“The Virtuous Legacy of Wan Shi Jun”

Translated Passage:

Wan Shi Jun, also known as Fen, hailed from Zhao, originally from the capital of Zhao in Handan. Belonging to the Shi clan, when Zhao fell, they relocated to Wen. At a young age of fifteen, during Emperor Gaozu’s eastern campaign against Xiang Yu, Fen served as a minor official and attended to Emperor Gaozu personally. Impressed by Fen’s respectfulness, Emperor Gaozu inquired about his family situation. Fen explained that he only had a blind mother and a sister skilled in playing the zither. Moved by his story, Emperor Gaozu appointed Fen’s sister as a court beauty and Fen himself as a middle-ranking official. The family was relocated to Chang’an in the district of Qili, named so due to their beautiful daughter. Fen gradually rose through the ranks during the reign of Emperor Xiao Wen, accumulating meritorious deeds and eventually attaining the rank of “Da Zhong Da Fu.”

During the reign of Emperor Jing, he was appointed as one of the Nine Ministers; however, due to his proximity to power, he was often distrusted and was moved to become a vassal. Fen had three sons: Jian, Jia, and Yi (also known as Ren), all known for their filial piety and respectfulness. Each reached the rank of two thousand stone. It was during this time that Emperor Jing proclaimed, “Shi Jun and his four sons are all two thousand stone officials, their lofty status and favor gathered in one household,” and he was henceforth known as Wan Shi Jun.

In his later years, Wan Shi Jun returned to his hometown of Lingli to retire. Whenever his eldest son, Jian, returned home every five days after his duties as a court official, he would wash and cleanse himself before entering the family quarters. Once, he discreetly asked a servant to handle his personal hygiene needs without his father’s knowledge, considering it a regular task. In his capacity as a court official, whenever there was an issue worthy of discussion, Jian would speak frankly in private, yet during his audience at court, he often appeared unable to express himself, thus maintaining the highest standards of respect.

Wan Shi Jun passed away in the middle of the Yuan Shuo year. His eldest son, Jian, mourned deeply and was able to walk only with the support of a cane. A year later, Jian also passed away. All his descendants were known for their filial piety, but Jian’s devotion surpassed even that of Wan Shi Jun.

Jian, as a court official, would read through official documents. If he found any errors, he would say, “This is a mistake! The character ‘horse’ should have five strokes, but here it only has four. It’s not enough.” He was extremely cautious and meticulous, setting an example for others. Despite their varying personalities, his brothers were equally dutiful.

Wan Shi Jun’s younger son, Qing, served as the Grand Steward, and whenever he was out, the Emperor would ask him about the number of horses in his carriage. Qing would immediately count them with his whip and answer, “Six horses.” Among all his brothers, Qing was the simplest and most straightforward. Later, he became the Prime Minister of Qi, and under his leadership, the state of Qi flourished. In his honor, a shrine was erected.

In the first year of the Yuan Shuo era, when the Crown Prince was appointed, Qing was chosen as the Crown Prince’s tutor. Seven years later, he was promoted to Grand Minister of Justice. In the fifth year of the Yuan Ding era, the Prime Minister was implicated in a crime and was relieved of his duties. A decree was issued to the Grand Ministers: “The late Emperor honored Wan Shi Jun, and his descendants were filial. Therefore, Qing, the Grand Minister of Justice, is appointed as the Prime Minister and titled Marquis Qiuqiu.”

At that time, the Han Dynasty was busy with suppressing the southern Yue tribes, eastern campaigns against Korea, northern battles against the Xiongnu, and western expeditions to the Great Yuezhi. Throughout the empire, ancient shrines were restored, and sacrificial rituals were revived. Despite the limited state resources, Wang Hongyang and others brought prosperity. The laws of Wang Wenshu’s family were strict, and the education system was improved, culminating in the promotion of scholars to the Nine Ministers. The affairs of the state were left to the Prime Minister, who carried out his duties with great care. In his nine years in office, he had no major failings. He once wanted to prosecute those close to the Emperor for their loyalty, but none would confess. Instead, he took responsibility for their offenses and accepted their punishments.

In the fourth year of the Yuan Feng era, two million refugees from the eastern provinces, including four hundred thousand undocumented people, were relocated to the border regions. The ministers proposed relocating the refugees to ease their plight, but Qing, due to his advanced age and cautious nature, did not support the proposal. He resigned and wrote to the Emperor, “Qing is fortunate to have served as Prime Minister, but now he is unable to assist in governance. The cities and granaries are empty, and many people are displaced. I deserve to be punished with death for my sins.” The Emperor replied, “The granaries are empty, and the people are poor and displaced. But you want to relocate them, which will cause instability and danger. How difficult it is for you to return to a path of hardship?” This difficult path is difficult for you to return to.

in darauf dass dem Ärztin