1
=蘇味道=
Su Weidao
2
蘇味道，趙州欒城人也。 少與鄉人李嶠俱以文辭知名，時人謂之蘇李。 弱冠，本州舉進士。 累轉咸陽尉。 吏部侍郎裴行儉先知其貴，甚加禮遇，及征突厥阿史那都支，引為管記。 孝敬皇帝妃父裴居道再登左金吾將軍，訪當時才子為謝表，托於味道，援筆而成，辭理精密，盛傳於代。
Su Weidao came from Luancheng in Zhaozhou. From youth he and his fellow townsman Li Jiao were both known for their literary talent, and people of the day called them "Su and Li." At twenty he was nominated as a jinshi graduate by his home prefecture. He rose through successive posts to assistant magistrate of Xianyang. Pei Xingjian, vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, had early recognized his promise and treated him with great respect; when Pei campaigned against the Turk Ashina Duzhi, he took Weidao on as staff recorder. When Pei Judao, father of the consort of Emperor Xiaojing, was again appointed general of the Left Golden Crow Guard, he looked for a leading literary talent of the day to draft a memorial of thanks and entrusted the task to Weidao. Weidao took up his brush and finished it at once; the prose was precise in argument and eloquence, and it was widely celebrated in his generation.
3
延載初，曆遷鳳閣舍人、檢校鳳閣侍郎、同鳳閣鸞台平章事，尋加正授，證聖元年，坐事，出為集州刺史，俄召拜天官侍郎。 聖曆初，遷鳳閣侍郎、同鳳閣鸞台三品。 味道善敷奏，多識台閣故事，然而前後居相位數載，竟不能有所發明，但脂韋其間，苟度取容而已。 嚐謂人曰“處事不欲決斷明白，若有錯誤，必貽咎譴，但模棱以持兩端可矣。 ”時人由是號為“蘇模棱”。
At the beginning of the Yanzai era he rose through the posts of secretary of the Phoenix Pavilion, acting secretary of the Phoenix Pavilion, and co-signatory of the Phoenix Pavilion and Luan Terrace affairs, and soon received full appointment. In the first year of Zhengsheng he was dismissed for an offense and sent out as prefect of Jizhou, but was soon recalled and appointed vice minister of the heaven office. At the beginning of Shenli he was transferred to secretary of the Phoenix Pavilion and appointed associate of the Phoenix Pavilion and Luan Terrace of the third rank. Weidao was adept at presenting memorials and knew many precedents of the central administration, yet during several years as chief minister he never accomplished anything of note—he only greased his way through office and sought nothing beyond keeping himself in favor. He once said to others, "In handling affairs one should not strive to decide clearly. If one is wrong, reproach and punishment will surely follow—it is enough simply to remain equivocal and hold both sides." From this people of the day nicknamed him "Su the Equivocator."
4
長安中，請還鄉改葬其父，優製令州縣供其葬事。 味道因此侵毀鄉人墓田，役使過度，為憲司所劾，左授坊州刺史。 未幾，除益州大都督府長史。 神龍初，以親附張易之，昌宗貶授郿州刺史。 俄而復為益州大都督府長史，未行而卒，年五十八，贈冀州刺史。 味道與其弟太子洗馬味玄甚相友愛，味玄若請托不諧，輒麵加淩折，味道對之怡然，不以為忤，論者稱焉。 有文集行於代。
During the Chang'an era he requested leave to return home and rebury his father; an edict of special favor ordered the prefectures and counties to supply his funeral arrangements. Weidao thereupon encroached on and destroyed his neighbors' grave lands and overworked the laborers; the censorate impeached him and he was demoted to prefect of Fangzhou. Before long he was appointed chief administrator of the Yizhou metropolitan prefecture. At the beginning of Shenlong, for his close association with Zhang Yizhi and Changzong, he was demoted to prefect of Mei Prefecture. He was soon reappointed chief administrator of the Yizhou metropolitan prefecture, but died before taking up the post at the age of fifty-eight; he was posthumously enfeoffed as prefect of Ji Prefecture. Weidao and his younger brother Weixuan, attendant of the crown prince's stables, were deeply devoted to each other. Whenever Weixuan's requests went unfulfilled he would openly humiliate his brother, yet Weidao received it calmly and took no offense, and commentators praised him for this. A collection of his writings circulated in his day.
5
=李嶠=
Li Jiao
6
李嶠，趙州贊皇人，隋內史侍郎元操從曾孫也。 代為著姓，父鎮惡，襄城令。 嶠早孤，事母以孝聞。 為兒童時，夢有神人遺之雙筆，自是漸有學業。 弱冠舉進士，累轉監察御史。 時嶺南邕、嚴二州首領反叛，發兵討擊，高宗令嶠往監軍事。 嶠乃宣朝旨，特赦其罪，親入獠洞以招諭之。 叛者盡降，因罷兵而還，高宗甚嘉之。 累遷給事中。 時酷吏來俊臣構陷狄仁傑、李嗣真、裴宣禮等三家，奏請誅之，則天使嶠與大理少卿張德裕、侍御史劉憲覆其獄。 德裕等雖知其枉，懼罪，並從俊臣所奏，嶠曰：“豈有知其枉濫而不為申明哉！ 孔子曰：‘見義不為，無勇也。 ’”乃與德裕等列其枉狀，由是忤旨，出為潤州司馬。 詔入，轉鳳閣舍人。 則天深加接待，朝廷每有大手筆，皆特令嶠為之。
Li Jiao came from Zanhuang in Zhaozhou and was a collateral great-great-grandson of Yuan Cao, interior secretary under the Sui. For generations his family had been a prominent clan; his father Zhen'e was magistrate of Xiangcheng. Jiao was orphaned young and was famed for the filial devotion with which he served his mother. As a child he dreamed that a divine being gave him two writing brushes, and from then on his scholarship gradually flourished. At twenty he passed the jinshi examination and rose through successive posts to investigating censor. At that time the chieftains of Yong and Yan prefectures in Lingnan rebelled; when troops were dispatched to suppress them, Gaozong ordered Jiao to go oversee the campaign. Jiao thereupon proclaimed the court's intent, specially pardoned their crimes, and entered the tribal stockades in person to win them over. The rebels all surrendered; he disbanded the army and returned, and Gaozong highly praised him. He rose through successive promotions to gentleman-attendant. At that time the cruel official Lai Junchen framed the families of Di Renjie, Li Sizhen, and Pei Xuanli and memorialized requesting their execution; Empress Wu ordered Jiao, together with vice director of the Court of Judicial Review Zhang Deyu and attendant censor Liu Xian, to re-examine the case. Deyu and the others, though they knew the case was unjust, feared punishment and all sided with Junchen's memorial. Jiao said, "How can one know that injustice has been done and yet fail to speak in their defense!" Confucius said, "To see what is righteous and not act is cowardice." He then joined Deyu and the others in setting forth the facts of the injustice; for this he ran afoul of the imperial will and was sent out as military aide of Run Prefecture. Summoned back to court, he was transferred to secretary of the Phoenix Pavilion. Empress Wu received him with marked favor, and whenever the court required a major composition she always specially charged Jiao with writing it.
7
時初置右御史台，巡按天下，嶠上疏陳其得失曰：
At that time the Right Censorate had just been established to inspect the realm; Jiao submitted a memorial on its strengths and weaknesses, saying:
8
又曰：
He further said:
9
則天善之。 乃下製分天下為二十道，簡擇堪為使者。 會有沮議者，竟不行。 尋知天官侍郎事，遷麟台少監。
Empress Wu approved of it. She issued an edict dividing the realm into twenty circuits and selecting men fit to serve as envoys. When opponents obstructed the plan, it was ultimately not carried out. Soon he took charge of the vice ministry of the heaven office and was transferred to vice director of the Forest Pavilion.
10
聖曆初，與姚崇偕遷同鳳閣鸞台平章事，俄轉鸞台侍郎，依舊平章事，兼修國史。 久視元年，嶠舅天官侍郎張錫入知政事，嶠轉成均祭酒，罷知政事及修史，舅甥相繼在相位，時人榮之。 嶠尋檢校文昌左丞、東都留守。 長安三年，嶠復以本官平章事，尋知納言事。 明年，遷內史。 嶠後固辭煩劇，復拜成均祭酒，平章事如故。
At the beginning of Shenli he was promoted together with Yao Chong to co-signatory of the Phoenix Pavilion and Luan Terrace affairs; soon he was transferred to secretary of the Luan Terrace, continuing as co-signatory and also charged with compiling the national history. In the first year of Jiushi Jiao's maternal uncle Zhang Xi, vice minister of the heaven office, entered the chief ministership; Jiao was transferred to libationer of the Directorate of Education and removed from the chief ministership and from compiling history. Uncle and nephew holding the chief ministership in succession was envied by people of the day. Jiao was soon made acting vice director of the Left Secretariat and guardian of the eastern capital. In the third year of Chang'an Jiao again served as co-signatory in his former rank; soon he took charge of the chief secretariat affairs. The next year he was transferred to interior secretary. Jiao later firmly declined the burdensome duties and was again appointed libationer of the Directorate of Education, while continuing as co-signatory.
11
長安末，則天將建大像於白司馬阪，嶠上疏諫之，其略曰：“臣以法王慈敏，菩薩護持，唯擬饒益眾生，非要營修土木。 伏聞適像，稅非戶口，錢出僧尼，不得州縣祗承，必是不能濟辦，終須科率，豈免勞擾！ 天下編戶，貧弱者眾，亦有傭力客作以濟餱糧，亦有賣舍貼田以供王役。 造像錢見有一十七萬餘貫，若將散施，廣濟貧窮，人與一千，濟得一十七萬餘戶。 拯饑寒之弊，省勞役之勤，順諸佛慈悲之心，沾聖君亭育之意，人神胥悅，功德無窮。 ”疏奏不納。
At the end of the Chang'an era Empress Wu was about to erect a great image at White Horse Slope; Jiao submitted a remonstrance memorial, in which he said in summary: "Your subject considers that the Dharma King is compassionate and wise and that bodhisattvas protect and sustain us—the aim is only to enrich the lives of the people, not to raise structures of earth and timber." I have heard that for this image the levy is not assessed on registered households and the funds come from monks and nuns; if the prefectures and counties cannot meet the demand, the project surely cannot be fully financed and compulsory exactions will ultimately be required—how can the people escape hardship and distress! Among registered households across the realm the poor and weak are many; some hire themselves out as laborers to earn their food, and some sell their houses or mortgage their fields to meet corvée duties. The funds for the image currently amount to more than one hundred seventy thousand strings of cash; if dispersed in charity to relieve the poor widely, giving one thousand per person would succor more than one hundred seventy thousand households. Saving them from hunger and cold, sparing them the toil of corvée, conforming to the compassionate heart of all buddhas, and partaking of the nurturing intent of the sage ruler—humans and spirits alike would rejoice and the merit would be boundless. The memorial was submitted but not accepted.
12
中宗即位，嶠以附會張易之兄弟，出為豫州刺史。 未行，又貶為通州刺史。 數月，徵拜吏部侍郎，封讚皇縣男。 無幾，遷吏部尚書，進封縣公。 神龍二年，代韋安石為中書令。 初，嶠在吏部時，誌欲曲行私惠。 冀得復居相位奏置員外官數千人。 至是官僚倍多，府庫減耗，乃抗表引咎辭職，並陳利害十餘事。 中宗以嶠昌言時政之失，輒請罷免，手製慰諭而不允，尋令復居舊職。 三年，又加修文館大學士，監修國史，封趙國公。 景龍三年，罷中書令，以特進守兵部尚書、同中書門下三品。
When Zhongzong acceded, Jiao was sent out as prefect of Yu Prefecture for currying favor with Zhang Yizhi and his brothers. Before he could take up the post he was further demoted to prefect of Tong Prefecture. After several months he was summoned and appointed vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel, enfeoffed as baron of Zanhuang County. Before long he was transferred to minister of personnel and promoted to county marquis. In the second year of Shenlong he replaced Wei Anshi as director of the secretariat. Earlier, while Jiao was at the Ministry of Personnel, he had intended to distribute private favors broadly. Hoping to regain the chief ministership, he memorialized to establish several thousand supernumerary officials. By then the bureaucracy had more than doubled and the treasury was depleted; he therefore submitted a forthright memorial accepting blame and resigning, setting forth more than ten points of benefit and harm. Because Jiao plainly spoke of flaws in current policy and immediately requested dismissal, Zhongzong wrote in his own hand to comfort and reassure him and did not accept; soon Jiao was ordered to resume his former post. In the third year he was further made grand academician of the Xiuwen Hall and supervisor of compiling the national history, enfeoffed as duke of Zhao. In the third year of Jinglong he was removed as director of the secretariat and made specially advanced, retaining the post of minister of war and made associate of the secretariat and chancellery of the third rank.
13
睿宗即位，出為懷州刺史，尋以年老致仕。 初，中宗崩，嶠密表請處置相王諸子，勿令在京。 及玄宗踐祚，宮內獲其表，以示侍臣。 或請誅之，中書令張說曰：“嶠雖不辯逆順，然亦為當時之謀，吠非其主，不可追討其罪。 ”上從其言，乃下製曰：“事君之節，危而不變，為臣則忠，貳乃無赦。 特進、趙國公李嶠，往緣宗、韋弑逆，朕恭行戡定，揖讓之際，天命有歸，嶠有窺覦，不知逆順，狀陳詭計，朕親覽焉。 以其早負辭學，累居台輔，忍而莫言，特掩其惡。 今忠邪既辨，具物惟新，賞罰倘乖，下人安勸？ 雖經赦令，猶宜放斥，矜其老疾，俾遂餘生，宜聽隨子虔州刺史暢赴任。 ”尋起為盧州別駕而卒。 有文集五十卷。
When Ruizong acceded he was sent out as prefect of Huai Prefecture, and soon retired on account of age. Earlier, when Zhongzong died, Jiao had secretly memorialized requesting that the Prince of Xiang's sons be dealt with and not kept in the capital. When Xuanzong took the throne, the palace obtained this memorial and showed it to the attending ministers. Some requested his execution; director of the secretariat Zhang Shuo said, "Although Jiao did not distinguish loyalty from rebellion, he was also scheming for his own day—a dog barks at one who is not its master; his crime should not be pursued retroactively." The emperor followed his counsel and issued an edict saying: "The integrity of serving one's ruler is not to change in peril; for a minister loyalty is the law, and duplicity admits no pardon." Specially advanced Duke of Zhao Li Jiao: formerly, when the Zong and Wei factions committed regicide, I respectfully restored order; at the moment of yielding and succession the mandate of Heaven had its rightful place, yet Jiao looked on with covetous eyes, not knowing loyalty from rebellion, and in his memorial set forth treacherous designs, which I have read with my own eyes. Because he long possessed literary learning and had repeatedly held chief ministerial posts, I have borne with him in silence and specially concealed his wickedness. Now that loyalty and treachery have been distinguished and all things are renewed, if reward and punishment should be errant, how will those below be encouraged? Although he has been covered by amnesty, he should still be dismissed; considering his age and illness, let him live out his remaining years—he should be permitted to follow his son Chang, prefect of Qian Prefecture, to his post. He was soon recalled as vice-prefect of Lu Prefecture but died. His collected works ran to fifty juan.
14
=崔融=
Cui Rong
15
崔融，齊州全節人。 初，應八科舉擢第。 累補宮門丞，兼直崇文館學士。 中宗在春宮，製融為侍讀，兼侍屬文，東朝表疏，多成其手。 聖曆中，則天幸嵩嶽，見融所撰《啟母廟碑》，深加歎美，及封禪畢，乃命融撰朝觀碑文。 自魏州司功參軍擢授著作佐郎，尋轉右史。 聖曆二年，除著作郎，仍兼右史內供奉。 四年，遷鳳閣舍人。 久視元年，坐忤張昌宗意，左授婺州長史。 頃之，昌宗怒解，又請召為春官郎中，知制誥事。 長安二年，再遷鳳閣舍人。 三年，兼修國史。
Cui Rong came from Quanjie in Qizhou. At first he passed the eight-field examination and was selected. Through successive appointments he became gate commissioner and concurrently a resident scholar of the Chongwen Hall. When Zhongzong was crown prince he appointed Rong reader-in-attendance and also charged him with composing documents; most of the eastern palace memorials and reports were written by his hand. During Shenli Empress Wu visited Mount Song, saw the Stele of the Qimu Temple that Rong had composed, and greatly admired it; after the Feng and Shan rites were completed she ordered Rong to compose the court audience stele text. From recorder of Wei Prefecture he was elevated to assistant director of the Office for Writing the History, and soon transferred to right historiographer. In the second year of Shenli he was appointed director of the Office for Writing the History, still concurrently serving as right historiographer within the palace. In the fourth year he was transferred to secretary of the Phoenix Pavilion. In the first year of Jiushi, for offending Zhang Changzong, he was demoted to chief administrator of Wu Prefecture. Before long Changzong's anger subsided; Rong also requested recall and was appointed director of the spring office and charged with drafting edicts. In the second year of Chang'an he was again transferred to secretary of the Phoenix Pavilion. In the third year he was additionally charged with compiling the national history.
16
時有司表稅關市，融深以為不可，上疏諫曰：
When the relevant offices memorialized to levy taxes on market passes and gates, Rong deeply considered this inadvisable and submitted a remonstrance, saying:
17
四年，除司禮少卿，仍知制誥。 時張易之兄弟頗招集文學之士，融與納言李嶠、鳳閣侍郎蘇味道、麟台少監王紹宗等俱以文才降節事之。 及易之伏誅，融左授袁州刺史。 尋召拜國子司業，兼修國史。 神龍二年，以預修《則天實錄》成，封清河縣子，賜物五百段，璽書褒美。 融為文典麗，當時罕有其比，朝廷所須《洛出寶圖頌》、《則天哀冊文》及諸大手筆，並手敕付融。 撰哀冊文，用思精苦，遂發病卒，時年五十四。 以侍讀之恩，追贈衛州刺史，諡曰文。 有集六十卷。
In the fourth year he was appointed vice director of the Ministry of Rites, still charged with drafting edicts. At that time Zhang Yizhi and his brothers gathered many literary men; Rong, together with chief secretariat Li Jiao, secretary of the Phoenix Pavilion Su Weidao, vice director of the Forest Pavilion Wang Shaozong, and others, all lowered themselves to serve them for their literary talents. When Yizhi was executed Rong was demoted to prefect of Yuan Prefecture. Soon he was summoned and appointed vice director of the Directorate of Education, concurrently compiling the national history. In the second year of Shenlong, for his participation in completing the Veritable Records of Wu Zetian, he was enfeoffed as viscount of Qinghe County, granted five hundred rolls of goods, and commended in an imperial letter with the seal. Rong's prose was classical and elegant, rarely matched in his day; the court's required compositions—the "Ode on the Precious Diagram Emerging from the Luo," the Lament Text for Wu Zetian, and other major works—were all handed to Rong by personal imperial edict. While composing the lament text he strained his mind with extreme effort, fell ill, and died at the age of fifty-four. In gratitude for his service as reader-in-attendance he was posthumously made prefect of Weizhou and given the posthumous name Wen. His collected works ran to sixty juan.
18
二子禹錫、翹，開元中，相次為中書舍人。
His two sons Yuxi and Qiao, during Kaiyuan, successively served as secretaries of the secretariat.
19
=盧藏用=
Lu Zangyong
20
盧藏用，字子潛，度支尚書承慶之侄孫也。 父敬，有名於時，官至魏州司馬。 藏用少以辭學著稱。 初舉進士選，不調，乃著《芳草賦》以見意。 尋隱居終南山，學辟穀、練氣之術。
Lu Zangyong, courtesy name Ziqian, was a grandnephew of Chengqing, minister of revenue. His father Jing was famed in his day and rose to military aide of Wei Prefecture. From youth Zangyong was famed for his literary learning. At first he passed the jinshi selection but received no appointment; he therefore composed the "Rhapsody on Fragrant Herbs" to express his intent. He soon retired to Mount Zhongnan and studied the arts of grain abstinence and breath cultivation.
21
長安中，征拜左拾遺。 時則天將營興泰宮於萬安山，藏用上疏諫曰：
During the Chang'an era he was summoned and appointed left remonstrance official. At that time Empress Wu was about to build the Xingtai Palace on Mount Wan'an; Zangyong submitted a remonstrance, saying:
22
神龍中，累轉起居舍人，兼知制誥，俄遷中書舍人。 藏用常以俗多拘忌，有乖至理，乃著《析滯論》以暢其事，辭曰：
During Shenlong he rose through successive posts to diarist and was concurrently charged with drafting edicts; soon he was promoted to secretary of the secretariat. Zangyong often considered that popular custom was full of taboos at odds with ultimate principle; he therefore composed the "Discourse on Unblocking Stagnation" to set forth his views, saying:
23
景龍中，為吏部侍郎。 藏用性無挺特，多為權要所逼，頗隳公道。 又遷黃門侍郎，兼昭文館學士，轉工部侍郎、尚書右丞。 先天中，坐托附太平公主，配流嶺表。 開元初，起為黔州都督府長史，兼判都督事，未行而卒，年五十餘。 有集二十卷。
During Jinglong he served as vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel. Zangyong's nature lacked firm uprightness; he was often pressed by powerful figures and considerably undermined public justice. He was further transferred to secretary of the Yellow Gate and concurrently made a scholar of the Zhaowen Hall, then transferred to vice minister of works and right vice director of the Department of State Affairs. During Xiantian, for relying on Princess Taiping, he was sentenced to exile in Lingnan. At the beginning of Kaiyuan he was recalled as chief administrator of the Qianzhou metropolitan prefecture and concurrently judged metropolitan affairs, but died before taking up the post at the age of fifty-some. His collected works ran to twenty juan.
24
藏用工篆隸，好琴棋，當時稱為多能之士。 少與陳子昂、趙貞固友善，二人並早卒，藏用厚撫其子，為時所稱。 然初隱居之時，有貞儉之操，往來於少室、終南二山，時人稱為“隨駕隱士”； 及登朝，趑趄詭佞，專事權貴，奢靡淫縱，以此獲譏於世。
Zangyong was skilled in seal and clerical script and fond of zither and chess; he was called a man of many talents in his day. In youth he was close friends with Chen Zi'ang and Zhao Zhengu; both died early, and Zangyong generously supported their sons, for which he was praised in his time. Yet when he first retired from the world he had a character of integrity and frugality, traveling between Mount Shaoshi and Mount Zhongnan; people of the day called him "the hermit who follows the imperial carriage"; once he entered court service he fawned and flattered, devoted himself to the powerful, and lived in extravagance and dissipation—for this he was ridiculed by the world.
25
=徐彥伯=
Xu Yanbo
26
徐彥伯，兗州瑕丘人也。 少以文章擅名，河北道安撫大使薛元超表薦之，對策擢第，累轉蒲州司兵參軍。 時司戶韋暠善判事，司士李亙工於翰劄，而彥伯以文辭雅美，時人謂之“河中三絕”。
Xu Yanbo came from Xiaqiu in Yanzhou. From youth he was famed for his essays; Xue Yuanchao, commissioner for pacification of the Hebei circuit, memorialized recommending him; he passed the policy examination and rose through successive posts to military recorder of Pu Prefecture. At that time Wei Hao of the revenue section was skilled at adjudication, Li Gen of the labor section was adept at letters, and Yanbo was elegant in literary composition; people of the day called them "the three unmatched talents of Hedong."
27
彥伯聖曆中累除給事中，時王公卿士多以言語不慎，密為酷吏周興、來俊臣等所陷，彥伯乃著《樞機論》以誡於代，其辭曰：
During Shenli Yanbo was successively appointed gentleman-attendant; at that time many princes, dukes, and officials were secretly framed by cruel officials such as Zhou Xing and Lai Junchen for careless speech; Yanbo therefore composed the "Discourse on the Pivot of Power" to warn his generation, saying:
28
神龍元年，遷太常少卿，兼修國史，以預修《則天實錄》成，封高平縣子，賜物五百段。 未幾，出為衛州刺史，以善政聞，璽書勞勉。 俄轉蒲州刺史，入為工部侍郎，尋除衛尉卿，兼昭文館學士。 景龍三年，中宗親拜南郊，彥伯作《南郊賦》以獻，辭甚典美。 景雲初，加銀青光祿大夫，遷右散騎常侍、太子賓客，仍兼昭文館學士。 先天元年，以疾乞骸骨，許之。 開元二年卒。
In the first year of Shenlong he was transferred to vice director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and concurrently charged with compiling the national history; for his participation in completing the Veritable Records of Wu Zetian he was enfeoffed as viscount of Gaoping County and granted five hundred rolls of goods. Before long he was sent out as prefect of Wei Prefecture; he was famed for good governance and was commended in an imperial letter with the seal. Soon he was transferred to prefect of Pu Prefecture, entered court as vice minister of works, and soon was appointed director of the Court of Imperial Stud and concurrently made a scholar of the Zhaowen Hall. In the third year of Jinglong Zhongzong personally performed the southern suburban sacrifice; Yanbo composed the "Rhapsody on the Southern Suburb" and presented it—the language was very classical and elegant. At the beginning of Jingyun he was given the silver-blue-golden grand master of the palace and transferred to right attendant cavalier and guest of the crown prince, still concurrently a scholar of the Zhaowen Hall. In the first year of Xiantian, on account of illness he requested to retire; his request was granted. He died in the second year of Kaiyuan.
29
彥伯事寡嫂甚謹，撫諸侄同於己子。 自晚年屬文，好為強澀之體，頗為後進所效焉。 有文集二十卷，行於時。
Yanbo served his widowed sister-in-law with great respect and raised his nephews as he did his own sons. From his later years in composing essays he favored a forceful and abstruse style, which many younger writers imitated. His collected works ran to twenty juan and circulated in his time.
30
=史臣曰=
The Historian's Comment
31
史臣曰：才出於智，行出於性。 故文章巧拙，由智之深淺也； 行義詭實，由性之善惡也。 然則智性稟之於氣，不可使之強也。 蘇味道、李嶠等，俱為輔相，各處穹崇。 觀其章疏之能，非無奧贍； 驗以弼諧之道，罔有貞純。 故狄仁傑有言曰：“蘇、李足為文吏矣。 ”得非齷齪者乎！ 模棱之病，尤足可譏。 崔融、盧藏用、徐彥伯等，文學之功，不讓蘇、李，知有守常之道，而無應變之機。 規諫之深，崔比盧、徐，稍為優矣。
The historian says: Talent comes from intelligence; conduct comes from nature. Thus whether essays are skillful or clumsy depends on the depth or shallowness of intelligence; whether conduct is upright or devious, genuine or false, depends on the goodness or wickedness of nature. Intelligence and nature are endowed by vital force and cannot be forced to grow stronger. Su Weidao, Li Jiao, and the like all served as chief ministers, each occupying the highest eminence. Judging their ability in memorials and reports, they were not without depth and richness; yet tested by the way of assisting and harmonizing, they had no steadfast integrity. Therefore Di Renjie had a saying: "Su and Li are sufficient as literary officials." Were they not petty and narrow-minded men! The disease of equivocation especially deserves ridicule. Cui Rong, Lu Zangyong, Xu Yanbo, and the like did not yield to Su and Li in literary achievement; they knew the way of holding to constancy but lacked the resourcefulness to meet change. In the depth of remonstrance Cui compared with Lu and Xu was somewhat superior.
32
=贊=
Appraisal
33
贊曰：房、杜、姚、宋，俱立大功。 鹹以二族，譚為美風。 蘇、李文學，一代之雄。 有慚輔弼，稱之豈同。 凡人有言，未必有德。 崔與盧、徐，皆攻翰墨。 文雖堪尚，義無可則。 備位守常，斯言罔忒。
The appraisal says: Fang, Du, Yao, and Song all established great merit. All praised these two pairs as models of fine conduct. Su and Li in literary learning were heroes of their generation. Yet as chief ministers they fell short; to call them the same is not fitting. All men may have words, but not necessarily virtue. Cui, Lu, and Xu all devoted themselves to brush and ink. Their writing may be admired, but in righteousness there is nothing to take as a model. Holding office and keeping to constancy—this saying is not wrong.