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愍懷太子
Crown Prince Minhuai
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湣懷太子遹，字熙祖，惠帝長子，母曰謝才人。 幼而聰慧，武帝愛之，恆在左右。 嘗與諸皇子共戲殿上，惠帝來朝，執諸皇子手，次至太子，帝曰：「是汝兒也。」 惠帝乃止。 宮中嘗夜失火，武帝登樓望之。 太子時年五歲，牽帝裾入暗中。 帝問其故，太子曰：「暮夜倉卒，宜備非常，不宜令照見人君也。」 由是奇之。 嘗從帝觀豕牢，言於帝曰：「豕甚肥，何不殺以享士，而使久費五穀？」 帝嘉其意，即使烹之。 因撫其背，謂廷尉傅祗曰：「此兒當興我家。」 嘗對群臣稱太子似宣帝，於是令譽流於天下。
Sima Yu, styled Xizu, was Emperor Hui's firstborn—his mother was Lady Xie of Talented rank. Wu Di doted on the bright boy and kept him always near. During palace games Wu Di pointed out the boy to the witless Hui: 'That one is your heir.' Hui broke off his greeting. A night blaze drew Wu Di to a high gallery. Five-year-old Yu pulled his grandfather into the dark. He explained that monarchs should not show themselves in firelight during a crisis. Wu Di marked him extraordinary. Watching the imperial sty he asked why fat hogs were not butchered for the guard. Wu Di approved and had them slaughtered. He told Fu Zhi the boy would redeem the dynasty. He likened the heir to Sima Yi before court—reputation followed.
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及長，不好學，惟與左右嬉戲，不能尊敬保傅。 賈后素忌太子有令譽，因此密敕黃門閹宦媚諛于太子曰：「殿下誠可及壯時極意所欲，何為恆自拘束？」 每見喜怒之際，輒歎曰：「殿下不知用威刑，天下豈得畏服！」 太子所幸蔣美人生男，又言宜隆其賞賜，多為皇孫造玩弄之器，太子從之。 於是慢弛益彰，或廢朝侍，恆在後園遊戲。 愛埤車小馬，令左右馳騎，斷其鞅勒，使墮地為樂。 或有犯忤者，手自捶擊之。 性拘小忌，不許繕壁修牆，正瓦動屋。 而于宮中為市，使人屠酤，手揣斤兩，輕重不差。 其母本屠家女也，故太子好之。 又令西園賣葵菜、藍子、雞、面之屬，而收其利。 東宮舊制，月請錢五十萬，備於眾用，太子恆探取二月，以供嬖寵。 洗馬江統陳五事以諫之，太子不納，語在《統傳》中。 舍人杜錫以太子非賈后所生，而後性凶暴，深以為憂，每盡忠規勸太子修德進善，遠於讒謗。 太子怒，使人以針著錫常所坐氈中而剌之。
Adult Yu spurned books, slighted tutors, and played with pages. Empress Jia's eunuchs flattered him to waste youth on vice. They urged cruelty when he showed temper—claiming mercilessness wins awe. When Consort Jiang bore a son they pushed costly toys and stipends—Yu complied. He skipped audiences for back-garden games. He staged pony-cart wrecks for amusement. He thrashed servants himself. He banned builders from touching plaster or tiles—superstition. Yet he ran a palace bazaar—himself butchering, selling ale, and weighing coin. His mother's trade drew him to the stall. He peddled greens, dye seed, chicken, and flour from West Garden for cash. He drew double stipends to bankroll favorites. Jiang Tong's five memorials went unheard—see his chapter. Du Xi warned Yu to cultivate virtue—Jia was not his mother. Yu pinned needles into Du Xi's seat cushion.
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太子性剛，知賈謐恃後之貴，不能假借之。 謐至東宮，或舍之而於後庭遊戲。 詹事裴權諫曰：「賈謐甚有寵于中宮，而有不順之色，若一旦交構，大事去矣。 宜深自謙屈，以防其變，廣延賢士，用自輔翼。」 太子不能從。 初，賈后母郭槐欲以韓壽女為太子妃，太子亦欲婚韓氏以自固。 而壽妻賈午及後皆不聽，而為太子聘王衍小女惠風。 太子聞衍長女美，而賈后為謐聘之，心不能平，頗以為言。 謐嘗與太子圍棋，爭道，成都王穎見而訶謐，謐意愈不平，因此譖太子于後曰：「太子廣買田業，多畜私財以結小人者，為賈氏故也。 密聞其言云：'皇后萬歲後，吾當魚肉之。 '非但如是也，若宮車晏駕，彼居大位，依楊氏故事，誅臣等而廢後於金墉，如反手耳。 不如早為之所，更立慈順者以自防衛。」 後納其言，又宣揚太子之短，布諸遠近。 于時朝野咸知賈后有害太子意。 中護軍趙俊請太子廢後，太子不聽。
Yu refused to flatter Jia Mi. He left Jia Mi cooling heels while he played inside. Pei Quan warned Jia Mi could engineer a coup. He urged humility and recruiting allies. Yu ignored him. Guo Huai once pushed a Han match—Yu wanted it too. Jia Wu and the empress forced Wang Yan's younger daughter Huifeng instead. Yu resented losing Wang's elder beauty to Jia Mi. A go quarrel led Mi to slander Yu as hoarding land to spite the Jias. Mi quoted Yu vowing to slaughter the Jias after Jia died. He warned Yu would purge Jia kin like the Yang coup. He urged replacing Yu with a puppet heir. Jia adopted the plot and smeared Yu empire-wide. Everyone saw Jia meant to kill the heir. Zhao Jun urged preemptive deposition—Yu declined.
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九年六月，有桑生於宮西廂，日長尺餘，數日而枯。 十二月，賈后將廢太子，詐稱上不和，呼太子入朝。 既至，後不見，置於別室，遣婢陳舞賜以酒棗，逼飲醉之。 使黃門侍郎潘岳作書草，若禱神之文，有如太子素意，因醉而書之，令小婢承福以紙筆及書草使太子書之。 文曰：「陛下宜自了； 不自了，吾當入了之。 中宮又宜速自了； 不了，吾當手了之。 並謝妃共要克期而兩發，勿疑猶豫，致後患。 茹毛飲血於三辰之下，皇天許當掃除患害，立道文為王，蔣為內主。 願成，當三牲祠北君，大赦天下。 要疏如律令。」 太子醉迷不覺，遂依而寫之，其字半不成。 既而補成之，後以呈帝。 帝幸式乾殿，召公卿入，使黃門令董猛乙太子書及青紙詔曰：「遹書如此，今賜死。」 遍示諸公王，莫有言者，惟張華、裴頠證明太子。 賈后使董猛矯以長廣公主辭白帝曰：「事宜速決，而群臣各有不同，若有不從詔，宜以軍法從事。」 議至日西不決。 後懼事變，乃表免太子為庶人，詔許之。 於是使尚書和郁持節，解結為副，及大將軍梁王肜、鎮東將軍淮南王允、前將軍東武公澹、趙王倫、太保何劭詣東宮，廢太子為庶人。 是日太子游玄圃，聞有使者至，改服出崇賢門，再拜受詔，步出承華門，乘粗犢車。 澹以兵仗送太子妃王氏、三皇孫于金墉城，考竟謝淑妃及太子保林蔣俊。 明年正月，賈后又使黃門自首，欲與太子為逆。 詔以黃門首辭班示公卿。 又遣澹以千兵防送太子，更幽于許昌宮之別坊，令治書御史劉振持節守之。 先是，有童謠曰：「東宮馬子莫聾空，前至臘月纏汝閤。」 又曰：「南風起兮吹白沙，遙望魯國郁嵯峨，千歲髑髏生齒牙。」 南風，後名； 沙門，太子小字也。
Year nine saw an omen mulberry sprout west of the halls. Twelfth month Jia feigned imperial illness to lure Yu to court. She hid him, fed him wine and dates through Chen Wu until he was drunk. Pan Yue forged spirit-prayer lines; drunk Yu copied them under Chen Wu's orders. Forgery opened: 'Father must finish this himself. Or I will finish you. The empress must settle too. Or I will kill her myself. Consort Xie and I strike together—no delay. Heaven blesses our coup—crown Daowen, empower Lady Jiang. Then sacrifice to the Northern Lord and amnesty all. So commands the spell.' Blind drunk, he traced childish strokes. Helpers patched characters before Jia showed Hui. Hui convened court with Dong Meng waving forged warrant—death for Yu. Silence fell until Zhang Hua and Pei Wei defended Yu. Jia forged Princess Changguang urging execution by martial statute. Debate stalled till dusk. Jia feared delay—demoted Yu to commoner instead. An imperial train stripped Yu at Eastern Palace. Yu took the edict from the garden and rode an ox-cart out. Dan marched Wang consort and grandsons to Jinyong—executed Xie and Jiang Jun. Next New Year Jia staged a Yellow Gate confession implicating Yu. Luoyang read the staged confession. Dan convoyed Yu to Xuchang under guard. Rhymes foretold Yu's doom at year's end. Verses mocked Empress Nanfeng and Yu's childhood name.' South Wind' meant Empress Jia. 'White Sand' was Yu's boyhood sobriquet.
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初，太子之廢也，妃父王衍表請離婚。 太子至許，遺妃書曰：「鄙雖頑愚，心念為善，欲盡忠孝之節，無有惡逆之心。 雖非中宮所生，奉事有如親母。 自為太子以來，敕見禁檢，不得見母。 自宜城君亡，不見存恤，恆在空室中坐。 去年十二月，道文疾病困篤，父子之情，實相憐湣。 于時表國家乞加徽號，不見聽許。 疾病既篤，為之求請恩福，無有噁心。 自道文病，中宮三遣左右來視，云：'天教呼汝。 '到二十八日暮，有短函來，題言東宮發，疏云：'言天教欲見汝。 '即便作表求入。 二十九日早入見國家，須臾遣至中宮。 中宮左右陳舞見語：'中宮旦來吐不快。 '使住空屋中坐。 須臾中宮遣陳舞見語：'聞汝表陛下為道文乞王，不得王是成國耳。 '中宮遙呼陳舞：'昨天教與太子酒棗。 '便持三升酒、大盤棗來見與，使飲酒啖棗盡。 鄙素不飲酒，即便遣舞啟說不堪三升之意。 中宮遙呼曰：'汝常陛下前持酒可喜，何以不飲？ 天與汝酒，當使道文差也。 '便答中宮：'陛下會同一日見賜，故不敢辭，通日不飲三升酒也。 且實未食，恐不堪。 又未見殿下，飲此或至顛倒。 '陳舞復傳語云：'不孝那！ 天與汝酒飲，不肯飲，中有惡物邪？ '遂可飲二升，餘有一升，求持還東宮飲盡。 逼迫不得已，更飲一升。 飲已，體中荒迷，不復自覺。 須臾有一小婢持封箱來，云：'詔使寫此文書。 '鄙便驚起，視之，有一白紙，一青紙。 催促云：'陛下停待。 '又小婢承福持筆研墨黃紙來，使寫。 急疾不容復視，實不覺紙上語輕重。 父母至親，實不相疑，事理如此，實為見誣，想眾人見明也。」
Wang Yan filed for divorce the moment Yu fell. From Xu he wrote Huifeng protesting innocence. He claimed dutiful service to Jia despite birth. Palace rules barred him from Lady Xie. After Lady Xie's mother died no one comforted him. He mourned son Daowen's fatal illness. His plea for son's title failed. He denied malice in praying for the boy. Palace runners claimed Heaven summoned Yu. A cryptic note echoed the summons. He requested audience. He saw Hui briefly then reached Jia's halls. Chen Wu claimed Jia was sick. They parked him in an empty room. They mocked his plea for son's kingship. Jia recalled forcing wine earlier. Chen Wu forced three sheng wine and dates. Yu pleaded low tolerance. Jia taunted his earlier drinking. She tied drinking to son's health. Yu cited earlier imperial banquet. Empty stomach worried him. He feared drunken copying. Chen Wu called him unfilial. She accused refusal of hiding guilt. They compromised at two sheng plus one to go. Cornered he drank more. He blacked out—the forged edict followed. A girl delivered a case—'copy this edict.' He found white and green paper inside. Runners said the emperor waited. Chengfu added brush and yellow paper for the copy. Rush left no time to read the forgery's sense. He closed pleading filial trust and public innocence.'
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太子既廢非其罪，眾情憤怨。 右衛督司馬雅，宗室之疏屬也，與常從督許超並有寵于太子，二人深傷之，說趙王倫謀臣孫秀曰：「國無適嗣，社稷將危，大臣之禍必起。 而公奉事中宮，與賈后親密，太子之廢，皆云豫知，一旦事起，禍必及矣。 何不先謀之！」 秀言于趙王倫，倫深納焉。 計既定，而秀說倫曰：「太子為人剛猛，若得志之日，必肆其情性矣。 明公素事賈后，街談巷議，皆以公為賈氏之黨。 今雖欲建大功于太子，太子雖將含忍宿忿，必不能加賞於公，當謂公逼百姓之望，翻覆以免罪耳。 若有瑕釁，猶不免誅。 不若遷延卻期，賈后必害太子，然後廢賈后，為太子報仇，猶足以為功，乃可以得志。」 倫然之。 秀因使反間，言殿中人欲廢賈后，迎太子。 賈后聞之憂怖，乃使太醫令程據合巴豆杏子丸。 三月，矯詔使黃門孫慮齋至許昌以害太子。 初，太子恐見鴆，恆自煮食於前。 慮以告劉振，振乃徙太子于小坊中，絕不與食，宮中猶於牆壁上過食與太子。 慮乃逼太子以藥，太子不肯服，因如廁，慮以藥杵椎殺之，太子大呼，聲聞於外。 時年二十三。 將以庶人禮葬之，賈后表曰：「遹不幸喪亡，傷其迷悖，又早短折，悲痛之懷，不能自己。 妾私心冀其刻肌刻骨，更思孝道，規為稽顙，正其名號。 此志不遂，重以酸恨。 遹雖罪在莫大，猶王者子孫，便以匹庶送終，情實憐湣，特乞天恩，賜以王禮。 妾誠暗淺不識禮義，不勝至情，冒昧陳聞。」 詔以廣陵王禮葬之。
Injustice against Yu enraged the capital. Sima Ya and Xu Chao lured Sun Xiu with talk of dynastic peril. They warned Sun Xiu that Jia would scapegoat Jia's allies. Strike first, they urged. Sun Xiu sold the plot to Sima Lun. Sun Xiu warned a restored Yu would take revenge. Lun was branded Jia's man. Yu would not thank Lun for a late defection. One slip and Lun's head would roll. Sun Xiu advised waiting for Jia to murder Yu, then coup against Jia. Lun assented. Sun Xiu spread rumors of a palace plot to restore Yu. Jia panicked and had Cheng Ju mix purgative poison. Third month a fake edict sent Sun Lü to kill Yu at Xuchang. Yu had cooked for himself to avoid cup poison. Lü jailed and starved Yu; sympathizers smuggled food over walls. Sun Lü beat Yu to death in the latrine with a pestle—screams escaped. He died at twenty-three. Jia feigned grief while burying him as commoner. She posed as hoping Yu could repent posthumously. She claimed thwarted maternal hopes. She asked royal burial despite his crimes. She cloaked hypocrisy in modesty. The court buried him as Guangling prince.
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及賈庶人死，乃誅劉振、孫慮、程據等，冊復太子曰：「皇帝使使持節、兼司空、衛尉伊策故皇太子之靈曰：嗚呼！ 維爾少資岐嶷之質，荷先帝殊異之寵，大啟土宇，奄有淮陵。 朕奉遵遺旨，越建爾儲副，以光顯我祖宗。 祗爾德行，以從保傅，事親孝敬，禮無違者。 而朕昧於凶構，致爾於非命之禍，俾申生、孝己復見於今。 賴宰相賢明，人神憤怨，用啟朕心，討厥有罪，咸伏其辜。 何補於荼毒冤魂酷痛哉？ 是用忉怛悼恨，震動於五內。 今追復皇太子喪禮，反葬京畿，祠乙太牢。 魂而有靈，尚獲爾心。」 帝為太子服長子斬衰，群臣齊衰，使尚書和郁率東宮官屬具吉凶之制，迎太子喪于許昌。
After Jia fell, Yi Ce's eulogy restored Yu posthumously. Hui's ghost-eulogy praised Wu Di's love and Yu's fief. Hui claimed he installed Yu by Wu Di's will. Praise for filial study. Hui likened the plot to classic wronged heirs. He credited ministers for Jia's fall. Ritual could not unkill Yu. Imperial rhetoric of inner ache. State burial at capital with ox sacrifice. Hope the ghost accepts apology. Court mourned and fetched Yu's bier from Xu.
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喪之發也，大風雷電，幃蓋飛裂。 又為哀策曰：「皇帝臨軒，使洗馬劉務告于皇太子之殯曰：咨爾遹！ 幼稟英挺，芬馨誕茂。 既表髫齔，高明逸秀。 昔爾聖祖，嘉爾淑美。 顯詔仍崇，名振同軌。 是用建爾儲副，永統皇基。 如何凶戾潛構，禍害如茲！ 哀感和氣，痛貫四時。 嗚呼哀哉！ 爾之降廢，實我不明。 牝亂沈烖，釁結禍成。 爾之逝矣，誰百其形？ 昔之申生，含枉莫訟。 今爾之負，抱冤於東。 悠悠有識，孰不哀慟！ 壺關幹主，千秋悟己。 異世同規，古今一理。 皇孫啟建，隆祚爾子。 雖悴前終，庶榮後始。 窀穸既營，將寧爾神。 華髦電逝，戎車雷震。 芒芒羽蓋，翼翼縉紳。 同悲等痛，孰不酸辛！ 庶光來葉，永世不泯。」 諡曰湣懷。 六月己卯，葬于顯平陵。 帝感閻纘之言，立思子台，故臣江統、陸機並作誄頌焉。 太子三子：、臧、尚，並與父同幽金墉。
Storm shattered funeral umbrellas. Liu Wu read lament at the bier. Praise for childhood brilliance. Boyhood distinction. Wu Di's praise. Titles echoed court-wide. Heir establishment recalled. Rhetorical grief at murder. Seasonal mourning tropes. Funeral lament pause. Hui blamed himself. Women's palace crimes blamed. Body lost to murder. Parallel to Jin Prince Shen Sheng. Yu died east at Xu. Universal mourning asserted. Allusion to righteous remonstrance. Justice spans dynasties. Grandson Zang named heir. Hope for surviving line. Tomb closure comforts ghost. Procession imagery. Mourning cortège splendor. Courtiers weep together. Memory eternal. Canonized Crown Prince Minhuai. Buried sixth month at Xianping. Yan Zuan's plea built Son-Lament Terrace—Jiang Tong and Lu Ji wrote elegies. Three sons shared Yu's prison.
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字道文，永康元年正月，薨。 四月，追封南陽王。
Eldest Bin (Daowen) died Yongkang first month. Fourth month titled Prince of Nanyang.
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臧字敬文。 永康元年四月，封臨淮王。 己巳，詔曰：「咎征數發，奸回作變，遹既逼廢，非命而沒。 今立臧為皇太孫。 還妃王氏以母之，稱太孫太妃。 太子官屬即轉為太孫官屬。 趙王倫行太孫太傅。」 五月，倫與太孫俱之東宮，太孫自西掖門出，車服侍從皆湣懷之舊也。 到銅駝街，宮人哭，侍從者皆哽咽，路人抆淚焉。 桑復生於西廂，太孫廢，乃枯。 永甯元年正月，趙王倫篡位，廢為濮陽王，與帝俱遷金墉，尋被害。 太安初，追諡曰哀。
Second son Zang, styled Jingwen. Yongkang fourth month made Linhuai prince. Edict blamed omens and Yu's murder. Zang named grand-heir. Wang Huifeng raised him as heir consort. Staff slid from heir to grand-heir titles. Sima Lun played grand tutor. May procession exited the west palace gate in Yu's old livery. Luoyang wept along Bronze Camel Street. Omen mulberry mirrored heir's fall. Yongning coup demoted Zang—murdered at Jinyong. Tai'an era canonized Ai.
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史臣曰：湣懷挺岐嶷之姿，表夙成之質。 武皇鍾愛，既深詒厥之謀； 天下歸心，頗有後來之望。 及於繼明宸極，守器春坊，四教不勤，三朝或闕，豹姿未變，鳳德已衰，信惑奸邪，疏斥正士，好屠酤之賤役，耽苑囿之佚遊，可謂靡不有初，鮮克有終者也。 既而中宮凶忍，久懷危害之心，外戚諂諛，競進讒邪之說； 坎牲之謀已構，斃犬之譖遂行； 一人乏探隱之聰，百辟無爭臣之節。 遂使冤逾楚建，酷甚戾園。 雖復禮備哀榮，情深憫慟，亦何補於荼毒者哉！
Editors praise Yu's childhood gifts. Wu Di planned Yu as future pillar. The realm expected greatness. Editors blame Yu for vice after enthronement as heir. Jia kin engineered slander. Palace traps and forged prayers sealed Yu's fate. Hui's blindness and court cowardice blamed. Compared Yu's fate to ancient prince tragedies. Posthumous honors could not resurrect him.
13
贊曰：湣懷聰穎，諒惟天挺。 皇祖鐘心，庶僚引領。 震宮肇建，儲德不恢。 掇蜂構隙，歸胙生災。 既罹凶忍，徒望歸來。
Verse praises innate wit. Court awaited his reign. Eastern Palace failed to mature virtue. Wasp-and-meat allusions to court intrigue. Death ended every hope of restoration.