Wang Shang, courtesy name Ziwei, was from Liwu in Zhuo Commandery, but later moved to Duling to live. His father Wang Wu and his elder brother Wang Wugu were both made marquises because they were uncles of Emperor Xuan of Han. Wang Wugu was created Marquis of Pingchang, and Wang Wu was created Marquis of Lechang; these events are recorded in the "Biographies of Imperial Relatives."
When Wang Shang was young, he served the Crown Prince and was respected for his seriousness and integrity. After his father's death, Wang Shang inherited the marquis title, divided his inheritance among his half-brothers, and mourned deeply. The ministers at the court recommended Wang Shang, saying that his behavior could inspire the officials and his character could educate the people, so he should be appointed as a trusted advisor. Therefore, he was soon promoted to various high-ranking positions, including roles in the Imperial Secretariat and the palace guard. During the reign of Emperor Yuan of Han, he held the position of Right General and High-ranking Official of the Palace. At that time, the King of Dingtao was greatly favored and almost replaced the Crown Prince. As a powerful relative of the emperor, Wang Shang assisted the court and strongly supported the Crown Prince, playing a crucial role.
After Emperor Yuan passed away, Emperor Cheng of Han really liked Wang Shang and made him Left General. However, at that time, Emperor Cheng's uncle, Grand Marshal Wang Feng, held great power and was a bit of a tyrant. They clashed a few times in court, but Wang Feng was too powerful and eventually just iced Wang Shang out. In the autumn of the third year of Jiànshǐ, suddenly there were rumors in Chang'an City that a great flood was coming. The people panicked, fled in all directions, and the old, weak, and sick were wailing, causing chaos in Chang'an City. The Emperor personally went to the front hall and summoned the officials to discuss. Grand Marshal Wang Feng suggested that the Empress Dowager, the Emperor, and the palace concubines should all take boats to escape to the higher ground above Chang'an to avoid the flood, and ordered officials and the people to take refuge on the city walls. The other officials all agreed with Wang Feng's suggestion. Only Left General Wang Shang said, "Look, only messed-up countries get flooded like that. Things are peaceful and stable now – this is clearly just a rumor. We shouldn't panic everyone by telling them to head for the hills." After hearing Wang Shang's words, the Emperor stopped the order. After a while, the panic in Chang'an City gradually subsided, and upon investigation, it was indeed a rumor. The Emperor was really impressed that Wang Shang stuck to his guns, praising him heaps. Wang Feng felt pretty stupid for what he'd said.
The following year, Wang Shang succeeded Kuang Hong as Prime Minister and got a thousand-household fiefdom; the Emperor trusted and valued him greatly. Wang Shang was upright, prestigious, over eight feet tall, a real hunk, and incredibly handsome. In the fourth year of Hepíng, the Xiongnu Chanyu came to court and was received in the White Tiger Hall. The Chanyu went to bow before Wang Shang, who was sitting in the palace courtyard. When Wang Shang stood up to greet him, the Chanyu looked up at this imposing figure and actually took a step back, looking a little spooked. When the Emperor heard about this, he exclaimed, "Now that's a Han Prime Minister!"
Right, so it all started with General Feng and Yang Rong, who ran Langya County. Langya County suffered fourteen consecutive disasters, which was quite serious. His superiors sent people to investigate, and Feng explained to the investigators, "These were acts of God, nothing anyone could do about them. Yang Rong is usually a good official and should be allowed to continue." However, those above him did not listen and pushed for Yang Rong's dismissal. After the report was submitted, the emperor didn't give a damn. Feng harbored resentment towards his superiors and secretly looked for ways to get him into trouble, even sending people to write letters revealing their private affairs. The emperor thought these were petty squabbles that would not affect a minister, but Feng insisted on pursuing it and shoved the whole thing onto the Imperial Censor for investigation.
It is said that earlier, the Empress Dowager had asked the higher-ups about their daughters in order to select some to serve as palace maids. At that time, the daughter of one of the higher-ups was sick, and he wasn't comfortable with that. He used his daughter's illness as an excuse to refuse, and did not let her enter the palace. When he was investigated due to family matters, he realized that he had been manipulated by Feng and was scared stiff. He sought support and went running to the newly favored Li Jieyu, hoping she could pull some strings and get his daughter into the palace.
One day, a solar eclipse occurred. There was a man named Zhang Kuang, who was the Grand Master of the Imperial Secretariat of Shu Commandery. He was a master of flattery and wrote a letter to the emperor's ministers to explain the cause of the eclipse. After the court meeting, General Dan and others asked Zhang Kuang for his opinion. Zhang Kuang said, "I personally think that Prime Minister Shang is ruthless and unscrupulous, disregarding righteousness, and pulling strings from behind the scenes. He takes all the benefits for himself and uses underlings to harass people and consolidate his power, causing great suffering to the populace. Previously, a man named Geng Ding accused Prime Minister Shang, his father Fu Tong, and his sister of immoral conduct, including the murder of a male consort, possibly on Shang's orders. This matter was handed over to the relevant authorities, and Shang has harbored resentment towards Geng Ding ever since. Shang's son Jun wanted to accuse his father, but Jun's wife, who is General Dan's daughter, showed the letter to Dan, leading to a bitter family feud. Shang is disloyal and does not accept good advice to assist the emperor in governing the country. He deliberately keeps his distance from the emperor, leaving palace affairs to the empress dowager. When the empress dowager wanted Shang's daughter to enter the palace, Shang claimed his daughter was sick. Later, after the accusations made by Geng Ding, Shang brought Li Gui's daughter into his residence, engaging in corrupt practices that disrupted court affairs, even falsely accusing loyal officials, leading to the solar eclipse. The Book of Zhou states, 'Those who serve the ruler corruptly will be put to death.' The Book of Changes says, 'If it darkens at noon, then break his arm.' Previously, Prime Minister Zhou Bo had made significant contributions twice, but due to a minor grievance during Emperor Xiaowen's reign, a solar eclipse occurred, and Zhou Bo was sent back to his hometown without complaint. Unlike Zhou Bo, Shang had no such achievements to his name but has received favor for three generations, reaching the rank of San Gong, with his family members holding high positions. His influence permeated every level of government, from the highest officials to the guards at the palace gates, and he has formed alliances with feudal lords, wielding immense power. If there are internal conflicts, murders, or grudges, they should be thoroughly investigated. I heard that during the Qin Dynasty, Prime Minister Lü Buwei, seeing that the king had no sons, sought to dominate the state by arranging for a beautiful woman to become the king's wife, secretly ensuring she was pregnant before presenting her to the king, giving birth to the First Emperor. Similarly, in Chu, Lord Chunshen offered his pregnant wife to the king to bear a son. Since the establishment of the Han Dynasty, there have been troubles like Empress Dowager Lu and Huo Guang. Shang's ambition and treachery knew no bounds. During Emperor Xiaojing's reign, seven states rebelled, and General Zhou Yafu believed that capturing Jumeng in Luoyang would weaken the opponents in the east. Shang's family power is vast, with assets worth millions and thousands of slaves, far surpassing a mere Jumeng. Furthermore, his immorality has led to betrayal within his family, creating chaos, with father and son accusing each other. To entrust him with the stability of the nation is preposterous. After five years in office, Shang's misconduct has worsened, causing great suffering to the people and tarnishing the emperor's reputation, a situation as perilous as a shattered tripod, symbolizing the imminent collapse of the state. I believe the emperor, wise and martial, has not yet shown the power to punish the wicked since his reign, especially with no heir established yet. The disloyal must be purged to avert catastrophe.
As long as this person is taken out, the world will tremble, and all evil will vanish!
Second paragraph:
Zhang Kuang's words were really fired up, made perfect sense, and hit the nail on the head, laying out Shang's crimes and the dangers he posed, really clearly. He started with the signs of an eclipse, moved on to Shang's personal conduct, then his family's influence, and historical similar cases, and ended up saying that Shang must be eliminated to stabilize the world. He cleverly used the eclipse to link the accusations against Shang with divine will, boosting his persuasiveness. He not only exposed Shang's crimes but also predicted that if they didn't get rid of Shang, things would get way worse. It wasn't just about Shang; it was a warning about how rotten the government was. What guts and brains that guy had! He risked his neck to speak truth to power, a real hero. Only time would tell if anyone listened, and what happened next. It's a real cliffhanger, adding a bit of mystery to the story. In short, Zhang Kuang's words were a powerful moment in history, showing just how messed up things were and what it meant to be a true intellectual.
Wow, General Zuo submitted a memorial saying: "Shang, that guy, holds the position of the top three officials, with the title of Marquis, personally appointed by the Emperor to assist the country. However, he does not abide by the law, but instead flatters and seeks personal gain, even resorting to shady stuff to disrupt court affairs. He is disloyal to the Emperor, deceives the Emperor, and is clearly one of those criminals deserving of death as described in 'Fu Xing' (a classic text on legal punishment). We request that the Emperor send someone to summon Shang to the court prison." The Emperor originally valued Shang, knowing that Kuang Heng's words carried great risk, he said: "Forget it." But Feng (referring to Wang Feng) insisted on it, so the Emperor issued a decree to the Imperial Censor: "The Prime Minister is responsible for running the country. The responsibility is great! Now, Marquis of Lechang Shang has been Prime Minister for five years, and he never offered any sound advice. Instead, he has committed disloyalty and engaged in shady stuff, deserving of the death penalty. Previously, Shang's sister was a loose cannon, and the household servants even committed murder. There were suspicions that Shang was behind it, but because he was a senior official, they swept it under the rug. Now, there are reports that Shang not only does not repent, but also plays the blame game, which deeply troubles me. However, due to family ties to the late Emperor, I cannot bear to punish him. I'm pardoning Shang of his crimes and having the Prime Minister's seal and ribbon returned." Shang was relieved of his position for three days, fell ill, vomited blood, and died. He was posthumously named Marquis Li. Shang's son, brothers, relatives, those who held positions as Commandant of the Cavalry, palace officials, eunuchs, officials of various departments, and court officials were all transferred to remote areas to serve as officials; none remained in the palace to serve the Emperor. Some memorialists requested that Shang's crimes be looked into again and his fiefdom be revoked. The Emperor then issued a decree for Shang's eldest son An to inherit the title, becoming Marquis of Lechang, and he eventually became Commandant of Changle Guard and Palace Attendant.
After the death of Shang, there were solar eclipses and earthquakes for several years in a row. The loyal minister Wang Zhang submitted a memorial to the emperor, stating that Shang was innocent and that it was Wang Feng who had deceived the emperor with his power. As a result, Wang Feng had Wang Zhang legally punished. This incident is recorded in the "Biography of Yuan Hou." During the reign of Emperor Yuan Shi, Wang Mang became the Duke of Anhan and executed all those who did not obey him. Marquis of Lechang, An was also forced to death by Wang Mang on false charges, and his fiefdom was abolished.
Shi Dan, styled Junzhong, was from Shandong and later moved to Duling. His grandfather Shi Gong had a sister who became the Empress Dowager during the reign of Emperor Wu of Han and gave birth to the father of Emperor Xiaoxuan. In short, she was the grandmother of Emperor Xiaoxuan. When Emperor Xuan was young, he relied heavily on the Shi family for help, as recorded in the "Biography of Shi Liangdi." When Emperor Xuan became emperor, although Shi Gong had passed away, he left behind three sons: Shi Gao, Shi Zeng, and Shi Xuan. Shi Zeng and Shi Xuan were both enfeoffed as marquises due to their previous relationship with the royal family, with Shi Zeng as the Marquis of Jiangling and Shi Xuan as the Marquis of Pingtai. Shi Gao served as a high-ranking court official and was highly regarded by the emperor for his role in exposing Huo Guang's treason, leading to his enfeoffment as the Marquis of Leling. Later, when Emperor Xuan fell ill, he promoted Shi Gao to Grand Marshal and put him in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat. After Emperor Xuan's death, his son succeeded to the throne as Emperor Xiaoyuan. Shi Gao assisted the new emperor for five years before requesting retirement. The emperor rewarded him with chariots, horses, and gold, allowing him to retire. After his death, Shi Gao was posthumously created the Marquis of An.
Ever since Emperor Yuan was Crown Prince, Shi Dan had been serving by his side for more than ten years due to his father Shi Gao's influence. After Emperor Yuan ascended the throne, Shi Dan was appointed as the Commander of the Imperial Guards and concurrently as an attendant, and he could even travel in the imperial carriage, which showed that he was highly favored. The emperor viewed Shi Dan as a veteran official and a relative of the late emperor, trusting him greatly and even ordering him to protect the Crown Prince's family. At that time, Fu Zhaoyi's talented son, the Prince of Dingtao, was very favored by the emperor, but the Crown Prince was given to pleasure, while his mother, Empress Wang, had fallen out of favor.
During the Jianzhao period, Emperor Yuan fell ill and did not handle political affairs much, but he loved music. Sometimes, he would place drums and gongs on the steps of the palace hall, and the emperor himself would stand by the window, using small bronze balls to beat the drum with very precise rhythm. No one in the court, not even the emperor's most skilled musicians, could match his precision; only the Prince of Dingtao could, and the emperor praised him several times for his talent. Dan (Huo Guang) remarked, "Real talent comes from intelligence and hard work, a constant striving to learn and improve. That's the kind of talent the Crown Prince possesses. If drumming is the measure of a man's ability, then Chen Hui and Li Wei are better than Kuang Heng—they should be prime minister!" The emperor listened and offered a knowing smile.
Later, King Ai of Zhongshan passed away, and the crown prince went to pay his respects. King Ai of Zhongshan was the emperor's younger brother, and the crown prince had grown up studying with him since childhood. When the emperor saw the crown prince, he thought of King Ai of Zhongshan and couldn't control his sadness. The crown prince, however, showed no signs of grief when he approached the emperor. This made the emperor very angry, and he said, "You can't be heartless and expect to serve the ancestors and the people!" The emperor shifted the blame to Dan. Dan then took off his hat, apologized to the emperor, and said, "I did see Your Majesty very sad because of King Zhongshan's passing, even to the point of excessive sorrow. When the crown prince came to see you just now, I privately told him not to cry, so as not to make you more sad. The fault is all mine; I deserve to die!" The emperor felt that what he said made sense, and his anger subsided. Dan assisted the emperor as prime minister; that was typical of Dan's service.
In the first year of Jingning in the Han Dynasty, the emperor fell ill. Fu Zhaoyi and Prince Dingtao were always by the emperor's side, while the empress and the crown prince rarely saw him. The emperor's condition worsened, and he became increasingly anxious, constantly quizzing his ministers about the matter of Emperor Jing appointing Prince Jiaodong as his successor. At that time, Wang Feng, the crown prince's uncle and the Guard and Chamberlain, along with the empress and the crown prince, were beside themselves with worry and didn't know what to do. Because of his close relationship with the emperor, Shi Dan was able to attend to the emperor. Once, when the emperor was resting alone, Shi Dan walked directly into the emperor's bedroom, fell to his knees, and cried bitterly, saying, "The crown prince is the rightful heir. He's been the designated successor for over a decade. He has the full support of the people. But now, Prince Dingtao is favored, rumors are spreading outside, and everyone is worried about the crown prince's unstable position. If that happens, the court will revolt. They won't obey a word you say. Kill me first, to show them what happens!"
The emperor was always a kind man and could not bear to see Shi Dan cry like this. Moreover, Shi Dan's words were so sincere that the emperor was deeply moved. He sighed and remarked, "I feel weaker every day, and the crown prince and his two younger brothers are still young. I worry about them. How can I not be concerned? However, I have no intention of deposing the crown prince. Besides, the empress is cautious, and the late emperor loved the crown prince very much. How could I go against the late emperor's wishes? Captain of the Imperial Guards, where did you hear these words?" Shi Dan quickly stepped back and kowtowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I am unworthy and beg forgiveness!" The emperor finally accepted Shi Dan's explanation and said to him, "My illness is getting worse, and I may not be able to handle matters myself. You must assist the crown prince well and not go against my wishes!" Shi Dan stood up, visibly moved. Thus, the crown prince succeeded to the throne. After Emperor Yuan passed away, Emperor Cheng ascended to the throne and immediately promoted Shi Dan to be the Commandant of Changle Guards. Later, he was promoted to Right General, granted the title of Marquis of Guannei, given 300 households, appointed as an Imperial Censor, and then promoted to Left General and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. In the first year of Hongjia, the emperor issued a decree, stating, "It is a common practice to commend those who have merit and reward those who have performed well. General Shi Dan has guided me in loyalty and integrity, upheld justice, and displayed noble character in the past. He is specially titled as Marquis of Wuyang, with his fief in Wuqiangju, Tan County, Donghai Commandery, comprising eleven hundred households."
Everyone knew Stan—he was kind-hearted, tight with his brothers, and cared for the people. He seemed all laid-back and easygoing, but he was actually very meticulous, which is why the emperor trusted him. His brother inherited their father's title and became a marquis, but Stan gave all his share of the property to his brother. Stan himself inherited all of his father's estate and managed the country's taxes. With his previous achievements, the emperor kept him loaded with gold and silver. He had over a hundred servants at home and a whole harem of dozens of wives and concubines. He lived the high life, loved his booze, and enjoyed the finer things. After serving as a general for sixteen years, he fell ill during the Yongshi era and requested retirement. The emperor sent him a personal decree, granting him fifty pounds of gold bullion, a comfortable carriage with four horses, and returning his general's seal. He passed away a few months later, posthumously titled the Qing Marquis. He left behind twenty children, nine of his sons got cushy government jobs thanks to Dad, working in various departments close to the emperor. Four of his family became marquises, and there were a bunch more high-ranking officials until the Wang Mang era wiped them out, except for the Jiangling Marquis, whose line died out with him.
Fu Xi, courtesy name Zhiyou, was from Wen County in Henei and was the cousin of Empress Dowager Fu, grandmother of Emperor Ai. He loved learning from a young age and was very ambitious and principled. When Emperor Ai was the Crown Prince, Emperor Cheng chose Fu Xi for a position in the Crown Prince's household. Shortly after Emperor Ai ascended the throne, Fu Xi was appointed Commander of the Guards and later promoted to Right General. At that time, Wang Mang held the position of Grand Marshal and requested retirement to avoid the influence of the Emperor's relatives. After the Emperor agreed to Wang Mang's retirement, all eyes turned to Fu Xi. Fu Xi had a good relationship with his cousin, Marquis Kongxiang Yan, whose daughter was the Empress. Additionally, the Emperor's uncle, Marquis Yang'an Ding Ming, was also granted a marquisate due to his connection with the imperial family. However, Fu Xi was very modest and feigned illness to avoid the appointment. When Empress Dowager Fu started meddling in politics, Fu Xi kept advising her against it, so she finally shut him out. Consequently, the Emperor appointed Left General Shi Dan to replace Wang Mang as the Grand Marshal and rewarded Fu Xi with one hundred catties of gold and the seal of General, allowing him to recuperate as a retired official with full pay.
Grand Minister He Wu and Tang Lin, in a joint memorial to the throne, said: "Fu Xi is a paragon of integrity and loyalty, an indispensable pillar of the court. His illness forced his retirement, much to the people's dismay. The common folk believe he was unfairly sidelined by the Dowager Empress Dingtai due to political infighting. The court mourned the loss. Loyal ministers are the guardians of the country. Lu prospered under Ji You, Chu under Zi Yu, Wei under Xin Lingjun, and Xiang Yu owed his success to Fan Zeng. Therefore, Chu occupies the south with a million soldiers, and neighboring countries dare not provoke them, all because of General Zi Yu; even King Wen of Chu yielded his seat for him. After Zi Yu's death, both the ruler and the subjects were very sad. Clearly, a loyal minister is worth more than any army! The Qin dynasty famously undermined Lian Po, and the Han dynasty similarly sidelined Xiao He—powerful examples of the dangers of alienating loyal ministers. Fu Xi's official position in the court is related to Your Majesty's reputation and the rise and fall of the Fu family." The Emperor agreed. The following January, the Emperor appointed Shi Dan Grand Minister and elevated Fu Xi to Grand Marshal, creating him the Marquis of High Martial.
The Ding and Fu families lived lives of luxury and debauchery, both jealous of Fu Xi's hard work and frugality. Empress Dowager Fu wanted a higher title, equal in prestige to the Emperor Cheng's mother, but Fu Xi, along with Prime Minister Kong Guang and Grand Commandant Shi Dan, strongly opposed. The Empress Dowager was very angry; the Emperor had no choice but to first dismiss Shi Dan from his position, hoping Fu Xi would relent, but Fu Xi never compromised. Months later, the Emperor ordered the dismissal of Fu Xi, saying, "You've served me for three years with no notable accomplishments, yet the court is rife with corruption—you're to blame!" He then ordered him to surrender his seal of office and return to his hometown. The Empress Dowager issued a decree to the Prime Minister and the Imperial Censor, saying, "Marquis Gao Wu Fu Xi's title was undeserved, disloyal in heart, betraying the emperor and undermining his officials, conspiring with former Grand Commandant Shi Dan, tolerating corruption among his subordinates, thereby undermining court morale. Though his crimes might be overlooked, he is not worthy of serving in the court and should be sent back to his estate." Later, the Empress Dowager wanted to revoke Fu Xi's marquis title, but the Emperor did not agree this time.
Fu Xi lived in the capital for more than three years, following the death of Emperor Ai, Emperor Ping ascended the throne, and Wang Mang began to usurp power. Fu Xi was stripped of his marquisate and sent back to his hometown. He then moved his family to Hepu.
Wang Mang wrote to the Empress Dowager, saying, "The Marquis of Gao Wu, Fu Xi, is a decent, honest, and upright chap. Although he is related to the late Empress Dowager Ding Tao, he has never brown-nosed to Wang Mang and has always upheld his integrity, which is why he was sent back to his hometown. As the old saying goes, 'You only really know who's tough when the going gets rough.' Now we should let him return to Chang'an!" Therefore, Wang Mang ordered the restoration of Fu Xi's title as Marquis of Gao An, granted him a special official position, and allowed him to serve in the court. Although it seemed like a reward on the surface, Fu Xi felt lonely and scared. Later, he was sent back to his hometown and eventually died peacefully. Wang Mang posthumously honored him as the Marquis of Zhen. His descendants, after Wang Mang's failure, also died out.
The article concludes by saying: During the reigns of Emperors Xuan, Yuan, Cheng, and Ai, the power of the empresses' families flourished, with families like Xu, Shi, San Wang, Ding, and Fu being made marquises and generals, enjoying wealth and glory. We saw how high they climbed, but not what they were really like. The family of Prince Yang produced many talents, enjoyed associating with scholars, and had particularly strong influence and wealth for a long time. However, in the end, they also contributed to the downfall of the country because of Wang Mang. Wang Shang was a man of integrity, and he died of a broken heart after being dismissed from office, which was not his fault. Shi Dan and his son successively held high positions, known for their integrity, and reached the highest ranks of government. Shi Dan assisted the emperor, covered his bases, played to his strengths, and knew how to butter up the emperor, surpassing even old Confucian scholars. He could enter and leave the court, approach the emperor with sincerity, risk the emperor's wrath, advise the emperor several times, change major decisions, and ultimately helped the crown prince take the throne and calmed the Empress Dowager. Although he was silent, he eventually got his due. Fu Xi stayed true to himself, never letting power get to his head, and received the posthumous honor of "integrity." During the reigns of Emperors Ai and Ping, things changed so fast, it was crazy!
