Volume 135 Biographies 85: Lu Qi, Bai Zhizhen, Pei Yanling, Wei Qumou, Li Qiyun, Li Shi, Wei Zhiyi, Wang Shuwen, Cheng Yi, Huang Fubian

盧杞，字子良，故相懷慎之孫。父奕，天寶末為東臺御史中丞；洛城為安祿山所陷，奕守司而遇害。杞以門廕，解褐清道率府兵曹。朔方節度使仆固懷恩辟為掌書記、試大理評事、監察御史，以病免。入補鴻臚丞，遷殿中侍御史、膳部員外郎，出為忠州刺史。至荊南，謁節度使衛伯玉，伯玉不悅。杞移病歸京師，歷刑部員外郎、金部吏部二郎中。

Lu Qi, styled Ziliang, was the grandson of the former chancellor Lu Huaijian. His father Yi, at the end of the Tianbao era, served as Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Eastern Bureau; when Luoyang fell to An Lushan, Yi held his post and was killed. Through hereditary privilege, Qi began his career as a military staff officer of the Qingdao Command. Shuofang military commissioner Pugu Huai'en recruited him as chief secretary, acting Grand Councilor of the Court of Judicial Review, and investigating censor; he was dismissed on account of illness. He entered service as an assistant director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was promoted to palace censor and a staff member of the Ministry of Rites, and was appointed prefect of Zhong Prefecture. When he reached Jingnan, he called on military commissioner Wei Boyu, who was displeased. Qi pleaded illness and returned to the capital, serving successively as a staff member of the Ministry of Justice and as director in the Ministries of Revenue and Personnel.

杞貌陋而色如藍，人皆鬼視之。不恥惡衣糲食，人以為能嗣懷慎之清節，亦未識其心。頗有口辯。出為虢州刺史。建中初，徵為御史中丞。時尚父子儀病，百官造問，皆不屏姬侍。及聞杞至，子儀悉令屏去，獨隱几以待之。杞去，家人問其故，子儀曰：「杞形陋而心險，左右見之必笑。若此人得權，即吾族無類矣。」及居糾彈顧問之地，論奏稱旨，遷御史大夫。旬日，為門下侍郎、同中書門下平章事。既居相位，忌能妒賢，迎吠陰害，小不附者，必致之於死，將起勢立威，以久其權。楊炎以杞陋貌無識，同處臺司，心甚不悅，為杞所譖，逐於崖州。德宗幸奉天，崔寧流涕論時事，杞聞惡之，譖於德宗，言寧與硃泚盟誓，故至遲回，寧遂見殺。惡顏真卿之直言，令奉使李希烈，竟歿於賊。初，京兆尹嚴郢與楊炎有隙，杞乃擢郢為御史大夫以傾炎；炎既貶死，心又惡郢，圖欲去之。宰相張鎰忠正有才，上所委信，杞頗惡之。會硃滔、硃泚弟兄不睦，有泚判官蔡廷玉者離間滔，滔論奏，請殺之。廷玉既貶，殿中侍御史鄭詹遣吏監送，廷玉投水而卒。杞因奏曰：「恐硃泚疑為詔旨，請三司按鞠詹；又御史所為，稟大夫命，並令按郢。」詹與張鎰善，每伺杞晝眠，輒詣鎰，杞知之。他日，杞假寢佯熟，伺詹果來，方與鎰語，杞遽至鎰閣中，詹趨避杞，杞遽言密事，鎰曰：「殿中鄭侍御在此。」杞佯愕曰：「向者所言，非他人所宜聞。」時三司使方按詹、郢，獄未具而奏殺詹，貶郢為驩州刺史。鎰尋罷相，出鎮鳳翔。其陰禍賊物如此。李揆舊德，慮德宗復用，乃遣使西蕃，天下無不扼腕痛憤，然無敢言者。戶部侍郎、判度支杜佑，甚承恩顧，為杞媒孽，貶饒州刺史。

Qi was ugly in appearance and his complexion had a bluish cast; people looked at him as though he were a ghost. He was not ashamed to wear shabby clothes and eat coarse food, and people thought he could inherit Huaijian's reputation for integrity—yet they did not yet know his heart. He was quite gifted in debate. He was appointed prefect of Guo Prefecture. At the beginning of the Jianzhong era, he was summoned to serve as Vice Censor-in-Chief. At that time the Prince of Shang, Guo Ziyi, was ill, and officials of all ranks came to inquire after him without dismissing their concubines and attendants. When he heard that Qi had arrived, Ziyi had them all sent away and sat alone behind a screen to await him. After Qi left, his family asked the reason. Ziyi said, "Qi is ugly in form but treacherous at heart. If those beside me see him, they will surely laugh. If this man gains power, there will be none left of our clan." Once he occupied the post of investigation and consultation, his memorials and discussions pleased the emperor, and he was promoted to Censor-in-Chief. Within ten days he became Vice Minister of the Chancellery and Concurrent Regular Second-Rank Counselor. Once he held the chancellorship, he envied ability and hated worth, fawned on the powerful and harmed in secret; anyone who did not submit even slightly, he was sure to bring to death, intending to raise his prestige and establish his authority so as to prolong his power. Yang Yan regarded Qi as ugly, lacking in judgment, and ill at ease sharing the censorate; Qi slandered him and had him banished to Ya Prefecture. When Dezong went to Fengtian, Cui Ning wept as he discussed current affairs; Qi heard and hated this, slandered Ning to Dezong, saying Ning had sworn an oath with Zhu Ci, and so Ning was delayed in returning and was eventually killed. He hated Yan Zhenqing's outspokenness and sent him on a mission to Li Xilie, who ultimately died among the rebels. At first, metropolitan magistrate Yan Yi had a rift with Yang Yan; Qi then promoted Yi to Censor-in-Chief in order to topple Yan; after Yan was demoted and died, he again hated Yi and plotted to remove him. Chancellor Zhang Yi was upright, talented, and deeply trusted by the emperor; Qi greatly hated him. It happened that the brothers Zhu Tao and Zhu Ci were not on good terms; there was Ci's aide Cai Tingyu, who sowed discord with Tao, and Tao memorialized requesting Tingyu's execution. After Tingyu was demoted, palace censor Zheng Zhan sent officers to escort him; Tingyu threw himself into the water and died. Qi therefore memorialized, saying, "I fear Zhu Ci may suspect this was an imperial order; please have the Three Offices investigate Zhan; and since what censors do is carried out on the Censor-in-Chief's orders, have Yi investigated as well." Zhan was on good terms with Zhang Yi; whenever Qi dozed by day, Zhan would go to Yi, and Qi learned of it. Another day Qi feigned sleep and pretended to be deep in slumber; when Zhan indeed came and was speaking with Yi, Qi suddenly entered Yi's pavilion. Zhan hurried to avoid Qi; Qi immediately began speaking of secret matters. Yi said, "Palace Censor Zheng is here." Qi feigned astonishment and said, "What was just spoken is not for others to hear." At that time the Three Offices commissioners were investigating Zhan and Yi; before the case was complete he memorialized for Zhan's execution and demoted Yi to prefect of Huan Prefecture. Yi was soon dismissed from the chancellorship and went out to command Fengxiang. His hidden harm to worthy men was like this. Li Kui was a man of old virtue; fearing Dezong might employ him again, he sent an envoy to the Western Regions; throughout the realm all clench their fists in grief and rage, yet none dared speak. Du You, Vice Minister of Revenue and acting director of the Department of Public Works, enjoyed great imperial favor; Qi slandered him and had him demoted to prefect of Rao Prefecture.

初，上即位，擢崔祐甫為相，頗用道德寬大，以弘上意，故建中初政聲藹然，海內想望貞觀之理；及杞為相，諷上以刑名整齊天下。初，李希烈請討梁崇義，崇義誅而希烈叛，盡據淮右、襄、鄧之郡邑。恆州李寶臣死，其子惟嶽邀節鉞，遂與田悅締結以抗王師，由是河北、河南連兵不息。度支使杜佑計諸道用軍月費一百余萬貫，京師帑廩不支數月；且得五百萬貫，可支半歲，則用兵濟矣。杞乃以戶部侍郎趙贊判度支，贊亦無計可施，乃與其黨太常博士韋都賓等謀行括率，以為泉貨所聚，在於富商，錢出萬貫者，留萬貫為業，有余，官借以給軍，冀得五百萬貫。上許之，約以罷兵後以公錢還。敕即下，京兆少尹韋禎督責頗峻，長安尉薛萃荷校乘車，搜人財貨，意其不實，即行搒箠，人不勝冤痛，或有自縊而死者，京師囂然如被賊盜。都計富戶田宅奴婢等估，才及八十八萬貫。又以僦櫃納質積錢貨貯粟麥等，一切借四分之一，封其櫃窖，長安為之罷市，百姓相率千萬眾邀宰相於道訴之。杞初雖慰諭，後無以遏，即疾驅而歸。計僦質與借商，才二百萬貫。德宗知下民流怨，詔皆罷之，然宿師在野，日須供饋。

At first, when the emperor took the throne, he promoted Cui Youfu as chancellor and greatly employed moral breadth and magnanimity to carry out the emperor's intent; therefore at the beginning of Jianzhong the government's reputation was serene, and throughout the realm people looked toward the governance of the Zhenguan era; once Qi became chancellor, he urged the emperor to use penal law to put the realm in order. At first Li Xilie requested to campaign against Liang Chongyi; after Chongyi was executed Xilie rebelled and seized all the prefectures and counties of the Huai region, Xiang, and Deng. Li Baochen of Heng Prefecture died; his son Weiyue sought the command, then joined Tian Yue in alliance to resist the imperial army; from this the armies of Hebei and Henan fought without cease. Du You, director of the Department of Public Works, calculated that the monthly military expenses of the various circuits exceeded more than a million strings of cash, and the capital's storehouses could not support them for several months; yet if five million strings could be obtained, they could last half a year, and then military operations could succeed. Qi then had Vice Minister of Revenue Zhao Zan act as director of the Department of Public Works; Zan too had no plan, and with his faction, Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Wei Dubin and others, plotted to carry out forced requisitioning, thinking that where currency gathered was among wealthy merchants: those with more than ten thousand strings would keep ten thousand for their business, and the surplus would be borrowed by the state to supply the army, hoping to obtain five million strings. The emperor approved, with the agreement that after the troops were withdrawn public funds would be repaid. Once the edict was issued, metropolitan vice magistrate Wei Zhen supervised collection with great severity; Chang'an bailiff Xue Cui carried cangues in his carriage, searched people's property, and if he thought the declarations false, immediately had them beaten; people could not bear the injustice and pain, and some hanged themselves; the capital seethed as though plundered by bandits. In all, the wealthy households' estates, mansions, slaves, and the like were assessed at only 880,000 strings. They also borrowed a quarter of all pawned goods, deposits, stored currency, grain, and millet, sealed their chests and cellars, and Chang'an ceased trading; the common people in groups of tens of millions blocked the chancellors on the road to plead. At first Qi consoled and instructed them, but afterward could not restrain them and hurried home at a gallop. The pawned deposits and merchant loans together amounted to only two million strings. Dezong knew the people below were full of resentment and ordered all these measures abolished, yet troops remained in the field and daily required supplies.

明年六月，趙贊又請稅間架、算除陌。凡屋兩架為一間，分為三等：上等每間二千，中等一千，下等五百。所由吏秉筆執籌，入人第舍而計之。凡沒一間，杖六十，告者賞錢五十貫文。除陌法，天下公私給與貿易，率一貫舊算二十，益加算為五十，給與物或兩換者，約錢為率算之。市主人牙子各給印紙，人有買賣，隨自署記，翌日合算之。有自貿易不用市牙子者，驗其私簿，投狀自其有私簿投狀。其有隱錢百，沒入；二千，杖六十；告者賞錢十千，出於其家。法既行，主人市牙得專其柄，率多隱盜，公家所入，百不得半，怨讟之聲，囂然滿於天下。及十月，涇師犯闕，亂兵呼於市曰：「不奪汝商戶僦質矣！不稅汝間架除陌矣！」是時人心悉怨，涇師乘間謀亂，奉天之奔播，職杞之由。故天下無賢不肖，視杞如仇。

In the sixth month of the following year Zhao Zan again requested taxes on partitioned rooms and calculations on removed cash marks. Every two bays of a building counted as one room, divided into three grades: upper-grade rooms two thousand per room, middle-grade one thousand, lower-grade five hundred. The responsible clerks carried brushes and counting rods and entered people's dwellings to calculate. For every room concealed, sixty blows with the staff; informers were rewarded fifty strings of cash. Under the removed-cash-mark law, all public and private gifts and trade throughout the realm were taxed at twenty per old string, increased to fifty; when goods were exchanged in barter, the value in cash was used as the rate for calculation. Market masters and brokers were each given stamped papers; when people bought and sold they signed themselves, and the next day all was calculated together. Those who traded on their own without using market brokers had their private ledgers inspected and submitted petitions declaring their accounts. If a hundred strings were concealed, confiscation; two thousand, sixty blows with the staff; informers were rewarded ten thousand, taken from the offender's household. Once the law was implemented, market masters and brokers monopolized control, mostly concealing and stealing; what the public treasury received was not even half; sounds of resentment filled the realm. In the tenth month the Jing army attacked the capital; rebel soldiers shouted in the markets, "We won't seize your merchants' pawn deposits! We won't tax your partitioned rooms and removed cash marks!" At that time everyone's heart was full of resentment; the Jing army seized the opportunity to plot rebellion; the emperor's flight to Fengtian was due to Qi. Therefore throughout the realm, worthy and unworthy alike regarded Qi as an enemy.

德宗在奉天，為硃泚攻圍，李懷光自魏縣赴難。或謂王翃、趙贊曰：「懷光累嘆憤，以為宰相謀議乖方，度支賦斂煩重，京尹刻薄軍糧，乘輿播遷，三臣之罪也。今懷光勛業崇重，聖上必開襟布誠，詢問得失，使其言入，豈不殆哉！」翃、贊白於杞，杞大駭懼，從容奏曰：「懷光勛業，宗社是賴。臣聞賊徒破膽，皆無守心。若因其兵威，可以一舉破賊；今若許其朝覲，則必賜宴，賜宴則留連，使賊得京城，則從容完備，恐難圖之。不如使懷光乘勝進收京城，破竹之勢，不可失也。」帝然之，乃詔懷光率眾屯便橋，克期齊進。懷光大怒，遂謀異志，德宗方悟為杞所構。物議喧騰，歸咎於杞，乃貶為新州司馬，白誌貞恩州司馬，趙贊為播州司馬。

Dezong was at Fengtian, besieged by Zhu Ci; Li Huaiguang came from Wei County to the rescue. Someone said to Wang Hong and Zhao Zan, "Huaiguang has repeatedly sighed in anger, thinking the chancellors' counsel was misguided, the Department of Public Works' levies burdensome, and the metropolitan magistrate harsh in military grain, and that the imperial carriage's displacement was the fault of these three ministers. Now Huaiguang's achievements are lofty and weighty; the sage emperor is sure to open his heart in sincerity and inquire about right and wrong—if his words get through, will we not be in peril!" Hong and Zan reported to Qi; Qi was greatly alarmed and, with composure, memorialized, "Huaiguang's achievements are what the altars of state rely upon. I hear the rebel bandits' courage is broken and they all lack the will to hold out. If we use his military prestige, we can destroy the rebels in one stroke; if we now permit him to attend court, he will surely be given a banquet; given a banquet he will linger, and while the rebels hold the capital they will leisurely make complete preparations—I'm afraid it will be hard to deal with them. Better to have Huaiguang advance while victory is at hand and recover the capital—the momentum of splitting bamboo cannot be lost." The emperor agreed and ordered Huaiguang to lead his troops to camp at Bian Bridge, with a set date for a joint advance. Huaiguang was greatly angered and then plotted disloyalty; Dezong only then realized he had been framed by Qi. Public discussion seethed and blamed Qi; he was demoted to military advisor of Xin Prefecture, Bai Zhizhen to military advisor of En Prefecture, and Zhao Zan to military advisor of Bo Prefecture.

遇赦，移吉州長史。在貶所謂人曰：「吾必再入用。」是日，上果用杞為饒州刺史。給事中袁高宿直，當草杞制，遂執以謁宰相盧翰、劉從一曰：「杞作相三年，矯誣陰賊，排斥忠良，朋附者咳唾立至青雲，睚眥者顧盼已擠溝壑。傲很背德，反亂天常，播越鑾輿，瘡痍天下，皆杞之為也。幸免誅戮，唯示貶黜，尋已稍遷近地，更授大郡，恐失天下望，惟相公執奏之，事尚可救。」翰、從一不悅，遂改命舍人草制。明日詔下，袁高執奏曰：「盧杞為政，極恣兇惡，三軍將校，願食其肉，百辟卿士，嫉之若仇。」諫官趙需、裴佶、宇文炫、盧景亮、張薦等上疏曰：「伏以吉州長史盧杞，外矯儉簡，內藏奸邪，三年擅權，百揆失序，惡直醜正，亂國殄人，天地神祗所知，蠻夷華夏同棄。伏惟故事，皆得上聞，自杞為相，要官大臣，動逾月不敢奏聞，百僚惴惴，常懼顛危。及京邑傾淪，皇輿播越，陛下炳然覺悟，出棄遐荒，制曰：『忠讜壅於上聞，朝野為之側目。』由是忠良激勸，內外歡欣；今復用為饒州刺史，眾情失望，皆謂非宜。臣聞君之所以臨萬姓者，政也；萬姓之所以載君者，心也。倘加巨奸之寵，必失萬姓之心，乞回聖慈，遽輟新命。」疏奏不答。諫官又論曰：「盧杞蒙蔽天聽，隳紊朝典，致亂危國，職杞之由，可謂公私巨蠹，中外棄物。自聞再加擢用，忠良痛骨，士庶寒心。臣昨者瀝肝上聞，冒死不恐，冀回宸睠，用快群情；至今拳拳，未奉聖旨，物議騰沸，行路驚嗟。人之無良，一至於此。伏乞俯從眾望，永棄奸臣。幸免誅夷，足明恩貸；特加榮寵，恐造禍階。臣等忝列諫司，今陳狂瞽。」給事中袁高堅執不下，乃改授澧州別駕。翌日延英，上謂臣曰：「朕欲授杞一小州刺史，可乎？」李勉對曰：「陛下授杞大郡亦可，其如兆庶失望何？」上曰：「眾人論杞奸邪，朕何不知？」勉曰：「盧杞奸邪，天下人皆知；唯陛下不知，此所以為奸邪也！」德宗默然良久。散騎常侍李泌復對，上曰：「盧杞之事，朕已可袁高所奏，如何？」泌拜而言曰：「累日外人竊議，以陛下同漢之桓、靈；臣今親承聖旨，乃知堯、舜之不迨也！」德宗大悅，慰勉之。杞尋卒於澧州。

When an amnesty was granted, he was transferred to chief administrator of Ji Prefecture. At his place of demotion he told people, "I shall certainly be employed again." That very day the emperor indeed appointed Qi prefect of Rao Prefecture. Supervising Secretariat Drafter Yuan Gao was on night duty and was to draft Qi's appointment; he took it and went to see chancellors Lu Han and Liu Congyi, saying, "Qi served as chancellor for three years, fabricating slander and harming in secret, expelling the loyal and good; those who joined his faction rose to the clouds with a spit, while those who crossed him in a glance were already pushed into the ditch. Arrogant, harsh, and contrary to virtue, he overturned heaven's constants, drove the imperial carriage into exile, and wounded the realm—all was Qi's doing. He narrowly escaped execution and was only demoted; he has already been gradually moved to a nearer place and is again given a great prefecture—I fear the realm's hopes will be lost. I beg you, lords, to memorialize and hold firm; the matter can still be saved." Han and Congyi were displeased and had a drafting official rewrite the appointment. The next day the edict was issued; Yuan Gao held it and memorialized, saying, "Lu Qi governed with the utmost wanton cruelty; the three armies' officers and men wished to eat his flesh, and the hundred ministers and courtiers hated him as an enemy." Remonstrating officials Zhao Xu, Pei Ji, Yuwen Xuan, Lu Jingliang, Zhang Jian, and others submitted a memorial, saying, "We submit that Chief Administrator Lu Qi of Ji Prefecture outwardly feigned frugality and simplicity while inwardly harbored treachery; for three years he monopolized power and the hundred offices lost order; he hated the upright and detested the good, throwing the state into chaos and destroying people—heaven and earth and the spirits know it, and barbarians and Chinese alike cast him off. We submit that by precedent all matters could reach the emperor's ears; since Qi became chancellor, important officials and great ministers often dared not memorialize for more than a month; the hundred officials were fearful, constantly dreading ruin. When the capital fell and the imperial carriage was driven into exile, Your Majesty clearly awakened and cast him to the distant wilds, with an edict saying, 'Loyal remonstrance was blocked from reaching above, and court and countryside turned their eyes in dismay.' From this the loyal and good were stirred to effort and inside and outside rejoiced; now he is again appointed prefect of Rao Prefecture; public sentiment is disappointed and all say it is improper. We have heard that what the ruler uses to face the myriad people is government; what the myriad people use to bear up the ruler is the heart. If great villainy is further favored, the myriad people's hearts will surely be lost; we beg Your Sacred Kindness to turn back and swiftly halt the new appointment." The memorial was submitted without reply. The remonstrating officials again argued, "Lu Qi deceived heaven's hearing, destroyed and disordered court regulations, brought chaos and endangered the state—the fault was Qi's; he may be called a great pest of public and private, cast off inside and outside. Since we heard of his further promotion, the loyal and good are pierced to the bone and scholars and commoners are chilled at heart. We yesterday poured out our livers and reported above, daring death without fear, hoping to turn back the imperial gaze and satisfy the feelings of the multitude; until now we remain earnest, yet have not received the sacred edict; public discussion boils, and travelers on the road gasp in alarm. That men can be so devoid of conscience reaches this point. We humbly beg you to follow the multitude's hope and forever cast off the wicked minister. That he narrowly escaped execution is enough to show imperial grace; to add further honors and favor is to fear creating a source of calamity. We, your remonstrating officials, now offer this reckless counsel." Supervising Secretariat Drafter Yuan Gao firmly held and would not issue it; he was therefore changed to vice prefect of Li Prefecture. The next day at Yanying the emperor said to his ministers, "I wish to appoint Qi prefect of a small prefecture—would that be acceptable?" Li Mian replied, "Your Majesty may appoint Qi to a great prefecture as well—but what of the myriad people's disappointment?" The emperor said, "Everyone says Qi is treacherous and wicked—how would I not know?" Mian said, "Lu Qi is treacherous and wicked; everyone in the realm knows it— only Your Majesty does not know it; that is why he is treacherous and wicked!" Dezong was silent for a long while. Regular Attendant Li Bi again responded; the emperor said, "On the matter of Lu Qi, I have already approved Yuan Gao's memorial—what do you think?" Bi bowed and said, "For days outsiders have privately discussed, thinking Your Majesty like Han's Huan and Ling; now I personally receive the sacred instruction and know that even Yao and Shun do not reach this!" Dezong was greatly pleased and comforted and encouraged him. Qi soon died at Li Prefecture.

子元輔，字子望，少以清行聞於時。進士擢第，授崇文館校書郎。德宗思杞不已，乃求其後，特恩拜左拾遺，再遷左司員外郎，歷杭、常、絳三州刺史。以課最高，征為吏部郎中，遷給事中，改刑部侍郎。自兵部侍郎出為華州刺史、潼關防禦、鎮國軍等使，復為兵部侍郎。元輔自祖至曾，以名節著於史冊。元輔簡絜貞方，綽繼門風，歷踐清貫，人亦不以父之醜行為累，人士歸美。大和三年八月卒，時年五十六。

His son Yuanfu, styled Ziwang, was known in his youth for upright conduct. He passed the jinshi examination and was appointed collator of the Chongwen Institute. Dezong missed Qi without cease and sought his descendants; by special grace Yuanfu was appointed Left Reminder, then promoted to Left Department staff member, and served as prefect of Hang, Chang, and Jiang prefectures. Because his administrative ratings were highest, he was summoned as director of the Ministry of Personnel, promoted to supervising secretariat drafter, and changed to Vice Minister of Justice. From Vice Minister of War he went out as prefect of Hua Prefecture, defender of Tong Pass, and commander of the Zhenguo Army and related forces; he again became Vice Minister of War. From his grandfather to his great-grandfather, their reputations for integrity were recorded in the histories. Yuanfu was simple, pure, and upright, broadly continuing the family tradition; he passed through pure offices, and people did not hold his father's ugly conduct against him—scholars praised him. In the eighth month of the third year of Dahe he died, aged fifty-six.

白誌貞者，太原人，本名琇珪。出於胥吏，事節度使李光弼，小心勤恪，動多計數，光弼深委信之，帳中之事，與琇珪參決。代宗素知之，光弼薨後，用為司農少卿，遷太卿，在寺十余年。德宗嘗召見與語，引為腹心，遂用為神策軍使、檢校左散騎常侍、兼御史大夫，賜名誌貞。善伺候上意，言無不從。

Bai Zhizhen was a native of Taiyuan; his original name was Xiugui. Coming from clerical ranks, he served military commissioner Li Guangbi with careful diligence and many stratagems; Guangbi deeply entrusted him, and matters within the headquarters were decided with Xiugui's participation. Daizong had long known him; after Guangbi died he was used as Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Granaries, promoted to Director, and served in that office for more than ten years. Dezong once summoned and conversed with him, took him to his inner circle, and then appointed him commissioner of the Shence Army, Acting Regular Attendant of the Left and Concurrent Censor-in-Chief, and granted the name Zhizhen. He was skilled at reading the emperor's intent; nothing he said went unheeded.

建中四年，李希烈陷汝州，命誌貞為京城召募使。時尚父子儀端王傅吳仲孺家財巨萬，以國家召募有急，懼不自安，乃上表請以子弟率奴客從軍，德宗嘉之，超授五品官。由是誌貞請令節度、觀察、團練等使並嘗為是官者，令家出子弟甲馬從軍，亦與其男官。是時豪家不肖子幸之，貧而有知者苦之。自是京師人心搖震，不保家室。時禁軍募致，悉委誌貞，兩軍應赴京師，殺傷殆盡，都不奏聞，皆以京師沽販之徒以填其闕。其人皆在市廛，及涇師犯闕，詔誌貞以神策軍拒賊，無人至者，上無以禦寇，乃圖出幸。時令狐建以龍武軍四百人從駕至奉天，仍以誌貞為行在都知兵馬使。聞李懷光至，恐暴揚其罪，乃與盧杞同沮懷光入朝，眾議喧沸，言致播遷，盧杞、誌貞之罪也。故與杞同貶，遇赦量移閬州別駕。貞元二年，遷果州刺史，宰臣李勉及諫官表疏論列，言誌貞與盧杞罪均，未宜敘用，固執不許，凡旬日，方下其詔。貞元三年，遷潤州刺史、兼御史大夫、浙西觀察使。是年六月卒。

In the fourth year of Jianzhong Li Xilie seized Ru Prefecture; Zhizhen was ordered commissioner for recruiting in the capital. At that time the Prince of Shang's son Guo Ziyi's heir as Prince of Duan, Wu Zhongru, had family wealth in the tens of millions; because the state urgently needed recruitment he feared for himself and therefore submitted a memorial requesting that his sons and younger brothers lead household slaves to join the army; Dezong commended this and exceptionally granted them fifth-rank offices. From this Zhizhen requested that military commissioners, observation commissioners, and regimental commissioners who had once held such offices have their families send out sons and younger brothers with armor and horses to join the army, also granting their sons offices. At that time unworthy sons of great families were pleased; the poor who had understanding suffered. From this the hearts of the capital were shaken and households could not be preserved. At that time recruitment for the forbidden armies was entirely entrusted to Zhizhen; the two armies that should have gone to the capital were nearly all killed and wounded, yet he did not report to the court and filled their vacancies with peddlers from the capital markets. These men were all in the markets; when the Jing army attacked the capital the emperor ordered Zhizhen to use the Shence Army to resist the rebels, but no one came; the emperor had no means to repel the enemy and then planned flight. At that time Linghu Jian led four hundred Dragon Martial troops to follow the emperor to Fengtian, and Zhizhen was still made director of military affairs at the traveling court. When he heard Li Huaiguang had arrived, fearing his crimes would be exposed, he joined Lu Qi in obstructing Huaiguang's audience at court; public discussion boiled, saying the displacement was the fault of Lu Qi and Zhizhen. Therefore he was demoted together with Qi; when an amnesty was granted he was transferred by measure to vice prefect of Lang Prefecture. In the second year of Zhenyuan he was transferred to prefect of Guo Prefecture; Chancellor Li Mian and remonstrating officials submitted memorials arguing that Zhizhen's crime equaled Qi's and he should not yet be reemployed; they held firm and it was not permitted; only after ten days was the edict issued. In the third year of Zhenyuan he was transferred to prefect of Run Prefecture, Concurrent Censor-in-Chief, and Zhexi observation commissioner. In the sixth month of that year he died.

裴延齡，河東人。父旭，和州刺史。延齡，乾元末為汜水縣尉，遇東都陷賊，因寓居鄂州，綴緝裴骃所註《史記》之闕遺，自號小裴。後華州刺史董晉辟為防禦判官；黜陟使薦其能，調授太常博士。盧杞為相，擢為膳部員外郎、集賢院直學士，改祠部郎中。崔造作相，改易度支之務，令延齡知東都度支院。及韓滉領度支，召赴京，守本官，延齡不待詔命，遽入集賢院視事。宰相延賞惡其輕率，出為昭應令，與京兆尹鄭叔則論辨是非，攻訐叔則之短。時李泌為相，厚於叔則；中丞竇參恃恩寵，惡泌而佑延齡。叔則坐貶為永州刺史，延齡改著作郎。竇參尋作相，用為太府少卿，轉司農少卿。貞元八年，班宏卒，以延齡守本官，權領度支。自揣不通殖貨之務，乃多設鉤距，召度支老吏與謀，以求恩顧，乃奏云：「天下每年出入錢物，新陳相因，常不減六七千萬貫，唯有一庫，差舛散失，莫可知之。請於左藏庫中分置別庫：欠、負、耗、剩等庫及季庫、月庫，納諸色錢物。」上皆從之。且欲多張名目以惑上聽，其實於錢物更無增加，唯虛費簿書、人吏耳。

Pei Yanling was a native of Hedong. His father Xu was prefect of He Prefecture. Yanling, at the end of the Qianyuan era, was bailiff of Sishui County; when the Eastern Capital fell to rebels he lodged in E Prefecture, patching gaps in Pei Yin's commentary on the Records of the Grand Historian, styling himself Little Pei. Later Hua Prefecture governor Dong Jin recruited him as defense aide; the touring commissioner recommended his ability and he was transferred to Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. When Lu Qi was chancellor he was promoted to staff member of the Ministry of Rites and direct scholar of the Jixian Academy, then changed to director of the Ministry of Sacrificial Affairs. When Cui Zao became chancellor he changed the Department of Public Works' affairs and had Yanling manage the Eastern Capital branch of the Department of Public Works. When Han Huang took charge of the Department of Public Works he summoned Yanling to the capital to keep his original office; Yanling did not await the edict and hurried into the Jixian Academy to attend to business. Chancellor Yanshang disliked his frivolity and had him sent out as magistrate of Zhaoying, where he debated right and wrong with metropolitan magistrate Zheng Shize and attacked Shize's faults. At that time Li Mi was chancellor and was close to Shize; Censor-in-Chief Dou Can, relying on imperial favor, hated Mi and supported Yanling. Shize was demoted to prefect of Yong Prefecture, and Yanling was changed to Erudite of the Secretariat. Dou Can soon became chancellor and had Yanling appointed Vice Director of the Grand Treasury, then transferred to Vice Director of the Directorate of Grain. In the eighth year of Zhenyuan, Ban Hong died, and Yanling was ordered to keep his original office and act as head of the Department of Public Works. Reflecting that he did not understand the business of accumulating wealth, he set many traps and summoned veteran clerks of the Department of Public Works to plot with him, seeking imperial favor; he then memorialized, "Each year the realm's incoming and outgoing funds and goods, old and new succeeding one another, regularly amount to no less than sixty or seventy million strings, yet there is only one treasury in which discrepancies and losses scatter and disappear, and none can know what becomes of them. I request that within the Left Treasury separate treasuries be established: treasuries for deficit, debt, waste, surplus, and the like, as well as seasonal and monthly treasuries, to receive funds and goods of every kind." The emperor approved all of it. He also wished to multiply categories to confuse what the emperor heard; in fact there was no increase in funds or goods—only a wasteful expenditure of ledgers and clerks.

其年，遷戶部侍郎、判度支，奏請令京兆府以兩稅青苗錢市草百萬圍送苑中。宰相陸贄、趙憬議，以為：「若市送百萬圍草，即一府百姓，自冬歷夏，般載不了，百役供應，須悉停罷，又妨奪農務。請令府縣量市三二萬圍，各貯側近處，他時要即支用。」京西有汙池卑濕處，時有蘆葦生焉，亦不過數畝，延齡乃奏曰：「廊馬冬月合在槽櫪秣飼，夏中即須牧放。臣近尋訪知長安、咸陽兩縣界有陂池數百頃，請以為內廊牧馬之地；且去京城十數里，與苑廊中無別。」上初信之，言於宰相，對曰：「恐必無此。」上乃差官閱視，事皆虛妄，延齡既慚且怒。又誣奏李充為百姓妄請積年和市物價，特敕令折填，謂之「底折錢」。嘗因奏對請積年錢帛以實帑藏，上曰：「若為可得錢物？」延齡奏曰：「開元、天寶中，天下戶僅千萬，百司公務殷繁，官員尚或有闕；自兵興已來，戶口減耗大半，今一官可兼領數司。伏請自今已後，內外百司官闕，未須補置，收其闕官祿俸，以實帑藏。」

That year he was transferred to Vice Minister of Revenue and concurrent director of the Department of Public Works, and memorialized requesting that the metropolitan government use green-shoot money from the two-tax system to purchase a million bundles of fodder for delivery to the imperial park. Chancellors Lu Zhi and Zhao Jing discussed the matter and said, "If the metropolitan government were to purchase and deliver a million bundles of fodder, then the people of that one prefecture, from winter through summer, could not finish transporting them; all corvée labor and supply services would have to be halted, and farm work would also be obstructed. We request that the prefecture and counties purchase only twenty or thirty thousand bundles by measure and store them nearby, to be drawn upon when needed later." In the west of the capital there were foul pools in low, damp places where reeds sometimes grew, covering no more than a few acres; Yanling then memorialized, "The palace horses in winter should be kept in stalls and fed fodder; in midsummer they must be turned out to pasture. I have recently learned that on the border between Chang'an and Xianyang counties there are pools and marshes of several hundred qing; I request that they be made pasture for the inner palace horses; moreover they lie only a dozen or so li from the capital and are no different from the park and palace grounds." At first the emperor believed him and spoke of it to the chancellors, who replied, "We fear there surely is nothing of the kind." The emperor then sent officials to inspect; everything proved false, and Yanling was both ashamed and angry. He also falsely memorialized that Li Chong had had the people petition without cause for accumulated years of market prices for goods purchased by the state, and by special edict ordered reconciliation deductions, calling this "reconciliation deduction money." Once, during an audience memorial, he requested accumulated years of cash and silk to fill the treasury stores; the emperor asked, "How can funds and goods be obtained?" Yanling memorialized, "In the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, households throughout the realm numbered barely ten million; the hundred offices had abundant public business and officials were sometimes still lacking; since warfare arose, households and population have been reduced by more than half, and today one official can hold several offices concurrently. I respectfully request that from now on, whenever offices throughout the inner and outer administration are vacant, they need not be filled; collect the salaries of those vacant posts and use them to fill the treasury stores."

後因對事，上謂延齡曰：「朕所居浴堂院殿一栿，以年多之故，似有損蠹，欲換之未能。」對曰：「宗廟事至重，殿栿事至輕。況陛下自有本分錢物，用之不竭。」上驚曰：「本分錢何也？」對曰：「此是經義證據，愚儒常材不能知，陛下正合問臣，唯臣知之。準《禮經》，天下賦稅當為三分：一分充乾豆，一分充賓客，一分充君之庖廚。乾豆者，供宗廟也。今陛下奉宗廟，雖至敬至嚴，至豐至厚，亦不能一分財物也。只如鴻臚禮賓、諸國蕃客，至於回紇馬價，用一分錢物，尚有贏羨甚多。況陛下禦膳宮廚皆極簡儉，所用外分賜百官充俸料、飧錢等，猶未能盡。據此而言，庖廚者之余，其數尚多，皆陛下本分也。用修數十殿亦不合疑慮，何況一栿。」上曰：「經義如此，人總不曾言之。」頷之而已。又因計料造神龍寺，須長五十尺松木，延齡奏曰：「臣近於同州檢得一谷木，可數千條，皆長八十尺。」上曰：「人言開元、天寶中側近求覓長五六十尺木，尚未易，須於嵐、勝州采市，如今何為近處便有此木？」延齡奏曰：「臣聞賢材、珍寶、異物，皆在處常有，但遇聖君即出見。今此木生關輔，蓋為聖君，豈開元、天寶合得有也！」

Later, during discussion of affairs, the emperor said to Yanling, "One rafter in the hall of the Bathing Hall courtyard where I dwell, because of its many years, seems damaged by rot and insects; I wish to replace it but have not yet been able." He replied, "Affairs of the ancestral temple are supremely weighty; a hall rafter is supremely light. Moreover Your Majesty has your own allotted funds and goods, which in use are inexhaustible." The emperor was startled and asked, "What are allotted funds?" He replied, "This has proof in the meaning of the classics; foolish Confucians of ordinary talent cannot know it. Your Majesty should properly ask me, for I alone know it. According to the Book of Rites, the realm's taxes and levies should be divided into three parts: one part for dried sacrificial meats, one part for guests, and one part for the ruler's kitchen. Dried sacrificial meats supply the ancestral temple. Now Your Majesty serves the ancestral temple with utmost reverence and strictness, utmost abundance and generosity, yet even so you cannot use one part of the funds and goods. Take only the Grand Master of Ceremonies receiving guests and the various foreign envoys—even for Uyghur horse prices, if one part of funds and goods were used, there would still be a great surplus. Moreover Your Majesty's imperial meals and palace kitchens are all extremely simple and frugal; of what is used, the portion distributed outside to the hundred officials as salary and meal money and the like still cannot be fully spent. Judging by this, the remainder from the kitchen portion is still great in number—all of it is Your Majesty's allotted share. Using it to repair several dozen halls should not give rise to doubt; how much less one rafter." The emperor said, "The meaning of the classics is like this; no one has ever spoken of it." He nodded and said no more. Again, when calculating materials to build Shenlong Temple, pine timbers fifty feet long were needed; Yanling memorialized, "I have recently inspected a valley in Tong Prefecture and found timber numbering several thousand pieces, all eighty feet long." The emperor said, "People say that in the Kaiyuan and Tianbao eras, when those nearby sought timbers fifty or sixty feet long, it was still not easy and one had to procure them in Lan and Sheng prefectures; how is it that such timber exists nearby now?" Yanling memorialized, "I have heard that worthy timber, precious treasures, and rare things exist everywhere; they appear only when they meet a sage ruler. Now this timber grows in the Guanzhong region—it is because there is a sage ruler; how could Kaiyuan and Tianbao have deserved to possess it!"

時陸贄秉政，上素所禮重，每於延英極論其誕妄，不可令掌財賦。德宗以為排擯，待延齡益厚。贄上書疏其失曰：

At that time Lu Zhi held power; the emperor had always honored and valued him, and at every Yanying audience argued at length that Yanling's claims were absurd and that he must not be allowed to manage finances. Dezong thought this was factional exclusion and treated Yanling all the more generously. Lu Zhi submitted a memorial detailing his faults:

總制邦用，度支是司；出納貨財，太府攸職。凡是太府出納，皆稟度支文符，太府依符以奉行，度支憑案以勘覆，互相關鍵，用絕奸欺。其出納之數，則每旬申聞；見在之數，則每月計奏。皆經度支勾覆，又有御史監臨，旬旬相承，月月相繼。明若指掌，端如貫珠，財貨多少，無容隱漏。延齡務行邪諂，公肆誣欺，遂奏雲「左藏庫司多有失落，近因檢閱使置簿書，乃於糞土之中收得十三萬兩，其匹段雜貨又百萬有余，皆是文帳脫遺，並同已棄之物。今所收獲，即是羨余，悉合移入雜庫，以供別敕支用者。」其時特宣進止，並依所奏施行。太府卿韋少華抗疏上陳，殊不引伏，確稱「每月申奏，皆是見在數中，請令推尋，足驗奸詐。」兩司既有論執，理須詳辦是非，陛下縱其妄欺，不加按問。以在庫之物為收獲之功，以常賦之財為羨余之費，罔上無畏，示人不慚，此又罪之大者也。

Overall control of state expenditure is the charge of the Department of Public Works; receipt and disbursement of funds and goods is the duty of the Grand Treasury. All disbursements from the Grand Treasury are authorized by documents from the Department of Public Works; the Grand Treasury follows the documents in execution, and the Department of Public Works relies on the records for audit and verification—they interlock with one another to cut off fraud. As for the numbers disbursed, they are reported every ten days; as for the numbers on hand, they are calculated and memorialized every month. All pass through audit by the Department of Public Works, and censors also supervise; ten-day periods succeed one another, month follows month. Clear as though in the palm of the hand, aligned like beads on a string—how much wealth there is admits no concealment or leakage. Yanling devoted himself to wicked flattery and openly practiced false accusation; he then memorialized that "the Left Treasury office had many losses; recently, because an inspection was ordered and ledgers were set up, one hundred thirty thousand taels were recovered from among filth and dust, and the bolts and miscellaneous goods numbered more than a million—all were items whose written accounts had been lost and were treated as already discarded. What is now recovered is surplus; it should all be moved into the miscellaneous treasury to supply expenditures under separate edicts." At that time special orders were issued and everything was carried out as memorialized. Grand Treasury Director Wei Shaohua submitted a forceful memorial and absolutely would not concede, firmly stating, "The monthly memorials are all among the numbers on hand; I request that this be traced and verified—it is enough to prove the fraud." Since the two offices had a dispute, the rights and wrongs ought in principle to have been thoroughly adjudicated; yet Your Majesty indulged his false deceit and did not order investigation. To treat goods already in the treasury as recovered achievement, and regular tax revenues as surplus expenditure—deceiving superiors without fear, showing others without shame—this too is among the greatest of crimes.

國家府庫，出納有常，延齡險猾售奸，詭譎求媚，遂於左藏之內，分建六庫之名，意在別貯贏余，以奉人主私欲。曾不知王者之體，天下為家，國不足則取之於人，人不足則資之於國，在國為官物，在人為私財，何謂贏余，須別收貯？是必巧詐以變移官物，暴法以刻削私財，舍此二途，其將安取？陛下方務崇信，不加檢裁，姑務保持，曾無詰責。延齡謂能蔽惑，不復懼思，奸威既沮於四方，憸態復行於內府。由是蹂躪官屬，傾倒貨財，移東就西，便為課績，取此適彼，遂號羨余，愚弄朝廷，有同兒戲。

The state's treasuries have fixed rules for receipt and disbursement; Yanling, treacherous and cunning, sold his wickedness and sought favor with devious flattery, and so within the Left Treasury established the names of six treasuries, intending to store surplus separately to supply the ruler's private desires. He did not understand that the body of a king takes all under Heaven as his household: when the state lacks, it takes from the people; when the people lack, it supplies from the state—what is in the state is public property, what is with the people is private wealth; why speak of surplus and need separate storage? He must by artful fraud shift public goods, and by harsh law pare away private wealth—apart from these two paths, where else would he obtain them? Your Majesty is now bent on honoring trust and adds no inspection or judgment, merely seeking to preserve him and never inquiring or assigning blame. Yanling thought he could conceal and beguile and no longer feared reflection; though his wicked authority was checked in the four quarters, his sly conduct again operated within the inner treasury. From this he trampled office-holders, overturned funds and goods, moved east to west and called it achievement in duty, took from here to suit there and then labeled it surplus—he fooled the court as though it were child's play.

夫理天下者，以義為本，以利為末，以人為本，以財為末，本盛則其末自舉，末大則其本必傾。自古及今，德義立而利用不豐，人庶安而財貨不給，因以喪邦失位者，未之有也。故曰：「不患寡而患不均，不患貧而患不安。」「有德必有人，有土必有土，有人必有財。」「百姓足，君孰與不足？」蓋謂此也。自古及今，德義不立而利用克宣，人庶不安而財貨可保，因以興邦固位者，未之有也。故曰：「財散則人聚，財聚則人散。」「與其有聚斂之臣，寧有盜臣。」無令侵削兆人，為天子取怨於下也。且陛下初膺寶歷，誌翦群兇，師旅繁興，征求浸廣，榷算侵剝，下無聊生。是以涇原叛徒，乘人怨咨，白晝犯闕，都邑甿庶，恬然不驚，反與賊眾相從，比肩而入宮殿。雖蚩蚩之性，靡所不為，然亦由德澤未浹，而暴令驅之，以至於是也。於時內府之積，尚如丘山，竟資兇渠，以餌貪卒，此則陛下躬睹之矣。是乃失人而聚貨，夫何利之有焉！

One who governs all under Heaven takes righteousness as root and profit as branch, takes people as root and wealth as branch; when the root flourishes the branches rise of themselves, when the branches grow large the root must topple. From antiquity to the present, when virtue and righteousness were established yet profit and utility were not abundant, when the people were secure yet funds and goods were not sufficient—because of this states were lost and thrones forfeited—there has never been such a case. Therefore it is said, "Do not worry about scarcity but about unequal distribution; do not worry about poverty but about instability." "When virtue is deep, one is sure to have officers; when one has officers, one is sure to have territory; when one has territory, one is sure to have wealth." "When the common people have enough, how can the ruler alone not have enough?" This is what is meant. From antiquity to the present, when virtue and righteousness were not established yet profit and utility were fully deployed, when the people were not secure yet funds and goods could be preserved—because of this states rose and thrones were secured—there has never been such a case. Therefore it is said, "When wealth is dispersed, people gather; when wealth is hoarded, people scatter." "Better to have a thieving minister than a grasping, levying minister." Do not let the myriad people be pared away and the Son of Heaven gather resentment below. Moreover when Your Majesty first received the imperial succession, you resolved to cut down the mass of villains; armies and campaigns arose in profusion, levies and exactions gradually widened, monopolies and calculations encroached and stripped away, and below the people had no means to live. Therefore the Jingyuan mutineers, riding on popular resentment, in broad daylight violated the palace; the common people of the capital, undisturbed and unalarmed, instead followed the rebel masses shoulder to shoulder into the palace halls. Though the nature of the ignorant permits every deed, it was also because virtue and grace had not soaked through and harsh orders drove them, until it came to this. At that time the inner treasury's accumulations were still like hills and mountains, yet in the end they supplied the wicked ringleaders to feed the greedy soldiers—this Your Majesty saw with your own eyes. This was losing the people while hoarding goods—what profit was there in it!

車駕既幸奏天，逆泚旋肆圍逼，一壘之內，萬乘所屯，窘如涸流，庶物空匱。嘗欲發一健步出覘賊軍，其人懇以苦寒為辭，跪奏乞一襦袴，陛下為之求覓不致，竟閔默而遣之。又嘗宮壺之中，服用有闕，聖旨方戎事為急，不忍重煩於人，乃剝親王飾帶之金，賣以給直。是時行從將吏，赴難師徒，蒼黃奔馳，鹹未冬服，漸屬凝冱，且無薪蒸，饑凍內攻，矢石外迫。晝則荷戈奮迅，夜則映堞呻吟，淩風飈，冒霜雪，逾四旬而眾無攜貳，卒能走強賊、全危城者，陛下豈有嚴刑重賞使之然耶？唯以不厚其身，不藏其貨，與眾庶同其憂患，與士伍共其有無，乃能使人捐軀命而扞寇仇，餒之不離，凍之不憾，臨危而不易其守，見死而不去其君，所謂「聖人感人心而天下和平」，此其效也。

Once the imperial carriage had reached Fengtian, the rebel Zhu Ci soon laid siege at will; within one fortress the ten-thousand-chariot ruler was encamped, straitened as a dried-up stream, with all goods empty and exhausted. Once the emperor wished to send a strong runner to reconnoiter the rebel army; the man earnestly pleaded the bitter cold, knelt and memorialized begging for one padded jacket and trousers, and the emperor searched for them but could not obtain them—he finally sent him away in silent pity. Again, within the palace stores there were lacks in what was worn and used; the sacred intent held military affairs urgent and could not bear to burden the people further, so the gold from a prince's ornamental belt was stripped off and sold to supply the price. At that time the accompanying generals and officials, the armies rushing to the crisis, fled in panic—salt for winter clothing had not yet been obtained, cold gradually set in, and there was no fuel; hunger and cold attacked within, arrows and stones pressed from without. By day they shouldered weapons and fought fiercely; by night they groaned along the battlements, braving wind and storm, enduring frost and snow—for more than forty days the masses had no disloyalty, and in the end they could drive off the strong rebels and preserve the endangered city: did Your Majesty accomplish this through severe punishments and heavy rewards? Only because you did not enrich yourself, did not hoard goods, shared the people's afflictions with the common multitude, and shared possessions with the soldiers—only thus could you make men give their lives to repel the enemy, not leave you when hungry, not resent you when frozen, not change their loyalty in peril, and not abandon their ruler when facing death; this is what is meant by "When the sage moves people's hearts, all under Heaven is at peace"—this was the effect.

及乎重圍既解，諸路稍通，賦稅漸臻，貢獻繼至，乃於行宮外廡之下，別置瓊林、大盈之司。未賞功勞，遽私賄玩，甚沮惟新之望，頗攜死義之心，於是輿誦興譏，而軍士始怨矣。財聚人散，不其然乎！旋屬蟊賊內興，翠華南狩，奉天所積財貨，悉復殲於亂軍。即遷岷、梁，日不暇給，獨憑大順，遂復皇都。是知天子者，以得人為資，以蓄義為富，人茍歸附，何患蔑資？義茍修崇，何憂不富？豈在貯之內府，方為己有哉！故藏於天下者，天子之富也；藏於境內者，諸侯之富也；藏於囷倉篋櫝者，農夫、商賈之富也。奈何以天子之貴，海內之富，面猥行諸侯之棄德，守農商之鄙業哉！陛下若謂厚取可以恢武功，則建中之取既無成矣；若謂多積可以為己有，則建中之積又不在矣；若謂徇欲不足傷理化，則建中之失傷已甚矣；若謂斂怨不足致危亡，則建中之亂危亦至矣！然而遽能靖滔天之禍，成中興之功者，良以陛下有側身修勵之誌，有罪己悔懼之辭，罷息誅求，敦尚節儉，渙發大號，與人更新；故靈祗感陛下之誠，臣庶感陛下之意，釋憾回慮，化危為安。陛下亦當為宗廟社稷建不拔之永圖，為子孫黎元立可久之休業，懲前事徇欲之失，復日新盛德之言；豈宜更縱憸邪，復行克暴，事之追悔，其可再乎！

When the heavy siege was lifted and the various routes gradually opened, taxes and levies gradually arrived and tribute followed in succession; then beneath the outer galleries of the traveling palace separate offices of Qiongl in and Daying were established. Merit had not yet been rewarded when private gifts and curiosities were hurriedly hoarded—greatly dampening hopes for renewal and deeply wounding hearts that had died for righteousness; from this public rumor rose in mockery, and the soldiers began to resent. Wealth hoarded and people scattered—is it not so! Soon after, internal mutiny arose and the imperial carriage hunted south; the funds and goods accumulated at Fengtian were all again destroyed by the mutinous army. Then the court moved to Min and Liang; days allowed no respite, yet relying on great fortune it recovered the imperial capital. From this one knows that the Son of Heaven takes gaining people as his resource and storing righteousness as his wealth; if people submit, why worry about lacking resources? If righteousness is cultivated and honored, why fear not being rich? Must one store within the inner treasury before it counts as one's own? Therefore what is stored throughout all under Heaven is the Son of Heaven's wealth; what is stored within the borders is the feudal lords' wealth; what is stored in granaries, chests, and coffers is the wealth of farmers and merchants. How can one of the Son of Heaven's exalted rank and the wealth of the inner seas basely practice the discarded virtue of feudal lords and cling to the base occupation of farmers and merchants! If Your Majesty thinks heavy taking can expand military achievement, then the taking of Jianzhong already achieved nothing; if you think much hoarding can be kept for yourself, then the hoarding of Jianzhong is no longer there; if you think indulging desire does not harm governance and transformation, then the harm of Jianzhong's failure is already very great; if you think gathering resentment does not bring crisis and ruin, then the crisis and peril of Jianzhong's disorder have also arrived! Yet you were able swiftly to still heaven-high calamity and accomplish the achievement of restoration—truly because Your Majesty had the resolve to examine yourself and exert effort, words of self-blame and repentant fear, ceased punitive exactions, honored and upheld frugality, issued a great proclamation, and renewed yourself with the people; therefore the numinous powers were moved by Your Majesty's sincerity, officials and people were moved by Your Majesty's intent, resentments were released and thoughts turned back, and danger was transformed into peace. Your Majesty should also for the ancestral temple and altars of soil and grain establish an enduring plan that cannot be uprooted, and for sons and grandsons and the black-haired people establish a lasting foundation of repose; take warning from the past error of indulging desire and restore words of daily renewal in flourishing virtue; how can you again indulge the sly and wicked and repeat harsh oppression—can regret for such matters happen twice!

臣又竊慮陛下納彼盜言，墮其奸計，以為搏噬拏攫，怨集有司，積聚豐盈，利歸君上，是又大謬，所宜慎思。夫人主昏明，系於所任，咎繇、夔、契之道長，而虞舜享浚哲之名；皇甫、棸、楀之嬖行，而周厲嬰顛覆之禍。自古何嘗有小人柄用，而災患不及邦國者乎！譬猶操兵以刃人，天下不委罪於兵而委罪於所操之主；畜蠱以殃物，天下不歸咎於蠱而歸咎於所畜之家；理有必然，不可不察。

Your subject also privately fears that Your Majesty may accept those thieving words and fall into that wicked scheme, thinking that seizing and plundering will concentrate resentment on the offices, while hoarding and filling will bring profit to the ruler above—this too is greatly mistaken and should be carefully considered. Whether a ruler is dull or clear depends on whom he employs; when the Way of Gao Yao, Kui, and Qi was long, Yu Shun enjoyed the name of profound wisdom; when the favored conduct of Huangfu, Li, and Yu was practiced, King Li of Zhou met the calamity of overturning. From antiquity, when has there ever been a case in which petty men held power yet calamity did not reach the state! It is like wielding a weapon to cut people—all under Heaven does not lay blame on the weapon but lays blame on the one who wields it; like keeping poisonous insects to harm things—all under Heaven does not blame the poison but blames the household that keeps it; the principle is necessarily so and cannot go unexamined.

臣伏慮陛下以延齡之進，獨出宸衷，延齡之言，多順聖旨，今若以罪置辟，則似為眾所擠，故欲保持，用彰堅斷。若然，陛下與人終始之意則美矣。其於改過勿吝、去邪勿疑之道，或未盡善。今希旨自默，浸以成風，獎之使言，猶懼不既，若又阻抑，誰當貢誠？或恐未亮斯言，請以一事為證。只如延齡兇妄，流布寰區，上自公卿近臣，下迨輿臺賤品，喧喧談議，億萬為徒，能以上言，其人有幾？陛下誠令親信博采輿詞，參較比來所聞，足鑒人間情偽。

Your subject fears that because Yanling's advancement came solely from Your Majesty's inner intent and Yanling's words mostly accord with the sacred intent, if he were now punished and executed it would seem as though he were excluded by the multitude; therefore you wish to preserve him to display firm resolution. If so, Your Majesty's intent to see a person through from start to finish is admirable. Yet as to the Way of correcting faults without stinginess and removing the wicked without doubt, it may not yet be fully good. Now those who conform to the intent keep silent, and this gradually becomes custom; even when rewarded to speak, one still fears it is not enough—if you again obstruct and suppress, who will offer sincerity? Lest this statement not be understood, I request that one matter serve as proof. Take only Yanling's wicked falsehood, spread throughout the realm—from high ministers and close officials above to carriage attendants and lowly ranks below, clamorous talk and discussion, millions in number: how many are there who can memorialize above? If Your Majesty truly ordered trusted intimates broadly to gather public talk and compare what has been heard lately, it would be enough to mirror the truth and falsehood among the people.

臣以卑鄙，位當臺衡，既極崇高，又承渥澤。豈不知觀時附會，足保舊恩，隨眾沈浮，免貽厚責。謝病黜退，獲知幾之名；黨奸茍容，無見嫉之患。何急自苦，獨當豺狼，上違歡情，下餌讒口。良以內顧庸昧，一無所堪，夙蒙眷知，唯以誠直，綢繆帷扆，一紀於茲，聖慈既襎此見容，愚臣亦以此自負。從陛下歷播遷之危，睹陛下致興復之難，至今追思，猶為心悸；所以畏覆車而駭慮，懼毀室而悲鳴，蓋情激於衷，雖欲罷而不能自默也！因事陳請，雖已頻煩，天聽尚高，未垂諒察，輒申悃款，以極愚誠。憂深故語煩，意懇故詞切，以微臣自固之謀則過，於陛下慮患之計則忠。糜軀奉君，所不敢避；沽名衒直，亦不忍為。願回睿聰，為國熟慮，社稷是賴，豈唯微臣。

Your subject, base and lowly, holds the post of chief minister—I have reached the utmost height and also receive generous grace. Would I not know that observing the times and joining the crowd is enough to preserve old favor, and drifting with the multitude avoids heavy blame? To plead illness and withdraw would win the name of knowing when to stop; to party with the wicked and tolerate them would avoid the worry of arousing jealousy. Why urgently torment myself and alone confront wolves—going against favor above and feeding slander below? Truly because looking inward I am mediocre and dull and capable of nothing, yet from old I have received gracious trust and rely only on sincerity and straightness; intimate counsel at the curtain for a full cycle until now—the sacred kindness has abundantly shown this tolerance, and your foolish subject also takes pride in this. Following Your Majesty through the peril of displacement and witnessing the difficulty of your restoration—even now recalling it, my heart still trembles; therefore I fear the overturned cart and am alarmed in thought, fear the ruined house and cry out in grief—emotion stirred in the breast; though I wish to stop, I cannot keep silent! Memorializing on affairs, though already frequent, the heavenly hearing is still high and has not yet granted understanding; I again declare my earnest sincerity to the utmost of foolish loyalty. Anxiety deep, therefore words are numerous; intent earnest, therefore terms are sharp—as a plan for your subject's self-preservation it is excessive, but as a plan for Your Majesty's consideration of peril it is loyal. To waste my body in serving the ruler is what I dare not avoid; to buy a name and parade straightness is also what I cannot bear to do. I wish that sagely understanding would turn back, that the state be deeply considered—the altars of soil and grain rely on this, not your subject alone.

書奏，德宗不悅，待延齡益厚。時鹽鐵轉運使張滂、京兆尹李充、司農卿李銛，以事相關，皆證延齡矯妄。德宗罷陸贄知政事，為太子賓客；滂、充、銛悉罷職左遷。

When the memorial was submitted, Dezong was displeased and treated Yanling all the more generously. At that time Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner Zhang Pang, metropolitan magistrate Li Chong, and Director of Grain Li Xian, because their affairs were connected, all testified to Yanling's falsehood. Dezong removed Lu Zhi from managing state affairs and made him Grand Mentor to the Heir Apparent; Pang, Chong, and Xian were all dismissed from office and demoted.

十一年春暮，上數畋於苑中，時久旱，人情憂惴，延齡遽上疏曰：「陸贄、李充等失權，心懷怨望，今專大言於眾曰：『天下炎旱，人庶流亡，度支多欠闕諸軍糧草。』以激怒群情。」後數日，上又幸苑中，適會神策軍人訴度支欠廄馬芻草。上思延齡言，即時回駕，下詔斥逐贄、充、滂、銛等，朝廷中外惴恐。延齡謀害在朝正直之士，會諫議大夫陽城等伏閣切諫，事遂且止。贄、充等雖已貶黜，延齡憾之未已，乃掩捕李充腹心吏張忠，捶掠楚痛，令為之詞，雲「前後隱沒官錢五十余萬貫，米麥稱是，其錢物多結托權勢，充妻常於犢車中將金寶繒帛遺陸贄妻。」忠不勝楚毒，並依延齡教抑之辭，具於款占。忠妻、母於光順門投匭訴冤，詔御史臺推問，一宿得其實狀，事皆虛，乃釋忠。延齡又奏京兆府妄破用錢穀，請令比部勾覆，以比部郎中崔元嘗為陸贄所黜故也。及崔元勾覆錢穀，又無交涉。延齡既銳意以苛刻剝下附上為功，每奏對際，皆恣騁詭怪虛妄，他人莫敢言者，延齡言之不疑，亦人之所未嘗聞。德宗頗知其誕妄，但以其敢言無隱，且欲訪聞外事，故斷意用之。延齡恃之，謂必得宰相，尤好慢罵，毀詆朝臣，班行為之側目。及臥病，載度支官物置於私家，亦無敢言者。貞元十二年卒，時年六十九。延齡死，中外相賀，唯德宗悼惜不已，冊贈太子少保。

In the late spring of the eleventh year, the emperor several times hunted in the park; the drought had been long and popular sentiment was anxious and fearful; Yanling hastily submitted a memorial, "Lu Zhi, Li Chong, and the others have lost power and harbor resentment; they now speak broadly to the masses, 'All under Heaven suffers scorching drought; the people flee and scatter; the Department of Public Works owes much in grain and fodder to the various armies.' —to inflame the feelings of the masses." Several days later the emperor again visited the park and happened to meet Shence Army men complaining that the Department of Public Works owed fodder for stable horses. The emperor thought of Yanling's words, immediately turned the carriage back, and issued an edict expelling Zhi, Chong, Pang, Xian, and the others; throughout the court, inner and outer, there was fearful anxiety. Yanling plotted to harm upright men at court; Remonstrating Official Yang Cheng and others knelt at the gate in urgent remonstrance, and the matter was for the time halted. Though Zhi, Chong, and the others had already been demoted, Yanling's resentment did not cease; he then secretly arrested Li Chong's trusted clerk Zhang Zhong, beat and tortured him with the cudgel, and made him compose words stating, "In former and latter times he concealed and embezzled more than five hundred thousand strings of official cash; rice and wheat were commensurate; the funds and goods were mostly entrusted to the powerful; Chong's wife often in an ox-cart carried gold, treasures, silks, and brocades as gifts to Lu Zhi's wife." Zhong could not endure the torture and, following Yanling's coached words, set it all down in the confession. Zhong's wife and mother submitted a petition of grievance at the Guangshun Gate; an edict ordered the Censorate to investigate, and in one night the true facts were obtained—the matter was entirely false, and Zhong was released. Yanling again memorialized that the metropolitan government had wantonly spent funds and grain without authorization and requested that the Ministry of Revenue audit them—because Ministry of Revenue Section Chief Cui Yuan had once been demoted by Lu Zhi. When Cui Yuan audited the funds and grain, again there was no connection. Yanling, intent on making harshness and paring away below to please above his achievement, at every audience memorial freely poured forth devious, bizarre falsehoods; others dared not speak, yet Yanling spoke without doubt—matters no one had ever heard. Dezong somewhat knew his absurdity, but because he spoke boldly without concealment and because he wished to hear news of outside affairs, he therefore resolutely used him. Yanling relied on this, thinking he would surely become chancellor; he especially loved to insult and revile, slandering court officials, and the ranks of office glanced sideways at him. When he fell ill he loaded Department of Public Works goods into his private residence, and again none dared speak. In the twelfth year of Zhenyuan he died, at the age of sixty-nine. When Yan Yanling died, the court and the realm rejoiced alike; only Dezong mourned him without cease and posthumously enfeoffed him as Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent.

韋渠牟，京兆萬年人。六代祖範，魏西陽太守，後周封郿城公。渠牟少慧悟，涉覽經史。初為道士，後為僧。興元中，韓滉鎮浙西，奏授試秘書郎，累轉四門博士。

Wei Qumou was a native of Wannian in Jingzhao. His sixth-generation ancestor Fan had served as governor of Xiyang in Wei and was enfeoffed as Duke of Mei in Later Zhou. In youth Qumou was clever and perceptive, and read widely in the classics and histories. At first he was a Daoist priest; later he became a Buddhist monk. During the Xingyuan era, when Han Huang commanded Zhexi, he memorialized for Qumou's appointment as acting secretary of the Palace Library; Qumou was promoted successively to erudite of the Four Gates.

貞元十二年四月，德宗誕日，禦麟德殿，召給事中徐岱、兵部郎中趙需、禮部郎中許孟容與渠牟及道士萬參成、沙門譚延等十二人，講論儒、道、釋三教。渠牟枝詞遊說，捷口水註；上謂其講耨有素，聽之意動。數日，轉秘書郎，奏詩七十韻，旬日，遷右補闕、內供奉，僚列初不有之。在延英既對宰相，多使中貴人召渠牟於官次，同輩始註目矣。歲終，遷右諫議大夫。時延英對秉政賦之臣，晝漏率下二三刻為常，渠牟奏事，率漏下五六刻，上笑語款狎，往往外聞。渠牟形神佻躁，無士君子器，誌向不根道德，眾雅知不能以正道開悟上意。

In the fourth month of the twelfth year of Zhenyuan, on Dezong's birthday, he held court in Qinde Hall and summoned Supervising Secretary Xu Dai, Bureau Director Zhao Xu of the Ministry of War, Bureau Director Xu Mengrong of the Ministry of Rites, Qumou, the Daoist Wan Shengcheng, the monk Tan Yan, and twelve others in all to discourse on the three teachings of Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism. Qumou trafficked in ornamental rhetoric and lobby talk, swift as flowing water in debate. The emperor judged that his cultivation of exposition had long been thorough, and was moved as he listened. Within several days he was transferred to secretary of the Palace Library; he submitted a poem of seventy rhymes, and within ten days was promoted to Right Remonstrance and Palace Attendant—a post that had not existed among his colleagues before. At Yanying audiences, after facing the chancellors, the emperor often had eunuchs summon Qumou from his office; his peers then took notice. At year's end he was promoted to Right Remonstrating Censor. At that time, when chancellors who held power attended Yanying audiences, the day clepsydra typically ran down by two or three quarter-hours as the norm; when Qumou reported, it usually ran down by five or six quarter-hours, and the emperor laughed and spoke with intimate familiarity, which often reached those outside. Qumou in bearing and spirit was frivolous and restless, lacking the capacity of a gentleman; his ambitions were not rooted in virtue, and all the refined knew he could not open the emperor's mind by the right path.

陸贄免相後，上躬親庶政，不復委成宰相，廟堂備員，行文書而已。除守宰、御史，皆帝自選擇。然居深宮，所狎而取信者裴延齡、李齊運、王紹、李實、韋執誼洎渠牟，皆權傾相府。延齡、李實，奸欺多端，甚傷國體；紹無所發明；而渠牟名素輕，頗張恩勢以招趨向者，門庭填委。茅山處士崔芊征至闕下，鄭隨自山人再至補闕，馮伉自醴泉令為給事中、皇太子侍讀，皆渠牟延薦之。上既偏有所聽，浮薄率背本衒進，不復藏器蘊德，皆奔馳請謁，剚蹄甘辭以附渠牟。居無何，遷太府卿，賜金紫，又轉太常卿。貞元十七年卒，時年五十三，贈刑部尚書，仍謚曰忠。

After Lu Zhi was dismissed from the chancellorship, the emperor personally attended to government and no longer entrusted matters to chancellors; the hall of government had placeholder officials who merely processed documents. Appointments of prefects and censors were all chosen by the emperor himself. Yet dwelling deep in the palace, those he favored and trusted—Pei Yanling, Li Qiyun, Wang Shao, Li Shi, Wei Zhiyi, and Qumou—all wielded power rivaling the chancellery. Yanling and Li Shi were treacherous and deceitful in many ways, greatly harming the body of the state. Shao had nothing to contribute. But Qumou's reputation had always been slight; he greatly extended favor and power to attract followers, and his gate and courtyard were packed. The Mount Mao recluse Cui Qian was summoned to the capital; Zheng Sui, a mountain recluse, was again appointed Remonstrance; Feng Kang went from magistrate of Liquan to Supervising Secretary and tutor to the crown prince—all were recommended and introduced by Qumou. Since the emperor was partial in whom he listened to, the frivolous and shallow, turning their backs on their roots to flaunt advancement, no longer concealed their talents and cultivated virtue; all rushed to seek audience, offering mincing flattery to attach themselves to Qumou. Before long he was promoted to Director of the Court of the Imperial Treasury and granted the gold seal and purple robe; he was then transferred to Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. In the seventeenth year of Zhenyuan he died, aged fifty-three; he was posthumously appointed Minister of Justice and given the posthumous title Loyal.

李齊運者，蔣王惲之孫也。解褐寧王府東閣祭酒，七遷至監察御史。江淮都統李峘辟為幕府，累轉工部郎中，為長安縣令，職事修理。歷京兆少尹、陜府長史。建中末，改河中尹、晉絳慈隰觀察使。時李懷光自山東卷甲奔難，晝夜倍道，比至河中，力疲，休兵三日，齊運傾力犒設，軍人皆悅。懷光既反，驅兵還保河中，齊運不能敵，棄城而走，除為京兆尹，兼御史大夫。時賊據京城，李晟軍東渭橋，齊運擾攘之中，征募工役，版築城壘，飛芻輓粟以應晟。收復之際，頗有力焉。

Li Qiyun was a grandson of Prince of Jiang, Yun. Upon entering service he became Libationer of the Eastern Pavilion of the Prince of Ning's mansion; through seven promotions he reached investigating censor. Li Kun, overall commander of the Jiang-Huai region, recruited him to his staff; he was promoted successively to bureau director of the Ministry of Public Works and served as magistrate of Chang'an, where his official duties were well ordered. He served successively as vice magistrate of Jingzhao and chief administrator of Shan Prefecture. At the end of the Jianzhong era he was changed to metropolitan governor of Hezhong and military commissioner of Jin, Jiang, Ci, and Li. At that time Li Huaiguang, armored from east of the mountains, rushed to the rescue by forced marches day and night; when he reached Hezhong his strength was spent, and after resting the army three days Qiyun exhausted all efforts in provisioning and feasting the troops, and the soldiers were all pleased. Once Huaiguang rebelled, he drove his troops back to hold Hezhong; Qiyun could not resist and abandoned the city and fled; he was appointed metropolitan governor of Jingzhao and Concurrent Censor-in-Chief. At that time rebels held the capital; Li Sheng's army was at East Wei Bridge; amid the turmoil Qiyun recruited laborers, built ramparts and fortifications, and rushed fodder and grain to supply Sheng. At the time of recovery he contributed considerably.

貞元中，蝗旱方熾，齊運無政術，乃以韓洄代之，改宗正卿，兼御史大夫、閑廄宮苑使。改檢校禮部尚書，兼殿中監。尋正拜禮部尚書，兼殿中監使如故。其後十余歲，宰臣內殿對後，齊運常次進，貢其計慮，以決群議。齊運無學術，不知大體，但甘言取信而已。薦李锜為浙西觀察使，受賂數十萬計。舉李詞為湖州刺史，既而邑人告其贓犯，上以齊運故，不問而遣之。齊運被疾，歲余不能朝請，朝廷除授，往往降中人就宅咨決。末以妾衛氏為正室，身為禮部尚書，冕服以行其禮，人士嗤誚。貞元十二年卒，時年七十二，贈尚書左僕射。

In the Zhenyuan era, locusts and drought were raging; Qiyun had no skill in governance, and so Han Hui replaced him; he was changed to Director of the Court of the Imperial Clan, Concurrent Censor-in-Chief, and Commissioner of the Imperial Stud and Palace Parks. He was changed to Acting Minister of Rites and Concurrent Director of the Palace Domestic Service. Soon he was formally appointed Minister of Rites, retaining his concurrent posts as Director of the Palace Domestic Service and commissioner as before. For more than ten years thereafter, after chancellors had audience in the inner hall, Qiyun would regularly follow to present his calculations and settle collective deliberation. Qiyun had no learning and did not understand great principles; he merely won trust with sweet words. He recommended Li Gao as military commissioner of Zhexi and received bribes amounting to several hundred thousand. He nominated Li Ci as prefect of Hu Prefecture; afterward the people of the district reported his corruption, but because of Qiyun the emperor did not investigate and sent him on his way. Qiyun fell ill; for more than a year he could not attend court audiences, and for court appointments eunuchs were often sent to his residence for consultation and decision. In the end he made his concubine Lady Wei his principal wife; though he was Minister of Rites, he wore ceremonial robes to perform the rites, and gentlemen mocked him. In the twelfth year of Zhenyuan he died, aged seventy-two; he was posthumously appointed Left Vice Minister of the Department of State Affairs.

李實者，道王元慶玄孫。以廕入仕，六轉至潭州司馬。洪州節度使、嗣曹王臯辟為判官，遷蘄州刺史。臯為山南東道節度使，復用為節度判官、檢校太子賓客、員外郎。臯卒，新帥未至，實知留後，刻薄軍士衣食，軍士怨叛，謀殺之，實夜縋城而出，歸詣京師，用為司農少卿，加檢校工部尚書、司農卿。

Li Shi was a great-great-grandson of Prince of Dao, Yuangqing. He entered service through hereditary privilege; through six promotions he reached vice prefect of Tan Prefecture. Li Gao, military commissioner of Hong Prefecture and Prince of Cao, recruited him as staff judge; he was promoted to prefect of Qi Prefecture. When Gao became military commissioner of Shannan East Circuit, he again employed Shi as circuit staff judge, Acting Guardian of the Heir Apparent, and outer-office director. When Gao died and the new commander had not yet arrived, Shi acted as regent; he was harsh in cutting soldiers' food and clothing, and the soldiers resented and rebelled, plotting to kill him; Shi let himself down by rope from the wall by night, returned to the capital, and was appointed Vice Director of the Court of the Imperial Granaries, with additional appointment as Acting Minister of Public Works and Director of the Court of the Imperial Granaries.

貞元十九年，為京兆尹，卿及兼官如故。尋封嗣道王。自為京尹，恃寵強愎，不顧文法，人皆側目。二十年春夏旱，關中大歉，實為政猛暴，方務聚斂進奉，以固恩顧，百姓所訴，一不介意。因入對，德宗問人疾苦，實奏曰：「今年雖旱，谷田甚好。」由是租稅皆不免，人窮無告，乃徹屋瓦木，賣麥苗以供賦斂。優人成輔端因戲作語，為秦民艱苦之狀云：「秦城城池二百年，何期如此賤田園，一頃麥苗五碩米，三間堂屋二千錢。」凡如此語有數十篇。實聞之怒，言輔端誹謗國政，德宗遽令決殺，當時言者曰：「瞽誦箴諫，取其詼諧以托諷諫，優伶舊事也。設謗木，采芻蕘，本欲達下情，存諷議，輔端不可加罪。」德宗亦深悔，京師無不切齒以怒實。

In the nineteenth year of Zhenyuan he became metropolitan governor of Jingzhao, retaining his directorate and concurrent posts as before. Soon he was enfeoffed as Prince of Dao. Once he was metropolitan governor, relying on favor he was domineering and obstinate, heedless of law and precedent, and people all looked askance at him. In the spring and summer of the twentieth year there was drought; Guanzhong suffered great famine; Shi's governance was fierce and brutal, and he devoted himself to amassing wealth for imperial tribute to secure favor, utterly indifferent to the people's complaints. On entering audience Dezong asked about the people's hardships; Shi reported, "Though this year has drought, the grain fields are in very good condition." Because of this, land tax and levies were all left unremitted; people were destitute with nowhere to turn, and so tore off roof tiles and timber and sold wheat seedlings to meet tax collection. The entertainer Cheng Fuduan improvised lines in a performance depicting the hardships of the people of Qin, saying, "The walls of Qin have stood two hundred years—who would have thought farmland could be so cheap! One qing of wheat seedlings for five shi of grain; three bays of hall for two thousand cash." There were several dozen such pieces in all. When Shi heard of it he was enraged, saying Cheng Fuduan had slandered state affairs; Dezong immediately ordered him executed by decapitation; commentators at the time said, "The blind recite admonitions and remonstrances, taking wit and humor to convey indirect criticism—this is an old practice of performers. Setting up the rebuke board and gathering counsel from the common people were meant to reach the feelings below and preserve admonishing discussion. Cheng Fuduan should not have been punished." Dezong too deeply regretted it; throughout the capital all gnash their teeth in rage at Shi.

故事，府官避臺官。實常遇侍御史王播於道，實不肯避，導從如常。播詰其從者，實怒，奏播為三原令，謝之日，庭詬之。陵轢公卿百執事，隨其喜怒，誣奏遷逐者相繼，朝士畏而惡之。又誣奏萬年令李眾，貶虔州司馬，奏虞部員外郎房啟代眾，升黜如其意，怙勢之色，謷然在眉睫間。故事，吏部將奏科目，奧密，朝官不通書問，而實身詣選曹迫趙宗儒，且以勢恐之。前歲，權德輿為禮部侍郎，實托私薦士，不能如意，後遂大錄二十人迫德輿曰：「可依此第之；不爾，必出外官，悔無及也。」德輿雖不從，然頗懼其誣奏。

By precedent, metropolitan officials yielded the way to censorate officials. Shi often met Attending Censor Wang Bo on the road; Shi would not yield, and his attendants proceeded as usual. Bo questioned his attendants; Shi was enraged, memorialized to appoint Bo magistrate of Sanyuan, and on the day of thanksgiving berated him in the courtyard. He trampled dukes, ministers, and officials of every rank, and according to his pleasure or anger sent false memorials for transfer and banishment in succession; court gentlemen feared and hated him. He also falsely memorialized against Wannian magistrate Li Zhong, demoting him to vice prefect of Qian Prefecture; he memorialized for Fang Qi of the Ministry of Works to replace Zhong, promoting and demoting as he wished; the color of relying on power was plainly visible between his brows and lashes. By precedent, when the Ministry of Personnel was about to report examination subjects, the matter was highly confidential and court officials did not exchange letters; yet Shi went in person to the selection office to press Zhao Zongru and moreover intimidated him with his power. The previous year Quan Deyu was Vice Minister of Rites; Shi privately recommended examinees and could not get his way; afterward he drew up a list of twenty men and pressed Deyu, saying, "You may rank them according to this list; otherwise they are certain to be posted to outer offices, and it will be too late for regret." Though Deyu did not comply, he was quite afraid of Shi's false memorials.

二十一年，有詔蠲畿內逋租，實違詔征之，百姓大困，官吏多遭笞罰，剝割掊斂，聚錢三十萬貫，胥吏或犯者，即按之。有乞丐絲發固死；無者，且曰「死亦不屈」，亦杖殺之。京帥貴賤同苦其暴虐。順宗在諒陰逾月，實斃人於府者十數，遂議逐之，乃貶通州長史。制出，市人皆袖瓦石投其首；實知之，由月營門自苑西出，人人相賀。後遇赦量移虢州，在道卒。

In the twenty-first year there was an edict remitting overdue rents within the capital region; Shi defied the edict and collected them; the people were greatly distressed, and many officials were beaten and punished; through extortion and squeezing he amassed three hundred thousand strings of cash, and whenever clerks offended him he prosecuted them. There was a beggar who clung to a single hair and was beaten to death. When there was none, he would say, "I would rather die than yield," and beat him to death as well. High and low in the capital alike suffered his brutality. While Shunzong was in mourning seclusion for over a month, Shi had beaten more than ten men to death in his office; deliberation then turned to banishing him, and he was demoted to chief administrator of Tong Prefecture. When the edict was issued, people in the markets all tucked tiles and stones in their sleeves to throw at his head. Shi learned of it and went out west from the park through the Moon Camp Gate; everyone congratulated one another. Later, when an amnesty permitted transfer, he was moved to Guo Prefecture and died on the road.

韋執誼者，京兆人。父浼，官卑。執誼幼聰俊有才，進士擢第，應制策高等，拜右拾遺，召入翰林為學士，年才二十余。德宗尤寵異，相與唱和歌詩，與裴延齡、韋渠牟等出入禁中，略備顧問。德宗載誕日，皇太子獻佛像，德宗命執誼為畫像贊，上令太子賜執誼縑帛以酬之。執誼至東宮謝太子，卒然無以藉言，太子因曰：「學士知王叔文乎？彼偉才也。」執誼因是與叔文交甚密。俄丁母憂，服闋，起為南宮郎。德宗時，召入禁中。

Wei Zhiyi was a native of Jingzhao. His father Mei held a low office. Zhiyi in youth was clever and talented; he passed the jinshi examination, ranked high in the imperial policy examination, was appointed Right Collector of Lost Writings, and was summoned into the Hanlin Academy as academician at just over twenty. Dezong especially favored him; they exchanged responsive poems in song, and with Pei Yanling, Wei Qumou, and others he went in and out of the forbidden precincts, broadly serving as adviser. On Dezong's birthday the crown prince presented a Buddhist image; Dezong ordered Zhiyi to compose an inscription for the painted image, and ordered the crown prince to reward Zhiyi with silk to repay him. Zhiyi went to the Eastern Palace to thank the crown prince and suddenly had nothing to say; the crown prince then said, "Does the Academician know Wang Shuwen? He is a man of great talent." Because of this Zhiyi became very close with Shuwen. Soon he was bereaved of his mother; when mourning was complete he was recalled as an official of the Southern Palace. In Dezong's time he was summoned into the forbidden precincts.

初，貞元十九年，補闕張正一因上書言事得召見，王仲舒、韋成季、劉伯芻、裴茝、常仲孺、呂洞等以嘗同官相善，以正一得召見，偕往賀之。或告執誼曰：「正一等上疏論君與王叔文朋黨事。」執誼信然之，因召對，奏曰：「韋成季等朋聚覬望。」德宗令金吾伺之，得其相過從飲食數度，於是盡逐成季等六七人，當時莫測其由。

At first, in the nineteenth year of Zhenyuan, Remonstrance Zhang Zhengyi, having submitted a memorial on state affairs, was granted audience; Wang Zhongshu, Wei Chengji, Liu Bochou, Pei Zhi, Chang Zhongru, and Lü Dong, who had once served together and were friendly, because Zhengyi had been granted audience went together to congratulate him. Someone reported to Zhiyi, "Zhengyi and the others submitted memorials discussing your factional dealings with Wang Shuwen." Zhiyi believed it and, on being summoned to audience, reported, "Wei Chengji and the others have formed a clique in hopes of advancement." Dezong ordered the Imperial Guard to watch them and found that they had visited one another and shared food and drink on several occasions; thereupon Chengji and six or seven others were all banished, and at the time none could fathom the reason.

及順宗即位，久疾不任朝政，王叔文用事，乃用執誼為宰相，乃自朝議郎、吏部郎中、騎都尉賜緋魚袋，授尚書左丞、同平章事，仍賜金紫。叔文欲專政，故令執誼為宰相於外，己自專於內。執誼既為叔文引用，不敢負情，然迫於公議，時時立異，密令人謝叔文曰：「不敢負約為異，欲共成國家之事故也。」叔文詬怒，遂成仇怨；執誼既因之得位，亦欲矛盾掩其跡。及憲宗受內禪，王伾、王叔文徒黨並逐，尚以執誼是宰相杜黃裳之婿，故數月後貶崖州司戶。初，執誼自卑官，常忌諱不欲人言嶺南州縣名。為郎官時，嘗與同舍詣職方觀圖，每至嶺南州，執誼遽命去之，閉目不視。及拜相，還所坐堂，見北壁有圖，不就省，七八日，試觀之，乃崖州圖也，以為不祥，甚惡之，不敢出口。及坐叔文之貶，果往崖州，卒於貶所。

When Shunzong took the throne, long ill and unable to attend to government, Wang Shuwen held power; Zhiyi was then made chancellor—from Court Gentleman for Consultation, Bureau Director of the Ministry of Personnel, and Commandant of Cavalry he was granted the crimson robe and fish tally, appointed Vice Minister of the Left and Concurrent Regular Second-Rank Counselor, and still granted the gold seal and purple robe. Shuwen wished to monopolize government, and so had Zhiyi serve as chancellor on the outside while he himself held exclusive control within. Zhiyi, having been brought in by Shuwen, dared not betray their bond; yet pressed by public opinion he sometimes took opposing stands, and secretly sent someone to apologize to Shuwen, saying, "I do not dare break our pact by differing with you; I wish only that together we may accomplish the affairs of state." Shuwen cursed him in rage, and enmity was thus formed. Zhiyi, having gained his position through Shuwen, also wished to contradict him to cover his tracks. When Xianzong received the inner abdication, Wang Pi, Wang Shuwen, and their faction were all banished; because Zhiyi was son-in-law of Chancellor Du Huangshang, several months later he was demoted to registrar of Ya Prefecture. At first, from his low office, Zhiyi was always superstitious and did not wish people to speak the names of Lingnan prefectures and counties. When he was a bureau official he once went with colleagues in the same lodging to the Bureau of Appointments to view maps; whenever they reached a Lingnan prefecture Zhiyi immediately ordered it removed and closed his eyes without looking. When he became chancellor he returned to the hall where he sat and saw a map on the north wall; he did not approach to examine it; after seven or eight days he tried looking and found it was a map of Ya Prefecture; he regarded it as ill-omened, greatly loathed it, and dared not speak of it. When he was punished along with Shuwen's banishment, he was indeed sent to Ya Prefecture and died in banishment.

王叔文者，越州山陰人也。以棋待詔，粗知書，好言理道。德宗令直東宮。太子嘗與侍讀論政道，因言宮市之弊，太子曰：「寡人見上，當極言之。」諸生稱贊其美，叔文獨無言。罷坐，太子謂叔文曰：「向論宮市，君獨無言何也」？叔文曰：「皇太子之事上也，視膳問安之外，不合輒預外事。陛下在位歲久，如小人離間，謂殿下收取人情，則安能自解？」太子謝之曰：「茍無先生，安得聞此言？」由是重之，宮中之事，倚之裁決。每對太子言，則曰：「某可為相，某可為將，幸異日用之。」密結當代知名之士而欲僥幸速進者，與韋執誼、陸質、呂溫、李景儉、韓曄、韓泰、陳諫、柳宗元、劉禹錫等十數人，定為死交；而淩準，程异，又因其黨以進；籓鎮侯伯，亦有陰行賂遺請交者。

Wang Shuwen was a native of Shanyin in Yue Prefecture. He served as chess attendant awaiting imperial summons; he had rough knowledge of books and loved to speak of principle and the Way. Dezong ordered him to serve in attendance at the Eastern Palace. The crown prince once discussed the way of government with his tutors and, speaking of the abuses of the palace market, said, "When I see the emperor, I shall speak out to the full." The students praised his excellence; only Shuwen said nothing. When the session ended the crown prince said to Shuwen, "When we discussed the palace market just now, why did you alone say nothing?" Shuwen said, "In serving the emperor, the crown prince's duties are to oversee meals and inquire after his health; beyond that he ought not casually intervene in external affairs. The emperor has reigned many years; if petty men sow discord and say the crown prince is cultivating personal ties, how can you clear yourself?" The crown prince thanked him, saying, "Were it not for you, sir, how could I have heard these words?" From this the crown prince valued him; affairs within the palace were entrusted to him for decision. Whenever he spoke to the crown prince he would say, "So-and-so can serve as chancellor, so-and-so can serve as general—may they be employed on another day." He secretly joined with renowned men of the age who wished to advance by chance—Wei Zhiyi, Lu Zhi, Lü Wen, Li Jingjian, Han Ye, Han Tai, Chen Jian, Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, and more than ten others—and fixed them as sworn friends. Ling Zhun and Cheng Yi too advanced through their faction. Regional lords and marquises also secretly sent bribes and gifts requesting association.

德宗崩，已宣遺詔，時上寢疾久，不復關庶政，深居施簾帷，閹官李忠言、美人牛昭容侍左右，百官上議，自帷中可其奏。王伾常諭上屬意叔文，宮中諸黃門稍稍知之。其日，召自右銀臺門，居於翰林，為學士。叔文與吏部郎中韋執誼相善，請用為宰相。叔文因王伾，伾因李忠言，忠言因牛昭容，轉相結構。事下翰林，叔文定可否，宣於中書，俾執誼承奏於外。與韓泰、柳宗元、劉禹錫、陳諫、淩準、韓曄唱和，曰管，曰葛，曰伊，曰周，凡其黨僴然自得，謂天下無人。

When Dezong died and the testamentary edict had already been proclaimed, the emperor had long been ill in bed and no longer attended to government; dwelling deep within behind curtained screens, eunuch Li Zhongyan and the favored consort Niu Zhaorong attended at his side; when officials above presented deliberations, he approved their memorials from within the curtain. Wang Pi often told the emperor of his regard for Shuwen; the palace eunuchs gradually came to know it. That day Shuwen was summoned from the Right Yintai Gate and lodged in the Hanlin Academy as academician. Shuwen was on good terms with Bureau Director of the Ministry of Personnel Wei Zhiyi and requested that he be made chancellor. Shuwen relied on Wang Pi; Pi relied on Li Zhongyan; Zhongyan relied on Niu Zhaorong—they linked one to another in succession. When matters descended to the Hanlin Academy, Shuwen decided what was permissible; he proclaimed it in the Central Secretariat, and had Zhiyi receive and report on the outside. With Han Tai, Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, Chen Jian, Ling Zhun, and Han Ye he exchanged responsive verses, calling one Guan, one Ge, one Yi, one Zhou; all his faction were complacently pleased, thinking no one in the realm matched them.

叔文賤時，每言錢穀為國大本，將可以盈縮兵賦，可操柄市士。叔文初入翰林，自蘇州司功為起居郎，俄兼充度支、鹽鐵副使，以杜佑領使，其實成於叔文。數月，轉尚書戶部侍郎，領使、學士如故。內官俱文珍惡其弄權，乃削去學士之職。制出，叔文大駭，謂人曰：「叔文須時至此商量公事，若不帶此職，無由入內。」王伾為之論請，乃許三、五日一入翰林，竟削內職。叔文始入內廷，陰構密命，機形不見，因騰口善惡進退之。人未窺其本，信為奇才。及司兩使利柄，齒於外朝，愚智同曰：「城狐山鬼，必夜號窟居以禍福人，亦神而畏之；一旦晝出路馳，無能必矣。」

When Shuwen was lowly he often declared, "Revenue and grain are the great foundation of the state, by which one can expand or contract military levies and wield control over the marketplace of talent." When Shuwen first entered the Hanlin Academy he went from Recorder of Suzhou to Diarist; soon he also served concurrently as Vice Commissioner of the Revenue and Salt Iron Commissions, with Du You as nominal commissioner while the real power rested with Shuwen. Within several months he was transferred to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, retaining his commissioner and academician posts as before. The inner eunuch Ju Wenjing hated his manipulation of power and stripped him of his academician post. When the edict was issued Shuwen was greatly alarmed and told others, "I, Shuwen, must at times come here to discuss official business; without this post there is no way to enter the inner palace." Wang Pi pleaded on his behalf, and he was permitted to enter the Hanlin Academy once every three or five days; in the end his inner post was cut. When Shuwen first entered the inner court he secretly shaped confidential orders, his designs invisible; he then broadcast judgments on promotion and demotion. People had not yet discerned his root and believed him a rare talent. Once he held the profit lever of the two commissions and stood among the outer court, wise and foolish alike said, "The fox in the city wall and the ghost in the mountain must by night cry from their dens to bring fortune or disaster upon people—thus they are deemed supernatural and feared; but once they run out by day, they are surely powerless."

叔文在省署，不復舉其職事，引其黨與竊語，謀奪內官兵柄，乃以故將範希朝統京西北諸鎮行營兵馬使，韓泰副之。初，中人尚未悟，會邊上諸將各以狀辭中尉，且言方屬希朝，中人始悟兵柄為叔文所奪，中尉乃止諸鎮無以兵馬入。希朝、韓泰已至奉天，諸將不至，乃還。無幾，叔文母死。前一日，叔文置酒饌於翰林院，宴諸學士及內官李忠言、俱文珍、劉光奇等。中飲，叔文白諸人曰：「叔文母疾病，比來盡心戮力為國家事，不避好惡難易者，欲以報聖人之重知也。若一去此職，百謗斯至，誰肯助叔文一言者，望諸君開懷見察。」又曰：「羊士諤非毀叔文，欲杖殺之，而韋執誼懦不遂。叔文生平不識劉闢，乃以韋臯意求領三川，辟排門相幹，欲執叔文手，豈非兇人耶！叔文已令掃木場，將斬之，韋執誼苦執不可。」叔文無以對。

Shuwen in the ministry offices no longer performed his duties but gathered his faction for whispered counsel, plotting to seize control of the inner palace army; he therefore appointed the former general Fan Xichao overall commander of the field armies of the northwest capital commands, with Han Tai as his deputy. At first the eunuchs had not yet understood; then frontier generals each sent memorials declining the chief eunuch and saying they were now under Xichao's command; the eunuchs then realized military power had been seized by Shuwen, and the chief eunuch thereupon forbade the various commands to bring troops in. Xichao and Han Tai had already reached Fengtian, but the generals did not come; they then returned. Before long Shuwen's mother died. The day before, Shuwen set out food and drink in the Hanlin Academy and feasted the academicians and the inner eunuchs Li Zhongyan, Ju Wenjing, and Liu Guangqi. Mid-feast Shuwen addressed the assembly, saying, "My mother is ill. Lately I have devoted myself wholeheartedly to affairs of state, not shunning what is agreeable or difficult, wishing to repay the sage emperor's great trust. If I leave this post, a hundred slanders will at once arise—who will speak a word in my defense? I hope you gentlemen will open your hearts and understand." He also said, "Yang Shiyu did not slander me; I wished to have him beaten to death, but Wei Zhiyi was cowardly and would not carry it out. In life I never knew Liu Bi, yet at Wei Gao's request he sought to take command of the Three Rivers; Bi pushed through the gate to interfere and wished to seize my hand—is he not a violent man! I had already ordered the timber yard cleared to behead him, but Wei Zhiyi bitterly held fast and would not permit it." Shuwen had no reply.

叔文未欲立皇太子。順宗既久疾未平，群臣中外請立太子，既而詔下立廣陵王為太子，天下皆悅；叔文獨有憂色，而不敢言其事，但吟杜甫題諸葛亮祠堂詩末句云：「出師未捷身先死，長使英雄淚滿襟。」因歔欷泣下，人皆竊笑之。皇太子監國，貶為渝州司戶，明年誅之。

Shuwen did not yet wish to establish a crown prince. Shunzong had long been ill without recovery; court and countryside alike petitioned to establish a crown prince; soon an edict was issued establishing the Prince of Guangling as crown prince, and all under heaven rejoiced. Only Shuwen wore a troubled look and dared not speak of the matter; he merely recited the closing line of Du Fu's poem on Zhuge Liang's shrine, "He marched forth before victory was won, and died—forever leaving heroes with tears soaking their collars." He then sighed and wept; people all secretly laughed at him. When the crown prince supervised the state he was demoted to registrar of Yu Prefecture; the following year he was executed.

王伾，杭州人。始為翰林侍書待詔，累遷至正議大夫、殿中丞、皇太子侍書。順宗即位，遷左散騎常侍，依前翰林待詔。

Wang Pi was a native of Hangzhou. He began as Hanlin attendant scribe awaiting summons; he was promoted successively to Regular Grand Master, Palace Aide, and tutor scribe to the crown prince. When Shunzong took the throne he was promoted to Left Regular Attendant, retaining his former post as Hanlin attendant awaiting summons.

伾阘茸，不如叔文，唯招賄賂，無大志，貌寢陋，吳語，素為太子之所褻狎；而叔文頗任氣自許，粗知書，好言事，順宗稍敬之，不得如伾出入無間。叔文入止翰林，而伾入至柿林院，見李忠言、牛昭容等。然各有所主：伾主往來傳授；王叔文主決斷；韋執誼為文誥；劉禹錫、陳諫、韓曄、韓泰、柳宗元、房啟、淩準等謀議唱和，采聽外事。而伾與叔文及諸朋黨之門，車馬填湊，而伾門尤盛，珍玩賂遺，歲時不絕。室中為無門大櫃，唯開一竅，足以受物，以藏金寶，其妻或寢臥於上。與叔文同貶開州司馬。

Pi was crude and unimpressive compared with Shuwen; he did nothing but solicit bribes and had no great ambitions. He was homely and ugly, spoke the Wu dialect, and had long been on familiar terms with the crown prince; Shuwen, by contrast, was headstrong and self-assured, knew books in a rough way, and liked to talk politics. Emperor Shunzong respected him somewhat, yet he could not come and go as freely as Pi. When Shuwen entered the palace he stopped at the Hanlin Academy, while Pi went on to the Persimmon Grove Academy to see Li Zhongyan, Niu Zhaorong, and others. Yet each had his role: Pi handled communication back and forth; Wang Shuwen made the decisions; Wei Zhiyi drafted official documents; Liu Yuxi, Chen Jian, Han Ye, Han Tai, Liu Zongyuan, Fang Qi, Ling Zhun, and others plotted together, advising and gathering intelligence on outside affairs. The gates of Pi, Shuwen, and their faction were jammed with carriages and horses, Pi's gate most of all; precious gifts poured in without cease through the seasons. In his room stood a doorless great cabinet with only a single opening large enough to pass things through, where he stored gold and jewels; his wife sometimes slept on top of it. He was banished together with Shuwen to serve as aide to the prefect of Kai Prefecture.

王叔文最所重者，李景儉、呂溫。叔文用事時，景儉居喪於東都；呂溫使吐蕃，留半歲，叔文敗方歸。陸質為皇太子侍讀，尋卒。

Those Wang Shuwen valued most were Li Jingjian and Lü Wen. While Shuwen held power, Jingjian was in mourning at the Eastern Capital; Lü Wen was on a mission to Tibet and remained half a year, returning only after Shuwen's downfall. Lu Zhi served as tutor to the crown prince and soon died.

伾、叔文既逐，詔貶其黨韓曄饒州司馬，韓泰虔州司馬，陳諫臺州司馬，柳宗元永州司馬，劉禹錫朗州司馬，淩準連州司馬，程异郴州司馬，韋執誼崖州司馬。

After Pi and Shuwen were expelled, an edict banished their faction: Han Ye as aide to the prefect of Rao, Han Tai as aide to Qian, Chen Jian as aide to Tai, Liu Zongyuan as aide to Yong, Liu Yuxi as aide to Lang, Ling Zhun as aide to Lian, Cheng Yi as aide to Chen, and Wei Zhiyi as aide to Ya.

韓曄，宰相滉之族子，有俊才，依附韋執誼，累遷尚書司封郎中。叔文敗，貶池州刺史，尋改饒州司馬，量移汀州刺史，又轉永州卒。

Han Ye was a clansman of Chancellor Han Huang's family; gifted and ambitious, he attached himself to Wei Zhiyi and rose to Director of the Department of Enfeoffment in the Ministry of Rites. After Shuwen's fall he was demoted to prefect of Chi, soon reassigned as aide of Rao, transferred by measure to prefect of Ting, then moved again to Yong, where he died.

陳諫至叔文敗，已出為河中少尹，自臺州司馬量移封州刺史，轉通州卒。

By the time Chen Jian fell with Shuwen he had already left office as vice governor of Hezhong; from aide of Tai he was transferred by measure to prefect of Feng, then moved to Tong, where he died.

淩準，貞元二十年自浙東觀察判官、侍御史召入，王叔文與準有舊，引用為翰林學士，轉員外郎。坐叔文貶連州。準有史學，尚古文，撰《邠志》二卷。

In the twentieth year of Zhenyuan, Ling Zhun was summoned from his posts as Zhedong observation aide and attendant censor; Wang Shuwen, who had known him before, brought him in as Hanlin academician and then promoted him to supernumerary official. Implicated in Shuwen's case, he was banished to Lian Prefecture. Zhun was learned in history, favored ancient-style prose, and compiled the Bin Gazetteer in two scrolls.

韓泰，貞元中累遷至戶部郎中，王叔文用為範希朝神策行營節度行軍司馬。泰最有籌畫，能決陰事，深為伾、叔文之所重，坐貶，自虔州司馬量移漳州刺史，遷郴州。

During Zhenyuan, Han Tai rose repeatedly to Director of the Ministry of Revenue; Wang Shuwen appointed him military aide to Fan Xichao, commander of the Shence expeditionary forces. Tai was the best planner among them and could settle secret matters; Pi and Shuwen relied on him heavily. After banishment he was transferred by measure from aide of Qian to prefect of Zhang, then moved to Chen.

柳宗元、劉禹錫自有傳。

Liu Zongyuan and Liu Yuxi have their own biographies.

程异，京兆長安人。嘗侍父疾，鄉里以孝悌稱。明經及第，釋褐揚州海陵主簿。登《開元禮》科，授華州鄭縣尉。精於吏職，剖判無滯。杜確刺同州，帥河中，皆從為賓佐。

Cheng Yi was a native of Chang'an in Jingzhao. He once nursed his father through illness and was praised in his home district for filial devotion. He passed the classics examination and took his first post as recorder of Hailing in Yang Prefecture. He passed the Kaiyuan Rites examination and was appointed bailiff of Zheng County in Hua Prefecture. He was skilled in administrative work and rendered judgments without delay. When Du Que governed Tong Prefecture and then commanded Hezhong, Yi served as his staff aide in both posts.

貞元末，擢授監察御史，遷虞部員外郎，充鹽鐵轉運、揚子院留後。時王叔文用事，由逕放利者皆附之，异亦被引用。叔文敗，坐貶岳州刺史，改郴州司馬。元和初，鹽鐵使李巽薦異曉達錢穀，請棄瑕錄用，擢為侍御史，復為揚子留後，累檢校兵部郎中、淮南等五道兩稅使。异自悔前非，厲己竭節，江淮錢穀之弊，多所鏟革。入為太府少卿、太卿，轉衛尉卿，兼御史中丞，充鹽鐵轉運副使。

At the end of Zhenyuan he was promoted to investigating censor, then Vice Director of the Ministry of Works, and acting salt and iron transport commissioner and Yangzi depot superintendent. At that time Wang Shuwen held power; everyone who profited by irregular means attached himself to Shuwen, and Yi too was brought into service. After Shuwen's fall he was implicated and demoted to prefect of Yue, then reassigned as aide of Chen. At the beginning of Yuanhe, salt commissioner Li Xun recommended Yi as expert in currency and grain accounts and asked that his faults be overlooked; he was promoted to attendant censor, again made Yangzi depot superintendent, and successively made acting Director of the Ministry of War and dual-tax commissioner for the five Huainan circuits. Yi repented his former errors, disciplined himself, and devoted his integrity; he reformed many abuses in Jianghuai currency and grain. He entered service as Vice Director of the Court of the Imperial Treasury, then Director, then Director of the Court of the Imperial Stud, Concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief, and deputy salt and iron transport commissioner.

時淮西用兵，國用不足，异使江表以調征賦，且諷有土者以饒羨入貢，至則不剝下，不浚財，經費以贏，人頗便之。由是專領鹽鐵轉運使、兼御史大夫。十三年九月，轉工部侍郎、同中書門下平章事，領使如故。議者以異起錢穀吏，一旦位冠百僚，人情大為不可。異自知叨據，以謙遜自牧，月餘日，不敢知印秉筆。异知西北邊軍政不理，建議置巡邊使，上問誰可使者，异請自行。議未決，無疾而卒，元和十四年四月也。贈左僕射，謚曰恭。异性廉約，歿官第，家無餘財，人士多之。

At that time troops were deployed in Huai-Xi and state revenue was insufficient; Yi went to the lower Yangzi to adjust tax levies and urged landowners to contribute surplus wealth as tribute. When he arrived he did not strip the common people or drain wealth; expenses were met with surplus, and the people found it convenient. From this he was given sole charge as salt and iron transport commissioner, Concurrent Censor-in-Chief. In the ninth month of the thirteenth year he was transferred to Vice Minister of Works and Regular Second-Rank Counselor of the Secretariat and Chancellery, retaining his commission as before. Commentators held that Yi had risen from a grain-and-currency clerk to rank above the hundred officials overnight; public sentiment found this deeply unacceptable. Knowing he had received an unmerited post, Yi cultivated humility; for more than a month he dared not handle the seal or wield the brush. Yi knew military administration on the northwestern frontier was in disorder and proposed establishing frontier inspection commissioners; when the emperor asked who could be sent, Yi volunteered to go himself. Before the proposal was decided he died without illness, in the fourth month of the fourteenth year of Yuanhe. He was posthumously granted Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and given the posthumous title Gong. Yi's nature was frugal and restrained; he died in his official residence with no surplus wealth, and men of standing praised him.

皇甫鎛，安定朝那人。祖鄰幾，汝州刺史。父愉，常州刺史。鎛貞元初登進士第，登賢良文學制科，授監察御史。丁母憂，免喪，坐居喪時薄遊，除詹事府司直。轉吏部員外郎、判南曹，凡三年，頗鈐制奸吏。改吏部郎中，三遷司農卿、兼御史中丞，賜金紫，判度支，俄拜戶部侍郎。時方討淮西，切於饋運，鎛勾剝嚴急，儲供辦集，益承寵遇，加兼御史大夫。

Huangfu Bo was a native of Chaona in Ding Prefecture. His grandfather Linji was prefect of Ru Prefecture. His father Yu was prefect of Chang Prefecture. Bo at the beginning of Zhenyuan passed the jinshi examination and the special examination in worthy and cultivated literary composition, and was appointed investigating censor. When his mother died he left office for mourning; after mourning ended he was punished for light travel during mourning and was appointed aide of straight conduct in the Heir Apparent's household. He was transferred to Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel and controller of the Southern Bureau; for three years in all he kept corrupt clerks firmly in check. He was changed to Director of the Ministry of Personnel, promoted three times to Director of the Court of Imperial Granaries, Concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief, granted the gold seal and purple ribbon, and given charge of the Department of Public Works; soon he was appointed Vice Minister of Revenue. At that time the Huai-Xi campaign was underway and supply transport was urgent; Bo's exactions were severe and strict, stores were assembled, and his favor increased; he was additionally made Concurrent Censor-in-Chief.

十三年，與鹽鐵使程异同日以本官同平章事，領使如故。鎛雖有吏才，素無公望，特以聚斂媚上，刻削希恩。詔書既下，物情駭異，至於賈販無識，亦相嗤誚。宰相崔群、裴度以物議上聞，憲宗怒而不聽。度上疏乞罷知政事，因論之曰：

In the thirteenth year he and salt commissioner Cheng Yi were on the same day made Regular Second-Rank Counselors in their existing offices, retaining their commissions as before. Though Bo had administrative talent, he had never enjoyed public esteem; he relied solely on amassing revenue to flatter the emperor and on harsh exactions to seek favor. Once the edict was issued, public sentiment was shocked and dismayed; even ignorant peddlers joined in ridicule. Chancellors Cui Qun and Pei Du reported public opinion to the throne; Emperor Xianzong was angry and would not listen. Pei Du submitted a memorial requesting to be relieved of his duties in governance, and in the course of argument wrote:

伏以陛下睿哲文明，唯在所授，凡所閱視，洞達無遺。所以比來選任宰相，縱道不周物，才不濟時，公望所歸，皆有可取。況皇甫鎛自掌財賦，唯事割剝，以苛為察，以刻為明。自京北、京西城鎮及百司並遠近州府，應是仰給度支之處，無不苦口切齒，願食其肉；猶賴臣等每加勸誡，或為奏論，庶事之中，抑令通濟。比者淮西諸軍糧料，所破五成錢，其實只與一成、兩成，士卒怨怒，皆欲離叛。臣到行營，方且慰喻，直其遷延不進，供軍漸難，俱能前行，必有優賞，以此約定，然後切勒供軍官，且支九月一日兩成已上錢，俱容努力，方將小安，不然必有潰散。今舊兵悉向淄青討伐，忽聞此人入相，則必相與驚擾，以為更有前時之事，則無告訴之憂。雖侵刻不少，然漏落亦多，所以罷兵之後，經費錢數一千三十萬貫，此事猶可。直以性惟狡詐，言不誠實，朝三暮四，天下共知，惟能上惑聖聰，足見奸邪之極。程异雖人品凡俗，然心事和平，處之煩劇，或亦得力，但升之相位，便在公卿之上，實亦非宜。如皇甫镈，天下之人，怨入骨髓，陛下今日收為股肱，列在臺鼎，切恐不可，伏惟圖之。倘陛下納臣懇款，速賜移易，以副天下之望，則天下幸甚。伏聞李翛疾病，亦求入來，如浙西觀察使，且與亦得。

I respectfully submit that Your Majesty is wise, perceptive, and cultivated in the arts; whatever you appoint, whatever you examine, you see through completely without omission. Therefore in recent selections of chancellors, even when conduct did not embrace all things or talent did not meet the needs of the times, those in whom public esteem converged all had something to commend them. Moreover, since Huangfu Bo took charge of fiscal affairs, he has devoted himself only to extortion—taking harshness for discernment and severity for clarity. From the garrisons north and west of the capital and from the hundred offices to distant and nearby prefectures—every place that depends on supplies from the Department of Public Works—none fail to gnash their teeth in bitterness and wish to eat his flesh; we have still had to admonish and counsel repeatedly, or memorialize on their behalf, restraining matters so that supplies could get through. Recently the grain funds of the Huai-Xi armies were supposed to be disbursed at fifty percent, but in fact only ten or twenty percent were given; the soldiers were resentful and angry and all wished to desert. When I reached the expeditionary camp I was just comforting and instructing them; I excused their delay in advancing, explained that supply was growing difficult, promised generous rewards if they all advanced, and on that basis made an agreement; then I strictly ordered the supply officers to disburse at least twenty percent of the funds due on the first day of the ninth month, so that with effort they might find some relief—otherwise there would certainly be collapse and dispersal. Now the veteran troops are all marching to campaign against Ziqing; if they suddenly hear this man has entered the chancellorship, they will surely be alarmed together, thinking there will be more of what happened before—then there will be no recourse for their complaints. Though his exactions were considerable, his leakages were also great; thus after the troops were disbanded there remained 10.3 million strings of cash in expenses—this matter is still tolerable. It is simply that his nature is solely crafty and deceitful, his words insincere—changing morning and evening, known to all under Heaven; that he can only delude the sacred understanding shows the extreme of wickedness. Though Cheng Yi is vulgar in character, his mind is peaceful, and in handling demanding affairs he may prove useful; but to raise him to the chancellorship, placing him above the highest nobles, is truly also inappropriate. As for Huangfu Bo—the people of the realm hate him to the marrow; if Your Majesty today takes him as your arm and leg and seats him among the highest ministers, I fear deeply this cannot be done—I beg Your Majesty to consider it. If Your Majesty accepts my earnest plea and promptly grants a change, fulfilling the hopes of all under Heaven, then the realm will be greatly blessed. I have heard that Li Xiao is ill and also seeks to return from his post; appointment as Zhexi observation commissioner, or the like, would also be acceptable.

臣知一言出口，必犯天威，但使言行，甘心獲戾。今者臣若不退，天下之人謂臣有負恩寵；今退毀未許，言又不聽，如火燒心，若箭攢體。臣自無足惜，惜陛下今日事勢。何者？淮西蕩定，河北咸寧，承宗斂手削地，程權束身赴闕，韓弘輿疾討賊，此豈京師氣力能制其命，祗是朝廷處置能服其心。今既開中興，再造區夏，陛下何忍卻自破除，使億萬之眾離心，四方諸侯解體？凡百君子，皆欲慟哭。況陛下任臣之意，豈比常人；臣事陛下之心，敢同眾士？所以昧死重封以聞，如不足觀，臣當引領受責。陛下引一市肆商徒，與臣同列，在臣亦有何損，陛下實有所傷，不勝憤懣惶恐之至。

I know that one word from my mouth will surely offend celestial wrath, but so long as my words match my deeds, I willingly accept punishment. If I do not withdraw now, the people of the realm will say I have betrayed Your Majesty's grace and favor; yet withdrawal is not permitted and my words are not heeded—it is like fire burning my heart, like arrows piercing my body. I myself am not worth regretting; what I regret is Your Majesty's present situation. Why is this? Huai-Xi has been pacified, Hebei is at peace, Chengzong has submitted and surrendered territory, Cheng Quan has bound himself and come to court, and Han Hong, though ill, has campaigned against the rebels—this is not because the capital's strength alone could command their lives, but because the court's handling could win their hearts. Now that restoration has begun and the realm is being rebuilt, how can Your Majesty bear to destroy it yourself, causing hundreds of millions to lose heart and the lords of the four quarters to disintegrate? All the gentlemen wish to weep in anguish. Moreover, the trust Your Majesty places in me—is it comparable to that of ordinary men? The devotion with which I serve Your Majesty—dare I be the same as the multitude? Therefore I risk death to seal this again and report it; if it is not worth considering, I shall stretch my neck to accept punishment. Your Majesty has brought in a marketplace peddler to rank with me—what loss is that to me? But Your Majesty will truly be harmed. I am overwhelmed with indignation, distress, and dread beyond bearing.

時憲宗以世道漸平，欲肆意娛樂，池臺館宇，稍增崇飾，而异、鎛探知上旨，數貢羨餘，以備經構，故帝獨排物議相之；見裴度疏，以為朋黨，竟不省覽。鎛知公議不可，益以巧媚自固，奏減內外官俸錢以贍國用；敕下，給事中崔祐封還詔書，其事方罷。時內出積年庫物付度支估價，例皆陳朽，鎛盡以善價買之，以給邊軍。羅縠繒彩，觸風斷裂，隨手散壞，軍士怨怒，皆聚而焚之。裴度奏事，因言邊軍焚賜之意，鎛因引其足奏曰：「此靴乃內庫出者，臣以俸二千買之，堅韌可以久服，所言不可用，皆詐也。」帝以為然，由是鎛益無忌憚。裴度有用兵伐叛之功，鎛心嫉之，與宰相李逢吉、令狐楚合勢擠度出鎮太原。崔群有公望，為搢紳所重，屢言時政之弊，鎛惡之，因議憲宗尊號，乃奏曰：「昨群臣議上徽號，崔群於陛下惜『孝德』兩字。」憲宗怒，黜群為湖南觀察使。又與金吾將軍李道古恊為奸謀，薦引方士柳泌、僧大通，言可致長生。中尉吐突承璀恩寵莫二，鎛厚賂結其歡心，故及相位。

At that time Emperor Xianzong, believing the age was growing peaceful, wished to indulge freely in pleasure; pools, terraces, and halls were gradually made more splendid, and Yi and Bo, discerning the emperor's intent, repeatedly presented surplus revenue to supply construction—therefore the emperor alone overrode public opinion to make them chancellors; when he saw Pei Du's memorial he took it for factionalism and would not read it at all. Bo knew public opinion could not be withstood and all the more used clever flattery to secure himself; he memorialized to reduce the salary payments of inner and outer officials to supply state expenses; once the edict was issued, Supervising Secretary Cui You returned the edict unapproved, and the matter was then dropped. At that time stored goods from years past in the inner treasury were handed to the Department of Public Works for valuation; by rule they were all decayed and worn, yet Bo bought them all at good prices to supply the border armies. Silks and brocades snapped and tore at a touch and fell apart in the hand; the soldiers were resentful and angry and all gathered to burn them. Pei Du was reporting on affairs and spoke of the border troops' burning of gifts; Huangfu Bo then drew up his foot and memorialized, "These boots came from the inner treasury; I bought them for two thousand strings of my salary—they are sturdy and durable for long wear. What has been said about their uselessness is all fraud." The emperor thought this correct, and from this Bo became all the more unbridled. Pei Du had merit in campaigning against rebellion; Bo resented him in his heart and, with chancellors Li Fengji and Linghu Chu, combined forces to force Du out to command Taiyuan. Cui Qun enjoyed public esteem and was respected by the gentry; he repeatedly spoke of abuses in current policy, and Bo hated him; on the occasion of deliberating Emperor Xianzong's honorific title he memorialized, "When the officials recently deliberated the honorific title, Cui Qun begrudged Your Majesty the two characters 'Filial' and 'Virtuous.'" Emperor Xianzong was angry and demoted Qun to Zhexi observation commissioner. He also joined with Gold Crowns General Li Daogu in wicked plotting, recommending and bringing in the adept Liu Bi and the monk Datong, saying they could bring long life. Chief Palace Intendant Tuchi Chenghui enjoyed favor without rival; Bo lavished bribes to win his goodwill, and thus reached the chancellorship.

穆宗在東宮，備聞鎛之奸邪，及居諒闇，聽政之日，詔：「皇甫鎛器本凡近，性惟險狹，行靡所顧，文無可觀，雖早踐朝倫，而素乖公望。自掌邦計，屬當軍興，以剝下為徇公，既鼓眾怒；以矯跡為孤立，用塞人言。洎塵臺司，益蠹時政，不知經國之大體，不慮安邊之遠圖，三軍多凍餒之憂，百姓深雕瘵之弊。事皆罔蔽，言悉虛誣，遠近咸知，朝野同怨。而又恣求方士，上惑先朝，潛通奸人，罪在難舍。合加竄殛，以正刑章，俾黜遐荒，尚存寬典。」又詔曰：「山人柳泌輒懷左道，上惑先朝，固求牧人，貴欲疑眾，自知虛誕，仍便奔逃。僧大通醫方不精，藥術皆妄。既延禍釁，俱是奸邪，邦國固有常刑，人神所宜共棄，宜付京兆府決重杖一頓處死。」

Muzong, while heir apparent, had fully heard of Bo's wickedness; on the day he assumed mourning and began to govern, an edict read, "Huangfu Bo's capacity is fundamentally commonplace, his nature solely treacherous and narrow, his conduct heedless of consequences, his writing unworthy of note; though he long trod the court ranks, he had always fallen short of public esteem. Once he took charge of state finance, at a time of military mobilization, he made stripping the people below his public service and thereby roused the anger of the masses; he used affected conduct to pose as isolated, thereby silencing men's words. When he reached the censorate he further corrupted current policy, ignorant of the great principles of governing the state and heedless of the far-reaching plan of securing the borders; the three armies suffered much from cold and hunger, and the common people bore deep wounds of ruin. His affairs were all concealed and deceived, his words entirely false; near and far alike knew it, court and countryside shared the resentment. Moreover he recklessly sought out adepts, deluding the former emperor, and secretly communicated with wicked men—crimes that cannot be pardoned. He should be further banished and executed to rectify the penal code; yet demotion to remote exile still preserves the lenient statute." Another edict read, "The mountain man Liu Bi presumptuously harbored heterodox ways, deluding the former emperor; he insisted on governing the people, clearly intending to deceive the multitude; knowing his own fraud, he then fled. The monk Datong was unskilled in medical formulas; his drug arts were all false. Having brought calamity and offense, both are wicked men; the state has its regular punishments, and gods and men alike should cast them out—let the metropolitan prefecture decide: heavy beating once, then execution."

柳泌本曰楊仁力，少習醫術，言多誕妄。李道古奸回巧宦，與泌密謀求進，言之於皇甫镈，因征入禁中。自雲能致靈藥，言：「天臺山多靈草，君仙所會，臣嘗知之，而力不能致。願為天臺長吏，因以求之。」起徒步為臺州刺史，仍賜金紫。諫官論奏曰：「列聖亦有好方士者，亦與官號，未嘗令賦政臨民。」憲宗曰：「煩一郡之力而致神仙長年，臣子於君父何愛焉！」由是莫取有言者。裴潾以極言被黜。泌到天臺，驅役吏民於山谷間，聲言采藥，鞭笞躁急。歲余一無所得，懼詐發獲罪，舉家入山谷。浙東觀察使追捕，送於京師，镈與李道古懇保證之，必能可致靈藥，乃待詔翰林院。憲宗服泌藥，日益煩躁，喜怒不常，內官懼非罪見戮，遂為弒逆。大通自雲壽一百五十歲，久得藥力。又有田佐元者，鳳翔虢人，自言有奇術，能變瓦礫為金，白衣授虢縣令。初，柳泌系京兆府，獄吏叱之曰：「何苦作此虛矯？」泌曰：「吾本無此心，是李道古教我，且雲壽四百歲。」府吏防虞周密，恐其隱化；及解衣就誅，一無變異，但灸灼之瘢痕浹身而已。镈卒於貶所。

Liu Bi was originally named Yang Renli; in youth he studied medicine and his words were mostly wild and false. Li Daogu was a treacherous and crafty official; he plotted secretly with Bi to seek advancement and spoke of him to Huangfu Bo, who then summoned him into the inner palace. He claimed he could obtain elixir drugs and said, "Mount Tiantai has many spirit herbs and is where immortals gather; I have known this, but my strength could not obtain them. I wish to become prefect of Tiantai and thereby seek them." He was raised from commoner to prefect of Tai Prefecture and also granted the gold seal and purple ribbon. Remonstrating officials memorialized, "The successive sage emperors also had adepts they favored and gave them titles, but they never let them govern and face the people." Emperor Xianzong said, "What is troubling one prefecture's resources to obtain immortality and long life—what would a subject withhold from his lord and father!" From this no one dared speak further. Pei Zuan was demoted for speaking to the limit. When Bi reached Tiantai he drove officials and commoners in the mountain valleys, claiming to gather herbs, with urgent beatings. After more than a year he obtained nothing; fearing exposure of his fraud and punishment, he took his whole family into the mountains. The Zhedong observation commissioner pursued and sent him to the capital; Bo and Li Daogu earnestly guaranteed that he could certainly obtain elixir drugs, and so he awaited orders in the Hanlin Academy. Emperor Xianzong took Bi's drugs and grew daily more restless; his joy and anger were irregular, and inner attendants feared being killed without cause and then committed regicide. Datong claimed for himself a lifespan of one hundred fifty years and long enjoyment of the drug's power. There was also Tian Zuoyuan, a native of Guo in Fengxiang, who claimed strange arts and could transform rubble into gold; in commoner's dress he was appointed magistrate of Guo County. At first Liu Bi was held in the metropolitan prefecture prison; the jailer rebuked him, "Why go to such trouble with this empty pretense?" Liu Bi said, "I never had this intention—it was Li Daogu who taught me, and he claimed I would live four hundred years." The prefectural officers guarded him with meticulous care, fearing he might vanish by transformation; when he stripped for execution there was no transformation at all—only the burn scars from cauterization covered his body. Bo died in his place of banishment.

镈弟鏞，端士也。亦進士擢第，累歷宣歙、鳳翔使府從事，入為殿中侍御史，轉比部員外郎、河南縣令、都官郎中、河南少尹。時镈為宰相，領度支，恩寵殊異。鏞惡其太盛，每弟兄宴語，即極言之，镈頗不悅。乃求為分司，除右庶子。及镈獲罪，朝廷素知鏞有先見之明，不之罪，征為國子祭酒，改太子賓客、秘書監。開成初，除太子少保分司，卒年四十九。鏞能文，尤工詩什，樂道自怡，不屑世務，當時名士皆與之交。有集十八卷，著《性言》十四篇。

Bo's younger brother Yong was an upright gentleman. He too passed the jinshi examination, served successively as staff member in the Xuanchen and Fengxiang commissionerates, entered service as attendant censor within the palace, and was transferred to Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue, magistrate of Henan County, Director of the Court of Judicial Review, and Vice Governor of Henan. At that time Bo was chancellor and in charge of the Department of Public Works, enjoying extraordinary favor. Yong hated his excessive power; whenever the brothers feasted and talked together he spoke against it to the utmost, and Bo was quite displeased. He then requested a detached-office post and was appointed Right Vice Director of the Heir Apparent's household. When Bo was punished, the court had long known Yong had foresight and did not punish him; he was summoned as Director of the Directorate of Education, then changed to Mentor of the Heir Apparent and Director of the Secretariat. At the beginning of Kaicheng he was appointed Vice Guardian of the Heir Apparent in detached office and died at age forty-nine. Yong could write, was especially skilled in poetry, delighted in the Way and found joy in himself, disdained worldly affairs, and the celebrated men of the time all associated with him. He left a collection in eighteen scrolls and composed Fourteen Chapters on Nature.

【贊】=史臣曰：奸邪害正，自古有之；而矯誕無忌，妒賢傷善，未有如延齡、皇甫之甚也。臣每讀陸丞相論延齡疏，未嘗不泣下沾衿，其守正效忠，為宗社大計，非端士益友，安能感激犯難如此？異哉德宗之為人主也，忠良不用，讒慝是崇，乃至身播國屯，幾將覆滅，尚獨保延齡之是，不悟盧杞之非，悲夫！執誼、叔文，乘時多僻，而欲斡運六合，斟酌萬幾；劉、柳諸生，逐臭市利，何狂妄之甚也！章武雄材睿斷，翦削厲階；洎逐群、度而相異、镈，蓋季年之妖惑也，夫何言哉！

[Praise] The chronicler states: Wicked men harming the upright has existed since antiquity; yet feigned extravagance without restraint, envying talent and harming the good—none have been as extreme as Yanling and Huangfu Bo. Whenever I read Chancellor Lu's memorial against Yanling, I never fail to weep until my collar is wet; his upholding rectitude and loyal service for the great plan of the altars of soil and grain—without an upright gentleman and good friend, who could be stirred to brave difficulty like this? How strange that Dezong as lord was such: the loyal and good he would not employ, slanderers he exalted—until he himself was driven abroad and the state brought to near ruin, yet he still upheld Yanling as right and did not perceive Lu Qi's wrong. Pitiful! Wei Zhiyi and Wang Shuwen, seizing an irregular time with many perversities, yet wished to turn the six directions and weigh the myriad affairs of state; Liu Yuxi, Liu Zongyuan, and the other scholars, chasing stench for market profit—how extreme their arrogance! Zhangwu had heroic talent and keen judgment, cutting away dangerous steps; yet when he expelled Qun and Du and made Yi and Bo chancellors, that was the bewitchment of his late years—what more is there to say!

贊曰：貞元之風，好佞惡忠。齡、镈害善，為國蠹蟲。裴、陸獻替，嫉惡如風。天聽匪諶，吾道斯窮。

The praise reads: The wind of Zhenyuan favored flatterers and hated the loyal. Yanling and Bo harmed the good and were worms devouring the state. Pei and Lu offered correction, hating evil like a gale. Heaven's hearing was not true; our Way was thus at an end.

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