1
陳書卷三十六
Book of Chen, Volume 36
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列傳第三十
Biography 30
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Prince of Shixing Chen Shuling, styled Zisong, was Emperor Gaozong's second son. During Liang's Chengsheng reign, Emperor Gaozong was at Jiangling as direct-gate general when Shuling was born. After Jiangling fell, Emperor Gaozong withdrew to Guanzhong while Shuling stayed behind at Rangcheng. On Emperor Gaozong's return, the Last Ruler and Shuling were held as hostages. In Tianjia year 3 he followed the Last Ruler home to court and was made Marquis of Kangle with a fief of five hundred households.
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叔陵少機辯，徇聲名，彊梁無所推屈。 光大元年，除中書侍郎。 二年，出為持節、都督江州諸軍事、南中郎將、江州刺史。 太建元年，封始興郡王，奉昭烈王祀。 進授使持節、都督江郢晉三州諸軍事、軍師將軍，刺史如故。 叔陵時年十六，政自己出，僚佐莫預焉。 性嚴刻，部下懾憚。 諸公子姪及罷縣令長，皆逼令事己。 豫章內史錢法成詣府進謁，即配其子季卿將領馬仗，季卿慚恥，不時至，叔陵大怒，侵辱法成，法成憤怨自縊而死。 州縣非其部內，亦徵攝案治之，朝貴及下吏有乖忤者，輒誣奏其罪，陷以重辟。 尋進號雲麾將軍，加散騎常侍。 三年，加侍中。 四年，遷都督湘衡桂武四州諸軍事、平南將軍、湘州刺史，侍中、使持節如故。 諸州鎮聞其至，皆震恐股慄。 叔陵日益暴橫，征伐夷獠，所得皆入己，絲毫不以賞賜。 徵求役使，無有紀極。 夜常不臥，燒燭達曉，呼召賓客，說民間細事，戲謔無所不為。 性不飲酒，唯多置餚胾，晝夜食噉而已。 自旦至中，方始寢寐。 其曹局文案，非呼不得輒自呈。 笞罪者皆繫獄，動數年不省視。 瀟、湘以南，皆逼為左右，㙻里殆無遺者。 其中脫有逃竄，輒殺其妻子。 州縣無敢上言，高宗弗之知也。 尋進號鎮南將軍，給鼓吹一部，遷中衛將軍。 九年，除使持節、都督揚徐東揚南豫四州諸軍事、揚州刺史，侍中、將軍、鼓吹如故。
As a youth Shuling was sharp and argumentative, hungry for fame, and so overbearing that no one could stand up to him. In the first year of Guangda he was made vice director of the Secretariat. In year 2 he went out bearing the staff, as commander of Jiang military affairs, southern central-guard general, and inspector of Jiang. In the first year of Taijian he was made Prince of Shixing to carry on the sacrifices to Prince Zhaolie. He was further granted the credential staff, command over Jiang, Ying, and Jin, and the rank of army mentor general while keeping the inspectorate. Shuling was then sixteen; policy came only from him, and his aides were shut out. He was harsh by nature, and his subordinates lived in dread. Imperial nephews and dismissed county and prefectural heads alike were forced into his service. When Yuzhang inner administrator Qian Facheng came to the princely residence to pay court, Shuling immediately detailed Facheng's son Jiqing to lead horse and arms. Jiqing, mortified, delayed; Shuling flew into a rage and abused Facheng until Facheng, bitter and aggrieved, hanged himself. He even hauled in and prosecuted counties and prefectures outside his command; any court noble or petty official who offended him he would falsely denounce and trap in a capital sentence. Soon he was promoted to cloud-banner general with the added title of scattered-cavalry regular attendant. In year 3 he was also made palace attendant. In year 4 he was moved to command Xiang, Heng, Gui, and Wu, made general who pacifies the south and inspector of Xiang, while retaining palace attendant and the credential staff. Garrisons throughout the provinces shook with terror when they heard he was coming. Shuling grew daily more brutal; on campaigns against the Yi he kept every prize for himself and never gave the least reward. His demands for labor and corvée knew no bounds. He seldom slept at night, kept candles burning till dawn, called in guests, and gossiped over village trifles, joking without restraint. He did not drink, but heaped the table with meats and ate constantly, day and night. Only from morning till noon did he finally sleep. Office papers might not be submitted unless he called for them. Anyone flogged was thrown into prison and often left unvisited for years. South of the Xiao and Xiang he pressed everyone into personal service until the hamlets were nearly emptied. Any who escaped he killed along with their wives and children. Local officials dared not report up the chain, and Emperor Gaozong never learned of it. Soon he was promoted to general who guards the south with a suite of pipes and drums and transferred to central guard general. In year 9 he received the credential staff, command of Yang, Xu, Eastern Yang, and Southern Yu, and the Yangzhou inspectorate, while keeping palace attendant, his general's rank, and the pipes and drums.
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In year 10 he arrived at the capital and was granted sedan bearers and an oil-canopy carriage. Shuling governed from the Eastern Mansion and routed much business through the provincial ministries. Offices that flattered him he pushed for imperial appointment; the least resistance brought a capital charge, even dismemberment. Rumors on every road said he nursed treasonous ambition. Shuling cultivated a false reputation; entering court he would read aloud from a scroll in his carriage or on his horse, declaiming loudly with an air of ease. Back in his study he sometimes took up hatchet and adze to play the monkey masquerader. He loved wandering graveyards; whenever a tombstone gave a readable name he had attendants open the mound, seize stone epitaphs and antiquities, even arm and shin bones, and kept them as toys in his storehouse. Within the mansion he forced every young wife or maiden of even slight beauty into his bed.
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In year 11 he left office to mourn his birth mother, Lady Peng. Soon he was recalled as central guard general with the same credential staff, command, and inspectorate. In Jin many nobles were buried at Meiling; when Peng died Shuling asked to bury her there, opened Grand Tutor Xie An's old tomb, cast out An's coffin, and laid his mother in the grave. On the first day of mourning he faked grief, claiming he copied the Nirvana Sutra in his own blood; within ten days he had the kitchen serve fresh slaughter and daily delicacies. He secretly summoned attendants' wives and daughters and lay with them; his conduct was utterly lawless, and word reached the throne. Emperor Gaozong rebuked censor-in-chief Wang Zheng for not reporting him, stripped Zheng of office, dismissed his recorder and personal staff, and had them flogged besides. Emperor Gaozong had long favored Shuling and would not restrain him by law, only scold him. When mourning ended he again became palace attendant and grand general of the central army.
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When Emperor Gaozong fell ill, the crown prince and all princes came in to attend him. Emperor Gaozong died in the Hall of Extending Blessings; at dawn the next day, as the Last Ruler lay prostrate in grief, Shuling struck him in the back of the neck with a medicine knife. The empress dowager rushed to save him; Shuling hacked her several times as well. The Last Ruler's wet nurse, Lady Wu, stood beside the empress dowager and pulled his elbow from behind, so the Last Ruler was able to rise. Shuling still clutched the Last Ruler's robe, but the Last Ruler wrenched free. Prince of Changsha Chen Shujian grappled Shuling, snatched away his knife, dragged him to a pillar, and bound him with his own robe sleeve. By then Lady Wu had helped the Last Ruler escape; Shujian looked for the Last Ruler to receive orders. Shuling shook free his sleeve, bolted out the Cloud Dragon Gate, raced to the Eastern Mansion, rallied his guards, scattered gold and silver as bounty, and called the princes and generals—but only Prince of Xin'an Chen Bogu came when he heard.
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叔陵聚兵僅千人，初欲據城保守，俄而右衛將軍蕭摩訶將兵至府西門，叔陵事急惶恐，乃遣記室韋諒送其鼓吹與摩訶，仍謂之曰：「如其事捷，必以公為台鼎。」 摩訶紿報之，曰「須王心膂節將自來，方敢從命」。 叔陵即遣戴溫、譚騏驎二人詣摩訶所，摩訶執以送臺，斬於閣道下。 叔陵自知不濟，遂入內沈其妃張氏及寵妾七人于井中。 叔陵有部下兵先在新林，於是率人馬數百，自小航渡，欲趨新林，以舟艦入北。 行至白楊路，為臺軍所邀，伯固見兵至，旋避入巷，叔陵馳騎拔刃追之，伯固復還。 叔陵部下，多棄甲潰散，摩訶馬 （客） 容陳智深迎刺叔陵，[1]僵斃于地，閹豎王飛禽抽刀斫之十數下，馬 （客） 容陳仲華就斬其首，送于臺。 自寅至巳乃定。
Shuling mustered barely a thousand men and at first meant to occupy the city and defend it, but Right Guard General Xiao Mohe soon brought troops to the mansion's western gate. With matters urgent and panic setting in, Shuling sent staff recorder Wei Liang to deliver his pipes and drums to Mohe and promised, "If we win, you will sit among the highest ministers." Mohe lied in answer: "I must wait until Your Highness's own trusted commanders come before I dare obey." Shuling sent Dai Wen and Tan Qilin to Mohe's camp; Mohe seized them, sent them to the tribunal, and they were beheaded under the gallery. Knowing all was lost, Shuling went inside and drowned his consort Lady Zhang and seven favored concubines in a well. Some of his men were already at Xinlin; he led several hundred horse and foot across the small ferry, meaning to reach Xinlin and flee north by ship. At Baiyang Road the court army blocked them; Bogu, seeing soldiers, slipped into an alley; Shuling spurred after him with blade drawn, and Bogu returned. Shuling's men mostly threw off armor and fled; Mohe on horseback Collation variant: (guest). Collation variant: (Rong); adopted reading: Chen Zhishen came forward to stab Shuling. [1] He stiffened and fell dead; the eunuch Wang Feiqin drew his blade and hacked him more than ten times; on horseback Collation variant: (guest). Collation variant: (Rong); adopted reading: Chen Zhonghua then cut off his head and sent it to the tribunal. From dawn till mid-morning order was restored.
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尚書八座奏曰：「逆賊故侍中、中軍大將軍、始興王叔陵，幼而很戾，長肆貪虐。 出撫湘南，及鎮九水，兩藩甿庶，掃地無遺。 蜂目豺聲，狎近輕薄，不孝不仁，阻兵安忍，無禮無義，唯戮是聞。 及居偏憂，婬樂自恣，產子就館，日月相接。 晝伏夜遊，恆習姦詭，抄掠居民，歷發丘墓。 謝太傅晉朝佐命，草創江左，斲棺露骸，事驚聽視。 自大行皇帝寢疾，翌日未瘳，叔陵以貴介之地，參侍醫藥，外無戚容，內懷逆弒。 大漸之後，聖躬號擗，遂因匍匐，手犯乘輿。 皇太后奉臨，又加鋒刃，窮凶極逆，曠古未儔。 賴長沙王叔堅誠孝懇至，英果奮發，手加挫拉，身蔽聖躬。 叔陵仍奔東城，招集凶黨，餘毒方熾，自害妻孥。 雖應時梟懸，猶未攄憤怨，臣等參議，請依宋代故事，流尸中江，汙潴其室，并毀其所生彭氏墳廟，還謝氏之塋。」 制曰：「凶逆梟獍，反噬宮闈，賴宗廟之靈，時從仆滅。 [2]撫情語事，酸憤兼懷，朝議有章，宜從所奏也。」
The eight secretariat ministers memorialized: "The traitor, the late palace attendant and grand general of the central army, Prince of Shixing Chen Shuling, was savage from childhood and in manhood wallowed in greed and cruelty. As governor south of Xiang and later on the Nine Waters, he left both regions' common folk swept bare. With bee eyes and jackal voice he consorted with the worthless; unfilial, unkind, he trusted to arms and delighted in cruelty; without rite or right, only killing followed his name. During his mother's mourning he abandoned himself to lust; when sons were born he lodged them in guest quarters, one birth after another without pause. He hid by day and prowled by night, ever scheming, plundering townsfolk and opening grave after grave. Grand Tutor Xie had aided Jin in founding the realm and shaping the southeast; to break open his coffin and bare his bones horrified all who heard. From the day the late emperor fell ill, by the morrow he had not recovered; Shuling, in honored rank at the bedside, showed no sorrow outwardly while nursing regicide within. When the emperor was failing, as the sacred person wailed and beat his breast, Shuling used the prostration to lay hands on the imperial person. When the empress dowager came in person he struck her again; such extreme villainy had no parallel in antiquity. Only Prince of Changsha Chen Shujian, utterly earnest in loyalty, seized him with his own hands and shielded the emperor with his body. Shuling still fled to the eastern quarter, rallied his ruffians, and even murdered his own wife and children. Though he was promptly beheaded, our rage is not spent. We jointly ask, as in Song precedent, to cast his corpse into mid-river, befoul his house, destroy his mother Lady Peng's tomb and shrine, and restore the Xie burial mound." The edict read: "The traitor, more beast than man, turned to savage the inner palace; thanks to the imperial ancestors' spirits he was swiftly destroyed. [2] Considering the matter in grief and speaking to the facts, bitterness and indignation fill my breast; the court's deliberation is in order, and it is fitting to follow what was memorialized."
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Shuling's sons were all ordered to die that same day. Former Hengyang inner administrator Peng Hao, deliberation officer and recorder Zheng Xin, central recorder and recorder Wei Liang, and recorder Yu Gongxi were all put to death. Hao was Shuling's uncle on his mother's side; he had followed Emperor Gaozong in Guanzhong with some merit and, through Shuling's favor, held command over Liyang and Hengyang. Xin was skilled at shorthand and enjoyed favor; he took part in every plan. Liang came from Jingzhao, son of Liang attendant-in-ordinary and protector-general Can, and was recruited by Shuling for his scholarship.
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For killing Shuling, Chen Zhishen was made inner administrator of Baling and enfeoffed as Viscount of You'an. Chen Zhonghua was made administrator of Xia Gui and enfeoffed as Viscount of Xinyi. Wang Feiqin was made general who crosses the waves. [3] Gold was bestowed in differing amounts to each.
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Prince of Xin'an Chen Bogu, styled Laozhi, was Emperor Wen's fifth son. He was born with a pigeon chest and eyes whose whites showed bright; though slight in stature he was handsome in debate and fluent in speech. In Tianjia year 6 he was made Prince of Xin'an with a fief of two thousand households. When the Deposed Emperor succeeded, he received the credential staff, command of southern Langye, Pengcheng, and Donghai, the rank of cloud-banner general, and the Pengcheng and Langye administratorates. Soon he entered court as governor of Danyang, keeping his general's rank.
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In the first year of Taijian he was promoted to general of intelligent martiality while keeping the Danyang post. When his term expired he was promoted to general who assists the right. Soon he received the credential staff and was made area commander of Wuxing military affairs, Pacify-the-East general, and administrator of Wuxing. In year 4 he entered the capital as palace attendant and forward aide general, then became pacify-the-front general and central army inspector. In year 7 he went out bearing the credential staff as regular attendant of the scattered cavalry, area commander of South Xu, South Yu, North Xu, and North Yan, pacify-the-north general, and inspector of South Xuzhou. Bogu loved wine and would not save; his salary vanished without plan, and when drunk he often begged from others. Among the princes he was the poorest, and Emperor Gaozong often pitied him and gave special gifts. Bogu was frivolous by nature and fond of the whip. In his province he ignored government, hunted by day, sometimes rode a sleeping litter into the meadows, and called commoners to join him for outings that could last ten days. The deer and boar he took he mostly had brought in alive. Emperor Gaozong knew of it and sent envoys to rebuke him more than once.
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十年，入朝，又為侍中、鎮右將軍，尋除護軍將軍。 其年，為國子祭酒，領左驍騎將軍，侍中、鎮右並如故。 伯固頗知玄理，而墮業無所通，至於擿句問難，往往有奇意。 為政嚴苛，國學有墮遊不脩習者，重加檟楚，生徒懼焉，由是學業頗進。
In year 10 he came to court and again became palace attendant and pacify-the-right general; soon he was made protector of the army general. That year he was made libationer of the National University and concurrently led the left valiant cavalry; palace attendant and pacify-the-right remained unchanged. Bogu knew something of arcane learning yet mastered no art; when he posed lines and pressed others in debate, he often showed a striking turn of mind. As an administrator he was harsh. Students in the National University who idled instead of studying he beat heavily with the cudgel; they feared him, and study thereafter advanced sharply.
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十二年，領宗正卿。 十三年，為使持節、都督揚南徐東揚南豫四州諸軍事、揚州刺史，侍中、將軍如故。
In year 12 he also held director of the imperial clan. In year 13 he was made credential-bearing area commander of Yang, South Xu, East Yang, and South Yu and inspector of Yangzhou; palace attendant and general remained as before.
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後主初在東宮，與伯固甚相親狎，伯固又善嘲謔，高宗每宴集，多引之。 叔陵在江州，心害其寵，陰求疵瑕，將中之以法。 及叔陵入朝，伯固懼罪，諂求其意，乃共訕毀朝賢，歷詆文武，雖耆年高位，皆面折之，無所畏忌。 伯固性好射雉，叔陵又好開發冢墓，出遊野外，必與偕行，於是情好大協，遂謀不軌。 伯固侍禁中，每有密語，必報叔陵。 及叔陵出奔東府，遣使告之，伯固單馬馳赴，助叔陵指揮。 知事不捷，便欲遁走，會四門已閉不得出，因同趣白楊道。 臺馬 （客） 容至，為亂兵所殺，尸於東昌館門，時年二十八。 詔曰：「伯固同茲悖逆，殞身途路。 今依外議，意猶弗忍，可特許以庶人禮葬。」 又詔曰：「伯固隨同巨逆，自絕于天，俾無遺育，抑有恆典。 但童孺靡識，兼預葭莩，寘之甸人，良以惻憫，及伯固所生王氏，[4]可並特宥為庶人。」 國除。
When the Last Ruler was still crown prince in the Eastern Palace, he and Bogu were very close. Bogu was also skilled at banter, and Emperor Gaozong often summoned him to feasts. Shuling was in Jiangzhou and resented Bogu's favor; he secretly looked for faults and meant to bring him down by law. When Shuling came to court, Bogu feared punishment and fawned on him to learn his mind; together they slandered court worthies and abused civil and military men in turn—even elders of years and high rank they confronted to the face without fear. Bogu loved shooting pheasants and Shuling loved opening tombs; abroad in the wilds they always went together, their feelings matched, and they plotted treason. Bogu attended within the palace; whenever there was a secret word he reported it to Shuling. When Shuling fled to the Eastern Palace he sent word to Bogu; Bogu rode alone at full speed to join him and helped direct the fighting. Seeing the cause was lost, he meant to flee; the four gates were already shut and he could not leave, so together they made for Baiyang Road. Platform horse Collation variant: (guest). When the court cavalry arrived, he was killed by mutinous troops; his body lay at the gate of the Dongchang hostel; he was twenty-eight. An edict said, "Bogu shared in this rebellion and perished on the road. Following outside opinion, our mind still cannot bear it; he may be buried with commoner rites as a special grace." Another edict said, "Bogu followed the great rebel and cut himself off from Heaven; to leave no descendants is the constant statute. Yet the children know nothing and share the family tie; to set them among common folk is true compassion; and Wang, who bore Bogu, [4] may both be specially pardoned as commoners." The fief was abolished.
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The historiographer says: Confucius said, "Wealth and honor are what men desire; if not obtained by the proper way, one does not dwell in them." From emperors and kings down to the common multitude, none lacks distinction between principal wife and concubine or order between elder and younger. Shuling was dangerous, restless, and driven to outstrip others, then carried out rebellion. Sundering his body by the cart-wheel did not reach his crime; defiling pools at his dwelling did not suffice to show his fault—alas!