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Tag: Wang Zhengjun

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 254): Mother Honored Through Son

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 25 Scroll 33

    Duration of 2 years

    Yanling Mausoleum, Xianyang, Shaanxi Province. Photo by Legolas1024

    The 2nd year of Emperor Cheng’s Suihe Era (7 B.C.)

    In January of spring, the Emperor made royal progress to Ganquan and performed the rites at the Taiyi Altar.

    On February 13, Chancellor Zhai Fangjin died. At that time, Mars lingered in the Heart of the Scorpion. Li Xun of Pingling, a staff consultant in the Chancellery, submitted a memorial stating: “Calamities are imminent, and the burden of responsibility grows heavier by the day. How can we merely dismiss or punish the man in charge? The entire Chancellery, with more than three hundred personnel, should be thoroughly investigated, and all who have served there should be held accountable for the disaster.”

    Zhai Fangjin was deeply distressed and did not know what course to take. Meanwhile, the astrologer Fei Li advised that the senior ministers should be replaced. The Emperor then summoned Zhai Fangjin. After he returned home, before any resolution had been reached, he received an imperial edict reproaching him for failing to manage affairs of state properly, thereby bringing about disasters and causing widespread suffering among the people. 

    The Emperor wrote: “I wish to remove you from office, but I cannot bear to do so. I shall have the Excellency of Works provide you with ten liters of wine and a cow to sustain you. You must take care of yourself.” Zhai Fangjin committed suicide that very day.

    The Emperor kept the matter confidential. He dispatched the Nine Ministers to present an official seal and ceremonial regalia, and provided carriages, sacrificial vessels, and white mourning drapery, all funded and administered by the court treasury. The Emperor personally attended the mourning rites several times, showing exceptional honor beyond the customary treatment accorded to other chancellors.

    Sima Guang’s commentary: Yan Ying once said, “Heaven’s mandate is not arbitrary, and fate does not alter its course.” The coming of fortune or disaster cannot be averted. In former times, King Zhao of Chu and Duke Jing of Song, though unwilling to shift disaster onto their officials, said, “If one transfers an illness from the heart to the limbs, what benefit is there?” Even if disaster could be transferred, a benevolent ruler would not do so—how much less when it cannot be done at all?

    If Zhai Fangjin’s offense did not merit death, yet he was put to death in order to answer for a great crisis, then this was to deceive Heaven. If Zhai Fangjin did deserve punishment, yet his execution was concealed and his funeral honors were made exceptionally grand, then this was to deceive men. Emperor Cheng sought to deceive both Heaven and men, yet in the end gained nothing by it. It may indeed be said that he did not understand the Mandate.

    In March, the Emperor made a tour to Hedong to offer sacrifices to the Earth Goddess.

    On March 18, the Emperor died in Weiyang Palace.

    The Emperor had been robust and free of illness. At that time, the Prince of Chu, Liu Yan, and the Prince of Liang, Liu Li, were in attendance at court and were to depart the following morning. The Emperor had spent the night in the White Tiger Hall of the palace, and he also intended to appoint the General of the Left, Kong Guang, as Chancellor, having already prepared the marquis seal and drafted the commendation. The evening and night passed in peace.

    The next morning, when the Emperor was about to rise, he drew up his trousers, whereupon his garments fell loose, and he became unable to speak. Within a few hours, he died. The people were thrown into an uproar, and all blamed Consort(Zhaoyi) Zhao.

    The Empress Dowager issued an edict ordering Grand Marshal Wang Mang, together with the Grand Master of the Censorate, the Chancellor, and the Minister of Justice, to investigate the Emperor’s condition and symptoms. Consort(Zhaoyi) Zhao committed suicide.

    Ban Biao’s praise of the late Emperor: My aunt, who once served as a consort(Jieyu) in his harem, had seen Emperor Cheng, and her father and brothers also served at court. They often told me: “Emperor Cheng was scrupulous in the maintenance of his bearing. When he ascended a carriage, he stood upright; he neither glanced about needlessly, nor spoke rashly, nor pointed with his own hand. In facing the court, he was deeply reverent and maintained a dignified demeanor. This may truly be called the bearing of a Son of Heaven. He studied widely, both past and present, accepted forthright remonstrance, and allowed officials and commoners alike to present their views. The age was one of peace and harmony, and those above and below lived in concord. However, he was deeply given to wine and sensual pleasures; the Zhao clan brought disorder within, and the affinal clan controlled the court, so that it made people short of breath when talking about it.”

    From the beginning of the Jianshi era, the Wang clan began to take control of state affairs; with the short reigns of Emperor Ai and Emperor Ping, Wang Mang ultimately usurped the throne. This was plainly the consequence of the power and favor he accumulated under Emperor Cheng.

    On that day, Kong Guang received appointment as Chancellor and the seal as Marquis of Boshan before the late Emperor’s casket.

    The Marquis of Fuping, Zhang Fang, upon hearing of the Emperor’s death, mourned and wept until he died.

    Xun Yue’s commentary: Zhang Fang did not lack affection for the Emperor, but he lacked loyalty. Thus, affection without loyalty is a theft of benevolence.

    The Empress Dowager decreed that the traditional sacrificial ceremonies held in the Southern and Northern Suburbs of Chang’an should be resumed.

    In summer, on April 8, the Crown Prince ascended the throne and visited the temple of Emperor Gaozu. The Empress Dowager(Wang Zhengjun) was honored as Grand Empress Dowager, and the Empress(Zhao Feiyan) was honored as Empress Dowager. A general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm.

    At the beginning of Emperor Ai’s reign, he personally practiced frugality, reduced various expenditures, and attended to affairs of state in person. Throughout the court, all aspired to a well-governed administration.

    On April 17, Emperor Cheng was buried at Yanling mausoleum.

    The Grand Empress Dowager(Wang Zhengjun) ordered Queen Dowager Fu and Consort Ding to come to Weiyang Palace every ten days.

    An edict asked the Chancellor and the Grand Excellency of Works: “Where should Queen Dowager Gong of Dingtao reside?”

    Chancellor Kong Guang, who had long known Queen Dowager Fu to be hot-tempered and strong-willed, and skilled in political maneuvering, advised that since she had raised and educated the Emperor from infancy to adulthood and had played a decisive role in his accession, she might interfere in affairs of state. He proposed that a separate palace be rebuilt for the Dowager Empress of Dingtao.

    The Grand Excellency of Works, He Wu, said, “She should reside in the Northern Palace.” The Emperor followed He Wu’s recommendation. The Northern Palace had a purple covered walkway leading directly to Weiyang Palace, and Queen Dowager Fu indeed used this passage to visit the Emperor morning and evening, seeking an exalted title and favoring her relatives, thereby preventing the Emperor from making decisions with full independence.

    The Marquis of Gaochang, Dong Hong, catering to the intentions of Queen Dowager Fu and the Emperor, argued: “The mother of King Zhuangxiang of Qin was originally of the Xia clan and was adopted by Madame Huayang; after he ascended the throne, both women were addressed as Empress Dowagers. Therefore, it is appropriate to establish the Queen Dowager of Dingtao as Empress Dowager Gong.”

    The matter was submitted to the ministers. The Grand Marshal, Wang Mang, and Shi Dan—General of the Left, Marquis Within the Passes, and Recorder of the State Secretariat—submitted a memorial impeaching Dong Hong, stating: “To compare the title of the Empress Dowager with that of the fallen Qin dynasty is to diminish the sanctity of our present reign and is wholly inappropriate.” The new Emperor, being humble and reverent, accepted the counsel of Wang Mang and Shi Dan and reduced Dong Hong to commoner status. Queen Dowager Fu was incensed and demanded that her title be confirmed.

    The Emperor then informed the Grand Empress Dowager and issued an edict honoring Prince Gong of Dingtao (the Emperor’s biological father Liu Kang) as Emperor Gong.

    On May 19, Empress Fu was installed; she was the daughter of Fu Yan, a niece of Queen Dowager Fu.

    The edict stated: “In the Spring and Autumn Annals, a mother is honored through her son. Therefore, the Queen Dowager of Dingtao should be honored as Empress Dowager Gong, and Consort Ding as Queen Dowager Gong. Each shall have her own Left and Right Masters of the Household and shall receive estates comparable to those of Changxin Palace (the residence of the Empress Dowager) and the Central Palace (the residence of the Empress).”

    The father of Queen Dowager Fu was posthumously honored as the Marquis of Chongzu, and Consort Ding’s father was honored as the Marquis of Baode. Consort Ding’s brother, Ding Ming, was created the Marquis of Yang’an; her cousin Ding Man was created the Marquis of Pingzhou; and Fu Yan, the father of the Empress, was created the Marquis of Kongxiang. Zhao Qin, the younger brother of Empress Dowager Zhao Feiyan—who also served as Privy Counselor and Grand Master of Merit—was created the Marquis of Xincheng.

    The Grand Empress Dowager(Wang Zhengjun) decreed that Grand Marshal Wang Mang should withdraw from court and return to his residence, to make way for the Emperor’s affinal relatives. Wang Mang submitted a memorial requesting retirement.

    The Emperor sent the Minister of the State Secretariat to issue an edict summoning Wang Mang, and also dispatched Chancellor Kong Guang, Grand Excellency of Works He Wu, General of the Left Shi Dan, and Commandant of the Guards Fu Xi to inform the Grand Empress Dowager: “The Emperor is deeply grieved by the Grand Empress Dowager’s decree. If the Grand Marshal is to retire, the Emperor will not dare to handle affairs of state.”

    The Grand Empress Dowager then permitted Wang Mang to remain in office and continue his duties.

  • 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.

  • Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 214): Qilin Hall of Fame

    Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance

    By Sima Guang

    Translated By Yiming Yang  

    Annals of Han Book 19 Scroll 27 (continued)

    Qilin Tower, Sanming, Fujian Province

    The 3rd year of Emperor Xuan’s Ganlu Era (51 B.C.)

    In January of spring,  the Emperor traveled to Ganquan and conducted a suburban sacrifice at the Taizhi altar.

    The Xiongnu Chanyu Huhanye came to the court, offering tribute and referring to himself as a vassal but not by name. He was bestowed with a diadem, robes, a golden seal with a red ribbon, a jade decorated sword and a decorated cutlass, a bow with four arrows, ten ceremonial halberds, a seated carriage, a saddle and bridle set, fifteen horses, twenty cattie of gold, two hundred thousand coins, seventy-seven sets of apparels, eight thousand bolts of brocade and silk, and six thousand cattie of cotton.

    After the ceremony, an envoy was sent to guide the Chanyu to stay at Changping for the night. The Emperor, having traveled from Ganquan, stayed at the Piyang Palace. From the Changping slope, the Emperor ordered that the Chanyu should not bow, and his attendants and all the ministers were allowed to observe, along with several tens of thousands of tribal chieftains, kings, and marquises from various distant lands, who all line the road, welcoming the Emperor below the Wei Bridge.   As the Emperor ascended the Wei Bridge, all proclaimed “Long live the Lord.” The Chanyu took residence in Chang’an.

    A banquet was held at the Jianzhang Palace to honor and bestow gifts upon the Chanyu, displaying rare treasures. 

    In February, Chanyu was sent back to his country. He requested to “remain south of the desert near the Guanglu Pass; I would seek refuge in the Han’s the city of surrender in case of emergency.” The Han court dispatched the Guard Commandant of Changle Palace, Marquis of Gaochang, Dong Zhong, and Commandant of Chariots and Cavalry, Han Chang, leading 16,000 cavalrymen, and mobilized thousands of soldiers and horses from the border commanderies to escort the Chanyu out of the Jilu Pass in Shuofang Commandery. An edict ordered Dong Zhong and others to stay and protect the Chanyu, assisting in suppressing disobedience, and to transport grain forward and back, totaling 34,000 bushels, to provide for their sustenance.

    Previously, all the countries from Wusun to Anxi, neighbors of the Xiongnu, feared them and slighted the Han. After the Chanyu Huhanye paid homage to the Han, they all revered the Han.

    To honor the compliance of the nomad tribes in the west and north and to recognize the outstanding ministers, portraits of these individuals were made and displayed in the Qilin Pavilion. Their likenesses were depicted, and their official titles and names were inscribed. Only Huo Guang was not named directly; he was referred to as “Grand Marshal, Grand General, Marquis of Bolu, surname Huo.” Next came Zhang Anshi, Han Zeng, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Du Yannian, Liu De, Liangqiu He, Xiao Wangzhi, and Su Wu. In total, eleven men renowned in their time were honored for their merits and achievements, thus they were showcased and celebrated, their contributions to the renaissance of the Han Dynasty were lauded, in the same sentence as ministers of Zhou like Fang Shu, Shao Hu, and Zhong Shanfu.

    Phoenix birds landed in Xincai County.

    On March 22, Marquis An of Jiancheng Huang Ba passed away. On May 12, Yu Dingguo became the Chancellor and was granted the title Marquis of Xiping. Grand Coachman Chen Wannian of Peijun became the Grand Master of Censorate.

    The Emperor issued an edict for the scholars to discuss similarities and differences of their exposition of Five Classics. Xiao Wangzhi and others reviewed and presented their debates, and the Emperor personally presided over the judging. Thus, scholar Liangqiu He‘s annotation of the Book of Change was established as the standard, in addition, Xiahou Sheng(Xiahou Senior) and Xiahou Jian(Xiahou Junior)’s annotation of the Book of Document and Guliang Chi‘s Spring and Autumn Annals were selected.  They were appointed as Erudites.

    The Great Kunmi of Wusun, Yuanguimi, and Chimi(Liu Jieyou’s son) both fell ill and died. The princess Liu Jieyou (their mother) wrote to the Emperor, saying: “I am old and homesick, and I wish to return my bones to be buried in the land of Han!” The Emperor sympathized and arranged for her return. In winter, she arrived at the capital and was treated according to the protocol accorded a princess. She passed away two years later.

    Yuanguimi‘s son, Xingmi, succeeded as the Great Kunmi, but he was weak. Madam Feng wrote to the Emperor: “I wish to go to Wusun as envoy to support and stabilize Xingmi.” The Emperor approved her mission. Protector-General Han Xuan suggested that the high officials of Wusun, Grand Minister and Grand Inspector, be awarded gold seals and purple ribbons to honor and assist the Great Kunmi. The Han court agreed. Later, Duan Huizong succeeded as Protector-General and comforted and settled the defectors, stabilizing the situation. Xingmi died, and his son Cilimi succeeded him.

    The favorite consort(Liangdi) of the Crown Prince, Lady Sima, fell ill and was near death. She said to the Crown Prince, “My death is not due to natural causes; it is caused by the curses and sorcery of the other consorts and attendants.” The Crown Prince believed her. Upon her death, he was overwhelmed with grief and anger, fell ill, and was deeply sad. 

    The Emperor then ordered the Empress to select a maid from the inner palace to entertain and serve the Crown Prince. They found Wang Zhengjun from Yuancheng and sent her to the Crown Prince’s palace. Wang Zhengjun was the granddaughter of Wang He, a former Embroidered-silk-gowned censor. She was presented at the Bing Chamber. She gained the Crown Prince’s favor and became pregnant. That year, she gave birth to Emperor Cheng in the Jia Chamber of the Painted Hall, becoming the first Imperial Grandson of the Emperor. The Emperor cherished him, naming him Liu Ao and giving him the courtesy name Dasun[The Grandson], always keeping him close by.