1
夫陰陽肇分，乾坤定位，君臣之道斯著，夫婦之義存焉。 陰陽和則裁成萬物，家道正則化行天下，由近及遠，自家刑國，配天作合，不亦大乎！ 興亡是繫，不亦重乎！ 是以先王慎之，正其本而嚴其防。 後之繼體，靡克聿修，甘心柔曼之容，罔念幽閑之操。 成敗攸屬，安危斯在。 故皇、英降而虞道隆，任、姒歸而姬宗盛，妹、妲致夏、殷之釁，褒、趙結周、漢之禍。 爰歷晉、宋，實繁有徒。 皆位以寵升，榮非德進，恣行淫僻，莫顧禮儀，為梟為鴟，敗不旋踵。 後之伉儷宸極，正位居中，罕蹈平易之塗，多遵覆車之轍。 睢鳩之德，千載寂寥； 牝雞之晨，殊邦接響。 窈窕淑女，靡有求於寤寐； 鏗鏘環珮，鮮克嗣於徽音。 永念前修，歎深彤管。 覽載籍於既往，考行事於當時，存亡得失之機，蓋亦多矣。 故述皇后列傳，所以垂戒將來。
When yin and yang first separated and heaven and earth took their fixed places, the bond between ruler and minister came into view, and the duties of husband and wife were set in place. When yin and yang are in harmony, the myriad things take shape; when the household is rightly ordered, its influence reaches the whole realm. From the family to the state, from what is near to what is far—union with heaven in marriage—is this not a matter of the greatest weight? Upon it the rise and fall of dynasties depend—is this not grave indeed! That is why the ancient kings treated the matter with care, setting the foundation aright and guarding the barriers with strictness. Later rulers who inherited the throne seldom carried on the tradition; they were content with soft, alluring beauty and gave no thought to quiet, modest virtue. Victory and defeat hang upon it; safety and danger rest upon it as well. When E Huang and Nüying came down to Shun, the way of Yu flourished; when Ren and Si entered the Zhou house, the Ji clan rose to greatness. Mei Xi and Daji brought ruin upon Xia and Yin; Bao Si and Zhao Feiyan brought disaster upon Zhou and Han. Down through Jin and Song, examples of this kind were truly numerous. They all advanced through imperial favor rather than merit, abandoned themselves to licentious and perverse conduct, and cared nothing for ritual propriety. Like owls and kites among birds, they met ruin almost at once. Later empresses who shared the imperial throne and sat in the central place seldom took the easy road; far more often they followed the tracks of overturned carts. The virtue praised in the Ospreys lay silent for a thousand years; while the hen's crowing at dawn echoed from one foreign land to the next. Fair and gentle ladies were no longer sought in waking thought and in dreams; and though jade pendants chimed at their belts, few could carry on the fame of worthy wives. Ever mindful of the worthy women of old, I sigh deeply over the red brush that should have recorded their praise. In reviewing the records of the past and weighing conduct in the present, one finds that the turning points of survival and ruin, gain and loss, are many indeed. That is why I compose this collective biography of empresses—to leave a warning for generations yet to come.
2
然后妃之制，夏、殷以前略矣。 周公定禮，內職始備列焉。 秦、漢以下，代有沿革，品秩差次，前史載之詳矣。 齊、梁以降，歷魏暨周，廢置益損，參差不一。 周宣嗣位，不率典章，衣褘翟、稱中宮者，凡有五。 夫人以下，略無定數。 高祖思革前弊，大矯其違，唯皇后正位，傍無私寵，婦官稱號，未詳備焉。 開皇二年，著內官之式，略依周禮，省減其數。 嬪三員，掌教四德，視正三品。 世婦九員，掌賓客祭祀，視正五品。 女御三十八員，掌女工絲枲，視正七品。 又採漢、晉舊儀，置六尚、六司、六典，遞相統攝，以掌宮掖之政。 一曰尚宮，掌導引皇后及閨閤廩賜。 管司令三人，掌圖籍法式，糾察宣奏； 典琮三人，掌琮璽器玩。 二曰尚儀，掌禮儀教學。 管司樂三人，掌音律之事； 典贊三人，掌導引內外命婦朝見。 三曰尚服，掌服章寶藏。 管司飾三人，掌簪珥花嚴； 典櫛三人，掌巾櫛膏沐。 四曰尚食，掌進膳先嘗。 管司醫三人，掌方藥卜筮； 典器三人，掌樽彝器皿。 五曰尚寢，掌幃帳牀褥。 管司筵三人，掌鋪設灑掃； 典執三人，掌扇傘燈燭。 六曰尚工，掌營造百役。 管司製三人，掌衣服裁縫； 典會三人，掌財帛出入。 六尚各三員，視從九品，六司視勳品，六典視流外二品。 初，文獻皇后功參歷試，外預朝政，內擅宮闈，懷嫉妬之心，虛嬪妾之位，不設三妃，防其上逼。 自嬪以下，置六十員。 加又抑損服章，降其品秩。 至文獻崩後，始置貴人三員，增嬪至九員，世婦二十七員，御女八十一員。 貴人等關掌宮闈之務，六尚已下，皆分隸焉。
As for the institution governing empresses and consorts, before the Xia and Yin dynasties it existed only in rough outline. When the Duke of Zhou established the rites, the inner palace offices were first set out in full array. From Qin and Han onward, each dynasty revised the system, and the gradations of rank differed from age to age; the earlier histories record all this in detail. From Qi and Liang through Wei and into Zhou, offices were abolished and restored, expanded and cut back, in ways that were uneven and inconsistent. When Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou succeeded to the throne, he did not follow the canonical regulations: five women in all wore the empress's hui and di robes and were styled ladies of the Central Palace. Below the rank of Lady, there was scarcely any fixed quota at all. Emperor Wen wished to reform the abuses of earlier ages and to correct their excesses in full. Only the empress held the legitimate position, with no private favorites beside her, while the titles for palace women had not yet been worked out in complete detail. In the second year of Kaihuang (582), he promulgated the regulations for inner palace officials, following the Rites of Zhou in broad outline and reducing the number of posts. Three Pin, who supervised instruction in the four virtues, were ranked equal to regular third grade. Nine Shifu, who managed guests and sacrifices, were ranked equal to regular fifth grade. Thirty-eight Nuyu, who supervised women's work in silk and hemp, were ranked equal to regular seventh grade. He also drew on the old regulations of Han and Jin and established the Six Chiefs, Six Directors, and Six Registrars, each level supervising the next, to govern affairs within the palace. The first was the Chief of the Palace, who guided the empress and managed granary distributions within the inner quarters. Under her were three Directors of Orders, who managed maps, registers, statutes, and patterns and who inspected and forwarded memorials; and three Registrars of the Jade Tablet, who managed jade tablets, seals, vessels, and precious objects. The second was the Chief of Ceremonies, who managed ritual and instruction. Under her were three Directors of Music, who managed matters of pitch and regulation; and three Registrars of Presentation, who guided titled ladies of the inner and outer courts in their audiences. The third was the Chief of Vestments, who managed garments, insignia, and the treasure store. Under her were three Directors of Adornment, who managed hairpins, earrings, flowers, and formal dress; and three Registrars of the Comb, who managed towels, combs, oils, and bathing. The fourth was the Chief of Provisions, who managed the presentation of food and tasted it before the emperor. Under her were three Directors of Medicine, who managed prescriptions, drugs, divination, and milfoil; and three Registrars of Vessels, who managed goblets, sacrificial bronzes, and serving vessels. The fifth was the Chief of the Bedchamber, who managed curtains, canopies, beds, and bedding. Under her were three Directors of Mats, who managed furnishings, sprinkling, and sweeping; and three Registrars of Attendants, who managed fans, parasols, lamps, and candles. The sixth was the Chief of Works, who managed construction and the hundred crafts. Under her were three Directors of Tailoring, who managed garments, cutting, and sewing; and three Registrars of Accounts, who managed the receipt and disbursement of valuables and silks. Each of the Six Chiefs numbered three posts and was ranked equal to subordinate ninth grade; the Six Directors were ranked as merit grades; the Six Registrars were ranked as outside-the-register second grade. At first Empress Wenxian had shared in her husband's rise to power. She took part in court politics and dominated the inner palace. Jealous by nature, she left the posts of concubines empty, did not establish the Three Consorts, and guarded against any rival who might press upon her from above. From the rank of Pin downward, only sixty posts were established in all. She further reduced the insignia on their garments and lowered their ranks. Only after Empress Wenxian's death were three Noble Ladies first established; the Pin were increased to nine, the Shifu to twenty-seven, and the Imperial Women to eighty-one. The Noble Ladies and their subordinates supervised affairs within the palace, and from the Six Chiefs downward all were placed under them.
3
煬帝時，后妃嬪御，無釐婦職，唯端容麗飾，陪從醼遊而已。 帝又參詳典故，自製嘉名，著之於令。 貴妃、淑妃、德妃，是為三夫人，品正第一。 順儀、順容、順華、修儀、修容、修華、充儀、充容、充華，是為九嬪，品正第二。 婕妤一十二員，品正第三，美人、才人一十五員，品正第四，是為世婦。 寶林二十四員，品正第五； 御女二十四員，品正第六； 采女三十七員，品正第七，是為女御。 總一百二十，以叙於宴寢。 又有承衣刀人，皆趨侍左右，並無員數，視六品已下。
Under Emperor Yang, empresses, consorts, and palace women no longer performed the duties of wives; they merely dressed their faces, arrayed themselves in finery, and accompanied the emperor at banquets and excursions. The emperor also studied ancient precedents, devised elegant titles of his own, and set them down in edict. Imperial Consort, Pure Consort, and Virtuous Consort—these were the Three Ladies, of orthodox first rank. Compliant Form, Compliant Countenance, Compliant Splendor, Cultivated Form, Cultivated Countenance, Cultivated Splendor, Fulfilling Form, Fulfilling Countenance, and Fulfilling Splendor—these were the Nine Pin, of orthodox second rank. Twelve Ladies of Handsome Fairness of orthodox third rank; fifteen Beauties and fifteen Talented Ladies of orthodox fourth rank—these constituted the Shifu. Twenty-four Treasured Forest attendants of orthodox fifth rank; twenty-four Imperial Women of orthodox sixth rank; and thirty-seven Selected Women of orthodox seventh rank—these were the Nuyu. In all there were one hundred twenty, ranked in order for banquets and the bedchamber. There were also robe-bearers and blade-women, all of whom hurried to wait upon him at his side; they had no fixed quota and were ranked below sixth grade.
4
時又增置女官，準尚書省，以六局管二十四司。 一曰尚宮局，管司言，掌宣傳奏啟； 司簿，掌名錄計度； 司正，掌格式推罰； 司闈，掌門閤管鑰。 二曰尚儀局，管司籍，掌經史教學，紙筆几案； 司樂，掌音律； 司賓，掌賓客； 司贊，掌禮儀贊相導引。 三曰尚服局，管司璽，掌琮璽符節； 司衣，掌衣服； 司飾，掌湯沐巾櫛玩弄； 司仗，掌仗衞戎器。 四曰尚食局，管司膳，掌膳羞； 司醞，掌酒醴醯醢； 司藥，掌醫巫藥劑； 司饎，掌廩餼柴炭。 五曰尚寢局，管司設，掌牀席帷帳，鋪設灑掃； 司輿，掌輿輦傘扇，執持羽儀； 司苑，掌園籞種植，蔬菜瓜果； 司燈，掌火燭。 六曰尚工局，管司製，掌營造裁縫，司寶，掌金玉珠璣錢貨； 司綵，掌繒帛； 司織，掌織染。 六尚二十二司，員各二人，唯司樂、司膳員各四人。 每司又置典及掌，以貳其職。 六尚十人，品從第五； 司二十八人，品從第六； 典二十八人，品從第七； 掌二十八人，品從第九。 女使流外，量局閑劇，多者十人已下，無定員數。 聯事分職，各有司存焉。
At that time female officials were also added, modeled on the Department of State Affairs, with six bureaus administering twenty-four offices. The first was the Bureau of the Palace, which supervised the Office of Speech and managed proclamations, transmissions, memorials, and reports; the Office of Registers, which managed name lists and accounts; the Office of Rectification, which managed regulations, investigation, and punishment; and the Office of the Gate, which managed doors, side gates, and keys. The second was the Bureau of Ceremonies, which supervised the Office of the Classics and managed the canon, histories, instruction, paper, brushes, and desks; the Office of Music, which managed pitch and regulation; the Office of Guests, which managed guests; and the Office of Presentation, which managed ritual assistance and guidance. The third was the Bureau of Vestments, which supervised the Office of the Seal and managed jade tablets, seals, tallies, and insignia; the Office of Garments, which managed clothing; the Office of Adornment, which managed bathing, towels, combs, and personal ornaments; and the Office of Arms, which managed guards of honor, escorts, and weapons. The fourth was the Bureau of Provisions, which supervised the Office of Meals and managed food and delicacies; the Office of Brewing, which managed wine, sweet wine, vinegar, and pickled meats; the Office of Medicine, which managed physicians, shamans, and drugs; and the Office of Rations, which managed granaries, provisions, firewood, and charcoal. The fifth was the Bureau of the Bedchamber, which supervised the Office of Furnishings and managed beds, mats, curtains, and canopies, as well as spreading furnishings and cleaning; the Office of Carriages, which managed palanquins, carriages, parasols, and fans and bore feathered insignia; the Office of Parks, which managed gardens, planting, vegetables, and melons; and the Office of Lamps, which managed fire and candles. The sixth was the Bureau of Works, which supervised the Office of Manufacture and managed construction and tailoring; the Office of Treasures, which managed gold, jade, pearls, disks, and currency; the Office of Colors, which managed silks and brocades; and the Office of Weaving, which managed weaving and dyeing. Of the twenty-two offices under the Six Chiefs, each had two posts; only the Offices of Music and of Meals had four posts each. Each office also had Registrars and Assistants to share its duties. Ten Chiefs of subordinate fifth rank; twenty-eight Directors of subordinate sixth rank; twenty-eight Registrars of subordinate seventh rank; and twenty-eight Assistants of subordinate ninth rank. Female attendants outside the regular register were assigned according to whether a bureau was busy or idle; where many were needed, there might be as many as ten, but there was no fixed quota. Duties were linked and divided among offices, each with its own charge.
5
文獻獨孤皇后，河南洛陽人，周大司馬、河內公信之女也。 信見高祖有奇表，故以后妻焉，時年十四。 高祖與后相得，誓無異生之子。 后初亦柔順恭孝，不失婦道。 后姊為周明帝后，長女為周宣帝后，貴戚之盛，莫與為比，而后每謙卑自守，世以為賢。 及周宣帝崩，高祖居禁中，總百揆，后使人謂高祖曰：「大事已然，騎獸之勢，必不得下，勉之！」 高祖受禪，立為皇后。
Empress Wenxian of the Dugu clan was a native of Luoyang in Henan, daughter of Dugu Xin, Grand Marshal of Zhou and Duke of Hanoi. When Dugu Xin saw that the future Emperor Wen had an extraordinary appearance, he gave him his daughter in marriage; she was then fourteen. Emperor Wen and the empress were deeply devoted to each other and swore that they would have no sons by any other woman. At first the empress was gentle, compliant, respectful, and filial and did not fall short in the duties of a wife. Her elder sister was empress to Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou, and her eldest daughter became empress to Emperor Xuan; no consort kin in the realm was more exalted. Yet the empress always kept herself humble and restrained, and the world regarded her as worthy. When Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou died, Emperor Wen remained within the palace and took charge of all government affairs. The empress sent word to him: "The decisive moment has come. Once you are mounted on a beast, you cannot dismount—press forward!" When he accepted the abdication and took the throne, he installed her as empress.
6
突厥嘗與中國交市，有明珠一篋，價值八百萬，幽州總管陰壽白后市之。 后曰：「非我所須也。 當今戎狄屢寇，將士罷勞，未若以八百萬分賞有功者。」 百僚聞而畢賀。 高祖甚寵憚之。 上每臨朝，后輒與上方輦而進，至閣乃止。 使宦官伺上，政有所失，隨則匡諫，多所弘益。 候上退朝而同反燕寢，相顧欣然。 后早失二親，常懷感慕，見公卿有父母者，每為致禮焉。 有司奏以周禮百官之妻，命於王后，憲章在昔，請依古制。 后曰：「以婦人與政，或從此漸，不可開其源也。」 不許。 后每謂諸公主曰：「周家公主，類無婦德，失禮於舅姑，離薄人骨肉，此不順事，爾等當誡之。」 大都督崔長仁，后之中外兄弟也，犯法當斬。 高祖以后之故，欲免其罪。 后曰：「國家之事，焉可顧私！」 長仁竟坐死。 后異母弟陀，以猫鬼巫蠱，咒詛於后，坐當死。 后三日不食，為之請命曰：「陀若蠧政害民者，妾不敢言。 今坐為妾身，敢請其命。」 陀於是減死一等。 后每與上言及政事，往往意合，宮中稱為二聖。
The Turks once traded with China, and a casket of luminous pearls worth eight million came on the market. Yin Shou, regional commander of Youzhou, reported to the empress that she might buy them. The empress said, "These are not what I need. The barbarians raid us again and again, and our officers and soldiers are worn out with labor. Would it not be better to divide the eight million and reward those who have served with merit?" When the officials heard this, all congratulated her. Emperor Wen both cherished and stood in awe of her. Whenever the emperor went to court, the empress rode in the same carriage with him and went as far as the gate-tower before stopping. She had eunuchs watch him in court, and whenever his governance went astray she would remonstrate with him at once. Much good came of this. She waited for him to leave court and returned with him to the private apartments, where they would look at each other with quiet delight. The empress had lost both parents early in life and always cherished their memory. Whenever she saw a high minister who still had living parents, she would extend special courtesy to him. The responsible offices memorialized that, according to the Rites of Zhou, the wives of officials received their appointments from the queen, and that precedent from antiquity supported this; they asked to follow the ancient system. The empress said, "If women are allowed to share in government, the practice may spread from this beginning. The source of such a change must not be opened." She did not permit it. The empress often told the princesses, "The princesses of the Zhou house for the most part lacked wifely virtue. They were disrespectful to their parents-in-law and drove wedges between close kin. These are unfitting acts, and you must take warning from them." Grand Commander Cui Changren, a brother of the empress on both her father's and mother's sides, broke the law and was sentenced to execution. Because of the empress, Emperor Wen wished to spare him. The empress said, "This is a matter of state. How can one show favor to a relative!" In the end Changren was put to death. The empress's younger half-brother Tuo used cat-demon witchcraft to curse her and was sentenced to death. For three days the empress ate nothing and pleaded for his life, saying, "If Tuo had harmed the government or injured the people, I would not dare speak for him. But he is punished only on my account, and I venture to ask for his life." Tuo's sentence was reduced one degree from death. Whenever the empress discussed government with the emperor, their views often agreed, and within the palace they were called the Two Sages.
7
后頗仁愛，每聞大理決囚，未嘗不流涕。 然性尤妬忌，後宮莫敢進御。 尉遲迥女孫有美色，先在宮中。 上於仁壽宮見而悅之，因此得幸。 后伺上聽朝，陰殺之。 上由是大怒，單騎從苑中而出，不由徑路，入山谷間二十餘里。 高熲、楊素等追及上，扣馬苦諫。 上太息曰：「吾貴為天子，而不得自由！」 高熲曰：「陛下豈以一婦人而輕天下！」 上意少解，駐馬良久，中夜方始還宮。 后俟上於閣內。 及上至，后流涕拜謝，熲、素等和解之。 上置酒極歡，后自此意頗衰折。 初，后以高熲是父之家客，甚見親禮。 至是，聞熲謂己為一婦人，因此銜恨。 又以熲夫人死，其妾生男，益不善之，漸加譖毀，上亦每事唯后言是用。 后見諸王及朝士有妾孕者，必勸上斥之。 時皇太子多內寵，妃元氏暴薨，后意太子愛妾雲氏害之。 由是諷上黜高熲，竟廢太子立晉王廣，皆后之謀也。
The empress was compassionate by nature. Whenever she heard that the Court of Review had passed sentence on prisoners, she wept without fail. Yet she was fiercely jealous, and no woman in the inner palace dared share the emperor's bed. A granddaughter of Yuwen Jiong was exceptionally beautiful and was already in the palace. The emperor saw her at Renshou Palace and was pleased with her, and through this she gained his favor. The empress waited until the emperor was at court and secretly had her killed. The emperor was furious. Alone on horseback he rode out of the park, left the main path, and plunged more than twenty li into the mountain valleys. Gao Feng, Yang Su, and others overtook him, seized his horse's bridle, and remonstrated with him in desperate earnest. The emperor sighed deeply and said, "I am exalted as Son of Heaven, yet I am not free!" Gao Feng said, "Your Majesty, would you slight the realm under Heaven for the sake of one woman!" The emperor's anger eased a little. He halted his horse for a long while and did not return to the palace until midnight. The empress waited for him inside the gate-tower. When he arrived, the empress wept and bowed in apology. Feng, Su, and the others brought about a reconciliation. The emperor set out wine and they made merry together, but from that time the empress's authority was noticeably diminished. At first, because Gao Feng had been a retainer in her father's household, the empress treated him with great intimacy and respect. Now, hearing that Feng had called her a mere woman, she bore a deep grudge against him. When Feng's principal wife died and his concubine bore a son, she thought even less of him and gradually slandered him to the emperor. The emperor, for his part, followed her word in almost every matter. Whenever she saw a prince or court official whose concubine was pregnant, she urged the emperor to dismiss him. At that time the crown prince kept many concubines. His consort of the Yuan clan died suddenly, and the empress suspected that the prince's beloved concubine, Lady Yun, had caused her death. Through this she urged the emperor to dismiss Gao Feng, and in the end the crown prince was deposed and Prince Guang of Jin was made heir. All of this was the empress's doing.
8
仁壽二年八月甲子，月暈四重，己巳，太白犯軒轅。 其夜，后崩於永安宮，時年五十。 葬於太陵。 其後，宣華夫人陳氏、容華夫人蔡氏俱有寵，上頗惑之，由是發疾。 及危篤，謂侍者曰「使皇后在，吾不及此」云。
In the second year of Renshou, on the jiazi day of the eighth month, the moon showed fourfold halos; on the jisi day, Venus encroached upon the Xuanyuan constellation. That night the empress died at Yong'an Palace at the age of fifty. She was buried at Tailing. Afterward both Lady Xuanhua of the Chen clan and Lady Ronghua of the Cai clan won his favor. He was much taken with them, and from this he fell ill. When he was critically ill, he told his attendants, "Had the empress still been alive, I would not have come to this."
9
宣華夫人陳氏，陳宣帝之女也。 性聰慧，姿貌無雙。 及陳滅，配掖庭，後選入宮為嬪。 時獨孤皇后性妬，後宮罕得進御，唯陳氏有寵。 晉王廣之在藩也，陰有奪宗之計，規為內助，每致禮焉。 進金蛇、金駝等物，以取媚於陳氏。 皇太子廢立之際，頗有力焉。 及文獻皇后崩，進位為貴人，專房擅寵，主斷內事，六宮莫與為比。 及上大漸，遺詔拜為宣華夫人。
Lady Xuanhua of the Chen clan was a daughter of Emperor Xuan of Chen. She was intelligent by nature and without peer in beauty. When Chen fell, she was assigned to the palace women, and later she was selected to enter the inner palace as a Pin. At that time Empress Dugu was fiercely jealous, and few women in the inner palace shared the emperor's bed. Only Lady Chen enjoyed his favor. When Prince Guang of Jin was in his fief, he secretly plotted to seize the succession and sought her help within the palace. He often sent her gifts. He sent her golden snakes, golden camels, and other gifts to win her favor. At the time of the crown prince's deposition and replacement, she exerted considerable influence. When Empress Wenxian died, Lady Chen was promoted to Noble Lady. She monopolized the emperor's favor, controlled affairs within the palace, and none of the six palaces could compare with her. When the emperor's illness grew grave, his final edict invested her as Lady Xuanhua.
10
初，上寢疾於仁壽宮也，夫人與皇太子同侍疾。 平旦出更衣，為太子所逼，夫人拒之得免，歸於上所。 上怪其神色有異，問其故。 夫人泫然曰：「太子無禮。」 上恚曰：「畜生何足付大事，獨孤誠誤我！」 意謂獻皇后也。 因呼兵部尚書柳述、黃門侍郎元巖曰：「召我兒！」 述等將呼太子，上曰：「勇也。」 述、巖出閤為勑書訖，示左僕射楊素。 素以其事白太子，太子遣張衡入寢殿，遂令夫人及後宮同侍疾者，並出就別室。 俄聞上崩，而未發喪也。 夫人與諸後宮相顧曰：「事變矣！」 皆色動股慄。 晡後，太子遣使者齎金合子，帖紙於際，親署封字，以賜夫人。 夫人見之惶懼，以為鴆毒，不敢發。 使者促之，於是乃發，見合中有同心結數枚。 諸宮人咸悅，相謂曰：「得免死矣！」 陳氏恚而却坐，不肯致謝。 諸宮人共逼之，乃拜使者。 其夜，太子烝焉。
At first, when the emperor lay ill at Renshou Palace, Lady Xuanhua and the crown prince attended him together. At daybreak she went out to change her clothes and was accosted by the crown prince. She resisted and escaped, then returned to the emperor's bedside. The emperor noticed her altered expression and asked the reason. With tears in her eyes she said, "The crown prince behaved without propriety." The emperor said in anger, "That beast is not fit to be entrusted with great affairs. Dugu truly misled me!" He meant Empress Dugu. He then called Minister of War Liu Xu and Palace Attendant Yuan Yan and said, "Summon my son!" Xu and the others were about to summon the crown prince, but the emperor said, "Yong." Xu and Yan left the gate-tower, drafted the imperial order, and showed it to Left Director Yang Su. Su reported the matter to the crown prince. The crown prince sent Zhang Heng into the sleeping hall and ordered Lady Xuanhua and all the women of the inner palace who were attending the emperor to leave for separate rooms. Soon they heard that the emperor had died, but the death had not yet been announced. Lady Xuanhua and the other palace women looked at one another and said, "Things have changed!" All turned pale and trembled in their limbs. In the afternoon the crown prince sent an envoy bearing a golden casket sealed with paper at the seam and inscribed in his own hand, to present it to Lady Xuanhua. When she saw it she was terrified, thinking it contained poison, and did not dare open it. The envoy urged her, and only then did she open it and find several matching-knot ornaments inside. All the palace women rejoiced and said to one another, "We have escaped death!" Lady Chen was angry, drew back, and refused to offer thanks. The other palace women pressed her until she bowed to the envoy. That night the crown prince violated her.
11
及煬帝嗣位之後，出居仙都宮。 尋召入，歲餘而終，時年二十九。 帝深悼之，為製神傷賦。
After Emperor Yang succeeded to the throne, she was sent to live at Xiandu Palace. Soon she was summoned back to the palace, and a little more than a year later she died at the age of twenty-nine. The emperor mourned her deeply and composed the Rhapsody of Spirit's Wounding in her memory.
12
容華夫人蔡氏，丹陽人也。 陳滅之後，以選入宮，為世婦。 容儀婉嫕，上甚悅之。 以文獻皇后故，希得進幸。 及后崩，漸見寵遇，拜為貴人，參斷宮掖之務，與陳氏相亞。 上寢疾，加號容華夫人。 上崩後，自請言事，亦為煬帝所烝。
Lady Ronghua of the Cai clan was a native of Danyang. After the fall of Chen she was selected for the palace and became a Shifu. Her bearing was gentle and lovely, and the emperor was greatly pleased with her. Because of Empress Wenxian, she rarely shared the emperor's bed. After the empress died, she gradually won favor, was appointed Noble Lady, took part in governing affairs within the palace, and stood second only to Lady Chen. When the emperor fell ill, she was given the additional title Lady Ronghua. After the emperor's death she volunteered to report a matter and was likewise violated by Emperor Yang.
13
煬帝蕭皇后，梁明帝巋之女也。 江南風俗，二月生子者不舉。 后以二月生，由是季父岌收而養之。 未幾，岌夫妻俱死，轉養舅氏張軻家。 然軻甚貧窶，后躬親勞苦。 煬帝為晉王時，高祖將為王選妃於梁，遍占諸女，諸女皆不吉。 巋迎后於舅氏，令使者占之，曰：「吉。」 於是遂策為王妃。
Empress Xiao of Emperor Yang was a daughter of Emperor Ming of Liang, Xiao Kui. In the Jiangnan region, custom held that children born in the second month were not to be raised. The future empress was born in the second month, and for this reason her uncle Ji took her in and raised her. Before long both Ji and his wife died, and she was sent to be raised in the household of her uncle Zhang Ke. Zhang Ke was very poor, and the future empress labored with her own hands. When the future Emperor Yang was Prince of Jin, Emperor Wen sought a bride for him in Liang. He cast lots for every daughter of the house, and every result was inauspicious. Xiao Kui brought her from her uncle's house and had the envoy cast lots for her. The result was auspicious." She was then chosen as the prince's consort.
14
后性婉順，有智識，好學解屬文，頗知占候。 高祖大善之，帝甚寵敬焉。 及帝嗣位，詔曰：「朕祗承丕緒，憲章在昔，爰建長秋，用承饗薦。 妃蕭氏，夙禀成訓，婦道克修，宜正位軒闈，式弘柔教，可立為皇后。」
The empress was gentle and compliant by nature, intelligent and well educated, skilled in literary composition, and versed in divination and astronomy. Emperor Wen thought very highly of her, and her husband cherished and respected her deeply. When he succeeded to the throne, an edict declared, "We respectfully receive the great succession. Following the statutes of old, We establish the office of the empress to preside over the sacrifices. Consort Xiao has from childhood received proper instruction and fully cultivated the duties of a wife. She is fit to take the empress's place in the inner court and to extend gentle teaching throughout the realm. Let her be established as empress."
15
帝每遊幸，后未嘗不隨從。 時后見帝失德，心知不可，不敢厝言，因為述志賦以自寄。 其詞曰：
Whenever the emperor went on tour, the empress always accompanied him. At that time the empress saw that the emperor had lost his way. She knew in her heart that nothing could be done, yet dared not speak openly, and so composed the Statement of Intent to give voice to her feelings. It reads:
16
承積善之餘慶，備箕箒於皇庭。 恐修名之不立，將負累於先靈。 廼夙夜而匪懈，實寅懼於玄冥。 雖自強而不息，亮愚矇之所滯。 思竭節於天衢，才追心而弗逮。 實庸薄之多幸，荷隆寵之嘉惠。 賴天高而地厚，屬王道之升平。 均二儀之覆載，與日月而齊明。 廼春生而夏長，等品物而同榮。 願立志於恭儉，私自兢於誡盈。 孰有念於知足，苟無希於濫名。 惟至德之弘深，情不邇於聲色。 感懷舊之餘恩，求故劍於宸極。 叨不世之殊盼，謬非才而奉職。 何寵祿之踰分，撫胸襟而未識。 雖沐浴於恩光，內慚惶而累息。 顧微躬之寡昧，思令淑之良難。 實不遑於啟處，將何情而自安！ 若臨深而履薄，心戰慄其如寒。
I received the lingering blessing of accumulated virtue and was made ready, winnowing basket and broom in hand, for service in the imperial court. I feared that I might fail to establish a worthy name and bring disgrace upon the spirits of my ancestors. Therefore I labored from morning to night without slackening, ever in reverent awe of heaven's judgment. Though I strove without ceasing, I knew how dull and limited my understanding was. I wished to give my utmost on heaven's highway, yet my talent could not keep pace with my heart. Mediocre and slight as I was, I had been greatly fortunate to receive the emperor's exalted favor. Heaven was high and earth was broad, and I lived in an age when the royal way was at peace. The two principles covered and sustained all things, and my lot was to share in the brightness of sun and moon. Spring gave birth and summer brought growth; all things flourished alike in glory. I resolved to live in respectful frugality and privately to guard against excess. I sought only to know when I had enough and desired no inflated fame. Only the utmost virtue was vast and deep; the heart did not linger on sound and color. Moved by the lingering grace of old affection, I sought the steadfast bond of the imperial marriage. I had presumptuously received a regard beyond this world and, though without true talent, wrongly undertook my office. How had favor and rank exceeded my deserts? I pressed my hand to my breast and could not understand. Though I bathed in gracious light, inwardly I was ashamed and afraid, and sighed again and again. Reflecting on my slight person and scant understanding, I knew how hard it was to be truly virtuous. I truly had no leisure for rest—what peace could my heart know! As if facing an abyss and treading on thin ice, my heart trembled as though in bitter cold.
17
夫居高而必危，慮處滿而防溢。 知恣夸之非道，乃攝生於沖謐。 嗟寵辱之易驚，尚無為而抱一。 履謙光而守志，且願安乎容膝。 珠簾玉箔之奇，金屋瑤臺之美，雖時俗之崇麗，蓋吾人之所鄙。 愧絺綌之不工，豈絲竹之喧耳。 知道德之可尊，明善惡之由己。 蕩囂煩之俗慮，乃伏膺於經史。 綜箴誡以訓心，觀女圖而作軌。 遵古賢之令範，冀福祿之能綏。 時循躬而三省，覺今是而昨非。 嗤黃老之損思，信為善之可歸。 慕周姒之遺風，美虞妃之聖則。 仰先哲之高才，貴至人之休德。 質菲薄而難蹤，心恬愉而去惑。 乃平生之耿介，實禮義之所遵。 雖生知之不敏，庶積行以成仁。 懼達人之蓋寡，謂何求而自陳。 誠素志之難寫，同絕筆於獲麟。
To stand on high is to stand in peril; one who is full must guard against overflowing. Knowing that wanton boasting is not the way, I sought to preserve my life in quiet simplicity. Alas, how easily favor and disgrace startle the heart; I still honored quietude and held fast to the One. I walked in modest light and kept my will, wishing only to be at peace in a room no larger than my knees. Pearl curtains, jade screens, golden chambers, and jasper terraces—though the age honored such splendor, they were what I despised. Ashamed that my plain garments were poorly made, how could I welcome the clamor of strings and pipes in my ears? I knew that virtue deserves honor and understood that good and evil arise from oneself. I swept away vulgar cares and bowed my heart to the classics and histories. I gathered admonitions to instruct my heart and studied the portraits of worthy women to set my course. Following the fine models of the ancients, I hoped that fortune and blessing might be secured in peace. At times I examined myself and reflected again and again, seeing that what is right today was wrong yesterday. I scoffed at Huang-Lao's distrust of active thought and trusted that doing good would bring its reward. I admired the legacy of Si of Zhou and praised the sacred example of the consort of Shun. I looked up to the lofty talent of the sages of old and honored the beautiful virtue of the perfected. My substance was slight and hard to match, yet my heart was calm and cast off confusion. Such was the uprightness of my whole life—truly what ritual and righteousness command. Though I was not gifted with innate wisdom, I hoped that accumulated conduct might lead me to humaneness. Fearing that those who understand may be few, why did I lay myself bare in these words? Truly my plain intent was hard to set down, like laying down the brush when the qilin was captured.
18
及帝幸江都，臣下離貳，有宮人白后曰：「外聞人人欲反。」 后曰：「任汝奏之。」 宮人言於帝，帝大怒曰：「非所宜言！」 遂斬之。 後人復白后曰：「宿衞者往往偶語謀反。」 后曰：「天下事一朝至此，勢已然，無可救也。 何用言之，徒令帝憂煩耳。」 自是無復言者。
When the emperor went to Jiangdu, his officials grew disloyal, and a palace woman told the empress, "Outside, everyone says the people wish to rebel." The empress said, "Then report it as you wish." The palace woman told the emperor. He flew into a rage and said, "That is not what should be spoken!" He had her beheaded at once. Later someone again told the empress, "The night guards are often heard whispering together about rebellion." The empress said, "Affairs under heaven have come to this in a single morning. The momentum is already set, and nothing can save us. What use is there in speaking of it? It would only add to the emperor's grief." From that time on, no one spoke of it again.
19
及宇文氏之亂，隋軍至聊城。 化及敗，沒於竇建德。 突厥處羅可汗遣使迎后於洺州，建德不敢留，遂入於虜庭。 大唐貞觀四年，破滅突厥，乃以禮致之，歸于京師。
When the disorders of the Yuwen clan broke out, Sui troops reached Liaocheng. When Huaji was defeated, she fell into the hands of Dou Jiande. Chuluo Qaghan of the Turks sent an envoy to receive the empress at Mozhou. Jiande did not dare detain her, and she passed into the Turkic court. In the fourth year of Zhenguan of the Tang, when the Turks were destroyed, she was received with due ceremony and returned to the capital.
20
史臣曰：二后，帝未登庸，早儷宸極，恩隆好合，始終不渝。 文獻德異鳲鳩，心非均一，擅寵移嫡，傾覆宗社，惜哉！ 書曰：「牝雞之晨，惟家之索。」 高祖之不能敦睦九族，抑有由矣。 蕭后初歸藩邸，有輔佐君子之心。 煬帝得不以道，便謂人無忠信。 父子之間，尚懷猜阻，夫婦之際，其何有焉！ 暨乎國破家亡，竄身無地，飄流異域，良足悲矣！
The historian says: Both empresses became imperial consorts while their husbands were still princes, and the bond between them was deep and unchanging from first to last. Wenxian's virtue fell short of that praised in the Ospreys; her heart was not even-handed. She monopolized favor, displaced the rightful heir, and brought ruin upon the dynasty—alas! The Documents say, "When the hen crows at dawn, the household is brought to ruin." That Emperor Wen could not keep his kinsmen in harmony likewise had its cause. When Empress Xiao first entered the prince's household, she had the heart of one who would assist a worthy ruler. Emperor Yang gained the throne by improper means and thereafter believed that no one could be loyal or trustworthy. Between father and son he still harbored suspicion and distrust—what bond could remain between husband and wife! When at last the state was ruined and her house destroyed, she had nowhere to hide and drifted in a foreign land—a fate truly pitiable enough to break the heart!