Qin and Han · Han regent and Grand General

Wang Feng 王鳳

First attested BC 33; died BC 22

Passages: 35
Chapters: 6
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Feng was a Han regent and Grand General.

Life and dates

Death

BC 22 historical identification
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 168
BC 22 大將軍薨
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 117, passage 41
died during Yangshuo
陽朔中，鳳薨
Directly stated · Book of Han 96, passage 257

Attested activity

BC 33 to BC 22 大將軍王鳳
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 89, passage 244
BC 33 to BC 22 成帝初至大將軍薨
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 117, passages 18, 41
c. BC 33 to c. BC 22 成帝時輔政
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 81
c. BC 26 to c. BC 22 河平三年
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 38, passage 151

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Wang Jin (王禁)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Han 70, passage 82
Sibling of Wang Zhengjun (王政君)
maternal uncle of the emperor 帝舅 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 81

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 70 Volume 60: Du Zhou 15 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 96 Volume 85: Gu Yong and Du Ye 11 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 94 Volume 83: Xue Xuan and Zhu Bo 3 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 38 Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 89 Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi 2 passages

Career and standing

Grand General 大將軍
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passage 151
Grand General 大將軍
Directly stated · Book of Han 94, passage 9
Grand General
大將軍
Directly stated · Book of Han 96, passage 50

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 38, passage 151

Events and relationships

Returned to office after the empress dowager wept and Emperor Cheng refused to dismiss him.
Political · Regent
Directly stated · Book of Han 70, passages 168, 178
Type maternal-uncle-of · Person Emperor Cheng of Han (漢成帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 96, passage 50
Wang Feng appointed Du Qin and repeatedly sought his political advice.
Person Du Qin (杜欽) · Type patron-adviser
Directly stated · Book of Han 70, passages 82, 160
Relation Appointed and promoted · Person Xiao Yu (蕭育)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 244
Relation Recommender of · Person Ban Bo (班伯)
Directly stated · Book of Han 117, passage 18

References in the histories

Search passages

History

35 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 38Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 2 passages

杜欽說大將軍王鳳，以為「前河決，丞相史楊焉言延世受焉術以塞之，蔽不肯見。 Du Qin advised Grand General Wang Feng: "During the previous breach, Chancellor's Clerk Yang Yan said that Yanshi had used a technique learned from him to close it, but Yanshi suppressed his claim and refused to see him.

鳳如欽言，白遣焉等作治，六月乃成。 Wang Feng accepted Du Qin's advice, petitioned accordingly, and dispatched Yang Yan and the others. The work was completed by the sixth month.

Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 15 passages

時，帝舅大將軍王鳳以外戚輔政，求賢知自助。 Meanwhile the emperor's uncle, Grand General Wang Feng, ruled as regent through his maternal connection and cast about for able men to strengthen his hand.

鳳父頃侯禁與欽兄緩相善，故鳳深知欽能，奏請欽為大將軍軍武庫令。 Wang Feng's late father, Marquis Qing Wang Jin, had been friendly with Du Huan, so Feng knew Qin's talents well and had him appointed intendant of the arsenal on the general's staff.

鳳白之太后，太后以為故事無有。 When Feng laid the memorial before the empress dowager, she replied that no precedent existed for what he proposed.

前言九女，略陳其禍福，甚可悼懼，竊恐將軍不深留意。 My earlier memorial on the nine imperial concubines sketched their blessings and curses in frightening detail; I fear Your Lordship has not weighed it seriously enough.

鳳不能自立法度，循故事而已。 Wang Feng lacked the courage to innovate; he hid behind precedent.

征詣大將軍莫府，國家政謀，鳳常與欽慮之。 He was then summoned to Grand General Wang Feng's headquarters, where Feng habitually discussed state strategy with him.

見鳳專政泰重，戒之曰：「昔周公身有至聖之德，屬有叔父之親，而成王有獨見之明，無信讒之聽，然管、蔡流言而周公懼。 Seeing Wang Feng's grip on power grow oppressive, Du Qin warned him: "The Duke of Zhou was the paragon of sagehood and the king's uncle, and King Cheng was a discerning sovereign who refused slander—yet the rumor spread by Guan and Cai still struck terror into the duke.

頃之，復日蝕，京兆尹王章上封事求見，果言鳳專權蔽主之過，宜廢勿用，以應天變。 Soon another eclipse darkened the sun. Wang Zhang, governor of the capital, sealed a memorial and begged an audience, denouncing Wang Feng for monopolizing power and blinding the throne. He urged that Feng be removed to answer Heaven.

於是天子感悟，召見章，與議，欲退鳳。 The emperor was stirred, received Wang Zhang in audience, and began to consider dismissing Feng.

鳳甚憂懼，欽令鳳上疏謝罪，乞骸骨，文指甚哀。 Feng was terrified. Du Qin had him memorialize an abject apology and offer to resign—the wording was heart-rending.

上少而親倚鳳，亦不忍廢，復起鳳就位。 The emperor, who had leaned on Feng since boyhood, could not bear to cast him off and restored him to power.

鳳心慚，稱病篤，欲遂退。 Chastened, Feng pleaded grave illness and tried to withdraw.

鳳復起視事。 Wang Feng returned to duty.

欽欲救其過，復說鳳曰：「京兆尹章所坐事密，吏民見章素好言事，以為不坐官職，疑其以日蝕見對有所言也。 Du Qin, hoping to repair the damage, again urged Feng: "The charge against Metropolitan Governor Wang Zhang was never made public. The capital supposes that because he always spoke boldly on policy, he lost his life not for corruption but for what he said about the eclipse.

鳳白行其策。 Feng adopted the plan and put it into effect.

Book of Han, Chapter 89Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi · 2 passages

大將軍王鳳以育名父子，著材能，除為功曹，遷謁者，使匈奴副校尉。 Grand General Wang Feng, noting the fame of father and son and Yu's proven ability, made him merit officer, then usher, then deputy colonel on a Xiongnu mission.

後坐失大將軍指免官。 He was later dismissed for failing to follow Grand General Wang Feng's instructions.

Book of Han, Chapter 94Volume 83: Xue Xuan and Zhu Bo · 3 passages

大將軍王鳳聞其能，薦宣為長安令，治果有名，以明習文法詔補御史中丞。 When Grand General Wang Feng heard of his reputation, he recommended Xue Xuan for magistrate of Chang'an. His governance made a name, and his mastery of the code earned him an appointment as vice-imperial secretary.

久之，成帝即位，大將軍王鳳秉政，奏請陳咸為長史。 Some time later Emperor Cheng came to the throne. Grand General Wang Feng held power and recommended Chen Xian as chief clerk.

咸薦蕭育、朱博除莫府屬，鳳甚奇之，舉博櫟陽令，徙雲陽、平陵三縣，以高弟入為長安令。 Chen Xian recommended Xiao Yu and Zhu Bo for posts on the marshal's staff. Wang Feng was greatly impressed, named Zhu Bo magistrate of Liyang, moved him through Yunyang and Pingling, and because he ranked at the top of the list brought him into Chang'an as magistrate.

Book of Han, Chapter 96Volume 85: Gu Yong and Du Ye · 11 passages

是時，上初即位，謙讓委政元舅大將軍王鳳，議者多歸咎焉。 The emperor had just succeeded and had handed power to his uncle, Grand General Wang Feng; many blamed the omens on him.

永知鳳方見柄用，陰欲自托，乃復曰： Knowing Feng was ascendant, Yong sought quietly to win his favor and added:

永既陰為大將軍鳳說矣，能實最高，由是擢為光祿大夫。 Having quietly pleaded Wang Feng's cause, Yong was judged the ablest candidate and was raised to grand counselor of the palace.

永奏書謝鳳曰：「永斗筲之材，質薄學朽，無一日之雅，左右之介，將軍說其狂言，擢之皁衣之吏，廁之爭臣之末，不聽浸潤之譖，不食膚受之訴，雖齊桓、晉文用士篤密，察父哲兄覆育子弟，誠無以加！ He wrote Wang Feng: "I am a trifling talent, shallow and ill-read, a stranger to you without introduction, yet you welcomed my blunt words, raised me from a petty clerk to the ranks of remonstrators, and refused both whispered slander and shallow complaint. Not even Duke Huan of Qi or Lord Wen of Jin treated their men with such care—no fond father or elder brother could do more.

鳳遂厚之。 Feng thereafter treated him with great favor.

平阿侯譚年次當繼大將軍鳳輔政，尤與永善。 Marquis of Ping'a Tan, next in line to succeed Grand General Wang Feng, was especially close to Yong.

陽朔中，鳳薨。 During Yangshuo, Wang Feng died.

鳳病困，薦從弟御史大夫音以自代。 On his deathbed Feng recommended his younger cousin, Imperial Counselor Wang Yin, to succeed him.

音用從舅越親輔政，威權損於鳳時，永復說音曰：「將軍覆上將之位，食豪腴之都，任周、召之職，擁天下之樞，可謂富貴之極，人臣無二，天下之責四面至矣，將何以居之？ When Yin came to power through a maternal uncle and his authority fell short of Wang Feng's, Yong urged him: "You hold a marshal's rank, feed on the richest commanderies, bear the burden of the Zhou dukes, and turn the empire's hinge—you have reached the peak of wealth and power, yet blame now converges from every quarter. How will you bear it?

及欽欲挹損鳳權，而鄴附會音、商。 When Du Qin tried to check Wang Feng, Du Ye curried Wang Yin and Wang Shang instead.

永陳三七之戒，斯為忠焉，至其引申伯以阿鳳，隙平阿於車騎，指金、火以求合，可謂諒不足而談有餘者。 Gu Yong's "three-seven" warning was true loyalty; yet he cited Shen Bo to flatter Wang Feng, sowed strife with Ping'a, and read Venus and Mars to suit his patrons—candor thin, words many.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 2 passages

大將軍王鳳薦伯宜勸學，召見宴昵殿，容貌甚麗，誦說有法，拜為中常侍。 Wang Feng urged the throne to employ Ban Bo as a scholar who could inspire study; summoned to the private audience hall, Ban Bo cut a striking figure and lectured with crisp order, and the emperor named him Palace Attendant.

自大將軍薨後，富平、定陵侯張放、淳于長等始愛幸，出為微行，行則同輿執轡； Once Wang Feng was gone, favorites such as Marquis Zhang Fang of Fuping and Marquis Chunyu Chang of Dingling won the emperor's intimacy: on town trips they slipped out in disguise, and on the road they shared his chariot and took the reins.