1
何鑄，字伯壽，餘杭人。 登政和五年進士第，歷官州縣，入為諸王宮大小學教授、秘書郎。 御史中丞廖剛薦鑄操履勁正，可備拾遺補闕之選。 即命對。 鑄首陳：「動天之德莫大於孝，感物之道莫過於誠。 誠孝既至，則歸梓宮於陵寢，奉兩宮于魏闕，紹大業，復境土，又何難焉。」 帝嘉納之。
He Zhu, whose style name was Boshou, came from Yuhang. He passed the jinshi examination in 1115, served in various prefectural and county offices, and entered central government as professor of the great and small schools for the imperial clansmen and as a Secretariat attendant. Vice Censor-in-Chief Liao Gang recommended Zhu for his firm, upright character, deeming him fit for a remonstrance and censorial post. He was immediately summoned for an audience. Zhu spoke first: "Of virtues that move Heaven, none is greater than filial piety; of ways to move all things, none surpasses sincerity. When sincerity and filial piety are complete, returning the late emperor's coffin to the imperial mausoleum, bringing the two palaces back to the capital, renewing the great enterprise, and recovering lost territory—what could be difficult?" The emperor praised and accepted his words.
2
拜監察御史，尋遷殿中侍御史。 上疏論：「士大夫心術不正，徇虛以掠名，託名以規利。 言不由中而首尾向背，行險自售而設意相傾者，為事君之失。 懷險巇之謀，行刻薄之政，輕儇不莊，慢易無禮者，為行己之失。 乞大明好惡，申飭中外，各務正其心術，毋或欺誕。」 蓋有所指也。 時遷溫州諸宮殿神像於湖州，有司迎奉，所過騷然。 鑄言：「孝莫大于寧神，寧神莫大于得四海之歡心。 浙東旱荒，若加勤動，恐道路怨咨。 乞務從簡約，不得過為騷擾。」 疏奏，其事遂已。 擢右諫議大夫。 論：「中興之功，在於立志，天下之事濟與否，在於思與不思。 願陛下事無大小，精思熟慮，求其至當而行。 如是，則事無過舉矣。」 尋拜御史中丞。
He was appointed supervising censor and soon promoted to palace censor. He submitted a memorial arguing that when scholars' moral intent was corrupt, they pursued empty show to seize reputation and used reputation to seek profit. Speaking without sincerity while shifting between sides, acting deviously to advance themselves and scheming to bring one another down—these were failures in serving the ruler. Harbouring treacherous designs, enforcing harsh policies, behaving with frivolity and disrespect—these were failures in personal conduct. I beg Your Majesty to make clear what is approved and condemned, to admonish court and country alike, and that each person correct his moral intent and cease all deception." This was understood to be aimed at someone in particular. At that time the palace icons from Wenzhou were being moved to Huzhou; officials went out to receive them, and every place they passed was thrown into uproar. Zhu said: "In filial piety nothing surpasses giving peace to the spirits; in giving peace to the spirits nothing surpasses winning the hearts of all under Heaven. Eastern Zhejiang was stricken by drought and famine; if further strenuous movement were imposed, I feared complaint and resentment along the roads. I beg that everything be kept simple and restrained, and that there be no excessive harassment of the people." Once the memorial was submitted, the matter was dropped. He was promoted to right remonstrator. He argued: "The work of restoration depends on setting one's purpose; whether affairs under Heaven succeed depends on whether one thinks them through. I hope Your Majesty, in matters great and small, will reflect carefully, seek what is most fitting, and act accordingly. If so, nothing undertaken will go beyond what is proper." Shortly afterward he was appointed vice censor-in-chief.
3
先是，秦檜力主和議，大將岳飛有戰功，金人所深忌，檜惡其異己，欲除之，脅飛故將王貴上變，逮飛繫大理獄，先命鑄鞫之。 鑄引飛至庭，詰其反狀。 飛袒而示之背，背有舊涅「盡忠報國」四大字，深入膚理。 既而閱實俱無驗，鑄察其冤，白之檜。 檜不悅曰：「此上意也。」 鑄曰：「鑄豈區區為一岳飛者，強敵未滅，無故戮一大將，失士卒心，非社稷之長計。」 檜語塞，改命万俟卨。 飛死獄中，子雲斬於市。
Earlier Qin Hui had strongly advocated peace. The great general Yue Fei had won repeated victories and was deeply feared by the Jurchens. Hui resented him for opposing his views and wished to destroy him. He coerced Fei's former subordinate Wang Gui to lodge an accusation, had Fei arrested and imprisoned in the Court of Judicial Review, and first ordered Zhu to conduct the interrogation. Zhu brought Fei into court and questioned him concerning the charge of treason. Fei bared his back and showed it to them; on his back were the four characters tattooed long before, "Serve the state with utmost loyalty," cut deep into the flesh. When the facts were examined, nothing was substantiated. Zhu saw that Fei had been wronged and reported this to Hui. Hui said displeased, "This is the emperor's will." Zhu said, "It is not that I care only for Yue Fei alone. The powerful enemy is not yet destroyed; to kill a great general without cause would lose the soldiers' hearts. That is no long-term plan for the state." Hui was left without a reply and reassigned the case to Wan Qixie. Fei died in prison, and his son Yun was executed in public.
4
檜銜鑄。 時金遣蕭毅、邢具瞻來議事，檜言：「先帝梓宮未反，太后鑾輿尚遷朔方，非大臣不可祈請。」 乃以鑄為端明殿學士、簽書樞密院事為報謝使。 鑄曰：「是行猶顏真卿使李希烈也，然君命不可辭。」 既返命，檜諷万俟卨使論鑄私岳飛為不反，欲竄諸嶺表，帝不從，止謫徽州。
Hui bore a grudge against Zhu. At that time the Jin sent Xiao Yi and Xing Juzhan to negotiate. Hui said, "The late emperor's coffin has not yet returned, and the empress dowager's carriage is still in the north. Only a senior minister can be sent to petition on these matters." Zhu was therefore appointed gentleman of the Hall of Brilliant Stars and deputy commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, and sent as envoy to return thanks. Zhu said, "This mission is like Yan Zhenqing's embassy to Li Xilie, yet a subject cannot refuse his ruler's command." After he returned and reported on his mission, Hui prompted Wan Qixie to accuse Zhu of privately favouring Yue Fei and denying his guilt, seeking to banish him beyond the Lingnan passes. The emperor did not agree and only demoted him to Huizhou.
5
時有使金者還，言金人問鑄安在，曾用否。 於是復使知溫州。 未幾，以端明殿學士提舉萬壽觀兼侍讀，召赴行在，力辭。 乃再遣使金，使事秘而不傳。 既歸報，帝復許以大用，又力請祠，除資政殿學士、知徽州。 居數月，提舉江州太平興國宮。 卒，年六十五。
At that time an envoy returning from the Jin reported that the Jurchens had asked where Zhu was and whether he had ever been employed. He was therefore again appointed prefect of Wenzhou. Before long he was made gentleman of the Hall of Brilliant Stars with charge of the Longevity Abbey and concurrent palace reader, summoned to the temporary capital, and firmly declined. He was then sent again as envoy to the Jin; the mission was kept secret and its details were not made public. After he returned and reported, the emperor again promised him high office, but he again firmly begged for a sinecure and was made scholar of the Hall of Assisting Governance and prefect of Huizhou. After several months he was put in charge of the Taiping Xingguo Abbey in Jiangzhou. He died at the age of sixty-five.
6
鑄孝友廉儉。 既貴，無屋可居，止寓佛寺。 其辨岳飛之冤，亦人所難。 然紹興己未以後，遍歷臺諫，所論如趙鼎、李光、周葵、范沖、孫近諸人，未免迎望風旨，議者以此少之。 至於慈寧歸養，梓宮復還，雖鑄祈請之力，而金謀蓋素定矣。
Zhu was filial, devoted to his brothers, honest, and frugal. Once he had risen to high rank he still had no house of his own and lodged only in Buddhist temples. His willingness to recognize Yue Fei's innocence was also what others found difficult to do. Yet after the jiwei year of Shaoxing, as he served in censorial and remonstrance posts, his prosecutions of men such as Zhao Ding, Li Guang, Zhou Kui, Fan Chong, and Sun Jin could not avoid echoing the prevailing wind; critics therefore thought less of him for this. As for the return of the Empress Dowager to Cining Palace and the return of the late emperor's coffin, though Zhu had a hand in petitioning for them, the Jin's plans had long been settled.
7
先是，金諸將皆已厭兵欲和，難自己發，故使檜盡室航海而歸，密有成約。 紹興以後，我師屢捷，金欲和益堅。 至是，遣鑄銜命，蓋檜之陰謀，以鑄嘗爭岳飛之獄，而飛竟死，使金知之而其議速諧也。
Earlier the Jin generals had all grown weary of war and wished for peace but found it hard to propose this themselves; they therefore had Hui bring his entire household back by sea, with a secret agreement already in place. After Shaoxing our armies won repeated victories, and the Jin desire for peace grew all the stronger. Sending Zhu on this mission was Hui's hidden design: Zhu had once contested Yue Fei's case, yet Fei had still died in the end. By letting the Jin know this, Hui hoped their negotiations would quickly succeed.
8
鑄死四十餘年，諡「通惠」，其家辭焉。 嘉定初，改諡「恭敏」。
More than forty years after Zhu's death he was given the posthumous title Tonghui, but his family declined it. At the beginning of the Jiading reign it was changed to Gongmin.
9
王次翁
Wang Ciweng
10
王次翁，字慶曾，濟南人。 聚徒授業，齊、魯多從遊者，入太學，貧甚，夜持書就旁舍借燈讀之。 禮部別頭試第一，授恩州司理參軍，歷婺州教授、辟雍博士，出知道州。
Wang Ciweng, whose style name was Qingzeng, came from Jinan. He gathered students and taught; many from Qi and Lu came to study with him. He entered the Imperial Academy in great poverty and at night would take his books to a neighbour's house to read by their lamp. He ranked first in the special Ministry of Rites examination, was appointed judicial assistant in Enzhou, served as professor in Wuzhou and erudite in the Imperial University, and was later sent out as prefect of Daozhou.
11
燕雲之役，取免夫錢不及期，輒以乏興論。 次翁檄取屬邑丁籍，視民產高下以為所輸多寡之數，約期受輸，不擾而集。 除廣西轉運判官。 時劇盜馬友、孔彥舟、曹成更據長沙，帥檄漕司預鳩糧芻三十萬以備調發，次翁即以具報，吏愕眙，次翁曰：「兵未必發，先擾民可乎？ 吾以一路常平上供計之，不啻三十萬。」 已而賊不犯境。 召對，論事不合，出知處州，乞祠，歸寓於婺。
During the campaign for Yan and Yun, if collection of corvée exemption payments fell behind schedule, officials were immediately impeached for depleting state resources. Ciweng ordered the household registers of the subordinate counties taken up, assessed each household's wealth to determine how much it should pay, fixed dates for collection, and gathered the funds without disturbing the people. He was appointed transport judicial commissioner of Guangxi. At that time the fierce bandits Ma You, Kong Yanzhou, and Cao Cheng held Changsha in turn. The military commissioner ordered the transport office to prepare three hundred thousand units of grain and fodder in advance for mobilization. Ciweng immediately reported what was already on hand. The clerks stared in astonishment. Ciweng said, "The troops may never be sent—should we disturb the people first? If I calculate the regular Ever-Normal granary tribute and upper submissions for this circuit alone, it comes to no less than three hundred thousand." Before long the bandits did not invade the region. Summoned to audience, his views did not accord with the court's; he was sent out as prefect of Chuzhou, begged a sinecure post, and returned to lodge in Wuzhou.
12
呂頤浩帥長沙，辟為參謀官。 頃之，力乞致仕。 秦檜召還，道出婺，次翁見之。 樓炤言：「頤浩與次翁同郡，頤浩再相，次翁貧困至此。」 檜笑曰：「非其類也。」 檜居朝，遂以為吏部員外郎，遷秘書少監，除起居舍人，遷中書舍人。 劉光世除使相，奏以文資蔭其子，次翁執奏繳還。
When Lü Yihao commanded Changsha he recruited Ciweng as a staff planning officer. Shortly afterward he strenuously begged to retire. When Qin Hui was recalled to court he passed through Wuzhou on the road, and Ciweng met him. Lou Zhao said, "Yihao and Ciweng are from the same commandery. Yihao served twice as chief minister, yet Ciweng has fallen into such poverty." Hui smiled and said, "He is not of that sort." Once Hui was back in power at court, Ciweng was made an outer-office director in the Ministry of Personnel, promoted to vice director of the Secretariat, appointed academy attendant, and then promoted to drafting secretary of the Secretariat-Chancellery. When Liu Guangshi was made a military commissioner he memorialized to grant his son a civil-service yin privilege. Ciweng held the memorial and returned it unapproved.
13
除工部侍郎兼侍講。 蜀闕帥，宰執擬次翁以聞。 帝以次翁明經術，留兼資善堂翊善。 改御史中丞。 論趙鼎不法，罷知泉州。 部差李泗為鄂州巡檢，而湖北宣撫使不可，次翁言：「法令沮於下，而不知朝廷之尊，漸不可長。」 帝令詰宣撫司。 宣贊舍人陳諤、孫崇節即閤門受旨升轉，次翁言：「閤門徑自畫旨，不由三省，非祖宗法。」 寢弗命。 呼延通因內教出不遜語，次翁乞斬通以肅軍，且言：「著令，寸鐵入皇城者有常刑。」 遂罷內教。
He was appointed vice minister of works and concurrent lecturer. When Sichuan lacked a military commissioner, the chief ministers proposed Ciweng and reported this to the emperor. Because Ciweng was versed in the classics, the emperor kept him at court as concurrent tutor-in-ordinary of the Zishan Hall. He was transferred to vice censor-in-chief. He prosecuted Zhao Ding for illegal conduct; Ding was dismissed and made prefect of Quanzhou. The ministry assigned Li Si as patrol inspector of Ezhou, but the Hubei pacification commissioner refused to approve the appointment. Ciweng said, "When laws are blocked below without regard for the court's authority, such a trend cannot be allowed to grow." The emperor ordered the pacification office to be questioned. The palace complimenters Chen E and Sun Chongjie received immediate promotions through the Gate of Coherence. Ciweng said, "For the Gate of Coherence to draft promotions on its own without passing through the Three Departments is not the law of the founding ancestors." The orders were shelved and not issued. Huyan Tong spoke impertinently because of equestrian instruction in the inner palace. Ciweng begged that Tong be executed to discipline the army and added, "By established ordinance, anyone who brings so much as an inch of iron into the Imperial City is subject to a fixed penalty." Inner equestrian instruction was thereupon abolished.
14
韓世忠與劉光世、張俊與劉錡皆不相能，次翁言：「世忠於光世因言議有隙，俊於錡由措置有睽。 竊恐錡保一孤壘，光世軍處窮，獨俊與世忠不肯急援。 願遣使切責，因用郭子儀、李光弼以忠義泣別相勉者感動之。」
Han Shizhong and Liu Guangshi, Zhang Jun and Liu Qi—all were at odds with one another. Ciweng said, "Shizhong and Guangshi are estranged because of words exchanged in council; Jun and Qi are divided over arrangements that were made. I fear that while Qi holds a lone fortress and Guangshi's army is in dire straits, Jun and Shizhong alone will refuse to hurry to their aid. I hope envoys will be sent to reprimand them sternly and, by recalling how Guo Ziyi and Li Guangbi once parted in tears exhorting one another with loyalty and righteousness, move them to act."
15
金人敗盟入侵，次翁為秦檜言於帝曰：「前日國是，初無主議，事有小變則更用他相，後來者未必賢於前人，而排斥異黨，收召親故，紛紛非累月不能定，于國事初無補。 願陛下以為至戒，無使小人異議乘間而入。」 檜德之。 先是，檜兄子與其內兄王奐皆以恩幸得官，檜初罷政，二人擯斥累年。 至是，次翁希檜旨，言：「吏部之有審量，皆暴揚君父過舉，得無傷陛下孝治。 乞悉罷建炎、紹興前後累降指揮。」 由是二人驟進。
When the Jurchens broke the treaty and invaded, Ciweng spoke to the emperor on Qin Hui's behalf: "In the past the national policy had no fixed advocate. Whenever something slight changed, another chief minister was appointed. The successor was not necessarily more capable than his predecessor, yet each expelled the rival faction and recalled his own associates. The turmoil could not be settled in less than many months, and at the outset it did nothing for state affairs. I hope Your Majesty will take this as the gravest warning and not let petty men with divergent opinions slip in through the opening." Hui was grateful to him. Earlier Hui's nephew and his wife's brother Wang Huan had both obtained office through favour. When Hui was first removed from power, the two had been excluded for many years. At this time Ciweng, courting Hui's intent, said, "Whenever the Ministry of Personnel conducts its examinations and assessments, it openly exposes the ruler-father's mistaken actions. Might this not harm Your Majesty's governance of filial piety? I beg that all imperial directives issued cumulatively before and after the Jianyan and Shaoxing reigns be entirely abolished." Thereupon the two men rose rapidly in rank.
16
初，次翁既論罷趙鼎，鼎歸會稽，上書言時政。 檜忌鼎復用，乃令次翁又言之，乞顯置於法。 且言：「特進乃宰相階官，鼎雖謫降，而階官如故，是未嘗罷相也。」 遂降散官，謫居興化軍。 右諫議大夫何鑄又論鼎罪重罰輕，降朝奉大夫，移漳州。 檜意猶未厭，次翁又論：「鼎聞邊警，喜見顏色。 繩以漢法，當伏不道之誅； 責以《春秋》，當坐誅意之罰。 雖再行貶責，然朝奉大夫視中大夫品秩不相遼，漳州比興化尤為善地，以此示罰，人將玩刑。」 再移潮州安置。
Earlier, after Ciweng had prosecuted and dismissed Zhao Ding, Ding returned to Kuaiji and memorialized on current affairs. Hui feared that Ding might be recalled to office and therefore had Ciweng speak again, begging that he be clearly punished according to law. He added, "Special eminence is a chief-minister rank. Though Ding was demoted and banished, his rank remained unchanged—thus he had never truly been dismissed from the chief ministership." Ding was thereupon reduced to a scattered official rank and banished to live in the Xinghua army. Right remonstrator He Zhu again argued that Ding's crime was grave and his punishment too light. Ding was demoted to court gentleman for ceremonial offerings and moved to Zhangzhou. Hui was still not satisfied. Ciweng prosecuted again: "When Ding heard of the border alarm he showed joy in his countenance. Under Han law he should suffer execution for an unorthodox capital crime; under the Spring and Autumn Annals he should bear punishment for intent to commit a capital offense. Although Zhao Ding was demoted and censured again, the title of Chaofeng dafu differed little in rank from zhong dafu, and Zhangzhou was an even more agreeable posting than Xinghua; punishments meted out in this fashion, Ciweng argued, would only invite contempt for the law. Zhao Ding was accordingly transferred once more and placed under residence restriction at Chaozhou.
17
次翁除參知政事。 兩浙轉運司牒試，主司觀望，檜與次翁子侄預選者數人，士論大駭。 金人敗於柘皋，帝曰：「將帥成不戰劫敵之功，乃輔弼奇謀指縱之力。」 除一子職名。
Wang Ciweng was appointed Vice Grand Councilor. When the Two Zhe Transport Commission held its dispatch examination, the chief examiner looked to those in power for guidance, and several preselected candidates turned out to be sons and nephews of Qin Hui and Ciweng; educated opinion was appalled. After the Jurchens were defeated at Zhegao, the emperor said, "Though the commanders won merit by pressing the attack and defeating the enemy, it was really the ministers' extraordinary plans and strategic direction that made it possible. He accordingly granted one of his sons an honorary office title.
18
檜召三大將論功行賞，岳飛未至。 檜與次翁謀，以明日率世忠、俊置酒湖上，欲出，則語直省官曰：「姑待岳少保來。」 益令堂廚豐其燕具，如此展期以待者六七日。 飛既至，皆除樞密使，罷兵柄。 次翁歸語其子伯庠曰：「吾與秦相謀之久矣。」
Qin Hui summoned the three great generals to the court to discuss merit and dispense rewards, but Yue Fei had not yet arrived. Qin Hui plotted with Ciweng to take Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun out the next day for a banquet on the lake. Each time he was about to leave, he told the court official on direct duty, "Wait a little longer for Vice Marshal Yue to arrive. He also ordered the hall kitchens to lavishly provision the banquet, and in this way kept putting the affair off and waiting for six or seven days. Once Yue Fei arrived, all three were appointed Privy Councilors and stripped of their military commands. On returning home, Ciweng told his son Boxiang, "Your father and Chancellor Qin had been plotting this for a long time."
19
太后回鑾，次翁為奉迎扈從禮儀使。 初，太后貸金于金使以犒從者，至境，金使責償乃入。 次翁以未得檜命，且懼檜疑其私相結納，欲攘其位，堅不肯償，相持境上凡三日，中外憂慮，副使王奐裒金與之。 太后歸，泣訴於帝曰：「王次翁大臣，不顧國家利害，萬一有變，則我子母不相見矣。」 帝震怒，欲暴其罪誅之。 次翁先白檜謂所以然者，以未嘗稟命，故不敢專。 檜大喜，力為營救，奏為報謝使以避帝怒。
When the empress dowager returned to court, Ciweng served as commissioner for the rites of welcome and escort. Earlier the empress dowager had borrowed gold from the Jin envoy to reward her attendants. When she reached the border, the Jin envoy demanded repayment before he would enter Song territory. Ciweng, having received no instructions from Qin Hui and fearing that Qin Hui would suspect him of privately colluding with the Jin to seize his post, firmly refused to pay. The standoff at the border lasted three days, alarming court and country alike, until the deputy envoy Wang Huan collected gold and paid the debt. After her return, the empress dowager wept before the emperor and said, "Wang Ciweng is a senior minister, yet he gave no thought to the interests of the state; had anything gone wrong, my son and I would never have seen each other again. The emperor was furious and wanted to expose Ciweng's offenses and put him to death. Ciweng first explained to Qin Hui that he had acted as he did because he had never received instructions and therefore did not dare decide the matter on his own. Qin Hui was delighted and worked hard to save him, memorializing to appoint him envoy of gratitude and response so as to remove him from the emperor's wrath.
20
使還，帝立中宮，奏為冊寶副使，帝終惡之。 檜諭次翁辭位，遂以資政殿學士奉祠，引年歸，居明州。 檜憐之，饋問不絕。 十九年，卒，年七十一，贈宣奉大夫，諸子婿親戚族人添差浙東者又數人，皆檜為開陳也。 檜擅國十九年，凡居政府者，莫不以微忤出去，終始不二者，惟次翁爾。
When Ciweng returned from his mission, the emperor was installing the empress, and Ciweng was appointed vice envoy for the investiture regalia, but the emperor still detested him. Qin Hui urged Ciweng to resign. He was then given a temple appointment as Scholar of the Hall for Aid in Governance, retired on grounds of age, and settled in Ming Prefecture. Qin Hui continued to show him favor, and gifts and inquiries never ceased. In the nineteenth year of Shaoxing he died at the age of seventy-one and was posthumously granted the title Xuanfeng dafu. Several more of his sons, sons-in-law, relatives, and clansmen received supernumerary appointments in eastern Zhejiang—all arranged through Qin Hui's patronage. Qin Hui dominated the state for nineteen years. Of all who served in the central government, none escaped dismissal over the slightest offense—only Ciweng remained in favor from beginning to end.
21
范同，字擇善，建康人。 登政和五年第，再中宏詞科，累官至吏部員外郎。 與秦檜力主和議。 紹興八年，假太常少卿接伴金使蕭哲、張通古入境，同北向再拜，問金主起居，軍民見者多流涕。 除中書門下省檢正諸房公事，權吏部侍郎兼實錄院修撰，遷給事中。
Fan Tong, courtesy name Zeshan, was a native of Jiankang. He passed the metropolitan examinations in the fifth year of Zhenghe, twice passed the Hongci examination, and rose through successive posts to Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel. Together with Qin Hui he vigorously advocated peace with the Jin. In the eighth year of Shaoxing, while serving as acting Vice Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, he received and escorted the Jin envoys Xiao Zhe and Zhang Tonggu into Song territory. Fan Tong bowed twice facing north and inquired after the Jin emperor's health; many soldiers and civilians who witnessed it wept. He was appointed checker of the various bureaus in the Secretariat-Chancellery, acting Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel and concurrently compiler at the Veritable Records Institute, and was later promoted to Supervising Censor.
22
十一年，檜再主和議，患諸將難制，同獻計於檜，請皆除樞府，罷其兵權。 檜喜，乃密奏以柘皋之捷，召三大將赴行在，論功行賞。 同入對，帝命與林待聘分草三制，世忠、俊樞密使，飛副使，並宣押赴樞府治事。 張俊與檜意合，且覺朝廷欲罷兵權，即首納所統兵。 帝召同入對，復以同為翰林學士，俄拜參知政事兼修實錄。
In the eleventh year Qin Hui again took charge of the peace negotiations and worried that the generals would be difficult to control. Fan Tong proposed that they all be appointed to the Privy Council and stripped of their military commands. Qin Hui was delighted and secretly memorialized that, in light of the victory at Zhegao, the three great generals should be summoned to the temporary capital to discuss merit and dispense rewards. When Fan Tong was summoned for audience, the emperor ordered him and Lin Daipin to draft three edicts: Han Shizhong and Zhang Jun were made Privy Councilors and Yue Fei Vice Privy Councilor. All three were announced, escorted, and sent to the Privy Council to take up their duties. Zhang Jun shared Qin Hui's intentions and, seeing that the court meant to strip the generals of their commands, was the first to surrender the troops under his command. The emperor summoned Fan Tong for audience, again appointed him Hanlin Academician, and soon afterward made him Vice Grand Councilor with concurrent responsibility for compiling the Veritable Records.
23
同始贊和議，為檜所引，及在政府，或自奏事，檜忌之。 万俟卨因論：「同貳政之初，首為遷葬之議，自建康至信州，調夫治道，怨嗟籍籍。 近朝廷收天下兵柄，歸之宥密，同輒于稠人中貪天功以為己有。」 遂罷與祠。 檜意未已，卨再論，責授左朝奉郎、秘書少監，謫居筠州。
Fan Tong had first supported the peace negotiations and been promoted by Qin Hui, but once in office he sometimes memorialized on his own initiative, and Qin Hui came to resent him. Moqi Xie thereupon impeached him, saying, "At the start of Fan Tong's tenure as vice councilor, he first proposed relocating the imperial tombs. From Jiankang to Xin Prefecture corvée laborers were mobilized to repair the roads, and complaints filled the land. Recently, when the court gathered military authority throughout the realm and returned it to the Privy Council, Fan Tong presumptuously claimed credit for Heaven's work as his own before a crowded assembly. Fan Tong was thereupon dismissed and given a temple appointment. Qin Hui was still not satisfied. Xie prosecuted again, and Fan Tong was demoted to Left Chaofeng lang and Vice Director of the Secretariat and exiled to Yun Prefecture.
24
十四年，復朝奉大夫，提舉江州太平觀，移池州。 十八年，復太中大夫、知太平州。 卒，年五十二。
In the fourteenth year he was restored to Chaofeng dafu and made superintendent of the Taiping Abbey in Jiang Prefecture, then transferred to Chi Prefecture. In the eighteenth year he was restored to Grandee of Palace Attendance and appointed prefect of Taiping Prefecture. He died at the age of fifty-two.
25
楊愿，字原仲。 宣和末，補太學錄。 二帝北遷，金人聞愿名，索之，愿匿民間。 上書執政，請迎復元祐皇后。 又奔濟州元帥府勸進，辟為屬。
Yang Yuan, courtesy name Yuanzhong. At the end of the Xuanhe era he was appointed recorder of the Imperial Academy. When the two emperors were taken north, the Jurchens heard Yang Yuan's name and sought him out, but he hid among the common people. He submitted a memorial to the chief ministers requesting that Empress Yuanyou be welcomed back and restored. He also rushed to the marshal's headquarters at Ji Prefecture to urge Gaozong's enthronement and was recruited as an aide.
26
檜既專政，召為秘書丞。 未幾，拜監察御史。 臺長言愿資淺，當先歷郎官，改司封員外郎，遷右司，起居舍人兼權中書舍人。 初修玉牒，特以命愿，愿言：「玉牒當載靖康推戴趙氏事，以秦檜建議本末書之。」
Once Qin Hui monopolized the government, Yang Yuan was summoned to serve as secretary of the Secretariat. Before long he was appointed investigating censor. The censor-in-chief said Yang Yuan's qualifications were insufficient and that he should first serve as a bureau official. He was reassigned as Vice Director of the Bureau of Enfeoffments, transferred to the Right Office, and made diarist and acting drafting secretary of the Secretariat. When the imperial genealogy was first being compiled, the task was specially entrusted to Yang Yuan. He said, "The genealogy should record the Jingkang enthronement of the Zhao house and set forth in full the course of Qin Hui's proposal."
27
十三年，權直學士院，充金國賀正旦接伴使。 金使完顏畢入境，猶欲據主席，中使傳宣，畢不迎拜，愿以禮折之，皆聽服。 及還，就充送伴使。 十四年，為御史中丞。 逾月，升端明殿學士、簽書樞密院事兼參知政事，仍兼修玉牒。
In the thirteenth year he served as acting director of the Hanlin Academy and as receiving envoy for the Jin New Year's congratulations mission. When the Jin envoy Wanyan Bi entered Song territory he still tried to take the seat of honor. The palace envoy announced the imperial decree, but Bi did not come forward to bow in reception. Yang Yuan rebuked him on grounds of ritual propriety, and all complied. On his return he was immediately appointed escorting envoy. In the fourteenth year he was appointed Vice Censor-in-Chief. After little more than a month he was promoted to Scholar of the Hall of Eastern Brilliance, designated signer of the Privy Council, and Vice Grand Councilor, while retaining charge of compiling the imperial genealogy.
28
十五年罷，提舉太平觀。 初，愿與張擴並居西掖，一時書命，藉擴潤色。 擴詠《二毫筆詩》，愿以為誚己，訴於檜，訹御史李文會劾之。 高閌侍經筵，帝問張九成安否，翌日，又問檜，檜曰：「九成以唱異惑眾，為臺臣所論，予郡，乃力乞祠。 觀其意，終不為陛下用。」 帝曰：「九成清貧，不可無祿。」 檜疑閌薦之，以語愿，愿又嗾文會攻閌去。 藤州守臣言遷客李光作詩諷刺時政，愿在中司，傅會其說，謂：「光縱橫傾險，子弟賓客往來吳、越，誘人上書，動搖國是。」 光再移謫瓊海。 文會既升西府，愿覘檜意稍厭，即數其害政，罷之。 後二日，愿遂補其處。 帝與檜論事，因曰：「朕謂進用士大夫，一相之責也。 一相既賢，則所薦皆賢。」 愿曰：「陛下任相如此，蓋得治道之要。」 又論史事，檜曰：「靖康圍城中，失節者相與作私史，公肆擠排。」 帝曰：「卿不推異姓，宜其不容。」 愿曰：「檜非獨是時不肯雷同，宣和間耿延禧為學官，以其父在東宮，勢傾一時，士皆靡然從之，以徼後福，獨檜守正不易。」 蓋自檜再居相位，每薦執政，必選世無名譽、柔佞易制者。 愿希檜意迎合，附下罔上，至是斥去，天下快之。
In the fifteenth year he was dismissed and made superintendent of the Taiping Abbey. At first Yang Yuan and Zhang Kuo both served in the Western Secretariat, and for a time all drafting relied on Zhang Kuo to polish the prose. Zhang Kuo composed the poem "Two Hairs of the Brush"; Yang Yuan took it as a mockery of himself, complained to Qin Hui, and incited the censor Li Wenhui to impeach Zhang Kuo. Gao Chong attended the classics lecture, and the emperor asked whether Zhang Jiucheng was well. The next day he asked Qin Hui again. Qin Hui said, "Jiucheng stirred dissent and misled the people. Censorial officials impeached him, he was given a prefecture, and then strenuously begged for a temple appointment. Judging by his intent, he will never truly serve Your Majesty. The emperor said, "Jiucheng is upright and poor; he cannot be left without a stipend." Qin Hui suspected that Gao Chong had recommended Zhang Jiucheng and told Yang Yuan, who again incited Li Wenhui to attack Gao Chong and drive him from office. The prefect of Teng Prefecture reported that the exiled official Li Guang had composed poetry satirizing current policy. Yang Yuan, then serving in the central censorate, twisted the accusation to fit, saying, "Guang is unrestrained and dangerously subversive. His sons, disciples, and guests travel back and forth between Wu and Yue, inducing people to submit memorials and undermining the fundamental policies of the state. Li Guang was again transferred and exiled to Qionghai. Once Li Wenhui had risen to the Western Secretariat, Yang Yuan observed that Qin Hui had grown weary of him and immediately enumerated his harmful conduct in office and had him dismissed. Two days later Yang Yuan took his place. While discussing affairs with Qin Hui, the emperor said, "I consider the advancement and employment of scholar-officials to be a chancellor's responsibility. If the chancellor is worthy, then all he recommends will be worthy as well." Yang Yuan said, "Your Majesty entrusts the chancellor in this way—you have surely grasped the essentials of good governance. They then discussed historical matters. Qin Hui said, "Within the besieged city at Jingkang, those who had failed in their integrity joined together to write private histories and openly vilified and excluded others. The emperor said, "You did not recommend someone of another surname; it is no wonder they could not tolerate you. Yang Yuan said, "Qin Hui refused to echo others not only then. During the Xuanhe era Geng Yanxi served as an academic official. Because his father was in the Eastern Palace, his power dominated the age, and scholars all followed him in submission to seek future fortune—only Qin Hui held to rectitude and did not change. From the time Qin Hui again held the chancellorship, whenever he recommended colleagues for executive office he invariably chose men without reputation in the world—soft, sycophantic, and easy to control. Yang Yuan hoped to match Qin Hui's intent, currying favor by attaching himself to those below while deceiving those above. When at last he was driven out, the realm rejoiced.
29
又三年，起知宣州。 玉牒書成，加資政殿學士，移建康府。 二十二年，卒，年五十二。
Three years later he was recalled to serve as prefect of Xuan Prefecture. When the imperial genealogy was completed, he was given the additional title Scholar of the Hall for Aid in Governance and transferred to Jianye Prefecture. In the twenty-second year of Shaoxing he died at the age of fifty-two.
30
初，愿守宣城，表弟王炎調蘄水令，過之，醉中謂愿曰：「嘗于呂丞相處得公頃歲所通書，其間頗及秦丞相之短，尚記憶否？」 愿聞之，色如死灰，遂留炎不聽去。 會愿移守金陵，宴監司，大合樂，守卒皆怠，炎即青溪得客舟以行，愿憂撓而卒。
Earlier, when Yang Yuan was magistrate of Xuancheng, his cousin Wang Yan, then magistrate of Qishui, passed through on his way. Drunk, he said to Yang Yuan, "I once obtained at Chancellor Lü's place the letters you exchanged with him in recent years. They said quite a bit about Chancellor Qin's faults. Do you still remember? When Yang Yuan heard this, his face turned ashen, and he detained Wang Yan and would not let him leave. When Yang Yuan was transferred to serve as magistrate of Jinling, he held a banquet for the supervisory officials with great music. The guards all grew lax, and Wang Yan immediately obtained a passenger boat at Qingxi and fled. Yang Yuan died from anguish and agitation.
31
樓炤，字仲暉，婺州永康人。 登政和五年進士第，調大名府戶曹，改西京國子博士、辟雍錄、淮寧府司儀曹事，改尚書考功員外郎。
Lou Zhao, courtesy name Zhonghui, was a native of Yongkang in Wu Prefecture. He passed the jinshi examination in the fifth year of Zhenghe, was assigned as aide in the accounts section of Daming Prefecture, then served as doctor of the National University at the Western Capital, recorder of the Imperial Academy, and officer of ceremonial affairs in Huaining Prefecture, before being appointed Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel's Bureau of Evaluation.
32
帝在建康，炤謂：「今日之計，當思古人量力之言，察兵家知己之計。 力可以保淮南，則以淮南為屏蔽，權都建康，漸圖恢復。 力未可以保淮南，則因長江為險阻，權都吳會，以養國力。」 於是移蹕臨安。 擢右司郎中。 時銓曹患員多闕少，自倅貳以下多添差。 炤言：「光武並省吏員，今縱未能損其所素有，安可置其所本無乎？」
When the emperor was at Jiankang, Lou Zhao said, "Today's plan should reflect the ancients' counsel to measure one's strength and observe the strategists' principle of knowing oneself. If our strength is sufficient to hold Huainan, then we should take Huainan as a shield, provisionally keep the capital at Jiankang, and gradually plan recovery. If our strength is not yet sufficient to hold Huainan, then we should rely on the Yangzi as a barrier, provisionally move the capital to the Wu-Hui region, and nurture the state's strength. The imperial procession was accordingly moved to Lin'an. Lou Zhao was promoted to director in the Right Office. At the time the appointments bureau worried that there were too many officials and too few posts; from deputy magistrates on down, many held supernumerary appointments. Lou Zhao said, "Emperor Guangwu of Han consolidated and reduced official posts. Even if we cannot yet cut what we already have, how can we create posts that never existed in the first place?"
33
紹興二年，秦檜罷相，炤亦以言者論去。 六年，召為左司員外郎，尋遷殿中侍御史。 明年，遷起居郎。 言：「今暴師日久，財用匱乏。 考唐故事，以宰相領鹽鐵轉運使，或判戶部，或兼度支。 今宰相之事難行，若參仿唐制，使戶部長貳兼領諸路漕權，何不可之有？ 內則可以總大計之出入，外則可以制諸道之盈虛，如劉晏自按租庸，以知州縣錢穀利病。」 詔三省相度措置，卒施行之。 又言：「監司、郡守，係民甚切。 乞令侍從官各舉通判資序或嘗任監察御史以上可任監司、郡守者一二人。」 詔從之，命中書、門下置籍。
In the second year of Shaoxing, Qin Hui was dismissed from the chancellorship, and Lou Zhao also left office after critics impeached him. In the sixth year he was summoned as Vice Director in the Left Office and soon transferred to palace censor. The next year he was transferred to diarist. He said, "The army has now been kept in the field for a long time, and finances are exhausted. Examining Tang precedents, chancellors headed the salt and transport commission, or served as administrators of the Ministry of Revenue, or concurrently held the post of director of fiscal affairs. Today it is difficult for chancellors to carry out such duties. If we follow the Tang system in part and have the senior and vice directors of the Ministry of Revenue concurrently hold transport authority over the various circuits, why should that not be possible? Internally they could oversee the overall balance of revenue and expenditure; externally they could control surplus and deficit in the various circuits—just as Liu Yan personally inspected the land and labor taxes to understand the strengths and weaknesses of prefectural and county finances. An edict ordered the Three Departments to consider and arrange the matter, and in the end it was implemented. He also said, "Supervisory commissioners and prefectural magistrates are closely tied to the people. I beg that each attendant official recommend one or two men qualified at the vice-prefect level or who have served as investigating censors or above and are fit to serve as supervisory commissioners or prefectural magistrates. An edict approved the proposal and ordered the Secretariat and Chancellery to establish registers.
34
七年，宰相張浚之兄滉賜出身與郡，中書舍人張燾封還，乃命炤行，炤又封還，而竟為權起居舍人何掄書黃行下，於是燾與炤皆請補外，以秘閣修撰知溫州。 未幾，除中書舍人，與勾龍如淵並命。 如淵入對，帝謂之曰：「卿與樓炤皆朕所親擢。」 尋遷給事中兼直學士院。
In the seventh year, the elder brother of Chancellor Zhang Jun, Huang, was granted special entrance rank and a prefecture. Secretariat Drafting Officer Zhang Tao returned the edict sealed; Lou Zhao was then ordered to draft it, but Zhao returned it sealed as well. In the end, Acting Diarist He Lun wrote the yellow draft and it was issued. Thereupon both Tao and Zhao petitioned for provincial appointments, and Zhao was made Secretarial Library Compiler and prefect of Wenzhou. Before long he was appointed Secretariat Drafting Officer, together with Gou Longruyuan. When Gou Longruyuan had an audience, the emperor said to him, "You and Lou Zhao were both personally promoted by Me. Shortly afterward he was transferred to Supervising Secretariat Receiver and concurrent academician of the Hanlin Institute.
35
九年，以金人來和傳敕，炤草其文，曰：「乃上穹開悔禍之期，而大金報許和之約。 割河南之境土，歸我輿圖； 戢宇內之干戈，用全民命。」 尋兼侍讀，除端明殿學士、簽書樞密院事。 繼命往陝西宣諭德意。 炤奏：「京城統制吳革、知環州田敢、成忠郎盧大受皆以節義，革為范瓊所害，敢、大受為劉豫所殺，乞賜褒恤。」 又奏：「陝西諸路陷劉豫，郡縣有不從偽之人，所籍貲產，並令勘驗給還。」 炤至東京，檢視宮室，尋詣永安軍謁陵寢，遂至長安。
In the ninth year, when the Jin came seeking peace, an edict was transmitted. Lou Zhao drafted its text, saying, "Now Heaven Above has opened a time for repenting calamity, and Great Jin has responded with its pledge of peace. The territory south of the Yellow River shall be restored to Our domain; Arms within the realm shall be stilled, to preserve the lives of all the people. Shortly afterward he was concurrently made imperial reader, appointed Academician of the Duannming Hall and Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. He was soon ordered to proceed to Shaanxi to proclaim the imperial benevolent intent. Lou Zhao memorialized, "Wu Ge, commander of the capital garrison, Tian Gan, prefect of Huanzhou, and Lucheng Gentleman Lu Dashou all showed steadfast integrity—Ge was killed by Fan Qiong, while Gan and Dashou were slain by Liu Yu. I beg that posthumous honors be granted. He also memorialized, "The various circuits of Shaanxi fell to Liu Yu. For those in counties and prefectures who refused to submit to the puppet regime, property that was confiscated and registered should all be examined and restored. Zhao reached Dongjing, inspected the palace buildings, soon proceeded to Yong'an Army to pay respects at the imperial tombs, and then went on to Chang'an.
36
會李世輔自夏國欲歸朝，炤以書招之，世輔以二千人赴行在。 尋至鳳翔，以便宜命郭浩帥鄜延，楊政帥熙河蘭鞏，吳璘帥鳳翔。 炤欲盡移川口諸軍於陝西，璘曰：「金人反覆難信，今移軍陝右，則蜀口空虛。 金若自南山搗蜀，要我陝右軍，則我不戰自屈。 當依山為屯，控守要害。」 於是璘、政二軍獨屯內地。 炤又會諸路監司於鳳翔，皆言蜀邊屯駐大軍之久，坐困四川民力，乃下其議，語在《胡世將傳》。
At that time Li Shifu wished to return to the court from the Xia state; Lou Zhao summoned him by letter, and Shifu came to the mobile court with two thousand men. Soon he reached Fengxiang and, exercising discretionary authority, appointed Guo Hao commander of Fuyan, Yang Zheng commander of Xihe, Lan, and Gong, and Wu Lin commander of Fengxiang. Lou Zhao wished to move all the armies at the Sichuan passes entirely into Shaanxi. Wu Lin said, "The Jin are fickle and hard to trust. If troops are moved now to the west of Shaanxi, the passes into Shu will be left empty. If the Jin strike Shu from the southern mountains and demand our armies in western Shaanxi, we will surrender without fighting. We should encamp along the mountains and hold the strategic points. Thereupon the armies under Wu Lin and Yang Zheng alone remained encamped in the interior. Lou Zhao also summoned the supervisory commissioners of the various circuits to Fengxiang. All said that long-term stationing of large forces on the Shu border had severely strained Sichuan's resources. He submitted their views for decision; the account is in the Biography of Hu Shijiang.
37
炤還朝，以親老求歸省於明州，許之，命給假迎侍，仍賜以金帶。 十四年，以資政殿學士知紹興府，過闕入見，除簽書樞密院事兼權參知政事。 尋為李文會、詹大方所劾，與祠。 久之，除知宣州，徙廣州，未行而卒，年七十三。 後諡「襄靖」。
Lou Zhao returned to court. Citing aged parents, he asked leave to go home to Mingzhou. This was granted; he was given leave to bring them to court and was also presented with a gold belt. In the fourteenth year he was made Academician of the Zizheng Hall and prefect of Shaoxing. Passing the capital, he had an audience and was appointed Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs with concurrent acting Vice Director of the Secretariat. Soon he was impeached by Li Wenhui and Zhan Dafang and was given a temple appointment. After some time he was appointed prefect of Xuanzhou, then transferred to Guangzhou, but before he could take up the post he died, at the age of seventy-three. Later he was posthumously ennobled with the title Xiangjing.
38
炤早附蔡京改秩，為臺諫所論。 其後立朝至位二府，皆與秦檜同時。 其宣諭陝西，妄自尊大，或者論其好貨失將士心云。
Lou Zhao had early attached himself to Cai Jing to change his rank and was impeached by remonstrators and censors. Afterward, whenever he served at court and rose to the two highest councils, it was always during Qin Hui's tenure. In his mission to proclaim the imperial intent in Shaanxi, he arrogantly assumed authority beyond his station; some said he was greedy for goods and lost the hearts of officers and soldiers.
39
勾龍如淵
Gou Longruyuan
40
勾龍如淵，字行父，永康軍導江人。 勾姓本出古勾芒，高宗即位，避御名，更勾龍氏。 政和八年，登上舍第。 沉浮州縣二十年，以張浚薦，召試館職。
Gou Longruyuan, whose style name was Xingfu, came from Daojiang in Yongkang Army. The Gou clan originally descended from the ancient Gou Mang. When Emperor Gaozong ascended the throne, to avoid his taboo name, the clan changed its surname to Goulong. In the eighth year of Zhenghe he passed the upper-tier examination. He drifted through prefectural and county posts for twenty years. On Zhang Jun's recommendation he was summoned to take the palace assignment examination.
41
紹興六年，除秘書省校書郎。 歷著作佐郎、祠部員外兼禮部、起居舍人。 嘗進所為文三十篇，帝曰：「卿文極高古，更令平易盡善。」 後因進對，帝復言：「文章平易者多淺近，淵深者多艱澀，惟用意淵深而造語平易，此最難者。」
In the sixth year of Shaoxing he was appointed Proofreader in the Secretariat. He served successively as Assistant Compiler, Outer Gentleman of the Sacrifices Office concurrently in the Rites Office, and Diarist. He once submitted thirty pieces of his writing. The emperor said, "Your writing is extremely lofty and antiquarian; make it more plain and it will be perfect. Later, in a further audience, the emperor again said, "Plain writing is often shallow, while profound writing is often abstruse. To intend what is deep yet phrase it plainly—that is hardest of all."
42
八年，兼給事中、同知貢舉，除中書舍人兼侍讀，兼直學士院。 面命草趙鼎罷相制，如淵言：「陛下既罷鼎，則用人才須聳動四方，當速召君子，顯黜小人。」 帝曰：「君子謂誰？」 曰：「孫近、李光。」 「小人謂誰？」 曰：「呂本中。」 先是，祠臣曾開以老病辭不草國書，帝欲用如淵代之，而趙鼎薦本中，故如淵憾之。
In the eighth year he was concurrently made Supervising Secretariat Receiver, co-administrator of the examination, Secretariat Drafting Officer with concurrent imperial reader, and concurrent academician of the Hanlin Institute. When orally ordered to draft the edict dismissing Zhao Ding from the chancellorship, Gou Longruyuan said, "Your Majesty has already dismissed Ding; in appointing men of talent you must stir all four quarters—quickly summon worthy men and openly demote petty men. The emperor said, "Who are the worthy men? He said, "Sun Jin and Li Guang." Who are the petty men? He said, "Lü Benzhong. Earlier, Academician Zeng Kai, citing old age and illness, had declined to draft the state letter. The emperor wanted Gou Longruyuan to replace him, but Zhao Ding recommended Benzhong—therefore Gou Longruyuan resented this.
43
又言：「臣觀朝廷事，非君臣情通，未易能濟。 大臣于事稍有過差，陛下訓飭之可也。 陛下所欲為，勢有未可，大臣亦當明白辯論。 然必陛下先與大臣言及此意，若不先言，即大臣論一事不從，尚未之覺，至再至三，遂以為陛下疏之，或疑他人有以間之。 既以懷疑，即不能盡誠，陛下察其不誠，又從而疑之，安有君臣之間，動相疑間而能久於其位者？ 願陛下明諭之。」 帝曰：「前此未常有以此告朕者，卿見秦檜亦宜語此。」 時檜方得君，如淵猶恐委檜未專，故及之。 除御史中丞。
He also said, "I observe that in court affairs, unless ruler and minister are emotionally attuned, it is hard to succeed. When grand ministers commit minor errors in affairs, Your Majesty may simply admonish them. When there is something Your Majesty wishes to do but the circumstances do not yet allow it, the grand ministers should also clearly debate the matter. Yet Your Majesty must first speak this intent to the grand ministers. If you do not speak it first, and a minister argues that a matter should not be followed—even if you have not yet noticed—by the second or third time, he will think Your Majesty is distancing him, or suspect others have intervened between you. Once suspicion arises, he cannot serve with full sincerity. When Your Majesty sees his insincerity and then grows suspicious in turn, how can ruler and minister, constantly doubting and intervening against each other, long remain in their posts? I beg Your Majesty to make this clear to them. The emperor said, "No one has ever told Me this before. When you see Qin Hui, you should also speak of this to him. At this time Qin Hui had just won the emperor's trust. Gou Longruyuan still feared the emperor had not wholly committed himself to Qin Hui, and therefore mentioned him. He was appointed Vice Censor-in-Chief.
44
先是，檜力主和，執政、侍從及內外諸臣皆以為非是，多上書諫止者，檜患之。 如淵為檜謀曰：「相公為天下大計，而邪說橫起，盍不擇人為臺諫，使盡擊去，則相公之事遂矣。」 檜大喜，即擢如淵中司。
Earlier, Qin Hui strongly advocated peace. Administrators, attendants, and officials within and without all held this wrong, and many submitted memorials remonstrating and urging halt. Qin Hui was troubled by this. Gou Longruyuan advised Qin Hui, "The Chancellor holds the great plan for all under Heaven, yet perverse talk spreads everywhere. Why not select men for remonstrance and censorial posts and have them drive all critics away? Then the Chancellor's business will succeed. Qin Hui was greatly pleased and immediately promoted Gou Longruyuan to Vice Censor-in-Chief.
45
如淵言：「凡事必有初，及其初而為之則易，無其端而發之則難。 陛下即位，一初也； 渡江，二初也； 移蹕建康，三初也； 自建康復還臨安，四初也。 自趙鼎相，劉大中、王庶相繼去，今復獨任一相，召一二名士，凡事有當行而弊有當去者，又一初也，臣願以正紀綱、辨邪正、明賞罰、謹名器、審用度、厚風俗、去文具七者為獻。」
Gou Longruyuan said, "In every matter there is a beginning; when one acts at the beginning it is easy, but when there is no opening and one tries to start, it is hard. Your Majesty's accession was a first beginning; crossing the river, a second beginning; moving the imperial seat to Jiankang, a third beginning; returning from Jiankang to Lin'an, a fourth beginning. Since Zhao Ding became chancellor, Liu Dazhong and Wang Shu left in succession; now a single chancellor holds sole authority again, and one or two eminent men have been summoned. Where things that should be done have accumulated abuses that should be removed, there is yet another beginning. I wish to offer seven principles: rectifying discipline, distinguishing orthodoxy from heterodoxy, clarifying rewards and punishments, guarding office titles, scrutinizing expenditure, nurturing custom, and removing paper formalism."
46
又言：「孟庾召節在途，士論不與。」 帝曰：「朕欲遣令使金國，在廷莫更有小人否？」 對曰：「如趙鼎為相，盡隳紀綱，乃竊賢相之名而去。 王庶在樞府，盡用姦計，乃以和議不合，賣直而去。 劉大中以不孝得罪，乃竊朝廷美職而去。」 帝曰：「卿胡不論？」 對曰：「目今士論見孟庾之召，王庶之去，已有『一解不如一解』之語。 願陛下不惜孟庾一人，以正今日公論，其他容臣一一為陛下別白之。」 於是出庾知嚴州。 又連論庶、大中，皆罷之。
He also said, "Meng Yu has been recalled while still en route; scholarly opinion does not approve. The emperor said, "I wish to send him as envoy to the Jin state. Is there anyone else in court who is a petty man? He replied, "When Zhao Ding was chancellor he utterly destroyed discipline, yet stole the name of a worthy minister in leaving. Wang Shu was in the Bureau of Military Affairs and used nothing but treacherous schemes, yet when peace talks did not agree with his views, he sold righteousness and left. Liu Dazhong was punished for unfilial conduct, yet stole honorable court appointments in leaving. The emperor said, "Why did you not impeach them? He replied, "At present scholarly opinion, seeing Meng Yu recalled and Wang Shu dismissed, already says, 'One dismissal is no better than the last. I beg Your Majesty not to spare Meng Yu alone, so as to set straight today's public opinion. As for the others, allow me to explain them one by one for Your Majesty.' Thereupon Meng Yu was sent out as prefect of Yanzhou. Gou Longruyuan also impeached Wang Shu and Liu Dazhong in succession; both were dismissed.
47
金國遣二使來議和，許歸河南地。 使者踞甚，議受書之禮不決，外議洶洶。 如淵建議取其書納禁中。 於是同諫長請對，又呼臺吏問：「朝廷有大議論，許臺諫見宰執商議乎？」 吏曰：「有。」 遂赴都堂與宰執議取書事，宰執皆以為然。 帝親筆召如淵、李誼入對。 明日，詔宰執就館見金使，受其書納入，人情始安。
The Jin state dispatched two envoys to negotiate peace, agreeing to return the territory south of the Yellow River. The envoys were extremely arrogant. Discussion of the ritual for receiving their letter could not be settled, and public opinion seethed. Gou Longruyuan proposed taking their letter and storing it within the palace. Thereupon, together with the chief remonstrance officer, he requested an audience; he also summoned a bureau clerk and asked, "When the court has a great deliberation, may remonstrance and censorial officials meet the chief administrators to discuss it? The clerk said, "Yes. He then went to the chief administrators' hall to discuss taking the letter with the chief administrators; all agreed it should be done. The emperor personally wrote to summon Gou Longruyuan and Li Yi for an audience. The next day an edict ordered the chief administrators to go to the guesthouse to meet the Jin envoys, receive their letter, and have it brought in. Public feeling was then calmed.
48
九年，奏召還曾開、范同，而罷施庭臣、莫將，以謂：「開、同之出，雖曰語言之過，而其心實出於愛君； 庭臣、將之遷，雖曰議論之合，而其跡終近於希進。 今國論既定，好惡黜陟，所宜深謹。」 又論張邦昌時偽臣因赦復職非是。 帝曰：「卿言是也，朕亦欲置此數匹夫不問。」 對曰：「將恐無以示訓。」 其後卒不行。
In the ninth year he memorialized to recall Zeng Kai and Fan Tong and to dismiss Shi Tingchen and Mo Jiang, arguing, "The removal of Kai and Tong, though called excessive in speech, in heart truly sprang from love of the ruler; the transfer of Tingchen and Jiang, though called agreement in opinion, in conduct was ultimately close to ambitious advancement. Now that the national policy is settled, promotions and dismissals based on likes and dislikes should be handled with deep caution. He also argued that it was wrong for puppet ministers from Zhang Bangchang's time to regain office through amnesty. The emperor said, "What you say is right; I too wish to leave these few fellows unexamined. He replied, "I fear there would then be no warning for others. In the end this was not carried out.
49
忽一日，如淵言：「和議之際，臣粗自效，如臣到都堂，若不遏朝廷再遣使之議，則和議必至於壞，而宣對之日，稍有將順，則遂至於屈。 臣于二者，粗有報國之忠。 臣親老，願求歸。」 帝不許。 如淵疑帝有踈之之意，又奏曰：「臣向薦君臣腹心之論，陛下大以為然。 其後秦檜在和議可否未決之間欲求去，陛下頗罪之，臣再三為檜辨析。 今陛下與檜君臣如初，而臣反若有讒訴於其間者。」 帝曰：「朕素不喜讒，卿其勿疑。」 如淵嘗與施庭臣忿爭，庭臣謂如淵有指斥語，帝謂秦檜曰：「以朕觀之，庭臣之罪小，如淵之罪大。」 檜請斥庭臣而徙如淵，待其求去然後補外。 帝不可，於是與庭臣皆罷。
One day Gou Longruyuan suddenly said, "At the time of the peace talks I rendered what service I could. When I went to the chief administrators' hall, had I not checked the court's talk of sending envoys again, the peace talks would surely have broken down; on the day I addressed the throne, had I slightly gone along with them, we would have ended in submission. In both matters I had some loyalty in repaying the state. My parents are aged; I beg to return home. The emperor did not permit it. Gou Longruyuan suspected the emperor meant to distance him. He memorialized again, "I previously recommended my theory of mutual trust between ruler and minister, and Your Majesty greatly agreed. Later Qin Hui, when the acceptance of peace was still undecided, sought to leave office; Your Majesty largely blamed him, and I repeatedly explained matters on Qin Hui's behalf. Now Your Majesty and Qin Hui are ruler and minister as before, while I on the contrary seem to have slandered between you. The emperor said, "By nature I dislike slander; do not doubt Me. Gou Longruyuan had once quarreled heatedly with Shi Tingchen. Tingchen said Gou Longruyuan had words of pointed rebuke. The emperor said to Qin Hui, "As I see it, Tingchen's offense is small and Gou Longruyuan's is great. Qin Hui asked to dismiss Tingchen and transfer Gou Longruyuan, waiting until he requested leave before appointing him outside the capital. The emperor would not agree; thereupon both Gou Longruyuan and Tingchen were dismissed.
50
初，如淵與莫將及庭臣皆力主和議，如淵緣此擢中司，而將及庭臣緣此皆峻用。 張燾、晏敦復上疏專以三人為言。 如淵入言路，即劾二人，至是與庭臣俱罷。 其後檜擬如淵知遂寧府，帝曰：「此人用心不端。」 遂已。 兩奉祠，卒，年六十二。
Earlier, Gou Longruyuan together with Mo Jiang and Shi Tingchen had all strongly advocated peace. Gou Longruyuan was promoted to Vice Censor-in-Chief on this account, while Jiang and Tingchen were both sharply elevated for the same reason. Zhang Tao and Yan Dunfu submitted memorials devoted entirely to the three of them. When Gou Longruyuan entered the remonstrance and censorial path, he immediately impeached the two of them; by this time he was dismissed together with Tingchen. Later Qin Hui proposed appointing Gou Longruyuan prefect of Suining, but the emperor said, "This man's heart is not straight." The appointment was dropped. He twice held temple appointments, then died at the age of sixty-two.
51
如淵始以張浚薦召，而終乃翼秦檜擠趙鼎，仇呂本中，逐劉大中、王庶，心跡固可見矣。 子佃、僎、似。
Gou Longruyuan had first entered court on Zhang Jun's recommendation, yet in the end he aided Qin Hui in ousting Zhao Ding, nursed a grudge against Lü Benzhong, and drove out Liu Dazhong and Wang Shu—his true character was plain enough to see. His sons were Dian, Zhuan, and Si.
52
薛弼，字直老，溫州永嘉人。 登政和二年進士第，調懷州刑曹、杭州教授。 初頒《五禮新書》，定著釋奠先聖誤用下丁，弼據禮是正，州以聞，詔從其議。 監左藏東庫。 內侍王道使奴從旁視絹美惡，多取之，弼白版曹窮治，人嚴憚之。
Xue Bi, styled Zhilao, was a native of Yongjia in Wenzhou. He passed the jinshi examination in 1112 and was posted as criminal clerk of Huai Prefecture and as a professor at Hangzhou. When the New Book of Five Rites was first issued, it wrongly fixed the Confucian sacrifice on the lower ding day; Bi corrected the calendar according to ritual propriety, the prefecture reported his view, and the court adopted it. He served as supervisor of the Eastern Storehouse of the Left Treasury. The eunuch Wang Dao had his servants inspect silk quality at his side and take far more than their due; Bi reported the matter to the Ministry of Revenue for a full inquiry, and men stood in awe of him.
53
靖康初，金兵攻汴京，李綱定議堅守，眾不悅。 弼意與綱同，圍解，遷光祿寺丞。 嘗言：「姚平仲不可恃。」 未幾而敗。 綱救太原，弼言：「金必再至，綱不當去，宜先事河北。」 金人果再入。 始命刑部侍郎宋伯友提舉河防，弼以點檢糧草從之，為計畫甚切，皆不能用，乃乞罷歸，改三門、白波輦運，尋主管明道宮，提舉淮東鹽事，改湖南運判。
At the start of the Jingkang crisis, when Jin forces besieged Bianjing, Li Gang resolved to hold the city firm, but many in court were displeased. Bi agreed with Li Gang; when the siege was lifted, he was promoted to vice director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. He once remarked, "Yao Pingzhong is not to be trusted." Before long Yao Pingzhong was indeed defeated. When Li Gang marched to relieve Taiyuan, Bi urged, "The Jin will surely return; Gang ought not to leave the capital—Hebei should be secured first." The Jin armies did in fact invade again. When Song Boyou was first appointed vice minister of justice to oversee river defenses, Bi went with him as grain-and-fodder inspector and drew up urgent plans, but none were adopted; he then asked to be relieved, was transferred to the Three Gates and Baibo transport posts, soon supervised the Mingdao Palace and Huaidong salt affairs, and finally became Hunan transport intendant.
54
楊么據洞庭，寇鼎州，王燮久不能平，更命岳飛討之。 么陸耕水戰，樓船十餘丈，官軍徒仰視不得近。 飛謀益造大舟，弼曰：「若是，則未可以歲月勝矣。 且彼之所長，可避而不可鬥也。 今大旱，湖水落洪，若重購舟首，勿與戰，逐筏斷江路，藁其上流，使彼之長坐廢，而精騎直搗其壘，則破壞在目前矣。」 飛曰：「善。 {」兼旬，積寇盡平，進直秘閣。 時道堇相望，弼以聞，帝惻然，命給錢六萬緡、廣西常平米六萬斛、鄂州米二十萬斛振之，且使講求富弼青州荒政，民賴以甦。
Yang Yao held Dongting Lake and raided Ding Prefecture; Wang Xie failed for a long time to suppress him, and the court reassigned the campaign to Yue Fei. Yang Yao fought on land and water alike; his tower ships stood more than ten zhang high, and government troops could only gaze up at them, unable to close. Yue Fei planned to build even larger ships, but Bi said, "If we do that, we shall not win within months. What they do best is something to evade, not to meet head-on. There is severe drought now and the lake has fallen; richly reward their boat captains, refuse battle, chase them with rafts to cut the river routes, dam the upper waters, and leave their advantage useless—then send crack cavalry straight at their camps, and their ruin will come at once." Yue Fei said, "Excellent. Within half a month the accumulated rebels were wholly suppressed, and Bi was promoted to direct associate of the Secret Archive." Corpses of the starved then lined the roads; Bi reported the suffering, and the emperor was deeply moved. He ordered six hundred thousand strings of cash, sixty thousand hu of Changping grain from Guangxi, and two hundred thousand hu of rice from E Prefecture for relief, and had officials study Fu Bi's famine administration in Qingzhou—the people were saved by it.
55
王彥自荊移襄，遷延不即赴。 彥所將八字軍皆中原勁卒，朝廷患其恣橫，以弼直徽猷閣代之。 彥殊不意，弼徑入府受將吏謁，大駭。 弼曲折譬曉，彥感悟，即日出境。
Wang Yan was ordered from Jing to Xiang but lingered and would not go at once. The Eight-Character Army under Wang Yan were all hardened veterans of the Central Plains, and the court feared their unruly arrogance; Bi was made direct associate of Huayou Pavilion to replace him. Wang Yan was wholly unprepared; Bi walked straight into headquarters to receive the homage of generals and staff, and Yan was thunderstruck. Bi reasoned with him at length until Yan understood, and that very day Yan departed the command.
56
除岳飛參謀官。 飛母死，遁于廬山，張宗元攝飛事。 飛將張憲移疾，部曲洶洶，生異語。 弼謂諸將曰：「太尉力乞張公，而詔使隨至，岳軍素整，今而嘩哄，是汝曹累太尉也。」 諸將以諗憲，憲佯悟曰：「相公腹心，惟參謀知之。」 眾乃定。 除戶部郎官，再知荊南。
He was appointed staff officer to Yue Fei. When Yue Fei's mother died, he withdrew to Mount Lu, and Zhang Zongyuan handled army affairs in his stead. Yue Fei's general Zhang Xian fell ill, and the ranks grew restless; seditious talk spread. Bi told the generals, "The Marshal has pleaded hard for General Zhang, and imperial envoys are already on their way. Yue's army has always been orderly; this uproar now will only bring trouble on your commander." The generals relayed this to Zhang Xian, who feigned sudden understanding and said, "The Marshal's true intent is known only to his staff officer." The troops then quieted. He was appointed a Ministry of Revenue lang official and again made prefect of Jingnan.
57
桃源劇盜伍俊既招安，復謀叛，提點刑獄万俟卨不能制，乃以委弼，弼許俊以靖州。 俊喜曰：「我得靖，則地過桃源遠矣。」 俊至，則斬以徇。 遷秘閣修撰、陝西轉運使，以左司郎官召知虔州，移黃州。
Wu Jun, a major bandit of Taoyuan, had accepted amnesty but plotted rebellion again; judicial intendant Moqi Xie could not restrain him, so the case was given to Bi, who promised Wu Jun Jing Prefecture. Wu Jun rejoiced and said, "If I gain Jing, my domain will lie far beyond Taoyuan." When Wu Jun arrived, Bi had him beheaded and the head displayed to the troops. He was promoted to compiler of the Secret Archive and Shaanxi transport commissioner, then recalled as a left-department lang official to govern Qian Prefecture before being moved to Huang Prefecture.
58
時福州大盜有號「管天下」、「伍黑龍」、「滿山紅」之屬，其眾甚盛，鈐轄李貴為賊所獲，民作山砦自保。 守臣莫將議委漳、泉、汀、建，募強壯遊手各千人為效用，與殿司統制張淵同措置。 未及行，詔升弼集英殿修撰，與將兩易。 弼至郡，漕臣以游手易聚難散，恐為他日患，聞於朝。 事下弼議，弼謂：「昔守章貢，有武夫周虎臣、陳敏者，丁壯各數百，皆能戰，視官軍可一當十。」 乃奏虎臣為副將，敏為巡檢，選丁壯千人，號「奇兵」，日給糗糧，責以滅賊。 自是歲費錢三萬六千餘緡、米九千石，凡四年而賊平。 弼知廣州，擢敷文閣待制。 卒，年六十三。
At the time Fuzhou was overrun by great bandits styled "Guan Tianxia," "Wu Heilong," "Manshan Hong," and the like, whose forces were very strong; Commandant Li Gui was taken by the rebels, and the people built mountain fortresses for self-defense. The prefect Mo Jiang proposed delegating the campaign to Zhang, Quan, Ting, and Jian, recruiting a thousand strong vagrants from each as paid volunteers, and handling the matter together with Palace Service controller Zhang Yuan. Before the plan could be carried out, an edict promoted Bi to compiler of the Hall for Nurturing Talent and exchanged his post with Mo Jiang's. When Bi reached the prefecture, the transport commissioner warned that vagrants were easy to assemble but hard to disband and might become a future menace, and reported the matter to court. The matter was referred to Bi for deliberation. He said, "When I once held Zhang-Gan, there were fighting men named Zhou Huchen and Chen Min, each with several hundred stalwarts—all able warriors, each worth ten regular soldiers." He then memorialized appointing Huchen deputy general and Min patrol inspector, chose a thousand stalwarts called the "Elite Troops," supplied them daily rations, and charged them with exterminating the bandits. Thereafter the effort cost more than thirty-six thousand strings a year and nine thousand shi of grain; after four years the bandits were suppressed. Bi became prefect of Guangzhou and was promoted to attendant drafting official of the Fuwenge Pavilion. He died at the age of sixty-three.
59
初，秦檜居永嘉，弼遊其門。 弼在湖北除盜，歸功於万俟卨。 檜誣岳飛下吏，卨以中司鞫獄，飛父子及憲皆死。 朱芾、李若虛亦坐嘗為飛謀議，奪職，惟弼得免，且為檜用，屢更事任，通籍從官，世以此少之。
In earlier days, when Qin Hui lived in Yongjia, Bi had been a visitor at his gate. When Bi suppressed bandits in Hubei, he ascribed the credit to Moqi Xie. When Qin Hui framed Yue Fei and had him thrown into prison, Moqi Xie, as a central bureau official, conducted the trial; Yue Fei, his son, and Zhang Xian all died. Zhu Fei and Li Ruoxu were also stripped of office for having once served on Yue Fei's staff; Bi alone escaped punishment, was kept in Qin Hui's service, changed posts repeatedly, and entered the ranks of attendant officials—men therefore thought less of him for it.
60
羅汝楫
Luo Ruji
61
羅汝楫，字彥濟，徽州歙縣人。 登政和二年進士第，監登聞鼓院，遷大理丞、刑部員外郎。 奏命官犯公罪，勿取特旨以終惠臣子，又戶口凋耗，宜少寬養子之禁。
Luo Ruji, styled Yanji, was a native of She County in Huizhou. He passed the jinshi examination in 1112, served as supervisor of the Memorial Drum Court, and was promoted to vice director of the Court of Judicial Review and outer-section vice minister of justice. He memorialized that when officials committed public offenses, special edicts should not be used to extend final favor to them; and that with the population depleted, the ban on adoption ought to be eased somewhat.
62
拜監察御史。 未逾月，遷殿中侍御史。 與中丞何鑄交章論岳飛，罷其樞筦。 朱芾、李若虛嘗為飛議曹，主帥有異意而不能諫； 又言，飛獄具，寺官聚斷，咸謂死有餘罪，寺丞何彥猷、李若樸獨喧然以眾議為非，欲從輕典，皆坐黜。 王庶謫道州，郡丞孫行儉以官廨居之，汝楫劾其無忌憚當斥，且令庶徙居。 劉子羽知鎮江，上言：「和好非久遠計，宜及閒暇為備。」 檜怒，風汝楫論罷之。
He was appointed supervising censor. In less than a month he was promoted to palace censor. Together with Vice Censor-in-Chief He Zhu he submitted successive memorials against Yue Fei and had him stripped of military command. Zhu Fei and Li Ruoxu had once served on Yue Fei's staff; the commander held views they could not approve, yet they failed to remonstrate; He also argued that when Yue Fei's case was complete and Ministry of Justice officials met to decide it, all held that death still left guilt to spare; only vice directors He Yanyou and Li Ruopu loudly protested that the consensus was wrong and sought a lighter sentence—all were dismissed for it. Wang Shu was banished to Daozhou, and assistant prefect Sun Xingjian lodged him in the official residence; Ruji impeached Sun for his lack of restraint and demanded his dismissal, and also ordered Wang Shu to move elsewhere. Liu Ziyu, prefect of Zhenjiang, memorialized, "Peace with the Jin is no lasting policy; we should prepare while we still have breathing room." Qin Hui was enraged and prompted Ruji to memorialize for Liu's removal.
63
時撫州有兩陳四繫獄，誤論輕罪者死，汝楫誦其冤，且言：「獨罪獄官而守卒不坐，非祖宗法。」 於是詔天下斷死刑，守以下引囚問姓名、鄉里然後決。 又言：「國家駐蹕臨安，淮南不可置度外，當重防海之寄，守長江之要，革竄名賞籍以勸有功。」
At the time two men surnamed Chen and four others were imprisoned in Fuzhou; a light offense had been wrongly punished with death. Ruji recited their grievance and argued, "To punish only the prison officials while leaving the prefectural guards unpunished is not the law of the ancestors." An edict then went out that throughout the empire, before any capital sentence was carried out, the prefect and officials below him had to bring forth the prisoner, verify his name and native place, and only then proceed. He also argued, "With the court established at Lin'an, Huainan must not be treated as beyond our concern; coastal defense should be strengthened, the Yangtze's key points held firm, and false names struck from the reward registers so that merit may be truly encouraged."
64
遷起居郎兼侍講。 帝問：「或謂《春秋》有貶無褒，此誼是否？」 對曰：「《春秋》上法天道，春生秋殺，若貶而無褒，則天道不具矣。」 帝稱善，嘗曰：「自王安石廢《春秋》學，聖人之旨浸以不明。 近世得其要者，惟胡安國與卿耳。」 兼權中書舍人，除右諫議大夫。
He was promoted to recorder of imperial actions and concurrent lecturer. The emperor asked, "Some say the Spring and Autumn Annals condemn but never praise—is that right?" He replied, "The Spring and Autumn Annals model themselves on Heaven's Way: spring gives life, autumn brings death. If they censured without ever praising, Heaven's Way would not be whole." The emperor approved and once remarked, "Since Wang Anshi discarded the study of the Spring and Autumn Annals, the sage's meaning has grown ever dimmer. In recent times only Hu An'guo and you have truly grasped its essentials." He was made acting Secretariat drafter and appointed right remonstrator.
65
有南雄守奏對：「太后之歸，和議之力也，當盡按前言和不便者。」 時相是之，驟用為臺官，中外悚懼，多束裝待遣。 汝楫言：「皆不當罪，宜以崇寧事黨為戒。」 議遂寢。
A prefect of Nanxiong said in audience, "The Empress Dowager's return was the work of the peace negotiations; all who earlier spoke against peace should now be thoroughly investigated." The chief minister agreed; the man was abruptly made a censorial official. Court and country were stricken with fear, and many began packing to await exile. Ruji argued, "None of them deserve punishment; we should take the Chongning faction purges as a warning." The proposal was dropped.
66
遷御史中丞。 舊例，中丞、侍御史不並置，乃更侍御史。 汝楫求去益力，遷吏部尚書，充國信使。 除龍圖閣學士、知嚴州。 秩滿，請祠，居喪未終而卒，年七十。 累贈開府儀同三司。 子顥、籲、頡、頌、願、類，皆有文。
He was promoted to vice censor-in-chief. By precedent the vice censor-in-chief and palace censor were not held at once, so he was reassigned as palace censor. Ruji pressed his resignation more urgently and was transferred to minister of personnel, serving as state envoy. He was appointed Dragon Hall scholar and made prefect of Yan Prefecture. When his term expired he requested a temple appointment; he died before his mourning period was complete, at the age of seventy. He was posthumously promoted by successive steps to grandee of glorious state. His sons Hao, Xu, Jie, Song, Yuan, and Lei were all men of letters.
67
子願
Son: Yuan
68
願，字端良，博學好古。 法秦、漢為詞章，高雅精煉，朱熹特稱重之。 有《小集》七卷，《爾雅翼》二十卷。 知鄂州，有治績，以父故不敢入岳飛廟。 一日，自念吾政善，姑往祠之，甫拜，遽卒於像前。 人疑飛之憾不釋云。
Yuan, styled Duanliang, was deeply learned and devoted to antiquity. He wrote in the manner of Qin and Han prose—elevated, polished, and spare—and Zhu Xi held him in special esteem. He authored the Little Collection in seven juan and Wings to the Erya in twenty juan. As prefect of E Prefecture he governed well, but because of his father he dared not enter the temple of Yue Fei. One day, reflecting that his rule had been good, he ventured to worship there; he had barely bowed when he suddenly died before the image. People suspected that Yue Fei's grievance had not yet been laid to rest.
69
蕭振，字德起，溫州平陽人。 幼莊重，不好弄。 稍長，能自謀學。 嘗奉父命董農役隴畝，手不釋卷，其師謂其父曰：「此兒遠大器也。」 未冠，遊郡庠，既冠，升太學。 時有號「三賢」者，推振為首。 登政和八年進士第，調信州儀曹。
Xiao Zhen, styled Deqi, was a native of Pingyang in Wenzhou. As a boy he was grave and cared nothing for play. As he grew he took charge of his own studies. Once, on his father's orders, he oversaw farm corvée in the fields yet never put down his book; his teacher told his father, "This boy is destined for great things." Before coming of age he studied at the prefectural school; after capping he entered the Imperial University. At the time a group styled the "Three Worthies" ranked Zhen foremost among them. He passed the jinshi examination in 1118 and was posted as rituals officer of Xin Prefecture.
70
時州郡奉神霄宮務侈靡，振不欲費財勞民，與守議不合。 會方臘寇東南，距信尤近，守欲危振，檄振攝貴溪、弋陽二邑。 既而王師至衢，又檄振督軍餉，振治辦無闕。 大將劉光世見而喜之，欲以軍中俘馘授振為賞，振辭曰：「豈可不冒矢石而貪人之功乎！」 諸邑盜未息，守復檄振如初。 振悉意區處，許其自新，賊多降者。 守以贓去，振獨為辦行，守愧謝之。
At the time prefectures vied to serve the Divine Empyrean Palace with lavish extravagance; Zhen refused to waste public funds and burden the people, and clashed with the prefect over it. Just then Fang La was ravaging the southeast, and Xin lay especially close to the fighting. The prefect sought to put Zhen in harm's way and dispatched him to administer the districts of Guiqi and Yiyang. When the imperial army reached Quzhou, Zhen was ordered again to oversee military supplies, and he provisioned the campaign without a single lapse. Grand General Liu Guangshi was impressed and wanted to reward Zhen with enemy heads taken in camp. Zhen refused. "How can I claim another man's credit without ever facing arrow or stone?" Banditry in the districts had not yet subsided, and the prefect dispatched Zhen once more as he had before. Zhen handled every matter with care, offered the outlaws a chance to reform, and many surrendered. When the prefect was dismissed for corruption, Zhen alone saw to his proper send-off. The prefect, ashamed, thanked him.
71
調婺州兵曹兼功曹。 時振婦翁許景衡以給事中召，振祝之曰：「公至朝幸勿見薦。」 景衡詢其故，振曰：「今執政多私其親，願為時革弊。」 景衡然之。
He was transferred to Wuzhou as military officer, concurrently serving as merits officer. At that time Zhen's father-in-law Xu Jingheng was summoned to court as Attendant Gentleman. Zhen asked him, "When you reach the capital, please do not recommend me." Jingheng asked why. Zhen said, "Those in power today too often advance their own relatives. I want to help break that custom." Jingheng agreed.
72
時盜賊所在猖獗，婺卒揚言欲叛以應賊，官吏震恐。 振選諸邑士兵強勇者幾千人，日習武以備，蓄異謀者稍懼。 有一兵官素得軍士心，守疑而罷之，群卒數百人被甲挺刃，斬儀門入。 振聞即往，群卒皆羅拜呼曰：「某等屈抑，願兵曹理之。」 振使之言，厲色叱曰：「細事耳。 車駕南巡，大兵咫尺，汝速死耶！ 可急釋械，當為汝言。」 眾拜謝而去。 郡守由是益相信，事悉與謀。 嘗議城守，振請以錢數萬緡庸工板築，未數月，城壘屹然，一毫無擾。 任滿歸，告其親曰：「家世業農，幸有田可力以奉甘旨，振不願仕。」 或薦於朝，授婺州教授，改秩，乞祠。
Bandits were raging everywhere. The garrison at Wuzhou openly threatened to rebel and join them, and the officials were terrified. Zhen selected nearly a thousand of the strongest local militiamen and drilled them daily. Those plotting trouble began to fear him. One officer had long enjoyed the soldiers' trust. The prefect suspected him and removed him from office. Several hundred troops then donned armor, drew their blades, hacked through the ceremonial gate, and stormed in. Zhen heard of it and went at once. The soldiers all prostrated themselves and cried, "We have been treated unjustly. We ask the Military Officer to judge our case." Zhen let them speak, then rebuked them with a fierce look. "This is a trifling matter! The emperor is on a southern tour and imperial armies are close at hand. Do you want to die so quickly? Lay down your weapons at once. I will plead your case." The men bowed in thanks and dispersed. From then on the prefect trusted him still more and consulted him on every matter. When the city defenses were under discussion, Zhen proposed hiring workers with tens of thousands of strings of cash to build the ramparts. Within months the walls stood solid, and the people were not troubled in the least. When his term ended he went home and told his family, "Our family has farmed for generations. We are fortunate to have land enough to live by and keep our parents fed. I have no wish to serve in office." Someone recommended him to court. He was appointed professor at Wuzhou, received a change of rank, and then asked for a sinecure appointment.
73
以執政薦召對，敷奏數事，皆中時病，帝大喜，拜監察御史。 明年冬，以親老乞補外，章七上，不許。 面奏曰：「臣事親之日短，事陛下之日長。」 指心自誓：「今日之事父母，乃他日之事陛下也。」 遂除提點浙西刑獄，尋召為宗正少卿，俄擢侍御史。
On the chief ministers' recommendation he was summoned to audience. He laid out several proposals that struck at the day's abuses. The emperor was delighted and appointed him Investigating Censor. The next winter he asked to be posted outside the capital because his parents were old. He submitted seven memorials and was refused each time. He addressed the throne directly. "The time left to serve my parents is short; the time I will serve Your Majesty is long." He pointed to his heart and swore, "How I serve my parents today is how I will serve Your Majesty tomorrow." He was then appointed Intendant of Judicial Affairs for Western Zhejiang, soon recalled as Vice Minister of the Imperial Clan Court, and shortly afterward promoted to Attending Censor.
74
振本趙鼎所薦，後因秦檜引入臺，時劉大中與鼎不主和議，振遂劾大中以搖鼎。 大中既出，振謂人曰：「如趙丞相不必論，盍自為去就。」 鼎遂罷。
Zhen had originally been Zhao Ding's protégé, but Qin Hui later brought him into the Censorate. Liu Dazhong, like Ding, opposed the peace talks, so Zhen impeached Dazhong to undermine Ding. After Dazhong was removed, Zhen told others, "There is no need to argue further about Chancellor Zhao. He ought to decide for himself whether to stay or go." Ding was dismissed.
75
後振知紹興府，改兵部，除徽猷閣待制、知湖州。 陛辭，奏曰：「國家講和，恐失諸將心，宜遣使撫諭，示以朝廷息兵寬民意。 雖兩國通好，戰禦之備宜勿弛。」 帝曰：「卿欲奉親求便，豈不知朕有親哉？」 振曰：「臣之親所係者一夫也，陛下之親所係者天下也。 陛下以天下為心，聖孝愈光矣。」 帝歎其忠。 將行，白檜曰：「宰相如一元氣，不可有私，私則萬物為之不生。」 檜不悅。
Later he served as prefect of Shaoxing, transferred to the Ministry of War, and was appointed Awaiting Orders at the Pavilion of Hidden Virtue and prefect of Huzhou. At his farewell audience he memorialized, "The state is making peace, and I fear the generals may lose heart. The court should send envoys to reassure them and show that it seeks to end the war and ease the people's burdens. Even though the two states are at peace, preparations for war and defense must not be neglected." The emperor said, "You wish to stay near your parents and seek a convenient post. Do you not know that I have parents too?" Zhen replied, "My parents depend on one man alone. Your Majesty's parents depend on all under Heaven. If Your Majesty holds all under Heaven in your heart, your filial devotion will shine all the brighter." The emperor sighed at his loyalty. Before leaving, he told Qin Hui, "A chief minister is like the vital force of the body. He must not be partial. Once partiality enters in, nothing under Heaven can flourish." Qin Hui was displeased.
76
振至州，檜欲取羨餘，振遺檜書，謂：「財用在天下，如血氣之在一身，移左以實右，則病矣。」 檜屬以私事，又不克盡從。 以親老乞祠，提舉太平觀。 後知台州。 海寇勢張，振至，克之。
When Zhen reached his prefecture, Qin wanted to seize the surplus funds. Zhen wrote to him, "Public funds across the realm are like the blood and breath in a single body. To drain one part to fill another is to invite sickness." Qin also pressed private requests on him, and again Zhen could not comply in full. Citing his aged parents, he asked for a sinecure and was appointed to oversee Taiping Abbey. Later he served as prefect of Taizhou. Sea bandits were growing bold, but Zhen subdued them as soon as he arrived.
77
二十二年，以楊煒在獄供涉，鐫徽猷待制，謫居池州。 初，煒將上書，責李光徇秦檜議和。 時振為侍御史，煒見振道書意，振然其言。 及振知台州，而煒治邑有聲，每大言無顧忌，振擊節稱善，遂薦煒改秩，又移書於檜從子秦昌時，俾同薦之。 屬吏密語振曰：「煒嘗以書責李參政及太師，昌時義不當舉，待制亦不可舉。」 振曰：「吾業已許之，豈可中輟。」 遂因煒獄中供前事而貶。
In the twenty-second year of the reign, Yang Wei's testimony in prison implicated him. His title as Awaiting Orders at the Pavilion of Hidden Virtue was removed, and he was banished to Chizhou. Earlier, Wei had been about to submit a memorial condemning Li Guang for going along with Qin Hui's peace policy. At the time Zhen was Attending Censor. Wei came to him and explained what the memorial meant to say, and Zhen agreed with him. When Zhen became prefect of Taizhou, Wei was already known for governing his district well. Wei often spoke boldly without restraint, and Zhen applauded him. Zhen then recommended Wei for promotion and also wrote to Qin Hui's nephew Qin Changshi asking him to recommend Wei as well. A subordinate quietly warned Zhen, "Wei once submitted a memorial condemning Vice Grand Councilor Li and the Grand Preceptor. Changshi ought not recommend him—and neither should you." Zhen said, "I have already given my word. How can I break it halfway?" He was demoted after Wei's testimony in prison revealed what had happened earlier.
78
明年，詔除敷文閣待制、知成都府、安撫制置使。 軍儲適闕，倉吏以窘告，振奏留對糴米八萬斛以足軍食，以其直歸計所。 總計者利在掊克，即先告檜，謂振唱為闕乏之語，風御史劾振要譽，復謫池陽。 而總計者以譖得蜀帥，既而專用羅織掊克其民，民益思振。
The next year an edict appointed him Awaiting Orders at the Pavilion of Spread Letters, prefect of Chengdu, and Pacification and Military Affairs Commissioner. Military stores happened to run short. When the granary clerks reported the crisis, Zhen memorialized to hold back eighty thousand hu of counterpart grain to fill the army's rations and charge the cost to the accounting office. The overall accountant, who profited from squeezing the people, reported first to Qin Hui that Zhen was spreading talk of shortages. He prompted the censors to impeach Zhen for courting praise, and Zhen was banished again to Chiyang. The overall accountant won the Sichuan command through slander. After that he devoted himself to framing people and squeezing the province dry, and the people missed Zhen all the more.
79
檜死，語得聞，帝大感悟。 亟遣振還成都，父老歡呼蜀道。 振至，一切以寬治。 或問其故，振曰：「承縱弛，革之當嚴，今繼苛劾，非寬則民力瘁矣。」 帝嘉振治行，謂宰臣沈該、湯思退曰：「四川善政，前有胡世將，今有蕭振。」 進秩四等，加敷文閣學士。 卒于成都府治，年七十二。 振兩為蜀守，威行惠孚，死之日，民無老稚，相與聚哭於道。 遺表至，帝悼惜之，賻銀五百兩、絹五百匹，贈四官。
After Qin died, the truth finally reached the emperor, who was deeply moved. He quickly sent Zhen back to Chengdu, and elders and common folk cheered all along the road into Shu. When Zhen arrived, he governed with leniency in all things. When someone asked why, Zhen said, "After lax rule, reform should be strict. But after harsh exactions, only leniency can keep the people's strength from being spent." The emperor praised Zhen's record in office and told the chief ministers Shen Gai and Tang Situi, "Sichuan has known good government before in Hu Shijiang, and now in Xiao Zhen." Zhen was promoted four ranks and made Academician of the Pavilion of Spread Letters. He died at the seat of Chengdu Prefecture at the age of seventy-two. Zhen had twice governed Sichuan. His authority was felt and his kindness trusted. On the day he died, young and old alike gathered in the streets to weep. When his final memorial reached court, the emperor mourned his loss, granted five hundred taels of silver and five hundred bolts of silk as condolence gifts, and posthumously promoted him four ranks.
80
振好獎善類，端人正士多所交識，其間有卓然拔出者，迄為名臣。 振居瀕江，自父微時，見過客與掌渡者爭，多溺死。 振造大舟，傭工以濟，人感其德，相與名其江為蕭家渡云。 有文集二十卷。 子諴、忱。
Zhen liked to encourage men of talent and knew many upright gentlemen. Some among them rose to distinction and became celebrated ministers. Zhen lived beside the river. Even from his father's humble days he had seen travelers quarrel with ferrymen, and many drowned. Zhen built a large ferryboat and hired workers to carry people across. Grateful for his kindness, they named the crossing Xiao Family Ferry. He left a collected writings in twenty juan. His sons were Xian and Chen.
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論曰：何鑄、王次翁以下數人者，附麗秦檜，斥逐忠良，以饕富貴，而次翁尤為柔媚，故檜獨憐之，其在位最久。 孔子所謂鄙夫患得患失無所不至者，此輩是已。 鑄能伸岳飛之枉，雖為可尚，然又為之使金而通問焉，蓋墮其術而不悟者，檜之計深哉。
Commentary: He Zhu, Wang Ciweng, and the men below them clung to Qin Hui, drove out the loyal and worthy, and gorged themselves on wealth and rank. Ciweng was the most pliant and fawning of all, which is why Qin favored him alone and kept him in office longest. They were exactly the sort Confucius meant when he spoke of petty men who fear loss, crave gain, and stop at nothing. That Zhu could right the wrong done to Yue Fei is indeed admirable. Yet he also sent Yue as envoy to Jin to open communications—falling into Qin's trap without ever seeing it. Qin's design ran very deep indeed.