Overview
Sun Piyang was an official.
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History of Ming, Chapter 219Volume 219 Biographies 107: Zhang Siwei, Ma Ziqiang, Xu Guo, Zhao Zhigao, Zhang Wei, Zhu Geng · 2 passages
王錫爵還朝，帝適降諭三王並封，以待嫡為辭．而志臯、位遽請帝篤修交泰，早兆高禖，議者竊哂之．趙南星以考察事褫官，朝士詆錫爵者多及位．錫爵去，志臯為首輔．位與志臯相厚善．志臯衰，位精悍敢任，政事多所裁決．時黜陟權盡還吏部，政府不得侵撓．位深憾之，事多掣其肘．以故孫鑨、陳有年、孫丕揚、蔡國珍皆不安其位而去．
When Wang Xijue returned to court the emperor had just issued an edict enfeoffing all three princes, using the wait for a legitimate heir as pretext. Zhigao and Wei hastily asked the emperor to cultivate harmony between heaven and earth and pray early at the Gao Mei altar; critics privately laughed. Zhao Nanxing was stripped of office in the review affair; many who denounced Xijue also implicated Wei. When Xijue left, Zhigao became chief secretary. Wei was close to Zhigao; as Zhigao declined, Wei was sharp and bold and decided much of the business of government. Appointment and dismissal had returned entirely to the Ministry of Personnel, and the secretariat could not interfere. Wei deeply resented this and often checked its hand, so Sun Long, Chen Younian, Sun Piyang, and Cai Guozhen all left their posts in discomfort.
位初官翰林，聲望甚重，朝士冀其大用．及入政府，招權示威，素望漸衰．給事中劉道亨劾位奸貪數十事．位憤，力辨，遂落道亨三官．呂坤、張養蒙與孫丕揚交好，而沈思孝、徐作、劉應秋、劉楚先、戴士衡、楊廷蘭則與位善，各有所左右．丕揚嘗劾位，指道亨為其黨．道亨恥之，劾位以自解．已而贊畫主事丁應泰劾楊鎬喪師，言位與鎬密書往來，朋黨欺罔，鎬拔擢由賄位得之．帝怒下廷議．位惶恐奏辨，帝猶慰留．給事中趙完璧、徐觀瀾復交章論．位窘，亟奏：「羣言交攻，孤忠可憫．臣心無纖毫愧，惟上矜察．」帝怒曰：「鎬由卿密揭屢薦，故奪哀授任．今乃朋欺隱慝，辱國損威，猶云無愧．」遂奪職閒住．
When Wei first served in the Hanlin Academy his reputation was very high and court officials hoped for great things from him. Once in government he wielded power to awe others and his standing gradually waned. Supervising Secretary Liu Daohang impeached him on dozens of counts of wickedness and greed; Wei, enraged, defended himself and had Daohang stripped of three ranks. Lü Kun and Zhang Yangmeng were friendly with Sun Piyang, while Shen Sixiao, Xu Zuo, Liu Yingqiu, Liu Chuxian, Dai Shiheng, and Yang Tinglan were friendly with Wei; each side had its partisans. Piyang once impeached Wei and identified Daohang as his partisan; shamed, Daohang impeached Wei to clear himself. Planning Secretary Ding Yingtai then impeached Yang Hao for losing the army, saying Wei exchanged secret letters with Hao, that their faction deceived and concealed wrongdoing, and that Hao's promotion came through bribing Wei. The emperor angrily sent the matter to court deliberation. Wei fearfully defended himself; the emperor still kept him in office. Supervising Secretaries Zhao Wanbi and Xu Guanlan attacked him again. Cornered, Wei submitted: 'Denunciations attack from every side; lone loyalty deserves pity. Your servant's heart has not the slightest shame—may Your Majesty examine and show mercy.' The emperor angrily said: 'Hao was repeatedly recommended through your secret memorials, therefore mourning was set aside and he was appointed. Now you conspire in deceit and conceal wickedness, disgracing the state and diminishing authority, yet still say you have no shame.' He was stripped of office and sent into retirement.