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卷六十九 列傳第十九: 侯君集 張亮 薛萬徹

Volume 69 Biographies 19: Hou Junji, Zhang Liang, Xue Wanche

Chapter 73 of 舊唐書 · Old Book of Tang
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1
Biographies of Hou Junji, Zhang Liang, Xue Wanche, Xue Wanche's elder brother Wan Jun, Sheng Yanshi, Lu Zushang, Liu Shirang, Liu Lan, Li Junxian, and others.
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西 使 宿 祿
Hou Junji was a native of Sanshui in Bin Prefecture. He was by nature affected and boastful, fond of showing off. He dabbled in archery without mastering it, and made his name instead on raw martial daring. While the future Emperor Taizong was still Prince of Qin, he brought Hou Junji into his staff. Junji campaigned with him repeatedly and rose through the ranks to Left Cavalry Guard and Chariot-and-Cavalry General, receiving the title Baron of Quanjiao. He gradually won the prince's trust and was drawn into counsel on major decisions. When Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were killed, Hou Junji's plans had contributed more than anyone else's. After Taizong ascended the throne, Junji was appointed Left Guard General. For his service he was promoted to Duke of Lu with a fief of a thousand households, and soon afterward named Right Guard Grand General. In 630 he was made Minister of War and joined the deliberations of state. When the court prepared to campaign against Fuyun of the Tuyuhun, Li Jing was named Grand Commander of the Western Sea Route Army, with Hou Junji and Prince Daozong of Rencheng as his deputies. In the third month of 635 the army reached Shan Prefecture. Junji told Li Jing, "Our main force is here, but the enemy has not yet retreated into the mountains. We should pick our best troops and strike at speed—they will not be on guard, and the advantage will be ours. If we do not act on this plan, they will slip away deep into the wilds. The mountains will bar our path, and finishing them off will be far harder. Li Jing agreed. He picked elite troops, traveled light, and drove deep into enemy country. Prince Daozong caught Fuyun's army at Mount Ku and routed it. Fuyun withdrew with a light force into the desert to evade the Tang army. Li Jing then split his force in two. He took the northern route with Xue Wan Jun and Li Daliang, while Hou Junji and Prince Daozong marched south. They fought through Luozhen Valley, crossed Mount Han Ku, and marched more than two thousand li across barren country. Frost fell in the height of summer; snow lay thick on the peaks. Fighting all the way past the Star River to Cypress Sea, they met the enemy again and again and each time carried off a great victory. They looked north toward Mount Jade Heap and saw where the Yellow River rises. They then withdrew, joined Li Jing on the Great Fei River, pacified the Tuyuhun, and marched home. In 637 he and Zhangsun Wuji and others received hereditary titles. Junji was appointed Prefect of Chen and raised to Duke of Chen. The following year he was made Minister of Personnel and promoted to Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. Junji had come up through the army and had no schooling. Only after he rose to high office did he take up reading. Whether he ran civil-service selections, set performance reviews, led troops in the field, or sat in on court policy, he earned a solid reputation at the time.
3
西 使 西 西
King Qu Wentai of Gaochang had been cutting off trade from the Western Regions. Taizong summoned him to court, but Wentai pleaded illness and stayed away. The emperor ordered Hou Junji to lead the Jiaohe Route Army against him. When Wentai heard that a Tang army was coming, he told his people, "Tang is seven thousand li away. The desert crossing alone is two thousand li across—no grass, no water. Winter winds freeze you to the bone; summer winds scorch like flame. Where those winds blow, travelers die in droves. Of every hundred who set out, scarcely one arrives. How could they march a great army here? If they camp under our walls, their provisions will be gone in twenty days. They will break apart on their own, and we can take them prisoner. What is there to fear! By the time the army reached the desert frontier, Wentai was dead and his son Zhicheng had taken the throne. Junji marched to Willow Valley. Scouts reported that Wentai's funeral was set for a fixed day and the whole kingdom would be gathered there. The generals urged a surprise attack. Junji refused. "The Son of Heaven sent us because Gaochang was arrogant and insolent—to carry out Heaven's punishment with proper dignity. To strike them at a funeral among the tombs is not how a punitive army behaves. He advanced with drums beating and attacked their farmland instead. The enemy shut themselves in the city. Junji called on them to surrender, but they refused. Before the army marched, the emperor had summoned from east of the mountains every man skilled in siege engines and sent them with the expedition. Junji felled trees to fill the moat and drove battering rams against the parapets until whole sections of wall—several yards high—crumbled away. Catapults hurled stones into the city; nothing they hit was left whole. Some defenders spread felt blankets to block the stones, but men on the battlements could no longer hold their posts. They took the city, captured more than seven thousand men and women, and marched on to besiege the capital. Zhicheng, cornered, wrote to Junji: "The one who offended the Son of Heaven was my late father. Heaven's punishment has already struck him down—he is dead and gone. I have only just succeeded him and do not know what fault you find in me. I beg your Excellency's mercy. Junji answered, "If you wish to repent, come to the camp gate with bound hands." Zhicheng still would not surrender. Junji ordered his men to fill the moat and opened the catapults on the city. He built a tower ten zhang high to overlook the city. Spotters called out wherever anyone walked or wherever a stone would land, and most people fled indoors to escape the barrage. Wentai had earlier made a pact with Yugu She of the Western Turks: if an army came, they would strike from without while Gaochang struck from within. When Yugu She heard that Junji had arrived, he fled west in fear for more than a thousand li. Zhicheng lost his ally, saw no way out, and opened the gates to surrender. Junji sent detachments to overrun the country, pacified the kingdom, took Zhicheng and his officers prisoner, carved a stone monument to record the victory, and marched home. Right after taking Gaochang, Junji had not even reported to court yet when he began assigning innocent people to penal servitude and helping himself to valuables. Officers and men, seeing what he did, joined in the looting. Junji feared exposure and did not dare stop them. Back in the capital, the responsible offices moved to prosecute him, and an edict sent him to prison. Vice Director of the Secretariat Cen Wenben argued that a meritorious commander must not be lightly humiliated, and submitted a memorial that read:
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便 駿 西 使使使使 使 使
Junji and his fellows—some in high counsel, some your claws and fangs—were all raised up by Your Majesty and given command. They failed to conduct themselves lawfully and repay your grace. Their conduct was reckless and their offenses numerous. By rights they should be bound to the penal code to restore discipline at court. Yet Gaochang was benighted—abandoned by men and spirits alike. At court many argued that because it lay in the far wilderness, the matter could be left alone. Only Your Majesty, with singular foresight, entrusted the strategy for victory. Junji and the others carried out your plan and destroyed the enemy within the appointed time. In truth the achievement was yours alone. Junji and the others had only the hardship of the march—hardly merit enough to boast of. Yet Your Majesty, in heaven's own magnanimity, credited the commanders instead. The moment the victory bulletin arrived, you showered them with grace. Every man who had marched was washed clean of fault. On their triumphant return you gave them a special banquet and, before all the realms, heaped on further rewards. Civil and military officials alike rejoiced that your rewards never came late. Yet within ten days they were all handed to the Court of Review. Though Junji and the others had brought this on themselves, the court did not know their crimes. I fear the realm will suspect that you record only their faults and forget their service. I am a man of little talent who has been wrongly placed near your person. Having seen this, I dare not keep silent. I have heard that ancient rulers, when they sent armies abroad, rewarded commanders richly if they won and punished them harshly if they failed. When they rewarded merit, even the greedy, cruel, and dissolute still won the purple and blue of high office; when they were guilty, even the diligent and self-restrained did not escape the axe. Thus the 《Documents of Zhou》 says, "Record a man's merit and forget his faults—that is how a ruler should act. In Han times General Li Guangli of the Ershi campaign lost fifty thousand men, spent hundreds of millions, and after four years of labor brought back only thirty fine horses. Though he took the King of Dayuan's head, he was greedy and careless of his men. His crimes were many. Because the campaign had reached ten thousand li, Emperor Wu overlooked his faults and enfeoffed Guangli as Marquis of Haixi with eight thousand households. Commandant Chen Tang once forged an edict to raise troops. Though he killed Zhizhi Chanyu, Tang was habitually greedy. Much of the Kangju booty he seized was taken unlawfully, and the Director of Law Enforcement had him arrested. Tang submitted a memorial: "Together with my officers and men I destroyed Zhizhi and was fortunate enough to capture and kill him. Now the Director of Law Enforcement arrests and tries me—as if he were avenging Zhizhi. Emperor Yuan pardoned him, made him Marquis within the Passes, and gave him a hundred jin of gold. In Jin times Dragon-Charger General Wang Jun had conquered Wu, yet Wang Hun and others accused him of disobeying orders, refusing command, and letting his men seize Sun Hao's treasures and burn Hao's palace and ships. Jun wrote, "The conquest of Wu this year is a great celebration for the realm—but for me it has become a source of blame. Emperor Wu pardoned him without further inquiry, made him Supporting-the-State Grand General, enfeoffed him as Marquis of Xiangyang, and gave him ten thousand bolts of silk. More recently, when Sui's Duke of Xinyi Han Qinhu took Chen, his men looted Chen Shubao's palace. Emperor Wen did not prosecute him either. He did not raise his rank, but made Qinhu Supreme Pillar of State and gave him eight thousand lengths of goods. From this we see that among commanders the scrupulous are few and the grasping many. Master Yellow Stone wrote in 《Military Momentum》: "Use the wise, use the brave, use the greedy, use the foolish. The wise delight in winning merit, the brave love to carry out their will, the greedy rush after gain, and the foolish do not count the cost of death. That is why the sages of old always took men's strengths and set aside their weaknesses. I have also heard that Heaven and Earth themselves put sheltering and sustaining first; and the virtue of emperors and kings finds its beauty in inclusive magnanimity. If even a ruler of Han Wu's measure and the emperors of every age could pardon men like Guangli, how much more should you, heaven-endowed and divinely martial, who have raised a great design to settle the realm—would you alone tighten the penal net and refuse what the ancients did! I trust that Your Majesty's own heart will weigh the matter. I speak now not to plead privately for Junji and his fellows, but in hope that this firefly's gleam may add a little light to sun and moon. If Your Majesty would send down rain and dew instead of thunder and lightning, record their small service and forget their great faults, restore Junji to court and to the field again—he may not be an upright man, but he is still a useful greedy fool of a general. Then Your Majesty's sage virtue, though the law were bent, would shine all the brighter; and Junji and the others, though pardoned, would feel their faults all the more keenly. Men who would win merit would all take heart from it; and guilty generals would reform their ways.
5
西 婿
The memorial was submitted, and Junji was released. Junji believed he had earned merit in the Western Regions and resented bitterly that greed had landed him in prison. In 643 Zhang Liang left his post as the crown prince's household mentor to become military governor of Luo Prefecture. Junji confronted him angrily: "Why are you being pushed aside? Liang replied, "It is you who are being pushed aside—whom else would you blame!" Junji said, "I pacified an entire kingdom and still drew the Son of Heaven's wrath—how could I not be pushed aside! He flung back his sleeves and said, "Life is unbearable like this—will you rebel with me? I will rebel with you. Liang reported this in secret. Taizong told him, "You and Junji are both meritorious ministers. He spoke of this only to you, with no witness. If we hand it to the judicial officers, Junji will deny it. With only the two of you testifying against each other, the truth cannot be known. He set the matter aside and treated Junji as before. Soon afterward his portrait was painted with those of the other meritorious ministers in the Lingyan Pavilion. At that time the deposed crown prince Chengqian, fearing he would be replaced, knew of Junji's resentment and entered into conspiracy with him. Junji's son-in-law Helan Chushi served as a palace guard in the Eastern Palace. Chengqian had him bring Junji in repeatedly to ask how he might secure his position. Junji saw that Chengqian was weak and meant to exploit the chance. He encouraged the prince's secret plots and once held up his hands, saying, "These are capable hands—you should use them. Junji sometimes feared the plot would leak. Uneasy in his heart, he would start up at midnight and sigh for a long while. His wife, puzzled, said to him, "You are a great minister of the state—why are you like this? There must be a reason. If you have done wrong against the state, confess yourself—your life may be spared. Junji would not listen. When Chengqian's plot was exposed, Junji was arrested, and Chushi went to court to report the whole affair. Taizong questioned him in person. "I did not want clerks to humiliate you," he said, "so I am examining this myself. Junji had nothing left to say. Taizong told the officials, "When the realm was still unsettled, Junji truly served with all his strength. I could not bear to punish him then. I mean to beg his life—will you grant it? The ministers pressed forward as one. "Junji's crime is intolerable to Heaven and Earth," they said. "Execute him to uphold the law." Taizong told Junji, "We take our long farewell. From now on I shall see only your portrait in the Lingyan Pavilion!" He sobbed and wept. He was beheaded at the public crossroads, and his property was confiscated. At the block Junji's face did not change. He told the supervising general, "Was I truly a rebel? A stumble brought me here! Yet I once commanded armies and destroyed two kingdoms. I have some small merit. Tell His Majesty for me: let one son remain to tend the ancestral rites. For this his wife and one son were specially spared and exiled to the far south.
6
祿 祿
Zhang Liang was a native of Xingyang in Zheng Prefecture. He came from a poor farming family. He was unconventional and bold in spirit, outwardly honest and inwardly cunning, and no one saw through him. At the end of the Sui, when Li Mi seized Xing and Bian, Liang joined him but won no post. When a plot formed in the army, Liang reported it. Li Mi took him for utterly loyal, made him Cavalry General, and placed him under Xu Ji. When Xu Ji surrendered Liyang to Tang, Liang strongly backed the move and was made Prefect of Zheng. Wang Shichong then seized Zheng. Liang could not take office, his isolated force had no support, and he fled into the wilds around Gongcheng. Later Fang Xuanling and Li Ji recommended him to the future Taizong as a man of bold wit, and he was made Chariot-and-Cavalry General on the Prince of Qin's staff. He gradually won trust and was treated as a trusted confidant. When Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji were about to strike, Taizong saw that Luoyang was a strategic stronghold and planned to withdraw there if crisis came. He sent Liang to Luoyang with Wang Bao and more than a thousand men, secretly recruiting powerful families east of the mountains and lavishing gold and silk on them as he saw fit. Li Yuanji accused Liang of plotting treason. He was handed to the judicial officers but said nothing in his defense. When the matter was cleared, he was sent back to Luoyang. After Li Jiancheng's death, Liang was made commander of Huai Prefecture and enfeoffed as Duke of Changping. In 631 he rose through Censor-in-Chief to Minister of Splendid Happiness, was raised to Duke of Yi, and received a substantive fief of five hundred households. He later served in turn as military governor of Bin, Xia, and Fu prefectures. In 633 Prince Tai of Wei was named military governor of Xiang but never took up the post. Liang was promoted to Golden Purple-Gleam Grand Master and served as acting chief administrator of Xiang. In 637 his title was changed to Duke of Yun. In every office he held, Liang secretly sent agents to watch for wrongdoing, exposed hidden crimes as if by divine insight, checked the powerful, and helped the poor—wherever he served he won praise. While serving in the provinces he abandoned his first wife and married Lady Li. Lady Li was notoriously licentious, proud, and fiercely jealous. Liang both doted on her and feared her. At Xiang there was a boy from Ye County who sold brushes and sang well. Lady Li took a liking to him and began an affair. She claimed the boy was Liang's illegitimate son by the youth's mother, adopted him, and named him Shenji. Liang's son by his first wife, Shenwei, repeatedly urged him not to keep Shenji, but Liang refused. Lady Li was devoted to sorcery; shamans thronged their house wherever they went, and she meddled in affairs of state. Liang's reputation steadily fell. In 640 he was again made Minister of Works. The following year he became the crown prince's household mentor and was sent out as military governor of Luo Prefecture. When Hou Junji was executed, Liang was rewarded with a gracious edict for having reported Junji's treasonous talk. He was made Minister of Justice and joined court deliberations. When Taizong prepared to attack Goguryeo, Liang remonstrated repeatedly in vain, then volunteered to go himself. Liang was named Grand Commander of the Canghai Route Army to lead the fleet. He crossed from Donglai, stormed Shabei, and took several thousand captives. He advanced and camped below Jian'an. The fortifications were not yet secure, and many men were out gathering wood and grazing. The enemy struck suddenly and panic spread through the camp. Liang was by nature timid and had no plan. He simply sat on his camp stool, staring ahead in silence. The soldiers, seeing this, took his stillness for courage. His deputy Zhang Jinshu beat the drums, ordered the men to attack, and routed the enemy. Taizong knew he lacked commander's talent and did not reproach him. Liang placed great trust in a practitioner of occult arts named Cheng Gongying. At Xiang he once summoned Gongying in secret and said, "Xiang is a strategic place. People say a king will rise here within a few years. What do you think? Gongying sensed his rebellious intent and told him that when he slept he resembled a dragon and was destined for greatness. There was also Gongsun Chang, a man of letters who claimed to know the art of making gold and silver, and he was especially close to Liang. Liang told him, "I once heard a prophecy: 'A lord Zhang will set up a separate capital.' Such words exist, but I do not wish to hear them. Chang also said Liang's name matched the prophecies. Liang was delighted. In 646 a man from Shan named Chang Deyuan reported the plot and said Liang had five hundred sworn sons. Taizong sent investigators. Gongying and Chang testified against him. Liang said, "These two fear death and lie about me. He pleaded his old service in founding the dynasty, hoping for mercy. Taizong told his attendants, "Liang has five hundred sworn sons. What does he keep them for? To rebel, of course. He ordered the officials to deliberate. Most said Liang should die. Only Assistant Director of Imperial Construction Li Daoyu argued that the evidence of rebellion was incomplete and that Liang was innocent. Taizong, furious, had him beheaded in the market and confiscated his property. More than a year later the post of Vice Minister of Justice fell vacant. The chief ministers nominated candidate after candidate, but none satisfied the emperor. Taizong said, "I have found the man. When Li Daoyu said of Zhang Liang that 'the signs of rebellion were not yet complete,' he was right. I did not heed him then, and I regret it to this day. He appointed Daoyu Vice Minister of Justice.
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涿 使
Xue Wanche was a native of Xianyang in Yong Prefecture; his family had moved there from Dunhuang. He was the son of Sui's Left Imperial Guard Grand General Xue Shixiong. Shixiong died at the end of the Sui while serving as prefect of Zhuo Commandery. As a youth Wanche and his elder brother Wanjun followed their father in You Prefecture. Both won favor from Luo Yi for their martial skill. When Luo Yi submitted to Gaozu, Wanjun was made Supreme Pillar of State and Duke of Yong'an, and Wanche Chariot-and-Cavalry General and Duke of Wu'an. When Dou Jiande led a hundred thousand men against Fanyang, Luo Yi met him in battle. Wanjun told Luo Yi, "We are too few to match them. If we march out we will lose every fight. We must use stratagem. Post weak troops and poor horses with the water at their backs and the city behind them to lure the enemy. They will surely cross the river to fight. Give me a hundred elite horsemen hidden beside the city. When they are half across the river, strike them—the enemy will surely break. Luo Yi followed his plan. Jiande crossed as predicted. Wanjun ambushed him and won a great victory. The next year Jiande returned with two hundred thousand men. The enemy had already scaled the walls when Wanjun and Wanche led a hundred dare-to-die men through a tunnel, struck their rear, and routed them. When Taizong defeated Liu Heita, he made Wanjun Right Second Guard General and favored him greatly. The crown prince Li Jiancheng also kept Wanche at his side. When Jiancheng was killed, Wanche led palace troops to fight at Xuanwu Gate, drumming and shouting as if to storm the Prince of Qin's residence. Taizong's men were terrified. When Jiancheng's head was displayed, Wanche fled with several dozen horsemen into the Zhongnan Mountains. Taizong sent envoys again and again to reassure him. Wanche laid down his arms and surrendered. Taizong spared him because he had been loyal to his master.
8
殿
At the start of Zhenguan, Wanjun rose to Vice Director of the Palace. When Chai Shao attacked Liang Shidu, Wanche served as his deputy. Still several tens of li from Shuofang, Turks closed in from every side and the Tang force fell back. Wanjun and Wanche charged out, killed the enemy's best general, threw their formation into disorder, and pressed the attack until the field was strewn with dead and wounded. They advanced with drums beating and besieged Shidu. Soon Shidu was killed, the city surrendered, and the Turks did not dare intervene. Wanche later followed Li Jing against the Turkic Khan Jieli in the northern marches and was made Army Commander and Duke of a commandery for his service. When Li Jing prepared to campaign against the Tuyuhun, he asked Wanche to accompany him. On reaching enemy country he and the other generals each led a little over a hundred horsemen ahead and suddenly ran into several thousand enemy cavalry. Wanche charged alone into them; no enemy dared stand in his way. He rode back and told the other generals, "These enemies are nothing! He spurred his horse forward again, the others followed, and they cut down thousands. Men and horses ran with blood. His courage topped the whole army. With Wanjun he defeated the Tuyuhun King Tianzhu at Red Water Source, seized some two hundred thousand head of livestock, and pursued to the Yellow River's source. Wanjun later became Left Encampment Guard Grand General, was repeatedly raised to Duke of Lu, and died in office.
9
殿 婿
Wanche soon left office to mourn his mother, but was quickly recalled as Right Guard General and sent out as prefect of Pu. When Xueyantuo led Uyghur and Tongluo forces across the desert to attack Li Simo in the south, Wanche served under Li Ji as his deputy. When they met the enemy, he led several hundred horsemen as vanguard, struck their rear, and scattered their riders. The enemy looked back, panicked, and broke completely. They pursued for miles, took more than three thousand heads, and captured fifteen thousand horses. For his service one of his sons was separately enfeoffed as a county marquis. In 644 he was made Left Guard General, married Princess Danyang, and was appointed chief commandant escort. He soon became Right Guard Grand General, then prefect of Hangzhou, then military governor of Dai, and was recalled as Right Martial Guard Grand General. Taizong once told his ministers at leisure, "Among the famous generals of our day there are only three: Li Ji, Prince Daozong, and Xue Wanche. Li Ji and Daozong do not win crushing victories, but they do not suffer crushing defeats either; Wanche either wins a crushing victory or suffers a crushing defeat. Taizong once summoned Chancellor Zhangsun Wuji and more than ten others to a feast in the Cinnabar Cloud Hall and gave each of them tapir hides. Wanche was among them. Taizong meant to call Wanche but accidentally said Wanjun's name. Stricken, he said, "Wanjun was an old companion in merit who died too young. I called his name without thinking—does his spirit want this gift? He had the hide brought forward, called Wanjun's name as if to give it to him, and burned it before the company. Everyone present was moved to tears. In 648 Wanche again led the Qingqiu Route Army, taking thirty thousand armored men from Laizhou by sea against Goguryeo. They entered the Yalu more than a hundred li and reached Bojok. Goguryeo was terrified and many towns were abandoned. The lord of Bojok, Suofusun, led more than ten thousand men to resist. Wanche sent Right Guard General Pei Xingfang with infantry as a follow-up force, then pressed the attack with the main army and routed the enemy completely. They pursued for more than a hundred li, killed Suofusun in battle, and advanced to besiege Bojok. The city used the mountains for defense and the Yalu as its moat. They attacked but could not take it. Goguryeo sent General Gao Wen with more than thirty thousand men from Wugu, Andi, and other cities in two formations. Wanche divided his force to meet them. Blades had barely crossed when the enemy broke and fled. In camp Wanche bullied others with his temper, and some reported him to court. When he came to audience, Taizong said, "Memorials say you quarrel with the other generals. I record your merit and overlook your faults. I will not punish you. He took the memorial and burned it. Soon his deputy Pei Xingfang accused him of disloyal talk. The case was tried at court and Wanche could not defend himself. Duke of Ying Li Ji said, "Wanche is a general and the emperor's son-in-law. To speak with resentment is a crime that cannot be pardoned. He was struck from the rolls and exiled to the frontier. An amnesty later allowed him to return. In 651 he was appointed prefect of Ning. At court he grew close to Fang Yiai and told him, "Even with my bad leg, if I sit in the capital the others still will not dare move. Yiai told Wanche, "If the state falls into crisis, I will join you in making Prince Jing Yuanjing ruler." When the plot was exposed, officers arrested him. Wanche would not confess until Yiai testified against him. He was executed. At the block he shouted, "Xue Wanche is a great fighting man! It would be fine to keep me to die for the state. How can I be killed because of Fang Yiai! He stripped to the waist and told the executioner to strike quickly. The executioner's blow did not kill him. Wanche shouted, "Strike harder! It took three strokes to finish him.
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Wanche's elder brother Wanshu also won distinction in battle. Early in Zhenguan he became military governor of Ying, acting commandant of the eastern barbarians, and Duke of Liang. His youngest brother Wanbei was famously filial. When their mother died he built a mourning hut beside her tomb. Taizong sent an imperial letter of condolence and marked his gate with official commendation. He later rose to Left Guard General. All three died before Wanche.
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In the Wude and Zhenguan periods there were also Sheng Yanshi, Lu Zushang, Liu Shirang, Liu Lan, and Li Junxian—men who won merit and fame but did not end their careers in honor.
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祿 便 殿 使 使
Sheng Yanshi was a native of Yucheng in Song Prefecture. During the Sui he served as magistrate of Chengcheng. When the Tang army reached Fenyin, he led more than a thousand retainers across the river to submit. He was made Silver-Gleam Grand Master and campaigning general and helped take the capital. Soon he and Shi Wanbao garrisoned Yiyang against the eastern rebels. When Li Mi rebelled and prepared to march south of the mountains, Shi Wanbao feared his reputation and would not fight. He told Yanshi, "Li Mi is a ferocious enemy, aided by Wang Bodang. His men are desperate to get home east. Unless our plan is foolproof, we should not fight. Men with their backs to the wall are almost impossible to stop. Yanshi laughed. "Give me a few thousand men to ambush him, and I will take his head." Wanbao asked, "What is your plan?" He answered, "Military law favors deception. I cannot tell you the plan." He led his men over the southern slopes of Bear-Ear Mountain and halted beside the road. Archers lined the heights on both sides; sword-and-shield men hid in the stream valleys. His order ran: "When the enemy are half across, fire together. Archers shoot from the heights; sword-and-shield men rush out and close on them. Someone asked, "I hear Li Mi is heading for Luo Prefecture. Why are you going into the mountains?" Yanshi said, "Mi says he is going to Luo, but he is really heading for Xiangcheng to join Zhang Shanxiang. He will take an unexpected route. If they enter the valley and I pursue from behind, the narrow mountain road gives no room to fight. One man guarding the rear could hold us off. If I enter the valley first, I am sure to take them. Li Mi crossed Shan Prefecture, thinking nothing remained to fear him, and marched slowly. He crossed south of the mountains as Yanshi had predicted. Yanshi struck. Mi's force was cut in two and could not rescue itself. Yanshi killed Li Mi and captured Wang Bodang in pursuit. For this he was enfeoffed as Duke of Ge, made Martial Guard General, and continued to garrison Xiong Prefecture. When Taizong attacked Wang Shichong, he sent Yanshi and Wanbao to Yique to cut Shichong's routes south of the mountains. When the rebels were defeated, he was made commander of Song Prefecture. When Yanshi had first entered the passes, Wang Shichong's general Chen Baoyu was prefect of Song and had treated Yanshi's family discourteously. Now Yanshi seized a pretext and killed him. He also killed several dozen families he had hated all his life. The whole prefecture was terrified. People walked on tiptoe in fear. When Xu Yuanlang rebelled, Yanshi was sent as pacification commissioner, was defeated in battle, and fell into enemy hands. Yuanlang treated him well and made him write to his younger brother urging the city to surrender. Yanshi wrote, "I failed in my mission and was captured by rebels. As a minister I am disloyal and swear to die for it. Serve our mother well. Do not think of me. Yuanlang's face fell at first, but Yanshi remained calm. Yuanlang laughed and said, "General Sheng has true steel in him. He cannot be killed." He treated him as before. When the rebels were defeated, Yanshi was nevertheless sentenced to death for his crimes.
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使 便 使 使
Lu Zushang, courtesy name Jiliang, was a native of Le'an in Guang Prefecture. His father Xi had been a Sui Tiger-Gallop commandant. For generations the family had been wealthy. He gave freely and won great loyalty. At the end of the Sui he recruited stalwarts to hunt down bandit gangs. Though very young, he was exceptionally strong and commanded his men with strict discipline. Wherever he went he won success. Bandits feared him and did not dare enter his territory. When Yuwen Huaji rebelled, the people of the prefecture asked Zushang to become their prefect. Zushang was only nineteen. He mounted the altar, swore an oath in blood before his followers, and wept until he could not speak. All were deeply moved. When Wang Shichong set up Prince Yue of Tong, Zushang submitted to him and was made military governor of Guang. When Shichong declared himself emperor, Zushang surrendered the whole prefecture to Tang. Gaozu praised him, sent an imperial letter of encouragement, made him prefect of Guang, and enfeoffed him as Duke of Yiyang. In 623 he followed Prince Xiaogong of Zhao against Fu Gongshi as vanguard commander, attacked Xuan and She, and took them. He advanced against the rebel leaders Feng Huiliang and Chen Zhengtong and defeated them both. When the rebels were defeated, he was made prefect of Jiang for his service. He later served as military governor of Shou and prefect of Ying, earning a reputation for competence in each post. Early in Zhenguan the military governor of Jiao, Duke Shou of Sui'an, was punished for corruption. Taizong sought a worthy governor, and the ministers all praised Zushang as talented in both civil and military affairs, honest and upright. Summoned to court, Taizong told him, "Jiao is a great frontier region, far from the capital. It needs a worthy governor. Your predecessors have all failed. You have the skill to secure the frontier. Go and govern it for me. Do not refuse because it is far away. Zushang bowed, thanked him, and left—but afterward regretted it and pleaded an old illness. Taizong sent Du Ruhui to explain the order again. Zushang still refused. He sent Zushang's brother-in-law Zhou Fan to reason with him: "Even common men keep their promises. You promised the emperor to his face. How can you regret it now? Go at once. In three years you will be recalled. Do not refuse. The emperor does not break his word. He answered, "South of the ranges the miasma is deadly and everyone drinks wine every day. I cannot drink wine. If I go, I will not come back." Taizong flew into a rage. "If my orders are not obeyed, how can I command the realm! He had him beheaded at court. Zushang was a little over thirty. He soon regretted it and restored official privileges to Zushang's heirs.
14
紿 使 退 使
Liu Shirang, courtesy name Yuanqin, was a native of Liquan in Yong Prefecture. He served the Sui as a recruitment gentleman. When Gaozu entered Chang'an, Shirang surrendered Weichuan and was made general consultant for discussion. Tang Bi's remnant followers were raiding Fufeng. Shirang volunteered to pacify them, was approved, and soon gathered several thousand men. He was again made campaigning general of the Anding route and led troops against Xue Ju. Defeated in battle, he and his brother Bao were both captured. As Ju approached the city he ordered Shirang to deceive the defenders: "Five armies are already marching on Chang'an. Open the gates and surrender at once. Shirang pretended to agree, then told the city, "This is all the enemy has. Hold firm. Secure yourselves and you will be safe. Ju respected his integrity and did not harm him. Taizong was encamped at Gaoping. Shirang secretly sent Bao to escape and report the enemy's true strength; Gaozu praised him and gave his family a thousand bolts of silk. When the rebels were defeated he returned and was made prefect of Peng. He soon led the Shandong route army with Prince Yong'an Xiaoji against Lü Chongmao at Xia County. The armies were defeated and Shirang and Tang Jian were captured. In prison he learned that Dugu Huai'en was plotting treason. He escaped and warned Gaozu. Gaozu was crossing the river to visit Huai'en's camp. Hearing the warning he cried, "Liu Shirang's arrival—surely this is Heaven's will! He praised him: "You were captured by Xue Ju and sent your brother in secret to serve the state. Now you risked your life again to warn us. This is true loyalty." Soon he was enfeoffed as Duke of Hongnong and given an estate and a million in cash. He rose to commander of Bing Prefecture and garrisoned troops at Yanmen Pass. The Turkic Khan Chuluo joined Gao Kaidao and Yuan Junzhang and attacked him fiercely. Minister of Ceremonies Zheng Yuansui had been sent to the Turks. The khan ordered him to persuade Shirang to surrender. Shirang thundered, "How can a true man serve as a lobbyist for barbarians! After more than a day the enemy withdrew. When Yuansui returned he reported Shirang's loyalty and courage. Gaozu issued an edict praising him and gave him fine horses. Soon he was summoned and made commander of Guang Prefecture. Before he took office Gaozu asked his plan for defending the frontier. Shirang answered, "The Turks raid south only because Mayi is their main route. By my plan, post a wise and brave general at Guo city with ample gold and silk. Reward deserters richly. Send raiding parties repeatedly to cut their grain and destroy their livelihood. Within a year they will run out of food, and Mayi will no longer be worth their trouble. Gaozu had no one else to appoint and sent him by urgent relay to carry out the plan himself. The Turks feared his reputation and spread a rumor that Shirang was conspiring with the khan to rebel. Gaozu did not investigate and had Shirang executed. His property was confiscated. Early in Zhenguan surrendered Turks said Shirang had never plotted treason. Only then were his wife and children pardoned.
15
使
Liu Lan, courtesy name Wenyü, was a native of Beihai in Qing Prefecture. He served the Sui as a clerical assistant in Poyang Commandery. He had read widely in the classics and histories and was skilled at analyzing success and failure. Yet he was by nature fierce and cunning. Seeing the Sui about to collapse, he associated with outlaws. Beihai was then intact and wealthy. Lan coveted its people and wealth, joined with bandits, and sacked the cities of his home district. During Wude, Prince Huai'an Shentong was pacification commissioner for the Shandong route. Lan led his clan to submit to him. For his service he rose to vice director of the Secretariat. Early in Zhenguan, when Liang Shidu still held Shuofang, Lan submitted a plan to capture him. Taizong approved and made him military administrator of Xia. Liang Shidu camped Turkic troops below the walls. Lan lowered his banners and drums and refused battle. The enemy fled by night. Lan pursued, routed them, and advanced on Xia. When Shidu was defeated, Lan was made prefect of Feng for his service and summoned as Right Army General. In 637 Taizong visited Luoyang and made Prince Shu of Shu military governor of Xia. The prince never took up his post. Lan was made chief administrator and ran the princely establishment. The Turks were then divided. Yushishe Ashina Momo led his tribe to settle south of the Yellow River. Lan spread disinformation to divide them. Khan Jieli suspected Momo. Momo fled in fear when Jieli sent troops after him. Lan intercepted and defeated Jieli's force. Taizong judged him capable, promoted him directly to prefect of Feng, then military governor of Xia, and enfeoffed him as Duke of Pingyuan. Late in Zhenguan he was executed by waist-slicing for plotting rebellion. Right Martial Guard Grand General Qiu Xinggong dug out Lan's heart and liver and ate them. When Taizong heard, he summoned Qiu and rebuked him: "The law has its proper forms. How could you go this far! If eating a rebel's heart and liver counts as loyalty, then the crown prince and the other princes should eat Liu Lan's heart before it ever reaches you! Qiu had no reply.
16
The historian writes: Hou Junji crushed fierce enemies and served with great effect; yet he relied on favor, boasted of his merit, and acted without restraint. He threw away his earlier achievements and brought ruin on himself—a greedy fool of a general, plain for all to see. Zhang Liang listened to Gongying's sorcery and trusted the prophecy of a 'lord Zhang.' He raised hundreds of sworn sons, and his wickedness was exposed. Though Li Daoyu said the evidence of rebellion was incomplete, his deceitful nature was proved. Xue Wanche's tactics were deep and his courage unmatched among the frontier peoples, yet he could not save his own head and was executed. These men did not begin with caution and end in honor.
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The encomium says: The gentleman who wins merit guards it with modest humility. The petty man who gains high office courts harm to himself. Hou and Zhang were violent and treacherous, scheming against the sacred age. Heroes like Han Xin and Peng Yue still could not escape the chopping block.
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