梁孝王世家 — Shiji

Emperor Xiaowen had four sons in all. His eldest was the Crown Prince, who later became Emperor Xiaojing. His second son was Wu; his third son, Can; and his fourth son, Sheng. When Emperor Xiaowen ascended the throne in the second year of his reign, he made Wu Prince of Dai, Can Prince of Taiyuan, and Sheng Prince of Liang. Two years later, he transferred the Prince of Dai to become Prince of Huaiyang, granting all of Dai's territory to the Prince of Taiyuan, who was thereafter titled Prince of Dai.

The Prince of Dai, Can, ruled for seventeen years and died in the second year after Emperor Xiaowen's reign ended, receiving the posthumous title Prince Xiao. His son Deng succeeded him, becoming Prince Gong of Dai. He ruled for twenty-nine years and died in the second year of the Guangguang era. His son Yi then succeeded him as Prince of Dai. Nineteen years later, the Han expanded the passes to the north and used the Heng Mountains as a boundary, transferring the Prince of Dai to rule over Qinghe. The Prince of Qinghe was transferred in the third year of the Yuanding era.

Initially, Wu had been Prince of Huaiyang for ten years when the Prince of Liang, Sheng, died, receiving the posthumous title Prince Huai of Liang. The Prince Huai was the youngest of Emperor Xiaowen's sons and was loved and favored more than any of the others. The following year, Wu, Prince of Huaiyang, was transferred to become Prince of Liang. This was the twelfth year of Emperor Xiaowen's reign. From the time Wu first received a princedom, he had now been a king for eleven years.

In the fourteenth year of his reign as Prince of Liang, Wu came to court. In the seventeenth and eighteenth years, he came consecutively for two years running and stayed on. It was not until the following year that he returned to his domain. In the twenty-first year, he came to court. In the twenty-second year, Emperor Xiaowen died. In the twenty-fourth year, he came to court. In the twenty-fifth year, he came again to court. At this time the Emperor had not yet designated a Crown Prince.

The Emperor was feasting with the Prince of Liang when he casually said, "After a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, the throne shall pass to you, King." The Prince declined with thanks. Though he knew these were not sincere words, his heart was gladdened. The Empress Dowager felt the same.

The following year, the Han installed a Crown Prince. Thereafter, Liang became the closest ally of the throne, having rendered great service and being a great kingdom occupying the richest lands under heaven. Its northern border reached Mount Tai, and on the west it extended to Gaoyang, with over forty cities, many of them large counties.

The Prince Xiao was the youngest son of Empress Dou, and she loved him dearly. Her gifts and grants to him were beyond counting. The Prince built an Eastern Garden extending more than three hundred li, and expanded the walls of Suiyang to seventy li. He constructed palaces and halls in magnificent style, built covered walkways connecting the palace to the Ping Platform over a distance of more than thirty li. He was granted the Son of Heaven's ceremonial banners, and his travels were accompanied by thousands of chariots and horsemen. He rode east and west hunting, in a manner befitting the Son of Heaven. When he spoke, men had to clear the road; when he entered, guards were posted. He attracted the finest talent from every quarter—wandering scholars from east of the mountains all came without exception. Among them were Yang Sheng and Gongsun Gui from Qi, Zou Yang and others. Gongsun Gui, who proposed many strange stratagems, was given a thousand gold pieces upon first meeting the King and rose to the position of Central Commandant. Liang called him General Gongsun. The kingdom produced weaponry in enormous quantities—spears, crossbows, and halberds numbered in the hundreds of thousands. The treasury held money and valuables worth several billion, and precious gems and rare objects outnumbered those in the capital.

In the tenth month of the twenty-ninth year, the Prince Xiao of Liang came to court. The Emperor sent an envoy bearing the imperial seal and a four-horse chariot to welcome the Prince of Liang at the passes. Upon his arrival, the Prince submitted a memorial and remained, on account of his kinship with the Empress Dowager. When the Prince entered, he attended the Emperor in the same carriage; when he went out, they rode together in the same chariot to hunt birds and beasts in the Upper Meadow. Liang's Court Attendants, Chamberlain Officers, and Messengers entered and left through the palace gates on the imperial registry, just like Han eunuchs.

In the eleventh month, the Emperor deposed Prince Li of the Crown Prince. The Empress Dowager's heart was set on making the Prince of Liang her successor. When Grand Ministers and Yuan Ang and others raised objections with the Emperor, the Empress Dowager's proposal was blocked, and she never again spoke of making the Prince of Liang her heir. Because the matter was kept secret, the world knew nothing of it. The Prince then took his leave and returned to his domain.

That summer, in the fourth month, the Emperor installed the Prince of Jiaodong as Crown Prince. The Prince of Liang bore a grudge against Yuan Ang and the other ministers who had spoken against him. Together with Yang Sheng, Gongsun Gui, and their associates, he secretly sent men to assassinate Yuan Ang and more than a dozen other ministers. The assassins were pursued but not caught.

The Emperor suspected the Prince of Liang, and when the assassins were traced, it became clear that Liang was indeed responsible. He dispatched envoys thick as the spokes of a wheel along the roads, thoroughly investigating Liang and ordering the arrest of Gongsun Gui and Yang Sheng. They were hidden in the rear palace of the King. The envoys demanded that the officials of two thousand bushels salary act with urgency. The Liang Prime Minister, Xuanqiu Bao, and the Interior Secretary, Han Anguo, remonstrated with the King, who then ordered Sheng and Gui to commit suicide and turned them over. The Emperor, however, became resentful toward the Prince of Liang.

In the thirty-fifth year, winter came, and the Prince came to court again. He petitioned to stay, but the Emperor refused. Returning to his domain, he was dejected and unhappy. While hunting in the Liang Mountains, someone offered him a bull with hooves growing from its back, which the Prince found loathsome. In the sixth month, he fell ill with fever and died six days later. His posthumous title was Prince Xiao. He had been a devoted and filial son; whenever he heard that the Empress Dowager was ill, he could not eat, and he found no peace in his chambers, for he constantly wished to remain in Chang'an to attend upon her. The Empress Dowager loved him dearly. When she heard of the Prince's death, she wept inconsolably and would not eat, saying, "The Emperor has indeed killed my son!"

The Emperor grieved in fear and, uncertain what to do, consulted with the Princess Royal. They divided Liang into five kingdoms and installed five of the Prince's sons as kings, while the five daughters each received a town for their personal upkeep. When this was reported to the Empress Dowager, she was pleased, and the Emperor added a meal for her.

The eldest son of Prince Xiao of Liang was Mai, who became Prince of Liang and was titled Prince Gong. His son Ming became Prince of Jichuan; Pengli became Prince of Jidong; Ding became Prince of Hanyang; and Bushi became Prince of Jiyin.

Before the Prince's death, his wealth was worth tens of millions and could not be counted. When he died, the gold remaining in the treasury still weighed more than four hundred thousand jin, with other valuables in proportion.

When the Prince Xiao was alive, there had been a wine vessel called a lei-zun worth a thousand gold pieces. The Prince had instructed his descendants, "Guard this lei-zun well and never give it away." Queen Renwang heard of it and wanted the vessel. The Prince's grandmother, Empress Li, said, "The late King left orders that the lei-zun must not be given away. Other goods, even worth hundreds of millions, you may take as you please." But Queen Renwang was determined to have it. Prince Ping of Liang simply sent men to open the treasury and take the lei-zun, presenting it to Queen Renwang.

During the Yuan Shuo era, a certain man of Suiyang named Lei Han Fan rebelled. Someone had insulted his father, and he went out in the same carriage with the Huaiyang Grand Administrator's guest. The guest got out of the carriage, and Lei Han Fan killed his enemy in the carriage and fled. The Huaiyang Grand Administrator was furious and blamed the Liang officials of two thousand bushels salary. The officials below that rank pressed urgently for the arrest of the rebel's relatives. Lei Han Fan, knowing the kingdom's secrets, sent a report to the court detailing the Prince's and his grandmother's dispute over the wine vessel.

When the Prime Minister and those below him learned of it, wishing to harm Liang's officials, they reported the matter to the Emperor. The Emperor had the case investigated. The charges were found to be true. The Ministers requested that Ping be deposed and reduced to commoner status. The Emperor said, "Empress Li was guilty of immoral conduct, and Liang Wang Ping had no good instructors, which is why he fell into unrighteousness." He reduced Liang by eight cities and displayed Queen Renwang's head in the market. Liang still retained ten cities.

Ping ruled for thirty-nine years and died, receiving the posthumous title Prince Ping. His son Wushang succeeded him as Prince of Liang.

Prince Ming of Jichuan was a son of Prince Xiao of Liang. In the sixth year of the Zhongjian era of Emperor Jing, he was made Prince of Jichuan as a marquis of Huan. In the seventh year, he was charged with shooting and killing his Central Commandant. The Han officials requested that he be executed, but the Emperor, unwilling to put him to death, demoted him to commoner status and exiled him to Fangling, which was incorporated into Han as a commandery.

They all replied: ‘Now the Han dynasty follows the institutions of Zhou; the way of Zhou does not permit passing the throne to a younger brother, but requires establishing a son as heir. Therefore the Spring and Autumn Annals censures Duke Xuan of Song. When Duke Xuan died, he did not establish his son but gave the state to his younger brother. The younger brother received the state, and when he died, he returned it to the elder brother’s son. The sons of the younger brother fought over it, thinking that they should succeed their father, and then assassinated the elder brother’s son. Because of this, the state fell into chaos, and disasters continued without end. Hence the Spring and Autumn Annals says: The noble person greatly upholds the correct principle; the calamity of Song was caused by Duke Xuan.’

I requested an audience with the Empress Dowager to explain this. Yuan Ang and others entered to see the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager said she wished to make the King of Liang the heir, but if the King of Liang should die, whom would she establish? The Empress Dowager said: ‘I would then establish the Emperor’s son.’ Yuan Ang and others reported to the Empress Dowager how Duke Xuan of Song failed to establish the rightful heir, which gave rise to calamity—a chaos that persisted for five generations without end—and how a small failure of forbearance harmed the greater righteousness. Only then did the Empress Dowager understand and relent, and immediately ordered the King of Liang to return to his kingdom. The common people were at peace and all under Heaven was tranquil.

Prince Ming of Jichuan was a son of Prince Xiao of Liang. In the sixth year of the Zhongjian era of Emperor Jing, he was made Prince of Jichuan as a marquis of Huan. In the seventh year, he was charged with shooting and killing his Central Commandant. The Han officials requested that he be executed, but the Emperor, unwilling to put him to death, demoted him to commoner status and exiled him to Fangling, which was incorporated into Han as a commandery.

Pengli, Prince of Jidong, was a son of Prince Xiao of Liang. In the sixth year of the Zhongjian era of Emperor Jing, he was made Prince of Jidong. In the twenty-ninth year, Pengli became arrogant and violent, showing no regard for the manners befitting a ruler. At night he secretly went out with dozens of his slave laborers and fugitive bandits to rob and murder, taking wealth as he pleased. More than a hundred people whom he had killed were discovered, and the whole kingdom knew of it. No one dared to go out at night. The son of one of his victims submitted a petition. The Han officials requested that he be executed, but the Emperor, unwilling to put him to death, demoted him to commoner status and exiled him to Shangping, which was incorporated into Han as the Dahe Commandery.

Dou Ying rectified erroneous counsel; Yuan Ang suffered threats of assassination for opposing the installation of the King of Liang as heir apparent.

The Han court exhaustively investigated the legal cases of Liang, with officials’ caps and carriages forming an unending procession.

Pengli, Prince of Jidong, was a son of Prince Xiao of Liang. In the sixth year of the Zhongjian era of Emperor Jing, he was made Prince of Jidong. In the twenty-ninth year, Pengli became arrogant and violent, showing no regard for the manners befitting a ruler. At night he secretly went out with dozens of his slave laborers and fugitive bandits to rob and murder, taking wealth as he pleased. More than a hundred people whom he had killed were discovered, and the whole kingdom knew of it. No one dared to go out at night. The son of one of his victims submitted a petition. The Han officials requested that he be executed, but the Emperor, unwilling to put him to death, demoted him to commoner status and exiled him to Shangping, which was incorporated into Han as the Dahe Commandery.