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卷四十六 唐書22: 末帝本紀上

Volume 46 Book of Later Tang 22: Later Emperors Annals 1

Chapter 46 of 舊五代史 · Old History of the Five Dynasties
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1
退退
In the eighteenth year of Tianyou, Zhuangzong encamped along the Yellow River and discussed a campaign against Zhen Prefecture. The garrison commander Fu Cunshen was still at Desheng Stockade and had not yet set out. The Liang forces, believing Zhuangzong had marched north, threw their whole strength against Desheng. Zhuangzong ordered Mingzong and Cunshen to take the two wings and meet the attack, while he led the center forward himself. As the Liang army pulled back, the Emperor rode with a dozen-odd horsemen concealed among the retreating enemy. At the barbican gate he shouted, cut down several men, chopped at their watchtower, and rode back. Zhuangzong laughed aloud and cried, "Splendid work, A San!" He rewarded him with a full cup of wine.
2
In the fourth month of the first year of Tongguang, he accompanied Mingzong in a surprise assault that captured Yan Prefecture. In the ninth month Zhuangzong defeated the Liang general Wang Yanzhang at Zhongdu and pressed hard toward Bian Prefecture. Mingzong commanded the van; the Emperor led elite cavalry in his train, marching day and night, and was the first to enter Bian city. Zhuangzong praised Mingzong, saying, "To restore the house of Tang is the achievement of you and your son."
3
退
In the second year he was made prefect of Wei Prefecture. At that time there was a man named Wang Anjie, formerly a household steward in the residence of Du Rangneng, a chancellor under Emperor Zhaozong. Anjie had been adept at commerce since youth and had learned physiognomy from an extraordinary man. On business he called on the Emperor at his private residence. When he left he said to others, "That is truly the countenance of the Northern Heavenly King; he is destined for the throne, but how it will end I cannot tell."
4
使 使
In the third year Mingzong was ordered north to resist the Khitan. As his household was in Taiyuan, he petitioned that the Emperor be appointed commander of the inner palace guard at the Northern Capital; Zhuangzong was displeased and instead appointed him commander of the Swift Cavalry, posting him to garrison Shimen.
5
In the fourth year the troops at Wei Prefecture mutinied and Mingzong set out for Luoyang. The Emperor was then at Hengshui. He led his men by way of Quyang and Meng County to Changshan, where he joined Wang Jianli. They pressed south by forced marches, crossed the river, and from that time Mingzong's army gained tremendous momentum.
6
使 使 退
At the opening of the Tiancheng era he was appointed military commissioner of Hezhong. In the second month of the following year he was further named Grand Guardian and appointed co-manager of state affairs. In the eleventh month he was further named Grand Tutor. In the first year of Changxing he was further named Grand Commandant. Earlier, while the Emperor and the commissioner of military affairs An Chonghui were at Changshan, a quarrel over the wine cups angered the Emperor, who struck Chonghui on the head with his fist and knocked his comb askew. Chonghui ran off and escaped harm. Though the Emperor repented and apologized, Chonghui never forgave the affront. After the Emperor took command at Hezhong, Chonghui, knowing that he came and went at odd hours, forged an order in the emperor's name telling the garrison officer Yang Yanwen to shut the gates whenever the prince left the city and refuse him entry on his return. On the fifth day of the fourth month that year the Emperor was inspecting horses at Huanglong Manor. Yanwen closed the city and barred him. Hearing of the trouble, the Emperor rode back at once and sent to ask why. Yanwen replied, "I beg the lord only to proceed to court; this city cannot be entered." The Emperor stopped at Yuxiang and reported what had happened. Mingzong ordered him to return to the capital. He dispatched Yao Yanchou with an army to punish Yanwen, with orders to take him alive and bring him in bonds for questioning. In the eleventh month the city was recovered, but Yanwen was already dead. Mingzong was furious that Yanchou had not captured him alive. A few days later An Chonghui, citing the prince's loss of his command, urged the chief ministers to memorialize for legal punishment. Mingzong was displeased. Chonghui submitted another memorial on his own. Mingzong said, "When I was a junior officer my family scarcely had food or clothing. I depended on this boy, who carried lime and gathered horse dung to keep us alive, until I rose to be emperor—and now I cannot shelter one son! If you wish to invoke the law of the court, I do not understand your meaning. Withdraw at once and go idle in your private mansions." He then ordered the prince back to his residence in Qinghua Lane, barred from court attendance. The Emperor still feared that Chonghui would find other ways to destroy him and could only recite Buddhist texts and pray in secret each day.
7
西 使
In the second year, after An Chonghui fell from power, the Emperor was immediately appointed general of the Left Guard. Soon afterward he was again named Grand Tutor and co-manager of state affairs, acted as metropolitan magistrate of Jingzhao, and was made garrison commander of the Western Capital. In the third year he was promoted to Grand Commandant and transferred to the Fengxiang command. In the fifth month of the fourth year he was enfeoffed as Prince of Lu.
8
· 滿 使 西使 使 使 使
When Emperor Min came to the throne, the prince was additionally appointed chief minister. Soon afterward his son Chongji was posted as prefect of Bo Prefecture, and a daughter who had taken vows as a nun was summoned into the palace. The prince began to fear for his life. In the second month of the first year of Yingshun he was ordered to take command at Taiyuan. No formal edict was issued—only an announcement by imperial messenger. When he heard the news, he called his staff and commanders to counsel together. All said, "The emperor is young and does not yet handle daily affairs himself. Military and civil power rests entirely with Zhu Hongzhao and his faction. Your Highness cannot hope to survive." The aide Ma Yisun said, "When the sovereign summons, one does not wait even to harness the carriage. Such grim talk, gentlemen, is no sound plan." That night he ordered Li Zhuanmei to draft a proclamation calling on the circuits for aid, declaring his intent to punish the evil counselors at court. The court ordered Wang Sitong to lead troops against him. On the fifteenth day of the third month the besieging armies gathered in force. (From the Biography of Li Yanqi in the Jiuguozhi: While the Prince of Lu held the lower Qi region, generals from the various circuits pressed the attack on his camp. Yanqi was then inside the siege and spent his entire family fortune to supply the army.) On the sixteenth the chief generals pressed the assault on the outer wall. The prince mounted the ramparts in tears and called out to the besiegers: "Before I was twenty I followed the late emperor to war, risking my life again and again until my body was scarred with old wounds. I helped raise the dynasty. How many soldiers who marched with me have died on the field! Now the court trusts traitors and destroys its own kin—what crime have I committed?" He broke into loud weeping, and all who heard were stricken with sorrow. Then Yang Siquan, commander of the Imperial Guard, cried to the men, "The Great Lord is my master." He led his men in through the west gate. Yin Hui, commander of the Palace Guard, brought his troops in through the east gate as well, and the besieging armies broke and fled. On the seventeenth he seized civilian wealth from the townspeople to reward his troops. That same day he marshaled his army and marched east. On the twentieth he reached Chang'an. The deputy garrison commander Liu Suiyong surrendered the city and levied the wealth of Jingzhao households to reward the army. On the twenty-third he halted at Lingkou and executed Wang Sitong. On the twenty-fourth he halted at Hua Prefecture and had Yao Yanchou arrested and thrown into prison. On the twenty-fifth he halted at Wenxiang. Wang Zhonggao and his son came out to pay their respects, and he ordered them put to death. On the twenty-sixth he halted at Lingbao. An Yanwei, military commissioner of Hezhong, came to submit and await judgment. The prince pardoned him and sent him back to his command. Kang Sili, military commissioner of Shan Prefecture, came out to welcome him. On the twenty-seventh he halted at Shan Prefecture and issued a proclamation to the capital. On the twenty-eighth the soldiers in Kang Yicheng's van surrendered one after another. Yicheng came to the camp gate to plead for mercy, and the prince pardoned him. When all the armies of the court had gathered, Meng Hanqiong, commissioner of the southern bureau of the palace secretariat, was executed by the roadside. That night Emperor Min fled through the Xuanwu Gate with a little more than a hundred of his personal cavalry.
9
西 退 退 姿
In the fourth month of summer, on renshen, the prince reached Jiang Bridge. Civil and military officials formed ranks to welcome him. An edict explained that, as he had not yet bowed before the coffin, they could not meet yet and should await him at Zhide Palace. By then the meritorious officers of the Six Armies, the military commissioners, and the inner-court officials had already submitted repeated memorials urging him to take the throne. That day he entered to pay his respects to the empress dowager and the senior consort, then went to the Western Palace, where he prostrated himself before the coffin and wept bitterly. The chief ministers and the full bureaucracy came forward in ranks to bow; he returned their bows. Feng Dao and others submitted a memorial urging him to ascend the throne. Standing before the assembly, he said, "This campaign was not undertaken willingly. I mean to wait until the emperor returns to court and the tomb rites are finished, then withdraw to my fief. For you to press this matter so soon is truly absurd." Wang Hongzan, prefect of Wei Prefecture, reported that Emperor Min had arrived in his jurisdiction on the twenty-ninth of the previous month. On guiyou the empress dowager ordered Emperor Min demoted to Prince of E. The empress dowager also issued an order: "The late emperor was born under Heaven's favor and brilliantly carried on the imperial enterprise. His sincerity moved heaven, earth, and the spirits; his virtue reached the four seas. Just as we hoped to lay down arms, we were suddenly bereft of our ruler. Since the young emperor succeeded to the line, traitorous ministers have seized power, driving kin apart and sowing suspicion among the pillars of the realm. They have repeatedly shifted princes among their fiefs and again suddenly raised armies. They have nearly torn the dynasty from its foundations, thrown army and people into turmoil, and brought the eternal enterprise to the brink of ruin. The eldest imperial son, the Prince of Lu Congke, stands as heir to the ancestral shrine. His virtue has been abundant since youth. He is both warrior and scholar, loyal and filial in equal measure. In the previous reign he cleared away countless dangers and won great distinction in war; he has upheld the great enterprise and rendered magnificent service as a pillar of the throne. Now that the ancestral line lacks proper rites and the tomb observances draw near, we must entrust a close and worthy kinsman with regency, to keep the myriad affairs of state from stalling and to satisfy the people's eager hopes. Let him assume charge of military and civil affairs from the fourth day of this month, acting provisionally under the imperial seal on written orders." That day the regent was at Zhide Palace. Chief minister Feng Dao and the rest led the bureaucracy in ranks at the palace gate to await judgment. The prince came out into the courtyard and said, "What offense have you chief ministers committed? Please return to your posts." He then withdrew. On jiaxu the empress dowager issued an order: "The late emperor endured wind and rain, pacified the realm, inherited the great enterprise through hardship, and brought the people to prosperity. When the Prince of E succeeded to the throne, evil ministers seized power, dispensing favors and terror alike, false and faithless, driving kin apart and sowing suspicion among the pillars of the realm. The Prince of E lightly cast aside the ancestral line and proved unable to bear the burden. The throne hung as precariously as a gem on a thread. A mature ruler must be enthroned to carry on the great enterprise. The eldest imperial son, the Prince of Lu Congke, grows daily in filial devotion. Heaven has gifted him with keen intelligence, a heroic martial bearing, and a broad and benevolent vision. In the previous reign he helped govern from the chaos of founding, pacified the realm, endured the toil of a hundred battles, and with loyal steadfastness upheld the fortune of reunification. In service as minister and in conduct as son he has surpassed all ages. Moreover he disciplines himself and transforms the people, treats his officers with open sincerity, and has won the songs of the realm. Heaven's favoring mandate is upon him. The myriad affairs of state cannot be left unattended even for a day; the nine provinces and four seas cannot be left without a sovereign. Now that the tomb rites draw near and the realm will soon be reunited under one rule, the succession must be secured and the heir entrusted with the charge. Let him immediately ascend the imperial throne."
10
西
On yihai the regent went to the Western Palace and, before the coffin, performed the offering rites and took the throne. Li Yu, acting director of the secretariat, read the investiture document:
11
使 使
In the first year of Yingshun, the jiawu year, on gengwu, the first day of the fourth month, yihai, the sixth day, the civil and military officials—among them Feng Dao, Special Advancement, Acting Minister of Works and Vice Director of the Chancellery, Co-Director of the Secretariat and Chancellery, Commissioner of the Taiwei Palace, Grand Academician of the Hongwen Institute, Upper Pillar of State, Duke of Shiping with a fief of two thousand five hundred households, together with nine thousand five hundred ninety-three others—memorialized: When an emperor's fortune rises, heaven and earth bear the same sign. The Yellow River yields the chart and the Luo River the writing; clouds follow the dragon and wind the tiger. Such rulers invariably extend their sway to the eight directions, nurture the myriad people, lay the foundation of lasting order, and secure boundless fortune. The people's songs again unite in praise; Heaven's mandate clearly rests upon you. You must ascend the imperial throne to perform the ancestral rites. We humbly consider that Your Majesty, endowed with Heaven's benevolence and wisdom and divinely aided in counsel and command, served Zhuangzong through many hardships and followed the late emperor through four campaigns. In every decisive moment, victory was yours. Once the imperial order was restored, he enforced military discipline without fail. His ambition for the state was great, and his conduct as subject and son was beyond reproach. Since the late emperor's passing he has mourned deeply, longing for the day when the realm would be reunited and he could personally attend the tomb rites. Yet since the Prince of E took the throne, traitorous ministers have usurped power, leaving the spirits without proper offerings and turning court and countryside alike toward you. You have set right what was wrong and turned adversity into peace. The people's hearts are united, and the heavens show their clearest signs. Stars gather at the Eastern Well in auspicious array; they circle the Northern Pole in answer to the mandate of Heaven. For this reason the civil and military ministers, the governors and worthies of the realm, and even common households one and all pray that you take the throne. Now, in obedience to the empress dowager's gracious command and faithful to the late emperor's far-reaching design, may he bring peace to the four seas and nine provinces and enjoy a thousand years of rule. We, your subjects, cannot contain our deepest wish. We reverently present the imperial register, obeying the empress dowager's command, to install Your Majesty upon the throne. We are sincerely overjoyed and respectfully submit this memorial.
12
殿 退簿
The emperor received the congratulations of the assembled ministers at the eastern pillar of the hall. Earlier, while the prince was at Fengxiang, a blind man named Zhang Meng claimed skill in divination and served the spirit of Mount Taibai—the shrine being the temple of Cui Hao from the Northern Wei. Whether times were good or ill, whether men's fortunes rose or fell, Meng would consult the spirit and relay its words of fortune or disaster. The prince's personal attendant Fang Hao believed him completely. One day Meng came to the mansion. Hearing the prince speak, he cried out in alarm, "That is no ordinary subject." Hao asked what it meant, and Meng relayed the spirit's words: "Three pearls merge into one pearl; donkeys and horses have no driver; the year is jiawu; restoration lies in wu and ji earth." Hao asked for an explanation. Meng said, "I do not understand the spirit's words myself." In the fifth month of the fourth year of Changxing, every gate of the official compound swung open by itself, to everyone's alarm. The prince sent Hao to ask Meng, who said, "Do not be alarmed by small oddities at the yamen. Within three days an imperial favor will arrive." That very night the order came: he was enfeoffed as Prince of Lu. When the prince was transferred to command Hedong, he was terrified and asked Meng, who said, "Your Highness need have no fear." When Wang Sitong's army arrived, he questioned Meng again, who said, "Your Highness will gain the realm but cannot do it alone. The court's army comes to welcome you. If Your Highness doubts me, I have only one son. I beg you to take him into your service as a pledge of my loyalty." The prince then appointed Meng acting patrol officer of the courier stations. At this point the emperor received the investiture document, which read: "In the first year of Yingshun, the jiawu year, on gengwu, the first day of the fourth month." The emperor turned to Fang Hao and said, "Zhang Meng's prophecy spoke of jiawu—is that not remarkable!" He ordered Hao and the diviners to interpret the three-pearls-become-one prophecy, saying, "The three pearls are three emperors; donkeys and horses with no driver means loss of the throne." After his accession he appointed Meng vice director of imperial construction with full salary and rewarded him with gold and purple regalia. When he was first enfeoffed as Prince of Lu, commentators said, "In the character for Lu, one foot has already entered Luo." Also, while the prince was at Fengxiang, an old man named He Sou, over seventy, suddenly died. He saw an underworld official leaning on a desk who told him, "Tell the Prince of Lu for me: next year in the third month he will become emperor—for twenty-three years." When Sou revived, he was too afraid to speak. More than a month later he died again. The underworld official rebuked him: "How dare you disobey my command and fail to deliver the message? I send you back once more." On his way out he saw ledgers under the corridor and asked the keeper, who said, "The dynasty is about to change; this is the register of promotions and demotions among the living." When he revived, he went to the prince's personal attendant Liu Yanlang and told him. The prince summoned and questioned him. Sou said, "Put it to the test. If my words prove false, you may execute me." Later commentators said that "twenty-three" was probably the emperor's childhood name." Also, Hu Gaotong of Shihao was skilled in astronomy. The prince summoned him and asked. He said, "Your Highness's destiny is beyond words. If you act, the yiwei year is the right time." When he raised troops and asked again, Gaotong said, "This year is inauspicious for a king to win glory or establish his rule. If you wait until next year to enter the capital, your fortune will endure." In time all of these proved true. If this is so, then the throne must be governed by a hidden mandate—how lightly can such things be discussed!
13
西 殿 殿 殿 殿 滿 使
On gengyin, Fengxiang reported that Meng Zhixiang of western Sichuan had presumptuously declared himself ruler of Great Shu, adopting the era name Mingde. The relevant officials memorialized: "Your Majesty will hold court at the Hall of Bright Hall on the first day of the fifth month. On the third day—the summer solstice—the emperor will sacrifice to the Earth Spirit. Two days prior, he will offer memorials at the Founding Ancestor's shrine and will not hold audience. As with New Year's Day and the winter solstice, when sacrificial rites fall on the same day, the court audience should be held the following day. The sacrifice is scheduled before the fifth watch, the rite to be performed at dawn, and the audience hall after sunrise. We request that precedent be followed." An edict replied: "Ascend the hall at sunrise; the sacrifice need not interfere. Follow the usual annual arrangement." The Historiography Institute memorialized: "For all written edicts, official dispositions, and ministers' memorials, we ask that nearby officials be instructed to copy and deliver them to this institute." The emperor ordered Han Zhaoyi, academician of the Hall of Enlightenment, and Li Zhuanmei, direct academician of the Bureau of Military Affairs, to copy and forward the records. On xinmao, Lu Sun, left remonstrance and counsel grandee, was appointed right attendant cavalry regular. On renchen, an edict bestowed money and silks in varying amounts on the imperial guard and the officers who had surrendered at Fengxiang. (Per the "Comprehensive Mirror": The imperial guards who had surrendered at Fengxiang—from Yang Siquan and Yin Hui on down—each received two horses, one camel, and seventy strings of cash; ordinary soldiers twenty strings; those in the capital ten strings each.)〉 Earlier, when the emperor left Fengxiang, every army expected extraordinary rewards. When they followed him to the capital and were disappointed, they circulated a ballad: "We cast off the Living Bodhisattva and raised up a bar of iron." Such was their boundless discontent. On bingshen, Emperor Mingzong was buried at Huiling. On dingyou, his spirit tablet was installed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On wuxu, Feng Dao, commissioner for the imperial tomb, minister of works and vice director of the Secretariat, and chief councilor, submitted a memorial to resign; the request was denied.
14
殿 使使使 殿使 使使 使 使使 使
On gengzi, the first day of the fifth month, the emperor held court at the Hall of Civilization to receive congratulatory homage. On yisi, An Shenqi, commander of the Left Dragon Martial Guard, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Left and Right Sacred Escort, and Fu Yanrao, general of the Right Thousand-Ox Guard, was appointed commander-in-chief of the Left and Right Strict Guard. On bingwu, Han Zhaoyun, academician of the Hall of Enlightenment, was appointed commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs; Liu Yanlang, commissioner of the estate bureau, was made deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs; Fang Hao, acting commissioner of military affairs, was appointed commissioner of the Northern Bureau of the Palace Attendant Service; Shi Jingtang, military governor of Chengde, overall commander of the Han and non-Han cavalry and infantry of Datong, Zhangguo, Zhenwu, Weisai, and other armies, honorary grand marshal, chief steward of the Secretariat, and imperial son-in-law, was made northern capital regent and military governor of Hedong, promoted to honorary grand preceptor and chief steward of the Secretariat, retaining his overall command. Zhao Yanshou, military governor of Bianzhou, honorary grand preceptor, chief steward, and imperial son-in-law, was advanced to Duke of Lu.
15
殿 使使使西使使
On wushen, the Secretariat reported that the Court of Imperial Sacrifices had stated Mingzong would be enshrined in the temple on the twentieth of this month, with the chief minister acting as grand marshal in the rite. Because Feng Dao was on leave, Li Yu's personal mourning day fell on the eighteenth within the fasting period, and Liu Xu memorialized for exemption from sacrificial duties while managing the Three Departments, (Per the "Institutional Essentials of the Five Dynasties": In the fifth month of the first year of Qingtai, chief minister Liu Xu memorialized: "The Secretariat, per a recent edict, holds that within the fasting period for sacrificial officiants, only sacrificial duties may proceed; all else is suspended. Also, chief ministers within the fasting period for sacrificial duties do not lead the court procession, do not attend inner-hall audiences, and do not affix seals. As I am managing the affairs of the Three Departments, I humbly request special exemption from sacrificial duties, state mourning observances, and incense offerings." Granted.)〉 An edict ordered the ritual officials to deliberate. The relevant officials memorialized: "Li Yu's personal mourning day falls within the fasting period. On personal mourning days, when summoned for great court sessions or inner cabinet audiences, all attend court. The enshrinement is a great affair, yet the mourning day is private; we ask that the precedent for great court summons apply." Granted. Kang Sili, military governor of Shanfu, was appointed military governor of Xingzhou; An Chongba, military governor of Tongzhou, was made western capital regent; and Yang Siquan, commander of the First Right Feathered Forest Army and prefect of Chunzhou, was appointed military governor of Binzhou. On jiyou, Kong Zhiye, general of the Left Gate Guard, and Hua Guangyi, general of the Right Brave Guard, were both ordered to cease their current posts. Kong Zhiye had been dispatched to report at the temple in Yingzhou but pleaded illness and declined; Guangyi was substituted but then claimed a fall from his horse had injured his foot—hence both were dismissed.
16
使 使使 使使 使使 使使 祿 使 使使 使使 使使
On gengxu, Feng Dao, minister of works and vice director of the Secretariat, and chief councilor, was made honorary grand marshal and fellow chief councilor, and appointed military governor of Tongzhou; Fan Yanguang, military governor of Tianxiong, was appointed commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and enfeoffed as Duke of Qi; Li Congyan, military governor of Yanzhou, was appointed military governor of Fengxiang. On xinhai, Yin Hui, commander-in-chief of the Strict Guard, was appointed defender of Qizhou. On jiayin, An Congjin, cavalry commander of the imperial guard and military governor of Shunhua, was appointed military governor of Heyang, retaining command of the army. Lu Wenji, grand master of ceremonies, memorialized: "For the chamber of Mingzong, the libation-presentation dance—please name it the "Dance of Universal Harmony." Granted. On dingsi, the prince Chongmei, silver-blue-light grand master for splendid happiness and honorary minister of works, was made honorary minister of education and acting general of the Left Guard. From this point on, military governors, prefects, and civil and military officials across the circuits successively received honorary appointments or advances in rank, titles, and fiefs, in celebration of the emperor's accession. On wuwu, Xiangli Jin, defender of Longzhou, was appointed military governor of Shanzhou. Earlier, when the emperor announced his accession to neighboring provinces by proclamation, Jin alone had sent his aide Xue Wenyü back and forth to consult on affairs; he was therefore rewarded with a military governorship. Fang Hao, commissioner of the Northern Bureau of the Palace Attendant Service and honorary minister of the Ministry of Works, was additionally made honorary grand minister of works, acting great general of the Left Majestic Guard, retaining his commission; Han Zhaoyi, commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and left remonstrance and counsel grandee, was appointed minister of justice, retaining his commission.
17
使 使 西 使
On jiwei, Venus was visible in daylight. Liu Yanlang, deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, was appointed great general of the Left Leading Army, retaining his duties. On gengshen, Li Yu, left vice director, vice director of the Secretariat, chief councilor, and supervisor of the national history, was granted special advancement and appointed commissioner of the Palace of Great Subtlety and grand academician of the Hall of Magnificent Literature, with other posts unchanged. Liu Xu, vice director of the Secretariat, concurrent minister of personnel, fellow chief councilor, grand academician of the Academy of Assembled Worthies, and manager of the Three Departments, was additionally appointed vice director of the Secretariat, concurrent minister of personnel, chief councilor, supervisor of the national history, and manager of the Three Departments. On guihai, Qinzhou reported that Meng Zhixiang of western Sichuan had sent out an army and pressed forward to capture Chenzhou. Hao Qiong, commissioner of the Southern Bureau of the Palace Attendant Service and great general of the Right Brave Guard, was appointed general of the Left Brave Guard, retaining his duties; Zhang Chengyou, former prefect of Yizhou, was appointed acting military governor of Wusheng. On wuchen, Wang Jingcan, former commander of the Right Dragon Martial Guard, was appointed general of the Right Brave Guard.
18
使 使使 使 使 使 使使
On gengwu, the first day of the sixth month, the Imperial Guard Sacred Escort was renamed the Illustrious Sacred Guard, and the Strict Guard was renamed the Tranquil Guard. On renshen, the Duke of Chengde of Mount Wu was enfeoffed as King of Spiritual Response, with ritual rank equal to the Five Sacred Peaks. When the emperor first rose in rebellion, he had sent envoys to sacrifice at the sacred peak to seek divine aid; upon his accession, this reward followed. (Per the "Institutional Essentials of the Five Dynasties", the Secretariat memorialized: In the first month of the tenth year of Tianbao, the Duke of Chengde of Mount Wu was enfeoffed, together with Mount Yi, Mount Kuaiji, and Mount Yiwulü.) In the twelfth month of the second year of Zhide, Mount Wu was elevated to a sacred peak, and its sacrificial officials and staff were made identical to those of the Five Sacred Peaks. Now the state wishes to pray for a spiritual response and should bestow extraordinary honors; we have deliberated and request that he be further enfeoffed as King of Spiritual Response. Granted.)〉 Zhao Dejun, military governor of Youzhou, was advanced to King of Northern Ping, and Fang Zhiwen, military governor of Qingzhou, was advanced to King of Eastern Ping. On guiyou, Suo Zitong, former military governor of Binzhou, was appointed commander of the Right Dragon Martial Guard. On jiaxu, the prince Chongmei, general of the Left Guard, was given the additional titles of honorary grand guardian and fellow chief councilor, appointed military governor of Zhenzhou and concurrently magistrate of Henan, and assigned to oversee the six armies and all guard units. On dingchou, an edict ordered that prisoners held throughout the realm be entrusted to local chief officials for personal review and swift disposition. On gengchen, the Emperor visited the Palace of Utmost Virtue, and then called at the homes of Fang Zhiwen, An Yuanxin, Fan Yanguang, Suo Zitong, and Li Congmin. On renwu, Wang Jianli, who had retired as honorary grand tutor of the heir apparent, was appointed honorary grand marshal, chief steward, and military governor of Yanzhou; An Yuanxin, former military governor of Songzhou, was appointed honorary grand marshal, chief steward, and military governor of Luzhou.
19
使 使 使 使使使 使 使使使 使
On guimi, Liu Xu, commissioner of the Three Departments, memorialized: "Households throughout the realm have had their autumn and summer field taxes assessed since the second year of Tiancheng—eight years to date. Recently commoners have come to court in succession to complain of unequal land assessments; repeated exemptions have gradually eroded the tax quota. We request that court officials be dispatched to conduct a uniform review." No response. On jiashen, the Emperor went into mourning for the late prince Chongji, former prefect of Bozhou, and for his eldest imperial daughter, the nun Huiming dashi Youcheng; the officials came to the Gate of Audience to offer condolences. When the emperor first rose in arms, both Chongji and Youcheng had been killed by Emperor Min. On yiyou, Han Yanyun, vice minister of revenue, was appointed prefect of Jiangzhou, and Li Su, general of the Left Martial Guard, was appointed prefect of Shanzhou. On bingxu, Zhao Zaili, military governor of Xiangzhou, was given the additional title of fellow chief councilor. On jiawu, Zhang Chengyou, acting military governor of Wusheng, was appointed military governor of Huazhou; Song Shenqian, commissioner of the Imperial City, was appointed military governor of Shouzhou and commander-in-chief of the imperial guard infantry; Liu Zhongyin, general of the Right Guard, was appointed military governor of Songzhou; Huangfu Yu, commander-in-chief of the imperial guard infantry and military governor of Shouzhou, was appointed military governor of Dengzhou; Hua Wenqi, former military governor of Huazhou, retired as grand tutor of the heir apparent. On dingyou, Zhou Zhiyu, commander of the Left Spirit Martial Guard, died and was posthumously given the title of grand tutor. That month the capital suffered severe drought and blistering heat; more than a hundred people died of heatstroke.
20
使 使西 使
In autumn, the seventh month, on gengzi, Cui Yi, who had retired as junior guardian of the heir apparent, died. On guimao, Fengxiang submitted a letter from Meng Zhixiang of rebel Shu, which read "The Emperor of Great Shu presents this letter to the Emperor of Great Tang," and also stated that, "compelled by public sentiment, I assumed the imperial throne on the twelfth day of the fourth month of this year"—the Emperor made no reply. Zheng Cong, former prefect of Wuzhou, was appointed general of the Right Guard. On jiachen, the Emperor visited Longmen Buddhist Temple to pray for rain. On yisi, the late prince Chongji, former regimental commander of Bozhou, was posthumously given the title of grand marshal, and a temple was established at Songzhou. On dingwei, Li Congyan, military governor of Fengxiang, was enfeoffed as King of Western Ping. That day Chief Councillors Li Yu and Liu Xu quarreled over official business in the Hall of Governance, using language most vulgar and foul. The Emperor had Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs Liu Yanlang proclaim: "You are ministers who assist and counsel; you should not act thus. Hereafter you must not do so again." On xinhai, Lu Wenji, grand master of ceremonies, was appointed vice director of the Secretariat and chief councilor. That day the Secretariat submitted three memorials requesting the establishment of an empress; the request was granted. On dingsi, by imperial decree Lady Liu of Pei State was installed as empress. On gengshen, Chen Gao, junior tutor of the heir apparent, died. On yichou, the historiographer Zhang Zhaoyuan submitted the thirty fascicles of Biographies of the Zhuangzong Court that he had compiled.
21
使 使 使簿 使簿便使 使便簿 殿使使
In the eighth month, on gengwu, an edict remitted unpaid residual taxes throughout the realm owed before the twelfth month of the fourth year of Changxing. On xinwei, Yao Yi, former left vice director of the Ministry of Revenue, was appointed vice director of the Secretariat and chief councilor. An edict ordered that all who had received imperially commissioned appointments were, upon completing one term of acting service, to proceed to regular selection according to the deadline. (Per Xu Wudang's "Annotations on the History of the Five Dynasties": Imperially commissioned officials were probably offices established when the deposed emperor first raised his army; because they were not regular appointments from the Ministry of Personnel, imperial authorization was required before they could enter selection.)〉 Jingnan reported that Meng Zhixiang of rebel Shu had died and that his son Chang had succeeded to the usurped throne. On renshen, Zheng Taoguang, vice minister of rites of the Ministry of Revenue, was appointed vice minister of justice, and Yang Ningshi, former vice minister of works, was appointed vice minister of rites. On jiaxu, Lou Jiying, former defender of Jinzhou, was appointed commander of the Right Spirit Martial Guard, and Gao Yunzhen, commander of the Right Spirit Martial Guard, was appointed commander of the Left Spirit Martial Guard. On yihai, Li Yin, chief academician of the Hanlin Academy, minister of works, and drafter of edicts, was appointed grand master of ceremonies; Cheng Xun, Hanlin academician, vice minister of revenue, and drafter of edicts, was appointed chief academician. On jiashen, Long Min, vice minister of war, was appointed vice minister of personnel, and Cui Jujian, director of the Secretariat, was appointed minister of works. On yiyou, Zhang Jizuo, general of the Right Martial Guard, was appointed general of the Right Guard; Wang Jingcan, general of the Right Brave Guard, was appointed general of the Left Guard; Liu Wei, general of the Right Leading Guard, was appointed general of the Left Martial Guard; Wang Zhi, general of the Right Thousand-Ox Guard, was appointed general of the Right Leading Army; Wang Jingchong, minister of agriculture concurrently chief usher and manager of the Office for Receiving Envoys from the Four Directions, was appointed grand minister of foreign affairs, retaining his posts as chief usher and manager of the Office for Receiving Envoys from the Four Directions. On dinghai, Suo Zitong, commander of the Right Dragon Martial Guard, died. On xinmao, Li Guangxian, who had retired as minister of rites, died. On jiawu, Lu Zhi, junior tutor of the heir apparent, was appointed junior mentor of the heir apparent. On yiwei, Zhao Feng, former military governor of Xingzhou, was appointed grand guardian of the heir apparent. An edict stated: "When civil and military officials are dispatched on missions, assignments should follow order of precedence; the Secretariat shall keep a register, and assignments must not overlap. If the officer whose turn it is has personal business or does not wish to go, the register should advance to the next eligible envoy. Those who have already served on mission since the first month of the third year of Changxing shall be placed at the head of the register; thereafter successive appointees are to be entered in order. The relevant officials memorialized: "When the empress receives her investiture, the inner and outer titled ladies submit congratulatory letters without receiving a written reply in return." Granted. On bingshen, the Emperor invested the empress in the Hall of Civil Splendor; Chief Councillor Lu Wenji served as envoy acting as grand marshal, and Right Remonstrance and Counsel Grandee Lu Sun served as deputy envoy acting as minister of education, directing the ceremony at the empress's palace; when the rites were complete, gracious awards were distributed according to rank.
22
西 使使
In the ninth month, on jihai, because of prolonged rain, court officials were dispatched in turn to repair the capital gates and report to the ancestral temple and altars of soil and grain. On xinchou, at night a star like a five-peck measure flowed southwest; its trail was several rods long and twisted like a dragon. Many other stars streamed in disorder, beyond counting. The capital suffered heavy rain, and hail fell like sling stones. Yao Zongzhi, prefect of Caozhou, died. On jiachen, because the rains had been especially prolonged, an edict ordered that prisons in the capital be entrusted to the censorate for judicial examination; in prefectures and counties judges, magistrates, and recorders were to examine cases in person, and cases were to be cleared within the day. On renzi, the Secretariat put into effect the edict of the third year of Changxing: when prefectures annually recommended candidates for examination, at the time of the village drinking ceremony the draft ritual protocol from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices was to be posted and reported to the throne. On jiayin, Lu Wenjin, former military governor of Luzhou, honorary grand marshal, and fellow chief councilor, was appointed military governor of Anzhou. On jiwei, Yunzhou reported that the Khitan had raided the border.
23
使
In winter, the tenth month, on xinwei, a golden pheasant alighted in the Secretariat Hall of Governance. The Secretariat memorialized: "We request that the twenty-third day of the first month, the Emperor's birthday, be established as the Festival of a Thousand Springs." Granted. On wuyin, Chief Councillors Li Yu and Liu Xu were removed as chief councilors; Li Yu was made left vice director and Liu Xu right vice director. The Khitan raided Yun and Ying prefectures; an edict ordered Shi Jingtang, military governor of Hedong, to lead troops and encamp at Daizhou. On wuzi, Chief Councillor Yao Yi memorialized: "The three bureaus of selection in the Ministry of Personnel have recently been merged into one office; we request that they be divided again as formerly." Granted. On xinmao, because Li Hongyuan, general of the Left Guard, had died, court was suspended; he was posthumously given the title of minister of education. On guisi, Lü Qi, director of the sixth rank in the Ministry of Rites and drafter of edicts, retained his current post and was appointed direct academician of the Bureau of Military Affairs.
24
祿 使 使使便殿 西退 使 使
In the eleventh month, on xinchou, Zheng Taoguang, vice minister of justice, was appointed right vice director of the Ministry of Revenue, and Wu Zhaoyuan, vice director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was appointed director of the Directorate of Palace Manufactories. Zhang Yanlang, military governor of Qinzhou, memorialized that he was leading troops to attack Shu. The Secretariat memorialized: "The twenty-sixth is Mingzong's death anniversary; as Your Majesty encounters this observance for the first time, unlike ordinary years, we request that court audiences be suspended one day before and one day after the anniversary." Granted. The Censorate memorialized: "Former military governors, prefects, and deputy field commanders, though they attend daily audiences in the informal hall, should also take their places in the formal ranks whenever the five-day audience is held." Granted. On bingwu, Feng Hui, former prefect of Xingzhou, was exiled to serve as a yamen runner at Tongzhou. Hui had been prefect of Xingzhou and garrisoned Ganqu; when Shu forces invaded, he fled from his post back to Fengxiang—hence this punishment. On dingwei, an edict remitted the twice-yearly tax levies and corvée assignments for three years in the regions of Zhenwu, Xinzhou, and the northwestern border of Hedong that had been trampled by the Khitan—because the Khitan had only just withdrawn. On guichou, Wang Wanrong, former military governor of Huazhou, retired as general of the Left Brave Guard. On jiayin, Yang Guangyuan, military governor of Zhenwu, was appointed overall deputy commander of the cavalry and infantry of the Datong, Zhangguo, Zhenwu, Weisai, and other armies, and Mu Yanhui, former great general of the Right Golden Fowl Guard, was appointed general of the Right Martial Guard. On renxu, Yang Ningshi, vice minister of rites, was appointed vice minister of revenue. On jiazi, Lu Dao, drafting official of the Secretariat, was appointed vice minister of rites.
25
使使 使使 使 殿 使使 西
In the twelfth month, on dingmao, the first day, an edict ordered the repair and maintenance of the tombs of all emperors of this dynasty. On jisi, An Shuqian, cavalry commander of the northern armies and prefect of Yizhou, was appointed protector-general of pacifying the north and military governor of Zhenwu; Yin Hui, defender of Qizhou, was appointed military governor of the Zhangguo army. On gengwu, an edict ordered the burial of the commoner Congrong. The relevant officials memorialized: "Following the precedent of the deposed heir Chengqian in the Zhenguan era, let him be buried with public rites." Granted. On yihai, Zhang Yanlang, military governor of Qinzhou, was appointed vice director of the Secretariat, fellow chief councilor, and manager of the Three Departments; (Per the "Institutional Essentials of the Five Dynasties": In the third month of the second year, chief minister Zhang Yanlang memorialized: "As I am managing the affairs of the Three Departments, I attend daily in the inner hall; as I ought to join the front ranks to lead the procession, I humbly request a special exemption." Granted."])〉 Lu Wenji, vice director of the secretariat and co-manager of state affairs, was appointed vice director of the chancellery, co-manager of state affairs, and supervisor of the national history; Yao Yan, vice director of the secretariat and co-manager of state affairs, was additionally named grand academician of the Hall of Assembled Worthies; Kang Fu, former military commissioner of Bin Prefecture, was appointed military commissioner of Qin Prefecture. On bingxu, white vapor appeared at night, stretching from east to west across the heavens. On gengyin the emperor went to Longmen to pray for snow, for from the ninth month until then there had been neither rain nor snow.
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