Overview
Yan Yannian was an official Noted for Harsh Law.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Other names
| Type | English | Chinese | Pinyin |
|---|
| Courtesy name |
Ciqing |
次卿 |
Ciqing |
| Alternate name |
Butcher Earl |
屠伯 |
Tubo |
Life and dates
Death
Attested activity
BC 74 to BC 49 孝宣
BC 74 to BC 48 孝宣承統
Career and standing
侍御史
Text En attendant censor
好畤令
Text En magistrate of Haozhi
平陵令
Text En magistrate of Pingling
河南太守
Text En Grand Administrator of Henan
涿郡太守
Text En Grand Administrator of Zhuo
Places and affiliations
Western Han 漢
Relation Served
東海下邳
Text En Xiapi in Donghai
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment governed the people (治民) · Mode historian-judgment
- Assessment had achievements recounted in their age · Mode historian-judgment
References in the histories
No matching passages.
Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 1 passage
孝宣承統，纂修洪業，亦講論六藝，招選茂異，而蕭望之、梁丘賀、夏侯勝、韋玄成、嚴彭祖，尹更始以儒術進，劉向，王褒以文章顯，將相則張安世、趙充國、魏相、丙吉、於定國、杜延年，治民則黃霸、王成、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣、韓延壽、尹翁歸、趙廣漢、嚴延年、張敞之屬，皆有功跡見述於世。
Emperor Xuan inherited the succession and carried forward the great enterprise. He too expounded the Six Arts and recruited outstanding men. Xiao Wangzhi, Liangqiu He, Xiahou Sheng, Wei Xuancheng, Yan Pengzu, and Yin Gengshi advanced through Confucian learning; Liu Xiang and Wang Bao gained distinction for their writing; among the generals and chancellors were Zhang Anshi, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Yu Dingguo, and Du Yannian; and among those who governed the people were Huang Ba, Wang Cheng, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, Han Yanshou, Yin Wengui, Zhao Guanghan, Yan Yannian, Zhang Chang, and others. All left achievements celebrated in their age.
Book of Han, Chapter 101Volume 89: Upright Officials · 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 102Volume 90: Cruel Officials · 36 passages
嚴延年
Yan Yannian.
嚴延年字次卿，東海下邳人也。
Yan Yannian, courtesy name Ciqing, came from Xiapi in Donghai.
其父為丞相掾，延年少學法律丞相府，歸為郡吏。
His father served the chancellor; he studied law there and became a county clerk.
宣帝初即位，延年劾奏光「擅廢立主，無人臣禮，不道」。
At the beginning of Emperor Xuan's reign, Yan Yannian impeached Huo Guang, charging him with "arbitrarily deposing and enthroning rulers, lacking the propriety of a minister, and acting impiously."
延年後復劾大司農田延年持兵干屬車，大司農自訟不干屬車。
He later charged Tian Yannian with brandishing arms near the imperial escort—countered by Tian's denial.
事下御史中丞，譴責延年何以不移書宮殿門禁止大司農，而令得出入宮。
The vice-censor rebuked Yan for failing to seal the palace gate against the minister.
於是復劾延年闌內罪人，法至死。
Yan Yannian was then himself impeached for admitting a criminal inside the gate—a capital offense.
延年亡命。
Yan Yannian fled.
會赦出，丞相、御史府征書同日到，延年以御史書先至，詣御史府，復為掾。
Amnesty brought him back; competing summonses sent him first to the censorate as clerk.
神爵中，西羌反，強弩將軍許延壽請延年為長史，從軍敗西羌，還為涿郡太守。
During the Qiang wars he served Xu Yanshou as chief clerk, helped smash the tribes, and became governor of Zhuo.
延年至，遣掾蠡吾趙繡按高氏得其死罪。
On arrival he dispatched Zhao Xiu of Liwu to nail the Gao houses on capital charges.
繡見延年新將，心內懼，即為兩劾，欲先白其輕者觀延年意，怒，乃出其重劾。
Zhao Xiu, nervous under the new governor, drafted light and heavy counts and tested which Yannian wanted.
延年已知其如此矣。
Yan Yannian saw through the dodge.
趙掾至，果白其輕者，延年索懷中，得重劾，即收送獄。
When Zhao offered the mild charges, Yan searched his robe for the harsh draft and jailed him.
延年為人短小精悍，敏捷於事，雖子貢、冉有通藝於政事，不能絕也。
Small and fierce, he outpaced even Zigong and Ran You in bureaucratic speed.
冬月，傳屬縣囚，會論府上，流血數里，河南號曰「屠伯」。
In winter he had prisoners from the subordinate counties brought to the commandery office for judgment; blood flowed for several li, and Henan called him "Butcher Earl."
是時，張敞為京兆尹，素與延年善。
Metropolitan Governor Zhang Chang had long been his friend.
敞治雖嚴，然尚頗有縱捨，聞延年用刑刻急，乃以書諭之曰：「昔朝盧之取菟也，上觀下獲，不甚多殺。
Zhang Chang governed sternly, but still left room for clemency. When he heard that Yannian used punishments with cutting urgency, he wrote to admonish him: "When the Hanlu hound catches rabbits, the master watches above while the dog catches below; there is no need for much killing.
願次卿少緩誅罰，思行此術。」
I hope you, Ciqing, will ease executions a little and consider using this method."
延年報曰：「河南天下喉咽，二周余斃，莠盛苗穢，何可不鋤也？」
Yan Yannian replied: "Henan is the empire's throat—the ruins of the two Zhou districts, where weeds choke the crop—how can we not hoe it clear?"
延年素輕霸為人，及比郡為守，褒賞反在己前，心內不服。
Yan despised Huang Ba yet watched him praised ahead of himself.
河南界中又有蝗蟲，府丞義出行蝗，還見延年，延年曰：「此蝗豈鳳皇食邪？」
Locusts also appeared within Henan. Assistant Yi went out to inspect them, and when he returned to see Yannian, Yannian said, "Could these locusts be food for a phoenix?"
義又道司農中丞耿壽昌為常平倉，利百姓，延年曰：「丞相御史不知為也，當避位去。
Yi also mentioned that Geng Shouchang, the Assistant Clerk of the Excellency of Agriculture, had established the Ever-Normal Granary to benefit the people. Yannian said, "If the chancellor and imperial counselors did not know enough to do this, they should yield their seats and leave.
後左馮翊缺，上欲征延年，符已發，為其名酷復止。
A Zuo Fengyi vacancy nearly summoned him until his cruelty canceled the edict.
延年疑少府梁丘賀毀之，心恨。
He blamed Liangqiu He for blackening his name.
會琅邪太守以視事久病，滿三月免，延年自知見廢，謂丞曰：「此人尚能去官，我反不能去邪？」
When the grand administrator of Langye was dismissed after being ill for three full months after taking office, Yannian knew he himself had been cast aside and said to his assistant, "That man can still leave office; can I really not leave?"
又延年察獄史廉，有臧不入身，延年坐選舉不實貶秩，笑曰：「後敢復有舉人者矣！」
Yannian had also found a prison clerk honest because stolen goods had not entered his own possession; when Yannian was demoted for an inaccurate recommendation, he laughed and said, "Who will dare recommend anyone again?"
丞義年老頗悖，素畏延年，恐見中傷。
Old Assistant Yi trembled at imaginary plots.
延年本嘗與義俱為丞相史，實親厚之，無意毀傷也，饋遺之甚厚。
Yan had once served beside Yi and showered him with gifts without malice.
義愈益恐，自筮得死卦，忽忽不樂，取告至長安，上書言延年罪名十事。
Yi cast a death oracle, fled to the capital, and denounced ten crimes.
事下御史丞按驗，有此數事，以結延年，坐怨望非謗政治不道棄市。
The vice-censor verified the counts and executed Yan Yannian for disloyal rivalry.
延年出至都亭謁母，母閉閣不見。
He knelt outside until she opened.
延年免冠頓首閣下，良久，母乃見之，因數責延年：「幸得備郡守，專治千里，不聞仁愛教化，有以全安愚民，顧乘刑罰多刑殺人，欲以立威，豈為民父母意哉！」
Yannian removed his cap and kowtowed below the gate. After a long time his mother received him, then reproached him again and again: "You were fortunate enough to serve as grand administrator, governing a thousand li on your own, yet I hear nothing of humane love, moral instruction, or any means by which you made the ignorant people whole and secure. Instead you relied on punishments, killed many people, and hoped thereby to establish awe. Is this what it means to be father and mother to the people?"
延年服罪，重頓首謝，因自為母御，歸府捨。
He confessed and drove her carriage home in shame.
母畢正臘，謂延年：「天道神明，人不可獨殺。
After his mother completed the proper winter sacrifice, she said to Yannian, "Heaven's way is numinous and bright; a man cannot go on killing alone.
延年兄弟五人皆有吏材，至大官，東海號曰「萬石嚴嫗」。
Yannian brothers five all had clerk talent—reached high offices—Donghai titled "Ten-thousand-bushel Yan Matron."