Rites of the Two Han: "Records of the Han," "Records of the Later Han"

Author: (Han) Xun Yue / (Jin) Yuan Hong / Zhang Lie, editor
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
Features: The Annals of the Two Han Dynasties, a combined title for the Annals of the Han Dynasty and the Annals of the Later Han Dynasty. To distinguish these two books, as people distinguished between the Former Han and the Later Han dynasties, they were sometimes referred to as the Annals of the Han Dynasty, or the Annals of the Former Han. The Annals of the Han Dynasty was written by Xun Yue (148-209). His courtesy name was Zhongyu, and he was from Yingyin County, Yingchuan Prefecture (now Xuchang City, Henan Province). His grandfather, Shu, was renowned in his time, and famous scholars like Li Gu and Li Ying all revered him as their teacher. He had eight sons, known as the "Eight Dragons," among whom Xun Shuang was the most famous. Dong Zhuo, who held absolute power, sought the support of scholars and appointed Shuang. Shuang served in office for only ninety-five days before being promoted to the position of Minister of Works. Although Shuang was appointed by Dong Zhuo in a special manner, he still remained loyal to the Han Dynasty and secretly plotted to assassinate Zhuo. Xun Yue lost his father at an early age and was able to discuss the Spring and Autumn Annals by the age of twelve. He was calm and introspective, with a fondness for writing. During the Han Dynasty, when power was held by eunuchs, Xun Yue chose to live in seclusion rather than seek office. His younger brother, Yu, was highly valued by Cao Cao and later served as a close advisor to Emperor Xian. When Emperor Xian moved his capital to Xu, Xun Yue was appointed as a Yellow Gate Attendant and later promoted to the position of Librarian. Emperor Xian was fond of literature, and Xun Yue, along with Xun Ye and Kong Rong, served as his instructors in the palace. In the third year of the Jian'an era (198 AD), Emperor Xian found the Book of Han too verbose and difficult to comprehend, so he ordered Xun Yue to compile the Annals of the Han Dynasty in a chronological style, similar to the Zuo Zhuan. The book was completed in the fifth year of the Jian'an era (200 AD). The sources for the Annals of the Han Dynasty were mostly drawn from the Book of Han, with some additions and deletions by Xun Yue himself. For example, the memorial essays of Wang Ren, a counselor, and Wang Hong, an imperial secretary, were not included in the Book of Han but were present in the Annals of the Han Dynasty. Regarding the three elders of Huanguan, the Book of Han did not mention their surname, but the Annals of the Han Dynasty identified them as surnamed Linghu. When Zhu Yun requested the "horse-slaying sword" (a ceremonial sword), the Book of Han referred to it as the "horse-killing sword," while the Annals of the Han Dynasty called it the "horse-cutting sword." As Tang poet Zhang Wei wrote in his poem: "I wish to obtain the horse-cutting sword from the upper chamber, to behead the nobles of the Zhu family," proving that there was a typo in the Book of Han. This shows that the Annals of the Han Dynasty had its own selections and was not merely a copy. The Biography of Xun Yue in the Later Han Dynasty states: "At that time, power had shifted to the Cao family, and the emperor merely maintained a facade of humility. Xun Yue sought to advise and admonish, but his plans were useless. Thus, he wrote the Five Treatises of Reflection." The Five Treatises of Reflection means to reflect on past events as a warning for future generations. From the title alone, it is clear that Xun Yue's writings were not detached from politics. After Emperor Xian was moved to Xu by Cao Cao in the first year of the Jian'an era, although his life was relatively stable, Cao Cao's surveillance and control over him far exceeded that of the former warlords of Liang Province. Emperor Xian also sought to assassinate Cao Cao. In this context, Xun Yue could not remain neutral. Most scholars believed that Xun Yue was dissatisfied with Cao Cao's autocratic rule, and his purpose in writing was to advise Cao Cao to remain a loyal subject of the Han Dynasty rather than imitate Wang Mang's coup, which would lead to eternal disgrace. However, some historians disagreed with this view. In my opinion, Xun Yue came from a scholarly family and was not particularly eager for power or fame. He remained in seclusion until he was over fifty before entering public service. From his background and experiences, it is unlikely that he participated in the plot to assassinate Cao Cao. However, from the ideological content of his Five Treatises of Reflection and the Annals of the Han Dynasty, it is clear that he himself was not averse to "providing warnings." Therefore, in the Five Treatises of Reflection, he advised: "Those in power should be solemn and reverent in their hearts, cautious in their actions, not be confused internally, and have no other ambitions externally, so that the people will be steadfast." This was a clear warning to Cao Cao to govern with virtue, avoid internal confusion that would harm loyalty, and not have other ambitions to usurp the Han throne. He then added: "In ancient times, when emperors and feudal lords had matters to attend to, they must report to the temple. In the court, there were two historians—one recorded words, and the other recorded events. Events were recorded in the Spring and Autumn Annals, and words were recorded in the Book of Documents. The actions of a ruler were recorded, and neither good nor bad, success nor failure, were forgotten by heaven. A single day's gain or loss could lead to eternal honor or disgrace. The virtuous are encouraged, and the wicked are warned." This was a warning to Cao Cao to strive to be like the Duke of Zhou, leaving a lasting example for posterity and gaining eternal honor, rather than imitating Wang Mang, who sought fleeting glory and faced eternal disgrace. The Annals of the Later Han Dynasty was written by Yuan Hong (328-376). His courtesy name was Yanbo, and he was from Yangxia, Eastern Jin (now Taikang, Henan Province). He lost his father at a young age and lived in relatively poor conditions. Despite the hardships, he studied diligently and achieved great success, becoming famous for his quick wit and elegant writings from a young age. He served as a counselor to figures like Huanting and later became the governor of Yangyang County. He died at the age of forty-nine while in office. Yuan Hong was also a renowned litterateur, with a rich body of writings, including the Annals of the Later Han Dynasty and the Praise of Famous Officials of the Three Kingdoms, both of which still exist today. His Ode to the Eastern Expedition, Poems on Historical Events, and Biography of the are now lost. The writing of the Annals of the Later Han Dynasty took nearly a decade. Yuan Hong chose the chronological style to record the history of the Later Han Dynasty, influenced by the success of Xun Yue's Annals of the Han Dynasty. The Annals of the Later Han Dynasty followed the Annals of the Han Dynasty, but Yuan Hong faced more challenges in writing. When Xun Yue wrote the Annals of the Han Dynasty, there was only the Book of Han, a well-established historical text in the annalistic and biographical style, which he used with high historical insight and compilation skills to create a remarkable new work. By the time Yuan Hong wrote the Annals of the Later Han Dynasty, there were several works on the history of the Later Han Dynasty, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Yuan Hong had access to richer sources than Xun Yue, and he faced greater difficulties and devoted more effort. Additionally, he had many competitors in the same genre and had to surpass them in quality to establish his work. Through the choice of history, only Fan Ye's Later Han Dynasty and Yuan Hong's chronological Annals of the Later Han Dynasty have survived, indicating that these two works had exceptional merit. Yuan Hong demonstrated his ability to synthesize and evaluate historical events in the Annals of the Later Han Dynasty. He leveraged the strengths of the chronological style, using time as the warp to trace the development of the Later Han Dynasty's history; with people and events as the weft, he showed the connections between events of the same period and the roles of individuals and events in the historical process, making it easier for readers to grasp the overall picture of the Later Han Dynasty. In eight volumes, he covered approximately forty years of the Guangwu era. Following the development of Emperor Guangwu's achievements as the main thread, he summarized the rise and fall of the rebel forces led by Lü Mu, the Red Eyebrows, the Xinshi, and the Pinglin, as well as the downfall of Wang Mang and the rise and fall of various warlords. He also narrated the lives and achievements of the founding ministers of the Later Han Dynasty. Despite the complexity of the subject, his writing was well-organized, with numerous characters each having distinct personalities, and intricate relationships without confusion. He clearly explained the historical event of the Later Han Dynasty's founding. The last six volumes covered the Yellow Turban Rebellion, Dong Zhuo's rule, the chaos of warlords, Cao Cao's rise, the Battle of Red Cliffs, and the establishment of the Wei Dynasty, all of which were well-compiled and clearly structured, making up the most detailed and brilliant part of the book. Yuan Hong enriched the expressive means of the chronological historical style through his practice. He used the method of "classifying words and deeds according to their nature" (as stated in the preface to the Annals of the Later Han Dynasty), which was an advancement over Xun Yue's method of listing similar cases. Yuan Hong often grouped similar figures from the same era together for discussion. For example, in Volume 5, he wrote about Min Zhongshu, followed by Wang Dan, Yan Xian, Zhou Dang, Wang Ba, and Feng Meng—all of whom lived as recluses or spent long periods in seclusion. In Volume 11, he wrote about Emperor Zhang's respectful treatment of Jiang Ge, which led to the inclusion of Jiang Ge's life story, as well as those of Mao Yi and Xue Bao, both known for their filial piety. This writing style incorporated the strengths of the biographical style, expanding the scope that the chronological history could accommodate. Yuan Hong also set for himself the requirement of "observing their names and deeds to imagine their characters" (as stated in the preface to the Annals of the Later Han Dynasty), striving to move readers through the types of people he portrayed.