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Written by: Realhistories

Category: The Book of Han (漢書)

Published: 30 November 2024

Created: 30 November 2024

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Emperor Gaozu had eight sons: Empress Lü gave birth to Emperor Xiaohui; Lady Cáo gave birth to Prince Qi Daohui Liu Fei; Lady Bó gave birth to Emperor Xiaowen; Lady Qí gave birth to Prince Zhao Yin Liu Ruyi; Lady Zhào gave birth to Prince Li of Huainan Liu Chang; other concubines gave birth to Prince Zhao You Liu You, Prince Zhao Gong Liu Hui, and Prince Yanling Liu Jian. The deeds of Prince Li of Huainan Liu Chang are recorded separately. Prince Qi Daohui Liu Fei was born to a concubine whom Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang married when he was still a commoner. Six years after Liu Bang proclaimed himself emperor, he conferred the title of Prince of Qi on him and gave him over seventy cities. He ruled everyone in Qi. In the second year of Emperor Xiaohui, Liu Fei came to court. The Emperor and Liu Fei were drinking with the Empress Dowager, and the Emperor even put Liu Fei in the seat of honor, treating him like family. Empress Dowager Lü was very angry, so she had two cups of poisoned wine prepared in front of Liu Fei and asked him to offer a toast. When Liu Fei stood up, the Emperor also stood up, wanting to toast together. Empress Dowager Lü panicked and snatched the cups away. Liu Fei found it strange and dared not drink, so he pretended to be drunk and left. Later, he learned that it was poisoned wine and became afraid, thinking he couldn’t escape from Chang'an. A man named Neishi Shi said, "The Empress Dowager only loves the Emperor and Princess Lu Yuan. Now, Your Highness, you have over seventy cities, while the princess only has a few. If you give the Empress Dowager a county, she'll be happy to grant the princess a larger Tangmu Yi (a type of privileged fief)." So Liu Fei gave up Chengyang County to the Empress Dowager, who then honored the princess as Queen Dowager. Empress Dowager Lü was very pleased and agreed. Then there was a huge party at Liu Fei's place, and after they'd all had their fill, they sent him back to Qi. Thirteen years later, Prince Qi died, and his son Liu Xiang took over.

Prince Liu Ruyi, the King Zhao Yin, reigned for nine years. Four years later, after the death of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, Empress Dowager Lü summoned King Zhao to Chang'an and poisoned him. He left no sons, and that branch of the family died out.

King Zhao You reigned for eleven years and was titled King of Huaiyang. After the death of King Zhao Yin, in the first year of Emperor Xiaohui, Zhao You was relocated back to Zhao State and reigned as king for a total of fourteen years. King Zhao You married a woman from the Lü family as his queen, but he did not like her and instead favored other concubines. Enraged, Queen Lü ran to the Empress Dowager to complain, saying, "The king said, 'How dare the Lü family be queen? Once the old woman's gone, I'll wipe them out!'" The Empress Dowager, upon hearing this, became furious and summoned King Zhao. Once in Chang'an, King Zhao was confined to his residence, cut off from everyone, guarded by Wei soldiers who starved him. Some ministers who secretly tried to send him food were caught and punished. Starving, King Zhao began to sing a song: "The Lüs run the show, the Lius are done for; they bully the princes, forced me to wed that bitch. My jealous concubine framed me, spreading lies that poisoned the Emperor's ear. I've got no loyal men, so why am I dethroned? I'll kill myself in the wilds, and Heaven, grant me justice! Oh, what's the use of regret? I should've died sooner! A king starved to death—who'll mourn for me? The Lüs' crimes are mountains high, may Heaven avenge me!" And then, King Zhao died of starvation. He was given a pauper's burial in Chang'an.

After the death of the Empress Dowager, Emperor Xiao Wen ascended the throne and made Zhao Sui, the son of King Zhao You, the King of Zhao. Two years later, court officials suggested making the princes kings of the vassal states. Emperor Xiao Wen said, "King Zhao You starved to death, and I feel for him. I have already made his eldest son Zhao Sui the King of Zhao. Zhao Sui's younger brother, Bi Qiang, as well as the sons of Marquis Zhu of Daohui and Marquis Xingju of Dongmu, have all made contributions and can be appointed as kings." Therefore, Bi Qiang was appointed as the King in the Hejian region of Zhao, who became known as King Wen of Hejian. King Wen of Hejian reigned for thirteen years before his son, King Ai Fu, succeeded him. King Ai Fu reigned only a year before dying without an heir, thus ending the state of Hejian.

King Zhao Sui reigned for twenty-six years until the reign of Emperor Xiao Jing. Chao Cuo suggested reducing Zhao's Changshan Commandery, which infuriated the other vassal states. Wu and Chu rebelled, and King Zhao Sui joined their rebellion, planning a joint revolt. His Prime Minister Jian De and Minister Wang Han advised him against it, but he did not listen and had them killed. King Zhao Sui then led troops to attack the western border of the Han Dynasty, hoping for support from Wu, Chu, and the Xiongnu. The Han Dynasty sent Marquis Li Ji of Quzhou to attack him, and King Zhao Sui defended Handan for seven months. Wu and Chu were defeated, and upon hearing this, the Xiongnu refused to invade further. After Luan Bu pacified the state of Qi, he led troops to attack Zhao, flooding the city. The city fell, and King Zhao Sui killed himself, ending the state of Zhao. Emperor Jing sympathized with the Prime Minister and Minister of Zhao for sacrificing themselves for the country, so he made their sons marquises.

Zhao Hui was King of Liang for eleven years. Later, the King of Liang, Peng Yue, was killed, and Zhao Hui was then established as King of Liang. Sixteen years later, Zhao You died, and Empress Lü recalled Zhao Hui to be King of Zhao, but he was not happy about it. This was because Empress Lü married her daughter to Zhao Hui as the Queen, and the Queen, along with her entire Lu family retinue, ran the Zhao palace, constantly undermining him. Zhao Hui had a favorite concubine, who was ultimately poisoned to death by the Queen. So Zhao Hui wrote four poems about it and had them sung by his musicians. Driven to despair, Zhao Hui killed himself in June. When Empress Lü heard about this, she figured he'd offed himself over a woman and lacked the devotion to properly serve his ancestors, so she deposed his son from inheriting the throne.

Yan Ling Jian was King of Yan for eleven years. Yan King Lu Wan fled to the Xiongnu. The following year, Yan Ling Jian was established as King of Yan. Fifteen years later, Yan Ling Jian died. He had a son with a beautiful concubine, and Empress Lü had the boy killed, extinguishing the Yan line.

As for King Dao Hui of Qi—he had nine sons who became kings: his eldest son Xiang became King Ai of Qi, the second son Zhang became King Jing of Chengyang, Xingju became King Jibei, Jianglu became King Qi, Zhi became King Jibei, Biguang became King Jinan, Xian became King Zichuan, Yang became King Jiaoxi, and Xiongqu became King Jiaodong.

King Xiang of Qi ascended the throne in the sixth year of Emperor Xiaohui's reign. In the second year, Emperor Hui died, and Empress Lü seized power. In the first year, she appointed her nephew, Lü Tai (Marquis of Fu), as King Lü and gave him Qi's Jinan County as his fief. In the second year, King Ai of Qi's brother, Zhang, served as a guard in Chang'an, and Empress Lü appointed him as Marquis of Zhuxu and married him off to Lü Lu's daughter. Four years later, Zhang's brother, Xingju, was appointed as Marquis of Dongmou, and both brothers served as guards in Chang'an. In the seventh year of Empress Lü's reign, she separated Qi's Langye County and appointed Liu Ze (Marquis of Yingling) as King of Langye. That year, Prince You of Zhao also died in the palace. She deposed all three Zhao princes, while Empress Lü appointed three members of the Lü family as kings, who usurped power and ran the court into the ground.

At the age of twenty, Marquis of Zhuxu, Zhang Ao, was young and strong, feeling resentful that the Liu family hadn't given him a better position. Once, he went to serve wine to Empress Lü, who appointed him as the wine official. Zhang Ao volunteered, saying, "Madam, I come from a family of military generals. Can I run this banquet like a military operation?" Empress Lü agreed. Once the wine was flowing, Zhang Ao arranged for singing and dancing performances. After a while, he said, "Let me tell you about farming." Empress Lü's sons found it amusing and said, "All you know is your old man's farming. Like you'd know anything about farming if you were born a prince!" Zhang Ao replied, "I do know." Empress Lü became interested and asked him to explain the principles of farming. Zhang Ao said, "You gotta plow deep and plant carefully. Thin out the weak seedlings, get rid of the bad ones." Empress Lü listened quietly.

After a while, a member of the Lv family got drunk and sneaked off. Zhang Ao caught up with him, drew his sword and killed him. When he returned, he reported, "A drunk guy ran off, so I took care of him according to military law." Empress Lv's people freaked out. However, Empress Lv had already promised to let him handle things according to military law, so she couldn't punish him. The party broke up. Since then, the Lv family were terrified of Zhang Ao; even the court ministers listened to Marquis Zhu Xu. The Liu family's power grew as a result.

The following year, Empress Lv died. Prince Zhao, Lv Lu, became the supreme commander, and Prince Lv Chan became the Prime Minister. They both lived in Chang'an, amassing troops to scare the ministers and plotting a coup. Zhang Ao married Lv Lu's daughter. Knowing what the Lv family were up to, he secretly sent someone to inform his brother, Prince Qi, to attack from the west, while Marquis Zhu Xu and Dong Mou would work with the Chang'an ministers to wipe out the Lv family and then put Prince Qi on the throne.

Upon hearing this plan, Prince Qi secretly told his uncle Si Jun, Chief Secretary Zhu Wu, and Commandant Wei Bo about the plan to mobilize troops. Qi's Prime Minister, Shao Ping, heard about this and immediately led troops to the palace to protect Prince Qi. Wei Bo told Shao Ping, "The prince wants to raise an army, but he hasn't got the Han Dynasty's tiger seal. You're right to have him surrounded! Let me protect him!" Shao Ping believed his words and appointed Wei Bo as the general. But then Wei Bo turned around and surrounded the Prime Minister's mansion! Shao Ping sighed and said, "'A stitch in time saves nine,' or something like that." After speaking, he committed suicide.

King Qi acted swiftly, appointing Sijun as Chancellor, Wei Bo as General, and Zhu Wu as Chief Secretary, mustering the entire national army. He then sent Zhu Wu to tell King Langye: "The Lv clan's revolted, and your cousin's marching west to crush 'em. He's a bit green, never seen a battle, so he's putting everything in your capable hands. You're a veteran of the old Emperor Gaozu's army, right? He can't leave the front lines, so he sent me to fetch you to Linzi for a pow-wow, and bring your troops along to settle this Guanzhong mess." King Langye bought it hook, line, and sinker and hurried to see King Qi. King Qi and Wei Bo seized King Langye and then had Zhu Wu bring all the troops of Langye to Qi as well. King Langye Liu Ze was deceived and unable to return to his country, so he said to King Qi: "King Daohui of Qi is the Emperor's eldest son, making you his grandson and the rightful heir. The court's in a muddle, and as the senior Liu, everyone's waiting for your call. Holding me here won't solve anything; let me go to the capital and sort this out." King Qi thought it made sense, so he made lavish preparations to send King Langye off in style.

After the King of Langya left, the Qi Kingdom sent troops to attack Lǔ-controlled Jinan. Then the King of Qi wrote letters to the other kings, saying, "After Emperor Gaozu pacified the world, he enfeoffed the princes and relatives. After King Daohui's death, Emperor Hui sent Marquis Zhang Liang to appoint me as the King of Qi. After Emperor Hui died, Empress Lǔ seized power. She was old and listened to the slander of the Lǔ family, arbitrarily deposing the emperor, killing three Zhao kings, wiping out the kingdoms of Liang, Zhao, and Yan, enfeoffing these areas to the Lǔ family, and dividing the Qi Kingdom into four parts. She ignored the loyal ministers' advice. Now that Empress Lǔ has died, the young emperor is incapable of ruling and relies entirely on his ministers and the other kings. The Lǔ family has arbitrarily promoted officials, gathered troops, and intimidated everyone with displays of power, holding court officials hostage and using force to control the realm, threatening the very foundations of the Han. I'm attacking to remove the usurpers."

After the Han Dynasty heard about this, Prime Minister Lǔ Chǎn et al. sent General Yingyin Hou Guanying to lead the troops against the Qi Kingdom. Upon reaching Xīngyáng, Guānyīng strategized, saying, "The Lǔ family raised an army in Guanzhong, wanting to endanger the rule of the Liu family and make themselves emperor. If we defeat the Qi Kingdom now and report back, wouldn't that just empower the Lǔs?" So he left the army stationed in Yingyang, sent people to inform the King of Qi and the other kings to unite with them, waiting for the Lǔs to implode before striking. When the King of Qi heard this news, he stationed his troops on the western border, waiting for the agreed-upon signal.

Lu Lu and Lu Chan wanted to rebel, but Marquis Zhuxu Hou Zhang and Grand Commandant Bo, along with the Prime Minister and others, executed them together. Zhang was the first to kill Lu Chan, and then Grand Commandant Bo and the others killed all the Lǔ family members. The King of Langya hurried to Cháng'ān.

The ministers debated making King Qi emperor, but everyone said, "The Lü family of King Qi's mother is fierce and brutal, like a tiger in tiger's clothing. Thanks to the Lü family, the whole country almost went to pot. Now they want to proclaim King Qi as emperor; wouldn't that just put the Lü family back in power? The mother’s family of King Dai, the Bo family, are all honorable elders, and King Dai is the son of the founder, still alive and the oldest. Proclaiming him as emperor is in line with the order of succession and will keep the court happy." So the ministers planned to welcome King Dai and sent Marquis Zhu Xuhou Zhang to inform King Qi to withdraw his troops.

Guan Ying heard in Xingyang that Wei Bo had egged King Qi on to rebel. After the Lü family was executed, the army of Qi was also disbanded. Guan Ying sent someone to summon Wei Bo and gave him the third degree. Wei Bo said, "My house is on fire! I don't have time to be polite!" After speaking, he stepped back, his legs were shaking so bad he could barely speak. General Guan Ying carefully examined him and said with a smile, "They say Wei Bo's brave, but he's just a nobody. What's he gonna do?" So he let Wei Bo go. Wei Bo's father was skilled at playing the zither and had performed in front of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. When Wei Bo was young, he wanted to meet Prime Minister Cao Can, but his family was poor and he had no way to approach Cao Can. So every morning, he'd sweep the courtyard outside the Prime Minister's place. The manservant found it strange and observed him, then called him over. Wei Bo said, "I want to see the Prime Minister, but I have no connections, so I help you clean the courtyard in the hope of seeing him." So the manservant took Wei Bo to see Cao Can, who kept him by his side as a manservant. Later, because Wei Bo was efficient, Cao Can recommended him to King Dao Hui. King Dao Hui summoned him and appointed him as an official. Under King Dao Hui, he started appointing high-ranking officials.

After the death of King Hui, King Ai became king, and Wei Bo was more powerful than Qi's prime minister. After the withdrawal of the Qi King's army, the King of Dai became king, who was Emperor Xiao Wen of Han. In the first year of Emperor Xiao Wen's reign, the three counties of Chengyang, Langye, and Jinan—taken from Qi under Empress Dowager Gao—were given back to Qi, and the King of Langye got moved to Yan. At the same time, the fiefdoms of Zhu Xuhou and Dong Mouhou were increased by two thousand households each, and they were rewarded with one thousand catties of gold. That year, King Ai of Qi died, and his son, King Wen, became king. King Wen died after fourteen years on the throne, leaving no heir, so the kingdom of Qi was done for.

In the second year of Emperor Xiao Wen's reign, King Jing of Chengyang, along with Zhu Xuhou and Dong Mouhou, became kings, and he died two years later. His son, King Gong, took over and was moved to Huainan in the twelfth year of Emperor Xiao Wen's reign. Five years later, he returned to Chengyang. He ruled for 33 years before dying. His son, King Qing, then reigned for 26 years before he died. King Qing's son, King Jing, took over but only ruled for nine years before he died. His son, King Wu, succeeded him and passed on after 11 years. King Wu's son, King Shun, then ruled for 46 years before he died. His son, King Hui, took over and died after eight years. King Hui's son, King Jing, succeeded him but passed away after 24 years. His son, King Yun, became king and died after one year with no sons, and that was the end of Chengyang. Then Emperor Cheng made Yun's brother, Li, the new King of Chengyang, and during the reign of Wang Mang, the Chengyang Kingdom was ultimately destroyed.

King Xingju of Jibei initially helped in the enthronement of Emperor Wen at the Dai Mansion and, along with the ministers, supported Emperor Wen. He said, "I did not contribute much to the extermination of the Lu clan. Please allow me to enter the palace with the Grand Tutor Teng." So he got the kid emperor out and brought Emperor Wen in.

When the Lü clan was exterminated, Marquis Zhang of Zhuxu made the greatest contribution. The ministers all promised to grant the land of Zhao to Marquis Zhang of Zhuxu and the land of Liang to Marquis Xingju of Dongmou. However, after Emperor Wen ascended the throne, he heard that Marquis Zhang and Marquis Xingju had initially wanted to support the King of Qi, so he downgraded their rewards. Two years later, Emperor Wen divided the vassal states among his sons, granting the two counties of Qi to Zhang and Xingju as kings. Both Zhang and Xingju felt that they had lost their honors due to negligence and were very dissatisfied. More than a year later, Zhang died. Coincidentally, the Xiongnu launched a major invasion of the border. The Han Dynasty sent out many armies to fight, and Prime Minister Guan Ying led the army to resist. Emperor Wen personally went to Taiyuan to oversee the battle.

Seeing the emperor himself heading to battle against the Xiongnu, Xingju decided to rebel. When Emperor Wen heard about it, he immediately stopped the military action against the Xiongnu, returned to Chang'an, and sent General Chai from the Marquis of Jipu to suppress the rebellion. As a result, the King of Jibei was defeated and took his own life, and his kingdom was abolished.

Emperor Wen felt sorry for the King of Jibei, who'd rebelled and then killed himself. The following year, he ennobled the seven sons of King Dao Hui and some meritorious generals as marquises to show his consolation. By the fifteenth year of Emperor Wen's reign, King Wen of Qi died without a son. At that time, the son of King Dao Hui, the Prince of Chengyang, was still alive. Emperor Wen felt sorry for the lack of successors of King Dao Hui and divided Qi into six small states, elevating the six sons of King Dao Hui, who had been ennobled as marquises, to kings:

- Yangxu Marquis Lu You became King Xiaowen of Qi

- An Du Marquis Zhiyou became King Zhi of Jibei

- Wucheng Marquis Xian became King Xian of Zichuan

- Baishi Marquis Quyu became King Xiongqu of Jiaodong

- Pingchang Marquis Yang became King Yang of Jiaoxi

- E Marquis Pei became King Piguang of Jinan

In the sixteenth year of Emperor Wen's reign, these six kings were all officially crowned.

The year is 144 BC. The Han Empire is rocked by rebellion. During the third year of Emperor Jing of Han, seven states in Wu and Chu rebelled. The rebel lords of Jiaodong, Jiaoxi, Yichuan, and Jinan all responded by sending troops to support Wu and Chu. These rebel lords tried to persuade the Qi kingdom to join the uprising, but King Xiaowang of Qi hesitated and kept the city gates closed, completely ignoring them. As a result, the combined rebel forces surrounded the Qi kingdom on all sides. King Qi quickly sent a special envoy to urgently inform the emperor.

The emperor then instructed this envoy to tell King Qi to hold on, as the Han army had already defeated Wu and Chu! When the envoy arrived in Qi, he saw that the city of Linzi was completely boxed in by the rebel armies, with no way to enter! The leaders of these rebel lords threatened the envoy, saying, "If you dare to go back and tell King Qi that the Han army has defeated Wu and Chu, and if Qi surrenders to us, we will massacre the city!" The envoy had no choice but to go along with it. When he arrived at the city gates and saw King Qi from afar, he shouted, "A million-strong Han army, led by Grand Commandant Zhou Yafu, has smashed Wu and Chu! They're on their way to save you! Hold fast, Your Majesty! Don't surrender!" Upon hearing this, the rebel leaders nearly had the envoy's hide!

The state of Qi was initially in a desperate situation, secretly plotting with several vassal states to surrender. However, when the envoy from the Han Dynasty returned, the ministers of Qi advised the king not to surrender. Then, the generals Luan Bu and Pingyang Hou of the Han army arrived in Qi and defeated the armies of the vassal kings, rescuing Qi. Later, Emperor Jing of Han learned about Qi's collusion with the vassal states and planned to send troops to attack Qi. King Xiao of Qi was so scared that he topped himself by drinking poison. The Kings of Jiaodong, Jiaoxi, Jinnan, and Zichuan were all executed, and their kingdoms were abolished; only the King of Jibei was spared.

After King Xiao of Qi killed himself, Emperor Jing of Han learned of the situation and believed that King Xiao was forced to rebel out of helplessness, so he didn't blame him. Emperor Jing ordered the son of King Xiao, Shou, to be crowned as king, known as King Yi of Qi. After ruling for twenty-three years, King Yi passed away, and his son, King Li Chang, succeeded him. King Yi's mother was Dowager Ji. Dowager Ji arranged for her sister to marry King Li Chang as the queen, but King Li Chang didn't like her. Dowager Ji wanted to elevate her family's status, so she had her eldest daughter, Princess Ji, enter the palace to manage the harem, keeping others away from King Li Chang in hopes that he would favor her sister. But King Li Chang ended up sleeping with his sister, Princess Ji.

There was a eunuch named Xu Jia who served in front of the Empress Dowager of the Han Dynasty. The Empress Dowager had a favorite daughter, Xiu Chengjun, who wasn't a Liu, but the Empress Dowager adored her. Xiu Chengjun had a daughter, and the Empress Dowager wanted to marry her off to one of the vassal kings of Qi. Xu Jia volunteered to go to Qi, promising to make sure the king would request to marry the princess. The Empress Dowager was thrilled and sent Xu Jia off to Qi.

There was a minister named Zhu Fu Yan at the time, who knew that Xu Jia went to the State of Qi for this marriage. So he took the opportunity to say to Xu Jia, "If it really happens, help me tell the King of Qi that my daughter wants to enter the palace as a royal consort." When Xu Jia arrived in the State of Qi, he spread it around. The Qi Queen Mother blew a gasket when she heard that, saying, "Our King of Qi already has a queen, and the royal family is large and prosperous. Why do we need more people? Xu Jia? He was just a poor Qi peasant who only got into the Han palace by becoming a eunuch. He has no accomplishments whatsoever! And he dares to interfere in our royal family's affairs?! What about that Zhu Fu Yan? How dare he try to send his daughter into the palace as a royal consort!" Xu Jia was dumbfounded and slunk back to the Queen Mother to report, saying, "The King of Qi is willing to marry the princess, but there are risks involved; it might end up like the King of Yan." King Yan got himself killed messing around with his sons and brothers. Xu Jia used the story of King Yan to scare the Queen Mother. Upon hearing this, the Queen Mother directly said, "Forget about this marriage!" This incident later reached the ears of the Emperor. As a result, Zhu Fu Yan and the State of Qi were now sworn enemies.

Zhu Fu Yan was riding high at the time and said to the emperor, "The population of Linzi City in the Qi State is one hundred thousand, raking in over a thousand gold a year in market taxes. The population is numerous, and the wealth exceeds that of Chang'an. Unless you were the emperor's brother or a favorite son, you didn't stand a chance of becoming King of Qi. Now, the relationship between the Qi King and the royal family is becoming more and more distant." Then he casually dropped the fact that there had been a rebellion in the Qi State during the time of Empress Lu, as well as how King Xiaowen of Qi almost participated in the rebellion during the chaos of the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu. Now, he heard that the Qi King was sleeping with his own sister! So Emperor Wu appointed Zhu Fu Yan as the Prime Minister of Qi and sent him to investigate the matter. Zhu Fu Yan immediately launched a probe into the king's harem and found evidence that some eunuchs were helping the Qi King and his sister, Princess Weng, have an affair; all fingers pointed at the king. Terrified of arrest and execution, the young king poisoned himself.

At this point, Prince Zhao feared Zhu Fu Yan would go after other kingdoms, weakening the royal family's power. So he accused Zhu Fu Yan of bribery and a whole host of other crimes. The emperor then had Zhu Fu Yan arrested. Gongsun Hong said, "The king's death left a power vacuum and a lot of angry people. If we don't execute Zhu Fu Yan, the unrest will continue." So Zhu Fu Yan was executed. Five years later, King Li abolished the kingdom of Qi.

Prince Liu Zhi of Jibei was involved in the Wu-Chu Seven States Rebellion. However, he refused to send troops, so he was not killed; instead, he was relocated to Zichuan and made king there. Under Emperor Wu, the Kingdom of Qi was abolished. After King Daohui's death, only Chengyang and Zichuan remained. Zichuan bordered the former Kingdom of Qi. Emperor Wu was building King Daohui's mausoleum in the former Qi territory. He took land east of Linzi and allocated it to Zichuan, including the surrounding towns, which remain sites of sacrificial rites.

After being the king for thirty-five years, Liu Zhidang, who died, was known as King Yi of Zichuan. His son, Prince Jing Liu Jian, inherited the throne and ruled for twenty years before his death. Prince Jing's son, Prince Qing Liu Yi, inherited the throne and ruled for thirty-five years before his death. Prince Qing's son, Prince Si Liu Zhonggu, inherited the throne. During the Wufeng era, the governor of Qingzhou reported that Liu Zhonggu let his male favorites, eight sons, and other palace maids engage in debauchery. Sometimes Liu Zhonggu participated; other times, he let them hide during the day and engage in secret activities like beasts, watching personally. When children were born, Liu Zhonggu would say, "Get rid of the brats." This matter was reported to the prime minister and the censor, who wrote to the emperor, "Liu Zhonggu, a prince whose eight sons have been granted titles and stipends of 600 shi to ensure the continuation of his lineage, has engaged in this appalling behavior, bringing disgrace to the throne and violating all decency. We request his arrest." The emperor decreed, "He was stripped of four counties." Twenty-eight years later, Liu Zhonggu died. His son, Prince Kao Liu Shang, inherited the throne and ruled for five years before his death. Prince Kao's son, Prince Xiao Liu Heng, inherited the throne and ruled for thirty-one years before his death. Prince Xiao's son, Prince Huai Liu Jiao, inherited the throne and ruled for six years before his death. Prince Huai's son, Liu Yong, inherited the throne, and during the time of Wang Mang's usurpation, the state of Zichuan was destroyed.

During the reign of King Hui of Qi, Qi was the largest kingdom among the vassal states. The world had just been pacified, and the Han Dynasty had few imperial heirs. Having angered the state of Qin, it found itself isolated and without support. Therefore, the Han Dynasty widely enfeoffed its own relatives as vassal kings to consolidate its rule. At that time, these kingdoms could appoint and dismiss officials below the rank of Grand Master of Ceremonies, much like the central government of the Han, which only had the position of Prime Minister. After the suppression of the rebellion by the Seven Kingdoms of Wu and Chu, the Han Dynasty gradually weakened the power of the vassal states, installing numerous officials to monitor and control them. Eventually, the kingdoms could only enjoy their income from taxes and the land, and the less wealthy princes relied on ox carts for travel.

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Written by: Realhistories

Category: The Book of Han (漢書)

Published: 30 November 2024

Created: 30 November 2024

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Ji Bu, a Chu guy, was known for being righteous and generous. Xiang Yu sent him to lead troops in battle, and a few times, he really gave Liu Bang a run for his money. After Xiang Yu's death, Liu Bang offered a reward of one thousand gold to capture Ji Bu, threatening to exterminate anyone who dared to hide him. Ji Bu hid in the home of the Zhou family in Puyang. Zhou said, "The Han's hot on his trail, and they'll be here any minute. Listen to me, I've got a plan; if you don't like it, I'll just off myself." Ji Bu agreed. So, Zhou had Ji Bu's head shaved, put shackles on him, dressed him in coarse clothes, put him on an old ox cart, and sent him with dozens of servants from the Zhou family to the Zhu family in Lu to be sold. The Zhus knew who he was right away, bought him up, and even set him up with a place and some land. Later, Ji Bu went to Luoyang to meet Teng Gong, the Marquis of Ruyin, and said to him, "What did I ever do? We were just soldiers following orders. Are they going to kill every single one of Xiang Yu's men? Now that he's king of the whole country, is it really worth it to go after one guy because of some old grudge? Besides, Ji Bu's a smart guy. Why are they so desperate to get him? If they let him run off to the Xiongnu or Yue, it'll be like Wu Zixu getting revenge on Jing Ping's grave – a big mistake! Why don't you find an opportunity to plead with the emperor?" Teng Gong knew the Zhus were a bunch of good guys, so he figured Ji Bu was with them, and agreed to help. Some time later, Teng Gong did indeed plead with the emperor as the Zhu family had suggested. The Emperor let Ji Bu off the hook. Everyone said Ji Bu was a real survivor, and the Zhus became famous too. After the Emperor called him in, Ji Bu said thanks and got a job as a Langzhong.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaohui, Jibu was appointed as a junior general. The Xiongnu Chanyu once wrote Empress Dowager Lü a deeply insulting letter, causing her great anger. She summoned the generals to discuss countermeasures. The General-in-Chief Fan Kuai said, "I am willing to lead a hundred thousand troops to crush the Xiongnu!" The other generals agreed with what the Empress Dowager wanted, thinking that Fan Kuai was right. However, Jibu said, "Fan Kuai should be executed! When Emperor Gaozu led over three hundred thousand troops, they were all trapped in Pingcheng, and Fan Kuai was among them. Now Fan Kuai actually claims he can lead a hundred thousand troops to wipe out the Xiongnu, which is utter rubbish! Furthermore, it was the Qin Dynasty's war with the Xiongnu that led to the uprising of Chen Sheng and Wu Guang. The country has just recovered, and Fan Kuai is flattering to provoke war, which is stirring things up!" At that time, the whole court was terrified, and Empress Dowager Lü called off the court session, and that was the end of any talk about attacking the Xiongnu.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaowen, someone praised Jibu for his talent, so the emperor summoned him, wanting him to serve as the Minister of Justice. However, others said he was a bit of a hothead when he'd had a few drinks. After Jibu arrived, he stayed in the guesthouse for a month and was sent back. Jibu then went to the palace and said to the emperor, "I was an official in Hedong; Your Majesty had no reason to summon me. There must be someone badmouthing me in front of Your Majesty. Now that I'm here, and nothing happened, and I'm asked to leave, that person must be spreading rumors about me behind my back. Your Majesty summoned me because one person praised me, and let me go because another person slandered me. I'm afraid that people will think you're easily swayed because of this." The emperor fell silent for a while, feeling ashamed, and said, "Hedong's a key province for me, that's why I specially summoned you." Only then was Jibu arranged to stay.

Cao Qiusheng, a master of rhetoric, often uses his power to cultivate relationships with the wealthy and influential, like Zhao Tan, and has a very good rapport with Dou Changjun. Hearing this, Jibu wrote to Dou Changjun, warning him, "Cao Qiusheng's no good; steer clear of him." When Cao Qiusheng returned, he was determined to deliver the letter in person. Dou Changjun said, "General Ji doesn't like you, so don't go." However, Cao Qiusheng insisted and went anyway. He first sent someone to deliver the letter, and Jibu, enraged, awaited Cao Qiusheng's arrival. When Cao Qiusheng arrived, he bowed to Jibu and said, "'A hundred taels of gold ain't worth a promise from Jibu,' they say in Chu. Why do you have such a good reputation between Liang and Chu? Besides, we're both Chu men. Let me spread your good name around Yangzhou – what do you say? Why the cold shoulder?" Delighted, Jibu invited him in, keeping him for months as an honored guest and showering him with gifts. Cao Qiusheng's tireless promotion skyrocketed Jibu's reputation.

Jibu's brother, Ji Xin, was a legend throughout Guanzhong. Respectful and cautious though he was, he was a true knight errant, with influence reaching thousands of miles. Men would walk through fire for him. He once killed someone and fled to Wu territory, hiding at Yuan Si's house, where he worked for a long time and had followers like Guanfu and Jifu. He'd been a Middle Sima, and even the dreaded Zhifu wouldn't touch him. At that time, Ji Xin was known for his courage, Jibu for his honor – their names echoed throughout Guanzhong.

Ji Bu's sworn brother Ding Gong, a general under Xiang Yu, once trapped Liu Bang in Pengcheng. In a desperate situation, Liu Bang turned to Ding Gong and said, "Hey, why are two smart guys fighting each other?" Ding Gong then called a retreat. After Xiang Yu was defeated, Ding Gong went to see Liu Bang, who publicly announced in the army, "Ding Gong, as one of Xiang Yu's men, was disloyal and brought about Xiang Yu's downfall!" He then had Ding Gong killed, saying, "Let this be a lesson to any future underlings!"

Luan Bu, a native of Liang State, once hung out with Peng Yue when they were both poor, working together in Qi State as bouncers at a bar. Years later, they separated, and Luan Bu was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Yan State. Later, Luan Bu avenged his former master, and Zang Tu, a Yan general, took notice of his abilities and made him a captain. When Zang Tu rebelled and Han attacked Yan, Luan Bu was captured. Hearing of this, Liang Prince Peng Yue begged Han Emperor Liu Bang to ransom Luan Bu back, appointing him as an official of Liang State. Before he could return from his mission to Qi State, Liu Bang accused him of treason and wiped out his whole family, putting his head on display in Luoyang, and anyone who even looked at it was arrested. Upon his return, Luan Bu cried at Peng Yue's grave. This incident was reported to the emperor by officials.

The emperor summoned Luan Bu and scolded him: "Were you in cahoots with Peng Yue? I ordered no one to go see Peng Yue's head, but you went to worship and cry; isn't that a clear sign you're in on it? Kill him quickly!" Just as they were about to drag him to be executed, Luan Bu said, "Just let me say one thing before I croak!" The emperor said, "Speak!" Luan Bu said, "When you were trapped in Pengcheng and losing battles around Xingyang and Chenggao, Xiang Yu couldn't advance smoothly because Peng Yue was holding the line in Liangdi, teaming up with us to take on Chu. If Peng Yue had sided with Chu, we'd have been toast; if he'd sided with us, Chu would have been finished. And at Gaixia, without Peng Yue, Xiang Yu would've been a goner. After the war, Peng Yue got a title and wanted to pass it down the line. Now you're raising troops in Liang, and Peng Yue didn't show because he was sick, so you think he's a traitor. You're gonna kill a guy without proof, over something this small? That'll scare the crap out of all the other guys who helped us win! Now that Peng Yue is dead, I have no reason to live; please kill me!" After hearing this, the emperor pardoned Luan Bu and appointed him as a commandant.

During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wen, Luan Bu became the prime minister of Yan State and was later promoted to general. Luan Bu once said, "A person who can't stay true to themselves when they're broke, or who can't control their greed when they're rich, ain't virtuous." Therefore, he would generously reward those who were kind to him and strictly punish those who offended him. When the seven states of Wu and Chu rebelled, Luan Bu was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Shu because of his military achievements and later became the prime minister of Yan State. Both Yan and Qi built shrines to him, the 'Luan Gong She'.

After Luan Bu's death, his son Luan Ben inherited the marquis title. Under Emperor Wu, Luan Ben lost his title for messing up a ritual at the Ministry of Rites.

Tian Shu, a native of Xingcheng in the State of Zhao, comes from the Tian family of the State of Qi. Tian Shu is quite fond of making friends and studied Huang-Lao Daoism under Le Ju. He is upright, loves to uphold justice, and often associates with bigwigs and important people. The people of Zhao recommended him to Prime Minister Zhao Wu, who in turn recommended him to King Zhao Zhang Ao and made him a Langzhong. After a few years, King Zhao valued him greatly but hadn't promoted him yet.

Eventually, Zhao Wu, Guan Gao, and others conspired to assassinate the emperor. The conspiracy was discovered, and the Han Dynasty issued a decree to arrest King Zhao and all the ministers involved in the rebellion. The decree stated that anyone who followed King Zhao would be punished, along with their whole family. Only Tian Shu, Meng Shu, and a dozen others boldly shaved their heads and accepted shackles, following King Zhao to Chang'an. Following the investigation of King Zhao Zhang Ao, he was deposed from the throne and made the Marquis of Xuanping. He then recommended Tian Shu and the other nine people to the emperor. The emperor summoned them, spoke with them, and found that no Han official could hold a candle to them. The emperor was delighted and appointed them all as county governors or ministers of vassal states. Tian Shu was governor of Hanzhong for over a decade.

Emperor Xiao Wen took the throne and asked Tian Shu, "Do you know who can be considered an elder in the world?" Tian Shu replied, "How would I know?" The emperor said, "You are also an elder; you should know." Tian Shu immediately said, "Former Yunzhong County Governor Meng Shu was an elder." At that time, Meng Shu was dismissed from his position because the Xiongnu launched a massive attack on Yunzhong. The emperor said, "The late emperor let Meng Shu serve as the governor of Yunzhong County for more than ten years. The Xiongnu frequently invaded, but Meng Shu could not defend it, killing hundreds of soldiers. Does being an elder mean you can just kill people willy-nilly?" Tian Shu bowed and said, "Guan Gao and others conspired, and the emperor issued a clear edict: 'Any Zhao state official who follows Zhang Wang will be punished along with three generations of their family!' But Meng Shu, however, shaved his head and put on shackles. He followed Zhang Wang, risking his life. He didn't even care that he was the governor of Yunzhong! The long war between Han and Chu had left the soldiers exhausted, but Modun's Xiongnu had just conquered the Northern Yi and came to attack the border. Meng Shu knew that the soldiers were exhausted and could not bear to let them fight again. However, the soldiers rushed to the city to fight the enemy desperately, like sons for their fathers. That's why hundreds died – how could Meng Shu have stopped them? This is the reason why Meng Shu is called an elder!" So the emperor said, "Meng Shu was a truly wise man!" That summer, he made Meng Shu governor of Yunzhong again.

Several years later, Tian Shu lost his position due to his involvement in a case. King Xiaowang of Liang sent someone to kill Yuan Ang, a Han Dynasty yilang (a low-ranking official), and Emperor Jing summoned Tian Shu to investigate the matter. Tian Shu reported everything that happened. After the report, Emperor Jing asked him, "Did King Xiaowang really do this?" Tian Shu replied, "That's right, Your Majesty." Emperor Jing then asked, "What exactly happened?" Tian Shu said, "Your Majesty, you weren't planning on going after King Xiaowang, were you? However, if King Xiaowang is not punished, it would mean abandoning the laws of the Han Dynasty; if he is punished, the Empress Dowager will lose her appetite and sleep, and it would cause you, Your Majesty, a great deal of concern." Emperor Jing greatly appreciated Tian Shu's loyalty and wisdom and appointed him as the Lu Xiang.

Shortly after Tian Shu took office in Lu, hundreds of commoners came to complain that King Lu was withholding their money. Tian Shu really let them have it, angrily saying, "How dare you come directly to me with this?! Isn't King Lu your sovereign?" When King Lu heard about this, he was very ashamed and paid the people back from the royal treasury. Tian Shu said, "King Lu should be the one to pay them back. If I do it, it'll look like he's in the wrong and I'm the good guy."

King Lu loved hunting, and Tian Shu often accompanied him to hunt in the park. King Lu always asked Tian Shu to rest and return to the inn. However, Tian Shu often sat outside the park and never rested, saying, "The King's out there slaving away, I can't just sit here and relax!" Because of Tian Shu's actions, King Lu later stopped hunting as much.

After serving as Lu Xiang for several years, Tian Shu passed away. Lu used about 130 pounds (one hundred catties) of gold to build a shrine for him, but his son, Tian Ren, refused to accept the sacrifices, saying, "That'll bring shame on the family name."

Tian Ren became a low-level officer in the Wei General's household due to his bravery and skill in battle, accompanying the General on multiple expeditions against the Xiongnu. The General recommended Tian Ren to the court, leading to his appointment as a Langzhong. He later rose through the ranks to a high-ranking position (equivalent to a 2,000-stone official) and then became the Prime Minister's chief of staff. However, due to a mistake, he lost his position. He was then sent to assassinate rebels in Sanhe County, and after completing the mission and reporting back to the court, the Emperor was pleased and appointed him as the Capital Assistant Commandant. A month later, he was promoted to Sizhi. Several years later, when the Crown Prince launched a rebellion, Tian Ren led his troops to close the city gates, allowing the Crown Prince to escape. However, he was later executed for being seen as complicit in the rebellion.

Praise: Xiang Yu was a man of heroic spirit, and Ji Bu was celebrated for his bravery in Chu. He repeatedly charged into battle, capturing enemy flags—a true valiant warrior. Yet, when he fell into poverty and became a slave, he gritted his teeth and held fast to his dreams. Why is that? Because he was confident in his abilities, and even when humiliated, he felt no shame. He always wanted to achieve something, but the timing was not right, which ultimately led him to become a famous general of the Han Dynasty. Real men know the value of life and death. Those servants and lowly people who commit suicide in a moment of impulse are not truly brave; their actions are incredibly foolish. Luan Bu wept for Peng Yue, Tian Shu followed Zhang Ao, facing dangers without fear, viewing death as returning home. They truly knew what they should do. Even the ancient martyrs couldn't hold a candle to them!

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Written by: Realhistories

Category: The Book of Han (漢書)

Published: 30 November 2024

Created: 30 November 2024

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Liu Jiao, Prince of Chu, the half-brother of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang of the Han Dynasty, was an avid reader and a man of many talents. When he was young, he studied the Book of Songs with Lu Musheng, Baisheng, and Shengong under the guidance of Fu Qiu Bo, a disciple of Sun Qing. Later, when Qin Shihuang burned books and buried scholars, they parted company.

Liu Bang had four brothers, with the eldest being Bo and the second being Zhong. The eldest brother died early. After Liu Bang became the King of Pei, his half-brother Liu Bi established himself as the King of Chu. Liu Bang sent his second brother Liu Zhong and Shenshiqui to serve the retired emperor, while Liu Jiao followed Liu Bang along with Xiao He, Cao Can, and others to meet Liu Bi. Along the way, they encountered Xiang Liang and together they supported King Huai of Chu. Next, they marched west to Nanyang, entered Wuguan, and battled the Qin army at Lantian. Upon reaching Bashang, Liu Bang appointed Liu Jiao as Marquis Wenxin. Later, he followed Liu Bang into Shu, pacified the three Qin regions, and killed Xiang Yu. After Liu Bang became emperor, Liu Jiao and Lu Wan often served by the emperor's side, involved in court affairs and secret plots. Liu Bang, however, rarely visited his uncle Liu Jia and other brothers.

In the sixth year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang ousted King Liu Bi of Chu, dividing his territory into two separate countries. He appointed Liu Jia as the King of Jing and Liu Jiao as the King of Chu, ruling over thirty-six counties, including Xue, Donghai, and Pengcheng, in recognition of Liu Jiao's service. Later, Liu Bang appointed his second brother Liu Zhong as the King of Dai and his eldest son Liu Fei as the King of Qi.

In the beginning, when Liu Bang was still a nobody, he often shirked his responsibilities and frequently went to his sister-in-law's house to eat with his cronies. His sister-in-law hated having Liu Bang and his guests over, so she pretended that the soup was all gone and even spilled the pot, causing the guests to leave. Later, Liu Bang saw in a mirror that there was still soup in the pot, so he was very angry with her. When Liu Bang made his older brother's son the King of Qi and the King of Dai, only that son did not receive a title. The Emperor asked Liu Bang about this, and Liu Bang said, "I didn't mean to overlook him; it's because of his mother." In the seventh year of October, Liu Bang appointed his older brother's son Liu Xin as the Marquis of Gengjie.

When Liu Jiao became the King of Chu, he appointed Lu Musheng, Baisheng, and Shengong as his top advisors. During the reign of Empress Dowager Gao, Fu Qiubo was in Chang'an. Liu Jiao sent someone from Yingdu to invite Fu Qiubo and Shengong to Chu to further their education. During the reign of Emperor Wen, word was that Shengong was the most knowledgeable in the study of the Classic of Poetry, so he was appointed as a doctor. Liu Jiao liked the Classic of Poetry, and his sons also studied it. Shengong began to write annotations on the Classic of Poetry, called "Lu Shi." Liu Jiao also wrote annotations on it, called "Yuan Wang Shi," which might still be around today.

Under King Yuan, one of his ministers, Ying Ke (a high-ranking official), was promoted to Zong Zheng (a high-ranking official) and titled Marquis of Shangpi. After King Yuan's 23-year reign, he died, and his crown prince, Pi Fei, had also died early. Emperor Wen put Ying Ke, the Zong Zheng, on the throne, making him King Yi. Shen Gong was previously a scholar, but later lost his position and returned to his country with Ying Ke, and was later reappointed as a high-ranking court official. King Yi reigned for four years before his death, and his son Wu succeeded him. Emperor Wen held King Yuan in high esteem and love, granting his sons ranks nearly equivalent to princes'. After Emperor Jing became emperor, he enfeoffed King Yuan's five beloved sons as marquises due to their close relations:

- One named Li was titled Marquis of Pinglu

- One named Fu was titled Marquis of Xiu

- One named Sui was titled Marquis of Shenyou

- One named Zhi was titled Marquis of Wanxu

- One named Diao was titled Marquis of Jile

While King Yuan was still alive, he greatly respected Shen Gong and the others. Mu Sheng did not like to drink, so whenever King Yuan drank, he would specially prepare sweet wine for Mu Sheng. After Wu became king, he also did this at first, but later forgot. Mu Sheng said, "I'm outta here! No more sweet wine? The king's changed his tune. If I stick around, I'll be chopped up and paraded around town!" He then feigned illness and rested at home. Shen Gong and Bai Sheng advised him, "Have you forgotten the kindness of the late king? The king just forgot a little nicety; is it worth leaving over?" Mu Sheng replied, "The Book of Changes says, 'Understand the signs! The diviner sees the slightest movements and is the first to know good from bad. A noble person acts on what they see, without waiting for the end of the day.' The late king treated the three of us with respect because he valued our character; now the king suddenly stops doing so, forgetting righteousness. How can one who forgets the way live in harmony for long? This isn’t just about a small courtesy!" Mu Sheng quit, but Shen Gong and Bai Sheng stayed.

King Wu became increasingly licentious and tyrannical. After reigning for twenty years, he had illicit relations with Dowager Empress Bo and was consequently deprived of the territories of Donghai and Xue. He also conspired with King Wu to rebel. Shen Gong and Bai Sheng advised him, but he ignored them and imprisoned them, publicly shaming them by making them pound rice in the marketplace. The Marquis of Xiu sent people to advise King Wu, but he threatened to punish his uncle once he succeeded in his rebellion. The Marquis of Xiu, fearing for his safety, fled to the capital with his mother. In the spring of the following year, during the third year of Emperor Jing's reign, the decree of reducing the fiefdoms arrived, prompting King Wu to join King Wu in rebellion. Ignoring the advice of his prime minister, Zhang Shang, and grand tutor, Zhao Yiwu, whom he subsequently executed, he joined forces with King Wu to attack Liangguo from the west. They breached Jibi and reached the south of Changyi, where they fought against the Han general Zhou Yafu. The Han army cut off the supply lines of Wu and Chu, starving their armies. King Wu fled, and King Wu committed suicide. His army surrendered to the Han dynasty.

After defeating the states of Wu and Chu, Emperor Jing appointed Liu Li, the Marquis of Pinglu, as King of Chu. He married the Queen Mother of Yuan, becoming King Wen of Chu. Three years later, King Wen died, and his son Liu Dao succeeded him as King An. King An reigned for 22 years, succeeded by his son, King Xiang (12 years), then King Jie (16 years), and finally King Liu Yanshou.

When Emperor Xuan became emperor, he thought that if things went south, Liu Yanshou, the Prince of Guangling and son of Emperor Wu, would definitely be able to be enthroned as emperor. So, he secretly tried to get on his good side. As a result, Zhao Heqi, Liu Yanshou's uncle, married the Prince of Guangling's daughter. Liu Yanshou and Zhao Heqi hatched a plan: "If things get messy, we'll back the Prince and help him take the throne. Heqi'll marry the princess, and we'll both be made marquises!" So, Heqi wrote a letter to the Prince of Guangling, saying, "Keep your eyes peeled, and don't let anyone beat you to the punch!" Heqi's father Zhao Changnian also reported this matter. The authorities investigated, and Liu Yanshou confessed and then committed suicide. Liu Yanshou had been prince for 32 years, and the State of Chu was also abolished. Initially, Marquis Fu fled to the capital, and Wang Wu rebelled. Fu and the others lost their titles and lands. Later, it was heard that Fu had advised Wang Wu several times, so he got his marquisate back (as the Marquis of Hong). Fu's wife was related to Empress Dowager Dou, and scared of bandits in Shandong, she requested to stay in the capital, which the emperor granted. Fu's son, Bi Qiang, and three others served the Dowager and held positions in the court. After the Dowager passed away, the court gave her a burial plot in Linghu. The title passed to his great-grandson, but died out when he had no sons.

Pi Qiang, a minor official, also enjoyed reading "The Book of Songs" and writing articles. During the reign of Emperor Wu, because he was a royal relative, he participated in discussions with high-ranking officials and was well-known among the royal family. He kept to himself and was content, often reading just for kicks and not willing to take up official positions. Once Emperor Zhao became emperor, someone said to the Grand General Huo Guang, "General, haven't you learned anything from the Lu family? They were like Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou – super powerful, but they iced out the royal family and wouldn't work with 'em. So, naturally, nobody trusted them, and boom, they were toast. You're in a powerful position now, the Emperor's still young, so you gotta be close to the royal family and work with the other ministers. Otherwise, you'll end up just like them!" Huo Guang listened and began to select talented individuals from the royal family. Pi Qiang's son De worked for the Prime Minister and was in his thirties when Huo Guang wanted to employ him. Some people said that Pi Qiang's father was still alive and was a favorite of the old emperor. Therefore, Huo Guang appointed Pi Qiang to a high-ranking position (Grand Master of Splendor) and also made him head of security for the imperial palace (Commandant of Changle), even though Pi Qiang was already eighty years old at the time. He was later transferred to the position of Minister of Rites (in charge of ceremonies and rituals) and died a few months later.

Lu Shu, style name De, studied the teachings of Huang-Lao and was very wise and strategic. When he was young, he wrote several times to discuss political matters and was summoned by Emperor Wu of Han to Ganquan Palace. The emperor praised him as a "thousand-li horse" and a "thousand-li steed." When Emperor Zhao of Han just ascended the throne, he served as the Director of the Imperial Clan Registry, responsible for handling various tasks related to the case of Liu Ze. His father was also a Director of the Imperial Clan Registry, and later Lu Shu himself was promoted, first becoming a Grand Master of Ceremonies (大鸿胪丞), then rising to Grand Master of the Palace (太中大夫), and finally returning to the position of Director of the Imperial Clan Registry. During this time, he also handled cases involving the Shangguan family and the Gai family. Lu Shu always adhered to the principle of "contentment" from the Tao Te Ching. After his wife passed away, General Huo Guang wanted to marry his daughter to Lu Shu, but he dared not accept, fearing the perils of success. Princess Chang's grandson Tan greatly admired Lu Shu's character, but Lu Shu often criticized him, saying that Princess Chang's lifestyle was not upright. As a result, the Imperial Censor (侍御史) accused Lu Shu of spreading rumors about the court, demoting him to a commoner and sending him back to his hometown to farm. Huo Guang was very angry when he heard about this, but later he petitioned the court to appoint Lu Shu as the Governor of Qingzhou. Over a year later, Lu Shu was reinstated as Director of the Imperial Clan Registry, participated in the action to enthrone Emperor Xuan of Han, and was ennobled as Marquis within the Passes (关内侯) for his great achievements. During the Dijie era, due to his filial piety, cautious behavior, and kindness, he was further ennobled as Marquis of Yangcheng (阳城侯). His son Anmin became a Right Minister (郎中右曹), and thanks to Lu Shu's influence, over twenty members of his family held court positions, primarily in palace security.

Lu Shu was kind and generous, always helping those in need. Every time he served as the Prefect of Jingzhao, he righted many wrongful convictions. Despite having a fortune of over a million, he used it to assist his relatives, friends, and guests, saying, "Wealth breeds resentment!" During the eleventh year of Emperor Xuan's reign, Lu Shu's son was sentenced to death for manufacturing fake gold. Lu Shu interceded on his son's behalf, but coincidentally passed away at that time. The Grand Herald reported that Lu Shu's appeal for his son was unbecoming of a high-ranking official, so he was not given a posthumous title or an heir. The Emperor decreed, "Posthumously confer the title of Marquis Miao and establish an heir for him." His descendants continued until his grandson Qingji, who also served as the Minister of Rites and Master of Ceremonies. After Qingji's death, his son Cen inherited his title and held various positions, including Imperial secretary, Colonel of the Guards, and ultimately became the Grand Minister of Ceremonies. The title continued to be passed down until it was severed by Wang Mang's usurpation.

Xiang Zizizheng, originally named Gengsheng, was appointed as an Imperial carriage attendant at the age of twelve due to his father's merit. As an adult, he was promoted to an advisor to the Emperor for his upright conduct. Emperor Xuan followed Emperor Wu's practice of recruiting renowned Confucian scholars and talents. Due to his extensive knowledge and writing skills, Xiang was summoned along with Wang Bao and Zhang Ziqiao to present dozens of fu and songs. At that time, the Emperor was fascinated by the occult arts, and the book "Secrets of the Hongbao Garden in the Pillow" circulated in the Huainan region. The book contained methods of alchemy relying on demonic forces, as well as the pursuit of immortality by Zou Yan. This book was rarely seen by the public, but Xiang's father, who was in charge of the prison in Huainan during Emperor Wu's reign, had obtained a copy. Xiang, having read the book since childhood and captivated by its fantastical claims, presented it to the Emperor, asserting its ability to create gold.

The emperor ordered the department in charge of metallurgy to attempt the transmutation of base metals into gold according to the methods in the book, which cost a lot of money but proved completely fruitless. Furious, the emperor arrested Geng Sheng; officials then accused him of counterfeiting gold, a crime punishable by death. Geng Sheng's older brother, Marquis Anmin of Yangcheng, wrote a petition on behalf of his younger brother and offered half of the family's wealth to secure Geng Sheng's pardon. Recognizing Geng Sheng's talent, the emperor granted him a pardon, mitigating his sentence and deferring further judgment until after winter.

Meanwhile, the court began revising the "Gu Liang Chunqiu," and the emperor summoned Geng Sheng to study it, lecturing on the "Five Classics" at the Shiqu Pavilion. Later, Geng Sheng was appointed as a junior official, a Palace Attendant, and then promoted to Sanqi, a counselor, and a Zhongshi, with increasingly higher official positions.

When Emperor Yuan of Han just ascended the throne, he appointed Xiao Wangzhi as the former general and Zhou Kan as the Grand Master of Officials, both overseeing the affairs of the Shangshu, demonstrating the emperor's high regard for them. Although the Shangshu official Shi Gengsheng was much younger than Xiao Wangzhi and Zhou Kan at the time, they both valued Shi Gengsheng highly, recommending him for his loyalty, integrity, knowledge, and noble character, as a key figure in the imperial court. Thus, Shi Gengsheng was promoted to be a Sanqi Shilang and a Zongzheng Temple Huangmen, assisting the emperor alongside Jin Chang. The four men governed the court collaboratively, yet faced significant challenges from the overweening influence of the Xu and Shi clans, and the rampant corruption of the eunuchs Honggong and Shixian within the Imperial Secretariat.

Xiao Wangzhi, Zhou Kan, and Shi Gengsheng discussed and planned to submit a memorial to the emperor requesting the removal of Xu, Shi, Gong, and Xian. However, before they could submit the memorial, the news leaked. As a result, Xu, Shi, Hong Gong, and Shi Xian took the opportunity to falsely accuse them. Zhou Kan and Shi Gengsheng were imprisoned, and even Xiao Wangzhi was dismissed from his position. This incident is recorded in Xiao Wangzhi's biography. That spring, an earthquake occurred, and in the summer, a comet appeared between the Pleiades and the star group 卷舌. Emperor Yuan felt uneasy about this and issued a decree granting Xiao Wangzhi the title of Marquis of Guannei, a title of nobility, so that he did not have to attend court every day. In the autumn, the emperor summoned Zhou Kan and Xiang Shi to serve as censors, but Hong Gong and Shi Xian undermined them, demoting them to lower-ranking officials. In the winter, another earthquake occurred. At that time, the nephews of Hong Gong, Shi Xian, Xu Shi, and Shi Shi, as well as the officials in the court and various departments, resented Xiao Wangzhi and others, keeping a wary eye on them. Shi Gengsheng was very afraid, so he had a family member report to the emperor, saying: "I heard that General Xiao Wangzhi and others were all loyal and upright people who wanted to govern the country well, but they offended those powerful imperial relatives and high ministers. It was commonly believed that Xiao Wangzhi and others were about to be reinstated, and they were sure to be slandered and framed again, accused of past mistakes and deemed unworthy of service. Such accusations were completely unfounded."

I heard that in the "Spring and Autumn Annals," it was recorded that earthquakes occurred because the rulers had too much power. This was not due to the tyranny of three despots, and this principle is very clear. Moreover, during the time of Emperor Gaozu, Ji Bu committed a crime and was even sentenced to the execution of his entire family, but later he was pardoned, appointed as a general, and eventually became a famous powerful minister during the reigns of Empress Gao and Emperor Xiao Wen. During the reign of Emperor Xiao Wu, his son Kuan committed a serious crime and was imprisoned. At that time, the Chief Justice, Han Shuo, advised the emperor, saying, "In the past, when King Qiu Shou died, Your Majesty still harbored resentment against him; if you kill Kuan now, you will regret it even more in the future!" The emperor listened to his words, pardoned Kuan, reinstated him, and eventually promoted him to Grand Secretary, an unparalleled position. Dong Zhongshu was also accused of writing a book about disasters in private, reported by Zhuge Yan, and imprisoned. His crime was so severe that it was considered treasonous, but fortunately, he was not executed. Later, he became a Palace Attendant and the Governor of Jiaoxi. He retired due to old age and frailty. During the Han Dynasty, when they wanted to carry out any plans, they often sent out edicts asking for their ministers' opinions. Dong Zhongshu was the leader of the Confucian scholars at that time, and his suggestions were very beneficial to the country. During the reign of Emperor Xiao Xuan, Xiahou Sheng was imprisoned for three years for slander and was later demoted. Emperor Xuan reappointed Xiahou Sheng, and he eventually became the Grand Treasurer of Changxin and the Tutor to the Crown Prince. He was known for his outspokenness, and he was widely praised. There are many examples like this among the ministers, and they cannot be fully explained in a short time. As long as these ministers hadn't betrayed the country and had served it well, these four ministers are enough to illustrate the point. Hong Gong denounced Xiao Wang and his associates in his memorial, and three months after the case was judged, the earth shook violently. Hong Gong took leave due to illness and returned to work later, and the sky was overcast with continuous rain, followed by snow. All this suggests that the earthquake was likely caused by Hong Gong and his cronies.

I believe that Honggong and Xian should be dismissed to warn those who undermine talented individuals; at the same time, Xiao Wang and others should be promoted to create opportunities for advancement for the talented. That'll pave the way for a golden age and nip this problem in the bud. "Before Hong Gong submitted his memorial, there was a major earthquake. Then, after he took sick leave and returned to work, the weather turned foul with rain and snow. This was seen as an ominous sign."

After the memorial was submitted, the emperor and the crown prince expressed doubts about Gengsheng's behavior, saying they needed to thoroughly investigate what tricks he had played. Gengsheng was surprisingly contrite this time, so he was arrested and incarcerated, where Wei Xuancheng, the Grand Tutor, Gong Yu, the Remonstrating Doctor, and the Court Minister interrogated him together. They accused Gengsheng of colluding with Wang Zhi and Kan when he was a Nine Minister, conspiring to exclude the generals Gao, Xu, and Shi, causing discord among their relatives, and trying to drive them away to seize power for himself. That's blatant disloyalty! Fortunately, he was not executed before, and the emperor reappointed him, but he not only did not repent, he also incited gossip and spread false rumors. In the end, Gengsheng was stripped of his rank and reduced to a commoner.

Wang Zhi also committed suicide because his son pleaded his father's case, and the emperor and crown prince called him to the prison for questioning. As a result, Wang Zhi took his own life. The emperor was devastated by this and promoted Zhou Kan to the position of Guanglu Xun, and also promoted Zhou Kan's disciple Zhang Meng to the position of Guanglu Daifu and Gesizhong, demonstrating the Emperor's faith in them. The emperor and crown prince were suspicious of Zhou Kan and Zhang Meng's promotions, constantly badmouthing them behind their backs. Gengsheng saw that Zhou Kan and Zhang Meng had both become high-ranking officials and thought he had a chance to be reappointed, but he was worried that they would bring danger to him, so he wrote a memorial to the Emperor, advising him that...

Before, I was fortunate enough to be one of the Nine Great Ministers due to my family background, but I did not fulfill my duties. However, the emperor has once again favored me. I have privately observed the frequent disasters and the chaos in the heavens and on earth, all of which are warnings from heaven to the country. I originally wanted to say nothing, but when I think of a loyal minister, even toiling in the fields, never forgetting his monarch, that kind of loyal spirit! Moreover, I still have blood ties, and the emperor's favor towards me has not yet been repaid! I long to serve with utmost loyalty, but fear I might overstep my bounds. However, since both of these favors have not been repaid, as a loyal minister, I dare to make a suggestion: let me return to the countryside to farm; even if I die, I will have no regrets.

I heard that Emperor Shun appointed nine official positions, and those ministers all humbly yielded, reaching a pinnacle of harmony. If the ministers in the court get along harmoniously, then all things in the world will naturally be harmonious and peaceful. So, when the music "Shao" is played nine times, the phoenix comes to pay homage; when stones are struck, wild beasts join in a joyful dance. The land enjoyed unparalleled peace and harmony.

During the time of King Wen of Zhou, he opened a burial ground in the western suburbs, gathered a large number of virtuous scholars, and none of them were disrespectful or discordant. He promoted a culture of humility and harmony, thereby eliminating various disputes and litigations. After King Wen passed away, Duke of Zhou missed him greatly, so he composed poems praising King Wen's virtues, writing, "In the serene temple, solemn and majestic; a multitude of virtuous scholars, upholding his noble virtues." At that time, King Wu and Duke of Zhou inherited the political power, the court officials were harmonious, and the people of the country were jubilant, so everyone served their ancestors wholeheartedly. The poem also writes, "Harmonious arrivals, solemn departures, the officials in unity, the emperor serene and dignified." It means that people from all directions come to pay homage with a harmonious heart.

When the vassals harmonize with each other below, heaven will give corresponding rewards, so the "Zhou Song" says "descending blessings abundantly," and also says "giving me barley and wheat," barley and wheat, a bounty from heaven. All these indicate that by fostering harmony, one can receive help from heaven.

Since the time of King You and King Li, the court has been in turmoil, with everyone at each other's throats and relationships deteriorating. Poets felt deeply saddened by this and wrote, "So much scheming, such great sorrow!" The crooks followed bad ideas, praised each other, and ostracized the upright. Therefore, the poem continues, "When the scheming is improper, it is a violation; when the scheming is proper, it is a reliance!"

The upright individuals stood alone in upholding their principles, refusing to compromise. If they did anything for the king, they would be hated and falsely accused by the bad guys. Hence, the poem says, "Do not engage in secret activities; do not reveal your efforts. Innocent and guiltless, yet slandered by gossips!" During that time, there were unusual celestial phenomena, with the sun and moon losing their radiance. The poem reads, "On Xinyou, the sun was eclipsed—a terrible omen!" Also, "The moon is dim, the sun is dim; the people below are lamenting!" And, "The sun and moon are ominous, not following their paths; the four nations are without governance, not following the virtuous!"

Strange signs appeared in the sky, and the earth underwent changes, with springs boiling and valleys shifting. The poem describes, "Rivers boiled, mountains crumbled, the land itself was changing. The people of today are in sorrow; why is there no punishment?" The frosty season came at the wrong time, causing distress. The poem says, "Frost in the first month—my heart aches; the people's lies will bring ruin!" This indicates that the common people have confused right and wrong, and this phenomenon is widespread.

All these chaotic events were caused by the reversal of positions between the wise and the unworthy. Since then, the world has been in turmoil, with killings and disasters occurring together. King Li fled to the land of Zhi, while King You was killed. In the later years of King Ping, when Duke Yin of Lu had just ascended the throne, the Zhou dynasty's minister Jiebo, due to disagreements, fled to the state of Lu. The *Spring and Autumn Annals* just hints at the trouble starting then, without explicitly saying Jiebo sought refuge.

After that, the Yin family inherited the title of king, ran the show with arrogance, and the vassal states revolted against the Zhou dynasty, no longer paying homage, leading to the decline of the Zhou family. In the following 242 years, thirty-six solar eclipses, five earthquakes and landslides, three comet sightings, and frequent meteor showers punctuated the era. Night skies were often dark, even witnessing a spectacular meteor shower one night. There were 14 fires. The Changdi tribes raided three vassal states; stones fell like rain, birds flew backward, elks roamed in unnatural numbers, and bizarre creatures like the *yu* and *fei* appeared, even kingfishers nested where they never had before. Days were dark and cold, even in summer. Unseasonal frosts and torrential rains, hailstorms, and other bizarre weather patterns were the norm. Droughts, floods, famines, and plagues of locusts and other insects ravaged the land.

At that time, disasters continued one after another: thirty-six rulers were murdered, fifty-two states collapsed, and countless people were displaced in the chaos. The Zhou dynasty faced numerous difficulties: the Jin state repeatedly attacked Zhou territory, Zheng harmed King Huan, Rongdi captured Zhou envoys, and internal strife saw five ministers vying for power and three kings deposed. The Zhou dynasty, crippled by internal conflict and beset by natural disasters, was beyond saving.

Look, a harmonious atmosphere brings lots of good fortune, while a toxic atmosphere brings lots of bad luck; where there are lots of good omens, the country is stable, and where there are a lot of calamities, the country is in danger. This is the eternal rule between heaven and earth, an unchanging truth from ancient times to the present. Your Majesty, you have initiated the legacy of three generations of emperors, recruited many knowledgeable officials, adopted a lenient policy, and let them work together. But now the wise and the unscrupulous are mixed together, good and bad people cannot be distinguished, evil and righteous individuals are intertwined, and loyal ministers and treacherous ministers are giving advice together. Memorials are piling up like crazy, and the Northern Army is overcrowded. Courtiers are constantly fighting amongst themselves, backstabbing and slandering one another. The memorials are increasing, entangled with one another, contradictions arise, everyone's at each other's throats, and it's a complete mess. Therefore, these matters are overwhelming everyone, too numerous to count. Officials are forming cliques and ganging up on anyone who's honest. If upright officials can be promoted, it is a sign of good governance in the country; if upright officials are harmed, it is a sign of the country heading towards chaos. We are now at a critical moment of transition between order and chaos; it is difficult to judge who is loyal and who is treacherous, and disasters keep occurring frequently. This is what breaks my heart.

The powerful and their families dominate the court, surrounded by sycophants. Their words are sure to be accepted, ultimately leading to disunity and moral decay. The heavens themselves seem to weep: unusual weather, seismic activity, and celestial anomalies plague the land. Trying to build a golden age by emulating the Zhou dynasty and heeding the poets' warnings is like trying to run backwards – a fool's errand. Since the first year of the Chuanyuan era until now, it has been six years; flipping through the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, the disasters that have occurred in these six years have never been more frequent than now. Even if the *Spring and Autumn Annals* record disasters, and Confucius comes to rescue, it cannot resolve disputes, let alone the current situation, which is more serious than what the *Spring and Autumn Annals* recorded.

People say the rise and fall of the world stems from the ascent of self-serving ministers. Why can these corrupt officials rise to power? It's because those in authority are too suspicious! They may have initially employed wise men and implemented good policies, but once someone stirs up trouble, the wise are marginalized, and the good policies are abandoned. You see, those who are indecisive leave opportunities for the corrupt; those with weak will open the door to evil forces. When the corrupt rise to power, the wise retreat; when evil prevails, the righteous are silenced. The *Yi Jing* speaks of the *fou* (Obstruction) and *tai* (Greatness) hexagrams: when the corrupt hold sway, the righteous are silenced, leading to chaos (*fou*); when the righteous prevail, corruption falls, ushering in an era of clarity (*tai*). *Fou* represents obstruction and chaos, while *tai* signifies openness and clarity. The *Book of Songs* also says, "Heavy snows and rains melt quickly in the sun's warmth," conveying a similar meaning.

Think about it: during Yao's reign, Gun, Gonggong, and Huandou served in court alongside Shun and Yu; during the Zhou Dynasty, the Duke of Zhou, Guan Shu, and Cai Shu all worked in the court. At that time, these individuals attacked each other, and the court was rife with rumors. Emperor Yao and King Cheng were able to promote Shun, Yu, and the Duke of Zhou while sidelining Gonggong, Guan Shu, and Cai Shu; that's why the country flourished, and its glory endures to this day. In contrast, Confucius served as an official in the state of Lu with Ji Lu and Ran Meng, while Li Si worked as an official in the state of Qin with Shusun Tong. However, Duke Ding of Lu and Qin Shi Huang promoted Ji Lu, Ran Meng, and Li Si while ostracizing Confucius and Shusun Tong, leading to chaos and persistent shame in the country. Therefore, a nation's rise and fall hinges on its ruler's choice of officials; after selecting the talented, it is even more crucial to trust them unwaveringly. The Book of Songs says, "My heart is not a stone; it cannot be turned," emphasizing the need to uphold one's good intentions firmly. The Book of Changes states, "Once an order is given, it should not be revoked," meaning that commands should be steadfast and unwavering. Now, issuing good orders and retracting them shortly after is like sweat flowing back; promoting talented individuals and then removing them is like turning a stone. The Analects say, "To see wrongdoing and not speak out is a lack of courage." Currently, both departments are reporting to flatterers who are unsuitable for their positions, and this issue has not been addressed for many years. With orders reversed, loyal officials discarded, and villains left untouched, how can the nation possibly thrive?

Listen, these lowlifes are sowing discord at every turn, sweet-talking their way into mischief and spreading chaos and rumors throughout the city. My heart aches; these weasels make my blood boil! A pack of villains is enough to make anyone furious! In the past, Confucius, Yan Hui, and Zigong were a great team but never formed a clique; Da Yu, Hou Ji, and Gao Yao supported each other without forming factions. Why? Because they were loyal to the country, with pure motives! Therefore, when virtuous people are in power, they attract like-minded individuals, gathering in the court, just like the Book of Changes says: "When a great leader rises, others flock to them"; when virtuous people are in lower positions, they think of working together for a better future, as the Book of Changes also states, "Pulling up the weeds together, working towards a better future." At the top, attracting talent; at the bottom, uniting like-minded individuals. That's why Shang Tang valued Yi Yin—the righteous were drawn to him, while the wicked stayed away—birds of a feather flock together!

Now, those treacherous villains are mixing with virtuous ministers, forming cliques, conspiring to cause chaos, going against goodness, siding with evil, sneaky and underhanded, constantly whispering poison in the emperor's ear. If the emperor suddenly promotes them, it'll be a sign of bad things to come, a real disaster! Throughout history, wise and enlightened monarchs have punished treachery to govern the world well. Shun banished traitors, Confucius executed them—this is how you keep the kingdom strong and righteous.

Your Majesty is now wise and insightful. I earnestly ask you to carefully consider the will of heaven, study the cases of Confucius' two executions of the wicked, examine "The Hexagram of Difficulty" and "The Hexagram of Prosperity" in the Book of Changes, learn the poems about rain and snow in the Book of Songs, draw lessons from the successful experiences of the Zhou and Tang dynasties, learn from the failures of the Qin Dynasty and the State of Lu, examine the signs of good and bad fortune, reflect on the root causes of disasters, assess the current situation, banish those who act wickedly, dismantle their gangs, block their evil ways, open up the right path, be resolute and decisive, and ensure justice is served, so as to eliminate all kinds of disasters, welcome auspicious signs, lay the foundation for a peaceful and prosperous era, and benefit future generations!

I'm sticking my neck out here because I see the imbalance of yin and yang, and I dare not conceal what I have heard. Based on the records of disasters in the Spring and Autumn Annals, I analyze some current events and explain their causes, which I cannot elaborate on. I'm resealing this and sending it, even though it could cost me my life.

Ah, the more Gong and Xian read, comparing themselves to Xu and Shi, the more frustrated and resentful they grew. That summer was a killer; cold and gloomy. Gong, Xian, Xu, and Shi all blamed Kan and Meng for the trouble. The Emperor secretly favored Kan but was too afraid of the gossip to act.

At that time, Yang Xing, the magistrate of Chang'an, was highly regarded by the emperor for his outstanding abilities. The emperor wanted him to help, so he asked Yang Xing, "Everyone at court thinks Kan's not cut out for the Grand Commandant position; what's going on?" Yang Xing was very good at observing people's words and expressions and knew that the emperor was suspicious of Kan, so he followed the emperor's lead and said, "Kan is not only unsuitable in the court but also in the local areas. I’ve heard many people say that Kan conspired with Liu Gengsheng before to destroy the emperor's relatives; he deserves the death penalty! So I say we shouldn't kill Kan; we should keep this talent for the country." The emperor replied, "But what crime did he commit to deserve execution? What should we do now?" Yang Xing said, "I think, Your Majesty, you can give him the title of Marquis of Guannei, grant him a fief of three hundred households, and don’t let him handle matters anymore. A wise ruler never forgets a debt of gratitude; this is the best solution." The emperor hesitated after hearing this.

Then, just as conveniently, the city gate captain Zhuge Feng badmouthed Kan and Meng, which angered the emperor, so he dismissed Zhuge Feng. This incident is recorded in "The Biography of Zhuge Feng." The emperor also said, "Zhuge Feng claimed that Kan and Meng have poor character and can't handle state affairs properly. I regret that their talents have not been fully utilized, so let’s demote Kan to be the Prefect of Hedong and Meng to be the County Magistrate of Huaili!"

As his power grew, the emperor started ruling like a tyrant. Over three years later, a fire broke out in the temple of Emperor Xiaoxuan, and that night there was even a solar eclipse. The emperor summoned those who had previously mentioned strange happenings in the heavens, such as Kan and Meng, and sternly questioned them; they all fell to their knees and owned up.

Then the emperor issued a decree saying, "Kan, the governor of Hedong, was highly regarded by the late emperor, who even allowed him to assist the crown prince. He was a man of exceptional talent, profound learning, unwavering integrity, and genuine concern for the state and its people. Because he refused to curry favor with the powerful, he was ostracized, dismissed, and unable to utilize his abilities. In the past, many ministers saw adverse celestial events and instead of reflecting on themselves, they spoke ambiguously, claiming it was a warning from heaven, shifting the blame to Kan. I was forced to give him a position to demonstrate his abilities. After Kan took office, one calamity followed another, and the ministers remained silent. Kan had only been in office in Hedong for less than a year, and local elders and scholars praised his accomplishments. No envoy passing through Hedong spoke ill of him. This is enough to prove that the late emperor had a good eye for talent and can clear my name. But his enemies spread rumors and sowed discord. These matters should have remained private, but they were deliberately publicized to ruin him. I refuse to believe them. The influence of these villains has prevented me from focusing on governance. This latest ominous sign fills me with dread. Kan is getting old now, and he may have lost confidence in himself, being marginalized. What should we do in the future? Bring him to the palace!" So Kan was appointed as the Grand Minister of the Palace, with an official rank of 2,000 stones, and also in charge of the affairs of the Imperial Secretariat. Meng was reappointed as the Grand Master of the Palace Attendants. Xian continued to handle the duties of the Prefect of the Imperial Secretariat, with the other four secretaries being his cronies. Kan rarely saw the emperor, communicating solely through Xian, who held all the power. Later, Kan fell ill and could not speak, and passed away. Xian framed Meng, forcing him to suicide and dumping his body in the street. Geng was very saddened by this, so he wrote a total of eight articles, including "The Slanderer's Downfall," "The Essentials Unveiled," "Averting Danger," and "A World in Praise," using ancient references to criticize the present and mourn himself and those like him. Thus, he remained out of office for over a decade.

After Emperor Cheng of Han ascended the throne, Mr. Xiang was dismissed from his position due to past wrongdoings, but was later reinstated and given a new name, Xiang. The Emperor appointed him as a Waterworks Manager, responsible for managing water conservancy projects in the Sānfǔ region. Xiang repeatedly presented his political views in memorials and was later promoted to Grand Master. At that time, the Emperor's uncle, Marquis Yangping Wang Feng, held great power in court as the Grand General, relying on the powerful Wang family to monopolize authority. His seven brothers were also enfeoffed as marquises. Strange happenings plagued the court during this period, and Xiang believed it was the result of the excessive power of Wang Feng and his family's influence. The Emperor, a scholar of the *Shijing* and *Shangshu*, enjoyed delving into ancient texts, so he entrusted Xiang with the task of proofreading the Five Classics in the palace. When Xiang read the "Hong Fan" chapter of the Book of Documents, where Jizi explained the correspondences between the Five Elements, Yin and Yang, and omens and calamities to King Wu, he was inspired. He collected records of portents of good and ill fortune from ancient times to the Spring and Autumn Period, analyzing the cause-and-effect relationships of events and elucidating the alternation of fortune and misfortune. He compiled a treatise on divination, categorizing and organizing the contents into eleven chapters, and named it "Commentary on the Five Elements in the Hong Fan," which he then presented to the Emperor. The Emperor understood that Mr. Xiang was loyal and that this work was aimed at Wang Feng and his brothers, but the Wang family's power remained unshaken. After a long time, the Emperor wanted to build Changling, a lavish tomb that took years to build. Xiang spoke out, saying:

The Book of Changes says, "When at ease, do not forget danger; when prosperous, do not forget downfall. Only by doing so can one ensure survival and prosperity." Therefore, wise rulers will extensively examine the rise and fall of history, deeply understand the ins and outs of things, and thus distinguish right from wrong. Kings must understand the rise and fall of the three generations and realize that the mandate of heaven does not belong to just one family. When Confucius interpreted the Book of Songs and read, "The Yin elite, all sharp and quick, ended up stripped naked and dead in the capital," he sighed and said, "Wow, that's what happens when you lose the Mandate of Heaven!" Good things must be passed down to future generations, so wealth and glory are not eternal; if not, how should the nobility be cautious, and how should the people work hard? This passage is a thinly veiled criticism of Duke Mio for siding with Zhou and a lament for the fallen Shang. Not even the sage rulers Yao and Shun could control Dan Zhu's rebellious nature; not even the virtuous Yu and Tang could reform the tyrannical Jie and Zhou. No empire lasts forever. After Emperor Gaozu destroyed the Qin dynasty, he planned to move the capital to Luoyang. Later, after listening to Liu Jing's advice, he figured his virtue wasn't up to Zhou's, but it was better than Qin's, so he moved the capital to Guanzhong, copying Zhou's good governance and using Qin's strategic location. The rise and fall of a dynasty ultimately depends on its virtue, so Emperor Gaozu always kept a war chest and never shied away from discussing the possibility of collapse. That's what Confucius meant when he said, "Wealth and power don't last." Emperor Wen's tomb at Baling was right next to a latrine. The indignity of it all really got to him, and he lamented to his ministers, "My coffin's made of solid northern mountain stone, lined with silk and lacquer. Do you think that thing's easily moved?"

Zhang Shizhi hurriedly said, "If there is something coveted in the coffin, even if it is sealed on the South Mountain, people will still be after it; if there is nothing in the coffin, even if no stone is used as a coffin, what is there to be sad about?" There is no end to the dead, but the country has its rise and fall, so Zhang Shizhi's words are for the long term. Emperor Wen of Han heard this, saw the light, and gave him a simple burial, without any grand tomb.

The *Yi Jing* says, "In ancient times, funerals were wrapped in furs and buried in the open, unmarked and unmounded. Later sages started using coffins." The use of coffins for burial began with the Yellow Emperor. The Yellow Emperor's final resting place was Qiaoshan, Yao was laid to rest in Jiyin, their tombs were small, and there were few accompanying items. Shun's final resting place was Cangwu, and his two wives weren't buried with him. Yu was interred in Kuaiji, and his status before his death remained unchanged. Shang Tang wasn't even given a proper burial. King Wen, King Wu, and Duke of Zhou were buried in Bi, Duke Mu of Qin was laid to rest under the Qinyuan Palace in Yongzhou, and Chuli Zi was interred in Wuku; none of them had grand tombs. These wise rulers and ministers took the long view, considering carefully for the future. Their loyal subjects and filial sons followed their wishes, burying them simply, and that's true filial piety and loyalty—the ultimate expression of it.

Duke of Zhou was the younger brother of King Wu, and he handled his brother King Wu's funeral very simply and modestly. When Confucius arranged the funeral for his mother, he built a very ordinary tomb on level ground, a modest affair, and said, "I'm Confucius; people all over know my name. They can't lose my grave." But that four-foot-high grave washed away in the first rain. His students repaired it, told Confucius, and he cried, saying, "I heard that ancient people didn't repair tombs." He felt his students shouldn't have.

After Lord Yanling returned from his mission to the Qi state, his son died, so he buried him between the territories of Ying and Bo. The grave was shallow, not reaching the water table; he was buried simply, the barely visible mound hardly concealing the grave. At that time, he also said, "Well, flesh and blood returns to dust, that's just how it is; the spirit goes where it's meant to." You should know that Ying Bo was over a thousand miles from Wu – Lord Yanling didn't even go back for the burial. Confucius went to see it and remarked, "That's perfectly proper, wouldn't you say?" So you see, Confucius was the picture of filial piety, Lord Yanling a loving father, Shun and Yu paragons of loyalty, and the Duke of Zhou the ideal younger brother. Their funerals for monarchs, parents, and relatives were all very simple. It wasn't about saving money; it was just the right thing to do.

Song's Huan Sima had a stone coffin made for himself. Confucius scoffed, "Better to rot!" And even Lü Buwei, the Qin prime minister, had scholars compile the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, which also advocated simple burials. These were people who understood reason!

Speaking of fancy funerals, take King Helü of Wu, for instance. After his death, he had a super luxurious funeral, but after more than ten years, the people of Yue dug up his tomb. The emperors of the Qin Dynasty—King Huiwen, King Wu, King Zhaoxiang, King Xiaowen, and the King of Qin—each created tombs like small mountains, buried with many burial goods, but in the end, they were all dug up. Talk about irony!

Qin Shi Huang was even more extravagant. His tomb is located at the foot of Mount Li, with three layers underground and a large mound on top, fifty-plus zhang high and more than five li around! The tomb features stone palaces, lamps allegedly fueled by... well, let's just say it wasn't pleasant, rivers made of mercury, gold birds and animals, enough treasure to make your eyes water, booby traps galore, and a coffin and palaces so over-the-top luxurious you wouldn't believe it. In order to build this tomb, he killed countless craftsmen, with tens of thousands buried alive—and that's just the ones we know about! The whole country was fed up. Before it was even finished, Xiang Yu led a million troops to attack. Xiang Yu torched the place, and everything valuable was looted. Then, some shepherd kid's sheep wandered in, and while he was looking for them with his torch, *whoops*—he burned down Qin Shi Huang's coffin. No one's ever had a funeral this extravagant. Talk about a waste!

So, the nicer the person, the simpler the funeral; the smarter they are, the plainer the grave. Those with no virtue and not very smart end up having extravagant funerals, with high and large tombs and magnificent temples, only to be dug up soon after. See? It all makes sense, doesn't it? When the Zhou Dynasty went downhill, everyone went wild with spending. When King Xuan was in power and the country prospered, he began to be frugal, building small palaces and temples. The Book of Songs praises him, and the poem "Si Gan" mentions that the palaces were built appropriately and there were many descendants. Meanwhile, Duke Yan of Lu built a load of temples and fancy stuff, and guess what? No more descendants. The Spring and Autumn Annals weren't happy about it. King Xuan of Zhou was frugal and the country prospered; Lu and Qin were extravagant, leading to the downfall of their countries. See? Living large doesn't always pay off!

After the emperor became emperor, he led a simple life at first, starting with a modest tomb. The whole country praised his wisdom. However, later, after moving to Changling, the scale was increased dramatically, with a huge mound of earth piled up, and even thousands of people's graves were desecrated to provide fill. A large number of extra buildings were also constructed, with a tight schedule and costing a fortune, almost an unimaginable sum. The anger of the dead and the living alike was palpable, leading to a severe famine. The number of displaced people reached as many as one hundred thousand, and I felt very uneasy. If the dead are conscious, then there are too many disadvantages to digging up graves; if the dead are unconscious, then why bother with such extensive construction projects? Consulting with knowledgeable people, they would definitely not agree; if this plan were told to the common people, they would surely be in misery; if it is only to please the greedy and the foolish, then what is the point? Your Majesty, you are kind, wise, and rare in the world. You should uphold the virtues of the Han Dynasty, enhance the reputation of the Liu family, and rival the glory of the Five Emperors and Three Kings. Why pursue extravagance like the tyrants of the Qin Dynasty? You are just building this massive tomb just to impress the ignorant, satisfying their temporary vanity, but going against the wishes of the virtuous and ruining things for generations to come. I am ashamed for you, Your Majesty. I hope that Your Majesty can learn from the governance of the Yellow Emperor, Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, King Wen, King Wu, Duke of Zhou, and Confucius, and consider the opinions of Duke Mu, Jizi of Yanling, Zili of Chuli, and Zhang Shizhi. Emperor Xiaowen had a simple burial, using thrift to honor his ancestors, which can serve as a model; King Zhaoxiang of Qin and Qin Shihuang undertook massive building projects, leading to extravagance and harm, serving as a warning. The tomb's size should reflect the advice of your ministers to keep the people happy. After the memorial was presented, the emperor was deeply touched, but in the end, he didn't listen.

I saw that the social atmosphere at that time was becoming more and more wild and loose, and small countries like Zhao and Wei were also starting to ignore proper etiquette, becoming high and mighty. I believed that teaching the emperor should start from within, beginning with the people around him. So I collected the virtuous and chaste concubines and women recorded in the Book of Songs and the Book of Documents, those examples who could make the country great and bring honor to the family, as well as those cautionary tales of those who led the country to ruin due to favoritism and debauchery, and compiled them into "Lessons from Women," a total of eight chapters, to serve as a warning to the emperor. I also collected and organized various biographies and historical facts, and wrote "New Chronicles" and "Anecdotes from the Court," a total of fifty chapters, which I also presented to the emperor. I repeatedly submitted memorials, pointing out the pros and cons, and offering advice and warnings. I wrote several dozen memorials in total to help the emperor open his eyes and fill in the gaps. Although the emperor did not fully adopt my suggestions, he still appreciated my opinions, often lamenting this.

The emperor had no heir, and all state affairs were controlled by the Wang family. Various disasters were becoming more and more serious. Xiang Chong privately discussed solutions with Chen Tang and also talked about the matter with some friends in the court. However, he only said to Chen Tang, "Now there are so many disasters, and the power of the Wang family is growing stronger day by day. At this rate, it will eventually endanger the Liu dynasty. Fortunately, I am a distant relative of the emperor with the same surname and have received favor from the Han dynasty for several generations. Now, as a senior royal advisor, I have served the late emperor faithfully. The emperor's always been kind to me each time he summons me. If I don't speak up, who else will?" So Xiang Chong wrote a memorial to the emperor, urging him:

I've heard that no ruler wants anything more than stability, but is always in danger; no ruler desires longevity, but always ends up destroyed, all because they have lost control of their ministers! Those in power, every single one of them, is corrupt. In Jin, Qi, Wei, and Lu, powerful families like the Six Ministers, the Tians and Cuis, the Suns and Nings, and the Jis and Mengs held sway for generations, ultimately leading to their downfall. As a result, the Tians seized Qi; the Six Ministers divided Jin; Cui Zhu killed Duke Jing of Qi; Sun Linfu and Ning Zhi drove away Lord Jian of Wei and killed Lord Piao; the Jis flaunted their power in the court, performing the Eight Yues dance, while the three great families used the Yong music to conclude the sacrifices, monopolizing power and eventually driving away Duke Zhao. Zhou's powerful Yin family messed with the royal family, causing chaos; Zi Zhao and Zi Meng were successively made kings, and it took several years to stabilize. The "Spring and Autumn Annals" recorded "the royal family in chaos" and stated "Yin killed Prince Ke," showing the extent of the harm. The "Spring and Autumn Annals" records rise and fall, good and bad fortune; there are many examples like this, all because of the unchecked power of the ministers and the weakening of the ruler, with subordinates not following the ways of their superiors. Therefore, the "Book of Documents" warns: "If your underlings run wild, they'll ruin everything." Confucius said, "When the king's court loses control of its own people, it's a sure sign of trouble." The Marquis Ranghou of Qin Zhao and the Lords of Jingyang and Yeyang held power, relying on the authority of the queen dowager; the three of them had more power than King Zhao, and their wealth surpassed that of the Qin state. The country was in great danger, but fortunately, they listened to Fan Sui's advice, and the Qin state was saved. Qin's second emperor trusted Zhao Gao, who used this trust to manipulate the emperor, get rid of his enemies, and ultimately caused the rebellion that destroyed the dynasty. And we don't even need to look back that far – the Han's takeover of the Qin proves the point.

After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, the Lü clan ran the whole show, doing whatever they wanted. Lü Chan and Lü Lu, favored by the Empress Dowager, were top brass, controlled the military power of the north and south, and held the fancy titles of Prince of Liang and Prince of Zhao. Full of themselves and always wanting more, they threatened the Liu family's grip on power. Thanks to loyal ministers like the Marquis of Jiang and the Marquis of Zhu Xu who went all out to get rid of them, the Liu imperial family was able to survive. These days, you'd see twenty-three Wangs riding around in fancy carriages, the palace was crawling with officials in fancy blue and purple robes, and guards were everywhere. The Grand General wielded great power, while five marquises lived it up like kings and ruled with an iron fist, doing whatever they pleased, pretending to run the country while secretly wreaking havoc. Selfish as hell, but acting loyal to the court, they used their connections to climb the ladder. Most of the Secretaries, Nine Ministers, Provincial Governors, and County Magistrates were Wangs, running the government, all working together, and forming their own little gang. If you were on their good side, you'd get promoted; if not, you were dead. Flatterers spoke for them, and the PMs backed them up. They pushed the royal family around, sidelined anyone talented, and spread rumors to keep them down. They kept the royal family at arm's length, scared they'd try to take over. They'd constantly bring up the Princes of Yan and Qi to confuse the emperor, carefully avoiding any mention of the Lü and Huo families. They had internal threats like Guan Shu and Cai Shu, but used the Duke of Zhou's words to cover their tracks. Brothers stuck together, and the whole clan was in on it. From way back when to the Qin and Han, no family had ever been as powerful as the Wangs. Not even the Huangfu, Ranghou, Wuanhou, Lü, Huo, or Shangguan families were as bossy and powerful as the Wangs.

What goes up must come down, and there are often warning signs. During the reign of Emperor Xiao Zhao, weird rocks showed up on Mount Tai, and some crazy willow trees popped up in Shanglin Park. When Emperor Xiao Xuan took the throne, the Wang family's ancestral gravesite in Jinan was practically overrun with trees – their branches reaching over the roofs, roots burrowing deep. You can't have it both ways – the Wangs and the Lius can't both be on top. It's like balancing on a stack of eggs on top of Mount Tai – incredibly precarious! You're a Liu, Your Majesty! You gotta protect your family's legacy. How can you let the country fall into the hands of these relatives and let your own family be pushed around? Even if you don't care about yourself, think about your ancestors and the country! A woman's gotta serve her husband and honor her parents – that ain't exactly a walk in the park for the Empress Dowager! Emperor Xiao Xuan stayed safe because he didn't share power with his uncles, the Marquis of Pingchang and Lechang.

Your Majesty, time is a funny old thing; it can bring good luck quietly and resolve problems before they arise. Therefore, you should issue an edict expressing your benevolence, getting close to your family and gaining their trust. And those distant relatives? It's best to send them off to enjoy their retirement. Do what your old man did by keeping the extended family happy and safe. Keep the Wangs happy with their titles and pay; the Lius will keep the country stable. That'll keep everyone happy for generations to come! Ignore this, and we'll see a repeat of the Tian family's downfall and the Six Ministers' mess – a disaster for future generations. We need a plan, and we need it now. Like the old saying goes, "If you ain’t careful, things will fall apart." Your Majesty, you must consider this seriously, stabilize the political situation, and win over your people by being fair. That's what will keep the country running smooth!

After the memorial was presented, the Emperor called Xiang in, sighed, and said, "Mr. Xiang, you may go back and rest first; I will consider this carefully." He then appointed Mr. Xiang as the Middle Ranks Colonel.

Xiang was a simple scholar, more interested in books and the stars than courtly life. He'd often stay up all night studying. During the Yuan Yan period, a comet appeared, and Minshan Mountain collapsed, blocking the Yong River. Xiang saw these as bad signs, noted them in the *Records of the Five Elements*, and wrote another memo.

I heard that the Shun Emperor advised Yu not to be like Danzhu and Ao; the Duke of Zhou advised King Cheng not to be like King Zhou of Yin. In the Book of Songs, it says, "The lessons of the Shang dynasty are still relevant, echoing the downfall of the Xia," which also shows that King Tang took King Jie as a lesson. Throughout history, sage rulers have warned themselves with the lessons of past failures, not avoiding the rise and fall, so I boldly speak out and earnestly ask Your Majesty to consider my suggestions.

First, let's talk about the 242-year Spring and Autumn period, during which a total of 36 eclipses occurred, especially during the reign of Duke Xiang, with an average of one eclipse every three years and five months. From the founding of the Han Dynasty to the Jingning era, there were also many eclipses during the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, with an average of one eclipse every three years. I have said before that eclipses will occur, and now they have happened consecutively within three years. This is highly significant. Since the Han Dynasty's founding, eight eclipses have occurred in twenty years, averaging one every two years and six months, which is rare in ancient and modern times. The intensity, frequency, and divinatory interpretations of eclipses varied, and these are the basis for sages to judge difficult issues. The Book of Changes says, "Read the heavens to understand the times."

Confucius once told Duke Ai of Lu that the tyranny of Xia Jie and Shang Zhou disrupted the calendar, misaligned the stars, and even omitted the Mengzou month—all harbingers of dynastic change. From the end of the Qin Shihuang period to the second emperor period, solar and lunar eclipses occurred; mountains collapsed, the earth split, the morning star appeared in the Four Meng (four months), Venus crossed the sky horizontally, thunder sounded without clouds, night skies blazed with meteors, the comet covered the moon, fires destroyed palaces, wild birds played in the court, city gates collapsed, giants appeared in Lintao, meteorites fell in Dongjun, the comet passed through the Great Horn star, and the Great Horn star disappeared afterwards. Look at what Confucius said, and then consider the various omens of the tyrannical Qin; Heaven's will is a force to be reckoned with.

When Xiang Yu failed, a comet swept past the Big Dipper. When the Han Dynasty invaded the Qin Kingdom, a cluster of five stars appeared in the asterism of Eastern Well, which was a sign of obtaining the world. During the reign of Emperor Xiaohui, there was blood rain, a solar eclipse occurred, and a star vanished. During the reign of Emperor Xiaozhao, a stone on Mount Tai stood up by itself, the dead willows in Shanglin Park sprouted again, a large star moved westward like the moon, and many stars followed it; these were all very special phenomena. Before Emperor Xiaoxuan ascended the throne, the Dog Star, along with the Han Dynasty's asterisms, moved west. There was a drought lasting over twenty days, and the King of Changyi died early, all of which were recorded in the "Records of the Han Dynasty." Look at the changes between the Qin and Han Dynasties, see how Emperor Hui and Emperor Zhao did not leave heirs, note the early death of the King of Changyi, and then observe the ascension of Emperor Xiaoxuan – doesn’t that show how heaven decides the fate of dynasties? During the reigns of Gaozong and Chengwang, there were also unusual phenomena such as the sight of a pheasant crowing and a tree uprooting itself; they were able to contemplate the reasons for these phenomena, so Gaozong lived to be a hundred, and Chengwang also received rewards from heaven. Heaven's blessings and curses follow like a shadow – everyone knows that.

Your Highness, I am fortunate to have the opportunity to serve by your side and sincerely feel that you possess great moral character. I hope you can resolve our conflicts and bring about a prosperous era like Emperor Gaozong and King Cheng, thus strengthening the Liu dynasty. This is why I have taken the risk to report multiple times, exposing corruption and requesting severe punishment for those involved. Recent events have been numerous, such as consecutive solar eclipses, stars appearing in the Eastern Well, and the planet Jupiter entering the Purple Forbidden enclosure. Even the wisest elders were alarmed by these significant changes! It is difficult to explain these events clearly, and as the Book of Changes states, "Writing cannot fully express meaning, and speech cannot fully convey thoughts." Therefore, I use hexagrams and line texts to express these events, and further explanations are needed. Just as the Shangshu says, "Use pictures to explain," astronomical phenomena are hard to understand. Although I have drawn diagrams, verbal explanations are still necessary for clarity. I hope you can give me some time to present these diagrams to you in person.

Although the Emperor has granted me an audience, he ultimately did not accept my suggestions. Every time he summoned me before, I repeatedly told him, "The imperial family is the backbone of the nation; if it weakens, the whole country will crumble. Currently, the same clan is distant, and power is in the hands of powerful relatives. State salaries are given to them, and power is also in their hands. This is not the way to secure the dynasty and the realm!" I used to be trusted by the Emperor, so I often publicly criticized the faults of the royal family, the Wang faction, and those powerful ministers. I spoke my mind plainly. The Emperor wanted to promote me to the Nine Ministers several times, but was always stopped by the Wang faction and the Prime Minister, so I never received a promotion. I served as a high-ranking official for over thirty years and passed away at the age of seventy-two. Thirteen years after my death, the Wang faction usurped the Han dynasty.

My three sons were all very studious: the eldest, Ji, taught the Book of Changes and became a county magistrate; the second, Ci, became a minister and passed away early; the youngest, Xin, was the most famous.

Sanxin, courtesy name Zijun, was already well-versed in the *Classic of Poetry* and the *Classic of Documents* as a young man, and a skilled writer. He was summoned by Emperor Cheng, served in the imperial palace administration, and later became a Yellow Gate Attendant (a junior official). During the Heping period, he was ordered to help edit the imperial archives with me, explaining everything from the Six Arts and classical literature to mathematics and technical skills, mastering it all. After my death, Xin was promoted to the position of Commander of the Central Guard.

When Emperor Ai had just ascended the throne, Wang Mang, the Grand Marshal, recommended Xin, praising his noble family background and talent. As a result, he was appointed as a Palace Attendant and Grand Master, later promoted to Cavalry Commandant and Minister of the Imperial Chariots, gaining the Emperor's favor. He continued to study the Five Classics and inherited my previous research. Xin also collected and organized the Six Arts and various books, compiling them into the *Seven Strategies*, as recorded in the *History of the Han, Treatise on Arts and Literature*.

Xiang Shi and Liu Xin were both dab hands at the *I Ching*. Under Emperor Xuan, Xiang Shi was ordered to study the *Gu Liang Chunqiu*. After a decade and more, he'd mastered it. Later, Liu Xin, while proofreading the imperial library, stumbled upon an ancient edition of the *Zuo Zhuan*, and was hooked. Prime Minister Shi Yinxian, another *Zuo Zhuan* expert, joined him in the task. He also picked the brains of Shi Yinxian and Prime Minister Zhai Fangjin, digging deep into the text's meaning. The *Zuo Zhuan* was full of archaic words and phrases, and scholars just taught what they'd always been taught. But Liu Xin used the commentary to illuminate the text, and vice versa, creating a complete and coherent understanding. Liu Xin was cool, collected, and strategic; he and his son were both bookworms with encyclopedic knowledge, iron wills, and exceptional intelligence. Liu Xin figured Zuo Qiuming's take on things aligned with the sages', and he'd actually met Confucius. The Gongyang and Gu Liang schools came later, after the Seventy Disciples – hearsay and eyewitness accounts are bound to differ. Liu Xin constantly challenged Xiang Shi, who couldn't hold his ground but stuck to his *Gu Liang Chunqiu* interpretation anyway.

Later, Liu Xin gained power and wanted to include the "Zuo Zhuan," "Book of Songs," "Yi Li," and "Shang Shu" in the imperial curriculum. Emperor Ai ordered Liu Xin and Five Classics scholars to explain the classics together, but some scholars were unwilling to debate with him. Liu Xin then wrote a letter to the Tai Chang scholars, rebuking them, saying: "In the past, after Tang, Yao, Shun, Xia, Shang, and Zhou, three generations rose, with wise emperors appearing one after another; their methods of rule were very remarkable. After the decline of the Zhou Dynasty, the rites and music system deteriorated, showing how difficult the inheritance of the Way was. Therefore, Confucius worried that his Way could not be implemented, so he traveled to other states to teach. After returning from the State of Wei to the State of Lu, he began to compile the classics, arranging the "Ya" and "Song" sections of the "Book of Songs" in their proper places; he compiled the "Book of Changes," corrected the "Shang Shu," and wrote the "Spring and Autumn Annals" to record the governance of the emperors.

After Confucius died, his profound thoughts were interrupted, and after the death of his seventy disciples, there were deviations in the principles of Confucianism. During the Warring States period, people abandoned ritual sacrifices and focused only on military strategies, suppressing the Confucian tradition while the theories of Sun Tzu and Wu Qi on military strategy flourished. During the Qin Dynasty, the government implemented a policy of burning books and burying Confucian scholars alive, perpetrating a grave historical crime and leading to the extinction of the Way.

By the Han Dynasty, the wisdom of the ancient sage-kings and their methods of governance were largely lost, Confucian teachings had been disrupted, and ancient institutions were no longer applicable. At that time, only Shusun Tong cobbled together the ritual system, and throughout the country, only the "Book of Changes" was used for divination, with almost no other books remaining.

During the reign of Emperor Xiaohui, the prohibition on storing books was finally lifted. However, officials and ministers like Zhou Bo, Marquis of Jiang, and Guan Ying were all military generals who couldn't care less about it. It was not until the reign of Emperor Xiaowen that classical scholars were instructed to learn "Shangshu" from Fusheng. "Shangshu" was initially discovered on the walls, with many sections decayed and broken. Only what teachers passed down through generations survives. It was during this time that the "Book of Songs" began to spread. Writings from various schools of thought started to emerge, and the court established numerous professorships to teach these doctrines. Of the Han Dynasty's Confucian scholars, only Jia Yi was noteworthy.

During the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, teachers specializing in explaining the "Book of Songs," "Book of Rites," and "Spring and Autumn Annals" started appearing in Shandong, Lu, Liang, Zhao, and elsewhere. Most of these teachers emerged during the Jianyuan era. Back then, no one person could master all the classics; some focused on the Odes of the Book of Songs, while others studied different texts, needing teamwork to get it done. Later, the "Tai Shi" was discovered, and the scholars read it together. Therefore, Emperor Wu of Han lamented in his decree, "Our rituals and music have decayed, our books are incomplete—this grieves me deeply!" The Han Dynasty had been established for seventy to eighty years, and getting a complete set of classics seemed a long way off.

Duke Lu Gong demolished Confucius' house, intending to convert it into a government building. However, ancient classics were discovered in the collapsed walls, including thirty-nine chapters of "Yi Li" and sixteen chapters of "Shang Shu." After the Han Dynasty, Kong Anguo had submitted these ancient texts, but due to being implicated in the witchcraft scandal, they were not implemented in time. Later, the "Spring and Autumn Annals" revised by Zuo Qiuming also used these ancient classics, with many different versions stored in the royal archives without being utilized. Emperor Han Xiaocheng felt that the knowledge at the time was incomplete and far from the true ancient texts. Therefore, he ordered these treasured ancient texts to be taken out, compiled and corrected, resulting in this scholarly undertaking used to verify the classics passed down by scholars at the time, as some pages were missing or pieced together. He also sent people to investigate among the common people and found that the knowledge left by Duke Huan of Lu, Duke Guan of Zhao, and Yong Sheng of Jiaodong was consistent with these ancient texts, but this knowledge was not valued. These scholars were heartbroken!

In the past, those who studied did not care about the lack of knowledge, getting bogged down in minutiae, and learning their whole lives without truly understanding anything. They memorized but didn't grasp the underlying principles, learning shallow understanding rather than the orthodox ancient knowledge. When the country held major ceremonies (elaborate imperial ceremonies) such as the establishment of Bi Yong, Fengshan, or Xunshou, they were at a loss and did not know how to proceed. They only wanted to hold onto their incomplete knowledge, fearing it would be exposed, acting out of self-interest, lacking a sense of responsibility for the country and knowledge, even feeling jealousy towards each other, not seriously verifying, blindly following the crowd, simply parroting others, suppressing these three major forms of knowledge, claiming that "Shang Shu" was enough, and stating that the Zuo Zhuan was not the orthodox "Spring and Autumn Annals," which is truly a shame!

The Emperor's a smart cookie, following in his father's footsteps, and is also worried about the mess in the scholarly world. Although the ministers understand the Emperor's intentions, they still hem and haw, and the Emperor was happy to hash it out with these scholars. So the Emperor issued a decree to test out 'Zuo Zhuan' as a textbook, sending his guys with the imperial decree to help those no-name scholars in the hope of restoring this lost knowledge. However, the situation is different now; they are holed up and refusing to play ball, even saying that this knowledge has been lost and want to shut down other avenues and kill off these weak ideas. Those only in it for the quick buck are difficult to plan for long-term matters with; that's just how regular folks roll, not scholars. Besides, the late Emperor checked these texts out himself, and this Emperor's done the same. The evidence is there, it all lines up – they ain't fake!

Man, with morals going down the drain and everyone chasing pleasure, same goes for ancient texts, right? In the past, there were scholars who spoke of the "Book of Documents," "Spring and Autumn Annals," and "Book of Changes," but Emperor Xiaoxuan also established the "Gu Liang Chunqiu," "Liang Qiu Yi," and "Da Xiao Xiahou Shangshu." Even though they contradicted each other, he kept 'em all. Better to keep 'em all, even if some are wrong, than lose the good stuff. There's an old saying: "The wisdom of the past isn't lost, it's all about the person. Smart guys see the big picture, dumb guys get hung up on details." These different takes all have something to offer – why ditch any of them? If you're gonna be stubborn, cling to scraps, gang up, be jealous of real knowledge, ignore the Emperor's orders, then you're playing right into those pencil-pushers' hands. That ain't how a real man acts!

The words spoken were pretty harsh, and many Confucian scholars resented him for it. At that time, the respected Confucian scholar Gong Sheng wrote a letter to the emperor about this matter, deeply blaming himself and requesting retirement. Later, the Confucian teacher Dan became the Grand Minister of Works, and he also blew his top, accusing Liu Xin of messing with the old rules and badmouthing the emperor's policies. The emperor said, "Liu Xin wanted to promote scholarship, how can it be considered slander?" Liu Xin offended the bigwigs, was mocked by many Confucian scholars, feared being executed, and asked for a transfer to a local post, becoming the Prefect of Henei. Because members of the royal family were not suitable for official positions in the Three Rivers region, he was transferred to Wuyuan County to serve as Prefect, and later to Zhuo County, serving as Prefect in three counties. Several years later, due to illness, he resigned and was reappointed as Anding's Commandant. Just as Emperor Ai passed away, Wang Mang took power. When Wang Mang was young, he served as a Yellow Gate Attendant with Liu Xin, highly valuing him, and recommended Liu Xin to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager kept Liu Xin on as the Right Cao's Grand Master, later promoting him to commander of the Imperial Guard, chief secretary, and Prefect of Jingzhao, entrusting him with the renovation of the Ming Hall and Bi Yong, and appointing him as the Marquis of Hongxiu. He was also responsible for the affairs of the Confucian scholars, historians, and diviners, working on the laws and calendars, and wrote the "Three Unified Calendar Records." Initially, Liu Xin changed his name to Liu Xiu in the first year of Jianping, with the style name Ying Shu. After Wang Mang usurped the throne, Liu Xin became the National Teacher, and his subsequent deeds are recorded in the "Book of Han, Biography of Wang Mang." It is said, the ancients said: "Finding talented people is hard, but it's not impossible!" After Confucius, there were many more writers, but truly talented ones were few, such as Mencius, Sun Kuang, Dong Zhongshu, Sima Qian, Liu Xiang, Yang Xiong, all of whom were knowledgeable and talented, well-versed in ancient and modern, and their writings were beneficial to future generations. Ancient books also say: "When the sage does not appear, there will be those destined to change the world," so, were they the ones the old saying meant?

Liu Xiang's "Commentary on the Hong Fan" explains the meaning of the "Spring and Autumn commentary" clearly, discussing the relationship between heaven and man; his "Seven Summaries" categorized various books and outlined the key ideas of different schools of thought; there is also the "Chronology of the Three Dynasties," which studied the laws of the movements of the sun, moon, and stars, clearly showing his dedication to understanding the root causes of things. Thinking about the horrific border wars that Liu Xiang described still breaks my heart! He used history's rise and fall to clearly support his arguments. Wasn't he a truly exceptional friend – upright, knowledgeable, and rare?

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Written by: Realhistories

Category: The Book of Han (漢書)

Published: 30 November 2024

Created: 30 November 2024

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Liu Jia was the King of Jing and a cousin/distant cousin of the founding emperor Liu Bang. We don't know much about his early military career. In 206 BC, after Liu Bang pacified the Three Qins, Liu Jia was appointed as a general in charge of consolidating the border areas. He later fought Xiang Yu in the east.

Once, Liu Bang was defeated in Chenggao and forced to cross the Yellow River northward, where he joined forces with the armies of Zhang Er and Han Xin, stationed in Xiuwu, building strong defenses. Liu Bang sent Liu Jia to lead twenty thousand troops, along with several hundred cavalry, to attack the Chu army. They crossed the Baima Ford into Chu territory and burned Chu supplies to weaken Xiang Yu. When the Chu army attacked later, Liu Jia always avoided battle and instead covered each other's backs with Peng Yue. Liu Bang pursued Xiang Yu to Guling and then sent Liu Jia to cross the Huai River to besiege Shou Chun. After Liu Bang got back, he sent someone to get Chu's Grand Marshal, Zhou Yin, on their side. Zhou Yin indeed betrayed Xiang Yu, helped Liu Jia capture Jiujiang, and welcomed the army of Ying Bu. They met at Gaixia and finished off Xiang Yu. Afterwards, Liu Bang appointed Liu Jia to command the army of Jiujiang and attacked Gong Wei, the King of Linjiang, from the southwest, who died in battle, leading to the renaming of Linjiang as Nanjun.

Liu Jia made many contributions, but Liu Bang's son was young, he had few brothers, and they weren't very capable. Liu Bang wanted to appoint some relatives with the same surname as kings to consolidate his rule, so he decreed, "General Liu Jia has made contributions; one of his sons should be made king." The ministers all said, "Liu Jia should be King of Jing, ruling the area east of the Huai River." Liu Jia became the King of Jing for six years, but then Ying Bu, the King of Huainan, rebelled and attacked Jing from the east. He was defeated, fled to Fuling, and was killed.

Liu Ze, King Yan, was Liu Bang's cousin. In 204 BC, Liu Ze served as a low-ranking official. In 200 BC, he attacked General Wang Huang, who served under Chen Xi, and was later appointed as the Marquis of Yingling (a title of nobility).

During the reign of Empress Dowager Lü, there was a man from the Qi state named Tian Sheng. He ran out of money while traveling and couldn't afford to return home. He used his painting skills to please the Marquis of Yingling at that time (later the Prince of Langya), Shen Shiqi. Shen Shiqi was very pleased and gave him a fortune—200 catties of gold—as a gift. After receiving the money, Tian Sheng hightailed it back to the Qi state.

Two years later, Shen Shiqi sent someone to tell Tian Sheng, "I regret it; I won't give you the money!" Tian Sheng ran to Chang'an but didn't dare to see Shen Shiqi. Instead, he rented a large house to live in and had his son brown-nose the eunuch Zhang Qing, who was favored by Empress Dowager Lü. After living there for a few months, Tian Sheng's son invited Zhang Qing to their home as a guest and prepared a feast. When Zhang Qing arrived and saw Tian Sheng's house and furnishings, which were fit for a marquis, he was shocked. After drinking, Tian Sheng secretly told Zhang Qing, "I have observed the mansions of more than a hundred princes, all of whom were loyalists of Emperor Gaozu. Now, the Lü clan, which originally strongly supported Emperor Gaozu in taking over the world, has great merit, and the Empress Dowager is a relative who supports them. The Empress Dowager was getting on in years, and the Lü clan was a bit of a lightweight. She wants to make Lü Chan the King of Lü and, in the future, let the Lü clan inherit the throne. The Empress Dowager is anxious, afraid that the ministers will not agree. You are now the most trusted person of the Empress Dowager, and the ministers all respect you. Why don't you drop hints to the ministers to tell the Empress Dowager about this? The Empress Dowager will be very happy. If the Lü clan becomes king, you can also be appointed as a powerful marquis! The Empress Dowager wants to do this, but you're in the inner circle, so tread carefully, or you'll get yourself into hot water."

When Zhang Qing heard this, he felt that Tian Sheng's words made perfect sense, so he secretly told the ministers about this matter. When the Empress Dowager held court, she asked the ministers for their opinions. The ministers requested that Lü Chan be made the King of Lü. The Empress Dowager rewarded Zhang Qing with a thousand gold, and Zhang Qing gave half of it to Tian Sheng. Tian Sheng refused, instead advising Zhang Qing, "If Lü Chan becomes king, a lot of ministers would be unhappy. Right now, Marquis Shen Shiqi of Yingling is a relative of the Liu clan and a great general. He definitely won't be happy. After you tell the Empress Dowager about this matter, have her appoint Shen Shiqi as king, give him ten or so counties to make him happy; this way, the Lü clan's kingship will be more secure." Zhang Qing followed Tian Sheng's advice, and because the Empress Dowager's sister, Lady Lü Xu, was Shen Shiqi's wife, the Empress Dowager ultimately appointed Shen Shiqi as the King of Langya. King Langya and Tian Sheng immediately fled their fiefdom without stopping. Once they were past Hangu Pass, the Empress Dowager indeed sent people to chase after them. They'd already left, but turned back.

In the second year of King Langya Liu Ze's reign, the Empress Dowager passed away. Liu Ze said, "The emperor's young, the Lü clan runs the court, and the rest of the Liu clan are weaklings." So he led his troops to join forces with the Prince of Qi, planning to attack the Lü clan. When they reached Liang, they heard that General Guan was stationed in Xingyang, so Liu Ze changed direction, retreated to defend the west, then hot-footed it to Chang'an. The Prince of Dai also arrived from Dai. King Langya and the generals put the Prince of Dai on the throne. In the first year of Emperor Wen's reign, Liu Ze became the King of Yan, and the Langya kingdom was reassigned to the Qi kingdom.

King Yan Liu Ze died in his second year of reign, given the posthumous title of King Jing. His son, King Kang Liu Jia, succeeded him but died nine years later. His son, Liu Dingguo, then took the throne. Liu Dingguo slept with his father's concubine and had a son with her. He also took his younger brother's wife and committed incest with his three children. Liu Dingguo wanted to kill an official named Fei Ru and the inhabitants of Yingdi, who then reported him. Liu Dingguo sent people to arrest and kill these individuals under false charges to silence them. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, the brothers of the inhabitants of Yingdi wrote a detailed account of Liu Dingguo's crimes. The court officials all agreed that "Liu Dingguo was a total monster, a disgrace to humanity, defying Heaven itself. He deserved to die!" The Emperor approved their request. Liu Dingguo committed suicide, and his kingdom was abolished forty-two years later. During the reign of Emperor Ai of Han, in order to continue the bloodline of the Liu Ze family, Liu Ze's great-grandson's son Wuzhong Gong Shiguisheng was posthumously made the Marquis of Yingling. However, he was later killed during the chaos of the Gengshi era.

King Wu, Liu Bi, was the son of Liu Bang's brother, Liu Zhong. Liu Bang made Liu Zhong the King of Dai. When the Xiongnu attacked Dai, Liu Zhong couldn't hold it and ran off to Luoyang to surrender. The Emperor, being his brother, let him off, demoting him to Marquis of Heyang instead. His son Liu Bi was conferred the title of Marquis of Pei. Later, when Jing Bu rebelled, Liu Bang personally led the army to suppress the rebellion. At twenty, Liu Bi was a cavalry officer under Liu Bang, helping defeat Jing Bu. Jing Bu killed Prince Jing, Liu Jia, leaving no heir. Liu Bang worried that Wu and Kuaiji were too tough to handle and needed a strong prince – his own sons were too young. Therefore, he appointed Liu Bi as King of Wu, allowing him to rule over three commanderies and fifty-three cities. After Liu Bi got the royal seal, Liu Bang summoned him, took one look, and said, "You look like trouble!" Liu Bang regretted it instantly, clapped him on the back, and said, "Fifty years from now, the southeast will be in revolt. Don't let it be you! We're all family, but watch yourself!" During the reign of Emperors Xiaohui and Empress Lü, things were finally calming down, and the princes were busy keeping the peace and running their lands. In Wu, Yuzhang's Copper Mountain was a hotbed of illegal activity. Runaways flocked there to make fake money and boil sea salt, so taxes were unnecessary, and the treasury overflowed.

Later, during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, the Crown Prince of the State of Wu came to the capital to see the Emperor. He was also invited to play a board game with the Crown Prince. The teacher of this Wu Crown Prince was from the State of Chu, gruff and arrogant. During the game, the Wu Crown Prince was pushy and rude, which angered the Crown Prince, who flipped the board in a rage and killed him. His body was then sent back to Wu for burial. Upon hearing this, the King of Wu was furious, saying, "The whole world belongs to one Emperor. If my son dies in Chang'an, he should be buried in Chang'an. Why send him back?" So he sent his son back to Chang'an for burial. The King of Wu had a chip on his shoulder over this incident, becoming increasingly disrespectful and often faking sick to avoid attending court. The court knew it was because of his son, so they secretly investigated and found he was not actually ill. Any messengers from Wu were picked up, questioned, and punished by the court. Fearing the consequences, the King of Wu plotted how to deal with the court. He later sent messengers to get even with the court, but the Emperor grilled the Wu messengers. Helplessly, the messengers said, "Things are looking grim! The King of Wu pretended to be sick at first, but now that he has been exposed and questioned, he is even more fearful and reclusive. He is probably afraid that Your Majesty will kill him, and now he has played his last card. Only Your Majesty can cut him some slack and give him a break!" Upon hearing this, the Emperor pardoned the messengers from Wu and allowed them to return, also giving the King of Wu some walking sticks so he wouldn't have to come to court anymore.

Finally, Wu Guo could breathe easy, and the Wu King's scheming died down. However, thanks to its copper mines and salt production, the people never had to pay taxes. The Wu King often looked after talented people and gave the villagers gifts during festivals. The Wu King refused to cooperate with other counties trying to arrest fugitives. This went on for over thirty years, allowing Wu Guo to flourish and grow a huge population.

It is said that back then, Chao Cuo became the Crown Prince's advisor, winning the favor of the Crown Prince. He constantly badmouthed the Wu King to the Crown Prince, urging him to reduce his territory. He also repeatedly petitioned the Emperor about this matter. Emperor Wen was soft-hearted and couldn't bring himself to act decisively, so the Wu King became more and more arrogant.

When Emperor Jing ascended the throne, Chao Cuo became the Grand Master of Remonstrance. He said to Emperor Jing, "Back when Emperor Gaozu just conquered the world, there were few brothers and the sons were young, so he generously enfeoffed kings of the same surname. He enfeoffed his son Liu Fei as the King of Qi with seventy-two cities, his brother Liu Jiao as the King of Chu with forty cities, and his nephew Liu Bi as the King of Wu with over fifty cities. These three are all relatives of the Emperor and took away almost half of the world! Now this Wu King had conflicts with the Crown Prince before, pretended to be ill, and did not attend court. By the ancestors' rules, that's a death sentence! Emperor Wen remembered the old times and did not kill him, only gave him a symbolic punishment. Wasn't that generous enough? But he showed no remorse, instead becoming more arrogant, secretly minting coins, producing salt illegally, and plotting rebellion with fugitives from across the land. If we reduce his fiefdom, he may rebel; if we don't, he will rebel sooner or later. Cutting his territory now means a quick, small rebellion; delaying it means a slow, larger one."

Three winters later, King Chu came to the capital to see the Emperor. Chao Cuo took the opportunity to tell Emperor Jing, "A few years ago, when King Chu was mourning for Queen Bo, he engaged in disgraceful conduct in the mourning residence. He should be punished for his crimes!" As a result, the Emperor issued a decree pardoning King Chu, but only having his territory reduced to just Donghai Commandery. Two years later, King Zhao made a mistake and also had his fiefdom of Changshan Commandery reduced. The King of Jiao Xi, Liu Yang, for selling official positions and titles and committing wrongdoing, also had six counties of his fiefdom reduced.

The court was discussing how to weaken the power of the Wu Kingdom. The King of Wu was afraid that his land would continue to be reduced, so he planned to rebel. He felt that other princes were not worth relying on. Hearing that King Liu Yang was brave and loved war, and that other princes feared him, he sent the official Ying Gao to persuade King Liu Yang. Ying Gao told King Liu Yang, "King Wu is not very capable and has been worrying all along. He dares not bear the responsibility alone, so he sent me to explain his thoughts to you." King Liu Yang asked, "What's his game plan?"

Ying Gao said, "The Emperor now favors treacherous officials, believes in the slanders of villains, arbitrarily changes laws, seizes the princes' land, increases taxes continuously, and harshly punishes the upright. The situation is getting worse day by day. As the saying goes, 'The truth will out.' Both Wu and Jiao Xi are well-known states, but now they are both under severe scrutiny by the court and cannot be peaceful. King Wu was unwell and hadn't been to court in over twenty years. He lived in constant fear of suspicion, unable to defend himself. He was terrified of the consequences. I heard that Your Majesty has made some mistakes regarding your title, and with the court reducing princes' territories, your guilt may not be limited to just land reduction." King Liu Yang asked, "Is that right? What's your plan?"

Ying Gao said, "Evil people help each other, good people support each other, those who sympathize with each other seek help from one another, those with common aspirations follow each other, and those with shared interests live and die together. Now King Wu believes that he and you share common concerns and hopes to offer himself as a sacrifice to end the chaos. What do you think?" King Jiaoxi said in surprise, "I couldn't possibly do that! Although the emperor is powerful, we all have to die in the end. How can we not serve him?" Ying Gao replied, "The Grand Secretary is in cahoots with the emperor, seizing the lands of the vassals and alienating loyal ministers and virtuous officials. The court is rife with discontent, and the vassals are all thinking of rebellion. The situation has reached its peak. Comets and locust plagues—signs of terrible times—have struck. The people are suffering, and it is time for the sages to rise. King Wu plans to eliminate the Grand Secretary internally and rely on your power, Your Majesty, externally. Once they strike, the whole world will fall to them. If you agree, King Wu will lead King Chu to attack Hangu Pass, guard the food in Xingyang and Aocang, resist the Han army's advance, and then station the troops to wait for you. If you can personally lead the troops, then the world can be divided evenly, with the two kings ruling their respective territories. Wouldn't that be ideal?" King Jiaoxi said, "Okay." Ying Gao returned to report to King Wu, still worried that King Jiaoxi might change his mind, so he personally went to Jiaoxi to confirm the agreement.

When the ministers of Jiaoxi heard that the king wanted to rebel, they advised him, "The combined lands of all those vassal states wouldn't even be a twelfth of the Han Empire! Don't worry the Queen Mother! One emperor is hard enough as it is. Imagine the chaos if you win—two emperors battling it out!" However, King Jiaoxi did not listen and directly contacted the states of Qi, Zichuan, Jiaodong, and Jinan, all of which agreed to support him.

Before these princes were just severely punished, they were already afraid and seething with resentment. When the orders to reduce the territories of Wu, Kuaiji (modern-day Jiangsu), and Yuzhang came down, King Liu Bi of Wu was the first to rebel, killing all senior officials below the rank of 2,000 stones in the Han Dynasty. Jiaxi, Jidong, Zichuan, Jinan, Chu, and Zhao also rebelled together, sending troops to the west. The King of Qi regretted it, violated the agreement, and shut the city gates. The walls of Jibei were not yet repaired, and his chief minister forcibly controlled the king and prevented him from sending troops. The Kings of Jiaxi and Jidong took the lead and, together with the states of Zichuan and Jinan, attacked Linzhi. The King of Zhao secretly sent people to contact the Xiongnu, preparing to join forces to fight together.

When the seven countries rebelled, King Liu Bi of Wu mobilized all the troops in the country and issued an order, saying, "I am sixty-two years old this year, personally leading the troops into battle! My son is only fourteen years old, and he is also a soldier. Every man, from my elders to my youngest son, will fight!" Shortly, more than 200,000 troops were assembled. He also sent people to contact Minyue and Dongyue, and they too sent troops to help.

In January of 154 BC, I (King Liu Bi of Wu) rebelled in Guangling! First, I crossed the Huai River and absorbed the Chu army. Then I sent envoys to write letters to the various vassal kings, saying in the letter:

Hey Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, Zichuan, Jinan, Zhao, Chu, Huainan, Hengshan, Lujiang, and Changsha Prince – how's it going? I need to tell you about the situation in the Han Dynasty. There's this scumbag in charge of the Han Dynasty now. He has no merit but seizes the land of the vassals, arrests, interrogates, and punishes the ministers of the vassals, and doesn't treat us Liu family like royalty. He’s trashing everything my old man built, promoting treacherous individuals, deceiving the people, and seeking to endanger the state! The emperor is in poor health, incompetent, and can’t see clearly. I'm thinking of marching on him – what do you guys think?

My little kingdom of Wu, it's only three thousand square miles, and not many people, but I can gather an army of five hundred thousand elite soldiers. I've been buddies with Nanyue for thirty years, and their king's happy to send over another 300,000 troops. Although my abilities are limited, I’m willing to personally lead all of you in action. Nanyue troops hit Changsha. Changsha Prince, you take the north. Then, west to Shu and Hanzhong! Kings of Chu, Huainan, and Yue, you three will attack from the west with me. Kings of Qi and Zhao, you must take control of Hejian and Henei. Some troops can enter Linjin Pass, while others meet me in Luoyang. Kings of Yan and Zhao, you have an agreement with the Xiongnu king. Yan, you head north to take control of Daijun and Yunzhong, then lead the Xiongnu army to Xiaoguan, advancing straight to Chang'an. Together, let's restore order under the heavens and stabilize the temple of the founding emperor. I hope you all can strive hard!

Chu's eldest son and those three Huainan kings – they've been stewing for ten years, itching to get even. But I haven't heard from you guys, so I've been holding back. So, let's save the Liu family, kick some butt, and make history!

Although the state of Wu is poor, I have been frugal for more than thirty years, saving money, training the army, and working day and night to prepare, all for today! All of this is for this goal, hoping that everyone can work together!

Those who can kill or capture the enemy's general will be rewarded with five thousand jin of gold and appointed as a lord of ten thousand households; those who can kill or capture the enemy's column generals will be rewarded with three thousand jin of gold and appointed as a lord of five thousand households; those who can kill or capture the enemy's assistant generals will be rewarded with two thousand jin of gold and appointed as a lord of two thousand households; those who can kill or capture the enemy's officials of two thousand stones (a rank in the Han Dynasty) will be rewarded with one thousand jin of gold and appointed as a lord of one thousand households; all of these people will be appointed as lords.

If a city or army surrenders, ten thousand surrendered soldiers equals capturing a general; five thousand surrendered soldiers equals capturing a column general; three thousand surrendered soldiers equals capturing an assistant general; one thousand surrendered soldiers equals capturing an official of two thousand stones; the rewards for minor officials will decrease according to their contributions. All other rewards are double the standard military rate. If you already have a title and land, you will be further rewarded without considering your previous title and land.

I hope that you will inform all the scholars not to deceive me. I have plenty of wealth; it doesn't have to be taken from the state of Wu. You use it every day, and you can't use it all up. If someone deserves a reward, just tell me, and I will personally deliver it. I hereby inform you of these situations.

After hearing the news of the rebellion of the seven states, the emperor sent Zhou Yafu, along with thirty-six generals, to attack the states of Wu and Chu; sent Ji to attack the state of Zhao, Luan Bu to attack the state of Qi, and Dou Ying to station in Xingyang to monitor the armies of Qi and Zhao.

Initially, when news of the Wu and Chu rebellion reached the army before its departure, Dou Ying recommended the former prime minister of Wu, Yuan Ang. The emperor summoned Yuan Ang and asked him about the strategy of Wu and Chu. Yuan Ang replied, "Wu and Chu wrote letters to each other, saying that 'the villainous Zhao Cuo had been illegally shrinking the territories of the vassal states,' which is why they rebelled. Their stated goal was to jointly attack Zhao Cuo, restore the original territories, and then stand down. The best course of action would be to execute Zhao Cuo, send envoys to pardon the seven states, return their lands, and achieve a bloodless end to the conflict." The emperor took his advice and had Zhao Cuo executed. (Details are recorded in the "Biography of Yuan Ang".) The emperor appointed Yuan Ang as Tai Chang, in charge of sacrificing to the ancestral temple, and sent him as an envoy to Wu. The younger brother of the king of Wu, De Hou, was appointed as Zong Zheng to assist the imperial relatives. By the time Yuan Ang reached Wu, the combined Wu and Chu forces had already attacked Liangdi. Zong Zheng, being related to the king of Wu, went to see the king first and read the imperial edict to him. When the king of Wu heard that Yuan Ang had arrived and knew that he had come to persuade surrender, he laughed and said, "I have already proclaimed myself as the Eastern Emperor, who else should I bow to?" He refused to meet with Yuan Ang, keeping him under guard in the camp, intending to use him as a hostage. Yuan Ang refused to yield, so he was surrounded and guarded, even facing the threat of being killed. Yuan Ang escaped to Liangdi under cover of darkness and returned to court to report. Despite the emperor's best efforts, the rebellion continued unabated.

Tiao Hou Zhou Yafu led a six-carriage retinue to rush to Yingyang to meet the army. When he arrived at Luoyang, he met Ju Meng and happily said, "The seven states have rebelled. I came here with the convoy, never expected to be okay. I thought the lords had already captured Ju Meng, but now Meng is safe, and I am stationed in Yingyang, so we're good to go east of Yingyang." When he arrived at Huaiyang, he visited his father's former guest Deng Wuyou and asked him, "Got any good ideas?" Deng Wuyou said, "Wu's army is a real powerhouse; it's tough to confront them head-on. Chu's army is weak and won't last long. For the general now, the best bet is to pull back to northeast Changyi and dig in, letting Liang territory go to Wu. Wu will definitely go all out to attack Liang. You need to hold the line, send light troops to cut off the passages of Huai River and Si River, and block Wu's supply route. Let Wu and Liang bleed each other dry, wait 'til they're out of food, and you'll take Wu down." Tiao Hou said, "Good!" So he adopted his plan, defended to the south of Changyi, and sent light troops to cut off Wu's supply route. When the Wu King first started his rebellion, Wu's minister Tian Lubo served as the top general. Tian Lubo said, "All our forces are in the west; there's no other clever plan to get ahead. I want 50,000 troops to take a different route, go up the Yangtze, retake Huainan and Changsha, and then link up with the King at Wuguan. That's a winning strategy!" The prince of Wu advised, "This rebellion's army isn't loyal; anyone could turn on the King. What then? Besides, taking off with his own troops is a bad idea; he'll only hurt himself." Wu King did not agree to Tian Lubo's request.

Next, the young general Huan of the state of Wu said to the King of Wu: "Wu has many foot soldiers, suitable for fighting in difficult terrain; the Han excels in chariot and cavalry warfare on open ground. I hope we bypass all cities, advance quickly, seize Luoyang's arsenal and the granaries of Aocang, and use the natural barriers of mountains and rivers to rally the feudal lords. Even without taking Guanzhong, the empire will be ours. A slow advance, leaving cities undefended, would allow the Han's chariots and cavalry to reach Liangchu's borders and crush us." The King of Wu asked the old general of Wu, who replied, "That's just youthful bravado; he doesn't grasp the bigger picture!" So the King of Wu did not adopt General Huan's plan.

King Wu led the army alone, and before crossing the Huai River, other guests were appointed as generals, captains, lieutenants, and marshals; only Zhou Qiu did not receive an official position. Zhou Qiu, originally from Xiapi, fled to the state of Wu, where he sold wine and achieved little. King Wu looked down on him and did not grant him an official position. Zhou Qiu then went to see King Wu and said, "I am not capable enough to hold a position such as a lieutenant. I do not wish to request to be a general; I only ask for a military governor's seal. I will surely repay you." King Wu then granted it to him. After receiving the seal, Zhou Qiu quickly rushed back to Xiapi at night. When he arrived, he gathered the officials and ordered his followers to kill them on charges of treason. He then gathered his brothers and powerful local figures and declared, "The Wu army is attacking, and they'll slaughter everyone in Xiapi! Surrender now, your families will be spared, and those who contribute will be rewarded." He spread the word, and the people of Xiapi surrendered. By morning, Zhou Qiu commanded an army of thirty thousand men; he reported to King Wu and led his army to attack northern cities. By the time they reached Chengyang, the army had grown to over a hundred thousand and defeated the army of the commander of Chengyang. When he heard King Wu was routed, Zhou Qiu knew he was on his own, so he led his army back to Xiapi. Before reaching Xiapi, he died of a boil. In the second month, news of King Wu's defeat reached the Emperor, who then issued a decree to his generals, which went something like this:

"Word is, good deeds are rewarded, bad deeds punished. Our founding emperor made great achievements and established the feudal states. Both King You and King Dao Hui left no descendants, so Emperor Xiao Wen took pity on them and specially cared for King You's son Sui and King Dao Hui's son Yang, allowing them to continue worshiping at their ancestors' temples. As feudal states of the Han Dynasty, their virtue was legendary, their accomplishments unmatched. But this King of Wu betrayed morality, violated justice, and colluded with fugitives from all over the country, disrupting the nation's monetary system and shirking his duties for over twenty years by claiming illness. The court has tried to punish him many times, but Emperor Xiao Wen has always been lenient, hoping he would repent. Unexpectedly, he joined forces with Kings Chu Wu, Zhao Sui, Jiaoxi Yang, Jinan Pi Guang, Zichuan Xian, and Jiaodong Xiong Qu in a treacherous plot, threatening our ancestors' tombs, butchering officials and messengers, terrorizing the populace, and committing unspeakable atrocities. They've gone so far as to burn down the ancestral temples and loot sacrificial items. I'm beside myself! I'm in mourning in the back rooms, and I need this dealt with NOW! General, quickly go and encourage the soldiers to crush these rebels! The more rebels you kill, the greater your merit. For every head above the rank of a 300-shi official, execute them all. No exceptions! Disobey this order, and you die!"

That's the Emperor's word. Get moving, General!

Initially, King Wu led his army across the Huai River and, in alliance with King Chu, defeated the army of Jibei, pressing their advantage. King Liang became afraid and sent generals to fight, but both armies of Liang were defeated, and the soldiers fled. Liang repeatedly pleaded for help from King Liang, but he refused. Liang appealed to the court, accusing King Liang of inaction. The court ordered him to intervene, but he found excuses to delay. Liang had no choice but to appoint Zhang Yu, brother of a fallen general from the Han-Chu alliance, as the general, and only then did they manage a small victory against the Wu army. The Wu army wanted to head west, but Liang's cities were well defended, so they did not dare to go west and instead ran to where King Liang's army was stationed, which was Xia Yi. The Wu army pressed their attack, but King Liang stayed behind his fortifications. With their food supply cut off, the soldiers were hungry and exhausted, challenging King Liang multiple times. Eventually, the Wu army secretly attacked King Liang's fortifications at night, panicking the southeast of his camp. The King ordered his army to prepare for defense in the northwest direction, and sure enough, the Wu army attacked from the northwest. The Wu army failed to break through, suffering a crushing defeat, with many soldiers starving or deserting.

So the King of Wu, with over a thousand of his best men, snuck off under the cover of darkness, crossed the Huai River, escaped to Dantu, then laid low in Dongyue. The Dongyue army had more than ten thousand troops, and the Han bribed Dongyue, who then double-crossed the King of Wu. He went to rally his troops, only to be assassinated. They chopped off his head and sent word to the emperor ASAP. His son, Ju, fled to Minyue. After the King of Wu abandoned the army and fled, the troops scattered, surrendering to General Tiao Hou and the Liang forces. Chu's King Wu's army was crushed, and he killed himself. Linzi, Qi's capital, was under siege by three other states for three months, but they couldn't crack it. The King of Jiaoxi was sitting there barefoot, guzzling water, apologizing to the Empress Dowager. His son, Prince De, said, "The Han army has withdrawn; I see that they are exhausted. Now is a good time for a surprise attack! Let's quickly gather the remaining troops and catch them off guard. Even if we lose, we can always escape to the sea!" The King of Jiaoxi said, "My soldiers are exhausted and cannot be used anymore." He blew him off.

General Gonggao sent a letter to King Jiaoxi, saying: "I've come to deal with some bad guys under the Emperor's orders. Anyone who doesn't surrender is toast! What do you intend to do? Make a decision quickly!" King Jiaoxi, with his bare arms, bowed his head so fast it was like a hummingbird's wings, ran to the gate of the Han army camp, and said, "I'm clueless about the law, I've upset the people, and I've caused you guys a lot of trouble coming all this way to our little backwater. I am willing to accept the punishment of being executed!" General Gonggao came out with a golden drum to meet him, saying, "Rough day, huh? Please tell me about the process of your mobilization." King Jiaoxi knelt down, bowed in apology, and said, "Recently, the court is dominated by those treacherous officials who have altered the laws of the former Emperor and seized the land of the princes. I and other princes feel that they are too unjust, afraid that they will cause chaos in the world, so the seven states joined forces to kill that rat Chao Cuo. Now I heard that Chao Cuo has already died, and we have withdrawn our troops back to our country." The general said, "Since you think Chao Cuo is not good, why didn't you report to the court earlier? Without the Emperor's seal, you mobilized troops to attack a just country. From these things, you are probably not just trying to kill Chao Cuo, right?" Then the general showed the Emperor's edict to King Jiaoxi and said, "You're on your own!" King Jiaoxi said, "I deserve to die!" After speaking, he committed suicide. They also whacked the Queen Mother and the Crown Prince. They offed the kings of Jiaodong, Zichuan, and Jinan, too. General Li attacked the state of Zhao, and after ten months, he conquered Zhao, and the King of Zhao committed suicide. The King of Jibei was not executed because he was forced to rebel. King Wu was the first to rebel; he even got Chu troops on his side and allied with the states of Qi and Zhao. He started his rebellion in January, but by March, he was toast.

So, King Jing, or King Chu as he's also known, was appointed as king during the early days of the Han Dynasty. Back then, the country wasn't fully unified, so even though his territory was relatively remote, he managed to become king through his own strategies and guarded the Jianghuai region. Then there's Liu Ze, who started as a nobody, using tricks to deal with the Lu family, and as a result, his descendants were kings for three generations—three generations of emperors, can you believe it?! That's a pretty scary story, huh?

And then there's the King of Wu, who occupied advantageous positions in the mountains and seas, kept taxes low, so everyone loved him. But his son was the start of all the family's problems. Back then, kingdoms were usually small, and important places like that weren't given to lords—to stop this kind of thing happening! And Chao Cuo, he considered the country's long-term interests, but the calamity ended up falling on him. That old saying, "Don't seek power, or you'll pay the price," really applies to him! So true!