减宣 / Jian Xuan (Western Han)

Overview

减宣 / Jian Xuan is the official who investigates the disclosed 鲁谒居–李文 affair while carrying his own prior grievance against 张汤, then submits the report that moves imperial suspicion into formal proceedings.

Current Profile

Hanji 338-2 portrays Jian Xuan as both a reputedly fair investigator and an interested opponent. Once Lu Yezhu’s brother reveals the covert accusation against Li Wen, Jian pursues Zhang’s role aggressively. The episode says he withholds an early report while gathering more material because he fears 汉武帝 may protect Zhang if the case reaches the throne too soon.

Hanji 339-2 completes that procedural role: Jian reports that Li Wen’s death connects Zhang and Lu, after which Wudi moves from wanting to warn Zhang over suspected information leakage to confronting him with eight charges. Zhang’s denial then leads to 赵禹’s appointment.

Key Characteristics

• Western Han investigating official in the Zhang Tang case.
• Presented by the episode as known for fair handling.
• Has a prior grievance against Zhang Tang.
• Pursues the Lu Yezhu–Li Wen chain intensively.
• Delays reporting while trying to build a stronger case.
• Submits the report that triggers formal imperial accusations against Zhang.

Evidence

Investigative role:

• Hanji 338-2 assigns Jian Xuan the exposed Lu Yezhu and Li Wen matter and says he investigates it thoroughly.

Strategic delay:

• Hanji 338-2 attributes his delayed report to fear that imperial trust might shield Zhang.

Escalation into formal charges:

• Hanji 339-2 says Jian’s report changes Wudi’s view and precedes the eight-charge confrontation and Zhao Yu assignment.

Qualifications

Both raw transcripts’ “贤轩” is normalized to 减宣 from the transmitted Zhang Tang account. Fairness, grievance, fear of imperial interference, the reason for delayed reporting, and the report’s legal characterization are presented through compact retellings; the page does not infer a complete judicial philosophy or settle whether personal resentment affected the investigation’s accuracy.

What Changed

• Completed Jian Xuan’s role from strategic investigative delay to the report that triggers formal proceedings.

Relationships

• 张汤 / Zhang Tang (Western Han) - investigation target and prior adversary.
• 鲁谒居 / Lu Yezhu (Western Han) - favored clerk whose conduct supplies the case route.
• 李文 / Li Wen (Western Han) - executed rival whose accusation becomes the matter under investigation.
• Emperor Wu of Han / 汉武帝 - ruler whose possible protection of Zhang shapes the source’s explanation of reporting delay.
• 赵禹 / Zhao Yu (Western Han) - later investigator appointed after Zhang rejects the resulting accusations.