1
魏允貞 〈（弟允中劉廷蘭）〉 王國余懋衡李三才
Wei Yunzhen (his younger brother Yunzhong and Liu Tinglan)〉 Wang Guo, Yu Maohéng, and Li Sancai
2
魏允貞，字懋忠，南樂人。 萬歷五年進士。 授荊州推官。 大學士張居正歸葬，群吏趨事恐後，允貞獨不赴，且抶其奴。 治行最，征授御史。 吏部尚書梁夢龍罷。 允貞言：「銓衡任重。 往者會推之前，所司率受指執政或司禮中官，以故用非其人。」 帝納其言，特用嚴清，中外翕服。 俄劾兵部尚書吳兌，兌引去。 已，陳時弊四事，言：「自居正竊柄，吏、兵二部遷除必先關白，故所用悉其私人。 陛下宜與輔臣精察二部之長，而以其職事歸之。 使輔臣不侵部臣之權以行其私，部臣亦不乘輔臣之間以自行其私，則官方自肅。 自居正三子連登制科，流弊迄今未已。 請自今輔臣子弟中式，俟致政之後始許廷對，庶幸門稍杜。 自居正惡聞讜言，每遇科道員缺，率擇才性便給、工諂媚、善逢迎者授之，致昌言不聞，佞臣得誌。 自今考選時，陛下宜嚴敕所司，毋循故轍。 俺答自通市以來，邊備懈弛。 三軍月餉，既克其半以充市賞，復克其半以奉要人，士無宿飽，何能禦寇？ 至遼左戰功，尤可駭異。 軍聲則日振於前，生齒則日減於舊。 奏報失真，遷敘逾格，賞罰無章，何以能國哉！」 疏入，下都察院。
Wei Yunzhen, whose style was Maozhong, came from Nanle. He received his jinshi degree in the fifth year of the Wanli reign (1577). He was appointed investigating censor at Jingzhou. When Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng went home to bury his father, officials everywhere scrambled to attend him, but Yunzhen alone stayed away and even had Zhang's servant beaten. His record of governance ranked first, and he was summoned to serve as a censor. Minister of Personnel Liang Menglong was removed from office. Yunzhen said, "The power to appoint officials carries great weight. Before each joint recommendation, the responsible offices invariably took instructions from the chief minister or from eunuchs of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and for that reason unworthy men were appointed. The emperor accepted his advice and specially appointed Yan Qing; inside and outside the court all were won over. Soon afterward he impeached Minister of War Wu Dui, who resigned. Thereafter he presented four abuses of the age, saying, "Since Juzheng monopolized power, every transfer in the Ministries of Personnel and War had to be reported to him first, so those appointed were all his private connections. Your Majesty should work with the grand secretaries to scrutinize closely the heads of the two ministries and restore their proper duties to them. If grand secretaries do not infringe on ministry heads' authority to pursue private ends, and ministry heads do not exploit gaps among the grand secretaries to pursue their own private ends, then official discipline will restore itself. Since Juzheng's three sons passed the palace examination in succession, the abuses continue down to the present day. I beg that from now on, when sons of grand secretaries pass the provincial examinations, they be allowed to take the palace examination only after their fathers have retired from office, so that the door of favoritism may be somewhat closed. Since Juzheng hated to hear frank criticism, whenever a vacancy arose among the censorate and surveillance commissioners, he invariably chose men who were quick-witted, skilled at flattery, and adept at currying favor, so that forthright speech was not heard and fawning ministers had their way. From this selection onward, Your Majesty should strictly charge the responsible offices not to follow the old rut. Since Altan opened border trade, frontier defenses have grown lax. Half of the army's monthly pay is already withheld for market rewards, and half of what remains is again withheld for powerful men; the troops have no stores from one day to the next — how can they repel the enemy? As for military achievements on the eastern frontier, they are especially startling and strange. Battle reports grow louder by the day, while population figures shrink daily from what they once were. Memorials distort the truth, promotions and rewards exceed proper bounds, and rewards and punishments lack rule — how can such a state endure! When the memorial was submitted, it was sent down to the Censorate.
3
先是，居正既私其子，他輔臣呂調陽子興周，張四維子泰徵、甲徵，申時行子用懋，皆相繼得舉。 甲徵、用懋將廷對，而允貞疏適上。 四維大慍，言：「臣待罪政府，無所不當聞。 今因前人行私，而欲臣不預聞吏、兵二部事，非制也。」 因為子白誣，且乞骸骨。 時行亦疏辨。 帝並慰留，而責允貞言過當。 戶部員外郎李三才奏允貞言是，並貶秩調外。 允貞得許州判官。 給事中御史周邦傑、趙卿等論救，不納。 允貞雖謫，然自是輔臣居位，其子無復登第者。 久之，累遷右通政。
Earlier, Juzheng had already favored his own sons; the sons of other grand secretaries — Lü Tiaoyang's son Xingzhou, Zhang Siwei's sons Taizheng and Jiazheng, and Shen Shixing's son Yongmao — had in succession all passed the examinations. Jiazheng and Yongmao were about to take the palace examination when Yunzhen's memorial arrived. Siwei was greatly angered and said, "Your servant holds office in the government and ought to hear of everything. Now because former men pursued private ends, you wish your servant not to be informed beforehand of matters in the Ministries of Personnel and War — this is not the regulation. He therefore pled innocence for his son and begged to resign his post. Shixing also submitted a defense. The emperor consoled both and kept them in office, but reproved Yunzhen for speaking excessively. Junior Department Director Li Sancai memorialized that Yunzhen was right, and both were demoted in rank and transferred outside the capital. Yunzhen was appointed vice magistrate of Xuzhou. Supervising secretaries and censors Zhou Bangjie, Zhao Qing, and others memorialized in his defense, but this was not accepted. Though Yunzhen was banished, from this time forward, while grand secretaries held office, their sons no longer passed the examinations. After a long interval he was repeatedly promoted until he became Right Vice Commissioner of Transport.
4
二十一年，以右僉都御史巡撫山西。 允貞素剛果，清操絕俗。 以所部地疹民貧，力裁幕府歲供及州縣冗費，以其銀數萬繕亭障，建烽堠，置器市馬易粟。 又奏免平陽歲額站銀八萬，以所省郵傳羨補之。 雁門、平定軍以逋屯糧竄徙，允貞奏除其租，招令復業。 岢嵐互市，省撫賞銀六萬。 汾州有兩郡王，宗人與軍民雜處，知州秩卑不能制，奏改為府。 自款市成，邊政廢。 允貞視要害，築邊墻萬有余丈。 政聲大著。 帝亦數嘉其能。 會詔中官張忠采礦山西，允貞抗疏極諫，不報。 已，西河王知燧請開解州、安邑、絳縣礦，以儀賓督之。 指揮王守信請開平定、稷山諸礦。 帝並報允。 允貞恐民愈擾，請令忠兼領，亦不納。
In the twenty-first year (1593) he was made Right Vice Censor-in-Chief and Grand Coordinator of Shanxi. Yunzhen had always been firm and resolute, with a purity of conduct beyond the common run. Because the territory under his charge was barren and the people poor, he strenuously cut the military establishment's annual supplies and redundant expenditures of prefectures and counties, and with the several tens of thousands in silver thus saved repaired barrier posts, built beacon towers, procured weapons, bought horses, and exchanged grain. He also memorialized exemption of the eighty thousand taels of annual station silver for Pingyang, using surplus from the post relay system to make up the difference. The armies at Yanmen and Pingding had scattered because of arrears in colony grain; Yunzhen memorialized to remit their rent and summoned them back to their occupations. At the Kola mutual market he saved sixty thousand taels in frontier reward silver. Fenzhou had two commandery princes, and clansmen were mixed with soldiers and civilians; the prefect's rank was too low to control them, so he memorialized to elevate it to a superior prefecture. Since the pacification market was established, frontier administration had fallen into decay. Yunzhen surveyed strategic points and built more than ten thousand feet of border wall. His reputation for governance grew greatly. The emperor also repeatedly praised his ability. It happened that an edict ordered the eunuch Zhang Zhong to open mines in Shanxi; Yunzhen submitted a forceful memorial in extreme remonstrance, but received no response. Later the Prince of Xihe, Zhizhui, requested opening mines in Jiezhou, Anyi, and Jiangxian, to be supervised by his ceremonial son-in-law. Commander Wang Shouxin requested opening mines in Pingding, Jishan, and elsewhere. The emperor approved both requests. Yunzhen feared the people would be disturbed still more and requested that Zhong be put in overall charge, but this too was not accepted.
5
三殿災，詔求直言。 允貞言咎在輔臣，歷數趙誌臯、張位罪。 且曰：「前二臣以二月加恩，逾月兩宮災。 今年又加恩，而三殿復災。 天意昭然。」 位等力辨，求罷。 帝慰留，責允貞邊臣不當言朝事，因屢推不用，遂肆狂言，奪俸五月。 頃之，允貞疏舉遺賢，請召還王家屏、陳有年、沈鯉、李世達、王汝訓及小臣史孟麟、張棟、萬國欽、馬經綸、顧憲成、趙南星、鄒元標等，疏留中。 以久次，進右副都御史。
When the three main halls burned, an edict sought forthright speech. Yunzhen said the blame lay with the grand secretaries and enumerated the offenses of Zhao Zhigao and Zhang Wei. He also said, "The former two ministers received favors in the second month, and within a month both palaces suffered disaster. This year favors were granted again, and the three halls again burned. Heaven's intent is clear. Wei and the others argued forcefully and begged to be dismissed. The emperor consoled and kept them in office, reproving Yunzhen that frontier officials ought not speak of court affairs; because he had repeatedly been passed over for appointment he had let loose wild talk — five months' salary was docked. Before long Yunzhen memorialized recommending departed worthies, asking to recall Wang Jiaping, Chen Younian, Shen Li, Li Shida, Wang Ruxun, and junior officials Shi Menglin, Zhang Dong, Wan Guoqin, Ma Jinglun, Gu Xiancheng, Zhao Nanxing, Zou Yuanbiao, and others; the memorial was kept at court. Because of long tenure he was promoted to Right Assistant Censor-in-Chief.
6
二十八年春，疏陳時政缺失，言：「行取諸臣，幾經論薦，陛下猶不輕予一官。 彼魯坤、馬堂、高淮、陳朝輩，試之何事，舉之何人，乃令其銜命橫行，生殺予奪，恣出其口。 廷臣所陳率國家大計，一皆寢閣，甚者嚴譴隨之。 彼報稅之徒，悉無賴奸人，鄉黨不齒，顧乃朝奏夕報，如響應聲。 臣不解也。 胥徒入鄉，民間猶擾，況緹騎四出，如虎若狼，家室立破。 如吳寶秀、華鈺諸人，禍至慘矣，而陛下曾不一念及。 錢谷出入，上下相稽，猶多奸弊。 敕使手握利權，動逾數萬。 有司不敢問，撫按不敢聞，豈無吮膏血以自肥者，而陛下曾不一察及。 金取於滇，不足不止； 珠取於海，不罄不止； 錦綺取於吳越，不極奇巧不止。 乃元老聽其投閑，直臣幾於永錮，是陛下之愛賢士，曾不如愛珠玉錦綺也。」 疏奏，亦不省。
In spring of the twenty-eighth year (1600) he memorialized on current governmental deficiencies, saying, "The various officials selected for promotion have been recommended again and again in discussion, yet Your Majesty still will not lightly grant a single post. Yet Lu Kun, Ma Tang, Gao Huai, Chen Chao, and their like — what were they tested in, who recommended them — that they should bear orders and run rampant, holding life and death and reward and punishment on their lips as they please? What court ministers present are invariably great plans of state, all shelved without exception, and in severe cases harsh censure follows at once. Yet those who report taxes are all worthless rogues whom their native districts will not have — yet morning memorials receive evening responses, like echo answering sound. Your servant does not understand. When minor clerks enter the countryside the people are still disturbed; how much more when brocade-clad guards go forth on four sides like tigers and wolves, and households are ruined at once? Men such as Wu Baoxiu and Hua Yu suffered to the bitter end, yet Your Majesty has never once given them a thought. In the coming and going of money and grain, superiors and subordinates check each other, yet many corrupt practices remain. Edict commissioners hold profit in their hands, each transaction exceeding tens of thousands. Local officials dare not inquire, governors and surveillance commissioners dare not hear — can there be none who suck the people's blood to fatten themselves? Yet Your Majesty has never once investigated. Gold is taken from Yunnan — it does not stop until there is not enough; Pearls are taken from the sea — they do not stop until none are left; Brocades and silks are taken from Wu and Yue — they do not stop until the utmost in bizarre craft is reached. Yet senior statesmen are left idle while upright ministers are nearly imprisoned forever — Your Majesty's love of worthy scholars falls short of Your Majesty's love for pearls, jade, brocade, and silk. When the memorial was submitted, again no notice was taken.
7
先是，張忠以開礦至，後孫朝復至榷稅，誅求百方，允貞每事裁抑。 會忠杖死太平典史武三傑，朝使者逼殺建雄縣丞李逢春，允貞疏暴其罪。 朝怒，劾允貞抗命沮撓。 帝留允貞疏不下，而下朝疏於部院。 吏部尚書李戴、都御史溫純等力稱允貞賢，請下允貞疏平議。 帝並留中。 山西軍民數千恐允貞去，相率詣闕訴冤，兩京言官亦連章論救。 帝乃兩置不問。 明年，忠以夏縣知縣彭應春抗禮，劾貶之。 允貞請留應春，不報。
Earlier Zhang Zhong had come to open mines; later Sun Chao came to monopolize taxes, extorting by every means; Yunzhen checked each matter. When Zhong beat to death the Taiping bureau clerk Wu Sanjie, and Chao's agents drove to suicide the Jianxiong county assistant Li Fengchun, Yunzhen memorialized exposing their crimes. Chao was angry and impeached Yunzhen for resisting orders and obstruction. The emperor kept Yunzhen's memorial from being sent down but sent down Chao's memorial to the ministries and the censorate. Minister of Personnel Li Dai, Censor-in-Chief Wen Chun, and others strongly praised Yunzhen's worth and asked that Yunzhen's memorial be sent down for fair discussion. The emperor kept both memorials at court. Several thousand soldiers and civilians of Shanxi, fearing Yunzhen would leave, went together to the capital to plead their grievances; censors in both capitals also submitted linked memorials in his defense. The emperor then set both aside without inquiry. The next year Zhong, because Xia county magistrate Peng Yingchun resisted his ceremonial precedence, impeached and demoted him. Yunzhen asked to retain Yingchun; there was no response.
8
允貞父已九十余，允貞歲歲乞侍養，章二十上。 廷議以敕使害民，非允貞不能制，固留之。 其年五月，請益力，始聽歸。 士民為立祠。 已，閱視者奏允貞守邊勞，即家進兵部右侍郎。 尋卒。 天啟初，追謚介肅。
Yunzhen's father was already over ninety; year by year Yunzhen begged leave to attend him, memorializing twenty times. Court discussion held that the edict commissioners harmed the people and only Yunzhen could restrain them, so he was firmly kept in office. In the fifth month of that year he petitioned still more forcefully and was at last permitted to return home. Scholars and commoners erected a shrine for him. Later the inspection tour memorialized Yunzhen's labors on the frontier, and he was promoted at home to Vice Minister of War. Soon afterward he died. At the beginning of the Tianqi reign he was posthumously enfeoffed Jie Su.
9
弟允中、允孚。 允中為諸生，副使王世貞大器之。 歲鄉試，世貞戒門吏曰：「非魏允中第一，無伐鼓以傳也。」 已而果然。 時無錫顧憲成、漳浦劉廷蘭並為舉首，負俊才，時人稱「三解元」。 尋與廷蘭舉萬歷八年進士。 張居正專政，災異見，而中外方競頌功德。 允中、廷蘭各上書座主申時行，勸之補救。 時行不能用。 允中尋授太常博士，擢吏部稽勛主事，調考功，未幾卒。 允孚官刑部郎中，亦有名。
His younger brothers were Yunzhong and Yunfu. Yunzhong was a licentiate; Vice Commissioner Wang Shizhen greatly valued him. At the annual provincial examination, Shizhen warned the gate clerks, "Unless Wei Yunzhong ranks first, do not beat the drum to announce the results. And so it proved. At the time Gu Xiancheng of Wuxi and Liu Tinglan of Zhangpu were also top graduates in the provincial examinations, all men of outstanding talent; contemporaries called them the "Three Provincial Champions." Soon afterward he and Tinglan both received their jinshi degrees in the eighth year of the Wanli reign (1580). Zhang Juzheng held sole power; portents and anomalies appeared, yet court and country alike were competing to praise his achievements. Yunzhong and Tinglan each wrote to their patron Shen Shixing, urging him to take remedial action. Shixing could not act on their advice. Yunzhong was soon appointed Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, then promoted to Director of Records in the Ministry of Personnel, transferred to the Directorate of Evaluations, and died not long afterward. Yunfu served as a director in the Ministry of Punishments and was likewise well known.
10
廷蘭與兄廷蕙、廷芥亦皆舉進士，有名。 世所稱「南樂三魏」、「漳浦三劉」者也。
Tinglan, together with his elder brothers Tinghui and Tingjie, all passed the metropolitan examination and won renown. They are what the age called the "Three Wei of Nanle" and the "Three Liu of Zhangpu."
11
王國，字子楨，耀州人。 萬歷五年進士。 選庶吉士，改御史。 出視畿輔屯田，清成國公朱允禎等所侵地九千六百余頃。 張居正疾篤，疏薦其座主潘晟入內閣，帝從之。 國與同官魏允貞、雷士楨及給事中王繼光、孫煒、牛惟炳、張鼎思抗言不可，寢其命。 已，極論中官馮保罪。 且言：「居正死，保令徐爵索其家名琴七、夜光珠九、珠簾五、黃金三萬、白金十萬。 居正子簡修躬賫至保邸，而保揚言陛下取之，誣汙聖德。」 因發曾省吾、王篆表裏結納狀。 國疏自外至，與李植疏先後上。 帝已納植言罪保，植遂受知，而國亦由此顯名。 還朝，薦王錫爵、陸樹聲、胡執禮、耿定向、海瑞、胡直、顏鯨、魏允貞。 尋出督南畿學政，以疾歸。
Wang Guo, whose style was Zizhen, came from Yaozhou. He received his jinshi degree in the fifth year of the Wanli reign (1577). He was selected as a Hanlin bachelor and then transferred to serve as a censor. Sent out to inspect colony fields in the metropolitan region, he recovered more than nine thousand six hundred qing of land that the Prince of Cheng, Zhu Yunzhen, and others had encroached upon. When Zhang Juzheng lay gravely ill, he memorialized recommending his patron Pan Sheng for the Grand Secretariat, and the emperor assented. Guo, together with his colleagues Wei Yunzhen and Lei Shizhen and supervising secretaries Wang Jiguang, Sun Wei, Niu Weibing, and Zhang Dingsi, protested that this must not be done, and the order was shelved. Thereafter he argued at length the offenses of the eunuch Feng Bao. He also said, "After Juzheng died, Bao ordered Xu Jue to demand from his household seven famous zithers, nine luminous pearls, five pearl curtains, thirty thousand taels of gold, and one hundred thousand taels of silver. Juzheng's son Jianxiu personally carried them to Bao's residence, yet Bao proclaimed that Your Majesty had taken them, thereby slandering the imperial virtue. He thereby exposed the inside-and-out collusion of Zeng Shengwu and Wang Zhuan. Guo's memorial arrived from outside the capital and was submitted shortly after Li Zhi's memorial. The emperor had already accepted Zhi's words and condemned Bao; Zhi thereby won favor, and Guo also became famous from this affair. On returning to court, he recommended Wang Xijue, Lu Shusheng, Hu Zhili, Geng Dingxiang, Hai Rui, Hu Zhi, Yan Jing, and Wei Yunzhen. Soon he went out to supervise education in the southern metropolitan region and returned home on account of illness.
12
起掌河南道。 首輔申時行欲置所不悅者十九人察典，吏部尚書楊巍等依違其間，國力持不可。 時行以御史馬允登資在國前，乃起允登掌察，而國佐之。 諸御史鹹集，允登書十九人姓名，曰：「諸人可謂公論不容者矣。」 國熟視，叱曰：「諸人獨忤執政耳。 天日監臨，何出此語！」 允登意不回。 國怒，奮前欲毆允登。 允登走，國環柱逐之，同列救解。 事聞，兩人並調外，國得四川副使。 移疾歸。 而十九人賴國以免。
He was recalled to take charge of the Henan surveillance circuit. Chief Grand Secretary Shen Shixing wished to place nineteen men he disliked on the inspection blacklist; Minister of Personnel Yang Wei and others wavered, but Guo strenuously held that this could not be done. Because censor Ma Yundeng's seniority predated Guo's, Shixing raised Yundeng to take charge of inspections while Guo assisted him. When the censors had all assembled, Yundeng wrote out the nineteen men's names and said, "These men may be said to be those whom public opinion will not tolerate. Guo stared closely and shouted, "These men merely offended the chief minister. Heaven and sun oversee all — how can such words be spoken! Yundeng's intent did not change. Guo was angry and lunged forward intending to strike Yundeng. Yundeng fled; Guo chased him around a pillar, and his colleagues intervened to separate them. When the affair was reported, both men were transferred outside the capital; Guo received appointment as vice commissioner of Sichuan. He pleaded illness and returned home. The nineteen men were spared thanks to Guo.
13
久之，起故官，蒞山西。 改督河南學政，遷山東參政。 所在以公廉稱。 召為太仆少卿。 復出為山西副使，歷南京通政使。 三十七年，以兵部右侍郎兼右僉都御史巡撫保定。 歲兇，屢上寬恤事宜。 大盜劉應第、董世耀聚眾稱王，剽劫遠近，督兵討滅之。 進右都御史，巡撫如故。 國剛介。 與弟吏部侍郎圖並負時望，為黨人所忌。 乞休歸，卒。
After a long interval he was recalled to his former post and took up office in Shanxi. He was transferred to supervise education in Henan and promoted to administration commissioner of Shandong. Wherever he served he was known for fairness and integrity. He was summoned as vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Stud. He went out again as vice commissioner of Shanxi and served in succession as vice commissioner of transport at Nanjing. In the thirty-seventh year (1609) he was made vice minister of war and concurrently right vice censor-in-chief, grand coordinator of Baoding. In years of famine he repeatedly memorialized measures of relief and leniency. The great bandits Liu Yingdi and Dong Shiyao gathered crowds and styled themselves kings, plundering far and near; he led troops to exterminate them. He was promoted to right censor-in-chief while continuing as grand coordinator. Guo was stern and upright. He and his younger brother Tu, vice minister of personnel, both bore the hopes of the age and were envied by factionalists. He begged leave to retire and died.
14
余懋衡，字持國，婺源人。 萬歷二十年進士。 除永新知縣。 征授御史。 時以殿工，礦稅使四出，驕橫。 懋衡上疏言：「與其騷擾裏巷，榷及雞豚，曷若明告天下，稍增田賦，共襄殿工。 今避加賦之名，而為竭澤之計，其害十倍於加賦。」 忤旨，停俸一年。
Yu Maohéng, whose style was Chiguo, came from Wuyuan. He received his jinshi degree in the twentieth year of the Wanli reign (1592). He was appointed magistrate of Yongxin. He was summoned and appointed censor. At the time, because of palace construction, mining-tax commissioners were sent out on four sides and acted with arrogant violence. Maohéng memorialized, saying, "Rather than harass lanes and alleys and levy taxes even on chickens and pigs, how much better to make clear to all under Heaven a slight increase in land tax so all may support palace construction together. Now, to avoid the name of increasing taxes while adopting a plan to drain the pond dry, the harm is ten times that of increasing taxes. This offended the imperial will; his salary was suspended for one year.
15
巡按陜西。 稅監梁永輦私物於畿輔，役人馬甚眾。 懋衡奏之。 永大恨，使其黨樂綱賄膳夫毒懋衡。 再中毒，不死。 拷膳夫，獲所予賄及余蠱。 遂上疏極論永罪，言官亦爭論永，帝皆不省。 永慮軍民為難，召亡命擐甲自衛。 御史王基洪聲言永必反，具陳永斬關及殺掠吏民狀。 巡撫顧其誌頗為永諱，永乃藉口辨。 帝疑御史言不實。 而鹹寧、長安二知縣持永益急。 永黨王九功輩多私裝，恐為有司所跡，托言永遣，乘馬結陣馳去。 縣棣追及之華陰，相格鬥，已皆被系，懋衡遂以反逆聞。 永窘甚，爪牙盡亡，獨綱在，乃教永誣劾鹹寧知縣滿朝薦，朝薦被逮。 永不久亦撤還，關中始靖。 懋衡尋以憂歸。 起掌河南道事。 擢大理右寺丞，引疾去。
He toured and inspected Shaanxi. Tax commissioner Liang Yong transported private goods through the metropolitan region, impressing very many men and horses. Maohéng memorialized against this. Yong hated him deeply and had his follower Yue Gang bribe the cook to poison Maohéng. Poisoned a second time, he did not die. Under torture the cook confessed the bribe given him and the remaining poison. He then memorialized at length Yong's offenses; censorial officials also argued against Yong, but the emperor took notice of none of it. Yong feared that soldiers and civilians would make trouble and summoned fugitives to don armor in his own defense. Censor Wang Jihong openly declared that Yong would certainly rebel and set forth in detail Yong's breaking through passes and killing and plundering officials and civilians. Grand Coordinator Gu Qizhi largely covered for Yong, and Yong took this as grounds to argue in his defense. The emperor suspected the censors' words were untrue. Yet the magistrates of Xianning and Chang'an pressed Yong all the more urgently. Yong's followers Wang Jiugong and others had much private baggage and, fearing officials would track them, claimed to act on Yong's orders, formed ranks, and galloped away on horseback. County assistants pursued and overtook them at Huayin; after fighting they were all seized, and Maohéng then reported rebellion and treason. Yong was in dire straits; his henchmen were all gone, only Gang remained, and he taught Yong to lodge a false impeachment against Xianning magistrate Man Chaojian; Chaojian was arrested. Yong was soon withdrawn as well, and the Guanzhong region at last grew calm. Maohéng soon returned home on account of mourning. He was recalled to take charge of Henan circuit affairs. He was promoted to right vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review and resigned on account of illness.
16
李三才，字道甫，順天通州人。 萬歷二年進士。 授戶部主事，歷郎中。 與南樂魏允貞、長垣李化龍以經濟相期許。 及允貞言事忤執政，抗疏直之，坐謫東昌推官。 再遷南京禮部郎中。 會允貞、化龍及鄒元標並官南曹，益相與講求經世務，名籍甚。 遷山東僉事。 所部多大猾積盜，廣設方略，悉擒滅之。 遷河南參議，進副使。 兩督山東、山西學政，擢南京通政參議，召為大理少卿。
Li Sancai, whose style was Daofu, came from Tongzhou in Shuntian. He received his jinshi degree in the second year of the Wanli reign (1574). He was appointed a director in the Ministry of Revenue and rose through the ranks to department director. He and Wei Yunzhen of Nanle and Li Hualong of Changyuan pledged themselves to one another in matters of statecraft. When Yunzhen spoke on affairs and offended the chief minister, Sancai submitted a forceful memorial in his defense and was demoted to investigating censor of Dongchang. He was again transferred to department director in the Nanjing Ministry of Rites. When Yunzhen, Hualong, and Zou Yuanbiao were all serving in the southern ministries, they increasingly joined in pursuing affairs of governing the age, and their fame spread widely. He was transferred to assistant administration commissioner of Shandong. The territory under his charge had many great rascals and long-accumulated bandits; he laid out many stratagems and captured and exterminated them all. He was transferred to administration commissioner of Henan and promoted to vice commissioner. He twice supervised education in Shandong and Shanxi, was promoted to participating secretary of the Nanjing Office of Transmission, and was summoned as vice minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
17
二十七年，以右僉都御史總督漕運，巡撫鳳陽諸府。 時礦稅使四出。 三才所部，榷稅則徐州陳增、儀真暨祿，鹽課則揚州魯保，蘆政則沿江邢隆，棋布千里間。 延引奸徒，偽鍥印符，所至若捕叛亡，公行攘奪。 而增尤甚，數窘辱長吏。 獨三才以氣淩之，裁抑其爪牙肆惡者，且密令死囚引為黨，輒捕殺之，增為奪氣。 然奸民以礦稅故，多起為盜。 浙人趙一平用妖術倡亂。 事覺，竄徐州，易號古元，妄稱宋後。 與其黨孟化鯨、馬登儒輩聚亡命，署偽官，期明年二月諸方並起。 謀泄，皆就捕。 一平亡之寶坻，見獲。 三才再疏陳礦稅之害，言：「陛下愛珠玉，民亦慕溫飽； 陛下愛子孫，民亦戀妻孥。 奈何陛下欲崇聚財賄，而不使小民享升鬥之需； 欲綿祚萬年，而不使小民適朝夕之樂。 自古未有朝廷之政令、天下之情形一至於斯，而可幸無亂者。 今闕政猥多，而陛下病源則在溺誌貨財。 臣請渙發德音，罷除天下礦稅。 欲心既去，然後政事可理。」 逾月未報，三才又上言：「臣為民請命，月余未得請。 聞近日章奏，凡及礦稅，悉置不省。 此宗社存亡所關，一旦眾畔土崩，小民皆為敵國，風馳塵騖，亂眾麻起，陛下塊然獨處，即黃金盈箱，明珠填屋，誰為守之？」 亦不報。 三十年，帝有疾，詔罷礦稅，俄止之。 三才極陳國勢將危，請亟下前詔，不聽。
In the twenty-seventh year (1599) he was made right vice censor-in-chief, concurrently grand coordinator of transport, and grand coordinator of the prefectures of Fengyang and elsewhere. At the time mining-tax commissioners were sent out on four sides. In the territory under his charge, tax monopoly was exercised by Chen Zeng at Xuzhou and Ji Lu at Yizhen, salt tax by Lu Bao at Yangzhou, and reed administration by Xing Long along the river — spread like chess pieces across a thousand li. They drew in wicked followers, forged seals and tallies, and wherever they went it was as if hunting rebels and fugitives, openly seizing and plundering. Zeng was especially severe, repeatedly shaming senior officials. Only Sancai confronted him with spirit, checked his henchmen who committed outrages, and secretly ordered condemned prisoners to be drawn into their faction and then seized and killed — Zeng's arrogance was broken. Yet because of mining taxes wicked commoners in many places rose up as bandits. The Zhejiang man Zhao Yiping used sorcery to incite rebellion. When the affair was discovered he fled to Xuzhou, changed his name to Gu Yuan, and falsely claimed descent from the Song. With his followers Meng Huajing, Ma Dengru, and others he gathered fugitives, appointed bogus officials, and set the second month of the coming year for simultaneous risings in all quarters. When the plot leaked out, all were captured. Yiping fled to Baodi and was seized. Sancai again memorialized on the harm of mining taxes, saying, "Your Majesty loves pearls and jade; the people also long for warm clothing and full bellies; Your Majesty loves sons and grandsons; the people also cherish wives and children. Why should Your Majesty wish to amass wealth and bribes while not letting common people enjoy their measure of grain; You wish to extend the dynasty for ten thousand years, yet will not let common people enjoy their daily pleasures. From antiquity there has never been a time when court ordinances and the condition of all under Heaven had reached such a point and one could still hope for no disorder. Today governmental deficiencies are many, but the root of Your Majesty's illness lies in drowning the will in love of goods and wealth. Your servant begs that a gracious edict be broadly issued to abolish mining taxes throughout the empire. Once desire is removed, then government affairs may be set in order. More than a month passed without response; Sancai again spoke, saying, "Your servant pleaded for the people's lives, yet for more than a month has received no answer. I hear that recently, of all memorials touching on mining taxes, none have been heeded. This concerns the survival or destruction of the altars of state; once the multitude rebels and the realm crumbles, common people all become enemy states, wind-driven dust swirls, and rebellious crowds rise like hemp — Your Majesty sits alone as a block; even if gold fills chests and luminous pearls fill the house, who will guard them? Again no response was given. In the thirtieth year (1602) the emperor fell ill; an edict abolished mining taxes, but soon it was halted. Sancai argued at length that the nation's situation was about to grow perilous and begged that the earlier edict be issued at once; this was not heeded.
18
清口水涸阻漕，三才議浚渠建閘，費二十萬，請留漕粟濟之。 督儲侍郎趙世卿力爭，三才遂引疾求去。 帝惡其委避，許之。 淮揚巡按御史崔邦亮、巡漕御史李思孝、給事中曹於汴、御史史學遷、袁九臯交章乞留。 而學遷言：「陛下以陳增故，欲去三才，托詞解其官。 年來中使四出，海內如沸。 李盛春之去以王虎，魏允貞之去以孫朝，前漕臣李誌之去亦以礦稅事。 他監司守令去者，不可勝數，今三才復繼之。 淮上軍民以三才罷，欲甘心於增，增避不敢出。 三才不當去可知。」 疏仍不答。 三才遂去淮之徐州。 連疏請代，未得命。 會侍郎謝傑代世卿督儲，復請留。 乃命三才供事俟代者，帝亦竟不遣代也。
The Qingkou River dried up and blocked the grain transport; Sancai proposed dredging the channel and building sluice gates at a cost of two hundred thousand, asking to retain transport grain to fund it. Supervising Storage Vice Minister Zhao Shiqing argued forcefully against this; Sancai then pleaded illness and begged to leave. The emperor hated his shirking responsibility and permitted it. Surveillance Commissioner Cui Bangliang of Huai-Yang, Transport Surveillance Commissioner Li Sixiao, supervising secretaries Cao Yubian, Shi Xueqian, and Yuan Jiugao, and censors all submitted linked memorials begging him to stay. Xueqian said, "Your Majesty, because of Chen Zeng, wishes to remove Sancai and uses words as a pretext to dismiss him from office. In recent years eunuch commissioners have gone forth on four sides and the realm seethes like a cauldron. Li Shengchun left because of Wang Hu; Wei Yunzhen left because of Sun Chao; the former transport official Li Zhi also left over mining-tax affairs. Other surveillance officials, magistrates, and prefects who left cannot be counted; now Sancai follows in succession. Soldiers and civilians on the Huai, because Sancai was dismissed, wished to take satisfaction on Zeng; Zeng did not dare go out. That Sancai ought not to leave is clear. The memorial again received no answer. Sancai then went to Xuzhou on the Huai. He submitted linked memorials asking for a replacement but received no order. It happened that Vice Minister Xie Jie replaced Shiqing in supervising storage and again asked that Sancai be retained. He was then ordered to continue serving until a replacement arrived; the emperor in the end also did not send a replacement.
19
明年九月，復疏言：「乃者迅雷擊陵，大風拔木，洪水滔天，天變極矣。 趙古元方磔於徐，李大榮旋梟於亳，而睢州巨盜又復見告，人離極矣。 陛下每有征求，必曰『內府匱乏』。 夫使內府果乏，是社稷之福也，所謂貌病而天下肥也。 而其實不然。 陛下所謂匱乏者，黃金未遍地，珠玉未際天耳。 小民饔飧不飽，重以征求，箠楚無時，桁楊滿路，官惟丐罷，民惟請死，陛下寧不惕然警悟邪！ 陛下毋謂臣禍亂之言為未必然也； 若既已然矣，將置陛下何地哉！」 亦不報。 既而睢盜就獲，三才因奏行數事，部內晏然。
In the ninth month of the following year he again memorialized, saying, "Recently thunderbolts struck the imperial tombs, great winds uprooted trees, and floodwaters rose to the sky — heavenly changes have reached their extreme. Zhao Guyuan was just dismembered at Xu, Li Darong was soon exposed at Bo, and a great bandit of Suizhou was again reported — human separation has reached its extreme. Whenever Your Majesty makes a demand, you always say 'the inner treasury is depleted.' If the inner treasury were truly depleted, that would be the fortune of the altars of state — what is called the face sick while all under Heaven grows fat. But in fact it is not so. What Your Majesty calls depletion is that gold has not yet covered the ground and pearls and jade have not yet reached the sky. Common people cannot fill their morning and evening meals, and on top of this come demands; beatings are unceasing, cangues fill the roads, officials only beg dismissal, and the people only beg death — will Your Majesty not be startled into vigilance! Your Majesty must not think your servant's words of calamity and disorder are not yet necessarily so; if they are already so, where will Your Majesty be placed! Again no response was given. Soon the Suizhou bandits were captured; Sancai thereupon memorialized carrying out several measures, and within his jurisdiction all was calm.
20
翕人程守訓以貲官中書，為陳增參隨。 縱橫自恣，所至鼓吹，盛儀衛，許人告密，刑拷及婦孺。 畏三才，不敢至淮。 三才劾治之，得贓數十萬。 增懼為己累，並搜獲其奇珍異寶及僭用龍文服器。 守訓及其黨俱下吏伏法，遠近大快。
The man of Xi, Cheng Shouxun, bought office as Secretariat Drafter and served as Chen Zeng's aide. He ran rampant as he pleased; wherever he went there were drums and music, magnificent guards of honor; he permitted people to inform secretly, and torture extended even to women and children. He feared Sancai and did not dare come to the Huai. Sancai impeached and punished him, obtaining bribes of several hundred thousand. Zeng feared this would implicate him and also searched out his rare treasures and regalia bearing dragon designs used in usurpation of rank. Shouxun and his faction were all sent down to the law officers and executed; near and far were greatly pleased.
21
三十四年，皇孫生。 詔並礦稅，釋逮系，起廢滯，補言官，既而不盡行。 三才疑首輔沈一貫尼之，上疏陰詆一貫甚力。 繼又言：「恩詔已頒，旋復中格，道路言前日新政不過乘一時喜心，故旋開旋蔽。」 又謂：「一貫慮沈鯉、朱賡逼己。 既忌其有所執爭，形己之短，又恥其事不由己，欲壞其成。 行賄左右，多方蠱惑，致新政阻格。」 帝得疏，震怒。 嚴旨切責，奪俸五月。 其明年，暨祿卒。 三才因請盡撤天下稅使，帝不從，命魯保兼之。
In the thirty-fourth year (1606) the imperial great-grandson was born. An edict combined mining taxes, released those in custody, raised the dismissed and stagnant, and filled censorial posts — yet afterward not all were carried out. Sancai suspected Chief Grand Secretary Shen Yiguan of obstructing it and memorialized, covertly denouncing Yiguan with great force. He then also said, "The gracious edict has been promulgated, yet is immediately blocked in the middle; travelers say the recent new policies were only riding a moment's joy, and so were opened and then shut again. He also said, "Yiguan feared Shen Li and Zhu Geng would press him. He both resented that they would hold to their views and expose his shortcomings, and was shamed that affairs did not proceed from himself, wishing to ruin their success. He bribed those around the throne and by many means deluded and confused, causing the new policies to be obstructed. When the emperor received the memorial he was greatly angered. A stern edict sharply reproved him and docked five months' salary. The next year Ji Lu died. Sancai thereupon asked to withdraw all tax commissioners throughout the empire; the emperor did not assent and ordered Lu Bao to take charge as well.
22
是時顧憲成裏居，講學東林，好臧否人物。 三才與深相結，憲成亦深信之。 三才嘗請補大僚，選科道，錄遺佚。 因言：「諸臣只以議論意見一觸當途，遂永棄不收，要之於陛下無忤。 今乃假天子威以錮諸臣，復假忤主之名以文己過。 負國負君，罪莫大此。」 意為憲成諸人發。 已，復極陳朝政廢壞，請帝奮然有為，與天下更始。 且力言遼左阽危，必難永保狀。 帝皆置不省。
At this time Gu Xiancheng lived in retirement, lecturing at the Donglin Academy, fond of praising and blaming men. Sancai was deeply bound to him, and Xiancheng also deeply trusted him. Sancai once asked to fill high offices, select censorate and surveillance commissioners, and record the departed and neglected. He thereby said, "The various ministers were only because discussion and opinion once offended those in power forever cast aside and not taken back — in sum they were not disloyal to Your Majesty. Now they borrow the Son of Heaven's authority to imprison the various ministers, and again borrow the name of offending the ruler to adorn their own faults. Betraying the state and betraying the ruler — no crime is greater than this. This was intended on behalf of Xiancheng and his circle. Thereafter he again argued at length that court government was ruined and begged the emperor to rouse himself to action and make a fresh start with all under Heaven. And he argued forcefully that the eastern frontier was in extreme peril and could not long be preserved. The emperor set all aside without notice.
23
三才揮霍有大略，在淮久，以折稅監得民心。 及淮、徐歲侵，又請振恤，蠲馬價。 淮人深德之。 屢加至戶部尚書。 會內閣缺人，建議者謂不當專用詞臣，宜與外僚參用，意在三才。 及都御史缺，需次內召。 由是忌者日眾，謗議紛然。 工部郎中邵輔忠遂劾三才大奸似忠，大詐似直，列具貪偽險橫四大罪，御史徐兆魁繼之。 三才四疏力辨，且乞休。 給事中馬從龍、御史董兆舒、彭端吾、南京給事中金士衡相繼為三才辨。 大學士葉向高言三才已杜門待罪，宜速定去留，為漕政計。 皆不報。 已而南京兵部郎中錢策，南京給事中劉時俊，御史劉國縉、喬應甲，給事中王紹徵、徐紹吉、周永春、姚宗文、朱一桂、李瑾，南京御史張邦俊、王萬祚，復連章劾三才。 而給事中胡忻、曹於汴，南京給事中段然，御史史學遷、史記事、馬孟禎、王基洪，又交章論救。 朝端聚訟，迄數月未已。 憲成乃貽書向高，力稱三才廉直，又貽書孫丕揚力辨之。 御史吳亮素善三才，即以兩書附傳邸報中，由是議者益嘩。 應甲復兩疏力訐，至列其十貪五奸。 帝皆不省。 三才亦力請罷，疏至十五上。 久不得命，遂自引去。 帝亦不罪也。
Sancai was liberal and possessed great strategic vision; he had long been on the Huai and won the people's hearts by curbing tax commissioners. When the Huai and Xu regions suffered annual disasters, he again asked for relief and exemption from horse prices. The people of the Huai deeply thanked him. He was repeatedly promoted until Minister of Revenue. It happened that the Grand Secretariat lacked men; those who offered advice said literary officials alone should not be used exclusively — outside officials should participate, with Sancai in mind. When the post of Censor-in-Chief fell vacant, he was next in seniority for internal summons. From this those who envied him grew daily more numerous and slander and debate swirled. Director in the Ministry of Works Shao Fuzhong then impeached Sancai as great wickedness resembling loyalty, great deceit resembling uprightness, listing in detail four great crimes of greed, falsehood, treachery, and violence; censor Xu Zhaokui followed him. Sancai submitted four memorials arguing forcefully and also begged to retire. Supervising secretaries Ma Conglong, censors Dong Zhaoshu, Peng Duanwu, and Nanjing supervising secretary Jin Shiheng in succession argued for Sancai. Grand Secretary Ye Xianggao said Sancai had already shut his doors awaiting punishment and ought quickly to be decided whether to stay or go, for the sake of transport policy. None received response. Before long Nanjing Bureau of Military Affairs Director Qian Ce, Nanjing supervising secretaries Liu Shijun, censors Liu Guoji, Qiao Yingjia, supervising secretaries Wang Shaozheng, Xu Shaoji, Zhou Yongchun, Yao Zongwen, Zhu Yigui, and Li Jin, and Nanjing censors Zhang Bangjun and Wang Wanzuo again submitted linked memorials impeaching Sancai. Yet supervising secretaries Hu Xin and Cao Yubian, Nanjing supervising secretary Duan Ran, and censors Shi Xueqian, Shi Jishi, Ma Mengzhen, and Wang Jihong in turn submitted linked memorials arguing in his defense. At court the factions gathered in dispute, continuing for several months without end. Xiancheng then sent a letter to Xianggao strongly praising Sancai's integrity and uprightness, and also sent a letter to Sun Piyang arguing forcefully in his defense. Censor Wu Liang, who had always been friendly with Sancai, attached both letters to the courier gazette; from this the debaters grew still more clamorous. Yingjia again submitted two memorials arguing forcefully, going so far as to list ten instances of greed and five of treachery. The emperor took notice of none of it. Sancai also argued forcefully to be dismissed; his memorials reached fifteen submissions. For a long time he received no order and thereupon withdrew on his own. The emperor also did not punish him.
24
三才既家居，忌者慮其復用。 四十二年，御史劉光復劾其盜皇木營建私第至二十二萬有奇。 且言三才與於玉立遙執相權，意所欲用，銓部輒為推舉。 三才疏辨，請遣中官按問。 給事中劉文炳、御史李徵儀、工部郎中聶心湯、大理丞王士昌，助光復力攻三才。 徵儀、心湯，三才嘗舉吏也。 三才憤甚，自請籍其家。 工部侍郎林如楚言宜遣使覆勘。 光復再疏，並言其侵奪官廠為園囿。 御史劉廷元遂率同列繼之，而潘汝禎又特疏論劾。 既而巡按御史顏思忠亦上疏如光復指。 三才益憤，請諸臣會勘，又請帝親鞫。 乃詔徵儀偕給事中吳亮嗣往。
After Sancai had returned home, those who envied him feared he would be used again. In the forty-second year (1614) censor Liu Guangfu impeached him for stealing imperial timber to build a private residence amounting to more than two hundred and twenty thousand. And he said Sancai, together with Yu Yuli, remotely wielded the power of chief minister; whomever they wished to use, the Ministry of Personnel would push forward. Sancai memorialized in his defense and asked that palace eunuchs be sent to investigate. Supervising secretary Liu Wenbing, censor Li Zhengyi, Director in the Ministry of Works Nie Xintang, and Assistant Minister of the Court of Judicial Review Wang Shichang helped Guangfu attack Sancai with force. Zhengyi and Xintang were men Sancai had once recommended for office. Sancai was extremely angry and asked on his own that his household be registered. Vice Minister of Works Lin Ruchu said envoys ought to be sent for re-investigation. Guangfu memorialized again, also saying he had encroached on official workshops to make a garden. Censor Liu Tingyuan then led his colleagues in succession, and Pan Ruzhen also specially memorialized in impeachment. Before long Surveillance Commissioner Yan Sizhong also memorialized as Guangfu had indicated. Sancai grew still angrier and asked that the various ministers jointly investigate, and also asked that the emperor personally interrogate. An edict then ordered Zhengyi together with supervising secretary Wu Liang to go in succession.
25
其明年，光復坐事下獄。 三才陽請釋之，而復力為東林辨白，曰：「自沈一貫假撰妖書，擅僇楚宗，舉朝正人攻之以去。 繼湯賓尹、韓敬科場作奸，孽由自取，於人何尤。 而今之黨人動與正人為仇，士昌、光復尤為戎首。 挺身主盟，力為一貫、敬報怨。 騰說百端，攻擊千狀。 以大臣之賢者言之，則葉向高去矣，王象乾、孫瑋、王圖、許弘綱去矣，曹於汴、胡忻、朱吾弼、葉茂才、南企仲、朱國禎等去矣，近又攻陳薦、汪應蛟去矣。 以小臣之賢者言之，梅之煥、孫振基、段然、吳亮、馬孟禎、湯兆京、周起元、史學遷、錢春等去矣，李樸、鮑應鰲、丁元薦、龐時雍、吳正誌、劉宗周等去矣。 合於己則留，不合則逐。 陛下第知諸臣之去，豈知諸黨人驅之乎？ 今奸黨仇正之言，一曰東林，一曰淮撫。 所謂東林者，顧憲成讀書講學之所也。 從之遊者如高攀龍、姜士昌、錢一本、劉元珍、安希範、嶽元聲、薛敷教，並束身厲名行，何負國家哉？ 偶曰東林，便成陷井。 如鄒元標、趙南星等被以此名，即力阻其進。 所朝上而夕下者，惟史繼偕諸人耳。 人才邪正，實國祚攸關，惟陛下察焉。」 疏入，眾益恨之。 亮嗣等既往勘，久之無所得。 第如光復言還報，遂落職為民。
The next year Guangfu was imprisoned on account of an affair. Sancai openly asked that he be released, and again argued forcefully in defense of the Donglin faction, saying, "Since Shen Yiguan forged the demonic book and on his own authority punished the Prince of Chu, upright men of the whole court attacked him until he left. Then Tang Binyin and Han Jing committed fraud in the examination field — the calamity was of their own making; whom should others blame? Yet today's factionalists constantly make enemies of upright men; Shichang and Guangfu are especially the ringleaders. They thrust themselves forward as alliance leaders and strive to avenge Yiguan and Jing. They spread a hundred kinds of rumor and launch a thousand forms of attack. Speaking of worthy great ministers: Ye Xianggao has gone; Wang Xiangqian, Sun Wei, Wang Tu, and Xu Honggang have gone; Cao Yubian, Hu Xin, Zhu Wubi, Ye Maocai, Nan Qizhong, Zhu Guozhen, and others have gone; recently Chen Jian and Wang Yingjiao were also attacked until they left. Speaking of worthy junior officials: Mei Zhihuan, Sun Zhenji, Duan Ran, Wu Liang, Ma Mengzhen, Tang Zhaojing, Zhou Qiyuan, Shi Xueqian, Qian Chun, and others have gone; Li Pu, Bao Ying'ao, Ding Yuansian, Pang Shiyong, Wu Zhengzhi, Liu Zongzhou, and others have gone. Those who agree with them are kept; those who disagree are driven out. Your Majesty only knows that the various ministers have left — do you know that the factionalists drove them out? Today the wicked faction's words against the upright boil down to two labels: Donglin, and Grand Coordinator of the Huai. What is called Donglin is the place where Gu Xiancheng read books and lectured. Those who followed him in study, such as Gao Panlong, Jiang Shichang, Qian Yiben, Liu Yuanzhen, An Xifan, Yue Yuansheng, and Xue Fujiao, all restrained themselves and cultivated name and conduct — how have they wronged the state? Merely say Donglin and it becomes a trap. Men such as Zou Yuanbiao and Zhao Nanxing, once labeled with this name, immediately had their advancement strenuously blocked. Those appointed in the morning and dismissed in the evening are only men such as Shi Jijie. Whether talent is wicked or upright truly concerns the fate of the dynasty — may Your Majesty examine this. When the memorial was submitted, the multitude hated him all the more. Liang and his successors had already gone to investigate; after a long while they obtained nothing. They merely reported back as Guangfu had said, and Sancai was thereupon dismissed from office and made a commoner.
26
天啟元年，遼陽失。 御史房可壯連疏請用三才。 有詔廷臣集議。 通政參議吳殿邦力言不可用，至目之為盜臣。 御史劉廷宣復薦三才，言：「國家既惜其才，則用之耳，又何議，然廣寧已有王化貞，不若用之山海。」 帝是其言，即欲用三才，而廷議相持未決。 詹事公鼐力言宜用，刑部侍郎鄒元標、僉都御史王德完並主之。 已，德完迫眾議，忽變前說。 及署議，元標亦不敢主。 議竟不決，事遂寢。 三年，起南京戶部尚書，未上卒。 後魏忠賢亂政，其黨御史石三畏追劾之。 詔削籍，奪封誥。 崇禎初復官。
In the first year of Tianqi (1621), Liaoyang was lost. Censor Fang Kezhuang submitted linked memorials asking that Sancai be employed. An edict ordered court ministers to assemble in discussion. Participating Secretary of the Office of Transmission Wu Dianbang argued forcefully that he could not be used, going so far as to call him a treacherous minister. Censor Liu Tingxuan again recommended Sancai, saying, "If the state already cherishes his talent, then employ him — what is there to discuss? Yet Guangning already has Wang Huazhen; better to use him on the mountain-sea frontier. The emperor approved his words and wished at once to employ Sancai, but court discussion remained deadlocked and undecided. Junior Mentor Gong Ding argued forcefully that he ought to be used; Vice Minister of Punishments Zou Yuanbiao and Assistant Censor-in-Chief Wang Dewan both supported this. Before long Dewan, pressed by public discussion, suddenly changed his former view. When it came to signing the discussion, Yuanbiao also did not dare take the lead. Discussion in the end was not decided, and the affair was shelved. In the third year (1623) he was raised as Minister of Revenue at Nanjing and died before taking up the post. Later, when Wei Zhongxian threw government into disorder, his factional censor Shi Sanwei pursued impeachment against him. An edict struck him from the rolls and revoked his enfeoffment patent. At the beginning of the Chongzhen reign his office was restored.
27
三才才大而好用機權，善籠絡朝士。 撫淮十三年，結交遍天下。 性不能持廉，以故為眾所毀。 其後擊三才者，若邵輔忠、徐兆魁輩，鹹以附魏忠賢名麗逆案。 而推轂三才，若顧憲成、鄒元標、趙南星、劉宗周，皆表表為時名臣。 故世以三才為賢。
Sancai was greatly talented and fond of using stratagem; he was skilled at winning over court scholars. As grand coordinator of the Huai for thirteen years, he made friends throughout the empire. By nature he could not maintain integrity, and for this reason was widely slandered. Those who later attacked Sancai, such as Shao Fuzhong and Xu Zhaokui, were all because they attached themselves to Wei Zhongxian listed in the roster of treason. Yet those who pushed Sancai forward, such as Gu Xiancheng, Zou Yuanbiao, Zhao Nanxing, and Liu Zongzhou, were all illustrious famous ministers of the age. Therefore the age regarded Sancai as worthy.
28
贊曰：朋黨之成也，始於矜名，而成於惡異。 名盛則附之者眾。 附者眾，則不必皆賢而胥引之，樂其與己同也。 名高則毀之者亦眾。 毀者不必不賢而怒而斥之，惡其與己異也。 同異之見岐於中，而附者毀者爭勝而不已，則黨日眾，而為禍熾矣。 魏允貞、王國、余懋衡皆以卓犖閎偉之概，為眾望所歸。 李三才英邁豪俊，傾動士大夫，皆負重名。 當世黨論之盛，數人者實為之魁，則好同惡異之心勝也。 《易》曰：「渙其群，元吉。」 知此者，其惟聖人乎！
The evaluative note says: The formation of factions begins in prizing name and ends in hating difference. When a name flourishes, those who attach themselves are many. When attachers are many, they need not all be worthy yet all draw one another in, rejoicing that they are the same as oneself. When a name is high, those who slander are also many. Slanderers need not all be unworthy yet in anger they cast others out, hating that they differ from oneself. When views of sameness and difference diverge within the heart and attachers and slanderers contend for victory without cease, factions grow daily more numerous and calamity burns ever hotter. Wei Yunzhen, Wang Guo, and Yu Maohéng all possessed outstanding and magnificent bearing and were where the hopes of the multitude rested. Li Sancai was brilliant, dashing, and heroic, stirring the scholar-official class; all bore heavy names. When factional debate of the age was at its height, these several men were in fact its leaders — the heart that loves sameness and hates difference had prevailed. The Book of Changes says, "He disperses his group — supreme good fortune. He who understands this — is he not the sage!