1
穆宗，契天隆道淵懿寬仁顯文光武純德弘孝莊皇帝，諱載垕，世宗第三子也。 母杜康妃。 嘉靖十八年二月封裕王，與莊敬太子、景恭王同日受冊。 已而莊敬薨，世宗以王長且賢，繼序已定，而中外危疑，屢有言者，乃令景王之國。
Emperor Muzong—honored after death as one who manifested Heaven, upheld the grand Way, and united profound graciousness, broad benevolence, brilliant culture, glorious martial accomplishment, pure virtue, expansive filial piety, and solemnity—was named Zhu Zaihou and was the third son of Emperor Shizong. His mother was Consort Du, of the Kang rank. In the second month of Jiajing eighteen he was enfeoffed as Prince of Yu, invested on the same day as Crown Prince Zhuangjing and Prince Jing Gong. When Crown Prince Zhuangjing died soon after, Shizong—holding that the Prince of Yu was eldest and worthy and the succession already settled, though court and realm remained uneasy and many spoke out—sent Prince Jing to his fief.
2
隆慶元年春正月丙寅，罷睿宗明堂配享。 戊辰，复鄭王厚烷爵。 丁丑，追尊母康妃為孝恪皇太后。 二月戊子，祭大社大稷，冊妃陳氏為皇后。 吏部侍郎陳以勤為禮部尚書兼文淵閣大學士，禮部侍郎張居正為吏部左侍郎兼東閣大學士，預機務。 三月壬申，葬肅皇帝於永陵。 乙酉，土蠻犯遼陽，指揮王承德戰歿。 夏四月丙戌朔，享太廟。 丙午，禁屬國毋獻珍禽異獸。 丁未，御經筵。 五月己未，黃河決口工成。 辛酉，祀地於北郊。 丁丑，高拱罷。 六月戊戌，以霪雨修省，素服避殿，御皇極門視事。 是月，新河複決。 秋七月辛巳，招撫山東、河南被災流民，复五年。 八月癸未朔，釋奠於先師孔子。 九月乙卯，俺答寇大同，詔嚴戰守。 癸亥，俺答陷石州，殺知州王亮採，掠交城、文水。 壬申，土蠻犯薊鎮，掠昌黎、盧龍，至於灤河。 詔宣大總督侍郎王之誥還駐懷來，巡撫都御史曹亨駐兵通州。 甲戌，郭樸致仕。 免襄陽、鄖陽被災秋糧。 乙亥，總兵官李世忠援永平，與敵戰於撫寧，京師戒嚴。 冬十月丙戌，寇退，京師解嚴。 甲辰，諭群臣議邊防事宜。 寧夏總兵官雷龍出塞邀擊河套部，敗之。 十一月癸亥，祀天於南郊。 是年，廣東賊大起。 琉球入貢。
In spring of Longqing one, on bingyin of the first month, the court abolished Ruizong's paired sacrifice at the Bright Hall. On wuchen Prince Zheng Houwan's title was restored. On dingchou his mother, Consort Kang, was posthumously honored as Empress Dowager Xiaoke. In the second month, on wuzi, the court sacrificed to the Great Earth and Great Grain and invested Consort Chen as empress. Chen Yiqin, vice minister of personnel, was made minister of rites and also grand secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion; Zhang Juzheng, vice minister of rites, was made left vice minister of personnel and also grand secretary of the Eastern Pavilion; both entered state deliberations. In the third month, on renshen, the late Shizong was buried at Yongling. On yiyou the Tumeng raided Liaoyang and Commandant Wang Chengde was killed in battle. In the fourth month of summer, on the bingxu new moon, the court offered sacrifice at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On bingwu vassal states were forbidden to present rare birds and exotic beasts. On dingwei the emperor attended the Classics Lecture. In the fifth month, on jiwei, work on the Yellow River breach was completed. On xinyou the court sacrificed to the earth at the Northern Suburb. On dingchou Gao Gong was removed from office. In the sixth month, on wuxu, amid prolonged rain the emperor undertook self-examination, wore plain dress, avoided the main hall, and conducted affairs from the Huangji Gate. That month the new canal breached again. In the seventh month of autumn, on xinsi, the court pacified and settled displaced persons in disaster-stricken Shandong and Henan and remitted their taxes for five years. In the eighth month, on the guiwei new moon, libation was offered to Confucius. In the ninth month, on yimao, Anda raided Datong and the court ordered strict defense. On guihai Anda took Shizhou, killed Prefect Wang Liangcai, and plundered Jiaocheng and Wenshui. On renshen the Tumeng raided Jizhou Garrison and plundered Changli and Lulong as far as the Luan River. The court ordered Xuan-Da regional commander Wang Zhigao to return and encamp at Huailai, and surveillance commissioner Cao Heng to station troops at Tongzhou. On jiaxu Guo Pu retired from office. Autumn grain tax was forgiven in disaster-stricken Xiangyang and Yunyang. On yihai Regional Commander Li Shizhong reinforced Yongping and fought the enemy at Funing, and the capital was placed on alert. In the tenth month of winter, on bingxu, the raiders withdrew and the capital's alert was lifted. On jiachen the emperor instructed the ministers to deliberate on frontier defense. Lei Long, regional commander of Ningxia, went beyond the border to intercept the Ordos tribes and defeated them. In the eleventh month, on guihai, the court sacrificed to Heaven at the Southern Suburb. That year banditry erupted on a large scale in Guangdong. Ryukyu sent a tribute mission.
3
二年春正月己卯，給事中石星疏陳六事，杖闕下，斥為民。 二月丁酉，寇犯柴溝堡。 守備韓尚忠戰死。 己亥，耕耤田。 丁未，如天壽山，謁長陵、永陵。 庚戌，還宮，免所過田租有差。 三月辛酉，立皇子翊鈞為皇太子，詔赦天下。 乙丑，廣西總兵官俞大猷討廣東賊。 戊辰，賜羅萬化等進士及第、出身有差。 丙子，幸南海子。 戊寅，京師地震，命百官修省。 夏六月庚辰，遣使兩畿錄囚。 己丑，廣東賊曾一本寇廣州，殺知縣劉師顏。 秋七月己酉，賊入廉州。 丙寅，徐階致仕。 冬十月戊寅，免南畿被災秋糧，振淮、徐飢。 己亥，廢遼王憲㸅為庶人。 甲辰，免畿內、河南被災秋糧，十一月壬子，宣府總兵官馬芳襲俺答於長水海子，又敗之鞍子山。 辛酉，免江西被災稅糧，戊辰，祀天於南郊。 己巳，命廣東、福建督撫將領會剿曾一本。 十二月庚寅，世宗神主祔太廟。 丁酉，限勳戚莊田。 是年，琉球入貢。
In spring of Longqing two, on jimao of the first month, Supervising Secretary Shi Xing memorialized on six matters, was beaten at court, and reduced to commoner status. In the second month, on dingyou, raiders attacked Chaigou Fort. Garrison Commander Han Shangzhong was killed in battle. On jihai the emperor plowed the sacred field. On dingwei he went to Tianshou Mountain and paid homage at Changling and Yongling. On gengxu he returned to the palace and remitted field rent along the route in varying degrees. In the third month, on xinyou, Prince Zhu Yijun was invested as crown prince and an edict proclaimed amnesty throughout the realm. On yichou Guangxi Regional Commander Yu Dayou campaigned against the Guangdong bandits. On wuchen Luo Wanhua and others received jinshi ranks, palace degrees, and provincial degrees according to merit. On bingzi the emperor visited the Southern Park. On wuyin an earthquake shook the capital and officials were ordered to undertake self-examination. In the sixth month of summer, on gengchen, envoys were dispatched to the two metropolitan regions to review prisoners. On jichou the Guangdong bandit Zeng Yiben raided Guangzhou and killed Magistrate Liu Shiyan. In the seventh month of autumn, on jiyou, the bandits entered Lianzhou. On bingyin Xu Jie retired from office. In the tenth month of winter, on wuyin, autumn grain tax was forgiven in the disaster-stricken Southern Metropolitan Region and relief was distributed in Huai and Xu for famine. On jihai Prince Liao Xianbi was degraded to commoner status. On jiachen autumn grain tax was forgiven within the metropolitan region and in Henan; in the eleventh month, on renzi, Xuanfu Regional Commander Ma Fang raided Anda at Changshui Lake and again defeated him at Anzi Mountain. On xinyou tax grain was forgiven in disaster-stricken Jiangxi; on wuchen the court sacrificed to Heaven at the Southern Suburb. On jisi the governors-general and surveillance commissioners of Guangdong and Fujian and their generals were ordered to combine forces against Zeng Yiben. In the twelfth month, on gengyin, Shizong's spirit tablet was enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On dingyou estates held by meritorious kin were limited. That year Ryukyu sent a tribute mission.
4
三年春正月壬子，大同總兵官趙岢敗俺答於弘賜堡。 二月庚辰，免陝西被災秋糧。 三月戊辰，曾一本陷碣石衛，裨將周雲翔殺參將耿宗元叛，附於賊。 夏四月己丑，總兵官雷龍出塞襲河套部，敗之。 五月庚戌，總兵官郭成等破賊於平山，周雲翔伏誅。 甲寅，御史詹仰庇請罷靡費，斥為民。 秋七月壬午，河決沛縣。 乙酉，詔天下有司實修積穀備荒之政。 壬辰，遣使振沿河被災州縣。 八月癸丑，廣東賊平，曾一本伏誅。 壬戌，禮部尚書趙貞吉兼文淵閣大學士，預機務。 丁卯，振南畿、浙江、山東水災。 九月丙子，俺答犯大同，掠山陰、應州、懷仁、渾源。 辛卯，大閱。 冬十一月甲戌，祀天於南郊。 庚辰，京師地震有聲，敕修省。 十二月己亥，命廠衛密訪部院政事。 庚申，召高拱復入閣。 乙丑，尚寶寺丞鄭履淳以言事廷杖下獄。 是冬，免兩畿、山東、浙江、河南、湖廣稅糧。 是年，陝西賊起。 琉球、土魯番入貢。
In spring of Longqing three, on renzi of the first month, Datong Regional Commander Zhao Ke defeated Anda at Hongci Fort. In the second month, on gengchen, autumn grain tax was forgiven in disaster-stricken Shaanxi. In the third month, on wuchen, Zeng Yiben took Jieshi Guard; Assistant Commander Zhou Yunxiang killed Assistant Regional Commander Geng Zongyuan in rebellion and joined the bandits. In the fourth month of summer, on jichou, Regional Commander Lei Long went beyond the border to raid the Ordos tribes and defeated them. In the fifth month, on gengxu, Regional Commander Guo Cheng and others defeated the bandits at Pingshan and Zhou Yunxiang was executed. On jiayin Censor Zhan Yangbi requested abolition of wasteful expenditure and was reduced to commoner status. In the seventh month of autumn, on renwu, the Yellow River breached at Peixian. On yiyou an edict ordered officials throughout the realm to earnestly carry out policies of storing grain against famine. On renchen envoys were dispatched to distribute relief in counties and prefectures along the river stricken by disaster. In the eighth month, on guichou, the Guangdong bandits were pacified and Zeng Yiben was executed. On renxu Zhao Zhenji, minister of rites, was also made grand secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and entered state deliberations. On dingmao relief was distributed for flooding in the Southern Metropolitan Region, Zhejiang, and Shandong. In the ninth month, on bingzi, Anda raided Datong and plundered Shanyin, Yingzhou, Huairen, and Hunyuan. On xinmao a grand military review was held. In the eleventh month of winter, on jiaxu, the court sacrificed to Heaven at the Southern Suburb. On gengchen an earthquake shook the capital with audible rumbling and an edict ordered self-examination. In the twelfth month, on jihai, the Embroidered-Uniform Guard and Eastern Depot were ordered to investigate secretly the affairs of ministries and courts. On gengshen Gao Gong was recalled to re-enter the Grand Secretariat. On yichou Zheng Luchun, vice director of the Court of Imperial Regalia, was beaten at court and imprisoned for remonstrance. That winter tax grain was forgiven in the two metropolitan regions, Shandong, Zhejiang, Henan, and Huguang. That year banditry erupted in Shaanxi. Ryukyu and Turfan sent tribute missions.
5
四年春正月己巳朔，日有食之，免朝賀。 辛未，避殿修省。 是月，倭入廣海衞城。 三月壬午，分設三大營，文武提督六人。 夏四月戊戌，京師地震。 丙午，俺答寇大同、宣府，官兵拒卻之。 是月，陝西賊寇四川。 五月癸酉，給事中李己諫買金寶，廷杖下獄。 秋七月己巳，禁章奏浮冗。 命撫、按官嚴禁有司酷刑。 戊子，陳以勤致仕。 乙未，免四川被災稅糧。 八月庚戌，宣、大告警，敕邊備。 九月癸酉，陝西水災，蠲振有差。 甲戌，河決邳州。 壬午，免北畿、湖廣被災稅糧。 癸未，寇犯大同，副總兵錢棟戰死。 戊子，犯錦州，總兵官王治道等戰死。 甲午，罷京營文武提督，置總督協理大臣。 冬十月癸卯，俺答孫把漢那吉來降。 丁未，以把漢那吉為指揮使。 壬戌，考察給事中、御史。 十一月丁丑，俺答乞封。 己卯，祀天於南郊。 乙酉，趙貞吉罷。 己丑，禮部尚書殷士儋兼文淵閣大學士，預機務。 十二月丁酉，俺答執叛人趙全等九人來獻，詔遣把漢那吉歸，厚賜之。 乙卯，受俘，磔趙全等於市。
In spring of Longqing four, on the jisi new moon of the first month, there was a solar eclipse and court congratulations were suspended. On xinwei the emperor avoided the hall and undertook self-examination. That month pirates entered Guanghai Guard city. In the third month, on renwu, the Three Great Camps were separately established with six civil and military supervising commissioners. In the fourth month of summer, on wuxu, an earthquake shook the capital. On bingwu Anda raided Datong and Xuanfu and government troops drove him back. That month Shaanxi bandits raided Sichuan. In the fifth month, on guiyou, Supervising Secretary Li Ji remonstrated against purchasing gold and jewels, was beaten at court, and imprisoned. In the seventh month of autumn, on jisi, verbose memorials were forbidden. Surveillance and censorial officials were ordered strictly to forbid cruel punishments by local officials. On wuzi Chen Yiqin retired from office. On yiwei tax grain was forgiven in disaster-stricken Sichuan. In the eighth month, on gengxu, Xuanfu and Datong raised alarm and an edict reinforced frontier defense. In the ninth month, on guiyou, remission and relief for flooding in Shaanxi were granted in varying degrees. On jiaxu the Yellow River breached at Pizhou. On renwu tax grain was forgiven in the disaster-stricken Northern Metropolitan Region and Huguang. On guimao raiders attacked Datong and Vice Regional Commander Qian Dong was killed in battle. On wuzi they attacked Jinzhou and Regional Commander Wang Zhidao and others were killed in battle. On jiawu the civil and military supervising commissioners of the Capital Garrison were abolished and supervising grand ministers were established in their place. In the tenth month of winter, on guimao, Altan Khan's grandson Bahanahji came to surrender. On dingwei Bahanahji was made commandant. On renxu supervising secretaries and censors underwent performance review. In the eleventh month, on dingchou, Anda requested enfeoffment. On jimao Heaven was sacrificed to at the southern suburbs. On yiyou Zhao Zhenji was removed from office. On jichou Yin Shidan, minister of rites, was also made grand secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and entered state deliberations. In the twelfth month, on dingyou, Anda delivered the rebel Zhao Quan and eight others as captives; an edict ordered Ba Han Naji sent home with rich rewards. On yimao the captives were received in ceremony, and Zhao Quan and his fellows were dismembered in the marketplace.
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五年春二月甲午，廷臣及朝覲官謁皇太子於文華左門。 己未，封皇子翊鏐為潞王。 三月己卯，賜張元忭等進士及第、出身有差。 己丑，封俺答為順義王。 夏四月甲午，河復決邳州。 五月壬戌，古田獞賊平。 戊寅，李春芳致仕。 六月辛卯，京師地震者三，敕修省。 甲辰，授河套部長吉能為都督同知。 甲寅，順義王俺答貢馬，告廟受賀。 丙辰，俺答執趙全餘黨十三人來獻。 秋八月癸卯，許河套部互市。 九月癸未，三鎮貢市成。 冬十月己亥，河南、山東大水，申飭河防。 十一月己巳，殷士儋致仕。 是年，琉球、土魯番入貢。
In the fifth year, in the second month of spring, on jiawu, court officials and tribute-mission officers paid respects to the crown prince at the Left Gate of Wenhua. On jiwei Prince Zhu Yiliu was enfeoffed as Prince of Lu. In the third month, on jimao, Zhang Yuanbian and others received jinshi ranks, palace degrees, and provincial degrees according to merit. On jichou Anda was enfeoffed as Prince of Shunyi. In the fourth month of summer, on jiawu, the Yellow River burst its banks again at Pizhou. In the fifth month, on renxu, the Gutian Yao rebels were pacified. On wuyin Li Chunfang retired from office. In the sixth month, on xinmao, the capital was shaken by three earthquakes, and an edict called for self-examination and reform. On jiachen Jineng, chief of the Ordos tribes, was granted the rank of assistant commissioner-in-chief. On jiayin Prince of Shunyi Anda presented tribute horses; the court reported to the ancestral temple and received congratulations. On bingchen Anda delivered thirteen remaining partisans of Zhao Quan as captives. In the eighth month of autumn, on guimao, border trade with the Ordos tribes was permitted. In the ninth month, on guiwei, tribute markets in the three garrisons were established. In the tenth month of winter, on jihai, Henan and Shandong were struck by great floods, and river defenses were urgently reinforced. In the eleventh month, on jisi, Yin Shidan retired from office. That year Ryukyu and Turpan sent tribute missions.
7
六年春正月辛未，築徐州至宿遷堤三百七十里。 二月丙申，倭寇廣東，陷神電衛，大掠。 山寇復起。 閏月丁卯，御皇極殿門，疾作遽，還宮。 乙亥，倭冦髙雷官軍撃敗之。 夏四月戊辰，禮部尚書高儀兼文淵閣大學士，預機務。 五月壬辰，免廣東用兵諸郡逋賦。 己酉，大漸，召大學士高拱、張居正、高儀受顧命。 庚戌，崩於乾清宮，年三十有六。 七月丙戌，上尊諡，廟號穆宗，葬昭陵。
In the sixth year, in the first month of spring, on xinwei, a dike was built from Xuzhou to Suqian, three hundred and seventy li. In the second month, on bingshen, Japanese pirates struck Guangdong, overran Shendian Guard, and plundered on a great scale. Mountain rebels rose again. In the intercalary month, on dingmao, the Emperor attended at the gate of the Hall of Supreme Harmony; illness struck suddenly, and he returned to the palace. On yihai Japanese raiders in Gaolei were defeated by garrison troops. In the fourth month of summer, on wuchen, Gao Yi, minister of rites, was also made grand secretary of the Wenyuan Pavilion and entered state deliberations. In the fifth month, on renchen, back taxes were forgiven in the Guangdong commandery counties where troops had been deployed. On jiyou his illness turned critical; Grand Secretaries Gao Gong, Zhang Juyi, and Gao Yi were summoned to receive his deathbed charge. On gengxu he died in the Palace of Heavenly Purity, aged thirty-six. In the seventh month, on bingxu, posthumous honors were granted, the temple name Muzong was bestowed, and he was buried at Zhaoling.
8
贊曰：穆宗在位六載，端拱寡營，躬行儉約，尚食歲省巨萬許。 俺答封貢，減賦息民，邊陲寧謐，汔可小康矣。 苐柄臣相軋，門戶漸開，而帝未能振肅乾綱，矯除積習，蓋亦寬恕有餘，而剛明不足者與！
Appraisal: Muzong reigned six years; he sat in dignified repose and seldom acted on his own, practiced thrift in person, and the imperial kitchens saved tens of thousands each year. Anda was enfeoffed and paid tribute, taxes were cut and the people were eased, the frontier grew quiet, and the realm could nearly know modest prosperity. Yet as leading ministers feuded with one another and factional doors gradually opened, the Emperor could not rouse and rectify imperial authority or purge accumulated abuses—perhaps he had too much leniency and not enough vigorous clarity!