1
《語》曰：「無求生以害仁，有殺身以成仁。」 孟軻曰：「生亦我所欲，義亦我所欲，舍生而取義可也。」 古之德行君子，動必由禮，守之以仁，造次顛沛，不愆於素。 有若仲由之結纓，鉏麑之觸樹，紀信之蹈火，豫讓之斬衣，此所謂殺身成仁，臨難不茍者也！ 然受刑一代，顧瞻七族。 不犯難者，有終身之利； 隨市道者，獲當世之榮。 茍非氣義不群，貞剛絕俗，安能碎所重之支體，徇他人之義哉！ 則由、麑、信、讓之徒，君人者常宜血祀，況自有其臣乎！ 即如安金藏剖腹以明皇嗣，段秀實挺笏而擊元凶，張巡、姚摐之守城，杲卿、真卿之罵賊，又愈於金藏。 秀實等各見本傳。 今采夏侯端、李悽已下，附於此篇。 夏侯端夏侯端，壽州壽春人，梁尚書左僕射詳之孫也。 仕隋為大理司直，高祖龍潛時，與其結交。 大業中，高祖帥師於河東討捕，乃請端為副。 時煬帝幸江都，盜賊日滋。 端頗知玄象，善相人，說高祖曰：「金玉床搖動，此帝座不安。 參墟得歲，必有真人起於實沈之次。 天下方亂，能安之者，其在明公。 但主上曉察，情多猜忍，切忌諸李，強者先誅，全才既死，明公豈非其次？ 若早為計，則應天福； 不然者，則誅矣！」 高祖深然其言。 及義師起，端在河東，為吏所捕，送於長安，囚之。 高祖入京城，釋之。 引入臥內，與語極歡，授秘書監。
The Analects says, "One must not preserve one's life at the cost of benevolence, but may give one's life to complete benevolence. Mencius said, "Life is something I want, and righteousness is something I want too. If I cannot have both, I would rather surrender life and hold to righteousness." Men of virtue in ancient times acted always according to ritual and upheld benevolence; whether rushed or in distress, they never strayed from who they were. Zhong You binding his cap-strings, Chu Ni ramming the tree, Ji Xin walking into the flames, Yu Rang slashing his robe—these are the very men who "gave their lives to complete benevolence" and would not bend when disaster struck! Yet to suffer capital punishment in one's own time is to bring ruin upon seven generations of kin. He who never risks his neck enjoys lifelong advantage; while he who drifts with the crowd wins honor in his own day. Unless a man's spirit set him apart through loyalty and courage, his integrity absolute and far from the common run, how could he tear apart the body he treasured for the sake of someone else's cause! Men like Zhong You, Chu Ni, Ji Xin, and Yu Rang ought to receive blood offerings from any lord—and how much more when they were his own officers! And later figures surpassed even them—An Jinzang disemboweling himself to vindicate the heir, Duan Xiushi striking the rebel leader with his tablet, Zhang Xun and Yao Gun holding their cities, Yan Gaoqing and Yan Zhenqing cursing the invaders. Duan Xiushi and the rest each have full accounts elsewhere in these annals. Here we have selected Xiahou Duan, Li Chong, and the men who follow, and set their lives down in this chapter. Xiahou Duan was a native of Shouchun in Shou Prefecture and grandson of Xiang, who had served Liang as Left Vice Director of the Secretariat. Under the Sui he was a direct clerk in the Court of Judicial Review; while Gaozu was still in private life, the two became close friends. During the Daye reign, when Gaozu led troops from Hedong on pacification campaigns, Duan asked to serve as his second-in-command. The Yang emperor was then at Jiangdu, and banditry spread day by day. Duan knew celestial omens well and was skilled at physiognomy. He told Gaozu, "When the golden jade bed trembles, the imperial seat is unsettled. When Shen and Xu receive the year's influence, a true lord will surely rise in the quarter of Shi Chen. The realm is in chaos; he who can pacify it—will it not be you, my lord? But the sovereign is sharp-eyed, suspicious and cruel; he is destroying every Li. The strongest are killed first—when all able men are gone, will you not be next? If you act in time, you will answer Heaven's mandate; otherwise you will be executed! Gaozu was deeply persuaded by what he said. When the righteous army rose, Duan was at Hedong; officials seized him, sent him to Chang'an, and imprisoned him. When Gaozu entered the capital, he set Duan free. He brought him into his private chamber and spoke with him at great length in high spirits, then appointed him Director of the Palace Library.
2
屬李密為王世充所破，以眾來降，關東之地，未有所屬。 端固請往招諭之，乃加大將軍，持節為河南道招慰使。 至黎陽，李勣發兵送之，自澶水濟河，傳檄郡縣，東至於海，南至於淮，二十餘州，並遣使送款。 行次譙州，會亳州刺史丁叔則及汴州刺史王要漢並以所部降於世充，路遂隔絕。
When Li Mi was defeated by Wang Shichong and came over with his army, the lands east of the Pass still had no acknowledged ruler. Duan pressed hard to go win them over; he was made Grand General and given credentials as Pacification Commissioner for the Henan Circuit. At Liyang, Li Ji sent troops to escort him; he crossed the Yellow River from the Cang ford and issued proclamations through the commanderies and counties. From the sea in the east to the Huai in the south, more than twenty prefectures sent envoys to pledge allegiance. When he reached Qiao Prefecture, he learned that Bo Prefect Ding Shize and Bian Prefect Wang Yaohan had both surrendered their districts to Shichong, cutting off his route.
3
端素得眾心，所從二千人，雖糧盡，不忍委去。 端知事必不濟，乃坐澤中，盡殺私馬，以會軍士。 因歔欷曰：「今王師已敗，諸處並沒，卿等土壤，悉皆從偽，特以共事之情，未能見委。 然我奉王命，不可從。 卿有妻子，無宜效我。 可斬吾首，持歸於賊，必獲富貴。」 眾皆流涕。 端又曰：「卿不忍見殺，吾當自刎。」 眾士抱持之，皆曰：「公於唐家，非有親屬，但以忠義之故，不辭於死。 諸人與公共事，經涉艱危，豈有害公而取富貴！」 復與同進。 潛行五日，餒死者十三四； 又為賊所擊，奔潰相失者大半。 端唯與三十餘人東走，采生瑩豆而食之。 猶持節與之俱臥起，謂眾人曰：「平生不知死地乃在此中。 我受國恩，所以然耳，今卿等何乃相伴死乎！ 可散投賊，猶全性命。 吾當抱此一節，與之俱殞。」 眾又不去。
Duan had long won men's hearts; though provisions were gone, his two thousand followers could not bring themselves to abandon him. Seeing that the mission could not succeed, he halted in a marsh, slaughtered every private horse, and shared the meat with his men. He sighed and said, "The royal army is defeated and every district is lost. Your homelands have all submitted to the pretender. Only our time together keeps you from leaving me. Yet I hold the king's commission and cannot go over. You have wives and children—you should not die as I must. Cut off my head and carry it to the enemy—you will surely win wealth and rank. Everyone wept. Duan said again, "If you cannot bear to kill me, I will cut my own throat. The men seized him, crying, "You have no kin in the house of Tang; it is loyalty and righteousness alone that make you refuse to shrink from death. We have shared hardship with you—how could we harm you for wealth and rank! They pressed on together again. They marched in secret for five days, and a third or fourth of the men died of hunger; then rebels struck them again and more than half scattered in flight. Duan had only thirty-odd men left heading east, gathering wild beans and edible greens to survive. He still carried his credentials and slept and rose with them, telling the men, "I never knew the land of death was here. I received the state's grace—that is why I am here. Why should you die with me! Scatter and join the rebels—you may yet save your lives. I will keep this seal to my breast and die with it. The men would not leave him.
4
屬李公逸為唐守杞州，聞而勒兵迎館之。 於時河南之地，皆入世充，唯公逸感端之義，獨堅守不下。 世充遣使召端，解衣遺之。 禮甚厚，仍送除書，以端為淮南郡公、吏部尚書。 端對其使者曰：「夏侯端天子大使，豈受王世充之官！ 自非斬我頭將往見汝，何容身茍活而屈於賊乎！」 遂焚其書，拔刀斬其所遺衣服。 因發路西歸，解節旄懷之，取竿加刃，從間道得至宜陽。
Li Gongyi was holding Qi Prefecture for Tang; when he heard of Duan's plight he led troops out to receive and shelter him. By then all of Henan had submitted to Shichong; only Gongyi, moved by Duan's example, held his city and refused to yield. Shichong sent envoys to summon Duan and presented him with gifts of clothing. The courtesy was lavish; they also brought an appointment naming him Duke of Huainan and Minister of Personnel. Duan told the envoys, "Xiahou Duan is the Son of Heaven's grand envoy—how could he accept office from Wang Shichong! Unless you carry off my head to show him, how could I keep my body alive and bow to a rebel! He burned their letter, drew his sword, and slashed the clothes they had brought. Then he set out west, hid the seal-tassels in his breast, fixed a blade to a pole, and by secret paths reached Yiyang.
5
初，山中險峻，先無蹊徑，但冒履榛梗，晝夜兼行，從者三十二人，或墜崖溺水、遇猛獸而死又半，其餘至者，皆鬢髮禿落，形貌枯瘠。 端馳驛奉見，但謝無功，殊不自言艱苦。 高祖憫之，復以為秘書監。 俄出為梓州刺史。 所得料錢，皆散施孤寡。 病卒。 劉感劉感，岐州鳳泉人，後魏司徒高昌王豐生之孫也。 武德初，以驃騎將軍鎮涇州。 薛仁杲率眾圍之。 感嬰城拒守，城中糧盡，遂殺所乘馬以分將士，感一無所啖，唯煮馬骨取汁，和木屑食之。 城垂陷者數矣。 長平王叔良援兵至，仁杲解圍而去。 感與叔良出戰，為賊所擒。 仁杲復圍涇州，令感語城中云：「援軍已敗，徒守孤城，何益也！ 宜早出降，以全家室。」 感許之。 及至城下，大呼曰：「逆賊饑餓，亡在朝夕！ 秦王率數十萬眾，四面俱集，城中勿憂，各宜自勉，以全忠節！」 仁杲大怒，執感於城邊，埋腳至膝，馳騎射殺之，至死聲色逾厲。
At first the mountains were trackless and steep; they forced their way through thorns day and night. Of thirty-two followers, some fell from cliffs, drowned, or were killed by wild beasts—half were lost again; those who arrived had hair fallen out and faces gaunt with hunger. Duan rode post-haste to audience and apologized only for failing; he said nothing of his hardships. Gaozu pitied him and again appointed him Director of the Palace Library. Soon after he was sent out as Prefect of Zizhou. Every stipend he received he gave away to orphans and the destitute. He died of illness. Liu Gan was a native of Fengquan in Qi Prefecture and grandson of Fengsheng, Prince of Gaochang and Minister over the Masses of Northern Wei. In early Wude he was made General of Agile Cavalry and stationed at Jing Prefecture. Xue Rengao led a host to besiege the city. Gan shut the gates and held out; when grain ran out he killed his own horse to share among the troops. He ate nothing himself—only boiled the horse bones for broth and mixed it with wood shavings. The city nearly fell many times. Prince Changping, Shuliang, arrived with relief troops and Rengao lifted the siege and withdrew. Gan and Shuliang went out to fight and were captured. Rengao again besieged Jing and made Gan call to the city, "The relief army is defeated—what use is there in holding a lone city! Surrender at once and save your families. Gan agreed. When he reached the foot of the wall he shouted, "The rebels are starving—ruin is only days away! The Prince of Qin leads hundreds of thousands and is closing in on every side. Do not despair—steel yourselves and hold to loyalty unto death! Rengao was furious; he seized Gan at the wall, buried him to the knees, and had horsemen ride past shooting at him until he died—his voice and bearing fiercer to the last.
6
賊平，高祖購得其屍，祭以少牢，贈瀛州刺史，封平原郡公，謚曰忠壯。 令其子襲官爵，並賜田宅。 常達常達，陜人也。 初仕隋為鷹揚郎將，數從高祖征伐，甚蒙親待。 及義兵起，達在霍邑，從宋老生來拒戰。 老生敗，達懼，自匿不出。 高祖謂達已死，令人閱屍求之。 及達奉見，高祖大悅，以為統軍。 武德初，拜隴州刺史。 時薛舉屢攻之，不能克，乃遣其將仵士政以數百人偽降達。 達不之測，厚加撫接。 士政伺隙以其徒劫達，擁城中二千人而叛，牽達以見於舉。 達詞色抗厲，不為之屈。 舉指其妻謂達曰：「識皇后否？」 達曰：「正是癭老嫗，何足可識！」 竟釋之。 有賊帥張貴謂達曰：「汝識我否？」 答曰：「汝逃死奴。」 瞋目視之，貴怒，拔刀將斫達。 人救之，獲免。
When the rebels were crushed, Gaozu bought back his body, sacrificed to it with a lesser victim, made him Prefect of Ying, enfeoffed him as Duke of Pingyuan, and gave him the posthumous title Loyal and Stalwart. He ordered Gan's son to inherit his rank and offices and granted him fields and houses. Chang Da was a native of Shan. He first served the Sui as an Eagle-Flying Captain and often followed Gaozu on campaign, enjoying his close favor. When the righteous army rose, Da was at Huoyi and came with Song Laosheng to resist. Laosheng was defeated; in fear Da hid himself and did not emerge. Gaozu thought Da was dead and had men search the corpses for him. When Da presented himself, Gaozu was overjoyed and made him army commander. In early Wude he was appointed Prefect of Long. Xue Ju attacked repeatedly but could not take the city; he sent his general Wu Shizheng with several hundred men to feign surrender. Da could not see through the ruse and treated them warmly. Shizheng seized his chance, seized Da with his men, rallied the city's two thousand troops in revolt, and led Da before Ju. Da's words and bearing were defiant; he would not yield. Ju pointed at his wife and said to Da, "Do you recognize the empress? Da said, "She is just that goitered old hag—why should she be worth recognizing! Ju released him in the end. A rebel chief Zhang Gui said to Da, "Do you know me? He answered, "You are a runaway slave condemned to death." Staring at him with bulging eyes, Gui drew his sword in anger to strike Da down. Others restrained him and Da was spared.
7
及仁杲平，高祖見達，謂曰：「卿之忠節，便可求之古人。」 命起居舍人令狐德棻曰：「劉感、常達，須載之史策也。」 執仵士政，撲殺之。 賜達布帛三百段，復拜隴州刺史，卒。 羅士信羅士信，齊州歷城人也。 大業中，長白山賊王簿、左才相、孟讓來寇齊郡，通守張須陀率兵討擊。 士信年始十四，固請自效。 須陀謂曰：「汝形容未勝衣甲，何可入陣！」 士信怒，重著二甲，左右雙鞬而上馬，須陀壯而從之。 擊賊濰水之上。 陣才列，士信馳至賊所，刺倒數人，斬一人首，擲於空中，用槍承之，戴以略陣。 賊眾愕然，無敢逼者； 須陀因而奮擊，賊眾大潰。 士信逐北，每殺一人，輒劓其鼻而懷之； 及還，則驗鼻以表殺賊之多少也。 須陀甚加嘆賞，以所乘馬遺之，引置左右。 每戰，須陀先登，士信為副。 煬帝遣使慰喻之，又令畫工寫須陀、士信戰陣之圖，上於內史。
When Rengao was pacified Gaozu saw Da and said, "Your loyalty and steadfastness are the equal of the ancients. He told the recorder Linghu Defen, "Liu Gan and Chang Da must be entered in the historical records." They seized Wu Shizheng and beat him to death. They gave Da three hundred bolts of silk and cloth, again appointed him Prefect of Long, and he died in office. Luo Shixin was a native of Licheng in Qi Prefecture. During the Daye reign, the Mount Changbai bandits Wang Bo, Zuo Caixiang, and Meng Rang raided Qi Commandery, and Commissioner Zhang Xutuo led troops against them. Shixin was only fourteen, yet he begged insistently to be allowed to serve. Xutuo told him, "Your body is not yet strong enough for armor—how can you go into battle! Enraged, Shixin donned double armor, strapped quivers to both sides, mounted, and Xutuo, impressed by his mettle, let him come along. They engaged the bandits along the Wei River. Hardly had the line formed when Shixin charged into the enemy ranks, felled several men, severed one head, tossed it skyward, caught it on his spear, and paraded it before the array. The bandits stood dumbfounded; not one dared advance. Xutuo pressed the advantage, and the bandits broke and fled in utter disorder. Shixin chased down the retreating enemy, and for every man he killed he sliced off the nose and carried it with him. Back in camp, he counted the noses to prove how many enemies he had slain. Xutuo was deeply impressed, gave him his own mount, and kept him close at hand. In every fight Xutuo led the charge, with Shixin right behind him. Emperor Yang dispatched envoys to praise them and had artists paint scenes of Xutuo and Shixin in battle, which were sent up to the Inner Secretariat.
8
及須陀為李密所殺，士信隨裴仁基率眾歸於密，署為總管。 使統所部，隨密擊王世充。 敗，士信躍馬突進，身中數矢，乃陷於世充軍。 世充知其驍勇，厚禮之，與同寢食。 後世充破李密，得密將邴元真等，盡拜為將軍，不復專重之。 士信恥與為伍，率所部千餘人奔於谷州。 高祖以為陜州道行軍總管，使圖世充。 及大軍至洛陽，士信以兵圍世充千金堡。 中有大罵之者，士信怒，夜遣百餘人將嬰兒數十至於堡下，詐言「從東都來投羅總管」。 因令嬰兒啼噪，既而佯驚曰：「此千金堡，吾輩錯矣！」 忽然而去。 堡中謂是東都逃人，遽出兵追之。 士信伏兵於路，俟其開門，奮擊大破之，殺無遺類。 世充平，擢授絳州總管，封剡國公。
After Xutuo was killed by Li Mi, Shixin followed Pei Renji and brought their forces over to Mi, who made him a general commander. He was put in charge of his own troops and joined Mi in the assault on Wang Shichong. When the battle was lost, Shixin spurred his horse forward in a desperate charge, took several arrows, and was finally overrun by Shichong's troops. Shichong, recognizing his valor, showered him with honors and shared his meals and quarters. Later, after Shichong crushed Li Mi and took Mi's generals Bing Yuanzhen and the rest, he made them all commanders and no longer treated Shixin with special distinction. Ashamed to stand among them, Shixin led more than a thousand of his men and fled to Gu Prefecture. Gaozu made him route-army commander on the Shaanzhou circuit and ordered him to move against Wang Shichong. When the main force reached Luoyang, Shixin laid siege to Shichong's Qianjin Fort. When someone inside hurled abuse at him, Shixin flew into a rage and by night sent a hundred-odd men carrying several dozen infants to the foot of the fort, pretending they had fled the Eastern Capital to join Commander Luo. He set the infants wailing, then pretended to panic and cried, "This is Qianjin Fort—we've come to the wrong place! Then they abruptly withdrew. The garrison assumed they were refugees from the Eastern Capital and rushed troops out in pursuit. Shixin had men lying in ambush along the road; as soon as the gate opened he fell upon them and wiped out the garrison to the last man. After Shichong's defeat, Shixin was promoted to Prefect of Jiang and enfeoffed as Duke of Shan.
9
尋從太宗擊劉黑闥於河北，有洺水人以城來降，遣士信入城據守。 賊悉眾攻之甚急，遇雨雪，大軍不得救，經數日，城陷，為賊所擒。 黑闥聞其勇，意欲活之； 士信詞色不屈，遂遇害，年二十。 太宗聞而傷惜，購得其屍，葬之，謚曰勇。 士信初為裴仁基所禮，嘗感其知己之恩，及東都平，遂以家財收斂，葬於北邙。 又云：「我死後，當葬此墓側。」 及卒，果就仁基左而托葬焉。 呂子臧呂子臧，蒲州河東人也。 大業末，為南陽郡丞。 高祖克京師，遣馬元規撫慰山南，子臧堅守不下，元規遣使諷諭之，前後數輩，皆為子臧所殺。 及煬帝被殺，高祖又遣其婿薛君倩賫手詔諭旨，子臧乃為煬帝發喪成禮。 而後歸國，拜鄧州刺史，封南陽郡公。
He soon followed Taizong against Liu Heita in Hebei; when the people of Ming surrendered their city, Taizong sent Shixin in to hold it. The rebels threw their full strength against the city; rain and snow blocked relief, and after several days the walls fell and Shixin was taken. Heita, impressed by his courage, wanted to spare his life. Shixin refused to yield in word or bearing, and was put to death at the age of twenty. Taizong mourned the loss, paid to recover his body, gave him burial, and posthumously titled him Courageous. Shixin had once been honored by Pei Renji and never forgot that debt; when the Eastern Capital fell, he spent his family's fortune to recover Renji's remains and bury them on Northern Mount Mang. He also said, "When I die, lay me to rest beside this grave. When he died, he was buried as he had wished, at Renji's left hand. Lü Zizang was a native of Hedong in Pu Prefecture. Near the end of the Daye era he served as assistant prefect of Nanyang Commandery. When Gaozu took the capital he sent Ma Yuangui to pacify the country south of the mountains, but Zizang held out and refused to submit. Yuangui sent envoy after envoy to win him over, and Zizang killed every one. After Emperor Yang was killed, Gaozu sent his son-in-law Xue Junqian with an imperial letter, and only then did Zizang observe the full mourning rites for the late emperor. He then submitted to the Tang and was appointed Prefect of Deng and enfeoffed as Duke of Nanyang Commandery.
10
時朱粲新敗，子臧率所部數千人，與元規並力將擊之。 謂元規曰：「朱粲新破之後，上下危懼，一戰可擒。 若更遷延，部眾稍集，力強食盡，必死戰於我，為患不細也。」 元規不納，子臧請以本兵獨戰，又不許。 俄而粲眾大至，元規懼，退保南陽。 子臧謂元規曰：「言不見納，以至於此，老夫今坐公死矣！」 粲果率兵圍之，遇霖雨，城壁皆壞，所親者知城必陷，固勸其降。 子臧曰：「安有天子方伯降賊者乎！」 於是率其麾下，赴敵而死。 俄而城陷，元規亦遇害。 張道源張道源，并州祁人也。 年十五，父死，居喪以孝行稱，縣令郭湛改其所居為復禮鄉至孝裏。 道源嘗與友人客遊，友人病，中宵而卒，道源恐驚擾主人，遂共屍臥，達曙方哭，親步營送，至其本鄉里。 高祖舉義，召授大將軍府戶曹參軍。 及平京城，遣道源撫慰山東，燕、趙之地爭來款附。 高祖下書褒美，累封范陽郡公，後拜大理卿。 時何稠、士澄有罪，家口籍沒，仍以賜之。 道源嘆曰：「人有否泰，蓋亦是常。 安可因己之泰，利人之否，取其子女以為僕妾，豈近仁者之心乎！」 皆舍之，一無所取。 尋轉太僕卿，後歷相州都督。 武德七年卒官，贈工部尚書，謚曰節。 道源雖歷職九卿，身死日，唯有粟石兩，高祖深異之，賜其家帛三百段。 族子楚金楚金，少有志行，事親以孝聞。 初，與兄越石同預鄉貢進士，州司將罷越石而薦楚金，辭曰：「以順則越石長，以才則楚金不如。」 固請俱退。 時李勣為都督，嘆曰：「貢士本求才行，相推如此，何嫌雙居也。」 乃俱薦擢第。 楚金，高宗時累遷刑部侍郎。 儀鳳年，有妖星見，楚金上疏，極言得失。 高宗優納，賜帛二百段。 則天臨朝，歷位吏部侍郎、秋官尚書，賜爵南陽侯。 為酷吏周興所陷，配流嶺表，竟卒於徙所。 著《翰苑》三十卷、《紳誡》三卷，並傳於時。 李公逸李公逸，汴梁雍丘人也。 隋末，與族弟善行以義勇為人所附。 初歸王世充，知其必敗，遣間使請降。 高祖因以雍丘置杞州，拜為總管，封陽夏郡公。 又以善行為杞州刺史。 世充遣其從弟辨率眾攻之，公逸遣使請援。 高祖以其懸隔賊境，未即出兵。 公逸乃留善行居守，自入朝請援，行至襄城，為世充伊州刺史張殷所獲，送於洛陽。 世充謂曰：「卿越鄭臣唐，其說安在？」 公逸答曰：「我於天下，唯聞有唐。」 世充怒，斬之。 善行竟沒於賊。 高祖聞而悼惜，封其子為襄邑縣公。 張善相張善相，許州襄城人也。 大業末，為里長，每督縣兵，逐小盜，為眾所附，遂據本郡，歸於李密。 密敗，以城歸國，高祖授伊州總管。 王世充數攻之，善相頻遣使請救。 兵既不赴，城中糧盡，自知必敗，謂僚屬曰：「死當斬吾頭以歸世充。」 眾皆泣曰：「寧與公同死，終不獨生！」 後城陷被擒，送於世充，辭色不撓，罵世充極口，尋被害。 高祖嘆曰：「吾負善相，善相不負吾。」 封其子為襄城郡公。 李玄通李玄通，雍州藍田人。 仕隋鷹揚郎將。 義兵入關，率所部歸國，累除定州總管。 劉黑闥反叛，攻之，城陷被擒。 黑闥重其才，欲以為大將，玄通嘆息曰：「吾荷朝恩，作籓東夏，孤城無援，遂陷虜庭。 當守臣節，以忠報國，豈能降誌，輒受賊官。」 拒而不受。 故吏有以酒食饋之者，玄通曰：「諸君哀吾困辱，故以酒食來相寬慰，吾當為諸君一醉。」 遂與樂飲。 謂守者曰：「吾能舞劍，可借吾刀。」 守者與之。 及曲終，太息而言：「大丈夫受國厚恩，鎮撫方面，不能保全所守，亦何面目視息世間哉！」 因潰腹而死。 高祖聞而為之流涕，拜其子伏護為大將。 敬君弘敬君弘，絳州太平人，齊右僕射顯雋曾孫也。 武德中，為驃騎將軍，封黔昌縣侯，掌屯營兵於玄武門，加授雲麾將軍。 隱太子建成之誅也，其餘黨馮立、謝叔方率兵犯玄武門，君弘挺身出戰。 其所親止之曰：「事未可知，當且觀變，待兵集，成列而戰，未晚也。」 君弘不從，乃與中郎將呂世衡大呼而進，並遇害。 太宗甚嗟賞之，贈君弘左屯衛大將軍，世衡右驍衛將軍。 馮立馮立，同州馮翊人也。 有武藝，略涉書記，隱太子建成引為翊衛車騎將軍，托以心膂。 建成被誅，其左右多逃散，立嘆曰：「豈有生受其恩而死逃其難！」 於是率兵犯玄武門，苦戰久之，殺屯營將軍敬君弘。 謂其徒曰：「微以報太子矣！」 遂解兵遁於野。 俄而來請罪。 太宗數之曰：「汝在東宮，潛為間構，阻我骨肉，汝罪一也。 昨日復出兵來戰，殺傷我將士，汝罪二也。 何以逃死！」 對曰：「出身事主，期之效命，當職之日，無所顧憚。」 因伏地歔欷，悲不自勝。 太宗慰勉之。 立歸，謂所親曰：「逢莫大之恩，幸而獲濟，終當以死奉答。」
Zhu Can had just suffered a defeat, and Zizang led several thousand of his own men to join Yuangui in a joint strike. He told Yuangui, "Zhu Can's men are still shaken from defeat; one hard fight and we can take him. If we wait, his forces will regroup, grow stronger, and run out of food—and then they will fight us to the death. The damage will be far from small. Yuangui refused to listen; when Zizang asked to fight with his own troops alone, he was again denied. Before long Zhu Can's army arrived in force; Yuangui panicked and fell back to defend Nanyang. Zizang said to Yuangui, "You would not heed me, and now we are here—this old man will die sitting here because of you! Zhu Can duly besieged the city; weeks of rain ruined the walls, and those closest to Zizang, seeing the fall was inevitable, pressed him to surrender. Zizang said, "What imperial governor ever surrendered to bandits! He then led his men out to face the enemy and was killed. Soon the city fell, and Yuangui was killed as well. Zhang Daoyuan was a native of Qi in Bing Prefecture. When he was fifteen his father died; his mourning conduct won wide praise for filial piety, and Magistrate Guo Zhan renamed his neighborhood Fuli Village, Lane of Utmost Filiality. Once, while traveling with a friend, the friend fell ill and died at midnight. Not wanting to alarm their host, Daoyuan lay beside the body until dawn before he wept; then he personally saw to the funeral and walked the remains home to the friend's native place. When Gaozu raised his banner of revolt, Daoyuan was summoned and appointed registrar of household affairs in the Grand General's Office. After the capital was taken, Gaozu sent Daoyuan to pacify Shandong, and the regions of Yan and Zhao rushed to submit. Gaozu issued a commendation, repeatedly raised him to Duke of Fanyang Commandery, and later made him Minister of Justice. At the time He Chou and Shi Cheng were condemned; their families were confiscated and then bestowed on Daoyuan. Daoyuan sighed and said, "Fortune and misfortune come to every man—that is only natural. How can I, in my own good fortune, profit from another's ruin and take his sons and daughters as servants and concubines—is that the way of a humane man! He set them all free and accepted nothing. He was soon made Minister of the Stud and later served as Governor of Xiang Prefecture. He died in office in the seventh year of Wude, was posthumously made Minister of Works, and given the posthumous title Upright. Though Daoyuan had risen to one of the Nine Ministers, he left behind only two piculs of grain when he died; Gaozu was deeply moved and gave his family three hundred bolts of silk. His clansman Chu Jin was ambitious and principled from youth and was known for filial devotion to his parents. Early on he and his elder brother Yueshi both sat for the provincial Presented Scholar examination; when the prefecture was about to drop Yueshi and recommend Chu Jin instead, he refused, saying, "By age Yueshi is my elder; by ability I am his inferior. He insisted that both of them withdraw. Li Ji was then governor; he marveled and said, "The examination seeks men of talent and character—when brothers yield to each other like this, why not let both pass? He then recommended them both, and both passed. Under Emperor Gaozong, Chu Jin rose through repeated promotions to Vice Minister of Justice. During the Yifeng era an ominous star appeared; Chu Jin memorialized the throne with a frank assessment of what the court was doing right and wrong. Emperor Gaozong received it favorably and rewarded him with two hundred bolts of silk. When Wu Zetian took power, he served as Vice Minister of Personnel and Minister of Punishments and was ennobled as Marquis of Nanyang. He was framed by the cruel official Zhou Xing, banished to the far south beyond the Five Ridges, and died in exile. He wrote thirty fascicles of Hanlin and three fascicles of Admonitions for Officials, both widely read in his day. Li Gongyi was a native of Yongqiu in Bianliang. At the end of the Sui he and his clansman Shanxing, both men of righteous courage, gathered a following. He first served Wang Shichong, but seeing that Shichong was doomed, he sent secret envoys to offer his surrender to Tang. Gaozu established Qi Prefecture at Yongqiu, made him general commander, and enfeoffed him as Duke of Yangxia Commandery. He also appointed Shanxing Prefect of Qi. Shichong sent his cousin Bian with an army against him, and Gongyi dispatched envoys to plead for relief. Gaozu, seeing that the city lay deep in enemy-held territory, did not send troops at once. Gongyi left Shanxing to hold the city and went himself to court to ask for aid; at Xiangcheng he was captured by Shichong's Prefect of Yi, Zhang Yin, and sent to Luoyang. Shichong asked him, "You abandoned Zheng to serve Tang—what excuse do you have? Gongyi replied, "In all the world I know only Tang." Enraged, Shichong had him executed. Shanxing ultimately fell to the enemy. Gaozu mourned the loss and enfeoffed Gongyi's son as Duke of Xiangyi County. Zhang Shanxiang was a native of Xiangcheng in Xu Prefecture. Near the end of the Daye era he served as village headman, leading county troops against petty bandits; the people rallied to him, and he seized his home commandery and submitted to Li Mi. When Mi fell, he surrendered his city to Tang, and Gaozu made him general commander of Yi Prefecture. Wang Shichong attacked again and again, and Shanxiang sent envoy after envoy begging for relief. When no relief came and the city's grain ran out, seeing defeat was inevitable, he told his officers, "When I die, cut off my head and surrender it to Shichong. They all wept and said, "We would rather die with you than live on alone!" When the city finally fell he was taken and sent to Shichong; he showed no fear, cursed Shichong to his face, and was soon put to death. Gaozu sighed and said, "I let Shanxiang down; Shanxiang never let me down. He conferred on Shanxiang's son the title Duke of Xiangcheng Commandery. Li Xuantong was a native of Lantian in Yong Prefecture. Under the Sui he served as an Eagle-and-Messenger Captain. When the rebel army entered the passes, he brought his troops over to Tang and rose through successive appointments until he became general commander of Ding Prefecture. When Liu Hei'a rebelled and attacked him, the city fell and he was taken prisoner. Hei'a admired his ability and wanted to appoint him a great general. Xuantong sighed and said, "I owe the dynasty a debt of favor—I was made its frontier lord in the east, yet my lone city had no help and I fell into the enemy's hands. A minister should hold to his duty and repay the realm with loyalty. How could I lower my spirit and take rank from rebels? He refused the offer. Some of his former officers brought him food and wine. Xuantong said, "You pity my plight and have come to comfort me with a meal—I owe you at least one good drunk. He then drank happily with them. He told his guards, "I know how to dance with a sword—lend me one. The guards handed him a sword. When the dance was finished, he sighed and said, "A man who has received the state's great favor and been entrusted with a frontier command, yet could not hold what he was charged to defend—what face has he left to go on living in this world! Then he cut open his belly and died. When Gaozu heard, he wept and appointed Xuantong's son Fuhu a general-in-chief. Jing Junhong was a native of Taiping in Jiang Prefecture and a great-grandson of Xianjun, Right Vice Director of Qi. In the Wude era he was made General of Agile Cavalry, enfeoffed as Marquis of Qianchang County, put in charge of the garrison at Xuanwu Gate, and further given the rank of General of Cloud-Banners. When the Hidden Crown Prince Jiancheng was killed, his remaining partisans Feng Li and Xie Shufang led troops against Xuanwu Gate, and Junhong stepped forward to meet them. Those close to him held him back and said, "The outcome is still uncertain. Watch how things unfold, wait until the troops are gathered, and fight in formation—it will not be too late. Junhong refused. He and Middle General Lü Shiheng charged forward with a shout, and both were killed. Taizong greatly admired them. Junhong was posthumously made General-in-Chief of the Left Garrison Guard, and Shiheng General of the Right Martial Guard. Feng Li was a native of Fuyi in Tong Prefecture. He was skilled in arms and had some learning in record-keeping. The Hidden Crown Prince Jiancheng brought him in as General of the Winged Guard Chariots and Cavalry and treated him as a trusted inner companion. When Jiancheng was killed, most of his close attendants fled. Li sighed and said, "How can a man accept his lord's favor in life and run from his lord's death! He then led troops against Xuanwu Gate, fought a long and bitter battle, and killed the garrison general Jing Junhong. He told his men, "I have done what little I could to repay the Crown Prince! He then dismissed his troops and fled into the countryside. Before long he came to surrender and ask for punishment. Taizong rebuked him, saying, "In the Eastern Palace you secretly sowed discord and came between me and my kin—that is your first crime. Yesterday you took the field again, killing and wounding my officers and men—that is your second crime. How do you expect to escape death! He answered, "Once one enters a lord's service, one expects to give one's life. On the day duty falls to you, there is nothing to hold back. He prostrated himself and wept until grief overwhelmed him. Taizong comforted him and urged him on. When Li went home, he told those close to him, "I have received an immense favor and by luck been spared. In the end I shall repay it with my life."
11
未幾，突厥至便橋。 立率數百騎與虜戰於咸陽，殺獲甚眾。 太宗聞而嘉嘆，拜廣州都督。 前後作牧者，多以黷貨為蠻夷所患，由是數怨叛。 立到，不營產業，衣食取給而已。 嘗至貪泉，嘆曰：「此吳隱之所酌泉也。 飲一杯水，何足道哉！ 吾當汲而為食，豈止一杯耶，安能易吾性乎！」 遂畢飲而去。 在職數年，甚有惠政，卒於官。 謝叔方謝叔方，雍州萬年人也。 初從巢剌王元吉征討，數有戰功，元吉奏授屈咥直府左軍騎。 太宗誅隱太子及元吉於玄武門，叔方率府兵與馮立合軍，拒戰於北闕下，殺敬君弘、呂世衡。 太宗兵不振，秦府護軍尉遲敬德傳元吉首以示之，叔方下馬號哭而遁。 明日出首，太宗曰：「義士也！」 命釋之。 歷遷西、伊二州刺史，善綏邊鎮，胡戎愛而敬之，如事嚴父。 貞觀末，累加銀青光祿大夫，歷洪、廣二州都督。 永徽中卒。 王義方王義方，泗州漣水人也。 少孤貧，事母甚謹，博通《五經》，而謇傲獨行。 初舉明經，因詣京師，中路逢徒步者，自雲父為潁上令，聞病篤，倍道將往焉，徒步不前，計無所出。 義方解所乘馬與之，不告姓名而去。 俄授晉王府參軍，直弘文館。 特進魏徵甚禮之，將以侄女妻之。 義方竟娶徵之侄女，告人曰：「昔不附宰相之勢，今感知己之言故也。」 轉太子校書。
Before long the Turks reached Bian Bridge. Li led several hundred horsemen against the invaders at Xianyang and killed or captured a great many of them. When Taizong heard, he praised him warmly and appointed him Governor of Guangzhou. Earlier governors had mostly preyed on the tribes with corrupt exactions, and for that reason the region had rebelled again and again. When Li took up the post, he built no private fortune and took only enough for food and clothing. Once, passing the Greedy Spring, he sighed and said, "This is the spring Wu Yinzhi drank from. What is one cup of water, after all! I mean to draw from it for my daily fare—not just one cup! How could it change who I am! He drank his fill and went on. He served several years with excellent benevolent rule and died in office. Xie Shufang was a native of Wannian in Yong Prefecture. At first he followed Prince Yuanji of Chao on campaign and won repeated distinction in battle; Yuanji memorialized to appoint him Left Cavalry Officer of the Qudie Direct Office. When Taizong killed the Hidden Crown Prince and Yuanji at Xuanwu Gate, Shufang led his office troops to join Feng Li's force, fought beneath the North Gate, and killed Jing Junhong and Lü Shiheng. Taizong's force faltered until Yuchi Jingde, Protector-General of the Prince of Qin's household, held up Yuanji's head for all to see. Shufang dismounted, wailed, and fled. The next day he surrendered himself. Taizong said, "A man of honor! He ordered him set free. Serving in turn as Governor of Xi and Yi Prefectures, he was skilled at pacifying the frontier garrisons; the Hu and Rong tribes loved and revered him as they would a strict father. Near the end of Zhenguan he rose to Grand Master for Splendid Happiness with Silver Seal and served as Governor of Hong and Guang Prefectures. He died during the Yonghui era. Wang Yifang was a native of Lianshui in Si Prefecture. Orphaned and poor as a youth, he cared for his mother with great devotion, mastered the Five Classics, and was upright, proud, and fiercely independent. When he first passed the Classics examination and set out for the capital, he met a man on foot who said his father was magistrate of Yingshang and was gravely ill; the man was hurrying to reach him but could not go fast enough on foot and had no way forward. Yifang gave him his own horse without leaving his name and went on. Soon he was appointed adjutant in the Prince of Jin's household and served on duty at the Hongwen Academy. Special Advance Wei Zheng treated him with great respect and planned to give him his niece in marriage. Yifang did marry Wei Zheng's niece and told others, "I once refused to lean on a chancellor's power; now I accept because I honor a friend's word. He was then made collator to the Crown Prince.
12
無何，坐與刑部尚書張亮交通，貶為儋州吉安丞。 行至海南，舟人將以酒脯致祭。 義方曰：「黍稷非馨，義在明德。」 乃酌水而祭，為文曰：「思帝鄉而北顧，望海浦而南浮。 必也行愆諸己，義負前修。 長鯨擊水，天吳覆舟。 因忠獲戾，以孝見尤。 四維霧廓，千里安流。 靈應如響，無作神羞。」 時當盛夏，風濤蒸毒，既而開霽，南渡吉安。 蠻俗荒梗，義方召諸首領，集生徒，親為講經，行釋奠之禮； 清歌吹籥，登降有序，蠻酋大喜。
Before long he was punished for dealings with Minister of Punishments Zhang Liang and demoted to assistant magistrate of Ji'an in Dan Prefecture. When he reached Hainan, the boatmen prepared to offer wine and meat to the spirits of the sea. Yifang said, "Grain offerings are not what make a sacrifice fragrant; what matters is bright virtue. He poured water instead and made an offering, writing a text that said, "I think of the capital and look north; I gaze at the sea's edge and drift south. Surely the fault lies in my own conduct; in duty I have failed the worthies of old. Great whales strike the water; Tianwu overturns the boat. For loyalty I am punished; for filial piety I am blamed. May the four pillars of the realm clear like lifting mist, and a thousand leagues run calm. Let the spirits answer as if to a summons, and do not let the gods be shamed. It was midsummer, and the wind and waves were fierce and stifling; then the sky cleared, and they crossed south to Ji'an. The tribal customs were crude and stubborn, so Yifang summoned the chieftains, gathered students, lectured on the classics himself, and performed the Confucian sacrifice; With clear song, pipes, and bells, and every step of the rite in proper order, the tribal chiefs were delighted.
13
，改授洹水丞。 時張亮兄子皎，配流在崖州，來依義方而卒。 臨終托以妻子及致屍還鄉。 義方與皎妻自誓於海神，使奴負柩，令皎妻抱其赤子，乘義方之馬，身獨步從而還。 先之原武葬皎，告祭張亮，送皎妻子歸其家而往洹水。 轉雲陽丞，擢為著作佐郎。
He was then reassigned as assistant magistrate of Huanshui. At that time Zhang Liang's nephew Jiao, exiled to Yazhou, came to stay with Yifang and died there. On his deathbed he entrusted Yifang with his wife and children and with bringing his body home. Yifang and Jiao's wife swore an oath before the Sea God. He had a servant carry the coffin, put Jiao's wife and infant on his own horse, and walked the whole way home himself. He went first to Yuanwu to bury Jiao, performed rites to notify Zhang Liang, saw Jiao's wife and children safely home, and then went on to Huanshui. He was transferred to assistant magistrate of Yunyang and then promoted to assistant in the Office of Literary Works.
14
，遷侍御史。 時中書侍郎李義府執權用事，婦人淳於氏有美色，坐事系大理，義府悅之，托大理丞畢正義枉法出之。 高宗又敕給事中劉仁軌、侍御史張倫重按其事。 正義自縊。 高宗特原義府之罪。 義方以義府奸蠹害政，將加彈奏，以問其母。 母曰：「昔王陵母伏劍成子之義，汝能盡忠立名，吾之願也，雖死不恨！」 義方乃先奏曰：
He was then made an attending censor. At that time Vice Director of the Secretariat Li Yifu held power. Lady Chunyu, a woman of great beauty, had been imprisoned at the Court of Judicial Review for an offense. Yifu desired her and had Vice Director Bi Zhengyi bend the law to set her free. Emperor Gaozong also ordered Remonstrating Attendant Liu Rengui and Attending Censor Zhang Lun to reinvestigate the case. Bi Zhengyi took his own life. Emperor Gaozong specially pardoned Yifu. Believing Yifu treacherous and corrupt and a harm to government, Yifang prepared to impeach him and asked his mother's counsel. His mother said, "Long ago Wang Ling's mother killed herself with a sword to complete her son's duty. If you can give your full loyalty and make a name for yourself, that is my wish—I would not regret death! Yifang then submitted a memorial that began:
15
臣聞春鶯鳴於獻歲，蟋蟀吟於始秋，物有微而應時，人有賤而言忠。 臣去歲冬初，雲陽下縣丞耳。 今春及夏，陛下擢臣著作佐郎，極文學之清選。 未幾，又拜臣侍御史，濫朝廷之雄職。 顧視生涯，隕首非報，唯欲有犯無隱，以廣天聽。
I have heard that orioles sing at the year's offering and crickets chirp at the start of autumn—lowly creatures answer the season, and humble men may still speak in loyalty. Only last winter I was a lowly assistant magistrate in Yunyang County. This spring and summer Your Majesty raised me to assistant in the Office of Literary Works—the finest literary appointment in the court. Before long you made me an attending censor—a lofty post at court, though I scarcely deserve it. Looking back on what I have become, even my death would not repay your grace; I wish only to speak without concealment and widen what reaches the throne.
16
伏以李義府枉殺寺丞，陛下已赦之，臣不應更有鞫問。 然天子置三公、九卿、二十七大夫、八十一元士，本欲水火相濟，鹽梅相成，然後庶績咸熙，風雨交泰。 亦不可獨是獨非，皆由聖旨。 昔唐堯失之於四凶，漢祖失之於陳豨，光武失之於逢萌，魏武失之於張邈。 此四帝者，英傑之主，然失之於前，得之於後。 今陛下繼聖，撫育萬邦，蠻陬夷落，猶懼疏網。 況輦轂咫尺，奸臣肆虐，足使忠臣抗憤，義士扼腕。 縱令正義自縊，彌不可容，便是畏義府之權勢，能殺身以滅口。 此則生殺之威，上非王出； 賞罰之柄，下移佞寵。 臣恐履霜堅冰，積小成大，請重鞫正義死由，雪冤氣於幽泉，誅奸臣於白日。
I know Li Yifu drove the vice director to his death and that Your Majesty has already pardoned him, so I should not press the matter further. Yet the Son of Heaven created the Three Excellencies, Nine Ministers, twenty-seven Great Officers, and eighty-one Founding Officers so that water and fire might complement each other and salt and plums work in harmony—only then are all tasks accomplished and heaven and earth in concord. Right and wrong cannot all be decided by the throne alone. Emperor Yao once missed the Four Villains; Han Gaozu missed Chen Xi; Emperor Guangwu missed Feng Meng; Cao Cao missed Zhang Miao. These four were heroic rulers, yet each lost his man at first and recovered him afterward. Your Majesty succeeds the sages and nurtures all lands; even distant tribes still fear the loosening of the law. How much more when, within a bowshot of the throne, a treacherous minister runs wild—enough to fill loyal ministers with outrage and men of honor with clenched fists. Even if Zhengyi hanged himself, this cannot be tolerated—it means men feared Yifu's power so much that he could kill himself to silence the truth. This means the power of life and death no longer comes from the throne alone; The power to reward and punish has passed down to flatterers and favorites. I fear that frost underfoot becomes solid ice—that small wrongs snowball into great ones. I beg that the cause of Zhengyi's death be reinvestigated, that his grievance be cleared in the grave, and that the treacherous minister be put to death in the light of day.
17
及廷劾義府，曰：
When he impeached Yifu in open court, he declared:
18
臣聞附下罔上，聖主之所宜誅； 心狠貌恭，明時之所必罰。 是以隱賊掩義，不容唐帝之朝； 竊幸乘權，終齒漢皇之劍。 中書侍郎李義府，因緣際會，遂階通顯。 不能盡忠竭節，對揚王休，策蹇勵駑，祗奉皇眷，而反憑附城社，蔽虧日月，請托公行，交遊群小。 貪冶容之美，原有罪之淳於； 恐漏泄其謀，殞無辜之正義。 雖挾山超海之力，望此猶輕； 回天轉日之威，方斯更劣。 此而可恕，孰不可容！ 金風屆節，玉露啟塗，霜簡與秋典共清，忠臣將鷹鹯並擊。 請除君側，少答鴻私，碎首玉階，庶明臣節。
I have heard that to fawn on those below while deceiving those above is what a sage ruler must punish; ruthless at heart yet humble in bearing—in an enlightened age this must be punished. Thus to harbor villains and cover up righteousness has no place in the court of the Tang emperor; those who steal power by fortune shall yet meet the Han emperor's blade. Li Yifu, Vice Director of the Secretariat, rose to high office through sheer opportunism. Instead of giving his full loyalty, answering the throne's grace, and doing his utmost to serve the emperor, he clung to powerful patrons, blocked the light of justice, practiced favoritism openly, and kept company with petty men. Lustful for a woman's beauty, he freed from guilt the condemned Chunyu; and fearing his plot would come to light, he drove the innocent Zhengyi to his death. Even power vast enough to move mountains and cross seas seems small beside this crime; and authority that could reverse heaven and turn back the sun seems weaker still. If this may be forgiven, then nothing is beyond tolerance! Now the golden wind of autumn is upon us and the jade dew marks the season's turn; the censor's scroll is as clear as autumn law, and loyal ministers will swoop down like hawks and falcons together. I beg that he be removed from Your Majesty's side, that I may in some small measure repay your boundless grace—even though my head be broken on the jade steps, so that a minister's duty may be made clear.
19
高宗以義方毀辱大臣，言詞不遜，左遷萊州司戶參軍。 秩滿，家於昌樂，聚徒教授。 母卒，遂不復仕進。 總章二年卒，年五十五。 撰《筆海》十卷、文集十卷。 門人何彥光、員半千為義方制師服，三年喪畢而去。
Emperor Gaozong demoted him to registrar in the revenue section at Laizhou for having publicly shamed a high minister in impertinent language. When his term expired, he settled in Changle and gathered students to teach. After his mother's death, he never returned to public life. He died in the second year of the Zongzhang era, at fifty-five. He authored ten fascicles of Brush Sea and ten fascicles of collected works. His disciples He Yanguang and Yuan Banqian wore mourning for him as for a master, and left when the three-year mourning period ended.
20
半千者，齊州全節人也。 事義方經十餘年，博涉經史，知名河朔。 則天時官至天官侍郎。 撰《三國春秋》二十卷，行於代。 自有傳。 成三郎成三郎，幽州漁陽人也。 光宅年，為左豹韜衛長上果毅。 李孝逸之討徐敬業，以為前鋒，與賊戰於高郵。 軍國敗績，被擒，送於江都。 賊黨唐之奇紿其眾曰：「此李孝逸也！」 將斬之。 三郎大呼曰：「我，是果毅成三郎，不是將軍李孝逸。 官軍已圍爾數重，破爾在於朝夕。 我死，妻子受榮； 爾死，家口配沒，終不及我！」 之奇怒，斬之。 敬業平，贈左監門將軍，謚曰勇。 時曲阿令尹元貞，亦死敬業之難。 尹元貞尹元貞者，瀛州河間人也。 在曲阿，聞敬業攻陷潤州，率兵赴援。 及戰敗，被擒。 敬業臨以白刃，脅令附己，將加任用。 元貞詞色慷慨，竟不之屈，尋遇害。 敬業平，贈潤州刺史，謚曰壯。 高睿高睿，雍州萬年人，隋尚書左僕射崿孫也。 父表仁，谷州刺史。 睿少以明經累除桂州都督，尋加銀青光祿大夫，轉趙州刺史，封平昌縣子。 聖歷初，突厥默啜來寇，睿又嬰城固守。 長史唐波若見城圍甚急，遂潛謀應賊。 睿覺之，將自殺，不死，俄而城陷被擒，更令招喻諸縣未降者。 睿竟不從，遂為所殺。
Banqian was a native of Quanjie in Qi Prefecture. He studied under Yifang for more than ten years, mastered the classics and histories, and won renown north of the Yellow River. Under Empress Wu he rose to Vice Minister of the Celestial Office. He wrote twenty fascicles of Three Kingdoms Spring and Autumn, which circulated widely in his time. He has a separate biography elsewhere in the histories. Cheng Sanlang was a native of Yuyang in You Prefecture. During the Guangzhai reign he served as a senior commander in the Left Leopard-Bow Guard. When Li Xiaoyi marched against Xu Jingye, Cheng Sanlang was made vanguard and fought the rebels at Gaoyou. The army was routed; he was captured and sent to Jiangdu. The rebel Tang Zhiqi lied to the crowd: "This is Li Xiaoyi! They were about to execute him. Sanlang shouted: "I am Commander Cheng Sanlang—not General Li Xiaoyi. The imperial army has you surrounded on every side; your defeat is only days away. If I die, my wife and children will receive honors; if you die, your family will be enslaved and your property confiscated—you will never do as well as I! Zhiqi was furious and had him executed. After Xu Jingye's rebellion was suppressed, he was posthumously made General of the Left Gate Guards, with the posthumous title Brave. At that time Yin Yuanzhen, magistrate of Qu'e, also died in the turmoil of Xu Jingye's rebellion. Yin Yuanzhen was a native of Hejian in Ying Prefecture. While serving as magistrate of Qu'e, upon hearing that Xu Jingye had taken Runzhou, he led troops to the relief. After the battle was lost, he was taken prisoner. Xu Jingye threatened him with drawn swords and tried to force him to join his cause, intending to appoint him to office. Yin spoke with passion and held firm until the end; he was soon killed. After the rebellion was crushed, he was posthumously made Governor of Run Prefecture, with the posthumous title Robust. Gao Rui was a native of Wannian in Yong Prefecture and grandson of E, Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs under the Sui. His father Biaoren served as Governor of Gu Prefecture. Gao Rui entered service through the Classics examination and eventually became Governor of Gui Prefecture; he was later promoted to Grand Master for Splendid Happiness with Silver Seal, transferred to Governor of Zhao Prefecture, and ennobled as Viscount of Pingchang. Early in the Shenli era, when the Türk khan Mo-ch'o invaded, Gao Rui again barricaded the city and held out. Chief Administrator Tang Boruo, seeing the siege tighten, secretly conspired to surrender to the enemy. Gao Rui discovered the plot and tried to kill himself but failed; the city soon fell and he was captured, then forced to persuade the counties that had not yet surrendered. Gao Rui refused to obey and was killed.
21
初，賊將至州境。 或謂睿曰：「突厥所向無前，百姓喪膽； 明公力不能禦，不若降之。」 睿曰：「吾為天子刺史，不戰而降，其罪大矣。」 則天聞而深嘆息之，贈冬官尚書，謚曰節。 及賊退，唐波若伏誅，家口籍沒。 因下制曰：「故趙州刺史高睿，狂賊既至，死節不降； 長史唐波若，不能固城，相率歸賊。 高睿已加褒柱，波若等身死破家。 賞罰既行，須敦懲勸，宜頒示天下，咸使知聞。」 睿子仲舒子仲舒，博通經史，尤明《三禮》及詁訓之書。 神龍中，為相王府文學，王甚敬重之。 開元中，累授中書舍人，侍中宋璟、中書侍郎蘇颋每詢訪故事焉。 附崔琳時又有中書舍人崔琳，深達政理，璟等亦禮焉。 嘗謂人曰：「古事問高仲舒，今事問崔琳，則又何所疑矣！」 仲舒累遷太子右庶子卒。 王同皎王同皎，相州安陽人，陳侍中、駙馬都尉寬之曾孫。 其先自瑯邪仕江左，陳亡，徙家河北。 同皎，長安中尚皇太子女定安郡主。 授朝散大夫，行太子典膳郎。 敬暉等討張易之兄弟也。 遣同皎與右羽林將軍李多祚迎太子於東宮，請太子至玄武門指麾將士。 太子初拒而不許，同皎諷諭切至，太子乃就駕。 以功授右千牛將軍，封瑯邪郡公，賜實封五百戶。 及郡主進封為公主，拜同皎為駙馬都尉。 尋加銀青光祿大夫，遷光祿卿。
Earlier, when the invaders were approaching the prefecture. Someone urged Gao Rui: "The Türks sweep all before them, and the people are terrified; you cannot hold them off—better to surrender. Gao Rui replied: "I am the emperor's governor; to surrender without fighting would be a grave crime. When Empress Wu heard of it, she sighed deeply and posthumously made him Minister of the Court of Winter Construction, with the posthumous title Integrity. After the invaders withdrew, Tang Boruo was executed and his family and property were confiscated. An edict was then issued: "The late Governor of Zhao Prefecture, Gao Rui, when the invaders came, held to his duty and refused to surrender; Chief Administrator Tang Boruo failed to hold the city and led others in surrendering to the enemy. Posthumous honors have already been conferred on Gao Rui, while Boruo and his accomplices died and lost their families. Now that reward and punishment have been applied, let encouragement and warning be made clear; this should be proclaimed throughout the realm so that all may know. Gao Rui's son Zhongshu was deeply learned in the classics and histories and especially expert in the Three Rites and works of textual commentary. During the Shenlong era he served as literary tutor to the Prince of Xiang, who held him in high esteem. In the Kaiyuan era he rose to Drafting Secretary; Chief Minister Song Jing and Vice Director Su Ting often consulted him on precedent. Appendix: Cui Lin—at this time Drafting Secretary Cui Lin also deeply understood statecraft, and Song Jing and his colleagues honored him as well. Someone once said: "Ask Gao Zhongshu about antiquity and Cui Lin about the present—and what doubt can remain? Zhongshu rose to Right Supervisor of the Heir Apparent's Household, where he died. Wang Tongjiao was a native of Anyang in Xiang Prefecture and great-grandson of Kuanzhi, Attendant-in-Ordinary and Commandant of the Feathered Forest under Chen. His forebears had left Langya to serve in the south; when Chen fell, the family resettled in Hebei. During the Chang'an era, Tongjiao married Princess Ding'an, daughter of the crown prince. He was made Grand Master for Dispersal and served as provisioner in the heir apparent's household. This was during the campaign by Jing Hui and his allies against the Zhang Yizhi brothers. They sent Tongjiao with General of the Right Feathered Forest Li Duozuo to bring the crown prince from the Eastern Palace and asked him to take command of the troops at the Xuanwu Gate. At first the crown prince refused, but Tongjiao pressed him with urgent persuasion until he finally took his carriage. For his service he was made General of the Right Thousand-Ox Guard, ennobled as Duke of Langya, and granted five hundred taxable households. When the princess was raised in rank, Tongjiao was made Commandant of the Feathered Forest. He was soon promoted to Grand Master for Splendid Happiness with Silver Seal and transferred to Minister of the Court of Imperial Entertainments.
22
，同皎以武三思專權任勢，謀為逆亂，乃招集壯士，期以則天靈駕發引，劫殺三思。 同謀人撫州司倉冉祖雍，具以其計密告三思。 三思乃遣校書郎李悛上言：「同皎潛謀殺三思後，將擁兵詣闕，廢黜皇后。」 帝然之，遂斬同皎於都亭驛前，籍沒其家。 臨刑神色不變，天下莫不冤之。 睿宗即位，令復其官爵。 執冉祖雍、李悛，並誅之。 附周憬初與同皎葉謀，有武當丞周憬者，壽州壽春人也。 事既泄，遁於比幹廟中，自刎而死。 臨終，謂左右曰：「比干，古之忠臣也。 倘神道聰明，應知周憬忠而死也。 韋后亂朝，寵樹邪佞，武三思幹上犯順，虐害忠良，吾知其滅亡不久也！ 可懸吾頭於國門，觀其身首異門而出。」 其後皆如其言。 蘇安恆蘇安恆，冀州武邑人也。 博學，尤明《周禮》及《春秋左氏傳》。 ，投匭上疏曰：
Tongjiao saw that Wu Sansi had seized power and was plotting treason; he gathered strong men and planned to ambush and kill Sansi when Empress Wu's funeral procession set out. A co-conspirator, Ran Zuyong, warehouse clerk of Fuzhou, secretly informed Sansi of the entire plot. Sansi then had proofreader Li Jun submit a memorial claiming that Tongjiao planned, after killing Sansi, to march on the palace with troops and depose the empress. The emperor agreed, and Tongjiao was executed before the Capital Pavilion Post Station; his family and property were confiscated. At the moment of execution his composure never broke, and people everywhere regarded his death as a grievous injustice. When Emperor Ruizong took the throne, he restored Tongjiao's offices and titles. Ran Zuyong and Li Jun were arrested and executed. Appendix: Zhou Jing—who had plotted with Tongjiao from the start—was assistant magistrate of Wudang and a native of Shouchun in Shou Prefecture. When the plot was exposed, he fled to the Temple of Bi Gan and killed himself by cutting his throat. On his deathbed he said to those around him: "Bi Gan was a loyal minister of old. If the spirits are just, they will know that Zhou Jing died loyal to the throne. Empress Wei has thrown the court into chaos, elevating the wicked; Wu Sansi has defied the throne and slaughtered the loyal—I know their ruin cannot be far off! Hang my head at the capital gate—and watch his body and head leave by different gates. Everything later happened just as he had predicted. Su Anheng was a native of Wuyi in Ji Prefecture. He was broadly learned and especially expert in the Rites of Zhou and the Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals. He submitted a memorial through the suggestion box, saying:
23
陛下欽聖皇之顧托，受嗣子之推讓，應天順人，二十年矣。 豈不思虞舜褰裳，周公復辟，良以大禹至聖，成王既長，推位讓國，其道備焉！ 故舜之於禹，是其族親； 旦舉成王，不離叔父。 且族親何如子之愛？ 叔父何如母之恩？ 今太子孝敬是崇，春秋既壯，若使統臨宸極，何異陛下之隧！ 陛下年德既尊，寶位將倦，機務殷重，浩蕩心神，何不禪位東宮，自怡聖體！
Your Majesty reverently accepted the late emperor's charge, took the throne when the heir yielded it, and has ruled in accord with Heaven and the people's will for twenty years. Have you not considered how Shun yielded the throne, how the Duke of Zhou restored King Cheng—how the greatest sages, when the heir had come of age, gave up power and restored rightful rule? Their example is complete! Shun yielded the throne to Yu, who was his kinsman by clan; the Duke of Zhou restored King Cheng, never abandoning his role as royal uncle. And how can kinship by clan compare with a father's love for his own son? And how can an uncle's bond compare with a mother's loving devotion? The Crown Prince already excels in filial devotion and has come of age. If he ascends the throne, would that not merely continue Your Majesty's own imperial line? Your Majesty's age and moral stature are venerable, the burden of rule is exhausting, and the press of governance overwhelms body and mind. Why not transfer the throne to the Crown Prince and grant yourself peace?
24
臣聞自昔明王之孝理天下者，不見二姓而俱王也。 當今梁、定、河內、建昌諸王等，承陛下之廕覆，並得封王，臣恐千秋萬歲之後，於事非便，臣請黜為公侯，任以閑簡。
I have heard that no enlightened sovereign who ruled through filial virtue ever allowed two royal houses to reign at once. The Princes of Liang, Ding, Hennei, Jianchang, and others now enjoy royal rank thanks to Your Majesty's favor. I fear that in generations to come this will prove unwise. I urge that they be reduced to dukes and marquises and given only light, honorary duties.
25
臣又聞陛下有二十餘孫，今無尺土之封，此非長久之計也。 臣請四面都督府及要沖州郡，分土而王之。 縱今年尚幼小，未嫻養人之術，請擇立師傅，成其孝敬之道，將以夾輔周室，籓屏皇家，使累葉重光，饗祀不輟，斯為美矣，豈不大哉！
I also note that Your Majesty has more than twenty grandsons, yet none holds so much as an inch of land. That is no lasting policy. I propose enfeoffing them as regional princes across the frontier commanderies and key prefectures, each with his own domain. Even if they are still young and untrained in governance, appoint tutors to instill filial virtue, so they may support the imperial house, guard the dynasty, and keep the ancestral rites unbroken for generations—what could be nobler?
26
疏奏，則天召見，賜食慰諭而遣之。 長安二年，又上疏曰：
When the memorial reached her, Empress Wu summoned Su Anheng, shared a meal with him, offered reassuring words, and dismissed him. In Chang'an 2 (702 CE), he submitted another memorial stating:
27
忠臣不順時而取寵，烈士不惜死而偷生。 故君道不明者，忠臣之過歟！ 臣道不軌者，烈士之過歟！ 昔者先皇晏駕，留其顧托，將以萬機殷廣，令陛下兼知其事。 雖唐堯、虞舜居其位，而共工、驩兜在其間，陛下骨肉之恩阻，陛下子母之愛忘。 臣謂聖情以運祚將喪，極斯大節； 天下謂陛下微弱李氏，貪天之功。 何以年在耄倦，而不能復子明辟，使忠言莫進，奸佞成朋，夷狄紛擾，屠害黎庶！ 陛下雖納隍軫念，亦罔能救此生靈。
A loyal minister does not trim his convictions to win favor; a man of principle does not cling to life at the cost of honor. When the ruler's path grows murky, is that not the loyal minister's duty to speak out! When ministers stray from the right path, is that not where men of courage must act! When the late Emperor Gaozong died, he entrusted the realm to Your Majesty precisely because the burden of rule was too vast for any one person. Even Yao and Shun on the throne had villains like Gong Gong and Huan Dou in their courts. Under such influence, Your Majesty's bond with your own kin was severed, and the love between mother and son was cast aside. I believe Your Majesty, seeing the dynasty near ruin, seized upon this ultimate expedient; Yet the people believe Your Majesty has diminished the Li clan and claimed Heaven's credit for Yourself. Why, in Your advanced years, do You not restore the throne to Your son, so loyal counsel may be heard, sycophants may be scattered, barbarian unrest checked, and the people spared from slaughter? Though Your Majesty feels pity for the people, You still cannot save them from suffering.
28
臣聞天下者，神堯、文武之天下也。 昔有隋失馭，小人道長，群雄駭鹿，四海瞻烏。 皇唐親事戎旃，鳳翔參野，削平宇縣，龍踐宸極。 歃血為盟，指河為誓，非李氏不王，非功臣不封。 陛下雖居正統，實唐氏舊基。 故《詩》曰：「惟鵲有巢，唯鳩居之。」 此言雖小，可以喻大。 陛下自坤生德，乘乾作主，豈不以上符天意，下順人心！ 東宮昔在諒陰，相王又非長子，陛下恐宗祀中絕，所以應其謳歌。 當今太子追回，年德俱盛，陛下貪其寶位而忘母子深恩。 臣聞京邑翼翼，四方取則。 陛下蔽太子之元良，枉太子之神器，何以教天下母慈子孝！ 焉能使天下移風易俗焉？ 惟陛下思之，將何聖顏以見唐家宗廟？ 將何誥命以謁大帝墳陵？ 陛下何故日夜積憂，不知鐘鳴漏盡？ 臣愚以天意人事，還歸李家。 陛下雖安天位，殊不知物極則反，器滿則傾。 故語曰：「當斷不斷，反受其亂。」 此之謂也。 陛下不如高揖機務，自恬聖躬，命史臣以書之，令樂府以歌之，斯亦太平之盛事也！
The empire belongs to the house founded by Emperor Gaozu and consolidated by Emperor Taizong. When Sui lost the mandate, villains flourished, warlords battled like hunters chasing a deer, and the nation watched to see who would seize power. The Tang house took up arms, rose like a phoenix over the land, conquered the realm, and ascended the imperial throne. They swore binding oaths by blood and river: only the Li clan could rule, only meritorious subjects could hold noble rank. Though You hold legitimate rule, it rests upon the Tang dynasty's foundation. The Book of Poetry says: "The magpie built the nest, but the cuckoo lives in it. Though the image is small, it speaks to a great truth. You rose from woman's station to hold imperial power—surely this should align with Heaven above and the hearts of the people below! When the Crown Prince was in mourning and the Prince of Xiang was not the eldest son, You feared the imperial line would perish and therefore answered the people's call to rule. Now the Crown Prince has been restored, mature in years and virtue, yet You cling to the throne and forget the deep bond of mother and son. I know that the capital sets the pattern for the entire realm. By hiding the Crown Prince's rightful station and depriving him of the throne, how can You teach the empire filial devotion between mother and son! How then can You expect the realm to reform its morals? Consider, Your Majesty: with what face will You stand before the Tang ancestral shrines? With what title will You approach the late Emperor's tomb? Why do You heap up worry day and night, heedless that Your hours are running out? In my humble view, both Heaven and the people call for the return of the Li dynasty. Though You sit securely on the throne, You do not see that what rises must fall and what fills must spill. As the proverb warns: "He who hesitates when he should act invites disaster. That is precisely the danger You face. Better to surrender the reins of power, tend Your health, and let historians and musicians celebrate Your abdication as an act of peace—what glory that would be!
29
臣聞見過不諫，非忠臣也； 畏死不言，非勇士也。 臣何惜一朝之命，而不安萬乘之國哉！ 故曰：茍利國家，雖死可矣！ 願陛下稍輟萬機，詳臣愚見。 陛下若以臣為忠，則從諫如流，擇是而用； 若以臣為不忠，則斬取臣頭，以令天下。
To see wrong and remain silent is not the act of a loyal minister; To fear death and hold one's tongue is not the mark of a brave man. Why should I value one day's life above the stability of the empire? As the maxim runs: if it serves the state, one may face death without regret! I beg Your Majesty to set aside the press of governance and give earnest heed to my counsel. If You judge me loyal, accept my counsel freely and act on what is right; If You deem me disloyal, take my head and make an example for all the realm.
30
疏奏不納。 明年，御史大夫魏元忠為張易之兄弟所構，安恆又抗疏申理之曰：
The memorial was rejected. The next year, when Censor-in-Chief Wei Yuanzhong was framed by Zhang Yizhi and his brother, Su Anheng submitted another bold memorial in his defense:
31
臣聞明王有含天下之量，有濟天下之心，能進天下之善，除天下之惡。 若為君王而不行此四者，則當神冤鬼怒，陰錯陽亂，欲使國家榮泰，其可得乎！ 陛下革命之初，勤於庶政，親總萬機，博采謀猷，傍求俊乂，故海內以陛下為納諫之主矣！ 暮年已來，怠於政教，讒邪結黨，水火成災，百姓不親，五品不遜，故四海之內，以陛下為受佞之主矣！ 當今邪正莫辯，訴訟含冤，豈陛下昔是而今非，蓋居安忘危之失也！
A wise ruler embraces the world, seeks to save it, promotes what is good, and uproots what is evil. A ruler who neglects these duties invites the wrath of Heaven and chaos in the land—how then can the state prosper? When You first seized power, You were diligent in governance, personally oversaw affairs, sought wise counsel, and recruited talent—the realm hailed You as a ruler who welcomed honest advice. In Your later years You have neglected governance; sycophants have formed factions, disasters have multiplied, the people have grown estranged, and officials have grown insolent—the realm now calls You a ruler who indulges flatterers. Right and wrong can no longer be told apart, and the courts overflow with injustice—is this not the error of growing complacent in security?
32
臣竊見御史大夫、檢校太子右庶子、同鳳閣鸞臺平章事魏元忠，廉直有聞，位居宰輔。 履忠正之基者，用元忠為龜鏡； 踐邪佞之路者，嫉元忠若仇讎。 麟臺監張易之兄弟，在身無德，於國無功，不逾數年，遂極隆貴。 自當飲冰懷懼，酌水思清，夙夜兢兢，以答恩造。 不謂溪壑其志，豺狼其心，欲指鹿而獻馬，先害忠而損善； 將斯亂代之法，汙我明君之朝。 自元忠下獄，臣見長安城內，街談巷議，皆以陛下委任奸宄，斥逐賢良，以元忠必無不順之言，以易之必有交亂之意，相逢偶語，人心不安。 雖有忠臣烈士，空撫髀於私室。 而鉗口不敢言者，皆懼易之等威權，恐無辜而受戮，亦徒虛死耳！
I speak of Wei Yuanzhong, Censor-in-Chief and chief minister, whose integrity is widely known. Those who walk the path of righteousness hold Yuanzhong up as a mirror; Those who traffic in corruption hate him as a mortal enemy. Zhang Yizhi and his brother, holders of high office, are men of no personal virtue and no public service, yet within a few years they rose to the highest honor. They ought to have trembled with gratitude, lived in scrupulous fear, and repaid Your favor with loyal service. Instead their appetites are bottomless and their hearts wolfish; they would twist truth like the deer-and-horse trick, destroy the loyal and corrupt the good. They would import the tactics of a fallen dynasty and defile this enlightened court. Since Yuanzhong's imprisonment, I hear throughout Chang'an whispers that You have entrusted villains and cast out the worthy, that Yuanzhong spoke no treason, that Yizhi schemes to sow chaos—and everywhere anxiety spreads. Even loyal men can only clench their fists in private frustration. Those who dare not speak do so from fear of Yizhi's power, knowing that to protest would mean a meaningless death.
33
今賊虜強盛，征斂煩重，以臣言之，萬姓不勝其弊。 況又聞陛下縱逸讒慝，禁錮良善，賞刑失中，則遐邇生變。 臣恐四夷因之，則窺覘得失，以為邊郡之患； 百姓因之，即結聚義兵，以除君側之惡。 復恐逐鹿之黨，叩關而至； 亂階之徒，從中相應； 爭鋒於朱雀門內，問鼎於大明殿前，陛下將何事以謝之？ 復何方以禦之？ 臣今為陛下計，安百姓之心者，莫若收雷電之威，解元忠之網，復其爵位，君臣如初，則天下幸甚！ 陛下好生惡殺，縱不能斬佞臣頭以塞人望，臣請奪其榮寵，翦其羽翼，無使權柄在手，驕橫日滋。 專國倍於穰侯，回天過於左悺，則社稷危矣，惟陛下圖之！
Barbarian enemies grow strong, taxes grow heavier still, and the people can bear no more. Worse, I hear that You indulge sycophants, imprison the good, and misapply reward and punishment—so unrest stirs near and far. I fear foreign peoples will seize the moment, probing our weakness and threatening the borders; the people may rise in righteous armies to purge the evil at Your side. I fear rival warlords will storm the gates, and agents of rebellion will answer from within. If battle erupts at the palace gates and rebels seize the throne, what answer will You give? With what means will You defend Yourself? The surest way to calm the people is to recall Your wrath, free Yuanzhong, restore his rank, and renew harmony between ruler and minister. Though Your Majesty abhors bloodshed and cannot execute these men as the people wish, at least strip them of rank and power before their arrogance grows beyond control. If they monopolize power as the Marquis of Rang once did, or sway the throne as Zuo Yan did, the dynasty itself will be at risk—I beg Your Majesty to act!
34
臣本微賤，不識元忠、易之，豈此可親而彼可疏？ 但恐讒邪長而忠臣絕！ 伏願陛下暫垂天鑒，察臣此心，即微臣朝誌得行，夕死無恨！
I am a man of no account and know neither Yuanzhong nor Yizhi personally—why would I favor one and attack the other? I speak only because I fear that flatterers will flourish while loyal men are silenced forever. I beg Your Majesty to look upon my heart with Heaven's clarity—if my counsel is heeded, I would die at dusk without regret.
35
疏奏，易之等大怒，欲遣刺客殺之。 賴正諫大夫朱敬則、鳳閣舍人桓彥範、著作郎魏知古等保護以免。
When the memorial arrived, Zhang Yizhi and his allies were furious and tried to send assassins to kill him. Only the intervention of Zhu Jingze, Huan Yanfan, Wei Zegu, and others saved his life.
36
安恆，神龍初為集藝館內教。 節湣太子之殺武三思也，或言安恆預其謀，遂下獄死。 睿宗即位，知其冤，下制曰：「故蘇安恆，文學基身，鯁直成操，往年抗疏，忠讜可嘉。 屬回邪擅構，奄從非命，興言軫悼，用惻於懷。 宜贈寵章，式旌徽烈，可贈諫議大夫。」 時又有俞文俊、王求禮，亦以直言見稱。 俞文俊俞文俊者，荊州江陵人。 則天載初年，新豐因風雷山移，乃改縣名為慶山，四方畢賀。 文俊詣闕上書曰：「臣聞天氣不和而寒暑並，人氣不知而疣贅生，地氣不和而塠阜出。 今陛下以女主處陽位，反易剛柔，故地氣隔塞而山變為災。 陛下謂之慶山，臣以為非慶也。 臣愚以為宜側身修德，以答天譴。 不然，恐殃禍至矣！」 則天大怒，流於嶺外。 後為六道使所殺。 王求禮王求禮者，許州長社人。 則天時，為左拾遺。 時武懿宗統兵討契丹，畏愞不敢進。 及賊平，懿宗奏滄、瀛等數百家從賊，請誅之。 求禮廷折之曰：「此等素無武備，城池不完，遇賊畏懼，茍從之以求生，豈素有背叛之心也！ 懿宗擁強兵數十萬，聞賊輒退，使其滋蔓。 又欲移罪於草澤詿誤之人，豈為臣之道！ 臣請先斬懿宗，以謝河北。」 懿宗不能答。 則天遂寬脅從者之罪。 後都城三月雨雪，鳳閣侍郎蘇味道以為瑞雪，率群官表賀。 求禮曰：「公為宰相，不能燮理陰陽，非時降雪，又將災而為瑞，誣罔視聽。 若以三月雪為瑞雪，即臘月雷亦為瑞雷耶？」 味道不從。 求禮累遷左臺殿中侍御史。 神龍初，為衛王掾，病卒。 燕欽融燕欽融，洛州偃師人也。 景龍末，為許州司戶參軍。 時韋庶人干預國政，盛封拜群從子弟。 又與悖逆庶人及駙馬都尉武延秀、中書令宗楚客等將圖危宗社。 欽融連上奏其事，庶人大怒，勸中宗召欽融廷見，撲殺之。 宗楚客又私令執法者加刃，欽融因而致死。 睿宗即位，下制曰：「故許州司戶參軍燕欽融，先陳忠讜，頗列章奏，雖幹非其位，而進不顧身。 永言奄亡，誠所傷悼，方開諫路，宜慰窀穸。 可贈諫議大夫，仍令備禮改葬，特授一子官。」 附郎岌先是，定州人郎岌，亦備陳韋庶人及宗楚客將為逆亂之狀，中宗不納，而韋庶人勸杖殺之。 睿宗即位，追贈諫議大夫。 安金藏安金藏，京兆長安人，初為太常工人。 載初年，則天稱制，睿宗號為皇嗣。 少府監裴匪躬、內侍范雲仙並以私謁皇嗣腰斬。 自此公卿已下，並不得見之，唯金藏等工人得在左右。 或有誣告皇嗣潛有異謀者，則天令來俊臣窮鞫其狀。 左右不勝楚毒，皆欲自誣，唯金藏確然無辭，大呼謂俊臣曰：「公不信金藏之言，請剖心以明皇嗣不反。」 即引佩刀自剖其胸，五藏並出，流血被地，因氣絕而仆。 則天聞之，令輿入宮中，遣醫人卻內五藏，以桑白皮為線縫合，傅之藥。 經宿，金藏始甦。 則天親臨視之，嘆曰：「吾子不能自明，不如爾之忠也！」 即令俊臣停推，睿宗由是免難。
At the start of the Shenlong era, Su Anheng served as a tutor in the Hall of Gathered Arts. When Crown Prince Jiemin killed Wu Sansi, some accused Su Anheng of complicity; he was thrown into prison and executed. When Emperor Ruizong took the throne, learning of the injustice, he issued an edict: "The late Su Anheng built his life on learning and cultivated unyielding integrity. His bold memorials of years past were loyal and admirable. Treacherous men engineered his downfall and cut short his life unjustly—a fact that fills Us with deep sorrow. Let honor be conferred to mark his virtue—we posthumously appoint him Remonstrance Grandee. Two other men of blunt counsel were also remembered: Yu Wenjun and Wang Qiuli. Yu Wenjun was a native of Jiangling in Jing Prefecture. In the first year of the Zai reign era, a mountain shifted in Xinfeng during a thunderstorm; the county was renamed Celebration Mountain, and congratulations poured in from every quarter. Yu Wenjun submitted a memorial stating: "When Heaven loses harmony, winter and summer come at once; when the body loses balance, tumors form; when Earth loses harmony, the ground itself heaves upward. Your Majesty, a woman holding the throne reserved for men, has inverted the natural order—and so the earth chokes and mountains collapse in warning. You call this Celebration Mountain, but I say it is no cause for celebration. I urge You to mend Your ways and cultivate virtue to answer Heaven's warning. Otherwise, I fear disaster will follow. Empress Wu was furious and banished him to the far south. He was later murdered by a regional commissioner. Wang Qiuli was a native of Changshe in Xu Prefecture. Under Empress Wu he served as Left Reminder. When Wu Yizong led troops against the Khitan, he was too cowardly to advance. After the rebellion was crushed, he reported that several hundred families from Cangzhou and Yingzhou had joined the enemy and asked that they be put to death. Wang Qiuli rebuked him in open court: "These people had no arms, their walls were broken, and when the enemy came they submitted out of terror to save their lives—how can You call that treason? Yizong had hundreds of thousands of soldiers at his command, yet he fled at every enemy approach and let the rebellion spread unchecked. Now he would shift blame onto innocent villagers who were misled—is that how an officer serves his sovereign? I ask that Yizong be executed first, as reparation to the people of Hebei." Yizong had no answer. Wu Zetian then pardoned those who had been forced into collusion. Snow fell on the capital in the third month—a freak late-season storm. Fengge Vice Minister Su Weidao hailed it as an auspicious omen and led the court in offering congratulations. Qiuli said: "As chief minister you should harmonize Heaven and earth, yet untimely snow falls and you call disaster a blessing—you are deceiving the court and the people. If snow in March counts as a blessing, is thunder in the twelfth month a blessing too?" Weidao paid him no heed. Qiuli rose through the ranks to become a Left Censorate palace attendant. In the early Shenlong reign he became an aide to the Prince of Wei and died in office. Yan Qinrong was a native of Yanshi in Luozhou. In the late Jinglong era he was appointed revenue clerk of Xuzhou. Empress Wei was meddling in affairs of state, showering titles and offices on her kinsmen. Together with the treacherous empress, Imperial Son-in-Law Wu Yanxiu, Chief Minister Zong Chuke, and others, she plotted to destroy the dynasty. Qinrong memorialized the court repeatedly; the empress was furious and persuaded Zhongzong to summon him to the throne room and have him beaten to death on the spot. Zong Chuke secretly ordered the guards to finish him with edged weapons, and Qinrong was killed. When Emperor Ruizong came to the throne, he issued an edict: "The late Yan Qinrong, revenue clerk of Xuzhou, spoke loyal truth to power, memorial after memorial. Though it was not his place, he risked everything to do it. His untimely death is deeply mourned; as we reopen the path of honest counsel, let us honor his tomb and bring his spirit peace. Grant him the posthumous title Remonstrance Grand Master, give him a proper reburial with full honors, and appoint one of his sons to office." Appendix: Lang Ji. Earlier, a man named Lang Ji from Dingzhou had also warned in detail of Empress Wei's and Zong Chuke's planned treason. Zhongzong ignored him, and the empress had him beaten to death. When Ruizong ascended the throne, Lang Ji too was posthumously named Remonstrance Grand Master. An Jinzang was a native of Chang'an in the capital district and originally worked as an artisan in the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. In the first year of her reign title Zai, Wu Zetian seized power and made Ruizong crown prince in name only. Pei Feigong, director of the Palace Supplies Office, and the inner attendant Fan Yunxian were both cut in half at the waist merely for visiting the crown prince privately. From then on no senior official was allowed to see him—only Jinzang and fellow artisans could attend him. When someone falsely accused the crown prince of plotting treason, Wu Zetian put Lai Junchen in charge of a full investigation. The prince's attendants broke under torture and were ready to confess to anything, but Jinzang held firm. He shouted at Junchen: "If you will not believe me, I will cut open my chest to prove the crown prince is innocent!" He drew his belt dagger, split open his chest, and his entrails spilled onto the floor. Blood pooled beneath him and he collapsed, apparently dead. When Wu Zetian heard what had happened, she had him carried into the palace. Surgeons replaced his entrails, sewed him shut with mulberry-bark thread, and treated the wound. After a night he came back to life. Wu Zetian visited him in person and sighed: "My own son cannot prove his innocence as you have done with your loyalty!" She ordered Junchen to halt the inquiry, and Ruizong was spared.
37
金藏，神龍初喪母，寓葬於都南闕口之北，廬於墓側，躬造石墳石塔，晝夜不息。 原上舊無水，忽有湧泉自出。 又有李樹盛冬開花，犬鹿相狎。 本道使盧懷慎上聞，敕旌表其門。 景雲中，累遷右武衛中郎將。 玄宗即位，追思金藏忠節，下制褒美，擢拜右驍衛將軍，乃令史官編次其事。 ，又特封代國公，仍於東嶽等諸碑鐫勒其名。 竟以壽終，贈兵部尚書。 李憕李憕，太原文水人。 父希倩，中宗神龍初，右臺監察御史。
In the early Shenlong reign, after his mother's death, Jinzang buried her provisionally north of Que Pass south of the capital. He built a hut by the grave and worked day and night carving a stone tomb and pagoda with his own hands. Though the hill had never had water before, a spring suddenly burst from the ground. Plum trees blossomed in deep winter, and dogs and deer mingled peacefully. Circuit commissioner Lu Huaishen reported these portents to the throne, and the emperor ordered an honorific plaque for Jinzang's household. During the Jingyun era he rose to become a captain in the Right Martial Guard. When Emperor Xuanzong came to the throne, he remembered Jinzang's loyalty, issued an edict of praise, promoted him to general of the Right Valiant Cavalry Guard, and ordered the historians to record his story. He was also specially made Duke of Dai, and his name was carved on steles at Mount Tai and elsewhere. He lived out his full span of years and died a natural death, and was posthumously made Minister of War. Li Qi was a native of Wenshui in Taiyuan. His father Li Xiqian served as a censor of the Right Censorate in the early Shenlong reign of Emperor Zhongzong.
38
憕早聰敏，以明經舉，開元初為咸陽尉。 時張說自紫微令、燕國公出為相州刺史、河北按察使，有洺州劉行善相人，說問：「寮采後誰貴達？」 行乃稱憕及臨河尉鄭巖。 說乃以女妻巖，妹婿陰行真女妻於憕。 及說為并州長史、天兵軍大使，引憕常在幕下。 九年，入為相，憕又為長安尉。 屬宇文融為御史，括田戶，奏知名之士崔希逸、咸廙業、宇文順、於孺卿、李宙及悽為判官，攝監察御史，分路檢察，以課並遷監察御史。 憕驟歷兵、吏部郎中，給事中。 憕有吏幹，明於幾案，甚有當官之稱。
Li Qi was precociously brilliant. He passed the Classicist examination and, at the start of the Kaiyuan era, became magistrate of Xianyang. When Zhang Shuo left his post as chief minister and Duke of Yan to become prefect of Xiangzhou and commissioner for Hebei, he consulted Liu Xingshan, a physiognomist from Mingzhou: "Which of my staff will rise to greatness?" Xingshan named Li Qi and Zheng Yan, magistrate of Linhe. Zhang Shuo married his daughter to Zheng Yan and gave Yin Xingzhen's daughter to Li Qi. When Zhang Shuo became military governor of Bingzhou and commander of the Heavenly Army, he kept Li Qi on his personal staff. In the ninth year Zhang Shuo returned to the capital as chancellor, and Li Qi was appointed magistrate of Chang'an. When Yuwen Rong was made censor and ordered to register landholdings, he appointed distinguished officials including Cui Xiyi, Xian Yiye, Yuwen Shun, Yu Ruqing, Li Zhou, and Li Qi as case officers with acting status as supervising censors. They inspected the work in separate districts and, on the strength of their performance, all were promoted to full censor. Li Qi rose quickly through posts as director in the Ministries of War and Personnel and finally as palace advisor. Li Qi was an able administrator with a sharp eye for paperwork and a reputation for integrity in office.
39
二十八年，為河南少尹。 時蕭炅為尹，依倚權貴，蒞事多不法。 憕以公直正之，人用繫賴。 又道士孫甑生以左道求進，托以修功德，往來嵩山，求請無度，憕必挫之。 炅及甑生患之，而構於朝廷。 天寶初，出為清河太守。 十一載，累轉河東太守、本道采訪。 謁於行在所，改尚書右丞、京兆尹。 十四載，轉光祿卿、東京留守，判尚書省事。
In the twenty-eighth year of Kaiyuan he became vice governor of Henan. The governor was Xiao Jiong, who relied on powerful patrons and ran his office with little regard for the law. Li Qi corrected him with impartial firmness, and the people came to depend on him. A Daoist named Sun Zhensheng sought influence through sorcery, using charitable projects as a pretext for endless requests at Mount Song. Li Qi blocked him at every turn. Xiao Jiong and Sun Zhensheng bore him a grudge and slandered him at court. At the start of the Tianbao era he was transferred out to serve as prefect of Qinghe. In the eleventh year he was promoted to prefect of Hedong and investigating commissioner for the circuit. When he reported to the emperor at the traveling palace, he was made vice minister of the Secretariat and governor of the capital district. In the fourteenth year he became chamberlain for attendants, commissioner for the Eastern Capital, and acting head of the Secretariat.
40
其載十一月，安祿山反於范陽，人心震懼。 玄宗遣安西節度封常清兼御史大夫為將，召募於東京以禦之。 憕與留臺御史中丞盧奕、河南尹達奚珣，綏輯將士，完繕城郭，遏其侵逼。 遷憕禮部尚書，依前留守。 自逆徒發范陽，至渡河，令嚴，覘候計絕。 及渡河，陷陳留、滎陽二郡，殺張介然、崔無诐，數日間已至都城下。 祿山所統，皆蕃漢精兵，訓練已久； 常清之眾，多市井之人，初不知戰。 及兵交之後，被鐵騎唐突，飛矢如雨，皆魂懾色沮，望賊奔散。 憕謂奕曰：「吾曹荷國重寄，誓無避死，雖力不敵，其若官守何！」 奕亦便許願守本司。 於是憕居留守宅，奕獨居臺中。
That November An Lushan rose in rebellion at Fanyang, and panic swept the realm. Emperor Xuanzong sent Feng Changqing, military governor of Anxi and concurrently censor-in-chief, to raise troops in Luoyang to meet the rebel advance. Li Qi, together with the acting censor Lu Yi and Henan governor Daxi Xun, rallied the troops, repaired the fortifications, and held back the enemy's advance. Li Qi was promoted to Minister of Rites while remaining commissioner of the Eastern Capital. From the rebel departure at Fanyang until they crossed the Yellow River, their discipline was iron tight and intelligence reports dried up. Once across the river they seized Chenliu and Xingyang, killed the defenders Zhang Jieran and Cui Wubi, and within days were at the gates of Luoyang. Lushan's army was made up of seasoned barbarian and Han veterans; Feng Changqing's recruits were mostly townspeople who had never seen combat. When battle was joined, armored cavalry bore down on them and arrows fell like rain. Terror drained the color from their faces and they fled at the sight of the enemy. Li Qi said to Lu Yi: "The state has entrusted us with grave responsibility. We have sworn not to flee from death. Even if we cannot prevail, how can we abandon our posts?" Lu Yi immediately vowed to hold his office to the end. Li Qi stayed at the commissioner's residence while Lu Yi remained alone in the censorate headquarters.
41
及常清西奔，祿山領其眾，椎鼓大呼，以入都城，殺掠數千人，箭及宮闕。 然後住居於閑廄中，令擒悽及奕、判官蔣清等三人，害之，以威於眾。 祿山傳悽、奕、清三人之首，以徇河北。 信宿，至平原，太守顏真卿斬其使，浴其首，殮以木函，祭而瘞之，以聞。 玄宗贈悽司徒，仍與一子五品官。 奕武部尚書，崔無诐工部尚書，各與一子官。 蔣清文部郎中。
When Feng Changqing fled westward, Lushan marched his army into the city with drums beating and battle cries. They slaughtered and plundered thousands, and arrows flew as far as the palace gates. He established his headquarters in the abandoned stables and ordered Li Qi, Lu Yi, and the case officer Jiang Qing seized and executed as a warning to the populace. Lushan sent the heads of Li Qi, Lu Yi, and Jiang Qing through Hebei as a grim display. Two days later the procession reached Pingyuan, where Governor Yan Zhenqing executed the bearer, washed the heads, placed them in a wooden coffin, buried them with proper rites, and reported to the throne. Emperor Xuanzong posthumously made Li Qi Minister over the Masses and granted a fifth-rank office to one of his sons. Lu Yi was posthumously made Minister of War and Cui Wubi Minister of Works; each man's son was also granted an office. Jiang Qing was posthumously made director in the Ministry of Rites.
42
憕豐於產業，伊川膏腴，水陸上田，修竹茂樹，自城及闕口，別業相望，與吏部侍郎李彭年皆有地癖。 鄭巖，天寶中仕至絳郡太守，入為少府監，田產亞於憕。
Li Qi was enormously wealthy. His estates in Yichuan stretched along the Yi River—irrigated fields, bamboo groves, and thick woodland from the city to Que Pass, one villa facing another. He and Vice Minister Li Pengnian shared an obsession with land. Zheng Yan rose during Tianbao to prefect of Jiang Commandery and later became director of the Palace Supplies Office; his holdings ranked second only to Li Qi's.
43
憕有子十餘人，二子為僧，與憕同遇害； 二子彭、源，存焉。 子源源，時年八歲，為賊所俘，轉徙流離，凡七八年。 及史朝義走河北，洛陽故吏有義源者，贖之於民家。 代宗聞之，授河南府參軍，轉司農寺主簿。 以父死禍難，無心祿仕，誓不婚妻，不食酒肉。 洛陽之北惠林寺，憕之舊堅墅也，源乃依寺僧，寓居一室，依僧齋戒，人未嘗見其所習。 先穴地為墓，預為終制，時時偃仰於穴中。
Li Qi had more than a dozen sons; two who had become monks died with him; two others, Peng and Yuan, survived. His son Yuan was eight years old when the rebels captured him. He was passed from hand to hand in exile for seven or eight years. When Shi Chaoyi fled north to Hebei, a former Luoyang official named Yiyuan bought him back from the family that held him. When Emperor Daizong learned of this, he appointed Yuan adjutant of Henan prefecture and later chief clerk of the Court of the National Granaries. After his father's death in the rebellion he renounced official life, swore never to marry, and abstained from wine and meat. North of Luoyang lay Huilin Temple, once site of Li Qi's country villa. Yuan took up residence with the monks in a single cell, living by their vegetarian rules. No one ever saw him pursue an ordinary livelihood. He dug his own grave in advance and would lie down in it from time to time, as if rehearsing his death.
44
，御史中丞李德裕表薦之曰：「處士李源，即故禮部尚書、東都留守、贈司徒、忠烈公李憕之少子。 天與忠孝，嗣茲貞烈。 以父死國難，哀纏終身，自司農寺主簿，絕心祿仕，垂五十年。 暨於衰暮，多依惠林佛寺，本憕之墅也。 寺之正殿，即悽之寢室，源過殿必趨，未嘗登踐。 隨僧一食，已五十年。 其端心執孝，無有不至。 抱此貞節，棄於清朝，臣竊為陛下惜之。」 詔曰：
Later, Vice Censor Li Deyu memorialized the throne in his favor: "The recluse Li Yuan is the youngest son of the late Li Qi, Minister of Rites and commissioner of the Eastern Capital, posthumously honored as Minister over the Masses and Loyal and Stern Duke. Heaven endowed him with loyalty and filial devotion, and he inherits his father's steadfast virtue. Since his father perished in the nation's crisis, grief has wrapped his life. He resigned his post as chief clerk of the Court of the National Granaries and has refused office for nearly fifty years. In his old age he has lived chiefly at Huilin Temple, on what was once his father's estate. The temple's main hall was his father's former bedchamber. Yuan always hurried past it and never set foot inside. He has eaten one simple meal a day with the monks for fifty years. His filial devotion has been absolute in every respect. A man of such integrity languishes forgotten in Your Majesty's reign, and I grieve that the court should waste him." The emperor replied:
45
《禮》著死綏，《傳》稱握節，捐生守位，取重人倫。 為義甚明，其風或替，言念於此，慨然興懷。 而朝之公卿，有上言者，云天寶之季，盜起幽陵，振蕩生靈，噬吞河洛。 贈司徒、忠烈公憕，處難居首，正色受屠，兩河聞風，再固危壁，首立殊節，到今稱之。 其子源，有曾、閔之行，可貫於神明； 有巢、由之風，可希於太古。 山林以寄其跡，爵祿不入於心，泊然無營，五十餘載。 夫褒忠可以勸臣節，旌孝可以激人倫，尚義可以警澆浮，敬老可以厚風俗。 舉茲四者，大儆於時。 是用擢自衡門，立於文陛，處以諫職，冀聞讜言，仍加印紱，式示光寵。 可守左諫議大夫，賜緋魚袋。 仍敕河南尹差官就所居敦諭遣發。
The Book of Rites commends dying at one's post; the Commentary praises holding fast to one's token of office. To give one's life guarding one's charge is the highest standard of human duty. Righteous conduct once stood plainly before us, yet that spirit has faded; as I dwell on this, sorrow and resolve rise together within me. Court ministers have memorialized that in the closing years of Tianbao, rebellion erupted from the northeast, convulsing the realm and swallowing the heartland along the Yellow and Luo rivers. Posthumous Minister of Works Yan Ping, the Loyal and Martyr Duke, stood foremost in the crisis and met death with unflinching dignity; his example rallied the north, twice stiffened defenses on the brink of collapse, and won honor that endures to this day. His son Yuan displayed filial devotion worthy of Zengzi and Min Ziqian, devotion so pure it would move heaven itself. He carried the same withdrawn simplicity as the sage-recluses of primordial age, a way of life scarcely seen since the dawn of history. He hid himself in the hills, untouched by titles or salary, living in quiet detachment for over fifty years. To reward loyalty steels officials in duty; to honor filial piety upholds the bonds of family; to exalt righteousness curbs frivolity; to respect the elderly deepens the character of society. By advancing these four virtues, We set a commanding standard for Our times. Therefore We summon him from obscurity to stand before the imperial throne, assign him a remonstrance post in hope of frank counsel, and grant him rank and insignia as visible token of Our grace. Let him serve as Left Remonstrance Censor and be presented with the scarlet official pouch. The Henan governor is further ordered to send officials to his residence with urgent summons to take up his post.
46
穆宗尋令中使賫手詔、緋袍、牙笏、絹二百匹，往洛陽惠林寺宣賜。 源受詔，對中使苦陳疾甚年高，不能趨拜，附表謝恩，其官告服色絹，皆辭不受。 竟卒於寺。 子彭彭，以一子官累歷州縣令長。 子宏，仕官愈卑。 生三子：景讓、景莊、景溫，自元和後，相繼以進士登第。 彭孫景讓景讓，太和中為尚書郎，出為商州刺史。 ，入朝為中書舍人。 二年十月，出為華州刺史、潼關防禦、鎮國軍使。 四年，入為禮部侍郎。 五年，選貢士李蔚，後至宰相； 楊知退為尚書。 大中朝，為襄州刺史、山南道節度使，入為吏部尚書。 十一年，轉御史大夫。
Emperor Muzong soon dispatched a palace messenger bearing an autograph decree, a scarlet robe, an ivory court tablet, and two hundred bolts of silk to Huilin Temple in Luoyang to invest him formally. Yuan received the decree but pleaded before the messenger that age and illness left him unable to perform court obeisance; in a written reply he thanked the emperor but refused the appointment, robes, insignia, and silk alike. He died at the temple shortly thereafter. His son Peng rose through county and prefectural office by the privilege granted to the son of an honored man. Another son, Hong, served in lesser posts still. He had three sons—Jingrang, Jingzhuang, and Jingwen—each of whom earned the jinshi degree in succession after the Yuanhe reign. Peng's grandson Jingrang served as a secretariat official in the Tahe era before being appointed governor of Shang Prefecture. He later returned to court as Vice Director of the Secretariat. In the tenth month of the second year he was posted as governor of Huazhou, defender of Tong Pass, and commander of the Zhenguo army. In the fourth year he was recalled as Vice Minister of Rites. In the fifth year he selected Li Wei in the examinations; Wei would later become chief minister. He also selected Yang Zhituo, who rose to director of a ministry. During the Dazhong era he served as governor of Xiangzhou and military commissioner of Shannan, then returned to court as Minister of Personnel. In the eleventh year he was promoted to Censor-in-Chief.
47
景讓有大志，事親以孝聞，正色立朝，言無避忌。 為大夫時，宣宗舅鄭光卒，詔贈司徒，罷朝三日。 景讓曰：「國舅雖親，朝典有素，無容過越。」 乃上言曰：
Jingrang was a man of high ambition, famed for filial devotion, who spoke at court with stern integrity and never flinched from the truth. While censor-in-chief, he learned that the emperor's maternal uncle Zheng Guang had died and that the throne had ordered three days of court mourning and posthumous promotion to Minister of Works. Jingrang objected: "Kinship with the emperor's uncle does not justify bending established court precedent." He memorialized the throne as follows:
48
鄭光是陛下親舅，外族之愛，誠軫聖心，況皇太后哀切之時，理合加等，而賜之粟帛，隆其第宅，自家刑國，允謂合宜。 今以輟朝之數，比於親王公主，則前例所無。 縱有，亦不可施用。 何者？ 先王制禮，所以防微。 大凡人情，於外族則深，於宗屬則薄。 所以先王制禮，割愛厚親，士庶猶然，況當萬乘！ 親王公主，宗屬也； 舅氏，外族也。 今朝廷公卿以至庶人，據《開元禮》，外祖父母及親舅喪服，小功五月，若親伯叔親兄弟即服齊缞周年。 所以疏其外而密於內也。 有天下者，尤不可使外戚強盛。 故西漢有呂氏之侈，幾滅劉氏； 國朝有則天之篡，殆革唐命。 皆非一朝一夕，其所由來漸也。 今鄭光輟朝日數，與親王公主同，設使陛下速改詔命，輟朝一日或兩日，示其升降有差，恩禮無僭，使四方見陛下欽明之德，青史傳陛下制度之文，垂之百王，播之芳烈。
Zheng Guang was indeed the emperor's uncle, and compassion for maternal kin naturally stirred Your Majesty's heart—especially amid the empress dowager's grief, enrichment with grain and silk and enlargement of his residence were appropriate expressions of family virtue taught to the realm. Yet matching the court mourning period to that granted princes and princesses has no precedent. Even if one existed, it should not be invoked here. Why is this so? The sages fashioned ritual precisely to check small excesses before they grow. Human nature runs deep toward maternal kin and comparatively thin toward the paternal line. That is why ritual deliberately restrains affection for outsiders and strengthens bonds within the clan—a rule binding on commoners and nobles alike, and all the more on the sovereign. Princes and princesses belong to the imperial clan— a maternal uncle belongs to the outer kin. Under the Kaiyuan Rites, officials and subjects alike wear five months' mourning for maternal grandparents and uncles, but a full year for paternal uncles and brothers— ritual thus keeps distant kin at a remove and holds close those within the clan. A ruler above all must never permit consort kin to grow strong. The Western Han nearly fell when the Lü clan grew overmighty; Our own dynasty trembled when Wu Zetian seized the throne. Neither calamity sprang up overnight; both crept forward step by step. If Your Majesty would now reduce court mourning to one or two days—making clear the proper gradation of honors—the realm would witness imperial wisdom, historians would record a model for ages to come, and Your Majesty's restraint would echo among the sage-kings.
49
臣愚不肖，謬竊恩私，實願陛下處於堯、舜之上，羲、軒之列，所以甘心鼎鑊，伏進危言！
Your humble servant, undeserving of Your grace, dares urge that Your Majesty rank with Yao, Shun, and the sage-emperors of old—even at the risk of death for speaking so bluntly.
50
優詔報之，乃罷兩日。 景讓復為吏部尚書，卒，謚曰孝。
The emperor answered with a gentle decree and reduced mourning to two days. Jingrang later served again as Minister of Personnel until his death; he was posthumously titled "Filial."
51
景溫，登第後踐歷臺閣。 咸通中，自工部侍郎出為華州刺史、潼關防禦、鎮國軍使。 景莊，亦至達官。 張介然張介然者，蒲州猗氏人也。 本名六朗。 謹慎善籌算，為郡守在河、隴。 及天寶中，王忠嗣、皇甫惟明、哥舒翰相次為節將，並委以營田支度等使。 進位衛尉卿，仍兼行軍司馬，使如故。 及加銀青光祿大夫，帶上柱國，因入奏稱旨，特加賜賫。 介然乘間奏曰：「臣今三品，合列棨戟。 若列於帝城，鄉里不知臣貴。 臣，河東人也，請列戟於故鄉。」 玄宗曰：「所給可列故鄉，京城佇當別賜。」 介然拜謝而出，仍賜絹五百匹，令宴集閭里，以寵異之。 本鄉列戟，自介然始也。 哥舒翰追在西京，薦為少府監。
Jingwen, after earning his degree, served through central government posts. During Xiantong he left his post as Vice Minister of Works to become governor of Huazhou, defender of Tong Pass, and commander of the Zhenguo army. Jingzhuang likewise rose to high office. Zhang Jieran was a native of Yishi County in Pu Prefecture. He had originally been named Liulang. Careful and adept at accounts, he served as a prefectural official in the He-Long frontier region. During Tianbao, as Wang Zhongsi, Huangfu Weiming, and Geshu Han served in succession as frontier commanders, each appointed him commissioner of military farms and supplies. He was promoted to Inspector of the Guard and continued as army chief of staff while retaining his supply duties. Promoted to Silver-Green Glory Grand Master with the rank of Upper Pillar State, he so pleased the emperor in audience that special rewards were added. Jieran took the occasion to say, "As a third-rank official I am entitled to halberds at my gate. If they stand in the capital, my home village will never see that I have risen. I am a son of Hedong—let the halberds be posted in my native place." The emperor replied, "Place them in your hometown; a separate set will be provided for the capital. Jieran thanked him and withdrew, receiving five hundred bolts of silk and orders to feast his neighbors—a mark of extraordinary honor. The custom of displaying honor halberds in one's native village began with Jieran. When Geshu Han fell back to Chang'an, he recommended Jieran for director of palace works.
52
安祿山將犯河洛，以介然為河南防禦使，令守陳留。 陳留水陸所湊，邑居萬家，而素不習戰。 介然至任數日，賊已渡河。 雖率兵登城，兼守要害，虜騎十萬，所過殺戮，煙塵亙天，彌漫數十里。 介然之眾，聞吹角鼓噪之聲，授甲不得，氣已奪矣，故至覆敗。
As An Lushan moved against the Yellow and Luo heartland, Jieran was made Henan defense commissioner and charged with holding Chenliu. Chenliu stood at a hub of land and river traffic with ten thousand households, but its people were unused to war. Jieran had barely taken office when the rebels crossed the river. He rallied the garrison and held the key positions, but a hundred thousand rebel horsemen swept past in a tide of slaughter, dust blotting the sky for miles on end. His men never even finished arming themselves before the rebel horns and drums broke their nerve, and the defense collapsed.
53
初，玄宗以祿山起逆，於河南要路懸榜以購其首，又諭已殺其子慶宗等。 祿山入陳留北郭，安慶緒見榜，白於祿山。 祿山於輿中兩手撫胸，大哭數聲，曰：「我有何罪，已殺我兒？」 便縱兇毒。 前有陳留兵將降者向萬人，行列於路，祿山命其牙將殺戮皆盡，流血如川。 乃斬介然於軍門，祿山氣乃稍解。 頓軍於陳留郭下，以其將李庭望為節度鎮之。 十五載，玄宗贈介然工部尚書，與一子五品官。 崔無詖崔無詖者，京兆長安人也。 本博陵舊族。 父從禮，中宗韋庶人之舅，景龍中衛尉卿。 時中書令、酂國公蕭至忠才位素高，甚承恩顧，敕亡先女冥婚韋庶人亡弟。 無詖婚至忠女，後為女家，中宗為兒家，供擬甚厚，時人為之語曰：「皇后嫁女，天子娶婦。」 及韋庶人敗，至忠女亦死，無詖坐累久貶在外。
Early in the rebellion the emperor had posted rewards for An Lushan's head along the Henan roadways and proclaimed the execution of his son Qingzong and others. When Lushan entered the northern outskirts of Chenliu, his son Qingxu saw the reward proclamation and told him. Lushan clutched his chest in his carriage and wailed, "What have I done that they should kill my son?" Then he gave free rein to his cruelty. Some ten thousand Chenliu troops who had surrendered stood lined along the road; Lushan ordered his officers to cut them down until blood ran like a stream. He then executed Jieran before the army gate, and only then did his fury subside a little. He halted his army outside Chenliu and left the general Li Tingwang to hold the city. In Tianbao fifteen Xuanzong posthumously made him Vice Minister of Works and granted a fifth-rank post to one of his sons. Cui Wubi was a native of Chang'an in the capital district. He came from the ancient Boling Cui lineage. His father Congli, maternal uncle to Empress Wei during Zhongzong's reign, had served as Inspector of the Guard in the Jinglong era. Chief Minister Xiao Zhizhong then enjoyed great favor at court, and the emperor ordered a posthumous marriage between Zhizhong's deceased daughter and Empress Wei's deceased brother. Wubi married Zhizhong's daughter in a spectacle so lavish—the bride's side funded by Zhizhong, the groom's side by the emperor—that people jested, "The empress gives away a daughter while the Son of Heaven takes a bride." When Empress Wei fell, Zhizhong's daughter died as well, and Wubi, caught in the disgrace, spent years in exile.
54
開元中，為益州司馬。 會楊國忠為新都尉，與之歡甚，國忠因事引用之，累轉陜郡太守、少府監、滎陽郡太守。 安祿山率眾南向，無詖召募拒之。 及賊陷陳留郡後，兇威轉盛，戈矛鼓角，驚駭城邑，兩宿及滎陽。 乘城自墜如雨，故無詖及官吏，盡為賊所虜。 賊以其將武令珣鎮之。 盧奕盧奕，黃門監懷慎之少子也。 與其兄奐齊名。 大腹豐下，眉目疏朗。 謹願寡欲，不尚輿馬，克己自勵。 開元中，任京兆司錄參軍。 天寶初，為鄠縣令、兵部郎中。 所歷有聲，皆如奐之所治也。 ，轉給事中。 十一載，為御史中丞。 始懷慎及奐並為中丞，父子三繼，清節不易，時人美之。 奕留臺東都，又分知東都武部選事。
During Kaiyuan he served as vice administrator of Yizhou. There he befriended Yang Guozhong, then magistrate of Xindu, who later advanced him through posts as governor of Shaan, director of palace works, and governor of Xingyang. When An Lushan marched south, Wubi raised troops to resist. After Chenliu fell the rebels grew bolder still; spears, drums, and war horns terrified every town they passed, and within two nights they stood before Xingyang. Defenders fell from the walls in droves, and Wubi with his officials were all captured. The rebels left the general Wu Lingxun to hold the city. Lu Yi was the youngest son of Vice Director Lu Huaishen. He was as renowned as his elder brother Huan. He was broad of belly and handsome of feature, with open, composed countenance. Restrained and frugal, he scorned fine carriages and disciplined himself rigorously. During Kaiyuan he served as recorder in the capital administration. In the opening years of Tianbao he held the magistracy of Hu County and a directorship in the Ministry of War. Every post he held won praise equal to his brother's record. He was then made supervising secretary. In the eleventh year he became vice censor-in-chief. Since his father Huaishen and brother Huan had both held the censorate, three generations in succession upheld the same spotless integrity—a virtue widely admired. Yi remained at the eastern capital and also shared responsibility for military appointments at Luoyang.
55
十四載，安祿山犯東都，人吏奔散； 奕在臺獨居，為賊所執，與李憕同見害。 玄宗聞而湣之，贈兵部尚書。 太常議謚，博士獨孤及議曰：
In the fourteenth year of the reign, An Lushan struck the eastern capital and officials and people scattered in flight; Yi alone stayed at his post; the rebels seized him, and he was killed along with Li Ming. When Emperor Xuanzong heard, he mourned him and posthumously appointed him Minister of War. When the Directorate of Ceremonials debated his posthumous name, Erudite Du Guji argued as follows:
56
盧奕剛毅樸忠，直方而清，勵精吏事，所居可紀。 ，洛陽陷沒。 於時東京人士，狼狽鹿駭，猛虎磨牙而爭其肉，居位者皆欲保命而全妻子。 或先策高足，爭脫羿彀； 或不恥茍活，甘飲盜泉。 奕獨正身守位義不去，以死全節誓不辱。 勢窘力屈，以朝服就執，猶慷慨感憤，數賊梟獍之罪。 觀者股栗，奕不變其色，而北面辭君，然後受害。 雖古烈士，方之者鮮矣！
Lu Yi was stern and steadfast, plainspoken and loyal, upright and incorruptible; he threw himself into his duties, and his tenure in office deserves to be remembered. When Luoyang fell to the rebels, The people of the eastern capital were thrown into panic; like tigers snarling over prey, everyone in authority sought only to save his own skin and protect his family. Some fled on swift horses, desperate to escape the bow; Others, unashamed to cling to life at any price, were ready to drink from a thief's well. Only Yi held his post with unbending dignity, refusing to flee; he chose death to preserve his honor and swore never to suffer disgrace. Though cornered and helpless, he went to his capture still in full court dress; undaunted, he denounced the rebels' monstrous crimes with passionate fury. Those who looked on trembled in terror, but Yi's face never changed; he bowed toward the north in farewell to his sovereign and only then suffered death. Even among heroes of antiquity, few can stand comparison with him!
57
或曰：「洛陽之存亡，操兵者實任其咎，非執法吏所能抗。 師敗將奔，去之可也。 委身寇仇，以死誰懟？」 及以為不然。 勇者禦而忠者守，必社稷是衛，則死生以之。 危而去之，是智免也，於忠何有？ 昔荀息殺身於晉，不食其言也； 仲由結纓於衛，食焉不避其難也； 玄冥勤其官而水死，守位而忘軀也； 伯姬待保姆而火死，先禮而後身也。 彼四人者，死之日，皆於事無補，夫豈愛死而賈禍也！ 以為死輕於義，故蹈義而捐生。 古史書之，使事君者勸。 然則祿山之亂，大於裏克、孔悝； 奕廉察之任，切於玄冥之官。 分命所繫，不啻於保姆； 逆黨兵威，甚於水火。 於斯時也，能與執干戈者同其戮力，挽之不來，推之不去，豈不以師可虧，免不可茍，身可殺，節不可奪。 故全其特操於白刃之下，孰與夫懷安偷生者同其風哉！
Some argued: "Whether Luoyang stood or fell rested on the soldiers; a civil official could hardly have made a difference. When the army is beaten and the generals run, it is only natural to flee. To throw yourself into the enemy's hands—what good does dying serve? Du Guji rejected this view. The courageous fight; the loyal hold their ground; when the realm itself is at stake, they accept whatever death or life may bring. To flee at the first sign of danger is merely clever self-preservation—what has that to do with loyalty? Long ago Xun Xi gave his life at Jin rather than break his pledge; Zhong You bound his cap-strings at Wei, refusing to abandon the lord who had fed him even in peril; Xuan Ming died in floodwaters while dutifully performing his office, holding his station and giving no thought to himself; Bo Ji perished in the flames because she would not leave before her nurse—a woman who put duty before her own life. None of those four, on the day they died, changed the outcome of events—yet who would say they courted death for its own sake! They held their lives cheap beside righteousness, and so walked the path of duty even unto death. The historians of old recorded their deeds to inspire loyalty in those who serve their sovereign. An Lushan's rebellion was a crisis far beyond those faced by Li Ke or Kong Kui; Lu Yi's charge as censor bore directly on the realm's welfare—no less pressing than Xuan Ming's post. The trust placed in him was every bit as solemn as the charge of a royal attendant; The rebels' army was a devastation worse than flood or flame. At such a moment he strove alongside those who bore arms—could not be pulled away or driven off—for he held that armies may fail but honor cannot be surrendered, life may be taken but integrity cannot be stolen. To preserve one's character unsullied under the naked sword—how could such a man breathe the same air as those who clung to comfort and chose a coward's survival!
58
謹按謚法，圖國忘身曰「貞」，秉德遵業曰「烈」。 奕執憲戎馬之間，志籓王室，可謂圖國； 國危不能拯，而繼之以死，可謂忘身； 歷官一十任，言必正，事必果，而清節不撓，去之若始至，可謂秉德； 先黃門以直道佐時，奕嗣之以忠純，可謂遵業。 請謚曰「貞烈」。
According to the rules for posthumous names, one who devotes himself to the state at the cost of his life receives "Zhen" (Upright); one who upholds virtue and honors his forebears receives "Lie" (Ardent). Yi upheld the law even in the thick of battle, his heart set on protecting the throne—surely this is devotion to the realm; He could not save the realm in its hour of peril but followed with his life—this is selflessness unto death; Over ten official postings his word was always honest, his actions resolute, his integrity unbroken from first day to last—this is steadfast virtue; His father served at court with uncompromising integrity; Yi inherited that legacy in loyal purity—this is honoring one's ancestral charge. I therefore propose the posthumous name Zhenlie ("Steadfast and Ardent").
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從之。 蔣清蔣清者，故吏部侍郎欽緒之子。 舉明經，調補太子校書郎、鞏縣丞，盧奕留之憲府。 清與諸兄溢、演、沇，知名於時。 奕之被害，清亦死焉。 顏杲卿顏杲卿，瑯邪臨沂人。 世仕江左。 五代祖之推，北齊黃門侍郎、修文館學士。 齊亡入周，始家關內，遂為長安人焉。 曾伯祖師古，貞觀中秘書監，自有傳。 曾祖勤禮，崇文館學士。 祖甫，曹王侍讀。 父元孫，垂拱初登進士第，考功員外郎劉奇榜其詞策，文瑰俊拔，多士聳觀。 歷官長安尉、太子舍人、亳州刺史卒。
The proposal was accepted. Jiang Qing was the son of the former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Jiang Qinxu. Having passed the Mingjing examination, he was appointed Palace Proofreader and assistant magistrate of Gong County; Lu Yi kept him on at the censorate. Qing and his elder brothers Yi, Yan, and Yuan were all celebrated men of their day. When Lu Yi was killed, Qing died with him. Yan Gaoqing, a native of Linyi in Langye commandery. His clan had served for generations in the south. His fifth-generation ancestor Yan Zhitui had been Vice Censor-in-Chief under Northern Qi and a scholar of the Hall of Cultivated Letters. When Northern Qi fell they entered Zhou territory, settled within the Passes, and became residents of Chang'an. His great-great-uncle Yan Shigu served as Director of the Secretariat under Emperor Taizong and has a separate biography. His great-grandfather Yan Qinli was an academician of the Hall of Splendid Culture. His grandfather Yan Fu served as tutor to the Prince of Cao. His father Yan Yuansun passed the jinshi examination in the early Chuigong period; Liu Qi of the Examination Section ranked his policy essay first—a work of such brilliance that the entire cohort looked on in awe. He served as magistrate of Chang'an and Palace Attendant, and died while prefect of Bozhou.
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杲卿以廕受官，性剛直，有吏幹。 開元中，為魏州錄事參軍，振舉綱目，政稱第一。 ，攝常山太守。 時安祿山為河北、河東采訪使，常山在其部內。 其年十一月，祿山舉范陽之兵詣闕。 十二月十二日，陷東都。 杲卿忠誠感發，懼賊遂寇潼關，即危宗社。 時從弟真卿為平原太守，初聞祿山逆謀，陰養死士，招懷豪右，為拒賊之計。 至是遣使告杲卿，相與起義兵，掎角斷賊歸路，以紓西寇之勢。 杲卿乃與長史袁履謙、前真定令賈深、前內丘丞張通幽等，謀開土門以背之。 時祿山遣蔣欽湊、高邈率眾五千守土門。 杲卿欲誅欽湊，開土門之路。 時欽湊軍隸常山郡，屬欽湊遣高邈往幽州未還，杲卿遣吏召欽湊至郡計事。 是月二十二日夜，欽湊至，舍之於傳舍。 會飲既醉，令袁履謙與參軍馮虔、縣尉李棲默、手力翟萬德等殺欽湊。 中夜，履謙以欽湊首見杲卿，相與垂泣，喜事交濟也。 是夜，稾城尉崔安石報高邈還至蒲城，即令馮虔、翟萬德與安石往圖之。 詰朝，高邈之騎從數人至稾城驛，安石皆殺之。 俄而邈至，安石紿之曰：「太守備酒樂於傳舍。」 邈方據廳下馬，馮虔等擒而縶之。 是日，賊將何千年自東都來趙郡，馮虔、萬德伏兵於醴泉驛，千年至，又擒之。 即日縛二賊將還郡。 杲卿遣子安平尉泉明及賈深、張通幽、翟萬德，函欽湊之首，械二賊，送於京師。
Gaoqing entered office through hereditary privilege; stern and upright by nature, he possessed genuine talent for administration. During the Kaiyuan reign he served as administrative assistant of Wei Prefecture; he strengthened every line of governance until his district ranked first in the realm. and was appointed acting governor of Changshan. An Lushan was then regional commissioner of Hebei and Hedong, and Changshan fell within his territory. That November Lushan marched the armies of Fanyang against the capital. On the twelfth of the twelfth month the eastern capital fell. Stirred by loyalty, Gaoqing feared the rebels would press on to Tong Pass and threaten the dynasty itself. His cousin Yan Zhenqing was governor of Pingyuan; as soon as he learned of Lushan's conspiracy he secretly trained die-hard fighters, rallied local leaders, and laid plans for resistance. He now sent word to Gaoqing, and together they raised loyalist troops to strike from two sides, cut off the rebels' retreat, and ease the pressure on the western front. Gaoqing joined Chief Administrator Yuan Lüqian, the former magistrate of Zhending Jia Shen, the former assistant magistrate of Neiqiu Zhang Tongyou, and others in a plan to seize Tumen Pass and attack from the rear. Lushan had sent Jiang Qincou and Gao Miao with five thousand men to hold Tumen Pass. Gaoqing intended to kill Qincou and open the pass. Qincou's troops reported to Changshan commandery; with Gao Miao away on a mission to Youzhou, Gaoqing summoned Qincou to the prefectural seat on pretext of consultation. On the night of the twenty-second he arrived and was put up at the official guesthouse. Once Qincou was drunk at the banquet, Gaoqing had Yuan Lüqian, the military adjutant Feng Qian, the county captain Li Qimo, and the guard Zhai Wande kill him. At midnight Yuan Lüqian brought Qincou's head to Gaoqing; the two men wept together, rejoicing that fortune had smiled on their cause. That same night the Gaocheng captain Cui Anshi reported that Gao Miao was returning through Pucheng; Gaoqing at once sent Feng Qian, Zhai Wande, and Anshi to ambush him. At daybreak several of Gao Miao's mounted escort reached the Gaocheng post station; Anshi killed every one of them. When Miao himself appeared moments later, Anshi tricked him: "The governor has wine and entertainment waiting at the guesthouse. As Miao dismounted in the courtyard, Feng Qian and the others seized and bound him. That same day the rebel general He Qiannian was traveling from the eastern capital toward Zhao; Feng Qian and Wande lay in wait at the Liquan post station and captured him too. That day they brought the two captive rebel generals back to the prefectural seat. Gaoqing sent his son Quan Ming, the captain of Anping, together with Jia Shen, Zhang Tongyou, and Zhai Wande to carry Qincou's head in a box and the two prisoners in chains to the capital.
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至太原，節度使王承業留泉明、賈深等，寢杲卿之表。 承業自上表獻之，以為己功。 玄宗不之知，擢拜承業大將軍，牙官獲賞者百數。 玄宗尋知杲卿之功，乃加衛尉卿、兼御史大夫，以袁履謙為常山太守，賈深為司馬。
At Taiyuan the military commissioner Wang Chengye detained Quan Ming and Jia Shen and suppressed Gaoqing's report. Chengye then submitted his own memorial claiming the prisoners as his own achievement. Emperor Xuanzong, unaware of the truth, promoted Chengye to Grand General and rewarded a hundred of his staff. When the emperor finally learned of Gaoqing's deeds he appointed him Minister of the Court of Imperial Regalia and concurrent Censor-in-Chief, made Yuan Lüqian governor of Changshan, and Jia Shen his chief administrator.
62
杲卿既斬賊將，收兵練卒，乃檄告河北郡縣，言朝廷以榮王為河北兵馬大元帥，哥舒翰為副，統眾三十萬，即出土門。 郡縣聞之，皆殺賊守將，遠近響應，時十五郡皆為國家所守。 時安祿山遣使傳李憕、盧奕之首徇河北。 至平原，真卿殺賊使，收藏憕等首。 清池尉賈載亦斬偽署景城守劉玄道，傳首於平原。 饒陽郡守盧全誠亦據郡舉兵，會於真卿。 時常山、平原二郡兵威大振。 祿山方自率眾而西，已至陜，聞河北有變而還，乃命史思明、蔡希德率眾渡河。
After executing the rebel generals and drilling his troops, Gaoqing sent proclamations throughout Hebei announcing that Prince Rong commanded three hundred thousand imperial troops as Grand Marshal, with Geshu Han as his deputy, and would soon march out through Tumen Pass. Where the proclamation reached, local officials killed their rebel garrisons and rose in support; within weeks fifteen commanderies were back under imperial control. An Lushan sent agents through Hebei parading the severed heads of Li Ming and Lu Yi. At Pingyuan, Zhenqing executed the rebel messengers and honorably buried the heads of Li Ming and the others. The Qingchi captain Jia Zai also killed the rebel-appointed garrison commander of Jingcheng, Liu Xuandao, and sent his head to Pingyuan. Lu Quancheng, governor of Raoyang, also seized his district and raised troops, then joined forces with Zhenqing. The loyalist armies of Changshan and Pingyuan now commanded the field. Lushan had been marching west in person and had reached Shaan when news of the uprising reached him; he turned back and ordered Shi Siming and Cai Xide to cross the Yellow River with their armies.
63
十五年正月，思明攻常山郡。 城中兵少，眾寡不敵，禦備皆竭。 其月八日，城陷，杲卿、履謙為賊所執，送於東都。 思明既陷常山，遂攻諸郡，鄴、廣平、鉅鹿、趙郡、上谷、博陵、文安、魏郡、信都，復為賊守。 祿山見杲卿，面責之曰：「汝昨自范陽戶曹，我奏為判官，遂得光祿、太常二丞，便用汝攝常山太守，負汝何事而背我耶？」 杲卿瞋目而報曰：「我世為唐臣，常守忠義，縱受汝奏署，復合從汝反乎！ 且汝本營州一牧羊羯奴耳，叨竊恩寵，致身及此，天子負汝何事而汝反耶？」 祿山怒甚，令縛於中橋南頭從西第二柱，節解之，比至氣絕，大罵不息。
In the first month of the fifteenth year Shi Siming besieged Changshan. The city held too few defenders to match the enemy; every resource for defense was spent. On the eighth of that month the city fell; Gaoqing and Yuan Lüqian were captured and sent to Luoyang. After taking Changshan, Siming swept through the region; Ye, Guangping, Julu, Zhao, Shanggu, Boling, Wen'an, Wei, and Xindu all fell back under rebel control. When Lushan confronted Gaoqing he raged: "You were nothing but a clerk in Fanyang until I made you my aide and raised you to high office, even appointing you governor of Changshan—what wrong did I do you that you turned against me? Gaoqing glared back: "My family has served the Tang for generations in loyalty and faith; even if you appointed me, should I therefore join your rebellion? And you—what were you but a sheepherding slave of Jie stock from Camp Prefecture, who clawed his way to power on imperial favor? What wrong did the Son of Heaven ever do you that you would rebel?" Lushan was furious; he had Gaoqing bound to the second pillar from the west at the south end of Central Bridge and dismembered limb by limb. He cursed without pause until his last breath was gone.
64
是日杲卿幼子誕、侄詡及袁履謙，皆被先截手足，何千年弟在傍，含血噴其面，因加割臠，路人見之流涕。 其年二月，李光弼、郭子儀之師自土門東下，復收常山郡。 杲卿、履謙等妻女數百人，繫之獄中，光弼破械出之，令行喪服，給遣周厚。
That same day Gaoqing's young son Dan, his nephew Xu, and Yuan Lüqian all had their limbs severed first; He Qiannian's brother stood by, spat blood in their faces, then carved them to pieces before the watching crowd, which wept at the sight. In the second month of that year the armies of Li Guangbi and Guo Ziyi marched east through Tumen Pass and recaptured Changshan. Several hundred wives and daughters of Gaoqing, Yuan Lüqian, and the others had been thrown into prison; Guangbi freed them, had them put on mourning dress, and saw to their generous support and safe passage.
65
冬，廣平王收復兩京，史思明以河朔歸國。 時真卿為蒲州刺史，乃令泉明於河北求訪血屬。 杲卿妹先適故榆次令張景儋，妹女流落賊中，泉明一女亦落賊中，俱索購錢三萬。 泉明悉索所費，購姑女而還，比復納購，己女遂失。 而袁履謙已下，父之將吏妻子奴隸三百餘人，轉徙賊中，窮窘無告。 泉明悉以歸蒲州，真卿贍給久之，隨其所詣而資送之。 泉明求其父屍於東都，得其行刑者，言杲卿被害時，先斷一足，與履謙同坎瘞之。 及發瘞得屍，果無一足，即日與履謙之屍，各為一柩，扶護還長安。 初，履謙妻疑夫柩殮衣儉薄，發棺視之，一與杲卿等，履謙妻號踴感嘆，待之如父。 泉明之志行仁義如此。
That winter Prince of Guangping recaptured both capitals; Shi Siming and the armies of the north submitted to the throne. Yan Zhenqing was then governor of Pu Prefecture; he sent Quan Ming through Hebei to search for surviving kin. Gaoqing's sister had married the former magistrate of Yuci, Zhang Jingdan. Her daughter and one of Quan Ming's daughters were both captured by the rebels, each held for a ransom of thirty thousand cash. Quan Ming spent everything he had to ransom his cousin and bring her back; when he tried to pay again for his own daughter, she was already gone. More than three hundred people—Yuan Lüqian and the other officers, officials, wives, children, and servants who had served under Gaoqing—were scattered among the rebels, destitute and with nowhere to turn. Quan Ming brought them all to Pu Prefecture, where Zhenqing supported them for a long time and gave each person funds and safe passage wherever they wished to go. In the Eastern Capital Quan Ming tracked down the man who had executed his father, who said that when Gaoqing was killed one of his feet was cut off first and he was buried in the same grave as Yuan Lüqian. When they exhumed the body they found, as reported, that one foot was missing. That same day they placed Gaoqing and Yuan Lüqian each in his own coffin and escorted them back to Chang'an. At first Lüqian's wife feared her husband had been buried in mean grave clothes; when she opened the coffin she saw he had been laid out exactly like Gaoqing. She wept in grief and from then on treated Quan Ming as she would a father. Such was Quan Ming's character—a life lived in benevolence and righteousness.
66
五月，詔曰：「故衛尉卿、兼御史中丞、恆州刺史顏杲卿，任彼專城，志梟狂虜，艱難之際，忠義在心。 憤群兇而慷慨，臨大節而奮發，遂擒元惡，成此茂勛。 屬胡虜憑陵，流毒方熾，孤城力屈，見陷寇仇，身歿名存，實彰忠烈。 夫仁者有勇，驗之於臨難； 臣之報國，義存於捐軀。 嘉其死節之誠，未備飾終之禮，可贈太子太保。」 薛願薛願，河東汾陰人。 父縚，禮部郎中。 兄崇一，尚惠宣太子女宜君縣主。 女弟為廢太子瑛妃。 願坐宮廢貶官。 祿山之亂，南陽節度使魯炅奏用願為潁川太守、本郡防禦使。 時賊已陷陳留、滎陽、汝南等郡，方圍南陽。 潁川當其來往之路，願與防禦副使龐堅同力固守，城中儲蓄無素，兵卒單寡。 自正月至十一月，賊晝夜攻之不息，距城百里，廬舍墳墓林樹開發斬徹殆盡，而外救無至。 賊將阿史那承慶悉以銳卒並攻，為木驢木鵝，雲梯沖棚，四面雲合，鼓噪如雷，矢石如雨，力攻十餘日，城中守備皆竭，賊夜半乘梯而入。 願、堅俱被執，送於東都，將支解之。 或說祿山曰：「薛願、龐堅，義士也。 人各為其主，屠之不祥。」 乃繫於洛水之濱，屬苦寒，一夕凍死。 附龐堅堅，武德功臣玉之玄孫。 初娶邠王守禮女建寧縣主。 魯炅奏為潁川郡長史，兼防禦副使。 張巡張巡，蒲州河東人。 兄曉，開元中監察御史。 兄弟皆以文行知名。 巡聰悟有才幹，舉進士，三以書判拔萃入等。 天寶中，調授清河令。 有能名，重義尚氣節，人以危窘告者，必傾財以恤之。
In the fifth month an edict proclaimed: "The late Yan Gaoqing, Chamberlain for the Palace Garrison, Censor-in-Chief, and governor of Heng Prefecture—charged with defending a city on his own, resolved to destroy the rebel horde—never lost his loyalty even in the darkest hour. Roused by righteous wrath against the rebels, he seized the moment when honor demanded action, captured the ringleader, and won splendid distinction. When the rebels swept over the land and his isolated city could hold no longer, he fell into enemy hands; though he died, his name endures—a true exemplar of loyalty and courage. The truly virtuous prove their courage when hardship comes; a loyal subject repays his sovereign by giving his life. We honor his faithful death; full funeral rites were never given. Let him be posthumously appointed Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent." Xue Yuan was a native of Fenyin in Hedong. His father Xue Tao was a director in the Ministry of Rites. His elder brother Chongyi had married the Lady of Yijun County, daughter of Princess Huixuan. A younger sister had been a consort to the deposed Crown Prince Li Ying. Because of the palace intrigue that brought down the crown prince, Yuan was demoted. During the An Lushan rebellion, Lu Kui, military governor of Nanyang, recommended Yuan as prefect of Yingchuan and commissioner for the commandery's defense. The rebels had already captured Chenliu, Xingyang, Runan, and other commanderies and were now laying siege to Nanyang. Yingchuan stood on the rebels' main line of march. Yuan and his deputy Pang Jian resolved to hold the city together, but supplies were scant and their force was small. From the first month through the eleventh the rebels attacked without pause, day and night. Within a hundred li of the city they stripped the land bare—houses, graves, woods, and orchards all cut down—and no relief force ever came. The rebel general Ashina Chengqing threw his best troops into the assault, deploying siege towers, battering rams, and covered approaches. The attackers closed in from every side amid thunderous war cries and a storm of arrows and stones. After more than ten days of fierce fighting the defenders were spent, and at midnight the rebels scaled the walls. Yuan and Pang Jian were both captured and sent to the Eastern Capital, where they were about to be torn limb from limb. Someone urged An Lushan: "Xue Yuan and Pang Jian are men of honor. Each was only doing his duty to his master. To butcher them would bring ill fortune." So the two men were bound on the banks of the Luo River. The weather turned bitterly cold, and they froze to death in a single night. Appendix: Pang Jian was the great-great-grandson of Pang Yu, a founding hero of the Tang. He had first married the Lady of Jianning County, daughter of Prince Bin Shouli. Lu Kui had him appointed chief secretary of Yingchuan commandery and deputy defense commissioner. Zhang Xun was a native of Hedong in Pu Prefecture. His elder brother Zhang Xiao had served as a supervising censor under Emperor Xuanzong. Both brothers were known for learning and upright character. Xun was quick-witted and capable. He passed the jinshi examination and three times earned top marks in the document-judgment portion of the civil service exam. During the Tianbao reign he was posted as magistrate of Qinghe. He earned a reputation for competence and prized loyalty above all. Whenever anyone came to him in distress he would give freely of his own money to help.
67
祿山之亂，巡為真源令。 說譙郡太守，令完城，募市人，為拒賊之勢。 時吳王祗為靈昌太守，奉詔糾率河南諸郡，練兵以拒逆黨，濟南太守李隨副之。 巡與單父尉賈賁各召募豪傑，同為義舉。
When the An Lushan rebellion broke out, Xun was serving as magistrate of Zhenyuan. He persuaded the prefect of Qiao commandery to repair the city walls, recruit townspeople, and prepare to resist the rebels. Prince of Wu Li Zhi was then governor of Lingchang. By imperial order he was rallying the commanderies of Henan, training troops to resist the rebels, with Li Sui, governor of Jinan, as his deputy. Xun and Jia Ben, assistant magistrate of Shanfu, each raised bands of local leaders and joined in a loyalist uprising.
68
時雍丘令令狐潮欲以其城降賊，民吏百餘人不從命，潮皆反接，仆之於地，將斬之。 會賊來攻城，潮遽出鬥，而反接者自解其縛，閉城門拒潮召賁。 賁與巡引眾入雍丘，殺潮妻子，嬰城守備。 吳王祗承制授賁監察御史。 數日，賊來攻城，賁出鬥而死，巡乃合賁之眾城守。 令狐潮引賊將李廷望攻圍累月，賊傷夷大半。 祿山乃於雍丘北置杞州，築城壘以絕餉路，自是內外隔絕。 又相持累月，賊鋒轉熾，城中益困。
The magistrate of Yongqiu, Linghu Chao, wanted to surrender the city to the rebels. More than a hundred officials and townspeople refused. Chao had them bound, thrown to the ground, and was about to execute them. Rebels then attacked the city. Chao rushed out to fight them, but the bound men freed themselves, shut the gates against him, and sent for Jia Ben. Ben and Xun marched into Yongqiu with their men, killed Chao's wife and children, and sealed the city to prepare its defense. Prince of Wu Li Zhi provisionally appointed Ben supervising censor. A few days later the rebels attacked again. Ben sallied forth and was killed in battle. Xun then took command of Ben's men and continued the defense. Linghu Chao brought the rebel general Li Tingwang to besiege the city for months on end, and the attackers lost more than half their force. An Lushan then established Qi Prefecture north of Yongqiu and built fortified camps to sever the supply lines, isolating the city completely. The stalemate dragged on for months. The rebel assaults grew fiercer and conditions inside the city grew ever more desperate.
69
時許遠為睢陽守，與城父令姚同守睢陽城，賊攻之不下。 初祿山陷河洛，許叔冀守靈昌，薛願守潁川，許遠守睢陽，皆城孤無援。 願守一年而城陷，督冀一年而自拔，獨睢陽堅守。 賊將尹子奇攻圍經年。 巡以雍丘小邑，儲備不足，大寇臨之，必難保守，乃列卒結陣詐降，正月也。 玄宗聞而壯之，授巡主客郎中、兼御史中丞。 尹子奇攻圍既久，城中糧盡，易子而食，析骸而爨，人心危恐，慮將有變。 巡乃出其妾，對三軍殺之，以饗軍士。 曰：「諸公為國家戮力守城，一心無二，經年乏食，忠義不衰。 巡不能自割肌膚，以啖將士，豈可惜此婦，坐視危迫。」 將士皆泣下，不忍食，巡強令食之。 乃括城中婦人； 既盡，以男夫老小繼之，所食人口二三萬，人心終不離變。
Xu Yuan was then defending Suiyang, together with Yao Gun, magistrate of Chengfu. The rebels besieged the city but could not capture it. When An Lushan first overran the Yellow River basin and the two capitals, Xu Shuji held Lingchang, Xue Yuan held Yingchuan, and Xu Yuan held Suiyang—each city alone and without aid. Yuan's city fell after a year of defense; Shuji broke out after a year under siege. Only Suiyang continued to hold. The rebel general Yin Ziqi laid siege to the city for an entire year. Xun judged that Yongqiu, a small town with meager stores, could not long withstand a major enemy force. In the first month he marched his men out in battle order under the pretense of surrender. When Emperor Xuanzong heard of this he was greatly impressed and appointed Xun Director of the Bureau of Receptions and Censor-in-Chief. After a long siege by Yin Ziqi the city ran out of food. People traded their children to eat and broke open bones for fuel. Morale collapsed and mutiny seemed imminent. Xun then brought out his concubine, slaughtered her before the entire army, and had her flesh served to the troops. He said: "You have all fought as one to defend this city for the realm. For a year you have gone without food, yet your loyalty has never wavered. I cannot cut my own flesh to feed you—how then could I spare this woman and stand by while you starve?" The soldiers wept and refused to eat, but Xun forced them to do so. He then rounded up the women still in the city; When they were gone, the men, the old, and the children followed. Some twenty or thirty thousand people were consumed, yet the garrison never broke.
70
時賀蘭進明以重兵守臨淮，巡遣帳下之士南霽雲夜縋出城，求援於進明。 進明日與諸將張樂高會，無出師意。 霽雲泣告之曰：「本州強寇淩逼，重圍半年，食盡兵窮，計無從出。 初圍城之日，城中數萬口，今婦人老幼，相食殆盡，張中丞殺愛妾以啖軍人，今見存之數，不過數千，城中之人，分當餌賊。 但睢陽既拔，即及臨淮，皮毛相依，理須援助。 霽雲所以冒賊鋒刃，匍匐乞師，謂大夫深念危亡，言發響應，何得宴安自處，殊無救恤之心？ 夫忠臣義士之所為，豈宜如此！ 霽雲既不能達主將之意，請嚙一指，留於大夫，示之以信，歸報本州。」 霽雲自臨淮還睢陽，繩城而入。 城中將吏知救不至，慟哭累日。
Helan Jinming was then encamped at Linhuai with a large force. Xun sent his officer Nan Jiyun, who was lowered over the wall by rope at night to beg Jinming for relief. Jinming spent his days feasting with his generals and showed no sign of marching to their aid. Jiyun wept as he pleaded: "Our city has been crushed under siege for half a year. Food is gone and our men are spent. We see no way out. When the siege began there were tens of thousands in the city. Now the women, the old, and the children have nearly all been eaten. Assistant Censor Zhang slaughtered his own concubine to feed the troops. Fewer than a few thousand remain, and they are ready to die fighting. But if Suiyang falls, Linhuai will be next. Our fates are bound together—you must send help. I crossed enemy lines on my knees to beg for troops because I believed you understood how close we are to ruin and would answer at once. How can you feast in comfort while showing no will to save us? Is this how a loyal officer behaves? Since I cannot win your assent, I ask leave to bite off a finger and leave it with you as proof that I came—and then return to report to my commanders." Jiyun returned from Linhuai to Suiyang and was hauled back over the wall by rope. When the garrison learned that no relief was coming, they wept for days.
71
十月，城陷。 巡與姚、南霽雲、許遠，皆為賊所執。 巡神氣慷慨，每與賊戰，大呼誓師，眥裂血流，齒牙皆碎。 城將陷，西向再拜，曰：「臣智勇俱竭，不能式遏強寇，保守孤城。 臣雖為鬼，誓與賊為厲，以答明恩。」 及城陷，尹子奇謂巡曰：「聞君每戰眥裂，嚼齒皆碎，何至此耶？」 巡曰：「吾欲氣吞逆賊，但力不遂耳！」 子奇以大刀剔巡口，視其齒，存者不過三數。 巡大罵曰：「我為君父義死。 爾附逆賊，犬彘也，安能久哉！」 子奇義其言，將禮之，左右曰：「此人守義，必不為我用。 素得士心，不可久留。」 是日，與姚、霽雲同被害，唯許遠執送洛陽。 附姚誾姚誾者，浹州平陸人，故相梁國公崇之侄孫。 父弇，開元初歷處州刺史。 誾性豪蕩，好飲謔，善絲竹。 歷壽安尉、城父令，與張巡素相親善。 以守睢陽之功，春，加檢校尚書侍郎。
In the tenth month the city fell. Xun, Yao, Nan Jiyun, and Xu Yuan were all captured by the rebels. Xun's bearing was fierce and defiant. In every battle he roared his battle cry until the corners of his eyes split and bled and his teeth were ground to splinters. As the city was about to fall he bowed twice toward the west and said: "I have spent my wit and my strength. I could not hold back the enemy or save this isolated city. Even as a ghost I swear to harry these rebels and repay your grace." After the city fell Yin Ziqi said to Xun: "They say that in every battle your eyes split open and you grind your teeth to pieces. How did you come to that?" Xun replied: "I meant to devour you rebels whole—I simply lacked the strength!" Yin Ziqi forced Xun's mouth open with a blade and looked inside. Only three or four teeth were left. Xun cursed him loudly: "I die in loyalty to my sovereign and my father. You serve the rebels—you are less than beasts, and you will not last long!" Yin Ziqi was moved by his words and meant to treat him with honor, but his attendants said: "This man is too loyal ever to serve us. The troops already revere him. He must not be kept alive." That same day Yao and Nan Jiyun were executed with him. Only Xu Yuan was taken alive to Luoyang. Appendix: Yao Gun was a native of Pinglu in Jia Prefecture and a grand-nephew of the former chancellor Yao Chong, Duke of Liang. His father Yao Yan had served as governor of Chu Prefecture in the early Kaiyuan reign. Gun was bold and free-spirited, fond of wine and banter, and skilled at music. He served as assistant magistrate of Shou'an and then magistrate of Chengfu, and had long been close to Zhang Xun. For his defense of Suiyang he was promoted in the spring to Acting Vice Director of the Secretariat.
72
賈賁者，故閬州刺史璿之子也。 許遠許遠者，杭州鹽官人也。 世仕江右。 曾祖高陽公敬宗，龍朔中宰相，自有傳。 遠清幹，初從軍河西，為磧西支度判官。 章仇兼瓊鎮劍南，又辟為從事。 慕其門，欲以子妻之。 遠辭，兼瓊怒，積他事中傷，貶為高要尉。 後遇赦得還。
Jia Ben was the son of the former governor of Lang Prefecture, Jia Xuan. Xu Yuan was a native of Yanguan in Hang Prefecture. His clan had served for generations in the south. His great-grandfather Xu Jingzong, Duke of Gaoyang, had served as chancellor under Emperor Gaozong and has a separate biography. Yuan was capable and upright. He first saw military service in Hexi as supply commissioner for the Western Deserts command. When Zhangqiu Jianqiong was military governor of Jiannan he recruited Yuan as a staff officer. Impressed by the Xu family's standing, he wanted his son to marry Yuan's daughter. Yuan refused. Jianqiong took offense, found pretexts to attack him, and had him demoted to assistant magistrate of Gaoyao. He was later restored by an amnesty.
73
祿山之亂，不次拔將帥，或薦遠素練戎事。 玄宗召見，拜睢陽太守，累加侍御史、本州防禦使。 及賊將尹子奇攻圍，遠與張巡、姚摐嬰城拒守經年，外救不至，兵糧俱盡而城陷。 尹子奇執送洛陽，與哥舒翰、程千里，俱囚之客省。 及安慶緒敗，渡河北走，使嚴莊皆害之。
During the An Lushan rebellion commanders were promoted outside the usual order, and someone recommended Yuan as a man long versed in military affairs. The Emperor summoned him to court and named him prefect of Suiyang; he was then promoted step by step to attendant censor and defensive commissioner of the prefecture. When the rebel commander Yin Ziqi laid siege, Yuan joined Zhang Xun and Yao Zhen in holding the city for a full year. No relief came from outside; when arms and provisions were gone, the city fell. Yin Ziqi had him taken to Luoyang, where he and Geshu Han and Cheng Qianli were all held prisoner in the Guest Reception Office. When An Qingxu was defeated and fled north across the Yellow River, he had Yan Zhuang put them all to death.
74
初，賀蘭進明與房琯素不相葉。 及琯為宰相，進明時為御史大夫。 琯奏用進明為彭城太守、河南節度使、兼御史大夫，代嗣虢王巨； 復用靈昌太守許叔冀為進明都知兵馬、兼御史大夫，重其官以挫進明。 虢王巨受代之時，盡將部曲而行，所留者揀退羸兵數千人、劣馬數百匹，不堪扞賊。 叔冀恃部下精銳，又名位等於進明，自謂匹敵，不受進明節制。 故南霽雲之乞師，進明不敢分兵，懼叔冀見襲。 兩相觀望，坐視危亡，致河南郡邑為墟，由執政之乖經制也。 程千里程千里，京兆人。 身長七尺，骨相魁岸，有勇力。 本磧西募人，累以戎勛，官至安西副都護。 ，授御史中丞。 十二載，兼北庭都護，充安西北庭節度使。 突厥首領阿布思先率眾內附，隸朔方軍，玄宗賜姓名曰李獻忠。 李林甫遙領朔方節度，用獻忠為副將。 後有詔移獻忠部落隸幽州，獻忠素與祿山有隙，懼不奉詔，乃叛歸磧北，數為邊患。 玄宗憤之，命千里將兵討之。
From the first, Helan Jinming and Fang Guan had never been on good terms. When Fang Guan became chief minister, Helan Jinming was serving as censor-in-chief. Fang Guan recommended appointing Jinming prefect of Pengcheng, military governor of Henan, and concurrent censor-in-chief, to replace the heir Prince of Guo, Wang Ju; He also appointed Xu Shuji, prefect of Lingchang, as Jinming's deputy commander of all forces with the concurrent title of censor-in-chief—raising Xu's rank deliberately to check Jinming's power. When Wang Ju was relieved of command he marched away with his entire personal force, leaving behind only a few thousand weeded-out weak troops and a few hundred poor horses—useless against the rebels. Xu Shuji counted on his own crack troops, and his rank matched Jinming's; he considered himself an equal and refused to submit to Jinming's authority. That is why when Nan Jiyun came to plead for reinforcements, Jinming would not detach troops—he feared Xu Shuji might strike him if he did. The two commanders stood idle, watching disaster unfold, until the prefectures and towns of Henan lay in ruins—a consequence of the court's mismanagement of military command. Cheng Qianli was a native of Jingzhao. He stood seven feet tall, with an imposing build and great strength. Originally a frontier recruit from beyond the desert passes, he rose through repeated battlefield service to become vice protector-general of Anxi. He was appointed vice censor-in-chief. In the twelfth year of Tianbao he was also made protector of Beiting and military governor of Anxi and Beiting. The Türk chieftain Abusi had earlier led his people to submit and was assigned to the Shuofang Army; Emperor Xuanzong granted him the surname Li and the name Xianzhong. Li Linfu held the Shuofang command in absentia and made Xianzhong his deputy. Later an edict ordered Xianzhong's tribe transferred to Youzhou. He had long been at odds with An Lushan and, fearing the consequences of obeying, fled back beyond the desert and repeatedly raided the frontier. Emperor Xuanzong, enraged, ordered Cheng Qianli to take troops against him.
75
十二載十一月，千里兵至磧西，以書喻葛祿，令其相應。 獻忠勢窮，歸葛祿部。 葛祿縛獻忠並其妻子及帳下數千人，送之千里，飛表獻捷，天子壯之。 十三載三月，千里獻俘於勤政樓，斬之於硃雀街，以功授右金吾衛大將軍同正，仍留佐羽林軍。 祿山之亂，詔千里於河東召募，充河東節度副使、雲中太守。
In the eleventh month of the twelfth year Qianli's army reached the Western Regions and sent word to the Karluk, asking them to join the campaign. With his forces spent, Xianzhong took refuge with the Karluk. The Karluk seized Xianzhong along with his wife, children, and several thousand followers and delivered them to Cheng Qianli; they sent a rapid dispatch announcing victory, and the Emperor was much pleased. In the third month of the thirteenth year Cheng Qianli presented the prisoners at Qinzheng Tower; Xianzhong was beheaded in Vermilion Bird Street. For this service Qianli was made grand general of the Right Gold Crow Guard and retained to assist the Imperial Guard. When the An Lushan rebellion broke out, Qianli was ordered to raise troops in Hedong and was appointed deputy military governor of Hedong and prefect of Yunzhong.
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十五載正月，遷上黨郡長史、特進，攝御史中丞，以兵守上黨。 賊來攻城，屢為千里所敗，以功累加開府儀同三司、禮部尚書、兼御史大夫。
In the first month of the fifteenth year he was made senior administrator of Shangdang commandery with the rank of special advancement, acting as vice censor-in-chief, and took troops to hold Shangdang. Each time rebels attacked the city Cheng Qianli drove them back; for these services he was promoted step by step to generalissimo with ceremonial privileges of the Three Excellencies, minister of rites, and concurrent censor-in-chief.
77
九月，賊將蔡希德圍城，數以輕騎挑戰。 千里恃其驍果，開懸門，率百騎，欲生擒希德。 勁騎搏之，垂將擒而希德救兵至，千里斂騎而退，橋壞墜坑，反為希德所執。 仰首告諸騎曰：「非吾戰之過，此天也！ 為我報諸將士，乍可失帥，不可失城。」 軍人聞之泣下，晝夜嚴兵城守，賊竟不能拔。 千里至東都，安慶緒舍之，偽署特進，囚之客省。 及慶緒敗走，為嚴莊所害。
In the ninth month the rebel commander Cai Xide laid siege and sent light cavalry to provoke battle again and again. Trusting his own fierce riders, Cheng Qianli opened the drawbridge and led a hundred horsemen out, hoping to take Cai Xide alive. His best riders closed in and nearly had Cai Xide when reinforcements arrived; Cheng Qianli wheeled his men to retreat, but the bridge gave way and he fell into a ditch—and was captured by Xide instead. He looked up and called to his riders: "This was no failure of mine in battle—it was Heaven's will! Tell the officers and men for me: you may lose your general, but you must not lose the city. The garrison wept at his words; day and night they kept strict guard, and in the end the rebels could not take the city. When Cheng Qianli reached the eastern capital, An Qingxu spared his life, gave him the hollow title of special advancement, and kept him prisoner in the Guest Reception Office. When An Qingxu was defeated and fled, Yan Zhuang put him to death.
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其年十二月，上御丹鳳樓大赦，節文曰：「忠臣事君，有死無貳； 烈士徇義，雖歿如存。 其李憕、盧奕、袁履謙、張巡、許遠、張介然、蔣清、龐堅等，即與追贈，訪其子孫，厚其官爵，家口深加優恤。」 自是赦恩，無不該於節義，而程千里終以生執賊庭，不霑褒贈。 袁光庭袁光庭者，河西戍將，天寶末為伊州刺史。 祿山之亂，西北邊戎兵入赴難，河、隴郡邑，皆為吐蕃所拔。 唯光庭守伊州累年，外救不至。 虜百端誘說，終不之屈，部下如一。 及矢石既盡，糧儲並竭，城將陷沒，光庭手殺其妻子，自焚而死。 朝廷聞之，贈工部尚書。 邵真邵真者，恆州節度使李寶臣之判官也。 累加檢校司封郎中、兼御史中丞，專掌文翰，寶臣深所信任。 寶臣死，其子惟嶽擅領父眾。 李正己、田悅遣人說惟嶽同叛，真泣諫曰：「先公位兼將相，受國厚恩，大夫缞绖之中，遽欲違命，同鄰道之惡，違先公之志，必不可也！ 田悅與我密邇，絕之又恐速禍； 正己稍遠，絕之易耳。 但令悅使還報，請徐思其宜； 執正己使送京師，因請致討，朝廷必嘉大夫之忠，而旌節可得。」 惟嶽然之，令真草奏。 將發，孔目吏胡震謂惟嶽曰：「此事非細，請與將吏會議。」 長史畢華曰：「先公與二道親好，二十餘年，一朝背之，伏恐生事。 今執其來使，送於京師，大善。 脫未為朝廷所信，正己兵強，忽來襲城，孤軍無援，何以敵之？ 不若仍舊勿絕，徐觀其變。」 惟嶽又從之。 真又勸惟嶽遣其弟惟簡入朝，仍遣軍吏薛廣嗣詣河東節度馬燧軍求保薦。 田悅屯兵束鹿，聞其謀，遣人謂惟嶽曰：「邵真惑亂軍政，必速殺之。 不然，吾且討其罪矣。」 惟嶽懼，遂殺真。 朝廷聞而嘉之，贈戶部尚書。 符璘符璘者，田悅之將。 初，馬燧、李抱真、李芃等破田悅於洹水，燧等進屯魏州。 時悅與李納會於濮陽，因請助兵，納分麾下數千人隨之。 至是納為河南諸軍所逼，自濮陽奔歸濮州，征兵於悅，悅遣璘將三百騎護送之。 納兵既歸，遂悉其眾降於燧。 遷璘試太子詹事、兼御史中丞，封義陽郡王，實封一百戶。
That December the Emperor went to Danfeng Tower and proclaimed a general amnesty whose text read: "A loyal minister serves his sovereign unto death and never wavers in allegiance; A man of principle dies for what is right; though gone, he lives on as if still among us. Li Cheng, Lu Yi, Yuan Lüqian, Zhang Xun, Xu Yuan, Zhang Jieran, Jiang Qing, Pang Jian, and the like shall at once receive posthumous honors; their descendants shall be sought out and granted generous offices and ranks, and their families shall receive deep relief. From then on every act of clemency honored those who had upheld duty and honor—yet Cheng Qianli, because he had been taken alive in the rebel capital, never received posthumous honors. Yuan Guangting was a frontier commander of Hexi who, near the end of the Tianbao era, served as prefect of Yizhou. When the An Lushan rebellion broke out, frontier troops marched east to answer the throne's call—but the prefectures and districts of He and Long were all overrun by Tibet. Only Yuan Guangting held Yizhou for years while no relief came from outside. The enemy tried every persuasion, but he never yielded—and his men stood with him to a man. When ammunition and provisions were gone and the city was about to fall, Yuan Guangting killed his wife and children with his own hand and burned himself alive. When the court learned of this it posthumously made him minister of works. Shao Zhen served as aide to Li Baochen, military governor of Hengzhou. He rose to acting director of the Department of Enfeoffment and concurrent vice censor-in-chief, handled all correspondence, and Baochen placed deep trust in him. After Li Baochen's death his son Weiyue seized command of his father's army on his own authority. Li Zhengyi and Tian Yue sent envoys urging Weiyue to join them in rebellion. Shao Zhen wept as he remonstrated: "Your father held both military and civil rank and received the deepest favors from the throne. You are still in mourning—how can you think of defying the court, joining the wicked neighbors, and betraying your father's wishes? You must not do this! Tian Yue's territory borders ours—if we break with him outright we may bring disaster on ourselves too quickly; Li Zhengyi is farther away; breaking with him would be the easier choice. Simply have Tian Yue's envoy go back and report that we need time to weigh the matter; hold Li Zhengyi's envoy and send him to the capital, then ask the court to march against him. The throne is sure to reward your loyalty, and you may win official confirmation of your command." Weiyue accepted this and told Shao Zhen to draft the memorial. Before the dispatch could go out, the chief clerk Hu Zhen told Weiyue: "This is no small matter—consult the officers first." Chief administrator Bi Hua said: "Your father maintained close ties with both circuits for more than twenty years. To turn on them overnight may well provoke trouble. Detaining the envoy from Li Zhengyi and sending him to the capital—that would be excellent. But if the court does not yet trust you, and Li Zhengyi's armies are strong enough to strike without warning, how could an isolated garrison hold out? Better to keep the old ties for now and watch how things develop." Weiyue again went along with this. Shao Zhen again urged Weiyue to send his younger brother Weijian to court and dispatch the staff officer Xue Guangsi to Ma Sui's army in Hedong to seek protection and a court recommendation. Tian Yue, encamped at Shulu, learned of the scheme and sent word to Weiyue: "Shao Zhen is sowing discord in your command—kill him at once. Otherwise I shall move against you for his offense." Terrified, Weiyue had Shao Zhen put to death. When the court learned what had happened it honored Shao Zhen's loyalty and posthumously made him minister of revenue. Fu Lin was one of Tian Yue's generals. Earlier Ma Sui, Li Baozhen, and Li Kang had defeated Tian Yue at Huan River; Ma Sui and his allies then pushed forward and encamped at Weizhou. Tian Yue was then meeting Li Na at Puyang and asked for reinforcements; Li Na detached several thousand men to accompany him. By then Li Na was hard pressed by the Henan armies, fled from Puyang back to Puzhou, and called on Tian Yue for troops; Yue sent Fu Lin with three hundred horsemen to escort them. After escorting Li Na's men safely back, Fu Lin surrendered his entire command to Ma Sui. Fu Lin was appointed acting household companion of the heir apparent and concurrent vice censor-in-chief, and enfeoffed as prince of Yiyang commandery with a fief of one hundred households.
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璘父令奇，初為悅部將，至是因璘之出，遂令三子同降於燧。 悅怒，執令奇，令奇大呼慢罵之，悅族其家。 贈令奇戶部尚書。 趙曄趙曄，字雲卿，鄧州穰人，其先自天水徙焉。 貞觀中，主客員外郎德言曾孫也。 父敬先，殿中侍御史。
Fu Lin's father Lingqi had been one of Tian Yue's officers; when his son defected he sent his three remaining sons to surrender to Ma Sui as well. Tian Yue, enraged, seized Lingqi, who loudly cursed him; Yue had his whole family put to death. The court posthumously made Lingqi minister of revenue. Zhao Ye, courtesy name Yunqing, was a native of Rang in Deng prefecture; his family had moved there from Tianshui. He was the great-grandson of Deyan, who had served as vice director in the Ministry of Rites during the Zhenguan era. His father Jingxian had been a palace attendant censor.
80
曄志學，善屬文。 開元中，舉進士，連擢科第，補太子正字，累授大理評事，貶北陽尉，移雷澤、河東二丞。 河東采訪使韋陟以曄履操清直，頗推敬之，表為賓僚。 陟罷，陳留采訪使郭納復奏曄為支使。 及安祿山陷陳留，因沒於賊。 時有京兆韋氏，夫任畿官，以不供賊軍遇害，韋被逆賊沒入為婢。 江西觀察使韋儇，族兄弟也。 曄哀其冤抑，以錢贖之，俾其妻置之別院，厚供衣食，而曄竟不面其人。 明年，收復東都，曄以家財資給，而訪其親屬歸之，識者咸重焉。
Zhao Ye devoted himself to scholarship and wrote well. During Kaiyuan he earned his jinshi degree, rose through successive postings, became collator to the heir apparent, served repeatedly as senior reviser in the Court of Judicial Review, was demoted to magistrate of Beiyang, and later served as magistrate of Leize and Hedong. Wei Zhi, investigating commissioner of Hedong, greatly respected Zhao Ye for his upright character and recommended him as a staff aide. After Wei Zhi left office, Guo Na, investigating commissioner of Chenliu, recommended Zhao Ye as branch secretary. When An Lushan captured Chenliu, Zhao Ye fell into rebel hands. There was then a woman of the Wei clan of the capital region whose husband, a metropolitan official, had been killed for refusing to supply the rebels; she herself was seized and made a slave. Wei Tong, observation commissioner of Jiangxi, was her kinsman. Zhao Ye, pitying her plight, paid to ransom her; his wife housed her in a separate courtyard and saw that she was well provided for—yet Zhao Ye himself never sought to meet her. The following year, after the eastern capital was recovered, Zhao Ye drew on his family's resources to help locate her kin and restore her to them—an act widely admired.
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乾元初，三司議罪，貶晉江尉。 數年，改錄事參軍。 征拜左補闕，未至。 福建觀察使李承昭奏為判官，授試大理司直、兼監察御史。 試司議郎、兼殿中侍御史。 入為膳部、比部二員外，膳部、倉部二郎中，秘書少監。
At the start of the Qianyuan era the Three Departments reviewed his case and demoted him to magistrate of Jinjiang. Several years later he became recording secretary. He was summoned to serve as left reminder but never took up the post. Li Chengzhao, observation commissioner of Fujian, recommended him as aide, with the titles of acting senior directing secretary in the Court of Judicial Review and concurrent investigating censor. He was also acting guiding censor and concurrent palace attendant censor. He then served in the capital as vice director of both the Board of Revisions and the Board of Justice, director of the Board of Revisions and the Board of Granaries, and vice director of the Secretariat.
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曄性孝悌，敦重交友，雖經艱危，不改其操。 少時與殷寅、顏真卿、柳芳、陸據、蕭穎士、李華、邵軫、同志友善，故天寶中語曰：「殷、顏、柳、陸、蕭、李、邵、趙」，以其重行義，敦交道也。 而曄早擅高名，在宦途五十年，累經貶謫，蹇躓備至。 入仕三十年，方霑省官，身在郎署，子常徒步。 官既散曹，俸祿單寡，衣食不充，以至亡歿，服名檢者為之嘆息。 建中四年冬，涇原兵叛，曄竄於山谷。 尋以疾終，追贈華州刺史。
Zhao Ye was filial and devoted to his brothers, steadfast in friendship, and did not alter his principles even through years of hardship. In his youth he was close to Yin Yin, Yan Zhenqing, Liu Fang, Lu Ju, Xiao Yingshi, Li Hua, Shao Zuan, and others who shared his ideals; hence the Tianbao saying "Yin, Yan, Liu, Lu, Xiao, Li, Shao, Zhao"—a roll call of men known for integrity and loyal friendship. Yet Zhao Ye had won renown early; over fifty years in official life he was demoted again and again and met every kind of setback. After thirty years of service he finally reached a provincial post; while he held a secretariat position, his son often went about on foot. He held only minor posts with scant pay; he could not fully clothe and feed his household, and died in that condition—men who cared about integrity mourned him for it. In the winter of the fourth year of Jianzhong, when the Jingyuan garrison mutinied, Zhao Ye took refuge in the mountains. Before long he died of illness, and the court posthumously named him prefect of Huazhou.
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子宗儒，別有傳。 石演芬石演芬，本西城胡人也。 以武勇為朔方邠寧節度兵馬使、兼御史大夫。 李懷光養為子，累至右武鋒都將。 時懷光軍屯三橋，將與硃泚通謀。 演芬乃使門客郜成義密疏，具言懷光無狀，請罷其總統。 成義至奉天，乃反以其言告懷光子琟，琟密告其父。 懷光乃召演芬責之曰：「以爾為子，奈何欲破我家！ 今死可乎？」 演芬對曰：「天子以公為腹心，公上負天子，安可責演芬！ 且演芬胡人，不解異心，欲守事一人，幸免呼為賊。 死，常分也！」 懷光使左右臠食之，皆曰：「此忠烈士也！ 可令速死。」 乃以刀斷其頸。 德宗追思義烈，贈兵部尚書，仍賜錢三百千。 又捕得郜成義於朔方，戮之。 附張名振先是，詔賜懷光鐵券。 懷光奉詔倨慢，左都將張名振大呼軍門曰：「太尉見賊不擊，天使到不迎，固將反耶！ 且安史兩賊，僕固懷恩，今皆族滅，公欲何為？ 是資忠義之士立功勛耳！」 懷光聞之，召謂曰：「我不反，為賊強盛，須蓄銳俟時耳。」 無幾，懷光引軍入咸陽，名振曰：「公乃言不反，今此來何也？ 何不急攻硃泚，收復京城，以圖富貴？」 懷光曰：「名振病狂。」 使左右殺之。 張伾張伾，建中初，以澤潞將鎮臨洺。 田悅攻之，伾度兵力不能出戰，嚴設守備，嬰城拒守，賊不能拔。 累月，攻之益急，士多死傷，糧儲漸乏，救兵未至。 伾知事不濟，無以激士心，乃悉召將卒於軍門，命其女出拜之，謂曰：「將士辛苦守戰，伾之家無尺寸物與公等，獨有此女，幸未嫁人，願出賣之，為將士一日之費。」 眾皆大哭，曰：「誓為將軍死戰，幸無慮也！」 會馬燧與太原之師至，與眾合擊悅於城下，大敗之。 伾乘勢出戰，士卒無不一當百。 圍解，以功遷泗州刺史。 在州十餘年，拜右金吾衛大將軍。 詔未至，病卒。 ，贈尚書右僕射。
His son Zongru is treated in a separate biography. Shi Yanfen was a foreigner from the western borderlands. His martial prowess earned him appointment as troop commissioner under the Shuofang-Binning command, with the concurrent title of censor-in-chief. Li Huaiguang took him in as an adopted son, and he eventually became commander of the Right Martial Vanguard. At that time Huaiguang's forces were camped at Sanqiao and were on the verge of colluding with Zhu Ci. Yanfen dispatched his retainer Gao Chengyi with a secret memorial detailing Huaiguang's misconduct and urging that his overall command be revoked. When Chengyi reached Fengtian he reversed himself, reporting Yanfen's words to Huaiguang's son Wei, who in turn secretly told his father. Huaiguang summoned Yanfen and rebuked him: "I raised you as my own son—how could you seek to ruin my house? Are you ready to die now? Yanfen answered: "The Emperor trusted you as his own confidant, yet you betray him. How can you blame me for that! Besides, I am a foreigner with no taste for treachery—I wanted to serve one master alone and avoid being called a traitor. Death is only what every man must accept! Huaiguang ordered his men to hack him to pieces, but they all protested: "This man is a loyal martyr! At least let him die swiftly. They then severed his neck with a blade. Emperor Dezong, moved by his loyalty and courage, posthumously made him minister of war and granted three hundred strings of cash to his estate. Gao Chengyi was later captured in Shuofang and put to death. Appendix: Zhang Mingzhen. Earlier, an edict had granted Li Huaiguang an iron certificate of pardon. Huaiguang received the edict with insolent disregard. Left vanguard commander Zhang Mingzhen shouted at the camp gate: "Grand Marshal, you refuse to fight the rebels and will not even receive the imperial envoy—do you mean to rebel after all? The rebel leaders An, Shi, and Pugu Huai'en have all been destroyed root and branch—what do you hope to accomplish? You would only be giving loyal men their chance to win merit in battle! Huaiguang heard this and summoned him, saying: "I am not rebelling—the rebels are too strong; I must keep my forces rested and bide my time. Before long Huaiguang marched into Xianyang. Mingzhen said: "You said you would not rebel—then why have you come here? Why not strike at Zhu Ci at once, retake the capital, and win wealth and honors? Huaiguang said: "Mingzhen has gone mad. He had his men put Mingzhen to death. Zhang Pi, at the start of the Jianzhong era, was a Ze-Lu commander holding Linming. Tian Yue attacked him. Judging his forces too weak to meet the enemy in the field, Zhang Pi tightened the defenses and held the city; the rebels could not breach it. Month after month the siege intensified; casualties mounted, provisions dwindled, and no relief came. Seeing that all was lost and unable to rouse his men's morale by any other means, Zhang Pi assembled his officers and soldiers at the camp gate and had his daughter come forward to bow to them. He said: "You have fought hard to hold this city, and I have nothing in my house to give you but this unmarried daughter. I would sell her, if need be, to pay for one day's rations for the army. The men wept aloud and cried: "We swear to fight to the death for you, General—set your mind at ease! Just then Ma Sui arrived with the Taiyuan army; joining with Zhang Pi's garrison they routed Tian Yue beneath the walls. Zhang Pi seized the moment and led a sortie; every man fought as if worth a hundred. When the siege was lifted he was promoted to prefect of Sizhou for his service. After more than ten years in office he was made grand general of the Right Gold Crow Guard. Before the appointment reached him he died of illness. The court posthumously made him right vice director of the Department of State Affairs.
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有子重政，軍吏欲立為郡將，重政母徐氏固拒不從。 詔曰：「前昭義軍泗州行營衙前兵馬使、大中大夫、試太子賓客、兼監察御史張重政，門有勛力，惟推義勇。 夙聞克家之美，常稱撫眾之才。 近者其父初亡，群小扇惑，誘以奇計，俾執軍麾。 而重政與其母兄，號泣固拒，遂全懇願，奔告元戎，不為利回，成其先志。 於家為孝子，在國為忠臣，軍政乂安，行義昭著。 念茲名節，感嘆良深，宜洽恩榮，俾弘激勸。 禮無避於金革，理當由於權奪，戎章憲府，式示兼崇。 可起復雲麾將軍，守金吾衛大將軍、員外置同正員，檢校太子詹事、兼御史中丞，仍委淮南節度使與要職事任使。」
He had a son, Chongzheng, whom the officers wished to install as military governor; his mother, Lady Xu, steadfastly refused. An edict read: "Zhang Chongzheng, former vanguard military affairs commissioner of the Zhaoyi Army's Sizhou campaign headquarters, grand master of palace attendance, acting guest of the heir apparent, and concurrent investigating censor, comes from a family of military service and is known above all for righteous courage. He has long been known for upholding his family's honor and for his gift in winning the loyalty of troops. When his father had just died, lesser men tried to sway him with reckless schemes and urged him to seize military command. Yet Chongzheng, weeping, refused together with his mother and elder brother, kept his father's loyal intent intact, reported to the commanding general, and would not be swayed by self-interest. Filial at home and loyal to the throne, he kept the command stable and made his integrity plain for all to see. Moved by such integrity, We should bestow honors upon him and hold him up as an example to others. Custom does not excuse a man from service because he is in mourning; necessity may override filial observance, and both military rank and censorial office shall mark his dual distinction. He is hereby recalled from mourning as cloud-banner general, appointed grand general of the Gold Crow Guard with full standing, acting household companion of the heir apparent and concurrent vice censor-in-chief, and entrusted to the Huainan military governor for important assignments." [The edict closes.]
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又詔曰：「張重政母高平郡夫人徐氏，族茂姻閥，行表柔明，懷正家之美，有擇鄰之識。 頃當變故，曾不詭隨，保其門宗，訓成忠孝，雖圖史所載，何以加之！ 念其令子，已申獎用，特彰母儀之德，俾崇封國之榮。 可封魯國太夫人。」 甄濟甄濟，字孟成，中山無極人，家於衛州。 少孤，天寶中隱居衛州青巖山。 人伏其操行，約不畋漁。 采訪使安祿山表薦之，授試大理評事，充范陽郡節度掌記。
Another edict read: "Lady Xu of Gaoping commandery, mother of Zhang Chongzheng, comes from an eminent family, conducts herself with gentle wisdom, upholds the virtues of a well-ordered home, and shows the judgment of one who chooses her company with care. When crisis came she never wavered, preserved her family line, and reared her son in loyalty and filial duty—deeds that histories praise, yet scarcely surpass what she has done! Her worthy son has already been honored; now let her maternal virtue be proclaimed and ennobled with a state rank. She is hereby ennobled as grand lady of Lu. Zhen Ji, courtesy name Mengcheng, was a native of Wuji in Zhongshan who made his home in Weizhou. Orphaned in youth, he withdrew during the Tianbao era to Qingyan Mountain in Weizhou. People respected his upright character, and he bound himself never to hunt or fish. An Lushan, as investigating commissioner, recommended him; he was made acting senior reviser in the Court of Judicial Review and secretary to the Fan Yang military governor.
86
天寶末，安祿山有異志，謀以智免。 衛縣令齊玘誠信可託，乃求使至衛，具以誠告。 弟憕密求羊血以為備，至夜，偽嘔血疾不能支，遂舁歸。 及祿山反，使偽節度使蔡希德領行戮者李掞等二人，封刀來召，察濟詐不起，即就戮之。 濟以左手書云：「去不得！」 李掞持刀而前，濟引首以待，希德歔欷嗟嘆之，曰：「李掞退。」 以實病報祿山。 後安慶緒亦使人至縣，強舁至東都安國觀。 經月餘，代宗收東京。 濟起，詣軍門上謁，乃送上都。 肅宗館之於三司使，令受偽命官瞻望，以愧其心。 授秘書郎，轉太子舍人。 寶應初，拜刑部員外郎。 魏少遊奏授著作郎、兼侍御史，終於襄州。
Near the end of the Tianbao era, when An Lushan revealed rebellious ambitions, Zhen Ji sought a way to extricate himself by wit. Magistrate Qi Chi of Wei county was a man he could trust, so he asked to be sent there and confided the whole truth to him. His brother Cheng secretly obtained sheep's blood as a precaution; that night Ji pretended to vomit blood and collapse, and was carried home. When Lushan rebelled he sent the puppet governor Cai Xide with the executioner Li Yan and two others, blades sealed in their summons. Seeing through Ji's ruse, they moved at once to kill him. Ji wrote with his left hand: "I cannot go! Li Yan stepped forward with his blade drawn, and Ji bared his neck to receive it. Xide sighed in dismay and said: "Li Yan, stand back. He reported to Lushan that Ji was genuinely ill. Later An Qingxu also sent men to the county and had him forcibly taken to Anguo Abbey in the eastern capital. More than a month later Emperor Daizong retook the eastern capital. Zhen Ji got up, presented himself at the army gate, and was sent on to the capital. Emperor Suzong housed him at the Three Departments office and had officials who had accepted appointments under the rebels come to see him, that they might feel shame. He was made a secretariat gentleman and later household companion to the heir apparent. At the start of the Baoying era he was appointed vice director in the Ministry of Justice. Wei Shaoyou recommended him as compilation gentleman and concurrent attendant censor; he died in Xiangzhou.
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元和中，襄州節度使袁滋奏其節行，詔曰：「符風樹節，謂之立名； 歿加褒贈，所以誘善。 故朝散大夫、秘書省著作郎、兼侍御史甄濟，早以文雅，見稱於時。 嘗因辟召，亦佐戎府。 而能保堅貞之正性，不履危機； 睹逆亂之潛萌，不從脅汙。 義聲可傳於竹帛，顯贈未賁於松楸。 籓方所陳，允葉彜典，追加命秩，以獎忠魂。 可贈秘書少監。」 劉敦儒劉敦儒，開元朝史官左散騎常侍子玄之孫。 敦儒母有心疾，非日鞭人不安，子弟僕使，不勝其苦，皆逃遁他處，唯敦儒侍養不息，體常流血。 及母亡，居喪毀瘠骨立，洛中謂之劉孝子。
During Yuanhe, Yuan Zi, military governor of Xiangzhou, memorialized Zhen Ji's integrity, and an edict read: "To uphold principle and establish one's character is to make a lasting name; to honor the dead with posthumous titles is to encourage the living toward virtue. The late Zhen Ji, former grand master of palace attendance, compilation gentleman in the Secretariat, and concurrent attendant censor, was early known for his literary refinement. He had once been summoned to serve and also worked on a military staff. yet he preserved an upright and steadfast nature and would not enter into treacherous paths; when he saw rebellion brewing he refused to be coerced or corrupted. His righteous fame deserves to be recorded in history, yet no posthumous honors have graced his grave. The frontier commander's memorial conforms to precedent; additional ranks shall be granted to reward his loyal spirit. He is hereby posthumously made vice director of the Secretariat. Liu Dunru was the grandson of Zixuan, who had served as left regular attendant and as a historian during the Kaiyuan reign. Dunru's mother suffered a mental illness that could be soothed only by daily beatings; sons, servants, and attendants could not bear it and fled, but Dunru alone nursed her without rest, his body often bloody from the lash. After her death he mourned until he was wasted to skin and bone, and Luoyang knew him as Liu the Filial Son.
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元和中，東都留守權德輿具奏其至行，詔曰：「孝子劉敦儒，生於儒門，稟此至性。 王祥篤行，起孝敬而不移； 曾參養志，積歲年而罔怠。 用弘勸獎，而服官常，分曹洛師，俾遂私志。 可左龍武軍兵曹參軍，分司東都。」 高沐高沐，渤海人。 父憑，從事於宣武軍，知曹州事。 李靈曜作亂，憑密遣使奏賊中事狀，詔除曹州刺史。 無何，李正己盜有曹、濮，憑遂陷於賊，數年卒。
During Yuanhe, Quan Deyu, garrison commander of the eastern capital, memorialized his extraordinary filial conduct, and an edict read: "The filial son Liu Dunru, born into a scholar's family, is endowed with the deepest devotion. Like Wang Xiang, whose steadfast conduct never wavered in filial duty; like Zeng Shen, who for years on end never slackened in honoring his father's wishes. Let this serve as encouragement to others: he shall take regular office, assigned to a post in Luoyang, that he may fulfill his private wish to remain near home. He is appointed army affairs assistant in the Left Dragon Martial Army, with detached service in the eastern capital. Gao Mu was a native of Bohai. His father Ping served on the staff of the Xuanwu Army and administered Caozhou. When Li Lingyao rebelled, Ping secretly sent reports on conditions in the rebel camp and was appointed prefect of Caozhou by imperial edict. Before long Li Zhengyi seized Caozhou and Puzhou by force; Ping fell into rebel hands and died there several years later.
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沐，貞元中進士及第。 以家族在鄆，李師古置為判官。 居數年，師道擅襲，每謀不順，沐與同列郭昈、李公度等，必廣引古今成敗諭之，前後說師道為善者凡千言。 其判官李文會、孔目官林英，皆為師道信用，乘間相與涕泣於師道前曰：「文會等血誠憂尚書家事，反為高沐輩所嫉。 尚書奈何不惜十二州之城，成高沐等百代之名乎！」 復日夜讒構，由是漸見疑忌，令沐知萊州事。 林英因奏事至京，逼邸吏密報師道云：「高沐潛有誠款至朝廷矣！」 師道大怒，李文會從而構成之。 沐遂遇害於遷所，而囚郭昈於萊州，其血屬皆徙遠地。
Gao Mu earned his jinshi degree during the Zhenyuan era. Because his family lived in Yan, Li Shigu appointed him as his aide. After several years Li Shidao seized command on his own authority. Whenever he plotted rebellion, Gao Mu with colleagues Guo Huang, Li Gongdu, and others would cite examples from history to warn him—altogether more than a thousand words urging him toward loyalty. His aides Li Wenhui and chief clerk Lin Ying, whom Shidao trusted, seized a moment to weep before him and say: "We are devoted to your house, yet men like Gao Mu resent us for it. Will you throw away twelve prefectures just to let Gao Mu and his kind win eternal renown! Day and night they slandered him until Shidao grew suspicious and sent Gao Mu to administer Laizhou. When Lin Ying went to the capital on official business he forced the lodge clerk to send a secret report to Shidao: "Gao Mu has been secretly pledging loyalty to the court! Shidao flew into a rage, and Li Wenhui helped fabricate the case against him. Gao Mu was killed at his new post; Guo Huang was imprisoned in Laizhou, and their kinsmen were all exiled to distant regions.
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及淮西平，師道漸懼。 李公度與其將李英曇乘其懼也，說師道獻三州及入質長子。 初，甚然之，中悔，將殺公度。 賈直言聞之，謂師道用事奴曰：「今大禍將至，豈非高沐冤氣所為！ 又殺公度，是益其疾也！」 乃止。 逐英曇於萊州。 未至，縊殺之。 又有崔承寵、楊偕、陳佑、崔清，皆以仗順為賊所惡，李文會呼為高沐之黨。 沐遇害，承寵等同被囚放。 郭昈名亞於沐，雖不死，備嘗困辱矣。 及劉悟平賊，遽召李公度，執手歔欷。 既除滑州節度，首辟昈及公度為從事。
When the Huai West rebellion was crushed, Li Shidao grew increasingly afraid. Li Gongdu and his subordinate Li Yingtan seized on Shidao's terror to urge him to surrender three prefectures and send his eldest son to court as a hostage. At first he strongly agreed, but then had second thoughts and was on the verge of executing Gongdu. When Jia Zhiyan heard what was happening, he told Shidao's chief steward, "Disaster is coming — surely this is Gao Mu's restless ghost taking revenge! Kill Gongdu too and you will only make it worse!" With that, he relented. He sent Yingtan into exile at Laizhou. Before Yingtan ever reached Laizhou, they had him strangled. Cui Chengc chong, Yang Xie, Chen You, and Cui Qing likewise earned the rebels' hatred because they stood with the court; Li Wenhu denounced them as Gao Mu's clique. After Gao Mu was killed, Chengc chong and his companions were thrown into prison and then set free. Guo Kuang's stature fell only a step below Gao Mu's; though he survived, he endured every manner of abuse and disgrace. After Liu Wu crushed the rebellion, he immediately sent for Li Gongdu and, taking his hand, wept aloud. Once installed as military governor of Huazhou, he made Kuang and Gongdu his first staff appointments.
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四月，詔曰：
In the fourth month, the throne issued an edict:
92
圖難忘死，為臣之峻節； 顯忠旌善，有國之令猷。 日者妖豎反覆，侮我朝章，而濮州刺史高沐，劫在兇威，潛輸忠款。 諷其不庭之咎，將冀革心； 數其煮海之饒，聿求利國。 伏奏必陳於逆節，漏師常破其陰謀。 竟以盜憎，遂死王事，歿而不朽，風聲凜然。 式表漏泉之澤，且彰勁草之節。 可贈吏部尚書。 仍委馬總訪其遺骸，以禮收葬，優恤其家。 若有子孫，具名聞奏。 賈直言賈直言者，父道沖，以伎術得罪，貶之，賜鴆於路。 直言偽令其父拜四方，辭上下神祗，伺使者視稍怠，即取其鴆以飲，遂迷仆而死。 明日鴆泄於足而復蘇。 代宗聞之，減父死，直言亦自此病蹙。 後從事於李師道。 師道不恭朝命，直言冒刃說者二，輿櫬說者一。 師道訖不從。 及劉悟斬師道，節制鄭滑，得直言於禁錮之間，又嘉其所為，因奏置幕中。 後遷於潞，亦與之俱行。 悟纖微乖失，直言必盡理箴規，以是美譽日聞於朝。 穆宗以諫議大夫征之，悟拜章乞留，復授檢校右庶子、兼御史大夫，依前充昭義軍行軍司馬。 悟用其言，終身不虧臣節。 後歷太子賓客。 三月卒，廢朝一日，贈工部尚書。 庾敬休庾敬休，字順之，其先南陽新野人。 祖光烈，與仲弟光先，祿山迫以偽官，皆潛伏奔竄。 光烈為大理少卿，光先為吏部侍郎。 父河，當賊泚盜據宮闕，與季弟倬逃竄山谷。 河終兵部郎中。
To face peril without flinching from death — this is the loftiest integrity a subject can show; To honor loyalty and reward virtue is among a state's finest principles. Of late the wicked rebel has turned treacherous and defied our dynasty's laws, yet Gao Mu, prefect of Puzhou, though trapped under brutal coercion, secretly pledged his loyalty to the throne. He admonished them for their refusal to submit to the court, hoping they might yet change their ways; He laid out the wealth to be gained from the salt works, all in the hope of serving the realm. In secret memorials he always exposed their treason, and by passing intelligence to the court he repeatedly foiled their conspiracies. At last the rebel lord's hatred cost him his life in the service of the state; yet death could not extinguish him, and his name endures, stern and bright. Let this show forth the reward that flows even from hidden springs, and proclaim the steadfastness of grass that will not bend before the gale. Let him be posthumously honored as Minister of Personnel. Ma Zong is further charged to recover his remains, bury them with full ceremony, and see that his family receives generous support. If he left descendants, their names are to be reported in a memorial to the throne. Jia Zhiyan — Jia Zhiyan's father Daochong had run afoul of the court through occult practices and was banished; on the road he was given poisoned wine to drink. Zhiyan had his father pretend to bow to the four quarters and pray to the spirits above and below; when the escort's vigilance wavered, he snatched the poisoned cup and drank it himself, then fell senseless as though dead. The next day the poison passed out through his feet and he came back to life. When Emperor Daizong heard the story, he commuted his father's death sentence; Zhiyan himself was left lame from that day forward. He later entered the service of Li Shidao. Shidao defied the court's orders; Zhiyan remonstrated twice at the point of the sword and once with his coffin borne before him. Shidao never yielded. After Liu Wu killed Shidao and assumed command of Zheng and Hua, he discovered Zhiyan under house arrest, admired his courage, and had him brought onto his staff. When Liu Wu was later transferred to Lu Prefecture, Zhiyan accompanied him. At the slightest misstep by Liu Wu, Zhiyan would offer frank and reasoned counsel; on this account his reputation for integrity spread daily at court. Emperor Muzong summoned him to court as Remonstrance Counselor, but Liu Wu petitioned to keep him; he was reappointed Acting Right Cavalry Captain and Censor-in-Chief, and continued as adjutant of the Zhaoyi army. Liu Wu heeded his advice and never once fell short of a loyal subject's duty. He later served as Companion to the Crown Prince. He died in the third month; the court suspended court for a day and posthumously honored him as Minister of Works. Yu Jingxiu — Yu Jingxiu, courtesy name Shunzhi, came from a family originally of Xinye in Nanyang. His grandfather Guanglie and Guanglie's second younger brother Guangxian, when An Lushan tried to force them into puppet office, both went into hiding and fled. Guanglie rose to Vice Director of the Court of Judicial Review; Guangxian became Vice Minister of Personnel. His father He, when the rebel Zhu Ci occupied the palace, fled with his youngest brother Zhuo into the mountains. He eventually served as Director in the Ministry of War.
93
敬休舉進士，以宏詞登科，授秘書省校書郎，從事宣州。 旋授渭南尉、集賢校理。 遷右拾遺、集賢學士。 歷右補闕，稱職，轉起居舍人，俄遷禮部員外郎。 入為翰林學士，遷禮部郎中，罷職歸官。 又遷兵部郎中、知制誥。 丁憂，服闋，改工部侍郎，權知吏部選事，遷吏部侍郎。
Jingxiu passed the jinshi examination and qualified through the Hongci literary exam; he was made a proofreader in the Secretariat and took a staff post at Xuanzhou. He was soon appointed magistrate of Weinan and collator at the Hall of Assembled Worthies. He was promoted to Right Remonstrance Official and Academician of the Hall of Assembled Worthies. He served capably as Right Supplementation Censor, became Diarist of the Imperial Bedchamber, and was soon promoted to Assistant Director of Rites. He entered the Hanlin Academy, was promoted to Director in the Ministry of Rites, then left that post and returned to his regular appointment. He was later promoted to Director in the Ministry of War and put in charge of drafting imperial edicts. After his period of mourning ended, he was appointed Vice Minister of Works and given charge of personnel selections, then promoted to Vice Minister of Personnel.
94
上將立魯王為太子，慎選師傅，改工部侍郎，兼魯王傅。 奏：「劍南西川、山南西道每年稅茶及除陌錢，舊例委度支巡院勾當，榷稅當司於上都召商人便換。 太和元年，戶部侍郎崔元略與西川節度使商量，取其穩便，遂奏請茶稅事使司自勾當，每年出錢四萬貫送省。 近年已來，不依元奏，三道諸色錢物，州府逗留，多不送省。 請取江西例，於歸州置巡院一所，自勾當收管諸色錢物送省，所冀免有逋懸。 欲令巡官李濆專往與德裕、遵古商量制置，續具奏聞。」 從之。 又奏：「兩川米價騰踴，百姓流亡。 請糶兩川闕官職田祿米，以救貧人。」 從之。 再為尚書左丞。 三月，卒於家。
When the emperor was preparing to install the Prince of Lu as heir apparent and was choosing a tutor with great care, Jingxiu was made Vice Minister of Works and Tutor to the Prince of Lu. He submitted a memorial: "Under the old system, the annual tea tax and chumok fees from Jiannan West and Shannan West were handled by Revenue Commission inspection offices, with the monopoly bureau at the capital calling in merchants to exchange the proceeds. In the first year of Taihe, Vice Minister Cui Yuanlue worked out an arrangement with the Jiannan West governor for a more stable procedure: the circuit would handle the tea tax itself and send forty thousand strings of cash to the capital each year. In recent years the original plan has not been followed; prefectures across the three circuits have been holding back various revenues and failing to forward them to the capital. He proposed following the Jiangxi model by establishing an inspection office at Guizhou to collect and forward all revenues to the capital, so that nothing would remain in arrears. He asked that inspection officer Li Fen be sent to work out the details with Deyu and Zungu, with a follow-up memorial to follow." The request was granted. He also submitted a memorial: "Grain prices in the two Sichuan circuits have shot up, and the people are fleeing their homes. He asked that surplus official salary rice from the two Sichuan circuits be sold off to aid the destitute." The request was granted. He was again appointed Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. He died at home in the third month.
95
敬休姿容溫雅，襟抱夷曠，不飲酒茹葷，不邇聲色。 著《諭善錄》七卷。 贈吏部尚書。 辛讜辛讜，故太原尹雲京之孫，壽州刺史晦之猶子也。 性慷慨，重然諾，專務賑人之急。 年五十，不求茍進，有濟時匡難之志。
Jingxiu had a gentle, refined bearing and an open, untroubled spirit; he drank no wine, ate no meat, and kept his distance from music and women. He wrote the Record of Instruction in Goodness in seven volumes. He was posthumously honored as Minister of Personnel. Xin Dan — Xin Dan was the grandson of the former governor of Taiyuan, Yun Jing, and the nephew of Hui Zhi, prefect of Shouzhou. He was generous by nature, held his promises sacred, and devoted himself to helping others in distress. At fifty he still sought no easy promotion, but nursed the ambition to serve the times and rescue the realm from crisis.
96
，龐勛亂徐泗。 時杜慆守泗州，賊以郡當江淮要害，極力攻之。 時兩淮郡縣皆陷。 慆守臨淮久之，援軍雖集，賊未解圍。 時讜寓居廣陵，乃仗劍拏小艇趨泗口，貫城柵入城見慆。 慆素聞有義而不相面，喜讜至，握手謝曰：「判官李延樞方話子為人，何遽至耶？ 吾無憂矣！」 時賊三面攻城，王師結壘於洪源驛。 相顧不前。 讜夜以小舟穿賊壘至洪源驛。 見監軍郭厚本，論泗州危急，且宜速救，厚本然之。 淮南都將王公弁謂厚本曰：「賊眾我寡，無宜輕舉，當俟可行。」 讜坐中拔劍瞋目謂公弁曰：「賊百道攻城，陷在旦夕。 公等奉詔赴援，而逗留不進，更欲何為？ 不唯有負國恩，丈夫氣義，亦宜感發！ 假如臨淮陷賊，淮南即是寇場，公何獨存耶！」 即欲揮刃向公弁，厚本持之。 讜望泗州大哭經日，帳下為之流涕。 厚本義其心，選勇士三百，隨讜入泗州。 夜半斬賊柵，大呼，由水門而入，賊軍大駭。 既知援兵入，賊乃退舍，人心遂固。
Then Pang Xun's rebellion broke out in Xuzhou and Sizhou. Du Tao was then defending Sizhou; the rebels, knowing the prefecture commanded the vital junction of the Yangzi and Huai, threw everything they had against it. By then every prefecture and county on both banks of the Huai had fallen. Tao held out at Linhuai for a long while; relief forces gathered, yet the rebels would not break off the siege. Dan was then living at Guangling; he took up his sword, boarded a small boat, and raced to the mouth of the Si River, broke through the stockade, and entered the city to see Tao. Tao had long known of his reputation for righteousness though they had never met; overjoyed at Dan's arrival, he took his hand and said, "Judge Li Yan'zhu was just telling me about you — how did you get here so fast? My worries are over!" By then the rebels were attacking from three sides, while imperial troops had encamped at Hongyuan post station. They stared at one another and would not move forward. That night Dan slipped through the rebel lines in a small boat and reached Hongyuan post station. He sought out the army inspector Guo Houben, told him how desperate Sizhou's plight was, and urged immediate relief; Houben agreed. Huainan's chief general Wang Gongbian told Houben, "The enemy outnumber us — we must not move rashly; we should wait until the moment is right." Dan sprang up, drew his sword, and glared at Gongbian. "The rebels are attacking on every front — the city will fall at any moment. You were ordered here to relieve the siege, yet you hold back — what do you think you are doing? You betray not only the emperor's trust — any man of honor ought to be moved to act! If Linhuai falls, Huainan becomes enemy ground — do you imagine you alone will be spared!" He was about to strike Gongbian with his sword, but Houben held him back. Dan turned toward Sizhou and wept all day long; the men in the tent wept with him. Moved by his devotion, Houben picked three hundred brave men and sent them with Dan into Sizhou. At midnight they cut through the rebel palisade, raised a great shout, and entered through the water gate; the rebel army was thrown into panic. When the rebels learned that reinforcements had gotten through, they pulled back, and the city's morale was restored.
97
浙西觀察使杜審權遣大將翟行約率軍三千赴援，屯蓮塘驛。 慆欲遣人勞之，將吏皆憚其行。 讜曰：「杜相公以大夫宗盟，急難相赴，安得令使者無言而還！」 即賫慆書幣，犒其使。 淮南大將李湘率師五千來援，賊詐降，敗於淮口，湘與郭厚本皆為賊所執，自是無援。 賊並兵急攻，以鐵鎖斷淮流，梯沖雲合，凡周七月，晝夜不息。 乘城之士，不遑寢寐，面目生瘡，軍儲漸少，分食稀粥。 賴讜犯難仗義，求救於淮北諸軍。 既而馬舉以大軍至，賊解圍而去。
Du Shenquan, observation commissioner of Zhexi, sent his chief general Zhai Xingyue with three thousand men to the relief of Sizhou; they encamped at Liantang post station. Tao wanted to send someone to greet them, but every officer and clerk feared the journey. Dan said, "Commissioner Du, a kinsman of the highest ministerial houses, has come to our aid in our hour of need — how can we let his envoy return without a word of thanks!" He took Tao's letter and gifts and went himself to welcome the envoy. Li Xiang, Huainan's chief general, marched five thousand men to the rescue; the rebels feigned surrender and crushed them at Huaikou. Xiang and Guo Houben were both taken prisoner, and from that point no further aid came. The rebels massed their forces for a furious assault, chained off the Huai River, and piled siege ladders and towers until the sky seemed dark with them; for seven weeks they attacked without pause, day and night. The men on the walls went without sleep; sores broke out on their faces; stores dwindled, and they subsisted on thin gruel. Only because Xin Dan risked his life on principle and pleaded for help from the armies north of the Huai did they endure. Before long Ma Ju arrived with a large army, and the rebels broke off the siege and withdrew.
98
讜無子，猶子山僧、元老等寄在廣陵。 每出城，則書二姓名，謂慆曰：「誌之，得嗣為幸。」 慆益感之。 賊平，授讜泗州團練判官、侍御史。 慆遷鄭滑節度，讜亦從之，為賓佐。 慆卒，乃退歸江東，以隱居為事。 贊贊曰：獸解觸邪，草能指佞。 烈士徇義，見危致命。 國有忠臣，亡而復存。 何以喪邦？ 奸邪受恩。
Dan had no sons of his own; his nephews Shanseng the monk, Yuanlao, and others were living at Guangling. Each time he left the city he would write down two names and tell Tao, "Keep a record of these — if any of them survive, count it my good fortune. Tao was deeply moved. After the rebels were crushed, Dan was made registrar on the Sizhou defense staff and investigating censor. When Tao was posted as military governor of Zheng-Hua, Dan went with him as a staff officer. When Tao died, Dan withdrew to the Jiangdong region and lived in retirement. The chronicler comments: Beasts know how to strike down evil; plants can expose the sycophant. Men of fierce loyalty surrender themselves to righteousness and, when peril comes, lay down their lives. When a state has loyal ministers, though it perish it may yet live again. What brings a kingdom to ruin? When the treacherous are rewarded with favor.