1
元坦元斌元孝友元暉業元弼元韶
Yuan Tan; Yuan Bin; Yuan Xiaoyou; Yuan Huiye; Yuan Bi; Yuan Shao
2
元坦，祖魏獻文皇帝，咸陽王禧第七子。 禧誅後，兄翼、樹等五人相繼南奔，故坦得承襲，改封敷城王。 永安初，復本封咸陽郡王，累遷侍中。 莊帝從容謂曰：「「王才非荀、蔡，中歲屢遷，當由少長朕家，故有超授。」 初，禧死後，諸子貧乏，坦兄弟為彭城王勰所收養，故有此言。
Yuan Tan's grandfather was Emperor Xianwen of Wei; he was the seventh son of Prince Xianyang Xi. After Xi was executed, his elder brothers Yi, Shu, and five others fled south one after another, so Tan inherited the title; his fief was changed to prince of Fucheng. At the beginning of Yong'an he was restored to his original enfeoffment as prince of Xianyang commandery and rose through repeated promotions to palace attendant. Emperor Zhuang said to him at ease, "Prince, your talent is not like that of Xun or Cai; yet in mid-career you have been repeatedly promoted. That must be because you grew up in my household from youth — hence these extraordinary appointments." Earlier, after Xi died his sons were impoverished; Tan and his brothers were taken in and raised by Prince Pengcheng Xie — hence this remark.
3
孝武初，其兄樹見禽。 坦見樹既長且賢，慮其代己，密勸朝廷以法除之。 樹知之，泣渭坦曰：「我往因家難，不能死亡，寄食江湖，受其爵命。 今者之來，非由義至，求活而已，豈望榮華。 汝何肆其猜忌，忘在原之義，腰背雖偉，善無可稱。」 坦作色而去。 樹死，竟不臨哭。
At the beginning of Emperor Xiaowu's reign, his elder brother Shu was captured. Tan saw that Shu was older and more worthy and feared he would be displaced; he secretly urged the court to eliminate Shu by law. When Shu learned of it, he wept on the Wei River and said to Tan, "Long ago, because of our family's calamity, I could not die; I lived on others' food along rivers and lakes and accepted their ranks and commands. My coming now is not from righteousness — I seek only to live. How could I hope for glory? Why do you indulge your suspicions and forget the bond of those from one root? Though your back and waist are imposing, there is no goodness in you worth praising." Tan flushed and left. When Shu died, Tan never went to mourn at his coffin.
4
坦歷司徒、太尉、太傅，加侍中、太師、錄尚書事、宗正、司州牧。 雖祿厚位尊，貪求滋甚，賣獄鬻官，不知紀極。 為御史劾奏免官，以王歸第。 尋起為特進，出為冀州刺史，專復聚斂。 每百姓納賦，除正稅外，別先責絹五疋，然後為受。 性好畋漁，無日不出，秋冬獵雉兔，春夏捕魚蟹，鷹犬常數百頭。 自言寧三日不食，不能一日不獵。 入為太傅。 齊天保初準例降爵，封新豐縣公，除特進、開府儀同三司。 坐子世寶與通直散騎侍郎彭貴平因酒醉誹謗，妄說圖讖，有司奏當死，詔並宥之。 坦配北營州，死配所。
Tan served as minister over the masses, grand commandant, and grand tutor, with additional posts as palace attendant, grand preceptor, recorder of the masters of writing, director of imperial clan affairs, and governor of Sizhou. Though his salary was rich and his rank exalted, his greed grew ever worse; he sold judgments and traded offices without limit. The censorate impeached him and he was dismissed; he returned to his estate as a prince. Soon he was recalled as special eminence and sent out as inspector of Jizhou, where he again devoted himself to extortion. Whenever the common people paid taxes, aside from the regular levy he first exacted five extra bolts of silk per household, and only then would accept payment. He loved hunting and fishing and went out every day without exception — in autumn and winter he hunted pheasants and hares, in spring and summer he caught fish and crabs; his hawks and dogs numbered in the hundreds. He said himself that he would rather go three days without food than one day without hunting. He entered court as grand tutor. At the beginning of Tianbao under Qi, per precedent his rank was reduced; he was enfeoffed duke of Xinfeng county and appointed special eminence and commissioner with credentials equal to the Three Dukes. Because his son Shibao and the attendant cavalier attendant-in-ordinary Peng Guiping, while drunk, slandered the court and rashly spoke of portents and prophecy, the authorities memorialized that they should die; an edict pardoned them both. Tan was consigned to northern Yingzhou and died in the place of his assignment.
5
元斌，字善集，祖魏獻文皇帝。 父高陽王雍，從孝莊於河陰遇害。 斌少襲祖爵，歷位侍中、尚書左僕射。 斌美儀貌，性寬和，居官重慎，頗為齊文襄愛賞。 齊天保初，準例降爵，為高陽縣公，拜右光祿大夫。 二年，從文宣討契丹還，至白狼河，以罪賜死。
Yuan Bin, styled Shanjii — his grandfather was Emperor Xianwen of Wei. His father Prince Gaoyang Yong followed Emperor Xiaozhuang to Heyin and met disaster there. Bin in youth inherited his grandfather's title and held posts including palace attendant and left vice director of the masters of writing. Bin had fine looks; his nature was mild and broad; in office he was cautious and weighty — Gao Cheng greatly loved and appreciated him. At the beginning of Tianbao under Qi, per precedent his rank was reduced; he became duke of Gaoyang county and was appointed right grand master for the brilliant. In the second year, returning from campaigning against the Khitan with Gao Yang, at the Bailang River he was ordered to die for his crime.
6
元孝友，祖魏太武皇帝。 兄臨淮王彧無子，令孝友襲爵。 累遷滄州刺史，為政溫和，好行小惠，不能清白，而無所侵犯，百姓亦以此便之。 魏靜帝宴文襄於華林，孝友因醉自譽，又云：「陛下許賜臣能。」 帝笑曰：「朕恒聞王自道清。」 文襄曰：「臨淮王奉旨舍罪。」 於是君臣俱笑而不罪。
Yuan Xiaoyou — his grandfather was Emperor Taiwu of Wei. His elder brother Prince Huaihuai Yu had no son; Xiaoyou was made to inherit the title. He rose through repeated promotions to inspector of Cangzhou; his governance was mild and harmonious, and he liked to do small favors. He could not be upright, yet he did not violate or harass others — the common people found this convenient. Emperor Jing of Wei feasted Gao Cheng at Hualin; Xiaoyou, drunk, praised himself and also said, "Your Majesty promised to grant me ability." The emperor laughed and said, "I constantly hear the Prince speak of his own integrity." Gao Cheng said, "Prince Huaihuai has received the decree and is pardoned of guilt." Thereupon ruler and ministers all laughed and did not punish him.
7
孝友明於政理，嘗奏表曰：
Xiaoyou was skilled in governance; he once submitted a memorial that read:
8
令制：百家為黨族，二十家為閭，五家為比鄰。 百家之內，有帥二十五人，徵發皆免，苦樂不均。 羊少狼多，復有蠶食。 此之為弊久矣。 京邑諸坊，或七八百家唯一里正、二史，庶事無闕，而況外州乎？ 請依舊置三正之名不改，而百家為族，四閭，閭二比。 計族少十二丁，得十二疋貲絹。 略計見管之戶應二萬餘族，一歲出貲絹二十四萬疋。 十五丁為一番兵，計得一萬六千兵。 此富國安人之道也。
The present system: a hundred households form a party-chief group; twenty households a lane; five households a neighboring unit. Within a hundred households there are twenty-five chiefs exempt from levies — joy and suffering fall unevenly. Few sheep and many wolves — and on top of that, nibbling away. That this is harmful has been so for a long time. In the capital's wards, some seven or eight hundred households have only one lane chief and two clerks, yet daily affairs suffer no lack — how much more so in the outer provinces? I request that the old name of Three Chiefs be kept unchanged, but a hundred households form a clan, with four lanes and two neighboring units per lane. By the reckoning, each clan has twelve fewer adult males liable for service — yielding twelve bolts of compensatory silk. Roughly calculated, the households under management should exceed twenty thousand clans; in one year that yields two hundred forty thousand bolts of compensatory silk. Fifteen adult males form one rotation of soldiers — by the reckoning, one obtains sixteen thousand troops. This is the way to enrich the state and settle the people.
9
古諸侯娶九女，士一妻一妾。 《晉令》：諸王置妾八人； 郡君、侯，妾六人。 《官品令》：第一第二品有四妾，第三第四有三妾，第五第六有二妾，第七第八有一妾。 所以陰教聿修，繼嗣有廣。 廣繼嗣孝也，修陰教禮也。 而聖朝忽棄此數，由來漸久，將相多尚公主，王侯娶后族，故無妾媵，習以為常。 婦人不幸，生逢今世，舉朝既是無妾，天下殆皆一妻。 設令人強志廣娶，則家道離索，身事迍邅，內外親知，共相嗤怪。 凡今之人，通無準節。 父母嫁女，則教以妬，姑姊逢迎，必相勸以忌。 以制夫為婦德，以能妬為女工。 自云不受人欺，畏他笑我。 王公猶自一心，已下何敢二意。 夫妬忌之心生，則妻妾之禮廢，妻妾之禮廢，則姦淫之兆興，斯臣之所以毒恨者也。 請以王公第一品娶八，通妻以備九女，稱事。 二品備七，三品四品備五，五品六品則一妻二妾。 限以一周，悉令充數。 若不充數，及待妾非禮，使妻妬加捶撻，免所居官。 其妻無子而不娶妾，斯則自絕，無以血食祖父，請科不孝之罪，離遣其妻。
In antiquity feudal lords married nine women; a gentleman took one wife and one concubine. The Jin ordinance: princes may set up eight concubines; commandery marquises and marquises, six concubines. The office-rank ordinance: first and second ranks four concubines, third and fourth three, fifth and sixth two, seventh and eighth one. Thus the instruction of women is thoroughly cultivated and succession broadly provided for. Broad succession is filial; cultivating women's instruction is ritual. But the sage court suddenly abandoned these numbers; for a long time it has gradually worsened. Generals and ministers mostly take princesses in marriage; kings and marquises marry empress-clan women — hence there are no concubines, and it has become customary. Women are unfortunate to be born in this age: the whole court is without concubines, and under Heaven nearly everyone has but one wife. Suppose someone of strong will took many wives — then the household would scatter, his affairs would go badly, and kinsmen inside and out would together mock and wonder. People today universally lack standards. When parents marry off daughters they teach jealousy; aunts and sisters, in welcoming them, surely urge mutual suspicion. To control the husband is taken as wifely virtue; to be able to be jealous is taken as woman's craft. They say themselves they will not be bullied by others — they fear others will laugh at them. Even kings and dukes keep but one heart — how dare those below have two minds? When jealous suspicion arises, the rites between wife and concubines are abandoned; when those rites are abandoned, omens of licentiousness arise — this is what your servant bitterly hates. I request that first-rank kings and dukes marry eight concubines, with the principal wife completing nine women in all, as befits the office. Second rank, seven; third and fourth ranks, five; fifth and sixth ranks, one wife and two concubines. Within one year, all are ordered to fill the number. If they do not fill the number, or keep concubines improperly, or let the wife in jealousy add beatings — dismiss them from the office they hold. If the wife has no son and will not take a concubine, that is self-extinction — no blood-offering to ancestors. I request they be penalized with the crime of unfilial piety and the wife divorced and sent away.
10
臣之赤心，義唯家國，欲使吉兇無不合禮，貴賤各有其宜，省人帥以出兵丁，立倉儲以豐谷食，設賞格以擒姦盜，行典令以示朝章，庶使足食足兵，人信之矣。 又冒申妻妾之數，正欲使王侯將相功臣子弟，苗胤滿朝，傳祚無窮。 此臣之志也。
Your servant's loyal heart, in righteousness, is only for family and state. I wish to make the auspicious and inauspicious all conform to ritual, noble and base each have their proper place, reduce chief-leaders to levy soldiers, establish granaries to fill grain stores, set reward regulations to capture thieves and rebels, and execute canonical statutes to display the court's regulations — so that there may be sufficient food and sufficient arms, and the people will trust. Again I rashly petition concerning the number of wives and concubines — my true aim is to make the sons and grandsons of kings, marquises, generals, ministers, and meritorious ministers fill the court with flourishing heirs, so that the transmission of the throne may be without end. This is what your minister seeks.
11
詔付有司，議奏不同。
An edict referred the matter to the relevant offices; their deliberations failed to agree.
12
孝友又言：「今人生為皂隸，葬擬王侯，存沒異途，無復節制。 崇壯丘隴，盛飾祭儀，鄰里相榮，稱為至孝。 又夫婦之始，王化所先，共食合瓢，足以成禮。 而今之富者彌奢，同牢之設，甚於祭盤，累魚成山，山有林木，林木之上，鸞鳳斯存。 徒有煩勞，終成委棄。 仰惟天意，其或不然。 請自茲以後，若婚葬過禮者，以違旨論。 官司不加糾劾，即與同罪。」
Xiaoyou spoke again: "Today men are born bondsmen, yet their funerals rival those of kings and marquises; in life and in death there is no restraint. They mound tombs sky-high and lavish ritual upon ritual; neighbors boast to one another and call it supreme filial piety. The bond of husband and wife is the first step in royal transformation; sharing a meal and drinking from one gourd are ceremony enough. Yet the rich grow ever more lavish: their joint-wedding feasts outdo sacrificial spreads — fish stacked into mountains, mountains planted with trees, and on the trees perch phoenixes. All is labor wasted; in the end it is thrown away. Surely Heaven's intent cannot be this. I ask that hereafter, weddings or funerals that exceed proper rite be judged violations of the throne's intent. Officials who fail to investigate and impeach shall share the guilt."
13
孝友在尹積年，以法自守，甚著聲稱，然性無骨鯁，善事權勢，為正直者所譏。 齊天保初，準例降爵，封臨淮縣公，拜光祿大夫。 二年冬，被詔入晉陽宮，出與元暉業同被害。
Xiaoyou held office in Yin for many years, kept to the law, and won great repute; yet he lacked backbone, was adept at courting the powerful, and upright men scorned him for it. At the opening of Qi Tianbao, by precedent his rank was lowered; he was made duke of Linhuai county and appointed grand master for splendid happiness. In the winter of the second year he was summoned by edict to Jinyang Palace; on leaving he was killed together with Yuan Huiye.
14
元暉業，字紹遠，魏景穆皇帝之玄孫。 少險薄，多與寇盜交通。 長乃變節，涉子史，亦頗屬文，而慷慨有志節。 歷位司空、太尉，加特進，領中書監，錄尚書事。 文襄嘗問之曰：「此何所披覽？」 對曰：「數尋伊、霍之傳，不讀曹、馬之書。」
Yuan Huiye, styled Shaoyuan, was a great-great-grandson of Emperor Jingmu of Wei. In youth he was mean and unscrupulous and kept company with bandits. When grown he mended his ways, took up the Masters and histories, wrote passable prose, and bore himself with generous resolve. He rose to minister of works and grand commandant, was given supernumerary rank, headed the secretariat, and recorded affairs for the masters of writing. Gao Cheng once asked him, "What are you reading?" He replied, "I pore over the lives of Yi Yin and Huo Guang — not the chronicles of Cao Cao and the Sima clan."
15
暉業以時運漸謝，不復圖全，唯事飲啖，一日一羊，三日一犢。 又嘗賦詩云：「昔居王道泰，濟濟富群英； 今逢世路阻，狐兔鬱縱橫。」 齊初，降封美陽縣公，開府儀同三司、特進。 暉業之在晉陽也，無所交通，居常閑暇，乃撰魏藩王家世，號為《辯宗錄》，四十卷，行於世。 位望隆重，又以性氣不倫，每被忌。 天保二年，從駕至晉陽，於宮門外罵元韶曰：「爾不及一老嫗，背負璽與人，何不打碎之。 我出此言，卽知死也，然爾亦詎得幾時！」 文宣聞而殺之，亦斬臨淮公孝友。 孝友臨刑，驚惶失措，暉業神色自若。 仍鑿冰沉其屍。 暉業弟昭業，頗有學問，位諫議大夫。 莊帝幸洛南，昭業立於閶闔門外叩馬諫，帝避之而過，後勞勉之。 位給事黃門侍郎、衛將軍，右光祿大夫，卒。 諡曰文侯。
As the times waned, Huiye ceased to plot for his own survival; he gave himself only to eating and drinking — a sheep each day, a calf every three days. He once composed verse: "In old days we dwelt when the royal way was at peace, teeming with hosts of worthies; Today the road is blocked; foxes and hares throng the crossways." At the founding of Qi he was lowered to duke of Meiyang county, with opening office equal in honor to the three highest offices and supernumerary rank. At Jinyang, Huiye kept to himself. In his leisure he compiled the genealogies of Wei's imperial princes under the title "Records for Distinguishing Clans," forty juan, and it circulated widely. His rank and repute were weighty, yet his temperament set him apart and he was often resented. In Tianbao year two, while following the imperial carriage to Jinyang, he reviled Yuan Shao outside the palace gate: "You are worse than an old crone — you bore the seal on your back and handed it to another. Why not have smashed it? I speak this knowing I shall die — but how much longer will you last?" Gao Yang heard and had him killed; he also beheaded Duke of Linhuai Xiaoyou. At the block Xiaoyou panicked; Huiye's bearing never changed. Their bodies were sunk through holes cut in the ice. Huiye's younger brother Zhaoye was a scholar of some note and rose to grand adviser. When Emperor Zhuang visited south Luo, Zhaoye stood outside Changhe Gate, seized the bridle, and remonstrated. The emperor avoided him and rode on, but later commended him. He rose to attendant gentleman of the yellow gate, general of the guard, and right grand master for splendid happiness, and died. His posthumous title was Marquis Cultured.
16
元弼，字輔宗，魏司空暉之子。 性剛正，有文學。 位中散大夫。 以世嫡應襲先爵。 為季父尚書僕射麗因于氏親寵，遂奪弼王爵，橫授同母兄子誕，於是弼絕棄人事，托疾還私第。 宣武中為侍中，弼上表固讓。 入嵩山，以穴為室，布衣蔬食，卒。 建元元年，子暉業訴復王爵。 永安三年，追贈尚書令、司徒公，諡曰文獻。 初，弼嘗夢人謂之曰：「君身不得傳世封，其紹先爵者，君長子紹遠也。」 弼覺，即告暉業，終如其言。
Yuan Bi, styled Fuzong, was son of Hui, minister of works of Wei. By nature he was upright and learned. He held the post of regular attendant. As heir of the main line he should have inherited the family enfeoffment. His uncle Li, vice director of the masters of writing, used the Yu clan's favor at court to strip Bi of his princely rank and grant it to his uterine brother's son Dan. Bi thereupon withdrew from public life, pleaded illness, and retired to his private residence. Under Emperor Xuanwu he was made palace attendant; Bi submitted a memorial firmly declining. He entered Mount Song, made a cave his home, wore hemp and ate greens, and died. In Jianyuan year one his son Huiye petitioned to restore the princely rank. In Yong'an year three he was posthumously made director of the masters of writing and duke of the department of state affairs, with the posthumous title Cultured and Offering. Earlier Bi had dreamed that someone told him, "You will not pass the enfeoffment down in your own lifetime; your eldest son Shaoyuan will restore the former rank." When Bi awoke he told Huiye at once, and in the end it proved true.
17
韶性行溫裕，以高氏婿，頗膺時寵。 能自謙退，臨人有惠政。 好儒學，禮致才彥。 愛林泉，修第宅，華而不侈。 文宣帝剃韶鬚髯，加以粉黛，衣婦人服以自隨曰：「我以彭城為嬪御。」 譏元氏微弱，比之婦女。
Shao was mild and generous by nature; as a son-in-law of the Gaos he enjoyed considerable favor. He knew how to yield; in office he governed with kindness. He loved Confucian learning and with proper ceremony welcomed men of talent. He loved forests and springs and built mansions splendid but not extravagant. Gao Yang shaved Shao's beard, painted his face, dressed him in women's clothes and kept him at his side, saying, "I take Prince of Pengcheng as my consort." He mocked the Yuan for their weakness, likening them to women.
18
十年，太史奏云：「今年當除舊布新。」 文宣謂韶曰：「漢光武何故中興？」 韶曰：「為誅諸劉不盡。」 於是乃誅諸元以厭之。 遂以五月誅元世哲、景武等二十五家，餘十九家並禁止之。 韶幽於京畿地牢，絕食，啖衣袖而死。 及七月，大誅元氏，自昭成已下並無遺焉。 或父祖為王，或身常貴顯，或兄弟強壯，皆斬東市。 其嬰兒投於空中，承之以矟。 前後死者凡七百二十一人，悉投屍漳水，剖魚多得爪甲，都下為之久不食魚。
In year ten the grand astrologer reported, "This year the old must yield to the new." Gao Yang asked Shao, "Why did Emperor Guangwu of Han restore the dynasty?" Shao said, "Because the Liu were not all killed." Thereupon they slaughtered the Yuan to satisfy the omen. In the fifth month they executed Yuan Shizhe, Jingwu, and twenty-five other households; the remaining nineteen households were all placed under restraint. Shao was imprisoned in the capital dungeon, denied food, and died gnawing his sleeves. By the seventh month came the great slaughter of the Yuan; from Emperor Zhaocheng down, none were spared. Some had fathers or grandfathers who had been kings, some had themselves long held high rank, some had brothers in their prime — all were beheaded at the Eastern Market. Their infants were tossed into the air and caught on spears. Seven hundred twenty-one died in all; every corpse was cast into the Zhang River. When fish were gutted, claws and nails were found inside; for a long time the capital would not eat fish.
19
贊曰：元氏蕃熾，馮茲慶靈。 道隨終運，命偶淫刑。
Encomium: The Yuan clan flourished in full vigor, blessed by fate's favor. The Way waned with the dynasty's end; their lives met cruel and lawless punishment.
20
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 has been collated against the Zhonghua Shuju first edition of the Book of Northern Qi, November 1972.