1
尒朱榮
Er Zhurong
2
尒朱榮，字天寶，北秀容人也。 其先居於尒朱川，因為氏焉。 常領部落，世為酋帥。 高祖羽健，登國初為領民酋長，率契胡武士千七百人從駕平晉陽，定中山。 論功拜散騎常侍。 以居秀容川，詔割方三百里封之，長為世業。 太祖初以南秀容川原沃衍，欲令居之，羽健曰：「臣家世奉國，給侍左右。 北秀容既在剗內，差近京師，豈以沃塉更遷遠地。」 太祖許之。 所居之處，曾有狗舐地，因而穿之，得甘泉焉，至今名狗舐泉。 羽健，世祖時卒。 曾祖鬱德，祖代勤，繼為領民酋長。 代勤，世祖敬哀皇后之舅。 以外親兼數征伐有功，給復百年，除立義將軍。 曾圍山而獵，部民射虎，誤中其髀，代勤仍令拔箭，竟不推問，曰：「此既過誤，何忍加罪。」 部內聞之，咸感其意。 高宗末，假寧南將軍，除肆州刺史。 高祖賜爵梁郡公。 以老致仕，歲賜帛百匹以為常。 年九十一，卒。 賜帛五百匹、布二百匹，贈鎮南將軍、并州刺史，諡曰莊。 孝莊初，榮有翼戴之勳，追贈太師、司徒公、錄尚書事。
Er Zhurong, styled Tianbao, came from Northern Xiurong. His forebears had lived on the Erzhu River and took that place as their surname. For generations they led their tribe as hereditary chieftains. His ancestor Yu Jian, in the early years of the state, served as chieftain over the tribal peoples and led seventeen hundred Qihu warriors in the emperor's train to pacify Jinyang and secure Zhongshan. For his service he was made Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry. Because his family lived on the Xiurong River, the throne granted them a domain three hundred li on a side, held in perpetuity as their hereditary estate. Early in Taizu's reign, the emperor noted that the Southern Xiurong River valley was rich and broad and wished to move the clan there. Yu Jian replied: "My family has served the dynasty for generations, always at the sovereign's side. Northern Xiurong already lies within the frontier belt and is reasonably close to the capital. How could we abandon it for richer ground farther away?" The emperor agreed. At their settlement a dog once licked the earth; when men dug there they found a sweet spring, still known today as Dog-Licking Spring. Yu Jian died in the reign of Emperor Shizu. His great-grandfather Yude and his grandfather Daiqin each succeeded to the post of chieftain over the tribal peoples. Daiqin was the maternal uncle of Emperor Shizu's Empress Jing'ai. As an imperial in-law who also won distinction in several campaigns, he was granted a century of tax remission and appointed General Who Establishes Righteousness. Once, while hunting within a mountain enclosure, a tribesman firing at a tiger accidentally struck him in the thigh. Daiqin had the arrow drawn out and never pressed the matter, saying: "This was plainly a mistake — how could I punish him for it?" All who heard of it within his domain were moved by his forbearance. Near the end of Gaozong's reign he was made acting General Who Pacifies the South and appointed prefect of Sizhou. Emperor Gaozu ennobled him as Duke of Liang Commandery. He retired for old age and received a standing grant of a hundred bolts of silk each year. He died at the age of ninety-one. The court granted five hundred bolts of silk and two hundred of cloth, and posthumously honored him as General Who Guards the South and prefect of Bingzhou, with the posthumous title Zhuang. When Emperor Xiaozhuang first took the throne, Zhurong's service in raising him to power was remembered, and Daiqin was posthumously made Grand Preceptor, Duke of the Ministry of Works, and Manager of Affairs of the Masters of Writing.
3
父新興，太和中，繼為酋長。 家世豪擅，財貨豐贏。 曾行馬羣，見一白蛇，頭有兩角，遊於馬前。 新興異之，謂曰：「爾若有神，令我畜牧蕃息。」 自是之後，日覺滋盛，牛羊駝馬，色別為羣，谷量而已。 朝廷每有征討，輒獻私馬，兼備資糧，助裨軍用。 高祖嘉之，除右將軍、光祿大夫。 及遷洛後，特聽冬朝京師，夏歸部落。 每入朝，諸王公朝貴競以珍玩遺之，新興亦報以名馬。 轉散騎常侍、平北將軍、秀容第一領民酋長。 新興每春秋二時，恒與妻子閱畜牧於川澤，射獵自娛。 肅宗世，以年老啟求傳爵於榮，朝廷許之。 正光中卒，年七十四。 贈散騎常侍、平北將軍、恒州刺史，諡曰簡。 孝莊初，贈假黃鉞、侍中、太師、相國、西河郡王。
His father Xinxing succeeded as chieftain during the Taihe era. The clan had long been powerful and wealthy, its stores of goods overflowing. Once, while moving a herd of horses, he saw a white serpent with two horns on its head glide before the mounts. Xinxing was astonished and addressed it: "If you are divine, let my herds multiply and thrive." Thereafter the herds grew richer day by day; cattle, sheep, camels, and horses were grouped by color into separate droves, counted only by the granary-load. Whenever the court mounted a campaign, he offered his own horses and furnished provisions to bolster the army. Emperor Gaozu praised him and appointed him General of the Right and Grand Master for Splendid Happiness. After the capital moved to Luoyang, he was specially allowed to attend court in the capital in winter and return to his tribe in summer. Whenever he came to court, princes and court grandees competed to send him rare treasures, and Xinxing repaid them with fine horses. He was transferred to Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry, General Who Pacifies the North, and First Chieftain of the Tribal Peoples of Xiurong. Each spring and autumn Xinxing would take his wife and children to inspect the herds in the rivers and marshes and hunt for his own pleasure. In Suzong's reign, citing his age, he petitioned to pass his title to Zhurong, and the court granted the request. He died during the Zhengguang era, at seventy-four. He was posthumously honored as Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry, General Who Pacifies the North, and prefect of Hengzhou, with the posthumous title Jian. When Xiaozhuang first took the throne, Xinxing was posthumously granted the ceremonial axe, Palace Attendant, Grand Preceptor, Chancellor of State, and the title King of Xihe Commandery.
4
榮潔白，美容貌，幼而神機明決。 及長，好射獵，每設圍誓眾，便為軍陳之法，號令嚴肅，眾莫敢犯。 秀容界有池三所，在高山之上，清深不測，相傳曰祁連池，魏言天池也。 父新興，曾與榮遊池上，忽聞簫鼓之音。 新興謂榮曰：「古老相傳，凡聞此聲皆至公輔。 吾今年已衰暮，當為汝耳。 汝其勉之。」
Zhurong was fair-complexioned and handsome; even as a boy he showed sharp insight and resolute judgment. When he came of age he loved the hunt; whenever he organized a drive and mustered the men, he drilled them in battle formation with stern commands, and none dared defy him. Within Xiurong lay three pools on high mountains, clear and unfathomably deep; tradition called them the Qilian Pools, which in the Wei tongue meant Heavenly Pools. His father Xinxing once visited the pools with Zhurong and suddenly heard the sound of flutes and drums. Xinxing told Zhurong: "The old tradition holds that whoever hears this sound will reach the highest offices of state. I am already in my decline; the omen is meant for you. You must apply yourself."
5
榮襲爵後，除直寢、游擊將軍。 正光中，四方兵起，遂散畜牧，招合義勇，給其衣馬。 蠕蠕主阿那瓌寇掠北鄙，詔假榮節，冠軍將軍、別將，隸都督李崇北征。 榮率其新部四千人追擊，度磧，不及而還。 秀容內附胡民乞扶莫于破郡，殺太守； 南秀容牧子萬子乞真反叛，[1]殺太僕卿陸延； 并州牧子素和婆崘嶮作逆。 榮並前後討平之。 遷直閤將軍、冠軍將軍，仍別將。 內附叛胡乞、步落堅胡劉阿如等作亂瓜肆，[2]敕勒北列步若反於沃陽，[3]榮並滅之。 以功封安平縣開國侯，食邑一千戶。 尋加通直散騎常侍。 敕勒斛律洛陽作逆桑乾西，[4]與費也頭牧子迭相掎角，榮率騎破洛陽於深井，逐牧子於河西。 進號平北將軍、光祿大夫，假安北將軍，為北道都督。 尋除武衞將軍，俄加使持節、安北將軍、都督恒朔討虜諸軍、假撫軍將軍，進封博陵郡公，增邑五百戶。 其梁郡前爵，聽賜第二子。 時榮率眾至肆州，刺史尉慶賓畏惡之，閉城不納。 榮怒，攻拔之，乃署其從叔羽生為刺史，執慶賓於秀容。 自是榮兵威漸盛，朝廷亦不能罪責也。 尋除鎮北將軍。
After Zhurong succeeded to the title, he was appointed Direct Attendant and General of Mobile Striking Forces. During the Zhengguang era, when war broke out on every side, he broke up his herds, gathered volunteers, and clothed and mounted them. When the Rouran khan Anagui raided the northern border, the throne granted Zhurong command authority as General Who Conquers the Champions and a detached commander under the grand commander Li Chong on the northern campaign. Zhurong led his newly raised force of four thousand in pursuit, crossed the desert, failed to catch the enemy, and turned back. In Xiurong the attached Hu tribesman Qifumoyu stormed the commandery seat and killed the prefect; the herder Wanzhiqizhen of Southern Xiurong rebelled [1] and killed the Minister of the Imperial Stud Lu Yan; and the herder Suhepola of Bingzhou rose in rebellion from a mountain stronghold. Zhurong put them all down in turn. He was promoted to General of the Direct Gate and General Who Conquers the Champions, continuing as a detached commander. Attached rebel Hu such as Qi and the Buluoqiian Hu Liu Aru raised disturbances in Guasi [2]; the Tiele Buluobu rebelled at Woyang [3] — Zhurong destroyed them all. For his service he was enfeoffed as Marquis Who Establishes the State of Anping County, with a fief of one thousand households. Soon afterward he was additionally made Regular Attendant of Direct Transmission in Scattered Cavalry. The Tiele chieftain Hulu Luoyang rebelled west of the Sanggan [4]; he and the Paytou herders supported one another in alternating pincers. Zhurong led cavalry to defeat Luoyang at Shenjing and drove the herders west of the Yellow River. He was promoted to General Who Pacifies the North and Grand Master for Splendid Happiness, made acting General Who Pacifies the North, and appointed grand commander of the northern route. Soon after he was made General of Martial Guard; shortly thereafter he received the credential staff as General Who Pacifies the North and grand commander of all armies for suppressing the barbarians of Heng and Shuozhou, with acting rank as General Who Pacifies the Army; he was advanced to Duke of Boling Commandery with an additional fief of five hundred households. His earlier title of Liang Commandery was permitted to pass to his second son. At that time Zhurong led his troops to Sizhou; the prefect Wei Qingbin feared and hated him and shut the gates, refusing him entry. Enraged, Zhurong stormed and captured the city, installed his father's cousin Yusheng as prefect, and held Qingbin prisoner at Xiurong. From then on Zhurong's military power steadily grew, and the court could no longer punish him. Soon afterward he was appointed General Who Guards the North.
6
鮮于脩禮之反也，榮表東討，復進號征東將軍、右衞將軍、假車騎將軍、都督并肆汾廣恒雲六州諸軍事，進為大都督，加金紫光祿大夫。 時杜洛周陷中山，於時車駕聲將北討，以榮為左軍，不行。 及葛榮吞洛周，凶勢轉盛。 榮恐其南逼鄴城，表求遣騎三千東援相州，肅宗不許。 又遷車騎將軍、右光祿大夫，尋進位儀同三司。
When Xianyu Xiuli rebelled, Zhurong memorialized asking to campaign east; he was again promoted to General Who Conquers the East, General of the Right Guard, and acting General of Chariots and Cavalry, with grand command over military affairs in the six provinces of Bing, Si, Fen, Guang, Heng, and Yun; he was raised to grand commander-in-chief and given the rank of Grand Master for Splendid Happiness with the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon. At that time Du Luozhou had captured Zhongshan; rumor had it that the emperor would lead a northern campaign with Zhurong as the left wing, but nothing came of it. When Ge Rong absorbed Luozhou's forces, his ferocious power grew still greater. Zhurong feared they would press south toward Ye and memorialized asking to send three thousand cavalry east to relieve Xiangzhou; Suzong refused. He was further promoted to General of Chariots and Cavalry and Right Grand Master for Splendid Happiness, and soon afterward advanced to the Three Ducal Equivalents.
7
榮以山東賊盛，慮其西逸，乃遣兵固守滏口以防之。 復上書曰：「臣前以二州頻反，大軍喪敗，河北無援，實慮南侵，故令精騎三千出援相州，京師影響，斷其南望，賊聞此眾，當亦息圖。 使還，奉敕云：『念生梟勠，寶夤受擒，醜奴、明達並送誠款，三輔告謐，關隴載寧。 費穆虎旅，大翦妖蠻； 兩絳狂蜀，漸已稽顙。』 又承北海王顥率眾二萬出鎮相州。 北海皇孫，名位崇重，鎮撫鄴城，實副羣望。 惟願廣其配衣，及機早遣。 今關西雖平，兵未可役，山南隣賊，理無發召，王師雖眾，頻被摧北，人情危怯，實謂難用，若不更思方略，無以萬全。 如臣愚量，蠕蠕主阿那瓌荷國厚恩，未應忘報，求乞一使慰喻那瓌。 即遣發兵東引，直趣下口，揚威振武，以躡其背； 北海之軍，鎮撫相部，嚴加警備，以當其前； 臣麾下雖少，輒盡力命，自井陘以北，隘口以西，分防險要，攻其肘腋。 葛榮雖并洛周，威恩未著，人類差異，形勢可分。」 於是榮遂嚴勒部曲，廣召義勇，北捍馬邑，東塞井陘。
Because the rebels in Shandong were strong and he feared they might break westward, Zhurong sent troops to hold Fokou and block them. He submitted another memorial: "Your servant previously, seeing the two provinces rebel again and again and the main army defeated, with Hebei left without relief and real fear of a southern thrust, ordered three thousand elite cavalry to aid Xiangzhou so that the capital's prestige would reach that far, cutting off the rebels' hopes of moving south. When they heard of such a force, they would surely abandon their plans. The envoy returned bearing an edict: 'Niansheng has been executed, Mo Bao captured, Chou and Mingda have both submitted in good faith; the Three Metropolises report calm, and Guan and Long are at peace again. Fei Mu's tiger brigades have cut down the demonic barbarians in force; the raging Shu rebels of the two Jiang regions are already beginning to bow their heads.' It was also reported that Prince of Beihai Yuan Hao was leading twenty thousand men to take up command at Xiangzhou. The Prince of Beihai is an imperial grandson of high name and rank; to place him in command at Ye answers the hopes of the realm. I only ask that his guard and retinue be enlarged and that he be sent out at once. Though Guanxi is now pacified, those troops cannot yet be used; with neighboring rebels south of the mountains, there is no reason to summon them. Though the imperial army is large, it has repeatedly been broken in the north, and men's hearts are fearful and timid — truly hard troops to use. Unless a new strategy is devised, there is no way to secure complete safety. By your servant's poor judgment, the Rouran khan Anagui has received the state's deep kindness and ought not to forget his debt — I beg that one envoy be sent to reassure and instruct him. Then have him send troops east at once, pressing straight toward Xiakou, displaying power and striking terror, to fall upon the enemy's rear; the Beihai army to pacify and hold the Xiang region, with strict watch and defense to meet them head-on; though your servant's own forces are few, I will spend my last strength holding the strategic points from north of Jingxing to west of the passes, and strike their flanks. Though Ge Rong has absorbed Luozhou, his authority and favor are not yet secure; the peoples under him differ, and the situation can still be divided." Thereupon Zhurong tightened discipline among his troops, widely summoned volunteers, defended Mayi to the north, and blocked Jingxing to the east.
8
尋屬肅宗崩，事出倉卒，榮聞之大怒，謂鄭儼、徐紇為之，與元天穆等密議稱兵入匡朝廷，討定之。 乃抗表曰：「伏承大行皇帝背棄萬方，奉諱號踴，五內摧剝。 仰尋詔旨，實用驚惋。 今海內草草，異口一言，皆云大行皇帝，鴆毒致禍。 臣等外聽訟言，內自追測。 去月二十五日聖體康悆，至於二十六日奄忽昇遐。 即事觀望，實有所惑。 且天子寢疾，侍臣不離左右，親貴名醫，瞻仰患狀，面奉音旨，親承顧託。 豈容不豫初不召醫，崩棄曾無親奉，欲使天下不為怪愕，四海不為喪氣，豈可得乎？ 復皇后女生，稱為儲兩，疑惑朝野，虛行慶宥，宗廟之靈見欺，兆民之望已失，使七百危於累卵，社禝墜於一朝，方選君嬰孩之中，寄治乳抱之日，使姦豎專朝，賊臣亂紀，惟欲指影以行權，假形而弄詔，此則掩眼捕雀，塞耳盜鍾。 今秦隴塵飛，趙魏霧合，寶夤、醜奴勢逼豳雍，葛榮、就德憑陵河海，楚兵吳卒密邇在郊。 古人有言：邦之不臧，隣之福也。 一旦聞此，誰不闚𨵦？ 竊惟大行皇帝聖德馭宇，繼體正君，猶邊烽迭舉，妖寇不滅，況今從佞臣之計，隨親戚之談，舉潘嬪之女以誑百姓，奉未言之兒而臨四海，欲使海內安乂，愚臣所未聞也。 伏願留聖善之慈，回須臾之慮，照臣忠誠，錄臣至款，聽臣赴闕，預參大議，問侍臣帝崩之由，訪禁旅不知之狀，以徐、鄭之徒付之司敗，雪同天之耻，謝遠近之怨。 然後更召宗親，推其年德，聲副遐邇，改承寶祚，則四海更蘇，百姓幸甚。」 於是遂勒所統將赴京師。 靈太后甚懼，詔以李神軌為大都督，將於大行杜防。
Soon afterward Emperor Suzong died — a sudden, unforeseen event. When Zhurong heard the news he was furious, believing Zheng Yan and Xu He responsible; with Yuan Tianmu and others he secretly planned to raise troops, enter the capital, set the court right, and punish those responsible. He then submitted a defiant memorial: "I humbly learn that the late emperor has left the myriad realms; upon receiving the mournful tidings I am convulsed with grief, my innermost being torn apart. Reading the edict's purport, I am truly shocked and dismayed. Now the realm is in uproar, and with one voice all say the late emperor met his end by poison. We ministers listen to the public outcry without, and within we trace and investigate for ourselves. On the twenty-fifth of last month the emperor's person was still hale and well; yet on the twenty-sixth he suddenly departed this life. Judging the matter as it stands, I am truly perplexed. Moreover, when the Son of Heaven lay ill, attendants never left his side; eminent physicians observed his symptoms at close hand, received his words face to face, and personally accepted his final charge. How could it be tolerated that at the first sign of illness no physician was summoned, and at death no intimate was present — yet one would have the realm neither shocked nor the four seas disheartened? Is such a thing possible? Then the empress bore a daughter, yet she was proclaimed heir — bewildering court and countryside, granting empty amnesties in celebration. The ancestral spirits are deceived, the people's hopes betrayed; the seven hundred states stand perilous as a pile of eggs, the altars of soil and grain ready to fall in a morning. A ruler is chosen from among infants, governance entrusted to one still at the breast, while wicked eunuchs monopolize the court and treacherous ministers overturn order, wielding power by pointing at a shadow and forging edicts through a borrowed form — this is covering the eyes to catch sparrows, stopping the ears to steal a bell. Now dust rises in Qin and Long and mists gather over Zhao and Wei; Mo Bao and Chou threaten Bin and Yong; Ge Rong and Jiude menace the rivers and seas; Chu soldiers and Wu troops press close upon the capital's outskirts. The ancients said: When a state falls into disorder, its neighbors' fortune rises. Once this is heard, who would not watch and covet an opening? I reflect that the late emperor, though he ruled with sacred virtue and succeeded legitimately to the throne, still saw frontier alarms rise again and again and demonic bandits go unextinguished — how much less can the realm be pacified now, when flatterers' schemes and kinsmen's counsel prevail, the daughter of Lady Pan is held up to deceive the people, and an infant who cannot yet speak is set over the four seas. Such a path to order within the seas your foolish servant has never heard of. I humbly pray that Your Majesty retain your sacred kindness, turn back for a moment's thought, recognize my loyalty and accept my utmost sincerity, permit me to come to court and take part in the great deliberation, inquire of the attendants the cause of the emperor's death, investigate why the palace guard knew nothing of it, hand Xu, Zheng, and their kind over to justice, wipe away this shame that touches Heaven itself, and answer the grievances of near and far. Then summon the imperial kin once more, choose among them by age and virtue one whose name resounds far and near, and set him on the throne — the four seas would stir back to life, and the people would know great fortune. With that he marched the troops under his command toward the capital. Empress Dowager Ling was terrified. She issued an edict appointing Li Shengui Grand Commander and sent troops to bar his way on the main road.
9
十一日，榮奉帝為主，詔以榮為使持節、侍中、都督中外諸軍事、大將軍、開府、兼尚書令、領軍將軍、領左右，太原王，食邑二萬戶。 十二日，百官皆朝於行宮。 十三日，榮惑武衞將軍費穆之說，乃引迎駕百官於行宮西北，云欲祭天。 朝士既集，列騎圍遶，責天下喪亂，明帝卒崩之由，云皆緣此等貪虐，不相匡弼所致。 因縱兵亂害，王公卿士皆斂手就戮，死者千三百餘人，皇弟、皇兄並亦見害，靈太后、少主其日暴崩。 榮遂有大志，令御史趙元則造禪文，遣數十人遷帝於河橋。 至夜四更中，復奉帝南還營幕。 帝憂憤無計，乃令人喻旨於榮曰：「帝王迭襲，盛衰無常，既屬屯運，四方瓦解。 將軍杖義而起，前無橫陳，此乃天意，非人力也。 我本相投，規存性命，帝王重位，豈敢妄希，直是將軍見逼，權順所請耳。 今璽運已移，天命有在，宜時即尊號。 將軍必若推而不居，存魏社稷，亦任更擇親賢，共相輔戴。」 榮既有異圖，遂鑄金為己像，數四不成。 時幽州人劉靈助善卜占，為榮所信，言天時人事必不可爾。 榮亦精神恍惚，不自支持，久而方悟，遂便愧悔。 於是獻武王、榮外兵參軍司馬子如等切諫，陳不可之理。 榮曰：「愆誤若是，惟當以死謝朝廷，今日安危之機，計將何出？」 獻武王等曰：「未若還奉長樂，以安天下。」 於是還奉莊帝。 十四日，輿駕入宮。
On the eleventh day Er Zhurong raised the emperor to the throne. An edict named him Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Palace Attendant, Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs Within and Without, Grand General, Commissioner with an Open Office, Concurrent Director of the Masters of Writing, General of the Central Army, Commander of the Left and Right Guard, Prince of Taiyuan, with a fief of twenty thousand households. On the twelfth day all officials attended court at the traveling palace. On the thirteenth day, persuaded by General of Martial Guard Fei Mu, Rong summoned the officials who had come to welcome the emperor to a place northwest of the traveling palace, claiming he wished to perform a sacrifice to Heaven. When the court officials had gathered, cavalry encircled them on every side. He denounced them for the chaos engulfing the realm and for Emperor Ming's sudden death, declaring that it all stemmed from their greed, cruelty, and failure to counsel and support the throne. Then he loosed his troops in the Heyin massacre. Princes, ministers, and court officials folded their hands and went to the slaughter — more than thirteen hundred dead. Imperial brothers were killed as well. Empress Dowager Ling and the young emperor both perished violently that same day. Rong's ambitions now swelled. He ordered Censor Zhao Yuanze to draft an abdication decree and sent several dozen men to escort the emperor to He Bridge. In the fourth watch of the night he escorted the emperor south again to the camp. Anguished and desperate, the emperor sent a messenger to Rong with these words: "Emperors rise and fall in turn; fortune has no fixed course. Hard times have come, and the realm is crumbling on every side. You raised the righteous standard and none could stand in your path — this is Heaven's will, not man's doing. I came to you only to save my life. The imperial throne — how would I dare reach for it? You pressed me, and I merely yielded for the moment to your demand. The throne's fortune has passed from me; Heaven's mandate now rests with you. You should assume the imperial title without delay. If you refuse the throne yet mean to preserve Wei's altars, choose anew from among the worthy of the imperial clan and install one whom all can support together. Rong already nursed other ambitions. He had a gold statue of himself cast, but try as he might — four times — it would not take. A You Province man named Liu Lingzhu, skilled in divination and trusted by Rong, declared that Heaven and circumstance forbade it. Rong himself grew disoriented, barely able to stand. Long afterward he came to himself and was seized with shame and regret. Prince Xianwu, Sima Ziru the external military adjutant, and others urgently remonstrated, explaining why he must not do it. Rong said, "If my error is so great, death alone can answer to the throne. This moment decides safety or ruin — what is to be done? Prince Xianwu and the others replied, "Better restore Chang Le to the throne and settle the realm. Thereupon they restored Emperor Zhuang to the throne. On the fourteenth day the emperor entered the palace.
10
于時或云榮欲遷都晉陽，或云欲肆兵大掠，迭相驚恐，人情駭震，京邑士子不一存，率皆逃竄，無敢出者。 直衞空虛，官守廢曠。 榮聞之，上書曰：「臣世荷蕃寄，征討累年，奉忠王室，志存效死。 直以太后淫亂，孝明暴崩，遂率義兵，扶立社稷。 陛下登祚之始，人情未安，大兵交際，難可齊一，諸王朝貴橫死者眾，臣今粉軀不足塞往責以謝亡者。 然追榮褒德，謂之不朽，乞降天慈，微申私責。 無上王請追尊帝號，諸王、刺史乞贈三司，其位班三品請贈令僕，五品之官各贈方伯，六品已下及白民贈以鎮郡。 諸死者無後聽繼，即授封爵。 均其高下節級別科，使恩洽存亡，有慰生死。」 詔曰：「覽表不勝鯁塞。 朕德行無感，致茲酷濫，尋繹往事，貫切於懷。 可如所表。」 自茲已後，贈終叨濫，庸人賤品，動至大官，為識者所不貴。 武定中，齊文襄王始革其失，追褒有典焉。 榮啟帝遣使循城勞問，於是人情遂安，朝士逃亡者亦稍來歸闕。 榮又奏請番直，朔望之日引見三公、令僕、尚書、九卿及司州牧、河南尹、洛陽河陰執事之官，參論國治，經綸王道，以為常式。
Rumors flew — Rong would move the capital to Jinyang, or let his troops loot at will. Panic fed on panic until the capital shook. Scholars fled en masse; scarcely a soul dared show his face in the streets. The palace guard stood empty; government offices were deserted. Learning of this, Rong submitted a memorial: "My clan has served the dynasty for generations. I have campaigned year after year, loyal to the throne, ready to die in its service. Only because the empress dowager's conduct brought disorder, and Emperor Xiaoming died suddenly, did I raise righteous troops to uphold the altars of state. When Your Majesty first took the throne, hearts were unsettled and armies collided — discipline could not hold. Many princes and nobles died by violence. My own broken body cannot atone for what is past or answer to the dead. Yet posthumous honors endure; I beg Your Majesty's grace to hear this private plea. For Prince Wushang, posthumous imperial rank; for princes and prefects, the Three Excellencies; for third rank and above, directorships; for fifth rank, regional governorships; for sixth rank and below and commoners, commandery and garrison titles. Where the dead left no heirs, permit adoption and confer titles at once. Grade honors by rank so that grace reaches living and dead alike and brings comfort to both sides of the grave. An edict replied: "Reading your memorial fills my throat with grief. My own virtue has brought this bloodshed. Looking back on what has passed, the pain pierces me through. Let it be as you request." After this, posthumous honors became absurdly lavish; men of no merit routinely received high rank — something thoughtful observers scorned. In the Wuding era Prince Wenxiang of Qi first corrected the abuse and restored proper standards for posthumous honor. Rong urged the emperor to send envoys through the city with words of comfort. Hearts steadied, and officials who had fled slowly drifted back to court. Rong also petitioned for a rotating duty roster: on the first and fifteenth of each month the Three Excellencies, chief ministers, Masters of Writing, Nine Ministers, the Governor of Sizhou, the Intendant of Henan, and officials of Luoyang and Heyin would meet to debate governance — a standing custom thereafter.
11
五月，榮還晉陽。 七月，詔曰：「乾坤統物，星象贊其功； 皇王御運，股肱匡其業。 是以周道中缺，齊晉立濟世之忠； 殷祚或虧，彭韋振救時之節。 自前朝失御，厄運荐臻。 太原王榮爰戴朕躬，推臨萬國，勳踰伊霍，功格二儀，王室不壞，伊人是賴。 可柱國大將軍、兼錄尚書事，餘如故。」
In the fifth month Rong returned to Jinyang. In the seventh month an edict declared: "Heaven and Earth govern the myriad things, and the stars bear witness to their work; emperors and kings steer the course of fate, and loyal ministers brace their enterprise. When the Zhou Way faltered, Qi and Jin rose with loyalty to rescue the age; when the Yin throne wavered, Peng and Wei answered with the steadfastness of men who save their age. Since the previous court lost its grip, calamity has piled upon calamity. Prince of Taiyuan Rong has borne me up and stepped forward to rule the myriad states — merit surpassing Yi Yin and Huo Guang, achievement reaching Heaven and Earth. The royal house still stands; the people lean on him. Let him be appointed Pillar of the State, Grand General, and Concurrent Recorder of the Masters of Writing; all other offices remain as before."
12
時葛榮將向京師，眾號百萬。 相州刺史李神軌閉門自守。 [5]賊鋒已過汲郡，所在村塢悉被殘略。 榮啟求討之。 九月，乃率精騎七千，馬皆有副，倍道兼行，東出滏口。 葛榮為賊既久，橫行河北，時眾寡非敵，議者謂無制賊之理。 葛榮聞之，喜見於色，乃令其眾曰：「此易與耳。 諸人俱辦長繩，至便縛取。」 葛榮自鄴以北列陳數十里，箕張而進。 榮潛軍山谷為奇兵，分督將已上三人為一處，處有數百騎，令所在揚塵鼓譟，使賊不測多少。 又以人馬逼戰，刀不如棒，密勒軍士馬上各齎神棒一枚，[6]置於馬側。 至於戰時，不聽斬級，以棒棒之而已，慮廢騰逐也。 乃分命壯勇所當衝突，號令嚴明，戰士同奮。 榮身自陷陳，出於賊後，表裏合擊，大破之。 於陳擒葛榮，餘眾悉降。 榮以賊徒既眾，若即分割，恐其疑懼，或更結聚，乃普告勒各從所樂，親屬相隨，任所居止。 於是羣情喜悅，登即四散，數十萬眾一朝散盡。 待出百里之外，乃始分道押領，隨便安置，咸得其宜。 擢其渠帥，量力授用，新附者咸安。 時人服其處分機速。 乃檻車送葛榮赴闕。 詔曰：「功格天地，錫命之位必崇； 道濟生民，褒賞之名宜大。 是以有莘贊亳，不次之號爰歸； 渭叟翼周，殊世之班載集。 況導源積石，襲構崐山，門踵英猷，弼成鴻業，抗高天之摧柱，振厚地之絕維，德冠五侯，勳高九伯者哉！ 太原王榮代荷蕃寵，世載忠烈，入匡頹運，出剿元兇，使積年之霧倏焉滌蕩，數載之塵一朝清謐。 燕恒既泰，趙魏還蘇，比績況功，古今莫二，若不式稽舊典，增是禮數，將何以昭德報功，遠明國範？ 可大丞相、都督河北畿外諸軍事，增邑一萬戶，通前三萬，餘官悉如故。」
At that time Ge Rong was marching on the capital at the head of an army said to number a million. Li Shengui, Inspector of Xiang Province, shut the city gates and held out alone. [5] The rebel vanguard had already swept past Ji Commandery, ravaging every village stockade in its path. Rong petitioned for leave to campaign against him. In the ninth month he led seven thousand elite horsemen, each with a spare mount, and raced east through Fu Pass by forced marches day and night. Ge Rong had long led his rebels in rampaging across Hebei. Rong's force was vastly outnumbered, and observers said there was no way to bring such bandits to heel. When Ge Rong heard the news, delight showed on his face. He told his men, "These will be easy pickings. Everyone prepare long ropes — when they arrive, bind them up. Ge Rong drew up his battle line north of Ye for miles on end and advanced with wings spread wide. Rong hid troops in the valleys as a surprise force, grouping his senior commanders in threes with several hundred horsemen each, and ordered them to raise dust and beat drums everywhere so the rebels could not tell how many they faced. He also reasoned that in close combat between horse and man, a blade was no match for a club. In secret he ordered every cavalryman to carry a heavy iron club [6] at his saddle. In battle he forbade taking heads for tally; strike with the club and nothing else, lest the chase be wasted. He assigned his strongest men to the points of assault. Orders rang clear, and the warriors fought as one. Rong himself plunged into the fray and emerged behind the rebel line; attacked from within and without, the enemy was shattered. Ge Rong was captured on the field; the rest surrendered en masse. The rebel host was vast; to divide them at once might breed fear and drive them to regroup. Rong therefore proclaimed that each man might go where he pleased, kinsmen keeping together, and settle where he chose. Hearts lifted; in a single morning several hundred thousand men scattered to the winds. Only after they had spread a hundred li did he begin escorting them by separate routes and settling each where it suited — all to good effect. He promoted rebel chieftains and assigned posts according to their ability; the newly surrendered settled into peace. Contemporaries marveled at the speed and soundness of his handling. Ge Rong was sent to the capital in a caged cart. An edict proclaimed: "When merit reaches Heaven and Earth, the rank conferred must be exalted; when the Way succors the people, the name of reward must be great. When Youxin assisted Tang at Bo, an extraordinary title was his due; when the old man of the Wei River aided Zhou, ranks beyond any age were heaped upon him. How much more one who draws his source from Jishi, inherits Kunshan's foundation, follows in the footsteps of heroic forebears, and helps complete a great enterprise — who props up Heaven's falling pillar and braces Earth's snapped cords, whose virtue crowns the five marquises and whose merit towers over the nine lords! Prince of Taiyuan Rong, favored by the throne for generations, his house long known for loyalty and valor — within he has righted a failing age, without he has destroyed the arch-rebel — years of murk washed away in an instant, years of dust stilled in a single morning. Yan and Heng stand at peace; Zhao and Wei breathe again — matched against the records of past and present, his like is second to none. If we do not follow ancient precedent and enlarge these honors, how shall we proclaim his virtue, repay his merit, and hold him up as the nation's model? Let him be Grand Chancellor and Commander of All Military Affairs in Hebei and beyond the capital region; increase his fief by ten thousand households, thirty thousand in all; all other offices remain as before."
13
初，榮之將討葛榮也，軍次襄垣，遂令軍士列圍大獵。 有雙兔起於馬前，榮乃躍馬彎弓而誓之曰：「中之則擒葛榮，不中則否。」 既而並應弦而殪，三軍咸悅。 及破賊之後，即命立碑於其所，號「雙兔碑」。 榮將戰之夜，夢一人從葛榮索千牛刀，而葛榮初不肯與。 此人自稱我是道武皇帝，汝何敢違。 葛榮乃奉刀，此人手持授榮。 既寤而喜，自知必勝。
Before the campaign against Ge Rong, the army halted at Xiangyuan, and Rong ordered a great encircling hunt. Two hares burst up before his horse. Rong spurred forward, strung his bow, and swore: "If I hit them, Ge Rong will be taken; if I miss, he will not. Both fell to a single volley. The whole army exulted. After the victory he ordered a stele raised on the spot, called the Stele of the Twin Hares. On the eve of battle Rong dreamed that a man demanded Ge Rong's thousand-ox blade, and at first Ge Rong refused. The man declared, "I am Emperor Daowu — how dare you refuse?" Ge Rong surrendered the blade; the man took it and placed it in Rong's hand. He woke rejoicing, certain of victory.
14
又詔曰：「我皇魏道契神元，德光靈範，源先二象，化穆五才，玉歷與日月惟休，金鼎共乾坤俱永。 而正光之末，皇運時屯，百揆咸亂，九宮失敍，朝野撫膺，士女嗟怨，遂使四海土崩，九區瓦解。 逆賊杜周，虔劉燕代； 妖寇葛榮，假噬魏趙。 常山、易水，戎鼓夜驚； 冰井、叢臺，胡塵晝合。 朔南久已丘墟，河北殆成灰燼。 宗廟懷匪安之慮，社稷急不測之憂。 大丞相、太原王榮道鏡域中，德光區外，神昭藏往，思實知來，義踵先勳，忠資曩烈。 遂能大建義謀，收集忠勇，熊羆競逐，虎豹爭先，軒翥南溟，摶風北極，氣震林原，勢動山岳，弔民伐罪，殲此鯨鯢。 戮卒多於長平，積器高於熊耳。 秦晉聞聲而喪膽，齊莒側聽而讋息。 中興之業是乎再隆，太平之基茲焉更始。 雖復伊霍宣翼之功，桓文崇贊之道，何足以髣髴鴻蹤，比勳盛烈。 道格普天，仁沾率土，振古以來，未有其比。 若不廣錫山河，大開土宇，何以表大義之崇高，標盛德之廣遠？ 可以冀州之長樂、相州之南趙、定州之博陵、滄州之浮陽、平州之遼西、燕州之上谷、幽州之漁陽等七郡，各萬戶通前滿十萬戶為太原國邑。」 又進位太師，餘如故。
Another edict declared: "Our Great Wei — its Way joins with the divine origin, its virtue shines with the numinous model, its source predates the two primal forces, its transforming power harmonizes the five talents. Its jade calendar shares eternity with sun and moon; its golden cauldron endures with Heaven and Earth. Yet at the end of the Zhenguang era imperial fortune faltered; the hundred offices fell into chaos, the nine palaces lost their order. Court and countryside beat their breasts in anguish until the four seas crumbled and the nine regions split apart. The rebel Du Zhou ravaged Yan and Dai; the demonic bandit Ge Rong preyed upon Wei and Zhao. At Changshan and Yishui war drums shattered the night; at Bingjing and Congtai barbarian dust blotted out the day. North and south had long stood in ruins; Hebei was nearly ash. The ancestral temples knew no peace; the altars of state faced dread beyond reckoning. Grand Chancellor, Prince of Taiyuan Rong — his Way mirrors the realm, his virtue shines beyond its borders; his spirit reads the hidden past, his mind discerns what is to come. In righteousness he follows the achievements of old; in loyalty he draws on the valor of his forebears. He raised a righteous design, gathered the loyal and brave — bears and badgers raced in pursuit, tigers and leopards vied for the van — soaring over the southern sea, beating the wind at the northern pole; his spirit shook forest and field, his force moved mountains; comforting the people and punishing the guilty, he destroyed these monsters of the deep. The slain outnumbered those at Changping; piled weapons rose higher than Mount Xiong'er. Qin and Jin heard the news and lost heart; Qi and Ju listened in dread and held their breath. The work of restoration rose again; the foundation of peace began anew. Even the assisting merit of Yi Yin and Huo Guang, the exalted patronage of Duke Huan and Duke Wen — how could they glimpse such footprints, or compare with merit so blazing and great? His Way reaches all under Heaven; his benevolence touches every corner of the realm. Since time out of mind, none has been his equal. If we do not grant him broad dominion over mountains and rivers and enlarge his realm, how shall we proclaim the loftiness of his righteousness and mark the far-reaching scope of his supreme virtue? The seven commanderies of Chang Le in Ji Province, Nan Zhao in Xiang Province, Boling in Ding Province, Fuyang in Cang Province, Liaoxi in Ping Province, Shanggu in Yan Province, and Yuyang in You Province — ten thousand households each, one hundred thousand in all with previous grants — were to form the fief of the State of Taiyuan. He was further promoted to Grand Preceptor; all other offices remained as before."
15
建義初，北海王元顥南奔蕭衍，衍乃立為魏主，資以兵將。 時邢杲寇亂三齊，與顥應接。 朝廷以顥孤弱，不以為慮。 永安二年春，[7]詔大將軍元穆先平齊地，然後回師征顥。 顥以大軍未還，乘虛徑進，既陷梁國，鼓行而西，滎陽、虎牢並皆不守。 五月，車駕出幸河北。 事出不虞，天下改望。 榮聞之，即時馳傳朝行宮於上黨之長子，行其部分。 輿駕於是南轅，榮為前驅，旬日之間，兵馬大集，資糧器仗，繼踵而至。 天穆既平邢杲，亦渡河以會車駕。 顥都督宗正珍孫、河內太守元襲固守不降，榮攻而克之，斬珍孫、元襲以徇。 帝幸河內城。 榮與顥相持於河上，顥令都督安豐王延明緣河據守。 榮既未有舟船，不得即渡，議欲還北，更圖後舉。 黃門郎楊侃、高道穆等並謂大軍若還，失天下之望，固執以為不可。 語在侃等傳。 屬馬渚諸楊云有小船數艘，求為鄉導，榮乃令都督尒朱兆等率精騎夜濟，登岸奮擊。 顥子領軍將軍冠受率馬步五千拒戰，兆大破之，臨陳擒冠受。 延明聞冠受見擒，遂自逃散，顥便率麾下南奔。 事在其傳。
At the opening of the Jianyi era Prince of Beihai Yuan Hao fled south to Xiao Yan, who set him up as ruler of Wei and furnished him with troops and commanders. At the time Xing Gao was ravaging the Three Qi, acting in concert with Yuan Hao. The court considered Yuan Hao isolated and weak and gave him little thought. In the spring of the second year of Yong'an, [7] an edict ordered Grand General Yuan Mu to pacify Qi first, then turn his army against Yuan Hao. Yuan Hao, seeing the main army still abroad, drove straight through the gap. He took Liang State and marched west with drums beating; Xingyang and Hulao both fell without a fight. In the fifth month the emperor withdrew north into Hebei. The crisis came without warning, and the realm turned its hopes elsewhere. When Rong heard the news he raced by post toward the traveling palace at Changzi in Shangdang, deploying his divisions as he went. The emperor turned south; Rong rode at the van. Within ten days troops and horses massed, and provisions, grain, weapons, and gear poured in without pause. Tianmu, having pacified Xing Gao, crossed the river to join the emperor. Yuan Hao's commanders Zongzheng Zhensun and Intendant of Henei Yuan Xi held out and refused to yield. Rong stormed the place, beheaded both men, and displayed their heads as a warning. The emperor took refuge in Henei city. Rong and Yuan Hao faced each other across the river. Yuan Hao ordered Prince of Anfeng Yanming to hold the river line. Rong had no boats and could not cross at once. Some counseled returning north to plan another attempt. Gentlemen of the Yellow Gate Yang Kan, Gao Daomu, and others argued that a retreat would forfeit the realm's trust and firmly insisted it must not happen. The full account appears in the biographies of Kan and the others. Just then the Yang clan of Mazhu offered several small boats and asked to guide the crossing. Rong ordered Er Zhuba and others to lead elite cavalry across by night, land on the far shore, and strike hard. Yuan Hao's son Guanshou, General of the Central Army, led five thousand horse and foot to resist. Zhuba shattered them and took Guanshou on the field. When Yanming learned Guanshou had been taken, his force broke and fled. Yuan Hao led his followers south in retreat. The full account appears in his biography.
16
車駕渡河，入居華林園。 詔曰：「周武奉時，藉十亂以纂曆； 漢祖先天，資三傑以除暴。 理民濟治，斯道未爽。 使持節、柱國大將軍、大丞相、太原王榮，蘊伏風煙，抱含日月，總奇正以成術，兼文武而為資。 昔處亂朝，韜光戢翼，秣馬冀北，厲兵晉陽，佇龍顏而振腕，想日角以歎息。 忠勇奮發，虎士如林，義功始立，所向風靡。 故能芟夷羣惡，振此頹綱，俾朕寡昧，獲承鴻緒。 雖大位克正，而眾盜未息。 葛榮跋扈，仍亂中原，建旗伐罪，授首殲馘。 元顥凶頑，構成巨釁，阻弄吳楚，虧汙宗社。 朕徙御北徂，劬勞鞍甲。 王聞難星奔，一舉大定，下洽民和，上匡王室。 鴻勳巨績，書契所未紀； 飲至策勳，事絕於比況。 非常之功，必有非常之賞，可天柱大將軍。 此官雖訪古無聞，今員未有，太祖已前增置此號，式遵典故，用錫殊禮。 又宜開土宇，可增封十萬，通前二十萬，加前後部羽葆鼓吹。 餘如故。」 榮尋還晉陽。
The emperor crossed the river and took up residence in Hualin Garden. An edict declared: "King Wu of Zhou received Heaven's mandate and, with the aid of ten disordered lords, seized the throne; the Founder of Han moved before Heaven and, with the Three Heroes at his side, overthrew tyranny. To govern the people and set the realm in order — this principle has never failed. Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Pillar of the State, Grand General, Grand Chancellor, Prince of Taiyuan Rong — he concealed his power like wind and mist, held sun and moon within him, united orthodox and unorthodox stratagems into one art, and drew on both civil and martial gifts as his strength. Once, in a court gone to ruin, he hid his light and bided his time — fed his horses north of Ji, sharpened his weapons at Jinyang, waited for the emperor's face and clenched his fist, dreamed of a sovereign marked by Heaven and sighed. Loyal and brave, he roused himself to action; his tiger warriors stood thick as a forest. Righteous achievement was his from the first; wherever he turned, resistance crumbled like chaff. Thus he cut down the hosts of evil, raised this failing order from ruin, and let me — dull and unworthy — inherit the great succession. Though the throne was rightly secured, bandits still roamed the land. Ge Rong ran rampant and still ravaged the Central Plain. Rong raised the banner of punishment, took his head, and destroyed his army. Yuan Hao was vicious and obstinate, contriving a great rebellion, stirring trouble in Wu and Chu and staining the altars of state. I withdrew north myself, weary in saddle and armor. The prince, hearing of the crisis, raced to the rescue and settled all in one stroke — below, the people found peace; above, the throne was saved. Merit so great and achievement so towering that no record in writing or tally has ever matched it; victory feasts and merit rolls alike find no parallel in history. Extraordinary achievement demands extraordinary reward. Let him be appointed Heaven-Pillar Grand General. Though antiquity knows no such office and none holds it today, the title was established before Emperor Taizu. Following ancient precedent, let it serve as a special honor. His domain should also be enlarged: increase his fief by one hundred thousand households, two hundred thousand in all, and grant front and rear guard feather-canopy processional music. All other offices remain as before. Rong soon returned to Jinyang."
17
先是，葛榮枝黨韓婁仍據幽平二州，榮遣都督侯淵討斬之。 時賊帥万俟醜奴、蕭寶夤擁眾豳涇，兇勢日盛。 榮遣其從子天光為雍州刺史，令率都督賀拔岳、侯莫陳悅等總眾入關討之。 天光既至雍州，以眾少不敵，逡巡未集。 榮大怒，遣其騎兵參軍劉貴馳驛詣軍，加天光杖罰。 天光等大懼，乃進討，連破之，擒醜奴、寶夤，並檻車送闕。 天光又擒王慶雲、万俟道樂，關西悉平。 於是天下大難，便以盡矣。
Earlier Ge Rong's lieutenant Han Lou still held You and Ping provinces. Rong sent Hou Yuan against him and had him beheaded. At the time the rebel chiefs Moqi Chounu and Xiao Baoyin held Bin and Jing with large forces, and their power grew daily. Rong sent his nephew Tianguang as Inspector of Yong Province and ordered him to lead Heba Yue, Houmochen Yue, and other commanders through the passes against them. When Tianguang reached Yong Province he found his force too small to match the enemy and hesitated without gathering his troops. Rong was furious and sent his cavalry adjutant Liu Gui racing by post to the army to have Tianguang beaten. Tianguang and his men were terrified and advanced to fight. They won victory after victory, captured Chounu and Baoyin, and sent both to the capital in caged carts. Tianguang also captured Wang Qingyun and Moqi Daole, and all west of the passes was pacified. It seemed the great calamities of the realm had at last come to an end.
18
榮性好獵，不舍寒暑，至於列圍而進，必須齊一，雖遇阻險，不得回避，虎豹逸圍者坐死。 其下甚苦之。 太宰元天穆從容謂榮曰：「大王勳濟天下，四方無事，惟宜調政養民，順時蒐狩，何必盛夏馳逐，傷犯和氣。」 榮便攘肘謂天穆曰：「太后女主，不能自正，推奉天子者，此是人臣常節。 葛榮之徒，本是奴才，乘時作亂，妄自署假，譬如奴走，擒獲便休。 頃來受國大寵，未能開拓境土，混一海內，何宜今日便言勳也！ 如聞朝士猶自寬縱，今秋欲共兄戒勒士馬，校獵嵩原，令貪污朝貴入圍搏虎。 仍出魯陽，歷三荊，悉擁生蠻北填六鎮。 回軍之際，因平汾胡。 明年簡練精騎，分出江淮，蕭衍若降，乞萬戶侯。 如其不降，徑渡數千騎，便往縛取。 待六合寧一，八表無塵，然後共兄奉天子，巡四方，觀風俗，布政教，如此乃可稱勳耳。 今若止獵，兵士懈怠，安可復用也。」
Rong loved the hunt and never stopped, winter or summer. When the beaters closed the ring every man had to hold the line — no evasion, even over rough ground. Anyone who let a tiger or leopard break out was put to death. His men suffered greatly under this. Grand Preceptor Yuan Tianmu said gently to Rong, "Your merit has saved the realm; the four quarters are at peace. You should govern wisely, nourish the people, and hunt in season. Why race through the midsummer heat and upset the balance of the year?" Rong jostled Tianmu with his elbow and said, "The empress dowager was a woman who could not govern herself. Raising up the Son of Heaven is what any loyal subject does. Men like Ge Rong were slaves who seized their moment, made up titles for themselves, and rebelled — like a runaway bondman: catch him and the trouble is over. I have received the state's greatest favor, yet I have not expanded the borders or unified the realm. How can anyone speak of merit now! I hear court officials still indulge themselves. This autumn I mean to drill troops with you on the Song plain and drive the corrupt nobles into the ring to wrestle tigers. Then I will march from Luyang through the Three Jing regions and drive the barbarians north to repopulate the Six Garrisons. On the return march I will pacify the Fen Hu as well. Next year I will drill elite cavalry and send columns south of the Yangtze and Huai. If Xiao Yan submits, a marquisate of ten thousand households is all I ask. If he refuses, I will cross with a few thousand horsemen and bind him where he stands. When the six directions are one and the eight borderlands are at peace, then you and I will support the Son of Heaven, tour the realm, observe its customs, and spread governance and teaching — only then will there be merit worth the name. Stop the hunt now and the soldiers grow slack — how then can they be used again?"
19
榮身雖居外，恒遙制朝廷，廣布親戚，列為左右，伺察動靜，小大必知。 或有僥倖求官者，皆詣榮承候，得其啟請，無不遂之。 曾關補定州曲陽縣令，吏部尚書李神儁以階懸不奉，別更擬人。 榮聞大怒，即遣其所補者往奪其任。 榮使入京，雖復微蔑，朝貴見之莫不傾靡； 及至闕下，未得通奏，恃榮威勢，至乃忿怒。 榮曾啟北人為河南諸州，莊帝未許，天穆入見，面啟曰：「天柱既有大功，若請普代天下官屬，恐陛下亦不得違之，如何啟數人為州，便停不用！」 帝正色曰：「天柱若不為人臣，朕亦須代； 如其猶存臣節，無代天下百官理。 此事復何足論。」 榮聞所啟不允，大為恚恨，曰：「天子由誰得立？ 今乃不用我語。」 莊帝外迫於榮，恒怏怏不悅，兼懲榮河陰之事，恐終難保。 又城陽王徽、侍中李彧等欲擅威權，懼榮害之，復相間構，日月滋甚，於是莊帝密有圖榮之意。
Though Rong lived outside the capital he controlled the court from afar. He planted kinsmen on every side to watch all that moved — nothing great or small escaped him. Anyone seeking office by favor went first to Rong. With his endorsement, no request failed. Once he intervened to appoint the magistrate of Quyang in Ding Province. Director of the Masters of Writing Li Shenjun, finding the rank inappropriate, refused and proposed another candidate. Rong was furious and sent his appointee to seize the post by force. When Rong's agents entered the capital, however slight their manner, no court noble failed to bow before them; yet at the palace gates, denied audience, they raged on Rong's authority alone. Rong once petitioned to install northerners in the Henan provinces. Emperor Zhuang refused. Tianmu entered audience and said to his face, "The Heaven-Pillar has done so much — if he asked to replace every official in the realm, could Your Majesty refuse? Yet he asks for a few provincial posts and you turn him down! The emperor said coldly, "If the Heaven-Pillar is no longer my subject, then replace me too; if he still holds to the duty of a subject, he has no business replacing every official in the realm. That is not worth another word. When Rong learned his petition was denied he was furious. "By whose hand was the emperor raised to the throne? And now he will not heed me. Outwardly pressed by Rong, Emperor Zhuang brooded in constant displeasure. He remembered Heyin as well and feared he could not survive in the end. Prince of Chengyang Hui, Palace Attendant Li Yu, and others sought power for themselves and feared Rong would destroy them. They fanned discord between emperor and general until, day by day, the breach widened — and Emperor Zhuang secretly resolved to destroy Rong.
20
三年九月，榮啟將入朝。 朝士慮其有變，莊帝又畏惡之。 榮從弟世隆與榮書，勸其不來，榮妻北鄉郡長公主亦勸不行，榮並不從。 帝既圖榮，榮至入見，即欲害之，以天穆在并，恐為後患，故隱忍未發。 榮之入洛，有人告榮，云帝欲圖之。 榮即具奏，帝曰：「外人告云亦言王欲害我，我豈信之？」 於是榮不自疑，每入謁帝，從人不過數十，又皆挺身不持兵仗。 及天穆至，帝伏兵於明光殿東廊，引榮及榮長子菩提、天穆等俱入。 坐定，光祿少卿魯安、典御李侃晞等抽刀而至，榮窘迫，起投御坐。 帝先橫刀膝下，遂手刃之，安等亂斫，榮與天穆、菩提同時俱死。 榮時年三十八。 於是內外喜叫，聲滿京城。 既而大赦。
In the ninth month of the third year Rong announced he would enter the capital. Court officials feared trouble; Emperor Zhuang dreaded and hated him. Rong's cousin Shilong wrote urging him to stay away. Rong's wife, Princess of Beixiang Commandery, pleaded the same. Rong would not listen. The emperor already meant to kill Rong and would have done so at their first audience, but Tianmu still held Bing Province and might become a threat afterward — so he held back. When Rong entered Luoyang someone warned him that the emperor meant to destroy him. Rong reported this at once. The emperor said, "Outsiders also say you mean to harm me — would I believe that? Rong took him at his word. Each time he attended the emperor he brought no more than a few dozen followers, all unarmed and standing at ease. When Tianmu arrived the emperor hid troops in the eastern corridor of Mingguang Hall and summoned Rong, Rong's eldest son Bodhi, Tianmu, and the others inside. They had barely sat down when Vice Director of the Imperial Household Lu An, Palace Attendant Li Kanxi, and others drew their blades and rushed in. Cornered, Rong lunged toward the imperial seat. The emperor already had a blade across his knees and drove it home himself. An and the others hacked wildly. Rong, Tianmu, and Bodhi died together. Rong was thirty-eight. Inside and outside the palace cheers erupted until the capital rang with them. A general amnesty followed.
21
前廢帝初，世隆等得志，乃詔曰：「故使持節、侍中、都督河北諸軍事、天柱大將軍、大丞相、太師、領左右、兼錄尚書、北道大行臺、太原王榮，功濟區夏，誠貫幽明，天不憗遺，奄從物化。 追終褒績，列代通謨； 紀德銘勳，前王令範。 可贈假黃鉞、相國、錄尚書事、司州牧，使持節、侍中、將軍、王如故。」 又詔曰：「故假黃鉞、持節、侍中、相國、錄尚書、都督中外諸軍事、天柱大將軍、司州牧、太原王榮，惟岳降靈，應期作輔，功侔伊霍，德契桓文。 方籍棟梁，永康國命，道長運短，震悼兼深。 前已褒贈，用彰厥美。 然禮數弗窮，文物有闕，遠近之望，猶或未盡。 宜循舊典，更加殊錫。 可追號為晉王，加九錫，給九旒鑾輅、虎賁、班劍三百人、轀輬車，準晉太宰、安平獻王故事，諡曰武。」 詔曰：「武泰之末，乾樞中圮，丕基寶命，有若綴旒。 晉王榮固天所縱，世秉忠誠，一匡邦國，再造區夏，俾我頹綱，於斯復振。 雖勳銘王府，德被管絃，而從祀之禮，於茲尚闕，非所以酬懋賞於當時，騰殊績於不朽。 宜遵舊典，配享高祖廟庭。」
At the opening of the Former Deposed Emperor's reign, when Shilong and his faction held power, an edict declared: "The late Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Palace Attendant, Commander of All Military Affairs in Hebei, Heaven-Pillar Grand General, Grand Chancellor, Grand Preceptor, Commander of the Left and Right Guard, Concurrent Recorder of the Masters of Writing, Northern Route Grand Commissioner, Prince of Taiyuan Rong — his achievement succored the Central Plain, his loyalty reached from this world to the next. Heaven did not long preserve him; suddenly he was gone. Posthumous honors for the dead are the shared principle of every age; recording virtue and inscribing merit — the worthy model of kings past. Grant posthumously the ceremonial yellow battle-axe, the Chancellorship, Recorder of the Masters of Writing, Governorship of Sizhou, Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Palace Attendant, General, and Prince — all as before. Another edict declared: "The late holder of the ceremonial yellow battle-axe, Bearer of the Staff of Authority, Palace Attendant, Chancellor, Recorder of the Masters of Writing, Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs Within and Without, Heaven-Pillar Grand General, Governor of Sizhou, Prince of Taiyuan Rong — a numinous spirit descended from the sacred peak, called by the age to serve as pillar of state; merit comparable to Yi Yin and Huo Guang, virtue in the mold of Duke Huan and Duke Wen. We had just leaned on him as the state's pillar to secure its future — yet the Way was long and his span was short. Shock and grief run deep together. Honors were already conferred to proclaim his excellence. Yet the ritual honors were not complete, ceremonial regalia still lacked, and the hopes of near and far were not yet fully satisfied. Let ancient precedent be followed and further special honors added. Posthumously grant the title Prince of Jin with the Nine Bestowals — the nine-tassel imperial carriage, tiger guards, three hundred ceremonial sword-bearers, and the funeral carriage — following the precedent of Jin's Grand Preceptor, Prince Xian of Anping. Posthumous title: Wu." A further edict declared: "At the close of the Wutai reign, the axis of heaven crumbled at its heart; the dynasty's great foundation and sacred mandate hung by a thread, like tassels dangling from a crown. Prince of Jin Rong was truly Heaven's chosen instrument — ever loyal through the generations. He set the kingdom aright once and restored the Central Realm anew, raising our fallen order from ruin. Though his deeds are recorded in the royal annals and his virtue celebrated in song, the rite of joint sacrifice at the ancestral temple has yet to be granted — hardly fitting reward for such merit in its day, or the means to enshrine so great an achievement for all time. Let the ancient precedent be observed: he shall receive joint sacrifice in the hall of Emperor Gaozu."
22
菩提，肅宗末，拜羽林監。 尋轉直閤將軍。 孝莊初，以榮翼戴之勳，超授散騎常侍、平北將軍、中書令。 轉太常卿，遷驃騎大將軍、開府儀同三司，加侍中、特進。 死時年十四。 前廢帝初，贈侍中、驃騎大將軍、司徒公、冀州刺史，諡曰惠。
Puti, in the closing years of Emperor Suzong's reign, was appointed Director of the Feathered Forest Guard. He was soon transferred to the post of General of the Direct Gate. When Emperor Xiaozhuang first took the throne, Puti was promoted above his rank to Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry, General Who Pacifies the North, and Director of the Secretariat — reward for Zhurong's role in placing the emperor on the throne. He rose to Director of Ceremonial, then to Rapid Cavalry Grand General with an office equal in honor to the Three Highest Ministers, and was further granted the titles of Palace Attendant and Special Advancement. He died at the age of fourteen. When the Former Deposed Emperor came to power, Puti was posthumously honored as Palace Attendant, Rapid Cavalry Grand General, Duke of the Ministry of Education, and Governor of Jizhou, with the posthumous name Hui.
23
菩提弟叉羅，孝莊初，除散騎常侍、武衞將軍。 初襲梁郡公，又進爵為王。 尋卒，贈侍中、車騎將軍、司空公、雍州刺史。
Puti's younger brother Chaluo, at the start of Emperor Xiaozhuang's reign, was appointed Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry and Martial Guard General. He first inherited the title Duke of Liang Commandery, then was raised to prince. He died soon after and was posthumously granted Palace Attendant, Chariot-and-Cavalry General, Duke of the Ministry of Works, and Governor of Yongzhou.
24
文殊弟文暢，初封昌樂郡開國公，食邑二千戶。 以榮破葛賊之勳，進爵為王，增邑千戶。 超授散騎常侍、撫軍將軍。 後除肆州刺史，仍本將軍，加開府儀同三司。 武定三年春，坐與前東郡太守任冑等謀反，[8]伏誅。 時年十八。
Wenshu's younger brother Wenchang was first enfeoffed as founding Duke of Chang Le Commandery, with a fief of two thousand households. For Zhurong's victory over Ge Rong's bandits, Wenchang was raised to princely rank and his fief enlarged by a thousand households. He was promoted above rank to Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry and General Who Pacifies the Army. He was later appointed Governor of Sizhou while retaining his military rank, and was further granted an office equal in honor to the Three Highest Ministers. In the spring of Wuding 3, he was executed for conspiring to rebel with the former Administrator of Dong Commandery, Ren Zhou, and others. He was eighteen at the time of his death.
25
文暢弟文略，襲爵梁郡王。 武定末，撫軍將軍、光祿大夫。
Wenchang's younger brother Wenlue inherited the title of Prince of Liang Commandery. At the close of the Wuding era, he served as General Who Pacifies the Army and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness.
26
史臣曰：太祖撫運乘時，奄開王業。 世祖以武功一海內，高祖以文德革天下。 世宗之後，政道頗虧。 及明皇幼沖，女主南面。 始則于忠專恣，繼以元叉權重，握賞罰之柄，擅生殺之威，榮悴在親疏，貴賤由離合，附會者結之以子女，進趨者要之以金帛。 且佞諛用事，功勤不賞，居官肆其聚斂，乘勢極其陵暴。 於是四海囂然，已有羣飛之漸矣。 逮於靈后反政，宣淫於朝。 鄭儼手運天機，口吐王制。 李軌、徐紇刺促以求先，元略、元徽喔咿以競入。 私利畢舉，公道盡亡，遐邇怨憤，天下鼎沸。 傾覆之徵，於此至矣。
The historian writes: Taizu seized the momentum of the age and swiftly founded the royal line. Emperor Shizu brought the realm under one rule by force of arms; Emperor Gaozu remade the world through civil virtue. After Emperor Shizong's reign, good governance fell into steep decline. When the young Emperor Ming came to the throne, the Empress Dowager held court as regent. First Yu Zhong ruled unchecked; then Yuan Cha amassed overwhelming power — controlling rewards and punishments, wielding the authority of life and death. Favor and ruin hinged on whether one stood near or far; rank rose or fell with allegiance or defection. Supporters were bound by offers of marriage; climbers were bought with gold and silk. Flatterers held sway, and loyal service went unrewarded. Officials plundered without restraint, and the powerful abused their position to the utmost. The realm grew restless, and the first stirrings of mass upheaval were already visible. When Empress Ling regained power, she flaunted her debauchery throughout the court. Zheng Yan commanded the levers of state from his fingertips and issued imperial decrees from his lips. Li Gui and Xu He scrambled to push ahead of the rest; Yuan Lue and Yuan Hui wheedled their way into favor. Private greed ran its course until public justice was extinguished; resentment flared from every corner, and the empire boiled over. By then the portents of ruin had reached their full measure.
27
尒朱榮緣將帥之列，藉部眾之用，屬肅宗暴崩，民怨神怒，遂有匡頹拯弊之志，援主逐惡之圖，蓋天啟之也。 於時，上下離心，文武解體，咸企忠義之聲，俱聽桓文之舉。 勞不汗馬，朝野靡然，扶翼懿親，宗祏有主，祀魏配天，不殞舊物。 及夫擒葛榮，誅元顥，戮邢杲，翦韓婁，醜奴、寶夤咸梟馬市。 此諸魁者，或據象魏，或僭號令，人謂秉皇符，身各謀帝業，非徒鼠竊狗盜，一城一聚而已。 苟非榮之致力，克夷大難，則不知幾人稱帝，幾人稱王也。 然則榮之功烈，亦已茂乎。 而始則希覬非望，睥睨宸極； 終乃靈后、少帝沉流不反。 河陰之下，衣冠塗地。 此其所以得罪人神，而終於夷戮也。 向使榮無姦忍之失，修德義之風，則彭、韋、伊、霍夫何足數。 至於末迹見猜，地逼貽斃，斯則蒯通致說於韓王也。
Er Zhurong rose from the ranks of military commanders, drawing on the strength of his tribal forces. When Emperor Suzong died suddenly amid widespread outrage, Zhurong conceived the ambition to rescue a collapsing state and restore a broken order — to uphold the rightful ruler and purge the wicked. Perhaps Heaven itself opened the way. Court and country had lost all cohesion; civil officials and military men alike had come apart. Everyone awaited a voice of loyalty and righteousness; everyone listened for a Huan or Wen of the age. Without the weary toll of prolonged campaigning, court and countryside fell into line. He enthroned the worthy imperial kinsman; the ancestral altars had their rightful keeper once more. Wei continued to be worshipped alongside Heaven, and the dynasty's ancient patrimony endured. He captured Ge Rong, executed Yuan Hao, killed Xing Gao, and destroyed Han Lou; Chou Nu and Bao Yin were all put to death and their heads displayed at Horse Market. These rebel leaders had seized the imperial capital or proclaimed themselves sovereign; each claimed heaven's mandate and plotted for the throne. They were far more than mere bandits raiding a town or a cluster of villages. Had Zhurong not thrown himself into quelling the catastrophe, who can say how many men would have proclaimed themselves emperor — or king? His achievements, then, were truly great. Yet at first he harbored illicit ambition and cast his eyes toward the throne; and in the end Empress Ling and the young emperor were cast into the river, never to return. At the slaughter by the Yellow River at Heyin, the scholar-official class was mowed down by the thousands. This is why he earned the condemnation of gods and men alike, and met his end in ruin and death. Had Zhurong lacked his cruelty and treachery and instead cultivated virtue and righteousness, even the great restorers Peng, Wei, Yi Yin, and Huo Guang would have paled beside him. As for his final years — feared for his ambition, destroyed because power lay too close at hand — his fate resembled that of Kuai Tong advising the King of Han.
28
校勘記
Collation Notes
29
南秀容牧子萬子乞真反叛卷九肅宗紀正光五年八月丁酉條「萬子乞真」作「于乞真」。 按卷一一三官氏志「勿忸于氏後改為于氏」，廣韵十虞引魏志「勿」作「万」。 肅宗紀正光五年七月見「涼州幢帥于菩提」，卷一０一吐谷渾傳 〈補〉 作「万于菩提」。 這裡「萬子」乃「万于」之訛。
"The governor of Southern Xiurong's son Wanzi Qizhen rebelled" — in juan 9 of the Annals of Emperor Suzong, under the dingyou day of the eighth month, Zhengguang 5, "Wanzi Qizhen" appears as "Yu Qizhen." Examining juan 113, Treatise on Clans, "The Wunüyu clan later changed to the Yu clan." Guangyun, fascicle 10 Yu, citing the Wei Chronicles, writes "Wu" as "Wan." The Suzong annals for the seventh month of Zhengguang 5 mention "the Liangzhou standard-bearer Yu Puti"; juan 101, Biography of Tuyuhun 〈Text supplied by the editor.〉 reads "Wan Yu Puti." Here "Wanzi" is a scribal error for "Wan Yu."
30
內附叛胡乞步落堅胡劉阿如等作亂瓜肆按「乞」字上或下當有脫文，故姓名不全。 「瓜」當是「汾」之訛。
"Attached rebel barbarians Qibuluo Jian Hu Liu Aru and others rose in rebellion at Gua-Si" — the character qi suggests missing text above or below it, leaving the personal names incomplete. "Gua" is likely a scribal error for "Fen" [i.e., Fenzhou].
31
敕勒北列步若反於沃陽按本書卷八０有叱列延慶傳，周書卷二０有叱列伏龜傳，北齊書卷二０有叱列平傳，並云代西部人。 叱列平字殺鬼，北史卷四八稱他為「西部高車叱列殺鬼」。 高車即敕勒，叱列是敕勒姓，這裏「北列」乃「叱列」之訛。
"The Chile chieftain Beilie Buro rebelled at Woyang" — compare juan 80 of this work (Biography of Chilie Yanqing), juan 20 of the Zhou History (Biography of Chilie Fugui), and juan 20 of the Northern Qi History (Biography of Chilie Ping); all identify the clan as from western Dai. Chilie Ping, styled Shagui — juan 48 of the History of the North calls him "Chilie Shagui of the western Gaoche." Gaoche is another name for the Chile; Chilie is a Chile clan name. Here "Beilie" is a scribal error for "Chilie."
32
敕勒斛律洛陽作逆桑乾西諸本「斛」作「解」，卷九肅宗紀孝昌二年三月甲寅條作「斛」。 按斛律是敕勒有名的部落，見卷一０三高車傳 〈補〉 、北齊書卷一七斛律金傳。 「解」乃「斛」字形訛，今據本紀改。
"The Chile chieftain Hulü Luoyang rebelled west of the Sanggan River" — several editions read jie for hu; juan 9 of the Suzong annals, under jiayin of the third month, Xiaochang 2, has hu. The Hulü were a well-known Chile tribe — see juan 103, Biography of the Gaoche 〈Text supplied by the editor.〉 , and juan 17 of the Northern Qi History, Biography of Hulü Jin. "Jie" is a graphic error for "Hu"; amended here according to the annals.
33
相州刺史李神軌閉門自守北史卷四八「神軌」作「神儁」。 張矰讀史舉正云：「按神軌死於河陰之難，贈相州刺史，見本書列傳 〈卷六六〉 ，河陰事在此先，傳亦不言其曾為相州刺史，當由贈相州刺史致誤耳。 考神儁傳 〈卷三九〉 ，肅宗末，行相州事。 時葛榮南逼，神儁憂懼，故墜馬傷脚，仍停汲郡，有詔追還。 莊帝纂統，拜散騎常侍。 據此，神儁刺相州，在孝莊即位之先，且身未至相州，安得有『閉門自守』之事。 而本書李神傳 〈卷七０〉 云：孝昌中，行相州事。 建義初，葛榮盡銳攻之，久不能克。 會尒朱榮擒葛榮，事平，以功進爵。 然則李神及神軌、神儁姓名略同，事又並在一時前後，必有乖錯。 獨神傳有『久不能克』等語，與『閉門自守』之文頗合，疑當是李神也。」 按卷六八甄琛傳附見張宣軌，亦記李神守相州事，張說是。 魏收是同時人，未必乖誤至此，原文當是「李神」，「軌」「儁」或是後人妄加。
"Governor of Xiangzhou Li Shengui shut the gates and held the city" — juan 48 of the History of the North reads Shenjun for Shengui. Zhang Zheng's Critical Notes on Reading History observes: "Shengui died in the Heyin massacre and was posthumously named Governor of Xiangzhou — see the biographical section of this work 〈juan 66〉 ; the Heyin incident predates this passage, and his biography nowhere says he actually served as governor — the error likely arose from his posthumous appointment to that office. Examining the biography of Shenjun 〈juan 39〉 , at the close of Emperor Suzong's reign he administered Xiangzhou. When Ge Rong drove south, Shenjun grew fearful, fell from his horse and injured his foot, and remained at Ji Commandery until recalled by imperial edict. After Emperor Xiaozhuang took the throne, Shenjun was appointed Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry. On this evidence, Shenjun's commission to Xiangzhou predated Emperor Xiaozhuang's accession, and he never actually reached the province — how then could he have "shut the gates and held the city"? Yet the Biography of Li Shen in this work 〈juan 70〉 records: during the Xiaochang era he administered Xiangzhou. At the start of the Jianyi era, Ge Rong assaulted the city with his full strength but failed to take it for a long time. When Er Zhurong captured Ge Rong and the crisis ended, Li Shen was ennobled for his service. Li Shen, Shengui, and Shenjun have similar names, and their careers all fall in the same period — some confusion is inevitable. Only Li Shen's biography mentions that Ge Rong "could not overcome it for a long time" — language that fits "shutting the gates and holding the city." The reference is probably to Li Shen." See also the appended mention of Zhang Xuangui in juan 68 (Biography of Zhen Chen), which likewise records Li Shen's defense of Xiangzhou. Zhang's account is correct. Wei Shou was a contemporary eyewitness and unlikely to have erred so badly. The original reading was probably "Li Shen"; "Gui" and "Jun" may have been inserted by later copyists.
34
馬上各齎神棒一枚北史卷四八、通鑑卷一五二 〈四七五一頁〉 「神」作「袖」，疑作「袖」是。
"Each rider carried a divine rod" — History of the North, juan 48; Comprehensive Mirror, juan 152 〈p. 4751〉 "Divine" (shen) appears as "sleeve" (xiu); "sleeve" is probably the correct reading.
35
永安二年春諸本「二」作「三」，北史卷四八作「二」。 按事見卷一０孝莊紀永安二年三月，「三」字訛，今據改。
"Spring, Yong'an 2" — several editions read three for two; juan 48 of the History of the North has two. The event is recorded in juan 10 (Annals of Emperor Xiaozhuang), under the third month of Yong'an 2. Three is an error; amended here accordingly.
36
坐與前東郡太守任冑等謀反諸本「冑」作「曹」，北史卷四八作「冑」。 按北齊書卷二神武紀 〈補〉 武定三年正月、卷一九任延敬傳、卷四八尒朱文暢傳 〈補〉 記此事，並作「任冑」，「曹」乃「冑」字形訛，今據改。
"Convicted of conspiring to rebel with the former Administrator of Dong Commandery, Ren Zhou, and others" — several editions read Cao for Zhou; juan 48 of the History of the North has Zhou. Compare juan 2 of the Northern Qi History, Annals of Emperor Shenwu 〈Text supplied by the editor.〉 (first month, Wuding 3), juan 19 (Biography of Ren Yanjing), and juan 48 (Biography of Er Zhurong Wenchang) 〈Text supplied by the editor.〉 all record this affair as "Ren Zhou." Cao is a graphic error for Zhou; amended here accordingly.