1
袁盎者，楚人也，字絲。 父故為群盜，徙處安陵。 高后時，盎嘗為呂祿舍人。 及孝文帝即位，盎兄噲任盎為中郎。
Yuan Ang was a native of Chu, and his courtesy name was Si. His father had once been a bandit and was later resettled in Anling. During the reign of Empress Dowager Gao, Ang served as a retainer in the household of Lü Lu. When Emperor Wen came to the throne, Ang's elder brother Kuai secured him a position as Gentleman of the Palace.
2
絳侯為丞相，朝罷趨出，意得甚。 上禮之恭，常自送之。 袁盎進曰：「陛下以丞相何如人？」 上曰：「社稷臣。」 盎曰：「絳侯所謂功臣，非社稷臣，社稷臣主在與在，主亡與亡。 方呂后時，諸呂用事，擅相王，劉氏不絕如帶。 是時絳侯為太尉，主兵柄，弗能正。 呂后崩，大臣相與共畔諸呂，太尉主兵，適會其成功，所謂功臣，非社稷臣。 丞相如有驕主色。 陛下謙讓，臣主失禮，竊為陛下不取也。」 後朝，上益莊，丞相益畏。 已而絳侯望袁盎曰：「吾與而兄善，今兒廷毀我！」 盎遂不謝。
The Marquis of Jiang served as Chancellor, and whenever court was dismissed, he would stride out looking enormously pleased with himself. The Emperor showed him such deference that he would personally see him off. Yuan Ang came forward and asked, 'Your Majesty, what sort of man do you think the Chancellor is?' The Emperor replied, 'A pillar of the state.' Ang said, 'The Marquis of Jiang is a meritorious minister, not a pillar of the state. A true pillar of the state shares his sovereign's fate—he rises with his lord and falls with him.' When Empress Lü ruled, her kinsmen seized power, appointing chancellors and kings at will, and the House of Liu survived by only a thread.' At that time, the Marquis of Jiang was Grand Commandant with command of the armies, yet he could not set things right. After Empress Lü died, the senior ministers banded together to overthrow the Lü clan. The Grand Commandant led the troops and happened to be there when success was achieved. That makes him a meritorious minister, not a pillar of the state. The Chancellor carries himself with an air of arrogance toward Your Majesty. Your Majesty has been humble and yielding, but the proper decorum between sovereign and minister has been lost. I venture to say that this is beneath Your Majesty.' From then on, the Emperor grew more commanding at court, and the Chancellor became ever more apprehensive. Before long, the Marquis of Jiang confronted Yuan Ang with a glare and said, 'I was on good terms with your brother, and now you, boy, denounce me at court!' Ang offered no apology.
3
及絳侯免相之國，國人上書告以為反，徵系清室，宗室諸公莫敢為言，唯袁盎明絳侯無罪。 絳侯得釋，盎頗有力。 絳侯乃大與盎結交。
When the Marquis of Jiang was dismissed from the chancellorship and returned to his fief, someone from his domain submitted a memorial accusing him of rebellion. He was summoned and confined in the imperial prison. Not a single member of the imperial clan or the senior ministers dared to speak in his defense—only Yuan Ang declared the Marquis of Jiang to be innocent. When the Marquis of Jiang was released, it was largely thanks to Ang's efforts. From then on, the Marquis of Jiang became a close friend and ally of Ang.
4
淮南厲王朝，殺辟陽侯，居處驕甚。 袁盎諫曰：「諸侯大驕必生患，可適削地。」 上弗用。 淮南王益橫。 及棘蒲侯柴武太子謀反事覺，治，連淮南王，淮南王徵，上因遷之蜀，轞車傳送。 袁盎時為中郎將，乃諫曰：「陛下素驕淮南王，弗稍禁，以至此，今又暴摧折之。 淮南王為人剛，如有遇霧露行道死，陛下竟為以天下之大弗能容，有殺弟之名，柰何？」 上弗聽，遂行之。
The Fierce King of Huainan came to court, killed the Marquis of Biyang, and behaved with extreme arrogance. Yuan Ang remonstrated, 'When feudal lords grow too proud, disaster is sure to follow. You should discipline him by reducing his territory.' The Emperor did not heed his advice. The King of Huainan became increasingly lawless. When the plot of the heir of the Marquis of Jipu, Chai Wu, was uncovered and investigated, the trail led to the King of Huainan. The king was summoned, and the Emperor ordered him banished to Shu, to be transported in a prisoner's cart from station to station. Yuan Ang, then serving as Commander of the Gentlemen of the Palace, remonstrated, 'Your Majesty has always indulged the King of Huainan and never reined him in, which is how things came to this pass. Now you would break him all at once. The King of Huainan is a man of unyielding spirit. If he should fall ill on the road and die from exposure, Your Majesty will be seen as one who, despite ruling all under heaven, could not abide his own brother—and will bear the name of a fratricide. What then?' The Emperor refused to listen and carried out the order.
5
淮南王至雍，病死，聞，上輟食，哭甚哀。 盎入，頓首請罪。 上曰：「以不用公言至此。」 盎曰：「上自寬，此往事，豈可悔哉！ 且陛下有高世之行者三，此不足以毀名。」 上曰：「吾高世行三者何事？」 盎曰：「陛下居代時，太后嘗病，三年，陛下不交睫，不解衣，湯藥非陛下口所嘗弗進。 夫曾參以布衣猶難之，今陛下親以王者修之，過曾參孝遠矣。 夫諸呂用事，大臣專制，然陛下從代乘六傳馳不測之淵，雖賁育之勇不及陛下。 陛下至代邸，西向讓天子位者再，南面讓天子位者三。 夫許由一讓，而陛下五以天下讓，過許由四矣。 且陛下遷淮南王，欲以苦其志，使改過，有司衛不謹，故病死。」 於是上乃解，曰：「將柰何？」 盎曰：「淮南王有三子，唯在陛下耳。」 於是文帝立其三子皆為王。 盎由此名重朝廷。
The King of Huainan died of illness on the road at Yong. When the Emperor received the news, he stopped eating and wept bitterly. Ang came before the Emperor, kowtowed, and begged to be punished. The Emperor said, 'It is because I did not listen to you that things have come to this.' Ang said, 'Your Majesty should put this behind you. What is done is done—regret will not undo it. Moreover, Your Majesty has three deeds that surpass those of any age, and this alone is not enough to tarnish your name.' The Emperor asked, 'What are these three surpassing deeds of mine?' Ang said, 'When Your Majesty was King of Dai, the Empress Dowager fell ill, and for three years you never closed your eyes to rest, never changed your robes, and refused to let any medicine be given to her unless you had tasted it first. Even Zeng Shen, a commoner, found such devotion difficult to sustain. Yet Your Majesty practiced it as a king, far surpassing the filial piety of Zeng Shen. When the Lü clan held power and the ministers ruled as they pleased, Your Majesty rode from Dai by relay carriage and plunged headlong into an abyss of danger. Even the legendary warriors Ben and Yu could not match such courage. When Your Majesty arrived at the Dai residence, you declined the throne twice while facing west, and three more times while facing south. The sage Xu You declined the throne once, but Your Majesty declined the empire five times, surpassing Xu You fourfold. Moreover, when Your Majesty exiled the King of Huainan, the intention was to chasten his spirit and bring him to repentance. It was the negligence of the escorting officials that caused his death.' At this the Emperor's spirits lifted, and he asked, 'What should be done?' Ang said, 'The King of Huainan had three sons. The matter rests entirely with Your Majesty.' Emperor Wen then enfeoffed all three of the late king's sons as kings. From then on, Ang's reputation carried great weight at court.
6
袁盎常引大體慨。 宦者趙同以數幸，常害袁盎，袁盎患之。 盎兄子種為常侍騎，持節夾乘，說盎曰：「君與鬬，廷辱之，使其毀不用。」 孝文帝出，趙同參乘，袁盎伏車前曰：「臣聞天子所與共六尺輿者，皆天下豪英。 今漢雖乏人，陛下獨奈何與刀鋸餘人載！」 於是上笑，下趙同。 趙同泣下車。
Yuan Ang always spoke of matters of great principle with impassioned conviction. The eunuch Zhao Tong, who had long enjoyed the Emperor's favor, constantly sought to undermine Yuan Ang, and Ang was troubled by this. Ang's nephew Zhong served as an Attendant Cavalry officer who rode beside the imperial carriage bearing a tally. He advised Ang, 'Pick a fight with him and humiliate him at court, so that his slanders lose their sting.' When Emperor Wen went out, Zhao Tong rode as a companion in the imperial carriage. Yuan Ang threw himself before the carriage and said, 'I have heard that those who share the Son of Heaven's carriage should be the finest heroes of the realm. Though the Han may be short of men, how can Your Majesty ride with the leavings of the knife and saw!' The Emperor laughed and ordered Zhao Tong to get off. Zhao Tong climbed down from the carriage in tears.
7
文帝從霸陵上，欲西馳下峻阪。 袁盎騎，并車擥轡。 上曰：「將軍怯邪？」 盎曰：「臣聞千金之子坐不垂堂，百金之子不騎衡，聖主不乘危而徼幸。 今陛下騁六騑，馳下峻山，如有馬驚車敗，陛下縱自輕，柰高廟、太后何？」 上乃止。
Emperor Wen ascended the heights at Baling and wanted to gallop down the steep western slope. Yuan Ang rode up beside the carriage and seized the reins. The Emperor said, 'Are you afraid, General?' Ang replied, 'I have heard that a man whose family is worth a thousand in gold does not sit at the edge of the roof, a man worth a hundred in gold does not lean over a railing on horseback, and a wise sovereign does not court danger for the sake of a thrill. Now Your Majesty drives a team of six at full gallop down a steep mountain. If the horses bolt and the carriage overturns, even if Your Majesty makes light of your own life, what of the ancestral temple and the Empress Dowager?' The Emperor relented.
8
上幸上林，皇后、慎夫人從。 其在禁中，常同席坐。 及坐，郎署長布席，袁盎引卻慎夫人坐。 慎夫人怒，不肯坐。 上亦怒，起，入禁中。 盎因前說曰：「臣聞尊卑有序則上下和。 今陛下既已立后，慎夫人乃妾，妾主豈可與同坐哉！ 適所以失尊卑矣。 且陛下幸之，即厚賜之。 陛下所以為慎夫人，適所以禍之。 陛下獨不見『人彘』乎？」 於是上乃說，召語慎夫人。 慎夫人賜盎金五十斤。
The Emperor visited the Shanglin Park, accompanied by the Empress and Lady Shen. In the palace, the two customarily sat side by side on the same mat. When the seats were being arranged, the head of the Gentleman's Office laid out the mats, and Yuan Ang drew Lady Shen's seat back to a separate position. Lady Shen was furious and refused to sit down. The Emperor was also angered. He stood and withdrew into the inner palace. Ang then came forward and explained, 'I have heard that when the high and the low observe their proper order, harmony prevails between those above and those below. Now that Your Majesty has installed the Empress, Lady Shen is a concubine. How can a concubine sit as an equal with her mistress! That is precisely how the distinction of rank is lost. If Your Majesty favors her, then shower her with gifts. What Your Majesty does for Lady Shen is precisely what will bring disaster upon her. Has Your Majesty forgotten the fate of the Human Swine?' At this the Emperor was persuaded. He summoned Lady Shen and explained Ang's reasoning to her. Lady Shen presented Ang with fifty catties of gold.
9
然袁盎亦以數直諫，不得久居中，調為隴西都尉。 仁愛士卒，士卒皆爭為死。 遷為齊相。 徙為吳相，辭行，種謂盎曰：「吳王驕日久，國多姦。 今茍欲劾治，彼不上書告君，即利劍刺君矣。 南方卑溼，君能日飲，毋何，時說王曰毋反而已。 如此幸得脫。」 盎用種之計，吳王厚遇盎。
Yet because Yuan Ang had so often spoken bluntly in remonstrance, he could not remain long at court and was transferred to serve as Commandant of Longxi. He treated his soldiers with kindness and generosity, and they all competed for the chance to die for him. He was then promoted to Chancellor of Qi. He was transferred to serve as Chancellor of Wu. When he took his leave to depart, Zhong said to Ang, 'The King of Wu has been arrogant for years, and his kingdom is rife with sedition. If you try to investigate and prosecute him, he will either submit a memorial denouncing you, or run you through with a sword. The south is low and damp. Just drink every day, do nothing of consequence, and from time to time urge the king not to rebel. That is all you need do. If you do this, you may be lucky enough to escape with your life.' Ang followed Zhong's advice, and the King of Wu treated him well.
10
盎告歸，道逢丞相申屠嘉，下車拜謁，丞相從車上謝袁盎。 袁盎還，愧其吏，乃之丞相舍上謁，求見丞相。 丞相良久而見之。 盎因跪曰：「願請閒。」 丞相曰：「使君所言公事，之曹與長史掾議，吾且奏之； 即私邪，吾不受私語。」 袁盎即跪說曰：「君為丞相，自度孰與陳平、絳侯？」 丞相曰：「吾不如。」 袁盎曰：「善，君即自謂不如。 夫陳平、絳侯輔翼高帝，定天下，為將相，而誅諸呂，存劉氏； 君乃為材官蹶張，遷為隊率，積功至淮陽守，非有奇計攻城野戰之功。 且陛下從代來，每朝，郎官上書疏，未嘗不止輦受其言，言不可用置之，言可受採之，未嘗不稱善。 何也？ 則欲以致天下賢士大夫。 上日聞所不聞，明所不知，日益聖智； 君今自閉鉗天下之口而日益愚。 夫以聖主責愚相，君受禍不久矣。」 丞相乃再拜曰：「嘉鄙野人，乃不知，將軍幸教。」 引入與坐，為上客。
When Ang took leave to return home, he met Chancellor Shentu Jia on the road. Ang descended from his carriage and bowed formally, but the Chancellor returned the greeting from his carriage without getting down. When Yuan Ang returned, feeling humiliated in front of his attendants, he went to the Chancellor's residence, presented his card, and requested an audience. The Chancellor kept him waiting a long while before receiving him. Ang knelt and said, 'I wish to speak with you in private.' The Chancellor said, 'If it is an official matter, discuss it with the Chief Clerk and his assistants in the bureau. I will then present it to the throne. If it is a private matter, I do not entertain private talk.' Yuan Ang knelt and asked, 'As Chancellor, how do you rate yourself against Chen Ping and the Marquis of Jiang?' The Chancellor replied, 'I am not their equal.' Yuan Ang said, 'Good—you yourself admit you are not their equal. Chen Ping and the Marquis of Jiang served as the wings of Emperor Gao, pacified the realm, served as generals and chancellors, and later destroyed the Lü clan to preserve the House of Liu. But you began as a crossbow soldier, rose to squad leader, and climbed through accumulated merit to Governor of Huaiyang—without a single brilliant stratagem or battlefield exploit to your name. Moreover, since His Majesty came from Dai, whenever the Gentlemen submit memorials at court, he always stops his carriage to hear their words. Proposals he cannot use he sets aside; those he can accept he adopts, and he never fails to commend them. And why does he do this? Because he wishes to draw the worthy men of the realm to his court. Each day the Emperor learns what he did not know before, understands what was once obscure, and grows daily in wisdom. Yet you shut yourself off and clamp shut the mouths of all under heaven, growing more foolish by the day. When a wise sovereign calls a foolish chancellor to account, disaster will not be long in coming for you.' The Chancellor bowed twice and said, 'I, Jia, am but a crude and rustic man who did not understand. I am fortunate that the General has deigned to instruct me.' He invited Ang in to sit with him and treated him as a guest of honor.
11
盎素不好鼂錯，鼂錯所居坐，盎去； 盎坐，錯亦去：兩人未嘗同堂語。 及孝文帝崩，孝景帝即位，鼂錯為御史大夫，使吏案袁盎受吳王財物，抵罪，詔赦以為庶人。
Ang had always disliked Chao Cuo. Whenever Chao Cuo was present, Ang would leave. When Ang was present, Cuo would likewise depart. The two never spoke in the same room. When Emperor Wen died and Emperor Jing came to the throne, Chao Cuo was appointed Imperial Secretary. He sent officials to investigate Yuan Ang for accepting gifts from the King of Wu, and Ang was convicted. By imperial edict he was pardoned but reduced to a commoner.
12
吳楚反，聞，鼂錯謂丞史曰：「夫袁盎多受吳王金錢，專為蔽匿，言不反。 今果反，欲請治盎宜知計謀。」 丞史曰：「事未發，治之有絕。 今兵西鄉，治之何益！ 且袁盎不宜有謀。」 鼂錯猶與未決。 人有告袁盎者，袁盎恐，夜見竇嬰，為言吳所以反者，願至上前口對狀。 竇嬰入言上，上乃召袁盎入見。 鼂錯在前，及盎請辟人賜閒，錯去，固恨甚。 袁盎具言吳所以反狀，以錯故，獨急斬錯以謝吳，吳兵乃可罷。 其語具在吳事中。 使袁盎為太常，竇嬰為大將軍。 兩人素相與善。 逮吳反。 諸陵長者長安中賢大夫爭附兩人，車隨者日數百乘。
When Wu and Chu rebelled, upon hearing the news, Chao Cuo said to the Chancellor's Clerk, 'Yuan Ang accepted large sums from the King of Wu and deliberately covered for him, insisting he would not rebel. Now that the rebellion has come, I intend to request an investigation of Ang, who surely knew of the plot.' The Chancellor's Clerk replied, 'Before the rebellion broke out, an investigation might have nipped it in the bud. Now that their armies are marching west, what good would an investigation do! Besides, it is unlikely that Yuan Ang was party to the conspiracy.' Chao Cuo hesitated and could not make up his mind. Someone warned Yuan Ang. Alarmed, Ang went to see Dou Ying that night. He explained the reasons for Wu's rebellion and expressed his wish to present his case in person before the Emperor. Dou Ying went in and spoke to the Emperor, who summoned Yuan Ang for an audience. Chao Cuo was present at the audience. When Ang asked that others be dismissed for a private word, Cuo had to leave, and his resentment deepened. Yuan Ang laid out in full the reasons for Wu's rebellion, arguing that Cuo was the cause, and that the only way to halt the Wu armies was to execute Cuo at once as a gesture of appeasement to Wu. The full account of his words can be found in the chapter on the affairs of Wu. Yuan Ang was appointed Grand Master of Ceremonies, and Dou Ying was made Grand General. The two had always been close. This was at the time of the Wu rebellion. The elders of the mausoleum towns and the eminent officials of Chang'an vied to attach themselves to the two men, and hundreds of carriages trailed them each day.
13
及鼂錯已誅，袁盎以太常使吳。 吳王欲使將，不肯。 欲殺之，使一都尉以五百人圍守盎軍中。 袁盎自其為吳相時，（嘗）有從史嘗盜愛盎侍兒，盎知之，弗泄，遇之如故。 人有告從史，言「君知爾與侍者通」，乃亡歸。 袁盎驅自追之，遂以侍者賜之，復為從史。 及袁盎使吳見守，從史適為守盎校尉司馬，乃悉以其裝齎置二石醇醪，會天寒，士卒饑渴，飲酒醉，西南陬卒皆臥，司馬夜引袁盎起，曰：「君可以去矣，吳王期旦日斬君。」 盎弗信，曰：「公何為者？」 司馬曰：「臣故為從史盜君侍兒者。」 盎乃驚謝曰； 「公幸有親，吾不足以累公。」 司馬曰：「君弟去，臣亦且亡，辟吾親，君何患！」 乃以刀決張，道從醉卒（直）隧［直］出。 司馬與分背，袁盎解節毛懷之，杖，步行七八里，明，見梁騎，騎馳去，遂歸報。
After Chao Cuo was executed, Yuan Ang was dispatched as Grand Master of Ceremonies on a mission to Wu. The King of Wu wanted to make him a general, but Ang refused. The king wanted to kill him and sent a commandant with five hundred soldiers to surround and guard Ang in the camp. When Yuan Ang had served as Chancellor of Wu, one of his attendant clerks had secretly carried on with a maidservant Ang favored. Ang knew of it but said nothing, treating the man just as before. Someone told the clerk, 'Your lord knows you have been carrying on with his maid.' The clerk fled and went home. Yuan Ang rode after him, gave him the maidservant, and reinstated him as an attendant clerk. When Yuan Ang was sent to Wu and placed under guard, the former clerk happened to be serving as the Colonel and Commander in charge of guarding him. He used all his belongings to buy two dan of strong wine. As it was bitterly cold, the soldiers were hungry and thirsty. They drank the wine and fell into a stupor; the soldiers at the southwest corner all passed out. In the dead of night, the Commander roused Yuan Ang and said, 'You must leave at once. The King of Wu plans to behead you at dawn.' Ang did not believe him. 'Who are you?' he asked. The Commander replied, 'I am the former attendant clerk who carried on with your maidservant.' Ang was stunned and said gratefully: 'You have a family. I could not bear to bring trouble upon you on my account.' The Commander said, 'Just go, my lord. I will flee as well and hide my family. You need not worry about me!' He slashed open the tent with his sword and led Ang through the passage past the drunken soldiers and out into the open. The Commander and Ang parted ways. Ang stripped the tassels from his tally, hid it inside his robe, took up a walking stick, and walked seven or eight li on foot. At dawn, he spotted cavalry from Liang. He galloped off with them and returned to deliver his report.
14
吳楚已破，上更以元王子平陸侯禮為楚王，袁盎為楚相。 嘗上書有所言，不用。 袁盎病免居家，與閭里浮沈，相隨行，鬬雞走狗。 雒陽劇孟嘗過袁盎，盎善待之。 安陵富人有謂盎曰：「吾聞劇孟博徒，將軍何自通之？」 盎曰：「劇孟雖博徒，然母死，客送葬車千餘乘，此亦有過人者。 且緩急人所有。 夫一旦有急叩門，不以親為解，不以存亡為辭，天下所望者，獨季心、劇孟耳。 今公常從數騎，一旦有緩急，寧足恃乎！」 罵富人，弗與通。 諸公聞之，皆多袁盎。
After Wu and Chu were defeated, the Emperor installed the Marquis of Pinglu, Li, a son of the former King Yuan, as the new King of Chu, and Yuan Ang was appointed Chancellor of Chu. He once submitted a memorial with proposals, but they were not adopted. Yuan Ang was dismissed on grounds of illness and retired to his home. He drifted along with his neighbors, joining them in cockfights and dog races. Ju Meng of Luoyang once paid Yuan Ang a visit, and Ang received him warmly. A wealthy man of Anling said to Ang, 'I hear that Ju Meng is a gambler. Why do you associate with such a man, General?' Ang replied, 'Though Ju Meng is a gambler, when his mother died, over a thousand carriages of guests attended the funeral. A man who commands such loyalty has qualities that surpass the ordinary. After all, crises come to every man. When a crisis comes knocking, men who will not hide behind family ties or plead for their own lives—men whom all under heaven look to—are only Ji Xin and Ju Meng. You ride with only a few horsemen. If a crisis comes, can you rely on them!' He berated the rich man and cut off all contact with him. When word of this spread, everyone praised Yuan Ang.
15
袁盎雖家居，景帝時時使人問籌策。 梁王欲求為嗣，袁盎進說，其後語塞。 梁王以此怨盎，曾使人刺盎。 刺者至關中，問袁盎，諸君譽之皆不容口。 乃見袁盎曰：「臣受梁王金來刺君，君長者，不忍刺君。 然後刺君者十餘曹，備之！」 袁盎心不樂，家又多怪，乃之棓生所問占。 還，梁刺客後曹輩果遮刺殺盎安陵郭門外。
Although Yuan Ang was living in retirement, Emperor Jing would from time to time send someone to consult him on matters of policy. When the King of Liang sought to be named heir, Yuan Ang spoke against it, and the matter was dropped. The King of Liang bore a grudge against Ang and sent assassins after him. When the assassin arrived in Guanzhong and asked about Yuan Ang, everyone he met praised Ang so effusively they could scarcely contain themselves. He went to see Yuan Ang and said, 'I was paid by the King of Liang to assassinate you. But you are an honorable man, and I cannot bring myself to do it. But there are more than ten other teams of assassins coming for you. Be on your guard!' Yuan Ang was deeply troubled, and strange omens had been plaguing his household. He went to consult the diviner Master Pou. On his way back, the later teams of Liang assassins ambushed and killed Ang outside the outer gate of Anling.
16
鼂錯者，潁川人也。 學申商刑名於軹張恢先所，與雒陽宋孟及劉禮同師。 以文學為太常掌故。
Chao Cuo was a native of Yingchuan. He studied the Legalist doctrines of Shen Buhai and Shang Yang under the elder Zhang Hui of Zhi, together with Song Meng of Luoyang and Liu Li. On account of his scholarship, he was appointed Keeper of Records under the Grand Master of Ceremonies.
17
錯為人陗直刻深。 孝文帝時，天下無治尚書者，獨聞濟南伏生故秦博士，治尚書，年九十餘，老不可徵，乃詔太常使人往受之。 太常遣錯受尚書伏生所。 還，因上便宜事，以書稱說。 詔以為太子舍人、門大夫、家令。 以其辯得幸太子，太子家號曰「智囊」。 數上書孝文時，言削諸侯事，及法令可更定者。 書數十上，孝文不聽，然奇其材，遷為中大夫。 當是時，太子善錯計策，袁盎諸大功臣多不好錯。
Cuo was by nature severe, blunt, and unsparing. In the time of Emperor Wen, no one in the realm still studied the Book of Documents. The only master known to survive was Fu Sheng of Jinan, a former Erudite of the Qin, who was over ninety and too old to be summoned to court. An edict was issued ordering the Grand Master of Ceremonies to send someone to study under him. The Grand Master of Ceremonies dispatched Cuo to study the Book of Documents under Fu Sheng. Upon his return, he submitted proposals on matters of governance, citing the Book of Documents to support his arguments. By imperial edict, he was successively appointed Retainer of the Heir Apparent, Gentleman of the Gate, and Steward of the Household. Through his eloquence he won the favor of the Heir Apparent, and the household dubbed him the 'Bag of Wisdom.' He submitted numerous memorials during Emperor Wen's reign, arguing for the reduction of the feudal lords' territories and proposing revisions to the laws. He submitted dozens of memorials, but Emperor Wen did not adopt his proposals. The Emperor admired his talent, however, and promoted him to Palace Grandee. At that time, the Heir Apparent approved of Cuo's plans and strategies, but Yuan Ang and many of the senior meritorious ministers disliked him.
18
景帝即位，以錯為內史。 錯常數請閒言事，輒聽，寵幸傾九卿，法令多所更定。 丞相申屠嘉心弗便，力未有以傷。 內史府居太上廟壖中，門東出，不便，錯乃穿兩門南出，鑿廟壖垣。 丞相嘉聞，大怒，欲因此過為奏請誅錯。 錯聞之，即夜請閒，具為上言之。 丞相奏事，因言錯擅鑿廟垣為門，請下廷尉誅。 上曰：「此非廟垣，乃壖中垣，不致於法。」 丞相謝。 罷朝，怒謂長史曰：「吾當先斬以聞，乃先請，為兒所賣，固誤。」 丞相遂發病死。 錯以此愈貴。
When Emperor Jing came to the throne, he appointed Cuo as Prefect of the Capital. Cuo frequently requested private audiences to discuss affairs, and the Emperor always listened. His favor eclipsed that of the Nine Ministers, and many laws and regulations were revised at his behest. Chancellor Shentu Jia resented this but lacked the means to bring Cuo down. The offices of the Prefect of the Capital stood within the precincts of the Supreme Temple. The gate faced east, which was inconvenient, so Cuo opened two gates facing south, cutting through the temple precinct wall. When Chancellor Jia heard of this, he was furious and resolved to use the offense as grounds for a memorial requesting Cuo's execution. When Cuo learned of the Chancellor's plan, he immediately sought a private audience that night and laid the whole matter before the Emperor. When the Chancellor presented his memorial, he charged Cuo with arbitrarily cutting through the temple wall to make a gate and requested that the case be referred to the Commandant of Justice for execution. The Emperor replied, 'That is not the temple wall itself but merely the precinct wall. No law applies.' The Chancellor withdrew in embarrassment. After court was dismissed, he angrily said to the Chief Clerk, 'I should have had him beheaded first and reported afterward. Instead I asked permission first and was outmaneuvered by that boy. A terrible blunder.' The Chancellor soon fell ill and died. After this, Cuo's power only grew.
19
遷為御史大夫，請諸侯之罪過，削其地，收其枝郡。 奏上，上令公卿列侯宗室集議，莫敢難，獨竇嬰爭之，由此與錯有卻。 錯所更令三十章，諸侯皆諠譁疾鼂錯。 錯父聞之，從潁川來，謂錯曰：「上初即位，公為政用事，侵削諸侯，別疏人骨肉，人口議多怨公者，何也？」 鼂錯曰：「固也。 不如此，天子不尊，宗廟不安。」 錯父曰：「劉氏安矣，而鼂氏危矣，吾去公歸矣！」 遂飲藥死，曰：「吾不忍見禍及吾身。」 死十餘日，吳楚七國果反，以誅錯為名。 及竇嬰、袁盎進說，上令鼂錯衣朝衣斬東市。
He was promoted to Imperial Secretary. He proposed charging the feudal lords with their offenses, reducing their territories, and confiscating their outlying commanderies. When the memorial was submitted, the Emperor ordered the senior officials, marquises, and members of the imperial clan to deliberate. None dared object, except Dou Ying, who contested it. From this a rift grew between him and Cuo. Cuo revised thirty articles of law. The feudal lords all raised an outcry and despised Chao Cuo. When Cuo's father heard of this, he came from Yingchuan and said to Cuo, 'The Emperor has only just come to the throne, and you are the one directing affairs of state. You encroach upon the feudal lords, reduce their lands, and drive a wedge between the Emperor's own kin. People everywhere are speaking against you with resentment. Why?' Chao Cuo replied, 'That is to be expected. Without this, the Son of Heaven cannot be honored, and the ancestral temples will never be secure.' Cuo's father said, 'The House of Liu may be secure, but the House of Chao is in peril. I will leave you and go home!' He then drank poison and died, saying, 'I cannot bear to live to see disaster fall upon me.' A little over ten days after his death, the seven kingdoms of Wu and Chu rose in rebellion, using the execution of Cuo as their pretext. When Dou Ying and Yuan Ang pressed their case, the Emperor ordered Chao Cuo beheaded in his court robes at the Eastern Market.
20
鼂錯已死，謁者仆射鄧公為校尉，擊吳楚軍為將。 還，上書言軍事，謁見上。 上問曰：「道軍所來，聞鼂錯死，吳楚罷不？」 鄧公曰：「吳王為反數十年矣，發怒削地，以誅錯為名，其意非在錯也。 且臣恐天下之士噤口，不敢復言也！」 上曰：「何哉？」 鄧公曰：「夫鼂錯患諸侯彊大不可制，故請削地以尊京師，萬世之利也。 計畫始行，卒受大戮，內杜忠臣之口，外為諸侯報仇，臣竊為陛下不取也。」 於是景帝默然良久，曰：「公言善，吾亦恨之。」 乃拜鄧公為城陽中尉。
After Chao Cuo was dead, Deng Gong, the Chief Receptionist, served as a Colonel and led troops against the Wu and Chu armies. Upon his return, he submitted a memorial on military affairs and was granted an audience with the Emperor. The Emperor asked, 'On your way back from the front, did you hear whether Wu and Chu ceased hostilities after Chao Cuo's death?' Deng Gong replied, 'The King of Wu has been plotting rebellion for decades. He exploded in fury over the reduction of his territory and used the execution of Cuo as his pretext. His true aim was never about Cuo. Moreover, I fear that the scholars of the realm will seal their lips and never dare speak again!' The Emperor asked, 'Why?' Deng Gong said, 'Chao Cuo saw that the feudal lords had grown too powerful to control, and so he proposed reducing their territories to strengthen the capital. This was a policy to benefit ten thousand generations. His plans had barely begun when he met a terrible end. At home, this has sealed the mouths of loyal ministers. Abroad, it has served as the feudal lords' revenge. I venture to say that this was not a wise course for Your Majesty.' Emperor Jing fell silent for a long while, then said, 'You speak well. I too regret it.' He then appointed Deng Gong as Commandant of Chengyang.
21
鄧公，成固人也，多奇計。 建元中，上招賢良，公卿言鄧公，時鄧公免，起家為九卿。 一年，復謝病免歸。 其子章以修黃老言顯於諸公閒。
Deng Gong was a native of Chenggu, known for his many brilliant stratagems. During the Jianyuan period, when the Emperor sought worthy men, the senior officials recommended Deng Gong. At the time he was out of office, but he was recalled and appointed as one of the Nine Ministers. After a year, he again pleaded illness and retired. His son Zhang became prominent among the senior officials through his devotion to the teachings of Huang-Lao.
22
太史公曰：袁盎雖不好學，亦善傅會，仁心為質，引義慨。 遭孝文初立，資適逢世。 時以變易，及吳楚一說，說雖行哉，然復不遂。 好聲矜賢，竟以名敗。 鼂錯為家令時，數言事不用； 後擅權，多所變更。 諸侯發難，不急匡救，欲報私讎，反以亡軀。 語曰「變古亂常，不死則亡」，豈錯等謂邪！
The Grand Historian remarks: Though Yuan Ang was no scholar, he was adept at applying ideas to the moment. His character was grounded in benevolence, and he invoked righteousness with passionate conviction. He had the fortune to serve at the beginning of Emperor Wen's reign, and his qualities were well suited to the times. But the times shifted. When the Wu-Chu crisis came, his counsel was adopted, yet it did not ultimately achieve its purpose. He loved renown and prided himself on his virtue, and in the end it was his very fame that brought about his ruin. When Chao Cuo served as Steward of the Household, he repeatedly offered proposals that went unheeded. Later he seized power and made sweeping changes. When the feudal lords rose in revolt, rather than urgently seeking to set things right, he tried to settle a private grudge—and lost his life for it. As the saying goes, 'Those who overturn the old ways and disrupt the established order will either die or be ruined.' Was this not said of men like Cuo!