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卷41 列傳第6 高熲 蘇威

Volume 41 Biographies 6: Gao Jiong, Su Wei

Chapter 41 of 隋書 · Book of Sui
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1
Gao Jiong, whose courtesy name was Zhaoxuan and who was also known as Min, was a native of the Bohai frontier district, by his own account. His father Bin had abandoned Northern Qi for Northern Zhou, where Grand Marshal Dugu Xin recruited him to his staff and bestowed the surname Dugu upon him. After Xin was put to death, his family was sent into exile in Shu. Empress Wenxian — for Bin had once served under her father — was in the habit of visiting the Gao home. Bin eventually rose to governor of Ezhou; once Jiong came to power, he was posthumously enfeoffed as Minister of Rites and Duke of Bohai.
2
便
From an early age Jiong was clever and quick-witted, with an expansive temperament; he dipped into the classics and histories and had a particular gift for eloquence. When he was still a child, the family had a willow tree nearly a hundred feet high, spreading like a great canopy. The elders of the neighborhood said, "This family is destined to produce a distinguished man. At seventeen he was appointed recorder on the staff of Xian, Prince of Qi under the Zhou. During the reign of Emperor Wu of Zhou he succeeded to the barony of Wuyang and was named senior clerk in the Palace Secretariat, soon advancing to junior grand master. For his part in the conquest of Qi he was granted the privilege of an independent military establishment. He soon followed Prince Yue Sheng on campaign against rebel Hu tribes in Xi Prefecture and subdued them. When the future Emperor Wen seized control of the government, he already knew Jiong to be forceful and discerning, trained in warfare and full of stratagems, and wished to bring him into his staff; he sent Yang Hui, Duke of Han, to sound him out. Jiong received the overture and replied with alacrity, "I am ready to serve at your command. Even if the enterprise should fail, I would not shrink from the destruction of my entire clan. He was thereupon appointed registrar of the prince's household. At that time the chief administrator Zheng Yi and the marshal Liu Fang had both fallen from favor for their extravagance, and the prince relied on Jiong ever more closely as his trusted confidant. When Yu Chi Jiong rebelled, he sent his son Dun at the head of eighty thousand infantry and cavalry to advance and encamp at Wuzhi. The prince ordered Wei Xiaokuan to attack him, but when the army reached Heyang no one dared to move forward. Because the generals could not agree, the prince appointed Cui Zhongfang to supervise the campaign, but Zhongfang declined on the grounds that his father was still in Shandong. Jiong saw that Liu Fang and Zheng Yi had no intention of taking the field, volunteered to go himself, and so won the prince's approval that he should be sent. Jiong accepted the commission and set out at once, sending word to his mother that loyalty and filial duty could not both be satisfied, and departed with tears. On reaching the army he built a bridge across the Qin River; when the rebels upstream sent great rafts downstream, Jiong had already prepared earthen barriers to block them. Once across, he burned the bridge and gave battle, winning a crushing victory. He pressed on to Ye, fought Yu Chi Jiong there, and together with Yuwen Xin, Li Xun, and others laid plans that brought about the suppression of the rebellion. On the army's return he was entertained at a feast in the prince's private quarters, and the prince removed the imperial curtain and gave it to him as a gift. He was promoted to pillar of state, re-enfeoffed as Duke of Yining County, made marshal of the prince's household, and entrusted with ever greater authority.
3
When Emperor Wen ascended the throne, Jiong was appointed left vice director of the Secretariat and concurrent censor-in-chief, and advanced to Duke of Bohai; no minister could rival him, and the emperor always addressed him as "Dugu" rather than by his personal name. Jiong deliberately kept his distance from overt power, memorialized to resign his office, and recommended Su Wei in his place. The emperor wished to honor his magnanimity and allowed him to step down as vice director. A few days later the emperor said, "Su Wei was a man of lofty principle under the previous dynasty, and Jiong had the discernment to recommend him. I have heard that he who advances the worthy earns the highest reward — how could I allow him to leave his post! He thereupon ordered Jiong to resume his office. He was soon named general-in-chief of the Left Guard while retaining his existing posts. As the Turks were raiding the borders repeatedly, the emperor ordered Jiong to take command of frontier defense. On his return he was rewarded with more than a hundred horses and thousands of head of cattle and sheep. As superintendent of the new capital, he oversaw institutions and regulations that owed much to his own design. Jiong habitually conducted business seated beneath the locust tree north of the audience hall; because the tree did not align with the planted rows, the authorities were about to have it felled. The emperor expressly forbade its removal, as a mark for future generations. Such was the esteem in which he was held. He was further appointed general-in-chief of the Left Army while his other posts remained unchanged. He left office to observe mourning for his mother, but after only twenty days was ordered back to duty. Jiong tearfully protested, but a gracious edict would not allow him to refuse.
4
便
In the second year of Kaihuang, when Changsun Lan, Yuan Jingshan, and others campaigned against Chen, Jiong was placed in overall command of the forces. When Emperor Xuan of Chen died, Jiong argued that propriety forbade campaigning during a period of mourning and memorialized for the army to withdraw. When Xiao Yan rebelled, the emperor ordered Jiong to restore order along the Yangtze and Han, and he won the people's loyalty with notable success. The emperor once asked Jiong for a plan to conquer Chen. Jiong replied, "The north is cold and the harvest comes late; the south is warm and the rice ripens early. At the height of their harvest season, send a small force and announce a surprise raid. They will mass troops to defend, and that alone will ruin their farming season. Once they have mobilized, we stand down; repeat this several times until the enemy treats it as routine. When we mobilize again they will not believe us; in their hesitation we cross in earnest, land, and fight — and our troops' morale will be doubled. Moreover, the south has thin soil and houses mostly of bamboo and thatch; grain stores are not kept in underground cellars. Send agents secretly to set fires when the wind is right; when they rebuild, burn them again. Within a few years their wealth and strength will be exhausted of themselves. The emperor adopted his plan, and the people of Chen grew steadily weaker. In the ninth year, when Prince Jin launched a major campaign against Chen, Jiong served as chief of staff to the commander; every military decision passed through him. After Chen fell, Prince Jin wished to take Zhang Lihua, the late ruler's favorite consort, for himself. Jiong said, "When King Wu overthrew the Shang, he executed Daji. Now that we have conquered Chen, Lihua must not be taken. He ordered her executed, to the prince's deep displeasure. On the army's return he was further promoted to supreme pillar of state and advanced to Duke of Qi, with nine thousand rolls of silk and a fief of fifteen hundred households in Qiansheng County. The emperor consoled him, saying, "After your campaign against Chen, some said you would rebel — I have already had them executed. The bond between sovereign and minister is sound; no whispering slanderer can come between us. Jiong again offered to resign. The edict read, "Your judgment is far-reaching and your talent profound; abroad you directed the armies and cleared the Huai region, at court you commanded the palace guard — you have been my true right hand. Since I took the throne you have held the reins of government, serving with complete loyalty — in intent and in deed alike. You are a minister sent by Heaven to support my rule — spare me further protestations." Such were the honors he received.
5
調 使 使
Thereafter Pang Huang, general of the Right Guard, and the general Lu Ben, among others, repeatedly slandered Jiong to the emperor. The emperor was enraged and had them all dismissed from favor. He then told Jiong, "Duke Dugu, you are like a mirror: every time it is polished, it shines the brighter. Before long, Jiang Ye of the Secretariat and Li Juncai, acting staff officer of Chuzhou, both memorialized that floods and droughts were out of balance and blamed Gao Jiong, asking that he be removed from office. Both men were punished and dismissed, while the emperor's intimacy with Jiong grew ever closer. When the emperor traveled to Bingzhou, he left Jiong in charge of the capital. On his return to the capital the emperor gave him five thousand bolts of silk and a traveling palace to serve as a country estate. When his wife Lady Heluo fell ill, palace envoys inquired after her without cease. The emperor visited his home in person, gave him a million in cash and ten thousand bolts of silk, and presented him with a horse of legendary stamina. The emperor once asked Jiong and He Ruo Bi to discuss the conquest of Chen. Jiong said, "He Ruo Bi first offered ten stratagems, then fought a hard battle at Mount Jiang and broke the enemy. I am only a civil official — how dare I dispute merit with a great general! The emperor laughed heartily, and contemporaries praised his humility. Soon afterward his son Biaoren married the daughter of Crown Prince Yong, and the rewards that followed were beyond reckoning. At that time Mars entered the Supreme Palace Enclosure and trespassed upon the asterism of the Left Enforcer. The astrologer Liu Hui told Jiong privately, "The stars are unfavorable to the chief minister; cultivate virtue to avert calamity. Uneasy, Jiong reported Liu Hui's words to the emperor. The emperor rewarded and reassured him generously. When the Turks raided the frontier, Jiong was made commander-in-chief, attacked them, and defeated them. He advanced by the White Road with plans to penetrate the desert and sent envoys requesting reinforcements. Court intimates seized on this to accuse Jiong of plotting rebellion; before the emperor could respond, Jiong had already defeated the enemy and returned.
6
退
Crown Prince Yong had by then fallen from the emperor's favor, and the emperor was quietly considering replacing him. He said to Jiong, "Prince Jin's consort is possessed by a spirit that says the prince is destined to rule the realm — what should be done? Jiong knelt and said, "Elder and younger have their proper order — how can the heir be set aside!" The emperor fell silent and dropped the matter. Empress Dugu, knowing Jiong could not be won over, secretly wished to remove him. When his wife died, she said to the emperor, "Vice Director Gao is growing old and has lost his wife — surely Your Majesty should find him a new one!" The emperor repeated the empress's suggestion to Jiong, who tearfully replied, "I am old now; after court I devote myself only to fasting and reading the Buddhist sutras. However deep Your Majesty's kindness, taking a new wife is not what I wish." The emperor let the matter drop. By then Jiong's favorite concubine had borne a son; the emperor was delighted to hear it, but the empress was deeply displeased. When the emperor asked why, the empress said, "Can Your Majesty still trust Gao Jiong? When Your Majesty offered to find him a wife, he already kept a favorite concubine and lied to your face. Now his deception is plain — how can Your Majesty trust him! From that time the emperor grew distant from Jiong. When the court debated a campaign against Liaodong, Jiong strongly advised against it. The emperor overruled him, made Jiong chief of staff on the Liaodong campaign under Prince Han, and the army turned back defeated by floods, rains, and plague. The empress later told the emperor, "Jiong never wanted to go — you sent him against his will, and I knew from the start the campaign would fail. The emperor moreover, considering Prince Han young, placed the entire army under Jiong's command. Jiong bore his heavy responsibility with scrupulous impartiality and never wavered in his loyalty. Prince Han found his counsel largely ignored and grew deeply resentful. On the army's return, the prince tearfully told the empress, "Your son was nearly killed by Gao Jiong. When the emperor heard this, his displeasure deepened. Soon afterward Wang Shiji, supreme pillar of state, was executed; during the investigation palace secrets were traced to Jiong. The emperor, intent on convicting Jiong, was shocked by this discovery. He Ruo Bi, Yuwen Mi, Xue Zhou, Hulu Xiaqing, Liu Shu, and others spoke up for Jiong's innocence; the emperor flew into a rage and had them all arrested. After that no one at court dared speak on his behalf. Jiong was at last removed from office and sent home, retaining only his ducal title. Before long, during a visit to Prince Qin Jun's mansion, the emperor summoned Jiong to join the banquet. Jiong wept uncontrollably; Empress Dugu wept as she faced him, and everyone present was in tears. The emperor told him, "I have not failed you — you have failed yourself. He told the ministers, "I cherished Gao Jiong more than a son; though I might not see him, he was always before my eyes. Since his dismissal I have put him out of mind, as if he had never existed. A minister must not hold the sovereign hostage to his own importance or boast that he is indispensable." (Close of quotation.)
7
' ' ' '' '
Soon his estate steward denounced him, reporting that his son Biaoren had said to him, "Sima Yi feigned illness and stayed away from court — and in the end seized the realm. You are in the same position now — who is to say this is not a blessing in disguise? The emperor was furious, imprisoned Jiong in the Ministry of the Interior, and put him on trial. The prosecutors added further charges: the monk Zhenjue had told Jiong, "Next year the state will mourn a great death. The nun Linghui had also said, "In the seventeenth and eighteenth years the emperor will face grave peril. He will not survive the nineteenth year. The emperor, hearing this, turned to the court and exclaimed, "Does anyone think the throne can be seized by scheming! Confucius, for all his sagehood, laid down laws for the ages — would he not have wanted the throne? Only the Mandate of Heaven denied it to him. Jiong spoke to his son and likened himself to an emperor of Jin — what treason is this?" The judges asked that Jiong be executed. The emperor said, "Last year I killed Yu Qingze, this year Wang Shiji — if I kill Jiong as well, what will the world say of me?" He was therefore stripped of rank and made a commoner. When Jiong first became vice director, his mother warned him, "You have risen as high as a man can — only the executioner's blade remains; take care!" From that time he lived in constant fear of disaster. Now he accepted his punishment without bitterness, believing he had escaped with his life.
8
When Emperor Yang came to the throne, Jiong was appointed minister of ceremonies. An edict went out to gather musicians of the former Zhou and Qi dynasties and performers scattered across the empire. Jiong memorialized, "This music has long fallen into disuse. To revive it now may lead the ignorant to abandon their proper occupations and teach one another frivolous arts instead. The emperor was displeased. The emperor was growing ever more extravagant, indulging in music and spectacle, and launched the Great Wall project. Jiong was deeply troubled and told Vice Director Li Yi, "Emperor Yuan of Northern Zhou ruined his state through music — that lesson is recent; how can we repeat it! The emperor was lavishing honors on Qimin Khan; Jiong told Minister He Chou, "This barbarian knows our strengths and weaknesses, our terrain and defenses — he may become a future threat." He also told Prince Guan Xiong, "The court lately has no discipline whatsoever." When this was reported, the emperor treated it as slander of the government, issued an edict for his execution, and banished his sons to the frontier.
9
稿
Jiong possessed great talent in civil and military affairs and a clear grasp of public business. Once entrusted with power, he served with complete loyalty, promoted worthy men, and treated the welfare of the realm as his personal responsibility. Su Wei, Yang Su, He Ruo Bi, Han Qin, and others were all men he had advanced; each rose to eminence as a statesman of the age. Beyond them, the men who won distinction under his patronage are beyond number. For nearly twenty years he dominated the government; court and country deferred to him without dispute. The era of peace and order was largely his achievement, and contemporaries regarded him as a true prime minister. At his execution the empire mourned him; to this day his name is invoked as a wrongful death. The clever stratagems and secret policy papers he drafted were all destroyed by his own hand, and the world never knew them.
10
使
His son Shengdong rose to governor of Ju Prefecture, was exiled to Liucheng, and died there. His second son Hongde was enfeoffed as Duke of Ying and served as recorder to the Prince of Jin. His third son Biaoren was enfeoffed Duke of Bohai and exiled to Shu. Su Wei, whose courtesy name was Wuwai, was a native of Wugong in the Jingzhao region. His father Chuo had been director of revenue under the Wei. Wei from childhood showed exceptional filial devotion; when he lost his father at five, he mourned with the gravity of an adult. Under Emperor Taizu of Zhou he inherited the dukedom of Meiyang and served as merit officer in his commandery. Grand Minister Yuwen Hu received him with honor and gave him his daughter, Princess Xinxing, in marriage. Seeing Hu's monopoly of power, he fled into the mountains to escape the coming disaster, but was forced back by his uncle and could not get free. Nevertheless he often withdrew to mountain monasteries and amused himself by chanting sutras. He was soon appointed bearer of the staff of authority, general of chariots and cavalry, equal in three ranks, and re-enfeoffed as Duke of Huaidao. When Emperor Wu took personal control of government, he was named junior grand master of Shaobo. He declined every appointment on grounds of illness. He had a cousin who had married Yuan Xiong of Henan. Xiong had earlier quarreled with the Turks; when a Turkish envoy came to court, he demanded Xiong and his family to settle the feud. Northern Zhou agreed to hand them over. Wei said, "Barbarians care only for gain and can be bought off. He sold his lands and property, gave all he had to ransom Xiong, and won universal praise for his loyalty. When Emperor Xuan succeeded to the throne, he accepted appointment as a general with an independent command.
11
駿
When Yang Jian was chief minister, Gao Jiong repeatedly praised his talent, and Yang Jian, who had long respected his reputation, summoned him. On his arrival he was received in the prince's private quarters; their conversation delighted them both. After a month he heard talk of usurpation and fled home to his estate. Gao Jiong urged that he be brought back, but Yang Jian said, "He does not wish to be part of my enterprise — leave him be for now. After the abdication he was summoned and made junior guardian of the heir apparent. His father was posthumously enfeoffed as Duke of Pi with three thousand households, and Wei succeeded to the title. He was soon made censor-in-chief and minister of revenue as well. Wei memorialized to decline; the edict read, "A great vessel bears heavy cargo; a swift horse runs far. You have the capacity of several men — do not shirk heavy duties. Wei thereupon accepted.
12
西
Earlier, Wei's father in Western Wei, facing insufficient revenue, had devised a tax system widely regarded as harsh. He later sighed and said, "What I have done is like drawing a bow taut — it is no law for times of peace. Which of the gentlemen to come will be able to loosen the string? Wei took these words as his personal mission. Now he memorialized to lighten taxes and labor service, and the emperor approved every proposal. He gradually won the emperor's trust and shared governance with Gao Jiong. Seeing silver curtain hooks in the palace, he lectured the emperor at length on the virtues of frugality. The emperor took his point; all ornamental luxuries in the palace were ordered destroyed. Once, in anger, the emperor was about to execute a man; Wei entered and remonstrated, but was not heeded. The emperor, furious, rose to kill the man himself; Wei barred his way and would not budge. The emperor tried to go around him; Wei blocked him again. The emperor brushed past him and withdrew inside. After a long interval he summoned Wei and said, "If you will be thus steadfast, I have nothing to fear. He rewarded him with two horses and more than a hundred thousand in cash. He was soon given concurrent posts as minister of justice, intendant of Jingzhao, and censor-in-chief, while retaining his existing offices.
13
Supervising secretary Liang Pi impeached him for holding five offices at once, clinging to power, and failing to recommend a successor. The emperor said, "Su Wei works tirelessly and thinks only of the public good; if he has been slow to promote others, why hound him? He turned to Wei and said, "In office one serves; out of office one withdraws — only you and I understand this!" He told the court, "Without me, Su Wei would have no one to hear him; without Su Wei, how could I put my principles into practice? Yang Su is unrivaled in wit, but when it comes to weighing past and present to help me govern, he is no match for Su Wei. In a time of chaos, Su Wei would be like the Four Whiteheads of Mount Shang — not easily bent from his course! Such was the esteem in which he was held.
14
使
He was soon made minister of justice and relieved of his posts as junior guardian and censor-in-chief. When the post of Jingzhao intendant was abolished, he was named acting vice governor of Yong Province. Gao Jiong and Wei worked in concert; nothing of policy or law passed without their counsel, and within a few years the realm was at peace. He was soon transferred to minister of revenue while retaining the post of censor-in-chief. When famine struck the eastern provinces, the emperor sent Wei to organize relief. Two years later he was promoted to minister of personnel. A year afterward he was also made director of the Imperial Academy. The Sui inherited a realm shattered by war, with laws in disarray; the emperor ordered the court to codify a new legal system for the dynasty. Much of the new code of statutes, ordinances, and formats was Wei's work, and contemporaries judged him master of it. In the ninth year he was appointed right vice director of the Secretariat. That year he left office to mourn his mother and was reduced to skin and bone by grief. The emperor urged him, "Your virtue is eminent and my reliance on you is great; even in deepest mourning you must bend to necessity. Restrain your grief and preserve yourself for the state. I stand to you as both sovereign and father; heed my command and observe proper measure. Soon he was ordered back to duty; he protested, but a gracious edict would not allow refusal. The following year, when the emperor visited Bingzhou, he and Gao Jiong were left jointly in charge of the capital. He was soon summoned to the emperor's camp to adjudicate civil suits.
15
使 · 便 使 使
Wei's son Kui enjoyed wide renown from youth, gathered guests, and drew scholars from across the empire. When court debated ritual music, Kui and the academician He Tuo took opposing positions. Each drafted a proposal and had the officials sign in support of one side or the other. Most of the court sided with Wei; eight or nine tenths of the officials backed Kui. He Tuo fumed, "I have taught from this chair for forty years, only to be overruled by some upstart! He memorialized that Wei, Lu Kai, Xue Daoheng, Wang Hong, Li Tonghe, and others had formed a faction; in the ministry Wang Hong was called "the heir" and Li Tonghe "the uncle," as though they were Wei's kin. He also charged that Wei had used improper influence to secure offices for his cousins Che and Su. When the academy sought Wang Xiaoyi as calligraphy instructor, Wei had Lu Kai appoint him to his own staff instead. The emperor ordered Prince Xiu of Shu, Yu Qingze, and others to investigate; every charge was substantiated. The emperor made Wei read the account of factionalism in Xie Hui's biography in the History of Song. Wei prostrated himself in terror. The emperor said, "Your apology comes too late. Wei was stripped of office and rank but allowed to keep his noble status and retire home. More than a hundred prominent men who had associated with him were punished as well. Before long the emperor said, "Su Wei is a man of integrity who was led astray by others. He was ordered to resume attendance at court. A year later his dukedom of Pi was restored and he was again made censor-in-chief. On the Mount Tai sacrifice he was dismissed for an impropriety in ritual deportment. He was soon reinstated. The emperor told the ministers, "People call Su Wei a hypocrite who hoards gold and jade — that is slander. But he is harsh and obstinate, out of touch with the times, and too eager for reputation; flatter him and he is pleased, cross him and he flies into a rage — that is his grave flaw. He was soon sent with imperial authority to tour and pacify the south, empowered to act at discretion. He passed through Kuaiji, crossed the Five Ridges, and returned. When Tulan Qaghan raided the frontier, Wei was again sent to negotiate a marriage alliance. The qaghan sent envoys with tribute. For his exertions he was promoted to great general. At the start of the Renshou era he was again named right vice director. When the emperor went to Renshou Palace, Wei was left in charge of the capital. On the emperor's return, censors reported that Wei had neglected his duties and asked for an inquiry. The emperor was furious and rebuked him sharply. Wei kowtowed in apology, and the emperor let the matter drop. When the emperor fell ill at Renshou Palace, the crown prince came from the capital to attend him, and Wei was ordered to remain in charge at the capital.
16
祿 祿
When Emperor Yang succeeded, he was further promoted to supreme general. When the Great Wall project began, Wei remonstrated against it. When Gao Jiong and He Ruo Bi were executed, Wei was implicated and removed from office. A year later he was appointed governor of Lu commandery. He was soon recalled to take part in government again. He was soon made minister of ceremonies. That year he accompanied the campaign against Tuyuhun and was promoted to left grand master of splendid happiness. As a veteran of the previous reign, he was gradually entrusted with greater authority. A year later he was again made censor-in-chief. He shared power with Yuwen Shu, Pei Ju, Pei Yun, and Yu Shiji — the "Five Exalted" of the age. During the Liaodong campaign he commanded the Left Martial Guard, was made grand master of splendid happiness, and enfeoffed as Marquis of Ningling. That year he was advanced to Duke of Fang. Citing old age, he memorialized to retire. The emperor refused and kept him in charge of personnel selection. The following year he accompanied the Liaodong campaign as general of the Right Imperial Guard.
17
涿 使使 宿
When Yang Xuangan rebelled, the emperor summoned Wei to his tent, fear plain on his face, and asked, "The boy is clever — might he not prove dangerous? Wei replied, "True cleverness is knowing right from wrong and success from failure. Xuangan is crude and rash — not clever at all — and need not trouble you. I only fear he may open the way to wider rebellion. Seeing endless labor and growing popular unrest, Wei hinted at his concern, but the emperor would not listen. On the return to Zhuo Commandery he was ordered to pacify Guanzhong. His grandson Xuan, an attendant of the imperial carriage, was named his deputy. His son Kui had already served as selection commissioner for Guanzhong — three members of one family on mission in the west, to the capital's glory. More than a year later the emperor wrote, "Jade is pure and cannot be stained; the pine stays green in winter — frost and snow cannot kill it. Such are warmth, benevolence, and steadfast integrity. Duke of Fang Wei is temperate and magnanimous, learned in statecraft, an elder statesman of the founding emperor. He is a pillar of the realm who assists my rule, keeps the laws, and models propriety. Of Han's three heroes, Xiao He steadied the reign of Emperor Hui; of the ten sage ministers of Zhou, the Duke of Shao aided King Cheng. A state's treasure is worthy men; he harmonizes the government and commands universal trust. Let him be made general equal in three ranks; all other honors remain. At that time no minister stood higher in honor.
18
殿 簿
Later, at Yanmen, the court was surrounded by Turks and thrown into panic. The emperor wished to break out with a light cavalry escort. Wei objected, "We are strong in defense; they excel at mounted raiding. Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven — you must not risk yourself so lightly! The emperor held his position. The Turks soon lifted the siege and withdrew. At Taiyuan, Wei told the emperor, "Rebels are everywhere and the army is exhausted. Return to the capital, strengthen your foundations, and think of the dynasty's survival. The emperor at first agreed, but Yuwen Shu and his faction prevailed, and the court proceeded to the Eastern Capital. With the empire collapsing, Wei knew the emperor would not change course, and he was deeply troubled. When the emperor asked his attendants about rebels, Yuwen Shu said, "They are few and hardly worth concern. Wei could not bring himself to lie and slipped behind a pillar. The emperor called him forth and pressed him for an answer. Wei answered, "I am not in charge of such reports and do not know the count — I only fear they are drawing nearer every day. The emperor asked, "What do you mean by that?" Wei said, "Once the rebels held distant Changbai; now they are at Xingyang and Sishui, on our doorstep." The emperor was displeased and cut the audience short. On the fifth day of the fifth month the officials presented gifts, mostly luxuries. Wei offered a copy of the Book of Documents as his gift — a pointed rebuke — which angered the emperor all the more. When the Liaodong campaign came up again, Wei proposed pardoning the rebels and sending them against Goryeo instead; the emperor was furious. Pei Yun, eager to please, had Zhang Xingben accuse Wei of abusing appointments while selecting officials at Gaoyang and of cowardice before the Turks. The emperor ordered an investigation. When the case closed, the edict condemned Wei for factionalism, heterodoxy, slander of the laws, and contempt for the ministries. At last year's campaign every minister spoke his mind, yet Wei would not speak frankly to the throne. Is this how a minister should counsel his sovereign? Where is the respect owed to the throne? He was stripped of rank and made a commoner. A month later he was accused of plotting with the Turks; the judiciary interrogated him. Wei confessed that he had served two emperors for thirty years without earning their trust, had erred repeatedly, and deserved death ten thousand times over. The emperor took pity and released him. That year, at Jiangdu, the emperor was about to restore him to office. Pei Yun and Yu Shiji reported that he was senile and infirm. The emperor desisted.
19
祿
When Yuwen Huaji murdered the emperor, he appointed Wei grand master of splendid happiness. After Huaji's defeat he joined Li Mi. When Li Mi fell, he went to the Eastern Capital, where Prince Yue Tong made him supreme pillar of state and Duke of Pi. Wang Chong declared himself emperor and named him grand preceptor. As a Sui veteran adrift in civil war, he adapted to each new master in order to survive. When the Tang Prince of Qin took Luoyang, Wei asked to see him, pleading age and infirmity. The prince sent word: "As Sui chief minister you failed to save the dynasty from ruin and the emperor from murder. Yet you bowed and scraped before Li Mi and Wang Chong. Now that you are old and sick, there is no need to meet. He went to Chang'an and was refused audience at the palace. He died at home. He was eighty-two.
20
使 駿 宿 使
Wei lived plainly and was known for integrity. In council he could not abide disagreement and would argue stubbornly over trifles. Contemporaries judged him wanting in the magnanimity of a great minister. The codes he drafted governed the age but were criticized as excessively harsh and minute. In the late Daye years, when merit rewards were due, Wei often bowed to the emperor's mood and let them lapse. As rebels multiplied, he bullied local officials into understating rebel numbers in their reports. Imperial campaigns therefore often failed. Public opinion condemned him for it. His son Kui. His son Kui, styled Bonai, was clever and eloquent from childhood. At eight he was reciting the classics and had learned riding and archery. At thirteen he accompanied his father to the Secretariat and won a fine horse from Prince Xiong of Ande in an archery wager. At fourteen he debated the Confucian scholars at the academy and impressed all who heard him. As an adult he read widely and styled himself an authority on music and pitch. His father had renamed him Kui, to the amusement of knowing observers. He began as attendant gentleman to the crown prince. Yang Su greatly admired him and jested to Su Wei, "Yang Su has no son; Su Kui has no father. He later clashed with Zheng Yi and He Tuo over music reform and fell from favor; his proposals were shelved. He wrote fifteen chapters of a Treatise on Music to set forth his views. Several years later he was promoted to secretary of the heir apparent. He was later made martial cavalry commandant. At the end of Renshou the throne sought experts in ritual music; Prince Jin of Yong recommended Kui. Of more than fifty candidates presented, Emperor Wen singled out Kui, telling his ministers, "Only this one is what I had in mind. He was appointed friend to Prince Jin. Under Emperor Yang he became palace attendant to the heir apparent, then court receptionist. When his father was disgraced, he resigned as well. He later served as bureau chief in the Ministry of War and marshal to the Prince of Yan. On the Liaodong campaign he commanded night guard and was rewarded with the title grand master of the palace gate. The emperor was pursuing campaigns abroad, and tributary missions arrived in succession. The emperor remarked to Yuwen Shu and Yu Shiji, "With the barbarians submitting, the office that receives them requires a man of talent and presence. Is there someone accomplished, presentable, and fit to receive foreign envoys? They all named Kui. The emperor agreed and that same day made him vice director of the imperial stud. That year the king of Gaochang, Qu Boya, came to court and was given an imperial princess in marriage. Kui, who enjoyed high repute, was appointed to oversee the wedding. When rebels rose in Honghua, Yan'an, and other districts, he was sent to pacify Guanzhong. During the Turkish siege of Yanmen he commanded the eastern defenses. He built crossbow towers, siege engines, and stockades in a single night. The emperor was impressed and promoted him to master of discussion. He was disgraced along with his father and reduced to commoner status. He then lost his mother, grieved himself to death, and died at forty-nine. The historians write: When Duke of Qi's rise began, Gao Jiong was already at his side in perfect trust, like fish and water. Upright and dutiful, he guided the founding of the dynasty in full accord with the emperor. He planned the conquest of the south and the pacification of the east from the command tent. Emperor Wen restored order to the realm and relied on him as on the seasoning of governance. For nearly twenty years the people prospered and the bureaucracy was united, without a word of complaint. When the emperor considered deposing the crown prince, Jiong was punished for his loyalty; under Emperor Yang he was executed for opposing excess. Had he lived out his career without falling victim to suspicion, he might have ranked with the greatest ministers of antiquity, beside Xiao He and Cao Shen. To find his equal would have been hard — a tragic loss. Duke of Pi Su Wei, in the twilight of the Zhou order, held to solitary integrity; when the Sui arose he was among the first to answer the call. He rose to the summit of honor and trust; long held the reins of government and shaped policy for good and ill; he gave his utmost in everything he undertook. Yet he was narrow in spirit, loved agreement and hated dissent, and lacked the breadth of true statesmanship. He served two emperors for thirty years; though repeatedly disgraced, he was still revered as an elder statesman. When the ruler went astray he could not correct him; when the state fell he was no better than the crowd. "When I err, correct me" — he mouthed the saying, but "the tough grass appears only in a high wind" — and the man was not seen. The throne's failure to honor him in the founding may owe something to this. Kui was talented and accomplished; had he lived longer, he might have upheld the family name without disgrace.
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