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卷59 列傳第24 煬帝三男

Volume 59 Biographies 24: Three Sons of Emperor Yang

Chapter 59 of 隋書 · Book of Sui
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1
便
Yang Zhao, posthumously honored as the Yuande Heir Apparent, was Emperor Yang's eldest son. From birth Emperor Wen ordered that he be raised in the palace. At the age of three he was playing with a stone lion at the Xuanwu Gate when Emperor Wen and Empress Wenxian came to where he was. Emperor Wen happened to be troubled by back pain and raised his hand to lean on the empress; each time Zhao drew aside out of propriety, and this happened three times. Emperor Wen sighed and said, "He is born a man of thorough propriety—who could teach him such conduct!" From this he came to regard the boy with wonder. Emperor Wen once told him, "When the time comes I shall find you a wife." Zhao burst into tears at once. Emperor Wen asked why; he answered, "When Prince Guang was still unmarried he was always at Your Majesty's side; the day he married he went out to his own residence at once. I am afraid I shall be separated from you—that is why I weep." The emperor marveled at his deep filial nature and favored him with special affection.
2
便 使 忿
When he was twelve he was made King of Henan. At the opening of the Renshou era he was moved to Prince of Jin, named Director of the Palace Secretariat, and concurrently made General-in-Chief of the Left Guards. Three years after that he was appointed Governor of Yong Province. When Emperor Yang acceded, he went at once to the Luoyang palace while Zhao stayed behind to guard the capital. The emperor then sent envoys to invest him as crown prince. Zhao was physically strong and could draw powerful crossbows. By nature he was modest and self-effacing; in speech and countenance he was gentle and deferential, and he was never seen angry. Even when someone had given grave cause for blame, he would only say, "That is quite wrong." His table was not served many dishes, and his curtains and mats were kept severely plain. When any of his officials had elderly parents, he would personally ask after their health, and at the turn of each year he always gave them gifts. Such was the kindness he showed. The following year he came to court at Luoyang. Some months later, when he was about to return to the capital, he asked to stay a little longer; the emperor refused, and he bowed and pleaded again and again without success. His body was naturally heavy, and from this he fell ill with exhaustion. The emperor had a shaman look into the matter; the man said, "Prince Yong of Fangling is haunting him." Before long he died. An edict directed Vice Director of the Palace Secretariat Yu Shiji to compose the lamentation text for the funerary book. It read:
3
:
On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, on the first day of the guichou cycle, the crown prince died at the traveling palace. On the sixth day of the fifth month in the third year of his reign, on the gengchen cycle, the coffin is to be transferred to Zhuang Mausoleum, as ritual requires. The imperial hearse moves by night; at dawn the palace gate opens; ritual regalia is set out in full solemn array, and the retinue stands in ranks as before. The emperor mourns the darkened clouds over the land of the departed, laments the broken image of the eastern palace, broods long over the heir who held the vessel of state, and, as the funeral offerings are raised, is stirred to grief. The day appointed for the departed is kept; augury and counsel agree; ancestral vessels are set out in the hall; the bier is received upon the steps; inscribed banners are raised to clear the road, and the wheels of the mourning carriage turn slowly onward. His deeds are weighed to fix his name, his accumulated virtue to proclaim his posthumous title; the annals are charged, following canonical precedent, that his luminous wisdom and merit may resound through heaven and earth for ages to come. The text reads:
4
: 耀 觿 殿 便 滿 殿
The imperial foundation towers to its height; the royal line enters its age of glory. He embodied the primal virtue and inherited the sage's mantle; his presence shone with redoubled brilliance. His vital spirit flourished like spring upon the earth; his brilliance shone in the quarter of youth. Among the sons of Zhou he surpassed the classic recitations; among the princes of Han he bore himself with hidden gravity. Knowledge came to him from birth; he was endowed alone with sagely wisdom. His nature and the Way appeared from the day he was girded; subtle understanding came in the flower of youth. He took his place in the great completion of learning and bent his heart to many accomplishments. He was enfeoffed among the royal kin and founded his state, charged with virtue to rule as a prince. His majesty went before on the road; his splendor filled the palace gates. His duties were ordered by rule; in the apportionment of regalia he held the highest place. His refinement rose like the halls of Chu; his literary grace flourished like the gardens of Liang. The sagely heir received the succession; heaven and mankind were in harmony. His root was deep and his branches far-reaching; his foundation was high and his stature imposing. He was made prince at the ancient seat of Canxu and came to hold the domains of Tang and Jin. Though exalted in rank he remained humble; dwelling in modesty he grew ever more careful. His domain stretched a thousand li; the palace gates towered in ninefold depth. He bore the royal civilizing charge of the central realm and the martial array of the palace guards. His words could still contention like wind over grass; his lofty gaze could break the enemy's charge. At the imperial screen he served in pure confidence; drawing near the worthy was truly his appointed role. He moved through scenes of light and wind-swept grandeur; flowering brilliance adorned dragon motifs and jade. When he took up the brush words poured forth like a spring; his discourse was woven with rich ornament. Thus he took on the weight of affairs and offered counsel to nourish the throne. Greatly did he accumulate virtue; blessings multiplied and flourished. From the heaven-descended lineage his light rose to the eldest son. In the green carriage he attended to his duties; with the azure cap-tassel he performed the sacrifices. Solemn dignity filled his bearing; in deportment he yielded by rank and age. Rites and music harmonized in him; love and reverence were joined in equal measure. At leisure he cultivated virtue; with reverent bearing he upheld ritual propriety. Like the southern mountain he sought out the hidden worthy; in the eastern school he honored his teachers. He possessed a pure and spirited bearing; profound and solemn was his demeanor. Brightly he displayed his virtue for all to see; gently and warmly he taught and advised. Bright was his admonition and even his restraint; lingering was his princely literary work. Entering the palace to oversee affairs, going forth to comfort the people—day by day he advanced, month by month he matured. His modest heart was rich as jade; his fine reputation shone like gold. He should have secured bright blessings and forever stood as the foremost heir. The divine principle lies dark and remote; the way of heaven is beyond full understanding. Benevolence does not assure long life; goodness may yet be denied its blessing. Suddenly the jade mountain fell in ruin; in an instant the cassia palace's structure was destroyed. Grief bound the realms of the living and the dead; sorrow filled the universe. The emperor's heart was stricken with deep grief; all his officials were crushed as though bearing guilt themselves. Alas, how mournful! The seasons wheel through their cycles; time slips swiftly onward. Scattered dew falls upon the jade courtyard; descending frost settles on the jade-paved steps. The night water-clock runs out and dawn light fills the empty steps; the morning moon hangs while the curtained hall stands empty. Alas, how mournful! He is about to find rest in the new tomb and part forever from the Prospect Garden. They cross the Wei shore by the royal ferry and follow the long ascent of Changping. They gaze upon the imperial hearse but cannot follow; they look back at the dragon tower growing more distant by the day. Alas, how mournful! Forever parted are the living and the dead; long divided are the present and what has passed. He leaves splendor in the world of the living and enters the hidden depths below. Evening mist rises thinly; the mournful setting sun is about to sink. They hear the mournful dirge of the funeral procession, mingled with the sorrowful sighing of the thickets. The attendants stream forward with sleeves awash in tears; officials in caps sob and soak their collars. Alas, how mournful! The ninefold earth and the yellow springs; a thousand years of daylight. Though metal and stone may endure, in the end heaven and earth themselves reach their close. We dare inscribe his virtue upon the written record, that his fame may soar forever and his merit rise on high.
5
The emperor mourned him with deep grief.
6
姿 穿 姿 祿
He had three sons: Consort Wei bore the future Emperor Gong; the elder Worthy Companion Lady Liu bore Prince Tan of Yan; the younger Worthy Companion Lady Liu bore Prince Tong of Yue. Prince Tan of Yan, whose style name was Ren'an, was clever and handsome in bearing. Among all his grandsons Emperor Yang favored him above the rest and kept him constantly at his side. By nature he loved books and especially honored Confucian simplicity; his attainments were not hurried or shallow—he seemed already a grown man. His mother, a Worthy Companion, had died young; on every anniversary of her death he wept and sobbed without fail. Because of this the emperor came to regard him with still greater wonder. When Yuwen Huaji carried out his regicide, Tan sensed the uprising. He wished to go in and report to the emperor but feared betraying his purpose, so with Duke of Liang Xiao Ju, Palace Attendant Yuwen Hao, and others he entered through the water sluice beside the Fanglin Gate. At the Xuanwu Gate he sent in a false report: "I have been stricken with sudden illness and my life hangs by a moment. I beg to take leave of Your Majesty in person—then I shall die without regret." He hoped in this way to reach the emperor, but the palace attendants stopped him, and in the end his message never reached the throne. Before long the uprising erupted and he was killed by the rebels. He was sixteen. Prince Tong of Yue, whose style name was Renjin, was handsome in bearing and generous by nature. He was invested as Prince of Yue. Whenever the emperor traveled on tour, Tong was regularly left behind to guard the Eastern Capital. When Yang Xuangan rebelled, he joined Minister of the Household Fan Zigai in resisting him. After Xuangan was defeated, he attended court at Gaoyang and was appointed Administrator of Gaoyang. Before long he resumed his former role and was again left to guard the Eastern Capital. In the thirteenth year the emperor went to Jiangdu and again entrusted Tong, together with Duan Da, Yuan Wendu, Wei Jin acting as Minister of the Household, Huangfu Wuyi as General of the Right Martial Guards, and others, with overall charge of the Eastern Capital. When Yuwen Huaji carried out his regicide, Wendu and the others reasoned that Tong, as a son of the Yuande Heir Apparent, was closest in the imperial line. They jointly enthroned him, proclaimed a general amnesty, and changed the era name to Huangtai. They gave the murdered emperor the posthumous title Ming and the temple name Shizu. They posthumously honored the Yuande Heir Apparent as Emperor Xiaocheng with the temple name Shizong. They honored his mother, Worthy Companion Lady Liu, as Empress Dowager. Duan Da was made Director of the Chancellery, General-in-Chief of the Right Wing Guards, and acting Minister of Rites; Wang Shichong likewise Director of the Chancellery, General-in-Chief of the Left Wing Guards, and acting Minister of Personnel; Yuan Wendu Director of the Palace Secretariat and General-in-Chief of the Left Martial Cavalry; Lu Chu also Director of the Palace Secretariat; Huangfu Wuyi Minister of War and General-in-Chief of the Right Martial Guards; Guo Wenyi and Zhao Changwen as vice directors—they were entrusted with state affairs, granted iron tallies inscribed in gold, and the tallies were kept in the inner palace. At that time Luoyang called Duan Da and his colleagues the "Seven Nobles."
7
使 使使
Before long Yuwen Huaji installed Prince Hao of Qin as emperor and marched to camp at Pengcheng; many cities along his route went over to the rebels. Fearing for the situation, Tong sent envoys Gai Cong and Ma Gongzheng to win Li Mi over. Li Mi then sent envoys to offer submission. Tong was overjoyed and treated the envoys with great honor. He immediately appointed Li Mi Grand Marshal, Director of the Department of State Affairs, and Duke of Wei, and ordered him to resist Huaji. An edict was issued, which read:
8
: 西
Our Great Sui has held the realm for thirty-eight years now. Emperor Wen, the High Ancestor, by sacred strategy and divine power recreated the central realm. Emperor Ming, the Shizu, took heaven and earth as his model and united Chinese and foreign peoples under one rule. East to Panmu, west to Xiliu; south beyond the southern marches, north past Youdu. Wherever sun and moon shine, wherever wind and rain reach—all who draw breath and live upon the earth—none failed to enter the imperial domain; all became subjects. Moreover precious tributes poured in; auspicious omens appeared on every side; music was composed and rites established; customs were transformed throughout the realm. His wisdom encompassed the seas; the myriad things all received his bounty; his Way sustained the world, and the people benefited without even knowing it. The Shizu had formerly, through successive appointments, governed the southern regions; once he took the throne, he continued with tours of inspection as the people desired. Therefore in years past he toured the provinces, displayed the rites and received homage; the imperial carriage halted and the procession paused; escorts cleared the road; the palace guards stood as before and did not stir. Who could have thought that rebellion would arise beyond all expectation, reaching the imperial hall, and disaster strike unlooked-for, touching the imperial crown itself? On the day I received the mournful tidings, my heart gave way; I cried out in anguish and could not master my grief.
9
: 祿
Moreover it is said that from antiquity there have been times of hardship; treacherous ministers and rebellious sons have existed in every age. As for Yuwen Huaji, the world has long regarded him as a man of mediocre talent. His father Shu, when fortune favored him, received generous treatment early on: he was granted a marriage alliance with the imperial house, placed among the chief ministers, honored with the highest rank, paid a stipend of ten thousand piculs, accorded the utmost rites due a subject, and his glory crowned his generation. They merely received favor vast as seas and mountains, yet rendered no benefit even the size of a drop of water or grain of dust. Huaji, for all his inferior talent, long enjoyed the emperor's favor, passing in and out of the inner and outer courts and attending upon the palace steps. Formerly he served in the princely household and commanded the palace guards; when the emperor took the throne, he took rank among the Nine Ministers. But by nature he was fierce and cruel, indulging his greed and corruption—now consorting with evil factions, now plundering goods and wealth—offenses grave under the penal code, charges filling the prison records. The sovereign did not cast him off even for the smallest offense; his grace extended even to the lowliest—though deserving death, he was pardoned again and again. Three times he was dismissed from office, yet soon restored to his former post; twice banished to the frontier, yet immediately recalled. The grace of giving him life was boundless as heaven; such promotion and favor is rarely heard of among men. Huaji had the heart of an owl or a jackal—worse than any beast; he unleashed poison and raised calamity, overthrowing the traveling palace. The imperial princes were slaughtered in a single moment with cruel violence; the anguish on the roads was such that the age cannot bear to speak of it. The outrage of Youqiong in the Xia age, the Dog Rong in the Zhou era—even the utmost of insult and shame did not surpass this. Therefore I have carved this into my bones and shattered my heart, drunk gall and tasted blood, looked up to heaven and down to earth, and found nowhere to hide my shame.
10
:
Now the princes, ministers, and officials of every rank all hold that the great treasure of the throne and the august imperial name must not fall, that the chief villain must soon be destroyed, and that they should support me in succeeding to guard the throne. Considering my own meager worth, my will does not reach to this. Now I leave the throne and take up battle-axes and halberds, cast off mourning garb and don armor, harbor my grievance and swear the host, choke back tears and marshal troops, and within days shall march swiftly to pacify the great rebel. Moreover Huaji has falsely installed the son of the Prince of Qin, holding him in confinement like a prisoner, while he himself styles himself overlord and chancellor and arrogates the authority of the Son of Heaven. He treads the forbidden precincts and occupies the palace inner quarters, raising his head and arching his brows without the slightest shame. The court officials outwardly fear his fierce power, while men of resolve and loyal ministers inwardly seethe with anger and resentment. With our righteous army, following heaven's way, we shall behead and exterminate the vile clan—not in an evening but in a morning.
11
: 西
The Grand Marshal, Director of the Department of State Affairs, and Duke of Wei, with loyal devotion in his heart and grand strategy in his conduct, leads the army that would rescue the throne to punish the rebel who defies heaven. The resolute vie to take the lead; warriors race in pursuit; drums and gongs shake the craven as fire burns hair; blades cross like boiling water poured on snow. The Duke of Wei's aim is to set the realm right; he flings up his sleeves and advances in the van; I myself shall command the six armies and march swiftly in his wake. With such an army fighting, with such a righteous cause, one could move mountains and pierce stone with an arrow. Moreover those who follow this man all harbor divided loyalties; the capital guards long for their home villages in the west; the plain folk of the Jiang left yearn for their native districts in the south; recently memorials and letters have come in ceaseless streams, and messengers follow one upon another. If the royal army arrives once, and they briefly behold the old order restored, they will of themselves cast off armor and turn their weapons, melting like ice and scattering like leaves. Moreover I hear that Huaji indulges himself at will; heaven has taken away his mind; he slaughters the innocent and humiliates men of standing—everyone on the roads narrows his eyes in anger and cries to heaven and stamps the earth. I now take revenge and wash away shame; only one man shall be beheaded and exposed; I rescue the drowning and save those in fire—the ones I pity are the scholars and common people. May heaven look down with deep compassion and protect our altars of soil and grain; the hundred millions, moved by righteousness, all join with my heart. When the chief villain is beheaded and exposed, merits are recorded and the celebratory toast is drunk, and the four seas are at peace together—then my wish will be fulfilled. All military arts and army affairs shall be subject to the Duke of Wei's command.
12
使 殿 退 使 殿
When Li Mi saw the envoys he was overjoyed, faced north, bowed prostrate, and performed the ceremonies of a subject with great reverence. Li Mi thereupon marched east to resist Huaji. The "Seven Nobles" were rather at odds and secretly plotted against one another. Before long Yuan Wendu, Lu Chu, Guo Wenyi, Zhao Changwen, and others were killed by Shichong; Huangfu Wuyi fled back to Chang'an. Shichong went to Tong's residence to apologize; his words were piteous and anguished. Tong took this as utmost sincerity, summoned him to the hall, and with hair unbound they made a covenant, swearing he had no second intent. From this time Tong had no part in affairs. Tong's heart could not be at peace; he then joined with his recorder Lu Shiji in plotting against Shichong, but the affair did not succeed and was abandoned. When Shichong defeated Li Mi, popular expectation turned increasingly to him; he thereupon made himself Prince of Zheng, took charge of all government, received the Nine Bestowals, and prepared the ritual regalia—and Tong could not stop him. Duan Da, Yun Dingxing, and ten others came before Tong and said, "The Mandate of Heaven is not constant; the Prince of Zheng's merit and virtue are very great. We beg Your Majesty to yield the throne and announce abdication, following the example of Tang and Yu." When Tong heard this he said in anger, "The realm belongs to Emperor Wen; the Eastern Capital belongs to Emperor Yang. If Sui virtue has not yet declined, such words must not be spoken; even if the Mandate has changed, what talk is there of abdication! You gentlemen are either old ministers of the former court who served the previous reign with merit, or men who upheld the throne with loyal resolve and wear court robes—suddenly to speak such words, what may I still hope for!" His expression was stern; every attendant broke into a sweat. Afterward he left court and wept before his mother, the Worthy Companion. Shichong again sent someone to say to Tong, "The realm is not yet settled; a mature ruler is needed. When the four quarters are at peace, I shall restore you to the throne; as in our former covenant, in righteousness I shall not break faith." Tong had no choice; he yielded the throne to Shichong and was then confined in the Hanliang Hall. Shichong usurped the imperial title and enfeoffed him as Duke of Lu with a fief of five thousand households.
13
沿 簿
After more than a month Yuwen Rutong, Pei Renji, and others plotted to kill Shichong and restore Tong to the throne; the affair was exposed and they were all killed. Shichong's elder brother Shiyun thereupon urged Shichong to kill Tong in order to cut off popular hope in the Sui line. Shichong sent his nephew Xingben bearing poison to Tong's residence, saying, "I beg the emperor to drink this wine." Tong knew he could not escape; he begged to see his mother and was refused. He then spread a mat, burned incense, and worshiped the Buddha, praying, "From this time forward, may I never be born into an imperial or exalted house." He then drank the poison. He did not die at once, and they strangled him with silk. Shichong falsely gave him the posthumous title Emperor Gong. Prince Zheng of Qi, whose style name was Shifu and childhood name Ahai, was handsome in bearing with well-spaced brows and eyes; from youth he was loved by Emperor Wen. During the Kaihuang era he was made Prince of Yuzhang with a fief of one thousand households. When he grew up he studied the classics and histories widely and was especially skilled at mounted archery. At first he served as Director of the Palace Secretariat. During the Renshou era he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of Yangzhou with authority over military affairs south of the Huai. When Emperor Yang took the throne, he was advanced to Prince of Qi and his fief was increased by four thousand households. When the emperor first entered the Eastern Capital, the imperial guard of honor was displayed in full splendor, and Zheng served as military vanguard. Before long he was appointed Governor of Yu Province. Before long the Yuande Heir Apparent died; court and countryside fixed their hopes on Zheng, believing he would be named heir. The emperor also ordered Minister of Personnel Niu Hong to select excellent staff for him; the chief ministers therefore mostly advanced their sons and younger relatives. The next year he was appointed Governor of Yong Province, and soon became Intendant of Henan and Grand Master for Splendid Happiness with the Three Honors. More than twenty thousand attendants of the Yuande Heir Apparent all came under Zheng's command; his favor grew ever greater; from the Princess of Leping and all the imperial kin, gifts poured in; officials paid their respects until the roads were choked.
14
西 鹿
Zheng was arrogant and willful, intimate with petty men; much of what he did was unlawful. He sent Qiao Lingze, Liu Qian'an, Pei Gai, Huangfu Chen, Kudi Zhongqi, Chen Zhiwei, and others to seek music, women, dogs, and horses. Lingze and the others therefore ran wild; wherever they found a household with a daughter, they would forge Zheng's order to summon her, carry her into his residence, hide her by various pretexts, indulge in debauchery at will, and only then send her away. Zhongqi and Zhiwei went to Longxi, abused the foreign traders there, demanded their famous horses, and obtained several steeds to present to Zheng. Zheng ordered the horses returned to their owners; Zhongqi and the others falsely claimed the prince had bestowed them and took them home—Zheng knew nothing of it. Moreover the Princess of Leping once told the emperor that a daughter of the Liu clan was beautiful; the emperor made no reply. After a long time the princess again presented the Liu girl to Zheng, and he readily took her in. Later the emperor asked the princess where the Liu girl was; the princess said, "She is at Prince Zheng of Qi's residence." The emperor was displeased. When Zheng was building a residence in the Eastern Capital, the main gate collapsed for no reason and the central beam of the reception hall broke in two; those who understood such things took it as an ill omen. Afterward he followed the emperor to Yulin; Zheng commanded the rear army of fifty thousand foot and horse, always encamping several tens of li from the emperor. When the emperor held a great hunt at Fenyang Palace, he ordered Zheng to enter the hunting enclosure with a thousand horsemen. Zheng took many elk and deer and presented them, but the emperor had caught nothing; he raged at his attendants, who all said Zheng's men had blocked the way and kept the game from reaching the emperor. The emperor thereupon grew angry and sought out Zheng's offenses.
15
使
At that time magistrates might not leave their districts without cause; Huangfu Xu, magistrate of Yique, who enjoyed Zheng's favor, violated the prohibition and accompanied him to Fenyang Palace. Moreover Daxi Tong of Jingzhao had a concubine, Lady Wang, skilled in song; at banquets of the noble and powerful many would request her, and so by turns she also came and went at Zheng's residence. Censor Wei Deyu, following the emperor's intent, impeached Zheng; the emperor ordered more than a thousand armored soldiers to search his residence thoroughly and pursued the matter to its full extent. Zheng's consort was Lady Wei, daughter of Minister of the Household Chong; she died young, and Zheng then had relations with his consort's elder sister, wife of the Yuan clan, who bore a daughter—outsiders knew nothing of it. He secretly brought Qiao Lingze into the residence for a drunken feast; Lingze offered congratulations and removed Zheng's cap in celebration. He summoned a physiognomist to inspect the entire rear court; the physiognomist pointed to the consort's sister and said, "She who has borne a child shall become empress. The prince's honor is beyond words." At that time the state had no heir apparent; Zheng considered himself next in line for the succession. Moreover, because the Yuande Heir Apparent had three sons, he was inwardly uneasy and secretly employed heterodox arts to perform rites of magical suppression. At this point all the matters came to light; the emperor was greatly angered, executed Lingze and several others, ordered the consort's sister to take her own life, and banished all of Zheng's staff to the distant frontier. At that time Prince Gao of Zhao was still an infant; the emperor said to his attendants, "I have only Zheng as a grown son; otherwise I would execute him in the marketplace and make clear the laws of the state." From this time Zheng's favor daily declined; though he was Intendant of the Capital, he no longer had any part in government affairs. The emperor constantly assigned one Captain of the Martial Guard to oversee his residence; if Zheng had the slightest fault, the guard would report it at once. The emperor also constantly feared Zheng might stir up trouble; those assigned to attend him were all old and weak, filling posts in name only. Zheng constantly lived in fear; his heart was never at peace. Moreover when the emperor was at the Jiangdu palace for the New Year audience, Zheng dressed in ceremonial robes to attend court, and for no reason blood flowed down from within his garments. Again while seated in his study he saw several dozen rats come before him and die; when he looked, all were headless. Zheng was deeply troubled by this. Before long Huaji rose in rebellion and troops were about to assault the imperial escort; when the emperor heard, he turned to Empress Xiao and said, "Could it not be Ahai?" Such was the estrangement and suspicion with which he was regarded. Huaji again sent men to seize Zheng; Zheng was still lying abed; when the rebels entered, he cried in alarm, "Who are you?" No one answered; Zheng still thought the emperor had ordered his arrest, and said, "Imperial envoy, wait a moment. Your son has not betrayed the state." The rebels then dragged him into the street and beheaded him; his two sons were also killed. Zheng never knew who his killers were. He was thirty-four years old.
16
祿 使
He had a posthumous son Zhengdao, who entered the Turks together with Empress Xiao; Quluo Khan styled him Prince of Sui; Chinese taken captive in the northern lands were all assigned to him as a tribe and settled at Dingxiang. When the Turks were destroyed he returned to the Tang and was appointed Vice Director of the Attendant Cavalry. Prince Gao of Zhao, whose childhood name was Jizi, was enfeoffed as Prince of Zhao at the age of seven. Before long he was appointed Grand Master for Splendid Happiness and made Intendant of Henan. He followed the emperor to Huainan and was ordered to act as Administrator of Jiangdu. Gao was clever and bright, handsome in bearing; whenever the emperor composed lyrics or rhapsodies, Gao could often recite them from memory. By nature he was utterly filial; whenever he saw the emperor unwell and refusing food, Gao also would not eat all day. Moreover when Empress Xiao was to undergo moxibustion, Gao first begged to test the cautery himself; the empress refused; Gao wept and pleaded, "All the medicines the empress takes, I have tasted for her. Now for moxibustion, I beg to be allowed to test the cautery first." He sobbed without cease. The empress in the end suspended the moxibustion for his sake, and because of this loved him all the more. Later when Huaji rebelled, Gao was at the emperor's side, crying and wailing without cease. Pei Qiantong had the rebels behead him before the emperor; blood splashed the imperial robes. He was twelve years old. [Commentary] The historiographer says: The Yuande Heir Apparent was refined and grave by nature, with the measure of a ruler; his years were cut short—how mournful! Prince Zheng of Qi was clever and admirable, but his aims did not reach far; he rather harbored arrogance and presumption, and so Emperor Yang kept him at a distance and was wary of him. In heart he had no bond of father and son; in appearance he displayed the respect of subject and ruler; his person had not accumulated goodness, and the state bore the calamity that followed. So that even the princes of Zhao, Yan, and Yue all failed to meet natural deaths—how lamentable!
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