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耶律韓八耶律唐古蕭朮哲 〈（藥師奴）〉 耶律玦耶律仆里篤
Yelu Hanba, Yelu Tanggu, and Xiao Paizhe (Yaoshinu)]〉 Yelu Jue and Yelu Pulidu
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耶律韓八
Yelu Hanba
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耶律韓八，字嘲隱，倜儻有大志，北院詳穩古之五世孫。 太平中，遊京師，寓行宮側，惟囊衣匹馬而已。 帝微服出獵，見而問之曰：「汝為何人？」 韓八初不識，漫應曰：「我北院部人韓八，來覓官耳。」 帝與語，知有長才，陰識之。 會北院奏南京疑獄久不決，帝召韓八馳驛審錄，舉朝皆驚。 韓八量情處理，人無冤者。 上嘉之。 籍群牧馬，闕其二，同事者考尋不已，韓八略不加詰，即先馳奏，帝益信任。 景福元年，為左夷離畢，徙北面林牙，眷遇優異。 重熙六年，改北院大王，政務寬仁，復為左夷離畢。 十二年，再為北院大王。 入朝，帝從容謂曰：「卿守邊任重，當實府庫、振貧乏以報朕。」 既受詔，愈竭忠謹，知無不言，便益為多。 卒，年五十五。 上聞，悼惜。 死之日，篋無舊蓄，椸無新衣，遣使吊祭，給葬具。
Yelu Hanba, style name Chaoyin, was dashing and ambitious, a fifth-generation descendant of Gu, Details Steady of the Northern Court. During the Taiping reign, he came to the capital and lodged by the traveling palace with nothing but a bag of clothes and one horse. The emperor went out hunting in disguise, saw him, and asked, "Who are you?" Hanba did not recognize him at first and answered offhandedly, "I am Hanba of the Northern Court tribes, here to seek an appointment." After speaking with him, the emperor perceived his great ability and marked him in secret. When the Northern Court reported that a doubtful case at Nanjing had long remained unsettled, the emperor summoned Hanba to ride post-haste and examine the records, and the whole court was astonished. Hanba judged each case on its merits, and no one was wrongfully convicted. The emperor commended him. When the collective herd horses were inventoried, two were missing; his colleagues kept investigating without end, but Hanba barely pressed the matter and first sent an urgent report to court, and the emperor trusted him all the more. In the first year of the Jingfu era he was made Left Yilibi, transferred to Northern Forest Ya, and received exceptionally generous favor. In the sixth year of Chongxi he was made Great King of the Northern Court; his administration was lenient and humane, and he again became Left Yilibi. In the twelfth year he again became Great King of the Northern Court. When he came to court, the emperor said at ease, "You bear heavy responsibility on the frontier; you should fill the treasuries and relieve the poor to repay Us." Once he received the edict, he became ever more utterly loyal and careful, spoke freely of whatever he knew, and his perquisites grew ever more numerous. He died at the age of fifty-five. When the emperor heard of it, he mourned and grieved. On the day of his death his chest held no old stores and his wardrobe no new clothes; the emperor sent envoys to mourn him and provide funeral goods.
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韓八平居不屑細務，喜慍不形。 嘗失所乘馬，家僮以同色者代之，數月不覺。
In ordinary life Hanba disdained petty affairs and never let pleasure or anger show on his face. Once he lost the horse he rode; a household servant replaced it with one of the same color, and for months he did not notice.
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耶律唐古
Yelu Tanggu
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耶律唐古，字敵隱，於越屋質之庶子。 廉謹，善屬文。 統和二十四年，述屋質安民治盜之法以進，補小將軍，遷西南面巡檢，歷豪州刺史、唐古部詳穩。 嚴立科條，禁奸民鬻馬於宋、夏界。 因陳弭私販安邊境之要。 太后嘉之，詔邊郡遵行，著為令。 朝議欲廣西南封域，黑山之西，綿亙數千里，唐古言：「戍壘太遠，卒有警急，赴援不及，非良策也。」 從之。 西番來侵，詔議守禦計，命唐古勸督耕稼以給西軍，田於臚朐河側，是歲大熟。 明年，移屯鎮州，凡十四稔，積粟數十萬斛，斗米數錢。 重熙間，改隗衍党項部節度使。 先是，築可敦城以鎮西域。 諸部縱民畜牧，反招寇掠。 重熙四年，上疏曰：「自建可敦城已來，西蕃數為邊患，每煩遠戍。 歲月既久，國力耗竭。 不若復守故疆，省罷戍役。」 不報。 是年，致仕。 乞勒其父屋質功於石，帝命耶律庶成制文，勒石上京崇孝寺。 卒，年七十八。
Yelu Tanggu, style name Diyi, was a son born to a concubine of Yuyue Wuzhi. He was upright and cautious, and skilled at literary composition. In the twenty-fourth year of Tonghe he presented Wuzhi's methods for pacifying the people and controlling bandits, was appointed Junior General, transferred to Southwest Circuit Inspector, and successively served as prefect of Haozhou and Details Steady of the Tanggu tribe. He strictly established regulations forbidding unscrupulous commoners from selling horses to the Song and Xia borderlands. He thereby set forth the essentials of ending private trade in order to secure the border. The empress dowager commended this, ordered the border commanderies to follow it, and enacted it as statute. The court debated expanding the southwestern frontier west of Black Mountain across thousands of li; Tanggu said, "If the garrisons are too far away, when sudden alarm arises relief cannot arrive in time — this is no sound policy." The court accepted his view. When western tribes invaded, an edict called for plans of defense; Tanggu was ordered to urge and supervise farming to supply the western army; fields were planted beside the Lujiong River, and that year brought a great harvest. The next year he moved the garrison to Zhenzhou; over fourteen harvests he accumulated several hundred thousand hu of grain, and rice sold for only a few cash per dou. During the Chongxi era he was made military commissioner of the Weiyan Tangut tribes. Previously Kedun City had been built to secure the Western Regions. The various tribes allowed the people to pasture livestock freely, which instead invited raids. In the fourth year of Chongxi he memorialized, "Since Kedun City was built, the western tribes have repeatedly troubled the border, each time requiring distant garrisons. As the years lengthened, the state's strength was exhausted. It would be better to hold the former borders again and reduce frontier garrison duty." There was no response. That year he retired from office. He asked that his father Wuzhi's achievements be carved on stone; the emperor ordered Yelu Shucheng to compose the text, which was inscribed at Chongxiao Temple in Shangjing. He died at the age of seventy-eight.
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蕭朮哲
Xiao Paizhe
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蕭朮哲，字石魯隱，孝穆弟高九之子。 以戚屬加監門衛上將軍。 重熙十三年，將衛兵討李元昊有功，遷興聖宮使。 蒲奴裏部長陶得裏叛，朮哲為統軍都監，從都統耶律義先擊之，擒陶得裏。 朮哲與義先不協，誣義先罪，免官。 稍遷西南面招討都監，坐事下獄，以太后言，杖而釋之。 清寧初，為國舅詳穩、西北路招討使，私取官粟三百斛，及代，留畜產，令主者鬻之以償。 後族弟胡睹到部發其事，帝怒，決以大杖，免官。 尋起為昭德軍節度使，徵為北院宣徽使。 九年，上以朮哲先為招討，威行諸部，復為西北路招討使。 訓士卒，增器械，省追呼，嚴號令。 人不敢犯，邊境晏然。 十年，入朝，封柳城郡王。 咸雍二年，拜北府宰相，為北院樞密使耶律乙辛所忌，誣朮哲與護衛蕭忽古等謀害乙辛。 詔獄無狀，罷相，出鎮順義軍。 卒，追王晉、宋、梁三國。 侄藥師奴。
Xiao Paizhe, style name Shiluyin, was the son of Gao Jiu, younger brother of Xiaomu. By virtue of imperial kinship he was made general of the Gate Guards. In the thirteenth year of Chongxi he led the guard troops against Li Yuanhao with merit and was promoted to director of the Xingsheng Palace. When the Punnuli chieftain Taodeli rebelled, Paizhe served as army superintendent and followed the commander-in-chief Yelu Yixian in the attack, capturing Taodeli. Paizhe did not get along with Yixian, falsely accused him of a crime, and had him removed from office. He was gradually promoted to southwest pacification superintendent; for an offense he was imprisoned, but at the empress dowager's word he was beaten with the staff and released. Early in Qingning he was imperial uncle Details Steady and northwest pacification commissioner; he privately took three hundred hu of official grain, and on leaving office left livestock for the custodian to sell in repayment. Later his clansman cousin Hudu came to the post and exposed the matter; the emperor was enraged, sentenced him to the great staff, and removed him from office. Soon he was reappointed military commissioner of Zhaode Army and summoned as northern court palace commissioner. In the ninth year, because Paizhe had earlier served as pacification commissioner and his authority extended through the tribes, he was again made northwest pacification commissioner. He trained the soldiers, increased weapons, reduced forced levies, and enforced strict orders. No one dared offend him, and the border was tranquil. In the tenth year he came to court and was enfeoffed as prince of Liucheng commandery. In the second year of Xianyong he was appointed northern chancellery chancellor; Yelu Yixin, northern court privy commissioner, envied him and accused Paizhe of plotting with the guardsman Xiao Hugu and others to harm Yixin. An imperial investigation found no substance to the charge; he was dismissed as chancellor and sent out to govern Shunyi Army. On his death he was posthumously enfeoffed as king of Jin, Song, and Liang — the three states. His nephew was Yaoshinu.
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藥師奴
Yaoshinu
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藥師奴，幼穎悟，謹禮法，補祗候郎君。 大康中，為興聖宮使，累遷同知殿前點檢司事。 上嘉其宿衛嚴肅，遷右夷離畢。 夏王李乾順為宋所攻，求解，帝命藥師奴持節使宋，請罷兵通好，宋從之。 拜南面林牙，改漢人行宮副部署。 乾統初，出為安東軍節度使，卒。
Yaoshinu was clever from childhood, careful in ritual and law, and was appointed attendant gentleman. During the Dakang era he was director of the Xingsheng Palace and was repeatedly promoted to vice director of the Palace Front Inspection Office. The emperor commended his stern palace guard service and promoted him to Right Yilibi. When the Xia king Li Qianshun was attacked by Song and sought relief, the emperor ordered Yaoshinu to go as envoy to Song bearing credentials, asking that hostilities cease and friendly relations be restored; Song agreed. He was appointed southern forest ya and transferred to deputy commissioner of the Han traveling palace. Early in Qiantong he went out as military commissioner of Andong Army and died.
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耶律玦
Yelu Jue
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耶律玦，字吾展，遙輦鮮質可汗之後。 重熙初，召修國史，補符寶郎，累遷知北院副部署事。 入見太后，後顧左右曰：「先皇謂玦必為偉人，果然。」 除樞密副使，出為西南面招討都監，歷同簽南京留守事、南面林牙。 皇弟秦國王為遼興軍節度使，以玦同知使事，多所匡正。 十年，復為樞密副使。 咸雍初，兼北院副部署。 及秦國王為西京留守，請玦為佐，從之。 歲中獄空者三，召為孟父房敞穩。 玦不喜貨殖，帝知其貧，賜宮戶十。 嘗謂宰相曰：「契丹忠正無如玦者，漢人則劉伸而已。 然熟察之，玦優於伸。」 先是，西北諸部久不能平，上遣玦問狀，執弛慢者痛繩之。 以酒疾卒。
Yelu Jue, style name Wuzhan, was a descendant of Khan Xianzhi of the Yaolian. Early in Chongxi he was summoned to compile the national history, appointed credential bearer gentleman, and was repeatedly promoted to vice commissioner of the northern court deputy office. On audience with the empress dowager, she looked back at those beside her and said, "The former emperor said Jue would surely prove a great man — and so it has come to pass." He was made vice privy commissioner, sent out as southwest pacification superintendent, and successively served as co-signatory of the Nanjing military governorship and southern forest ya. When the emperor's younger brother the Prince of Qin was military commissioner of Liaoxing Army, Jue was made co-administrator of the commission and corrected many matters. In the tenth year he again became vice privy commissioner. Early in Xianyong he concurrently held northern court vice commissioner. When the Prince of Qin became military governor of the Western Capital, he requested Jue as his assistant, and the emperor assented. Within the year the prisons were empty three times; he was summoned as Details Steady of the Mengfu House. Jue did not care for profit-seeking; the emperor knew he was poor and bestowed ten palace households on him. He once told the chancellor, "Among the Khitan none is so loyal and upright as Jue; among the Han, only Liu Shen. Yet on close examination, Jue surpasses Shen." Earlier the northwestern tribes had long gone unpacified; the emperor sent Jue to investigate, seized those who were negligent, and punished them severely. He died of an illness brought on by wine.
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耶律仆里篤
Yelu Pulidu
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耶律仆里篤，字燕隱，六院林牙突呂不也四世孫。 開泰間，為本班郎君。 有捕盜功，樞密使蕭樸薦之，遷率府率。 太平中，同知南院宣徽事，累遷彰聖軍節度使。 重熙十六年，知興中府，以獄空聞。 十八年，伐夏，攝西南面招討使。 十九年，夏人侵金肅軍，敗之，斬首萬餘級，加右武衛上將軍。 時近邊群牧數被寇掠，遷倒塌嶺都監以治之，桴鼓不鳴。 二十年，知金肅軍事。 宰相趙惟節總領邊城橋道芻粟，請貳，帝命仆里篤副之，以稱職聞。 清寧初，歷長寧、匡義二軍節度使，致仕。 咸雍間卒。 子阿固質，終倒塌嶺都監。
Yelu Pulidu, style name Yanyin, was a fourth-generation descendant of Tulubu, forest ya of the Six Courts. During the Kaitai era he was gentleman of the native company. For merit in capturing bandits, privy commissioner Xiao Pu recommended him, and he was promoted to colonel of the rate office. During the Taiping era he was vice commissioner of southern court palace affairs and was repeatedly promoted to military commissioner of Zhangsheng Army. In the sixteenth year of Chongxi he governed Xingzhong Prefecture and became known for keeping the prisons empty. In the eighteenth year, on the campaign against Xia, he acted as southwest pacification commissioner. In the nineteenth year the Xia attacked Jinsu Army; he defeated them, took more than ten thousand heads, and was made general of the Right Martial Guard. At the time the nearby border herds were repeatedly raided; he was transferred to superintendent of Daotaoling to remedy this, and the alarm drums fell silent. In the twentieth year he administered the affairs of Jinsu Army. Chancellor Zhao Weijie oversaw the bridges, roads, and fodder-grain of the border cities and requested a deputy; the emperor ordered Pulidu to serve under him, and Pulidu became known for performing his duties well. Early in Qingning he successively served as military commissioner of Changning and Kuangyi armies, then retired. He died during the Xianyong era. His son Aguzhi ended his career as superintendent of Daotaoling.
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論曰：韓八因帝微行，才始見售，及任以事，落落知大體，不負上之知矣。 唐古、術哲經略西北邊，勸農積粟，訓練士卒，敵人不敢犯。 玦以忠直見稱於上，仆裏篤以幹敏為宰相佐，在鎮俱以獄空聞。 之數人者，豈特甲胄之士，抑亦李牧、程不識之亞歟。
The commentary says: Because the emperor went in disguise, Hanba's talent first found its opportunity; once entrusted with affairs, he broadly grasped the great principles and did not fail the emperor's recognition of him. Tanggu and Paizhe administered the northwestern frontier, promoted farming and accumulated grain, trained the troops, and the enemy did not dare attack. Jue won praise at court for his loyalty and integrity; Pulidu was valued by the chancellor for his capability and keen judgment; and both became known in their regional commands for keeping the prisons empty. Were these men merely soldiers in armor, or were they also the equals of Li Mu and Cheng Bushi?