"天子之怒"OACHSSCD

In his depiction of the"wrath of the Son of Heaven"in the Historical Records,Sima Qian adhered to several core principles.First,emotions such as joy,anger,sorrow,and fear are innate to human nature-and"the wrath of the Son of Heaven"is no exception.Second,the emperor's anger must align with"ritual propriety"and"remain within its proper bounds"—that is,it must be measured and limited.Third,emotions are closely tied to a character's personality,fate,and social standing,a connection vividly illustrated in Sima Qian's portrayals of Xiang Yu and Empress Lü.In summary,"adhering to one's rightful place"serves as the foremost principle governing Sima Qian's portrayal of imperial wrath.Consequently,his accounts of the"wrath of the Son of Heaven"exhibit distinct patterns:sagely rulers show no anger,tyrants exhibit boundless rage,and the wrath of the reigning Han emperors is treated with deliberate discretion.