Volume 84: Zhai Fangjin

卷八十四翟方進傳第五十四

Volume 84, the fifty-fourth biography: Zhai Fangjin.

翟方進字子威，汝南上蔡人也。家世微賤，至方進父翟公，好學，為郡文學。方進年十二三，失父孤學，給事太守府為小史，號遲頓不及事，數為掾史所詈辱。方進自傷，乃從汝南蔡父相問己能所宜。蔡父大奇其形貌，謂曰：「小史有封侯骨，當以經術進，努力為諸生學問。」方進既厭為小史，聞蔡父言，心喜，因病歸家，辭其後母，欲西至京師受經。母憐其幼，隨之長安，織屨以給。方進讀經博士，受《春秋》。積十餘年，經學明習，徒眾日廣，諸儒稱之。以射策甲科為郎。二三歲，舉明經，遷議郎。

Zhai Fangjin, styled Ziwei, was a native of Shangcai in Runan commandery. The family had long been of humble rank; his father, Lord Zhai, loved books and served as the commandery's erudite instructor. Orphaned at twelve or thirteen, he studied on his own and took a petty clerkship at the grand warden's office, where he was mocked as slow and useless and repeatedly insulted by the senior staff. Deeply hurt, he went to an old Mr. Cai in Runan to have his face read and learn what line of work suited him. Mr. Cai was struck by his bearing and told him, "A petty clerk you may be, but you have the look of a future marquis. You should rise through the classics—throw yourself into study like a true scholar." Already sick of clerking, he was elated by Mr. Cai's words. He pleaded illness, went home, asked his stepmother's leave, and resolved to travel west to the capital to study the canon. His mother, pitying how young he was, followed him to Chang'an and kept them fed by weaving sandals. He enrolled with a court erudite and took the 《Spring and Autumn》 as his text. After more than a decade his mastery of the classics was evident, his following grew by the day, and other scholars spoke of him with respect. He placed in the top tier of the written examination and was appointed a gentleman of the palace. Within two or three years he was nominated on the "illustrious classics" roster and promoted to advisory gentleman.

是時，宿儒有清河胡常，與方進同經。常為先進，名譽出方進下，心害其能，論議不右方進。方進知之，候伺常大都授時，遣門下諸生至常所問大義疑難，因記其說。如是者久之，常知方進之宗讓己，內不自得，其後居士大夫之間未嘗不稱述方進，遂相親友。

Among the senior scholars of the day was Hu Chang of Qinghe, who studied the same classic as Fangjin. Hu had entered the field first, yet Fangjin's reputation soon eclipsed his; resentful of the younger man's talent, he would never speak up for him in debate. Fangjin waited until Hu gave his large public lecture, then sent his own students to Hu's hall with knotty questions on the text—and quietly took notes on every answer. This went on until Hu realized Fangjin was deliberately deferring to him; ashamed, he thereafter never missed a chance among officials to praise Fangjin, and the two became close friends.

河平中，方進轉為博士。數年，遷朔方刺史，居官不煩苛，所察應條輒舉，甚有威名。再三奏事，遷為丞相司直。從上甘泉，行馳道中，司隸校尉陳慶劾奏方進，沒入車馬。既至甘泉宮，會殿中，慶與廷尉范延壽語，時慶有章劾，自道：「行事以贖論，今尚書持我事來，當於此決。前我為尚書時，嘗有所奏事，忽忘之，留月餘。」方進於是舉劾慶曰：「案慶奉使刺舉大臣，故為尚書，知機事周密一統，明主躬親不解。慶有罪未伏誅，無恐懼心，豫自設不坐之比。又暴揚尚書事，言遲疾無所在，虧損聖德之聰明，奉詔不謹，皆不敬，臣謹以劾。」慶坐免官。

During the Heping era he was rotated into a court erudite post. A few years later he was made regional inspector of Shuofang. He governed without petty harshness, cited every breach of statute he found, and quickly earned a formidable reputation. Repeated memorials on his work won him promotion to the chancellor's rectifier, the chief disciplinary officer under the chief minister. While accompanying the emperor to Sweet Springs he drove on the imperial express lane; Metropolitan Commandant Chen Qing impeached him, and his team was confiscated. At Sweet Springs Palace, during a hall assembly, Qing was talking with Commandant of Justice Fan Yanshou. Under investigation himself, Qing said aloud, "The case was supposed to be settled by commutation; now the secretariat has brought my file—I expect the decision here. When I was at the secretariat I once drafted a memorial, forgot it in a moment, and let it sit for over a month." Fangjin impeached him: "Qing was charged with investigating high officials and once headed the secretariat; he knew state business is centralized and that the sovereign attends to it personally without respite. Though liable to punishment he shows no fear, and he has already framed arguments to exculpate himself. He also aired confidential secretariat business, dismissed timing as arbitrary, and impugned the throne's judgment—all grave disrespect to imperial orders. I therefore impeach him." Qing was stripped of his post on those charges.

會北地浩商為義渠長所捕，亡，長取其母，與豭豬連繫都亭下。商兄弟會賓客，自稱司隸掾、長安縣尉，殺義渠長妻子六人，亡。丞相、御史請遣掾史與司隸校尉、部刺史並力逐捕，察無狀者，奏可。司隸校尉涓勳奏言：「《春秋》之義，王人微者序乎諸侯之上，尊王命也。臣幸得奉使，以督察公卿以下為職，今丞相宣請遣掾史，以宰士督察天子奉使命大夫，甚悖逆順之理。宣本不師受經術，因事以立奸威，案浩商所犯，一家之禍耳，而宣欲專權作威，乃害於國，不可之大者。願下中朝特進列侯、將軍以下，正國法度。」議者以為，丞相掾不宜移書皆趣司隸。會浩商捕得伏誅，家屬徙合浦。

Hao Shang of Beidi was seized by the magistrate of Yiqu but escaped; the magistrate then took Shang's mother, chained her beside a boar under the county relay post, and left her in the street. Shang's brothers gathered retainers, posed as metropolitan staff and a Chang'an deputy, murdered the magistrate's wife and children—six people in all—and fled. The chancellor and imperial counselor asked that their clerks join the metropolitan commandant and regional inspectors in a joint manhunt, with a review of anyone wrongly suspected; the emperor approved. Metropolitan Commandant Juan Xun wrote: "The 《Spring and Autumn》 ranks even a minor envoy of the king above feudal lords—to honor the royal mandate. I was charged with overseeing officials down from the highest ranks; now Chancellor Xuan wants to dispatch his own clerks to supervise officers commissioned by the throne—an inversion of proper order that flatly contradicts the classics. Xuan never trained in the classics; he exploits incidents to build arbitrary power. Hao Shang's crime was a private family tragedy, yet the chancellor would monopolize authority and throw his weight around—an intolerable injury to the state. I ask that the matter be referred to the inner court—full marquises, generals, and those below—to restore correct statutory order." Critics held that chancellery clerks should not blanket the metropolitan command with circular orders. Hao Shang was soon caught and executed; his kin were banished to Hepu.

故事，司隸校尉位在司直下，初除，謁兩府，其有所會，居中二千石前，與司直並迎丞相、御史。初，方進新視事，而涓勳亦初拜為司隸，不肯謁丞相、御史大夫，後朝會相見，禮節又倨。方進陰察之，勳私過光祿勳辛慶忌，又出逢帝舅成都侯商道路，下車立，□過，乃就車。於是方進舉奏其狀，因曰：「臣聞國家之興，尊尊而敬長，爵位上下之禮，王道綱紀。《春秋》之義，尊上公謂之宰，海內無不統焉。丞相進見聖主，御坐為起，在輿為下。群臣宜皆承順聖化，以視四方。勳吏二千石，幸得奉使，不遵禮儀，輕謾宰相，賤易上卿，而又詘節失度，邪諂無常，色厲內荏。墮國體，亂朝廷之序，不宜處位。臣請下丞相免勳。」

By established usage the metropolitan commandant ranked below the chancellor's rectifier, called on both chancellery and counselor's offices when appointed, took the center place ahead of other two-thousand-bushel officials at joint sessions, and with the rectifier greeted the chancellor and imperial counselor. When Fangjin had just assumed his post, Juan Xun had also just been named metropolitan commandant; Xun refused to call on the chancellor or imperial counselor, and when they later met at court his bearing was openly disrespectful. Fangjin had him watched: Xun paid a private call on Superintendent of the Household Xin Qingji, and another time, meeting the emperor's uncle, Marquis of Chengdu Wang Shang, on the road, he dismounted and stood deferentially until Shang had passed before remounting. Fangjin reported the facts and declared: "I have always understood that a thriving polity rests on honoring superiors and elders and on clear precedence among ranks—the very fabric of kingship. The 《Spring and Autumn》 teaches us to call the chief minister steward: nothing within the realm lies outside his coordinating hand. When the chancellor is admitted to audience, the sovereign rises from the throne and steps down from his chariot to show respect. Every minister should embody that civilizing example and hold it up for the empire to see. Xun holds a two-thousand-bushel commission, yet he spurns protocol, sneers at the chief minister, treats senior ministers with contempt, wavers between cringing and bluster, and is all show—fierce in face, timid at heart. He degrades the dignity of government and scrambles court precedence; he should not remain in office. I therefore ask that the chancellor be directed to remove Juan Xun from his post.

時，太中大夫平當給事中奏言：「方進國之司直，不自敕正以先群下，前親犯令行馳道中，司隸慶平心舉劾，方進不自責悔而內挾私恨，伺記慶之從容語言，以詆欺成罪。後丞相宣以一不道賊，請遣掾督趣司隸校尉，司隸校尉勳自奏暴於朝廷，今方進復舉奏勳。議者以為方進不以道德輔正丞相，苟阿助大臣，欲必勝立威，宜抑絕其原。勳素行公直，奸人所惡，可少寬假，使遂其功名。」上以方進所舉應科，不得用逆詐廢正法，遂貶勳為昌陵令。方進旬歲間免兩司隸，朝廷由是憚之。丞相宣甚器重焉，常誡掾史：「謹事司直，翟君必在相位，不久。」

Grandee of the Palace Ping Dang, serving as palace attendant, objected: "Fangjin is the empire's chief censor, yet he did not set the example: he himself broke the law on the express lane. Chen Qing impeached him fairly, but instead of accepting blame Fangjin nursed a grudge, eavesdropped on Qing's casual remarks, and twisted them into a criminal charge." Later Chancellor Xuan, over a single criminal case, ordered his clerks to hound the metropolitan commandant; Commandant Xun appealed openly in court, and now Fangjin impeaches him again. Critics argued that Fangjin was not guiding the chancellor with moral authority but currying favor with powerful colleagues, seeking only to win every clash and build a reputation for fear; the root of that habit ought to be checked. Xun's record is upright—the very sort of man villains detest. Grant him a little latitude and let his career stand on its merits. The emperor ruled that Fangjin's charges met the code and that the law could not be set aside for suspicion of bad faith; Xun was therefore demoted to magistrate of Changling. In the space of a year Fangjin had forced out two metropolitan commandants, and the whole bureaucracy learned to fear him. Chancellor Xuan thought the world of him and would warn his staff, "Treat the rectifier with care—Master Zhai will sit in the chief ministership before you know it."

是時，起昌陵，營作陵邑，貴戚近臣子弟賓客多辜榷為奸利者，方進部掾史復案，發大奸贓數千萬。上以為任公卿，欲試以治民，徙方進為京兆尹，搏擊豪強，京師畏之。時，胡常為青州刺史，聞之，與方進書曰：「竊聞政令甚明，為京兆能，則恐有所不宜。」方進心知所謂，其後少弛威嚴。

While the Changling mausoleum project was under way, well-connected families and their hangers-on were monopolizing supplies and raking in illicit millions; Fangjin's investigators reopened the files and uncovered fraud on a staggering scale. Judging him ready for higher responsibility, the emperor wanted to test his skill with the populace and named him metropolitan governor of Jingzhao. He cracked down on powerful local clans, and the capital trembled. Hu Chang, then regional inspector of Qingzhou, wrote to him: "Your administration is said to be impeccably strict. In the capital that may prove a mixed blessing." Fangjin took the hint and thereafter eased off a little of his harsh edge.

居官三歲，永始二年遷御史大夫。數月，會丞相薛宣坐廣漢盜賊群起及太皇太后喪時三輔吏並征發為奸，免為庶人。方進亦坐為京兆尹時奉喪事煩擾百姓，左遷執金吾。二十餘日，丞相官缺，群臣多舉方進，上亦器其能，遂擢方進為丞相，封高陵侯，食邑千戶。身既富貴，而後母尚在，方進內行修飾，供養甚篤。及後母終，既葬三十六日，除服起視事，以為身備漢相，不敢逾國家之制。為相公潔，請托不行郡國。持法刻深，舉奏牧守九卿，峻文深詆，中傷者尤多。如陳咸、硃博、蕭育、逢信、孫閎之屬，皆京師世家，以材能少歷牧守列卿，知名當世，而方進特立後起，十餘年間至宰相，據法以彈咸等，皆罷退之。

After three years in post he was promoted to imperial counselor in the second year of Yongshi. A few months later Chancellor Xue Xuan was stripped of rank—blamed for the Guanghan bandit uprising and for corruption among metropolitan officials during the Grand Empress Dowager's funeral levies. Fangjin too was censured for harassing the people while metropolitan governor during the same funeral round; he was demoted to superintendent of the capital. Within three weeks the chief ministership was open again. Most of the court nominated Fangjin, and the emperor, confident in his talent, elevated him to chancellor with a marquisate at Gaoling and a thousand-household fief. Once he was wealthy and powerful, his stepmother still lived; he kept his private life above reproach and supported her with conspicuous devotion. When she died he buried her, observed only thirty-six days of mourning, then doffed sackcloth and returned to duty—holding that as Han chief minister he must not exceed statutory mourning. As chief minister he kept a spotless public reputation: no favor-seeking lobby ever got a hearing in the provinces. He enforced the code with pitiless rigor, impeaching governors and ministers alike with harsh indictments, and ruined a great many careers. Men like Chen Xian, Zhu Bo, Xiao Yu, Feng Xin, and Sun Hong were old capital families who had risen young to governorships and ministerial posts and enjoyed national renown—yet Fangjin, a latecomer who reached the chancellorship in little more than a decade, used the statutes to impeach them and had every one removed.

後二歲餘，詔舉方正直言之士，紅陽侯立舉咸對策，拜為光祿大夫給事中。方進復奏：「咸前為九卿，坐為貪邪免，自知罪惡暴陳，依托紅陽侯立徼幸，有司莫敢舉奏。冒濁苟容，不顧恥辱，不當蒙方正舉，備內朝臣。」並劾紅陽侯立選舉故不以實。有詔免咸，勿劾立。

More than two years later the court called for candid critics; Marquis of Hongyang Wang Li nominated Chen Xian, who passed the policy examination and was named grand counselor of the palace with concurrent palace attendant duties. Fangjin shot back: "Chen Xian once sat among the nine ministers until greed cost him his post. His crimes were a matter of record, yet he clung to Wang Li for another chance, and no agency dared touch him." He wallowed in corruption and traded dignity for survival; he does not deserve a "square and upright" nomination or a seat among the inner court. He also impeached Wang Li for a knowingly false nomination. An edict dismissed Chen Xian but forbade action against Wang Li.

後數年，皇太后姊子侍中衛尉定陵侯淳于長有罪，上以太后故，免官勿治罪。有司奏請遣長就國，長以金錢與立，立上封事為長求留曰：「陛下既托文以皇太后故，誠不可更有它計。」後長陰事發，遂下獄。方進劾立：「懷奸邪，亂朝政，欲傾誤要主上，狡猾不道，請下獄。」上曰：「紅陽侯，朕之舅，不忍致法，遣就國。」於是方進復奏立黨友曰：「立素行積為不善，眾人所共知。邪臣自結，附托為黨，庶幾立與政事，欲獲其利。今立斥還就國，所交結尤著者，不宜備大臣，為郡守。案後將軍硃博、巨鹿太守孫閎、故光祿大夫陳咸與立交通厚善，相與為腹心，有背公死黨之信，欲相攀援，死而後已；皆內有不仁之性，而外有俊材，過絕人倫，勇猛果敢，處事不疑，所居皆尚殘賊酷虐，苛刻慘毒以立威，而無纖介愛利之風。天下所共知，愚者猶惑。孔子曰：『人而不仁如禮何！人而不仁如樂何！」言不仁之人，亡所施用；不仁而多材，國之患也。此三人皆內懷奸猾，國之所患，而深相與結，信於貴戚奸臣，此國家大憂，大臣所宜沒身而爭也。昔季孫行父有害曰：『見有善於君者愛之，若孝子之養父母也；見不善者誅之，若鷹鸇之逐鳥爵也。』翅翼雖傷，不避也。貴戚強黨之眾誠難犯，犯之，眾敵並怨，善惡相冒。臣幸得備宰相，不敢不盡死。請免博、閎、咸歸故郡，以銷奸雄之黨，絕群邪之望。」奏可。咸既廢錮，復徙故郡，以憂死。

Some years later Chunyu Chang—nephew of the empress dowager, Marquis of Dingling, and superintendent of the guards—was found guilty, but the emperor, for his mother's sake, merely removed him from office without prosecution. Officials asked that Chang be sent to his fief; Chang bribed Wang Li, who filed a sealed plea begging the throne to let him stay, arguing: "Since Your Majesty already waived prosecution for the empress dowager's sake, there must be no second ruling." When Chang's secret dealings surfaced, he was thrown into prison. Fangjin impeached Wang Li: "He harbors treacherous designs, disrupts the government, and importunes the throne with crafty impiety—send him to prison." The emperor replied, "Hongyang is my uncle; I cannot bring myself to try him—banish him to his fief instead." Fangjin followed with a memorial on Wang Li's clique: "Li's long record of misconduct is common knowledge. Corrupt officials have banded together around him, hoping he would regain influence and they would profit. Now that Li has been packed off to his fief, his closest associates must not remain as senior ministers or provincial governors. General of the Rear Zhu Bo, Julu Governor Sun Hong, and former Grand Counselor Chen Xian were thick with Li—his confidants, sworn to private loyalty, ready to climb together or fall together. Inwardly they lack humaneness, yet they are formidably gifted—bold, ruthless, and decisive. Every post they held was governed by cruelty and terror, never by the slightest regard for the common good. The whole empire knows it, though the slow-witted may still be fooled. Confucius said, "What has the inhumane man to do with ritual!" What has he to do with music!" The point is that the inhumane man is fit for nothing. Talent without humaneness is a scourge on the state. These three are inwardly treacherous—precisely the sort of men who endanger the state—yet they are tightly bound to powerful in-laws and corrupt favorites. That is a grave peril, and it is a minister's duty to stake his life opposing it. Ji Sun Xingfu once said, "When you see a man who serves the ruler well, cherish him as a dutiful son cherishes his parents; when you see a villain, strike him down as a hawk strikes small birds." Even if it costs you your wings, you do not flinch." Powerful cliques of in-laws are dangerous to cross—cross them and a host of enemies will howl, until right and wrong are hopelessly tangled. I am privileged to stand as chancellor; I cannot shrink from giving my life if need be. I ask that Zhu Bo, Sun Hong, and Chen Xian be stripped of office and sent home to their native commanderies, to break the back of this cabal and end the hopes of every schemer." The emperor approved the memorial. Chen Xian was disgraced and barred from office, banished again to his home commandery, and died of grief.

方進知能有餘，兼通文法吏事，以儒雅緣飭法律，號為通明相，天子甚器重之，奏事亡不當意，內求人主微指以固其位。初，定陵侯淳于長雖外戚，然以能謀議為九卿，新用事，方進獨與長交，稱薦之。及長坐大逆誅，諸所厚善皆坐長免，上以方進大臣，又素重之，為隱諱。方進內慚，上疏謝罪乞骸骨。上報曰：「定陵侯長已伏其辜，君雖交通，傳不雲乎？『朝過夕改，君子與之』，君何疑焉？其專心一意毋怠，近醫藥以自持。」方進乃起視事，條奏長所厚善京兆尹孫寶、右扶風蕭育，刺史二千石以上免二十餘人，其見任如此。

Fangjin had talent to spare and knew the statutes as well as any clerk; he draped harsh law in Confucian polish and was known as the all-knowing chief minister. The emperor leaned on him heavily—every memorial hit the mark—while Fangjin read the sovereign's slightest mood to secure his own standing. Early on, Marquis of Dingling Chunyu Chang—though only an in-law—had won a seat among the nine ministers on sheer political savvy. Fangjin alone befriended him at the height of his influence and spoke well of him at court. When Chang was executed for high treason, everyone who had been close to him lost office too, but the emperor shielded Fangjin—he was a senior minister whom the throne had long esteemed. Fangjin was mortified and offered a memorial confessing fault and asking to retire. The emperor answered: "Chang has paid for his crimes. True, you kept company with him, but has it not been said? 'Repent at evening what you did at morning, and the gentleman will approve'—why should you still doubt? Give the matter your undivided attention and do not flag; stay close to physicians and medicine to keep your strength." Fangjin returned to duty and filed a detailed memorial naming everyone close to Chunyu Chang—among them Metropolitan Governor Sun Bao and Administrator of the Right Xiao Yu—getting more than twenty regional inspectors and senior two-thousand-bushel officials removed. Such was the confidence the throne placed in him.

方進雖受《穀梁》，然好《左氏傳》、天文星曆，其《左氏》則國師劉歆，星曆則長安令田終術師也。厚李尋，以為議曹。為相九歲，綏和二年春熒惑守心，尋奏記言：「應變之權，君侯所自明。往者數白，三光垂象，變動見端，山川水泉，反理視患，民人訛謠，斥事感名。三者既效，可為寒心。今提揚眉，矢貫中，狼奮角，弓且張，金歷庫，士逆度，輔湛沒，火守舍，萬歲之期，近慎朝暮。上無惻怛濟世之功，下無推讓避賢之效，欲當大位，為具臣以全身，難矣！大責日加，安得但保斥逐之戮？闔府三百餘人，唯君侯擇其中，與盡節轉凶。」

Though trained in the "Guliang" commentary, he favored the "Zuo Tradition" and astrology; for the former his master was State Teacher Liu Xin, for celestial calculations Chang'an Magistrate Tian Zhongshu. He favored Li Xun and appointed him to his deliberation staff. In his ninth year as chief minister, in the spring of Suihe 2, Mars stationed in the Heart constellation. Li Xun sent a private note: "The art of adapting to portents is something you, my lord, understand without being told. Time and again the heavens have flashed warnings: the three lights have shown strange aspects, anomalies have appeared in land and water, and popular rumor has linked events to names. Heaven, earth, and rumor have already borne witness; the prospect should chill any thoughtful man. The sky now shows Mars at the Heart, the Bow drawn taut, celestial metal threatening the arsenal, guardian stars displaced, and the Red Planet lodged in the ruler's seat: the fateful moment may fall as soon as tomorrow morning or tomorrow night. You have shown the world neither compassionate statesmanship nor the humility to yield to worthier men. To cling to the highest office while playing the cipher who merely saves his skin will not be easy. Blame from above mounts by the day; do you imagine simple removal from office will be the worst you face? More than three hundred men serve in your bureau—choose from them allies who will stake everything to help you turn this omen aside."

方進憂之，不知所出。會郎賁麗善為星，言大臣宜當之。上乃召見方進。還歸，未及引決，上遂賜冊曰：「皇帝問丞相：君孔子之慮，孟賁之勇，朕嘉與君同心一意，庶幾有成。惟君登位，於今十年，災害並臻，民被飢餓，加以疾疫溺死，關門牡開，失國守備，盜賊黨輩。吏民殘賊，毆殺良民，斷獄歲歲多前。上書言事，交錯道路，懷奸朋黨，相為隱蔽，皆亡忠慮，群下凶凶，更相嫉妒，其咎安在？觀君之治，無慾輔朕富民便安元元之念。間者郡國谷雖頗熟，百姓不足者尚眾，前去城郭，未能盡還，夙夜未嘗忘焉。朕惟往時之用，與今一也，百僚用度各有數。君有量多少，一聽群下言，用度不足，奏請一切增賦，稅城郭□及園田，過更，算馬牛羊，增益鹽鐵，變更無常。朕既不明，隨奏許可，後議者以為不便，制詔下君，君雲賣酒醪。後請止，未盡月復奏議令賣酒醪。朕誠怪君，何持容容之計，無忠固意，將何以輔朕帥道群下？而欲久蒙顯尊之位，豈不難哉！傳曰：『高而不危，所以長守貴也。』欲退君位，尚未忍。君其孰念詳計，塞絕奸原，憂國如家，務便百姓以輔朕。朕既已改，君其自思，強食慎職。使尚書令賜君上尊酒十石，養牛一，君審外焉。」

Fangjin was deeply troubled but could see no way out. Then Palace Gentleman Ben Li, an adept at astrology, declared that a senior minister must bear the omen's weight. The emperor summoned Fangjin to audience. Fangjin went home; before he could act on his thoughts of suicide, the emperor's written message arrived: "The emperor addresses the Chancellor: you combine the prudence of Confucius with the daring of Meng Ben. I have valued our single purpose; I had hoped we would finish the work together. Yet in the ten years since you took office calamities have piled up: famine, plague, drownings, frontier gates left unbarred, garrisons neglected, and bandit gangs on the loose. Officials and commoners alike turn predatory, beating and killing the innocent, and each year the docket of lawsuits grows heavier than the last. Petitions choke the highways; men nurse private schemes, band into cliques, and cover for one another—nowhere do I see loyal counsel, only snarling rivalry below. Where does fault lie if not with the chief minister? In your administration I find no zeal to help me enrich the people and settle the common folk. Lately the harvests have been fair in places, yet vast numbers of households still lack food; refugees who fled the cities have not all returned—that weighs on me day and night. State outlays today are no different from what they were; every ministry has a fixed budget. You gauged revenue by whatever subordinates suggested; whenever funds ran short you ordered sweeping new imposts—taxes on urban fortifications and garden plots, service levies, head taxes on livestock, repeated hikes to the salt and iron monopolies—swinging policy this way and that without principle. Too readily I approved your requests; when critics protested, I issued edicts to rein you in, and you answered by proposing to sell government ale. You then asked to halt the scheme, yet before a month had passed you were back with another memorial urging the ale monopoly again. I am baffled by this drift and evasion—where is the steadfast loyalty with which you should guide me and lead the bureaucracy? Do you imagine you can long hold the loftiest post on such terms? The classic says, "Stand high without tottering, and you may keep rank for good." I would remove you, yet I cannot yet bring myself to do it. Think this through, choke off every source of abuse, love the realm as your own household, and bend every effort to ease the people and support your sovereign. I have reconsidered my course; search your own heart, eat well, and attend scrupulously to your duties. The Supervisor of the Household is directed to bring you ten piculs of finest wine and one fattening ox—you know what such an imperial gift portends."

方進即日自殺。上秘之，遣九卿冊贈以丞相、高陵侯印綬，賜乘輿秘器，少府供張，柱檻皆衣素。天子親臨吊者數至，禮賜異於它相故事。謚曰恭侯。長子宣嗣。

Fangjin took his own life that same day. The death was hushed up while the nine ministers were sent with patent cords naming him posthumously chancellor and Marquis of Gaoling, with imperial-grade burial gear from the Privy Treasury and hangings of unbleached cloth draping every pillar and rail. The emperor called repeatedly in person to mourn, with honors that exceeded the usual treatment of chief ministers. He was given the posthumous title Reverent Marquis. The eldest son, Xuan, inherited the title.

宣字少伯，亦明經篤行，君子人也。及方進在，為關都尉、南郡太守。

Zhai Xuan, styled Shaobo, was classically trained, upright in conduct, and accounted a true gentleman. During his father's lifetime he served as Pass Commandant and as grand warden of Nan commandery.

少子曰義。義字文仲，少以父任為郎，稍遷諸曹，年二十出為南陽都尉。宛令劉立與曲陽侯為婚，又素著名州郡，輕義年少。義行太守事，行縣至宛，丞相史在傳捨。立持酒餚謁丞相史，對飲未訖，會義亦往，外吏白都尉方至，立語言身若。須臾義至，內謁徑入，立乃走下。義既還，大怒，陽以他事召立至，以主守盜十金，賊殺不辜，部掾夏恢等收縛立，傳送鄧獄。恢亦以宛大縣，恐見篡奪，白義可因隨後行縣送鄧。義曰：「欲令都尉自送，則如勿收邪？」載環宛市乃送，吏民不敢動，威震南陽。

The younger son was Yi. Zhai Yi, styled Wenzhong, entered the palace corps by his father's rank, rose through several offices, and at twenty was posted chief commandant of Nanyang. Liu Li of Wan was kin by marriage to the Marquis of Quyang and enjoyed wide renown in the region; he despised Yi for his youth. While acting as grand warden, Yi made his rounds to Wan, where a chancellery clerk was staying at the post station. Liu Li brought wine and food to entertain the clerk; they were still drinking when Yi arrived. A runner announced that the chief commandant was coming, yet Liu continued chatting as if nothing mattered. Moments later Yi strode in without ceremony, and Liu Li scrambled down from his seat. Back at headquarters Yi was furious. He summoned Liu on other pretexts, then had him arrested for embezzling ten catties of public gold and murdering innocents; clerks Xia Hui and others bound him and sent him under escort to the jail at Deng. Xia Hui, knowing Wan was a powerful county and fearing a rescue attempt, advised Yi to escort the prisoner himself on the tour and onward to Deng. Yi retorted, "Shall the chief commandant play courier? If I must march him there myself, why bother to arrest him at all?" He had the cage cart circle the entire market of Wan before the escort left; officials and townsfolk dared not stir—his authority stunned the whole commandery.

立家輕騎馳從武關入語曲陽侯，曲陽侯白成帝，帝以問丞相。方進遣吏敕義出宛令。宛令已出，吏還白狀。方進曰：「小兒未知為吏也，其意以為入獄當輒死矣。」

Liu's kinsmen raced light horsemen through Wu Pass to alert the Marquis of Quyang, who carried the matter to Emperor Cheng; the emperor turned to the chancellor for guidance. Fangjin dispatched an order directing Yi to release the magistrate of Wan. After Liu was freed, the clerk reported back. Fangjin remarked, "The boy still has no idea how government works; he thinks everyone thrown in jail dies at once."

後義坐法免，起家而為弘農太守，遷河內太守、青州牧。所居著名，有父風烈。徙為東郡太守。

Yi later lost office for a legal fault, then was recalled from commoner status as grand warden of Hongnong, promoted to Henei, and named regional shepherd of Qingzhou. Wherever he served he made a name for himself, in the same stern mold as his father. He was then transferred to grand warden of Dong commandery.

數歲，平帝崩，王莽居攝，義心惡之，乃謂姊子上蔡陳豐曰：「新都侯攝天子位，號令天下，故擇宗室幼稚者以為孺子，依托周公輔成王之義，且以觀望，必代漢家，其漸可見。方今宗室衰弱，外無強蕃，天下傾首服從，莫能亢扞國難。吾幸得備宰相子，身守大郡，父子受漢厚恩，義當為國討賊，以安社稷。欲舉兵西誅不當攝者，選宗室子孫輔而立之。設令時命不成，死國埋名，猶可以不漸於先帝。今欲發之，乃肯從我乎？」豐年十八，勇壯，許諾。

A few years later Emperor Ping died and Wang Mang assumed the regency. Yi loathed it and said to his sister's son Chen Feng of Shangcai: "The Marquis of Xindu has seized the throne in all but name. He picked a toddler from the Liu clan as puppet heir, invoking the Duke of Zhou and the boy King Cheng while he bides his time. He means to supplant the Han; the slope is already plain to see." The imperial clan is enfeebled, no powerful feudatories ring the capital, and the empire bows its neck to Mang—no one stands ready to bear the crisis for the dynasty. I am the son of a chief minister and command a great commandery; my father and I owe the Han everything. It is my duty to raise arms against this traitor and secure the altars of state. I mean to march west, kill the usurper, and set up a worthy Liu scion with loyal ministers at his side. If fate denies us victory, I will die for the Han and leave a clean name—better than shaming the late emperors. I am ready to move—will you follow me?" Feng was eighteen, bold and strong, and swore to join him.

義遂與東郡都尉劉宇、嚴鄉侯劉信、信弟武平侯劉璜結謀。及車郡王孫慶素有勇略，以明兵法，征在京師，義乃詐移書以重罪傳逮慶。於是以九月都試日斬觀令，因勒其車騎材官士，募郡中勇敢，部署將帥。嚴鄉侯信者，東平王雲子也。雲誅死，信兄開明嗣為王，薨，無子，而信子匡復立為王，故義舉兵並東平，立信為天子。義自號大司馬柱天大將軍，以東平王傅蘇隆為丞相，中尉皋丹為御史大夫，移檄郡國，言莽鴆殺孝平皇帝，矯攝尊號，今天子已立，共行天罰。郡國皆震，比至山陽，眾十餘萬。

Yi then conspired with Dong commandery Chief Commandant Liu Yu, Marquis of Yanxiang Liu Xin, and Xin's younger brother Marquis of Wuping Liu Huang. Wang Sunqing of Che commandery—a seasoned strategist summoned to the capital for his military expertise—was trapped when Yi circulated a forged warrant accusing him of a capital crime and had him seized. On the autumn muster day in the ninth month he executed the magistrate of Guan, seized the commandery's chariotry, cavalry, and crossbowmen, enlisted every bold man in the district, and appointed his generals. Marquis of Yanxiang Liu Xin was a son of Liu Yun, king of Dongping. After Liu Yun was executed, Xin's brother Kaiming inherited the kingdom but died without an heir; Xin's son Kuang was then enthroned as king. Yi therefore marched into Dongping, absorbed its forces, and proclaimed Liu Xin emperor. Yi declared himself grand marshal and "pillar of heaven" generalissimo, named Su Long, the former tutor to the king of Dongping, as his chancellor, and Palace Commandant Gao Dan as imperial counselor. His manifestos accused Wang Mang of poisoning Emperor Ping, usurping the regency, and proclaimed that a true Son of Heaven now stood with them to execute Heaven's judgment. The provinces were rocked; by the time he reached Shanyang his army exceeded one hundred thousand.

莽聞之，大懼，乃拜其黨親輕車將軍成武侯孫建為奮武將軍，光祿勳成都侯王邑為虎牙將軍，明義侯王駿為強弩將軍，春王城門校尉王況為震威將軍，宗伯忠孝侯劉宏為奮衝將軍，中少府建威侯王昌為中堅將軍，中郎將震羌侯竇兄為奮威將軍，凡七人，自擇除關西人為校尉軍吏，將關東甲卒，發奔命以擊義焉。復以太僕武讓為積弩將軍屯函谷關，將作大匠蒙鄉侯逯並為橫野將軍屯武關，羲和紅休侯劉歆為揚武將軍屯宛，太保後丞丞陽侯甄邯為大將軍屯霸上，常鄉侯王惲為車騎將軍屯平樂館，騎都尉王晏為建威將軍屯城北，城門校尉趙恢為城門將軍，皆勒兵自奮。

Mang was terrified. He commissioned seven kinsmen and allies: Sun Jian, Marquis of Chengwu, as Raising Martial general; Wang Yi, Marquis of Chengdu, as Tiger Fang general; Wang Jun, Marquis of Mingyi, as Strong Crossbow general; Wang Kuang, commandant of the Chunwang Gate, as Shaking Awe general; Liu Hong, Marquis of Loyal Filial Piety, as Raising Assault general; Wang Chang, Marquis of Jianwei, as Center Hard general; and Dou Xiong, Marquis Who Shakes the Qiang, as Raising Might general. Mang personally picked officers from west of the passes as colonels and staff, mobilized armored troops from the east, and called out every emergency levy to crush Yi. He also named Grand Coachman Wu Rang Piled Crossbow general at Hangu Pass; Court Architect Lu Bing, Marquis of Mengxiang, as Transverse Wild general at Wu Pass; Liu Xin, Hongxiu marquis and minister of the calendar, as general displaying martial prowess at Nanyang; Zhen Han, Marquis of Chengyang, as grand general at Bashang; Wang Yun, Marquis of Changxiang, as chariot-and-cavalry general at Pingle Lodge; Cavalry Commandant Wang Yan as Establishing Might general north of the walls; and Gate Commandant Zhao Hui as gate general. Each braced his command for battle.

莽日抱孺子會群臣而稱曰：「昔成王幼，周公攝政，而管、蔡挾祿父以畔，今翟義亦挾劉信而作亂。自古大聖猶懼此，況臣莽之鬥筲！」群臣皆曰：「不遭此變，不章聖德。」莽於是依《周書》作《大誥》，曰：

Day after day Wang Mang held the boy emperor before the court and declared: "When King Cheng was a child, the Duke of Zhou ruled in his stead—yet Guan Shu and Cai Shu rallied Prince Lu Fu and rose in revolt. Zhai Yi has done the same, hiding behind Liu Xin." The greatest sages of old dreaded such moments—what of a mere measure like your servant Mang!" The ministers chorused, "Without this crisis, the sage virtue of the regency would never have shone forth." Mang then modeled a "Great Announcement" on the "Documents of Zhou" and proclaimed:

惟居攝二年十月甲子，攝皇帝若曰：大誥道諸侯王、三公、列侯於汝卿、大夫、元士御事。不吊，天降喪於趙、傅、丁、董。洪惟我幼沖孺子，當承繼嗣無疆大曆服事，予未遭其明哲能道民於安，況其能往知天命！熙！我念孺子，若涉淵水，予惟往求朕所濟度，奔走以傅近奉承高皇帝所受命，予豈敢自比於前人乎！天降威明，用寧帝室，遺我居攝寶龜。太皇太后以丹石之符，乃紹天明意，詔予即命居攝踐祚，如周公故事。

On the jiazi day of the tenth month in the second regency year, the Acting Emperor declared: "This Great Proclamation goes out to the kings, the Three Dukes, the full marquises—and to you ministers, senior officials, and all who handle the business of state." Heaven showed no pity: it brought disaster on the houses of Zhao, Fu, Ding, and Dong. I think of our infant heir who must inherit an endless mandate: I have not yet seen in him the wisdom to settle the people in peace, still less to read Heaven's will for himself. Ah! I think of the child as one crossing deep water: I must find a way across, running to fulfill the charge that Gaozu received from Heaven—how dare I rank myself with the ancients! Heaven sent stern portents to steady the imperial house and entrusted me with the sacred tortoise of the regency. The Grand Empress Dowager, reading the red-stone portents, carried out Heaven's intent and ordered me to accept the mandate, rule as regent, and mount the throne after the Duke of Zhou's precedent.

反虜故東郡太守翟義擅興師動眾，曰「有大難於西土，西土人亦不靖。」於是動嚴鄉侯信，誕敢犯祖亂宗之序。天降威遺我寶龜，固知我國有□災，使民不安，是天反覆右我漢國也。粵其聞日，宗室之俟有四百人，民獻儀九萬夫，予敬以終於此謀繼嗣圖功。我有大事，休，予卜並吉，故我出大將告郡太守、諸侯相、令、長曰：「予得吉卜，予惟以汝於伐東郡嚴鄉逋播臣。」爾國君或者無不反曰：「難大，民亦不靜，亦惟在帝官諸侯宗室，於小子族父，敬不可征。」帝不違卜，故予為沖人長思厥難曰：「嗚呼！義、信所犯，誠動鰥寡，哀哉！」予遭天役遺，大解難於予身，以為孺子，不身自恤。

The traitor Zhai Yi, erstwhile grand warden of Dong, raised an army and cried that "the west faces great disaster and its people are in turmoil." He incited Marquis of Yanxiang Liu Xin to outrage that overturns ancestral order and shames the imperial clan. Heaven sent terror and gave me the sacred tortoise, showing that our land suffers calamity and the people are restless—yet that is Heaven once more turning to aid the house of Han. On the day the news came, four hundred Liu nobles and ninety thousand commoners who offered counsel rallied to me; I have earnestly pursued this plan to secure the succession and achieve the task. This is a great enterprise, and the tortoise-shell has given only favorable signs. I have therefore sent my generals to tell every grand warden, kingdom chancellor, and local magistrate: "The oracle is good; I charge you to march against the renegades of Yanxiang in Dong commandery." Some of you rulers answered, "The peril is great and the people uneasy; the fault lies with palace officials, feudal lords, and kinsmen of the throne—surely we must not raise arms against your servant's uncles." The Son of Heaven did not reject the oracle; I, a mere child in office, have brooded long on this crisis and cry, "Alas!" The crimes of Yi and Xin stir pity even in widows and widowers—how lamentable!" Heaven laid this burden on me; I lifted the peril from my own shoulders for the child's sake and thought nothing of myself.

予義彼國君泉陵侯上書曰：「成王幼弱，周公踐天子位以治天下，六年，朝諸侯於明堂，制禮樂，班度量，而天下大服。太皇太后承順天心，成居攝之義。皇太子為孝平皇帝子，年在襁褓，宜且為子，知為人子道，令皇太后得加慈母恩。畜養成就，加元服，然後復子明辟。」

The Marquis of Quanling (Liu Yi) wrote: "When King Cheng was a child, the Duke of Zhou took the throne in all but name to rule the world; within six years he received the lords in the Bright Hall, fixed ritual and music, and standardized weights and measures—and the empire submitted." The Grand Empress Dowager followed Heaven's mind and perfected the principle of the regency. The crown prince is Emperor Ping's infant son: let him remain simply a son, learning filial duty while the empress dowager may shower on him a mother's love. Raise him to manhood, cap him when he comes of age, then return the clear Mandate to your sovereign."

熙！為我孺子之故，予惟趙、傅、丁、董之亂，遏絕繼嗣，變剝適、庶，危亂漢朝，以成三厄，隊極厥命。嗚呼！害其可不旅力同心戒之哉！予不敢僭上帝命。天休於安帝室，興我漢國，惟卜用克綏受茲命。今天其相民，況亦惟卜用！

Ah! For the child's sake I recall how the Zhao, Fu, Ding, and Dong cabals strangled the succession, muddled the lines between heir and bastard, and nearly wrecked the Han—threefold disaster that brought their houses to ruin. Alas! Can we not muster every nerve in common vigilance against such harm? I dare not usurp the command of High Heaven. Heaven blesses the imperial house and revives the Han; only by heeding the tortoise may we win peace and accept this charge. If Heaven already favors the people, how much more must we trust the oracle!

太皇太后肇有元城沙鹿之右，陰精女主聖明之祥，配元生成，以興我天下之符，遂獲西王母之應，神靈之征，以祐我帝室，以安我大宗，以紹我後嗣，以繼我漢功。厥害適統不宗元緒者，辟不違親，辜不避戚。夫豈不愛？亦唯帝室。是以廣立王侯，並建曾玄，俾屏我京師，綏撫宇內；博征儒生，講道於廷，論序乖繆，制禮作樂，同律度量，混一風俗；正天地之位，昭郊宗之禮，定五畤廟祧，咸秩亡文；建靈台，立明堂，設辟雍，張太學，尊中宗、高宗之號。昔我高宗崇德建武，克綏西域，以受白虎威勝之瑞，天地判合，乾、坤序德。太皇太后臨政，有龜、龍、麟、鳳之應，五德嘉符，相因而備。河圖、洛書遠自崑崙，出於重野。古讖著言，肆今享實。此乃皇天上帝所以安我帝室，俾我成就洪烈也。嗚呼！天明威輔漢始而大大矣。爾有惟舊人泉陵侯之言，爾不克遠省，爾豈知太皇太后若此勤哉！

The Grand Empress Dowager first received Heaven's favor at Shalu beside Yuancheng—a portent of the wise matriarch's yin power—joined the cosmic origin in bearing life, and so raised the charter of the empire; she then drew the response of the Queen Mother of the West, proof of divine favor, to guard the throne, steady the great clan, renew the succession, and extend Han achievement. Whoever would wreck the true line of succession and spurn the founding thread must be punished without respect to blood or marriage. Do you think I feel no tenderness? It is all for the sake of the imperial house. So she enfeoffed kings and marquises far and wide, ennobled descendants to the fifth generation, to shield the capital and bring peace within the four seas; summoned Confucians from every quarter, debated the classics in the hall, corrected error, codified ritual and music, aligned pitch and weights, and knit the customs of the realm into one; set right cosmic order, made clear suburban and temple worship, regulated the five altars and distant shrines, and gave written rank to every neglected rite; raised the Spirit Terrace and Bright Hall, founded the Ring Hall and Imperial Academy, and restored the canonical titles of Zhongzong and Gaozong. Our High Ancestor exalted civil virtue and forged military power until the Western Regions submitted and the white tiger omen of conquest appeared; Heaven and earth aligned and the cosmic forces fell into moral order. Under her rule came omens of tortoise, dragon, unicorn, and phoenix, and the five phases' blessed tokens arrived in succession until none was missing. The River Chart and Luo Writing appeared, said to come from Kunlun and the deep hinterland. Old prognostic texts foretold these things; today we see them fulfilled in fact. Thus High Heaven steadies the throne and lets me finish the great work entrusted to the Han. Alas! Heaven's majestic favor has upheld the Han from the first—how vast it has grown! You heard the Marquis of Quanling's memorial—if you will not think back, can you grasp how tirelessly the Grand Empress Dowager has toiled?

天毖勞我成功所，予不敢不極卒安皇帝之所圖事。肆予告我諸侯王公、列侯、卿、大夫、元士御事：天輔誠辭，天其累我以民，予害敢不於祖宗安人圖功所終？天亦惟勞我民，若有疾，予害敢不於祖宗所受休輔？予聞孝子善繼人之意，忠臣善成人之事。予思若考作室，厥子堂而構之；厥父菑，厥子播而獲之。予害敢不於身撫祖宗之所受大命？若祖宗乃有效湯、武伐厥子，民長其勸弗救。嗚呼肆哉！諸侯王公、列侯、卿、大夫、元士御事，其勉助國道明！亦惟宗室之俊，民之表儀，迪知上帝命。粵天輔誠，爾不得易定！況今天降定於漢國，惟大艱人翟義、劉信大逆，欲相伐於厥室，豈亦知命之不易乎？予永念曰天惟喪翟義、劉信，若嗇夫，予害敢不終予畝？天亦惟休於祖宗，予害其極卜，害敢不於從？率寧人有旨疆土，況今卜並吉！故予大以爾東征，命不僭差，卜陳惟若此。

Heaven drives me to finish the work; I dare not fail to carry through what the late emperor intended for the peace of the realm. Hear me, kings, marquises, ministers, and all who govern: Heaven favors honest counsel and may load me with the people's weal—how could I refuse, for the ancestors' sake, to secure the folk and finish the task? Heaven troubles the people like a lingering illness—how dare I set aside the blessing the ancestors won for us? They say a good son carries on a father's purpose, and a loyal minister completes his lord's enterprise. When the father lays a foundation, the son raises the beams and roof; when the father clears the ground, the son sows and gathers the harvest. How dare I not embrace with my own body the great charge the ancestors received? Had the ancestors called down a Tang- or Wu-style punishment on rebellious sons, the people would have cheered and offered no rescue. So be it—Heaven's severity is plain! All you kings, marquises, ministers, and officials—exert yourselves to support the state and make the Way clear! You who are the flower of the Liu house and the people's example—open your hearts to Heaven's command. Heaven rewards good faith—you must not lightly overturn what is settled! Now that Heaven has fixed the Han's fate, Zhai Yi and Liu Xin—villains of the worst sort—would tear the house apart from within. Do they imagine the Mandate comes cheaply? I reflect that Heaven means to destroy Yi and Xin; like a farmer at harvest, how dare I leave a single row untilled? Heaven has smiled on the ancestors too—why would I doubt the oracle further? How could I refuse to obey? Lead the people to secure the land—especially when every cast of the shells has come back favorable! Therefore I send you on the eastern campaign; the order matches the oracle and brooks no tampering—the shells have spoken plainly.

乃遣大夫桓譚等班行諭告當反立孺子之意。還，封譚為明告裡附城。

He then dispatched Huan Tan and other senior officials on circuit to explain that power would return to the boy emperor. On their return Huan Tan was ennobled as a ranked noble of the Bright-Proclaim precinct.

諸將東至陳留菑，與義會戰，破之，斬劉璜首。莽大喜，復下詔曰：

The imperial host reached Zhi in Chenliu, smashed Yi's army, and sent Liu Huang's head to the camp. Wang Mang rejoiced and promulgated another edict:

太皇太后遭家不造，國統三絕，絕輒復續，恩莫厚焉，信莫立焉。孝平皇帝短命蚤崩，幼嗣孺沖，詔予居攝。予承明詔，奉社稷之任，持大宗之重，養六尺之托，受天下之寄，戰戰兢兢，不敢安息。伏念太皇太后惟經藝分析，王道離散，漢家制作之業獨未成就，故博征儒士，大興典制，備物致用，立功成器，以為天下利。王道粲然，基業既著，千載之廢，百世之遺，於今乃成，道德庶幾於唐、虞，功烈比齊於殷、周。今翟義、劉信等謀反大逆，流言惑眾，欲以篡位，賊害我孺子，罪深於管、蔡，惡甚於禽獸。信父故東平王雲，不孝不謹，親毒殺其父思王，名曰巨鼠，後雲竟坐大逆誅死。義父故丞相方進，險波陰賊，兄宣靜言令色，外巧內嫉，所殺鄉邑汝南者數十人。今積惡二家，迷惑相得，此時命當殄。天所滅也。義始發兵，上書言宇、信等與東平相輔謀反，執捕械系，欲以威民，先自相被以反逆大惡，轉相捕械，此其破殄之明證也。已捕斬斷信二子穀鄉侯章、德廣侯鮪，義母練、兄宣、親屬二十四人皆磔暴於長安都市四通之衢。當其斬時，觀者重疊，天氣和清，可謂當矣。命遣大將軍共行皇天之罰，討誨內之仇，功效著焉，予甚嘉之。《司馬法》不雲乎？「賞不逾時」。欲民速睹為善之利也。今先封車騎都尉孫賢等五十五人皆為列侯，戶邑之數別下。遣使者持黃金印、赤紱縌、硃輪車，即軍中拜授。

The Grand Empress Dowager endured a house struck by repeated tragedy: the succession failed three times, yet each time was mended—no kindness could run deeper, no bond of trust stand firmer. Emperor Ping died young, leaving only an infant heir; she ordered me to take the regency. I accepted the patent, shouldered the altars, bore the weight of the imperial line, guarded the child entrusted to me, and took the world's burden—always in fear, never at ease. I reflected that she saw the classics in fragments and royal governance adrift, while Han institutions remained unfinished; so she summoned scholars everywhere, rebuilt statutes, furnished implements, founded lasting works, and aimed at good for all under Heaven. The royal Way now gleams; the foundations stand fast; what lay in ruin for ages is restored—our virtue approaches Yao and Shun, our deeds rival Yin and Zhou. Zhai Yi and Liu Xin conspired in the foulest treason, whispered lies to the crowd, sought the throne, and would have killed the boy heir—their crime outdoes Guan and Cai, their nature is viler than beasts. Liu Xin's father, the late King Yun of Dongping, lacked filial piety: he poisoned his own father King Si and was nicknamed the giant rat—later he was executed for high treason. Yi's father, the late Chancellor Zhai Fangjin, was devious and cruel; his brother Xuan wore a smooth face while nursing envy, and dozens died by their hands in Runan townships. Two families steeped in evil have joined in folly—their hour of doom has come. Heaven itself has marked them for destruction. When Yi first rose he denounced Liu Yu and Liu Xin as fellow plotters with the Dongping chancellor, clapped them in irons to cow the people—then turned the same charge on one another in a chain of arrests: plain proof their league was already breaking apart. Xin's sons, Marquis Zhang of Guxiang and Marquis Wei of Deguang, were caught and executed; Yi's mother Lian, brother Xuan, and twenty-four relatives were publicly dismembered at the great crossroads of Chang'an. When the blades fell the crowds were stacked deep, yet the sky stayed clear and mild—as if Heaven approved the season. I sent the grand general to execute Heaven's sentence on rebels within the borders—the victory was plain, and I applaud it. Has not the "Marshal's Methods" said? "Bestow rewards before the season turns." So the people may swiftly see the profit in virtue. Sun Xian, chariot-and-cavalry commandant, and fifty-five others are now raised to full marquisates; patent rolls with fief sizes will follow. Envoys will ride out with gold seals, crimson cords, and cinnabar-wheeled carriages to confer the titles in the field.

因大赦天下。於是吏士精銳遂功圍義於圉城，破之，義與劉信棄軍庸亡。至固始界中捕得義，屍磔陳都市。卒不得信。

He then proclaimed a general amnesty. Elite troops then besieged Yi at Yucheng, broke his lines, and Yi fled with Liu Xin, throwing away their host. They ran him down on the border of Gushi; his body was quartered and hung in the marketplace. Liu Xin was never taken.

初，三輔聞翟義起，自茂陵以西至□二十三縣盜賊並發，趙明、霍鴻等自稱將軍，攻燒官寺，殺右輔都尉及□令，劫略吏民，眾十餘萬，火見未央宮前殿。莽晝夜抱孺子禱宗廟。復拜衛尉王級為虎賁將軍，大鴻臚望鄉侯閻遷為折衝將軍，與甄邯、王晏西擊趙明等。正月，虎牙將軍王邑等自關東還，便引兵西。強弩將軍王駿以無功免，揚武將軍劉歆歸故官。復以邑弟侍中王奇為揚武將軍，城門將軍趙恢為強弩將軍，中郎將李□為厭難將軍，復將兵西。二月，明等殄滅，諸縣悉平，還師振旅。莽乃置酒白虎殿，勞饗將帥，大封拜。先是，益州蠻夷及金城塞外羌反畔，時州郡擊破之。莽乃並隸，以小大為差，封侯、伯、子、男凡三百九十五人，曰「皆以奮怒，東指西擊，羌寇蠻盜，反虜逆賊，不得旋踵，應時殄滅，天下咸服」之功封雲。莽於是自謂大得天人之助，至其年十二月，遂即真矣。

When Yi rebelled, from Maoling west through twenty-three counties the capital region erupted: Zhao Ming and Huo Hong declared themselves generals, torched yamen, slew metropolitan deputies and magistrates, looted towns, and gathered more than a hundred thousand men until flames lit the sky before Weiyang Palace. Mang day and night clutched the boy emperor and prayed in the shrines of his ancestors. He named Wang Ji, commandant of the guards, Tiger Fury general, and Yan Qian, Marquis of Wangxiang, as Assault general, and sent them with Zhen Han and Wang Yan west against Zhao Ming. In the first month Wang Yi, Tiger Fang general, marched back from the east and at once turned his column west. Wang Jun lost his post as Strong Crossbow general for failure; Liu Xin went back to his old portfolio as general displaying martial prowess. Wang Yi's brother Wang Qi, a palace attendant, was named general displaying martial prowess; Zhao Hui became Strong Crossbow general; a Gentleman Li □ took the Hardship-quelling title, and the western column marched again. By the second month Zhao Ming's band was destroyed, every county was quiet, and the host marched home in good order. Mang then held a banquet in the White Tiger Hall for his generals, heaped rewards on them, and handed out a fresh round of titles. Earlier the Yi tribesmen and the Jincheng Qiang beyond the wall had risen; provincial troops had already beaten them down. Mang rolled every exploit into one list and ennobled 395 men as marquises, earls, viscounts, or barons, citing their fury in battle—striking east and west, crushing Qiang and Man, rebels who could not escape—and claiming universal submission as their warrant. Convinced that Heaven and humanity favored him, in the twelfth month of that year he took the throne in his own name.

初，義所收宛令劉立聞義舉兵，上書願備軍吏為國討賊，內報私怨。莽擢立為陳留太守，封明德侯。

The Wan magistrate Liu Li, whom Yi had once jailed, offered to enlist against the rebels—chiefly to settle a private score. Mang raised him to grand warden of Chenliu and made him Marquis of Bright Virtue.

始，義兄宣居長安，先義未發，家數有怪，夜聞哭聲，聽之不知所在。宣教授諸生滿堂，有狗從外入，嚙其中庭群雁數十，比驚救之，已皆斷頭。狗走出門，求不知處。宣大惡之，謂後母曰：「東郡太守文仲素□儻，今數有惡怪，恐有妄為而大禍至也。大夫人可歸，為棄去宣家者以避害。」母不肯去，後數月敗。

Before the rising, Yi's brother Xuan lived in Chang'an; the house was plagued by omens and night weeping with no visible source. Xuan was lecturing to a full hall when a dog burst in and tore the heads from dozens of geese in the courtyard before anyone could stop it. The dog vanished through the gate and could not be found. Xuan was deeply troubled and told his stepmother: "My brother Wenzhong, grand warden of Dong, is reckless by nature; these omens foretell rash action and great disaster." Mother, you should go home and sever ties with our house to escape what is coming." She refused to leave; within months the clan was ruined.

莽盡壞義第宅，污池之。發父方進及先祖塚在汝南者，燒其棺柩，夷滅三族，誅及種嗣，至皆同坑，以棘五毒並葬之。而下詔曰：「蓋聞古者伐不敬，取其鯨鯢築武軍，封以為大戮，於是乎有京觀以懲淫□。乃者反虜劉信、翟義悖逆作亂於東，而芒竹群盜趙明、霍鴻造逆西土，遣武將征討，咸伏其辜。惟信、義等始發自濮陽，結奸無鹽，殄滅於圉。趙明依阻槐裡環堤，霍鴻負倚盩厔芒竹，咸用破碎，亡有餘類。其取反虜逆賊之鯨鯢，聚之通路之旁，濮陽、無鹽、圉、槐裡、□凡五所，各方六丈，高六尺，築為武軍，封以為大戮，薦樹之棘。建表木，高丈六尺。書曰『反虜逆賊鯨鯢』，在所長吏常以秋循行，勿令壞敗，以懲淫□焉。」

Mang razed Yi's mansions and drowned the foundations in cesspools. He opened the graves of Fangjin and the Zhai line in Runan, burned the coffins, extirpated three degrees of kin to the last child, and flung them into a common pit strewn with thorns and mingled with the five poisons. He proclaimed: "The ancients executed the worst criminals, heaped their bones into warning mounds, and sealed them as monuments against wanton rebellion. Lately Liu Xin and Zhai Yi rebelled in the east while Zhao Ming and Huo Hong raided the capital region; I sent generals who brought every one of them to book." Yi and his allies began at Puyang, joined forces at Wuyan, and were destroyed at Yu. Zhao Ming held the ring dike at Huaili; Huo Hong used the bamboo thickets at Zhouzhi—both were shattered without survivors. Heap the corpses of the chief rebels at five crossroads—Puyang, Wuyan, Yu, Huaili, and one other—each mound six paces square and six feet high, crowned with thorns as a warning to posterity. Raise marker posts sixteen feet high. Inscribe them "Whale-ni of treason"; each autumn the magistrate shall inspect the mounds and keep them intact, a standing lesson against rebellion."

初，汝南舊有鴻隙大陂，郡以為饒，成帝時，關東數水，陂溢為害。方進為相，與御史大夫孔光共遣掾行視，以為決去陂水，其地肥美，省堤防費而無水憂，遂奏罷之。及翟氏滅，鄉里歸惡，言方進請陂下良田不得而奏罷陂雲。王莽時常枯旱，郡中追怨方進，童謠曰：「壞陂誰？翟子威。飯我豆食羹芋魁。反乎覆，陂當復。誰云者？兩黃鵠。」

Long ago Runan held the great Hongxi marsh, which the commandery counted a treasure; under Emperor Cheng repeated floods in the east made it spill and scour the land. As chancellor, Zhai Fangjin and Imperial Counselor Kong Guang sent surveyors who argued that draining Hongxi would free rich farmland, cut dike expense, and end flooding—so they memorialized to drain it. After the Zhai clan fell, locals spitefully claimed Fangjin had ordered the marsh drained because landowners below it had refused him their fields. Under Wang Mang droughts came year after year, and Runan blamed Fangjin in a rhyme: "Who broke the dyke? Ziwei of the Zhai. He fed us beans and taro gruel. When the wheel turns, the marsh will return. Who says so? Two yellow swans."

司徒掾班彪曰：「丞相方進以孤童攜老母，羈旅入京師，身為儒宗，致位宰相，盛矣。當莽之起，蓋乘天威，雖有賁、育，奚益於敵？義不量力，懷忠憤發，以隕其宗，悲夫！」

Ban Biao of the Supervisor of the Household wrote: "Zhai Fangjin came to the capital a poor orphan leading his mother, rose to head the scholars, and reached the chancellorship—splendid heights. Once Wang Mang moved, he rode a wave of seeming celestial mandate; even bravos the match of Meng Ben or Xia Yu could have done little against such force? Yi misjudged his own weight, let loyal rage carry him, and brought his whole lineage to ruin—how bitter an end!"

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