吴王濞列传 — Shiji

Wu King Bi was the son of Liu Zhong, the elder brother of Emperor Gaodi. After Gaodi had pacified the empire in the seventh year of his reign, he installed Liu Zhong as King of Dai. When the Xiongnu attacked Dai, Liu Zhong was unable to hold his ground. He abandoned his state and fled by back roads to Luoyang, where he surrendered himself to the Son of Heaven. Because they were flesh and blood relatives, the emperor could not bear to apply the full penalty of the law. Instead, he demoted Liu Zhong to the rank of Marquis of Heyang.

Having received his seal and made his bows of acknowledgment, Gaodi summoned Bi to assess him. "Your features show the marks of rebellion," he said. The king inwardly regretted the appointment already made, but since the ceremony was complete, he patted Bi on the back and told him: "Fifty years from now, trouble will arise in the southeast. Will it come from you? But all within the realm share the same surname and are one family. Do not rebel!" Bi kowtowed and replied: "I would not dare."

During the reigns of Emperor Xiao Hui and Empress Dowager Lü, when the empire had only recently been pacified, the kingdom officials and lords each devoted themselves to caring for their people. Wu controlled the copper mountains of Yuzhang Commandery, and Bi recruited runaways from across the empire to mint coins and extract salt from the sea. Because of this, he levied no taxes, and the state's treasury overflowed.

In the reign of Emperor Wen, the Wu heir apparent was received in audience. He was permitted to serve wine and play liubo with the Heir Apparent. The tutors of the Wu heir apparent were all men of Chu—rash and hot-tempered, and accustomed to arrogance. During their game they disputed the moves, grew rude, and the Heir Apparent grabbed the board and struck the Wu heir apparent dead.

The heir's body was sent home for burial. When it arrived in Wu, the king flew into a rage: "All under Heaven belong to the same imperial clan. If he died in Chang'an, why not bury him there? Must he be brought back for burial?" He sent the body back to Chang'an for burial instead. From this incident, King Wu gradually neglected the courtesies owed by a vassal king, claiming illness and refusing court appearances.

The capital knew he was refusing audiences because of his son's death and demanded proof of his illness. When none was found, all envoys from Wu were arrested and questioned. The king of Wu grew fearful, and his plotting only intensified.

Later, when an emissary went to offer seasonal congratulations, the emperor again questioned the Wu envoys. The envoy replied: "The king is truly ill. The court has imprisoned and punished several of his envoys, so he has simply claimed illness. And as the saying goes, 'When the ruler peers into the depths, the fish become uneasy.' Now the king initially feigned illness. When he was found out and pressed hard, he became even more reclusive. He fears Your Majesty will punish him, and his position has become unbearable. Only if Your Majesty would abandon him and grant him a fresh start."

The emperor then pardoned the Wu envoys and sent them home, granting the King of Wu a seated cushion and a staff—signifying old age and permission to skip court. Wu's guilt was thus absolved, and his plotting began to ease. Yet because he controlled copper and salt, his people paid no taxes. When men were called up for labor service, he paid them the going rate. Each year he inquired after worthy men and bestowed gifts on his people. When officials from other kingdoms came to capture fugitives, he refused to hand them over. For over forty years he maintained this way, and so was able to muster his forces.

Those who can kill or capture an enemy commander-in-chief will be rewarded with five thousand jin of gold and enfeoffed as a marquis of ten thousand households; those who kill or capture a general of the rank of lie jiang will be given three thousand jin of gold and enfeoffed with five thousand households; those who kill or capture a deputy general (pi jiang) will be given two thousand jin of gold and enfeoffed with two thousand households; those who kill or capture an official of the two-thousand-dan rank will be given one thousand jin of gold and enfeoffed with one thousand households; those who kill or capture an official of the thousand-dan rank will be given five hundred jin of gold and enfeoffed with five hundred households—all shall be enfeoffed as full marquises. All other rewards and grants will be double those prescribed by military law. Those who already hold noble titles and fiefs shall receive additional rewards without altering their existing holdings. It is desired that the various kings make this clear to their officers and officials, so that none dare practice deception.

Chao Cuo, serving as Household Governor for the Heir Apparent, gained the prince's favor. He repeatedly advised that Wu's transgressions warranted territorial reductions. He sent up numerous memorials to Emperor Wen arguing this case, but Wen, being indulgent, could not bring himself to punish Wu. As a result, the king of Wu grew daily more overbearing.

If there is anyone who deserves a reward, tell me, and I will go and deliver it in person. At that time Yuan Ang was living idle at home, and an imperial edict summoned him to court for an audience. The Emperor was just discussing troop deployments and military provisions with Chao Cuo. The Emperor asked Yuan Ang, “You once served as Chancellor of Wu; do you know what kind of man the Wu minister Tian Lubo is? Now that Wu and Chu have rebelled, what do you think of it?” Yuan Ang replied, “There is nothing to worry about; they will soon be crushed.” The Emperor said, “The King of Wu minted coins from the mountains, boiled seawater to make salt, and enticed the heroes and champions of the realm, raising this rebellion only when his hair had turned white.” Yuan Ang answered, “It is true that Wu has the profit of copper and salt, but how could it entice heroes and champions? If Wu truly had heroes and champions, they would have assisted the King in doing what is righteous, and would not have rebelled.”

If the plan to reduce the feudatories had not been foolproof in every respect, how could it have been launched? Why then say that Chao Cuo lacked ability? The men enticed by the King of Wu are all good-for-nothing youths, fugitive coin-minters, and criminals; hence they have risen together in rebellion. Chao Cuo said: “Yuan Ang’s strategy is excellent.” The emperor asked: “What strategy has been devised?” Yuan Ang replied: “I request that Your Majesty dismiss the attendants.” The emperor dismissed the attendants, leaving only Chao Cuo. Yuan Ang said: “What I have to say, no other subject may learn.” Thereupon Chao Cuo was also dismissed. Chao Cuo hurriedly withdrew to the eastern side chamber, consumed with resentment.

The emperor finally asked Yuan Ang, and Yuan Ang replied: "The kings of Wu and Chu exchanged letters saying: 'Emperor Gaodi enfeoffed his sons and brothers, each with their own territory. Now the traitorous minister Chao Cuo has arbitrarily punished the feudal lords and seized their lands.' Therefore, they use rebellion as a pretext to march west together to execute Chao Cuo and restore their former territories before withdrawing their troops. The only plan at present is to behead Chao Cuo, send an envoy to pardon the seven kingdoms of Wu and Chu, and restore the lands that were taken away. Then the armies can be dismissed without bloodshed." The emperor remained silent for a long time, then said, "We must see what actually happens. I cannot spare one man at the expense of the whole realm." Yuan Ang said, "In my foolish opinion, there is no better plan than this. I hope Your Majesty will consider it carefully." Thereupon Yuan Ang was appointed Chamberlain for Ceremonials, and the Marquis De, son of the King of Wu's brother, was appointed Director of the Imperial Clan. Yuan Ang packed and prepared to set out. After more than ten days, the emperor sent the Commandant of the Capital to summon Chao Cuo. He tricked him into riding a carriage to the Eastern Market. Chao Cuo, still wearing his court robes, was executed at the Eastern Market.

Then he dispatched Yuan Ang to carry the ancestral temple offerings, with the Supervisor of the Imperial Clan accompanying as a kinsman, to go to Wu and deliver the message as Yuan Ang had planned. When they arrived in Wu, the forces of Wu and Chu had already attacked the ramparts of Liang. The Supervisor of the Imperial Clan, because he was a relative, entered first to obtain an audience and instructed the King of Wu to bow and receive the imperial decree. The King of Wu, hearing that Yuan Ang had come and knowing that he meant to persuade him, laughed and replied, 'I have already made myself the Eastern Emperor; whom should I bow to now?' He refused to see Yuan Ang and detained him in the camp, intending to force him to become a general. When Yuan Ang refused, the king had him surrounded and guarded, preparing to kill him. Yuan Ang managed to slip out by night, fled on foot, escaped to the army of Liang, and then returned to report. Zhou Yafu, the Marquis of Tiao, was about to ride a six-horse relay carriage to gather the troops at Xingyang. Arriving at Luoyang, he met Ju Meng and said joyfully, 'The seven kingdoms have rebelled; I rode a relay carriage here and never expected to come through unharmed. I also thought that the feudal lords had already won Ju Meng over, but now Ju Meng shows no sign of moving.'

That winter, when the King of Chu came to court, Chao Cuo charged that King Wu of Chu had during the mourning period for Empress Dowager Bo privately committed improprieties near the mourning lodge, and demanded he be punished. The imperial decree pardoned him but imposed a reduction of Donghai Commandery. Wu's Yuzhang and Kuaiji commanderies were also reduced. Two years earlier, the King of Zhao had been guilty of misconduct and lost Hcjian Commandery. The King of Jiaoxi had been guilty of selling titles and lost six counties. The court ministers were debating further reductions in Wu's territories when the King of Wu, fearing endless loss of land, decided to act.

The Marquis of Tiao said, “Good.” He adopted this strategy, then strengthened his defenses south of Changyi and used light troops to sever Wu’s supply route. When the King of Wu first raised his army, the Wu minister Tian Lubo served as Grand General. Tian Lubo said, “The army is massed and advancing westward; without other ingenious routes, it will be hard to achieve success. I request to take fifty thousand men, separately advance up along the Yangtze and Huai rivers, gather the forces of Huainan and Changsha, enter Wu Pass, and rendezvous with Your Majesty. This would be a surprising move.” The Crown Prince of Wu remonstrated, saying, “

The King of Jiaoxi asked: "What would you advise?"

Ying Gao replied: "Now the sovereign embraces evil, is swayed by treacherous ministers, values petty goodness, and listens to slanderers and villains. He has arbitrarily changed laws and decrees, encroached upon the lands of the lords, made ever-increasing demands, and punished the good and virtuous with growing severity. As the saying goes: 'Lick the blade and you will reach the rice.' Wu and Jiaoxi are renowned lords; once noticed together, we may have no peace. The King of Wu has internal troubles, cannot attend court for over twenty years, and lives in constant fear of suspicion with no way to clear his name. Now he draws his shoulders together and walks on tiptoe, yet still fears not being forgiven. I hear Your Majesty has received criticism regarding the sale of titles, but I believe a lord's punishment for lost territory should not extend so far. This may not be merely about reducing land."

The King of Jiaoxi said: "Yes, such things have happened. What is to be done?"

Ying Gao said: "Those who share hatred support each other; those who share affection stay together; those who share feelings accomplish things together; those who share desires press forward together; those who share interests die together. Now the King of Wu considers your troubles his own. Following the principle of the times, would it not be possible to discard his body to remove the harm afflicting all under heaven?"

The king was startled and alarmed: "How dare I do such a thing? Even if the sovereign is hard-pressed, surely death is preferable. How could I not serve him?"

Ying Gao said: "Imperial Secretary Chao Cuo has deluded the Son of Heaven, encroached upon the lords, blocked loyal men and silenced the worthy. The court harbors resentment, and every lord has thoughts of rebellion. The situation has reached its limit. Comets have appeared, locusts have emerged in swarms—this is the once-in-a-ten-thousand-generations moment that sages dread yet which summons them to action. Therefore the King of Wu wishes to use Chao Cuo internally as a cause for attack, while following Your Majesty in the west. Wandering through the realm, wherever we face, men will submit; wherever we point, cities will fall. No one under heaven will dare disobey. If Your Majesty would kindly agree to this, the King of Wu will lead the King of Chu to seize Hangu Pass, hold the grain at the Ao granary in Xingyang, and block the Han forces. He will prepare quarters and await Your Majesty. If Your Majesty condescends to lead, the realm can be unified, and the two sovereigns divide it between them—would this not be acceptable?"

The King of Jiaoxi said: "Excellent."