Volume 95 Biographies 33: Yi Lalu, Zhang Wangong, Pu Chatong, Zhangewotela, Cheng Hui, Liu Wei, Dong Shizhong, Wang Yu, Ma Huidi, Ma Qi, Yang Botong, Nipanggujian

移剌履

Yila Lü

移剌履，字履道，遼東丹王突欲七世孫也。父聿魯，早亡。聿魯之族兄興平軍節度使德元無子，以履為後。方五歲，晚臥廡下，見微雲往來天際，忽謂乳母曰：「此所謂'臥看青天行白雲'者耶？」德元聞之，驚曰：「是子當以文學名世。」及長，博學多藝，善屬文。初舉進士，惡搜檢煩瑣，去之。廕補為承奉班祗候、國史院書寫。世宗方興儒術，詔譯經史，擢國史院編修官，兼筆硯直長。一日，世宗召問曰：「朕比讀《貞觀政要》，見魏征嘉謀忠節，良可稱歎。近世何故無如征者？」履曰：「忠嘉之士，何代無之，但上之人用與不用耳。」世宗曰：「卿不見劉仲誨、張汝霖耶，朕超用二人者，以嘗居諫職，屢有忠言故也。安得謂之不用，第人材難得耳。」履曰：「臣未聞其諫也。且海陵杜塞言路，天下緘口，習以成風。願陛下懲艾前事，開諫諍之門，天下幸甚。」

Yila Lü, whose courtesy name was Lüdao, was a seventh-generation descendant of Tuoyu, the Prince of Eastern Dandong under the Liao. His father Yulu died while he was still young. Deyuan, Yulu's senior kinsman and military commissioner of Xingping Army, had no son of his own and adopted Lü as his heir. At the age of five, as he lay late one evening beneath a porch, he watched pale clouds drift across the sky and suddenly asked his nurse, "Is this what the line means—'lying back to watch white clouds cross the blue sky'?" Deyuan was astonished when he heard this and exclaimed, "This child is destined to win fame through letters." As an adult he was widely read and accomplished in many fields, and he excelled at writing. He first entered the jinshi examinations but abandoned them because he loathed the intrusive searches. Through hereditary appointment he became an attendant of the Chengfeng Ban and a scribe at the National History Institute. While Emperor Shizong was reviving Confucian studies, he ordered the classics and histories translated; Lü was raised to compiler at the National History Institute and also made chief of the brush-and-ink office. One day Emperor Shizong called him in and said, "I have been reading the Essentials of Government from the Zhenguan Era lately and find Wei Zheng's wise counsel and steadfast loyalty deeply admirable. Why are there no ministers today like Wei Zheng?" Lü replied, "Every age has loyal and worthy men; the question is simply whether rulers choose to use them." The emperor said, "Surely you have seen Liu Zhonghui and Zhang Rulin—I advanced both men precisely because they had held remonstrance posts and often spoke frankly. How can you say I do not use such men? Talented people are simply hard to find." Lü said, "I have not heard of them offering remonstrance. Moreover, under Emperor Hailing the path for candid speech was shut off; the whole empire fell silent, and silence became custom. I beg Your Majesty to learn from those past errors and open the door to frank counsel; that would be a great blessing for the realm."

初議以時務策設女直進士科，禮部以所學不同，未可概稱進士，詔履定其事，乃上議曰：「進士之科，起于隋大業中，始試以策。唐初因之，高宗時雜以箴銘賦詩，至文宗始專用賦。且進士之初，本專試策，今女直諸生以試策稱進士，又何疑焉。」世宗大悅，事遂施行。十五年，授應奉翰林文字，兼前職，俄遷修撰。二十年，詔提控衍慶宮畫功臣像，過期，降應奉。逾年，複為修撰，轉尚書禮部員外郎。

When officials first proposed a Jurchen jinshi track examined on current-affairs policy essays, the Ministry of Rites objected that their curriculum differed and they could not simply be called jinshi. The emperor charged Lü to decide the issue; he submitted a memorial stating, "The jinshi degree dates to the Daye reign of Sui, when candidates were first examined by policy essay. Early Tang followed that practice; under Gaozong admonitions, inscriptions, fu, and poetry were added, and not until Wenzong was the examination confined to fu alone. Besides, the jinshi degree originally tested policy essays alone; if Jurchen students are now examined by policy essay and called jinshi, what objection remains?" Emperor Shizong was delighted, and the proposal was adopted. In year fifteen he was made literary attendant of the Hanlin Academy while keeping his earlier duties; shortly afterward he was promoted to compiler. In year twenty he was ordered to oversee portraits of meritorious officials at Yansing Palace; when he missed the deadline he was demoted to Hanlin literary attendant. A year later he was restored as compiler and transferred to vice director in the Ministry of Rites.

章宗為金源郡王，喜讀《春秋左氏傳》，聞履博洽，召質所疑。履曰：「左氏多權詐，駁而不純。《尚書》、《孟子》皆聖賢純全之道，願留意焉。」王嘉納之。二十六年，進本部郎中，兼同修國史、翰林修撰，表進宋司馬光《古文孝經指解》曰：「臣竊觀近世，皆以兵刑財賦為急，而光獨以此進其君。有天下者，取其辭施諸宇內，則元元受賜。」俄以疾，乞補外，世宗曰：「履多病，可與便州。」遂授薊州刺史。無幾，召為翰林待制，同修國史。明年，擢尚書禮部侍郎，兼翰林直學士。

While Zhangzong was still Prince of Jinyuan he loved reading the Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals; hearing of Lü's erudition, he summoned him to resolve his questions. Lü said, "The Zuo Commentary is full of stratagems and expedients; it is heterogeneous and not a pure moral teaching. The Book of Documents and the Mencius present the pure and complete teaching of the sages; I hope you will attend to them." The prince welcomed his advice. In year twenty-six he rose to bureau director, while continuing as co-compiler of the national history and Hanlin compiler; he memorialized presenting Sima Guang's Exegesis of the Ancient Text Filial Classic, writing, "In recent times rulers treat war, law, and revenue as urgent matters, yet Guang urged this text upon his sovereign alone. If a ruler who holds the realm applies its teaching throughout the land, the common people will share in its blessing." Soon afterward, citing illness, he asked for a provincial post; Emperor Shizong said, "Lü is frequently unwell—assign him a convenient prefecture." He was accordingly appointed prefect of Ji. Before long he was recalled as Hanlin academician-in-waiting and co-compiler of the national history. The following year he was promoted to vice minister of rites and concurrent Hanlin academician ex officio.

世宗崩，遺詔移梓宮壽安宮。章宗詔百官議，皆謂當如遺詔，履獨曰：「非禮也。天子七月而葬，同軌畢至。其可使萬國之臣朝大行于離宮乎？」上曰：「朕日夜思之，舍正殿而奠于別宮，情有所不忍，且于禮未安。」遂殯于大安殿。二十九年三月，進禮部尚書，兼翰林直學士，賜大定三年孟崇獻榜下進士及第。七月，拜參知政事，提控刊修《遼史》。明昌元年，進尚書右丞。

When Emperor Shizong died, his testament ordered the imperial coffin moved to Shou'an Palace. Emperor Zhangzong ordered the officials to discuss the matter; all said the testament should be followed, but Lü alone objected, "That would not accord with ritual. A Son of Heaven is buried after seven months, when mourners from every road have gathered. How can ministers from every quarter pay homage to the late emperor at a detached palace?" The emperor said, "I have weighed this day and night: to leave the main hall and offer rites in a side palace is more than my heart can bear, and it is also ritually unsound." The coffin was therefore laid in state in the Great Peace Hall instead. In the third month of year twenty-nine he became minister of rites and concurrent Hanlin academician ex officio, and was granted jinshi standing as if he had passed in the third year of Dading on Meng Chongxian's list. In the seventh month he was made vice grand councilor and put in charge of compiling the History of Liao. In the first year of Mingchang he was promoted to right vice director of the Department of State Affairs.

履秀峙通悟，精曆算書繪事。先是，舊《大明曆》舛誤，履上《乙未曆》，以金受命於乙未也，世服其善。初，德元未有子，以履為後，既而生子震，德元歿，盡推家貲與之。其自禮部兼直學士為執政，乃舉前代光院故事，以錢五十萬送學士院，學者榮之。

Lü was handsome and keen-witted, and excelled in astronomy, calligraphy, and painting. Earlier the old Great Bright Calendar had been faulty; Lü submitted the Yiwi Calendar, naming it for the yiwi year in which Jin received the Mandate, and contemporaries acknowledged its superiority. At first Deyuan, who had no son, adopted Lü as his heir; later he fathered a son named Zhen. When Deyuan died, Lü surrendered the entire family fortune to Zhen. When he advanced from the Ministry of Rites with concurrent Hanlin standing to chief minister, he revived the old custom of honoring the academy and sent five hundred thousand cash to the Hanlin scholars—a gesture scholars prized.

張萬公

Zhang Wangong

張萬公，字良輔，東平東阿人也。幼聰悟，喜讀書。父彌學，夢至一室，榜曰「張萬相公讀書堂」，已而萬公生，因以名焉。登正隆二年進士第，調新鄭簿。以憂去。服闋，除費縣簿。大定四年，為東京辰淥鹽副使，課增，遷長山令。時土寇未平，一旦至城下者幾萬人，萬公登陴諭以鄉里親舊意，眾感悟相率而去，邑人賴之，為立生祠。久之，補尚書省令史，擢河北西路轉運司都勾判官，改大理評事，就升司直，四遷侍御史、尚書右司員外郎。丞相徒單克寧嘗謂曰：「後代我者必汝也。」俄授郎中，敷奏明敏，世宗嘉之，謂侍臣曰：「張萬公純直人也。」尋遷刑部侍郎。

Zhang Wangong, whose courtesy name was Liangfu, came from Dong'e in Dongping. Even as a boy he was bright and loved books. His father Mixue dreamed of a room bearing the inscription "Lord Zhang Wan's Study"; when Wangong was born afterward, he received his name from the dream. He passed the jinshi examination in the second year of Zhenglong and was posted as registrar of Xin Zheng. He left his post to observe mourning. When mourning ended he was appointed registrar of Fei County. In the fourth year of Dading he became vice commissioner of the Chenlu salt office in the Eastern Capital; after revenues rose he was made magistrate of Changshan. Bandits were still active in the region when nearly ten thousand men suddenly appeared below the walls. Wangong mounted the battlements and appealed to them as neighbors and kinsmen; moved, they dispersed together. The townspeople credited him with their safety and built a living shrine in his honor. Later he entered service as a clerk in the Department of State Affairs, rose to chief investigating clerk on the Hebei West transport commission, moved to reviewer in the Court of Judicial Review, and was promoted in place to judicial intendant; after four further promotions he became investigating censor and vice director of the department's Right Bureau. Chief Councillor Tudan Kening once told him, "You are the one who will succeed me." Soon afterward he was made bureau director; his memorials were lucid and sharp. Emperor Shizong commended him and told his attendants, "Zhang Wangong is a man of pure integrity." He was soon transferred to vice minister of punishments.

章宗即位，初置九路提刑司，選為南京路提刑使。以治最，遷御史中丞。會北邊屢有警，上命樞密使夾谷清臣發兵擊之。萬公言：「勞民非便。」詔百官議於尚書省，遂罷兵。尋為彰國軍節度使。明昌二年，知大興府事，拜參知政事。逾年，以母老乞就養，詔不許，賜告省親。還，上問山東、河北粟貴賤，今春苗稼，萬公具以實對。上謂宰臣曰：「隨處雖得雨，尚未沾足，奈何？」萬公進曰：「自陛下即位以來，興利除害，凡益國便民之事，聖心孜孜，無不舉行。至於旱災，皆由臣等，若依漢典故，皆當免官。」上曰：「卿等何罪，殆朕所行有不逮者。」對曰：「天道雖遠，實與人事相通，唯聖人言行可以動天地。昔成湯引六事自責，周宣遇災而懼，側身修行，莫不修飭人事。方今宜崇節儉，不急之務、無名之費，可俱罷去。」上曰：「災異不可專言天道，蓋必先盡人事耳，故孟子謂王無罪歲。」左丞完顏守貞曰：「陛下引咎自責，社稷之福也。」上由是以萬公所言下詔罪己。進士李邦乂者上封事，因論世俗侈靡，譏涉先朝，有司議言者罪，上謂宰臣曰：「昔唐張玄素以桀、紂比文皇。今若方我為桀、紂，亦不之罪。至於世宗功德，豈容譏毀。」顧問萬公曰：「卿謂何如？」萬公曰：「譏斥先朝，固當治罪，然舊無此法。今宜定立，使人知之。」乃命免邦乂罪，惟殿三舉。其奏對詳敏，多類此。

When Zhangzong ascended the throne the nine-circuit judicial inspection offices were created for the first time, and Wangong was selected as judicial commissioner of the Nanjing Circuit. On the strength of the highest administrative rating he was made censor-in-chief. Repeated alarms arose on the northern frontier, and the emperor ordered Privy Councilor Jiagu Qingchen to mobilize troops for an attack. Wangong said, "Burdening the people would be unwise." The emperor ordered deliberation at the Department of State Affairs, and the campaign was called off. Soon afterward he was appointed military commissioner of Zhangguo Army. In the second year of Mingchang he administered Daxing Prefecture and was appointed vice grand councilor. A year later, citing his mother's age, he asked to retire nearby to care for her; the court refused dismissal but granted leave to visit home. On his return the emperor asked about grain prices in Shandong and Hebei and about the spring crops; Wangong answered in full and truthfully. The emperor said to his chief ministers, "Rain has fallen in places, yet not enough—what can be done?" Wangong stepped forward and said, "Since Your Majesty took the throne you have promoted what benefits the realm and removed what harms it; in every measure that aids the state and the people your mind has been tireless, and none has been neglected. As for drought, the fault lies with us your ministers; by Han precedent we ought all to be removed from office." The emperor said, "What fault is yours? Perhaps there is something in my own conduct that still falls short." He replied, "Heaven's way may seem distant, yet it responds to human affairs; only a sage's words and deeds can move heaven and earth. Cheng Tang once blamed himself for six failings; King Xuan of Zhou, when disaster struck, was afraid and reformed himself—each set human affairs in order. Today you should promote frugality and abolish every nonessential task and needless expense." The emperor said, "When disaster strikes one cannot speak only of heaven—we must first do all we can in human affairs; that is why Mencius told the king not to blame the harvest." Left Vice Director Wanyan Shouzhen said, "When Your Majesty takes blame upon yourself, the altars of state are blessed." The emperor then issued a self-reproach edict along the lines Wangong had urged. The jinshi Li Bangyi submitted a sealed memorial on worldly extravagance that criticized the previous reign; officials debated punishing him. The emperor told his ministers, "In Tang, Zhang Xuansu compared Emperor Taizong to Jie and Zhou. If someone today likened me to Jie and Zhou, I would not punish him either. But Emperor Shizong's merit must not be slandered." He turned to Wangong and asked, "What do you think?" Wangong said, "Denouncing a former reign ought indeed to be punished, but there has been no such statute until now. It should be defined now so that people will know the rule." He then ordered Bangyi spared punishment, with only deferral for three examination cycles. His memorials and court replies were thorough and sharp—many episodes were like this.

四年，複申前請，授知東平府事，諭之曰：「卿在政府，非不稱職，以卿母老，乞侍養，特畀鄉郡，以遂孝養。朕心所屬，不汝忘也。」萬公謝，且捧書言曰：「臣狂妄，有一言欲今日以聞，會受除未及耳。夫內外之職，憂責如一，畎畝之臣猶不忘君，芻蕘之言，明主所擇，伏望聖聰省察。」上嘉納之。六年，改知河中府，時軍興，調發叢劇，悉為寬假，使民力易辦。人為繪像于薰風樓，又建「去思堂」。

In the fourth year he renewed his earlier request and was appointed administrator of Dongping Prefecture. The emperor told him, "You have served capably in court; because your mother is aged and you wish to care for her, I assign you your home prefecture so that you may fulfill your filial duty. You remain close to my heart, and I shall not forget you." Wangong thanked him and, presenting a memorial, said, "I have been bold: there is one matter I meant to speak of today, but I had just received my appointment and had not yet done so. Whether one serves inside or outside the capital, the duty of care is the same; even a farmer in his fields does not forget his sovereign. Plain counsel from the humble is for a wise ruler to weigh—I beg Your Majesty to consider it." The emperor welcomed his words. In the sixth year he was transferred to administer Hezhong Prefecture. With war under way and levies pressing on every side, he granted relief wherever he could so that the people could meet their obligations. The people painted his portrait at the Xunfeng Tower and also erected a Hall of Remembrance for his departure.

移鎮濟南，以母憂去職。卒哭，詔起複，拜平章政事，躐遷資善大夫，封壽國公。時李淑妃有寵，用事，帝意惑之，欲立為後，大臣多不可。御史姬端修上書論之，帝怒，御史大夫張暐削一官，侍御史路鐸削兩官，端修杖七十，以贖論。淑妃竟進封元妃。又大兵雖罷，而邊事方殷，連歲旱暵，災異數見。又多變更制度，民以為弗便而又改之。紛紛無定。萬公素沉厚深謹，務安靜少事以為治，與同列議多不合。然頗嫌畏，不敢犯顏強諫，須帝有問，然後審畫利害而質言之，帝雖從而弗行也。萬公於是兩上表以衰病丐閑，詔諭曰：「近卿言數事，朕未嘗行，乃朕之過。卿年未老，而遽告病，今特賜告兩月，複起視事。」

He was transferred to Jinan but left office when his mother died. When mourning ended he was recalled by edict, appointed grand councilor, promoted in one step to Grand Master of the Palace Library, and enfeoffed as Duke of Shou. Consort Li Shufei then held the emperor's favor and wielded influence; he was inclined to make her empress, but most ministers opposed it. Investigating censor Ji Duanxiu memorialized against the plan; the emperor was furious. Censor-in-chief Zhang Wei was demoted one rank, attendant censor Lu Duo two ranks, and Duanxiu was sentenced to seventy blows, commuted to a fine. Consort Shufei was nevertheless advanced to Primary Consort. Although major campaigns had ended, frontier affairs remained urgent; drought persisted year after year and portents recurred. Institutions were changed again and again; whenever the people found a reform inconvenient, it was altered once more. Policy swung back and forth without settled direction. Wangong had always been grave, cautious, and steady; he believed good government meant quiet and few initiatives, and he often clashed with his colleagues in council. Yet he was somewhat timid and shrank from forceful remonstrance; only when the emperor asked would he weigh costs and benefits and speak plainly—and even when the emperor agreed, he often failed to act on the advice. Wangong then twice memorialized, citing age and illness, to request retirement; the emperor replied, "On several recent matters you advised me and I did not follow through—that fault is mine. You are not yet old, yet you rush to plead illness; I grant you two months' leave, then you must return to office."

初，明昌間，有司建議，自西南、西北路，沿臨潢達泰州，開築壕塹以備大兵，役者三萬人，連年未就。御史台言：「所開旋為風沙所平，無益於禦侮，而徒勞民。」上因旱災，問萬公所由致。萬公對以「勞民之久，恐傷和氣，宜從御史台所言，罷之為便」。後丞相襄師還，卒為開築，民甚苦之。主兵者又言：「比歲征伐，軍多敗衄，蓋屯田地寡，無以養贍，至有不免饑寒者，故無鬥志。願括民田之冒稅者分給之，則戰士氣自倍矣。」朝臣議已定，萬公獨上書，言其不可者五，大略以為：「軍旅之後，瘡痍未複，百姓拊摩之不暇，何可重擾，一也。通檢未久，田有定籍，括之必不能盡，適足以增猾吏之敝，長告訐之風，二也。浮費侈用，不可勝計，推之以養軍，可斂不及民而足，無待於奪民之田，三也。兵士失于選擇，強弱不別，而使同田共食，振厲者無以盡其力，疲劣者得以容其奸，四也。奪民而與軍，得軍心而失天下心，其禍有不可勝言者，五也。必不得已，乞以冒地之已括者，召民蒔之，以所入贍軍，則軍有坐獲之利，而民無被奪怨矣。」皆不報。一日奏事，上謂萬公曰：「卿昨言天久陰晦，亦由人君用人邪正不分。君子當在內，小人當在外，甚有理也，然孰謂小人？」萬公奏「張煒、田櫟、張嘉貞等，雖有才幹，無德可稱」。上即命三人補外。

Earlier, during the Mingchang era, officials proposed digging trenches from the southwest and northwest circuits along Linhuang to Taizhou to guard against invasion; thirty thousand laborers were conscripted, yet the work remained unfinished year after year. The Censorate reported, "Whatever is dug is soon filled by wind and sand; it does not help defense and only wastes the people's labor." On account of the drought, the emperor asked Wangong what had brought it about. Wangong replied that prolonged conscription might disturb heaven's harmony and that it would be best to follow the Censorate and halt the project. Later, when Chief Councillor Xiang returned from the field, the trenches were completed after all, and the people suffered greatly. The military authorities also argued, "In recent campaigns our armies have often been beaten because garrison lands are scarce and soldiers cannot be fed; some still suffer hunger and cold and therefore lack fighting spirit. Let us seize untaxed fields from the people and distribute them to the troops, and their morale will double of itself." The court had already decided the matter, but Wangong alone memorialized five objections: "After war the realm is still wounded; the people scarcely have time to recover—how can we harass them again? First, the general land survey is recent and registers are fixed; another survey cannot catch everything and will only empower corrupt clerks and encourage informers. Second, wasteful spending is beyond reckoning; redirect it to the army and funds can be raised without touching the people—there is no need to seize their fields. Third, soldiers are poorly chosen and strong and weak are not separated; if they share land and rations alike, the able cannot give their best while the unfit hide their faults. Fourth, to take from the people and give to the army wins the troops but loses the empire—the harm is incalculable. Fifth. If the plan cannot be abandoned, let the concealed lands already identified be planted by the people and the yield used for the army—the troops would gain without seizure and the people would not resent losing their fields." His memorial received no reply. One day, while reporting on affairs, the emperor told Wangong, "You said the long overcast sky comes from a ruler's failure to separate the upright from the corrupt in appointments. The worthy should serve within and the unworthy without—that makes sense; but who are the petty men?" Wangong named Zhang Wei, Tian Li, Zhang Jiazhen, and others as talented but lacking in virtue. The emperor immediately sent all three men to provincial posts.

泰和元年，連章請老，不許，遷榮祿大夫，賜其子進士及第。明年，章再上，有旨：「得非卿有所言，朕有不從者乎？或同列情見不一，而多違卿意邪？不然，何求去如是之數也。」萬公謝無他，第以病言。三年正月，章再上，不允，加銀青光祿大夫。三月，曆舉朝臣有名者以自代，求去甚力。上知其不能留，諭曰：「朕初即位，擢卿執政，繼遷相位，以卿先朝舊人，練習典故，朕甚重之。且年雖高而精力未衰，故以機務相勞。為卿屢求退去，故勉從之，甚非朕意也。」加金紫光祿大夫，致仕。

In the first year of Taihe he repeatedly asked to retire; the court refused, promoted him to Grand Master of Glorious Blessings, and granted his son jinshi standing. The following year he memorialized again; the emperor asked, "Is it because I failed to follow some advice of yours? Or because your colleagues disagree with you and often thwart your views? If not, why do you ask to leave so often?" Wangong apologized and cited only illness. In the first month of the third year he memorialized again; the court refused and added the title Silver-Glitter Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. In the third month he named prominent ministers one after another to succeed him and pressed his resignation urgently. Seeing that he could not be retained, the emperor said, "When I first took the throne I raised you to power and then to the chief ministership because you were a veteran of the previous reign, versed in precedent, and I valued you highly. Though advanced in years, your vigor has not failed, and that is why I burdened you with state affairs. Because you have repeatedly asked to withdraw, I reluctantly grant your wish, though it is far from what I desire." He was granted the title Gold-and-Purple-Glitter Grand Master of Splendid Happiness and allowed to retire.

萬公淳厚剛正，門無雜賓，典章文物，多所裁正。上嘗與司空襄言秋山之樂，意將有事於春蒐也。顧視萬公，萬公曰：「動何如靜。」上改容而止。輔政八年，其所薦引，多廉讓之士焉。大安元年，配享章宗廟廷。

Wangong was upright, steadfast, and sincere; no unworthy guest crossed his threshold, and he corrected many matters of ritual and institutions. The emperor once spoke with Minister of Works Xiang about the pleasures of Qiushan, evidently planning a spring hunt. He glanced at Wangong, who said, "How does action compare with repose?" The emperor changed expression and dropped the matter. During eight years as chief minister he recommended mostly men of integrity and modesty. In the first year of Da'an he was granted paired sacrifice in Emperor Zhangzong's ancestral temple.

蒲察通

Pucha Tong

蒲察通，本名蒲魯渾，中都路胡土愛割蠻猛安人也。熙宗選護衛，見通名，以筆識之。通以父老，懇乞就養。眾訝之曰：「得充侍衛，終身榮貴，今乃辭，過人遠矣。」朝廷義而從之。後因會葬宋王宗望於房山，以門閥，加昭信校尉，授頓舍。改禦院通進。

Pucha Tong, whose original name was Puluhun, came from the Hutuai'ge Man Meng'an in the Central Capital Circuit. When Emperor Xizong selected imperial guards, he saw Tong's name and marked it with his brush. Because his father was aged, Tong earnestly asked to return home to care for him. Onlookers were astonished: "To be chosen as an imperial guard means honor for life—yet you refuse; you surpass ordinary men indeed." The court admired his filial intent and granted his request. Later, when he attended the joint burial of Song Prince Zongwang at Fangshan, he was promoted on account of his lineage to Colonel of Manifest Trust and appointed to the lodging office. He was transferred to courier of the Imperial Park.

海陵伐宋，隆州諸軍尤精銳，付通總之。兵壓淮，令通率騎二百先濟覘敵。及弇中，敵兵躍出，通按兵直前，傍有舞槊來刺者，回身射之，應弦而斃。諸軍並擊，敗之。海陵召見，喜形於色，曰：「兵事定，汝勿憂爵賞。」至揚州，通營別屯。是夜，海陵遇弑，有來告者，通欲執而殺之，續聞其實，哀悶僕地，眾掖而起，徑入營門哭之。

When Emperor Hailing campaigned against Song, the armies of Long Prefecture were the finest troops; Tong was placed in overall command. As the army pressed toward the Huai, he ordered Tong to lead two hundred horsemen across first to scout the enemy. At Yanzhong enemy soldiers sprang out; Tong held his line and pressed forward. When a spearman lunged at him from the side, he wheeled and shot him dead at the twang of the bow. The whole force attacked together and routed them. Hailing summoned him, his delight plain on his face, and said, "When the campaign is settled, do not worry about honors and rewards." At Yangzhou, Tong encamped in a separate camp. That night Hailing was assassinated. When a messenger came, Tong nearly seized and killed him; learning the truth, he collapsed in grief. His men raised him up, and he went straight through the camp gate to mourn the emperor.

軍還，入見，世宗顧謂近臣曰：「朕素知是人，幼嘗從游，性溫厚，有識慮，又精騎射。」授尚廄局副使。又諭近臣曰：「常令見朕，欲問以事而考其言，朕將用之。」窩斡反，命通佩金符，詣軍前督戰。賊破，以功授世襲謀克。奚人亂，承詔繼往蒞軍。遷本局使，以母喪免。起為殿前右衛將軍，兼領閑廄。尋命其子蒲速烈尚衛國公主。出為肇州防禦使，賜以金帶，仍諭以補外之意，因戒敕之，語在《世宗紀》中。尋擢蒲與路節度使，移鎮歸德軍，遷西南路招討，入知大興府事，除殿前都點檢。初，大理卿闕，世宗欲令通為之，問宰臣，對曰：「通，點檢器也。」上曰：「點檢繁冗，無由顯其能。通明敏才幹，正掌法之官。」又曰：「通之機識，崇尹不及也。」

When the army returned he was received in audience; Emperor Shizong told his attendants, "I have known this man since boyhood. He is gentle, thoughtful, and skilled in mounted archery." He was appointed vice commissioner of the Imperial Stud Bureau. He also told his attendants, "Bring him to me often; I wish to question him on affairs and test his counsel, for I mean to employ him." When Wowo rebelled, Tong was ordered to wear the gold tally and go to the front to direct the fighting. After the rebels were defeated he was granted a hereditary meng'an office for his merit. When the Xi rebelled, he received an edict and went again to take command of the army. He was promoted to commissioner of his bureau but left office when his mother died. He was recalled as general of the Right Guard of the Hall Forecourt and concurrently placed in charge of the spare stud. Soon afterward his son Pusulie was married to the Princess of Weiguo. He was sent out as defense commissioner of Zhao Prefecture and granted a gold belt; the emperor explained why he was posted abroad and admonished him—the account appears in the Annals of Emperor Shizong. Soon he became military commissioner of the Puyu Circuit, then transferred to Guide Army, then to pacification commissioner of the Southwest Circuit, then administrator of Daxing Prefecture, and finally chief inspector of the Hall Forecourt. When the post of chief of the Court of Judicial Review fell vacant, Emperor Shizong wished to appoint Tong and asked his ministers, who replied, "Tong is suited to the chief inspectorship." The emperor said, "The chief inspectorship is too routine for his talents to show. Tong is sharp and capable—the right man to preside over the law." He added, "Tong's quick insight is beyond Chong Yin."

大定十七年，拜尚書右丞，轉左丞。詔議推排猛安謀克事，大臣皆以為止驗見在產業，定貧富，依舊科差為便。通言：「必須通括各謀克人戶物力多寡，則貧富自分。貧富分，則版籍定，如有緩急，驗籍科差，富者不得隱，貧者不重困。與一例科差者，大不侔矣。」上是通言，謂宰臣曰：「議事當如通之盡心也。」閱三歲，進平章政事，封任國公。

In the seventeenth year of Dading he became right vice director of the Department of State Affairs and then left vice director. When the court debated surveying meng'an and mouke households, the chief ministers argued that it would suffice to verify current holdings, classify rich and poor, and levy duties as before. Tong argued, "We must survey the property of every mouke household in full; only then can rich and poor be distinguished. Once rich and poor are distinguished, registers are fixed; in emergencies duties can be assessed by register so the rich cannot hide and the poor are not crushed twice. That is far better than levying everyone at the same rate." The emperor accepted Tong's view and told his ministers, "In council you should be as thorough as Tong." Three years later he was made grand councilor and enfeoffed as Duke of Ren.

世宗將幸上京，以通朝廷舊人，命為上京留守，先往鎮撫之。二十五年，除知真定府事，世宗曰：「朕複欲相卿，惜卿老矣，故以此授卿。」仍賜錢千貫。未幾，改知平陽府事，移鳳翔，致仕。明昌四年，上諭宰臣曰：「通先朝重臣，年雖高而未衰。」因命知廣寧府事。累表請老，複以開府儀同三司致仕。承安三年薨。諭旨于其弟曰：「舊制，致仕宰相無祭葬禮，通舊臣懿戚，故特命敕祭及葬。」初，通在政府，舉太子率府完顏守貞、監察御史裔俱可大用，其後皆為名臣，世多其知人雲。

When Emperor Shizong planned to visit the Upper Capital, he appointed Tong, a veteran of the court, regent there and sent him ahead to pacify the region. In year twenty-five he was appointed administrator of Zhending Prefecture; Emperor Shizong said, "I wished again to make you chief minister, but you are aged, and so I give you this post instead." He also granted him one thousand strings of cash. Before long he administered Pingyang Prefecture, then Fengxiang, and then retired. In the fourth year of Mingchang the emperor told his ministers, "Tong is a senior minister of the previous reign; though aged, he has not declined." He accordingly appointed him administrator of Guangning Prefecture. He repeatedly asked to retire and was finally allowed to withdraw with the rank of Grand Preceptor with the Honor of Opening the Government. He died in the third year of Cheng'an. The emperor instructed his younger brother, "By old rule retired chief ministers received no state funeral rites, but Tong was a veteran minister and a kinsman by marriage, and I therefore order a special edict of sacrifice and burial." While in office Tong had recommended Wanyan Shouzhen of the Crown Prince's Guard Office and investigating censor Yi as men of great promise; both later became famous ministers, and contemporaries praised his judgment of talent.

粘割斡特剌

Zhange Wotela

粘割斡特剌，蓋州別裏賣猛安奚屈謀克人也。貞元初，以習女直字試補戶部令史，轉尚書省令史。大定七年，選授吏部主事，曆右補闕、修起居注。九年，河南路統軍使宗敘以宋人欲啟兵釁，上言求入見，世宗遣斡特剌就問之，仍究其實。至汴，問宗敘，及召凡嘗言邊事者詰之，皆無狀。還報，世宗喜曰：「朕固知妄也。」授左司員外郎。

Zhange Wotela came from the Xi Qu mouke of the Bielimai meng'an in Gaizhou. At the beginning of Zhenyuan, tested for skill in Jurchen script, he became a clerk in the Ministry of Revenue and then in the Department of State Affairs. In the seventh year of Dading he was selected as principal clerk in the Ministry of Personnel and later served as right remonstrance official and compiler of the imperial diary. In the ninth year Zong Xu, military commissioner of the Henan Circuit, reported that the Song meant to provoke war and asked for an audience; Emperor Shizong sent Wotela to question him and verify the facts. At Bian he questioned Zong Xu and summoned everyone who had reported frontier troubles; none could substantiate their claims. On his return the emperor said with satisfaction, "I knew all along it was false." He was appointed vice director of the Left Bureau.

十年，以夏國發兵築祁安城及襲殺喬家族首領結什角，又諜者言夏與宋人通謀犯邊，詔大理卿李昌圖與斡特剌往按其事。夏人報言，結什角以兵犯夏境故殺之，祁安城本上國所賜舊積石地，發兵修築以備他盜耳。又察知宋、夏無交通狀，及喬家族民戶願令結什角侄趙師古為首領，具以聞。世宗甚悅，轉右衛將軍，賜衣馬車牛弓矢器仗。十二年，為夏國生日使，還授右司郎中，遷右副都點檢。久之，出為河南路統軍都監，賜金帶及具裝馬。

In the tenth year, after Western Xia sent troops to build Qi'an City and killed Jieshijiao, chief of the Qiao clan, and spies reported collusion between Xia and Song against the frontier, the emperor ordered Chief of the Court of Judicial Review Li Changtu and Wotela to investigate. The Xia replied that Jieshijiao had invaded their territory and was killed for it; Qi'an stood on old Jishi land granted by Jin, and troops were sent only to guard against other raiders. He also found no collusion between Song and Xia, and learned that the Qiao households wished Jieshijiao's nephew Zhao Shigu to be their leader; he reported all of this in full. The emperor was greatly pleased and promoted him to Right Guard General, granting him clothes, horses, carts, oxen, bows, arrows, weapons, and gear. In the twelfth year he went as envoy to Western Xia for the emperor's birthday; when he returned he was made Director of the Right Department and then promoted to Right Deputy Commissioner of Palace Security. Before long he was posted as military intendant of the Henan Circuit and given a gold belt and a fully caparisoned warhorse.

十七年，授昌武軍節度使，兼領前職。明年，入為刑部尚書，拜參知政事。世宗嘗諭平章政事唐括安禮曰：「朕思為治之道，考擇人材最為難事，其餘常務各有程式，非此比也。如斡特剌所舉者，頗稱朕意。」時右三部檢法蒙括蠻都告斡特剌與招討哲典朋黨，乞付刑部詰問，世宗曰：「若哲典免死，則可謂朋黨。今已伏誅，乃誣謗耳。」又謂宰臣曰：「朕素知此人極有識慮，貌雖柔而心甚剛直，所行不率易也。」二十二年，委提控代州阜通監，召見諭之曰：「朕自任卿以來，悉卿材幹，故擢為執政。卿亦體朕待遇之意，能勉盡所職，凡謀議奏對多副朕心，莫倚上有宰相而自嫌外。蓋舊人年老，新人未苦經練，是以委責於卿，但有所見悉心以言，勿持嫌以為不知也。」二十三年，進尚書右丞，兼樞密副使，表乞解一職，詔許解樞密。世宗以猛安謀克拋留土田，責宰臣曰：「此事皆卿輩所當陳舉，乃俟朕言而後行，蓋卿輩以為細務非天子所親。朕嘗思之，獄訟簿書有斡特剌在，餘事卿輩略不介意，朕亦安能置而不問邪？」俄坐事削一階，令視事如故。

In the seventeenth year he was made military commissioner of the Changwu Army, continuing to hold his earlier post as well. The next year he came to court as Minister of Punishments and was appointed Vice Grand Councilor. Emperor Shizong once told Grand Councilor Tangtu Anli, 「In governing, nothing is harder than choosing the right men; ordinary business follows fixed forms and is not in the same class. The men Wotela has put forward suit me rather well. 」Just then Mengkuo Mandu, inspector of the Three Departments of the Right, accused Wotela of factional ties with Pacification Commissioner Zhe Dian and asked that the Ministry of Punishments investigate. The emperor replied, 「Only if Zhe Dian had escaped execution could one speak of a faction. He has already paid with his life—this is nothing but calumny. 」He told the chief ministers again, 「I have always known him to be a man of great judgment: gentle in face but steely in heart, and never reckless in what he does. 」In the twenty-second year he was assigned to oversee the Futong Salt Office in Daizhou. When he was summoned, the emperor told him, 「From the day I appointed you I have known your ability, which is why I brought you into the council. You have answered my trust and done your duty well; your advice in council has usually matched my thinking. Do not hold back because there are chief ministers above you. The veterans are old and the newcomers still lack seasoning, which is why I rely on you. Say plainly whatever you see, and do not stay silent out of pique, as though I would not understand. 」In the twenty-third year he rose to Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs while also serving as Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. He asked to give up one post, and the emperor allowed him to step down from the Bureau of Military Affairs. When meng'an and mouke were found hoarding land illegally, Emperor Shizong rebuked his chief ministers: 「You should have reported this yourselves, yet you waited for me to speak first—as though you thought it too small for the emperor to bother with. I have often reflected that with Wotela handling lawsuits and paperwork, you barely notice anything else—how can I simply ignore it? 」Shortly afterward he was demoted one rank for an offense, yet was told to remain in office as before.

二十六年，轉尚書左丞，世宗謂曰：「朕昨與宰臣議可授執政者，卿不在焉。今阿魯罕年老，斡魯也多病，吾欲用宗浩，何如？」斡特剌奏曰：「彼二人者恐不得力，獨宗浩幹能可任。」遂用宗浩。又謂曰：「朕於天下事無不用心，一如草創時。」斡特剌曰：「自古人君，始勤終怠者多矣，有始有終，惟聖人能之。」上曰：「唐太宗，至明之主也，然魏徵諫以十事，謂其不能有終，是則有終始者，實為難矣。」二十八年，為上京留守，賜通犀帶及射生馬一。

In the twenty-sixth year he became Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. The emperor told him, 「Yesterday I discussed with the chief ministers whom we might appoint to the council, and you were not there. Aruhan is old now and Woluoye is often ill; I am inclined to appoint Zong Hao—what do you think? 」Wotela replied, 「Those two would probably not serve you well; only Zong Hao has the ability for the job. 」Zong Hao was duly appointed. He added, 「I give my full attention to every matter under Heaven, just as in the days when the dynasty was being built. 」Wotela said, 「From ancient times many rulers start diligently and finish slackly; to see things through from beginning to end is something only a sage can do. 」The emperor said, 「Even Emperor Taizong of Tang, one of the clearest rulers in history, was warned by Wei Zheng in ten admonitions that he might not finish as he began—so to see a reign through truly is difficult. 」In the twenty-eighth year he was made regent of the Upper Capital and given a rhinoceros-horn belt and a hunting horse.

明昌二年致仕。承安初，有事北方，朝廷欲得舊臣任之，乃起為東京留守，遣監察御史完顏綱諭旨曰：「知汝精神尚健，故複用也。」明年，改上京留守，又諭之曰：「上京祖先基業之地，卿馳驛之任，到彼便宜行事。邊事稍息，即召卿還。」二年九月，還朝，拜平章政事，封芮國公。在位數月，薨，年六十九。訃聞，上傷悼久之，遣官致祭，賻贈銀千二百五十兩、重幣四十五端、絹四百五十疋、錢二千貫，諡曰成肅。

He retired in the second year of Mingchang. Early in Cheng'an, with trouble in the north, the court wanted experienced ministers in charge and recalled him as regent of the Eastern Capital. Investigating censor Wanyan Gang brought the emperor's message: 「I know your vigor is still sound, and that is why I am using you again. 」The next year he was reassigned as regent of the Upper Capital and told again, 「The Upper Capital is the land of our founders; ride post-horses to your post and act on your own authority once you arrive. When the border quiets down, I will call you back. 」In the ninth month of the second year he returned to court, became Grand Councilor, and was enfeoffed as Duke of Rui. He died after only a few months in office, at sixty-nine. On news of his death the emperor grieved at length, sent officials to offer sacrifice, and granted funeral gifts of 1,250 taels of silver, forty-five bolts of heavy silk, 450 bolts of silk, and 2,000 strings of cash; he was posthumously titled Chengsu.

斡特剌性溫厚醖藉，嘗為丞相紇石烈良弼所薦，後世宗謂宰臣曰：「良弼善知人，如斡特剌輩其才真可用也。」在相位十餘年，甚見寵遇，唯奏定五品官子與外路司吏同試部令史、及令隨朝吏員得試國史院書寫，世宗以為非雲。

Wotela was warm, generous, and self-possessed. Chief Councilor He Shilie Liang Bi had once recommended him, and later Emperor Shizong told the chief ministers, 「Liang Bi knows how to judge men; talent like Wotela's is truly worth employing. 」He served in the council for more than ten years and enjoyed great favor; the only proposals the emperor rejected were his memorials that sons of fifth-rank officials and outer-circuit clerks sit the same examination for department clerkships, and that attendance clerks be allowed to test for scribe posts at the National History Institute.

程輝，字日新，蔚州靈仙人也。皇統二年，擢進士第，由尚書省令史升左司都事。久之，為南京路轉運使，以宮殿火，降授磁州刺史。有吳僧者殺州人張善友而取其妻，輝督捕之，命張母以長錐刺僧與其妻無完膚以死。改陝西東路轉運使，再遷戶部尚書。

Cheng Hui, whose style was Rixin, came from Lingsian in Weizhou. In the second year of Huangtong he earned his jinshi degree and advanced from a clerk in the Department of State Affairs to chief clerk of the Left Department. Before long he was made transport commissioner of the Nanjing Circuit, but after a palace fire he was demoted to prefect of Cizhou. A monk surnamed Wu murdered a local man, Zhang Shan you, and took his wife. Hui oversaw the capture and ordered Zhang's mother to pierce the monk and his wife with long awls until both died with their flesh torn to shreds. He was moved to transport commissioner of the Shaanxi Eastern Circuit and later promoted to Minister of Revenue.

大定二十三年，拜參知政事。世宗諭之曰：「卿年雖老，猶可宣力。事有當言，毋或隱默。卿其勉之。」一日，輝侍朝，世宗曰：「人嘗謂卿言語荒唐，今遇事輒言，過於王蔚。」顧謂宰臣曰：「卿等以為何如？」皆曰：「輝議政可否，略無隱情。」輝對曰：「臣年老耳聵，第患聽聞不審，或失奏對。苟有所聞，敢不盡心。」舊廟祭用牛，世宗晚年欲以他牲易之，輝奏曰：「凡祭用牛者，以牲之最重，故號太牢。《語》曰'犁牛之子騂且角，雖欲勿用，山川其舍諸？ '古禮不可廢也。」

In the twenty-third year of Dading he became Vice Grand Councilor. Emperor Shizong told him, 「You are old in years, but you can still serve with strength. When something needs to be said, do not hold back. Do your utmost. 」One day, while Hui was attending court, the emperor said, 「People used to call your talk outlandish, yet now you speak up whenever an issue arises—even more than Wang Yu. 」He turned to the chief ministers and asked, 「What do you think of that? 」They all replied, 「When Hui discusses policy, he hides nothing about what will or will not work. 」Hui answered, 「I am old and deaf; I only fear that I do not hear clearly and may misspeak in council. If I have heard something, I dare not fail to give it my full attention. 」Temple sacrifice had long used oxen, and in his later years Emperor Shizong wished to substitute other victims. Hui memorialized, 「Sacrifices that use oxen do so because the ox is the noblest victim, which is why they are called the Grand Offering. 《Analects》 says, 'The calf of a plow ox, red and horned—even if one wished not to use it, would the hills and streams leave it aside?' 'The ancient rites must not be cast aside.'」

二十四年，世宗幸上京，尚書省奏來歲正旦外國朝賀事，世宗曰：「上京地遠天寒，朕甚憫人使勞苦，欲即南京受宋書，何如？」輝對曰：「外國使來，必面見天子，今半途受書，異時宋人托事效之，何以辭為？」世宗曰：「朕以誠實，彼若相詐，朕自有處置耳。」輝以為不可，於是議權免一年。會有司市面不時酬直，世宗怒監察不舉劾，杖責之。以問輝，輝對曰：「監察，君之耳目。所犯罪輕，不贖而杖，亦一時之怒也。」世宗曰：「職事不舉，是故犯也，杖之何不可！」輝對曰：「往者不可諫，來者猶可追。」

In the twenty-fourth year the emperor visited the Upper Capital. When the Department of State Affairs reported on next year's New Year's audience for foreign envoys, he said, 「The Upper Capital is remote and bitterly cold, and I pity the envoys' hardship. What if we received the Song letter at Nanjing instead? 」Hui replied, 「Foreign envoys come to see the emperor in person. If we accept their letter halfway now, the Song may later cite it as precedent—what answer would we give? 」The emperor said, 「I deal in good faith; if they try to trick us, I will handle it myself. 」Hui held that it would not do, and the court therefore agreed to waive the audience for one year. When market officials failed to pay fair prices promptly, the emperor was angry that the censors had not impeached them and had them beaten. He asked Hui, who answered, 「The censors are the ruler's eyes and ears. Their offense was minor, and to beat them without allowing redemption was only a moment's anger. 」The emperor said, 「They neglected their duties—that is willful fault. Why should they not be beaten? 」Hui answered, 「What is done cannot be undone, but what lies ahead can still be set right.」

二十六年，以老致仕。次年，複起知河南府事，輝辭以衰老不任，召入香閣，諭之曰：「卿年老而精力尚強，雖久曆外，未嘗得嘉郡。河南地勝事簡，故以處卿，卿可優遊頤養。」輝曰：「臣猶老馬也，芻豆待養，豈可責以筋力。向者南京宮殿火，非聖恩寬貸，臣死久矣。今河之徑河南境上下千餘裏，河防之責視彼尤重，此臣所以憂不任也。」於是特詔不預河事。章宗立，時輝年七十六，複乞致仕，詔許之，仍給參知政事半俸。承安元年卒，諡曰忠簡。

In the twenty-sixth year he retired on account of age. The next year he was recalled to govern Henan Prefecture. Hui declined, pleading age and infirmity. Summoned to the Fragrant Pavilion, the emperor told him, 「You are old, but your strength is still sound; though you have served long outside the capital, you have never had a desirable post. Henan is a pleasant place with light duties, so I am giving it to you that you may live at ease and keep your health. 」Hui said, 「I am like an old horse that must be fed and cared for—how can you demand strength of me? When the Nanjing palace burned, I would long since be dead but for your mercy. The Yellow River now runs more than a thousand li through Henan, and river defense there is an even heavier burden— that is why I fear I am not equal to the post. 」The emperor then issued a special edict exempting him from river duties. When Emperor Zhangzong came to the throne, Hui was seventy-six. He again asked to retire, and the emperor granted it while continuing half a Vice Grand Councilor's salary. He died in the first year of Cheng'an and was posthumously titled Zhongjian.

輝性倜儻敢言，喜雜學，尤好論醫。從河間劉守真說，率用涼藥。神童嘗添壽者方數歲，輝召之，因書「醫非細事」四字，添壽塗「細」字，改書作「相」，輝頗慚，人亦以此為中其病雲。

Hui was unconventional and outspoken, fond of eclectic learning and especially keen on medical talk. Following Liu Shouzhen of Hejian, he habitually prescribed cooling medicines. A child prodigy named Tianshou, only a few years old, was summoned by Hui, who wrote the four words 「Medicine is no trifling matter.」 Tianshou painted over the word for 'minor' and changed it to 'mutual.' Hui was deeply embarrassed, and people said the boy had put his finger on the man's failing.

劉瑋，字德玉，咸平人也。唐盧龍節度使仁敬之裔。祖弘，遼季鎮懿州，王師至，弘以州降，太祖俾知咸州，後以同平章政事致仕。父君詔，同知宣徽院事。瑋幼警悟，業進士舉，熙宗錄其舊，特賜及第。調安次丞。由遵化縣令補尚書省令史，曆戶部主事、監察御史，累轉尚書省都事。宰臣奏擬瑋經畫軍民田土，世宗見其名曰：「劉瑋尚淹此乎。」遷戶部員外郎。時將東巡，命瑋同工部郎中宋中往營行宮，就升郎中。改同知宣徽院事，為使宋國信副使。瑋父兄皆以是官使江左，當時榮之。還授戶部侍郎。

Liu Wei, whose style was Deyu, came from Xianping. He was descended from Renjing, the Tang military commissioner of Lu Long. His grandfather Hong had garrisoned Yizhou in the late Liao period; when the Jin army arrived he surrendered the prefecture, and Emperor Taizu put him in charge of Xianzhou. He later retired as Vice Grand Councilor. His father Junchao served as Vice Director of the Palace Domestic Service. Wei was bright as a boy and entered the jinshi track; Emperor Xizong enrolled him by hereditary privilege and specially granted him the degree. He was posted as assistant magistrate of Anci. After serving as magistrate of Zunhua he became a clerk in the Department of State Affairs, then held posts as principal clerk in the Ministry of Revenue and investigating censor before rising to chief clerk of the Department of State Affairs. When the chief ministers proposed Wei for planning military-colonial land, Emperor Shizong saw his name and said, 「Is Liu Wei still languishing in this post? 」He was promoted to Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue. When an eastern tour was planned, Wei was ordered together with Song Zhong, a director in the Ministry of Works, to build the traveling palace, and was promoted to director on the spot. He was made Vice Director of the Palace Domestic Service and appointed deputy envoy on a credentialed mission to Song. Wei's father and elder brother had both held that office and served as envoys south of the Yangzi, which was regarded at the time as a great honor. When he returned he was made Vice Minister of Revenue.

初，世宗器瑋材幹，以為無施不可，及將幸上京，以行在所須皆隸太府，欲瑋領其事，嫌其稍下，故移戶部侍郎張大節于工部，而以戶部授瑋。上還，謂宰臣曰：「劉瑋極有心力，臨事閒暇，第用心不正耳。若心正當，其人才不可得也。」

At first Emperor Shizong admired Wei's ability and believed he could handle anything. When a visit to the Upper Capital was planned, the emperor wanted Wei to oversee the traveling palace supplies, all of which fell under the Imperial Treasury; thinking the vice ministry too low a post, he moved Zhang Dajie from Vice Minister of Revenue to the Ministry of Works and gave Wei the ministry itself. After the emperor returned he told the chief ministers, 「Liu Wei has tremendous drive and handles affairs with ease—only his motives are not straight. If his heart were straight, his talent would be impossible to match.」

明年，擢戶部尚書。時河決于衛，自衛抵清、滄皆被其害，詔兼工部尚書往塞之。或以謂天災流行，非人力所能禦，惟當徙民以避其沖，瑋曰：「不然。天生五材，遞相休王，今河決者土不勝水也。俟秋冬之交，水勢稍殺，以漸興築，庶幾可塞。」明年春，瑋齋戒禱於河，功役齊舉，河乃複故。召還增秩，以為宋弔祭副使。世宗不豫，拜參知政事，仍領戶部，既而為山陵使。尋上表請外，出知濟南府事，移鎮河中。明昌二年，徙知大名府，仍領河防事。

The next year he was promoted to Minister of Revenue. When the Yellow River burst its banks at Wei, the flood ravaged the region from Wei to Qing and Cang; he was ordered to serve concurrently as Minister of Works and go to stem the breach. Some argued that a heaven-sent calamity was beyond human power to stop and that people should simply be moved out of its path. Wei said, 「That is not so. Heaven produces the five materials, each in turn prevailing over the others; the breach now means earth cannot master water. Wait until autumn turns to winter, when the flood subsides, then build up the banks step by step—the breach may yet be closed. 」The next spring Wei fasted and prayed at the river; when all the work crews moved together, the river was restored to its former channel. Recalled and promoted, he was appointed deputy envoy on a mourning mission to Song. When Emperor Shizong fell ill, Wei was made Vice Grand Councilor while continuing to head the Ministry of Revenue, and later served as commissioner for the imperial tomb. He soon asked to leave the capital, was sent to govern Jinan Prefecture, and was later transferred to command at Hezhong. In the second year of Mingchang he was moved to govern Daming Prefecture while continuing to oversee river defense.

三年，入拜尚書右丞。上嘗問考課法今可行否，右丞相夾谷清臣曰：「行之亦可，但格法繁則有司難於承用耳。」瑋曰：「考課之法，本於總核名實，今提刑司體察廉能贓濫，以行賞罰，亦其意也。若別議設法，恐涉太繁。」上問唐代何如，瑋對以「四善、二十七最」。明年六月，卒。是日，上將擊球于臨武殿，聞瑋卒而止，諡曰安敏。

In the third year he returned to court as Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. The emperor once asked whether the performance evaluation law could be put into effect. Right Chief Councilor Jia Gu Qingchen replied, 「It can be done, but if the rules are too elaborate the offices will have trouble carrying them out. Wei said, "Performance evaluation originally rests on matching names to actual merit. The judicial inspectorate now investigates integrity, competence, corruption, and abuse in order to reward and punish—that serves the same purpose. If we devise separate regulations, I fear the system will grow unnecessarily complex. The emperor asked about the Tang system, and Wei replied by citing the Four Virtues and Twenty-seven Excellences. He died in the sixth month of the following year. That day the emperor was about to play cuju at Linwu Hall; when he learned of Wei's death he canceled the game and granted him the posthumous title Anmin.

後上謂宰臣曰：「人為小官或稱才幹，及其大用則不然。如劉瑋固甚幹，然自世宗朝逮輔朕，於事多有知而不言者。若實愚人，則不足論，知及之而不肯盡心，可乎？」平章政事完顏守貞曰：「《春秋》之法，責備賢者。」上曰：「夫為宰相而欲收恩避怨，使人人皆稱己是，賢者固若是乎？」

Later the emperor told the chief ministers, "Men in minor posts are often praised for talent, yet when they are given great responsibilities they prove otherwise. Take Liu Wei: he was certainly capable, yet from the reign of Emperor Shizong through his service assisting me, on many matters he knew the truth yet kept silent. If he were truly a fool, he would hardly merit discussion—but to understand yet refuse to give one's full devotion—how can that be acceptable? Grand Councilor Wanyan Shouzhen said, "The Spring and Autumn Annals hold the worthy to a higher standard of accountability. The emperor said, "When a chief councilor seeks only to win favor and avoid blame so that everyone calls him right—is that what the worthy are really like?"

董師中

Dong Shizhong

董師中，字紹祖，洺州人也。少敏贍，好學強記。擢皇統九年進士第，調澤州軍事判官。改平遙丞。縣有劇賊王乙，素兇悍不可制，師中捕得杖殺之，一境遂安。時大軍後，野多枯胔，縣有遺櫬寓於驛舍者，悉為葬之。遷綿上令，補尚書省令史。右相唐括訛魯古尤器重之，撫其座曰：「子議論英發，襟度開朗，他日必居此座。」再考，擢監察御史，遷尚書省都事。初，師中為監察時，漏察大名總管忽剌不公事，及忽剌以罪誅，世宗怒曰：「監察出使郡縣，職在彈糾，忽剌親貴，尤當用意，乃徇不以聞。」削官一階，降授沁南軍節度副使。累遷坊州刺史。

Dong Shizhong, courtesy name Shaozu, was from Mozhou. From youth he was quick-witted and ample in talent, devoted to learning and gifted with a strong memory. In the ninth year of Huangtong he passed the jinshi examination and was appointed military adjutant of Ze Prefecture. He was transferred to serve as assistant magistrate of Pingyao. The county harbored a notorious outlaw named Wang Yi, a man of savage temperament whom no one could control. Shizhong captured him and had him beaten to death, and the entire district was soon pacified. The great army had recently passed through, leaving many unburied corpses in the fields; Shizhong buried every abandoned coffin lodged in the county's post stations. Promoted to magistrate of Mianshang, he was later appointed a clerk in the Department of State Affairs. Right Chancellor Tanggu Elugu held him in special esteem, patting his own seat and saying, "Your arguments are sharp and your spirit broad—one day you will surely sit in this chair. After re-examination he was promoted to investigating censor and then transferred to chief clerk of the Department of State Affairs. Earlier, while Shizhong was an investigating censor, he had failed to expose misconduct by Daming Commissioner Hula. When Hula was executed for his crimes, Emperor Shizong said in anger, "Investigating censors are sent to the commanderies and counties to impeach wrongdoing. Hula was close to the throne and of high rank—you should have been especially vigilant. Instead you showed favor and never reported him. His rank was reduced by one step and he was demoted to deputy military commissioner of the Qinnan Army. Through successive promotions he rose to prefect of Fang Prefecture.

明昌元年，初置九路提刑司，師中選為陝西路副使，坐修公廨濫支官錢罪，以贖論。及御史台言其寬和有體，召為大理卿。御史中丞吳鼎樞舉以自代，尚書省亦奏其才行，遂擢中丞。時西北路招討使宗肅以平章夾穀清臣薦，知大興府事。師中上言：「宗肅近以贓罪鞫於有司，獄未竟，不宜改除。」上納其言，曰：「朕知之矣。有功不賞，有罪不罰，雖唐、虞不能化天下。」命複送有司。

In the first year of Mingchang, when the nine-route judicial inspectorate was first established, Shizhong was chosen as deputy commissioner of the Shaanxi Route. He was convicted of misappropriating official funds while rebuilding government offices and was fined in lieu of harsher punishment. When the Censorate reported that he was lenient, balanced, and dignified in manner, he was recalled to serve as director of the Court of Judicial Review. Vice Censor-in-Chief Wu Dingshu recommended him as his successor, and the Department of State Affairs also submitted a memorial praising his talent and character; he was thereupon promoted to vice censor-in-chief. At that time Zong Su, commissioner-general of the Northwest Route, was recommended by Grand Councilor Jiagu Qingchen for appointment as governor of Daxing Prefecture. Shizhong memorialized the throne: "Zong Su was recently tried by the authorities on corruption charges, and the case is not yet closed. He should not receive a new appointment. The emperor accepted his advice and said, "I understand. If merit goes unrewarded and crime unpunished, not even the sage rulers Yao and Shun could civilize the world. He ordered the case returned to the judicial authorities.

四年，上將幸景明宮，師中及侍御史賈鉉、治書侍御史粘割遵古諫，以謂「勞人費財，蓋其小者，變生不虞，所系非輕。聖人法天地以順動，故萬舉萬全。今邊鄙不馴，反側無定，必裏哥孛瓦貪暴強悍，深可為慮。陛下若問諸左右，必有容悅而言者，謂堂堂大國，何彼之恤。夫蜂蠆有毒，患起所忽。今都邑壯麗，內外苑囿足以優佚皇情，近畿山川飛走充牣，足以閱習武事，何必千車萬騎，草居露宿，逼介邊陲，遠煩偵候，以冒不惻之悔哉。」上不納。師中等又上疏曰：「近年水旱為沴，明詔罪己求言，罷不急之役，省無名之費，天下欣幸。今方春東作，而亟遣有司修建行宮，揆之於事，似為不急。況西、北二京，臨潢諸路，比歲不登。加以民有養馬簽軍挑壕之役，財力大困，流移未複，米價甚貴，若扈從至彼，又必增價。日糴升合者口以萬數，舊藉北京等路商販給之，倘以物貴或不時至，則饑餓之徒將複有如曩歲，殺太尉馬、毀太府瓜果、出忿怨言、起而為亂者矣。《書》曰：'民情大可見，小人難保。 '況南北兩屬部數十年捍邊者，今為必裏哥孛瓦誘脅，傾族隨去，邊境蕩搖如此可虞，若忽之而往，豈聖人萬舉萬全之道哉。乃者太白晝見，京師地震，又北方有赤色，遲明始散。天之示象，冀有以警悟聖意，修德銷變。矧夫逸游，古人所戒，遠自周、秦，近逮隋、唐與遼，皆以是生釁，可不慎哉，可不畏哉。」左補闕許安仁、右拾遺路鐸亦皆上書論諫。是日，上禦後閣，召師中等賜對，即從其奏，仍遣諭輔臣曰：「朕欲巡幸山后，無他，不禁暑熱故也。今台諫官鹹言民間缺食處甚多，朕初不盡知，既已知之，暑雖可畏，其忍私奉而重民之困哉！」乃罷北幸。尋為宋生日國信使，還以所得金帛分遺親舊。五年，上複如景明宮，師中及台諫官各上疏極諫，上怒，遣近侍局直長李仁願詣尚書省，召師中等諭之曰：「卿等所言，非無可取，然亦有失君臣之體者。今命平章諭旨，其往聽焉。」

In the fourth year the emperor planned to visit Jingming Palace. Shizhong, together with attendant censor Jia Xuan and investigating censor Zhangge Zungu, remonstrated, arguing that "the waste of labor and treasure is perhaps the least of our worries; unforeseen calamities may arise, and the stakes are grave. The sage takes heaven and earth as his model and acts in harmony with them, so that every undertaking succeeds without fail. The borderlands are restless and instability has no end in sight; Bilige Bowa is greedy, brutal, and formidable—a matter of serious concern. If Your Majesty consults those around you, there will surely be sycophants who say that a great empire like ours has no need to worry about such people. Wasps and scorpions carry venom; disaster often springs from what is overlooked. The capital is already magnificent; its inner and outer parks are more than enough to satisfy the imperial pleasure, and the hills, streams, and game of the near approaches offer ample scope for military drill. Why must thousands of chariots and myriad horsemen camp on the grass and sleep under the sky, press upon the frontier, and burden scouts far afield—risking a regret that should move any compassionate heart? The emperor did not accept their advice. Shizhong and his colleagues submitted another memorial: "In recent years floods and droughts have brought disaster. Your Majesty issued clear edicts confessing fault and seeking counsel, halted nonessential projects, and cut wasteful spending—the whole realm rejoiced. Spring planting has just begun, yet officials are being hurried to build the traveling palace. Judged by its true importance, this hardly seems urgent. Moreover, the Western and Northern capitals and the Linhuang circuit have suffered poor harvests for years. On top of this, the people still bear the burdens of horse-rearing corvee, military conscription, and trench digging. Public means are exhausted, refugees have not yet returned home, and grain prices are already steep. If the imperial entourage travels there, prices will surely climb even higher. Tens of thousands of people buy grain by the cupful each day, relying on merchants from the Northern Capital and other routes for supply. If goods grow costly or fail to arrive on time, the hungry will again do as they did in years past—slaughter the Commandant's horses, ruin the Grand Storehouse's fruit, voice bitter complaint, and rise in rebellion. The Book of Documents says, "The temper of the people can easily be discerned, and common men are difficult to keep in hand." Moreover, the dependent tribes north and south that for decades held the frontier have now been lured and coerced by Bilige Bowa to depart with their entire clans. With the border so unsettled, the danger is clear—if Your Majesty dismisses this and proceeds with the tour, how can that be the sage's way of succeeding in every undertaking without fail? Recently Venus appeared in daylight, the capital was shaken by an earthquake, and a red glow in the north did not fade until near dawn. Heaven shows such signs in the hope of awakening the imperial mind, that Your Majesty may cultivate virtue and dispel these omens. Idle roaming, moreover, is what the ancients warned against. From Zhou and Qin in antiquity down to Sui, Tang, and Liao in more recent times, turmoil has always sprung from this—should one not be cautious? Should one not stand in awe? Left Remonstrance Official Xu Anren and Right Intendant for Remonstrance Lu Duo also submitted memorials in remonstrance. That day the emperor held court in the rear pavilion, summoned Shizhong and the others for an audience, and at once accepted their memorial. He still sent word to the chief ministers: "I wished to tour the region beyond the mountains for no other reason than to escape the summer heat. Now the remonstrance officials tell me that famine is widespread among the people. I did not fully understand this before, but now that I do, though the heat is fearsome, how can I indulge my own comfort while deepening the people's suffering!" He thereupon canceled the planned northern tour. He soon served as chief envoy on a birthday mission to Song, and on his return divided the gold and silk he had received among relatives and old friends. In the fifth year the emperor again visited Jingming Palace. Shizhong and the remonstrance officials each submitted forceful memorials of remonstrance. The emperor grew angry and sent Chief of the Palace Attendants Bureau Li Renyuan to the Department of State Affairs to summon Shizhong and the others and tell them, "What you say is not without merit, yet in some respects you have failed to observe the proprieties between ruler and minister. A grand councilor has now been ordered to convey the imperial message. Go and listen to it."

戶部尚書馬琪表舉自代，擢吏部尚書。初，完顏守貞改為西京留守，朝京師，上欲複用，監察御史蒲剌都等糾彈數事，師中辨其誣，而舉守貞正人可用，守貞由是複拜平章政事。及守貞以罪斥，上曰：「向薦守貞者應降黜。如董師中言台省無此人不治，路鐸、李敬義亦嘗推舉，可左遷於外。然三人者後俱可用，今姑出之，以正失舉罪。」除陝西西路轉運使。歲餘，征為御史大夫，命與禮部尚書張暐看讀陳言文字。逾三月，拜參知政事，進尚書左丞。他日奏事，上語輔臣曰：「御史姬端修言小人在側，果誰歟？」師中曰：「應謂李喜兒輩。」上默然。

Minister of Revenue Ma Qi recommended Shizhong as his successor, and Shizhong was promoted to Minister of Personnel. Earlier Wanyan Shouzhen had been reassigned as defender of the Western Capital. When he came to court the emperor wished to restore him to office, but investigating censor Puladu and others impeached him on several counts. Shizhong argued that the charges were false and recommended Shouzhen as an upright man worthy of appointment, and Shouzhen was therefore reappointed grand councilor. When Shouzhen was dismissed for wrongdoing, the emperor said, "Those who recommended Shouzhen should be demoted. Dong Shizhong once said the censorate and secretariat could not be properly run without Shouzhen, and Lu Duo and Li Jingyi had also recommended him—they should be transferred to posts outside the capital. All three may still prove useful later; for now they are to be sent out to answer for the fault of having recommended the wrong man. Shizhong was appointed transport commissioner of the Shaanxi West Route. After little more than a year he was recalled as chief censor and ordered, together with Minister of Rites Zhang Wei, to review memorials submitted to the throne. Three months later he was appointed vice grand councilor and promoted to left vice director of the Department of State Affairs. On another day, while hearing reports on state affairs, the emperor said to the chief ministers, "Investigating censor Ji Duanxiu says petty men stand at one's side—who does he mean? Shizhong said, "He probably means people like Li Xier and his ilk. The emperor fell silent.

師中通古今，善敷奏，練達典憲，處事精敏，嘗言曰：「宰相不當事細務，要在知人才，振綱紀，但一心正、兩目明，足矣。」承安四年，表乞致仕，詔賜宅一區，留居京師。以寒食，乞過家上塚，許之，且命賦《寒食還家上塚詩》。每節辰朝會，召入侍宴，其眷禮如此。泰和二年，薨，年七十四。上聞之，甚悼惜，顧謂大臣曰：「凡正人多執方而不通，獨師中正而通。」詔依見任宰執例葬祭，仍賻贈之，諡曰文定。

Shizhong was learned in antiquity and the present, eloquent in memorials, thoroughly versed in law and precedent, and precise and swift in handling affairs. He once said, "A chief councilor should not entangle himself in petty matters. What matters is knowing men of talent and strengthening institutional discipline. With an upright heart and clear eyes, that is enough. In the fourth year of Cheng'an he requested retirement. An edict granted him a residence and permitted him to remain in the capital. At Cold Food Festival he asked permission to visit his home and sweep the family tombs. The request was granted, and he was also commanded to compose a poem entitled Returning Home on Cold Food to Sweep the Tombs. At every festival and court assembly he was summoned to attend banquets—such was the favor shown him. In the second year of Taihe he died at the age of seventy-four. When the emperor heard the news he was deeply grieved and, turning to the chief ministers, said, "Upright men are usually rigid and narrow, but Shizhong alone was upright and yet flexible. An edict ordered that he be buried and honored according to the rites for a serving chief councilor, and gifts of condolence were granted. His posthumous title was Wending.

師中工文，性通達，疏財尚義，平居則樂易真率，其臨事則剛決，挺然不可奪。弟師儉，初業進士，欲籍其資廕。師中保任之，密令人代給堂帖，使之肄業。師儉感其義方，力學後遂登第。方在政府，近侍傳詔，將錄用其子，師中奏曰：「臣有侄孤幼，若蒙恩錄，勝於臣子。」上義之，以其侄為筆硯承奉。與胥持國同輔政，頗相親附，世以此少之。

Shizhong was accomplished in letters, broad-minded by nature, generous with wealth and devoted to righteousness. In daily life he was easygoing and sincere, but in action he was firm and resolute, upright and immovable. His younger brother Shijian was preparing for the jinshi examination and hoped to rely on his elder brother's privilege of office by association. Shizhong guaranteed his qualification and secretly had someone deliver the appointment notice in his stead so that he could continue his studies uninterrupted. Moved by this example of upright teaching, Shijian applied himself diligently and eventually passed the examination. While serving in government, a palace attendant conveyed an edict that his son was to be appointed to office. Shizhong memorialized the throne: "Your subject has a nephew who is orphaned and young. If Your Majesty would graciously appoint him, that would be better than appointing my own son. The emperor admired his integrity and appointed his nephew ink-stone attendant. He served as chief councilor alongside Xu Chiguo and was on rather friendly terms with him; contemporaries thought somewhat less of him for this.

馬惠迪

Ma Huidi

馬惠迪，字吉甫，漷陰人也。擢天德三年進士第，再調昌邑令，察廉第一，補尚書省令史。大定中，出為西京留守判官，以治最，擢同知崇義軍節度事。累遷左司郎中。先是，鄧儼居是職，世宗愛其明敏，惠迪一日奏事退，上謂宰臣曰：「人之聰明，多失於浮炫，若惠迪聰明而樸實，甚可喜也。朕嘗與論事，五品以下朝官少有如者。」未幾，超授禦確中丞，拜參知政事。時烏底改叛亡，世宗已遣人討之，又欲益以甲士，毀其船筏。惠迪奏曰：「得其人不可用，有其地不可居，恐不足勞聖慮。」上曰：「朕固知之。所以毀其船筏，正欲不使再窺邊境耳。」尋以憂去。起為昭義軍節度使。明昌元年，為南京留守，致仕，卒。

Ma Huidi, courtesy name Jifu, was from Huoyin. He passed the jinshi examination in the third year of Tiande, served two terms as magistrate of Changyi, ranked first in the integrity inspection, and was appointed a clerk in the Department of State Affairs. During the Dading era he served as adjutant to the defender of the Western Capital and, for distinguished governance, was promoted to vice commissioner of the Chongyi Army. Through successive promotions he rose to bureau director of the Left Secretariat. Deng Yan had previously held this post, and Emperor Shizong admired his brilliance. One day, after Huidi had finished reporting on affairs and withdrawn, the emperor told the chief ministers, "Clever men often fail through showiness, but Huidi is intelligent yet plain and solid—that is most gratifying. I have often discussed state affairs with him, and among court officials below the fifth rank few can compare with him. Before long he was promoted out of turn to vice censor-in-chief and appointed vice grand councilor. At that time the Wudigai tribes had rebelled and fled. Emperor Shizong had already dispatched troops against them and also wished to send additional armored soldiers to destroy their boats and rafts. Huidi memorialized the throne: "Even if we captured these people they could not be put to use, and even if we held their land it could not be settled. I fear this is hardly worth troubling Your Majesty's concern. The emperor said, "I know that already. I want to destroy their boats and rafts precisely so they cannot again threaten the border." He soon left office to observe mourning. He was recalled and appointed military commissioner of the Zhaoyi Army. In the first year of Mingchang he served as defender of the Southern Capital, retired from office, and died.

馬琪，字德玉，大興寶坻人。正隆五年擢進士第，調清源主簿‖三遷永清令。永清畿縣，號難治，前令要介有能聲，琪繼以治聞。補尚書省令史，以永清治最，授同知定武軍節度使事、興中府治中，召為戶部員外郎，改侍御史。

Ma Qi, courtesy name Deyu, was from Baodi in Daxing. In the fifth year of Zhenglong he passed the jinshi examination, was appointed registrar of Qingyuan, and after three promotions became magistrate of Yongqing. Yongqing was a metropolitan county notorious for being difficult to govern. The previous magistrate, Yao Jie, had won a reputation for competence, and Qi succeeded him with equal renown for good administration. After appointment as a clerk in the Department of State Affairs, he was granted the posts of vice commissioner of the Dingwu Army and administrative aide of Xingzhong Prefecture for his outstanding record at Yongqing. He was then summoned to serve as vice director of the Ministry of Revenue and transferred to attendant censor.

世宗謂宰臣曰：「比者馬琪主奏高德溫獄，其于富戶寄錢事皆略不奏。朕以琪明法律而正直，所為乃爾，稱職之才何其難也？古人雖雲'罪疑惟輕'，非為全尚寬縱也。」尋轉左司員外郎，扈從東巡，遷右司郎中，移左司。時擇使宋國者，世宗欲命琪，宰臣言其資淺，詔特遣之，還授吏部侍郎，改戶部。

Emperor Shizong told the chief ministers, "Recently, when Ma Qi led the memorial on the Gao Dewen case, he largely failed to report on wealthy households entrusted with public funds. I took Qi for a man clear in law and upright—yet this is how he behaves. How rare men truly fit for their posts are! The ancients did say, 'when guilt is in doubt, lean toward leniency'—but they did not mean to glorify boundless indulgence." Soon afterward he was made vice director of the Left Bureau, accompanied the eastern tour, was promoted to bureau director of the Right Bureau, and then transferred to the Left Bureau. When the court was choosing an envoy to Song, Emperor Shizong wished to appoint Qi. The chief ministers said his standing was too junior, but an edict dispatched him all the same. On his return he was made vice minister of personnel and then transferred to the Ministry of Revenue.

章宗即位，除中都路都轉運使。時戶部闕官，上命宰臣選可任者，或舉同知大興府事烏古孫仲和，上曰：「仲和雖有智力，恐不能主錢谷。理財安得如劉晏者，官用足而民不困，唐以來一人而已。」或舉琪，上然之，曰：「琪不肯欺官，亦不肯害民，是可用也。」遂擢為戶部尚書。久之，削官一階。初，琪病告，近侍傳旨，不具服曳履而出，有司議當徒二年，減外猶追官解任。大理少卿閻公貞以為琪本荒遽失措，與非病告有違不同，宜減徒二年三等論之。上從公貞議，任職如故。

When Emperor Zhangzong ascended the throne, Qi was appointed chief transport commissioner of the Central Capital Route. The Ministry of Revenue was then without a minister, and the emperor ordered the chief ministers to choose a suitable man. Someone recommended Uggusun Zhonghe, vice intendant of Daxing Prefecture. The emperor said, "Zhonghe has wit and ability, but I doubt he can manage the treasury. Where is another Liu Yan, who could keep the treasury full without crushing the people? Since Tang there has been only one." Someone then recommended Qi. The emperor agreed and said, "Qi will neither cheat the state nor harm the people. He will serve." Qi was thereupon promoted to minister of revenue. After some time his rank was reduced by one step. Earlier, while Qi was on sick leave, a palace attendant came with an edict. Qi went out without full dress, slippers dragging at his heels. The authorities ruled him liable to two years' penal servitude; even with mitigation he should be stripped of rank and dismissed. Yan Gongzhen, vice director of the Court of Judicial Review, argued that Qi had acted in flustered haste, not in deliberate defiance of leave regulations, and that the two-year servitude sentence should be reduced by three degrees. The emperor accepted Gongzhen's proposal, and Qi remained in office.

明昌四年，拜參知政事，詔諭之曰：「戶部遽難得人，顧無以代卿者，故用卿晚耳。」一日，上謂琪曰：「卿在省久矣，比來事少於往時何也？」琪曰：「昔宰職多有異同，今情見不同者甚少。」上曰：「往多情見為是耶，今無者為是耶？」琪曰：「事狀明者不假情見，便用情見，亦要歸之是而已。」五年，河決陽武，灌封丘而東，琪行尚書省事往治之，訖役而還。遷中大夫。承安元年，北邊用兵，而連歲旱暵，表乞致仕，不許。明年，出鎮安武軍，致仕，卒。子師周，閣門祗候，當給假，以聞。上悼之，以不奏聞責諭有司，後二品官卒皆具以聞，自琪始。

In the fourth year of Mingchang he was made vice grand councilor. An edict told him, "The Ministry of Revenue is hard to staff, and I could find no one to replace you—so I have kept you there too long." One day the emperor asked Qi, "You have served long in the Secretariat. Why are there fewer matters now than before?" Qi replied, "Formerly the chief ministers often disagreed; now open disagreement is rare." The emperor said, "Was it better when views openly clashed, or is it better when they no longer do?" Qi said, "When the facts are clear, personal opinion is unnecessary; and when opinion is used, it must still come down to what is right." In the fifth year the Yellow River broke through at Yangwu, inundated Fengqiu, and swept eastward. Qi, acting head of the Department of State Affairs, went to manage the repairs and returned when the work was done. He was promoted to Grand Master of the Palace. In the first year of Cheng'an, with war on the northern frontier and drought year after year, he memorialized asking to retire, but the request was denied. The following year he took command of the Anwu Army, retired from office, and died. His son Shizhou, a gate usher, reported the matter when bereavement leave was due. The emperor mourned him and rebuked the authorities for not having reported his death. Thereafter the deaths of officials of the second rank and above were always reported to the throne—beginning with Qi.

琪性明敏，習吏事，其治錢谷尤長，然性吝好利，頗為上所少雲。

Qi was bright and quick, versed in administrative affairs, and especially skilled at managing revenue and grain, yet he was stingy and greedy for gain and won little favor from the emperor for it.

楊伯通

Yang Botong

楊伯通，字吉甫，弘州人。擢大定三年進士第，由尚書省令史為吏部主事、順義軍節度副使，以憂去。吏部侍郎馬琪表薦伯通廉幹，尚書省複察如所舉，召為尚書省都事，授同知定武軍節度使事。明昌元年，擢左司員外郎，轉郎中，累遷吏部尚書，尋移戶部。

Yang Botong, courtesy name Jifu, was from Hong Prefecture. He passed the jinshi examination in the third year of Dading. Starting as a clerk in the Department of State Affairs, he became a principal in the Ministry of Personnel and deputy military commissioner of the Shunyi Army, then left office to observe mourning. Vice Minister Ma Qi recommended Botong for integrity and administrative ability. The Department of State Affairs reviewed him and found the recommendation justified, summoned him as chief clerk of the Department of State Affairs, and appointed him vice commissioner of the Dingwu Army. In the first year of Mingchang he was promoted to vice director of the Left Bureau, then bureau director, and by successive promotions rose to minister of personnel before transferring to the Ministry of Revenue.

承安二年，拜參知政事。監察御史路鐸劾奏伯通引用鄉人李浩，以公器結私恩。左司郎中賈益承望風旨，不復檢詳，言之臺端，欲加糾劾，大夫張暐輒尼不行。上命同知大興府事賈鉉詰之，伯通居家待罪。鉉奏：「暐言彈絀大臣，須有實跡，所劾不當，徒壞台綱。益言除授皆宰執公議，不言伯通私枉。」詔責鐸言事輕率，而慰諭伯通治事。伯通再上表辭，不許。四年，進尚書左丞，致仕，卒。

In the second year of Cheng'an he was made vice grand councilor. Investigating censor Lu Duo impeached Botong for appointing his fellow townsman Li Hao and using public office to bind private favor. Jia Yi, bureau director of the Left Bureau, reading the prevailing intent, no longer examined the case in detail and reported it to the censorate to seek further impeachment, but censor-in-chief Zhang Wei blocked it and the matter went no further. The emperor ordered Jia Xuan, vice intendant of Daxing Prefecture, to investigate the matter, and Botong remained at home awaiting judgment. Xuan reported, "Wei held that impeaching and removing a great minister requires solid evidence. The charge was improper and only damaged the censorate's authority. Yi said the appointments had all been made by public deliberation among the chief ministers and showed no private favoritism on Botong's part." An edict rebuked Duo for rash speech and reassured Botong, urging him to resume his duties. Botong again submitted a memorial of resignation, but the request was denied. In the fourth year he was promoted to left vice director of the Department of State Affairs, retired from office, and died.

尼厖古鑑

Nipanggujian

尼厖古鑑，本名外留，隆州人也。識女直小字及漢字，登大定十三年進士第，調隆安教授。改即墨主簿，召授國子助教，擢近侍局直長。世宗器其材，謂宰臣曰：「新進士中如徒單鎰、夾穀衡、尼厖古鑑，皆可用也。」改太子侍丞。逾年，遷應奉翰林文字，兼右三部司正。世宗複謂宰臣曰：「鑑嘗近侍，朕知其正直幹治。及為東宮侍丞，保護太孫，禮節言動猶有國俗純厚舊風，朕甚嘉之。」章宗立，累遷尚書戶部侍郎，兼翰林直學士。俄轉同知大興府，用大臣薦，改知大興府事。明昌五年拜參知政事，薨，諡曰文肅。

Nipanggujian, whose original name was Wailiu, was from Long Prefecture. He knew both Jurchen script and Chinese characters, passed the jinshi examination in the thirteenth year of Dading, and was appointed instructor at Long'an. He was transferred to chief clerk of Jimo, summoned to serve as assistant instructor at the Imperial University, and promoted to chief of the Attendant Service Bureau. Emperor Shizong admired his talent and told the chief ministers, "Among the newly passed jinshi, men like Tu Danyi, Jia Gu Heng, and Nipanggujian are all fit for service." He was transferred to attendant of the Heir Apparent. A year later he was promoted to textual aide of the Hanlin Academy and concurrently appointed rectifier of the Right Three Bureaus. Emperor Shizong again told the chief ministers, "Jian once served in attendance, and I know him to be upright and capable in administration. When he served in the Eastern Palace and guarded the imperial grandson, his ritual, speech, and bearing still carried the pure, earnest customs of our people, and I greatly commend it." When Emperor Zhangzong ascended the throne, Jian rose by successive promotions to vice minister of revenue and concurrently served as Hanlin academician ex officio. Soon he was made vice intendant of Daxing Prefecture and, on a great minister's recommendation, promoted to intendant. In the fifth year of Mingchang he was made vice grand councilor, died in office, and was posthumously titled Wensu.

贊曰：移剌履從容進說，信孚於君，至論經純傳駁，以孝行為治本，其得古人遺學歟！昔臧孫達忠諫于魯，君子知其有後，信矣。張萬公引正守己，質言無華。開壕括地之議，明灼利害，如指諸掌，閉於群說而不式，致仕而歸，理勢然也。蒲察通之哭海陵，君臣大義死生一之，其志烈矣。程輝、斡特剌之鯁直，劉瑋、董師中之通敏，才皆足以發聞，然師中有附胥之譏，劉瑋見避事之責，其視前人，多有愧矣。王蔚、馬惠迪之徒，何足算也。

Eulogy: Yi Lalu counseled with unhurried grace and won his sovereign's trust. When he expounded the classics he dismissed mixed and apocryphal traditions and took filial conduct as the root of rule—did he not recover the lost learning of the ancients! Of old Zang Sun Da offered loyal remonstrance in Lu, and the gentleman knew his line would endure—indeed it was so. Zhang Wangong held to rectitude and guarded his integrity; his speech was plain and without ornament. On the proposals to open moats and survey land, he laid out harm and benefit as clearly as lines on the palm; shut out by the clamor of opinion and not heeded, he retired from office—the logic of the age demanded no less. Pu Chatong's weeping for Hailing—one with his lord in the great bond of ruler and minister, in life and in death—his resolve was fierce indeed. Cheng Hui and Zhangewotela were blunt and upright; Liu Wei and Dong Shizhong were versatile and keen—their talents all sufficed to win renown. Yet Shizhong bore the reproach of attaching himself to Xu Chiguo, and Liu Wei the charge of shirking duty; measured against those who came before, they had much to regret. Men like Wang Yu and Ma Huidi scarcely merit mention.

Cite this Chapter