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卷十六 本紀第十六 武宗

Volume 16 Annals 16: Wuzong

Chapter 16 of 明史 · History of Ming
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Chapter 16
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1
Emperor Wuzong.
2
Emperor Wuzong—honored after death as one who bore Heaven, penetrated the Way, and united sagely solemnity, sagacious illumination, manifest achievement, expansive culture, reflective filial piety, and resolute purpose—was named Zhu Houzhao and was the eldest son of Emperor Xiaozong. His mother was Empress Xiaokangjing. In Hongzhi five he was formally named crown prince. He was clever by nature and devoted to riding and archery.
3
西 殿
In the fifth month of Hongzhi eighteen Emperor Xiaozong died. On renyin Zhu Houzhao ascended the throne. The following year was declared the first year of the Zhengde reign; a general amnesty was proclaimed; and tax and grain arrears dating before Hongzhi sixteen were forgiven. On wushen the Little Prince struck Xuanfu and routed Regional Commander Zhang Jun. On gengxu the eunuch Miao Kui was put in charge of the campaign, Defender of the State Zhu Hui was named General Who Subdues the Barbarians and overall commander, and Right Censor-in-Chief Shi Lin directed operations against the invader. In the eighth month of autumn, on jiayin, the empress dowager was elevated to grand empress dowager and the empress was made empress dowager. On bingzi Zhu Hui and his command were ordered home. In the ninth month, on jiawu, Nanjing was struck by an earthquake. On dingyou the court sent famine relief to Shaanxi. In the tenth month of winter, on bingchen, the Little Prince raided Gansu. On gengwu the late Xiaozong Emperor was buried at Tailing. In the eleventh month, on jiashen, the emperor attended daily lectures in the Wenhua Hall. That year Champa and Annam sent tribute missions.
4
西 西
In the first year of Zhengde, in the first month of spring, on yiyou, he offered sacrifice at the Grand Ancestral Temple. On jichou he offered the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. In the second month, on renzi, he attended the Classics Lecture. On yichou he performed the ceremonial ploughing at the Sacred Field. In the third month, on jiashen, he offered the libation sacrifice to Confucius. In the fifth month of summer, on bingshen, the court cut the annual Suzhou and Hangzhou weaving levy. In the sixth month, on xinyou, luxury among officials and commoners was banned. Tax grain was forgiven in disaster-hit Shaanxi. That same day a violent storm shattered the animal figures on the suburban altar. On gengwu the emperor ordered his ministers to undertake court-wide self-examination. In the eighth month of autumn, on yimao, the court again dispatched inner eunuchs to run the Nanjing imperial workshops. On wuwu Lady Xia was enthroned as empress. In the tenth month of winter, on dingsi, Minister of Revenue Han Wen led the court in demanding the execution of eight disordering eunuchs led by Ma Yongcheng; Grand Secretaries Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian headed the memorial. On wuwu Han Wen and his allies petitioned again; the emperor refused. Liu Jin took the Directorate of Ceremonial; Qiu Ju and Gu Dayong ran the Eastern and Western Depots; Zhang Yong commanded the Twelve Barracks and the Divine Engine Corps; Wei Bin commanded the Three Thousand Barracks—each seizing a choke point of power. Liu Jian, Li Dongyang, and Xie Qian asked to resign; Liu Jian and Xie Qian left office that same day. On jiwei Li Dongyang again asked to resign; the throne would not release him. On renxu Minister of Personnel Jiao Fang joined the Grand Secretariat as Wenyuan grand secretary, and Vice Minister Wang Ao entered as Hanlin academician; both took up deliberation of state affairs. On wuchen daily lectures were halted. In the eleventh month, on jiachen, Han Wen was removed from office. In the twelfth month, on dingsi, Brocade Guard officers were ordered to audit the supervising secretaries. On guiyou land tax owed by the Kong clan of Qufu was forgiven. That year Hami and U-Tsang sent tribute missions.
5
In the second year, on the new moon yihai of the first month of spring, there was a solar eclipse. On yiyou he offered the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. In the intercalary month, on gengxu, supervising secretaries Ai Hong, Lü Chong, and Liu Qian, with Nanjing colleagues Dai Xian and Censor Bo Yanhui and twenty others, were flogged at the palace gate. In the second month, on wuxu, Censor Wang Liangchen was flogged at the Meridian Gate and Censor Wang Shizhong was paraded in the cangue at the Censorate. In the third month, on xinwei, an edict rebuked the court for factionalism, naming Grand Secretaries Liu Jian and Xie Qian and Ministers Han Wen, Yang Shousui, Zhang Fuhua, and Lin Han among fifty-three men. That month the throne ordered military eunuchs at every garrison to take part in criminal trials and local administration. In the fifth month of summer, on wuwu, forty thousand Buddhist and Daoist clergy received ordination. On jisi the personal guard of Prince of Ning Zhu Chenhao was restored. In the sixth month, on jiaxu, Emperor Xiaozong's spirit tablet was placed in the Grand Ancestral Temple. On wuyin work on the frontier walls was stopped and the appropriation was diverted to Beijing. In the eighth month of autumn, on bingxu, the Leopard House was constructed. In the tenth month of winter, on jiashen, frontier grand coordinators and grain officials were thrown into prison. On bingxu Yang Tinghe, Nanjing vice minister of revenue, entered the Grand Secretariat as Wenyuan grand secretary. In the twelfth month, on renchen, the court opened silver mines in Zhejiang, Fujian, and Sichuan. That year Ryukyu sent a tribute mission.
6
滿
In the third year, in the first month of spring, on dingwei, he offered the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. On xinhai the triennial review of provincial officials was held; by secret edict Hanlin Academician Wu Yan and Censor Yang Nanjin were removed. In the second month, on jisi, capital officials who exceeded leave limits or had been ill a full year were forced to retire. In the third month, on yimao, Lü Nan and other metropolitan graduates received jinshi and lower degrees in due order. In the fourth month of summer, on yihai, military men and civilians who paid silver could buy appointments as low as vice commander of the guard. In the sixth month, on renchen, an anonymous placard was found on the imperial roadway and the ministers were made to kneel outside the Gate of Heavenly Felicity for questioning. Over three hundred men were cast into the Brocade Guard prison and soon afterward freed. In the seventh month of autumn, on renzi, the throne ordered every province to choose musicians for Beijing. In the eighth month, on xinsi, an inner depot was founded under Liu Jin's control. On gengyin Han Wen was imprisoned in the Brocade Guard and fined one thousand piculs of grain to be delivered at Datong. That month bandit gangs appeared in Shandong. In the ninth month, on maoyin, the official registers of retired ministers Yong Tai, Ma Wensheng, Xu Jin, and Liu Daxia were expunged. On xinyou Liu Daxia was arrested, jailed, and exiled to Suzhou. On guihai the court sent famine relief to Nanjing. In the tenth month of winter, on xinwei, Nanjing vice minister of works Bi Heng relieved famine in Huguang and Henan. In the eleventh month, on yiwei, relief was sent to famine-stricken Fengyang and neighboring prefectures. That year Annam, Hami, Samarkand, and U-Tsang sent tribute missions.
7
使 西西
In the fourth year, in the first month of spring, on bingwu, he offered the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. In the second month, on bingxu, Liu Jian and Xie Qian were expunged from the official rolls. In the third month, on jiachen, famine relief was sent to Zhejiang. On jiyou Vice Minister Zhang Cai asked that capital officials be reviewed outside the regular schedule; the throne agreed. In the fourth month of summer, on yihai, Wang Ao left office. In the sixth month, on wuzi, Minister of Personnel Liu Yu joined the Grand Secretariat as Wenyuan grand secretary. In the eighth month of autumn, on xinyou, envoys were sent to inspect military colony lands on every frontier. That month the troops at Yizhou mutinied. In the intercalary ninth month the Little Prince struck Yan-sui and penned Regional Commander Wu Jiang inside Longzhou. In the eleventh month of winter, on jiazi, he raided Huamachi and Grand Coordinator Cai Kuan was killed in action. In the twelfth month, on gengxu, patents of honor were revoked from Liu Jian, Xie Qian, and six hundred seventy-five others. That year bandit uprisings broke out across Guangdong and Guangxi, Jiangxi, Huguang, Shaanxi, and Sichuan. Ryukyu, Annam, Hami, Turfan, and Samarkand sent tribute missions.
8
西
In the fifth year, in the first month of spring, on dingmao, he offered the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. On gengchen the property of the late Minister Qin Hong was inventoried for seizure. In the second month, on guisi, Minister of War Cao Yuan became minister of personnel and Wenyuan grand secretary. In the third month, on xinwei, the court prayed for rain, freed prisoners, and forgave tax and grain arrears from Zhengde three. On yiyou Jiangxi banditry flared; Right Censor-in-Chief Wang Zhe was sent to inspect southern Gan, and Minister of Punishments Hong Zhong was given overall command on the Sichuan-Shaanxi-Henan-Yunyang front while relieving famine in Huguang. In the fourth month of summer, on gengyin, Prince of Anhua Zhu Zhifan rose in rebellion and killed Grand Coordinator An Weixue and Regional Commander Jiang Han. On bingwu Right Censor-in-Chief Yang Yiqing was recalled to overall command in Ningxia, Yan-sui, Gansu, and Liang, and Earl of Divine Valor Shen Ying was named regional commander to crush Zhu Zhifan. On xinhai a general amnesty was proclaimed. The eunuch Zhang Yong was placed in overall charge of the Ningxia campaign. That same day Guerrilla General Qiu Yue stormed Zhu Zhifan's camp and took him prisoner; Ningxia was pacified. In the fifth month, on guiwei, Jiao Fang left office. In the sixth month, on gengzi, the emperor took the title Great Celebration Dharma King and had the appropriate office cast and present a seal. On bingwu Liu Yu was removed from office. In the seventh month of autumn, on renshen, Hong Zhong attacked the Mianyang bandits and suppressed them. In the eighth month, on jiawu, Liu Jin was thrown into prison for plotting rebellion. An edict declared that every policy altered after Zhengde two would be restored to the old order. On wuxu the court moved against Liu Jin's party and imprisoned Minister of Personnel Zhang Cai. On jihai Cao Yuan was removed from office. On dingwei the personal guard of the Prince of Ning was abolished. On wushen Liu Jin was put to death. On jiyou officials exiled to frontier garrison service were freed. In the ninth month, on bingchen, rewards were granted for pacifying Zhu Zhifan, and Qiu Yue was made Earl of Xianning. On wuwu Liu Zhong and Liang Chu, both ministers of personnel, entered the Grand Secretariat as Wenyuan grand secretaries and took up deliberation of state affairs. On jiwei, for crushing Zhu Zhifan and Liu Jin, Zhang Yong's elder brother Fu and younger brother Rong were both enfeoffed as earls. On guiyou the adopted son Commander Zhu De, Gu Dayong's brother Dakuan, Ma Yongcheng's brother Shan, and Wei Bin's younger brother Ying were all made earls. In the tenth month of winter, on jihai, Zhang Cai's corpse was hacked apart in the marketplace. In the twelfth month, on jichou, bandits seized Jiangjin and Assistant Commissioner Wu Jing was killed. That year envoys came with tribute from Japan, Champa, Hami, Samarkand, Turfan, and U-Tsang.
9
西 沿 西 調 調 使
In the first month of spring in year six, on jiazi, the emperor offered the great sacrifice to Heaven and Earth at the Southern Suburb. On guiyou bandits overran Yingshan and killed Assistant Commissioner Wang Yuan. In the second month, on bingchen, Zhu Zhifan was executed. On jiyou Left Censor-in-Chief Chen Jin was raised from retirement to overall command in Jiangxi and ordered to crush the bandits. In the third month, on wuchen, Yang Shen and other metropolitan graduates received jinshi and lower degrees in due order. On gengwu Earl of Hui'an Zhang Wei was named regional commander and Right Censor-in-Chief Ma Zhongxi directed operations against bandits in Zhili, Henan, and Shandong. On bingzi grain levies were forgiven for one year in prefectures and counties the bandits had ravaged. That same month the Little Prince entered the Ordos bend and struck frontier forts all along the line. In the fourth month of summer, on guiwei, Liu Zhong asked permission to return home and tend the ancestral graves. That month banditry broke out in Huai'an. In the sixth month bandits rose in Shanxi. In the seventh month of autumn, on renshen, bandits attacked Wen'an and the capital was placed on alert. On guiyou troops from Xuanfu and Yan-sui were called in to reinforce the capital. In the eighth month, on jimao, Vice Minister of War Lu Wan took frontier troops into the field against the bandits. In Sichuan Grand Coordinator Lin Jun captured and beheaded the bandit leaders Lan Tingrui and Yan Benshu. On jiashen the bandit Liu Liu struck Gu'an. On bingxu Zhang Wei and Ma Zhongxi were ordered home. In the ninth month, on bingyin, fresh troops from Xuanfu and Liaodong were sent to reinforce Lu Wan. In the tenth month of winter, on guiwei, bandits seized Changshan and Records Clerk Li Xian fell in battle. On jiashen bandits burned grain transports at Jining. On dingyou Vice Regional Commander Bai Cong of Gansu routed the Little Prince at Chaigou. In the eleventh month, on gengxu, the eunuchs Gu Dayong and Zhang Zhong and Baron of Fuxiang Mao Rui led capital armies to join Lu Wan against the bandits. On bingchen Vice Ministers Cong Lan and Wang Qiong of Revenue were sent to relieve famine in the two metropolitan regions, Henan, and Shandong. On wuwu the capital was struck by an earthquake. On xinyou an edict ordered officials to examine their conduct and practice austerity. On yihai the court ordered the burial of unburied corpses. In the twelfth month, on guisi, Minister of Rites Fei Hong joined the Grand Secretariat as Wenyuan grand secretary and took up deliberation of state affairs. On jiawu the Yellow River ran clear from Qinghe mouth to Liupu for three days. On xinchou bandits raided Cangxi and Vice Commissioner Feng Jie was defeated and killed. That year, from the capital districts through the Yangtze-Huai, Chu, and Shu, bandits killed officials; Shandong was worst hit, with more than ninety cities overrun and travel cut off. Ryukyu and Hami sent tribute missions.
10
簿 西使 西 西西
In the first month of spring in year seven, on jiayin, bandits attacked Bazhou and the capital was placed on alert. On dingsi the bandits seized Dacheng; Magistrate Zhang Ruzhou and Registrar Li Quan were killed fighting. On jiwei the emperor offered the great sacrifice to Heaven and Earth at the Southern Suburb. In the second month, on dingchou, Vice Censor-in-Chief Peng Ze and Earl of Xianning Qiu Yue directed operations against the Henan bandits while the eunuch Lu Yang oversaw the army. On jimao bandits attacked Laizhou; Commander Cai Xian and others fought to the end and fell. In the third month, on xinwei, Vice Regional Commander Shi Yuan was routed in Henan and Assistant Regional Commander Feng Zhen was killed fighting. In the fifth month of summer, on bingwu, Lu Wan crushed the bandits at Laizhou and Shandong was pacified. On jiayin Left Censor-in-Chief Chen Jin suppressed the bandits in Fuzhou. On bingyin bandits killed Vice Censor-in-Chief Ma Bingran on the river at Wuchang. In the intercalary month, on renchen, Qiu Yue routed the bandits at Guangshan and Henan was pacified. In the seventh month of autumn, on guisi, Jiangxi bandits killed Vice Commissioner Zhou Xian at Hualin. On dingyou the court sent famine relief to Sichuan. In the eighth month, on guihai, Lu Wan pursued and wiped out Liu Qi and his followers at Langshan. In the ninth month, on yiyou, Chen Jin suppressed the Hualin bandits. On wuzi Hong Zhong was recalled to court. Censor-in-Chief Peng Ze was given overall command of military affairs in Sichuan. On bingshen one hundred twenty-seven adopted sons were granted the imperial surname Zhu. In the tenth month of winter grain levies were forgiven in Henan, Jiangxi, and Zhejiang where disaster and banditry had struck. In the eleventh month, on renshen, Shi Yuan was named General Who Pacifies Bandits and joined Peng Ze against the Sichuan bandits. On dinghai troops from Datong, Xuanfu, and Liaodong were kept in the capital armies; Li Dongyang remonstrated, but the throne would not listen. In the twelfth month, on dingmao, Li Dongyang left office. That month grain levies were forgiven in the two metropolitan regions and in Shandong, Shanxi, and Shaanxi ravaged by disaster and banditry. That year envoys came with tribute from Annam, Japan, and Hami.
11
西 西 西
In the first month of spring in year eight, on guiyou, Right Vice Censor Yu Jian replaced Chen Jin in the campaign against Jiangxi bandits. On renwu the emperor offered the great sacrifice to Heaven and Earth at the Southern Suburb. On yiyou the frontier generals Jiang Bin and Xu Tai were given joint command of the capital armies and granted the imperial surname Zhu. Soon afterward the Two Official Hall corps were formed, with Bin and Tai each placed in command of one. On guisi Vice Minister Cong Lan of Revenue and Junior Censor Chen Yu were sent to inspect the border defenses. In the second month, on bingwu, for suppressing the bandits Gu Dayong's brother Daliang and Lu Yang's nephew Yong were enfeoffed as earls. In the third month, on wuzi, the Zhenguo Bureau was set up to house troops from Xuanfu. On jiawu, with drought gripping the realm, an edict ordered officials to examine their conduct. In the fourth month of summer, on yichou, Peng Ze routed the bandits at Jianzhou. In the fifth month, on xinsi, Qiu Yue was named regional commander and led capital armies to meet the enemy at Datong. In the sixth month, on wuxu, the Yellow River burst its banks at Huanglinggang. On yimao Yu Jian defeated the bandits at Guixi. In the eighth month of autumn grain levies were forgiven in the flood-stricken Southern Metropolitan Region. Turfan attacked and occupied Hami. In the tenth month of winter, on dingwei, Yu Jian won repeated victories at Dongxiang and Jiangxi was pacified. In the twelfth month Nanjing Vice Minister Deng Zhang of Punishments was sent to relieve famine in Jiangxi. That year Hami still sent a tribute mission.
12
使 殿
In the first month of spring in year nine, on dingchou, the emperor offered the great sacrifice to Heaven and Earth at the Southern Suburb. On gengchen fire destroyed Qianqing Palace. In the second month, on gengzi, the emperor began making excursions in disguise. On bingwu Minister of Rites Jin Gui joined the Grand Secretariat as Wenyuan grand secretary and took up deliberation of state affairs. On guichou Peng Ze and Shi Yuan suppressed the Sichuan bandits. In the third month, on xinsi, Tang Gao and other metropolitan graduates received jinshi and lower degrees in due order. In the fourth month of summer, on dingyou, the Prince of Ning's guard was restored and he was given military colony lands. In the fifth month, on yichou, Fei Chong left office. On jichou Peng Ze was placed in overall command in Gansu and ordered to manage affairs at Hami. In the sixth month, on yimao, silver mines in Yunnan were opened. In the seventh month of autumn, on yichou, the Little Prince struck Xuanfu and Datong. The eunuch Zhang Yong directed the campaign, Regional Commander Bai Yu was named overall commander, and capital armies marched out to meet the invader. On the first day of the eighth month, xinmao, there was a solar eclipse. On xinchou the Little Prince attacked Baiyangkou. On yisi the capital was struck by an earthquake. On jiwei the Little Prince entered Ningwu Pass and raided Xinzhou, Dingxiang, and Ninghua. In the ninth month, on renxu, he struck Xuanfu and Yuzhou. On gengwu the emperor was hurt while toying with a tiger and stopped holding court; Compiler Wang Si, for remonstrating, was demoted to postmaster at Raoping. In the tenth month of winter, on jiyou, envoys were sent to collect timber in Sichuan and Huguang. In the eleventh month, on xinyou, Prince of Guishan Dang Hong was stripped to commoner rank and killed himself. In the twelfth month, on jiayin, the Qianqing Palace was erected and realm-wide taxes were raised by one million taels. That year Annam, Hami, and U-Tsang sent tribute. In spring of Zhengde ten, on guihai of the first month at dusk, he offered sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On wuchen at dusk he sacrificed to Heaven and Earth at the southern suburb. In the third month, on renshen, Yang Tinghe left office to mourn. In the intercalary fourth month of summer, on xinyou, Minister of Personnel Yang Yiqing was also made grand secretary of the Wuying Hall and entered state deliberations. On wuyin Peng Ze was recalled to court. In the eighth month of autumn, on bingyin, the Little Prince struck Guyuan. On the guichou new moon of the twelfth winter month there was a solar eclipse. On jimao autumn grain tax was forgiven in the drought-stricken Southern Metropolitan Region. That year Ryukyu, Annam, Hami, and Samarkand sent tribute.
13
西 西 使
In spring of Zhengde eleven, on yinai of the first month, he performed the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. In the fourth month of summer famine relief was sent to Henan. In the fifth month, on gengyin, Turfan restored Hami. On jiachen more than thirty-four hundred men taken from the palace were enrolled as maritime households. That month Shaanxi received famine relief. In the seventh month of autumn, on yinai, the Little Prince hit Baiyang Pass in Ji; Eunuch Zhang Zhong oversaw the campaign, Left Chief Commander Liu Hui served as commander-in-chief, and Eastern and Western Official Hall troops were sent against him. On bingwu Vice Ministers Zhao Huang and Yu Lin of Works put metropolitan defenses in order. In the eighth month, on dingsi, Left Censor-in-Chief Peng Ze and Duke of Cheng Zhu Fu led capital garrison troops to the border. On gengshen each person in raided Wanping County was given two piculs of grain. On jiazi Yang Yiqing retired from office. On dingchou Minister of Rites Jiang Mian was also made grand secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and entered state deliberations. In the ninth month Turfan reoccupied Hami, raided Suzhou, and killed Guerrilla Commander Rui Ning. On the jiyou new moon of the tenth winter month sacrifice was offered at the Imperial Ancestral Temple by proxy envoys. In the eleventh month, on jiashen, tax grain was remitted in disaster-hit Huguang. That year Ryukyu and Tianfang sent tribute.
14
殿 西
In spring of Zhengde twelve, on jichou of the first month, he performed the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. He then hunted in the Nanhai Park, came back in the dead of night, and received court congratulations in the Hall of Imperial Supremacy. In the third month, on guisi, Shu Fen and others received jinshi honors and lower degrees as ranked. On wuxu salt levies from Liang-Huai, Zhejiang, Sichuan, and Hedong were diverted to Shaanxi imperial weaving. In the fourth month of summer, on renzi, Jin Gui left office. On bingchen Vice Commander Zheng Lian beat Turfan at Guazhou. In the fifth month, on bingzi, Minister of Rites Mao Ji was also made grand secretary of the Eastern Lodge and entered state deliberations. On the yisi new moon of the sixth month there was a solar eclipse. In the eighth month of autumn, on jiachen, the emperor went to Changping in disguise. On yisi Liang Chu, Jiang Mian, and Mao Ji overtook him at Shahe and begged him to return; he refused. On jiyou he reached Juyong Pass; Touring Inspector Zhang Qin shut the gate and blocked him, so he turned back. On bingchen he came back from Changping. On wuwu he held a night audience. On guihai Vice Censor-in-Chief Wu Tingju distributed famine relief in Huguang. On bingyin, at night, he slipped out of Desheng Gate toward Juyong Pass in disguise. On xinwei he left the pass, went to Xuanfu, and ordered Gu Dayong to guard the gate and keep capital officials from leaving Beijing. In the ninth month, on xinmao, the Yellow River broke through at Chengwu. On renchen he went to Yanghe and took the title Supreme Commander of Military Affairs, Valiant-and-Awesome Grand General, and Commander-in-Chief. On gengzi one million taels of treasury silver were sent to Xuanfu. In the tenth month of winter, on guimao, the emperor encamped at Shunsheng River. On jiachen the Little Prince struck Yanghe and raided Ying Prefecture. On dingwei the emperor personally led the armies in defense; fighting lasted five days. On xinhai the raiders withdrew and the emperor encamped at Datong. In the eleventh month, on dinghai, Yang Tinghe was recalled to the Grand Secretariat. On wuzi he returned to Xuanfu. In the twelfth month, on guihai, officials came to the traveling palace to beg him to return to the capital; barred from the pass, they went back. In the intercalary month, on dinghai, the spring welcoming rite was held at Xuanfu. That year Ryukyu and U-Tsang sent tribute.
15
殿 祿 調西
On the xinchou new moon of the first month in Zhengde thirteen the emperor was still at Xuanfu. On bingwu he returned from Xuanfu, commanded officials to ready colored tents, sheep, and wine for a suburban welcome, and received congratulations in the tent hall. On dingwei the court ended the southern suburban fast. On gengxu he performed the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, then hunted in the Nanhai Park. On xinhai he returned to the palace. On xinyou he went to Xuanfu again. That month flood relief was sent to the two metropolitan regions and Shandong. Refugees in the capital were given grain, three pecks each. The unburied dead were interred. In the second month, on jimao, the Grand Empress Dowager died. On rewu he returned from Xuanfu. In the third month, on wuchen, he went to Changping. On the jisi new moon of the fourth summer month he visited the six imperial tombs, then went on to Miyun. On the jihai new moon of the fifth month there was a solar eclipse. He encamped at Xifeng Pass. On wushen he returned from Xifeng Pass. In the sixth month, on gengchen, the Grand Empress Dowager's coffin left the capital and the emperor followed in martial dress. On jiashen Empress Xiaozhenchun was buried. On yiyou he returned from Changping. In the seventh month of autumn, on jihai. Rewards for Ying Prefecture were entered on the rolls: more than fifty thousand men received enfeoffment privileges, promotion, or bounty. On bingwu he went to Xuanfu again. In the eighth month, on yiyou, he went to Datong. In the ninth month, on gengzi, he stopped at Piantou Pass. On guichou an edict declared: "Supreme Commander of Military Affairs, Valiant-and-Awesome Grand General, and Commander-in-Chief Zhu Shou has personally led the six armies and cleared the frontier. He is specially enfeoffed as Duke of the State-Pacifier with five thousand piculs of stipend grain a year. The Ministry of Personnel shall execute the edict as written. On jiayin Zhu Bin was made Earl Who Pacifies the Barbarians and Zhu Tai Earl Who Pacifies the Border. In the tenth month of winter, on wuchen, he crossed the river. On jimao he stopped at Yulin. In the eleventh month, on gengzi, Western Official Hall troops and men of the four guard battalions were shifted to Xuanfu and Datong. On renzi he stopped at Suide and visited the home of Commander Dai Qin. In the twelfth month, on wuyin, he crossed the river and went to Shizhou. On wuzi he stopped at Taiyuan. That year Ryukyu, Tianfang, and the Oirats sent tribute.
16
西西 西使 涿
On the bingshen new moon of the first month in Zhengde fourteen the emperor was at Taiyuan. On jiachen the suburban sacrifice was rescheduled. On renzi he returned to Xuanfu. In the second month, on renshen, he came back from Xuanfu. On dingchou he performed the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth, then hunted in the Nanhai Park. That same day the capital was struck by an earthquake. On jichou the emperor added to himself the title Grand Preceptor and told the Ministry of Rites: "Supreme Commander of Military Affairs, Valiant-and-Awesome Grand General, Commander-in-Chief, Grand Preceptor, and Duke of the State-Pacifier Zhu Shou will tour the two metropolitan regions and Shandong to sacrifice to the gods and pray for blessings; draw up the rites and report. In the third month, on guichou, for counsel against the southern tour, six officials led by Huang Gong, a bureau director in the Ministry of War, were cast into Jinyiwei prison, and one hundred and seven scholars led by Compiler Shu Fen were ordered to kneel at the Meridian Gate for five days. Zhang Ying, vice commander of the Gold Brocade Guard, stabbed himself in remonstrance; guards wrested away the blade and he survived, but after trial he was beaten to death. On yimao, Zhou Xu, director of the Court of Penalties, Yu Tingzan, junior clerk in the Ministry of Rites, Lin Dayu, a principal clerk, and thirty others were sent to Jinyiwei prison. On wuwu, Shu Fen and the other one hundred and seven were flogged below the palace gate. That day a dust storm darkened the sky at noon. In summer, on jiazi of the fourth month, grain levies were forgiven in the disaster-stricken Southern Metropolitan Region. On wuyin, Huang Gong and thirty-eight others were flogged below the palace gate; eleven died in the aftermath. In the fifth month, on jihai, an edict ordered that vagrants from Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Huguang who returned to farming receive government grain, shelter, and oxen and seed, with five years' tax relief. In the sixth month, on bingzi, Zhu Chenhao, Prince of Ning, rose in rebellion; Sun Sui, right vice censor-in-chief and grand coordinator of Jiangxi, and Xu Kui, vice commissioner for military affairs at Nanchang, were killed. On wuyin, Nankang fell. On jimao, Jiujiang fell. In autumn, on jiachen of the seventh month, the Emperor took the field in person against Chenhao; Zhu Tai, Baron of Pacifying the Frontier, was made vice general of martial prestige. He led the army as vanguard. On bingwu, Chenhao attacked Anqing; Regional Commander Yang Rui and Prefect Zhang Wenjin drove him back. On xinhai, Wang Shouren, vice censor-in-chief supervising military affairs in southern Ganzhou, Tingzhou, and Zhangzhou, marched in and retook Nanchang. On dingsi, Shouren routed Chenhao at Qiaoshe and took him prisoner. In the eighth month, on guiwei, the imperial procession left the capital. On dinghai, he halted at Zhuozhou; Shouren's victory memorial arrived, but the court kept it secret and did not announce it. In winter, on yisi of the eleventh month, he went fishing at Qingjiang Ford. On renzi, the winter solstice, he accepted congratulations at the home of the eunuch Zhang Yang. In the twelfth month, on xinyou, he halted at Yangzhou. On yiyou, he crossed the Yangzi. On bingxu, he reached Nanjing. That year famine struck Huai and Yang; people resorted to cannibalism. Samarkand sent tribute.
17
西 西
In the fifteenth year, on the new year's day, gengyin of the first month, the Emperor was at Nanjing. On guisi, the suburban sacrifice was postponed. In summer, on jiwei of the fourth month, famine relief was extended to the Huai and Yang prefectures. In the sixth month, on dingsi. He halted at Niushou Mountain, and the army panicked in the night. In autumn, in the seventh month, the Small Prince raided Datong and Xuanfu. In the eighth month, on guiwei, grain levies in Jiangxi were forgiven. In the intercalary month, on guisi, Jiangxi captives were presented. On dingyou, he departed Nanjing. On guimao, he halted at Zhenjiang, called at Grand Secretary Yang Yiqing's house, and attended the obsequies of the late Grand Secretary Jin Gui. In the ninth month, on jisi, he went fishing on Accumulated Water Pond; the boat overturned, he was pulled out alive, and thereafter fell ill. In winter, on gengxu of the tenth month, he halted at Tongzhou. In the eleventh month, on gengshen, those who had dealt with Chenhao were punished; Minister of Personnel Lu Wan was arrested and brought to the traveling palace. In the twelfth month, on jichou, Chenhao was put to death. On jiawu, he returned to the capital and announced victory at the suburban altars and the state temples. On dingyou, he performed the great suburban sacrifice to Heaven and Earth. At the first offering his illness seized him, and he could not finish the rite. That year envoys came from Ryukyu, Champa, the Franks, and Turfan.
18
西
In the sixteenth year, on guihai of the first month, the suburban sacrifice was postponed. In the second month, on jihai, He Mengchun, vice censor-in-chief and grand coordinator of Yunnan, campaigned and pacified the Miao of Mile Prefecture. On guichou, the new year's day of the third month, there was a solar eclipse. On gengshen, the Western Palace Office was renamed the Martial Prestige Regiment. On yichou, his illness turned critical; he instructed the Directorate of Ceremonial, saying, "My sickness cannot be cured. Carry my wishes to the Empress Dowager. The realm's affairs are weighty; let the Grand Secretaries weigh them and decide with care. What went before was all my fault, not something you could have prevented. On bingyin he died in the Leopard Quarters, aged thirty-one. His testament summoned the eldest son of the Prince of Xing to succeed. The Martial Prestige Regiment was abolished, frontier troops were sent home, imperial shops inside and outside the capital were shut down, and the foreign monks of the Leopard Quarters and the musicians of the Music Office were released. On wuchen, the testament was promulgated throughout the realm; prisoners were freed, women sent as tribute from the provinces were returned home, non-urgent labor levies were halted, and the gold and jewels of the Xuanfu traveling palace were gathered back into the inner treasury. On gengwu, Jiang Bin and his associates were arrested and imprisoned. Shizong entered the capital and took the throne. In the fifth month, on jiwei, posthumous honors were granted, the temple name Wuzong was bestowed, and he was buried at Kangling.
19
使
The appraisal says: Since the Zhengtong reign the strength of the Ming state has gradually waned. Yihuang personally destroyed the traitor Jin, took the field himself against border raiders, and burned to make his martial fame his boast. Yet he gave himself to pleasure and roaming, clung to petty men, went so far as to invent his own titles—and the distinction between ruler and subject was utterly undone. Yet he still kept the power of appointment in his own hands, and the grand secretaries patched and pulled the realm back—so though court order was tangled, the dynasty did not fall into ruin. Had he inherited Xiaozong's legacy, kept measure and restraint, and shown the conduct of a middling ruler, the realm would have been secure and his name whole—how would he have drawn such heavy blame from later ages!
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