1
六年春正月丙辰，改舂陵郷為章陵縣。 世世復傜役，比豐、沛，無有所豫。 〈高祖豐沛邑人，故代代復，今比之也。 復音福。〉
In the sixth year, on the bingchen day in early spring, the court redesignated Chunling township as Zhangling county. Corvée duties were waived for every generation, on the same generous terms granted to Gaozu’s home districts of Feng and Pei, and no further levy was to be imposed. 〈Gaozu’s clansmen in Feng and Pei had enjoyed hereditary exemption from corvée; Guangwu’s Chunling kindred were now given the same privilege. The commentary indicates this graph is pronounced like fu, “blessing,” in the sense of remission.〉
2
辛酉，詔曰：「往歲水旱蝗蟲為灾，穀價騰躍， 〈言踴貴也。〉 人用困乏。 朕惟百姓無以自贍，惻然愍之。 其命郡國有穀者，給稟 〈說文：「稟，賜穀也。」 音筆錦反。〉 高年、鰥、寡、孤、獨及篤［］、無家屬貧不能自存者，如律。 〈大戴禮曰：「六十無妻曰鰥，五十無夫曰寡。」 禮記曰：「幼而無父曰孤，老而無子曰獨。」 爾雅曰：「篤，困也。」 蒼頡篇曰：「［］，病也。」 漢律今亡。〉 二千石勉加循撫，無令失職。」 〈職猶常也。〉
On the xinyou day the emperor issued an edict: “Flood, drought, and locusts in recent years had ruined the harvests, and the price of grain had soared. 〈The commentator glosses the phrase as ‘became exorbitantly expensive.’〉 The common people were worn down and left without resources. He reflected that ordinary folk had no means to keep themselves fed, and his heart went out to them. He ordered every commandery and kingdom that held grain in store to issue relief rations 〈The Shuowen defines the word used for relief grain as a general term for distributed rations. The gloss gives the fanqie reading bi–jin.〉 Anyone over the usual age threshold, widowers, widows, orphans, solitaries, the seriously ill without kin, and the destitute who could not subsist were to receive aid under the standing rules. 〈The Da Dai li defines guan as a widower at sixty and gua as a widow at fifty, using those classical labels. The Liji adds gu for a fatherless child and du for a childless elder, the standard ritual vocabulary.〉 The Erya glosses the word as “in distress,” explaining the category of the seriously ailing.〉 The Cangjie pian supplies a character for serious illness (the manuscript is defective in the received text).〉 The Han legal provisions cited here no longer survive.〉 Magistrates ranked at two thousand shi were to tour their jurisdictions, soothe the people, and see that none were left without the means to live.” 〈In this edict “losing office” means losing the means of subsistence, not only a post title.〉
3
揚武將軍馬成等拔舒，獲李憲。
Yangwu general Ma Cheng and his colleagues captured Shu and took the rebel leader Li Xian.
4
二月，大司馬吳漢拔朐，獲董憲、龐萌，山東悉平。 諸將還京師，置酒賞賜。
In the second month Wu Han, grand marshal, seized Qu, seized Dong Xian and Pang Meng, and the entire Shandong region was brought to heel. The victorious commanders came back to Luoyang, where the court feasted them and handed out honors.
5
三月，公孫述遣將任滿寇南郡。 〈今荊州也。〉
In the third month Gongsun Shu’s general Ren Man struck south into Nan commandery. 〈Nan commandery corresponds roughly to the Jingzhou area.〉
6
夏四月丙子，幸長安，始謁高廟，遂有事十一陵。 〈有事謂祭也。 左傳曰：「有事於太廟。」 高祖長陵，惠帝安陵，文帝霸陵，景帝陽陵，武帝茂陵，昭帝平陵，宣帝杜陵，元帝渭陵，成帝延陵，哀帝義陵，平帝康陵。〉
That summer, on bingzi in the fourth month, he reached Chang’an, worshipped at Gaozu’s temple, and carried out the full round of offerings at eleven Western Han mausolea. 〈The phrase refers to holding a scheduled offering, not ordinary business. The Zuozhuan says: ‘There was a sacrifice in the Grand Temple.’ The eleven tombs are those of Western Han emperors from Gaozu through Ping, each named with its hill-tomb.〉
7
遣虎牙大將軍蓋延等七將軍從隴道伐公孫述。
Huya general Gai Yan and six fellow commanders were ordered up the Longshan route to attack Gongsun Shu.
8
五月己未，至自長安。
On jiwei in the fifth month he came back from Chang’an to the eastern capital.
9
隗嚻反，蓋延等因與嚻戰於隴阺，諸將敗績。
Wei Xiao rose in revolt, and where Gai Yan engaged him at Longdi the imperial army was thrown back in defeat.
10
辛丑，詔曰：「惟天水、隴西、安定、北地 〈並郡名。 天水今秦州，安定今涇州，北地今寧州，隴西今渭州。〉 吏人為隗嚻所詿誤者， 〈說文曰：「詿亦誤也。」 音古賣反。〉 又三輔遭難赤眉，有犯法不道者， 〈前書音義曰：「律：殺不辜一家三人為不道。」〉 自殊死以下，皆赦除之。」
On xinchou the emperor proclaimed: “In the commanderies of Tianshui, Longxi, Anding, and Beidi 〈These are four northwestern commanderies. Tianshui is present-day Qinzhou, Anding present-day Jingzhou, Beidi present-day Ningzhou, and Longxi present-day Weizhou.〉 civil officers and commoners who had been duped into following Wei Xiao, 〈The Shuowen glosses it as “to lead into error,” the sense intended for people misled by Wei Xiao. The reading is gu–mai by fanqie.〉 as well as people of the three Fu districts who, during the Red Eyebrow turmoil, had broken laws short of the capital crime of ‘inhuman cruelty,’ 〈Budao is the Former Han legal label for a particularly heinous pattern of homicide.〉 every penalty short of execution was to be remitted.”
11
六月辛卯，詔曰：「夫張官置吏，所以為人也。 〈管子曰：「張官置吏，所以奉主之法。」〉 今百姓遭難，戶口耗少，而縣官吏職所置尚繁，其令司隷、州牧 〈漢官儀曰：「司隷校尉部河南、河內、右扶風、左馮翊、京兆、河東、弘農七郡於河南洛陽，故謂東京為『司隷』。」〉 各實所部，省減吏員。 縣國不足置長吏可并合者， 〈并音必政反。〉 上大司徒、大司空二府。」 於是條奏并省四百餘縣，吏職減損，十置其一。
On xinmao in the sixth month an edict declared: “Bureaucracies exist for the people’s benefit. 〈The Guanzi makes the same point about government serving the law and the people.〉 Yet after years of war the population had shrunk while county government remained overstaffed; the emperor therefore told the metropolitan intendant and the provincial governors 〈The note explains why Luoyang administration was nicknamed ‘Si zhi’ after the colonel’s seven-commandery jurisdiction.〉 to audit their regions and cut redundant clerical posts. Any county or marquisate so small that its magistracy could be combined with another, 〈The commentary supplies the fanqie reading for the graph used in county mergers.〉 was to be reported to the two high ministers for consolidation." Memorials followed, merging or abolishing over four hundred counties and slashing appointments to about a tenth of the old establishment.
12
代郡太守劉興擊盧芳將賈覽於高柳，戰歿。 〈高柳，縣，屬代郡，故城在今雲州定襄縣。〉
The grand administrator of Dai, Liu Xing, struck Lu Fang’s officer Jia Lan at Gaoliu and was killed in the fighting. 〈Gaoliu lay in northern Dai near modern Shanxi borderlands.〉
13
初，樂浪人王調據郡不服。 〈樂浪，郡，故朝鮮國也，在遼東。〉 秋，遣樂浪太守王遵擊之，郡吏殺調降。
Earlier a Lelang native, Wang Diao, had seized the commandery and defied the court. 〈Lelang was the Han commandery on the old Wiman Korean heartland.〉 That autumn Wang Zun marched east as grand administrator of Lelang; local officials assassinated Wang Diao and opened the gates.
14
遣前將軍李通率二將軍，與公孫述將戰於西城，破之。 〈西城，縣，屬漢中，今金州縣也。〉
Former general Li Tong, at the head of two allied commands, met Gongsun Shu’s army at Xicheng and broke it. 〈Xicheng lay in southern Hanzhong near the Ba–Han corridor.〉
15
夏，蝗。
Locusts swarmed that summer.
16
秋九月庚子，赦樂浪謀反大逆殊死已下。
On gengzi in autumn an edict forgave everyone in Lelang guilty of rebellion or capital treason down to ordinary capital offenses.
17
丙寅晦，日有食之。
The month ended on bingyin with an eclipse of the sun.
18
冬十月丁丑，詔曰：「吾德薄不明，寇賊為害，彊弱相陵，元元失所。 詩云：『日月告凶，不用其行。』 〈詩小雅鄭玄注云：「告凶，告天下凶亡之徵也。 行，道度也。 不用之者，謂相干犯。」〉 永念厥咎，內疚於心。 〈疚，病也。 詩曰：「憂心孔疚。」〉 其勑公卿舉賢良、方正各一人； 〈武帝建元元年，始詔舉賢良方正、直言極諫之士也。〉 百僚並上封事，無有隱諱； 〈宣帝始令羣臣得奏封事，以知下情。〉 有司修職，務遵法度。」
On dingchou in the tenth month he admitted: “My moral power is thin and my judgment clouded; rebels ravage the land, the mighty trample the weak, and families are driven from their homes. The Shijing warns: ‘Sun and moon proclaim disaster; they no longer run true courses.’ 〈Zheng Xuan reads the ode’s phrase as heaven proclaiming dynastic crisis through the luminaries. The gloss takes xing as the regular tracks of sun and moon across the sky.〉 The line means the celestial bodies encroach on one another, as in eclipse, disturbing the cosmic order.”〉 He brooded on these portents and felt the blame like an illness in his breast. 〈Jiu means inner sickness or remorse. The Mao poem uses the same word for gnawing care.〉 He commanded the high ministers each to nominate one worthy, upright candidate; 〈The practice dated to Emperor Wu’s Jianyuan edicts on recruitment.〉 all ranks were to submit sealed critiques without holding back; 〈Sealed memorials had begun under Emperor Xuan to bypass court factions.〉 and responsible bureaus were to resume regular business within the law.”
19
十一月丁卯，詔王莽時吏人沒入為奴婢不應舊法者，皆免為庶人。
On dingmao in the eleventh month everyone reduced to slavery under Wang Mang contrary to Former Han law was manumitted to commoner status.
20
十二月壬辰，大司空宋弘免。
Song Hong was removed from office as grand minister of works on renchen in the twelfth month.
21
癸巳，詔曰：「頃者師旅未解，用度不足，故行十一之稅。 〈謂十分而稅其一也。 孟子曰：「夏五十而貢，殷七十而助，周百畒而徹，其實皆什一也。」〉 今軍士屯田，糧儲差積。 〈武帝初通西域，始置校尉屯田。〉 其令郡國收見田租三十稅一，如舊制。」 〈景帝二年，令人田租三十而稅一，今依景帝，故云「舊制」。〉
On guisi an edict explained: “While campaigns still drained the treasury, the court had levied a one-in-ten surtax. 〈That is, ten percent of the harvest. Mencius summarizes the classical tithe systems to show the one-tenth norm.〉 With soldiers farming garrison lands, granaries were slowly refilling. 〈The policy echoed Emperor Wu’s frontier agricultural colonies.〉 He therefore restored the thirty-to-one land tax used before the emergency.” 〈The ‘old system’ is Emperor Jing’s thirty-to-one rate, not Wang Mang’s exactions.〉
22
隗嚻遣將行巡寇扶風， 〈行，姓； 巡，名。 漢有行祐，為趙相，見風俗通。〉 征西大將軍馮異拒破之。
Wei Xiao’s general Xing Xun (surname Xing) struck toward You Fufeng, 〈The surname is the rare Xing written with the “walk” graph, not the common homophones. His given name was Xun. An earlier Han official Xing You illustrates the rare surname.〉 Feng Yi, grand general of the west, intercepted and shattered Xing Xun’s column.
23
是歲，初罷郡國都尉官。 始遣列侯就國。 匈奴遣使來獻，使中郎將報命。 〈漢官儀曰：「使匈奴中郎將，擁節，秩比二千石。」 匈奴傳云：「令中郎將韓統報命，賂遺金幣。」〉
For the first time the court abolished the ubiquitous commandery commandants. Marquises were for the first time required to reside on their allotted estates. Northern envoys arrived with gifts, and a gentleman leader of the household was sent north to answer them. 〈The Xiongnu envoy’s Han counterpart held high rank and imperial credentials. The Xiongnu zhuan says: ‘The leader of court gentlemen Han Tong returned the mission and presented gold and silk.’〉
24
七年春正月丙申，詔中都官、三輔、郡、國出繫囚，非犯殊死，皆一切勿案其罪。 見徒免為庶民。 耐罪亡命，吏以文除之。 〈耐，輕刑之名。 前書音義曰：「一歲刑為罰作，二歲刑已上為耐。」 耐音乃代反。 亡命謂犯耐罪而背名逃者。 令吏為文簿，記其姓名而除其罪，恐遂逃不歸，因失名籍。〉
Early in the seventh year, on bingshen, a general jail delivery freed everyone not sentenced to death throughout the capital region and the provinces. Those already under sentence were released to commoner status. Men liable to the lighter ‘nai’ mutilation penalty who had fled and abandoned their identity papers could be cleared when officials drew up formal registers. 〈Nai denoted the shaven-brand class of punishments below hard labor. Former Han jurisprudence distinguished one-year ‘fa zuo’ labor from two-year ‘nai’ sentences.〉 The reading nai–dai is given by fanqie.〉 The term covers fugitives from nai sentences living under assumed names.〉 Officials were to record amnestied fugitives so they would not remain permanently outside the tax registers.〉
25
又詔曰：「世以厚葬為德，薄終為鄙，至于富者奢僭，貧者單財， 〈單，盡也。〉 法令不能禁，禮義不能止，倉卒乃知其咎。 〈倉卒謂喪亂也。 諸厚葬者皆被發掘，故乃知其咎。 咎，惡也。〉 其布告天下，令知忠臣、孝子、慈兄、悌弟薄葬送終之義。」
A second edict attacked the fashion for extravagant tombs: "the wealthy broke sumptuary rules while the poor bankrupted their families, 〈Here the gloss explains dan (in the phrase dan cai) as 'to use up entirely.'〉 Neither law nor ceremony could curb the fashion for sumptuous tombs; families grasped the evil only when war and chaos stripped the mounds bare. 〈The commentator takes cang cu as the shock of mutiny and collapse, when tombs were opened wholesale. Those who had heaped treasure in the earth saw their ancestors dug up by looters, and the lesson became painfully clear. Jiu in this sense is 'calamity' or 'moral fault,' not mere misfortune.〉 An edict went out urging the empire to honor kin with spare funerals worthy of the virtuous labels the classics praise.”
26
二月辛巳，罷護漕都尉官。
The redundant post of protector-colonel for canal transport was struck in the second month on xinsi.
27
三月丁酉，詔曰：「今國有衆軍，並多精勇，冝且罷輕車、騎士、材官、樓船士及軍假吏， 〈漢官儀曰：「高祖命天下郡國選能引關蹶張，材力武猛者，以為輕車、騎士、材官、樓船，常以立秋後講肄課試，各有員數。 平地用車騎，山阻用材官，水泉用樓船。」 軍假吏謂軍中權置吏也。 今悉罷之。〉 令還復民伍。」
On dingyou in the third month Guangwu ordered a demobilization: "standing forces were ample, so conscript categories—light charioteers, horse archers, crossbow specialists, riverine marines, and temporary army scribes— 〈The note lists Former Han categories of local militia raised by annual drill. Flat country favored chariotry, hills favored foot archers, and rivers favored war barges.〉 Jun jia li were ad hoc staff attached to campaigns rather than regular county appointees.〉 Every one of those emergency grades was cut.〉 Demobilized men were folded back into the rural mutual-responsibility units.”
28
公孫述立隗嚻為朔寧王。
Gongsun Shu, playing kingmaker in the northwest, enfeoffed Wei Xiao as king of Shuoning.
29
癸亥晦，日有食之，避正殿，寑兵，不聽事五日。 詔曰：「吾德薄致災，讁見日月， 〈讁，責也。 音直革反。 左傳曰：「人君為政不用善，自取讁於日月之災也。」〉 戰慄恐懼，夫何言哉！ 今方念愆，庶消厥咎。 其令有司各修職任，奉遵法度，惠茲元元。 百僚各上封事，無有所諱。 其上書者，不得言聖。」
The month closed with an eclipse; the court drew the curtains on routine business, stood down the guard, and suspended audiences for five days. He confessed: “Thin virtue has drawn heaven’s rebuke; the luminaries themselves proclaim blame, 〈Zhe in this context is moral blame read from celestial omens. The gloss gives the fanqie reading zhi–ge.〉 The canonical parallel warns that eclipses answer misrule.〉 He added that he shook with dread and could find no excuse in words. Only by owning fault and reforming administration could he hope to lift the omen. Bureaus were told to resume lawful routine and bring real relief to ordinary households. Every rank was to memorialize under seal with blunt candor; petitioners were forbidden empty flattery that styled him a sage.”
30
夏四月壬午，詔曰：「比陰陽錯謬，日月薄食。 百姓有過，在予一人，大赦天下。 公、卿、司隷、州牧舉賢良、方正各一人，遣詣公車，朕將覽試焉。」 〈公車，門名。 公車所在，因以名焉。 漢官儀曰：「公車掌殿司馬門，天下上事及徵召皆緫領之。」〉
On renwu in the fourth month of summer an edict said: “Recently yin and yang have been disordered and sun and moon have narrowly eclipsed each other. He took blame on himself and proclaimed a general amnesty. High ministers and regional heads were each to forward one worthy, upright candidate to the public coach office for imperial interview.” 〈Gong che denoted the palace gate where memorials arrived. The office took its label from the chariots that once waited there. The Han guan yi says: ‘The public coach office managed the Sima gate of the hall; all submissions from the realm and all summonses were centrally handled.’〉
31
五月戊戌，前將軍李通為大司空。
Li Tong, lately general of the van, was promoted to grand minister of works on wuxu.
32
甲寅，詔吏人遭饑亂及為青、徐賊所略為奴婢下妻，欲去留者，恣聽之。 〈杜預注左傳云：「不以道取為略。」〉 敢拘制不還，以賣人法從事。 〈言從賣人之事以結其罪。〉
On jiayin the throne freed victims of Qing–Xu raiders: anyone enslaved during the famines could stay or go as they chose. 〈Du Yu’s note on the Zuozhuan says: ‘Taking by unjust means is lue.’〉 Masters who refused release would be prosecuted like traffickers in human beings. 〈The penalty matched laws against the slave trade.〉
33
是夏，連雨水。
Steady downpours soaked the heartland all summer.
34
漢忠將軍王常為橫野大將軍。
Wang Chang, the loyal general, received the banner rank grand general of the horizontal field.
35
八月丁亥，封前河閒王邵為河閒王。
The former Hejian royal Liu Shao had his title restored on dinghai in the eighth month.
36
隗嚻寇安定，征西大將軍馮異、征虜將軍祭遵擊却之。
Wei Xiao struck Anding but was thrown back by Feng Yi and Zhai Zun.
37
冬，盧芳所置朔方太守田颯、 〈音立。〉 雲中太守喬扈各舉郡降。
That winter, Tian Sa, the Shuofang governor Lu Fang had named, 〈The commentary supplies the reading li for Sa.〉 together with Qiao Hu of Yunzhong, opened their seals and came over to Han.
38
是歲，省長水、射聲二校尉官。 〈前書音義曰：「長水，地名，胡騎所屯。 射聲謂工射者也，夜中聞聲則射之，因以為名。」 二校尉皆武帝置，今省之。〉
The paired metropolitan guard colonelcies of Changshui and She Sheng were cut for economy. 〈The Yin Yi on the Former Han says: ‘Changshui is a place name where Hu cavalry were stationed. She sheng archers were night skirmishers who loosed at noise in the dark, which gave the unit its title." Emperor Wu had created both commands; Guangwu suppressed them again.〉
39
八年春正月，中郎將來歙襲略陽， 〈縣名，屬天水郡，故城在今秦州隴城縣西北。〉 殺隗嚻守將而據其城。
Early in the eighth year Lai Xi struck Lueyang, 〈Lueyang guarded the Long approach into Wei Xiao’s heartland.〉 He killed the defender and planted the Han banner on the walls.
40
夏四月，司隷校尉傅抗下獄死。
In the fourth month Fu Kang, the colonel director of retainers, was thrown into prison and died there.
41
隗嚻攻來歙，不能下。 閏月，帝自征嚻，河西太守竇融率五郡太守與車駕會高平。 〈五郡謂隴西、金城、天水、酒泉、張掖。 高平，縣名，屬安定，後改為平高今原州縣。〉 隴右潰，隗嚻奔西城，遣大司馬吳漢、征南大將軍岑彭圍之； 進幸上邽， 〈上邽，縣名，屬隴西郡，故邽戎邑，今秦州縣。〉 不降，命虎牙大將軍蓋延、建威大將軍耿弇攻之。
Wei Xiao threw his whole army against Lai Xi’s bridgehead without dislodging it. The emperor marched west in the intercalary month while Dou Rong brought five Hexi commanderies to rendezvous at Gaoping. 〈The five commanderies were Longxi, Jincheng, Tianshui, Jiuquan, and Zhangye. Gaoping (later renamed) sat on the northern route toward Anding.〉 The Long front broke; Wei Xiao bolted to Xicheng while Wu Han and Cen Peng invested him; the sovereign pressed on to Shanggui, 〈Shanggui was the critical county seat west of the Long defile.〉 When the city refused terms, he ordered Gai Yan and Geng Yan to storm it.
42
潁川盜賊寇沒屬縣，河東守守兵亦叛，京師騷動。
While the emperor was far west, Yingchuan outlaws pillaged dependencies and Hedong mutinied, jolting Luoyang.
43
秋，大水。
Autumn brought widespread inundation.
44
八月，帝自上邽晨夜東馳。 九月乙卯，車駕還宮。
He abandoned the siege train and raced east from Shanggui through day and night. By yimao in the ninth month he was back in the capital.
45
庚申，帝自征潁川盜賊，皆降。
On gengshen he led a lightning strike on the Yingchuan gangs and received their capitulation.
46
安丘侯張步叛歸琅邪， 〈安丘，縣，屬北海郡，今密州縣，有渠丘亭。〉 琅邪太守陳俊討獲之。
Zhang Bu, marquis of Anqiu, broke faith and fled toward Langye, 〈The town lay in coastal Beihai near the modern Shandong shore.〉 Chen Jun, Langye’s governor, ran him to earth.
47
戊寅，至自潁川。
He was back from the Yingchuan expedition on wuyin.
48
冬十月丙午，幸懷。 十一月乙丑，至自懷。
In the tenth month he toured Huai on bingwu. He completed the Huai circuit and re-entered the capital on yichou.
49
公孫述遣兵救隗嚻，吳漢、蓋延等還軍長安。 天水、隴西復反歸嚻。
Gongsun Shu’s relief column forced Wu Han and Gai Yan to lift the siege and fall back on Chang’an. No sooner had the emperor left than Tianshui and Longxi reverted to Wei Xiao.
50
十二月，高句麗王遣使奉貢。
The Gaogouli ruler dispatched a mission with gifts in the twelfth month.
51
是歲大水。 〈左傳曰：「平原出水為大水。」〉
The year ended under another round of catastrophic floods. 〈The Zuozhuan says: ‘When the plain becomes water, that is great flooding.’〉
52
九年春正月，隗嚻病死，其將王元、周宗復立嚻子純為王。
Wei Xiao’s death in the ninth year’s first month left his generals to crown his young son Wei Chun.
53
徙鴈門吏人於太原。
Population from Yanmen was resettled into Taiyuan for security.
54
三月辛亥，初置青巾左校尉官。
A new metropolitan post, colonel of the left with green headcloth, was created on xinhai.
55
公孫述遣將田戎、任滿據荊門。 〈水經注曰：「江水東歷荊門、虎牙之閒。 荊門山在南，上合下開，其狀似門，虎牙山在北，石壁色紅，閒有白文類牙，故以名也。 此二山，楚之西塞也。」 在今硤州夷陵縣東南。〉
Gongsun Shu planted Tian Rong and Ren Man on the Jingmen narrows of the Yangzi. 〈The Shui jing zhu says: ‘The Yangzi flows east past the gap between Jingmen and Huya. South stood Jingmen ridge like a portal; north stood Huya’s red bluff scored with white veins like fangs. Together they formed ancient Chu’s western rampart. The site lies east of present Yiling in the Three Gorges region.〉
56
夏六月丙戌，幸緱氏，登轘轅。 〈緱氏縣有緱氏山，轘轅山有轘轅阪，並在洛陽之東南。〉
That summer on bingxu he sacrificed travel to climb the Huanyuan road east of Luoyang. 〈The outing combined ritual ascent with inspection of the eastern approaches.〉
57
遣大司馬吳漢率四將軍擊盧芳將賈覽於高柳，戰不利。
The northern thrust led by Wu Han against Jia Lan at Gaoliu stalled with heavy losses.
58
秋八月，遣中郎將來歙監征西大將軍馮異等五將軍討隗純於天水。
Lai Xi was given oversight of six generals—including Feng Yi—for the reduction of Wei Chun in Tianshui.
59
驃騎大將軍杜茂與賈覽戰於繁畤， 〈縣名，屬鴈門郡，今代州縣。〉 茂軍敗績。
Du Mao, grand general of agile cavalry, met Jia Lan at Fanzhi, 〈Fanzhi lay in northern Yanmen near the steppe frontier.〉 and Du Mao’s line collapsed.
60
是歲，省關都尉， 〈前書曰秦官也，武帝置。〉 復置護羌校尉官。 〈漢官儀曰：「武帝置，秩比二千石，持節，以護西羌。 王莽亂，遂罷。」 時班彪議，冝復其官，以理冤結。 帝從之，以牛邯為護羌校尉，都於隴西令居縣。〉
Frontier pass commandants were struck from the rolls, 〈The post dated to Qin and Former Han frontier policy.〉 while the old colonel who protects the Qiang was revived to handle western tribes. 〈The Han guan yi says: ‘Emperor Wu established it, rank equivalent to two thousand shi, bearing credentials, to oversee the Qiang of the west. Wang Mang had let the office lapse amid usurpation." Ban Biao now urged the revival of the post to arbitrate tribal grievances. The emperor agreed, naming Niu Han to the post and basing him at Lingju in Longxi.〉
61
十年春正月，大司馬吳漢率捕虜將軍王霸等五將軍擊賈覽於高柳，匈奴遣騎救覽，諸將與戰，郤之。
In the tenth year’s first month Wu Han and Wang Ba struck Jia Lan again; Xiongnu horse came to Jia Lan’s aid but were beaten off.
62
修理長安高廟。
Work crews restored Gaozu’s Chang’an temple.
63
夏，征西大將軍馮異破公孫述將趙匡於天水，斬之。
Feng Yi smashed a general of Gongsun Shu, Zhao Kuang, at Tianshui and sent the head to Luoyang.
64
征西大將軍馮異薨。
Feng Yi, grand general of the west, died soon after that victory.
65
秋八月己亥，幸長安，祠高廟，遂有事十一陵。
That autumn, on jihai in the eighth month, he reached Chang’an, offered at Gaozu’s temple, and completed sacrifices at the eleven Western Han tombs.
66
戊戌，進幸汧。 〈縣名，屬右扶風，故城在今隴州汧源縣。〉 隗嚻將高峻降。
On wuxu he pressed on to Qian county in You Fufeng. 〈The place lay in the Longshan foothills west of the capital.〉 Wei Xiao’s officer Gao Jun came over with his command.
67
冬十月，中郎將來歙等大破隗純於落門， 〈前書曰天水兾縣有落門聚，在今渭州隴西縣東南； 有落門山，落門水出焉。〉 其將王元奔蜀，純與周宗降，隴右平。
In the tenth month Lai Xi and allied generals shattered Wei Chun’s army at the Luomen defile, 〈Luomen was a choke point on the road out of Tianshui toward the Wei valley. A mountain and stream there share the name.〉 Wang Yuan escaped into Gongsun Shu’s domain while Wei Chun and Zhou Zong capitulated, clearing the Long corridor.
68
先零羌寇金城、隴西， 〈金城，郡，故城在今蘭州廣武縣之西南。〉 來歙率諸將擊羌於五谿，大破之。 〈續漢志曰隴西襄武縣有五谿聚。〉
Xianling Qiang tribes struck Jincheng and Longxi, 〈Jincheng guarded the upper Yellow River west of the metropolis.〉 Lai Xi caught the raiders at Wuxi and broke their host with heavy loss. 〈The battle site lay in southern Longxi.〉
69
庚寅，車駕還宮。
By gengyin the court was back in Luoyang.
70
是歲，省定襄郡， 〈定襄故城在今勝州界。〉 徙其民於西河。 〈郡名，今石州離石縣。〉 泗水王歙薨。 淄川王終薨。
The court struck Dingxiang commandery from the map, 〈Its seat had lain on the northern loop toward the steppe.〉 and the inhabitants were resettled into Xihe. 〈Xihe centered on the Fen valley in modern Shanxi.〉 Liu She, king of Sishui, died. Liu Zhong, king of Zichuan, died.
71
十一年春二月己卯，詔曰：「天地之性人為貴。 其殺奴婢，不得減罪。」
Early in the eleventh year, on jimao, an edict opened: “Among creatures of heaven and earth, human life is supreme. Murder of a bondservant will henceforth receive no reduction in penalty.”
72
己酉，幸南陽； 還，幸章陵，祠園陵。
On jiyou he toured Nanyang; on the return leg he stopped at Zhangling (his family seat) and offered at the ancestral graves.
73
城陽王祉薨。
Liu Zhi, king of Chengyang, died.
74
庚午，車駕還宮。
He was home in the capital again on gengwu.
75
閏月，征南大將軍岑彭率三將軍與公孫述將田戎、任滿戰於荊門，大破之，獲任滿。 威虜將軍馮駿圍田戎於江州， 〈縣名，屬巴郡，今渝州巴縣。〉 岑彭遂率舟師伐公孫述，平巴郡。
In the intercalary month Cen Peng, with three generals, smashed Tian Rong and Ren Man at the Jingmen narrows and took Ren Man alive. Feng Jun, general who captures the enemy, penned Tian Rong inside Jiangzhou, 〈Jiangzhou corresponds to the Chongqing basin.〉 Cen Peng descended the Yangzi with the war fleet, reduced Ba commandery, and opened the road into Shu.
76
夏四月丁卯，省大司徒司直官。 〈漢官儀曰：「武帝置丞相司直，元壽二年改丞相為大司徒，司直仍舊。」 今省。〉
On dingmao in the fourth month the redundant post of grand minister of education’s rectifier was cut. 〈The Han guan yi says: “Emperor Wu established the rectifier under the chancellor; in the second year of Yuanshou the chancellor was renamed grand minister of education, but the rectifier remained.” Guangwu ended it as part of streamlining.〉
77
先零羌寇臨洮。 〈縣名，屬隴西郡，故城在今岷州。〉
Xianling horsemen next struck Lintao on the western frontier. 〈Lintao guarded the Tao River approach toward the Tibetan plateau fringe.〉
78
六月，中郎將來歙率揚武將軍馬成破公孫述將王元、環安於下辯。 〈縣名，屬武都郡，今成州同谷縣，舊名武衞城。〉 安遣間人刺殺中郎將來歙。 〈間，諜也，謂伺候閒隙也。〉 帝自將征公孫述。 秋七月，次長安。 〈左傳例曰：「凡師出一宿為舍，再宿為信，過信為次。」〉 八月，岑彭破公孫述將侯丹於黃石。 〈即黃石灘也。 水經注曰：「江水自涪陵東出百里而屆于黃石。」 在今涪州涪陵縣。〉 輔威將軍臧宮與公孫述將延岑戰於沈水，大破之。 〈水經注曰：「沈水出廣漢縣，下入涪水。」 本或作「沉水」及「沅水」者，並非。〉 王元降。 至自長安。
In the sixth month Lai Xi and Ma Cheng broke Wang Yuan and Huan An at Xiabian in Wudu. 〈The town sat on the Hanzhong–Long corridor.〉 Huan An slipped an assassin through the lines who mortally wounded Lai Xi. 〈Jian here denotes a covert operative waiting for a gap in security.〉 The emperor then took the field in person against Gongsun Shu. That autumn, in the seventh month, he staged at Chang’an. 〈The Li on the Zuozhuan says: “Whenever an army spends one night abroad it is called she, two nights xin, more than xin is called ci.”〉 In the eighth month Cen Peng crushed Hou Dan at the Huangshi rapids. 〈Huangshi was a notorious shoal in the Yangzi gorges. The Shui jing zhu says: “The Yangzi east from Fuling goes a hundred li and reaches Huangshi.” The site lies in modern Fuling.〉 Zang Gong met Yan Cen on the Shen River and routed him. 〈The Shui jing zhu says: “The Shen River issues from Guanghan county and flows down into the Fu River.” Manuscripts that write “sinking Shen” or “Yuan River” are both wrong.〉 Wang Yuan, isolated, gave up the sword. The emperor then returned from the Chang’an expedition.
79
癸亥，詔曰：「敢灸灼奴婢，論如律，免所灸灼者為庶民。」
On guihai an edict said: “Whoever dares cauterize slaves or maidservants shall be sentenced according to statute, and those who were cauterized shall be freed as commoners.”
80
冬十月壬午，詔除奴婢射傷人弃市律。
In the tenth month on renwu he repealed the harsh rule that a slave who wounded someone with a bow must die in the public square.
81
公孫述遣間人刺殺征南大將軍岑彭。
Gongsun Shu’s assassins caught Cen Peng in his camp and killed him.
82
馬成平武都，因隴西太守馬援擊破先零羗，徙致天水、隴西、扶風。
Ma Cheng secured Wudu while Ma Yuan drove the Xianling Qiang; survivors were deported into Tianshui, Longxi, and You Fufeng.
83
十二月，大司馬吳漢率舟師伐公孫述。
In the twelfth month Wu Han took the fleet downriver for the final push on Chengdu.
84
是歲，省朔方牧，并并州。 〈朔方，郡，在今夏州朔方縣北，上并音必政反。〉 初斷州牧自還奏事。 〈前書音義曰「刺史每歲盡則入奏事京師」，今斷之。 哀帝改刺史曰州牧。〉
Provincial administration for Shuofang was folded into Bingzhou that year. 〈The note marks pronunciation and locates the old commandery seat.〉 Provincial governors were no longer allowed to travel to the capital each year for personal audience reports. 〈The Yin Yi on the Former Han says: “Each year when finished the inspector entered the capital to report; now that is stopped.” The title “shepherd” dated from Emperor Ai’s renaming of the provincial inspector.〉
85
十二年春正月，大司馬吳漢與公孫述將史興戰於武陽，斬之。 〈武陽，縣，屬犍為郡，故城在今眉州隆山縣東也。〉
In the twelfth year’s first month Wu Han killed Shi Xing at Wuyang in Qianwei. 〈Wuyang lay on the Chengdu plain approach from the east.〉
86
三月癸酉，詔隴、蜀民被略為奴婢自訟者，及獄官未報，一切免為庶民。
On guiyou a sweeping edict freed every Long or Shu captive still in servitude whose case had not been closed.
87
夏，甘露降南行唐。 〈縣名，屬常山郡，今恒州縣。〉 六月，黃龍見東阿。 〈今濟州縣。〉
Sweet dew—an auspicious condensation—was reported at Nanxingtang that summer. 〈The omen occurred in the Zhao heartland south of the Yan range.〉 A yellow dragon sighting was recorded at Dong’e in the sixth month. 〈Dong’e lay in western Shandong.〉
88
秋七月，威虜將軍馮駿拔江州，獲田戎。 九月，吳漢大破公孫述將謝豐于廣都，斬之。 〈廣都，今益州。〉 輔威將軍臧宮拔涪城，斬公孫恢。 〈涪城，今綿州縣也。 恢，述之弟。〉
Feng Jun stormed Jiangzhou in the seventh month and seized Tian Rong. In the ninth month Wu Han decapitated Xie Feng at Guangdu east of Chengdu. 〈Guangdu was the forward base on the plain before the capital.〉 Zang Gong seized Fu and executed Gongsun Hui. 〈Fu guarded the Fu River line into the basin. Hui was Gongsun Shu’s own brother.〉
89
大司空李通罷。
Li Tong vacated the office of grand minister of works.
90
冬十一月戊寅，吳漢、臧宮與公孫述戰於成都，大破之。 述被創，夜死。 辛巳，吳漢屠成都，夷述宗族及延岑等。 〈廣雅曰：「夷猶滅也。」〉
On wuyin in winter Wu Han and Zang Gong broke Gongsun Shu’s field army under the walls of Chengdu. Gongsun Shu took a wound that night and died. On xinsi Wu Han sacked Chengdu and extirpated the Gongsun lineage together with Yan Cen’s faction. 〈The Guangya says: “Yi means to wipe out.”〉
91
十二月辛卯，揚武將軍馬成行大司空事。
On xinmao Ma Cheng was placed in charge of the grand minister of works bureau ad interim.
92
是歲，九真徼外蠻夷張遊率種人內屬， 〈九真，今愛州縣。〉 封為歸漢里君。 省金城郡屬隴西。 參狼羌寇武都， 〈武都，今武州也。 參音所今反。〉 隴西太守馬援討降之。 詔邊吏力不足戰則守，追虜料敵不拘以逗留法。 〈說文曰：「逗，留止也。」 前書音義曰：「逗是曲行避敵也」。 漢法，軍行逗留畏愞者斬。 追虜或近或遠，量敵進退，不拘以軍法，直取勝敵為務也。 逗，古住字。〉 橫野大將軍王常薨。 遣驃騎大將軍杜茂將衆郡施刑屯北邊， 〈施，讀曰弛。 弛，解也。 前書音義曰：「謂有赦令去其鉗釱赭衣，謂之弛刑。」〉 築亭候， 〈亭候，伺候望敵之所。 前書曰，秦法十里一亭，亭有長，漢因之不改。〉 修烽燧。 〈前書音義曰：「邊方備警急，作高土臺，臺上作桔皐，桔皐頭有兜零，以薪草置其中，常低之，有寇即燃火舉之，以相告，曰烽。 又多積薪，寇至即燔之，望其煙，曰燧。 晝則燔燧，夜乃舉烽。」 廣雅曰：「兜零，籠也。」〉
That year the tribes beyond Jiuzhen submitted to the court under their leader Zhang You, who brought his people in from the wilds. 〈The commentary identifies Jiuzhen with Aizhou (modern Thanh Hóa region).〉 The court enfeoffed him as lord of the village named Guihan—"Returning to Han." The court abolished Jincheng commandery and folded its territory into Longxi. Bands of Canlang Qiang struck into Wudu commandery. 〈The gloss places Han Wudu in the area later known as Wuzhou. The syllable cān here is glossed with the fanqie initial of suǒ and final of jīn.〉 Ma Yuan, governor of Longxi, attacked them and brought them to surrender. An edict instructed frontier officers to fight when they could and stand on the defensive when they could not, and when chasing nomads or sizing up odds not to hold them to the capital crime for hesitation. 〈The Shuowen defines dòu as stopping or lingering," and the Former Han commentary glosses dòu as evasive maneuvering rather than timid delay." Under Han statute, generals who halted out of cowardice on campaign faced execution. The point was to let frontier commanders pursue at whatever distance served and judge odds on the spot without rigid court martials for "delay"—victory mattered more than textbook formation. Here Ban Gu signals that dòu was the classical spelling for “halt,” cognate with zhu in the sense of stopping in place.〉 Wang Chang, general-in-chief titled Who Dominates the Wilderness, died. The emperor sent Du Mao, general of agile cavalry, north with convict levies drawn from multiple commanderies to man the frontier, 〈The graph at issue should be read like chi in the sense of “to loosen.” That is, to release from bonds. The Former Han commentary describes "relaxed" convicts as men stripped of shackles and russet convict garb under an amnesty and sent to camp labor.〉 They threw up ting watch-stations along the line. 〈A tinghou was a forward post for scouting approach routes. The Former Han records Qin's rule of one ting every ten li with an overseer; Han kept the system.〉 They rebuilt the beacon chain. 〈The gloss explains beacons: "builders piled high platforms and rigged winches; the cage at the top held fuel; when enemies appeared they hoisted flame—that signal was called feng, the raised-fire alarm. They also stacked brush for smoke; enemy approach triggered a smoky blaze called the sui signal. Smoke signals served by daylight; flame towers by night." The Guangya says: "Douling means cage."〉
93
十三年春正月庚申，大司徒侯霸薨。
Hou Ba, grand minister of education, died early in the thirteenth year on gengshen.
94
戊子，詔曰：「往年已勑郡國，異味不得有所獻御，今猶未止，非徒有豫養導擇之勞， 〈豫養謂未至獻時豫前養之。 導亦擇也。〉 至乃煩擾道上，疲費過所。 其令太官勿復受。 〈續漢志曰：「太官令一人，秩六百石，掌御膳飲食。」〉 明勑下以遠方口實所以薦宗廟，自如舊制。」 〈漢官儀曰：「口實，膳羞之事也。」〉
On wuzi an edict said: “In past years I already ordered commanderies and kingdoms not to present exotic flavors to the palace, yet it has not yet stopped; not only is there the labor of rearing them in advance and selecting and guiding them, 〈Yu yang meant keeping tribute beasts and foods on hand months before delivery. Dao here carries the sense of careful picking for the table.〉 and convoys harassed every relay and drained every county along the route. The imperial kitchen was forbidden to accept such shipments. 〈The grand provisioner’s warrant ran to all palace victualing.〉 Temple offerings from afar might still follow standing ritual quotas.” 〈The Han guan yi says: “Kou shi means the business of viands.”〉
95
二月，遣捕虜將軍馬武屯虖沱河以備匈奴。 盧芳自五原亡入匈奴。
In the second month Ma Wu camped on the Hutuo line facing the steppe. Lu Fang abandoned Wuyuan and rode into Xiongnu protection.
96
丙辰，詔曰：「長沙王興、真定王得、河閒王邵、中山王茂，皆襲爵為王，不應經義。 〈以其服屬旣疏，不當襲爵為王。〉 其以興為臨湘侯， 〈臨湘，縣，今潭州長沙縣。〉 得為真定侯，邵為樂成侯， 〈樂成，縣，故城在今瀛州樂府縣西北。〉 茂為單父侯。」 〈今宋州縣。 音善甫。〉 其宗室及絕國封侯者凡一百三十七人。 丁巳，降趙王良為趙公，太原王章為齊公，魯王興為魯公。 庚午，以殷紹嘉公孔安為宋公，周承休公姬常為衞公。 省并西京十三國：廣平屬鉅鹿，真定屬常山，河閒屬信都，城陽屬琅邪，泗水屬廣陵，淄川屬高密，膠東屬北海，六安屬廬江，廣陽屬上谷。 〈據此惟有九國，云「十三」，誤也。〉
On bingchen an edict said: “The kings Xing of Changsha, De of Zhending, Shao of Hejian, and Mao of Zhongshan all inherited titles as kings, which does not accord with canonical principle. 〈Their blood tie to the imperial house was too remote for true kingdoms.〉 Liu Xing was demoted to marquis of Linxiang, 〈The new fief anchored him at the Chu capital district.〉 Liu De kept a Zhending marquisate, Liu Shao a Lecheng marquisate, 〈Lecheng lay in the Hejian region.〉 and Liu Mao was given Shanfu in Song.” 〈Shanfu sat on the Lu southwest of Qufu. The disyllable is read shan–fu.〉 One hundred thirty-seven imperial clansmen and heirs of fallen houses received marquisates in the same restructuring. On dingsi three kings—Liu Liang, Liu Zhang, and Liu Xing—were reduced to ducal rank while keeping their regional labels. On gengwu two ritual scions, Kong An and Ji Chang, received the revived titles duke of Song and duke of Wei. Nine former kingdoms around the old western capital were folded into larger commanderies—Guangping into Julu, Zhending into Changshan, Hejian into Xindu, Chengyang into Langye, Sishui into Guangling, Zichuan into Gaomi, Jiaodong into Beihai, Lu’an into Lujiang, and Guangyang into Shanggu. 〈The text’s “thirteen” is a scribal error; only nine units were actually merged.〉
97
三月辛未，沛郡太守韓歆為大司徒。 丙子，行大司空馬成罷。
On xinwei in the third month Han Xin of Pei commandery took over as grand minister of education. Ma Cheng stepped down from his interim grand minister of works post on bingzi.
98
夏四月，大司馬吳漢自蜀還京師，於是大饗將士，班勞策勳。 〈班，布也。 謂徧布勞來之。 其有功者，以策書紀其勳也。 勞音力到反。〉 功臣增邑更封，凡三百六十五人。 其外戚恩澤封者四十五人。 罷左右將軍官。 〈前書曰左右將軍，周官也，秦、漢因之。 至此罷。〉 建威大將軍耿弇罷。
When Wu Han brought the army home that summer, the court feasted the host, handed out honors, and enfeoffed merit in formal edicts. 〈Ban here means to promulgate widely. It describes comforting and encouraging the troops at large.〉 Meritorious officers received written citations in the ce-book style.〉 The gloss gives the reading lao as li–dao.〉 Three hundred sixty-five meritorious officials received enlarged or new fiefs. Another forty-five seals went to affines by special grace. The paired posts of left and right generals were struck. 〈Those commands dated to Zhou military organization. Guangwu ended them as redundant.〉 Geng Yan vacated the title grand general who establishes might.
99
益州傳送公孫述瞽師、郊廟樂器、葆車、輿輦，於是法物始備。 〈瞽，無目之人也。 為樂師，取其無所見，於音聲審也。 郊廟之器，樽彝之屬也。 樂器，鍾磬之屬。 葆車謂上建羽葆也。 合聚五釆羽名為葆。 輿者，車之緫名也。 輦者，駕人以行。 法物謂大駕鹵簿儀式也。 時草創未暇，今得之始備。〉 時兵革旣息，天下少事，文書調役， 〈調謂發也。〉 務從簡寡，至乃十存一焉。
Transports from Yi brought Shu’s blind orchestra, suburban and ancestral regalia, canopied state cars, and litters—so Luoyang finally possessed a full imperial train. 〈Gu musicians were blind men trained for the bell orchestra. Blindness was thought to sharpen hearing for pitch.〉 Bronze zun and yi sacrificial sets are meant.〉 Bells, lithophones, and drums filled out the orchestra.〉 State coaches bore the five-colored feather bao canopy.〉 “Bao” named the clustered plumes atop the pole.〉 Yu covered ordinary riding vehicles.〉 Imperial litters were man-borne sedan chairs.〉 The phrase denotes the full outer and inner ritual guard.〉 The court had lacked regalia since the founding scramble; Shu’s hoard made the set whole.〉 With war ended, paperwork and corvée calls 〈Diao meant dispatching labor or grain requisitions.〉 were pared back until roughly one-tenth of the old Han volume remained.
100
甲寅，兾州牧竇融為大司空。
Dou Rong moved from Ji shepherd to grand minister of works on jiayin.
101
五月，匈奴寇河東。
Hedong suffered a Xiongnu raid that fifth month.
102
秋七月，廣漢徼外白馬羌豪率種人內屬。 〈廣漢，今益州雒縣也。 徼猶塞也，音吉弔反。 羌有百五十四種，在廣漢西北者為白馬羌。〉
White Horse Qiang beyond Guanghan’s frontier fence came in under their headmen that autumn. 〈The commandery seat was at modern Guanghan north of Chengdu. Jiao meant the mountain barrier line; the reading is ji–diao.〉 The commentary counts Qiang branches and locates the White Horse west of the basin.〉
103
九月，日南徼外蠻夷獻白雉、白兔。 〈日南，郡，屬交州。〉
Rinan frontier peoples sent white pheasants and hares as tribute in the ninth month. 〈Rinan lay on the central Vietnam coast.〉
104
冬十二月甲寅，詔益州民自八年以來被略為奴婢者， 〈謂公孫述時也。〉 皆一切免為庶民； 或依託為人下妻，欲去者，恣聽之； 敢拘留者，比青、徐二州以略人法從事。
A winter edict on jiayin targeted Shu bondage: anyone enslaved since the eighth year, 〈that is, during Gongsun Shu’s regime,〉 was freed outright to commoner status; women kept as concubines could leave or stay at will; detainers faced the same penalties as Qing–Xu slave raiders.
105
復置金城郡。 〈前年省并隴西。〉
Jincheng commandery was revived on the map. 〈It had been absorbed into Longxi the previous year.〉
106
十四年春正月，起南宮前殿。
Construction started on the southern palace’s front hall in the first month of the fourteenth year.
107
匈奴遣使奉獻，使中郎將報命。 〈中郎將劉襄也。〉
Xiongnu envoys brought gifts; a gentleman leader answered the mission. 〈The envoy named was Liu Xiang.〉
108
夏四月辛巳，封孔子後志為襃成侯。 〈平帝封孔均為褎成侯。 志，均子也。 古今志曰志時為密令。〉
Kong Zhi, Confucius’s heir, received the revived marquisate of Bao cheng on xinsi. 〈The title went back to Emperor Ping’s grant to Kong Jun. Kong Zhi was Kong Jun’s son. A note adds that Zhi was then serving as magistrate of Mi.〉
109
越巂人任貴自稱太守，遣使奉計。 〈越巂，郡，武帝置，本邛都也。 巂，水名，因越巂水而置郡，故以名焉。 計謂人庶名籍，若今計帳。〉
Ren Gui of Yuexi declared himself governor and forwarded household registers to Luoyang. 〈The commandery lay on the Yi tribal frontier southwest of Shu. The name came from the Yuexi River crossing.〉 Ji denoted census-style account books.〉
110
秋九月，平城人賈丹殺盧芳將尹由來降。 〈平城屬鴈門郡，今雲州定襄縣也。〉
Jia Dan murdered Lu Fang’s officer Yin You at Pingcheng and defected. 〈Pingcheng guarded the Dai basin approach.〉
111
是歲，會稽大疫。 〈會稽，今越州縣。〉 莎車國、鄯善國遣使奉獻。 〈莎車、鄯善，並西域國名。 鄯音市戰反。〉
Kuaiji suffered a severe plague that year. 〈The commandery covered the Zhejiang coast.〉 Suoju and Shanshan in the Western Regions sent missions east. 〈Suoju and Shanshan are both states of the Western Regions. The character shan is read shi–zhan.〉
112
十二月癸卯，詔益、涼二州奴婢，自八年以來自訟在所官，一切免為庶民，賣者無還直。
On guimao another edict freed Yi and Liang bondsmen who had sued locally since the eighth year and waived restitution to former owners.
113
十五年春正月辛丑，大司徒韓歆免，自殺。 〈事見侯霸傳。〉
Han Xin lost the grand minister of education post on xinchou and took his own life. 〈Details appear in the biography of Hou Ba.〉
114
丁未，有星孛於昴。
A comet appeared in Mao on dingwei.
115
汝南太守歐陽歙為大司徒。 建義大將軍朱祐罷。
Ouyang She of Runan succeeded Han Xin as grand minister of education. Zhu You left the post grand general who establishes righteousness.
116
丁未，有星孛於營室。
Another comet blazed in the Yingshi mansion the same cyclical day.
117
二月，徙鴈門、代郡、上谷三郡民，置常關、居庸關以東。 〈前書曰代郡有常山關，上谷郡居庸縣有關。 時胡寇數犯邊，故徙之。〉
Three northern commanderies were evacuated south of the Yan wall passes at Changshan barrier and Juyong. 〈The note cites Former Han geography for the two famous gates. Steppe pressure made the relocation a military necessity.〉
118
初，巴蜀旣平，大司馬吳漢上書請封皇子，不許，重奏連歲。 三月，乃詔羣臣議。 大司空融、固始侯通、膠東侯復、高密侯禹、太常登等奏議曰：「古者封建諸侯，以藩屏京師。 〈藩，蘺也。 屏，蔽也。 詩大雅曰：「介人維藩，大邦維屏。」 毛萇注曰：「當用公卿諸侯為藩屏也。」 公羊傳曰：「京者何？ 大也。 師者何？ 衆也。 天子之居，必有衆大之辭言之。」〉 周封八百， 〈史記曰「唐、虞協和萬國，逮于夏、商，或數千，蓋周封八百」也。〉 同姓諸姬並為建國， 〈左傳曰：「虞、虢、焦、滑、霍、楊、韓、魏，皆姬姓也。」〉 夾輔王室，尊事天子，享國永長，為後世法。 故詩云：『大啟爾宇，為周室輔。』 〈詩魯頌也。 宇，居也。 周成王封周公子伯禽於魯。 言大開爾居，以為我周家之輔。〉 高祖聖德，光有天下，亦務親親，封立兄弟諸子，不違舊章。 陛下德橫天地，興復宗統，襃德賞勳，親睦九族， 〈孔安國注尚書云：「九族謂上至高祖，下至玄孫。」〉 功臣宗室，咸蒙封爵，多受廣地，或連屬縣。 今皇子賴天，能勝衣趨拜，陛下恭謙克讓，抑而未議，羣臣百姓，莫不失望。 冝因盛夏吉時，定號位，以廣藩輔， 〈禮記月令：「天子孟夏迎夏於南郊，還，乃封諸侯，行爵出祿。」〉 明親親，尊宗廟，重社稷，應古合舊，厭塞衆心。 臣請大司空上輿地圖， 〈廣雅曰：「輿，載也。」 言載在地者，皆圖畫之。 司空掌土地，故命上之。〉 太常擇吉日，具禮儀。」 制曰：「可。」
After Shu fell Wu Han repeatedly begged the throne to invest the princes; the emperor long refused. In the third month he finally told the bureaucracy to debate the matter. Grand minister of works Rong, Marquis of Gushi Tong, Marquis of Jiaodong Fu, Marquis of Gaomi Yu, Minister of Ceremonial Deng, and others memorialized: “In antiquity enfeoffment of the feudal lords was to fence and screen the capital. 〈Fan meant a hedge, ping a screen before the throne.〉 The Shijing line praises kin and great lords as bulwarks.〉 Mao Chang read the verse as a charter for collateral kingdoms.〉 The Gongyang commentary turns to the word jing in the phrase for the capital.〉 The gloss answers: “great.”〉 It next asks about shi in the same binome.〉 Shi means the assembled multitude.〉 So the royal seat must be named with language that conveys both vastness and multitude.”〉 Zhou invested some eight hundred lords. 〈The Shiji contrasts mythic myriads with Zhou’s hundreds.〉 Zhou kin of the Ji surname held many of those states, 〈The Zuozhuan lists major Ji polities along the Yellow River.〉 and they propped the king while honoring the Zhou Son of Heaven for generations—a pattern later ages copied. The ode urges a great lord to widen his domain as Zhou’s prop. 〈The line comes from the Lu hymns. Yu means territory or seat.〉 King Cheng enfeoffed Boji at Lu as the Zhou uncle’s heir.〉 The gloss paraphrases the blessing on the Lu founder.〉 Gaozu likewise enfeoffed brothers and sons without breaking classical precedent. Guangwu had restored the Liu house, heaped rewards on kin and generals, and knit the nine agnates in harmony, 〈“Nine kindreds” spans five generations of ascent and descent from ego.〉 Generals and Liu kinsmen alike had already been raised to noble rank, often with vast fiefs strung across multiple counties. The princes had come of age for court dress and bows, yet Guangwu still deferred investiture, frustrating court and country alike. The memorial urged summer enthronements to give the boys feudal shields around the throne, 〈The Yueling prescribed midsummer as the classical moment for such grants.〉 Investiture would display love of kin, dignify the temples, and steady the realm in line with ancient precedent. They asked Dou Rong to forward territorial maps, 〈Yu meant what the earth bears. Every feature on the ground was to be charted.〉 The office’s portfolio made Dou Rong the right source.〉 The minister of ceremonial was to pick the day and set the liturgy.” The emperor answered simply: “Approved.”
119
夏四月戊申，以太牢告祠宗廟。 丁巳，使大司空融告廟，封皇子輔為右翊公，英為楚公，陽為東海公，康為濟南公，蒼為東平公，延為淮陽公，荊為山陽公，衡為臨淮公，焉為左翊公，京為琅邪公。 癸丑，追謚兄伯升為齊武公，兄仲為魯哀公。
On wushen in the fourth month he reported the investitures to the Liu shrines with a tai lao offering. On dingsi Dou Rong proclaimed at the temples and ten princes received ducal titles from Fu through Jing of Langye. Guichou brought posthumous honors for Liu Bosheng and Liu Zhong.
120
六月庚午，復置屯騎、長水、射聲三校尉官； 〈七年罷。〉 改青巾左校尉為越騎校尉。
The metropolitan guard colonelcies abolished in the seventh year were restored on gengwu in the sixth month; 〈The note recalls the earlier cut.〉 The green-kerchief left colonel became the Yue cavalry colonel instead.
121
詔下州郡檢覈墾田頃［］ 〈墾，闢也。〉 及戶口年紀，又考實二千石長吏阿枉不平者。
Provinces were ordered to audit reclaimed acreage 〈Ken meant newly broken ground.〉 together with population rolls and ages, and to expose corrupt two-thousand-shi magistrates.
122
冬十一月甲戌，大司徒歐陽歙下獄死。 十二月庚午，關內侯戴涉為大司徒。
Ouyang She died in prison as grand minister of education on jiaxu in winter. Dai She succeeded him on gengwu in the twelfth month.
123
盧芳自匈奴入居高柳。
Lu Fang slipped back from the steppe and held Gaoliu.
124
是歲，驃騎大將軍杜茂免。 虎牙大將軍蓋延薨。
Du Mao lost his post as grand general of agile cavalry. Huya general Gai Yan died.
125
十六年春二月，交阯女子徵側反，略有城邑。
In the sixteenth year’s second month Zheng Ce of Jiaozhi rose and seized urban centers.
126
三月辛丑晦，日有蝕之。
The third month closed on xinchou with an eclipse.
127
秋九月，河南尹張伋及諸郡守十餘人，坐度田不實，皆下獄死。 〈東觀記曰：「刺史太守多為詐巧，不務實核，苟以度田為名，聚人田中，並度廬屋里落，聚人遮道啼呼。」〉
Henan governor Zhang Ji and a dozen peers were executed for falsifying cadastral returns that autumn. 〈The Dong guan ji says: “Inspectors and grand administrators mostly practiced deceit and cleverness, not bothering with real verification; under the name of measuring fields they crowded people in the paddies, also measuring huts and hamlets, while crowds blocked the roads weeping.”〉
128
郡國大姓及兵長、羣盜處處並起，攻劫在所，害殺長吏。 郡縣追討，到則解散，去復屯結。 青、徐、幽、兾四州尤甚。 冬十月，遣使者下郡國，聽羣盜自相糾擿， 〈擿猶發也。 音它狄反。〉 五人共斬一人者，除其罪。 吏雖逗留回避故縱者，皆勿問，聽以禽討為效。 其牧守令長坐界內盜賊而不收捕者，又以畏愞捐城委守者，皆不以為負， 〈委守謂棄其所守也。〉 但取獲賊多少為殿最， 〈殿，後也。 謂課居後也。 最，凡要之首也。 言課居先也。〉 唯蔽匿者乃罪之。 於是更相追捕，賊並解散。 徙其魁帥於它郡，賦田受稟，使安生業。 自是牛馬放牧，邑門不閉。
Powerful lineages and band chiefs rose in concert, murdering magistrates across the provinces. Government columns dispersed the gangs on contact only to see them re-form. Qing, Xu, You, and Ji suffered most severely. Winter envoys authorized bandits to denounce one another, 〈Di meant to expose or inform. The gloss gives ta–di.〉 a quintet that produced one bandit’s head won amnesty. Minor officials were not punished for slow pursuit if captures still resulted. Magistrates who lost towns to timidity were not automatically condemned, 〈Wei shou meant deserting a post one was charged to hold.〉 rankings rested solely on body counts of captured rebels, 〈Dian in assessment jargon meant ranking last among magistrates. The lowest tier of annual review.〉 Zui meant leading the performance list for captures.〉 Magistrates with the most captures led the list.〉 Only officials who hid bandits faced charges. Mutual denunciation and pursuit broke the uprisings apart. Ringleaders were deported, given land and grain, and settled as farmers. Afterward the countryside was calm enough to leave gates unbarred.
129
盧芳遣使乞降。 十二月甲辰，封芳為代王。
Lu Fang sued for peace through envoys. On jiachen he received the king of Dai seal as the price of submission.
130
初，王莽亂後，貨幣雜用布、帛、金、粟。 是歲，始行五銖錢。 〈武帝始為五銖錢，王莽時廢，今始行之。〉
After Wang Mang, barter and odd media had circulated alongside coin. The state reintroduced standard wu zhu coinage that year. 〈Emperor Wu’s coin returned after Mang’s experiments.〉
131
十七年春正月，趙公良薨。
Liu Liang, duke of Zhao, died in the first month of the seventeenth year.
132
二月乙亥晦，日有食之。 〈東觀記曰：「上以日食避正殿，讀圖讖多，御坐廡下淺露，中風發疾，苦眩甚。 左右有白大司馬史，病苦如此，不能動搖。 自強從公，出乘，以車行數里，病差。 四月二日，車駕宿偃師。 病差數日，入南陽界，到葉。 以車騎省，留數日行，黎陽兵馬千餘匹，遂到章陵，起居平愈。」〉
An eclipse closed the second month on yihai. 〈The emperor’s eclipse penance led to illness on tour. Aides told the marshal’s office he was too ill to travel. He insisted on riding a few li until the vertigo eased. He broke journey at Yanshi on the second of the fourth month. Recovering, he crossed into Nanyang as far as Ye. A slim escort brought him slowly home to Zhangling to convalesce.”〉
133
夏四月乙卯，南巡狩，皇太子及右翊公輔、楚公英、東海公陽、濟南公康、東平公蒼從，幸潁川，進幸葉、章陵。 〈葉，縣，故楚葉公邑，屬南陽郡，今許州縣也。 葉音式涉反。〉 五月乙卯，車駕還宮。
The southern progress that summer took the crown prince and five young dukes through Yingchuan to Ye and the imperial tombs. 〈Ye lay in southern Nanyang. The reading is shi–she.〉 He was back in Luoyang on yimao in the fifth month.
134
六月癸巳，臨淮公衡薨。
Liu Heng, duke of Linhuai, died on guisi.
135
秋七月，妖巫李廣等羣起據皖城， 〈縣名，屬廬江郡，故城在今舒州，有皖水。 音下板反。〉 遣虎賁中郎將馬援、驃騎將軍段志討之。 九月，破皖城，斬李廣等。
In the seventh month cult leaders including Li Guang seized Wancheng in Lujiang, 〈Wancheng sat on the Wan River in central Anhui. The place name is read xia–ban.〉 Ma Yuan and Duan Zhi were ordered to retake the town. Wancheng fell in the ninth month and Li Guang lost his head.
136
冬十月辛巳，廢皇后郭氏為中山太后，立貴人陰氏為皇后。 進右翊公輔為中山王，食常山郡。 〈本恒山郡，避文帝諱改為常山，故城在今趙州元氏縣西。〉 其餘九國公，皆即舊封進爵為王。
Guangwu set aside Empress Guo for Lady Yin that winter, elevating the latter as his new consort. Liu Fu became king of Zhongshan with the Changshan tax base. 〈Changshan had been renamed from Hengshan for Han Wendi’s taboo.〉 The other nine royal sons were promoted from duke to king on their existing domains.
137
甲申，幸章陵。 脩園廟，祠舊宅，觀田廬，置酒作樂，賞賜。 時宗室諸母因酣恱，相與語曰：「文叔少時謹信，與人不款曲，唯直柔耳。 今乃能如此！」 帝聞之，大笑曰：「吾理天下，亦欲以柔道行之。」 乃悉為舂陵宗室起祠堂。 有五鳳皇見於潁川之郟縣。 〈郟，今汝州郟城縣也。 東觀記曰：「鳳高八尺，五彩，羣鳥並從，行列蓋地數頃，停一十七日。」〉 十二月，至自章陵。
He visited Zhangling again on jiashen. He toured the family estate, feasted kinsmen, and handed out gifts. At the time imperial clan aunts, flushed with wine, said to one another: “Wenshu in youth was careful and trustworthy; with people he was not ingratiating—only straightforward and yielding. yet now he ruled like a sage." Guangwu overheard and laughed that he still meant to rule with softness.” He then commissioned ancestral halls for every Zhangling branch. Five phoenixes were sighted at Jia in Yingchuan. 〈The place lies south of the Song uplands. The Dong guan ji says: “The birds stood eight chi tall, in five colors; flocks of other birds followed; their ranks covered several qing of ground and they halted for seventeen days.”〉 He completed the Zhangling circuit in the twelfth month.
138
是歲，莎車國遣使貢獻。
Suoju again sent a mission westward.
139
十八年春二月，蜀郡守將史歆叛，遣大司馬吳漢率二將軍討之，圍成都。
Shi Xin’s mutiny in Shu drew Wu Han back to invest Chengdu in the eighteenth year’s second month.
140
甲寅，西廵狩，幸長安。 三月壬午，祠高廟，遂有事十一陵。 歷馮翊界，進幸蒲坂，祠后土。 〈漢官儀曰：「祭地於河東汾陰后土宮。 宮曲入河，古之祭地，澤中方丘也。 以夏至日祭，其禮儀如祭天。」 蒲阪，縣，屬河東郡。 后土祠在今蒲州汾陰縣西北。〉 夏四月甲戌車駕還宮。
On jiayin he began a western progress to Chang’an. On renwu in the third month he worshipped at Gaozu’s temple and the Western Han tombs. He passed through the territory of Fengyi, proceeded to Puban, and sacrificed to Houtu. 〈The Han guan yi says: “Earth was sacrificed at the Hou tu palace in Fenyin of Hedong. The rite followed classical square-mound geography.〉 Summer solstice matched the winter solstice rites to heaven."〉 Puban county hosted the crossing. The modern site is noted for travelers.〉 He was home on jiaxu in the fourth month.
141
癸酉，詔曰：「今邊郡盜穀五十斛，罪至於死，開殘吏妄殺之路，其蠲除此法，同之內郡。」
On guiyou an edict said: “Now in border commanderies stealing fifty hu of grain is a crime reaching death, opening a road for cruel clerks to kill recklessly; let that law be repealed and made the same as inner commanderies.”
142
遣伏波將軍馬援率樓船將軍段志等擊交阯賊徵側等。
He dispatched Ma Yuan as wave-quelling general with Duan Zhi as tower-ship general to crush the Jiaozhi rising led by Zheng Ce.
143
戊申，幸河內。 戊子，至自河內。
On wushen he toured Henei. He came back from Henei on wuzi.
144
五月，旱。
Drought gripped the fifth month.
145
盧芳復亡入匈奴。
Lu Fang broke faith once more and rode back to the northern confederation.
146
秋七月，吳漢拔成都，斬史歆等。 壬戌，赦益州所部殊死已下。
Wu Han stormed Chengdu that seventh month and executed Shi Xin’s faction. On renxu a general pardon swept Yi commandery lands short of the worst capital crimes.
147
冬十月庚辰，幸冝城。 〈縣，屬南郡，楚之鄢邑也，故城在今襄州率道縣南。〉 還，祠章陵。 十二月乙丑，車駕還宮。
He toured Yicheng in Nan commandery on gengchen in the tenth month. 〈Yicheng was the old Chu stronghold south of the Han middle Yangzi.〉 On the way back he offered again at the Zhangling shrines. He reached Luoyang on yichou in the twelfth month.
148
是歲，罷州牧，置刺史。 〈武帝元封五年初置部刺史，掌奉詔條察州，秩六百石，員十三人。 成帝綏和元年更名牧，秩二千石。 哀帝建平二年復為刺史，元壽二年復為牧。 經王莽變革，至建武元年復置牧，今改置刺史。〉
Provincial governors were demoted back to the old inspector system. 〈Emperor Wu’s thirteen regional inspectors had been the original model. Chengdi raised them to shepherds at two thousand shi.〉 Aidi toggled the titles twice more.〉 Guangwu had briefly restored shepherds; he now reverted to inspectors.〉
149
十九年春正月庚子，追尊孝宣皇帝曰中宗。 始祠昭帝、元帝於太廟， 〈漢官儀曰：「光武第雖十二，於父子之次，於成帝為兄弟，於哀帝為諸父，於平帝為祖父，皆不可為之後。 上至元帝，於光武為父，故上繼元帝而為九代。 故河圖云『赤九會昌』，謂光武也。」 然則宣帝為祖，故追尊及祠之。〉 成帝、哀帝、平帝於長安，舂陵節侯以下四世於章陵。
Emperor Xuan received the temple name Zhongzong on gengzi in the first month of the nineteenth year. Zhao and Yuan were admitted to the great shrine alongside the main line, 〈Guangwu could not continue Ping’s or Cheng’s line. He therefore continued the count from Emperor Yuan as ninth in descent.〉 The prophecy “red nine” pointed to him as ninth from the red Han founder.〉 Xuan therefore entered his ancestral pantheon as grandfather.〉 Western sovereigns stayed enshrined at Chang’an while four Chunling generations received cult at Zhangling.
150
妖巫單臣、傅鎮等反，據原武，遣太中大夫臧宮圍之。 夏四月，拔原武，斬臣、鎮等。
Shan Chen and Fu Zhen seized Yuanwu until Zang Gong invested the town. The fourth month brought the storming of Yuanwu and the leaders’ execution.
151
伏波將軍馬援破交阯，斬徵側等。 因擊破九真賊都陽等，降之。
Ma Yuan ended the Jiaozhi rebellion and killed Zheng Ce. He followed up in Jiuzhen against Du Yang’s band and received their capitulation.
152
閏月戊申，進趙、齊、魯三國公爵為王。
On wushen in the intercalary month three royal sons were promoted from duke to king of Zhao, Qi, and Lu.
153
六月戊申，詔曰：「春秋之義，立子以貴。 〈公羊傳曰：「立嫡以長不以賢，立子以貴不以長。 桓公何以貴？ 母貴也。 母貴則子貴，子以母貴，母以子貴。」〉 東海王陽，皇后之子，冝承大統。 皇太子彊，崇執謙退，願備藩國。 父子之情，重乆違之。 其以彊為東海王，立陽為皇太子，改名莊。」
On wushen in the sixth month he cited Gongyang doctrine: the chosen heir follows the mother’s rank, 〈The canonical rule favored the son of the chief consort. The text asks why Duke Huan ranked high.〉 Because his mother was of high rank.〉 Mother and son mutually elevated each other’s ritual standing.”〉 Liu Yang, born of Empress Yin, was fit to succeed the throne. Liu Qiang had repeatedly asked to step down to a kingdom. The father-son bond made the split painful, yet Liu Qiang was named king of Donghai while Liu Yang became heir apparent Zhuang.”
154
秋九月，南巡狩。 壬申，幸南陽，進幸汝南南頓縣舍，置酒會，賜吏人，復南頓田租歲。 父老前叩頭言：「皇考居此日乆，陛下識知寺舍， 〈蔡邕獨斷曰：「陛，階陛也。 與天子言不敢指斥，故云陛下。」 風俗通曰：「寺，司也。 諸官府所止皆曰寺。」 光武甞從皇考至南頓，故識知官府舍宇。〉 每來輒加厚恩，願賜復十年。」 帝曰：「天下重器，常恐不任，日復一日，安敢遠期十歲乎？」 吏人又言：「陛下實惜之，何言謙也？」 帝大笑，復增一歲。 進幸淮陽、梁、沛。
He opened a southern progress that autumn. At Nandun he feasted locals and waived a year’s rent on the town where his father had lived. The elders came forward, kowtowed, and said, "The late emperor dwelt here long; Your Majesty recognizes the official lodgings, 〈Bi denoted the palace steps one dared not name directly. Hence courtiers said “bixia” instead of naming the ruler.〉 Si (in sisi) meant government bureaus.〉 Any official compound could be called a si.〉 The emperor really did remember Nandun’s buildings from youth.〉 They pressed for a decade-long tax holiday.” He replied that ruling was burden enough without pledging ten years ahead.” The crowd called his humility excessive.” He laughed and granted one more year’s remit. He then toured Huaiyang, Liang, and Pei.
155
西南夷寇益州郡， 〈常璩華陽國志云：「武帝元封二年叟夷反，將軍郭昌討平之，因開為益州郡。」 故城在今昆州晉寧縣是也。〉 遣武威將軍劉尚討之。 越巂太守任貴謀叛，十二月，劉尚襲貴，誅之。
Tribes southwest struck Yi province commandery, 〈The commandery dated to Emperor Wu’s conquest of Dian-Sou territory. The seat lay near modern Jinning by Lake Dian.〉 Liu Shang marched as Weiwu general. Ren Gui’s plot in Yuexi ended when Liu Shang struck in the twelfth month.
156
是歲，復置函谷關都尉。 〈九年省，今復置。〉 修西京宮室。
The Hangu gate warden’s post was revived. 〈It had been cut in the ninth year and now returned.〉 Chang’an palaces underwent repair.
157
二十年春二月戊子，車駕還宮。
He was back in Luoyang on wuzi in the twentieth year’s second month.
158
夏四月庚辰，大司徒戴涉下獄死。 〈古今注曰：「坐入故太公倉令奚涉罪。」〉 大司空竇融免。
Dai She died in custody as grand minister of education on gengchen. 〈He fell for shielding a subordinate’s malfeasance.〉 Dou Rong left the ministry of works.
159
五月辛亥，大司馬吳漢薨。
Wu Han died on xinhai in the fifth month.
160
匈奴寇上黨、天水，遂至扶風。
Xiongnu columns pierced to the metropolitan west that year.
161
六月庚寅，廣漢太守蔡茂為大司徒，太僕朱浮為大司空。 壬辰，左中郎將劉隆為驃騎將軍，行大司馬事。 〈武帝省太尉，置大司馬將軍； 成帝賜金印紫綬，置官屬，祿比丞相； 哀帝去將軍，位在司徒上。 見前書。〉
Cai Mao and Zhu Fu took the two minister posts on gengyin. Liu Long stepped in as acting great marshal on renchen. 〈The great marshal began as a military chancellor substitute. Chengdi gave it full chancellor-grade staff.〉 Aidi dropped the word “general” but kept precedence over the steward.〉 Full pedigree appears in Former Han treatises.〉
162
乙未，徙中山王輔為沛王。
Liu Fu transferred his kingship from Zhongshan to Pei on yiwei.
163
秋，東夷韓國人率衆詣樂浪內附。 〈東夷有辰韓、卞韓、馬韓，謂之三韓國也。〉
Eastern Yi Koreans crossed to Lelang in a body to submit. 〈The “three Han” confederacies are meant.〉
164
冬十月，東巡狩。 甲午，幸魯，進幸東海、楚、沛國。
An eastern progress opened in the tenth month. He sacrificed at Lu and toured the eastern princedoms.
165
十二月，匈奴寇天水。
Tianshui took another Xiongnu raid in the twelfth month.
166
壬寅，車駕還宮。
He closed the tour on renyin.
167
是歲，省五原郡，徙其吏人置河東。 復濟陽縣傜役六歲。
Wuyuan was struck from the map and its population moved into Hedong. Jiyang enjoyed a six-year corvée holiday as the emperor’s birthplace.
168
二十一年春正月，武威將軍劉尚破益州夷，平之。
Liu Shang finished the Yi campaign in the twenty-first year’s first month.
169
夏四月，安定屬國胡叛，屯聚青山， 〈青山在今慶州馬嶺縣西北。〉 遣將兵長史陳訢討平之。 〈訢音欣。〉
Dependent-state Hu in Anding gathered on Qing Mountain that fourth month, 〈The ridge lay on the Anding–Bingzhou edge.〉 Chen Xin marched as chief clerk with troops and crushed them. 〈The name Xin is read like the word for joy.〉
170
秋，鮮卑寇遼東，遼東太守祭肜大破之。
Zhai Rong shattered a Xianbei raid on Liaodong that autumn.
171
冬十月，遣伏波將軍馬援出塞擊烏桓，不克。
Ma Yuan’s winter expedition against the Wuhuan failed to win a decisive victory.
172
匈奴寇上谷、中山。
Shanggu and Zhongshan saw Xiongnu incursions.
173
其冬，鄯善王、車師王等十六國皆遣子入侍奉獻，願請都護。 〈都護，宣帝置，始以鄭吉為之，秩比二千石。 都，緫也。 言緫護南北道。 居烏壘城，察西域諸國動靜以聞。 事見前書。〉 帝以中國初定，未遑外事，乃還其侍子，厚加賞賜。
Sixteen Western Region kings sent hostages and asked for a Han protector-general that winter. 〈The Western Regions post dated to Emperor Xuan and Zheng Ji. Du meant overall command.〉 He coordinated both Silk Road corridors.〉 His headquarters at Wulei watched every petty king.〉 Former Han annals narrate the institution.〉 Guangwu sent the hostages home with gifts but declined a new protector-general.
174
二十二年春閏月丙戌，幸長安，祠高廟，遂有事十一陵。 二月己巳，至自長安。
The twenty-second year’s intercalary spring month brought another Chang’an round of shrines and tombs. He was back from Chang’an on jisi in the second month.
175
夏五月乙未晦，日有食之。
Summer ended with an eclipse on yiwei in the fifth month.
176
秋七月，司隷校尉蘇鄴下獄死。
Su Ye perished in prison as colonel director of retainers.
177
九月戊辰，地震裂。 制詔曰：「日者地震，南陽尤甚。 夫地者，任物至重，靜而不動者也。 而今震裂，咎在君上。 鬼神不順無德，灾殃將及吏人，朕甚懼焉。 其令南陽勿輸今年田租芻稾。 遣謁者案行，其死罪繫囚在戊辰以前，減死罪一等； 徒皆［］解鉗，衣絲絮。 〈［］，解脫也。 倉頡篇曰：「鉗，釱也。」 音竒炎反。 前書音義曰：「釱，足鉗也。」 音徒計反，又大蓋反。 舊法，在徒役者不得衣絲絮，今赦許之。〉 賜郡中居人壓死者棺錢，人三千。 其口賦逋稅而廬宅尤破壞者，勿收責。 〈漢儀注曰：「人年十五至五十六出賦錢，人百二十，為一筭。 又七歲至十四出口錢，人二十，以供天子； 至武帝時又口加三錢，以補車騎馬。」 逋稅謂欠田租也。〉 吏人死亡，或在壞垣毀屋之下，而家羸弱不能收拾者，其以見錢穀取傭，為尋求之。」
A violent earthquake struck on wuchen in the ninth month. An edict opened: “The quake centered on Nanyang, The soil beneath the realm should lie still under the immense load it carries. Its splitting laid blame at the throne. The portent threatened every official and commoner in the afflicted zone. He therefore waived the year’s grain and fodder levy for the entire Nanyang commandery. Imperial agents toured the quake zone: capital convicts jailed before wuchen dropped one penalty notch, labor gangs were unshackled and could wear padded silk against the cold. 〈The verb meant stripping fetters. Qian denoted the neck collar.〉 Reading qi–yan.〉 Di meant ankle irons.〉 Fanqie variants tu–ji and da–gai are given.〉 Former law barred silk for convicts; the emergency edict waived that.〉 Families of the crushed dead received three thousand cash each toward burial. Back taxes were forgiven where homes were ruined beyond use. 〈The note explains suan poll and child kou qian. Children paid a smaller head tax.〉 Emperor Wu’s surcharge funded cavalry.〉 Bei shui meant arrears on land tax.〉 The court offered funds to hire recovery of bodies trapped in rubble.”
178
冬十月壬子，大司空朱浮免。 癸丑，光祿勳杜林為大司空。
Zhu Fu left the ministry of works on renzi in winter. Du Lin succeeded him from the guangluxun post on guichou.
179
是歲，齊王章薨。 青州蝗。 匈奴薁鞬日逐王比 〈薁音於六反。 鞬音紀言反。 比，其名也。〉 遣使詣漁陽請和親，使中郎將李茂報命。 烏桓擊破匈奴，匈奴北徙，幕南地空。 〈前書音義曰：「沙土曰幕，即今磧也。」〉 詔罷諸邊郡亭候吏卒。
That year Liu Zhang, king of Qi, died. Locust swarms devastated Qingzhou. Bi, the "Chasing-the-Sun" worthy prince of the Yu-jiān tribe among the Xiongnu— 〈The syllable yù is glossed with yú / liù fanqie. 〈Jiān uses jì / yán fanqie.〉 Bi was the prince's given name.〉 dispatched envoys to Yuyang to negotiate peace and kinship marriage and sent Palace Gentleman Li Mao with the court's answer. Wuhuan warriors broke Xiongnu power; the nomads fled north, leaving the steppe south of the desert thinly held. 〈The commentary glosses mo “screen” as sandy desert—the "gravel seas" of the northern frontier.〉 Imperial orders stood down the watch-post garrisons on the border marches.
180
二十三年春正月，南郡蠻叛，遣武威將軍劉尚討破之，徙其種人於江夏。 〈郡名，故城在今安州雲夢縣東南。〉
Nan commandery tribes rose in the twenty-third year’s first month; Liu Shang crushed them and deported survivors to Jiangxia. 〈Jiangxia lay east of the Yun marsh.〉
181
夏五月丁卯，大司徒蔡茂薨。
On dingmao in the fifth month of summer Grand Excellency Cai Mao died.
182
秋八月丙戌，大司空杜林薨。
Du Lin died in office on bingxu in the eighth month.
183
九月辛未，陳留太守玉況為大司徒。 〈況字文伯，京兆人。 玉音肅。〉
Yu Kuang of Chenliu took the grand steward seal on xinwei. 〈The memorialist identifies the appointee. Yu here is read like su, not like “jade.”〉
184
冬十月丙申，太僕張純為大司空。
Zhang Chun moved from grand coachman to grand minister of works on bingshen.
185
高句麗率種人詣樂浪內屬。
The Gaogouli state presented itself at Lelang for incorporation.
186
十二月，武陵蠻叛，寇掠郡縣，遣劉尚討之，戰於沅水， 〈武陵，郡，今朗州也。 沅，水名，出牂柯，東北過臨沅縣，至長沙入洞庭湖。〉 尚軍敗歿。
Wuling tribes raided that twelfth month; Liu Shang met them on the Yuan, 〈Wuling covered the Yuanzi basin. The Yuan’s course runs into Dongting.〉 Liu Shang’s column was destroyed and he fell in battle.
187
是歲，匈奴薁鞬日逐王比率部曲遣使詣西河內附。
Bi, the Xiongnu Worthy King of the Left, sent envoys into Xihe to offer allegiance.
188
二十四年春正月乙亥，大赦天下。
A general amnesty opened the twenty-fourth year on yihai.
189
匈奴薁鞬日逐王比遣使款五原塞，求扞禦北虜。
Bi next sought Han backing against the northern court through the Wuyuan passes.
190
秋七月，武陵蠻寇臨沅， 〈縣名，屬武陵郡，故城在今朗州武陵縣。〉 遣謁者李嵩、中山太守馬成討蠻，不克，於是伏波將軍馬援率四將軍討之。
Wuling raiders struck Linyuan that seventh month, 〈The county sat on the middle Yuan.〉 Li Song and Ma Cheng failed; Ma Yuan took four generals south to finish the job.
191
詔有司申明舊制阿附蕃王法。 〈武帝時有淮南、衡山之謀，作左官之律，設附益之法。 前書音義曰：「人道尚右，言捨天子，仕諸侯為左官。 左，僻也。」 阿曲附益王侯者，將有重法。 是為舊制，今更申明之。〉
The court reissued Former Han rules against faction with princes. 〈Emperor Wu’s reaction to princely revolt framed the penalties. “Left” meant morally deviant service under a king rather than the emperor.〉 Left carried the sense of improper partisanship."〉 Flatterers who enriched kings faced harsh sentences.〉 Guangwu republished the bundle of prohibitions.〉
192
冬十月，匈奴薁鞬日逐王比自立為南單于，於是分為南、北匈奴。
Bi declared southern shanyu in the tenth month, formally splitting the steppe.
193
二十五春正月，遼東徼外貊人 〈貊人，穢貊國人也。 貊音陌。〉 寇右北平、漁陽、上谷、太原，遼東太守祭肜招降之。 烏桓大人來朝。 〈大人謂渠帥也。〉
Early in the twenty-fifth year Mo tribes beyond Liaodong, 〈Mo here denotes Korean-border forest peoples. The syllable mo is read level mo.〉 They raided Youbeiping, Yuyang, Shanggu, and Taiyuan, until Ji Rong, Administrator of Liaodong, summoned and induced them to surrender. Wuhuan headmen presented themselves at Luoyang. 〈“Great chief” glosses the Wuhuan title for a chief.〉
194
南單于遣使詣闕貢獻，奉蕃稱臣； 又遣其左賢王擊破北匈奴，却地千餘里。 三月，南單于遣子入侍。
The southern court sent tribute missions acknowledging vassalage; Bi’s left worthy shattered the northern wing and seized a thousand li of pasture. A hostage prince arrived from the southern shanyu in the third month.
195
戊申晦，日有食之。
The month closed with an eclipse on wushen.
196
伏波將軍馬援等破武陵蠻於臨沅。 冬十月，叛蠻悉降。
Ma Yuan broke the Wuling host at Linyuan. By winter’s tenth month the last Wuling bands capitulated.
197
夫餘王遣使奉獻。 〈夫餘國在海東，去玄菟千里餘。〉
The Puyo king in the Korean east sent gifts. 〈Puyo lay beyond the Bohai rim from Xuantu.〉
198
是歲，烏桓大人率衆內屬，詣闕朝貢。
Wuhuan magnates led their people in and brought tribute that year.
199
二十六年正月，詔有司增百官奉。 〈續漢志曰：「大將軍、三公奉月三百五十斛，秩中二千石奉月百八十斛，二千石月百二十斛，比二千石月百斛，千石月九十斛，比千石月八十斛，六百石月七十斛，比六百石月五十五斛，四百石月五十斛，比四百石月四十五斛，三百石月四十斛，比三百石月三十七斛，二百石月三十斛，比二百石月二十七斛，百石月十六斛，斗食月十一斛，佐史月八斛。 凡諸受奉，錢穀各半。」 奉音扶用反。〉 其千石已上，減於西京舊制； 六百石已下，增於舊秩。
Official pay scales rose empire-wide in the twenty-sixth year’s first month. 〈The Xu Han zhi says: "The General-in-Chief and the Three Dukes received monthly stipends of 350 hu; officials ranked at fully 2,000 shi received 180 hu per month; 2,000-shi officials received 120 hu per month; equivalent-to-2,000-shi officials received 100 hu per month; 1,000-shi officials received 90 hu per month; equivalent-to-1,000-shi officials received 80 hu per month; 600-shi officials received 70 hu per month; equivalent-to-600-shi officials received 55 hu per month; 400-shi officials received 50 hu per month; equivalent-to-400-shi officials received 45 hu per month; 300-shi officials received 40 hu per month; equivalent to Typical stipends mixed grain and cash."〉 Feng (salary) reads fu–yong.〉 High ranks took slightly less grain than Western Han had paid, while junior posts received more than old tables.
200
初作壽陵。 〈初作陵未有名，故號壽陵，蓋取乆長之義也。 漢自文帝以後皆預作陵，今循舊制也。〉 將作大匠竇融上言園陵廣袤，無慮所用。 〈前書曰：「將作少府，秦官，掌宮室，景帝改為大匠，秩二千石。」 說文曰：「南北曰袤，東西曰廣。」 廣雅曰：「無慮，都凡也。」 謂請園陵都凡制度也。 袤音茂。〉 帝曰：「古者帝王之葬，皆陶人瓦器，木車茅馬， 〈禮曰：「塗車芻靈，自古有之。」 鄭玄注云：「芻靈，東茅為人馬也。」〉 使後世之人不知其處。 太宗識終始之義，景帝能述遵孝道，遭天下反覆，而霸陵獨完受其福，豈不美哉！ 〈謂赤眉入長安，惟霸陵不掘。〉 今所制地不過二三頃，無為山陵，陂池裁令流水而已。」 〈言不起山陵，裁令封土，陂池不停水而已。 陂音普何反。 池音徒何反。〉
Construction began on his own tomb, provisionally called the longevity mound. 〈The working title echoed a wish for long reign. Western Han emperors had pre-built mausolea; Guangwu did the same.〉 Dou Rong, chief builder, memorialized dimensions and total outlay for the necropolis. 〈The Former Han says: “Chief architect under the chamberlain for the palace, Qin office, in charge of palace chambers; Emperor Jing changed the title to chief architect, rank two thousand shi.” The Shuowen says: “From south to north is mao; from east to west is guang.” The Guangya says: “Wu lu means the total reckoning.” Dou Rong asked for approval of the full layout.〉 Mao rhymes with “mode.”〉 The emperor said: “In antiquity the burials of emperors and kings all used pottery men and tiled vessels, wooden carts and thatched horses, 〈The Liji permitted simple grave goods. Straw effigies stood for chariot and escort.〉 so later ages could not find or rob the mound. Taizong understood the meaning of ending and beginning, and Emperor Jing was able to follow and observe filial conduct. Amid the upheaval under all under heaven, Baling alone remained intact and received its blessing. Is that not beautiful? 〈This refers to the Red Eyebrows entering Chang'an, when only Baling was not dug up.〉 His own plot would be a few qing with level sealing and modest pools—no mountain tomb.” 〈The design forbade monumental earthworks. Po reads pu–he.〉 Chi reads tu–he.〉
201
遣中郎將段郴授南單于璽綬，令入居雲中， 〈郡名，在今勝州北。 郴音丑林反。〉 始置使匈奴中郎將，將兵衞護之。 〈中郎將即段郴也。 漢官儀曰「使匈奴中郎將屯西河美稷縣」也。〉 南單于遣子入侍，奉奏詣闕。 於是雲中、五原、朔方、北地、定襄、鴈門、上谷、代八郡民歸於本土。 遣謁者分將施刑補理城郭。 〈施與弛同，解見上。〉 發遣邊民在中國者，布還諸縣，皆賜以裝錢，轉輸給食。 〈東觀記曰：「時城郭丘墟，掃地更為，上悔前徙之。」〉
Duan Chen carried the southern shanyu’s seal and installed him at Yunzhong, 〈The seat sat on the bend north of the Yellow River. Duan Chen’s name reads chou–lin.〉 Han created the Xiongnu gentleman-leader post with an escort force. 〈Duan Chen doubled as first appointee. The Han guan yi says: “The leader of court gentlemen for the Xiongnu was stationed at Meiji county in Xihe.”〉 The southern court sent a hostage and routine memorials. The eight northern commanderies along the loop saw their people return from exile to the old garrison lands. Petitioners led commuted labor gangs to rebuild shattered walls. 〈Shi matched the “relaxed” labor amnesty above.〉 The court paid the way for every displaced northerner sent back to a border county and supplied grain for the march. 〈The Dong guan ji says: “At the time city walls were ruins and had to be rebuilt from bare ground; the emperor regretted the earlier removal.”〉
202
二十七年夏四月戊午，大司徒玉況薨。
Yu Kuang died in office in the twenty-seventh year’s fourth month on wuwu.
203
五月丁丑，詔曰：「昔契作司徒，禹作司空，皆無『大』名，其令二府去『大』。」 〈朱祐奏冝令三公並去「大」名，以法經典，帝從其議。〉 又改大司馬為太尉。 驃騎大將軍行大司馬劉隆即日罷，太僕趙憙為太尉，大司農馮勤為司徒。
On dingchou he restored classical short titles, stripping “grand” from the two civil ministers. 〈Zhu You’s memorial drove the archaizing reform.〉 Great marshal became grand commandant (taiwei). Liu Long stepped down the same day; Zhao Xi became taiwei and Feng Qin took the steward post.
204
益州郡徼外蠻夷率種人內屬。
Tribes outside Yi commandery offered allegiance that year.
205
北匈奴遣使詣武威乞和親。 〈武威，郡，故城在今涼州姑臧縣西北，故涼城是也。〉
The northern court sent a mission to Wuwei seeking heqin. 〈Wuwei was the Hexi corridor hub at Guzang.〉
206
冬，魯王興、齊王石始就國。
Kings Liu Xing and Liu Shi took up residence in their kingdoms that winter.
207
二十八年春正月己巳，徙魯王興為北海王，以魯國益東海。 賜東海王彊虎賁、旄頭、鍾虡之樂。 〈漢官儀曰：「虎賁千五百人，戴鶡尾，屬虎賁中郎將。」 又云：「舊選羽林為旄頭，被髮先駈。」 魏文帝列異傳曰：「秦文公時梓樹化為牛，以騎擊之，騎不勝，或墮地髻解被髮，牛畏之，入水，故秦因是置旄頭騎，使先駈。」 爾雅曰：「木謂之虡。」 所以懸鍾磬也。 說文曰：「虡飾為猛獸。」〉
On jisi in the twenty-eighth year’s first month Liu Xing shifted to Beihai while Lu lands enlarged Donghai. Liu Qiang received an imperial guard detachment, plume vanguard, and bronze bell orchestras. 〈The Han guan yi says: “Fifteen hundred tiger guards wear pheasant tails and belong to the leader of court gentlemen for tiger guard.” It also says: “Formerly picked feather-forest men served as mao tou, with loosened hair riding in advance.” Emperor Wen of Wei’s Lie yi zhuan says: “When Duke Wen of Qin a catalpa turned into an ox; riders struck it but could not overcome it; some fell, their hairpins came loose and hair flew free; the ox feared that and entered the water; hence Qin for that reason established mao tou riders to ride in advance.” The Erya says: “Wood framework is called ju.” It held the bell array.〉 The Shuowen says: “The ju stand is carved in the shape of fierce beasts.”〉
208
夏六月丁卯，沛太后郭氏薨，因詔郡縣捕王侯賔客，坐死者數千人。 〈時更始子鯉因沛獻王輔殺劉盆子兄恭，故王侯賔客多坐死。〉
Empress Dowager Guo’s death triggered a purge of princely retainers that killed thousands by dingmao in summer. 〈Court politics tied the purge to Liu Penzi’s kin.〉
209
秋八月戊寅，東海王彊、沛王輔、楚王英、濟南王康、淮陽王延始就國。
In autumn, in the eighth month, on wuyin, Qiang, King of Donghai; Fu, King of Pei; Ying, King of Chu; Kang, King of Jinan; and Yan, King of Huaiyang, first went to their kingdoms.
210
冬十月癸酉，詔死罪繫囚皆一切募下蠶室， 〈蠶室，宮刑獄名。 宮刑者畏風，須暖，作窨室蓄火如蠶室，因以名焉。 窨音一禁反。 見前書音義。〉 其女子宮。 〈謂幽閉也。〉
On guiyou an edict commuted male capital convicts to castration in the silkworm chamber, 〈The heated cell got its name from silkworm rearing. Warmth prevented death after mutilation.〉 Yin reads yi–jin.〉 Former Han jurisprudence defined the site.〉 women facing death suffered internal “palace” confinement instead. 〈A non-mutilating substitute for women.〉
211
北匈奴遣使貢獻，乞和親。
Northern envoys returned with gifts and another plea for heqin.
212
二十九年春二月丁巳朔，日有食之。 遣使者舉冤獄，出繫囚。
The second month opened with an eclipse on dingsi. Inspectors reviewed prisons and freed the wrongly held.
213
庚申，賜天下男子爵，人二級； 鰥、寡、孤、獨、篤24e07、貧不能自存者粟，人五斛。
On gengshen every male commoner received two steps of rank, while the needy categories received five hu of grain each.
214
夏四月乙丑，詔令天下繫囚自殊死已下及徒各減本罪一等，其餘贖罪輸作各有差。
Yichou brought a blanket sentence reduction and tiered ransom for lesser crimes.
215
三十年春正月，鮮卑大人內屬，朝賀。
Xianbei chiefs formally entered Han allegiance in the thirtieth year’s first month.
216
二月，東巡狩。 甲子，幸魯，進幸濟南。 閏月癸丑，車駕還宮。
He opened an eastern tour in the second month. On jiazi he sacrificed at Lu and continued to Jinan. He closed the tour on guichou in the intercalary month.
217
有星孛于紫宮。
A comet blazed through the Ziwei enclosure.
218
夏四月戊子，徙左翊王焉為中山王。
Liu Yan moved from Zuoyi to Zhongshan king on wuzi.
219
五月，大水。
Floods struck in the fifth month.
220
賜天下男子爵，人二級； 鰥、寡、孤、獨、篤［］、貧不能自存者粟，人五斛。
Another grant of two noble ranks per male followed, with the same needy categories receiving five hu.
221
秋七月丁酉，幸魯國。 復濟陽縣是年傜役。 冬十一月丁酉，至自魯。
He toured the Lu kingdom on dingyou in the seventh month. Jiyang’s corvée was waived for the year of the tour. He was back from Lu on dingyou in the eleventh month.
222
三十一年夏五月，大水。
Summer floods returned in the thirty-first year’s fifth month.
223
戊辰，賜天下男子爵，人二級； 鰥、寡、孤、獨、篤［］、貧不能自存者粟，人六斛。
On wuchen another two-rank grant went to every male, while grain for the needy rose to six hu.
224
癸酉晦，日有食之。
The month ended with an eclipse on guiyou.
225
是夏，蝗。
Locusts swarmed that summer.
226
秋九月甲辰，詔令死罪繫囚皆一切募下蠶室，其女子宮。
Jiachen repeated the castration commutation for men and confinement for women.
227
是歲，陳留雨穀，形如稗實。 〈杜預注左傳云：「稗，草之似穀者。」 音蒲懈反。〉 北匈奴遣使奉獻。
Chenliu reported grain-shaped objects falling like rain. 〈Du Yu’s note on the Zuozhuan says: “Bai is a grass resembling grain.” Reading pu–xie.〉 Northern envoys brought tribute again.
228
中元元年春正月，東海王彊、沛王輔、楚王英、濟南王康、淮陽王延、趙王盱皆來朝。 〈盱音況于反。〉
The first month of spring in the first Zhongyuan year saw Liu Qiang of Donghai, Liu Fu of Pei, Liu Ying of Chu, Liu Kang of Jinan, Liu Yan of Huaiyang, and Liu Xu of Zhao all present themselves at court. 〈The king's name Xū is read kuàng-yú fanqie.〉
229
丁卯，東巡狩。 二月己卯，幸魯，進幸太山。 北海王興、齊王石朝于東嶽。 辛卯，柴望岱宗，登封太山； 甲午，禪于梁父。 〈岱宗，太山也。 梁父，太山下小山也。 封謂聚土為壇，墠謂除地而祭。 改「墠」為「禪」，神之也。 續漢志曰：「時上御輦升山，即位於壇南，北面，尚書令奉玉牒檢，皇帝以寸三分璽親封之。 藏玉牒已，復石覆訖，尚書令以五寸印封石檢畢，皇帝再拜。 禪祭地于梁陰，以高后配，山川羣神從祀焉。 其玉牒文祕，刻石文辭多，不載。」〉
On the dingmao day he set out on the eastern tour of inspection. On jimǎo in the second month he entered Lu and then pressed on to Mount Tai. The kings of Beihai (Liu Xing) and Qi (Liu Shi) were summoned to the Eastern Marchmount for audience. On xīnmǎo he offered the firewood sacrifice, faced Daizong, and climbed Tai for the fēng rite on its summit; on jiǎwǔ he conducted the shàn ceremony at Liángfǔ. 〈Daizong is another name for Mount Tai; Liangfu is a small mountain below Mount Tai. Fēng meant piling an earthen altar; shàn meant sweeping a terrace for the earth offering. The graph "shan" was written for "shan" (the cited text) to honor the spirit. The Continuation Han Treatise says: "At that time His Majesty rode the imperial carriage up the mountain, took position south of the altar facing north; the Director of the Secretariat presented the jade tablet case; the emperor sealed it personally with a seal three cun square. Once the jade slips were interred and the capstone replaced, the director affixed a five-cun seal to the coverstone and Guangwu bowed twice. South of Liángfǔ he offered the earth sacrifice with Gaozu's consort as correlative spirit while lesser gods of hill and stream received associated offerings. Because the covenant text was classified and the cliff inscription ran to great length, the annals do not quote them."〉
230
三月戊辰，司空張純薨。
Zhang Chun died as minister of works on wuchen in the third month.
231
夏四月癸酉，車駕還宮。 己卯，大赦天下。 復嬴、博、梁父、奉高， 〈四縣屬太山郡，故城在今兖州博城縣界。〉 勿出今年田租芻稾。 改年為中元。
The court returned to Luoyang on guiyou in the fourth month. Jimao brought a general amnesty. Ying, Bo, Liangfu, and Fenggao were restored. 〈The four counties belonged to Mount Tai Commandery; their old city lay within the territory of present-day Bocheng County, Yanzhou.〉 and owed no grain or fodder tax that year. The reign was renamed Zhongyuan.
232
行幸長安。 戊子，祀長陵。 五月乙丑，至自長安。
He journeyed to Chang’an. On wuzi he offered at Gaozu’s Changling. On yichou in the fifth month, he arrived back from Chang'an.
233
六月辛卯，太僕馮魴為司空。
Feng Fang took the ministry of works from grand coachman on xinmao.
234
乙未，司徒馮勤薨。
Feng Qin died as steward on yiwei.
235
是夏，京師醴泉涌出， 〈尚書中候曰「俊乂在官，則醴泉出」也。〉 飲之者固疾皆愈，惟眇、蹇者不瘳。 又有赤草生於水崖。 〈赤草，朱草也。 大戴禮曰：「朱草日生一葉，至十五日已後日落一葉，周而復始。」〉 郡國頻上甘露。 羣臣奏言：「地祇靈應而朱草萌生。 〈孝經援神契曰：「德至草木，即朱草生。」〉 孝宣帝每有嘉瑞，輒以改元，神爵、五鳳、甘露、黃龍，列為年紀，蓋以感致神祇，表彰德信。 是以化致升平，稱為中興。 今天下清寧，靈物仍降。 陛下情存損挹，推而不居，豈可使祥符顯慶，沒而無聞？ 冝令太史撰集， 〈太史，史官之長也。 前書音義曰：「太史公，武帝置，位在丞相之上。」〉 以傳來世。」 帝不納。 常自謙無德，每郡國所上，輒抑而不當，故史官罕得記焉。
Sweet springs bubbled up at Luoyang that summer, 〈The Shang shu zhong hou says: “When worthy men are in office, sweet springs issue.”〉 drinkers claimed cures for chronic ills except the blind and crippled. Red “auspicious” grass sprouted on riverbanks. 〈Zhu grass was the crimson omen plant. The Da dai li says: “Zhu grass grows one leaf a day; after the fifteenth day it drops one leaf a day, cycling again.”〉 Localities kept forwarding sweet-dew memorials. The ministers submitted a statement: “Earth’s spirits answered with numinous signs and zhu grass sprouted. 〈The chenwei text tied red grass to moral power.〉 They cited Xuandi’s practice of renaming the reign for each major omen. That policy had advertised the so-called “Zhongxing” age. They said Guangwu’s peace likewise drew omens. Yet the emperor refused to boast of heaven’s praise. They begged the grand scribe to compile a register, 〈The grand scribe headed the archive. Former Han briefly elevated the post above the chancellor.〉 for transmission to posterity.” Guangwu rejected the memorial. He routinely dismissed local prodigy reports, so little entered the official annals.
236
秋，郡國三蝗。
Three commanderies suffered locusts that autumn.
237
冬十月辛未，司隷校尉東萊李訢為司徒。
Li Xin rose from colonel director of retainers to steward on xinwei.
238
甲申，使司空告祠高廟曰：「高皇帝與羣臣約，非劉氏不王。 呂太后賊害三趙， 〈謂高帝子趙幽王友、趙恭王恢、趙隱王如意。〉 專王呂氏，賴社稷之靈，祿、產伏誅， 〈呂產、呂祿，並呂后兄弟子。 呂后崩，各擁南北軍，欲為亂，周勃、陳平等誅之。〉 天命幾墜，危朝更安。 呂太后不冝配食高廟，同祧至尊。 薄太后母德慈仁， 〈薄太后，高帝姬，孝文帝之母。〉 孝文皇帝賢明臨國，子孫賴福，延祚至今。 其上薄太后尊號曰高皇后，配食地祇。 遷呂太后廟主于園，四時上祭。」 〈園謂塋域也，於中置寑。〉
On jiashen the minister of works proclaimed at Gaozu’s temple the ban on non-Liu kings, citing Lü’s murder of Liu princes of Zhao, 〈The three young sons of Gaozu are named.〉 until Zhou Bo destroyed Lü Lu and Lü Chan. 〈Both were Lü affines holding army posts. After Empress Lu died, the Lu clan each held the northern and southern armies and wished to cause disorder; Zhou Bo, Chen Ping, and the others executed them.〉 The Liu house had nearly fallen but recovered. Lü should no longer receive joint cult with Gaozu. Lady Bo’s maternal virtue deserved honor instead, 〈She was Wendi’s mother.〉 Wendi’s reign secured the line down to Guangwu. Bo was to be canonized as Gao empress and paired with earth worship. Lü’s tablet would be relegated to a side park with seasonal offerings only.” 〈The “park” was a lesser necropolis enclosure.〉
239
十一月甲子晦，日有食之。
The eleventh month closed with an eclipse on jiazi.
240
是歲，初起明堂、靈臺、辟雍，及北郊兆域。 〈大戴禮云：「明堂者凡九室，一室有四戶八牖，三十六戶，七十二牖。 以茅蓋上，上員下方。 赤綴戶也，白綴牖也。」 禮圖又曰：「建武三十一年，作明堂，上員下方。 十二堂法日辰。 九室法九州。 室八窗，八九七十二，法一時之王。 室有十二戶，法陰陽之數。」 胡伯始云：「古清廟蓋以茅，今蓋以瓦，下藉茅，存古制也。」 漢官儀曰：「明堂四面起土作塹，上作橋，塹中無水。 明堂去平城門二里所，天子出，從平城門，先歷明堂，乃至郊祀。」 又曰：「辟雍去明堂三百步。 車駕臨辟雍，從北門入。 三月、九月，皆於中行郷射禮。 辟雍以水周其外，以節觀者。 諸侯曰泮宮。 東西南有水，北無，下天子也。」 漢宮閣疏曰：「靈臺高三丈，十二門。 天子曰靈臺，諸侯曰觀臺。」 漢官儀：「北郊壇在城西北角，去城一里所。 為方壇四陛，但有壇祠舍而已。 其鼓吹樂及舞人御帳，皆徙南郊之具。 地祇位南面西上，高皇后配，西面，皆在壇上。 地理羣神從食壇下。 南郊焚犢，北郊埋犢。」〉 宣布圖讖於天下。 復濟陽、南頓是年傜役。 參狼羌寇武都，敗郡兵，隴西太守劉盱遣軍救之，及武都郡兵討叛羌，皆破之。
Foundations were laid for the Bright Hall, observatory, imperial academy, and northern suburban altar. 〈The Da dai li says: “The Bright Hall has nine chambers in all; each chamber has four doors and eight windows—thirty-six doors, seventy-two windows in all. The roof was to be thatched round above square below, Vermilion framed the doors and white the windows of the mingtang design." The Li tu also says: “In the thirty-first year of Jianwu they built the Bright Hall; the top was round and the bottom square. Twelve side halls corresponded to the twelve double-hours. Nine inner chambers mapped the nine regions. Eight windows per cell times nine cells made seventy-two openings, matching temporal symbolism. Twelve doors per chamber echoed the twelve months of yin-yang alternation."〉 Hu Boshi said: “The ancient pure shrine was thatched with straw; now it is tiled, with straw laid beneath—preserving the ancient system.” The Han guan yi says: “The Bright Hall raises earth on four sides to make a moat, with bridges on top; there is no water in the moat. The emperor’s procession always called at the mingtang before northern suburb rites.〉 It also says: “The Biyong is three hundred paces from the Bright Hall. Imperial visits used the north entry.〉 Spring and autumn archery assemblies met in the central court.〉 A moat kept the crowd at proper distance.〉 Regional schools were half-moated pan gong.〉 Han’s biyong left the north open as a sign of inferiority to the Son of Heaven.〉 Han gong ge shu says: “The Spirit Terrace is three zhang high, with twelve gates. Only the emperor’s tower bore the name ling tai.〉 Han guan yi: “The north suburban altar is at the northwest corner of the city, about one li from the wall. The precinct held a plain square mound and minimal buildings.〉 Regalia was borrowed from the southern rite to outfit the northern altar.〉 Hou tu faced south with Lady Bo west as consort to the soil deity.〉 Lesser earth gods received offerings below the main mound.〉 South burned the victim; north interred it—paired chthonic rites.”〉 Chenwei prognostications were published empire-wide. The emperor’s two natal towns received another corvée holiday. Canlang Qiang struck Wudu; Liu Xu of Longxi and Wudu forces combined to crush the revolt.
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二年春正月辛未，初立北郊，祀后土。
On xinwei in Zhongyuan 2 the northern earth altar was inaugurated.
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東夷倭奴國主遣使奉獻。 〈倭在帶方東南大海中，依山島為國。〉
The Wa ruler in Japan sent tribute across the sea. 〈The note locates Wa beyond the Korean commandery coast.〉
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二月戊戌，帝崩於南宮前殿，年六十二。 〈伏侯古今注曰：「是歲在丁巳。」〉 遺詔曰：「朕無益百姓，皆如孝文皇帝制度，務從約省。 〈文帝葬皆以瓦器，不以金銀銅錫為飾，因其山，不起墳。〉 刺史、二千石長吏皆無離城郭，無遣吏及因郵奏。」 〈說文曰：「郵，境上行書舍也。」〉
Guangwu died in the southern palace forehall on wuxu in the second month at sixty-two. <The Fu Hou gujin zhu says: "That year was in the dingsi cycle."> The testamentary edict said: “I have not benefited the hundred surnames; all shall follow the institutions of filial Emperor Wen, striving for restraint and reduction. 〈Wendi’s frugal mound on the natural hill was the model.〉 Local officials were forbidden to leave their seats or flood the post roads with mourning traffic.” 〈The Shuowen says: “You means relay stations for documents on the borders.”〉
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初，帝在兵閒乆，厭武事，且知天下疲秏，思樂息肩。 〈左傳曰：「息肩于晉。」〉 自隴、蜀平後，非儆急，未甞復言軍旅。 皇太子甞問攻戰之事，帝曰：「昔衞靈公問陳，孔子不對，此非爾所及。」 〈論語：「衞靈公問陳於孔子。 曰：『俎豆之事，則甞聞之矣； 軍旅之事，未之學也。』」〉 每旦視朝，日仄乃罷。 數引公卿、郎、將講論經理，夜分乃寐。 〈分猶半也。〉 皇太子見帝勤勞不怠，承間諫曰：「陛下有禹湯之明，而失黃老養性之福， 〈黃帝、老子。〉 願頤愛精神，優游自寧。」 帝曰：「我自樂此，不為疲也。」 雖身濟大業，兢兢如不及，故能明慎政體，緫［］權綱，量時度力，舉無過事。 退功臣而進文吏，戢弓矢而散馬牛，雖道未方古，斯亦止戈之武焉。〕 〈左傳曰：「於文，止戈為武也。」〉
Having soldiered for years, he sought peace and fiscal rest, 〈The Zuozhuan says: “Rest shoulders in Jin.”〉 After the western campaigns he avoided talk of war. When the crown prince pressed for military lore, he quoted Confucius’s refusal to discuss war with Duke Ling of Wei. 〈The Analects: “Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius about battle formations. Confucius admitted ritual but not war.〉 The canonical excuse closed the topic.”〉 He held dawn audiences that ran until late afternoon. Evenings were spent debating scripture with high officials until midnight. 〈“Night half” meant the middle of the night.〉 When the heir apparent saw the emperor toiling without slack, he took an opening to remonstrate: “Your Majesty has the clarity of Yu and Tang, yet misses the blessing of nurturing life in the manner of Huang and Lao. 〈Huang–Lao meant the Daoist sage-kings.〉 and to ease his pace for health.” Guangwu answered that statecraft was his joy, not a drain.” The annalist praises his anxious care, measured policy, and firm grip on power. He demobilized the sword in favor of scribes—still a kind of true wu, stopping war by ruling well. 〈The Zuozhuan says: “In the analysis of graphs, stopping spears is wu.”〉
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論曰：皇考南頓君初為濟陽令，以建平元年十二月甲子夜生光武於縣舍， 〈蔡邕光武碑文云：「光武將生，皇考以令舍不顯，開宮後殿居之而生。」〉 有赤光照室中。 〈東觀記曰：「光照堂中，盡明如晝。」〉 欽異焉，使卜者王長占之。 長辟左右 〈辟音頻亦反。〉 曰：「此兆吉不可言。」 是歲縣界有嘉禾生，一莖九穗，因名光武曰秀。 明年，方士有夏賀良者，上言哀帝，云漢家歷運中衰，當再受命。 於是改號為太初元年，稱「陳聖劉太平皇帝」，以厭勝之。 及王莽篡位，忌惡劉氏，以錢文有金刀，故改為貨泉。 或以貨泉字文為「白水真人」。 後望氣者蘇伯阿為王莽使至南陽，遙望見舂陵郭，唶曰： 〈唶，歎也，音子夜反。〉 「氣佳哉！ 鬱鬱葱葱然。」 及始起兵還舂陵，遠望舍南，火光赫然屬天，有頃不見。 初，道士西門君惠、李守等亦云劉秀當為天子。 其王者受命，信有符乎？ 不然，何以能乘時龍而御天哉！ 〈易曰：「時乘六龍以御天。」〉
The historian's judgment opens by noting that Guangwu's father, Lord Nandun, was serving as magistrate of Jiyang when, on the jiǎzǐ night of the twelfth month in the first Jianping year (5 BCE), the future emperor was born in the yamen. 〈Cai Yong's stele inscription for Guangwu says: "When Guangwu was about to be born, his imperial father, finding the magistrate's quarters too cramped, opened the rear palace hall and lived there, and there he was born."〉 A red radiance suffused the room. 〈The Dongguan Han Records says: "The light filled the hall as bright as daytime."〉 Wondering at the omen, he summoned Wang Chang the diviner to cast milfoil. Wang Chang sent retainers away so they could not overhear. 〈The verb bì "dismiss" uses pín / yì fanqie.〉 He reported, "The hexagram promises blessings too large to speak aloud." That same season a stalk of auspicious grain sprouted nine ears in the district, so the child received the milk name Xiu. The following year the occultist Xià Hèliáng persuaded Emperor Ai that the Han fire virtue had flickered and needed a second conferral of mandate. The court therefore adopted a Taichu calendar reset and the reign-title "Chen Holy Liu Grand Peace Emperor" as an apotropaic pose. After Wang Mang usurped the throne he banned Liu symbolism on cash—coins whose legends paired metal with blade—so he renamed the issue Huoquan, literally Goods Spring. Some rearranged the Huoquan characters to read "White Water True Man." Later Su Bō'ā, a qi reader sent by Mang to Nanyang, glimpsed Chunling's walls from a distance and cried out, 〈The exclamation jíe is glossed zǐ / yè fanqie.〉 "What noble qi! How lush and verdant it breathed!" Years later, when Guangwu first marched out and then rode back toward Chunling, flames towered from the south of his hostel until they touched the sky—then vanished in an instant. Daoist adepts such as Xīmén Jūnhuì and Lǐ Shǒu had already insisted that Liú Xiù would mount the throne. Does Heaven truly stamp a founding sovereign with omens? If not, how could he "mount the six dragons at the hour" and steer all beneath the sky? 〈The Changes says: "He mounts the six dragons at the proper hour and drives through heaven."〉
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贊曰：炎正中微，大盜移國。 〈漢以火德王，故曰炎正。 大盜謂王莽篡位也。 莊子曰：「田成子一日殺齊君而盜其國，向所謂智者，不反為大盜積者乎？」〉 九縣飆回，三精霧塞。 〈九縣，九州也。 飆回謂亂也。 三精，日月星也。 霧塞言昏昧也。 精，或為「象」。〉 人厭淫詐，神思反德。 光武誕命，靈貺自甄。 〈誕，大也。 書曰：「誕膺天命。」 甄，明也。 靈貺謂佳氣神光之類也。〉 沈幾先物，深略緯文。 〈幾者，動之微也。 物，事也。 沈深之幾，先見於事也。 謚法：「經緯天地曰文。」〉 尋、邑百萬，貔虎為羣。 〈貔，執夷，虎屬也。 書曰：「如虎如貔。」 言甚猛勇也。〉 長轂雷野，高鋒彗雲。 〈長轂，兵車。 雷野，言其聲盛。 淮南子曰：「雷以為車輿。」 彗，埽也，音詳銳反。〉 英威旣振，新都自焚。 〈王莽初封為新都侯。 史記曰，周武王伐紂，紂衣其寶玉自焚而死。 莽雖被殺，滅亡與紂同，故假以言之。〉 虔劉庸、代，紛紜梁、趙。 〈虔、劉，皆殺也。 左傳曰：「虔劉我邊垂。」 謂公孫述稱帝於庸、蜀，盧芳據代郡也。 紛紜，諭亂也。 梁謂劉永，趙謂王郎也。〉 三河未澄，四關重擾。 〈三河，河南、河北、河東也。 未澄謂朱鮪等據洛陽，未歸光武也。 四關謂長安四塞之國。 重擾謂更始已定關中，劉盆子入關殺更始，發掘諸陵也。 神旌乃顧，遞行天討。 周禮曰：「析羽為旌。」 稱神者，猶言神兵神筭也。 詩云「乃眷西顧」，書云「天討有罪」也。〉 金湯失險，車書共道。 〈前書曰：「金城湯池，不可攻矣。」 金以諭堅，湯取其熱。 光武所擊，皆失其險固也。 禮記曰：「天下車同軌，書同文。」〉 靈慶旣啟，人謀咸贊。 〈靈慶謂符讖也。 左傳曰：「天啟之也。」 人謀謂羣下勸即尊號也。 易曰：「人謀鬼謀，百姓與能。」 贊，助也。〉 明明廟謨，赳赳雄斷。 〈詩曰「明明天子」。 淮南子曰：「運籌於廟堂之上，決勝千里之外。」 赳赳，武貌也。〉 於赫有命，系隆我漢。 〈於赫，歎美之詞，音烏。 詩云：「有命旣集。」 系猶繫也。〉
The closing hymn sings how the Han flame guttered while the "great robber"—Wang Mang—seized the realm. 〈Because Han claimed the fire phase, the historian calls it yan-zheng, blazing legitimacy." The "great robber" is Zhuangzi's barb, here aimed at Wang Mang.〉 Zhuangzi says: "In a single day Tian Chengzi killed the lord of Qi and stole his state—were not those once called wise men nothing but stockpilers for the great robber?"〉 The nine provinces reeled like whirlwind; sun, moon, and stars hung veiled in murk. 〈"Nine districts" means the nine provinces of legend. Biāo huí describes chaos tearing the realm.〉 The three brilliant lights are sun, moon, and stars.〉 Wù sài—the fog image—marks cosmic blindness.〉 Some texts write "essence" as "image."〉 The people had wearied of licence and fraud; the gods seemed to crave a return to moral rule. Guangwu's Heaven-granted life burst forth, and every auspicious sign proclaimed itself without ambiguity. 〈Dan here means "great," not merely "birth." The Shangshu line "dàn yīng tiān mìng" celebrates a majestic reception of mandate." Zhēn means "to clarify" or "prove." Líng kuàng covers haloes, glows, and other Heaven-sent portents.〉 He read the faintest omens before events unfolded; his long arc of planning patterned heaven and earth like woven warp. 〈Ji is the Book of Changes sense of incipient motion before phenomena surface. Wù is simply "affairs" or "things." Guangwu grasped that deep stir before history moved. The posthumous canon calls a ruler who orders cosmos and culture "literate," as wen is defined in the canon of titles.〉 Wang Xún and Yì led a million-host army like leopards and tigers massed for the Kunyang slaughter. 〈Pi names the zhiyi beast, kin to the tiger. The Shangshu praises warriors "like tigers, like pards." Ban Gu invokes that ferocity to describe Mang's legions.〉 War chariots rumbled over the plain like thunder; blades flashed across the sky like comets. 〈The long hubs meant heavy battle wagons. 〈The phrase evokes the deafening roll of wheels and arms.〉 〈The Huainanzi imagines thunder itself as the convoy of war.〉" "Comet" renders hui—the tail that sweeps the sky—read xiang-rui fanqie.〉 When Guangwu's awe struck home, Wang Mang's house—the marquisate that began at Xindu—went up like kindling. 〈The poet recalls Mang's first noble title, rooted at Xindu. 〈The Shiji parallel is King Wu's conquest: the last Shang king cloaked himself in jade and died in the flames.〉 Mang died by the sword, yet his extinction matched that parable of self-immolation, so the historian borrows the image.〉 The heartland shook as Yong and Shu rose under Gongsun Shu and Dai fell under Lu Fang, while Liang and Zhao boiled with rivals. 〈Both graphs gloss forms of slaughter or ravage. The Zuo Tradition says: "They slaughtered and ravaged our border marches." Shu styled himself in the Ba–Shu basin while Lu Fang gripped the northern frontier—two fires in the west and north.〉 “Fenyun” paints the scramble of warlords in every quarter.〉 Liang stands for Liu Yong along the Si River; Zhao for the pretender Wang Lang.〉 The Central Plain triangle—Henan, Hedong, and Hebei—still seethed while the western gates convulsed again. 〈“Three Rivers” names the heartland basins around the Yellow River. Luoyang remained in Zhu Wei's hands, beyond Guangwu's control—that is “not yet clarified.”〉 〈The “four passes” are the mountain gates encircling the Guanzhong basin.〉 Order seemed restored until the Red Eyebrows swept in, murdered Gengshi, and broke open the mausolea—a second convulsion.〉 Heaven's ensign turned toward the west; Guangwu executed sentence after sentence in Heaven's name. The Rites of Zhou says: "Split plumes make the banner." “Divine” evokes legions and designs beyond mortal reckoning.〉 The Odes say, "Then he looked west with favor"; the Documents say, "Heaven punishes the guilty."〉 Impregnable strongholds fell; for the first time in a generation wagons ran in the same ruts and edicts shared one script. 〈The Former Han says: "Ramparts like metal, moats like boiling water—none could storm them." Metal suggests walls that could not be cracked; boiling water, moats that scalded any assault.〉 Each stubborn fortress he attacked collapsed, however steep its cliffs or deep its rivers. The Record of Rites says: "Under Heaven chariots share the same wheel-track; writing shares the same graphs."〉 Portents and prophecies had cracked the door; ministers and generals alike pressed him toward the throne. 〈“Ling qing” names the chenwei texts that foretold the Liu revival. The Zuo Tradition says: "Heaven opened the path for him." “Human counsel” is the throng of counsellors begging him to take the imperial style.〉 The Changes says: "Counsel among men, counsel among spirits—the common people consent to the able." Zan means “to lend aid” or “second a motion.”〉 Clear-sighted plans formed beneath the ancestral roof; swift, decisive orders rang from the camp. 〈The Odes say, "Bright, bright the Son of Heaven." The Huainanzi says: "Lay plans within the temple hall; decide victory a thousand leagues away." “Jiujiu” paints the taut vigor of a commander in armor.〉 How radiant that proclaimed mandate: it ties the dynasty's fate and lifts Liu Han anew. 〈The interjection yu he opens a hymn of awe—pronounced like wu. The Odes say: "The mandate has already gathered." Xi here means to bind or attach—the mandate lashing Heaven's favor to the Liu house.〉