Shi Fen's father was from the Zhao kingdom. After the fall of Zhao, their family moved to Wen County. Later, when Liu Bang was on an eastern expedition against Xiang Yu and passed through Henan, Shi Fen was fifteen and working as a low-level clerk serving Liu Bang. Liu Bang chatted with him and found him very respectful, so he asked, "Who else is in your family?" Shi Fen replied, "I have a mother who is unfortunately blind. We are very poor. I also have a sister who can play the zither." Liu Bang said, "Would you like to follow me?" Shi Fen replied, "I am willing to do my best." So Liu Bang appointed his sister as an imperial concubine and made Shi Fen an emissary, responsible for delivering letters and messages. He also moved Shi Fen's entire family to the aristocratic district of Chang'an, all because his sister became a concubine.
Shi Fen later made many contributions and rose to the position of Grand Master during the reign of Emperor Xiaowen. He wasn't well-educated, but he was unparalleled in his diligence and respect. Later, when the Marquis of Dongyang, Zhang Xiangru, was dismissed from his role as the crown prince's tutor, everyone recommended Shi Fen as the new tutor after considering various candidates. After Emperor Xiaojing ascended the throne, he appointed Shi Fen as one of the Nine Ministers. However, over time, Emperor Xiaojing became somewhat wary of him and transferred him to a regional position as a feudal lord. Shi Fen had four sons: the eldest named Jian, the second named Jia, the third named Yi, and the fourth named Qing. All of them were well-behaved, filial, and wise, eventually becoming top officials. Emperor Xiaojing sighed and said, "Shi Fen and his four sons have all become top officials, which is the most prestigious and favored among ministers. Truly, this family is thriving!" So everyone respectfully referred to Shi Fen as "Lord Wanshi."
During the later years of Emperor Xiaojing's reign, Lord Wan Shi resigned from his position as a senior minister and returned home to retire, only visiting the emperor during festivals or special occasions. Every time he passed through palace gates and city gates, he would get off his carriage and walk; when he saw someone riding a horse, he would courteously yield. Even if his son or grandson held a humble position, Lord Wan Shi would dress in court attire to meet them and would not address them directly. If a descendant erred, he wouldn't scold, but sit silently, refusing food. After a while, he would have his other sons discipline them, and only after the children prostrated themselves, cried, admitted their mistakes, and corrected them, would he forgive them. If the younger generations wore hats, they had to wear them even when eating at home, behaving properly. The servants, too, were unfailingly respectful and diligent. When eating the emperor's rewarded food, he would bow deeply and eat as if in front of the emperor. When mourning, he was very sorrowful. His descendants all followed his example. The Wan Shi family became famous throughout the land for their exemplary filial piety and discretion, even the renowned scholars in Qi and Lu felt inferior in comparison. In the second year of Jianyuan, Wang Zang, a langzhongling, offended the empress dowager despite his good knowledge. The empress dowager felt that scholars were overly theoretical and lacked practical application, while Lord Wan Shi's family were consistent in words and deeds. Therefore, the empress dowager appointed Lord Wan Shi's eldest son Jian as langzhongling and his youngest son Qing as neishi. Laobai built a road while Lord Wan Shi was still alive. Every five days, after his bath, he would go back to visit his parents. Upon entering his parents' room, he would secretly ask the servants for the clothes and bedpan his parents had used, wash them himself, and return them without letting Lord Wan Shi know, always doing so. When giving reports to the emperor, Jian would dismiss his attendants and speak plainly; yet, in the court, he seemed tongue-tied in the emperor's presence. This only served to increase the emperor's affection and respect for him.
Wanshi Jun moved to the ancestral tombs. Neishi Qing came back drunk and didn't even bother getting out of his carriage after entering the outer gate. When Wanshi Jun heard about it, he went on a hunger strike. Qing was afraid, stripped to the waist, and came to beg forgiveness, but Wanshi Jun refused to forgive him. The whole family, along with Jian, also stripped to the waist to beg for forgiveness, but Wanshi Jun said, "Neishi is a high-ranking official. When he entered the village, all the villagers scurried out of sight, but Neishi sat in the carriage calmly; that's only to be expected!" This finally let Qing off the hook. Qing and his sons entered the inner gate and dashed back home.
Wanshi Jun passed away in the fifth year of Yuanshuo, and Jian was utterly distraught, crying so hard he could barely walk, needing a cane for support. Over a year later, Jian also passed away. His descendants were all filial, but Jian's filial piety was the most outstanding, even surpassing Wanshi Jun.
Jian became the Langzhongling. After receiving a memorial, Jian read it and was shocked, saying, "There should be five strokes next to the character for 'horse' in the memorial, but now there are only four strokes. They'll have my head!" He was meticulous in everything he did.
Qing became the Taifu, and when driving, the Emperor asked how many horses he had. Qing used his whip to count them and raised his hand, saying, "Six horses." Qing was the most simple among his brothers, but even so, he remained cautious. Later, he became the Prime Minister of Qi, and the people of Qi respected his family's reputation. Qi flourished under his light touch, and people built a shrine in his honor.
In 122 BC, Emperor Wu of Han appointed a Crown Prince and began to search for suitable teachers to assist him. Gong Sunqing was promoted from the position of county magistrate of Pei County to Crown Prince's Tutor, steadily rising through the ranks. In 112 BC, Prime Minister Zhao Zhou was dismissed due to the gold weight scandal. At that time, the Emperor issued an edict saying, "The Wan Shi Marquis had been highly respected by the previous Emperor, and his descendants are also very filial. Let Grand Tutor Gong Sunqing be appointed as Prime Minister and be granted the title of Marquis of Muqiu!" During that time, the Han was embroiled in wars across its borders – from the southern Yue to the northern Xiongnu, and further afield in Korea and the West. There were many domestic and foreign affairs. The Emperor personally inspected the entire country, repaired ancient sacrificial sites, held the Fengshan ceremony, and vigorously developed ritual and music culture. Revenue was tight. Sang Hongyang and others scrambled to boost the treasury, while Wang Wenshu enforced laws strictly, and Er Kuan promoted Confucianism. The Nine Ministers took turns handling government affairs, but Gong Sunqing kept his head down and did his job. He spent nine years as Prime Minister, but never got a chance to weigh in.
Once, he wanted to suggest to the emperor to clean house among his inner circle and let the nine highest-ranking officials express their opinions publicly, but he failed and was instead blamed by others, ultimately having to pay a fine to atone. In 110 BC, there were over two million refugees in the eastern region, along with four hundred thousand unregistered refugees. The ministers in the court discussed resettling these refugees in the border regions. The emperor believed that Gongsun Qing was old and cautious, unable to participate in such discussions, so he gave him leave to rest at home and then started investigating the officials who reported to the Grand Secretary. Gongsun Qing felt he'd let the emperor down and didn't feel up to the job of prime minister, so he wrote a memorial saying, "I have been fortunate enough to serve as prime minister, but I lack the ability to help run the country. Our cities and granaries are empty, and the land is overrun with refugees. I deserve to be executed, but Your Majesty has forgiven me. I'm resigning as prime minister and marquis, and retiring to let someone more capable take over."
The emperor said, "A while back, the Yellow River flooded and flooded over a dozen counties. Although everyone tried their best to fix the levees, they could not stop the flooding. I was worried sick. So I personally toured the affected areas, worshiped Mount Song and Mount Tai, and prayed to the gods for help, hoping to solve the problem. I traveled along the Huai River, Yangtze River, through the mountains and by the sea, to understand the suffering of the people for generations. I found that many officials were crooked as hell, bleeding the people dry, with the ones who got out living high on the hog, while those left behind were miserable. Therefore, I enacted a law to control the refugees to limit excessive taxation. I just did the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, and heaven smiled on me, and there were lots of good omens. I was ready to get to work and run the country right, but I found that officials in various places were corrupt, seriously affecting the lives of the people. Although I appointed relevant officials to handle it, the government was dragging its feet, and the people were still worried, with thieves running wild. I issued a pardon from the Mingtang, pardoning death sentences and lifting all kinds of restrictions, hoping everyone would turn over a new leaf. However, now there are even more refugees, with no improvement in the situation. As the chancellor, you didn't keep your people in line, instead asking to move four hundred thousand people, disturbing the people. Those poor orphans, widows, and kids under ten are suffering. I'm really disappointed! Your report said the granaries and city walls are weak, the people are starving, and thieves are everywhere, so you asked the rich to donate food. You know the people are starving, yet you still want to raise taxes! In a time of crisis, you quit! Where do you think you're going? Go home!"
Hearing the emperor say 'go home,' Qingji thought he was in the clear. However, the emperor's words were harsh, and 'go home' sounded like a death sentence. Some told him to just kill himself. Scared stiff, Qingji didn't know what to do, so he went back to work.
When Qingji was the Prime Minister, he was meticulous in his work but lacked foresight. He passed away after three years or so, posthumously known as the Marquis of Tian. Qingji cherished his second son, De, the most. The Emperor allowed Qingji's son, De, to inherit the title, but De was later dismissed from his position as Grand Minister of Ceremonies for breaking the law, and his title was revoked. During Qingji's tenure as Prime Minister, thirteen of his descendants held official positions, ranging from the bottom rungs to the top ranks. After Qingji's death, more and more of his descendants were dismissed from office on various charges, and the family's fortunes declined.
Wei Wan, a native of Daijunling, was appointed as an official due to his skill in driving a carriage. He served Emperor Wen and gradually rose to the rank of Household General. He was loyal and cautious, without any faults. As Emperor Wen lay dying, he told the Crown Prince Jing, "Take good care of Wei Wan." After Emperor Jing ascended the throne, it was over a year before Wei Wan got promoted, but he continued to work diligently.
Emperor Jing took his entourage to Shanglin Park for a day out and then asked General Wei Yafu, "So, how'd you become a Household General?" Wei Yafu replied, "I started out as a carriage driver, and then I was lucky enough to be promoted. Now I'm a Household General, but I don't really know how it happened." Emperor Jing then asked, "Why didn't you come when I called you while I was still the Crown Prince?" Wei Yafu answered, "Sorry, I was sick." Emperor Jing rewarded him with a sword, to which Wei Yafu responded, "Your Majesty, the late Emperor gave me six swords already. I can't accept another one." Emperor Jing said, "Most people lose swords they're given. How come you still have yours?" Wei Yafu replied, "They're all here." He then had the six swords brought out, and indeed they were all well preserved and unused.
When Zhou Yafu was a low-ranking official, if someone made a mistake, he always shouldered the blame for others' mistakes and never sought glory, always deflecting praise to his colleagues. Emperor Jing thought he was honest, loyal, and reliable, with no ulterior motives, so he appointed him as tutor to the Prince of Hejian. Later, when the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu rebelled, Emperor Jing sent Zhou Yafu to lead troops to suppress the rebellion. His military prowess secured him a promotion to Commandant. Three years later, due to his military achievements, he was further appointed as the Marquis of Jianling.
The next year saw Emperor Jing depose the crown prince and execute Li Qing and his associates. Emperor Jing thought Zhou Yafu was a good person and did not want to implicate him, so he let him retire and then sent Zhi Du to arrest the Li family. With the crisis averted, Emperor Jing appointed the Prince of Jiaodong as the Crown Prince, and then summoned Zhou Yafu back to serve as the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, later promoting him to Grand Master of Records. Five years later, Zhou Yafu succeeded Tao Hou She as Prime Minister, and he diligently handled his duties every day. Throughout his career, he remained remarkably unassuming. Emperor Jing thought he was generous and could assist the young ruler, so he valued him greatly and rewarded him with many gifts.
After serving as Prime Minister for three years, Emperor Jing passed away, and Emperor Wu ascended the throne. During the Jianyuan era, many officials and prisoners were wrongly sentenced during Emperor Jing's illness, and Zhou Yafu did not fulfill his responsibilities, so he was sacked. Later, Zhou Yafu passed away and was posthumously titled Marquis of Ai. His son, Zhou Xin, inherited his title, but later his title was revoked due to the Zhuijin incident (a scandal involving underweight gold offerings).
There was a man named Zhi Du, a native of Nanyang. When he was a low-level official, he served Emperor Wen. A colleague in his office accidentally took another's money and left. When the colleague discovered the money was missing, he suspected Zhi Du took it. Zhi Du admitted to taking the money and repaid it himself. Later, the colleague who went home returned the money, and the colleague who lost it felt ashamed. Because of this incident, everyone said Zhi Du was a good person. Zhi Du gradually rose through the ranks and became a mid-level official. One day at court, someone spoke ill of Zhi Du behind his back: "Zhi Du is considered attractive, but he actually stole from his brother's wife!" Zhi Du heard this and replied, "I don't have a brother." However, he never explained the matter.
During the Rebellion of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu, the court never considered using officials of Zhi Du's rank to quell the rebellion. In the first year of the Houyuan era, he was appointed as Chief Inspector. For his merits in quelling the Wu and Chu rebellion, Emperor Jing conferred upon him the title of the Marquis of Sai. During the reign of Emperor Wu, he and Prime Minister Wan were dismissed for making mistakes.
Zhi Du loved reading the *Laozi* and conducted himself as if he were not an official at all, always cautious and afraid that others would know he held an official position. He wasn't interested in fame, and everyone thought of him as an elder. After his death, he was posthumously honored as Marquis Xin. His descendants continued until his grandson Peng Zu, but later, due to the Zhuojin case, the title was revoked.
Zhou Ren, originally from Rencheng, initially made a living as a doctor. When Emperor Jing was still the Crown Prince, Zhou Ren served as his attendant, gradually rising to the position of Grand Master. After Emperor Jing ascended the throne, he appointed Zhou Ren as the Minister of the Imperial Household.
Zhou Ren was a very unassuming person, never showing off. The clothes he usually wore were tattered, all patched up, and his pants were often soaked, deliberately giving off an unkempt appearance. It was with this quiet demeanor that he gained the trust of Emperor Jing and was able to enter and leave the palace. In the harem, where private affairs took place, Zhou Ren was often present, but he never spoke a word. Sometimes Emperor Jing would ask him about things, and Zhou Ren would always say, "You know, Your Majesty." He never slandered anyone. Emperor Jing visited his home many times, and later Zhou Ren's family moved to Yangling. The Emperor bestowed many gifts upon him, but he always declined, not daring to accept. When nobles and officials gave him gifts, he also turned them all down. When Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he respected Zhou Ren greatly as the late emperor's top official. Later, due to illness, Zhou Ren resigned from his position, with his generous pension of two thousand stones to retire at home. His descendants rose to high office.
Zhang Ou, whose courtesy name was Shu, was the son of the meritorious minister Anqiu Hou mentioned by the founding emperor. During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, Zhang Ou, who was proficient in criminal law, served the Crown Prince, but he was very upright. During the reign of Emperor Jing, he was highly valued and served as one of the nine highest-ranking ministers. During the reign of Emperor Wu in the Yuan Shuo era, he succeeded Han Anguo as the Chief Imperial Secretary. Zhang Ou, as an official, never took the initiative to arrest and punish; he relied on his integrity to govern. His subordinates treated him as an elder and dared not play tricks in front of him. When the Emperor entrusted cases to him, if he could pardon the crime, he would do so; if not, he'd burst into tears and personally seal the memorial. This was how he cared for the people.
After growing old and weak, he requested retirement, and the Emperor graciously granted him a high official salary, allowing him to retire at home. His family also resided in Yangling.
It's said that Confucius said, "A gentleman desires to be slow in speech and prompt in action." That's exactly what Lord Wan Shi, Marquis Jian Ling, Marquis Sai, and Zhang Shu were like. Therefore, they governed successfully without being harsh. By contrast, Shi Jian always did his laundry so well, while Zhou Ren went around looking like a mess—which the gentlemen didn't approve of.
