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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 99): Protecting The Heir Apparent

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 4 Scroll 12 (continued) General Chen Xi The 10th year of the Emperor Gaozu (197 B.C.) The Emperor Emeritus(the emperor’s father) passed away at the Yueyang Palace in May of the summer. He was buried at Wannian tomb on July 14 in the autumn. The kings of Chu and Liang both attended the…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 98): Vouching for His King

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 4 Scroll 12 (continued) Guan Gao The 9th year of the Emperor Gaozu (198 B.C. continued) An enemy of Guan Gao turned in his plot to assassinate the emperor. In response, the emperor arrested the king of Zhao and other conspirators.  Zhao Wu and more than ten others argued over who would…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 97): Appeasement

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 4 Scroll 12 Duration of 12 years Guanzhong Plain, Shaanxi Province The 8th year of the Emperor Gaozu (199 B.C.) In winter, the emperor led an attack on the remaining forces of Xin, King of Hán, at Dongyuan county, passing through Boren county. Guan Gao and other officials had assassins…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 96): A Narrow Escape

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11(continued) Yongzuo Temple, Taiyuan(a.k.a. Jinyang), Shanxi Province. Photo by Roland Longbow The 7th year of the Emperor Gaozu (200 B.C.) In October, during the winter, the Changle Palace was completed, and the monarchs and ministers gathered to pay their respects. Early in…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 95): Inventor of Whistling Arrows

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11 (continued) A Bust of Modu (Metehan) Chanyu in Türkiye, Photo by Vikiçizer The 6th year of the Emperor Gaozu(201 B.C. continued) The emperor returned to Yueyang. The emperor granted his father the title Emperor Emeritus on May 23 of the summer. The Xiongnu empire feared…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 94): Keeping Kingly Titles within The Liu Family

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11 (continued) The Evolution of The Kingdom of Qi The 6th year of the Emperor Gaozu(201 B.C. continued) The emperor believed the country was finally at peace. His sons were still young, and he had few brothers. Learning from the downfall of the Qin dynasty, which lacked…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 93): Meritorious Hounds vs. Meritorious Hunters

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11 (continued) The Remnant of Ancient Yunmeng Lake–Hong Lake in Hubei Province The 6th year of the Emperor Gaozu(201 B.C.) In October, during the winter, someone reported to the emperor that Han Xin, the king of Chu, was plotting a rebellion. The emperor consulted his…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 92): Zhang Liang's Fading Away

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11 (continued) One of the Temples Worshiping Chisongzi, Hong Kong The 5th year of the Emperor Gaozu (202 B.C. continued) Lou Jing, from the kingdom of Qi, was sent to a garrison in Longxi Commandery. While passing through Luoyang, he visited his fellow townsman, General Yu of…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 91): Tian Heng And His 500 Followers

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11 (continued) Xu Beihong‘s Depiction of Tian Heng The 5th year of the Emperor Gaozu (202 B.C. continued) After Peng Yue accepted his titles from the Empire of Han, Tian Heng of Qi, who had taken refuge under Peng Yue, feared for his life. He, along with 500 followers, fled to…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 90): Key to The Throne

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11 Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang The 5th year of the Emperor Gaozu (202 B.C. continued) The King of Han returned from the front and stopped by the city of Dingtao. He rushed into the camp of the King of Qi, Han Xin, and forcefully stripped him of his commander’s seal. The…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 89): Besieged On All Sides in Gaixia

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang  Annals of Han Book 3 Scroll 11 Duration of 3 years Xiang Yu and his horse The 5th year of the Emperor Gaozu (202 B.C.) In October of that winter, the King of Han pursued King Xiang Yu to Guling. He arranged a meeting with Han Xin, the King of Qi, and Peng Yue, the Prime Minister of Wei, to plan an…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 88): A Shaman’s Prognosis

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10 A Sword believed to belong to the King of Yue, Gou Jian. Photo by Siyuwj The 4th year of the Emperor Gaozu(203 B.C. continued) Scholar Kuai Che, seeing that Han Xin held the key to the outcome of the war, approached Han Xin with an elaborate analogy disguised as physiognomy:…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 87): Why Not A Real King?

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10 Wei River, Shandong Province, Photograph by Ngguls The 4th year of the Emperor Gaozu(203 B.C. continued) Han Xin had already taken control of the capital of Qi and was pursuing the King of Qi to the east. In response, Xiang Yu sent his general, Long Ju, with an army…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 86): Save Me A Cup of Soup?

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10 (continued) The Great Gulch in Guangwu Town, Xingyang, Henan Province The 4th year of the Emperor Gaozu(203 B.C.) In October, during the winter, Han Xin caught the Qi army off guard at Lixia, overrunning them and advancing toward Linzi, the capital of Qi. The King of Qi,…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 85): Reincarnation

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10 A Grainery in Ao’cang, Henan Province The 3rd year of the Emperor Gaozu (204 B.C. continued) The King of Han managed to sneak out through the Yu Gate of Chenggao with only Duke of Teng(Xiahou Ying) on a wagon. They headed north and crossed the Yellow River, eventually…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 84): War of Disinformation

An early example of disinformation of warfare in Chinese history

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10 Sishui Pavilion, Xuzhou(Pengcheng), Jiang Su Province. Photo by Hu Chuansong The 3rd year of the Emperor Gaozu (204 B.C. continued) The King of Han asked Chen Ping, “The country is in turmoil—when will this chaos end?” Chen Ping replied, “There are only a few of Xiang Yu’s…

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Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance(Part 83): No Preordained Strategy

Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance By Sima Guang Translated By Yiming Yang Annals of Han Book 2 Scroll 10 Mount Hua, Photograph by Ondřej Žváček The 3rd year of the Emperor Gaozu (204 B.C. continued) The army of Chu clashed with the army of Han along the expressway, which Han had built as a vital supply route. Han’s army soon faced a food shortage. The King of Han consulted with…