Volume 25: Zhou She; Xu Mian

梁書卷第二十五列傳第十九

Book of Liang, Volume 25, Biographies, Number 19

周捨徐勉

Zhou She and Xu Mian

周捨字昇逸，汝南安城人，晉左光祿大夫顗之八世孫也。父顒，齊中書侍郎，有名於時。捨幼聰潁，顒異之，臨卒謂曰：「汝不患不富貴，但當持之以道德。」旣長，博學多通，尤精義理，善誦書，背文諷說，音韻清辯。

Zhou She, whose courtesy name was Shengyi, came from Ancheng in Runan and was the eighth-generation descendant of Yan, who had served Jin as Left Director of the Imperial Secretariat. His father Yan had been a Secretariat Attendant under Qi and was well known in his day. As a boy, She was quick and clever, and Yan saw something extraordinary in him. On his deathbed Yan told him, "You need not fear that you will lack wealth and rank, but you must hold yourself to moral principle." Once he had grown up, he was widely learned and accomplished in many subjects, especially the principles of moral reasoning. He excelled at recitation, could declaim texts from memory, and spoke with a clear voice and polished eloquence.

起家齊太學博士，遷後軍行參軍。建武中，魏人吳包南歸，有儒學，尚書僕射江祏招包講。捨造坐，累折包，辭理遒逸，由是名爲口辯。王亮爲丹陽尹，聞而悅之，辟爲主簿，政事多委焉。遷太常丞。

He entered office as an Erudite of the Qi Imperial Academy and was later appointed Aide to the Rear General. During the Jianwu reign, Wu Bao, a scholar from Wei who had come south, was invited by Vice Director Jiang Shi to give lectures on the classics. She took a seat in the audience and repeatedly bested Bao in debate. His arguments were forceful and elegant, and from that time he was famed for his eloquence. When Wang Liang became Intendant of Danyang, he was delighted to hear of She and recruited him as chief clerk, delegating much of the administration to him. He was later promoted to Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

梁臺建，爲奉常丞。高祖卽位，博求異能之士。吏部尚書范雲與顒素善，重捨才器，言之於高祖，召拜尚書祠部郎。時天下草創，禮儀損益，多自捨出。尋爲後軍記室參軍、秣陵令。入爲中書通事舍人，累遷太子洗馬，散騎常侍，中書侍郎，鴻臚卿。時王亮得罪歸家，故人莫有至者，捨獨敦恩舊，及卒，身營殯葬，時人稱之。遷尚書吏部郎，太子右衛率，右衛將軍，雖居職屢徙，而常留省內，罕得休下。國史詔誥，儀體法律，軍旅謀謨，皆兼掌之。日夜侍上，預機密，二十餘年未嘗離左右。捨素辯給，與人泛論談謔，終日不絕口，而竟無一言漏泄機事，衆尤嘆服之。性儉素，衣服器用，居處床席，如布衣之貧者。每入官府，雖廣廈華堂，閨閤重邃，捨居之則塵埃滿積。以荻爲鄣，壞亦不營。爲右衛，母憂去職，起爲明威將軍、右驍騎將軍。服闋，除侍中，領步兵校尉，未拜，仍遷員外散騎常侍、太子左衛率。頃之，加散騎常侍、本州大中正，遷太子詹事。

When the Liang regime was first set up, he was appointed Vice Director of Court Ceremonial. After the High Ancestor acceded, he cast a wide net for men of exceptional talent. Fan Yun, Minister of Personnel, had long been close to Yan and admired She's ability. He recommended him to the High Ancestor, who summoned She and appointed him Gentleman of the Sacrifices Section in the Secretariat. The empire was still being founded, and most revisions to ritual and ceremonial practice came from She. He was soon made Recorder on the staff of the Rear General and Magistrate of Moling. He entered central government as an Attendant-in-Ordinary for General Affairs in the Secretariat and rose through the ranks to Groom of the Heir Apparent, Regular Attendant, Secretariat Attendant, and Director of the Court for Dependencies. When Wang Liang fell from favor and retired home, none of his old friends would visit him, but She alone remained loyal to their past friendship. When Wang died, She personally arranged the funeral, and people praised him for it. He was promoted to Gentleman of the Ministry of Personnel, Right Commandant of the Heir Apparent's Guard, and General of the Right Guard. Though his titles changed often, he remained at court and seldom had a day off. He held simultaneous responsibility for the national history, imperial edicts and proclamations, ritual protocol and law, and military planning. Day and night he attended the emperor and shared in state secrets; for more than twenty years he was never far from his side. She was naturally quick-witted and loved to debate and banter with others, talking without pause all day long, yet he never let a single secret slip. People admired him all the more for it. He lived plainly by nature: his clothes, furnishings, room, bed, and bedding were no better than a poor commoner's. Wherever he lodged in government offices, however grand the halls and chambers, his rooms were left thick with dust. He used reed mats for partitions and did not bother to replace them when they wore out. While he was General of the Right Guard, he left office to observe mourning for his mother. When the mourning period ended, he was reappointed General of Illustrious Might and General of the Right Swift Cavalry. After mourning he was named Palace Attendant and concurrent Colonel of the Footsoldiers, but before he could assume those posts he was transferred to Extraordinary Regular Attendant and Left Commandant of the Heir Apparent's Guard. Soon afterward he was given the additional titles of Regular Attendant and Chief Rectifier of his home province, and was promoted to Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent.

普通五年，南津獲武陵太守白渦書，許遺捨面錢百萬，津司以聞。雖書自外入，猶爲有司所奏，捨坐免。遷右驍騎將軍，知太子詹事。以其年卒，時年五十六。上臨哭，哀慟左右。詔曰：「太子詹事、豫州大中正捨，奄至殞喪，惻愴于懷。其學思堅明，志行開敏，劬勞機要，多歷歲年，才用未窮，彌可嗟慟。宜隆追遠，以旌善人。可贈侍中、護軍將軍，鼓吹一部，給東園秘器，朝服一具，衣一襲，喪事隨由資給。諡曰簡子。」明年，又詔曰：「故侍中、護軍將軍簡子捨，義該玄儒，博窮文史，奉親能孝，事君盡忠，歷掌機密，清貞自居。食不重味，身靡兼衣。終亡之日，內無妻妾，外無田宅，兩兒單貧，有過古烈。往者，南司白渦之劾，恐外議謂朕有私，致此黜免，追愧若人一介之善。外可量加褒異，以旌善人。」二子：弘義，弘信。

In the fifth year of Putong, officials at South Ford seized a letter from Bai Wo, Administrator of Wuling, promising to pay She a million cash in person, and reported the matter. Even though the letter had come from outside, the authorities still impeached him, and She was dismissed from office. He was reappointed General of the Right Swift Cavalry and served concurrently as acting Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent. He died later that year, at the age of fifty-six. The emperor came in person to mourn him, and his grief moved everyone around him. An edict read: "Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and Chief Rectifier of Yuzhou, She, has died suddenly, and my heart is full of grief. His learning was solid and his mind clear, his character open and his conduct sharp. He labored at the heart of government for many years, and his talents were far from spent—how deeply this grieves me. Let us honor the dead and thereby commend a man of virtue. Let him be posthumously granted Palace Attendant and General Who Protects the Army, with one band of ceremonial music, the secret funerary vessels from the Eastern Garden, one set of court robes, one suit of clothing, and whatever funds the funeral requires. His posthumous title was Jianzi, "the Plain." The following year another edict read: "The late Palace Attendant and General Who Protects the Army, Jianzi She, embodied the deepest Confucian learning and mastered literature and history. He was filial to his parents and wholly loyal to his sovereign. He held confidential posts for years and lived in unstained integrity. He never ate two dishes of the same kind at one meal, and never wore more than one layer of clothing at a time. When he died he had no wife or concubine at home and no fields or house abroad. His two sons were left alone in poverty—a austerity that surpassed the stern worthies of old. When the southern office impeached him over Bai Wo, I feared people would think I acted from private motives and allowed his dismissal. Looking back, I regret having lost even one man's small measure of goodness. Let additional honors be granted as befits the case, to commend a man of virtue." He had two sons: Hongyi and Hongxin.

徐勉字脩仁，東海郯人也。祖長宗，宋高祖霸府行參軍。父融，南昌相。

Xu Mian, whose courtesy name was Xiuren, came from Tan in Donghai. His grandfather Changzong had served the Song founder as Aide on the staff of his headquarters. His father Rong had been Chancellor of Nanchang.

勉幼孤貧，早勵清節。年六歲，時屬霖雨，家人祈霽，率爾爲文，見稱耆宿。及長，篤志好學。起家國子生。太尉文憲公王儉時爲祭酒，每稱勉有宰輔之量。射策舉高第，補西陽王國侍郎。尋遷太學博士，鎮軍參軍，尚書殿中郎，以公事免。又除中兵郎、領軍長史。琅邪王元長才名甚盛，嘗欲與勉相識，每託人召之。勉謂人曰：「王郎名高望促，難可輕醿衣裾。」俄而元長及禍，時人莫不服其機鑒。

Mian lost his father young and grew up poor, but from an early age he cultivated a life of integrity. At the age of six, during a long spell of rain, his family prayed for clear weather. He spontaneously composed a piece of writing and was praised by the elders. As he grew older, he devoted himself wholeheartedly to study. He entered official life as a student of the Imperial University. Wang Jian, Duke Wenxian and Grand Marshal, was then Libationer of the university and often said that Mian had the makings of a chief minister. He placed at the top of the archery-and-policy examination and was appointed Attendant to the Prince of Xiyang. He was soon promoted to Erudite of the Imperial Academy, Staff Member of the Suppressing Army, and Gentleman of the Palace in the Secretariat, but was later dismissed over an official matter. He was later appointed Central Troops Officer and Chief Clerk on the staff of the Army Guard. Wang Yuanchang, Prince of Langye, was then at the height of his fame, and he repeatedly tried to arrange a meeting with Mian through intermediaries. Mian told an acquaintance, "Master Wang's fame is high but his prospects are short-lived. One should not lightly trail in his wake." Before long Yuanchang met with disaster, and everyone marveled at Mian's foresight.

初與長沙宣武王游，高祖深器賞之。及義兵至京邑，勉於新林謁見，高祖甚加恩禮，使管書記。高祖踐阼，拜中書侍郎，遷建威將軍、後軍諮議參軍、本邑中正、尚書左丞。自掌樞憲，多所糾舉，時論以爲稱職。

Early on he became close to Xiao Yi, King of Changsha and King Xuanwu, and the High Ancestor came to think highly of him. When the righteous army reached the capital, Mian presented himself at Xinlin. The High Ancestor treated him with special favor and put him in charge of records and correspondence. When the High Ancestor took the throne, Mian was appointed Secretariat Attendant and soon promoted to General Who Establishes Might, Adviser to the Rear General, Rectifier of his home district, and Left Assistant Director of the Secretariat. Once he held authority over legal discipline, he brought many cases to account, and public opinion held that he was thoroughly fit for the post.

天監二年，除給事黃門侍郎、尚書吏部郎，參掌大選。遷侍中。時王師北伐，候驛填委。勉參掌軍書，劬勞夙夜，動經數旬，乃一還宅。每還，羣犬驚吠。勉歎曰：「吾憂國忘家，乃至於此。若吾亡後，亦是傳中一事。」六年，除給事中、五兵尚書，遷吏部尚書。勉居選官，彝倫有序，旣閑尺牘，兼善辭令，雖文案填積，坐客充滿，應對如流，手不停筆。又該綜百氏，皆爲避諱。常及閘入夜集，客有虞皓求詹事五官，勉正色答云：「今夕止可談風月，不宜及公事。」故時人咸服其無私。

In the second year of Tianjian he was appointed Supervising Attendant and Gentleman of the Ministry of Personnel, sharing responsibility for major appointments. He was promoted to Palace Attendant. At that time the imperial army was campaigning in the north, and courier stations were buried under dispatches. Mian shared responsibility for military correspondence and labored day and night. Weeks would pass before he returned home even once. Whenever he did return, the household dogs barked in alarm at the stranger. Mian sighed and said, "I have worried for the state until I have forgotten my own home—even to this point. When I am gone, this too will be a story worth telling." In the sixth year he was appointed Supervising Attendant and Minister of the Five Armies, and was then promoted to Minister of Personnel. As head of personnel appointments, Mian kept the hierarchy in good order. He was adept at paperwork and equally skilled at formal speech. Though documents piled up and his hall was always full of visitors, he answered with effortless fluency while his brush never stopped moving. He had also mastered the writings of the hundred schools of thought and could draw on them all to avoid forbidden names. He often entertained guests late into the night after the gates had closed. Once a guest named Yu Hao asked him about an appointment as one of the Five Officials under the Grand Tutor. Mian answered sternly, "Tonight we may speak only of poetry and the moon. Official business is out of place." People admired him all the more for his impartiality.

除散騎常侍，領遊擊將軍，未拜，改領太子右衛率。遷左衛將軍，領太子中庶子，侍東宮。昭明太子尚幼，敕知宮事。太子禮之甚重，每事詢謀。嘗於殿內講《孝經》，臨川靖惠王、尚書令沈約備二傅，勉與國子祭酒張充爲執經，王瑩、張稷、柳憕、王暕爲侍講。時選極親賢，妙盡時譽，勉陳讓數四。又與沈約書，求換侍講，詔不許，然後就焉。轉太子詹事，領雲騎將軍，尋加散騎常侍，遷尚書右僕射，詹事如故。又改授侍中，頻表解宮職，優詔不許。

He was appointed Regular Attendant and concurrent General of Roaming Attack, but before he could assume the post he was reassigned as Right Commandant of the Heir Apparent's Guard. He was promoted to General of the Left Guard and concurrent Chief Steward of the Heir Apparent, serving in the Eastern Palace. The Zhaoming Heir Apparent was still young, and Mian was ordered to manage palace affairs on his behalf. The Heir Apparent treated him with great respect and consulted him on every matter. Once, in the palace hall, he lectured on the "Classic of Filial Piety." The King of Linchuan, King Jinghui, and Director of the Secretariat Shen Yue served as the two tutors; Mian and Libationer Zhang Chong held the text; Wang Ying, Zhang Ji, Liu Cong, and Wang Yan served as lecturing attendants. The men chosen were the most eminent kinsmen and worthies of the day, and Mian declined the honor four times. He also wrote to Shen Yue asking to take the lesser role of lecturing attendant instead, but the emperor refused, and only then did he accept the appointment. He was made Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and concurrent General of Cloud Cavalry, soon given the additional title of Regular Attendant, and promoted to Right Vice Director of the Secretariat while retaining his post as Grand Tutor. He was later appointed Palace Attendant and repeatedly petitioned to resign, but the emperor's gracious edicts refused each request.

時人間喪事，多不遵禮，朝終夕殯，相尚以速。勉上疏曰：「《禮記問喪》云：『三日而後斂者，以俟其生也。三日而不生，亦不生矣。』自頃以來，不遵斯制。送終之禮，殯以期日，潤屋豪家，乃或半晷，衣衾棺槨，以速爲榮，親戚徒隸，各念休反。故屬纊才畢，灰釘已具，忘狐鼠之顧步，愧燕雀之徊翔。傷情滅理，莫此爲大。且人子承衾之時，志懣心絕，喪事所資，悉關他手，愛憎深淺，事實難原。如覘視或爽，存沒違濫，使萬有其一，怨酷已多。豈若緩其告斂之晨，申其望生之冀。請自今士庶，宜悉依古，三日大斂。如有不奉，加以糾繩。」詔可其奏。

At that time many people ignored proper funeral rites, encoffining the dead the same evening they died and competing to see who could bury fastest. Mian submitted a memorial saying: "In the Record of Rites, 'Questions on Mourning,' it says: 'To encoffin only after three days is to wait in case the person may yet live. If after three days he has not revived, he will not revive. In recent times this rule has been ignored. Funerals are now scheduled for a fixed day, and in wealthy households the encoffining sometimes takes only half a day. Fine shrouds and coffins are prized for how quickly they can be finished. Relatives, servants, and retainers all think only of getting back to their rest. As soon as the final breath is taken, the lime and nails are already ready. They forget how even foxes and rats pause over the dead, and they would be shamed by the swallows and sparrows that hover and hesitate. Nothing does more violence to human feeling and moral principle than this. Moreover, when a son receives the death shroud, his heart is broken with grief. Everything needed for the funeral is handled by others, and it is hard to know whether their actions spring from love or from indifference. If the watching of the body is neglected or the rites for the living and the dead are confused, even if only one case in ten thousand goes wrong, the grief and injustice will be great. How much better to delay the morning of encoffinement and preserve the hope that life may yet return? I ask that from now on gentlemen and commoners alike follow the ancient practice and wait three days before encoffining the body. Those who fail to comply should be subject to investigation and punishment." The emperor approved his memorial.

尋授宣惠將軍，置佐史，侍中、僕射如故。又除尚書僕射、中衛將軍。勉以舊恩，越升重位，盡心奉上，知無不爲。爰自小選，迄於此職，常參掌衡石，甚得士心。禁省中事，未嘗漏泄。每有表奏，輒焚藳草。博通經史，多識前載。朝儀國典，婚冠吉凶，勉皆預圖議。普通六年，上修五禮表曰：

He was soon appointed General Who Proclaims Favor with a full staff, while retaining his posts as Palace Attendant and Vice Director. He was later appointed Vice Director of the Secretariat and General of the Central Guard. Because of his long service, Mian was promoted beyond the usual measure to high office. He devoted himself wholly to the throne and left nothing undone. From his early work in personnel selection to this highest post, he had long held the scales of appointment, and he won the deep respect of the scholarly class. He never disclosed a single matter from within the palace offices. Whenever he drafted a memorial, he burned the working copy afterward. He was deeply learned in the classics and histories and knew a great deal of earlier historical writing. Mian took part in drafting and deliberating on court ritual, state institutions, marriage and capping ceremonies, and rites of mourning and celebration. In the sixth year of the Putong era, Mian submitted a memorial on the revision of the Five Rites, which read:

臣聞「立天之道，曰陰與陽；立人之道，曰仁與義。」故稱「導之以德，齊之以禮」。夫禮所以安上治民，弘風訓俗，經國家，利後嗣者也。唐虞三代，咸必由之。在乎有周，憲章尤備，因殷革夏，損益可知。雖復經禮三百，曲禮三千，經文三百，威儀三千，其大歸有五，卽宗伯所掌典禮：吉爲上，凶次之，賓次之，軍次之，嘉爲下也。故祠祭不以禮，則不齊不莊；喪紀不以禮，則背死忘生者衆；賓客不以禮，則朝覲失其儀；軍旅不以禮，則致亂于師律；冠婚不以禮，則男女失其時。爲國修身，於斯攸急。

Your subject has heard it said: "To establish the Way of Heaven is to set forth yin and yang; and to establish the Way of Humanity is to set forth benevolence and righteousness." Hence the saying: "Lead the people with virtue, and harmonize them with ritual." Ritual is what steadies those above, governs the people, shapes custom, educates society, sustains the state, and brings benefit to future generations. The eras of Tang and Yu and the Three Dynasties all relied upon it without exception. Under the Zhou, the constitutional order was especially complete; inheriting from Yin and reforming Xia, its additions and revisions can still be traced. Though tradition speaks of three hundred canonical rites, three thousand detailed rites, three hundred canonical passages, and three thousand rules of deportment, the great divisions are five — the ritual canon overseen by the Minister of Rites: auspicious rites first, inauspicious rites second, guest rites third, military rites fourth, and celebratory rites last. If sacrifice is not performed according to ritual, worship becomes disorderly and undignified; if mourning is not governed by ritual, many will abandon the dead and neglect the living; if the reception of guests is not regulated by ritual, audiences at court lose their proper order; if armies are not governed by ritual, military discipline falls into chaos; if capping and marriage are not conducted according to ritual, men and women miss the proper seasons of life. For ordering the state and cultivating the self, nothing is more urgent than this.

洎周室大壞，王道旣衰，官守斯文，日失其序。禮樂征伐，出自諸侯，《小雅》盡廢，舊章缺矣。是以韓宣適魯，知周公之德；叔侯在晉，辨郊勞之儀。戰國從橫，政教愈泯；暴秦滅學，掃地無餘。漢氏鬱興，日不暇給，猶命叔孫于外野，方知帝王之爲貴。末葉紛綸，遞有興毀，或以武功銳志，或好黃老之言，禮義之式，於焉中止。及東京曹褒，南宮制述，集其散略，百有餘篇，雖寫以尺簡，而終闕平奏。其後兵革相尋，異端互起，章句旣淪，俎豆斯輟。方領矩步之容，事滅於旌鼓；蘭臺石室之文，用盡於帷蓋。至乎晉初，爰定新禮，荀顗制之於前，摯虞刪之於末。旣而中原喪亂，罕有所遺；江左草創，因循而已。𨤸革之風，是則未暇。

When the Zhou house collapsed and the royal way declined, the officials charged with preserving these traditions lost their proper order day by day. Ritual, music, war, and punishment passed from the throne to the feudal lords; the "Lesser Odes of the Kingdom" fell wholly into disuse, and the old regulations were lost. Thus when Han Xuan of Jin visited Lu, he came to understand the virtue of the Duke of Zhou; and Shu Hou, serving in Jin, was able to explain the rites of suburban welcome. In the Warring States period of shifting alliances, government and moral instruction sank ever deeper into obscurity; Then tyrannical Qin suppressed learning and swept the ground bare, leaving nothing behind. When the Han rose in splendor, its affairs were so pressing that each day left no spare moment; yet the court still had to summon Shusun Tong from the wilderness to devise rites, and only then did men understand how precious imperial dignity truly was. In the later generations of Han, affairs grew ever more tangled, with one dynasty rising as another fell; some rulers pursued military glory with single-minded zeal, others favored the teachings of Huang-Lao — and the forms of ritual and righteousness came to a halt. At the Eastern Capital, Cao Bao compiled ritual texts at the Southern Palace, gathering scattered materials into more than a hundred chapters; though copied onto bamboo slips, the work was never brought to completion and formally submitted. After that, war followed upon war, heterodox teachings multiplied, classical commentaries sank into oblivion, and sacrificial vessels fell silent. The dignified bearing of square collars and measured steps vanished in the clash of banners and drums; and the texts preserved in the Orchid Terrace and Stone Chamber were consumed to make tent covers. At the beginning of Jin, a new ritual code was established: Xun Yi drafted it at the outset, and Zhi Yu revised it at the end. But when the Central Plains were overrun by chaos, little of it survived; in the southeast the dynasty was newly founded, and men could do no more than follow old precedent. As for the spirit of reform and innovation, there was no time for it at all.

伏惟陛下睿明啓運，先天改物，撥亂惟武，經世以文。作樂在乎功成，制禮弘於業定。光啓二學，皇枝等於貴遊；辟茲五館，草萊升以好爵。爰自受命，迄于告成，盛德形容備矣，天下能事畢矣。明明穆穆，無德而稱焉。至若玄符靈貺之祥，浮溟機山之賮，固亦日書左史，副在司存，今可得而略也。是以命彼羣才，搜甘泉之法；延茲碩學，闡曲臺之儀。淄上淹中之儒，連蹤繼軌；負笈懷鈆之彥，匪旦伊夕。諒以化穆三雍，人從五典，秩宗之教，勃焉以興。

I humbly consider that Your Majesty, wise and discerning, has inaugurated a new age, transformed the realm in accord with Heaven's mandate, quelled disorder through martial power, and governed the world through culture. Music is made when merit is achieved; ritual is established in full when the great enterprise is secure. You opened two imperial academies, placing imperial clansmen on equal footing with the sons of the nobility; and established these five halls of learning, so that men from humble fields might rise to honorable office. From the moment you received the mandate until the present completion of your work, your great virtue has been fully realized, and every task the realm could undertake has been accomplished. Bright in wisdom and dignified in bearing, your virtue exceeds what any words can adequately praise. As for the auspicious signs of mystical talismans and divine blessings, and the tribute brought from distant seas and Mount Jishan — these too are recorded daily by the court scribes and preserved in the archives; they may be passed over briefly here. Therefore Your Majesty summoned many men of talent to search out the ritual precedents of Ganquan; and invited eminent scholars to expound the rites compiled at the Qutai Platform. Confucian scholars from Linzi and the Yanzhong academy came in an unbroken stream; and learned men bearing book-chests and writing tablets arrived not in a day or a night alone. Surely through the civilizing influence of the Three Yong academies, the people were brought into accord with the Five Classics, and the teachings overseen by the Minister of Rites vigorously revived.

伏尋所定五禮，起齊永明三年，太子步兵校尉伏曼容表求制一代禮樂，于時參議置新舊學士十人，止修五禮，諮稟衛將軍丹陽尹王儉，學士亦分住郡中，製作歷年，猶未克就。及文憲薨殂，遺文散逸，後又以事付國子祭酒何胤，經涉九載，猶復未畢。建武四年，胤還東山，齊明帝敕委尚書令徐孝嗣。舊事本末，隨在南第。永元中，孝嗣於此遇禍，又多零落。當時鳩斂所餘，權付尚書左丞蔡仲熊、驍騎將軍何佟之，共掌其事。時修禮局住在國子學中門外，東昏之代，頻有軍火，其所散失，又逾太半。天監元年，佟之啓審省置之宜，敕使外詳。時尚書參詳，以天地初革，庶務權輿，宜俟隆平，徐議刪撰。欲且省禮局，並還尚書儀曹。詔旨云：「禮壞樂缺，故國異家殊，實宜以時修定，以爲永准。但頃之修撰，以情取人，不以學進；其掌知者，以貴總一，不以稽古，所以歷年不就，有名無實。此旣經國所先，外可議其人，人定，便卽撰次。」於是尚書僕射沈約等參議，請五禮各置舊學士一人，人各自舉學士二人，相助抄撰。其中有疑者，依前漢石渠、後漢白虎，隨源以聞，請旨斷決。乃以舊學士右軍記室參軍明山賓掌吉禮，中軍騎兵參軍嚴植之掌凶禮，中軍田曹行參軍兼太常丞賀蒨掌賓禮，征虜記室參軍陸璉掌軍禮，右軍參軍司馬裴掌嘉禮，尚書左丞何佟之總參其事。佟之亡後，以鎮北諮議參軍伏暅代之。後又以暅代嚴植之掌凶禮。暅尋遷官，以《五經》博士繆昭掌凶禮。復以禮儀深廣，記載殘缺，宜須博論，共盡其致，更使鎮軍將軍丹陽尹沈約、太常卿張充及臣三人同參厥務。臣又奉別敕，總知其事。末又使中書侍郎周捨、庾於陵二人復豫參知。若有疑義，所掌學士當職先立議，通諮五禮舊學士及參知，各言同異，條牒啓聞，決之制旨。疑事旣多，歲時又積，制旨裁斷，其數不少。莫不網羅經誥，玉振金聲，義貫幽微，理入神契。前儒所不釋，後學所未聞。凡諸奏決，皆載篇首，具列聖旨，爲不刊之則。洪規盛範，冠絕百王；茂實英聲，方垂千載。寧孝宣之能擬，豈孝章之足云。

I humbly review the history of the Five Rites now completed: the project began in the third year of Yongming under Qi, when Fu Manrong, Infantry Commandant to the Crown Prince, submitted a memorial requesting the compilation of ritual and music for the age. At that time the court deliberated appointing ten senior and junior academicians to work exclusively on the Five Rites, reporting to Wang Jian, General of the Guard and Intendant of Danyang. The academicians were also dispersed to various commanderies. Years of work passed, yet the project remained unfinished. When Wang Jian, posthumously titled Wen Xian, died, his surviving manuscripts were scattered and lost. The task was later entrusted to He Yin, Director of the Imperial Academy; nine more years passed, and the work was still incomplete. In the fourth year of Jianwu, Yin retired to East Mountain, and Emperor Ming of Qi ordered that the project be entrusted to Xu Xiaosi, Director of the Secretariat. The original materials, with their full history, were kept at his Southern Residence. During the Yongyuan era, Xu Xiaosi met with disaster there, and much of the material was again lost. What remained from the earlier collection was provisionally entrusted to Cai Zhongxiong, Left Assistant Director of the Secretariat, and He Tongzhi, General of Valiant Cavalry, who jointly oversaw the work. The ritual revision bureau was then housed outside the middle gate of the Imperial Academy. During the reign of Emperor Hun, repeated military fires broke out, and more than half of what remained was again lost. In the first year of Tianjian, He Tongzhi submitted a memorial on whether the bureau should be retained or abolished, and an edict ordered the outer offices to deliberate the matter. The Secretariat then deliberated and concluded that, with the realm newly transformed and every branch of government still in its infancy, it would be best to wait until peace was fully established before proceeding with revision and compilation. They proposed temporarily abolishing the ritual bureau and returning its functions to the Rites Section of the Secretariat. The imperial edict read: "Ritual has fallen into ruin and music into neglect; that is why every state and every house follows different customs. The rites should indeed be revised and fixed in timely fashion, to serve as a permanent standard. But in recent compilations, men were chosen through personal favor rather than scholarly merit; those placed in charge were selected for rank rather than knowledge of antiquity. That is why years passed without completion, and the project had a name but no substance. Since this is a matter of first importance to the ordering of the state, the outer offices should nominate suitable men; once the personnel are settled, compilation should begin at once." Thereupon Shen Yue, Vice Director of the Secretariat, and others deliberated and proposed that each of the Five Rites should have one senior academician appointed, each of whom would in turn recommend two academicians to assist in copying and compiling. Where doubts arose, following the precedent of the Shiqu and Baihu conferences of Han, the matter would be reported with citations and submitted for imperial decision. Ming Shanbin, senior academician and Recorder of the Right Army Staff, was placed in charge of auspicious rites; Yan Zhizhi, Cavalry Commandant of the Central Army, of inauspicious rites; He Qian, Acting Field Commandant of the Central Army and concurrently Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, of guest rites; Lu Lian, Recorder of the General Who Conquers the Barbarians, of military rites; Sima Pei, Staff Officer of the Right Army, of celebratory rites; and He Tongzhi, Left Assistant Director of the Secretariat, was given overall supervision of the project. After He Tongzhi died, Fu Xiong, Advisory Staff Officer to the General Who Pacifies the North, replaced him. Later Fu Xiong also replaced Yan Zhizhi as overseer of inauspicious rites. Fu Xiong was soon transferred to another post, and Miao Zhao, Erudite of the "Five Classics," was placed in charge of inauspicious rites. Because ritual propriety was vast in scope and the surviving records were fragmentary, broad deliberation was needed to exhaust its full meaning. Shen Yue, General Who Pacifies the Army and Intendant of Danyang; Zhang Chong, Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; and your subject — the three of us — were further appointed jointly to oversee the work. Your subject also received a separate edict placing me in overall charge of the project. Finally Zhou She, Gentleman Attendant of the Palace Secretariat, and Yuan Yuling were also appointed to take part in deliberation. When a doubtful point arose, the academician responsible would first draft a proposal, consult the senior academicians of the Five Rites and the other participants, record each man's agreement or dissent, submit the matter in memorial, and await the emperor's decision. The doubtful points were many, and the years accumulated; the number of imperial decisions handed down was considerable. Every decision drew upon the canonical texts with the resonance of jade and gold; meaning reached into the subtlest depths, and principle attained a harmony that seemed almost divine. Points that earlier scholars had left unresolved were settled here; matters that later students had never heard explained were made clear. Every decision submitted and approved was recorded at the head of the relevant section, with the imperial intent fully set forth, to serve as an immutable standard. These grand regulations and magnificent models surpass those of all the kings of old; their substance is rich and their renown splendid, and they will be handed down for a thousand years. Even Emperor Xuan of Han could scarcely be compared with this achievement — to say nothing of Emperor Zhang.

五禮之職，事有繁簡，及其列畢，不得同時。《嘉禮儀注》以天監六年五月七日上尚書，合十有二秩，一百一十六卷，五百三十六條；《賓禮儀注》以天監六年五月二十日上尚書，合十有七秩，一百三十三卷，五百四十五條；《軍禮儀注》以天監九年十月二十九日上尚書，合十有八秩，一百八十九卷，二百四十條；《吉禮儀注》以天監十一年十一月十日上尚書，合二十有六秩，二百二十四卷，一千五條；《凶禮儀注》以天監十一年十一月十七日上尚書，合四十有七秩，五百一十四卷，五千六百九十三條：大凡一百二十秩，一千一百七十六卷，八千一十九條。又列副秘閣及《五經》典書各一通，繕寫校定，以普通五年二月始獲洗畢。

The work of the Five Rites varied in complexity, and the sections were completed at different times rather than all at once. The "Regulations and Commentaries on Celebratory Rites" was submitted to the Secretariat on the seventh day of the fifth month of the sixth year of Tianjian, comprising twelve sections, one hundred sixteen scrolls, and five hundred thirty-six articles; The "Regulations and Commentaries on Guest Rites" was submitted on the twentieth day of the fifth month of the same year, comprising seventeen sections, one hundred thirty-three scrolls, and five hundred forty-five articles; The "Regulations and Commentaries on Military Rites" was submitted on the twenty-ninth day of the tenth month of the ninth year of Tianjian, comprising eighteen sections, one hundred eighty-nine scrolls, and two hundred forty articles; The "Regulations and Commentaries on Auspicious Rites" was submitted on the tenth day of the eleventh month of the eleventh year of Tianjian, comprising twenty-six sections, two hundred twenty-four scrolls, and one thousand five articles; The "Regulations and Commentaries on Inauspicious Rites" was submitted on the seventeenth day of the eleventh month of the same year, comprising forty-seven sections, five hundred fourteen scrolls, and five thousand six hundred ninety-three articles — in all one hundred twenty sections, one thousand one hundred seventy-six scrolls, and eight thousand nineteen articles. Duplicate sets were also prepared for the Secret Archive and for the Keeper of the "Five Classics," one copy each. Copying and collation were completed, and fair copies were finally finished in the second month of the fifth year of Putong.

竊以撰正履禮，歷代罕就，皇明在運，厥功克成。周代三千，舉其盈數；今之八千，隨事附益。質文相變，故其數兼倍，猶如八卦之爻，因而重之，錯綜成六十四也。昔文武二王，所以綱紀周室，君臨天下，公旦修之，以致太平龍鳳之瑞。自斯厥後，甫備茲日。孔子曰：「其有繼周，雖百世可知。」豈所謂齊功比美者歟！臣以庸識，謬司其任，淹留歷稔，允當斯責；兼勒成之初，未遑表上，實由才輕務廣，思力不周，永言慚惕，無忘寤寐。自今春輿駕將親六師，搜尋軍禮，閱其條章，靡不該備。所謂郁郁文哉，煥乎洋溢，信可以懸諸日月，頒之天下者矣。愚心喜抃，彌思陳述；兼前後聯官，一時皆逝，臣雖倖存，耄已將及，慮皇世大典，遂闕騰奏，不任下情，輒具載撰修始末，并職掌人、所成卷秩、條目之數，謹拜表以聞。

I venture to observe that compiling and establishing ritual has rarely been brought to completion in any age; yet under Your Majesty's enlightened reign this great work has at last been achieved. The Zhou spoke of three thousand rites, reaching the full traditional count; today's eight thousand articles reflect additions made as circumstances required. As substance and form change with the times, the number has naturally doubled — just as the lines of the eight trigrams, when doubled and interwoven, become sixty-four. In antiquity Kings Wen and Wu used ritual to order the Zhou house and rule the realm; the Duke of Zhou refined it, bringing about the age of peace marked by the auspicious appearances of dragon and phoenix. From that age until now, only on this day has such a work been fully completed. Confucius said: "If there is one to succeed Zhou, even after a hundred generations its way may be foreknown." Is this not what is meant by matching Zhou in achievement and in splendor! Your subject, with my mediocre understanding, was undeservedly entrusted with this charge; I have lingered in the post for many years and have truly borne its weight. When the work was first completed, I had not yet submitted this memorial, truly because my ability was slight and the task vast, and my thought and strength were not equal to it. I remain ashamed and apprehensive, and the matter has never left my mind, waking or sleeping. This spring, as Your Majesty's carriage prepares to lead the armies in person, I searched through the military rites and reviewed their articles and regulations — all are comprehensive and complete. Truly it is richly cultured and brilliantly complete — a work that may be displayed beside sun and moon and promulgated throughout the realm. My humble heart rejoices at this achievement, and I am all the more moved to report it; Moreover, the officials who served before and after me have all passed away; though I alone survive, old age is already upon me. Fearing that this great canon of the imperial age might never be formally reported, and unable to suppress my earnest feeling, I have set forth in full the history of the compilation, the officials in charge, and the number of scrolls and articles completed, and respectfully submit this memorial for Your Majesty's notice.

詔曰：「經禮大備，政典載弘，今詔有司，案以行事也。」又詔曰：「勉表如此。因革允𨤸，憲章孔備，功成業定，於是乎在。可以光被八表，施諸百代，俾萬世之下，知斯文在斯。主者其按以遵行，勿有失墜。」尋加中書令，給親信二十人。勉以疾自陳，求解內任。詔不許，乃令停下省，三日一朝，有事遣主書論決。腳疾轉劇，久闕朝覲，固陳求解，詔乃賚假，須疾差還省。

An edict read: "The canonical rites are now fully complete, and the governmental canon greatly enriched. Let the responsible offices implement them in practice." Another edict read: "Mian's memorial is as stated. Reform and preservation duly balanced, statutes and patterns fully complete; the work accomplished and the enterprise settled — all is fulfilled here. It may shine across the eight directions and be handed down through a hundred generations, so that for ten thousand years to come men may know that this civilization endures here. Let the responsible officials review it and carry it out; let nothing be allowed to fall away." Soon afterward he was further appointed Director of the Secretariat and granted twenty personal attendants. Mian pleaded illness in a memorial, asking to be relieved of his duties within the palace. The edict refused; instead he was told to stay at the Secretariat without daily attendance, appearing at court every three days while routine business was referred to chief clerks for deliberation and decision. His foot ailment worsened, and after long absence from court he again pressed to resign; the emperor then granted him leave, with orders to return to office once he recovered.

勉雖居顯位，不營產業，家無蓄積，俸祿分贍親族之窮乏者。門人故舊或從容致言。勉乃答曰：「人遺子孫以財，我遺之以清白。子孫才也，則自致輜軿；如其不才，終爲他有。」嘗爲書誡其子崧曰：

Though Mian held high office, he did not build up an estate; his household kept no reserves, and he divided his salary to support impoverished kinsmen. Students and old friends would sometimes raise the matter with him in easy conversation. Mian answered: "People leave their children wealth; I leave them a name for integrity. If a man's sons have ability, they will win fine carriages for themselves; if they lack talent, whatever wealth there is will end up in others' hands." He once wrote a letter of admonition to his son Song, which read:

吾家世清廉，故常居貧素，至於產業之事，所未嘗言，非直不經營而已。薄躬遭逢，遂至今日，尊官厚祿，可謂備之。每念叨竊若斯，豈由才致，仰藉先代風範及以福慶，故臻此耳。古人所謂「以清白遺子孫，不亦厚乎！」又云：「遺子黃金滿籝，不如一經。」詳求此言，信非徒語。吾雖不敏，實有本志，庶得遵奉斯義，不敢墜失。所以顯貴以來，將三十載，門人故舊，亟薦便宜，或使創辟田園，或勸興立邸店，又欲舳艫運致，亦令貨殖聚斂。若此衆事，皆距而不納。非謂拔葵去織，且欲省息紛紜。

Our house has been honest for generations, and so we have always lived plainly. I have never so much as spoken of property — it is not simply that I have refused to manage it. My humble person, favored by circumstance, has risen to where I stand today; high rank and ample stipend — you might say I have them in full. Whenever I reflect on how unworthily I hold such eminence, I know it is not through my own merit; I owe it to the example of my forebears and to inherited good fortune — that alone has brought me here. As the ancients said, "To bequeath integrity to one's descendants — is that not the richest gift?" And again: "To leave a son gold enough to fill a basket is inferior to leaving him one classic." Consider those words closely, and you will see they are no idle sayings. I am not clever, but this has always been my aim; I mean to live by that principle and not let it slip. In the nearly thirty years since I rose to prominence, students and old friends have again and again pressed practical schemes on me — some urging me to open fields and gardens, some to set up inns and shops, others to freight goods by river, all counseling trade and accumulation. I have turned every such proposal away. This is not the purism of pulling up melons and forbidding weaving at home; I simply want to spare myself the noise and bother.

中年聊於東田間營小園者，非在播藝，以要利入，正欲穿池種樹，少寄情賞。又以郊際閑曠，終可爲宅，儻獲懸車致事，實欲歌哭於斯。慧日、十住等，旣應營婚，又須住止，吾清明門宅，無相容處。所以爾者，亦復有以；前割西邊施宣武寺，旣失西廂，不復方幅，意亦謂此逆旅舍耳，何事須華？常恨時人謂是我宅。古往今來，豪富繼踵，高門甲第，連闥洞房，宛其死矣，定是誰室？但不能不爲培塿之山，聚石移果，雜以花卉，以娛休沐，用誌性靈。隨便架立，不在廣大，惟功德處，小以爲好。所以內中逼促，無復房宇。近營東邊兒孫二宅，乃藉十住南還之資，其中所須，猶爲不少，旣牽挽不至，又不可中塗而輟，郊間之園，遂不辦保，貨與韋黯，乃獲百金，成就兩宅，已消其半。尋園價所得，何以至此？由吾經始歷年，粗已成立，桃李茂密，桐竹成陰，塍陌交通，渠畎相屬，華樓迥榭，頗有臨眺之美；孤峰叢薄，不無糾紛之興。瀆中並饒菰蔣，湖裏殊富芰蓮。雖云人外，城闕密邇，韋生欲之，亦雅有情趣。追述此事，非有吝心，蓋是筆勢所至耳。憶謝靈運《山家詩》云：「中爲天地物，今成鄙夫有。」吾此園有之二十載矣，今爲天地物，物之與我，相校幾何哉！此吾所餘，今以分汝，營小田舍，親累旣多，理亦須此。且釋氏之教，以財物謂之外命；儒典亦稱「何以聚人曰財」。況汝曹常情，安得忘此。聞汝所買姑孰田地，甚爲舄鹵，彌復何安。所以如此，非物競故也。雖事異寢丘，聊可髣髴。孔子曰：「居家理治，可移於官。」旣已營之，宜使成立。進退兩亡，更貽恥笑。若有所收穫，汝可自分贍內外大小，宜令得所，非吾所知，又復應沾之諸女耳。汝旣居長，故有此及。

In middle age I casually laid out a small garden on the eastern fields — not to farm for profit, but to dig a pond, plant trees, and find a little room for quiet delight. The suburbs are open and spacious and could serve as a home; if I should retire at seventy, I truly mean to spend my remaining days there in joy and sorrow alike. Huiri, Shizhu, and the others must marry and need places to live, yet my house at Qingming Gate has no space for them. There is reason for this as well; I earlier gave the western wing to Xuanwu Temple; without it the house is no longer a proper square. I think of it as a roadside inn — why should it be grand? I have always resented people calling it my mansion. From ancient times to now, the rich have followed one after another — great gates and mansions, halls linked to chambers. When the owner dies, whose house is it? Still, one cannot help raising a little hill, gathering stones, moving fruit trees, and planting flowers — to enjoy days of rest and give the spirit its due. Build as convenience allows; size is not the point — only where good is to be done do I prefer things modest. That is why the inner quarters are cramped and there is no spare room. Recently I built two houses to the east for my children and grandchildren, using the money Shizhu brought back from the south; even so, much was still needed. When further funds failed to arrive and the work could not be abandoned halfway, I could not keep the suburban garden and sold it to Wei An for a hundred gold pieces — enough to finish both houses, though half was already gone. You may ask how the garden fetched so high a price. Because I had worked on it for years and it was largely finished: peaches and plums in thick leaf, paulownia and bamboo in shade, field paths crossing, irrigation channels linked, elegant towers and distant pavilions with fine views; solitary peaks and brushy slopes — enough to stir the mind to verse. The ditch teemed with wild rice and rushes; the lake was rich in water chestnuts and lotus. Though it lay outside the city, the walls were near; Wei wanted it, and no wonder — it had real charm. I tell this story not from regret or stinginess, but because my pen ran on. I remember Xie Lingyun's "Mountain Dwelling Poem": "What was once Heaven and Earth's now belongs to a common man." I held this garden twenty years; now it is Heaven and Earth's again — between the place and me, how great is the difference! This is what I have left; I now give you your share to set up a small farm — with so many mouths in the family, you need it. Besides, Buddhist teaching calls wealth and goods the outer life; and the Confucian canon says, "By what do men gather? By wealth." And you are only human — how could you ignore that? I hear the land you bought at Gushu is poor and salty — how can that comfort me? I say this not from rivalry over possessions. Though this is not the same as the mound at Qufu, it may serve in some measure. Confucius said, "Good household governance can be carried into public office." Since you have begun, you should see it through. To advance and fail, or to retreat halfway — either way brings shame. If there is a harvest, divide it yourself among the household, great and small, as each deserves — the details are yours to manage; only remember the daughters who should share in it. Because you are the eldest, I write to you about this.

凡爲人長，殊復不易，當使中外諧緝，人無間言，先物後己，然後可貴。老生云：「後其身而身先。」若能爾者，更招巨利。汝當自勗，見賢思齊，不宜忽略以棄日也。非徒棄日，乃是棄身，身名美惡，豈不大哉！可不慎歟？今之所敕，略言此意。正謂爲家已來，不事資產，旣立墅舍，以乖舊業，陳其始末，無愧懷抱。兼吾年時朽暮，心力稍殫，牽課奉公，略不克舉，其中餘暇，裁可自休。或復冬日之陽，夏日之陰，良辰美景，文案間隙，負杖躡屩，逍遙陋館，臨池觀魚，披林聽鳥，濁酒一杯，彈琴一曲，求數刻之暫樂，庶居常以待終，不宜復勞家間細務。汝交關旣定，此書又行，凡所資須，付給如別。自茲以後，吾不復言及田事，汝亦勿復與吾言之。假使堯水湯旱，吾豈知如何；若其滿庾盈箱，爾之幸遇。如斯之事，並無俟令吾知也。《記》云：「夫孝者，善繼人之志，善述人之事。」今且望汝全吾此志，則無所恨矣。

To be the eldest is no easy thing: keep kin and household in harmony, leave no room for gossip, put others before yourself — only then are you worth respect. The Old Master said, "Put yourself last and you will be first." Live that way and you will gain much. Exhort yourself: when you see the worthy, strive to match them; do not waste your days in idleness. That is not merely wasting days — it is wasting your life; the honor or disgrace of your name — is that not weighty! Can you not be on your guard? What I urge upon you now is only this in brief. I mean that though I have never pursued property for the household, I have now built a villa and departed from my old way — yet in telling the whole story, my conscience is clear. I am old now, my strength nearly gone; bound to public duty, I can barely keep up, and what little time remains is barely enough for rest. On a winter sun or summer shade, on fine days amid lovely scenes, in brief gaps between documents — staff in hand, sandals on my feet, wandering my humble lodge, watching fish in the pond, listening to birds in the grove, a cup of plain wine, a tune on the zither, a few moments' joy before the end — I should not be troubled again with household trifles. Your affairs are settled, and with this letter everything required will be provided as listed separately. From now on I will not speak of the farm, and you must not speak of it to me either. Even if Yao's flood or Tang's drought should come, what would I know? If the bins are full and the granaries overflow, that is your good luck. Matters like that need not be reported to me. The "Record" says, "Filial piety is to continue another's aim well and carry on another's work well. For now I ask only that you honor this wish of mine, and I shall have no regret.

勉第二子悱卒，痛悼甚至，不欲久廢王務，乃爲《答客喻》。其辭曰：

When Mian's second son Fei died, his grief was profound; unwilling to neglect state business for long, he wrote "Answer to the Guest's Remonstrance." It reads:

普通五年春二月丁丑，余第二息晉安內史悱喪之問至焉，舉家傷悼，心情若隕。二宮並降中使，以相慰勗，親游賓客，畢來弔問，輒慟哭失聲，悲不自已，所謂父子天性，不知涕之所從來也。

In the second month of spring, fifth year of Putong, on day dingchou, word arrived that my second son Fei, Interior Secretary of Jin'an, had died; the whole household grieved, our hearts as though they had dropped from the sky. Both palaces sent envoys to comfort and encourage us; kin, friends, and guests all came to mourn. I would break into uncontrollable wailing, grief I could not restrain — the bond between father and son; I did not know where the tears came from.

於是門人慮其肆情所鐘，容致委頓，乃斂衽而進曰：「僕聞古往今來，理運之常數；春榮秋落，氣象之定期。人居其間，譬諸逆旅，生寄死歸，著於通論，是以深識之士，悠爾忘懷。東門歸無之旨，見稱往哲；西河喪明之過，取誚友朋。足下受遇於朝，任居端右，憂深責重，休戚是均，宜其遺情下流，止哀加飯，上存奉國，俯示隆家。豈可縱此無益，同之兒女，傷神損識，或虧生務。門下竊議，咸爲君侯不取也。」

Then his students, fearing that such unchecked grief might exhaust him, straightened their robes and came forward: "We have heard that from ancient times to the present, principle and fate follow fixed laws; spring's flourishing and autumn's decline are the appointed seasons of nature. Men live between them like travelers at an inn: life is a sojourn, death a return home — so the common teaching runs; therefore the wise man lightly lets go. The lesson of 'no grief at the eastern gate' was praised by the sages of old; while blinding oneself in grief at Xihe brought reproach from friends. You are favored by the court, hold the highest office on the right, and bear heavy cares; joy and sorrow touch you alike. You should set grief aside, stop mourning and take food — serve the state above, and show your household strength below. How can you indulge useless grief like a child, injuring your spirit and dulling your mind, perhaps failing in the work of life? We of your household have discussed this privately, and all agree it ill becomes you, my lord."

余雪泣而答曰：「彭殤之達義，延吳之雅言，亦常聞之矣；顧所以未能弭意者，請陳其說。夫植樹階庭，欽柯葉之茂；爲山累仞，惜覆簣之功。故秀而不實，尼父爲之歎息；析彼歧路，楊子所以留連。事有可深，聖賢靡抑。今吾所悲，亦以悱始逾立歲，孝悌之至，自幼而長，文章之美，得之天然，好學不倦，居無塵雜，多所著述，盈帙滿笥，淡然得失之際，不見喜慍之容。及翰飛東朝，參伍盛列，其所遊往，皆一時才俊，賦詩頌詠，終日忘疲。每從容謂吾以遭逢時來，位隆任要，當應推賢下士，先物後身，然後可以報恩明主，克保元吉。俾余二紀之中，忝竊若是，幸無大過者，繄此子之助焉。自出閩區，政存清靜，冀其旋反，少慰衰暮，言念今日，眇然長往。加以闔棺千里之外，未知歸骨之期，雖復無情之倫，庸詎不痛於昔！夷甫孩抱中物，尚盡慟以待賓；安仁未及七旬，猶殷勤於詞賦。況夫名立宦成，半途而廢者，亦焉可已已哉。求其此懷，可謂苗實之義。諸賢旣貽格言，喻以大理，卽日輟哀，命駕修職事焉。」

I answered through tears: "The enlightened doctrine of long and short life, the fine words of Yan and Wu — I have heard them often; yet why I cannot calm my heart — let me explain. Plant a tree in the courtyard and you delight in its leafy branches; raise a mountain nine ren high and you regret even one basket spilled. That is why Confucius sighed over 'flowering without fruit'; and why Yangzi lingered at the parting of the roads. When feeling runs deep, even sages do not forbid it. What I mourn is that Fei had just passed twenty: filial and respectful from childhood, gifted in letters by nature, tireless in study, living without worldly clutter, writing until scrolls and cases overflowed, calm in gain and loss, never showing joy or anger on his face. When he rose in the Eastern Court and stood among the foremost, those he kept company with were the finest men of the day; composing and reciting poetry, he forgot weariness from morning to night. He would calmly tell me that having risen in fortunate times to high rank and heavy responsibility, one must promote the worthy, defer to men of talent, and put others first — only then could one repay the enlightened sovereign and keep fortune secure. That in twenty years I have held such rank unworthily yet avoided great fault — I owe to this son. Since he left for Min, his rule was quiet and clean; I hoped for his return to comfort my old age — but today he is gone forever. And now the coffin is sealed a thousand li away, with no knowing when his bones will return — even the hardest heart could not but grieve as men have always grieved! Wang Yan, for a child still in swaddling clothes, mourned fully before receiving guests; Pan An, before seventy days had passed, still poured his grief into verse. How much more when name and office were established and then cut short midway — how can grief be stilled! Measured by that feeling, this may be called the grief of the bud that never bore fruit. When my friends had offered their wise counsel and explained the larger principle, I ceased mourning that very day, took up my carriage, and returned to my official duties."

勉善屬文，勤著述，雖當機務，下筆不休。嘗以起居注煩雜，乃加刪撰爲《流別起居注》六百卷；《左丞彈事》五卷；在選曹，撰《選品》五卷；齊時，撰《太廟祝文》二卷；以孔釋二教殊途同歸，撰《會林》五十卷。凡所著前後二集四十五卷，又爲《婦人集》十卷，皆行於世。大同三年，故佐史尚書左丞劉覽等詣闕陳勉行狀，請刊石紀德，卽降詔許立碑於墓云。

Mian was a skilled writer and a prolific author; even while burdened with the most urgent state business, he never stopped writing. Finding the Daily Records unwieldy, he revised and abridged them into six hundred scrolls entitled "Classified Daily Records"; "Memorials of Impeachment by the Left Assistant Director," in five scrolls; while at the Selection Bureau, he compiled "Ranks of Selection" in five scrolls; under Qi he compiled "Prayer Texts for the Imperial Ancestral Temple" in two scrolls; Believing that Confucian and Buddhist teaching, though their paths differ, reach the same end, he compiled "Forest of Convergences" in fifty scrolls. His collected works in two series totaled forty-five scrolls, and he also compiled "Anthology of Women" in ten scrolls; all were in circulation. In the third year of Datong, Liu Lan, former staff officer and Left Assistant Director of the Secretariat, and others presented a report on Mian's conduct at court and asked that a stone be carved to commemorate his virtue. An edict was promptly issued authorizing a stele at his tomb.

悱字敬業，幼聰敏，能屬文。起家著作佐郎，轉太子舍人，掌書記之任。累遷洗馬、中舍人，猶管書記。出入宮坊者歷稔，以足疾出爲湘東王友，遷晉安內史。

Xu Fei, whose courtesy name was Jingye, was clever as a boy and could already compose literary pieces. He entered office as Assistant Gentleman of the Palace Library and was later made Attendant of the Heir Apparent, in charge of records and correspondence. He rose through the ranks to Groom of the Heir Apparent and Central Attendant, while continuing to manage records and correspondence. He had served in the Eastern Palace for many years. Because of a foot ailment he left court to become Companion to the King of Xiangdong and was later appointed Administrator of Jin'an.

陳吏部尚書姚察曰：徐勉少而厲志忘食，發憤脩身，慎言行，擇交遊；加運屬興王，依光日月，故能明經術以綰青紫，出閭閻而取卿相。及居重任，竭誠事主，動師古始，依則先王，提衡端軌，物無異議，爲梁宗臣，盛矣。 [1]

Yao Cha, Minister of Personnel of Chen, said: "In youth Xu Mian disciplined his will until he forgot to eat, roused himself to cultivate his character, was careful in speech and conduct, and chose his companions with care;" when fortune favored the founding emperor and he basked in imperial favor, he was able to master the classics and win high office, rising from common streets to minister and chancellor. Once he held great office, he served his sovereign with complete devotion, taking antiquity as his guide and the former kings as his model. He held the scales of justice even, and none disputed his judgments — a pillar minister of Liang indeed, and a splendid one. [1] Endnote marker.

全文以中華書局、一九七三年五月版《梁書》爲本校。

The full text has been collated against the May 1973 Zhonghua Book Company edition of the Book of Liang.

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