Romance of the Later Han in Plain Language

Author: Cai Dongfan
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Last year, I compiled The Romance of the Former Han Dynasty, summarizing the events of two hundred and ten years, with particular attention to the calamities caused by female favorites and relatives of the empress, leaving no detail unrecorded to serve as a warning to future generations. Now, continuing the story of the Han Dynasty, I have also included the Eastern Han and Shu Han periods. Upon reflection, the Eastern Han had a history similar to that of the Western Han, but its decline was also rooted in female favorites and relatives of the empress. Some may argue that the fall of the Eastern Han was due to the strife between eunuchs and regional commanders, with no connection to female favorites and relatives. But how can one ignore the fact that when a tree rots, insects thrive, and when a wall cracks, ants enter? Without the manipulation of female favorites and relatives, how could the conflict between eunuchs and regional commanders have arisen? The four stars shining in the heavens, the hundred pillars crumbling, the yang weakened and the yin strong, the Liu weakened and the Cao dominant—these developments were gradual, stemming from the failure to discern and address the issue early on. In the Post-Han Dynasty by Fan Ye, in the biographies of empresses, he wrote, "power fell to the female ruler," "matters were entrusted to her father and brothers," and "she ended in decline, the great mandate perished, and the divine treasure vanished," expressing his lament in no uncertain terms. In other biographies, such as those of relatives of the empress and the party purge, he listed them together, and even created a new precedent by writing a biography of eunuchs, titled: "Empress Deng ruled as a female sovereign, governing from behind the curtains, issuing orders only within the inner quarters, and had no choice but to rely on criminals, entrusting the fate of the state to them." He also wrote: "Since Cao Teng persuaded Liang Ji to usurp the throne, establishing a weak and incompetent ruler, Cao Cao took advantage of the situation, eventually transferring the imperial authority." Empress Deng was a female favorite; Liang Ji was a relative of the empress; Cao Teng was a eunuch; Cao Cao was a regional commander. By tracing the origins and consequences, one example reveals a hundred more, clearly exposing the truth. As for Liu Bei's brief period of stability in Shu, it was only a temporary reprieve, but he was later misled by Huang Hao, a victim of the corruption of eunuchs. The pain that Zhuge Liang harbored against the reigns of Emperor Huan and Emperor Ling was once again seen during the reign of Liu Shan—truly a cause for lament. However, with the vastness of historical records, who has the time to read them all? As for the chronicles of events, there are numerous accounts, leaving readers overwhelmed with admiration yet frustrated. It is far better to read the widely popular Romance of the Eastern and Western Han Dynasties and Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which have been embraced by the masses. The narrative of the Eastern and Western Han dynasties is often vague and filled with conjecture, deserving of disdain from the discerning. As for Luo Guanzhong's Romance of the Three Kingdoms, it is beloved by all, further enhanced by the evaluations of a few scholars, increasing its value. Yet, when compared to Chen Shou's Records of the Three Kingdoms, it is clear that half of it is embellished. Chen Shou, though a Jin dynasty official, may have had biases in his accounts of Shu and Wei, but to claim that he distorted the facts is unfounded. Luo Guanzhong merely skillfully embellished the story to please the ear, unaware that he was confusing truth with fiction, leading to further errors as the story spread, misleading many. This work follows the style of The Romance of the Former Han Dynasty, beginning with the overthrow of the Han Dynasty by Wang Mang and ending with the replacement of the Wei Dynasty by the Sima family, covering the two hundred and thirty years of the Eastern Han and Shu Han periods. Every event is documented, and the language is kept simple, blending truth and instruction in a way that appeals to both the learned and the common people. Special attention is given to the key factors of rise and fall, such as female favorites and relatives of the empress, which led to the corruption of eunuchs and eventually to wars. The ancients said, "One should not write carelessly," and while I may not qualify for that praise, I believe that compared to the baseless and world-irrelevant tales of others, there is a vast difference. May the gentlemen of the land kindly correct me! Written in the autumn of the fifteenth year of the Republic of China, by Cai Dongfan in ancient Yue.