1
辛術元文遙趙彥深
Xin Shu; Yuan Wenyao; Zhao Yanshen
2
辛術，字懷哲，少明敏，有識度。 解褐司空胄曹參軍，與僕射高隆之共典營構鄴都宮室，術有思理，百工克濟。 再遷尚書右丞。 出為清河太守，政有能名。 追授幷州長史，遭父憂去職。 清河父老數百人詣闕請立碑頌德。 文襄嗣事，與尚書左丞宋遊道、中書侍郎李繪等並追詣晉陽，俱為上客。 累遷散騎常侍。
Xin Shu, styled Huaizhe, was clever and perceptive from boyhood, with a steady sense of what mattered. His first appointment was staff member in the registrar's office of the directorate of works; with vice director Gao Longzhi he directed the building of Ye's palaces. Shu planned well, and every trade met its mark. He was promoted again to right vice director of the masters of writing. Sent out as administrator of Qinghe, he earned a name for capable rule. He was retroactively made chief clerk of Bing province, then left office to mourn his father. Several hundred Qinghe elders went to court to ask that a stele be raised in praise of his virtue. When Gao Cheng assumed power, he went with left vice director Song Youdao, secretariat attendant Li Hui, and others to Jinyang and was received as an honored guest. He rose through repeated promotions to regular attendant of the scattered cavalry.
3
武定八年，侯景叛，除東南道行臺尚書，封江夏縣男，與高岳等破侯景，擒蕭明。 遷東徐州刺史，為淮南經略使。 齊天保元年，侯景徵江西租稅，術率諸軍渡淮斷之，燒其稻數百萬石。 還鎮下邳，人隨術北渡淮者三千餘家。 東徐州刺史郭誌殺郡守。 文宣聞之，勑術自今所統十餘州地諸有犯法者，刺史先啟聽報，以下先斷後表聞。 齊代行臺兼總人事，自術始也。 安州刺史、臨清太守、盱眙蘄城二鎮將犯法，術皆案奏殺之。 睢州刺史及所部郡守俱犯大辟，朝廷以其奴婢百口及資財盡賜術，三辭不見許，術乃送詣所司，不復以聞。 邢卲聞之，遺術書曰：「昔鐘離意云『孔子忍渴於盜泉』，便以珠璣委地，足下今能如此，可謂異代一時。」 及王僧辯破侯景，術招攜安撫，城鎮相繼款附，前後二十餘州。 於是移鎮廣陵。 獲傳國璽送鄴，文宣以璽告於太廟。 此璽卽秦所制，方四寸，上紐交盤龍，其文曰：「受命于天，旣壽永昌。」 二漢相傳，又傳魏、晉。 懷帝敗，沒於劉聰。 聰敗，沒於石氏。 石氏敗，晉穆帝永和中，濮陽太守戴僧施得之，遣督護何融送于建鄴。 歷宋、齊、梁，梁敗，侯景得之。 景敗，侍中趙思賢以璽投景南兗州刺史郭元建，送于術，故術以進焉。 尋徵為殿中尚書，領太常卿，仍與朝賢議定律令。 遷吏部尚書，食南兗州梁郡幹。
In the eighth year of Wuding, Hou Jing rebelled. Shu was made masters of writing on the southeastern mobile grand secretariat and enfeoffed as marquis of Jiangxia. With Gao Yue and others he broke Hou Jing and took Xiao Ming prisoner. He was transferred to governor of Eastern Xuzhou and made commissioner for Huainan pacification. In Qi's first Tianbao year, Hou Jing levied rents from Jiangxi. Shu led troops across the Huai to block him and burned several million shi of his grain. When he returned to garrison Xiapi, more than three thousand households followed him north across the Huai. Guo Zhi, governor of Eastern Xuzhou, killed his commandery administrator. Gao Yang heard of it and ordered Shu that in the dozen-odd provinces under him, whenever anyone broke the law the governor must first report and wait for word; lower officials might decide first and memorialize later. In Qi the practice of a mobile grand secretariat also holding personnel authority began with Shu. The governor of Anzhou, the administrator of Linqing, and the garrison commanders of Xuyi and Qicheng all committed capital crimes; Shu investigated, memorialized, and had them put to death. The governor of Suizhou and every commandery administrator under him faced capital punishment. The court granted Shu all their slaves—more than a hundred households—and their property. He declined three times and was refused; Shu then turned everything over to the proper office and did not keep it. Xing Shao heard and wrote Shu: "Long ago Zhongli Yi said that Confucius would endure thirst rather than drink from Robber Spring, and so cast pearls and jade aside; you, sir, can do as much today—truly one moment in another age." When Wang Sengbian defeated Hou Jing, Shu won men over and pacified the land; towns and garrisons submitted one after another—more than twenty provinces in all. He then shifted his headquarters to Guangling. He recovered the dynastic seal and sent it to Ye; Gao Yang presented it at the imperial ancestral temple. This was the seal Qin had made: four inches square, with a knob of interlaced dragons. Its inscription read, "Ordered by Heaven; long life and eternal prosperity." The two Han dynasties passed it down; Wei and Jin passed it down as well. When Emperor Huai was defeated, it was lost to Liu Cong. When Cong fell, it passed to the Shi clan. When the Shi fell, in the Yonghe reign of Jin's Emperor Mu, Dai Sengshi, administrator of Puyang, obtained it and sent supervisor He Rong to deliver it to Jiankang. It passed through Song, Qi, and Liang; when Liang fell, Hou Jing took it. When Jing was defeated, attendant-in-ordinary Zhao Sixian gave the seal to Jing's southern Yanzhou governor Guo Yuanjian, who sent it to Shu; thus Shu was able to present it. He was soon summoned as palace masters of writing and director of the imperial ancestral temple, and still joined court worthies in revising laws and ordinances. He was promoted to director of personnel and drew salary as titular chief of Liang commandery in southern Yanzhou.
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遷鄴以後，大選之職，知名者數四，互有得失，未能盡美。 文襄帝少年高朗，所弊者疏； 袁叔德沉密謹厚，所傷者細； 楊愔風流辨給，取士失於浮華。 唯術性尚貞明，取士以才器，循名責實，新舊參舉，管庫必擢，門閥不遺。 考之前後銓衡，在術最為折衷，甚為當時所稱舉。 天保末，文宣嘗令術選百員官，參選者二三千人，術題目士子，人無謗讟，其所旌擢，後亦皆致通顯。
After the court moved to Ye, four famous men held the great selection office in turn; each had strengths and flaws, and none achieved perfection. Gao Cheng in his youth was bright and open; his fault was looseness. Yuan Shude was grave, careful, and thorough; his fault was excessive detail. Yang Yin was eloquent and quick; in choosing men he favored show over substance. Only Shu, upright by nature, chose by talent and office, matched names to reality, mixed veterans and newcomers, promoted men from the storehouses, and did not overlook great families. Comparing earlier and later rounds of selection, Shu's was the most even-handed, and his age praised him highly. Late in Tianbao, Gao Yang once ordered Shu to choose a hundred officials from two or three thousand candidates. Shu tested the scholars; no one murmured against him, and those he advanced later all rose to high rank.
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術清儉，寡嗜欲。 勤於所職，未嘗暫懈。 臨軍以威嚴，牧人有惠政。 少愛文史，晚更修學，雖在戎旅，手不釋卷。 及定淮南，凡諸資物一毫無犯，唯大收典籍，多是宋、齊、梁時佳本，鳩集萬餘卷，幷顧、陸之徒名畫、二王已下法書數亦不少，俱不上王府，唯入私門。 及還朝，頗以饋遺權要，物議以此少之。 十年卒，年六十。 皇建二年，贈開府儀同三司、中書監、青州刺史。 子閣卿，尚書郎。 閣卿弟衡卿，有識學，開府參軍事。 隋大業初，卒於太常丞。
Shu was austere and frugal, with few wants. He was diligent in office and never slackened even for a moment. Before the army he was stern; over the people he ruled with kindness. He loved letters in youth and studied harder in later years; even on campaign he never put down his books. When Huainan was settled he took not a thread of booty, but gathered books in force—mostly fine Song, Qi, and Liang editions, more than ten thousand scrolls—along with celebrated paintings by Gu, Lu, and their circle and many works of calligraphy after the Two Wangs. None went to the imperial treasury; all entered his private house. On returning to court he often sent gifts to the powerful, and opinion thought less of him for it. He died in the tenth year, at sixty. In the second year of Huangjian he was posthumously made grand mentor with ceremonies equal to the three excellencies, supervisor of the secretariat, and governor of Qingzhou. His son Geqing served as a masters of writing lang. Geqing's younger brother Hengqing was learned and discerning and served as staff in a grand mentor's office. Early in Sui's Daye reign he died as vice director of the imperial ancestral temple.
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元文遙，字德遠，河南洛陽人，魏昭成皇帝六世孫也。 五世祖常山王遵。 父晞，有孝行，父卒，廬於墓側而終。 文遙貴，贈特進、開府儀同三司、中書監，諡曰孝。 文遙敏慧夙成，濟陰王暉業每云：「此子王佐才也。」 暉業嘗大會賓客，有人將《何遜集》初入洛，諸賢皆贊賞之。 河間邢卲試命文遙：「誦之幾遍可得？」 文遙一覽便誦，時年十餘歲。 濟陰王曰：「我家千里駒，今定如何？」 邢云：「此殆古來未有。」
Yuan Wenyao, styled Deyuan, was from Luoyang in Henan commandery, a sixth-generation descendant of Emperor Zhaocheng of Wei. His fifth-generation ancestor was Prince Changshan, Zun. His father Xi was famed for filial piety; when his own father died, he lived by the tomb until he died there. When Wenyao rose high, Xi was posthumously made special advancement, grand mentor equal to the three excellencies, and supervisor of the secretariat, with the posthumous name Filial. Wenyao was clever from childhood. The prince of Jiyin, Huiye, often said, "This child has the makings of a king's helper." Once Huiye held a great gathering of guests. Someone brought He Xun's collected works, newly arrived in Luoyang, and every worthy present praised them. Xing Shao of Hejian tested Wenyao: "Recite it—how many readings before you can?" Wenyao read it once and recited it; he was barely past ten. The prince of Jiyin said, "My house's thousand-li colt—what has he become?" Xing said, "This is probably unmatched since antiquity."
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起家員外散騎常侍。 遭父喪，服闋，除太尉東閤祭酒。 以天下方亂，遂解官侍養，隱於林慮山。 武定中，文襄徵為大將軍府功曹。 齊受禪，於登壇所受中書舍人，宣傳文武號令。 楊遵彥每云：「堪解穰侯印者，必在斯人。」 後忽被中旨幽執，竟不知所由。 如此積年。 文宣後自幸禁獄，執手愧謝，親解所著金帶及御服賜之，卽日起為尚書祠部郎中。 孝昭攝政，除大丞相府功曹參軍，典機密。 及踐祚，除中書侍郎，封永樂縣伯，參軍國大事。 及帝大漸，與平秦王歸彥、趙郡王叡等同受顧託，迎立武成。 卽位，任遇轉隆，歷給事黃門侍郎、散騎常侍、侍中、中書監。 天統二年，詔特賜姓高氏，籍屬宗正，子弟依例歲時入朝。 再遷尚書左僕射，進封寧都郡公、侍中。
He began office as regular attendant of the scattered cavalry, outside the regular quota. After his father's death and mourning, he was made libationer in the eastern pavilion of the grand marshal. With the realm in turmoil, he resigned to care for his mother and lived in seclusion on Mount Linlü. In the Wuding era Gao Cheng summoned him as staff officer in the grand general's office. When Qi received the mandate, at the enthronement altar he was made secretariat drafting officer and proclaimed civil and military orders. Yang Zunyian often said, "The man who can take the Marquis of Rang's seal must be this one." Later he was suddenly seized on a secret imperial order; in the end no one knew why. He remained so for many years. Later Gao Yang himself visited the prison, took his hand in apology, removed his own gold belt and court robes to give him, and that same day made him lang in the sacrificial affairs section of the masters of writing. When Gao Yan acted as regent, Wenyao was made staff officer in the grand chancellor's office and handled confidential matters. When Gao Yan took the throne, Wenyao was made secretariat attendant, enfeoffed as baron of Yongle county, and took part in great affairs of state. When the emperor was near death, he and Prince of Pingyuan Guiyan, Prince of Zhao Jun Rui, and others received the final charge and installed Gao Zhan. After Gao Zhan took the throne, Wenyao's favor rose still higher. He served in turn as attendant-in-ordinary of the yellow gate, regular attendant of the scattered cavalry, chamberlain for attendants, and supervisor of the secretariat. In the second year of Tiantong an edict specially granted him the surname Gao, registered him with the director of the imperial clan, and allowed his sons and younger brothers to attend seasonal court audiences by regulation. He was promoted again to left vice director of the masters of writing and advanced to duke of Ningdu commandery while retaining the post of chamberlain for attendants.
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文遙歷事三主，明達世務，每臨軒，多命宣勑，號令文武，聲韻高朗，發吐無滯。 然探測上旨，時有委巷之言，故不為知音所重。 齊因魏朝，宰縣多用廝濫，至於士流恥居百里。 文遙以縣令為字人之切，遂請革選。 於是密令搜揚貴遊子弟，發勑用之。 猶恐其披訴，總召集神武門，令趙郡王叡宣旨唱名，厚加慰喻。 士人為縣，自此始也。 旣與趙彥深、和士開同被任遇，雖不如彥深清貞守道，又不為士開貪淫亂政，在於季、孟之間。 然性和厚，與物無競，故時論不在彥深之下。 初，文遙自洛遷鄴，惟有地十頃，家貧，所資衣食而已。 魏之將季，宗姓被侮，有人冒相侵奪，文遙卽以與之。 及貴，此人尚在，乃將家逃竄。 文遙大驚，追加慰撫，還以與之。 彼人愧而不受，彼此俱讓，遂為閑田。
Wenyao served three sovereigns and knew the affairs of the age. Whenever he faced the throne he was often ordered to proclaim edicts; his voice rang clear, and he delivered civil and military orders without stumbling. Yet in reading the sovereign's mind he sometimes used coarse speech, and men of discernment did not esteem him highly. Qi followed Wei in making county magistrates too often from lowborn men, until gentlemen were ashamed to govern a hundred-li district. Wenyao held that the magistrate was the hinge of caring for the people and asked to reform how they were chosen. Secret orders then sought out sons of great houses, and edicts put them in office. Still fearing they would appeal, he gathered them all at Shenwu Gate and had Prince of Zhao Jun Rui read the edict, call each name, and speak words of comfort. From this gentlemen began to serve as county magistrates. He shared favor with Zhao Yanshen and He Shikai. He was not so pure and steadfast as Yanshen, nor so greedy and corrupt as Shikai, but stood between them. Yet he was mild and easy by nature and did not contend with others, and opinion did not place him below Yanshen. When Wenyao first moved from Luoyang to Ye he had only ten qing of land; the household was poor and had barely enough to eat and wear. As Wei neared its fall, clan members were bullied. Someone seized his land by force; Wenyao at once yielded it. When Wenyao rose high, that man was still alive and fled with his family. Wenyao was alarmed, sent after him with reassurances, and again offered him the land. The man was ashamed and would not take it; each insisted on yielding, and the field lay fallow.
9
至後主嗣位，趙郡王叡、婁定遠等謀出和士開，文遙亦參其議。 叡見殺，文遙由是出為西兗州刺史。 詣士開別，士開曰：「處得言地，使元家兒作令仆，深愧朝廷。」 旣言而悔，仍執手慰勉之。 猶慮文遙自疑，用其子行恭為尚書郎，以慰其心。 士開死，自東徐州刺史徵入朝，竟不用，卒。
When the Later Sovereign succeeded, Prince of Zhao Jun Rui, Lou Dingyuan, and others plotted to remove He Shikai; Wenyao joined the plot. Rui was killed, and Wenyao was sent out as governor of western Yanzhou. When he took leave of Shikai, Shikai said, "You have been given a post that speaks for itself; to make a Yuan boy chancellor and vice chancellor is a deep shame to the court." Having said it, he regretted his words and still took Wenyao's hand in consolation. Still fearing Wenyao would doubt him, he appointed Wenyao's son Xinggong as a masters of writing lang to set his mind at ease. After Shikai died he was summoned from governor of Eastern Xuzhou to court, but was never used and died.
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行恭美姿貌，有父風，兼俊才，位中書舍人，待詔文林館。 齊亡，陽休之等十八人同入關，稍遷司勳下大夫。 隋開皇中，位尚書郎，坐事徙瓜州而卒。 行恭少頗驕恣，文遙令與范陽盧思道交遊。 文遙嘗謂思道云：「小兒比日微有所知，是大弟之力，然白擲劇飲，甚得師風。」 思道答云：「郎辭情俊邁，自是克荷堂構，而白擲劇飲，亦天性所得。」 行恭弟行如，亦聰慧早成，武平末，任著作佐郎。
Xinggong was handsome, had his father's bearing, and was gifted besides. He reached secretariat drafting officer and awaited edicts at the Wenlin Hall. When Qi fell, Yang Xiuzhi and eighteen others entered the passes together with him. He rose gradually to lower grand master in the bureau of merits. Under Sui's Kaihuang reign he became a masters of writing lang; for an offense he was banished to Guazhou and died there. Xinggong was rather proud in youth; Wenyao had him keep company with Lu Sidao of Fanyang. Wenyao once told Sidao, "The boy has learned a little lately—your doing as elder brother; but his dice-playing and hard drinking are very much in your master's style." Sidao answered, "Your son's eloquence is sharp and lofty—he can surely uphold the family hall; but dice and deep cups are also his nature." Xing Gong's younger brother Xing Ru was clever and precocious too; late in Wuping he served as an assistant in the Writings Office.
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趙彥深，自云南陽宛人，漢太傅熹之後。 高祖父難，為清河太守，有惠政，遂家焉，清河後改為平原，故為平原人也。 本名隱，避齊廟諱，改以字行。 父奉伯，仕魏位中書舍人、行洛陽令。 彥深貴，贈司空。 彥深幼孤貧，事母甚孝。 年十歲，曾候司徒崔光。 光謂賓客曰：「古人觀眸子以知人，此人當必遠至。」 性聰敏，善書計，安閑樂道，不雜交遊，為雅論所歸服。 昧爽，輒自掃門外，不使人見，率以為常。
Zhao Yanshen came from Wan in Nanyang, a descendant of Han Grand Tutor Zhao Xi. His great-grandfather Nan had been prefect of Qinghe; his fair rule made the family settle there. Qinghe was later renamed Pingyuan, so they counted as men of Pingyuan. His original name was Yin; to avoid the Qi temple taboo he went by his courtesy name instead. His father Fengbo had served Wei as secretariat gentleman and acting magistrate of Luoyang. Once Yanshen rose to prominence, Fengbo was posthumously made minister of works. Yanshen lost his father early and grew up poor, yet served his mother with fierce devotion. At ten he once called on Minister over the Masses Cui Guang. Guang told the guests, "The ancients read the whites of the eyes to know a man — this boy will go far." He was bright and quick by nature, skilled at writing and reckoning, easy in manner and devoted to the Way, and kept out of casual company — men of taste deferred to him. Each dawn he swept outside the gate himself and would not let others watch — he made it a daily habit.
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初為尚書令司馬子如賤客，供寫書。 子如善其無誤，欲將入觀省舍。 隱靴無氊，衣帽穿弊，子如給之。 用為書令史，月餘，補正令史。 神武在晉陽，索二史，子如舉彥深。 後拜子如開府參軍，超拜水部郎。 及文襄為尚書令攝選，沙汰諸曹郎，彥深以地寒被出為滄州別駕，辭不行。 子如言於神武，徵補大丞相功曹參軍，專掌機密，文翰多出其手，稱為敏給。 神武曾與對坐，遣造軍令，以手捫其額曰：「若天假卿年，必大有所至。」 每謂司徒孫騰曰：「彥深小心恭慎，曠古絕倫。」
At first he was a lowly guest of Minister over the Masses Sima Ziru, hired to copy documents. Ziru was pleased that he never erred and meant to bring him inside to see the offices. Yin wore unlined boots and threadbare hat and clothes; Ziru furnished him. He was made a secretariat clerical officer and, after a month, promoted to regular clerical officer. Gao Huan was at Jinyang and asked for the two histories; Ziru recommended Yanshen. Later he was made Ziru's metropolitan administration staff officer, then leap-promoted to director of the water section. When Gao Cheng became Minister over the Masses and took charge of selection, he culled the bureau directors. Yanshen, judged too humble in origin, was sent out as administrator in support of Cangzhou; he declined and would not go. Ziru spoke to Gao Huan; Yanshen was summoned and made staff officer for merit affairs in the Great Chancellor's office, handling secrets alone. Most papers passed through his hand, and men called him quick and sure. Gao Huan once sat facing him and ordered a military command drafted; he stroked Yanshen's forehead and said, "If Heaven grants you years, you will go far." He often told Minister over the Masses Sun Teng, "Yanshen is careful and reverent beyond anything in antiquity."
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及神武崩，秘喪事，文襄慮河南有變，仍自巡撫，乃委彥深後事，轉大行臺都官郎中。 臨發，握手泣曰：「以母弟相托，幸得此心。」 旣而內外寧靜，彥深之力。 及還發喪，深加褒美，乃披郡縣簿為選，封安國縣伯。 從征潁川，時引水灌城，城雉將沒，西魏將王思政猶欲死戰。 文襄令彥深單身入城告喻，卽日降之，便手牽思政出城。 先是，文襄謂彥深曰：「吾昨夜夢獵，遇一群豕，吾射盡獲之，獨一大豕不可得。 卿言當為吾取，須臾獲豕而進。」 至是，文襄笑曰：「夢驗矣。」 卽解思政佩刀與彥深曰：「使卿常獲此利。」
When Gao Huan died the mourning was kept secret. Gao Cheng feared trouble in Henan and went to inspect in person, leaving the aftermath to Yanshen and making him metropolitan administration section director. As he was leaving he clasped Yanshen's hands and wept: "I entrust my mother and younger brother to you — trust that my heart is with you." Inside and outside thereupon grew quiet — Yanshen's doing. When he returned to announce the mourning he praised Yanshen at length, opened the commandery-and-county register for selection, and enfeoffed him as marquis of Anguo county. On the Yingchuan campaign they diverted water to flood the city; the battlements would soon go under, yet Western Wei general Wang Sizheng still meant to fight to the death. Gao Cheng sent Yanshen into the city alone to persuade them; that same day they surrendered, and he led Sizheng out by the hand. Earlier Gao Cheng had told Yanshen, "Last night I dreamed I was hunting and met a herd of swine; I shot and took them all, but one great boar I could not get. You said you would take it for me — and in a moment you had the boar and came in." Now Gao Cheng laughed: "The dream is fulfilled." He then took Sizheng's belt dagger and gave it to Yanshen, saying, "May you always win such profit."
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彥深歷事累朝，常參機近，溫柔謹慎，喜怒不形於色。 自皇建以還，禮遇稍重，每有引見，或升御榻，常呼官號而不名也。 凡諸選舉，先令銓定，提獎人物，皆行業為先，輕薄之徒，弗之齒也。 孝昭旣執朝權，群臣密多勸進，彥深獨不致言。 孝昭嘗謂王晞云：「若言眾心皆謂天下有歸，何不見彥深有語？」 晞以告，彥深不獲已，陳請，其為時重如此。 常遜言恭己，未嘗以驕矜待物，所以或出或處，去而復還。 母傅氏，雅有操識。 彥深三歲，傅便孀居，家人欲以改適，自誓以死。 彥深五歲，傅謂之曰：「家貧兒小，何以能濟？」 彥深泣而言曰：「若天哀矜，兒大當仰報。」 傅感其意，對之流涕。 及彥深拜太常卿，還，不脫朝服，先入見母，跪陳幼小孤露，蒙訓得至於此。 母子相泣久之，然後改服。 後為宜陽國太妃。 彥深有七子，仲將知名。
Yanshen served successive reigns, always near the inner counsel, gentle and cautious, never letting joy or anger show on his face. From Huangjian on his honors grew weightier; when summoned he might even mount the imperial couch, and the emperor often called him by office title rather than by name. In every appointment he weighed candidates first and promoted men of character; the frivolous never made his list. After Emperor Xiaozhao seized court power, many ministers privately urged him to take the throne; Yanshen alone kept silent. Xiaozhao once said to Wang Xi, "If men say all hearts agree the realm has found its lord, why have you never heard Yanshen say so?" Xi told Yanshen; unable to refuse further, Yanshen submitted a memorial urging accession — such was the weight he carried in his age. He was habitually yielding and restrained, never arrogant toward others — so he might leave office and be called back again. His mother, Lady Fu, was refined in conduct and judgment. When Yanshen was three, Lady Fu was already a widow; the family wanted her to remarry, but she swore she would die first. When Yanshen was five, Lady Fu said to him, "We are poor and you are small — how can we live?" Yanshen wept and said, "If Heaven takes pity, when I am grown I shall repay you on my knees." Lady Fu was moved by his words and wept with him. When Yanshen was made grand master of ceremonies and returned, he did not change out of court dress but went first to his mother, knelt, and said that as a small orphan he had come to this only through her teaching. Mother and son wept together a long while before he changed his clothes. Later she was made grand princess dowager of Yiyang. Yanshen had seven sons; Zhongjiang was the one of note.
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仲將，沉敏有父風，溫良恭儉，雖對妻子，亦未嘗怠慢，終日儼然。 學涉群書，善草隸。 雖與弟書，書字楷正，云草不可不解，若施之於人，卽似相輕易，若與當家中卑幼，又恐其疑所在宜爾，是以必須隸筆。 彥深乞轉以萬年縣子授之。 位給事黃門侍郎、散騎常侍。 隋開皇中，位吏部郎，終於安州刺史。
Zhongjiang was deep and keen with his father's manner, warm, mild, respectful and thrifty — even with wife and children he never slackened, grave all day long. He read widely and was skilled in cursive and clerical script. Even in letters to his younger brothers he wrote in proper regular script. He said cursive must be mastered, yet to use it on others is to treat them lightly; with juniors in the household one fears they will think that is simply how one should write to them — so the brush must be clerical. Yanshen asked that his own enfeoffment be transferred to make his son viscount of Wannian county. He served as attendant gentleman of the yellow gate and regular attendant of scattered cavalry. Under Sui in the Kaihuang era he was director of the personnel section and ended as governor of Anzhou.
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齊朝宰相，善始令終唯彥深一人。 然諷朝廷以子叔堅為中書侍郎，頗招物議。 時馮子琮子慈明、祖珽子君信並相繼居中書，故時語云：「馮、祖及趙，穢我鳳池。」 然叔堅身材最劣。
Among Northern Qi chancellors, only Yanshen began well and ended well. Yet he pressed the court to make his son Shujian secretariat vice director, which drew sharp talk. At the time Feng Zicong's son Ciming and Zu Ting's son Junxin took the secretariat in turn, so people said, "Feng, Zu, and Zhao — they're fouling the phoenix pool." Of the three, Shujian's looks were the worst.
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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 uses the Zhonghua Shuju first edition of the Book of Northern Qi (November 1972) as the base for collation.