1
耶律室魯 〈（歐裏斯）〉 王繼忠蕭孝忠陳昭袞蕭合卓
Yelü Shilu Orris)〉 Wang Jizhong, Xiao Xiaozhong, Chen Zhaogun, and Xiao Hezhuo
2
耶律室魯，字乙辛隱，六院部人。 魁岸美容儀。 聖宗同年生，帝愛之。 甫冠，補祗候郎君。 未幾，為宿直官。 及出師伐宋，為隊帥，從南府宰相耶律奴瓜、統軍使蕭撻覽略地趙、魏，有功，加檢校太師，為北院大王。 攻拔通利軍。 宋和議成，特進門下平章事，賜推誠竭節保義功臣。 以本部俸羊多闕，部人空乏，請以羸老之羊及皮毛歲易南中絹，彼此利之。 拜北院樞密使，封韓王。 自韓德讓知北院，職多廢曠，室魯拜命之日，朝野相慶。 從上獵松林，至沙嶺卒，年四十四，贈守司徒、政事令。 二子：十神奴、歐裏斯。 十神奴，南院大王。
Yelü Shilu, whose style was Yixin Yin, came from the Six Courts tribe. He was tall and striking, with a handsome presence. Born in the same year as Emperor Shengzong, he won the emperor's affection. As soon as he came of age, he was made an attendant gentleman. Before long he was assigned to night duty at court. When troops were sent against Song, he served as column commander under the Southern Chancellery chancellor Yelü Nugua and the army commander Xiao Talan, helping seize territory in Zhao and Wei. For this service he was promoted to acting grand preceptor and made grandee of the Northern Chancellery. He captured Tongli Circuit. After peace with Song was concluded, he was made specially advanced grand councilor of the Secretariat and granted the title Meritous Subject of Sincere Devotion and Steadfast Loyalty. Because stipend sheep for his tribe were chronically short and his tribesmen were impoverished, he asked to trade each year old or weak sheep and hides for southern silk, to the benefit of both sides. He was appointed commissioner of the Northern Chancellery and enfeoffed as Prince of Han. Ever since Han Derang had overseen the Northern Chancellery, many of its duties had lapsed; when Shilu took office, the court and the realm rejoiced together. While accompanying the emperor on a hunt in Songlin, he died at Shaling at the age of forty-four and was posthumously granted the ranks of acting minister over the masses and director of the secretariat. He had two sons: Shishennu and Orris. Shishennu rose to grandee of the Southern Chancellery.
3
歐裏思，字留隱，少有大志。 未冠，補祗候郎君。 開泰初，為本部司徒。 秩滿閑居，徵為郎君班詳穩。 遷右皮室詳穩，將本部兵，從東平王蕭排押伐高麗，至茶、陀二河，戰不利。 歐裏斯獨全軍還，帝嘉賞。 終西南面招討使。
Orris, whose style was Liuyin, had shown great ambition from youth. Before he came of age, he was made an attendant gentleman. At the opening of the Kai Tai era, he became minister of his tribe. When his term expired he retired to private life, then was recalled as overseer of the attendant gentlemen corps. He was promoted to overseer of the Right Pishi Guard and led his tribal forces with the Prince of Dongping, Xiao Paiya, against Goryeo; at the Cha and Tuo rivers the campaign went badly. Orris alone brought his force back intact, and the emperor commended him. He ended his career as commissioner for punitive campaigns in the southwest.
4
王繼忠，不知何郡人。 仕宋為鄆州刺史、殿前都虞候。 統和二十一年，宋遣繼忠屯定之望都，以輕騎覘我軍，遇南府宰相耶律奴瓜等，獲之。 太后知其賢，授戶部使，以康默記族女女之。 繼忠亦自激昂，事必盡力。 宋以繼忠先朝舊臣，每遣使，必有附賜，聖宗許受之。 二十二年，宋使來聘，遺繼忠弧矢、鞭策及求和劄子，有曰：「自臨大位，愛養黎元。 豈欲窮兵，惟思息戰。 每敕邊事，嚴諭守臣。 至於北界人民，不令小有侵擾，眾所具悉，爾亦備知。 向以知雄州何承矩已布此懇，自後杳無所聞。 汝可密言，如許通和，即當別使往請。」 詔繼忠與宋使相見，仍許講和。 以繼忠家無奴隸，賜宮戶三十，加左武衛上將軍，攝中京留守。 開泰五年，為漢人行宮都部署，封瑯邪郡王。 六年，進楚王，賜國姓。 上嘗燕飲，議以蕭合卓為北院樞密使，繼忠曰：「合卓雖有刀筆才，暗於大體。 蕭敵烈才行兼備，可任。」 上不納，竟用合卓。 及遣合卓伐高麗，繼忠為行軍副部署，攻興化鎮，月餘不下。 師還，上謂明於知人，拜樞密使。 太平三年致仕，卒。 子懷玉，仕至防禦使。
Wang Jizhong was a man of unknown native commandery. In Song service he held the posts of prefect of Yanzhou and chief adjutant of the Palace Front. In the twenty-first year of Tonghe, Song posted Jizhong at Wangdu in Ding prefecture; he led light cavalry to scout our forces, met the Southern Chancellery chancellor Yelü Nugua and others, and was taken prisoner. Recognizing his talent, the empress dowager made him commissioner of the household bureau and gave him a daughter of the Kang Mojiji clan in marriage. Jizhong likewise threw himself into his duties and spared no effort in whatever he undertook. Song treated Jizhong as a former minister of the prior dynasty and, whenever it sent envoys, always included gifts for him; Emperor Shengzong allowed him to accept them. In the twenty-second year a Song envoy arrived on a diplomatic mission and sent Jizhong a bow and arrows, a riding crop, and a memorial seeking peace, which read: "Since I took the throne, I have cherished and nurtured the people. I have no wish to exhaust the realm in war; I think only of ending the fighting. Whenever I issue orders on border affairs, I sternly instruct the frontier officials. As for the people on the northern frontier, I allow no harassment, however slight; everyone knows this, and you are fully aware of it as well. I had understood that He Chengju of Xiong prefecture had already conveyed this plea; since then I have heard nothing more. You may tell them privately that if they agree to peace, I shall immediately send another envoy to request it." The court ordered Jizhong to meet the Song envoy and authorized peace talks. Because Jizhong's household had no servants, he was granted thirty palace households; he was promoted to left martial guard general and made acting defender of the Central Capital. In the fifth year of Kai Tai he was made overall commander of the Han palace encampment and enfeoffed as prince of Langye commandery. In the sixth year he was advanced to Prince of Chu and granted the imperial clan surname. At a banquet the emperor once discussed appointing Xiao Hezhuo commissioner of the Northern Chancellery; Jizhong said, "Hezhuo may have a gift for paperwork, but he lacks grasp of the larger picture. Xiao Dilie has both talent and character and would be fit for the post." The emperor did not heed him and in the end appointed Hezhuo. When Hezhuo was dispatched against Goryeo, Jizhong served as deputy campaign commander; they attacked Xinghua garrison for more than a month without capturing it. After the army returned, the emperor declared that he had shown sound judgment of men and appointed him commissioner. In the third year of Taiping he retired from office and died. His son Huaiyu rose in service to the rank of defense commissioner.
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陳昭袞，小字王九，雲州人。 工譯鞮，勇而善射。 統和中，補祗候郎君，為奚拽剌詳穩，累遷敦睦宮太保，兼掌圍場事。 開泰五年秋，大獵，帝射虎，以馬馳太速，矢不及發。 虎怒，奮勢將犯蹕。 左右辟易，昭袞舍馬，捉虎兩耳騎之。 虎駭，且逸。 上命衛士追射，昭袞大呼止之。 虎雖軼山，昭袞終不墮地。 伺便，拔佩刀殺之。 輦至上前，慰勞良久。 即日設燕，悉以席上金銀器賜之，特加節鉞，遷圍場都太師，賜國姓，命張儉、呂德懋賦以美之。 遷歸義軍節度使，同知上京留守，歷西南面招討都監，卒。
Chen Zhaogun, known in youth as Wang Jiu, was a native of Yunzhou. He was skilled at Khitan interpretation, brave, and an excellent archer. During the Tonghe era he was made an attendant gentleman, then overseer of the Xi Zhuaila guard, and was repeatedly promoted to grand guardian of Dunmu Palace while also overseeing the imperial hunting grounds. In the autumn of the fifth year of Kai Tai, during a grand hunt, the emperor charged a tiger; his horse ran too fast and he could not loose his arrow in time. The tiger, enraged, gathered itself to charge the imperial train. Those around the emperor scattered; Zhaogun leapt from his horse, seized the tiger by both ears, and rode astride it. Terrified, the tiger bolted. The emperor ordered the guards to pursue and shoot, but Zhaogun shouted for them to stop. Though the tiger bounded over hill after hill, Zhaogun never fell. When he saw his chance, he drew his belt knife and killed it. Brought before the emperor's carriage, he was comforted and praised at length. That same day a banquet was held and every gold and silver vessel on the table was given to him; he was specially granted the command baton, promoted to grand master of the hunting grounds, granted the imperial clan surname, and Zhang Jian and Lü Demao were ordered to compose verses in his praise. He was made military commissioner of the Guiyi Army and associate defender of the Supreme Capital, later served as overall overseer of punitive campaigns in the southwest, and died in office.
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蕭合卓，字合魯隱，突呂不部人。 始為本部吏。 統和初，以謹恪，補南院侍郎。 十八年，北院樞密使韓德讓舉合卓為中丞，以太后遺物使宋。 還，遷北院樞密副使。 開泰三年，為左夷離畢。 合卓久居近職，明習典故，善占對。 以是尤被寵渥，升北院樞密使。 時議以為無完行，不可大用； 南院樞密使王繼忠侍宴，又譏其短。 帝頗不悅。 六年，遣合卓伐高麗，還，時求進者多附之； 然其服食、仆馬不加於舊。 帝知其廉，以族屬女妻其子，詔許親友饋獻，豪貴奔趨於門。 太平五年，有疾，帝欲臨視，合卓辭曰：「臣無狀，猥蒙重任。 今形容毀瘁，恐陛下見而動心。」 帝從之。 會北府宰相蕭樸問疾，合卓執其手曰：「吾死，君必為樞密使，慎勿舉勝己者。」 樸出而鄙之。 是日卒。 子烏古，終本部節度使。
Xiao Hezhuo, whose style was Helu Yin, came from the Tulübu tribe. He began as a clerk in his tribe. At the opening of the Tonghe era, his scrupulous diligence won him appointment as vice minister of the Southern Chancellery. In the eighteenth year the Northern Chancellery commissioner Han Derang recommended Hezhuo as chief censor and sent him to Song bearing the empress dowager's parting gifts. On his return he was made deputy commissioner of the Northern Chancellery. In the third year of Kai Tai he was made Left Yilibi. Hezhuo had long held posts close to the throne, was well versed in precedent, and excelled at court repartee. For this he was especially favored and promoted to commissioner of the Northern Chancellery. Contemporary opinion held that he lacked integrity and should not be entrusted with great responsibility; at a banquet the Southern Chancellery commissioner Wang Jizhong again mocked his shortcomings. The emperor was greatly displeased. In the sixth year Hezhuo was sent against Goryeo; on his return, many office-seekers flocked to him; yet his food, clothing, servants, and horses were no more lavish than before. The emperor recognized his integrity, gave a clanswoman in marriage to his son, and issued an edict permitting friends and kin to send gifts; the powerful and wealthy thronged his gate. In the fifth year of Taiping he fell ill; the emperor wished to visit him in person. Hezhuo declined, saying, "Your subject is without merit, yet I have presumptuously received a weighty post. My appearance is now wasted and haggard; I fear that if Your Majesty sees me, it will distress you." The emperor assented. When the Northern Prefecture chancellor Xiao Pu came to inquire after his illness, Hezhuo took his hand and said, "When I die, you are sure to become commissioner; be careful never to recommend anyone better than yourself." Pu left and despised him for it. That same day he died. His son Wugu ended his career as military commissioner of the tribe.
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論曰：統和諸臣，名昭王室者多矣。 室魯拜樞密使，朝野相慶，必有得民心者。 繼忠既不能死國，雖通南北之和，有知人之鑒，奚足尚哉！ 孝忠、昭袞，皆有可稱者。 合卓臨終，教蕭樸毋舉勝己者任樞密，其誤國之罪大矣！
Commentary: Among the ministers of the Tonghe era, many won renown for bringing glory to the royal house. When Shilu was appointed commissioner, court and countryside rejoiced together; he must surely have won the people's hearts. Jizhong, having failed to die for his state, may have brokered peace between north and south and shown discernment in judging men, but what is there to esteem in that! Xiaozhong and Zhaogun each had qualities worthy of praise. Hezhuo on his deathbed instructed Xiao Pu never to recommend anyone better than himself for the commissionership—a crime against the state of the gravest kind!