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卷四百〇二 列傳第一百六十一 陳敏 張詔 畢再遇 安丙 楊巨源 李好義

Volume 402 Biographies 161: Chen Min, Zhang Zhao, Bi Zaiyu, An Bing, Yang Juyuan, Li Haoyi

Chapter 402 of 宋史 · History of Song
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1
Chen Min, courtesy name Yuangong, was from Shicheng in Ganzhou. His father Chen Hao was skilled in both civil and military affairs; late in the Jianyan reign he crushed the Ganzhou rebel Li Rengong and was promoted to the rank of Chengxin Lang. Min stood over six feet tall, excelled in horsemanship and archery, and rose through the ranks to Zhongjing Lang. Recommended by Yang Cunzhong, he was appointed Gate Attendant at the imperial gate.
2
殿
Fujian was then rife with bandits, but Palace Division troops sent to garrison the region usually could not adjust to the local climate. The court then recruited three thousand men to form the Left Wing Army, appointing Min as its commander with headquarters at Zhangzhou. Min mapped the strategic choke points across the prefectures—thirteen in all—and posted troops at each; bandits were captured whenever they struck. Qi Shu of Ganzhou seized the city in revolt, rallied tens of thousands of followers, and was preparing to abandon the city and raid south. When Min heard the news he said, "Ganzhou troops are crack fighters who excel on difficult terrain; if imperial forces have not yet arrived and the rebels break out, the Yangzi region, Hunan, Fujian, and Guangdong will all be thrown into chaos." Without waiting for orders, he led his troops on a seven-day forced march straight to Ganzhou and laid siege to the city. After more than a month the court dispatched Li Geng with troops from several circuits, and the rebellion was crushed. For his accumulated merit he was appointed Right Martial Grandee, ennobled as Baron of Wugong, and made prefect of Xingzhou. Summoned to court, Emperor Gaozong was struck by his imposing bearing and appointed him commander of the Enemy-Breaking Army. He soon entered mourning for his mother, but an edict recalled him from filial leave and he stationed his command at Taipingzhou.
3
使
In 1161, when the Jin emperor Hailing launched his invasion, Cheng Min was made commissioner for the Jing-Hu circuit; Min's forces were placed under his command, Min was promoted to commander-in-chief of the Horse Division, and camped between Jingzhou and the Han River. Min urged Cheng Min: "All the Jin elite cavalry are on the Huai front; Kaifeng must be undefended. If we strike straight through Chen and Cai to hit Kaifeng and rupture their heartland, that is how we relieve the Yangzi and Huai regions." Cheng Min would not heed him. When Cheng Min withdrew to Guangling, the Jin had not yet crossed the Huai; Min again urged him to intercept their retreating columns, and again he refused. Min then pleaded illness and retired to Guzhu.
4
退
When Emperor Xiaozong ascended the throne, Zhang Jun was made commissioner for the Jiang-Huai region and recommended Min as commander of the Shenjin Army. When Zhang Jun went to inspect the armies in person, Min was made commander-in-chief of the Wufeng Army under the Commander-in-Chief's headquarters. The court dispatched Li Xianzhong on a northern expedition, and Zhang Jun wanted Min to accompany him. Min objected: "Launching a campaign in midsummer is ill-timed, and the Jin main forces are all at Kaifeng—we would be invaders on their ground, and the odds are already against us. I beg that the campaign be postponed a little longer." Zhang Jun would not listen and ordered Min to garrison at Xuyi. When Xianzhong reached Fuli he indeed broke discipline; Min then entered Sizhou to hold the city. When the Jin sought peace, an edict ordered Min to withdraw and garrison Chuyang. Min petitioned the court, arguing that Chuzhou was unsuited to meeting the enemy head-on, and was reassigned to garrison Gaoyou with concurrent charge of military affairs. He fought the Jin at Sheyang Lake, routed them, burned their boats, pursued them to Peicheng, and defeated them again.
5
In the fourth year Shi Wang, a man from the Jin frontier, rebelled at the Lianshui garrison and secretly pledged allegiance to the Song, claiming he had rallied the leading men of twelve Shandong prefectures to rise and recover the Central Plain. The emperor consulted Min, who replied, "Wang only wants to borrow our prestige to raid and plunder—he cannot possibly succeed. I beg Your Majesty not to heed him." Just then a farming-administration commander was found to have been in contact with Wang; when Wang was defeated the Jin spread rumors of collusion, but the emperor knew Min was innocent and summoned him to court as General of the Left Xiaowei Guard.
6
使
Memorialists debated garrisoning the mouth of the Qinghe River; Min argued, "Whenever Jin forces advance along the Qinghe they first send detachments to ford secretly upstream. If we mean to hold that position firmly we must first repair the walls of Chuzhou, for Chuzhou is the strategic throat between north and south—a place both sides are bound to fight over. The Long Huai stretches more than two thousand li; five waterways connect it to the north—the Qinghe, Bian River, Wo River, Ying River, and Cai River; and the only route from the south into the Yangtze is the Chuzhou canal. When northern fleets come down those five rivers intending to cross the Yangtze, they cannot reach the river without control of the Chuzhou canal. In the past Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou cut the Laoguan River from the north Shenyan dam at Chuzhou so that warships could reach the Yangtze, and Southern Tang thereby lost the Huai region. From this it is clear that Chuzhou is truly the lifeline of the Southern dynasty; I beg the court to take heed." At this time he was again posted to guard Gaoyou; then an edict ordered him to share command of Chuzhou with the defender Zuo You, and when You died he took sole charge of Chuzhou. Jin envoys who passed through marveled at its fresh, sturdy ramparts and called it the "Silver-Cast City."
7
使西 西 使使 使
When two hundred surrendered households fled back to the Jin he was demoted to regiment commander of Zhongzhou, relieved as Fujian circuit commander, reassigned as Jiangxi circuit commander, and stationed at Ganzhou. After little more than a month the court ordered him to Fuzhou to select troops, then back to Yuzhang to drill the Jiangxi militia levies from the various prefectures. Soon he was made director of the Youshen Temple while retaining his court-gentleman status; he was again made defense commissioner of Qizhou, again commander-in-chief of the Wufeng Army with concurrent prefect of Chuzhou, restored to observer of Guangzhou, and died of illness. He was posthumously awarded the rank of military commissioner of the Qingyuan army.
8
姿
Zhang Zhao, courtesy name Junqing, was from Chengzhou. In his youth he served under Zhang Jun and through accumulated merit became defender of Hezhou. Once sent on an embassy, he was one day shown portraits of the You and Xian imperial mausoleums painted by the Jin—all figures in northern dress—and Zhao bowed twice toward them. When the hostel staff questioned him he replied, "Though I do not know who these figures are, their bearing is that of dragon and phoenix, their visage like sun and moon—I doubt they are ancestors of the northern court. How could I not bow!" When Xiaozong heard of this he was delighted, and from that moment Zhao was rapidly promoted.
9
西西 使
In 1194 he was appointed commander-in-chief of Xingzhou with concurrent prefect of Xingzhou, replacing Wu Ting. In 1196 Zhao Yanyu took command of Shu; because the territory beyond the pass was far from Xingyuan and emergencies might miss their moment, he again petitioned to split the command into eastern and western wings, and an edict had Zhao also handle affairs of the western-route pacification commission. Earlier, when Zhao Ruyu was an attendant official, he had repeatedly memorialized that the Wu clan's hereditary control of Shu troops was not in the state's interest and asked that Zhang Zhao replace them in command of the Wuxing army. Ruyu's intent was to install Wu Xi as a civil commander in order to forestall a future military monopoly, but this plan had not yet been carried out. When Ruyu was appointed to the Bureau of Military Affairs he firmly declined the post, telling Emperor Guangzong, "If a court-appointed commander is named for Wuxing in the morning, I shall accept my commission that same evening." The emperor agreed, and Zhao was made regiment commander of Chengzhou and commander-in-chief of all Xingzhou forces. At Xingzhou Zhao won the deep loyalty of his troops. He died in the sixth year of Qingyuan; Guo Guo replaced him.
10
Bi Zaiyu
11
Bi Zaiyu, courtesy name Deqing, was from Yanzhou. His father Bi Jin, during the Jianyan era, followed Yue Fei in guarding the Eight Imperial Mausoleums and fought across the Jiang-Huai region, rising to the rank of Martial Righteousness Grandee. Zaiyu received office by hereditary privilege and served in the Palace Horse Division; his martial skill was unmatched—he could draw a bow to 2.7 shi, draw backward to 1.8 shi, shoot 2 shi on foot, and 1.5 shi from horseback. Emperor Xiaozong summoned him to court, was greatly pleased, and bestowed battle robes and gold cash.
12
殿 西西 西
In 1206 an edict launched the northern campaign; Palace Commander Guo Ni was made commissioner for Shandong and Jingdong and sent Zaiyu with the commander Chen Xiaoqing to take Sizhou. Zaiyu asked to select freshly drafted dare-to-die troops as his vanguard; Ni gave him eighty-seven men. The pacification office set a fixed day for the advance; when the Jin heard of it they closed the market and sealed the city gates in preparation. Zaiyu said, "The enemy already knows the day we plan to cross—victory lies in surprise; we should advance one day early and catch them off guard." Xiaoqing agreed. Zaiyu feasted his troops and roused them with appeals to loyalty and righteousness, then advanced to press on Sizhou. Sizhou had eastern and western cities. Zaiyu had Chen display banners and boats at Shitun as if preparing to attack the west city, while he himself led his troops up the mountain path straight to the southeast corner of the east city, scaling the walls first and killing several hundred Jin soldiers; the Jin forces routed in panic and the defenders fled through the north gate. The west city still held out. Zaiyu raised his commander's banner and shouted, "General Bi of Great Song is here! You are people of the Central Plain—surrender at once!" Soon the magistrate of Huaiping county let himself down by rope to beg surrender, and both cities were secured. Guo Ni came to feast the troops and produced the imperial tally-plaque of a prefect to award Zaiyu, who declined: "The state has eighty-one prefectures south of the River—if we grant a prefect's rank for taking two cities of Sizhou, how shall we reward what comes next? And how many tally-plaques has the pacification office received from the court in the first place?" He firmly refused to accept it. Soon afterward he was made a palace guard officer.
13
調宿 宿 宿 退
Ni dispatched Li Ruyi and Guo Zhuo to take Suzhou and sent Xiaoqing and others to follow up. He ordered Zaiyu with four hundred eighty cavalry as vanguard to take Xuzhou; at Hong he met Guo and Li's troops returning wounded, and when he asked they said, "Floods below Suzhou city—our army fared badly, and Commander Tian Junmai has already been captured by the enemy." Zaiyu urged his troops forward at speed; at Lingbi he found Xiaoqing halted on Phoenix Mountain and about to withdraw. Zaiyu said, "Though Suzhou was lost, in war fortune turns—how can we lose heart so quickly! I am under orders from the pacification office to take Xuzhou, passing through here—I would rather die outside Lingbi's north gate than outside its south gate." Just then Ni sent a letter to Xiaoqing ordering withdrawal. Zaiyu said, "Guo and Li's armies have collapsed—the enemy is sure to pursue—we shall hold them off ourselves." The Jin indeed came with more than five thousand cavalry in two columns. Zaiyu left twenty dare-to-die men at Lingbi's north gate and led his troops in a charge against the enemy formation. When the Jin saw his banner they cried, "General Bi has come!" Then they fled. Zaiyu swung his twin swords, crossed the water in pursuit, and killed a great many; his armor was drenched red with blood as he pursued the fleeing enemy thirty li. A Jin officer bearing twin iron maces charged forward on horseback; Zaiyu parried the mace with his left blade and hacked the man's flank with his right—the Jin officer fell dead from his horse. The main army departed Lingbi while Zaiyu alone remained; when the column had marched more than twenty li he set fire to Lingbi. The generals asked, "Why not burn at night but burn in broad daylight—what is the reason?" Zaiyu replied, "At night the flames would reveal our true strength; by day the smoke and dust would hide it. The enemy has already been defeated and dares not press us—the army can march in safety. How would you know that in war it is easy to advance but hard to withdraw?"
14
使
On returning to Sizhou he was ranked first in merit, promoted in one leap from Military Festival Lang to Martial Merit Grandee, and made General of the Left Xiaowei Guard. Then Qiu Yi replaced Deng Youlong as commissioner, ordered Ni back to Yangzhou, and soon abandoned Sizhou. Zaiyu was ordered back to Xuyi and made military prefect of Xuyi; soon he was changed to commander of the Zhenjiang central army while retaining his defensive duties. For his merit at Phoenix Mountain he was made prefect of Dazhou. That winter the Jin crossed the Huai with tens of thousands of cavalry and infantry and more than five hundred warships, anchoring between Chuzhou and Huaiyin; the pacification office ordered Zaiyu to reinforce Chuzhou and sent Duan Zheng and Zhang Gui to replace him at Xuyi. After Zaiyu left Xuyi, Zheng and the others panicked and fled; the Jin occupied Xuyi; Zaiyu recovered Xuyi and was made deputy commander-in-chief of Zhenjiang.
15
Seventy thousand Jin troops were below the walls of Chuzhou, three thousand guarding grain at Huaiyin, and another three thousand grain transports anchored on the Great Qing River. Zaiyu learned of this through his scouts and said, "The enemy outnumber us ten to one—we cannot overcome them by force, but we can defeat them by stratagem." He then sent Commander Xu Jun by a hidden route to Huaiyin; at the second watch his men reached the enemy camp with gags in their mouths, each carrying fire, and hid among more than fifty grain wagons. At the signal whistle they set the fires ablaze; the enemy panicked and fled, and twenty-three men including Wuguulun Shuile and Pucha Yuannu were captured alive.
16
西 退 退 退 使
The Jin again crossed the Huai at Huanggou Shoals; the Weikou garrison commander fled without a fight; Hao and Chuzhou fell in succession, and Anfeng was also overrun. Zaiyu told his generals, "Chuzhou's walls are strong and its garrison numerous; the enemy's grain and fodder are already exhausted—the only thing to fear is an attack west of the Huai. Liuhe was the key choke point—the enemy would surely throw their full weight against it." With that, he marched his army to Liuhe. He was soon appointed commander over all Huaidong military forces. The Jurchens reached Zhuzhen, twenty-five li south of Liuhe. Bi Zaiyu mounted the walls, concealed banners and drums, and posted ambushers at the southern earthen gate with crossbowmen atop the ramparts. When the enemy approached the moat, a volley of bolts swept the field; Song forces sallied out as drums thundered and banners suddenly unfurled along the battlements. The Jurchens panicked and fled; pursuit turned their retreat into a rout. The Jin commanders Wanyan Puladu (wanhu) and Ni Panggu (qianhu), among others, brought a hundred thousand horsemen to camp at Chengjia Bridge and Ma'anshan and tightened the siege ring by ring, planning to burn the dam timbers and breach the moat. Bi Zaiyu ordered his strongest crossbows to drive them off. Then the Jin commander Hesilie massed his forces for an even fiercer assault until the city's quiver ran dry. Bi Zaiyu had a soldier stroll the battlements beneath a green canopy; the Jurchens mistook him for the Song commander and showered him with arrows until the parapets bristled like a hedgehog—they recovered more than two hundred thousand bolts. Hesilie drew off, then returned with reinforcements and ringed the city with encampments that stretched thirty li on every side. Bi Zaiyu had musicians play at the gates to feign ease, while raiding parties struck the enemy camp between assaults. Denied rest day or night, the enemy finally broke off the siege. Expecting the Jurchens to return, Bi Zaiyu led a force to seize the new bridge east of the city and struck from their rear. The enemy fled; he pursued as far as Chuzhou before a blizzard forced him to turn back. The haul included 1,531 mounts, 600 saddles, and a commensurate trove of armor, banners, and kit. He was made regimental commissioner of Zhongzhou.
17
使 使 使便使
In the third year of the reign he was named commander at Zhenjiang and given provisional charge of the Shandong and Jingdong pacification offices. On his return to Yangzhou he was promoted to Grand General of the Valiant Guards. The Jurchens had held Chuzhou under siege for three months, their camps strung out for sixty li. Bi Zaiyu sent his officers to harry the enemy along several axes; the thunder of his advance broke the siege. He was also appointed prefect of Yangzhou and pacification commissioner for Huaidong. Yangzhou still housed 2,500 northern troops; Bi Zaiyu had them parceled out in tiny detachments to the Jiankang and Zhenjiang commands so they could not plot another mutiny. He redesigned the kit for mobility: cuirasses no longer than the knee, sleeves ending at the elbow, lighter helmets, leather horse bardings, and wooden shields mounted on pivots so a single soldier could carry or swing them—the whole apparatus built for speed, not ponderous protection. His Death-or-Glory regiment had begun as a rabble of outlaws, yet Bi Zaiyu bent them to disciplined service. Officers such as Chen Shixiong and Xu Jun rose through his patronage. When the swaggering Zhang Jianxiong defied command, Bi Zaiyu reported his offenses and had him executed under military law, cowing the rest of the officer corps into obedience.
18
姿
A man of imposing physique famed since youth for his prowess in the ring, Bi Zaiyu had spent the long peace with no battlefield on which to prove himself. When war flared on the frontier and other commanders melted away, his reputation finally took hold and he entered the ranks of the dynasty's great captains.
19
調簿 滿 西調
An Bing (zi Ziwen) was born in Guang'an. He passed the civil service examination during the Chunxi reign and received his first posting as registrar of Dazu County. At the end of his term he traveled to court and laid before the emperor fifteen pointed critiques of Sichuan's strengths and failures. After observing mourning for his father, he joined the Lizhou pacification staff as an administrative officer and was later moved to assistant magistrate of Qushui. When Wu Ting took command in Sichuan, he recognized An Bing's ability and brought him onto his staff. Promoted in rank, he was appointed magistrate of Xinfan. After mourning his mother he was assigned to govern Xiaoxi County. While serving as vice-prefect of Longqing, he persuaded Prefect Zhang Ding to open the government granaries during the catastrophic floods of Jiatai year 3. He then redirected the riverbed through stone works that ended the seasonal inundations. As prefect of Da'an, during a famine he spent his private fortune to buy tens of thousands of bushels of grain downstream and distribute it to the starving. The court heard of his charity and promoted him one grade.
20
使 西 使
When war broke out in Kaixi year 2, with Cheng Song as Sichuan commander and Wu Xi as his deputy, An Bing warned Song of ten impending dangers. Song later established his headquarters at Hanzhong and, pausing at Sanquan, summoned An Bing for a midnight council. An Bing again warned that Wu Xi would ruin the campaign, but Song dismissed the warning. An Bing had served in the Wu household in his youth and knew Xi's character well. Wu Xi soon had him appointed army transport commissioner and posted him at Hechi. Patriot militia from Liang and Yang prefectures had just retaken Heshang Plain, only to lose it again as the garrison commander fled without his armor. On the eleventh month's wuzi day the Jurchens stormed Qiuchi Fort, overran Tianshui, and swept through Xihe into Chenzhou while the Song lines disintegrated. Wu Xi ignored the disaster. The Jurchens ravaged the four frontier prefectures as though marching through ghost towns; soldiers and civilians alike faced death with nowhere to turn. Wu Xi had already sent his agent Yao Huaiyuan to treat with the Jurchens. He returned to Xingzhou, leaving An Bing at Yuguan before recalling him to Wuxing. On the twelfth month's bingyin day Jin envoys arrived at Zhakou with an edict and golden seal; Wu Xi accepted them in secret and announced the enemy sought the four prefectures in exchange for peace, while urging Cheng Song to withdraw. On the guiyou day Wu Xi accepted the Jin investiture as King of Shu and issued proclamations across the province. On jiawu day in the first month of year 3, Wu Xi declared his own reign, submitted to the Jin as their vassal, renamed the calendar, transformed Xingzhou into Xingde Prefecture, and installed An Bing as Grandee for Guidance, chief steward of the chancellery, and acting head of the metropolitan government.
21
便
Earlier, while serving Wu Xi at Hechi, the clerk Qian Gongzhi dreamed that Xi prayed at a shrine, casting divination lots with a silver cup. The spirit rose and asked: "Why do you hesitate? Why hesitate? the spirit asked again. "Your affairs are already in the hands of An Ziwen," it said. Wu Xi did not grasp the omen until the spirit added: "An Ziwen has the talent to manage it all. Qian awoke disturbed by the vision and reported every detail to Wu Xi. With the rebellion fully underway, An Bing saw he could not escape without pointless martyrdom, so he feigned loyalty while plotting Xi's downfall. He joined Yang Juyuan, Li Haoyi, and others to plan Wu Xi's assassination—the full story appears in their respective biographies. At Lizhou, Xu Jingwang expelled local residents and seized control of tax revenues. An Bing sent his brother Huan to rally the commanders; once Xu Jingwang was executed, neither troops nor civilians dared stir. Proclamations went out to every circuit and the province returned to calm. Wu Xi's usurpation lasted only forty-one days. On the third month's wuyin day he memorialized the full account of Wu Xi's treason, his emergency powers to suppress the revolt and reward the loyal, and a plea to accept punishment—sending by courier Xi's severed head, contraband regalia, the Jin seals, and the stolen tally plaques.
22
便 殿使使
When news of the rebellion first reached the capital, the court was paralyzed with uncertainty. Han Tuozhou's own letters to Wu Xi had hinted at enfeoffment, so the court urgently summoned Yuwen Shaojie, prefect of Zhenjiang, who declared: "An Bing is no traitor—he will bring down the rebel. The court secretly drafted a silk edict: "We have long valued An Bing's ability and ambition. Knowing you were forced into Wu Xi's plot and feared worse ruin for Shu if you resisted outright, we understand you played along—surely you never forgot your sovereign and fatherland for a day. Overthrow Xi and your true loyalty will be rewarded beyond measure, even to a Grand Councillor's seat—choose your moment wisely and bring the matter to success, as we entrust you to do. Before the secret edict even arrived, news of victory spread through the court and the realm erupted in celebration. On the xinchou day the court promoted him to Duanming academician, Grandee for Guidance, prefect of Xingzhou, pacification commissioner, and deputy Sichuan commander, showering him with honors equal to a chief councillor—precisely as the secret edict had promised.
23
Commander Sun Zhongrui failed in a frontal assault on Dasanguan from Fengzhou until Qiang De's detour through Songlin Fort stormed the Jin fort on the fourth month's guichou day. Sun Zhongrui's greed and miserly discipline alienated his troops; he hurried back to Fengzhou and left the pass to the inept Chen Xian. On the guiyou day Dasanguan fell again. Yang Juyuan volunteered to retake the pass, and An Bing sent Zhu Bangning to support him. An Bing despised Sun Zhongrui and summoned him to headquarters under pretense of consultation, planning his dismissal. When Yang Juyuan reached Fengzhou he executed Sun Zhongrui and his son Kui; An Bing then reported to court that Zhongrui had collaborated with the puppet regime. For killing Wu Xi, Yang Juyuan had already been granted the rank of Court Gentleman with a vice-prefect appointment. Yang Juyuan sent his aide Fu Huai to press his claims at court—as told in his biography. An Bing then memorialized requesting leave from office. The Jurchens posted a bounty of twenty thousand bolts of silk and taels of silver for his head—whereupon the Song appointed him Sichuan pacification commissioner.
24
沿西使 西 西
While peace talks dragged on, An Bing alone kept his command sharp—bluffing, probing, and threatening attack as the best defense until his reputation terrified the enemy. With Sichuan pacified, the court sent Wu Lie to reassure the province. With every border fort in ruins, An Bing wrote the chief minister: "On the Xihe line we have fortified Chichi Chi, stockpiled grain, and made the position tenable for troops and civilians alike. If the enemy comes, we hold behind strong walls without giving battle—they cannot take it by assault and dare not bypass it. Hold Xihe and they will not dare breach Chenzhou. Heigu and Nangu in Chenzhou are likewise garrisoned with crack troops. Tianshui itself cannot be held, but ten li away we are building White Ring Fort to pincer with Xihe, strengthening Jitoushan, manning both with militia, repairing Huangniu Fort, and posting a thousand men at Xingzhao Plain. Fengzhou's Qiufang Plain is the most forbidding terrain—in early Shaoxing the prefectural seat stood here, where Wu Jie built his Jiaji stockade with Maling Fort ahead, commanding Fengzhou's rear. With these bastions strengthened, the Jurchens will not dare approach. Hechi, Shajinping, and Yuguan concentrate our main forces; even inner routes such as Da'an secretly arm militia for ambush. He also proposed recruiting loyalists along the frontier, paying them monthly grain to guard their farms and ancestral graves until peace, then enrolling them for farming—a sustainable defense. In my view," he concluded, "fifty thousand picked troops are ample for a defensive strategy alone."
25
西
Li Haoyi, governing Xihe, petitioned to remit taxes in the war-scarred four prefectures where the people could scarcely survive. An Bing forwarded the request to the capital. He also warned that the ten armies under the Mianzhou command had grown too powerful—every commander from Wu Lin to Wu Ting and Wu Xi had faced the same fear of armies too strong to control. He proposed splitting them between a commander and a deputy, with the Right, Center, Left, Front, and Rear armies under the main command and the Treading White, Crushing Vanguard, Selected Vanguard, Strategy Vanguard, and Roaming Patrol armies under the deputy. The court approved every recommendation.
26
使 殿
Fang Xinru returned from the Jin court with peace still uncertain and a demand for whoever had started the war—enraging Han Tuozhou. The emperor wrote personally to An Bing: "The Jurchens will return—stir your commanders to zeal and shared sacrifice. After Han Tuozhou's execution the court rewarded An Bing with 120 taels of gold vessels and twenty bolts of fine silk, promoting him to Zizheng Hall academician. The treaty restored Dasanguan and Geya Pass. An Bing dispatched officers to survey farmland in Yang, Mian, Xingyuan, and Da'an and set new tax rates.
27
使
When Chief Councillor Shi Miyuan left mourning to resume office, An Bing wrote urging him to refuse as esteemed statesmen from Fu Kuan and Wen Yanbo to Jiang Gong had done—ritual and public opinion demanded it, and he should decline quickly to silence critics. Commentators applauded the letter. He was elevated to Grand Academician, Sichuan military commissioner, and prefect of Xingyuan. Intelligence reported that the Jurchens had relocated to Kaifeng, and many frontier stalwarts along the passes were offering to defect. An Bing saw the moment as parallel to Ran Min's appeal to Jin for aid against barbarians, and urged the councillors to launch a punitive campaign. Critics at court feared he was too rash, and the throne ordered him instead to strengthen defenses.
28
使 殿使 使使
In the spring of the seventh year he sent his favorites An Fan and He Jiuling with regular troops on a night assault against Qinzhou; they were routed and driven back. Wang Dacai seized Jiuling and six others, executed them, and memorialized against An Bing at the capital. In the third month the court named him vice director of the Bureau of Military Affairs and crown prince preceptor, summoning him with an imperial letter in the emperor's own hand. While traveling he was promoted at Guangde to Guanwen Hall academician, prefect of Tanzhou, and pacification commissioner for Hunan. Once in office he devoted himself to education and petitioned the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to establish the Dacheng ritual music. His rule remained harsh; transport judge Zhang Lai impeached him, but the court took no action. Censor Li Anxing joined Zhang Lai in the attack; Zhang was removed, while An Bing was made military commissioner of Chongxin, granted ceremonial parity with the Three Excellencies, and named superintendent of Wanshou Abbey. A palace attendant, Wenren Yu, was sent with the commission, bearing insignia of office, a gold seal, robes, belt, saddle, and horse. After thrice declining the honors he went back to Sichuan.
29
退
Dong Juyi as commander of Sichuan had alienated the officer corps. The Jurchens pressed the advantage, storming Chidan and Huangniu forts, breaking through Wuxiu Pass, and thrusting toward Liang and Yang as far as Da'an; Song forces melted away wherever they met the enemy and fled into the Ba hills. In the twelfth year Nie Zishu replaced him as commander. An Bing's son Guizhong was then prefect of Guozhou, and Zishu immediately named him joint staff adviser by dispatch. In the fourth month the Red Turban rebels Zhang Fu and Mo Jian rose, seized Lizhou, and Zishu fled. Fiscal intendant Yang Jiuding met the rebels, hid in a farmhouse, and was hunted down and killed. Zishu fell back to Jianmen Pass and ordered Guizhong to take command of the troops and bear responsibility for crushing the rebellion. Guizhong gathered frontier generals including Zhang Wei; the rebels marched from Langzhou toward Suining, leaving ruin in every place they touched. An Bing wanted to carry a hundred thousand strings of cash to Yichang with Zishu to raise troops, but Zishu warned, "A senior minister may not leave his post without explicit imperial orders." An Bing then proceeded to Guozhou.
30
Sichuan was in turmoil worse than Wu Xi's revolt. Zhang Fang memorialized first that a man of An Bing's stature and renown could still be put to use. Wei Liaoweng wrote the chief ministers that without An Bing the rebels would not soon be crushed nor Sichuan secured—even the rebels were saying, "Only when Chancellor An becomes pacification commissioner will things be settled." Li Bi and Li Huang, then commanding Tongzhou and Suining, likewise pressed him in the name of the realm. On the yiyi day of the fifth month An Bing reached Guozhou; that same day the rebels burned Pengxi County.
31
使便使使 使 使使 西
On the jiyou day the court recalled him as Sichuan pacification commissioner with full discretionary powers, then formally named him military commissioner of Baoning, prefect of Xingyuan, and pacification commissioner for eastern Lizhou. An Bing submitted: "I do not shirk age in serving the dynasty, yet work that invites no blame is hard to finish; I fear a storm of slander will leave my loyalty unheard at court. When Qin sent Gan Mao against Yiyang, the king pledged with him the covenant at Xitu; when Wei sent Yue Yang against Zhongshan, the ruler opened a chest of denunciations to prove his trust. Between sovereign and minister such measures ought not be necessary. Yet from antiquity to the present slander grows from suspicion and estrangement, and ruin comes of envy and jealousy; and I have already been wounded once by the bow—how could I ignore the kettle already boiling ahead?" The emperor replied: "When Taizong faced unrest in the west he recalled Li Jing, who volunteered eagerly and refused to plead age or infirmity. When Daizong faced crisis in Shuofang he entrusted Guo Ziyi, who marched at once and would not let calumny shake his resolve. Both seized their moment and left their names shining in the histories—I hold them in deep admiration. Now the Shu routes are in turmoil and my mind is not at ease; I have called you from retirement to a frontier command, and your loyalty in accepting hardship matches Tang Taizong's choice of men—your service to me need not fear comparison with Li Jing and Guo Ziyi. Strive for a splendid victory to settle the realm's troubles! He soon reassigned Ding Huang to govern Xingyuan Prefecture.
32
使
On the jiashen day he marched out from Guozhou. On the bingxu day he reached Suining while the rebels still held Mingshan in Puzhou. An Bing ordered a combined encirclement, cutting off firewood and water to starve them out. Soon Zhang Wei and Li Gui captured Zhang Fu and seventeen others; An Bing had Wang Dacai dismembered as an offering to avenge Yang Jiuding. On the gengzi day of the seventh month more than a thousand remaining rebels were taken and executed. On the gengxu day he withdrew in triumph, moved his headquarters to Lizhou, and received the seal of the Baoning military commissioner. Guizhong was promoted three ranks, made a direct attendant of the Zhiwen Pavilion, recalled from mourning, and placed in charge of the pacification commission staff. The following year An Bing was made Junior Guardian and given robes, belt, saddle, and horse.
33
便使
Finding much uncollected revenue on frontier garrison farms, An Bing ordered officials to audit them. One Wen Gai was still in mourning for his mother when Bing recalled him by emergency authority to run the Yuguan grain office, entrusted him with the audits, and lent him the deputy pacification commissioner's seal. Feng Anshi meanwhile set up another audit bureau at Lizhou. Wei Liaoweng then wrote An Bing: "Your staff should be men of learning and integrity, not men who break mourning law. After eight years governing Sichuan you have made friends and enemies alike—if you settle every score and pursue every grievance you narrow your path and may burden your heirs and clients without end. Even if revenue work cannot follow old rules, informers denouncing abandoned estates, blank deeds, hidden fields, wealthy men's faults, and salt and wine shortfalls—men nursing grudges, trading power for bribes—will multiply, and you will bear every hatred." An Bing answered: "Frontier grain purchases require four million strings of cash, yet the treasury shows only two hundred fifty thousand—we must improvise until there is no choice. If I used only spotless scholars, how would anything get done? Men like your brother Jiafu and Li Chengzhi are pure and lofty—would they touch grain accounts and vulgar business? Liu Dexiu once rebuked Yang Sixun for failing to rise against traitors; Sixun replied, "Dexiu has simply never held real office." An Bing said the same to Wei Liaoweng." Later Feng Anshi's abuses worsened; a court intimate wrote An Bing, and Anshi's faction exposed the matter; An Bing sent him in chains to Da'an for a full investigation.
34
使
Earlier the Tanguts had asked for Song troops to join them against the Jurchens; An Bing memorialized and marched at once, sending columns toward Qin, Gong, and Fengxiang under Ding Huang's command, halting at Gongzhou. The Tanguts fielded more than two hundred thousand men under Commissioner Ning Zining, agreeing that Tangut forces would fight in the open while Song troops stormed the walls. The assault on Gong failed, and the campaign was abandoned.
35
An Bing died; on the news of his death he was recorded as Junior Mentor emeritus, court audiences were suspended for two days, he was posthumously made Junior Preceptor, granted thousands in silver and silk, and a temple at Mianzhou was named the Temple of Heroic Favor. Emperor Lizong personally wrote to grant the posthumous name Zhongding, "Loyal and Steadfast." An Bing's writings included the Collected Writings of Bright Clarity.
36
Biography of Yang Juyuan.
37
沿
Yang Juyuan, courtesy name Ziyuan, was descended from a Chengdu family. His father Xinchen had settled at Yichang as a sojourner, and the family made its home there. Juyuan was bold and ambitious, an expert horseman and archer who had read widely in the classics and philosophers. He failed the civil service examination and the military examination alike. Liu Guangzu was struck by him and recommended him to fiscal intendant Chen Ye, who appointed him granary officer at Fengzhou's Baoziyuan; he rode and hunted tirelessly, spent his fortune keeping men, and won the respect of loyalists along the frontier. He was posted to the Yuguan grain office and later put in charge of the Hejiang provision granary at Xingzhou.
38
When Wu Xi rebelled, Juyuan secretly resolved to destroy him, gathering three hundred loyalists and paying their keep. Roaming Patrol commander Zhang Lin could draw a two-stone bow; company leader Zhu Bangning stood six feet tall with exceptional strength; Xi envied them both and though they fought well gave them no reward, leaving them bitter. Lin was then at Zhekou and Bangning at Hejiang; Juyuan bound himself closely to them and rallied loyalists including Zhu Fu, Chen An, and Fu Gui.
39
Xi forced An Bing to serve as his chief minister's chief steward; Bing feigned illness; when Meizhou scholar Cheng Mengxi visited him, An Bing sighed, "The times are desperate and there is not a hero among us!" Mengxi then spoke of Juyuan's conspiracy. An Bing asked, "Will he come to me?" He had Mengxi write to summon Juyuan and received him at his bedside. Juyuan said, "You serve as chief steward to a rebel traitor?" An Bing wept aloud: "The commanders I know will not stir themselves. Only a hero can destroy this traitor, and then I shall have no more cares." Juyuan asked, "Is your resolve firm?" An Bing pointed to Heaven and swore, "If we kill this traitor, I shall die a loyal ghost without regret!" Juyuan rejoiced and said, "Without you this plot cannot be led; without me it cannot be finished."
40
Meanwhile Li Haoyi and his brother Haowen had gathered Li Gui, Yang Junyu, Li Kunchen, and dozens of others; Kunchen brought Juyuan and Haoyi together. Juyuan exulted again: "Chief Steward An and I have planned to lure Xi to the temple on the sixth of the third month and strike him down with our brave men." Haoyi objected: "When he goes abroad the alleys are cramped and his guard numbers a thousand—the plan cannot succeed. I hear he will sacrifice at the Eastern Garden on Cold Food Day—that is our moment." Juyuan agreed. Haoyi asked to meet the chief steward himself as proof of good faith. Juyuan said, "I shall speak to him first; tomorrow at the rebel palace he will ask about your ancestors—that will be the signal." Juyuan informed An Bing; the next day Haoyi met him at the rebel palace and bowed. An Bing said, "Your father and I served together in the provinces; Staff Officer Yang has praised your talents highly, and I shall soon place duties in your hands." The conspiracy was sealed.
41
使 使
Junyu had his townsman Bai Zishen draft the edict, but the prose was crude; Juyuan rewrote it and stamped it with the Hejiang granary's vermilion seal. Fearing discovery, they struck before dawn on the yihai day of the second month; Haoyi led his men into the rebel palace while Juyuan rode in bearing the edict and claiming to be an imperial envoy; Xi opened the inner door to flee and Li Gui seized and killed him. The guards fought at first, but at the word of an edict they fell back. Juyuan and Haoyi brought An Bing forth to proclaim the edict and paraded Xi's head as a warning. The army acclaimed An Bing acting Sichuan pacification commissioner and Yang Juyuan acting military adviser. An Bing reported their achievements to court, ranking Yang Juyuan first; an edict appointed him Attendant Gentleman.
42
西 使
Juyuan told An Bing, "With Xi dead the rebels' nerve is broken. The four prefectures beyond the passes are the keys to Shu—we should seize the moment and take them back. Li Haoyi said the same. An Bing feared the troops had no supplies in sight; Juyuan insisted that leaving the four prefectures untaken would breed disaster later, and volunteered to manage army grain transport himself. Forces were sent accordingly: Haoyi to recover Xihe, Zhang Lin and Li Jian to Cheng, Liu Changguo to Jie, and Sun Zhongrui to San Pass. Soon an edict promoted Juyuan to Chao Feng Lang with supervisory prefect dispatch, and named him advisory officer on the Sichuan pacification staff. An Bing had long despised Sun Zhongrui; when he heard San Pass was lost he recalled him to dismiss him, and first sent Juyuan with Bang Ning and two thousand Mian troops to assist. At Feng Prefecture Juyuan welcomed Zhongrui out, then had braves hidden behind the screen rush out and kill him—and his son Kui as well. An Bing reported to court with a feigned congratulatory memorial, attaching Zhongrui's case, and awaited punishment himself.
43
使 祿祿
Earlier, when the edict commending the suppression of the rebellion reached Mian, Juyuan told others, "Not one word of the decree names me—I suspect someone is burying my credit. Soon word came that Wang Xi had been made military commissioner, and Juyuan's resentment deepened. Zhao Yan'a had just been made supervisory prefect of a prefecture for killing Lu Xi at Kui; Juyuan said, "Slay Lu Xi and you become supervisory prefect—does slaying Wu Xi earn the same prize? He wrote An Bing resigning with the words, "When flying arrows fell on Liaocheng, men admired Lu Zhonglian's noble refusal; relinquishing office and withdrawing to Pengze, in the spirit of Tao Yuanming's integrity." He also appealed his service to court and asked Xingyuan metropolitan commander Peng Luo to write Han Tuozhou on his behalf; Luo promised openly but secretly informed An Bing. Word reached An Bing that Juyuan and followers Mi Fu and Che Yanwei were plotting rebellion; he had Wang Xi try them, and both were convicted. Rectifier Chen Anfu accused Juyuan of rallying death-sworn men to enter the passes, burn the Mian government compound, and kill An Bing when he emerged. An Bing piled up these grievances and wished to be rid of Juyuan, but lacked a pretext.
44
使使 簿
Then Juyuan at Feng sent a dispatch to the Jin Fengxiang metropolitan commander with language like a spy stratagem, styled himself deputy pacification commissioner, and sealed it with his advisory officer's stamp. The Jin delivered the dispatch to An Bing. Juyuan was fighting the Jin and lost at Chang Bridge; An Bing summoned him by letter, and Juyuan grew suspicious. Liangquan clerk Gao Yuecheng, whom Juyuan had recommended for army supply duty, came to urge his return—and Juyuan trusted him.
45
使
Peng Luo had already reached Mian; on the renshen day of the sixth month Juyuan returned to headquarters, and An Bing secretly ordered Luo to arrest him. Juyuan suspected nothing, thinking this a courtesy call; when they finished speaking Luo rose, and Juyuan walked him toward the guest quarters. Warriors seized his robe; he still shouted them down—but they had already dragged him into the courtyard. Juyuan cried, "What crime have I committed? An Bing called through a screen, "Why did you falsely style yourself deputy pacification commissioner? He ordered him shackled and sent to prison at Lang Prefecture. Juyuan said, "I used a ruse in the moment; someday someone will clear my name. An Bing sent food and wine; Juyuan said, "I have nothing to regret in dying; only my unmarried sister remains—Commissioner, remember her." On the guiyou day his boat reached Da'an Longwei Beach; adjutant Fan Shixian hailed from the shore; knowing he would die, Juyuan pointed and said, "Fine burial ground here. Shixian said, "Nonsense— the boat had gone only a few paces when he said, "Staff Adviser, you must be parched—will you not drink a cup? Juyuan refused, saying he did not drink. Then, "You have worn fetters long—why not loosen them a little?" Before he could answer, attendants hacked off his head—barely an inch of flesh still attached—and reported to the pacification office that Juyuan had taken his own life. Days later An Bing ordered him buried.
46
At Juyuan's death loyal men clenched their fists in grief and listeners wept; Zhang Bowei of the borderlands wrote a mourning piece of exceptional pathos—he had been Juyuan's clerk. Li Bi at court, hearing the news, said, "Alas—Juyuan is surely dead! An Bing, facing public outrage, memorialized to resign. Yang Fu warned that killing Juyuan would bring mutiny and urged replacing An Bing with Liu Jia. At first Juyuan and Haoyi had rallied the loyal troops while An Bing had plotted restoration in secret, neither knowing the other's hand—Li Kun'an linked Juyuan to Haoyi, and Juyuan linked Haoyi to An Bing. Juyuan had written to Ye Guangzu quoting An Bing's replies; the letter was printed and passed everywhere; Bing's resentment deepened, slander accumulated, and the disaster grew.
47
使 使
Chenzhong Lang Li Qiong submitted a petition box memorial with his "Biography of Juyuan" to vindicate him; the court remembered his service, granted temple honors as Exalting Loyalty, posthumously made him Baomo Pavilion attendant-in-waiting, and gave offices to his two sons. Pacification commissioner Cui Yu with sought state burial funds and added posthumous rank as Baomo Pavilion academician and Grandee of Palace Administration. In Jiaxi 1 (1237) Emperor Lizong granted the posthumous name Zhongmin, "Loyal and Lamented." His son Lüzheng rose to chief minister of justice and Sichuan pacification vice commissioner.
48
Biography of Li Haoyi.
49
使 西
Li Haoyi was from Xiaqi. His grandfather Shizhong, a commoner during the Jianyan era, held Hua Prefecture and rose to Zhong Prefecture defense commissioner. His father Dingyi commanded the central army at Xing Prefecture. Haoyi took the field in his twenties, unrivaled in horsemanship and archery on the western frontier. He first distinguished himself as a preparation officer fighting the Wenzhou tribes. At the start of Kaixi, when Han Tuozhou opened the frontier and Wu Xi held command, Haoyi served as rectifier at Xing and repeatedly asked to lead picked troops against the Jin; Xi nursed treason and refused. Soon all four border prefectures fell, the Jin swept through San Pass, and Xi, swayed by the Jin, rebelled in Shu. Hearing the news at Qingfang, Haoyi rushed home, wept with his brother, and plotted Xi's death.
50
When Xi sent Li Gui to pursue Pacification Commissioner Cheng Song, Gui told his men, "Commissioner Cheng is a pillar of court—we must not kill him. Haoyi saw his loyal heart and confided the conspiracy. Gui rallied Li Biao, Zhang Yuan, Chen Li, Liu Hu, Zhang Hai, and others; Haoyi secretly won over Huang Shu, Zhao Liang, Wu Zheng of the personal guard. His brother-in-law Yang Junyu joined them; Haoyi warned, "We pledge our lives for the realm and for the people of Shu—tell no one. He left his mother behind as pledge of his oath. The brothers said, "Anyone might kill Xi today—or serve Xi; after he falls, without a man of stature to steady the realm, one rebellion may end only for another to begin. They planned to install Chief Steward An Bing, whom Xi had named false chancellor but who had pleaded illness and stayed away—that was their design.
51
祿
Then Junyu brought Li Kun'an, who said An Bing and Yang Juyuan of the Hejiang granary were already plotting Xi's overthrow. Haoyi sent Junyu and Kun'an to Juyuan, then to An Bing. An Bing rejoiced. "Are you not Commander Li Dingyi's son? With him here, Xi's right arm is cut off." They set the last day of the second month for the strike—see the "Biography of Juyuan." They gathered seventy-four men including Biao, Shu, and Gui, and the scholars Lu Liangbi and Wang Fu. That night Haoyi feasted his men and called them to arms; with Haogu, Haoren, and kinsmen he bid farewell at the ancestral shrine and told his wife Lady Ma, "If you hear nothing by sunrise, act for yourself—our lives hang on tonight. Lady Ma rebuked him: "You march to slay a traitor for the throne—why trouble yourself over our household? I will not disgrace the Li name. Her mother said, "Go—and do your utmost! Live as stalwart men; die as worthy shades." Haoyi exclaimed, "Even our women hold the throne above their lives—what should we men do? The company answered with a roar. As they marched, junior officer Lu Yi brought ten men to help; yellow cloth was their signal. Haoyi swore the company to death for any who killed wantonly or looted in the palace.
52
殿
The rebel palace gates stood open; Haoyi burst in shouting, "By secret court edict Chief Steward An is pacification commissioner; we are sent to kill the traitor—resist, and your clan dies. A thousand guards dropped their staves and fled; they reached the small east gate of the hall, entered Shimei Hall, and closed on Xi's bedchamber. Hearing the uproar, Xi rose bareheaded and barefoot, opened his chamber to flee, saw Gui, and held the inner door; Gui seized it and the latch snapped. Xi ran; Gui caught him by the hair and struck his cheek; Xi, brave and powerful, threw Gui down and pinned him. Haoyi called Wang Huan to strike his waist twice; Xi loosed his grip in pain; Gui rose and struck off his head. Bearing Xi's head from the palace, they raced to An Bing to proclaim the edict; soldiers and civilians bowed and cheered till heaven seemed to shake; parading the head they steadied the city, and markets never closed.
53
西西 西 西使
Haoyi urged recovering the four border prefectures at once; Juyuan agreed; An Bing was delighted. Juyuan marched with him, but Wang Xi, jealous of his talent, undermined the effort. Haoyi said, "Xihe is the heart of the border; take Xihe and the other three may fall without a fight. Miss this chance and we will repent too late. Give me a thousand horse and foot, two hundred death-sworn men, and ten days' grain—that is enough." An Bing agreed; loyal men flocked to the banners; at Dutou Ridge presented scholar Wang Rongzhong and his brothers led militia in a pincer, and Jin dead covered the road. After ten fights they reached the mountain redoubt at Gaobao; on the seventh day they stood before Xihe. Haoyi led the assault in person, under arrow and stone; his men fought as if death were joy; few against many, none could stand before them. The Jin commissioner of Xihe, Wanyan Qin, fled; Haoyi entered in good order; soldiers and civilians cheered and bowed; the treasury was inventoried for the state.
54
西
Haoyi had meant to press on toward Qin and Long and draw off the Huai enemy, but the pacification commissioner ordered the old border held inviolate; morale sank. Haoyi governed Xihe as central-army commander, and died in office. An Bing reported his service to court; he was posthumously made acting Junior Guardian, and granted fields to support his household. Later Wu Lie secured the posthumous name Zhongzhuang, "Loyal and Stout." He loved the Mencius and the Zuo Commentary and held that to live by them was enough for a lifetime. When they killed Xi, only his youngest son Zhi was left at home. When all was over, men scrambled to claim credit; Junyu wanted to list Zhi among the rewarded, but Haoyi touched his heart and said, "This alone cannot be lied to."
55
西
After Wu Xi was killed, Haoyi met at An Bing's house; Wang Xi arrived later with murder in mind and tried to stab Haoyi, but Bing forcibly intervened—though Xi thereafter nursed a daily resolve to kill him. When Haoyi was defending Xihe, Xi sent his sworn henchman Liu Changguo under his command; Haoyi drank with him until dawn, then suffered violent cramping and dysentery—while Changguo slipped away. After the funeral his mouth, nose, nails, and fingers were all blue-black; the people believed he had been wronged and mourned him as kin; the Cuifeng regiment nearly rose in mutiny. Soon afterward Changguo saw Haoyi in broad daylight, blade in hand, stabbing at him; he collapsed in terror, gangrene set in, and he died.
56
便使 使
Wang Xi had been one of Wu Xi's chief generals—greedy, lecherous, cruel, and obstinate. On the day Xi was killed he refused to acknowledge the edict, sent his men to loot the rebel palace bare, and took several of Xi's concubines for himself. He later sought to kill Haoyi to avenge Wu Xi; Bing could not restrain him and on emergency authority appointed him military commissioner of Xingzhou, yet his hatred was still not spent. Once he marched to Boat-Palisade Ridge but fled before the lines engaged, allowing the Jin to pour through Black Valley deep into Song territory. Fearing he might rebel, the court made him military commissioner and transferred him to commander-in-chief of Jing-E, where he died.
57
使 西
The historians remark: Chen Min excelled at defense, Bi Zaiyu at offensive warfare. Zhang Zhao on embassy brought no shame on the state; as a commander he won his soldiers' loyalty; Zhao Ruyu had recommended him for Wuxing precisely because his talent could have checked Wu Xi. Had it not been for the conspiracy of An Bing, Yang Juyuan, and Li Haoyi, Wu Xi's rebellion would have brought immeasurable calamity to the western frontier. Yet Bing ultimately killed Juyuan for it—how rash his jealousy and how cruel toward a man who had saved the realm? Li Haoyi failed to guard against treachery and was ultimately destroyed by Wang Xi. The Song court knew Wang Xi was Wu Xi's partisan, yet neither punished him nor withheld a frontier command—how was this not the late-Tang policy of appeasement that bred the warlord catastrophe?
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