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卷一百四十六 列傳第三十四 張武 陳珪 孟善 鄭亨 徐忠 郭亮 趙彝 張信 徐祥 李濬 孫巖 陳旭 陳賢 張興 陳志 王友

Volume 146 Biographies 34: Zhang Wu, Chen Gui, Meng Shan, Zheng Heng, Xu Zhong, Guo Liang, Zhao Yi, Zhang Xin, Xu Xiang, Li Jun, Sun Yan, Chen Xu, Chen Xian, Zhang Xing, Chen Zhi, Wang You

Chapter 146 of 明史 · History of Ming
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Chapter 146
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1
Zhang Wu; Chen Gui; Meng Shan; Zheng Heng; Xu Zhong; Guo Liang (Zhao Yi)〉 Zhang Xin (Tang Yun)〉 Xu Xiang; Li Jun; Sun Yan (Fang Sheng)〉 Chen Xu; Chen Xian; Zhang Xing; Chen Zhi; Wang You
2
祿 殿
Chen Gui came from Taizhou. Early in the Hongwu reign he followed Grand General Xu Da in pacifying the Central Plain, received appointment as a centurion in the Longhu Guard, and was then transferred to the Yan Mountain Central Guard. He accompanied the future Yongle Emperor on campaigns beyond the frontier as vanguard and was promoted to deputy chiliarch. He then joined the prince's rebellion and, through accumulated merit, rose to vice commander. He returned to assist the heir apparent in defending the capital. He was promoted in stages to vice commissioner-in-chief, enfeoffed as Marquis of Taining, and granted an income of twelve hundred piculs. He continued to assist the heir apparent in defending the capital as before. In Yongle 4 he oversaw construction of the Beijing palaces; his planning was methodical, and he won high praise. In the eighth year, when the emperor marched north, he joined Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant Yuan Rong in assisting the Prince of Zhao in holding Beijing. In the fifteenth year the court ordered a Works Office seal cast for Gui, established a staff under him, and had him concurrently manage the rear headquarters at the mobile court. He died in the fourth month of the seventeenth year, aged eighty-five. He was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Jing and given the posthumous title Zhongxiang.
3
歿 西
His son Yu succeeded to the title. In the twentieth year he joined the northern campaign. He violated military discipline, was thrown into prison, and died there. His elder brother's son Zhong succeeded to the title. Two generations later the line reached Ying, who died at Tumu; he was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Ning and given the posthumous title Gongmin. His younger brother Jing succeeded to the title. In Tianshun 6 he took command in Guangxi. The following ninth month, when Yao rebels rose in revolt, Jing led several thousand men and encamped at Wuzhou. That winter several hundred Great Vine bandits entered the city by night and killed and plundered on a large scale. Jing held his troops back and did not come to the rescue. Recalled from the field, he was imprisoned and sentenced to decapitation. He was soon pardoned. He died. His son Huan succeeded to the title. Early in the Hongzhi reign he took command in Ningxia. Many eunuchs had their favorites claim merit rewards falsely; Huan refused them, was slandered, and was recalled. He died. Several generations later the line reached Yanzuo; when the dynasty fell the title was abolished.
4
Zheng Heng came from Hefei. His father Yong, in the Hongwu period, rose through accumulated merit to deputy chiliarch of the Daxing Left Guard. When he sought retirement on grounds of age, Heng succeeded to the post. In Hongwu 25 he answered a recruitment call, carried an edict to instruct the Tartars, and reached the Onon River. On his return he was transferred to vice commander of the Miyun Guard.
5
使 西 耀 祿
When the Prince of Yan's army rose, he surrendered with the troops under his command. At the battle of Zhending he was first over the wall and was promoted to commander. On the strike toward Ning they reached Liujiakou. The generals were about to assault the pass, but the Prince of Yan feared the garrison would flee to warn Ning and allow it to prepare defenses, so he ordered Heng to lead several hundred crack horsemen, roll up their banners, climb the mountain, slip out behind the pass, and cut off their line of retreat. They pressed the attack hard, bound every defender at the pass, and then swept on to Ning. He was promoted to vice commander of the Beijing metropolitan command. By night he led his troops to rout the army at Zhengcun Dam, broke Zijing Pass to the west, raided Guangchang, took Weizhou, and drove straight to Datong. He returned to fight at Baigou River, pursued north as far as Jinan, and was promoted to metropolitan vice commander. In the assault on Cangzhou he encamped at the north gate and choked the supply route at Dongchang. After a defeat he gathered the scattered troops and withdrew the army to Shenzhou. The next year he fought at Jiahe and Gaocheng, overran territory as far as Zhangde, and displayed his army's strength along the river. He returned and encamped at Wan County. The next year he followed in the capture of Dongping and Wenshang and encamped the army at Xiaohe. They were defeated in battle and Wang Zhen was killed. All the generals wanted to withdraw north, but Heng and Zhu Neng alone refused. On entering the capital he rose in stages to left regional commander of the central command, was enfeoffed as Marquis of Wu'an with an income of fifteen hundred piculs, and granted a hereditary patent. He remained behind to hold Beijing. At that time his father Yong was still alive and received a noble title equal to Heng's.
6
便
In Yongle 1 he served as supreme commander, leading Marquis of Wucheng Wang Cong and Marquis of Ping'an Li Yuan to defend Xuanfu. When Heng reached the frontier he surveyed the terrain at Xuanfu, Wanquan, and Huailai. Wherever several forts stood at intervals, he chose one that could hold the troops and horses of several forts, built high walls and deep moats, dug wells to store water, and kept careful watch. When raiders came they lit beacon fires by night and fired cannon by day and defended together with all their strength. His planning was thorough; afterward no one could improve on it. In the second month of the third year he was recalled, and soon afterward was sent back to his command. In the autumn of the seventh year he prepared the frontier at Kaiping.
7
The next year the emperor marched north and ordered Heng to supervise transport. Beyond the frontier he commanded the right wing, pursued, and defeated Buyanshirid. The main army encountered Arughtai. Heng led the troops forward first and inflicted a crushing defeat. In the reckoning of merit he stood at the head of all the generals. That winter he again took command at Xuanfu. In the twelfth year he again joined the northern campaign and led the central army. At Hulunbuir he was struck by a stray arrow while pursuing the enemy and fell back, then rejoined the main army and together they defeated the enemy. In the twentieth year he again marched beyond the frontier, commanded the left wing, led ten thousand troops, cleared the Longmen route for passing armies, and defeated the Uriankhai at the Qulie River. He led the baggage train back, defeated the raiders who pursued them, and again held Kaiping. Of the Yongle Emperor's five campaigns beyond the frontier, Heng was present at every one.
8
西
When Emperor Renzong took the throne, he was stationed at Datong. In the second month of Hongxi 1, imperial instructions and general's seals were issued to the supreme commanders on each frontier. Heng wore the seal of Forward General for the Western Campaign. While in command he opened fields and stored grain; frontier defenses were complete and secure, and from then on Datong rarely suffered from raids. In Xuande 1 he was recalled to manage affairs of the rear headquarters at the mobile court. Shortly afterward he again commanded at Datong and transferred grain supplies to Xuanfu. He induced forty-nine tribal chiefs of the northern frontier to submit, memorialized the court, and treated them generously; those who came over to allegiance followed one after another. In the second month of the ninth year he died in his command.
9
Heng was stern, grave, and weighty in character, skilled at comforting his troops, and ashamed of skimming from them. While at Datong the eunuch superintendent interfered in military affairs; Heng restrained him with reason. Though the man was displeased, when Heng died he mourned him deeply. He was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Zhang and given the posthumous title Zhongyi. His concubine Lady Zhang hanged herself to follow him in death and was posthumously granted the title Shuren. His son Neng succeeded; the title passed down until the dynasty fell.
10
使 滿 西 祿
Xu Zhong came from Hefei and inherited his father's post as deputy chiliarch of the Henan Guard. He repeatedly joined the great army on northern campaigns, took many prisoners, and was promoted to vice commander of the Jiyang Guard. Late in the Hongwu reign he was stationed at Kaiping. When the Yan army broke Juyong and Huailai, Zhong surrendered Kaiping. He followed the drive on the Luan River and, with Chen Xu, captured its city. When Li Jinglong attacked Beijing, the Yan army returned from Ning to relieve it. At Huizhou they organized five armies: Zhang Yu commanded the center, Zhu Neng the left, Li Bin the right, Fang Kuan the rear; Zhong, famed for fierce valor, was placed in command of the vanguard. He then defeated Chen Hui at the Bai River and routed Jinglong at Zhengcun Dam. At the battle of Baigou River, Zhong charged the enemy lines alone on horseback. An arrow struck one of his fingers; with no time to pull out the head, he drew his knife and cut it off at once. He spurred his horse at full gallop and fought on to the death. The Prince of Yan, watching from high ground, said to those beside him, "A true stalwart!" He advanced on Jinan, captured Cangzhou, and fought major battles at Dongchang and Jiahe. He attacked Zhangde, broke the West Water Stockade, captured Dong'e, Dongping, and Wenshang, and fought a great battle at Lingbi. He then followed the army across the Yangtze and into the capital. From vice commander he rose in stages to vice commissioner-in-chief. He was enfeoffed as Marquis of Yongkang with an income of eleven hundred piculs and granted a hereditary patent.
11
In every battle Zhong shattered the enemy vanguard and plunged through the ranks ahead of all the other generals. Yet he governed his troops with great strictness, and wherever he marched there was no disturbance. He was skilled at winning over those who surrendered and drew their utmost loyalty. He was famed for filial devotion to his stepmother. When he came home at night he always bowed at the family shrine before entering the house. Frugal, restrained, and reverently careful, he was never known to err. When the Yongle Emperor toured the north, Zhong's seasoned steadiness led the emperor to leave him behind to assist the crown prince in supervising the state. He died in the eighth month of Yongle 11. He was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Cai and given the posthumous title Zhonglie.
12
歿
The title passed down to his descendant Xideng, who at the end of the Chongzhen reign was killed by rebels. His cousin Xiyin had once succeeded to the marquisate; he died without sons. His wife was Lady Zhu, daughter of Duke of Cheng Chunchen. After her husband died she lived in an upper story for more than ten years without setting foot on the ground. When the city fell she embraced the ancestral tablets and burned herself to death.
13
His son Sheng should have succeeded to the earldom, but Emperor Renzong specially ordered him to succeed to the marquisate instead. In Xuande 5 he was stripped of his title for returning ahead of the emperor while escorting the imperial procession, but soon had it restored. Having no sons, his younger brother Ang succeeded to the earldom; the title passed down until the dynasty fell.
14
使 祿
Zhao Yi came from Hong. In the Hongwu period he served as a centurion in the Yan Mountain Right Guard. He followed Fu Youde on the northern campaign, helped fortify Xuanfu, Wanquan, and Huailai, and was promoted to vice commander of the Yongping Guard. He surrendered to the Prince of Yan; through battle after battle he earned merit and rose in stages to metropolitan commander. When the Yongle Emperor took the throne he was enfeoffed as Earl of Xincheng with an income of a thousand piculs. In Yongle 8 he was stationed at Xuanfu and once joined a northern campaign. For embezzling provisions he was imprisoned and then released. Shortly afterward, because the Lüliang rapids were treacherous in flood season, Yi was ordered to take command at Xuzhou to manage the works. Again, for killing transport laborers on his own authority and stealing official grain, he was impeached by Censor-in-Chief Li Qing. The judicial offices were ordered to try him, but he was again released. When Emperor Renzong took the throne he was recalled. He died early in the Xuande reign. His son Rong succeeded to the title. Several generations later the line reached Zhilong. At the end of the Chongzhen reign he helped defend Nanjing; when the Qing army descended on Jiangnan, Zhilong went out to surrender.
15
Zhang Xin came from Linhuai. His father Xing was vice commander of the Yongning Guard. Xin succeeded to the post, was transferred to hold Puding and Pingyue, and through accumulated merit was promoted to metropolitan vice commander.
16
The Yongle Emperor was deeply grateful to Xin and called him "Kind Zhang." He wished to take Xin's daughter as consort, but Xin firmly declined, and for this was all the more esteemed. Whenever secret intelligence about the princely domains was needed, Xin was put in charge. Relying on imperial favor, Xin grew rather arrogant. In the winter of Yongle 8, Censor-in-Chief Chen Ying reported that Xin "has no merit of horses sweating in battle yet shamelessly holds a marquisate, acts wantonly and is corrupt, and forcibly occupies more than eighty li of the Danyang training lake and more than seventy qing of Jiangyin official fields; I request that the relevant offices verify and try him." The emperor said, "Ying is right. In former times the Prince of Zhongshan had a sandbank tract through which farming waterways passed, and his household slaves blocked it to monopolize the profit. When the prince heard of it he at once returned the land to the government. How dare Xin do such a thing now!" He ordered the judicial offices to try him on combined charges. Shortly afterward, because of his old merit, he was not prosecuted. In the twentieth year he joined the northern campaign and supervised transport of provisions. At the great review at Suining, Xin pleaded illness and did not attend; he was demoted to serve as a staff officer. Shortly afterward his post was restored.
17
西
When Emperor Renzong took the throne he was made Junior Preceptor, granted two salaries together, and given a hereditary marquis patent. In Xuande 1 he joined the campaign against Le'an. In the third year the emperor toured the frontier and campaigned against the Uriankhai; Xin was ordered to remain and hold the capital. The next year he supervised fifteen thousand troops in dredging the Hexiwu canal. He died at Nanjing in the fifth month of Zhengtong 7. He was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Yun and given the posthumous title Gongxi.
18
His son Yong, who through his own merit had become vice commander, died before him. His son Chun succeeded; the title passed down until the dynasty fell.
19
西 退 使 使
There was one Tang Yun, commander of the Yan Mountain Central Guard, of whom it is not known whence he came. After the prince had killed Zhang Bing, Xie Gui, and others, the officers and soldiers still held the nine gates, closed the barbican gates, and arrayed spears and halberds facing inward. Zhang Yu and others attacked by night; they had already taken eight gates, but Xizhi Gate would not fall. The prince ordered Yun to remove his armor, ride on horseback and guide the procession as on ordinary days, and tell the defenders, "The Son of Heaven has already allowed the prince to rule a region on his own. You must withdraw at once; those who linger will be executed." Yun was the eldest among the commanders, was always trusted and careful, and the officers and soldiers believed he would not deceive them, so they dispersed. At that time loyalty was still unsettled; Yun told them where Heaven's intent lay, and the troops then settled. Yun had long served at the prince's side and was greatly relied upon. Whenever the prince marched out on campaign, Yun was left behind to assist the heir apparent. The southern army repeatedly assaulted the city; he defended with great force and never lost a battle. He rose in stages to metropolitan commander. When the prince became emperor he was enfeoffed as Earl of Xinchang with hereditary metropolitan command. He died in the seventh month of the following year. The gifts bestowed on him were very generous.
20
西
His grandson Heng succeeded to the title. In the twelfth year he joined the northern campaign as deputy commander of the central army. At the Tula River he captured three thousand horses. On his return he held Kaiping and led light cavalry back and forth between Xinghe and Datong to prepare the frontier. Afterward he repeatedly marched beyond the frontier. In Xuande 1, as right deputy commander he campaigned against Jiaozhi without success and was stripped of his title. When Emperor Yingzong took the throne the title was restored. In Zhengtong 9 he campaigned against the Uriankhai, went out through Jieling Pass and the Hebei River valley, and was promoted to marquis. He took command in Shaanxi and was then recalled. He died early in the Tianshun reign and was given the posthumous title Wuxiang.
21
祿 祿
His son Xian succeeded to the earldom; because he was lame he was excused from court audience and given half salary; he died. His son Sheng succeeded; he died without sons. His second cousin Liang succeeded to the title. Liang's paternal grandmother had been a former concubine. His step-grandmother was the daughter of Earl of Dingxiang Guo Deng. At that point their grandsons disputed the succession. Court discussion held that because the Guo lady had once been married to another man, by law she could not be the legitimate principal wife, and Liang ultimately obtained the succession. Liang was then fifty years old, his family was poor, and he hired himself out at Dazhong Bridge to draw water. The regional military commission sought a descendant of the Earl of Xing'an; Liang then thanked his neighbors and left, and was appointed secretary at the Nanjing central command. He offended Liu Jin and had two hundred piculs of his salary cut. The title was transmitted until the Ming fell.
22
歿
Zilong, whose courtesy name was Yanping, succeeded to the title at the age of fifteen. He was a man of imposing build with a gift for generalship. He took part in many northern campaigns, striking with surprise and reading the enemy well, and the Yongle Emperor held him in high regard. When the capital was moved, the emperor regarded Nanjing as the dynasty's foundation and ordered Long to remain there as garrison commander. After Emperor Renzong came to the throne, he was appointed to command the garrison at Shanhaiguan. Before long he was once again posted to defend Nanjing. Long was a reader who loved letters; in council he spoke with easy confidence, and he was scrupulous and law-abiding, showing particular respect for the scholar-official class. Over eighteen years in Nanjing, he received more than two hundred sealed edicts from the throne. When he was recalled to court, the people of the southern capital wept as they escorted him to the river. In the fifth year of the Zhengtong reign he was appointed to command the imperial guard armies. In the eleventh year he inspected the Datong frontier, received an imperial sword, and issued stern orders on defense; throughout the command, officers and men alike were brought to strict attention. By the time he returned, he had not punished a single man. He died the following year. His son Zhen succeeded to the title. He died at Tumu, was posthumously raised to marquis, and given the posthumous name Daoxi. He left no son.
23
His younger brother Jin succeeded to the title. In the third year of Chenghua, when the Duzhang tribes of Sichuan rose in rebellion, he was ordered to take the seal of the General Who Pacifies the Yi and go as overall commander to suppress them. The Minister of War, Cheng Xin, served as supervising secretary of the expedition. When the army reached Yongning, it advanced in six columns. Jin and Cheng directed operations from the center and overran every tribal stockade. They took more than four thousand five hundred heads in all, along with incalculable quantities of armor, weapons, and livestock. They partitioned the Duzhang territory, appointed officials, and established civil administration to keep it under control. After the army returned, he was promoted to marquis and was repeatedly given the additional rank of Grand Protector. He died in the second year of the Hongzhi reign. He was posthumously created Duke of Rui and given the posthumous name Zhuangwu. Jin was open-handed by nature and knew how to treat talented men with respect. His elder brother Lian was passed over for the succession on account of his unimpressive appearance. Jin treated him with exceptional respect and generosity. When Lian died, he raised Lian's son Xi as though the boy were his own. Jin's son Fu succeeded to the earldom but died within a few years. Fu left no son, and Xi succeeded to the title.
24
宿
Four generations later the line came down to Shouqi, who repeatedly commanded camp affairs and was given the additional rank of Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent. Early in the Chongzhen reign he was put in overall charge of the capital garrisons, but was removed from office when soldiers under his command turned to banditry; he died soon after, consumed by grief and anger. His son Guozhen succeeded to the title. He was a fluent and persuasive speaker. When summoned to audience, he laid out military matters in exhaustive detail, and the emperor came to believe he was a man of real ability. In the sixteenth year he was appointed to command the capital garrisons and was heavily relied upon, though in fact Guozhen had no other talent to speak of. The following March, Li Zicheng marched on the capital. The troops of the three great garrisons broke and fled without offering battle. Two days later the city fell. The rebels demanded that Guozhen submit; he laid down his arms and awaited their orders. When his bribes proved insufficient they tortured him until his ankles were broken, and he hanged himself.
25
宿使 祿
Sun Yan was a native of Fengyang. He followed the founding emperor across the Yangzi, rose through the ranks to battalion commander of the Yanzhong Central Guard, and then retired. When the Prince of Yan raised his army, Fang Sheng, the garrison commander at Tongzhou, surrendered the city. The prince, knowing Yan to be a seasoned commander, put him alongside Fang Sheng to hold the city together. When the southern army arrived, it assaulted the city with great urgency and smashed the walls and towers. Yan and Fang held the city by every means they could devise. Later they sallied through the gate and fought hard, pursued the retreating enemy as far as Zhangjiawan, and seized three hundred supply boats. He was promoted step by step to vice commander of the regional military commission. When rewards were distributed, he was created Earl of Yingcheng with an income of one thousand piculs in recognition of his service as a veteran who had held the city. In the eleventh year of Yongle he took charge of defenses at Kaiping, and was soon afterward reassigned to Tongzhou. He bludgeoned a battalion commander to death over a private grievance, lost his title, and was exiled to Jiaozhi. Before long his title was restored. He died in the sixteenth year. He was posthumously raised to marquis and given the posthumous name Weiwu. His son Heng succeeded to the title, which passed down until the fall of the Ming, when the enfeoffment was abolished.
26
使
His son Zhi, who had earlier distinguished himself as commander of the Changshan Right Guard, succeeded to his father's title. During the Xuande reign he was posted to Jiaozhi as vice general with the seal of the General Who Pacifies the Yi. He proved too timid for combat and also fell out with the regional commander Fang Zheng. Le Loi's forces were in the ascendant; Zhi could not hold them back and was routed. He was stripped of his title and reduced to serving as a probationary officer. He served under Wang Tong and won distinction. He was soon thrown into prison for abandoning the territory and returning home. He was eventually released. At the start of the Zhengtong reign he was restored to the rank of guard commander.
27
使
Zhang Xing was a native of Shouzhou. He rose from the ranks to become vice commander of the Yanshan Left Guard. He followed the prince in raising his army, won many honors, and rose through repeated promotions to assistant commander of the regional military commission. His nephew Yong was powerful and fearless in battle and marched at Xing's side as his right-hand man. Xing once charged the enemy alone and took several dozen wounds; his injuries were so severe that he could no longer take the field. Yong succeeded him as guard commander and took over command of his troops. When rewards were reckoned again, Xing was created Earl of Anxiang. He died in the first month of the fifth year of Yongle. He left no son.
28
退
Yong succeeded to the title. In the eighth year of Yongle he joined the northern campaign, broke discipline, and was exiled to Jiaozhi. He was pardoned, allowed to return, and had his title restored before he died. His son An succeeded to the title. In the thirteenth year of Zhengtong he was posted to command Guangdong. When Huang Xiaoyang threatened Guangzhou, An led the fleet and met the rebels at Dangchuan Bay. An was drunk and asleep at the time; the government forces could not stand their ground and fell back to Shajiaowei. The rebels pressed the attack and the army broke in rout. An drowned. The title passed down to Guangcan, who was killed by roving bandits.
29
Chen Zhi was a native of Ba. During the Hongwu reign he served as vice commander of the Yanzhong Central Guard. He followed the prince in raising his army, rose through repeated promotions to assistant commander of the regional military commission, and was created Earl of Suian. Zhi had long been valued for his respectful diligence; he gave his full strength on campaign and never slackened from first to last. He died in the fifth month of the eighth year of Yongle.
30
歿
His grandson Ying succeeded to the title. He took part in many campaigns beyond the frontier, held garrisons at Yongping, Shanhai, and Jizhou, and built fortifications at Yunzhou and Dushi. He was open-handed by nature and showed real talent as a commander. Yet he was greedy and brutal, and many under his command resented him. When he died, his son Xun succeeded to the title. He died at Tumu and was given the posthumous name Ronghuai. His younger brother Shao succeeded to the title. He died. His grandson Xian succeeded to the title. He took overall command of the Jizhou garrison. When the Tümed raided, he drove them back. Early in the Jiajing reign he was rewarded for helping welcome the new emperor, was made Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent, advanced to Junior Guardian, and entrusted with responsibilities second only to Marquis of Wuding Guo Xun. He held the earldom for more than sixty years before he died. Five generations later the dynasty fell.
31
沿 祿
Wang You came from Jingzhou. He inherited his father's post as centurion of the Yan Guard. He joined the rebellion and helped secure the capital. By merit he should have been made a marquis, but because of arrogance and license he received only the post of metropolitan vice commander. When Qiu Fu and others presented their recommendations, he was enfeoffed as Earl of Qingyuan. The next year he served as supreme commander, leading a fleet along the coast against the pirates. The pirates repeatedly raided the coast; You achieved nothing, and the emperor sharply rebuked him. Shortly afterward he inflicted a crushing defeat on the pirates. The emperor was pleased, issued an edict praising and rewarding him, and soon recalled him. In the fourth year he joined the campaign against Jiaozhi; together with Commander Liu Cong he united forces to break the Choujiang stockade, penned the enemy in the mountains of Mei, Pulai, and others, and took more than thirty-seven thousand heads. In the seventh month of the sixth year he was advanced to marquis, given an additional five hundred piculs of income, and granted a hereditary patent. The next year he campaigned against Jiaozhi again as deputy supreme commander. In the eighth year he returned, joined the northern campaign, and supervised the central army. Separately, together with Liu Cai, he built a fort on the Yinma River. When the court official Shinagan wished to surrender, the emperor ordered You to lead the troops forward first and instructed him to destroy the enemy whenever opportunity allowed. When You and the others arrived they were one day's march from the enemy, but took a detour to avoid them and went to Yingchang. The army ran short of food and many men died. The emperor was furious, sent repeated edicts of sharp rebuke, and transferred his army to Zhang Fu. On his return he ordered the ministers to deliberate on his punishment. He was soon pardoned. In the twelfth year a concubine accused You and his wife of slander, and he was implicated. The charge was verified and his title was taken away. He died soon afterward. When Emperor Renzong took the throne he appointed his son Shun vice commander.
32
The appraisal runs: Zhang Wu, Chen Gui, and the others either followed the prince from the rise of his princely fief or were among the first to submit. All were staff officers and company commanders, without the courage, strategy, or wisdom that would mark them as great generals. Yet once fortune turned their way they received investiture, were recorded for merit, were styled founders of the new reign, and were ranked with Taizu's ministers who built the dynasty — was not the court exceedingly generous in rewarding their service!
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