Wei Qihou Dou Ying is the cousin (by marriage) of Empress Xiaowen. His father's ancestors were officials responsible for managing ferry operations. Dou Ying is a smooth operator and well-connected. When Emperor Xiaowen was in power, Dou Ying served as the governor of Wu, but later resigned due to illness. When Emperor Xiaojing ascended the throne, Dou Ying became the Grand Master of Ceremonies.
Prince Xiaowang of Liang is the younger brother of Emperor Xiaojing, and his mother, Empress Dowager Dou, absolutely adored him. Once, Prince Xiaowang entered the palace and drank with Emperor Xiaojing and his brother. At that time, a crown prince had not been established yet. After drinking too much, Prince Xiaowang slurred, "In the future, make me the next emperor!" Empress Dowager Dou was delighted to hear this. Dou Ying quickly raised his wine cup to toast Emperor Xiaojing, saying, "This empire was founded by Emperor Gaozu and has always been passed down from father to son. This is the tradition of the Han Dynasty. How can you casually pass the kingdom to the Prince of Liang?" Empress Dowager Dou's face fell at this remark, and she began to turn against Dou Ying. Seeing no future at court, Dou Ying resigned from his position on the pretext of illness. Empress Dowager Dou was even harsher, directly removing Dou Ying's name from the list of court officials, banning him from court.
Three years later, the seven states of Wu and Chu revolted. Emperor Xiaojing carefully considered and thought that there was no one more capable in the royal family than Dou Ying, so he summoned him back. After Dou Ying entered the palace, he steadfastly refused, saying he was sick and unable to work. Empress Dou also felt a bit embarrassed. At this time, Emperor Xiaojing said, "The country's falling apart; can you, someone of your rank, just stand by?" So Emperor Xiaojing appointed Dou Ying as the Grand General and rewarded him with a thousand catties of gold (about 1,200 pounds). Dou Ying recommended famous generals and wise men like Yuan Ang and Luan Bu to work. The gold sat piled up in the corridor, letting the officers help themselves, without taking a single cent for himself. Dou Ying defended Xingyang and was in charge of commanding the armies of Qi and Zhao. After the rebellion of the seven states was quelled, Dou Ying was enfeoffed as Marquis Qi of Wei. Lots of people flocked to serve Marquis Qi of Wei. During important court discussions, Marquis Qi of Wei held a very high position, and the other marquises didn't dare cross him.
In 151 BC, the emperor appointed Crown Prince Li as the crown prince and let Marquis Qi of Wei be his teacher. By 148 BC, Crown Prince Li was deposed, and Marquis Qi of Wei tried to get him reinstated several times, but it was no use. Marquis Qi of Wei feigned illness and ran to the foot of the southern mountains of Lantian to hide for several months. But nobody could talk him out of it.
Later, a man from Liang named Gao Sui went to persuade Marquis Qi of Wei, saying, "The emperor's the one who made you rich and powerful, and the one who can bring you close to him is the empress dowager. Now you are the teacher of the crown prince, but you failed to successfully argue for him when he was deposed; you lost the fight, but you're too scared to die. You are pretending to be sick, taking your wife from Zhao, and hiding in a remote place without attending court. It looks like you're saying the emperor's wrong. If they both turn on you, your wife and children will be in danger!" Marquis Qi of Wei found this reasoning very convincing, so he returned to court and went back to work.
After Taohou was dismissed from the position of Prime Minister, Dowager Empress Dou often badmouthed Marquis Weiqi in front of the emperor. Emperor Xiaojing said, "Dowager Empress, do you think I favor him, so I don't use Weiqi? That Weiqi, he's got a big head and makes enemies easily. It's just not going to work having him as Prime Minister; he is too proud." So the emperor passed over Weiqi and appointed Marquis Jianling, Wei Wan, as Prime Minister.
Wu'an Marquis Tian Fei is the maternal younger brother of Empress Xiaojing and grew up in Ling County. When Marquis Weiqi became Generalissimo, his power was at its peak, while Tian Fei was still a small fry who often totted Weiqi's drinks, treating him like a father figure. As Emperor Xiaojing grew older, Tian Fei became more favored and rose to the position of a big shot. Tian Fei was eloquent and well-read, earning the appreciation of Dowager Empress. After Emperor Xiaojing's death, the crown prince took over right away and began to rule, with Tian Fei and his buddies running the show on many matters. Three years after Emperor Xiaojing's death, Tian Fei was made Wu'an Marquis, and his brother, Tian Sheng, was made Zhouyang Marquis.
The Marquis of Wu'an wanted to become the Prime Minister, so he began to flatter those important guests, especially focusing on the scholar-recluses, in an attempt to suppress the Marquis of Weiqi and other powerful players. In the first year of Jianyuan, the Prime Minister resigned due to illness, and the Emperor planned to establish two positions, Prime Minister and Chief Commandant. Ji Fu advised the Marquis of Wu'an, saying: "The Marquis of Weiqi holds a high position, and all the scholars support him. You're a newcomer; you don't have the name recognition of Weiqi Hou. If the Emperor directly appoints you as Prime Minister, you will surely have to step aside for the Marquis of Weiqi. In this case, the Marquis of Weiqi will become the Prime Minister, and you will only be the Chief Commandant. The positions of Prime Minister and Chief Commandant are similar, and you will gain a reputation for humility." The Marquis of Wu'an then secretly whispered a few words to the Empress Dowager, resulting in the Marquis of Weiqi becoming the Prime Minister, and he himself becoming the Chief Commandant. Ji Fu congratulated the Marquis of Weiqi on becoming the Prime Minister, and advised him: "You are a good guy who hates bad guys. Now everyone praises you, so you can become the Prime Minister. But you also dislike scoundrels, and offending many people will lead to badmouthing. If you can be more tolerant, you will enjoy a long and happy life; if not, you will be ruined soon." The Marquis of Weiqi did not heed the advice. Both the Marquis of Weiqi and the Marquis of Wu'an liked Confucianism. They recommended Zhao Wan as the Minister of Justice, and Wang Zang as the Prefect. They also invited Lu Shengong to build a Ming Hall, allowing lords to return to their fiefs, abolishing checkpoints, and regulating clothing according to Confucian rituals, in order to seek peace in the world. They also investigated some unruly members of the imperial family, stripping them of their titles. At that time, many relatives of the imperial family were lords, and many lords had married princesses, so they were unwilling to return to their fiefs and went running to Dowager Empress Dou.
Empress Dowager Dou liked Huang-Lao philosophy, while Wei Qi, Wu An, Zhao Wan, Wang Zang, and others were big on Confucianism and looked down on Daoism. As a result, Empress Dowager Dou became increasingly displeased with them. In the second year of Jianyuan, Chief Secretary Zhao Wan suggested not to submit memorials to the Crown Prince's palace. Empress Dowager Dou blew her top and canned Zhao Wan, Wang Zang, and others, along with the Prime Minister and Grand Commandant. Duke of Bozhi, Xu Chang, was appointed as Prime Minister, and Duke of Wuqiang, Zhuang Qingzhai, was appointed as Chief Secretary. From then on, Duke of Wei Qi and Duke of Wu An were just dukes, stuck at home.
Although Duke of Wu An did not hold any official position, he had a good relationship with Wang the Queen Mother, so the Emperor was very close to him, often listening to his advice and implementing many of them. Ambitious officials and commoners ditched Wei Qi for Wu An, whose power continued to grow. In the sixth year of Jianyuan, Empress Dowager Dou passed away, and Prime Minister Chang and Chief Secretary Qingzhai were dismissed for botching the funeral. The Emperor then appointed Duke of Wu An, Tian Fen, as Prime Minister, and Minister of Agriculture Han Anguo as Chief Secretary. Officials, prefects, and vassals across the country were even more eager to kiss up to Wu An.
The Marquis of Wuan, although not very handsome, came from a noble background and felt that the other princes were too arrogant. When the emperor had just ascended the throne and was still young, Tian Fen became the prime minister of the capital. If he did not take a firm hand and use court etiquette to rein them in, the world would be in chaos. At that time, when the prime minister reported to the palace, the emperor could chat with him for half a day, and the emperor hung on his every word. Some of the people he recommended could directly rise to high-ranking officials, with power exceeding that of the emperor. The emperor once said, "Have you purged all the officials who needed purging? I also want to deal with officials." Once, Tian Fen wanted to expand his estate, and the emperor angrily said, "Why don't you just take the armory directly! You're getting too big for your britches!" Since then, Tian Fen has become much more honest. When he entertained guests with wine, he seated his elder brother, Marquis Gai, to his south, himself taking the east. He believed that the position of prime minister in the Han Dynasty was noble and should not be changed casually due to brotherly relations. The Marquis of Wuan became increasingly proud because of these things. His house was better than others, his fields were fertile, the goods from the counties he'd acquired were piled high, his front courtyard overflowed with bells and drums, and magnificent banners flew; the back courtyard housed hundreds of women. The princes showered him with gifts—gold, jade, dogs, horses, the works—more than he could count.
Since falling out of favor with Empress Dowager Dou, Weiqi Hou's star had fallen, his power waning. His hangers-on started to desert him, with General Guan being the only one who has always stayed by his side. Despite his fall from grace, Weiqi Hou remained loyal to General Guan.
Guan Fu's father-in-law is from Yingyin. His father-in-law, Zhang Meng, used to work under Yingyin Hou Ying and was promoted to a high-ranking official position because of his efficient work. Therefore, he took the surname Guan and was called Guan Meng. During the Wu Chu rebellion, Yingyin Hou Guan He became a general under the Chief Commander and requested Guan Meng to be a centurion. He led a thousand soldiers to the battlefield with his father-in-law. Though old, Guan Meng was pressed into service by Yingyin Hou, much to his displeasure. He consistently fought at the vanguard in every battle and eventually died in the Wu army's camp. Military custom allowed that if a father and son serve in the army together and one dies, the body can be taken back home. However, Guan Fu refused to take his father's body back and swore he'd take the head of the Wu king or general to avenge his father. So, Guan Fu put on armor, took a spear, and recruited scores of men in the army who were willing to go with him. When they reached the city gate, no one dared to go out first. Just he and another man, along with a dozen cavalrymen, charged into the Wu army, killing dozens of people under the Wu army's leader. But they were forced to retreat and ran back to the Han army camp. His cavalrymen scattered, leaving him alone with his horse. Guan Fu sustained over a dozen grievous wounds, but fortunately, there were precious medicines at the time, so he did not die. Once he'd somewhat recovered, he went to the general again and said, "I know the Wu camp's layout better now. Please let me go again!" The general admired his guts and loyalty, but feared for his life, so he told the Grand Commandant, who firmly stopped him. After the pacification of Wu, Guan Fu became a legend for his bravery.
The Marquis of Yingyin recommended him to the emperor, who then appointed him as a junior general. Several months later, he was dismissed from his position for incurring imperial displeasure. Later, he lived in Chang'an, where all the officials praised him. During the reign of Emperor Jing of Han, he became the acting chancellor. When Emperor Jing passed away and Emperor Wu just ascended the throne, he was transferred to Huaiyang as the governor because it was a strategic location. In the first year of Jianyuan, he was transferred back to Chang'an as the Minister of the Imperial Stables. The following year, he got into a conflict with Douchu, the Commandant of the Changle Guard, after drinking too much. In his drunken rage, he struck Douchu. Douchu was the brother of Empress Dowager Dou. The emperor was worried that the empress dowager would punish him, so he transferred him to Yan as a minister. Several years later, he was dismissed from his position for committing an offense and returned to live in Chang'an.
Guan Fu was an honest person who liked drinking but disliked flattery. He did not try to please those of higher status and instead would stand up to them. He showed respect to those of lower status, even poor scholars, treating everyone equally. In crowded places, he always helped those of lower status. Because of this, scholars liked him very much.
Guan Fu did not like to read but enjoyed making friends with chivalrous adventurers and keeping his word. His friends were all powerful and unscrupulous. His family had immense wealth, with a fortune in the tens of millions, and he entertained dozens to hundreds of guests every day. His family had extensively developed lands in Yingchuan, and he used his family's influence and relationships with guests to act with impunity. The common people of Yingchuan composed songs to mock him: "When Ying's waters run clear, the Guan family thrives; when Ying's waters run murky, the Guan family declines."
Although Guan Fu was loaded, he later lost his clout, and all his fancy friends gradually distanced themselves from him. When Marquis Wei also fell from grace, he wanted to rely on Guan Fu to help him get even with those who used to look down on him and were now trying to flatter him. With Marquis Wei's support, Guan Fu hung out with all the bigwigs and royals and became a big shot. They were each other's biggest fans, inseparable, like father and son, and they wished they'd met years ago.
One day, Guan Fu wore mourning clothes to visit the Marquis of Wu'an. The Marquis of Wu'an offhandedly said, "I want to visit the Marquis of Wei Qi with you. It'll be easier since you're already in mourning." Guan Fu replied, "With the General going, how could I say no? I'll go tell the Marquis of Wei Qi to prepare food and wine, and you can come early tomorrow morning." The Marquis of Wu'an was all for it. Guan Fu truthfully informed the Marquis of Wei Qi that the Marquis of Wu'an was coming to visit. The Marquis and his wife scrambled to prepare a feast, cleaning the house and buying supplies the night before, and waiting from dawn. After dawn, the Marquis of Wei Qi even sent someone to wait at the door. By noon, the Marquis of Wu'an still hadn't arrived. The Marquis of Wei Qi asked Guan Fu, "You don't think he forgot, do ya?" Guan Fu was a little upset and said, "I went all the way in mourning, he should've shown up!" So Guan Fu drove to meet the Marquis himself. In fact, the Marquis of Wu'an was just talking casually and never intended to go. When Guan Fu arrived at the Marquis's house, the guy was still sound asleep! After entering, Guan Fu said, "General, you promised to go to the Marquis of Wei's house yesterday. The Marquis and his wife have been waiting for you since morning and haven't eaten anything!" The Marquis of Wu'an stammered an excuse, "I got drunk yesterday and forgot to tell you about it." Then he drove to the Marquis's house, taking his sweet time, which made Guan Fu angrier. When they were almost done with the feast, Guan Fu stood up to dance, trying to butter him up, but the Marquis remained still. Guan Fu then laid into the Marquis right there at the table. The Marquis of Wei Qi quickly pulled Guan Fu away and apologized to the Marquis. The Marquis didn't leave until late, happy as a clam after drinking late into the night.
The Prime Minister once sent Jifu to Wei Qi's place to ask for a piece of land south of the city. Wei Qi arrogantly said, "Although I am old and almost dead, General, even though you are of high rank and authority, can you still take advantage of me and grab my land?" He flatly refused. After hearing this, Guan Fu was very angry and tore into Jifu. Jifu felt that there was a conflict between the two, so he deliberately pretended to be very friendly to explain to the Prime Minister, "Wei Qi is almost dead; we should wait." Some time later, the Marquis Wu'an heard that Wei Qi and Guan Fu were really angry because of the land issue, and he was also angry and said, "Wei Qi's son used to kill someone, and it was Fen (referring to Dou Ying) who saved him. Fen always obeyed Wei Qi; what can't he agree to? Why not even give this little piece of land? Besides, who is Guan Fu? I dare not ask for land anymore." From this incident, the Marquis Wu'an held a grudge against Guan Fu and Wei Qi. In the spring of the fourth year of Yuanguang, the Prime Minister said that Guan Fu's family in Yingchuan was bullying the common people, who could not bear it, so he requested to investigate him. The emperor said, "That's your problem, Prime Minister. Why bother me?" Guan Fu also had some dirt on the Prime Minister, saying that the Prime Minister was corrupt, took bribes, received money from the Prince of Huainan, and secretly colluded with the Prince of Huainan. Later, someone mediated between the two sides, and this matter was let it drop. In the summer, the Prime Minister married the daughter of the King of Yan as his wife, and the Empress Dowager ordered all marquises and members of the royal family to gather to congratulate. Marquis Wei Qi wanted to go with Guan Fu. Guan Fu declined, saying, "I offended the Prime Minister before because of drinking, and now the Prime Minister has a bit of a grudge against me." Marquis Wei Qi said, "That's all in the past," and he literally dragged Guan Fu along.
At the banquet, the atmosphere was in full swing. Wu Anhou stood up and requested a toast in his honor, prompting everyone to rise and kneel in homage. When it was Wei Qihou's turn to be toasted, only his old friends rose, while the others remained seated, only partially kneeling. Guan Fu took umbrage at this. When it was his turn to toast, he walked up to Wu Anhou, who was half-kneeling, and said, "I can't drink that much." Guan Fu, furious, retorted, "General, you're a VIP; surely you can manage a little more?" Wu Anhou did not respond at that moment.
Next was Linruhou's turn, who was engaged in hushed conversation with Cheng Bushi and did not rise. Ignoring Wu Anhou, Guan Fu scolded Linruhou, "You always claim Cheng Bushi is worthless, yet today, when the elders are toasting, you whisper like schoolgirls!" Wu Anhou replied to Guan Fu, "Cheng Bushi and Li Guang are both imperial guards. Now everyone is humiliating General Cheng; why don't you consider General Li?" Guan Fu angrily shot back, "I'm about to be executed and framed, and what's that got to do with them?"
The guests began to depart, excusing themselves to change clothes. When Wei Qihou left, he signaled for Guan Fu to follow. Wu Anhou was completely enraged and declared, "This proves Guan Fu's insolence!" He then ordered the guards to detain Guan Fu. Even though Guan Fu wanted to leave, he couldn't. Ji Fu stood up to apologize on behalf of Guan Fu, but Guan Fu refused to apologize. Wu Anhou then commanded the guards to bind Guan Fu and confine him in the post station, before calling the chief administrator and stating, "Today's gathering of royal family members is in accordance with the Empress Dowager's decree."
Marquis Wu'an accused Guan Fu of being disrespectful in his speech at the banquet and imprisoned him. Then, he dug up Guan Fu's past and sent officials to arrest members of the Guan family, all of whom were sentenced to death. Marquis Wu'an felt very ashamed and sought help from everywhere to plead for mercy, but to no avail. Marquis Wu'an's men were everywhere, watching the Guan family, while Guan Fu was detained and unable to expose Wu'an's plot.
Marquis Weiqi, in order to save Guan Fu, really put himself on the line! His wife advised him, "General Guan has offended the Prime Minister and is also at odds with the Empress. Do you really want to save him? This is a huge risk!"
Marquis Weiqi was resolute: "I earned this title myself, and I'll decide what to do with it. There's nothing to regret. Besides, I cannot let Guan Fu die alone while I am alive!" So, he secretly hid at home and then quietly wrote a letter to the emperor.
The emperor immediately summoned him to the palace, where Marquis Weiqi explained in detail about Guan Fu's drunken ramblings, saying it was not worth a death sentence. The emperor found his reasoning sound, rewarded him with a meal, and said, "Go argue your case before the court in the east."
So, Lord Wei Qi's in court, praising Guan Fu to the skies, saying that even when he's drunk and full, he's still good enough. But the Prime Minister framed Guan Fu for other issues. Marquis Wuan slammed Guan Fu for being a real menace and a total pain in the neck. Lord Wei Qi thought this was a mess, so he turned around and criticized the Prime Minister instead. Marquis Wuan shot back, "It's lucky there's peace in the world right now, or the Prime Minister wouldn't be living the high life, loving his music, his dogs, his horses, and his huge house. The Prime Minister prefers those showbiz types and artisans, unlike Lord Wei Qi and Guan Fu, who gather heroes day and night to discuss politics, badmouthing the court, always looking down their noses at everyone, strutting around the palace like they owned the place, waiting for a chance to make a name for themselves. I've got no idea what their game is!"
The Emperor listened to this and asked the court officials, "So, who's right?" Han Anguo, the Imperial Censor, replied, "Lord Wei Qi pointed out that when Guan Fu's father died, Guan Fu stormed into the thick of the Wu army, took dozens of arrows, and still came out fighting! He's a hero of the world. If he hasn't committed a major crime, he shouldn't be dragged down by a few drinks. Lord Wei Qi is right. The Prime Minister also said that Guan Fu's got rich friends, bullies everyone, flaunts his wealth, and treats the royal family and his own relatives like dirt. This is like he's gotten too big for his britches. The Prime Minister is also right. Only a smart ruler can sort this out." Ji An, the top guy, supported Lord Wei Qi. Zheng, the court official, initially backed Lord Wei Qi but later didn't dare to stick to his position. Others were even more afraid to speak.
The emperor angrily said to the Imperial Secretary, "You often comment on the right and wrong of the Marquis of Weiqi and the Marquis of Wu'an. Today in the court, you were like a rabbit caught in the headlights. I will kill all of you!" After saying this, the emperor stormed out and went to eat with the Dowager Empress. The Dowager Empress had already sent someone to investigate and was informed of the situation. She was furious, refused to eat, and said, "As long as I am alive, these people dare to rely on my brother. If I die, won't they treat all my people like pawns? Besides, does the emperor have to be immortal? The emperor is still in power now and has concerns. If I die, can these people still be trusted?" The emperor explained to the Dowager Empress, "They are all from the royal family and in-laws, which is why they argue endlessly in the court. If it weren't for this, a lowly jailer could decide this case." At this time, Minister of the Palace Attendants, Shi Jian, privately explained the situation of these two people to the emperor.
After leaving the court, the Marquis of Wu'an called for Grand Master Han and angrily said, "You and Changru (referring to Guanfu) are entangled with that old geezer (referring to Weiqi). Why are you so worked up?" Grand Master Han remained silent for a long time and then said to the Marquis of Wu'an, "Why get your knickers in a twist? If Weiqi slanders you, you should take off your hat, remove your seal, go home, and say, 'I only serve the emperor with loyalty; I'm not suited for this position, and what Weiqi said is correct.' In this way, the emperor will think that you are very modest and will not dismiss you. Weiqi will feel guilty, hide at home, and die of shame. Now, if others slander you, and you slander others, it's like a quarrel between market vendors and shrews—where's your dignity?" The Marquis of Wu'an then admitted his mistake, saying, "I was caught up in the moment; I didn't think things through."
The emperor sent an imperial censor to investigate Wei Qi's accusations against Guan Fu and found that many of Wei Qi's claims were unfounded, involving even deception and slander. As a result, Wei Qi was arrested and detained in the capital's prison. When Emperor Xiaojing was alive, Wei Qi was often authorized by the emperor to handle government affairs using his own judgment, without being bound by strict regulations. After Wei Qi's detention, Guan Fu's charges became increasingly severe, and the situation grew more critical; no court officials dared to intercede on their behalf with the emperor. Wei Qi had his nephew write a letter to the emperor, hoping to be summoned again. However, it turned out the Imperial Secretariat did not possess a decree left by Emperor Xiaojing. The decree, it turned out, was hidden in Wei Qi's house and even stamped with the seal of the family steward. Therefore, Wei Qi was accused of forging the late emperor's decree and condemned to death. In October of the fifth year, Guan Fu and his family were all executed. Wei Qi only learned of the executions much later. Enraged, he fell ill, refusing food and drink, and appearing near death. Later, it was heard that the emperor actually did not want to kill him, so Wei Qi started eating again and got medical attention, leading everyone to believe he would survive. Yet, whispers reached the emperor, and in late December, Wei Qi was executed in Weicheng.
The following spring, Marquis Wu'an fell ill and kept calling for forgiveness. He called in shamans and mediums, claiming that he saw the spirits of Wei Qi and Guan Fu guarding him, wanting to kill him. Marquis Wu'an eventually kicked the bucket, and his son Tian inherited his title. In the third year of Yuanshuo, Marquis Wu'an was punished for wearing a robe that was way too casual for the palace. The plot of Prince Huainan An's rebellion was exposed and investigated by the court. When Prince Huainan served in the court, Marquis Wu'an was the Grand Commandant. At that time, he welcomed Prince Huainan to Basha and said to him, "The Emperor hadn't named an heir yet. You are the most promising and the Emperor's grandson. If the Emperor croaks, who else but you can inherit the throne?" Prince Huainan was stoked and showered Marquis Wu'an with gold and silver. Ever since the Wei Qi thing, the Emperor hadn't trusted Wu'an, but the Empress Dowager kept him out of trouble. When he heard about Prince Huainan bribing Marquis Wu'an, the Emperor said, "If Wu'an were still alive, I'd wipe out his whole family!"
Sima Qian said: Wei Qi and Wu'an were big shots because of their royal connections. Guan Fu got famous for one good move. Wei Qi was as powerful as the Wu and Chu regions combined; Wu'an was as bright as the sun and moon. But Wei Qi was clueless, and Guan Fu was arrogant and disrespectful, despite lacking any real talent. Their conspiracy blew up in their faces. Wu'an, riding high on his power, loved to pull strings and often got drunk and angry, ruining those two guys. Man, that's a bummer! Blaming others ultimately led to his own downfall, losing his life. The common people also suffered, being labeled with infamy. And that's how it all went down!
According to Sima Qian, Wei Qi Hou and Wu An Hou, relying on their royal connections and immense power, wielded great influence; Guan Fu, in contrast, gained fame for a fleeting success. However, Wei Qi Hou lacked political foresight, while Guan Fu was conceited and overbearing, and their alliance ultimately led to disaster. Wu An Hou abused his power, often prone to drunken rages, persecuting loyalists and ultimately harming himself. This narrative is rife with brutal power struggles and human tragedies, reflecting Sima Qian's profound contemplation on the current situation. "Wei Qi's power rivaled that of Wu and Chu; Wu An's influence was as vast as the sun and moon" vividly illustrates their might, yet the tragic ending is lamentable. "Alas, their wrath brought ruin upon others and themselves. The people suffered, and disaster ensued." This encapsulates the tragic nature of the event and the root of the calamity.
