Biographies of Zhang Shizhi and Feng Tang, No. 42

The Commandant of Justice, Zhang Shizhi, was a native of Duyang, styled Ji. He lived together with his elder brother, Zhang Zhong. Because his family was well-off, he was selected as a Cavalier Attendant, serving Emperor Xiaowen. For ten years he received no promotion and had no reputation. Shizhi said: "Serving as an official for a long time will diminish my brother's property, which troubles my heart." He wanted to resign and return home. The Palace Attendant-in-Chief, Yuan Ang, knew he was worthy and was reluctant to let him leave, so he petitioned to transfer Shizhi to the position of Gentleman of the Palace. After Shizhi finished his audience, he took the opportunity to step forward and speak on matters beneficial to the state. Emperor Wen said: "Speak of simpler things, do not be too high-minded and far-reaching; make them something that can be implemented in the present day." So Shizhi then discussed the affairs between Qin and Han, analyzing the reasons why Qin lost the empire and Han gained it, speaking for a long time. Emperor Wen thought his words were good, and so appointed Shizhi as Chief of the Gentlemen of the Palace.

Shizhi accompanied Emperor Wen on an outing and ascended the Tiger Enclosure. The Emperor asked the Prefect of the Imperial Forest about the registers of the various birds and beasts, asking more than ten questions. The Prefect looked left and right, unable to answer any of them. The Keeper of the Tiger Enclosure, standing nearby, answered the Emperor's questions about the registers on behalf of the Prefect, answering very thoroughly, wishing thereby to display his endless eloquence in responding. Emperor Wen said: "Shouldn't officials be like this? The Prefect is truly incompetent!" Thereupon he issued an edict ordering Shizhi to appoint the Keeper as the Director of the Imperial Forest. Shizhi paused for a long time, then stepped forward and said: "Your Majesty, what sort of man do you consider the Marquis of Jiang, Zhou Bo, to be?" The Emperor said: "He is a loyal and generous elder." He then asked again: "What sort of man is the Marquis of Dongyang, Zhang Xiangru, considered to be?" The Emperor again said: "He is a loyal and generous elder." Shizhi said: "The Marquis of Jiang and the Marquis of Dongyang are called loyal and generous elders, yet when these two men discuss affairs, they sometimes cannot even get the words out. Should we then imitate this Keeper with his endless chatter and glib tongue? Moreover, the Qin dynasty, because it valued those clerical officials who handled documents, caused officials to vie with one another in praising speed in handling affairs and harshness in supervision. Yet its defect was merely having official documents in form, with no actual deeds of compassion for the people. Therefore, they did not hear of their own faults, the state's power declined, and it continued until the Second Emperor of Qin, when the empire crumbled like earth and tiles. Now, if Your Majesty, because of the Keeper's eloquence, promotes him out of turn, I fear that the people of the empire will follow the wind and echo, vying to learn eloquence while lacking actual ability. Moreover, the influence of those above on those below is swifter than a shadow or an echo. Your Majesty's actions cannot but be cautious." Emperor Wen said: "Good." Thereupon he rescinded the order and did not appoint the Keeper.

The Emperor mounted the carriage and summoned Shizhi to ride with him. As the carriage moved slowly, the Emperor asked Shizhi about the evils of the Qin dynasty. Shizhi answered truthfully in every detail. When they reached the palace, the Emperor appointed Shizhi as Prefect of the Palace Gates.

Soon after, the Heir Apparent and the King of Liang rode together in one carriage as they entered the court. When they passed the Sima Gate, they did not alight. Shizhi then pursued them and stopped the Heir Apparent and the King of Liang, preventing them from entering the palace gate. He thereupon impeached them for not alighting at the public gate, which constituted disrespect, and submitted his memorial. When Empress Dowager Bo heard of this, Emperor Wen removed his cap and apologized, saying: "I have been insufficiently careful in teaching my sons." Empress Dowager Bo then sent an envoy with an edict pardoning the Heir Apparent and the King of Liang, and only then were they allowed to enter the palace gate. Emperor Wen therefore regarded Shizhi as extraordinary and appointed him as Palace Attendant-in-Chief.

Soon after, Shizhi was promoted to General of the Gentlemen of the Household. He accompanied Emperor Wen on an outing to Baling. The Emperor sat on the northern side of Baling and gazed into the distance. At the time, Consort Shen was in attendance. The Emperor pointed out the road to Xinfeng to Consort Shen and said: "This is the road leading to Handan." He had Consort Shen play the zither, and the Emperor himself sang along with the zither's sound, his mood melancholy and mournful. He turned to his assembled officials and said: "Alas! If I use the stones of North Mountain for my outer coffin, and stuff it with chopped hemp and cotton wadding, and then seal it with lacquer, how could it ever be disturbed?" Those around him all echoed, saying: "Excellent." Shizhi stepped forward and said: "If there is something within that can arouse desire, even if you cast the entire Southern Mountain into an outer coffin, there will still be a crack. If there is nothing within that can arouse desire, even without a stone coffin, what is there to worry about?" Emperor Wen praised his words as good. Afterwards, he appointed Shizhi as Commandant of Justice.

Soon after, when the Emperor was crossing the Zhongwei Bridge, a man ran out from under the bridge, startling the horses of the Emperor's carriage. The Emperor sent cavalry to seize the man and handed him over to the Commandant of Justice for punishment. Shizhi interrogated the man. The man said: "I am a man from Chang'an County. When I heard the decree to clear the road, I hid under the bridge. After a long time, thinking that the Emperor had already passed, I came out. When I saw the Emperor's carriage and cavalry, I immediately ran away." The Commandant of Justice submitted his verdict: the man, having violated the decree to clear the road, should be fined. Emperor Wen was angry and said: "This man personally startled my horses. Fortunately, my horses are gentle-tempered. If they had been other horses, would they not have thrown and injured me? Yet the Commandant of Justice only sentences him to a fine!" Shizhi said: "The law is something that the Son of Heaven and the people of the empire jointly observe. Now the law is thus prescribed. If we change it and impose a heavier penalty, then the law cannot be trusted by the people. Moreover, at the time, if Your Majesty had immediately ordered him killed, that would have been the end of it. But now that the matter has been handed over to the Commandant of Justice, the Commandant of Justice is the standard of impartial law enforcement for the empire. If he shows the slightest deviation, then law enforcement officers throughout the empire will arbitrarily increase or decrease penalties, and where will the people place their hands and feet? I hope Your Majesty will consider this carefully." After a long time, the Emperor said: "The verdict of the Commandant of Justice is correct."

Later, someone stole the jade ring from the altar table in the Temple of the First Emperor of Han. He was captured, and Emperor Wen was extremely angry. He handed the matter over to the Commandant of Justice for trial. Shizhi, following the statute on "stealing objects from the temple vessels and regalia of the Imperial Ancestors," submitted a memorial sentencing the man to execution by exposure in the marketplace. The Emperor was greatly enraged and said: "This man is utterly lawless, daring to steal objects from the temple of the First Emperor. The reason I handed him over to you was to have his entire clan executed. Yet you submit a memorial based on the statutory article. This is not my intention to reverently serve the Imperial Ancestors." Shizhi removed his cap, knocked his head on the ground, and apologized, saying: "According to the law, this penalty is sufficient. Moreover, even if the crimes are the same, the degree of severity must be distinguished according to the level of rebellion or submission. Now, for stealing objects from the temple, you would execute his entire clan. If, in the future, some foolish person were to scoop up a handful of earth from the Long Mausoleum, what penalty would Your Majesty then apply?" After a long time, Emperor Wen discussed the matter with Empress Dowager Bo, and only then agreed to the Commandant of Justice's verdict. At the time, the Commandant of the Capital, the Marquis of Tiao, Zhou Yafu, and the Chancellor of Liang, the Marquis of Shandu, Wang Tiankai, seeing that Shizhi held to impartial judgments, became close friends with him. Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, from then on was praised throughout the empire.

Later, Emperor Wen passed away, and Emperor Jing ascended the throne. Shizhi was very fearful and claimed illness to ask for leave. He wanted to resign and leave, but feared he would incur even greater punishment. He wanted to go to court to apologize, but did not know what the outcome would be. Afterwards, he followed the plan of Wang Sheng and finally went to court to apologize. Emperor Jing did not reproach him.

This Wang Sheng was adept in the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi and was a recluse. He was once summoned to the court. At the time, the Three Dukes and Nine Ministers were all standing together. Wang Sheng was an old man. He said: "My sock garter is loose." He turned to Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, and said: "Tie my sock garter for me!" Shizhi knelt down and tied his sock garter for him. Afterwards, someone said to Wang Sheng: "Why did you deliberately insult Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, in court, making him kneel to tie your sock garter?" Wang Sheng said: "I am old and of low status. I estimated that I could ultimately be of no help to Zhang, the Commandant of Justice. Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, is a famous minister of the present empire. I deliberately humiliated him for a moment, making him kneel to tie my sock garter, wishing thereby to elevate his reputation." When the various lords and ministers heard of this, they all considered Wang Sheng worthy and also respected Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, even more.

Zhang, the Commandant of Justice, served Emperor Jing for a little over a year, then was demoted to be the Chancellor of the King of Huainan, still because of old grudges. After a long time, Shizhi died. His son was called Zhang Zhi, styled Changgong. He served as a Grandee but was dismissed. Because he could not accommodate himself to the times, he never served as an official again for the rest of his life.

Feng Tang’s grandfather was a native of Zhao. His father moved to Dai. After the Han was established, they moved again to Anling. Feng Tang was known for his filial piety and served as a Chief of the Langzhong Office, attending upon Emperor Wen. One day, Emperor Wen was riding in his carriage and passed by. He asked Feng Tang, “How is it that you, an old man, are still serving as a Lang official? Where is your home?” Feng Tang answered truthfully. The Emperor said, “When I was in Dai, my Supervisor of Provisions, Gao Qu, spoke to me many times about the worthiness of the Zhao general Li Qi and the scenes of his fighting at the foot of the city of Julu. Now, whenever I eat, I always think of Julu. Do you, old man, know this man Li Qi?” Feng Tang replied, “He is not as good as Lian Po and Li Mu as generals.” The Emperor said, “On what grounds do you say this?” Feng Tang said, “My grandfather, when he was in Zhao, served as a Commander of Officers and was on good terms with Li Mu. My father formerly served as Chancellor of Dai and was on good terms with the Zhao general Li Qi, so I know his character.” When the Emperor heard about the character of Lian Po and Li Mu, he was greatly delighted and slapped his thigh, saying, “Alas! Why can I not get such men as Lian Po and Li Mu to be my generals? If I had them, why would I worry about the Xiongnu?” Feng Tang said, “I am terrified! Your Majesty, even if you obtained Lian Po and Li Mu, you would not be able to employ them.” The Emperor grew angry and rose to enter the palace. After a long time, he summoned Feng Tang and rebuked him, saying, “Why did you insult me in public? Could you not have found a private place?” Feng Tang apologized, saying, “I am a boorish man and do not know the taboos.”

At this time, the Xiongnu had recently launched a major invasion of Chaona and killed Sun Yin, the Commandant of Beidi. The Emperor was worried about the Xiongnu incursions and finally asked Feng Tang again, “How do you know that I cannot employ Lian Po and Li Mu?” Feng Tang replied, “I have heard that when the ancient kings sent forth a general, they would kneel and push the wheel of his chariot, saying, ‘Matters within the city gate are decided by me; matters outside the city gate are decided by the general.’ Military merits, ranks, and rewards were all decided by the general outside, and he would report back to the court only upon his return. This is not empty talk. My grandfather said that when Li Mu served as a Zhao general guarding the border, he used the taxes collected from the military markets to reward the soldiers himself. Rewards were decided by the general outside, and the court did not interfere. The ruler entrusted the task and only demanded success, so Li Mu was able to fully display his wisdom and ability. He deployed 1,300 selected war chariots, 13,000 skilled cavalry archers, and 100,000 brave soldiers. With these, he drove away the Chanyu in the north, broke the Donghu, annihilated the Danlin, checked the powerful Qin in the west, and supported Han and Wei in the south. At that time, Zhao nearly became hegemon. Later, it happened that King Zhao Qian ascended the throne. His mother was a musician. After King Qian came to the throne, he heeded the slander of Guo Kai and ultimately executed Li Mu, replacing him with Yan Ju. Consequently, the army was defeated, the soldiers fled, and Zhao was conquered and destroyed by Qin. Now I have privately heard that Wei Shang, when he served as the Governor of Yunzhong, used all the taxes from the military market to reward his soldiers and also contributed his own salary. Every five days, he would slaughter an ox to feast his guests, military officers, and subordinates. Because of this, the Xiongnu kept far away and dared not approach the Yunzhong border. Once, the Xiongnu did invade, and Wei Shang led his chariot troops and cavalry to attack them, killing many. Those soldiers were all sons of common families, who had left their fields to join the army. How could they know anything about the registers and rosters? They fought hard all day, cut off enemy heads, and captured enemy soldiers. When they reported their merits to the headquarters, if one word did not match, the civil officials would punish them according to the law. Their rewards were not granted, while the laws enforced by the officials had to be carried out. I foolishly believe that Your Majesty’s laws are too strict, the rewards too light, and the punishments too heavy. Moreover, because Wei Shang, the Governor of Yunzhong, reported six fewer enemy heads than the actual number, Your Majesty handed him over to the judges, stripped him of his rank, and sentenced him to one year of hard labor. From this, I say that even if Your Majesty obtained Lian Po and Li Mu, you would not be able to employ them. I am truly stupid and have offended against the taboos. I deserve death, I deserve death!” The Emperor was pleased. That very day, he ordered Feng Tang to take the imperial tally and go to pardon Wei Shang, reinstating him as Governor of Yunzhong. He also appointed Feng Tang as Chief Commandant of Chariots and Cavalry, in charge of the chariot troops of the Zhongwei and the commanderies and kingdoms.

Seven years later, Emperor Jing ascended the throne and appointed Feng Tang as Chancellor of Chu. Later, he was dismissed. When Emperor Wu ascended the throne, he sought worthy and virtuous men, and someone recommended Feng Tang. Feng Tang was then over ninety years old and could no longer serve as an official. Therefore, his son Feng Sui was appointed as a Lang. Feng Sui, styled Wangsun, was also an extraordinary man and was on good terms with me.

The Grand Historian says: Zhang Ji (Zhang Shizhi) praised virtuous men and was able to uphold the law without bending to the ruler’s personal wishes. Feng Gong (Feng Tang) discussed generalship—how profound his meaning was! How profound! The old saying goes, “If you do not know the man, look at his friends.” The men and affairs that these two praised and extolled are fully worthy of being promoted in the court. The Book of Documents says, “Without partiality and without partisanship, the kingly way is broad and level; without partisanship and without partiality, the kingly way is smooth and easy.” Zhang Ji and Feng Gong came close to this ideal.