1
戴法興徐爰阮佃夫紀僧真劉系宗茹法亮呂文顯茹法珍周石珍陸驗司馬申施文慶沈客卿孔範
Dai Faxing, Xu Ai, Ruan Dianfu, Ji Sengzhen, Liu Xizong, Ru Faliang, Lü Wenxian, Ru Fazhen, Zhou Shizhen, Lu Yan, Sima Shen, Shi Wenqing, Shen Keqing, and Kong Fan
2
夫鮑魚芳蘭，在於所習，中人之性，可以上下。 然則謀于管仲，齊桓有邵陵之師，邇于易牙，小白掩陽門之扇。 夫以霸者一身，且有洿隆之別，況下于此，胡可勝言者乎。 故古之哲王，莫不斯慎。 自漢氏以來，年且千祀，而近慣用事，無乏于時，莫不官由近親，情因狎重。 至如中書所司，掌在機務。 漢元以令、僕用事，魏明以監、令專權，在晉中朝，常為重寄，故公曾之歎，恨於失職。 于時舍人之任，位居九品，江左置通事郎，管司詔誥，其後郎還為侍郎，而舍人亦稱通事。 元帝用琅邪劉超，以謹慎居職。 宋文世，秋當、周赳並出寒門。 孝武以來，士庶雜選，如東海鮑照以才學知名，又用魯郡巢尚之，江夏王義恭以為非選。 帝遣尚之送尚書四十餘牒，宣敕論辯，義恭乃歎曰：「人主誠知人。」 及明帝世，胡母顥、阮佃夫之徒，專為佞幸矣。 齊初亦用久勞及以親信，關讞表啟，發署詔敕，頗涉辭翰者，亦為詔文，侍郎之局復見侵矣。 建武世，詔命始不關中書，專出舍人。 省內舍人四人，所直四省，其下有主書令史，舊用武官，宋改文吏，人數無員，莫非左右要密。 天下文簿板籍，入副其省，萬機嚴秘，有如尚書外司。 領武官有制局監、外監，領器仗兵役，亦用寒人。 爰及梁、陳，斯風未改。 其四代之被恩幸者，今立以為篇，以繼前史之作云爾。
Just as salted fish and orchids take their character from their surroundings, so too can an ordinary person's nature be elevated or debased by habit. When Duke Huan of Qi listened to Guan Zhong, he led armies as far as Shaoling; when he grew intimate with Yi Ya, he ended shut in behind the Yang Gate. If a single hegemon's fortunes could sink or soar so sharply, how much more those who stood beneath him—there is scarcely any end to what might be said. That is why the sage kings of old were invariably cautious about such matters. Since the Han, nearly a thousand years have passed, yet court favorites have never been absent from power—always advanced through proximity, always trusted through long intimacy. The Secretariat, for its part, held charge of the most sensitive state business. Emperor Yuan of Han relied on his Secretariat director and vice-director; Emperor Ming of Wei gave sole power to supervisor and director; in the Jin central court the post was repeatedly entrusted with grave responsibility—hence Gong Zeng's bitter regret when he was stripped of it. At that time the palace secretary held ninth-rank status; in the Eastern Jin they created the communications officer to handle edicts, and later, when that officer reverted to vice-director, the secretary title was likewise called communications officer. Emperor Yuan appointed Liu Chao of Langye, who kept the post through scrupulous diligence. Under Emperor Wen of Song, Qiu Dang and Zhou Jiu both rose from humble backgrounds. From Emperor Xiaowu on, men of gentry and common birth were chosen alike—Bao Zhao of Donghai, renowned for learning, and Chao Shangzhi of Lu, whom Prince Jiangxia Yigong judged an unworthy appointment. The emperor had Shangzhi deliver over forty Secretariat documents, proclaim edicts, and argue points at court; Yigong sighed and said, "The throne truly knows how to judge men. Under Emperor Ming, Hu Muhao, Ruan Dianfu, and men of their kind were nothing but fawning court favorites. Early in Qi as well, long-serving confidants handled legal papers and memorials, issued edicts, and those with literary skill drafted proclamations—once again usurping the vice-directors' proper sphere. During the Jianwu reign, edicts ceased to involve the Secretariat and came exclusively from the palace secretaries. Four palace secretaries within the inner palace each oversaw one bureau; below them were chief clerks—once military men, made civil under Song—with no fixed head count, every one a trusted intimate at the ruler's elbow. Copies of the realm's records were held in their bureau; the most sensitive business was guarded as closely as a secretariat outside the Secretariat itself. Arsenal directors and outer directors commanded weapons, gear, and corvée troops—and humble-born men filled these posts too. Through Liang and Chen, the custom endured unchanged. The men who won imperial favor in these four dynasties are gathered here in one chapter, carrying on what earlier histories began.
3
戴法興
Dai Faxing
4
戴法興，會稽山陰人也。 家貧，父碩子以販紵為業。 法興二兄延壽、延興並修立，延壽善書，法興好學。 山陰有陳戴者，家富有錢三千萬，鄉人或云：「戴碩子三兒敵陳戴三千萬錢。」
Dai Faxing came from Shanyin in Kuaiji commandery. The family was poor; his father Shuozi earned a living trading ramie cloth. Faxing's elder brothers Yanshou and Yanxing were both men of integrity; Yanshou was a fine calligrapher, and Faxing devoted himself to study. A man named Chen Dai in Shanyin was worth thirty million cash, and locals used to say, "Shuozi's three sons are worth as much as Chen Dai's thirty million."
5
孝武親覽朝政，不任大臣，而腹心耳目不得無所委寄。 法興頗知古今，素見親待，雖出侍東宮，而意任隆密。 魯郡巢尚之，人士之末，元嘉中，侍始興王浚讀書，亦涉獵文史，為上所知。 孝建初，補東海國侍郎，仍兼中書通事舍人。 凡選授遷轉誅賞大處分，上皆與法興、尚之參懷。 內外諸雜事多委明寶。 上性嚴暴，睚眥之間，動至罪戮。 尚之每臨事解釋，多得全免，殿省甚賴之。 而法興、明寶大通人事，多納貨賄，凡所薦達，言無不行，天下輻湊，門外成市，家產並累千金。 明寶驕縱尤甚，長子敬為揚州從事，與上爭買禦物。 六宮嘗出，敬盛服騎馬，于車左右馳驟去來。 上大怒，賜敬死，系明寶尚方。 尋被原釋，委任如初。
Emperor Xiaowu personally oversaw government and would not lean on great ministers, yet he still had to place his trust in intimate confidants who served as his eyes and ears. Faxing knew history and current affairs well and had long enjoyed the emperor's favor; though he served at the Eastern Palace, the throne's confidence in him remained deep and confidential. Chao Shangzhi of Lu was a man of low standing; during Yuanjia he tutored Prince Shixing Jun, read widely in letters and history, and won the emperor's attention. Early in the Xiaojian era he became attendant of Donghai and concurrently a Secretariat communications secretary. Every major appointment, transfer, reward, punishment, or execution was weighed with Faxing and Shangzhi. Most routine business, within the palace and beyond, was left to Mingbao. The emperor was harsh and violent; the slightest offense could bring punishment or death. Shangzhi would plead and explain on each occasion, and many were spared entirely—the inner court depended on him heavily. Faxing and Mingbao, by contrast, knew every lever of power and took bribes freely; nothing they recommended failed to pass; petitioners thronged their gates like a market, and each household amassed thousands in gold. Mingbao was the more arrogant of the two; his eldest son Jing, a Yangzhou staff officer, even competed with the emperor to buy court goods. When the imperial household went abroad, Jing appeared in splendid dress on horseback, dashing to and fro beside the imperial carriage. The emperor flew into a rage, had Jing put to death, and sent Mingbao to the imperial workshops as a prisoner. Soon he was pardoned and restored to his former trust.
6
孝武崩，前廢帝即位，法興遷越騎校尉。 時太宰江夏王義恭錄尚書事，任同總己，而法興、尚之執權日久，威行內外，義恭積相畏服，至是懾憚尤甚。 廢帝未親萬機，凡詔敕施為，悉決法興之手，尚書中事無大小專斷之，顏師伯、義恭守空名而已。 尚之甚聰敏，時百姓欲為孝武立寺，疑其名。 尚之應聲曰：「宜名天保。 詩云：'天保，下報上也。 '」時服其機速。
After Emperor Xiaowu's death, when the Former Deposed Emperor acceded, Faxing was made colonel of the Yue cavalry. Grand Tutor Prince Jiangxia Yigong then oversaw the Secretariat with powers nearly equal to the throne itself, but Faxing and Shangzhi had ruled so long that their authority reached everywhere; Yigong had feared them for years and now stood in still greater awe. The Deposed Emperor did not yet govern in person; every edict and act of state passed through Faxing, who decided all Secretariat business large and small—Yan Shibo and Yigong held nothing but hollow titles. Shangzhi was exceptionally quick-witted; when the people wished to erect a temple to Emperor Xiaowu, they were unsure what to call it. Shangzhi answered at once, "Call it Tianbao. The Odes say, 'Tianbao—the lower repays the higher. Everyone at court admired his ready wit.
7
廢帝年已漸長，凶志轉成，欲有所為，法興每相禁制。 謂帝曰：「官所為如此，欲作營陽邪？」 帝意稍不能平。 所愛幸閹人華願兒有盛寵，賜與金帛無算。 法興常加裁減，願兒甚恨之。 帝嘗使願兒出入市里，察聽風謠，而道路之言，謂法興為真天子，帝為贗天子。 願兒因此告帝曰：「外間雲宮中有兩天子，官是一人，戴法興是一人。 官在深宮中，人物不相接，法興與太宰、顏、柳一體，往來門客恒有數百，內外士庶無不畏服之。 法興是孝武左右，復久在宮闈，今將他人作一家，深恐此坐席非復官許。」 帝遂免法興官，徙付遠郡，尋於家賜死。 法興臨死，封閉庫藏，使家人謹錄鑰牡。 死一宿，又殺其二子，截法興棺兩和，籍沒財物。 法興能為文章，頗行於世。
As the Deposed Emperor grew older, his cruel impulses hardened; whenever he meant to act, Faxing held him back. He told the emperor, "If Your Majesty goes on like this, do you mean to end as another Prince of Yingyang? The emperor's resentment began to stir. The favored eunuch Huayuan'er enjoyed boundless favor; gold and silk poured upon him without measure. Faxing kept trimming his rewards, and Huayuan'er came to hate him bitterly. The emperor once sent Huayuan'er into the streets to hear what people were singing, and rumor had it that Faxing was the real emperor and the throne a counterfeit. Huayuan'er then told the emperor, "People outside say there are two emperors in the palace—Your Majesty is one, and Dai Faxing is the other. Your Majesty lives deep within the palace and never meets the world; Faxing moves as one with the Grand Tutor and with Yan and Liu—hundreds of clients pass his gate, and none inside or outside the court dares defy him. Faxing stood at Emperor Xiaowu's elbow and has spent years in the inner palace; now he is building a faction of his own—I fear Your Majesty's throne may no longer be yours alone. The emperor then stripped Faxing of office, sent him to a distant commandery, and soon ordered him to take his own life at home. Facing death, Faxing sealed his treasuries and had his household carefully inventory every key. A night after his death his two sons were killed too, his coffin panels were split apart, and his property was seized. Faxing wrote essays that enjoyed a fair circulation in his day.
8
死後，帝敕巢尚之曰：「不謂法興積釁累愆，遂至於此。 吾今自覽萬機，卿等宜竭誠盡力。」 尚之時為新安王子鸞撫軍中兵參軍、淮陵太守，乃解舍人，轉為撫軍諮議參軍，太守如故。 明帝初，復以尚之兼中書通事舍人、南清河太守。 累遷黃門侍郎，出為新安太守，病卒。
After Faxing's death the emperor addressed Chao Shangzhi: "I never thought Faxing's piled-up crimes would end like this. I will now govern in person; you must serve with full loyalty and effort. Shangzhi was then on Prince Xin'an Ziluan's staff as army officer and governor of Huailing; he gave up the secretary post for an advisory staff appointment while keeping the governorship. Early in Emperor Ming's reign Shangzhi again served concurrently as communications secretary and governor of Southern Qinghe. He rose to gentleman attendant at the palace gates, was posted as governor of Xin'an, and died in office of illness.
9
戴明寶
Dai Mingbao
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戴明寶，南東海丹徒人，亦歷員外散騎侍郎、給事中。 孝武時，帶南清河太守。 前廢帝即位，權任悉歸法興，而明寶輕矣。 明帝初，天下反叛，以明寶舊人，屢經戎事，復委任之。 後坐納貨賄系尚方，尋被宥。 位宣城太守。 升明初，年老，拜太中大夫，病卒。
Dai Mingbao came from Dantu in Southern Donghai and had served as supernumerary attendant cavalier and as palace attendant. Under Emperor Xiaowu he concurrently governed Southern Qinghe. When the Former Deposed Emperor acceded, power passed entirely to Faxing, and Mingbao's standing fell. When Emperor Ming came to the throne amid widespread rebellion, Mingbao—an old confidant with long military experience—was entrusted once more. He was later imprisoned in the imperial workshops for bribery, then soon pardoned. He rose to governor of Xuancheng. Early in the Shengming era, in his old age, he was made grand master of the palace and died of illness.
11
武陵國典書令董元嗣與法興、明寶等俱為孝武南中郎典簽，元嘉三十年，奉使還都，會元凶弑立，遣元嗣南還，報上以徐湛之等反。 上時在巴口，元嗣具言弑狀。 上遣元嗣下都奉表於劭，既而上舉義兵，劭詔責元嗣，元嗣答云：「始下未有反謀。」 劭不信，備加考掠，不服遂死。 孝武事克，贈員外散騎侍郎，使文士蘇寶生為之誄焉。
Dong Yuansi, director of documents for Wuling, had served with Faxing and Mingbao as registry clerks on Emperor Xiaowu's southern staff; in Yuanjia 30, returning to the capital on mission, he found the crown prince had murdered his father and seized the throne; the prince sent Yuansi south again to tell the emperor that Xu Tanzhi and others were in revolt. The emperor was then at Bakou, and Yuansi described the murder in full. The emperor sent Yuansi to the capital with a memorial for Shao; when the emperor rose in arms, Shao rebuked Yuansi by edict, and Yuansi answered, "When I first went to the capital there was no thought of rebellion. Shao refused to believe him, tortured him severely, and when he would not yield, had him killed. After Emperor Xiaowu's victory, Yuansi was posthumously made supernumerary attendant cavalier, and the scholar Su Baosheng was asked to write his funeral elegy.
12
大明中，又有奚顯度者，南東海郯人，官至員外散騎侍郎。 孝武嘗使主領人功，而苛虐無道，動加捶撲，暑雨寒雪，不聽暫休，人不堪命，或自經死。 時建康縣考囚，或用方材壓額及踝脛，人間謠曰：「甯得建康壓額，不能受奚度拍。」 又相戲曰：「勿反顧，付奚度。」 其酷暴如此。 前廢帝嘗戲云：「顯度刻虐為百姓疾，比當除之。」 左右因唱「爾」，即日宣殺焉。 時人比之孫皓殺岑昏。
During the Daming era there was also Xi Xiandu of Tan in Southern Donghai, who rose to supernumerary attendant cavalier. Emperor Xiaowu put him in charge of corvée labor; he was savagely cruel, beating workers constantly and allowing no pause in heat, rain, or snow—some hanged themselves to escape. When Jiankang county tortured prisoners they sometimes pressed square beams on forehead and ankles; folk sang, "Better Jiankang's press on the brow than a blow from Xi Du. People also joked, "Don't look back—or you'll be handed to Xi Du." Such was the measure of his cruelty. The Former Deposed Emperor once joked, "Xiandu's cruelty is the people's plague—he ought to be removed soon. His attendants took up the chant "Execute," and that very day Xiandu was put to death. Contemporaries compared it to Sun Hao's execution of Cen Hun.
13
徐爰，字長玉，南琅邪開陽人也。 本名瑗，後以與傅亮父同名，亮啟改為爰。 初為晉琅邪王大司馬府中典軍，從北征，微密有意理，為武帝所知。 少帝在東宮，入侍左右。 文帝初，又見親任，遂至殿中侍御史。 元嘉十二年，轉南台御史，始興王浚後軍行參軍。 復侍太子于東宮，遷員外散騎侍郎。 文帝每出軍，常懸授兵略。 二十九年，重遣王玄謨等北侵，配爰五百人，隨軍碻磝，銜中旨臨時宣示。 孝武至新亭，江夏王義恭南奔，爰時在殿內，詐劭追義恭，因即得南走。 時孝武將即大位，軍府造次，不曉朝章，爰素諳其事，及至，莫不喜悅，以兼太常丞撰立儀注。 後兼尚書右丞，遷左丞。
Xu Ai, styled Changyu, came from Kaiyang in Southern Langye. He was originally named Yuan; because this matched the name of Fu Liang's father, Liang petitioned to have it changed to Ai. He first served as barracks officer on Prince Langye of Jin's staff; on the northern campaign his shrewd judgment won Emperor Wu's notice. When Emperor Shao was crown prince, Ai entered service at his side. Early in Emperor Wen's reign he again won personal favor and rose to palace investigating censor. In Yuanjia 12 he became a southern bureau censor and acting staff officer on Prince Shixing Jun's rear army. He again served the crown prince in the Eastern Palace and was promoted to supernumerary attendant cavalier. Whenever Emperor Wen campaigned, he often gave Ai his battle plans in advance. In year 29 he again sent Wang Xuanmo north; Ai was given five hundred men to accompany the army to Quepo and proclaim the emperor's secret orders as events unfolded. When Emperor Xiaowu reached Xinting and Prince Jiangxia Yigong fled south, Ai was in the hall; pretending Shao was pursuing Yigong, he slipped away south as well. As Emperor Xiaowu prepared to ascend the throne, the military headquarters was in chaos and knew nothing of court ritual—Ai, who knew these matters thoroughly, was welcomed with relief and made vice-director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to draft the accession ceremonies. He later served concurrently as right vice-director of the Secretariat and was promoted to left vice-director.
14
孝武崩，營景寧陵，以本官兼將作大匠。 爰便僻善事人，能得人主微旨，頗涉書傳，尤悉朝儀。 元嘉初，便入侍左右，預參顧問。 長於附會，又飾以典文，故為文帝所任遇。 大明世，委寄尤重，朝廷大禮儀，非爰議不行。 雖復當時碩學所解過之者，既不敢立異議，所言亦不見從。 孝武崩，公除後，晉安王子勳侍讀博士諮爰宜習業與不？ 爰答曰：「居喪讀喪禮，習業何嫌。」 少日，始安王子真博士諮爰，爰曰：「小功廢業，三年喪何容讀書。」 其專斷乖謬皆如此。
When Emperor Xiaowu died, Ai supervised the Jingning mausoleum and was made concurrently director of palace construction. Ai was clever at ingratiating himself, caught the ruler's unspoken wishes, had read widely, and knew court ritual better than anyone. From the opening years of Yuanjia he served at the ruler's side and joined in counsel. Skilled at currying favor and wrapping it in scholarly display, he won Emperor Wen's trust and advancement. Under the Daming reign his authority grew even weightier: no major state ritual could proceed unless Xu Ai had weighed in on it. Even leading scholars who knew more than he did neither dared openly dissent, nor found their counsel heeded when they offered it. After Emperor Xiaowu's death and the end of the official mourning period, the tutor assigned to Prince Jin'an, Liu Zixun, asked Xu Ai whether the prince might resume his studies. Xu Ai answered, "In mourning one reads the mourning rites—what harm is there in pursuing one's studies? A few days later the tutor to Prince Shi'an, Liu Zizhen, asked him the same question. Xu Ai said, "Lesser mourning suspends study—how could one read books during three-year mourning?" His capricious and contradictory rulings were all of this sort.
15
前廢帝凶暴無道，殿省舊人多見罪黜，唯爰巧於將迎，始終無忤。 誅群公後，以爰為黃門侍郎，領射聲校尉，著作如故，封吳平縣子。 寵待隆密，群臣莫二。 帝每出行，常與沈慶之、山陰公主同輦，爰亦預焉。
The Former Deposed Emperor was violent and lawless; veteran palace officials were punished and removed in droves, yet Xu Ai alone knew how to flatter and please, and never once gave offense. After the purge of the senior ministers, he was made Gentleman of the Yellow Gate and concurrent Commander of the She Sheng Guard, kept his post in the Composition Office, and enfeoffed as Viscount of Wuping. His favor was second to none among the entire court. Whenever the emperor went abroad, he commonly rode in the same carriage with Shen Qingzhi and the Princess of Shanyin—and Xu Ai was included as well.
16
爰子希秀，甚有學解，亦閑篆隸，正覺、禪靈二寺碑，即希秀書也。 爰之徙交州，明帝召希秀謂曰：「比當令卿父還。」 希秀再拜答曰：「臣父年老，恐不及後恩。」 帝大嗟賞，即召爰還。 希秀位驍騎將軍、淮南太守。 子泓甚閑吏職，而在事刻薄，於人少恩。 仕齊歷位台郎，秣陵、建康令，湘東太守。
Xu's son Xixiu was deeply learned and skilled in seal and clerical script; the steles at the Zhengjue and Chanling temples were his work. When Xu Ai was exiled to Jiaozhou, Emperor Ming summoned Xixiu and said, "I shall soon have your father brought back. Xixiu bowed twice and answered, "My father is aged; I fear he may not live to enjoy your grace much longer." The emperor was deeply moved and at once recalled Xu Ai. Xixiu rose to serve as General of Majestic Cavalry and Administrator of Huainan. Another son, Hong, was highly competent in office, but harsh in practice and sparing of kindness toward others. Under the Qi he served successively as a Secretariat officer, magistrate of Molin and Jiankang, and administrator of Xiangdong.
17
阮佃夫
Ruan Dianfu
18
阮佃夫，會稽諸暨人也。 明帝初出合，選為主衣，後又請為世子師，甚見信待。 景和末，明帝被拘於殿內，住在秘書省，為帝所疑，大禍將至。 佃夫與王道隆、李道兒及帝左右琅邪淳于文祖謀共廢立。 時直閣將軍柳光世亦與帝左右蘭陵繆方盛、丹陽周登之有密謀，未知所奉。 登之與明帝有舊，方盛等乃使登之結佃夫，佃夫大悅。 先是，帝立皇后，普暫撤諸王奄人，明帝左右錢藍生亦在例，事畢未被遣，密使藍生候帝。 慮事泄，藍生不欲自出，帝動止輒以告淳于文祖，令報佃夫。
Ruan Dianfu was a native of Zhuji in Kuaiji commandery. When the future Emperor Ming first left the inner palace, Ruan was chosen as Master of Garments; he later asked to serve as tutor to the heir and won deep trust. At the end of the Jinghe reign, Emperor Ming was confined within the palace in the Secretariat office, viewed with suspicion by the emperor—a deadly crisis was imminent. Ruan joined Wang Daolong, Li Dao'er, and the emperor's attendant Chunyu Wenzi of Langya in a plot to depose the ruler and install another. General of Direct Guard Liu Guangshi was also plotting secretly with the emperor's attendants Miao Fangsheng of Lanling and Zhou Dengzhi of Danyang, though they had not yet settled on a candidate. Zhou had old ties with Emperor Ming, so Miao and the others sent him to approach Ruan, who was delighted. Earlier, when the emperor installed his empress, eunuchs attached to the various princes were temporarily withdrawn—including Qian Lansheng, an attendant of Emperor Ming. Though the ceremony ended, Qian was not dismissed, and the conspirators secretly set him to watch the emperor. To keep the plot from leaking, Qian stayed out of sight; he reported the emperor's every move to Chunyu Wenzi, who relayed it to Ruan.
19
景和元年十一月二十九日晡時，帝出華林園。 建安王休仁、山陽王休佑、山陰主並侍側，明帝猶在秘書省不被召，益懼。 佃夫以告外監典事東陽朱幼，又告主衣吳興壽寂之、細鎧主南彭城薑產之。 產之又語所領細鎧將臨淮王敬則，幼又告中書舍人戴明寶，並回應。 明寶、幼欲取其日向曉，佃夫等勸取開門鼓後。 幼預約勒內外，使錢藍生密報建安王休仁等。
On the twenty-ninth day of the eleventh month of the first year of Jinghe, in the late afternoon, the emperor went out to Hualin Garden. Prince Jian'an Xiuren, Prince Shanyang Xiuyou, and the Princess of Shanyin attended at his side, while Emperor Ming still languished uncalled in the Secretariat—his fear mounting. Ruan informed External Supervisor Commissioner Zhu You of Dongyang, Master of Garments Shou Jizhi of Wuxing, and Master of Light Armor Jiang Chanzhi of South Pengcheng. Jiang also told the light-armor officer under his command, Wang Jingze of Linhuai; Zhu informed Secretariat Gentleman Dai Mingbao—and all pledged their support. Dai and Zhu wanted to strike at daybreak, but Ruan and the others urged waiting until after the drum that opened the palace gates. Zhu coordinated forces inside and outside the palace and had Qian Lansheng secretly alert Prince Jian'an Xiuren and the others.
20
時帝欲南巡，腹心直閣將軍宗越等，其夕並聽出外裝束，唯有隊主樊僧整防華林閣，是柳光世鄉人。 光世要之，即受命。 姜產之又要隊副陽平聶慶及所領壯士會稽富靈符、吳郡俞道龍、丹陽宋逵之、陽平田嗣，並聚于慶省。 佃夫慮力少，更欲招合，壽寂之曰：「謀廣或泄，不煩多人。」 時巫覡言後堂有鬼，其夕帝于竹林堂前與巫共射之，建安王休仁等、山陰主並從。 帝素不悅寂之，見輒切齒。 寂之既與佃夫等成謀，又慮禍至，抽刀前入，薑產之隨其後，淳于文祖、繆方盛、周登之、富靈符、聶慶、田嗣、王敬則、俞道龍、宋逵之又繼進。 休仁聞行聲甚疾，謂休佑曰：「作矣。」 相隨奔景陽山。 帝見寂之至，引弓射之，不中，乃走。 寂之追殺之。 事定，宣令宿衛曰：「湘東王受太后令除狂主，今已太平。」
The emperor planned a southern tour; his trusted general Zong Yue and others were allowed out that evening to prepare, leaving only squad leader Fan Zhengzheng to guard Hualin Pavilion—a townsman of Liu Guangshi. Liu won him over, and Fan immediately joined the plot. Jiang also recruited squad deputy Nie Qing of Yangping and his men—Fu Lingfu of Kuaiji, Yu Daolong of Wu, Song Kuizhi of Danyang, and Tian Si of Yangping—who all assembled at Nie Qing's quarters. Ruan worried their numbers were too few and wanted more recruits, but Shou Jizhi said, "The wider the conspiracy, the more likely it leaks—we don't need many men. Shamans had reported a ghost in the rear hall; that evening the emperor went before Zhulin Hall to shoot at it with them, accompanied by Prince Jian'an Xiuren and the Princess of Shanyin. The emperor had long disliked Shou Jizhi and would grind his teeth at the sight of him. Having already pledged himself to the plot and fearing discovery, Shou Jizhi drew his sword and rushed forward; Jiang Chanzhi followed, and Chunyu Wenzi, Miao Fangsheng, Zhou Dengzhi, Fu Lingfu, Nie Qing, Tian Si, Wang Jingze, Yu Daolong, and Song Kuizhi piled in after them. Xiuren heard rapid footsteps and said to Xiuyou, "It has begun. Together they fled to Jingyang Mountain. Seeing Shou Jizhi approach, the emperor strung his bow and shot at him, missed, and ran. Shou Jizhi chased him down and killed him. When the deed was done, they announced to the palace guard: "The Prince of Xiangdong, acting on the empress dowager's order, has removed the mad emperor—order is restored."
21
薛索兒度淮為寇，山陽太守程天祚又反，佃夫與諸軍破薛索兒，降天祚。 後轉太子步兵校尉、南魯郡太守，侍太子于東宮。 泰始四年，以本官兼遊擊將軍，及輔國將軍孟次陽與二衛參員直。 次陽字崇基，平昌安丘人也，位冠軍將軍卒。
When Xue Suo'er crossed the Huai to raid and Shanyang administrator Cheng Tianzuo rebelled, Ruan joined the armies that crushed Xue and accepted Cheng's surrender. He was later made Commandant of Footsoldiers of the Heir Apparent and administrator of Nanlu commandery, attending the crown prince in the Eastern Palace. In the fourth year of Taishi he was made concurrent General of Mobile Cavalry and, with General Who Supports the State Meng Ciyang, shared rotating duty with the two palace guards. Meng Ciyang, style name Chongji, was from Anqiu in Pingchang commandery; he rose to General Who Vanquishes the Enemy and died in that post.
22
時佃夫及王道隆、楊運長並執權，亞於人主，巢、戴大明之世，方之蔑如也。 嘗正旦應合朔，尚書奏遷元會。 佃夫曰：「元正慶會，國之大禮，何不遷合朔日邪？」 其不稽古如此。 大通貨賄，凡事非重賂不行。 人有餉絹二百疋，嫌少不答書。 宅舍園池，諸王邸第莫及。 女妓數十，藝貌冠絕當時。 金玉錦繡之飾，宮掖不逮也。 每制一衣，造一物，都下莫不法效焉。 於宅內開瀆東出十許裏，塘岸整潔，泛輕舟，奏女樂。 中書舍人劉休嘗詣之，遇佃夫出行，中路相逢，要休同反。 就席便命施設，一時珍羞，莫不畢備。 凡諸火劑，並皆始熟，如此者數十種。 佃夫常作數十人饌以待賓客，故造次便辦，類皆如此，雖晉世王、石不能過也。 泰始初，軍功既多，爵秩無序，佃夫僕從附隸皆受不次之位：捉車人武賁中郎將，傍馬者員外郎。 朝士貴賤，莫不自結，而矜傲無所降意，入其室者唯吳興沈勃、吳郡張澹數人而已。
Ruan Dianfu, Wang Daolong, and Yang Yunchang then wielded power second only to the throne—making even Chao Yu and Dai Faxing of the Daming era look insignificant by comparison. Once, when New Year's Day fell on the new moon, the Secretariat recommended postponing the New Year court assembly. Ruan objected: "The New Year celebration is one of the state's greatest rites—why not reschedule the new-moon observance instead? Such was his indifference to precedent. He traded openly in bribes; nothing got done without a hefty payment. When a petitioner sent two hundred bolts of silk, he considered the gift too small and did not even send a reply. His mansion, gardens, and ponds surpassed every princely estate. He kept dozens of courtesans whose talent and beauty were unmatched in the realm. Even the palace women's gold, jade, brocade, and embroidery paled beside his finery. Whatever garment he designed or object he commissioned became the fashion throughout the capital. He dug a canal from his estate eastward for some ten li, its banks immaculately maintained, where he floated light boats to the accompaniment of female musicians. Secretariat Gentleman Liu Xiu once came to call on him; they met on the road while Ruan was out, and Ruan invited Liu to turn back with him. Once seated, he gave orders at once—and every delicacy appeared as if by magic. Dozens of hot dishes, each freshly cooked, appeared together in this way. He routinely kept food prepared for dozens of guests, so even on the spur of the moment a feast was ready—luxury that even the Wangs and Shis of Jin could not match. In the early Taishi years, with military honors proliferating and promotions in disarray, even Ruan's carriage attendants received extraordinary rank—a man who held his carriage might become a Chamberlain for Attendants Central Gentleman, and a groomsman an Outside Attendant. Officials of every rank sought his favor, yet he condescended to none—only a handful, such as Shen Bo of Wuxing and Zhang Dan of Wu, were admitted into his inner circle.
23
元徽三年，遷黃門侍郎，領右衛將軍。 明年，改領驍騎將軍，遷南豫州刺史、曆陽太守，猶管內任。 時廢帝倡狂，好出遊走。 始出宮，猶整羽儀隊仗，俄而棄部伍，單騎與數人相隨，或出郊野，或入市廛，內外莫不憂懼。 佃夫密與直合將軍申伯宗、步兵校尉朱幼、于天寶謀共廢帝，立安成王。
In the third year of Yuanhui he was promoted to Gentleman of the Yellow Gate and concurrent General of the Right Guard. The next year he became concurrent General of Majestic Cavalry and inspector of South Yuzhou and administrator of Liyang, while still retaining his palace duties. The Later Deposed Emperor had turned wild and reckless, delighting in roaming abroad. At first he left the palace with full ceremonial guard; soon he abandoned his retinue and rode alone with only a few companions, ranging to the countryside or wandering through market streets—arousing dread throughout court and capital. Ruan secretly plotted with General of Direct Guard Shen Bozong, Commandant of Footsoldiers Zhu You, and Yu Tianbao to depose the emperor and install the Prince of Ancheng.
24
五年春，帝欲往江乘射雉。 帝每出，常留隊仗在樂游苑前，棄之而去。 佃夫欲稱太后令喚隊仗還，閉城門，分人守石頭、東府，遣人執帝廢之，自為揚州刺史輔政。 與幼等已成謀，會帝不成向江乘，故事不行。 于天寶因以其謀告帝，帝乃收佃夫、幼、伯宗于光祿外部賜死。 佃夫、幼等罪止一身，其餘無所問。
In the spring of the fifth year, the emperor planned to go to Jiangcheng for pheasant hunting. Whenever he went out, he habitually left his guard at Leyou Garden and rode off without them. Ruan planned to invoke the empress dowager's authority to recall the guard, shut the city gates, garrison Stone City and the Eastern Headquarters, seize and depose the emperor, and install himself as inspector of Yangzhou to rule as regent. The plot was ready, but the emperor never went to Jiangcheng after all, and the plan came to nothing. Yu Tianbao betrayed the conspiracy to the emperor, who had Ruan, Zhu, and Shen arrested and executed just outside the Guanglu office. Only Ruan, Zhu, and their immediate co-conspirators were punished; no wider purge followed.
25
幼泰始初為外監配衣，諸軍征討，有濟辦之能，遂官陟三品，為奉朝請、南高平太守，封安浦縣侯。
Zhu You had begun in Taishi as an external supervisor issuing uniforms; his talent for provisioning armies carried him to third rank as court attendant, administrator of South Gaoping, and Marquis of Anpu.
26
于天寶
Yu Tianbao
27
于天寶，其先胡人，豫竹林堂功，元徽中封鄂縣子。 發佃夫謀，以為清河太守、右軍將軍。 升明中，齊高帝以其反復賜死。
Yu Tianbao's family was of non-Han origin; he had taken part in the killing at Zhulin Hall and was enfeoffed as Viscount of E during the Yuanhui era. For betraying Ruan's conspiracy he was made administrator of Qinghe and General of the Right Army. During the Shengming era, Emperor Gao of Qi had him executed for his treachery.
28
壽寂之位太子屯騎校尉、南泰山太守，多納貨賄，請謁無窮。 有一不從，便切齒罵詈，常云：「利刀在手，何憂不辦」。 鞭尉吏，斫邏將，後為有司所奏，徙送越州。 至豫章謀叛，乃殺之。 姜產之位南濟陽太守。 後北侵魏，戰敗見殺。
Shou Jizhi served as Commandant of Cavalry of the Heir Apparent and administrator of South Taishan, accepting endless bribes and entertaining ceaseless petitioners. When anyone refused him, he would snarl curses and boast, "With a sharp blade in hand, what can I not accomplish?" He beat gate officers and slashed at patrol captains, until impeachment sent him into exile in Yuezhou. When he reached Yuzhang and plotted rebellion, he was executed. Jiang Chanzhi served as administrator of South Jiyang. He later led a northern campaign against Wei, was defeated, and killed in battle.
29
王道隆
Wang Daolong
30
王道隆，吳興烏程人。 兄道迄涉學善書，形貌又美，吳興太守王韶之謂人曰：「有子弟如王道迄，無所少。」 道隆亦知書，泰始二年，兼中書通事舍人。 道隆為明帝所委，過於佃夫，而和謹自保，不妄毀傷人。 執權既久，家產豐積，豪麗雖不及佃夫，而精整過之。 元徽二年，桂陽王休範舉兵，乃以討佃夫、道隆及楊運長為名。 休範奄至新亭見殺。
Wang Daolong was a native of Wucheng in Wuxing commandery. His elder brother Wang Daoqi was erudite and an excellent calligrapher, handsome as well; Wuxing administrator Wang Shaozhi remarked, "With sons like Wang Daoqi, a man wants for nothing. Wang Daolong was also literate; in the second year of Taishi he became concurrent Secretariat Attendant for Current Affairs. Emperor Ming relied on Wang even more than on Ruan, yet he remained moderate and cautious, never casually slandering others. Long in power, he amassed great wealth; though his ostentation fell short of Ruan's, his taste and orderliness exceeded it. In the second year of Yuanhui, Prince Guiyang Xiufan took up arms, claiming as his cause the overthrow of Ruan Dianfu, Wang Daolong, and Yang Yunchang. Xiufan was killed when he suddenly reached Xinting.
31
楊運長
Yang Yunchang
32
紀僧真
Ji Sengzhen
33
紀僧真，丹陽建康人也。 少隨逐征西將軍，蕭思話及子惠開，皆被賞遇。 惠開性苛，僧真以微過見罰，既而委任如舊。 及罷益州還都，不得志，而僧真事之愈謹。 惠開臨終歎曰：「紀僧真方當富貴，我不見也。」 以僧真托劉彥節、周顒。
Ji Sengzhen was a native of Jiankang in Danyang commandery. In his youth he served General Who Conquers the West Xiao Sihua and his son Xiao Huikai, winning favor from both. Huikai was harsh by nature. Sengzhen was once punished for a trifling fault, but afterward was entrusted with duties just as before. When Huikai was removed from Yizhou and returned to the capital, frustrated and out of favor, Sengzhen served him with even greater care. On his deathbed Huikai sighed and said, "Ji Sengzhen is on the verge of wealth and high office—but I shall not live to see it. He entrusted Sengzhen to Liu Yanjie and Zhou Yong.
34
初，惠開在益州，土反，被圍危急，有道人謂之曰：「城圍尋解，檀越貴門後方大興，無憂外賊也。」 惠開密謂僧真曰：「我子弟見在者並無異才，政是蕭道成耳。」 僧真憶其言，乃請事齊高帝，隨從在淮陰。 以閒書題，令答遠近書疏。 自寒官曆至高帝冠軍府參軍主簿。 僧真夢蒿艾生滿江，驚而白之。 高帝曰：「詩人采蕭，蕭即艾也。 蕭生斷流，卿勿廣言。」 其見親如此。 後除南台御史、高帝領軍功曹。
Earlier, while Huikai was in Yizhou, the local people rose in revolt and he was besieged in dire peril. A Daoist monk told him, "The siege will soon be broken. Your noble house will rise to great eminence hereafter—have no fear of outside enemies. Huikai secretly told Sengzhen, "Of my sons and nephews still living, none has exceptional talent. It will be Xiao Daocheng alone." Sengzhen remembered these words and thereupon sought service under Emperor Gao of Qi, following him at Huaiyin. Skilled at informal calligraphy, he was assigned to draft replies to correspondence from near and far. From humble office he rose step by step to Staff Officer and Chief Clerk in Emperor Gao's Champion General headquarters. Sengzhen dreamed that wormwood and mugwort filled the whole river. Alarmed, he reported the dream. Emperor Gao said, "The poets gather xiao—and xiao is mugwort. Xiao blocks the current—do not spread this talk abroad. Such was the intimacy in which he was held. Later he was appointed Censor of the Southern Office and Merit Officer on Emperor Gao's staff at the Directorate of the Guards.
35
上將廢立，謀之袁粲、褚彥回。 僧真啟上曰：「今朝廷倡狂，人不自保，天下之望，不在袁、褚，明公豈得默己，坐受夷滅？ 存亡之機，仰希熟慮。」 高帝納之。 高帝欲度廣陵起兵，僧真又曰：「主上雖復狂釁，而累代皇基，猶固磐石。 今百口北度，何必得俱； 縱得廣陵城，天子居深宮，施號令，目明公為逆，何以避此？ 如其不勝，則應北走。 竊謂此非萬全策也。」 上曰：「卿顧家，豈能逐我行邪？」 僧真頓首稱無貳。
When the throne was about to change hands, Emperor Gao consulted Yuan Can and Chu Yanhui. Sengzhen addressed the emperor: "The court has gone mad, and no one can feel safe. The hopes of the realm do not rest with Yuan and Chu. How can Your Excellency hold your peace and sit waiting to be destroyed? The choice between survival and ruin turns on this—I beg you to weigh it carefully. Emperor Gao took his counsel. Emperor Gao planned to cross the Yangtze to Guangling and raise an army. Sengzhen again said, "Though the sovereign is indeed reckless and lawless, the imperial foundation built over generations still stands firm as bedrock. If the whole household crosses north now, can you be sure all will make it across together? Even if you take Guangling, the Son of Heaven will remain in the inner palace issuing orders and denouncing Your Excellency as a rebel—how will you escape that charge? If you fail, you will have no choice but to flee north. I submit that this is no plan of complete safety. The emperor said, "You are thinking of your family—surely you cannot follow me in this?" Sengzhen prostrated himself and declared that his loyalty was undivided.
36
升明元年，除員外郎，帶東武城令，尋除給事中。 高帝坐東府高樓望石頭城，僧真在側。 上曰：「諸將勸我誅袁、劉，我意未願便爾。」 及沈攸之事起，從高帝入朝堂。 石頭反夜，高帝遣眾軍掩討。 宮城中望石頭火光及叫聲甚盛，人懷不測。 僧真謂眾曰：「叫聲不絕，是必官軍所攻。 火光起者，賊不容自燒其城，此必官軍勝也。」 尋而啟石頭平。
In the first year of Shengming he was appointed Supernumerary Gentleman and concurrent magistrate of Dongwucheng, and soon afterward was made Attendant Within the Palace. Emperor Gao sat in the upper tower of the Eastern Residence gazing toward Stone City, with Sengzhen at his side. The emperor said, "The generals urge me to execute Yuan and Liu, but I am not yet willing to act so quickly. When Shen Youzhi's rebellion broke out, he followed Emperor Gao into the court hall. On the night Stone City rebelled, Emperor Gao sent troops to strike at the rebels by surprise. From the palace city they could see great fires blazing at Stone City and hear the uproar; everyone was filled with dread and uncertainty. Sengzhen told those around him, "The shouting has not stopped—that must mean the government troops are attacking. Where the fires are rising, the rebels would not burn their own city—this must mean the government troops have won. Before long came word that Stone City had been pacified.
37
上出頓新亭，使僧真領千人在帳內。 初，上在領軍府，令僧真學上手跡下名，至是報答書疏皆付僧真。 上觀之笑曰：「我亦不復能別也。」
The emperor went out to encamp at Xinting and had Sengzhen command a thousand men within the tent enclosure. Earlier, while the emperor was at the Directorate of the Guards, he had Sengzhen learn to imitate his handwriting and sign his name beneath it. By now all replies to correspondence were entrusted to Sengzhen. The emperor looked them over and laughed. "Even I could no longer tell them apart."
38
初，上在淮陰修理城，得古錫趺九枚，下有篆文，莫能識者。 僧真省事獨曰：「何須辯此文字，此自久遠之物。 錫而有九，九錫之征也。」 高帝曰：「卿勿妄言。」 及上將拜齊公，已克日，有楊祖之謀於臨軒作難，僧真請上更選吉辰，尋而祖之事覺。 上曰：「無卿言，亦當致小狼狽，此亦何異滹沱之冰。」 轉齊國中書舍人。 建元初，帶東燕令，封新陽縣男。 轉羽林監，遷尚書主客郎，太尉中兵參軍，兼中書舍人。
Earlier, while the emperor was repairing the walls at Huaiyin, nine ancient tin pedestals were unearthed, with seal script beneath them that no one could decipher. Only Sengzhen, quick to grasp the point, said, "Why bother to decipher these characters? These are plainly objects of great antiquity. Tin—and nine of them. This is an omen of the Nine Bestowals. Emperor Gao said, "Do not speak rashly." When the emperor was about to be invested as Duke of Qi and the date had been set, Yang Zuzhi plotted to raise trouble at the ceremony in the hall. Sengzhen asked the emperor to choose another auspicious day, and soon Yang's plot was discovered. The emperor said, "Even without your warning, there would still have been some disorder—but how is this unlike the ice of the Hutuo River? He was transferred to Confidential Adjunct of the Central Secretariat in the state of Qi. At the beginning of Jianyuan he served concurrently as magistrate of Dongyan and was enfeoffed as Baron of Xinyang county. He became Director of the Feathered Forest Guard, was promoted to Gentleman of the Ministry of Ceremonies in charge of foreign guests, Staff Officer of the Central Army under the Grand Commandant, and concurrently Confidential Adjunct of the Central Secretariat.
39
高帝疾甚，令僧真典遺詔。 永明元年，丁父喪。 起為建威將軍，尋除南泰山太守，又為舍人。 僧真容貌言吐，雅有士風，武帝嘗目送之，笑曰：「人生何必計門戶，紀僧真堂堂，貴人所不及也。」 諸權要中最被眄遇。 後除前軍將軍。 遭母喪，開塚得五色兩頭蛇。 武帝崩，僧真號泣思慕。
When Emperor Gao's illness grew grave, he had Sengzhen oversee the drafting of his final testament. In the first year of Yongming he went into mourning for his father's death. Recalled from mourning as General Who Establishes Might, he was soon appointed administrator of South Taishan and then again served as Confidential Adjunct. Sengzhen's appearance and speech had an elegant scholar's bearing. Emperor Wu once watched him go and laughed, "In life why must one count one's lineage? Ji Sengzhen is truly imposing—noblemen cannot match him. Among all the powerful favorites, he was the most favored. Later he was appointed General of the Vanguard. When his mother died, a five-colored two-headed serpent was found upon opening the tomb. When Emperor Wu died, Sengzhen wailed and mourned him with deep devotion.
40
宋時道人楊法持與高帝有舊，元徽末，宣傳密謀。 升明中，以為僧正。 建元初，罷道，為甯朔將軍，封州陵男。 二年，遣法持為軍主，領支軍救援朐山。 永明四年，坐役使將客，奪其鮭稟，削封，卒。
During the Song, the Daoist monk Yang Fachi had old ties with Emperor Gao. At the end of the Yuanhui era he spread word of secret plots. During the Shengming era he was made Supervisor of Monks. At the beginning of Jianyuan he left the monastic life, became General Who Pacifies the North, and was enfeoffed as Baron of Zhouling. In the second year Yang Fachi was dispatched as army commander to lead a subsidiary force to relieve Qushan. In the fourth year of Yongming, for using conscript soldiers as personal servants and seizing their salmon rations, his title was stripped; he died.
41
劉系宗
Liu Xizong
42
劉系宗，丹陽人也。 少便書畫，為宋竟陵王誕子景粹侍書。 誕舉兵，廣陵城內皆死，敕沈慶之赦系宗，以為東宮侍書。 泰始中，為主書，以寒官累至勳品。 元徽初，為奉朝請，兼中書通事舍人、員外郎，封始興南亭侯，帶秣陵令。
Liu Xizong was a native of Danyang. Skilled at calligraphy and painting from youth, he served as copyist for Jingcui, son of Prince Jingling of Song. When Dan rebelled, everyone within Guangling city was put to death. An edict from Shen Qingzhi pardoned Xizong and made him copyist in the Eastern Palace. During the Taishi era he served as chief secretary, rising from humble office through merit grades to noble rank. At the beginning of Yuanhui he was made Court Gentleman, concurrently Confidential Messenger of the Central Secretariat and Supernumerary Gentleman, enfeoffed as Marquis of Nanting in Shixing, and concurrent magistrate of Moling.
43
四年，白賊唐宇之起，宿衛兵東討，遣系宗隨軍慰勞。 遍至遭賊郡縣，百姓被驅逼者，悉無所問，還復人伍。 系宗還，上曰：「此段有征無戰，以時平蕩，百姓安怗，甚快也。」 賜系宗錢帛。
In the fourth year, when the White Bandit Tang Yuzhi rose in rebellion, the palace guard marched east to suppress him, and Xizong was sent with the army to offer comfort and rewards. He traveled to every commandery and county that had suffered from the rebels. Common people who had been forced into service were not questioned at all and were restored to their household registers. When Xizong returned, the emperor said, "This campaign saw mobilization but no battle. The rebellion was pacified in good time, and the people are settled and content—very satisfying. Xizong was granted money and silk.
44
上欲修白下城，難於動役。 系宗啟謫役在東人丁隨宇之為逆者，上從之。 後車駕出講武，上履行白下城曰：「劉系宗為國家得此一城。」 永明中，魏使書常令系宗題答，秘書局皆隸之。 再為少府。 郁林即位，除甯朔將軍、宣城太守。
The emperor wished to repair the Baixia fortifications but found it difficult to mobilize labor. Xizong proposed assigning to corvée labor the eastern households of men who had followed Yuzhi in rebellion, and the emperor agreed. Later, when the imperial carriage went out for military review, the emperor walked along the Baixia walls and said, "For the state Liu Xizong secured this whole fortification. During Yongming, when Wei envoys sent letters, Xizong was regularly assigned to inscribe the replies, and the Secretariat office all deferred to him. He twice served as Minister of the Privy Treasury. When Emperor Yulin acceded, he was appointed General Who Pacifies the North and administrator of Xuancheng.
45
系宗久在朝省，閑於職事，武帝常云：「學士輩不堪經國，唯大讀書耳。 經國，一劉系宗足矣。 沈約、王融數百人，于事何用。」 其重吏事如此。 建武二年，卒官。
Xizong had long served in court offices and was adept at administrative work. Emperor Wu often said, "These scholar-officials cannot govern the state—they merely read books at great length. For governing the state, one Liu Xizong is enough. Of what use are Shen Yue, Wang Rong, and their hundreds for practical affairs? Such was the weight he placed on practical administration. In the second year of Jianwu he died in office.
46
茹法亮
Ru Faliang
47
茹法亮，吳興武康人也。 宋大明中，出身為小史。 曆齋幹扶侍。 孝武末年，鞭罰過度，校獵江右，選白衣左右百八十人，皆面首富室，從至南州，得鞭者過半。 法亮憂懼，因緣啟出家得為道人。 明帝初，罷道，結事阮佃夫，累至齊高帝冠軍府行參軍。 及武帝鎮盆城，須舊驅使人，法亮求留為武帝江州典簽，除南台御史，帶松滋令。
Ru Faliang was a native of Wukang in Wuxing. During the Daming era of Emperor Ming of Song he began his career as a petty clerk. He served in turn as orderly in the fast hall and as attendant. Near the end of Emperor Xiaowu of Song's reign, floggings were excessive. During a hunting expedition on the right bank of the Yangtze, one hundred eighty attendants in plain dress were selected—all wealthy men from prominent households. They accompanied him to the southern regions, and more than half were flogged. Anxious and afraid, Faliang seized an opportunity to petition to leave home and become a Daoist monk. At the beginning of Emperor Ming's reign he left the monastic life, attached himself to Ruan Dianfu, and rose to Acting Staff Officer in Emperor Gao of Qi's Champion General headquarters. When Emperor Wu was garrisoned at Pencheng and needed his old runners and attendants, Faliang asked to remain as Chief Clerk of Jiangzhou for the future emperor. He was appointed Censor of the Southern Office and concurrent magistrate of Songzi.
48
法亮便僻解事，善於承奉，稍見委信。 建元初，度東宮主書，除奉朝請，補東宮通事舍人。 武帝即位，仍為中書通事舍人，除員外郎，帶南濟陰太守。 與會稽呂文度、臨海呂文顯並以奸佞諂事武帝。 文度為外監，專制兵權，領軍將軍守虛位而已。 天文寺常以上將星占文度吉凶。 文度尤見委信，上嘗云：「公卿中有憂國如文度者，復何憂天下不寧。」
Faliang was quick-witted and capable, skilled at flattery and service, and gradually won trust. At the beginning of Jianyuan he transferred to serve as chief secretary in the Eastern Palace, was made Court Gentleman, and appointed Confidential Messenger in the Eastern Palace. When Emperor Wu took the throne, he remained Confidential Messenger of the Central Secretariat, was appointed Supernumerary Gentleman, and served concurrently as administrator of South Jiyin. Together with Lü Wendu of Kuaiji and Lü Wenxian of Linhai, he relied on sycophancy and deceit to serve Emperor Wu. Wendu served as Outer Supervisor with monopolistic control of military authority, while the General of the Guards held nothing but an empty title. The Astronomical Bureau regularly used the general's star to read Wendu's fortune. Wendu was especially trusted. The emperor once said, "If among the ministers and nobles there were one who cared for the state as Wendu does, what worry would there be that the realm would not be at peace?"
49
文度既見委用，大納財賄，廣開宅宇，盛起土山，奇禽怪樹，皆聚其中，後房羅綺，王侯不能及。 又啟上籍被卻者悉充遠戍，百姓嗟怨，或逃亡避咎。 富陽人唐宇之因此聚黨為亂，鼓行而東，乃于錢唐縣僭號，以新城戍為偽宮，以錢唐縣為偽太子宮，置百官皆備。 三吳卻籍者奔之，眾至三萬。 竊稱吳國，偽年號興平。 其源始于虞玩之，而成于文度，事見虞玩之傳。
Once Wendu was entrusted with power, he accepted bribes on a grand scale, built extensive residences, and raised great artificial hills, gathering rare birds and exotic trees within them. His rear chambers were hung with brocades that even princes and marquises could not match. He also petitioned that all whose household registers had been rejected be assigned to distant garrison duty. The people groaned in resentment, and some fled to escape punishment. Tang Yuzhi of Fuyang therefore gathered followers and rebelled, marching east beating drums. At Qiantang county he usurped an imperial title, made Xincheng garrison his false palace and Qiantang county his false crown prince's palace, and installed a full set of false officials. Rejected registrants from the Three Wu regions rallied to him, and his force reached thirty thousand. He falsely styled his realm Wu and adopted the era name Xingping. Its origins lay with Yu Wanzhi and were brought to completion by Wendu; the full account appears in Yu Wanzhi's biography.
50
法亮、文度並勢傾天下，太尉王儉常謂人曰：「我雖有大位，權寄豈及茹公。」 永明二年，封望蔡縣男。 七年，除臨淮太守，轉竟陵王司徒中兵參軍。
Faliang and Wendu both wielded power that eclipsed all others. Grand Commandant Wang Jian often remarked, "Though I hold high office, how could delegated authority compare with Lord Ru? In the second year of Yongming he was enfeoffed as baron of Wangcai county. In the seventh year he was appointed administrator of Linhuai and transferred to staff officer of central troops under Prince Jingling's chamberlain headquarters.
51
巴東王子響于荊州殺僚佐，上遣軍西上，使法亮宣旨安撫子響。 法亮至江津，子響呼法亮，疑畏不肯往。 又求見傳詔，法亮又不遣。 故子響怒，遣兵破尹略軍。 事平，法亮至江陵，誅賞處分，皆稱敕斷決。 軍還，上悔誅子響，法亮被責，少時親任如舊。 廣開宅宇，杉齋光麗，與延昌殿相埒。 延昌殿，武帝中齋也。 宅後為魚池釣台，土山樓館，長廊將一里。 竹林花藥之美，公家苑囿所不能及。 郁林即位，除步兵校尉。
Prince Zixiang of Badong killed his staff officers in Jingzhou. The emperor dispatched troops westward and sent Faliang to proclaim the imperial will and pacify him. When Faliang reached Jiangjin, Zixiang summoned him, but Faliang, suspicious and afraid, refused to go. Zixiang also asked to see the edict-bearer, and Faliang again refused to send him. Zixiang thereupon grew angry and sent troops to crush Yin Lue's army. Once the affair was settled, Faliang went to Jiangling. Executions, rewards, and dispositions were all said to have been decided by imperial edict. When the army returned, the emperor regretted executing Zixiang. Faliang was rebuked, but before long he enjoyed the emperor's intimate trust as before. He greatly expanded his residence. His cedar hall was bright and splendid, rivaling the Yanchang Hall. Yanchang Hall was Emperor Wu's inner fast hall. Behind the residence lay a fish pond and angling terrace, earthen hills with pavilions, and a corridor nearly a li in length. The beauty of its bamboo groves, flowers, and medicinal plants surpassed even the imperial gardens. When Emperor Yulin ascended the throne, Faliang was appointed commandant of footsoldiers.
52
時有綦母珍之，居舍人之任，凡所論薦，事無不允。 內外要職及郡丞尉，皆論價而後施行。 貨賄交至，旬月之間，累至千金。 帝給珍之宅，宅邊又有空宅，從即並取，輒令材官營作，不關詔旨。 材官將軍細作丞相語云：「寧拒至尊敕，不可違舍人命。」 珍之母隨弟欽之作暨陽令，欽之罷縣還，珍之迎母至湖熟，輒將青氅百人自隨，鼓角橫吹，都下富人追從者百數。 欽之自行佐作縣，還除廬陵王驃騎正將軍，又詐宣敕使欽之領青氅。 珍之有一銅鏡，背有「三公」字，常語人云：「征祥如此，何患三公不至。」 乃就蔣王廟乞願得三公，封郡王。 啟帝求封，朝議未許。 又自陳曰：「珍之西州伏事，侍從入宮，契闊心膂，竭盡誠力。 王融奸謀潛構，自非珍之翼衛扶持，事在不測。 今惜千戶侯，誰為官使者。」 又有牒自論於朝廷曰：「當世祖晏駕之時，內外紛擾，珍之手抱至尊，口行處分，忠誠契闊，人誰不知。 今希千戶侯，於分非過。」 乃許三百戶。 瞋恚形於言色，進為五百戶，又不肯受。 明帝議誅之，乃許封汝南縣。
At this time Qimu Zhenzhi held the post of attendant, and whatever nominations he put forward were invariably approved. Important posts inside and outside the court, as well as county assistant magistrates and commandants, were all sold by negotiated price before appointment. Bribes poured in without cease, and within a month or so they accumulated to a thousand gold pieces. The emperor granted Zhenzhi a residence. There was another empty residence beside it, which he seized on the spot as well, then ordered the construction officer to build there without any imperial edict. The construction officer general wittily echoed the prime minister's words: "Better to refuse the supreme sovereign's edict than to disobey an attendant's order. Zhenzhi's mother had accompanied his younger brother Qinzhi when the latter served as magistrate of Jiyang. When Qinzhi left office and returned, Zhenzhi went to meet his mother at Hushu with a hundred green-cloaked guards, drums, horns, and wind instruments playing, and scores of wealthy men of the capital followed in his train. Qinzhi had himself served as assistant magistrate in the county. On his return he was appointed regular general under the Prince of Luling's fast cavalry headquarters, and Zhenzhi also falsely proclaimed an edict appointing Qinzhi to command the green-cloaked guards. Zhenzhi owned a bronze mirror with the characters "Three Dukes" on the back. He often told people, "With such an omen, why worry that the rank of Three Dukes will not come?" He went to the Temple of Prince Jiang to pray that he might attain the Three Dukes and be enfeoffed as a commandery prince. He petitioned the emperor for enfeoffment, but the court deliberation did not approve. He also declared in person, "Zhenzhi served humbly in the Western Province, followed the emperor into the palace, shared hardships heart and soul, and exhausted my loyalty and strength. Wang Rong secretly plotted treachery. Had it not been for Zhenzhi's protection and support, the outcome would have been unpredictable. If you begrudge me now a marquisate of a thousand households, who will serve as your agent at court? He also submitted a memorial arguing before the court, "When Emperor Shizu passed away, turmoil reigned within and without. Zhenzhi held the sovereign in his arms and issued orders by word of mouth—such loyal devotion in hardship is known to all. To hope now for a marquisate of a thousand households would not exceed my due." Thereupon he was granted three hundred households. Anger showed in his speech and countenance. The grant was raised to five hundred households, yet he still refused to accept. When Emperor Ming deliberated on executing him, the court finally granted him enfeoffment as count of Runan county.
53
有杜文謙者，吳郡錢唐人。 帝為南郡王，文謙侍五經文句，曆太學博士。 出為溧陽令，未之職。 會明帝知權，蕭諶用事，文謙乃謂珍之曰：「天下事可知，灰盡粉滅，匪朝伊夕，不早為計，吾徒無類矣。」 珍之曰：「計將安出？」 答曰：「先帝故人多見擯斥，今召而使之，誰不慷慨。 近聞王洪范與趙越常、徐僧亮、萬靈會共語，皆攘袂捶床。 君其密報周奉叔，使萬靈會、魏僧勉殺蕭諶，則宮內之兵皆我用也。 即勒兵入尚書斬蕭令，兩都伯力耳。 其次則遣荊軻、豫讓之徒，因諮事，左手頓其胸，則方寸之刃，足以立事，亦萬世一時也。 今舉大事亦死，不舉事亦死，二死等耳，死社稷可乎。 若遲疑不斷，復少日，錄君稱敕賜死，父母為殉，在眼中矣。」 珍之不能用。 時徐龍駒亦當得封，珍之恥與龍駒共詔，因求別立。 事未及行而事敗。 珍之在西州時有一手板，相者云：「當貴」。 每以此言動帝，又圖黃門郎，帝嘗問之曰：「西州時手板何在？」 珍之曰：「此是黃門手板，官何須問？」 帝大笑。 珍之時為左將軍、南彭城太守，領中書通事舍人。 正直宿，宣旨使即往蔣王廟祈福，因收送廷尉，與周奉叔、杜文謙同死。
There was one Du Wenqian, a native of Qiantang in Wu commandery. When the emperor was Prince of Nanjun, Wenqian attended him in the commentary on the Five Classics and served in turn as erudite of the Imperial Academy. He was sent out as magistrate of Liyang but never took up the post. Just as Emperor Ming seized power and Xiao Chen held sway, Wenqian said to Zhenzhi, "The course of affairs is clear: we shall be reduced to ashes and dust, and not over many days. If we do not plan early, our kind will be wiped out. Zhenzhi said, "What plan do you propose?" He replied, "Many of the late emperor's old associates have been cast aside. Summon them now and put them to use—who would not respond with ardor? Recently I heard Wang Hongfan discussing matters with Zhao Yuechang, Xu Sengliang, and Wan Linghui. All of them rolled up their sleeves and pounded the bed. Secretly inform Zhou Fengshu and have Wan Linghui and Wei Sengmian kill Xiao Chen—then all the troops within the palace will be ours. Then march the troops into the Secretariat and execute Director Xiao—a matter requiring no more than two wardens' strength. Failing that, send men like Jing Ke and Yu Rang. Under pretense of consultation, press against the chest with the left hand, and a blade an inch long will suffice to accomplish the deed—an opportunity that comes once in ten thousand generations. To raise a great affair now means death; not to raise it also means death—the two deaths are equal. Is it not better to die for the altars of state? If you hesitate and do not decide, in a few more days the Lord Recorder will proclaim an edict ordering your death, and your parents will die as well—the prospect is before our eyes." Zhenzhi would not adopt his plan. At this time Xu Longju was also due to receive enfeoffment. Zhenzhi was ashamed to share an edict with Longju and therefore asked for a separate patent of nobility. Before the matter could be carried out, the plot failed. When Zhenzhi was in the Western Province he had a hand tablet. A physiognomist said, "You will attain noble rank." He often used this remark to move the emperor and also coveted the post of gentleman of the Yellow Gates. The emperor once asked him, "Where is the hand tablet from the Western Province? Zhenzhi said, "This is a Yellow Gates hand tablet—why does Your Majesty need to ask?" The emperor laughed heartily. At that time Zhenzhi was general of the left, administrator of South Pengcheng, and concurrent Secretariat attendant for current affairs. While on overnight duty, he was sent by imperial decree to the Temple of Prince Jiang to pray for blessings. There he was seized and delivered to the Minister of Justice, and died together with Zhou Fengshu and Du Wenqian.
54
文謙有學行，善言吐。 其父聞其死，曰：「吾所以憂者，恐其不得死地耳。 今以忠義死，復何恨哉。 王經母所以欣經之義也。」 時人美其言。
Wenqian had learning and integrity and excelled in speech. When his father heard of his death he said, "What I feared was that he might not die a worthy death. To die now for loyalty and righteousness—what regret remains? This is why Wang Jing's mother rejoiced in Wang Jing's righteousness. People of the time praised his words.
55
龍駒以奄人本給安陸侯，後度東宮為齋帥。 帝即位後，以便佞見寵。 凡諸鄙黷雜事，皆所誘勸。 位羽林監、後合舍人、黃門署令、淮陵太守。 帝為龍駒置嬪御妓樂。 常住含章殿，著黃綸帽，被貂裘，南面向案，代帝畫敕。 內左右侍直，與帝不異。 前代趙忠、張讓之徒，莫之能比。 封惠懷縣男，事未行，明帝請誅之，懇至，乃見許。
Longju, a eunuch, had originally served the Marquis of Anlu. Later he passed through the Eastern Palace to become master of the fast hall. After the emperor ascended the throne, he won favor through flattery and servility. All sorts of vulgar and profane diversions were instigated and encouraged by him. His posts included inspector of the Feathered Forest Guard, attendant of the rear chamber, director of the Yellow Gates Office, and administrator of Huailing. The emperor provided Longju with concubines and musicians. He usually resided in Hanchang Hall, wore a yellow silk cap and sable fur, faced south before a desk, and drafted edicts in the emperor's place. Attendants at left and right within were no different from those of the emperor. Not even men like Zhao Zhong and Zhang Rang of former times could compare with him. He was to be enfeoffed as baron of Huihuai county, but before the matter was carried out Emperor Ming pleaded earnestly for his execution and was finally granted permission.
56
曹道剛，廢帝之日直合省，蕭諶先入，若欲論事，兵隨後奄進，以刀刺之，洞胸死，因進宮內廢帝。 直後徐僧亮甚怒，大言於眾曰：「吾等荷恩，今日應死報。」 又見殺。 道剛字景昭，彭城人，性質直。 帝雖與之狎而未嘗敢詶。 帝悅市里雜事，以為歡樂。 道剛輒避之。 益州人韓護善騎馬，帝嘗呼入華林園令騎，大賞狎之。 道剛出謂明帝：「主上猶是小兒，左右皆須正人，使日見禮則。 近聞韓護與天子齊馬並馳，此導人君于危地，道剛欲殺之。」 既而遣人刺殺護。 及道剛死，張融謂劉繪曰：「道剛似不為諂，亦復不免也。」 答曰：「夫徑寸之珠，非不寶也，而蚌之所病，云何不療之哉，此道剛所以死也。」
Cao Daogang: on the day the emperor was deposed he was on duty in the Combined Chambers Office. Xiao Chen entered first, as if to discuss affairs, then soldiers suddenly rushed in from behind, stabbed him through the chest, and killed him. They then entered the palace and deposed the emperor. Attendant supervisor Xu Sengliang was greatly angered and declared loudly before the crowd, "We have received grace—today we should repay with our deaths. He too was killed. Daogang, courtesy name Jingzhao, was a native of Pengcheng and upright by nature. Though the emperor was intimate with him, he never dared to answer back. The emperor delighted in vulgar street amusements as his entertainment. Daogang always kept away from such things. Han Hu of Yizhou was skilled at horsemanship. The emperor once summoned him into the Hualin Garden to ride and greatly rewarded and indulged him. Daogang went out and said to Emperor Ming, "Our sovereign is still a young boy—the attendants around him must all be upright men, so that he may daily witness ritual and propriety. Recently I heard Han Hu and the Son of Heaven racing horses side by side—this leads the ruler onto dangerous ground. I, Daogang, intend to kill him. Shortly afterward he sent men to assassinate Hu. When Daogang died, Zhang Rong said to Liu Hui, "Daogang seems not to have been a flatterer, yet he still could not escape. Liu answered, "A pearl an inch across is no less a treasure, yet it is what sickens the clam—how could one not cure the sickness? That is why Daogang had to die."
57
明帝即位，高、武舊人鮮有存者，法亮以主署文事，故不見疑，位任如故。 先是延昌殿為武帝陰室，藏諸服御，二少帝並居西殿。 及明帝居東齋，開陰室，出武帝白紗帽、防身刀，法亮歔欷流涕。 永泰元年，王敬則事平，法亮復受敕宣慰諸郡，無所納受。 東昏即位，出法亮為大司農。 中書權利之職，法亮不樂去，固辭不受。 既而代人已到，法亮垂涕而出，卒官。
When Emperor Ming ascended the throne, few of the old associates of Gao and Wu survived. Faliang, because he chiefly handled documentary affairs, was not suspected and retained his post and duties as before. Earlier, Yanchang Hall had served as Emperor Wu's private chamber, storing his robes and accoutrements. The two young emperors both resided in the West Hall. When Emperor Ming took up residence in the Eastern Fast Hall and opened the private chamber, bringing out Emperor Wu's white gauze cap and personal dagger, Faliang sobbed and wept. In the first year of Yongtai, after Wang Jingze's revolt was settled, Faliang again received orders to proclaim comfort to the various commanderies and accepted no gifts. When Emperor Donghun ascended the throne, Faliang was transferred out as minister of grand agriculture. The Secretariat was the post of power and profit. Faliang was unwilling to leave and firmly declined, refusing to accept. Before long his replacement arrived. Faliang wept as he departed and died in office.
58
呂文顯
Lü Wenxian
59
呂文顯，臨海人也。 升明初，為齊高帝錄尚書省事，累遷殿中侍御史。 後為秣陵令，封劉陽縣男。 永明元年，為中書通事舍人。 文顯臨事以刻核被知。 三年，帶南清河太守，與茹法亮等疊出入為舍人，並見親幸。 多四方餉遺，並造大宅，聚山開池。 時中書舍人四人各住一省，世謂之四戶。 既總重權，勢傾天下。 晉、宋舊制，宰人之官，以六年為限，近世以六年過久，又以三周為期，謂之小滿。 而遷換去來，又不依三周之制，送故迎新，吏人疲于道路。 四方守宰餉遺，一年咸數百萬。 舍人茹法亮於眾中語人曰：「何須覓外祿，此一戶內年辦百萬。」 蓋約言之也。 其後玄象失度，史官奏宜修祈禳之禮。 王儉聞之，謂上曰：「天文乖忤，此禍由四戶。」 仍奏文顯等專擅愆和，極言其事。 上雖納之而不能改也。 文顯累遷左中郎將，南東莞太守。
Lü Wenxian was a native of Linhai. At the beginning of Shengming he served in Emperor Gao of Qi's office for recording affairs of the Master of Writing and rose in turn to palace attendant censor. Later he became magistrate of Molin and was enfeoffed as baron of Liuyang county. In the first year of Yongming he became Secretariat attendant for current affairs. Wenxian became known for handling affairs with harsh exactingness. In the third year he concurrently served as administrator of South Qinghe. Alternating in and out with Ru Faliang and others as attendants, he was similarly favored. He received many gifts from all quarters and built a great mansion, piling up hills and opening ponds. At this time the four Secretariat attendants each held one bureau; the world called them the Four Households. Having combined great power in their hands, their influence eclipsed all others. Under the old system of Jin and Song, the term for posts administering the people was fixed at six years. In recent times six years was considered too long, and a cycle of three years was set, called the "small full term." Yet transfers and replacements coming and going no longer followed the three-year system. Seeing off the old and welcoming the new left clerks and people exhausted on the roads. Officials throughout the realm showered them with gifts and presents; within a year each household took in several million. Attendant Ru Faliang said to people in the crowd: "Why bother seeking outside emoluments? Within this one household we can produce a million a year. That was only a rough way of putting it. After this, heaven's signs fell out of order, and the historiographers memorialized that prayer and exorcism rites ought to be performed. Wang Jian heard of this and said to the emperor: "Heaven's signs are at odds—this calamity arises from the Four Households. He then memorialized that Wenxian and the others had monopolized power and disrupted harmony, speaking to the full extent of the matter. The emperor accepted this but could not change the situation. Wenxian rose in turn to left commandant of gentlemen and administrator of South Dongguan.
60
故事，府州部內論事，皆簽前直敘所論之事，後雲謹簽，日月下又云某官某簽，故府州置典簽以典之。 本五品吏，宋初改為七職。 宋氏晚運，多以幼少皇子為方鎮，時主皆以親近左右領典簽，典簽之權稍重。 大明、泰始，長王臨蕃，素族出鎮，莫不皆出內教命，刺史不得專其任也。 宗愨為豫州，吳喜公為典簽。 愨刑政所施，喜公每多違執。 愨大怒曰：「宗愨年將六十，為國竭命，政得一州如鬥大，不能復與典簽共臨！」 喜公稽顙流血乃止。 自此以後，權寄彌隆，典簽遞互還都，一歲數反，時主輒與閑言，訪以方事。 刺史行事之美惡，系於典簽之口，莫不折節推奉，恒慮不及。 於是威行州郡，權重蕃君。 劉道濟、柯孟孫等奸慝髮露，雖即顯戮，而權任之重不異。 明帝輔政，深知之，始制諸州急事宜密有所論，不得遣典簽還都，而典簽之任輕矣。 後以文顯守少府，見任使，曆建武、永元之世，至尚書右丞，少府卿，卒官。
By precedent, when prefectures and provinces deliberated on matters within their jurisdictions, documents first stated directly what was under discussion, then bore the words "respectfully endorsed," and beneath the date appeared "endorsed by such-and-such an official." Hence prefectures and provinces appointed chief clerks to manage this. Originally fifth-rank clerks, at the beginning of Song the post was changed to seventh rank. In the late years of the Song house, many young princes were placed in regional commands, and the reigning monarchs all put their close attendants in charge of the chief clerks, so the chief clerks' power grew somewhat heavier. During Daming and Taishi, when elder princes held frontier posts and men of common lineage went out to command garrisons, nothing was done without orders from the inner court, and regional inspectors could not hold full authority in their duties. When Zong Que was at Yuzhou, Wu Xigong served as chief clerk. In the punishments and policies Que imposed, Xigong often countermanded and obstructed him. Que raged and said: "Zong Que is nearly sixty, expending his life for the state, and ought to command a province barely the size of a dipper—I cannot share governance again with a chief clerk! Only when Xigong knocked his forehead to the ground until it bled did Que relent. From this time on delegated power grew ever loftier. Chief clerks rotated in returning to the capital several times a year, and the reigning monarch would talk with them at leisure and inquire about regional affairs. Whether a regional inspector's conduct was good or bad depended on the chief clerk's word; none failed to defer and fawn upon him, ever fearing they had not done enough. Thus their authority prevailed through the provinces and commanderies, and their power outweighed that of the frontier lords. When the wickedness of Liu Daoji, Ke Mengsun, and others was exposed, though they were immediately executed in public, the weight of the office's power was unchanged. When Emperor Ming served as regent, having seen this clearly, he first decreed that urgent matters in the provinces should be discussed in secret and that chief clerks must not be sent back to the capital—and so the chief clerk's post grew lighter. Later Wenxian was appointed to hold the Ministry of the Privy Purse. He continued to be employed through the Jianwu and Yongyuan eras, rising to right vice director in the Master of Writing and minister of the privy purse, and died in office.
61
茹法珍
Ru Fazhen
62
茹法珍，會稽人，梅蟲兒，吳興人，齊東昏時並為制局監，俱見愛幸。 自江祏、始安王遙光等誅後，及左右應敕捉刀之徒並專國命，人間謂之刀敕，權奪人主。 都下為之語曰：「欲求貴職依刀敕，須得富豪事禦刀。」
Ru Fazhen was a native of Kuaiji; Mei Chonge was a native of Wuxing. Under Emperor Donghun of Qi they both served as directors of the arsenal bureau and were alike favored and cherished. After Jiang Si, Prince Yao Guang of Shi'an, and the others were executed, the attendants and imperial edict drafters at the emperor's side together monopolized the nation's commands. People called them "blade-edicts," for their power usurped the sovereign's. The capital had a saying about it: "To seek a noble post, rely on the blade-edicts; you must be rich enough to wait upon the imperial blade."
63
時又有新蔡人徐世檦，尤見寵信，自殿內主帥為直合驍騎將軍。 凡諸殺戮，皆世檦所勸。 殺徐孝嗣後，封臨汝縣子。 陳顯達事起，加輔國將軍。 雖用護軍崔慧景為都督，而兵權實在世檦，當時權勢傾法珍、蟲兒。 又謂法珍、蟲兒曰：「何世天子無要人，但阿儂貨主惡耳。」 法珍等與之爭權，遂以白帝，帝稍惡其凶強。 世檦竊欲生心，左右徐僧重密知之，發其事，收得千餘人仗及咒詛文，又畫帝十餘形像，備為刑斬刻射支解之狀； 而自作己像著通天冠袞服，題雲徐氏皇帝。 永元二年事發，乃族之。 自是法珍、蟲兒並為外監，口稱詔敕，中書舍人王咺之與相唇齒，專掌文翰。 其餘二十餘人，皆有勢力。 崔慧景平後，法珍封餘幹縣男，蟲兒封竟陵縣男。
At this time there was also Xu Shibiao of Xincai, who was especially favored and trusted; from commander within the palace halls he was made general of valiant cavalry for the Direct Gate. Every execution was urged by Shibiao. After Xu Xiaosi was killed, he was enfeoffed as viscount of Linru county. When the affair of Chen Xianda arose, he was given the additional title general who supports the state. Although Cui Huijing the Protector of the Army was employed as commander-in-chief, military authority actually rested with Shibiao, whose power at the time eclipsed Fazhen and Chonge. He also said to Fazhen and Chonge: "What age's Son of Heaven lacks trusted men? It is only that you two are detestable hoarders of wealth. Fazhen and the others competed with him for power and reported him to the emperor; the emperor gradually came to dislike his fierce brutality. Shibiao secretly harbored rebellious intent; his attendant Xu Sengzhong learned of it in secret and exposed the affair. They seized more than a thousand weapons and curse texts, and painted more than ten images of the emperor, complete with scenes of execution by beheading, carving, shooting, and dismemberment; and he had made his own image wearing the sky-piercing cap and imperial robes, inscribed "Emperor of the Xu clan." In the second year of Yongyuan the affair was exposed, and his entire clan was executed. From this time Fazhen and Chonge both became outer directors, speaking in the name of imperial edicts; Secretariat attendant Wang Yaozhi worked with them like lip and teeth, holding exclusive charge of documents. The remaining more than twenty men all had their share of power. After Cui Huijing was put down, Fazhen was enfeoffed as baron of Yugan county and Chonge as baron of Jingling county.
64
崔慧景之平，曲赦都下及南兗州，本以宥賊黨，而群凶用事，刑辟不依詔書。 無罪家富者，不論赦令，莫不受戮，籍其家產； 與慧景深相關為盡力而家貧者，一無所問。 始安、顯達時亦已如此，至慧景平復然。 或說王咺之云：「赦書無信，人情大惡。」 咺之曰：「政當復有赦耳。」 復赦，群小誅戮亦復如先。
When Cui Huijing was suppressed, a partial amnesty was granted for the capital region and South Yanzhou, originally intended to spare the rebel faction—but the pack of villains held power, and punishments did not follow the edict. Those without guilt but with wealthy families were killed regardless of the amnesty, without exception, and their households' property was confiscated; while those who had worked hard for Huijing but were poor were left alone entirely. It had already been this way during the affairs of Shi'an and Xianda; when Huijing was put down it was the same again. Someone told Wang Yaozhi: "The amnesty edicts carry no credibility—popular feeling is deeply hostile. Yaozhi said: "We need only issue another amnesty, that's all." Another amnesty was issued, and the pack of petty villains slaughtered people just as before.
65
帝自群公誅後，無復忌憚，無日不遊走。 所幸潘妃本姓俞名尼子，王敬則伎也。 或云宋文帝有潘妃，在位三十年，於是改姓曰潘，其父寶慶亦從改焉。 帝呼寶慶及法珍為阿丈，蟲兒及東冶營兵俞靈韻為阿兄。 帝與法珍等俱詣寶慶，帝躬自汲水，助廚人作膳，為市中雜語以為諧謔。 又帝輕騎戎服往諸刀敕家遊宴，有吉凶輒往慶吊。 奄人王寶孫年十三四，號為倀子，最有寵，參預朝政，雖王咺之、蟲兒之徒亦下之。 控制大臣，移易敕詔，乃至騎馬入殿，詆訶天子。 公卿見之，莫不懾息。 其佐成昏亂者：法珍、蟲兒及王咺之、俞寶慶、俞靈韻、祝靈勇、範亮之、徐僧重、時崇濟、芮安泰、劉文泰、呂文慶、胡輝光、繆買養、章道之、楊敬子、李粲之、周管之、範曇濟、石曇悅、張惡奴、王勝公、王懷藻、梅師濟、鄒伯兒、史元益、王靈范、席休文、解滂及太史令駱文叔、大巫朱光尚，凡三十一人。 又有奄官王寶孫、王法昭、許朗之、許伯孫、方佛念、馬僧猛、盛劭、王竺兒、隨要、袁系世等十人。 梁武平建鄴，皆誅。 又朱興光為茹法珍所疾，得罪被系，豐勇之與王珍國相知，行殺皆免。 初，左右刀敕之徒悉號為鬼，宮中訛云：「趙鬼食鴨歗，諸鬼盡著調。」 當時莫解。 梁武平建鄴，東昏死，群小一時誅滅，故稱為諸鬼也。 俗間以細銼肉糅以姜桂曰歗，意者以凶黨皆當細銼而烹之也。
Since the senior nobles were executed, the emperor no longer had any restraining fear and went abroad every day without fail. His favorite, Consort Pan, was originally surnamed Yu and named Nizi; she had been an entertainer of Wang Jingze. Some said Emperor Wen of Song had had a Consort Pan who remained in favor for thirty years—therefore she changed her surname to Pan, and her father Baoqing changed with her. The emperor called Baoqing and Fazhen "Uncle," and Chonge and Yu Lingyun, a soldier of the Eastern Foundry camp, "Elder Brother." The emperor went with Fazhen and the others to visit Baoqing; he personally drew water and helped the kitchen staff prepare food, turning marketplace slang into ribald jokes. The emperor also went in light cavalry and military dress to feast at the homes of the blade-edicts, and whenever there was joy or mourning he would go to congratulate or condole. The eunuch Wang Baosun, thirteen or fourteen years old, was called "the heir-son" and was most favored; he participated in court politics, and even men like Wang Yaozhi and Chonge deferred to him. He controlled the senior ministers, altered edicts and decrees, and even rode a horse into the hall and reviled the Son of Heaven. When the nobles and ministers saw him, none failed to shrink back in fear. Those who assisted in bringing about the chaos: Fazhen, Chonge, and Wang Yaozhi, Yu Baoqing, Yu Lingyun, Zhu Lingyong, Fan Liangzhi, Xu Sengzhong, Shi Chongji, Rui Antai, Liu Wentai, Lü Wenqing, Hu Huiguang, Miao Maiyang, Zhang Daozhi, Yang Jingzi, Li Canzhi, Zhou Guanzhi, Fan Tanji, Shi Tuanyue, Zhang Enu, Wang Shenggong, Wang Huaizao, Mei Shiji, Zou Bo'er, Shi Yuanyi, Wang Lingfan, Xi Xiuwen, Xie Pang, and Grand Astrologer Luo Wenshu, chief shaman Zhu Guangshang—thirty-one in all. There were also ten eunuch officials: Wang Baosun, Wang Fazhao, Xu Langzhi, Xu Bosun, Fang Fonian, Ma Sengmeng, Sheng Shao, Wang Zhu'er, Sui Yao, and Yuan Shishi. When Emperor Wu of Liang pacified Jiankang, all were executed. Also Zhu Xingguang was hated by Ru Fazhen and, having offended, was imprisoned; Feng Yongzhi was acquainted with Wang Zhenguo, and even when executions were ordered, those concerned were always spared. Initially the blade-edicts on the emperor's left and right were all called "ghosts." A rumor in the palace ran: "When Zhao the ghost eats duck xiao, all the ghosts put on costumes. At the time no one understood it. When Emperor Wu of Liang pacified Jiankang and Donghun died, the petty villains were wiped out all at once—hence they were called "the ghosts." Among the people, minced meat mixed with ginger and cassia is called xiao; presumably the meaning was that the wicked faction should all be minced fine and boiled.
66
周石珍
Zhou Shizhen
67
周石珍，建康之塚隸也，世以販絹為業。 梁天監中，稍遷至宣傳左右。 身長七尺，頗閑應對，後遂至制局監，帶開陽令。 歷位直合將軍。 太清三年，封南豐縣侯，猶領制局。 台城未陷，已射書與侯景相結，門初開，石珍猶侍左右。 時賊遣其徒入直殿內，或驅驢馬出入殿庭。 武帝方坐文德殿，怪問之，石珍曰：「皆丞相甲士。」 上曰：「何物丞相？」 對曰：「侯丞相。」 上怒叱之曰：「是名侯景，何謂丞相！」 石珍求媚於賊，乃養其党田遷以為己子，遷亦父事之。 景篡位，制度羽儀皆石珍自出。 景平後，及中書舍人嚴亶等送於江陵。
Zhou Shizhen was a tomb attendant of Jiankang; his family had sold silk for generations. During Tianjian of Liang he rose gradually to attendant in the Secretariat for transmission. He stood seven feet tall, was quite skilled in repartee, and later reached director of the arsenal bureau, concurrently serving as magistrate of Kaiyang. He served in turn as general of the Direct Gate. In the third year of Taiqing he was enfeoffed as marquis of Nanfeng county and still held the arsenal bureau. Before the capital garrison fell, he had already sent letters by arrow to Hou Jing to conspire with him; when the gates first opened, Shizhen was still attending at the emperor's side. At that time the rebels sent their men to stand duty inside the halls, and some drove donkeys and horses in and out of the palace courtyard. Emperor Wu was just seated in the Hall of Cultured Virtue and asked in wonder; Shizhen said: "They are all the Chancellor's armored soldiers. The emperor said: "What Chancellor is this?" He replied: "Chancellor Hou." The emperor shouted angrily: "That man's name is Hou Jing—how dare you call him Chancellor!" Shizhen sought to fawn on the rebels; he took Tian Qian, a member of their faction, and raised him as his own son, and Qian likewise treated him as a father. When Jing usurped the throne, the regulations for rites and regalia all came from Shizhen himself. After Jing was suppressed, he and Secretariat attendant Yan Dan and the others were sent to Jiangling.
68
亶本為齋監，居台省積久，多閑故實。 在賊居要，亞于石珍。 及簡文見立，亶學北人著靴上殿，無肅恭之禮。 有怪之者，亶曰：「吾豈畏劉禪乎。」 從景圍巴陵郡，叫曰：「荊州那不送降！」 及至江陵，將刑於市，泣謂石珍曰：「吾等死亦是罪盈。」 石珍與其子升相抱哭。 亶謂監刑人曰：「倩語湘東王，不有廢也，君何以興？」 俱腰斬。 自是更殺賊黨，以板柙舌，釘釘之，不復得語。
Dan had originally been overseer of the fast hall; having long resided in the capital offices, he was well versed in old precedents. Among the rebels he held an important post, second only to Shizhen. When Emperor Jian was established, Dan imitated northerners in wearing boots to enter the hall, without the usual reverent courtesy. When some found this strange, Dan said: "Do you think I fear Liu Shan? When he followed Jing in besieging Baling commandery, he shouted: "Why doesn't Jingzhou send word to surrender!" When he reached Jiangling and was about to be executed in the marketplace, he wept and said to Shizhen: "Our deaths are only what overflowing guilt deserves." Shizhen and his son Sheng embraced each other and wept. Dan said to the executioner: "Please tell the Prince of Xiangdong: had there been no deposition, how could you have risen? Both were cut in two at the waist. From this time onward, when rebel partisans were executed further, their tongues were clamped with boards and nailed so they could no longer speak.
69
陸驗、徐驎，並吳郡吳人。 驗少而貧苦，落魄無行。 邑人郁吉卿者甚富，驗傾身事之。 吉卿貸以錢米，驗藉以商販，遂致千金。 因出都下，散貲以事權貴。 朱異，其邑子也，故嘗有德，遂言于武帝拔之，與徐驎兩人遞為少府丞、太市令。 驗本無藝業，而容貌特醜。 先是，外國獻生犀，其形甚陋，故閭里咸謂驗為生犀。 驗、驎並以苛刻為務，百賈畏之，異尤與之昵，世人謂之三蠹。 司農卿傅岐，梗直士也，嘗謂異曰：「卿任參國鈞，榮寵如此，比日所聞，鄙穢狼藉，若使聖主發悟，欲免得乎？」 異曰：「外間謗讟，知之久矣，心苟無媿，何恤人言。」 岐謂人曰：「朱彥和將死矣，恃諂以求容，肆辯以拒諫，聞難而不懼，知惡而不改。 天奪其鑒，其能久乎。」 驗竟以侵削為能，數年遂登列棘，鳴佩珥貂，並肩英彥。 仕至太子右衛率，卒，贈右衛將軍。 遠近聞其死，莫不快之。
Lu Yan and Xu Lin were both natives of Wu in Wu commandery. Yan was poor and wretched from youth, dissolute and without propriety. A townsman named Yu Jiqing was very rich, and Yan devoted himself entirely to serving him. Jiqing lent him money and grain; Yan used these for trade and eventually amassed a thousand gold. He then went to the capital and spread his wealth to cultivate the powerful. Zhu Yi was a fellow townsman, and Yan had once done him a kindness; Yi therefore spoke to Emperor Wu and had him promoted, and he and Xu Lin alternated as vice director of the Ministry of the Privy Purse and market director. Yan had no real accomplishment to speak of, and his appearance was exceptionally ugly. Earlier, a foreign state had presented a living rhinoceros whose form was very ugly, so people in the lanes all called Yan "the living rhinoceros." Yan and Lin both made harsh exaction their business; all merchants feared them, and Yi was especially intimate with them—people called them the Three Vermin. Minister of Finance Fu Qi was an upright man; he once said to Yi: "You share in governing the realm and enjoy such glory and favor—yet what I have heard these days is base and filthy beyond measure. If our sage sovereign awakens to it, do you think you can escape punishment? Yi said: "The slander outside I have known for a long time; if the heart is without guilt, why fear what people say?" Qi said to others: "Zhu Yanhe is about to die—relying on flattery to win favor, unleashing argument to reject remonstrance, hearing hardship without fear, knowing wickedness without reform. Heaven has stripped him of discernment—how much longer can he last?" Yet Yan made harsh exaction his trade; within a few years he had risen to a seat at the Censorate, pendant chiming and mink tails at his cap, standing shoulder to shoulder with the finest men of the day. He rose to Right Commandant of the Crown Prince's Right Guard and, upon his death, was posthumously made General of the Right Guard. Near and far, when word of his death spread, everyone rejoiced.
70
驎素為邵陵王綸所憾，太清二年，為綸所殺。
Lin had long been an object of resentment to the Prince of Shaoling, Wang Lun; in the second year of Taiqing, Lun had him killed.
71
司馬申
Sima Shen
72
司馬申，字季和，河內溫人也。 祖慧遠，梁都水使者。 父玄通，梁尚書左戶郎。
Sima Shen, styled Jihe, was a native of Wen in Henei commandery. His grandfather Huiyuan served Liang as Commissioner of Waterways. His father Xuantong was Left Section Clerk in the Ministry of Revenue under Liang.
73
申早有風鑒，十四便善弈棋。 嘗隨父候吏部尚書到溉，時梁州刺史陰子春、領軍朱異在焉，呼與棋。 申每有妙思，異觀而奇之，因引申遊處。 太清之難，父母俱沒，因此自誓，擔土菜食終身。
Shen showed keen judgment from youth; by fourteen he was already an accomplished player of weiqi. Once he went with his father to visit Dao Gai, Director of the Ministry of Civil Appointments; Yin Zichun, Inspector of Liang province, and Zhu Yi, Director of the Central Secretariat, were there, and they summoned him to play. Whenever Shen made a brilliant move, Yi watched in wonder and thereafter took him along on his outings. In the catastrophe of Taiqing both his parents died; he then vowed to carry earth on his shoulders and eat plain vegetables for the rest of his life.
74
梁元帝承制，累遷鎮西外兵記室參軍。 及侯景寇郢州，申隨都督王僧辯據巴陵，每進策，皆見行用。 僧辯歎曰：「此生要鞬汗馬，或非所長，若使撫眾守城，必有奇績。」 僧辯之討陸納也，于時賊眾奄至，左右披靡，申躬蔽僧辯，蒙楯而前，會裴之橫救至，賊乃退。 僧辯顧而笑曰：「仁者必有勇，豈虛言哉。」
When Emperor Yuan of Liang assumed provisional authority, Shen rose through repeated promotions to Recorder on the staff of the General Who Guards the West for external military affairs. When Hou Jing raided Yingzhou, Shen followed the commander Wang Sengbian in holding Baling; every plan he offered was put into practice. Sengbian sighed and said, "If this man's gift lies in drawing bow and sweating the horse, that may not be his strength; but put him in charge of men defending a city, and he will surely achieve remarkable feats. When Sengbian marched against Lu Na, the rebel host suddenly appeared and his attendants broke and fled; Shen shielded Sengbian with his own body and advanced under cover of his shield. Pei Zhiheng's relief force arrived in time, and the rebels withdrew. Sengbian turned and smiled. "The benevolent man is always brave—those were no empty words after all."
75
陳太建中，除秣陵令，在職以清能見紀，有白雀集於縣庭。 復為東宮通事舍人。 叔陵之肆逆也，事既不捷，出據東府，申馳召右衛將軍蕭摩訶帥兵先至，追斬之，後主深嘉焉。 以功除太子左衛率，封文招縣伯，兼中書通事舍人。 遷右衛將軍。 曆事三帝，內掌機密，頗作威福。 性忍害，好飛書以譖毀，朝之端士，遍罹其殃。 參預謀謨，乃于外宣說，以為己力，省中秘事，往往洩漏。 性又果敢，善應對，能候人主顏色。 有忤己者，必以微言譖之； 附己者，因機進之。 是以朝廷內外，皆從風靡。
During Chen's Taikang era he was appointed magistrate of Moling; in office he won notice for integrity and competence, and a white finch alighted in the courtyard of the county seat. He was again made Attendant-in-Ordinary and Master of Ceremonies of the Eastern Palace. When Shuling launched his rebellion and the attempt failed, he withdrew to hold the Eastern Palace. Shen galloped to summon General of the Right Guard Xiao Mohe, who led troops there first, pursued Shuling, and cut him down; the Later Lord was deeply pleased. For this service he was made Left Commandant of the Crown Prince's Left Guard, enfeoffed as Baron of Wenzhao county, and given the additional post of Attendant-in-Ordinary and Master of Ceremonies of the Secretariat. He was transferred to General of the Right Guard. Having served three emperors, he controlled confidential affairs within the palace and wielded no small power for his own advantage. Cruel by nature, he loved to dispatch anonymous letters of denunciation; upright men throughout the court fell victim to him one after another. He took part in strategic deliberations, then proclaimed them abroad as his own doing; confidential business of the Secretariat constantly leaked out. He was also bold and quick in reply, skilled at reading the sovereign's mood. Anyone who crossed him he was sure to slander with insinuating words; those who sided with him he advanced when opportunity arose. Thus within and without the court, all bowed before his influence.
76
初，尚書右僕射沈君理卒，朝廷議以毛喜代之。 申慮喜預政，乃短喜於後主曰：「喜臣之妻兄，高帝時稱陛下有酒德，請逐去宮臣，陛下甯忘之邪！」 喜由是廢錮。 又與施文慶、李脫兒比周，譖殺傅縡，奪任忠部曲以配蔡征、孔範，是以文武解體，至於覆滅。 申嘗晝寢于尚書下省，有烏啄其口，流血及地，時論以為譖賢之效也。
Earlier, Vice Director of the Secretariat Shen Junli had died, and the court deliberated appointing Mao Xi to succeed him. Shen feared that if Xi entered government his own influence would suffer, and so he spoke ill of Xi to the Later Lord: "Xi is my wife's elder brother. In Emperor Gao's day he praised Your Majesty's 'virtue in wine' and asked to drive away the palace attendants—surely Your Majesty has not forgotten? Xi was therefore dismissed from office and placed under house arrest. He also colluded with Shi Wenqing and Li Tuo'er, slandered and killed Fu Xie, and stripped Ren Zhong of his personal troops to assign them to Cai Zheng and Kong Fan—in consequence the military and civil service fell apart, all the way to the dynasty's ruin. Once Shen was napping by day in the lower offices of the Secretariat when a bird pecked his mouth until blood ran to the ground; public opinion took this as retribution for slandering worthy men.
77
後加散騎常侍，右衛、舍人如故。 至德四年卒，後主嗟悼久之。 贈侍中、護軍將軍，進爵為侯，諡曰忠。 及葬，後主自為制志銘。 子琇嗣，官至太子舍人。
Later he was additionally made Regular Attendant-in-Ordinary; his posts as General of the Right Guard and Attendant-in-Ordinary remained unchanged. He died in the fourth year of Zhide, and the Later Lord mourned him at length. He was posthumously made Attendant-in-Chief and General Who Protects the Army, advanced in rank to marquis, and given the posthumous epithet Loyal. At his burial the Later Lord himself composed the epitaph. His son Xiu succeeded him and rose to Attendant of the Crown Prince.
78
施文慶
Shi Wenqing
79
禎明三年，湘州刺史晉熙王叔文在職既久，大得人和，後主以其據有上流，陰忌之。 自度素與群臣少恩，恐不為用，無所任者，乃擢文慶為都督、湘州刺史，配以精兵，欲令西上，仍征叔文還朝。 文慶深喜其事，然懼居外，後執事者持己短長，因進其党沈客卿以自代。 未發間，二人共掌機密。
In the third year of Zhenming, Wang Shuwen, Prince of Jinxi, had long served as Inspector of Xiangzhou and had won great goodwill among the people; the Later Lord secretly resented him because he held the upper Yangtze. The Later Lord reckoned that he had never shown his ministers much favor and feared he could not rely on them; finding no one else fit for the task, he promoted Wenqing to Commander-in-Chief and Inspector of Xiangzhou, assigning him picked troops, intending to send him west while summoning Shuwen back to court. Wenqing was delighted by the appointment, yet he feared that once he was abroad those in power would seize on his faults; he therefore recommended his ally Shen Keqing to replace him. Before Wenqing set out, the two men jointly controlled confidential affairs.
80
時隋軍大舉，分道而進，尚書僕射袁憲、驃騎將軍蕭摩訶及文武群臣共議，請於京口、採石各置兵五千，並出金翅二百，緣江上下，以為防備。 文慶恐無兵從己，廢其述職，而客卿又利文慶之任己得專權，俱言於朝曰：「必有論議，不假面陳，但作文啟，即為通奏。」 憲等以為然。 二人齎啟入白後主曰：「此是常事，邊城將帥，足以當之。 若出人船，必恐驚擾。」
At that time the Sui armies were advancing in force along several routes; Vice Director Yuan Xian, Cavalry General Xiao Mohe, and civil and military ministers jointly urged that five thousand troops be posted at Jingkou and Caishi respectively, and two hundred Golden Wings be sent up and down the river as a defensive measure. Wenqing feared that if troops were deployed he would have none to follow him and would lose his chance to take up his post; Keqing also wanted Wenqing to go so that he himself could monopolize power; together they told the court, "There will certainly be debate; there is no need to state the case in person—simply write a memorial and it will be forwarded to the throne. Xian and the others agreed. The two men carried in their memorial and reported to the Later Lord, "This is an ordinary matter; the frontier commanders are quite sufficient to deal with it. If we dispatch troops and ships, we shall only cause alarm and disturbance."
81
及隋軍臨江，間諜驟至，憲等殷懃奏請，至於再三。 文慶等曰：「元會將逼，南郊之日，太子多從，今若出兵，事便廢闕。」 後主曰：「今且出兵，若北邊無事，因以水軍從郊，何為不可。」 又對曰：「如此，則聲聞鄰境，便謂國弱。」 後又以貨動江總，總內為之遊說，後主重違其意，而迫群官之請，乃令付外詳議，又抑憲等，由是未決，而隋師濟江。
When the Sui armies reached the river, spies arrived in rapid succession, and Xian and the others urgently petitioned again and again. Wenqing and the others said, "The New Year's audience is imminent, and on the day of the southern suburban sacrifice the crown prince will follow in great number; if troops are sent out now the rites will have to be cancelled. The Later Lord said, "Deploy troops for now; if nothing happens on the northern front, the fleet can still follow the sacrifice—why not?" They replied again, "In that case the news will reach neighboring states and they will say the country is weak." Later they also bribed Jiang Zong, who lobbied on their behalf from within; the Later Lord was loath to go against him, yet pressed by the ministers' petitions, he ordered the matter referred for detailed deliberation outside and again checked Yuan Xian and the others—thus nothing was decided, and the Sui troops crossed the river.
82
後主性怯懦，不達軍事，晝夜啼泣，台內處分，一以委之。 文慶既知諸將疾己，恐其有功，乃奏曰：「此等怏怏，素不服官，迫此事機，那可專信。」 凡有所啟請，經略之計，並皆不行。 尋敕文慶領兵頓于樂游苑。 陳亡，隋晉王廣以文慶受委不忠，曲為諂佞，以蔽耳目，比黨數人，並于石闕前斬之，以謝百姓。
The Later Lord was timid by nature and knew nothing of military affairs; he wept day and night, and entrusted all decisions within the palace entirely to Wenqing. Wenqing, knowing the generals resented him and fearing they might win merit, memorialized, "These men are discontented and have never respected authority; at this crisis how can we trust them alone? Whatever petitions or strategic plans were submitted, none were carried out. Soon Wenqing was ordered to lead troops and encamp at Leyou Garden. When Chen fell, Sui's Prince of Jin, Yang Guang, condemned Wenqing for accepting trust without loyalty, twisting truth to flatter and deceive, and blinding the sovereign's ears; Wenqing and several of his faction were beheaded before the Stone Gate to appease the people.
83
沈客卿
Shen Keqing
84
沈客卿，吳興武康人也。 美風采，善談論，博涉群書，與施文慶少相親昵。 仕陳，累遷至尚書儀曹郎。 聰明有口辯，頗知故事。 每朝廷體式，吉凶儀注，凡所疑議，客卿斟酌裁斷，理雖有不經，而眾莫能屈，事多施行。
Shen Keqing was a native of Wukang in Wuxing commandery. Handsome in bearing, skilled in discourse, and widely read, he had been close to Shi Wenqing from youth. Under Chen he rose through repeated promotions to Director of the Ceremonial Section in the Ministry of Rites. Clever and eloquent, he knew precedent well. Whenever court ritual, auspicious and inauspicious observances, or any doubtful point of ceremony arose, Keqing would weigh and decide it; though his reasoning sometimes departed from established practice, none could refute him, and his decisions were largely adopted.
85
至德初，以為中書舍人，兼步兵校尉，掌金帛局。 以舊制軍人士人，二品清官，並無關市之稅。 後主盛修宮室，窮極耳目，府庫空虛，有所興造，恒苦不給。 客卿每立異端，唯以刻削百姓為事，奏請不問士庶，並責關市之估，而又增重其舊。 於是以陽惠朗為太市令，暨慧景為尚書金、倉都令史。 二人家本小吏，考校簿領，豪厘不差，糾謫嚴急，百姓嗟怨。 而客卿居舍人，總以督之，每歲所入，過於常格數十倍，後主大悅。 尋加客卿散騎常侍、左衛將軍，舍人如故。 惠朗、慧景奉朝請。 禎明三年，客卿遂與文慶俱掌機密。 隋師至，文慶出頓樂游苑，內外事客卿總焉。 台城失守，隋晉王以客卿重賦厚斂，以悅於上，與文慶、暨慧景、陽惠朗等，俱斬于石闕前。 徐哲，不知何許人，施文慶引為制局監，掌刑法，亦與客卿同誅。
At the beginning of Zhide he was made Attendant of the Secretariat, with the additional rank of Commandant of Footsoldiers, and placed in charge of the Gold and Silk Bureau. By old regulation, military men and literati holding second-rank pure offices were all exempt from market tolls. The Later Lord lavishly built palaces, pursuing pleasure to the limit; the treasury stood empty, and whenever he undertook construction he constantly found funds insufficient. Keqing always proposed new schemes, making the squeezing of the people his sole business; he memorialized that commoners and gentry alike should pay market assessments, and on top of that increased the old rates. Thereupon Yang Huilang was made Director of the Great Market and Ji Huijing was made Chief Clerk of the Gold and Granary Sections in the Ministry of Revenue. Both men's families were originally minor clerks; in checking ledgers they missed not the slightest fraction, and their corrections and penalties were severe—the people groaned in resentment. Keqing, remaining Attendant of the Secretariat, supervised them in general; each year's receipts exceeded the usual quota many times over, and the Later Lord was greatly pleased. Keqing was soon given the additional posts of Regular Attendant-in-Ordinary and General of the Left Guard; his post as Attendant remained unchanged. Huilang and Huijing were made Regular Attendants at Court. In the third year of Zhenming, Keqing came to control confidential affairs together with Wenqing. When the Sui armies arrived, Wenqing went out to encamp at Leyou Garden, and Keqing held authority over all internal and external affairs. When the capital fell, Sui's Prince of Jin condemned Keqing for heavy taxes and harsh exactions to please his sovereign; Keqing, Wenqing, Ji Huijing, Yang Huilang, and others were all beheaded before the Stone Gate. Xu Zhe, of unknown origin, was brought in by Shi Wenqing as Director of the Regulatory Bureau with charge of criminal law; he was executed together with Keqing.
86
孔範字法言，會稽山陰人也。 曾祖景偉，齊散騎常侍。 祖滔，梁海鹽令。 父岱，曆職清顯。
Kong Fan, styled Fayan, was a native of Shanyin in Kuaiji commandery. His great-grandfather Jingwei was Regular Attendant-in-Ordinary under Qi. His grandfather Tao was magistrate of Haiyan under Liang. His father Dai held a succession of pure, eminent offices.
87
隋師將濟江，群官請為備防，文慶沮壞之，後主未決。 範奏曰：「長江天塹，古來限隔，虜軍豈能飛度？ 邊將欲作功勞，妄言事急。 臣自恨位卑，虜若能來，定作太尉公矣。」 或妄言北軍馬死，範曰：「此是我馬，何因死去。」 後主笑以為然，故不深備。
When the Sui armies were about to cross the river, the ministers petitioned for defensive preparations, but Wenqing obstructed and ruined the plan, and the Later Lord could not decide. Fan memorialized, "The Yangzi has been a heavenly barrier since antiquity, dividing north from south—how could the enemy army fly across? The frontier commanders wish to claim merit and falsely say the situation is urgent. I regret only that my rank is low; if the barbarians can come, I am certain to be made Grand Marshal Duke. When someone falsely reported that the northern army's horses were dying, Fan said, "Those are my horses—why should they die? The Later Lord laughed and agreed; hence he made no thorough preparations.
88
尋而隋將賀若弼陷南徐州，執城主莊元始，韓擒陷南豫州，敗水軍都督高文泰。 范與中領軍魯廣達頓于白塔寺。 後主多出金帛，募人立功，范素于武士不接，莫有至者，唯負販輕薄多從之，高麗、百濟、昆侖諸夷並受督。 時任蠻奴請不戰，而己度江攻其大軍。 又司馬消難言於後主曰：「弼若登高舉烽，與韓擒相應，鼓聲交震，人情必離。 請急遣兵北據蔣山，南斷淮水，質其妻子，重其賞賜。 陛下以精兵萬人，守城莫出。 不過十日，食盡，二將之頭可致闕下。」 范冀欲立功，志在於戰，乃曰：「司馬消難狼子野心，任蠻奴淮南傖士，語並不可信。」 事遂不行。
Soon the Sui general He Ruobi took South Xuzhou and captured the city commander Zhuang Yuanshi; Han Qin took South Yuzhou and defeated the naval commander Gao Wentai. Fan, together with Central Army Commander Lu Guangda, encamped at White Pagoda Monastery. The Later Lord offered gold and silk in abundance to enlist men for merit; Fan, who had never been close to warriors, found none came—only peddlers and idle riffraff followed him in great number, and Koreans, men of Baekje, and Kunlun foreigners all served under his command. At the time Ren Manu asked to avoid battle and cross the river himself to attack the main enemy host. Sima Xiaonan also told the Later Lord, "If Ruobi raises beacon fires on high and Han Qin answers, with drums thundering in reply, the people's hearts will surely scatter. I ask that troops be urgently sent north to hold Mount Jiang and south to cut the Huai River, taking their wives and children as hostages and loading rewards upon them. Your Majesty, with ten thousand picked troops, should hold the city and not go out. Within ten days their provisions will be exhausted, and the heads of the two generals can be brought beneath the palace gates. Fan, eager for merit and intent on fighting, then said, "Sima Xiaonan has the heart of a wolf cub; Ren Manu is a Huai River peasant soldier—their words are none of them to be trusted." The proposal was not carried out.
89
隋軍既逼，蠻奴又欲為持久計，範又奏：「請作一決，當為官勒石燕然。」 後主從之。 明日，範以其徒居中，以抗隋師，未陣而北，範脫身遁免。 尋與後主俱入長安。
With the Sui army pressing close, Manu again wished to plan for a protracted defense, but Fan once more memorialized, "Let us fight one decisive battle; I shall have a stele carved on Mount Yanran for the state. The Later Lord agreed. The next day Fan drew up his followers in the center to face the Sui army, but before the lines could be formed they broke and fled northward; Fan alone slipped away and escaped. Before long he entered Chang'an together with the Later Lord.
90
初，晉王廣所戮陳五佞人，範與散騎常侍王瑳、王儀、御史中丞沈瓘，過惡未彰，故免。 及至長安，事並露，隋文帝以其奸佞諂惑，並暴其過惡，名為四罪人，流之遠裔，以謝吳、越之人。 瑳、儀並琅邪人。 瑳刻薄貪鄙，忌害才能。 儀候意承顏，傾巧側媚，又獻其二女，以求親昵。 瓘險慘苛酷，發言邪諂，故同罪焉。
When Prince of Jin Guang executed Chen's five favorite flatterers, Fan along with Attendant-in-Ordinary Wang Chuo, Wang Yi, and Supervising Censor Shen Guan were spared, for their crimes had not yet come to light. Once they reached Chang'an, everything came to light. Emperor Wen of Sui, judging them treacherous flatterers who had led their ruler astray, publicly exposed their crimes, branded them the Four Criminals, and banished them to distant regions as amends to the people of Wu and Yue. Chuo and Yi were both natives of Langye. Chuo was harsh, greedy, and mean-spirited, and envied anyone with ability. Yi watched every mood and flattered accordingly, deploying all his cunning in sycophantic display, and even offered up his two daughters to win favor. Guan was vicious and pitiless in his cruelty, and his speech was warped and fawning—so he received the same sentence.
91
【論】
Commentary
92
論曰：自宋中世以來，宰禦朝政，萬機碎密，不關外司。 尚書八座五曹，各有恆任，系以九卿六府，事存副職。 至於冠冕搢紳，任疏人貴，伏奏之務既寢，趨走之勞亦息。 關宣所寄，屬當事有所歸。 通驛內外，切自音旨。 若夫竭忠盡節，仕子恒圖，隨方致用，明君盛典，舊非本舊，因新以成舊者也，狎非先狎，因疏以成狎者也。 而任隔疏情，殊塗一致，權歸近狎，異世同揆。 故環纓斂笏，俯仰晨昏，瞻幄坐而竦躬，陪蘭檻而高眄，探求恩色，習睹威顏，遷蘭變鮑，久而彌信。 因城社之固，執開壅之機。 長主君世，振裘持領，賞罰事殷，能不踰漏，宮省咳唾，義必先知。 故窺盈縮于望景，獲驪珠于龍睡，坐歸聲勢，臥震都鄙。 賄賂日積，苞苴歲通，富擬公侯，威行州郡。 制局小司，專典兵力，雲陛天居，亙設蘭綺，羽林精卒，重屯廣衛。 至於元戎啟轍，武候還麾，遮迾清道，神行按轡，督察往來，馳騖輦轂，驅役分部，親承几案，領護所攝，示總成規。 若徵兵動眾，大興人役，優劇遠近，斷於外監之心，譴辱詆訶，恣於典事之口。 抑符緩詔，奸偽非一，書死為生，請謁成市，左臂揮金，右手刊字，紙為銅落，筆由利染。 故門同玉署，家號金穴，嬙媛侍女，燕、秦、蔡、鄭之聲，琁池碧梁，魚龍雀馬之翫，莫不充牣錦室，照徹青雲，害政傷人，於斯為切。 況乎主幼時昏，讒慝亦何可勝紀也。
The commentary observes: From the mid-Song period onward, court favorites controlled the government; the myriad affairs of state were broken into minute fragments that never passed through the regular ministries. The Secretariat's Eight Seats and Five Bureaus each had their fixed duties, supported by the Nine Ministers and Six Offices in parallel posts—but in name only. As for the crowned and girdled officials, their duties grew ever more remote even as their persons grew ever more honored; the work of kneeling to present memorials had long since ceased, and the bustle of running errands had quieted as well. Gate business and imperial pronouncements were entrusted to them, so that whenever something arose, there was always someone at hand to handle it. Couriers linked court and countryside, and everything turned on the sovereign's own words and will. Devotion and integrity are what every official aspires to, and putting men to use according to their gifts is the enlightened ruler's highest art—yet what had not been old intimacy became intimacy through novelty, and what had not been prior closeness became closeness through gradual cultivation. Though their duties were formally separate and their rank distant, every path led to the same end—power settled in the hands of those nearest and most intimate; age after age, the pattern was identical. Thus cap tassels bound and tablets held, they bowed morning and evening; gazing at the curtained throne they straightened their backs, attending at the orchid balustrade with upturned eyes, searching out every sign of favor and growing used to the sovereign's august face—orchids slowly turning to salted fish—and the longer it lasted, the deeper the trust ran. Resting on the solid foundations of state power, they seized control of every gate and choke point. They dominated the ruler's reign, pulling the strings from the collar; rewards and punishments flowed through their hands, and nothing leaked past them—even a cough or a whisper in the inner palace, they invariably heard of it first. They read the rise and fall of fortunes in the shifting shadows on the sundial, plucked the pearl from the sleeping dragon, and whether sitting or reclining gathered power that shook the capital and the provinces alike. Bribes piled up day by day, gift parcels flowed year after year; their wealth matched that of marquises and dukes, and their authority reached across every prefecture and commandery. The minor posts of the arsenal bureau held sole charge of military force; the cloud-white steps and heavenly palace were hung everywhere with orchid silks, and picked Feathered Forest troops massed in heavy garrisons throughout the broad inner guard. When the commander-in-chief set out, military guards wheeled their banners, roads were blocked and cleared, they moved like spirits with reins in hand, inspected all who came and went, galloped beside the imperial carriage, drove men and assigned posts, personally received documents at the desk, and supervised every command under their charge—giving every appearance of holding the whole apparatus in their grasp. When troops were levied and masses mobilized, when great public works were launched, whether the burden was light or crushing, near or far, rested on the outer director's whim; reproach, insult, and abuse poured freely from the mouths of the officers in charge. They suppressed official tallies and delayed edicts; fraud took countless forms—the living were written off as dead, petitioners crowded the streets like a marketplace, gold changed hands on the left while characters were carved on the right, paper fell like rain of copper cash, and every brushstroke was stained with profit. Their gates rivaled the jade halls of office, their houses were called treasure vaults; concubines and serving girls performed the music of Yan, Qin, Cai, and Zheng; jade pools and azure beams, diversions of fish, dragons, sparrows, and horses—all of it overflowing brocade chambers and gleaming to the very clouds. Nowhere did misgovernment and human suffering cut deeper. And when the ruler was young and muddled besides, how could slander and villainy even be fully counted?