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卷六十七 列傳第十七: 李靖 李勣

Volume 67 Biographies 17: Li Jing, Li Ji

Chapter 71 of 舊唐書 · Old Book of Tang
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Chapter 71
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1
Li Jing — with sections on Keshe, Lingwen, and Yanfang.
2
Li Ji — with a section on Sun Jingye.
3
姿 使使 退 使 使 退便
Li Jing, whose original name was Yaoshi, came from Sanyuan in Yong Province. His grandfather Chongyi had served as Governor of Yin Prefecture under the Later Wei and held the title Duke of Yongkang. His father Quan had been Administrator of Zhao Commandery in Sui times. Jing was imposing in build and bearing and showed civil and military ability from an early age. He often told those close to him, "When a man of stature finds his sovereign and his moment, he must win merit and make his mark to earn wealth and rank." His uncle by marriage, Han Qinhu, a general of celebrated name, would discuss warfare with him and unfailingly speak well of him, patting his shoulder and saying, "Of all those with whom one could discuss the strategies of Sunzi and Wuzi, this is the man." He first entered Sui service as records clerk in Chang'an County and later rose to vice director in the imperial transport office. The Left Vice Director Yang Su and the Minister of Personnel Niu Hong both took a liking to him. Yang Su once patted his own seat and told Jing, "You will one day sit in this place." Toward the end of the Daye era he was appointed, after several promotions, assistant magistrate of Mayi Commandery. When Gaozu was campaigning against the Turks beyond the passes, Jing sized him up and saw that he harbored empire-wide ambitions. Jing therefore put himself in chains and prepared a denunciation to carry to the Sui emperor at Jiangdu, but when he reached Chang'an the roads were blocked and he went no farther. After Gaozu took the capital he seized Jing and was about to execute him. Jing shouted, "You raised your army to rid the realm of tyranny and chaos — will you abandon the great cause and kill a able man over a private grievance?" Gaozu was struck by his boldness, and Taizong pleaded insistently on his behalf, so he was spared. Taizong soon brought him onto his staff. In Wude year 3 he took part in the campaign against Wang Shichong and, for his service, was made a Champion of the state. Xiao Xian then held Jingzhou, and Jing was dispatched to pacify the region. Riding with a light force he reached Jin Prefecture and found tens of thousands of tribal raiders massed in the mountain valleys. The Prince of Lujiang, Yuan, had attacked them but had been beaten back again and again. Jing and Yuan laid a plan together and struck them, winning many victories and much booty. Once he reached Xia Prefecture he was blocked by Xiao Xian and could not advance for a long time. Gaozu was furious at the delay and secretly ordered the commissioner of Xia Prefecture, Xu Shao, to put him to death. Xu Shao valued his ability and pleaded for his life, and so he was spared. About then the tribal leader of Kai Prefecture, Ran Zhaize, rebelled and led his followers against Qie Prefecture. The Prince of Zhao Commandery, Xiaogong, met him in battle but fared badly. Jing led eight hundred men in a surprise attack that broke their camp. Later he laid an ambush in difficult terrain, slew Zhaize in the fighting, and took more than five thousand prisoners. Gaozu was delighted and told his ministers, "They say it is better to use a man's fault than his merit — Li Jing has proved it." He sent down an imperial letter of praise: "You have given your utmost loyalty and effort, and your achievements stand out. Reading your devotion from afar, I reward you most highly — have no fear for your fortune and rank." He also wrote Jing a personal edict: "The past is not held against you — I have long forgotten the old affair." In year 4 Jing submitted ten stratagems for bringing down Xiao Xian. Gaozu accepted the plan and made Jing campaign commander, with concurrent duty as chief clerk on Xiaogong's staff. Because Xiaogong had little field experience, Gaozu entrusted the entire army to Jing. That August he gathered his forces at Qie Prefecture. Xiao Xian reckoned that autumn floods had swollen the Yangzi, that the Three Gorges were impassable, and that Jing could not advance — so he stood his army down and made no preparations. In the ninth month Jing led his army forward. As they were about to enter the gorges, every general urged a halt until the floods subsided. Jing said, "War prizes speed — the moment must not be lost. Our forces have only just gathered and Xian does not yet know it. If we ride the flood and reach his walls in a flash, it will be like thunder before he can cover his ears — the supreme stratagem of war. Even if he learns of us, he cannot levy troops in time to meet us — we are sure to take him." Xiaogong agreed and pushed on to Yiling. Xiao Xian's general Wen Shihong had tens of thousands of crack troops at Qingjiang. Xiaogong wanted to attack at once. Jing said, "Shihong is Xian's best commander and his men fight fiercely. Having just lost Jingmen, he has thrown his whole force into the field — an army fighting to reverse defeat. I fear we cannot face them head-on. We should anchor on the south bank and refuse battle until their ardor fades, then strike hard — and we are sure to break them." Xiaogong would not listen. He left Jing to hold the camp and led his army into battle. Xiaogong was indeed beaten and fled to the south bank. The enemy ships looted freely and every man was weighed down with plunder. Seeing their ranks in disorder, Jing loosed his troops and routed them, taking more than four hundred vessels and killing nearly ten thousand by blade and drowning. Xiaogong sent Jing ahead with five thousand light troops. Reaching Jiangling, he pitched camp below the walls. With Shihong defeated, Xian was terrified and only then began raising troops south of the river — but they never arrived. Xiaogong came up with the main force. Jing defeated Xian's crack generals Yang Junmao and Zheng Wenxiu, took more than four thousand armored men prisoner, and pressed the siege of Xian's city. The next day Xian sent envoys to surrender. Jing entered the city at once, enforced strict discipline, and allowed no private looting. The generals all urged Xiaogong: "Xian's officers who died fighting us are guilty of grave crimes — let us confiscate their households to reward the troops." Jing said, "The army of a true king exists to succor the suffering and punish the guilty. The people were driven to fight — how could resistance have been their wish? Besides, a dog barks at a stranger, not its master — they cannot be classed with rebels. That is why Kuai Tong escaped execution under the Han founder. Jing and Ying are newly pacified — we should show magnanimity to reassure hearts near and far. To confiscate the property of men who have surrendered is hardly the spirit of rescuing those in fire and flood. I fear only that from this day every southern town will hold out stubbornly — that would be poor policy." The proposal was dropped. Throughout the Jiang and Han regions, every district rushed to submit on hearing of it. For his service he was made Pillar of the State, enfeoffed as Duke of Yongkang County, and given two thousand five hundred bolts of silk. He was ordered to serve as acting Inspector of Jing Prefecture with authority to appoint and invest officials on the emperor's behalf. He crossed the ranges into Gui Prefecture and sent parties by several routes to win over the tribes. The great chieftains Feng Ang, Li Guangdu, Ning Zhenchang, and others all sent sons or younger brothers to pay court, and Jing invested them with offices and titles by imperial commission. In all he brought ninety-six prefectures and more than six hundred thousand households into allegiance. An edict of praise and encouragement appointed him Pacification Commissioner for the Lingnan circuit and acting commander of Gui Prefecture. In year 16 Fu Gongshi rebelled at Danyang. Xiaogong was named supreme commander with Jing as his deputy to suppress him. Li Ji, Ren Gui, Zhang Zhenzhou, Huang Junhan, and six other commanders were all placed under their command. The army halted at Shu Prefecture. Gongshi sent Feng Huiliang with thirty thousand river troops to hold Dangtu, while Chen Zhengtong and Xu Shaozong held Qinglin Mountain with twenty thousand foot and horse. At Liang Mountain they stretched iron chains across the river, built the Receding Moon fortress for more than ten li, and formed a pincer with Huiliang's fleet. Xiaogong called a council of his generals. All said, "Huiliang and Zhengtong hold strong forces and mean to avoid battle. Their fortifications are too solid to storm. Let us march straight on Danyang and strike their nest. Once Danyang falls, Huiliang will surrender of his own accord." Xiaogong was inclined to agree. Jing said, "Gongshi's best troops may be split between river and land, but the men he leads himself are all crack fighters. If Huiliang's fortifications cannot be taken, how can we expect to pluck Gongshi easily from Stone City? If we reach Danyang and linger half a month, Gongshi will still stand before us while Huiliang threatens our rear — we would be caught between two fires. That is no sure plan. Huiliang and Zhengtong are hardened veterans and are not afraid of field battle. They act only for Gongshi's sake, counseling him to stand on the defensive and wear our army down without fighting. To strike their fortifications now is to catch them unawares — our chance to destroy the rebels lies in this move alone." Xiaogong agreed. Jing led Huang Junhan and others against Huiliang first. After a hard fight he broke the enemy fleet, killing or drowning more than ten thousand men, and Huiliang fled. Jing pressed ahead with light troops to Danyang, and Gongshi was terrified. He sent the rebel general Zuo Youxian to hold Kuaiji as a reserve and fled east with his army to join him. At Wu Commandery he was captured, followed in turn by Huiliang and Zhengtong, and the entire south was pacified. The Southeast Circuit Executive was then established, and Jing was made its Minister of War, with gifts of a thousand bolts of silk, a hundred slave women, and a hundred horses. That year the executive was abolished, and he was made acting chief administrator of the Yangzhou metropolitan command. Danyang had suffered repeated warfare and the people were destitute. Jing pacified the region, and Wu and Chu were restored to calm. In year 8 the Turks raided Taiyuan. Jing was made campaign commander of ten thousand troops from the Jiang and Huai regions and, with Zhang Jin, encamped at Dagu Valley. While other armies fared badly, Jing's force alone came through unscathed. He was soon made acting metropolitan commander of An Prefecture. Gaozu often said, "Li Jing was the mortal sickness of Xiao Xian and Fu Gongshi — how could the great captains of old, Han Xin, Bai Qi, Wei Qing, and Huo Qubing, match him?" In year 9 the Turkic khan Mohezhuo raided the frontier, and Jing was summoned as campaign commander on the Lingzhou route. When Khan Jieli reached Jingyang, Jing forced his march to Bin Prefecture to cut the Turks' retreat. Soon afterward a marriage alliance was concluded with the nomads and the campaign ended.
4
退使 使 使 西 祿 使 祿 西 退 西
When Taizong succeeded to the throne, Jing was appointed Minister of Punishments. His past and present achievements were recorded together, and he received a substantive fief of four hundred households. In Zhenguan year 2 he was made acting Director of the Central Secretariat while retaining his existing post. In year 3 he was transferred to Minister of War. As the Turkic tribes broke away, the court prepared an offensive and made Jing campaign commander on the Daizhou route. He led three thousand elite horsemen from Mayi in a surprise march straight to Wuyang Ridge to press the enemy. Khan Tuli had not expected Jing. When the imperial army appeared without warning, he was terrified and his men said to one another, "If the Tang had not sent their full strength, how would Jing dare come alone?" They were alarmed several times in a single day. Jing saw his chance and secretly sent agents to sow discord among the khan's inner circle. Tuli's close associate Kang Sumi came over to the Tang. In year 4 Jing advanced against Dingxiang and took it, capturing the Sui prince Yang Zhengdao, son of Prince of Qi Yang Zhao, and Empress Xiao of Emperor Yang, whom he sent to the capital. The khan escaped with only his own person. For this achievement he was advanced to Duke of Dai, with six hundred bolts of silk, fine horses, and precious vessels. Taizong once told him, "Long ago Li Ling led five thousand foot soldiers yet still fell captive to the Xiongnu — and his name was written into history nonetheless. You took three thousand light horsemen deep into the steppe, recovered Dingxiang, and shook the northern tribes — a feat unmatched in any age, and enough to answer for the battle at the Wei River years ago." After the fall of Dingxiang, Khan Jieli was terrified. He withdrew to Iron Mountain, sent envoys to court to confess his crimes, and asked to submit his whole people. Jing was again made campaign commander on the Dingxiang route and sent to receive Jieli. Though Jieli asked to come to court, he still hesitated in secret. That February Taizong sent the Grand Master of Ceremonies Tang Jian and General An Xiuren to reassure him. Jing read his mind and told General Zhang Gongjin, "When the envoys arrive, the Turks will surely let down their guard. He chose ten thousand elite horsemen, loaded twenty days' rations, and led them down the White Route in a surprise attack." Zhang Gongjin said, "The throne has already accepted their surrender, and our envoys are among them. It is not yet the time to strike." Jing replied, "This is the chance war gives us, and the moment will not wait. It is how Han Xin destroyed Qi. As for men like Tang Jian, they are hardly worth grieving over." He drove the army forward at full speed. When they reached Yinshan they overran more than a thousand Turk scout camps and took every man captive to march with the column. Jieli welcomed the envoys in high spirits, never imagining that imperial troops were already near. Not until Jing's army was within fifteen li of the khan's camp did the Turks realize what was happening. Jieli fled ahead of the rest, terrified by their strength, and his host collapsed in rout. Jing's men took more than ten thousand heads and over a hundred thousand captives, and killed Jieli's wife, the Sui princess Yicheng. Jieli fled on a swift horse toward Tuyuhun, but Zhang Baoxiang, commander on the western route, captured him and sent him in. Soon afterward Khan Tuli came over to the Tang side. Dingxiang and Chang'an were restored, and the border was pushed from Yinshan north to the edge of the desert. When Taizong first heard that Jing had broken Jieli, he was overjoyed and told his ministers, "They say that when the ruler is troubled, the minister feels shame, and when the ruler is shamed, the minister should die. When the dynasty was first being built, the Retired Emperor bowed to the Turks for the people's sake. I have never ceased to burn with shame and rage, longing to destroy them, unable to rest in my seat or taste my food. Now a single wing of the army has moved out and won everywhere it went. The chanyu has come to the frontier in submission—has that shame not been wiped clean!" He then granted a general amnesty to the empire and declared five days of celebration. Censor-in-Chief Wen Yanbo, jealous of Jing's victory, accused him of letting his troops run wild so that the Turks' rare treasures fell into the hands of looting soldiers. Taizong sharply reproached him, and Jing prostrated himself in apology. Some time later Taizong told him, "Under the Sui, the general Shi Wansui defeated Khan Datou, but his merit went unrewarded and he was executed on a false charge. I am not like that. I will pardon your faults and honor your achievements." An edict appointed him Left Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, gave him a thousand bolts of silk, and confirmed his permanent fief at five hundred households in all. Before long Taizong told Jing, "Someone slandered you before, but I see clearly now. Do not let it weigh on you." He gave him two thousand bolts of silk and made him Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. Jing was grave and reserved by nature. In council with the chief ministers he was so deferential that he seemed barely able to speak at all. In the eighth year he was appointed envoy of the metropolitan circuit to inspect local customs. Soon afterward he petitioned to retire on account of a foot ailment, in language of deep sincerity. Taizong sent the Vice Director of the Secretariat, Cen Wenben, to tell him, "From ancient times until now, I have seen few men who stood in wealth and power and knew when they had enough. Wise or foolish, almost none can judge themselves honestly. Even when unfit for office they cling to rank, and even when ill they drag themselves back to duty. You understand the larger truth, and that is deeply admirable. I am not only granting your wish; I mean to hold you up as a model for your whole generation." He then issued a gracious edict, promoted him to Special Advance, and allowed him to convalesce at home. He gave him a thousand lengths of goods and two horses from the imperial stables. Salary, perquisites, and household staff were unchanged. If his illness eased, he was to attend deliberations at the Secretariat and Chancellery every few days. In the first month of the ninth year he gave Jing a cane of lingzhi wood to help him with his foot ailment. Before long Tuyuhun raided the border. Taizong turned to his ministers and said, "If only we could have Li Jing as commander—would that not be ideal!" Jing went to Fang Xuanling and said, "I am old, but I am still equal to one more campaign." Taizong was delighted and at once made Jing grand campaign commander on the Western Sea route, putting him over Minister of War Prince Daozong of Rencheng, Liangzhou commander Li Daliang, General of the Right Guard Li Daoyan, Li Prefecture governor Gao Zengsheng, and the other route commanders for the expedition. That year the army reached Fuqi City. Tuyuhun burned the pasture to starve the Tang horses and fell back on Da Feichuan. The generals all said the spring grass had not yet come in, the horses were already thin, and they could not advance to fight. Jing alone decided to press on. He drove deep into enemy country and crossed Jishi Mountain. In dozens of engagements they killed and wounded vast numbers of the enemy and broke Tuyuhun's power. The Tuyuhun then killed their own khan and submitted. Jing installed Prince Ning of Dading, Murong Shun, as ruler and marched home. Earlier, when Li Prefecture governor Gao Zengsheng served as commander on the Salt Marsh route, he had arrived late. Jing rebuked him lightly, and from that Zengsheng nursed a grudge. Now he joined with Tang Fengyi, chief clerk of the Guangzhou area command, in accusing Jing of plotting rebellion. Taizong ordered a judicial inquiry, and Zengsheng and his accomplices were convicted of slander. Jing then shut his gates and withdrew from the world. He refused all visitors, and even kinsmen were not allowed in without good reason. In the eleventh year he was re-created Duke of Wei and made governor of Pu Prefecture. Hereditary succession was again ordered, but the practice was never actually applied. In the fourteenth year Jing's wife died. An edict ordered that her tomb be laid out after the Han precedents of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing; and a gate-tower was built in the forms of Iron Mountain among the Turks and Jishi Mountain in Tuyuhun, to honor his extraordinary victories. In the seventeenth year an edict ordered portraits of Jing, Prince Xiaogong of Zhao Commandery, and twenty-two others painted in the Lingyan Pavilion. In the eighteenth year the emperor visited his home to ask after his health, gave him five hundred bolts of silk, and promoted him to Duke of Wei with the privilege of an office equal to the Three Excellencies. When Taizong prepared to campaign against Liaodong, he summoned Jing to the inner hall, seated him before the throne, and said, "You pacified the south, cleared the northern desert, and settled the Murong westward. Only Goguryeo in the east still defies us. What do you think?" Jing answered, "In the past I borrowed the emperor's might and achieved a little. Now, though I am old bones in my last years, this is the campaign I have my heart set on. If Your Majesty does not cast me aside, even this old man's illness may yet mend." Taizong, moved by pity for his frail age, refused. In the twenty-third year he died at home, at the age of seventy-nine. He was posthumously created Minister of Education and area commander of Bingzhou, granted forty ceremonial guards and an imperial funeral escort, buried beside Zhaoling, and given the posthumous name Jingwu. His son Deqian succeeded him and rose to vice director of palace construction.
5
西
Jing's younger brother Keshe served in the Zhenguan era as general of the Right Martial Guard and was repeatedly enfeoffed as Duke of Danyang for his battle honors. At the start of the Yonghui era he retired on account of age. He loved the hunt and rode after game through all four seasons without pause. He kept a country estate south of Kunming Pond. From beyond the capital west to the Li River, every bird and beast knew him. Whenever he rode out, birds and magpies followed shrieking after him, and country folk called him "the Bird Thief." He died during the Zongzhang era, aged more than ninety.
6
In the Dahe era Jing's descendant Yanfang, a recorder in Fengxiang Prefecture, came to court with more than ten scrolls of patents, edicts, and autograph orders that Gaozu and Taizong had given the Duke of Wei. Four bore Taizong's own hand, and Emperor Wenzong treasured them so dearly he could not put them down. Even the brush Jing had carried still wrote well, kept in an exquisitely made case of gold-mounted wood. The emperor kept them in the palace, had scribes copy them and returned the originals, and rewarded Yanfang with two hundred bolts of silk, clothing, boots, and court regalia.
7
Li Ji came from Lihu in Cao Prefecture. At the end of the Sui his family moved to Weinan in Hua Prefecture. His original surname was Xu and his name Shiji. In the Yonghui era, to avoid Taizong's taboo, he shortened his name to Ji. The household kept many servants and stored several thousand zhong of grain. He and his father Gai were both generous by nature, helping the poor without regard to kin or stranger. At the end of the Daye era Zhai Rang of Weicheng raised a band of rebels, and Ji joined him. He was seventeen and told Rang, "This country is yours and mine. The people know one another here. We should not prey on our own neighbors. Song and Zheng commanderies lie along the Imperial Canal, where merchants and boats pass without end. If we intercept traffic there, we can support ourselves well enough." Rang agreed. They began seizing goods from public and private boats, and their force grew rapidly. The Sui sent Zhang Xituo, administrator of Qi Commandery, against them with twenty thousand men. Ji fought him again and again and finally killed him on the field. Earlier Li Mi was a fugitive at Yongqiu, and Wang Bodang of Junyi was living in hiding. Bodang and Ji together persuaded Zhai Rang to accept Mi as leader. The Sui ordered Wang Shichong to suppress Mi. Ji defeated Shichong on the Luo with a clever stratagem, and Mi created him Duke of Donghai. Henan and Shandong were then ravaged by flood, and nearly half the people died. The Sui emperor ordered the hungry to go to Liyang for grain and opened the storehouses for relief. By then government had collapsed into chaos. The granary officials failed to distribute relief in time, and tens of thousands died each day. Ji told Mi, "The empire is in chaos because people are starving. If we can take the granary at Liyang, the great enterprise will be won." Mi sent Ji with five thousand men to cross the Yellow River from Yuanwu in a surprise attack. They took the place the same day, opened the granaries, and within ten days had more than two hundred thousand fighting men. More than a year later Yuwen Huaji murdered the emperor at Jiangdu, gathered an army, and marched north toward Dong Commandery. Prince Yue Yang Tong had then taken the throne in the Eastern Capital. He pardoned Mi, made him Grand Marshal, and created him Duke of Wei; and appointed Ji grand general of the Right Martial Guard with orders to suppress Huaji. Mi sent Ji to hold Cang City. Ji dug deep trenches outside the walls to stand firm. Huaji brought up siege engines and attacked from all sides, but the trenches kept him from the walls. Ji dug tunnels beneath the trenches, sallied out, and routed him.
8
西 使 使 使 使 西 使 使 祿 使
In the second year of Wude, Wang Shichong broke Mi's force and Mi came over to the Tang with his followers. Ji still held Mi's old domain, from the sea in the east to the Yangzi in the south, Ru Prefecture in the west, and Wei Commandery in the north, and had not yet declared for any side. He told his chief administrator Guo Xiaoke, "Since Duke Wei has submitted to Great Tang, these people and this land belong to him. If I memorialized the throne and offered it all up myself, I would be profiting from my lord's fall and claiming the credit to win rank and riches. That is what I would be ashamed to do. We should instead record every prefecture, county, soldier, and household and report the whole to Duke Wei, so that he may present it himself. Then the merit will be his." He then sent envoys to inform Mi. When the envoys first arrived, Gaozu was puzzled to find no memorial from Ji, only a report addressed to Mi. When the envoys explained Ji's intent, Gaozu was delighted and said, "Xu Shiji honors his lord and yields the credit. He is a minister of true integrity." An edict made him area commander of Liyang, Upper Pillar of State, and Duke of Lai. Soon afterward he was made grand general of the Right Martial Guard, re-created Duke of Cao, granted the imperial surname Li, and given fifty qing of good land and a first-rank mansion. His father Gai was created King of Jiyin, but Gai firmly refused a royal title and accepted instead the dukedom of Shu, with appointment as palace attendant and governor of Ling Prefecture. Ji was placed in overall command of the armies of Henan and Shandong to hold Wang Shichong at bay. When Li Mi rebelled and was executed, Gaozu, knowing Ji had once served under him, sent envoys to inform him of Mi's treason. Ji petitioned for permission to bury Mi properly, and the request was granted. Ji put on mourning dress and, with Mi's old officers and men, buried him south of Mount Li in a mound seven ren high. When the rites were done they dispersed, and all who heard of it praised his loyalty. Meanwhile Dou Jiande captured Huaji at Wei County, then marched against Ji and forced him to surrender. Jiande took Ji's father hostage with the army and ordered Ji back to the defense of Liyang. In the third year he broke free and returned to the capital. In the fourth year he followed Taizong against Wang Shichong at the Eastern Capital and won victory after victory. He also pushed east as far as Wulao. Shen Yue, registrar of the Zheng army, offered to turn the fortress, and Ji sent troops by night to meet him and took the place. He captured the Zheng prefect, Prince Jing Xingben. He then followed Taizong in defeating Dou Jiande and accepting Wang Shichong's surrender, and marched home in triumph. When rewards were given for merit, Taizong took the place of upper commander and Ji that of lower commander. Together in golden armor they rode the war chariot to report victory at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. His father came to court from Ming Prefecture with Pei Ju. Gaozu was delighted to see him and restored his office and noble title. Ji again served under Taizong against Liu Heita and Xu Yuanlang and rose by stages to general of the left gate guard. When Yuanlang again seized Yanzhou and rebelled, Ji was made grand commander of Henan to put him down. He soon captured Yuanlang, sent his head as tribute, and Yanzhou was pacified. In the seventh year he was ordered with Prince Xiaogong of Zhao to campaign against Fu Gongshi. Xiaogong led the fleet downriver while Ji crossed the Huai with ten thousand foot soldiers, took Shouyang, and advanced to Xiashi. Gongshi's general Chen Zhengtong encamped at Liangshan with a hundred thousand men. His commander Feng Huiliang brought another hundred thousand sailors, chained great warships across the river, and built fortifications on the west bank to hold both land and water against the imperial forces. Ji stormed the fort and took it shortly thereafter. Huiliang escaped alone in a small boat. Ji pressed the victory against Zhengtong and routed his force. Zhengtong fled to Danyang with barely a dozen riders. Gongshi abandoned his city and fled under cover of night. Ji sent cavalry in pursuit and killed him at Wukang, and all of Jiangnan was pacified. In the eighth year, when the Turks raided Bingzhou, Ji was made campaign commander, defeated them at Taigu, and drove them off. When Taizong came to the throne, Ji was made military governor of Bingzhou and granted a fief of nine hundred households. In Zhenguan 3 he was made commander of the campaign on the Tongmo route. At Yunzhong he met the army of the Turk khan Jieli and fought a major battle on the White Route. The Turks were beaten and encamped at Qikou, where they sent envoys suing for peace. An edict sent the Grand Master of Ceremonies Tang Jian to grant them a pardon. Ji had joined Li Jing, grand commander on the Dingxiang route, and they discussed the situation: "Jieli is defeated, but his following is still large. If he crosses the desert and takes refuge with the Nine Surnames, the way will be long and hard, and we may not catch him. With Tang Jian there on the emperor's mission, they will surely let down their guard. We can follow right behind and strike — and bring the foe to heel without a battle. Jing slapped his wrist and cried, "That is the very plan Han Xin used to destroy Tian Heng!" They settled on the plan. Jing marched his men out at nightfall and Ji brought his army up behind. When Jing's army arrived, the enemy camp collapsed. Jieli and more than ten thousand men tried to flee across the desert. Ji blocked Qikou. When Jieli arrived he could not cross the desert, and the great chieftains brought their tribes to surrender to Ji. He took more than fifty thousand captives and returned. At the time Gaozong, then Prince of Jin, was nominal grand military governor of Bingzhou. Ji was made Grand Master for Splendid Happiness and acting chief administrator of the Bingzhou governor's office. He left office to observe mourning for his father, then was soon recalled to his former post. In the eleventh year he was created Duke of Ying and was also to inherit the governorship of Qizhou in succession, but he took up neither post and remained at Bingzhou while also serving as left defender of the crown prince. Ji spent sixteen years at Bingzhou. His rule was firm and effective, and he was counted a capable governor. Taizong told his ministers, "Emperor Yang of Sui could not choose worthy men or secure the frontiers — he knew only to build the Long Wall against the Turks. What a folly of judgment! By placing Li Shiji at Bingzhou I have made the Turks fear our power and withdraw, and the frontier is quiet. Is that not better than building a distant wall?"
9
便 使
In the fifteenth year he was summoned as Minister of War. Before he reached the capital, the Xueyantuo sent the khan's son Dadushe south with eighty thousand horsemen against Li Simo's tribe. Ji was made campaign commander at Shuozhou. With three thousand light cavalry he caught the Xueyantuo at Qingshan, routed them, killed one of their titled princes, seized many leaders, and took more than fifty thousand captives. For this he had one son enfeoffed as a county duke. Ji fell suddenly ill. According to a tested prescription, beard ash could cure the ailment, so Taizong cut his own beard and mixed it into the medicine. Ji kowtowed until his forehead bled and wept his thanks. The emperor said, "I did it for the realm. Do not thank me overmuch. In the seventeenth year, when Gaozong became crown prince, Ji was made counselor to the crown prince and left defender, promoted to special advance, and accorded third-rank standing with the chancellors. Taizong told him, "My son is newly made heir, and you were once his chief administrator. I am entrusting the palace to you — hence this appointment. It may seem a demotion in rank, but do not be offended. At another informal banquet Taizong turned to Ji and said, "I mean to entrust my young heir to you, and I can think of no one better. You did not fail Li Mi. How could you fail me now! Ji wept as he answered and bit his finger until it bled. He soon drank himself into a stupor, and Taizong took off his own robe to cover him — such was the trust he enjoyed. In the eighteenth year Taizong prepared to lead a personal campaign against Goguryeo. Ji was made grand commander on the Liaodong route, took several cities including Gaimou, Liaodong, and Baiya, and helped Taizong break the Zhupi line. One son was enfeoffed as a commandery duke for his service. In the twentieth year the Xueyantuo tribes fell into turmoil. Ji was ordered to take two hundred horsemen and immediately mobilize Turk forces against them. At Mount Wudejian he fought a great battle and routed them. Their great chieftain Tizhen Dayu came out to oppose him, while their khan Duomozhi fled south into a wild ravine. Ji sent the interpreter-attendant Xiao Siye to win over the tribal leaders and escort them to the capital, and all north of the desert was pacified. In the twenty-second year he became minister of ceremonies while retaining third-rank standing with the chancellors. Ten days later he was again made counselor to the crown prince. In the twenty-third year, as Taizong lay ill, he told Gaozong, "You owe Li Ji nothing. I am going to demote him and send him away. After I die, promote him to vice director. Grateful for your favor, he will give you his utmost loyalty. Ji was then sent out as military governor of Diezhou. When Gaozong came to the throne, he summoned Ji that same month as governor of Luozhou, soon added the title of honorary grand general of third rank, and put him among the chancellors to share in state secrets. That year he was formally appointed left vice director of the Department of State Affairs. In Yonghui 1 he petitioned to resign as vice director but was kept in office with his honorary third-rank title and duties unchanged. In the fourth year he was appointed minister of works. Back in Zhenguan, Taizong had placed Ji's portrait in the Lingyan Pavilion for his extraordinary service. Now the emperor ordered a new portrait and wrote the inscription himself. In Xianqing 3, while accompanying the emperor to the eastern capital, he fell ill on the road and the emperor visited him in person. At the opening of the Longde era, when the emperor went east to perform the feng and shan rites on Mount Tai, Ji was made envoy for the ceremony and joined the imperial procession. At Huazhou they paused. Ji's elder sister, long a widow, lived in his old neighborhood. The empress visited her in person, gave her clothing, and created her Lady of Dongping. He also fell from his horse and hurt his foot. The emperor came to inquire in person and gave him the horse he had been riding.
10
便 使 西
In Qianfeng 1, Goguryeo's Nanchan was expelled by his brother Nangian and shut himself in the inner citadel. He sent his son to surrender the city and seek aid at court. In Zongzhang 1 Ji was made commander on the Liaodong route and led twenty thousand men in a sweep to the Yalu River. The enemy sent Nangian's brother to fight. Ji routed him, pursued the fleeing army two hundred li, and reached Pyongyang. Nangian shut the gates and would not come out. Cities across Goguryeo panicked; many emptied their populations in flight, and surrender followed surrender. Ji then invested Pyongyang. Liu Rengui and Hao Chujun, deputy grand commanders on the Liaodong route, and General Xue Rengui joined him there and pressed the siege from all sides. After more than a month they took the city, captured King Go Jang along with Nangian and Nanchan, carved the conquered territory into prefectures and counties, and marched home in triumph. Ji was ordered to present Go Jang and Nangian at Zhaoling by a direct route. When the rite was done he entered the capital in full martial array and offered the captives at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. In the second year he was made grand preceptor to the crown prince and his fief was increased to eleven hundred households in all. That year he fell bedridden with illness. An edict made him director of the palace guards and granted him leave to convalesce. He soon died, at the age of seventy-six. The emperor mourned him, suspended court for seven days, posthumously created him grand preceptor and grand military governor of Yangzhou with the posthumous title Zhenwu, granted the Eastern Garden funerary regalia, and had him buried at Zhaoling. He ordered Yang Fang, vice director of the court of imperial sacrifices, to serve as acting director and supervise the funeral. On the day of burial the emperor went to the old city of Weiyang, climbed a tower to see him off, gazed at the willow-draped bier and wept aloud, and set out offerings. The crown prince also joined the procession to see him off, and his grief moved all who were present. An edict ordered all officials to escort the bier to the northwest of the old city. The tomb mound followed the precedent of Wei Qing and Huo Qubing, with likenesses of Mount Yin, Mount Tie, and Mount Wudejian to honor his victories over the Turks and Xueyantuo. In Guangzai 1 an edict ordered Ji to share offerings in Gaozong's ancestral temple.
11
All the gold and silk Ji won in battle he distributed among his officers and soldiers. When he first took the Liyang granary, hundreds of thousands came to its stores. Wei Zheng, Gao Jifu, Du Zhenglun, and Guo Xiaoge all visited him. Spotting them in a crowd he would at once show them honor, bring them to his private chamber, and talk and jest with them far into the night. When Wugao fell he captured Dai Zhou, chief administrator of Zheng under the Zheng regime. Recognizing his talent, he soon released him and recommended him for office; all rose to prominence, and men praised his eye for talent. Again, when Wang Shichong was first defeated he captured his old friend Shan Xiongxin, who by precedent was to be executed. Ji petitioned that Xiongxin's martial skill was unmatched, that if spared from death he would be deeply grateful and serve the state with his life, and asked to redeem him with office and rank. Gaozu refused. As Xiongxin was about to be executed, Ji wept before him, cut flesh from his own thigh and fed it to him, saying, "We part forever in life and death; let this flesh return to earth together. He also took in and raised Xiongxin's son. Whenever he took the field he relied heavily on calculation; facing the enemy he adapted swiftly, and his moves always fit the moment. When planning with others he could tell sound counsel from bad, and if he heard even a scrap of good sense he would seize upon it. When victory came he often gave the credit to his subordinates, so that all were eager to serve him and his campaigns usually succeeded. When Ji died, all who heard the news were deeply grieved. He was especially devoted to his younger brother Bi, and within the household he was as stern as a strict father. From the time he fell ill, whenever Gaozong and the crown prince sent medicine he took it at once; but if the household called in physicians or shamans he would not let them through the gate. When his sons pressed medicine on him, Ji said, "I am only a farmer from Shandong who clung to a wise sovereign and undeservedly rose to the highest rank, nearly eighty years old. Is this not heaven's decree? Life and death have their appointed span. Why should I beg doctors for more time! In the end he refused and would not take it. Suddenly he told Bi, "I think I am a little better. Let us set out wine and make merry. Musicians played in the hall while his sons and grandchildren lined up beneath the eaves. When the feast was over he told Bi, "I know I am dying and only wanted to say goodbye. I lied about feeling better because I feared your tears. Do not weep yet — hear my last commands. I have seen Fang Xuanling, Du Ruhui, and Gao Jifu painstakingly build up their houses and hope to leave comfort to their heirs — only to have witless sons squander everything. I have so many worthless sons. I leave them to you. Watch them closely: if any behaves disgracefully or keeps bad company, kill him at once and then report it. And do not bury gold and jade in my grave, as so many do. Carry my coffin only on a plain cart draped in cloth. Dress me in ordinary clothes with one court robe added, so that if the dead have awareness I may wear them to greet the late emperor. For grave goods make only five or six horses. Let the lower canopy have a curtain-cloth top and white-silk sides, with ten wooden figures inside, following the ancient custom of straw spirit-servants. Use nothing else. As for concubines and nursemaids, if any have children and wish to stay and raise them, allow it; Release all the rest as well. When all is done, move into my hall at once and look after the women and children. Whoever defies my instructions shall be treated as though his corpse were hacked apart in punishment. After that he barely spoke again. Bi and the others carried out his final wishes.
12
Ji's younger brother Gan showed strong character even as a boy. When Li Mi was defeated, Ji was captured by Wang Shichong, who forced Gan to write summoning Ji to surrender. Gan replied, "My elder brother stands on his reputation and will not betray his honor. He already serves a lord, and the bond between ruler and subject is settled. I will never use myself to make him abruptly change course. In the end he refused. Shichong flew into a rage and had him killed. He was fifteen. Ji's eldest son Zhen became Prefect of Guizhou early in the Xianqing era and died before Ji did.
13
簿 使
Ji's grandson was Sun Jingye. After Emperor Gaozong's death, Empress Dowager Wu took control of the court. She soon deposed the emperor as Prince of Luling and enthroned the Prince of Xiang, but real power belonged to Wu. Members of the Wu clan held key posts, and public resentment ran deep. At the time Tang Zhiqi, a supervising secretary, had been demoted to magistrate of Kuocang; Luo Binwang, a chief clerk in Chang'an, to assistant magistrate of Linhai; Du Qiuren, a palace attendant, to assistant magistrate of You County; Jingye himself, punished for an offense, to assistant in Liuzhou; and his younger brother Jingyou, magistrate of Zhoufei, was implicated and demoted as well. All of them were in Yangzhou. Jingye, aided by Wei Siwen, former commandant of Zhoufei, seized Yangzhou. In the seventh month of the first year of Sisheng, Jingye sent his follower, Supervising Censor Xue Zhang, to obtain a mission to Jiangdu, then had a man from Yongzhou named Wei Chao report to Zhang that "Yangzhou Chief Administrator Chen Jingzhi and Tang Zhiqi are plotting rebellion." Zhang thereupon arrested Jingzhi and imprisoned him. A few days later Jingye forged an imperial order, executed Jingzhi, styled himself military adjutant of Yangzhou, and falsely announced, "Feng Ziyou, leader of Gaozhou, has rebelled. By secret edict I am raising troops to march against him. That day he opened the government stores, had army staff officer Li Zongchen free prisoners, conscript laborers, and craftsmen — several hundred men in all — and issued armor to each. Recording officer Sun Chuxing refused. Jingye beheaded him and displayed the corpse as a warning. He then held Yangzhou, gathered the people, and proclaimed the goal of restoring the Prince of Luling. He then established three headquarters: the Office of Restoration, the Duke of Ying's Office, and the Grand Military Headquarters of Yangzhou. Jingye styled himself supreme general of the Office of Restoration and commander of Yangzhou, appointed Du Qiuren, Tang Zhiqi, and Luo Binwang to his staff, and handed out the rest of the posts by false commission. Within ten days his effective forces swelled to more than a hundred thousand men. He then sent a proclamation to the commanderies and counties:
14
The Wu woman who has unlawfully seized the throne is neither gentle by nature nor noble in birth. Once she served among Emperor Taizong's junior consorts, attending him even during his changing of robes. In her later years she corrupted the heir's palace with scandal. She concealed the late emperor's private affairs while secretly scheming for the favors of the inner palace. No sooner had she entered the palace than her beauty provoked rivalry — those arched brows would yield to no rival; She mastered the art of slander behind her sleeve; with foxlike allure she alone could bewitch her sovereign. She usurped the empress's place in full ceremonial dress and trapped our sovereign in the shame of sharing one household with a stepmother. Worse still, her heart is poison and her nature that of wolf and jackal. She keeps company with the wicked, destroys the loyal, murdered her elder sisters, slaughtered her brothers, and has even killed her sovereign and poisoned her mother. She is hated by gods and men alike and cannot be tolerated by heaven and earth. Even now she harbors treacherous intent and covets the throne itself. The emperor's beloved son she has imprisoned in a distant palace; while she gives the rebels of her own clan the weightiest offices. Alas! No Huo Guang rises to restore the throne; the Marquis of Zhuxu is long dead. As when a swallow pecked the imperial grandson, we see the dynasty's mandate nearing its end; As when dragon spittle fell upon the empress, we know a dynasty's swift collapse when we see it.
15
Jingye is an old servant of Tang, heir of a line of dukes and marquises, heir to his ancestors' achievements and bound by this court's ancient favors. The grief of Weizi of Song had good cause; and Yuan Junshan's tears were not shed for nothing! Therefore my spirit rises with the storm, and my purpose is to restore the realm — answering the world's disappointment and the heartfelt wish of all within the four seas. I now raise the banner of righteous revolt and swear to purge the realm of this evil. Our forces link the southern Yue lands in the south and reach the Three Rivers in the north; iron cavalry stand in massed ranks, and polished warships lie hull to hull. At Hailing the granaries overflow with rice; and on the river's banks our yellow banners fly — how distant can restoration be! When our drums roll, the north wind rises; when our swords gleam, the southern stars tremble. Our war cry will shake the mountains; our shout will darken the sky. With such a host, what foe can stand? With such an army, what goal cannot be won?
16
Some of you inherit Han-era titles; some share blood ties with the imperial house; some were entrusted as the emperor's right arm; some received the late emperor's final command in the Xuan Room. His words still ring in your ears — can loyalty be forgotten? Before a single handful of earth has dried on the late emperor's tomb, to whom can his orphan son turn? If you would turn disaster to blessing, honor the dead and serve the living, join us in raising an army to restore the throne and keep faith with the late emperor's will, every title and reward shall be shared among us as we carve up the realm. Look upon the realm today and ask whose empire it has become!
17
西
Wu Zetian ordered Left Jade Seal Guard General Li Xiaoyi to march against them with three hundred thousand men. She posthumously stripped Jingye's grandfather and father of rank, opened their graves and coffins, and restored the family's original surname of Xu. When Jingye's forces first assembled and debated their direction, Xue Zhang said, "Jinling still holds royal auspice, and the Yangtze provides a natural barrier — we can make our stand there. Seize Chang, Run, and the other prefectures to build our base, then train the army and cross north. Wei Siwen said, "Speed is the soul of war. Cross the Huai at once and march north. Rally the magnates of Shandong, strike before the enemy gathers, seize the eastern capital, and hold the passes for the decisive battle. That is the best plan." Jingye refused. In the tenth month he crossed the Yangtze, captured Run Prefecture, and killed its prefect, Li Siwen. Earlier Crown Prince Xian had been deposed by Wu and died in Bazhou. Jingye found a man who resembled him, installed him in the city, and proclaimed him ruler, claiming Xian had never died. Li Xiaoyi's army crossed the Huai and reached Chuzhou. Jingye's beaten forces fled back to Jiangdu and made their stand at Gaoyou. After repeated defeats, Li Xiaoyi pressed his advantage in pursuit. Jingye fled to Yangzhou and, with Tang Zhiqi, Du Qiuren, and others, took a small boat, intending to put to sea and seek refuge in Goguryeo. Pursuers overtook them and took them all captive. When Jingye's proclamation first reached the capital, Wu read it with a faint smile — until she came to the line, "Before a single handful of earth has dried." She abruptly asked her ministers, "Who wrote this?" One replied, "It is Luo Binwang's wording." Wu said, "That is the fault of the chief ministers — how could they have lost a man like this?" When Emperor Zhongzong was restored, an edict said, "The late Grand Preceptor Ji, because of Jingye's rebellion, had his tomb violated. We recall his founding service and always remember his aid in establishing the dynasty. When Dou Xian rebelled, the shrine of the Marquis of Anfeng was left untouched; when Huo Yu disturbed the order of things, the sacrifices to Huo Guang were preserved. Punishment does not extend to the innocent — that is a universal principle of state. We should restore him to honor: let the proper offices rebuild his tomb at once, and restore all his ranks and titles. Ji's descendants were executed for Jingye's crime, and none survived. Those who by chance escaped fled beyond the frontier. In the seventeenth year of Zhenyuan, the Tibetans took Lin Prefecture, seized people and livestock, and withdrew. At Hengcao Beacon west of Yan Prefecture, a Tibetan officer known as Vice Director Xu gathered the Han captives at Huyanzhou and told the monk Yansu, "Do not be afraid, Master. I am a fifth-generation descendant of a Han family. When Empress Wu wrecked the dynasty, my ancestor raised a revolt and failed. His line has lived in exile ever since — three generations now. Though we hold office and command troops generation after generation, we have never forgotten our homeland. But our clan is too large — there is no way for us to escape. This is the border between Tibetan and Han lands. I release you to return home. He freed and sent home several thousand captives.
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The historian writes: Among the great generals of recent times, the Dukes of Ying and Wei rank highest — the finest names on the merit rolls. The Duke of Ying cast off the path of bandit kings like Peng Yue and Qing Bu, rose from humble origins, lived by duty, harmed no one, and kept his fame intact to the end. How wise were his dying instructions! Jingye ignored that legacy and brought ruin on the whole clan — a tragedy! The Duke of Wei came from a military family and bore something of the Wei clan's martial spirit. On campaign he was formidable and resolute. When power grew heavy he knew how to step aside; when success came he grew more humble. Honors engraved on bronze and bell need not pale beside Geng and Deng. Admirable indeed!
19
祿
In praise: great merit earns great reward, but merit that overawes the throne brings peril. Declining rank and yielding place dispels envy and suspicion. Their deeds pacified the realm; their hearts held fast to loyalty. They fought on into old age — admirable, the Dukes of Ying and Wei.
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