Volume 85: Men of Letters - Yuan Yue, Pei Jingxian, Lu Guan, Feng Su, Xing Cang, Pei Bomao, Xing Xin

袁躍裴敬憲盧觀封肅邢臧裴伯茂邢昕溫子昇

Yuan Yue, Pei Jingxian, Lu Guan, Feng Su, Xing Cang, Pei Bomao, Xing Xin, and Wen Zisheng

夫文之為用，其來日久。自昔聖達之作，賢哲之書，莫不統理成章，蘊氣標致，其流廣變，諸非一貫，文質推移，與時俱化。淳于出齊，有雕龍之目；靈均逐楚，著嘉禍之章。 [2]漢之西京，馬揚為首稱；東都之下，班張為雄伯。曹植信魏世之英，陸機則晉朝之秀，雖同時並列，分途爭遠。永嘉之後，天下分崩，夷狄交馳，文章殄滅。昭成、太祖之世，南收燕趙，網羅俊乂。逮高祖馭天，銳情文學，蓋以頡頏漢徹，掩踔曹丕，氣韻高豔，才藻獨構。衣冠仰止，咸慕新風。肅宗歷位，文雅大盛，學者如牛毛，成者如麟角，孔子曰：「才難，不其然乎？」

Literature has served human purposes for a very long time. Since antiquity, the writings of the greatest sages and the books of the wisest minds have all been shaped into coherent form, charged with spirit and distinguished by style. Their currents spread and change in many ways rather than following a single line; elegance and plainness evolve as literature keeps pace with the times. When Chunyu emerged from Qi, he possessed the discerning eye celebrated in the title Carving the Dragon; Qu Yuan followed Chu into exile and wrote his celebrated piece on the noble orange. In the Western Capital of the Han, Sima Xiangru and Yang Xiong were the leading names; Under the Eastern Capital, Ban Gu and Zhang Heng were the reigning masters. Cao Zhi was truly the genius of the Wei, and Lu Ji the outstanding talent of the Jin; though contemporaries, they pursued diverging paths to ever greater distance. After the Yongjia turmoil, the empire fell apart, foreign peoples surged one after another, and literary culture was nearly extinguished. Under Emperor Zhaocheng and Emperor Daowu, the court recovered Yan and Zhao in the south and gathered men of outstanding talent. When Emperor Xiaowen came to the throne, he threw himself into literature, in spirit rivaling Emperor Wu of Han and outshining Cao Pi, with a lofty tone, brilliant style, and literary gifts all his own. Men of culture looked up to him, and all were drawn to the new literary current he set. Under Emperor Xiaowen, literary culture flourished as never before: students were as numerous as ox hairs, but those who truly succeeded were as rare as unicorn horns. Confucius said, "Talent is hard to find—is that not exactly the case?"

袁躍，字景騰，陳郡人，尚書翻弟也。博學儁才，性不矯俗，篤於交友。翻每謂人曰：「躍可謂我家千里駒也。」釋褐司空行參軍，歷位尚書都兵郎中，加員外散騎常侍。將立明堂，躍乃上議，當時稱其博洽。蠕蠕主阿那瓌亡破來奔，朝廷矜之，送復其國。既而每使朝貢，辭旨頗不盡禮。躍為朝臣書與瓌，陳以禍福，言辭甚美。後遷車騎將軍、太傅、清河王懌文學，雅為懌所愛賞。懌之文表多出於躍。卒，贈冠軍將軍、吏部郎中。所制文集行於世。無子，兄翻以子聿脩繼。

Yuan Yue, whose style was Jingteng, came from Chen commandery and was the younger brother of Minister of Works Yuan Fan. He was widely learned and exceptionally gifted, unpretentious by nature, and deeply loyal to his friends. Fan often told others, "Yue may truly be called the thousand-li steed of our clan." He began his career as acting adjutant in the Bureau of the Minister of Works, rose to director of arms in the Ministry of Works, and was later given the additional title of supernumerary regular attendant of the scattered cavalry. When the court was preparing to build the Bright Hall, Yue submitted a memorial on the subject, and contemporaries praised his encyclopedic learning. Anagui, ruler of the Rouran, fled to the court after his state was destroyed; the court took pity on him and helped restore his kingdom. Afterward, whenever he sent tribute missions, their language was often less than fully respectful. Yue drafted a letter from the court ministers to Anagui, explaining the consequences of fortune and disaster in language of exceptional elegance. He was later appointed literary aide to Prince Yi of Qinghe, who also held the posts of general of chariots and cavalry and grand tutor, and Yi greatly favored and admired him. Most of Yi's official documents and memorials were written by Yue. When he died, he was posthumously honored as champion general and director in the Ministry of Personnel. His collected writings circulated widely. He left no son; his elder brother Fan had his own son Yuxiu succeed him.

聿脩，字叔德，七歲遭喪，居處禮若成人。九歲，州辟主簿。性深沉，有鑒識，清靖寡欲，與物無競。姨夫尚書崔休深所知賞。年十八，領本州中正，兼尚書度支郎中。齊受禪，除太子庶子，以本官行博陵太守。

Yuxiu, whose style was Shude, lost his father at seven and conducted himself in mourning with the propriety of a grown man. At nine he was summoned by the provincial administration as chief clerk. By nature he was reserved and perceptive, pure and restrained in his desires, and never contentious with others. His uncle by marriage, Minister Cui Xiu, knew him well and held him in high regard. At eighteen he served as rectifier of his native commandery and concurrently as director of revenue accounts in the Ministry of Works. When the Northern Qi received the abdication, he was appointed junior tutor to the heir apparent and acted as administrator of Boling while retaining his former rank.

裴敬憲，字孝虞，河東聞喜人也。益州刺史宣第二子。少有志行，學博才清，撫訓諸弟，專以讀誦為業。澹於榮利，風氣俊遠，郡徵功曹不就，諸府辟命，先進其弟，世人歎美之。司州牧、高陽王雍舉秀才，射策高第，除太學博士。性和雅，未嘗失色於人。工隸草，解音律，五言之作，獨擅於時。名聲甚重，後進共宗慕之。中山王將之部，[3]朝賢送於河梁，賦詩言別，皆以敬憲為最。其文不能贍逸，而有清麗之美。少有氣病，年三十三卒，人物甚悼之。敬憲世有仁義於鄉里。孝昌中，蜀賊陳雙熾所過殘暴，至敬憲宅，輒相約束，不得焚燒。為物所伏如此。永興三年，[4]贈中書侍郎，諡曰文。

Pei Jingxian, whose style was Xiaoyu, came from Wenxi in Hedong commandery. He was the second son of Xuan, governor of Yizhou. From youth he showed purpose and integrity, was widely learned with a refined gift for letters, raised and instructed his younger brothers, and devoted himself entirely to study. Indifferent to fame and gain, with a lofty and distant manner, he declined the commandery's summons as merit officer; when various offices offered him posts, he urged his younger brothers forward first, and contemporaries praised him for it. Yuan Yong, governor of Sizhou and Prince of Gaoyang, recommended him as a cultivated talent; he placed at the top in the policy examination and was appointed erudite of the Imperial Academy. His temperament was gentle and refined; he never lost his composure in company. He excelled at clerical and cursive calligraphy, understood music theory, and in five-character poetry had no rival of his day. His reputation was immense, and younger writers all looked up to him as a model. When the Prince of Zhongshan was leaving for his post, court worthies saw him off at River Bridge with parting poems; all agreed that Jingxian's was the finest. His prose was not expansive or effortless, yet it possessed a clear, refined beauty. He had suffered from a chronic breathing ailment since youth; he died at thirty-three, and contemporaries mourned him deeply. Jingxian's family had long been known in their district for benevolence and righteousness. During the Xiaochang era, the Shu rebel Chen Shuangchi ravaged everything in his path; when he reached Jingxian's home, his men bound themselves by agreement not to set it afire. Such was the respect his moral standing commanded. In the third year of the Yongxing reign, he was posthumously honored as vice director of the Secretariat, with the posthumous name Wen.

封肅，字元邕，勃海人，尚書回之兄子也。早有文思，博涉經史，太傅崔光見而賞焉。位太學博士，修起居注，兼廷尉監。為還園賦，其辭甚美。正光中，京兆王西征，引為大行臺郎中，委以書記。還，除尚書左中兵郎中，卒。肅性恭儉，不妄交遊，唯與崔勵、勵從兄鴻尤相親善。所製文章多亡失，存者十餘卷。

Feng Su, whose style was Yuanyong, came from Bohai and was the nephew of Minister Feng Hui. He showed literary talent early, ranged widely through the classics and histories, and Grand Tutor Cui Guang recognized and favored him. He served as erudite of the Imperial Academy, compiled the imperial diary, and concurrently as supervisor in the Court of Judicial Review. He wrote the Rhapsody on Returning to the Garden, a work of exceptional literary beauty. During the Zhenguang era, when the Prince of Jingzhao marched west on campaign, he took Su on as director of the grand mobile office and entrusted him with all written records. After the campaign he was appointed director of central arms in the left secretariat of the Ministry of Works, and soon died. Su was by nature respectful and frugal and did not make friends lightly; only Cui Li and Li's cousin Hong were especially close to him. Most of his writings have been lost; only a little more than ten scrolls survive.

邢臧，字子良，河間人，光祿少卿虬長孫也。幼孤，早立操尚，博學有藻思。年二十一，神龜中，舉秀才，問策五條，考上第，為太學博士。正光中，議立明堂，臧為裴頠一室之議，事雖不行，當時稱其理博。出為本州中從事，雅為鄉情所附。永安初，徵為金部郎中，以疾不赴，轉除東牟太守。時天下多事，在職少能廉白，臧獨清慎奉法，吏民愛之。隴西李延寔，莊帝之舅，以太傅出除青州，啟臧為屬，領樂安內史，有惠政。後除濮陽太守，尋加安東將軍。臧和雅信厚，有長者之風，為時人所愛敬。為特進甄琛行狀，世稱其工。與裴敬憲、盧觀兄弟並結交分，曾共讀回文集，臧獨先通之。撰古來文章，并敍作者氏族，號曰文譜，未就，病卒，時賢悼惜之。其文筆凡百餘篇。贈鎮北將軍、定州刺史，諡曰文。

Xing Cang, whose style was Ziliang, came from Hejian and was the eldest grandson of Vice Director of the Imperial Household Xing Qiu. Orphaned young, he early formed a strong moral character, was widely learned, and possessed a refined literary mind. At twenty-one, during the Shengui era, he was recommended as a cultivated talent; on five policy questions he placed at the top and was appointed erudite of the Imperial Academy. During the Zhenguang era, when the court debated building the Bright Hall, Cang drafted the one-room proposal associated with Pei Zhi; though the plan was not adopted, contemporaries praised the breadth of his reasoning. He was sent out as central assistant of his native province and was warmly supported by local opinion. At the beginning of the Yong'an era he was summoned as director of the gold bureau but declined because of illness; he was then transferred and appointed administrator of Dongmou. The realm was in turmoil, and few officials could remain honest and upright; Cang alone was scrupulous and law-abiding, and both clerks and common people admired him. Li Yanshi of Longxi, Emperor Xiaozhuang's maternal uncle, left the capital as grand tutor to take up Qingzhou; he recommended Cang as his aide and had him serve concurrently as interior secretary of Le'an, where he governed with benevolence. He was later appointed administrator of Puyang and soon given the additional title of pacifier of the east general. Cang was gentle, refined, trustworthy, and generous, with the bearing of a man of mature virtue, and was loved and respected by his contemporaries. He wrote the conduct account for Zhen Chen, holder of special advancement, and contemporaries praised its craftsmanship. He formed close friendships with Pei Jingxian and the brothers Lu Guan; they once read Feng Hui's collected writings together, and Cang alone mastered them first. He was compiling writings from antiquity to his own day, with notes on each author's clan and lineage, under the title Literary Genealogy; he died of illness before finishing it, and leading men of the day deeply mourned the loss. His literary pieces altogether numbered more than a hundred. He was posthumously honored as pacifier of the north general and governor of Dingzhou, with the posthumous name Wen.

子恕，涉學有識悟。

His son Shu was well read and showed keen understanding.

裴伯茂，河東人，司空中郎叔義第二子。少有風望，學涉羣書，文藻富贍。釋褐奉朝請。大將軍、京兆王繼西討，引為鎧曹參軍。南討絳蜀陳雙熾，[5]為行臺長孫承業行臺郎中。承業還京師，留伯茂仍知行臺事。以平薛鳳賢等賞平陽伯。再遷散騎常侍，典起居注。太昌初，為中書侍郎。永熙中，出帝兄子廣平王贊盛選賓僚，以伯茂為文學，後加中軍大將軍。

Pei Bomao came from Hedong and was the second son of Shuyi, central adjutant in the Bureau of the Minister of Works. From youth he showed presence and promise, ranged widely through many books, and wrote with rich literary ornament. On entering official service he was appointed court attendant. When the great general, Prince Ji of Jingzhao, marched west on campaign, he took Bomao on as adjutant in the armor bureau. On the campaign against Chen Shuangchi of Jiang and Shu, he served as director of the mobile office on Changsun Chengye's staff. When Chengye returned to the capital, he left Bomao behind to continue managing mobile-office affairs. For pacifying Xue Fengxian and others he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Pingyang. He was later promoted to regular attendant of the scattered cavalry and put in charge of the imperial diary. At the beginning of the Taichang era he was appointed vice director of the Secretariat. During the Yongxi era, Zan, Prince of Guangping and nephew of the deposed emperor, carefully selected his staff and appointed Bomao literary aide; Bomao was later given the additional title of central army great general.

伯茂好飲酒，頗涉疏傲，久不徙官，曾為豁情賦，其序略曰：「余攝養舛和，服餌寡術，自春徂夏，三嬰湊疾。雖桐君上藥，有時致効；而草木下性，實縈衿抱。故復究覽莊生，具體齊物，物我兩忘，是非俱遣，斯人之達，吾所師焉。故作是賦，所以託名豁情，寄之風謠矣。」天平初遷鄴，又為遷都賦，文多不載。

Bomao was fond of wine and rather careless and arrogant; for a long time he received no promotion. He once wrote the Rhapsody on Open Feeling; its preface reads in part, "My regimen was out of balance, and I had little skill in taking medicine; from spring through summer I was stricken three times by serious illness. Though the superior medicines of Lord Tong of the Divine Farmer sometimes helped; yet the humble nature of herbs and plants still weighed on my heart. So I turned again to Master Zhuang, took to heart the Equalization of Things, forgot both self and world, and set aside all distinctions of right and wrong; such attainment is the master I follow. Hence this rhapsody, taking the name Open Feeling and lodging my mood in verse." At the beginning of the Tianping era, when the capital moved to Ye, he also wrote a Rhapsody on Moving the Capital, but most of the text is not preserved.

二年，因內宴，伯茂侮慢殿中尚書、章武王景哲，景哲遂申啟，稱：「伯茂棄其本列，與監同行；以梨擊案，傍汙冠服；禁庭之內，令人挈衣。」詔付所司，後竟無坐。伯茂先出後其伯仲規，與兄景融別居。景融貧窘，伯茂了無賑恤，殆同行路，世以此貶薄之。卒年三十九，知舊歎惜焉。

In the second year, at an inner court banquet, Bomao insulted Jingzhe, director within the palace and Prince of Zhangwu; Jingzhe then submitted a memorial saying, "Bomao abandoned his proper station and walked alongside a supervisor; struck the table with a pear and splattered those beside him, soiling their caps and robes; and within the forbidden precinct of the palace had someone carry off another man's garment." An edict referred the matter to the appropriate office, but in the end he was not punished. Bomao was born after his brothers Gui and lived apart from his elder brother Jingrong. Jingrong was poor and in distress, yet Bomao gave him no help at all, behaving almost like a stranger; contemporaries despised him for this. He died at thirty-nine, and friends and acquaintances mourned him.

伯茂末年劇飲不已，乃至傷性，多有愆失。未亡前數日，忽云：「吾得密信，將被收掩。」乃與婦乘車西逃避。後因顧指壁中，言有官人追逐，其妻方知其病。卒後，殯於家園，友人常景、李渾、王元景、盧元明、魏季景、李騫等十許人於墓傍置酒設祭，哀哭涕泣，一飲一酹曰：「裴中書魂而有靈，知吾曹也。」乃各賦詩一篇。李騫以魏收亦與之友，寄以示收。收時在晉陽，乃同其作，論敍伯茂，其十字云：「臨風想玄度，對酒思公榮。」時人以伯茂性侮傲，謂收詩頗得事實。贈散騎常侍、衞將軍、度支尚書、雍州刺史，重贈吏部尚書，諡曰文。伯茂曾撰晉書，竟未能成。無子，兄景融以第二子孝才繼。

In his later years Bomao drank heavily without stop, even harming his health, and committed many lapses. Several days before his death he suddenly said, "I have received a secret report that I am about to be arrested." He then fled west in a carriage with his wife. Later he turned and pointed at the wall, saying that officials were pursuing him; only then did his wife realize he was delirious. After his death he was buried in the family estate; some ten friends, including Chang Jing, Li Hun, Wang Yuanjing, Lu Yuanming, Wei Jijing, and Li Qian, set out wine and offerings beside the tomb, weeping as they drank and poured libations, saying, "Vice Director Pei, if your spirit hears us, know that we are here." Each then composed a poem in his memory. Li Qian sent the poems to Wei Shou, who had also been Bomao's friend. Shou was then at Jinyang and contributed his own piece on Bomao; its ten-character line read, "Facing the wind I think of Xu Xuan; over wine I think of Liu Gongrong." Because Bomao's nature was haughty and overbearing, contemporaries said Shou's lines captured him well. He was posthumously appointed Regular Attendant of the Rapid Steeds, Guard General, and Minister of Revenue with concurrent duty as Inspector of Yongzhou; later posthumously promoted to Minister of the Personnel with the posthumous title Wen. Bomao once undertook a History of Jin but never completed it. He left no son; his elder brother Jingrong had his second son Xiaocai succeed him.

邢昕，字子明，河間人，尚書巒弟偉之子。幼孤，見愛於祖母李氏。好學，早有才情。蕭寶夤以車騎大將軍開府討關中，以子明為東閤祭酒，委以文翰。在軍解褐盪寇將軍，累遷太尉記室參軍。吏部尚書李神儁奏昕修起居注。太昌初，除中書侍郎，加平東將軍、光祿大夫。時言冒竊官級，為中尉所劾，免官，乃為述躬賦。未幾，受詔與祕書監常景典儀注事。出帝行釋奠禮，昕與校書郎裴伯茂等俱為錄義。永熙末，昕入為侍讀，與溫子昇、魏收參掌文詔。遷鄴，乃歸河間。天平初，與侍中從叔子才、魏季景、魏收同徵赴都。尋還鄉里。既而復徵。時蕭衍使兼散騎常侍劉孝儀等來朝貢，詔昕兼正員郎迎於境上。司徒孫騰引為中郎。尋除通直常侍，加中軍將軍。既有才藻，兼長几案。自孝昌之後，天下多務，世人競以吏工取達，文學大衰。司州中從事宋遊道以公斷見知，時與昕嘲謔。昕謂之曰：「世事同知文學外。」遊道有慚色。興和中，以本官副李象使於蕭衍。昕好忤物，人謂之牛。是行也，談者謂之牛象鬬於江南。齊文襄王攝選，擬昕為司徒右長史，未奏，遇疾卒，士友悲之。贈車騎將軍、都官尚書、冀州刺史，諡曰文。所著文章，自有集錄。

Xing Xin, styled Ziming, was a native of Hejian and the son of Wei, younger brother of Minister Luan. Orphaned in childhood, he was doted on by his grandmother, Lady Li. He loved learning and displayed literary talent from an early age. When Xiao Baoyin opened a field headquarters as Cavalry General-in-Chief to campaign in Guanzhong, he appointed Ziming Eastern Pavillion Libationer and entrusted him with official correspondence. While on campaign he entered official service as Campaign General Who Quells Banditry and was promoted step by step to Army Aide of Record to the Grand Marshal. Li Shenjun, Minister of the Personnel, memorialized that Xin should compile the imperial diary. At the beginning of the Taichang era, he was appointed Vice Director of the Secretariat with the additional ranks of General Who Pacifies the East and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness. Rumors then claimed he had fraudulently taken another's rank; impeached by the Commandant of Justice, he was dismissed from office and wrote the "Fu on Embodying Oneself." Before long he received an edict to oversee ritual regulations together with Chang Jing, Director of the Palace Library. When the Deposed Emperor performed the Confucian temple sacrifice, Xin together with Collator Pei Bomao and others served as recorders of the rites. At the end of the Yongxi era, Xin entered court as Reader-in-Waiting and, together with Wen Zisheng and Wei Shou, shared responsibility for edicts and imperial documents. When the capital was moved to Ye, he returned to Hejian. At the beginning of Tianping he was summoned to the capital together with Palace Attendant and paternal uncle Zicai, Wei Jijing, and Wei Shou. Before long he returned home. He was summoned again not long after. At that time envoys from Xiao Yan, including Vice Regular Attendant of the Rapid Steeds Liu Xiaoyi, came bearing tribute; an edict made Xin Acting Regular Gentleman to receive them at the frontier. Minister of Education Sun Teng recommended him as Palace Gentleman. He was soon appointed Regular Attendant of Unimpeded Service with the additional rank of General of the Central Army. He possessed both literary brilliance and administrative competence at the desk. After the Xiaochang era the empire was overwhelmed with affairs, and men competed to rise through bureaucratic skill while literary learning sharply declined. Song Youdao, Secretariat Aide of Sizhou, was known for fair-minded decisiveness; he and Xin often exchanged witty taunts. Xin told him, "In worldly affairs one must know what lies beyond letters." Youdao flushed with embarrassment. In the Xinghe era he served as deputy to Li Xiang on a mission to Xiao Yan, retaining his existing post. Xin was fond of crossing others; people nicknamed him the Ox. On that mission, observers quipped that an ox and an elephant were fighting south of the Yangtze. When Prince Wenxiang of Qi oversaw appointments, he proposed Xin as Right Chief Clerk of the Minister of Education; before the nomination reached the throne, Xin fell ill and died, to the grief of his peers. He was posthumously appointed Cavalry General-in-Chief, Minister of Justice, and Inspector of Jizhou with the posthumous title Wen. His writings were gathered in a collected anthology.

溫子昇，字鵬舉，自云太原人，晉大將軍嶠之後也。世居江左。祖恭之，劉義隆彭城王義康戶曹，避難歸國，家于濟陰冤句，因為其郡縣人焉。家世寒素。父暉，兗州左將軍府長史，行濟陰郡事。

Wen Zisheng, styled Pengju, claimed descent from Taiyuan and from the Jin general Jiao. His family had lived south of the Yangtze for generations. His grandfather Gongzhi had served as a clerk in the household of Liu Yikang's Prince of Pengcheng; fleeing turmoil he returned to the north, and the family settled at Yuanqu in Jiyin, thus becoming natives of that district. For generations the family had been poor and of modest standing. His father Hui was Army Aide of Record to the Left General of Yanzhou and concurrently administered Jiyin commandery.

子昇初受學於崔靈恩、劉蘭，精勤，以夜繼晝，晝夜不倦。長乃博覽百家，文章清婉。為廣陽王淵賤客，在馬坊教諸奴子書。作侯山祠堂碑文，常景見而善之，故詣淵謝之。景曰：「頃見溫生。」淵怪問之，景曰：「溫生是大才士。」淵由是稍知之。

Zisheng first studied under Cui Lin'en and Liu Lan, applying himself with such zeal that he worked on through the night into the day without ever tiring. When grown he read widely among the hundred schools; his writing was clear and graceful. He was a low-ranking retainer in the household of Prince Yuan of Guangyang, teaching the stable boys to write in the horse quarters. He wrote an inscription for the Hou Mountain shrine; Chang Jing read it, admired it, and went to Yuan to express his thanks on Zisheng's behalf. Jing said, "I have just seen Master Wen." Yuan asked in surprise; Jing said, "Master Wen is a man of great literary talent." Yuan thereby came to know him somewhat.

熙平初，中尉、東平王匡博召辭人，以充御史，同時射策者八百餘人，子昇與盧仲宣、孫搴等二十四人為高第。於時預選者爭相引決，匡使子昇當之，皆受屈而去。搴謂人曰：「朝來靡旗亂轍者，皆子昇逐北。」遂補御史，時年二十二。臺中文筆皆子昇為之。以憂去任，服闋，還為朝請。 [6]後李神儁行荊州事，引兼錄事參軍。被徵赴省，神儁表留不遣。吏部郎中李奬退表不許，曰：「昔伯瑜之不應留，王朗所以發歎，宜速遣赴，無踵彥雲前失。」於是還省。 [7]

At the beginning of Xiping, Prince Kuang of Dongping, Commandant of Justice, summoned literary men broadly to fill the Censorate; over eight hundred candidates took the policy examination at once, and Zisheng with Lu Zhongxuan, Sun Qian, and twenty-two others ranked in the top tier. Those who had been shortlisted then vied to withdraw rather than face him; Kuang had Zisheng stand against them, and each yielded and left. Qian told others, "Everyone who broke ranks and scattered this morning was routed by Zisheng." He was then appointed Censor at the age of twenty-two. All literary drafts in the Censorate were Zisheng's work. He left his post to observe mourning; when mourning ended, he returned as Court Gentleman. [6] Later, when Li Shenjun governed Jingzhou, he summoned him as Acting Army Aide of Record. He was summoned to the central government, but Shenjun memorialized to retain him and not let him go. Li Jiang, Director of the Personnel Bureau, rejected the memorial and refused permission, saying, "Long ago when Boyu would not stay, Wang Lang sighed over it; he should be dispatched quickly and not repeat Yanyun's former mistake." Thereupon he returned to the capital. Editorial note seven.

正光末，廣陽王淵為東北道行臺，召為郎中，軍國文翰皆出其手。於是才名轉盛。黃門郎徐紇受四方表啟，答之敏速，於淵獨沉思曰：「彼有溫郎中，才藻可畏。」高車破走，珍實盈滿，子昇取絹四十匹。及淵為葛榮所害，子昇亦見羈執。榮下都督和洛興與子昇舊識，以數十騎潛送子昇，得達冀州。還京，李楷執其手曰：「卿今得免，足使夷甫慚德。」自是無復宦情，閉門讀書，厲精不已。

At the end of Zhengguang, Prince Yuan of Guangyang served as Northeast Circuit Commander and summoned Zisheng as Gentleman; all military and state papers came from his hand. His fame for talent then grew still greater. Attendant Gentleman of the Yellow Gate Xu Hong received memorials from the four quarters and answered them swiftly; facing Yuan alone he mused and said, "They have Gentleman Wen on staff—his literary power inspires dread." When the Gaoche were routed, booty filled the tents; Zisheng took forty bolts of silk. When Yuan was slain by Ge Rong, Zisheng too was seized and detained. Heluo Xing, a subordinate commander under Rong and an old acquaintance of Zisheng, secretly escorted him with several dozen horsemen until he reached Jizhou. On returning to the capital, Li Kai grasped his hand and said, "You have come through alive—enough to make Yifu blush for his character." From then on he lost all desire for office, shut his door to read, and honed his mind without cease.

建義初，為南主客郎中，修起居注。曾一日不直，上黨王天穆時錄尚書事，將加捶撻，子昇遂逃遁。天穆甚怒，奏人代之。莊帝曰：「當世才子不過數人，豈容為此，便相放黜。」乃寢其奏。及天穆將討邢杲，召子昇同行，子昇未敢應。天穆謂人曰：「吾欲收其才用，豈懷前忿也。今復不來，便須南走越，北走胡耳！」子昇不得已而見之。加伏波將軍，為行臺郎中，天穆深加賞之。元顥入洛，天穆召子昇問曰：「即欲向京師，為隨我北渡？」對曰：「主上以虎牢失守，致此狼狽。元顥新入，人情未安，今往討之，必有征無戰。王若克復京師，奉迎大駕，桓文之舉也。捨此北渡，竊為大王惜之。」天穆善之而不能用。遣子昇還洛，顥以為中書舍人。莊帝還宮，為顥任使者多被廢黜，而子昇復為舍人。天穆每謂子昇曰：「恨不用卿前計。」除正員郎，仍舍人。

At the beginning of Jianyi he served as Southern Master of Guests Gentleman and compiled the imperial diary. Once he missed a day on palace duty; Prince Tianmu of Shangdang was then overseeing Secretariat affairs and was about to have him flogged; Zisheng fled. Tianmu was furious and memorialized to replace him. Emperor Zhuang said, "Men of talent in our age number only a handful—how can we for this dismiss him outright?" The memorial was then shelved. When Tianmu was about to campaign against Xing Gao, he summoned Zisheng to accompany him; Zisheng did not dare answer. Tianmu told others, "I wish to employ his talent—would I harbor old resentment? If you still do not come, you will have to flee south to Yue or north to the barbarians!" Zisheng had no choice but to present himself. He was given the additional rank of General Who Subdues Waves and made Gentleman of the Circuit Headquarters; Tianmu prized him deeply. When Yuan Hao entered Luoyang, Tianmu summoned Zisheng and asked, "Do you mean to head straight for the capital, or follow me north across the river?" He replied, "The sovereign, because Tiger Cage was lost, has been reduced to this plight. Yuan Hao has only just entered; the people's hearts are not yet settled; if you march now to attack him, you will surely win without fighting. If Your Highness recovers the capital and welcomes back the imperial carriage, that will be a feat like those of Duke Huan and Duke Wen. To abandon that and cross north—I venture to say the Great King would regret it." Tianmu approved but could not follow his advice. He sent Zisheng back to Luoyang, and Hao appointed him Drafting Officer of the Secretariat. When Emperor Zhuang returned to the palace, many whom Hao had appointed as envoys were dismissed, but Zisheng again became Drafting Officer. Tianmu often told Zisheng, "I regret not having followed your earlier plan." He was appointed Regular Gentleman while still serving as Drafting Officer.

及帝殺尒朱榮也，子昇預謀，當時赦詔，子昇詞也。榮入內，遇子昇，把詔書問是何文書，子昇顏色不變，曰「敕」。榮不視之。尒朱兆入洛，子昇懼禍逃匿。永熙中，為侍讀兼舍人、鎮南將軍、金紫光祿大夫，遷散騎常侍、中軍大將軍，後領本州大中正。

When the Emperor killed Erzhu Rong, Zisheng took part in the plot; the amnesty edict of that hour was in Zisheng's words. Rong entered the inner quarters, met Zisheng, seized the edict and asked what document it was; Zisheng's expression did not change as he answered, "An imperial order." Rong did not read it. When Erzhu Zhao entered Luoyang, Zisheng feared calamity and hid himself. In Yongxi he served as Reader-in-Waiting with concurrent duty as Drafting Officer, General Who Guards the South, and Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with Golden Seal and Purple Tassel; he was promoted to Regular Attendant of the Rapid Steeds and Great General of the Central Army, and later headed the senior clan scorer for his native province.

蕭衍使張皐寫子昇文筆，傳於江外。衍稱之曰：「曹植、陸機復生於北土。恨我辭人，數窮百六。」陽夏太守傅標使吐谷渾，見其國主牀頭有書數卷，乃是子昇文也。濟陰王暉業嘗云：「江左文人，宋有顏延之、謝靈運，梁有沈約、任昉，我子昇足以陵顏轢謝，含任吐沈。」楊遵彥作文德論，以為古今辭人皆負才遺行，澆薄險忌，唯邢子才、王元景、溫子昇彬彬有德素。

Xiao Yan had Zhang Gao copy Zisheng's writings, which circulated beyond the Yangtze. Yan praised him, saying, "Cao Zhi and Lu Ji are reborn in the northern lands. I only regret that among my literary men fortune has been broken by repeated calamity." Fu Biao, Administrator of Yangxia, on a mission to the Tuyuhun, saw several scrolls at the ruler's bedside—they were writings of Zisheng. Prince Huiye of Jiyin once said, "Among literati south of the Yangtze, Song had Yan Yanzhi and Xie Lingyun, Liang had Shen Yue and Ren Fang; our Zisheng is enough to stride over Yan and trample Xie, encompass Ren and surpass Shen." Yang Zunyan wrote the "Discourse on Literary Virtue," arguing that writers of every age bore talent yet abandoned proper conduct—shallow, base, treacherous, and jealous—yet only Xing Zicai, Wang Yuanjing, and Wen Zisheng were refined and possessed genuine virtue.

齊文襄王引子昇為大將軍府諮議參軍。子昇前為中書郎，嘗詣蕭衍客館受國書，自以不修容止，謂人曰：「詩章易作，逋峭難為。」文襄館客元僅曰：「諸人當賀。」 [8]推子昇合陳辭。子昇久忸怩，乃推陸操焉。及元僅、劉思逸、荀濟等作亂，文襄疑子昇知其謀。方使之作獻武王碑文，既成，乃餓諸晉陽獄，食弊襦而死，棄尸路隅，沒其家口。太尉長史宋遊道收葬之，又為集其文筆為三十五卷。子昇外恬靜，與物無競，言有準的，不妄毀譽，而內深險。事故之際，好預其間，所以終致禍敗。又撰永安記三卷。無子。

Prince Wenxiang of Qi summoned Zisheng as Adviser of the Grand General's Headquarters. Zisheng had previously served as Secretariat Gentleman and once went to Xiao Yan's guesthouse to receive the state letter; finding his bearing inadequate, he told others, "Poems are easy to write; striking presence is hard to manage." Yuan Jin, a retainer at Wenxiang's residence, said, "Everyone ought to congratulate." [Editorial note 8] They urged Zisheng to help draft the presentation speech. Zisheng hesitated for some time, then put forward Lu Cao in his stead. When Yuan Jin, Liu Siyi, Xun Ji, and the others rose in revolt, Prince Wenxiang suspected that Zisheng had known of their conspiracy. He was just then having him write the inscription for King Xianwu. When it was done, he left him to starve in the Jinyang prison; he died gnawing rotten rags. His body was thrown by the road, and his entire household was seized. Song Youdao, Chief Clerk of the Grand Commandant, recovered his body for burial and also collected his literary works into thirty-five scrolls. Zisheng appeared outwardly serene and uncontentious; his speech was measured, and he did not praise or revile rashly—yet within he was profoundly cunning. When troubles arose, he liked to thrust himself into them—hence his final fall to ruin. He also wrote the Records of Yong'an in three scrolls. He left no sons.

史臣曰：古之人所貴名不朽者，蓋重言之尚存，又加之以才名，其為貴顯，固其宜也。自餘或位下人微，居常亦何能自達。及其靈蛇可握，天網俱頓，並編緗素，咸貫儒林，雖其位可下，其身可殺，千載之後，貴賤一焉。非此道也，孰云能致。凡百士子，可不務乎！

The historiographer writes: What the ancients valued in fame that would not perish was, above all, that their words still lived—and when literary talent and reputation were added besides, eminence and honor were only as they ought to be. As for all the others, of humble station or slight consequence—what chance had they to win notice in their daily lives? Yet when fortune turned and restraint fell away, their works were all set down on silk and paper and all entered the grove of scholars. Though rank might be stripped from them and their lives taken, a thousand years on, high and low alike are one. By any other means, who could have achieved the same? Every man of letters—should he not strive for this?

校勘記

Textual Collation Notes

魏書卷八十五諸本目錄此卷注「闕」，卷末脫宋人校語。殿本考證云：「魏收書闕，後人所補。」按卷中只封肅傳稍詳於北史本傳〈附卷二四封懿傳〉，乃採之他書，他傳皆同北史，偶有溢出語，當是採他書增入。考本書卷四七盧玄傳附見盧光宗，云：「子觀、觀弟仲宣，事在文苑傳。」卷四五裴駿附裴宣傳云：「子敬宣、莊伯並在文苑傳。」今此卷無盧仲宣、裴莊伯，當是後人據目補傳，仲宣、莊伯並附其兄，非正傳，故目錄不載，以致失補。

The tables of contents in various editions of the Book of Wei, volume 85, mark this scroll as "defective"; the Song editors' colophon at the end of the scroll is missing. The Dian edition textual verification states: "Wei Shou's original text is missing here; later scholars made up the lacuna." Within this scroll, only the biography of Feng Su is somewhat fuller than its counterpart in the Northern History 〈Supplementary scroll 24, Biography of Feng Yi〉 —material evidently drawn from other works. The remaining biographies match the Northern History throughout, with occasional extra phrases that were presumably inserted from other sources. In this book, volume 47, the biography of Lu Xuan notes in passing on Lu Guangzong: "His sons Guan and Guan's younger brother Zhongxuan are treated in the Men of Letters section." Volume 45, in the biography of Pei Jun with the attached biography of Pei Xuan, reads: "His sons Jingxuan and Zhuangbo both appear in the Men of Letters section." Yet this volume lacks entries for Lu Zhongxuan and Pei Zhuangbo. Later editors must have meant to supply biographies listed in the table of contents but failed to do so: Zhongxuan and Zhuangbo were merely appended to their elder brothers' biographies, not given independent entries, so the table of contents did not list them—and the supplement was never made.

靈均逐楚著嘉禍之章按「嘉禍」未見所出，楚辭九章橘頌：「后皇嘉樹，橘徠服兮。」疑「嘉禍」乃「嘉橘」之訛。

"Qu Yuan followed Chu into exile and composed the chapter on 'auspicious calamity'"—Commentary: The phrase "Jia huo" (auspicious calamity) has no known source. The Songs of Chu, "Ode to the Orange" in the Nine Pieces, reads: "O sovereign's noble tree, the orange has come to take root here." The reading "Jia huo" is probably a corruption of "Jia ju" (noble orange).

中山王將之部諸本無「王」字，旁注「闕」。通志卷一七六裴敬憲傳作「王」，冊府卷八三九〈九九六０頁〉此句作「中山鎮部」。按卷一九南安王楨附中山王熙傳云：「始熙之鎮鄴也，知友才學之士略裴敬憲等咸餞於河梁，賦詩告別。」「中山」下脫「王」字無疑，今據補。冊府「鎮」字，當亦有因，疑此句本作「中山王鎮鄴，將之部」。冊府所據本「鄴」訛「部」，和下「將之部」重出不辭，遂刪三字。

"When the Prince of Zhongshan was about to depart for his commandery"—several editions omit the word "prince," with a marginal note reading "lacuna." The Comprehensive Records, volume 176, biography of Pei Jingxian, reads "prince." The Cefu Yuangui, scroll 839 〈p. 9960〉 renders this line as "Zhongshan garrisoned the district." The Book of Wei, volume 19, biography of Prince Nan'an Zhen with the attached biography of Prince Zhongshan Xi, states: "When Xi first took up his post at Ye, men of talent and learning among his friends, including Pei Jingxian, all saw him off with a feast at River Bridge and composed farewell poems." The omission of "prince" after "Zhongshan" is certain; the character is restored here. The Cefu's word "garrison" must have its own rationale; the original line was probably "When the Prince of Zhongshan was garrisoning Ye and about to depart for his commandery." In the edition the Cefu drew upon, Ye was miscopied as bu (district); combined with the following phrase about to go to his commandery, the result was redundant and awkward, so three characters were dropped.

永興三年按永興乃拓跋嗣年號〈四０九－四一三〉，遠在其前，元脩雖於太昌元年〈五三二〉十二月改永興，即在此月改永熙，並無三年。北史卷三八裴駿附敬憲傳同作「永興」，而下文其弟莊伯傳，稱「永安三年，贈通直散騎侍郎」。兄弟當是同年追贈，這裏「永興」乃「永安」之訛。

"In the third year of Yongxing"—Commentary: Yongxing was an era name of Tuoba Si (Emperor Daowu) 〈pp. 409–413〉 , long before the relevant period. Yuan Xiu, it is true, in the first year of Taichang 〈p. 532〉 changed his era name to Yongxing in the twelfth month—and in that same month changed it again to Yongxi. There never was a "third year" of Yongxing. The Northern History, volume 38, in the biography of Pei Jun with the attached biography of Jingxian, likewise reads "Yongxing," yet the biography of his brother Zhuangbo below says, "In the third year of Yong'an, posthumously appointed Regular Palace Gentleman in Direct Service." The brothers were probably granted posthumous honors in the same year; here "Yongxing" is a corruption of "Yong'an."

南討絳蜀陳雙熾通志卷一七六裴伯茂傳「南」作「及」。按絳在洛陽西北，不得云「南討」，疑作「及」是。

A southern campaign against Jiang, Shu, and Chen Shuang's uprising—the Comprehensive Records, volume 176, biography of Pei Bomao, reads nan (south) as ji (and). Jiang lies northwest of Luoyang, so a "southern campaign" makes no sense; "and" is probably correct.

還為朝請通志卷一七六溫子昇傳「朝請」上有「奉」字。疑當有此字，但也可能是簡稱，今不補。

Returned as Court Attendant—the Comprehensive Records, volume 176, biography of Wen Zisheng, has the character feng (serve or receive) before Court Attendant. The extra character may well belong, but it may also be an abbreviated form; no emendation is made here.

於是還省諸本及北史卷八三「省」作「員」，通志卷一七六作「省」。按上云：「被徵赴省」，故下云「還省」，「還員」不可通，今據改。

Then returned to the Secretariat—in various editions and Northern History, volume 83, sheng (secretariat) is written as yuan (staff officer); the Comprehensive Records, volume 176, has sheng. Earlier the text reads that he was summoned to the Secretariat, so the following phrase must be returned to the Secretariat; huan yuan makes no sense. The reading sheng is adopted.

文襄館客元僅曰諸人當賀按何事當賀，敍述不明，疑「文襄」下有脫文。又「元僅」當作「元瑾」。瑾謀殺高澄，事見本書卷一二孝靜紀末、卷一四華山王鷙附子大器傳，北史卷六齊文襄紀，北齊書卷四七宋遊道傳，都作「瑾」。

"Yuan Jin, a retainer at Wenxiang's residence, said, 'Everyone ought to congratulate'"—Commentary: what there was to celebrate is nowhere made clear; the account is muddled. Text may be missing after "Wenxiang." Moreover, Yuan Jin written with the character jin (merely) should read Yuan Jin written with the character jin (gem). Jin conspired to assassinate Gao Cheng; the episode appears in this book, volume 12 (end of the annals of Emperor Xiaojing), volume 14 (biography of Prince Huashan Zhi, with the attached biography of his son Daqi), Northern History, volume 6 (annals of Prince Wenxiang of Qi), and Northern Qi History, volume 47 (biography of Song Youdao)—all of which write the name with the character jin meaning gem.

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