Reflection by Rio Grande

Tag: Emperor Yuan of Han

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 217): Alliance between Eunuchs and Affinal Kin

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 20 Scroll 28 (continued)

    King Cheng of Zhou and Duke of Shao. Photo by Vitsuha

    The 2nd year of Emperor Yuan’s Chuyuan Era (47 B.C.)

    In January of spring, the Emperor journeyed to Ganquan and performed the suburban sacrifice at the Taiyi Altar. 

    The Marquis of Leling, Shi Gao—being a maternal kinsman of the Emperor—supervised the affairs of the State Secretariat, with General of the Van Xiao Wangzhi and the Grandee of Merit Zhou Kan as his deputies. Xiao Wangzhi, renowned for his learning in Confucianism, together with Zhou Kan, was trusted by the Emperor for their former service as tutors. The Emperor relied upon them, frequently hosting banquets at which they discoursed on governance, the restoration of order, and other affairs of state.

    Xiao Wangzhi recommended Liu Gengsheng—learned in the Confucian classics and a virtuous member of the imperial clan, then serving as Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and Grandee of Remonstration—to serve as Palace Steward together with the Privy Counselor Jin Chang, two of the Emperor’s closest advisors. These four men, sharing a common purpose, advised the Emperor in accordance with ancient precedent and sought to rectify many disorders. The Emperor esteemed and embraced their counsel. Shi Gao, however, merely held his office without meaningful contribution, whereby estrangement grew between him and Xiao Wangzhi.

    The Chief of the Palace Secretariat, Hong Gong, together with his deputy, Shi Xian, had long overseen confidential and weighty affairs since the reign of Emperor Xuan. Both were eunuchs versed in statutes and regulations. When the present Emperor ascended the throne, he was frequently afflicted with illness. Because Shi Xian had long administered affairs, possessed no external ties or relatives, and was considered dependable in his expertise, the Emperor entrusted him with the conduct of government. All matters, great or small, were conveyed through Shi Xian to receive the Emperor’s decision. His favor and authority overshadowed the court, and all officials deferred to him.

    Shi Xian was quick-witted and deft in managing affairs, keenly discerning the Sovereign’s slightest inclinations. Yet in nature he was malicious, skilled in calumny and sophistry; those who gave him the least offense were subjected to harsh reprisals under the law. He was also closely aligned with the General of Chariots and Cavalry(Shi Gao), forming a powerful nexus between the inner court and the army. In deliberations, they clung rigidly to established practice and would not heed the proposals of Xiao Wangzhi and his associates.

    Xiao Wangzhi and the others were greatly troubled by the unchecked conduct of the Emperor’s maternal kin—the Xu and Shi clans—and were likewise concerned at the outsized influence held by Hong Gong and Shi Xian. They submitted a proposal, saying: “The Palace Secretariat is the pivot of governance and the vital mechanism of the state; it must be administered by upright and judicious ministers. Emperor Wu, because he often feasted and lingered in the rear chambers, employed eunuchs as his assistants; this was not in accord with ancient practice. The eunuchs serving in the Palace Secretariat should be dismissed, that we may conform to the ancient principle which forbids the mutilated from holding office.”

    This recommendation brought them into sharp conflict with Shi Gao, Hong Gong, and Shi Xian. At the beginning of his reign, the Emperor was humble and averse to sweeping change, wavering long without decision. Liu Gengsheng was transferred to the post of Minister of the Imperial Clan.

    Xiao Wangzhi and Zhou Kan frequently recommended eminent scholars and worthy men to serve as advisers. Zheng Peng of Kuaiji, seeking to attach himself to Xiao Wangzhi, submitted a memorial accusing the General of Chariots and Cavalry of dispatching agents to the commanderies and principalities to extort for private gain, and enumerating the crimes of the Xu and Shi clans. The memorial was handed down to Zhou Kan, who reported: “Let Zheng Peng be a scribe-in-waiting at the Jinma[gold horse] Gate.”

    Zheng Peng then wrote to Xiao Wangzhi, saying: “General, whom do you take as your examples? Are they like Guan Zhong and Yan Ying, who retired from court at midday? Or like the Duke of Zhou and Duke of Shao, who toiled past midday and forgot their meals, remaining at their posts until twilight? If you follow the way of Guan Zhong and Yan Ying and retire at noon, then I, a trifling man, shall return to the fields of Yanling and live out my days there like Ji Zha of Wu. But if you uphold the legacy of the Dukes of Zhou and Shao—working past sunset in attending state affairs, and listening broadly to all opinions—then I, a trifling man, am willing to devote the whole of my strength to but a ten-thousandth share of your exertions.”

    At first Xiao Wangzhi received him warmly, but when he discerned Zheng Peng’s deceitful nature, he broke off all contact. Zheng Peng, being of Chu origin, grew resentful and sought alliance with the Xu and Shi factions, disclosing to them all he had spoken previously, saying: “It was Zhou Kan and Liu Gengsheng who taught me these things; how would one from east of Hangu Pass know such matters on his own?” Because of this, the Privy Counselor Xu Zhang summoned him for questioning.

    Afterward, Zheng Peng publicly declared: “I have pointed out five lesser faults and one great crime of the General of the Van.” Hua Long, a scribe-in-waiting of sullied reputation, also sought to join Zhou Kan and his circle; when they refused him, he allied himself with Zheng Peng.

    Hong Gong and Shi Xian instructed Zheng Peng and Hua Long to accuse Xiao Wangzhi and his circle of conspiring to depose the General of Chariots and Cavalry and to expel the Xu and Shi clans. They awaited a day when Xiao Wangzhi was absent from court and had Zheng Peng and Hua Long present their charges. The case was then committed to Hong Gong for inquiry. When interrogated, Xiao Wangzhi said, “The imperial kinsmen in office are often extravagant and wanton. My intent is to rectify the state, not to do harm.”

    Hong Gong and Shi Xian memorialized: “Xiao Wangzhi, Zhou Kan, and Liu Gengsheng form factions, praising and promoting one another. They ceaselessly slander the high ministers, sow discord among the imperial relatives, and seek to monopolize authority. They are disloyal as ministers and deceitful toward the Throne. We request that palace heralds summon them to the Minister of Justice.”

    At this time, the Emperor had only recently ascended the throne and did not understand that being summoned to the Minister of Justice meant imprisonment. He approved their memorial. Later, when the Emperor sent for Zhou Kan and Liu Gengsheng, the reply was: “They are in prison.” The Emperor was greatly alarmed and said, “Is not the Minister of Justice merely conducting an inquiry?”

    The Emperor rebuked Hong Gong and Shi Xian; both knelt in supplication and begged forgiveness. The Emperor said, “Let them resume their duties.”

    Hong Gong and Shi Xian then had Shi Gao propose: “His Majesty has newly ascended the throne and has not yet manifested his virtue to the world; let us display it first to the Grand Tutor. Since the Minister of the Imperial Clan and the Grandee of Merit have already been imprisoned, it is fitting to pardon them through formal adjudication.”

    Thus an edict was issued to the Chancellor and the Imperial Censor: “General of the Van Xiao Wangzhi has served as my tutor for eight years and has no other transgressions. Now, as time has passed and clarity is hard to obtain, let him be pardoned. He shall be relieved of the offices of General of the Van and Chamberlain; his seal and ribbons shall be rescinded; and Zhou Kan and Liu Gengsheng shall be dismissed and reduced to commoners.”

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 216): Gong Yu Dusting His Cap

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 20 Scroll 28

    Duration of 7 years

    Zhucheng, Gong Yu’s hometown, Shandong Province. Photo by Rolfmueller

    The 1st year of Emperor Yuan’s Chuyuan Era (48 B.C.)

    In the spring, on January 4, Emperor Xuan was buried at Duling, and a general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm.

    On March 10, Empress Wang Zhengjun was established; her father, Wang Jin, was ennobled as Marquis of Yangping.

    The surplus yield from the public lands of the Three Metropolitan Districts(Jingzhao, Pingyi, Fufeng), the office of the Grand Minister of Ceremonies, and the public fields of the commanderies and principalities was allocated to aid the impoverished; those whose assets were worth less than a thousand coins were granted seed and grain loans.

    Attendant-in-Ordinary Xu Jia, nephew of the Emperor’s maternal grandfather, Marquis Dai of Ping’en Xu Guanghan, succeeded to the marquisate of Ping’en.

    In June of summer, as epidemic afflicted the people, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Kitchen to reduce meals, diminished the number of performers in the Music Bureau, and curtailed the horses of the imperial stables, saving expenditure to relieve those in distress and want.

    In September of autumn, eleven commanderies and principalities east of Hangu Pass suffered great inundation, leading to famine, and some among the people turned to cannibalism. Funds and grain were dispatched from neighboring commanderies to provide relief.

    The Emperor had long heard that Wang Ji and Gong Yu of Langya were learned in the classics and of upright conduct; he therefore sent envoys to summon them. Wang Ji died of illness on the road. When Gong Yu arrived, he was appointed Grandee of Remonstration. The Emperor frequently humbled himself to inquire of him regarding affairs of state.

    Gong Yu presented his counsel, saying: “In antiquity, rulers were frugal, taking but a tenth of the people’s produce, and imposing no other levies; thus households were well supplied and the people had abundance. Emperor Gaozu, Emperor Wen, and Emperor Jing of Han kept no more than a dozen palace women and only a hundred horses in their stables. In later generations extravagance increased, and ministers followed in its wake. In my humble view, though it is difficult to return wholly to ancient ways, one should strive to emulate them in part for the sake of self-restraint. The palaces now stand completed and cannot be altered, yet other expenditures may certainly be reduced.”

    He continued: “In former times, the Three-Season Garment Officer of Qi produced no more than ten hampers of apparel. Now, the Three-Season Officer commands several thousand artisans, expending vast sums each year to fashion garments for the three seasons of spring, summer, and winter; and the nearly ten thousand horses in the royal stables consume enormous stores of grain. In the reign of Emperor Wu, countless beauties, numbering in the thousands, were taken to fill the harem. At his death, much gold, treasure, and rare curios—birds, beasts, fish, turtles, in all one hundred and ninety items—were sealed away; moreover, palace women were confined to garden lodges and tomb precincts. When Emperor Xuan was buried, the same was done. Your Majesty dislikes being reproached for altering precedent, and thus ministers cleave to this practice. This is deeply lamentable.

    “Moreover, to reform the realm and foster a new way of life, taking so many women into the palace is exceedingly excessive. The princes keep several hundred wives and concubines, and wealthy officials and commoners maintain dozens of female entertainers, so that resentful women crowd the inner chambers, while celibate men fill the outer quarters. Further, at their burials, the wealthy and renowned hollow the earth above to fill below, exhausting the land for their tombs. These excesses all arise from the upper ranks and are the ministers’ fault for clinging to outworn customs.

    “May Your Majesty diligently examine the ways of antiquity and adopt their frugality. Greatly reduce imperial carriages, personal garments, and luxurious goods by two-thirds; choose twenty worthy women to remain in the harem and dismiss the rest, including the childless women kept in mausoleum gardens. Let the stables maintain no more than several dozen horses, and preserve only the hunting park south of Chang’an. In this time of famine, it is fitting sharply to cut and diminish expenditures, to save the people and accord with Heaven’s intent. Heaven raises sages for the benefit of the people, not for their private pleasure.”

    The Emperor approved his counsel, issued an edict halting repairs on palaces rarely used, reduced the grain-fed horses of the imperial stables, and curtailed the meat-fed beasts kept by the Water Management Bureau, which oversaw the royal menagerie.

    Sima Guang’s commentary: When a loyal minister serves his sovereign, he must first address matters that are difficult, that the easier may thereafter be corrected without exertion; he must remedy what is lacking, that what is strong may proceed without further admonition. At the beginning of Emperor Yuan’s reign, His Majesty humbly sought counsel from Gong Yu. Gong Yu ought to have placed what was urgent before what was secondary. Yet Emperor Yuan lacked firmness and resolve in rectifying governance, allowing slanderous and deceitful officials to grasp authority—this was the great peril of the age—yet Gong Yu spoke not of it. Reverence, caution, and frugality were ever Emperor Yuan’s forte, yet Gong Yu again and again urged him only in these—why so? If Gong Yu’s insight was insufficient to perceive the greater matters, how could he be deemed worthy? And if he knew them yet failed to speak, then his fault is all the heavier.

    The Xiongnu Chanyu Huhanye again submitted a memorial, declaring that his people suffered hardship and want. An edict ordered the transport of twenty thousand bushels of grain from Yunzhong and Wuyuan Commanderies to supply their needs.

    In that year, for the first time, the office of Wuji Colonel was established, assigned to garrison the former territory of the Jushi kingdom and in charge of military farming.