张释之冯唐列传 — Shiji

Zhang Shizhi, who served as Commandant of Justice, was a native of Duyang, with the given name Ji. He had an elder brother named Zhong with whom he shared a household. He entered official service as a cavalryman on the basis of his family's wealth, attaching himself to Emperor Wen of Han. After ten years he had still received no appointment and remained unknown to anyone. Shizhi said, "If I continue in office much longer, I shall only diminish my brother's fortune," and he wished to resign and return home.

Yuan Ang, a palace guard commander who knew of his merit and was reluctant to see him leave, requested that Shizhi be transferred to fill a vacancy as a herald. When Shizhi had finished his audience at court, he took the opportunity to speak on matters of policy. The Emperor said, "Come down to earth, and don't theorize too highly—let me hear something that can be put into practice right now." Thereupon Shizhi spoke at length about events between the fall of Qin and the rise of Han, explaining how Qin had lost the empire and how Han had gained it. The Emperor approved and appointed Shizhi Herald-Commander.

Once when Shizhi accompanied the Emperor on an outing, they went to the tiger enclosure. The Emperor questioned the park warden about the registry of birds and beasts, asking more than ten questions, but the warden looked left and right and could not answer a single one. A stable officer beside him then stepped forward to answer the Emperor's questions about the registry in great detail, seeking to display his cleverness and quick-wittedness. The Emperor remarked, "Should an official not be like this? The warden is useless!" He ordered Shizhi to appoint the stable officer as Chief of the Park. Shizhi came forward and said after some deliberation, "Your Majesty, what sort of man was the Marquis of Jiang, Zhou Bo?" The Emperor replied, "A respectable elder." Shizhi asked again, "And what sort of man was the Marquis of Dongyang, Zhang Xiang?" The Emperor again replied, "A respectable elder." Shizhi said, "These two men, the Marquis of Jiang and the Marquis of Dongyang, are known for being respectable elders, yet when they speak of affairs they can barely get the words out. How could they possibly match this stable officer with his glib tongue and ready answers? Now, Qin trusted its affairs to clerks wielding their stylus-knives, and these officials competed with each other to be more swift, severe, and meticulous. But their only effect was empty formalism—they had no true concern for the people. As a result, the ruler never heard of his own faults, and the empire gradually decayed until it reached the reign of the Second Emperor, when the realm collapsed. If Your Majesty promotes a man simply because he has a glib tongue, I fear the empire will follow like grass bent by the wind, competing in empty rhetoric without substance. Moreover, the transformation of those below by those above is swifter than shadow and echo—Your Majesty must be careful in all appointments." The Emperor said, "Well spoken," and dropped the plan to appoint the stable officer.

The Emperor then boarded his carriage and summoned Shizhi to ride beside him. They proceeded slowly, and the Emperor asked Shizhi about Qin's decline. Shizhi answered frankly. Upon arriving at the palace, the Emperor appointed Shizhi as Director of the Palace Garrison. Soon afterward, the Crown Prince and Prince of Liang rode together to court but did not dismount at the Sima Gate. Shizhi rushed after them and stopped them, preventing the Prince and Crown Prince from entering the palace gates. He then presented a charge that they had failed to dismount at the palace gate, which was an act of disrespect. When the matter was reported to Empress Dowager Bo, Emperor Wen removed his hat in apology, saying, "I failed to teach my sons properly." Only then did the Empress Dowager send a messenger with an imperial pardon for the Crown Prince and Prince of Liang, allowing them to enter. Emperor Wen was greatly impressed by Shizhi's conduct and promoted him to Palace Attendant. Once when accompanying the Emperor to Baling, the Emperor stood on the northern side looking out from a high bank. Lady Shen was also in attendance at the time.

Not long after, when Shizhi accompanied the Emperor to Baling, where they stood gazing north over the river, Consort Shen was in attendance. The Emperor pointed to the road leading to Xinfeng and said, "This road leads to Handan." He asked Consort Shen to play the zither, and as she played, the Emperor leaned against the instrument and sang, his voice full of sorrow and longing. He turned to his ministers and said, "Ah! To make a coffin from stone from the northern mountains, with layers of silk and cotton, bound with lacquer—could such a thing ever be moved?" Everyone around him agreed it was well said. But Shizhi came forward and replied, "If there were something within such a tomb to attract greed, even if the southern mountains were sealed with copper, there would still be a way in. But if there were nothing desirable within, even without a stone coffin, what cause for sorrow would there be?" The Emperor approved this reasoning.

Later, Shizhi was appointed Commandant of Justice. Soon after, when the Emperor was passing over the central Wei Bridge, a man emerged from beneath the bridge, startling the imperial horses. Guards were sent to seize the man and hand him over to the Commandant of Justice. When Shizhi interrogated him, the man said, "I am from the county. When I heard the warning horns, I hid beneath the bridge. After a long time, I thought the procession had passed, so I came out. When I saw the imperial carriages and cavalry, I ran away." According to law, a person who obstructs the imperial procession should be fined. The Emperor was furious and said, "This man startled my horses—thankfully my horses were gentle, but if they had been other horses, surely they would have thrown and injured me! And yet the Commandant of Justice only fines him?" Shizhi replied, "The law exists for all under heaven to share—Your Majesty and the people alike. Now the law prescribes this punishment, and if you impose something heavier, the law will lose the people's trust. Moreover, if at that moment Your Majesty had ordered him executed on the spot, that would have been the end of it. But since he has been handed over to the Commandant of Justice, that office represents the balance of justice for all under heaven. If it is tilted, the law throughout the realm will become arbitrary, and the people will not know where to stand. Let Your Majesty consider this." After a long pause, the Emperor said, "The Commandant of Justice was right."

Later, a man stole a jade ring from before the altar of the High Ancestor Temple. When the thief was captured, Emperor Wen flew into a rage and ordered the Commandant of Justice to punish him. Shizhi examined the statutes and presented his verdict: "One who steals objects used in worship of the ancestral temple shall be sentenced to public execution." The Emperor raged, "How dare this villain steal vessels from the former Emperor's temple! I handed him over to you, Commandant, wanting him executed and his family destroyed—and you cite the law to let him off with mere execution? This is not the respect due to the ancestral temple!" Shizhi removed his hat, kowtowed, and apologized, saying, "According to the law, this punishment is sufficient. If the crimes were equivalent, the punishments should be equal. Now if we destroy a man's family for stealing temple vessels, consider this: if some wretch were to take a handful of earth from the mausoleum of the Emperor's tomb, how would you add to that punishment?" After long deliberation, Emperor Wen discussed the matter with the Empress Dowager and approved the Commandant's verdict.

Zhang Shizhi served Emperor Jing for more than a year as Commandant of Justice, then was transferred to be Prime Minister of Huainan. Even so, he was still haunted by his past offenses. He died after some years. His son was named Zhang Zhi, styled Changgong, who rose to the rank of Minister but was dismissed from office. Because he could not bring himself to flatter the powerful men of his age, he never held office again for the rest of his life.

Feng Tang's grandfather was from Zhao. When his father moved to Dai, and later, at the founding of the Han dynasty, the family relocated to Anling. Feng Tang, renowned for his filial piety, served Emperor Wen as a senior palace guard. One day the Emperor passed by in his carriage and asked Feng Tang, "Why does an old man like yourself still hold the post of a palace guard? Where is your home?" Feng Tang answered fully and honestly.

The Emperor said, "When I lived in Dai, my food inspector Gao Qu often told me about the merit of the Zhao general Li Qi, and how he fought beneath the walls of Julu. Even now, whenever I eat, my thoughts turn to Julu. Do you know about this man?" Feng Tang replied, "Your Majesty, he is not the equal of Lian Po or Li Mu as generals." The Emperor asked, "Why do you say so?" Feng Tang answered, "When my grandfather served in Zhao as a military officer, he was well acquainted with Li Mu. My own father served as prime minister of Dai and knew the Zhao general Li Qi, so I am familiar with their characters."

At that time, the Xiongnu had recently launched a major invasion, killing the military governor of Beidi, Ang. The Emperor, preoccupied with the Xiongnu threat, asked Feng Tang again, "How do you know I cannot use Lian Po or Li Mu?" Feng Tang replied, "I have heard that in ancient times, when a king sent out a general, he would kneel and push the wheel of the war chariot, saying: 'Within the city gates, I shall govern; beyond the city gates, the general shall command. All matters of military merit and reward shall be decided by the general abroad, and he will report on his return. This is no idle talk. My grandfather told me that when Li Mu served as Zhao's general at the frontier, all the market revenues of the military encampments were used to feed the soldiers, and rewards and promotions were granted at his discretion without interference from the court. Because he was trusted with complete authority and held responsible for results, Li Mu was able to employ all his abilities. He assembled thirteen hundred war chariots, thirteen thousand cavalry, and a hundred thousand troops of proven valor. Thus he drove out the Chanyu to the north, defeated the Donghu, destroyed the Danlin, held back the powerful Qin to the west, and assisted Han and Wei to the south. During that time, Zhao almost achieved hegemony.