1
蕭惠 〈（慈氏奴）〉 蕭迂魯 〈（鐸盧斡）〉 蕭圖玉耶律鐸軫
Xiao Hui (Cishinu)〉 Xiao Yulu (Duoluwo)〉 Xiao Tuyu and Yelu Duozhen
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蕭惠，字伯仁，小字脫古思，淳欽皇后弟阿古只五世孫。 初以中宮親，為國舅詳穩。 從伯父排押征高麗，至奴古達北嶺，高麗阻險以拒，惠力戰，破之。 及攻開京，以軍律整肅聞，授契丹行宮都部署。 開泰二年，改南京統軍使。 未幾，為右夷離畢，加同中書門下平章事。 朝議以遼東重地，非勛戚不能鎮撫，乃命惠知東京留守事。 改西北路招討使，封魏國公。 太平六年，討回鶻阿薩蘭部，征兵諸路，獨阻卜酋長直剌後期，立斬以徇。 進至甘州，攻圍三日，不克而還。 時直剌之子聚兵來襲，阻卜酋長烏八密以告，惠未之信。 會西阻卜叛，襲三克軍，都監涅魯古、突舉部節度使諧理、阿不呂等將兵三千來救，遇敵於可敦城西南。 諧理、阿不呂戰歿，士卒潰散。 惠倉卒列陣，敵出不意攻我營。 眾請乘時奮擊，惠以我軍疲敝，未可用，弗聽。 烏八請以夜斫營，惠又不許。 阻卜歸，惠乃設伏兵擊之。 前鋒始交，敵敗走。 惠為招討累年，屢遭侵掠，士馬疲困。 七年，左遷南京侍衛親軍馬步軍都指揮使，尋遷南京統軍使。
Xiao Hui, whose courtesy name was Boren and childhood name Tuogusi, was a fifth-generation descendant of Aguzhi, the empress's younger brother. He first entered service as Imperial Uncle xiangwen through his connection to the empress. When he joined his uncle Paiya on the Goguryeo campaign and reached North Ridge at Nuguda, the Koreans barred the mountain passes against them; Hui fought hard and defeated them. During the assault on Kaegyeong he won renown for disciplined command, and was appointed chief deployment commissioner of the Khitan mobile court. In Kaitai year 2 he was made military commissioner of the Southern Capital. Soon afterward he was named Right Yilibi and given the concurrent title of associate director in the Secretariat-Chancellery. Court opinion held that Liaodong was too important to entrust to anyone but meritorious imperial kin, so Hui was assigned to oversee the Eastern Capital prefect's office. He was transferred to northwestern route pacification commissioner and created Duke of Wei. In Taiping year 6, while suppressing the Aslan Uyghurs, levies were called from every route; only the Zhibu chieftain Zhila arrived late, and Hui had him beheaded on the spot as an example. The army pushed on to Ganzhou and besieged it for three days without success before withdrawing. Meanwhile Zhila's son was raising forces for a raid; the Zhibu chieftain Wuba sent word in secret, but Hui refused to credit the report. Just then the western Zhibu rose in revolt and struck the Sanke army; Nielugu the supervisory commissioner, Xieli military commissioner of the Tuju division, Abulü, and others marched three thousand men to relieve them and met the enemy southwest of Keden. Xieli and Abulü were killed in the fighting, and the troops broke and fled. Hui hurriedly drew up his lines, but the enemy took his camp by surprise. His men urged an immediate counterattack, but Hui judged the army too worn down to fight and refused. Wuba proposed a night raid on the enemy camp, and again Hui would not allow it. When the Zhibu turned back, Hui laid an ambush and attacked. The moment the vanguard clashed, the enemy broke and ran. Hui held the pacification commission for years; repeated incursions had left his men and horses worn out. In year 7 he was demoted to chief commander of the Southern Capital palace guard cavalry and infantry, then soon restored as military commissioner of the Southern Capital.
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十三年，夏國李元昊誘山南党項諸部，帝親征。 元昊懼，請降。 惠曰：「元昊忘奕世恩，萌奸計，車駕親臨，不盡歸所掠。 天誘其衷，使彼來迎。 天與不圖，後悔何及？」 帝從之。 詰旦，進軍。 夏人列拒馬於河西，蔽盾以立，惠擊敗之。 元昊走，惠麾先鋒及右翼邀之。 夏人千餘潰圍出，我師逆擊。 大風忽起，飛沙瞇目，軍亂，夏人乘之，蹂踐而死者不可勝計。 詔班師。 十七年，尚帝姊秦晉國長公主，拜駙馬都尉。 明年，帝復征夏國。 惠自河南進，戰艦糧船綿亙數百里。 既入敵境，偵候不遠，鎧甲載於車，軍士不得乘馬。 諸將咸請備不虞，惠曰：「諒祚必自迎車駕，何暇及我？ 無故設備，徒自弊耳。」 數日，我軍未營。 候者報夏師至，惠方詰妄言罪，諒祚軍從阪而下。 惠與麾下不及甲而走。 追者射惠，幾不免，軍士死傷尤眾。 師還，以惠子慈氏奴歿於陣，詔釋其罪。
In year 13, Li Yuanhao of Xia won over the Shannan Tangut tribes, and the emperor took the field in person. Fearing the imperial advance, Yuanhao offered to submit. Hui said, "Yuanhao has forgotten generations of imperial favor and plotted treason; even with the emperor himself on campaign, he still will not return all he has taken. Heaven has turned his heart and sent him out to meet the imperial host. If we let heaven's offer slip away, regret will come too late." The emperor accepted his counsel. At dawn the army marched forward. The Xia drew up barricades west of the river and stood behind shields; Hui broke their line. Yuanhao fled, and Hui sent the vanguard and right wing to cut him off. Over a thousand Xia troops broke through the encirclement, and our forces turned to strike them. A sudden gale whipped up blinding sand; the army fell into chaos, the Xia pressed the advantage, and countless men were trampled to death. The emperor ordered the army to withdraw. In year 17 he wed the emperor's elder sister, the Princess of Qin-Jin, and was made commandant escort. The following year the emperor marched against Xia once more. Hui advanced from Henan with a river fleet of warships and supply boats stretching for hundreds of li. After crossing into enemy territory he posted scouts only close at hand, stowed armor on wagons, and kept his men off their horses. The generals all urged precautions against surprise; Hui replied, "Liangzuo will surely come out to greet the emperor himself—what time will he have for us? Arming for nothing would only exhaust us." For days the army made no camp. When scouts reported the Xia army's approach, Hui was still rebuking them for false alarm—just as Liangzuo's forces poured down the slope. Hui and his staff fled before they could arm themselves. Pursuers shot at Hui and nearly killed him; the toll among the troops was especially heavy. On the army's return, because Hui's son Cishinu had fallen in battle, the emperor pardoned his defeat.
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十九年，請老，詔賜肩輿入朝，策杖上殿。 辭章再上，乃許之，封魏國王。 詔冬夏赴行在，參決疑議。 既歸，遣賜湯藥及他錫賚不絕。 每生日，輒賜詩以示尊寵。 清寧二年薨，年七十四，遺命家人薄葬。 訃聞，輟朝三日。
In year 19 he asked to retire; the emperor granted him a sedan chair for court audience and permission to enter the hall with a walking staff. After he petitioned twice more, retirement was granted and he was created King of Wei. He was commanded to attend the mobile court each winter and summer to help settle doubtful matters. Once home, imperial gifts of medicine and other honors arrived in an unbroken stream. Each birthday brought an imperial poem testifying to his favored standing. He died in Qingning year 2 at seventy-four, leaving instructions for a simple burial. On news of his death the court mourned for three days.
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惠性寬厚，自奉儉薄。 興宗使惠恣取珍物，惠曰：「臣以戚屬據要地，祿足養廉，奴婢千餘，不為闕乏。 陛下猶有所賜，貧於臣者何以待之。」 帝以為然。 故為將雖數敗衄，不之罪也。
Hui was generous of temperament and lived modestly. Emperor Xingzong urged him to help himself to treasures; Hui replied, "As imperial kin in high office, my stipend suffices for honest living, and with more than a thousand servants I want for nothing. If Your Majesty still bestows gifts on me, what hope have men poorer than I?" The emperor agreed. Hence although he suffered several defeats as a commander, he was never punished.
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弟虛列，武定軍節度使。 二子：慈氏奴，兀古匿。 兀古匿終北府宰相。 慈氏奴字寧隱。 太平初，以戚屬補祗候郎君。 上愛其勤慎，升閘撒狘，加右監門衛上將軍。 西邊有警，授西北路招討都監，領保大軍節度使。 政濟恩威，諸部悅附。 入為殿前副點檢，歷烏古敵烈部詳穩。 征李諒祚，為統軍都監，與西北路招討使敵魯古率蕃部諸軍由北路趨涼州，獲諒祚親屬。 夏人扼險以拒，慈氏奴中流矢卒，年五十一，贈中書門下平章事。
His younger brother Xulie served as military commissioner of the Wuding Army. He had two sons: Cishinu and Wuguni. Wuguni eventually became chancellor of the Northern Court. Cishinu, styled Ningyin. Early in the Taiping era he entered service as an attendant gentleman through his imperial connections. The emperor valued his diligence and discretion, raised him to zhisanu, and made him a senior general of the Right Jianmen Guard. When trouble arose on the western frontier, he was named supervisory commissioner for northwestern pacification and military commissioner of the Baoda Army. He governed with both kindness and force, and the tribes gladly submitted. He returned to court as deputy front palace inspector and later served as xiangwen over the Wugu and Dilie tribes. In the campaign against Li Liangzuo he served as army supervisory commissioner; with Dilugu, the northwestern pacification commissioner, he led the frontier tribal forces north toward Liangzhou and took Liangzuo's relatives prisoner. The Xia held the mountain passes against them; Cishinu took an arrow and died at fifty-one, and was posthumously made grand councilor of the Secretariat-Chancellery.
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蕭迂魯，字胡突堇，五院部人。 父約質，歷官節度使。 迂魯重熙間為牌印郎君。 清寧九年，國家既平重元之亂，其黨郭九等亡，詔迂魯追捕，獲之，遷護衛太保。 咸雍元年，使宋議邊事，稱旨，知殿前副點檢事。 五年，阻卜叛，為行軍都監，擊敗之，俘獲甚眾。 初，軍出止給五月糧，過期糧乏，士卒往往叛歸。 迂魯坐失計，免官，降戍西北部。 未行，會北部兵起，迂魯將烏古敵烈兵擊敗之，每戰以身先，由是釋前罪，命總知烏古敵烈部。 九年，敵烈叛，都監耶律獨叠以兵少不戰，屯臚朐河。 敵烈合邊人掠居民，迂魯率精騎四百力戰，敗之，盡獲其輜重。 繼聞酋長合術三千餘騎掠附近部落，縱兵躡其後，連戰二日，斬數千級，盡得被掠人畜而還。 值敵烈黨五百餘騎劫捕鷹戶，逆擊走之，俘斬甚眾，自是敵烈勢沮。 時敵烈方為邊患，而阻卜相繼寇掠，邊人以故疲弊。 朝廷以地遠，不能時益援軍，而使疆圉帖然者，皆迂魯力也。 帝嘉其功，拜左皮室詳穩。 會宋求天池之地，詔迂魯兼統兩皮室軍屯太牢古山以備之。 大康初，阻卜叛，遷西北招討都監，從都統耶律趙三征討有功，改南京統軍都監、黃皮室詳穩。 未幾，遷東北路統軍都監，卒。 弟鐸盧斡。
Xiao Yulu, whose courtesy name was Hutujin, came from the Wuyuan Division. His father Yuezhi had served as military commissioner. During the Chongxi period Yulu served as seal and credential gentleman. In Qingning year 9, after the Chongyuan rebellion was crushed, fugitives such as Guo Jiu were ordered hunted down; Yulu captured them and was promoted to grand guardian of the guard. In Xianyong year 1 he was sent to Song on border negotiations; the mission pleased the throne, and he was put in charge of the deputy front palace inspectorate. In year 5, when the Zhibu rebelled, he served as campaign supervisory commissioner, routed them, and took many captives. Originally the troops were rationed for only five months; when supplies ran out, many soldiers deserted home. Yulu was stripped of office for poor planning and sent to garrison the northwest. Before he could leave, an uprising broke out in the north; Yulu led Wugu and Dilie forces to victory, fighting at the front in every engagement; his earlier fault was forgiven and he was placed in overall charge of the Wugu and Dilie tribes. In year 9, when the Dilie rebelled, supervisory commissioner Yelu Dudie held the Luchu River with too few men to engage. The Dilie joined with frontier raiders to plunder settlements; Yulu charged with four hundred picked cavalry, routed them, and seized their entire baggage train. Learning that chieftain Heshu was raiding neighboring tribes with more than three thousand horsemen, he pursued them for two days of fighting, took thousands of heads, recovered all captives and livestock, and returned. He intercepted more than five hundred Dilie riders looting the falconers' camps, drove them off with heavy losses, and from then on Dilie strength collapsed. The Dilie were then the chief frontier threat, and Zhibu raids followed one after another until the border people were exhausted. Though the court could not promptly reinforce so distant a frontier, the border stayed quiet—entirely through Yulu's exertions. The emperor rewarded his service with appointment as Left Pishi xiangwen. When Song pressed a claim to Tianchi, Yulu was ordered to take command of both Pishi armies and encamp at Tailaogu Mountain in readiness. Early in the Dakang era, when the Zhibu rebelled, he became northwestern pacification supervisory commissioner; campaigning under commander-in-chief Yelu Zhaosan he distinguished himself and was made southern capital army supervisory commissioner and Yellow Pishi xiangwen. Soon afterward he was transferred to northeastern route army supervisory commissioner and died in office. His younger brother was Duoluwo.
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鐸盧斡，字撒板。 幼警悟異常兒。 三歲失母，哭盡哀，見者傷之。 及長，魁偉沈毅，好學，善屬文，有才幹。 年三十始仕，為朝野推重，給事北院知聖旨事。 大康二年，乙辛再入樞府，鐸盧斡素與蕭巖壽善，誣以罪，謫戍西北部。 坐皇太子事，特恩減死，仍錮終身。 在戍十餘年，太子事稍直，始得歸鄉里，屏居謝人事。 一日臨流，聞雉鳴，三復孔子「時哉」語，作古詩三章見誌。 當時名士稱其高情雅韻，不減古人。 壽隆六年卒，年六十一。 乾統初，贈彰義軍節度使。
Duoluwo, whose courtesy name was Saban. Even as a child he showed an unusual quickness of mind. When he lost his mother at three, he wept with such grief that all who saw him were moved. Grown to manhood he was tall and steady, devoted to learning, gifted in prose, and capable in affairs. He entered service only at thirty, already esteemed at court and beyond, and served in the Northern Court office for imperial edicts. In Dakang year 2, when Yixin returned to the Privy Council, Duoluwo—who had long been close to Xiao Yanshou—was framed and sent to garrison the northwest. Implicated in the crown prince affair, he was spared death by special grace but imprisoned for life. After more than ten years in exile, as the crown prince's case gradually cleared, he returned home and withdrew from public life. One day beside a stream he heard a pheasant cry, repeated three times Confucius's remark on timeliness, and wrote three old-style poems to mark his thoughts. Contemporary men of letters praised his refined spirit and literary grace as the equal of the ancients. He died in Shoulong year 6 at the age of sixty-one. Early in the Qiantong era he was posthumously made military commissioner of the Zhangyi Army.
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蕭圖玉，字兀衍，北府宰相海璃之子。 統和初，皇太后稱制，以戚屬入侍。 尋為烏古部都監。 討速母縷等部有功，遷烏古部節度使。 十九年，總領西北路軍事。 後以本路兵伐甘州，降其酋長牙懶。 既而牙懶復叛，命討之，克肅州，盡遷其民於土隗口故城。 師還，詔尚金鄉公主，拜駙馬都尉，加同政事令門下平章事。 上言曰：「阻卜今已服化，宜各分部，治以節度使。」 上從之。 自後節度使往往非材，部民怨而思叛。 開泰元年十一月，石烈太師阿裏底殺其節度使，西奔窩魯朵城，蓋古所謂龍庭單于城也。 已而阻卜復叛，圍圖玉於可敦城，勢甚張。 圖玉使諸軍齊射卻之，屯於窩魯朵城。 明年，北院樞密使耶律化哥引兵來救，圖玉遣人誘諸部皆降。 帝以圖玉始雖失計，後得人心，釋之，仍領諸部。 請益軍，詔讓之曰：「叛者既服，兵安用益？ 且前日之役，死傷甚眾，若從汝謀，邊事何時而息？」 遂止。 會公主坐殺家婢，降封郡主，圖玉罷使相。 尋起為烏古敵烈部詳穩。 以老代還，卒。 子雙古，南京統軍使。 孫訛篤斡，尚三韓郡王合魯之女骨浴公主，終烏古敵烈部統軍使，以善戰名於世。
Xiao Tuyu, whose courtesy name was Wuyan, was the son of Northern Court chancellor Haili. Early in the Tonghe era, when the empress dowager held regency, he entered court service through imperial connections. He was soon made supervisory commissioner of the Wugu tribe. For merit in campaigns against Sumulü and other tribes he was promoted to military commissioner of the Wugu tribe. In year 19 he assumed overall command of northwestern military affairs. Later he led the route's army against Ganzhou and forced chieftain Yalan to surrender. When Yalan rebelled again, he was ordered to suppress him, captured Suzhou, and resettled the entire population in the old city at Tuweikou. On the army's return he was matched with the Princess of Jinxiang, made commandant escort, and given the concurrent titles of associate director of the directorate of affairs and grand councilor of the chancellery. He memorialized the throne: "Now that the Zhibu have submitted, they should be divided into separate divisions and governed by military commissioners." The emperor approved. Thereafter the commissioners were often unfit men, and the tribes grew resentful and restless. In the eleventh month of Kaitai year 1, Grand Preceptor Alidi of the Shilie killed his military commissioner and fled west to Woluduo—the ancient Dragon Court of the Chanyu. Soon the Zhibu rebelled again and besieged Tuyu at Keden with overwhelming force. Tuyu had his troops fire in unison and drive them back, then encamped at Woluduo. The following year Northern Court privy councilor Yelu Huage marched to relieve him; Tuyu sent envoys to win over the tribes, and all surrendered. Though Tuyu had blundered at first, the emperor pardoned him for winning the tribes' loyalty afterward and left him in command. When he asked for reinforcements, an edict rebuked him: "The rebels have already submitted—why add troops? And the last battle cost us dearly—if I followed your counsel, when would the frontier ever know peace?" The request was denied. When the princess was punished for killing a servant, she was demoted to commandery princess and Tuyu was stripped of his commissioner and chancellor titles. He was soon restored as xiangwen over the Wugu and Dilie tribes. He was relieved on account of age, returned home, and died. His son Shuanggu served as military commissioner of the Southern Capital. His grandson Eduohe married Princess Guyu, daughter of the Prince of Sanhan Commandery, Helu; he ultimately served as army commissioner of the Wugu and Dilie tribes and won renown throughout the realm as a fighter.
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耶律鐸軫，字敵輦，積慶宮人。 仕統和間。 性疏簡，不顧小節，人初以是短之。 後侵宋，分總羸師以從。 及戰，取緋帛被介胄以自標顯，馳突出入敵陣，格殺甚眾。 太后望見喜，召謂之曰：「卿戮力如此，何患不濟！」 厚賞之。 由是多以軍事屬任。 俄授東北詳穩。 開泰二年，進討阻卜，克之。 重熙間，歷東北路統軍使、天德軍節度使。 十七年，城西邊，命鐸軫相地及造戰艦，因成樓船百三十艘。 上置兵，下立馬，規制堅壯，稱旨。 及西征，詔鐸軫率兵由別道進，會於河濱。 敵兵阻河而陣，帝御戰艦絕河擊之，大捷而歸，親賜卮酒。 仍問所欲，鐸軫對曰：「臣幸被聖恩，得效駑力，萬死不能報國，又將何求！」 帝愈重之，手書鐸軫衣裙曰：「勤國忠君，舉世無雙。」 卒於官，年七十。 子低烈，歷觀察、節度使。
Yelu Duozhen, whose courtesy name was Dilian, came from the Jiqing Palace faction. He entered service during the Tonghe period. Careless in manner and heedless of minor decorum, he was at first criticized for it. Later, on the Song campaign, he was given command of a weakened detachment. In battle he draped crimson silk over his armor to make himself conspicuous, then charged repeatedly through the enemy lines and killed many in hand-to-hand fighting. The empress dowager saw him from afar and was delighted; summoning him she said, "With such exertion as yours, how can we fail!" She rewarded him generously. Thereafter military affairs were largely entrusted to him. He was soon appointed Northeast xiangwen. In Kaitai year 2 he marched against the Zhibu and subdued them. During the Chongxi period he served successively as northeastern route military commissioner and military commissioner of the Tiande Army. In year 17, while fortifying the western frontier, Duozhen was ordered to survey the terrain and build warships, completing one hundred thirty tower ships. With fighting decks above and horses stabled below, the design was stout and pleased the throne. On the western expedition Duozhen was ordered to lead troops by a separate route and rendezvous at the river. The enemy drew up across the river; the emperor crossed in a warship and routed them; on his triumphant return he personally offered Duozhen a cup of wine. Asked what reward he wished, Duozhen replied, "I have been honored with imperial grace and offered what poor strength I have; a thousand deaths would not repay the state—what more could I ask?" The emperor valued him the more and inscribed Duozhen's robe: "In service to the state and loyalty to the throne, unmatched under heaven." He passed away while in office, aged seventy. His son Dilie held successive posts as observation commissioner and military commissioner.
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論曰：初，遼之謀復三關也，蕭惠贊伐宋之舉，而宋人增幣請和。 狃於一勝，移師西夏，而勇智俱廢，敗潰隨之。 豈非貪小利、迷遠圖而然。 況所得不償所亡，利果安在哉？ 同時諸將撫綏邊圉，若迂魯忠勤不伐，鐸魯斡高情雅韻，鐸軫雖廉不逮蕭惠，而無邀功啟釁之罪，亦庶乎君子之風矣。
The commentators observe: When Liao first plotted to retake the Three Passes, Xiao Hui urged war on Song, and the Song court bought peace with increased tribute. Drunk on a single victory, they turned against Western Xia until courage and judgment alike failed them, and defeat followed. Was this not the price of grasping at small gains while losing sight of the larger design? When gains could not offset losses, where was the profit to be found? Among frontier commanders of the same era, Yulu served with loyal diligence and no self-aggrandizement; Duoluwo bore himself with refined integrity; and though Duozhen's modesty fell short of Xiao Hui's, none of them sought credit or provoked conflict—they came near, at least, to the mark of a gentleman.