Sima Lang

Historical Record

Sima Lang, styled Boda, was a man of Wen County in Henei. His grandfather Sima Jun was learned and fond of antiquity, of imposing bearing, and rose to be Grand Administrator of Yingchuan. His father Sima Fang, styled Jiangong, was upright and fair; even when at leisure at home, his dignified deportment never slackened in the slightest. He was fond of the Biographies of Famous Ministers in the Book of Han, reciting hundreds of thousands of words. Sima Fang served as Prefect of Luoyang and Intendant of the Capital, and in his later years was appointed Commandant of Cavalry. He taught his sons with strict discipline; though his sons had come of age, they dared not advance or retreat, sit or stand, or speak without leave, and father and sons were as solemn as guests with one another. Sima Lang was the eldest son of Sima Fang; his younger brother was the later Emperor Xuan of Jin, Sima Yi. ^c:820

Sima Lang was exceptionally clever from childhood. At nine, when someone addressed his father by his style-name, Sima Lang said, "To slight a man's parent is to fail to respect one's own parent." The visitor heard this and apologized. At twelve, sitting an examination in the classics as a "youth scholar," he was so large of build that the examiner suspected he had lied about his age and pressed him on it. Sima Lang answered composedly: "On both my father's and mother's side, my forebears for generations have been tall; though I am young and slight, I have no aspiration to look up to my elders falsely—to shave off years in pursuit of early advancement is not what I purpose." The examiner thereupon regarded him with new respect. ^c:820

When Dong Zhuo moved the capital to Chang'an, Sima Fang, as a Palace Aide for Documents, had to move west with him. Because of warfare on all sides, Sima Fang sent Sima Lang to escort the family back to their home county. Along the way someone accused Sima Lang of intending to flee, and he was arrested and brought before Dong Zhuo. Seeing Sima Lang, Dong Zhuo remarked that he was the same age as his own dead son. Sima Lang seized the chance to set forth the affairs of the time to Dong Zhuo, praising his achievements in sweeping away the wicked clique and broadly raising up worthy men, but also pointing out the plight of warfare breaking out on every side and the people scattered and displaced. He urged him to "look to the affairs of the past and add a little more reflection," so that his "glorious name might equal the sun and moon, with Yi Yin and the Duke of Zhou no match for him." Dong Zhuo, hearing this, said, "I too have come to see it—your words have meaning!" ^c:821

Knowing well that Dong Zhuo was bound to fall, and fearing he might be detained for service, Sima Lang spent all his wealth bribing Dong Zhuo's intimates and so was able to return to his native village. He urged the elders of his locality that Dong Zhuo was perverse and the enemy of all under heaven, and that the region around Luoyang would become a battleground for armies; better, while the roads were still passable, to move the whole household east to Liyang and rely on an old acquaintance, Zhao Weisun, who held the post of Camp-Supervising Visitor there. But the elders, clinging to the old, would not follow; only Zhao Zi of the same county took his family and went with Sima Lang. Months later, the provinces and commanderies east of the pass raised troops to punish Dong; tens of thousands gathered at Xingyang and Henei, but because the generals could not unite their command, they let their soldiers plunder, and more than half the people died. After the eastern troops scattered, Cao Cao and Lü Bu held each other in stalemate at Puyang, and only then could Sima Lang bring the family back to Wen County. It was a time of great famine, with people eating one another, yet Sima Lang was able to gather and care for his clan and instruct his younger brothers, not letting their studies lapse despite the chaos of the age. ^c:822

In the early Jian'an years, when Sima Lang was twenty-two, Cao Cao recruited him as a subordinate of the Minister of Works' staff, and later as Magistrate of Chenggao; he left office through illness and was reappointed Chief of Tangyang. In office he governed with leniency and kindness, using neither whip nor cudgel, yet the people did not break the law. Once some local people had been resettled to the capital; later, when the county needed ships built, these resettled folk, fearing the task could not be finished, secretly returned to help—a sign of how deeply he was beloved. He was then transferred to Magistrate of Yuancheng and entered the court as Chancellor's Recorder. Sima Lang held that the realm's collapse stemmed from the Qin abolishing the five-rank nobility system, leaving commanderies and kingdoms without preparedness for war. He proposed that, though the five-rank system could not be restored at once, the provinces and commanderies might all station troops, to guard against the Four Barbarians without and overawe the lawless within. He also advocated restoring the well-field system, holding that after great upheaval, with the people scattered and the land ownerless, the moment was ripe to restore the well-fields. Although these proposals could not be fully carried out at the time, the policy of provinces and commanderies holding troops was indeed Sima Lang's own intent. He was later transferred to Inspector of Yanzhou, where his administration was outstanding and the people praised him. Even on campaign he wore coarse clothes and ate poor food, leading his subordinates by frugality. He was fond of the classics on human relations and often showed disdain toward men of great renown at the time, such as Li Di; when Li Di and others later fell, his contemporaries all admired his foresight. He once discussed the way of governing the age with Zhong Yao, Wang Can, and others, holding that "the likes of Yi Yin and Yan Hui, though not sages, could—if allowed to carry on for several generations—bring about Great Peace." ^c:4864

In the twenty-second year of Jian'an (217 CE), Sima Lang accompanied Xiahou Dun, Zang Ba, and others on a campaign against Eastern Wu. When the army reached Juchao, a great plague broke out; Sima Lang went personally among the troops to dispense medicine, but in the end caught the disease and died, at the age of forty-seven. Before he died he left orders to be buried in plain cloth with a turban and in everyday garments, and the people of the province mourned him without end. ^c:823 After Emperor Ming came to the throne, he posthumously enfeoffed Sima Lang's son Sima Yi (遗) as Marquis of Changwu Precinct, with a fief of a hundred households. Sima Lang's younger brother Sima Fu then made his own son Sima Wang the heir to continue Sima Lang's line. After Sima Yi (遗) died, Sima Wang's son Sima Hong succeeded as heir. ^c:823

In the Novel

In Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sima Lang receives very little attention, mentioned only once, in Chapter 39. ^c:820 The novel gives no detailed depiction or artistic embellishment of his life, essentially omitting the many details recorded in the histories—his childhood cleverness, his remonstrance with Dong Zhuo, his flight from danger to Liyang, his lenient governance, and his views on statecraft. As a result, in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Sima Lang's image is far less vivid and important than that of his younger brother Sima Yi, and his character and key relationships are not fully shown. The novel's portrayal of him is limited to his status as a family member, without delving into his brilliant side as a statesman and Confucian scholar. One may say that, compared with the histories, Romance of the Three Kingdoms' depiction of Sima Lang is extremely simplified, with the rich personal qualities and historical contributions recorded in the sources almost wholly overlooked in the novel.

Key Relationships

* Sima Fang (kin_of): Sima Lang's father, who taught him by word and example with profound influence. Sima Fang ran his household with strict discipline and raised eight talented sons, including Sima Lang, with father and sons as solemn as guests with one another. ^c:820
* Dong Zhuo (witnesses): Sima Lang was once summoned before Dong Zhuo and set forth the affairs of the time to him, urging him to "look to the affairs of the past and add a little more reflection," displaying remarkable nerve and foresight. ^c:821
* Li Shao (advises_in): Sima Lang once advised the former Inspector of Jizhou, Li Shao, not to relocate, pointing out that Wen County and Yewang were as close as lips and teeth and that moving would shake the people's hearts. Although Li Shao did not heed him, events afterward proved Sima Lang's judgment correct. ^c:820
* Zhao Zi (friend_of): After the upheaval of Dong Zhuo, Sima Lang urged his fellow villagers to move east to Liyang to escape disaster; only Zhao Zi of the same county took his family and went with him—a sign of their close friendship. ^c:822
* Cao Cao (serves_under): Sima Lang was recruited by Cao Cao as a subordinate of the Minister of Works' staff, and later held office as Magistrate of Chenggao, Chief of Tangyang, Magistrate of Yuancheng, Chancellor's Recorder, and Inspector of Yanzhou—an important official of the Cao Wei regime. ^c:4864
* Sima Yi (kin_of): Sima Lang was the eldest brother of Sima Yi, both of them sons of Sima Fang. ^c:820

Iconic Scenes

* Rebuking the disrespectful in childhood: At nine, when someone addressed his father by his style-name, Sima Lang at once pointed out that "to slight a man's parent is to fail to respect one's own parent," displaying his early wisdom and his firm hold on filial duty. ^c:820
* Outwitting the examiner: At twelve, suspected of lying about his age because of his sturdy build, Sima Lang replied that "on both my father's and mother's side, my forebears for generations have been tall; though I am young and slight, I have no aspiration to look up to my elders falsely—to shave off years in pursuit of early advancement is not what I purpose," showing his uprightness and quick wit. ^c:820
* Remonstrating with Dong Zhuo: Summoned before Dong Zhuo, Sima Lang, undaunted by power, deftly praised Dong Zhuo's merits while pointing out the failings of his rule and urging him to reflect deeply, displaying his political foresight and nerve. ^c:821
* Fleeing danger to Liyang: After Dong Zhuo's upheaval, Sima Lang foresaw that the region around Luoyang would become a battleground and strongly urged his fellow villagers to move east to Liyang to escape; though most would not follow, events proved his judgment accurate, reflecting his insight into the times. ^c:822
* Governing with leniency and kindness: As Chief of Tangyang, Sima Lang governed with benevolence, using neither whip nor cudgel, yet kept the people from breaking the law—so much so that resettled folk, out of gratitude, returned of their own accord to help—reflecting his "lenient and kind" character and outstanding administrative ability. ^c:4864
* Proposing to restore the well-fields and station troops in the provinces and commanderies: As Chancellor's Recorder, Sima Lang proposed restoring the well-field system and stationing troops in the provinces and commanderies; though not fully carried out, his far-sighted statecraft displayed his "foresight" and his concern for the long-term stability of the state. ^c:4864
* Dying of plague on campaign: On the campaign against Wu, a great plague broke out in the army; Sima Lang went personally among the troops to dispense medicine and in the end caught the disease and died, leaving orders even at death for a simple burial—reflecting his spirit of personal devotion, frugality, and loyal service to the state. ^c:823