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卷62 列傳第27 王韶 元巖 劉行本 梁毗 柳彧 趙綽 裴肅

Volume 62 Biographies 27: Wang Shao, Yuan Yan, Liu Xingben, Liang Pi, Liu Yu, Zhao Chao, Pei Su

Chapter 62 of 隋書 · Book of Sui
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1
Book of Sui, Volume 62, Biographies 27
2
Wang Shao
3
使穿 綿
When Yang Guang, Prince of Jin, took up his post at Bingzhou, Shao was made Right Vice-Director of the Mobile Office and given five hundred bolts of colored silk. Shao was stern and unyielding; the prince held him in considerable awe and consulted him on every affair, so that nothing was done outside the bounds of law. Shao had once been sent to inspect the Great Wall; after he returned the prince had a pool dug and the Three Mountains built. Shao locked himself in chains to remonstrate, and the prince apologized and abandoned the project. Emperor Wen heard of this and commended him, awarding one hundred taels of gold and four palace women as well. During the conquest of Chen he served as Marshal's Headquarters Major in his existing capacity, marching his forces to Heyang to rendezvous with the main army. Once they reached Shouyang, he and Gao Jiong handled military planning together without a single bottleneck. After Jinling fell, Shao took up its garrison command at once. When Yang Guang withdrew his army, he left Shao at Shitou to hold the line and entrusted him with all follow-up matters for well over a year. When Shao was recalled, Emperor Wen told the ministers: "The Prince of Jin left for his fief while still a youth, yet he was able to subdue Wu and Yue and bring peace to the south—this was Zixiang's doing. He was then promoted to Pillar of State and given three hundred bondsmen and maidservants and five thousand lengths of silk.
4
使 使
In the eleventh year of Kaihuang the emperor visited Bingzhou and, finding Shao fully equal to his post, singled him out for special praise and encouragement. Later the emperor said to Shao: "Since I arrived here your beard and temples have been turning white—could that be from overwork? The nation's pillar rests on you alone—do your utmost! Shao demurred: "Your servant is lately in his decline and truly does not know how to be an official anymore." Emperor Wen said: "What do you mean by that? Not understanding only means you have not put your heart into it." Shao answered: "Even in the dark days of old I still gave my all; how could I fail to do so now, under so enlightened a sovereign! Yet your transforming governance is too subtle for a worn-out nag like me to keep pace with. Besides, I am sixty-six this year; evening is closing in, and compared with years past my confusion and forgetfulness have only grown worse. I would not dare slacken and bring trouble on myself; I only fear that in my dotage I might disrupt the order of the court." The emperor consoled him and dismissed him. When Prince Jun of Qin became Regional Commander of Bingzhou, Shao remained as his Chief Administrator. A little over a year later he rushed to the capital by relay post, exhausted by the journey, and died at the age of sixty-eight. Emperor Wen was deeply grieved and told the Prince of Qin's messenger: "Tell your prince: I had ordered Zixiang to travel at an easy pace—why did you send him by urgent relay? You have killed my Zixiang—is that not your doing? His words were full of grief. He ordered the authorities to build a house for him, saying: "What does the dead need with a house? It is only to show the depth of my feeling. He also said: "Zixiang bore my trust for more than ten years without wavering once, and his rewards had not yet reached their fullest measure—yet he left me and died!" He spoke through his tears. He then had several dozen of Zixiang's sealed memorials brought out and shown to the assembled ministers. The emperor said: "His frank remonstrances corrected many things and did great good; whenever I read through them I cannot put them down. When Emperor Yang took the throne, Shao was posthumously made Grand Tutor, Director of the Department of State Affairs, titular inspector of ten prefectures including Ling and Bin, and Duke of Wei. His son Shilong inherited the title.
5
便
Shilong had some schooling in letters and accounts and was especially adept with bow and horse; he was openhanded and bore his father's spirit. During the Daye reign he won considerable favor and rose to Palace Guard General, with his title changed to Duke of Geng. He was repeatedly sent against mountain bandits and often carried the day. When Prince Yue of Tong declared himself emperor, Shilong led several thousand men from the Jiang-Huai region to join him. Wang Shichong then seized the throne and treated him with great honor, appointing him Right Vice-Director of the Department of State Affairs. Shilong died of a carbuncle on his back, brought on by grief and anger.
6
Yuan Yan
7
輿 使
Yuan Yan, styled Junshan, was from Luoyang in Henan. His father Zhen had been Regional Inspector of Fuzhou under the Northern Wei. Yan loved to read but cared little for philological glosses; he was stern and principled with a broad outlook, held himself to a standard of honor, and in his youth was close friends with Gao Jiong of Bohai and Wang Shao of Taiyuan. He entered Zhou service and upon first taking office was made General Who Proclaims Might and Attendant of the Tiger Guard. Grand Minister Yuwen Hu took notice of him and appointed him Records Secretary for internal and external affairs. He rose through successive promotions to Palace Scribe Grand Master and Baron of Changguo. When Emperor Xuan came to the throne his rule turned vicious; Yue Yun, Assistant Governor of Jingzhao, brought a coffin to the audience hall and listed eight faults of the emperor in language of brutal frankness. The emperor flew into a rage and was about to put him to death. The court ministers were terrified, and no one dared intervene. Yan told others: "If Zang Hong could die on the same day, men could still die together—how much more should one stand with Bi Gan! If Yue Yun is not spared, I shall die with him. He went to the gate to request an audience and told the emperor: "Yue Yun knew this memorial would cost him his life; he risked everything only to win a name that would outlive him. If Your Majesty executes him, you only complete his fame and fall into his trap. Better to comfort him and let him go, thereby showing the breadth of your sage-like grace." Yun was spared as a result. Later, when the emperor was about to execute Wuyan Gui, Yan refused to countersign the edict. Palace Attendant Yan Zhiyi remonstrated to no avail; Yan pressed forward after him, removed his cap, and knocked his forehead on the ground three times in three advances. The emperor said: "Are you trying to shield Wuyan Gui? Yan said: "I am not shielding Gui; I only fear that reckless executions will cost you the trust of the realm." The emperor in his rage had eunuchs strike his face, and Yan was sent home in disgrace.
8
When Emperor Wen was still Chancellor, Yan was given the additional posts of Opening the Government and Grand Master of the Ministry of the People. When the throne passed to him, Yan was made Minister of War, promoted to Duke of Pingchang with a fief of two thousand households. Yan was grave and severe, clear-sighted in affairs of state; whenever he submitted a proposal he spoke with unflinching candor, remonstrating in open court and contradicting men to their faces without holding back. The emperor and the chief ministers alike respected and feared him. Emperor Wen had just taken the throne and often recalled how the weak feudal lords of the Zhou had brought about its fall; he therefore enfeoffed his sons as kings with powers rivaling the throne itself, treating them as bedrock of the realm, and sent Yang Guang, Prince of Jin, to Bingzhou and Yang Xiu, Prince of Shu, to Yizhou. Both princes were still very young, so the court carefully chose men of proven integrity and high standing to serve as their staff. Yan and Wang Shao were then both famed for their unbending integrity; opinion held that their abilities matched Gao Jiong's; Yan was therefore made Chief Administrator to the Prince of Shu's command at Yizhou, and Shao Right Vice-Director of the Hebei Mobile Office. Emperor Wen told him: "You have the makings of a chief minister; for now you bend your talents to guiding my son, as Cao Shen did when he governed Qi. Once Yan took up his post, his laws were clear and strict, and officials and commoners alike praised him. The Prince of Shu was by nature extravagant; he once wished to take Liao tribesmen as eunuchs and also wanted to cut open condemned prisoners while still alive to use their gall as medicine. Yan refused every such order, burst in to remonstrate sharply, and the prince would apologize and desist; he feared Yan's character and generally kept within the law. In every legal case Yan decided in Shu, none went away dissatisfied. Those he punished would say to one another: "The Duke of Pingchang judged us fairly—what cause have we to resent him? The emperor greatly commended him and showered him with generous rewards. In the thirteenth year he died in office, and the emperor mourned him at length. The elders of Yizhou wept without exception, and remember him to this day. After Yan's death the Prince of Shu at last did as he pleased, gradually overstepping all bounds: he had an armillary sphere, a south-pointing chariot, and a distance-recording drum carriage built, and in dress and equipage he imitated the emperor himself. He went hunting with his consort, shooting people for sport with pellets, and captured many mountain tribesmen to serve as eunuchs. None of his staff could check him. When Xiu fell from grace the emperor said: "If Yuan Yan were still alive, would my son have come to this! His son Hongsi inherited the line. He served as Attendant Gentleman, Court Herald of the Morning Audience, and Inspector-General of Beiping.
9
Liu Xingben
10
Liu Xingben was from Pei. His father Gui had served the Liang in a series of honorable posts. Xingben began his career as Regular Attendant of the State of Wuling. When Xiao Xiu brought northern Liangzhou over to the Zhou, he and his uncle Fan went over with him and settled in Xinfeng in the Jingzhao region. He devoted himself to reading and recitation, working until he forgot fatigue; though he often lacked food and clothing, he remained perfectly content. He was fierce in temperament and possessed a will that could not be bent. Grand Minister Yuwen Hu of Zhou brought him in as Records Secretary of the Internal and External Office. When Emperor Wu took personal control of government, Xingben was made Palace Attendant Senior Clerk and also put in charge of the Imperial Diary. He rose through successive promotions to Court Herald Grand Master. By Zhou custom, when the emperor took his seat at court the Court Herald held the brush and inkstone and carried them to the throne, where the Reception Grand Master would take them and present them to the emperor. When Xingben became Court Herald and was about to present the brush to the emperor, the Reception Grand Master again tried to take it from him. Xingben said loudly to the Reception Grand Master: "You may not have the brush. The emperor looked up in surprise and questioned him; Xingben told the emperor: "I have heard that when offices are established and duties divided, each has its own jurisdiction. I may not wear the Reception Grand Master's knife at court—how then may he take my brush?" The emperor said: "You are right." He then ordered the two offices each to keep to its own charge. When Emperor Xuan came to the throne and fell into many abuses, Xingben spoke bluntly against him, gave offense, and was sent out to serve as Administrator of Henei.
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殿 退 使西 西 使
While Gaozu still served as Chancellor, Yuwen Jiong rebelled and marched to attack Huai Prefecture. Xingben rallied officials and commoners to hold them off, and was made Privy Counselor and ennobled Viscount of Wen'an County. After Gaozu took the throne, Xingben was summoned as Remonstrating Advisor and Acting Secretary Censor. Before long he was promoted to Palace Attendant. Once the emperor flew into a rage at an official and had him beaten with the staff in the forecourt. Xingben stepped forward and said, "This man has always conducted himself cleanly, and his fault is a small one. I beg Your Majesty to show him a little mercy. The emperor would not listen. Xingben then planted himself directly before the emperor and said, "Your Majesty did not deem me unworthy, but set me at your side. If what I say is right, how can Your Majesty refuse to hear it? If what I say is wrong, then deliver me to the law and make the statutes of the realm plain. How can Your Majesty simply ignore me? What I speak is not for private ends. With that he cast his court tablet to the floor and withdrew. The emperor collected himself and apologized to him, and pardoned the man who had been beaten. In those days the empire stood united and the four quarters submitted. Because the Tangut and Qiang lay hard against the frontier and had been the slowest to yield, Xingben memorialized the throne to impeach their envoy, writing, "I have heard that the southern barbarians obey their commandant, and the Western Regions defer to the Protector-General's authority. Yet what I have lately seen among the Western Qiang is the thievery of rats and dogs—no father and son, no lord and subject. Of all the strange peoples at the edges of the world, they rank lowest. They fail to understand the grace of loose reins, nor do they recognize the kindness with which the court has nurtured them. Savage in heart, they alone defy the imperial calendar. Their envoy has only just arrived. I ask that he be handed over for investigation and punishment. The emperor admired the force of his purpose. Yuan Zhao, Assistant Administrator of Yong Province, said to the emperor, "There is a clerk in the province who accepted a bribe of three hundred cash. By law he should receive one hundred strokes of the staff. Yet when I first took office I made a separate agreement with my subordinates. This clerk deliberately broke that agreement. I ask that one year of penal servitude be added to his sentence. Xingben objected, saying, "When laws and ordinances take effect, they are all proclaimed by imperial edict and bind the people. Yet Zhao now dares to magnify his own private command and treat the written law lightly. He seeks only to prove that his own word must prevail, forgetting the great trust owed to the throne, perverting the law to build his own authority. That is not the conduct of a loyal minister." The emperor approved his argument and rewarded him with one hundred bolts of silk.
12
調 殿 殿殿 使
After several years in office he was made Left Mentor of the Heir Apparent, while retaining his post as Secretary Censor. The Crown Prince opened his heart to him and stood in respectful awe. At the time Tang Lingze also served as Left Mentor. The Crown Prince grew fond of him and often had him teach the palace women with lute and song. Xingben rebuked him, saying, "A mentor's duty is to set the Crown Prince on the right path. What place has dalliance and intimacy within the bedchamber? Lingze was deeply ashamed, yet he could not mend his ways. At the time Liu Zhen of Pei, Ming Kerang of Pingyuan, and Lu Shuang of Wei Commandery were all favored by the Crown Prince for their literary attainments. Xingben was angered that they could not properly guide and protect the heir, and often told the three of them, "You only know how to read books, and nothing more. At the time Xiahou Fu, chief clerk of the Left Guard, was a favorite of the Crown Prince. Once, inside the pavilion, he frolicked with the heir. Fu burst into loud laughter, and the sound carried beyond the pavilion. Xingben was below the pavilion and heard it. When Fu came out, Xingben rebuked him, saying, "His Highness has been gracious and has shown you favor. What kind of worthless wretch are you, that you dare behave with such disrespect? He then handed him over to the officers of the law for punishment. Several days later the Crown Prince pleaded for Fu, and he was released. Once the Crown Prince acquired a fine horse and had Fu ride it while he looked on. The Crown Prince was delighted and then wanted Xingben to ride it as well. Xingben refused. With a stern face he stepped forward and said, "The Son of Heaven set me in the office of mentor so that I might guide Your Highness along the right path—not so that I might become your court jester. Ashamed, the Crown Prince desisted. He also took up his original post while serving concurrently as Magistrate of Daxing. The great and the powerful feared his rectitude, and none dared approach his gate. Petition and favor-seeking withered away; the laws grew clear and simple, and officials and commoners alike held him in esteem. Before long he died in office, and the emperor grieved for him deeply. When the Crown Prince was deposed, the emperor said, "Alas! Had Liu Xingben still been alive, Yong would never have come to this. He left no sons.
13
Liang Pi
14
西
Liang Pi, styled Jinghe, was a native of Wushi in Anding. His grandfather Yue had served Wei as Governor of Jing, Yu, and Luo and was enfeoffed Duke of Heyang County. His father Mao had served Zhou as Governor of Cang and Yan. Pi was stern and upright by nature, and widely read. Under Emperor Wu of Zhou he passed the Classicist examination and rose through successive promotions to Lower Grand Master of Law Distribution. During the campaign to pacify Qi he served as chief clerk to the campaign commander, and when Bingzhou was taken he had a hand in the victory. He was appointed Assistant Administrator and given the additional rank of Privy Counselor of the Third Rank. In the Xuanzheng era he was enfeoffed Viscount of Yiyang with a fief of four hundred households. He was transferred to Grand Master of the Military Storehouse. When Gaozu received the abdication, Pi was raised to Marquis. Early in the Kaihuang era, when censorial offices were established, the court appointed Pi Secretary Censor on account of his uncompromising integrity, and men said the choice was apt. Soon afterward he became Magistrate of Daxing and then Assistant Governor of Yong Province. Having left the censorate, Pi again governed the capital. He walked the straight path and shrank from nothing, and in doing so he lost the favor of the powerful. For this he was sent out as Governor of Xining, and his title was changed to Marquis of Handan County. He remained in the province for eleven years. Before this, the chieftains of the barbarians all wore golden crowns, and the man with the most gold was held the greatest among them. They preyed on one another in turn, and arms were never long at rest; the frontier knew scarcely a year of peace. Pi was deeply troubled by this. Later, when the chieftains came one after another bearing gifts of gold, Pi set the gold beside him, wept before them, and said, "This stuff cannot be eaten when you are hungry, nor worn when you are cold. Yet you have used it to destroy one another beyond all counting. Now you bring it to me—do you mean to kill me? He accepted nothing at all and returned every piece to them. The barbarians were deeply moved, and from that time they ceased their attacks on one another. Gaozu heard of this and approved. Pi was summoned to court as Regular Attendant and Minister of Justice. He handled cases with fairness and balance, and men of the time praised him for it. A little more than a year later he was promoted to Upper Pillar of State.
15
Pi saw that Left Vice Premier Yang Su enjoyed imperial favor and had seized power for himself, and that the whole court trembled before him. Fearing he would become a calamity to the state, Pi submitted a sealed memorial, writing, "I have heard it said that ministers must not arrogate authority and favor to themselves. When ministers do so, it brings harm to their own house and ruin to the realm. I observe Left Vice Premier Yang Su, Duke of Yue: his favor grows ever greater, his power mounts daily, and the gentry hang upon his glance and listen for his word. Those who cross him meet with killing frost in midsummer; those who fawn upon him receive nourishing rain in deep winter. Honor and ruin hang upon his lips; rise and fall wait upon his gesture. Those he favors are never the loyal and outspoken; those he promotes are all his kin. His sons and younger brothers are spread across the realm, holding posts that span provinces and link county to county. While the realm is at peace he may already be nursing other designs; let the four seas show the slightest trouble, and he will surely become the source of calamity. Treacherous ministers who seize power do not arrive all at once; they come by slow degrees. Wang Mang drew strength from long accumulation; Huan Xuan laid his foundation in a time of dynastic change—and in the end they extinguished the house of Han and brought down the fortune of Jin. Jisun seized Lu for himself; the Tian clan usurped Qi. These things stand in the canonical records, and are no invention of mine. If Your Majesty treats Su as a chief minister like Yi Yin, I fear his heart may not prove equal to Yi Yin's. I humbly beg Your Majesty to weigh past and present, and consider removing him from the center of power, so that the foundation of the state may stand firm and all under Heaven may rejoice. I have lightly offended the imperial countenance, and humbly await execution. Gaozu flew into a rage, ordered the authorities to detain him, and interrogated him in person. Pi spoke without reserve, saying, "Su already monopolizes power and favor and makes authority and blessing his own. Wherever he leads troops, he kills without restraint. Again, on the day the Crown Prince and the Prince of Shu were deposed for their crimes, every official in court trembled with fear—yet Su alone lifted brow and elbow in satisfaction, plainly rejoicing, treating the state's misfortune as his own good fortune. Pi spoke with unbending honesty and the integrity of a loyal heart, and Gaozu could not overcome him. He released him. From that time Yang Su's favor gradually waned. Yet Su remained deeply entrusted with power and had suffered many rebuffs; the officials of the day all cowered before him, and none dared openly dispute with him. Only Pi, Liu Yu, and Li Gang, Right Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Rites, refused to bend in word or spirit. Later the emperor ceased to rely on Su alone; this, it seems, was because he had taken Pi's words to heart.
16
When Emperor Yang came to the throne, Pi was made Minister of Punishments and concurrently served as Acting Censor-in-Chief. He memorialized to impeach Yuwen Shu for privately employing troops under his command. The emperor was inclined to pardon Shu, but Pi remonstrated firmly, gave offense, and was replaced as Censor-in-Chief by Zhang Heng. Grieved and embittered, Pi died several months later. The emperor sent Niu Hong, Minister of Civil Appointments, to offer condolences and granted five hundred bolts of silk.
17
祿
His son Jingzhen, during the Daye reign, served as Directing Officer of the Court of Justice. At that time the emperor wished to fix the guilt of Palace Attendant Yu Juluo and put Jingzhi in charge of the case. Seeking to please the throne, Jingzhi twisted the proceedings and had him condemned to death. Not long afterward Jingzhen fell ill, saw Juluo haunting him as a vengeful spirit, and died within days.
18
Liu Yu
19
宿
Liu Yu, styled Youwen, was from Jie in Hedong. His seventh-generation ancestor Zhuo followed the Jin court's southward migration and settled in Xiangyang. His father Zhongli had been a general of Liang; after a defeat he returned to Zhou and reestablished the family in their homeland. From youth Liu Yu loved learning and read widely in the classics and histories. Yuwen Hu, Grand Preceptor of Zhou, brought him in as a secretary in the Office of Internal and External Affairs; after some years he was posted out as secretary to the governor-general of Ning Province. When Emperor Wu began personally directing all affairs of state, Liu Yu went to court and asked to be tested. The emperor was struck by him and made him a middle officer in the Bureau of Military Affairs. He was transferred to serve as magistrate of Zheng. After Qi was conquered, the emperor lavished rewards on the officials who had accompanied the campaign, but those who had stayed behind in the capital received nothing. Liu Yu submitted a memorial: "Peace has only just begun, and rewards and punishments must be clear. When repaying merit and honoring service, one must start from the right foundation. The storming of cities and the taking of towns flows from the sage ruler's design; the beheading of generals and the capture of banners depend on divine strategy. To carry arms and armor and bear the hardships of campaign and defense is one thing; to hold the realm steady and guard the throne is another—and the latter is no less weighty. All share in the finished design; no one can claim the credit alone. Those who stayed behind and those who went on campaign are alike, and their merit and labor should be treated as equal. From the crown prince on down, they truly had the merit of guarding the ancestral temples. In the past Xiao He remained on garrison duty and received his fief before the battle at Pingyang; Liu Muzhi held the center, and even after his death he was still honored with generous rank. I cannot withhold this humble opinion and respectfully submit this memorial for your attention. Thereupon all those who had stayed behind on garrison duty were given a general promotion in rank.
20
When Emperor Gaozu took the throne, Liu Yu rose through several posts to vice director of the Office of Parks and Forests in the Ministry of Works, then left office to mourn his mother. Before long he was recalled as vice director of state farms; he declined firmly, but the court would not accept his refusal. At that time the rule was that anyone of third rank or above might display halberds at his gate. Hongde, son of Left Vice Director Gao Jiong and Duke of Ying, submitted a petition asking that halberds be set up at his gate. Liu Yu ruled: "The vice director's son does not keep a separate household; his father's halberds and spears are already displayed outside the gate. Superiority means that the greater presses upon the lesser, and a son must yield to his father—how can halberds stand at the outer gate and then be set up again in the inner hall! The request was denied in the end, and when Gao Jiong heard of the ruling he sighed in admiration. Later he was made supervising censor for legal documents; stern-faced at court, he was widely respected and feared by the other officials. The emperor praised his uncompromising integrity and told Liu Yu, "A true man should make a name for himself in the world—not merely be smooth and agreeable. He was granted one hundred thousand coins and a hundred shi of grain.
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滿 ' '' ' ' ' 使 ' ' 簿
At that time most provincial governors were military men, and as a rule they did not fit their posts. Liu Yu submitted a memorial: "The realm is at peace and the four seas are quiet; to govern the people together, each man must be given work suited to his talent. Emperor Guangwu of Han was the wise ruler of his age; he rose from common cloth, knew men and affairs through and through, and with the Twenty-Eight Generals cut through brambles to settle the realm—yet once the work was done, he gave them no further office. I note the edict appointing Senior Pillar of State He Ganzi prefect of Qi Province. The man is nearly eighty; his hour has come and his water clock is empty. In his previous term at Zhao Province he was dull in office; petty men ran the government; bribes were openly traded; the people groaned, and protest songs filled the roads. People said, "If old stalks are not cut down in time, the leftover seed will ruin the good fields." The ancients said, "Ask the male slave about plowing and the maidservant about weaving." That saying means each person has his own proper skill. Archery, horsemanship, and military use are He Ganzi's strengths; governing people and holding civil office are not things he understands. Your Majesty seeks good order and never forgets it, waking or sleeping. If you wish to honor age, you may richly grant gold and silk—but to make him a provincial inspector would do great harm. I serve until death itself; how could I fail to speak with all my loyalty! The emperor approved the memorial, and He Ganzi was removed from the appointment. There was Tang Junming, prefect of Ying Province, who while mourning his mother married the paternal cousin of Kudí Shiwen, chief secretary of Yong Province. Liu Yu impeached him, writing, "I have heard that once Heaven and Earth take their separate places, the rites of husband and wife stand forth, the duties of ruler and parent arise, and the teaching of superior and inferior is established. Filial piety is the root of conduct, and ritual is the foundation of the person; from the state to the law to the household, all things proceed by this path. Love and reverence spring from the heart and are the most pressing of feelings; the weight of mourning is the first of human obligations. Tang Junming may have changed the form of the marriage rite, but the substance did not change: forgetting the pain of his mother's death, he took a wedding partner, wore coarse hemp mourning while putting an embroidered bridal robe on her. Without righteousness and without proper intimacy, the Spring and Autumn Annals marks a state for ruin; without ritual and without decorum, the poets wish such men a quick death. Shiwen serves in the heart of the realm; his name and rank are high and bright; he is meant to set the standard for customs in every quarter—yet he cast off the solemn bond of marriage between two families and broke the proper rites of the six ceremonies. I ask that both men be imprisoned for life, as a warning to public morals. Both men were punished in the end. The Sui came to power after years of chaos, when customs had collapsed; Liu Yu corrected many abuses, and the emperor greatly praised him for it. He also saw that the emperor listened attentively to every petition, while the hundred officials often submitted petty and trivial requests, and so he remonstrated: "I have heard that of all sage emperors since antiquity none surpass Yao and Shun. They modeled themselves on Earth and took Heaven as their standard, spread governance and taught transformation, and did not entangle themselves in minutiae—this is what is called reverent clarity. The saying runs, "What does Heaven say? The four seasons turn of themselves." From this one knows that when a ruler gives orders, the danger lies in issuing too many of them. Shun employed five ministers; Yao consulted the Four Peaks; offices were set and duties divided, each with its own charge. They ruled with folded hands and without fuss, and the realm was well governed. This is what is meant by laboring to find the worthy and resting once they are put to use. It is also said, "The Son of Heaven is dignified and solemn; the feudal lords are bright and imposing." These words mean that ruler and subject, superior and inferior, each have their proper form and measure. Lately I see that with the four seas united as one family and the myriad affairs vast in scope, nothing, great or small, fails to reach Your Majesty's ear. Your Majesty attends to the Way of governance and does not shrink from fatigue—but this is also because the officials fear blame, cannot decide matters themselves, and look to the throne for every ruling. Memorials come in such numbers that even small construction jobs and trifling disbursements reach you; in a single day you answer the hundred offices, sometimes forgetting to eat until sundown and not sleeping until past midnight, buried in documents and ledgers, wearing out your sacred person with worry and labor. I respectfully ask you to weigh my earnest words, lighten the burden of petty affairs a little, take ease of spirit as your aim and the nurturing of your nature as your care, and recall King Wu's lesson in secure repose and King Wen's example of diligent concern. For great affairs of state that ministers cannot decide, I ask that you judge them in detail; for all other minor matters, hold the responsible offices to account—then Your Majesty's sacred person may enjoy boundless years, and your subjects will receive the shelter of your nurture. The emperor read the memorial and praised it. Later he was removed from office for going against the emperor's wishes. Before long he was ordered back to office, and the emperor told Liu Yu, "Do not change your heart. Because his household was poor, the emperor ordered the proper offices to build him a house. He also said, "Liu Yu is an upright man—a treasure of the state. Such was the esteem in which he was held.
22
Right Vice Director Yang Su held power and stood at the height of favor; the hundred officials feared him, and none dared cross him. Once, for a minor offense, Yang Su was ordered sent to the Southern Court. Yang Su, trusting in his rank, sat on Liu Yu's couch. Liu Yu came in from outside, saw Yang Su sitting there, and at the foot of the steps took up his tablet, composed his face, and said to Yang Su, "I have received orders to try your case. Yang Su rose at once. Liu Yu sat at the desk, had Yang Su stand in the courtyard, and examined and questioned the facts of the case. From that day Yang Su nursed a grudge against him. Liu Yu was then in the emperor's full trust, so Yang Su had no way to bring him down.
23
Liu Yu saw that in recent times, whenever the fifteenth day of the first month came round, the people of the capital and other cities would put on grappling shows and vie with one another in display until they ruined themselves in waste and expense. He submitted a memorial asking that the practice be banned, writing, "I have heard that enlightened kings of old taught the people and governed the state by always keeping to law and acting from ritual. What is not lawful is not done; what is not the Way is not followed. Roads are kept distinct and men and women are kept apart, to ward off what is crooked and bring all things within proper bounds. I observe that in the capital and in the outer provinces alike, on the full-moon night of the first month the streets are choked and the lanes blocked, as people gather for games and roam in crowds. Drums thunder to the sky and torches blaze over the earth; people wear beast masks, men dress as women, and singers, dancers, and acrobats twist themselves into grotesque shapes. They make filthy mockery their pleasure and vulgar obscenity their laughter; men and women watch together without the least restraint. High stages span the roads and broad tents rise like clouds; splendid dress and bright adornment fill the streets, and carriages and horses jam the ways. Delicacies and wine are spread in profusion, string and bamboo music crowd together, and families spend their last wealth and break themselves for this one night. Whole households turn out, noble and base alike, men and women mingling together, laymen and clerics undistinguished. From this come debased conduct and theft. The practice has slowly hardened into custom and has long roots; people follow a bad fashion, and no one has been first to see the harm. It does nothing to improve manners and truly harms the people. I ask that this be promulgated throughout the realm and forbidden at once. How peaceful are the Odes and Hymns—enough to praise the greatness of virtue; to beat one's belly and walk singing is itself the highest joy of rule without strain. If anyone dares to violate this, I ask that he be punished under the law for deliberate disobedience of an edict. The emperor approved the memorial. That year, bearing the imperial staff, he toured and inspected fifty-two prefectures in Hebei and memorialized the removal of more than two hundred corrupt and incompetent chief officials; prefectures and counties fell silent, and all were awed. The emperor praised him, granted two hundred bolts of silk and cloth and thirty felt rugs, and made him an honorary palace attendant of the third rank. After more than a year he was additionally made an extra regular palace attendant, while keeping his post as supervising censor. At the beginning of the Renshou era he again bore the imperial staff to tour and inspect nineteen prefectures on the Taiyuan circuit. On his return he was granted one hundred fifty bolts of silk.
24
使 使
Liu Yu once came into possession of the ten-juan Collection on the Way of Governance by Li Wenbo of Boling, and Prince Xiu of Shu sent someone to ask for it. Liu Yu sent the book to Prince Xiu, and Prince Xiu in turn gave Liu Yu ten household slaves and maidservants. After Prince Xiu fell from grace, Yang Su accused Liu Yu of trafficking with regional lords while serving at court. Yu was stripped of rank, reduced to commoner status, and sent to garrison duty at Huaiyuan Fort. He had reached Gaoyang when an imperial edict recalled him. At Jinyang he found Prince Liang of Han in open revolt. Liang dispatched riders to summon Yu in haste, meaning to take counsel with him. Pressed by Liang's envoys, Yu at first did not know of the rebellion—but before he could enter the city, the treason was plain for all to see. Seeing no way out, Yu pretended to be stricken with a sudden malady, refused all food, and proclaimed himself at death's door. Liang flew into a rage and had him imprisoned. After Liang's defeat, Yang Su charged that Yu had kept one foot in each camp, biding his time for whatever turn events might take. Though he had not openly rebelled, his heart, Yang Su argued, had gone over to the enemy—and Yu was exiled to Dunhuang. Only after Yang Su's death did Yu secure a hearing for himself. An edict recalled him to the capital, but he died on the journey. He left a son, Shao, who became magistrate of Jiexiu.
25
Zhao Chao
26
退 退 使 退 退 使
Zhao Chao came from Hedong. By nature he was plain-spoken, upright, and unyielding. In the early Zhou dynasty he served as a clerk in the Office of Heaven. His reverent, tireless diligence won him promotion to lower officer in the Office of Summer. He gradually came to be known for clarity and capacity, rising through successive posts until he became middle officer in the Inner Scribe's office. Upon his father's death he left office. Grief wore him to skin and bone, and all who knew him praised his filial piety. When mourning was complete, he returned to office as middle officer in charge of instruction. While still Chancellor, Gaozu, recognizing Chao's integrity, appointed him Recording Affairs Adjutant. He was soon made Court Master and followed the campaigning grand marshal Shiyun Hui against rebellious tribes. For his service he was made Privy Counselor and granted a thousand rolls of goods. When Gaozu ascended the throne, Chao was appointed vice director of the Court of Judicial Review. He judged cases with even-handed fairness, and year after year his evaluations ranked first. He was promoted to director of the Court of Judicial Review. He was soon transferred to vice minister of the Board of Justice, and not long after to vice minister of punishments. For his handling of the cases of Liang Shiyan and others, he received three hundred rolls of goods, ten servants, and twenty horses. Whenever he presented a judgment he did so with stern, unflinching bearing. The emperor approved, and over time came to trust him deeply. Banditry would not cease, and the emperor resolved to tighten the laws. Chao remonstrated: "Your Majesty governs in the manner of Yao and Shun, and shows mercy in many things. Moreover, the law is the greatest bond of trust under Heaven. How can it be cast aside? The emperor accepted this with pleasure and told Chao: "If you see more that warrants speech, speak often. Chao was promoted to vice director of the Court of Judicial Review. The former Chen general Xiao Mohe was implicated because his son Shilue had raised rebellion in the south. The emperor said: "Shilue is not yet twenty. What could he have accomplished? He is only the son of a famed commander, pushed into action by others. On that ground the emperor pardoned Mohe. Chao protested that this could not stand. Unable to prevail, the emperor tried to dismiss Chao so he could issue the pardon, and ordered him to leave court and take his meal. Chao said: "This case is still before the court. I dare not leave while it remains unsettled. The emperor said: "Then let the Court of Judicial Review grant Mohe a special pardon in my name. He then ordered his attendants to set Mohe free. Vice Minister of Punishments Xin Yan had once worn a red military jacket—a garment common folk said brought good fortune in office. The emperor took this for witchcraft meant to harm him and ordered Xin Yan beheaded. Chao said: "By the law he does not deserve death. I dare not carry out such an order. The emperor was furious. "You would spare Xin Yan," he said to Chao, "but not yourself?" He ordered Left Vice Director Gao Jiong to execute Chao. Chao replied: "Your Majesty may kill me, but you may not kill Xin Yan. At the Hall of Court his robes were stripped and the blade readied. The emperor sent a messenger to ask: "Well? What now?" He answered: "I serve the law with undivided heart. I do not fear death. The emperor turned away and went inside. After a long interval, Chao was released. The next day the emperor apologized to Chao, praised his steadfastness, and granted him three hundred rolls of goods. The emperor had forbidden debased coin. Two men in the market were caught trading bad coin for good; the guards reported them, and the emperor ordered both beheaded. Chao remonstrated: "Their offense calls for the beating staff. To kill them is unlawful. The emperor said: "This is none of your affair. Chao said: "Your Majesty did not think me too dull to place me in the courts of law. When the throne would kill without right, how can that be none of my affair?" The emperor said: "He who shakes a great tree and cannot move it should withdraw. Chao answered: "I aim to move the heart of Heaven itself. Why speak of moving trees?" The emperor said again: "One who sips hot broth sets it aside until it cools. Would you bruise the majesty of the Son of Heaven? Chao bowed, pressed closer still, and rebuked him, refusing to retreat. At last the emperor withdrew inside. Supervising Secretary Liu Yu also submitted a sharp memorial of remonstrance, and only then did the emperor stay the executions. Trusting Chao's sincerity, the emperor often summoned him to the inner chambers. Even when he and the empress sat together on the same couch, he would call Chao to join them and speak freely of right and wrong. Rewards given him over the years ran into the tens of thousands. He was later promoted to Opening the Government, and his father was posthumously enfeoffed as governor of Cai Province. At the time Xue Zhou of Hedong served as director of the Court of Judicial Review. Both men were renowned for equitable, forgiving judgment. Zhou judged by human feeling; Chao held to the letter of the law. Both were held to have served well in their posts. The emperor often told Chao: "I withhold nothing from you—yet by your bone structure you were never meant for great fortune. In the Renshou era he died in office, aged sixty-three. The emperor wept for him. Palace envoys performed the mourning rites, and the Director of Ceremonies supervised the funeral. He left two sons, Yuanfang and Yuanxi.
27
Pei Su
28
使 使 殿 調
Pei Su, styled Shenfeng, came from Wenxi in Hedong. His father Xia had served as minister of the people under the Zhou. From youth Su was upright and broad-minded. In his early years he shared purpose and close friendship with Liang Pi of Anding. Entering service under the Zhou, he began as gentleman attendant and rose step by step to junior master of rectitude. As chief secretary on campaign he followed Wei Xiaokuan in the expedition against Huainan. When Gaozu became Chancellor, Su heard the news and sighed: "Emperor Wu, with heroic talent, had settled the realm under one rule—yet before the earth on his grave had dried, everything was overturned in a single morning. Is this the Way of Heaven? Gaozu heard of it and was deeply displeased. For this Su was left idle at home. In the fifth year of Kaihuang he was appointed vice minister of provisions. Two years later he became chief secretary to the regional commander of Shuozhou, then chief secretary of Beizhou. In both posts he won a name for competence. In the Renshou era Su saw Crown Prince Yong, Prince Xiu of Shu, and Left Vice Director Gao Jiong all cast down and dismissed. He submitted a memorial: "I have heard that to serve one's lord is to speak when one must, hiding nothing. What my humble heart holds, I dare not withhold. I have observed in private that Gao Jiong was endowed by Heaven with great talent and stood among the founding ministers of primal merit. Your Majesty's honors to him have already been generous beyond measure. Yet spirits envy the exalted, and the age resents the outstanding. Those who watch from the corner of the eye, hunting for fault—can their number even be counted? I beg Your Majesty to weigh his great service and set aside his lesser faults. I have also heard that the sage emperors of old taught where they could rather than punish. Your Majesty's mercy surpasses even those ancient kings. The two disgraced princes have long been in fault. Might they not yet turn their hearts? I beg Your Majesty to show the compassion of lord and father, honor the claims of natural kinship, grant each a small domain, and watch what they do. If they turn toward virtue, increase their standing by degrees. If they will not amend, reduction and disgrace will not come too late. As things stand, the road to renewal is shut forever, and no sign of shame or repentance can be seen. Is this not a grief? When the memorial arrived, the emperor said to Yang Su: "Pei Su frets over affairs within my house. That too is utmost loyalty. Su was thereupon summoned to court. The crown prince heard of it and said to Left Assistant Zhang Heng: "To let Yong renew himself—what would that serve? Zhang Heng said: "By Su's meaning, he would have them live as Wu Taibo did, or as the Prince of Donghai under the Han. The crown prince was deeply displeased. Before long Su reached the capital and was received at Hanzhang Hall. The emperor told him: "I stand as Son of Heaven, master of the four seas. Favored women in the inner palace are few. From Yong downward all share one mother. I did not lightly cast aside and replace a son out of caprice. He then made plain that Yong could not be restored. Presently he dismissed Su and sent him home. Not long after, the emperor died. When Emperor Yang took the throne, Su went long without office. He shut his doors and would not go abroad. Later those in power, reading the new emperor's mood, sent him to the far south as assistant administrator of Yongping Commandery in Lingbiao. There he won the hearts of both tribesmen and common folk. A little more than a year later he died, aged sixty-two. The Yi and Liao peoples mourned him and raised a shrine to him on the bank of the Zhang River. He left a son, Shangxian.
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The historians say: Where fierce beasts hold the mountain forests, even brambles and wild greens go ungathered. Where upright ministers stand in court, the wicked abandon their schemes. All alike gave their lives without reserve, righteousness written plain upon their faces. Was it only that law and order rose or fell with them? The fate of the altars of state hung upon them as well. The princes of Jin and Shu were sons the emperor loved. They wielded favor and power beyond the reach of law. To expect from them reverence and restraint—was that not hard indeed? Yuan Yan and Wang Shao held posts fit for chief ministers; both inspired stern awe, and no one dared misconduct himself. Their tradition of blunt remonstrance is truly worth commending. Liu Xingben kept a stern face in guiding the heir, and Liang Pi spoke boldly against Yang Su. Their plain speech and unbending spirit still command respect today. Under Zhao Chao at the Court of Justice, the prisons held no wrongful prisoners; under Liu Yu at the Censorate, the wicked straightened themselves without being told. In fearlessness before the powerful, Liang Pi stood foremost; as the realm's plain-speaking officers of integrity, Liu Xingben and Liu Yu came close behind. Pei Su would not take his seat at court or join the feasts, yet he was loyal and openhanded and dared touch the dragon's scales. One sees that the widow grieving for the fall of the Zhou house and the girl mourning the crown prince's plight were not mere figures of speech. Measured against the men of earlier histories, he bears something of the spirit of Yan Zuan.
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