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卷一百十三 列傳第四十三: 逆臣中

Volume 113 Biographies 43: Rebellious Officials 2

Chapter 113 of 遼史 · History of Liao
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Chapter 113
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Xiao Han, Yelü Diepa, Yelü Lang, and Yelü Liuge Pendu)〉 Yelü Haishi, Yelü Dilie, and Xiao Ge
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使使 使 祿
Xiao Han, also called Dilie, whose style was Hanzhen, was the son of Chancellor Dilu. Early in the Tianzan era, Tang forces besieged Zhen Prefecture, and the military commissioner Zhang Wenli sent envoys begging for relief. Han received orders and marched to the rescue with Kang Moda; they took the city, killed the Tang general Li Sizhao, and seized Shicheng. At the start of the Huitong era, he commanded the Han-army guard corps. In the eighth year he campaigned against Jin, routed the Jin general Du Chongwei, and pursued him as far as Wangdu. Han submitted a memorial: "Have the army dismount and shoot. The emperor accepted his advice, and the troops advanced on foot. The enemy closed in at once with side arms, and our forces were beaten. The emperor repented and said, "This is what comes of heeding my own counsel! When the court entered Bian, he was made military commissioner of the Xuanwu Army. When the emperor died at Luancheng, Shizong succeeded him. On hearing the news, Han left his duties to Li Congmin and hurried straight to the imperial camp. That autumn Shizong and the empress dowager faced each other at Huanghe Hengdu, and no settlement had yet been reached. The empress dowager asked Han, "What grievance drove you to rebel? He answered, "My mother was innocent, yet Your Majesty put her to death—for that I cannot be without bitterness." Earlier Yelü Wuzhi had been imprisoned for siding with the empress dowager; when Han heard of it he was delighted, and at the prison he said, "You once claimed we were beneath you—now you sit in a cage; what of that?" Wuzhi answered, "I only hope you never come to this pass!" Han said nothing. In the second year of Tianlu he married the emperor's younger sister Abuli. Later he conspired to rebel with Tiande and was thrown into prison. He again joined with Tiyin Liuge and Liuge's younger brother Pendu in a plot; Yelü Shila reported it to Wuzhi, who rushed in to inform the throne, but Han and his fellows would not confess. The emperor did not wish to bring the matter to light, but Wuzhi argued strenuously that this could not stand, and the emperor ordered Wuzhi to investigate and try the case. Han confessed, yet the emperor ultimately set him free. He again conspired with the princess by letter to join Prince Ming'an Anduan in rebellion; Wuzhi obtained the letter and presented it to the throne, and Han was put to death after confessing.
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使西 祿
Liuge, whose style was Mingyin, was a son of Taizu's younger brother Yindishi. As a boy he was arrogant and brutal and loved to bully others; as a man he grew only more savage and cunning. Taizong disliked him and posted him to guard the Jiao frontier; he rose through repeated promotions to Grand Xiangwen of the southwestern border. In the tenth year of Huitong his uncle Anduan accompanied the emperor against Jin but came home early with illness and became Liuge's neighbor. When Shizong was proclaimed in the army, Anduan debated which side to take; Liuge was first to urge siding with Shizong and supported him with his tribal troops. The empress dowager had ordered the imperial younger brother Li Hu to march south with an army; Liuge and Anduan met him at Taide Spring. When battle was joined, Anduan was thrown from his horse. Prince Tiande galloped up and tried to run him through with a spear. Liuge shielded Anduan with his own body, shot at Tiande, and the arrow pierced his armor without touching his skin. Anduan remounted and fought on, and the younger brother's army was routed. Liuge and Anduan presented themselves at the imperial camp. After peace was made, the empress dowager asked Liuge, "What grievance made you rebel? He answered, "My father was innocent, yet Your Majesty killed him—that is my grievance." When the affair was settled, he was made tiyin for his service. During the Tianlu era he plotted rebellion with his younger brother Pendu, Prince Tiande, and the guard Xiao Han; Yelü Shila exposed the plot, but Liuge talked his way free. Later he invited the emperor to gamble, planning to murder him when he served wine; the emperor sensed it, the plot failed, and Liuge was imprisoned. One day the emperor summoned Liuge and gambled with him while a collar was locked about his neck. The emperor asked, "Did you really rebel? Liuge swore, "If I harbor rebellion in my heart, may I die of the thousand-headed carbuncle!" The emperor then pardoned him. Yelü Wuzhi argued strenuously that the offense was beyond pardon. The emperor ordered Wuzhi to investigate, and Liuge confessed everything. An edict spared his life and banished him to the Wugu tribe, where he did in fact die of the thousand-headed carbuncle. His younger brother Pendu.
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祿 使
Pendu was cruel and immensely strong, and his skin resembled snakeskin. Early in the Tianlu era he was appointed Pishi Xiangwen by virtue of his clan ties. In the second year he joined his elder brother Liuge in rebellion, was spared execution, and was sent to the Kirghiz. After his return he again took part in Chagai's rebellion and was executed by dismemberment.
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He had two younger half-brothers, Huagelü and Xijian. Early in the Yingli era they held no office, but as kinsmen of the imperial clan they were treated with great favor. In the third year someone accused Huagelü and Xijian of plotting treason with Prince Wei Wan; they were imprisoned but talked their way free. In the spring of the fourth year they rebelled again and were put to death.
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使 使
Haishi, whose style was Duogun, was a secondary son of Shilu, King of Sui. He was quick-witted and a gifted debater. In the fifth year of Huitong the court issued an edict calling for blunt counsel. Haishi was then eighteen; clad in a sheepskin coat, he rode an ox to the palace. The officials asked, "Why have you come? He answered, "To respond to the edict and speak my mind. If you do not dismiss me for being poor and young, I may yet qualify among those chosen to speak plainly." The officials reported this to the throne. The emperor was about to go hunting and sent word: "Wait until I return, and then you shall be received. Haishi said, "I came because Your Majesty is eager to find worthy men; yet now you put the hunt first. I shall take my leave." When the emperor heard this, he summoned Haishi at once, gave him a seat, and questioned him on the art of government. He ordered Prince Ming'an Anduan and Yelü Pode to test him; after several days they reported, "Haishi's ability is beyond what we can match. The emperor summoned Haishi and asked, "What sort of men were those who tested you?" He answered, "Anduan's speech has no restraint—it is like driving an empty cart down a steep slope; Pode is like wearing boots to stalk bustards across open country." The emperor laughed aloud. He was promoted to commissioner of the Palace Secretariat and repeatedly entrusted with important duties. Knowing he was poor, the emperor gave him gold vessels, which Haishi immediately distributed among his kin and friends. Later he followed the emperor against Jin and distinguished himself. When Shizong was proclaimed in the army, the empress dowager marched against him with troops at Huanghe Hengdu. The empress dowager sent Yelü Wuzhi to rebuke Shizong for proclaiming himself emperor. Wuzhi came before Shizong and delivered the empress dowager's message without yielding; Shizong sent Haishi to answer, and he too was unyielding; Shizong even told him, "When you see Wuzhi, have no fear! Haishi met the empress dowager and returned, having failed to satisfy the emperor. After peace was made, he oversaw the empress dowager's various bureaus. When Muzong succeeded, he plotted rebellion with Prince Ji Dilie and died in prison.
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使 使 使 殿 婿
Xiao Ge, whose childhood name was Huage and whose style was Hutujin, was the son of Heshang, linya of the Guoju-fang. He was quick-witted and full of schemes. Early in the Taiping era he rose through a series of promotions. Among the emperor's intimates he curried favor with flattery and grew close to them; his peers praised him, and so his name reached the throne. At the start of the Chongxi era he was appointed northern linya. In the twelfth year he became vice commissioner of the northern bureau of military affairs. At a feast with his intimates the emperor said to Ge, "I know your ability, which is why I promoted you myself—you must do your utmost! Ge replied, "I am without talent yet have wrongly won Your Majesty's favor; I can never repay you in the least, and can only offer my poor loyalty—how could I dare be remiss?" The following year he was appointed chancellor of the northern administration. In the fifteenth year he was made associate commissioner of the northern bureau of military affairs. Ge traded on imperial favor and held power alone; his colleagues were mere figureheads. At that time Yiliebi Yelü Yixian saw through Ge's treachery; at a court banquet he spoke of Ge's faults and warned that putting him in power would ruin the state. The emperor would not heed him. One day the emperor had Yixian play pitch-pot against Ge; Yixian, deep in his cups, said, "I may hold a minister's title in name only, but even if I cannot advance the loyal and drive out flatterers, how can I gamble with a traitor? Ge nursed a grudge and said with feigned lightness, "Sir, you are only jesting—surely that is going too far!" Yixian went on cursing him without stop. The emperor was furious, but the empress intervened: "Yixian is drunk and unruly; when he sobers he can be set right. The next day the emperor told Ge privately, "Yixian was insolent—you may punish him as you see fit." Ge replied, "Your Majesty knows Yixian's ability only too well! Yet everyone knows his loyalty and integrity. To punish him now for a drunken offense would surely disappoint public expectation." The emperor, impressed that Ge had borne the insult without striking back, favored him all the more. His feigned devotion and flattery of the throne were mostly of this kind. He was made commissioner of the southern bureau of military affairs, ranked by edict above the princes, and enfeoffed as Prince of Wu. He was transferred to oversee the northern bureau, promoted to Prince of Zheng, and made concurrent zhongshu ling. As the emperor's illness grew grave, he told Ge, "The throne cannot stand empty even for a day; if I do not recover, you should at once have the Prince of Yan and Zhao succeed me. In the first year of Qingning he again became southern commissioner of military affairs and was retitled Prince of Chu. He was transferred back to the northern bureau and shared control of the government with Guoju Xiao Ala. Ge often bent affairs to private ends, and Ala repeatedly reined him in; a breach opened between them, and Ala was sent out as regent of the Eastern Capital. At the southern suburban rites Ala came to court as custom required; the emperor asked the ministers about current affairs, and Ala spoke out on what helped and harmed the state in terms so forceful they cut deep. Seeing the emperor's displeasure, Ge slandered him: "Ala trades on imperial favor and shows disrespect to Your Majesty—this is not how a subject should behave. The emperor flew into a rage and had Ala strangled below the palace hall. Later the emperor learned of Ge's treachery, and imperial favor toward him gradually faded. In the eighth year he retired and was made King of Zheng. In the autumn of the ninth year Ge married his son to Chongyuan; Ge took part in the conspiracy and was executed by dismemberment.
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