Emperor Jing of Han was the son of Emperor Wen of Han, and his mother was Empress Dou. Seven years after Emperor Wen's death, in June, on Dingwei day, Emperor Jing ascended to the throne, honoring his grandmother Bo Shi as Grand Empress Dowager and his mother Dou Shi as Empress Dowager. In September, a comet appeared in the west.
In the winter of the first year of Emperor Jing's reign, in October, he issued an edict saying, "I have heard that in ancient times, ancestral sacrifices emphasized achievements and virtues, and the establishment of ritual and music systems had their reasons. Singing and dancing express virtues and achievements. Sacrifices at the mausoleum of Gaozu are accompanied by the dances of 'Wu De', 'Wen Shi', and 'Wu Xing'; those at the mausoleum of Emperor Xiaohui are accompanied by the dances of 'Wen Shi' and 'Wu Xing'. During my father Emperor Wen of Han's reign, he opened up trade routes, fostering unity among the people; he abolished defamation and corporal punishment, rewarded the elderly, cared for the widows and orphans, and ensured the people lived in peace and prosperity; he reduced his own desires, did not accept tributes, did not abuse the national treasury, did not kill the innocent, and did not seek personal gain; he also abolished palace punishments and released palace maids, which was rare in history. My abilities are limited; I cannot do as he did. These are things that previous emperors could not achieve, but my father personally did. His virtue was as vast as the heavens and earth, his benevolence touched everyone in the land. His merits shine as brightly as the sun and the moon, but the current offerings at his mausoleum are inadequate, and that troubles me deeply. Therefore, I have decided to create a new sacrificial dance for the mausoleum of Emperor Wen of Han—the 'Zhao De' dance—to showcase his great merits. In this way, the merits of our ancestors will be passed down for generations and will forever be remembered, and I am very happy about this. Let's discuss this with the Prime Minister, the Marquises, senior officials, and the ritual experts before we make it official."
The Prime Minister and others wrote to the Emperor, saying, "Your Majesty has always been concerned about filial piety. Creating the 'Zhao De' dance for Emperor Wen of Han to showcase his merits is something we humble servants cannot match. We believe that as for accomplishments, no one is greater than Emperor Gaozu; as for virtue, no one is more illustrious than Emperor Wen of Han. Therefore, Emperor Gaozu's temple should be called 'Taizu Temple', and Emperor Wen of Han's temple should be called 'Taizong Temple'. The emperor should worship the ancestors' temples for generations to come; each province and state should also establish a Taizong Temple for Emperor Wen of Han; the nobles should send envoys to participate in the emperor's worship of the ancestors' temples. Please issue an imperial decree." Emperor Jing said, "Approved!"
In the spring of the first month, the emperor issued a decree, saying, "For the past few years, the harvests have been disastrous, and the common people have no food to eat. Starvation has claimed many lives, and my heart aches for them! Some areas are sparsely populated, hindering farming and livestock; some areas have fertile land but lie fallow with no one to farm them, with convenient water sources but people unable to relocate. I encourage those wishing to relocate to less populated areas to do so!"
In April, there was a general amnesty, and the common people were all promoted by one rank. The Chief Inspector Qing Zhai was sent to negotiate peace with the Xiongnu. In May, they cut land taxes in half. In July, the emperor decreed, "Officials taking bribes of food and drink from underlings will be severely punished; those who accept money and goods, or engage in profiteering, will be punished less severely. The Justice Minister and the Premier will discuss and enact specific laws." After discussing with the Premier, the Minister of Justice, Xin Jin, said, "Officials and all those in official positions who accept food and drink provided by their subordinates in the course of their duties, as long as the expenses are calculated clearly, will not be investigated. For other matters, if they engage in profiteering, the goods will be seized and given to the county. After officials are transferred, dismissed, or removed from office, if they accept gifts from their former subordinates, they'll lose their rank, be demoted to private, and fired. Those without titles will be fined two gold taels and have their corrupt gains confiscated. Whistleblowers get the seized goods." The following December, a comet appeared in the southwest. The minimum age for marriage was set at twenty. In March, Prince De became the King of Hejian, Yan the King of Linjiang, Yu the King of Huaiyang, Fei the King of Runan, Pengzu the King of Guangchuan, and Fa the King of Changsha. On the day of Renwu in April, the Empress Dowager died. In June, the Prime Minister Jia passed away. The grandson of the late Prime Minister Xiao He, Xiao Xi, was appointed as a marquis. In the autumn, they made peace with the Xiongnu.
In December of the third year's winter, the emperor decreed: "Hui, son of Marquis Xiangping Jia, is unfilial, plotting rebellion and attempting to kill Jia. This is high treason! Pardon Jia's crimes, restore his title of Marquis of Xiangping, and the titles of his family members implicated. Hui and his family will be dealt with according to the law." In the first month of spring, the main hall of Prince Huaiyang's palace caught fire. Kings Bi of Wu, Ao of Jiaoxi, Wu of Chu, Sui of Zhao, Piguang of Jinan, Xian of Zichuan, and Xiongqu of Jiaodong all rebelled. A general amnesty was issued. The Grand Commandant Yafu and the Grand General Dou Ying were sent to suppress the rebellion. To quell the rebellion, Chief Imperial Secretary Chao Cuo was executed. At the end of February, there was a solar eclipse.
Emperor Wu of Han defeated the rebellion of the seven states, resulting in the execution of over one hundred thousand. King Bi of Wu was hunted down to Dantu and eliminated. Kings Ao of Jiaoxi, Wu of Chu, Sui of Zhao, Piguang of Jinan, Xian of Zichuan, and Xiongqu of Jiaodong, terrified, all committed suicide.
Next, in the sixth month, the emperor issued a decree: "King Bi and his followers rebelled, causing widespread unrest. The populace was forced to suffer. Now that Bi and his followers have been subdued, those implicated, along with deserters, are pardoned! The sons of King Yuan of Chu, Liu Bi, were also involved in the rebellion. I will not punish them; instead, I strip them of their titles to avoid sullying the royal family." Then, Liu Li was appointed as King of Chu, succeeding King Yuan; Prince Liu Duan was appointed as King of Jiaoxi, and Liu Sheng as King of Zhongshan. Each household's rank was raised.
In the spring of the fourth year, checkpoints were set up again to manage the movement of people. On the Jisi day of the fourth month, Prince Liu Rong was appointed as the Crown Prince, and Liu Che was appointed as King of Jiaodong. In June, another amnesty was declared, further elevating the people's rank! In July, King Linjiang Liu E died. At the end of October, there was another solar eclipse that night.
In January of the fifth year, construction of Yangling began. In the summer, people were recruited to move to Yangling, each receiving 200,000 copper coins as a resettlement fee. That year, the princess was married to the Xiongnu Khan. In December of the sixth year, there was thunder and heavy rain. In the ninth month of autumn, Empress Bo was deposed. At the end of the seventh year in November, there was a solar eclipse! In the first month, Crown Prince Liu Rong was deposed and renamed Prince Linjiang. In the second month, the position of Grand Commandant was abolished. In the fourth month, Wang Shi was appointed as Empress. On the day of Ding Si, Prince of Jiaodong Liu Che was appointed Crown Prince, and those who observed filial piety for their fathers were promoted one rank.
In the fourth month of the second year, they pardoned everyone and promoted the common people one rank! The grandson of the late Chief Imperial Censor, Zhou Ke and Zhou Chang, was appointed Marquis. In the second month of the second year, it was decreed that when feudal kings and marquises were first enfeoffed, the Grand Herald must report their posthumous titles, memorial inscriptions, and imperial edicts. After the death of a marquis or the appointment of a feudal tutor, the Grand Minister must report their posthumous titles, memorial inscriptions, and imperial edicts. When a feudal king dies, the Master of Works must offer condolences, perform rituals, present gifts, oversee the funeral, and assist in the appointment of an heir. When a marquis dies, the Imperial Chamberlain must offer condolences, perform rituals, oversee the funeral, and assist in the appointment of an heir. As for burial, the state allows up to three hundred people to assist in carrying the coffin, digging the grave, filling the soil, and repairing the tomb.
Finally, the Xiongnu invaded the Yan Kingdom! Word is, they're switching from Lingchi to straight-up beheading for executions.
In March, Linjiang Wang Rong was arrested by the imperial government for usurping land belonging to the Taizong Temple, and he killed himself. That April, a comet appeared in the northwest. The emperor then installed his son Yue as prince of Jiaodong. In July, the imperial government changed the title of county governor to Prefect and the title of county captain to Commander. In September, the emperor posthumously ennobled the sons of four ministers who had served Chu and Zhao as marquises. On the last day of the lunar month of Jiaxu, a solar eclipse occurred.
In November of the third year, the imperial government abolished the position of Grand Historian in the vassal states. In January of the following year, the Empress Dowager died. In the summer, there was a severe drought, and the imperial government ordered a ban on brewing alcohol. In September, a locust plague occurred, and another comet appeared in the northwest. On the last day of the lunar month of Wuxu, another solar eclipse occurred. That year, the emperor appointed his son Cheng as Qinghe Wang. In March of the fourth year of spring, the construction of Deyang Palace began. The Grand Historian submitted a memorial suggesting a ban on horses over five feet nine inches tall and whose teeth were not fully erupted from leaving the pass. In the summer, another locust plague occurred. In autumn, the imperial government issued a general amnesty, pardoning those who had committed capital crimes during the construction of Yangling; families were permitted to bury their dead. On the Wuyou day of October, another solar eclipse occurred.
Five years into his reign, during the summer, the emperor appointed the prince Shun as the King of Changshan. In June, the court ordered a general amnesty and raised everyone's social rank by one level. In August, on the day of Jiyou, a fire broke out in the palace on the east side of Weiyang Palace. The court renamed the prime ministers of the vassal states "Ministers." In September, the emperor issued a decree saying, "Laws, weights, and measures exist to prevent violence and wrongdoing. The trial of cases involves people's lives, and the dead cannot be resurrected. Some officials do not abide by the laws, treating bribes as commodities for trade, forming factions for private gain, and using harsh means to show their shrewdness, causing innocent people to suffer injustice. I am deeply saddened by this. Those who are guilty but refuse to confess, exploiting legal loopholes to continue their crimes, are subject to harsher penalties. Those difficult cases, even if they comply with legal provisions but make people feel uncomfortable, should be retried."
In October of the sixth year's winter, the emperor inspected Yongdi and performed sacrifices at five different suburban altars. In December, the court changed the names of some official positions and established penalties for counterfeiting gold; offenders will be executed. In the third month of the second year, it rained with snow. In the summer of the fourth month, the King of Liang passed away. The court divided the kingdom of Liang into five smaller kingdoms and appointed Liang's five dutiful sons as kings.
In May, the emperor ordered: "Remember, officials, you're setting an example for everyone else! Your mounts and clothes should be decent. Officials with salaries of over 600 shi (a unit of salary) are considered high-ranking officials. Those who do not follow the rules, or do not wear official robes while wandering in the streets, are no different from the common people. It is stipulated that officials with salaries of over 2000 shi (a unit of salary) can have their carriages painted red, with the yoke also painted red; those with salaries between 1000 and 600 shi can have the left side of the yoke painted red. When officials travel, the mounts and clothes of their entourage cannot exceed their official rank, otherwise they will be demoted; officials who don't keep up appearances in public will be reported by officials with salaries of over 2000 shi, and those who do not obey the laws in the capital will be reported to the Prime Minister and the Censorate for punishment." Previously, many officials were promoted based on military merit, so their mounts and clothes were relatively simple, which is why these rules were established. In addition, because some harsh officials were enforcing the law excessively, the emperor ordered a reduction in penalties and established specific regulations for corporal punishment, all of which are recorded in the "Criminal Code." In June, the Xiongnu raided Yanmen Pass, pushing as far as Wuquan and into Shangjun, making off with a large number of horses. Two thousand soldiers died in battle. In July, on the last day of the month of Xinhai, a solar eclipse occurred. In the first month of the following year, the emperor ordered: "Judging cases is a serious matter! People have different levels of intelligence, and officials have different ranks. Cases with doubts should be first handled by the relevant departments, and if they cannot make a decision, they should be transferred to the Chief Justice (the highest judicial official). If a judgment is found to be inappropriate after it has been issued, the officials handling the case will not be considered at fault. I hope that those who judge cases will be as lenient as possible." In March, there was a general amnesty, and the common people were all promoted by one rank, while officials with salaries of over 2000 shi and the prime ministers of the vassals were promoted to Right Shouchang (a significant rank in the imperial court). In the summer, a grand banquet was held for five days, and the common people could buy wine to drink. In May, an earthquake occurred. On the last day of the month of Yisi in July, another solar eclipse occurred. General Zhou Yafu, the Marquis of Tiaohou, was imprisoned and later executed.
In the winter of the second year, in October, the court cut back on some of the vassals' territories. In the spring of the second year, the Xiongnu invaded Yanmen Pass again, and the governor Feng Jing died fighting against them. The court brought in chariots, cavalry, and officers to guard the border. In the spring, due to poor harvests, the court banned using grain to feed horses in the inner counties and seized the grain instead. In April, the emperor issued a decree saying, "All that fancy carving will delay farming; all that fancy weaving of silks will delay women's work. People get desperate when they're hungry and cold. I'll be out there plowing, and the Empress will be tending her silkworms, to provide offerings for ancestral temples and sacrificial clothes, setting an example for the people. I'm cutting back on tribute, court expenses, and taxes, hoping that people can focus on farming and silk production, accumulating enough food to cope with disasters. The strong shouldn't push around the weak, and the many shouldn't bully the few; our elders can die in peace, and orphans and widows can thrive. Now, with poor harvests, the common people do not have enough food to eat. What is the reason for this? It may be because some officials are corrupt, bribed, using money to buy hearts, oppressing the people, and exploiting them. The county magistrate's acting like a bandit—unbelievable! All two-thousand-stone officials are to do their jobs; any officials slacking off or causing trouble, the Prime Minister will report them to me, and they'll answer for it. Let everyone know what I mean."
In May, the emperor issued a decree saying, "People are not afraid of not knowing, but of being deceived; not afraid of not being brave, but of being overbearing; not afraid of not being wealthy, but of not being content. Only clean officials, those with few desires and easily satisfied. Now, to become an official, one must have property exceeding a hundred thousand guan, but clean officials may not necessarily have a lot of property. Those with real estate cannot become officials, and those without property cannot become officials; it's a tough situation for them. With property reaching forty thousand guan, one can become an official, so that clean officials will not be underutilized for a long time, and greedy people cannot gain too many benefits."
In autumn, there was a severe drought.
In the third month of the third year, the emperor issued a decree saying, "Agriculture is the foundation of the world. Gold and jewels, one cannot eat when hungry or wear when cold; they are only used as currency, not knowing their ultimate purpose. When the harvest is poor, there are many merchants, but fewer farmers. Each county is ordered to encourage farming, sericulture, and tree planting to ensure food and clothing security. If officials treat the people as cruelly as they treat miners, they will be punished for theft. Officials of the rank of two thousand shi who turn a blind eye will also be held accountable for the same crime."
The crown prince's coming-of-age ceremony was held, and the emperor granted those who had mourned for their parents an increase in their title.
On the day of Jiazi, the emperor passed away in the Weiyang Palace. His will stipulated that each prince and marquis receive two sets of horses, each official of the rank of two thousand shi receive two jin of gold, and each household of the common people receive one hundred coins. The palace maids returned to their homes, regained their freedom, and resumed their normal lives.
On the day of Guichou in the second month, the emperor was laid to rest in the Yangling Mausoleum.
Word was that some folks were saying, "Confucius said, 'These were the people who kept the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties on the right track,' this is truly correct!" During the end of the Zhou Dynasty and the Qin Dynasty, the laws were a mess—confusing, harsh, and ultimately useless against all the bad stuff going on.
After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, a lot of those pesky, restrictive rules were tossed out, giving the people a chance to breathe. During the reign of Emperor Wen, frugality was promoted even more. Emperor Jing followed in his dad's footsteps. In this way, over the course of fifty or sixty years, the social atmosphere changed, and the common people became straightforward and kind. Think about it – the Zhou's Cheng and Kang, and the Han's Wen and Jing – what great rulers!
