Sui and Tang · Governor of Kunzhou and Rebel Leader

Cuan Wan 爨翫

Attested AD 597 - AD 598

Passages
3
Chapters
1
Histories
1

Overview

Cuan Wan was a Governor of Kunzhou and Rebel Leader.

IdentityHistorical · Male
Found inBook of Sui

Life and dates

Attested activity

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Events and relationships

  • Submitted, rebelled, bribed Shi Wansui to leave him in office, and rebelled again the next year.
    Rebellion
    Directly stated · Book of Sui 53, passage 23

References in the histories

Book of Sui, Chapter 53Volume 53 Biographies 18: Daxi Zhangru, Helou Zigan, Shi Wansui, Liu Fang · 3 passages
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先是，南寧夷爨翫來降，拜昆州刺史，既而復叛．遂以萬歲為行軍總管，率眾擊之．入自蜻蛉川，經弄凍，次小勃弄、大勃弄，至于南中．賊前後屯據要害，萬歲皆擊破之．行數百里，見諸葛亮紀功碑，銘其背曰：「萬歲之後，勝我者過此．」萬歲令左右倒其碑而進．渡西二河，入渠濫川，行千餘里，破其三十餘部，虜獲男女二萬餘口．諸夷大懼，遣使請降，獻明珠徑寸．於是勒石頌美隋德．萬歲遣使馳奏，請將翫入朝，詔許之．爨翫陰有二心，不欲詣闕，因賂萬歲以金寶，萬歲於是捨翫而還．蜀王時在益州，知其受賂，遣使將索之．萬歲聞而悉以所得金寶沉之於江，索無所獲．以功進位柱國．晉王廣虛衿敬之，待以交友之禮．上知為所善，令萬歲督晉府軍事．明年，爨翫復反，蜀王秀奏萬歲受賂縱賊，致生邊患，無大臣節．上令窮治其事，事皆驗，罪當死．上數之曰：「受金放賊，重勞士馬．朕念將士暴露，寢不安席，食不甘味，卿豈社稷臣也？」 Earlier, Cuan Wan of the Ningnan Yi had surrendered and been made governor of Kunzhou, then rebelled again. Wansui was sent as commander on campaign against him. He entered by the Qingling River, passed Nongdong, and halted at Lesser and Greater Bonong before reaching the southern heartland. The rebels held every strong point; Wansui broke them all. After several hundred li he came upon Zhuge Liang’s victory stele, inscribed on the back: “After ten thousand years, whoever surpasses me will pass this place.” Wansui had his men overturn it and march on. He crossed the two western rivers, entered the Quluan River, marched more than a thousand li, and shattered more than thirty tribes, taking more than twenty thousand captives. The Yi were terrified, sent envoys to surrender, and presented a pearl an inch across. He carved a stone praising Sui virtue. Wansui sent a swift report asking that Wan be brought to court; the edict agreed. Wan secretly had no wish to come to the capital and bribed Wansui with gold and jewels; Wansui then left him and returned. The prince of Shu was in Yizhou; learning of the bribe, he sent men to seize the goods. Wansui heard of it and sank everything he had received in the river, and nothing was found. For his merit he was made pillar of state. Prince Jin Guang treated him with open respect as a friend. The emperor, knowing Guang favored him, put Wansui in charge of the prince of Jin’s military affairs. The next year Cuan Wan rebelled again. Prince Xiu of Shu reported that Wansui had taken bribes and released the rebel, bringing border trouble and failing the integrity of a great minister. A full investigation confirmed everything; the crime merited death. The emperor recounted his offenses: “You took gold and let the rebel go, wasting soldiers and horses. When I think of men exposed in the field I cannot sleep or eat with ease—are you a minister of the altars of state?”
萬歲曰：「臣留爨翫者，恐其州有變，留以鎮撫．臣還至瀘水，詔書方到，由是不將入朝，實不受賂．」上以萬歲心有欺隱，大怒曰：「朕以卿為好人，何乃官高祿重，翻為國賊也？」 Wansui said, “I left Cuan Wan because I feared unrest in his prefecture and kept him to pacify the region. When I reached the Lu River your edict had only just arrived, so I did not bring him in. I truly took no bribe.” The emperor, believing he was deceitful, raged: “I thought you a good man—how, with high rank and rich pay, have you become a traitor to the state?”
候騎曰：「是也．」達頭聞之，懼而引去．萬歲馳追百餘里乃及，擊大破之，斬數千級，逐北入磧數百里，虜遁逃而還．楊素害其功，因譖萬歲云：「突厥本降，初不為寇，來於塞上畜牧耳．」遂寢其功．萬歲數抗表陳狀，上未之悟．會上從仁壽宮初還京師，廢皇太子，窮東宮黨與．上問萬歲所在，萬歲實在朝堂，楊素見上方怒，因曰：「萬歲謁東宮矣．」以激怒上．上謂為信然，令召萬歲．時所將士卒在朝稱冤者數百人，萬歲謂之曰：「吾今日為汝極言於上，事當決矣．」既見上，言將士有功，為朝廷所抑，詞氣憤厲，忤於上．上大怒，令左右摧殺之．既而悔，追之不及，因下詔罪萬歲曰：「柱國、太平公萬歲，拔擢委任，每總戎機．往以南寧逆亂，令其出討．而昆州刺史爨翫包藏逆心，為民興患．朕備有成敕，令將入朝．萬歲乃多受金銀，違敕令住，致爨翫尋為反逆，更勞師旅，方始平定．所司檢校，罪合極刑，捨過念功，恕其性命，年月未久，即復本官．近復總戎，進討蕃裔．突厥達頭可汗領其兇眾，欲相拒抗，既見軍威，便即奔退，兵不血刃，賊徒瓦解．如此稱捷，國家盛事，朕欲成其勳庸，復加褒賞．而萬歲、定和通簿之日，乃懷姦詐，妄稱逆面交兵，不以實陳，懷反覆之方，弄國家之法．若竭誠立節，心無虛罔者，乃為良將，至如萬歲，懷詐要功，便是國賊，朝憲難虧，不可再捨．」死之日，天下士庶聞者，識與不識，莫不冤惜． The scouts said, “It is he.” When Tatou heard this he withdrew in fear. Wansui galloped after them for more than a hundred li, overtook them, and broke them utterly, taking several thousand heads. He drove the fugitives north into the desert for hundreds of li before they escaped and he returned. Yang Su, jealous of his glory, slandered him: “The Turks had already surrendered and were only pasturing livestock at the border—they were not raiding.” His merit was buried. Wansui memorialized again and again; the emperor would not see it. When the emperor returned from Renshou Palace to the capital, deposed the crown prince, and hunted the eastern palace faction, he asked where Wansui was. Wansui was in fact at court, but Yang Su, seeing his anger, said, “Wansui has gone to the eastern palace,” to inflame him further. The emperor believed it and summoned Wansui. Several hundred soldiers he had commanded were at court petitioning that they had been wronged. Wansui told them, “Today I will speak out for you before the emperor—the matter will be settled.” Before the emperor he spoke of his men’s merit and how the court had suppressed them; his tone was fierce and he gave offense. The emperor raged and ordered his attendants to kill him on the spot. He soon regretted it but could not undo the deed, and issued an edict condemning Wansui: “The pillar of state and duke of Taiping, Wansui, was raised and entrusted with every campaign. When the south rebelled he was sent to punish them. Cuan Wan of Kunzhou harbored treachery and harmed the people. We had made full plans to bring him to court. Wansui took much gold and silver, disobeyed Our plan by leaving him, and Cuan Wan soon rebelled again, costing fresh armies before order returned. The crime merited death; remembering his merit We spared him and soon restored his rank. Recently he commanded the advance against the frontier tribes. Tatou led his fierce horde to resist; at sight of our might they fled—blades unstained, the enemy dissolved. Such a victory is the state’s glory; We meant to crown his merit with new rewards. Yet on the day the registers were filed he and Dinghe lied, claiming they had met the enemy in battle when they had not, mocking the laws of the state. Only one who serves with full loyalty and no deceit is a true general; Wansui, who sought merit by fraud, is a traitor. The statutes cannot bend—we will not spare him again.” On the day he died, all who heard, whether they knew him or not, mourned him.