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卷37 列傳第2 李穆 梁睿

Volume 37 Biographies 2: Li Mu, Liang Rui

Chapter 37 of 隋書 · Book of Sui
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1
西 便 滿
Li Mu, whose style name was Xianqing, claimed descent from Longxi Chengji in the Yun region and from Han Cavalry Commandant Li Ling. After Li Ling died in Xiongnu captivity, his line lived among the northern tribes for generations until, under Wei, they moved south again and settled back in the Qian and Long region. His grandfather Bin had served as area commander at Gaoping and established the family there. His father Wenbao died young; when Mu rose to prominence, the court posthumously appointed Wenbao Minister of Works. Mu was quick-witted and striking in appearance, with an open, unconventional spirit and a reputation for exceptional resolve. As soon as the Zhou founder raised his standard of revolt, Mu pledged himself to the cause and, on entering service, was appointed an army commander. Near the end of Yongxi he helped escort Emperor Wu of Wei to power, received an area command, and was enfeoffed as Viscount of Yongping with three hundred households. He also commanded local militia and, on the strength of repeated battlefield honors, was promoted to marquis. At Mangshan, fighting Qi alongside the founder, Mu saw his lord thrown from his horse in the press of battle. He charged into the encirclement, lashed and cursed the founder as though he were a common soldier, handed over his escort, and together they broke free. The enemy, seeing such apparent disrespect, assumed the fallen rider was no great man and eased off—thus the founder escaped. Afterward he wept with Mu face to face and said to those around him, "The man who made my cause succeed—is it not this one?" He then sent Mu to pacify Guanzhong, where every district Mu reached was brought to order. Mu was promoted to General of the Martial Guard with the privileges of the Three Excellencies, created Duke of Anwu with an added fief of seventeen hundred households, and granted an iron certificate forgiving ten capital crimes. Shortly afterward he was granted an independent staff and appointed Palace Attendant as well. At the Mangshan rout, Mu had already given the founder his own piebald charger. In gratitude the founder gave Mu every piebald horse in the royal stables, enfeoffed each of Mu's sisters as a commandery or county lady, and distributed rewards among his kin, clients, and maternal uncles according to rank. He was then appointed Grand Master of the Stud. After taking part with Yu Jin in the fall of Jiangling, he received another thousand households in his fief and was promoted to Grand General. He campaigned against the Qu and Mian tribes, defeated them, was made governor of Yuanzhou, and his eldest son Dun was granted the rank equal to the Three Excellencies. With both his elder brothers Xian and Yuan counted among the dynasty's founding ministers and his sons and kinsmen already holding prominent offices, Mu feared the family had risen too high and refused the appointment. The founder would not hear of it. He was soon transferred to governor of Yongzhou while also serving as junior overseer of the imperial tombs. In the first year of the Zhou regime his fief grew by three thousand households, bringing the total to thirty-seven hundred. Another son was separately enfeoffed as Marquis of Shengqian. Mu asked that the title go to his nephew Xiaogui instead, and the court agreed.
2
鹿
Under Yuwen Hu's regency, Mu's brother Yuan and Yuan's son Zhi were both executed, and Mu was liable to punishment as an associate. Long before this, Mu had seen that Zhi would ruin the house and had repeatedly urged Yuan to remove him, but Yuan would not listen. At the execution ground Yuan wept and told Mu, "Xianqing, I ignored your advice and have come to this—what is left to do now?" Because of this plea Mu was spared, though he was struck from the rolls and reduced to commoner status, and his sons and younger kin were also dismissed from office. Zhi's younger brother Ji, governor of Xizhou, was also marked for death; Mu offered two of his own sons in Ji's place, and Hu, honoring the gesture, spared them all. Before long he was restored to the rank of commissioner equal to the Three Excellencies and governor of Zhizhou, and his ducal title of Anwu was revived. During the Wucheng reign, every son and younger kinsman who had lost rank had it restored. He was soon appointed Junior Guardian and promoted to Grand General. A year later he became Junior Minister of Education, was advanced to Pillar of the State, and then transferred to Grand Minister of Works. On imperial orders he oversaw construction of Tongluo city. During Tianhe he was created Duke of Shen and, bearing the imperial staff, pacified the eastern marches while founding garrisons at Wushen, Danfu, Cijian, Chongde, Anmin, Jiaocheng, Lulu, and elsewhere. At the start of the Jiande era he was named Grand Guardian. A year later he was posted as area commander of Yuanzhou. Several years on he was promoted to Supreme Pillar of the State and transferred to area commander of Bingzhou. Early in the Daxiang era his fief reached nine thousand households, he was made Grand Left Assistant, and he retained his command.
3
使 使 便
While Yang Jian was still regent, Yuchi Jiong's rebellion prompted Jiong to send envoys to win Mu over. Mu detained the envoys and forwarded their message to the regent. Mu's son Shirong, noting that Bingzhou held the empire's finest troops, secretly urged his father to rebel. Mu firmly refused and instead sent Yang Jian a thirteen-ring gold belt, the sort worn only by a Son of Heaven. Soon afterward, convinced that Heaven's mandate had found its man, Mu sent a secret memorial urging Yang Jian to take the throne. Once Yang Jian had accepted the abdication, he issued an edict: "You are a man of long service and of my father's generation; I honor your counsel and in duty cannot refuse it. I shall therefore reverently assume the Mandate on the thirteenth of this month. When Mu soon came to court, the emperor left his seat to receive him in person, appointed him Grand Preceptor with the honor that his name need not be spoken in congratulatory bows, and granted him the income of three thousand households in Chengan county. Thereafter even Mu's infant descendants were granted ranks equal to the Three Excellencies, and more than a hundred members of the household carried ivory court tablets. No family in the realm matched Mu's eminence at that time. Mu memorialized asking to retire. The emperor replied, "I have only just begun to rule the realm and still depend on good counsel; to honor the aged and seek their advice is a wish close to my heart. Retirement at seventy was meant for ordinary men. Yet Lü Shang aided Zhou at a hundred years, and Zhang Cang served Han in great old age—men of rare gifts are not bound by common rules. I have long hoped for your guidance and mean to keep it. You are advanced in years and should not be wearied; I order the relevant offices to excuse you from court assemblies. On great matters that require counsel, I shall send palace attendants to your house to consult you."
4
At that time the court astrologer reported that the capital would have to be moved. The emperor, having only just taken power, was deeply reluctant. Mu submitted a memorial that read:
5
The seat of emperors rises and falls with the times; in Heaven's way and human affairs alike, there is reason in the change. From the Three Sovereigns through the two Han dynasties, some reigns saw several moves in a single age, and no change of dynasty passed without relocating the capital. The houses of Cao and Sima both ruled from the south bank of the Luo, while Wei and Zhou both held Chang'an—four dynasties everyone knows. Under Cao the realm split three ways; under the Sima it soon fractured again; only Wei and Zhou achieved lasting order, and even then had no leisure to follow ancient precedent in choosing a capital. When Zhou's mandate was failing, disaster spread through the civilized world; court after court saw treachery among the gentry, while men fit to be pillars of state grew scarce. Across the realm wolves ran unchecked; a city that neither rebelled nor was overrun was a rarity among hundreds. Your Majesty was born to the age, received Heaven's mandate, and at first hid the virtue of a ruler while humbly serving as general and minister. Within a morning you cut down the rebels at home; within days you swept the great villains abroad. You turned a people ravaged by chaos into a realm at peace; spirits showed their approval and the masses sang your praise. Heaven and earth alike urged you on; omens piled up like sun and moon; only then did you set aside the reclusion of Ji and Ying and heed the plea of court and realm. Since assuming the throne you have spread the Way and set teaching in place, molding the people in harmony with yin and yang and nurturing them with the breadth of Heaven and Earth. At the dawn of a new creation, when the world first brightened, sight and hearing were transformed and customs began to change. Yet the imperial residence has not even been planned anew—hardly what one expects of a founding reign meant to renew the realm. Since Han it has been a land of ruin, and for generations the recent dynasties have merely reused it as their capital. Never once have you divined with tortoise and milfoil or read the stars to fix the sacred tripod—how can that satisfy a sage ruler's design or display Great Sui's virtue? Surely in this vast realm, among its many blessed places, Heaven intends another site where the dynasty may raise its temples and palaces. I beg Your Majesty to heed Heaven and the people, decide by divination, move the capital in good time, and let your glory dwell in the heart of the realm. May the people come willingly, your rule endure without end, your palace answer the pole star, harmony flow through the land, order flourish and goods abound, and your reign prosper for ages. I am old, my sunset near, yet I hold the highest rank; in governing the state I know myself wanting. What loyalty demands cannot be left unsaid.
6
The emperor had long found the palace quarter cramped and believed the inner palace haunted; Su Wei had urged a move before, but the emperor had refused. The astrologer's report now unsettled him. Reading Mu's memorial, he said, "Heaven has already shown its sign, and the Grand Preceptor, the people's pillar, presses this request again—it shall be done." He agreed. More than a year later an edict declared, "Rites bind common men, not the wisest; laws restrain petty offenders, not true gentlemen. The Grand Preceptor, Supreme Pillar of the State, and Duke of Shen possesses vast bearing and far-reaching vision; among the founders of the dynasty he stands first, among commanders at the summit, among men a paragon—deep as the sea, tempered a hundred times. He has none of Bo Yu's failings nor Yan Hui's disloyalty, and therefore stands above the ordinary reach of the law. Yet a king's teaching honors the good; to set law aside and exalt the Way is to honor age and virtue. Henceforth, whatever his faults, unless they involve treason, even crimes warranting a hundred deaths shall never be prosecuted."
7
使 忿 西 西 西 姿
He died at home at the age of seventy-seven. His final instructions read, "I have received the state's grace and risen as high as a man may; with feet shrouded I go down to the springs and have no further regret. Only that I could not follow the imperial carriage to Mount Tai nor take part in the feng and shan rites at Liangfu—how I still yearn for that glory!" The emperor sent a Yellow Gate Attendant to oversee the funeral and granted four horses, two thousand hu of grain, and a thousand bolts of cloth and silk as condolence gifts. He was posthumously appointed bearer of the staff with command over the ten provinces Ji, Ding, Zhao, Xiang, Ying, Mao, Wei, Wey, Luo, and Huai, and as governor of Jizhou. His posthumous name was Ming. The court granted a stone sarcophagus, imperial funeral music, and a enclosed funeral carriage. The officials escorted the coffin beyond the city wall. The emperor sent Minister of Rites Niu Hong with the lamentation text, and on the second day of mourning offered the great sacrifice. His grandson Yun succeeded him. Mu's eldest son was Dun; Dun's son was Yun. Dun, styled Shixian, was Mu's eldest son. He served the Zhou, rose to Duke of Anle and governor of Fengzhou, and died before his father. While still a child, Yun was granted rank equal to the Three Excellencies on account of Mu's merit. As Mu's legitimate grandson he inherited the family title. Early in the Renshou era his uncle Hun, resenting Yun's stinginess, secretly sent his nephew Shanheng to murder him. When the killers could not be found, Emperor Wen flew into a rage and had the entire clan placed under detention. Yun had long been at odds with his cousin Qutan; Hun, who then held real power, testified that Qutan was the murderer. Qutan was executed, while Shanheng went free. In the fourth year the court debated who should inherit the title. Su Wei, Duke of Pi, argued that Yun's line was tainted by kin-slaying and asked that the fief be extinguished. The emperor refused. Dun's younger brother Yi rose to rank equal to the Three Excellencies, died young, and was posthumously named governor of Weizhou. Yi's younger brother Ya showed unusual judgment even in youth. During the Baoding era he won repeated battlefield honors, was created Baron of Xi'an, and appointed grand commander. During Tianhe he followed Yuan Ding's campaign in Jiangxi; when the armies were defeated he was captured by Chen. After returning home he was made commissioner equal to the Three Excellencies and placed in command of the Left and Right Armies. That same year he joined the crown prince's western campaign against Tuyuhun, leading two thousand infantry and cavalry to oversee grain transport on the Tao River. Enemy forces shadowed him and the two sides remained locked for days. Ya, worried by the stalemate, feigned a truce; as the enemy relaxed their guard he sent a surprise force and routed them. He received a hundred servants and one son was enfeoffed as marquis. He was later made governor of Qizhou and soon recalled to the capital. Several years on he was appointed governor of Yingzhou. While Yang Jian was still regent, Ya garrisoned Lingzhou against the northern tribes. Recalled to court, he was made Grand General and area commander of Jingzhou, with eight hundred added households in his fief. Early in Kaihuang he was promoted to duke. Ya's younger brother Heng became governor of Yanzhou and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Yangqu. Heng's younger brother Rong rose to governor of Hezhou and Duke of Changcheng. Rong's younger brother Zhi became General of the Chariots and Cavalry and Marquis of Guizheng. Zhi's younger brother Xiong rose to Pillar of the State, Duke of Mi, and General of the Agile Cavalry. Xiong's younger brother Hun was the most famous of them all. Hun, styled Jincai, was Mu's tenth son. He was imposing in stature, with a handsome beard. He entered service under Zhou as a Left Attendant Senior Gentleman. When Yuchi Jiong rebelled at Ye, Mu was at Bingzhou; fearing Jiong might win him over, Yang Jian sent Hun posthaste to speak plainly with him. Mu at once sent Hun to the capital with an iron presented to Yang Jian, saying, "May you take authority in hand and press the realm smooth." Yang Jian was delighted. He also sent Hun to Wei Xiaokuan's headquarters to convey Mu's intent. When Ye fell he was rewarded with senior rank equal to the Three Excellencies and created Duke of Anwu. Early in Kaihuang he was promoted to General of the Agile Cavalry at Xiangfu Garrison. When Prince Guang of Jin left for his fiefdom, Hun accompanied him to Yangzhou as commander of agile cavalry and head of his trusted guard. Serving under Left Vice Minister Yang Su as campaign commander, he marched three hundred li north of Xiazhou, defeated the Türk leader Abugujin on the Nayuan River, and took five hundred heads. He was promoted to Grand General, made General of the Left Martial Guard, and placed in command of the crown prince's imperial clan guard.
8
祿
When Mu's grandson Yun died and the court debated the succession, Hun schemed to inherit the title. He told his brother-in-law Yuwen Shu, commander of the crown prince's Left Guard, "If I gain the succession I will give you half the fief's annual revenue every year." Shu saw his profit and told the crown prince, "An heir should be the eldest son, or if not, the most worthy. Duke Shen's line is now extinct, and none of his descendants are fit to bear such honor. Only Jincai has served the state with distinction; no one else should inherit the title." The crown prince agreed, and the memorial eventually reached the emperor: Hun was created Duke of Shen to continue Mu's sacrifices. Early in the Daye era he was transferred to General of the Right Valiant Guard. In the sixth year an edict retroactively changed Mu's title to Duke of Bi, which Hun continued to hold. He was repeatedly promoted to Grand Master for Splendid Happiness. In the ninth year he became Grand General of the Right Valiant Guard.
9
宿 '
After inheriting the family fortune, Hun grew more extravagant by the day; his inner quarters held hundreds of women draped in silk. Within two years he stopped paying Shu his promised share. Shu was furious; drunk one day he told his friend Yu Xiangxian, "Jincai cheated me—I will remember this to my grave!" Hun heard of it, and from then on they were enemies. Later, during the Liaodong campaign, the Daoist An Jiatuo claimed knowledge of prophecies and told the emperor, "A man of the Li clan is destined to become Son of Heaven." He urged that every Li in the empire be killed. Shu seized on this and denounced Hun to the emperor: "Jiatuo's prophecy already has proof. I have long known Jincai, and his conduct of late is deeply strange. He meets constantly with Li Min, Shanheng, and others, whispering behind screens day and night, sometimes without sleep till dawn. Hun is a great minister of an eminent house who commands the palace guard—such behavior is unfitting. I beg Your Majesty to investigate." The emperor said, "You are right. Find proof." Shu sent Guard General Pei Renji to accuse Hun of treason, and that same day gave him more than a thousand palace guards to raid Hun's household. Assistant Minister Yuan Wendu and Censor-in-Chief Pei Yun were ordered to investigate jointly. After days of interrogation they found no proof of rebellion and reported as much. The emperor rejected their finding and sent Shu to press the case further. Shu entered the prison, summoned Min's wife, Lady Yuwen, and said, "Madam, you are the emperor's niece—why lack for a worthy husband? Li Min and Jincai fit the omen—the state will kill them, and nothing can save them. Save yourself: if you speak as I tell you, you will not be punished." Min's wife said, "I do not know what to do—only tell me, my lord." Shu said, "Say the Li family plotted treason. Tell them Jincai once said to Min, 'You are marked in the prophecies—you should be Son of Heaven. The emperor loves war and harries the people—Heaven is ending Sui, and we should seize it together. If we cross to Liaodong again, you and I will command armies of twenty thousand each—fifty thousand men in all. The princes' sons and nephews, our kin by marriage inside and out, will all be drafted for the campaign. Our kinsmen will command separate forces scattered through the armies, watching for the moment to strike in concert. You and I will move first, seize the imperial camp, and our kin will rise and kill the generals. In a single day the realm will be ours." Shu dictated every word and had Min's wife write the memorial, seal it, and submit it in secret. Shu presented it to the throne, saying, "I have proof of Jincai's treason, together with Min's wife's secret memorial." The emperor wept as he read it and said, "The dynasty nearly fell—it was saved only by my father-in-law." Thirty-two members of Hun's and Min's clans were executed, and all the rest, young and old alike, were exiled beyond the Ling ranges. Hun's paternal cousin Wei, who early in Kaihuang won honors pacifying the southern tribes, rose to Supreme Pillar of the State and Duke of Li. Mu's nephew Xun, whose style name was Xiaoxun. His father Xian had been a Zhou Grand General. Xun was reserved and far-sighted, with considerable skill in written administration. Under Zhou he served as Senior Gentleman of the Chancellery, soon moved to the Palace Secretariat while also overseeing the Ministry of Personnel, and won a reputation for efficiency. When Emperor Wu visited Yunyang Palace, Xun was appointed Senior Gentleman of the Palace Guards and entrusted with affairs left behind at the capital. When Prince Zhi of Wei rebelled and burned the Sushang Gate, Xun set additional fires inside so the rebels could not break in. The emperor praised him, granted rank equal to the Three Excellencies, and made him magistrate of Chang'an. He rose through several posts to Valiant Fruit Grand Master of the Palace. Repeated battlefield honors brought him to Grand General and Duke of Pinggao.
10
西
When Yang Jian was chancellor and Yuchi Jiong rebelled, he sent Wei Xiaokuan against him and made Xun the commander's chief clerk, entrusting him as his closest adviser. At Yongqiao the generals quarreled; Xun secretly memorialized Yang Jian asking that a senior minister be sent to supervise the army. Yang Jian sent Gao Jiong to supervise the campaign, and in the work of the war only Xun stood beside Jiong as his true partner. After Jiong's defeat he was promoted to Supreme Pillar of the State, created Duke of Longxi, and granted a thousand bolts of silk together with servants and horses.
11
使 簿 使
He directed the Duyang River to irrigate Sanzhi Plain, supervised the work himself, and the people profited from it. He was soon appointed acting area commander of Xiangzhou. A year later he became area commander of Xianzhou. Several years on, illness brought him back to the capital, and palace envoys visited him continually. He died at home at forty-nine, and the emperor mourned him for a long while. His posthumous name was Xiang. His son Yuanfang succeeded him. Xun's younger brother Chong, styled Yonglong, was bold and resourceful, with courage and strength beyond ordinary men. In the first year of Northern Zhou, on the strength of his father Xian's service, he was created Marquis of Naile county. He was still very young, and on the day the title was conferred his relatives all congratulated one another—Chong alone burst into tears. Xian was puzzled and asked why. Chong answered, "I have done nothing for the state, yet I am made a marquis while still a boy. I should repay my sovereign's kindness, but that means I can never see my filial duties through to the end—and that is why I weep." From that moment Xian regarded him with deep wonder. His first appointment was as a prefectural chief clerk, but the desk work did not suit him. He refused the post and asked instead for a military command. He followed Yuwen Hu against Qi and, for outstanding service, was promoted to the rank of Equal to the Three Excellencies. Shortly afterward he was appointed Junior Grand Master of the Directorate of Metals and put in charge of the armory. Early in the Jiande era he was moved to Junior Attendant Baron, then to Junior Bearer of the Imperial Carriage, and served concurrently as director of the crown prince's household. After Emperor Wu of Zhou conquered Qi, Chong was called into council on military planning. Though still young, he was granted an independent staff, created Duke of Xiangyang, and given a fief of one thousand households. His title was soon changed to Duke of Guangzong. He served as Grand Master of the Grand Treasury, then of the Ministry of Works, and was appointed Right Director of the Imperial Stud. When Yang Jian became chancellor, Chong was made Left Director of Military Affairs and additionally granted supreme open-office rank as General Equal in Honor to a Grand General. He was soon appointed governor of Huaizhou, promoted to commandery duke, and his fief was raised to two thousand households. When Wei Jiong rose in rebellion, he sent envoys to win Chong over. At first Chong meant to join Jiong, but when he learned that his uncle Mu had pledged Bingzhou to Yang Jian, he sighed and said, "Our clan holds rank and riches by the dozen, yet when the realm is in peril we cannot shore up what is falling or carry on what is broken—what right have we to walk under heaven?" Wei Xiaokuan still distrusted him and never let him out of sight, sleeping and waking at his side. His elder brother Xun, then chief secretary to the field commander, urged him daily, and Chong at last gave his full loyalty to Yang Jian. After the defeat of Wei Dun, he was appointed Grand General. When Jiong's rebellion was crushed, Chong became area commander of Xuzhou and was soon promoted to Supreme Pillar of the State.
12
使 便 姿 滿 婿 宿
He was then appointed area commander of Youzhou. Whenever the Turks crossed the border, Chong drove them back. The Xi, Mohe, Khitan, and other peoples, awed by his reputation on the frontier, submitted one after another. Later the Turks launched a major invasion. Chong met them with three thousand foot and horse soldiers and fought for more than ten days until most of his men were dead, then withdrew into Sand Fort. The Turks surrounded the fort. The place was a ruin and nearly indefensible. They fought from dawn to dusk without food, and every night raided the Turkish camp for livestock to keep the army alive. The Turks grew wary of these raids and each night formed up in battle order to meet them. Chong's starving men met the enemy every time they sortied, until almost none were left. By dawn barely a hundred had straggled back to the fort, most too badly wounded to fight again. The Turks wanted his surrender and sent a messenger saying, "If you yield, you will be made a tegin." Knowing death was certain, Chong told his men, "I have lost my army and deserve to die. Today I will give my life for the realm. After you see me fall, you may surrender if you must, then scatter and make your way home as best you can. If any of you reach the emperor, tell him what I have said." Then he drew his sword, charged the enemy lines, and killed two more men. The enemy cut him down in a hail of arrows. He died on the field at forty-eight. The court posthumously appointed him overseer of military affairs for Yu, Xi, Shen, Yong, Bian, and Bo and governor of Yuzhou, with the posthumous name Zhuang, "Stalwart." His son Min succeeded him. Chong's son Min, whose style name was Shusheng. Because his father had died in imperial service, Yang Jian kept him in the palace for many years. When he came of age he inherited the title Duke of Guangzong and entered service as a Left Thousand-Bull guardsman. He was handsome in face and bearing, excelled at riding and archery, and mastered every art of song, dance, and music. Early in Kaihuang, the widow of Emperor Xuan of Zhou was created Princess Leping. She had a daughter, Eying, and set about choosing a husband with great care, summoning scores of noble youths each day to Hongsheng Palace. The princess watched from behind a curtain as each candidate introduced himself and displayed his talents. Anyone who failed to please her was dismissed at once. Min alone satisfied her, and in the end the marriage was made. Min was granted the guard insignia of the first rank, and the wedding ceremony matched that of an imperial princess. Before a banquet at court, the princess told Min, "I gave the empire to the emperor, and you are my only son-in-law. I mean to win you the rank of Pillar of the State. If he offers any lesser post, do not thank him." When Min was presented at court, the emperor himself took up the pipa and had Min sing and dance. Delighted, the emperor asked the princess, "What rank does Li Min hold?" She answered, "None at all—he is a commoner." The emperor then told Min, "I appoint you Equal to the Three Excellencies." Min made no response. The emperor said, "Is that not enough for you? Then I grant you an open office." Again Min did not bow his thanks. The emperor said, "Your princess-mother has done great service for me. Why should I begrudge her son-in-law a title? I now create you Pillar of the State." Only then did Min bow and perform the court dance of gratitude. On the spot the emperor issued an edict creating him Pillar of the State, and Min continued on palace guard duty in his existing post. Later, to avoid a tabooed character, his title was changed to Duke of Jingcheng with a fief of one thousand households. He held nominal governorships of Pu, Bin, Jin, Hua, and Fu but rarely went to his posts, staying instead in the capital, moving freely within the palace, joining the emperor's feasts and outings, and receiving rewards greater than those of true merit. On a later visit to Renshou Palace, he was appointed governor of Qizhou.
13
祿 西
Early in the Daye era he was made Minister of the Guard. When Princess Leping lay dying, she told Emperor Yang, "I have no sons, only one daughter. I do not fear death for myself, but I grieve for her. Please transfer my fief income to Min." The emperor granted her wish. Min ended up drawing income from five thousand households and served as acting General of the Garrison Guard. After Yang Xuangan's revolt, the plan to build the new capital at Daxing was Min's. He became Director of Palace Construction, joined the campaign against Goguryeo as commander of the Xincheng route army, and was given the additional title of Grand Master for Splendid Happiness. In the tenth year of Daye the emperor launched another Liaodong campaign and sent Min to Liyang to oversee supply transport. Word spread that Min also went by the name Hong'er, and the emperor feared the character hong fulfilled a prophecy. He told Min as much to his face, hoping he would take his own life. Terrified, Min began meeting secretly with Jincai, Shanheng, and others, dismissing attendants to talk in private. Yuwen Shu learned of these meetings and reported them. In the end Min was executed together with the Hun clan at the age of thirty-nine. Several months later his wife, a Yuwen, was also given poison wine and died. Liang Rui, whose style name was Shide, came from Wushi in Anding commandery. His father Yu had served Western Wei as Grand Commandant. From youth Rui was thoughtful and quick-minded, with a reputation for upright conduct. Under the Zhou founder he was raised in the palace for several years as the son of a founding minister. The founder then had his own sons live and study with Rui under the same teachers, and they became close friends. At seven he inherited the title Duke of Guangping and was given the rank of Equal to the Three Excellencies with a fief of five hundred households. He was soon appointed chief rectifier of his home prefecture. Under Emperor Gong of Wei he was granted an open office, created Duke of Wulong, and appointed governor of Weizhou. When Emperor Min of Zhou took the throne, Rui was recalled to serve as Imperial Bearer. Before long he was sent out as governor of Zhongzhou, garrisoning Xin'an against Qi. When Qi raiders attacked, Rui beat them back, and the emperor praised him warmly. He was made Grand General, promoted to Duke of Jiang, and recalled to the capital as Director of Accounts. Later he followed Prince Xian of Qi against the Qi general Hulu Mingyue at Luoyang, distinguishing himself in every engagement, and was appointed Junior Minister of Works. Under Emperor Wu he served as governor of Fu and as area commander of Liang and An, earning a reputation for good government in both posts, and was promoted to Pillar of the State.
14
使 西
When Yang Jian assumed control of the government, Rui replaced Wang Qian as area commander of Yizhou. Rui had reached Hanchuan when Wang Qian rebelled, sent forces against Shizhou, and blocked his advance. Yang Jian appointed Rui campaign commander-in-chief and sent him with two hundred thousand foot and horse soldiers under the generals Yu Yi, Zhang Wei, Daxi Changru, Liang Sheng, and Shi Xiaoyi to crush the rebellion. Qian had sent Li Sanwang and other officers to hold Tonggu Pass. Rui ordered Zhang Wei to break them, took several thousand prisoners, and pushed on to Longmen. Qian's generals Zhao Yan and Qin Hui massed a hundred thousand men in fortified camps along the defiles, stretching some thirty li. Rui sent his men along hidden paths with gag-sticks in their mouths, then struck from all sides at once and broke the enemy line. The Shu forces panicked, and Rui marched forward to the beat of drums. Qian's officers Jing Hao at Jian'ge and Liang Yan at Pinglin both surrendered in fear. Qian then sent Gao Anagong, Daxi Ji, and others with a large force against Lizhou. When Ji learned that Rui was approaching, he split his force and seized Kaiyuan. Rui told his officers, "The enemy holds the key ground and means to block our advance. If we take them by surprise, we are sure to break them." He sent Tuoba Zong toward Jian'ge, Yuwen Xiong toward Baxi, and Zhao Da with a river fleet up the Jialing. Rui sent Zhang Wei, Wang Lun, He Ruo Zhen, Yu Yi, Han Xianggui, Anahui, and others against Ji by separate routes and broke his force between noon and dusk. Ji fled back to Wang Qian. Rui pressed on toward Chengdu. Wang Qian ordered Daxi Ji and Yifu Qian to hold the city while he personally led fifty thousand elite troops and drew up his battle line with the walls at his back. Rui attacked him. Wang Qian was driven back and was about to enter the city, but Ji and Qian surrendered the city and shut the gates against him. Wang Qian escaped with thirty horsemen from his personal guard, but Wang Bao, the magistrate of Xindu, captured him. Rui executed Wang Qian in the marketplace, and all of Jiannan was pacified. Rui was promoted to Supreme Pillar of State, and his command as area commander was unchanged. He received five thousand bolts of goods, a thousand slaves and servants, two thousand taels of gold, three thousand taels of silver, and a fief of one thousand households.
15
西 駿 西 調 使
By then Rui's prestige dominated western Sichuan; the Yi and Liao peoples submitted, but Cuan Zhen, chieftain of Nanning, alone relied on his remoteness and refused allegiance. Rui submitted a memorial that read: "I hold that to win over distant peoples and hold them under long rule is the true design of a sage king, and to transform customs and shift the tenor of society is the constant duty of any state. Nanning Prefecture was Zangke territory in Han times. In recent generations it has been divided into the four commanderies of Xinggu, Yunnan, Jianning, and Zhuti. Its population is dense, its gold and treasure abundant. The Two Rivers region yields fine horses and luminous pearls; Yining produces salt wells and rhinoceros horn. In the seventh year of the Jin Taishi era, because Yizhou was vast and remote, Ning Prefecture was established separately. This continued until Xu Wensheng, inspector of Nanning under the puppet Liang, was summoned by Xiangdong to march on Jingzhou; the eastern lands were still unsettled, and the court had no leisure for distant campaigns. The local leader Cuan Zan then seized the region for himself, and the court confirmed him as inspector from afar. His son Zhen has held power in succession down to the present day. Yet Zhen falls far short in the observance of vassal propriety: tribute and taxes never reach the court, and his yearly offerings amount to no more than a few dozen horses. The place lies only a thousand li from Yizhou. The northern border of Zhuti directly adjoins Rong Prefecture in Xing Province. I hear that the people there suffer under harsh rule and long to come under the emperor's benevolent sway. I consider that the Grand Chancellor supports the sagely court, brings peace to the realm, outshines those who came before and sets a light for generations to come — to open new lands and bring distant peoples to submission is precisely the task of this moment. Fortunately, with the army that has just pacified Shu, there is no need to raise new forces. Once the Liao peoples have been brought under control, I ask to move swiftly to settle Nanning. From Lu and Rong onward, army provisions would need to be supplied; beyond that, taxes could be levied on the tribal peoples to sustain the troops and horses. At Ning Prefecture, Zhuti, Yunnan, and Western Cuan alike, area-commander posts and garrison towns should be established. The taxes and levies drawn from the settled tribes there should suffice for garrison defense and grain stores. This would both impose order on the tribal peoples and strengthen the army and the state. I now respectfully submit a separate document listing the prefectures and counties of Nanning and the details of the plan. There is also Grand Commander Du Shenjing, who once served as envoy there and knows the region thoroughly; I am sending him along with this memorial." Before any reply arrived, he submitted another request: "I hold that to treat distant peoples with kindness so as to win those nearby is a principle set down in the ancient classics, and that to extend territory and open frontiers is the business of a true king. Nanning Prefecture was the Han commandery of Zangke. Its soil is fertile, most of its people are Han, and it is rich both in treasure and in famed horses. If we take it now and restore prefectures and commanderies there, our prestige will resound in distant lands and the army and state will both gain. The region connects with Jiao and Guang, and the route is not far. When the Han first opened this region, it was intended as a base for campaigns against the Yue. The campaign against Chen presents another opportunity; weighing the matter, I am convinced Nanning must be taken." Yang Jian was deeply persuaded, but because the realm had only just been settled, he feared unsettling the people and did not grant permission. Later he did send Shi Wansui to suppress and pacify the region, following Rui's plan.
16
Rui's authority and kindness were both in full view; commoners and tribes alike submitted gladly, and his reputation grew ever weightier — Yang Jian secretly came to fear him. Xue Daheng, who had accompanied the army in Shu, came to a welcoming banquet and said to Rui: "The hope of the empire has already turned to Sui." Rui secretly had him urge Yang Jian to take the throne, and Yang Jian was greatly pleased. When Yang Jian accepted the abdication, his regard and favor toward Rui grew ever greater. Rui again submitted a plan for conquering Chen. The emperor approved it and issued an edict: "Your noble spirit stirs all hearts, your ingenious designs range far and wide — the pacification of the Jiangnan is clearly within reach. I have read it again and again with pleasure. With your supreme talent, if you were placed in command of the armies, a single campaign would bring total victory — of that there is no doubt. But I have only just assumed the throne, and government is not yet fully settled. I fear that to exhaust ourselves in war first would not be the best course. In the past Gongsun Shu and Wei Xiao were enemies of Han, yet Emperor Guangwu treated with them and addressed them as emperors. Zhao Tuo at first refused to submit to Emperor Gaozu of Han. When Sun Hao replied to Emperor Wen of Jin, his letter still used plain white paper. Some soon submitted in good faith; others were swiftly destroyed. A true king's stature is great, and the principle is to nurture rather than destroy. Though Chen has sent envoys to court, it has not yet fulfilled every obligation of a vassal state. By your plan, punishment would indeed be warranted — yet I still wish to delay action for the present. You should understand my meaning. When the Huai-Hai region has yet to be conquered, troops will surely be raised; when you are ordered to take the field, you will in the end be called upon. I know you are devoted to the state with your whole being — there is no need to say more." Rui then dropped the matter.
17
Seeing that the Turks were growing strong and fearing a border threat, Rui again set forth more than ten measures for frontier defense and submitted a memorial: "I hold that the northern tribes have been a source of trouble for a very long time. The means of holding them in check has always been difficult. That is why Zhou found no perfect strategy and Han had to settle for lesser ones: the tribes come and go without warning, mass like clouds and vanish like mist — when strong they raid the frontier, and when weak they cannot be wiped out entirely. Now the dynasty's fortune is newly risen and the realm is united, yet the Turks alone still threaten the frontier. This is why I lose sleep over it and think of nothing else, waking or dreaming. In the past, while the Xiongnu were not yet subdued, Huo Qubing refused a residence; while the Xianlian still held out, Zhao Chongguo offered himself for punishment. My talent falls short of the heroes of old, but my ambition follows theirs. I respectfully submit a separate document on the disposition of northern garrison towns and beacon posts, and on provisions for men, horses, grain stores, and defense, together with maps. I humbly await your review." The emperor praised it at length and replied with warm appreciation.
18
殿 退退 輿輿殿 簿
Rui, considering himself an old minister of the Zhou who had long held a weighty frontier post, felt uneasy and repeatedly asked to come to court; he was then summoned back to the capital. When he was granted an audience, the emperor rose to receive him, had Rui ascend the hall, and clasped his hand in warm greeting. Afterward Rui told those close to him: "When the work is done, withdraw — now is the time." He then pleaded illness and retired to his home, shut his gates, and kept aloof from public affairs. The emperor granted him a palanquin, and whenever he came to court, the Three Guards were ordered to carry him up to the hall. When Rui had first pacified Wang Qian, he feared that his fame was too great and would excite jealousy, and so he deliberately accepted large bribes to tarnish his own reputation. As a result, the rolls of merit often did not reflect actual deeds, and more than a hundred men came before the court to protest injustice. The emperor ordered the relevant offices to investigate, and many of those chiefly responsible were punished. Rui was alarmed, submitted a memorial of apology, and asked to be handed over to the judicial authorities. The emperor comforted him and sent him home.
19
In the fifteenth year he accompanied the emperor to Luoyang and died there, at the age of sixty-five. He was given the posthumous title Xiang. His son Yang succeeded him and served as inspector of Song and Xu provinces and as a commander of the Imperial Guard. An edict retroactively changed Rui's title to Duke of Dai and ordered that Yang inherit the rank. [Historian's Comment] The historiographer writes: Li Mu and Liang Rui were both meritorious ministers of the Zhou house. When Yang Jian's imperial enterprise was first taking shape, both were entrusted with his deepest confidence. Thus Mu was the first raised to Grand Tutor, and Rui in the end received extraordinary favor. In reading how they perceived the moment and acted, they may be counted among those who see ahead of the common run of men. Yet measured against the steadfast martyrs of Wei, they must feel shame before Wang Ling; measured against the loyal ministers of Jin, they must in the end feel shame before Xu Guang. Mu's descendants flourished beyond measure — several dozen of them rode in carriages with vermilion wheels and ornate hubs. Resented by their contemporaries, disaster swiftly overtook them. Wealth gained by improper means — is this not a lesson to heed!
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