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卷七十三 列傳第二十三: 薛收 姚思廉 顏師古 令狐德棻 孔穎達

Volume 73 Biographies 23: Xue Shou, Yao Silian, Yan Shigu, Linghu Defen, Kong Yingda

Chapter 77 of 舊唐書 · Old Book of Tang
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Chapter 77
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1
Xue Shou; Yuanjing, son of his elder cousin; Yuanchao, Shou's son; Ji, son of a younger cousin
2
Yao Silian; Yan Shigu; and his younger brother Xiangshi
3
Linghu Defen; Deng Shilong; Gu Yin; Li Yanshou; Li Renshi; with others appended
4
Kong Yingda; Sima Caizhang; Wang Gong and Ma Jiayun; with others appended
5
簿 宿 退 退 使 使 輿 使
Xue Shou, courtesy name Bobao, came from Fenyin in Puzhou and was the son of the Sui Interior Secretary Xue Daoheng. He attended upon his uncle Xue Ru, who had succeeded to the family line, and won renown for filial devotion. By the age of twelve he was already skilled at writing. After his father died an unnatural death under the Sui, he resolved to hold himself apart and refused to enter government service. Near the end of the Daye reign, the commandery nominated him as a xiucai candidate, but he steadfastly refused to accept. When the rebel cause was raised, he withdrew to Mount Shouyang, planning to take part in the uprising. Yao Junsu, the Puzhou Tongshou, learned of Shou's plans in secret and had his birth mother Lady Wang brought into the city, whereupon Shou came back inside the walls. When Junsu was on the verge of siding with Wang Shichong, Shou climbed over the city wall and defected to the Tang cause. Fang Xuanling, secretary of the Prince of Qin's household, recommended him to the future Taizong, who summoned him the same day and questioned him on strategy; Shou answered expansively on every point, each reply hitting the mark. He was made chief clerk of the Prince of Qin's establishment and also acted as director of the revenue section on the Eastern Shaanxi grand secretariat staff. While the Prince of Qin was absorbed in military campaigns, most of the manifestos and victory announcements issued in his name were drafted by Shou. His prose was quick and sharp, as if he had composed it long in advance; he could finish a piece on horseback without changing a single character. During Taizong's campaign against Wang Shichong, Dou Jiande marched to block him; the generals all urged a temporary withdrawal to gauge the enemy's strength. Shou alone urged a different course: "Shichong holds the Eastern Capital with overflowing treasuries, and his soldiers are the finest troops of the Jianghuai. His weakness is hunger, which keeps him in our grip—he cannot afford to offer battle. Jiande is leading his army in person to block us; he too will throw his best fighters into the field, bent on a decisive fight. If we allow him to join Shichong here, the two enemies will link up and shuttle Hebei grain between them, and war around the Yi and Luo will never end. We should detach forces to hold our camps and deepen our trenches and defenses; even if Shichong tries to provoke a battle, we must not sally forth. Your Highness should lead our crack troops in person, seize the defiles at Chenggao first, keep the men drilled and armored, and wait for him to arrive. His exhausted army will meet our full strength in the field, and we are sure to win in a single engagement. Break Jiande, and Shichong will collapse on his own. Within twenty days both enemy kings can be brought before you with their hands tied. To pull back and stand on the defensive would be the worst option." Taizong adopted his plan and in the end took Jiande prisoner. After the Eastern Capital fell, Taizong toured the Sui palaces and lamented how the last Sui emperor had squandered the nation's labor on extravagance. Shou stepped forward and said, "I have heard it said that towering halls and carved walls brought down King Zhou of Shang; while earthen steps and thatched roofs made Emperor Yao prosper. The First Emperor of Qin lavished ornament on Epang Palace, while Empress Dowager Wen of Han cut the cost of the Terrace Pavilion; the Han house endured while Qin ruin came quickly—so it has always been. The last Sui emperor never saw this lesson: a ruler who commanded ten thousand chariots was brought low by a single man, his realm crumbling to ruin and his name a byword for later ages—all because of luxury and cruelty." Taizong was delighted with his answer. After the army returned, he was made recorder-adjutant of the Heavenly Strategies Office. When Taizong was first made General of Heavenly Strategies and Director of the Department of State Affairs, he had both Shou and Yu Shinan draft the first memorial declining the honors; Shou's version was the one adopted. Once, while attending Gaozu on a stroll through the rear garden, Taizong caught a white fish and asked Shou to write the presentation memorial; Shou wrote it straight off without a pause for thought, and contemporaries admired both pieces for their fullness and speed. He took part in suppressing Liu Heita and was ennobled as Baron of Fenyin County. In Wude 6 he was also made a scholar of the Literature Hall while keeping his existing post; he, Fang Xuanling, and Du Ruhui were treated with exceptional honor and entrusted as inner confidants. He once memorialized against hunting, and Taizong replied in his own hand: "Reading what you wrote has truly opened my eyes; what I have become today is largely your doing. Jewels and teams of four horses are nothing beside what you have just said; I shall take your words to heart, though no letter could say enough! I now grant you forty ingots of gold in recognition of your thoughtful counsel." In the seventh year he fell gravely ill; Taizong sent one envoy after another to visit him, so that they seemed to pass each other on the road. Soon he was carried by litter to the prince's mansion; Taizong himself took Shou's sleeve in his hand, spoke of their years together, and wept openly. He died soon afterward, at the age of thirty-three. Taizong came in person to mourn him. His grief moved everyone around him. He wrote to Yuanjing, Shou's cousin, saying, "Your uncle and I worked side by side—sometimes buried in military affairs, sometimes at leisure over poetry. We never ceased to debate strategy or speak frankly from the heart. Lately, though he was ill, I looked each day for his recovery—who could have thought that in a single morning he would be gone forever? The more I look back, the sharper my grief becomes. I hear too that his son is still small and the family has nothing left but bare walls—where are they to find a home? See that they are cared for, to ease my mind." He sent envoys to offer condolences and sacrifices, with a gift of three hundred bolts of silk. Later, portraits were painted of all the scholars of the hall. Taizong sighed and said, "Xue Shou is already among the departed; I regret that we did not paint his portrait sooner." After he took the throne he said to Fang Xuanling, "If Xue Shou were still alive, I would have made him Director of the Secretariat." He once dreamed of Shou as if he were still alive, and again ordered the authorities to grant his family a special allotment of grain and cloth. In Zhenguan 7 he was posthumously appointed Governor of Dingzhou. In Yonghui 6 he was further posthumously made Minister of Imperial Rites and granted burial near Zhaoling. His collected works ran to ten juan.
6
Yuanjing was the son of the Sui Vice Minister of the Selection Bureau, Xue Mai. A man of letters, in youth he was ranked with Shou and Shou's clansman Deyin; contemporaries called them "the Three Phoenixes of Hedong." Shou was called the eldest phoenix chick, Deyin the yu'luo phoenix, and Yuanjing, as the youngest, the yuan phoenix chick. During the Wude era Yuanjing served as a secretary; Taizong summoned him as an adjutant of the Heavenly Strategies Office and also made him a direct recorder. Both Shou and Yuanjing served as scholars of the Literature Hall. Fang, Du, and the others were inner confidants and close allies; Yuanjing respected their power too much to grow familiar with them. Du Ruhui often said, "That young recorder is neither someone you can cozy up to nor someone you can afford to alienate." When Taizong became crown prince, Yuanjing was made an attendant in the heir's household. Military and state affairs were then centered in the Eastern Palace, and Yuanjing alone handled the paperwork; he was reckoned fully equal to the task. He died soon afterward.
7
西 西 使 祿 祿
Shou's son, Yuanchao. Yuanchao lost his father while still young; at nine he inherited the barony of Fenyin. As he grew up he became devoted to study and excelled at writing. Taizong held him in high regard, gave him the Princess of Hejing, daughter of Prince Li of Chao, in marriage, repeatedly appointed him attendant to the heir, and enrolled him in the compilation of the Book of Jin. When Emperor Gaozong came to the throne he was promoted to supervising censor at the age of twenty-six. He repeatedly memorialized on the proper relation between ruler and minister and on current affairs; Gaozong welcomed and adopted his advice. He was soon made drafting attendant of the Secretariat, also appointed a Hongwen Hall scholar, and put in charge of editing the national history. In the Secretariat there stood a flat stone on which his grandfather Daoheng, as Interior Secretary, had once sat to draft edicts; whenever Yuanchao passed it he wept. In Yonghui 5 he left office to observe mourning for his mother. The following year he was recalled to serve as vice director of the Gate Department and also as acting left assistant to the crown prince. Yuanchao was gifted in letters and fond of promoting talented men from modest backgrounds; he once recommended more than a dozen scholars, including Ren Xigu, Gao Zhizhou, Guo Zhengyi, Wang Yifang, and Meng Lizhen, and won praise in public opinion. Later, on account of illness, he was sent out as governor of Raozhou. In the third year of his tenure he was appointed vice director of the Eastern Terrace. When the right chancellor Li Yifu was exiled to Xizhou for his crimes, Yuanchao memorialized that he be allowed horses, contrary to the usual rule for exiles; for this Yuanchao was demoted to governor of Jianzhou. A year later, when Shangguan Yi of the Western Terrace was executed, Yuanchao was punished again for his close literary ties with him and exiled to Xizhou. Early in the Shangyuan era he was recalled under an amnesty and appointed rectifier remonstrator. In the third year he was made vice director of the Secretariat and soon afterward chancellor of the third rank. When Gaozong went to the hot springs for a hunting expedition, the tribal chieftains of the frontier peoples also followed with bows at the ready. Yuanchao argued that these men were not of our own people and that the situation was deeply alarming; he submitted a forceful memorial of remonstrance, and the emperor accepted his advice. Yuanchao enjoyed exceptional favor and was often summoned to private banquets alongside the imperial princes. The emperor also prized his literary and administrative gifts and once told him, "As long as you are at the Secretariat, I hardly need anyone else." In Yonglong 2 he was made director of the Secretariat and also left assistant to the crown prince. When Gaozong went to the Eastern Capital, the crown prince stayed in Chang'an to oversee the realm, and Yuanchao was left behind to assist him. As he was leaving, the emperor told Yuanchao, "Keeping you here feels like losing an arm. But my son is still inexperienced in government; I entrust all affairs of the capital region entirely to you. The responsibility I place on you is too great for you to hold your tongue." Yuanchao then memorialized recommending Zheng Zuxuan, Deng Xuanting, and Cui Rong as scholars of the Chongwen Hall. He also sent repeated memorials remonstrating with the crown prince; when Gaozong heard of this he approved, sent envoys to commend him, and granted him a hundred bolts of silk. In Hongdao 1, citing illness, he asked to retire; he was promoted to grand master of the golden purple light and permitted to leave office. He died that winter, at the age of sixty-two. He was posthumously made grand master for splendid happiness and military governor of Qinzhou, and granted burial near Qianling. His collected works ran to forty juan. His son Yao likewise won renown for letters; during the Shengli reign he helped compile the Pearls of the Three Teachings and rose to rectifier remonstrator. Yuanchao's cousin, Ji.
8
仿 祿
Ji passed the jinshi examination and eventually rose to drafting attendant of the Secretariat. His cousin Yao then served as rectifier remonstrator; both men were famed for literary skill and held posts in the two secretariats, winning praise from their contemporaries. Late in the Jinglong era he was made remonstrating censor and a scholar of the Zhaowen Hall. A lover of antiquity and wide learning, he was especially accomplished in clerical script. Since the Zhenguan and Yonghui reigns, Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang had been the calligraphic models of their age, and few afterward could match them. Ji's maternal grandfather Wei Zheng owned a great library with many works by Yu and Chu; Ji studied their hand intently until his brushwork was forceful and elegant, and none of his contemporaries could rival him. He was also a painter and a wide-ranging collector of antiquities. While Ruizong was still a prince he took an interest in scholarship and the arts, and Ji was singled out for patronage; soon afterward Ruizong had Ji marry his son Boyang to the Princess of Xianyuan. After Ruizong ascended the throne, Ji rose to vice director of the Secretariat and shared responsibility for drafting edicts with Su Ting and others. Soon he and Vice Director Cui Riyong were made participants in governance. Ruizong appointed Zhong Shaojing director of the Secretariat; Ji urged Shaojing to step aside and told the emperor, "Shaojing has never had reputation or ability; he rose from the clerical ranks. Though he has rendered service, I have heard nothing of outstanding virtue in him. To leap in a single day to chief minister and become mentor to the whole bureaucracy—I fear the worthy and unworthy will be treated alike and the court will lose the dignity that all should look up to." The emperor agreed; Shaojing submitted a memorial declining the post and was transferred to minister of revenue. Ji also openly attacked Cui Riyong before the emperor, the two men trading accusations; for this Ji was removed from governance, made left regular attendant, and later served as minister of works and minister of rites. For his service in supporting Ruizong he was enfeoffed as Duke of Jin with three hundred taxable households and made junior tutor to the crown prince. Ruizong often summoned Ji into the palace to help decide state affairs, and no one enjoyed greater favor. When Dou Huaizhen was executed, Ji was condemned for having known of the conspiracy and was ordered to take his own life in the Wannian County jail. His son Boyang, through marriage to a princess, became general of the right thousand-ox guard and commandant escorting the imperial son-in-law; for his own service he was also made Duke of Anyi with a separate income of four hundred households. When his father died he was spared the usual punishment for a relative's crime and demoted to acting vice governor of Jinzhou. He was soon exiled to the far south and killed himself on the way. Boyang's son Tan married the Princess of Changshan in Kaiyuan 16, was made commandant escorting the imperial son-in-law and acting vice director of the imperial household, and died suddenly within ten days.
9
簿 殿 便
Yao Silian, courtesy name Jianzhi, came from Wannian in Yongzhou. His father Cha had been minister of personnel under the Chen; after entering Sui service he held posts including attendant in the heir's household, secretary aide, and Duke of Beijiang; versed in both classical and historical learning, he was respected across three dynasties. When Chen fell, Cha left Wuxing and moved to the Guanzhong region. As a youth Silian studied the Han histories under his father, inherited the family scholarly tradition in full, pursued learning with few wants, and never spoke of household wealth. Under Chen he served as registrar of Yangzhou; under Sui he became an adjutant in the Prince of Han's household and left office to mourn his father. Earlier, while serving Chen, Cha had begun histories of Liang and Chen but left them unfinished; on his deathbed he charged Silian to complete them. After his stepmother's death he built a mourning hut beside her tomb and wasted away with grief more deeply than most. When mourning ended he was appointed judicial clerk of Hejian commandery. Silian memorialized the court with his father's dying charge, and an edict authorized him to complete the histories of Liang and Chen. Emperor Yang also had him work with diarist Cui Zujun on the Atlas and Gazetteer of the Realm. He later became lecturer to Prince You of Dai. When the rebel army seized the capital, the prince's staff fled in panic, but Silian alone remained at the prince's side. As the soldiers were about to enter the hall, Silian cried out, "The Duke of Tang took up arms to restore the imperial house; you must not treat the prince with disrespect." The soldiers accepted his rebuke and drew up in ranks below the steps. Gaozu heard of this and admired his loyalty, allowing him to escort Prince You to the Shunyang Pavilion, where Silian wept, bowed, and took his leave. Onlookers all exclaimed, "A man of loyal valor! The benevolent are brave—this is what they mean!" After Gaozu took the throne, Silian was appointed literary scholar to the Prince of Qin. Later, during Taizong's campaign against Xu Yuanlang, Silian was in Luoyang; Taizong once spoke of the fall of the Sui and sighed, "Yao Silian faced drawn swords without flinching and showed what true integrity means; among the ancients, who could surpass that?" He sent him three hundred bolts of silk with a note: "Remembering your integrity, I make this gift." He was soon appointed a scholar of the Literature Hall. When Taizong became crown prince, Silian was made groom in the heir's household. Early in Zhenguan he became a compiler and Hongwen Hall scholar. His portrait was painted for the Picture of the Eighteen Scholars, and the literary scholar Chu Liang was asked to write a laudation: "Steadfast in purpose and tireless in study, truthful in recording words. Facing danger he upheld righteousness; his example still stirs the world." In the third year he was again ordered to compile the histories of Liang and Chen together with Wei Zheng, director of the imperial library. Silian drew on various Liang histories, including that of Xie Jiong, to finish his father's work, researched Chen affairs, revised and synthesized Gu Yewang's earlier history, and produced the History of Liang in fifty juan and the History of Chen in thirty juan. Though Wei Zheng edited the general essays, the arrangement and drafting were Silian's work; he was rewarded with five hundred bolts of silk and promoted to regular attendant direct and unhindered. As an old companion from the prince's household, Silian enjoyed exceptional favor; when policy went awry the emperor often sent him secret messages, and Silian spoke frankly without holding back. When Taizong planned to visit the Jiucheng Palace, Silian remonstrated: "Pleasure tours to detached palaces were the ways of the First Emperor of Qin and Emperor Wu of Han—not the ways of Yao, Shun, Yu, or Tang." His words were forceful and pointed. Taizong replied, "I suffer from a breathing ailment that grows acute in heat; this is not mere love of sightseeing." He then granted him fifty bolts of silk. In the ninth year he was made regular attendant and ennobled as baron of Fengcheng County. He died in the eleventh year. Taizong mourned him deeply, suspended court for a day, posthumously made him minister of imperial rites with the posthumous name Kang, and granted him burial land near Zhaoling. His son Chuping rose to master of ceremonial affairs. Chuping's sons Yu and Ting are treated in separate biographies.
10
使 調
Yan Shigu, whose formal name was Zhou, came from Wannian in Yongzhou and was the grandson of the Qi vice director of the yellow gate, Yan Zhitui. His family originally came from Langya and for generations served south of the Yangzi. By Zhitui's time the family had served Zhou and Qi; after Qi's fall they settled in Guanzhong. His father Silu was known for scholarship and the arts and early in Wude served as recorder-adjutant in the Prince of Qin's household. Shigu inherited the family scholarly tradition in youth, read widely, excelled in philological commentary, and wrote with skill. During the Sui Renshou era he was recommended by Li Gang, left assistant of the department of state affairs, and appointed magistrate of Anyang. Yang Su, left vice director of the department of state affairs, saw how young and slight Shigu looked and asked, "Anyang is a difficult county—how can you manage it?" Shigu replied, "To slaughter a chicken, why use an ox-knife?" Yang Su was struck by his answer. Once in office he proved himself an able administrator. Xue Daoheng, then regional commander of Xiangzhou, was an old acquaintance of Gaozu and admired Shigu's talent; he often had Shigu critique his drafts and grew very close to him. He was soon dismissed for an offense, returned to Chang'an, and went ten years without a post; poor at home, he supported himself by teaching.
11
使 使
When the rebellion began, Shigu presented himself at the Everlasting Spring Palace and was made grand master for palace counsel. He took part in capturing the capital, became literary scholar in the Duke of Dunhuang's household, then diarist, and was twice promoted until he became drafting attendant of the Secretariat in charge of confidential documents. With military and civil affairs pressing on every side, nearly every edict and decree passed through his hand. Shigu understood governance and excelled at formal memorials; none of his contemporaries could match him. When Taizong ascended the throne he was promoted to vice director of the Secretariat and enfeoffed as baron of Langya County. He left office to mourn his mother. When mourning ended he returned as vice director of the Secretariat. A year later he was dismissed for an offense. Because the classics had long been corrupted in transmission, Taizong had Shigu collate the Five Classics at the imperial library; Shigu corrected many errors and presented the finished text. Taizong then had other scholars review the work, but they had studied the old texts for generations and united in criticizing him. Shigu cited ancient and modern texts from Jin and Song onward, answered every objection on the spot with precise evidence, and left the scholars speechless with admiration. He was then made direct gentleman and regular attendant, and his collated classics were issued empire-wide for students to follow. In Zhenguan 7 he became vice director of the imperial library with sole charge of textual collation. Whenever rare texts or difficult characters baffled others, he analyzed the problem and traced it to its source. Though many junior scholars were brought in to help collate texts, Shigu favored the well-connected over humble talent—even wealthy merchants—and was widely accused of taking bribes; for this he was sent out as governor of Chenzhou. Before he left, Taizong, reluctant to lose him, said, "Your learning is truly admirable, but your conduct toward kin and in office has not won the approval of respectable opinion. This appointment you have brought on yourself. Because of your past service I cannot bear to cast you aside; you must discipline yourself more strictly." He was then restored as vice director of the imperial library. Proud of his talent and long accustomed to high office, Shigu grew deeply dejected after repeated censures. From then on he kept to his household in seclusion, refused visitors, and wandered his gardens in rustic dress. Yet he never ceased searching out antiquities and ancient artifacts. He was soon ordered to help the erudites compile the Five Rites; when the work was finished in the eleventh year he was raised to viscount. While Chengan was crown prince he had Shigu annotate Ban Gu's Book of Han; the commentary was detailed and clear and won great esteem among scholars. Chengan presented it to the throne; Taizong had it stored in the imperial archive and rewarded Shigu with two hundred bolts of goods and a fine horse. In the fifteenth year, Emperor Taizong issued an edict announcing his intention to perform the fengshan sacrifice at Mount Tai, and ordered the responsible offices, together with the chief ministers and all Confucian scholars and academicians, to work out the ritual protocols in detail. Wei Ting, Chief Minister of Ceremonials, and Linghu Defen, Vice Minister of Rites, were appointed commissioners for the fengshan rite to study its ceremonies, but at the time commentators all raised conflicting opinions. Shigu submitted a memorial, saying, "Your subject completed the Book of Fengshan Ritual Protocols in the spring of the eleventh year; at that time the Confucian scholars reviewed it together and judged it to strike the right balance." The emperor then ordered the chief ministers to decide whether it was feasible; most sided with Shigu's proposal, but in the end the project was never carried out. Shigu was soon promoted to Director of the Palace Library and appointed an Academician of the Hongwen Institute. In the nineteenth year, while accompanying the emperor on an eastern tour, he fell ill on the road and died at the age of sixty-five; his posthumous title was Dai. He left a collected works in sixty juan. His commentaries on the Book of Han and the Rapid Writing Primer became widely circulated. In the third year of Yonghui, Shigu's son Yangting, who was serving as Director of Seals and Credentials, again submitted a memorial presenting his father's eight-juan work Correcting Errors and Rectifying Custom. Emperor Gaozong issued an edict ordering the work deposited in the Secretariat archives and also granted Yangting fifty bolts of silk.
12
使
Shigu's younger brother Xiangshi was also a man of learning. During the Wude era, he served alongside Fang Xuanling and others as an academician in the Prince of Qin's household. During the Zhenguan era, he rose through repeated promotions to Remonstrance and Censor, correcting oversights and filling gaps in policy, with the bearing of a loyal critic. He was soon appointed Vice Minister of Rites. Xiangshi was frail and frequently ill, and Emperor Taizong often sent him medicines as gifts. By nature he was kind and affectionate; when Shigu died, he was overcome with grief and mourning and died as well. Shigu's uncle Youqin, at the beginning of the Wude era, rose through repeated promotions to Prefect of Lianzhou and was ennobled as Marquis of Linyi County. At the time Liu Heita had just been pacified; many people were violent and disrespectful, and local customs had not yet settled. Youqin comforted and cared for the people within his jurisdiction, and courtesy and forbearance became widely practiced. A local song ran: "Prefect Yan of Lianzhou possesses the Way; in nature and conduct he is like Zhuangzi and Laozi. He loves the people as his own children and will not cut grass out of season." Emperor Gaozu sent an imperial letter commending and encouraging him. He was soon appointed Prefect of Yanzhou and died in office. He wrote Clarifying Doubts on the Book of Han in twelve juan, which scholars praised; later, when Shigu annotated the Book of Han, he drew heavily on its interpretations as well.
13
西
Linghu Defen was a native of Huayuan in Yizhou and the son of Xi, who had served as Vice Director of the Directorate for Guests under the Sui. His family had originally lived in Dunhuang and for generations had been a leading clan of the Hexi region. Defen was widely versed in literature and history and won early renown. At the end of the Daye era, he was appointed magistrate of Yaocheng, but because of the turmoil of the times he never took up the post. When the righteous banner was raised, Prince Huai'an Li Shentong seized the Taiping Palace, styled himself Commander-in-Chief, and appointed Defen as his secretariat attendant. When Emperor Gaozu entered the passes, he summoned Defen to serve as a recorder in the Grand Chancellor's direct office. In the first year of Wude, he was appointed Diarist of the Emperor's Actions and enjoyed great intimacy and favor. In the fifth year, he was promoted to Secretary Director and, together with Vice Director Chen Shuda and others, received an edict to compile the Literary Categories Collection. Emperor Gaozu asked Defen, "Recently, men's caps and women's hairstyles have all been competing to grow taller and larger—why is that? He replied, "On the human body, the cap is the highest adornment; that is why the ancients compared it to the ruler above. In the final years of the Eastern Jin, the ruler was weak and his ministers strong; scholars and women south of the Yangzi all wore short jackets and long skirts. After Emperor Wu of Song ascended the throne, the ruler's authority became solemn and imposing, and the style of dress soon changed as well. This is proof drawn from recent events." Emperor Gaozu agreed with him. At the time, in the aftermath of war and chaos, many classics had been lost; Defen submitted a memorial requesting that missing books be purchased and collected. Additional money and silk were offered, more copyists were assigned, and orders were given to transcribe the texts. Within a few years, the collection of books was largely complete. Defen once said calmly to Emperor Gaozu, "I have noticed that in recent times many dynasties lack proper official histories; the Liang, Chen, and Qi still have written records. As for the Zhou and Sui, they suffered the chaos of the Daye era, and many records have been lost. At present we can still hear and see what happened, and there are still sources to rely on; but after another ten years or so, I fear those events will be lost forever. Your Majesty received the abdication from the Sui and also inherited the Zhou dynastic line; the achievements of our state's two founding ancestors both belong to the Zhou period. If these writings and historical records are not preserved, how can they be handed down as mirrors for past and present? In this humble subject's view, I ask that they all be compiled." Emperor Gaozu approved the memorial and issued an edict, saying:
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綿
Those who oversee canonical texts and set forth prefaces, and the historiographers who record events, examine gains and losses and exhaustively investigate change and adaptation— by this they shape moral categories, punish evil and encourage good, broaden knowledge of antiquity, and leave mirrors for generations to come. From Fuxi down through Zhou and Qin, through the succession of the two Han dynasties, the Three Kingdoms' receipt of the mandate, and down to Jin and Song—the historical records are complete. From the time Wei moved south and seized the opportunity to rule the age, through Zhou and Sui, which succeeded by abdication across successive generations— Liang established a realm spanning the Huai River and the sea; Qi moved the imperial tripod, and Chen founded an imperial house—each in turn claimed the correct calendar, endured through years and generations, adopted its own reign titles and standards, and revised and fixed ritual and etiquette. As for the founding of dynasties, the transfer of rule and announcement of succession, wise counsels and good policies, famous ministers and extraordinary men of talent, and those who left words and achievements on record—all were abundant in their times. Yet the bamboo slips were never compiled, annals and biographies remain incomplete, years have piled up like alternating cold and heat, and popular lore has drifted into error. Their remaining glory and surviving customs would in an instant nearly vanish. I hold the imperial chart and govern the realm, long to sustain and nurture my people, and am now establishing institutions and canons to be handed down forever as fundamental law. When I look upon those records lost and fallen into ruin, my grief is deep; in my desire to compile and order them, I truly rely on men of integrity and talent. Central Secretariat Director Xiao Yu, Palace Attendant Wang Jingye, and Compilation Officer Yin Wenli shall compile the history of Wei; Vice Director Chen Shuda, Secretary Director Linghu Defen, and Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau Yu Jian shall compile the history of Zhou; concurrently serving Central Secretariat Director Feng Deyi and Drafting Secretariat Attendant Yan Shigu shall compile the history of Sui; Chief Judge of the Court of Judicial Review Cui Shanwei, Drafting Secretariat Attendant Kong Shao'an, and Palace Groom of the Heir Apparent Xiao Deyan shall compile the history of Liang; Grand Steward of the Heir Apparent Pei Ju, concurrently serving Director in the Ministry of Personnel Zu Xiaosun, and former Secretary Director Wei Zheng shall compile the history of Qi; Director of the Palace Library Dou Jin, Palace Attendant Ouyang Xun, and Literary Instructor to the Prince of Qin Yao Silian shall compile the history of Chen. They shall examine and verify everything with the greatest care, broadly gather earlier accounts, write with integrity so that what is recorded cannot be altered, and follow historiographic principles that admit no concealment.
15
殿
Yu and the others received the edict, but after several years they still could not finish the work, and the project was abandoned. In the third year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong again ordered the histories compiled. He appointed Defen and Secretary Gentleman Cen Wenben to compile the Zhou history, Drafting Secretariat Attendant Li Baiyao to compile the Qi history, Compilation Officer Yao Silian to compile the Liang and Chen histories, and Director of the Palace Library Wei Zheng to compile the Sui history, with Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs Fang Xuanling overseeing all the dynastic histories. In discussion the court held that the history of Wei already existed in the detailed works of Wei Shou and Wei Yan, so no new compilation of the Wei history was undertaken. Defen submitted another memorial recommending Palace Attendant Cui Renshi to assist in compiling the Zhou history, while Defen himself continued to oversee the classification and collation of the Liang, Chen, Qi, and Sui histories. The origin of the historiographical projects begun since the Wude era lay with Defen. In the sixth year, he rose through repeated promotions to Vice Minister of Rites, was concurrently charged with compiling the national history, and was ennobled as Baron of Pengyang. In the tenth year, he was granted four hundred bolts of silk for his work on the Zhou history. In the eleventh year, when the New Rites was completed, his noble rank was raised to viscount. He was also granted two hundred bolts of silk for completing the Genealogical Records of Clans. In the fifteenth year, he was appointed Right Vice Director of the Heir Apparent's Household. When Chengqian's plot failed, Defen was dismissed from office according to precedent. In the eighteenth year, he was recalled and appointed Prefect of Yazhou, but was later dismissed over an official matter. Soon afterward an edict ordered a revised compilation of the Book of Jin; Fang Xuanling memorialized that Defen should take part in the project. At the time there were eighteen co-compilers in all, and all regarded Defen as their leader; the work's format and structure were largely decided by him. When the book was completed, he was appointed Vice Director of the Palace Library.
16
殿 祿
In the first year of Yonghui, he again received an edict to help compile laws and ordinances, was reappointed Vice Minister of Rites and Academician of the Hongwen Institute, and was charged with supervising the national history and the Treatises of the Five Dynasties. He was soon appointed Chief Minister of Ceremonials while continuing to serve as an Academician of the Hongwen Institute. At the time Emperor Gaozong had just ascended the throne and was attentive to the way of governance; he once summoned the chief ministers and the Hongwen Institute academicians to the Zhonghua Hall and asked, "What is the kingly way, and what is the hegemonic way? And which should come first, and which after? Defen replied, "The kingly way relies on virtue; the hegemonic way relies on punishment. From the Three Sage-Kings onward, all practiced the kingly way; only Qin employed hegemonic methods, while Han mixed the two in practice; from Wei and Jin downward, both the kingly and hegemonic ways were lost. If one wishes to put them into practice, the kingly way is best, but it is also the hardest to carry out." Emperor Gaozong said, "Of the policies being pursued now, which is most important?" Defen replied, "In antiquity, governing meant purifying the heart and simplifying affairs—that was the foundation. At present the realm is at peace, the harvest is abundant, taxes are light, and corvée labor is reduced—this accords with the ancient way. Of the essential points of governance, nothing surpasses this." Emperor Gaozong said, "In the way of governance, nothing is greater than non-action." He asked again, "By what did Yu and Tang rise? And by what did Jie and Zhou perish? Defen replied, "The Commentary says, 'Yu and Tang blamed themselves, and their rise was swift; Jie and Zhou blamed others, and their fall was sudden. Those two rulers were led astray by Meixi and Daji, executed those who remonstrated with them, and invented the burning-pillar punishment—that is why they perished." Emperor Gaozong was greatly pleased; when the audience ended, each participant was granted silk and brocade. In the fourth year, he was appointed Chancellor of the Directorate of Education; for compiling the Veritable Records from the thirteenth year of Zhenguan onward, he was granted four hundred items and concurrently appointed an Academician of the Chongxian Institute. He soon compiled the Veritable Records of Gaozong in thirty juan and was raised in noble rank to duke. In the second year of Longshuo, he submitted a memorial requesting retirement; permission was granted, and he was additionally appointed Grand Master of the Gold Seal and Purple Ribbon. In the first year of Qianfeng, he died at home at the age of eighty-four; his posthumous title was Xian. In his later years Defen was especially diligent in writing, and there was scarcely a state compilation in which he did not take part.
17
After the Wude era, Deng Shilong, Gu Yin, Li Yanshou, and Li Renshi compiled the national history in turn, and their work won considerable praise in their day.
18
鹿 簿 宿
Deng Shilong came from Xiangzhou. Near the end of the Daye reign, Wang Tai—nephew of Wang Shichong—held Heyang and took Shilong on as a retainer, treating him with exceptional favor. When Emperor Taizong besieged Luoyang, he sent Wang Tai a letter of persuasion; Shilong drafted the reply, and its language was defiant. After Luoyang fell, Shilong feared retribution. He changed his name, called himself Master Yinuan, and went into hiding on Mount Bailu. In the early Zhenguan years he was summoned to office as Director of the National University and, together with Cui Renshi, Murong Shanxing, Liu Yi, Yu Anli, Jing Bo, and others, appointed an academician charged with compiling history. Shilong still carried the burden of his past offense and could not feel at ease. When Taizong learned of this, he sent Fang Xuanling to reassure him, saying, "You drafted a letter for Wang Tai — that truly merited heavy punishment, yet each man serves his own master; why should I hold that against you? I am Son of Heaven now — how could I still hound an ordinary man's old fault? Put your mind at rest and do not live in dread. Shilong was then promoted to Assistant Director of the Bureau of Writings and later served as Vice Director of the Court of the Imperial Stud. At first Taizong had conquered the realm by force of arms, toiling through wind and rain with no time for poetry or the classics. Once he had inherited the throne, he promoted worthy and loyal men and applied himself keenly to the work of government. Within a few years good order prevailed and the land prospered, and in the intervals between affairs of state he turned his attention to letters and history. When he narrated events or gave voice to his thoughts, he sometimes composed literary pieces; his native gift was broad and splendid, and his inspiration ranged into depths far beyond the ordinary. In Zhenguan 13 Shilong memorialized asking that the emperor's collected writings be edited and preserved, but Taizong refused. Shilong also collected materials on the Sui and compiled the Record of the Eastern Capital in thirty juan. He was promoted to Director of the Bureau of Writings. He died soon afterward.
19
Gu Yin came from Wu in Suzhou. His grandfather Gu Yue had served Chen as Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate. His father Gu Lan had been an Academician of the Sui Secretariat. During Yonghui, Gu Yin rose through the ranks to Diarist and also took part in compiling the national history. When he completed the twenty-juan Veritable Record of Taizong, he was rewarded with the rank of Grand Master of the Palace and appointed an Academician of the Hongwen Pavilion. After finishing the eighty-juan national history of the Wude and Zhenguan reigns, he was promoted to Gentleman for Court Attendance, enfeoffed as Baron of Yuhang County, and granted five hundred bolts of silk. In Longshuo 3 he was transferred to Director of the Bureau of Literature. He died soon afterward. Gu Yin also compiled the Collection of Ancient and Modern Matters from the Book of Han in twenty juan, which circulated widely in his time. His son Gu Cong, during the Chang'an period, served as Vice Director of the Bureau of Celestial Officials and as a Chief Minister of the Tong Fengge Luantai.
20
西 簿 調
Li Yanshou belonged to a distinguished Longxi clan whose family had lived in Xiangzhou for generations. During Zhenguan he served in succession as Director of the Crown Prince's Victuals Office and as an Academician of the Chongxian Pavilion. He was once ordered, together with Assistant Director of the Bureau of Writings Jing Bo, to help compile the Annals of the Five Dynasties, and also took part in drafting the Book of Jin. He was soon transferred to Chief Clerk of the Censorate while continuing to serve on the national history. Yanshou once compiled the Administrative Canons of Taizong in thirty juan and presented them to the throne. He was promoted to Keeper of the Seals while continuing to compile the national history, and died soon afterward. During the Tiaolu era Emperor Gaozong once read the Administrative Canons Yanshou had written, admired them at length, ordered them stored in the Secret Pavilion, and granted his family fifty bolts of silk. Yanshou also abridged and reworked the histories of the eight dynasties from Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen in the south to Wei, Qi, Zhou, and Sui in the north, producing the History of North and South in one hundred eighty juan, which circulated widely in his time.
21
Li Renshi came from Dunqiu in Weizhou. He rose to the post of Left Historiographer. He wrote the Treatise on Standards in three juan, the Comprehensive Chronology in eight juan, and the Record of Rongzhou, all of which circulated in his day.
22
宿 使 耀
Kong Yingda, courtesy name Zhongda, came from Hengshui in Jizhou. His grandfather Kong Shuo had served the Northern Wei as Director of the Southern Bureau. His father Kong An had been a Legal Affairs Officer in Qingzhou under the Northern Qi. Yingda began his studies at eight and could recite more than a thousand characters a day. As an adult he was especially accomplished in the Zuo Commentary, Zheng Xuan's Book of Documents, Wang Bi's Book of Changes, the Mao Odes, and the Book of Rites, and was also skilled in mathematics and calendrical science and adept at literary composition. Liu Zhuo of the same commandery enjoyed a reputation that reached across the empire, and Yingda went to study at his door. At first Liu Zhuo paid him little regard, but when Yingda asked to discuss difficult points, many of his questions went beyond what Zhuo had anticipated, and Zhuo changed his manner and treated him with respect. Yingda insisted on going home, and though Zhuo pressed him to stay, he could not be kept. Back home, he devoted himself to teaching. At the start of the Daye reign he passed the Mingjing examination with high honors and was appointed Doctor of Henei Commandery. When Emperor Yang summoned Confucian officials from the commanderies to the Eastern Capital and had academicians of the National University and Secretariat debate with them, Yingda ranked first. Yingda was still young, and older master scholars, ashamed to be outdone by him, secretly sent assassins against him. Yang Xuangan, Minister of Rites, took him into his household, and in that way he escaped harm. He was appointed Assistant Instructor of the Imperial Academy. When the Sui empire collapsed into chaos, he took refuge at Wulao. After Taizong defeated Wang Shichong, Yingda was brought into the Prince of Qin's Literary Institute as an academician. In Wude 9 he was promoted to Doctor of the National University. At the start of Zhenguan he was enfeoffed as Baron of Qufu County and transferred to the post of Attendant of Affairs. Taizong had just ascended the throne and was attentive to the business of government; Yingda offered loyal counsel on several occasions and came to be treated with growing favor. Taizong once asked, "The Analects says, 'Let the able ask of the unable; let the many ask of the few; possess as though one possessed nothing; be full as though one were empty. What does this mean? Yingda replied, "The sage established his teaching to make men humble and self-effacing. Though one already has ability, one does not boast of it, but still seeks instruction from those who seem less capable. Though one's talents are many, one still treats them as insufficient and goes to those who seem to have little in order to gain more. Though one possesses much, one appears as though one possessed nothing. Though one is full, one's bearing is as though one were empty. This applies not only to common people; the virtue of an emperor should be the same. A ruler should harbor divine insight within while outwardly remaining reserved and still, so that his depths cannot be fathomed and his intentions cannot be read. The Book of Changes says, 'By obscurity one nurtures what is right; by Brightness Hidden one governs the multitude.' If a ruler in the highest place flaunts his brilliance, uses talent to dominate others, covers his faults, and rejects remonstrance, feeling is cut off between high and low and the bond between sovereign and minister is broken. Since antiquity, no dynasty has fallen except by this path. Taizong was deeply pleased with his answer. In the sixth year he was appointed Vice Director of the National University. After little more than a year he was transferred to Right Vice Director of the Crown Prince while retaining his post as Vice Director of the National University. When the court scholars debated the calendar and the Bright Hall, all followed Yingda's views. He also helped Wei Zheng complete the History of Sui and was promoted to Regular Attendant. In the eleventh year he joined court worthies in revising the Five Rites, and every doubtful point was referred to Yingda for final decision. When the work was finished, he was raised to the rank of Viscount and granted three hundred bolts of goods. When the deposed heir Chengan ordered him to compile an exegesis of the Classic of Filial Piety, Yingda read meaning through the text and broadened the path of indirect remonstrance; scholars praised the work. Because Yingda had repeatedly offered corrective remonstrance in the Eastern Palace, Taizong granted him and Left Vice Director Yu Zhining each one jin of gold and a hundred bolts of silk. In the twelfth year he was appointed Chancellor of the National University while continuing to lecture in the Eastern Palace. In the fourteenth year Taizong visited the National University for the harvest sacrifice, ordered Yingda to lecture on the Classic of Filial Piety, and when the lecture was done Yingda submitted an Ode for the Sacrifice; the emperor answered with a personal edict of praise. Later, when Chengan ignored proper conduct, Yingda repeatedly risked giving offense to remonstrate with him directly. Chengan's wet nurse, Lady Suian, said to him, "The Crown Prince is grown — why must you rebuke him to his face again and again? Yingda replied, "I have received the state's great favor; if I die in the course of duty, I shall have no regret." His remonstrance grew ever sharper, and Chengan would not heed it. Earlier, together with Yan Shigu, Sima Caizhang, Wang Gong, Wang Yan, and other scholars, he had received an edict to compile authoritative glosses on the Five Classics — one hundred eighty juan in all, entitled the Correct Meanings of the Five Classics. Taizong issued an edict saying, "You have mastered ancient and modern learning, your principles are comprehensive and sound, you have weighed the differing views of earlier scholars and accord with the sage's deepest intent — this is work that will endure. The text was ordered put into use at the Directorate of Education, and Yingda was granted three hundred bolts of goods. At that time Ma Jiayun, a Doctor of the Imperial Academy, challenged the Correct Meanings Yingda had compiled; an edict ordered further revision, but the work was never finished. In the seventeenth year he retired from office on account of age. In the eighteenth year his portrait was placed in the Lingyan Pavilion; the encomium read, "His Way illumined the halls of learning; the wind of his teaching spread from the academy gates. Profound meanings opened like dawn clouds; polished words rose like a rushing wind. He died in the twenty-second year, was buried with honor at Zhaoling, was posthumously appointed Minister of Rites, and given the posthumous name Xian.
23
Sima Caizhang came from Guixiang in Weizhou. His father Sima Xuan was broadly versed in the Five Classics and skilled in apocryphal and omen lore. Caizhang inherited his father's learning from youth. At the end of the Sui he served as a commandery doctor. In Zhenguan 6 the Left Vice Director Fang Xuanling recommended him; he was repeatedly summoned for questioning, promoted to Assistant Instructor of the Imperial Academy, and praised by scholars for the breadth and soundness of his discourse.
24
Wang Gong came from Baima in Huazhou. From youth he was devoted to learning and broadly versed in the Six Classics. When he taught in the countryside, disciples came from afar until their number reached several hundred. In the early Zhenguan years he was summoned as Doctor of the Imperial Academy; in his lectures on the Three Rituals he developed separate textual proofs of his own, and his learning was exceptionally deep and broad. Gai Wenyi, Wenda, and others were leading scholars of the day who rarely conceded merit to anyone else; yet whenever they lectured on the Three Rituals they cited the interpretations of earlier masters in full and also gave free rein to what Gong had taught.
25
鹿 殿
Ma Jiayun came from Fenshui in Weizhou. He entered the monkhood in youth and mastered the Three Treatises school of Buddhist thought. He later returned to lay life, devoted himself to Confucian learning, and was especially adept at scholastic debate. In the early Zhenguan years he rose through successive appointments as libationer at the Eastern Pavilion of the Prince of Yue. Before long he was dismissed and retired, living in seclusion on Mount Bailu. In the eleventh year he was summoned as Doctor of the Imperial Academy and also made a scholar of the Hongwen Pavilion, joining the compilation of the Literary Mind and Broad Essentials. Jiayun found Kong Yingda's Correct Meanings often cumbersome and redundant, and regularly challenged its passages; other scholars agreed that his criticisms were sound. When Gaozong served as crown prince, Jiayun was appointed a scholar of the Chongxian Pavilion. He often lectured in the palace alongside the Reader Qin Wei and received exceptional favor. In the nineteenth year he was promoted to Doctor of the National University and died in office.
26
The historian writes: As the Tang dynasty rose in virtue, eminent scholars appeared in succession—men who truly aided the founding effort and worked in concert. Xue Shou helped shape great plans and advised on the finer points of statecraft; cut short in life, he was a worthy man the dynasty could ill afford to lose. The emperor once said, "I regret we never painted his portrait; if he were still alive, I would have made him director of the Secretariat"—from that remark alone his talent is evident. Yuanjing's prose was brilliant and quick, yet he feared power and never grew close to Fang and Du; deeply reserved and cautious to the end—was that not the wiser course? Yuanchao inherited his father's prestige and served the throne with broad vision; his punishments were scarcely deserved, yet he was exiled twice. Once restored to high office, he offered still finer counsel and brought forward many talents to broaden imperial recruitment; such depth of gratitude—has any age heard its like? To begin well and finish well—he very nearly achieved that ideal! Ji came from a distinguished family and rose to great responsibility, yet when his own plotting brought ruin, what became of his integrity? Yao Silian was a devoted scholar of few desires who inherited his father's work on the Book of Han; steadfast in principle, he could not be moved when the stakes were highest. When his editorial labor produced a finished work, he used it to admonish and guide the throne; if ever a man was born for his age, surely he was such a one! Shigu came from a scholarly family and mastered the classics; in annotating history and probing ritual, clarity lived in his person—Heaven had marked him as a man of talent. Yet the stain of three demotions drew the ridicule of his age; as Confucius said, "Talent is hard to find"—was he not right? Linghu Defen was upright and attuned to his age, candid and fair in answering every question put to him. He gathered old chronicles and restored new ritual, letting the spirit of the age flow freely; he weighed order against chaos and counseled on rule by virtue and by force, thereby furnishing the foundations of empire. "The sovereign is wise, and his ministers are worthy"—such praise was surely meant for men like these! Deng Shilong won timely praise for his work on the national history and was genuinely candid and upright. Yet that his reply was defiant—how profoundly he misjudged the moment! His memorial asking that the emperor's writings be compiled and preserved—that was true ministerial candor! Gu Yin left a pure reputation and a model worth emulating; the blessing of accumulated virtue lived on—did he not have a worthy son? Li Yanshou studied historiography deeply, revised, edited, and supplemented his work until he produced a great historical compilation; compared with Ban Gu and Sima Qian, has any age truly lacked men of such caliber? Li Renshi merely compiled by excerpting, and ranks still farther below. Kong Yingda was lofty in bearing and famed even as a youth; penetrating in analysis and quick in debate, Heaven had endowed him with universal talent. Human nature resents excellence, and calumny inevitably follows; yet when the Correct Meanings shone in brilliance, Yingda stood apart as an extraordinary man; though critics picked at his work, what did that diminish his clarity? Sima Caizhang seized the age's reverence for learning and achieved his work through clear-eyed scholarship; Wang Gong spread the civilizing teaching and studied ritual learning in painstaking detail; Ma Jiayun possessed penetrating insight and native mastery, and brought elegance to completion. All were men whose talents matched their task, adding polish like pigment to a painting; when they picked out redundant passages, it was surely in pursuit of thoroughness.
27
Encomium: The Three Phoenixes of Hedong—all propitious signs within the imperial capital. Defen was the fine historian; Yingda was the renowned classicist. In interpreting the classics they never reached the end—they were men in the lineage of those who aspire to Yan Hui. To ascend to Penglai and enter the Academy—is not that a glory unmatched!
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