"Memorial to Emperor Li on restoring order," written by reader Xuandu Qiaozi
"Memorial to Emperor Li on restoring order," by Lu Chan
Respectfully submitted to
the Sage King who handed down the laws, who received the mandate of highest Heaven, whose radiance illuminated all creation, whose benevolent grace embraced all living beings,
the Son of Heaven of All Xia, the supreme sovereign,
His Majesty the Emperor of Great Han: may you enjoy boundless sagacity and peace, countless blessings and every prosperity.
We, your servants, bow low and knock our heads upon the ground.
In former times, before the enterprise of Han was established, Ying Qin held the Divine Artifact of sovereignty, brutal and tyrannical, devoid of the Way, until the people's grievances seethed and boiled up to fill the heavens.
Great Ancestor Emperor Gao descended into this world bearing Heaven's mandate. A commoner wielding a three-foot sword, possessed of mighty talents and employing generous, enlightened strategies, he ultimately won All Under Heaven.
Our ancestors, through the generations, all followed Emperor Gao's commands and served at his bidding, together exalting the rule of Han. Though our forebears' achievements were slight, Emperor Gao, with his benevolent and generous heart that rewarded goodness and honored worth, specially granted them territories and states, ranking them among the Feudal Lords. He further swore: "Even when the Yellow River becomes a ribbon and Mount Tai a whetstone, may your states enjoy eternal peace, and my favor extend to your descendants."
Thus the sacrificial offerings in our Ancestral Temples have been preserved and passed down to this day. Through the four reigns of Xiaohui, Xiaowen, Xiaowu, and Xiaoding, we have repeatedly received favors and rewards. Our wealth and honors have therefore grown ever greater, and our families' renown has risen daily, for more than a hundred years