1
張承業，字繼元，本姓康，同州人。 咸通中，內常侍張泰畜為假子。 光啟中，主郃陽軍事，賜紫，入為內供奉。 武皇之討王行瑜，承業累奉使渭北，因留監武皇軍事，賊平，改酒坊使。 三年，昭宗將幸太原，以承業與武皇善，用除為河東監軍，密令迎駕。 既而昭宗幸華州，就加左監門衛將軍。 駕在鳳翔，承業屢請出師晉、絳，以為岐人掎角。 崔魏公之誅宦官也，武皇偽戮罪人首級以奉詔，匿承業於斛律寺，昭宗遇弑，乃復請為監軍。
Zhang Chengye, styled Jiyuan, was originally of the Kang clan and came from Tong Prefecture. During the Xiantong era, the palace attendant Zhang Tai took him in as an adopted son. In the Guangqi era he took charge of military affairs at Heyang, received the purple robe, and entered the palace as an inner attendant. When Emperor Wu marched against Wang Xingyu, Chengye was sent repeatedly as envoy to the country north of the Wei River and then stayed on to supervise the army. After the rebels were crushed, he was made Commissioner of the Wine Monopoly. In the third year, as Emperor Zhaozong prepared to visit Taiyuan, Chengye—who was on good terms with Emperor Wu—was appointed Hedong army supervisor and secretly ordered to welcome the emperor. Soon afterward Emperor Zhaozong went to Hua Prefecture, and Chengye was promoted on the spot to General of the Left Gate Guard. While the court was at Fengxiang, Chengye repeatedly urged sending troops from Jin and Jiang to pin down Li Maozhen's Qi forces from the flank. When Duke Cui moved against the eunuchs, Emperor Wu pretended to execute condemned criminals' heads to satisfy the edict and hid Chengye at Huli Temple. After Emperor Zhaozong was murdered, Chengye again asked to serve as army supervisor.
2
夾城之役，遣承業求援於鳳翔。 時河中阻絕，自離石渡河，春冰方泮，淩澌奔蹙，艤舟不得渡，因禱河神。 是夜，夢神人謂曰：「子但渡，流冰無患。」 既寤，津吏報曰：「河冰合矣。」 淩晨，躡冰而濟，旋踵冰解。 使還，武皇病篤，啟手之夕，召承業屬之曰：「吾兒孤弱，群臣縱橫，後事公善籌之。」 承業奉遺顧，爰立嗣王，平內難，策略居多。 既終易月之制，即請出師救潞，破賊夾城。 莊宗深感其意，兄事之，親幸承業私第，升堂拜母，賜遺優厚。 時莊宗初行墨製，凡除拜之命，皆成於盧汝弼之手。 汝弼既自為戶部侍郎，乃請與承業改官及開國邑，承業拒而不受。 其後，但稱本朝舊官而已。
During the siege of Jiachcheng, Chengye was dispatched to Fengxiang to seek aid. The route through Hezhong was cut off. He crossed from Lishi, but the spring ice was just breaking up; floes surged and piled together, and his boat could not reach the bank. He prayed to the River God. That night he dreamed a divine being say to him, "Just cross — the drifting ice will not harm you." When he awoke, the ferry officer reported, "The river has frozen over." At daybreak he crossed on the ice, and the moment he reached the far bank the ice broke up. When he returned from the mission, Emperor Wu was dying. On the night of his death he summoned Chengye and said, "My son is young and weak, and the ministers are unruly. You must plan carefully for what comes next." Chengye carried out the dying charge, established the heir as king, and quelled the internal crisis — in all of this, strategy was largely his work. When the one-month mourning period ended, he immediately asked to march out and relieve Lu, defeating the enemy at Jiachcheng. Zhuangzong was deeply moved and treated Chengye as an elder brother. He visited Chengye's home in person, entered the hall to bow to his mother, and gave him lavish gifts. At that time Zhuangzong had just begun issuing appointments in his own hand, and every commission was drafted by Lu Rubi. After Rubi had made himself Vice Minister of Revenue, he asked to have Chengye's title and noble domain changed. Chengye refused. After that he used only his original Tang title.
3
天祐中，幽州劉守光敗，其府掾馮道歸太原，承業辟為本院巡官。 承業重其文章履行，甚見待遇。 時有周元豹者，善人倫鑒，與道不合，謂承業曰：「馮生無前程，公不可過用。」 管書記盧質聞之曰：「我曾見杜黃裳司空寫真圖，道之狀貌酷類焉，將來必副大用，元豹之言，不足信也。」 承業薦為霸府從事焉。
During the Tianyou era, after Liu Shouguang of Youzhou was defeated, his staff officer Feng Dao returned to Taiyuan and Chengye recruited him as inspector of his office. Chengye valued Feng's literary talent and character and treated him with great favor. At the time there was a Zhou Yuanbao, skilled at reading men, who disliked Feng and told Chengye, "Feng has no future — you must not promote him too far." Chief secretary Lu Zhi heard this and said, "I once saw the portrait of Minister Du Huangshang. Feng looks remarkably like him and will surely prove fit for high office — Yuanbao's words are not to be trusted." Chengye recommended him and made him a staff officer at the hegemon's headquarters.
4
柏鄉之役，王師既逼汴營，周德威慮其奔衝，堅請退舍。 莊宗怒其懦，不聽，垂帳而寢，諸將不敢言事，鹹詣監軍請白。 承業遽至牙門，褰帳而入，撫莊宗曰：「此非王安寢時，周德威老將，洞識兵勢，姑務萬全，言不可忽。」 莊宗蹶然而興曰：「予方思之。」 其夕，收軍保鄗邑。 德威討劉守光，令承業往視賊勢，因請莊宗自行，果成大捷。 承業感武皇厚遇，自莊宗在魏州垂十年，太原軍國政事，一委承業； 而積聚庾帑，收兵市馬，招懷流散，勸課農桑，成是霸基者，承業之忠力也。
At Baixiang the royal army had already pressed the Bian camp. Zhou Dewei, fearing a sudden charge, strongly urged a withdrawal. Zhuangzong, angry at what he took for cowardice, refused to listen. He lowered his curtain and went to sleep. The generals dared not speak and all went to the army supervisor to ask him to intervene. Chengye hurried to headquarters, lifted the curtain, and went in. Placing a hand on Zhuangzong he said, "This is no time to sleep. Zhou Dewei is a veteran who knows the battlefield inside out. For now seek complete safety — do not ignore what he says." Zhuangzong started up at once and said, "I was just thinking about that." That evening he pulled the army back and held Haoyi. When Dewei marched against Liu Shouguang, he sent Chengye to scout the enemy and urged Zhuangzong to take command in person. The result was a great victory. Grateful for Emperor Wu's generous treatment, and with Zhuangzong at Weizhou for nearly ten years, all military and civil affairs at Taiyuan were entrusted entirely to Chengye; It was Chengye's loyal exertions that stockpiled grain, gathered troops and bought horses, brought back the displaced, and encouraged farming — all of which built the foundation of hegemony.
5
時貞簡太后，韓德妃、伊淑妃、諸宅王之貴，洎王之介弟在晉陽宮，或不以其道幹於承業，悉不聽，逾法禁者必懲，由是貴戚斂手，民俗丕變。 或有中傷承業於莊宗者，言專弄威柄，廣納賂遺。 莊宗歲時還晉陽宮省太后，須錢蒱博、給伶官，嘗置酒於泉府，莊宗酣飲，命興聖宮使李繼岌為承業起舞，既竟，承業出寶帶幣馬奉之。 莊宗指錢積謂承業曰：「和哥無錢使，七哥與此一積，寶馬非殊惠也。」 承業謝曰：「郎君哥勞，承業自出己俸錢。 此錢是大王庫物，準擬支贍三軍，不敢以公物為私禮也。」 莊宗不悅，使酒侵承業。 承業曰：「臣老敕使。 非為子孫之謀，惜錢為大王基業，王若自要散施，何妨老夫，不過財盡兵散，一事無成。」 〈（案：《通鑒》作王自取用之，何問仆為！）〉 莊宗怒，顧元行欽曰：「取劍來！」 承業引莊宗衣，泣而言曰：「仆荷先王遺顧，誓為本朝誅汴賊，為王惜庫物，斬承業首，死亦無愧於先王，今日請死！」 閻寶解承業手，令退。 承業詬寶曰：「黨朱溫逆賊，未嘗有一言效忠，而敢依阿諂附。」 揮拳踣之。 太后聞莊宗酒失，急召入。 莊宗性至孝，聞太后召，叩頭謝阿業曰：「吾杯酒之間，忤於七哥，太后必怪吾。 七哥為痛飲兩卮分謗，可乎？」 莊宗連飲四鍾，勸承業，竟不飲。 莊宗歸宮，太后使人謂承業曰：「小兒忤特進，已笞矣，可歸第。」 翌日，太后與莊宗俱幸其第，慰勞之。 自是私謁幾絕。
At that time the Empress Dowager Zhenjian, the consorts Han Defei and Yi Shufei, the household princes, and the king's younger brothers at the Jinyang palace — some tried to influence Chengye by improper means, but he refused them all and punished anyone who broke the law. The imperial kin held back, and popular customs changed greatly. Some slandered Chengye to Zhuangzong, saying he wielded power alone and accepted bribes on a wide scale. Each year when Zhuangzong returned to the Jinyang palace to visit the empress dowager, he needed money for gambling and to pay the entertainers. Once he held a feast at the treasury. Zhuangzong drank heavily and ordered Li Jiya, commissioner of the Xingsheng Palace, to dance for Chengye. When the dance was done, Chengye presented a precious belt, coins, and a horse as gifts. Zhuangzong pointed to a pile of money and said to Chengye, "Hege has no spending money — Seventh Elder Brother, give him this pile. The fine horse is no special favor." Chengye declined, saying, "For the young lord's service, Chengye will pay from his own salary. This money belongs to the Great King's treasury and is earmarked to supply the three armies. I dare not use public funds as a private gift." Zhuangzong was displeased and, drunk, insulted Chengye. Chengye said, "Your servant is an old imperial envoy. I am not hoarding it for my descendants — I am hoarding it for the Great King's foundation. If Your Highness insists on giving it away, what can an old man do? Nothing more than exhaust the treasury, scatter the troops, and achieve nothing." (Note: The Zizhi Tongjian has: "The king may take and use it himself — why ask your servant!")〉 Zhuangzong flew into a rage and turned to Yuan Xingqin, saying, "Bring a sword!" Chengye seized Zhuangzong's robe and said through tears, "Your servant received the late king's dying charge and swore to destroy the Bian rebels for the dynasty and to guard the treasury for the king. Cut off Chengye's head and I will die without shame before the late king — I ask to die today!" Yan Bao loosened Chengye's grip and made him withdraw. Chengye reviled Bao, saying, "You sided with the rebel Zhu Wen and never once spoke a word of loyalty — yet you dare fawn and flatter." He swung his fist and knocked him down. The empress dowager, hearing of Zhuangzong's drunken outburst, urgently summoned him. Zhuangzong was deeply filial. Hearing the empress dowager's summons, he kowtowed and apologized to Aye: "Over a few cups of wine I offended Seventh Elder Brother — the empress dowager is sure to blame me. Seventh Elder Brother, will you drink two cups in earnest to share the blame?" Zhuangzong drank four cups in a row and urged Chengye to drink, but Chengye would not. When Zhuangzong returned to the palace, the empress dowager sent word to Chengye: "The boy offended the Special Advancement and has already been flogged. You may go home." The next day the empress dowager and Zhuangzong both visited his home to comfort him. From then on private visits nearly ceased.
6
十四年，承製授開府儀同三司、左衛上將軍、燕國公，固辭不受。 是時，盧質在莊宗幕下，嗜酒輕傲，嘗呼莊宗諸弟為豚犬，莊宗深銜之。 承業慮質被禍，因乘間謂莊宗曰：「盧質多行無禮，臣請為大王殺之，可乎？」 莊宗曰：「予方招禮賢士，以開霸業，七哥何言之過也！」 承業因聳立而言曰：「大王若能如此，何憂不得天下！」 其後盧質雖成縱誕，莊宗終能容之，蓋承業為之藻藉也。
In the fourteenth year he was granted by rescript the titles of Grand Preceptor with ceremonials equal to the Three Dukes, General-in-Chief of the Left Guard, and Duke of Yan. He firmly declined. At that time Lu Zhi was on Zhuangzong's staff. He was fond of drink and lightly arrogant and once called Zhuangzong's younger brothers "pigs and dogs." Zhuangzong deeply resented it. Chengye feared that Zhi would come to harm and, seizing an opportunity, said to Zhuangzong, "Lu Zhi repeatedly behaves without propriety. Your servant asks to kill him for the Great King — may I?" Zhuangzong said, "I am just now recruiting worthy men to build hegemony — how can Seventh Elder Brother speak so harshly!" Chengye then stood straight and said, "If the Great King can be like this, what worry is there of not winning the realm!" Thereafter, although Lu Zhi grew increasingly unrestrained, Zhuangzong was ultimately able to tolerate him — largely because Chengye had given him cover.
7
十八年，莊宗受諸道勸進，將纂帝位。 承業以為晉王三代有功於國，先人怒朱氏弑逆，將復舊邦，讎既未平，不宜輕受推戴。 方疾作，肩輿之鄴宮，見莊宗曰：「王父子血戰三十餘年，蓋言報國仇讎，復唐宗社。 今元凶未滅，民賦已殫，而遽先大號，蠹耗財力，臣以為不可一也。 臣自咸通已來，伏事宮掖，每見國家冊命大禮，儀仗法物，百司庶務，經年草定，臨事猶有不可。 王若化家為國，新立廟朝，不可乖於制度。 制禮作樂，未見其人，臣以為不可二也。 舉事量力而行，不可信於遊譚也。」 〈（《通鑒考異》引秦再思《洛中記異》云：承業諫帝曰：「大王何不待誅克梁孽，更平吳、蜀，俾天下一家，且先求唐氏子孫立之，後更以天下讓有功者，何人輒敢當之！ 讓一月即一月牢，讓一年即一年牢。 設使高祖再生，太宗復出，又胡為哉！ 今大王一旦自立，頓失從前仗義征伐之旨，人情怠矣。 老夫是閹官，不愛大王官職富貴，直以受先王付屬之重，欲為大王立萬年之基爾。」）〉 莊宗曰：「奈諸將何？」 承業知莊宗不從，因號泣而言之。 十九年十一月二日，以疾卒於晉陽之第，時年七十七。 貞簡太后聞喪，遽至其第盡哀，為之行服，如兒侄禮。 同光初，贈左武衛上將軍，諡曰貞憲。 〈（《五代史闕文》：莊宗將即位於魏州，承業自太原至，謂莊宗曰：「吾王世奉唐家，最為忠孝，自貞觀以來，王室有難，未嘗不從。 所以老奴三十餘年為吾王捃拾財賦、召補軍馬者，誓滅逆賊朱溫，復本朝宗社耳。 今河朔甫定，朱氏尚存，吾王遽即大位，可乎？」 云云。 莊宗曰：「奈諸將意何！」 承業知不可諫止，乃慟哭曰：「諸侯血戰者，本為李家，今吾王自取之，誤老奴矣！」 即歸太原，不食而死。 臣謹按：《莊宗實錄》敘承業諫即位事甚詳，惟「吾王自取」之言不書，史官諱之也。）〉
In the eighteenth year the various circuits urged Zhuangzong to take the throne, and he was about to claim the imperial title. Chengye held that the Prince of Jin's house had served the state with merit across three generations and that his forebears, angered by the Zhu family's usurpation, meant to restore the old realm. With the enemy not yet subdued, one ought not lightly accept elevation. Though he was ill, he was carried in a litter to the palace at Ye, where he saw Zhuangzong and said, "Your Highness and your father have fought in blood for more than thirty years — all to avenge the state's enemy and restore the Tang imperial altar. The chief culprit is not yet destroyed and the people's taxes are already exhausted, yet you would hastily assume the great title and squander resources. Your servant holds this inadvisable — first point. Your servant has served the palace since the Xiantong era and has seen every grand state investiture — regalia, ritual objects, and the myriad duties of the hundred offices, drafted over years — and even then flaws remain. If Your Highness transforms a household into a state and newly establishes ancestral temples and courts, you must not depart from established codes. To establish rites and compose music — no suitable person has yet appeared. Your servant holds this inadvisable — second point. Undertake affairs according to what your strength allows; do not trust in idle talk." (The 《Examination of Discrepancies in the Zizhi Tongjian》 cites Qin Zaisi's 《Records of Strange Events in Luoyang》: Chengye remonstrated with the emperor, saying, "Why does Your Highness not wait until the Liang rebels are destroyed and Wu and Shu are pacified, so that the realm becomes one family? First find a descendant of the Tang house and install him, then later yield the realm to the man of merit — who would dare take it! Yield for one month and it holds firm for one month; yield for one year and it holds firm for one year. Even if Gaozu were reborn and Taizong reappeared, what could they do! If Your Highness now proclaims yourself sovereign in a single stroke, you will at once lose the righteous purpose that has guided these campaigns, and men's hearts will slacken. I am an old eunuch — I care nothing for Your Highness's offices and riches. I speak only because I bore the late king's heavy charge and wish to lay a foundation that will endure ten thousand years.")〉 Zhuangzong said, "What am I to do about the generals?" Chengye knew Zhuangzong would not follow his advice and spoke while weeping aloud. On the second day of the eleventh month of the nineteenth year he died of illness at his residence in Jinyang, aged seventy-seven. Empress Dowager Zhenjian, hearing of his death, hurried to his residence to mourn fully, donned mourning garments, and observed the rites as a son or nephew would. At the beginning of Tongguang he was posthumously granted General-in-Chief of the Left Martial Guard and given the posthumous name Zhenxian. From the 《Lost Writings on the History of the Five Dynasties》: When Zhuangzong was about to take the throne at Weizhou, Chengye came from Taiyuan and said to Zhuangzong, "Our princely house has served the Tang with utmost loyalty and filial piety. Since the Zhenguan era, whenever the royal house faced crisis, we have never failed to respond. That is why this old slave for more than thirty years has gathered revenue and recruited troops and horses for our prince — swearing to destroy the rebel Zhu Wen and restore our dynasty's imperial altar. Now the Hebei region has just been pacified and the Zhu clan still survives — can our prince hastily assume the throne?" And so on. Zhuangzong said, "What of the generals' wishes!" Chengye knew he could not dissuade him and wailed, "The feudal lords fought in blood for the Li family — now our prince takes it for himself. You have misled this old slave!" He returned to Taiyuan and died by fasting. Your servant respectfully notes: The 《Veritable Records of Zhuangzong》 narrates Chengye's remonstrance against enthronement in great detail but does not record the words "our prince takes it for himself" — the historiographers suppressed it.)〉
8
張居翰，字德卿。 咸通初，掖庭令張從玫養之為子，以蔭入仕。 中和三年，自容管監軍判官入為學士院判官，遷樞密承旨、內府令，賜緋。 昭宗在華下，超授內常侍，出監幽州軍事，秩滿詔歸，節度使劉仁恭表留之。 天復中，詔誅宦官，仁恭紿奏殺之，匿於大安山之北溪。 天祐三年，汴人攻滄州，仁恭求援於武皇，乃遣居翰與書記馬鬱等率兵助武皇同攻潞州，武皇因留之不遣。 李嗣昭節制昭義，以居翰監其軍，以燕軍三千為部下。 俄而汴將李思安築夾城以圍潞州，居翰與嗣昭登城保守，以至解圍。 自是嗣昭每出征，令居翰知留後事。 同光元年夏四月，召為樞密使，加特進，與郭崇韜對掌機務。 十月，莊宗將渡河，留居翰與李紹宏同守魏州。 莊宗入汴，加驃騎大將軍，知內侍省事，依前充樞密使。 同光時，宦官幹政，邦家之務皆出於郭崇韜。 居翰自以羈旅乘時，擢居重地，每於宣授，不敢有所是非，承顏免過而已，以此脫季年之禍。 四年三月，偽蜀王衍既降，詔遷其族於洛陽。 行及秦川，時關東已亂，莊宗慮衍為變，遣中官向延嗣馳騎齎詔殺之。 詔云：「王衍一行，並宜殺戮。」 其詔已經印畫，時居翰在密地，覆視其詔，即就殿柱揩云「行」字，改書「家」字。 及衍就戮於秦川驛，止族其近屬而已，其偽官及從行者尚千餘人，皆免其枉濫，居翰之力也。 明宗入洛，居翰謁見於至德宮，待罪雪涕，乞歸田里，詔許之，乃辭歸長安。 仍以其子延貴為西京職事，以供侍養。 天成三年四月，以疾卒於長安，時年七十一。 居翰性和而靜，諳悉舊事。 在潞州累年，每春課人育蔬種樹，敦本惠農，有仁者之心焉。
Zhang Juhan, styled Deqing. At the beginning of the Xiantong era, the palace ward director Zhang Congmei raised him as a son, and he entered office by inherited privilege. In the third year of Zhonghe, from adjutant to the army supervisor of Rongguan he entered service as Hanlin Academy adjutant, was promoted to Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and Director of the Inner Palace, and was granted scarlet robes. While Emperor Zhaozong was at Hua, Juhan was promoted out of turn to palace attendant and sent to supervise military affairs at Youzhou. When his term expired an edict ordered his return, but military commissioner Liu Rengong memorialized to retain him. During the Tianfu era, an edict ordered the execution of eunuchs. Rengong falsely reported that he had killed Juhan and hid him in a northern stream valley of Mount Da'an. In the third year of Tianyou, when the Bian army attacked Cangzhou, Rengong sought aid from Emperor Wu and sent Juhan with secretary Ma Yu and others to lead troops to help Emperor Wu jointly attack Luzhou. Emperor Wu then retained Juhan and would not send him back. Li Siyao commanded Zhaoyi Circuit and made Juhan supervisor of his army, with three thousand Yan troops under his command. Before long the Bian general Li Si'an built Jiachcheng to besiege Luzhou. Juhan and Siyao mounted the walls to hold firm until the siege was lifted. From then on, whenever Siyao marched out, he left Juhan in charge of rear affairs. In the fourth month of summer in the first year of Tongguang he was summoned as Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, granted Special Advancement, and shared control of state affairs with Guo Chongtao. In the tenth month, as Zhuangzong prepared to cross the river, he left Juhan and Li Shaohong to hold Weizhou together. When Zhuangzong entered Bian, Juhan was promoted to Grand General of Agile Cavalry, made Director of Palace Affairs, and continued as Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. During the Tongguang era, eunuchs meddled in government, but state affairs all issued from Guo Chongtao. Juhan saw himself as an outsider who had seized the moment to rise to high office. At every appointment he dared express no opinion, merely deferring to the ruler's mood to avoid blame — and by this escaped disaster in his later years. In the third month of the fourth year, after the Shu ruler Wang Yan had surrendered, an edict ordered his clan relocated to Luoyang. When they reached Qinchuan, the region east of the pass was already in turmoil. Zhuangzong feared Yan might stir up trouble and sent the palace eunuch Xiang Yansi galloping with an edict to kill him. The edict read, "Wang Yan's entire party should be put to death." The edict had already been sealed and signed. Juhan was in a private room; he looked the edict over again, went to a hall pillar, erased the character for "party," and changed it to the character for "family." When Yan was executed at the Qinchuan post station, only his close kin were killed. More than a thousand former Shu officials and attendants who accompanied him were all spared from wrongful slaughter — this was Juhan's doing. When Mingzong entered Luoyang, Juhan had an audience at the Zhide Palace, confessed his faults in tears, and begged to return home. An edict granted this, and he took leave to return to Chang'an. His son Yangui was also given a post in the Western Capital to support and care for him. In the fourth month of the third year of Tiancheng he died of illness at Chang'an, aged seventy-one. Juhan was gentle and quiet by nature and well versed in old precedents. During his many years at Luzhou, every spring he set people to raising vegetables and planting trees, encouraging agriculture and benefiting farmers — he had the heart of a benevolent man.
9
馬紹宏，閹官也。 初與孟知祥同為中門使，及周德威薨，莊宗兼領幽州，令紹宏權知州事。 即位之初，郭崇韜勳望高，舊在紹宏之下，時征潞州監軍張居翰與崇韜並為樞密使，紹宏失望，乃以為宣徽使。 紹宏以己合當樞密任，常鬱鬱側目於崇韜。 崇韜知其慊也，乃置內勾之目，令天下錢穀薄書，悉委裁遣。 既而州郡供報，輒滋煩費，議者以為十羊九牧，深所不可，內勾之目，人以為是妖言。 〈（案：下有闕文。 據《通鑒》，李嗣源為謠言所屬，危殆者數四，賴宣徽使李紹宏左右營護，以是得全。 天成元年二月己丑朔，以宣徽南院使李紹宏為樞密使。）〉
Ma Shaohong was a eunuch. At first he and Meng Zhixiang served together as Commissioners of the Central Gate. When Zhou Dewei died, Zhuangzong also took command of Youzhou and ordered Shaohong to act as prefect. At the beginning of his reign Guo Chongtao's merit and prestige were high, though he had formerly ranked below Shaohong. Zhang Juhan, army supervisor of Luzhou, was summoned and made Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs together with Chongtao. Shaohong was disappointed and was instead made Commissioner of the Palace Secretariat. Shaohong believed he ought to have held the Bureau of Military Affairs post and constantly glowered sidelong at Chongtao. Chongtao knew he was discontented and therefore created the post of Inner Auditor, putting all revenue and grain account books throughout the realm under Shaohong's review and disposition. Before long reports from prefectures and districts multiplied into vexatious expense. Critics said it was like ten sheep with nine shepherds — deeply unacceptable — and people regarded the Inner Auditor post as an absurd invention. (Note: There is lacuna below. According to the 《Zizhi Tongjian》, Li Siyuan was targeted by slander and was several times in mortal danger; he survived only because Palace Secretariat Commissioner Li Shaohong protected him on every side. On the first day of the second month, jichou, of the first year of Tiancheng, Li Shaohong, Commissioner of the Southern Court of the Palace Secretariat, was made Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs.)〉
10
孟漢瓊，本鎮州王鎔之小豎也。 明宗鎮常山，得侍左右。 明宗即位，自諸司使累遷宣徽南院使。 漢瓊性通黠，善交構。 初見秦王權重，及挾王淑妃勢，傾心事之； 及朱、馮用事，又與之締結。 秦王領兵至天津橋，時漢瓊與朱、馮及康義誠方會議於內庭，謀猶未決，漢瓊獨出死力，先入殿門，奏於明宗，語在《秦王傳》。 漢瓊即自介馬以召禁軍。 秦王既誅，翌日，令漢瓊馳騎召閔帝於鄴。 〈（《通鑒》：遣漢瓊征從厚，且權知天雄軍府事。）〉 閔帝嗣位，尤恃恩寵，期月之內，累加開府儀同三司、驃騎大將軍。 西軍既叛，閔帝急召漢瓊，欲令先入於鄴，漢瓊藏匿不行。 潞王行及陝州，乃悉召諸妓妾訣別，欲手刃之，眾知其心，率皆藏竄。 初，潞王失守於河中，勒歸於清化裏第。 時王淑妃恒令漢瓊傳教旨於潞王，王善待之，故漢瓊自謂潞王於己有恩。 至是，乃單騎至澠池謁見潞王，因自慟哭，欲有所陳。 潞王曰：「諸事不言可知。」 漢瓊即自預從臣之列，尋戮於路左。
Meng Hanqiong was originally a young attendant of Wang Rong of Zhenzhou. When Mingzong governed Changshan, Hanqiong came to serve at his side. When Mingzong ascended the throne, Hanqiong rose in succession from various bureau commissioner posts to Commissioner of the Southern Court of the Palace Secretariat. Hanqiong was clever and shrewd by nature and skilled at intrigue. At first, seeing the Prince of Qin's great power and the backing of Consort Wang Shufei, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to serving him; when Zhu and Feng came to power, he allied with them as well. When the Prince of Qin led troops to the Tianjin Bridge, Hanqiong was meeting with Zhu, Feng, and Kang Yicheng in the inner court; the plot was still undecided. Hanqiong alone exerted himself to the utmost, entered the palace gate first, and reported to Mingzong — the account is in the 《Biography of the Prince of Qin》. Hanqiong then mounted a horse himself to summon the palace guard. After the Prince of Qin was executed, the next day Hanqiong was ordered to ride post-haste to Ye to summon Emperor Min. (The 《Zizhi Tongjian》: Hanqiong was dispatched to campaign against Conghou and was also made acting administrator of the Tianxiong military governorship.)〉 When Emperor Min succeeded to the throne, Hanqiong relied especially on imperial favor. Within a single month he was repeatedly promoted to Grand Preceptor with ceremonials equal to the Three Dukes and Grand General of Agile Cavalry. When the western army rebelled, Emperor Min urgently summoned Hanqiong, wishing to send him ahead into Ye first, but Hanqiong hid himself and would not go. When the Prince of Lu reached Shanzhou, he summoned all his courtesans and concubines to bid farewell, intending to kill them with his own hand. Everyone knew his intent and mostly hid themselves away. Earlier, when the Prince of Lu lost his post at Hezhong, he was compelled to return to his residence in Qinghua Lane. At that time Consort Wang Shufei constantly had Hanqiong convey imperial instructions to the Prince of Lu, and the prince treated him well. Hanqiong therefore considered that the Prince of Lu owed him a debt of gratitude. At this point he rode alone to Mianchi to have an audience with the Prince of Lu, whereupon he wept bitterly, wishing to say something. The Prince of Lu said, "Of all matters, none need be spoken to be understood." Hanqiong then placed himself among the followers in advance, and soon afterward was executed by the roadside.
11
史臣曰：承業感武皇之大惠，佐莊宗之中興，既義且忠，何以階也。 夫如是，則晉之勃貂，秦之景監，去之遠矣。 居翰改一字於詔書，救千人之濫死，可不謂之仁人矣乎！ 如紹宏之爭權，漢瓊之構禍，乃宦者之常態也，又何足以道哉！
The historiographer says: Chengye, grateful for Emperor Wu's great kindness, assisted Zhuangzong's restoration — righteous and loyal. To what rank could such a man be compared? If so, then Bo Diao of Jin and Jing Jian of Qin stand far removed from him. Juhan changed one character in an edict and saved a thousand people from wrongful death — can he not be called a man of benevolence! As for Shaohong's struggle for power and Hanqiong's sowing of disaster — these are the usual ways of eunuchs. What is there worth mentioning!