Liu Xiu
Retiring the Generals
Give a veteran's power and standing separately: take back the army, leave the rank and the voice
Book of the Later Han, Annals of Emperor Guangwu (part 2); Biography of Jia Fu
The people who have been with you longest have outgrown their posts. How did Liu Xiu take back the army without breaking the hearts of his veterans?
What actually happened?
In the thirteenth year of Jianwu the realm was largely at peace. Guangwu feasted his officers and weighed their merits: 365 veterans had their fiefs increased or reassigned, and the same year the posts of Left and Right General, which commanded troops, were abolished. Jia Fu and Deng Yu had seen what the emperor wanted: no veterans holding armies in the capital. They laid down their commands first and turned to the classics. The power was put down by the very men it was taken from; the rank and the voice stayed.
He took the power, not the man
Jia Fu went home as a marquis with the rank of Special Advancement, and was still called to discuss affairs of state. The history says only three marquises sat in counsel with the ministers, and their treatment was generous. The army was taken; dignity and a voice were given.
A co-founder steps back from day-to-day work but keeps a board seat and the quarterly strategy meeting. That is worth more than a thank-you note.
Let them speak first
The history gives the order: the generals saw that the emperor did not want veterans holding armies near the capital and set theirs down, and then the emperor agreed. He did not announce that it was time for them to go. The order itself left them their dignity.
When an old hand is due to change roles, ask privately what he wants as a next step before you send the notice.
Leave veterans a way out that does not need a rebellion
Among Liu Bang's veterans, Han Xin was killed, Peng Yue was minced and Ying Bu was executed. Liu Xiu gave marquisates, fiefs and a seat in counsel. The difference is not kindness but whether the veteran has a good road that does not run through revolt.
Before you create an adviser's path for long-serving staff, check they have somewhere else to go, so stepping back does not mean losing everything.
How do I use it today?
Where you are: the person who has been with you longest has a post that no longer fits, and you have put off acting for months.
Ask first: Am I taking back his power, or taking him? Can I secure his rank and dignity before I move?
Where it goes wrong: treating a title as a sidelining. Jia Fu and Deng Yu kept a real seat in counsel. A title without a voice is a different thing.
Lines to keep
A great feast for the officers, and merits weighed.
Jia Fu knew the emperor wished to put away shield and spear.
The emperor agreed, and abolished the Left and Right Generals.
Same situation, other people are asking
The first one to break it is the person I can't punish.Do I come down hard once, or manage this forever?He has been with me longest and the post no longer fits.The rule I wrote first catches someone on my own side.Nobody believes there are consequences · all 4 questions →If this one named what you are going through,
send it to someone who needs it, or keep it somewhere you will find it again.