Reflection by Rio Grande

Tag: Liu He

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 185): Weiyang Palace Putsch

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 16 Scroll 24 (continued)

    Weiyang Palace Imagined

    The 1st year of Emperor Zhao’s Yuanping Era (74 B.C. continued)

    When the Prince of Changyi came to pay homage to the Empress Dowager, and was about to depart in his carriage toward the Wenshi Chamber, eunuchs held each door along the way. As the Prince entered, the doors were shut behind him, and the ministers of Changyi were barred from entry. The Prince asked: “What does this mean?” 

    The Grand General knelt and said: “The Empress Dowager has issued an edict, prohibiting the ministers of Changyi from entering.”

    The Prince said: “Take things calmly and slowly. Why cause alarm and frighten men?”

    Huo Guang thereupon ordered the ministers of Changyi expelled, and placed them outside the Golden Horse Gate. The General of Chariots and Cavalry, Zhang Anshi, led the Feathered Forest Cavalry, seized more than two hundred of the Prince’s minions, and delivered them to the Ministry of Justice for trial.

    Huo Guang commanded the eunuchs who had formerly served Emperor Zhao to guard the Prince, saying: “Be ever watchful! Should he die or take his own life, I would be accused of regicide, and the whole empire would be betrayed.”

    The Prince, still unaware of his deposition, said to those about him: “How could my ministers and attendants be guilty? Why has the Grand General seized them all?”

    Soon the Empress Dowager summoned the Prince of Changyi. When he heard the summons, the Prince was fearful, saying: “What offense have I committed, that I should be summoned?”

    The Empress Dowager, in a pearl vest, sat in a resplendent robe within the command tent. Several hundred attendants bearing arms stood about her, and guards with weapons were arrayed at the gates. The ministers entered the hall in order. The Prince of Changyi was called forward to hear the edict.

    Huo Guang and the ministers submitted a memorial of impeachment, and the Chief of the State Secretariat read it aloud:

    “Chancellor Yang Chang and the ministers, prostrate, dare to address the Empress Dowager: The late Emperor Zhao was cut off in youth, leaving no heir. The Prince of Changyi was summoned to perform the mourning rites, yet he donned mourning garb without true grief. He cast aside the rules of mourning, ate and drank at will, permitted his officers to convey women in covered carriages, and joined them in revelry at their lodgings. On his arrival he was forthwith proclaimed Crown Prince, and still he privately purchased chickens and swine for his meals.

    “He received the Imperial Trust Seal[for military command] and the Personnel Seal before the pall of the late Emperor, yet left them unguarded. He caused more than two hundred attendants and slaves of Changyi to be escorted into the palace, where they engaged in frivolities within the forbidden precincts. He even wrote a letter, saying: The Emperor greets the court attendants. I have ordered Gao Chang, Supervisor of the Changyi Treasury, to grant you a thousand catties of gold and bestow upon you ten wives.

    “Even while the pall of the late Emperor stood in the front hall, he opened the Music Office, called in the performers of Changyi to strike drums, sing songs, blow flutes, and play lewd and vulgar farces. He summoned the ensemble of the Grand Ancestral Temple and the physicians’ musicians to perform. He drove carriages through the Northern Palace and Gui Palace, staging contests of pigs and battles of tigers. He commandeered the Empress Dowager’s miniature carriage, with slave attendants mounted beside him, and rollicked about the courtyard. He committed lewd acts with palace women, even Lady Mong of the late Emperor, and through the Superintendent of the Courtyard issued an edict, saying: Whoever dares to leak this will be cut in twain at the waist!”

    The Empress Dowager said: “Wait a moment! As a subject, should one act with such wantonness?” The Prince of Changyi rose from his seat and prostrated himself.

    The Chief of the State Secretariat continued to read:

    “…He took the ribbons of princes, marquises, and officials of two-thousand-picul rank, together with the black and yellow insignia, and bestowed them upon his attendants and pardoned slaves of Changyi. He lavished gold coins, knives, swords, jade ornaments, and woven silks from the Imperial Treasury as rewards for revelry. He held night banquets with his officials and slaves, drowning himself in wine.

    “On a solitary night he feasted in the Wenshi Chamber, receiving his brother-in-law, the Marquis Within the Passes from Changyi, with the highest rites. Before the ancestral sacrifices had been offered, he sent forth a sealed command to dispatch an envoy to sacrifice to the late Prince of Changyi, his father Liu Bo, in the royal garden, and styled himself the ‘Successor Emperor.’

    “In the span of twenty-seven days after receiving the imperial seal, the Prince issued one thousand one hundred and twenty-seven orders to the various offices of government. He has abandoned himself to extravagance and debauchery, cast aside the rites and proprieties of an emperor, and thrown the governance of Han into disorder.

    “Chancellor Yang Chang and the ministers, again and again, offered admonition, yet he never amended his conduct, but daily grew worse. Fearing peril to the state and turmoil within the empire, the ministers consulted the learned, and all were of one accord: The sovereign who succeeded Emperor Zhao has engaged in licentious and lawless conduct, in defiance of filial piety.

    “The Classic of Filial Piety says: Among the five categories of crime, unfilial conduct is the gravest. In the Spring and Autumn Annals, it is recorded: King Xiang of Zhou mistreated his mother, and the heavenly king was driven from the capital to dwell in Zheng. His want of filial piety made him an outcast beneath Heaven.

    “The ancestral temple is greater than the throne. His Majesty has failed to receive Heaven’s mandate, to revere the ancestral temple, and to fulfill the duty of succession. Therefore it is meet and right that he be deposed. We request that a solemn offering of a great victim—ox, sheep, and swine—be made to the ancestral temple.”

    The Empress Dowager decreed: “It is permitted.”

    Huo Guang bade the Prince of Changyi rise and receive the decree. The Prince said: “I have heard it said: Though the Son of Heaven lost his way, if seven ministers remonstrate with him, the empire shall not be lost.”

    Huo Guang replied: “The Empress Dowager has decreed your deposition. How can you still call yourself Son of Heaven?”

    He then took the Prince by the hand, untied the ribbon of the imperial seal, and presented the seal to the Empress Dowager. He led the Prince down from the hall, out through the Golden Horse Gate, the ministers following behind.

    Facing west, the Prince knelt and said: “I am foolish and ignorant, unfit to bear the enterprise of Han!” Then he rose, mounted his carriage, and the Grand General escorted him to the residence of Changyi princedom.

    Huo Guang said with gratitude: “Sire by his own conduct has severed the bond with Heaven. I would rather betray Sire than betray the state. May Sire preserve himself; I, a subject, shall no longer attend at your side.” He departed in tears.

    The ministers memorialized, saying: “In antiquity, those deposed and banished were sent afar, severed from affairs of state. We request that Prince Liu He be relocated to Fangling county of Hanzhong Commandery.”

    The Empress Dowager decreed that Prince Liu He be returned to Changyi, granted a fief of two thousand households, and the possessions of his house restored. To the four daughters of the late Prince of Changyi, each was granted a thousand households. The principality itself was abolished, and its lands annexed to Shanyang Commandery.

    In the time of Liu He’s reign in Changyi, the court officials, though seated in office, made no report of his misdeeds. They concealed his faults from the Han court and failed to guide him in the righteous path, whereby the Prince fell into grave transgressions. Thereupon all were implicated, arrested, and more than two hundred were executed. Only the Commandant of the Capital Guard, Wang Ji, and the Chamberlain, Gong Sui, who had steadfastly remonstrated with a loyal heart, were spared from death. Yet they were shaven of hair and sent to labor upon the city walls.

    When Wang Shi, tutor to the Prince of Changyi, was cast into prison and faced death, the interrogator asked him: “Why did you not submit a memorial of admonition to the Prince?”

    Wang Shi replied: “Day and night I recited the three hundred and five poems of the Book of Songs to the Prince. Those chapters that speak of loyal ministers and filial sons, I recited again and again. When the odes told of rulers in peril and princes astray, I never ceased to weep and admonish. With all three hundred and five poems I made my remonstrance. What need did I have for a separate memorial?”

    The interrogator, moved by these words, commuted his sentence and spared him from death.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 184): Athena Save The Day

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 16 Scroll 24 (continued)

    Mattei Athena at Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Goddess of Wisdom

    The 1st year of Emperor Zhao’s Yuanping Era (74 B.C. continued)

    The Grand General Huo Guang was troubled in heart and distressed in mind. He sought counsel only from his trusted former colleague, the Minister of Agriculture, Tian Yannian. Tian Yannian said: “General, you are the pillar of the state. If this man proves unfit, why not present the matter to the Empress Dowager, and enthrone one worthy to inherit?”

    Huo Guang asked: “Is there any precedent for such a deed in antiquity?”

    Tian Yannian replied: “Yi Yin served as prime minister in the Yin, deposing Tai Jia for the security of the ancestral temple. Later ages have praised his loyalty. If the General acts thus, you will be the Yi Yin of the Han.”

    Huo Guang thereupon appointed Tian Yannian as Palace Liaison, and in secret conspired with the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Zhang Anshi, to lay their plan.

    While the Prince of Changyi went forth in an outing, the Grandee Chamberlain Xiahou Sheng of Lu stood before the imperial carriage and remonstrated, saying: “The heavens have long been overcast without rain; among the ministers there are conspiracies against the Son of Heaven. Whither does Your Majesty go?”

    The Prince was angered, and charged Xiahou Sheng with words of ill omen, commanding him to be bound and delivered to the authorities.

    The officials reported the matter to Huo Guang, yet Huo Guang did not take up the case. He laid blame upon Zhang Anshi, suspecting that their design had been disclosed.

    But Zhang Anshi had leaked nothing, and summoned Xiahou Sheng to question him. Xiahou Sheng said: “In the Classic of Documents, within the chapter Hongfan[Great Charter], it is written: ‘When the sovereign attains not the utmost virtue, calamities are constant and hidden. At such times there may be subjects who plot against their ruler.’ I dared not speak it outright, and so I said, ‘There are conspiracies among the ministers.’ This was what I meant.”

    Huo Guang and Zhang Anshi were greatly alarmed, and from this time depended more upon scholars versed in the Confucian classics.

    The Privy Counselor, Fu Jia, many times offered remonstrance, yet the Prince of Changyi had him seized and cast into prison.

    After Huo Guang and Zhang Anshi had resolved upon their course, they dispatched Tian Yannian to report to the Chancellor, Yang Chang. Yang Chang was stricken with fear, his countenance ashen, unable to utter a word. Sweat soaked his back, and he could only mumble incoherently. Tian Yannian withdrew to change his garments. The wife of Yang Chang hastened from the eastern chamber and said: “This concerns the fate of the state. Now that the Grand General has taken his stand, and the Nine Ministers have come to inform you, if you respond with hesitation, you shall be the first to suffer execution!”

    When Tian Yannian returned, Yang Chang and his wife spoke in unison, saying: “We await the command of the Grand General.”

    On June 28, Huo Guang assembled the Chancellor, the censors, the generals, the marquises, the officials of two-thousand-picul rank, the grandees, and the scholars in conference at Weiyang Palace. Huo Guang said: “The Prince of Changyi has thrown the realm into disorder and imperils the state. What course should be taken?”

    The assembled ministers were all astonished, their faces drained of color. None dared to speak; they mumbled only confused words. Then Tian Yannian rose, drew his sword, and said: “The late Emperor entrusted to the Grand General an orphaned child, laying upon him the charge of the whole realm, for he alone was deemed capable, by loyalty and wisdom, of preserving the House of Liu. Now this man has plunged the state into chaos, and the empire stands on the brink of ruin.

    “In the Han dynasty, those who upheld the line of sacrifice were often honored with the title ‘Filial,’ that their merits might endure with the ancestral temple. Should the imperial line be severed, even if the Grand General were to die, how could he face the late Emperor beneath the earth? Today’s decision must be swift and resolute. Any who waver or delay—I beg leave to strike them down with my sword!”

    Huo Guang bowed and apologized: “The fault is mine. The Nine Ministers speak rightly. The empire is in turmoil; I alone shall bear the blame.” The assembled officials all knocked their heads and said: “The lives of the people rest in the Grand General. We will follow your command.”

    Then Huo Guang, together with the ministers, entered to see the Empress Dowager and laid forth in detail the reasons why the Prince of Changyi could not be heir to the ancestral temple. The Empress Dowager took her carriage to Chengming Hall in Weiyang Palace, and issued an edict forbidding the ministers of Changyi to pass through any of the inner gates.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 183): New Emperor’s Faux Pas

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 16 Scroll 24 (continued)

    Mudcap of Shanyang(Changyi) Prefect

    The 1st year of Emperor Zhao’s Yuanping Era (74 B.C. continued)

    When the imperial edict arrived, it was near midnight, with less than a quarter hour remaining. The Prince of Changyi lit a fire to read it. That day he set forth, and by afternoon reached Dingtao, having covered one hundred and thirty-five li. Many of his attendants’ horses perished from exhaustion on the road.

    The Commandant of the Capital Guard, Wang Ji, submitted a memorial, saying: “I have heard that Emperor Gaozong of Shang, in the time of mourning, spoke no word for three years. Now Sire, summoned in consequence of a funeral, should weep and mourn without ceasing, day and night. It is meet and right to refrain from taking initiatives and making demands.

    “The Grand General’s virtue, embracing benevolence, wisdom, and trustworthiness, is renowned under Heaven. He served Emperor Wu for over twenty years, without once committing a fault. When the late Emperor departed and abandoned his ministers, he entrusted the whole realm and the young orphaned Son of Heaven to the Grand General, who cradled and nurtured the young sovereign, governing with benevolence and wisdom. The empire enjoyed peace, and his conduct was without reproach. Even the Duke of Zhou and Yi Yin could scarcely surpass him.

    “Now, with the Emperor’s passing and no heir, the Grand General, mindful only of honoring the ancestral temple, has raised up Sire with boundless benevolence. I pray that Sire will hold this in reverence, hearken to his counsel in matters of state, and take your place as a dutiful sovereign, sitting southward upon the throne. Keep this ever in your thoughts!”

    Yet the Prince went to Jiyang to seek long-crowing cocks, and bought a cane made of joined bamboo. Passing through Hongnong, he bade his servant Shan, who was big and tall, to conceal young women in a curtained carriage. When he came to Hu county, the envoy from Chang’an arrived with greetings, and discovered the impropriety, censuring the prime minister. An Le, the prime minister, hearing of it, reported to Gong Sui. Gong Sui entered and asked the Prince. The Prince denied, “There is no such a thing.”

    Gong Sui said: “Even if there is nothing grave, why transgress righteousness for the sake of shielding Shan? Let the big servant be summoned, that Sire may be cleared of fault.” Forthwith Shan was seized, and the captain of the guard executed him.

    When the Prince of Changyi arrived at Bashang, the Grand Herald came forth to greet him on the outskirts, and he was transferred to the imperial carriages. The Prince appointed Shou Cheng as his driver, while Chamberlain Gong Sui accompanied him in the carriage.

    As they neared Guangming Gate and the East Capital Gate, Gong Sui said: “According to the rites, when one in mourning beholds the capital, he should begin to weep. This is already the eastern gate of Chang’an.” 

    The Prince replied: “My throat hurts; I cannot cry.”

    When they came to the city gate, Gong Sui spoke again. The Prince said: “City gates and outer gates are all the same.”

    When they approached the east gate of Weiyang Palace, Gong Sui said: “The mourning tent of the Changyi principality lies outside this gate, extending along the northward thoroughfare. Before it there is a road running north and south. When the horses halt a few steps away, Sire must dismount, turn west toward the gate, and bow in mourning until grief is fully expressed.”

    The Prince of Changyi answered: “I understand.” When they arrived, he mourned in accordance with the rites.

    On June 1, the Prince received the imperial seal and ribbon, ascended as Emperor, and honored the Empress as Empress Dowager.

    On June 7, Emperor Zhao was buried at Pingling.

    When the Prince of Changyi had ascended the throne, he gave himself over to extravagance without restraint. Officials from Changyi were summoned to Chang’an, and many were advanced to higher rank. An Le was appointed Guard Commandant of Changle Palace.

    When Gong Sui met An Le, he wept, saying: “Since His Majesty’s enthronement, his arrogance and indulgence daily increase, and he will not heed remonstrance. Though the realm is still in mourning, he feasts and revels each day, drinking and sporting with close attendants. He sets tigers and leopards to combat, summons carriages adorned with nine tiger-skin pendants, and drives them recklessly east and west, all in defiance of propriety.

    “In ancient times, indulgence was tempered by leniency, and ministers could retire in honor. Now there is no way to depart. I have thought to feign madness, but feared being detected, so that death would come and my name be cast into the mire after I am gone. What course may I take? Sir, you once served as his prime minister; you should raise your voice in remonstrance and contend with him in earnest.”

    The Prince of Changyi dreamed that the dung of green flies lay heaped from the western steps to the east, five or six hundred piculs in weight, roofed over with boards and tiles. He inquired of Gong Sui. Gong Sui said: “Does not the Book of Songs declare: The green flies buzz and swarm, settling on the fences. A courteous and brotherly gentleman should not trust slanderous words. Now there are many slanderers upon Your Majesty’s left and right, and the swarm of flies are abominable. It is fitting to advance the sons and grandsons of the late Emperor’s great ministers, bringing them near to serve as trusted aides. If Your Majesty cannot part with the old companions of Changyi, but continues to trust in flattery and slander, then disaster is certain. I entreat Your Majesty to turn misfortune into fortune by driving them all away. I myself am willing to be the first to depart.” The Prince did not listen.The Associate Grand Coachman, Zhang Chang of Hedong, memorialized, saying: “The late Emperor Zhao died young without heir, and the ministers of the realm were in deep concern. When selecting a wise and virtuous successor to inherit the ancestral temple, on the day of the eastward journey, we feared only that your chariot procession moved not fast enough. Now the young Emperor has mounted the throne, and all under Heaven strain eyes and ears, watching for transformation and listening to the winds. Yet the elder ministers of the state are not first employed, while the youths of Changyi are promoted before all. This is a grave error.” The Prince did not heed the advice.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 182): Sudden Death of Young Emperor And His Psychotic Successor

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 16 Scroll 24

    Duration of 7 years

    Han Tomb Museum in Linyi(Langya), Shandong Province. Photo by kanegen

    The 1st year of Emperor Zhao’s Yuanping Era (74 B.C.)

    In February of spring, an edict was issued to reduce the child head tax, levied upon those between the ages of seven and fourteen, by three-tenths.

    In summer, on April 17, the Emperor, being twenty one years of age, passed away in the Weiyang Palace, leaving no heir.

    At that time, among the sons of Emperor Wu, only the Prince of Guangling, Liu Xu, remained. The Grand General Huo Guang, together with the court officials, deliberated upon the succession, and all were in agreement to support the Prince of Guangling. Yet the Prince had formerly been disfavored for his wanton conduct, and Emperor Wu had never considered him worthy.

    The Grand General was uneasy in heart. Then a Palace Gentleman memorialized, saying: “When King Tai of Zhou set aside Taibo in favor of King Ji of Zhou, and when King Wen of Zhou advanced King Wu above his elder son Bo Yikao, both decisions were founded upon virtue and capacity. To pass over an elder in favor of a younger may at times be fitting, yet the Prince of Guangling assuredly is unfit to inherit the ancestral temple.”

    These words accorded with Huo Guang’s mind. He presented the memorial to the Chancellor, Yang Chang, and others, and advanced the Palace Gentleman to the Prefect of Jiujiang.

    On the same day, acting under the decree of the Empress Dowager, Huo Guang dispatched the acting Grand Herald, the Privy Treasurer Shi Lecheng, the Imperial Clan Minister Liu De, the Grand Master of Chamberlain Bing Ji, and the General of the Household Lihan, together with others, to receive the Prince of Changyi, Liu He, and escort him to the capital in seven mail carriages. Liu He lodged in the Chang’an official residence of the Principality of Changyi.

    At the same time, Huo Guang advised the Empress Dowager to appoint the General of the Right, Zhang Anshi, as General of Chariots and Cavalry.

    Liu He was the son of Prince Ai of Changyi. In his native land he was famed for extravagance and wantonness. Even during the mourning for Emperor Wu, he indulged in dissipation, and would often ride out hunting without restraint. Once, hunting in Fangyu County, he covered two hundred li in less than half a day.

    The Commandant of the Capital Guard, Wang Ji of Langya, submitted a memorial admonishing him:

    “Sire neglects the pursuit of learning and delights only in pleasure and wandering. He rides in reckless haste, his horse’s bits and reins never held in check. His mouth grows weary from shouting, his hands sore from the bridle, his body exhausted by carriage and chariot. In the mornings he is drenched with mist and dew; by day he is covered with dust. In summer he is scorched by the fierce heat; in winter he is chilled by the bitter winds. Thus his frail and delicate frame is wearied with excessive exertion. Such practice neither preserves life nor advances benevolence and righteousness.

    “Beneath the spacious hall, upon the fine mats, eminent teachers may sit in front, while diligent reciters attend behind. There he may discourse on the eras of Emperor Yao and Shun, and examine the prosperous reigns of Yin and Zhou; there he may study the spirit of humane sages, and practice the art of governing the state. Zealous and intent, he may forget his meals, daily renewing his virtue. How could such delight be found amidst the bustle of streets and markets?

    “When at rest, let him bend and stretch to ease the body; when advancing and retreating, stepping and pacing, let him cultivate proper bearing and strength of limb. By inhaling the new and exhaling the old may he nourish his vitality; by concentrating the mind and gathering skill may he enrich his spirit. Thus shall he preserve life and attain longevity.

    “If Sire would earnestly give heed, then your mind shall cherish the aspirations of Emperor Yao and Shun; your body shall enjoy the long years of Crown Prince Jin and Chisongzi; your illustrious renown, once heard above, shall bring blessings and honors, and the realm shall be at peace.

    “The Emperor, benevolent and sagacious, even now remains ever mindful and admiring, and has not indulged in the pleasures of palace halls, gardens, ponds, or hunting. Sire ought from dawn till dusk to contemplate this, in order to carry forward the Emperor’s intent.

    “Among the feudal lords and kinsmen, none are nearer than Sire. In kinship Sire is as a son; in office Sire is as a minister. One person thus bears the double charge of both duties. Should affection and righteousness fail to be fully displayed, and come to the notice of the Emperor, it will not redound to the blessing of the state.”

    Prince Liu He issued a proclamation, saying: “We, being unable to restrain my misprision, acknowledge the earnestness of the Commandant of the Capital Guard, who often admonishes me for my faults.” He commanded the usher Qianqiu to present Wang Ji with five hundred catties of beef, five piculs of wine, and five bundles of dried meat. Yet thereafter he still abandoned himself to profligacy, without restraint.

    Chamberlain Gong Sui of Shanyang was loyal and sincere, firm and resolute in character. Within the palace he would remonstrate and contend with the Prince; outside the palace he would censure the prime minister and grand tutor, citing principle and weighing consequences, even to the point of shedding tears. He was unyielding, facing the Prince directly and pointing out his faults. The Prince, on hearing him, would cover his ears and flee, saying, “The Chamberlain is truly skilled at shaming men!”

    The Prince was often given to prolonged revels, gaming, and lavish gifts to his attendants and palace officials. Gong Sui came before him, weeping and crawling on his knees; all the attendants and ministers present were moved to tears. The Prince asked, “Why does Chamberlain weep?”

    Gong Sui replied, “I grieve deeply for the peril of the state. I beg a moment’s attention to declare my humble counsel.” The Prince thereupon dismissed his attendants. Gong Sui said, “Does Sire know why the Prince of Jiaoxi was condemned for immorality?”

    The Prince of Changyi said, “I do not know.”

    Gong Sui said, “I have heard that the Prince of Jiaoxi had a sycophant named Hou De. The Prince of Jiaoxi imitated the deeds of the despots Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang, yet in Hou De’s mouth he was equal to Emperor Yao and Shun. The Prince delighted in Hou De’s words, favored his presence, lived and slept with him, and thus came to ruin. Now Sire is close to a band of petty men, gradually steeped in their corrupt ways. The border between survival and destruction must not be trifled with. It is meet and right so to choose men learned and upright, who follow the Way, to be Sire’s companions. When seated, let them recite the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents; when standing, let them practice ritual and propriety. This will bring benefits.”

    The Prince assented. Gong Sui then selected ten men, led by Zhang An, who were versed in the Classics and possessed a sense of righteousness, to serve the Prince. Yet after a few days the Prince dismissed Zhang An and the rest.

    Once, the Prince beheld a great white dog, whose form from the neck downward resembled that of a man. It wore a crown shaped like a square mountain and bore no tail. The Prince, in wonder, asked Gong Sui concerning it. Gong Sui replied: “This is a heavenly warning. It signifies that those who speak before Sire are dogs with human caps. If they are not kept away, calamity will follow.”

    Later, the Prince heard one exclaim, “Bear!” Looking about, he saw a great bear, yet none of those present beheld it. The Prince asked Gong Sui about this. Gong Sui said: “The bear, a wild beast of the mountains, has entered the palace, yet only Sire can see it. This again is a divine portent, declaring that the palace will soon be desolate, and peril is near at hand.”

    The Prince lamented, gazing upward to Heaven, and said: “Why do these ill omens keep appearing?”

    Gong Sui knocked his head upon the ground and said: “I dare not conceal my loyal heart. I have often spoken of the impending danger, though I know it has displeased Sire. Yet whether the state endures or falls does not rest upon my words. I entreat Sire to reflect deeply. The Book of Songs contains three hundred and five odes, embracing the affairs of men and the Way of kingship. Which conduct of Sire accords with even a single verse therein? As a prince among the lords, Sire acts more soiled than the common people. This is to imperil your life and invite destruction. It is fitting to ponder with utmost seriousness!”

    Later again blood stained the royal seat. The Prince asked Gong Sui about it. Gong Sui wailed and said: “The palace will long stand empty; portents of ill fortune are repeated. This blood signifies hidden and inauspicious omens. One must be prudent, fearful, and examine oneself!”

    Yet despite these warnings, the Prince altered nothing in his behavior.