Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 13 Scroll 21 (continued)
The 2nd year of Emperor Wu’s Tianhan Era (99 B.C. continued)
Li Guang had a grandson named Li Ling, who served as a privy counselor and was skilled in horse riding and archery. He had a good rapport with common soldiers. The Emperor, noticing his similarity to Li Guang‘s character, appointed him as the Commandant of Cavalry. Li Ling was tasked with leading five thousand men from Danyang and Chu areas to train in archery at Jiuquan and Zhangye to prepare against the Xiongnu.
During the campaign against the Xiongnu, the Emperor issued a decree to Li Ling, intending to make him responsible for leading the supply train for Ershi General‘s army. Li Ling kowtowed and pleaded, “The soldiers I command stationed at the border are all brave warriors from Jingzhou and Chu, with exceptional swordsmanship skills. They can wrestle with tigers and hit the mark with their arrows. I request to lead a detachment, heading to the south of Mount Lanyu, to divide the Chanyu’s forces and prevent them from solely targeting Ershi General’s army.”
The Emperor replied, “You don’t like to be under another commander, do you? I have already dispatched so many troops and have no cavalry to spare for you.”
Li Ling countered, “Without cavalry, I am willing to lead a small force against a large one. I will take five thousand infantry to confront the Chanyu in his court.”
The Emperor, in a moment of inspiration, granted his request.
He then ordered Lu Bode to lead troops to meet Li Ling halfway. However, Lu Bode felt embarrassed to trail behind Li Ling, so he reported, “It is still in autumn, the Xiongnu‘s horses are fat and strong, it’s not suitable for battle yet. I propose keeping Li Ling‘s forces until spring before setting out together.”
The Emperor, angered and suspicious that Li Ling was chickened out, reluctant to engage and telling Lu Bode to propose delay, decreed Lu Bode to lead troops to fight the Xiongnu in the Xihe immediately.
Li Ling received the decree to depart in September. The Emperor ordered him to set out from the Juyan Pass, reaching the Longle River south of the East Mount Junji, scouting the enemy territory, and returning if not encountering any adversaries, resting the troops in the “Home of Defectors” city.
Li Ling led his five thousand infantrymen leaving Juyan Pass, traveling north for thirty days until they reached a stop at Mount Junji. He charted the topography of the mountains and rivers along the way, instructing his cavalry subordinate Chen Bule to bring the map to the Emperor. Upon meeting the Emperor, Chen Bule praised Li Ling‘s leadership and the efforts of his soldiers who risked their lives. The Emperor was greatly pleased and appointed Chen Bule as a Palace Gentleman.
Li Ling arrived at Mount Junji, encountering the Chanyu’s forces. The Xiongnu had around thirty thousand cavalry surrounding Li Ling‘s army, positioned between two mountains with their camp fortified using large chariots. Li Ling arranged his soldiers outside the camp in formation, with the front rows holding spears and shields while the rear rows carried bows and crossbows. Seeing the smaller Han army, the enemy charged straight towards the camp. Li Ling engaged them in battle, launching a volley of a thousand crossbows, causing chaos among the enemy ranks. The Xiongnu retreated uphill, with the Han forces pursuing and killing thousands.
The Chanyu, alarmed, summoned more than eighty thousand cavalry from the left and right flanks to attack Li Ling. Li Ling fought while retreating southwards for several days, reaching a mountain valley where continuous battles occurred, and his soldiers suffered arrow wounds. Those with three wounds were carried to chariots, those with two wounds driving the chariots, and those with one continued fighting. They beheaded over three thousand enemies.
Leading his troops southeastward, following the former Longcheng Road for four to five days, Li Ling arrived at a vast marshland with reeds. The Xiongnu set fire from an advantageous position, and Li Ling ordered his army to do the same for defense. Continuing southward to the foothills, the Chanyu was positioned on a southern hill and sent his son to lead a cavalry attack against Li Ling. Li Ling‘s forces fought amidst the trees and killed thousands more. Li Ling then unleashed a barrage of crossbows toward the Chanyu, forcing him to retreat downhill.
On that day, the Han soldiers captured a Xiongnu soldier who reported, “The Chanyu said, ‘These are elite Han soldiers. We cannot defeat them. They continually draw us southward near the border. Could they not have ambushes waiting for us?’ All the Xiongnu chiefs and leaders agreed, ‘The Chanyu himself led tens of thousands of riders against a few thousand Han soldiers, and yet he couldn’t eliminate them. There’s no way to send generals to the frontier later, making Han further disdainful of the Xiongnu. Let’s fight fiercely in the mountain valleys, it is forty to fifty lis before we reach the plain. If we couldn’t conquer them by then, we will turn back.’”
The situation for Li Ling‘s army grew increasingly dire. With numerous Xiongnu cavalry attacks occurring multiple times a day, they managed to kill over two thousand enemy soldiers. The Xiongnu leaders were frustrated, and they intended to withdraw. However, at that critical moment, a Han officer named Guan Gan, who had been insulted by Colonel Han Yannian, defected to the Xiongnu and revealed crucial information. He told them, “The army led by Li Ling has no reinforcements, their arrows are almost depleted. Only General Li Ling and Colonel Han Yannian, the Marquis of Cheng’an leading eight hundred men each as the front line, identified by their yellow and white flags. They are the ones to shoot at; once they’re down, victory will be certain.”
The Chanyu was delighted upon hearing this and ordered a full-on assault against the Han army, loudly urging, “Li Ling, Han Yannian, surrender quickly!” They immediately blocked Li Ling‘s path and attacked fiercely. Li Ling was in a valley, while the Xiongnu were on the mountain, shooting arrows from all directions like rain fall. As the Han army moved southward and before reaching Mount Dihan, their five hundred thousand arrows were exhausted within a single day, and they abandoned their chariots. With only over three thousand men remaining, soldiers broke the chariot axles and carried them as cudgels, civil clerks held scribe knives as weapons. They advanced toward the mountains, entering a narrow valley where the Chanyu blocked their retreat, throwing rocks from the mountains, resulting in many deaths among the Han soldiers, preventing them from advancing.
After dusk, Li Ling, dressed plainly, walked out of the camp alone, saying, “Don’t follow me! I will take on the Chanyu man-to-man!” After some time, Li Ling returned, sighed deeply, and said, “The battle is lost; death is imminent!” He then proceeded to cut down all the banners and buried the treasures in the ground. Li Ling lamented, “If only I could find dozens of arrows, I could escape. Now, without soldiers for battle, by daybreak, I will be captured and bound. Why don’t we disperse like birds and animals, some of us might manage to escape and report to the Emperor.”
He instructed his soldiers to carry two liters of grain and a piece of ice each, agreeing to rendezvous at the defense barrier at the border. At midnight, when Li Ling beat the drums to issue commands, the drums were broken and failed to make a sound. Both Li Ling and Han Yannian mounted their horses, accompanied by around ten brave men. Several thousand Xiongnu cavalry pursued them, and in the ensuing battle, Han Yannian perished. Li Ling, realizing the situation and said to himself: “I have no dignity to face the Emperor”, surrendered, and the soldiers scattered, with over four hundred managing to escape to the border.
The place of Li Ling‘s defeat was over a hundred li (approximately 50 kilometers) towards the border and his situation was widely known to the frontier. The Emperor wished Li Ling to fight to the death. However, upon hearing of Li Ling‘s surrender, the Emperor was greatly angered and interrogated Chen Bule. Unable to withstand the pressure, Chen Bule committed suicide.
All court officials blamed Li Ling, and the Emperor asked Sima Qian, the Grand Astronomer, for his opinion.
Sima Qian defended Li Ling, “Li Ling was filial to his family, loyal to his soldiers, and always showed selfless dedication to the urgent needs of the country. His inherent qualities were those of a true patriot. Unfortunately, in this instance of adversity, those who have selfishly protected themselves and their families rush to exploit his shortfall. It’s truly regrettable! Moreover, Li Ling led less than five thousand soldiers, facing tens of thousands of enemies. The Xiongnu neglected tending to their wounded and deceased so as to mobilize their full populace to encircle Li Ling. Li Ling still fought a thousand-li journey. When their arrows were depleted and the path blocked, the soldiers stood empty-handed, risking their lives, fighting valiantly against their northern adversaries. The power of the soldiers’ sacrificial bravery in the face of death rivals that of renowned ancient generals. Though Li Ling himself faced defeat, his conquests and defeats are enough to win admiration of the world. The fact that he did not die perhaps signifies his wish to have the opportunity to repay the court in the future.”
The Emperor charged Sima Qian with falsehood, alleging that he had conspired to slander the Ershi General and plead on behalf of Li Ling, and sentenced him to be castrated.
After some time, regretting that Li Ling had received no assistance, the Emperor proclaimed, “When Li Ling exited the borders. I should have issued an edict for the Commandant of Strong Crossbows Lu Bode to go after him as reinforcement. My edict was issued too early, inciting old general Lu Bode to be jealous, acting dishonorably.” He then sent envoys to reward and honor those remaining soldiers of Li Ling‘s army who managed to escape.
The Emperor, enforcing strict laws, favored the use of austere officials, and as a result, many of the prime ministers and prefects in charge of the commanderies and principalities, holding ranks of 2000 piculs, were generally cruel and oppressive. This led to the people and officials increasingly disregarding the law. Bandits and thieves in the eastern regions multiplied, forming large groups of several thousand gangs, attacking cities and towns, seizing armories, releasing prisoners on death row, and humiliating the county magistrates and commandants, leading to the killing of officials holding the rank of 2000 piculs. Smaller gangs, each numbering in the hundreds, pillaged countless villages and neighborhoods, making the roads impassable.
Initially, the Emperor tasked the Chief of Censorate and the Chief of Staff of the Chancellor to supervise the public safety, but they couldn’t control it. Subsequently, the Emperor dispatched his special agents, the Grandee of Chamberlain, Fan Kun, and former Nine Ministers, such as Zhang De, donned in embroidered silk clothing, holding the sceptres and tiger seals, to raise armies and suppress the uprising. The beheading of a large number of individuals, some exceeding ten thousand, was followed by the legal execution of those who were complicit in communications, provisions, or any other connections, with several thousand people in the various commanderies facing punishment. After several years, they managed to capture some of the leaders, but many of the scattered gangs, who had lost contact, regrouped and formed bands, retreating to strongholds in the mountains and on rivers, often gathering in large numbers. There was nothing that could be done to stop them by the government.
The Emperor issued the “Law of Life Censure,” which stated, “In the case of banditry arising without being reported, or if discovered but not fully resolved, officials ranging from 2000 piculs rank to minor officials shall face the death penalty.”
Following this law, the fear of punishment among lower officials became widespread, resulting in instances where even if theft occurred, they dared not report it, fearing their inability to resolve it would lead to punishment. The commandery officials, afraid of being implicated, refrained county magistrates from reporting such incidents. Consequently, the numbers of bandits and thieves increased as both high-ranking officials and ordinary citizens concealed crimes through crafty speech to evade punishment.
At that time, Bao Shengzhi, who was directly appointed by the Emperor as an agent. He executed an unusual number of 2000-picul ranked officials, establishing a strong authority over the commanderies and principalities. Upon reaching Bohai Commandery, he heard about a man named Juan Buyi, who was highly esteemed by the locals and requested an audience with him. Juan Buyi had a dignified appearance and wore impressive attire. When Bao Shengzhi heard Juan Buyi was coming to meet him, Bao Shengzhi rose to greet him without properly tying his shoes. After sitting down, Juan Buyi pushed up from the floor and said, “Even lying low on the coast, I have long heard of the fame of Bao Gongzi(Bao Shengzhi’s courtesy name). Today, I humbly receive your audience. In serving as an official, if one is overly rigid, people tend to break out; if too yielding, the law is not enforced. To establish one’s achievements and fame enduringly, wield authority tempered with kindness.” Bao Shengzhi deeply appreciated his admonition.
At that time, Bao Shengzhi, who was directly appointed by the Emperor as an agent. He executed an unusual number of 2000-picular ranked officials, establishing a strong authority over the commanderies and principalities. Upon reaching Bohai Commandery, he heard about a man named Juan Buyi, who was highly esteemed by the locals and requested an audience with him. Juan Buyi had a dignified appearance and wore impressive attire. When Bao Sheng heard Juan Buyi was coming to meet him, Bao Shengzhi rose to greet him without properly tying his shoes. After sitting down, Juan Buyi pushed up from the floor and said, “Even lying low on the coast, I have long heard of the fame of Bao Gongzi(Bao Shengzhi’s courtesy name). Today, I humbly receive your audience. In serving as an official, if one is overly rigid, they tend to break; if too yielding, they are useless. To establish one’s achievements and fame enduringly, wield authority tempered with kindness.” Bao Shengzhi deeply appreciated his admonition.
Upon his return, Bao Shengzhi recommended Juan Buyi. The Emperor summoned Juan Buyi and appointed him as the Inspector of Qingzhou. Similarly, Wang He of Ji’nan, also served as a censor in embroidery, chasing and capturing bandits in Wei Commandery. He had released and pardoned many of them, contrary to the requirements of his mission. He was dismissed. He sighed, “I’ve heard that saving a thousand lives earns a title for one’s descendants. I’ve saved more than ten thousand lives; will there be a future reward for my posterity?”In that year, the Han court bestowed the title of Marquis of Kailiang upon Cheng Wan, the Jiehe King of the Xiongnu who defected to the Han. Cheng Wan led troops from the Loulan kingdom to attack Cheshi. However, the Xiongnu dispatched the Right Tuqi King with tens of thousands of cavalry to reinforce Cheshi. The Han forces did not fare well in the encounter and subsequently withdrew from the conflict.
Reflection by Rio Grande 