佞幸列传 — Shiji

In earlier times, many rose to prominence through beauty. When the Han dynasty rose to power, Emperor Gaozu was the very model of ferocity and resolve, yet he doted on a man named Ji Ru. During the reign of Emperor Hui, there was Hong Ru. These two men possessed no special talents—merely skill at fawning and flattery. They shared the ruler's bed and attendance, and the high officials of state all gained access to the throne through their intercession.

During Emperor Hui's reign, the palace attendants and guards all wore the cormorant-feathered caps and ornamented belts, applied rouge and powder, and modeled themselves on Hong and Ji. Both men established homes in Anling.

During the reign of Emperor Wen, among his favored ministers, the scholar was Deng Tong, while among the eunuchs were Zhao Tong and Northern Palace Bozi. Bozi was known for his kindness and integrity; Zhao Tong rose through his expertise in celestial divination and served frequently as the emperor's chariot companion; Deng Tong had no particular abilities. Deng Tong was from Nan'an in the Shu commandery, employed as a yellow-hatted boatman.

After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he wished to wage war against the Xiongnu. Because Han Yan had previously studied the military methods of the Hu people, he grew increasingly honored and favored, rising to the rank of Senior Grand Master, with rewards comparable to those of Deng Tong. At that time, Han Yan often rose and slept together with the emperor. When the King of Jiangdu came to court for an audience, the emperor gave an edict allowing him to join a hunt in Shanglin Park. Before the imperial carriage set out along the cleared route, the emperor first dispatched Han Yan in a deputy carriage, leading several dozen to a hundred horsemen, galloping ahead to scan for wild animals. The King of Jiangdu glimpsed this from afar, assumed it was the Son of Heaven, and swiftly ordered his attendants to withdraw while he prostrated himself by the roadside in homage. Han Yan drove past without stopping. After he had passed, the King of Jiangdu grew furious and tearfully appealed to the Empress Dowager: 'I beg to be allowed to return to my state and serve as a palace guard, on par with Han Yan.' The Empress Dowager henceforth resented Han Yan. Han Yan attended the emperor, entering and leaving the Eternal Alley freely without any prohibition. When word of his unseemly conduct in the Eternal Alley reached the Empress Dowager, she flew into a rage and sent an envoy to grant Han Yan death. The emperor apologized and pleaded on his behalf, but ultimately could not sway her, and Han Yan thus died.

Deng Tong for his part was eager and cautious, disliking external associations. Even when granted leave to bathe and rest, he did not wish to leave. The emperor thereupon bestowed upon him rewards of tens of millions, and he rose to the rank of Senior Grandee. The emperor would often go to Deng Tong's home for casual amusement.

Yet Deng Tong had no special talents and could not recommend any men of worth; he merely conducted himself with exquisite care to ingratiate himself with the sovereign. The emperor commissioned a skilled physiognomist to examine Deng Tong, who declared: "He will die in poverty and hunger." The emperor replied: "Whether Deng Tong becomes wealthy depends entirely on me. How could he be poor?"

When Emperor Wen suffered from a painful ulcer, Deng Tong would often suck out the pus for him. The emperor was not comfortable with this and asked Deng Tong in the course of conversation: "Who in all the realm loves me most?" Deng Tong replied: "It should be no one but the Crown Prince."