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卷三十一 列傳第二十五 袁昂 子君正

Volume 31: Yuan Ang; Yuan Junzheng

Chapter 31 of 梁書 · Book of Liang
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Book of Liang, Volume 31, Biographies 25
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Yuan Ang; Yuan Junzheng
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Yuan Ang, styled Qianli, came from Yangxia in Chen commandery. His grandfather Xun had been a General Who Pacifies the Barbarians and Administrator of Wu under the Song; his father Yi was a General Who Conquers Champions and Inspector of Yong. Early in the Taishi reign, Yi took up arms for Prince Zixun of Jin'an; the cause failed, and he was put to death. Ang was only five. His wet nurse took him in her arms and hid with him on Mount Lu. An amnesty eventually let them emerge, but the family was still exiled to Jin'an. During the Yuanhui reign he was allowed to return home, at the age of fifteen. When his father had been defeated, Yi's head had been sent to the capital and kept in the armory; only now was it restored to the family. Ang cried out in grief until he vomited blood and lost consciousness, then came round again. His elder cousin Tuan came to comfort and restrain him, but Ang donned mourning dress once more and kept vigil in a hut beside the grave. Later he and Tuan went together to see their uncle by marriage, Minister of Education Yuan Can. Can told Tuan, "Orphaned so young, yet he has come to this — renown and high office will surely be his."
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簿
When Qi was founded he began his career as acting aide in the household of the Prince of Ancheng, General Who Conquers Champions, then rose to registrar under the General Who Pacifies the Barbarians, attendant of the heir apparent, and merit clerk on Wang Jian's Pacifying-Army staff. Jian was serving as metropolitan governor. One day, passing through the rear hall, he received Ang alone and, pointing to the north hall, said, "You will surely sit in that seat one day." He was promoted in turn to secretary of the palace library and gentleman of the yellow gate. Ang had originally been named Qianli. During Qi's Yongming reign, Emperor Wu told him, "The horse that travels a thousand li in a day — that is what you are. I now change your given name to Ang, and let Qianli be your style." He was sent out as chief clerk to the Prince of Poyang, General Who Pacifies the South, and as chancellor to the Duke of Xunyang. On returning to court he was made junior mentor to the grand heir apparent and chief clerk to the Prince of Wuling, General of the Guard.
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When his mother died, his mourning exceeded what the rites prescribed. Before he had finished mourning for his mother, his elder cousin Tuan died. Ang had lost his father young and was raised by Tuan, so he put on the full mourning garments appropriate to a closer kin. Some found this strange and questioned him; Ang wrote to explain: "I have heard that ritual obligations are defined by affection, and mourning dress expresses what the heart feels. That is why the canon adds a degree of mourning when kin live apart, and prescribes the finest mourning for those who share a hearth — the classics state this plainly. I was early bereft of Heaven's favor and as a child lost my father's protection. I never had the chance to show daily respect, nor to receive his instruction in the courtyard. A small and tender child, I could not yet tell rank from office. My elder cousin raised and taught me and showed me the right way. He lent me his standing in every discussion and built up my name, so that I could hold my own among others — and he had good reason to do so. He enlarged the family dwellings and gave me spacious quarters; we shared property and wealth, and he let me take whatever I needed. For more than thirty years his love and care were no different from what he gave his own children. He brought my sisters and orphaned nephews to success in their day; his devotion only deepened to the end. Such kindness and love — not even to the ends of the earth could I repay them. In heart we were as close as full brothers, yet in mourning I rank only as a junior cousin; to speak honestly, I cannot bear to accept that. Long ago Ma Ling lived with his younger brother Yi; when Yi died, Ling observed heart-mourning for three years. When You did not leave off mourning, that too was a rule born of feeling; though my learning falls short of the ancients, my heart is full of true devotion. I had long hoped that after my death our mourning periods might be equal; I never imagined our house would fail and ruin fall in a single morning. I am but a wretch left on the earth, and now this fresh blow; the more I think, the more my grief cuts me off from the world. With what life is left I wish to fulfill my long resolve, to give some outlet to hopeless longing and to ease, if only a little, a grief that will not end. Though the rites offer no clear authority, precedent exists; led by my confusion I have come to this and mean to do it. You asked where duty lies in the rites; I respectfully lay this before you. As I write I choke with sobs; my words fall out of order."
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When his mourning ended he was made chief clerk to the Prince of Shaoling, General of the Right Army, and soon afterward promoted to imperial censor. Wang Yan's younger brother Xu was then in Guangzhou and took heavy bribes; Ang impeached him on the facts without fear of the powerful, and men of the day called him upright. He was sent out as internal administrator of Yuzhang and left office when his birth mother died. On the journey home with the coffin, violent storms struck the river route; Ang tied his clothes to the bier and swore to drown with it. When the wind died down every other boat had sunk; only Ang's was spared, and all attributed it to his sincerity. After the funeral he was recalled as General Who Establishes Might and administrator of Wuxing.
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退祿 使 祿
At the end of the Yongyuan reign the army of righteousness reached the capital; governors and administrators everywhere surrendered at the first rumor, but Ang alone closed his borders and refused to obey. Emperor Gaozu wrote to him in his own hand: "Fortune and disaster have no fixed door; rise and fall follow Heaven's reckoning. What Heaven has cast off — who can set right? Opportunity does not come twice; you should act while you can. Lately, from what travelers report, I hear you mean to hold one corner and look back in hesitation; since I do not yet know your mind, I briefly state my purpose. The tyrant is mad and perverse beyond anything antiquity records; his cruelty grows worse with every month. Heaven has not abandoned Qi; a sage ruler has begun his mandate; the people have someone to lean on; the common folk are coming back to life. I bear the charge as vanguard to clear the capital, to set chaos aright, punish the guilty, and comfort the people; since I arrived no force has blocked our advance. Imperial authority now commands every quarter; the long siege is closed; the near and the far have all gathered; men and spirits fight as one. Tens of thousands of elite troops, thousands of squadrons of armored horse — with such a force, what could fail to fall? Jianye is but a lone city; hearts within are divided; men come day and night to surrender at the camp gate — the day of its fall cannot be far off. Mars has left the Gate of Beginning and Venus has entered the Chamber of Di — Heaven shows the sign above and human affairs match below; to join in one accord needs no further counsel — the moment is now. Fan Xiu and Shen Zhou have long pledged their loyalty; each leads his forces and forms a pincer with us. Shen Faying, Sun Xi, and Zhu Duan have already cleared Wu and Kuaiji — yet you would hold one small commandery against a great army? When the root is down, what can the branches cling to? Even children and herd boys say this is wrong; I ask your clear judgment, for I truly do not see your purpose. To exhaust yourself for a benighted ruler is no true loyalty; to see your house destroyed is no filial piety — when both are gone, what will you lean on? Better to change course at once and win great fortune — advance and you escape harm with body whole; hold back and you keep rank and stipend for long. Whether to stay or go — I hope you will choose with care. If you cling to error and go on with the wicked without repenting, when the great army comes punishment will reach three generations of your kin. Regret afterward will mend nothing. I write to lay my mind before you." Ang replied: "Your envoy from the capital has arrived — I am honored by your letter. I hear the common talk that I am raising troops to rescue the throne, and your rebuke that I alone have not surrendered. I read your stern command again as if standing before a cliff ten thousand ren high. The Three Wu is heartland, not a field for armies — how could one remote commandery be of any use? I have lately received an edict, because this region is troubled, appointing me to reassure the people. Since your banners arrived, everyone has bared the knee at your camp gate — only I dared to come last, because I know myself mediocre and useless in civil and military matters, a mere low fellow from the east. Though I wished to offer my loyalty, it would not add to your army's strength; and my silence would only damp the army's prestige. I trust in your breadth of mind and hope to be treated with courtesy. For a single meal's kindness men will lay down their lives — how then can one who has eaten the ruler's stipend forget it overnight? Public opinion would not permit it, and I fear you would despise me for it — that is why I hesitate and have not yet come to offer surrender. Because I am insignificant you have sent so weighty a command; it burns in my heart and leaves me unsure where I stand — even by your clear judgment I still fear your authority." When Jiankang fell, Ang went to court of his own accord; Emperor Gaozu pardoned him and asked nothing further.
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調
In the second year of Tianjian he was appointed aide in the household of the Prince of Linchuan, Rear Army. Ang submitted a memorial of thanks: "Grace has come when I had abandoned hope; joy has gathered on the day my heart was cold — no image of flame and ash, no likeness of sprout and withered stalk — I gather my robe and stand trembling, unable to bear the weight of it. I have studied the Three Archives and mastered the Six Canons, reviewed the rules of reward and punishment and the laws of life and death — in every enlightened reign the five punishments are strict, and in every sage age the three statutes are severe. At the first assembly at Mount Tu, Fangfeng was executed; when Feng was first being built, the Marquis of Chong was attacked. Never was the law eased for one marked for execution, nor punishment deferred for a lesser offender — to pass from ten thousand deaths into one life, as I have, is without precedent. To extend grace even to the guilty is for me a vast mercy; with heart laid open and blood poured out, I dare speak of it. I am a low fellow from the east — what learning or conduct can I offer? Unlike the goose that answers the straight timber, I never tied my ribbons or dusted my cap for office; I merely borrowed rank and left farming for service. In former years I held office unworthily in the east, looking up to join the righteous march that swept like wind and lightning. In those days men bearing tribute came day after day, and envoys with jade and silk were seen in endless succession. Alone I, foolish as I am, was suddenly blind to the great cause, ready to die for a feather's weight and forget the bond of shared virtue. But the Three Wu are treacherous and the Five Lakes link by water; revolts like Tian Dan's have risen again and again, and I always feared a disaster like Yin Tong's. I vainly admired those who held their borders and failed to embrace the cause as a true minister should. "He who comes late is beheaded" — I willingly accept that sentence. To enforce the law for the sake of the people — who would deny it? By your merciful law I receive the pardon that loosens the net — I ought still to be reduced to the lowest rank, yet suddenly my chains and marks are gone. My bones are gathered and my soul revived; I am enrolled again among the people; my stains are washed away. I enter Chu and wander Chen — Heaven's waves have washed over me, and sudden blessing rains down. The ancients said: "Dying is not the hard part — living afterward is the hard part." What I have received is unrecorded since antiquity; and where I shall die — I do not yet know."
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祿 祿
Emperor Gaozu replied: "I forgive the arrow that struck the hook — do not hold yourself apart." He was soon appointed attendant gentleman of the yellow gate. That same year he was promoted to palace attendant. The following year he was sent out as administrator of Xunyang and acted as inspector of Jiang province. In the sixth year he was recalled as director of the Ministry of Personnel; he repeatedly memorialized to decline and was transferred to director of the Left Bureau of the People, with an additional appointment as vice director of the right. In the seventh year he was made libationer of the imperial university while keeping his vice directorship, and headed the grand assessor of Yu province. In the eighth year he was sent out as General of Humane Might and administrator of Wu commandery. In the eleventh year he returned as director of the Five Armies and again as vice director of the right; before he could take up the latter post, an edict made the appointment substantive. Soon he also headed the Ministry of Commencements in addition to his existing post, and was given the additional title of palace attendant. In the fourteenth year Ma Xiancai defeated the Wei army at Qushan; Ang was given provisional authority by edict to go and comfort the troops. In the fifteenth year he was promoted to vice director of the left, and soon became director of the Department of State Affairs and General Who Proclaims Favor. In the third year of Putong he was appointed supervisor of the palace secretariat and metropolitan governor of Danyang. That year he was advanced to General of the Central Guard and again made director of the Department of State Affairs; on that basis he was granted the privilege of an office equal to the three excellencies, with martial music; before taking up the latter honor he also headed the imperial university as libationer. In the first year of Datong he was given the additional title of supervisor of the palace secretariat and thirty personal attendants. Soon he memorialized to resign as libationer, was advanced to grand general who pacifies the central army, and was made minister of works, palace attendant, and director of the Department of State Affairs; his attendants and martial music remained unchanged. In the fifth year he was given the additional titles of exceptional promotion and grand master of splendid happiness of the left, and his personal attendants were increased to eighty. In the sixth year of Datong he died, at the age of eighty. An edict said: "Palace Attendant, Exceptional Promotion, Grand Master of Splendid Happiness of the Left, and Minister of Works Ang has died suddenly — our hearts are pierced with sorrow. His talent was bright and unadorned, his will sincere and upright; at court he helped harmonize governance, and good counsel flowed from him in succession. To honor him posthumously and display his virtue is indeed the proper precedent. Let him be posthumously granted his present offices, one set of martial music, the secret funerary implements of the Eastern Garden, one set of court robes, one suit of garments, two hundred thousand cash, one hundred bolts of silk and cloth, and two hundred jin of wax — mourning is to begin this day."
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Earlier, in his final testament Ang had refused posthumous honors and a posthumous title. He ordered his sons not to write accounts of his conduct in office or compose memorial inscriptions; whatever was customarily required was to be omitted entirely. He also wrote: "I left private life for office without expecting wealth; I only hoped to keep my proper rank and to know something of honor and disgrace in food and clothing — with that I can close my coffin without shame before my neighbors. When I was unworthily in Wuxing, it was the hour between darkness and light; I was blind to what lay ahead and did not understand the sage court; not knowing Heaven's mandate, I willingly risked execution — yet by exceptional grace my whole house was preserved. I knew I had sinned against my house and could hope for no further advancement; to preserve my life seemed great fortune; I never expected to receive such favor and reach this height. I always wished to repay this with all my heart; whenever the court marched north I memorialized asking to go — I swore it with all my heart, and it was no empty boast. But I was mediocre and useless, and none of it was granted; though I wished to give my life, the court would not agree. Today I close my eyes with all my regret left in the grave; if my soul has knowledge, I can only hope to repay with the tied grass. The sage court follows antiquity and knows my character; there may be posthumous honors — though that is the constant standard of state, I deserve none; if offices are granted after death, do not accept them." His sons memorialized repeatedly; the emperor would not allow it. He was given the posthumous title Duke of Reverent Uprightness.
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His son Junzheng had fine bearing and knew how to comport himself; as a nobleman's son he won reputation in his day. Soon he also served as gentleman of the Ministry of Personnel and left office when his mother died. When mourning ended he was companion to the Prince of Shaoling, chief clerk to the North General of the Center, and administrator of Dongyang. Soon he was recalled to the capital; three hundred men of the commandery, including the scholar Xu Tianyou, went to court asking that he stay another year — the emperor refused; he was appointed internal administrator of Yuzhang and soon transferred to administrator of Wu. When Hou Jing rebelled, he led several hundred men with the Prince of Shaoling to relieve the capital; when the capital fell, he returned to his commandery.
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Junzheng had a good reputation in office, but he amassed wealth and his dress and luxuries were extravagant. The rebels sent Yu Ziyue to attack him; Dai Sengyi, commander of the Xincheng garrison, urged him to hold the city; Lu Yingong of Wu and others feared that if the rebels won they would seize their property, and said: "The rebel army is very fierce; its momentum cannot be resisted; if we resist now, the people may not follow." Junzheng was by nature timid; he sent rice, cattle, and wine and went to the suburbs to welcome Ziyue. When Ziyue arrived he plundered Junzheng's property and took his women and children; Junzheng fell ill with grief and died.
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[1]
The historiographer says: Heaven is honored and earth is low — by this the positions of ruler and minister are fixed; pine and bamboo are of such substance that they do not change their hearts when the year turns cold. Yuan Qianli's fate was bound to collapse; he lived in a time of disaster — though the tyrant had lost virtue, his loyalty as a minister did not waver; when he stood firm in his memorial to Emperor Gaozu without failing in loyalty — this too preserves the spirit of Boyi and Shuqi. In the end he became a pillar of the Liang state — how admirable! Footnote marker.
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The full text has been collated against the Zhonghua Shuju edition of the Book of Liang (May 1973).
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