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卷四十七 志第二十七: 經籍下

Volume 47 Treatises 27: Literature 2

Chapter 51 of 舊唐書 · Old Book of Tang
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Chapter 51
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1
沿 輿
The duties of the inner palaces in the Three Dynasties are set out most fully in the Rites of Zhou. From the Zhou period onward, changes in the inner-palace registers appear in each dynasty's own histories and are not rehearsed here. The Tang adopted Sui practice: beneath the empress stood one each of Noble, Virtuous, Moral, and Worthy Consort, styled Ladies of the first rank; the nine posts of Bright, Cultivated, and Fulfilling Consorts, Beauties, and Ladies — one holder each — formed the Nine Concubines of the second rank; nine Fair Ladies of the third rank; nine Beauties of the fourth rank; nine Talented Ladies of the fifth rank; twenty-seven Treasured Forest Ladies of the sixth rank; twenty-seven Imperial Maidens of the seventh rank; twenty-seven Selected Maidens of the eighth rank; The remaining Six Directorates and their bureaus separately oversaw the imperial equipage, wardrobe, and furnishings. In Longshuo year 2 (656), office titles were revised and every inner-court post was renamed. In Xianheng year 2 (671), the old titles were restored. During the Kaiyuan reign, Xuanzong placed four consorts beneath the empress, taking Emperor Ku as his precedent. Yet in the tradition of the four consort stars, only one is the principal empress; to install a principal empress and also four consorts is not proper precedent. He therefore placed Favored, Beautiful, and Splendid Consorts beneath the empress in place of the three Ladies of the first rank; and added six Fragrant Attendants of the second rank; four Beauties of the third rank; seven Talented Ladies of the fourth rank; two each for the Directors of Palace, Ceremonies, and Apparel of the fifth rank; From the sixth through the ninth rank, posts in the various offices were ranked accordingly, and later the earlier titles were partly revived.
2
歿 西
Yet across the Three Dynasties, worthy consorts had helped found realms even as favored women brought states to ruin. From Qin and Han onward, the trend only deepened. At their worst they moved the throne itself; at their mildest they ruled from behind the curtain — decking kin in state regalia, carving out fiefs for in-laws, until in the final collapse entire clans were wiped out. When Gaozu took the throne, the palace lacked a settled principal consort, yet he heeded women's counsel, and strife broke out among the imperial sons. Emperor Xiaozong of the Eastern Han was humane but not forceful, lavishing rewards on pools and terraces while ignoring the jealousies of his consorts. The Wu and Wei clans nearly brought down the dynasty. Eastern Han empresses took their husbands' posthumous titles after death, as with Guanglie and Hexi. Gaozong took the title Heavenly Emperor and Wu Zetian called herself Heavenly Empress; Consort Wei gave birth to a child styled Sage of the Morrow; Suzong wished to elevate Lady Zhang — such gross improprieties all ended in violent ruin. Xuanzong, infatuated with Consort Wu, sidelined the principal palace, then elevated Yang Guifei, and nearly lost the empire. Looking back at fallen dynasties, one finds that ruin usually began with trouble among the emperor's sons. Strife among imperial sons always begins with disorder in the inner palace. Hence the feud between Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, and the Prince of Qin's plan to withdraw to Luoyang; at Mawei the road ran with blood, and the crown prince dared not press westward. Had a truly virtuous mother presided within, how could matters have reached such a pass? The Book of Changes says, "When the household is in order, the realm is secure" — and so it is! In later reigns the empress's seat often stood empty; when collateral branches succeeded, the mothers' families were weak — investiture ceremonies remained, but the virtue praised in "Guan Ju" was lacking. Those whose names survive in the histories are recorded here in the Biography of Empresses and Consorts. Empress Taimu of Gaozu, née Dou, came from Shiping in Jingzhao. She was the daughter of Dou Yi, Sui regional inspector of Dingzhou and Duke of Shenwu. Her mother was the Princess of Xiangyang, a sister of Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou.
3
At birth her hair reached below her neck; by age three it matched her height. Emperor Wu of Zhou doted on her and raised her within the palace. The emperor had taken a Turkic woman as empress but showed her no favor. Still a child, the future empress whispered to him, "The borders are unsettled and the Turks remain strong. I beg you, Uncle, to restrain your feelings and treat her kindly for the people's sake. With Turkic support secured, the south and the eastern provinces cannot threaten us. The emperor took her counsel to heart. When Dou Yi heard of this, he told the princess, "A girl of such talent and beauty must not be given away lightly; we must find a worthy husband for her. He painted two peacocks on the door screen. Each suitor was given two arrows; secretly, whoever struck both eyes would win her hand. Dozens of suitors missed the mark. Gaozu came last and with two shots struck one eye each. Dou Yi was delighted and gave her to our emperor in marriage.
4
When Emperor Wu of Zhou died, she grieved for him as for her own father. When Emperor Wen of Sui took the throne, she wept and threw herself on the bed, crying, "I wish I were a man, that I might save my uncle from this disaster. Dou Yi and the princess clapped a hand over her mouth: "Do not speak rashly — you will destroy our whole clan!"
5
退 駿 涿 宿
She served Empress Dowager Yuanzhen and won renown for her filial devotion. The dowager had long been frail and sometimes hovered near death. The other daughters-in-law, fearing the dowager's severity, all pleaded illness and withdrew; she alone nursed her day and night without removing shoes or gown, often for a month at a time. She wrote beautifully; her hand so resembled Gaozu's that none could tell them apart. She was accomplished in letters and fond of preserving moral counsel. During the Daye reign Gaozu served as prefect of Fufeng and kept several fine horses. She often warned Gaozu, "The emperor loves hawks and horses — you know that. These are fit for the throne and must not be kept. If word reaches the court, you will be ruined. Think on this carefully. He hesitated, and in the end was punished for keeping them. Soon afterward she died in Zhuo Commandery at the age of forty-five. Gaozu recalled her warning and set about securing his position, repeatedly sending hawks and hounds to the throne; soon he was promoted to general. Weeping, he told his sons, "Had I heeded your mother sooner, I would have held this rank long ago. She was first buried at Shou'an Mausoleum and later removed to Xian Mausoleum. In the eighth month of Shangyuan year 1 (674), her posthumous title was raised to Empress Taimu the Sagely and Accomplished. Empress Wende of Taizong, née Zhangsun, came from Chang'an. She was the daughter of Sheng, general of the Right Valiant Cavalry under the Sui. Sheng's wife was the daughter of Gao Jingde, Sui inspector of Yangzhou, and bore the empress. From childhood she loved books and observed propriety in every action. At thirteen she entered Taizong's household as a consort. During the Sui Daye reign she often visited her family in Yongxing Lane. Her uncle Gao Shilian's concubine Lady Zhang saw outside her quarters a great horse two zhang tall, fully saddled and bridled, and told Shilian. He had the omen divined and obtained Kun changing to Tai. The diviner said, "How supreme is the Earth, mother of all things! All life springs from it in obedience to Heaven. The Earth is vast and bears all things; its virtue knows no limit. The mare belongs to the earth and ranges across it without end. Changing to Tai — yang within, yin without; strength within, compliance without — Heaven and Earth unite and all things flow freely. The Image says: The queen assists Heaven and Earth in their proper roles and thereby guides the people. The dragon is the symbol of Qian. The horse is the symbol of Kun. Changing to Tai — Heaven and Earth unite. The judgment aligns with Marrying the Younger Sister — a woman's omen. A woman in an honored place, centered and compliant in her conduct. This woman's eminence is beyond words. In Wude year 1 (618) she was invested as Princess of Qin. By then Taizong's achievements were great and the crown prince Li Jiancheng's suspicions deepened. She served Gaozu filially, treated the consorts with respect, and worked to mend palace relations, preserving harmony within. When crisis came, Taizong was at Xuanwu Gate arming his officers. She went out in person to encourage them, and all were deeply moved. In year 9 (626) she was invested as consort of the crown prince.
6
When Taizong ascended the throne, she was made empress. Her father Sheng was posthumously made Minister of Works and Duke of Qixian. The empress was notably frugal, taking only what she needed for dress and daily use. Taizong treated her with growing respect and often discussed rewards and punishments with her. She replied, "When the hen crows at dawn, the household is ruined. I am only a woman — how dare I meddle in government? Taizong pressed her, but she would not reply. Her elder brother Zhangsun Wuji had long been Taizong's close friend and, as a founding merit-holder, was trusted as a confidant who entered the inner quarters freely; Taizong meant to place him at the head of government. The empress firmly opposed this and whenever she could said to him, "Having entered the Purple Palace, my honor is already complete; I do not wish my brothers and nephews spread through the court. The Lü and Huo clans of Han are warnings carved in bone; I beg Your Majesty not to make my brother chief minister. Taizong would not listen and appointed Wuji general of the Left Martial Guard, minister of personnel, and vice director of the left. She then secretly had Wuji plead to resign. Taizong reluctantly agreed and made him honorary grand master with golden seal and purple ribbon; only then was she satisfied. She had a half-brother, Anye, a drunkard and wastrel. When Duke Xian died, she and Wuji were children; Anye drove away their mother's family. She bore no grudge and repeatedly asked Taizong to treat him generously, until he rose to gate-guard general. When he became implicated in Liu Deyu's treason plot, Taizong was about to put him to death. The empress knelt, weeping, and pleaded for his life, saying, "Anye's crime deserves death ten thousand times over and admits no pardon. Yet his lack of kindness toward me is known throughout the realm. If you now impose the death penalty, people will surely say I used my favor to avenge my brother — would that not be a burden on the sacred court!" He was spared execution.
7
退 使
The empress bore Princess Changle, whom Taizong especially cherished. When she was about to marry, he ordered the relevant offices to supply a dowry twice that given to elder princesses. Wei Zheng remonstrated, "In the reign of Emperor Ming of Han, when he was about to enfeoff his sons, the emperor said, 'How can my sons be treated the same as the former emperor's sons! Yet when one speaks of an elder princess, it is precisely because she outranks a princess in honor; though affection may differ, ritual principle admits no equality of rank. If a princess's rites exceed those of an elder princess, reason says it cannot stand — I beg Your Majesty to consider this." Taizong withdrew on his words and told the empress. She sighed, "I had heard Your Majesty valued Wei Zheng but never knew why. Now that I hear this remonstrance, I see he can indeed use principle to restrain the sovereign's feelings — he may truly be called a minister upright for the altars of state. You and I bound our hair as husband and wife, and I have been graciously treated; our bond runs deep. With every word I still watch your expression and dare not lightly offend your majesty — how much more for subjects below, where feeling is distant and ritual stands between! Hence Han Fei wrote of the difficulty, and Dongfang Shuo said it was not easy — and they had good reason. Straight talk grates on the ear yet benefits conduct; rulers of states and households should treat it as urgent. Accept it and the realm is at peace; shut it out and government falls into disorder. I truly wish Your Majesty to weigh this carefully — then the realm will be greatly blessed." The empress then asked that an inner envoy be sent with five hundred bolts of silk to Wei Zheng's residence as a gift. The crown prince Chenggan's wet nurse, Lady Suian, often told the empress, "The Eastern Palace's furnishings are in short supply; I wish to submit a request." The empress would not listen and said, "As crown prince, what you should fear is that virtue is not established and your name does not spread — why worry about having too few furnishings!"
8
殿
In year 8 (634), when she accompanied him to Jiucheng Palace, she fell gravely ill. Crown Prince Chenggan came to attend her and secretly told the empress, "Medicine has been exhausted and you do not recover. I beg that amnesty for prisoners be memorialized and people ordained into the Way, hoping for blessed aid." The empress said, "Life and death have their allotted span; no human power can alter them. If cultivating merit could extend life, I have never done evil. If doing good is without effect, what merit can be sought? Amnesty is a great matter of state; Buddhism and Daoism merely display teachings from other regions — they are not only for when government is failing, and moreover they are what the sovereign will not do. How could I, one woman, disorder the laws of the realm?" Chenggan did not dare memorialize this but told the left vice director Fang Xuanling, who reported it. Taizong and the attending officials all sighed and wept. The courtiers all asked for a general amnesty, and Taizong agreed; when the empress heard of it, she firmly opposed it, and the amnesty was stopped. As she was near death, she took leave of Taizong. At that time Xuanling had been sent home under reprimand, and the empress firmly said, "Xuanling has served Your Majesty longest, cautious and careful; his subtle stratagems and secret plans have all been heard by him, yet not a word has leaked — unless there is grave cause, I beg you not to abandon him. Also my own clan, fortunate through marriage ties, was raised not for virtue and easily walks into peril; for their lasting preservation, be careful not to place them in positions of power — only let them attend court as maternal kin, and that will be enough. While living I was already of no benefit to the age; now in death I must not be richly supplied. Moreover, burial means to store away — one wishes that people do not see. Since antiquity sage and worthy rulers have all honored thrift; only in lawless ages are great mounds raised, exhausting the realm and becoming a laughingstock to the discerning. Only request burial in the mountains, with no need to raise a mound; do not use inner and outer coffins; whatever vessels and dress are needed, let all be of wood and tile; a thrifty send-off — that is not forgetting me." On the day jimao of the sixth month of year 10 (636) she died in Lizheng Hall, aged thirty-six. On the day gengyin of the eleventh month of that year she was buried at Zhaoling.
9
退
The empress once compiled good deeds of ancient women, bound them into ten scrolls entitled Regulations for Women, and wrote the preface herself. She also wrote a discourse refuting Empress Ma of Han Mingde, holding that she could not restrain and push back maternal kin, letting them hold noble rank at court — warning them against dragon carriages and water wheels was only to open the source of disaster and guard against the last matter. And she warned the keeper of the main seal, "This is for my own guard and restraint. A woman's writings lack orderly scope; I do not wish the Sovereign to see them — do not speak of it." After her death the palace office reported it. Taizong read it and his grief deepened; he showed it to his close ministers and said, "The empress's book can indeed be handed down to later generations. Do I not comprehend Heaven's mandate yet cannot cut off affection! Because she could always remonstrate and remedy my deficiencies, I no longer hear good words — this is losing a fine assistant within; that is what makes one mourn!" In the eighth month of Shangyuan year 1 (674), her honorific title was changed to Empress Wende the Sagely and Accomplished. Noble Consort Xu, favored consort of Taizong, named Hui, was a niece of Xu Jian, right attendant cavalier-at-large. At five months she could speak; at four she could recite the Analects and Mao's Odes; at eight she delighted in literary composition. Her father Xiaode once composed verses in the manner of the Songs of Chu, writing "one cannot long remain in the mountains," with wording very classical and beautiful. From then on she ranged through the classics and histories, never setting a book aside. When Taizong heard of her, he took her in as a talented lady. Whatever prose she composed, she finished at the stroke of the brush, her wording ornate and rich. Soon she was promoted to Shining Lady, then again to Fulfilling Presence. At that time the army marched often and palaces rose one after another; the people grew weary of labor service. She submitted a memorial to remonstrate, saying:
10
:調
"Since the Zhenguan era, twenty-two years have passed: winds have been temperate and rains timely, harvests full year after year, the people without harm from flood or drought, the state without famine. Even Emperor Wu of Han, a ruler who kept to the written tradition, still mounted the jade-inscribed tablet; Duke Huan of Qi, a mediocre lord of a small state, still aspired to the clay-and-gold rite. I hope Your Majesty will push merit aside and diminish yourself, yielding virtue and not resting in it. The hundreds of millions bend their hearts, yet the rite of announcing completion is still lacking; At Yun and Ting they wait to attend, yet the ceremony of ascending and offering at the central peak is still not performed. With such merit and virtue, one could surpass the hundred kings and encompass the thousand generations. The ancients said, "Though at ease, do not rest" — and they had solid reason. Guarding the beginning and preserving the end — sage and worthy rulers rarely unite both. Thus we know that when one's enterprise is great, pride comes easily — I hope Your Majesty will find it difficult; when one is good at starting, finishing is hard — I hope Your Majesty will find it easy.
11
:西 使 使 使
"I observe that in recent years labor levies have been combined: in the east, armies on the Liaodong sea; in the west, campaigns at Kunqiu Mound. Soldiers and horses grow weary in armor; boats and carts grow weary in transport. Moreover, recruiting conscripts for garrison duty — whether they go or stay, they bear the pain of life and death; wind and waves intervene — men and grain alike face the peril of drifting and drowning. One man's plowing yields at most a few tens; one ship lost overturns several hundreds' worth of grain. This is like transporting finite farming labor to fill endless waves, plotting to gain an enemy not yet won while losing our army already formed. Though eliminating the vicious and punishing the violent are regular duties of a state, yet indulging in arms and playing with war are what former sages warned against. In the past Qin Shihuang swallowed the six states, yet swiftly laid the foundation for peril and ruin; Jin Wudi embraced three regions, yet turned into the enterprise of overturn and defeat. Was it not pride in merit and reliance on greatness, abandoning virtue and slighting the realm; scheming profit and forgetting harm, indulging feeling and giving free rein to desire? Thus the far-reaching six realms, though vast, could not save them from ruin; the wailing common people, through exhaustion, were made to complete their disaster. From this one knows that broad territory is not a technique for lasting peace, and human toil is the source of easy disorder. I hope Your Majesty will spread favors and ease the people, pity the weary and succor the needy, reduce the troubles of corvée travel, and increase the grace of generous dew. Your servant also hears that the root of governing lies in valuing non-action. I observe that earth-and-timber projects cannot all be completed at once. While this palace was first raised, the south was building Cuiwei; before a season had passed, Yuhua was newly founded. Though they followed mountains and borrowed water, it was not without labor of framing and building; diminish again and again — still there was cost in craftsmen's strength. In the end, showing restraint with thatched huts still stirred weariness in wood and stone; even if hired labor were used, there would still be trouble of harassment. Hence low palaces and meager food are what sagely rulers rest in; golden houses and jasper terraces are what arrogant rulers take as splendor. Thus rulers who have the Way ease their people; rulers without the Way take joy for themselves. I hope Your Majesty will use the people seasonally — then strength will not be exhausted; use them and let them rest — then the people will be pleased.
12
:
"Trinkets, curios, and clever craft are the axes that destroy a state; pearls, jade, brocade, and embroidery are truly the poison that bewilders the heart. I observe dress and play refined to fineness, as if transformed by nature; woven tribute of strange wonders, as if made by immortals. Though they race with splendor in the fashion of the day, they truly spoil simplicity and ruin pure custom. From this one knows lacquer vessels are not a way to postpone rebellion — Jie made them and people rebelled; jade cups are hardly a method to summon ruin — Zhou used them and the state perished. One is just verifying that the source of extravagance and beauty must not go unchecked. When one makes policy in thrift, one still fears it will become extravagant; when one makes policy in extravagance, how can one control those who come after? Your servant considers that Your Majesty's bright discernment reaches what is not yet formed, wisdom encircles what has no boundary, exhausts mysteries in the Qilin Pavilion, and thoroughly plumbs the depths in the forest of ru. The tracks of a thousand kings' order and disorder, the traces of a hundred generations' safety and peril, the numbers of rise and fall with blessing and calamity, the mechanisms of gain and loss with success and failure — thus they are all embraced within the heart's chambers, circling within the scope of the eyes; they are what Your Majesty's inner mind has long scrutinized, with no need for one or two words. My sole worry is that while recognizing the right path may be easy, walking it is hard: resolve turns arrogant when great works succeed, and discipline slackens when peace lasts too long. I humbly beg you to hold your spirit in check, guard your heart, and treat the finish as you did the start: shed small faults to gain greater virtue, and use the present course to atone for the past. Then your renown will outlast the sun and moon, and your achievements will endure as wide as heaven and earth."
13
歿
Emperor Taizong approved her counsel and rewarded her generously. After Taizong's death, as she brooded on the kindness he had shown her, her grief deepened; she fell ill and refused medical care. As her illness worsened, she told her intimates: "The favor I owe is profound; my heart's wish is to die young. If my spirit lives, to serve in the park-tomb enclosure—that is what I desire." She then wrote a heptasyllabic poem and a linked-verse piece to express that wish. She died in the first year of Yonghui (650), at twenty-four. An edict granted her posthumously the title Worthy Consort, and she was buried at Zhaoling in its stone chamber. Deposed Empress Wang of Emperor Gaozong—hereafter Deposed Empress Wang of Emperor Gaozong—was from Qi in Bingzhou. Her father Ren You served as magistrate of Luoshan during the Zhenguan period. Princess Chang of Tong'an was her great-aunt. Because the future empress was beautiful, the princess spoke of her to Emperor Taizong, and she was given in marriage to the Prince of Jin. When Gaozong became crown prince, she was named crown princess, and her father Ren You was appointed prefect of Chenzhou. Early in Yonghui she was made empress; Ren You was promoted to supernumerary grand counselor and created Duke of Wei, and her mother Lady Liu was enfeoffed as Dame of Wei. Ren You died shortly afterward and was posthumously honored as Grand Counselor of State.
14
使
Earlier, in the late Zhenguan years, the future Empress Wu had lived at Ganye Temple as one of Taizong's consorts. The empress and her circle spoke for her repeatedly, and Gaozong recalled her to court and made her Shining Countenance. She soon won the emperor's favor, and she, the empress, and Worthy Lady Xiao traded accusations in turn. The emperor would no longer heed the empress, while the Shining Countenance's favor grew stronger day by day. Fearful and uneasy, the empress secretly joined her mother Lady Liu in hiring sorcerers for malign rites. When the plot was exposed, the emperor was furious. He barred Lady Liu from the palace, removed the empress's uncle Liu Shi from his post as chief minister, and was on the verge of deposing the empress. Zhangsun Wuji, Chu Suiliang, and others argued fiercely against it, and he relented. He soon took Li Yifu's advice. In the tenth month of the sixth year of Yonghui (655), the empress and Worthy Lady Xiao were reduced to commoners and confined in a separate residence. Consort Wu sent men to strangle them. The empress's mother Lady Liu, her brother Quanxin of the Palace Wardrobe, and the Xiao brothers were all exiled beyond the Nanling range. Consort Wu was then enthroned as empress. Shortly afterward the deposed empress's clan name was changed to Mang ("python"), and Lady Xiao's to Xiao ("owl-kite"). When Worthy Lady Xiao was first imprisoned as a commoner, she screamed: "May that witch Wu be a mouse and I the cat—I would tear out her throat in every life to come!" Wu was furious. From that day the palace kept no cats. Early in their confinement Gaozong still thought of them and strolled to their quarters. The rooms were sealed tight; only a small aperture allowed food to pass through. Moved to pity, Gaozong called out: "Empress! Honored Consort! Are you well?" They wept and answered: "We are guilty offenders, discarded as palace slaves. How can we still bear the title of empress?" Their voices broke in grief. They went on: "That Your Majesty remembers the past and lets us see daylight again—if we might walk freely in this courtyard, we beg you rename it the 'Courtyard of the Turning Heart.' That would be rebirth for us." Gaozong said, "I will see to it." When Wu heard, she had each of them flogged a hundred strokes, cut off their hands and feet, and thrown into wine vats, saying, "Let these two hags' bones soak drunk!" They died within days.
15
Later Wu Zetian often saw Wang and Xiao as they had been at death—hair undone, blood streaming. She loathed the visions and sought shamans to exorcise them. She moved to Penglai Palace but still saw the ghosts, and thereafter spent much of her time in the eastern capital.
16
輿 使
When Emperor Zhongzong took the throne, the Wang surname was restored and the Xiao clan name as well. Empress He-si ("Harmonious Thought") Zhao of Emperor Zhongzong—hereafter Empress He-si Zhao—was from Chang'an in the capital district. Her grandfather Chuo rose to general of the Right Wing Army on his battlefield record during the Wude years. Her father Gui married Princess Changle, a daughter of Emperor Gaozu, and eventually served as general of the Left Palace Reins Guard. When Zhongzong was Prince of Ying, he made her his princess-consort. When her mother the princess fell from favor, the consort was implicated, deposed, and secretly killed in the palace eunuchs' quarters. Under Wu Zetian's regency, Gui was prefect of Shouzhou but was executed for plotting with Prince Zhen of Yue; the princess died as well. In the first year of Shenlong (705) she was posthumously honored as Empress Gong ("Respectful"), and Gui as commander of the Left Guard. After Zhongzong's death, as burial at Dingling was planned, court opinion held that the convicted Empress Wei should not be enshrined beside him. The late Empress Zhao was therefore given the posthumous title He-si, but since no one knew where she lay, officials performed a soul-summoning rite for joint burial. Court of Sacrifices academician Peng Jingzhi memorialized: "Antiquity knew no soul-summoning burial. One cannot furnish inner and outer coffins or lay out the full funerary train. Follow instead the precedent in the Monograph on Sacrifices in the Book of Han, where the Yellow Emperor's robes were interred at Mount Qiao: bring the empress's spirit robe to the tomb-chamber to summon her soul, place it in the soul carriage, sacrifice with the grand offerings, then lay the robe on the right of the imperial bed, cover it with the funeral pall, and thus complete the joint burial." The court adopted his proposal. Empress Wei of Emperor Zhongzong—hereafter Consort Wei—was from Wannian in the capital district. Her grandfather Hongbiao was a staff officer in the household of the Prince of Cao during Zhenguan. While Zhongzong was crown prince he took her as consort and promoted her father Xuanzhen, a militia officer in Pu Prefecture, to prefect of Yuzhou. In the first year of Sisheng (684) she was made empress. That same year Zhongzong was deposed, and the empress accompanied him into exile at Fangzhou. In those years Zhongzong lived in constant fear. Whenever an imperial envoy was reported, he panicked and was ready to take his own life. The empress comforted him: "Fortune and misfortune turn on each other—what in life is ever fixed? Death comes once—why be in such haste to meet it!" Year after year they shared hardship, and their bond grew very close. She bore Crown Prince Yide and the princesses Yongtai, Yongshou, Changning, and Anle. Anle, the youngest, was born in exile at Fangzhou; the emperor wrapped her in his own robe, hence her nickname "Little Bundle," and she became his especial darling. When Zhongzong was restored as heir apparent, she was again named crown princess. Lady Shangguan, as shining attendant, often urged the empress to follow Wu Zetian's example. She memorialized that all subjects should mourn a divorced birth mother for three full years; and that corvée duty should begin at twenty-three and end at fifty-nine—reforms meant to win popular approval. The emperor approved every proposal.
17
仿
During the Fangzhou exile he often told her: "When we see daylight again, I swear we shall put no restraints on each other. But once restored he heeded the corrupt counsel of Lady Shangguan. He brought Wu Sansi into the palace, where the empress played backgammon with him on the imperial bed while the emperor kept score—all for amusement. Scandalous tales spread daily beyond the walls. He released vast numbers of palace women and even allowed inner attendants to leave the palace grounds from time to time. Lady Shangguan and favored palace women maintained houses outside the palace and came and went without restraint. Sycophantic officials courted them, carousing freely to win favors and promotions, even to the highest posts. Chief minister Jing Hui then sought to purge the Wu clan. Wu Sansi, alarmed, allied with the Shangguans, won access to the empress, and met her secretly in the palace. He prompted the bureaucracy to style the emperor "Emperor Who Responds to Heaven" and the empress "Empress Who Aligns with Heaven." Emperor and empress went in person to the Imperial Ancestors' Temple to announce and give thanks for the new titles. Sansi then ruled arrogantly. Jing Hui and Wang Tongjiao were eliminated in turn, and the realm blamed the empress. She showered preferment on her kin, ennobling relatives inside and outside the palace until they filled every important office. She wished to exalt Princess Anle and decreed that the princess might maintain her own bureau with a full staff. Princess Taiping's privileges equaled those of an imperial prince. Only the bureaus of Changning and Anle lacked a chief secretary. Princesses such as Yicheng, not born to Empress Wei, received half Taiping's allotment. Anle, spoiled and insolent, sold offices and judgments until her power eclipsed the court. She often drafted edicts herself, hid the text, and asked the emperor only to sign. He smiled and agreed without ever reading them. She even asked to be named heir grand-princess; the emperor refused but did not punish her. The officials she appointed were uniformly unworthy. She built mansions on a lavish scale. Changning and the other princesses vied to imitate her, and public resentment spread across the realm.
18
使
In the third year of Shenlong (707), after Crown Prince Jiemin's death, Zong Chuke led the ministers in memorializing an enhanced title for the empress: "Empress Who Aligns with Heaven and Assists the Sage." In the spring of the second year of Jinglong (708), courtiers currying favor claimed that five-colored clouds had risen from the empress's wardrobe. The emperor had artists paint the scene and showed it at court, then declared a general amnesty and raised the noble titles of every official's mother and wife. General of the Right Martial Tiger Guard and acting director of the Astronomical Bureau Yeshi Zhizhong memorialized:
19
:
"In former times, before Gaozu received the Mandate, the realm sang 'Peach and Plum'; before Taizong received the Mandate, 'Prince of Qin Breaks the Array'; before Gaozong received the Mandate, 'Leaning Grand and High'; before the Celestial Empress received the Mandate, 'Lady Wu the Alluring.' Your servant reflects: before the Emperor Who Responds to Heaven received the Mandate, the realm sang 'Prince of Ying's Stonezhou Ballad'; before the Empress Who Aligns with Heaven received the Mandate, 'Mulberry Switch—Wei Too.' Women across the six directions march in step, stamping together at the four seasons and eight festivals, singing and dancing as one. Surely this cannot be mentioned in the same breath as the Ninefold Xiao-shao, when even the beasts led the dance! Your servant reflects: the empress embodies the essence of an emperor's daughter, unites the realm as mother of the state, presides over sericulture to settle the world—among consorts her virtue is supreme. I respectfully submit twelve stanzas of the 'Mulberry Branch Songs' and beg that they be proclaimed throughout the empire, entered in the Music Bureau, and performed at the empress's First Silkworm ceremony when she offers to the ancestral temple."
20
西
The emperor was pleased and agreed, specially granting Zhizhong an entire estate and seven hundred bolts of colored silk. Vice director of the Court of Sacrifices Zheng Yin elaborated the theme in dance-songs and was richly rewarded as well. Minister of war Zong Chuke urged remonstrance archivist Zhao Yanxi to memorialize on omens, interpreting 'Mulberry Branch' as the token of eighteen reigns, and asked that it be proclaimed empire-wide and entered in the histories. The emperor was delighted and promoted Zhao to remonstrance counselor. Lady Shangguan, her mother Lady Zheng, and palace matrons Chai and Helou promoted their kin, took bribes on a vast scale, and issued sealed edicts of their own to sell offices. Slaves, butchers, and peddlers were elevated to honorable rank. She also admitted the sorceress Lady Zhao into the inner palace, enfeoffed her as Dame of Longxi, and gave her influence equal to the Shangguans.
21
祿調
In the winter of the third year the emperor was to offer sacrifice at the Southern Altar himself. Directorate of Education libationer Zhu Qinming and vice director Guo Shanyun proposed: "The empress should share in the subsidiary rites as well. Masters of Ceremonies Tang Shao and Jiang Qinxu submitted memorials in protest. Vice Director of the Right at the Department of State Affairs Wei Juyuan drafted the ritual code and, eager to please, fell in with Qinming's scheme. The emperor took their advice: the empress would serve as secondary offerer, and daughters of chief ministers would be appointed "Imperial maidens" to bear the ritual vessels. Qinming went further, proposing Princess Anle as final offerer, but public outcry made him abandon the idea. On the full-moon night of the first month in the fourth year, the emperor and empress slipped out in disguise to wander the streets and watch the lantern festival. He released several thousand palace women to roam the city at night. Some took illicit lovers among commoners and never came back. Libationer Ye Jingneng practiced petty talismanic arts; Attendant-in-Ordinary Ma Qinke knew medicine; Vice Minister Yang Jun managed the imperial kitchen—all passed freely in and out of the inner quarters. Jun and Qinke both won the empress's favor. Each briefly entered mourning for his mother—and within ten days both were back at their posts. Princess Anle, her consort Wu Yanxiu, Attendant-in-Chief Ji Chune, Grand Counselor Zong Chuke, and Minister Zhao Lüwen distrusted one another even as they formed rival cliques.
22
殿 殿 西 使 姿 殿退 歿使 姿 姿 祿
In the sixth month the emperor was poisoned and died suddenly. Ma Qinke had been at his bedside; rumor soon blamed Qinke and Princess Anle. Terrified, the empress concealed his death and summoned her confidants into the inner palace to plot her own survival. She appointed Pei Tan and Zhang Xi to oversee affairs while she remained at the Eastern Capital; and dispatched General Zhao Cheng'en and eunuch general Xue Chongjian with five hundred men to Junzhou to block the Prince of Qiao Zhongfu. She and her brother Wei Wen installed Prince Chongmao as heir apparent, mustered fifty thousand troops in the capital in two camps, and only then announced the emperor's death. The boy emperor ascended the throne; she became empress dowager and ruled from behind the curtain. Wei Wen commanded all palace and capital forces; his kinsmen by marriage Wei Jie and Wei Zhuo held the left and right camps; Wu Yanxiu, nephews Bo and Xuan, and Gao Chong controlled the Imperial Guard and the elite cavalry units. Bo and Xuan tried to assert authority by flogging guardsmen on their first day in office. The men hated them and refused to fight. Fear spread through the capital. Whispers of revolution grew; unease ran everywhere. On dingwei day the Prince of Linzi led Xue Chongjian, Zhong Shaojing, and Liu Youqiu with the guard through the Xuanwu Gate into the Left Forest Army camp and cut down Wei Xuan, Wei Bo, and Gao Chong in their quarters. They forced the gates and advanced to the Hall of Supreme Ultimate. The empress fled in panic to the Flying Cavalry camp before the hall; mutinous troops killed her, Wu Yanxiu, and Princess Anle. Separate detachments hunted down Wei Wen, his nephew Jie, and his clansman Ying; together with Zong Chuke, his brother Jinqing, Ji Chune, Ma Qinke, Ye Jingneng, Yang Jun, Zhao Lüwen, Wang Zhe, Li [Director of Sacrifices], Li Shouzhi, and every member of the Wei and Wu lineages, young and old alike. All were beheaded. Their heads were displayed at the Eastern Market. The next day an edict ordered her body retrieved and buried with first-rank honors, while posthumously degrading her to commoner status; Princess Anle received third-rank burial but was posthumously branded Rebellious Commoner. Shangguan Wan'er, styled Zhaorong under Emperor Zhongzong, was granddaughter of Vice Director Shangguan Yi. Her father Tingzhi was executed with Yi; Wan'er was an infant and entered the palace with her mother. She grew skilled in letters and well versed in court business. Under Wu Zetian she once faced execution for an offense; the empress spared her for her talent and only branded her face. After the Shengli era she was regularly consulted on memorials from every department. Zhongzong put her in charge of drafting edicts and trusted her completely. She was soon made Zhaorong; her mother Lady Zheng was created Lady of Pei. After her affair with Wu Sansi, her edicts routinely exalted the Wu clan and slighted the Li imperial house. Crown Prince Chongjun despised her; when he rebelled he hammered at the Suozhang Gate demanding her surrender. Wan'er cried out, "Judging by this, next they will demand the empress—and then Your Majesty himself. The emperor and empress, enraged, escorted her to the Xuanwu Gate tower to escape the fighting. The crisis soon passed. She urged expanding the Zhaowen Academy, gathering the court's finest writers, and hosting endless banquets of poetry. She often wrote for the emperor, empress, and the Princesses of Changning and Anle—several poems at once, all of exquisite verse that the age loved to recite. She took Vice Director Cui Shi as lover and secured him a role in government. Shi had been sent to open a new road through Shangshan; the work was unfinished when Zhongzong died. Wan'er drafted the death edict, exaggerating his achievement and heaping rewards upon him. When Empress Wei fell, Wan'er was beheaded beneath the rebel standard. Xuanzong gathered her writings into a twenty-scroll collection and had Zhang Yue compose the preface. While Wan'er was in the womb her mother dreamed of receiving a great balance-scale; the diviner said, "You will bear a noble child who will wield the nation's scales. When a girl was born, all laughed—the prophecy had failed. Yet when Wan'er dominated inner government, the omen proved true. Empress Suming Shunsheng, née Liu, consort of Ruizong, was granddaughter of Minister Liu Dewei. Her father Yanjing had been prefect of Shan; in 710 he was posthumously made Right Vice Director and Duke of Pei. While Ruizong was a prince in the Yifeng era he took her as consort; she bore Prince Xian of Ning and the Princesses of Shouchang and Daiguo. When Ruizong became emperor in 684 she was made empress; when he was demoted to heir apparent she was reduced to consort. During the Changshou era she and Empress Dou were both condemned and executed by Wu Zetian. In 710 she was posthumously titled Empress Suming and given a burial of summoned soul south of Luoyang at Huiling. When Ruizong died her spirit was moved to share Qiaoling. Because of Empress Dowager Dou she was not enshrined in the Grand Ancestral Temple but worshipped separately at Yikun Shrine. In 732 she was at last admitted to the Grand Temple. Empress Zhaocheng Shunsheng, née Dou, consort of Ruizong, was great-granddaughter of the master craftsman Dou Kang. Her grandfather Dan was Grand Justice and Duke of Shen. Her father Xiaochen had been prefect of Run; in 710 he was posthumously made Grand Preceptor and Duke of Bin. Gentle and observant of ritual, she won singular honor when Ruizong was Prince of Xiang. In 684 she was made Virtuous Consort. She bore Xuanzong and the Princesses Jinxian and Yuzhen. In 693 palace maid Tuan'er accused her and Empress Liu of witchcraft and curses. On the second day of the first month they attended Wu Zetian at the Hall of Abundant Joy—and were both slain upon leaving. No one knew where their bodies lay. When Ruizong took the throne he titled her Empress Zhaocheng and gave her a summoned-soul burial south of the capital at Jingling. He also founded the Yikun Shrine in the capital. After Ruizong's death she was honored as empress dowager, reburied at Qiaoling, and her tablet installed in the Grand Temple. Deposed Empress Wang of Xuanzong, of Xia_gui in Tongzhou, descended from Liang inspector Sheinian. He married her when he was Prince of Linzi. She took part in the secret plotting of his coup and helped bring it to success. In 712 she became empress; her father Renjiao rose to Grand Stablemaster, then Kaifu yitong sansi, then Duke of Bin. Her brother Shouyi, fearing her childlessness would cost her the throne, led her into talismanic sorcery. The heterodox monk Mingwu sacrificed to the Dippers, carved thunder-wood talismans inscribed with heaven-and-earth characters and the emperor's name, and prayed: "Who wears this shall bear a son and match Empress Wu. When the plot was exposed the emperor investigated personally—and every charge proved true. On jimao day in the seventh month of 724 an edict declared: "Empress Wang lacks Heaven's favor—splendid appearance, hollow substance. She stirred lawsuits and faction in court, showed a rebellious heart, and committed unspeakable crimes. How could she tend the ancestral shrines or mother the realm? Depose her to commoner rank and house her in a separate palace. Family discipline shames the ancient kings; for the state's sake the throne acts with deepest reluctance. Shouyi was ordered to take his own life. She died that October and was buried with first-rank honors at Wuxiang Temple. In 762 her conviction was cleared and she was restored as empress. Empress Zhenshun, née Wu, consort of Xuanzong, was daughter of Prince Youzhi of Heng'an, Wu Zetian's clansman. After Youzhi's death she was still a child and entered the palace by custom. After his accession she gradually won his favor. After Empress Wang's fall she was titled Exalted Consort (Huifei), with ritual standing equal to the empress. Her mother Lady Yang was created Lady of Zheng. Her half-brother Zhong rose to libationer of the Directorate of Education; her half-brother Xin became Director of the Palace Library. Early in Kaiyuan she bore three children who died in infancy; the emperor mourned each deeply. When Prince Shou (Mao) was born he dared not raise him in the palace and had Prince of Ning Xian rear him outside. She later bore Prince Qi of Sheng and the Princesses Xianyi and Taihua. Huifei died in the twelfth month of 737, aged over forty. An edict declared: "The living deserve exemplary virtue; the dead honor in title—not for courtiers alone but for those who shaped inner governance—such is enduring custom. Exalted Consort Wu was gentle in youth and wise in maturity; her conduct matched the classics, her words the chronicles. Born to imperial kin, she rose to the palace's highest rank—proud rank yet not arrogant, modesty only increasing her luster. She governed herself by the Way, harmonized those beneath her, embodied all four virtues, and set the standard for the six palaces. She upheld propriety through her own conduct, not through the ornaments of rank; Her personal austerity set the example, leading others even to wear plain hemp. Of singular grace, she was to be elevated to chief consort, yet repeatedly declined the honor. When she died suddenly, the emperor's grief was profound: the rites of the jade garment never crowned her in life; only the posthumous honors of her rank remained to exalt her memory. Let her be posthumously styled Empress Zhenshun, with the proper offices to choose a day for the enshrinement rites. She was buried at Jingling." Princes Qing and others asked to wear full mourning for her; officials proposed suspending court business on her death anniversary—the emperor refused both. A shrine was built south of Haotian Abbey in Chang'an; after the Qianyuan era (758–760), even memorial offerings ceased. Consort Yang, favorite of Emperor Xuanzong: her ancestor Yang Lingben had served as governor of Jinzhou. Her father Yang Xuanyan was registrar of Shu Prefecture. Orphaned young, she was raised by her uncle Xuanjiong, a registrar in the Henan prefectural government. Early in the Kaiyuan reign, Consort Wu Huifei enjoyed exceptional favor, and Empress Wang was deposed. When Huifei died in 736, the emperor mourned her for a long while; among the thousands in the inner palace, none could please him. Someone reported that Xuanyan's daughter was the most beautiful woman of the age and ought to be summoned to court. At the time she wore Taoist robes and was known as Taizhen. After she was presented, Xuanzong was delighted. Within a year she received honors equal to those once granted Huifei. Taizhen was voluptuous and radiant, skilled in song and dance, versed in music, and sharper in mind than most. Her every glance and gesture swayed the emperor's mood. The palace called her "My Lady," and in ceremony she was treated virtually as empress. She had three sisters, all gifted and beautiful; Xuanzong ennobled them as State Ladies: the eldest, called Big Aunt, became Lady of Han; the third sister as Lady of Guo; and the eighth sister as Lady of Qin. They all shared her favor, moved freely in and out of the palace, and their influence dominated the empire. Her father Xuanyan was posthumously promoted to Grand Commandant and Duke of Qi; her mother was styled Lady of Liang; her uncle Xuangui became Director of the Imperial Household. Her cousin Xian was appointed Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. Qi, a palace censor, married Princess Taihua, daughter of Huifei; through his mother's favor he outranked other imperial sons-in-law and received a grand residence adjoining the palace walls. Whenever the three State Ladies and the five Yang households made a request, local officials obeyed as if it were an edict; gifts poured in from every quarter until their gates resembled a marketplace.
23
耀 使 使 使 使
In the seventh month of Kaiyuan 5 (717), the consort was briefly banished to Yang Xian's house for a minor offense. By noon the emperor was pining for her and would not eat. Gao Lishi, sensing the emperor's mood, sent more than a hundred cartloads of bedding, furnishings, and provisions to her quarters, and the emperor shared his own meals with her. The slightest displeasure sent him into a rage, and he beat his attendants. Lishi knelt and asked permission to bring the consort back to the palace. That night the Anxing Lane gate opened to admit her; she prostrated herself in apology, and the emperor received her with joy. The next day the Ladies of Han and Guo sent delicacies; music played all day, and attendants received sudden largesse. From then on her favor only deepened. The three State Ladies received a thousand strings of cash yearly for cosmetics. Xian was made a third-rank Pillar of the State, with ceremonial halberds set before his mansion. The five Yang households built mansions rivaling the palace itself; their carriages and retinues blazed through the capital as each strove to outshine the others. Each hall cost more than ten million cash; if they saw a finer building elsewhere, they tore theirs down and rebuilt, with construction crews laboring day and night. Imperial gifts and tribute from every region were divided equally among the five households, with palace envoys arriving without pause. Since the Kaiyuan era began, no clan had matched the Yang in wealth and power. On every imperial outing the consort accompanied him; when she rode, Gao Lishi held her reins and offered her whip. Seven hundred artisans in the palace wove brocades and embroidery for her quarters; several hundred more did carving and metalwork. Governors of Yangzhou, Yizhou, and the far south vied to commission exotic goods as gifts to the consort, and many were promoted for it. Each October Xuanzong visited Huaqing Palace with Guozhong and the five Yang households in train. Each family marched in a single color; together they bloomed like a garden in procession, shedding hairpins, shoes, pearls, and kingfisher ornaments that scented the road. Guozhong carried on an affair with the Lady of Guo with scandalous openness; they sometimes rode paired chariots to court without even drawing curtains. At the thrice-monthly court celebrations they arrived before dawn in full regalia, filling the streets with torchlight bright as day. Marriages among the imperial clansmen in the Ten Residences and Hundred Grandsons Academy all passed through the Ladies of Han and Guo as brokers; a thousand strings of cash secured each petition, and none was refused. In 750 the consort again offended the emperor and was sent to her family's house. Ji Wen, who was close to the chief eunuchs, memorialized: "Women lack foresight and may offend Your Majesty, yet the consort has long enjoyed your favor. Why deny her a place in the palace? To let her face death abroad—how could you bear such shame for her! The emperor sent the eunuch Zhang Taoguang with imperial food. The consort, weeping, sent word through him: "I have offended Your Majesty and deserve death. Apart from these garments, all I own is your gift and I can leave nothing behind—yet my hair and skin were given by my parents. She cut a lock of her hair and sent it with her message. Xuanzong was stricken with remorse and ordered Lishi to bring her back at once.
24
西 使祿 祿祿 祿 祿 西
Once Guozhong became chief minister and also held the Jiannan command, his power grew insolent. On the Lantern Night of the first month in 751, the five Yang households rode out and clashed at the West Market gate with Princess Guangping's escort. A Yang servant's whip struck the princess's robe; she fell from her horse. Her husband Cheng Changyi helped her up and was beaten several times himself. The princess wept and reported the affair; the emperor ordered the Yang servant executed and stripped Changyi of his post. Guozhong's sons Can and Xuan and the consort's brother Jian all married imperial women; the Yang clan thus wed two princesses and two commandery princesses. A private ancestral temple was built for her forebears; Xuanzong composed and personally inscribed its stele. Xuangui rose to Minister of War. During the Tianbao era, An Lushan, military commissioner of Fanyang, won great victories on the frontier and earned the emperor's deep favor. When Lushan came to court, the emperor had the consort's sisters and Lushan swear brotherhood. Lushan addressed the consort as his mother; at every feast the emperor showered him with gifts. When Lushan rebelled, his public manifesto listed Guozhong's crimes. With rebellion spreading in Hebei, Xuanzong named the crown prince commander of all forces to oversee military affairs. Guozhong was terrified; the Yang clan wept together while the consort begged on bended knee, and the emperor abandoned the planned abdication. After Tong Pass fell, the court fled to Mawei, where Imperial Guard general Chen Xuanli secretly urged the crown prince to execute Guozhong and his sons. The troops still would not disperse. Xuanzong sent Lishi to ask their grievance; they answered, "The root of the rebellion remains"—meaning the consort. Lishi reported again; the emperor, left no choice, gave the order, and she was strangled in a chapel. She was thirty-eight; her body was buried beside the post road.
25
使 使 殿
After the retired emperor returned from Shu, he sent eunuchs to offer sacrifices and ordered her reburial. Vice Minister of Rites Li Kui said: "The Longwu guards killed Guozhong for betraying the state and bringing on rebellion. To rebury the former consort now may alarm the troops; the funeral cannot proceed. The plan was halted. The retired emperor secretly ordered eunuchs to rebury her elsewhere. At the first burial she had been wrapped in a purple quilt; though her flesh had decayed, her perfumed sachet remained intact. When the eunuchs presented it, the retired emperor wept in grief and had her portrait painted in a side hall, which he gazed upon morning and night.
26
婿 婿
When Guozhong was killed at Mawei, the Lady of Guo fled on horseback toward Chencang. Magistrate Xue Jingxian pursued her with his officers into a bamboo grove. They killed her son Pei Hui and a daughter first. Guozhong's wife Pei Rou said, "My lady, end my life for me. The Lady of Guo stabbed her dead. She then tried to cut her own throat but survived; the officers took her to jail. She still asked the jailer, "Are you the state? Or rebels? He answered, "A bit of both." Blood clogged her throat and she died; they buried her outside the city wall. The Lady of Han's son-in-law Cui Xun, vice director of the Secretariat, had a daughter who became a consort of Emperor Daizong. The Lady of Guo's son Pei Hui had married Princess Yan'an, daughter of Daizong; a daughter married a son of the retired emperor. The Lady of Qin's son-in-law Liu Cheng died early; her son Jun married a commandery princess of Changqing, and Cheng's brother Tan married Princess Hezheng, daughter of Suzong.
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