三月乙亥，御史臣光守尚書令奏未央宮。制曰："下御史。"
六年三月戊申朔，乙亥，御史臣光守尚書令、丞非，下御史書到，言："丞相臣青翟、御史大夫臣湯、太常臣充、大行令臣息、太子少傅臣安行宗正事昧死上言：大司馬去病上疏曰：'陛下過聽，使臣去病待罪行間。宜專邊塞之思慮，暴骸中野無以報，乃敢惟他議以乾用事者，誠見陛下憂勞天下，哀憐百姓以自忘，虧膳貶樂，損郎員。皇子賴天，能勝衣趨拜，至今無號位師傅官。陛下恭讓不恤，群臣私望，不敢越職而言。臣竊不勝犬馬心，昧死原陛下詔有司，因盛夏吉時定皇子位。唯原陛下幸察。'制曰'下御史'。臣謹與中二千石、二千石臣賀等議：古者裂地立國，並建諸侯以承天於，所以尊宗廟重社稷也。今臣去病上疏，不忘其職，因以宣恩，乃道天子卑讓自貶以勞天下，慮皇子未有號位。臣青翟、臣湯等宜奉義遵職，愚憧而不逮事。方今盛夏吉時，臣青翟、臣湯等昧死請立皇子臣閎、臣旦、臣胥為諸侯王。昧死請所立國名。"
制曰："蓋聞周封八百，姬姓並列，或子、男、附庸。禮'支子不祭'。雲並建諸侯所以重社稷，朕無聞焉。且天非為君生民也。朕之不德，海內未洽，乃以未教成者彊君連城，即股肱何勸？其更議以列侯家之。"
三月丙子，奏未央宮。
丞相臣青翟、御史大夫臣湯、太常臣充、大行令臣息、太子少傅臣安行宗正事昧死言：臣等前奏立皇子臣閎等，未有號位，陛下讓之。臣等謹與列侯臣嬰齊等二十人議，皆曰以為宜如前奏。臣謹復請立皇子臣閎為齊王，臣旦為燕王，臣胥為廣陵王。
制曰："康叔親屬有十而獨尊者，褒有德也。周公祭天命郊，以尉父老。許而不得已，所以建諸侯也。朕之子幼，柰何其省？先帝之道有以察焉。未見教如此，其與列侯、中二千石、二千石、諸大夫、博士議。"
太子少傅臣安行宗正事與大臣臣嬰齊等議，以為康叔之年幼，周公在三公之位以養之。及為成王治，肆行政事，致成康之際，天下大安。夫上主所以尊顯者，蓋以基業不朽也。臣等以為宜立皇子閎、旦、胥為王。
"制曰：'諸侯王不敢請子為。'"
On the yihai day of the third month, the Imperial Secretary Guang, acting as Director of the Imperial Secretariat, submitted the memorial to the Weiyang Palace. The imperial rescript read: "Forward to the Imperial Secretary."
In the third month of the sixth year, wushen being the first day and yihai the current day, the Imperial Secretary Guang, Director of the Secretariat, and his deputy Fei forwarded the document with the following statement: "Chancellor Qing Di, Imperial Secretary-in-Chief Tang, Grand Master of Ceremonies Chong, Grand Herald Xi, and Junior Tutor of the Crown Prince An acting as Director of the Imperial Clan, risking death, submit: The Grand Marshal Qubing has memorialized..."
[The memorial is quoted in full, repeating the content above.]
"The rescript said: 'Forward to the Imperial Secretary.' We have carefully deliberated with the officials of middle two-thousand-bushel and two-thousand-bushel rank, including He and others. In antiquity, lands were divided and states established, and feudal lords were created in parallel to sustain Heaven's mandate, thereby honoring the ancestral temples and preserving the altars of state. Now the Grand Marshal has memorialized without neglecting his duty, thereby conveying imperial grace, and has described the Son of Heaven's humility and self-deprecation in his labors for the realm, and his concern that the imperial princes still lack titles. We, Qing Di, Tang, and the others, ought to uphold principle and fulfill our duties — we have been foolish and derelict. Now in this auspicious midsummer season, we risk death to request that the imperial princes Hong, Dan, and Xu be established as feudal kings. We risk death to request the names of the kingdoms to be established."
The imperial rescript said: "I have heard that Zhou enfeoffed eight hundred lords, and those of the Ji surname were established in parallel — some as viscounts, barons, or dependencies. The Rites say: 'Younger sons do not sacrifice.' As for the claim that establishing feudal lords in parallel strengthens the altars of state, I have not heard this. Moreover, Heaven does not produce the people for the ruler's sake. I lack virtue, and the realm is not yet at peace. To force immature boys to rule walled cities — how would this encourage my ministers? Let the matter be reconsidered with the alternative of establishing them as full marquises."
On the bingzi day of the third month, a second memorial was submitted to the Weiyang Palace.
The Chancellor, the Imperial Secretary-in-Chief, and the other officials stated: "We previously memorialized to establish the imperial princes, who have no titles. Your Majesty declined. We have carefully deliberated with Marquis Yingqi and twenty other full marquises. All agree the original proposal is appropriate. We respectfully request again that Prince Hong be made King of Qi, Prince Dan King of Yan, and Prince Xu King of Guangling."
The imperial rescript said: "Among Kang Shu's ten kinsmen, he alone was honored — because his virtue was distinguished. The Duke of Zhou performed the suburban sacrifice by Heaven's command and comforted the elders. He permitted the enfeoffments only because he had no choice — that is why feudal lords were established. My sons are young. How can this be approved? There is precedent in the former Emperor's ways. I have not seen instruction to this effect. Let the matter be discussed with the full marquises, officials of middle two-thousand-bushel and two-thousand-bushel rank, the senior officials, and the erudites."
The Junior Tutor acting as Director of the Imperial Clan, together with Marquis Yingqi and others, deliberated and concluded: When Kang Shu was young, the Duke of Zhou held the position of one of the Three Excellencies and nurtured him. When he governed on behalf of King Cheng, he devoted himself to affairs of state and brought about the era of Cheng and Kang, a time of great peace. What exalts a supreme ruler is the imperishability of his foundations. We consider it proper to establish Princes Hong, Dan, and Xu as kings.
The imperial rescript said: "The feudal kings may not presume to request their sons be made kings."
