Ji An, courtesy name Changru, was from Puyang. His ancestors were very well-regarded by the rulers of the ancient state of Wei. By Ji An's time, he was already the seventh generation to hold the position of high-ranking official. Relying on his father's merits, Ji An became the stable master to the Crown Prince when Emperor Jing of Han was still the Crown Prince, and he gained the Crown Prince's respect for his integrity. After Emperor Jing passed away and the Crown Prince ascended to the throne, Ji An became a court attendant. When conflicts erupted in the Dongyue region, which is located in eastern China, the Emperor sent Ji An to investigate. However, upon reaching Wudi, Ji An returned and reported, "It's just their custom; sending an envoy is a waste of time and an insult to the Emperor." When a fire broke out in Henan, burning down over a thousand households, the Emperor once again sent Ji An to inspect the situation. Upon his return, Ji An reported that the fire was no big deal, but during his inspection in Henan, he discovered that over ten thousand poor households were affected by water and drought disasters, with even fathers eating their sons. Ji An just went ahead and opened the granaries himself to help the disaster victims, and he requested to surrender his official seal and accept punishment for acting without authorization. The Emperor forgave him and promoted him to county magistrate of Xingyang. Being a county magistrate was beneath him, so he fell ill and returned home to farm. Upon hearing this, the Emperor summoned him again and appointed him as a Grand Master. However, due to Ji An's frequent frank advice, he was constantly moved around and was reassigned as the Governor of Donghai.
Ji An studied the teachings of Huang-Lao, governed officials and the people, liked things chill, and chose suitable officials for appointment. He focused on the big picture when governing a place, not sweating the small stuff. Ji An often fell ill and stayed in his chambers, not going out. More than a year later, the East Sea region was well governed, and everyone praised him. The emperor, upon hearing this, summoned him back to court, appointed him as the Commander of the Capital Guard, and included him among the Nine Ministers. His governing philosophy was a hands-off approach, focusing on the bigger aspects and not being bound by laws and regulations. Ji An was straightforward in character, not very concerned with etiquette, criticizing people to their faces and unable to tolerate others' mistakes. He was good to his friends but couldn't stand people he didn't like, causing scholars to keep their distance from him. However, he was eager to learn, had a sense of righteousness, valued integrity, maintained a disciplined private life, liked to speak his mind, often angered the emperor, and always admired people like Fu Jiezi and Yuan Ang. He had a good relationship with Guan Fu, Zheng Dangshi, and Zongzheng Liu at that time. Due to his repeated frank advice, he couldn't stay in power for long. At that time, when Marquis Wu'an Tian Fen became the Prime Minister, the 2,000 stone-level officials (high-ranking officials) went to pay their respects, but Tian Fen did not bow to them at all. However, every time Ji An saw Tian Fen, he always bowed respectfully. The emperor wanted to attract knowledgeable Confucian scholars and said how he wanted things to be. Ji An directly shot back, "Your Majesty, your heart is full of desires, yet you pretend to be virtuous. Do you truly believe you can recreate the glory days of Tang and Yu?" The emperor was stunned at the time, then became furious and left the court with a livid face. The other ministers were sweating bullets for Ji An. After returning to the palace, the emperor said to the guards, "Ah, this Ji An, he is too straightforward!" Many ministers criticized Ji An, but he said, "Your Majesty has appointed us, the public ministers, to assist you. Are we supposed to flatter you and let you make mistakes? Besides, I'm already in this position. Even if I cared about my own neck, could I just stand by and watch the court get dragged through the mud?"
Ji An often fell ill, and his illnesses lasted for months at a time. The Emperor repeatedly ordered him to rest, but he just wouldn't shake it. Later, his condition became very serious, and Zhuang Zhu went to ask for leave on his behalf. The Emperor asked, "What kind of person is Ji An?" Zhuang Zhu replied, "In the office, Ji An's just another cog in the machine. But when it comes to advising a young emperor and defending the realm, he's indispensable. Even if he claimed to be the reincarnation of the legendary general, Ben Yu, you couldn't budge him!" The Emperor said, "Exactly. We've had loyal servants in the past, and Ji An comes awfully close."
General Wei Qing served by the Emperor's side, and the Emperor would even watch him from the privy. Prime Minister Hong Yan went to see the Emperor, who sometimes did not wear a hat. But when Ji An came to see him, the Emperor always made sure he was properly attired. One time, the Emperor was sitting in a military tent when Ji An entered to report. The Emperor was not wearing a hat, and the moment he saw Ji An, he ducked inside the tent and had someone else handle the report. The Emperor's deference to Ji An spoke volumes.
Zhang Tang was appointed as the Chief Justice (廷尉) at that time because he was revising laws and regulations. Ji An criticized Zhang Tang in front of the emperor multiple times, saying, "As a high-ranking official, you cannot extol the virtues of the late Emperor, nor can you curb wickedness in the land. You have not made the country prosperous, the people secure and happy, or the prisons empty; you've failed on both counts! You do not seriously enforce the law or draw lessons from the past, so why do you keep changing the laws established by the founding emperor? Your actions show a lack of foresight!" Ji An and Zhang Tang had a heated debate at that time. Zhang Tang's defense was always long-winded, and he got bogged down in minutiae. Ji An, however, insisted on his high standards without backing down and angrily scolded, "They say a man who only knows how to play with words can't make it to the top, and it is true! It is because of people like you, Zhang Tang, that people are living in fear!" At that time, the Han Dynasty was at war with the Xiongnu and was also pacifying the minority ethnic groups on the border. Ji An, with time to spare, took the opportunity to advise the emperor, always saying that they should negotiate peace with the Xiongnu instead of constantly fighting. The emperor at the time was a big fan of Confucianism and respected Gong Sunhong. As more and more issues arose, both officials and the people began to cut corners. The emperor began to categorize laws and regulations, and Zhang Tang and others would often report cases, which would then please the emperor with his judgments. However, Ji An continued to criticize the Confucian scholars, confronting Gong Sunhong and others, calling them yes-men. The officials who wrote articles were especially good at twisting words to condemn people unfairly, using this to curry favor. The emperor increasingly valued Gong Sunhong and Zhang Tang, while these two individuals resented Ji An, waiting for the emperor's command to do away with him. In reality, the emperor also did not particularly like Ji An.
Gongsun Hong became the Prime Minister and said to the Emperor, "The area under the jurisdiction of the Right Interior Minister has a lot of the emperor's family and their friends, which are difficult to manage. We must appoint a prestigious minister to keep things under control. It would be better to transfer Ji An to the Right Interior Minister position." Ji An served as the Right Interior Minister for several years without missing a beat. General Wei Qing was increasingly favored; his sister even became the Empress, but Ji An still treated Wei Qing respectfully and humbly. Some advised Ji An, "The Emperor's pushing everyone to listen to the increasingly powerful General Wei. You must show him respect!" Ji An replied, "If General Wei can bow to guests, isn't that showing enough respect?" When General Wei Qing heard this, he appreciated Ji An even more and often asked Ji An for advice on important state matters.
The King of Huainan wanted to rebel and was afraid of Ji An, saying, "Ji An is too upright and loyal; it's difficult to deceive him with slick talk. Convincing the Prime Minister Gongsun Hong is like teaching a child ABCs."
Because of his accomplishments in the campaigns against the Xiongnu, the Emperor started ignoring Ji An's advice. Initially, Ji An was one of the Nine Ministers, while Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang were lower officials. Later, Gongsun Hong and Zhang Tang climbed the ranks, becoming equals with Ji An, who continued to criticize them. Eventually, Gongsun Hong became the Prime Minister and was titled a marquis, while Zhang Tang became the Grand Master of the Imperial Secretariat. Therefore, the historians in the Prime Minister's office were the same rank as Ji An, some even higher. Ji An was getting pretty resentful, and when he saw the Emperor, he said, "Your Majesty treats your officials like kindling, always putting the new ones on top!" The Emperor remained silent. After a while, Ji An left, and the Emperor said, "Indeed, one must continue to learn. Look at Ji An, getting bolder by the day!"
Not long after that, the Xiongnu Hunxie King surrendered with his troops, and the Han Dynasty mobilized twenty thousand carts to transport supplies. However, the county coffers were empty, so they had to borrow horses from the common people. As a result, some of the common people hid their horses, and they couldn't make up the number. The Emperor blew his top and wanted to have the Chang'an magistrate's head.
At this time, Ji An stood up and said, "The Chang'an magistrate is not guilty. If you want to kill someone, kill me instead! This way, the common people will hand over their horses. Furthermore, the Xiongnu betrayed their leader and surrendered to our Han Dynasty. We should take our time settling them properly; why stir up the whole country, drain the treasury, and send our troops to fight these barbarians?" The Emperor fell silent, his expression unreadable.
After the arrival of King Hunxie, more than five hundred Chang'an merchants were sentenced to death over minor infractions. Ji An quickly sought an audience with the emperor and said, "The Xiongnu used to constantly attack our borders and even severed peace through marriage. Countless men have died, and the cost to the treasury has been immeasurable! I think Your Majesty should give the surrendered Xiongnu as slaves to the families of our fallen soldiers; the captured spoils of war should also be distributed to the people to soothe their anxieties and reassure the populace. Even if we can't do these things, if King Hunxie surrenders with tens of thousands of people, our national treasury will be empty, and we will have to use the people's money to support them, just like raising our own precious son. How could ordinary people know that buying goods in Chang'an could be construed as illegally funneling money to the border? Your Majesty, even if you cannot reward the world with the wealth of the Xiongnu, you cannot kill more than five hundred innocent common people for such a minor matter! It's like cutting off the branch to save the leaf; I think Your Majesty is making a mistake." The emperor fell silent again, did not agree, and only said, "It's been a while, Ji An, but you're still spouting nonsense!"
A few months later, Ji An was convicted of a minor offense, but a pardon reinstated him. After that, Ji An retired to the countryside.
After a few years, the court changed to using wuzhu coins. Many common people were illegally minting coins, especially in the Chu region. The emperor felt that Huaiyang was the border area of the Chu region, so he summoned Ji An and appointed him as the prefect of Huaiyang. Ji An thanked the emperor and said he did not want to accept the official seal. After much persuasion from the emperor, he finally accepted the appointment. Ji An met with the emperor and tearfully said, "I thought I would die in obscurity and never see Your Majesty again. I did not expect Your Majesty to reappoint me. My health has always been poor, and I am not strong enough to serve as a county governor. I hope to be an imperial attendant, to help the emperor correct mistakes and address shortcomings. This is my wish." The emperor said, "Are you unhappy with your posting to Huaiyang? I summoned you because there's considerable friction between the officials and the people of Huaiyang. I just want to rely on your prestige to govern peacefully there."
After bidding farewell to the emperor, Ji An passed by Li Xi and said to him, "I have been sent to govern a county and have no chance to discuss matters with the court officials. But Grand Minister Zhang Tang is very clever, able to resist advice from others, good at using deceit to cover up mistakes, always saying flattering words, never willing to speak the truth for the people, only catering to the emperor's wishes. If the emperor dislikes something, he will slander it; if the emperor likes something, he will praise it. He enjoys stirring up trouble, manipulating legal texts, and using deceitful means to please the emperor, while also recruiting some villains as officials to enhance his own power. He ranks among the Nine Ministers; why didn't you speak up to the emperor earlier? You'll both be held accountable!" Li Xi was afraid of Zhang Tang and ultimately did not dare to speak. Ji An continued to govern Huaiyang diligently, and Huaiyang enjoyed a period of good governance. Later, Zhang Tang was exposed, and the emperor heard about what Ji An and Li Xi had said, so he punished Li Xi and granted Ji An the status of a marquis in Huaiyang. Seven years later, Ji An died.
After the death of Ji An, the emperor promoted his younger brother Ji Ren to the position of Nine High Ministers and his son Ji Yan to the position of a high-ranking noble. Ji An's cousin, Sima An, had served as an attendant to the crown prince alongside Ji An when they were young. Sima An was talented and skilled in administration, rising to the position of Nine High Ministers four times before passing away as the Administrator of Henan. Thanks to Sima An's influence, ten of his brothers were also appointed to positions of authority. Duan Hong from Puyang initially served under Lord Gai, who trusted him greatly, leading to Duan Hong being promoted to Nine High Ministers twice. However, officials from Wei greatly respected Ji An and dared not surpass him.
Zheng Dang, whose courtesy name was Zhuang, was from the State of Chen. His ancestor, Zheng Jun, had served as a general under Xiang Yu. After Xiang Yu's death, Lord Zheng surrendered to the Han Dynasty. Emperor Gaozu ordered all former subjects of Xiang Yu to report their names, but Lord Zheng did not comply. While those who reported their names were ennobled, Lord Zheng was dismissed from service. He passed away during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen.
Zheng Zhuang was known for his love of making friends, generosity, and once saving the life of Zhang Yu. His reputation spread between the states of Liang and Chu. During the reign of Emperor Jing, he became a companion of the Crown Prince. He bathed every five days, a common practice at the time, and always kept his carriage and horses outside Chang'an to easily visit old friends and entertain guests. He often stayed up late, even until the next morning, to ensure he met everyone. Zheng Zhuang greatly admired the teachings of Huang-Lao, a school of philosophical thought emphasizing inaction and harmony with nature, and held great respect for his elders, always afraid of missing a chance to see them. Despite his humble beginnings, he cultivated friendships with esteemed elders and renowned figures throughout the land.
After Emperor Wu of Han ascended to the throne, Zheng Zhuang gradually rose through the ranks, becoming the Commander of Lu, Prefect of Jinan, Prefect of Jiangdu, and eventually one of the Nine Ministers as the Right Interior Minister. Later, due to disagreements with the Marquis of Wuan and the Marquis of Weiqi, he was demoted to Imperial Instructor and later promoted to Minister of Agriculture. When Zheng Zhuang was the Grand Historian, he instructed his subordinates, "He never turned away a guest, no matter how lowly." He was incredibly humble and respectful to guests, always putting them first. Zheng Zhuang was known for his integrity, never engaging in business activities and relying solely on the court's salary to support his guests. However, when he hosted guests for meals, it was just modest fare, never extravagant. Every morning at court, in front of the emperor, he always talked about talented men throughout the empire. When recommending talents, whether they were subordinates or officials, he wholeheartedly believed in his recommendations, often considering them superior to himself. He never blamed his subordinates, always speaking to them cautiously, fearing to offend them. When he heard someone praised, he quickly recommended them to the emperor, fearing to be too slow. Zheng Zhuang was highly respected by the scholars and officials of Shandong.
Zheng Zhuang was once sent to manage the breach of the Yellow River, and he voluntarily requested to bring only five days' rations. The emperor said, "I heard you never carried rations, even on a thousand-mile journey! What's with the rations this time?" In fact, when Zheng Zhuang served in the court, he always carefully gauged the emperor's mood and avoided voicing his own opinions unless absolutely necessary. In his later years, when Emperor Wu of Han campaigned against the Xiongnu and pacified the barbarian tribes, the wars had drained the treasury. Zheng Zhuang appointed guests to manage the labor of the Minister of Agriculture, resulting in many people owing debts. Sima An, the Prefect of Huaiyang, exposed this matter, and Zheng Zhuang was punished and demoted to a commoner. After some time, he was appointed as the Chief Administrator. The emperor thought he was old, so he appointed him as the Prefect of Runan. A few years later, he retired and died.
Zheng Zhuang and Ji An both initially held high-ranking official positions. They were both honest, upright, and of noble character. "These two men fell from grace; their families became poor, and their guests diminished." Later on, they both lost their official positions, their families became very impoverished, and their guests gradually drifted away. When they passed away, they left behind no wealth. However, due to Zheng Zhuang's influence, six or seven of his brothers' descendants attained high-ranking positions (two thousand stones).
Sima Qian said: People like Ji An and Zheng, who were talented at the time, had many guests and visitors when they were in power. But once their power waned, their guests deserted them—a fate shared by many! Zhai Gong from Xiagui once remarked that when he first became the Minister of Justice, his doorstep was crowded with guests, and it was very lively. But when he was dismissed from office, his house became deserted. Later, when Zhai Gong became the Minister of Justice again, those former guests wanted to toady to him. Zhai Gong wrote a phrase on the door: "In life and death, true friends are revealed. In poverty and wealth, true character is shown. In high and low status, true relationships are seen." Ji An and Zheng also expressed similar sentiments at the time, which is truly lamentable!
The meaning of these words is that the fickleness of fortune and friendship is vividly reflected in the face of power and wealth. When one has influence, they have many friends and visitors. But once they fall from power and become destitute, their former "friends" will leave one by one, leaving them utterly alone. This is not only the fate of talented individuals like Ji An and Zheng, but also the norm for most people. Zhai Gong's famous saying "In life and death, true friends are revealed. In poverty and wealth, true character is shown. In high and low status, true relationships are seen." succinctly summarizes this phenomenon, prompting reflection on the impermanence of the world and the fickleness of human relationships. Sima Qian's deep sorrow regarding this observation resonates even today.
