1
唐制有內侍省，其官員：內侍四人； 內常侍六人； 內謁者監六人； 內給事八人； 謁者十二人； 典引十八人； 寺伯二人； 寺人六人。 別有五局：掖廷局掌宮人簿籍； 宮闈局掌宮內門禁，其屬有掌扇、給使等員； 奚官局掌宮人疾病死喪； 內僕局掌宮中供帳燈燭； 內府局主中藏給納。 五局有令丞，皆內官為之。
The Tang institutional code provided for a Palace Domestic Service with these officers: four Palace Attendants; six Inner Regular Attendants; six Supervisors of Inner Palace Messengers; eight Inner Chamberlains; twelve Messengers-at-Court; eighteen Directors of Introduction; two Palace Stewards; six Palace Servants. There were also five bureaus apart from these: the Rear Palace Bureau kept the roster books of palace women; the Inner Gate Bureau controlled access within the palace gates, with subordinates including fan-bearers and supply attendants; the Wardrobe and Commissary Bureau oversaw the sickness, death, and burial of palace women; the Inner Servants Bureau was in charge of bedding, lighting, and candles within the palace; the Inner Treasury Bureau administered the central stores and their issue and intake. Each of the five bureaus had a chief and deputies, and all were filled by eunuch officials.
2
貞觀中，太宗定制，內侍省不置三品官，內侍是長官，階四品。 至永淳末，向七十年，權未假於內官，但在閣門守禦，黃衣廩食而已。 則天稱制，二十年間，差增員位。 中宗性慈，務崇恩貸，神龍中，宦官三千餘人，超授七品以上員外官者千餘人，然衣硃紫者尚寡。
During Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong laid down rules whereby the Palace Domestic Service had no third-rank posts; the Palace Attendant served as its head at the fourth rank. Down to the close of the Yongchun era—nearly seventy years—inner officials had not been granted authority; they merely stood guard at the gatehouses in yellow robes on palace rations, nothing more. When Empress Wu held the reins of government, over two decades she steadily increased the establishment. Emperor Zhongzong was mild by nature and lavished favors; during Shenlong more than three thousand eunuchs served at court, and over a thousand received supernumerary appointments of seventh rank or higher—yet few yet wore the vermilion and purple of high office.
3
玄宗在位既久，崇重宮禁，中官稍稱旨者，即授三品、左右監門將軍，得門施棨戟。 開元、天寶中，長安大內、大明、興慶三宮，皇子十宅院，皇孫百孫院。 東都大內、上陽兩宮，大率宮女四萬人，品官黃衣已上三千人，衣硃紫者千餘人。 後李輔國從幸靈武，程元振翼衛代宗，怙寵邀君，乃至守三公，封王爵，干預國政，亦未全握兵權。 代宗時，子儀北伐，親王東討，遂特立觀軍容宣慰使，命魚朝恩為之，然自有統帥，亦監領而已。
As Xuanzong's reign lengthened, he exalted the inner palace; any eunuch who pleased him even slightly might be made a third-rank minister and appointed Left or Right Gate Guardian General, with ceremonial halberds set before his gate. During Kaiyuan and Tianbao, Chang'an boasted the Great Inner, Daming, and Xingqing palaces, the ten princely mansions, and the Hundred Grandsons compounds. At the eastern capital stood the Great Inner and Shangyang palaces; altogether there were roughly forty thousand palace women, some three thousand eunuch officials of yellow rank and above, and more than a thousand in vermilion and purple. Later Li Fuguo accompanied the court to Lingwu and Cheng Yuanzhen guarded the heir who became Daizong; flaunting imperial favor they lorded over the throne, rose to the Three Excellencies and princely titles, and meddled in government—yet even they did not wholly monopolize military power. Under Daizong, with Guo Ziyi campaigning north and imperial princes campaigning east, the court created the post of Army Supervision and Pacification Commissioner and gave it to Yu Chao'en—but each army still had its own commander; his role was oversight alone.
4
德宗避涇師之難，幸山南，內官竇文場、霍仙鳴擁從。 賊平之後，不欲武臣典重兵，其左右神策、天威等軍，欲委宦者主之。 乃置護軍中尉兩員、中護軍兩員，分掌禁兵，以文場、仙鳴為兩中尉，自是神策親軍之權，全歸於宦者矣。 自貞元之後，威權日熾，蘭锜將臣，率皆子蓄； 籓方戎帥，必以賄成； 萬機之與奪任情，九重之廢立由己。 元和之季，毒被乘輿。 長慶纘隆，徒郁枕幹之憤； 臨軒暇逸，旋忘塗地之冤。 而易月未除，滔天盡怒。 甲第名園之賜，莫匪伶官； 硃袍紫綬之榮，無非巷伯。 是時高品白身之數，四千六百一十八人，內則參秉戎權，外則臨監籓嶽。 文宗包祖宗之恥，痛肘腋之仇，思翦厲階，去其太甚。 宋申錫言未出口，尋以破家； 李仲言謀之不臧，幾乎敗國。 何、竇之徒轉蹙，讓、珪之勢尤狂，五十餘年，禍胎逾煽，昭宗之季，所不忍聞。
When Dezong fled the mutiny of the Jing army and took refuge in Shannan, the eunuchs Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming went with him. After the rebellion was crushed he was unwilling to leave powerful armies in the hands of generals, and intended to place the Left and Right Shence and Tianwei guards under eunuch command. He therefore created two Central Commanders of the Army Protectorate and two Deputy Protectors to split control of the palace guards, naming Wenchang and Xianming the two Central Commanders; from that point the Shence personal army belonged entirely to the eunuchs. After the Zhenyuan era their power swelled day by day; leading generals and ministers were mostly enrolled as their adoptive sons; regional commanders invariably bought their appointments with bribes; they disposed of state business as they pleased, and made or unmade emperors within the forbidden palace. At the close of the Yuanhe era poison touched the throne itself. When Changqing ascended the throne, he brooded in vain over wrongs done at the pillow and at Gan; enthroned, he soon gave himself to ease and forgot the blood shed at his feet. Yet before the mourning period had passed, wrath flooded heaven. The gift of great houses and renowned gardens went only to actor-favorites of the eunuchs; vermilion robes and purple sashes adorned none but eunuch gatekeepers. At that time they numbered 4,618, from high rank down to plain attendants—within they shared military power, without they oversaw the provinces. Wenzong nursed the humiliation left by his forebears and smarted at the enemy beside his throne; he sought to cut the evil at its root and curb the worst excesses. Song Shenxi had scarcely spoken before his family was destroyed; Li Zhongyan's conspiracy went awry and nearly wrecked the dynasty. The factions of He and Dou tightened their grip; Rang and Gui grew wilder still; for more than fifty years the seeds of ruin only blazed brighter—by Emperor Zhaozong's day the tale becomes unbearable.
5
臣遍覽前書，考茲覆轍，試言大較，庶竭其源。 何者？ 自書契已來，不無閽寺，況垂之天象，備見職官。 即如秦皇、漢武，宮闈之內，宦官以侍宴遊。 但英睿之君，措置斯得； 及荒僻之主，奢蕩是求。 委番、棸、蹶、楀之徒，飾姬姜狗馬之玩，外言不入，惟欲是從。 雖並列五侯，猶為賞薄； 遍封萬戶，尚嫌恩疏。 茍思捧日之勤，遂據回天之勢。 及三綱錯亂，四海崩離。 袁本初之入北宮，無須殆盡； 石冉閔之攻鄴下，內豎咸誅。 旋至殄瘁邦家，不獨感傷和氣，淫刑斯逞，可為傷心。 向使不假威權，但趨帷扆，何止四星終吉，抑亦萬乘延洪！ 昔賢為社鼠之喻，不其然乎？
Having surveyed the earlier histories and traced these repeated calamities, I shall sketch the main pattern in hope of laying bare the root cause. Why is this so? Since the age of writing there have always been palace gatekeepers and eunuchs; the heavens themselves reflect their station, and the bureaucratic tables provide for them. Even Qin Shihuang and Han Wudi employed eunuchs within the inner quarters to attend banquets and outings. Yet sagacious rulers knew how to place them properly; whereas debauched sovereigns sought only indulgence. They entrusted themselves to favorites such as Zhao Gao and Zhang Rang, dallying with women and hounds; no counsel from outside could reach them—they followed desire alone. Even enfeoffing the Five Marquises at once seemed to them too little; Granting ten-thousand-household fiefs across the board they still deemed the grace insufficient. Once they fancied themselves sun-bearers to the throne, they claimed power to reverse heaven's will. When the fundamental bonds of society were overturned, the realm fell apart. When Yuan Shao stormed the Northern Palace, eunuchs were slaughtered almost to the last; When Shi Min besieged Ye, every palace eunuch was killed. Soon the state itself was brought to ruin—not merely harmony was wounded; lawless cruelty ran rampant, a grief to contemplate. Had they never been lent power but only served at the throne's side, not only would the court have remained auspicious—the Son of Heaven's reign might have endured in splendor. The ancients compared them to rats in the temple altar—is it not exactly so?
6
今錄楊思勖已下所行事，以為鑒誡云。
Here I record the careers of Yang Sixun and those who follow, as a mirror and warning.
7
=楊思勖=
Yang Sixun
8
楊思勖，本姓蘇，羅州，石城人。 為內官楊氏所養，以閹，從事內侍省。 預討李多祚功，超拜銀青光祿大夫，行內常侍。 思勖有膂力，殘忍好殺。 從臨淄王誅韋氏，遂從王為爪士，累遷右監門衛將軍。
Yang Sixun, born a Su of Shicheng in Luozhou. A eunuch of the Yang clan adopted him; after castration he entered the Palace Domestic Service. For service in the campaign against Li Duozuo he was exceptionally promoted to Silver-Glittering Grand Master of the Palace and appointed acting Inner Regular Attendant. Sixun was powerfully built, cruel, and bloodthirsty. He followed the Prince of Linzi in the purge of the Wei faction, became one of the prince's fighting men, and rose to General of the Right Gate Guardian Guard.
9
開元初，安南首領梅玄成叛，自稱「黑帝」。 與林邑、真臘國通謀，陷安南府。 詔思勖將兵討之。 思勖至嶺表，鳩募首領子弟兵馬十餘萬，取伏波故道以進，出其不意。 玄成遽聞兵至，惶惑計無所出，竟為官軍所擒，臨陣斬之，盡誅其黨與，積屍為京觀而還。
Early in Kaiyuan the Annan leader Mei Xuancheng rebelled and proclaimed himself the Black Emperor. Allying with Linyi and Cambodia he overran the protectorate of Annan. The court ordered Sixun to take command against him. Reaching the south, Sixun mustered more than a hundred thousand tribal levies, marched along Ma Yuan's ancient route, and caught the rebels unawares. Xuancheng, hearing the army was upon him, panicked with no plan left; the government forces took him, slew him on the spot, wiped out his followers, piled the dead into a trophy mound, and marched home.
10
十二年，五溪首領覃行璋作亂，思勖復受詔率兵討之，生擒行璋，斬其黨三萬餘級。 以軍功累加輔國大將軍。 後從東封，又加驃騎大將軍，封虢國公。
In the twelfth year Qin Xingzhang of Wuxi rose in revolt; Sixun was again ordered to campaign, took Xingzhang alive, and slew more than thirty thousand of his band. His battlefield merits won him repeated promotions to Grand General Who Assists the State. He later attended the eastern Feng rites and was raised to Grand General of Agile Cavalry and created Duke of Guo.
11
十四年，邕州賊帥梁大海擁賓、橫等數州反叛。 思勖又統兵討之，生擒梁大海等三千餘人，斬餘黨二萬餘級，復積屍為京觀。
In the fourteenth year the Yongzhou rebel Liang Dahai seized several prefectures, including Bin and Heng, and rose in revolt. Sixun marched against him once more, took Liang Dahai and more than three thousand alive, slew over twenty thousand of their followers, and again raised a mound of heads.
12
十六年，瀧州首領陳行範、何遊魯、馮璘等聚徒作亂，陷四十餘城。 行範自稱帝，遊魯稱定國大將軍，璘稱南越王，割據嶺表。 詔思勖率永、連、道等兵及淮南弩手十萬人進討。 兵至瀧州，臨陣擒遊魯、馮璘，斬之。 行範潛竄深州，投雲際、盤遼二洞。 思勖悉眾攻之，生擒行範，斬之。 斬其黨六萬級，獲口馬金玉巨萬計。 思勖性剛決，所得俘囚，多生剝其面，或剺發際，掣去頭皮； 將士已下，望風懾憚，莫敢仰視，故所至立功。 內給事牛仙童使幽州，受張守珪厚賂。 玄宗怒，命思勖殺之。 思勖縛架之數日，乃探取其心，截去手足，割肉而啖之，其殘酷如此。 二十八年卒，時年八十餘。
In the sixteenth year the Longzhou leaders Chen Xingfan, He Youlu, Feng Lin, and others raised troops in rebellion and captured more than forty towns. Xingfan declared himself emperor, Youlu took the title Grand General Who Settles the State, Lin proclaimed himself King of Southern Yue, and together they held the Lingnan region. Sixun was ordered to lead the Yong, Lian, and Dao forces and a hundred thousand Huainan crossbowmen against them. At Longzhou his troops captured Youlu and Feng Lin in battle and executed them. Xingfan slipped away into the deep hills of Shen prefecture and hid in the Yunji and Panliao cave strongholds. Sixun attacked with his full strength, took Xingfan alive, and put him to death. He slew sixty thousand rebels and seized captives, horses, gold, and jade beyond reckoning. Sixun was ruthless by nature; prisoners were often flayed alive, or the scalp was torn from the hairline; officers and men alike shrank from him in terror and dared not meet his gaze—hence his campaigns always succeeded. Niuxiantong, an inner chamberlain, was sent to Youzhou and accepted lavish bribes from Zhang Shougui. Xuanzong in a rage ordered Sixun to execute him. Sixun bound him to a frame for days, then tore out his heart, hacked off his limbs, carved his flesh, and devoured it—such was his cruelty. He died in the twenty-eighth year, aged more than eighty.
13
=高力士=
Gao Lishi
14
高力士，潘州人，本姓馮。 少閹，與同類金剛二人，嶺南討擊使李千里進入宮。 則天嘉其黠惠，總角修整，令給事左右。 後因小過，撻而逐之。 內官高延福收為假子。 延福出自武三思家，力士遂往來三思第。 歲餘，則天復召入禁中，隸司宮臺，廩食之。 長六尺五寸，性謹密，能傳詔敕，授宮闈丞。
Gao Lishi was a native of Panzhou; his birth surname was Feng. Castrated in boyhood, he and two fellow eunuchs called Jingang were presented at court by the Lingnan commissioner Li Qianli. Empress Wu favored his sharp wit; she groomed him in his boyhood queue and assigned him to wait at her side. Later, for a minor offense, he was whipped and driven out. The eunuch Gao Yanfu adopted him as a foster son. Yanfu had come from the household of Wu Sansi, and Lishi thus frequented Sansi's mansion. After a year or more Wu Zetian summoned him back into the inner palace, enrolled him in the Palace Attendants Office, and provided his keep. He stood six feet five inches, was discreet by nature, could convey imperial edicts, and was made deputy director of the inner palace gates.
15
景龍中，玄宗在籓，力士傾心奉之，接以恩顧。 及唐隆平內難，升儲位，奏力士屬內坊，日侍左右，擢授朝散大夫、內給事。 先天中，預誅蕭、岑等功，超拜銀青光祿大夫，行內侍同正員。 開元初，加右監門衛將軍，知內侍省事。
During Jinglong, while Xuanzong was still a prince, Lishi gave him his whole loyalty and was treated with personal favor. When the dynasty put down the inner strife and Xuanzong became heir apparent, he had Lishi assigned to the inner workshops to attend him daily, and promoted him to Grand Master of Leisurely Dispersal and inner chamberlain. In Xiantian, for his part in the execution of Xiao Zhizhong, Cen Xi, and their faction, he was raised to Silver-Glittering Grand Master and acting regular Palace Attendant. Early in Kaiyuan he was made General of the Right Gate Guardian Guard and placed in charge of the Palace Domestic Service.
16
玄宗尊重宮闈，中官稍稱旨，即授三品將軍，門施棨戟，故楊思勖、黎敬仁、林招隱、尹鳳祥等，貴寵與力士等。 楊則持節討伐，黎、林則奉使宣傳，尹則主書院。 其餘孫六、韓莊、楊八、牛仙童、劉奉廷、王承恩、張道斌、李大宜、硃光輝、郭全、邊令誠等，殿頭供奉、監軍、入蕃、教坊、功德主當，皆為委任之務。 監軍則權過節度，出使則列郡辟易。 其郡縣豐贍，中官一至軍，則所冀千萬計，修功德，市鳥獸，詣一處，則不啻千貫，皆在力士可否。 故帝城中甲第，畿甸上田、果園池沼，中官參半於其間矣。
Xuanzong exalted the inner palace; any eunuch who pleased him might receive a third-rank generalship and halberds before his gate—thus Yang Sixun, Li Jingren, Lin Zhaoyin, Yin Fengxiang, and others shared Lishi's high favor. Yang Sixun led campaigns bearing imperial credentials; Li Jingren and Lin Zhaoyin served as envoys to announce imperial orders; Yin Fengxiang managed the palace academy. The others—Sun Liu, Han Zhuang, Yang Ba, Niu Xiantong, Liu Fengting, Wang Chengen, Zhang Daobin, Li Dayi, Zhu Guanghui, Guo Quan, Bian Lingcheng, and the like—held posts as chief palace attendants, army supervisors, envoys to foreign lands, directors of the Music Office, and heads of merit-building projects; all such appointments flowed through them. Army supervisors wielded more power than regional military governors, and when they traveled on missions the commanderies along the route yielded the road in alarm. In prosperous counties and districts, when a eunuch arrived at an army camp his demands could run into the tens of millions; building merit shrines, buying birds and exotic beasts—a single visit cost no less than a thousand strings of cash, and all of it hinged on Lishi's approval. Fine mansions in the imperial city, the best farmland in the capital region, orchards and ponds—eunuchs owned half of them.
17
每四方進奏文表，必先呈力士，然後進御，小事便決之。 玄宗常曰：「力士當上，我寢則穩。」 故常止於宮中，稀出外宅。 若附會者，想望風彩，以冀吹噓，竭肝膽者多矣。 宇文融、李林甫、李適之、蓋嘉運、韋堅、楊慎矜、王鉷、楊國忠、安祿山、安思順、高仙芝因之而取將相高位，其餘職不可勝紀。 肅宗在春宮，呼為二兄，諸王公主皆呼「阿翁」，駙馬輩呼為「爺」。 力士於寢殿側簾帷中休息，殿側亦有一院，中有修功德處，雕瑩璀璨，窮極精妙。 力士謹慎無大過，然自宇文融已下，用權相噬，以紊朝綱，皆力士之由。 又與時消息，觀其勢候，雖至親愛，臨覆敗皆不之救。
Whenever memorials and reports arrived from the provinces, they were first shown to Lishi and only then forwarded to the emperor; on minor matters he decided at once. Emperor Xuanzong often said, "When Lishi is posted upstairs, I sleep soundly." So Lishi usually stayed in the palace and seldom visited his private residence outside. Those who sought his patronage, hoping to bask in his reflected glory and win his recommendation, poured out their hearts in numbers beyond counting. Through him Yuwen Rong, Li Linfu, Li Shizhi, Gai Jiayun, Wei Jian, Yang Shenjin, Wang Hong, Yang Guozhong, An Lushan, An Sishun, and Gao Xianzhi rose to the highest military and civil offices; the rest who gained posts through him are too many to record. When Suzong was crown prince he called Lishi Second Elder Brother; all princes and princesses called him "Grandfather"; the emperors' sons-in-law called him "Sir." Lishi rested in the curtained alcove beside the imperial sleeping hall; there was also a courtyard beside the hall with a chapel for merit-building, carved and inlaid with dazzling brilliance to the highest degree of craftsmanship. Lishi was careful and committed no major fault, yet from Yuwen Rong on down, those who wielded power tore one another apart and threw the court into disorder—and all of it traced back to Lishi. He also kept abreast of the times and watched how the wind was blowing; even those dearest to him, when disaster struck, he never saved.
18
力士義父高延福夫妻，正授供奉。 嶺南節度使於潘州求其本母麥氏送長安，令兩媼在堂，備於甘脆。 金吾大將軍程伯獻與力士結為兄弟，麥氏亡，伯獻於靈筵散發，具缞绖，受賓吊答。 十七年，贈力士父廣州大都督，麥氏越國夫人。
Lishi's adoptive father Gao Yanfu and his wife were formally appointed palace attendants. The military governor of Lingnan found his birth mother Lady Mai at Pan Prefecture and sent her to Chang'an; two old nurses waited on her in the hall and she was provided with every delicacy. The Gold Guard Grand General Cheng Boxian became sworn brothers with Lishi; when Lady Mai died, Boxian at the mourning hall let down his hair, put on hemp mourning dress, and received condolences from guests on her behalf. In the seventeenth year of Kaiyuan, Lishi's father was posthumously enfeoffed as Metropolitan Governor of Guangzhou and Lady Mai as Lady of Yue.
19
開元初，瀛州呂玄晤作吏京師，女有姿色，力士娶之為婦，擢玄晤為少卿、刺史，子弟皆為王傅。 呂夫人卒，葬城東，葬禮甚盛。 中外爭致祭贈，充溢衢路； 自第至墓，車馬不絕。
Early in Kaiyuan, Lu Xuanwu of Ying Prefecture was a clerk in the capital; his daughter was beautiful, and Lishi married her; Xuanwu was promoted to vice minister and regional governor, and his sons and nephews all became tutors to imperial princes. When Lady Lu died, she was buried east of the city in an exceptionally grand funeral. Officials inside and outside the court vied to send funeral offerings and gifts until the streets overflowed; from the mansion to the tomb, carriages and horses never stopped passing.
20
天寶初，加力士冠軍大將軍、右監門衛大將軍，進封渤海郡公。 七載，加驃騎大將軍。 力士資產殷厚，非王侯能擬。 於來庭坊造寶壽佛寺、興寧坊造華封道士觀，寶殿珍臺，侔於國力。 於京城西北截澧水作碾，並轉五輪，日破麥三百斛。 初，寶壽寺鐘成，力士齋慶之，舉朝畢至。 凡擊鐘者，一擊百千； 有規其意者，擊至二十杵，少尚十杵。
Early in Tianbao, Lishi was further promoted to Champion Grand General and Grand General of the Right Gate Guardian Guard, and raised in rank to Duke of Bohai. In the seventh year of Tianbao he was further made Flying Cavalry Grand General. Lishi's wealth was vast, beyond anything kings and marquises could rival. At Laiting Ward he built Baoshou Buddhist Temple, and at Xingning Ward he built Huafeng Daoist Abbey; their jeweled halls and precious terraces rivaled the resources of the state itself. Northwest of the capital he diverted the Li River to power a mill with five wheels, grinding three hundred hu of wheat each day. When the Baoshou Temple bell was first cast, Lishi held a fasting celebration for it, and the entire court came. Everyone who struck the bell gave a hundred or a thousand cash per blow; those who disapproved of the extravagance still struck as many as twenty blows; none gave fewer than ten.
21
其後又有華州袁思藝，特承恩顧。 然力士巧密，人悅之； 思藝驕倨，人士疏懼之。 十四載，置內侍省內侍監兩員，秩正三品，以力士、思藝對任之。 玄宗幸蜀，思藝走投祿山，力士從幸成都，進封齊國公。 從上皇還京，加開府儀同三司，賜實封五百戶。
Later there was also Yuan Siyi of Hua Prefecture, who received special imperial favor. But Lishi was tactful and discreet, and people liked him; Siyi was arrogant and overbearing, and officials kept their distance and feared him. In the fourteenth year of Tianbao two posts of Inner Attendant Supervisor at the third rank were established in the Palace Domestic Service, and Lishi and Siyi were appointed to them as a pair. When Xuanzong fled to Shu, Siyi fled to An Lushan; Lishi accompanied the emperor to Chengdu and was raised in rank to Duke of Qi. When he returned to the capital with the Retired Emperor, he was granted the status of Grand Master with Golden Tally opening his own office and given five hundred households of actual fief.
22
八月，上皇移居西內甘露殿，力士與內官王承恩、魏悅等，因侍上皇登長慶樓，為李輔國所構，配流黔中道。 力士至巫州，地多薺而不食，因感傷而詠之曰：「兩京作芹賣，五溪無人采。 夷夏雖不同，氣味終不改。」
In the eighth month the Retired Emperor moved to Ganlu Hall in the Western Inner Palace; Lishi, along with the eunuchs Wang Chengen, Wei Yue, and others, while attending the Retired Emperor on Changqing Tower, was framed by Li Fuguo and sentenced to exile on the Qianzhong circuit. When Lishi reached Wuzhou, shepherd's purse grew everywhere but he would not eat it; grief-stricken, he composed a poem: "In the two capitals, water celery is sold for coin; along the Five Streams, no one picks it. Barbarian and Han lands may differ, yet its taste in the end never alters."
23
寶應元年三月，會赦歸，至朗州，遇流人言京國事，始知上皇厭代。 力士北望號慟，嘔血而卒。 代宗以其耆宿，保護先朝，贈揚州大都督，陪葬泰陵。
In the third month of the first year of Baoying, when a general amnesty was proclaimed he was permitted to return; at Lang Prefecture he met exiles who spoke of affairs in the capital and first learned that the Retired Emperor had died. Lishi looked north and wailed in grief, vomited blood, and died. Emperor Daizong, because of his long service and his protection of the former reign, posthumously enfeoffed him as Metropolitan Governor of Yangzhou and granted him burial at Tailing.
24
=李輔國=
Li Fuguo
25
李輔國，本名靜忠，閑廄馬家小兒。 少為閹，貌陋，粗知書計。 為僕，事高力士，年且四十餘，令掌廄中簿籍。 天寶中，閑廄使五鉷嘉其畜牧之能，薦入東宮。 祿山之亂，玄宗幸蜀； 輔國侍太子扈從，至馬嵬，誅楊國忠。 輔國獻計太子，請分玄宗麾下兵，北趨朔方，以圖興復。 輔國從至靈武，勸太子即帝位，以系人心。 肅宗即位，擢為太子家令，判元帥府行軍司馬事，以心腹委之。 仍賜名護國，四方奏事，御前符印軍號，一以委之。 輔國不茹葷血，常為僧行，視事之隙，手持念珠，人皆信以為善。 從幸鳳翔，授太子詹事，改名輔國。
Li Fuguo, whose original name was Jingzhong, was a groom-boy in the imperial stud farms. He was castrated in youth, was ugly in appearance, and had a rough knowledge of writing and bookkeeping. As a servant under Gao Lishi, when he was over forty he was put in charge of the stud farm ledgers. During Tianbao, Wang Hong, Commissioner of the Imperial Stud, admired his skill in animal husbandry and recommended him for service in the Eastern Palace. When An Lushan's rebellion broke out, Emperor Xuanzong fled to Shu; Fuguo attended the crown prince in the imperial retinue; at Mawei Yang Guozhong was executed. Fuguo advised the crown prince to detach troops from Xuanzong's command and march north toward Shuofang to plan the restoration of the dynasty. Fuguo followed on to Lingwu and urged the crown prince to ascend the throne at once to secure the people's loyalty. When Suzong ascended the throne, Fuguo was promoted to Director of the Crown Prince's Household and made concurrent Chief of Staff of the Marshal's headquarters, entrusted as a close confidant. He was also granted the name Huguo; memorials from all quarters, imperial seals and tallies before the throne, and military designations were all entrusted to him. Fuguo abstained from meat and often went about dressed as a monk; in intervals between handling business he held prayer beads, and everyone believed him virtuous. When Suzong went to Fengxiang, Fuguo was appointed Grand Steward of the Crown Prince and renamed Fuguo.
26
肅宗還京，拜殿中監，閑廄、五坊、宮苑、營田、栽接、總監等使。 又兼隴右群牧、京畿鑄錢、長春宮等使，勾當少府、殿中二監都使。 十二月，加開府儀同三司，進封郕國公，食實封五百戶。
When Suzong returned to the capital, Fuguo was made Director of the Palace Bureau and commissioner of the imperial stud, Five Wards, palace gardens, military farming colonies, grafting plantations, and overall supervision. He also concurrently served as Commissioner of Longyou Herds, Commissioner of Capital Region Coinage, Commissioner of Chunzhang Palace, and overall manager of the Imperial Manufactories and Palace Bureau. In the twelfth month he was granted the status of Grand Master with Golden Tally opening his own office, raised to Duke of Bi, and given five hundred households of actual fief.
27
宰臣百司，不時奏事，皆因輔國上決。 常在銀臺門受事，置察事廳子數十人，官吏有小過，無不伺知，即加推訊。 府縣按鞫，三司制獄，必詣輔國取決，隨意區分，皆稱制敕，無敢異議者。 每出則甲士數百人衛從。 中貴人不敢呼其官，但呼五郎。 宰相李揆，山東甲族，位居臺輔，見輔國執子弟之禮，謂之五父。 肅宗又為輔國娶故吏部侍郎元希聲侄擢女為妻。 擢弟挹，時並引入臺省，擢為梁州長史。 輔國判元帥行軍司馬，專掌禁兵，賜內宅居止。
When chancellors and the hundred offices did not appear at court to memorialize, all business was submitted through Fuguo for the emperor's decision. He regularly received business at Silver Terrace Gate; he stationed dozens of investigative agents, and no minor fault of an official escaped their notice—they at once subjected him to interrogation. Prefectural and county trials and cases under the Three Offices' criminal jurisdiction all had to go to Fuguo for final judgment; he disposed of them as he pleased, all in the name of imperial edicts, and no one dared object. Whenever he went out, several hundred armored soldiers escorted him. Fellow eunuchs did not dare call him by his official title but only called him Fifth Master. Chancellor Li Kui, of an eminent Shandong clan and the highest ministerial rank, performed the rites of a junior kinsman toward Fuguo and addressed him as Fifth Father. Suzong also arranged for Fuguo to marry the daughter of Zhi, nephew of the former Vice Minister of Personnel Yuan Xisheng. Zhi's younger brother Yi was then also brought into the central ministries; Yi was made long prefect of Liang. As Chief of Staff of the Marshal's headquarters, Fuguo exclusively controlled the forbidden army and was granted a residence within the inner palace.
28
上皇自蜀還京，居興慶宮，肅宗自夾城中起居。 上皇時召伶官奏樂，持盈公主往來宮中，輔國常陰候其隙而間之。 ，上皇嘗登長慶樓，與公主語。 劍南奏事官過朝謁，上皇令公主及如仙媛作主人。
When the Retired Emperor returned from Shu to the capital he lived at Xingqing Palace; Suzong resided in the walled inner compound. The Retired Emperor would summon musicians to perform; Princess Chi-ying came and went within the palace; Fuguo often secretly watched for openings to sow discord. Once the Retired Emperor ascended Changqing Tower and spoke with the princess. A reporting official from Jiannan passed by on his way to court audience; the Retired Emperor had the princess and Lady Ru-xianyuan act as hosts.
29
輔國起微賤，貴達日近，不為上皇左右所禮，慮恩顧或衰，乃潛畫奇謀以自固。 因持盈待客，乃奏云：「南內有異謀。」 矯詔移上皇居西內，送持盈於玉真觀，高力士等皆坐流竄。
Fuguo had risen from humble origins; as his rank drew ever closer to power, the Retired Emperor's attendants did not treat him with courtesy; fearing that imperial favor might wane, he secretly devised extraordinary schemes to secure his position. Taking advantage of Chi-ying's reception of guests, he memorialized: "There is a subversive plot in the Southern Inner Palace." By forged edict the Retired Emperor was moved to the Western Inner Palace; Chi-ying was sent to Yuzhen Abbey; Gao Lishi and the others were all sentenced to exile.
30
二年八月，拜兵部尚書，餘官如故。 詔群臣於尚書省送上，賜御府酒饌、太常樂，武士戎服夾道，朝列畢會。 輔國驕恣日甚，求為宰臣，肅宗曰：「以公勛力，何官不可，但未允朝望，如何？」 輔國諷僕射裴冕聯章薦己。 肅宗密謂宰臣蕭華曰：「輔國欲帶平章事，卿等欲有章薦，信乎？」 華不對。 問裴冕，曰：「初無此事，吾臂可截，宰相不可得也。」 華復入奏，上喜曰：「冕固堪大用。」 輔國銜之。 寶應元年四月，肅宗寢疾，宰臣等不可謁見，輔國誣奏華專權，請黜之。 上不許，輔國固請不已。 乃罷華知政事，守禮部尚書。 及帝崩，華竟被斥逐。
In the eighth month of the second year he was appointed Minister of War; his other offices remained unchanged. An edict ordered the ministers to escort him at the Ministry of War; he was granted wine and food from the imperial kitchen and music from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; warriors in military dress lined both sides of the road, and the full court assembled. Fuguo's arrogance grew daily; he sought to become a chancellor. Suzong said, "Given your merit, what office could you not hold? But it would not satisfy court opinion—what then?" Fuguo prompted Vice Director Pei Mian to submit a joint memorial recommending him for chancellor. Suzong secretly told Chancellor Xiao Hua, "Fuguo wishes to carry the title of Co-director of the Department of State Affairs; do you intend to submit a memorial recommending him—is that true?" Hua did not reply. He asked Pei Mian, who said, "There is nothing of the sort; my arm may be cut off—the post of chancellor cannot be obtained." Hua entered again to memorialize; the emperor said with delight, "Mian is indeed fit for great employment." Fuguo harbored resentment against him. In the fourth month of the first year of Baoying, Suzong was gravely ill and the chancellors could not be received in audience; Fuguo falsely memorialized that Xiao Hua monopolized authority and requested his dismissal. The emperor did not agree, but Fuguo repeatedly pressed his request. Xiao Hua was then removed from handling state affairs and retained only as Minister of Rites. When the emperor died, Xiao Hua was ultimately driven out and banished.
31
代宗即位，輔國與程元振有定策功，愈恣橫。 私奏曰：「大家但內裏坐，外事聽老奴處置。」 代宗怒其不遜，以方握禁軍，不欲遽責。 乃尊為尚父，政無巨細，皆委參決。 五月，加司空、中書令，食實封八百戶。 程元振欲奪其權，請上漸加禁制，乘其有間，乃罷輔國判元帥行軍事，其閑廄已下使名，並分授諸貴，仍移居外。 輔國始懼，茫然失據。 詔進封博陸王，罷中書令，許朝朔望。 輔國欲入中書修謝表，閽吏止之曰：「尚父罷相，不合復入此門。」 乃氣憤而言曰：「老奴死罪，事朗君不了，請於地下事先帝。」 上猶優詔答之。 十月十八日夜，盜入輔國第，殺輔國，攜首臂而去。 詔刻木首葬之，仍贈太傅。
When Daizong ascended the throne, Fuguo and Cheng Yuanzhen had merit in settling the succession and became ever more overbearing. In a private memorial he said, "Your Majesty need only sit within the inner palace; let this old slave handle outer affairs." Daizong was angered at his insubordination, but because Fuguo still controlled the forbidden army he did not wish to rebuke him hastily. He was then honored as Imperial Father; matters great and small were all entrusted to him for joint decision. In the fifth month he was further made Minister of Works and Grand Secretary of the Secretariat, with eight hundred households of actual fief. Cheng Yuanzhen wished to seize his power and asked the emperor to gradually impose restrictions; seizing an opportunity, he removed Fuguo's concurrent post as Chief of Staff of the Marshal's headquarters, divided his commissions from the imperial stud downward among various favorites, and moved him to live outside the palace. Fuguo began to fear; he was dazed and lost his footing. An edict advanced his enfeoffment to Prince of Bolu, removed him as Grand Secretary, and permitted him to attend court on the first and fifteenth of the month. Fuguo wished to enter the Secretariat to draft a letter of thanks; the gatekeeper stopped him, saying, "The Imperial Father has been removed as chancellor; it is not permitted to enter this gate again." He then spoke in indignant fury, "This old slave deserves death—I have failed to serve Lord Lang; I beg to go below and serve the former emperor." The emperor still answered with a gracious edict. On the night of the eighteenth day of the tenth month, thieves broke into Fuguo's residence, killed him, and carried off his head and arm. An edict ordered a wooden replica of his head carved for burial, and he was posthumously enfeoffed as Grand Tutor.
32
=程元振=
Cheng Yuanzhen
33
程元振，以宦者直內侍省，累遷至內射生使。 寶應末，肅宗晏駕，張皇后與太子有怨，恐不附己，引越王系入宮，欲令監國。 元振知其謀，密告李輔國，乃挾太子，誅越王並其黨與。 代宗即位，以功拜飛龍副使、右監門將軍、上柱國，知內侍省事。 尋代輔國判元帥行軍司馬，專制禁兵，加鎮軍大將軍、右監門衛大將軍，封保定縣侯，充寶應軍使。 九月，加驃騎大將軍，封邠國公，贈其父元貞司空。 母郤氏，趙國夫人。 是時元振之權，甚於輔國，軍中呼為「十郎」。
Cheng Yuanzhen entered the Palace Domestic Service as a eunuch and rose through successive postings until he became Commissioner of the Inner Archery Guard. Near the end of the Baoying era, when Emperor Suzong died, Empress Zhang, who was at odds with the Crown Prince, feared he would not support her. She summoned the Prince of Yue, Li Xi, into the palace and sought to install him as regent. Yuanzhen learned of the plot and secretly informed Li Fuguo. They then secured the Crown Prince, executed the Prince of Yue, and destroyed his faction. When Daizong took the throne, Yuanzhen was rewarded for his service with appointments as Deputy Commissioner of the Flying Dragon Guard, General of the Right Gate Guards, Supreme Pillar of State, and acting Director of the Palace Domestic Service. He soon replaced Fuguo as concurrent chief of staff of the imperial field headquarters and assumed sole control of the palace armies. He was further promoted to General of Garrisoned Armies and Grand General of the Right Gate Guard, enfeoffed as Marquis of Baoding County, and made commissioner of the Baoying Army. In the ninth month he was further promoted to General of Fast Cavalry and enfeoffed as Duke of Bin; his father Yuan Zhen was posthumously granted Minister of Works. His mother was Lady Xi, granted the title Lady of Zhao. At that time Yuanzhen wielded greater power than Fuguo, and the army called him "Tenth Son."
34
元振常請托於襄陽節度使來瑱，瑱不從。 及元振握權，征瑱入朝。 瑱遷延不至。 ，破裴茙，遂入朝，拜兵部尚書。 元振欲報私憾，誣瑱之罪，竟坐誅。 宰臣裴冕為肅宗山陵使，有事與元振相違，乃發小吏贓私，貶冕施州刺史。 來瑱名將，裴冕元勛，二人既被誣陷，天下方鎮皆解體。 元振猶以驕豪自處，不顧物議。
Yuanzhen often pressed the military commissioner of Xiangyang, Lai Tian, for favors, but Lai refused. Once Yuanzhen held power, he summoned Lai Tian to court. Lai Tian delayed and did not come. After defeating Pei Ji, he finally came to court and was appointed Minister of War. Yuanzhen wished to settle a private score. He framed Lai Tian with false charges, and Lai was ultimately executed. Chancellor Pei Mian, who oversaw Emperor Suzong's tomb, clashed with Yuanzhen on a matter. Yuanzhen exposed petty clerks' embezzlements and had Pei Mian demoted to prefect of Shizhou. Lai Tian was a celebrated general and Pei Mian a founding merit-holder. Once both had been framed, military governors across the empire lost heart. Yuanzhen still carried himself with arrogant swagger, heedless of public criticism.
35
九月，吐蕃、党項入犯京畿，下詔征兵，諸道卒無至者。 十月，蕃軍至便橋，代宗蒼黃出幸陜州； 賊陷京師，府庫蕩盡。 及至行在，太常博士柳伉上疏切諫誅元振以謝天下，代宗顧人情歸咎，乃罷元振官，放歸田裏，家在三原。
In the ninth month, Tibetan and Tangut forces invaded the capital region. Though an edict called up troops, not a man arrived from any circuit. In the tenth month the enemy army reached Bian Bridge, and Emperor Daizong fled in haste to Shanzhou; The enemy seized the capital, and the imperial treasuries were stripped bare. When the court reached its temporary seat at Shanzhou, Liu Kang, a doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, submitted an urgent memorial calling for Yuanzhen's execution to appease the realm. Seeing that public blame fell on Yuanzhen, Daizong stripped him of office and sent him back to his estate at Sanyuan.
36
十二月，車駕還京。 元振服缞麻於車中，入京城，以規任用。 與御史大夫王昇飲酒，為御史所彈。 詔曰：
In the twelfth month the emperor returned to the capital. Yuanzhen rode into the capital wearing coarse hemp mourning garb, hoping to win reinstatement. He drank wine with Censor-in-Chief Wang Sheng and was impeached by the censorate. An edict declared:
37
族談錯立，法尚不容； 同惡陰謀，議當從重。 有一於此，情實難原。 程元振性惟兇愎，質本庸愚，蕞爾之身，合當萬死。 頃已寬其嚴典，念其微勞，屈法伸恩，放歸田裏。 仍乖克己，尚未知非； 既忘含煦之仁，別貯覬覦之望。 敢為嘯聚，仍欲動搖，不令之臣，共為睥睨； 妄談休咎，仍懷怨望。 束兵裹甲，變服潛行，無顧君親，將圖不軌。 按驗皆是，無所逃刑，首足異門，未雲塞責。 朕猶不忘薄效，再舍罪人； 特寬斧鉞之誅，俾正投荒之典。 宜長流榛州百姓，委京兆府差綱遞送； 路次州縣，差人防援，至彼捉拘，勿許東西。 縱有非常之赦，不在會恩之限。 凡百僚庶，宜體朕懷。
"When Chao Cuo's entire clan was put to death for his elevation to power, the law still could not countenance it; Those who join in secret conspiracies should, upon deliberation, receive the heavier penalty. Where either applies, the circumstances truly admit no pardon. Cheng Yuanzhen is by nature fierce and obstinate, and by substance mediocre and foolish. A man of such petty stature deserves death ten thousand times over. We have already relaxed the full force of the law on his account, mindful of his slight service, bending the statutes to show mercy and sending him back to his estate. Yet he still failed to restrain himself and has not yet recognized his fault; Having forgotten the warmth of Our forbearance, he secretly nursed ambitions of his own. He dared to gather followers and stir trouble, still seeking to shake the throne; unworthy ministers together watched for their chance; He recklessly spoke of omens and disasters, still nursing resentment and discontent. He gathered armed men, changed clothes and traveled in secret, heedless of sovereign and kin, and plotted treason. Investigation confirmed every charge; there is no escaping punishment. Even execution by beheading would scarcely answer for the crime. We still do not forget his slight service and again spare the guilty man; We especially waive the death penalty and instead impose the proper punishment of exile to the frontier. He is to be exiled for life to Zhen Prefecture as a commoner, and the metropolitan prefecture of Jingzhao shall assign escort couriers to deliver him; Officials at every county and prefecture along the route shall guard and escort him; upon arrival he shall be detained and forbidden to travel east or west. Even should there be an extraordinary amnesty, he shall not be included within the bounds of general mercy. Let all officials and subjects understand Our intent."
38
=魚朝恩=
Yu Chaoen
39
魚朝恩，天寶末以宦者入內侍省，初為品官，給事黃門。 性黠惠，善宣答，通書計。 至德中，常令監軍事。 九節度討安慶緒於相州，不立統帥，以朝恩為觀軍容宣慰處置使。 觀軍容使名，自朝恩始也。 以功累加左監門衛大將軍。 時郭子儀頻立大功，當代無出其右； 朝恩妒其功高，屢行間諜； 子儀悉心奉上，殊不介意。 肅宗英悟，特察其心，故朝恩之間不行。 自相州之敗，史思明再陷河洛，朝恩常統禁軍鎮陜，以殿東夏。 廣德元年，西蕃入犯京畿，代宗幸陜。 時禁軍不集，征召離散，比至華陰，朝恩大軍遽至迎奉，六師方振。 由是深加寵異，改為天下觀軍容宣慰處置使。 時四方未寧，萬務事殷，上方註意勛臣，朝恩專典神策軍，出入禁中，賞賜無算。
Yu Chaoen entered the Palace Domestic Service as a eunuch near the end of the Tianbao era. At first he served as a ranked official at the Yellow Gate. He was clever and quick-witted, skilled at delivering court announcements and responses, and versed in writing and accounts. During the Zhide era he was often assigned to supervise military affairs. When forces from nine circuits campaigned against An Qingxu at Xiang Prefecture, no supreme commander was appointed, and Chaoen was made Commissioner for Army Supervision, Comfort, and Disposition. The title of army-supervision commissioner originated with Chaoen. For his achievements he was repeatedly promoted until he became Grand General of the Left Gate Guard. At that time Guo Ziyi repeatedly won great victories, and no man of the age surpassed him; Chaoen envied his towering achievements and repeatedly sowed covert intrigue; Guo Ziyi devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving the throne and paid it no heed. Emperor Suzong was perceptive and saw through the matter, so Chaoen's intrigues did not succeed. After the defeat at Xiang Prefecture, when Shi Siming again seized the He-Luo region, Chaoen regularly commanded the palace armies garrisoned at Shan to guard the eastern heartland. In the first year of Guangde, western tribes invaded the capital region and Emperor Daizong fled to Shanzhou. At that time the palace armies had not yet assembled and conscripts were scattered. By the time the court reached Huayin, Chaoen's main force suddenly arrived to receive the emperor, and the six armies at last rallied. Because of this he received extraordinary favor, and his title was changed to Commissioner for Army Supervision, Comfort, and Disposition over All Under Heaven. The realm was still unsettled and affairs pressed urgently on every side. While the emperor focused on meritorious ministers, Chaoen alone controlled the Shence Army, coming and going within the inner palace with rewards and gifts beyond counting.
40
朝恩性本凡劣，恃勛自伐，靡所忌憚。 時引腐儒及輕薄文士於門下，講授經籍，作為文章，粗能把筆釋義，乃大言於朝士之中，自謂有文武才幹，以邀恩寵。 上優遇之，加判國子監事，光祿、鴻臚、禮賓、內飛龍、閑廄等使。 赴國子監視事，特詔宰臣、百僚、六軍將軍送上，京兆府造食，教坊賜樂。 大臣群官二百餘人，皆以本官備章服充附學生，列於監之廊下，侍詔給錢萬貫充食本，以供學生廚料。 朝恩恣橫，求取無厭，凡有奏請，以先允為度，幸臣未有其比。
Chaoen was by nature mediocre and base. Relying on his achievements, he vaunted himself and feared nothing. He gathered pedantic Confucians and frivolous literati at his gate, lecturing on the classics and composing essays. Though he could barely wield a brush and explain a text, he spoke boldly among court officials, claiming both civil and martial talent in order to win favor. The emperor treated him with exceptional favor, adding concurrent posts as Director of the Directorate of Education and commissioner of the Offices of Imperial Entertainments, Ceremonial Reception, Ceremonial Guests, Inner Flying Dragon, and the Imperial Stud, among others. When he went to the Directorate of Education to take up his duties, a special edict ordered chancellors, the hundred officials, and generals of the six armies to escort him. The metropolitan prefecture prepared food, and the Music Office supplied performers. More than two hundred senior ministers and officials, wearing the full ceremonial dress of their ranks, served as attached students and lined up beneath the corridors of the directorate. The court granted ten thousand strings of cash as capital for provisions to supply the students' kitchen expenses. Chaoen acted with unrestrained arrogance and insatiable greed. Every memorial he submitted had to be approved in advance. Among favored ministers, none had his equal.
41
，朝恩獻通化門外賜莊為寺，以資章敬太后冥福； 仍請以章敬為名，復加興造，窮極壯麗。 以城中材木不足充費，乃奏壞曲江亭館、華清宮觀樓及百司行廨、將相沒官宅給其用，土木之役，僅逾萬億。 三年，讓判國子監事，加韓國公。
Chaoen offered the imperial estate granted him outside Tonghua Gate as a monastery to accumulate posthumous merit for Empress Zhangjing; He further requested that it be named Zhangjing and undertook new construction until the monastery reached the utmost in splendor. Because timber within the city could not meet the expense, he memorialized to demolish pavilions and halls at Qujiang, towers at Huaqing Palace, government offices, and confiscated residences of generals and chancellors for building materials. The construction costs alone ran to nearly ten billion cash. In the third year he relinquished his concurrent directorship of the Directorate of Education and was further enfeoffed as Duke of Han.
42
章敬太后忌日，百僚於興唐寺行香，朝恩置齋饌於寺外之車坊，延宰臣百僚就食。 朝恩恣口談時政，公卿惕息。 戶部郎中相裏造、殿中侍御史李衎以正言折之。 朝恩不悅，乃罷會。
On the anniversary of Empress Zhangjing's death, the hundred officials performed incense rites at Xingtang Monastery. Chaoen set out a vegetarian feast in the carriage depot outside the monastery and invited chancellors and officials to dine. Chaoen freely held forth on current affairs, and ministers and nobles held their breath in fear. Xiangli Zao, a bureau director in the Ministry of Revenue, and Li Kan, a palace censor, rebutted him with forthright words. Chaoen was displeased and broke up the gathering.
43
後嘗釋奠於國子監。 宰臣百僚皆會，朝恩講《易》，征《鼎卦》「覆餗」之義，以譏元載。 載心銜之，陰圖除去之。 上以朝恩太橫，亦惡之。 載欲伺其便，巧中傷之； 乃用腹心崔昭為京兆尹，伺朝恩出處。 昭不吝財賂，潛與朝恩黨陜州觀察使皇甫溫相結，溫與昭協。 自是朝恩動靜，載皆知之，巨細悉以聞。 上益怒，朝恩未之察，日以驕橫。 載奏加朝恩實封，又加皇甫溫權位，以肆其欲。
Later he once performed the libation sacrifice at the Directorate of Education. Chancellors and the hundred officials all assembled. Chaoen lectured on the Classic of Changes, citing the Ding hexagram's image of the "overturned cauldron" to mock Yuan Zai. Yuan Zai nursed a grudge and secretly plotted to remove him. The emperor also hated Chaoen, finding him too overbearing. Yuan Zai wished to watch for an opportunity and artfully destroy him; He therefore placed his trusted follower Cui Zhao in the post of metropolitan governor of Jingzhao to watch Chaoen's movements. Cui Zhao did not stint in bribes and secretly allied with Huangfu Wen, the observer of Shan Prefecture and a member of Chaoen's faction. Wen and Zhao worked in concert. From then on Yuan Zai knew Chaoen's every movement, and every detail was reported to him. The emperor grew angrier, but Chaoen did not perceive it and grew more arrogant by the day. Yuan Zai memorialized to increase Chaoen's actual fief households and further elevate Huangfu Wen's rank and position, indulging their ambitions.
44
五年，朝恩所昵武將劉希暹微有過忤，上諷之。 詔罷朝恩觀軍容使，加實封通前一千戶。 朝恩始疑，然每朝謁，恩顧如常，亦不以載為意。 會寒食宴近臣，朝恩入謁。 先是，每宴罷，必出還營，是日有詔留之。 朝恩始懼，言頗悖慢，上亦以舊恩不之責。 是日朝恩還第，自經而卒。 劉希暹亦下獄賜死。
In the fifth year Chaoen's favored military officer Liu Xixian gave slight offence, and the emperor rebuked him indirectly. An edict removed Chaoen as army-supervision commissioner and increased his actual fief, bringing the total to one thousand households. Chaoen began to suspect trouble, yet at each court audience the emperor's gracious regard was unchanged, and he paid Yuan Zai no heed. At a Cold Food festival banquet for close ministers, Chaoen entered for audience. Previously, whenever the banquet ended he always left to return to camp, but this day an edict detained him. Chaoen began to fear for his life. His words turned quite insolent, but the emperor, remembering past service, did not rebuke him. That day Chaoen returned to his residence and hanged himself. Liu Xixian was also thrown into prison and ordered to take his own life.
45
希暹，出自戎伍，有膂力，形貌光偉，以騎射聞。 朝恩用之為神策都虞候，封交河郡王。 善候朝恩意旨，深被委信。 累遷至太僕卿，與兵馬使王駕鶴同掌禁兵，所為不法。 諷朝恩於北軍置獄，召坊市兇惡少年，羅織城內富人，誣以違法，捕置獄中，忍酷考訊，錄其家產，並沒於軍。 或有舉選之士，財貨稍殷，客於旅舍，遇橫死者非一。 坊市苦之，謂之「入地牢」。 捕賊吏有賈明觀者，尤兇蠹，以屢置大獄，家產巨萬。 希暹黨之，地在禁密，人無敢言者。 朝恩死，上寬宥之。 以素志非順，慮不見容，常自疑懼。 與王駕鶴聯職，希暹辭多不遜。 駕鶴純謹，上信任之，至是以希暹語上聞，乃誅之。
Xixian came from the military ranks. He was powerfully built, bright and imposing in appearance, and renowned for horsemanship and archery. Chaoen appointed him chief adjutant of the Shence Army and enfeoffed him as Prince of Jiaohe Commandery. He was adept at reading Chaoen's intentions and enjoyed his deep trust. He rose repeatedly until he became Minister of the Stud. Together with army-horse commissioner Wang Jiahe he jointly controlled the palace armies, and their conduct was unlawful. He persuaded Chaoen to establish a prison in the northern army camp and summon vicious youths from the wards and markets. They framed wealthy men in the city on charges of wrongdoing, seized and imprisoned them, tortured them cruelly, inventoried their property, and confiscated it all for the army. Some examination candidates of modest wealth who lodged at inns met violent deaths in more than one case. The wards and markets suffered bitterly from this and called it "being sent to the underground dungeon." Among the thief-catching clerks was one Jia Mingguan, especially vicious and corrupt. Through repeatedly fabricating major cases, he amassed household property in the tens of thousands. Xixian protected him. The prison lay within the forbidden inner precinct, and no one dared speak out. After Chaoen's death, the emperor showed him leniency. Because his disposition had long been insubordinate, he feared he would not be tolerated and lived in constant suspicion and dread. He held joint office with Wang Jiahe, and Xixian's speech was often insolent. Jiahe was upright and conscientious, and the emperor trusted him. On this occasion Xixian's words reached the emperor, and Xixian was put to death.
46
賈明觀者，本萬年縣捕賊吏。 事希暹，恣為兇惡，毒甚豺狼。 朝恩、希暹既死，元載復受明觀奸謀，潛容之，特奏令江西效力。 明觀將出城，百姓數萬人懷磚石候之，載令市吏止約。 明觀在洪州二年，觀察使魏少遊容之。 及路嗣恭代少遊，至郡之日，召明觀笞殺之。 識者減魏之名，多路之正。
Jia Mingguan had originally been a thief-catching clerk in Wannian County. Serving under Xixian, he indulged in violence and cruelty, savage as a wolf. After Chaoen and Xixian were dead, Yuan Zai again took Mingguan's treacherous counsel, sheltered him in secret, and specially memorialized to send him to serve in Jiangxi. When Mingguan was about to leave the city, tens of thousands of commoners waited for him with bricks and stones in hand. Yuan Zai ordered market officials to restrain and calm the crowd. Mingguan spent two years in Hong Prefecture, where the observer Wei Shaoyou sheltered him. When Lu Sigong replaced Shaoyou, on the day he arrived at the prefecture he summoned Mingguan and had him flogged to death. Men of discernment lowered Wei's reputation and praised Lu's righteousness.
47
朝恩素待禮部尚書裴士淹，戶部侍郎、判度支第五琦，二人亦坐貶官。
Chaoen had long favored the Minister of Rites Pei Shiyan and the Vice Minister of Revenue and acting commissioner of the Finance Bureau, Diwu Qi. Both men were also implicated and demoted.
48
=竇文場、霍仙鳴=
Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming
49
竇文場、霍仙鳴者，始在東宮事德宗。 初魚朝恩誅後，內官不復典兵，德宗以親軍委白志貞。 志貞多納豪民賂，補為軍士，取其傭直，身無在軍者，但以名籍請給而已。 涇師之亂，帝召禁軍禦賊，志貞召集無素，是時並無至者，唯文場、仙鳴率諸宦者及親王左右從行。 志貞貶官，左右禁旅，悉委文場主之。 從幸山南，兩軍漸集。
Dou Wenchang and Huo Xianming had originally served Dezong in the Eastern Palace. After Yu Chaoen was executed, inner officials no longer commanded troops, and Dezong entrusted the imperial guard to Bai Zhiben. Zhiben frequently accepted bribes from wealthy commoners, enrolled them as soldiers, and pocketed their pay. None actually served in the army; they existed only on the rolls to claim rations. During the Jingshi mutiny, the emperor summoned the palace armies to repel the rebels. Zhiben mustered them without discipline, and none arrived. Only Wenchang and Xianming led the eunuchs and the attendants of imperial princes in following the emperor. Zhiben was demoted, and command of the left and right palace guards was entirely entrusted to Wenchang. Following the emperor into exile in Shannan, the two armies gradually assembled.
50
德宗還京，頗忌宿將，凡握兵多者，悉罷之。 禁旅文場、仙鳴分統焉。 六月，特立護軍中尉兩員、中護軍兩員，以帥禁軍。 乃以文場為左神策護軍中尉，仙鳴為右神策護軍中尉，右神威軍使張尚進為右神策中護軍，內謁者監焦希望為左神策中護軍，自文場等始也。
When Dezong returned to the capital, he deeply distrusted veteran generals and dismissed all who held substantial military power. Command of the palace guard was divided between Wenchang and Xianming. In the sixth month, two Protector Army Commandants and two Central Protector Generals were specially established to command the palace armies. Wenchang was appointed Left Shence Protector Army Commandant, Xianming Right Shence Protector Army Commandant, Zhang Shangjin, commissioner of the Right Shenwei Army, Right Shence Central Protector General, and Jiao Xiwang, Director of Palace Reception, Left Shence Central Protector General. This practice began with Wenchang and his colleagues.
51
時竇、霍之權，振於天下，籓鎮節將，多出禁軍，臺省清要，時出其門。 文場累加驃騎大將軍。 是歲仙鳴病，帝賜馬十匹，令於諸寺為僧齋以祈福。 久病不愈，十四年，倉卒而卒。 上疑左右小使正將食中加毒，配流者數十人。 仙鳴死後，以開府內常侍第五守亮為右軍中尉。 文場連表請致仕，許之。
At that time the power of Dou and Huo shook the realm. Frontier military commissioners mostly came from the palace armies, and prestigious posts in the Secretariat and ministries often issued from their faction. Wenchang was repeatedly promoted until he reached General of Agile Cavalry. That year Xianming fell ill. The emperor bestowed ten horses and ordered vegetarian feasts for monks at various temples to pray for his recovery. His long illness did not improve, and in the fourteenth year he died suddenly. The emperor suspected that attendants and petty officers had poisoned his food, and several dozen were sentenced to exile. After Xianming's death, Diwu Shouliang, Palace Attendant with the status of Grand Preceptor, was appointed Right Army Commandant. Wenchang repeatedly memorialized requesting retirement, and permission was granted.
52
十五年已後，楊志廉、孫榮義為左右軍中尉，亦踵竇、霍之事，怙寵驕恣。 貪利冒寵之徒，利其納賄，多附麗之。 至於貞元末，宦官復盛。 順宗即位，王叔文用事，與韋執誼謀奪神策軍權，乃用宿將範希朝為京西北禁軍都將。 事未行，為內官俱文珍等所排，叔文貶而止。
After the fifteenth year, Yang Zhilian and Sun Rongyi served as Left and Right Army Commandants. They followed the example of Dou and Huo, relying on imperial favor and growing arrogant and unrestrained. Men greedy for profit and eager for favor, drawn by their readiness to accept bribes, flocked to attach themselves to them. By the end of the Zhenyuan era, eunuch power had revived. When Shunzong ascended the throne, Wang Shuwen held power. Together with Wei Zhiyi he plotted to seize control of the Shence Army and appointed the veteran general Fan Xichao chief commander of the palace armies northwest of the capital. Before the plan could be carried out, the inner officials Ju Wenzhen and others blocked it. Shuwen was demoted, and the scheme came to nothing.
53
=俱文珍=
Ju Wenzhen
54
俱文珍，貞元末宦官，後從義父姓，曰劉貞亮。 性忠正，剛而蹈義。 順宗即位，風疾不能視朝政，而宦官李忠言與牛美人侍病。 美人受旨於帝，復宣之於忠言； 忠言授之王叔文。 叔文與朝士柳宗元、劉禹錫、韓日華圖議，然後下中書，俾韋執誼施行，故王之權振天下。 叔文欲奪宦者兵權，每忠言宣命，內臣無敢言者，唯貞亮建議與之爭。 知其朋徒熾，慮隳朝政，乃與中官劉光琦、薛文珍、尚衍、解玉等謀，奏請立廣陵王為皇太子，勾當軍國大事。 順宗可之。 貞亮遂召學士衛次公、鄭絪、李程、王涯入金鑾殿，草立儲君詔。 及太子受內禪，盡逐叔文之黨，政事悉委舊臣，時議嘉貞亮之忠藎。 累遷至右衛大將軍，知內侍省事。 卒，憲宗思其翊戴之功，贈開府儀同三司。
Ju Wenzhen was a eunuch of the late Zhenyuan era. Later he took his adoptive father's surname and was known as Liu Zhenliang. He was loyal and upright by nature, resolute and devoted to righteousness. When Shunzong ascended the throne, a paralytic ailment kept him from attending to court affairs, and the eunuch Li Zhongyan and the Lady Niu attended him in his illness. The Lady received the emperor's instructions and then relayed them to Zhongyan; Zhongyan passed them on to Wang Shuwen. Shuwen deliberated with court gentlemen Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, and Han Rihua, then sent matters down to the Secretariat for Wei Zhiyi to execute. Thus Wang's power shook the realm. Shuwen sought to seize military power from the eunuchs. Whenever Zhongyan proclaimed an edict, none of the inner officials dared object—only Zhenliang offered counsel and disputed with him. Seeing that Shuwen's faction was growing strong and fearing the ruin of court governance, he plotted with the inner officials Liu Guangqi, Xue Wenzhen, Shang Yan, Jie Yu, and others. They memorialized to install the Prince of Guangling as crown prince and entrust him with state and military affairs. Shunzong approved the proposal. Zhenliang then summoned the academicians Wei Cigong, Zheng Yin, Li Cheng, and Wang Ya into the Hall of Golden Bells to draft the edict installing the heir apparent. When the crown prince received the inner abdication, he expelled Shuwen's entire faction and entrusted government affairs to the former ministers. Contemporary opinion praised Zhenliang's loyal devotion. He rose repeatedly until he became General of the Right Guard and Director of the Palace Domestic Service. When he died, Xianzong remembered how he had helped secure the succession and posthumously enfeoffed him as Grand Preceptor with the Protocol of Three Offices.
55
=吐突承璀=
Tu Tu Chenghui
56
吐突承璀，幼以小黃門直東宮，性敏慧，有才幹。 憲宗即位，授內常侍，知內省事，左監門將軍。 俄授左軍中尉、功德使。 四年，王承宗叛，詔以承璀為河中、河南、浙西、宣歙等道赴鎮州行營兵馬招討等使，內侍省常侍宋惟澄為河南、陜州、河陽已來館驛使，內官曹淮玉、劉國珍、馬江朝等分為河北行營糧料館驛等使。 諫官、御史上疏相屬，皆言自古無中貴人為兵馬統帥者，補闕獨孤郁、段平仲尤激切。 憲宗不獲已，改為充鎮州已來招撫處置等使。 及承璀率禁軍上路，帝御通化門樓，慰諭遣之。 出師經年無功，乃遣密人告王承宗，令上疏待罪，許以罷兵為解。 仍奏昭義節度使盧從史素與賊通，許為承宗求節鉞。 乃誘潞州牙將烏重胤謀執從史送京師。 及承宗表至，朝廷議罷兵，承璀班師，仍為禁軍中尉。 段平仲抗疏極論承璀輕謀弊賦，請斬之以謝天下，憲宗不獲已，降為軍器使。 俄復為左衛上將軍，知內侍省事。
Tu Tu Chenghui had served in the Eastern Palace as a junior palace attendant from youth. He was keen and clever by nature, with talent and ability. When Xianzong ascended the throne, Chenghui was appointed Palace Attendant, Director of Palace Affairs, and General of the Left Gate Guard. Before long he was appointed Left Army Commandant and Commissioner of Meritorious Works. In the fourth year Wang Chengzong rebelled. An edict appointed Chenghui Commissioner for Recruiting and Punitive Operations for the field headquarters marching on Zhen Prefecture across the circuits of Hezhong, Henan, Zhexi, and Xuanshe. Song Weicheng, Palace Attendant of the Palace Domestic Service, was made Commissioner of Post Stations from Henan and Shan Prefectures and Heyang onward, and the inner officials Cao Huaiyu, Liu Guozhen, Ma Jiangchao, and others were appointed commissioners of grain supplies and post stations for the Hebei field headquarters. Remonstrating officials and censorial officials submitted memorial after memorial, all declaring that since antiquity no honored inner official had commanded troops. The remonstrance clerk Dugu Yu and Duan Pingzhong were especially forceful. Xianzong, left with no alternative, changed the appointment to Commissioner for Pacification and Disposition from Zhen Prefecture onward. When Chenghui led the palace armies onto the road, the emperor mounted the gate tower at Tonghua Gate to comfort and instruct them as he sent them off. The campaign dragged on for a year without success. Chenghui then sent a secret agent to tell Wang Chengzong to submit a memorial awaiting punishment, promising withdrawal of troops as the terms of settlement. He also memorialized that Lu Congshi, military commissioner of Zhaoyi, had long colluded with the rebels and had promised to seek a commissioner's seal for Chengzong. He then induced Wu Chongyin, a garrison officer at Lu Prefecture, to plot Congshi's capture and delivery to the capital. When Chengzong's memorial arrived, the court deliberated on withdrawing troops. Chenghui withdrew the army and remained Commandant of the palace armies. Duan Pingzhong submitted a forceful memorial vehemently arguing that Chenghui's rash schemes had harmed taxation and requesting his execution to appease the realm. Xianzong, having no alternative, demoted Chenghui to Commissioner of Military Equipment. Soon he was again appointed Senior General of the Left Guard and Director of the Palace Domestic Service.
57
時弓箭庫使劉希先取羽林大將軍孫璹錢二十萬，以求方鎮，事發賜死，辭相告訐，事連承璀，乃出為淮南節度監軍使。
At that time Liu Xixian, commissioner of the Bow and Arrow Storehouse, took two hundred thousand in cash from Sun Zan, General of the Forest of Feathers, in exchange for a frontier commission. When the affair was exposed he was ordered to take his own life, and in his testimony he implicated others. The matter touched Chenghui, who was then sent out as army supervisor of the Huainan military commission.
58
太子通事舍人李涉，性狂險，投匭上書，論希先、承璀無罪，不宜貶戮。 諫議大夫、知匭事孔戣，見涉疏之副本，不受其章。 涉持疏於光順門欲進之，戣上疏論其纖邪，貶涉硤州司倉。 上待承璀之意未已，而宰相李絳在翰林，時數論承璀之過，故出之。 八年，欲召承璀還，乃罷絳相位。 承璀還，復為神策中尉。 惠昭太子薨，承璀建議請立澧王寬為太子，憲宗不納，立遂王宥。 穆宗即位，銜承璀不佑己，誅之。 敬宗時，中尉馬存亮論承璀之冤，詔雪之，仍令假子士曄以禮收葬。
Li She, Master of Ceremonies Attendant of the Crown Prince, was reckless and dangerous by nature. He submitted a letter through the complaint box arguing that Xixian and Chenghui were innocent and should not be demoted or executed. Kong Kui, Remonstrance Grandee and commissioner of the complaint box, saw a copy of She's memorial and refused to accept his petition. She carried the memorial to Guangshun Gate intending to submit it. Kong Kui memorialized denouncing his subtle wickedness, and She was demoted to Warehouse Clerk of Xia Prefecture. The emperor's favor toward Chenghui had not yet ended, but Chief Minister Li Jiang was in the Hanlin Academy and frequently criticized Chenghui's faults. For this reason Chenghui was sent out. In the eighth year, wishing to recall Chenghui, the emperor dismissed Li Jiang from the chief ministership. Chenghui returned and was again appointed Shence Commandant. When Crown Prince Huizhao died, Chenghui memorialized to install Prince Li Kuan as crown prince. Xianzong did not accept the proposal and installed Prince Sui You instead. When Muzong ascended the throne, he resented Chenghui for not supporting him and had him executed. During Jingzong's reign, Commandant Ma Cunliang argued that Chenghui had been wronged. An edict cleared his name and ordered his adopted son Shi Ye to bury him with proper rites.
59
=王守澄=
Wang Shoucheng
60
王守澄，元和末宦者。 憲宗疾大漸，內官陳弘慶等弒逆。 憲宗英武，威德在人，內官秘之，不敢除討，但云藥發暴崩。 時守澄與中尉馬進潭、梁守謙、劉承偕、韋元素等定冊立穆宗皇帝。 長慶中，守澄知樞密事。
Wang Shoucheng was a eunuch of the late Yuanhe era. When Xianzong's illness grew grave, the inner officials Chen Hongqing and others murdered him. Xianzong had been heroic and martial, and his authority and virtue still lived in men's hearts. The inner officials kept the truth secret and dared not pursue the culprits, saying only that medicine took effect and he died suddenly. At that time Shoucheng, together with Commandants Ma Jintan, Liang Shouqian, Liu Chengjie, Wei Yuansu, and others, settled the enthronement of Emperor Muzong. During the Changqing era, Shoucheng took charge of confidential state affairs.
61
初，元和中，守澄為徐州監軍，遇翼城醫人鄭註，出入節度使李醖家。 註敏悟過人，博通典藝，棋奕醫卜，尤臻於妙，人見之者，無不歡然。 註嘗為李醖煮黃金，服一刀圭，可愈痿弱重膇之疾，復能反老成童。 醖與守澄服之，頗效。 守澄知樞密，薦引入禁中，穆宗待之亦厚。 註多奇詭，每與守澄言必通夕。
Earlier, during the Yuanhe era, Shoucheng was army supervisor of Xuzhou and encountered the physician Zheng Zhu of Yicheng, who frequented the household of the military commissioner Li Yun. Zhu was keen and perceptive beyond ordinary men, broadly versed in classical arts. In chess, medicine, and divination he especially reached mastery, and all who met him were delighted. Zhu once prepared gold for Li Yun to consume. One small spoonful, he claimed, could cure ailments of weakness and swollen legs and even reverse age and restore youth. Li Yun and Shoucheng took it, and it proved quite effective. Once Shoucheng took charge of confidential state affairs, he recommended Zhu for entry into the inner palace, and Muzong treated him generously as well. Zhu was full of strange and devious notions, and whenever he spoke with Shoucheng they talked through the night.
62
文宗即位，守澄為驃騎大將軍，充右軍中尉。 註復得幸於文宗，後依倚守澄，大為奸弊。 文宗以元和逆黨尚在，其黨大盛，心常憤惋，端居不怡。 翰林學士宋申錫嘗獨對探知，上略言其意，申錫請漸除其逼。 帝亦以申錫沈厚有方略，為其事可成，乃用為宰相。 申錫謀未果，為註所察，守澄乃令軍吏豆盧著誣告申錫與漳王謀逆，申錫坐貶。
When Wenzong ascended the throne, Shoucheng was made General of Agile Cavalry and appointed Right Army Commandant. Zhu again gained favor with Wenzong. Later, relying on Shoucheng, he committed great wickedness and corruption. Because the Yuanhe faction of regicides still survived and their party had grown powerful, Wenzong was constantly indignant and sat brooding in discontent. The Hanlin Academician Song Shenxi once probed the emperor's mind in a private audience. The emperor briefly stated his intent, and Shenxi offered to remove the eunuchs' pressure gradually. The emperor also considered Shenxi deep, steady, and strategic, and believed the affair could succeed. He therefore appointed him chief minister. Shenxi's plot did not succeed and was detected by Zhu. Shoucheng then had the army clerk Dou Luzhe falsely accuse Shenxi of plotting rebellion with the Prince of Zhang, and Shenxi was implicated and demoted.
63
宰相李逢吉從子訓，與註交通，訓亦機詭萬端，二人情義相得，俱為守澄所重。 復引訓入禁中，為上講《周易》。 既得幸，又探知帝旨，復以除宦官謀中帝意。 帝以訓才辯縱橫，以為其事必捷，待以殊寵，自流人中用為學官，充侍進學士。 時仇士良有翌上之功，為守澄所抑，位未通顯。 訓奏用士良分守澄之權，乃以士良為左軍中尉； 守澄不悅，兩相矛盾。 訓因其惡。
Li Xun, nephew of Chief Minister Li Fengji, was in contact with Zhu. Xun was also endlessly crafty and cunning, and the two were bound in mutual affection and both highly valued by Shoucheng. He again introduced Xun into the inner palace to lecture the emperor on the Book of Changes. Once he had gained favor, he again probed the emperor's intent and, with a plan to remove the eunuchs, struck exactly what the emperor wished. The emperor, impressed by Xun's talent for eloquent and sweeping argument, believed the affair would surely succeed and treated him with exceptional favor, appointing him from among the exiled to be a learning official and Attendant Academician-in-Waiting. At that time Qiu Shiliang had helped secure the enthronement, but Shoucheng kept him down and his rank had not yet risen to prominence. Xun memorialized to employ Shiliang to divide Shoucheng's power, and Shiliang was appointed Left Army Commandant; Shoucheng was displeased, and the two men fell into open conflict. Xun exploited his displeasure.
64
，帝令內養李好古齏鴆賜守澄，秘而不發，守澄死，仍贈揚州大都督。 其弟守涓為徐州監軍，召還，至中牟，誅之。 守澄豢養訓、註，反罹其禍，人皆快其受佞，而惡訓、註之陰狡。
The emperor ordered the inner attendant Li Haogu to bring Shoucheng poisoned broth as a gift. The matter was kept secret. When Shoucheng died, the court still posthumously enfeoffed him as Grand Governor of Yangzhou. His younger brother Shoujuan was army supervisor of Xuzhou. He was recalled, and when he reached Zhongmou he was put to death. Shoucheng had nurtured Xun and Zhu, yet in the end he fell victim to them. Men rejoiced at his fate for favoring flatterers, and condemned the secret craftiness of Xun and Zhu.
65
李訓既殺守澄，復惡鄭註，乃奏用註為鳳翔節度使。 訓欲盡誅宦官，乃與金吾將軍韓約、新除太原節度使王璠、新除邠寧節度使郭行餘、權御史中丞李孝本、權京兆尹羅立言謀。 其年十一月二十一日，上御宣政殿，百僚班定，韓約不奏平安，乃奏曰：「臣當仗廨內石榴樹，夜來降甘露，請陛下幸仗舍觀之。」 帝乘輦趨金吾仗。 中尉仇士良與諸官先往石榴樹觀之，伺知其詐； 又聞幕下兵仗聲，蒼黃而還，奏曰：「南衙有變。」 遂扶帝輦入閣門。 李訓從輦大呼曰：「邠寧、太原之兵，何不赴難？ 衛乘輿者，人賞百千！」 於是誰何之卒，及御史臺從人，持兵入宣政殿院，宦官死者甚眾。 輦既入閣門，內官呼萬歲。 俄而士良等率禁兵五百餘人，露刃出東上閣逢人即殺，王涯、賈餗、舒元輿、李訓等四人宰相及王璠、郭行餘等十一人，屍橫闕下。 自是權歸士良與魚弘志。 至宣宗即位，復誅其太甚者，而閽寺之勢，仍握軍權之重焉。
After Li Xun had brought about Shoucheng's death, he turned against Zheng Zhu and memorialized to appoint Zhu military commissioner of Fengxiang. Xun plotted to slaughter every eunuch. He conspired with General of the Gold Crow Han Yue, the newly appointed military commissioner of Taiyuan, Wang Fan, the newly appointed military commissioner of Binning, Guo Xingyu, the acting Vice Censor-in-Chief Li Xiaoben, and the acting metropolitan magistrate of Jingzhao, Luo Liyan. On the twenty-first day of the eleventh month of that year, the emperor held court at Xuanzheng Hall. When the hundred officials had taken their places, Han Yue did not deliver the customary report of peace and security. Instead he said, "Within my barracks office there is a pomegranate tree. Last night sweet dew descended upon it. I beg Your Majesty to come to the barracks quarters and see it for yourself." The emperor mounted his carriage and hurried to the Gold Crow barracks. Commandant Qiu Shiliang and the other officials went ahead to inspect the pomegranate tree and secretly perceived the fraud; Hearing weapons beneath the curtain wall, they fled back in alarm and reported, "There is an uprising in the Southern Court." They then escorted the emperor's carriage through the Gate Tower. Li Xun followed the carriage and cried out, "The armies of Binning and Taiyuan—why do you not come to the rescue? Whoever guards the imperial carriage will receive a reward of a hundred or a thousand per man!" Thereupon patrol guards and attendants from the Censorate, weapons in hand, stormed into the courtyard of Xuanzheng Hall, and a great many eunuchs were killed. Once the carriage had passed through the Gate Tower, the inner officials shouted, "Long live the emperor!" Before long Shiliang and others led more than five hundred palace troops with bared blades out through the Upper Eastern Gate Tower, killing anyone they met. The four chancellors Wang Ya, Jia Su, Shu Yuanyu, and Li Xun, together with Wang Fan, Guo Xingyu, and eleven others in all lay dead beneath the gate tower. From this time forward power passed to Shiliang and Yu Hongzhi. When Xuanzong ascended the throne he executed the worst offenders among them, yet eunuch power still held the weight of military authority.
66
=田令孜=
Tian Lingzi
67
田令孜，本姓陳。 咸通中，從義父入內侍省為宦者。 頗知書，有謀略，自諸司小使監諸鎮用兵，累遷神策中尉、左監門衛大將軍。 乾符中，盜起關東。 諸軍誅盜，以令孜為觀軍容、制置左右神策、護駕十軍等使。 京師不守，從僖宗幸蜀。 鸞輿返正，令孜頗有匡佐之功，時令孜威權振天下。
Tian Lingzi was originally surnamed Chen. During the Xiantong era he entered the Palace Domestic Service as a eunuch alongside his adoptive father. He was literate and shrewd, rising from a petty attendant who supervised military affairs at the various garrisons until he was promoted repeatedly to Shence Commandant and Grand General of the Left Gate Guard. During the Qianfu era rebellion broke out east of the Pass. As the armies moved to suppress the rebels, Lingzi was appointed Army Supervisor, Commissioner for Establishing the Left and Right Shence Armies, and Commissioner of the Ten Armies Protecting the Imperial Carriage. When the capital fell, he accompanied Emperor Xizong into exile in Shu. When the court returned to the capital, Lingzi had done much to restore the throne. At that time his power shook the realm.
68
時關中寇亂初平，國用虛竭，諸軍不給。 令孜請以安邑、解縣兩池榷鹽課利，全隸神策軍。 詔下，河中王重榮抗章論列，言使名久例隸當道，省賦自有常規。 令孜怒，用王處存為河中節度使，重榮不奉詔。 令孜率禁兵討之。 重榮引太原軍為援，戰於沙苑，禁軍大敗。 京師復亂，僖宗出幸寶雞，又移幸山南，方鎮皆憾令孜生事。 令孜懼，引前樞密楊復恭代己，從幸梁州，求為西川監軍。 西川節度使陳敬瑄，即令孜之弟也。
At that time the turmoil in Guanzhong had only just subsided, state revenues were empty, and the armies went unpaid. Lingzi requested that the salt-monopoly profits from the pools at Anyi and Jie County be assigned entirely to the Shence Army. When the edict was issued, Wang Chongrong of Hezhong submitted a forceful memorial arguing that the salt commissioners had long belonged to the local circuit by precedent, and that provincial levies followed established regulations. Lingzi grew angry and installed Wang Chucun as military commissioner of Hezhong, but Chongrong refused to obey the edict. Lingzi led the palace armies against him. Chongrong called in the Taiyuan army as reinforcements. They fought at Shayuan, and the palace armies were routed. The capital fell into chaos again. Xizong fled to Baoji, then moved his court to Shannan. The regional garrisons all blamed Lingzi for stirring up trouble. Fearing for himself, Lingzi brought in the former secretariat chief Yang Fugong to replace him, followed the emperor to Liang Prefecture, and asked to be made army supervisor of West River. The military commissioner of West River, Chen Jingxuan, was Lingzi's younger brother.
69
昭宗即位，三川大亂。 詔宰相韋昭度鎮西川，陳敬瑄不受代。 令孜引閬州刺史王建為援，建素以父事令孜。 時建方亂東川，聞其召也，以西蜀可圖，欣然赴之。 建以所領千餘兵至漢州，陳敬瑄以建雄豪難制，辭而遣之。 建曰：「十軍阿父召予，及門而拒，鄰籓聞之，孰肯相容？ 為予報令公，建至此，無所歸也。」 遂遣使上表，請討陳敬瑄以自效。 朝廷嘉之，即命昭度為招討，入蜀加兵，經年無功，昭度還京。 建遂絕棧道，不通詔使。 歲中急擊成都，陳敬瑄計窘，遣令孜出城，與建通和。 建竟自為蜀帥，令孜以義父之故，依倚仍舊監軍事。 既而陳敬瑄遇鴆，令孜亦為建所殺。
When Zhaozong ascended the throne, the Three River regions were in chaos. An edict ordered Chief Minister Wei Zhaodu to take command of West River, but Chen Jingxuan refused to step down. Lingzi brought in Wang Jian, the prefect of Lang Prefecture, as reinforcement. Jian had long regarded Lingzi as a father figure. At that time Jian was campaigning in East River. When he heard the summons, he judged West Shu ripe for the taking and gladly answered it. Jian marched to Han Prefecture with more than a thousand troops. Chen Jingxuan, finding him too bold and difficult to control, made excuses and sent him away. Jian said, "The adoptive father of the Ten Armies summoned me, and now I am turned away at his gate. When neighboring circuits hear of this, who will suffer me to remain? Tell the Commandant for me: Jian has come this far and has nowhere else to go." He then sent envoys with a memorial offering to campaign against Chen Jingxuan to prove his loyalty. The court approved the plan and immediately appointed Zhaodu punitive commissioner. He entered Shu with reinforcements, but after a year without success Zhaodu returned to the capital. Jian then severed the plank roads and blocked imperial envoys bearing edicts. Within the year he pressed hard against Chengdu. Chen Jingxuan, at his wits' end, sent Lingzi out of the city to parley with Jian. Jian ultimately made himself military commander of Shu. Because of their adoptive-father bond, Lingzi continued to rely on him and still supervised army affairs. Before long Chen Jingxuan was poisoned, and Jian killed Lingzi as well.
70
=楊復光=
Yang Fuguang
71
楊復光，內常侍楊玄價之養子也。 幼以宦者入內侍省，慷慨負節義，有籌略，為小黃門，監鎮兵征討。 乾符中，賊渠黃巢之犯江西，復光為排陣使，遣判官吳彥弘入城喻朝旨，巢即令其將尚君長奉表歸國。 招討使宋威害其功，並兵擊賊，巢怒，復作剽。 朝廷誅尚君長，怨怒愈深。 宋威戰敗，復光總其兵權，進攻洪州，擒賊將徐唐莒。 詔以荊南節度使王鐸為招討，代宋威。 復光監忠武軍，屯於鄧州，以遏賊沖。
Yang Fuguang was the adopted son of Palace Attendant Yang Xuanjia. From youth he entered the Palace Domestic Service as a eunuch. Magnanimous and possessed of principled loyalty, he was also shrewd. As a junior palace attendant he supervised garrison troops on campaign. During the Qianfu era, when the bandit chieftain Huang Chao invaded Jiangxi, Fuguang served as battle formation commissioner and sent his aide Wu Yanhong into the city to explain the court's intent. Chao then ordered his general Shang Junzhang to submit a memorial offering allegiance. The punitive commissioner Song Wei stole credit for the achievement and combined forces to attack the rebels. Chao grew enraged and resumed raiding. The court executed Shang Junzhang, and Chao's resentment grew ever deeper. Song Wei was defeated in battle. Fuguang assumed overall command, advanced to attack Hong Prefecture, and captured the rebel general Xu Tangju. An edict appointed Wang Duo, military commissioner of Jingnan, punitive commissioner in Song Wei's place. Fuguang supervised the Zhongwu Army, encamped at Deng Prefecture to block the rebels' advance.
72
京師陷賊，節度使周岌受偽命，賊使往來旁午。 岌嘗夜宴，急召復光。 左右曰：「周公歸賊，必謀害內侍，不如勿往。」 復光曰：「事勢如此，義不圖全。」 即赴之。 酒酣，岌言本朝事，復光因泣下。 良久曰：「丈夫所感者恩義，而規利害，非丈夫也。 公自匹夫享公侯之貴，豈舍十八葉天子而北面臣賊，何恩義利害之可言乎！」 聲淚俱發，岌亦為之流涕。 岌曰：「吾不能獨力拒賊，貌奉而心圖之，故召公。」 瀝酒為盟。 是夜，復光遣其養子守亮殺賊使於傳舍。
The capital fell to the rebels. Military Commissioner Zhou Ji accepted a commission from the rebels, and rebel envoys came and went without pause. One night Ji held a banquet and urgently summoned Fuguang. His attendants said, "Lord Zhou has gone over to the rebels and will surely plot to harm you. It would be better not to go." Fuguang said, "Matters stand as they do. A man bound by principle does not plot to save himself alone." He immediately went. When the wine had gone deep, Ji spoke of the dynasty, and Fuguang wept. After a long while he said, "A true man is moved by gratitude and principle. To weigh profit and loss is not worthy of a true man. You rose from common birth to the nobility of duke or marquis. How could you abandon the emperor of eighteen generations and bow north to serve rebels? What talk can there be of gratitude or treachery!" His voice broke and tears streamed forth, and Ji wept as well. Ji said, "I cannot resist the rebels alone. Outwardly I submit while inwardly I plot against them. That is why I summoned you." They poured out wine and swore their alliance. That night Fuguang had his adopted son Shouliang kill the rebel envoy at the relay station.
73
時秦宗權叛岌，據蔡州。 復光得忠武之師三千入蔡州，說宗權，俾同義舉。 宗權遣將王淑率眾萬人從復光收荊襄。 次鄧州，王淑逗留不進，復光斬之，並其軍，分為八都。 鹿晏弘、晉暉、李師泰、王建、韓建等，皆八都之大將也。 進攻南陽，賊將硃溫、何勤來逆戰。 復光敗之，進收鄧州，獻捷行在，五月也。 復光乘勝追賊，至藍橋，丁母憂還。 尋起復，受詔充天下兵馬都監，押諸軍入定關輔。 王重榮為東面招討使，復光以兵會之。
At that time Qin Zongquan rebelled against Ji and seized Cai Prefecture. Fuguang obtained three thousand Zhongwu troops and entered Cai Prefecture, persuading Zongquan to join the loyal cause. Zongquan sent the general Wang Shu with ten thousand men to follow Fuguang in recovering Jing and Xiang. When they reached Deng Prefecture, Wang Shu halted and refused to advance. Fuguang executed him, absorbed his army, and divided it into eight commands. Lu Yanhong, Jin Hui, Li Shitai, Wang Jian, Han Jian, and others were all senior generals of the eight commands. Advancing to attack Nanyang, they met the rebel generals Zhu Wen and He Qin in battle. Fuguang defeated them, recovered Deng Prefecture, and presented the victory to the mobile court in the fifth month. Fuguang pursued the rebels in victory as far as Lanqiao, then withdrew to observe mourning for his mother. Soon he was recalled from mourning and appointed overall supervisor of armies and horses, leading the combined armies to secure the Guanzhong region. Wang Chongrong served as eastern punitive commissioner, and Fuguang joined him with troops.
74
二年七月，至河中。 賊將硃溫守同州，復光遣使諭之。 九月，溫以所部來降。 時賊將李翔守華州，巢寇益盛，王重榮憂之。 謂復光曰：「臣賊則負國，拒戰則兵微，今日成敗，未可知也，公其圖之。」 復光曰：「雁門李僕射以雄武振北陲，其家尊與吾先世同患難。 李雁門奮不顧身，自播遷已來，征兵未至者，蓋太原阻路也。 如以朝旨諭鄭公，詔到，其軍必至。」 重榮曰：「善！」 王鐸遣使奉墨詔之太原，太原以兵從之。 及收京城，三敗巢賊，復光與其子守亮、守宗等身先犯難，功烈居多。 其年六月，卒於河中，時年四十二。
In the seventh month of the second year he reached Hezhong. The rebel general Zhu Wen held Tong Prefecture. Fuguang sent envoys to persuade him to surrender. In the ninth month Zhu Wen surrendered with the troops under his command. At that time the rebel general Li Xiang held Hua Prefecture, Huang Chao's raids grew ever fiercer, and Wang Chongrong was deeply troubled. He said to Fuguang, "If I submit to the rebels I betray the state; if I resist, my forces are too few. Today success or failure hangs in the balance. Sir, you must devise a plan." Fuguang said, "Vice Censor-in-Chief Li of Yanmen shook the northern frontier with his martial prowess. His honored father and my forebears shared the same hardships. Li Keyong of Yanmen would throw himself into battle without regard for his own life. Since the court went into exile, the reason summoned troops have not arrived is that Taiyuan lies blocking the road. If we use the court's mandate to inform the Duke of Zheng, when the edict arrives his army will surely come." Chongrong said, "Excellent!" Wang Duo dispatched envoys bearing the handwritten edict to Taiyuan, and Taiyuan sent troops in response. When the capital was recovered, having thrice defeated Huang Chao's rebels, Fuguang and his sons Shouliang, Shouzong, and others personally led the charge. Their achievements were foremost among all. In the sixth month of that year he died at Hezhong, aged forty-two.
75
復光雖黃門近幸，然慷慨有大志，善撫士卒； 及死之日，軍中慟哭累日。 身後平賊立功者，多是復光部下門人故將也。
Although Fuguang was a favored palace attendant, he was magnanimous and ambitious, and skilled at winning the loyalty of his troops; On the day of his death the army mourned and wept for days on end. Among those who later pacified rebels and won distinction, many were Fuguang's former disciples and veteran officers.
76
諸假子：守亮，興元節度使； 守宗，忠武節度使：守信，商州防禦使； 守忠，洋州節度使； 其餘以守為名者數十人，皆為牧守將帥。
Among his adopted sons: Shouliang, military commissioner of Xingyuan; Shouzong, military commissioner of Zhongwu; Shouxin, defense commissioner of Shang Prefecture; Shouzhong, military commissioner of Yang Prefecture; Several dozen other adopted sons whose names contained Shou all served as prefects, governors, and generals.
77
=楊復恭=
Yang Fugong
78
楊復恭，貞元末中尉楊志廉之後。 志廉子欽義，大中朝為神策中尉。 欽義子三人：玄翼、玄價、玄寔。
Yang Fugong was a descendant of Commandant Yang Zhilian of the late Zhenyuan era. Zhilian's son Qinyi served as Shence Commandant during the Dazhong reign. Qinyi had three sons: Xuanyi, Xuanjia, and Xuanshi.
79
玄翼，咸通中掌樞密； 玄寔乾符中為右軍中尉； 玄價，河陽監軍。
Xuanyi, during the Xiantong reign, held charge of the Bureau of Military Affairs; During the Qianfu reign Xuanshi served as Right Shence Commandant; Xuanjia served as army supervisor at Heyang.
80
復恭，即玄翼子也。 以父，幼為宦者，入內侍省。 知書，有學術，每監諸鎮兵。 龐勛之亂，監陣有功，自河陽監軍入為宣徽使。 ，玄翼卒，起復為樞密使。 時黃巢犯闕，左軍中尉田令孜為天下觀軍容制置使，專制中外。 復恭每事力爭得失，令孜怒，左授復恭飛龍使，乃稱疾退於藍田。
Fugong was Xuanyi's son. On account of his father he was made a eunuch while still a boy and entered the Palace Domestic Service. He was literate and well schooled, and regularly supervised troops in the various circuits. During Pang Xun's rebellion he won merit supervising the battle line and was transferred from Heyang army supervisor to Commissioner of the Directorate of Imperial Entertainment. When Xuanyi died, Fugong was recalled from mourning and appointed Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. At that time Huang Chao assaulted the capital; Left Shence Commandant Tian Lingzi served as Commissioner for Army Supervision and Disposition Throughout the Realm and wielded dictatorial power over court and provinces alike. On every matter Fugong fought hard over what was right and wrong; enraged, Tian Lingzi demoted him to Commissioner of the Flying Dragon Office, whereupon Fugong pleaded illness and withdrew to Lantian.
81
僖宗自蜀還京，田令孜出師失律，車駕再幸山南，復用復恭為樞密使，尋代令孜為右軍中尉。 時行在制置，內外經略，皆出於復恭。 車駕還京，授觀軍容使，封魏國公。
When Emperor Xizong returned from Shu to the capital, Tian Lingzi lost the field and the imperial carriage again took refuge in Shannan; Fugong was again made Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and soon replaced Tian as Right Shence Commandant. At that time every disposition at the mobile court and every plan within and without issued from Fugong. When the imperial carriage returned to the capital he was appointed Commissioner of Army Supervision and enfeoffed as Duke of Wei.
82
僖宗晏駕，迎壽王踐祚。 ，加開府、金吾上將軍，專典禁兵，既軍權在手，頗擅朝政。 昭宗惡之，政事多訪於宰臣。 故韋昭度、張浚、杜讓能每有陳奏，即舉大中故事，稍抑宦者之權。 上性明察，由是偏聽之釁生焉。 國舅王瑰，頗居中任事，復恭惡之，奏授黔南節度。 至吉柏江，覆舟而沒，物議歸咎於復恭，上每切齒道復恭。 復恭假子天威軍使守立，權勇冠於六軍，人皆避之。 上欲罪復恭，懼守立為亂，乃謂復恭曰：「吾要卿家守立在左右，可進來。」 乃賜姓李，名順節，恩寵特異，勢侔樞要。 乃與復恭爭權，每中傷其陰事，授順節鎮海軍節度使、同平章事。
When Emperor Xizong died, Fugong welcomed Prince Shou to the throne. He was further granted an office with separate establishment and made Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Guards, with exclusive charge of the palace armies; once military power was in his hands he came to dominate court affairs to a considerable degree. Emperor Zhaozong resented this and consulted chief ministers on most affairs of state. Accordingly whenever Wei Zhaodu, Zhang Jun, and Du Rangneng submitted memorials they cited Dazhong-era precedents to curb eunuch power little by little. The emperor was by nature sharp-eyed and discerning, and from this the seeds of biased listening took root. The emperor's maternal uncle Wang Gui held considerable sway at court; Fugong hated him and memorialized to have him appointed military commissioner of Qiannan. At the Jibo River his boat capsized and he drowned; public opinion blamed Fugong, and the emperor ground his teeth whenever Fugong's name was mentioned. Fugong's adopted son Shouli, commander of the Tianwei Army, was in authority and courage foremost among the Six Armies, and everyone gave him a wide berth. The emperor wished to punish Fugong but feared Shouli might rebel; he therefore told Fugong, "I want your household's Shouli at my side—send him in. The emperor then bestowed the surname Li and the name Shunjie; favor and grace were extraordinary, and his power rivaled the Bureau of Military Affairs. Shunjie then contended with Fugong for power, repeatedly exposing his private affairs to harm him, and was appointed military commissioner of Zhenhai Army and acting chief minister.
83
九月，詔復恭致仕，賜杖履。 復恭既失勢，欲退止商山別居，第在昭化裏，近玉山營。 假子守信為玉山軍使，守信時候復恭於其第，或誣告雲玉山軍使與復恭謀亂，詔李順節率禁軍攻之。 昭宗御延喜樓。 守信以兵拒之，順節屢敗。 際晚，守信、復恭挈其族出通化門，趨興元。 守信令部將張綰殿其後，綰戰敗，被擒。 復恭至興元，節度使楊守亮乃糾合諸守義兄弟舉兵，以討順節為名。 天子詔李茂貞、王行瑜討之。
In the ninth month an edict ordered Fugong to retire and granted him a staff and shoes. Having lost his power, Fugong wished to withdraw and live in seclusion on Mount Shang; his mansion stood in Zhaohua Ward, near Yushan Camp. His adopted son Shouxin was commander of Yushan Army; Shouxin often attended on Fugong at his mansion when someone falsely reported that the Yushan commander and Fugong were plotting rebellion, and an edict ordered Li Shunjie to lead the palace armies against them. Emperor Zhaozong took his place on the Yanxi Tower. Shouxin held them off with troops, and Shunjie suffered defeat after defeat. As evening fell, Shouxin and Fugong led their clans out through Tonghua Gate and fled toward Xingyuan. Shouxin ordered his subordinate Zhang Wan to bring up the rear; Wan was defeated and captured. When Fugong reached Xingyuan, military commissioner Yang Shouliang rallied the various Shouyi brothers to raise troops under the banner of punishing Shunjie. The Son of Heaven ordered Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu to campaign against them.
84
明年，守亮兵敗，復恭與守亮挈其族，將奔太原，入商山。 至乾元縣，為華州兵所獲，執送京師，皆梟首於市。 李茂貞收興元，進復恭前後與守亮私書六十紙，內訴致仕之由云：「承天是隋家舊業，大侄但積粟訓兵，不要進奉。 吾於荊榛中援立壽王，有如此負心，門生天子，既得尊位，乃廢定策國老。」 其不遜如是。 後復恭假子彥博奔太原，收復恭骸骨，葬於介休縣之抱腹山。
The following year Shouliang's army was defeated; Fugong and Shouliang led their clans intending to flee to Taiyuan and entered the Shang Mountains. At Qianyuan County they were seized by Hua Prefecture troops and escorted to the capital; all were decapitated and displayed in the marketplace. Li Maozhen took Xingyuan and presented sixty sheets of private correspondence exchanged between Fugong and Shouliang, in which Fugong explained why he had retired, writing: "Chengtian is the Sui family's old domain; my eldest nephew need only store grain and train troops and need not send tribute. I plucked Prince Shou from brambles and thorns to set him on the throne—yet so faithless; a pupil-emperor, once he gained the exalted seat, cast aside the elder statesman who fixed the succession. Such was the insolence of his language. Later Fugong's adopted son Yanbo fled to Taiyuan, recovered Fugong's remains, and buried them on Baofu Mountain in Jiexiu County.
85
復恭之後，宦者西門重遂為右軍中尉。 李茂貞初並山南，兵眾強盛，干預朝政，宰相杜讓能與重遂等謀誅之。 師興，為茂貞所敗，重遂被誅，乃以內官駱全瓘、劉景宣為左右軍中尉。
After Fugong, the eunuch Ximen Chong became Right Shence Commandant. When Li Maozhen first annexed the Shannan region his forces were mighty and he meddled in court affairs; chief minister Du Rangneng plotted with Chong and others to kill him. When the army marched out it was defeated by Li Maozhen; Chong was executed, and the inner officials Luo Quanguan and Liu Jingxuan were made Left and Right Shence Commandants.
86
春，李茂貞、王行瑜以兵入朝，殺宰相韋昭度、李溪。 河東節度使李克用率師渡河，討邠、岐二帥，軍於渭北。 駱全瓘與茂貞宿衛將閻圭，脅天子幸岐州，昭宗蒼黃幸莎城。 茂貞以太原問罪，乃誅全瓘、閻圭以自解。 昭宗幸華州，宦官稍微。
That spring Li Maozhen and Wang Xingyu entered the capital at the head of troops and killed chief ministers Wei Zhaodu and Li Xi. Hedong military commissioner Li Keyong led his army across the river to campaign against the two commanders of Bin and Qi and encamped north of the Wei River. Luo Quanguan and Li Maozhen's imperial guard general Yan Gui coerced the Son of Heaven to go to Qi Prefecture; Emperor Zhaozong fled in panic to Shayu. When Taiyuan pressed charges against him Li Maozhen executed Quanguan and Yan Gui to clear himself. Emperor Zhaozong went to Hua Prefecture, and eunuch influence diminished slightly.
87
及光化還宮，內官景務修、宋道弼復專國政，宰相崔胤深惡之，中外不睦。 宰相徐彥若、王搏有度量，見其陰險相傾，懼危時事，嘗奏曰：「人君當務大體，平心御物，無有偏私。 偏任偏聽，古人所患。 今中官怙寵，道路目之，皆知此弊，然未能卒改。 俟多難漸平，以道消息之。 陛下勿泄聖謨，啟其奸詐。」 崔胤知搏所奏，頗銜之，他日見上，曰：「王搏奸邪，已為敕使外應，不可在相位。」 二年六月，貶搏官，賜死於藍田。 道弼、務修亦賜死。 以樞密使劉季述、王奉先為兩軍中尉，出徐彥若鎮南海。
When he returned to the palace in the Guanghua era the inner officials Jing Wuxiu and Song Daobi again monopolized state affairs; chief minister Cui Yin hated them deeply and discord between court and palace grew. Chief ministers Xu Yanruo and Wang Bo were men of breadth and measure; seeing how the factions schemed treacherously against each other they feared for the times and once memorialized: "A ruler should attend to the larger whole, govern with an even heart, and show no partiality. Partial appointments and biased listening are what the ancients dreaded. Today the inner officials rely on favor—people on the road watch them and all know this abuse, yet it cannot suddenly be ended. Wait until the many troubles gradually subside, and then gently persuade them by the Way. Your Majesty must not leak your sacred designs and thereby awaken their crafty deceit. Cui Yin learned what Wang Bo had memorialized and nursed resentment; another day when he saw the emperor he said, "Wang Bo is treacherous and wicked—he already responds in secret to the edict commissioners and cannot remain chief minister." In the sixth month of the second year Wang Bo was demoted and ordered to commit suicide at Lantian. Daobi and Wuxiu were likewise ordered to die. The Bureau of Military Affairs commissioners Liu Jishu and Wang Fengxian were made commandants of the two armies, and Xu Yanruo was sent out to govern Nanhai.
88
崔胤秉政而排擯宦官，季述等外結籓侯，以為黨援。 十一月六日，季述矯詔以皇太子監國，遂廢昭宗。 居東內，奪傳國寶授太子。 昭宗以何皇后宮。 數人隨行，幽於東宮。 季述手持銀禋，於上前以禋畫地數上罪狀，云：「某時某事，你不從我言，其罪一也。」 其悖逆如此。 乃令李師虔以兵圍之。 鎔錫錮其扃镕鐍。 時方凝冽，嬪御無被，哭聲聞於外。 穴墻通食者兩月。 十二月晦，崔胤等謀反正，誅季述、奉先，復迎昭宗即位，改元。
Cui Yin held the government and pushed eunuchs aside; Jishu and the rest allied outward with regional lords as factional support. On the sixth day of the eleventh month Jishu forged an edict putting the crown prince in charge of the realm and then deposed Emperor Zhaozong. He occupied the eastern inner palace, seized the imperial seal of transmission, and conferred it on the crown prince. Emperor Zhaozong was placed with Empress He in the palace quarters. Only a few attendants went with him; he was confined in the Eastern Palace. Jishu held a silver ceremonial staff before the emperor and, tracing on the ground with it, enumerated the emperor's offenses, saying, "At such-and-such a time, in such-and-such a matter, you did not heed my words—that is your first offense. Such was his audacity and treason." He then ordered Li Shiqian to surround the emperor with troops. They melted tin to seal the door bolts and locks. The weather was then bitterly cold; the palace women had no quilts, and their weeping could be heard outside. For two months food was passed through a hole breached in the wall. On the last day of the twelfth month Cui Yin and the others plotted restoration, executed Jishu and Fengxian, and again escorted Emperor Zhaozong to the throne, changing the reign title.
89
其歲十一月，硃全忠寇河中華州，陷之； 京師震恐。 中尉韓全誨請上且幸鳳翔。 全忠追逼乘輿，兵圍鳳翔者累年。 三年正月，茂貞殺兩軍中尉韓全誨、張弘彥、樞密使袁易簡、周敬容等二十二人，皆斬首，以布囊貯之，令學士薛貽矩送於全忠求和。 是月，全忠迎駕還長安，詔以崔胤為宰相，兼判六軍諸衛。
That year in the eleventh month Zhu Quanzhong raided Hezhong and Hua Prefecture and took them; The capital trembled with fear. Commandant Han Quanhui asked the emperor to take temporary refuge at Fengxiang. Quanzhong pressed hard upon the imperial carriage; for years his troops besieged Fengxiang. In the first month of the third year Li Maozhen executed the two armies' commandants Han Quanhui and Zhang Hongyan, the Bureau of Military Affairs commissioners Yuan Yijian and Zhou Jingrong, and twenty-two others in all—all were beheaded, their heads stowed in cloth sacks, and the academician Xue Yiju was ordered to deliver them to Quanzhong to sue for peace. That same month Quanzhong escorted the imperial carriage back to Chang'an; an edict made Cui Yin chief minister and additionally put him in charge of the Six Armies and guard offices.
90
胤奏曰：「高祖、太宗承平時，無內官典軍旅。 自天寶以後，宦官浸盛。 貞元、元和，分羽林衛為左、右神策軍，使衛從，令宦官主之，唯以二千人為定制。 自是參掌樞密。 由是內務百司，皆歸宦者，上下彌縫，共為不法：大則傾覆朝政，小則構扇籓方。 車駕頻致播遷，朝廷漸加微弱，原其禍作，始自中人。 自先帝臨御已來，陛下纂承之後，朋儕日熾，交亂朝綱，此不翦其本根，終為國之蟊賊。 內諸司使務宦官主者，望一切罷之，諸道監軍使，並追赴闕廷，即國家萬世之便也。」 詔曰：
Yin memorialized: "Emperors Gaozu and Taizong, in tranquil times, had no inner officials in command of armies. From the Tianbao era onward eunuchs grew steadily more powerful. In the Zhenyuan and Yuanhe eras the Yulin Guard was divided into Left and Right Shence Armies for imperial escort, placed under eunuch command with a fixed establishment of only two thousand men each. From that point they shared management of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Thereafter a hundred offices of inner administration fell to eunuchs; above and below patched over one another and together practiced unlawfulness—great affairs overturning court governance, small ones inciting frontier circuits. The imperial carriage was repeatedly driven to flight; the court grew ever weaker; tracing the origin of the disaster, it began with the inner attendants. From when the late emperor first held the throne down to Your Majesty's succession their clique grew daily fiercer and tangled the court statutes—unless this root is cut it will forever be the state's locust plague. All inner office posts held by eunuchs should be abolished at once, and military supervisors in every circuit summoned back to the capital court—that would be the state's blessing for ten thousand generations. The edict said:
91
宦官之興，肇於秦、漢。 趙高、閻樂，竟滅嬴宗； 張讓、段珪，遂傾劉祚。 肆其志則國必受禍，悟其事則運可延長。 朕所以斷在不疑，祈天永命者也。
The rise of eunuchs began in the Qin and Han. Zhao Gao and Yan Le in the end extinguished the Ying house; Zhang Rang and Duan Gui likewise overturned the Liu throne. When they indulged their ambitions the state inevitably suffered harm; when rulers perceived the matter the dynasty could be prolonged. It is for this that I resolve without hesitation, praying Heaven for enduring mandate.
92
先皇帝嗣位之始，年在幼沖，群豎相推，奄專大政。 於是毒流宇內，兵起山東，遷幸三川，幾淪神器。 回鑾之始，率土思安，而田令孜妒能忌功，遷搖近鎮，陳倉播越，患難相仍。 洎朕纂承，益相侮慢，復恭、重遂逞其禍，道弼、季述繼其兇； 幽辱朕躬，淩脅孺子。 天復返正，罪己求安，兩軍內樞，一切假借。 韓全誨等每懷憤惋，曾務報仇； 視將相若血仇，輕君上如木偶。 未周星歲，竟致播遷； 及在岐陽，過於羈紲。 上憂宗社傾墜，下痛民庶流離，茫然孤居，無所控告。
At the beginning of the late emperor's accession he was still in tender years; the eunuch clique pushed one another forward and suddenly monopolized great affairs. Poison then flowed through the realm; armies rose in Shandong; the court moved to the Three Rivers and nearly lost the throne. At the first return of the imperial carriage all the land longed for peace, yet Tian Lingzi envied talent and begrudged achievement, unsettled nearby circuits, chaos at Chencang and flight upon flight—hardship followed hardship. When I succeeded to the throne they grew ever more insulting and contemptuous; Fugong and Chong let loose their calamities, Daobi and Jishu succeeded their wickedness; They shamed and imprisoned my person and threatened the young heir. When Tianfu restored order I confessed fault seeking peace, yet both armies and the inner secretariat were entirely entrusted to them. Han Quanhui and the others always nursed indignation and strove for revenge; They treated chief ministers and generals like mortal enemies and held the ruler lightly as a wooden puppet. Before a single year had turned they again drove the court to flight; And at Qiyang the restraint exceeded mere bonds. Above I grieved lest the altars of state collapse; below I ached at the people's exile and dispersion—alone in confusion with nowhere to appeal.
93
全忠位兼二柄，深識朕心，駐兵近及於三年，獨斷方誅於元惡。 今謝罪郊廟，即宅宮闈，正刑當在於事初，除惡宜絕其根本。 先朝及朕，五致播遷，王畿之氓，減耗大半； 父不能庇子，夫不能室妻。 言念於茲，痛深骨髓，其誰之罪？ 爾輩之由！
Quanzhong wields both civil and military authority, knows Our mind well, has kept his army near the capital for nearly three years, and by his own resolve has at last destroyed the chief culprit. Having now offered thanks at the suburban altars and taken up residence in the inner palace, punishment should fall while the matter is fresh, and evil must be cut off at the root. Under the previous reign and Our own the court has been driven into exile five times, and the population of the capital region has been reduced by more than half; fathers could not protect their sons, husbands could not keep their wives at home. To speak of it is to feel pain to the marrow—whose fault is this? Yours alone!
94
帝王之為治也，內有宰輔卿士，外有籓翰大臣，豈可令刑餘之人，參預大政？ 況此輩皆朕之家臣也，比於人臣之家，則奴隸之流。 恣橫如此，罪惡貫盈，天命誅之，罪豈能舍？ 橫屍伏法，固不足矜，含容久之，亦所多愧。 其第五可範已下，並宜賜死。 其在畿甸同華、河中，並盡底處置訖。 諸道監軍使已下，及管內經過並居停內使，敕到並仰隨處誅夷訖聞奏。 已令準國朝故事，量留三十人，各賜黃絹衫一領，以備宮內指使，仍不得輒有養男。 其左右神策軍，並令停廢。
In governing, emperors rely on chancellors and ministers within and on frontier commanders without—how could those who bear the mark of castration be allowed to meddle in great affairs of state? Moreover these men are Our household servants—in any minister's household they would rank as mere slaves. Yet they ran riot to this degree until their crimes overflowed; Heaven itself condemns them—how could their guilt be spared? That they should lie dead under the law is hardly cause for pity; that We tolerated them so long is what shames Us most. From Ke Fan of the fifth rank downward, all are to be granted death. Those in the capital region, in Tonghua, and in Hezhong are all to be dealt with to the last man. Army supervisors in every circuit and below, and any inner attendants who passed through or lodged in their jurisdictions, are to be executed on the spot when this edict arrives, and completion reported. By dynastic precedent We have ordered that thirty be retained, each given a yellow silk jacket for palace errands, and none may again rear adopted sons. The Left and Right Shence armies are both to be abolished.
95
是日，諸司宦官百餘人，及隨駕鳳翔群小又二百餘人，一時斬首於內侍省，血流塗地。 及宮人宋柔等十一人，兩街僧道與內官相善者二十餘人，並笞死於京兆府。 內諸司一切罷之，皆歸省寺。 自是京城並無宦宮，天子每宣傳詔命，即令宮人出入。 崔胤雖復仇快志，國祚旋亦覆亡，悲夫！
That day more than a hundred eunuchs from the various offices and another two hundred followers who had accompanied the court to Fengxiang were beheaded at once in the Palace Domestic Service, and blood pooled across the ground. The palace woman Song Rou and eleven others, and more than twenty monks and Daoists of the two wards who had been close to the eunuchs, were beaten to death at the office of the Jingzhao governor. All the inner bureaus were abolished at once and their functions returned to the regular ministries. From that time there were no eunuchs in the capital; whenever the emperor issued an edict, palace women carried it. Though Cui Yin had his revenge, the dynasty soon perished as well—how lamentable!
96
贊曰：崇墉大廈，壯其楹磶。 殿邦禦侮，亦俟明德。 宵人意褊，動不量力。 投鼠敗器，良堪太息。
The commentator says: Lofty walls and great halls depend on strong pillars and foundation stones. To defend the realm and repel insult likewise depends on enlightened virtue. Palace eunuchs are narrow-minded and act without gauging their strength. Striking the rat and breaking the vessel—truly a cause for deep regret.