1
蘇竟字伯況，扶風平陵人也。 平帝世，竟以明《易》為博士講《書》祭酒。 善圖緯，能通百家之言。 王莽時，與劉歆等共典校書，拜代郡中尉。 時匈奴擾亂，北邊多罹其禍，竟終完輯一郡。 光武即位，就拜代郡太守，使固塞以拒匈奴。 建武五年冬，盧芳略得北邊諸郡，帝使偏將軍隨弟屯代郡。 竟病篤，以兵屬弟，詣京師謝罪。 拜侍中，數月，以病免。
Su Jing, whose courtesy name was Bokuang, came from Pingling in Fufeng commandery. Under Emperor Ping, Su Jing’s mastery of the Book of Changes earned him appointment as Erudite Libationer charged with expounding the Book of Documents. He excelled at prognostic charts and apocryphal "weft" texts and commanded the literature of the hundred schools. Under Wang Mang he joined Liu Xin and others in overseeing editorial work on the palace books and received appointment as commandant of Dai commandery. While the Xiongnu ravaged the north and most border regions suffered, Su Jing nevertheless kept Dai commandery intact and at peace. When Emperor Guangwu took the throne, Su Jing was confirmed as administrator of Dai commandery and tasked with fortifying the frontier against the Xiongnu. In winter of Jianwu 5, Lu Fang overran the northern commanderies, and the emperor dispatched Adjutant-General Sui Di to station troops in Dai. Su Jing fell seriously ill, transferred military authority to his brother, and traveled to the capital to submit himself for punishment. He was made a palace attendant but within a few months resigned on grounds of ill health.
2
初，延岑護軍鄧仲況擁兵據南陽陰縣為寇，而劉歆兄子龔為其謀主。 竟時在南陽，與龔書曉之曰：
Earlier, Deng Zhongkuang—protector-general to the warlord Yan Cen—had seized Yinxian in Nanyang as a rebel stronghold, with Liu Xin’s nephew Liu Gong as his principal adviser. Su Jing was then in Nanyang and sent Liu Gong a letter meant to bring him to reason.
3
君執事無恙。 走昔以摩研編削之才，與國師公從事出入，校定秘書，竊自依依，末由自遠。 蓋聞君子湣同類而傷不遇。 人無愚智，莫不先避害然後求利，先定誌然後求名。 昔智果見智伯窮兵必亡，故變名遠逝，陳平知項王為天所棄，故歸心高祖，皆智之至也。 聞郡前權時屈節，北面延牙，乃後覺悟，棲遲養德。 先世數子，又何以加。 君處陰中，土多賢士，若以須臾之間，研考異同，揆之圖書，測之人事，則得失利害，可陳於目，何自負畔亂之困，不移守惡之名乎？ 與君子之道，何其反也？
I trust those who serve you are all well. In former days I went in and out at the National Instructor’s side with nothing more than editing skill, helping collate the palace library; I cherished that connection in private yet could never break free of it. They say a gentleman feels for his fellows and sorrows when worthy men go unrecognized. Whether clever or dull, everyone first avoids danger, then pursues gain; first fixes intent, then pursues reputation. Zhiguo saw Zhibo’s warmongering would destroy him and fled under an altered name; Chen Ping knew Xiang Yu was heaven-forsaken and gave his loyalty to Gaozu—both reached the height of discernment. I hear your prefect once bent the knee to Yan Cen, then saw the light and withdrew to nurture his moral standing. How could the worthy examples of earlier generations be improved upon? You live among talented men in obscurity; given a little time to weigh competing opinions against the charts and annals and the facts on the ground, you could see clearly what profits and what harms—why stay trapped in revolt and bear the stain of willful wrongdoing? How does that square with the conduct of a gentleman?
4
世之俗儒末學，醒醉不分，而稽論當世，疑誤視聽。 或謂天下叠興，未知誰是，稱兵據土，可圖非冀。 或曰聖王未啟，宜觀時變，倚強附大，顧望自守。 二者之論，豈其然乎？ 夫孔丘秘經，為漢赤制，玄包幽室，文隱事明。 且火德承堯，雖昧必亮，承積世之祚，握無窮之符，王氏雖乘間偷篡，而終嬰大戮，支分體解，宗氏屠滅，非其效歟？ 皇天所以眷顧蜘躕，憂漢子孫者也。 論者若不本之於天，參之於聖，猥以《師曠雜事》輕自眩惑，說士作書，亂夫大道，焉可信哉？
Common pedants of the day, too muddled to tell sense from nonsense, still presume to lecture on current affairs and confuse everyone who listens. Some claim dynasties rise in cycles and the winner is unknown, so seizing ground by force might win the unbelievable prize. Others say no true king has yet emerged, so one should read the times, side with the powerful, and wait while keeping one’s position. Can either of those views actually hold water? Confucius’s cryptic classics spell out Han’s crimson mandate: mystery veils the inner chamber, the wording is obscure but the message is plain. Han’s fire virtue follows Yao’s line; even in gloom it must flare; it carries forward ages of fortune and holds inexhaustible tokens. The Wangs may have usurped in a moment of weakness, yet they ended in hideous execution—dismemberment and clan extinction—is that not demonstration enough? That is why High Heaven looks down with lingering concern: it is watching over Han’s heirs. If disputants ignore Heaven and the sages and cheaply let odd tales like Master Kuang’s miscellany dizzy them, while scribblers churn out doctrine that derails the true path—why credit any of it?
5
諸儒或曰：今五星失晷，天時謬錯，辰星久而不效，太白出入過度，熒惑進退見態，鎮星繞帶天街，歲星不舍氐、房。 以為諸如此占，歸之國家。 蓋災不徒設，皆應之分野，各有所主。 夫房、心即宋之分，東海是也。 尾為燕分，漁陽是也。 東海董憲迷惑未降，漁陽彭寵逆亂擁兵，王赫斯怒，命將並征，故熒惑應此，憲、寵受殃。 太白、辰星自亡新之末，失行算度，以至於今，或守東井，或沒羽林，或裴回藩屏，或躑躅帝宮，或經天反明，或潛臧久沈，或衰微暗昧，或煌煌北南，或盈縮成鉤，或偃蹇不禁，皆大運蕩除之祥，聖帝應符之兆也。 賊臣亂子，往往錯互，指麾妄說，傳相壞誤。 由此論之，天文安得遵度哉！
Some classicists argue: the five planets stray from their predicted positions; the calendar is awry; Mercury has long failed to behave as expected; Venus crosses lines; Mars advances and retreats suspiciously; Saturn encircles the Celestial Street; Jupiter will not leave Di and Fang. They take such omens to bear on the dynasty itself. Calamities do not occur without meaning; each aligns with an astrological jurisdiction and its ruling house. Fang and Xin mark Song’s celestial segment—corresponding to Donghai. The Tail constellation marks Yan’s segment—here, Yuyang. Dong Xian still deludes himself in Donghai; Peng Chong holds Yuyang in revolt. The sovereign’s anger runs high and sends armies against them—so Mars answers accordingly, and both rebels reap punishment. Since Xin fell, Venus and Mercury have wandered off course—now guarding Dongjing, now hiding in the Feathered Forest, now lingering by feudal screens, now pacing the imperial stars, now shining across the zenith, now sunk from sight, now feeble, now brilliant to north and south, now swelling and shrinking into hooks, now staggering unchecked—all foretell the purge of fate and the sage emperor’s receipt of the mandate. Traitors and rebel heirs contradict one another; charlatans gesture at the sky and spread garbled doctrine. Given all this, how could astronomy ever stay neatly "on schedule"?
6
乃者，五月甲申，天有白虹，自子加午，廣可十丈，長可萬丈，正臨倚彌。 倚彌即黎丘，秦豐之都也。 是時月入於畢。 畢為天網，主網羅無道之君，故武王將伐紂，上祭於畢，求助天也。 夫仲夏甲申為八魁。 八魁，上帝開塞之將也，主退惡攘逆。 流星狀似蚩尤旗，或曰營頭，或曰天槍，出奎而西北行，至延牙營上，散為數百而滅，奎為毒螫，主庫兵。 此二變，郡中及延牙士眾所共見也。 是故延牙遂之武當，托言發兵，實避其殃。 今年《比卦》部歲，《坤》主立冬，《坎》主冬至，水性滅火，南方之兵受歲禍也。 德在中宮，刑在木，木勝土，刑制德，今年兵事畢已，中國安寧之效也。 五七之家三十五姓，彭、秦、延氏不得豫焉。 如何怪惑，依而恃之？ 《葛累》之詩，『求福不回』，其若是乎！
Lately, on a fifth-month jiashen day, a white arc spanned from zi to wu—some ten feet wide and immense in length—hovering directly above Yimi. Yimi is Liqiu, the seat of Qin Feng. That same time the moon entered the Bi lodge. Bi is the celestial net that snares wicked rulers. King Wu therefore sacrificed at Bi before marching against Shang, invoking Heaven’s aid. A jiashen day in midsummer falls among the Eight Chiefs (bagui, spirits of closure). Those Eight Chiefs are Heaven’s marshals of closure and release; they govern expulsion of wickedness and suppression of rebellion. A meteor like Chiyou’s banner—called "camp head" or "sky lance"—rose from Kui, streaked northwest to Yan Cen’s camp, broke into hundreds of sparks, and died; Kui stands for poison sting and armory stores. Everyone in the district and Yan Cen’s troops saw both phenomena. So Yan Cen withdrew toward Wudang under the pretext of mobilizing—actually fleeing Heaven’s warning. This year’s ruling hexagram is Bi; Kun holds Beginning of Winter, Kan the solstice; water quenches fire—southern armies will bear the year’s curse. Virtue sits in the central palace, retribution in wood; wood prevails over earth and checks virtue—campaigns will close and the heartland will rest. The thirty-five great lineages of the five-and-seven houses omit Peng, Qin, and Yan. Why linger in wonder and pin hope on them? As the "Ge Lei" ode says, "Seek blessing without deviating"—surely that is the course.
7
圖讖之占，眾變之驗，皆君所明。 善惡之分，去就之決，不可不察。 無忽鄙言！
You already grasp chart lore and the shifting signs that confirm it. Discerning good from evil and choosing where to stand admits no negligence. Do not dismiss this blunt counsel.
8
夫周公之善康叔，以不從管、蔡之亂也； 景帝之悅濟北，以不從吳濞之畔也。 自更始以來，孤恩背逆，歸義向善，臧否粲然，可不察歟！ 良醫不能救無命，強梁不能與天爭，故天之所壞，人不得支。 宜密與太守劉君共謀降議。 仲尼棲棲，墨子遑遑，憂人之甚也。 屠羊救楚，非要爵祿； 茅焦幹秦，豈求報利？ 盡忠博愛之誠，憤懣不能已耳。
The Duke of Zhou favored Kangshu because Kangshu did not join Guan and Cai’s revolt. Emperor Jing favored the king of Jibei for refusing to follow Liu Pi’s rebellion. From Emperor Gengshi onward, traitors and loyalists stand in sharp contrast—how can you not see which side is which? No doctor cures Heaven-doomed patients; brute force cannot rival fate—what Heaven tears down, mortals cannot shore up. You should quietly confer with Administrator Liu on terms of surrender. Confucius hurried from court to court; Mozi rushed about—they cared for humanity that intensely. The butcher who rescued Chu sought no fiefs or salary. When Mao Jiao confronted the Qin court, was he angling for profit? They acted from devotion and universal compassion—wrath at wrong simply could not be contained.
9
又與仲況書諫之，文多不載，於是仲況與龔遂降。
He sent another lengthy letter to Deng Zhongkuang (omitted here); Deng and Liu Gong then capitulated.
10
龔字孟公，長安人，善論議，扶風馬援、班彪並器重之。 竟終不伐其功，潛樂道術，作《記誨篇》及文章傳於世。 年七十，卒於家。
Liu Gong, courtesy Mengong, was from Chang’an and famed as a debater; Ma Yuan and Ban Biao of Fufeng held him in high regard. Su Jing never vaunted his deeds; he pursued Daoist arts and wrote the "Record of Instruction" and other essays that survived him. He died at home at seventy.
11
楊厚字仲桓，廣漢新都人也。 祖父春卿，善圖讖學，為公孫述將。 漢兵平蜀，春卿自殺，臨命戒子統曰：『吾綈帙中有先祖所傳秘記，為漢家用，爾其修之。 』統感父遺言，服闋，辭家從犍為周循學習先法，又就同郡鄭伯山受《河洛書》及天文推步之術。 建初中為彭城令，一州大旱，統推陰陽消伏，縣界蒙澤。 太守宗湛使統求為郡求雨，亦即降澍。 自是朝廷災異，多以訪之。 統作《家法章句》及《內讖》二卷角說，位至光祿大夫，為國三老。 年九十卒。
Yang Hou, courtesy Zhonghuan, hailed from Xindu in Guanghan. His grandfather Yang Chunqing mastered prognostic lore and served Gongsun Shu as a general. When Han forces conquered Shu, Chunqing committed suicide; at the last he warned his son Yang Tong: "In my document case lies an ancestral secret scripture meant for Han—honor and preserve it." Tong heeded his father’s charge; after the mourning period he traveled to Qianwei to learn ancient methods from Zhou Xun and studied the Hetu–Luoshu texts and astronomical reckoning with Zheng Boshan in his home commandery. During Jianchu he served as magistrate of Pengcheng during a province-wide drought; by analyzing yin–yang cycles he brought rain to his county. Prefect Zong Zhan then asked him to pray for the whole commandery, and rain fell there too. After that the court routinely sought his reading whenever anomalies arose. Tong wrote the "House Method with Commentary," two volumes of Inner Prophecies with exegetical notes, rose to grand counselor of the household, and was honored among the state’s three elders. He died at ninety.
12
統生厚。 厚母初與前妻子博不相安，厚年九歲，思令和親，乃托疾不言不食。 母知其旨，懼然改意，恩養加篤。 博後至光祿大夫。
Tong’s son was Hou. Hou’s mother quarreled with Bo, her husband’s son by an earlier wife; at nine sui Hou tried to heal the breach by pretending to be mute and fasting. When she understood his purpose she was stricken, relented, and grew far kinder. Bo later reached the rank of grand counselor of the household.
13
厚少學統業，精力思述。 初，安帝永初三年，太白入鬥，洛陽大水。 時統為侍中，厚隨在京師。 朝廷以問統，統對『年老耳目不明，子厚曉讀圖書，粗識其意』。 鄧太後使中常侍承制問之，厚對以為『諸王子多在京師，容有非常，宜亟發遣各還本國。 』太後從之，星尋滅不見。 又克水退期日，皆如所言。 除為中郎。 太後特引見，問以圖讖，厚對不合，免歸。 復習業犍為，不應州郡、三公之命，方正、有道、公正特征，皆不就。
In youth Yang Hou took up his father’s discipline and threw himself into study and writing. Earlier, in Yongchu 3 under Emperor An, Venus entered the Northern Dipper as Luoyang was inundated. Yang Tong was then a palace attendant, and Hou was with him at court. The court questioned Yang Tong, who answered: "I am old and dim-sighted; my son Hou reads the prognostic texts and grasps their gist." Empress Dowager Deng dispatched a eunuch with an edict to interview him; Hou answered that the numerous imperial princes gathered in the capital might stir unrest and ought to be hurried home to their fiefs. She accepted his advice, and the aberrant star shortly disappeared. He also predicted when the flood would ebb, and was proved right. He received appointment as gentleman of the palace. The empress dowager later called him in to discuss prophecy; his replies displeased her, so he was removed and sent home. He resumed study in Qianwei, ignored invitations from regional authorities and the three excellencies, and refused every recommendation for office.
14
時大將軍梁冀威權傾朝，遣弟侍中不疑以車馬、珍玩致遺於厚，欲與相見。 厚不答，固稱病救退。 帝許之，賜車馬錢帛歸家。 修黃、老，教授門生，上名錄者三千餘人。 太尉李固數薦言之。 本初元年，梁太後詔備古禮以聘厚，遂辭疾不就。 建和三年，太後復詔征之，經四年不至。 年八十二，卒於家。 策書吊祭。 鄉人謚曰文父。 門人為立廟，郡文學掾史春秋饗射常祠之。
When Grand General Liang Ji dominated the court, he sent his brother Liang Buyi—palace attendant—with gifts of carriages, horses, and treasures to court Yang Hou’s acquaintance. Yang Hou ignored the overture and kept insisting he was too ill to attend court, pressing for dismissal. The emperor approved, awarding vehicles, cash, and silk for his retirement. He practiced Huang–Lao teachings and taught disciples—more than three thousand enrolled. Grand Commandant Li Gu pressed his case more than once. In Benchu 1 Empress Dowager Liang summoned him with full classical ceremony; he pleaded illness and stayed away. In Jianhe 3 she summoned him again, yet four years passed without his appearance. He died at home at eighty-two. An imperial rescript authorized mourning sacrifices. Villagers honored him posthumously as "Father Wen." His students built him a shrine, and the commandery’s education officials, at the seasonal community archery assemblies, made sacrifice to him as a standing observance.