法苑珠林 70.78

70.78

漢竇嬰字王孫。漢孝文帝竇皇后從兄子也。封魏其侯為丞相。後乃免相。及竇皇后崩。嬰益疏薄無勢。黜不得志。與太僕灌夫相引薦交結其歎。恨相知之晚乎。孝景帝王皇后異父同母弟田蚡為丞相。親幸從衡。使人就嬰求城南田數頃。嬰不與曰。老僕雖棄。丞相雖貴。寧可以勢相奪乎。灌夫亦助怒之。蚡皆恨之。及蚡娶妻。王太后詔。列侯宗室皆往賀蚡。灌夫為人狂酒先嘗。以醉忤蚡不肯賀之。竇嬰強眾與俱去。酒酣灌夫行酒至蚡。蚡曰。不能滿觚。夫因言辭不遜。蚡遂怒曰。此吾驕灌夫之罪也。乃縛夫謂長史曰。有詔召宗室。而灌夫罵坐不敬。并奏其在鄉里豪橫。處夫棄市。竇嬰還謂其妻曰。終不令灌夫獨死而嬰獨生。乃上事具陳。灌夫醉飽事不足誅。帝召見之。嬰與蚡互相言短長。帝問朝臣。兩人誰是。朝臣多言。嬰是。王太后聞怒而不食。曰我在人。皆凌籍吾弟。我百歲後當魚肉之中。及出蚡復為嬰造作惡語。用以聞上。天子亦以蚡為不直。特為太后故論嬰及市。嬰臨死罵曰。若死無知則已。有知要不獨死。後月餘蚡病一身盡痛。似有打擊之者。但號呼叩頭謝罪。天子使呪鬼者瞻之。見竇嬰灌夫共守笞蚡。蚡遂死。天子亦夢見嬰而謝之。

In the Han dynasty, Dou Ying, whose courtesy name was Wangsun, was the son of the paternal cousin of Empress Dou of Emperor Xiaowen. He was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Weiqi and served as Chancellor; later he was dismissed from the chancellorship. When Empress Dou passed away, Dou Ying became increasingly estranged and powerless. Deposed and frustrated in his ambitions, he and Guan Fu, the Chamberlain for the Palace Equerry, recommended and associated with each other, sighing and lamenting that they had met so late in life. Tian Fen, the half-brother of Empress Wang of Emperor Xiaojing by the same mother, became Chancellor. Favored and powerful, Tian Fen sent someone to Dou Ying to request several qing of land south of the city. Ying refused, saying: 'Though I, an old servant, have been cast aside, and though the Chancellor is noble, how can one use power to seize [land]?' Guan Fu also joined in anger, and Tian Fen bore a grudge against both. When Tian Fen married, Empress Dowager Wang decreed that all ranked marises and imperial clan members should go to congratulate Fen. Guan Fu, being wild and fond of wine, drank first and, being drunk, offended Tian Fen and refused to offer congratulations. Dou Ying forced Guan Fu to accompany him. Deep in drinking, Guan Fu poured wine and reached Tian Fen. Fen said: 'I cannot finish the goblet.' Fu then spoke insolently. Fen was enraged and said: 'It is my fault for being too indulgent with Guan Fu!' He had Guan Fu bound and said to his Chief Clerk: 'There was an edict summoning the imperial clan, yet Guan Fu insulted the assembly with irreverence.' He also memorialized Guan Fu's tyrannical conduct in his home district, sentencing Fu to public execution. Dou Ying returned and said to his wife: 'I will never let Guan Fu die alone while Ying alone lives!' He then submitted a memorial detailing the matter, stating that Guan Fu's drunken conduct did not warrant execution. The emperor summoned them. Dou Ying and Tian Fen accused each other of faults. The emperor asked the court officials who was right; most ministers said Dou Ying was right. When Empress Dowager Wang heard this, she was enraged and refused to eat, saying: 'While I am alive, they all trample upon my brother; after my hundred years, they will surely make meat of him!' Upon leaving, Tian Fen fabricated more slanderous words against Dou Ying and submitted them to the emperor. The Son of Heaven also considered Tian Fen to be in the wrong, but solely for the sake of the Empress Dowager, he condemned Ying to public execution. As Dou Ying faced death, he cursed: 'If death brings no consciousness, so be it; if there is consciousness, I shall never let you die alone!' More than a month later, Tian Fen fell ill, his entire body in excruciating pain as though being beaten. He could only wail, kowtow, and beg for forgiveness. The Son of Heaven sent a ghost-seer to observe him, who saw Dou Ying and Guan Fu together holding and flogging Tian Fen. Tian Fen then died. The Son of Heaven also saw Ying in a dream and apologized to him.