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Early life experience

During the Wu period of the Western Han Dynasty (the time is unknown), Sima Qian was born in a well-off family in Longmen, Yellow River.[7][9] Sima Qian's grandfather Sima Xi, under the policy of Emperor Wen of Han to receive the title of Limi to be a real border soldiers, used 4,000 stones of Limi to exchange for the title of the Ninth Five Doctors, so the whole family was exempted from corvee service.[10]

The young Sima Qian was learning calligraphy and reading under the guidance of his father Sima Tan. At the age of ten, he could read and recite ancient books such as "Shangshu", "Zuo Zhuan", "Mandarin", "Xiben" [11]. During the Jianyuan period of Emperor Wu of Han, Sima talked about the position of Taishi Ling of the capital Chang'an [12], while Sima Qian stayed in his hometown of Longmen, practiced himself and continued his career of farming, reading, and grazing.[7]

Learn to travel the world

After a little older, Sima Qian left his hometown of Longmen and came to his father in Chang'an, the capital. At this time, Sima Qian had already achieved some success in his studies, so Sima Tan instructed Sima Qian to visit the rivers and mountains to collect old news and stories, and to retract old news [13]. Sima Qian began to travel around the world at the age of 20 [14-21]. He set out from Chang'an, the capital, and went south to Wan. He went south to Xiangfan to Jiangling. Cross the river, followed the Yuanshui River to Xiangxi, and then turned southeast to Jiuyi. After glimpsing Jiuyi, he went north to Changsha, and went to the abyss of Quyuan Miluo to pay tribute, crossed Dongting, and came out of the Yangtze River.

Flowing eastward, climbing Mount Lu, watching Yu's sprouting Jiujiang, traveling to Qiantang, going to Kuaiji, exploring Yu's cave, returning to Wuyou to visit Chunshenjun's palace, going to Gusu, looking at the five lakes. Later, crossing the river north, passing Huaiyin, to Linzi and Qufu, inspecting the culture of Qilu, observing the legacy left by Confucius, trapped in Po, Xue, Pengcheng, and then following the hometown of historical figures that were surging during the Qin and Han dynasties, the battlefield of the battle between Chu and Han, passing through Pengcheng, Feng, Dang, Suiyang, and Liang (now Kaifeng, Henan), and returning to Chang'an, Sima Tan, the father of the Grand Historian at that time.[7][22]

Return to the court to become an official

Because of his father Sima Tan, Sima Qian was able to become a doctor after returning to Beijing [23-24].

In the sixth year of Yuanding of Emperor Wu of Han (111 BC), the Marquis of Chiyi was appointed as the commander of pacifying the southwestern Yi. General Guo Chang and Wei Guang led the eight lieutenants to attack Qilan and pacify the southern Yi. Yelang Zhen was afraid, so he asked to enter the court to submit his posts. The Han army killed Qiongjun and killed the Marquis of Zuo. Ran Zhen was afraid, so he asked his ministers to set up officials. Then Emperor Wu of Han set up Wudu, Ji Ke, Yue Wei, Shen Li and Wenshan in the southwestern Yi. At this time, Sima Qian, who was following Emperor Wu of Han to visit the Wan family, followed Tang Meng, Sima Xiangru, and Gongsun Hong, and went on a mission to the southwest again and was sent to Ba and south of Shu to plan the construction of a new county. Then he pacified Qiong, Zha and Kunming, and returned to the court to refute the order to Emperor Wu in the second year [24-25].

Father gave his last order

In the spring of the first year of Yuanfeng (110 BC), Emperor Wu of Han held a Fengshan ceremony on Mount Tai on his way to the east to visit the Bohai Sea. [26] Sima Tan, an official involved in the formulation of Fengshan etiquette, was stuck in Zhounan (now Hubei) due to illness, but failed to move forward, and he became angry and worsened. Sima Qian, who was envoyed to the Western Expedition, rushed to Mount Tai to participate in the Fengshan ceremony after completing his mission. When he arrived in Luoyang, he met his father who was desperate. [27]

Sima Tan said to Sima Qian: "Our ancestors were the Taishi of the Zhou Dynasty. As early as the ancient times, Yu Shun, Xia Yu, they achieved outstanding fame and honor and were in charge of astronomy. Later, they declined. Do you want to ruin the cause of our ancestors? If you continue to be Taishi, you can continue the cause of our ancestors. For example, today, your son inherited the great cause of unification of the Han Dynasty for thousands of years and went to Taishan Fengshan, and I was not allowed to follow the actions. This is destined! After I die, you will definitely be Taishi; after being Taishi, you must not forget the treatise I want to write. Besides, filial piety started with serving our parents. After serving the monarch in the middle, you can finally gain a foothold in society, make a name for later generations, and shine on their parents. This is the most important filial piety. The world praises Duke Zhou, which means that he can praise the merits of King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou, promote the wind of Zhou, and summoning people to understand the Taishi of Zhou and King Ji of Zhou.

Thoughts and Gong Liu's achievements made the ancestor Hou Ji respected. After King You and King Li of Zhou, the king's way declined and the rituals and music were damaged. Confucius studied and sorted out old documents and classics to revitalize the abandoned king's way and rituals and music. He compiled the "Poetry", "Book", and the book "Spring and Autumn", and until today, scholars still regard this as a rule. It has been more than 400 years since Duke Ai of Lu found the Lin, and the historical books were lost and recorded. Now the Han Dynasty has risen, and the deeds of the wise monarchs and loyal ministers have been unified in the country. As the Grand Historian, I do not comment and record them, and interrupted the historical documents of the country. I feel very uneasy about this. You must remember it in your heart!" Sima Qian lowered his head and said with tears: "Although the boy is not smart, he must complete his father's plan to compile history, and he dare not have any omissions." [28]

Privately virtuous ancient and modern

Because he served in Chang'an, and was in the prosperous Han Dynasty when "the Han Dynasty was successful, the Han Dynasty was prosperous", Sima Qian was able to meet the talented people in the world who gathered in Chang'an. [29] Including Jia Jia Jia, Gongsun Jigong (or Gongsun Hong), Fan Kuai's grandson Fan Taguang, Pingyuan Jun Zhu Jian, Feng Sui, Feng Tang's son Feng Ren, Tian Shu's youngest son, Liang Ren Hu Sui, Du Ling Su Jian, etc. [30-36] However, the biggest influence on Sima Qian was Dong Zhongshu and Kong Anguo.

Sima Qian and Shangdafu Hu Sui once said when discussing literature: "I heard Dong Sheng say, "The Zhou Dynasty's kingly path declined and abolished. Confucius served as the official invader of Lu. The princes harmed him, and the officials obstructed him. Confucius knew that his opinions were not adopted and political propositions could not be implemented, so he praised and criticized the right and wrong in the past 242 years. As the standard for judging right and wrong in the world, he belittled the unjust emperor, denounced the princes who were wrong, and criticized the chaotic officials, so as to make the country's political affairs clear.'

”[37]. Looking at the Records of the Grand Historian, we can see that the influence of Dong Zhongshu's Gongyang School on Sima Qian was mainly: First, the Gongyang family praised the Tangwu Revolution and advocated the use of justice to fight the unjust, which became the ideological basis for the anti-tyranny of the Records of the Grand Historian; Second, the Gongyang family's idea of ​​"respecting the king and expelling the barbarians" and advocating "great unification" became the main concept of the Records of the Grand Historian throughout the book; Third, the Gongyang family respected the surrender and respected shame was the moral standard for the "Records of the Grand Historian" to praise and criticize historical figures. [38]

Because Kong Anguo was a descendant of Confucius, he had more than ten "Ancient Literature Books" in his family, and he was also familiar with ancient literature. Therefore, Sima Qian also asked Kong Anguo about "Ancient Literature Books" [39] to learn the ancient teachings of ancient literature and classics, as well as to select ancient literature materials, and master the method of studying history. As the core of the entire ancient literature, Sima Qian also made a lot of citations in writing the history of the three ancient dynasties. [38]
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