Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated By Yiming Yang
Annals of Han Book 22 Scroll 30
Duration of 10 years
The 1st year of Emperor Cheng’s Jianshi Era (32 B.C.)
In the spring, on January 1, a fire broke out at the temple of the late Emperor’s(Emperor Xuan) father (Liu Jin, also known as the Imperial Grandson Shi).
Shi Xian was transferred to the post of Grand Coachman of the Changxin Palace, with emoluments equivalent to the two-thousand-picul rank. With this reassignment, Shi Xian lost his protection and authority. Thereupon, the Chancellor and the Grand Master of the Censorate submitted a memorial detailing Shi Xian’s past misconduct. His associates, Lao Liang and Chen Shun, were likewise dismissed from office. Shi Xian, together with his wife and children, was exiled to his native place. Stricken with grief, he refused food and died on the journey.
All those who had obtained official appointments through their association with Shi Xian were dismissed. The Privy Treasurer, Wulu Chongzong, was demoted to Prefect of Xuantu Commandery, and the Censor-in-chief, Yi Jia, was appointed Commandant of Yanmen.
The Colonel of the Capital Inspectorate (f.k.a. Colonel of Retainers), Wang Zun of Zhuojun, submitted a proposal for impeachment, stating: “Chancellor Kuang Heng and Grand Master of the Censorate Zhang Tan knew that Shi Xian and others had monopolized power, exercised authority arbitrarily, and inflicted grave harm and suffering throughout the empire. They failed to report these crimes promptly or enforce punishment, but instead flattered and accommodated them, deceiving their superiors and misleading the state, harboring wickedness and sowing disorder, thereby neglecting the duty of high ministers to assist in governance. Such conduct occurred before the amnesty decree and might therefore be pardoned. After the amnesty, however, Kuang Heng and Zhang Tan impeached Shi Xian. Rather than confessing their own disloyalty, they praised the former Emperor for employing subversive individuals, falsely asserting, ‘The officials feared Shi Xian more than the Sovereign,’ thereby belittling the Sovereign and exalting the ministers. This is inappropriate and undermines the dignity of senior ministers.”
Thereupon, Kuang Heng, ashamed and fearful, removed his cap and offered an apology, submitting the seal and ribbon of his offices as Chancellor and Marquis. The Emperor, having only recently ascended the throne and being unwilling to impose severe punishment on a senior minister, demoted Wang Zun to the post of Magistrate of Gaoling. Many among the subordinate officials, however, supported Wang Zun. Kuang Heng, deeply uneasy and taciturn, repeatedly requested permission to resign whenever floods or droughts occurred. Each time, the Emperor issued edicts to console and reassure him and did not grant his resignation.
The younger brother of the late Prince of Hejian, Liu Liang, who was serving as Prefect of the Shangjun Armory, was appointed the new Prince of Hejian.
A comet appeared in the Encampment constellation.
An amnesty was proclaimed throughout the empire.
On February 28, the Emperor rewarded his maternal uncles and their dependents. He conferred upon his maternal uncle Wang Chong—previously a Grandee of Merit and a Marquis within the Passes—the title of Marquis of Ancheng. He also granted the titles of Marquis within the Passes to his maternal uncles Wang Tan, Wang Shang, Wang Li, Wang Gen, and Wang Fengshi.
In April of summer, a yellow haze filled the air in all directions. The Emperor issued an edict broadly consulting the Three Excellencies and the ministers, instructing them to speak without restraint. The Grandee of Remonstrance Yang Xing, the Erudite Si Sheng, and others all stated: “This signifies an excess of Yin overwhelming the Yang “Qi”. According to the covenant of Emperor Gaozu, only those with meritorious service were to be enfeoffed as marquises. Now the brothers of the Empress Dowager have all been made marquises without merit—an unprecedented act for imperial relatives—and thus Heaven has manifested this anomaly.” Accordingly, the Grand General Wang Feng, in fear, submitted a memorial requesting to resign and retire, but the Emperor, by a gracious edict, did not permit it.
The Censor-in-Chief Xue Xuan of Donghai submitted a memorial, saying: “Your Majesty’s utmost virtue and benevolence are profound, yet baleful influences still persist, and the harmony of Yin and Yang remains disturbed. This is likely due to the severity imposed by many officials. Provincial inspectors often fail to adhere to their proper duties and act according to personal inclination, intruding excessively into the affairs of commanderies and counties, opening the way for private interests, listening to slanderers and flatterers, seeking faults among officials and commoners, and punishing even minor infractions, while demanding obligations beyond their capacity. As a result, commanderies and counties are burdened and, in turn, they oppress the common people. Thus, mutual hospitality among communities is neglected; the nine degrees of kinship forget their bonds; assistance in times of need declines; and the rites of sending off and welcoming are no longer observed. When human relationships are obstructed, the harmony of Yin and Yang is disrupted, and the vital Qi cannot circulate freely. This may indeed be the cause.
“The Book of Songs says, ‘When the people lose their virtue, they fall into disorder through petty offenses.’ A common saying holds, ‘Harsh governance estranges kinship, and excessive labor diminishes good fortune.’ When provincial inspectors submit their reports, it would be appropriate to instruct them clearly in the essential duties of the imperial court.”
The Emperor approved and adopted his counsel.
In August, two moons appeared in succession, visible in the east at dawn.
In December of winter, construction began on the southern and northern suburban altars of Chang’an. The sacrifices at Ganquan and Fenyin were abolished, along with the extravagant embellishments of the Purple Altar, the choirs of girls and boys, imperial carriages with jingling horse bells, sacrificial crimson horses, dragon-horse statues, and stone altars.
The 2nd year of Emperor Cheng’s Jianshi Era (31 B.C.)
In January of spring, the sacrifices at the Five Deities Altar in Yong County and at the Chenbao(a meteorite found in Chencang) Shrine were abolished, all in accordance with the proposals of Kuang Heng. On January 23, the Emperor for the first time performed the suburban sacrifice at the southern suburbs of Chang’an. He granted amnesty to exiles serving sentences in Fengjiao County and to convicts in the capital region whose punishments were lighter than shaving the hair and beard, and he reduced the nationwide tax levy by forty coins per person.
In the intercalary month, Weicheng City and Yanling Pavilion were designated as the initial burial site for the new Emperor.
On March 14, the Emperor for the first time offered sacrifices to Earth at the northern suburbs.
On March 19, he established Lady Xu as Empress. The Empress was the daughter of the General of Chariots and Cavalry, Xu Jia. Emperor Yuan, lamenting that his mother, Empress Gong’ai Xu Pingjun, had held her rank only briefly before falling victim to the injustices of the Huo family, therefore chose Xu Jia’s daughter as consort for his Crown Prince (the future Emperor Cheng).
When the Emperor was still Crown Prince, he was known for his lust for beauty; after he ascended the throne, the Empress Dowager ordered the selection of daughters from reputable families to fill the harem. Du Qin, Magistrate of the Armory under the Grand General, admonished Grand General Wang Feng, saying:
“According to the rites of antiquity, the Son of Heaven marries nine women at one time, thereby ensuring the flourishing and continuity of the ancestral line. Though younger women in time lose their youth, they are not replaced, so as to preserve the lord’s longevity and prevent contention. Thus, when the empress and concubines possess virtuous conduct, their descendants will be wise and noble lords; when the system is dignified and orderly, the lord will enjoy a long and prosperous life. If these rites are discarded, the lord may become obsessed with women; once such obsession goes unchecked, his lifespan will not extend to old age.
“Men of fifty still retain strong desires, while women of forty have already changed in appearance. To have a man still full of desire served by a woman whose appearance has altered, without the restraint of ritual, cannot quell the dominance of lust and will give rise to aberrant conduct. Aberrant conduct, in turn, causes the rightful Empress to harbor doubts and the concubines to breed rivalry and discord, thereby endangering the position of the legitimate heir. This is why Duke Xian of Jin was deceived by slanders, and Prince Shensheng suffered an unjust death.
“Now the enlightened Sovereign, though in the prime of life, has as yet no heir. He remains devoted to learning and has not been reproached for indulging among empresses and concubines. General Wang, as you are chaperon in governing the state, it is fitting at the outset of this flourishing era to establish the system of the nine women, carefully selecting from families of upright conduct and righteousness, and seeking those of virtue. There is no need to require beauty, musical skill, or talents for entertainment, so as to set a great and enduring law for all ages. Be ever wary of the allure of beauty, for the poem ‘Xiaobian’ in the Book of Songs offers a chilling warning, recounting how King You of Zhou deposed his queen, took Bao Si as his favorite, and drove away the Crown Prince. I hope the General will always keep this concern in mind.”
Wang Feng reported this to the Empress Dowager, who replied that there was no such precedent in Han. Wang Feng therefore could not establish the system on his own and simply followed existing practice.
Wang Feng held Du Qin in great esteem and accordingly placed him on his staff. Matters of state and policy were often discussed with Du Qin, and Wang Feng frequently praised him as a learned man who rectified errors and supplied what was lacking. Many of the sound policies of the time originated with Du Qin.
The Xiongnu ruler, Chanyu Huhanye, favored two nieces of his Left Yizhizi King, both daughters of his elder brother. The elder niece, Zhuanqu Yanzhi (the Queen), bore him two sons: the elder, Jumoche, and the younger, Nangzhiyasi. The younger niece became the principal consort, the Great Yanzhi, and bore him four sons: the eldest, Diaotaomogao; the second, Jumixu—both older than Jumoche—and the younger sons, Xian and Le, both younger than Nangzhiyasi. In addition, he had more than ten sons by other consorts.
Zhuanqu Yanzhi was greatly honored, and Jumoche was deeply favored. When Huhanye fell gravely ill and approached death, he wished to establish Jumoche as his successor. Zhuanqu Yanzhi said: “The Xiongnu have been in turmoil for more than ten years, and their survival has hung by a single thread. It was only through the support of the Han that stability was restored. Now peace has endured but a short time, and the people are still recovering from the wounds of war. Jumoche is young, and the people have not yet rallied around him; I fear this may again imperil the state. Since the Great Yanzhi and I are of the same clan and both have sons, it would be better to establish Diaotaomogao.”
The Great Yanzhi replied: “Although Jumoche is young, the high ministers could jointly manage the affairs of state. To set aside the noble and establish one of lesser rank will surely bring disorder in the future.” In the end, the Chanyu followed Zhuanqu Yanzhi’s counsel and established Diaotaomogao, with the understanding that the throne would later pass to his younger brother.After Huhanye’s death, Diaotaomogao ascended the throne as Fuzhulei Ruodi Chanyu. He appointed Jumixu as Left Tuqi King, Jumoche as Left Luli King, and Nangzhiyasi as Right Tuqi King. Fuzhulei Ruodi Chanyu also took Wang Zhaojun as his consort, and they had two daughters: the elder, Yun, who became Juci (Princess) of Xubu, and the younger, who was married to the Juci(Princess) of Dangyu.
Reflection by Rio Grande 