1
起昭陽大淵獻，盡重光協洽，凡九年。
From Zhao Yang Da Yuan Xian through Zhong Guang Xie Xie—nine years in all.
2
1春，三月，甲午，丞相李蔡坐盜孝景園，堧地，葬其中，當下吏，自殺。 ----2罷三銖錢，更鑄五銖錢。 於是民多盜鑄錢，楚地尤甚。
1. In spring, the third month, on jiawu, Chancellor Li Cai was convicted of seizing embankment land from Emperor Jing's park and burying someone there; he was to be handed over to the officials and took his own life. ----2 The three-zhu coin was abolished and the five-zhu coin was recast. Thereupon the people widely counterfeited coin, and the Chu region was worst of all.
3
上以為淮陽，楚地之郊，乃召拜汲黯為淮陽太守。 黯伏謝不受印，詔數強予，然後奉詔。 黯為上泣曰：「臣自以為填溝壑，不復見陛下，不意陛下復收用之。 臣常有狗馬病，力不能任郡事。 臣願為中郎。 出入禁闥，補過拾遺，臣之願也。」 上曰：「君薄淮陽邪？ 吾今召君矣，顧淮陽吏民不相得，吾徒得君之重，臥而治之。」
The emperor thought Huaiyang lay on the edge of Chu country and summoned Ji An to be Governor of Huaiyang. Ji An prostrated himself and refused the seal; the edict repeatedly pressed it on him, and only then did he obey. Ji An wept before the emperor, saying, "I thought I would fill some ditch and never see Your Majesty again; I did not expect You to take me back into service. I am often ill and lack the strength to govern a commandery. I wish only to serve as a Palace Attendant. To pass in and out of the palace gates, mend faults and gather what was omitted—that is my wish." The emperor said, "Do you look down on Huaiyang? I summon you now only because the officials and people of Huaiyang are at odds; I need only your weight—I can govern from my couch."
4
黯既辭行，過大行李息，曰：「黯棄逐居郡，不得與朝廷議矣。 御史大夫湯，智足以拒諫，詐足以飾非，務巧佞之語，辯數之辭，非肯正為天下言，專阿主意。 主意所不欲，因而毀之； 主意所欲，因而譽之。 好興事，舞文法，內懷詐以御主心，外挾賊吏以為威重。 公列九卿，不早言之，公與之俱受其戮矣。」 息畏湯，終不敢言； 及湯敗，上抵息罪。
When Ji An had taken leave and was on his way, he called on Grand Herald Li Xi and said, "Cast out to a commandery, I can no longer join in court deliberation. Censor-in-Chief Zhang Tang has wit enough to reject remonstrance and deceit enough to cover wrongdoing; he traffics in crafty flattery and disputatious rhetoric, unwilling to speak uprightly for the realm but devoted solely to pleasing the ruler's intent. What the ruler does not want, he destroys; what the ruler desires, he praises. He loves to stir up affairs and twist the written law; inwardly he harbors deceit to master the ruler's heart, outwardly he leans on wicked clerks for power and weight. You stand among the Nine Ministers—if you do not speak of this soon, you will perish together with him." Xi feared Tang and in the end dared not speak; when Tang fell, the emperor held Xi accountable.
5
使黯以諸侯相秩居淮陽，十歲而卒。 ----3詔徙奸猾吏民於邊。 ----4夏，四月，乙卯，以太子少傅武強侯莊青翟為丞相。 ----5天子病鼎湖甚。 巫醫無所不致，不愈。 游水發根言上郡有巫，病而鬼神下之。 上召置，祠之甘泉，及病，使人問神君，神君言曰：「天子無憂病； 病少愈，強與我會甘泉。」 於是病癒，遂起幸甘泉，病良已，置酒壽宮。 神君非可得見，聞其言，言與人音等，時去時來，來則風肅然，居室帷中。 神君所言，上使人受，書其言，命之曰「畫法」。 其所語，世俗之所知也，無絕殊者，而天子心獨喜； 其事秘，世莫知也。
Ji An held Huaiyang at the rank of a feudal chancellor and died after ten years. ----3 An edict ordered crafty and violent officials and people moved to the frontier. ----4 In summer, the fourth month, on yimao, Marquis of Wuqiang Zhuang Qingdi, Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent, was made Chancellor. ----5 The emperor was gravely ill at Lake Ding. Shamans and physicians were sought everywhere, yet he did not recover. You Shui Fagen said that in Shang Commandery there was a shaman who, when ill, had spirits descend upon him. The emperor summoned and installed him, sacrificing to him at Ganquan; when he fell ill he sent men to question the Spirit Lord, who said, "The Son of Heaven need not worry over illness; when it eases somewhat, come in strength to meet me at Ganquan." Thereupon the illness cleared; he rose and visited Ganquan; when he was fully recovered, he set out wine at Shou Palace. The Spirit Lord could not be seen; one heard his words, and his voice was like any man's; he came and went—when he came the wind turned solemn, within the curtains of the dwelling. What the Spirit Lord spoke, the emperor had men receive and write down, naming the record "Graphic Method." What he spoke was what the world ordinarily knows—nothing utterly extraordinary—yet the emperor's heart alone rejoiced; the affair was secret, and the age knew nothing of it.
6
時上卒起，幸甘泉，過右內史界中，道多不治，上怒曰：「義縱以我為不復行此道乎！」 銜之。----
At that time the emperor suddenly set out for Ganquan; passing through the Right Metropolitan Steward's jurisdiction, he found the roads largely unmaintained and said in anger, "Does Yi Zong think I will never travel this road again!" He harbored resentment.
7
1冬，十月，雨水，無冰。 ----2上既下緡錢令而尊卜式，百姓終莫分財佐縣官，於是楊可告緡錢縱矣。 義縱以為此亂民，部吏捕其為可使者。 天子以縱為廢格沮事，棄縱市。 ----3郎中令李敢，怨大將軍之恨其父，乃擊傷大將軍，大將軍匿諱之。 居無何，敢從上雍，至甘泉宮獵，驃騎將軍去病射殺敢。 去病時方貴幸，上為諱，雲鹿觸殺之。 ----4夏，四月，乙巳，廟立皇子閎為齊王，旦為燕王，胥為廣陵王，初作誥策。 ----5自造白金、五銖錢後，吏民之坐盜鑄金錢死者數十萬人，其不發覺者不可勝計，天下大抵無慮皆鑄金錢矣。 犯者眾，吏不能盡誅。 ----6六月，詔遣博士褚大、徐偃等六人分循郡國，舉兼併之徒及守、相、為吏有罪者。 ----7秋，九月，冠軍景桓侯霍去病薨。 天子甚悼之，為塚，像祁連山。
1. In winter, the tenth month, there was rain instead of snow and no ice. ----2 After the emperor issued the privatized-wealth edict and honored Bu Shi, the people still would not divide their property to assist the district officials; thereupon Yang Ke reported privatized wealth on a grand scale. Yi Zong thought this disturbed the people and ordered his officers to arrest those who could be pressed into service. The emperor regarded Zong as having nullified and obstructed the undertaking and had him executed in the marketplace. ----3 Director of the Palace Gentlemen Li Gan resented the Grand General for his father's death and struck and wounded him; the Grand General concealed it. Before long Gan followed the emperor to Yong and hunted at Ganquan Palace; Rapid Cavalry General Huo Qubing shot and killed him. Qubing was then at the height of favor; the emperor made excuse for him, saying a stag had struck and killed Gan. ----4 In summer, the fourth month, on yisi, at the ancestral temple the emperor invested Hong as King of Qi, Dan as King of Yan, and Xu as King of Guangling—the first composition of investiture documents. ----5 From the time of white metal and five-zhu coin, several hundred thousand officials and people died for counterfeiting gold coin; the undetected were countless—under Heaven, it seemed nearly everyone cast gold coin. Offenders were so numerous the officials could not execute them all. ----6 In the sixth month, an edict sent Erudites Chu Da, Xu Yan, and six others to tour the commanderies and kingdoms separately, reporting land-grabbers and guilty governors, chancellors, and officials. ----7 In autumn, the ninth month, Champion Marquis of Jinghuan Huo Qubing died. The emperor deeply mourned him, built his tomb, and shaped it like Mount Qilian.
8
初，霍仲孺吏畢歸家，娶婦，生子光。 去病既壯大，乃自知父為霍仲孺。 會為驃騎將軍，擊匈奴，道出河東，遣吏迎仲孺而見之，大為買田宅奴婢而去； 及還，因將光西至長安，任以為郎，稍遷至奉車都尉、光祿大夫。 ----8是歲，大農令顏異誅。
At the outset, Huo Zhongru finished his clerkship and returned home, took a wife, and begot a son named Guang. When Qubing had grown to manhood, he learned that his father was Huo Zhongru. It happened that as Rapid Cavalry General he struck the Xiongnu; his route passed through Hedong; he sent an officer to welcome Zhongru and met him, bought him fields, houses, and slave women on a grand scale, and departed; on his return he led Guang west to Chang'an, appointed him Gentleman, and gradually promoted him to Commandant of the Imperial Carriages and Household Minister. ----8 That year, Grand Agriculture Minister Yan Yi was executed.
9
初，異以廉直，稍遷至九卿。 上與張湯既造白鹿皮幣，問異，異曰：「今王侯朝賀以蒼璧，直數千，而以皮薦反四十萬，本末不相稱。」 天子不說。 張湯又與異有郤，及人有告異以它事，下張湯治異。 異與客語初令下有不便者，異不應，微反脣。 湯奏當：「異九卿，見令不便，不入言而腹誹，論死。」 自是之後，有腹誹之法比，而公卿大夫多諂諛取容矣。----
At the outset, Yi was upright and incorruptible and was gradually promoted among the Nine Ministers. After the emperor and Zhang Tang created the white-deer-skin currency, they questioned Yi; Yi said, "When kings and marquises come to court they present the dark jade disk, worth several thousand, yet the skin mat in return is forty thousand—root and branch do not match." The emperor was displeased. Zhang Tang also bore a grudge against Yi; when someone reported Yi on another matter, the case was handed to Zhang Tang. Yi was speaking with a guest when a new edict came down with something inexpedient in it; Yi did not respond but slightly curled his lip. Tang memorialized for judgment, "Yi stands among the Nine Ministers; seeing an edict inexpedient, he did not speak up but belly-slandered—sentence death." From this time forward there was a statute for belly-slander, and among high ministers and grandees many flattered and fawned for favor.
10
1夏，五月，赦天下。 ----2濟東王彭離驕悍，昏暮，與其奴、亡命少年數十人行剽殺人，取財物以為好，所殺發覺者百餘人，坐廢，徙上庸。----
1. In summer, the fifth month, there was an amnesty for all under Heaven. ----2 King Pengli of Jidong was arrogant and fierce; at dusk he went with his slaves and several dozen fugitive youths on raids to kill and rob for pleasure; more than a hundred killings came to light—he was deposed and moved to Shangyong.
11
1冬，十一月，張湯有罪自殺。
1. In winter, the eleventh month, Zhang Tang, found guilty, took his own life.
12
初，御史中丞李文，與湯有郤。 湯所厚吏魯謁居陰使人上變告文奸事，事下湯治，論殺之。 湯心知謁居為之，上問：「變事蹤跡安起？」 湯佯驚曰：「此殆文故人怨之。」 謁居病，湯親為之摩足。 趙王素怨湯，上書告：「湯大臣，乃與吏摩足，疑與為大奸。」 事下廷尉。 謁居病死，事連其弟。 弟系導官，湯亦治他囚導官，見謁居弟，欲陰為之，而佯不省。 謁居弟弗知，怨湯，使人上書，告湯與謁居謀共變告李文。 事下減宣，宣嘗與湯有郤，及得此事，窮竟其事，未奏也。 會人有盜發孝文園瘞錢，丞相青翟朝，與湯約俱謝，至前，湯獨不謝。 上使御史案丞相，湯欲致其文「丞相見知」，丞相患之。 丞相長史朱買臣、王朝、邊通，皆故九卿、二千石，仕宦絕在湯前。 湯數行丞相事，知三長史素貴，故陵折，丞史遇之，三長史皆怨恨，欲死之。 乃與丞相謀，使吏捕案賈人田信等，曰：「湯且欲奏請，信輒先知之，居物致富，與湯分之。」 事辭頗聞，上問湯曰：「吾所為，賈人輒先知之，益居其物，是類有以吾謀告之者。」 湯不謝，又佯驚曰：「固宜有。」 減宣亦奏謁居等事。 天子以湯懷詐面欺，使趙禹切責湯，湯乃為書謝，因曰：「陷臣者，三長史也。」 遂自殺。 湯既死，家產直不過五百金。 昆弟諸子欲厚葬湯，湯母曰：「湯為天子大臣，被污惡言而死，何厚葬乎！」 載以牛車，有棺無槨。 天子聞之，乃盡按誅三長史。 十二月，壬辰，丞相青翟下獄，自殺。 ----2春，起柏梁台。 作承露盤，高二十丈，大七圍，以銅為之。 上有仙人掌，以承露，和玉屑飲之，雲可以長生。 宮室之修，自此日盛。 ----3二月，以太子太傅趙周為丞相。 ----4三月，辛亥，以太子太傅石慶為御史大夫。 ----5大雨雪。 ----6夏，大水，關東餓死者以千數。 ----7是歲，孔僅為大農令，而桑弘羊為大農中丞，稍置均輸，以通貨物。 ----8白金稍賤，民不寶用，竟廢之。 於是悉禁郡、國無鑄錢，專令上林三官鑄錢，令天下非三官錢不得行。 而民之鑄錢益少，計其費不能相當。 惟真工、大奸乃盜為之。 ----9渾邪王既降漢，漢兵擊逐匈奴於幕北，自鹽澤以東空無匈奴，西域道可通。 於是張騫建言：「烏孫王昆莫本為匈奴臣，後兵稍強，不肯復朝事匈奴，匈奴攻不勝而遠之。 今單于新困於漢，而故渾邪地空無人，蠻夷俗戀故地，又貪漢財物，今誠以此時厚幣賂烏孫，招以益東，居故渾邪之地，與漢結昆弟，其勢宜聽，聽則是斷匈奴右臂也。 既連烏孫，自其西大夏之屬皆可招來而為外臣。」 天子以為然，拜騫為中郎將，將三百人，馬各二匹，牛羊以萬數，繼金幣帛直數千巨萬； 多持節副使，道可便，遣之他旁國。
At the outset, Vice Censor-in-Chief Li Wen bore a grudge against Tang. Lu Yeju, a clerk whom Tang favored, secretly had someone submit a denunciation of Wen for wicked affairs; Tang tried the case and sentenced Wen to death. Tang knew Yeju had done it; the emperor asked, "Where did the trail of this denunciation begin?" Tang feigned alarm and said, "This is probably some old acquaintance of Wen bearing a grudge." When Yeju fell ill, Tang personally massaged his feet. The King of Zhao had long resented Tang and memorialized, "Tang is a great minister, yet he massages a clerk's feet—suspected of great wickedness." The affair was handed to the Commandant of Justice. Yeju died of illness, and the affair connected to his younger brother. The younger brother was held at the Guide Office; Tang was trying other prisoners there, saw Yeju's younger brother, wished secretly to help him, yet feigned not to know him. Yeju's younger brother did not know this, resented Tang, and had someone memorialize that Tang and Yeju had plotted to denounce Li Wen. The affair went to Jian Xuan; Xuan had once borne a grudge against Tang, and when he obtained the matter he investigated to the end but had not yet memorialized. It happened that someone dug up buried treasure from Emperor Wen's park; Chancellor Qingdi attended court and agreed with Tang to apologize together, but at the throne Tang alone did not apologize. The emperor had the censor investigate the chancellor; Tang wished to bring a charge that "the chancellor knew and connived," and the chancellor was alarmed. The chancellor's chief clerks Zhu Maichen, Wang Chao, and Bian Tong were all former Nine Ministers and two-thousand-bushel officials whose careers entirely preceded Tang's. Tang repeatedly acted in chancellor affairs, knew the three chief clerks were by nature proud, and therefore humbled them; all three resented him and wished him dead. They plotted with the chancellor, had officers arrest the merchant Tian Xin and others, and said, "Whenever Tang was about to memorialize a request, Xin always knew beforehand, hoarded goods and grew rich, and divided the profit with Tang." Word of the case spread; the emperor asked Tang, "Whatever I do, the merchants always know beforehand and hoard the goods—this is as if someone were reporting my plans to them." Tang did not apologize but again feigned alarm and said, "Of course there should be." Jian Xuan also memorialized on Yeju and the rest. The emperor regarded Tang as harboring deceit and facing him with fraud, sent Zhao Yu to rebuke him sharply, and Tang wrote a letter of apology, saying, "Those who trapped me are the three chief clerks." He thereupon took his own life. After Tang died, his household goods were worth no more than five hundred in gold. His brothers and sons wished to bury him lavishly; Tang's mother said, "Tang was a great minister of the Son of Heaven and died under filthy accusations—why bury him lavishly!" He was carried on an ox cart, with a coffin but no outer case. When the emperor heard this, he fully investigated and executed the three chief clerks. In the twelfth month, on renchen, Chancellor Qingdi was imprisoned and took his own life. ----2 In spring, work began on the Bolang Terrace. They made the Dew-Receiving Basin, twenty zhang high and seven arm-spans around, cast of bronze. Upon it stood a cactus pillar to catch dew; mixed with powdered jade and drunk, it was said to grant long life. From this day the ornamentation of palaces grew ever more lavish. ----3 In the second month, Heir Apparent's Grand Tutor Zhao Zhou was made Chancellor. ----4 In the third month, on xinhai, Heir Apparent's Grand Tutor Shi Qing was made Censor-in-Chief. ----5 There was heavy rain and snow. ----6 In summer came great floods; east of the passes the starving dead numbered in the thousands. ----7 That year Kong Jin was Grand Agriculture Minister and Sang Hongyang Vice Minister; they gradually established equalizing transport to circulate goods. ----8 White metal gradually fell in value; the people would not treasure it, and in the end it was abolished. Thereupon coinage in commanderies and kingdoms was forbidden entirely; only the Three Offices of Shanglin might cast coin, and no other coin might circulate under Heaven. Yet the people cast ever less coin; reckoning the cost, it could not balance. Only skilled craftsmen and great villains counterfeited it in secret. ----9 Once the King of Hunye had surrendered to Han, Han troops attacked and drove the Xiongnu north of the desert curtain; from the Salt Marsh eastward the land was empty of Xiongnu, and the road to the Western Regions could be opened. Thereupon Zhang Qian offered counsel, saying, "The King of Wusun, Kunmo, was originally a subject of the Xiongnu; later his forces grew somewhat strong, and he refused again to attend court and serve the Xiongnu; the Xiongnu attacked but could not overcome him and kept their distance. Now the Chanyu is newly hard pressed by Han, while the former Hunye lands lie empty; barbarians by custom cling to old lands and also covet Han goods. If we truly at this time richly bribe Wusun and summon them to move further east to dwell in the former Hunye lands, forming brotherhood with Han, they ought to listen; if they listen, that is cutting off the Xiongnu's right arm. Once Wusun is linked, from their west all such states as Daxia can be summoned to come and become outer subjects." The emperor thought it correct, invested Qian as Palace Gentleman-General, led three hundred men, each with two horses, cattle and sheep in tens of thousands, and gifts of gold, coins, and silks worth several thousand times ten thousand; many bore credentials as deputy envoys; where the road was convenient, he dispatched them to other neighboring states.
13
騫既至烏孫，昆莫見騫，禮節甚倨。 騫諭指曰：「烏孫能東居故地，則漢遣公主為夫人，結為兄弟，共距匈奴，匈奴不足破也。」 烏孫自以遠漢，未知其大小； 素服屬匈奴日久，且又近之，其大臣皆畏匈奴，不欲移徙。 騫留久之，不能得其要領，因分遣副使使大宛、康居、大月氏、大夏、安息、身毒、于闐及諸旁國，烏孫發譯道送騫還，使數十人，馬數十匹，隨騫報謝，因令窺漢大小。 是歲，騫還，到，拜為大行。 後歲餘，騫所遣使通大夏之屬者，皆頗與其人俱來，於是西域始通於漢矣。
Once Qian had reached Wusun, Kunmo received him with very arrogant ceremony. Qian expounded the intent, saying, "If Wusun can move east to dwell in the old lands, Han will send a princess as consort, form brotherhood, and together resist the Xiongnu—the Xiongnu are not hard to break." Wusun on their own considered themselves far from Han and did not know its size; having long submitted to the Xiongnu, and being moreover near them, their great ministers all feared the Xiongnu and did not wish to relocate. Qian stayed long but could not obtain their essentials; he therefore separately dispatched deputy envoys to Dayuan, Kangju, the Great Yuezhi, Daxia, Parthia, Shendu, Yutian, and various neighboring states; Wusun sent interpreters along the road to escort Qian back, with several tens of men and several tens of horses following him to return thanks and thereby spy out Han's size. That year Qian returned; upon arrival he was invested as Grand Herald. More than a year later, the envoys Qian had sent who had reached Daxia and the like all largely came back together with men of those lands; thereupon the Western Regions first opened communication with Han.
14
西域凡三十六國，南北有大山，中央有河，東西六千餘里，南北千餘里，東則接漢玉門、陽關，西則限以蔥嶺。 河有兩源，一出蔥嶺，一出于闐，合流東注鹽澤。 鹽澤去玉門、陽關三百餘里。 自玉門、陽關出西域有兩道：從鄯善傍南山北，循河西行至莎車，為南道； 南道西逾蔥嶺，則出大月氏、安息。 自車師前王廷隨北山循河西行至疏勒，為北道； 北道西逾蔥嶺，則出大宛、康居、奄蔡焉。 故皆役屬匈奴，匈奴西邊日逐王，置僮僕都尉，使領西域，常居焉耆、危須、尉黎間，賦稅諸國，取富給焉。
The Western Regions in all had thirty-six states; great mountains lay north and south, with a river in the center; east-west more than six thousand li, north-south more than a thousand li; east they adjoined Han's Jade Gate and Yang Pass, west they were bounded by the Onion Mountains. The river had two sources: one issued from the Onion Mountains, one from Yutian; joining they flowed east and poured into the Salt Marsh. The Salt Marsh was more than three hundred li from the Jade Gate and Yang Pass. From the Jade Gate and Yang Pass out into the Western Regions there were two routes: from Shanshan along the north of the southern mountains, following the river west to Yarkand—this was the southern route; the southern route, crossing the Onion Mountains westward, issued toward the Great Yuezhi and Parthia. From the court of the Former King of Cheshi, following the northern mountains along the river west to Kashgar—this was the northern route; the northern route, crossing the Onion Mountains westward, issued toward Dayuan, Kangju, and Aorsi. Formerly all were subject to the Xiongnu; the Xiongnu western-border Ri-zhu King established the Tongpu Commandant to lead the Western Regions, regularly dwelling among Yanqi, Weixu, and Weili, levying taxes on the states and taking wealth to supply himself.
15
烏孫王既不肯東還，漢乃於渾邪王故地置酒泉郡，稍發徙民以充實之； 後又分置武威郡，以絕匈奴與羌通之道。
Since the King of Wusun would not move east and return, Han thereupon established Jiuquan commandery on the former Hunye lands and gradually dispatched relocated people to fill it; later they also separately established Wuwei commandery to cut off the road by which the Xiongnu communicated with the Qiang.
16
天子得宛汗血馬，愛之，名曰「天馬」。 使者相望於道以求之。 諸使外國，一輩大者數百，少者百餘人，人所賫操大放博望侯時，其後益習而衰少焉。 漢率一歲中使多者十餘，少者五六輩； 遠者八九歲，近者數歲而反。----
The emperor obtained Ferghana sweat-blood horses, loved them, and named them "Heavenly Horses." Envoys lined the road one after another seeking them. Envoys to foreign states: the large missions numbered several hundred, the small over a hundred men; what each person carried was far greater than in the Marquis of Bowang's time—afterward they grew more practiced and the scale diminished. Han on average in one year sent out at most over ten missions, at least five or six; the far ones eight or nine years, the near ones several years before returning.
17
1冬，徙函谷關於新安。 ----2春，正月，戊子，陽陵園火。 ----3夏，四月，雨雹。 ----4關東郡、國十餘饑，人相食。 ----5常山憲王舜薨，子勃嗣，坐憲王病不侍疾，及居喪無禮廢，徙房陵。 後月餘，天子更封憲王子平為真定王，以常山為郡，於是五嶽皆在天子之邦矣。 ----6徙代王義為清河王。 ----7是歲，匈奴伊稚斜單于死，子烏維單于立。----
1 In winter, Hangu Pass was moved to Xin'an. ----2 In spring, the first month, on wuzi, the Yangling park burned. ----3 In summer, the fourth month, hail fell. ----4 More than ten commanderies and kingdoms east of the passes suffered famine; people ate one another. ----5 King Xian of Changshan Shun died; his son Bo succeeded, was convicted for not attending his father in illness and for lacking mourning rites, was deposed, and relocated to Fangling. After more than a month, the emperor again enfeoffed King Xian's son Ping as King of Zhending and made Changshan a commandery; thereupon all five sacred peaks lay within the emperor's domain. ----6 The Prince of Dai Yi was transferred to be Prince of Qinghe. ----7 That year the Xiongnu Chanyu Yizhixie died; his son Wuwu was established as Chanyu.
18
1冬，十月，上行幸雍，祠五畤。 詔曰：「今上帝，朕親郊，而-{后土}-無祀，則禮不答也，其令有司議。」 立-{后土}-祠於澤中圜丘。 上遂自夏陽東幸汾陰。 是時，天子始巡郡、國。 河東守不意行至，不辦，自殺。 十一月，甲子，立-{后土}-祠於汾陰脽上，上親望拜，如上帝禮，禮畢，行幸滎陽，還，至洛陽，封周後姬嘉為周子南君。 ----2春，二月，中山靖王勝薨。 ----3樂成侯丁義薦方士欒大，云與文成將軍同師。 上方悔誅文成，得欒大，大說。 大先事膠東康王，為人長美言，多方略，而敢為大言，處之不疑。 大言曰：「臣常往來海中，見安期、羨門之屬，顧以臣為賤，不信臣； 又以為康王諸侯耳，不足與方。 臣之師曰：『黃金可成而河決可塞，不死之藥可得，仙人可致也。』 然臣恐效文成，則方士皆掩口，惡敢言方哉！」 上曰：「文成食馬肝死耳。 子誠能修其方，我何愛乎！」 大曰：「臣師非有求人，人者求之。 陛下必欲致之，則貴其使者，令為親屬，以客禮待之，乃可使通言於神人。」 於是上使驗小方，斗旗，旗自相觸擊。 是時，上方憂河決而黃金不就，乃拜大為五利將軍，又拜為天士將軍，地士將軍，大通將軍。 夏，四月，乙巳，封大為樂通侯，食邑二千戶，賜甲第，僮千人，乘輿斥車馬、帷帳、器物以充其家，又以衛長公主妻之，賫金十萬斤，天子親如五利之第，使者存問共給，相屬於道。 自太主、將、相以下，皆置酒其家，獻遺之。 天子又刻玉印曰「天道將軍」，使使衣羽衣，夜立白茅上； 五利將軍亦衣羽衣，立白茅上，受印，以示不臣。 大見數月，佩六印，貴震天下。 於是海上燕、齊之間，莫不扼腕自言有禁方、能神仙矣。 ----4六月，汾陰巫錦得大鼎於魏脽后土營旁，河東太守以聞。 天子使驗問，巫得鼎無奸詐，乃以禮祠，迎鼎至甘泉，從上行，薦之宗廟及上帝，藏於甘泉宮，群臣皆上壽賀。 ----5秋，立常山憲王子商為泗水王。 ----6初，條侯周亞夫為丞相，趙禹為丞相史，府中皆稱其廉平，然亞夫弗任，曰：「極知禹無害，然文深，不可以居大府。」 及禹為少府，比九卿為酷急； 至晚節，吏務為嚴峻，而禹更名寬平。
1 In winter, the tenth month, the emperor traveled in favor to Yong and sacrificed at the Five Altars. An edict said, "Now for the Supreme Lord I personally perform suburban sacrifice, yet -{the cited text}- has no sacrifice-then the rites do not respond; let the responsible offices deliberate." An altar to -{the cited text}- was established at the round mound in the marsh. The emperor thereupon traveled in favor east from Xiayang to Fenyin. At this time the emperor first toured the commanderies and kingdoms. The Administrator of Hedong, not expecting the emperor's arrival, was unprepared and killed himself. In the eleventh month, on jiazi, an altar to -{the cited text}- was established on the Fenyin mound; the emperor personally gazed and bowed, as with the Supreme Lord's rites; when the rites were complete, he traveled in favor to Xingyang, returned, reached Luoyang, and enfeoffed Ji Jia, descendant of Zhou, as Lord of Zhouzi South. ----2 In spring, the second month, King Jing of Zhongshan Sheng died. ----3 Marquis of Lecheng Ding Yi recommended the method master Luan Da, saying he shared a teacher with General Wencheng. The emperor was repenting having executed Wencheng; obtaining Luan Da, he was greatly pleased. Da had first served King Kang of Jiaodong; he was tall and fair-spoken, with many stratagems, dared speak grandly, and placed himself in it without doubt. Da spoke grandly, saying, "Your servant often goes back and forth on the sea and has seen Anqi, Xianmen, and the like; they only regard me as base and do not trust me; they also consider the King of Jiaodong a mere feudal lord, not worth sharing methods with. My teacher said, 'Gold can be perfected and the Yellow River's breach can be stopped; the drug of immortality can be obtained; immortals can be summoned.' Yet I fear that if I follow Wencheng's example, then all method masters will cover their mouths—how dare they speak of methods!" The emperor said, "Wencheng died from eating horse liver, that's all. If you truly can practice his methods, what would I begrudge!" Da said, "My teacher does not seek people—people seek him. If Your Majesty must summon him, then honor his envoy, make him kin, treat him with guest ceremony—only then can one have words passed to the divine man." Thereupon the emperor had a small method tested: battling flags—the flags struck one another of themselves. At that time the emperor was anxious over the Yellow River's breach and gold not being perfected; he thereupon invested Da as General of Five Benefits, and also as General of the Heaven Soldier, General of the Earth Soldier, and General of Great Communication. In summer, the fourth month, on yisi, Da was enfeoffed as Marquis of Letong with a fief of two thousand households, granted a mansion of the first rank, a thousand household slaves, imperial escort carriages, horses, curtains, and utensils to fill his house; moreover the Eldest Princess of Wei was given him as wife, with a dowry of a hundred thousand jin of gold; the emperor personally went to the Marquis of Five Benefits' residence; envoys called to inquire and jointly supplied him, one after another on the road. From the Eldest Princess, generals, and chancellors down, all set out wine at his house and presented gifts to him. The emperor also carved a jade seal reading "General of Heaven's Way," had an envoy wear feather robes and stand on white thatch by night; the General of Five Benefits also wore feather robes, stood on white thatch, received the seal, to show he was not a subject. Within several months after Da was received, he wore six seals; his nobility shook all under Heaven. Thereupon along the seacoast between Yan and Qi, none failed to clench their wrists and declare that they had secret formulas and could become immortals. ----4 In the sixth month, the Fenyin shaman Jin obtained a great ding beside the Wei mound's -{the cited text}- camp; the Administrator of Hedong reported it. The emperor sent men to examine and question; the shaman's obtaining the ding involved no deceit; he thereupon sacrificed it by rite, welcomed the ding to Ganquan, followed the emperor on the journey, presented it to the ancestral temple and the Supreme Lord, stored it in Ganquan Palace, and all the ministers offered longevity congratulations. ----5 In autumn, King Xian of Changshan's son Shang was established as King of Sishui. ----6 At the outset, when Marquis of Tiao Zhou Yafu was Chancellor, Zhao Yu was Chancellor's Clerk; within the office all praised him as incorrupt and fair, yet Yafu did not employ him, saying, "I fully know Yu is harmless, yet he is deep in paperwork and cannot dwell in the great office." When Yu became Minister of the Privy Purse, compared with the Nine Ministers he was harsh and urgent; by his late years clerks strove to be stern and severe, while Yu changed his name to Kuanping.
19
中尉尹齊素以敢斬伐著名，及為中尉，吏民益凋敝。 是歲，齊坐不勝任抵罪。 上乃復以王溫舒為中尉，趙禹為廷尉。 後四年，禹以老，貶為燕相。
Commandant of the Guards Yin Qi was famed for daring execution and cutting down; once he became Commandant of the Guards, officials and people grew ever more wasted. That year Qi was convicted for incompetence and punished. The emperor thereupon again made Wang Wenshu Commandant of the Guards and Zhao Yu Court Commandant. Four years later Yu, on account of age, was demoted to Chancellor of Yan.
20
是時吏治以慘刻相尚，獨左內史兒寬，勸農業，緩刑罰，理獄訟，務在得人心； 擇用仁厚士，推情與下，不求名聲，吏民大信愛之； 收租稅時，裁闊狹，與民相假貸，以故租多不入。 後有軍發，左內史以負租課殿，當免； 民聞當免，皆恐失之，大家牛車、小家擔負輸租，繈屬不絕，課更以最。 上由此愈奇寬。 ----7初，南越文王遣其子嬰齊入宿衛，在長安取邯鄲樛氏女，生子興。 文王薨，嬰齊立，乃藏其先武帝璽，上書請立樛氏女為后，興為嗣。 漢數使使者風諭嬰齊入朝。 嬰齊尚樂擅殺生自恣，懼入見要，用漢法比內諸侯，固稱病，遂不入見。 嬰齊薨，謚曰明王。 太子興代立，其母為太后。
At that time official governance prized cruel severity; only Left Metropolitan Steward Er Kuan urged agriculture, eased punishments, judged prison cases, and strove to win people's hearts; he chose and employed benevolent, generous men, extended feeling to those below, did not seek reputation, and officials and people greatly trusted and loved him; when collecting rent and tax he judged wide or narrow, lent to the people, and for this reason much rent did not enter. Later when troops were raised, the Left Metropolitan Steward because of deficient rent was ranked last in assessment and ought to be dismissed; when the people heard he was to be dismissed, all feared losing him; great households used ox-carts, small households shouldered burdens to deliver rent, infants in succession without end, and in assessment he again ranked first. The emperor thereby grew ever more impressed by Kuan. ----7 At the outset, King Wen of Southern Yue sent his son Yingqi to enter palace guard service; in Chang'an he took as wife a lady of the Jiao clan of Handan and fathered Xing. When King Wen died, Yingqi succeeded; he then hid his forebear's Emperor Wu seal, memorialized requesting that the lady of the Jiao clan be established as queen and Xing as heir. Han repeatedly sent envoys to admonish Yingqi to enter court. Yingqi still delighted in arbitrary killing for his own pleasure, feared that entering audience would bring demands to be judged by Han law like inner feudal lords, firmly claimed illness, and thus did not enter audience. When Yingqi died, his posthumous title was King Ming. Crown Prince Xing succeeded in his place; his mother became Queen Dowager.
21
太后自未為嬰齊姬時，嘗與霸陵人安國少季通。 是歲，上使安國少季往諭王、王太后以入朝，比內諸侯，令辯士諫大夫終軍等宣其辭，勇士魏臣等輔其決，衛尉路博德將兵屯桂陽待使者。 南越王年少，太后中國人； 安國少季往，復與私通，國人頗知之，多不附太后。 太后恐亂起，亦欲倚漢威，數勸王及群臣求內屬； 即因使者上書，請比內諸侯，三歲一朝，除邊關。 於是天子許之，賜其丞相呂嘉銀印及內史、中尉、太傅印，餘得自置； 除其故黥、劓刑，用漢法，比內諸侯。 使者皆留，填撫之。 ----8上行幸雍，且郊，或曰：「五帝，泰一之佐也。 宜立泰一，而上親郊。」 上疑未定。 齊人公孫卿曰：「今年得寶鼎，其冬辛巳朔旦冬至，與黃帝時等。」 卿有札書曰：「黃帝得寶鼎，是歲己酉朔旦冬至，凡三百八十年，黃帝仙登於天。」 因嬖人奏之。 上大悅，召問，卿對曰：「受此書申公，申公曰：『漢興復當黃帝之時，漢之聖者在高祖之孫且曾孫也。 寶鼎出而與神通，黃帝接萬靈明庭，明庭者甘泉也。 黃帝采首山銅，鑄鼎於荊山下，鼎既成，有龍垂鬍髯下迎黃帝，黃帝上騎龍，與群臣後宮七十餘人俱登天。』」 於是天子曰：「嗟乎！ 誠得如黃帝，吾視去妻子如脫屣耳！」 拜卿為郎，使東候神於太室。----
The Queen Dowager, before she became Yingqi's consort, had once been intimate with Anguo Shaoji of Baling. That year the emperor sent Anguo Shaoji to instruct the king and Queen Dowager to enter court, comparable to inner feudal lords; he ordered persuasive scholars Remonstrating Grandee Zhong Jun and others to proclaim the words, brave men Wei Chen and others to assist the decision, and Commandant of the Guard Lu Bode to lead troops and encamp at Guiyang awaiting the envoys. The King of Southern Yue was young; the Queen Dowager was a person of the central lands; when Anguo Shaoji went, he again had a private liaison; the people of the state largely knew it and mostly did not attach themselves to the Queen Dowager. The Queen Dowager feared disorder would arise and also wished to rely on Han's authority; she repeatedly urged the king and the ministers to seek inner affiliation; thereupon through the envoys she memorialized, requesting to be comparable to inner feudal lords, attending court once every three years, and removing frontier passes. Thereupon the emperor granted it, bestowing on their Chancellor Lü Jia a silver seal and seals for Inner Scribe, Commandant of the Guards, and Grand Tutor; the rest they might appoint themselves; abolishing their former tattooing and nose-cutting punishments, using Han law, comparable to inner feudal lords. The envoys all remained to fill and pacify the region. ----8 The emperor traveled in favor to Yong and was about to perform suburban sacrifice; someone said, "The Five Emperors are assistants to the Grand Unity. The Grand Unity ought to be established, and the emperor should personally perform suburban sacrifice." The emperor was doubtful and had not decided. The man of Qi Gongsun Qing said, "This year the precious ding was obtained; this winter on xinsi, the new moon at dawn on the winter solstice, equals the time of the Yellow Emperor." Qing had a letter saying, "The Yellow Emperor obtained the precious tripod; that year, on jiyou new year's day at dawn on the winter solstice—in all three hundred eighty years—the Yellow Emperor ascended as an immortal to Heaven." He had a favorite present it to the throne. The emperor was greatly pleased and summoned him for questioning; Qing replied, "I received this book from Lord Shen; Lord Shen said, 'When Han rises it will again reach the Yellow Emperor's time; Han's sage will be a grandson and great-grandson of Gaozu. When the precious tripod appears one communicates with the spirits; the Yellow Emperor received the myriad spirits at the Bright Court—and the Bright Court is Sweet Springs. The Yellow Emperor gathered copper from Mount Shou and cast the tripod below Mount Jing; when the tripod was complete a dragon lowered its beard and whiskers to welcome the Yellow Emperor; the Yellow Emperor mounted the dragon, and with more than seventy ministers and palace women together ascended Heaven.' Thereupon the Son of Heaven said, "Alas! If I could truly be like the Yellow Emperor, I would regard leaving wife and children like casting off worn shoes!" He appointed Qing as Gentleman and sent him east to await spirits at the Grand Chamber.
22
1冬，十月，上祠五畤於雍，遂逾隴，西登崆峒。 隴西守以行往卒，天子從官不得食，惶恐，自殺。 於是上北出蕭關，從數萬騎獵新秦中，以勒邊兵而歸。 新秦中或千里無亭徼，於是誅北地太守以下。 上又幸甘泉，立泰一祠壇，所用祠具如雍一畤而有加焉。 五帝壇環居其下四方地，為醊食群神從者及北斗-{云}-。 十一月，辛巳朔，冬至，昧爽，天子始郊拜泰一，朝朝日，夕夕月則揖。 其祠，列火滿壇，壇旁亨炊具。 有司云：「祠上有光。」 又云：「晝有黃氣上屬天。」 太史令談、祠官寬舒等請三歲天子一郊見，詔從之。 ----2南越王、王太后飭治行裝，重賫為入朝具。 其相呂嘉，年長矣，相三王，宗旅仕宦為長吏者七十餘人，男盡尚王女，女盡嫁王子弟、宗室，及蒼梧秦王有連，其居國中甚重，得眾心愈於王。 王之上書，數諫止王，王弗聽； 有畔心，數稱病，不見漢使者。 使者皆注意嘉，勢未能誅。 王、王太后亦恐嘉等先事發，欲介漢使者權，謀誅嘉等，乃置酒請使者，大臣皆侍坐飲。 嘉弟為將，將卒居宮外。 酒行，太后謂嘉曰：「南越內屬，國之利也； 而相君苦不便者，何也？」 以激怒使者，使者狐疑相杖，遂莫敢發。 嘉見耳目非是，即起而出。 太后怒，欲鏦嘉以矛，王止太后。 嘉遂出，介其弟兵就舍，稱病，不肯見王及使者，陰與大臣謀作亂。 王素無意誅嘉，嘉知之，以故數月不發。
1 In winter, the tenth month, the emperor sacrificed at the Five Altars in Yong, then crossed Long, and climbed west to Kongtong. The Administrator of Longxi, because the journey pressed the conscripts, left the emperor's attendants without food; in fear and trembling he killed himself. Thereupon the emperor went north out through Xiaoguan, followed by several tens of thousands of horsemen hunting in the new Qin interior, to review the border troops and return. In the new Qin interior there were places a thousand li without beacon towers or frontier posts; thereupon he executed the Administrator of Beidi and those below. The emperor again visited Sweet Springs and established the Grand Unity sacrificial altar; the sacrificial implements used were like those at Yong's single altar but with additions. The Five Emperors' altar ringed the ground below on four sides, making libation feasts for the attendant spirits of the host and the Northern Dipper -{yun}-. In the eleventh month, on xinsi new moon, at the winter solstice, at gray dawn the Son of Heaven first suburban-sacrificed and bowed to Grand Unity; in the morning he faced the sun, in the evening he faced the moon and bowed. At the sacrifice fires were ranged filling the altar; beside the altar cooking vessels were set to boil. The responsible officials reported, "Above the altar there was light." They also reported, "By day yellow vapor rose up connecting to Heaven." Grand Astrologer Tan, Sacrifice Officer Kuanshu, and others requested that once every three years the Son of Heaven perform one suburban audience; an edict followed their request. ----2 The King of Nanyue and the Queen Mother ordered their travel gear prepared and sent heavy gifts as equipment for entering court. His Chancellor Lu Jia was advanced in years and had served three kings; more than seventy clansmen held office as senior officials—all the men had married the king's daughters, all the women had married the king's sons, younger brothers, and imperial clansmen—and he was connected with the King of Cangwu; his standing in the state was very weighty, and he won the people's hearts more than the king. When the king submitted memorials to the throne, he repeatedly remonstrated to stop the king; the king would not heed him; he had a rebellious heart, repeatedly claimed illness, and would not see Han envoys. The envoys all kept their eyes on Jia, but the situation did not allow execution. The king and Queen Mother also feared Jia and others would act first; wishing to borrow Han envoys' authority, they plotted to execute Jia and others; they then set out wine and invited the envoys, and the great ministers all attended seated and drank. Jia's younger brother was a general; he led troops dwelling outside the palace. As the wine went round, the Queen Mother said to Jia, "For Nanyue to submit to the interior is the state's advantage; yet the Chancellor bitterly finds it inconvenient—why?" thereby to provoke the envoys; the envoys hesitated and leaned on one another, and in the end none dared act. Jia saw that eyes and ears were not right, immediately rose and went out. The Queen Mother was angry and wished to stab Jia with a spear; the king stopped the Queen Mother. Jia then went out, borrowed his brother's troops and went to quarters, claimed illness, refused to see the king and envoys, and secretly with the great ministers plotted rebellion. The king from the first had no intent to execute Jia; Jia knew it, and for that reason several months passed without outbreak.
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天子聞嘉不聽命，王、王太后孤弱不能制，使者怯無決； 又以為王、王太后已附漢，獨呂嘉為亂，不足以興兵，欲使莊參以二千人往使。 參曰：「以好往，數人足矣； 以武往，二千人無足以為也。」 辭不可，天子罷參。 郟壯士故濟北相韓千秋奮曰：「以區區之越，又有王、王太后應，獨相呂嘉為害，願得勇士三百人，必斬嘉以報。」 於是天子遣千秋與王太后弟樛樂將二千人往，入越境。 呂嘉等乃遂反，下令國中曰：「王年少。 太后，中國人也，又與使者亂，專欲內屬，盡持先王寶器入獻天子以自媚； 多從人行，至長安，虜賣以為僮僕； 取自脫一時之利，無顧趙氏社稷、為萬世慮計之意。」 乃與其弟將卒攻殺王、王太后及漢使者，遣人告蒼梧秦王及其諸郡縣，立明王長男越妻子術陽侯建德為王。 而韓千秋兵入，破數小邑。 其後越開直道給食，未至番禺四十里，越以兵擊千秋等，遂滅之； 使人函封漢使者節置塞上，好為謾辭謝罪，發兵守要害處。
The Son of Heaven heard Jia would not heed orders, the king and Queen Mother were isolated and weak and could not control him, and the envoys were timid without decision; he also thought the king and Queen Mother had already attached to Han, and Lu Jia alone was in rebellion—not enough to raise troops—and wished to send Zhuang Can with two thousand men as envoys. Can said, "If one goes in friendship, a few men suffice; if one goes in force, two thousand men are not enough to accomplish it." His plea was not accepted; the Son of Heaven dismissed Can. A stalwart of Zheng, former Chancellor of Jibei Han Qianqiu, exclaimed, "For a petty Yue, with the king and Queen Mother responding within, and Chancellor Lu Jia alone doing harm—I wish to have three hundred brave men and will certainly behead Jia in return." Thereupon the Son of Heaven dispatched Qianqiu and the Queen Mother's younger brother Jiu Le leading two thousand men to go; they entered Yue territory. Lu Jia and others thereupon rebelled and issued orders within the state, saying, "The king is young. The Queen Mother is a woman of China, and again with the envoys in disorder, devoted solely to wishing to submit to the interior, entirely taking the former kings' precious vessels to present to the Son of Heaven to flatter herself; many followers will go; reaching Chang'an, captives will be sold as servants; taking only to escape present advantage, with no thought for the Zhao clan's altars of soil and grain or planning for ten thousand generations." He then with his brother led troops to attack and kill the king, Queen Mother, and Han envoys, sent men to inform the King of Cangwu and his various commanderies and counties, and established Ming King's eldest son by his Yue wife, Marquis of Shuyang Jian De, as king. Meanwhile Han Qianqiu's troops entered and overthrew several small towns. Afterward Yue opened a direct road to supply food; not yet forty li from Panyu, Yue with troops struck Qianqiu and others and thereupon destroyed them; they sent men to seal Han envoys' tallies in a casket and place them on the border, spoke fine deceitful words apologizing, and raised troops to guard strategic points.
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春，三月，壬午，天子聞南越反，曰：「韓千秋雖無功，亦軍鋒之冠，封其子延年為成安侯； 樛樂姊為王太后，首願屬漢，封其子廣德為龍亢侯。」 ----3夏，四月，赦天下。 ----4丁丑晦，日有食之。 ----5秋，遣伏波將軍路博德出桂陽，下湟水； 樓船將軍楊僕出豫章，下湞水； 歸義越侯嚴為戈船將軍，出零陵，下離水； 甲為下瀨將軍，下蒼梧； 皆將罪人，江、淮以南樓船十萬人。 越馳義侯遺別將巴、蜀罪人，發夜郎兵，下牂柯江，咸會番禺。
In spring, the third month, on renwu, the Son of Heaven heard Nanyue had rebelled and said, "Han Qianqiu, though without achievement, was still the crown of the army's spearhead—enfeoff his son Yan Nian as Marquis of Cheng'an; Jiu Le's elder sister was Queen Mother, first willing to submit to Han—enfeoff her son Guang De as Marquis of Longkang." ----3 In summer, the fourth month, there was an amnesty for all under Heaven. ----4 On dingchou, last day of the month, there was an eclipse of the sun. ----5 In autumn he dispatched General Who Calms the Waves Luo Bode out from Guiyang, down the Huang River; Tower Ship General Yang Pu out from Yuzhang, down the Zhen River; Marquis Yan of the Yue Who Returned to Righteousness as Ge Ship General out from Lingling, down the Li River; Jia as General of the Lower Rapids down to Cangwu; all leading convicts—one hundred thousand tower-ship men south of the Yangzi and Huai. Marquis of the Yue Who Hastened to Righteousness sent a separate commander with Ba and Shu convicts, raised Yelang troops, down the Zangke River—all to assemble at Panyu.
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齊相卜式上書，請父子與齊習船者往死南越。 天子下詔褒美式，賜爵關內侯，金六十斤，田十頃，佈告天下； 天下莫應。 是時列侯以百數，皆莫求從軍擊越。 會九月嘗酎，祭宗廟，列侯以令獻金助祭。 少府省金，金有輕及色惡者，上皆令劾以不敬，奪爵者百六人。 辛巳，丞相趙周坐知列侯酎金輕，下獄，自殺。 ----6丙申，以御史大夫石慶為丞相，封牧丘侯。 時國家多事，桑弘羊等致利，王溫舒之屬峻法，而兒寬等推文學，皆為九卿，更進用事。 事不關決於丞相，丞相慶醇謹而已。 ----7五利將軍裝治行，東入海求其師。 既而不敢入海，之太山祠。 上使人隨驗，實無所見。 五利妄言見其師，其方盡多不售，坐誣罔，腰斬； 樂成侯亦棄市。 ----8西羌眾十萬人反，與匈奴通使，攻故安，圍抱罕。 匈奴入五原，殺太守。----
Chancellor of Qi Bu Shi submitted a memorial requesting that he and his sons, with men of Qi skilled in boats, go to die for the campaign against Nanyue. The Son of Heaven issued an edict praising Shi's manner, bestowed the rank of Marquis within the Passes, sixty jin of gold, ten qing of fields, and proclaimed it to all under Heaven; yet all under Heaven none responded. At this time full marquises numbered in the hundreds, yet none sought to follow the army to strike Yue. It happened to be the ninth month's tasting of new wine, sacrificing at the ancestral temples; full marquises by order presented gold to assist the sacrifice. The Privy Treasurer inspected the gold; where gold was light or color foul, the emperor all ordered impeachment for disrespect—one hundred six had their titles taken. On xinsi, Chancellor Zhao Zhou, guilty of knowing the full marquises' new-wine gold was light, was imprisoned and killed himself. ----6 On bingshen, Grand Counsellor Shi Qing was appointed Chancellor and enfeoffed as Marquis of Muqiu. At this time the state had many affairs; Sang Hongyang and others produced profit, Wang Wenshu and his kind applied harsh law, while Ni Kuan and others promoted literary learning—all were Nine Ministers, advancing in rotation to handle affairs. Matters not touching on him were not decided by the Chancellor; Chancellor Qing was pure and cautious, that was all. ----7 General of the Five Powers prepared travel gear and went east into the sea to seek his master. Afterward he did not dare enter the sea and went to sacrifice at Mount Tai. The emperor sent men to follow and verify; in truth nothing was seen. The Five Powers falsely said he had seen his master; his methods mostly did not sell; guilty of deception, he was cut at the waist; Marquis of Lecheng was also executed in the market. ----8 Western Qiang masses of one hundred thousand rebelled, exchanged envoys with the Xiongnu, attacked Gu'an, and besieged Baohan. The Xiongnu entered Wuyuan and killed the Administrator.
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1冬，發卒十萬人，遣將軍李息、郎中令徐自為征西羌，平之。 ----2樓船將軍楊僕入越地，先陷尋峽，破石門，挫越鋒，以數萬人待伏波將軍路博德至俱進，樓船居前，至番禺。 南越王建德、相呂嘉城守。 樓船居東南面，伏波居西北面。 會暮，樓船攻敗越人，縱火燒城。 伏波為營，遣使者招降者，賜印綬，復縱令相招。 樓船力攻燒敵，驅而入伏波營中。 黎旦，城中皆降。 建德、嘉已夜亡入海，伏波遣人追之。 校尉司馬蘇弘得建德，越郎都稽得嘉。 戈船、下瀨將軍兵及馳義侯所發夜郎兵未下，南越已平矣。 遂以其地為南海、蒼梧、鬱林、合浦、交趾、九真、日南、珠崖、儋耳九郡。 師還，上益封伏波； 封樓船為將梁侯，蘇弘為海常侯，都稽為臨蔡侯，及越降將蒼梧王趙光等四人皆為侯。 ----3公孫卿候神河南，言見仙人跡緱氏城上。 春，天子親幸緱氏城視跡，問卿：「得毋效文成、五利乎？」 卿曰：「仙者非有求人主，人主者求之。 其道非寬假，神不來。 言神事如迂誕，積以歲月，乃可致也。」 上信之。 於是郡、國各除道，繕治宮觀、名山、神祠以望幸焉。 ----4賽南越，祠泰一、-{后土}-，始用樂舞。 ----5馳義侯發南夷兵，欲以擊南越。 且蘭君恐遠行旁國，虜其老弱，乃與其眾反，殺使者及犍為太守。 漢乃發巴、蜀罪人當擊南越者八校尉，遣中郎將郭昌、衛廣將而擊之，誅且蘭及邛君、莋侯，遂平南夷為牂柯郡。 夜郎侯始倚南越，南越已滅，夜郎遂入朝，上以為夜郎王。 冉駹皆振恐，清臣置吏，乃以邛都為越巂郡，莋都為沈黎郡，冉駹為汶山郡，廣漢西白馬為武都郡。 ----6初，東越王餘善上書，請以卒八千人從樓船擊呂嘉； 兵至揭揚，以海風波為解，不行，持兩端，陰使南越。 及漢破番禺，不至。 楊僕上書願便引兵擊東越； 上以士卒勞倦，不許，令諸校屯豫章、梅嶺以待命。 餘善聞樓船請誅之，漢兵臨境，乃遂反，發兵距漢道，號將軍騶力等為吞漢將軍，入白沙、武林、梅嶺，殺漢三校尉。 是時，漢使大農張成、故山州侯齒將屯，弗敢擊，卻就便處，皆坐畏懦誅。 餘善自稱武帝。
1 In winter he raised one hundred thousand conscripts and dispatched Generals Li Xi and Palace Attendant Xu Ziwei to campaign against the Western Qiang and pacify them. ----2 Tower Ship General Yang Pu entered Yue territory, first stormed Xun Gorge, broke Stone Gate, blunted Yue's spearhead, and with several tens of thousands awaited General Who Calms the Waves Luo Bode to arrive and advance together; Tower Ship went ahead and reached Panyu. King of Nanyue Jian De and Chancellor Lu Jia defended the city. Tower Ship held the southeast face; Who Calms the Waves held the northwest face. At dusk Tower Ship attacked and defeated the Yue men and set fire burning the city. Who Calms the Waves made camp, sent envoys to summon those who would surrender, bestowed seals and ribbons, and again released them to bid one another surrender. Tower Ship pressed the attack, burned the enemy, and drove them into Who Calms the Waves' camp. At daybreak all in the city surrendered. Jian De and Jia had by night fled into the sea; Who Calms the Waves sent men to pursue them. Colonel and Major Su Hong captured Jian De; Yue Gentleman Du Ji captured Jia. Ge Ship, General of the Lower Rapids' troops, and the Yelang troops raised by Marquis Who Hastened to Righteousness had not yet come down, yet Nanyue was already pacified. Thereupon its territory was made into nine commanderies: Nanhai, Cangwu, Yulin, Hepu, Jiaozhi, Jiuzhen, Rinan, Zhuya, and Dan'er. When the army returned, the emperor increased Who Calms the Waves' enfeoffment; enfeoffed Tower Ship as Marquis of Jiangliang, Su Hong as Marquis of Haichang, Du Ji as Marquis of Lincai, and the four Yue surrendering generals including King of Cangwu Zhao Guang—all as marquises. ----3 Gongsun Qing awaited spirits in Henan and said he had seen immortal traces atop the city of Gou. In spring the Son of Heaven personally visited the city of Gou to view the traces and asked Qing, "Might this not imitate Wencheng and the Five Powers?" Qing said, "Immortals do not seek a ruler; it is the ruler who seeks them. Their Way is not broad and indulgent—if it is not, spirits do not come. To speak of spirit affairs seems roundabout and absurd; accumulated over months and years, only then can they be brought." The emperor believed him. Thereupon each commandery and kingdom cleared roads, repaired palaces and lodges, famous mountains and spirit shrines to look toward imperial visits. ----4 In thanksgiving for Nanyue, he sacrificed to Grand Unity and -{Houtu}-, and for the first time used music and dance. ----5 Marquis Who Hastened to Righteousness raised Southern Yi troops, intending to use them to strike Nanyue. Lord Qielan feared a distant march past neighboring states would capture his old and weak; he then with his masses rebelled and killed the envoy and the Administrator of Qianwei. Han then raised the Ba and Shu convicts who were to strike Nanyue as eight colonels, dispatched Gentlemen-of-the-Palace Guo Chang and Wei Guang to lead them and strike, executed Qielan and the Lord of Qiong and Marquis of Zhuo, and thereupon pacified the Southern Yi and made them the commandery of Zangke. The Marquis of Yelang had at first relied on Nanyue; after Nanyue was destroyed, Yelang came to court, and the emperor made him King of Yelang. The Ran and Qiang were all shaken with fear; the court cleared the region and set officials, making Qiongdu into Yuexi commandery, Zhuodu into Shenli commandery, the Ran and Qiang into Wenshan commandery, and the white-horse people west of Guanghan into Wudong commandery. ----6 Initially the King of Eastern Yue, Yu Shan, memorialized, asking to lead eight thousand soldiers to follow the Tower Ship army in attacking Lü Jia; when the troops reached Jieyang, he used sea winds and waves as an excuse not to advance, hedged between both sides, and secretly sent envoys to Nanyue. When Han took Panyu, he did not arrive. Yang Pu memorialized, asking to lead troops at once against Eastern Yue; the emperor, because the troops were weary, refused and ordered the colonels to garrison at Yuzhang and Meiling to await orders. Yu Shan heard that the Tower Ship army had asked for his execution and that Han troops were at the border; he thereupon rebelled, raised troops to block Han routes, styled General Zou Li and others Swallow-Han Generals, entered Baisha, Wulin, and Meiling, and killed three Han colonels. At this time the Han envoys Grand Minister of Agriculture Zhang Cheng and the former Marquis of Shanzhou Chi led garrisons but dared not attack, withdrew to safer positions, and all were executed for cowardice. Yu Shan styled himself Martial Emperor.
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上欲復使楊僕將，為其伐前勞，以書敕責之曰：「將軍之功獨有先破石門、尋陿，非有斬將搴旗之實也，烏足以驕人哉！ 前破番禺，捕降者以為虜，掘死人以為獲，是一過也； 使建德、呂嘉得以東越為援，是二過也； 士卒暴露連歲，將軍不念其勤勞，而請乘傳行塞，因用歸家，懷銀、黃，垂三組，誇鄉里，是三過也； 失期內顧，以道惡為解，是四過也； 問君蜀刀價而陽不知，挾偽干君，是五過也。 受詔不至蘭池，明日又不對。 假令將軍之吏，問之不對，令之不從，其罪何如？ 推此心在外，江海之間可得信乎？ 今東越深入，將軍能率眾以掩過不？」 僕惶恐對曰：「願盡死贖罪！」 上乃遣橫海將軍韓說出句章，浮海從東方往； 樓船將軍楊僕出武林，中尉王溫舒出梅嶺，以越侯為戈船、下瀨將軍，出若邪、白沙，以擊東越。 ----7博望侯既以通西域尊貴，其吏士爭上書言外國奇怪利害求使。 天子為其絕遠，非人所樂往，聽其言，予節，募吏民，毋問所從來，為具備人眾遣之，以廣其道。 來還，不能毋侵盜幣物及使失指，天子為其習之，輒覆按致重罪，以激怒令贖，復求使，使端無窮，而輕犯法。 其吏卒亦輒復盛推外國所有，言大者予節，言小者為副，故妄言無行之徒皆爭效之。 其使皆貧人子，私縣官賫物，欲賤市以私其利。 外國亦厭漢使，人人有言輕重，度漢兵遠不能至，而禁其食物以苦漢使。 漢使乏絕，積怨至相攻擊。 而樓蘭、車師，小國當空道，攻漢使王恢等尤甚，而匈奴奇兵又時遮擊之。 使者爭言西域皆有城邑，兵弱易擊。 於是天子遣浮沮將軍公孫賀將萬五千騎，出九原二千餘里，至浮沮井而還； 匈河將軍趙破奴將萬餘騎出令居數千里，至匈河水而還； 以斥逐匈奴，不使遮漢使，皆不見匈奴一人。 乃分武威、酒泉地置張掖、敦煌郡，徙民以實之。 ----8是歲，齊相卜式為御史大夫。 式既在位，乃言：「郡、國多不便縣官作鹽鐵器，苦惡價貴，或強令民買之； 而船有算，商者少，物貴。」 上由是不悅卜式。 ----9初，司馬相如病且死，有遺書，頌功德，言符瑞，勸上封泰山。 上感其言，會得寶鼎，上乃與公卿諸生議封禪。 封禪用希曠絕，莫知其儀，而諸方士又言：「封禪者合不死之名也，黃帝以上，封禪皆致怪物，與神通，秦皇帝不得上封。 陛下必欲上，稍上即無風雨，遂上封矣。」 上於是乃令諸儒采《尚書》、《周官》、《王制》之文，草封禪儀，數年不成。 上以問左內史兒寬，寬曰：「封泰山，禪梁父，昭姓考瑞，帝王之盛節也； 然享薦之義，不著於《經》。 臣以為封禪告成，合祛於天地神衹，唯聖主所由，制定其當，非群臣之所能列。 今將舉大事，優遊數年，使群臣得人人自盡，終莫能成。 唯天子建中和之極，兼總條貫，金聲而玉振之，以順成天慶，垂萬世之基。」 上乃自製儀，頗采儒術以文之。 上為封禪祠器，以示群儒，或曰「不與古同」，於是盡罷諸儒不用。 上又以古者先振兵釋旅，然後封禪。----
The emperor wished again to have Yang Pu command; because of his earlier merit in the campaign, he sent a letter rebuking him, saying, "Your achievement lies solely in having first broken Shimen and Xunyang—there was no beheading of generals or seizing of banners; how is that enough to make you proud before others! When you took Panyu earlier, you treated surrendered captives as booty and dug up the dead and counted them as trophies—this is the first fault; you let Jiande and Lü Jia obtain Eastern Yue as support—this is the second fault; your soldiers have been exposed in the elements for years, yet you do not think of their toil but asked to ride post relays to the frontier and thereby return home, bearing silver and gold seals with three ribbon-groups hanging down, boasting in your home district—this is the third fault; you missed the deadline and looked homeward, using bad roads as your excuse—this is the fourth fault; when asked the price of Shu blades you pretended not to know, carrying falsehood to impose on your lord—this is the fifth fault. You received the edict yet did not come to Lanchi Pool; the next day you again did not respond. Suppose your clerks, when questioned, do not answer, and when ordered, do not obey—what would their crime be? Extend this mind outward—between rivers and seas, can one be trusted? Now Eastern Yue has penetrated deep; can you lead your troops to atone for your faults?" Pu replied in fear, "Your servant wishes to give his life to redeem his crimes!" The emperor thereupon sent Cross-Sea General Han Shuo out from Gouzhang, crossing the sea from the east; Tower Ship General Yang Pu went out from Wulin, Commandant of the Guards Wang Wenshu from Meiling, and the Yue marquis as Ge Ship and Lower Rapids generals from Ruoye and Baisha to attack Eastern Yue. ----7 The Marquis of Bowang, having become honored for opening the Western Regions, had his clerks and soldiers compete in memorializing about foreign wonders, profits, and harms, seeking missions. Because the route was extremely remote and not what men delighted to travel, the emperor listened to their words, granted credentials, recruited officials and people without asking where they came from, equipped them with supplies and sent them off to broaden the route. When they returned, they inevitably robbed goods and missed their instructions; because they were accustomed to this, the emperor would investigate and impose heavy crimes, provoking them to ransom themselves and again seek missions—envoys without end, yet lightly breaking the law. Their clerks and soldiers also repeatedly exaggerated what foreign states possessed; those who spoke grandly received credentials, those who spoke modestly became deputies—therefore reckless speakers without conduct all competed to imitate them. Their envoys were all sons of poor men who privately took government gifts, wishing to buy cheaply for private profit. Foreign states also grew weary of Han envoys; each judged Han troops could not arrive from afar and forbade food to distress the Han envoys. Han envoys were exhausted and cut off; accumulated resentment led to mutual attacks. Moreover Loulan and Cheshi, small states blocking the route, attacked Han envoys such as Wang Hui especially severely, and Xiongnu picked troops also sometimes intercepted them. Envoys competed in saying the Western Regions all had walled towns with weak troops easy to strike. Thereupon the emperor sent Floating Quagmire General Gongsun He to lead fifteen thousand horsemen out from Jiuyuan more than two thousand li to Floating Quagmire Well and back; Hun River General Zhao Ponu led more than ten thousand horsemen out from Lingju several thousand li to the Hun River and back; to drive off the Xiongnu and keep them from intercepting Han envoys—yet none saw a single Xiongnu. Thereupon they divided the lands of Wuwei and Jiuquan to establish Zhangye and Dunhuang commanderies and moved people to settle them. ----8 This year Qi Chancellor Bu Shi became Censor-in-Chief. Once in office, Shi said, "In the commanderies and kingdoms it is mostly inconvenient that the government makes salt and iron goods—poor in quality and costly—or forcibly orders the people to buy them; moreover ships are taxed, merchants are few, and goods are costly." The emperor thereby was displeased with Bu Shi. ----9 Initially Sima Xiangru was ill and near death; he left a testament praising merit and virtue, speaking of omens and auspicious signs, and urging the emperor to perform the feng and shan rites on Mount Tai. The emperor was moved by his words; when a precious tripod was obtained, he deliberated on feng and shan with the dukes, ministers, and scholars. Feng and shan were used rarely and were vast in scope; none knew their ritual. Moreover the masters of the methods said, "Feng and shan combine the name of immortality; from the Yellow Emperor upward, feng and shan all brought forth strange creatures and communion with spirits. The First Emperor of Qin could not ascend to perform the feng. If Your Majesty must ascend, as you ascend slightly there will be no wind or rain, and then you may ascend to perform the feng." The emperor thereupon ordered the Ru to gather passages from the Documents, the Offices of Zhou, and the Royal Regulations to draft feng and shan ritual—several years passed without completion. The emperor asked Left Interior Minister Er Kuan; Kuan said, "Feng on Mount Tai and shan at Liangfu display the surname and examine auspicious omens—it is the grand ceremony of emperors and kings; yet the meaning of offering and presenting is not set forth in the Classics. Your servant thinks that when feng and shan announce completion, the union of prayer to Heaven, Earth, and the spirits depends solely on what the sage ruler follows—he fixes what is fitting; it is not what ministers can enumerate. Now you are about to undertake a great affair yet linger at ease for several years, letting the ministers each exhaust himself—yet in the end none can complete it. Only the Son of Heaven establishes the utmost of central harmony, gathers and threads all together, sounds gold and vibrates jade, to accord with Heaven's celebration and hand down the foundation for ten thousand generations." The emperor thereupon himself fashioned the ritual, largely adopting Ru techniques to adorn it. “The emperor made feng and shan sacrificial vessels and showed them to the Ru; some said they did not match antiquity, and thereupon he completely dismissed all the Ru and did not use them.” The emperor also thought that in antiquity one first reviewed the troops and released the hosts, and only then performed feng and shan.
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1冬，十月，下詔曰：「南越、東甌，鹹伏其辜； 西蠻、北夷，頗未輯睦； 朕將巡邊垂，躬秉武節，置十二部將軍，親帥師焉。」 乃行，自雲陽北歷上郡、西河、五原，出長城，北登單于台，至朔方，臨北河，遣使者郭吉告單于曰：「南越王頭已縣於漢北闕。 今單于能戰，天子自將待邊； 不能，即南面而臣於漢，何徒遠走亡匿於幕北寒苦無水草之地！ 毋為也。」
1 In winter, the tenth month, an edict was issued, saying, "Nanyue and Eastern Ou have all submitted to their guilt; the western barbarians and northern Yi are mostly not yet gathered in harmony; We shall tour the border marches, personally grasp the martial baton, establish twelve-section generals, and personally lead the army." Thereupon he set out from Yunyang north through Shang commandery, Xihe, and Wuyuan, out through the Long Wall, north ascending Chanyu Terrace to Shuofang, facing the Northern River, and sent envoy Guo Ji to tell the chanyu, "The King of Nanyue's head is already hung at Han's northern gate. Now if the chanyu can fight, the emperor will himself lead troops and wait at the border; if you cannot, then at once turn south and become a subject of Han—why vainly flee far and hide in the cold, bitter, waterless and grassless lands north of the desert! Do not do it."
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語卒而單于大怒，立斬主客見者，而留郭吉，遷之北海上。 然匈奴亦讋，終不敢出。 上乃還，祭黃帝塚橋山，釋兵須如。 上曰：「吾聞黃帝不死，今有塚，何也？」 公孫卿曰：「黃帝已仙上天，群臣思慕，葬其衣冠。」 上歎曰：「吾後升天，群臣亦當葬吾衣冠於東陵乎？」 乃還甘泉，類祠太一。 ----2上以卜式不習文章，貶秩為太子太傅，以兒寬代為御史大夫。 ----3漢兵入東越境，東越素發兵距險，使徇北將軍守武林。 樓船將軍卒錢塘轅終古斬徇北將軍。 故越衍侯吳陽以其邑七百人反攻越軍於漢陽。 越建成侯敖與繇王居股殺餘善，以其眾降。 上封終古為御兒侯，陽為卯石侯，居股為東成侯，敖為開陵侯； 又封橫海將軍說為按道侯，橫海校尉福為繚嫈侯，東越降將多軍為無錫侯。 上以閩地險阻，數反覆，終為後世患，乃詔諸將悉徙其民於江、淮之間，遂虛其地。 ----4春，正月，上行幸緱氏，禮祭中岳太室，從官在山下聞若有言「萬歲」者三。 詔祠官加增太室祠，禁無伐其草木，以山下戶三百為之奉邑。
As the words ended the chanyu was greatly enraged, immediately beheaded the chief guest who had received him, detained Guo Ji, and moved him to the northern sea frontier. Yet the Xiongnu were also fearful and in the end dared not come out. The emperor thereupon returned, sacrificed at the Yellow Emperor's tomb on Bridge Mountain, and released the troops at Xuru. The emperor said, "We have heard the Yellow Emperor did not die—now there is a tomb; why is that?" Gongsun Qing said, "The Yellow Emperor had already ascended as an immortal to Heaven; the ministers longed for him and buried his hat and robes." The emperor sighed and said, "When I later ascend to Heaven, should the ministers also bury my hat and robes at Eastern Mound?" Thereupon he returned to Sweet Springs and performed a categorized sacrifice to the Grand Unity. ----2 Because Bu Shi was not practiced in literary composition, the emperor demoted him to Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and had Er Kuan replace him as Censor-in-Chief. ----3 Han troops entered Eastern Yue territory; Eastern Yue had always raised troops to hold dangerous passes and sent the Patrol-North General to guard Wulin. A Tower Ship army soldier from Qiantang, Yuan Zhonggu, beheaded the Patrol-North General. The former Yue Marquis of Yan Wu Yang with seven hundred men from his town counterattacked Yue troops at Hanyang. Yue Marquis of Jiancheng Ao and the Yao King Ju Gu killed Yu Shan and surrendered with their forces. The emperor enfeoffed Zhonggu as Marquis of Yu'er, Yang as Marquis of Maoshi, Ju Gu as Marquis of Dongcheng, and Ao as Marquis of Kailing; moreover he enfeoffed Cross-Sea General Shuo as Marquis of Andao, Cross-Sea Colonel Fu as Marquis of Liaoying, and the Eastern Yue surrendering general Duojun as Marquis of Wuxi. Because Min territory was rugged and had repeatedly rebelled, becoming a trouble for later generations, he ordered the generals to move all its people between the Yangtze and Huai and thereby emptied the land. ----4 In spring, the first month, the emperor traveled to Goushi and performed rites sacrificing to the Central Peak Grand Chamber; attendants below the mountain heard as if someone said "Long live the emperor" three times. An edict ordered the sacrificial officials to enlarge the Grand Chamber shrine, forbade cutting its trees and plants, and made three hundred households below the mountain its sustaining fief.
30
上遂東巡海上，行禮祠八神。 齊人之上疏言神怪、奇方者以萬數，乃益發船，令言海中神山者數千人求蓬萊神人。 公孫卿持節常先行，候名山，至東萊，言：「夜見大人，長數丈，就之則不見，其跡甚大，類禽獸雲。」 群臣有言：「見一老父牽狗，言『吾欲見巨公』，已忽不見。」 上既見大跡，未信，及群臣又言老父，則大以為仙人也，宿留海上； 與方士傳車及間使求神仙，人以千數。
The emperor thereupon toured east along the sea, performing rites and sacrificing to the Eight Spirits. Qi people who memorialized about spirits, wonders, and strange formulas numbered in the tens of thousands; he increased dispatched ships and ordered several thousand men who spoke of divine mountains in the sea to seek the Penglai immortals. Gongsun Qing, holding credentials, always went ahead first, watching famous mountains; reaching Donglai he said, "At night I saw a great man several zhang tall; when I approached he could not be seen; his tracks were very large, like birds, beasts, and clouds." Some among the ministers said, "I saw an old man leading a dog who said, 'I wish to see the Great Lord,' and then suddenly he was not seen." The emperor, having already seen the great tracks, did not yet believe; when the ministers also spoke of the old man, he then greatly thought them immortals and lodged on the seacoast; with masters of the methods in relay carriages and secret envoys seeking immortals—people by the thousands.
31
夏，四月，還，至奉高，禮祠地主於梁父。 乙卯，令侍中儒者皮弁、搢紳，射牛行事，封泰山下東方，如郊祠泰一之禮。 封廣丈二尺，高九尺，其下則有玉牒書，書秘。 禮畢，天子獨與侍中、奉車都尉霍子侯上泰山，亦有封，其事皆禁。 明日，下陰道。 丙辰，禪泰山下阯東北肅然山，如祭-{后土}-禮，天子皆親拜見，衣上黃，而盡用樂焉。 江、淮間茅三脊為神藉，五色土益雜封。 其封禪祠，夜若有光，晝有白雲出封中。 天子從禪還，坐明堂，群臣更上壽頌功德。 詔曰：「朕以眇身承至尊，兢兢焉惟德菲薄，不明於禮樂，故用事八神，遭天地況施，著見景象，屑然如有聞，震於怪物，欲止不敢，遂登封泰山，至於梁父，然後升壇肅然自新，嘉與士大夫更始，其以十月為元封元年。 行所巡至，博、奉高、蛇丘、歷城、梁父，民田租逋賦，皆貸除之，無出今年算。 賜天下民爵一級。」 又以五載一巡狩，用事泰山，令諸侯各治邸泰山下。
In summer, the fourth month, he returned to Fenggao and performed rites sacrificing to the Earth Lord at Liangfu. On yimao, he ordered Palace Attendants and Ru in leather caps and sashes to shoot the ox and perform the rite, performing the feng below Mount Tai on the east, like the suburban sacrifice to the Grand Unity. The feng mound was two zhang wide and nine zhang high; beneath it was a jade document with secret writing. When the rite was complete, the emperor alone with the Palace Attendant and Chief of the Imperial Carriages Huo Zihou ascended Mount Tai; there was also a feng; all the matters were forbidden. The next day he descended by the shaded path. On bingchen he performed the shan at Mount Suiran northeast of the foot of Mount Tai, like the sacrifice to -{the cited text}-; the emperor personally bowed throughout, wore upper yellow, and used music throughout. Three-ridged thatch from between the Yangtze and Huai served as the spirit mat; five-colored earth was further added in mixed feng. At the feng and shan shrines, at night there seemed to be light; by day white clouds emerged from within the feng. The emperor, returning from the shan, sat in the Bright Hall; the ministers in turn offered longevity wishes praising merit and virtue. An edict said, "I with a tiny body inherit the utmost honor, diligently and anxiously, yet my virtue is thin and shallow and unclear in rites and music—therefore I served the Eight Spirits. Encountering Heaven and Earth's generous bestowal, manifest signs appeared; fragmentarily as if there were hearing; shaken by strange things, wishing to stop yet not daring, I ascended to perform feng on Mount Tai and reached Liangfu; then ascending the altar I solemnly renewed myself, rejoicing to begin anew with scholar-officials—let the tenth month be the first year of Yuanfeng. Where the tour reached—Bo, Fenggao, Sheqiu, Licheng, Liangfu—field rents and overdue levies were all remitted; none need pay this year's poll tax. Grant all people under Heaven one rank of nobility." Moreover, every five years there would be an imperial tour and sacrifice at Mount Tai; the feudal lords were each to maintain lodges below Mount Tai.
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天子既已封泰山，無風雨，而方士更言蓬萊諸神若將可得，於是上欣然庶幾遇之，復東至海上望焉。 上欲自浮海求蓬萊，群臣諫，莫能止。 東方朔曰：「夫仙者，得之自然，不必躁求。 若其有道，不憂不得； 若其無道，雖至蓬萊見仙人，亦無益也。 臣願陛下第還宮靜處以須之，仙人將自至。」 上乃止。 會奉車霍子侯暴病，一日死。 子侯，去病子也，上甚悼之； 乃遂去，並海上，北至碣石，巡自遼西，歷北邊，至九原。 五月，乃至甘泉。 凡周行萬八千里-{云}-。
The emperor having performed feng on Mount Tai without wind or rain, and the masters of the methods again saying the Penglai gods seemed about to be obtainable, he gladly hoped he might meet them and again went east to the sea to gaze. The emperor wished himself to float on the sea to seek Penglai; the ministers remonstrated but none could stop him. Dongfang Shuo said, "As for immortals, obtaining them is natural—one need not urgently seek them. If one has the Way, one need not worry about not obtaining them; If one lacks the Way, even reaching Penglai and seeing immortals is still of no benefit. Your servant wishes Your Majesty would simply return to the palace and dwell quietly to await them—the immortals will come of themselves." The emperor thereupon stopped. It happened that Chief of the Imperial Carriages Huo Zihou fell violently ill and died within a day. Zihou was Huo Qubing's son; the emperor greatly mourned him; he thereupon departed, followed the seacoast north to Jieshi, toured from Liaodong west, passed the northern frontier, and reached Jiuyuan. In the fifth month he reached Sweet Springs. In all he circuit-traveled eighteen thousand li -{the cited text}-.
33
先是，桑弘羊為治粟都尉，領大農，盡管天下鹽鐵。 弘羊作平准之法，令遠方各以其物如異時商賈所轉販者為賦而相灌輸。 置平准於京師，都受天下委輸。 大農諸官，盡籠天下之貨物，貴即賣之，賤則買之，欲使富商大賈無所牟大利，而萬物不得騰踴。 至是，天子巡狩郡縣，所過賞賜，用帛百餘萬匹，錢金以巨萬計，皆取足大農。 弘羊又請令吏得入粟補官及罪人贖罪。 山東漕粟益歲六百萬石，一歲之中，太倉、甘泉倉滿，邊餘谷，諸物均輸，帛五百萬匹，民不益賦而天下用饒。 於是弘羊賜爵左庶長，黃金再百斤焉。
Before this, Sang Hongyang was Superintendent of Grain, heading Grand Agriculture, and fully controlled all salt and iron under Heaven. Hongyang instituted the Equalization-Standard law, ordering distant regions each to submit goods like those merchants of former times had traded and transported, as tribute for mutual exchange. He established Equalization-Standard offices in the capital to receive all the empire's consignments. Grand Agriculture's various offices monopolized all goods under Heaven—selling when prices were high, buying when they were low—wishing to deny great merchants huge profits and keep the myriad things from soaring in price. At this time the emperor toured the commanderies and counties; rewards where he passed used more than a million bolts of silk and money and gold reckoned in huge sums—all drawn fully from Grand Agriculture. Hongyang again requested that officials be allowed to submit grain to purchase offices and criminals ransom their crimes. Grain transported from east of the mountains increased by six million shi yearly; within one year the Grand Granary and Sweet Springs Granary were full, the frontier had surplus grain, various goods were equally transported, and five million bolts of silk were stockpiled—the people paid no added levies yet the empire's resources were abundant. Thereupon Hongyang was granted the rank of Left Subordinate Elite and two hundred jin of gold.
34
是時小旱，上令官求雨。 卜式言曰：「縣官當食租衣稅而已，今弘羊令吏坐市列肆，販物求利。 烹弘羊，天乃雨。」 ----5秋，有星孛於東井，後十餘日，有星孛於三台。 望氣王朔言：「候獨見填星出如瓜，食頃，復入。」 有司皆曰：「陛下建漢家封禪，天其報德星-{云}-。」 ----6齊懷王閎薨，無子，國除。----
At this time there was a small drought; the emperor ordered officials to seek rain. Bu Shi said, "The government should live on land rent and garment taxes only—now Hongyang orders officials to sit in market rows and stalls, selling goods for profit. Cook Hongyang and Heaven will then rain." ----5 In autumn, a broom star appeared at the Well; after more than ten days, a broom star appeared at the Three Terraces. Qi-watcher Wang Shuo said, "When observing, I alone saw Saturn emerge like a melon; within a mealtime it re-entered." The responsible offices all said, "Your Majesty established Han's feng and shan; Heaven surely rewards with the Virtue Star -{the cited text}-." ----6 King Huai of Qi, Hong, died; having no son, the state was abolished.