4.2.1. Patrons of Han Dafu

The patrons of Han dafu were aristocrats, and relevant materials in this area abound. First, the supreme ruler of the Han Dynasty empowered fu writers. Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty 漢 武 帝 (r. 156 BC–87 BC) once issued an edict to invite fu writers, including the father and son of the Mei 枚 family, to serve at court. Mei Cheng 枚 乘 (ca. 201 BC–ca. 138 BC) received the invitation, though he, unfortunately, died on the way. In Hanshu 漢 書 (History of the Han Dynasty), Ban Gu offers a detailed record of this:

When the Han dynasty quelled the Rebellion of the Seven States, Mei Cheng gained popularity for his famous *fu*, the "Seven Stimuli" (*Qifa* 七 發), written during this time. Emperor Jing 景 帝 (r. 157 BC–141 BC) soon appointed Cheng as the Chief Commandant (*duwei* 都 尉) of Hongnong County. Cheng had long been a distinguished gues<sup>t</sup> of the dynasty. He frequently traveled with young talents of that time; getting what he wanted, doing what he liked, he was not particularly fond of being a governmen<sup>t</sup> official. Eventually, Cheng resigned from his post on the excuse of illness. Cheng then traveled to Liang (Han's vassal state). Liang's resident intellectuals were good at *fu* and writing and Cheng excelled amongs<sup>t</sup> them. After the death of King Xiao 孝 王 (r. 168 BC–144 BC), Cheng traveled back to Huaiyin 淮 陰. The newly enthroned Emperor Wu 武 帝 (r. 141 BC–87 BC) was an admirer of Cheng since he was a prince. By this time Cheng had reached old age. Emperor Wu invited Cheng to serve the court, sending him a special carriage with tires covered by palm leaves, which stabilized the carriage better than the typical ones of that time. Cheng died on the way. (*Hanshu*, 50.2365)

After that, Mei Cheng's son, Mei Gao 枚 (b. 153 BC), entered the imperial court and became a prolific fu writer. Hanshu records:

When Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty felt emotional, he often let Mei Gao write *fu*. Mei Gao wrote very quickly; he finished the works almost as soon as he received the imperial orders. Therefore, he was very prolific. (*Hanshu*, 20.2367)

There is evidence that aristocrats and nobles from various places enjoyed and patronized fu writing. According to Shiji 史 記 (Records of the Grand Historian):

It happened that Emperor Jing was not fond of literature. When King Xiao of Liang came to visit the court, scholars who were good at lobbying also came along, including Zou Yang 鄒 陽 from Qi State, Mei Cheng 枚 乘 from Huaiyin, and Zhuang Ji 莊 忌 from Wu. Sima Xiangru took to liking them instantly and soon resigned from his position with an excuse of illness, and then he lived in Liang state as a sojourner. King Xiao of Liang asked Sima Xiangru to reside with the lobbyists, so Xiangru was able to stay with them for several years. He thus composed "Zixu fu" 子 虚 賦 (Rhapsody on Sir Vacuous). (*Shiji*, 117.2999)

Third, many fu masters showed grea<sup>t</sup> enthusiasm and dedication in making fu for the emperor. Ge Hong's 葛 洪 (AD 283–AD 363) Xijing Zaji 西 京 雜 記 (Miscellaneous Records of the Western Capital) records how fu masters composed fu in this way:

When Sima Xiangru wrote "Shanglin fu" 上 林 賦 (Rhapsody on the Imperial Park) and "Zixu fu", his heart was relaxed and unconstrained, no longer connected with the outside things. He used all things between heaven as the material of his poetry; his spirit traveled between ancient and modern times. He would appear

listless and dreary at one point, but uplifted at another and continued to compose *fu*. A couple of hundred days later, the *fu* was completed.

Similar descriptions are also found in Huan Tan's 桓 谭 (AD 23–56) Xinlun 新 論 (New Treatises):

Yang Xiong also said that Zhao Zhaoyi 趙 昭 儀, a concubine of Emperor Cheng 成 帝 (r. 33 BC–7 BC) of the Han dynasty, was favored by the emperor. Every time he went up to the Ganquan Palace, Emperor Cheng would order Yang Xiong to compose a *fu*. This exhausted Yang Xiong. He had to rack his brains every time to complete the *fu*. Finally, he was feeling tired and had to rest in bed, during which time he dreamed that his five internal organs were exposed on the ground, and he gathered them back into his body with his hands. When he woke up, he was inflicted with asthma and often could not breathe properly. He fell ill for a year afterward. From this, we can know that it overtaxes one's nerves and spirit to make *fu*.

From these quotes, we can see that the fu writers sacrificed a lot for their work, sometimes to the point of serious illness. Fu experts might be restricted in subject matter and emotional expression when they made fu for the emperor. However, the Han Dynasty was a centralized system, and the Han empire was overwhelmingly powerful (even abroad). Therefore, when fu masters composed dafu, a genre generally aimed at celebrating the power of the empire, they could still maintain emotional consistency with the emperor.
