ruler falls. Therefore, a wise ruler cherishes and nurtures the foundation, daring not to exploit it, and treats the people as if he were conducting a great sacrifice. Now Your Majesty casually seizes the people’s resources, does not cherish their toil, and listens to the schemes of deceitful ministers. You abandoned the original great mausoleum and rebuilt Changling, employing hundreds of thousands more laborers than were used in constructing the Ganxi tomb of King Ling of Chu, and incurring expenses comparable to Mount Li of the First Emperor of Qin, thereby exhausting the realm. After five years it remained unfinished, and you reverted to the original plan. The people’s sorrow and resentment have moved Heaven. Famine has followed; the people have scattered, and millions have starved, dying along the roads. The state has no yearly reserves, and the people have not even ten days’ provisions. Both high and low are impoverished, with no means to aid one another. The Book of Songs says, ‘The mirror of Yin(a.k.a. Shang) is not far; it lies in the late age of Xia.’ I urge Your Majesty to look back upon the failures of Xia, Shang, Zhou, and Qin as a mirror by which to reflect upon your own conduct. If anything I have said is improper, I am willing to accept punishment for reckless speech!

    “Since the founding of the Han dynasty, through nine generations and more than one hundred and ninety years, seven emperors have succeeded to the throne. All followed Heaven’s mandate and upheld the ways of their ancestors, either restoring the dynasty or preserving peace and order. Yet Your Majesty alone has departed from the proper path, indulged your cravings, and acted with reckless abandon; though still in the prime of life, you lack the blessing of an heir and face the peril of ruin. The accumulated failures in governance have become too numerous and do not accord with Heaven’s will. As heir to the legacy and achievements of your forebears, to guard them in this manner—is this not betrayal?

    “At present, the fate of the state, the ancestral temples, and the balance between safety and danger all rest in Your Majesty’s hands. If Your Majesty will truly awaken to this reality, devote himself to returning to the right path, correcting past errors, and establishing new virtue, then these great anomalies may well be dispelled, Heaven’s mandate restored, and the state and ancestral temples preserved. I implore Your Majesty to reflect deeply and weigh these words with care.”

    The Emperor was by nature lenient and fond of literature, yet he was addicted to pleasure and entertainment, a constant source of anxiety for the Empress Dowager and his many uncles. Because those closest to him found it difficult to speak frankly, they urged Gu Yong and others to invoke heavenly anomalies as a pretext for stern remonstrance, encouraging the Emperor to heed and adopt their counsel. Gu Yong, knowing that he had the support of powerful affinal kin, spoke his mind without restraint, and on each occasion he was received with deference. However, when he submitted this particular response, the Emperor was greatly angered.

    General Wang Shang secretly advised Gu Yong to flee. The Emperor dispatched an imperial censor to arrest him, with orders not to pursue him beyond the Jiaodao stables. The censor failed to overtake Gu Yong and returned. The Emperor’s anger then subsided, and he repented of his actions.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 245): The Bereaved

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 23 Scroll 31 (continued)

    The Site of Changling, Lintong District, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province

    The 1st year of Emperor Cheng’s Yongshi Era (16 B.C. continued)

    The Empress Dowager had eight brothers; only her brother Wang Man died young and was not enfeoffed, and she pitied him for this. Wang Man’s widow, Qu, was supported by the Eastern Palace, and their son, Wang Mang, grew up an orphan, unable to rival his cousins, all of whom were sons of generals and marquises and indulged in extravagance, competing in displays of wealth and pleasure. Wang Mang, by contrast, humbled himself, practiced frugality, and devoted himself to study, dressing like a scholar. He served his mother and widowed sister-in-law, raised his orphaned nephews, and conducted himself with great care. He befriended eminent men outside the court and, within the imperial clan, attended to his uncles with meticulous respect.

    When the Grand General Wang Feng fell ill, Wang Mang waited upon him, personally tasting his medicine, remaining unkempt and unwashed, and not removing his clothes even to sleep or bathe for months. As Wang Feng lay dying, he commended Wang Mang to the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and Wang Mang was appointed Yellow Gates Attendant and later promoted to Colonel of Shooting the Sound.

    After some time, Wang Mang’s uncle, Wang Shang, Marquis of Chengdu, submitted a memorial requesting that his fief households be divided so that Wang Mang might be enfeoffed. Dai Chong, Privy Treasurer of Changle Palace, Jin She, Privy Counselor, and Chen Tang, Commandant of the Guards—all noted gentlemen of the time—spoke highly of Wang Mang. The Emperor accordingly esteemed him, and the Empress Dowager also frequently praised him. On May 6, Wang Mang was enfeoffed as Marquis of Xindu and promoted to Cavalry Commandant, Grand Master of Merit, and Privy Counselor. He served with diligence and care, and as his rank and title grew more exalted, his conduct became ever more humble. He distributed his carriages, horses, clothing, and furs to his retainers, leaving nothing in excess at home. He sponsored and associated with renowned scholars and cultivated ties with generals, ministers, and high officials. Thus, those in office continually recommended him, and those who visited him spoke highly of him, spreading his reputation far and wide, until it surpassed that of his uncles.

    He also ventured upon bold actions without apparent shame. Once he privately purchased a maidservant. When his brothers learned of it, Wang Mang said, “General of the Rear Zhu Ziyuan has no sons. I have heard that this maid is fit for bearing children, and so I bought her.” He then immediately presented the maid to General Zhu Bo. Such was his manner of concealing his pursuit of reputation.

    On June 6, Empress Zhao was formally established, and a great amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm. Once she had been installed, however, her favor declined. Her younger sister, by contrast, was deeply beloved and was made Zhaoyi (Consort of Bright Deportment), residing in the Zhaoyang Palace. Its central courtyard was painted vermilion, and the halls above were lacquered black; all the thresholds were plated and gilded with copper; the stairways were fashioned of white jade; the walls were inlaid at intervals with golden belt, Lantian jade, and luminous pearls, and adorned with peacock feathers. Such splendor had never before been seen within the harem.

    Empress Zhao dwelt in a separate hall, often associating with attendants and palace servants who had borne many children. Consort(Zhaoyi) Zhao once said to the Emperor, “My sister is headstrong and fiery. If anyone were to slander her, the Zhao family would have no descendants.” She wept bitterly, and the Emperor was moved. Believing her, he ordered the execution of anyone who reported evidence of the Empress’s misconduct. As a result, the Empress indulged in debauchery without fear of accusation, yet in the end she remained childless.

    The Grand Master of Merit, Liu Xiang, held that royal instruction should proceed from within outward, beginning with those closest to the Emperor. He therefore compiled accounts of virtuous consorts and chaste women who aided in the flourishing of their states, as well as tales of indulgence and favoritism that led to ruin, drawing from the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents, and produced a work entitled Biographies of Exemplary Women in eight volumes. He also gathered various records and deeds, composing New Prefaces and Stories of the Garden in fifty volumes, which he presented to the Emperor. He frequently submitted memorials discussing gains and losses and offering admonitions. These writings, numbering in the dozens, were meant to assist the Emperor’s understanding and to supply what was lacking in his knowledge. Although the Emperor could not fully carry out all of Liu Xiang’s proposals, he privately esteemed his words and often sighed in admiration.

    The construction of the Changling Mausoleum was extravagant and sumptuous, yet even after a long time it remained unfinished.

    Liu Xiang submitted a memorial, saying: “I have heard that kings must submit to the Three Norms—Heaven, Earth, and the People—and understand that the Mandate of Heaven bestowed upon them is broad and not confined to a single family. From antiquity to the present, there has never been a state that did not eventually perish. Emperor Wen once admired the solidity of stone sarcophagi, to which Zhang Shizhi replied, ‘If there is something desirable within, then even if it were cast in copper and buried in Mount Zhongnan, cracks would still appear.’ The dead have no ultimate end, while states rise and fall; Zhang Shizhi’s words thus look to the unending future. Emperor Wen understood this and resolved upon a simple burial.

    “The making of coffins and sarcophagi began with the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor, Emperor Yao, Shun, Yu the Great, Tang(the Perfect) of Shang, King Wen of Zhou, King Wu of Zhou, and the Duke of Zhou all had small tombs and very modest burial places. Their wise ministers and filial sons likewise followed their example and buried them simply. This truly embodies the highest loyalty and filial piety in honoring and comforting one’s lord and father. Confucius buried his mother at Fang city, with a tomb four feet high. Ji Zha of Yanling buried his son, sealing the pit so that the mound, less than half a man’s height, was scarcely visible. Yet Confucius was a filial son, Ji Zha of Yanling a compassionate father, Shun and Yu loyal ministers, and the Duke of Zhou a dutiful brother; in burying their lords, parents, and kin, all practiced simplicity. This was not merely frugality for its own sake, but a principle truly worthy of adoption.

    “The First Emperor of Qin was buried at the foot of Mount Li. His tomb was sealed down through three layers of aquifer, with a towering mound above. Mercury was made to flow as rivers and seas; golden geese and ducks were set in place; treasures were stored; mechanical devices were installed; the coffins were splendid, and the palace structures magnificent—beyond all imagining. The people of the world were driven to exhaustion by forced labor and rose in revolt. The works at Mount Li were not yet finished when a great army of a million, led by Zhou Zhang, reached its base. Xiang Yu burned the palaces and encampments, and later a shepherd boy, searching for a lost sheep with a torch, accidentally set fire to the hidden coffin and bier. From antiquity to the present, there has never been a burial as grand as that of the First Emperor, yet within a few years it suffered calamity from Xiang Yu without and from the shepherd boy within. Is it not tragic?

    “Therefore, the greater the virtue, the simpler the burial; the deeper the wisdom, the less the expense in sepulture. Those lacking virtue and understanding make their tombs ever more elaborate. The higher the mound and the more splendid the temple, the sooner they are dug up. From this one can see the contrast between enlightenment and folly, and the auspiciousness or ominousness of burial is made plain.

    “Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have practiced frugality. When the mausoleum was first planned, its scale was modest, and all praised Your Majesty’s wisdom. But after it was moved to Changling, humility was turned into ostentation: soil was heaped into a mountain, people’s graves were opened, and countless laborers were conscripted. Thousands of dwellings were built, the work rushed to meet deadlines, at the cost of tens of thousands. The dead are resentful below, and the living sorrowful above. I am deeply distressed. If the dead are conscious, to disturb their graves is a great injury; if they are not, what purpose does such grandeur serve? To consult the wise brings them no joy, and to display this to the common people brings only suffering. If it is merely to please the foolish and the extravagant, what value does it have?

    “I beg that Your Majesty look to the wise precedents of antiquity as a model, take the calamity of fallen Qin as a warning, and return to the original plan for the mausoleum, in accordance with the deliberations of the nobles and ministers, so as to relieve the burden on the people.”

    The Emperor was moved by these words.

    At the outset, the Grand Architect Xie Wannian falsely claimed that the Changling Mausoleum could be completed in three years, yet in the end he failed to fulfill this promise. Many officials spoke of the project’s impracticality. The matter was referred to the relevant authorities for deliberation, and they all stated:

    “The Changling Mausoleum depends on raising low ground to make it high, while the burial chamber must still be constructed on level earth. Set upon alien soil, it does not safeguard the spirit of the deceased in the afterlife, and its shallow outer layers are insecure. The labor of the workers has reached the tens of thousands; fires are lit at night, and earth is hauled from the eastern mountains, to the point that soil itself now rivals grain in price. The construction has continued for several years, and the entire realm has been burdened by its toil. Therefore, the mausoleum should follow the natural terrain, rest upon true soil, be situated in a high and prominent place, and lie close to the resting places of the other ancestors. Moreover, ten years of work have already been expended on the former mausoleums. It would be best to return to them and not relocate the people, for the sake of convenience.”

    In July of autumn, an edict was issued, saying: “We have not firmly upheld our own virtue, nor fully consulted my advisors. We mistakenly heeded the words of the Grand Architect Xie Wannian, who claimed that ‘Changling could be completed in three years.’ After five years of labor, the central mausoleum and the Forbidden Gates have not even been begun. The resources of the state are exhausted, and the people are worn down. The foreign soil is loose and unsuitable, making completion impossible. We are deeply troubled and pained by this. As the saying goes, ‘To err and not to correct is itself an error.’ Therefore, let the construction of Changling cease, and let the officials and people not be relocated from the former mausoleums, so that the hearts of the people are not disturbed.”

    The descendants of Xiao He, the Marquis of Zan, who inherited his title, either died without heirs or committed crimes, so that their line was extinguished five times. Empress Gaozu, Emperor Wen, Emperor Jing, Emperor Wu, and Emperor Xuan all remembered Xiao He’s great service and repeatedly restored collateral branches of his family to the marquisate. In this year, Xiao He’s seventh-generation descendant, Xiao Huo, Marquis of Zan, was charged with having his slave kill a man. His death sentence was commuted, and he was assigned to hard labor on the city walls. Earlier, the Emperor had issued an edict directing the authorities to seek out the descendants of the founding heroes of the Han dynasty, but for a long time the records remained incomplete.

    Du Ye advised the Emperor, saying: “The ancient rulers Yao and Shun, and the kings of the Three Dynasties(Xia, Shang, Zhou), all enfeoffed the lords in order to secure the harmony of the realm. Thus the ancestral sacrifices of Yan and Qi were maintained alongside those of Zhou, with sons succeeding fathers and brothers following brothers, without interruption through the years. How could this have been achieved without the punishments and exertions of the ancestors, by which their descendants were enabled to enjoy the fruits? When we trace back the meritorious officials of the Han, all were granted hereditary titles and swore oaths by mountains and rivers. Yet in little more than a hundred years, those who inherited these titles have all passed away, their bones lying alone in the graves, their descendants scattered, living as destitute servants and dying as wandering corpses. When one reflects on the past, it is all the more grievous in the present.

    “The benevolent court, moved by compassion, issued an edict to seek out their descendants, and people from all quarters returned joyfully with loyal hearts. Yet years have passed without proper inquiry, and I fear that those who speak of it do not grasp its great significance, offering only empty words. This obscures Your Majesty’s great virtue and spreads a reputation for ungenerosity on the part of the court, which does not serve to instruct or to encourage future generations. Though it may be difficult to carry it out in full, we should at least continue to honor those of outstanding merit.” The Emperor accepted this counsel.

    On July 15, Xiao He’s sixth-generation descendant, Xiao Xi, Chief of Nanluan County, was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Zan.

    The younger brother of Prince Ai of Chengyang, Liu Li, was also established as Prince of Chengyang.

    On August 19, the Great Grand Empress Dowager Wang, consort of Emperor Xuan, passed away.

    In September, a black dragon(dark cloud of odd shape?) appeared in Donglai.

    On September 30, a solar eclipse occurred.

    In this year, the Prefect of Nanyang, Chen Xian, was appointed Privy Treasurer, and the Privy Counselor Chunyu Chang was appointed Commandant of Waterways And Parks.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 244): Sculpting Rotten Wood

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 23 Scroll 31 (continued)

    Zhao Feiyan, by Ma Dai

    The 4th year of Emperor Cheng’s Hongjia Era (17 B.C.)

    In autumn, the Yellow River overflowed in Bohai, Qinghe, and Xindu, flooding thirty-one counties and towns and destroying more than forty thousand government posts and civilian dwellings. Li Xun of Pingling and others advised: “There has long been a wish to locate the old courses of the Nine Rivers and dredge them. Now that the Yellow River has breached by itself, we should not block the openings, but observe the pattern of the water’s flow. The river will seek its own course and naturally scour away the sand. Then, by following these natural tendencies, we may make our plans, achieving success with minimal expenditure of resources.”

    Accordingly, it was decided not to block the breaches. Court officials repeatedly expressed concern for the suffering of the people in the flooded regions, and the Emperor dispatched his representatives to provide relief and resettlement for the victims.

    In Guanghan, the cabal of Zheng Gong and his confidantes grew ever more widespread, spreading across four counties and mustering nearly ten thousand followers; the local authorities were unable to contain them. In winter, Zhao Hu, Commandant of Hedong, was appointed Prefect of Guanghan. He mobilized thirty thousand men from his own commandery and from Shu Commandery to attack the rebels. Some were captured and executed, and within a month order was restored. Zhao Hu was then promoted to Bearer of the Mace (Chief of Capital Police) and awarded one hundred catties of gold.

    That year, Wang Tan, Marquis of Ping’e, died. The Emperor regretted that he had deposed Wang Tan and prevented him from assisting in governance before his death. Accordingly, he reinstated Wang Shang, Marquis of Chengdu, as a Special Appointee to command the city gate guards, established a command post for him, and allowed him to appoint officials as a general would.

    At that time, Du Ye of Weijun, a Palace Gentleman who had long been on good terms with the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Wang Yin, noticed that Wang Yin had previously fallen out with the Marquis of Ping’e, Wang Tan. Du Ye advised Wang Yin:

    “Among relatives, who does not harbor some resentment? In the past, Duke Jing of Qin ruled a state of a thousand chariots, yet could not get along with his own brother by the same mother, and the Spring and Autumn Annals censured him for it. The Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao were otherwise: they assisted one another with loyalty, corrected one another with righteousness, treated their kin as equals, and shared both the glory and the burdens of the realm without seeking to monopolize them. They divided the state at Shanzhou, each governing his own half, and together served the Son of Heaven as left and right hands. Thus they bore no resentments within and no reproach without, enjoying Heaven’s favor and enduring renown.

    “I have observed that the Marquis of Chengdu(Wang Shang) has been appointed Special Appointee to command the city gate guards, and that an edict permits him to appoint officials as do the Five Offices—the Chancellor, the Grand Master of the Censorate, and the Three Generals(General of the Left, Right, Chariots and Cavalry). This clearly shows the Emperor’s wish to favor him. You, General, should comply with His Majesty’s intent: treat him with exceptional courtesy, include him in every deliberation and decision, and extend to him sincere goodwill. With such sincerity, who would not be pleased?”

    Wang Yin greatly valued this counsel and thereafter became close with Wang Shang, the Marquis of Chengdu. Both men held Du Ye in high esteem.

    The 1st year of Emperor Cheng’s Yongshi Era (16 B.C.)

    In the spring, on January 22, a fire broke out in the icehouse of the Imperial Kitchen. On January 27, another fire occurred at the south gate of the tomb of Empress Li(Lady Shi, Liu Ju’s concubine).

    The Emperor wished to appoint Zhao Feiyan as Empress, but the Empress Dowager opposed it on account of her humble origins. The Empress Dowager’s nephew, Chunyu Chang, who held the post of Privy Counselor, frequently went to the Eastern Palace to convey messages from the Emperor. After more than a year, the Empress Dowager finally gave her consent.

    In summer, on April 15, the Emperor first enfeoffed Zhao Feiyan’s father, Zhao Lin, as Marquis of Chengyang. The Grand Master of Remonstration, Liu Fu of Hejian, submitted a memorial:

    “In former times, King Wu of Zhou and the Duke of Zhou accorded with Heaven’s will and thus received auspicious signs—the white fish entering the royal boat and the flames transforming into crows. Yet despite these portents, rulers and ministers alike remained humble and apprehensive, urging one another to act with caution. How much more should we do in these later days, when we lack even the fortune of a Crown Prince and yet repeatedly suffer Heaven’s displeasure through extraordinary phenomena! Though we reflect and reform day and night, revere Heaven’s mandate, and remember the great achievements of our ancestors—carefully selecting virtuous families from which to choose worthy women to serve the ancestral temples and satisfy both the spirits and the people’s expectations—we still fear it may be too late to secure the blessing of progeny. Yet now Your Majesty indulges in passion, favoring a woman of humble birth and intending to make her the mother of the nation, without fear of Heaven or shame before the people. Never has Your Majesty’s delusion been greater.

    “An old saying goes: ‘Rotten wood cannot be sculpted, nor can a servant girl become a master.’ Matters that Heaven and the people do not approve will inevitably bring disaster, not fortune. This is a principle even commoners understand, yet none at court dares to speak. I am deeply distressed and dare not refrain from offering this counsel, even at the risk of my life.”

    After submitting the memorial, the Emperor ordered the imperial inspector to arrest Liu Fu and detain him in the secret prison of the rear palace. The ministers did not know the reason for his arrest.

    Accordingly, Left General Xin Qingji, Right General Lian Bao, Grand Chamberlain Shi Dan of Langya, and the Grand Master of the Palace, Gu Yong, submitted a memorial, saying:

    “We observe that Liu Fu formerly served as a county magistrate and sought an audience with Your Majesty, who then promoted him to Grand Master of Remonstration. This shows that his words must have been of exceptional insight, fully in accord with Your Majesty’s intentions, and thus merited such rapid advancement. Yet in less than a month he was suddenly arrested and confined in the secret prison. We, in our simplicity, believe that Liu Fu, being newly come from the counties and unfamiliar with court protocol, may inadvertently have offended some imperial taboo. Such a fault should not be judged too severely. If his offense is minor, Your Majesty should show forbearance; if it is grave, it ought to be openly declared and handled by the judicial authorities, so that all may know his crime.

    “Now, with Heaven showing displeasure and calamities occurring frequently, this is a time for benevolence and tolerance, for seeking wide counsel, rewarding forthright speech, and encouraging ministers to speak their minds. To impose harsh and secret punishments upon those who remonstrate will shock the court and stifle loyalty and candor. If Liu Fu was not punished for speaking frankly, yet his crime is not made known, the public will not understand. Liu Fu, as both kinsman and minister, was advanced for his frankness; for the proper ordering of the imperial kindred and the encouragement of loyal counsel, he should not be detained in the prison of the rear palace.

    “Officials high and low, seeing Your Majesty swiftly promote and then as swiftly punish Liu Fu, will grow fearful, lose their resolve, and be discouraged from loyalty and frankness. This will neither display Your Majesty’s virtue in heeding honest advice, like Emperor Shun, nor uphold a noble standard of conduct. We are deeply distressed and respectfully beg Your Majesty to reconsider.”

    The Emperor then transferred Liu Fu to the Gonggong Prison and commuted his death sentence to three years of penal servitude, assigning him to gather firewood for the ancestral temple.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 243): Sister Flowers

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 23 Scroll 31 (continued)

    Purportedly Personal Seal Stamp of Zhao Feiyan

    The 2nd year of Emperor Cheng’s Hongjia Era (19 B.C.)

    In spring, the Emperor traveled to Yunyang and Ganquan palace.

    In March, when the erudites performed the grand archery ritual, a pheasant flew into the courtyard, ascended the steps, entered the hall, and crowed. Thereafter, pheasants also gathered at the residences of the Grand Minister of Ceremonies, the Minister of Imperial Clan, the Chancellor, the Grand Master of the Censorate, and the General of Chariots and Cavalry, and then upon the roof of the Chengming Hall in Weiyang Palace. The General of Chariots and Cavalry, Wang Yin, and the Secretary-in-Waiting, Chong, submitted a report:

    “The energies of Heaven and Earth respond to one another; warnings to the ruler are subtle yet manifest. The pheasant is famed for its keen hearing, sensing thunder before it strikes, which is why the Monthly Ordinances record its significance. The Classic recounts the abnormal crowing of a pheasant in the time of Emperor Gaozong of Shang(while sacrificing for Tang of Shang), as a sign that misfortune was turning into blessing. Now, on the day of the grand archery ritual performed by the erudites, many pheasants gathered, flew into the courtyard, ascended the steps, and entered the hall, causing astonishment and alarm for several days. They then passed through the residences of the Three Excellencies, the Grand Minister of Ceremonies, and the Minister of the Imperial Clan, who oversee the ancestral temples and family affairs, and finally entered the palace—indicating a warning of profound significance. Men can often make admonitions to each other, but could anything surpass this?”

    The Emperor later instructed the Attendant-in-Ordinary, Chao Hong, to convey to Wang Yin: “It has been reported that the feathers of the captured pheasant were somewhat broken, suggesting that it had been handled by someone. Might this not be the work of men?”

    Wang Yin replied: “How could Your Majesty entertain the words of a doomed state? Who would dare to contrive deceit to malign Your Majesty’s virtue in such a way? Flatterers surround you, and there is no need for my flattery. From high officials to low, all merely strive to preserve their positions and do not speak the truth. If Your Majesty becomes aware of impending calamity and, in awe, reprimands the officials and enforces the sacred laws, then I, Wang Yin, should be the first to be punished. How could I seek to excuse myself?

    “Now it has been fifteen years since Your Majesty ascended the throne, yet no heir has been established. You travel daily and neglect your duties—this failing is well known, more widely spoken of in the realm than even in the capital. There are harms in your roaming outside the palace and anxieties over illness within it. Heaven has repeatedly shown portents to urge reform, yet nothing has changed. If even Heaven cannot move Your Majesty, what hope do we, your subjects, have? I can only speak candidly and await death, my fate hanging by a thread. If Your Majesty does not set this right, my aged mother will not find peace, nor will the honor of the Empress Dowager remain secure. To whom, then, shall the empire founded by Gaozu be entrusted? It would be fitting to seek the counsel of the wise and discerning, to practice self-discipline and return to propriety, to seek Heaven’s favor, thereby establishing an heir and dispelling calamities.”

    Earlier, under Emperor Yuan, frugality prevailed, and households were no longer relocated to Weiling to establish a settlement town. Under Emperor Cheng, however, construction of Chuling began, and several years later he favored a site south of Baling Qu Pavilion, also known as Changling, and again commenced building there. The Grand Craftsman, Xie Wannian, had Chen Tang submit a proposal to relocate people to establish a settlement town at the new site, seeking to claim merit and substantial rewards. Chen Tang volunteered to move first, hoping to obtain fertile fields and fine dwellings. The Emperor accepted this advice and established the settlement town of Changling.

    In summer, wealthy and powerful families with assets exceeding five million were relocated to Changling, totaling five thousand households.

    On May 6, three meteorites fell in Duyou Post.

    In June, the grandson of Prince Xian of Zhongshan, Liu Yunke, was enfeoffed as Prince of Guangde.

    That year, Prince Ai of Chengyang, Liu Yun, died. As he left no sons, his principality was abolished.

    The 3rd year of Emperor Cheng’s Hongjia Era (18 B.C.)

    In April of summer, an amnesty was proclaimed throughout the empire.

    There was a severe drought.

    The Five Marquises of the Wang clan vied with one another in extravagance. The Marquis of Chengdu, Wang Shang, once fell ill and sought to escape the heat, so he borrowed the Mingguang Palace from the Emperor. Later, he even cut through the city of Chang’an, diverting water from the Feng River into a great pond within his residence, upon which he sailed boats beneath feathered canopies and surrounding curtains, with oarsmen singing Yue songs. The Emperor visited Wang Shang’s estate, saw the water diverted through the city, and was displeased, though he kept his feelings to himself.

    Later, while traveling incognito, the Emperor passed the residence of the Marquis of Quyang, Wang Gen, and saw an earthen mound and a gradually raised platform resembling the White Tiger Hall of the imperial park. The Emperor was enraged and reproached the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Wang Yin.

    Wang Shang and his brother Wang Gen wished to brand their faces and mutilate their noses to apologize before the Empress Dowager. When the Emperor heard of this, he was furious and sent the Minister of the State Secretariat to rebuke the Colonel of the Capital Inspectorate and the Intendant of Jingzhao, declaring that they knew well of the Marquis of Chengdu, Wang Shang, and the others exceeding all bounds in extravagance and authority, yet concealed and shielded offenders, failing to report them or enforce the law. The two officials bowed their heads before the palace gate.

    The Emperor also issued an edict to the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Wang Yin, saying: “Why do the affines indulge in corruption and decay? Why do they seek to brand and mutilate themselves, to disfigure and disgrace one another before the Empress Dowager, wounding a compassionate mother’s heart and thereby throwing the state into peril and disorder? The affinal clan and its branches have grown strong, while We, the lord, have long been weakened day by day. Now We shall take action. Summon the Five Marquises and order them to await judgment in your house!”

    That day, the ministers of the State Secretariat were ordered to submit a report citing the precedent of General Bo Zhao’s execution in the reign of Emperor Wen.

    The General of Chariots and Cavalry, Wang Yin, begged for punishment by sitting upon a straw mat, and Wang Shang, Wang Li, and Wang Gen all carried axes and chopping boards in token of submission. After a long time, the matter was settled. The Emperor had meant only to frighten them and had no true intention of putting them to death.

    In autumn, on August 15, the northern gate of Emperor Jing’s temple caught fire.

    Earlier, Empress Xu and Consort Ban were both favored by the Emperor. Once, while the Emperor was touring the rear garden, he wished to ride in the same carriage with Consort Ban. Consort Ban declined, saying, “When one looks to ancient paintings, the wise and holy rulers are always shown with eminent ministers at their side, whereas the last rulers of the Three Dynasties(Xia, Shang, Zhou) are depicted with favored concubines riding with them. If we were to share the same carriage, would it not resemble that?”

    The Emperor admired her words and desisted. When the Empress Dowager heard of this, she was pleased and said, “In ancient times there was a Concubine Fan of King Zhuang of Chu; now we have Consort Ban.”

    Consort Ban recommended her maidservant, Li Ping, who likewise gained the Emperor’s favor and was granted the title of Consort and the surname Wei.

    Later, while traveling incognito, the Emperor visited the residence of Princess of Yang’e and was captivated by the singing and dancing of Geji Zhao Feiyan. He summoned her to the palace and bestowed great favor upon her. Zhao Feiyan’s younger sister, Zhao Hede, was also summoned; she was even more alluring and refined, pure and flawless, and all who saw her were entranced by her beauty.

    Nao Fangcheng, the Fragrance Erudite(female scholar) from the reign of Emperor Xuan, stood behind the Emperor when they first encountered Zhao Hede and spat upon the ground, saying, “These are beauties of calamitous water; they will surely extinguish the fire of the Han house!”

    Both sisters were made Jieyu (Ladies of Handsome Fairness), and their splendor soon eclipsed the entire harem. Empress Xu and Consort Ban fell from favor. Zhao Feiyan then falsely accused Empress Xu and Consort Ban of practicing witchcraft, cursing the harem, and insulting the Emperor.

    In winter, on November 16, Empress Xu was deposed and confined to the Zhaotai Palace. Her elder sister, Xu Ye, and others were executed, and their relatives were returned to their home commanderies. When Consort Ban was interrogated, she replied, “I have heard the saying: ‘Life and death are decreed; wealth and honor depend on Heaven’s appointment.’ If self-correction does not bring blessings, how could the practice of evil arts hope to do so? If ghosts and spirits are sentient, they would not accept slanderous petitions; if they are not, what use is appealing to them? Therefore, I have never cursed anyone.”

    The Emperor admired her answer, pardoned her, and rewarded her with one hundred catties of gold. The Zhao sisters grew ever more arrogant and jealous. Consort Ban, fearing for her safety, requested permission to serve the Empress Dowager in the Changxin Palace, and the Emperor granted her request.

    In Guanghan, a man named Zheng Gong, together with more than sixty others, attacked the official residence, freed the prisoners, seized weapons from the armory, and proclaimed themselves mountain lords.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 242): Catamitus Zhang Fang

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 23 Scroll 31

    Duration of 9 years

    Ascension Cathedral, Almaty, Kazakhstan(Wusun)

    The 3rd year of Emperor Cheng’s Yangshuo Era (22 B.C.)

    In the spring, on February 27, eight meteorites fell in Dongjun Commandery.

    In June of summer, the workers of the ironworks in Yingchuan—led by Shen Tusheng and numbering one hundred and eighty—killed their chief officials, seized weapons from the armory, proclaimed themselves generals, and roamed through nine commanderies. The government dispatched the Chancellor’s Chief of Staff and the Censor-in-Chief to pursue and capture them. The local armed forces were mobilized, the rebels were all brought to justice and executed.

    In autumn, Wang Feng fell gravely ill, and the Emperor visited his home several times, personally holding his hand and weeping, saying, “General, should the unspeakable occur, Marquis of Ping’e, Wang Tan, will succeed you as Grand General.” 

    Wang Feng knelt and wept in reply: “Though Wang Tan and the others are my close kin, their conduct is extravagant and expropriating, and they cannot properly lead the people. The Grand Master of the Censorate, Wang Yin, is diligent and cautious; I avouch for his qualification, betting my life.” 

    As Wang Feng approached death, he submitted a final memorial to thank the Emperor and once again firmly recommended Wang Yin as his successor, insisting that Wang Tan and the other four marquises not be employed. The Emperor agreed.

    Earlier, Wang Tan had been haughty and unwilling to serve under Wang Feng, whereas Wang Yin respected him and behaved with the humility of a son. For this reason, Wang Feng recommended Wang Yin.

    On August 24, Wang Feng died. On September 2, Wang Yin was appointed Grand Marshal and General of Chariots and Cavalry, while Wang Tan was promoted to Special Appointee and placed in charge of the capital gate guards. The Prefect of Anding Commandery, Gu Yong, believing that Wang Tan had lost out in the contest for the post of Grand General, urged him to decline the command of the city gates. From that time forward, Wang Tan and Wang Yin were on poor terms with one another.

    In winter, on November 6, the Chamberlain Yu Yong was appointed Grand Master of the Censorate. Yu Yong was the son of Yu Dingguo.

    The 4th year of Emperor Cheng’s Yangshuo Era (21 B.C.)

    In February of spring, a general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm.

    In April of summer, snow fell.

    On September 16, Prince Si of Dongping, Liu Yu, died.

    The Privy Treasurer, Wang Jun, was appointed Intendant of Jingzhao. Wang Jun was the son of Wang Ji. Previously, Jingzhao had had Intendants such as Zhao Guanghan, Zhang Chang, Wang Zun, Wang Zhang, and Wang Jun, all renowned for their ability. Hence there was a saying in the capital: “First came Zhao and Zhang; then came the three Wangs.”

    On intercalary September 9, Yu Yong died.

    The Minor Kunmi of the Wusun, Wujiutu, died, and his son Fuli succeeded him, but was killed by his younger brother, Ri’er. The Han court dispatched an envoy to install Fuli’s son, Anri, as the new Minor Kunmi. Ri’er fled and took refuge in Kangju. Anri then sent three nobles—Gumoni and others—who feigned defection to Ri’er and assassinated him. Thereupon, the states of the Western Regions submitted memorials requesting that the former Protector-General (Viceroy), Duan Huizong, be reinstated. The Emperor approved their request. When news of this spread, the states with walled cities in the region all vied eagerly to pledge allegiance to Han.

    Gu Yong submitted a memorial, saying: “A wise ruler does not confer fame and titles without regard to actual ability and experience. The office of Grand Master of the Censorate bears heavy responsibility and is of the utmost importance. The Privy Treasurer, Xue Xuan, is well versed in governance. I beg Your Majesty to deliberate carefully.” The Emperor accepted his counsel.

    The 1st year of Emperor Cheng’s Hongjia Era (20 B.C.)

    In the spring, on January 9, Xue Xuan was appointed Grand Master of the Censorate.

    On February 28, the Emperor went to inspect his mausoleum at Chuling and granted a pardon to the convicts laboring there. Township Xi of Xinfeng County was designated as Changling County to finance the Chuling mausoleum.

    The Emperor began to travel incognito, accompanied by more than ten palace guards or personal attendants, sometimes riding in a small carriage, sometimes on horseback, roaming through markets and countryside, and going to palaces as far as neighboring counties such as Ganquan, Changyang, and Wuzuo Palace. He engaged in cockfighting and horse racing, often claiming to be a family member of the Marquis of Fuping. The Marquis of Fuping, Zhang Fang, was the great-great-grandson of Zhang Anshi. Zhang Fang’s father, Zhang Lin, had married Princess Jingwu(Sister of Emperor Yuan). Zhang Fang served as a Privy Counselor and General of the Household, married the younger sister of Empress Xu, and was an unrivaled catamite at the time, which is why the Emperor used his surname as an alias.

    On March 27, Zhang Yu was dismissed on account of age and illness. He was permitted, as a marquis and special appointee, to attend court on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month, receiving ceremonial honors equivalent to those of the Chancellor, along with rewards amounting to several tens of millions.

    In summer, on April 27, Xue Xuan was appointed Chancellor and enfeoffed as Marquis of Gaoyang; the Intendant of Jingzhao, Wang Jun, was appointed Grand Master of the Censorate.

    Wang Yin, as the Emperor’s maternal uncle, handled affairs with care and diligence. Since Wang Yin had advanced to the post of General of the Household from that of Grand Master of the Censorate without receiving the marquisate customarily granted to a Chancellor, on June 17 the Emperor enfeoffed him as Marquis of Anyang.

    In winter, a yellow dragon appeared in Zhending.

    That year, the Xiongnu’s Fuzhulei Chanyu died, and his younger brother, Jumixu, ascended the throne as Souxie Ruodi Chanyu. He sent his son, Xuliusihou, the Left Zhuduhan King, to serve at court as a hostage, and appointed Jumoche as the Left Tuqi King.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 241): The Place of Affine Kin

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 22 Scroll 30 (continued)

    Strategies of the Warring States, Compiled by Liu Xiang

    The 2nd year of Emperor Cheng’s Yangshuo Era (23 B.C.)

    In March of spring, a general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm.

    The Grand Master of the Censorate, Zhang Zhong, passed away.

    In summer, on April 27, the Privy Counselor and Grand Coachman, Wang Yin, was appointed Grand Master of the Censorate. At this time, the Wang family grew ever more prominent: inspectors of the provinces and prime ministers of principalities were drawn almost entirely from their ranks. The Five Marquises and their younger brothers vied with one another in extravagance, exchanging lavish gifts and rare treasures from every quarter. They were adept in the arts of human relations, patronizing of scholars and men of reputation, spending their wealth to enhance their prestige. Their gates were thronged with retainers, all competing to extol their virtues.

    Liu Xiang said to Chen Tang, “Now, with disasters and anomalies so frequent, and the maternal relatives growing more powerful by the day, the Liu clan is inevitably endangered. I have been fortunate, as a distant kinsman of the same surname, to benefit from the grace of the Han for generations. As an old servant of the imperial house, I have served three emperors. The Emperor respects me as a minister of the former reign and always shows me favor in the audience. If I do not speak, who will?”

    He therefore submitted a sealed memorial of vehement remonstrance:

    “Your servant has heard that no ruler does not desire security, yet all are ever in danger; none does not wish for preservation, yet all stand on the brink of ruin—this comes from losing the art of restraining one’s ministers. When great ministers seize the levers of power and control the governance of the state, there has never been one who did not bring harm. Therefore the Book of Documents says, ‘When a minister exercises authority and dispenses favor on his own, it brings ruin to his clan and calamity to his state.’ Confucius said that when emoluments are distributed outside the court and governance is usurped by high ministers, it is a sign of peril and destruction.

    “Now the Wang clan alone—those who ride vermilion-wheeled, ornamented carriages—number as many as twenty-three. Blue and purple robes, sable and cicada pendants fill the inner curtains, arrayed to the left and right of Your Majesty like the scales of a fish. The Grand General holds the reins of government and wields authority; the Five Marquises are haughty, extravagant, and presumptuous beyond measure. Together they exercise power and dispense favor at will, striking down and deciding arbitrarily, indulging themselves without restraint—committing what is foul under the cloak of administration, pursuing private ends under the guise of public duty. They rely on the dignity of the Eastern Palace and exploit the intimacy of nephew and maternal uncle to give weight to their authority.

    “The Ministers of the State Secretariat, the Nine Ministers, provincial governors, and commandery prefects all issue from their gate. They grasp the pivots of the state, forming cliques and factions. Those who praise them are advanced; those who offend them or incur their hatred are punished and injured. Idle talkers assist them with persuasion; those in office speak on their behalf. They exclude and cast aside the imperial kindred, isolating and weakening the royal clan. Those among the imperial house who possess ability and understanding are especially slandered and denied advancement; they are kept far from offices assigned to the imperial family and are not permitted to attend at court, lest they share authority with them. Repeatedly they invoke the Prince of Yan(Liu Dan) and the Royal Princess Gai to sow suspicion in the Emperor’s mind; they avoid and taboo the names of Empress Dowager Lü and Huo Guang and refuse even to utter them.

    “Within the court they sow seeds of rebellion like Uncle Guan and Uncle Cai; outside the court they borrow the language of the Duke of Zhou. Brothers occupy positions of weight; the clan interlocks like bedrock. From high antiquity through Qin and Han, never has there been an affinal house whose usurping eminence equals that of the Wang clan.

    “When things reach fullness, extraordinary change must follow, first revealed in subtle signs to those who attend to them. In the time of Emperor Zhao, a stone crown rose upon Mount Tai, and a fallen willow sprouted again in the Imperial Park—then Emperor Xuan ascended the throne. Now, among the graves of the Wang ancestors in Jinan, a catalpa pillar has put forth branches and leaves, spreading upward beyond the roof, its roots hanging down into the earth; even the rising of a stone or the reviving of a willow could scarcely surpass the clarity of this portent.

    “The circumstances of affairs do not permit two great powers: the Wang clan and the Liu clan cannot stand together. If there is peace below like Mount Tai, then there is peril above like a stack of eggs. Your Majesty is the heir of the ancestral line, charged with guarding the ancestral temples. If the mandate of the state is allowed to pass to affinal kin and the imperial house is reduced to menial service—even though Your Majesty might refrain from speaking for your own sake, what about then for the ancestral temples?

    “A woman takes her husband’s house as her inner sphere and her natal parents’ house as external; this, too, is no blessing for the Empress Dowager. Emperor Xuan did not share authority with his maternal uncle, the Marquis of Pingchang, and thereby preserved complete security and peace.

    “Now, the enlightened lord cultivates blessings from what has no visible form and extinguishes calamities before they arise. It would be fitting to issue a clarifying imperial edict, giving voice to benevolent instruction: draw near the imperial kindred, cherish them, and admit them to trust; dismiss the distant affinal kin and grant them no share in governance; relieve them all of office and order them to return to their respective domains—thus taking as model and effecting what the Former Emperor practiced. In this way, the affinal kin would be generously secured and their clans preserved intact, in accord with the intent of the Eastern Palace and as a blessing to the maternal families.

    “The Wang clan would endure, their ranks and emoluments preserved; the Liu house would enjoy lasting peace and not lose the altars of soil and grain. This is the means to honor harmony between the inner and outer surnames, a plan without limit for sons and grandsons. If this policy is not carried out, the Tian clan(taking over State of Qi)  will be seen again in our own day, and the Six Grandees (dividing state of Jin) will surely arise within Han—a grave anxiety for later heirs, plain and manifest. I beg that Your Majesty hold fast to these thoughts.”

    After reading the memorial, the Emperor summoned Liu Xiang for an audience. Sighing, he lamented the gravity of the matter and said, “You may withdraw for now; I will give this my consideration.” In the end, however, he was unable to adopt Liu Xiang’s counsel.

    In autumn, severe floods occurred east of Hangu Pass.

    On August 10, the Prince of Dingtao, Liu Kang, died.

    That year, the Prince of Xindu, Liu Xing, was transferred and enfeoffed as Prince of Zhongshan.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 240): The Purity of Women

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 22 Scroll 30 (continued)

    Virgin Mary

    The 1st year of Emperor Cheng’s Yangshuo Era (24 B.C.)

    In the spring, on February 30, a solar eclipse occurred.  

    In March, a general pardon was granted to all convicts throughout the empire.

    In winter, the Intendant of Jingzhao, Wang Zhang of Taishan, was imprisoned and died.

    At this time, Grand General Wang Feng held effective authority, and the Emperor was modest, yielding in most matters. The Emperor’s attendants once recommended Liu Xin, the youngest son of the Grand Master of Merit, Liu Xiang, praising his exceptional talent and ability. The Emperor summoned Liu Xin, who recited poetry and compositions, greatly delighting him. The Emperor wished to appoint him Attendant-in-Ordinary and called for his robes and cap. Just as Liu Xin was about to receive the appointment, the attendants said, “We have not yet informed the Grand General.”

    The Emperor replied, “This is a minor matter; why involve the Grand General?” The attendants knelt and pressed their objection. The Emperor then consulted Wang Feng, who deemed the appointment inappropriate, and it was halted.

    Members of the Wang family all held high offices as ministers, grandees, privy counselors, and administrators, dominating the court. Du Qin, seeing Wang Feng’s overwhelming authority, warned him: “I hope the Grand General will emulate the humility and caution of the Duke of Zhou, restrain the overbearing power of Marquis Rang (Wei Ran), curb the ambitions of Marquis Wu’an (Tian Fen), and not allow men like Fan Ju to find opportunities to sow discord.” Wang Feng did not heed this counsel.

    At that time, the Emperor had no heir and was often in poor health. Prince Gong of Dingtao, Liu Kang, came to court. The Empress Dowager and the Emperor, following the wishes of the late Emperor, treated Prince Gong with great kindness, granting him rewards ten times greater than those given to other princes and allowing no past grievances to cause estrangement. They kept him in the capital and did not permit him to return to his fief. The Emperor said to Prince Gong, “I have no son, and human life is uncertain. If anything should happen to me, we may never see each other again. Remain always at my side.”

    Later, the Emperor’s health improved, and Prince Gong continued to reside in the royal quarters, attending upon him day and night. The Emperor held him in high favor. Grand General Wang Feng, however, felt uneasy about Prince Gong’s continued presence in the capital. During a solar eclipse, Wang Feng said: “A solar eclipse is a sign of the ascendancy of yin. Though the Prince of Dingtao is a close kinsman, according to the rites he should remain in his fief. His staying in the capital is irregular and improper, and thus Heaven has issued this warning. It is fitting to send the Prince back to his principality.”

    The Emperor, unable to oppose Wang Feng, agreed. When Prince Gong took his leave, the Emperor and the Prince wept as they bid farewell.

    Wang Zhang was by nature upright and outspoken. Although he had been recommended by Wang Feng, he did not support Wang Feng’s monopolization of power and did not associate closely with him. He submitted a memorial stating, “The blame for the solar eclipse lies in Wang Feng’s seizure of authority and his obstruction of the Emperor.” The Emperor summoned Wang Zhang and questioned him on the matter. Wang Zhang replied:

    “Heaven is discerning, favoring the good and punishing the wicked, using auspicious and inauspicious signs as its indicators. Now, because Your Majesty has no heir, you have drawn Prince of Dingtao close to you to secure the continuation of the ancestral temple and the stability of the state. This accords with Heaven’s will and brings peace to the people. It is a righteous and virtuous act and should give rise to auspicious signs. Why, then, have calamities occurred? These calamities arise from high ministers who monopolize power. I have heard that the Grand General Wang Feng falsely shifted the blame for the solar eclipse onto Prince of Dingtao and proposed sending him back to his fief. If he seeks to isolate the Emperor and control state affairs for his own advantage, that is not the conduct of a loyal minister.

    “The solar eclipse, in which yin overcomes yang, signifies a minister usurping the authority of his lord. Now all matters of state, great and small, are decided by Wang Feng, while the Emperor does not so much as raise a hand. Instead of reflecting upon himself and assuming responsibility, Wang Feng casts blame upon the virtuous and drives away Prince of Dingtao. Moreover, Wang Feng’s deceit and disloyalty are not confined to a single instance. The former Chancellor, the Marquis of Lechang, Wang Shang, was a close maternal relative of the late Emperor and a man of firm principle and great influence, a true pillar of the state. Because he upheld his convictions and would not bend to Wang Feng’s will, he was dismissed on the pretext of private matters involving women, and died of grief. The people mourned him.

    “Furthermore, Wang Feng knew that his concubine’s younger sister, the Lady of Beauty Zhang, had previously been married, and was therefore, by the rites, unfit to be presented to the Emperor. Yet he falsely claimed that she was suitable to bear sons and placed her in the imperial harem for his own household’s advantage. It is said that Lady of Beauty Zhang never conceived. Even among the Qiang and Xiongnu barbarians there are customs of purifying a woman by killing the firstborn and rectifying the woman’s intestines for future delivery, let alone asking the Son of Heaven to be intimate with a woman who has been previously married. These three major matters are things Your Majesty has personally witnessed; they suffice to reveal what remains unseen. Wang Feng should not be permitted to hold power for long. It would be best to retire him and choose in his place a loyal and virtuous man.”

    Since Wang Feng’s recommendation to dismiss Wang Shang and his later proposal to send Prince of Dingtao away, the Emperor had grown increasingly discontented. When he heard Wang Zhang’s words, he was moved and enlightened. He said to Wang Zhang, “Had it not been for the direct counsel of the Intendant of Jingzhao, I would not have known the present state of affairs. Only the wise recognize the wise. Please find someone suitable to assist me.” Wang Zhang then submitted a sealed memorial recommending Feng Yewang, Prefect of Langya and maternal uncle of the Prince of Xindu (Liu Xing), for his loyalty, honesty, and exceptional strategic insight.

    The Emperor, having heard of Feng Yewang’s reputation since his own days as Crown Prince, held him in high esteem and intended to replace Wang Feng with him. Whenever Wang Zhang was summoned, the Emperor would dismiss all attendants except for a Privy Counselor, Wang Yin—the son of the Empress Dowager’s cousin—who secretly listened and reported everything to Wang Feng. When Wang Feng learned of this, he grew deeply anxious and fearful. Du Qin advised him to feign illness and request retirement. Wang Feng submitted a sorrowful memorial seeking to withdraw from office. The Empress Dowager, upon hearing this, wept and refused to eat. The Emperor, who had been close to Wang Feng since his youth, could not bear to remove him and issued a gracious edict urging him to remain in service. Thus, Wang Feng resumed his duties.

    The Emperor then had a minister of the State Secretariat draft a memorial impeaching Wang Zhang, stating: “Although Wang Zhang knew that Feng Yewang had previously been assigned outside the capital because he was the uncle of a prince, he nevertheless privately recommended him, seeking to bring him into court and to collude with the feudal lords. It is also known that the Lady of Beauty Zhang had served the Emperor intimately, yet Wang Zhang falsely claimed that the Qiang and Xiongnu tribes killed a woman’s firstborn to cleanse her, which was an improper and offensive statement.” 

    The matter was referred to the judicial officials. The Minister of Justice found Wang Zhang guilty of treason, declaring that “by comparing the Emperor to barbarians, he intended to sever the imperial lineage, rebel against the throne, and secretly support the Prince of Dingtao.” Wang Zhang eventually died in prison, and his wife and children were exiled to Hepu Commandery. From then on, high officials regarded Wang Feng with fear, avoiding even meeting his eyes.

    Feng Yewang, fearing for his own safety, fell ill. After three months, he was granted leave to return to Duling with his wife and children for medical treatment. Grand General Wang Feng induced the Censor-in-Chief to submit an impeachment, stating: “While on sick leave, Feng Yewang privately went beyond the bounds of his commandery of Langya with the tiger tally, thereby showing disrespect for the imperial decree.”

    Du Qin submitted a memorial to Wang Feng, saying: “When a high official of the two-thousand-picul rank falls ill and is granted leave to return home, there is precedent; there is no established law forbidding him to leave his post. The Classics say, ‘In cases of doubt, favor reward,’ to broadly encourage merit; and, ‘In cases of doubt, refrain from punishment,’ to exercise caution in the law, for it is difficult to discern the truth. Now, to disregard law and precedent and to bring a false charge of disrespect runs directly counter to the principle of refraining from punishment in cases of doubt. If we claim that high officials, because they guard vast territories and bear heavy military responsibilities, should be bound by a new precedent, then Feng Yewang’s alleged offense occurred before such a rule was established. Rewards and punishments must be consistent and administered with care.” Wang Feng did not heed this counsel and dismissed Feng Yewang from office.

    At the time, many among the common people sympathized with Wang Zhang and criticized the court. Du Qin, wishing to rectify the situation, again advised Wang Feng: “The case of the Intendant of Jingzhao has been handled in secrecy; even the people of the capital do not know the true circumstances, much less those in distant regions. I fear that the world believes Wang Zhang was punished merely for speaking frankly. If this is so, it will stifle honest remonstrance and damage the virtues of leniency and clarity in the law. Your servant, in his dullness, submits that it would be fitting, on the basis of this memorial, to promote those who are most forthright in speech and remonstrance, and also to encourage the existing Gentlemen-Attendants and Retinue Officials to state matters fully, clearly marking the limits of what is tolerated. Thus it will be made known to the four quarters that His Majesty is sagely and enlightened, and does not punish those below for their words. If this is done, circulating rumors will be dispelled and doubts will be resolved.”

    Wang Feng reported this to the Emperor and put the proposal into effect.

    That year, Xue Xuan, Prefect of Chenliu, was appointed Intendant of Left Pingyi. Wherever Xue Xuan served as a regional administrator, he left a notable impression. His son, Xue Hui, was appointed Magistrate of Pengcheng County. When Xue Xuan once passed through his son’s jurisdiction, he knew in his heart that Xue Hui was incompetent, yet he did not question him about official affairs. Someone asked Xue Xuan, “Why do you not instruct Xue Hui in his duties?”

    Xue Xuan laughed and said, “In the conduct of office, one takes the laws and regulations as one’s teacher, and these can be learned by inquiry. But as for ability or inability, that depends on one’s own nature and cannot be taught.”

    The people repeated his words and regarded them as true.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 239): Jibin–A Kingdom in Kashmir

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 22 Scroll 30 (continued)

    K2 base camp, Kashmir

    The 4th year of Emperor Cheng’s Heping Era (25 B.C.)

    In January of spring, Xiongnu Chanyu came to court.

    An amnesty was granted to all convicts throughout the empire.

    On March 1, a solar eclipse occurred.

    The Prefect of Langya, Yang Rong, was connected by marriage to Wang Feng. When disasters occurred in his commandery, Chancellor Wang Shang conducted an investigation. Wang Feng interceded on Yang Rong’s behalf, but Wang Shang refused to heed him and submitted a report calling for Yang Rong’s dismissal. The Emperor subsequently disregarded the report. Wang Feng resented Wang Shang for this and secretly sought to find fault with him.

    He had Geng Ding of Pinyang submit a letter stating: “Wang Shang consorted illicitly with his father’s maidservant; moreover, his younger sister was promiscuous, and one of her slaves killed her secret lover—Wang Shang is suspected of having instructed and instigated this act.” The Emperor judged these salacious accusations insufficient to damage a high minister. Wang Feng, however, persisted in pressing the case, and it was referred to the Colonel of the Capital Inspectorate.

    Zhang Kuang, a Grandee of the Palace and a native of Shu Commandery, known for his sycophantic and crafty disposition, submitted a memorial vehemently denouncing Wang Shang. The officials requested that Wang Shang be summoned to the imperial prison. The Emperor, who held Wang Shang in high esteem and knew that Zhang Kuang’s words were often malicious, decreed, “Do not investigate.” Yet Wang Feng continued to press the matter.

    In summer, on April 20, an edict was issued confiscating the Chancellor’s seal and ribbon from Wang Shang. Three days after his dismissal, Wang Shang fell ill, vomited blood, and died. He was posthumously styled Marquis Li. As for Wang Shang’s sons, younger kinsmen, and close associates who held posts such as Cavalier Commandant, Privy Counselor, Attendant-in-Ordinary, and various administrative and clerical offices, all were reassigned to positions outside the palace, and none were permitted to remain as palace liaisons or to continue service in the imperial guard. The officials proposed abolishing his marquisate; however, an imperial edict declared that his eldest son, Wang An, would inherit the title as Marquis of Lechang.

    When the Emperor was Crown Prince, he studied the Analects under Zhang Yu of Lianzhuo. Upon ascending the throne, he granted Zhang Yu the title of Marquis within the Passes, appointed him Secretary and Grandee of Merit with emoluments of the two-thousand-picul rank, and had him serve as Palace Liaison and Recorder of the State Secretariat. Zhang Yu, together with Wang Feng, oversaw the State Secretariat, but he felt ill at ease and frequently feigned illness, submitting memorials requesting to retire in order to avoid Wang Feng. The Emperor did not permit this and instead treated him with even greater favor.

    On June 5, Zhang Yu was appointed Chancellor and enfeoffed as Marquis of Anchang.

    On June 29, King Xiao of Chu, Liu Xiao, died.

    Earlier, in the reign of Emperor Wu, when contact was first made with the Western Region, Jibin (Kashmir or Kabul) considered itself so remote that Han forces could not reach it and therefore did not submit, frequently raiding and killing Han envoys. After some time, the Han envoy Wen Zhong conspired with Yinmofu (Hermaeus), a son of the Rongqu (Hellenes) king, to attack and kill the Rongqu king and install Yinmofu as King of Jibin.

    Later, when the scout Zhao De visited Jibin, he fell out with Yinmofu, who chained Zhao De and killed more than seventy of his subordinates. Yinmofu then sent envoys to offer an apology. Emperor Yuan, recognizing the extreme distance involved, did not pursue the matter and allowed the envoys to return, thereby severing relations.

    When the new Emperor ascended the throne, Jibin again sent envoys to apologize, and the Han court intended to dispatch a return mission. Du Qin advised Wang Feng: “Previously, Yinmofu was installed by the Han and later rebelled. There is no greater grace than to set a man upon a throne and give him a people to rule, and no greater crime than to seize and kill envoys. The reason they neither repay kindness nor fear punishment is that they know they are too distant for our forces to reach. When they seek something, they speak humbly; when they desire nothing, they grow insolent. They can never truly submit.

    “The reason the Central Realm maintains contact and bestows gifts upon the barbarians is to make them neighbors and to prevent invasion. At present, the narrow passes of Xiandu cannot be crossed by Jibin. Even if they were to admire and submit to us, it would not suffice to secure the Western Regions. If they do not submit, they likewise cannot threaten our cities.”

    “Previously, their rebellion and violence against us alarmed all the states of the Western Regions and led to the severing of relations. Now they profess repentance and send gifts, yet their envoys are neither nobles nor kinsmen of their king, but merely lowly merchants. These merchants seek to trade under the guise of tribute. If we take the trouble to escort them as far as the Xiandu Pass, we risk being deceived and extending courtesies that do not befit their humble status. In all cases where escorts are dispatched to accompany guests, the purpose is to guard against bandit attacks. From the Kingdom of Pishan(Guma Nahiyisi) onward, to the south, there are four or five states no longer subject to Han. Though more than a hundred scouts are posted, and though the night watches are divided into five shifts with clappers struck to keep guard, raids and plunder still occur from time to time.

    “Donkeys are used to carry provisions, and one must rely on the various states to supply grain in order to sustain the journey. Some states are poor and small and cannot provide food; others are violent and deceitful and refuse to give it. Bearing the credentials of the Mighty Han, one may yet starve among the mountain valleys, begging and receiving nothing. After being stranded for ten or twenty days, men and beasts are abandoned in the open wilderness, never to return.

    “Moreover, one must cross Mount Great Headache and Mount Lesser Headache, the Red Earth Ridge and the Burning Body Ridge, where men grow feverish and sallow, plagued by headache(altitude sickness) and vomiting, and the donkeys and cattle suffer the same. Beyond these lie the Three-Pools Coil and the Stone-Slope Road: at their narrowest they are but one foot six or seven inches wide; at their longest they extend a full thirty li. They overlook precipitous, unfathomable depths. Travelers, whether mounted or on foot, must support one another, pulling along with ropes. Only after more than two thousand li does one reach the Xiandu Pass. When a donkey falls, before it has descended halfway it is smashed to pieces in the ravine; when a man falls, the violence of the plunge makes it impossible even to look back toward him. The obstructions and dangers are beyond all telling.

    “The sage kings of antiquity divided the realm into the Nine Provinces and established the Five Zones of Service(each concentric zone is 500 li from center), devoting themselves to what lay within and not seeking what lay without. Now envoys are dispatched, bearing the mandate of the Supreme Command, to escort alien traders. They weary multitudes of officials and soldiers, traverse roads of peril and hardship, and exhaust the resources of the Central Realm in order to attend to what is of no use in distant lands. This is not a policy for long endurance. Let the envoy receive the credentials, accompany them as far as Pishan, and then return.”

    Wang Feng agreed with Du Qin’s counsel. Jibin, seeking profit from trade and gifts, thereafter sent envoys only once every few years.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 238): Southwestern Indigenous Tribes

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 22 Scroll 30 (continued)

    Yi People

    The 2nd year of Emperor Cheng’s Heping Era (27 B.C. continued)

    The King of Yelang, Xing (Moyaxie, indigenous Yi people), the King of Gouding, Yǔ, and the Marquis of Louwo, Yu, raised troops and attacked one another. The Prefect of Zangke requested permission to dispatch an army to punish King Xing of Yelang and the others. The officials argued that the great distance made such an expedition impracticable, and instead dispatched the Grandee of the Palace, Zhang Kuang of Shu Commandery, with a commission to mediate and resolve the conflict. Xing and the others, however, did not comply with the orders; they carved wooden effigies of Han officials, set them by the roadside, and shot arrows at them.

    Du Qin advised the Grand General Wang Feng: “The southern barbarian kings have shown contempt for the Han envoys and no longer fear the authority of the state. I am afraid that the officials will adopt a weaker stance and persist in seeking reconciliation. The Prefect observes developments and reports them only once they have already become rebellion. If this is so, action will be delayed a further three months; in that time, these kings and chieftains will muster their forces and fortify their positions. Their resentment will only deepen, leading inevitably to mutual destruction. Knowing their crimes to be punishable, they will recklessly assault the prefects and commandants, then withdraw into remote and inhospitable lands, dense with poisonous plants and sweltering with heat and humidity. Even if commanders like Sun Wu or Wu Qi, or warriors such as Meng Ben and Xia Yu, were to enter such perilous terrain, it would be like leaping into fire or flood—they would either burn or drown, and wisdom and valor alike would gain no advantage. To maintain these lands by settlement and farming would impose an excessive burden.

    “We should act before their offenses become ominous and before they suspect Han’s punitive intent. Secretly instruct the neighboring prefects and commandants to train troops and horses, and have the Grand Minister of Agriculture prepare grain stores at key points. Select a capable prefect and dispatch him. Enter in the cool season of autumn and execute those kings and chieftains who are especially defiant. If we judge this land barren and its people of no use, then a wise ruler should not burden the Central Realm with them: abandon the commandery, forsake its inhabitants, and sever ties with their leaders. But if the achievements of the late Emperor, established over many generations, must not be allowed to decay into ruin, then act early to eliminate this threat. Once matters escalate into open war, countless lives will be lost.”

    Grand General Wang Feng then recommended Chen Li of Linqiong, Marshal of Jincheng, to serve as Prefect of Zangke. Upon arriving in Zangke, Chen Li sought to communicate with Xing, King of Yelang, but Xing refused to comply. Chen Li requested permission to punish him, yet received no reply. Thereupon, Chen Li, accompanied by several dozen officials, toured the counties and reached Jutongting, where Xing was stationed. He summoned Xing, who arrived with several thousand followers, but entered with only a few dozen village chiefs to meet Chen Li. Chen Li reprimanded him and then had him beheaded.

    The village chiefs said, “The general has punished the unruly and removed a threat to the people. We wish to inform the soldiers.” Displaying Xing’s head, they laid down their arms and surrendered. The King of Gouding, Yǔ, and the Marquis of Louwo, Yu, were struck with fear and offered a thousand bushels of grain, along with cattle and sheep, to welcome the officials and troops. Chen Li then returned to the commandery seat.

    Xing’s father-in-law, Wengzhi, together with his son Xiewu, gathered the remaining forces and compelled twenty-two neighboring villages to rebel. By winter, Chen Li petitioned to recruit local tribes and, together with the Commandant and the Chief of Staff, divided his forces to attack Wengzhi and the others. Wengzhi fortified a key position, but Chen Li dispatched a surprise detachment to cut off their supply routes and spread false reports to sow discord among their ranks.

    The Commandant Wan Nian said, “A prolonged conflict cannot be sustained.” He led his troops to attack independently, was defeated, and retreated to Chen Li’s camp. Enraged, Chen Li rebuked him and ordered his subordinates to drive him from the camp with fist blows. Commandant Wan Nian returned to the fight, and Chen Li provided reinforcements. During a severe drought, Chen Li launched an attack and severed their access to water. The barbarians then collectively beheaded Wengzhi and surrendered with his head, and the western tribes were pacified.

    The 3rd year of Emperor Cheng’s Heping Era (26 B.C.)

    In January of spring, the Prince of Chu, Liu Xiao, came to court. On February 16, an edict was issued commending Liu Xiao for exemplary conduct and distinguished virtue, and his son, Liu Xun, was granted the title of Marquis of Guangqi.

    On February 27, an earthquake struck Qianwei, causing mountains to collapse and block the Zangke River, so that its water flowed backward.

    On August 30, a solar eclipse occurred.

    The Emperor observed that the court library’s collections had largely been dispersed and lost, and therefore dispatched the court usher Chen Nong to search for missing books throughout the realm. An imperial decree ordered the Grand Master of Merit, Liu Xiang, to collate the Classics, their commentaries, and the writings of the various philosophers and poets; the Commandant of Infantry, Ren Hong, to collate military texts; the Grand Astronomer, Yin Xian, to collate works on numerology and astrology; and the Court Physician, Li Zhuguo, to collate medical and technical writings. Each time a book was completed, Liu Xiang listed its chapters, summarized its principal ideas, recorded them, and presented them to the Emperor.

    Liu Xiang, perceiving that the power of the Wang family had grown excessive and knowing that the Emperor favored the ancient texts of the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents, compiled materials based on the “Hong Fan” chapter of the Book of Documents. He gathered accounts of auspicious signs and calamities from antiquity through the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, down to the Qin and Han dynasties. He analyzed these events, linked them to the causes and effects of fortune and misfortune, set forth their prognostications and verifications, and arranged them into related categories. In all, there were eleven chapters, which he entitled Hong Fan: Commentary and Discussion on the Wuxing(Five Elements), and he presented them to the Emperor. The Emperor, aware of Liu Xiang’s loyalty and devotion, understood that the work had been composed to restrain the brothers of Wang Feng; yet in the end he was unable to strip the Wang family of their power.

    The Yellow River again breached at Pingyuan, flowing into Jinan and Qiansheng Commanderies, causing damage roughly half as extensive as in the Jianshi era. Wang Yanshi was once more dispatched, together with the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, Yang Yan, the Grand Architect, Xu Shang, and the Grand Master of Remonstrance, Chengma Yannian, to oversee the repairs, which were completed in June. Wang Yanshi was rewarded with one hundred catties of gold. The laborers who repaired the river, having received no wages for their work, were granted an exemption from corvée service for six months.