2
Lu Tong, whose style name was Shulun, came from Zhuo in Fanyang and was a descendant of Lu Xuan's clan. His father Fu, styled Xianyuan, served as provincial aide. Tong stood eight chi tall, with a towering presence, and was adept in worldly affairs. During the Taihe reign he began his career as a household attendant in the household of Prince Xiang of Beihai. He was soon promoted to Libationer of the Works and Grand Administrator of Changli. Before long he was appointed Chief Clerk of Yingzhou, retaining concurrent charge of the commandery. He was summoned to the capital as Assistant Intendant of Henan, then promoted to an aide under the Grand Commandant.
3
When the townspeople of Yuzhou under Bai Zaosheng rose in revolt, Prince Ying of Zhongshan as commander-in-chief, Minister Xing Luan, and others marched against them; Tong was ordered to serve as army aide. After the rebellion was suppressed, he was made Chief Clerk of the Eastern Pacification headquarters in Jizhou. He resigned upon his father's death. He was later appointed Consulting Army Aide under the Minister of Works, also serving as Major, and named chief commander for building the Eastern Palace. During the Yan-chang era, when the people of Qinzhou rebelled, Tong was ordered to serve concurrently as Regular Attendant and, bearing imperial credentials, to console and instruct them; many groups surrendered. After returning he became Right Assistant Director in the Masters of Writing and was advanced to General Who Assists the State; because the title conflicted with his father's name he declined it and was reassigned as Dragon Cavalry General. At the opening of the Xiping reign he was moved to Left Assistant Director and additionally named General Who Captures the Barbarians. At that time Xi Kangsheng, Inspector of Xiangzhou, collected the annual levy from the people in bolts of seventy or eighty chi each, seeking a reputation for scrupulous devotion to the state. The people under his jurisdiction resented this; Tong, from the year's official salary, had long bolts of silk issued as stipends. Tong then impeached Kangsheng for collecting levies beyond the statutory quota. When the memorial reached the throne, an edict convicted Kangsheng and at the same time commended Tong's service to the public good.
4
During Emperor Suzong's reign, court governance weakened, and many men fraudulently claimed military merit. Tong examined the Ministry of Personnel's merit registers and, on further audit, identified more than three hundred who had stolen rank. Tong then memorialized the throne as follows:
5
竊見吏部勳簿，多皆改換。 乃校中兵奏按，並復乖舛。 臣聊爾揀練，已得三百餘人，明知隱而未露者，動有千數。 愚謂罪雖恩免，猶須刊定。 請遣一都令史與令僕省事各一人，總集吏部、中兵二局勳簿，對勾奏按。 若名級相應者，即於黃素楷書大字，具件階級數，令本曹尚書以朱印印之。 明造兩通，一關吏部，一留兵局，與奏按對掌。 進則防揩洗之偽，退則無改易之理。 從前以來，勳書上省，唯列姓名，不載本屬，致令竊濫之徒輕為苟且。 今請征職白民，具列本州、郡、縣、三長之所； 其實官正職者，亦列名貫，別錄歷階。 仰本軍印記其上，然後印縫各上所司，統將、都督並皆印記，然後列上行臺。 行臺關太尉，太尉檢練精實，乃始關刺省重究括，然後奏申。 奏出之日，黃素朱印，關付吏部。
I have observed that the Ministry's merit registers have largely been altered or replaced. When checked against the Central Army bureau's submitted investigations, they again failed to agree. In a preliminary review I have already found more than three hundred cases; those still concealed must number in the thousands. I hold that even if offenses are pardoned by imperial grace, the records must still be corrected. I ask that one chief clerk and one secretariat aide each be sent to assemble the merit registers of the Personnel and Central Army bureaus and cross-check them against the submitted investigations. Where name and rank match, let the full rank and grade be written in large characters on yellow plain silk and sealed in vermilion by the responsible minister. Two copies should be made explicitly: one filed with Personnel, one kept in the military bureau, each held against the investigation records. Henceforth erasure and forgery will be prevented; retroactive alteration will no longer be possible. Hitherto merit documents sent to the capital listed only names, not home jurisdictions, so that fraudsters treated the system casually. Hereafter, for commoners drafted to service, let their home province, commandery, county, and ward under the three-chief system be fully listed; and for men holding actual regular office, let name and lineage be listed and successive ranks recorded separately. Let the home army affix its seal first; then, with seals along the fold, copies should go to each responsible office, and the army commander and regional inspector should all seal them before the list is sent to the mobile headquarters. The mobile headquarters forwards it to the Grand Commandant; once he has verified the facts, it goes to the provincial authorities for thorough review, and only then is it memorialized to the throne. On the day the memorial is approved, a yellow register sealed in vermilion is forwarded to the Ministry of Personnel.
6
頃來非但偷階冒名，改換勳簿而已，或一階再取，或易名受級，凡如此者，其人不少。 良由吏部無簿，防塞失方。 何者？ 吏部加階之後，簿不注記，緣此之故，易生僥倖。 自今敍階之後，名簿具注加補日月，尚書印記，然後付曹。 郎中別作抄目，[1]印記一如尚書，郎中自掌，遞代相付。 此制一行，差止姦罔。
Recently men have not only stolen rank and usurped names or altered merit registers; some have claimed the same rank twice, or changed names to receive grades—such cases are numerous. This is chiefly because Personnel keeps no proper register, so safeguards have failed. Why? After Personnel awards a rank, the register is not annotated, and opportunism easily follows. Henceforth, whenever a rank is conferred, the register must note the date of the award, be sealed by the minister, and only then passed to the bureau. The bureau director shall keep a separate copy register, stamped like the minister's copy, held in his own custody and handed on in rotation. Once this system is in force, fraud will largely cease.
7
詔從之。 同又奏曰：
The emperor approved the proposal. Tong submitted a further memorial:
8
臣頃奏以黃素為勳，[2]具注官名、戶屬及吏部換勳之法，事目三條，已蒙旨許。 臣伏思黃素勳簿，政可粗止姦偽，然在軍虛詐，猶未可盡。 請自今在軍閱簿之日，行臺、軍司、監軍、都督各明立文按，處處記之。 斬首成一階已上，即令給券。 一紙之上，當中大書起行臺、統軍位號，勳人甲乙。 斬三賊及被傷成階已上，亦具書於券。 各盡一行，當行豎裂。 其券前後皆起年號日月，破某處陳，某官某勳，印記為驗。 一支付勳人，一支付行臺。 記至京，即送門下，別函守錄。
I recently proposed using yellow registers for merit records, with full notation of office, household affiliation, and Personnel's rules for altering registers—three measures in all—which Your Majesty has already approved. I consider that yellow merit registers can curb forgery in general, yet army-side fraud cannot yet be fully eliminated. I ask that from now on, on the day registers are reviewed in camp, the mobile headquarters, army aide, army inspector, and regional inspector each keep explicit written records at every point. Whenever decapitations amount to one full rank of merit or more, a warrant should be issued at once. On one sheet, the mobile headquarters and army commander's titles should be written prominently at the center, with the merit-holder's name in sequence. Decapitating three enemies and wounds qualifying for one rank or more should likewise be fully recorded on the warrant. Each entry should fill one line, with a vertical split along that line. Both ends of the warrant should bear the reign era date; breaking such-and-such enemy formation, such-and-such officer's such-and-such merit—with seals as proof. One copy goes to the merit-holder, one to the mobile headquarters. When records reach the capital, they should go at once to the Gate Department, with a separate sealed copy kept on file.
9
又自遷都以來，戎車屢捷，所以征勳轉多，敍不可盡者，良由歲久生姦，積年長偽，巧吏階緣，偷增遂甚。 請自今為始，諸有勳簿已經奏賞者，即廣下遠近，云某處勳判，咸令知聞。 立格酬敍，以三年為斷。 其職人及出身，限內悉令銓除； 實官及外號，隨才加授。 庶使酬勤者速申，立功者勸，事不經久，僥倖易息。 或遭窮難，州無中正者，不在此限。
Moreover, since the capital was moved, repeated military victories have multiplied battlefield merit; the backlog of unrewarded merit owes chiefly to years of fraud, long-standing falsification, and clever clerks who exploit connections until illicit claims have grown severe. I ask that henceforth, whenever merit registers have been memorialized and rewarded, notice be sent far and wide naming the place and judgment, so that all may know. Set a rule that rewards must be conferred within three years. Within that limit, clerical posts and entry-level appointments must all be filled; regular offices and honorary titles should be granted according to merit and ability. Thus the diligent may be rewarded promptly, men of merit encouraged, delays avoided, and opportunism easily suppressed. Cases where hardship prevents evaluation, or a province lacks a Rectifier of the Pure, are excepted.
10
又勳簿之法，征還之日即應申送。 頃來行臺、督將，至京始造，或一年二歲方上勳書。 姦偽之原，實自由此。 於今以後，軍還之日便通勳簿，不聽隔月。
Moreover, by merit-register law, registers should be submitted the day the army returns. Recently mobile headquarters and supervising generals have waited until reaching the capital to compile registers, or submitted merit documents only after one or two years. The root of fraud lies precisely here. Henceforth registers must be transmitted the day the army returns; delay beyond a month will not be allowed.
11
詔復依行。
An edict again ordered these measures carried out.
12
When Yuan Cha deposed Empress Dowager Ling, Prince Xi of Zhongshan, who was Inspector of Xiangzhou, raised an army at Ye. After Xi's defeat, Tong was appointed Bearer of Credentials and concurrent Yellow Gate Attendant as a comforting envoy; he executed Xi in the province. On returning he was made General Who Pacifies the East, Regular Yellow Gate Attendant, and deputy commander for building the Bright Hall. He was soon additionally named Army-soothing General, Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, and Grand Rectifier of the Pure for his native province. Tong knew how to please those in power and was favored by Cha; on the day Xi was killed he pursued associates relentlessly to win Cha's approval, and critics condemned him for it. He was also granted twenty guards of the Forest of Feathers for his protection. Tong's elder brother Xiu had been boastful since youth, often saying, "Marquisates and dukedoms are within reach." Only then did he become Commissioner of the Capital Waterways. Tong petitioned to surrender two ranks from his own record for Xiu's benefit; Xiu was then appointed Inspector of Anzhou. Commentators praised him for it.
13
When the townspeople of Yingzhou under Jiudexing plotted rebellion, Tong was appointed Minister of the Treasury while retaining his Yellow Gate post; bearing credentials he was sent to console Yingzhou with discretionary authority. Tong sent envoys repeatedly, but the rebels killed them all; he then sent thirty rebel dependents and freed household slaves to commoner status, carrying a letter to Jiudexing, who then surrendered. He pacified the people and returned. When Jiudexing rebelled again, Tong was ordered to serve as Inspector of Youzhou with his existing general's rank and concurrently as mobile headquarters of the Masters of Writing to console the region. Fearing Jiudexing could not be trusted, Tong marched in force, was attacked and routed, and retreated in defeat.
14
When Empress Dowager Ling regained power, Tong was struck from the rolls as a member of Cha's faction. In the third year of Xiaochang he was appointed Left General, Grand Master of Palace Counsel, and concurrent Left Assistant Director, and served as mobile headquarters over the two provinces of Qi and Yan directing Grand Commander-in-Chief Li Shuren. 〈Missing text〉 When Emperor Zhuang took the throne, an edict restored his former ranks; he was appointed Minister of the Masters of Scrutiny and again concurrently held the Seven Troops bureau. For Tong's earlier service in pacifying Jiudexing, he was enfeoffed as founding baron of Zhangwu County with a fief of four hundred households. He was formally appointed to the Seven Troops bureau; soon afterward he was transferred to the Palace Attendants and additionally named General Who Campaigns South. At the opening of the Putai reign he was appointed Palace Attendant and advanced to General of Fast Cavalry and Left Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. Tong had long been ill but was forcibly pressed to continue in office; he memorialized requesting the honorific rank of Yitong. Earlier, when Tong served in the Yellow Gate, he and the Deposed Former Emperor were both in the Gate Department; Tong admired his character and they had long been on intimate terms. The Deposed Emperor granted it out of old friendship; Tong was given Yitong Third Rank, his other offices remaining unchanged. At the opening of the Yongxi reign he died at the age of fifty-six. Posthumously he was given Palace Attendant, command over the military affairs of Ji, Cang, and Ying provinces, Grand General of Fast Cavalry, Duke of the Works, and Inspector of Jizhou; his founding barony was unchanged; four hundred bolts of silk were granted; his posthumous title was Xiaomu. Three years later he was again posthumously given Right Vice Director of the Masters of Writing. He had four sons.
15
His eldest son Fei, during the Wuding era, served as an aide in Grand General Wen Xiang Wang's headquarters.
19
Zhang Lie, whose style name was Huixian, came from Dongwucheng in Qinghe. Emperor Gaozu gave him the name Lie, while his original name served as his style name. His great-great-grandfather Xi served the Murong as Right Vice Director of the Masters of Writing. His great-grandfather Xun was Regular Attendant of the Cavalry; he followed Murong De south across the Yangzi and settled at Linzi in Qi Commandery. Lie was orphaned and poor in youth, read widely in the classics and histories, and possessed force of character. At that time Qingzhou had Cui Huibo and Fang Huishu; they and Lie all enjoyed fine reputations, and contemporaries called them "the Three Huis." During Gaozu's reign he entered service at the capital in Dai, serving as Attendant Censor and Regular Attendant of the Masters of Writing. After the move to Luoyang he was appointed Master of Writing in the Ceremonials Bureau, Merit Officer to the Prince of Pengcheng, and Commandant of Footsoldiers to the Crown Prince.
20
Chen Xianda, a general of Xiao Baojuan of Qi, drilled troops south of the Han and planned an invasion. The Grand Administrator of Shunyang, Wang Qingshi, came from a family long established south of the Yangzi; Prince Jia of Guangyang, Inspector of Jingzhou, suspected his loyalty and memorialized for his replacement. Gaozu ordered his attendant ministers each to recommend someone they knew, and several names were put forward. Gaozu said, "This commandery is certain to become a battleground; it requires talent equal to the task—how could one put forward names at random? The Crown Prince's Commandant of Footsoldiers Zhang Lie, whenever he discusses military and state affairs, often hits the mark; I wish to employ him—what do you think?" The Prince of Pengcheng, Xie, praised him, and an edict appointed him General Who Crosses the Jiang and Grand Administrator of Shunyang. Two days after Lie reached the commandery, he was besieged by Cui Huijing, a general of Xiao Baojuan; for more than seventy days Lie rallied his troops and won their wholehearted loyalty. When the emperor marched south in person, Huijing fled. Gaozu personally congratulated Lie, saying, "You have proved yourself capable and have not betrayed the trust I placed in you." Lie bowed and replied, "Had Your Majesty not come in person, I would surely have been overrun by the enemy like a flock of beasts. It is Your Majesty who has not failed me—not that I could claim never to have failed Your Majesty." Gaozu was pleased with his answer.
21
When Emperor Shizong ascended the throne, he recognized Lie's earlier merit and enfeoffed him as founding viscount of Qinghe County with a fief of two hundred households. He soon retired to care for his aged mother. For more than ten years he lived through repeated famines; Lie made gruel to feed the hungry, relieving a great many people, and his neighbors praised him for it. At the start of Emperor Suzong's reign he was appointed Dragon Cavalry General and Right Chief Clerk under the Minister of Education. He was later transferred to General Who Campaigns Against the Barbarians and Chief Clerk under the Minister of Works. Earlier, Yuan Cha's father, Prince Ji of Jiangyang, had served as Inspector of Qingzhou; when Cha came to power, Lie invoked their old ties and attached himself to him with flattery. He was appointed Forward General and Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate, and soon additionally named General Who Pacifies the South and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. When Empress Dowager Ling later regained power, Lie was sent out as General Who Pacifies the East and Inspector of Qingzhou because he was counted among Cha's faction. Critics at the time noted that Lie's household wealth and retinue had grown large and feared he might harbor resentment if sent to his home province; he was instead appointed General Who Pacifies the North and Inspector of Yingzhou. His administration was quiet and orderly, and officials and commoners alike were content.
22
When his term ended he returned to court, then retired to his home district on grounds of age. The brothers lived together in harmony and were admired by their kin. In the first year of the Yuanxiang era he died at home at the age of seventy-seven. Lie had earlier composed more than a thousand words of family admonitions and recorded his aims, conduct, and offices; on his deathbed he forbade his sons and nephews to seek posthumous honors and asked only that the admonitions be carved on a stele. His son Zhi obeyed these instructions.
23
Zhi was learned and gifted in many arts. On entering office he served as Court Gentleman for Attendance, Extraordinary Master of Writing, Dragon Cavalry General, and Grand Master of Remonstrance. He did not inherit his father's title. During the Xinghe era he died at home.
25
Lie's younger brother Senghao, whose style name was Shanke. He read widely, excelled at conversation, and enjoyed a reputation in his day. At the opening of the Xiping reign he was summoned as Grand Master of Remonstrance. In the fifth year of Zhengguang he was summoned as Erudite of the Imperial Academy. In the second year of Xiaochang he was summoned as Attendant Cavalryman. He declined every summons. Contemporaries called him the Recluse Lord. He loved amassing property and worked tirelessly; his hoarded cash ran to tens of thousands, with other assets to match. The brothers lived frugally themselves—their carriages and horses were shabby, they wore plain cloth, yet their maidservants and concubines dressed in silk brocade. Senghao was especially fond of playing bo and would play with anyone, for which he was ridiculed. Under the Deposed Former Emperor, when Cui Zuchi raised troops against Dongyang, Senghao joined the rebellion. When the plot failed he died in prison and his estate was confiscated. At the start of Emperor Chu's reign his family appealed and recovered their property. His son Gui served as Provincial Recorder.
26
The historian writes: Lu Tong possessed a broad and weighty character, able to adapt whether advancing or withdrawing. Zhang Lie early distinguished himself among notable men, and his bearing won esteem. Both pursued their ambitions with subtle calculation and reached high office—yet on the path of true refinement, this may be where they fell short.
27
校勘記
Collation Notes
28
29
臣頃奏以黃素為勳按「勳」下當脫「簿」字，下云「黃素勳簿」可證。
Regarding "I recently memorialized using yellow plain silk for merit": the word "register" (bu) is missing after "merit," as shown by the phrase "yellow merit register" below.
30
Grand Commander-in-Chief and Controller Li Shuren 〈Missing text〉 Various editions carry a marginal note reading "missing." According to juan 9 of Emperor Suzong's annals, on gengshen day in the second month of the third year of Xiaochang, the people of Dong Commandery under Zhao Xiande rebelled, and an edict ordered Commander-in-Chief Li Shuren to suppress them; on xinwei day in the third month it records that Liu Jun of Guangchuan in Qizhou seized Grand Administrator Shao Huai of Qinghe and raised a rebellion; in the sixth month an edict ordered Commander-in-Chief Li Shuren to attack Liu Jun and pacify him. Dong Commandery belonged to West Yanzhou. Lu Tong, as mobile headquarters over Qi and the two Yanzhou provinces, directed Li Shuren; the missing passage must concern the suppression of these two rebellions, though the annals do not record Tong's role as mobile headquarters commander.