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卷19中 景穆十二王中

Volume 19b: Emperor Jingmu Twelve Princes 2

Chapter 22 of 魏書 · Book of Wei
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Chapter 22
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使 西 使西 使 使 西 便 使 便 忿 便 使 使 使 使 使 使 便 殿 西 退 退 使 西 便 鹿 使 便 使 西 西 使 使 便 西 便 退 調 調 調 調使 滿 西 祿 使 便 使 便 簿
Yun, Prince of Rencheng, was only five when Gongzong died, yet he wailed without stopping. Shizu heard and called for him, took him in his arms, and wept. "How is it that you already have a grown man's heart?" In Heping year 5 he received his fief and was made Bearer of the Staff, Palace Attendant, Grand General Who Conquers the East, and commander of Helong Garrison. Under Xianzu he commanded the armies inside and outside the court, served as seated high minister of the central capital, heard civil suits, and won wide renown. During the Yanxing era, Xianzu gathered his ministers, intending to abdicate to Zitui, Prince of Jingzhao. Among the princes, dukes, ministers, and officers, no one dared speak first. Yun stepped forward. "Your Majesty is raising an age of peace and shelters all within the four seas. How could you turn away from the ancestral temples above and cast off the people below? Father-to-son succession has long been the rule; since imperial Wei arose, it has never been altered. The crown prince is the rightful heir, and his virtue has shone since early youth. If Your Majesty truly wishes to lay aside worldly affairs and nourish your spirit in quiet freedom, the throne should pass to the heir. If you set the heir aside and lightly move the imperial pivot, I fear this defies the former sages and will shock the hearts of men. Moreover, the realm belongs to the ancestors. If Your Majesty suddenly changes the sacred vessel, you will offend the ancestral spirits above and open the way to treachery and disorder below. Fortune and disaster begin here; please think deeply and proceed with care." Grand Marshal Yuan He also spoke. "If Your Majesty chooses from among the princes and abdicates to an imperial uncle, I fear the order of the ancestral rites will be thrown into confusion, and later ages will condemn the offerings as improper. I beg you to weigh Rencheng's words." Duke Yuan Pi of Dongyang and the others added, "Although the crown prince's virtue is already clear, he is still very young. Your Majesty is young and has only begun to govern; all under heaven look to you, and every land waits on your heart. If you prize private purity and give no thought to the world, what becomes of the ancestral temples? What becomes of the people?" Xianzu replied, "The crown prince is the rightful line, receiving the succession from Wenzu. With all of you to assist him, what could be wrong?" Thereupon he passed the throne to Gaozu. Later, when the Rouran raided the frontier, Yun served as grand commander of the central army and followed Xianzu against them, meeting them in the great desert. The affair is recorded in the Rouran biography. Later, when the Qiuchi Di rebelled, Yun was made Grand General Who Conquers the West and put them down. He was appointed commander of military affairs along the Huai in Xu and Yan provinces, Grand General Who Conquers the East, opened his office, and served as inspector of Xu Province. When Yun's grand consort, Lady Gai, died, he asked to resign. Xianzu refused, but Yun grieved and wailed until he fell ill, and only then was he allowed to step down. He was naturally good at soothing and governing people, won the hearts of Xu, and was remembered fondly by its people. He refused every gift of money or goods sent to him. Xianzu heard of this and praised him. He was again made Palace Attendant and high minister of the central capital, and received a thousand bolts of silk and a thousand sheep. He was sent out as inspector of Ji Province, retaining his former general's rank. Yun governed attentively and understood those under him so well that the whole province asked to give five chi of silk and five sheng of grain per household in gratitude for his kindness. Gaozu praised him and transferred him to serve as Bearer of the Staff, commander of military affairs in Shaanxi, Grand General Who Conquers the South, commander of Chang'an Garrison, and inspector of Yong Province. Yun was upright and careful, gave close attention to common lawsuits, checked the powerful, and brought banditry to an end; more than a thousand people in the province praised him in verse. Empress Dowager Wenming praised him and gave him a thousand bolts of silk. In Taihe year 5 he died in office in the province. In his last instructions he ordered a simple burial and forbade the acceptance of funerary gifts. His sons carried out his wishes. When his coffin reached the capital, the emperor came in person and wept bitterly over him; Yun was posthumously restored to his offices and titled Kang. He was buried alongside the Jinling mausoleum at Yunzhong. Yun's eldest son Cheng, styled Daozhen, loved learning from an early age. After Prince Kang died, Cheng became known for filial devotion in mourning. He inherited the fief and was given the added rank Grand General Who Conquers the North. Under Gaozu, when the Rouran raided the frontier, Cheng was made Bearer of the Staff and commander of the northern expedition against them. The Rouran fled. Later, when the Di and Qiang rebelled, he was appointed commander of military affairs in Liang, Yi, and Jing provinces, Grand General Who Conquers the South, and inspector of Liang Province. Empress Dowager Wenming received Cheng, admonished him, then turned to Secretariat Director Li Chong. "This young man's bearing is splendid and his speech is gentle; he will become a leader of the imperial clan. On this mission he will surely satisfy me. Remember this: I do not misjudge men." The Di leaders in Liang Province, including Yang Zhongxian, the brothers Poluo and Yang Bu, and Fu Chipan, trusted in the rugged frontier and had long lived as mountain raiders. When Cheng arrived, he studied their customs and coaxed them into allegiance. He sent Poluo to court, made Zhongxian deputy commander at Xuncheng, Yang Bu governor of Guangye, and Chipan deputy commander at Gudao, and used the other chiefs according to their abilities. Those who submitted were rewarded, those who resisted were punished; Qiuchi was pacified and the southwest came over. He was additionally made Palace Attendant and given a set of robes and a riding horse in recognition of his skill. Later he became Grand General Who Conquers the East, opened his office, and served as inspector of Xu Province, earning a strong record of achievement. He came to the capital for court audience and was received in the Hall of Imperial Trust. Gaozu asked Cheng, "When Zheng Zichan cast the penal code, Shu Xiang of Jin criticized him. Both were worthy men; in the end, who was right?" Cheng replied, "Zheng was weak and hemmed in by powerful neighbors. The people could not be controlled without punishments, so Zichan cast the laws to show authority. Though it violated ancient form, it fit the needs of the moment. Zichan adapted to his age and helped the world, so he was right. Shu Xiang's criticism showed that he had not forgotten antiquity; one could discuss principle with him, but not expedience." Gaozu said, "Rencheng must wish to be Wei's Zichan." Cheng replied, "Zichan's way suited his time, and his name passed into the histories. I am mediocre and shallow. How could I dare compare myself to him? Your Majesty now makes the four seas your household and uses civil virtue to embrace the realm, but beyond the river resistance remains, and script and carriage tracks are not yet one. People in a late age are easy to subdue by force and hard to govern by ritual. In my foolish view, Zichan's methods should still be used for a time; once unity is complete, then the Way can transform them." Gaozu was then intent on reform, and he deeply approved Cheng's answer. Smiling, he said, "Without Rencheng, no one would understand the essence of transformation. I am just beginning to remake the court's institutions; Rencheng and I shall share in a work for ten thousand generations." Later Cheng was summoned as Director of the Secretariat and then made Director of the Masters of Writing. When Xiao Ze sent Yu Bi to court, Bi found Cheng's speech forceful and elegant and his bearing refined. He told Reception Gentleman Zhang Yi, "The former Rencheng of Wei was known for arms; this Rencheng of Wei is admired for culture." At that time the court invited the imperial kin, from sons of the four temples down to great-great-grandsons, to a clan banquet in the Hall of Imperial Trust. They were seated not by rank but by ancestral order, using the rites of one family. Gaozu said, "The rites are finished. I want each kinsman to state his aspirations; let each compose a poem." He specially ordered Cheng to compose linked seven-character rhymes. Cheng and Gaozu traded verses in playful contest until they were thoroughly delighted, stopping only late at night. Later Gaozu publicly presented plans for a southern campaign, while actually planning the capital move. Fasting in the left chamber of the Mingtang, he had Grand Director of Ceremonies Wang Chen personally divine by turtle and milfoil about the campaign; the omen was Revolution. Gaozu said, "This is the hexagram by which Tang and Wu changed the mandate, obeying Heaven and answering the people." None of the ministers dared speak. Cheng stepped forward. "In the Changes, Revolution means change. When Tang and Wu obeyed Heaven, answered the people, and changed the mandate between ruler and minister, this hexagram was auspicious. Your Majesty already possesses the realm, with shining succession through many generations. Today the divination is for a campaign; it may mean attacking rebels, but it cannot mean changing the mandate. This is not the hexagram for a reigning lord, and it cannot be taken as wholly auspicious." Gaozu said sternly, "The Image says, 'The great man changes like a tiger.' How can you say it is not auspicious?" Cheng replied, "Your Majesty's dragon rise has long been established; how can it be compared to a tiger's change?" Gaozu's face darkened. "The state is my state. Does Rencheng mean to obstruct everyone?" Cheng said, "I know well that the state is Your Majesty's, but I am its servant and son. Since I have been admitted to counsel, I dare give all my foolish sincerity." Gaozu was determined to proceed and disliked Cheng's answer, but after a long while he relented. "Each has stated his mind; what harm is there?" After returning to the palace, Gaozu immediately summoned Cheng. Before Cheng had mounted the steps, Gaozu called to him from afar, "About that Revolution hexagram: I want to discuss it further. In the Mingtang, I was angry because I feared everyone would start speaking at once and block my great plan, so I put on a stern face to frighten the civil and military officials. I trust you understood my intent." Then he said to Cheng privately, "I know very well that today's undertaking is not easy. Our state rose in the north and later settled at Pingcheng. Though we possess the empire, its script and roads are not yet unified; this is a place for military power, not civil administration. Changing customs and habits here is truly difficult. The Xiao and Han passes are an imperial seat, and the He and Luo region is a royal home. If we use this great move to establish ourselves splendidly in the Central Plain, what does Rencheng think?" Cheng replied, "The Yi and Luo region lies at the center, the seat shared by all under Heaven. If Your Majesty governs China from there and brings peace to the nine regions, the people will surely rejoice when they hear it." Gaozu said, "The northerners cling to their homeland. If they suddenly hear that the capital is to be moved, they are bound to be alarmed and unsettled." Cheng replied, "This is an extraordinary matter, beyond the understanding of ordinary men. It only needs Your Majesty's decision; what can this crowd do about it?" Gaozu said, "Rencheng is truly my Zifang." He was promoted to Grand General Who Pacifies the Army and Junior Guardian of the Heir Apparent, while concurrently serving as Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. When the emperor went to Luoyang and settled on moving the capital, Gaozu issued an edict: "The decision to relocate must be discussed with the officials. Rencheng should be sent by courier to Dai to ask the officials there and discuss whether the move is acceptable. Recently we discussed transformation; now this is transformation in the true sense. Let the prince exert himself." When he arrived at the old capital of Dai, all who heard the relocation edict were shocked and alarmed. Cheng cited examples from antiquity and recent times, explaining the matter patiently, and only then did everyone understand and accept it. Cheng then hurried south to report back, meeting the emperor at Huatai. Gaozu was delighted. "Without Rencheng, my undertaking could not have succeeded." He accompanied the emperor to Ye Palace and was appointed Minister of Personnel. When the emperor went to Dai and toured the north, Cheng was left to review and rank the old officials. At that time in Wei, from dukes and marquises down to appointed officials, there were often tens of thousands of supernumerary men, idle and without duties. Cheng classified them into three grades, weighed their strengths and weaknesses, and used each according to his ability; no one complained. When the emperor returned to Luoyang, Cheng again served concurrently as Right Vice Director. When Gaozu reached Beimang, he went on to Hongchi, ordered Cheng to attend him aboard the imperial boat, and composed poems there to express his thoughts. Gaozu said, "Last night I dreamed of an old man with white hair and temples. His cap and robes were properly arranged, and he bowed as he stood on the left side of the road. I was surprised and asked who he was. He said he was Xi Shao, Palace Attendant of Jin, and had come to welcome me. His spirit seemed humble and apprehensive, as though he had something to ask." Cheng replied, "During the disorders of Jin, Xi Shao shielded his lord with his own body and died at the emperor's side; he was a loyal minister of Jin. Bigan suffered King Zhou's cruelty and had his heart cut out for his loyal remonstrance; he may be called a worthy man of Yin. Both men died in service to their rulers, and both of their tombs lie beside the road. Yet as Your Majesty traveled, you passed the ruins of Yin and mourned Bigan, but when you reached Luoyang you passed over Xi Shao. He must have sought your favor and moved you through a dream." Gaozu said, "What virtue do I possess, that I could move a worthy man in the unseen world? Still, I have truly wished to honor former worthies and make loyalty and righteousness shine. Bigan and Xi Shao were both faithful heroes of antiquity, but I gave Bigan rich attention and Xi Shao only slight rites. I am ashamed of this. Since this dream has occurred, perhaps it is just as Rencheng says." He then searched for the site of Xi Shao's tomb and sent envoys to mourn and sacrifice there. After Xiao Luan killed Xiao Zhaoye and took power, Cao Hu, Zhaoye's Inspector of Yongzhou, asked to surrender Xiangyang. Gaozu sent out several generals and was preparing to go there in person. Yuzhou then reported that no further envoy had come from Hu to confirm his sincerity. Gaozu summoned Cheng, Yuan Xi the Prince of Xianyang, Yuan Xie the Prince of Pengcheng, Situ Feng Dan, Sikong Mu Liang, General Who Guards the South Li Chong, and others to discuss the matter. Gaozu said, "Recently I received a report from the border province saying that Xiangyang longed for our transforming rule, and I was about to take the imperial carriage to the Jiang and Mian to support them. Now another report says there has been no later message. So, on the question of going or staying, what do you finally advise?" Xi and the others were divided, some saying they should go and others saying they should stop. Gaozu said, "Everyone is arguing at once and their opinions differ; I do not know whose advice to follow. If we are to examine fully the case for going and the case for staying, so that both argument and principle are clear, we should set up opposing sides to draw each other out. Rencheng and the General Who Guards the South may argue for staying, and I will argue for going. Let the lords sit and hear the merits of each side, and then follow the better case." Gaozu then said, "Let the two worthies state the plan for staying." Li Chong replied, "We only think that the retinue has just been organized, the people are content with peace, and the supposed supporters inside have not been confirmed. We should not set out lightly." Gaozu said, "Xiangyang's offer of submission may well be false. I also know that the people newly moved to the capital should not be burdened with service. But if their surrender is genuine, we should take advantage of their willingness to attach themselves to us. At best, we might hold an assembly at Kuaiji; at least, we could bring the land north of the Yangzi roughly under control. If the offer is false, we can still tour Huai and Chu, inquire into the people's hardships, and let the people there see where the ruler's virtue lies. What harm would that do, that we should shrink from this single move? If the surrender is real and we halt without receiving and reassuring them, would that not block their sincere submission and ruin my larger plan?" Cheng said, "If the surrender report were reliable, there should be a formal memorial and pledge. But since the envoy returned, there has been only silence and no further message. Its falseness is obvious. The people moved from Dai still long for their old home. They have only just reached Luoyang with their families and dependents; they have not even a single-raftered house to live in, and their households lack a bare measure of grain. If we drive them bitterly to war, weeping before drawn blades, this will hardly be an army marching in joy. This region is only newly founded, and the spring labors are just beginning. It is the time for the people to build the city walls and for farmers to spend their strength in the fields. We should defer punishment over there and show kindness to the common people here. Besides, the armies have already been sent in support; there is no need to rush in person to receive an unverified surrender. If the offer is genuine, our forces are sufficient to receive and pacify them. Once Xiangyang and the Mian region have been secured, the emperor can move then. To make this hard journey without cause, only to go and return in vain, would damage imperial majesty and embolden the rebels. I ask Your Majesty to remember the hardships Pan Geng faced when he first moved the capital, and to heed the poet's deepest praise in "You Geng": settle the new city and bring comfort to the people." But Sikong Mu Liang thought they should go, and the high ministers all agreed with him. Cheng said to Liang, "Outside, when you saw the banners and axes already set out, you looked worried; whenever you discussed it, you did not want this expedition. How can you now say such things before His Majesty? To say one thing to a man's face and another behind his back borders on deceitful flattery. That is not the virtue of one who debates principle, and it falls short of the bearing of a statesman. If the state is thrown off balance, it will be because of flatterers like you." Li Chong said, "The Prince of Rencheng can truly be called loyal to the state. I hope Your Majesty will weigh his words carefully. Outside court, all of us fear the campaign. High and low have not conferred, yet we say the same thing. I beg Your Majesty to decide what is right." Gaozu said, "Rencheng made that argument just because you gentlemen sided with me. Are all who disagree with me necessarily loyal men with a penetrating grasp of danger and security? Small loyalty is the enemy of great loyalty. Is this not something like that?" Cheng said, "I am foolish and dim and do not understand great principles. What I say may be only small loyalty, but it is the full measure of my poor sincerity. I do not know: what, in the end, is great loyalty based on?" Gaozu said, "If Rencheng held the office of an Excellency, he would want great loyalty to belong to himself." Cheng replied, "My talent is not fit to support the highest offices, and my wisdom is not enough to season the cauldron of state. But if I undeservedly held an Excellency's place, I hope I would act according to the office and not betray my poor intentions." Gaozu burst out laughing. Cheng then said to Liang, "Long ago, in front of Emperor Wu of Han, Ji An accused Gongsun Hong to his face of eating coarse grain and sleeping under a plain cloth quilt as a fraud. At the time, Gongsun humbly yielded and put himself below him. Emperor Wu admired Ji An for utmost loyalty and Gongsun for elder virtue, and both men were praised as worthy. Since your conduct can equal that of men of old, I hope you will remember the elder's example." Gaozu laughed. "Rencheng wants to compare himself to Ji An. Besides, your words concerned the Duke, and we do not yet know who is right or wrong. Why rush to apologize to the Minister of Works?" The emperor then went south on campaign. When the five ranks of nobility were instituted, his fief was set at one thousand households. Later he accompanied the campaign to Xuanhu, but returned to the capital because of serious illness. The emperor saw him off on the bank of the Ru River, composing poems as they parted. When the emperor returned to Luoyang, he received the princes, dukes, and attendant ministers in Qinghui Hall. Gaozu said, "Since this hall was completed, I have not yet held a proper feast here with the princes and dukes. Now that the eastern pavilion and side halls have roughly been completed, I want to go through them today with you worthies, ascending every height and entering every small place." They then went to the Liuhua Canal. Gaozu said, "This winding water has meaning too. It draws on the Way of Qian, which completes things by bending and leaves all things unobstructed." Next they went to the Xifan Pond. Gaozu said, "There are fine fish in this pond as well." Cheng said, "This is what the poem means: "The fish are there among the weeds; large are their heads."" Gaozu said, "Let us instead take the line, "The king is at the Spirit Pond; it is full, and the fish leap."" Next they went to the Hall for Observing Virtue. Gaozu said, "Archery is used to observe virtue, so I gave it this name." Next they went to the Ningxian Hall. Gaozu said, "A name must have meaning. This one draws on the idea of the Master at leisure. One must not indulge in luxury and forget thrift, or rest in safety and forget danger. That is why I built the Thatched Hall behind it." He said to Li Chong, "The eastern gallery is called Buyuan, and the western one Youkai. Although this hall has no ruler equal to Tang Yao, you gentlemen should not be ashamed before Yuan and Kai." Chong replied, "Since I have encountered a ruler like Tang Yao, I dare not refuse the praise of being Yuan or Kai." Gaozu said, "The daylight is fading. For my clansmen there is the duty of continuing the feast into the night, and you gentlemen are about to withdraw though the hour is not far advanced. How can you stay silent and not give us worthy words?" He then ordered Cui Guang and Guo Zuo, Palace Attendants of the Yellow Gates, and Xing Luan, Cui Xiu, and others, Gentlemen for Unrestricted Attendance, to compose poems expressing their thoughts. When the candles were brought in, the dukes and ministers took their leave. Li Chong bowed twice and offered a long-life toast of countless years. Gaozu said, "You used the arrival of the candles as a reason to withdraw, and then offered a toast of countless years. I will answer you with the poem of the Southern Mountain." Gaozu said, "Taking leave when the candles arrive is the rite for those of other surnames; continuing the gathering into the night is the duty of the imperial clan. You gentlemen may go home for now. I and the princes of the imperial clan wish to finish tonight's drinking." He again accompanied the emperor to Ye. After returning to Luoyang, his fief was increased by five hundred households for his work handling communications and affairs. He was dismissed from office over an official matter. Soon he was made acting Minister of Personnel. Mu Tai, Inspector of Hengzhou, plotted rebellion in his province and proposed Yuan Yi, Prince of Yangping and Inspector of Shuozhou, as their leader. Yi reported the situation in a memorial. Gaozu summoned Cheng to Ningxian Hall and said, "I have just received Yangping's memorial. It says that Mu Tai is plotting rebellion and trying to draw in members of the imperial clan. If this is true, the capital has only just been moved, the northerners still cling to the old places, north and south will fall into turmoil, and my Luoyang will not stand. No one but Rencheng can handle this. For my sake, struggle through your illness and go north. If he is weak, go directly and capture or destroy him; if his forces are strong, you may act under imperial authority and mobilize the troops of Bing and Si to wipe him out. I know you are ill, but this is a great matter of state and cannot be declined." Cheng said, "Mu Tai and the others are foolish and confused. They do this only from attachment to their old home; they have no long-term plan. I am timid and weak, but I do not fear men like these. Though I am ill and worn down, how could I dare refuse? I will devote all my heart and strength, even unto death. I ask Your Majesty not to worry." Gaozu laughed. "With Rencheng making this trip, what do I have left to worry about?" He then granted Cheng the staff, bronze tiger tally and bamboo envoy tally, imperial weapons and attendants, and had him administer Hengzhou affairs. When Cheng reached Yanmen, the governor reported by night that Mu Tai had gathered his followers and gone west to join Yangping. Men were assembling below the city, and bows and weapons were everywhere. On hearing this, Cheng advanced at once. Right Aide Meng Bin said, "The situation is uncertain. We should obey the edict, summon the troops of Bing and Si, and only then proceed carefully." Cheng said, "If Tai has truly mounted a rebellion, he should be holding a strong city; instead he has gone to meet Yangping. From his conduct, his position seems weak. Since Tai is not opposing us directly, it would be wrong to call up troops without cause. If we simply get there quickly and hold things down, the people will settle by themselves." He then doubled his stages, pressed forward, and caught them by surprise. He also sent Li Huan, Investigating Censor for the Bureau of Evaluation, ahead. When Li Huan arrived he immediately captured Tai, and the people were reassured. They tracked down his associates and captured all the offenders. Lu Rui, Duke of Julu, Yuan Long, Marquis of Anle, and more than a hundred others were imprisoned. Cheng reported the full case in a memorial. Gaozu read it with great delight, summoned the high ministers and officials, showed them the memorial, and said, "My Rencheng may truly be called a minister of state. In investigating this case, even Gaoyao himself could not have surpassed him." He turned to the Prince of Xianyang and the others. "Had you been in his place, you could not have managed this." Soon afterward the emperor went to Pingcheng and commended Cheng: "Rencheng's mission has fully answered the trust placed in him from afar." Cheng replied, "Your Majesty's awe reaches far; the guilty had nowhere to escape punishment. What effort of mine was there?" When the rebels were presented, not one claimed to have been wronged, and everyone at the time marveled. Gaozu turned to his attendants and said, "Long ago Confucius said, 'In hearing lawsuits I am no different from others; what matters is making it so there are no lawsuits.' But a sage's handling of cases is hardly something ordinary men can match. Today I have seen what it means to leave no one with a grievance." He made Cheng a full Minister of State Affairs. When the emperor campaigned south, Cheng was left in charge of the capital and again concurrently served as Right Vice Director. Cheng memorialized asking to contribute one year of his fief income in cloth and silk to military supplies; by edict the court accepted half. When Gaozu went to Ye, the Shuzhe branch of the Gaoche rebelled, and the emperor was about to campaign against them personally. Cheng sent a memorial remonstrating that the emperor should not go in person. Then Yuan Ji, Prince of Jiangyang, pacified them, and the expedition was called off. When Gaozu returned to Luoyang, he received the high ministers. Gaozu said, "Ritual instruction comes first in ordering the state. Since I left the capital, has ritual instruction been renewed day by day, or not?" Cheng replied, "I believe it has been renewed day by day." Gaozu said, "Yesterday as I entered the city, I saw women on carts wearing caps and little short jackets. If this is going on, why has the Ministry failed to investigate?" Cheng said, "Those wearing them are still fewer than those who are not." Gaozu said, "That is astonishing! Does Rencheng mean he wants all of them to wear such things? Is this what is meant by a single word being able to ruin a state? Have the historian record it." He also said, "Rulers do not receive assistants dropped down from Heaven; they select talented men and employ them. I made a mistake in appointing men, allowing this strange business with a group of women. The officials must be reviewed and selected again. Is Rencheng in the department to uphold the governing order of the realm, or merely to sign papers?" Cheng said, "In truth, I am only signing papers." Gaozu said, "If that is so, one clerk would be enough. Why would we need Rencheng?" He also said, "I sent a palace attendant to proclaim the edict. Why did you let petty men hear it?" Cheng said, "At the time there were capable officials, but they too were far from the posted proclamation." Gaozu said, "If they were far away, they could not have heard it; if they heard it, they were not far away. Since they heard the edict, they should have understood the principle." The ministers left in charge of the capital then removed their caps and apologized for their fault. Soon he was appointed Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs. Xiao Baojuan sent his Grand Commandant Chen Xianda to invade Hanyang. At the time Gaozu was ill, and he summoned Cheng to Qinghui Hall. The edict said, "Xianda has invaded and thrown Mianyang into disorder. Unless I go in person, no one will repel this rebel. My illness has dragged on for years, and my strength is spent. If anything unexpected happens, I entrust the great affairs to Rencheng. For this campaign, Rencheng must accompany me." Cheng replied through tears, "I will devote all the strength of my limbs and repay Your Majesty with my life." He then accompanied the emperor on the southern campaign. When Gaozu died, Cheng received his final charge. At the start of Shizong's reign, a defector named Yan Shumao accused Wang Su, Director of the Department of State Affairs, of sending Kong Sida to communicate secretly with Baojuan and plot rebellion. Baojuan, he said, had sent Yu Gongxi with an edict for Su; after Gongxi returned south, Su and Pei Shuye exchanged horses as tokens. Cheng believed the accusation, memorialized that Su was about to rebel, and immediately detained him. The princes of Xianyang and Beihai memorialized that Cheng had detained a chief minister on his own authority, and Cheng was dismissed and sent home. Soon he was sent out as General Who Pacifies the West and Inspector of Liangzhou. He declined because his mother was elderly. He was appointed General Who Pacifies the East and Inspector of Xiangzhou, but again firmly refused. His appointment was changed to General Who Pacifies the West and Inspector of Yongzhou. Soon he was summoned to attend the late-autumn martial review. He was appointed Commander of all military affairs in Huainan, Grand General Who Guards the South with an open office, and Inspector of Yangzhou. On taking office, he marked and protected Sunshu Ao's tomb and destroyed the temple of Jiang Ziwen. He repeatedly memorialized urging a southern campaign, but Shizong would not allow it. Again citing his mother's age, he asked to be relieved of the province, but the request was shelved without response. He was additionally made Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. Cheng memorialized, "I took part in the instruction of the former court and have long lived under its rules; I have heard something of its words and precedents. In earlier days at Heng and Dai, I was personally familiar with the imperial clan, and there was no lack of instruction, inquiry, and court discussion. Whenever I sat in attendance, the former emperor always kept the texts and classics in mind and made the ritual classics his concern; the rules of conduct were never neglected. After the move to the central capital, ritual instruction flourished. Matters concerning the imperial clan's standards were often entrusted to me, and I bore responsibility for evaluating candidates for the Four Gates school. Since the former emperor passed away, there has been no time to restore these institutions. The school palace bears the Four Gates name in vain, the clansmen lack their seasonal studies, and the line of students is on the verge of disappearing. Whenever I think of this, I am privately grieved. I humbly think that Your Majesty's strategy is broad and far-reaching, and with few urgent affairs on the frontiers, this is the moment for secure repose. Why, in an age of great peace, should the lament for neglected students arise? Why, in days of sage enlightenment, should the instruction of the imperial clan be lacking? In my foolish view, the offices should be ordered to restore the imperial clan school and reopen the Four Gates instruction, so that a clan now close to decline may improve day by day and month by month." The edict said, "The education of noble sons has been a great institution since antiquity, and instruction in the state schools should not long be abandoned. The Department may consider what is suitable and restore it." Cheng again memorialized that his mother was ill and asked to be relieved of his province, but this was not allowed. When Xiao Yan's general Zhang Xiaozhi captured the Yiling Garrison, Cheng sent Cheng Xing, General Who Assists the State, with infantry and cavalry to attack. Cheng Xing defeated him badly, recovered Yiling, and Xiaozhi fled. He also sent Qi Daoxian, commander of Changfeng Garrison, to attack Xiao Yan's Yinshan Garrison. Qi defeated it and beheaded its commander Mei Xingzu, General Who Rouses Dragons and Marquis of Duting. He then pressed on to attack Baigao Garrison, defeated it as well, and beheaded Wu Daoshuang, General Who Pacifies the North and Marquis within the Passes. Cheng memorialized, "Xiao Yan has repeatedly breached Dongguan, intending to make Chaohu overflow. The lake is over four hundred li in circuit, and where Dongguan meets the river it is only a few dozen paces wide. If the rebels succeed and the great lake pours out, all our Huainan garrisons will suffer the fate of Jinyang. Moreover, Wu and Chu are skilled in water warfare. If they flood while raiding, Huainan will no longer be ours. Shouyang lies more than five hundred li from the river, and the people are terrified, all fearing flood damage. If we use the people's wishes, strike the enemy's weak point, prearrange the provinces, gather troops and horses, and assemble them in early autumn, then the southern channel can become a ford for watering our horses, and Huo Ridge a height from which we look out at ease. Opportunity must be answered, and planning must begin early. Even if complete unification cannot be guaranteed, the lands west of the Yangzi will at least be secure. If we hesitate and delay instead of eliminating the threat, then once the barriers are finished and the waters rise to the hills, the people and garrisons of the plains will become fish." An edict mobilized twenty thousand men and fifteen hundred horses from Ji, Ding, Ying, Xiang, Bing, and Ji provinces, ordering them to assemble in Huainan by mid-autumn. Together with Shouyang's existing thirty thousand troops, they were placed under Cheng's command. Earlier, the court had planned a southern campaign, placing Xiao Baoyin at Dongcheng as Inspector of Eastern Yangzhou and Chen Bozhi at Yangshi as Inspector of Jiangzhou. Cheng was put in overall command of the two positions. At this point he ordered the troops forward. Dongguan controlled the water flow, and Daxian was a crucial pass. If Dongguan released the water, Yangshi and Hefei would be in immediate danger; if Daxian was ignored, Liyang could use the pass as support. The Huailing land route and the Jiushan water route both had to be included in the plan. He therefore sent Fu Shuyan, Wang Shennian, and other commanders to advance to Daxian, Dongguan, Jiushan, and Huailing. The generals divided the sectors, hurried to occupy them, and linked the main forces in a continuous line. Wang Shennian captured Guanyao and Yingchuan and beheaded Fei Ni, one of Xiao Yan's commanders. Ning Shuo General Wei Hui and Longxiang General Li Boyou were still holding Daxian. Cheng sent Dang Fazong, Fu Shuyan, and other commanders forward to take it. They then besieged Baita and Qiancheng, which fled and collapsed within a few days. Xiao Yan's Qingxi Garrison scattered at the news. Sima Mingsu, Xiao Yan's Inspector of Xuzhou, led three thousand men to reinforce Jiushan; Pan Bolin, Chief Clerk of Xuzhou, planned to hold Huailing; and Ning Shuo General Wang Xie relied on the strong position at Jiaocheng. Dang Fazong advanced, captured Jiaocheng, broke Huailing, captured Mingsu, and beheaded Bolin. Wang Houqiang, their Governor of Jiyin, and Pei Sui, Governor of Lujiang, also fled. The edict to Cheng said, "General, your civil virtue shines within and your military achievements resound abroad. You have displayed a grand strategy and are about to sweep away Jiang and Wu. As soon as the long banners were unfurled, the rebels lost heart; as the elite troops began to advance, Dongguan was rolled up like a mat. I expect the rivers and lakes to be pacified very soon. The heads and captives you sent have all been reported." Earlier, after Cheng had marched out, Xiao Yan's general Jiang Qingzhen attacked and occupied the outer wall of Shouchun, but Xiao Baoyin, Prince of Qi, attacked and drove him away. Chief Clerk Wei Zuan was dismissed for this, while Cheng was not held responsible because he was away. Cheng then attacked Zhongli. Another edict said, "If Zhongli runs out of food, it can surely be taken before the third month; but if matters reach the fourth month, the Huai will rise and boats will pass freely. Weigh this carefully. The earlier victory was truly due to your planning, General, and that merit stands secure. If high water makes the objective difficult, you may choose a safer plan. Do not be blinded by advantage, fail to achieve the goal, and leave regret for later." Xiao Yan's generals Zhang Huishao, Yin Xian, Zhao Jingyue, Zhang Jingren, and others led five thousand men escorting grain to Zhongli. Cheng sent Wang Zu, Liu Sizu, and other commanders to intercept Huishao and his men, defeating them badly. They captured Huishao, Yin Xian, Jingren, Shi Wenyuan, their Colonel of Garrison Cavalry, and twenty-seven officers of army commander rank or higher. Soon afterward rain came, the Huai rose sharply, and Cheng withdrew to Shouchun. The retreat became disordered, and he lost more than four thousand men. He repeatedly memorialized asking to be relieved of his province, but Shizong refused. The officials memorialized that the returning army had lost its route; Cheng was stripped of his open office and demoted three ranks. At the time Xiao Yan sent a letter requesting an exchange for Zhang Huishao. Cheng memorialized that the request should not be allowed, and the edict referred it to the Eight Seats for conference. Jia, Prince of Guangyang and Director of the Department of State Affairs, and others memorialized that Zhang Huishao should be returned, and the edict allowed it. Later, as expected, he raided the border again. Cheng was transferred to Grand General Who Guards the North and Inspector of Dingzhou. The people had long suffered from arbitrary levies, which previous governors and administrators had failed to abolish. Cheng reduced many of them, and the people rejoiced and relied on him. He also clarified rules for promotion, demotion, reward, and punishment; memorialized to reduce public parkland and give it to poor households without livelihoods; and banned the production of cloth and silk unfit for clothing. When his mother, Grand Consort Meng, died, he wasted away in mourning, and his contemporaries praised him for it. After the mourning period ended, he was appointed Grand Guardian of the Heir Apparent. At that time Gao Zhao controlled the court and was suspicious of worthy imperial relatives. Cheng was slandered and isolated by Gao Zhao and constantly feared for his life, so he drank heavily all day to appear ruined and useless. His strange, excessive behavior was taken at the time for madness. When Shizong died at night, events were sudden and confused. Gao Zhao held troops outside, Suzong was still a child, and both court and countryside were uneasy. Cheng had been kept at a distance and excluded from confidential affairs, but the court's hopes rested on him. Yu Zhong, Commander of the Guards, Cui Guang, Palace Attendant, and others memorialized that Cheng be made Director of the Department of State Affairs, and everyone gladly accepted this. He was also made Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and Grand General of Agile Cavalry; soon he was promoted to Minister of Works with the added title Palace Attendant, and shortly afterward was ordered to concurrently direct the Department of State Affairs. Earlier, at the end of the Zhengshi era, an edict raised all offices by one grade, but the officials implementing it misunderstood the intent, so inspectors, governors, and magistrates were excluded. Cheng memorialized, "I humbly think that when imperial favor rose like gathering clouds and reached the hundred offices, officials inside and outside the court looked toward renewed honor and rejoiced together. Yet the promotion did not reach governors and magistrates, and for ten years grievances and appeals have continued without end. Feng Hui came in from Zhenyuan General and Anzhou to serve as Chief Clerk to the Grand Commandant, while Yuan Kuang came in from Zhenglu General and Hengzhou to serve as Chamberlain for the Imperial Clan. Both appointments occurred before the earlier edict. These cases fully show the principle by which they should receive the benefit. Moreover, provincial assistants, private retainers who had ceased service, subordinate officers, and commandery deputies all received the court's favor and shared in the honor at the time. But assistants come forward through their chiefs. For the chiefs to receive nothing while their subordinates alone benefit abandons the root and rewards the branch; in my foolish view this is not just. I therefore ask that inspectors, governors, and magistrates be treated according to the precedents of Feng Hui and Yuan Kuang and included within the general scope, above fulfilling the original edict's words about the hundred offices, and below satisfying the hearts of the people who have appealed." The edict said, "From now on, internal and external matters already handled under the former reign may not be reported again." Cheng memorialized, "I have heard that Yao hung up the remonstrance drum and Shun set up the criticism post, both to widen their hearing and sight among even the humblest people and let the ruler's fourfold hearing reach all under Heaven. Taizu founded the dynasty and his transforming rule spread far. Sage rulers have succeeded one another, down to the ninth emperor today. Their radiance has shone one after another; whether in decline or flourishing, the principle is the same. Granting and withholding follow the times, and the Way has no fixed form. They thirsted for reflection on their faults and valued speech at a thousand pieces of gold; thus ours was called a court without taboos, surpassing the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors. Gaozu inherited the throne while young, and Empress Wenming assisted the government. They changed offices and laws, yet did not violate classical norms. When the Compassionate Sage held court, her maternal example covered the realm. She issued merciful orders and attended to stalled cases, so the deeply wronged looked up to sun and moon even from the Nine Springs, and the slightly aggrieved hoped for a slant of light beneath the overturned basin. Now to block such cases as belonging to the former reign and limit them by one rule may be meant as obedience, but it truly violates the people's deepest hopes. As a matter of humble receptiveness, it also departs from the old institutions. I have examined those who carry grievances and seek justice; some cases have lasted through several reigns. A difference of a hair's breadth should be corrected quickly; if an error becomes a thousand li, even a four-horse team cannot catch it. Thus ritual can be reduced or augmented, affairs can be approved or rejected, fathers have sons who argue with them, and rulers have ministers who remonstrate. If zithers and lutes are out of tune, they should be adjusted. Thus, in the argument over blocking rivers, a small opening lets them flow; and as for speech in the village schools, blocking it ruins the state. How much more when people are presenting grievances: how can they be suppressed merely because they concern a former reign? Those wronged under the former reign were not wronged deliberately by the throne. Sometimes officials were moved by favoritism or hatred, sometimes clerks were corrupt and biased, and empty paperwork produced legal judgments that misled the court. Such obstructed grievances are all the more pitiful. If there is risk of excess, I would rather err on the side of irregular openness. I beg that the present order be withdrawn and that we return to the previous edict." The edict said, "I have reviewed the memorial and deeply understand your wish to assist the throne. The Three Sovereigns followed different paths and the Five Ages different customs; why must the institutions of one period all be revised? If one says that formal texts merely express an intention and that the principle may be extended, then how could similar cases not all come forward to be taken up? Let the former system be followed." Cheng submitted one fascicle each of Imperial Admonitions, Clan Regulations, and Explanatory Glosses, hoping the Empress Dowager would read them and consider their value for admonition. He also submitted ten recommendations for measures that should be revived to benefit the state and aid the people. First: statutes, measures, weights, and balances differ between public and private use and should be unified. Second: schools should be promoted to clarify the rules for demotion and promotion. Third: fallen lines should be revived and extinct lines continued, with each official recommending those he knows. Fourth: beyond the five regular levies, the people should not be burdened, and labor service should not exceed three days. Fifth: officials who govern the people must be subject to promotion and demotion, so that reward and punishment are clear. Sixth: fugitives whose obligations are being paid by substitutes, and whose absence or return has lasted for years, should be allowed to settle where they are, unless they are registered artisans. Seventh: cases of border soldiers who flee, or who have truly been captured or killed, must be carefully investigated; if the three chiefs or close relatives truly concealed the facts, collect the substitute payments from them; if they did not conceal them, do not prosecute. Eighth: hereditary artisan and merchant households are again being charged rents and levies beyond what they can bear. I request that they be exempted so they can concentrate on their work. Ninth: the three chiefs, in suppressing crime, should not command across boundaries; where there are too few households, they should be merged with nearby units. Tenth: the Yulin and Huben guards may be sent temporarily to fight when there is trouble on the frontier, but regular garrison duty should be assigned to tribal troops in their place. Empress Dowager Ling sent his memorial down for discussion by the officials, who agreed on some points and disagreed on others. At the time the four Central Gentleman-General commands had too few weak troops to protect the capital. Cheng proposed that the Eastern Center be linked with Yingyang Commandery, the Southern Center with Luyang, the Western Center with Hengnong, and the Northern Center with Henei; that qualified close and worthy men of the second and third ranks be chosen to hold them; that nonurgent works be reduced; and that strong troops be assigned. This, he said, would deepen the roots, strengthen the base, strengthen the trunk, and weaken the branches. Empress Dowager Ling initially intended to follow the proposal, but later the discussants disagreed, so it was dropped. Cheng memorialized again, "To secure the root, it must be strengthened; to guard against small dangers, one must prepare in advance. Thus even in civil affairs, military power is not forgotten. How much more now, when the southern Man remain fierce and northern enemies repeatedly combine. Future events are hard to foresee, and the situation resembles past upheavals. If a sudden uprising breaks out and shakes the passes and capital region, how can the weak troops of the four offices defend against it? In peaceful times one may rely on security, but to leave matters this way for long is not good policy. In my foolish view, the Gentleman Generals should command troops while also overseeing civil duties; this is where offices can be reduced while real salaries are preserved. I ask that we return to the earlier plan of increasing troops and strengthening the titles. If the generals' posts are weighty, their sense of obligation will deepen; if army and commandery depend on one another, inner and outer defenses will both be supplied. The court will have no worries on any side, and criminals will lose hope of taking advantage." In the end the proposal was not accepted. He also noted that exiles newly sent to distant garrisons lacked clothing and food and often died, so he memorialized that they and their families be given a year's grain. This was approved. Soon afterward he asked to be relieved because of illness, but this was not allowed. When Xiao Yan dammed the Huai at Fushan to flood Shouchun, Cheng was appointed Bearer of the Staff, Grand General, and Grand Commander of the southern campaign armies, with orders to lead one hundred thousand men out through Peng and Song. Soon the Huai dam collapsed on its own, and the campaign did not proceed. Cheng believed that commanders for the northern frontier garrisons were being chosen too lightly. Fearing that raiders would threaten the border and endanger the imperial tombs, he memorialized asking that garrison commanders be selected more carefully and defenses tightened, but the edict did not accept this. When the raiders entered and reached the old capital, many garrison commanders proved unfit, rebellions broke out in many places, and the imperial tombs were threatened, exactly as Cheng had feared. Cheng memorialized that the capital's offices and temples were still incomplete, but since the armies had only just settled, the people should not be mobilized. He asked instead to use office laborers and the redemption payments for offenses in Sizhou commanderies and counties punishable by ten strokes to one hundred lashes: each bolt of silk would be commuted to two hundred bricks, so construction could proceed gradually. The edict approved this. The Grand Tutor Yuan Yi, Prince of Qinghe, submitted a memorial about the matter, and it was shelved without being carried out. Cheng also memorialized, "I have heard that rewards must follow the Way, to guard against the schemes of corrupt men; punishments must not be indiscriminate, lest good men be driven into distress. Punishment is a matter of setting a model. One should always extend the three pardons, and only when the law is upheld and the request cannot be granted should punishment be used. Thus in cases great and small, one examines the circumstances; even one person crying out in grievance can diminish the kingly Way. The success or failure of punishments is the source of a state's rise or decline. I have heard privately that Yuan Yong, Minister of Sizhou and Prince of Gaoyang, tortured and killed Han Yuanzhao, Gentleman for Court Audience, and Yao Jingxian, former Recorder of the Chancellery. Although this arose from official business, the facts were not fully investigated. Why do I say this? In an age of great peace, even grasses are not wantonly cut; the compassion shown in "Walking among the Reeds" was proven in the flourishing Zhou. If the crimes of Yuanzhao and the others were clear and death sentences certain, they should have been executed in the marketplace and cast out before the crowd; if the suspicions had not been distinguished and the facts had not been fully examined, officials of their rank should not have died under the cudgel, their lives lightly cut off in a way that injured principle and ruined law. In a previous year the province flogged five men to death in the great marketplace, and when the alleged stolen goods were investigated there was not the slightest evidence. Now its cruelty has once again gone this far. Court and countryside are talking, and everyone is shocked. If life and death lie in the hands of subordinates and cruelty is monopolized by ministers, what use remains for the ruler's authority? Since antiquity began, in bright and enlightened ages, I have never heard of such a thing. King Wu said, "I would not trade one man's life for all under Heaven." This was because he valued human life. I request that the case be given to the Chamberlain for Law Enforcement to investigate, verify the alleged robbery, and examine the grounds for the torture-killings, so that right and wrong become clear and the dead may be vindicated." The edict approved this. Cheng acted according to his office and avoided nothing. He also memorialized eight provisions on the system for allotting reclaimed fields. They were orderly and coherent, and greatly suited the needs of the time. Previously, when the various bureaus needed documents and registers from the Department of State Affairs, the records were lent out. At the time, the Office of Public Carriages regarded the handling of grievance cases as important. It memorialized requesting the original case files. Cheng insisted in a memorial that the Department of State Affairs was the root of government and had to be handled with special caution. All memorialized matters were transmitted through the palace galleries precisely because secrecy was urgent and disclosure had to be prevented. How could something the ancient system treated as weighty now be treated lightly, keeping restrictions inside while loosening them outside? The substance of the case should be copied out and given to the Office of Public Carriages.
2
The edict agreed.
3
西使駿 簿殿 使 簿 簿 使 忿 西 使 便 使 輿
The Hephthalites, Persia, and other countries of the Western Regions each sent Cheng a fine horse through official envoys. Cheng asked that the horses be given to the Grand Coachman and added to the state stables. The edict said, "The Prince's incorrupt virtue surpasses that of the minister of Chu. Let the horses be sent to the stables, completing the great beauty of a gentleman." Kuang, Prince of Dongping and Censor-in-Chief, requested the evaluation registers from inside and outside the court since Jingming year 1, the Ministry of Personnel appointment documents, Central Army merit files, and all best-and-worst assessments, intending to use them to investigate those who had stolen ranks and offices. Empress Dowager Ling allowed it. Cheng memorialized, "I have heard that the abuses of the three declining ages came from excessive punishments; the rise of the Fire Virtue rested on the Three Articles of law. Thus Lao Dan says, "The more laws and commands are displayed, the more thieves and robbers there are"; again, "When government is exacting, the people are impoverished"; and again, "The net of Heaven is vast; its mesh is wide, yet nothing escapes." Thus, to seek the root of good order, nothing is better than reducing affairs and clearing the mind. In the past, Emperor Wen of Han decided only four hundred cases and nearly brought punishment to rest; this came from reducing affairs. When Xiao He and Cao Shen served as ministers, songs praised their pure, quiet, and consistent rule; this was rooted in clearing the mind. If we now seek the root, we should begin by reducing affairs, so that officials continue the spirit of Xiao and Cao and assist the sacred transformation. Then ruler and subjects will be at peace, far and near will trust each other, the offices will not grow negligent, and affairs will not go astray. How could it be right to disturb the teaching of the age with over-subtle laws, or to cook small fish with fussy hands? I privately consider that from the start of Jingming to the end of Yongping, officials inside and outside the court underwent three evaluations. Only at the start of Yanchang were promotions and demotions applied. Those of the fifth rank and above were brought into the court hall and personally judged by His Majesty; those of the sixth rank and below were decided by edict as a rule. Since Shizong's death, three great amnesties have been issued to wipe away old intentions and begin anew. To reopen and investigate matters from a previous reign now is, in my foolish view, impermissible. Moreover, the Department of State Affairs has its own function: receiving and issuing the pivotal business of government. In the past, Emperor Ming of Wei suddenly arrived at the Department gate; Chen Jiao remonstrated firmly, and the emperor withdrew in shame. If even the lord of ten thousand chariots, when he went somewhere improper, yielded to one word and turned back ashamed, how can the officials and offices be allowed to intrude on one another? Thus Chen Ping did not know the accounts of coin and grain, and Bing Ji did not ask about the dead man lying by the road. Their age considered this good understanding of government, and later generations praised it. Each man should keep to his own office, think without overstepping his position, keep himself pure to encourage the age, and be quiet and reverent to achieve integrity. Moreover, the censorate's role is to act on reports. False claims of merit and reckless evaluations each have their proper offices. If rumors arise in one place, seize that one register and examine truth and falsehood; if discrepancies appear, the fraud will reveal itself. Then punish by statute, and who will not submit? How can one move the files of an entire department, seize the registers of the whole empire, search through two decades of affairs, and pursue every fault of a former reign? If faults are sought this way, who could bear the guilt? This is truly something the sacred court should treat with the greatest caution." Empress Dowager Ling accepted this, and the matter was stopped. Later he was promoted to Minister over the Masses, while remaining Palace Attendant and Director of the Department of State Affairs as before. Cheng also memorialized, "I humbly recall that Emperor Xuanwu, Shizong, commissioned generals and granted banners; Sui and Lu bowed their heads, and through his strategy the Huai and Han submitted of themselves. He saved resources and exhausted his mind, intending to clear the six directions. Thus he continued military achievement and cultivated civil rule, and the dynasty grew stronger generation after generation. Your Majesty lives in a time like the tranquil rule of King Kang of Zhou; how could you rest in silent ease? Yet to take what lies outside, one must first strengthen what lies within; to plan against others, one must first prepare oneself. Although Xiao Yan oppresses his people cruelly, he never stops coveting our lands. If he finds us empty and exhausted, our soldiers and people worn down, then the aged rebel Yan, his ambition still swelling, will try to spread his venom. If we do not plan for this, I fear we will suffer. Your Majesty occupies the throne at a fine young age, and your sacred virtue is just ascending; the Empress Dowager directs the machinery of state, diligent and watchful day and night. If you keep the state's burden in mind and resent that carriage tracks and writing are not yet unified; if you advance worthies, select the able, and treat official appointments as weighty; if you reward loyalty and purity and recognize men fit to nurture the people; if you strengthen the use of arms and store up bear-and-tiger warriors; if you cherish time, despise mere wealth, treat treasures lightly, and value grain; then in seven or eight years Your Majesty's strategy will be vigorous, the imperial princes' virtue and capacity will be mature, the generals and ministers will not yet have lost their strength, I will still be fit for the ranks, the armored troops will have stored up their sharpness, and the famous bows of Yan and horses of Ji will again be plentiful; moreover Xiao Yan's evil will have ripened into disaster, his power cannot last, his sons and brothers are dark and perverse, and their rebellious rifts are already clear. The signs of chaos and ruin are plainly visible. The signs point to annexing the weak; Heaven's gift is not far away, and the moment for great unity should be met with stored preparations. In the past, the Han emperor forced himself through illness to destroy Ying Bu; our High Emperor lay ill, yet personally eliminated Xianda. How could rulers of ten thousand chariots forget comfort and security? They acted because names were violated and order disturbed, leaving no alternative. Now we should emulate the far-reaching plans of those two emperors and make solemn pacification our great task. Yet in recent years, hard campaigns against raiders in east and west have followed one another. Though they were soon eliminated, they greatly damaged our resources and strength. Hungry people scatter and cannot be secured; revenues do not grow, while expenses multiply. If we do not spare labor to please the people and build resources to await the enemy, I will continue to worry day and night, fearful and uneasy. The Changes says, "How does one hold position? By benevolence. How does one gather people? By wealth." Thus wealth is not born without Heaven, does not grow without Earth, does not mature without the seasons, and does not gather without people. Producing and gathering it is this difficult; gathering people and holding position are this weighty. How can one fail to consider the path of rise and decline? In antiquity, labor service imposed on the people did not exceed three days a year; the grain of the strong was used, and the wisdom of the old was employed. Although this is a rule for an age of great peace and cannot be followed all at once, should we not be warned against harming the people and wasting wealth? Now the walls and battlements are already repaired, and the stables and storehouses stand in lofty rows. Although some offices, temples, schools, and halls are not yet complete, the government offices are generally sufficient for work and rest, and the temples and spirit towers suffice for worship and teaching. Only the Mingtang and Biyong are major matters of state ritual. When the Minister over the Masses' troops arrive next winter, I ask that other works be reduced or dismantled, effort focused on these projects, and every effort made to complete them early. Funds for Guangji, repeated almsgiving, merchant payments, and market exchanges, and all construction not urgently needed for imperial supply or military equipment, should be modestly reduced. This will build stores, prevent irregular losses to the treasuries, and preserve the people's strength. Gui's virtue shone because he ate from earthen vessels; Yu's achievement flourished though he slept in a humble room. Zhangtai was splendid and Chu weakened; Epang was grand and Qin's wealth ran dry. The causes of survival and destruction are plain to see. I hope you will reflect on the former kings' achievement in unifying all, store strength and gather wealth, and wait for the right moment." Empress Dowager Ling was eager for construction. In the capital she built Buddhist temples such as Yongning and Taishanggong at considerable cost; in the outer provinces, each built five-tiered stupas. She also repeatedly held universal vegetarian assemblies, where gifts often ran into the tens of thousands. The people were exhausted by earthwork and carpentry, and the price of gold and silver soared. Officials' labor resources were seized, the treasuries drained, and special gifts to attendants reached several thousand each day. This was why Cheng submitted the memorial. Although she ultimately did not follow it, she always replied graciously and treated him with courtesy. In affairs of government, great or small, he was always brought in to take part in decisions. Cheng devoted himself fully to correction and support. Whenever something was harmful to the people, he remonstrated; even when not heeded, he persisted earnestly. Those inside and outside the court all respected and feared him. He died in Shengui year 2 at the age of fifty-three. For funeral gifts he received twelve hundred bolts of cloth, six hundred thousand cash, and four hundred jin of wax; he was given an Eastern Garden Wenming coffin, one set of court robes, and one suit of clothing; the Grand Herald oversaw the funeral, and an edict ordered the officials to attend; he was posthumously granted Acting Yellow Axe, Bearer of the Staff, Commander of all military affairs inside and outside the court, Grand Tutor, and concurrently Grand Commandant; special rites were added, including the full Nine Bestowments, following the precedent of Sima You, Grand Marshal of Jin and Prince of Qi; His posthumous title was Prince Wenxuan. At Cheng's burial, the mourning regalia were extremely grand. Empress Dowager Ling personally escorted him beyond the suburbs, stopped her carriage, and wept bitterly, moving all those around her. More than a thousand officials attended, and all sighed and wept. At the time this was considered the height of mourning and honor.
4
The fourth son, Xian, inherited.
5
祿
Yi, courtesy name Zilun, was born to Cheng's second wife Lady Feng and had much of his father's manner. He was appointed Regular Cavalier Attendant for Unrestricted Attendance. When Yuan Cha monopolized power, Yi was ashamed to attach himself to him and therefore did not obtain prominent office. At the start of Emperor Zhuang's reign, he was killed at Heyin and posthumously granted General of Chariots and Cavalry, Equal in Honor to the Three Excellencies, and Inspector of Qingzhou. His posthumous title was Wen. His son Dushi succeeded. In the Wuding era, he served as Gold and Purple Guanglu Grandee.
6
便 忿 殿 西 使 使 西 殿 殿 殿 便忿 祿 便 便 便 便 使 使 便 退 西 便 忿
After Qi took the throne, enfeoffments were lowered by precedent. Yi's elder brother Shun was styled Zihe. At nine, he studied with Chen Feng of Le'an. He first copied several thousand words of Wang Xizhi's Elementary Primer, reciting it day and night, and in fifteen days he had mastered it all. Feng marveled and told Cheng, "I have studied with teachers from the age of fifteen to white-haired old age, and never in all I have seen or heard have I met his equal. The yellow-haired prodigy of Jiangxia cannot be peerless after all." Cheng smiled. "Lantian produces jade; how could it be otherwise?" At sixteen he mastered Master Du's Spring and Autumn and often gathered students to debate points of agreement and difference. At the time the frontiers were quiet, the state was rich, and the people were at peace. The sons of the powerful generally amused themselves with companions, but Shun shut himself behind the curtain to read, devoted to antiquity. He was naturally blunt, indifferent to honor and profit, fond of wine, and skilled at the zither; he could chant at length, sigh deeply, and sing out in an empty room. During Shizong's reign he submitted a Eulogy of Wei, though much of the text is not preserved. He began his career as Supervising Attendant. At the time Gao Zhao, Director of the Department and the emperor's maternal uncle, held immense power; men throughout the realm bowed before even the dust of his carriage. Shun once brought a calling card to Zhao's gate. Seeing his youth, the gatekeeper answered, "There are many great guests seated inside," and refused to announce him. Shun scolded him: "Can the son of the Prince of Rencheng be someone base?" When admitted, he went straight to the couch, mounted it, clasped his hands, and greeted Zhao as an equal. Princes, dukes, and elder worthies were all startled and awed, while Shun spoke proudly as if no one else were there. Zhao told his guests, "If the boy's spirit is already like this, how much more his father!" When Shun left, Zhao treated him with added respect and saw him off. When Cheng heard of this, he was furious and had him caned several dozen strokes. Later he was promoted out of turn to Secretariat Attendant, and soon advanced to Junior Chamberlain for Ceremonials. He left office to mourn his father, wept until he vomited blood, and carried earth for the grave himself. He was twenty-five at the time, yet already had white hair. After mourning ended he plucked it out, and it never grew back; people believed this came from filial grief. Soon he was appointed Attendant of the Yellow Gate. At the time Yuan Cha, Commander of the Guards, was extremely powerful. Whenever anyone received a transfer or appointment, he went to Yuan Cha's gate to give thanks. Shun merely submitted a memorial of thanks and never called on Yuan Cha. Yuan Cha said to Shun, "Why have you not come to see me at all?" Shun answered sternly, "The Son of Heaven is young and has entrusted government to clan ministers. Uncle should act with perfect fairness, raise worthy men, and serve the state. How can you sell favors and demand private thanks? This is not what one expects." In court debates over right and wrong, Shun always spoke bluntly and argued uprightly, never bending to anyone's wishes; for this he was feared. He was sent out as General Who Pacifies the North and Inspector of Hengzhou. Shun told Yuan Cha, "The northern garrisons are in turmoil and threaten the state. Sanggan and the old capital are bound to our foundation. Give me temporary command, and I will serve as the state's shield." Yuan Cha was suspicious and reluctant to give him a military post, so he said, "This is a court matter, not mine to decide." Shun said, "Uncle holds state power, and life and death come from you. You yourself say Heaven's mandate should rest in your own person; how can there still be a court?" Yuan Cha grew even angrier and more afraid of him. Shun was transferred to General Who Pacifies the East and Inspector of Qizhou. Confident in his talent and unable to remain at court, Shun nursed resentment that showed in his face and speech. He then gave himself over to wine and amusement and neglected government. When Yuan Cha was relieved of command of the Guards, Shun was summoned as Attendant of the Yellow Gate. Relatives and friends met him in the suburbs and congratulated him on returning to court. Shun said, "I am not worried about failing to enter; I only fear entering and then being sent out again." Soon he concurrently served as Minister of the Palace and was then transferred to Palace Attendant. Earlier, Xi, Prince of Zhongshan, had raised troops against Yuan Cha, failed, and been executed. Only after Empress Dowager Ling resumed power was he allowed reburial. While sitting in attendance in the Western Tour Garden, Shun said to the Empress Dowager, "Yesterday I went to see the burial of the Zhongshan household. Not only did the imperial kin mourn their cruel wrong; travelers, men and women alike, saw seven dead from one family and all wept bitterly." Yuan Cha's wife was beside the Empress Dowager at the time. Shun pointed to her and said, "How can Your Majesty, for the sake of one sister, fail to punish Yuan Cha's crime and leave the whole realm nursing injustice?" The Empress Dowager was silent. When Jiu Dexing rebelled in Yingzhou, Lu Tong of the Department was sent against him but returned after a major defeat. Palace Attendant Mu Shao happened to be sitting in attendance with Shun, and they discussed Lu Tong's offense. Lu Tong had earlier lent Shao a nearby residence, and Shao wanted to speak for him. Shun suddenly said, "Lu Tong will end up without guilt!" The Empress Dowager said, "How can it be as the Palace Attendant says?" Shun replied, "Tong has a fine house to give a powerful Palace Attendant. Why should he worry about guilt?" Shao was ashamed and did not dare speak again. Empress Dowager Ling was much occupied with adornment and often went out on excursions. Shun remonstrated with her directly: "According to ritual, when a woman loses her husband she calls herself the one not yet dead, removes pearls and jade from her hair, and does not wear colored clothing. Your Majesty rules the realm as mother and is nearly forty, yet you adorn yourself excessively. What example does this show later generations?" Empress Dowager Ling was ashamed and stopped going out. When she returned to the palace, she rebuked Shun: "I summoned you from a thousand li away; did you intend to shame me in public?" Shun replied, "Your Majesty dresses splendidly and displays your beauty without fearing the laughter of the realm. Why be ashamed of one word from me?" Earlier, Hui, Prince of Chengyang, admired Shun's talent and reputation and made special efforts to befriend him. But Yuan, Prince of Guangyang, had an affair with Hui's wife Lady Yu, creating a deep rift. When Yuan was summoned from Dingzhou to serve as Minister of Personnel and concurrently Central Commander of the Guards, Shun drafted the edict for him in notably elegant language. Hui suspected Shun of favoring Yuan, so he and Xu He slandered Shun to Empress Dowager Ling. Shun was sent out as General Who Protects the Army and Chamberlain for Ceremonials. Shun took leave in the Western Tour Garden while Hui and Xu He stood at the side. Pointing at Xu He, he said to Empress Dowager Ling, "This man is Wei's Zai Pi. Unless Wei is destroyed, he will never die." Xu He went out with his shoulders hunched. Shun then shouted after him, "You petty clerk with knife and brush are fit only for desk work. How can you presume to hold a halberd here and disgrace our proper order!" He shook out his robe and rose. Empress Dowager Ling said nothing. At the time the court was reviewing the merit of Shun's father in the imperial entrustment. Yi, Prince of Rencheng, received two thousand additional households, and five hundred households were carved from Yi's fief to enfeoff Shun as Founding Duke of Dong'e County. Shun hated Hui and the others for slandering him, and so he wrote a Rhapsody on Flies: "In mid-autumn, resting from office, I sat quietly at my humble gate, my thoughts on zither and books and my feelings entrusted to paper and brush. But tiny bluebottle flies came and went over bed and table. Hating how they transform white, I have made this rhapsody: Vast is the great Way, broad the primal vapor. It first set autumn and summer in place, then opened winter and spring. It contains and nurtures all natures, yet like straw dogs it is not benevolent. Following conditions, it grants bodies, making no distinction between fair and foul. Thus this filthy kind is born, bringing no benefit to people. Its name is counted among living things, but its buzzing harms the order of all beings. Crooked legs, slender wings, purple heads, blue bodies. It cannot fly far, yet its noise seems to carry into the distance. It spots black onto white and turns white into black. It cares little for orchid fragrance and craves filthy food. It gathered on Duke Huan's corpse and lingered at Pingshu's side. It confused the sound of the cockcrow and defiled the ornaments of the imperial palace. Fluttering through doors and courtyards, buzzing among thorns and brambles. Back and forth it comes and goes, like slanderous traitors. Once slander penetrates the skin, its soaking accusations know no limit. Whispering and fluttering, they throw the four quarters into disorder. Then seductive women advance, wicked men arrive, sages and worthies are blocked, and the loyal and filial are crushed. Zhou Chang was confined at Youli, and Tianyi imprisoned at Xiatai. Boqi was bound in grief because of them, and Shensheng was overtaken by disaster because of them. The Owl lamented its ruined house, and Gathering Kudzu feared what lay in the heart. Xiaobian shed tears, and Lingjun made his sorrow known. Even the enlightened and wise of antiquity suffered so; how much more men of middling or ordinary talent? As for the beings Heaven gives birth to and Earth nourishes, each has its proper affinities. Beasts rely on the earth, and birds depend on the clouds. Some come in stately display to present blessings; some are domesticated and display patterned beauty. Some bear diagrams and return to virtue; some carry writings in their mouths to reveal the true. Some are taken before birth to provide flavor; some, with damaged bodies, offer delicacies. Some, as hides, give rise to ritual; some, as sacrificial animals, serve the spirits. Though they differ as living and dead, all benefit the people of the state. They are not like the bluebottle fly, useless and only sowing disorder among the people." He then fell ill at home and refused all visits of congratulation or condolence. Later he was appointed Minister of Personnel and concurrently Right Vice Director. When he went up to the Department and approached the couch, he saw that it was very old and asked Chief Clerk Xu Wuqi about it. Wuqi said, "The former prince once sat on this couch." Shun immediately choked up, tears streaming down; for a long while he could not speak, and then ordered the couch replaced. At the time Zhu Hui, a clerk in the Bureau of the Three Excellencies, had long served Yuan Yong, Prince of Gaoyang and Recording Director of the Department. Yong wanted to make him an Evaluator in the Court of Justice and repeatedly pressed Shun, but Shun refused to use him. Yuan Yong then issued an order appointing him, and Shun threw it on the ground. When Yong heard, he was furious. At dawn he sat in the metropolitan hall and summoned all the Ministers, Aides, and Gentlemen, intending to humiliate Shun publicly when he arrived. Shun arrived only when the sun was high. Yong rolled up his sleeves, struck the table, and said, "I am the Son of Heaven's son, brother, uncle, and chief minister. Within the four seas no one is closer or more honored. Who is Yuan Shun, to take my completed order and throw it on the ground!" Shun's beard and temples bristled. He looked up at the rafters, anger surging, and gave a long sigh without speaking. After a long while, he waved a white feather fan and slowly said to Yong, "Gaozu moved the capital to the central lands and established the nine ranks; he distinguished pure and impure offices, setting a model for all ages. Zhu Hui is a petty man, a mere Department clerk. How is he fit for a pure office in the Court of Justice? Your Highness shares the late emperor's blood and should follow the established decree. Even a low wall is still a boundary; why overstep it again?" Yong said, "I am Chancellor and Recording Director of the Department. How can I not appoint one man to office?" Shun replied, "Even if the cook does not manage the kitchen, the invocator may not step beyond the vessels and stands to take his place. I have heard of no separate edict ordering Your Highness to take part in personnel selection." Shun then said sharply, "If Your Highness insists, I will memorialize the matter according to the facts!" Yong then laughed. "How could we become angry with one another over a petty man like Zhu Hui?" He rose, called Shun inside, and drank with him to the fullest. Shun's lofty firmness and refusal to bend were all of this sort. Later he was appointed General Who Conquers the South and Right Guanglu Grandee, then transferred to concurrently serve as Left Vice Director. When Erzhu Rong received Emperor Zhuang, he summoned all officials to Heyin. Having long heard that Shun often remonstrated and valuing his clear integrity, he told Zhu Rui, "Tell Vice Director Yuan to stay in the Department; he need not come." Shun did not understand the warning. Hearing that the officials were being slaughtered, he fled and was killed by Xianyu Kangnu, a tomb-household man. His house was bare, with nothing to shroud his body; it contained only several thousand scrolls of books. Wang Caida, Clerk for Communications under the Gate, tore his robe to cover the body. When Emperor Zhuang returned to the palace, he sent Yellow Gate Attendant Shan Wei to tour the capital and reassure it. Shan Wei visited Shun's mourning place and wept without stopping. When he returned, Emperor Zhuang was surprised and asked, "Why is the Yellow Gate attendant's voice hoarse?" Shan Wei told him what had happened. Emperor Zhuang instructed Palace Attendant Yuan Zhi, "Many members of the imperial clan have died, and we cannot provide fully for all of them. Vice Director Yuan's austere integrity shines even more in death. Grant him one hundred bolts of silk as a special gift; let this not become precedent for the others." He was posthumously granted Grand General of Agile Cavalry, Director of the Department of State Affairs, Minister over the Masses, and Inspector of Dingzhou, and was given the posthumous title Wenlie. Shun compiled Imperial Records in twenty fascicles and wrote several dozen poems, rhapsodies, memorials, and eulogies, most of which are now lost. His eldest son Lang was seventeen at the time. For years he slept on his spear and hid in secret. Then he killed Kangnu with his own hand, offered the head at Shun's tomb, and afterward went to the palace gate to confess. The court praised him and did not punish him. Lang was experienced in documents and records and served as an attendant to the Minister over the Masses. In the Tianping era, he was killed by a slave. He was posthumously granted Commander of all military affairs in Ying and Ji provinces, an unspecified generalship, Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, and Inspector of Jizhou. Shun's younger brother Shu and Shu's younger brother Bei both died young. Bei's younger brother Ji was styled Zigang. In the Yongxi era he served as Attendant of the Yellow Gate. He followed the Emperor Who Went Out and died in Guanzhong. Cheng's younger brother Song was styled Daoyue. In Gaozu's time he moved from Palace Grandee to Regular Attendant Outside the Ranks, then became Infantry Commandant. When Xiu, Grand Marshal and Prince of Anding, died, Song went hunting before the mourning rites had even ended. When Gaozu heard, he was furious and issued an edict: "Song cannot master himself and return to ritual or set his mind on law and precedent. The Grand Marshal has only just died, and already he amuses himself with hawks and falcons. He should feel pain as for a father, yet he lacks even a nephew's feeling; he casts aside feeling and abandons ritual. How terribly hasty! He may be dismissed from office." Later he took part in pacifying the north of the Mian, repeatedly earned battle merit, and was appointed Left Gentleman General of the Center, concurrently General of the Martial Guard. When Gaozu campaigned south, Xiao Baojuan's general Chen Xianda led troops to resist him. Song armed himself with three weapons, removed his helmet, and advanced straight ahead. The officers and soldiers followed; Xianda's forces fled in collapse, and the dead and captured numbered in the tens of thousands. That day, Song's courage surpassed the whole army. Gaozu was delighted. "Prince Kang of Rencheng had great fortune and virtue; civil and martial talent have both burst from his household." For his merit he was granted the title Marquis of Gaoping County and awarded twenty-five hundred bolts of silk. Earlier, when Gaozu left Luoyang, Empress Feng had been confined inside the palace for an offense. After Xianda was defeated, Gaozu stopped on the return at Gutangyuan. Gravely ill, he was about to order the empress to die and said, "A suitable envoy is not easy to find." He turned to Cheng, Prince of Rencheng: "Rencheng will not fail me, and Song will not fail Rencheng. Send Song." Song was then brought inside, and Gaozu personally ordered him dispatched. When Shizong ascended the throne, Song served as General of the Martial Guard and concurrently Palace Attendant, then was sent out as General Who Pacifies the South and Inspector of Jingzhou. Song memorialized, "Xiao Baojuan slaughters his own kin and kills loyal men first. His ministers are in uproar and all are turning from him. Ruler and ministers are divided, and war grows daily. I have heard that Xiao Yi, elder brother of Xiao Yan, Baojuan's Inspector of Yongzhou, is holding troops at Jianye against Baojuan; the Inspectors of Jingzhou and Yingzhou are both Baojuan's younger brothers and surely plan to move against Yan. If I send letters and meet them in their own plans, we may act with one mind and combine forces to eliminate Yan. Once Yan is pacified, they will have to turn back to rescue Danyang and will no longer be able to manage the frontier or secure Xiang and Mian. If our army has already established a commanding position, the land south of the Mian can be taken in a single move. If we display troops along the Han and show both power and virtue, those who wish to return to the Way can be welcomed, and those in danger under suspicion can be rescued and received. With troops gathered and ready, we can watch for cracks and openings. Once their collapse is clear and their slackness plain, we can move with the current, break their front, drive deep, and sweep them up like a mat." The edict said, "The fine plan you present is truly sound strategy. If the moment and situation permit an advance, the General may decide." Soon afterward Xiao Yan captured Jianye, and the plan was dropped. Song was appointed General Who Pacifies the North and Inspector of Hengzhou. He was transferred to General Who Pacifies the East and Inspector of Xuzhou. He was later transferred again as General Who Pacifies the South and Inspector of Yangzhou. Yang Gongze, Xiao Yan's Inspector of Xiangzhou, led twenty thousand men to Luokou; Jiang Qingzhen led five thousand to Shoubei; and Yan sent Left Army General Qian Xiaoyan, with army commanders He Tianzuo, Zhang Junxing, and others, leading seven thousand men to besiege Lucheng. Song sent Feng Mai, Wang Hui, and other commanders with eight thousand infantry and cavalry against them. When Feng Mai reached Lucheng, the rebels fled by night. He pursued and defeated them, killing or capturing several thousand, while Gongze and Qingzhen retreated to Matou. Chang Yizhi, Yan's Inspector of Xuzhou, held Gaohuang and sent three armies in a secret raid on Yinling. Since the Huai was too shallow for boats to pass, he stationed at Matou. Yan's generals Tian Daolong, He Jingxian, and others led three thousand soldiers to Hengshan, planning to raid Lucheng. The raiders pressed in from all sides. Song sent acting Commander Li Shuren and others to reinforce Hefei, Xiaoxian, and Yangshi, repeatedly defeating the enemy in battle. Zhao Cao, Yan's General Who Conquers Caitiffs, was stationed at Huangkou. Song sent Army Marshal Zhao Chi and others to attack, first dispatching Commander An Bochou to cross secretly by night and set an ambush at Xiacai. Zhao Cao led four thousand men to meet them. An Bochou and Wang Hu, commander of Xiacai Garrison, struck from front and rear, badly defeated him, and captured, killed, or drowned more than four thousand men. Commander Li Shuren and others made a night attack on the rebels at Xiashi and defeated them as well. Yan's general Jiang Qingzhen held Feirui, Champion General Cao Tianbao was stationed at Jikou, and army commander Yin Mingshi at Eastern Xiashi. Song sent the separate general Yang Yin to camp at Huaixi, ten li from the rebel camp, while Marshal Zhao Chi led ten thousand troops to create pressure from inside and outside. When the armies had assembled, they split up and attacked the rebels' four forts. The rebels in the four forts were defeated and fled; several thousand were killed or captured, and tens of thousands drowned. Commander Niu Jingbin attacked Xiashi, and Yin Mingshi fled by night. Jiang Qingzhen gathered the remnants and moved down the Huai; Wang Lue, commander of Xiacai Garrison, intercepted him on the river and captured or killed more than half. Thereafter Song's reputation for military power greatly flourished. Later Li Taibo and other cangtou retainers conspired to murder Song, together with his wife Lady Mu and his son Shixian. Shizong held mourning for Song in the Eastern Hall, granted one thousand bolts of silk for the funeral, posthumously awarded him General of Chariots and Cavalry and Commander of the Guards, and gave him the posthumous title Marquis Gang. His second son Shijun had some practical ability but no moral conduct. He inherited the title and was appointed Supervising Attendant and Household Gentleman of the Eastern Palace. His uncle Cheng memorialized asking that a rank be transferred to him, and Shijun was appointed Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary Outside the Ranks. In Suzong's reign, Song's merits were reviewed, and Shijun was enfeoffed as Founding Baron of Wei County with two hundred households. He rose to Champion General and Junior Chamberlain for the Imperial Clan, then served as Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, General Who Pacifies the South, General of the Martial Guard, and Governor of Henan. Soon he was appointed General Who Guards the East and Inspector of Qingzhou, then transferred to General Who Conquers the East with the added title Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary. During Xing Gao's rebellion, the provincial city was surrounded and pressed hard. Shijun held the walls and defended it, preserving the city intact. In Emperor Xiaozhuang's reign, he was appointed General of the Guard and Minister of Personnel. When Erzhu Zhao raided the capital, an edict kept Shijun in his current office and made him Commander-in-Chief for the defense of Heqiao. When Zhao reached the river, Shijun had no intention of resisting. He immediately bowed from across the bank, and public opinion despised him. Under the Former Deposed Emperor, he was General of Agile Cavalry with the added title Minister of State Affairs, and he was especially close to Erzhu Shilong. At the start of the Emperor Who Went Out's reign, he was given Equal in Honor to the Three Excellencies and re-enfeoffed as Founding Viscount of Wuyang County with five hundred households. While Shijun served in the selections bureau, he failed to discipline himself and accepted many gifts. The Censor-in-Chief impeached him, and he was dismissed. Soon he was restored to his former office. At the start of Emperor Xiaojing's reign, he was made Palace Attendant and Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, then promoted to Director of the Department. Shijun was frivolous and fond of shifting allegiance, so an edict sent him to Jinyang. He died in the Xinghe era. He was posthumously granted Palace Attendant, Commander of all military affairs in Ji, Ding, Ying, and Yin provinces, Grand General of Agile Cavalry, Grand Tutor, and Inspector of Dingzhou, while retaining Director of the Department of State Affairs and Founding Duke as before. His posthumous title was Zaoli. His son Jingyuan succeeded and served as Cavalier Attendant. Shixian's younger brother Shizhe served in the Wuding era as Gentleman of the Ministry of Personnel. Song's younger brother Zhan was styled Daozhou. In Gaozu's time, from a Grandee title with one missing character, he gradually rose to Junior Chamberlain for the Imperial Clan, Longxiang General, Inspector of Guangzhou, Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, and General of the Left, then was promoted to General Who Pacifies the East and Inspector of Yanzhou. He had some love for books and histories, but was greedy, violent, and fond of killing. Cheng was deeply ashamed and angered by him and broke off all contact. He had four sons. The eldest son, Yuan, was a Gentleman of the Department of State Affairs. The historian says: When Xianzu was about to abdicate, it was a great test of the state. Prince Kang remonstrated firmly in court, his virtuous words shining clearly; one word raised the state. Is this not the phrase made real? Wenxuan was upright, firm, outstanding, and far-seeing, a flourishing hero of the imperial clan. Serving through successive reigns, calm in ease and danger, he bore responsibility for the state and was the hope of its beams and pillars. Shun was blunt and free-spirited, with the air of Ji An. Unused by his time, he wrongly met an untimely death. A pity! Song had the spirit of the battle line; Jun was surely a cap-tearing sort of man, was he not?
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