1
廢帝殷，字正道，文宣帝之長子也，母曰李皇后。 天保元年，立爲皇太子，時年六歲。 性敏慧。 初學反語，於「跡」字下注云自反。 時侍者未達其故，太子曰：「跡字足傍亦爲跡，豈非自反耶？」 常宴北宮，獨令河間王勿入。 左右問其故，太子曰：「世宗遇賊處，河間王復何宜在此。」 文宣每言太子得漢家性質，不似我，欲廢之，立太原王。 初詔國子博士李寶鼎傅之，寶鼎卒，復詔國子博士邢峙侍講。 太子雖富於春秋，而溫裕開朗，有人君之度，貫綜經業，省覽時政，甚有美名。 七年冬，文宣召朝臣文學者及禮學官於宮宴會，令以經義相質，親自臨聽。 太子手筆措問，在坐莫不歎美。 九年，文宣在晉陽，太子監國，集諸儒講《孝經》。 令楊愔傳旨，謂國子助教許散愁曰：「先生在世何以自資？」 對曰：「散愁自少以來，不登孌童之床，不入季女之室，服膺簡策，不知老之將至。 平生素懷，若斯而已。」 太子曰：「顏子縮屋稱貞，柳下嫗而不亂，未若此翁白首不娶者也。」 乃賚絹百匹。 後文宣登金鳳台，召太子使手刃囚。 太子惻然有難色，再三不斷其首。 文宣怒，親以馬鞭撞太子三下，由是氣悸語吃，精神時復昏擾。
Emperor Fei, whose personal name was Yin and style name Zhengdao, was the eldest son of Emperor Wenxuan. His mother was Empress Li. In the first year of the Tianbao era he was made crown prince, at the age of six. He was quick-witted by nature. When he first studied fanqie phonetic glosses, he annotated the character for "trace" with a note that it was a self-referential fanqie. The attendants did not understand what he meant, so the crown prince said, "The character for 'trace' has the 'foot' radical on one side and still forms 'trace'—is that not glossing itself by fanqie?" He often gave banquets in the Northern Palace and specifically barred the Prince of Hejian from attending. When his attendants asked why, the crown prince said, "This is where Shizong was killed—why should the Prince of Hejian be here at all?" Emperor Wenxuan often said the crown prince had inherited Han Chinese ways and was nothing like himself; he wanted to depose him and set up the Prince of Taiyuan instead. At first an edict appointed Li Baoding, erudite of the National University, as his tutor. After Baoding died, Xing Zhi, also an erudite of the National University, was ordered to serve as his lecturer. Though still young, the crown prince was gentle, magnanimous, and open in bearing, with the bearing of a true sovereign. He had mastered the classics, kept abreast of current policy, and enjoyed an excellent reputation. In the winter of the seventh year, Emperor Wenxuan summoned literary officials and ritual specialists to a palace banquet, had them debate passages from the classics, and listened in person. The crown prince wrote out questions himself, and everyone present marveled. In the ninth year, while Emperor Wenxuan was at Jinyang, the crown prince acted as regent, gathered the scholars, and expounded the Classic of Filial Piety. He had Yang Yin deliver his message to Xu Sanchou, assistant instructor at the National University: "Sir, how do you occupy yourself in this life?" Xu replied, "From my youth I have never shared a bed with a pretty boy or entered a maiden's room. I have devoted myself to my books and scarcely noticed that old age was upon me. That has been the whole of my life's ambition." The crown prince said, "Yan Hui was praised for chastity though he lived in a hovel, and Liu Xiahui kept his integrity though he shared a blanket with a woman—but neither can match this old man who has never married even to white hair." He then rewarded him with a hundred bolts of silk. Later Emperor Wenxuan went up to the Golden Phoenix Terrace, called the crown prince, and ordered him to execute a prisoner with his own blade. The crown prince looked stricken and hesitated; several times he failed to strike off the man's head. Emperor Wenxuan flew into a rage and personally struck the crown prince three times with his riding crop. From that time on the prince suffered heart palpitations and a stammer, and his mind would sometimes grow confused.
2
十年十月，文宣崩。 癸卯，太子即帝位於晉陽宣德殿，大赦，內外百官普加汎級，亡官失爵，聽復資品。 庚戌，尊皇太后爲太皇太后，皇后爲皇太后。 詔九州軍人七十已上授以板職，武官年六十已上及癃病不堪驅使者，並皆放免。 土木營造金銅鐵諸雜作工，一切停罷。
In the tenth month of the tenth year, Emperor Wenxuan died. On the guimao day the crown prince ascended the throne in the Xuande Hall at Jinyang. He proclaimed a general amnesty, promoted officials throughout the government, and permitted those who had lost rank or title to recover their former status. On the gengxu day he elevated the empress dowager to grand empress dowager and the empress to empress dowager. An edict granted honorary appointments to soldiers aged seventy or older throughout the realm. Military officers sixty or older, and anyone disabled or too ill for duty, were all discharged. All civil engineering and miscellaneous work in gold, bronze, and iron was suspended.
3
十一月乙卯，以右丞相、咸陽王斛律金爲左丞相，以錄尚書事、常山王演爲太傅，以司徒、長廣王湛爲太尉，以司空段韶爲司徒，以平陽王淹爲司空，高陽王湜爲尚書左僕射，河間王孝琬爲司州牧，侍中燕子獻爲右僕射。 戊午，分命使者巡省四方，求政得失，省察風俗，問人疾苦。
In the eleventh month, on the yimao day, Hulu Jin, Prince of Xianyang and right chief minister, was appointed left chief minister; Prince Yan of Changshan, recorder of the Masters of Writing, became grand tutor; Prince Zhan of Changgang, minister over the masses, became grand marshal; Duan Shao, minister of works, became minister over the masses; Prince Yan of Pingyang became minister of works; Prince Shi of Gaoyang became left vice-director of the Masters of Writing; Prince Xiaowan of Hejian became governor of Sizhou; and Yanzi Xian, palace attendant, became right vice-director. On the wuwu day the court sent envoys throughout the realm to inspect government, review local customs, and learn of the people's hardships.
4
十二月戊戌，改封上黨王紹仁爲漁陽王，廣陽王紹義爲范陽王，長樂王紹廉爲隴西王。 是歲，周武成元年。
In the twelfth month, on the wuxu day, Prince Shaoren of Shangdang was re-enfeoffed as Prince of Yuyang, Prince Shaoyi of Guangyang as Prince of Fanyang, and Prince Shaolian of Changle as Prince of Longxi. That year corresponded to the first year of the Wucheng era of Northern Zhou.
5
乙巳，太師、常山王演矯詔誅尚書令楊愔、尚書右僕射燕子獻、領軍大將軍可朱渾天和、侍中宋欽道、散騎常侍鄭子默。 戊申，以常山王演爲大丞相、都督中外諸軍、錄尚書事，以大司馬、長廣王湛爲太傅、京畿大都督，以司徒段韶爲大將軍，以前司空、平陽王淹爲太尉，以司空、平秦王歸彥爲司徒，彭城王浟爲尚書令。 又以高麗王世子湯爲使持節、領東夷校尉、遼東郡公、高麗王。 是月，王琳爲陳所敗，蕭莊自拔至和州。
On the yisi day Prince Yan of Changshan, grand preceptor, forged an edict and had executed Yang Yin, director of the Masters of Writing; Yanzi Xian, right vice-director; Kezhuhun Tianhe, commanding general of the palace guards; Song Qindao, palace attendant; and Zheng Zimo, attendant of the scattered cavalry. On the wushen day Prince Yan of Changshan was appointed grand chief minister, commander of all armies, and recorder of the Masters of Writing. Prince Zhan of Changgang, grand marshal, became grand tutor and metropolitan commander of the capital region. Duan Shao became great general; the former Prince Yan of Pingyang became grand marshal; Prince Guiyan of Pingqin became minister of works; and Prince You of Pengcheng became director of the Masters of Writing. Tang, crown prince of Goguryeo, was also appointed bearer of the imperial staff, colonel of the Eastern Yi, Duke of Liaodong commandery, and King of Goguryeo. That month Wang Lin was defeated by Chen forces, and Xiao Zhuang fled on his own to Hezhou.
6
三月甲寅，詔軍國事皆申晉陽，稟大丞相常山王規算。 壬申，封文襄第二字孝珩爲廣甯王，第三子長恭爲蘭陵王。
In the third month, on the jiayin day, an edict declared that all military and civil affairs were to be referred to Jinyang for decision by the grand chief minister, Prince Yan of Changshan. On the renshen day Xiaoxiao, the second son of Wenxiang, was enfeoffed as Prince of Guangning, and Changgong, the third son, as Prince of Lanling.
7
夏四月癸亥，詔河南、定、冀、趙、瀛、滄、南膠、光、青九州，往因螽水，頗傷時稼，遣使分途贍恤。 是月，周明帝崩。
In the fourth month of summer, on the guihai day, an edict to the nine provinces of Henan, Ding, Ji, Zhao, Ying, Cang, Nanjiao, Guang, and Qing noted that locusts and floods had lately damaged the harvest, and dispatched envoys along separate routes to provide relief. That month Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou died.
8
五月壬子，以開府儀同三司劉洪徽爲尚書右僕射。
In the fifth month, on the renzi day, Liu Honghui, holder of the honorific opener of the government with ritual parity of the three excellencies, was appointed right vice-director of the Masters of Writing.
9
秋八月壬午，太皇太后令廢帝爲濟南王，令食一郡，以大丞相、常山王演入纂大統。 是日，王居別宮。 皇建二年九月，殂於晉陽，年十七。
In the eighth month of autumn, on the renwu day, the grand empress dowager deposed Emperor Fei as Prince of Jinan with the income of a single commandery, and installed the grand chief minister, Prince Yan of Changshan, as successor to the throne. That same day the deposed emperor moved to a separate palace. In the ninth month of the second year of the Huangjian era he died at Jinyang, at the age of seventeen.
10
全文以中華書局、一九七二年十一月、第一版《北齊書》為本校。
The full text of this chapter has been collated against the first edition of the Book of Northern Qi (Zhonghua Shuju, November 1972).