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卷六十六 陳王列傳

Volume 66: Biographies of Chen, Wang

Chapter 73 of 後漢書 ✓ Translated
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Chapter 73
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Chen Fan, whose courtesy name was Zhongju, came from Pingyu in Runan. His grandfather had been governor of Hedong. At fifteen, Fan once sat idle in a single room while weeds choked the courtyard. A friend of his father’s, Xue Qin from the same commandery, paid a call and asked, “Why not tidy the place if you mean to entertain visitors?” Fan replied, “A man of stature clears injustice from the realm—what are four walls to him?” Seeing that Fan meant to set the world to rights, Qin was deeply impressed.
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He began his career in the local administration, earned nomination as Filial and Incorrupt, and received appointment as a Gentlemen of the Palace. When his mother died, he resigned his post and observed mourning. After the mourning term ended, Inspector Zhou Jing brought him on as Attendant Clerk for the Separate Carriage. [1] They argued repeatedly until Fan threw down his credentials and walked away. [2] Later the central government repeatedly recommended him as Upright and Incorrupt; he declined every summons. Note [1] The Continued Treatise on Han explains that the Attendant Clerk for the Separate Carriage leads the escort when the regional inspector makes his rounds and coordinates all official business on that circuit.
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Note [2] The verb rendered “cast aside” means to discard. “Tallies” denotes the official credentials; it is read with the fan pronunciation associated with “ding-luan.”
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Grand Commandant Li Gu recommended him in a memorial; the court summoned Fan as a Court Gentleman and soon promoted him twice, making him governor of Le’an. [1] Li Ying was then governor of Qing Province, where his reputation for tough governance persuaded many county magistrates to resign—yet Fan remained, widely noted for an honest administration. Zhou Qiu, a man of the commandery, was celebrated for moral purity. [2] Successive governors had invited him without success; Fan alone won him over. Fan called him by his style, not his given name, reserved a couch just for him, and stored it away whenever Zhou departed—an exceptional mark of respect. Zhou Qiu, courtesy Mengyu, hailed from Linji and carried an esteemed name. [3] A commoner named Zhao Xuan left the tomb passage open after burying his parents, moved inside, and kept mourning for over twenty years; neighbors hailed him as a paragon of filial piety, and provincial authorities repeatedly tried to honor him. Local officers touted Zhao to Fan. At their meeting Fan asked after Zhao’s family and learned that all five sons had been conceived while Zhao pretended to mourn inside the tomb. Fan’s temper flared: “The sages framed ritual so that the worthy can humble themselves to it and the unworthy may still stretch toward it.” [4] Sacrifices must not be multiplied; repetition breeds irreverence.” [5] What of hiding in a grave to beget children—duping the public and defiling the dead?” He pressed charges against Zhao Xuan. Note [1] The Continued Treatise on Han records that Le’an was once called Qiansheng until Emperor He renamed it.
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Note [2] The graph 璆 is pronounced like 仇.
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Note [3] *Yan sui* refers to the underground passage of a tomb. Du Yu’s commentary on the *Zuo Tradition* defines a tunnel cut through earth as a *sui*.
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Note [4] The *Record of Rites* states that three years of mourning repay parental kindness. The worthy bow themselves into it; the unworthy still strive to meet it.”
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Note [5] *Du* means irreverent excess. The same classic adds that offerings must not be repeated too often, lest they become routine and lose awe.
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General-in-chief Liang Ji dominated the court and sent Fan a note seeking a favor, but Fan refused the channel. When a courier lied his way into an audience, Fan had him flogged to death and was consequently demoted to magistrate of Xiuwu. He rose again and became a Master of Writing.
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While Lingling and Guilin bandits terrorized the hills, ministers debated a punitive expedition, and an edict invited every province to nominate Filial and Incorrupt men and men of abundant talent without restriction.
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Fan answered with a memorial: “When Gaozu founded the dynasty, he let the realm catch its breath and cared for the people as his own babes. [1] The folk of those two commanderies are no less your babes.” If those babes have turned into rebels, is it not because local officials bled them dry? Fan urged the throne to order the three senior ministries to audit every governor and magistrate, remove the cruel and corrupt, and install humane officials who could publish kind decrees—so revolts would end without mobilizing the army. He reminded the emperor that over two thousand gentlemen still crowded the three palaces and that the ministries swelled with supernumeraries; promote the deserving and expel the useless, he said.
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Why issue a blanket waiver that only widens the door to favor-seeking? The court favorites took offense, and Fan was sent out as governor of Yuzhang. Stern and aloof, he refused casual visitors, and locals learned to respect his distance. [2] When the capital recalled him as Prefect of the Masters of Writing, not one well-wisher escorted him past the city moat. Note [1] The *Book of Documents* promises that rulers who nurture their people as infants will pacify them.
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Note [2] When Fan buried his wife, the whole village attended except Xu Zijiang, who explained that Fan’s harsh temperament left little room for sociability.
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He advanced to Grand Herald. When Magistrate Li Yun of Baima sent a blunt memorial, Emperor Huan’s rage carried a capital sentence. Fan intervened on Li’s behalf and was stripped of office and sent home.
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The court soon recalled him as a Court Gentleman and within days named him Minister of the Imperial Clan. Enfeoffments had exploded and inner-palace favorites prospered, so Fan warned: “Those who serve the altars must serve the altars— those who serve the ruler’s person busy themselves with pleasing him.” “Honored with a seat among the Nine Ministers, I cannot stay silent without flattering you.” Feudal lords mirror the twenty-eight mansions above and guard their allotted territories below. [2] Gaozu vowed that only merit could earn a marquisate. Yet the throne revived petty deeds of Deng Zun, Henan governor Deng Wanshi’s father, restored Huang Yin’s family title, showered cronies with domains, and handed out salaries without talent—several marquises under one roof—until omens skewed, yin and yang slipped out of phase, harvests withered, and the people suffered.
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Fan admitted the titles were already granted but begged the emperor to halt there. Taxes in recent years had ruined more than half the population while thousands of harem women feasted on meat and silk and burned oil and rouge beyond counting. [2] Folk wisdom says thieves bypass homes with five daughters because daughters beggar a house— yet your inner chambers now beggar the empire!” [3] King Zhou’s Tilted Palace was dismantled to reform the realm; [4] a neglected Chu consort’s grief fired the western palace.” Hoarding unused concubines breeds resentment and invites drought and flood alike. Law restrains crime; office fits talent to task. When justice slips and the wrong men rule, the royal way cracks. Yet rumor says lawsuits spawn from spite and nobility sells to the highest bribe.
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Rot draws flies. Fan pleaded for honest evaluations and faithful advice. [5] Let the Masters of Writing and the Three Dukes own those rescripts and the full chain of reward and punishment. The emperor partly listened: he freed more than five hundred palace women yet still ennobled Huang Yin as a secondary marquis of Guannei and Deng Wanshi as marquis of Nanxiang. Note [1] The twenty-eight lodges govern each noble’s field; thus lords who mirror heaven also shield the capital on earth.
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Note [2] *Zi* here means to calculate or measure.
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Note [3] The *Record of Emperors and Kings* describes Di Xin’s Tilted Palace stuffed with concubines. King Wu of Zhou returned those women to the lords when he conquered Shang.”
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Note [4] The *Gongyang* chronicle records a fire in the western palace. He Xiu explains that Duke Xi of Lu, bullied by Duke Huan of Qi, elevated a Qi bride and abandoned his Chu consort in the western palace—her neglected sorrow fed the omen.
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Note [5] “Foot-long boards” were wooden slips about twelve inches long used for imperial rescripts.
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In Yanxi 6 the emperor traveled to Guang— (—the syllable cheng, completing the place-name Guangcheng—) —to Guangcheng—for a formal hunt on the training ground. [1] Fan remonstrated: “Rulers enter the hunting parks at most in mid-autumn at the western suburb, timing martial drills with the season, killing game to assist sacrifice and reinforce filial duty. Anything else is dissipation.” [2] Gao Yao had cautioned Shun about dissolute wandering, and the Duke of Zhou had cautioned King Cheng about sport in the fields. [3] If even those models needed the warning, what of a lesser ruler? Restraint suits even peacetime—let alone an age gutted by the “three voids” and this added danger. Farmland lies waste, the court stands empty, granaries gape—those are the three voids. Arms are still up, the realm in flight; you should be sleepless with care, not parading for sport. How can it be fitting to raise banners and revel in chariots and horses? Moreover— (earlier) —early autumn brought heavy rains just as farmers sowed wheat. To interrupt planting for beaters and road crews is not how sages show mercy to the people.
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Duke Jing of Qi wanted to tour the sea toward Langya; Yanzi described the people’s dread of war equipage until the duke abandoned the trip. King Mu of Zhou meant to race to the ends of the earth until Duke Zhai recited “Qi zhao” to bridle him. Those stories illustrate how ruinous heedless touring can be. [4] The memorial went in but was not accepted. Note [1] Guang— (the syllable “cheng”) —forms Guangcheng, the name of the hunt park west of Liang County in modern Ruzhou.
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Note [2] The *Counsels of Gao Yao* tells rulers not to encourage dissipation in the states.
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Note [3] The line comes from the *Book of Documents*, "Wu Yi."
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Note [4] “Duke Zhai” was ruler of the Zhai polity and a ranking minister at the Zhou court. His given name was Moufu. “Qi zhao” survives only as a quotation—a lost ode. The *Zuo Tradition* records King Mu’s plan to indulge his wanderlust until cart ruts and hoofprints covered the world. Duke Zhai composed “Qi zhao” to rein in the king’s appetite for travel. The verses run: how soft the prayer of *qi zhao*; it proclaims a king’s virtuous name; mind the royal standard—firm as jade, firm as gold. It uses the people’s strength yet never feasts to excess on power.” Once Fan served as Minister of the Imperial Clan alongside Huang Wan as joint overseer of appointments, their impartiality provoked powerful families to lodge complaints, and Fan lost his post. Soon the court recalled him as Supervisor of the Masters of Writing and moved him up to Grand Palace Grandee. In Yanxi 8 he succeeded Yang Bing as Grand Commandant. Fan tried to decline: “‘Commit no fault, forget nothing—hold to the old statutes’—[1] here I cannot match Minister Hu Guang.” “To align the seven regulators and expound the five canons, I fall short of Court Gentleman Wang Chang.” “In clarity of mind and fusion of civil and military talent, I am no match for Li Ying, even under sentence.” The emperor refused to let him step down. Note [1] The quotation comes from the *Book of Songs*, *Greater Odes*. The gloss praises King Cheng for governing without misstep, adhering to the inherited ritual code—the regulations left by the Duke of Zhou.
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Eunuchs such as Su Kang and Guan Ba regained power, ousted honest officials, and traded favors among themselves. Minister of Agriculture Liu You, Commandant of Justice Feng Gun, [1] and Henan Governor Li Ying each crossed the throne and paid for it. At audience Fan pressed their cause, seeking pardons and restored honors. He pleaded in earnest, again and again. The emperor turned a deaf ear; Fan rose in tears. Around then the Junior Yellow Gate Zhao Jin and Nanyang’s notorious Zhang— (—si—) —completing Zhang Fan—exploited eunuch patrons until Governors Liu and Cheng of the two commanderies tried and executed them despite an amnesty. The eunuchs seethed; compliant agencies memorialized that both governors merited public execution. Zhai Chao of Shanyang seized Hou Lan’s estates; Huang Fu of Donghai executed Magistrate Xu Xuan of Xiapi; both were shaved, collared, and sent to the Left Workshop. Fan, Liu Ju, and Liu Mao jointly pleaded for all four; the emperor bristled. Impeachment followed; Ju and Mao fell silent. Fan then submitted a solitary memorial: “Duke Huan of Qi built hegemony by putting domestic rule first; [2] For Lu, the *Spring and Autumn* notes even petty offenses.” Put your own house in order before lecturing the world.” Rebels at the border are an ailment of the limbs; Neglected domestic rule rots the heart and belly.” I lie awake and cannot eat, fearing that favorites crowd you while honest words fade, inner rot spreads, and foreign threats swell.” You vaulted from enfeoffed marquis to Son of Heaven.” [4] Even a family worth a million mourns a lost legacy—how can you who inherited the realm from the late emperor treat it lightly?” If you will not care for yourself, remember the late emperor’s labor.” The five Liang houses once poisoned the realm until Heaven inspired their purge—everyone hoped calm would follow.” That lesson is still warm, yet court favorites entwine again.” Zhao Jin and the flagrant Zhang— (si) —Zhang Fan—waxed cruel and obsequious until Governors Liu and Cheng of Taiyuan and Nanyang struck them down.” Even if killing them breached the amnesty, their aim was to cut out corruption.” What grudge could you hold?” [6] Yet petty men thrive, cloud your ears, and stir your wrath for them.” Corporal punishment would already be harsh—how much worse the headsman’s axe!” Zhai Chao and Huang Fu served the public and hated villainy: Zhai seized Hou Lan’s wealth; Huang punished Xu Xuan. Both were punished without mercy while Hou Lan still lorded it—seizing his goods was luck enough; Xuan’s crimes merited death ten times over.”
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Shen Tu Jia humiliated Deng Tong; Dong Xuan shamed a princess—yet Han Wen and Guangwu rewarded such spine; neither minister was executed for acting alone.” Today palace toadies, nursing factional spite, invent crimes and invite harsh verdicts.” They will answer with fresh slander.” Cut favorites out of policy; restore audiences so high ministers meet every five days [8] while you elevate the upright and expel sycophants.” Do that and harmony returns—auspices cannot lag.” Though my counsel disgusts you, a ruler may yet steel himself—I risk death to say it.” The memorial only deepened the emperor’s rage; he adopted nothing. Officialdom seethed at him. Eunuchs loathed Fan more each day, quashing nominations with palace edicts, while long— (—li—) —completing *shi* for junior clerks—often paid the price. They still feared to touch so eminent a minister.
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The first governor’s [ ] style was Wenli; he came from Gaotang. [9] The second governor’s [ ] style was Youping; he hailed from Shan. Both were classical scholars, outspoken in office, and combative; celebrated in life, they died in jail. Note [1] Gloss gives the *fanqie* reading *gu-ben*.
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Note [2] The *Discourses* records Duke Huan asking Guan Zhong whether the state could be secured. Guan answered, “Not yet.” “If you drill troops and stock arms, rival powers will match you.” “To win the feudal lords quickly, you may issue secret orders and delegate government.” The duke asked,
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“What does it mean to delegate through secret orders?” Guan said, “Build domestic institutions and fold military command into them.” Note [3] *Gongyang* on Zhuang 4 criticizes a joint hunt with Qi as hunting with a foe. Xi 20’s new south gate is faulted for extravagance. Hence the line “small wrongs are always written down.”
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Note [4] The gloss notes Huan’s rise from the Liwu marquisate.
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Note [5] The “five marquises” are Yin, Rang, Shu, Zhong, and Ji—executed with Liang Ji. See Liang Ji’s biography for detail.
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Note [6] *Shuowen* defines *yuan yuan* as smoldering resentment.
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Note [7] Under Wendi the favorite Deng Tong lounged beside the throne and grew negligent. Shen Tu Jia entered court, saw him, and summoned Deng by writ. When Deng arrived, Shen said, “A petty favorite who capers in the hall commits grave irreverence—he should die.” Deng kowtowed until his head bled. Wendi recalled Deng and told the chancellor, “He is my plaything—let him go.” A Huyang princess’s slave murdered in daylight and hid on her estate beyond reach. When she rode out, Magistrate Dong Xuan stopped the train, drew a line in the dust, and rebuked her. She complained; Guangwu paid Dong three hundred thousand cash. Details appear in Dong Xuan’s biography.
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Note [8] Xuandi heard business every five days as ministers reported in turn.
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Note [9] Gaotang county lies in modern Bozhou.
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In year 9 Li Ying and company entered prison as the “faction” affair was investigated. Fan sent an urgent memorial: “Wise rulers lean on good ministers;
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ruined thrones dread blunt counsel.” Tang and Wu owed Yi Yin and Lü Wang; Jie and Zhou fell because they lost good men.” [1] Ruler and minister are head and limbs—one body sharing glory or shame.” [2] Li Ying, Du Mi, and Fan Pang were stainless and gave their lives for the state.” Loyalty earned them torture—some immured, some slain or banished. Gagging the realm blinds an age no less than Qin’s burning of books and burying of scholars.” [3] King Wu honored virtue after conquering Shang; [4] you open court by killing the loyal.” Why slight good men? Why indulge evil men? Slander sounds plausible and tongues wag like panpipes [5]—enough to bewilder any ear or eye. Weal and woe turn on whether you can tell good from ill. Victory or defeat hangs on how you read men’s words. A ruler wields authority over heaven and earth and the four seas—every step must follow the sages, every move stay within the Way. A single lie can shake the realm—let alone torturing the innocent in jail and executing them in the square! When Yu traveled to Cangwu and saw an execution in the market, he left his chariot and wept that all guilt under heaven rested on him alone. That self-blame is why his house rose so fast. [6] Qing and Xu are scorched; crops fail; refugees wander; they cannot fill their bellies with beans. [7] Meanwhile the harem swells, the treasury bleeds into silks, in-laws take bribes—the classic case of “revenue left the court and policy moved to great clans.” [8] Late Zhou decay saw Heaven withhold calamities for decades— [9] Heaven still cares for Han [10] and presses omens on you to wake you up. Dispelling ill omens means restoring virtue. I stand among the Three Dukes—I cannot take pay and watch passively as the realm rises or falls. If you accept this counsel, I will gladly die dismembered. [11] The emperor hated the tone, invented a fault in Fan’s appointments, and dismissed him by edict. Note [1] Guan Longfeng served the tyrant Jie. Bigan was King Zhou of Shang’s uncle. Both spoke out; both were killed.
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Note [2] The *Book of Han* calls ruler and minister head and limbs—one body.
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Note [3] Qin’s Li Si once wrote: “The empire is pacified; farmers toil in the fields. Scholar-officials peddle old texts and confuse the people—burn every non-Qin history and every copy of the classics and masters.” The story is in the *Shiji*.
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Wei Hong’s preface says Qin, after the book burning, appointed seven hundred visiting scholars as Gentlemen but feared popular resistance. It grew melons in a warm Mount Li ravine, then asked the erudites to interpret the omen—each answer differed.
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It lured the scholars in, sprang a trap, and buried them alive when they could not agree. That spot is now Xinfeng’s “Commiserating the Ru” township. West lie Horse Valley and the pit said to hold Qin’s buried scholars.
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Note [4] The *Shiji* says King Wu honored Shang Rong’s lane and sealed Bi Gan’s tomb.
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Note [5] A *Minor Ode* likens slander to a shrill reed pipe. “Reed” here is the mouth-organ reed. The image compares slander to piping.
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Note [6] *Shuoyuan* says Yu wept over criminals. Attendants said, “Criminals deserve death—why weep so hard?” Yu answered, “Under Yao and Shun every heart matched the sage-kings.” “As their ruler I see every man go his own way—that is why I weep.” The *Book of Documents* adds, “The people’s sins are mine.” The *Zuo* says shame brought Yu and Tang success. Jie and Zhou blamed others and fell overnight.” Du Yu glosses “vigorous” as swift growth.
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Note [7] *Guangya* defines *ru* as “eat.”
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Note [8] The line echoes Confucius in the *Analects*.
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Note [9] An omen text says Heaven stopped warning wicked Lu.
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Note [10] *Liang liang* means anxious, unceasing care.
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Note [11] *Guliang* records the Jia Valley meeting where Qi humiliated Lu. Confucius said anyone who mocked a ruler should die. The marshal executed the dancers—head and body out different gates.”
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[2] No heir sits the throne; administration tightens—how can you idle in silence through such bitter days? [3] To shirk duty is no humanity!” The Ministers of Writing started in alarm and returned to work. Note [1] Gu Yong wrote that Heaven created people and set kings to rule them— (hence) —and so forth.”
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Note [2] Even after a ruler dies, law survives—act as if he still ruled. Yuan Ang said he lived and died with his lord.
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Note [3] The *Airs* compare hardship to bitter herbs. The *Zhou Hymns* speak of gathering *liao* amid domestic disaster.”
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Note [2] *Nei* is read *na*. The *Book of Documents* uses *na* for transmitting orders.
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Note [3] King Xuan of Qi said a true minister only ripens with age. The anecdote appears in *Xin xu*.
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Note [4] *Ji* means to take up a post.
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Note [5] Confucius refuses wealth gained unjustly.
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Note [6] A *Minor Ode* warns that grabbing titles breeds ruin. The gloss ties ruin to grasping office without humility.
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Note [7] Confucius warns old age against greed. The gloss defines “gain” as greed.
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Emperor Huan first meant to make his favorite Lady Tian empress. Fan insisted the Tians were too humble and the Dous a respectable house. The emperor yielded and raised Lady Dou. When she governed as regent, she leaned on Fan. Fan and General Dou Wu filled office with talent; the realm hoped for peace. [1] Yet the wet nurse Zhao Rao haunted the empress dowager while eunuchs Cao Jie and Wang Fu flattered her. She trusted them, showered offices on their kin, and let them run amok. Fan burned to purge the eunuchs; Dou Wu shared the plot. Fan thought his bond with the empress dowager guaranteed success and wrote: “Crooked words and crooked deeds cheat heaven and man. Blunt truth makes villains squint—disaster follows at once. I choose disaster over lying to heaven.” The capital buzzes that Hou Lan, Cao Jie, Gongsheng Xin, Wang Fu, Zheng [ ], and Dame Zhao’s female Masters of Writing ruin the state. [2] Flatterers rise; honest men are smeared. [3] Officials drift like kelp, chasing salary and safety. At your accession you executed Su Kang and Guan Ba— heaven and earth brightened—why after months coddle favorites again? No villains worse walk the earth. Delay will invite rebellion and imperil the altars. Publish this plea and show every schemer I oppose them.” The empress dowager ignored it; the court trembled. Fan then plotted with Dou Wu—the account is in Dou’s biography. Note [1] *Rao* is read *nai-liao*.
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Note [2] “Lady Zhao” is the wet nurse Zhao Rao. “Women Masters of Writing” are inner-palace posts.
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Note [3] Liu Xiang said flatterers of the Wangs rose while critics died.
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When the plot leaked, Cao Jie forged an edict and killed Dou Wu and company. Fan, past seventy, led eighty armed followers through Chenming Gate shouting Dou Wu had been loyal and the eunuchs traitors.
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Wang Fu met him [1] and sneered: “The late emperor had barely settled the realm—what merited three Dou marquises? He filled his halls with palace women and burned fortunes on revelry.” Is that how ministers behave?” You prop the state yet abet them—where are the real rebels?” He had Fan arrested.
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Fan brandished a sword and cursed Wang Fu until the guards hung back; reinforcements ringed him in ranks, then dragged him to the eunuchs’ northern jail. Eunuch runners [2] kicked Fan and jeered, “You decrepit fiend— can you still slash our ranks and cancel our pay?” They killed him that day.
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His kin went to Bijng; his lineage, students, and old staff lost their posts under proscription. Note [1] *Wu* here means “meet.”
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Note [2] *Zou* denotes outriders.
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Zhu Zhen of Chenliu, magistrate of Zhi, [1] quit his post to mourn Fan, buried him, and hid his son Chen Yi in Ganling. Discovery landed him in chains with his entire household. He endured the rack in silence and saved Yi. When the turbans forced a broad pardon for the “faction,” Yi returned and eventually became chancellor of Lu. Note [1] Zhi county lies in Pei commandery.
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Zhu Zhen, style Bohou, had indicted Jiyin’s governor Shan Kuang and snared Kuang’s brother, the eunuch general Chao.
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Huan caged Kuang to pressure Chao, who humbly presented himself at the jail. Ministers joked that carriages looked like chicken coops yet Zhu “hated evil like a gale.”
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The historian reflects: under Huan and Ling, men like Chen Fan built reputations and defied a darkened world. They still jousted in treacherous straits beside castrates—not for want of moral clarity. [2] Yet their age prized reclusion and ignored human duty. Retreat felt immoral, so they kept returning to office; they shouldered benevolence though the path grew steeper. [3] When fate paired them with Dou Wu, they thought heaven had offered a once-in-an-age chance. They aimed as high as Yi Yin and Lü Wang. [4] They failed to finish, yet their integrity still won the people. Han survived a century of chaos partly through men like them. Note [1] Ban Gu says rivals “raised the balance together.” The gloss explains *balance* as level scales— meaning evenly matched opponents.”
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Note [2] *Wei* means to shun.
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Note [3] Confucius asked whether bearing benevolence is not the heaviest burden— and whether stopping only at death is not the longest road.”
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Note [4] *Lin lin* describes a commanding demeanor.
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Wang Yun, style Zishi, came from Qi in Taiyuan. [1] His forebears had long held prominent local office. Guo Tai exclaimed that Wang advanced “a thousand *li* a day” and had the makings of a chief minister. He and Guo became sworn friends. Note [1] Qi is today a county in Shanxi.
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Note [2] Prince Dan’s retainer compared a steed’s peak years to a thousand-*li* day; in age even a hack beats it.”
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At nineteen he served as a commandery clerk. He hunted down the predatory eunuch’s client Zhao Jin of Jinyang and executed him. Jin’s kin bribed eunuchs; Huan summoned Governor Liu [ ] and had him die in jail. Wang escorted Liu’s bier to Pingyuan, observed three years’ mourning, then went home. Back in service he defied Administrator Wang Qiu’s appointment of the worthless Lu Fo; Qiu jailed him for execution. Inspector Deng Sheng whisked him out as Attendant Clerk for the Separate Carriage.
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Wang’s fame dates from that spat; Lu Fo lost his post.
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Note [2] *Chuan* means to summon for arrest.
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An amnesty restored him as inspector. Within days another charge jailed him. Minister Yang Ci, honoring Wang’s character, sent a messenger: “Zhang Rang’s grudge has you summoned twice in a month— think hard how deep the malice runs.” [2] Hot-blooded colleagues wept and brought poison. Wang thundered, “A minister answers for his faults with the axe—he does not take poison to cheat the law.” He threw down the cup and entered the prison wagon. At the Commandant’s yamen officials pressed for a verdict; the whole court groaned. He Jin, Yuan Wei, and Yang Ci memorialized: “Introspection moves loyal ministers— clemency toward talent steels honest men.” [3] Emperor Wen heard Feng Tang; [4] Jin Dao forgave Wei Jiang.” [5] Wang, specially appointed to pacify the province, cleared it inside a month— yet you would execute him for a procedural slip. The crime is slight and the sentence cruel—it breaks faith with the realm. We ministers cannot stay mute. He deserves the three-acacia audience that signals fair judgment of loyalty.” [6] The memorial commuted his sentence. Winter’s general amnesty skipped Wang until the three dukes intervened. He walked free the following year. Eunuchs then killed for a dirty look. [7] Fearing arrest, Wang Yun went underground between Henei and Chenliu. Note [1] *Geng* means to undergo. *Chu* means torment.
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Note [2] “Deep counsel” here means suicide.
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Note [3] *Nei shi* is introspection. *Fan ting* is listening inward. The gloss urges forgiving oneself before judging others.
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Note [4] Wendi cashiered Wei Shang of Yunzhong. Feng Tang reminded the throne that Wei Shang’s head count fell six short—Wendi demoted him— and pleaded that the law was harsh and rewards stingy.” Wendi reinstated Wei Shang the same day.
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Note [5] Wei Jiang executed Yang Gan’s driver at Quliang. The duke raged. Wei Jiang said armies honor obedience—death before disorder— and he could not escape guilt for striking the duke’s kin.” The duke answered, “My brother’s crime is my fault— do not double my shame.” He feasted Wei Jiang and promoted him.
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Note [6] Zhou ritual placed judges beneath the court’s three acacia trees—hence “three-acacia hearing.”
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Note [7] *Ya* is read *wu-jie*. The next graph is read *shi-jie*. The *Book of Han* says Yuan She killed over trifling slights.
88
[]
Note [8] *Zhuan ce* means drifting about.
89
When the emperor died Wang rushed to Luoyang to mourn. He Jin, plotting against the eunuchs, made Wang a staff adviser and then Henan governor. Emperor Xian named him Minister of the Household and then acting Prefect of the Masters of Writing.
90
Chuping 1 made him Minister of Education while he kept the prefecture. When Dong Zhuo shifted the capital west, Wang packed the palace archives and esoteric texts. In Chang’an he filed inventories for each collection. He also codified usable Han precedents and submitted them piecemeal. That the canon survived owes much to Wang Yun. With Dong Zhuo left in Luoyang, Wang ran the court.
91
Wang played the loyal confidant until Dong trusted him and let him steady the throne amid turmoil—court and palace leaned on his façade.
92
Seeing usurpation ahead, Wang Yun secretly allied with Huang Wan and Zheng Ye to kill Dong Zhuo. He staged Yang Zan as Left-General designate and Sun Rui as Nanyang governor with troops through Wu Pass—ostensibly against Yuan Shu but really to pinch Dong Zhuo and bring the emperor home. Dong grew wary and kept them in Chang’an, so Wang installed Rui and Zan in the secretariat instead.
93
[] []
In year 2 Dong Zhuo rewarded the Guanzhong contingent and made Wang Yun marquis of Wen at five thousand households. Wang refused the fief. Sun Rui argued that modesty must suit the moment— sharing honors with Dong while playing the hermit is not Laozi's 'blend your radiance with the dust.' [1] Wang yielded and accepted two thousand households. Note [1] *Laozi* counsels merging one’s gleam with the mud of the world.
94
[][] 使 [][]
Spring of year 3 brought sixty days of rain; Wang, Sun Rui, and Yang Zan climbed a terrace to pray for clear weather and revived the assassination plan. [1] Sun Rui cited omens—overcast days, bright nights, comets, moon on *Zhifa*—and said inside help must strike soon. “Act now—do not wait.” Wang agreed and recruited Lü Bu for an inside job. When Dong Zhuo came to wish the court a new year, Lü Bu ran him through. Details fill Dong Zhuo’s biography. [3] Note [1] *Shuowen* defines *ji* (clearing) as rain’s end. Nanyang folk call a break in rain *ji*.
95
[]
Note [2] *Zhifa* is an asterism. The *Shiji* places *Zhifa* among the four stars south of the Purple Palace.
96
[]
Note [3] Dong entered court because the emperor had recovered.
97
使
Wang first wanted to spare Dong’s soldiers; Lü Bu agreed. Then Wang wavered: “Those troops only obeyed their lord— pardoning them while branding their master may only spook them.” Lü wanted to share Dong’s hoard with ministers; Wang refused. He still treated Lü as a mere horseman. Lü, proud of the kill, bragged and sulked when denied spoils.
98
[] []
[1] Wang was rigid and intolerant—he had only flattered Dong out of fear. After Dong died he dropped the mask—stern, legalistic, no room for compromise—so he lost the camp. Note [1] *Leng* means sharp severity (*li-deng* fan).
99
* () * 觿使 [] [] [] []
Many officers were Liang men; Wang aimed to strip their troops. An adviser warned that Liang soldiers feared the Yuans and the Guandong hosts— if you disarm them in one stroke— (re: Guandong) —they will panic. Better put Huangfu Song in charge, garrison Shan, calm the west, and watch Guandong.” Wang said no— “The Guandong allies are on our side.” Fortifying Shan would spook the allies he trusted. Rumors swore Wang would massacre Liang men. Guanzhong garrisons armed themselves. They whispered that Ding and Cai Yong, though only Dong’s friends, had been massacred— “If Wang disarms us we will be butcher’s meat.” Li Jue and Guo Si, camped in Guandong, revolted and besieged Chang’an. Chang’an fell; Lü Bu bolted. Outside the green-lattice gate Lü asked Wang to ride with him. Wang said saving the boy emperor was his duty— if not he would die with the court. [2] He could not abandon the child emperor. He begged Lü to urge Guandong to remember the throne.” Note [1] The Han commentary describes the cyan-green lattice as imperial. Note [1] “Court” here means the emperor.
100
使
Wang had given Song Yi Zuo Fengyi and Wang Hong You Fufeng. The Sanfu was populous and rich; the rebels feared Song and Wang’s bases, so they summoned the two governors first. Wang Hong warned Song Yi: “Li and Guo spare Wang only while we hold the east— obey the summons and we die tomorrow.” What is your plan?” Song answered that one cannot flee an imperial summons. Wang Hong cried that war still raged against Dong’s clique— rebel, rally Shanxi, and turn disaster into hope.” Song refused. Wang Hong could not move alone; both went to prison. Li Jue then executed Wang, Song, and Wang Hong.
101
[][]
Wang Yun was fifty-six. His sons Gai, Jing, Ding, and a dozen kin died; nephews Chen and Ling fled home. None dared bury Wang except Zhao Jian, who quit his post as Pingling magistrate to bury him. [1] Note [1] *Jian* is read *jian* (翦).
102
[] []
Wang Hong, style Changwen, was strong and rough in his youth. As Hongnong governor he flogged and executed dozens of men who had bought office from eunuchs. He feuded with Hu Zhong, who rushed his execution in jail. Dying, he cursed: “Song Yi is a weak pedant— [2] Hu Zhong who gloats at doom will meet his own.” Hu Zhong thereafter dreamed of Wang Hong beating him and died within days.
103
[] []
Note [1] *Gou* means revile (*huo-dou* fan). Note [2] *Shu* insults Song as servile.
104
使
After the move to Xu the court reburied Wang with imperial honors and restored his regalia. His grandson Wang Hei received three hundred households at Anle.
105
Sun Rui (section heading)
106
祿
Sun Rui of Fufeng, style Junce, was a clever strategist. He credited Wang Yun alone for killing Dong and refused a fief, which saved his skin. He later served as state elder and Minister of the Imperial Clan. Yang Biao and Huangfu Song repeatedly tried to yield grand offices to him. In Xingping 2 he escorted the emperor east and died to mutineers.
107
觿 []
Zhao Jian of Changling, style Shumao, was principled and resourceful. During Chuping he oversaw appointments as a Master of Writing. Dong Zhuo repeatedly demanded favors; Zhao refused flatly. Dong called for his head; the hall shook while Zhao stayed calm. Dong thought better of it and let him go. When Chang’an fell he fled to Liu Biao. Cao Cao seized Jingzhou and greeted Zhao with “late to meet you.” He finished as senior clerk to Zhong Yao the chancellor. Note marker [1].
108
[]
Note [1] Zhong Yao (Yuanchang) served Cao Cao as chancellor.
109
[] []
The historian concludes: virtue needs strategy. Wang Yun flattered Dong until he could strike—freeing the throne for a moment. [1] Yet he never broke faith because his heart stayed loyal. Flattery, patience, and stratagem served integrity in the end. Success crowned his moral aim. Note [1] *Zhuangzi* calls such relief the emperor’s “hanging release.” The gloss explains *xuan jie* as ease.
110
Section heading: Appraisal.
111
[] [] [] []
The verse praises Chen Fan’s weed-choked yard and his wish to mend heaven’s net— Men’s plans aligned, but dark fate was not on their side. [1] The state withered when good men vanished like clouds. [2] Wang Yun hid his mind and bent his principles to unseat the tyrant. [3] He slew the monster yet died to the dregs of that evil. Fortune shifts; outcomes turn on deft or bungled policy. [4] (endnote)
112
[]
Note [1] *Ji* means “unite.” The *Zhou yi* speaks of human and spirit counsel. The gloss: Chen Fan’s plans fit, but fate did not.
113
[]
Note [2] *Tian* means “exhaust.” *Cui* means “wither.” The state sickens to death when the worthy vanish. The *Great Ode* line blames the state’s collapse on the loss of good men.
114
[] []
Note [3] That glosses Wang Yun’s feigned servility to Dong Zhuo. Note [4] Killing Dong was the deft move; dying to the sequel was the blunder.
115
Section heading: textual collation notes.
116
Critical note: Ji text reads 入 for 人 in the *yan sui* gloss.
117
Scholars add 召 before 拜 for “summoned and appointed.”
118
*[]*殿
Lacuna filled from Ji and Palace eds.
119
Emend 令 → 今 per *Kanwu*.
120
* () **[]*
Line break for Guang— (cheng) Qian Daxin: read Guangcheng; Ma Rong’s rhapsody refers to it. Adopted in this edition. Commentary aligned.
121
殿
教 corrected from 放 per Ji/Palace.
122
Lacuna read as 危 per *Yulan*.
123
* () **[]*殿
Moreover— (earlier) “Early autumn” reading from Palace ed.
124
姿姿姿
*姿 → 資 (talent) per *Kanwu*.
125
Qian Daxin: add Jinyang from Wang Yun’s biography.
126
* () **[]*殿
Nanyang’s Zhang— (si) —Fan—per Ji/Palace. Same below. Cf. Cen Zhi: 张泛 = 张泛.
127
*考竟* order corrected per *Kanwu*.
128
Hui Dong vs. Hu Guang as minister—see Liu Kai bio note. Liu Ju was never Minister; *Kaoyi* right. See Liu Kai collation.
129
*營 → 熒 per He Chuo.
130
* () **[]*
long— (li) 長史 not 長吏 per *Kanwu*. Adopted.
131
*陜 → 陝 per Ji ed.
132
殿
*菀*/*苑* variant in *Shuoyuan* title. The two graphs interchange.
133
殿
殿本 持 vs 治. *治* → *持* for Tang taboo.
134
* () *殿
kings to rule them— The gloss reads “therefore” (gu). The particle gu was deleted per the Palace edition to match Gu Yong’s biography in the *Book of Han*.
135
殿
Editions disagree on whether to write *cun* or *zai* for “remain.”
136
使殿
The graph *zhen* (shake) was miswritten as *zhen* (thunderclap) and is restored from the Ji and Palace recensions.
137
The eunuch treatise makes Shan Kuang a nephew of Chao instead of an elder brother.
138
增“能” per *Zhiyao* / Li Ciming.
139
Li Ciming argues that the *Zhiyao* recension adds the graph for "encounter" after "suffer" and that the main text should be emended to match that witness.
140
Zhang Senkai suggests inserting a second occurrence of the word commandery in that clause so that the syntax reads clearly.
141
*禁黨 → 黨禁*.
142
忿殿
The Ji and Palace manuscripts substitute the graph commonly read as "embrace" or "coerce" for the graph usually read as "harmony," a frequent interchange in these editions. 協/挾 graphic loans in parallel texts.
143
Liu Congchen concludes that the words meaning "the following year" are an interpolation because every episode referenced belongs to the second or third month of the first Zhongping year.
144
*通鉴考异* questions titles. Comment:
145
Because Sima Guang placed the episode in the twelfth month of Zhongping 1, his "Scrutiny of divergences" commentary raises questions about the offices named. Liu Congchen replies that the memorial belongs to the early months of Zhongping 1 and that Yuan Wei then held the ministry while Yang Ci commanded the army—the narrative simply transposes the two titles.
146
* () *
if you disarm— (Guandong) *Kanwu*: redundant 關東. Deleted. Wang Bu notes that Sima Guang’s text instead speaks of disarming the troops and opening the barrier passes.
147
Hong Liangji observes that Ding Yansi cannot be identified because neither standard history of the period nor Pei Songzhi’s exhaustive notes mention such a person alongside Cai Yong. Wang Bu adds that Sima Guang’s digest omits Ding Yansi’s name altogether.
148
*袁纪* 黑 vs 異.
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