Zhufu Yan

Who is Zhufu Yan?

Zhufu Yan was one of the high-ranking court official and advisor to Emperor Wu of Han. He proposed the Tui'en Ling, a decree that was meant to weaken the power of feudal lords. The policy encouraged them to divide their territories among all their sons and not just the eldest. The resulting fragmentations of the estates reduced their influence, making them less of a threat.

Born into a poor family in Shandong, Zhufu began his studies with the School of Diplomacy and did not study Taoist and Confucian texts until later.

Zhufu had accepted many bribes and was notorious for revealing the secrets of many court officials. In the end, he was executed by the emperor for bribery.