Editing Sima Qian (section)

=== Later years and death ===
Upon his release from prison in 97/96 BC, Sima Qian continued to serve in the Han court as ''zhongshuling'' ([[:zh:中书令|中書令]]), a court archivist position reserved for eunuchs with considerable status and with higher pay than his previous position of historian.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Classical Authors : 500 BCE to 1100 CE|date=2014|publisher=Britannica Educational Publishing in association with Rosen Educational Services, LLC|editor-last=Kuiper | editor-first=Kathleen|isbn=9781622750047|edition=1st|location=New York, NY|oclc=852251903|type= High school textbook | pages=112–116 | chapter= Sima Qian}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=The letter to Ren An and Sima Qian's legacy|last1=Durrant|first1= Stephen W.|last2=Li|first2= Wai-yee |last3=Nylan|first3= Michael|author3-link=Michael Nylan |last4=Ess|first4= Hans van|isbn=9780295806389|location=Seattle|oclc=946359303|date = 2016|publisher= University of Washington Press}}</ref>

The ''Letter to Ren An'' was written by Sima Qian in reply to Ren An in response to the latter's involvement in Crown Prince [[Liu Ju]]'s rebellion in 91 BC. This is the last record of Sima Qian in contemporary documents. The letter is a reply to a lost letter by Ren An to Sima Qian, perhaps asking Sima Qian to intercede on his behalf as Ren An was facing execution for accusations of being an opportunist and displaying equivocal loyalty to the emperor during the rebellion. In his reply, Sima Qian stated that he is a mutilated man with no influence at court.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Knechtges |first=David R. |author-link=David R. Knechtges |date=2008 |title="Key Words," Authorial Intent, and Interpretation: Sima Qian's Letter to Ren An |journal=Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews |volume=30 |pages=75–84 |issn=0161-9705 |jstor=25478424}}</ref> Some later historians claimed that Sima Qian himself became implicated in the rebellion as a result of his friendship with Ren An and was executed as part of the purge of the crown prince's supporters in court; however, the earliest-attested record of this account dates from the 4th century. Moreover, it has also been pointed out that Sima Qian would have been reluctant to render substantive aid to Ren An, given the severe consequences that he suffered for supporting General Li Ling, as well as Ren An's failure to act on his behalf during the Li Ling affair. Although there are many theories regarding the exact dating as well as the true nature and purpose of the ''Letter to Ren An'', one common interpretation suggests that the letter, in part, tacitly expressed a refusal to play an active role in securing a reduced punishment for Ren An.<ref name=":0"/>

The early-20th-century scholar [[Wang Guowei]] stated that there are no reliable records establishing when Sima Qian died. He and most modern historians believe that Sima Qian spent his last days as a scholar in reclusion ({{zh |t = 隱士 |p = yǐnshì |labels = no }}) after leaving the Han court, perhaps dying around the same time as Emperor Wu in 87/86 BC.{{NoteTag|[[Wang Guowei|王國維]]: "絕不可考......然視為與武帝相終始，當無大誤。" (It [when Sima Qian died] absolutely cannot be determined. However, it should not be a great mistake if one viewed Sima Qian as beginning and ending with Emperor Wu [of Han].)}}