Table of the Marquises Who Were Meritorious Officials of Emperor Gaozu, Sixth

The Grand Historian says: In ancient times, the merits of ministers were ranked into five grades: those who established the ancestral temple and stabilized the altars of state through virtuous conduct were called "xun" (meritorious service); those who contributed through offering plans and advice were called "lao" (labor); those who exerted strength and sweat were called "gong" (achievements); those who clarified the grades of merit were called "fa" (rank); and those who accumulated long years of service were called "yue" (experience). The oath at the time of enfeoffment said: "Even if the Yellow River becomes as narrow as a sash, and Mount Tai becomes as flat as a whetstone, the fief shall be eternally peaceful, passed down to descendants." At first, none did not wish to secure the foundation of the fiefs, but later the branches and leaves gradually withered and fell.

I examined the records of the meritorious officials enfeoffed as marquises during the time of Emperor Gaozu, investigating the reasons for their initial enfeoffment and later loss of titles, and said: How remarkable! The Book of Documents says, "Let the myriad states be harmonious and united," which continued through the Xia and Shang dynasties, with some states existing for several thousand years. The Zhou dynasty enfeoffed eight hundred vassals; after the reigns of Kings You and Li, they could still be seen in the Spring and Autumn Annals. The vassals from the times of Emperors Yu and Shun, passing through the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties for over a thousand years, were still able to preserve themselves and protect the Son of Heaven—was this not because they held fast to benevolence and righteousness and reverently followed the court's laws? When the Han dynasty was founded, over one hundred meritorious officials were enfeoffed. At that time, the realm had just been pacified, so the populations of great cities and famous towns were scattered and in flight; the registered households amounted to only two or three-tenths of the original. Thus, the largest marquises had fiefs of no more than ten thousand households, and the smallest only five or six hundred. After several generations, the people all returned to their native lands, and the number of households grew daily. The fiefs of figures like Xiao He, Cao Can, Zhou Bo, and Guan Ying reached some forty thousand households, while those of the smaller marquises doubled, and their wealth increased accordingly. Their descendants grew arrogant and indulgent, forgot the hardships of their ancestors' founding, and sank into pleasure. By the time of the Taichu era, about a hundred years later, only five families retained their marquisates; the rest had lost their lives for violating the law, their fiefs abolished, and they were utterly ruined. The court's legal net had also become somewhat tighter, but these people themselves had never been careful to observe the prohibitions of the age.

Living in the present age and drawing lessons from ancient principles serves as a mirror for oneself, but the ancient and modern are not necessarily identical. Emperors and kings each had different rituals and governance; the key lay in achieving success as the guiding principle—how could one insist on uniformity? Observing the reasons for their receiving favor and for their being deposed and disgraced is the gathering point of contemporary success and failure—why must one rely solely on old records? Therefore, I carefully record their entire course from beginning to end, using a table to set forth their words and deeds. Although in some places the ins and outs are not fully clarified, where clear, I write them plainly; where doubtful, I leave them blank. Future gentlemen, if they wish to investigate and arrange these historical facts, may consult them accordingly.