Volume 34: Zhang Mian; Zhang Zuan; Zhang Wan

梁書卷第三十四列傳第二十八

Book of Liang, Volume 34, Biography 28

張緬弟纘綰

Zhang Mian; Zhang Zuan; Zhang Wan

起家秘書郎，出爲淮南太守，時年十八。高祖疑其年少未閑吏事，乃遣主書封取郡曹文案，見其斷決允愜，甚稱賞之。還除太子舍人、雲麾外兵參軍。緬少勤學，自課讀書，手不輟卷，尤明後漢及晉代衆家。客有執卷質緬者，隨問便對，略無遺失。殿中郎缺，高祖謂徐勉曰：「此曹舊用文學，且居鵷行之首，宜詳擇其人。」勉舉緬充選。頃之，出爲武陵太守，還拜太子洗馬，中舍人。緬母劉氏，以父沒家貧，葬禮有闕，遂終身不居正室，不隨子入官府。緬在郡所得祿俸不敢用，乃至妻子不易衣裳，及還都，並供其母賑贍親屬，雖累載所畜，一朝隨盡，緬私室常闃然如貧素者。累遷北中郎諮議參軍、寧遠長史。出爲豫章內史。緬爲政任恩惠，不設鈎距，吏人化其德，亦不敢欺，故老咸云「數十年未之有也」。

He entered service as a Secretariat Gentleman and was appointed Administrator of Huainan at the age of eighteen. Emperor Wu suspected that at his age he might not yet know how to handle official business, so he had a chief clerk collect the commandery archives. When he saw that Mian's rulings were sound throughout, he was deeply impressed. Recalled to court, he was made Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary to the Heir Apparent and External Administration Aide in the Cloud-Banner Army. From boyhood Mian studied hard, assigning himself daily reading and never laying aside his books. He was especially expert in the Later Han and the various Jin-period histories. If a visitor brought a text to quiz him, he answered every question on the spot without missing a detail. When a post among the Palace Gentlemen fell vacant, the Emperor told Xu Mian, "This office has always gone to men of letters, and it leads the ranks of court officials. Choose the appointee with great care." Xu Mian nominated Zhang Mian for the post. Shortly afterward he was sent out as Administrator of Wuling. When he returned to the capital he was made Groom of the Heir Apparent and Central Aide. Mian's mother, Lady Liu, had lost her husband while the family was still poor, and the funeral had never been properly completed. For the rest of her life she refused the main chamber of the house and would not set foot in her son's government offices. In the commandery he would not touch his official salary; even his wife and children went without new clothes. Back in the capital he gave everything he had saved over the years to his mother and to needy relatives, and in a single day it was all gone. His own household stayed as bare as that of a poor scholar. He rose through several posts to Consulting Aide to the North General of the Army and Chief Administrator of Ningyuan. He was appointed Internal Governor of Yuzhang. Mian governed through kindness rather than traps and snares. Officials and commoners alike were moved by his example and would not cheat him. The elders said they had not seen the like in decades.

大通元年，徵爲司徒左長史，以疾不拜，改爲太子中庶子，領羽林監。俄遷御史中丞，坐收捕人與外國使鬭，左降黃門郎，兼領先職，俄復爲真。緬居憲司，推繩無所顧望，號爲勁直。高祖乃遣畫工圖其形於臺省，以勵當官。

In the first year of Datong he was called up as Left Chief Administrator of the Ministry of State but declined because of illness. He was then made Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent and put in charge of the Feathered Forest Guard. Soon after he became Censor-in-Chief. Because his officers had arrested men who had brawled with foreign envoys, he was demoted to Gentleman of the Yellow Gate while keeping his former duties on an acting basis, and before long was restored to full rank. As head of the Censorate, Mian enforced the law without favor and was known for his uncompromising integrity. The Emperor had a court artist paint his portrait at the central offices as an example to other officials.

中太通三年，遷侍中，未拜，卒，時年四十二。詔贈侍中，加貞威將軍，侯如故。賻錢五萬，布五十匹。高祖舉哀。昭明太子亦往臨哭，與緬弟纘書曰：「賢兄學業該通，蒞事明敏，雖倚相之讀墳典，郤縠之敦《詩》《書》，惟今望古，蔑以斯過。自列宮朝，二紀將及，義惟僚屬，情實親友。文筵講席，朝遊夕宴，何曾不同茲勝賞，共此言寄。如何長謝，奄然不追！且年甫強仕，方申才力，摧苗落穎，彌可傷惋。念天倫素睦，一旦相失，如何可言。言及增哽，巉筆無次。」

In the third year of Zhong Datong he was promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary, but died before he could assume the post, at the age of forty-two. He was posthumously granted the title Attendant-in-Ordinary and General of Upright Prestige, and his marquisate was left as before. The court granted fifty thousand cash and fifty bolts of cloth for the funeral. The Emperor himself led the mourning. Crown Prince Zhaoming came in person to mourn as well and wrote to Mian's younger brother Zuan: "Your noble brother's learning was encyclopedic and his handling of affairs keen and sure. Yi Xiang pored over the ancient classics and Xi Hou drilled his men in the Odes and Documents — yet compared with the men of past and present, none could match him in this respect. From the time he entered the Eastern Palace staff, nearly twenty years had passed. In office he was my subordinate, but in affection he was my true friend. At literary salons and lecture halls, from morning outings to evening feasts — when had we not shared the same pleasures and the same confidences? How can he be gone forever, suddenly beyond recall! And at the very prime of life, just as his powers were coming into their own — to cut the young shoot and let the grain fall — how heartbreaking! Our family ties have always been close, and to lose him in a single day — words fail me. Even to speak of it chokes my voice; as I set brush to paper, my words fall into disorder."

緬性愛墳籍，聚書至萬餘卷。抄《後漢》、《晉書》，衆家異同，爲《後漢紀》四十卷，《晉抄》三十卷。又抄《江左集》，未及成。文集五卷。子傅嗣。

Mian loved old books by nature and amassed a library of more than ten thousand scrolls. He copied out the Later Han and Jin histories, reconciling the disagreements among various authors, and compiled the Later Han Annals in forty scrolls and Jin Extracts in thirty scrolls. He was also working on a copy of the Jiangzuo Collection, but did not live to complete it. His literary collection ran to five scrolls. His son Fu succeeded to his titles.

纘字伯緒，緬第三弟也，出後從伯弘籍。弘籍，高祖舅也，梁初贈廷尉卿。纘年十一，尚高祖第四女富陽公主，拜駙馬都尉，封利亭侯，召補國子生。

Zhang Zuan, styled Bozhu, was Mian's third younger brother. He was adopted as heir by his father's cousin Zhang Hongji. Hongji was a maternal uncle of Emperor Wu and was posthumously made Minister of Justice at the founding of the Liang. At eleven Zuan married Emperor Wu's fourth daughter, Princess Fuyang. He was made Commandant of the Horse Guards for the Emperor's Sons-in-Law, enfeoffed as Marquis of Liting, and enrolled as a student of the Imperial University.

起家秘書郎，時年十七。身長七尺四寸，眉目疏朗，神采爽發。高祖異之，嘗曰：「張壯武云『後八葉有逮吾者』，其此子乎？」纘好學，兄緬有書萬餘卷，晝夜披讀，殆不輟手。秘書郎有四員，宋、齊以來，爲甲族起家之選，待次入補，其居職，例數十百日便遷任。纘固求不徙，欲遍觀閣內圖籍。嘗執四部書目曰：「若讀此畢，乃可言優仕矣。」如此數載，方遷太子舍人，轉洗馬、中舍人，並掌管記。

He entered service as a Secretariat Gentleman at the age of seventeen. He stood seven feet four inches tall, with fine, open features and a bright, commanding presence. The Emperor took special notice of him and once remarked, "Zhang Zhuangwu said that eight generations later there would be someone to rival him — could this be that man?" Zuan was devoted to study. His elder brother Mian owned more than ten thousand books, and Zuan read through them day and night, scarcely setting them down. There were four posts as Secretariat Gentleman. Since the Song and Qi dynasties this office had been the usual starting point for sons of eminent families, who waited their turn to fill a vacancy and typically moved on after only a few months. Zuan insisted on staying in the post because he wanted to read through the entire palace library. Once, holding the catalogue of the four library divisions, he said, "Only when I have finished these may I speak of being fit for high office." Only after several years of this did he move on to Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary to the Heir Apparent, then Groom of the Heir Apparent and Central Aide, in each post keeping charge of the crown prince's records.

纘與琅邪王錫齊名。普通初，魏遣彭城人劉善明詣京師請和，求識纘。纘時年二十三，善明見而嗟服。累遷太尉諮議參軍，尚書吏部郎，俄爲長史兼侍中，時人以爲早達。河東裴子野曰：「張吏部在喉舌之任，已恨其晚矣。」子野性曠達，自云「年出三十，不復詣人。」初未與纘遇，便虛相推重，因爲忘年之交。

Zuan and Wang Xi of Langye were spoken of as equals in reputation. Early in the Putong era, Northern Wei sent Liu Shanming of Pengcheng to the capital to negotiate peace and asked to be introduced to Zuan. Zuan was twenty-three at the time. When Shanming met him, he sighed in admiration. He rose through several posts to Consulting Aide to the Grand Marshal and Director of the Personnel Section of the Masters of Writing, and soon afterward became Chief Administrator with the concurrent title Attendant-in-Ordinary. His contemporaries regarded him as precociously successful. Pei Ziye of Hedong remarked, "For Zhang of the Personnel Section to hold a voice at the emperor's ear is already, in my view, much too late." Ziye was by nature open and unconstrained. He said of himself, "Once I passed thirty I stopped paying calls on anyone." He had not yet met Zuan when he began praising him in advance, and they became friends despite the gap in their ages.

大通元年，出爲寧遠華容公長史，行琅邪、彭城二郡國事。二年，仍遷華容公北中郎長史、南蘭陵太守，加貞威將軍，行府州事。三年，入爲度支尚書，母憂去職。服闋，出爲吳興太守。纘治郡，省煩苛，務清靜，民吏便之。大同二年，徵爲吏部尚書。纘居選，其後門寒素，有一介皆見引拔，不爲貴要屈意，人士翕然稱之。

In the first year of Datong he was sent out as Chief Administrator to the Duke of Ningyuan and Huarong, with authority over the commandery-states of Langye and Pengcheng. The following year he became Chief Administrator to the North General of the Army under the Duke of Huarong and Administrator of Nanlanling, with the added rank of General of Upright Prestige, exercising authority over the princely establishment and the province. In the third year he returned to court as Minister of Revenue. He left office when his mother died. After the mourning period he was appointed Administrator of Wuxing. As administrator, Zuan cut back on burdensome regulations and governed with a light hand. Officials and commoners alike found his rule easy to live under. In the second year of Datong he was recalled to serve as Minister of the Personnel Section. In charge of appointments, Zuan promoted even men of humble birth if they showed the slightest talent, and would not defer to the powerful. Scholars and officials praised him without dissent.

五年，高祖手詔曰：「纘外氏英華，朝中領袖，司空以後，名冠范陽。可尚書僕射。」初，纘與參掌何敬容意趣不協，敬容居權軸，賓客輻湊，有過詣纘者，輒距不前，曰：「吾不能對何敬容殘客。」及是遷，爲表曰：「自出守股肱，入尸衡尺，可以仰首伸眉，論列是非者矣。而寸衿所滯，近蔽耳目，深淺清濁，豈有能預。加以矯心飾貌，酷非所閑，不喜俗人，與之共事。」此言以指敬容也。纘在職，議南郊御乘素輦，適古今之衷；又議印綬官備朝服，宜並著綬，時並施行。

In the fifth year the Emperor wrote in his own hand: "Zuan's mother's family is eminent, and in court he stands at the fore. Since the days of the Minister of Works, his name has led all of Fanyang. He is fit to serve as Vice Director of the Masters of Writing." Zuan and He Jingrong, who shared in high policy, had never been of one mind. Jingrong held real power and his salon was always crowded. If a visitor had first called on Jingrong, Zuan would turn him away, saying, "I will not receive He Jingrong's leavings." On this promotion he submitted a memorial: "Since I went out to govern a province and returned to hold the scales of office, I ought at last to be able to speak my mind and judge right from wrong. Yet what petty constraints bind me close at hand and shut my eyes and ears — how can I tell what is deep or shallow, clear or foul? Add to that the art of feigning feeling and polishing one's face — that is nothing I care to practice. I do not like vulgar men and cannot work alongside them." This was plainly directed at He Jingrong. In office Zuan argued that for the southern suburban sacrifice the emperor should ride in an unadorned palanquin, a compromise suited to both ancient precedent and present practice; he also proposed that officials in full court dress should wear their seal cords visibly, and both reforms were adopted at the time.

九年，遷宣惠將軍、丹陽尹，未拜，改爲使持節、都督湘桂東寧三州諸軍事、湘州刺史。述職經途，乃作《南征賦》。其詞曰：

In the ninth year he was promoted to General Who Proclaims Favor and Intendant of Danyang. Before he could assume the post he was reassigned as Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Commander over the military affairs of Xiang, Gui, and Dongning, and Governor of Xiangzhou. On the road south to take up his post he wrote the "Rhapsody on the Southern Expedition." It reads in part:

歲次娵訾，月惟中呂，余謁帝於承明，將述職于南楚。忽中川而反顧，懷舊鄉而延佇；路漫漫以無端，情容容而莫與。乃弭節歎曰：人之寓於宇宙也，何異夫棲蝸之爭戰，附蚋之游禽。而盈虛倚伏，俯仰浮沉，矜榮華於尺影，總萬慮於寸陰。彼忘機於粹日，乃聖達之明箴。妙品物於貞觀，曾何足而繫心。撫余躬之末迹，屬興王之盛世；蒙三欒之休寵，荷通家之渥惠。登石渠之三閣，典校文乎六藝。振長纓于承華，眷儲皇之上叡。居銜觴而接席，出方舟以同濟。彼華坊與禁苑，常宵盤而晝憩。思德音其在耳，若清塵之未逝。經二紀以及茲，悲明離之永翳。惟平生之褊能，實有志於棲息。慚滅沒之千里，謝韓哀於八極。如蓑裘之代用，譬輪轅之曲直。愧周任之清規，諒無取于陳力。逢濯纓之嘉運，遇井汲之明時。懷君恩而未答，顧靈瑣而依遲。總端揆以居副，長庶僚而稱師。猶深泉之短綆，若高墉而無基。伊吾人之罪薄，豈斯滿之能持。奉皇命以奏舉，方驅傳於衡疑。遵夕宿以言邁，戒晨裝而永辭。行搖搖於南逝，心眷眷而西悲。

In the year of Juzi, in the height of the sixth month, I paid court at the Gate of Enlightened Rule and was bound for my post in the far south. Midstream I turned to look back, longing for home and lingering on the shore; the road stretched on without end, my heart adrift and without companion. Then I checked my pace and sighed: man's dwelling in the cosmos is no different from snails battling over a shell, or gnats riding on a passing bird. Yet rise and fall follow one another; in every bow and lift, every sink and soar, we clutch at glory measured in a hand's shadow and pack ten thousand worries into a inch of time. To forget intrigue on a clear day — that is the bright counsel of the sage who has found the Way. To savor the world in clear-sighted stillness — what is that to the heart that would be free? I touch the last traces of my own life, born into an age when the throne is rising; I have enjoyed the grace of three imperial betrothals and the deep kindness of families joined as one. I entered the three halls of the Stone Canal Library and collated the texts of the Six Classics. At Chenghua I shook out my long sash and won the favor of the crown prince's keen mind. We sat cup to cup at the same mat and put out in the same boat to cross the stream. In the splendid wards and the imperial park we often feasted by night and dozed by day. His gracious words still ring in my ears, as though the clear dust of his presence had not yet settled. Two decades have brought me here, and I mourn that bright presence eclipsed forever. My talents have always been slight, and in truth I longed only to find a place to rest. Ashamed to sink into obscurity a thousand leagues off, I refuse the sorrow Han Ai would spread to the ends of the earth. Like straw coats passed from hand to hand, like wheel rims bent this way or that. I fall short of Zhou Ren's clear standard and know I have no strength worth displaying. I have met the good fortune of a rinsed cap-cord and the bright season of drawing water at the well. I hold the emperor's grace unanswered and turn back toward the palace gates, lingering still. I stood second to the chief ministers and led the ranks of officials, whom men called my pupils. Yet I was a short rope lowered into a deep well, a high wall with no foundation. My own fault is slight — how could such a full cup be held? I received the imperial command to report to my post and was setting out by relay carriage for the southern marches. Night after night I lodged on the road and spoke of going onward; at dawn I made ready my gear for a final leave-taking. My carriage swayed southward on its way, while my heart clung westward in sorrow.

爾乃橫濟牽牛，傍瞻雉庫；前觀隱脈，卻視雲布。追晉氏之啓戎，覆中州之鼎祚。鞠三川於茂草，沾兩京於朝露。故黃旗紫蓋，運在震方；金陵之兆，允符厥祥。及歸命之銜璧，爰獻璽於武王；啓中興之英主，宣十世而重光。觀其內招人望，外攘幹紀；草創江南，締構基址。豈徒能布其德，主晉有祀，《雲漢》作詩，《斯干》見美而已哉！乃得正朔相承，於茲四代；多歷年所，二百餘載。割疆埸于華戎，拯生靈於宇內；不被髮而左衽，翽明德其是賚。次臨滄之層巘，尋叔寶之舊埏；蘊珠玉之餘潤，昭羅綺之遺妍。懷若人之遠理，豈喜慍其能遷。雖魂埋於百世，猶映澈於九泉。經法王之梵宇，睹因時之或躍；從四海之宅心，故取亂而誅虐。在蒼精之將季，剪洪柯以銷落；旣觀蠍而逞刑，又施獸而爲謔。候高熢以巧笑，俟長星而歡噱。何惵惵之黔首，思假命其無託。信人欲而天從，爰物睹而聖作。

Then I crossed by the Ox Ford and looked aside toward the Armory and the Granary; Before me lay Yinmai; behind me spread Yunbu. I traced how the Jin dynasty first took up arms and brought down the imperial fortune of the Central Plains. The Three Rivers country was overgrown with wild grass, and the two capitals stood damp with the dew of morning—abandoned and gone. So the yellow banners and purple canopies showed that fortune had shifted to the east; and Jinling's portent truly fulfilled that blessed promise. When Sun Hao of Wu surrendered with the jade disc in his mouth, the imperial seal was presented to Sima Yan; a heroic ruler inaugurated the Eastern Jin revival and proclaimed ten generations of renewed glory. Within they won the people's trust; without they drove off those who broke the law; they founded the realm south of the Yangtze and built its foundations from the ground up. Was it only that they spread their virtue, kept the Jin sacrifices alive, and won praise fit for the "Vast Milky Way" and "Dry Bank" odes of the Book of Songs? They held the imperial calendar in unbroken succession through four dynasties here; a span of more than two hundred years. They drew the frontier between the civilized lands and the barbarians and preserved the people of the realm; They never adopted barbarian dress, and glorious virtue was their true reward. Next I came to the layered heights above the blue waters and sought the old capital mound of Chen Shubao; It still held the lingering luster of pearls and jade and the faded splendor of silk brocades. I hold in mind that man's lofty principles—surely neither pleasure nor anger could ever sway him. Though his soul has lain beneath the earth for a hundred generations, it still shines clear in the depths below. I passed the Buddhist temples of the Dharma King and saw one who seized the moment to rise; When the realm turned its heart toward him, he seized the chaos and punished the cruel. As the Chen dynasty neared its end, great branches were lopped off to wither and die; They built pavilions to watch scorpions and inflicted cruel punishments, and set beasts to perform for their amusement. They greeted beacon fires with crafty smiles and greeted the long comet with merry laughter. Why did the trembling common people have no one to whom they could entrust their very lives? Truly heaven answered human longing; the age called forth a sage.

我皇帝膺籙受圖，聰明神武，乘釁而運，席捲三楚。師克在和，仁義必取；形猶積決，應若飆舉。於是殪桑林之封豨，繳青丘之大風，戢干戈以耀德，肆《時夏》而成功。放流聲于鄭、衛，屏豔質於傾宮；配軒皇以邁跡，豈商、周之比靈斯。化致長平，于茲四紀；六夷膜拜，八蠻同軌。教穆於上庠，冤申於大理；顯三光之照燭，降五靈之休祉。諒殊功於百王，固無得而稱矣。

Our Emperor received the mandate and accepted the heavenly chart—clear-sighted, divinely martial; seizing the moment, he swept through the Three Chu regions. His armies triumphed through harmony, and he conquered through benevolence and righteousness; he moved like a dam breaking, and answered like a whirlwind rising. Thus he subdued rebels as the ancient sage kings had done, sheathed the weapons of war to display his virtue, and spread the "Seasonal Xia" ode in triumph. He banished the licentious music of Zheng and Wei and drove wanton beauty from the palace; He matched the Yellow Emperor in lofty achievement—how could the Shang and Zhou even be compared in sacred power? His transforming rule has brought lasting peace for four decades now; the six barbarian peoples bow in homage, and the eight southern tribes follow the same law. Learning flourishes at the Imperial Academy, and wrongs are redressed at the Court of Justice; the sun, moon, and stars shine forth in his age, and the five numina send down their blessings. Surely his surpassing merit among all the kings of old is beyond what words can express.

溯金牛之迅渚，睹靈山之雄壯，實江南之丘墟，平雲霄而竦狀。標素嶺乎青壁，葺赬文於翠嶂；跳巨石以驚湍，批沖岩而駭浪。鏟千尋之峭岸，潨萬流之大壑；隱日月以蔽虧，摶風煙而回薄。崖映川而晃朗，水騰光而倏爍；積霜霰之往還，鼓波濤之前卻。下流沫以洊險，上岑崟而將落；聞知命之是虞，故違風而靡託。訊會骸之詭狀，雲怒特之來奔。及漁人之垂餌，沉潛鎖于洪源。鑒幽塗于忠武，馳四馬之高軒。不語神以征怪，情存之而勿論。曬姑孰之舊朔，訪遺迹兮宣武；挾仲謀之雄氣，朝委裘而作輔。歷祖宗之明君，猶負芒於盛主；勢傾河以覆岱，威回天而震宇。雖明允之篤誠，在伊、稷而未舉；矧有功而無志，豈季葉其能處。懼貽笑於文、景，憂象賢之覆餗；雖苞蘖以代興，終夷宗而殄族。彼儋石之贏儲，尚邀之而俟福；況神明之大寶，乃闇干於天祿。造扃鍵之候司，發傳書于關尉；據蒐轅乎伊洛，守衡津於河渭。無矯且以招賓，闕捐繻而待貴。賓祗敬於王典，懷鞠躬而屏氣。惟函谷之襟帶，疑武庫之精兵。采風謠於往昔，聞乳虎於寧成。在當今而簡易，止譏鑒其姦情；陋文仲之廢職，鄙耏門之食征。

I went upstream to the swift ford of Golden Ox and beheld the heroic majesty of Spirit Mountain—a great mound of Jiangnan rising level with the clouds in towering splendor. White peaks stand marked upon green cliffs, and crimson patterns crown emerald crags; great boulders leap in the startling rapids, and midstream cliffs are battered by terrifying waves. Thousand-fathom cliffs are carved away, and ten thousand streams pour into a vast gorge; sun and moon are hidden in shadow, and wind and mist whirl in circling gusts. Cliffs mirror the rivers in bright clarity, and the waters flash with sudden light; frost and hail gather and scatter, and the waves surge forward and fall back. Below, foam churns through repeated peril; above, jagged peaks loom as if about to collapse; Knowing that fate must be feared, I shunned the contrary winds and found nowhere to put my trust. I asked about the strange shape at Meeting Skeleton, and was told that the raging Nutai bull came charging down. When the fisherman cast his line, the hidden dragon lay locked in the deep source. I took instruction from the hidden path at Zhuge Liang's shrine and drove my four-horse carriage along the high road. I did not invoke spirits to prove wonders; the feeling stayed with me, but I kept it unspoken. Sunlight fell on the old north wall of Gushu, and I visited the traces at Xuanwu; Sun Quan carried heroic spirit within him; at court he wore fur robes and served as chief minister. Through generations of enlightened rulers, his ministers still stood in awe before so mighty a lord; His power could tilt the Yellow River to cover Mount Tai; his authority could turn heaven itself and shake the world. Though ministers as sincere as Zhuge Liang stood ready, like Yi Yin and Hou Ji they were not yet fully employed; How much less could those who had power but no resolve hold the realm in its declining years? They feared becoming laughingstocks like the Wen and Jing emperors and dreaded that a virtuous heir might still ruin everything at the last. Though new shoots rose from the withered trunk, in the end the house was exterminated root and branch. Men who hoarded no more than a few bushels of grain still prayed and waited for fortune; how much more the great treasure of the throne—yet it was cut off from heaven's favor. The gate officials set bolts and keys, and the frontier guards issued transit passes; They held the strategic crossroads of Yiluo and guarded the fords of the He and Wei rivers. There was no pretense to lure travelers in, nor any need to surrender a silk passport to await the great. The traveler reverently observed court ritual, bowing deeply and holding his breath. Only Hangu Pass, girdling the land like a belt, seemed an arsenal stocked with elite troops. I gathered the folk songs of old and heard tell of Ning Cheng and his tiger cub. In our own day the passage is easy, and the guards need only inspect and expose wrongdoing; I scorn Wen Zhong for neglecting his post and despise Ermen for levying taxes on cattle feed.

於是近睇赭岑，遙瞻鵲岸，島嶼蒼茫，風雲蕭散。屬時雨之新晴，觀百川之浩涆；水泓澄以暗夕，山參差而辨旦。忽臨睨於故鄉，眇江天其無畔；逆洄流而右阻，遵長薄而左貫。獨向風以舒情，搴芳洲其誰翫。息銅山而繫纜，訪叔文之靈宇；得舊名而猶存，皆攢蕪而積楚。想夫君之令問，實有聲於前古；拯巴漢之廢業，爰配名於鄒魯。辨山精以息訟，對祠星而寤主。每撫事以懷人，非末學其能睹。嘉梅根之孝女，尚乘肥於媵姬；嗟吳人之重辟，憂峻網於將貽。彼沈瓜而顯義，指滄波而爲期；此浮履以明節，赴丹爓其何疑。信理感而情悼，實悽悵於余悲；空沈吟以遐想，愧邯鄲之妙詞。望南陵以寓目，美牙門之守志；當晉師之席捲，豈籓籬而不庇。攜老弱於窮城，猶區區乎一簣。雖挈瓶之小善，實君子之所識。闕一句是謂事人之禮。入雷池之長浦，想恭、岱之芳塵；臨魚官以輟膳，踐寒蒲之抽筠。又有生爲令德，沒爲明神。或捐家事主，攜手拜親；或正身殉義，哀感市人。所以家稱純孝，國號能臣。揚清徽於上列，並異世而爲鄰。發曉渚而遡風，苦神吳之難習。岸曜舟而不進，水騰沙以驚急。天曀曀其垂陰，雨霏霏而來集；愍征夫之勞瘁，每搴帷而佇立。由江沲之派別，望彭匯之通津，塗未中乎及絳，日已盈於浹旬。

Then I looked close at Red Peak and gazed far toward Magpie Bank—islands blurred in the distance, wind and clouds thinning away. Fresh rain had just cleared, and I watched the hundred streams swell in flood; the waters grew deep and clear toward evening, and the mountains stood jagged and distinct at dawn. Suddenly I looked out over my old homeland—river and sky stretching away without end; against the swirling current the right bank blocked my way, while on the left I threaded through the long marsh. Alone I turned to the wind to ease my heart and plucked flowers on the fragrant islet—with whom could I share them? I moored at Copper Mountain and tied my cable, then visited the shrine of Shiwen; The old names still survived, but everything was choked with thorns and piled with wild brush. I thought of that lord's fine reputation, truly famed in ancient times; he restored the ruined enterprise of Ba and Han and won a name to match those of Zou and Lu. He exposed mountain demons to end lawsuits and faced the Star of Sacrifice to awaken his lord. Each time I touched these places to recall the man—only a shallow scholar could fail to see his worth. I praise the filial daughter of Meigan, who still rode a fine horse among the concubines; I grieve for the Wu people's harsh punishments and fear the tightening net about to fall. One sank melons in the river to prove his righteousness and pointed to the vast waters as his pledge; another floated his shoes to prove his integrity and walked into the flames—what doubt could remain? Truly moved by their righteousness, I grieved in my heart and felt the full weight of sorrow; I could only murmur in distant thought, ashamed before the fine verses of Handan Chun. I looked south toward Nanling and praised the steadfast resolve of the gate commander; When the Jin armies swept through, would not even a hedge give shelter? He sheltered old and weak in a doomed city and still struggled on, basket by basket. Though it was a small deed, like carrying a pitcher of water, it is just what gentlemen honor. A line is missing; this means the propriety of serving others. I entered the long inlet of Leichi Pool and recalled the noble traces of Wang Gong and Wang Dai; At Fish Official I stopped to take my meal, treading cold reeds where fresh bamboo shoots had sprung up. There were also those who lived as models of virtue and became bright spirits after death. Some abandoned their families to serve their lord, yet clasped hands in farewell to their parents; Some gave their lives upright for righteousness, and their grief moved the people in the markets. Thus their families called them models of filial piety, and the state called them able ministers. They raised bright banners among the honored dead, neighbors across different ages. I set out at dawn from the islet against the wind, struggling with the treacherous currents of Spirit Wu. The shores glittered yet the boats would not move forward; the waters churned the sand in sudden alarm. Heaven grew dim and lowered its shadow; fine rain came gathering in. Moved by the laborers' weariness, I often drew back the curtain and stood watching. Where the Jiang and Tuo divided their channels I looked toward the ferry crossing at Penghui; the journey was not yet half done, yet ten days had already passed.

於是千流共歸，萬嶺分狀；倒影懸高，浮天瀉壯。清江洗滌，平湖夷暢；飜光轉彩，出沒搖漾。岷山、嶓冢，悠遠寂寥；青湓、赤岸，控汐引潮。望歸雲之蓊蓊，揚清風之飄飄；界飛流於翠薄，耿長虹於青霄。若夫灌莽川涯，層潭水府，游泳之所往還，喧鳴之所攢聚。群飛沙漲，掩薄草渚；奇甲異鱗，雕文綷羽。聽寡鶴之偏鳴，聞孤鴻之慕侶；在客行而多思，獨傷魂而悽楚。美中流之衝要，因習坎以守固。旣固之而設險，又居之而務德。南通珠崖、夜郎，西款玉津、華墨。莫不內清姦宄，外弭苛慝，籬屏京師，事有均於齊德也。

Then a thousand streams converged as one, myriad peaks unfolded in every shape; Reflections hung high overhead; sky-floating waters poured forth in splendor. The clear river washed all clean; the level lake spread smooth and wide; Light wheeled and colors shifted; shadows rose and fell upon the swaying waves. Min Mountain and Bozhong stood far off in lonely silence; At Qingpen and Red Cliff the currents mastered the tides and drew the flood. I watched homebound clouds mass in green profusion; a light breeze rose, drifting free; Flying streams bound the green shallows; a bright rainbow spanned the azure sky. Then there were riverbanks overgrown with scrub, layered pools like watery palaces where swimmers came and went and clamor gathered in throngs. Birds flew in flocks above the sandbars, skimming the grassy shoals; Creatures of strange shell and exotic scale, etched plumage in woven colors. I heard a lone crane cry apart from the flock; I heard a solitary swan grieving for its mate; A guest on the road, my thoughts ran on; alone I mourned, my spirit broken with grief. Splendid is this mid-river choke point, fortified through the constant discipline of water's ways. They fortified it with natural barriers and, dwelling there, cultivated virtue as well. To the south it reaches Zhuya and Yelang; to the west it opens toward Yujin and Huamo. Inwardly they cleared out treachery and villainy; outwardly they stilled harsh cruelty — a fence and shield for the capital, matching in deed the virtue of Qi.

眄匡嶺以躊躇，想霞裳於雲仞；流姮娥之逸響，發王子之清韻。若夜光而可投，豈榮華之難擯。羨還丹其何術，佇一丸于來信。徑遵途乎鄂渚，迹孫氏之霸基；陳利兵而蓄粟，抗十倍之銳師。在賢才之必用，寧推誠而忍欺；圖富強以法立，屬貞臣而日嬉。識徐基於江畔，雲釣臺之舊址；方戰國之多虞，猶從容而宴喜。欽輔吳之忠諒，歎仲謀之虛己；處君臣而並得，良致霸其有以。伊文侯之雅望，誠一代之偉人；禰觀書以心服，玉比德而譽均。遘時雄之應運，方協義以經綸；名旣逼而愈賞，言雖聞而彌親。惜勤王於延獻，俾漢京之惟新；何天命其弗與，悲盛業之未申。汎蘆洲以延佇，聞伍員之所濟；出懷珠而免仇，歸投金以答惠。彼無求於萬鐘，唯長歌而鼓郐世；慨斯誠之未感，乃沈軀以明誓。空負恨其何追，徒臨飡而先祭；及旋師於鄭國，美邀福於來裔。入郢都而抵掌，壯天險之難窺；允分荊之勝略，成百代之良規。賈生方於指大，應侯譬之木披。所以居宗振末，強本弱枝，聞古今之通制，歷盛衰而不移，可不謂然與，美經國之遠體也。

I lingered gazing at Mount Lu, recalling immortals in cloud robes upon the cloud-crowned peaks; There floated Chang'e's lingering notes, and Wangzi's clear melody rose. If a night-shining pearl could be offered up, how could glory be hard to renounce? I wondered by what art one might refine the elixir, and waited for a single pellet borne in a letter from afar. The road ran straight to the isles of E; I traced the Sun clan's foundations of empire; They arrayed sharp weapons and hoarded grain, standing against a foe ten times their strength. When men of talent must be put to use, one would rather show sincerity than practice deceit; They sought wealth and power through law, and daily entrusted themselves to loyal ministers. I recognized Xu Ji's legacy on the riverbank, the old site of the Fishing Terrace; Even in the peril of the Warring States he still feasted at leisure in tranquil joy. I honored those who served Wu with loyal candor and marveled at Sun Quan's humility before his men; Ruler and minister each had their place — no wonder he achieved the hegemony, and with good reason. Prince Wen, in his noble repute, was truly a great man of his generation; Mi Heng read and submitted his heart; men compared him to jade in virtue and equal renown. Meeting a hero of the age who answered Heaven's mandate, he was just then aligning with righteousness to order the realm; Though fame pressed close, it was prized all the more; though his words were heard abroad, intimacy only deepened. Alas — he marched to aid the throne at Yanxian and made the Han capital new again; Why did Heaven not grant him its mandate? I grieve that his great work was never fulfilled. I drifted at Reed Isle and lingered, thinking of Wu Zixu's crossing here; He fled with a pearl hidden in his bosom to escape his enemy, then returned and cast gold into the river to repay a kindness. He wanted no vast stipend — only to sing his grief and beat out the rhythm of a fallen age; Grieving that his sincerity went unheeded, he drowned himself to declare his vow. What use is regret now? Nothing can be undone — men mourn him even before the feast begins; When the army returned from Zheng, he won blessing for generations to come; He entered the capital of Ying and laughed in triumph — how formidable its natural defenses had seemed; His strategy of partitioning Chu stands as a master plan for ages. Jia Yi compared it to pointing at what was already larger; Lord Ying likened it to cleaving wood along the grain. To hold the center firm and strengthen the branches, to fortify the root and weaken the limbs — this is the enduring law of ages, unchanged through rise and fall. Can one deny it? How fine is this fundamental principle of governing a state.

酌忠言於城郢，播終古之芳猷；忘我躬之匪閱，顧社稷而懷憂。服莊王之高義，乃征名於夏州；恥蹊田之過罰，納申叔之嘉謀。觀巫臣之獻箴，鑒《周書》以明喻；何自謀其多僻，要桑中而遠赴。若葆申之誅丹，實匡君以成務；在兩臣而優劣，居二主其並裕。臨赤崖而慷愾，榷雄圖於魏武；乘戰勝以長驅，志吞吳而幷楚。總八州之毅卒，期姑蘇而振旅；時有便乎建瓴，事無留于蕭斧。霸孫赫其霆奮，杖邁俗之英輔；裂宇宙而三分，誠決機乎一舉。嗟玄德之矯矯，思興復於舊京；招臥龍於當世，配管仲而稱英。收散亡之餘弱，結與國而連橫，延五紀乎岷漢，紹四百於炎精。望巴丘以邅回，遵洞庭而敞恍，沉輕舟而不繫，何靈胥之浩蕩。眺君、褊之雙峰，徒臨風以增想；償瑤觴而一酌，駕彩蜺而獨往。

At the walls of Ying he offered loyal counsel, spreading a noble design through the ages; He forgot himself and his own body, thinking only of the realm and its altars with worry in his heart. Honoring King Zhuang's noble righteousness, Shen Zhu was summoned by name from Xia; Ashamed of the harsh penalty for treading the fields, the king accepted Shen Shuqi's wise counsel. I recalled Wuchen's admonition and took the Book of Zhou as a clear mirror for his lesson; Why then did Wuchen scheme so crookedly, clinging to Sangzhong and fleeing to the distance? Like Bao Shen when he executed the prince — truly reforming his lord to fulfill the state's work; Between the two ministers one sees strength and weakness; under two rulers both found their measure of success. At Red Cliff I stood inflamed with feeling, recalling the grand design of Cao Cao; Riding on victory he drove forward, intent on swallowing Wu and merging with Chu. He mustered resolute soldiers from eight provinces, aiming for Gusu to bring his army home in triumph. The moment favored him as water poured from a high eave; nothing could stay the stroke of the axe. Hegemon Sun blazed forth like lightning; he relied on extraordinary ministers beyond the common run; He split the universe into three realms, truly deciding fate at one decisive stroke. How lofty was Liu Bei, set on restoring the old capital; He called Zhuge Liang from seclusion and was hailed as a hero worthy of Guan Zhong. He gathered the scattered weak and made alliances abroad; for five reigns he held Min and Han, carrying on the four centuries of the Han mandate. I gazed toward Baling and wound back; following Dongting I felt dazed and open; the light boat drifts without mooring — how vast are the waters of Spirit Wu! I gazed at the twin peaks of Jun and Bian, and facing the wind my longing only grew; I poured one libation from a jade cup and would ride the rainbow alone to go.

爾乃南奠衡、霍，北距沮、漳；包括沅、澧，汲引瀟、湘。滮滮長邁，漫漫回翔；蕩雲沃日，吐霞含光。青碧潭嶼，萬頃澄澈；綺蘭從風，素沙被雪。雜雲霞以舒卷，間河洲而斷絕；回曉仄於中川，起長飆而半滅。稅遺構之舊浦，瞻汨羅以隕泗；豈懷寶而迷邦，猶殷勤而一致。蘊芳華以襞積，非黨人之所媚；合《小雅》之怨辭，兼《國風》之美志。譬彈冠而振衣，猶自別於泥滓；且殺身以成義，寧露才而揚己？悲先生之不辰，逢椒、蘭之妒美；有驊騮而不馭，焉遑遑於千里。旣踐境以思人，彌流連其無已。修行潦之薄薦，敢憑誠於沼沚。謁黃陵而展敬，奠瑤席乎川湄。具蘭香以膏沐，懷椒糈而要之。延帝子於三後，降夔、龍於九疑。騰河靈之水駕，下太一之靈旗。撫安歌以會儛，疏緩節而依遲。日徘徊以將暮，情眇默而無辭。慍秦皇之巡幸，尤土壤以加戮；昧天道之無親，勤望祀以祈福。將人怨而神怒，故飛川而蕩谷；推冥理以歸諐，遂刊山而赭木。

South it reaches Mount Heng and Mount Huo; north it meets the Ju and Zhang rivers; It embraces the Yuan and Li rivers and draws up the Xiao and Xiang. Waters surge and sweep far onward; vast and slow they wheel and soar; They drench the clouds and wash the sun; they breathe rosy mist and hold the light. Blue-green pools and islets span ten thousand acres of limpid clarity; Orchids lean in the wind like brocade; white sand wears a mantle of snow. Cloud and sunset light rolled and unfurled together; river islets broke the view in fragments; Dawn slanted across midstream; a long wind rose and half put out the light. I moored at the old harbor of vanished ruins and looked upon the Miluo, where tears fall like rain; Had he truly cherished treasure and lost his way in the state? He remained earnest, single-minded to the end. His virtue layered like folded blossoms — not offered to flatter the factions; His laments joined the anguished verses of the Lesser Ya, and his spirit united the noble aims of the Kingdoms' Airs. Like straightening one's cap and shaking out one's robe, he still kept himself apart from the mud; He gave his life to fulfill righteousness — would he rather display his talent and glorify himself? I grieve that the Master was born at the wrong time, facing the jealous beauty of Pepper and Orchid; With a fine steed yet none to drive it, how could he race a thousand leagues? Having entered this land I think of him, and my lingering sorrow knows no end. I set out a humble offering gathered from the shallows, daring to offer my sincerity at the marshy shore. I visited the Yellow Mounds to pay reverence and laid jade mats on offerings at the river's edge. I prepared orchid fragrance for ablution and bore peppered millet to summon the spirits. I called the emperor's daughters and the Three Sovereigns, and summoned Kui and Long down from Jiuyi. The River Spirit soared on his watery chariot; the Spirit of Grand Unity lowered his sacred banners. I set the soothing song to the dance and eased the slow rhythm into lingering delay. The sun loitered toward evening; my heart was still and mute, without words. I resent Qin Shihuang's tour of the region, above all his slaughter of the land itself; Blind to Heaven's impartial way, he busied himself with sacrifices on distant peaks to beg blessing. When men resent and spirits rage, rivers burst forth and scour the valleys; He read into fate's dark design and laid the blame there; he carved the mountains and stained the trees red.

於是下車入部，班條理務，砥課庸薄，夕惕兢懼。存問長老，隱卹氓庶，奉宣皇恩，寬徭省賦。遠哉盛乎，斯邦之舊也。有虞巡方以託終，夏后開圖而疏決，太伯讓嗣以來遊，□臣祈仙而齊潔。固是明王之塵軌，聖賢之蹤轍也。若夫屈平《懷沙》之賦，賈子遊湘之篇，史遷摛文以投弔，揚雄《反騷》而沉川。其風謠雅什，又是詞人之所流連也。亦有仲寧、咸德，仍世相繼，父子三台，緇衣改敝。古初抱于烈火，劉先高而忤世，蔣公琰之弘通，桓柏緒之匡濟，鄧兗時之絕述，谷思恭之藻麗，實川嶽之精靈，常間出而無替也。至於殊庭之客，帝鄉之賢，神奔鬼化，吐吸雲煙。玉笥登之而卻老，金人植杖以尊泉，蘇生騎龍而出入，處靜駕鹿以周旋。配北燭之神女，偶南榮之偓佺。時髣髴其遙見，亦往往而有焉。

Then I stepped down from my carriage and entered my command; I arranged policies and ordered affairs, tested the shallow and unworthy, and kept watch each night in anxious care. I visited the elders, comforted the people in their hidden grief, proclaimed the emperor's grace, and eased corvée and reduced taxes. How vast and how glorious is the ancient legacy of this land! Emperor Shun toured the realm and ended his days here; Yu the Great opened the land and dredged the waters; Taibo yielded the throne and came to wander these shores; a minister, name lost to the text, prayed for immortality and kept pure rites. These are truly the dusty tracks of enlightened kings and the footfalls of sages and worthies. Consider Qu Yuan's rhapsody "Embracing the Sand," Jia Yi's verses on the Xiang, Sima Qian's prose cast as a river offering, and Yang Xiong's "Counter-Sorrow," written as he went down into the stream. Their folk songs and elegant odes are what poets have lingered over ever since. There were Zhongning and Xiande as well, generation after generation in unbroken succession — father and son both reaching the Three Ducal Platforms, their black robes worn to rags from long service. Gu Chu who embraced the flames; Liu Xiang, lofty and at odds with his age; Jiang Gongyan's broad mastery; Huan Boxu's saving of the realm; Deng Kuanshi's incomparable writings; Gu Sigong's ornate brilliance — truly the spirits of river and mountain, appearing again and again through the ages without fail. Then there are the guests of the wondrous courts and the worthies of the immortals' realm — spirits in flight, ghosts transfigured, inhaling and exhaling cloud and mist. On Mount Yuqie one climbs and turns back old age; the golden man planted his staff to honor the sacred spring; Master Su rode a dragon to and fro; Chujing drove a deer as he moved through the world. He took as consort the goddess of North Zhu; he joined with Wonuo of Nanrong. At times one seems to glimpse them from afar; they appear here and there even now.

爾乃歷省府庭，周行街術，山川遠覽，邑居近悉。割黔中以置守，獻青陽而背質，鄒生所謂還舟，楚王於焉乘馹。巡高山之累仞，褒吳文之爲宰；彼非劉而八王，皆國亡而身醢。在長沙而著令，經五葉其未改；知天道之福謙，勝一時之經始。尋太傅之故宅，今築室以安禪；邑無改于舊井，尚開流而冽泉。懷伊、管之政術，遇庸臣而見遷；終被知於時主，嗟漢宗之得賢。受齊君之遠託，豈理謝而生全；哀懷王之不秀，遂抱恨而傷年。脩定祀于北郭，對林野而幽藹；庶無吐于馨香，祀瓊茅而沃酹。景十三以啓國，惟君王其能大；迨炎正之中微，實斯籓而是賴。顧四阜之紆餘，乍升高以遊目；審山川之面帶，將取名於衡麓。下彌漫以爽塏，上欽虧而重復；風瑟瑟以鳴松，水琤琤而響谷。低四照於若華，竦千尋於建木。冀囂塵之可屏，登岩阿而寤宿。舍域中之常戀，慕遊仙之靈族。是時涼風暮節，萬實西成，華池迥遠，飛閣淒明。嘉南州之炎德，愛蘭蕙之秋榮。下名柑於曲榭，采芳菊於高城。樹羅軒而並列，竹被嶺而叢生。翫棲禽之夕返，送旅雁之晨征。悲去鄉而遠客，寄覽物而娛情。惟傳車之所騖，實鷹揚其是掌，或解組以立威，乍露服而加賞。遵聖主之恩刑，荷天地之厚德。沾河潤於九里，澤自家而刑國。闕小道之可觀，寧畏塗其易克；眄高衢而願騁，憂取累於長纆。聞困石之非據，承炯戒乎明則；愧壽陵之餘子，學邯鄲而匍匐也。

Then I toured the provincial offices and halls, walked every street and lane, looked far over mountains and rivers, and came to know the nearby towns in full detail. Qianzhong was carved away to establish garrisons; Qingyang was offered and the pledge reversed; here was the "returning boat" of which Zou Yan spoke, and here the King of Chu took the post relays. I climbed mountains piled many ren high, and praised Wu Wen's service as minister; those eight princes of the Sima clan — all lost their states and were minced to paste. Laws were established in Changsha and held unchanged through five generations; knowing that Heaven's Way blesses humility — a lesson better than any moment's founding enterprise. I sought the Grand Tutor's old residence, where now a chamber has been built for quiet meditation; the settlement unchanged from its old wells, where a cold, clear spring still flows. He cherished the governance of Yi Yin and Guan Zhong, yet met mediocre ministers and was transferred away; at last he won recognition from the ruler of the age — how fortunate the House of Han was to gain such a man. He received the distant trust of the Lord of Qi — how could reason fail and life be preserved? Grieving King Huai's lack of excellence, he nursed resentment and shortened his years. Sacrifices were restored at the north suburb, facing forest and wild in dim seclusion; hoping the fragrant offering would remain untainted, he sacrificed with jade grass and poured libation. King Jing, thirteenth of the line, opened the state — only such a prince could enlarge it; when the flame of Han declined midway, this fief alone was truly relied upon. Turning to the winding four hills, I suddenly climbed high and let my gaze roam; I examined how mountains and rivers gird the land, and would take my name from the foothills of Mount Heng. Below, all was broad, open, and bright; above, peaks bowed and folded in layers; The wind soughs and sighs among the pines; water chimes and rings through the valleys. Below lay the fourfold radiance of Ruohua; above rose a thousand fathoms toward the Jian Tree. I hoped the clamor of the world could be shut out, and climbed the cliff-side to wake and lodge there. I set aside the world's common longing and yearned for the spirit-clan of wandering immortals. At that time the cool wind marked the season's evening; ten thousand fruits ripened in the west; the flower-pool stretched far away; flying pavilions stood clear and chill. I praised the southern land's blazing virtue and loved the autumn glory of orchids and irises. Below, I tasted famous oranges at the winding pavilion; above, I gathered fragrant chrysanthemums on the high wall. Trees lined the galleries in rows; bamboo covered the ridge in clustered growth. I watched roosting birds return at dusk and saw migrating geese depart at dawn. Grieving one far from home, I entrusted my feelings to the things I viewed for solace. Where the relay carriage rushes on its course — truly the hawk's soaring is what the hand holds; sometimes one removes the seal-cord to establish authority, sometimes one briefly bares humble dress and receives reward. I follow the sage ruler's grace and punishment and bear Heaven and Earth's thick virtue. Like river-moisture reaching nine li, grace spreads from the household to govern the state. I leave aside the petty path that may be viewed — I would rather fear a road easy to traverse; I glance at the high thoroughfare and wish to gallop free, yet fear being tethered by a long lead. I have heard that a troubled stone is no fit seat; I take the bright warning of the clear rule; Like Shouling's leftover son, ashamed, I study Handan and crawl on all fours.

纘至州，停遣十郡慰勞，解放老疾吏役，及關市戍邏先所防人，一皆省併。州界零陵、衡陽等郡，有莫徭蠻者，依山險爲居，歷政不賓服，因此向化。益陽縣人作田二頃，皆異畝同穎。纘在政四年，流人自歸，戶口增益十餘萬，州境大安。

When Zuan reached the province, he halted his progress and sent envoys to ten commanderies to offer comfort; he released aged and infirm clerks and corvée laborers, and consolidated all market guards, frontier garrisons, and previously posted personnel. Within the province, in commanderies such as Lingling and Hengyang, Mo Yao tribesmen lived in mountain fastnesses; through successive administrations they had not submitted, but now they turned toward civilization. In Yiyang County people planted fields of two qing, and every separate plot bore identical ears of grain. Zuan governed for four years; displaced people returned of their own accord; registered households increased by more than a hundred thousand; and the province was greatly at peace.

太清二年，徵爲領軍，俄改授使持節、都督雍梁北秦東益郢州之竟陵司州之隨郡諸軍事、平北將軍、寧蠻校尉。纘初聞邵陵王綸當代己爲湘州，其後定用河東王譽，纘素輕少王，州府候迎及資待甚薄，譽深銜之。及至州，遂託疾不見纘，仍檢括州府庶事，留纘不遣。會聞侯景寇京師，譽飾裝當下援，時荊州刺史湘東王赴援，軍次郢州武城，纘馳信報曰：「河東已豎檣上水，將襲荊州。」王信之，便回軍鎮，荊、湘因構嫌隙。尋棄其部伍，單舸赴江陵，王卽遣使責讓譽，索纘部下。旣至，仍遣纘向襄陽，前刺史岳陽王察推遷未去鎮，但以城西白馬寺處之。會聞賊陷京師，詧因不受代。州助防杜岸紿纘曰：「觀岳陽殿下必不容使君，使君素得物情，若走入西山，招聚義衆，遠近必當投集，又帥部下繼至，以此義舉，無往不克。」纘信之，與結盟約，因夜遁入山。岸反以告詧，仍遣岸帥軍追纘。纘衆望岸軍大喜，謂是赴期，旣至，卽執纘並其衆，並俘送之。始被囚縶，尋又逼纘剃髮爲道人。其年，詧舉兵襲江陵，常載纘隨後。及軍退敗，行至湕水南，防守纘者慮追兵至，遂害之，棄尸而去，時年五十一。元帝承制，贈纘侍中、中衛將軍、開府儀同三司。諡簡憲公。

In the second year of Taiqing he was summoned as Commander of the Palace Guard; shortly afterward he was reassigned Bearer of the Staff of Authority, with command over Yong, Liang, Northern Qin, Eastern Yi, Jingzhou's Jingling, and Sizhou's Suicommandery, as General Who Pacifies the North and Colonel Pacifying the Barbarians. At first Zuan heard that Prince Shaoling Lun would replace him as Governor of Xiangzhou; afterward Prince of Hedong Yu was appointed instead. Zuan had always looked down on the young prince, and the provincial offices' welcome and provisions were very meager — Yu deeply resented it. When Yu reached the province he feigned illness and refused to see Zuan; he inspected and took account of the provincial offices' affairs and detained Zuan without sending him on. It happened that word came Hou Jing was raiding the capital; Yu prepared to go downstream in relief. At that time the Governor of Jingzhou, the Prince of Xiangdong, was hurrying to the rescue, his army halting at Wucheng in Ezhou. Zuan urgently sent word saying: "The Prince of Hedong has already raised sails upstream and is about to attack Jingzhou." The prince believed it, turned his army back to garrison, and Jing and Xiang thus bred mutual suspicion. Before long Yu abandoned his troops and took a lone boat to Jiangling; the prince immediately sent an envoy to rebuke Yu and demand Zuan's subordinates. When Yu arrived, he still sent Zuan toward Xiangyang; the former Governor, Prince of Yueyang Cha, had deferred transfer and not yet left his post, but only lodged him at White Horse Temple west of the city. Word then came that the bandits had taken the capital; Cha therefore refused to accept replacement. The provincial aide Du An deceived Zuan, saying: "From what I can see, Prince Yueyang will surely not tolerate the Governor. The Governor has always won the people's hearts; if you flee into the western hills and gather a righteous host, those near and far will surely rally to you. When your subordinates follow in succession, with such a righteous rising nothing will fail." Zuan believed him, formed a covenant, and by night fled into the mountains. An instead reported this to Cha and sent An leading troops in pursuit of Zuan. Zuan's followers saw An's army and rejoiced greatly, thinking help had arrived on schedule; once they came near, they seized Zuan together with his followers and sent them captive. At first he was imprisoned and bound; soon afterward they forced Zuan to shave his head and become a Daoist priest. That year Cha raised troops and attacked Jiangling, always keeping Zuan with him. When the army retreated in defeat and reached the south bank of the Jianshui, those guarding Zuan feared pursuing troops would arrive; they killed him, abandoned the corpse, and fled. He was fifty-one. Emperor Yuan, acting on imperial authority, posthumously awarded Zuan Attendant-in-Ordinary, General of the Central Guard, and the ceremonial honors of Grand Master with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon, equal to the Three Excellencies. He was given the posthumous title Duke Jianxian.

纘有識鑒，自見元帝，便推誠委結。及元帝卽位，追思之，嘗爲詩，其《序》曰：「簡憲之爲人也，不事王侯，負才任氣，見余則申旦達夕，不能已已。懷夫人之德，何日忘之。」纘著《鴻寶》一百卷，文集二十卷。

Zuan had discernment; from the time he met Emperor Yuan he gave him sincere trust and close alliance. When Emperor Yuan took the throne he recalled him fondly and once composed a poem; its Preface says: "Jianxian as a man did not serve kings and lords; he relied on talent and bore his spirit proudly. When he saw me he would talk from dawn till dusk without cease. How could I ever forget a kindness such as his?" Zuan wrote the Hongbao in one hundred scrolls and a collected works in twenty scrolls.

次子希，字子顏，早知名，選尚太宗第九女海鹽公主。承聖初，官至黃門侍郎。

His second son Xi, styled Ziyan, was known early for his reputation; he was selected to marry the ninth daughter of Emperor Taizong, Princess Haiyan. At the beginning of the Chengsheng era he rose to the office of Gentleman of the Yellow Gate.

綰字孝卿，纘第四弟也。初爲國子生，射策高第。起家長兼秘書郎，遷太子舍人，洗馬，中舍人，並掌管記。累遷中書郎，國子博士。出爲北中郎長史、蘭陵太守，還除員外散騎常侍。時丹陽尹西昌侯蕭淵藻以久疾未拜，敕綰權知尹事，遷中軍宣城王長史，俄徙御史中丞。高祖遣其弟中書舍人絢宣旨曰：「爲國之急，惟在執憲直繩，用人本不限升降。晉宋之世，周閔、蔡廓並以侍中爲之，卿勿疑是左遷也。」時宣城王府望重，故有此旨焉。大同四年元日，舊制僕射中丞坐位東西相當，時綰兄纘爲僕射，及百司就列，兄弟導騶，分趨兩陛，前代未有也，時人榮之。歲餘，出爲豫章內史。綰在郡，述《制旨禮記正言》義，四姓衣冠士子聽者常數百人。

Wan, styled Xiaoqing, was the fourth younger brother of Zuan. He first entered the Imperial Academy as a student and ranked high in the archery-and-essay examination. He began his career as Senior Concurrent Secretary of the Masters of Writing, then was transferred to Attendant of the Heir Apparent, Groom, and Household Attendant of the Heir Apparent — all while managing the records. He rose repeatedly to Gentleman of the Secretariat and Erudite of the Imperial Academy. He was sent out as Chief Administrator to the North General of the Army and Administrator of Lanling; on return he was made Supernumerary Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. At that time the Intendant of Danyang, Marquis of Xichang Xiao Yuanzao, because of long illness had not yet taken office; the emperor ordered Wan to act provisionally as Intendant. He was transferred to Chief Administrator to the Prince of Xuancheng's Central Army, and shortly afterward became Imperial Censor. The Emperor sent his younger brother, Palace Attendant Xuan, to proclaim the imperial will, saying: "The state's urgent need lies solely in holding the law straight and true; in employing men the root principle is not to limit by rank high or low. In the Jin and Song ages, Zhou Min and Cai Kuo both held the post while serving as Attendants-in-Ordinary — you need not suspect this is a lateral demotion." At that time the Prince of Xuancheng's establishment carried heavy prestige; hence this decree was issued. On New Year's Day of the fourth year of Datong, by old regulation the Vice Director and Imperial Censor sat east and west as equals. At that time Wan's elder brother Zuan was Vice Director; when the hundred offices took their places, the brothers' outriders led the way and they parted toward the two staircases — nothing like it in former ages, and men of the time honored them. After more than a year he was sent out to serve as Internal Administrator of Yuzhang. While governing the commandery Wan lectured on the meaning of the Imperially Endorsed Correct Words on the Book of Rites; gentry of the four surname-clans and scholars who came to listen often numbered several hundred.

八年，安成人劉敬宮挾祅道，遂聚黨攻郡，內史蕭侻棄城走。賊轉寇南康、廬陵，屠破縣邑，有衆數萬人，進寇豫章新淦縣。南中久不習兵革，吏民恇擾奔散。或勸綰宜避其鋒，綰不從，仍修城隍，設戰備，募召敢勇，得萬餘人。刺史湘東王遣司馬王僧辯帥兵討賊，受綰節度，旬月間，賊黨悉平。

In the eighth year, Liu Jinggong of Ancheng embraced heterodox teachings and gathered a band to attack the commandery; Internal Administrator Xiao Tuo abandoned the city and fled. The bandits turned to raid Nankang and Luling, slaughtering and destroying counties and towns; they mustered several tens of thousands and advanced to raid Xingan County in Yuzhang. The south-central region had long been unused to war, and officials and people panicked and scattered in flight. Some advised Wan to avoid their sharp edge, but Wan would not follow; he repaired walls and moats, set battle preparations, and recruited the bold — obtaining more than ten thousand men. The Governor, the Prince of Xiangdong, sent Chief Administrator Wang Sengbian with troops to suppress the bandits; he accepted Wan's command, and within a month the bandit faction was entirely pacified.

十年，復爲御史中丞，加通直散騎常侍。綰再爲憲司，彈糾無所回避，豪右憚之。是時城西開士林館聚學者，綰與右衛朱异、太府卿賀琛遞述《制旨禮記中庸》義。

In the tenth year he again took up the censorate, with the added title Supernumerary Regular Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. Wan twice held the censorate; in impeachment and correction he avoided nothing, and the powerful and great feared him. At that time west of the city the Forest of Scholars Hall was opened to gather scholars; Wan together with Right Guard Zhu Yi and Minister of the Palace Granary He Chen lectured in turn on the meaning of the Imperially Endorsed Doctrine of the Mean in the Book of Rites.

太清二年，遷左衛將軍。會侯景寇至，入守東掖門。三年，遷吏部尚書。宮城陷，綰出奔，外轉至江陵。湘東王承制，授侍中、左衛將軍、相國長史，侍中如故。出爲持節、雲麾將軍、湘東內史。承聖二年，徵爲尚書右僕射，尋加侍中。明年，江陵陷，朝士皆俘入關，綰以疾免，後卒於江陵，時年六十三。

In the second year of Taiqing he was transferred to the post of General of the Left Guard. When Hou Jing raided up to the capital, Wan entered to hold the Eastern Side Gate. In the third year he was transferred to the post of Minister of the Personnel Section. When the palace city fell, Wan fled outward and eventually made his way to Jiangling. The Prince of Xiangdong, acting on imperial authority, appointed him Attendant-in-Ordinary, General of the Left Guard, and Chief Administrator to the Chancellor, retaining Attendant-in-Ordinary as before. He was sent out as Bearer of the Staff of Authority, General of the Cloud Pennant, and Internal Administrator of Xiangdong. In the second year of Chengsheng he was summoned as Vice Director of the Masters of Writing; shortly afterward he was given the added title Attendant-in-Ordinary. The next year Jiangling fell; court gentlemen were all taken captive into the north. Wan was excused because of illness and afterward died at Jiangling. He was sixty-three.

次子交，字少遊，頗涉文學，選尚太宗第十一女安陽公主。承聖二年，官至太子洗馬，秘書丞，掌東宮管記。

His second son Jiao, styled Shaoyou, was quite versed in letters and was selected to marry the eleventh daughter of Emperor Taizong, Princess Anyang. In the second year of Chengsheng he rose to Groom of the Heir Apparent and Secretariat Director, with charge of the Eastern Palace records.

陳吏部尚書姚察曰：太清版蕩，親屬離貳，纘不能叶和籓岳，成溫陶之舉，苟懷私怨，構隙瀟湘，遂及禍於身，非由忠節；繼以江陵淪覆，實萌於此。以纘之風格，卒爲梁之亂階，惜矣哉。 [1]

Yao Cha, Minister of the Personnel Section of Chen, remarked: In the upheaval of Taiqing, kin turned against kin. Zuan could not reconcile the frontier princes as Wen and Tao had done; nursing private grievances, he opened a rift in the Xiang region and brought ruin upon himself — not out of loyal integrity; The subsequent fall of Jiangling had its roots in this. Given Zuan's standing and influence, he in the end became a stepping-stone to the Liang dynasty's collapse — a tragedy indeed. Editorial footnote marker in the source text.

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 Zhonghua Shuju edition of the Book of Liang (May 1973).

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