Overview
Emperor Wenzong was a ruler.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Death
Attested activity
Places and affiliations
- Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Ruled
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment respectful and frugal yet timid and not perspicacious · Mode historian-judgment
References in the histories
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New Book of Tang, Chapter 178Volume 178 Biographies 103: Liu Fen · 17 passages
臣前謂「博延群彥，願陛下必納其言；
What I said earlier — "broadly gather worthy men, and I beg Your Majesty to accept their words;
臣非不知言發而禍應，計行而身僇，蓋痛社稷之危，哀生人之悔，豈忍姑息時忌，竊陛下一命之寵哉？
I am not unaware that when words issue disaster follows, and when plans are carried out the body is punished — I grieve the altars' peril and mourn the people's suffering: how could I bear to temporize with the times' taboos and steal one life of Your Majesty's favor?
今臣之來也，有司或不敢薦臣之言，陛下又無以察臣之心，退必戮於權臣之手，臣幸得從四子遊於地下，固臣之願也。
Now in my coming, the responsible offices perhaps dare not recommend my words; Your Majesty again has no means to discern my heart — on retiring I will surely be executed at the hands of powerful ministers; I would be fortunate to wander underground with the Four — that is indeed my wish.
若乃流下土之惠、脩近古之治而致和平者，在陛下行之而已。
As for spreading benefit to the lower lands, cultivating governance like that of near antiquity to attain peace — it lies in Your Majesty's carrying it out, nothing more.
伏惟陛下事天地以教人恭，奉宗廟以教人孝，養高年以教人悌長，字百姓以教人慈幼，調元氣以煦育，扇大和以仁壽，可以消搖無為，垂拱成化。
I beg Your Majesty to serve Heaven and Earth to teach reverence, attend the ancestral temples to teach filial piety, nurture the aged to teach respect for elders, cherish the people to teach kindness to the young, harmonize the vital energies to warm and nurture, fan the great harmony toward benevolence and longevity — then you may roam free in non-action, fold your arms, and let transformation be accomplished.
乃上疏曰：「陛下禦正殿求直言，使人得自奮。
Thereupon he submitted a memorial saying: "Your Majesty held court in the main hall seeking straightforward words, enabling men to exert themselves.
臣才誌懦劣，不能質今古是非，使陛下聞未聞之言，行未行之事，忽忽內思，愧羞神明。
My talent and resolve are timid and inferior; I cannot verify right and wrong in past and present, cause Your Majesty to hear words never heard or carry out affairs never carried out — inwardly I am restless in thought, ashamed before the spirits.
今蕡所對，敢空臆盡言，至皇王之成敗，陛下所防閑，時政之安危，不私所料，又引《春秋》為據，漢、魏以來，無與蕡比。
Now in Fen's answers he dared empty his breast and speak fully — reaching the august kings' success and failure, what Your Majesty should guard against, the present government's safety and peril, without private calculation; again citing the Spring and Autumn Annals as evidence — since Han and Wei, none compares with Fen.
自詔書下，萬口籍籍，嘆其誠鯁，至於垂泣，謂蕡指切左右，畏近臣銜怒，變興非常，朝野惴息，誠恐忠良道窮，綱紀遂絕，季漢之亂，復興於今。
Since the edict was issued, ten thousand mouths clamored, sighing at his sincere bluntness, even to shedding tears — saying Fen's finger pointed at those at Your Majesty's side, fearing intimate ministers would harbor anger and extraordinary change arise; court and countryside held their breath, truly fearing the loyal and good had reached a dead end, law and order were cut off, and the chaos of late Han would revive in our day.
以陛下仁聖，近臣故無害忠良之謀；
Because Your Majesty is benevolent and sage, intimate ministers therefore have no plot to harm the loyal and good;
且陛下以直言召天下士，蕡以直言副陛下所問，雖訐必容，雖過當獎，書於史策，千古光明。
Moreover Your Majesty summoned scholars of the realm with a call for straightforward words; Fen answered what Your Majesty asked with straightforward words — though offensive, surely tolerate; though excessive, surely reward; written in the historical records, bright for a thousand ages.
使萬有一蕡不幸死，天下必曰陛下陰殺讜直，結讎海內，忠義之士，皆憚誅夷，人心一搖，無以自解。
If by ten thousand to one Fen unfortunately dies, the realm will surely say Your Majesty secretly killed the bluntly honest and knotted enmity across the empire — men of loyalty and righteousness will all fear execution; when hearts shake once, there is no means of self-explanation.
臣逃茍且之慚，朝有公正之路，陛下免天下之疑，顧不美哉！」
I escape the shame of temporizing; the court has a path of fairness; Your Majesty frees the realm's doubts — is it not beautiful!"
帝不納。
The emperor did not accept.
始，帝恭儉求治，誌除兇人，然懦而不睿，臣下畏禍不敢言，故蕡對極陳晉襄公殺陽處父以戒帝，又引閽弒吳子，陰贊帝決。
At the beginning the emperor was respectful and frugal in seeking governance, resolved to remove vicious men — yet timid and not perspicacious; ministers feared disaster and dared not speak; therefore in his answers Fen fully set forth how Duke Xiang of Jin killed Yang Chufu to warn the emperor, and again cited how a gate guard murdered the Prince of Wu, secretly urging the emperor's resolve.
帝後與宋申錫謀誅守澄不克，守澄廢帝弟漳王而斥申錫，帝依違其間，不敢主也。
Later the emperor with Song Shenxi plotted to execute Shoucheng but did not succeed; Shoucheng deposed the emperor's younger brother the Prince of Zhang and expelled Shenxi — the emperor wavered between them and dared not take the lead.
賈餗與王涯、李訓、舒元輿位宰相，以謀敗，皆為中官夷其宗，而宦者益橫，帝以憂崩。
Jia Su with Wang Ya, Li Xun, and Shu Yuanyu held the chief ministership; when the plot failed, all were exterminated in their clans by the eunuchs — and the eunuchs grew more overbearing; the emperor died of grief.