1
任中正
Ren Zhongzheng
2
任中正，字慶之，曹州濟陰人。 父載，右拾遺。 中正進士及第，為池州推官。 歷大理評事、通判邵州，改太府寺丞、通判濮州。 以翰林學士錢若水薦，遷秘書省著作佐郎、通判大名府。
Ren Zhongzheng, styled Qingzhi, came from Jiyin in Caozhou. His father Zai had served as Right Reminder. After passing the jinshi examination, Zhongzheng became judicial assistant at Chizhou. He rose through Dali review officer and vice-prefect of Shaozhou, then became assistant director of the Court of Imperial Treasury and vice-prefect of Puzhou. Recommended by Hanlin academician Qian Ruoshui, he was made assistant compiler in the Secretariat and vice-prefect of Daming.
3
轉運使陳緯徙陝西，舉中正自代，太宗曰：「朕自知之。」 召為秘書丞、江南轉運副使。 中正軀幹頎長，帝擇大笏，命內臣取緋衣之長者賜之。 至部，歲大稔，民出租賦、平糴皆盈羨。 發運使王子輿欲悉調餉京師，中正曰：「東南歲輸五百餘萬，而江南所出過半。 今歲有餘，或歲少歉則數不登，患及吾民矣。」 乃止。
When transport commissioner Chen Wei was posted to Shaanxi, he nominated Zhongzheng as his successor. Taizong replied, "I already have him in mind." Zhongzheng was summoned to be secretariat director and deputy transport commissioner for Jiangnan. Zhongzheng was unusually tall, so the Emperor chose an oversize court tablet and had a eunuch pick out the longest scarlet robe for him. On reaching his jurisdiction, harvests were abundant and both tax receipts and government grain purchases ran well above quota. Transport intendant Wang Ziyu wanted to forward every surplus bushel to the capital. Zhongzheng objected: "The southeast sends more than five million shi yearly, and Jiangnan alone supplies over half. We have a surplus now, but one lean year and quotas will fail—and our people will bear the cost." Wang desisted.
4
擢監察御史、兩浙轉運使。 民饑，中正不俟詔，發官廩振之。 按晉州盛梁獄，論如法。 遷殿中侍御史、判三司憑由司。 既而有與梁善者，密中之，出為荊湖轉運使。 遷左司諫、直史館、知梓州。 擢樞密直學士，代張詠知益州。 在郡五載，遵詠條教，蜀人便之。 知審刑院，出知幷州。 遷給事中、權知開封府。
He was elevated to supervising censor and transport commissioner for the Two Zhe. When famine struck, Zhongzheng opened government granaries to feed the people without waiting for orders. He reviewed the Sheng Liang case in Jin Prefecture and ruled according to statute. He was made palace attendant censor and put in charge of the Three Departments Voucher Office. Later, an ally of Liang whispered against him, and Zhongzheng was posted out as transport commissioner for Jing and Hu. He became left remonstrating censor, took up a post at the Historiography Institute, and was named prefect of Zizhou. Raised to Hanlin academician at the Bureau of Military Affairs, he succeeded Zhang Yong as prefect of Yizhou. For five years he kept Zhang Yong's rules in force, to the satisfaction of the Shu people. After heading the Court for Review of Penalties, he was sent out as prefect of Bingzhou. He was made supervising secretariat drafter and acting prefect of Kaifeng.
5
大中祥符九年，拜尚書工部侍郎、樞密副使。 馬知節知密院，改同知院事。 明年，曹利用為樞密使，復為副使，再進兵部侍郎、參知政事。
In 1016, he received appointment as vice minister of Works and vice commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. When Ma Zhijie headed the Bureau, Zhongzheng's role became co-administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs. The following year, with Cao Liyong as commissioner, Zhongzheng returned as vice commissioner and was further promoted to vice minister of War and councilor.
6
初，中正母入謁禁中，與陳彭年、王曾、張知白妻同見真宗，命中正母為班首，且賜坐。 中正事親孝，平居簡素，而飲食極豐美。
Once Zhongzheng's mother entered the palace for an audience alongside the wives of Chen Pengnian, Wang Zeng, and Zhang Zhibai. Zhenzong seated her at the head of the group and gave her a chair. Zhongzheng was deeply filial, lived plainly on ordinary days, yet served his parents the finest food and wine.
7
弟中師
Younger brother: Zhongshi
8
中師，字祖聖，進士及第，試秘書省校書郎、知平陸縣。 真宗將祀汾陰，命陳堯叟判河中府，以經制祀事，辟掌箋奏，累遷著作佐郎，歷知千乘、襄邑縣，改秘書丞。 以張知白薦，遂為右正言。 中正貶，中師亦降太常博士、監宿州酒稅。 未幾，通判應天府。
Zhongshi, styled Zusheng, passed the jinshi and, after a probationary stint as Secretariat proofreader, became magistrate of Pinglu County. When Zhenzong prepared the Fenyin rites, Chen Yaosou was put in charge of Hezhong to manage the worship; Zhongshi joined his staff to draft memorials, rose to assistant compiler, served as magistrate of Qiansheng and Xiangyi, then became secretariat director. On Zhang Zhibai's recommendation, he was made right remonstrator. When Zhongzheng was demoted, Zhongshi was likewise reduced to erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and put in charge of Suzhou's wine tax. Soon afterward he became vice-prefect of Yingtian Prefecture.
9
曹利用辟為群牧判官，徙知滑州，入為開封府判官。 累遷尚書度支郎中、直史館、知澶州。 以太常少卿、直昭文館知廣州。 視事之明日，吏白故事當謁諸祠廟，而廨有淫祠，中師遽命撤去之。 兼市舶使，市舶置使自此始。
Cao Liyong brought him on as judicial officer of the Pasturage Commission; he was posted to Huazhou, then recalled to serve as judicial officer of Kaifeng Prefecture. He rose to director in the Ministry of Revenue's fiscal bureau, took a post at the Historiography Institute, and was named prefect of Chanzhou. He was sent to Guangzhou as vice director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and compiler at the Hall of Spreading Culture. The day after taking office, a clerk noted that custom required visits to local temples—but the yamen housed illicit shrines, which Zhongshi ordered torn down at once. He also held the post of maritime trade commissioner—the first time that office was created.
10
還，為諫議大夫、判尚書刑部。 加集賢院學士，再知澶州。 未行，進龍圖閣直學士、知幷州，許便宜從事。 改樞密直學士、知益州。 先是，轉運使韓瀆急於籠利，自薪芻、蔬果之屬皆有算，而中師盡奏蠲之。
On returning to court, he became remonstrating grandee with charge of the Ministry of Justice. He was also made academician of the Academy of Scholarly Worthies and sent back to Chanzhou as prefect. Before he could leave, he was promoted to Hanlin academician at the Hall of Dragon Images and named prefect of Bingzhou, with authority to act as he saw fit. He was transferred to Hanlin academician at the Bureau of Military Affairs and made prefect of Yizhou. Previously, transport commissioner Han Du had taxed everything he could reach—even firewood, fodder, vegetables, and fruit—so Zhongshi memorialized to abolish the levies entirely.
11
康定中，任布守河陽，數上書論事，帝欲用之。 呂夷簡薦中師才不在任布下，遂並召為樞密副使。 明年，建北京，令中師領修建。 進給事中，宣撫河東，不行。 求補郡，以尚書禮部侍郎、資政殿學士知永興軍。 求內徙，得知陳州。
During Kangding, Ren Bu held Heyang and sent repeated memorials on state affairs; the Emperor meant to bring him into office. Lü Yijian argued that Zhongshi was Ren Bu's equal in talent, and both men were summoned as vice commissioners of the Bureau of Military Affairs. The following year, when the Northern Capital was founded, Zhongshi was put in charge of building it. Promoted to supervising secretariat drafter, he was named pacification commissioner of Hedong but declined to take up the post. Seeking a provincial post, he was made vice minister of Rites and academician of the Hall for Cultivating Governance, with charge of Yongxing Circuit. He asked to be moved inland and was made prefect of Chenzhou.
12
逾年，上書言：「臣老矣，家本曹人，願得守曹。」 遂以知曹州。 改戶部侍郎。 明年，請老，拜太子少傅致仕，進少師。 卒，贈太子太傅，諡安惠。 中師性樂易，平居自奉甚儉約，晚知養生之術，號「大塊翁」。
More than a year later he wrote: "I am growing old, and my family roots lie in Caozhou—I would be grateful to serve there." The request was granted, and he became prefect of Caozhou. His rank was raised to vice minister of Revenue. The following year he asked to retire; he was made junior tutor of the Heir Apparent, granted retirement, and advanced to junior preceptor. At his death he was posthumously made senior tutor of the Heir Apparent and given the posthumous name Anhui. Zhongshi was good-natured and lived simply for himself; in his later years he studied the arts of longevity and took the sobriquet "Old Man of the Great Clod."
13
周起，字萬卿，淄州鄒平人。 生而豐下，父意異之，曰：「此兒必起吾門。」 因名起。 幼敏慧如成人。 意知衛州，坐事削官，起才十三，詣京師訟父冤，父乃得復故官。 舉進士，授將作監丞、通判齊州。 擢著作佐郎、直史館，累遷戶部、度支判官。
Zhou Qi, styled Wanqing, came from Zouping in Zizhou. He was born with a broad lower face; his father took this as a sign and said, "This boy will lift our house." So he was given the name Qi. Even as a child he was as sharp as a grown man. His father Yi was prefect of Weizhou until an offense cost him his rank; Qi was only thirteen when he went to the capital to plead his father's case and won his reinstatement. After passing the jinshi, he was made director of the Directorate of Palace Buildings and vice-prefect of Qizhou. He rose to assistant compiler with a post at the Historiography Institute, then served successively as judicial officer in the Ministry of Revenue and its fiscal bureau.
14
真宗北征，領隨軍糧草事。 以右正言知制誥，權判吏部流內銓。 尋為東京留守判官，判登聞鼓院。 封泰山，攝御史中丞、考制度副使，所過得采訪官吏能否及民利病以聞。 東封還，近臣率頌功德，起獨以居安為戒。 進金部員外郎、判集賢院。
During Zhenzong's northern campaign, Qi managed the army's grain and fodder supply. As right remonstrator he drafted edicts and was given provisional charge of the Ministry of Personnel's within-the-passes selection board. He soon became judicial officer to the Eastern Capital garrison commander and took charge of the Drum and Appeal Court. At the Mount Tai feng rite he served as acting vice censor-in-chief and deputy commissioner for examining institutions, with authority to report on officials' competence and the people's hardships wherever he traveled. After the eastern feng, court favorites all praised the emperor's achievements; Qi alone cautioned against resting easy in peace. He was made outer-section director in the Ministry of Revenue's treasury bureau and put in charge of the Academy of Scholarly Worthies.
15
初置糾察刑獄司，因命起，起乃請諸已決而事有所枉及官吏非理榜掠者，並聽受訴，從之。 擢樞密直學士、權知開封府。 起聽斷明審，舉無留事。 真宗嘗臨幸問勞，起請曰：「陛下昔龍潛於此，請避正寢，居西廡。」 詔從之，名其堂曰「繼照」。
When the Office for Investigating Penal Affairs was first created, Qi was put in charge; he asked that closed cases involving injustice and unlawful beatings by officials be opened to appeal, and the request was granted. He was raised to Hanlin academician at the Bureau of Military Affairs and made acting prefect of Kaifeng. Qi judged cases with clarity and left no backlog. When Zhenzong visited in person, Qi asked: "Your Majesty once lived here before taking the throne—please leave the main chamber and stay in the west wing." The emperor agreed, and the hall was named Continuing Radiance.
16
起嘗奏事殿中，適仁宗始生，帝曰：「卿知朕喜乎？ 宜賀我有子矣」即入禁中，懷金錢出，探以賜起。 改勾當三班院兼判登聞檢院。 從祀汾陰，貿權知河中府，徙永興、天雄軍，所至有風烈，數賜書褒諭。 三遷右諫議大夫、知幷州。 拜給事中、同知樞密院事。 進禮部侍郎，為樞密副使。 嘗與寇準過同列曹瑋家飲酒，既而客多引去者，獨起與寇準盡醉，夜漏上乃歸。 明日入見，引咎伏謝。 真宗笑曰：「天下無事，大臣相與飲酒，何過之有？」
Once while Qi was reporting in court, Renzong had just been born. The emperor said, "Do you know why I am happy? You should congratulate me—I have a son." He went into the inner palace, returned with gold coins in his sleeve, and pressed them into Qi's hand." He was made administrator of the Three-Rank Office and also put in charge of the Petition Review Court. After the Fenyin rites he was given provisional charge of Hezhong, then posted to Yongxing and Tianxiong Circuit; wherever he served he made a strong impression, and the emperor repeatedly sent letters of praise. After three promotions he was made right remonstrating grandee and prefect of Bingzhou. He was made supervising secretariat drafter and co-administrator of the Bureau of Military Affairs. He was promoted to vice minister of Rites and made vice commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. Once he and Kou Zhun drank at colleague Cao Wei's home; when most guests left, he and Kou Zhun drank on until midnight. The next day he appeared at court, accepted blame, and apologized. Zhenzong laughed: "The realm is at peace—what fault is there in ministers drinking together?"
17
起素善寇準。 準且貶，起亦罷為戶部郎中、知青州，又降太常少卿、知光州。 稍遷秘書監，徙揚、杭二州，又徙應天府。 復為禮部侍郎、判登聞鼓院。 以疾請知潁州，徙陳州、汝州。 卒，贈禮部尚書，諡安惠。
Qi had long been close to Kou Zhun. When Kou Zhun was demoted, Qi was removed from office and made director in the Ministry of Revenue and prefect of Qingzhou, then further reduced to vice director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and prefect of Guangzhou. He was gradually promoted to director of the Secretariat, served in Yangzhou and Hangzhou, then was transferred to Yingtian Prefecture. He was again made vice minister of Rites and put in charge of the Drum and Appeal Court. Citing illness, he asked to be prefect of Yingzhou and was later moved to Chenzhou and Ruzhou. At his death he was posthumously made minister of Rites and given the posthumous name Anhui.
18
起性周密，凡奏事及答禁中語，隨輒焚草，故其言，外人無知者。 家藏書至萬餘卷。 起能書。 弟超，亦能書，集古今人書並所更體法，為《書苑》十卷，累官主客郎中。 起子：延荷，以孝友聞，官殿中丞； 延雋，頗雅厚，官太常少卿。
Qi was meticulous by nature; after every report or reply to palace business he burned his drafts, so outsiders never learned what he had said. His family library held more than ten thousand scrolls. Qi was an accomplished calligrapher. His younger brother Chao was also a calligrapher; he compiled ancient and modern scripts together with revised styles into the ten-scroll 《Garden of Calligraphy》 and rose to director in the Ministry of Rites' guest bureau. Qi's sons: Yanhe, famed for filial piety and brotherly devotion, served as palace censor; Yanjuan, refined and generous in manner, served as vice director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.
19
程琳，字天球，永寧軍博野人。 舉服勤辭學科，補泰寧軍節度推官。 改秘書省著作佐郎、知壽陽縣，監左藏庫，召試，直集賢院。 改太常博士、權三司戶部判官，契丹館伴使。 契丹使者謂琳曰：「先皇帝嘗通使承天，太后獨無使，何也？」 琳曰：「南北，兄弟也。 先皇帝視承天猶從母，故無嫌； 今皇太后乃嫂也，禮不通問。」 契丹使者語屈。 後修《真宗實錄》，而大中祥符以來起居注闕，琳追述上之，遂修起居注，提舉在京諸司庫務，知制誥、判吏部流內銓。
Cheng Lin, styled Tianqiu, came from Boye in Yongning Circuit. He passed the examination in diligent service and literary composition and became judicial assistant on the Taining Circuit military staff. He became assistant compiler in the Secretariat and magistrate of Shouyang County, supervised the Left Storehouse, passed a court examination, and was given a post at the Academy of Scholarly Worthies. He was made erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and provisional judicial officer in the Three Departments' revenue bureau, and served as escort commissioner for Khitan envoys. A Khitan envoy asked Lin, "Your late emperor exchanged envoys with Chengtian, but the empress dowager sends none—why?" Lin replied, "North and south are brothers. The late emperor treated Chengtian as a father's younger brother's wife, so no impropriety was involved; but the present empress dowager is an elder brother's wife, and ritual forbids such exchanges." The Khitan envoy had no reply. When the Veritable Records of Zhenzong were compiled and daily records from Dazhong Xiangfu onward were missing, Lin reconstructed and submitted them, then took charge of the daily records, supervised capital storehouses, drafted edicts, and ran the Ministry of Personnel's within-the-passes selection board.
20
權三司使范雍使契丹，命琳發遣三司使。 太倉贍軍粟陳腐不可食，歲且饑，琳盡發以貸民，凡六十萬斛，饑民賴以全活，而軍得善粟。 鹽鐵官任布請鑄大錢一當十，度支判官許申請以銅鐵雜鑄，下其議。 琳曰：「第五琦用大錢，法卒不可行。 乞令申試之。」 鑄卒不就。
When acting Three Departments commissioner Fan Yong went as envoy to the Khitan, Lin was ordered to dispatch the Three Departments commissioner. Army grain in the Grand Storehouse had gone stale and was inedible; famine was near, so Lin released all of it on loan to the people—six hundred thousand hu in all—saving countless lives while the army received fresh grain. Salt and iron official Ren Bu proposed casting large coins worth ten each; fiscal bureau judicial officer Xu Shen proposed mixed copper and iron casting, and the matter was referred for discussion. Lin said, "When Diwu Qi used large coins, the policy ultimately failed. Let Shen try it, I ask." The casting never succeeded.
21
契丹遣蕭蘊、杜防來，蘊出位圖示琳曰：「中國使者坐殿上高位，今我位乃下，請升之。」 琳曰：「此真宗所定，不可易。」 防曰：「“國之卿，可以當小國之君。」 琳曰：「南北雖兩朝，無小大之異，卿嘗坐我殿上，我顧小國耶？」 防無以對。 宰相將許之，琳曰：「許其小必啟其大。」
The Khitan sent Xiao Yun and Du Fang; Yun produced a seating chart and said to Lin, "Song envoys sit in the high seats in the hall, yet ours are lower—please raise them." Lin replied, "Emperor Zhenzong fixed this arrangement—it cannot be changed." Fang said, "A minister of a great state may stand in for the ruler of a lesser one." Lin said, "North and south are two courts, but not great and small—you once sat in our hall; do you take us for a lesser state?" Fang had nothing to say. The chief ministers were about to agree; Lin warned, "Concede a small point and a larger demand will follow."
22
以右諫議大夫權御史中丞。 宰相張知白尤器之，當除命，喜曰：「不辱吾筆矣。」 時歲饑，上疏請罷諸土木營造，蠲被災郡縣租賦。 改樞密直學士、知益州。 上元張燈，州人夜聚遊嬉，琳戒曰：「有火則隨救之，毋白也。」 已而果有火，終宴人無知者。 或告振武軍變，琳曰：「軍中動靜我自知之，苟有謀，不待告也。」
He was made right remonstrating grandee and acting vice censor-in-chief. Chief minister Zhang Zhibai especially valued him; when the appointment came through, he said with satisfaction, "My recommendation has not been disgraced." Famine prevailed that year; he memorialized to halt all construction and remit taxes in disaster-stricken prefectures and counties. He was transferred to Hanlin academician at the Bureau of Military Affairs and made prefect of Yizhou. On the Lantern Festival the prefecture hung lanterns and people gathered to celebrate at night. Lin warned, "If fire breaks out, put it out at once—do not report it." Fire did break out, yet by the end of the festivities no one had noticed. Someone reported a mutiny at Zhenwu Army; Lin said, "I know what happens in the army—if there were a plot, I would not need to be told."
23
遷給事中、權知開封府。 王蒙正子齊雄捶老卒死，貸妻子使以病告。 琳察其色辭異，令有司驗得捶死狀。 蒙正連姻章獻太后家，太后謂琳曰：「齊雄非殺人者，乃其奴嘗捶之。」 琳曰：「奴無自專理，且使令與己犯同。」 太后嘿然，遂論如法。 外戚吳氏離其夫而挈其女歸，夫訴於府。 琳命還女，吳氏曰：「已納宮中矣。」 琳請於帝曰：「臣恐天下人有竊議陛下奪人妻女者。」 帝亟命出之。 笞而歸其妻。
He was made supervising secretariat drafter and acting prefect of Kaifeng. Wang Mengzheng's son Qixiong beat an old soldier to death and paid the man's wife and children to report death by illness. Lin noticed something odd in their manner and words and ordered an examination, which confirmed death by beating. Mengzheng was related by marriage to Empress Dowager Zhangxian's family; the empress dowager told Lin, "Qixiong did not kill him—it was his servant who once beat the man." Lin replied, "A servant has no authority to act on his own, and one who gives orders shares the same offense as the one who commits it." The empress dowager fell silent, and the case was judged according to law. A consort-clan woman surnamed Wu left her husband and took their daughter home; the husband appealed to the prefecture. Lin ordered the daughter returned; Wu said, "She has already been taken into the palace." Lin appealed to the emperor: "I fear people throughout the realm will whisper that Your Majesty seized another man's wife and daughter." The emperor immediately ordered her released. Wu was flogged and the wife was returned to her husband.
24
遷工部侍郎、龍圖閣學士，復為御史中丞。 不拜，以翰林侍讀學士兼龍圖閣學士再知開封府。 改三司使，出納尤謹，禁中有所取，輒奏罷之。 內侍言琳專，琳曰：「三司財賦，皆朝廷有也。 臣為陛下惜，於臣何有？」 帝然之。 或請併天下農田稅物名者，琳曰：「合而為一，易於勾校，可也。 後有興利之臣，復用舊名增之，是重困民，無已時也。」 再遷吏部侍郎，遂參知政事，遷尚書左丞。
He was made vice minister of Works and academician of the Hall of Dragon Images, and again served as censor-in-chief. He declined the post and instead, as Hanlin reader-in-waiting and academician of the Hall of Dragon Images, again served as prefect of Kaifeng. He became Three Departments commissioner and was especially strict with receipts and disbursements; whenever the inner palace requested funds, he memorialized to block it. A eunuch accused Lin of being overbearing; Lin replied, "The Three Departments' revenues all belong to the court. I am sparing them for Your Majesty—what does that have to do with me?" The emperor agreed. Someone proposed merging all farmland tax items nationwide; Lin said, "Combining them into one would make auditing easier—that is acceptable. But later profit-seeking officials would revive the old names and add to them—doubly burdening the people without end." He was again made vice minister of Personnel, then became councilor, and was advanced to left vice director of the Department of State Affairs.
25
時元昊反，猶遣使來朝，眾請按誅之。 琳曰：「遣使，常事也，殺之不祥。」 後使者益驕橫，大臣患之。 琳曰：「始不殺，無罪也； 今既驕橫，可暴其惡誅之，國法也，又何患耶？」 又議重賄唃廝囉使討賊，得地即與之。 琳曰：「使唃廝囉得地是復生一元昊矣。 不若用間，使二羌勢不合，中國利也。」
Yuanhao had rebelled, yet still sent envoys to court; many demanded their arrest and execution. Lin said, "Sending envoys is routine; killing them is inauspicious." Later the envoys grew ever more arrogant, and the great ministers were troubled. Lin said, "At first we did not kill them—they were not guilty; now that they are arrogant, we may expose their wickedness and execute them—that is state law; what is there to worry about?" Others also debated bribing Gusiluo heavily to attack the rebels and granting him any territory he captured. Lin said, "If Gusiluo gains territory, we would be creating another Yuanhao. Better to use stratagem and keep the two Qiang factions from uniting—that would benefit the Middle Kingdom."
26
故樞密副使張遜第在武成坊，其曾孫偕才七歲，宗室女生也，貧不自給。 乳媼擅出券鬻第，琳欲得之，使開封府吏密諭媼，以偕幼，宜得御寶許鬻乃售。 乳媼以宗室女故，入宮見章惠太后。 既得御寶，琳乃市取之。 又令吏市材木，買婦女。 已而吏以贓敗，御史按劾得狀，降光祿卿、知潁州。
Former vice commissioner Zhang Xun's residence stood in Wucheng Ward; his great-great-grandson Xie was only seven, born of an imperial clanswoman, and too poor to support himself. The wet nurse privately issued a deed and sold the residence; Lin wanted it and had a Kaifeng clerk secretly tell the nurse that because Xie was young, an imperial seal permitting the sale was required. Because the child was born of an imperial clanswoman, the wet nurse entered the palace to see Empress Dowager Zhanghui. Once the imperial seal was obtained, Lin purchased the residence. He also had clerks purchase timber and buy women. Before long the clerk was exposed for corruption; the censorate investigated and confirmed the facts, and Lin was demoted to director of the Court of Imperial Entertainments and made prefect of Yingzhou.
27
頃之，為戶部侍郎，尋復吏部、知天雄軍。 又以左丞為資政殿學士。 及建天雄軍為北京，內侍皇甫繼明主營宮室，欲侈大以要賞。 琳以為方事邊陲，又事土木以困民，不可。 既而繼明數有論奏，帝遣御史魚周詢按視，遂罷繼明，命琳獨主之。 遷工部尚書，加大學士、河北安撫使。 改武昌軍節度使、知永興軍、陝西安撫使。 以宣徽北院使判延州，仍為陝西安撫使。
Before long he was vice minister of Revenue, then again vice minister of Personnel and administrator of Tianxiong Circuit. He was also made left vice director and academician of the Hall for Cultivating Governance. When Tianxiong Circuit was established as the Northern Capital, eunuch Huangfu Jiming supervised palace construction and wished to make it extravagant to win rewards. Lin held that with border affairs pressing, undertaking construction to burden the people was unacceptable. Before long Jiming repeatedly submitted memorials; the emperor sent censor Yu Zhouxun to inspect, dismissed Jiming, and put Lin alone in charge. He was made minister of Works, additionally grand academician, and pacification commissioner of Hebei. He became military commissioner of Wuchang Circuit, administrator of Yongxing Circuit, and pacification commissioner of Shaanxi. As commissioner of the Northern Bureau of the Palace Secretariat he administered Yanzhou and continued as pacification commissioner of Shaanxi.
28
元昊死，諒祚立，方幼，三大將分治其國。 議者謂可因此時，以節度使啖三將，使各有所部分，以弱其勢，可不戰而屈矣。 琳曰：「幸人之喪，非所以柔遠人，不如因而撫之。」 議者惜其失機。
Yuanhao died and Liangzuo succeeded him while still young; three great generals divided rule of the state among themselves. Advisors said that at this moment military commissioner titles could be used to entice the three generals, giving each his own portion and weakening their power, so that they could be subdued without fighting. Lin said, "Taking advantage of another's bereavement is not the way to soothe distant peoples; better to seize the occasion to reassure them." The advisors regretted the missed opportunity.
29
既而遣使冊命，夏人方圍慶陽。 琳曰：「彼若貪此，可緩慶州之難矣。」 具禮幣賜予之數移報之，果喜，即日迎冊使，慶陽之圍亦解。 嘗獲戎首，不殺，戒遣之，夏人亦相告毋捕漢民。 久之，以五百戶驅牛羊扣邊請降，且言：「契丹兵至衙頭矣，國中亂，願自歸。」 琳曰：「彼詐也。 契丹至帳下，當舉國取之，豈容有來降者？ 間聞夏人方捕叛者，此其是邪？ 不然，誘我也。」 拒不受。 已而賊果以騎三萬臨境上，以捕降者為辭。 琳諜知之，閉壁倒旗，戒諸將勿動，賊疑有備，遂引去。
Before long envoys were sent to invest the new ruler while the Xia were besieging Qingyang. Lin said, "If they covet this, the crisis at Qingzhou can be eased." He prepared the full tally of ritual gifts and sent word; they were pleased, welcomed the investiture envoys that very day, and the siege of Qingyang was lifted. Once he captured a Rong chieftain but did not kill him, admonished him, and sent him back; the Xia also told one another not to capture Han civilians. After some time, five hundred households drove cattle and sheep to the border to request surrender, saying, "Khitan troops have reached Yatou; the state is in turmoil, and we wish to submit." Lin said, "This is a ruse. When the Khitan reach the royal tent, the whole state should be taken—how could there be people coming to surrender? I have heard the Xia are hunting rebels—is this them? If not, they are luring us." He refused to accept them. Before long the enemy came with thirty thousand cavalry to the border, using the pursuit of deserters as their pretext. Lin learned this through spies, closed the walls, lowered the flags, and warned the generals not to move; the enemy suspected preparations and withdrew.
30
拜同中書門下平章事、判大名府。 琳持重不擾，前後守魏十年，度要害，繕壁壘，增守禦備。 植雜木數萬，曰：「異時樓櫓之具，可不出於民矣。」 人愛之，為立生祠。 改武勝軍，又換鎮安軍節度使。 上書曰：「臣雖老，尚能為國守邊。」 未報，得疾卒。 贈中書令，諡文簡。
He was appointed co-director of the Department of State Affairs and given charge of Daming Prefecture. Lin was steady and did not disturb the people; over ten years guarding Wei, he assessed strategic points, repaired walls and ramparts, and strengthened defenses. He planted tens of thousands of mixed trees, saying, "When the time comes, materials for watchtowers and palisades need not come from the people." The people loved him and erected a living shrine to him. He was transferred to Wusheng Circuit, then to military commissioner of Zhen'an Circuit. He submitted a memorial: "Though I am old, I can still guard the border for the state." Before a reply came, he fell ill and died. He was posthumously made chief minister of the Secretariat and given the posthumous name Wenjian.
31
琳為人敏厲深嚴，長於政事，辨議一出，不肯下人。 然性嗇於財，而厚自奉養。 章獻太后時，嘗上《武后臨朝圖》，人以此薄之。
Lin was sharp, forceful, and deeply stern; he excelled in state affairs, and once he spoke in debate he would not yield to others. Yet by nature he was stingy with wealth while lavish in his own upkeep. During Empress Dowager Zhangxian's regency, he once submitted the Illustration of Empress Wu Holding Court; people looked down on him for this.
32
姜遵，字從式，淄州長山人。 進士及第，為蓬萊尉，就辟登州司理參軍，開封府右軍巡判官。 有疑獄，將抵死，遵辨出之。 遷太常博士，王曾薦為監察御史，殿中侍御史，開封府判官。 知吉州高惠連與遵有隙，發遵在廬陵時贓事，按驗無狀，猶降通判延州。 復入為侍御史、判戶部勾院。 利州路饑，以遵為體量安撫，遷知邢州。
Jiang Zun, styled Congshi, came from Changshan in Zizhou. After passing the jinshi, he served as assistant magistrate of Penglai, then was recruited as judicial administrator of Dengzhou and right military patrol judicial officer of Kaifeng Prefecture. In a doubtful criminal case where the accused was about to be executed, Zun argued and cleared him. He became erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices; Wang Zeng recommended him as supervising censor, palace attendant censor, and judicial officer of Kaifeng Prefecture. Gao Huilian, prefect of Jizhou, bore a grudge against Zun and exposed corruption from Zun's time in Luling; investigation found no substance, yet Zun was still demoted to vice-prefect of Yanzhou. He returned to the capital as attendant censor and was put in charge of the Ministry of Revenue's audit office. When Lizhou Circuit was stricken by famine, the court appointed Zun as investigation-and-relief commissioner, then transferred him to serve as prefect of Xingzhou.
33
仁宗即位，徙滑州，為京東轉運使，徙京西。 未幾，以刑部郎中兼侍御史知雜事。 建言三司、開封府日接賓客，廢事，有詔禁止。 歷三司副使，再遷右諫議大夫、知永興軍。 奏罷咸陽富民元氏歲貢梨。 召拜樞密副使，遷給事中，卒。 贈吏部侍郎。
When Emperor Renzong acceded, Zun was posted to Huazhou, made Eastern Capital transport commissioner, and then transferred to the Western Capital circuit. Before long he was appointed vice director of the Ministry of Justice while also serving as attendant censor in charge of miscellaneous business. He argued that the Three Fiscal Departments and Kaifeng Prefecture spent their days entertaining guests and neglecting official business, and an edict was issued to forbid the practice. After serving as deputy commissioner of the Three Fiscal Departments, he was promoted again to Right Remonstrance Counselor and military prefect of Yongxing. He memorialized to abolish the annual pear tribute levied on the wealthy Yuan clan of Xianyang. He was summoned and appointed Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs, promoted to Supervising Secretary, and then died. He was posthumously awarded the title of Vice Minister of Personnel.
34
遵長於吏事，為治尚嚴猛，所誅殘者甚眾。 在永興，太后嘗詔營浮屠，遵毀漢、唐碑碣代磚甓，既成，得召用。
Zun was skilled in administrative work and governed with a stern, harsh hand; very many people were put to death under his rule. While serving at Yongxing, the Empress Dowager once ordered a Buddhist pagoda built; Zun tore down Han and Tang steles to serve as bricks and tiles. When the work was finished, he received a summons back to office.
35
范雍，字伯純，世家太原。 曾祖仁恕，仕蜀為宰相。 祖從龜，刑部侍郎，入朝，改右屯衛將軍，後葬河南，遂為河南人。 雍中進士第，為洛陽縣主簿。 累官殿中丞、知端州。 遷太常博士。 寇準辟為河南通判，還，判三司開拆司。 河決滑州，選為京東轉運副使。 歷河北、陝西轉運使，入為三司戶部副使，又徙度支。 以尚書工部郎中為龍圖閣待制、陝西都轉運使。 還，提舉諸司庫務，勾當三班院。
Fan Yong, styled Bochun, came from a distinguished family of Taiyuan. His great-grandfather Renshu had served in Shu as grand councilor. His grandfather Conggui had been Vice Minister of Justice; after entering the Song court he was reassigned as General of the Right Garrison Guard. He was later buried in Henan, and the family thus became Henan natives. Yong passed the jinshi examination and served as chief clerk of Luoyang County. He rose through successive posts to palace director and prefect of Duanzhou. He was promoted to erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. Kou Zhun recruited him as vice-prefect of Henan; on returning to the capital he was assigned to the Three Fiscal Departments' unpacking and inspection office. When the Yellow River broke its banks at Huazhou, he was selected as deputy Eastern Capital transport commissioner. He served successively as transport commissioner of Hebei and Shaanxi, then entered the capital as deputy commissioner of the Households Bureau of the Three Fiscal Departments before being transferred to the Expenditure Bureau. As vice director of the Ministry of Works in the Secretariat, he was made a Hanlin associate at the Dragon Diagram Hall and chief Shaanxi transport commissioner. On returning to the capital, he supervised the various treasury offices and managed affairs at the Three Ranks Bureau.
36
環、原州屬羌擾邊，以雍為安撫使。 建言：「屬羌因罪罰羊者，舊輸錢，而比年責使出羊，羌人頗以為患。 請輸錢如舊，罪輕者以漢法贖金。」 從之。 遷右諫議大夫、權三司使。
When subordinate Qiang tribes in Huan and Yuan prefectures harassed the frontier, Yong was appointed pacification commissioner. He proposed: "Among the subordinate Qiang punished for offenses with the sheep penalty, they used to pay money, but in recent years they have been forced to supply sheep instead, and the Qiang find this quite burdensome. Let them pay money as before, and for lighter offenses let them pay redemption fines under Han law." The court approved the proposal. He was promoted to Right Remonstrance Counselor and acting commissioner of the Three Fiscal Departments.
37
雍在京東時，平滑州水患。 以勞加龍圖閣直學士。 明年，拜樞密副使。 丁母憂，起復，遷給事中。 玉清昭應宮災，章獻太后泣對大臣曰：「先帝竭力成此宮，一夕延燎幾盡，惟一二小殿存爾。」 雍抗言曰：「不若悉燔之也。 先朝以此竭天下之力，遽為灰燼，非出人意； 如因其所存，又將葺之，則民不堪命，非所以畏天戒也。」 時王曾亦止之，遂詔勿葺。 遷尚書禮部侍郎。
While Yong was serving in the Eastern Capital circuit, he remedied the flood disaster at Huazhou. In recognition of his labors he was additionally granted the title of Dragon Diagram Hall academician. The following year he was appointed Vice Commissioner of Military Affairs. After entering mourning for his mother, he was recalled from mourning and promoted to Supervising Secretary. When the Jade Hall of Clear Resplendence burned, Empress Dowager Zhangxian wept before the ministers and said, "The late emperor exhausted himself to build this palace; in a single night the fire spread and nearly destroyed it all, and only one or two small halls remain." Yong spoke up boldly and said, "It would be better to burn the whole thing down. The previous reign exhausted the empire's strength on this, and it suddenly became ashes—no one could have foreseen it; but if we preserve what remains and rebuild it, the people will not be able to bear the burden, and that is not how we should heed Heaven's warning." Wang Zeng also argued against rebuilding at the time, and an edict was issued forbidding repairs. He was promoted to Vice Minister of Rites in the Secretariat.
38
太后崩，罷為戶部侍郎、知陝州，改永興軍。 是歲饑疫，關中為甚，雍為振恤。 以疾，請近郡，遂知河陽。 進吏部侍郎，徙應天府，又改河南府，進資政殿學士。 陳安邊六事，又請於天雄軍聚甲兵以備河北，於永興軍、河中府益募土兵以備陝西，即涇原、環慶有警，河中援之。
After the Empress Dowager died, he was removed from office and made Vice Minister of Revenue and prefect of Shanzhou, then reassigned to Yongxing Army. That year famine and pestilence struck, with Guanzhong hit hardest; Yong organized relief efforts. Because of illness he requested a nearby prefecture and was made prefect of Heyang. He was advanced to Vice Minister of Personnel, transferred to Yingtian Prefecture, then reassigned to Henan Prefecture, and advanced to Academician of the Hall for Assisting Governance. He presented six proposals for securing the frontier, and also asked that armor and troops be assembled at Tianxiong Army to defend Hebei, that local militia be further recruited at Yongxing Army and Hezhong Prefecture to defend Shaanxi, and that if Jingyuan or Huanqing came under attack, Hezhong would send reinforcements.
39
既而元昊反，拜振武軍節度使、知延州。 因言：「延州最當賊衝，地闊而砦柵疏，近者百里，遠者二百里，土兵寡弱，又無宿將為用，而賊出入於此，請益師。」 不報。 元昊先遣人通款於雍，雍信之，不設備。 一日，引兵數萬破金明砦，乘勝至城下。 會大將石元孫領兵出境，守城者才數百人。 雍召劉平於慶州，平帥師來援，合元孫兵與賊夜戰三川口，大敗，平、元孫皆為賊所執。 雍閉門堅守，會夜大雪，賊解去，城得不陷。 左遷戶部侍郎、知安州。 居一歲，復吏部侍郎、知河中府。
Before long Yuan Hao rebelled, and Yong was appointed military governor of Zhenwu Army and prefect of Yanzhou. He therefore said, "Yanzhou lies directly in the enemy's path. The territory is vast while stockades and palisades are widely spaced—some a hundred li apart, others two hundred. Local militia are few and weak, and there are no seasoned generals to command them, yet the enemy moves freely through this region. I request additional troops." The court did not reply. Yuan Hao first sent envoys to open friendly relations with Yong; Yong trusted them and made no defensive preparations. One day he led tens of thousands of troops to overrun Jinming stockade and, pressing his advantage, reached the foot of the city wall. It happened that the senior general Shi Yuansun was leading troops beyond the border, and only a few hundred men remained to defend the city. Yong summoned Liu Ping from Qingzhou; Ping led his army to the rescue, joined Yuansun's forces, and fought the enemy by night at Sanchuankou. They suffered a crushing defeat, and both Ping and Yuansun were captured. Yong shut the gates and held firm. That night heavy snow fell, the enemy withdrew, and the city was saved. He was demoted to Vice Minister of Revenue and prefect of Anzhou. After a year he was restored to Vice Minister of Personnel and made prefect of Hezhong Prefecture.
40
又為資政殿學士、知永興軍兼轉運司事，遷尚書左丞，加大學士。 初，完永興城，或言其非便，詔止其役，雍匿詔而趣成之。 明年，賊犯定川，邠、岐之間皆恐，而永興獨不憂寇。 復徙河南府，又遷禮部尚書，卒。 贈太子太師，諡忠獻。
He was again made Academician of the Hall for Assisting Governance and military prefect of Yongxing while also overseeing transport affairs, promoted to Left Vice Director of the Secretariat, and additionally granted the title of Grand Academician. When the walls of Yongxing were first being completed, some argued that the project was ill-advised; an edict halted the work, but Yong concealed the edict and hurried to finish it. The following year the enemy invaded Dingchuan; the region between Bin and Qi was gripped by fear, but Yongxing alone had no fear of raiders. He was transferred again to Henan Prefecture, then promoted to Minister of Rites, and died. He was posthumously awarded the title Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent and given the posthumous name Loyal and Dedicated.
41
雍為治尚恕，好謀而少成。 在陝西，嘗請於商、虢置監鑄鐵錢，後不可行； 又括諸路牛以興營田，亦隨廢。 頗知人，喜薦士，後多至公卿者。 狄青為小校時，坐法當斬，雍貸之。
Yong governed with a forgiving hand; he liked to devise plans but seldom carried them through. While serving in Shaanxi he once proposed establishing iron-coin mints at Shang and Guo, but the plan later proved unworkable; he also requisitioned oxen from all circuits to develop military colonies, and that project was soon abandoned as well. He had a keen eye for talent and liked to recommend scholars; many of those he promoted later rose to high ministerial rank. When Di Qing was still a junior officer and by law deserved execution, Yong spared his life.
42
子宗傑，為兵部員外郎、直史館，歷陝西轉運使，先雍卒。 宗傑子子奇。
His son Zongjie served as vice director of the Ministry of War and compiler at the Historiography Institute, later became Shaanxi transport commissioner, and died before Yong. Zongjie's son was Ziqi.
43
孫子奇
Grandson: Ziqi
44
子奇，字中濟，階祖雍蔭，簽書幷州判官。 以唐介薦，神宗賜對，提舉修在京倉。 三司使又薦，按覆營繕，匠吏積為欺隱，懼罪，造飛語間之。 神宗遣大閹張茂則察其無私，勞之曰：「為吏當如是，無恤人言。」 授戶部判官，為湖南轉運副使。 建言：「梅山蠻恃險為邊患，宜拓取之。」 後章惇開五溪，議由此起。
Ziqi, styled Zhongji, entered office through the inherited privilege granted to his grandfather Yong and served as signing secretary and vice-prefect of Bingzhou. On Tang Jie's recommendation, Emperor Shenzong granted him an audience and put him in charge of repairing the capital granaries. The commissioner of the Three Fiscal Departments recommended him again; as he investigated construction and repairs, craftsmen and clerks who had long concealed fraud, fearing punishment, spread slander to undermine him. Emperor Shenzong sent the chief eunuch Zhang Maize to investigate and found him free of private interest; he commended him, saying, "An official ought to act like this—do not worry about what people say." He was appointed judicial officer of the Households Bureau and made deputy Hunan transport commissioner. He proposed, "The Meishan tribes rely on rugged terrain to trouble the frontier; the region should be brought under control and annexed." Later, when Zhang Dun opened the Five Streams region, the policy originated in this proposal.
45
入判將作監。 使於遼，導者改路回遠，子奇謂曰：「此去雲中有直道，旬日可至，何為出此？」 導者又欲沮子奇下馬館門外，子奇曰：「異時於中門下馬，今何以輒易？」 導者計屈。 歷河東、陝西、河北、京東四路轉運使，工部、左司二郎中，加直龍圖閣，使河北。 諸郡猶榷鹽，奏罷之。
He entered the capital to serve as vice director of the Directorate of Palace Buildings. Sent as envoy to Liao, when the guides changed the route to a longer detour, Ziqi said to them, "From here there is a direct road to Yunzhong that can be reached in ten days—why are we taking this roundabout way?" The guides also tried to make Ziqi dismount outside the guesthouse gate; Ziqi said, "In former times envoys dismounted at the middle gate—why should that suddenly be changed?" The guides were forced to back down. He served successively as transport commissioner of the Hedong, Shaanxi, Hebei, and Eastern Capital circuits, held vice directorships in both the Ministry of Works and the Left Bureau, was additionally granted direct appointment to the Dragon Diagram Hall, and was dispatched to Hebei. Various prefectures still maintained state salt monopolies, and he memorialized to abolish them.
46
元祐初，為將作監、司農卿，復使陝西，以病解。 起知鄭州，加集賢殿修撰、知河陽。 召權戶部侍郎。 刪酒戶苛禁及奴婢告主給賞法。 未幾，出知慶州，廣儲蓄，繕城柵，嚴守備，羈黠羌，推誠待下，人樂為用。 入為吏部侍郎，以待制致仕，卒，年六十三。 子坦。
At the beginning of the Yuanyou era he served as director of the Directorate of Palace Buildings and Minister of Revenue for Agriculture, was again dispatched to Shaanxi, and resigned due to illness. He was recalled to serve as prefect of Zhengzhou, additionally granted the title of compiler at the Hall of Assembled Worthies, and made prefect of Heyang. He was summoned to serve as acting Vice Minister of Revenue. He abolished harsh restrictions on wine merchants and the law that rewarded maidservants and slaves for denouncing their masters. Before long he was posted as prefect of Qingzhou; he expanded stores, repaired walls and palisades, tightened defenses, kept cunning Qiang tribes in check, treated his subordinates with sincerity, and his men were glad to serve him. He returned to the capital as Vice Minister of Personnel, retired with the title of awaiting edict, and died at the age of sixty-three. His son was Tan.
47
曾孫坦
Great-grandson: Tan
48
坦，字伯履，以父蔭為開封府推官、金部員外郎、大理少卿，改左司員外郎。 押伴夏國使，應對合旨，賜進士第，權起居舍人。 使於遼，覆命，具語錄以獻。 徽宗覽而善之，付鴻臚，令後奉使者視為式。 遷殿中監，知開封府，再命使遼。 時興邊議，非時遣使以觀釁，坦以不宜始禍，辭其行。 徽宗怒，責舒州團練副使，稍復集賢殿修撰，知江寧府、洪揚二州。
Tan, styled Bolü, entered office through his father's inherited privilege and served as judicial officer of Kaifeng Prefecture, vice director of the Gold Bureau, and vice director of the Court of Judicial Review before being reassigned as vice director of the Left Bureau. While escorting Xixia envoys, his responses pleased the emperor; he was granted the jinshi degree and made acting recorder of imperial movements. Sent as envoy to Liao, he submitted a full record of the mission upon his return. Emperor Huizong read it and approved; he handed it to the Court of State Ceremonial and ordered future envoys to treat it as a model. He was promoted to director of the Palace Domestic Service, made prefect of Kaifeng Prefecture, and again ordered as envoy to Liao. At the time border discussions were underway and envoys were being dispatched at an inopportune moment to probe for provocation; Tan felt one should not start trouble and declined the mission. Emperor Huizong was angry and demoted him to military training vice-commissioner of Shuzhou; he was later partially restored as compiler at the Hall of Assembled Worthies and made prefect of Jiangning Prefecture and the two prefectures of Hong and Yang.
49
召為戶部侍郎，論當十及夾錫錢之弊。 以便親請外，知河陽。 入辭，徽宗曰：「夾錫錢之害，甚於當十，宜速正之，為一道率。」 坦至，即奏罷之。 政和初，復為戶部，遂改當十錢為當三； 罷淮鹽入東北； 鬻諸州公田，以實常平。 又上疏言：「戶部歲入有限，用則無窮。 今節度使八十員，留後至刺史數千員，自非軍功得之，宜減其半俸； 及他工技末作，一切裁損。」 時以為當。
He was summoned as Vice Minister of Revenue and discussed the evils of value-ten coins and lead-mixed coins. To be near his relatives he requested a provincial post and was made prefect of Heyang. On taking leave at court, Emperor Huizong said, "The harm of lead-mixed coins exceeds that of value-ten coins; you should quickly rectify this and set an example for the whole realm." When Tan arrived, he immediately memorialized to abolish them. At the beginning of the Zhenghe era he again served in the Ministry of Revenue and changed value-ten coins to value-three; abolished the policy of sending Huai salt into the Northeast; and sold public land in various prefectures to replenish the Ever-Normal Granaries. He also submitted a memorial stating, "The Ministry of Revenue's annual income is limited, but its expenditures are inexhaustible. There are now eighty military commissioners, and military prefects down to prefects number in the thousands; those who did not earn their posts through military merit should have half their salaries cut; All other artisan trades and miscellaneous work should be cut back as well." At the time, this was considered appropriate.
50
時張商英為相，坦多與之合。 及商英去，言者論坦助為匱竭之說，以搖眾聽； 又言坦建議鬻田、改常平法、廢元符令及罷夾錫錢之罪，貶黃州團練副使，安置韶州。 以赦，復徽猷閣待制，卒，年六十二。
At the time Zhang Shangying was chancellor, and Tan often sided with him. When Shangying left office, critics argued that Tan had helped promote claims of fiscal exhaustion in order to sway public opinion; They also cited Tan's offenses in recommending the sale of public land, altering the Ever-Normal Granary system, abolishing Yuanfu regulations, and ending lead-mixed coinage; he was demoted to military training vice-commissioner of Huangzhou and posted to Shaozhou. Through an amnesty he was restored as awaiting edict at the Huayou Pavilion; he died at the age of sixty-two.
51
趙稹，字表微。 其先單父人，後徙宣城。 為人誠質寬厚，少好學。 吳太府卿田霖退居郡中，名有風鑒，故以女妻稹。 擢進士第，歷平定軍判官、台州推官。 改大理寺丞、知昆山縣，通判楚州。 遷殿中丞、知通州。 召還，同判宗正寺，樞密直學士李浚薦為監察御史，再遷侍御史、判登聞鼓院、開封府判官，徙三司開拆、憑由司。 帝祀汾陰，為留守推官。
Zhao Zhen, styled Biaowei. His family was originally from Shanfu; they later moved to Xuancheng. He was sincere, plain, and generous by nature, and from youth he loved learning. Tian Lin, Master of Court Revenues in Wu, had retired and was living in the commandery; renowned for his discerning judgment, he gave his daughter in marriage to Zhen. He passed the jinshi examination and successively served as judicial officer of the Pingding Army and investigative officer of Taizhou. He was transferred to assistant director of the Court of Judicial Review, made magistrate of Kunshan County, and served as military vice-prefect of Chuzhou. He was promoted to palace assistant director and made prefect of Tongzhou. Recalled to the capital, he served concurrently at the Court of the Imperial Clan; Privy Council academician Li Jun recommended him as supervising censor; he was then promoted to attendant censor, judge of the Drum-beating Court for Appeals, and judicial officer of Kaifeng Prefecture, before being transferred to the Three Departments Commission's Document Opening and Voucher Office. When the emperor performed sacrifice at Fenyin, he served as investigative officer for the stay-behind administration.
52
遷尚書兵部員外郎、益州路轉運使，真宗諭曰：「蜀遠而數亂，其利害朕所欲聞。 卿至，悉條上之，祗附常奏，毋著姓名。」 稹至，數言部中事，至一日章數上。 蒲江縣捕劫盜不得，反逮繫平民，楚掠誣服。 稹適行部，意其冤，馳入縣獄，問得狀，悉縱之。 遷工部郎中。
He was promoted to vice director of the Ministry of War in the Secretariat and transport commissioner of Yizhou Circuit; Emperor Zhenzong instructed him, "Shu is remote and has often been turbulent; I want to hear about its advantages and disadvantages. When you arrive, list everything and submit it; attach it only to your regular memorials and do not sign your name." When Zhen arrived, he frequently reported affairs in his circuit, sometimes submitting several memorials in a single day. In Pujiang County the authorities failed to capture bandits and instead arrested and imprisoned commoners, torturing them until they falsely confessed. Zhen happened to be on an inspection tour; suspecting injustice, he galloped into the county jail, questioned the prisoners and learned the truth, and released them all. He was promoted to director of the Ministry of Works.
53
召為侍御史知雜事、同判吏部流內銓，糾察在京刑獄。 慎從吉知開封府，其子鈞、銳受賕，事連錢惟演。 稹與王曾白其姦狀，從吉坐免，惟演亦罷去。
He was recalled to serve as attendant censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs and concurrent judge of the Ministry of Personnel's Stream-Within Selection Board, with responsibility for investigating criminal cases in the capital. Shen Congji was prefect of Kaifeng; his sons Jun and Rui accepted bribes, and the case implicated Qian Weiyan. Zhen and Wang Zeng reported their corrupt conduct; Congji was dismissed from office, and Weiyan was removed as well.
54
改三司鹽鐵副使，擢右諫議大夫、集賢院學士、知益州。 度支市錦六千匹，召工計歲織裁千餘匹，止以歲所織數上供。 久之，或言稹不達民情，喜尊大，降知同州，徙鳳翔、京兆府，三遷工部侍郎，復糾察在京刑獄。 加樞密直學士、知幷州，代還，遷刑部侍郎。
He was transferred to vice commissioner of the Salt and Iron Bureau of the Three Departments Commission and promoted to Right Remonstrance Grandee, academician of the Hall of Assembled Worthies, and prefect of Yizhou. The Revenue Bureau had ordered six thousand bolts of brocade; when artisans calculated annual production, it came to only a little over a thousand bolts, so he submitted only the year's actual output as tribute. After some time, critics said Zhen did not understand popular sentiment and enjoyed putting on airs; he was demoted to prefect of Tongzhou, transferred to Fengxiang and Jingzhao Prefectures, promoted three times to vice minister of Works, and again given responsibility for investigating criminal cases in the capital. He was given the title Privy Council academician and made prefect of Bingzhou; on returning from his term, he was promoted to vice minister of Justice.
55
天聖八年，擢樞密副使，遷吏部侍郎。 時，權出宮掖，稹厚結劉美人家婢，以故致位政府。 命未出，人馳告稹，稹問曰：「“東頭？ 西頭？」 蓋意在中書也。 聞者皆以為笑。 章獻太后崩，罷為尚書左丞、知河中府，遷禮部尚書。 既病，乞骸骨，拜太子少傅致仕。 卒，贈太子太保，諡僖質。
In the eighth year of Tiansheng, he was promoted to Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council and transferred to Vice Minister of Personnel. At the time power emanated from the inner palace; Zhen cultivated close ties with a maidservant in Liu Mei's household, and through this rose to a position in the government. Before the appointment was issued, someone rushed to tell Zhen; Zhen asked, "The east side? The west side?" For he was hoping for the Directorate. Those who heard it all laughed. When Empress Zhangxian died, he was removed as Left Vice Director of the Secretariat, made prefect of Hezhong Prefecture, and later promoted to Minister of Rites. When he fell ill, he requested retirement; he was granted the title of Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent and retired. He died; he was posthumously given the title Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, with the posthumous name Xizhi.
56
任布，字應之，河南人。 後唐宰相圜四世孫也。 力學，家貧，嘗從人借書以讀。 進士及第，補安肅軍判官，輒刺問虜中事，上疏請飭邊備，仍奏河北利害。 後契丹至澶淵，真宗識其名，特改大理寺丞、知安陽縣。 通判嘉州，還，知開封府司錄事，通判大名府。 初置提點刑獄，選布領荊湖南路。
Ren Bu, styled Yingzhi, was a native of Henan. He was a fourth-generation descendant of the Later Tang chancellor Yuan. He studied diligently; his family was poor, and he often borrowed books from others to read. After passing the jinshi examination, he was appointed judicial officer of the Ansu Army; he frequently gathered intelligence on affairs among the barbarians, submitted memorials calling for stronger border defenses, and also memorialized on the advantages and disadvantages of Hebei. Later, when the Khitan reached Chanyuan, Zhenzong recognized his name and specially appointed him assistant director of the Court of Judicial Review and magistrate of Anyang County. He served as military vice-prefect of Jiazhou; on returning to the capital, he was registrar of Kaifeng Prefecture and then military vice-prefect of Daming Prefecture. When the judicial intendant post was first established, Bu was chosen to oversee Jinghu South Circuit.
57
入權三司鹽鐵判官，判度支勾院。 京城東南有泉湧出，為築祥源觀，男女徒跣奔走瞻拜。 布論之曰：「明朝不宜以神怪衒愚俗。」 遂忤宰相意。 又與徐奭、麻溫其試開封府進士，而奭潛發封卷視之。 降監鄧州稅，徙知宿州。
He entered the capital as acting Salt and Iron Bureau commissioner and judge of the Revenue Bureau's Audit Office. Southeast of the capital a spring burst forth; the Xiangyuan Temple was built for it, and men and women ran barefoot to look on and worship. Bu argued, "A bright dynasty should not use supernatural wonders to dazzle the common folk." This offended the chancellor. Also, while serving with Xu Yi and Ma Wenqi as examiners for Kaifeng jinshi candidates, Yi secretly broke the seal on the exam papers to look at them. He was demoted to tax supervisor of Dengzhou and transferred to prefect of Suzhou.
58
時越州守闕，寇準曰：「越州有職分田，歲入且厚，今爭者頗眾，非廉士莫可予。」 乃徙布越州。 有祖訟其孫者「醉酒詈我」，已而悔，日哭於庭曰：「我老無子，賴此孫以為命也。」 布聞之，貸其死，上書自劾，朝廷亦不之責。
The prefecture of Yuezhou was vacant; Kou Zhun said, "Yuezhou has official fields with substantial annual income, and many are competing for the post — only an incorruptible man should be given it." Bu was therefore transferred to Yuezhou. A grandfather sued his grandson, claiming that "he cursed me while drunk"; later regretting it, he wept daily in the courtyard, saying, "I am old and without sons; I depend on this grandson for my livelihood." When Bu heard this, he spared the grandson from the death penalty and submitted a memorial impeaching himself; the court did not hold him accountable.
59
寇準貶，布亦徙建州，累遷尚書職方員外郎。 丁謂既逐，稍用為白波發運使。 歲餘，判三司開拆司，出為梓州路轉運使。 富順監鹽井，歲久鹵薄而課存，主者至破產，或鬻子孫不能償。 布奏除之。 遷祠部郎中、權戶部判官，擢江、淮制置發運使。 前使者多聚山海珍異之物以餉權要，布一切罷去。
When Kou Zhun was demoted, Bu was also transferred to Jianzhou; he was promoted cumulatively to vice director of the Armory Bureau. After Ding Wei was expelled, Bu was gradually reemployed as commissioner for transport on the Baibo Canal. After a little over a year, he served as judge of the Three Departments Document Opening Office, then was posted out as transport commissioner of Zizhou Circuit. At the Fushun salt well office, over the years the brine had thinned but the tax quota remained unchanged; administrators went bankrupt, and some even sold their children and grandchildren yet still could not pay. Bu memorialized to abolish the quota. He was promoted to director of the Ceremonial Bureau and acting judge of the Ministry of Revenue, then elevated to commissioner for organized transport on the Jiang and Huai. Previous commissioners often gathered rare treasures from mountains and seas to present to powerful officials; Bu abolished the practice entirely.
60
召為三司度支副使，奉使契丹。 還，加直史館、知荊南。 為鹽鐵副使，命管伴契丹使。 歷兵部、刑部郎中，拜右諫議大夫、知真定府。 或欲省河北兵，布言：「“契丹、西夏方窺伺中國，備未可弛也。」 築甬道屬滹沱河，跨絕泥潦。 徙滑州，改天雄軍。 遷給事中、集賢院學士、知許州。 未幾，為龍圖閣直學士，徙澶州。 黃德和誣劉平降賊，欲收平家，布力言平非降賊者。 復徙真定，又徙河南府，未至，召為樞密副使。
He was recalled as vice commissioner of the Revenue Bureau of the Three Departments and sent as envoy to the Khitan. On his return, he was given directorship of the History Institute and made prefect of Jingnan. He served as Salt and Iron vice commissioner and was ordered to escort Khitan envoys. He served successively as director of the Ministries of War and Justice, then was appointed Right Remonstrance Grandee and made prefect of Zhending Prefecture. Some wished to reduce Hebei troops; Bu said, "The Khitan and Western Xia are watching China — our defenses cannot be relaxed. He built an elevated causeway linked to the Hutuo River, spanning muddy floodwaters. He was transferred to Huazhou, then reassigned to the Tianxiong Army. He was promoted to drafter of edicts, academician of the Hall of Assembled Worthies, and prefect of Xuzhou. Before long, he was made Hall of Dragon Pictures academician and transferred to Chunzhou. Huang Dehe falsely accused Liu Ping of surrendering to the bandits and sought to confiscate Ping's family property; Bu strongly argued that Ping had not surrendered to the enemy. He was again transferred to Zhending, then to Henan Prefecture; before he arrived, he was summoned as Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council.
61
布純約自守，及秉政，無所建明。 子遜嘗上書，詆大臣及布皆為不才，御史魚周詢因奏疏曰「布不才，其子能知之。」 乃以尚書工部侍郎罷知河陽。 議者以周詢引遜語逐其父，為不知體。 改蔡州，授太子少保致仕，進少傅。 皇祐間，詔陪祀明堂，稱疾不赴。 賜一子進士出身，遷少師。
Bu was upright and restrained by nature; once in power, he proposed nothing notable. His son Xun once submitted a memorial slandering senior ministers and declaring that Bu, too, was incompetent; censor Yu Zhouxun thereupon submitted a memorial saying, "Bu is incompetent — his son can tell." Bu was thus removed as Vice Minister of Works and made prefect of Heyang. Commentators held that Zhouxun had used Xun's words to expel his father, which showed a lack of proper judgment. He was transferred to Caizhou, granted the title Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent and retired, and promoted to Junior Preceptor. During the Huangyou era, he was ordered to attend the Bright Hall sacrifice; he claimed illness and did not go. One of his sons was granted jinshi status by imperial favor, and Bu was promoted to Junior Preceptor.
62
始，布歸洛中，作「五知堂」，謂知恩、知道、知命、知足、知幸也。 卒，贈太子太傅，諡恭惠。 子達，性亦恬遠，尚釋氏學，曆官為司封郎中。
When Bu first returned to Luoyang, he built the "Hall of Five Knowledges" — knowing gratitude, knowing the Way, knowing fate, knowing sufficiency, and knowing good fortune. He died; he was posthumously given the title Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, with the posthumous name Gonghui. His son Da was also tranquil and aloof by nature, devoted to Buddhist studies, and through successive offices reached director of the Seals Bureau.
63
高若訥
Gao Ruone
64
高若訥，字敏之，本幷州榆次人，徙家衛州。 進士及第，補彰德軍節度推官，改秘書省著作佐郎，再遷太常博士、知商河縣。 縣有職分田，而牛與種皆假於民，若訥獨廢不耕。
Gao Ruone, styled Minzhi, was originally from Yuci in Bingzhou; his family later moved to Weizhou. After passing the jinshi examination, he was appointed investigative officer of the Zhangde Army military commission; he was transferred to assistant compiler of the Secretariat and later promoted to Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and magistrate of Shanghe County. The county had official fields, but oxen and seed were borrowed from the people; Ruone alone let them lie fallow and refused to cultivate them.
65
御史知雜楊偕薦為監察御史裏行，遷尚書主客員外郎、殿中侍御史裏行。 改左司諫、同管勾國子監，遷起居舍人、知諫院。 時范仲淹坐言事奪職知睦州，余靖、尹洙論救仲淹，相繼貶斥。 歐陽修乃移書責若訥曰：「仲淹剛正，通古今，班行中無比。 以非辜逐，君為諫官不能辨，猶以面目見士大夫，出入朝廷，是不復知人間有羞恥事耶！ 今而後，決知足下非君子”」若訥忿，以其書奏，貶修夷陵令。 未幾，加直史館，以刑部員外郎兼侍御史知雜事。
Supervising censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs Yang Jie recommended him as probationary supervising censor; he was promoted to vice director of the Host-Guest Bureau and probationary palace censor. He was changed to Left Bureau remonstrator and concurrent superintendent of the Directorate of Education, then promoted to recorder of imperial movements and director of the Remonstrance Bureau. At the time Fan Zhongyan was stripped of office for speaking out and made prefect of Muzhou; Yu Jing and Yin Zhu argued in his defense and were successively demoted and expelled. Ouyang Xiu then sent a letter rebuking Ruone, saying, "Zhongyan is upright and firm, versed in past and present — unmatched among court officials. Innocently expelled, and you as remonstrator cannot speak for him — yet you still show your face among gentlemen and come and go at court. Do you no longer know that shame exists in this world? From now on, I am convinced you are no gentleman." Ruone was incensed and submitted the letter to court; Xiu was demoted to magistrate of Yiling. Before long, he was given directorship of the History Institute and, as vice director of Justice, concurrently served as attendant censor in charge of miscellaneous affairs.
66
王蒙正知蔡州，若訥言：「蒙正起裨販，因緣戚里得官。 向徙郴州，物論猶不平，今予之大州，可乎？」 詔寢其命。 大慶殿設祈福道場，若訥奏曰：「大慶殿非行禮不御，非法服不坐，國之路寢也，豈可聚老、釋為瀆慢？」 閻文應為入內都知，若訥言其肆橫不法，請出之，遂出文應為相州兵馬鈐轄。 又奏三公坐而論道，今二府對才數刻，何以盡萬機？ 宜賜坐從容，如唐延英故事。
Wang Mengzheng was to be prefect of Caizhou; Ruone said, "Mengzheng rose from peddling and gained office through imperial in-laws. Previously transferred to Chenzhou, public opinion was still not appeased; now to give him a major prefecture — is that acceptable?" The edict was withdrawn. A prayer ritual was set up in the Great Celebration Hall; Ruone memorialized, "The Great Celebration Hall is entered only for ceremonies and seated in only in proper ritual dress — it is the state's inner chamber. How can Daoist and Buddhist clergy be assembled there in irreverence?" Yan Wenying was inner palace director; Ruone said he acted outrageously and unlawfully and requested his removal; Wenying was therefore posted out as military commander of Xiangzhou. He also memorialized, "The Three Dukes were said to sit and discuss the Way; today the Two Departments face the throne for only a few quarters of an hour — how can they exhaust the myriad affairs of state?" They should be granted seats and allowed to discuss affairs at leisure, following the Tang precedent of the Yan Ying Hall.
67
擢天章閣待制、知永興軍，留判吏部流內銓，出為河東路都轉運使。 召還，兼侍讀、權判尚書刑部。 丁母憂，始許行服，給實俸終喪。 服除，加龍圖閣直學士、史館修撰，以右諫議大夫權御史中丞。 時宰相賈昌朝與參知政事吳育數爭事上前。 明年春，大旱，帝問所以然者，若訥曰：「陰陽不和，責在宰相。 《洪範》，大臣不肅，則雨不時若。」 於是昌朝及育皆罷，若訥遂代育為樞密副使。
He was promoted to Hanlin Secretariat attendant and military commissioner of Yongxing Army, retained to judge the Ministry of Personnel's flow inner selection board, then posted out as grand transport commissioner of Hedong Circuit. He was recalled, concurrently served as imperial reader, and was given acting charge of the Ministry of Justice. When his mother died, he entered mourning; for the first time he was permitted to observe the full mourning rites and was granted his full salary for the entire period. When mourning ended, he was made Dragon Hall academician and history compiler, and as Right Remonstrance Grandee he acted as censor-in-chief. At the time Chancellor Jia Changchao and co-administrator Wu Yu repeatedly quarreled over policy before the throne. The next spring there was a great drought; when the Emperor asked the cause, Ruone said, "Yin and yang are not in harmony — the blame lies with the chancellor. The Grand Plan says that when senior ministers are not reverent, rain does not come at the proper time." Thereupon both Changchao and Yu were dismissed, and Ruone then replaced Yu as Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council.
68
王則據貝州，討之，逾月未下。 或議招降，若訥言：「河朔重兵所積，今釋不討，後且啟亂階。」 及破城，知州張得一送御史臺劾治，有臣賊狀。 朝廷議貸死，若訥謂：「守臣不死，自當誅，況為賊屈？」 得一遂棄市。
Wang Ze seized Beizhou; government forces were sent against him, but after more than a month the city still had not fallen. Some proposed accepting surrender; Ruone said, "Hebei is where heavy troops are concentrated; if we now let him go unpunished, we will only invite rebellion later." When the city fell, prefect Zhang Deyi was sent to the Censorate for investigation, and evidence showed he had submitted to the bandits. The court discussed sparing his life; Ruone said, "A defending official who did not die should be executed in any case — how much more when he submitted to the rebels?" Deyi was therefore executed in the marketplace.
69
以工部侍郎、參知政事為樞密使。 凡內降恩，若訥多覆奏不行。 入內都知王守忠欲得節度使，固執為不可。 若訥畏惕少過，而前騶驅路人輒至死，御史奏彈之。 皇祐五年，罷為觀文殿學士兼翰林侍讀學士、尚書左丞、同群牧制置使、判尚書都省，止命舍人草詞。 卒，贈右僕射，諡文莊。
With the titles of Vice Minister of Works and co-administrator, he became Commissioner of the Privy Council. For all imperial grants of favor issued from within the palace, Ruone often submitted counter-memorials and blocked their implementation. Inner palace director Wang Shouzhong wished to obtain a military governorship, but Ruone firmly refused to allow it. Ruone was overly punctilious in ceremony, yet his outriders clearing the road often killed passersby; censors memorialized to impeach him. In the fifth year of Huangyou, he was dismissed and made Hall of Observed Culture academician, concurrent Hanlin reader academician, Left Vice Minister of State Affairs, joint livestock commissioner, and judge of the General Secretariat — a slight, for only an academy member was ordered to draft the appointment edict. He died; he was posthumously given the title Right Vice Director, with the posthumous name Wenzhuang.
70
若訥強學善記，自秦、漢以來諸傳記無不該通，尤喜申、韓、管子之書，頗明曆學。 因母病，遂兼通醫書，雖國醫皆屈伏。 張仲景《傷寒論訣》、孫思邈《方書》及《外台秘要》久不傳，悉考校訛謬行之，世始知有是書。 名醫多出衛州，皆本高氏學焉。
Ruone was a forceful scholar with an excellent memory; from Qin and Han onward he mastered every sort of biography and record; he especially favored the books of Shenzi, Han Feizi, and Master Guan, and was also well versed in calendrical studies. Because of his mother's illness, he also mastered medical texts, and even imperial physicians acknowledged his superiority. Zhang Zhongjing's Treatise on Cold Damage Key Points, Sun Simiao's Formularies, and the Arcane Essentials from the Imperial Library had long ceased to circulate; he collated their errors and published corrected editions, and the world first learned that these books existed. Most famous physicians came from Weizhou, all trained in the Gao family's medical tradition.
71
皇祐中，詔累黍定尺以製鍾律，爭論連年不決。 若訥以漢貨泉度一寸，依《隋書》定尺十五種上之。 並損益祠祭服器，悉施用。 有集二十卷。
During Huangyou, an edict ordered determining the standard foot measure by stacking millet grains in order to fix bell pitch pipes; debate continued for years without resolution. Ruone measured one inch by the Han huòquán coin and, following the Book of Sui, submitted fifteen standardized foot measures to the throne. He also revised sacrificial vestments and vessels, all of which were put into use. He left a collected works in twenty juan.
72
孫沔，字元規，越州會稽人。 中進士第，補趙州司理參軍。 跌蕩自放，不守士節，然材猛過人。 後以秘書丞為監察御史裏行。
Sun Mian, styled Yuangui, was a native of Kuaiji in Yuezhou. After passing the jinshi examination, he was appointed judicial assistant at Zhao Prefecture. He was unrestrained and self-indulgent, heedless of a scholar's propriety, yet his talent and boldness exceeded ordinary men. Later, as Secretariat assistant director, he served as probationary supervising censor.
73
時宰相呂夷簡求罷，仁宗優詔弗許。 沔上書言：「自夷簡當國，黜忠言，廢直道，及以使相出鎮許昌，乃薦王隨、陳堯叟代己。 才庸負重，謀議不協，忿爭中堂，取笑多士，政事寢廢。 又以張士遜冠台席，士遜本乏遠識，至隳國事。 蓋夷簡不進賢為社稷遠圖，但引不若己者為自固之計，欲使陛下知輔相之位非己不可，冀復思己而召用也。 陛下果召夷簡還，自大名入秉朝政，於茲三年，不更一事。 以姑息為安，以避謗為智。 西州將帥累以敗聞，契丹無厭，乘此求賂。 兵殲貨悖，天下空竭，刺史牧守，十不得一。 法令變易，士民怨嗟，隆盛之基，忽至於此。 今夷簡以病求退，陛下手和御藥，親寫德音，乃謂『恨不移卿之疾在於朕躬』，四方義士傳聞詔語，有泣下者。 夷簡在中書二十年，三冠輔相，所言無不聽，所請無不行，有宋得君，一人而已，未知何以為陛下報？ 天下皆稱賢而陛下不用者，左右毀之也； 皆謂憸邪而陛下不知者，朋黨蔽之也。 比契丹復盟，西夏款塞，公卿忻忻，日望和平。 若因此振紀綱，修廢墜，選賢任能，節用養兵，則景德、祥符之風，復見於今矣。 若恬然不顧，遂以為安，臣恐土崩瓦解，不可復救。 而夷簡意謂四方已寧，百度已正，欲因病默默而去，無一言啟沃上心，別白賢不肖，雖盡南山之竹，不足書其罪也。」
At the time Chancellor Lü Yijian asked to retire; Emperor Renzong issued a gracious edict refusing to allow it. Mian submitted a memorial saying, "Since Yijian took charge of the state, loyal words were dismissed and the straight path abandoned; when he left as envoy-minister to guard Xuchang, he recommended Wang Sui and Chen Yaosou to replace himself. Mediocre in talent yet burdened with weighty office, their counsels did not agree; they quarreled angrily in the central hall, became laughingstocks among scholars, and state affairs gradually ground to a halt. Zhang Shisun was also placed at the head of the Council secretariat; Shisun originally lacked far-sighted judgment and went so far as to ruin state affairs. The reason is that Yijian did not advance the worthy for the state's long-term good, but only brought in men inferior to himself to consolidate his own position, wishing to make Your Majesty believe the post of chancellor could not be filled without him, in the hope that You would again think of him and recall him to office. Your Majesty did indeed recall Yijian; from Daming he returned to hold court power, and in the three years since, not one thing has been changed. He takes indulgence for peace and avoidance of censure for wisdom. Western frontier generals repeatedly reported defeats; the Khitan, never satisfied, seized the opportunity to demand bribes. Armies were destroyed and goods depleted; the realm was emptied and exhausted; of prefects and governors, scarcely one in ten was competent. Laws and orders shifted back and forth; scholars and common people lamented; the foundation of prosperity had suddenly come to this. Now Yijian asks to retire on grounds of illness; Your Majesty personally blended imperial medicine and wrote gracious words, even saying, 'I regret that your illness cannot be transferred to my own body'; when principled men throughout the realm heard the edict, some wept. Yijian has been in the Secretariat for twenty years and three times stood as chief minister; whatever he said was heard and whatever he requested was granted — in all the Song dynasty, only one man has ever won such favor from his sovereign; who knows how he will repay Your Majesty? Those whom the realm calls worthy yet Your Majesty does not employ — it is because those at your side slander them; those whom all call corrupt yet Your Majesty does not recognize — it is because factions conceal them. Recently the Khitan renewed the alliance and Western Xia showed goodwill at the border; the ministers rejoice daily and look toward peace. If from this you revive discipline, restore what has fallen into ruin, select the worthy and employ the capable, economize and nourish the armies, then the spirit of the Jingde and Xianfu eras would again appear in our day. If you remain indifferent and take this for peace, your servant fears the realm will crumble beyond rescue. Yet Yijian believes the four quarters are already pacified and all affairs already put right; he wishes to depart silently on grounds of illness, without a word to nourish Your Majesty's mind or distinguish worthy from unworthy — even if you used all the bamboo on Nanshan, it would not suffice to record his crimes."
74
書聞，帝不之罪，議者喜其謇切。 居兩月，以天章閣待制為都轉運使，又遷禮部郎中，為環慶路都總管、安撫經略使、知慶州。 元昊死，諸將欲乘其隙，大舉滅之。 沔曰：「乘危伐喪，非中國體。」 三司所給特支，物惡而估高，軍士有語，優人因戲及之。 沔曰：「此朝廷特賜，何敢妄言動眾！」 命斬之徇。 將佐爭言：「此特戲爾，不足深罪也。」 沔徐呼還，杖脊配嶺南，謂之曰：「汝賴戲我前，即私議動眾，汝必死，而告者超遷矣。」 明日，給特支，士無敢歡者。
When the memorial was received, the Emperor did not punish him; commentators rejoiced at his forthright candor. After two months, he was made Hanlin attendant and grand transport commissioner; he was further promoted to director of the Rites Bureau and appointed grand commander of Huanqing Circuit, pacification and frontier commissioner, and prefect of Qing Prefecture. When Yuanhao died, the generals wished to seize the opportunity and launch a major campaign to destroy the Western Xia. Mian said, "Striking when they are in peril and attacking during mourning is not the way of the Central Kingdom." The special disbursements issued by the Three Departments were of poor quality but appraised at high value; soldiers complained, and entertainers in a play touched on the matter. Mian said, "This is a special grant from the court — how dare you rashly speak and stir up the troops!" He ordered the man beheaded as a public example. Staff officers protested, "This was merely a jest — not a crime deserving severe punishment." Mian slowly called him back, had him flogged and sentenced to exile in Lingnan, and told him, "If you rely on jesting before me, you will privately discuss and stir up the masses; you would surely die, but the informer would be super-promoted." The next day, when special disbursements were issued, no soldier dared complain.
75
歷知陝州、河東都轉運使，又知慶州，聚戰亡遺骸葬祭之，軍中感泣。 凡三知慶州，邊人服其能。 遷龍圖閣直學士，又遷樞密直學士、知成都府，未至，以母喪罷。 服除，為陝西都轉運使。 求知明州，會京東多盜，乃以知徐州，明購賞，嚴誅罰，盜遂止。
He served as prefect of Shaan Prefecture and Hedong grand transport commissioner; when he again governed Qing Prefecture, he gathered the remains of the battle dead for burial and sacrifice, and the army was moved to tears. He governed Qing Prefecture three times in all, and the frontier people respected his competence. He was promoted to Dragon Hall academician and further promoted to Privy Council academician and prefect of Chengdu, but before he arrived, he was stopped by his mother's death. When mourning ended, he was made Shaanxi grand transport commissioner. He requested Ming Prefecture, but as the eastern capital circuit had many bandits, he was instead made prefect of Xu Prefecture; he posted clear rewards and enforced severe punishments, and banditry ceased.
76
徙秦州，時儂智高反，沔入見，帝以秦事勉之。 對曰：「臣雖老，然秦州不足煩聖慮，陛下當以嶺南為憂也。 臣睹賊勢方張，官軍朝夕當有敗奏。」 明日，聞蔣偕死，帝諭執政曰：「南事誠如沔所料。」 宰相龐籍奏遣沔行，以為湖南、江西路安撫使，以便宜從事，加廣南東、西路安撫使。 沔請益發騎兵，且增選偏裨二十八人，求武庫精甲五千。 參知政事梁適折之曰：「毋張皇！」 沔曰：「前日惟亡備，故至此。 今指期滅賊，非可以僥幸勝，乃欲示鎮靜耶？ 夫實備不至而貌為鎮靜，危亡之道也。」 居二日，促行，才與兵七百。 沔憂賊度嶺而北，乃檄湖南、北曰：「大兵且至，其繕治營壘，多具宴犒。」 賊疑不敢北侵。 會遣狄青為宣撫使，沔與青會。 青與智高遇，戰歸仁鋪，智高敗走。 青還，沔留治後事，遷給事中。 及還，帝問勞，解御帶賜之，以知杭州。 至南京，召為樞密副使。
He was transferred to Qin Prefecture; when Nong Zhigao rebelled, Mian entered audience, and the Emperor encouraged him regarding affairs in Qin. He replied, "Your servant is old, but Qin Prefecture is not worth troubling Your Majesty's concern; Your Majesty ought to worry about the Lingnan region. I see the rebels' momentum is rising; government troops will soon be sending reports of defeat." The next day, news came of Jiang Xie's death; the Emperor told the chief ministers, "Southern affairs are indeed as Mian predicted." Chancellor Pang Ji memorialized to dispatch Mian; he was made Pacification Commissioner for Hunan and Jiangxi circuits with discretionary authority, and additionally made Pacification Commissioner for the Eastern and Western Guangnan circuits. Mian requested additional cavalry, the selection of twenty-eight additional junior commanders, and five thousand sets of fine armor from the armory. Co-administrator Liang Shi countered, "Do not alarm people! Mian said, "Previously we had no preparation — that is how we came to this. Now, to set a deadline for destroying the rebels — victory cannot be won by luck alone; or do you wish merely to show calm? If actual preparedness is not achieved yet outward calm is shown, that is the path to peril and ruin." Two days later he was urged to depart, but he was given only seven hundred troops. Mian feared the rebels would cross the mountains northward; he therefore sent dispatches to Hunan and Hubei saying, "A great army is about to arrive — repair your camps and prepare abundant feasts and rewards." The rebels suspected a trap and did not dare invade north. Meanwhile Di Qing was dispatched as pacification commissioner, and Mian joined forces with him. Qing met Zhigao in battle at Guiren Post; Zhigao was defeated and fled. Qing returned; Mian remained to handle the aftermath and was promoted to drafter of edicts. On his return, the Emperor inquired after him with commendation, removed his own belt and bestowed it on him, and made him prefect of Hangzhou. When he reached Nanjing, he was summoned as Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council.
77
詔按其跡，而使者奏：「沔在處州時，於遊人中見白牡丹者，遂誘與奸。 及在杭州，嘗從蕭山民鄭旻市紗，旻高其直，沔為恨。 會旻貿紗有隱而不稅者，事覺，沔取其家簿記，積計不稅者幾萬端，配隸旻他州。 州人許明有大珠百，沔妻弟邊珣以錢三萬三千強市之。 沔愛明所藏郭虔暉畫《鷹圖》，明不以獻。 初，明父禱水仙大王廟生明，故幼名「大王兒」。 沔即捕按明僭稱王，取其畫鷹，刺配之。 及沔罷去，明詣提點刑獄，斷一臂自訟，乃得釋。 杭州人金氏女，沔白晝使吏卒輿致，亂之。 有趙氏女已許嫁莘旦，沔見西湖上，遂設計取趙女至州宅，與飲食臥起。 所刺配人以百數，及罷，盜其按去，後有訴冤者多以無按，不能自解。 在幷州，私役使吏卒，往來青州、麟州市賣紗、絹、綿、紙、藥物。 官庭列大梃，或以暴怒擊訴事者，嘗剔取盜足後筋，斷之。」 奏至，乃責寧國節度副使，監司坐失察，皆被絀。 其後復光祿卿，分司南京，居宿州。 會恩，知濠州，以尚書禮部侍郎致仕。
An edict ordered an investigation of his conduct; the envoy reported, "When Mian was in Chuzhou, among travelers he saw a woman called White Peony and seduced her into illicit relations. In Hangzhou, he once bought gauze from the Xiangshan commoner Zheng Min; Min raised the price, and Mian bore a grudge. When Min's gauze trade was found to include undeclared and untaxed goods, Mian seized his household records; the accumulated untaxed goods totaled nearly ten thousand bolts, and Min was sentenced to penal service in another prefecture. A native of the prefecture, Xu Ming, owned a hundred large pearls; Mian's wife's younger brother Bian Xun forcibly purchased them for thirty-three thousand cash. Mian admired Ming's treasured painting Eagle by Guo Qianhui, but Ming would not give it to him. Initially, Ming's father had prayed at the Water Immortal King shrine for a son, and Ming was born; hence his childhood name King's Son. Mian immediately arrested Ming on the charge of presumptuously calling himself king, seized his Eagle painting, and sentenced him to tattooed exile. When Mian was dismissed and left office, Ming went to the judicial intendant, severed an arm to plead his own case, and was finally released. A Hangzhou woman surnamed Jin — Mian in broad daylight sent clerks and soldiers to carry her off by sedan and violated her. A woman surnamed Zhao had been promised in marriage to Shen Dan; Mian saw her on West Lake and schemed to take her to the prefectural residence, sharing meals and lodging with her. Those he sentenced to tattooed exile numbered in the hundreds; when he was dismissed, he stole the case files, and afterward many who petitioned about injustice could not be cleared for lack of records. In Bingzhou, he privately compelled clerks and soldiers to travel between Qing and Linzhou selling gauze, silk, cotton, paper, and medicines. In the official hall he arrayed great cudgels; in fits of rage he sometimes beat those bringing lawsuits, and once he stripped a thief's Achilles tendon and severed it." When the memorial arrived, Mian was demoted to vice military governor of Ningguo; supervisory officials were punished for failure to oversee, and all received demerits. Afterward he was restored as Director of the Court of Imperial Entertainments, honorary appointee at Nanjing, and resided in Suzhou. On a grace amnesty, he was made prefect of Hao and retired as Vice Minister of Rites.
78
英宗即位，遷戶部。 帝與執政議守邊者，難其人，參知政事歐陽修奏：「孫沔向守環慶，養練士卒，招撫蕃夷，恩信最著。 今雖七十，心力不衰，中間曾以罪廢，然宜棄瑕使過。」 遂起為資政殿學士、知河中府，又以為觀文殿學士、知慶州，徙延州，道卒。
When Emperor Yingzong acceded, he was promoted to the Ministry of Revenue. The emperor discussed border defense with his chief ministers but could find no suitable candidate; councilor Ouyang Xiu memorialized: "Sun Mian once held Huan and Qing, trained troops, and won over frontier tribes—none was more trusted. Though he is seventy, his mind and strength have not declined; he was once dismissed for an offense, yet his faults should be set aside and his past service employed." He was recalled as academician of the Hall for Cultivating Governance and made prefect of Hezhong, then academician of the Hall for Viewing Culture and prefect of Qingzhou, transferred to Yanzhou, and died on the road.
79
沔居官以才力聞，強直少所憚，然喜宴遊女色，故中間坐廢。 妻邊氏悍妒，為一時所傳。 初，陝西用兵，朝廷多假邊帥倚以集事，近臣出帥或驕恣越法。 及沔廢後，真定路安撫使呂溱繼得罪，自此守帥之權宜微矣。
Mian was known in office for talent and energy; he was forceful and straightforward and feared little, yet he delighted in feasting, travel, and women, and so was dismissed midway through his career. His wife, Lady Bian, was fierce and jealous—a story widely told in her day. Earlier, during the Shaanxi campaigns, the court often relied on frontier commanders to get things done, and close ministers sent out as commanders sometimes grew arrogant and overstepped the law. After Mian was dismissed, Zhending Circuit pacification commissioner Lü Zhen likewise fell afoul of the law; from then on frontier commanders held appropriately less power.
80
論曰：君子惟能立身，而後可以佐國。 中正、起自陷朋黨，遵、稹憸邪，沔頗知兵而以汙敗。 琳有才器，能斷大事，然獻《武后臨朝圖》於章獻，君子鄙之。 雍任邊寄而覆軍敗將，幾不自保。 若訥喜申、韓、管子之書，中師、布少所建明，殆亦未足與議也。
The commentator says: a gentleman must first establish himself before he can serve the state. Zhongzheng and Qi fell through factional entanglement; Zun and Zhen were crafty and corrupt; Mian knew warfare well yet was ruined by misconduct. Lin had talent and could decide great affairs, yet he presented the Illustration of Empress Wu Holding Court to Empress Dowager Zhangxian—men of principle despised him for it. Yong was entrusted with the frontier yet lost armies and defeated generals, and nearly could not save himself. Ruone delighted in the books of Shenzi, Han Feizi, and Master Guan; Zhongshi and Bu accomplished little of note—they were scarcely worth discussing.