Rise of the Two Han Dynasties (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: (Han) Xun Yue et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Time: Not available
Features: The Han Records, a combined title for the Records of the Former Han and the Records of the Later Han. To distinguish these two works, as people did with the two dynasties of Former Han and Later Han, they were sometimes referred to as the Records of the Former Han. The Records of the Han was written by Xun Yue (148–209), styled Zhongyu, a native of Yingyin County, Yingchuan Commandery (now Xuchang City, Henan Province). His grandfather, Shu, was renowned in his time, and the famous scholars Li Gu and Li Ying were among his disciples. He had eight sons, known as the "Eight Dragons," among whom Xun Shuang was particularly notable. When Dong Zhuo seized power, he courted scholars and appointed Shuang, who served as a minister until his appointment as Minister of Works in only ninety-five days. Despite being appointed by Dong Zhuo, Shuang remained loyal to the Han dynasty and secretly plotted to assassinate him. 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 a reserved and studious person, fond of writing. During the Han dynasty, when power was in the hands of eunuchs, Xun Yue chose to live in seclusion rather than seek office. His younger brother, Yu, was highly valued by Cao Cao. When Emperor Xian moved his capital to Xu, Xun Yue was appointed as a Yellow Gate Attendant and later promoted to Secretary-in-Chief. Emperor Xian was fond of literature, and Xun Yue, along with Xun Yu 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 Records of the Han in a chronological style, similar to the Zuo Zhuan. The work was completed in the fifth year of the Jian'an era (200 AD). The Records of the Han drew heavily on the Book of Han, with some additions and deletions of its own. 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 the Records of the Han mentioned them. Regarding the three elders of Huguan, the Book of Han did not record their surnames, while the Records of the Han identified them as surnamed Linghu. When Zhu Yun requested the "horse-slaying sword" (zhanma jian) from the imperial armory, the Book of Han referred to it as the "horse-cutting sword" (duanma jian), while the Records of the Han called it the "horse-severing sword." As Tang poet Zhang Wei wrote in his poem, "I wish to obtain the horse-severing sword from the uppermost armory, to cut off the heads of the nobles," it is evident that the Book of Han contained a typo. This shows that the Records of the Han had its own editorial choices and was not merely a copy of the Book of Han. The Biography of Xun Yue in the Later Book of Han states: "At that time, power had shifted to the Cao family, and the emperor merely maintained a facade of indifference. Xun Yue sought to advise and admonish, but his plans were futile. Thus, he wrote the Five Canons of Reflection." The Five Canons 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 political concerns. After Emperor Xian was moved to Xu by Cao Cao in the first year of the Jian'an era, although his life became stable, Cao Cao's surveillance and control over him far exceeded that of the earlier Qiangzhou warlords, and 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 be a loyal subject of the Han dynasty rather than a usurper like Wang Mang, who would leave a bad name for eternity. However, some historians disagreed with this view. In my opinion, Xun Yue came from a scholarly family and was not overly eager for power or fame, as evidenced by his 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. Nevertheless, the ideological content of his Five Canons of Reflection and the Records of the Han shows that he himself was not averse to "providing a warning." Therefore, in the Five Canons of Reflection, he advised, "Those in power should be solemn and reverent in their hearts, cautious in their actions, not confused internally, nor having different aspirations externally, and then 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 ulterior motives to overthrow the Han dynasty. He further wrote, "In ancient times, when emperors and feudal lords had matters to attend to, they must report to the temple. There were two historians in the court—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 rulers were recorded, and neither good nor evil, success nor failure, were forgotten by heaven. A single day's gain or loss could determine a thousand years of 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 honor for generations to come, rather than acting like Wang Mang, who sought fleeting pleasure and faced eternal disgrace.
The Records of the Later Han was written by Yuan Hong (328–376), styled Yanbo, a native of Yangxia (now Taikang, Henan) during the Eastern Jin dynasty. He lost his father at a young age and lived in relative poverty. Despite these hardships, he studied diligently and achieved notable success, becoming famous for his quick wit and elegant writing in his youth. He served as a counselor to figures like Huanting and later became the governor of Yangyang Commandery. He died at the age of forty-nine while in office. Yuan Hong was also a renowned litterateur, leaving behind a wealth of writings, including the Records of the Later Han 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 Scholars of the Bamboo Grove are now lost. The writing of the Records of the Later Han took nearly a decade. Yuan Hong adopted the chronological style to record the history of the Later Han dynasty, influenced by the success of Xun Yue's Records of the Han. Following the Records of the Han, Yuan Hong faced more challenging writing conditions. When Xun Yue wrote the Records of the Han, there was only the Book of Han, a well-established historical text in the annalistic and biographical style, which he used to great effect, cutting and compiling it into a highly accomplished work. By the time Yuan Hong wrote the Records of the Later Han, 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 devoted more effort and labor. Additionally, he faced competition from other similar works and had to surpass them in quality to establish his own. Through the test of history, only Fan Ye's Later Book of Han and Yuan Hong's chronological Records of the Later Han have survived, indicating their exceptional merit.
In the Records of the Later Han, Yuan Hong demonstrated his ability to synthesize and evaluate historical events. He leveraged the strengths of the chronological style, using time as the vertical axis to trace the development of the Later Han dynasty's history and using figures and events as the horizontal axis to show the connections between them and their roles in historical progress, making it easier for readers to grasp the overall picture of the Later Han history. In eight volumes, he covered approximately forty years of the Guangwu era, tracing the development of events such as the uprisings led by Lü Mu, the Red Eyebrows, the Xinshi, and the Pinglin factions, 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 events and the numerous figures involved, the work was well-organized, with each character and event distinct and the relationships clear, providing a coherent account of the establishment of the Later Han dynasty. 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 Cao Wei dynasty. These sections were well-composed and clearly structured, making them some of the most detailed and parts of the book.
Through his work, Yuan Hong enriched the expressive techniques of chronological history. He employed the method of "classifying by type" (，) in the Preface to the Records of the Later Han, which was an advancement over Xun Yue's method of simply listing similar cases. Yuan Hong often grouped figures from the same era or with similar characteristics together for discussion. For example, Volume 5 included Min Zhongshu, Wang Dan, Yan Xian, Zhou Dang, Wang Ba, and Feng Meng, all of whom lived as recluses or spent long periods in seclusion. Volume 11 included 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 renowned for their filial piety. This approach borrowed from the strengths of the biographical style, expanding the scope of what chronological history could encompass. Yuan Hong also set for himself the requirement of "observing their names and deeds to imagine their characters" (，) in the Preface to the Records of the Later Han, striving to use certain types of figures to inspire his readers.