Volume 35 Biographies 23: Wang Huilong, Zheng Xi

王慧龍鄭羲

Wang Huilong and Zheng Xi

北史卷三十五

History of the Northern Dynasties, Volume 35

列傳第二十三

Biographies 23

王慧龍玄孫松年五世孫劭鄭羲孫述祖從曾孫道邕道邕子譯譯叔祖儼儼族孫偉

Wang Huilong: great-grandson Songnian, fifth-generation descendant Shao. Zheng Xi: grandson Shuzu, great-great-grandson Dao Yong, Dao Yong's son Yi, Yi's grand-uncle Yan, Yan's clansman Wei

王慧龍，太原晉陽人，晉尚書僕射愉之孫，散騎常侍郎緝之子也。幼聰慧，愉以為諸孫之龍，故名焉。初，宋武微時，愉不為之禮，及得志，愉闔家見誅。慧龍年十四，為沙門僧彬所匿，因將過江。津人見其行意匆匆，疑為王氏子孫。彬稱為受業者，乃免。既濟，遂西上江陵，依叔祖忱故吏荊州前中從事習辟強。時刺史魏詠之卒，辟強與江陵令羅修、前別駕劉期公、土人王騰等謀舉兵，推慧龍為盟主，克日襲州城。而宋武聞詠之卒，亦懼江陵有變，遣其弟道規為荊州，眾遂不果。羅修等將慧龍又與僧彬北詣襄陽。晉雍州刺史魯宗之資給慧龍，送度江，遂奔姚興。自言也如此。

Wang Huilong, a native of Jinyang in Taiyuan, was grandson of the Jin Minister of Works Wang Yu and son of Wang Ji, Attendant Cavalier in Regular Attendance. As a boy he was exceptionally bright; Yu regarded him as the dragon among his grandsons and named him accordingly. Earlier, when Emperor Wu of Song was still obscure, Yu had shown him no courtesy; once Wu gained power, Yu's entire family was put to death. Huilong was fourteen when the monk Seng Bin concealed him and helped him cross the Yangtze. The ferryman saw him hurrying along and suspected he was a Wang clansman. Bin said he was a student under instruction, and they were let go. After crossing, he made his way west to Jiangling and stayed with Xi Biqiang, a former aide of his granduncle Chen who had served as Attendant in Jingzhou. When the inspector Wei Yongzhi died, Biqiang joined Jiangling magistrate Luo Xiu, former vice administrator Liu Qigong, local leader Wang Teng, and others in a plot to raise troops. They made Huilong their league chief and set a day to seize the provincial city. When Emperor Wu of Song heard that Yongzhi had died, he too feared unrest at Jiangling and sent his younger brother Daogui to take charge of Jingzhou. The plot then came to nothing. Luo Xiu and his party escorted Huilong north to Xiangyang, again accompanied by Seng Bin. Lu Zongzhi, Jin inspector-general of Yongzhou, supplied Huilong and sent him across the river; he then fled into the service of Yao Xing. Such was his own account of these events.

姚泓滅，慧龍歸魏。明元引見與言，慧龍請效力南討。言終，俯而流涕，天子為之動容。謂曰：「朕方混一車書，席捲吳會，卿情計如此，豈不能相資以眾乎？」然亦未之用。後拜洛城鎮將，鎮金墉。會明元崩，太武初即位，咸謂南人不宜委以師旅之任，遂停前授。

After Yao Hong was overthrown, Huilong came over to the Northern Wei. Emperor Mingyuan received him in audience and spoke with him; Huilong asked to be employed in the southern campaigns. When he had finished, he bowed his head and wept; the emperor was deeply moved. The emperor said, "I am about to unite the realm under one script and one rule and sweep through Wu and Kuaiji. With your feelings so disposed, can I not give you an army to serve your purpose?" Yet he was not put to use. Later he was appointed general who pacified the city and stationed at Jinyong. When Emperor Mingyuan died and Emperor Taiwu first acceded, everyone said southerners should not be given command of armies, and his earlier appointment was set aside.

初，崔浩弟恬聞慧龍王氏子，以女妻之。浩既婚姻，及見慧龍，曰：「信王家兒也。」王氏世齇鼻，江東謂之「齇王」。慧龍鼻漸大，浩曰：「真貴種矣！」數向諸公稱其美。司徒長孫嵩聞之不悅，言于太武，以其嗟服南人則有訕鄙國化之意。太武怒，召浩責之。浩免冠陳謝得釋。慧龍由是不調。久之，除樂安王范傅，領並、荊、揚三州大中正。慧龍抗表，願得南垂自效，崔浩固言之，乃授南蠻校尉、安南大將軍左長史。及宋荊州刺史謝晦起兵江陵，引慧龍為援。慧龍督司馬靈壽等一萬人，拔其思陵戍，進圍項城。晦敗，乃班師。後宋將王玄謨寇滑台，詔假慧龍楚兵將軍，與安頡等同討之。相持五十餘日，諸將以賊盛，莫敢先，慧龍設奇兵大破之。太武賜以劍馬錢帛，授龍驤將軍，賜爵長社侯，拜滎陽太守，仍領長史。在任十年，農戰並修，大著聲績，招攜邊遠，歸附者萬餘家，號為善政。

Earlier, Cui Hao's younger brother Tian learned that Huilong was of the Wang clan and gave him his daughter in marriage. Once the marriage was made, Hao met Huilong and said, "He is truly a son of the Wang house." The Wangs for generations had prominent saddle noses; in the lower Yangtze region they were called the "Saddle-Nose Wangs." Huilong's nose gradually grew more prominent; Hao said, "A true noble strain!" He praised Huilong again and again to the court nobles. Minister of Works Changsun Song took offense and told Emperor Taiwu that Hao's admiration for southerners amounted to scorning the customs of the state. Emperor Taiwu was enraged and summoned Hao to reproach him. Hao removed his cap, apologized at length, and was let off. Huilong was passed over for active appointment. After a long interval he was appointed tutor to Prince Fan of Le'an and concurrently grand rectifier for Bing, Jing, and Yang provinces. Huilong memorialized in protest, asking to serve on the southern frontier; Cui Hao pressed his case, and he was appointed colonel of the southern barbarians and senior commander under the general who pacified the south. When Xie Hui, Song inspector of Jingzhou, raised troops at Jiangling, he sought Huilong as an ally. Huilong led Sima Lingshou and ten thousand men, captured the Siling garrison, and advanced to besiege Xiangcheng. When Hui was defeated, Huilong withdrew his forces. Later, when the Song general Wang Xuemo attacked Huatai, an edict appointed Huilong acting general of Chu troops to join An Fu and others in repelling him. The two sides faced each other for more than fifty days; the other generals, seeing how strong the enemy was, dared not strike first, but Huilong deployed an irregular force and won a crushing victory. Emperor Taiwu rewarded him with sword, horses, money, and silk, appointed him general of dragon ferocity, enfeoffed him as Marquis of Changshe, made him administrator of Xingyang, and left him in charge as senior commander. In ten years in office he developed both farming and defense, won great renown, and drew in distant border peoples; more than ten thousand households submitted to him, and his administration was praised as exemplary.

其後宋將到彥之、檀道濟頻頓淮、潁，大相侵掠；慧龍力戰，屢摧其鋒。彥之與友人蕭斌書曰：「魯軌頑鈍，馬楚粗狂，亡人之中，唯王慧龍及韓延之可為深憚。不意儒生懦夫，乃令老子訝之。」宋文縱反間，雲慧龍自以功高而位不至，欲引寇入邊，因執安南大將軍司馬楚之以叛。太武聞曰：「此必不然，是齊人忌樂毅耳。」乃賜慧龍璽書曰：「義隆畏將軍如虎，欲相中害，朕自知之。風塵之言，想不足介意也。」宋文計既不行，復遣刺客呂玄伯購慧龍首二百戶男、絹一千匹。玄伯為反間來，屏人有所論。慧龍疑之，使人探其懷有尺刀。玄伯叩頭請死。慧龍曰：「各為其主也，吾不忍害此人。」左右皆言義隆賊心未巳，不殺玄伯，無以創將來。慧龍曰：「死生有命，彼亦安能害我。且吾方以仁義為幹鹵，又何憂乎刺客。」遂舍之。時人服其寬恕。

Afterward the Song generals Dao Yanzhi and Tan Daoji repeatedly camped on the Huai and Ying and launched major raids; Huilong fought hard and repeatedly broke their momentum. Yanzhi wrote to his friend Xiao Bin, "Lu Gui is stubborn and dull, Ma Chu is coarse and reckless; among the defectors, only Wang Huilong and Han Yanzhi are truly to be feared. I never thought a bookish weakling would leave me gasping." Emperor Wen of Song spread disinformation claiming that Huilong, resentful that his merit outstripped his rank, meant to lure the enemy across the border and had seized Sima Chuyi, senior commander under the general who pacified the south, and rebelled. When Emperor Taiwu heard this he said, "That cannot be true; it is like the people of Qi envying Yue Yi." He then sent Huilong an imperial letter: "Yilong fears you, General, as a tiger fears its hunter and means to destroy you by intrigue; I know this for myself. Rumors borne on the wind—I trust you will not take them to heart." When Emperor Wen's plot failed, he sent the assassin Lü Xuanbo with a bounty of two hundred household males and a thousand bolts of silk for Huilong's head. Xuanbo came as a double agent and, dismissing attendants, spoke with Huilong in private. Huilong grew suspicious and had him searched; a foot-long knife was found in his robe. Xuanbo kowtowed and begged to be put to death. Huilong said, "Each man serves his own lord; I cannot bring myself to harm this man." His attendants all said Yilong's treachery was not yet spent and that unless Xuanbo were killed there would be no deterrent for the future. Huilong said, "Life and death are ordained by fate; how could he harm me? Besides, I am just now making benevolence and righteousness my rampart—why should I fear assassins?" He let him go. People of the day admired his magnanimity.

慧龍自以遭難流離，常懷憂悴，乃作《祭伍子胥文》以寄意焉。生一男一女，遂絕房室，布衣蔬食，不參吉事，舉動必以禮。太子少傅游雅言於朝曰：「慧龍，古之遺孝也。」撰帝王制度十八篇，號曰《國典》。真君元年，拜使持節、甯南將軍、武牢鎮都副將，未至鎮而卒。臨沒，謂功曹鄭曄曰：「吾羈旅南人，恩非舊結，蒙聖朝殊特之慈，得在疆場效命，誓願鞭屍吳市，戮墳江陰。不謂嬰此重疾，有心莫遂，非唯仰愧國靈，實亦俯慚后土。修短命也，夫復何言！身歿後，乞葬河內州縣之東鄉，依古墓而不墳，足藏發齒而已。庶其魂而有知，猶希結草之報。」時制，南人入國者，皆葬桑乾。曄等申遺意，詔許之。贈安南將軍、荊州刺史，諡穆侯。吏人及將士共於墓所起佛寺，圖慧龍及僧彬像而贊之。呂玄伯感全宥之恩，留守墓側，終身不去。子寶興襲爵。

Huilong, having suffered exile and hardship, was often weighed down with sorrow and wrote "A Sacrificial Text for Wu Zixu" to give voice to his feelings. He had one son and one daughter, then ceased conjugal life, wore plain cloth and ate simple food, avoided auspicious gatherings, and in all his conduct observed ritual propriety. Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent You Ya said at court, "Huilong is a living remnant of the filial devotion of antiquity." He compiled eighteen chapters on imperial institutions under the title National Institutions. In the first year of Zhenjun he was appointed with staff of authority as general who pacified the south and deputy commander of the Wulao garrison, but died before he could take up the post. As death approached he told merit officer Zheng Ye, "I am a southerner living in exile; my ties to the court were not old, yet I received its extraordinary kindness and was able to serve on the frontier. I swore to lash the enemy's corpse in the markets of Wu and raze their tombs on the north bank of the Yangtze. I did not expect to be struck down by this grave illness; my heart's purpose cannot be fulfilled. This shames not only the spirits of the state above but also the earth below. My allotted span is brief—what more is there to say! After my death, I beg to be buried in the eastern township of a county in Henei, beside an ancient tomb without a mound—enough only to hold my hair and teeth. If my spirit has awareness, I still hope for the repayment of the knotted grass." At that time the regulation was that all southerners who entered the state were buried at Sanggan. Ye and the others reported his last wishes, and an edict granted them. He was posthumously appointed general who pacified the south and inspector of Jingzhou, with the posthumous title Marquis Mu. Officials and soldiers together built a Buddhist temple at the tomb and painted images of Huilong and Seng Bin with laudatory inscriptions. Lü Xuanbo, moved by Huilong's complete sparing of his life, kept watch beside the tomb and never left it for the rest of his days. His son Baoxing inherited the title.

寶興少孤，事母至孝。尚書盧遐妻，崔浩女也。初，寶興母及遐妻俱孕，浩謂曰：「汝等將來所生，皆我之自出，可指腹為親。」及昏，浩為撰儀，躬自監視，謂諸客曰：「此家禮事，宜盡其美。」及浩被誅，盧遐後妻寶興從母也，緣坐沒官。寶興亦逃避，未幾得出。盧遐妻時官賜度斤鎮高車滑骨，寶興盡賣貨產，自出塞贖之以歸。州辟中從事、別駕，舉秀才，皆不就。閉門不交人事。襲爵封長社侯、龍驤將軍。卒，子瓊襲爵。

Baoxing lost his father while still young and served his mother with the utmost filial devotion. The wife of Minister Lu Xia was a daughter of Cui Hao. Earlier, both Baoxing's mother and Xia's wife were pregnant. Hao said, "The children you will bear are all of my own blood; let us betroth them while still in the womb." At dusk Hao drew up the ceremony and supervised it in person, telling the guests, "This family's ritual should be carried out with every refinement." When Hao was executed, Lu Xia's later wife—Baoxing's aunt by marriage—was implicated by association and reduced to servitude. Baoxing also went into hiding, but before long he escaped. When Xia's wife was assigned by the authorities to Du Jin town in the Gaoche Huagu region, Baoxing sold all his property, went beyond the frontier himself, ransomed her, and brought her home. The province offered him posts as attendant and vice administrator and nominated him as xiucai, but he accepted none of them. He shut his door and refused all worldly entanglements. He inherited the title and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Changshe and appointed general of dragon ferocity. He died, and his son Qiong inherited the title.

瓊字世珍，孝文賜名焉。太和九年，為典寺令六十年，降侯為伯。帝納其長女為嬪，拜前將軍、并州大中正。正始中，為光州刺史，有受納響，為中尉王顯所劾，終得雪免。神龜中，除左將軍、兗州刺史。去州歸京，多年沈滯。所居在司空劉騰宅西，騰雖勢傾朝野，初不候之。騰既權重，吞併鄰宅，增廣舊居，唯瓊終不肯與，以此久見屈抑。

Qiong, styled Shizhen, received his given name as a gift from Emperor Xiaowen. In the ninth year of Taihe he was appointed director of the palace temple; at the age of sixty his marquisate was reduced to a countship. The emperor took his eldest daughter as a concubine and appointed him general of the van and grand rectifier of Bingzhou. In the Zhengshi era he served as inspector of Guangzhou; reports of bribery reached the court, and chief censor Wang Xian impeached him, but in the end he was cleared and released from office. In the Shengui era he was appointed general of the left and inspector of Yanzhou. After leaving his province he returned to the capital and languished for many years without advancement. His home lay west of Minister of Works Liu Teng's mansion; though Teng's power dominated the court, Qiong at first never called on him. Once Teng's power was fully established, he annexed neighboring properties and enlarged his old residence, but Qiong alone refused to sell, and for this he was kept down for years.

瓊女適范陽盧道亮，不聽歸其夫家。女卒，哀慟無已，瓊仍葬之別所，塚不即塞，常於壙內哭泣，久之乃掩，當時深怪之。加以聾疾，每見道俗，乞丐無已，造次見之，令人笑愕。道逢太保、廣平王懷，據鞍抗禮，自言馬瘦；懷即以誕馬並乘具與之。嘗詣尚書令李崇，騎馬至其黃閣，見崇子世哲，直問繼伯在否。崇趨出，瓊乃下。崇儉而好以紙帖衣領，瓊哂而掣去之。崇小子青肫嘗盛服，寵勢亦不足恨。領軍元叉使奴遺瓊馬，瓊並留奴。王誦聞之笑曰：「東海之風，於茲墜矣。」孝昌三年，除鎮東將軍、金紫光祿大夫、中書令。時瓊子遵業為黃門郎，故有此授。卒，贈征北將軍、中書監、并州刺史。自慧龍入國，三世一身，至瓊始有四子。

Qiong's daughter married Lu Daoliang of Fanyang, but Qiong would not let her go to her husband's household. When the daughter died he mourned without cease. Qiong buried her in a separate place, left the mound unsealed, and often wept inside the tomb chamber; only after a long interval was it closed. People of the day found this deeply strange. He was also deaf, and whenever he met clergy or laypeople he begged without end; an encounter with him on the street could leave people laughing in disbelief. On the road he met Grand Tutor Prince Huai of Guangping, reined in his saddle, returned the salute from horseback, and said his horse was too thin; Huai at once gave him his own foaling mare together with saddle and harness. Once he called on Minister Li Chong, riding his horse right up to the yellow gate; he saw Chong's son Shizhe and asked outright whether Jibo was there. Chong hurried out to meet him, and only then did Qiong dismount from his horse. Chong was thrifty and liked to paste paper patches on his collar; Qiong laughed at him and ripped them away. Chong's young son Qingtun once dressed in splendid robes, yet even favor and power were scarcely worth envying. Commander-in-Chief Yuan Cha sent a slave to present Qiong with a horse; Qiong kept both the horse and the slave. When Wang Song heard of it he laughed and said, "The free spirit of the Eastern Sea has come to ruin here. In the third year of Xiaochang he was appointed General Who Pacifies the East, made Grand Master of the Golden Seal and Purple Purse, and named Palace Attendant. At the time Qiong's son Zunye was serving as Gentleman at the Yellow Gate, and it was for this reason that he received the appointment. When he died he was posthumously made General Who Campaigns North, Supervisor of the Palace Secretariat, and Governor of Bing Province. From the time Huilong entered the realm, three generations had produced only one son each; not until Qiong did the family have four sons.

長子遵業，風儀清秀，涉歷經史。位著作佐郎，與司徒左長史崔鴻同撰起居注。遷右軍將軍、兼散騎常侍，慰勞蠕蠕。乃詣代京，采拾遺文，以補起居所闕。與崔光、安豐王延明等參定服章。及光為孝明講《孝經》，遵業預講，延業錄義，並應詔作《釋奠侍宴詩》。時人語曰：「英英濟濟，王家兄弟。」轉司徒左長史、黃門郎，監典儀注。

His eldest son Zunye was graceful in bearing and well versed in the classics and histories. He served as Assistant Gentleman of the Writing Office and, together with Chief Clerk on the Left of the Minister of Works Cui Hong, compiled the imperial diary. He was promoted to General of the Right Army and Acting Regular Attendant and sent to console the Rouran. He then went to the capital at Dai, collected lost documents, and used them to fill gaps in the diary. Together with Cui Guang, Prince Yanming of Anfeng, and others, he helped revise regulations for court dress and insignia. When Cui Guang lectured on the "Classic of Filial Piety" for Emperor Xiaoming, Zunye joined the lecture, Yan Ye recorded its meaning, and both composed "Poems on Attending the Sacrifice to Confucius Banquet" by imperial command. People of the day said, "Splendid and imposing are the Wang brothers. He was transferred to Chief Clerk on the Left of the Minister of Works and Gentleman at the Yellow Gate, with charge over ceremonial regulations.

遵業有譽當時，與中書令陳郡袁翻、尚書琅邪王誦並領黃門郎，號曰三哲。時政歸門下，世謂侍中、黃門為小宰相。而遵業從容恬素，若處丘園。嘗著穿角履，好事者多毀新履以學之。以胡太后臨朝，天下方亂，謀避地，自求徐州。太后曰：「王誦罷幽州始作黃門，卿何乃欲徐州也？更待一二年，當有好處分。」遵業兄弟並交遊時俊，乃為當時所美。及爾硃榮入洛，兄弟在父喪中，以于莊帝有從姨兄弟之親，相率奉迎，俱見害河陰。議者惜其人才，而譏其躁競。贈并州刺史。著《三晉記》十卷。

Zunye enjoyed great renown in his day. Together with Palace Attendant Yuan Fan of Chen and Minister Wang Song of Langye, all serving as Gentlemen at the Yellow Gate, they were known as the Three Philosophers. At the time real power lay with the Gate Office, and people called the Attendants-in-Chief and Gentlemen at the Yellow Gate "lesser chancellors." Yet Zunye remained easy and unassuming, as though he lived in seclusion among hills and gardens. He once wore sandals with upturned toes, and so many admirers ruined new shoes trying to copy him. With Empress Dowager Hu regent and the realm falling into chaos, he sought a place of refuge and asked to be sent to Xuzhou. The empress dowager said, "Wang Song had to leave Youzhou before he became Gentleman at the Yellow Gate—why are you already asking for Xuzhou? Wait another year or two and you will surely receive a better appointment. Zunye and his brothers all moved in the circle of the day's leading men and were widely admired. When Erzhu Rong entered Luoyang, the brothers were still in mourning for their father. Because they were cousins to Emperor Zhuang on his mother's side, they went out together to welcome Rong and were all killed at Heyin. Commentators lamented their wasted talent but criticized their rash ambition. He was posthumously made Governor of Bing Province. He wrote the "Record of the Three Jin" in ten scrolls.

子松年，少知名，齊文襄臨并州，辟為主簿。累遷通直散騎常侍，副李緯使梁。使還，歷位尚書郎中。魏收撰《魏書》成，松年有謗言。文宣怒，禁止之，仍加杖罰。歲餘得免，除臨漳令。遷司馬、別駕、本州大中正。孝昭擢拜給事黃門侍郎。帝每賜坐，與論政事，甚善之。孝昭崩，松年馳驛至鄴都宣遺詔。發言涕泗，迄于宣罷，容色無改，辭吐諧韻，宣訖號慟，自絕於地，百官莫不感慟。還晉陽，兼侍中，護梓宮還鄴。諸舊臣避形跡，無敢盡哀，唯松年哭必流涕，朝士咸恐。武成雖忿松年戀舊情切，亦雅重之。以本官加散騎常侍，食高邑縣幹。參定律令，前後大獄多委焉。兼御史中丞。發晉陽之鄴，在道遇疾卒。贈吏部尚書，并州刺史，諡曰平。第二子劭最知名。

His son Songnian was known from an early age. When Wenxiang of Qi came to Bingzhou he recruited him as chief clerk. He rose through successive posts to Regular Attendant of the Direct and Upright Cavalier and, as Li Wei's deputy, served as envoy to Liang. After the mission returned he served in succession as Gentleman of the Masters of Writing. When Wei Shou finished compiling the "Book of Wei," Songnian spoke against it. Emperor Wenxuan was furious, had him imprisoned, and also ordered him beaten with the staff. After more than a year he was released and appointed magistrate of Linzhang. He was promoted to Administrator, Assistant Governor, and Regional Rectifier of his home province. Emperor Xiaozhao promoted him to Attendant Gentleman at the Yellow Gate. The emperor often gave him a seat and discussed state affairs with him, and held him in high regard. When Xiaozhao died, Songnian raced by post relay to Ye to proclaim the late emperor's final edict. As he spoke tears streamed down his face; until the proclamation ended his expression did not change and his words kept their measured rhythm. But when the announcement was finished he wailed in grief and collapsed to the ground, and every official present was deeply moved. Returning to Jinyang, he also served as Attendant-in-Chief and escorted the imperial coffin back to Ye. The senior ministers held themselves in check and dared not mourn fully, but Songnian wept with streaming tears, and the court officials were all afraid. Although Wucheng resented Songnian's intense loyalty to the former reign, he still held him in high esteem. He retained his original post while also being made Regular Attendant of the Cavalry, with salary drawn from Gaoyi county. He took part in revising laws and statutes, and major trials before and after were largely entrusted to him. He also served concurrently as Censor-in-Chief. While traveling from Jinyang to Ye he fell ill on the road and died. He was posthumously made Minister of the Civil Office and Governor of Bing Province, with the posthumous name Ping. His second son Shao was the most famous.

劭字君懋，少沈默，好讀書。仕齊，累遷太子舍人，待詔文林館。時祖孝征、魏收、陽休之等嘗論古事，有所遺忘，討閱不能得。問劭，劭具論所出，取書驗之，一無舛誤。自是大為時人所許，稱其博物。後遷中書舍人。齊滅入周，不得調。隋文帝受禪，授著作佐郎，以母憂去職。在家著《齊書》，時制禁私撰史，為內史侍郎李元操所奏。上怒，遣收其書，覽而悅之。於是起為員外散騎侍郎，修起居注。

Shao, whose style was Junmao, was quiet from youth and loved to read. He served Northern Qi, rising through successive posts to Crown Prince's Attendant and awaiting imperial orders at the Forest of Literature. When Zu Xiaozheng, Wei Shou, Yang Xiuzhi, and others discussed antiquities and forgot some detail, they could not find it even after searching. They asked Shao, who cited the source in full; when they fetched books to check, not a single error appeared. From then on he was widely admired, and people praised his encyclopedic learning. Later he was promoted to Attendant of the Palace Secretariat. When Qi fell and he entered Zhou, he received no government post. When Emperor Wen of Sui accepted the throne he was appointed Assistant Gentleman of the Writing Office, then left office to observe mourning for his mother. At home he wrote the "Book of Qi," but private history-writing was forbidden at the time, and Internal History Gentleman Li Yuancao reported him. The emperor was angry and ordered his manuscript seized, but on reading it he was delighted. Thereupon he was recalled as Extraordinary Attendant of the Cavalry and put in charge of compiling the imperial diary.

劭以上古有鑽燧改火之義，近代廢絕，於是上表請變火曰：「臣謹案《周官》：'四時變火，以救時疾。 '明火不數變，時疾必興。聖人作法，豈徒然也？在晉時，有人以洛陽火度江者，世世事之，相續不滅，火色變青。昔師曠食飯，雲是勞薪所爨，晉平公使視之，果然車輞。今溫酒及炙肉，用石炭、木炭火、竹火、草火、麻荄火，氣味各不同。以此推之，新火舊火，理應有異。伏願遠遵先聖，于五時取五木以變火。用功甚少，救益方大。縱使百姓習久，未能頓同，尚食內廚及東宮諸王食廚，不可不依古法。」上從之。劭又言上有龍顏戴幹之表，指示群臣。上大悅，賜物數百段，拜著作郎。上表言符命曰：

Shao observed that in antiquity there was the practice of boring wood for fire and changing fire by season, but that in recent times it had been abandoned. He therefore submitted a memorial on changing fire, saying, "Your subject respectfully notes in the 'Offices of Zhou': 'Change fire in the four seasons to remedy seasonal illness. If the hearth fire is not changed at the proper intervals, seasonal illness is sure to break out. The sages established these rules—surely not in vain? In Jin times someone brought fire from Luoyang across the Yangzi; for generations the family tended it without letting it die out, until the flame turned bluish-green. Long ago, when Shi Kuang ate his rice he said it had been cooked with exhausted firewood; Duke Ping of Jin sent someone to investigate and found it was indeed a wagon wheel rim. Today wine is warmed and meat roasted with stone coal, charcoal, bamboo, grass, and hemp-stalk fires, each producing a different odor. From this one may infer that new fire and old fire ought naturally to differ. I humbly pray that Your Majesty will follow the ancient sages and, at the five seasons, take the five kinds of wood to change the fire. The effort required would be slight, but the benefit to public health would be great. Even if the common people, long accustomed to the old ways, cannot change all at once, the imperial kitchen and the kitchens of the Eastern Palace and the princes should not fail to follow the ancient method.' The emperor approved the proposal. Shao also said that the emperor's face showed the marks of a dragon countenance and that he wore the Heavenly Stem on his brow, and pointed this out to the assembled ministers. The emperor was delighted, rewarded him with several hundred lengths of goods, and appointed him Gentleman of the Writing Office. He submitted a memorial on portents and the Mandate of Heaven, saying:

昔周保定二年，歲在壬午，五月五日，青州黃河變清，十里鏡澈。齊氏以為己瑞，改元，年曰河清。是月，至尊以大興公始作隨州刺史。歷年二十，隋果大興。臣謹案《易·坤靈圖》曰：「聖人受命，瑞必先見於河。」河者最濁，未能清也。竊以靈貺休祥，理無虛發；河清啟聖，實屬大隋。午為鶉火，以明火德；仲夏火王，亦明火德。月五日五，合天地數，既得受命之辰，允當先見之兆。

Long ago, in the second year of Baoding of Northern Zhou, a ren-wu year, on the fifth day of the fifth month the Yellow River in Qing province turned clear, and for ten li its waters were bright as a mirror. The Northern Qi took it as their own auspicious omen, changed the reign title, and named the era River Clear. That same month the future emperor, then Duke of Daxing, first took office as governor of Sui province. Twenty years later Sui did indeed rise to greatness. Your subject respectfully notes what the "Kun Ling Diagram" of the "Changes" says: "When a sage receives the Mandate, auspicious signs must first appear in the river. The river is the murkiest of waters and could not clear itself on its own. I venture to believe that numinous gifts and blessed omens do not appear without reason; the clearing of the river that heralded a sage truly belonged to Great Sui. The wu year corresponds to the Quail Fire asterism, manifesting the virtue of fire; and midsummer, when fire reigns supreme, likewise manifests the virtue of fire. The fifth month on the fifth day, with five doubled, matches the numbers of heaven and earth. Having already obtained the moment of receiving the Mandate, it was fitting that the omen should appear in advance.

開皇初，邵州人楊令悊近河得青石圖一、紫石圖一，皆隱起成文，有至尊名，下云「八方天心」。永州又得石圖，剖為兩段，有楊樹之形，黃根青葉。汝水得神龜，腹下有文曰「天卜楊興」。安邑掘地得古鐵板，文曰「皇始天年，齎楊鐵券，王興」。同州得石龜，文曰「天子延千年，大吉」。臣以前之三石，不異《龍圖》。何以用石？石體久固，義與上名符合。龜腹七字何以著龜？龜亦久固，兼是神靈之物。孔子歎河不出圖，洛不出書。今于大隋聖世，圖書屢出。建德六年，亳州大周村有龍鬥，白者勝，黑者死。大象元年夏，熒陽汴水北有龍鬥。初見白氣屬天，自東方曆陽武而來。及至，白龍也，長十許丈。有黑龍乘雲而至，雲雨相薄，乍合乍離，自午至申，白龍升天，黑龍墜地。謹案：龍，君象也。前鬥于亳州周村者，蓋象至尊以龍鬥之歲為亳州總管，遂代周有天下。後鬥于熒陽者，熒字三火，明火德之盛也。白龍從東方來，曆陽武者，蓋象至尊將登帝位，從東第入自崇陽門也。西北升天者，當乾位天門。

At the beginning of the Kaihuang era, Yang Lingti of Shao province found near the river one green stone chart and one purple stone chart, both bearing raised inscriptions with the emperor's name and the words "Heart of Heaven in the Eight Directions." In Yong province another stone chart was found, split into two pieces showing the form of a poplar tree with yellow roots and green leaves. At the Ru River a divine turtle was found with writing on its belly that read, "Heaven divines the rise of Yang." At Anyi an ancient iron plate was unearthed bearing the inscription, "In the imperial beginning and heavenly year, bearing Yang's iron tally, the king shall rise." In Tong province a stone turtle was found inscribed with the words, "The Son of Heaven extends his reign a thousand years—great auspice." Your subject believes that the three stone charts mentioned above are no different from the "Dragon Diagram." Why should stone be used? Stone is enduring and firm by nature, and its meaning accords with the emperor's name. Why should the seven characters be inscribed on a turtle? The turtle is likewise enduring, and moreover is a numinous creature. Confucius lamented that the Yellow River did not yield a diagram and the Luo did not yield a book. But in the sage age of Great Sui, such charts and books have appeared again and again. In the sixth year of Jiande, at Dazhou village in Bozhou two dragons fought; the white dragon prevailed and the black dragon died. In the summer of the first year of Daxiang, north of the Bian River at Yingyang, dragons were seen fighting. At first a white vapor rose to the sky, advancing from the east through Liyang and Wu. When it drew near, it proved to be a white dragon some thirty meters long. A black dragon came riding the clouds. Cloud and rain closed in upon one another, now joining, now parting. From noon until late afternoon the white dragon rose to heaven and the black dragon crashed to earth. I respectfully observe that the dragon symbolizes the sovereign. The earlier battle at Zhou village in Bozhou surely foreshadowed His Majesty: in the year of that dragon fight he became inspector-general of Bozhou, then supplanted Zhou and took possession of the realm. The later battle at Yingyang is significant because the character ying contains three instances of the fire radical, plainly manifesting the fullness of fire's virtue. The white dragon came from the east, passing through Liyang and Wu, and surely foretold His Majesty's ascent to the throne: he would enter from the Eastern Residence through the Chongyang Gate. Its ascent to heaven in the northwest corresponds to the qian trigram's position, the Heavenly Gate.

《坤靈圖》曰：「聖人殺龍，龍不可得而殺，皆感氣也。」又曰：「泰，姓商名宮，黃色，長八尺，六十世。河龍以正月辰見，白龍與五黑龍鬥，白龍陵，故泰人有命。」謹案此言，皆為大隋而發也。「聖人殺龍」者，前後龍死是也。「姓商」者，皇家於五姓為商也。「名宮」者，武元皇帝諱于五聲為宮。「黃色」者，隋色尚黃。「長八尺」者，武元皇帝身長八尺。「河龍以正月辰見」者，《泰》，正月卦，龍見之所于京師為辰地。「白龍與黑龍鬥」者，亳州、熒陽龍鬥是也。勝龍所以白者，楊姓納音為商，至尊又辛酉歲生，位皆在西方，西方白色也。死龍所以黑者，周色黑。所以稱五者，周閔、明、武、宣、靖凡五帝；越、陳、代、越、滕五王一時伏法，亦當五數。「白龍陵」者，陵猶勝也。鄭玄說「陵」當為「除」，凡鬥能去敵曰除。臣以「泰人有命」者，泰之為言，通也，大也，明其人道通德大，有天命也。《乾鑿度》曰：「泰表戴幹。」鄭玄注云：「表者，人形體之彰識也。幹，盾也。泰人之表，戴幹。」臣伏見至尊有戴幹之表，益知泰人之表，不爽毫釐。《坤靈圖》所雲，字字皆驗。緯書又稱漢四百年，終如其言，則知六十世亦必然矣。昔宗周卜世三十，今則倍之。

The apocryphal 'Kun Ling Tu' says, "The sage slays the dragon, yet the dragon cannot truly be killed by force; all such events are stirred by cosmic qi. It also says, "Tai: surname Shang, given name Gong, yellow in color, eight feet tall, sixty generations. The river dragon appears in the first month at the chen hour; the white dragon battles five black dragons and prevails, and therefore the people of Tai receive Heaven's Mandate." I respectfully observe that every one of these passages was uttered on behalf of Great Sui. "The sage slays the dragon" refers to the deaths of the dragons in the earlier and later battles. "Surname Shang" means that among the five great clans the imperial house belongs to the Shang category. "Given name Gong" means that Emperor Wu Yuan's personal name corresponds to the gong note among the five tones. "Yellow color" means that Sui honors yellow as its dynastic color. "Eight feet tall" refers to Emperor Wu Yuan, who stood eight feet in height. "The river dragon appears in the first month at the chen hour" refers to the hexagram Tai, which governs the first month; the site of the dragon's appearance in the capital corresponds to the chen direction. "The white dragon fights the black dragon" refers to the dragon battles at Bozhou and Yingyang. The victorious dragon was white because the Yang clan's na-yin classification is shang, His Majesty was born in a xinyou year, and all these associations lie in the west, whose color is white. The defeated dragon was black because Zhou's dynastic color was black. The text speaks of five because there were five Zhou emperors—Min, Ming, Wu, Xuan, and Jing; and the princes of Yue, Chen, Dai, Yue, and Teng were executed at the same time, likewise matching the number five. "The white dragon ling" means that ling signifies victory. Zheng Xuan explained that ling should be read as chu, meaning in combat to remove one's foe. I take "the people of Tai receive the Mandate" to mean that tai signifies penetration and greatness, showing that their human way is all-encompassing, their virtue is vast, and Heaven's Mandate is theirs. The apocryphal 'Qian Zao Du' says, "The outward mark of the people of Tai wears the Heavenly Stem. Zheng Xuan commented, "Biao means the outward distinguishing mark on the human body. Gan means a shield. The outward mark of the people of Tai wears the gan." Your subject has humbly observed that His Majesty bears the mark of wearing the gan on his brow, which proves all the more that the outward mark of the people of Tai is fulfilled to the last detail. Every word of the 'Kun Ling Tu' has been fulfilled. The apocryphal books also predicted that Han would endure four hundred years, and events proved them right; we may therefore be certain that sixty generations will likewise come to pass. The Zhou of old divined thirty generations for their house; now the span is doubled.

《稽覽圖》曰：「太平時，陰陽和合，風雨會同，海內不偏。地有阻險，故風有遲疾。雖太平之政猶有不能均，惟平均乃不鳴條，故欲風於亳。亳者陳留也。」謹案此言，蓋明至尊昔為陳留公世子，亳州總管，遂受天命，海內均同，不偏不党，以成太平之風化也。在大統十六年，武元皇帝改封陳留公。是時，齊國有秘記云：「天王陳留入并州。」齊主高洋為是誅陳留王彭樂。其後，武元皇帝果將兵入并州。周武帝時，望氣者云「亳州有天子氣」，於是殺亳州刺史紇豆陵恭。至尊代為之。又陳留老子祠有枯柏，世傳云老子將度世，云：「待枯柏生東南枝，回指，當有聖人出，吾道復行。」至齊，枯柏從下生枝，東南上指，夜有三童子相與歌曰：「老子廟前古枯樹，東南枝如傘，聖主從此去。」及至尊牧亳州，親至祠樹之下，自是柏枝回抱，其枯枝漸指西北，道教果行。考校眾事，太平主出於亳州陳留之地，皆如所言。《稽覽圖》又云：「政道得，則陰物變為陽物。」鄭玄注云：「蔥變為韭，亦是。」謹案自六年以來，遠近山石多變為玉。石為陰，玉為陽。又左衛園中，蔥皆變為韭。

The apocryphal 'Ji Lan Tu' says, "In an age of Great Peace, yin and yang are in harmony, wind and rain arrive together, and nothing within the seas is partial. Because the land has barriers and rugged terrain, the wind blows now slowly, now swiftly. Even under a government of Great Peace some regions cannot be made perfectly even; only when all is balanced do the branches cease to stir, and therefore the text desires wind at Bo. Bo is another name for Chenliu. I respectfully observe that this passage shows how His Majesty was once heir to the Duke of Chenliu and inspector-general of Bozhou, then received Heaven's Mandate; the realm was made uniform, without partiality or faction, and the transforming influence of Great Peace was thereby fulfilled. In the sixteenth year of Datong, Emperor Wu Yuan was re-enfeoffed as Duke of Chenliu. At that time Qi possessed a secret prophecy saying, "The Heavenly King of Chenliu will enter Bing province. Because of this prophecy, the Qi ruler Gao Yang executed Peng Le, Prince of Chenliu. Afterward Emperor Wu Yuan did indeed lead troops into Bing province. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Zhou, diviners of cosmic qi reported that Bozhou bore the aura of an emperor, and the inspector of Bozhou, Hedouling Gong, was therefore executed. His Majesty then took his place as inspector. At the Laozi shrine in Chenliu there also stood a withered cypress. Tradition held that when Laozi was about to leave the world he said, "Wait until this withered cypress puts forth a southeast branch that turns back and points—then a sage will appear and my Way will flourish again. When Qi ruled, the withered cypress sprouted new branches from its base, pointing toward the southeast. One night three boys sang together, "Before Laozi's temple stands an ancient withered tree; its southeast branch spreads like an umbrella—the sage lord will depart from here." When His Majesty governed Bozhou he came in person to the shrine tree. From that moment the cypress branches turned back upon themselves, the withered limbs gradually pointed northwest, and the Daoist teaching did indeed flourish again. When one compares all these events, the lord of Great Peace arising from Bozhou and Chenliu fulfilled every prophecy. The 'Ji Lan Tu' also says, "When the way of government is fully realized, yin things are transformed into yang things. Zheng Xuan commented that scallions turning into leeks is another example of the same phenomenon. I respectfully observe that since the sixth year stones throughout the realm, near and far, have in many cases turned into jade. Stone belongs to yin; jade belongs to yang. In the garden of the Left Guard as well, every scallion plant turned into leek.

上覽之大悅，賜物五百段。未幾，劭復上書曰：

The emperor read the memorial with great delight and rewarded him with five hundred lengths of goods. Before long Shao submitted another memorial, saying:

《易·乾鑿度》曰：「《隨》，上六，拘系之，乃從維之，王用享於西山。《隨》者，二月卦。陽德施行，蕃決難解，萬物隨陽而出。故上六欲九五拘系之，維持之，明被陽化而欲陰隨從之也。」《易·稽覽圖》：「《坤》六月，有子女任政，一年傳為《復》。五月，貧之從東北來立，大起土邑；西北地動星墜，陽衛。《屯》十一月，神人從中山出，趙地動；北方三十日，千里馬數至。」謹案：凡此《易緯》所言，皆是大隋符命。《隨》者，二月之卦，明大隋以二月即皇帝位也。「陽德施行」者，明楊氏之德教施行於天下也。「蕃決難解」者，明當時蕃鄣皆通決，險難皆解散也。「萬物隨陽而出」者，明天地間萬物盡隨楊氏而出見也。「上六欲九五拘系之」者，五為王，六為宗廟，明宗廟神靈欲命登九五之位，帝王拘人以禮，系人以義也。「拘人以禮，系人以義」，此二旬，亦是《乾鑿度》之言。「維持之」者，明能以綱維持正天下也。」被陽化而欲陰隨從之」者，明諸陰類被服楊氏之風化，莫不隨從。陰，謂臣下也。「王用享於西山」者，蓋明至尊常以歲二月幸西山仁壽宮也。凡四稱「隨」，三稱「陽」，欲美隨楊，丁寧之至也。「《坤》六月」者，坤位在未，六月建未，言至尊以六月生也。「有子女任政」者，言樂平公主是皇帝子女，而為周後，任理內政也。「一年傳為《復》」者，《復》是《坤》之一世卦，陽氣初起，言周宣帝崩後一年，傳位與楊氏也。「五月，貧之從東北來立」，「貧之」當為「真人」，字之誤也。言周宣帝以五月崩，真人革命，當在此時。至尊謙讓而逆天意，故逾年乃立。昔為定州總管，在京師東北，本而言之，故曰「真人從東北來立」。「大起土邑」者，大起，即大興城邑也。「西北地動星墜」者，蓋天意去周授隋，故變動也。「陽衛」者，言楊氏得天衛助也。「《屯》，十一月，神人從中山出」者，此卦動而大亨作，故至尊以十一月被授亳州總管，將從中山而出也。「趙地動」者，中山為趙地，以神人將去，故變動也。「北方三十日」者，蓋至尊從北方將往亳州之時，停留三十日也。「千里馬」者，蓋至尊舊所乘騧騮馬也。《屯》卦，震下坎上，震于馬為作足，坎于馬為美脊，是故騧馬脊有肉鞍，行則先作弄四足也。「數至」者，言歷數至也。

The apocryphal 'Qian Zao Du' attached to the Changes says of the hexagram Sui, line six at the top: "Bound and tied—then follow and maintain it; the king uses it to offer sacrifice at the Western Mountain. Sui is the hexagram of the second month. Yang virtue is put into practice, frontier barriers are opened and hardships dissolved, and the ten thousand things emerge following the yang force. Thus the top line desires that the fifth line bind and tie it and maintain it—showing that, having been transformed by yang, yin wishes to follow in its train. The apocryphal 'Ji Lan Tu' says, "Kun, the sixth month: sons and daughters hold power; after one year the mandate passes to Fu. In the fifth month the true man comes from the northeast to take the throne and greatly raises earthen cities; in the northwest the earth quakes and stars fall, and Yang receives Heaven's protection. Tun, the eleventh month: a divine man comes forth from Zhongshan and the lands of Zhao tremble; for thirty days in the north, thousand-li horses arrive again and again." I respectfully observe that everything these apocryphal texts on the Changes proclaim concerns the validating portents of Great Sui. Sui is the hexagram of the second month, showing that Great Sui assumed the imperial throne in the second month. "Yang virtue is put into practice" shows that the Yang clan's moral teaching was spread throughout the realm. "Frontier barriers are opened and hardships dissolved" means that at the time every frontier barrier was opened and every hardship removed. "The ten thousand things emerge following yang" means that throughout the realm everything emerged under the Yang clan's rule. "The top line desires that the fifth line bind and tie it" means that five signifies the king and six the ancestral temple, showing that the imperial ancestors wished him to ascend the throne; the emperor binds his subjects through ritual and holds them through righteousness. "Binding people through ritual and holding them through righteousness"—these two phrases also come from the 'Qian Zao Du.' "Maintaining it" shows that he was able to uphold and set right the realm through its governing principles." Having been transformed by yang and wishing yin to follow" means that every yin element, having received the Yang clan's civilizing influence, followed without exception. Yin here refers to ministers and subjects. "The king uses it to offer sacrifice at the Western Mountain" surely refers to His Majesty's custom of visiting the Western Mountain and Renshou Palace every year in the second month. The text names sui four times and yang three times, lavishing praise on following the Yang clan with the utmost earnest repetition. "Kun, the sixth month" means that kun occupies the wei position and the sixth month is keyed to wei, indicating that His Majesty was born in the sixth month. "Sons and daughters hold power" refers to the Princess of Yueping, who was the emperor's daughter, became empress of Zhou, and managed internal affairs. "After one year the mandate passes to Fu" means that Fu is one of Kun's cycle hexagrams, when yang force first stirs—referring to the transfer of power to the Yang clan one year after Emperor Xuan of Zhou died. "In the fifth month the true man comes from the northeast to take the throne"—the characters pin zhi are a scribal error for zhenren, "true man." It means that Emperor Xuan of Zhou died in the fifth month and that the true man's revolution ought to have taken place at that moment. His Majesty, out of modesty, defied Heaven's intent and therefore did not take the throne until more than a year had passed. He had formerly served as inspector-general of Ding province, which lies northeast of the capital; speaking in fundamental terms, this is why the text says "the true man comes from the northeast to take the throne." "Greatly raising earthen cities" means the founding of the great capital at Daxing. "In the northwest the earth quakes and stars fall" surely signifies Heaven's intent to remove Zhou and bestow the mandate on Sui, hence these disturbances. "Yang guards" means that the Yang clan received Heaven's protection. "Tun, the eleventh month, a divine man comes forth from Zhongshan" refers to a hexagram of stirring motion and great prosperity; accordingly, in the eleventh month His Majesty was appointed inspector-general of Bozhou and was about to depart from Zhongshan. "The lands of Zhao tremble" means that because Zhongshan lies in Zhao territory and the divine man was about to depart, the region was shaken. "For thirty days in the north" refers to the thirty days His Majesty paused while traveling from the north toward Bozhou. "Thousand-li horses" refers to the piebald horses His Majesty once rode. In the hexagram Tun, zhen lies below and kan above; for horses zhen signifies moving feet and kan a fine back—hence the piebald horse's back bears a fleshy saddle, and when it walks it first lifts and plays with all four feet. "Arrive repeatedly" means that the dynastic cycle had reached its appointed moment.

《河圖·帝通紀》曰：「形瑞出，變矩衡。赤應隨，葉靈皇。」《河圖·皇參持》曰：「皇辟出，承元訖。道無為，安率。被遂矩，戲作術。開皇色，握神日。投輔提，象不絕。立皇后，翼不格。道終始，德優劣。帝任政，河典出。葉輔嬉，爛可述。」謹案：凡此《河圖》所言，亦是大隋符命。「形瑞出，變矩衡」者，矩，法也；衡，北斗星名，所謂璿璣玉衡者也。大隋受命，形兆之瑞始出，天象則為之變動。北斗主天之法度，故曰矩衡。《易緯》：「伏戲，矩衡神。」鄭玄注，以為法玉衡之神。與此《河圖》矩衡義同。「赤應隨」者，言赤帝降精，感應而生隋也。故隋以火德為赤帝天子。「葉靈皇」者，葉，合也，言大隋德合上靈天皇大帝也。又年號開皇，與《靈寶經》之開皇年相合，故曰葉靈皇。「皇辟出」者，皇，大也；辟，君也。大君出，蓋謂至尊受命出為天子也。「承元訖」者，言承周天元終訖之運也。「道無為，安率」者，「安」下脫一字，言大道無為，安定，天下率從。「被遂矩，戲作術」者，矩，法也，昔遂皇握機矩，伏戲作八卦之術，言大隋被服彼二皇之法術也。「遂皇機矩」，語見《易緯》。「開皇色」者，言開皇年易服色也。「握神日」者，言握持群神，明照如日也。又開皇以來日漸長，亦其義也。「投輔提」者，言投授政事於輔佐，使之提挈也。「象不絕」者，法象不廢絕也。「立皇后，翼不格」者，格，至也，言本立太子以為皇家後嗣，而其輔翼之人不能至於善也。「道終始，德優劣」者，言前東宮道終而德劣，今皇太子道始而德優也。「帝任政，河典出」者，言皇帝親任政事，而邵州河濱得石圖也。「葉輔嬉，爛可述」者，葉，合也；嬉，興也。言群臣合心輔佐，以興政教，爛然可紀述也。所以於《皇參持》、《帝通紀》二篇，大陳符命者，明皇道帝德盡在於隋也。

The 'River Chart: Imperial Succession Record' says, "Auspicious forms appear and the measures of rule are transformed. The red omen follows in response; the numinous emperor arises like a leaf. The 'River Chart: Imperial Canopy Held' says, "The imperial sovereign emerges and receives the primordial beginning through to its completion. The Way is without forced action; he leads the realm in peace. Clothed in the measures of sui, he playfully establishes methods of rule. The color of Kaihuang; he grasps the divine sun. He casts forth his assistants; the imperial image does not perish. He establishes the empress, and his supporting ministers do not overstep their stations. The Way has its end and beginning; virtue knows superiority and inferiority. The emperor personally governs; the river classic appears. Aid unites and rises; glory fit to be recorded." I respectfully observe that everything spoken here in the River Chart is likewise a prophecy of Great Sui's Mandate. "When forms and omens emerge, the square and balance change"—ju means law; heng is the name of a Northern Dipper star—the xuanji and jade balance of astronomical lore. When Great Sui received the Mandate, prophetic signs first appeared, and the heavens altered their courses accordingly. The Northern Dipper presides over heaven's laws and measures, hence the term ju-heng, square and balance. The apocryphal 'Yi Wei' says, "Fuxi, god of square and balance. Zheng Xuan's commentary interprets this as the spirit governing the jade balance. This matches the meaning of ju-heng in the River Chart. "Red responds and follows" signifies that the Red Emperor descended his essence, and by sympathetic response Sui was born. Therefore Sui, possessing fire's virtue, is son of heaven to the Red Emperor. "Ye ling huang"—ye means unite—signifies that Great Sui's virtue joined with the Great Spirit Heaven Emperor. Furthermore the era-name Kaihuang coincides with the Kaihuang year in the Scripture of the Numinous Treasure, hence the phrase ye ling huang. "The august sovereign emerges"—huang means great; bi means sovereign. The great sovereign emerges—this surely foretells His Majesty receiving the Mandate and ascending as son of heaven. "Receiving the primal cycle to its end" means inheriting the cosmic cycle as heaven's primal period reaches its close. "The Way is non-active, peace leads"—one character is missing after "peace"—and signifies that the Great Way acts without forcing, the realm is settled, and all under heaven follows obediently. "Clad in Sui's square, Xi devised the method"—ju means law—recalling how Sovereign Sui once grasped the cosmic pivot and Fuxi devised the eight trigrams: Great Sui now inherits both sovereigns' laws and arts. "Sovereign Sui's pivot-square" is a phrase found in the 'Yi Wei.' "Kaihuang color" refers to the change of court vestments in the Kaihuang era. "Grasping the gods, the sun" signifies holding the host of spirits in hand, brilliant as the sun itself. Moreover, since the Kaihuang era the days have gradually lengthened, which likewise fulfills this prophecy. "Cast to the assist, raise" means entrusting governance to his ministers and empowering them to lead. "Images not cut off" means that the symbolic patterns of governance endure unbroken. "Establish the empress, wings do not arrive"—ge meaning to reach—signifies that though a crown prince was installed as heir, those who should have supported him failed to achieve virtue. "The Way ends and begins, virtue superior and inferior" means the former crown prince's path had ended and his virtue was wanting, whereas the present crown prince's path begins and his virtue excels. "The emperor personally governs, the river classic emerges" means that the emperor took government into his own hands and that a stone River Chart was discovered on the banks of the river at Shao prefecture. "Ye assists, rises, splendid can be recounted"—ye means unite; xi means flourish. It signifies that the ministers united in purpose to support him, raising governance and instruction to a brilliance worth recording. Hence in the two chapters 'Huang Can Chi' and 'Di Tong Ji' he laid out the prophecies at length to demonstrate that the royal Way and imperial virtue all belong to Sui.

上大悅，以劭至誠，寵錫日隆。

The emperor was greatly pleased. Finding Shao utterly sincere, he lavished ever greater favor and gifts upon him.

時有人于黃鳳泉浴，得二白石，頗有文理。遂附其文以為字，復言有諸物象，而上奏曰：「其大玉有日月、星辰、八卦、五嶽及二麟、雙鳳、青龍、硃雀、騶虞、玄武，各當其方位。又有五行、十日、十二辰之各，凡二十七字。又有'天門、地戶、人門、鬼門閉'九字。又有卻非及二鳥。其鳥皆人面，則《抱樸子》所謂千秋萬歲者也。其小玉亦有五嶽、卻非、虯、犀之象。二玉俱有仙人玉女乘雲控鶴之象。別有異狀諸神，不可盡識，蓋是風伯、雨師、山精、海若之類。又有天皇大帝、皇帝及四帝坐，鉤陳、北斗、三公、天將軍、土司空、老人、天倉、南河、北河、五星、二十八宿凡四十五官。諸字本無行伍，皆往往偶對。于大玉則有皇帝日名，並臨南面，與日字正鼎足。復有老人星，蓋明南面象日，而長壽也。皇后二字在西，上有月形，蓋明象月也。于次玉，則皇帝名與九千字次比，兩楊字與萬年字次比，隋與吉字正並，蓋明長久吉慶也。」劭復回互其字，作詩二百八十篇奏之。上以為誠，賜帛千匹。

About that time a man bathing at Yellow Phoenix Spring found two white stones marked with considerable patterns and inscriptions. He then construed their markings as written characters, claimed further that they bore images of various auspicious creatures, and memorialized: "The larger stone bears the sun, moon, stars, the eight trigrams, the five sacred peaks, two qilin, paired phoenixes, the azure dragon, vermilion bird, zouyu, and black tortoise—each positioned in its proper place. It also bears the five phases, the ten heavenly stems, and the twelve earthly branches—twenty-seven characters in all. There are also nine characters reading 'Heaven Gate, Earth Door, Human Gate, Ghost Gate closed.' There are also quefei demons and two birds. These birds all bear human faces—the creatures called "thousand autumns, ten thousand years" in the 'Baopuzi.' The smaller stone likewise bears the five peaks, quefei, dragons, and rhinoceroses. Both stones alike depict immortals and jade maidens riding clouds and guiding cranes. Other strange divine figures appear as well, too many to identify—presumably wind lords, rain masters, mountain spirits, sea gods, and such beings. It also depicts the Great Heaven Emperor, the Emperor, the thrones of the Four Emperors, Gouchen, the Northern Dipper, the Three Dukes, Heavenly General, Earth Minister, Old Man Star, Heavenly Granary, Southern River, Northern River, the five planets, and the twenty-eight lodges—forty-five celestial offices in all. The characters originally had no fixed order; they merely happened to fall into paired arrangements. On the larger stone appear the emperor's name and the character for sun, both facing south in a tripartite arrangement with the sun character. The Old Man star appears as well, evidently signifying that the south-facing sun image portends longevity. The two characters for empress lie to the west, with a moon shape above them, plainly signifying the moon. On the smaller stone the emperor's name follows the nine-thousand character in sequence; the two instances of Yang follow the ten-thousand-years character; Sui stands directly beside the auspicious character—evidently portending enduring fortune and celebration. Shao then recombined the characters and composed two hundred eighty poems, which he presented to the throne. The emperor took this as proof of sincerity and rewarded him with a thousand bolts of silk.

劭於是采人間歌謠，引圖書讖緯，依約符命，捃摭佛經，撰為《皇隋靈感志》合三十卷，奏之。上令宣示天下。劭集諸州朝集使，洗手焚香，閉目讀之。曲折其聲，有如歌詠，經涉旬朔，遍而後罷。上益喜，賞賜優洽。

Shao then collected popular ballads, drew on charts, books, apocrypha, and prophecy texts, aligned them with tokens of the Mandate, culled passages from Buddhist scriptures, and compiled the 'Records of the Numinous Responses of Imperial Sui' in thirty fascicles, which he presented to the throne. The emperor ordered it disseminated throughout the empire. Shao assembled the regional envoys posted to court, washed his hands, burned incense, closed his eyes, and chanted the text aloud. He modulated his voice like a sacred chant, and for more than a month read through the entire work before stopping. The emperor was still more delighted and lavished generous rewards upon him.

及文獻皇后崩，劭復上言：「佛經說人應生天上及上品上生無量壽國之時，天佛放大光明，以香花妓樂來迎之。如來以明星出時入涅盤。伏惟大行皇后，聖德仁慈；福善禎符，備諸秘記，皆云是妙善菩薩。臣謹案：八月二十二日，仁壽宮內再雨金銀之花；二十三日，大寶殿后，夜有神光；二十四日卯時，永安宮北，有自然種種音樂，震滿虛空。至五更中，奄然如寐，便即升遐。與經文所說，事皆符驗。臣又以愚意思之，皇后遷化不在仁壽大興宮者，蓋避至尊常居正處也。在永安宮者，象京師永安門，平生所出入也。後升遐後二日，苑內夜有鐘聲二百餘處，此則生天之應，顯然也。」上覽之，且悲且喜。時蜀王秀以罪廢，上謂劭曰：「嗟乎！」吾有五子，三子不才。」劭進曰：「自古聖帝明王，皆不能移不肖之子。黃帝二十五子，同姓者二，餘各異德。堯十子，舜九子，皆不肖。夏有五觀，周有三監。」上然其言。後上夢欲上高山而不能得，崔彭捧腳，李盛扶肘，乃得上。因謂彭曰：「死生當與爾俱。」劭曰：「此夢大吉。上高山者，明高崇大安，永如山也。彭猶彭祖，李猶李老，二人扶侍，實為長壽之征。」上聞之，喜見容色。其年，上崩，未幾，崔彭亦卒。

When Empress Wen died, Shao memorialized again: "Buddhist scriptures teach that when a soul merits rebirth in heaven or the highest grade of the Land of Infinite Life, heaven and Buddha pour forth great radiance and welcome the departed with incense, flowers, musicians, and dancers. The Tathagata entered nirvana at the hour when the morning star appeared. I humbly observe that the late empress was sage in virtue and benevolent in nature; blessed in goodness and marked by auspicious omens recorded in secret texts—all affirm that she was Bodhisattva Miaoshan. I respectfully note that on the twenty-second day of the eighth month golden and silver flowers twice rained down within Renshou Palace; on the twenty-third, behind the Great Treasure Hall, divine light appeared at night; on the twenty-fourth at dawn, north of Yong'an Palace, music of every kind arose spontaneously, reverberating through the heavens. By the fifth watch she had suddenly fallen as if asleep and at once departed this life. Every one of these events corresponds to the scriptures' prophecies. I further venture this interpretation: that the empress did not die at Renshou or Daxing Palace was surely to avoid the place where His Majesty ordinarily resided. Her death at Yong'an Palace symbolizes the capital's Yong'an Gate, through which she had passed all her life. Two days after her passing, bells rang at more than two hundred places within the imperial park by night—plain evidence of her rebirth in heaven. The emperor read the memorial, grieving and yet consoled in equal measure. About then Prince Xiu of Shu was deposed for his crimes. The emperor said to Shao, "Alas! I have five sons, and three of them are worthless. Shao replied, "Since antiquity even sage emperors and enlightened kings have been unable to reform unworthy sons. The Yellow Emperor had twenty-five sons, but only two shared his surname; the rest possessed virtues unlike his own. Yao had ten sons and Shun had nine, and all were unworthy. Xia had the Five Guans and Zhou had the Three Overseers. The emperor accepted his argument. Later the emperor dreamed of climbing a high mountain but could not manage it until Cui Peng supported his feet and Li Shen steadied his elbow, enabling him to reach the summit. He then told Peng, "In life and death I shall remain with you. Shao declared, "This dream is most auspicious. Climbing a high mountain signifies exalted stature, great peace, and endurance everlasting as the mountain itself. Peng evokes Peng Zu the immortal and Li evokes Old Li; that these two men supported him is truly an omen of longevity. Hearing this, the emperor's face brightened with pleasure. That same year the emperor died, and soon afterward Cui Peng died as well.

煬帝嗣位，漢王諒作亂，帝不忍誅。劭上書曰：「臣聞黃帝滅炎，蓋雲母弟；周公誅管，信亦天倫；叔向戮叔魚，仲尼謂之遺直；石蠟殺石厚，丘明以為大義。此皆經籍明文，帝王常法。今陛下置此逆賊，度越前聖。謹案：賊諒毒被生靈者也。古者同德則同姓，德不同則異姓，故黃帝有二十五子，其得姓者十有四人，唯青陽、夷鼓與黃帝同為姬姓。諒既自絕，請改其氏。」劭以此求媚，帝依違不從。後遷秘書少監，卒於官。

When Emperor Yang succeeded to the throne, Prince Liang of Han rose in rebellion, but the emperor could not bring himself to execute him. Shao memorialized: "I have heard that the Yellow Emperor destroyed Yan, though Yan was his mother's younger brother; that the Duke of Zhou executed Guan, though Guan too was bound to him by the ties of heaven; that Shu Xiang put his brother Shu Yu to death, which Confucius praised as preserving integrity; that Shi Zhu killed his son Shi Hou, which Zuo Qiuming judged an act of supreme righteousness. These are all explicit lessons in the classics—the constant law of sage rulers. Yet Your Majesty now spares this rebel, exceeding even those ancient sages in mercy. I respectfully observe that the rebel Liang's poison has spread across the living world. In antiquity those who shared virtue shared a surname, while those of differing virtue bore different surnames. The Yellow Emperor had twenty-five sons, fourteen of whom received surnames, but only Qingyang and Yibo shared the Ji clan name with the Yellow Emperor. Since Liang has severed himself from the imperial house, I beg that his clan name be changed. Shao sought favor with this memorial, but the emperor wavered and did not comply. He was later promoted to Vice Director of the Secretariat and died in that post.

劭在著作，將二十年，專典國史，撰《隋書》八十卷。多錄口敕。又采迂怪不經之語，及委巷之言，以類相從，為其題目。詞義繁雜，無足稱者。遂使隋代文武名臣善惡之跡，堙滅無聞。初撰《齊志》為編年體二十卷，復為《齊書》，紀傳一百卷，及《平賊記》三卷，或文詞鄙野，或不軌不物，駭人視聽，大為有識嗤鄙。然其指摘經史謬誤，為《讀書記》三十卷，時人服其精博。爰自志學，暨於暮齒。篤好經史，遺略世事。用思既專，性頗恍忽，每至對食，閉目凝思，盤中之肉，輒為僕從所啖。劭弗之覺，唯責肉少，數罰廚人。廚人以情白劭，劭依前閉目，伺而獲之。廚人方免笞辱。其專固如此。

Shao spent nearly twenty years in the Compilation Office, where he supervised the national history and compiled eighty fascicles of the History of Sui. Much of it consisted of verbatim records of oral edicts. He also collected bizarre and unorthodox tales along with street gossip, grouping them by category under various titles. The prose is prolix and confused, and the work is not worth commending. Thus the deeds, good and ill, of Sui's civil and military worthies were buried in oblivion. He first drafted the Annals of Qi in twenty fascicles of annalistic form, then produced a History of Qi in one hundred fascicles of annals-and-biographies format, along with a Record of Pacifying Rebels in three fascicles. Some passages were crude, others bizarre and unseemly, shocking to read or hear, and men of judgment widely scorned them. Yet in exposing errors in the classics and histories he compiled thirty fascicles of Reading Notes, and contemporaries admired his precision and erudition. From his fifteenth year to his old age. He was devoted to the classics and histories and paid little heed to worldly affairs. His concentration was so complete that he grew absent-minded. At meals he would close his eyes and lose himself in thought, and the meat on his plate would be eaten by his attendants. Shao noticed nothing and only complained that there was too little meat, repeatedly punishing the kitchen staff. The cooks told him what was happening. Shao closed his eyes as before and waited until he caught them in the act. Only then were the cooks spared a beating. Such was the fixity of his devotion.

遵業弟廣業，性沈雅，涉曆書傳，位太尉祭酒，遷屬。卒于太中大夫，贈徐州刺史。子乂，有儀望，以幹用見稱，卒于南钜鹿太守。

Zunye's younger brother Guangye was grave and refined, well read in books and records, served as libationer at the Grand Marshal's office, and was later transferred to an attendant post. He died while serving as Grand Master of Palace Affairs and was posthumously appointed Inspector of Xuzhou. His son Yi had a dignified presence and was known for practical ability; he died while serving as Administrator of Southern Julu.

廣業弟延業，博學多聞，頗有才藻，位中書郎。河陰之役，遂亡骸骨。乂無子，贈齊州刺史。延業弟季和，位書侍御史、并州大中正，贈華州刺史。

Guangye's younger brother Yanye was broadly learned and well informed, possessed considerable literary talent, and served as Secretariat Gentleman. At the Battle of Heyin he was killed and his remains were never recovered. Yi left no son and was posthumously appointed Inspector of Qi Province. Yanye's younger brother Jihe served as Attendant Imperial Censor and Senior Rectifier of Bing Province and was posthumously appointed Inspector of Hua Province.

鄭羲，字幼麟，滎陽開封人，魏將作大匠渾之八世孫也。曾祖豁，慕容垂太常卿。父曄，不仕。娶長樂潘氏，生六子，粗有志氣，而羲第六，文學為優。弱冠舉秀才，尚書李孝伯以女妻之。文成末，拜中書博士。

Zheng Xi, courtesy name Youlin, was a native of Kaifeng in Xingyang and eighth-generation descendant of Zheng Hun, Chief Artisan under the Wei. His great-grandfather Huo served Murong Chui as Minister of Ceremonies. His father Ye never entered government service. He married Lady Pan of Changle, who bore six sons, each with some mettle; Xi was the sixth and excelled in letters and learning. At his capping he was nominated as a xiucai, and Director of the Department of State Affairs Li Xiaobo gave him his daughter in marriage. Near the end of Emperor Wen-cheng's reign he was appointed doctoral scholar of the Secretariat.

天安初，宋司州刺史常珍奇據汝南來降，獻文詔殿中尚書元石為都將赴之，遣羲參石軍事。到上蔡，珍奇率文武三百人來迎。既相見，議欲頓軍汝北，未即入城。羲謂石曰：「機事尚速，今珍奇雖來，意未可量。不如直入其城，奪其管籥，據有府庫。雖出珍奇非意，要以全制為勝。」石從羲言，遂策馬徑入其城。城中尚有珍奇親兵數百人，在珍奇宅內。石既克城，意益憍怠，置酒嬉戲，無警防之虞。羲勸嚴兵設備，以待非常。其夜，珍奇果使人燒府，欲因救火作難，以石有備，乃止。明旦，羲齎白武幡安慰郭邑，眾心乃定。明年，又引軍東討汝陰。宋汝陰太守張超城守不下，石攻之不克，議欲還軍長社，待秋擊之。羲曰：「今超驅市人，命不延月，宜安心守之。超食已盡，不降當走。而欲棄還長社，超必修城深塹，多積薪穀，將來恐難圖矣。」石不納，遂旋師長社。至冬，復往攻超，超果設備，無功而還。歷年，超死，楊文長代戍，食盡城潰，乃克之，竟如羲策。淮北平，遷中書侍郎。

In the first year of Tian-an, Song's Inspector of Sizhou Chang Zhenqi, who held Runan, surrendered. Emperor Xianwen ordered Director of the Palace Department Yuan Shi to go as supreme commander to receive him and sent Xi to serve on Shi's staff. When they reached Shangcai, Zhenqi came out with three hundred civil and military officials to welcome them. After the meeting they discussed halting the army north of the Ru River rather than entering the city at once. Xi said to Shi, "Critical affairs favor speed. Zhenqi may have come, but his intentions cannot yet be gauged. Better to enter the city at once, seize the keys of authority, and take possession of the treasuries. Even if Zhenqi did not intend this, securing full control is what wins. Shi followed Xi's advice and spurred his horse straight into the city. Several hundred of Zhenqi's personal troops still remained in the city, quartered at his residence. Once the city was taken, Shi grew arrogant and careless, set out wine, and made merry, giving no thought to defense. Xi urged him to keep the troops under strict discipline and stand ready for any emergency. That night Zhenqi sent men to set fire to the government offices, planning to stage a revolt under cover of fighting the blaze, but finding Shi prepared they abandoned the attempt. At dawn the next day Xi carried white military banners through the wards and suburbs to reassure the people, and order was restored. The following year they led troops east again to attack Ruyin. Song's Administrator of Ruyin Zhang Chao held the city and could not be dislodged. After Shi's assault failed, they discussed withdrawing to Changshe and waiting until autumn to attack again. Xi said, "Zhang Chao is driving townsfolk to the walls; he cannot last a month. We should settle in and maintain the siege. When his food runs out, he will flee if he does not surrender. If we withdraw to Changshe now, Chao will surely repair the walls, deepen the moats, and stockpile fuel and grain. When we return he will be far harder to take. Shi would not listen and withdrew the army to Changshe. In winter they attacked again, but Chao had made his preparations as predicted, and they returned without success. Some years later Zhang Chao died. Yang Wenchang took over the garrison; when provisions ran out the city fell, and they took it—exactly as Xi had predicted. After the north bank of the Huai was pacified, he was promoted to Secretariat Vice Director.

延興初，陽武人田智度年十五，妖惑動眾，擾亂京索。以羲河南人望，為州郡所信，遣乘傳慰喻。羲到，宣示禍福，眾皆散，智度尋見禽斬。以功賜爵泰昌男。孝文初，兼員外散騎常侍、甯朔將軍、陽武子，使于宋。

Early in the Yanxing era, Tian Zhidu of Yangwu, aged fifteen, used sorcery to rouse the people and threw the capital region and the Suo corridor into turmoil. Because Xi was a man of standing in Henan and trusted by the provinces and commanderies, he was sent by courier to console and instruct the people. When Xi arrived he explained the consequences of rebellion and loyalty; the crowds dispersed, and Zhidu was soon captured and executed. For this service he was ennobled as Baron of Taichang. Early in Emperor Xiaowen's reign he served concurrently as supernumerary attendant cavalier attendant-in-ordinary and General Who Pacifies the North, held the title Baron of Yangwu, and was sent on embassy to Song.

中山王睿寵倖當世，並置王官，羲為其傅。是後歷年不轉，資產亦乏，因請假歸，遂盤桓不返。及李沖貴寵，與羲昏姻，乃就家徵為中書令。文明太后為父燕宣王立廟于長安，初成，以羲兼太常卿，假滎陽侯，具官屬，詣長安拜廟，建碑於廟門。還，以使功，仍賜侯爵。

Prince of Zhongshan Rui enjoyed extraordinary favor and maintained a full princely staff; Xi served as his tutor. For years afterward he received no promotion, his means grew thin, and he asked leave to return home, where he lingered without returning to office. When Li Chong rose to high favor and allied with Xi by marriage, Xi was summoned from his home to serve as Director of the Secretariat. Empress Dowager Wenming built a temple to her father, Prince Xuan of Yan, at Chang'an. When it was completed she appointed Xi concurrent Minister of Ceremonies and acting Marquis of Xingyang, gave him a full staff, and sent him to Chang'an to perform the rites and erect a stele at the temple gate. On his return he was granted a marquisate in recognition of his mission.

出為西兗州刺史，假南陽公。羲多所受納，政以賄成。性又嗇吝，人有禮餉者，不與杯酒臠肉，而西門受羊酒，東門沽賣之。以李沖之親，法官不之糾也。酸棗令鄭伯孫、鄄城令董騰、別駕賈懷德、中從事申靈度並在任廉貞，勤恤百姓，羲皆申表稱薦，時論多之。文明太后為孝文納其女為嬪，徵為秘書監。太和十六年卒，尚書奏諡曰宣。詔曰：「蓋棺定諡，先典成式；激揚清濁，政道明範。羲雖宿有文業，而政闕廉清。尚書何乃情遺至公，愆違明典？依諡法，博聞多見曰文，不勤成名曰靈，可贈以本官，加諡文靈。」

He was sent out as Inspector of Western Yan Province with acting rank as Duke of Nanyang. Xi accepted many bribes, and his administration ran on graft. He was also miserly: when visitors brought gifts he would not offer them so much as a cup of wine or a slice of meat, but accepted sheep and wine at the west gate and sold them at the east. Because of his connection to Li Chong, the judicial authorities did not prosecute him. The magistrates of Suozao and Juancheng, Zheng Bosun and Dong Teng, the vice administrator Jia Huaide, and the senior clerk Shen Lingdu were all upright and attentive to the people. Xi memorialized recommending them all, and contemporaries praised him for it. Empress Dowager Wenming had his daughter taken into Emperor Xiaowen's harem as a consort, and he was recalled to serve as Director of the Palace Library. He died in the sixteenth year of Taihe. The Department of State Affairs proposed the posthumous epithet Xuan. An edict said, "To fix the posthumous name when the coffin is closed is the established pattern of the ancients; it exalts the worthy and censures the base, setting forth the norms of governance. Xi, though long accomplished in letters, was deficient in integrity in office. How could the Department let private feeling override impartial justice and violate the statutes? By the rules of posthumous naming, 'broadly learned and widely informed' yields Wen, and 'achieving renown without diligence' yields Ling. Grant him his former office and add the epithet Wen Ling."

長子懿，字景伯，涉歷經史。位太子中庶子，襲爵滎陽伯。懿閒雅有政事才，為孝文所器遇，拜長兼給事黃門侍郎、司徒左長史。宣武初，以從弟思和同咸陽王禧逆，與弟通直常侍道昭俱坐緦親出禁。拜太常少卿，出為齊州刺史。懿好勸課，善斷決，雖不清潔，義然後取，百姓猶思之。卒，贈兗州刺史，諡曰穆。子恭業襲爵，武定三年，坐與房子遠謀害齊神武，伏誅。

His eldest son Yi, courtesy name Jingbo, was versed in the classics and histories. He served as junior mentor to the heir apparent and inherited the title Baron of Xingyang. Yi was refined and capable in administration. Emperor Xiaowen favored him and appointed him senior concurrent attendant at the Yellow Gate and senior clerk on the left of the Minister of State Affairs. Early in Emperor Xuanwu's reign, because his cousin Sikong had joined Prince of Xianyang Xi's rebellion, he and his younger brother Daozhao, attendant for direct communication, were both punished as distant kin and barred from the inner precinct. He was appointed Vice Minister of Ceremonies and later sent out as Inspector of Qi Province. Yi encouraged agriculture and judged cases well. Though not scrupulously honest, he took only what he considered justified, and the people still remember him fondly. He died and was posthumously appointed Inspector of Yan Province with the epithet Mu. His son Gongye inherited the title. In the third year of Wuding he was executed for plotting with Fang Ziyuan to assassinate Qi Shenwu.

懿弟道昭，字僖伯，少好學，綜覽群言。兼中書侍郎，從征沔北。孝文饗侍臣于縣瓠方丈竹堂，道昭與兄懿俱侍坐。樂作酒酣，孝文歌曰：「白日光天兮無不曜，江左一隅獨未照。」彭城王勰續曰：「願從聖明兮登衡、會，萬國馳誠混日外。」鄭懿歌曰：「雲雷大振兮天門辟，率土來賓一正曆。」邢巒歌曰：「舜舞幹戚兮天下歸，文德遠被莫不思。」道昭歌曰：「皇風一鼓兮九地匝，戴日依天清六合。」孝文又歌曰：「遵彼汝墳兮昔化貞，未若今日道風明。」宋弁歌曰：「文王政教兮暉江召，寧如大化光四表。」孝文謂道昭曰：「自比遷豫雖猥，與諸才俊不廢詠綴，未若今日。」遂命邢巒總集敘記。「當爾之年，卿頻丁艱私，每眷文席，常用慨然」。

Yi's younger brother Daozhao, courtesy name Xibo, loved learning from youth and surveyed the breadth of classical writings. He served concurrently as Secretariat Vice Director and accompanied the campaign north of the Mian. Emperor Xiaowen feasted his courtiers in the one-zhang bamboo hall at Xianhuo, and Daozhao sat in attendance with his elder brother Yi. As the music rose and the wine deepened, Emperor Xiaowen sang, "The white sun fills the heavens and leaves nothing unlit—only one corner east of the River still waits in shadow. Prince of Pengcheng Xie took up the verse: "May we follow the sage brightness to ascend Heng and Hui; let all lands rush their loyalty and mingle beyond the sun's reach." Zheng Yi sang, "Cloud and thunder shake the heavens; the celestial gate opens; all within the realm come as guests under one true calendar." Xing Luan sang, "Shun danced with shield and axe and the realm returned; civil virtue spread far, and none failed to yearn for it." Daozhao sang, "One beat of the imperial wind circles the nine realms; bearing sun and leaning on heaven, the six directions grow clear." Emperor Xiaowen sang again, "Along the bank of the Ru—once the ground of true transformation; nothing like today, when the Way's wind shines clear." Song Bian sang, "King Wen's governance and teaching once summoned radiance to the river—how could it match the great transformation that now lights the four quarters?" Emperor Xiaowen said to Daozhao, "Since we moved the capital to Yu the setting has been modest, yet with all you talented men we never ceased composing verse—still, nothing equals today." He then ordered Xing Luan to compile a full record of the occasion. It noted, "In those years you were often in mourning; whenever you recalled our literary gatherings, you were always deeply moved."

尋正除中書郎，累遷國子祭酒。廣平王懷為司州牧，以道昭與宗正卿元匡為州都督。道昭上表曰：臣聞唐、虞啟運，以文德為本；殷、周創業，以道藝為先。然則禮樂者，為國之基，不可斯須廢也。伏惟大魏，定鼎伊、瀍，惟新寶曆。九服感至德之和，四垠懷擊壤之慶。而蠢爾閩吳，阻化江湫；先帝爰震武怒，戎車不息。而停鑾駐蹕，留心典墳。命故御史中尉臣李彪，與吏部尚書任城王臣澄等，妙選英儒，以崇學校。澄等依旨，置四門博士四十人。其國子博士、太學博士及國子助教，宿已簡置。伏尋先旨，意在速就；但軍國多事，未遑營立。自爾迄今，垂將一紀，學官雕落，四術寢廢。遂使碩儒耆德，卷經而不談；俗學後生，遺本而逐末。進競之風，實由於此矣。伏惟陛下，欽明文思，玄鑒洞遠，垂心經素。優柔墳籍，屢發中旨，敦營學館，房宇既修，生徒未立。臣往年刪定律令，謬預議筵。謹依准前修，尋訪舊事，參定學令，事訖封呈。請早敕施行，使選授有依，生徒可准。」詔褒美之，而尚未允遂。道昭又表曰：「臣自往年以來，頻請學令，並置生員，前後累上，未蒙一報。當以臣識淺濫官，無能有所感悟者也。館宇既修，生房粗構，博士見員，足可講習。雖新令未班，請依舊權置國子學生，漸開訓業，使播教有章，儒風不墜。至若孔廟既成，釋奠告始，揖讓之容，請俟令出。」不報。遷秘書監，滎陽邑中正，出曆光、青二州刺史，復入為秘書監。卒，諡曰文恭。

He was soon formally appointed Secretariat Gentleman and rose in stages to Libationer of the Imperial University. When Prince of Guangping Huai served as Governor of Sizhou, Daozhao and Director of the Imperial Clan Yuan Kuang were appointed regional commanders of the province. Daozhao submitted a memorial saying, "I have heard that when Tang and Yu opened their mandates, they took civil virtue as the foundation; when Yin and Zhou founded their enterprises, they put the Way and the arts first. Thus rites and music are the foundation of a state and must not be abandoned even for a moment. I consider that Great Wei has fixed the tripod at Yi and Chan and renewed the imperial calendar. The nine domains feel the harmony of utmost virtue; the four borders share the joy of a peaceful age. Yet foolish Min and Wu still resist civilization along the river's shallows; the late emperor then shook his martial wrath, and the war chariots never rested. Yet he halted the imperial progress and devoted himself to the canonical texts. He ordered the late Imperial Censor-in-Chief Li Biao, together with Director of the Department of State Affairs Prince of Rencheng Chen and others, to select outstanding scholars and strengthen the schools. Chen and the others followed the edict and appointed forty doctoral scholars of the Four Gates. The doctoral scholars of the Imperial University and Grand Academy, together with the assistant instructors of the Imperial University, had long since been selected and appointed. Reflecting on the former edict, its intent was swift completion; but with so many military and state affairs, there was no leisure to establish it. From then until now, nearly twelve years have passed; academic offices have declined, and the four arts lie neglected. Thus eminent scholars and venerable elders roll up their classics and cease to teach; vulgar students and younger generations abandon fundamentals and chase trivialities. The culture of ruthless competition truly stems from this. I consider that Your Majesty, reverent in civil brilliance and literary attainments, with insight penetrating far, devotes your mind to the classics. Devoted to the canonical texts, you have repeatedly issued central edicts to establish academies—the buildings are already repaired, yet the students have not yet been appointed. In former years I helped revise laws and ordinances, and was undeservedly included in the deliberation assembly. Following the prior standards, I have searched out old precedents and drafted academy regulations, which I respectfully present now that the work is finished. I ask that you promptly issue an edict to put them into effect, so that appointments may have a basis and students may be enrolled." The emperor issued an edict praising him, yet still did not grant his request. Daozhao again submitted a memorial: "Since last year I have repeatedly requested academy regulations and the appointment of students; memorial after memorial has gone up, yet I have received not a single reply. Surely this is because my learning is shallow and my office undeserved, and I am incapable of offering anything that might move Your Majesty. The academy buildings are already repaired, dormitories roughly built, and the doctoral posts on the roster are sufficient for instruction. Although the new regulations have not yet been promulgated, I ask that Imperial University students be provisionally appointed by the old precedent, that instruction gradually begin, so that teaching may be orderly and Confucian culture may not decline. As for the Confucian temple now completed and the libation ceremony about to begin, the forms of bowing and yielding should await the issuing of the regulations." No reply was given. He was appointed Director of the Secretariat and Director of the Xingyang district kinship register, then served in succession as Governor of Guang and Qing provinces before returning as Director of the Secretariat. He died and was posthumously titled Cultivated and Respectful.

道昭好為詩賦，凡數十篇。其在二州，政務寬厚，不任威刑，為吏人所愛。

Daozhao enjoyed composing shi and fu poetry; in all there were several dozen pieces. In the two provinces his administration was generous and lenient; he did not rely on harsh punishments, and was beloved by clerks and commoners alike.

子嚴祖，頗有風儀，粗觀文史，輕躁薄行，不修士業。孝武時，御史中尉綦俊劾嚴祖與宋氏從姊奸通，人士咸恥言之，而嚴祖聊無愧色。孝靜初，除驃騎將軍、左光祿大夫、鴻臚卿，出為北豫州刺史，還除鴻臚卿。卒，贈司空公。

His son Yanzu had considerable presence and bearing and had roughly surveyed literature and history, but was frivolous and rash, of shallow conduct, and did not cultivate scholarly pursuits. During Emperor Xiaowu's reign, Imperial Censor-in-Chief Qi Jun impeached Yanzu for adultery with a maternal cousin of the Song clan; gentlemen were ashamed to speak of it, yet Yanzu showed scarcely any shame. At the beginning of Emperor Xiaojing's reign he was appointed General of Agile Cavalry, Left Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, and Minister of Ceremonial Hosts, then served as Governor of North Yuzhou before returning as Minister of Ceremonial Hosts. He died and was posthumously granted the title Duke of Minister of Works.

庶子仲禮，少輕險，有膂力。齊神武嬖寵其姊火車，以親戚被昵，擢為帳內都督。掌神武弓矢，出入隨從。與任胄俱好酒，不憂公事，神武責之。胄懼，潛通西魏，為人糾告，懼，遂謀逆。事發，火車欲乞哀，神武避不見。賴武明皇后及文襄爭為言，故仲禮死而不及其家。嚴祖更無子，弟敬祖以子紹元嗣。紹元小字安都，位太尉諮議、趙郡太守，卒。

A son by a concubine, Zhongli, was reckless and dangerous in youth and possessed great physical strength. Northern Qi Shenwu favored his elder sister Huoche; through this kinship Zhongli was treated with intimacy and promoted to Colonel within the Headquarters. He managed Shenwu's bows and arrows and attended him wherever he went. He and Ren Zhou were both fond of wine and heedless of official business; Shenwu reprimanded them. Zhou grew afraid, secretly communicated with Western Wei, was denounced, grew still more afraid, and then plotted rebellion. When the affair was exposed, Huoche wished to beg for mercy, but Shenwu avoided her and would not see her. Thanks to Empress Wuming and Wenxiang speaking on his behalf, Zhongli was executed but his family was spared. Yanzu had no other sons; his younger brother Jingzu made his son Shaoyuan the heir. Shaoyuan, courtesy name Andu, served as Adviser to the Grand Commandant and Governor of Zhao commandery, and died.

子子翻，字靈雀。少有器識，學涉，好文章。齊武平末，位司徒記室參軍。尋遇齊亡，曆周、隋，遂不仕，隱居滎陽三窟山。傲誕不自羈束，或有所之造，乘驢衣韉，破弊而往。遠近欽其高名，皆謂有異狀，觀者如堵。及見，形乃短陋，不副所聞。然風神俊發，無貴賤並敬服之。納言楊素聞其名，因使過滎陽，迎與相見，言談彌日，深加禮重。及歸，言之朝廷，累徵不至。終於家。

His son Zifan, courtesy name Lingque. In youth he had talent and insight, broad learning, and loved literature. At the end of the Qi Wuping era he served as Recorder in the Secretariat of the Minister of Works. Soon afterward Qi fell; he lived through Zhou and Sui without taking office, living in seclusion on Three Grottoes Mountain in Xingyang. Proud and unrestrained, when he went visiting he would ride a donkey in tattered saddlecloth and go. Near and far admired his lofty reputation; all expected an extraordinary appearance, and onlookers gathered thick as a wall. When they saw him, his form was short and homely, not matching what they had heard. Yet his bearing and spirit were brilliant; noble and base alike respected and submitted to him. Supervising Censor Yang Su heard his name and sent someone through Xingyang to welcome and meet him; they talked for a full day, and Su deeply honored him. On returning he spoke of him at court; summons came repeatedly, but Zifan did not come. He died at home.

子翻二弟子騰、天壽，俱仕隋。子騰位蔣州司馬，天壽開府參軍，並以雅素稱。

Zifan's two younger brothers, Ziteng and Tianshou, both served in Sui. Ziteng served as Administrator of Jiang province; Tianshou as Staff Officer of the Eastern Palace—both were known for refined simplicity.

嚴祖弟敬祖，起家著作郎。鄭儼之敗也，為鄉人所害。

Yanzu's younger brother Jingzu began his career as Gentleman of Composition. When Zheng Yan fell from power, Jingzu was killed by men of his native place.

子元禮，字文規。少好學，愛文藻，有名望。齊文襄引為館客，曆兼中書舍人、南主客郎中、太尉諮議參軍、長廣樂陵二郡守，待詔文林館，太子中舍人。崔昂後妻，元禮姊也，魏收又昂之妹夫。昂嘗持元禮數篇詩示盧思道，乃曰：「看元禮比來詩詠，亦曾不減魏收。」思道答云：「未覺元禮賢于魏收，且知妹夫疏于婦弟。」元禮，大象中卒於始州別駕。

His son Yuanli, courtesy name Wengui. In youth he loved learning, cherished literary adornment, and enjoyed reputation and standing. Qi Wenxiang brought him in as a hall guest; he served in succession as Attendant of the Secretariat, Director of the Southern Bureau of Foreign Guests, Adviser in the Secretariat of the Grand Commandant, Governor of Changguang and Leling commanderies, awaited imperial summons at the Wulin Hall, and Attendant in the Household of the Heir Apparent. Cui Ang's second wife was Yuanli's elder sister, and Wei Shou was also Ang's brother-in-law. Ang once took several of Yuanli's poems to show Lu Sidao and said, "Look at Yuanli's recent poetry—not at all inferior to Wei Shou." Sidao replied, "I do not find Yuanli superior to Wei Shou—and I see that a brother-in-law through one's younger sister is less close than a wife's younger brother." Yuanli died in the Daxiang era while serving as Vice-Governor of Shizhou.

敬祖弟述祖，字恭文。少聰敏，好屬文，有風檢，為先達所稱譽。歷位司徒左長史、尚書、侍中、太常卿、丞相右長史。齊天保中，曆太子少保、左光祿大夫、儀同三司、兗州刺史。時穆子容為巡省使，歎曰：「古人有言，聞伯夷之風，貪夫廉，懦夫有立志，今于鄭兗州見之矣。」遷光州刺史。

Jingzu's younger brother Shuzu, courtesy name Gongwen. In youth he was clever and keen, fond of composing prose, possessed moral bearing, and was praised by earlier worthies. He served in succession as Left Chief Clerk of the Minister of Works, Director of the Imperial Secretariat, Palace Attendant, Director of the Imperial Sacrifices, and Right Chief Clerk of the Chancellor. During the Qi Tianbao era he served in succession as Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent, Left Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, Commissioner with Protocol Equal to the Three Excellencies, and Governor of Yan province. At the time Mu Zirong was touring inspector and sighed, "The ancients said that hearing of Boyi's conduct makes the greedy honest and the timid resolute—today I have seen this in Governor Zheng of Yan province." He was transferred to Governor of Guang province.

初，述祖父為兗州，于鄭城南小山起齋亭，刻石為記。述祖時年九歲。及為刺史，往尋舊跡，得一破石，有銘云：「中嶽先生鄭道昭之白雲堂。」述祖對之嗚咽，悲動群寮。有人入市盜布，其父怒曰：「何負吾君？」執之以歸首。述祖特原之，自是境內無盜。百姓歌曰：「大鄭公，小鄭公，相去五十載，風教猶尚同。」

When Shuzu's grandfather was Governor of Yan, he built a retreat pavilion on a small hill south of Zheng city and carved stone to record it. Shuzu was then nine years old. When he became governor he went to seek the old site and found a broken stone inscribed: "The Hall of White Clouds of Zheng Daozhao, Master of the Central Marchmount." Facing it Shuzu sobbed, and his grief moved the whole staff. Someone entered the market and stole cloth; his father grew angry and said, "How have you failed my lord?" He seized him and brought him in to surrender. Shuzu specially pardoned him; from then on there were no thieves in his territory. The common people sang, "The great Lord Zheng, the little Lord Zheng—fifty years apart, yet their customs and teaching are still the same."

述祖能鼓琴，自造《龍吟十弄》，雲嘗夢人彈琴，寤而寫得。當時以為絕妙。所在好為山池，松竹交植，盛肴饌以待賓客，將迎不倦。少時在鄉，單馬出行，忽有騎者數百，見述祖皆下馬，曰「公在此」，行列而拜。述祖顧問從人，皆不見，心甚異之。未幾被徵，終曆顯位。及病篤，乃自言之。且曰：「吾老矣，一生富貴足矣，以清白之名遺子孫，死無所恨。」前後行瀛、殷、冀、滄、趙、定六州事，正除懷、兗、光三州刺史，又重行殷、懷、趙三州刺史，所在皆有惠政。天統元年卒，年八十一，贈開府、中書監、北豫州刺史，諡曰平簡公。

Shuzu could play the zither and composed the "Ten Pieces of Dragon Song" himself; he said he once dreamed someone playing the zither and wrote it down on waking. At the time it was considered matchlessly fine. Wherever he served he liked to build hill pools with pine and bamboo interplanted, set out lavish feasts for guests, and welcome them tirelessly. When young in the countryside, riding alone, he suddenly encountered several hundred horsemen who, seeing Shuzu, all dismounted, saying "The lord is here," and lined up to bow. Shuzu looked back to ask his attendants—they saw nothing—and his heart was deeply startled. Before long he was summoned and in the end rose to eminent posts. When gravely ill he spoke of it himself. And he said, "I am old; a lifetime of wealth and honor is enough; to leave a name of integrity to my descendants—in death I have no regret." He administered the affairs of six provinces—Ying, Yin, Ji, Cang, Zhao, and Ding; was formally appointed Governor of Huai, Yan, and Guang; and again served as Governor of Yin, Huai, and Zhao—in every place his administration was benevolent. In the first year of Tiantong he died at age eighty-one; posthumously granted Grand Vanguard General, Director of the Secretariat, and Governor of North Yuzhou; posthumous title Lord Pingjian (Balanced and Simple).

述祖女為趙郡王睿妃，述祖常坐受王拜，命坐，王乃坐。妃薨後，王更娶鄭道廕女，王坐受道廕拜。王命坐，乃敢坐。王謂道廕曰：「鄭尚書風德如此，又貴重宿舊，君不得並之。」

Shuzu's daughter was consort to Prince of Zhao commandery Rui; Shuzu would habitually sit and receive the prince's bow, and only when ordered to sit would the prince sit. After the consort died, the prince married the daughter of Zheng Daoyin; the prince sat and received Daoyin's bow. Only when the prince ordered him to sit did he dare to sit. The prince said to Daoyin, "Director Zheng's bearing and virtue are such, and he also honors old friends of long standing—you cannot be put on a par with him."

述祖子元德，多藝術，官琅邪太守。述祖弟遵祖，秘書郎，贈光州刺史。遵祖弟順祖，卒于太常丞。

Shuzu's son Yuande was skilled in many arts and served as Governor of Langye. Shuzu's younger brother Zunzu was Gentleman of the Secretariat; posthumously granted Governor of Guang province. Zunzu's younger brother Shunzu died while serving as Assistant Director of the Imperial Sacrifices.

自靈太后豫政，淫風稍行；及元叉擅權，公為奸穢，自此素族名家，遂多亂雜。法官不加糾正，婚宦無貶，于時有識，咸以歎息矣。

From the time Empress Lingyu took forehand in government, dissolute conduct gradually spread; When Yuan Cha monopolized power and openly practiced wicked and defiling acts, great clans and eminent families became increasingly mixed and disorderly. The law officers did not correct them, and marriages and offices suffered no disgrace—in that age the discerning all sighed over it.

羲長兄白驎，次小白，次洞林，次叔夜，次連山，並恃豪門，多行無禮，鄉黨之內，疾之若仇。小白位中書博士。子胤伯，有當世器幹，孝文納其女為嬪，位東徐州刺史，卒于鴻臚少卿，諡曰簡。子希俊，未官而卒。子道育，武定中，開封太守。

Xi's eldest brother Bailin, next Xiaobai, next Donglin, next Shuye, next Lianshan—all relied on their powerful house and often behaved without propriety; within the native community they were hated as enemies. Xiaobai held the post of Doctor of the Secretariat. His son Yinbo had talent and capability for the age; Emperor Xiaowen took his daughter as an imperial concubine; he served as Governor of East Xuzhou and died while serving as Vice Minister of Ceremonial Hosts; posthumous title Jian (Simple). His son Xijun died before taking office. His son Daoyu served as Governor of Kaifeng during the Wuding era.

希俊弟幼儒，好學修謹，丞相、高陽王雍以女妻之。位司州別駕，有當官稱。卒，贈散騎常侍、兗州刺史，諡曰肅。幼儒亡後，妻淫蕩凶悖，肆行無禮。幼儒時望甚優，其從兄伯猷每謂所親曰：「從弟人才，足為令德，不幸得如此婦。今死復重死，可為悲歎。」

Xijun's younger brother Youru loved learning and cultivated prudence; the Chancellor, Prince of Gaoyang Yong, gave him his daughter in marriage. He served as Vice-Governor of Sizhou and had a reputation suited to office. He died; posthumously granted Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and Governor of Yan province; posthumous title Su (Solemn). After Youru's death, his wife was dissolute, violent, and rebellious, and behaved without propriety at will. Youru had enjoyed an excellent reputation in his day. His elder cousin Boyou often told intimates, "My younger cousin's talent was sufficient for a life of fine virtue—yet fate gave him such a wife. Now he is dead, and she will visit death upon him a second time—how lamentable!"

幼儒子敬道、敬德，俱仕西魏。敬道並巴、開、新三州刺史。敬道子正則仕周，復州刺史。

Youru's sons Jingdao and Jingde both served Western Wei. Jingdao served in turn as governor of Ba, Kai, and Xin prefectures. Jingdao's son Zhengze served the Zhou dynasty as Governor of Fu prefecture.

胤伯弟平城，廣陵王羽納其女為妃，位東平原太守。性猜狂使酒，為政貪殘。卒，贈南青州刺史。

Yinbo's younger brother Pingcheng had his daughter taken as consort by Prince of Guangling Yu and held the post of Administrator of Eastern Pingyuan. Suspicious by nature, reckless with wine, he governed with greed and cruelty. He died and was posthumously granted the title Governor of Southern Qingzhou.

長子伯猷，博學有文才，早知名。舉司州秀才，曆太學博士，領殿中御史。與當時名勝，咸申遊款。明帝釋奠，詔伯猷錄義。後為尚書外兵郎中，典起居注，以軍功賜爵陽武子。節閔帝初，以舅氏超授征東將軍、金紫光祿大夫，領國子祭酒。轉護軍將軍，賜爵武城子。

His eldest son Boyou was broadly learned and possessed literary talent; he gained renown early. Nominated as a xiucai of Sizhou, he served successively as Erudite of the Imperial University and concurrently as Palace Censor. He cultivated cordial ties with all the celebrated figures of the age. When Emperor Ming performed the libation sacrifice, he ordered Boyou to record the ritual exposition. Later he served as External Troops Gentleman of the Masters of Writing and kept the Imperial Diary; for military achievement he was granted the title Viscount of Yangwu. At the beginning of Emperor Jiemin's reign, through his maternal uncle's influence he was exceptionally granted the posts of General Who Pacifies the East and Household Counsellor with the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon, and concurrently served as Director of the National University. He was transferred to General Who Protects the Army and granted the title Viscount of Wucheng.

元象初，以本官兼散騎常侍使梁。前後使人，梁武令其侯王于馬射之日宴對申禮。伯猷之行，梁武令其領軍將軍臧盾與之接。議者以此貶之。使還，除南青州刺史。在官貪婪，妻安豐王元延明女，專為聚斂，貨賄公行，潤及親戚。戶口逃散，邑落空虛。乃誣陷良善，雲欲反叛，籍其資財，盡以入己，誅其丈夫，婦女配沒。百姓冤苦，聲聞四方。為御史糾劾，死罪數十條。遇赦免，因以頓廢。齊文襄作相，每誡厲朝士，常以伯猷及崔叔仁為喻。武定七年，除太常卿。卒，贈驃騎大將軍、中書監、兗州刺史。子蘊，太子舍人、陽夏太守。伯猷弟仲衡，武定中，儀同開府中郎。

At the beginning of the Yuanxiang era, retaining his original post he concurrently served as Regular Cavalier Attendant and envoy to Liang. For earlier and later envoys alike, Emperor Wu of Liang had his marquises and kings feast with them and extend full ritual courtesy on the day of mounted archery. When Boyou went on his mission, Emperor Wu of Liang ordered General of the Garrison Zang Dun to receive him instead. Commentators demeaned him for this slight. On returning from his mission, he was appointed Governor of Southern Qingzhou. Greedy in office, he took as wife the daughter of Prince of Anfeng Yuan Yanming, who alone squeezed the province for wealth; bribes flowed openly and profit reached their kin. Households fled until the districts stood empty and desolate. Then he framed upright citizens on charges of rebellion, seized their property for himself, executed their husbands, and consigned their wives to penal servitude. The people groaned under injustice until word of it reached the four quarters. The Censorate impeached him on several dozen capital counts. An amnesty spared his life, but his career was ruined. When Wenxiang of Qi served as chancellor, he often warned court officials, holding up Boyou and Cui Shuren as cautionary examples. In the seventh year of Wuding, he was appointed Minister of Ceremonial Hosts. He died and was posthumously granted General of Agile Cavalry, Supervisor of the Masters of Writing, and Governor of Yan province. His son Yun served as Attendant of the Heir Apparent and Governor of Yangxia. Boyou's younger brother Zhongheng served during Wuding as Parallel Opening-Fu Secretariat Gentleman with Protocol.

仲衡弟輯之，司徒諮議。齊大寧中，以軍功賜爵成皋男，位金紫光祿大夫，東濟北太守、肥城戍主。卒，贈度支尚書、北豫州刺史。

Zhongheng's younger brother Jizhi served as Consulting Censor of the Secretariat. During the Daning era of Qi, for military achievement he was granted the title Baron of Chenggao and held the posts of Household Counsellor with the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon, Governor of Eastern Jibei, and Garrison Commander of Feicheng. He died and was posthumously granted Minister of Revenue and Governor of Northern Yuzhou.

輯之弟懷孝，司徒諮議。齊大寧中，仁州刺史。

Jizhi's younger brother Huaixiao served as Consulting Censor of the Secretariat. During the Daning era of Qi, he served as Governor of Ren prefecture.

洞林子敬叔，滎陽邑中正、濮陽太守，坐貪穢除名。子籍，字承宗，徐州平東府長史。

Donglin's son Jingshu served as Rectifier of Yingyang district and Governor of Puyang; for greed and corruption he was stricken from the rolls. His son Ji, styled Chengzong, served as Chief Clerk of the Pingdong Prefectural Headquarters in Xuzhou.

籍弟瓊，字祖珍，有強幹稱，位范陽太守，頗有聲，卒。孝昌中，弟儼寵要，重贈青州刺史。瓊兄弟雍睦，其諸娣姒亦咸相親愛，閨門之內，有無相通，為時人所稱美。子道邕。

Ji's younger brother Qiong, styled Zuzhen, was known for strong capability; he served as Governor of Fanyang with considerable renown until his death. During the Xiaochang era, because his younger brother Yan was favored and influential at court, Qiong was again posthumously granted the title Governor of Qingzhou. The Qiong brothers lived in harmony, and their sisters-in-law cherished one another as well; within the inner quarters they shared whatever they had or lacked—a bond people of the time praised. His son was Daoyong.

道邕字孝穆。幼謹厚，以清約自居，年未弱冠，涉歷經史。父叔四人並早歿，昆服季之中，道邕居長，撫訓諸弟，有如同生，閨庭之中，怡怡如也。魏孝昌初，解褐太尉行參軍，累以戰功進至左光祿大夫、太師咸陽王長史。及孝武西遷，從入關，除司徒左長史，領臨洮王友，賜爵永甯縣侯。

Daoyong, styled Xiaomu. Prudent and honest from youth, he held to austerity as his standard; before he was twenty he had traversed the classics and histories. His father and four uncles had all died young; among the brothers in mourning garments Daoyong was eldest, raising and guiding his younger brothers as though they were born of one womb, and the household was filled with harmonious delight. In early Xiaochang of Wei he entered service as Acting Aide of the Grand Marshal, and through successive military achievements advanced to Household Counsellor of the Left and Chief Clerk to the Grand Master, Prince of Xianyang. When Emperor Xiaowu moved west, Daoyong followed him into Guan, was appointed Chief Clerk of the Left of the Secretariat, concurrently Friend to the Prince of Lintao, and granted the title Marquis of Yongning county.

大統中，行岐州刺史，在任未幾，有能名。王羆時為雍州刺史，欽其善政，貽書盛相稱述。先是，所部百姓，久遭離亂，逃散殆盡。道邕下車之日，戶止三千，留情綏撫，遠近咸至，數年之內，有四萬家。歲考績為天下最，周文帝賜書歎美之。徵拜京兆尹。及梁岳陽王蕭察稱蕃，乃假道邕散騎常侍，持節拜察為梁王。使還，稱旨，進儀同三司，加散騎常侍。

During the great enterprise he served as acting Governor of Qi prefecture; though his tenure was brief, he earned a reputation for competence. Wang Pi, then Governor of Yong prefecture, admired his governance and sent a letter lavishing praise upon it. Before his arrival, the people of his district had long suffered war and chaos until nearly all had fled. On the day Daoyong took office, registered households numbered only three thousand; he devoted himself to soothing and gathering the people, and those far and near all returned; within a few years the district held forty thousand households. In the annual review of officials he ranked first in the realm, and the Duke of Zhou sent a letter sighing in admiration. He was summoned to court and appointed Governor of Jingzhao. When the Liang Prince of Yueyang, Xiao Cha, declared himself a vassal, the court appointed Daoyong Regular Cavalier Attendant and sent him with credentials to invest Cha as King of Liang. On returning from his mission, his performance matched the emperor's intent; he was advanced to Protocol Equal to the Three Excellencies and given additional appointment as Regular Cavalier Attendant.

時周文東討，除大丞相府右長史，封金鄉縣男。軍次潼關，命道邕與左長史孫儉、司馬楊寬、尚書蘇亮、諮議劉孟良等分掌眾務。仍令道邕引接關東歸附人士，並品藻才行而任用之，撫納銓敘，咸得其宜。後拜中書令，賜姓宇文氏，尋以疾免。

When the Duke of Zhou campaigned eastward, he was appointed Chief Clerk of the Right of the Grand Chancellor's Office and enfeoffed as Baron of Jinxiang county. The army halted at Tong Pass, and the Duke ordered Daoyong, with Chief Clerk of the Left Sun Jian, Major Sun Kuan, Master of Writing Su Liang, Consulting Censor Liu Mengliang, and others, to divide the management of affairs among themselves. He then charged Daoyong with receiving the gentry of the eastern passes who had submitted, appraising their ability and conduct before assigning office, so that in soothing them and arranging their ranks all was done as it should be. Later he was appointed Master of Writing and granted the surname Yuwen; soon after he resigned on account of illness.

周孝閔帝踐阼，加驃騎大將軍、開府儀同三司，進爵為子。曆禦伯中大夫、禦正、宜、華、虞、陝四州刺史。頻歷數州，皆有政績。入為少司空，卒。贈本官，加鄭、梁、北豫三州刺史，諡曰貞。

When Emperor Xiaomin of Zhou ascended the throne, Daoyong was given additional appointment as General of Agile Cavalry and Parallel Opening-Fu with Protocol Equal to the Three Excellencies, and his noble rank advanced to viscount. He successively held the posts of Grandee of the Imperial Chariots, Director of the Left, and governor of Yi, Hua, Yu, and Shaan prefectures. In each prefecture he served, he left a record of achievement. He entered the capital as Vice Minister of Works and died in office. He was posthumously granted his final offices plus governorship of Zheng, Liang, and Northern Yu prefectures, with the posthumous title Zhen (Upright).

子詡嗣，歷位納言，為聘陳使。後至開府儀同大將軍、邵州刺史。詡弟譯于隋文帝有翊贊功，開皇初，又追贈道邕大將軍、徐兗等六州刺史，改諡曰文。

His son Xu inherited the line, served in turn as Director of Statements, and led a betrothal mission to Chen. Later he rose to Parallel Opening-Fu Great General and Governor of Shao prefecture. Xu's younger brother Yi had aided Emperor Wen of Sui in securing the throne; in early Kaihuang, Daoyong was again posthumously granted Great General and governorship of six prefectures including Xu and Yan, and his posthumous title was changed to Wen (Cultured).

譯字正義。幼聰敏，涉獵群書，工騎射，尤善音樂，有名於世。譯從祖文寬，尚周文帝元後妹魏平陽公主，無子，周文命譯後之。由是譯少為周文所親，恆令與諸子遊集。年十餘歲，嘗詣府司錄李長宗。長宗於眾中戲之，譯斂容謂曰：「明公位望不輕，瞻仰斯屬，輒相玩狎，無乃喪德也。」長宗甚異之。文寬後誕二子，譯復歸本生。

Yi, styled Zhengyi. Clever and keen from youth, he ranged through many books, was skilled at mounted archery, and above all excelled at music—a name known throughout the realm. Yi's paternal cousin Wen Kuan had married the younger sister of Empress Yuan, Princess of Pingyang of Wei, yet had no sons; Emperor Wen of Zhou ordered Yi to succeed the line. For this reason Yi was close to Emperor Wen from youth, who constantly had him join the princes in their gatherings. Before he was fully grown, he once visited the Chief Clerk of the office, Li Changzong. In the assembly Changzong jested with him, but Yi composed himself and said, "Your Lordship's station and dignity are no light matter—many eyes look to you. To jest and toy so casually—would that not be to lose virtue? Changzong was deeply struck by this. Wen Kuan later fathered two sons, and Yi returned to his birth family.

周明帝時，詔令事輔城公，是為武帝。及帝即位，為左侍上士，與儀同劉昉，恆侍帝側。譯時喪妻，帝令譯尚梁安固公主。及帝親總萬機，以為禦正下大夫，頗被顧遇。東宮建，轉太子宮尹下大夫，特被太子親待。時太子多失德，內史中大夫烏丸軌每勸帝廢太子立秦王，由是太子恆不自安。建德二年，為聘齊使副。後詔太子西征吐谷渾，太子陰謂譯曰：「秦王，上愛子也；烏丸軌，上信臣也，今吾此行，得無扶蘇之事乎？」譯曰：「願殿下勉著仁孝，無失子道而已。」太子然之。既破賊，譯以功最，賜爵開國子。後坐褻狎皇太子，烏丸軌、宇文孝伯等以聞。帝大怒，除譯名。宮臣親幸者咸被譴。太子復召譯，戲狎如初。因曰：「殿下何時可得據天下？」太子悅而益昵之。例復官，仍拜吏部下大夫。

During the reign of Emperor Ming of Zhou he was ordered to attend Prince of Fucheng—who would become Emperor Wu. When the emperor ascended the throne, Yi served as Left Attendant Upper Gentleman and, with Parallel Protocol Liu Fang, constantly attended at the emperor's side. At the time Yi was mourning his wife; the emperor ordered him to marry the Princess of Angu of Liang. When the emperor personally took charge of affairs, Yi was made Lower Grand Master of the Imperial Rectification and enjoyed considerable favor. When the Eastern Palace was established, he was transferred to Lower Grand Master of the Heir Apparent's Household and won the heir apparent's personal regard. The heir apparent often fell short in conduct, and Internal Historian Wuyuan Gui frequently urged the emperor to depose him and establish the Prince of Qin; the heir apparent therefore lived in constant unease. In the second year of Jiande he served as deputy on a betrothal mission to Qi. Later the emperor ordered the heir apparent to campaign west against Tuyuhun; the heir apparent told Yi in private, "The Prince of Qin is the emperor's beloved son; Wuyuan Gui is the emperor's trusted minister. On this expedition of mine, might there not come to pass what befell Fusu? Yi said, "Your Highness need only strive to show benevolence and filial piety and not fail in a son's duty—that is all." The heir apparent accepted this. After defeating the enemy, Yi was granted the title Viscount Who Establishes the State for the greatest achievement. Later, for indecent familiarity with the crown prince, Wuyuan Gui, Yuwen Xiaobo, and others reported him to the emperor. The emperor was furious and struck Yi's name from the rolls. All the palace attendants who had enjoyed the crown prince's favor were punished. The heir apparent summoned Yi again, and their familiar jesting resumed as before. Yi then asked, "Your Highness, when will you be able to possess the realm? The heir apparent was pleased and grew even more intimate with him. By precedent his office was restored, and he was again appointed Lower Grand Master of the Ministry of Personnel.

及武帝崩，宣帝嗣位，超拜開府儀同大將軍、內史中大夫，封歸昌縣公。既以恩舊，任遇甚重，委以朝政。遷內史上大夫，進封沛國公。上大夫之官，自譯始也。以其子善願為歸昌公，元琮為永安縣男。又監國史。譯頗專權，時帝幸東京，譯擅取官材，自營私第，坐除名。劉昉數言於帝，帝復召之，顧待如初，詔領內史事。

When Emperor Wu died and Emperor Xuan succeeded, Yi was exceptionally granted Parallel Opening-Fu Great General and Internal Historian and enfeoffed as Duke of Guichang county. Because of their old bond of favor, his appointment and treatment were weighty indeed, and court government was entrusted to him. He was transferred to Internal Historian Grand Master and advanced in enfeoffment to Duke of Pei. The office of Senior Grand Master began with Yi. His son Shanyuan was made Duke of Guichang; Yuancong was made Baron of Yong'an county. He also supervised compilation of the national history. Yi had grown quite autocratic. While the emperor was away at the Eastern Capital, Yi seized official timber on his own authority and built himself a private mansion; for this he was dismissed and struck from the rolls. Liu Fang spoke repeatedly on his behalf, and the emperor summoned Yi again, treating him with the same attentive favor as before and ordering him to oversee Internal Historian affairs.

初，隋文帝與譯有同學之舊，譯又素知隋文相表有奇，傾心相結。至是，隋文為宣帝所忌，情不自安，嘗在永巷，私於譯曰：「久願出籓，公所悉也，敢布心腹，少留意焉。」譯曰：「以公德望，天下歸心，欲求多福，豈敢忘也？謹即言之。」時將遣譯南征。譯曰：「若定江東，自非懿戚重臣，無以鎮撫。可令隋公行，且為壽陽總管，以督軍事。」帝從之，乃下詔，以隋文為揚州總管，譯發兵俱會壽陽以代陳。行有日矣，帝不悆，譯遂與禦正下大夫劉昉謀，引隋文入受顧托。既而譯宣詔，文武百官，皆受隋文節度。時禦正中大夫顏之儀與宦者謀，引大將軍宇文仲輔政。仲已至御坐，譯知之，遽率開府楊惠及劉昉、皇甫績、柳裘俱入。仲與之儀見譯等，愕然，逡巡欲出。隋文因執之。於是矯詔，復以譯為內史上大夫。明日，隋文為丞相，拜譯柱國、府長史，行內史上大夫事。及隋文為大塚宰，總百揆，以譯兼領天官都府司會，總六府事。出入臥內，言無不從，賞賜玉帛，不可勝計，每出入以甲士從。拜其子元璹為儀同。時尉遲迥、王謙、司馬消難等作亂，隋文逾加親禮，進上柱國，恕以十死。

Long before, Yang Jian and Yi had been classmates, and Yi had long read something extraordinary in Yang Jian's countenance; he gave his heart to forging a bond with him. By then Yang Jian had fallen under Emperor Xuan's suspicion and could not rest easy in his own mind. Once in the Eternal Lane he spoke privately to Yi: "I have long wished to take a post beyond the capital—you know this well. I lay bare my inmost heart to you; give it a little heed." Yi said, "By Your Lordship's virtue and standing, the hearts of the realm already turn to you. If I wish my own share of fortune, how could I dare forget you? I shall speak of it at once." At that time the court was about to send Yi on the southern campaign. Yi said, "If we pacify the lands east of the Yangtze, only an imperial kinsman or a minister of the first rank can hold and console the region. Let the Duke of Sui go himself, and appoint him Shouyang regional commander to oversee the armies. The emperor agreed. He issued an edict appointing Yang Jian regional commander of Yangzhou and ordering Yi to raise troops and join him at Shouyang for the campaign against Chen. The day of departure was near when the emperor fell gravely ill. Yi then plotted with Imperial Correctness Lower Grand Master Liu Fang to bring Yang Jian in and receive the dying charge. Thereupon Yi proclaimed the edict, and civil and military officials alike came under Yang Jian's command. Meanwhile Imperial Correctness Grand Master Yan Zhiyi plotted with the eunuchs to bring in Great General Yuwen Zhong to assist in government. Zhong had already reached the imperial seat when Yi learned of it. He hastily led Parallel Opening-Fu Yang Hui, Liu Fang, Huangfu Ji, and Liu Qiu in together. Zhong and Zhiyi saw Yi and his party, froze in shock, and hesitated as if to withdraw. Yang Jian seized them on the spot. By a forged edict Yi was restored as Internal Historian Grand Master. The next day Yang Jian became chancellor. Yi was appointed Pillar of the State and chief secretary of the chancellery, with acting authority as Internal Historian Grand Master. When Yang Jian became grand commander and took charge of all administration, Yi was additionally made director of the Celestial Office metropolitan directorate, with overall charge of the Six Offices. He came and went within the ruler's sleeping quarters, and none of his words went unheeded. Rewards of jade and silk poured in beyond counting, and armored guards attended him whenever he went abroad. His son Yuansui was appointed Parallel Opening-Fu. When Yuchi Jiong, Wang Qian, Sima Xiaonan, and others rose in rebellion, Yang Jian treated him with still greater personal favor, advanced him to senior pillar of the state, and granted pardon for ten capital crimes.

譯性輕險，不親職務，而贓貨狼籍。隋文陰疏之，然以其有定冊功，不忍廢放，陰敕官屬不得白事於譯。譯猶坐査事，無所關預，懼，頓首求解職。隋文寬喻之，接以恩禮。及帝受禪，譯以上柱國歸第。賞賜豐厚，進子元璹成皋郡公，元珣永安男，追贈其父及亡兄二人並為刺史。

Yi was frivolous and treacherous by nature, neglected his duties, and left a trail of bribes strewn in every direction. Yang Jian quietly kept him at arm's length, yet because Yi had helped secure the succession he could not bring himself to cast him aside; he secretly ordered officials not to bring business before Yi. Yi still sat hearing cases yet had nothing he could actually decide; in fear he kowtowed and asked to be released from office. Yang Jian comforted him generously and received him with the honors due an old ally. When the emperor took the throne, Yi retired to his residence bearing the rank of senior pillar of the state. His rewards were lavish: his son Yuansui was advanced to Duke of Chenggao commandery and Yuanxun to Baron of Yong'an; his father and two deceased elder brothers were all posthumously made prefectural governors.

譯自以被疏，陰呼道士章醮，以祈福助。其婢奏譯厭蠱左道。帝謂譯曰：「我不負公，此何意也？」譯無以對。譯又與母別居，為憲司所劾，由是除名。下詔云：「譯嘉謀良策，寂爾無聞；鬻獄賣官，沸騰盈耳。若留之於世，在人為不道之臣；戮之於朝，入地為不孝之鬼。有累幽顯，無以置之。宜賜以《孝經》，令其熟讀，仍遣與母共居。」

Believing himself cast aside, Yi secretly summoned Daoist priests to perform liturgical rites for blessing and aid. A maidservant reported that Yi had been practicing malign sorcery and heterodox rites. The emperor said to Yi, "I have never failed you—what is the meaning of this?" Yi had no answer. Yi was also living apart from his mother and was impeached by the censorate; for this his name was struck from the rolls. An edict declared: "Yi's fine plans and good strategies are heard of no more; yet selling judgments and selling offices boils up everywhere one turns. If he is kept among the living, he is an inhumane minister; if executed at court, he becomes an unfilial ghost in the earth below. He burdens both the living and the dead; there is no fitting place for him. Let him be given the Classic of Filial Piety to read until he knows it well, and sent home to live with his mother."

未幾，詔譯參撰律令。復授開府、隆州刺史。請還療疾，有詔征之，見於醴泉宮，賜宴甚歡。因謂譯曰：「貶退已久，情相矜湣。」於是顧謂侍臣曰：「鄭譯與朕同生共死，間關危難，興言念此，何日忘之。」譯因奉觴上壽。帝令內史李德林立作詔書，復爵沛國公，位上柱國。高熲戲謂譯曰：「筆幹。」答曰：「出為方嶽，杖策言歸，不得一錢，何以潤筆！」上大笑。未幾，詔譯參議樂事。譯以周代七聲廢缺，自大隋受命，禮樂宜新。更修七始之義，名曰《樂府聲調》，凡八篇，奏之。帝嘉美焉。俄拜岐州刺史。歲餘，復奉詔定樂於太常。帝勞譯曰：「律、令，則公定之；音樂，則公正之。禮、樂、律、令，公居其三，良足美也。」尋還岐州。開皇十一年卒，年五十二，諡曰達。子元璹嗣。煬帝初立，五等悉除，以譯佐命元功，詔追改封譯莘公，以元璹襲。

Before long an edict summoned Yi to help compile statutes and ordinances. He was again granted Parallel Opening-Fu and appointed governor of Long prefecture. He asked leave to return and treat his illness; the emperor summoned him back, received him at Liquan Palace, and gave him a banquet of rare warmth. He then said to Yi, "Your demotion has lasted long; my heart goes out to you in pity. Turning to his attendants he said, "Zheng Yi and I have shared life and death and passed together through every peril. Whenever I speak of it, I wonder what day I could ever forget." Yi raised his goblet and offered wishes for the emperor's long life. The emperor ordered Internal Historian Li Delin to draft the edict on the spot; Yi was restored as Duke of Pei and senior pillar of the state. Gao Jiong teased Yi: "Quite the brushwork." He replied, "Sent out as a regional governor, I came home staff in hand without a single coin—how was I to grease the brush?" The emperor laughed aloud. Before long an edict ordered Yi to take part in deliberations on music. Yi argued that the Zhou dynasty's seven tones had fallen into neglect and disrepair; now that the Great Sui had received the Mandate, ritual and music should be made anew. He revised the doctrine of the Seven Beginnings into a work entitled Musical Office Tone Modes, eight chapters in all, and presented it to the throne. The emperor praised it highly. Soon afterward he was appointed governor of Qi prefecture. A year and more later he again received an edict to fix the music at the Directorate of Ceremonial. The emperor praised Yi, saying, "Statutes and ordinances—you fixed them; music—you set it right. Of ritual, music, statutes, and ordinances you hold three—enough to be proud of. Soon afterward he returned to Qi prefecture. In the eleventh year of Kaihuang he died at fifty-two; his posthumous title was Da (Accomplished). His son Yuansui succeeded him. When Emperor Yang first took the throne the five noble ranks were abolished altogether; because Yi had been a founding pillar of the dynasty, an edict retroactively changed his enfeoffment to Duke of Shen, which Yuansui inherited.

元璹歷位右光祿大夫、右衛將軍。大業末，為文城太守，以城歸國。

Yuansui rose through the posts of Right Director of the Brilliant Fortune Office and Right Guard General. At the end of the Daye era he was governor of Wencheng and surrendered the city to the new dynasty.

瓊弟儼。儼字季然，容貌壯麗。初為司徒胡國珍行參軍，因為靈太后所幸，時人未知之。後太后廢，蕭寶夤西征，以儼為友。及太后反政，儼請使還朝，復見寵待。拜諫議大夫、中書舍人，領尚食典禦，晝夜禁中，寵愛尤甚。儼每休沐，太后常遣閹童隨侍，儼見其妻，唯得言家事而已。

Qiong's younger brother Yan. Yan, courtesy name Jiran, was tall and strikingly handsome. At first he served as acting retainer under Minister of Education Huguo Zhen; he had won the favor of Empress Dowager Ling, though at the time the court did not yet know it. Later, when the empress dowager was deposed, Xiao Baoyin marched west on campaign and took Yan along as a companion officer. When the empress dowager restored her rule, Yan asked to be sent back to court and again received lavish favor. He was appointed remonstrating adviser and secretariat gentleman, with concurrent charge of the imperial food service; he remained day and night within the inner palace, and the emperor's favor toward him was extraordinary. Whenever Yan took his day of rest, the empress dowager sent eunuch attendants to follow him; when he saw his wife he was permitted to speak only of household matters.

與徐紇俱為舍人，儼以紇有智數，仗為謀主。紇以儼寵倖既盛，傾身承接。共相表裏，勢傾內外。城陽王徽亦與之合，當時政令，歸於儼等。遷散騎常侍、車騎將軍，舍人、常侍如故。明帝崩，事出倉卒，天下咸言儼計。爾硃榮舉兵向洛陽，以儼、紇為辭。榮逼京師，儼走歸鄉里。儼從兄仲明欲據郡起眾，尋為其部下所殺，與仲明俱傳首洛陽。子文寬從武帝入關西。

He and Xu He were both secretariat gentlemen; Yan, seeing He's gift for stratagem, relied on him as his chief strategist. Because Yan's favor was already at its height, He gave himself over to Yan entirely. Working inside and outside together, their power dominated the court within and without. The Prince of Chengyang, Hui, also joined them, and government orders of the day passed through Yan and his circle. He was transferred to regular attendant of scattered cavalry and chariots-and-cavalry general, while retaining his posts as secretariat gentleman and regular attendant. When Emperor Ming died suddenly, all under Heaven said the deed was Yan's doing. Erzhu Rong raised his army toward Luoyang, using Yan and He as his pretext. As Rong pressed the capital, Yan fled home to his native place. Yan's cousin Zhongming tried to seize the commandery and raise troops; soon his own men killed him, and both their heads were sent to Luoyang. His son Wenkuan followed Emperor Wu west of the Pass.

敬叔弟子恭，燕郡太守。孝昌中，因儼勢，除衛尉少卿，遷衛將軍、左光祿大夫。卒後，贈尚書右僕射，諡曰貞。

Jingshu's nephew Gong served as governor of Yan commandery. In the Xiaochang era, riding Yan's influence, he was made lesser director of the guard command, then transferred to guard general and left director of the brilliant fortune office. After his death he was posthumously made right vice director of the imperial secretariat, with the posthumous title Zhen (Upright).

叔夜子伯夏，位東萊太守。卒，贈青州刺史。伯夏弟謹，字仲恭，琅邪太守。

Shuye's son Bojia served as governor of Donglai. When he died he was posthumously made governor of Qing prefecture. Bojia's younger brother Jin, courtesy name Zhonggong, was governor of Langye.

連山性嚴暴，撾撻僮僕，酷過人理。父子一時為奴所害，斷首投馬槽下，乘馬北逃。其第二子思明，驍勇善騎射，被髮率村義馳追之。及河，奴乘馬投水。思明止將從，自射之，一發而中，落馬墮流，禽至家，臠殺之。

Lianshan was severe and violent by nature, beating and flogging his servants with a cruelty beyond ordinary bounds. Father and sons were killed at once by their slaves, who cut off their heads and threw them under the horse trough, then mounted horses and fled north. His second son Siming, brave and skilled in mounted archery, let his hair fall loose and led the village militia in hot pursuit. When they reached the river the slaves spurred their horses into the water. Siming halted his followers and shot himself; with one arrow he struck the man down into the current, seized him, brought him home, and cut him to pieces while still alive.

思明，弟思和，並以武力自效。思明位直閣將軍，坐弟思和同元禧逆，徙邊。會赦，免。卒後，贈濟州刺史。

Siming and his younger brother Sihe both made their martial prowess available to the state. Siming held the post of direct-pavilion general; implicated with his brother Sihe in Yuan Xi's rebellion, he was exiled to the frontier. An amnesty followed, and he was released. After his death he was posthumously made governor of Ji prefecture.

子先護，少有武幹。莊帝居籓也，先護得自結托。及爾硃榮稱兵向洛，靈太后令先護與鄭季明等守河梁。先護聞莊帝即位于河北，遂開門納榮。以功封平昌縣侯，廣州刺史。元顥入洛，莊帝北巡，先護據州起義兵，不受命。莊帝還京，進爵郡公。曆東雍、豫二州刺史，兼尚書右僕射。及爾硃榮死，徐州刺史爾硃仲遠擁兵向洛。詔先護與都督賀拔勝、行台楊昱同討之。聞京師不守，先護部眾逃散，因奔梁。尋歸，為仲遠所害。孝武初，贈使持節、都督、四州刺史。子偉。

His son Xianhu showed martial talent from youth. While Emperor Zhuang was still in his princely fief, Xianhu won his trust and attached himself to him. When Erzhu Rong raised his army toward Luoyang, Empress Dowager Ling ordered Xianhu, Zheng Jiming, and others to hold the River Bridge. Hearing that Emperor Zhuang had taken the throne in Hebei, Xianhu opened the gates and admitted Rong. For his achievements he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingchang county and made governor of Guang prefecture. When Yuan Hao entered Luoyang and Emperor Zhuang toured north, Xianhu held his province, raised righteous troops, and refused to obey orders. When the emperor returned to the capital, Xianhu's title was advanced to duke of a commandery. He served successively as governor of Eastern Yong and Yu prefectures and as concurrent right vice director of the Department of State Affairs. When Erzhu Rong died, Erzhu Zhongyuan, governor of Xu prefecture, mustered troops and marched on Luoyang. An edict ordered Xianhu to join Commissioner-in-Chief Heba Sheng and Mobile Corps Commander Yang Yu in punishing him. Learning that the capital had fallen, Xianhu's troops scattered in flight, and he fled to Liang. Soon he returned, but Zhongyuan killed him. At the beginning of Emperor Xiaowu's reign he was posthumously granted staff with credentials of authority, commissioner-in-chief, and governorship of four prefectures. His son was Wei.

偉字子直，少倜儻有大志，每以功名自許，善騎射，膽力過人。爾硃氏滅後，自梁歸魏。及武帝西遷，偉亦歸鄉里，不求仕進。大統三年，河內公獨孤信既復洛陽，偉乃與宗人榮業，糾合州裏舉兵于陳留，信宿間，眾有萬人。遂拔梁州，禽東魏刺史鹿永及鎮城守將令狐德，並獲陳留郡守趙季和。乃率眾西附。因是，梁、陳間相次降款。偉弛入關西，周文帝與語，歎美之，拜北徐州刺史，封武陽縣伯。從戰河橋及解玉壁圍，偉常先鋒陷陣。侯景歸款，周文命偉率所部應接。及景叛，偉亦全軍而還。除滎陽郡守，進爵襄城郡公，侍中、驃騎大將軍、開府儀同三司。魏恭帝二年，進位大將軍、江陵防主、都督十五州諸軍事。

Wei, whose style was Zizhi, was unconstrained and ambitious from youth; he constantly pledged himself to merit and fame, excelled at mounted archery, and his courage and strength surpassed other men. After the Erzhu clan was destroyed, he returned to Wei from Liang. When Emperor Wu moved west, Wei also returned to his native place and sought no office. In the third year of Datong, after Duke of Henei Dugu Xin had recovered Luoyang, Wei and his clansman Rong Ye rallied men of the province and raised troops at Chenliu; within a night or two their force numbered ten thousand. He then captured Liang prefecture, took captive Eastern Wei governor Lu Yong and garrison commander Linghu De, and also captured Chenliu commandery administrator Zhao Jihe. He then led his troops west to submit. Because of this, districts between Liang and Chen offered surrender one after another. Wei made his way west of the Pass; Duke Wen of Zhou spoke with him and admired him, appointing him governor of Northern Xu prefecture and enfeoffing him as baron of Wuyang county. In the battles at River Bridge and in raising the siege of Yu Fortress, Wei constantly led the van and broke the enemy lines. When Hou Jing submitted, Duke Wen ordered Wei to lead his troops to meet him. When Jing rebelled, Wei also brought his entire army back intact. He was made administrator of Xingyang commandery, advanced to duke of Xiangcheng commandery, and appointed attendant-in-chief, general-in-chief of agile cavalry, and opening-fu with peerage equal to the three excellencies. In the second year of Emperor Gong of Wei he was promoted to great general, defender of Jiangling, and commissioner-in-chief over all military affairs in fifteen prefectures.

偉性粗獷，不遵法度，睚眥之間，便行殺戮。朝廷以其有立義之效，每優容之。及在江陵，乃專戮副防主杞賓王，坐除名。保定元年，詔復官爵。天和六年，為華州刺史。偉前後蒞職，皆以威猛為政，吏人莫敢犯禁，盜賊亦為之休止。雖非仁政，然頗以此見稱。卒於州，贈本官，加少傅、都督、司州刺史，諡曰肅。

Wei was rough and fierce by nature, paid no heed to law, and would kill over the slightest grudge. Because he had raised righteous troops, the court for the most part indulged him. At Jiangling he arbitrarily executed Deputy Defender Qi Binwang and was dismissed from office on that charge. In the first year of Baoding an edict restored his titles and offices. In the sixth year of Tianhe he was made governor of Hua prefecture. Throughout his successive offices Wei governed by severity and might; officials and commoners dared not violate prohibitions, and even bandits ceased their depredations on his account. Though this was not benevolent government, he was nevertheless praised for it to a considerable degree. He died in office; his former posts were conferred posthumously, with the additions of junior tutor, commissioner-in-chief, and governor of Si prefecture; his posthumous title was Su.

偉性吃，少時嘗逐鹿於野。失之，遇牧豎，問焉。牧豎答之，其言亦吃。偉怒，謂其效己，遂射殺之。其忍暴如此。子大士嗣。

Wei stuttered; in youth he once chased a deer in the wild. He lost the trail, met a shepherd boy, and asked him about it. The shepherd boy answered him, and his speech too was halting. Wei flew into a rage, thinking the boy was mocking him, and shot him dead. His cruelty was such as this. His son Dashi succeeded him.

述祖族子雛，有識尚，操行清整，仕至膠州刺史。初，齊文宣為皇太子納其女為良娣，雛時為尚書郎，趙郡李祖升兄弟微相敬憚。楊愔奏授雛趙郡太守，祖升兄弟具服至雛門，投刺拜謁。文宣聞之喜，笑曰：「足得殺李家兒矣。」

Shuzu's clansman Chu had discernment and lofty standards, his conduct pure and ordered, and in office rose to governor of Jiao prefecture. Early on, when Emperor Wenxuan of Qi was crown prince, he took Chu's daughter as worthy concubine; at the time Chu was a gentleman of the Masters of Writing, and the brothers Li Zusheng of Zhao commandery were slightly respectful yet wary of him. Yang Yin memorialized to appoint Chu administrator of Zhao commandery; Zusheng and his brothers put on full dress, came to Chu's gate, and left calling cards to pay their respects. Wenxuan heard of it with delight and said with a laugh, "Now we're more than able to kill those Li boys."

論曰：王慧龍拔難自歸，間關夷險，撫人督眾，見憚嚴敵。世珍實有令子，克播家聲。松年之送終戀舊，有古人風矣。劭爰自幼童，訖于白首；好學不倦，究極群書，晉紳洽聞之士，無不推其博物。雅好著述，久在史官，既撰《齊書》，兼修隋典。好詭怪之說，尚委曲之談；文詞鄙穢，體統煩雜，直愧南、董，才無遷、固，徒煩翰墨，不足觀采。經營符瑞，雜以妖訛。為河朔清流而乾沒榮利，得不以道而頹其家聲。惜矣！

The commentators say: Wang Huilong pulled free from hardship and returned of his own accord, passed through perilous straits, comforted men and commanded troops, and inspired dread in formidable foes. Shizhen truly had a fine son who could broadcast the family's reputation. Songnian's care for the dead and attachment to old ties had the air of antiquity. Shao, from childhood to the end of his white-haired years— loved learning without weariness and exhausted every book; none of the well-informed gentlemen of Jin failed to praise his encyclopedic knowledge. He delighted in composition, long served as historiographer, wrote the 'History of Qi,' and also compiled the statutes of Sui. Yet he loved strange and supernatural tales and prized roundabout discourse— his wording was base and foul, his structure tedious and confused—he was truly ashamed to face the historians of Nan and Dong, but lacked the talent of Qian and Gu; he merely wasted ink and was not worth reading. He arranged prophetic omens and mixed in demonic falsehoods. A pure stream of Hebei, yet he pursued profit by foul means—could he fail to bring down his family's reputation by unorthodox conduct? How pitiable!

鄭羲機識明悟，為時所許。懿兄弟風尚，俱有可觀，故能並當榮遇，共濟其美。述祖德業，足嗣家聲。嚴祖、仲禮，大虧門素。幼儒令問促年。伯猷以賄敗德。道邕撫寧離散，仁惠克舉。譯實受顧托，適足為敗。及帝行明德，義非簡在；鹽梅之寄，固不攸歸。言追昔款，內懷觖望，恥居吳、耿之末，羞與絳、灌為伍。事君盡禮，既闕於夙心；不愛其親，遽彰於物議。格之名教，君子所深尤也。儼名編《恩倖》，取辱前載。偉翻然豹變，蓋知機之士乎。

Zheng Xi was quick-witted and perceptive, acknowledged by his contemporaries. The Yi brothers' moral tone was alike worth viewing, and so they could both enjoy glory at once and jointly add luster to each other's repute. Shuzu's virtue and achievement were enough to continue the family's renown. Yanzu and Zhongli greatly damaged the family character. Youru had a fine reputation but died young. Boyou ruined his virtue through bribery. Daoyong comforted and settled the scattered, his benevolence and grace achieving fulfillment. Yi in truth received a deathbed entrustment, yet was fit only to bring ruin. When the emperor practiced bright virtue, the appointment was not by personal selection; the charge as salt-and-plum advisor was assuredly not his to hold. Speaking of old ties while nursing resentment within, he was ashamed to stand behind Wu and Geng, and loath to rank with Jiang and Guan. Serving his lord with full ritual—yet this fell short of his early resolve; not loving his kin, he soon made himself conspicuous in public criticism. Striking against the name-and-teaching of the sages—this is what gentlemen deeply condemn. Yan's name was entered in 'Favored Favorites' and brought disgrace on past records. Wei suddenly transformed like a leopard—was he not a man who knew the moment?

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