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劉仁軌郝處俊裴行儉 (子光庭)
Liu Rengui, Hao Chujun, and Pei Xingjian (His son Guangting)
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劉仁軌,汴州尉氏人也。 少恭謹好學,遇隋末喪亂,不遑專習,每行坐所在,輒書空地,由是博涉文史。 武德初,河南道大使、管國公任瑰將上表論事,仁軌見其起草,因為改定數字。 瑰甚異之,遂赤牒補息州參軍。 稍除陳倉尉。 部人有折衝都尉魯寧者,恃其高班,豪縱無禮,曆政莫能禁止。 仁軌特加誡喻,期不可再犯,寧又暴橫尤甚,竟杖殺之。 州司以聞,太宗怒曰:“是何縣尉,輒殺吾折衝! ”遽追入,與語,奇其剛正,擢授櫟陽丞。 貞觀十四年,太宗將幸同州校獵,屬收獲未畢,仁軌上表諫曰:“臣聞屋漏在上,知之者在下; 愚夫之計,擇之者聖人。 是以周王詢於芻蕘,殷後謀於板築,故得享國彌久,傳祚無疆,功宣清廟,慶流後葉。 伏惟陛下天性仁愛,躬親節儉,朝夕克念,百姓為心,一物失所,納隍軫慮。 臣伏聞大駕欲幸同州教習,臣伏知四時搜狩,前王恒典,事有沿革,未必因循。 今年甘雨應時,秋稼極盛,玄黃亙野,十分才收一二; 盡力刈獲,月半猶未訖功; 貧家無力,禾下始擬種麥。 直據尋常科喚,田家已有所妨。 今既供承獵事,兼之修理橋道,縱大簡略,動費一二萬工,百姓收斂,實為狼狽。 臣願陛下少留萬乘之恩,垂聽一介之言,退近旬日,收刈總了,則人盡暇豫,家得康寧。 輿輪徐動,公私交泰。 ”太宗特降璽書勞曰:“卿職任雖卑,竭誠奉國,所陳之事,朕甚嘉之。 ”尋拜新安令,累遷給事中。
Liu Rengui came from Weishi in Bianzhou. As a youth he was dutiful and studious, but the turmoil at the end of the Sui left him no leisure for sustained study. Wherever he went, sitting or walking, he would trace characters on the ground, and in this way he gained a wide acquaintance with letters and history. Early in the Wude era, Ren Gui, circuit ambassador for Henan and Duke of Guan, was preparing a policy memorial. Rengui saw the draft and corrected several phrases. Ren Gui was so struck by this that he had Rengui appointed military aide in Xizhou by special warrant. He was soon made assistant magistrate of Chencang. One man under his jurisdiction was the militia commander Lu Ning, who, relying on his senior rank, behaved with arrogant license and whom no previous magistrate had been able to control. Rengui admonished him sternly and warned that there must be no repeat offense, but Ning grew even more violent, and Rengui finally had him beaten to death. When the prefectural authorities reported the matter, Emperor Taizong flew into a rage. "What sort of assistant magistrate," he demanded, "dares kill one of my militia commanders! " He had Rengui summoned at once. After speaking with him and marveling at his firm integrity, he promoted him to assistant magistrate of Liyang. In Zhenguan 14, when Emperor Taizong was about to visit Tongzhou for a military hunt while the harvest was still unfinished, Rengui submitted a memorial of remonstrance: "I have heard that when the roof leaks above, those who know it are below; and that the plans of foolish men are chosen by sages. That is why the King of Zhou sought counsel from grass cutters and the ruler of Yin from a wall-builder, and so they prolonged their reigns, secured their succession, proclaimed their merit in the ancestral temple, and passed their blessings to later generations. Your Majesty is by nature benevolent and loving, practices economy in person, and keeps the people always in mind; if even one creature is deprived, you grieve as though you had fallen into a moat. I have heard that Your Majesty intends to visit Tongzhou for military exercises. I know that the seasonal hunts of former kings were a standing institution, yet circumstances change and precedent need not always be followed. This year the rains came on time and the autumn harvest is abundant; black and yellow grain cover the fields, yet only one or two parts in ten have been gathered; even with every effort at reaping, after half a month the work is still not done; poor households lack the strength to do more, and only now beneath the standing grain are they planning to sow wheat. Even the usual levies and summons already burden the farming households. Now they must supply the hunt and also repair bridges and roads; even with every simplification, tens of thousands of laborers will be required at once, and the harvest will truly leave the people in desperate straits. I beg Your Majesty to withhold the imperial progress for a little while, heed the words of one humble subject, and delay for nearly ten days until the harvest is complete; then the people will have leisure and every household peace. When the wheels move at last, both public and private affairs will flourish together. " Emperor Taizong sent down a special imperial letter of commendation: "Though your post is humble, you serve the state with full devotion. What you have set forth, I greatly commend. " He was soon appointed magistrate of Xin'an and, after successive promotions, became supervising secretary.
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顯慶四年,出為青州刺史。 五年,高宗征遼,令仁軌監統水軍,以後期坐免,特令以白衣隨軍自效。 時蘇定方既平百濟,留郎將劉仁願於百濟府城鎮守,又以左衛中郎將王文度為熊津都督,安撫其餘眾。 文度濟海病卒。 百濟為僧道琛、舊將福信率眾復叛,立故王子扶餘豐為王,引兵圍仁願於府城。 詔仁軌檢校帶方州刺史,代文度統眾,便道發新羅兵合勢以救仁願。 轉鬥而前,仁軌軍容整肅,所向皆下。 道琛等乃釋仁願之圍,退保任存城。 尋而福信殺道琛,並其兵馬,招誘亡叛,其勢益張。 仁軌乃與仁願合軍休息。 時蘇定方奉詔伐高麗,進圍平壤,不克而還。 高宗敕書與仁軌曰:“平壤軍回,一城不可獨固,宜拔就新羅,共其屯守。 若金法敏藉卿等留鎮,宜且停彼; 若其不須,即宜泛海還也。 ”將士鹹欲西歸,仁軌曰:“《春秋》之義,大夫出疆,有可以安社稷、便國家、專之可也。 況在滄海之外,密邇豺狼者哉! 且人臣進思盡忠,有死無貳,公家之利,知無不為。 主上欲吞滅高麗,先誅百濟,留兵鎮守,製其心腹。 雖妖孽充斥,而備預甚嚴,宜礪戈秣馬,擊其不意。 彼既無備,何攻不克? 戰而有勝,士卒自安。 然後分兵據險,開張形勢,飛表聞上,更請兵船。 朝廷知其有成,必當出師命將,聲援才接,凶逆自殲。 非直不棄成功,實亦永清海外。 今平壤之軍既回,熊津又拔,則百濟餘燼,不日更興,高麗逋藪,何時可滅? 且今以一城之地,居賊中心,如其失腳,即為亡虜。 拔入新羅,又是坐客,脫不如意,悔不可追。 況福信凶暴,殘虐過甚,餘豐猜惑,外合內離,鴟張共處,勢必相害。 唯宜堅守觀變,乘便取之,不可動也。 ”眾從之。 時扶餘豐及福信等以真峴城臨江高險,又當衝要,加兵守之。 仁軌引新羅之兵,乘夜薄城。 四面攀草而上,比明而入據其城,遂通新羅運糧之路。 俄而餘豐襲殺福信,又遣使往高麗及倭國請兵,以拒官軍。 詔右威衛將軍孫仁師率兵浮海以為之援。 仁師既與仁軌等相合,兵士大振。 於是諸將會議,或曰:“加林城水陸之衝,請先擊之。 ”仁軌曰:“加林險固,急攻則傷損戰士,固守則用日持久,不如先攻周留城。 周留,賊之巢穴,群凶所聚,除惡務本,須拔其源。 若克周留,則諸城自下。 ”於是仁師、仁願及新羅王金法敏帥陸軍以進。 仁軌乃別率杜爽、扶餘隆率水軍及糧船,自熊津江往白江,會陸軍同趣周留城。 仁軌遇倭兵於白江之口,四戰捷,焚其舟四百艘,煙焰漲天,海水皆赤,賊眾大潰。 餘豐脫身而走,獲其寶劍。 偽王子扶餘忠勝、忠誌等,率士女及倭眾並耽羅國使,一時並降。 百濟諸城,皆復歸順。 賊帥遲受信據任存城不降。
In Xianqing 4 he was appointed prefect of Qingzhou. In the fifth year, when Emperor Gaozong campaigned against Liaodong, Rengui was placed in charge of the navy. He was dismissed for arriving late but was specially allowed to follow the army as a commoner and redeem himself by service. By then Su Dingfang had pacified Baekje and left Commandant Liu Renyuan to garrison the Baekje capital, while appointing Wang Wendu of the Left Guard as governor of Xiongjin to pacify the remaining people. Wendu crossed the sea but died of illness on the way. In Baekje the monk Dojun and the former general Fukushin raised a new rebellion, enthroned the former prince Buyeo Pung as king, and besieged Renyuan in the prefectural city. Rengui was ordered to serve as acting prefect of Daifang, replace Wendu in command, and by the direct route mobilize Silla troops to relieve Renyuan. Fighting as he advanced, Rengui kept his army in strict order, and every place he attacked fell. Dojun and his allies then lifted the siege of Renyuan and withdrew to Jiren Castle. Soon Fukushin killed Dojun, absorbed his forces, and recruited deserters and rebels until his power grew still greater. Rengui then united with Renyuan and gave the army a rest. At that time Su Dingfang, by imperial command, attacked Goguryeo, besieged Pyongyang without success, and withdrew. Emperor Gaozong wrote to Rengui: "The Pyongyang army has withdrawn; one city cannot be held alone. You should pull out to Silla and share garrison duty there. If Kim Beopmin asks you to remain and garrison the place, you may stay for the time being; if he does not need you, then you should cross the sea and return at once. " The officers and soldiers all wanted to return home. Rengui said, "The Spring and Autumn Annals teach that when a minister goes beyond the border, if he can secure the altars of state and benefit the realm, he may act on his own authority. How much more when we are beyond the eastern sea, hard upon the enemy's lair! Moreover, a subject who advances should think only of exhausting his loyalty: death, but never disloyalty; for the state's benefit, whatever can be done must be done. Our sovereign wishes to destroy Goguryeo, and has first struck Baekje and left troops to garrison it and control its heartland. Though rebels fill the land, our defenses are strong; we should sharpen our weapons, feed our horses, and strike where they do not expect us. If they are unprepared, what attack can fail? Once we fight and win, the soldiers will regain their confidence. Then we can divide our forces to hold the passes, display our strength, send urgent dispatches to the throne, and request more troops and ships. When the court sees that we are succeeding, it will surely send armies and appoint generals; as soon as reinforcements arrive, the rebels will be destroyed. We would not only preserve what has been won; we would truly pacify the lands beyond the sea for good. Now that the Pyongyang army has withdrawn and Xiongjin has been abandoned, the embers of Baekje will flare up again within days. When will Goguryeo ever be destroyed? Moreover, with only one city we sit in the heart of the enemy; one misstep and we become prisoners. If we withdraw into Silla, we become guests in another's house; if things go wrong, there will be no undoing it. Moreover Fukushin is brutal and cruel beyond measure, while Pung is suspicious and divided within; like birds of prey caged together, they are bound to destroy one another. We should hold firm, watch for changes, and strike when opportunity offers; we must not move yet. " The troops agreed. Buyeo Pung and Fukushin then reinforced Jinsheng Castle, which stood on high ground above the river at a vital point. Rengui led Silla troops and under cover of night approached the city. On all sides they climbed the slopes by grasping the grass; by dawn they had taken the city and opened the Silla grain route. Soon Pung killed Fukushin in a surprise attack and sent envoys to Goguryeo and Japan to request troops against the imperial army. Sun Renshi, general of the Right Majestic Guard, was ordered to lead troops across the sea as reinforcement. Once Renshi joined Rengui, the army's morale soared. The generals then met in council. Some said, "Jialin Castle commands both land and water routes; we should attack it first. " Rengui replied, "Jialin is strong and dangerous; a hasty assault will cost us men, and a siege will drag on. Better to attack Zhouliu first. Zhouliu is the rebels' lair where their leaders gather; to destroy evil one must strike at the root. If we take Zhouliu, the other cities will fall of themselves. " Renshi, Renyuan, and King Kim Beopmin of Silla then led the land army forward. Rengui separately led Du Shuang and Buyeo Yong with the navy and grain ships from the Xiongjin River to the Ba River to join the land army at Zhouliu. At the mouth of the Ba River Rengui met the Japanese fleet, won four battles in succession, and burned four hundred ships until smoke filled the sky and the sea ran red; the enemy army broke in rout. Pung fled for his life, and they captured his ceremonial sword. The pretender princes Buyeo Chungsung and Chungji, together with men and women, Japanese troops, and envoys from Tamna, all surrendered at once. All the cities of Baekje submitted again. The rebel leader Chi Suseung held Jiren Castle and refused to submit.
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先是,百濟首領沙吒相如、黑齒常之自蘇定方軍回後,鳩集亡散,各據險以應福信,至是率其眾降。 仁軌諭以恩信,令自領子弟以取任存城,又欲分兵助之。 孫仁師曰:“相如等獸心難信,若授以甲仗,是資寇兵也。 ”仁軌曰:“吾觀相如、常之皆忠勇有謀,感恩之士,從我則成,背我必滅,因機立效,在於茲日,不須疑也。 ”於是給其糧仗,分兵隨之,遂拔任存城。 遲受信棄其妻子走投高麗,於是百濟之餘燼悉平。 孫仁師與劉仁願振旅而還,詔留仁軌勒兵鎮守。 初,百濟經福信之亂,合境凋殘,僵屍相屬。 仁軌始令收斂骸骨,瘞埋吊祭之。 修錄戶口,署置官長,開通途路,整理村落,建立橋梁,補葺堤堰,修復陂塘,勸課耕種,賑貸貧乏,存問孤老。 頒宗廟忌諱,立皇家社稷。 百濟餘眾,各安其業。 於是漸營屯田,積糧撫士,以經略高麗。 仁願既至京師,上謂曰:“卿在海東,前後奏請,皆合事宜,而雅有文理。 卿本武將,何得然也? ”對曰:“劉仁軌之詞,非臣所及也。 ”上深歎賞之,因超加仁軌六階,正授帶方州刺史,並賜京城宅一區,厚賚其妻子,遣使降璽書勞勉之。 仁軌又上表曰:
Earlier, after Su Dingfang's army withdrew, the Baekje leaders Shazha Xiangru and Heichi Changzhi had gathered scattered forces and held the passes in support of Fukushin; now they led their men to surrender. Rengui won them over with kindness and trust, ordered them to lead their own followers to take Jiren Castle, and offered to send troops to help. Sun Renshi objected, "Xiangru and the others have the hearts of beasts and cannot be trusted; if we arm them, we are arming the enemy. " Rengui replied, "In my view Xiangru and Changzhi are loyal, brave, and shrewd men who feel gratitude. If they follow us they will succeed; if they turn against us they will perish. This is the day for them to prove themselves; there is no need for doubt. " He gave them grain and arms, sent troops with them, and Jiren Castle was taken. Chi Suseung abandoned his family and fled to Goguryeo, and the last embers of Baekje were extinguished. Sun Renshi and Liu Renyuan led the army home in good order, while Rengui was ordered to remain and garrison the territory. After Fukushin's rebellion, Baekje lay wasted throughout its borders, with corpses strewn one after another. Rengui first ordered the dead gathered, buried, and mourned. He registered households, appointed local officials, opened roads, restored villages, built bridges, repaired dikes and ponds, encouraged farming, relieved the poor, and cared for orphans and the aged. He proclaimed the imperial ancestral taboos and established the royal altars of state. The people of Baekje each returned to their livelihoods. He then established military colonies, stored grain, comforted the troops, and prepared for operations against Goguryeo. When Renyuan reached the capital, the emperor said to him, "In the east your memorials were always apt, and they are elegantly written besides. You are a military man by training. How did you manage this? " He replied, "The words were Liu Rengui's, not mine. " The emperor sighed in admiration, promoted Rengui six ranks in one leap, formally appointed him prefect of Daifang, granted him a residence in the capital, richly rewarded his family, and sent an imperial letter of commendation. Rengui submitted another memorial:
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臣蒙陛下曲垂天獎,棄瑕錄用,授之刺舉,又加連率。 材輕職重,憂責更深,常思報效,冀酬萬一,智力淺短,淹滯無成。 久在海外,每從征役,軍旅之事,實有所聞。 具狀封奏,伏願詳察。 臣看見在兵募,手腳沉重者多,勇健奮發者少,兼有老弱,衣服單寒,唯望西歸,無心展效。 臣問:“往在海西,見百姓人人投募,爭欲征行,乃有不用官物,請自辦衣糧,投名義征。 何因今日募兵,如此佇弱? ”皆報臣云:“今日官府,與往日不同,人心又別。 貞觀、永徽年中,東西征役,身死王事者,並蒙敕使吊祭,追贈官職,亦有回亡者官爵與其子弟。 從顯慶五年以後,征役身死,更不借問。 往前渡遼海者,即得一轉勳官; 從顯慶五年以後,頻經渡海,不被記錄。 州縣發遣兵募,人身少壯、家有錢財、參逐官府者,東西藏避,並即得脫; 無錢參逐者,雖是老弱,推背即來。 顯慶五年,破百濟勳,及向平壤苦戰勳,當時軍將號令,並言與高官重賞,百方購募,無種不道。 洎到西岸,唯聞枷鎖推禁,奪賜破勳,州縣追呼,求住不得,公私困弊,不可言盡。 發海西之日,已有自害逃走,非獨海外始逃。 又為征役,蒙授勳級,將為榮寵,頻年征役,唯取勳官,牽挽辛苦,與白丁無別。 百姓不願征行,特由於此。 ”陛下再興兵馬,平定百濟,留兵鎮守,經略高麗。 百姓有如此議論,若為成就功業? 臣聞琴瑟不調,改而更張,布政施化,隨時取適。 自非重賞明罰,何以成功? 臣又問:“見在兵募,舊留鎮五年,尚得支濟; 爾等始經一年,何因如此單露? ”並報臣道:“發家來日,唯遣作一年裝束,自從離家,已經二年。 在朝陽甕津,又遣來去運糧,涉海遭風,多有漂失。 ”臣勘責見在兵募,衣裳單露,不堪度冬者,給大軍還日所留衣裳,且得一冬充事。 來年秋後,更無準擬。 陛下若欲殄滅高麗,不可棄百濟土地。 餘豐在北,餘勇在南,百濟、高麗,舊相黨援,倭人雖遠,亦相影響,若無兵馬,還成一國。 既須鎮壓,又置屯田,事藉兵士,同心同德。 兵士既有此議,不可膠柱因循,須還其渡海官勳及平百濟向平壤功效。 除此之外,更相褒賞,明敕慰勞,以起兵募之心。 若依今日以前布置,臣恐師老且疲,無所成就。 臣又見晉代平吳,史籍具載。 內有武帝、張華,外有羊祜、杜預,籌謀策畫,經緯諮詢。 王浚之徒,折衝萬里,樓船戰艦,已到石頭。 賈充、王渾之輩,猶欲斬張華以謝天下。 武帝報云:“平吳之計,出自朕意,張華同朕見耳,非其本心。 ”是非不同,乖亂如此。 平吳之後,猶欲苦繩王浚,賴武帝擁護,始得保全。 不逢武帝聖明,王浚不存首領。 臣每讀其書,未嚐不撫心長歎。 伏惟陛下既得百濟,欲取高麗,須外內同心,上下齊奮,舉無遺策,始可成功。 百姓既有此議,更宜改調。 臣恐是逆耳之事,無人為陛下盡言。 自顧老病日侵,殘生詎幾? 奄忽長逝,銜恨九泉,所以披露肝膽,昧死聞奏。
I have received Your Majesty's gracious favor, been employed despite my faults, given investigative authority, and placed in command of allied forces. My talent is slight for so heavy an office, and my responsibility weighs on me all the more. I long to repay your favor even in the smallest measure, yet my abilities are limited and I have achieved nothing. Long abroad, I have followed many campaigns and learned something of military affairs. I set forth the details in this sealed memorial and beg Your Majesty to examine them closely. I see the men now being recruited: many are slow and heavy of limb, few are vigorous and eager; there are old and weak among them, poorly clothed, longing only to return home with no will to fight. I asked them, "In former days west of the sea I saw everyone volunteering for service, competing to join the campaign; some even refused government supplies and brought their own clothing and grain to enlist. Why are today's recruits so feeble and unwilling? " They all answered, "Today's government is not what it once was, and people's hearts have changed. In the Zhenguan and Yonghui eras, when men died on campaign east or west, imperial envoys mourned them, offices were granted posthumously, and even those reported dead who returned alive had ranks given to their sons. From Xianqing 5 onward, when men died on campaign, no one took notice. In earlier days, anyone who crossed the Liao Sea could earn a step up in merit rank. But from Xianqing 5 on, men who crossed the sea repeatedly went unrewarded. When the counties sent out conscripts, the young and strong who had money and knew how to deal with officials could dodge here and there and slip free. Those who could not bribe their way through were dragged in—old or weak, they came at a shove. In Xianqing 5, when rewards were promised for crushing Baekje and for the bloody fighting toward Pyongyang, the generals' calls promised high rank and rich bounty, soliciting recruits by every means imaginable. But once they reached the western shore, they found only chains and forced detention, stolen rewards and denied merit, endless summons from local officials with no respite—public and private misery beyond words. Some men already killed themselves or fled on the day they were sent west across the sea; flight did not begin only after they reached overseas. Men might have thought campaign service would bring merit rank and honor, but after years of conscription they received only hollow merit titles while suffering the same drudgery as any ordinary soldier. This, above all, is why the people refuse to march to war. Your Majesty raised armies again, crushed Baekje, stationed troops to hold the land, and set out to subdue Goguryeo. When the people talk like this, how can you finish what you have begun? I have heard that when the harp and lute are out of tune, one must restring them; in governing, policy must suit the hour. Without generous rewards and stern punishments, how can you succeed? I also asked, 'The men now under arms who used to garrison for five years still managed to get by; you have served only one year—why are you so poorly clothed?' They all told me, 'When we left home we were given supplies for only one year, yet we have been away for two years already. At Chaoyang and Ungjin we were sent shuttling grain; crossing the sea we met storms, and many perished.' I found men too lightly clothed to survive the winter and issued them garments left behind when the main army withdrew, enough to last one winter. After next autumn, there is nothing further set aside for them. If Your Majesty means to destroy Goguryeo, you cannot abandon Baekje's lands. With Yu Feng in the north and Yu Yong in the south, Baekje and Goguryeo have long been allies; though Wa lies far away, they sway one another—without our armies, they would reunite as one kingdom. You must garrison and farm the land alike; the work depends on soldiers who stand together. The soldiers already speak of these grievances; you must not cling stubbornly to the old course—you should restore their merit ranks for crossing the sea and their rewards for crushing Baekje and fighting toward Pyongyang. Beyond that, grant further honors, issue clear orders of thanks and encouragement, and win back the will to serve. If you keep to the present arrangements, I fear the army will tire and achieve nothing. I have read what the histories tell of how Jin conquered Wu. Within the court were Emperor Wu and Zhang Hua; in the field were Yang Hu and Du Yu—all plotting together in counsel. Wang Jun and his fellows had fought ten thousand li; their tower ships already stood at Shitou. Yet Jia Chong, Wang Hun, and men like them still wanted Zhang Hua's head to pacify the realm. Emperor Wu answered, 'The plan to conquer Wu came from me; Zhang Hua merely shared my view—it was not his scheme alone.' Even on right and wrong they could not agree; the court was torn like this. After Wu fell, they still tried to bring Wang Jun to harsh account; only Emperor Wu's protection saved him. Without Emperor Wu's wisdom, Wang Jun would have lost his life. Whenever I read those pages, I cannot help but sigh from the depths of my heart. Your Majesty has taken Baekje and aims at Goguryeo; you need the court and the field of one mind, high and low striving as one, every measure well laid—only then can you succeed. The people already murmur thus; you should change course all the more. I fear such unwelcome truths go unsaid to Your Majesty. I am old and ill, and my days are few. Should I die soon, I would carry regret to the grave; therefore I lay bare my heart and risk my life to speak before you.
6
上深納其言。 又遣劉仁願率兵渡海,與舊鎮兵交代,仍授扶餘隆熊津都督,遣以招輯其餘眾。 扶餘勇者,扶餘隆之弟也,是時走在倭國,以為扶餘豐之應,故仁軌表言之。 於是仁軌浮海西還。 初,仁軌將發帶方州,謂人曰:“天將富貴此翁耳! ”於州司請曆日一卷,並七廟諱,人怪其故,答曰:“擬削平遼海,頒示國家正朔,使夷俗遵奉焉。 ”至是皆如其言。
The Emperor took his counsel deeply to heart. The Emperor also sent Liu Rengyuan across the sea with troops to relieve the old garrison, appointed Buyeo Rong commander of Ungjin, and charged him with rallying the remaining loyalists. Buyeo Yongzhe, younger brother of Buyeo Rong, had fled to Wa and was regarded as a rallying point for Buyeo Feng's faction; Rengui reported this in a memorial. Then Rengui sailed west across the sea and returned. When Rengui was about to leave Daifang Province, he told others, 'Heaven will soon make this old man rich and honored!' He asked the provincial office for a calendar scroll and the imperial taboo names; when people wondered why, he said, 'I mean to pacify the lands beyond the sea, impose our calendar, and make those barbarian ways bow to it.' And so it all came to pass as he had said.
7
麟德二年,封泰山,仁軌領新羅及百濟、耽羅、倭四國酋長赴會,高宗甚悅,擢拜大司憲。 乾封元年,遷右相,兼檢校太子左中護,累前後戰功,封樂城縣男。 三年,為熊津道安撫大使,兼浿江道總管,副司空李勣討平高麗。 總章二年,軍回,以疾辭職,加金紫光祿大夫,聽致仕。 咸亨元年,復授隴州刺史。 三年,征拜太子左庶子、同中書門下三品,監修國史。 五年,為雞林道大總管,東伐新羅。 仁軌率兵徑度瓠盧河,破其北方大鎮七重城。 以功進爵為公,並子侄三人,並授上柱國。 州黨榮之,號其所居為樂城鄉三柱裏。 上元二年,拜尚書左僕射、同中書門下三品,兼太子賓客,依舊監修國史。 儀鳳二年,以吐蕃入寇,命仁軌為洮河道行軍鎮守大使。 仁軌每有奏請,多被中書令李敬玄抑之,由是與敬玄不協。 仁軌知敬玄素非邊將才,冀欲中傷之,上言西蕃鎮守事非敬玄莫可。 高宗遽命敬玄代之。 敬玄至洮河軍,尋為吐蕃所敗。 永隆二年,兼太子太傅。 未幾,以老乞骸骨,聽解尚書左僕射,以太子太傅依舊知政事。 永淳元年,高宗幸東都,皇太子京師監國,遣仁軌與侍中裴炎、中書令薛元超留輔太子。 二年,太子赴東都,又令太孫重照京師留守,仍令仁軌為副。 則天臨朝,加授特進,復拜尚書左僕射、同中書門下三品,專知留守事。 仁軌復上疏辭以衰老,請罷居守之任,因陳呂後禍敗之事,以申規諫。 則天使武承嗣齎璽書往京慰喻之曰:“今日以皇帝諒暗不言,眇身且代親政。 遠勞勸誡,復表辭衰疾,怪望既多,徊徨失據。 又雲‘呂後見嗤於後代,祿、產貽禍於漢朝’,引喻良深,愧慰交集。 公忠貞之操,終始不渝; 勁直之風,古今罕比。 初聞此語,能不罔然; 靜而思之,是為龜鏡。 且端揆之任,儀刑百辟,況公先朝舊德,遐邇具瞻。 願以匡救為懷,無以暮年致請。 ”尋進封郡公。 垂拱元年,從新令改為文昌左相、同鳳閣鸞台三品。 尋薨,年八十四。 則天廢朝三日,令在京百官以次赴吊,冊贈開府儀同三司、并州大都督,陪葬乾陵,賜其家實封三百戶。 仁軌雖位居端揆,不自矜倨。 每見貧賤時故人,不改布衣之舊。 初為陳倉尉,相工袁天綱謂曰:“君終當位鄰台輔,年將九十。 ”後果如其言。 仁軌身經隋末之亂,輯其見聞,著《行年記》,行於代。
In Longde 2, at the Mount Tai rite, Rengui led chieftains from Silla, Baekje, Tamna, and Wa; Gaozong was delighted and made him Grand Censor of State. In Qianfeng 1 he became Right Chancellor and acting Left Central Guard of the Crown Prince; for his accumulated victories he was enfeoffed Baron of Lecheng. In year three he was Pacification Commissioner of the Ungjin Circuit and commander of the Paek River Circuit, serving under Li Ji in the conquest of Goguryeo. In Zongzhang 2, after the army returned, he resigned on grounds of illness, was granted Golden Seal and Purple Girdle Grand Master, and allowed to retire. In Xianheng 1 he was again made Prefect of Longzhou. In year three he was summoned as Left Vice Director of the Crown Prince's Household, given third rank at court, and charged with supervising the national history. In year five he became Grand Commander of the Jilin Circuit and marched east against Silla. Rengui led his army straight across the Hulu River and seized their great northern stronghold, Sevenfold Wall. For this feat he was raised to duke; three sons and nephews were also made Senior Pillars of State. His home district took pride in this and called his neighborhood Three-Pillar Lane in Lecheng Township. In Shangyuan 2 he was made Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs with third rank at court, concurrently Guest of the Crown Prince, and continued to oversee the national history. In Yifeng 2, when Tibet raided the frontier, Rengui was made field commander and garrison commissioner on the Taohe River. Rengui found many of his memorials blocked by Chief Minister Li Jingxuan, and the two grew estranged. Knowing Jingxuan was no frontier commander, Rengui sought to undermine him and declared that only Jingxuan could hold the western garrison against Tibet. Gaozong promptly ordered Jingxuan to take his place. Jingxuan reached the Taohe garrison and was soon beaten by the Tibetans. In Yonglong 2 he also became Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. Soon he asked to retire on account of age; allowed to step down as Left Vice Director, he continued in government as Grand Tutor of the Crown Prince. In Yongchun 1, when Gaozong went to the Eastern Capital and the Crown Prince remained in Chang'an as regent, Rengui was left with Pei Yan and Xue Yuanchao to assist him. In year two, when the Crown Prince went east, Imperial Grandson Zhongzhao was left in Chang'an and Rengui again served as his deputy. When Wu Zetian took the regency, she granted him Special Advancement, again made him Left Vice Director with third rank, and put him in sole charge of the capital regency. Rengui memorialized again, pleading age and asking to be released from the regency, citing the ruin brought by Empress Lü as a warning. Wu Zetian sent Wu Chengsi to Chang'an with an imperial letter of consolation, saying, 'The Emperor is in mourning and cannot speak; I govern in his place for now. Your far counsel moves me, yet you again plead illness—I am both astonished and troubled, uncertain what to do. When you cite Empress Lü's shame in later ages and the disaster Lu and Chan brought upon Han—the analogy cuts deep, and I feel both reproach and gratitude. Your loyalty has never wavered; your uncompromising integrity is seldom matched in any age. At first I was shaken to hear it; yet on reflection I see it as a mirror for my own conduct. As chief minister you set the example for all officials, and as an elder statesman of the prior reign, the realm looks to you. I ask you to govern in the spirit of loyal counsel, and not to insist on retirement in your old age.' Soon after he was promoted to full duke of a commandery. In Chuigong 1, under the new titles he became Left Minister of the Palace Secretariat with third rank at court. He died soon after, at eighty-four. Wu Zetian halted court for three days and ordered the capital officials to mourn in turn; posthumously she enfeoffed him Grand Master of Honor with Ceremony equal to the Three Ducal Ministers and Grand Governor of Bingzhou, granted burial at Qianling, and gave his household three hundred tax households. Though Rengui stood at the pinnacle of office, he never grew proud. Whenever he met old friends from his poor days, he still treated them as he had in common clothes. When he was a clerk at Chencang, the physiognomist Yuan Tiangang told him, 'You will rise to the very threshold of the chief ministers, and live nearly ninety years.' And so it proved. Rengui lived through the chaos at the end of Sui, gathered what he had seen and heard, and wrote the Record of Years, which circulated widely.
8
子浚,官至太子中舍人。 垂拱二年,為酷吏所陷,被殺,妻子籍沒。 中宗即位,以仁軌春宮舊僚,追贈太尉。 浚子冕,開元中,為秘書省少監,表請為仁軌立碑,諡曰文獻。
His son Jun rose to Middle Attendant of the Crown Prince. In Chuigong 2 cruel officials framed him; he was executed, and his wife and children were seized. When Zhongzong took the throne, he posthumously made Rengui Grand Marshal in remembrance of their days in the Eastern Palace. Jun's grandson Mian, Vice Director of the Secretariat in the Kaiyuan era, petitioned for a stele to Rengui and gave him the posthumous title Literary Offering.
9
史臣韋述曰:世稱劉樂城與戴至德同為端揆,劉則甘言接人,以收物譽; 戴則正色拒下,推美於君。 故樂城之善於今未弭,而戴氏之勣無所聞焉。 嗚呼! 高名美稱,或因邀飾而致遠; 深仁至行,或以韜晦而莫傳。 豈唯劉、戴而然,蓋自古有之矣。 故孔子曰:“眾好之,必察焉; 眾惡之,必察焉。 ”非夫聖智,鮮不惑也。 且劉公逞其私忿,陷人之所不能,覆徒貽國之恥,忠恕之道,豈其然乎?
The historian Wei Shu wrote: People say Liu Lecheng and Dai Zhide both held the chief ministership; Liu won favor with pleasant words and courted reputation. Dai kept a stern face toward subordinates and credited merit to the throne. So Liu's renown still lingers, while Dai's accomplishments go unspoken. Alas! Great fame and flattering praise may travel far because men polish their reputations; while deep virtue and true devotion may never be known because men hide their light. This is not true of Liu and Dai alone—it has been so since antiquity. Hence Confucius said, 'What all men praise, examine closely; what all men condemn, examine closely.' Without the wisdom of a sage, few escape confusion. Moreover, Liu Rengui gave rein to private resentment, pressed charges beyond what justice allowed, and in the end only shamed the realm—can this be the way of loyalty and forbearance?
10
郝處俊,安州安陸人也。 父相貴,隋末,與妻父許紹據硤州歸國,以功授滁州刺史,封甑山縣公。 處俊年十歲餘,其父卒於滁州,父之故吏賻送甚厚,僅滿千餘匹,悉辭不受。 及長,好讀《漢書》,略能暗誦。 貞觀中,本州進士舉,吏部尚書高士廉甚奇之,解褐授著作佐郎,襲爵甑山縣公。 兄弟篤睦,事諸舅甚謹。 再轉滕王友,恥為王官,遂棄官歸耕。 久之,召拜太子司議郎,五遷吏部侍郎。 乾封二年,改為司列少常伯。 屬高麗反叛,詔司空李勣為浿江道大總管,以處俊為副。 嚐次賊城,未遑置陣,賊徒奄至,軍中大駭。 處俊獨據胡床,方餐乾糧,乃潛簡精銳擊敗之,將士多服其膽略。 總章二年,拜東台侍郎,尋同東西台三品。 咸亨初,高宗幸東都,皇太子於京師監國,盡留侍臣戴至德、張文瓘等以輔太子,獨以處俊從。 時東州道總管高侃破高麗餘眾於安市城,奏稱有高麗僧言中國災異,請誅之。 上謂處俊曰:“朕聞為君上者,以天下之目而視,以天下之耳而聽,蓋欲廣聞見也。 且天降災異,所以警悟人君。 其變苟實,言之者何罪? 其事必虛,聞之者足以自戒。 舜立謗木,良有以也。 欲箝天下之口,其可得乎? 此不足以加罪。 ”特令赦之。 因謂處俊曰:“王者無外,何藉於守禦。 雖然,重門擊柝,蓋備不虞,方知禁衛在於謹肅。 朕嚐以秦法猶為太寬,荊軻匹夫耳,而匕首竊發,始皇駭懼,莫有拒者,豈不由積習寬慢使其然乎? ”處俊對曰:“此由法急所致,非寬慢也。 ”上曰:“何以知之? ”對曰:“秦法:輒升殿者,夷三族。 人皆懼族,安有敢拒者? 逮乎魏武,法尚峻。 臣見《魏令》云:‘京城有變,九卿各居其府。 ’其後嚴才作亂,與其徒屬數十人攻左掖門,魏武登銅雀台遠望,無敢救者。 時王修為奉常,聞變召車馬,未至,便將官屬步至宮門。 魏武望見之,曰:‘彼來者必王修乎! ’此由王修察變知機,違法赴難。 向各守法,遂成其禍。 故王者設法敷化,不可以太急。 夫政寬則人慢,政急則人無所措手足。 聖王之道,寬猛相濟。 《詩》曰‘不懈於位,人之攸塈’,謂仁政也; 又曰‘式遏寇虐,無俾作慝’,謂威刑也。 《洪範》曰‘高明柔克,沉潛剛克’,謂中道也。 ”上曰:“善。 ”又有胡僧盧伽阿逸多受詔合長年藥,高宗將餌之。 處俊諫曰:“修短有命,未聞萬乘之主,輕服蕃夷之藥。 昔貞觀末年,先帝令婆羅門僧那羅邇娑寐依其本國舊方合長生藥。 胡人有異術,征求靈草秘石,曆年而成。 先帝服之,竟無異效,大漸之際,名醫莫知所為。 時議者歸罪於胡人,將申顯戮,又恐取笑夷狄,法遂不行。 龜鏡若是,惟陛下深察。 ”高宗納之,但加盧伽為懷化大將軍,不服其藥。 尋而官名復舊。 處俊授黃門侍郎。 三年,加銀青光祿大夫,轉中書侍郎。 四年,監修國史。 上元元年,高宗禦含元殿東翔鸞閣觀大酺。 時京城四縣及太常音樂分為東西兩朋,帝令雍王賢為東朋,周王諱為西朋,務以角勝為樂。 處俊諫曰::“臣聞禮所以示童子無誑者,恐其欺詐之心生也。 伏以二王春秋尚少,意趣未定,當須推多讓美,相敬如一。 今忽分為二朋,遞相誇競。 且俳優小人,言辭無度,酣樂之後,難為禁止,恐其交爭勝負,譏誚失禮。 非所以導仁義,示和睦也。 ”高宗矍然曰:“卿之遠識,非眾人所及也。 ”遽令止之。 尋代閻立本為中書令。 歲餘,兼太子賓客、檢校兵部尚書。
Hao Chujun was a native of Anlu in Anzhou. His father Xiang Gui; at the end of the Sui, he and his father-in-law Xu Shao held Xia Prefecture and submitted to the Tang. For his service he became Prefect of Chuzhou and was enfeoffed as Duke of Zenshan County. Chujun was barely ten when his father died at Chuzhou. His father's former officials sent lavish funeral gifts—over a thousand bolts of silk in all—and he refused every one. When grown, he loved the Book of Han and could recite much of it by heart. During Zhenguan he passed the provincial jinshi examination. Minister of Personnel Gao Shilian took great notice of him; he entered office as Assistant Editorial Director and inherited the title Duke of Zenshan County. He and his brothers were deeply close and served their maternal uncles with scrupulous care. Transferred twice, he became a Companion to the Prince of Teng; ashamed to serve as a prince's retainer, he resigned and returned to the fields. After some time he was summoned as Palace Gentleman for Discussion in the Heir Apparent's Household; after five promotions he reached Vice Minister of Personnel. In the second year of Qianfeng he became Assistant Director of the Bureau of Appointments. When Goguryeo rebelled, Li Ji was made Grand Commander of the Paekchon River Circuit and Chujun his deputy. Once, while encamped near an enemy city before battle lines could be formed, enemy troops rushed in and the army panicked. Chujun alone sat on a folding stool, still eating dry rations; he quietly picked elite troops and routed the enemy, and the officers and men admired his nerve and foresight. In the second year of Zongzhang he became Vice Director of the Eastern Terrace and soon held Third Rank at both Eastern and Western Terraces. Early in Xianheng the Emperor went to the Eastern Capital while the Crown Prince stayed at Chang'an as regent. All the attendant ministers—Dai Zhide, Zhang Wenguan, and the rest—were left with the Prince; only Chujun went with the Emperor. At the time Route Commander Gao Kan defeated Goguryeo remnants at Anshi and reported that a Goguryeo monk had spoken of calamities in China; execution was requested. The Emperor said to Chujun: "A ruler, I hear, should see with the eyes of the empire and hear with its ears—to widen his knowledge. Heaven sends calamities and omens precisely to warn a ruler. If the portent is real, what crime lies in speaking of it? If the report is false, those who hear it still have reason to take warning. Shun set up a blame board for public grievances, and with good reason. Can one truly silence every mouth in the empire? That alone is not grounds for a charge. He ordered them pardoned on the spot. He then told Chujun: "A true king knows no 'outside'; why lean on walls and guards? Even so, double gates and watchmen's clappers guard against surprise; one sees that palace security rests on strict discipline. I once thought even Qin law was too lax—Jing Ke was a mere commoner, yet when he drew his hidden dagger the First Emperor was terrified and no one stopped him. Was that not the fruit of long slack habit? Chujun answered: "That came from law being too harsh, not from laxity." The Emperor asked: "How do you know?" He said: "Qin law punished anyone who entered the hall unbidden with extinction of three kindreds." Everyone feared for their kin—who would dare resist? By Emperor Wu of Wei, law was still severe. I have read in the Wei Code: 'When the capital is disturbed, the Nine Ministers each stay in their own office.' Later Yan Cai rebelled; with dozens of followers he attacked the Left Flanking Gate. Emperor Wu watched from the Bronze Bird Terrace—and no one dared move to help. Wang Xiu was then Director of Ceremonial; hearing the alarm he called for a carriage, but before it came he marched his staff to the palace gate on foot. Emperor Wu saw him and said: 'That must be Wang Xiu coming!' Wang Xiu read the crisis and broke the rule to answer the emergency. Had each merely kept the letter of the law, disaster would have followed. A ruler's laws and teaching, then, must not be too harsh. Lax rule breeds contempt; harsh rule leaves people at their wit's end. The sage king's way balances mercy and severity. The Odes say, 'Unwearying in office, the people's resting-place'—that is benevolent rule; and again, 'Stop the robber and tyrant; do not let evil grow'—that is stern punishment. The Great Plan says, 'What is bright is subdued by softness; what is hidden is subdued by firmness'—that is the middle way. The Emperor said: "Well said." A foreign monk, Luojia Ayiduo, was ordered to brew a longevity potion, and Gaozong meant to take it. Chujun remonstrated: "Life and death are fated. A sovereign should not lightly swallow barbarian drugs." At the end of Zhenguan the late Emperor had the Brahmin Narayanasvamin brew an elixir of life by his homeland's recipe. The foreigner's arts took years—rare herbs and secret stones gathered before the brew was done. The late Emperor took it with no wondrous result; at the end even famous physicians could do nothing. Opinion then blamed the foreigner and called for capital punishment, but fear of ridicule from the frontier peoples stayed the sentence. Such is the mirror before you; I beg Your Majesty to look hard at it. Gaozong took his advice, made Luojia a General Who Pacifies Transformation, and did not take the drug. Soon the official titles returned to their former names. Chujun was made Vice Director of the Palace Secretariat. In the third year he received Silver Azure Light Steeds Grand Master and became Vice Director of the Chancery. In the fourth year he supervised revision of the national history. In the first year of Shangyuan Gaozong watched the great feast from the Xianluan Pavilion east of Hanyuan Hall. The four capital counties and the Directorate of Music were split into east and west teams; Prince Xian of Yong led the east and Prince of Zhou the west, vying for victory as sport. Chujun remonstrated: "Ritual teaches children not to lie, lest deceit take root." Your two sons are still young and unsettled; they should defer to each other and treat one another with equal respect. Now they are split into rival teams and boast against one another. Jesters and low characters speak without restraint; after heavy drinking they cannot be checked. They may quarrel over wins and losses and mock one another beyond all propriety. That is no way to teach benevolence and righteousness or show harmony. Gaozong started and said: "Your foresight is beyond what most men can reach." He ordered it stopped at once. Soon he replaced Yan Liben as Director of the Chancery. After a year he also served as Tutor to the Heir Apparent and Acting Minister of War.
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三年,高宗以風疹欲遜位,令天後攝知國事,與宰相議之。 處俊對曰:“嚐聞禮經云:‘天子理陽道,後理陰德。 ’則帝之與後,猶日之與月,陽之與陰,各有所主守也。 陛下今欲違反此道,臣恐上則謫見於天,下則取怪於人。 昔魏文帝著令,身崩後尚不許皇后臨朝,今陛下奈何遂欲躬自傳位於天後? 況天下者,高祖、太宗二聖之天下,非陛下之天下也。 陛下正合謹守宗廟,傳之子孫,誠不可持國與人,有私於後族。 伏乞特垂詳納。 ”中書侍郎李義琰進曰:“處俊所引經旨,足可依憑,惟聖慮無疑,則蒼生幸甚。 ”帝曰:“是。 ”遂止。 儀鳳二年,加金紫光祿大夫,行太子左庶子,並依舊知政事,監修國史。 四年,代張文瓘為侍中。 處俊性儉素,土木形骸,自參綜朝政,每與上言議,必引經籍以應對,多有匡益,甚得大臣之體。 侍中、平恩公許圉師,即處俊之舅,早同州裏,俱宦達於時。 又其鄉人田氏、彭氏,以殖貨見稱。 有彭誌筠,顯慶中,上表請以家絹布二萬段助軍,詔受其絹萬匹,特授奉議郎,仍布告天下。 故江、淮間語曰:“貴如許、郝,富若田、彭。 ”處俊遷太子少保。 開耀元年薨,年七十五,贈開府儀同三司、荊州大都督。 高宗甚傷悼之,顧謂侍臣曰:“處俊誌存忠正,兼有學識。 至於雕飾服玩,雖極知無益,然常人不能抑情棄舍,皆好尚奢侈,處俊嚐保其質素,終始不渝。 雖非元勳佐命,固亦多時驅使。 又見遺表,憂國忘家,今既雲亡,深可傷惜。 ”即於光順門舉哀一日,不視事,終祭以少牢,贈絹布八百段、米粟八百碩。 令百官赴哭,給靈輿,並家口遞還鄉,官供葬事。 其子秘書郎北叟上表辭所贈賜及葬遞之事,高宗不許。 侍中裴炎曰:“處俊臨亡,臣往見之,屬臣曰:‘生既無益明時,死後何宜煩費。 瞑目之後,儻有恩賜贈物,及歸鄉遞送,葬日營造,不欲勞官司供給。 ’”高宗深嘉歎之,從其遺意,唯加贈物而已。 處俊孫象賢,垂拱中為太子通事舍人,坐事伏誅,臨刑言多不順。 則天大怒,令斬訖,仍支解其體,發其父母墳墓,焚爇屍體,處俊亦坐斫棺毀柩。 自此法司每將殺人,必先以木丸塞其口,然後加刑,訖於則天之代。
In the third year Gaozong, afflicted with wind rash, wished to abdicate and let the Empress Wu govern; he discussed this with his chief ministers. Chujun replied: "I have read in the Ritual Canon: 'The Son of Heaven administers the yang way; the Empress administers yin virtue.'" Emperor and Empress are like sun and moon, yang and yin—each keeps its own domain. If Your Majesty breaks this rule, I fear Heaven above will reprove you and men below will find it strange. Emperor Wen of Wei left orders that even after his death the Empress might not rule from court—how can Your Majesty now hand the realm to Empress Wu? Moreover the realm belongs to the two sages Gaozu and Taizong—not to Your Majesty alone to give away. Your Majesty should guard the ancestral temples and pass the realm to your sons and grandsons—not give the state away for the sake of the Empress's kin. I humbly beg Your Majesty to weigh this carefully and accept it. Vice Director Li Yiyan said: "Chujun's scriptural citations can be relied on; if Your Majesty's mind is firm, the people will be greatly fortunate." The Emperor said: "Yes." And so the plan was dropped. In the second year of Yifeng he received Gold and Purple Light Steeds Grand Master, served as Acting Left Assistant to the Heir Apparent, continued in governance, and oversaw the national history. In the fourth year he replaced Zhang Wenguan as Palace Attendant. Frugal and plain, almost austere in person, once he entered government he always answered the Emperor with citations from the classics; his counsel often helped, and he truly bore himself as a chief minister should. Palace Attendant Xu Tushi, Duke of Ping'en, was his maternal uncle; they were from the same district and both rose high in office. Fellow townsmen, the Tian and Peng families, were known for amassing wealth. Peng Zhijun, in Xianqing, offered twenty thousand bolts of silk and cloth from his household to aid the army; the court accepted ten thousand bolts, made him a Gentleman for Advising, and proclaimed it empire-wide. Hence the saying in the Jianghuai region: "Noble as the Xu and Hao; rich as the Tian and Peng." Chujun was made Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent. He died in the first year of Kaiyao at seventy-five; posthumously he received Grand Master of Splendid Opening with Three Excellencies ceremonial and Great Governor of Jingzhou. Gaozong grieved deeply and told his attendants: "Chujun was loyal and upright in heart and well learned besides." Ornaments and fine trappings—though he knew they were useless, most men cannot give them up and love luxury; Chujun always kept to plain living, unchanged to the end. He was no founding minister who shaped the dynasty, yet he served faithfully for many years. His final memorial showed concern for the state above his own household; now that he is gone, the loss is grievous. He mourned at the Gate of Glorious Compliance for a day and held no audience; the final rites used the lesser offering; he granted eight hundred bolts of silk and cloth and eight hundred measures of grain. He ordered officials to attend the mourning, supplied the funeral bier, sent the household home by official relay, and paid for the burial. His son Beishou, a Secretariat Gentleman, petitioned to refuse the gifts and relay transport; Gaozong refused. Palace Attendant Pei Yan said: "At Chujun's deathbed I visited him; he told me: 'Living, I did little for the realm—after death why burden the state with expense?' After I close my eyes, should there be imperial gifts, relay escort home, or work on burial day, I do not wish officials burdened on my account.' Gaozong admired this deeply, followed his last wish, and added only the gifts. His grandson Xiang Xian, a Palace Attendant for Communications to the Heir Apparent under Chuigong, was executed for an offense; at the block his words were defiant. Empress Wu flew into a rage, had him beheaded and dismembered, opened his parents' graves and burned their corpses; Chujun too was implicated—his coffin was hacked open and bier destroyed. Thereafter, whenever the courts were about to execute a prisoner, they first stuffed a wooden gag into the mouth and only then applied the sentence. The custom endured through Wu Zetian's reign.
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裴行儉,絳州聞喜人。 曾祖伯鳳,周驃騎大將軍、汾州刺史、琅邪郡公。 祖定高,馮翊郡守,襲封琅邪公。 父仁基,隋左光祿大夫,陷於王世充,後謀歸國,事泄遇害; 武德中,贈原州都督,諡曰忠。 行儉幼以門蔭補弘文生。 貞觀中,舉明經,拜左屯衛倉曹參軍。 時蘇定方為大將軍,甚奇之,盡以用兵奇術授行儉。 顯慶二年,六遷長安令。 時高宗將廢皇后王氏而立武昭儀,行儉以為國家憂患必從此始,與太尉長孫無忌、尚書左僕射褚遂良私議其事,大理袁公瑜於昭儀母榮國夫人譖之,由是左授西州都督府長史。 麟德二年,累拜安西大都護,西域諸國多慕義歸降,征拜司文少卿。 總章中,遷司列少常伯。 咸亨初,官名復舊,改為吏部侍郎,與李敬玄為貳,同時典選十餘年,甚有能名,時人稱為裴、李。 行儉始設長名姓曆榜,引銓注等法,又定州縣升降、官資高下,以為故事。 上元二年,加銀青光祿大夫。 高宗以行儉工於草書。 嚐以絹素百卷,令行儉草書《文選》一部,帝覽之稱善,賜帛五百段。 行儉嚐謂人曰:“褚遂良非精筆佳墨,未嚐輒書,不擇筆墨而妍捷者,唯餘及虞世南耳。 ”三年,吐蕃背叛,詔行儉為洮州道左二軍總管。 尋又為泰州鎮撫右軍總管,並受元帥周王節度。 儀鳳二年,十姓可汗阿史那匐延都支及李遮匐扇動蕃落,侵逼安西,連和吐蕃,議者欲發兵討之。 行儉建議曰:“吐蕃叛渙,干戈未息,敬玄、審禮,失律喪元,安可更為西方生事? 今波斯王身沒,其子泥涅師師充質在京,望差使往波斯冊立,即路由二蕃部落,便宜從事,必可有功。 ”高宗從之,因命行儉冊送波斯王,仍為安撫大食使。 途經莫賀延磧,屬風沙晦暝,導者益迷。 行儉命下營,虔誠致祭,令告將吏,泉井非遙。 俄而雲收風靜,行數百步,水草甚豐,後來之人,莫知其處。 眾皆悅服,比之貳師將軍。 至西州,人吏郊迎,行儉召其豪傑子弟千餘人隨己而西。 乃揚言紿其下曰:“今正炎蒸,熱阪難冒,涼秋之後,方可漸行。 ”都支覘知之,遂不設備。 行儉仍召四鎮諸蕃酋長豪傑謂曰:“憶昔此遊,未嚐厭倦,雖還京輦,無時暫忘。 今因是行,欲尋舊賞,誰能從吾獵也? ”是時蕃酋子弟投募者僅萬人。 行儉假為畋遊,教試部伍,數日,遂倍道而進。 去都支部落十餘里,先遣都支所親問其安否,外示閑暇,似非討襲,續又使人趣召相見。 都支先與遮匐通謀,秋中擬拒漢使,卒聞軍到,計無所出,自率兒侄首領等五百餘騎就營來謁,遂擒之。 是日,傳其契箭,諸部酋長悉來請命,並執送碎葉城。 簡其精騎,輕齎曉夜前進,將虜遮匐。 途中果獲都支還使,與遮匐使同來。 行儉釋遮匐行人,令先往曉喻其主,兼述都支已擒,遮匐尋復來降。 於是將吏已下立碑於碎葉城以紀其功,擒都支、遮匐而還。 高宗廷勞之曰:“比以西服未寧,遣卿總兵討逐,孤軍深入,經途萬里。 卿權略有聞,誠節夙著,兵不血刃,而凶黨殄滅。 伐叛柔服,深副朕委。 ”尋又賜宴。 謂行儉曰:“卿文武兼資,今故授卿二職。 ”即日拜禮部尚書,兼檢校右衛大將軍。
Pei Xingjian came from Wenxi in Jiangzhou. His great-grandfather Bo Feng had served Zhou as Cavalry General-in-Chief, governor of Fenzhou, and Duke of Langye. His grandfather Ding Gao was prefect of Fengyi and inherited the dukedom of Langye. His father Renji had been Left Grand Master of Glorious Happiness under the Sui. Trapped in Wang Shichong's domain, he later plotted to rejoin the Tang court; the plot was discovered and he was put to death. In the Wude period he was posthumously appointed military governor of Yuanzhou and given the posthumous name Loyal. In youth Xingjian entered the Hongwen Academy through hereditary privilege. During Zhenguan he passed the Mingjing examination and was appointed warehouse clerk in the Left Garrison Guard. Su Dingfang was then a great general. He took a keen interest in Xingjian and taught him every secret of his art of war. In the second year of Xianqing, after six promotions, he became magistrate of Chang'an. When Gaozong was preparing to depose Empress Wang and elevate Consort Wu, Xingjian judged that national disaster would begin there. He spoke of it in private with Grand Preceptor Zhangsun Wuji and Left Vice Director Chu Suiliang. Yuan Gongyu of the Court of Judicial Review informed Consort Wu's mother, the Lady of Rong State, and Xingjian was demoted to chief secretary of the Western Prefecture Protectorate. In the second year of Linde he rose to Grand Protector General of Anxi. Many western kingdoms submitted in admiration of his authority, and he was recalled to serve as Vice Minister of the Court of Literary Scholars. During Zongzhang he was moved to Vice Director of the Court of Ceremonial. At the start of Xianheng, when the old titles were restored, he became Vice Minister of Personnel and served alongside Li Jingxuan as his deputy. For more than ten years the two men jointly ran selection, earning a great name for competence; contemporaries spoke of them as Pei and Li. Xingjian first instituted the long-register roster, citation and appointment rules, and related methods, and also fixed the ranking of prefectures and counties and the grades of office and emolument—practices that thereafter became precedent. In the second year of Shangyuan he received the additional rank of Silver Grand Master of Glorious Happiness. Gaozong admired Xingjian's skill in cursive script. On one occasion he gave Xingjian a hundred rolls of silk and had him write out the Wen Xuan in cursive. The emperor read the work, praised it, and rewarded him with five hundred bolts of silk. Xingjian once remarked, "Chu Suiliang will not write unless the brush and ink are perfect. Of those who can write beautifully and swiftly without caring what tools they use, only Yu Shinan and I remain." In the third year, when Tibet rebelled, an edict made Xingjian Left Second Army Commander on the Taozhou route. Soon afterward he was also appointed Right Army Commander of the Taizhou pacification force, both commands falling under the Prince of Zhou as supreme commander. In the second year of Yifeng, Ashina Fuyan Duzhi, khaghan of the Ten Tribes, and Li Zhefu stirred up the frontier tribes, threatened Anxi, and allied with Tibet. The court debated sending an army against them. Xingjian proposed: "Tibet is in revolt and unrest continues. Jingxuan and Shenli broke discipline and lost their lives—why should we stir up new trouble in the west?" The Persian king is dead, and his son Nipour, held as hostage in the capital, asks that an envoy be sent to invest him. The road runs through the lands of both rebel peoples; if we seize the opportunity as we go, we can surely succeed. Gaozong accepted the plan and ordered Xingjian to escort and invest the Persian king, appointing him at the same time envoy to pacify the Arabs. On the road through the Mohe-Yan Desert, wind and sand blotted out the sky and the guides lost their way. Xingjian ordered camp struck, offered a solemn sacrifice, and told officers and men that water was not far off. Soon the clouds lifted and the wind fell. After a few hundred paces they came upon rich grass and water. Later travelers could never find the spot again. The men were won over entirely, and likened him to General Li of the Ershi. At Xizhou, officials and clerks met him outside the walls. Xingjian called up more than a thousand sons of the local magnates to march west with him. He then deceived his subordinates with a public announcement: "The heat is at its worst and the hot passes are impossible to cross. We can move only after the cool of autumn." Duzhi learned of this through spies and made no preparations. Xingjian then summoned the chieftains and magnates of the four garrisons and the frontier tribes and said, "I remember these lands from my earlier service and never tired of them. Though I returned to the capital, I never forgot them for a moment." On this journey I mean to revisit old pleasures. Who will hunt with me?" Nearly ten thousand sons of tribal chieftains volunteered. Xingjian feigned a hunting expedition and drilled them in formation. After several days he doubled his pace and pressed forward. A little more than ten li from Duzhi's camp, he first sent one of Duzhi's intimates to inquire after his health, outwardly at ease as though no attack were planned; then he sent another messenger to summon him to a meeting. Duzhi had already conspired with Zhefu and planned to resist the imperial envoy by mid-autumn. When the army appeared without warning and he could think of no countermove, he led more than five hundred mounted followers—sons, nephews, and chieftains—to the camp to pay respects, and was seized on the spot. That same day, by passing on his command arrows, he brought every tribal chieftain to submit; all were sent under guard to Suyab. He picked out elite horsemen, traveled light, and pressed forward day and night to take Zhefu. On the road he captured Duzhi's returning envoy, traveling together with Zhefu's messenger. Xingjian released Zhefu's messenger and sent him ahead to warn his master and report that Duzhi had already been captured. Zhefu soon surrendered as well. Officers and men then raised a stele at Suyab to record the victory, and returned with Duzhi and Zhefu as captives. Gaozong received him at court and praised him: "Because the western lands were still unsettled, I sent you to command troops in pursuit. You advanced deep into enemy country with a lone force, traveling ten thousand li on the road." Your resourcefulness is well known, and your loyalty long established. Without drawing blood you destroyed the rebel faction. To punish rebels and win over those who submit—this fully fulfills what I entrusted to you." He soon granted a banquet as well. He told Xingjian, "You combine civil and military talent. I therefore grant you two offices at once." That same day Xingjian was appointed Minister of Rites and concurrently Inspector General of the Right Guard.
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調露元年,突厥阿史德溫傅反,單於管內二十四州並叛應之,眾數十萬。 單於都護蕭嗣業率兵討之,反為所敗。 於是以行儉為定襄道行軍大總管,率太仆少卿李思文、營州都督周道務等部兵十八萬,並西軍程務挺、東軍李文柬等總三十餘萬,連亙數千里,並受行儉節度。 唐世出師之盛,未之有也。 行儉行至朔州,知蕭嗣業以運糧被掠,兵多餒死,遂詐為糧車三百乘,每車伏壯士五人,各齎陌刀、勁弩,以羸兵數百人援車,兼伏精兵,令居險以待之。 賊果大下,羸兵棄車散走。 賊驅車就泉水。 解鞍牧馬,方擬取糧,車中壯士齊發,伏兵亦至,殺獲殆盡,餘眾奔潰。 自是續遣糧車,無敢近之者。 及軍至單於之北,際晚下營,壕塹方周,遽令移就崇岡。 將士皆以士眾方就安堵,不可勞擾,行儉不從,更令促之。 比夜,風雨暴至,前設營所水深丈餘,將士莫不歎伏。 賊眾於黑山拒戰,行儉頻戰皆捷,前後殺虜不可勝數。 偽可汗泥熟匐為其下所殺,以其首來降,又擒其大首領奉職而還。 餘黨走依狼山。 行儉既回,阿史那伏念又偽稱可汗,與溫傅合勢,鳩集餘眾。 明年,行儉復總諸軍討之。 頓軍於代州之陘口,縱反間說伏念與溫傅,令相猜貳。 伏念恐懼,密送降款,仍請自效。 行儉不泄其事,而密表以聞。 數日,有煙塵漲天而至,斥候惶惑來白,行儉召三軍謂曰:“此是伏念執溫傅來降,非他。 然受降如受敵,但須嚴備。 ”更遣單使迎前勞之。 少間,伏念果率其屬縛溫傅詣軍門請罪,盡平突厥餘黨。 高宗大悅,遣戶部尚書崔知悌赴軍勞之。 侍中裴炎害行儉之功,總管程務挺、張虔勖上言:“伏念為子營逼逐,又磧北回紇等同向南逼之,窘急而降。 ”由是行儉之功不錄,斬伏念及溫傅於都市。 行儉歎曰:“渾、浚前事,古今恥之。 但恐殺降之後,無復來者。 ”因稱疾不出,以勳封聞喜縣公。 永淳元年,十姓偽可汗車薄反叛,詔復以行儉為金牙道大總管,率十將軍以討之。 師未行。 其年四月,行儉病卒,年六十四,贈幽州都督,諡曰獻。 特詔令皇太子差六品京官一人檢校家事,五六年間,待兒孫稍成長日停。 中宗即位,追贈揚州大都督。
In the first year of Tiaolu, the Turk Ashide Wenfu rebelled. Twenty-four prefectures within the Protectorate of the Khaghan rose with him, fielding several hundred thousand men. Protector-General Xiao Siye marched against them and was defeated in turn. Xingjian was then made Great General on Campaign of the Dingxiang route. He led Vice Director of the Imperial Stud Li Siwen, Military Governor of Yingzhou Zhou Daowu, and others with one hundred eighty thousand men, while Cheng Wuting of the western force and Li Wenjian of the eastern force brought the total to more than three hundred thousand. The columns stretched unbroken for thousands of li, all under Xingjian's command. The Tang had never mounted so great an expedition. When Xingjian reached Shuozhou and learned that Xiao Siye's grain convoys had been raided and many soldiers had starved, he set out three hundred decoy grain wagons. Five stalwart men lay hidden in each wagon, armed with modao and powerful crossbows. A few hundred weak soldiers escorted the train while elite troops waited in ambush on difficult ground. The rebels came down in force. The weak escort abandoned the wagons and fled. The rebels drove the wagons toward a spring. They unslung saddles to graze their horses and were about to seize the grain when the men in the wagons struck together and the ambush closed in. Nearly all were killed or captured; the rest broke and fled. After that, no one dared approach the grain convoys. When the army reached the country north of the Protectorate of the Khaghan, it encamped at dusk. The trenches had barely been finished when Xingjian suddenly ordered the camp moved to a high ridge. Officers and men protested that the troops had just settled and should not be disturbed, but Xingjian refused and ordered the move accelerated. That night a violent storm burst upon them. The former camp site stood more than ten feet deep in water, and officers and men marveled. The rebels made their stand at Black Mountain. Xingjian fought again and again and won every engagement, killing and capturing beyond count. The pretender khaghan Nishou Fu was killed by his own followers, who brought his head in surrender. Xingjian also captured the great chieftain Fengzhi and returned. The remaining rebels fled to Lang Mountain. After Xingjian returned, Ashina Funian again proclaimed himself khaghan, joined Wenfu, and rallied the remnant forces. The next year Xingjian again took command of the armies to suppress them. He halted at the Pass of Daizhou and spread counter-intelligence to set Funian and Wenfu against each other. Funian, in fear, secretly sent terms of surrender and offered to prove his loyalty in deed. Xingjian kept the matter secret and memorialized the throne privately. A few days later a cloud of dust filled the sky as a column approached. Alarmed scouts reported, but Xingjian assembled the three armies and said, "This is Funian bringing Wenfu in surrender—nothing else." Still, to receive a surrender is like facing an enemy—we must remain on strict guard." He sent a lone envoy forward to welcome and reassure them. Before long Funian indeed arrived with his followers, Wenfu bound, and asked punishment at the camp gate. The remaining Turk forces were completely pacified. Gaozong was greatly pleased and sent Minister of Revenue Cui Zhiti to the army to offer praise. Chief Minister Pei Yan, envious of Xingjian's achievement, and the commanders Cheng Wuting and Zhang Qianxu memorialized: "Funian surrendered only because his son was hard pressed and because the Uyghurs north of the desert and others pressed him from the south. He submitted in desperation." On this account Xingjian's victory went unrecorded, and Funian and Wenfu were beheaded in the capital market. Xingjian sighed and said, "What Hun and Jun did—such deeds have shamed every age." I fear that once surrendered men are killed, none will ever come again." He pleaded illness and withdrew from public life. For his merit he was enfeoffed Duke of Wenxi County. In the first year of Yongchun, Che Bo, pretender khaghan of the Ten Tribes, rebelled. An edict again made Xingjian Great General of the Jinya route and ordered him to lead ten generals against him. The army had not yet set out. In the fourth month of that year Xingjian died of illness at sixty-four. He was posthumously appointed military governor of Youzhou and given the posthumous name Xian. A special edict ordered the Crown Prince to assign a sixth-rank capital official to oversee the household, continuing for five or six years until the grandchildren had grown, and then to stop. When Zhongzong took the throne, Xingjian was further posthumously made Grand Military Governor of Yangzhou.
14
有集二十卷,撰《草字雜體》數萬言,並傳於代。 又撰《選譜》十卷,安置軍營、行陣部統、克料勝負、甄別器能等四十六訣,則天令秘書監武承嗣詣宅,並密收入內。 行儉尤曉陰陽、算術,兼有人倫之鑒。 自掌選及為大總管,凡遇賢俊,無不甄采,每製敵摧凶,必先期捷日。 時有後進楊炯、王勃、盧照鄰、駱賓王並以文章見稱,吏部侍郎李敬玄盛為延譽,引以示行儉,行儉曰:“才名有之,爵祿蓋寡。 楊應至令長,餘並鮮能令終。 ”是時,蘇味道、王劇未知名,因調選,行儉一見,深禮異之。 仍謂曰:“有晚年子息,恨不見其成長。 二公十數年當居衡石,願記識此輩。 ”其後相繼為吏部。 皆如其言。 行儉嚐所引偏裨,有程務挺、張虔勖、崔智辯、王方翼、黨金毗、劉敬同、郭待封、李多祚、黑齒常之,盡為名將,至刺史、將軍者數十人。 其所知賞,多此類也。 行儉嚐令醫人合藥,請犀角、麝香,送者誤遺失,已而惶懼潛竄。 又有敕賜馬及新鞍,令史輒馳驟,馬倒鞍破,令史亦逃。 行儉並委所親招到,謂曰:“爾曹豈相輕耶? 皆錯誤耳。 ”待之如故。 初,平都支、遮匐,大獲瑰寶,蕃酋將士願觀之,行儉因宴設,遍出曆示。 有馬腦盤,廣二尺餘,文彩殊絕。 軍吏王休烈捧盤,曆階趨進,誤躡衣,足跌便倒,盤亦隨碎,休烈驚惶,叩頭流血,行儉笑而謂曰:“爾非故也,何至於是! ”更不形顏色。 詔賜都支等資產金器皿三千餘事,駝馬稱是,並分給親故並副使已下,數日便盡。 少子光庭,開元中為侍中,以恩例贈行儉為太尉。
He left collected works in twenty juan and a Miscellaneous Forms of Cursive Characters of tens of thousands of words; both circulated in later ages. He also compiled the Register of Selection in ten juan and forty-six maxims on camp deployment, battle formation and unit organization, calculating victory and defeat, and judging talent and capacity. Empress Wu ordered Palace Library Director Wu Chengsi to his residence, and all were secretly taken into the palace archives. Xingjian was especially skilled in yin-yang lore and calculation, and possessed a keen eye for human character. From his years managing selection through his service as great general, whenever he met worthy talent he discovered and promoted them. Whenever he prepared to meet an enemy and destroy a foe, he always fixed the day of victory in advance. The rising writers Yang Jiong, Wang Bo, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang were then celebrated for their prose. Vice Minister Li Jingxuan praised them lavishly and presented them to Xingjian. Xingjian said, "They have talent and fame, but rank and salary will be thin." Yang will rise at most to district magistrate; the others will scarcely come to good ends." Su Weidao and Wang Ju were then still unknown. When they came up for selection, Xingjian saw them once and honored them with special regard. He told them, "I have sons born late in life, and regret that I shall not see them grown." Within ten years or so you two will hold the highest offices of state. Remember these men for me." In time they served in succession as Ministers of Personnel. All came to pass exactly as he had said. Among the staff officers Xingjian had promoted were Cheng Wuting, Zhang Qianxu, Cui Zhibian, Wang Fangyi, Dang Jinpi, Liu Jingtong, Guo Daifeng, Li Duozuo, and Heichi Changzhi—all became famous generals, and dozens rose to prefect or general. Those he recognized and rewarded were mostly of this sort. Xingjian once had a physician compound medicine and requested rhinoceros horn and musk. The messenger lost them by mistake and fled in secret terror. An edict also bestowed a horse and new saddle. A clerk galloped it recklessly; the horse fell and the saddle broke, and the clerk fled as well. Xingjian had his intimates bring them back and said, "Do you think so little of me?" They were all mistakes, nothing more. He treated them exactly as before. After pacifying Duzhi and Zhefu they had taken a great haul of rare treasures. Tribal chiefs and officers asked to see them, and Xingjian set a feast and brought everything out, item by item, for all to view. Among them was an agate platter more than two feet across, its colors and patterns beyond compare. Army clerk Wang Xiulie bore the platter up the steps in haste; he caught his robe, stumbled, and fell — the platter shattered with him. Xiulie was terrified and kowtowed until his forehead ran with blood. Xingjian laughed and said, "You didn't mean to — why take it so hard! " He never let it show on his face. An edict awarded Duzhi and his party more than three thousand pieces of property and gold vessels, with camels and horses to match. Xingjian divided the lot among kin, friends, and everyone down to his deputy envoys — within days it was all spent. His youngest son Guangting became chief minister under Kaiyuan and, by imperial favor, had Xingjian posthumously ennobled as Grand Marshal.
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光庭早孤。 母庫狄氏,則天時召入宮,甚見親待,光庭由是累遷太常丞。 後以武三思之婿緣坐,左遷郢州司馬。 開元初,六遷右率府中郎將,擢授司門郎中。 歲餘,轉兵部郎中。 光庭沉靜少言,寡於交遊,既曆清要,時人初未許之。 及在職,公務修整,眾方歎伏焉。 十三年,將有事於岱嶽,中書令張說以大駕東巡,京師空虛,恐夷狄乘間竊發,議欲加兵守邊,以備不虞,召光庭謀兵事。 光庭曰:“封禪者,所以告成功也。 夫成功者,恩德無不及,百姓無不安,萬國無不懷。 今將告成而懼夷狄,何以昭德也? 大興力役,用備不虞,且非安人也。 方謀會同而阻戎心,又非懷遠也。 有此三者,則名實乖矣。 且諸蕃之國,突厥為大,贄幣往來,願修恩好有年矣。 今茲遣一使征其大臣赴會,必欣然應命。 突厥受詔,則諸蕃君長必相率而來。 雖偃旗息鼓,高枕有餘矣。 ”說曰:“善。 吾所不及矣。 ”因奏而行之,尋轉鴻臚少卿。 東封還,遷兵部侍郎。 十七年,拜中書侍郎,同中書門下平章事,尋兼御史大夫。 無幾,遷黃門侍郎,依舊知政事。 從巡五陵回,拜侍中,兼吏部尚書,又加弘文館學士。 光庭乃撰《瑤山往則》及《維城前軌》各壹卷,上表獻之。 手製褒美,賜絹五百匹,上令皇太子已下於光順門與光庭相見,以重其諷誡之意。 光庭又引壽安丞李融、拾遺張琪、著作左郎司馬利賓等,令直弘文館,撰《續春秋傳》。 上表請以經為禦撰,而光庭等依左氏之體為之作傳,上又手製褒賞之。 光庭委筆削於李融,書竟不就。 時有上書請以皇室為金德者,中書令蕭嵩奏請集百僚詳議。 光庭以國家符命久著史策,若有改易,恐貽後學之誚,密奏請依舊為定,乃下詔停百僚集議之事。 二十年,扈從祠後土,加光祿大夫,封正平男。 尋卒,年五十八,優製贈太師,輟朝三日。 初,光庭與蕭嵩爭權不協。 及為吏部,奏用循資格,並促選限至正月三十日令畢,其流外行署,亦令門下省之。 光庭卒後,嵩又奏請一切罷之,光庭所引進者盡出為外職。 時有門下主事閻麟之,為光庭腹心,專知吏部選官,每麟之裁定,光庭隨而下筆,時人語曰:“麟之口,光庭手。 ”太常博士孫琬將議光庭諡,以其用循資格,非獎勸之道,建議諡為“克”。 時人以為希嵩意旨。 上聞而特下詔,賜諡曰忠獻,仍令中書令張九齡為其碑文。 史官韋述以改諡為非,論之曰:《春秋》之義,諸侯死王事者,葬之加一等,嘉其有功而不及其賞也。 爰至漢、魏,則襚之印綬,寵被窀穸,唯德是褒,豈虛授也! 近代已來,寵贈無紀,或以職位崇顯,一切優錫; 或以子孫榮貴,恩例所加,賢愚虛實,為一貫矣。 裴光庭以守法之吏,驟登相位,踐曆機衡,豈不多愧? 贈以師範,何其濫歟! 張燕公有扶翊之勳,居講諷之舊,秩躋九命,官曆二端,議者猶謂贈之過當,況光庭去斯猶遠,何妄竊之甚哉! 蓋名器假人,昔賢之所惋也。
Guangting was orphaned young. His mother, Lady Kudi, was summoned to court under Wu Zetian and treated with exceptional favor; on that account Guangting rose steadily until he reached vice director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Later, as Wu Sansi's son-in-law, he was implicated by association and demoted to secretary in Ezhou. Early in Kaiyuan, after six promotions he became a commander in the Right Leading Guard Office, then was elevated to director in the Ministry of Justice's Gate Office. A year later he transferred to director in the Ministry of War. Guangting was reserved and sparing of words, with few friends. He had already held prestigious posts, yet at first people did not think much of him. Once he took up his duties and put official business in good order, everyone came to admire him. In the thirteenth year, as the emperor prepared the fengshan at Mount Tai, Chief Minister Zhang Yue argued that with the imperial procession touring east the capital would stand empty and barbarians might seize the moment to strike. He proposed reinforcing the frontier against surprise and summoned Guangting to discuss military affairs. Guangting said, "The fengshan is meant to announce success. Success means grace reaching everywhere, the people secure in all things, and every state under heaven filled with goodwill. Now, on the eve of announcing success, you fear barbarians — how does that display virtue? To launch great labor and conscription to guard against surprise is hardly to settle the people. Just as you plan a gathering of all states, you would chill the hearts of the frontier peoples — that is not to draw the distant near. With these three things, name and reality would part. Moreover, among the frontier states the Turks are foremost; tribute and gifts have passed back and forth for years in a wish to preserve goodwill. If you now send a single envoy summoning their chief ministers to the assembly, they will surely come gladly. Once the Turks accept the edict, the frontier lords will surely follow one after another. Even with banners lowered and drums stilled, you may rest your head on your pillow with room to spare. " Yue said, "Excellent. This is beyond me. " He memorialized the plan and put it into effect; soon afterward Guangting was made vice minister of Rites for guest affairs. After returning from the eastern fengshan, he was promoted to vice minister of War. In the seventeenth year he was appointed vice minister of the Secretariat, co-equal under the Secretariat-Chancellery, and soon also censor-in-chief. Before long he was promoted to vice minister of the Chancellery, still handling state affairs. After accompanying the tour of the five tombs, he was made chief minister, concurrently minister of Civil Appointments, and also made a scholar of the Hongwen Institute. Guangting then compiled one scroll each of Guidelines from the Jade Mountain and Earlier Paths to the Rampart City and submitted them by memorial. The emperor's own hand praised him and granted five hundred bolts of silk; he ordered the crown prince and those below to meet Guangting at Guangshun Gate, to honor the admonitory intent. Guangting also brought in Shou'an assistant Li Rong, remonstrance official Zhang Qi, left secretary Sima Libin, and others, assigning them to the Hongwen Institute to compile Continuations to the Spring and Autumn Annals. He memorialized that the classic be treated as imperially authored while Guangting and the others would write the commentary in Zuo's style; the emperor again personally commended him. Guangting entrusted the writing to Li Rong; the book was never finished. At the time someone submitted that the imperial house should be assigned the Metal phase; Chief Minister Xiao Song memorialized to assemble the hundred officials for full deliberation. Guangting held that the dynasty's mandate had long been recorded in the histories; to change it would invite later scholars' reproach. He secretly memorialized to keep the old designation, and an edict halted the assembly. In the twentieth year, accompanying the sacrifice to Earth at Houtu, he was made Grand Master for Splendid Happiness and ennobled Baron of Zhengping. Soon after he died, at fifty-eight; a special edict posthumously made him Grand Preceptor, and court was suspended for three days. Earlier, Guangting and Xiao Song had vied for power and did not agree. When he became minister of Civil Appointments, he memorialized use of the seniority regulations, pressing the selection deadline to the thirtieth of the first month; external placements also required Chancellery approval. After Guangting died, Song again memorialized to abolish all this; Guangting's appointees were all sent to outside posts. There was Chancellery clerk Yan Linzhi, Guangting's trusted man, solely handling Civil Appointments selections; whatever Linzhi decided, Guangting would sign — people said, "Linzhi's mouth, Guangting's hand. " Grand Master of Sacrifices Sun Wan was about to deliberate Guangting's posthumous name; holding that seniority regulations were not the way to reward merit, he proposed the name Ke. Men of the day thought this flattered Song's wishes. The emperor heard and issued a special edict granting the posthumous name Zhongxian, ordering Chief Minister Zhang Jiuling to compose his epitaph. Historian Wei Shu held that changing the posthumous name was wrong, and argued: "The principle of the Spring and Autumn Annals is that when feudal lords die in the ruler's service, their burial receives one rank higher — honoring their merit without extending to the reward due them. Down through Han and Wei, grave goods included seals and cords; favor extended to the tomb — only virtue was praised. How could such titles be given in vain! In recent times honors at death know no bounds — sometimes for lofty rank everything is lavishly bestowed; sometimes because descendants prosper, by favor's precedent — worthy and foolish, hollow and solid, treated alike. Pei Guangting, a law-keeping clerk, suddenly reached the chancellorship and tread the scales of power — should he not feel much shame? To grant him the Grand Preceptor — how excessive! Duke Yan of Zhang had merit supporting the throne, long served as tutor-advisor, rank reached ninefold honors, offices spanned both ends — yet critics still called his posthumous gifts excessive. How much farther was Guangting from such standing — what gross presumption to seize such a title! To lend titles and insignia to the unworthy — this is what sages of old lamented.
16
史臣曰:昔晉侯選任將帥,取其說《禮》《樂》而敦《詩》《書》,良有以也。 夫權謀方略,兵家之大經,邦國係之以存亡,政令因之而強弱,則馮眾怙力,豨勇虎暴者,安可輕言推轂授任哉! 故王猛、諸葛亮振起窮巷,驅駕豪傑,左指右顧,廓定霸圖,非他道也,蓋智力權變,適當其用耳。 劉樂城、裴聞喜,文雅方略,無謝昔賢,治戎安邊,綽有心術,儒將之雄者也。 天後預政之時,刑峻如壑,多以諛佞希恩,而樂城、甑山,昌言規正,若時無君子,安及此言? 正平銓藻吏能,文學政事,頗有深識。 而前史譏其謬諡,有涉陳壽短武侯應變之論乎! 非通論也。
The historian remarks: When the Jin ruler chose generals, he took those versed in the Rites and Music who cherished the Odes and Documents — and had good reason. Strategy and tactics are the great constant of warfare; nations live or die by them; government waxes or wanes accordingly — how then lightly grant the general's baton to those who rely on numbers and brute force, on pig-fury and tiger-violence! Wang Meng and Zhuge Liang rose from poor lanes, drove heroes before them, commanded with a glance left or right, and mapped out dominion — not by another path, but because their intellect, power, and adaptive skill were exactly what the hour demanded. Liu of Leycheng and Pei of Wenxi — in culture, grace, and strategy they yield nothing to past worthies; in governing armies and securing borders they had ample craft — heroic scholar-generals. When the Empress Dowager held power, punishments were deep as ravines and most sought favor through flattery — yet Leycheng and Zengshan spoke plainly to set things right; had there been no gentlemen then, who would have ventured such words? Lord Zhengping assessed clerical talent; in letters and governance he showed real depth. Yet earlier histories mock his mistaken posthumous name — does this not touch Chen Shou's slight against the Martial Marquis on adaptability? That is not a fair judgment.
17
讚曰:殷禮阿衡,周師呂尚。 王者之兵,儒者之將。 樂城、聞喜,當仁不讓。 管、葛之譚,是吾心匠。
Praise runs: Yin received his minister at the scale-beam; Zhou took Lü Shang as teacher. The king's weapon, the scholar's general. Leycheng and Wenxi — where humanity called, they did not yield. Talk of Guan and Ge — that is the pattern of my own mind.