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卷92 列女:崔覧妻封氏 封卓妻劉氏 魏溥妻房氏 胡長命妻張氏

Volume 92: Notable Women - Cui Lan's Consort Feng, Feng Zhuo's Consort Liu, Wei Pu's Consort Fang, Hu Changming's Consort Zhang

Chapter 98 of 魏書 · Book of Wei
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Chapter 98
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1
[1][2]
Lady Feng, consort of Cui Lan; Lady Liu, consort of Feng Zhuo; Lady Fang, consort of Wei Pu; Lady Zhang, consort of Hu Changming; Sun Nanyu of Pingyuan; Lady Cui, consort of Fang Aiqin; the chaste woman Sixian of Jing Prefecture; Lady Yang of the Yao household; Lady Liu, consort of Zhang Hongchu; Lady Zhang, consort of Dong Jingqi; Lady Gao, consort of Yang Ni; Lady Geng, consort of Shi Yingzhou; Grand Consort Meng of Rencheng; Lady Liu, consort of Gou Jinlong; Lady Li, consort of Lu Yuanli; the filial daughter Yao of Hedong; Lady Lu, consort of Diao Sizun.
2
漿
Ordinarily, a married woman's duties extend no further than weaving, spinning, cord-making, and preparing wine, vinegar, and preserves. Cases such as Mo instructing in the Xuan Palace, E completing Shun's work, and the three mothers of Tushan bringing two realms to flourish scarcely belong to the category of ordinary wives. Then there are women of clear moral insight and conduct, equally skilled in letters and debate, whose renown rose from the inner quarters and whose names shone across the realm. Liu Xiang collected such figures in earlier times, and Yuan Kai compiled them afterward, recording them age by age—no generation has lacked them. This volume records those exemplary women known from the Wei period.
3
Lady Feng, consort of Cui Lan, Secretariat Gentleman of Qinghe, came from Bohai and was the daughter of Regular Attendant of Scattered Cavalry Kai. Gifted and discerning, quick-witted, eloquent, and possessed of a formidable memory, she had mastered a wide range of learning—no woman of her day could equal her. Even men as eminent as Li Fu and Gongsun Wenshu would seek her out whenever they were uncertain about recent precedents.
4
忿
The consort of Feng Zhuo of Bohai was a daughter of the Liu clan of Pengcheng. They had been married only one night when Zhuo took office in the capital; he was later executed for his crimes. Liu remained at home when she was suddenly visited by a dream and knew that Zhuo was dead; she wept without cease. Her sisters-in-law tried in vain to console her; ten days later the news of his death arrived, and she died of grief. Contemporaries compared her to the wife of Qin Jia. Director of the Secretariat Gao Yun, reflecting that her virtue was lofty yet her name obscure, composed a poem for her that begins: "Heaven and earth hold their stations; human bonds take their first form. Thus were husband and wife ordained to carry on the work of their forebears. Though called different clans, their spirits remain naturally joined. In life they share one roof; in death they are pledged in the underworld. 〈Part One〉 Feng was born gifted and discerning; Zhuo was a leading man of his time. Within he embodied the golden mean; without he mastered the three changes. Who could be his equal? She alone met that standard. From a noble house she rose, a lady of rare grace. 〈Part Two〉 Capital and countryside lay far apart; mountains and rivers divided them. He received the royal command and sped along the road. His public duties widened, yet private obligation was honored. Through a matchmaker betrothal gifts were exchanged, and they shared but a single evening. 〈Part Three〉 I had just come of age; she wore her maiden hairpin. Rite bound their forms together; inclination drew their hearts as one. Joy is hard to hold; shadow and footprint part all too soon. Words stretch into the distance; grief lodges in the heart. 〈Part Four〉 Hard times came; he was torn from the web of mortal life. He bowed to the blade; body and self returned to earth. Though a thousand li lay between them, she answered like shadow to echo. The faithful bride felt it in her depths and knew it in a dream. 〈Part Five〉 She honored her parents' charge above and cherished their fine match below. Who could call their meeting brief? Duty bound her, and love ran deep. She held to her purpose in widowhood, vowing never to take another husband. How may this be proved? She gave her life as proof. 〈Part Six〉 Who among the living does not cherish life? She held to righteousness and made light of what others prized. Grief lodged in her heart; she willingly entered the shades. Forever she left the hall and home; long she bade farewell to mother and brothers. 〈Part Seven〉 Vast lies the open wild; dim stands the lonely mound. Kudzu and brambles lie dark and tangled; thorns ring it on every side. If truth is not dimmed, their spirits will wander together still. How rare this faithful wife—without equal in any age." 〈Part Eight〉
5
鹿 [4] [5] [6] 紿 祿
The consort of Wei Pu of Julu was a daughter of the Fang clan of Changshan. Her father Kan served as Administrator of Guixiang under Murong Chui. Lady Fang was gentle, compliant, and of lofty character; from childhood she possessed a resolute integrity. When she was sixteen, Pu fell mortally ill and said to her: "Life passes like a white colt through a crack—death itself is no grief, but the hopes I have cherished all my life will die unheard. I grieve that my mother is old, our household poor, and no one left to support her; our infant son is helpless, and the ancestral line stands in peril. That is why I lodge my complaint in the grave." [4] Fang wept as she answered: "I have been fortunate to receive my ancestors' teaching; having married a gentleman, my duty is to see it through to the end. To have the will yet fail to fulfill it—that is fate. Your mother is still in the hall and our child still in swaddling clothes; though I am young, I shall bear the burden of your long absence. [5] Shortly afterward Pu died. At the encoffinment, Lady Fang took a knife, cut off her left ear, and cast it into the coffin, saying: "If the spirits have knowledge, let us meet in the underworld." Blood poured forth, and all who attended the funeral were stricken with grief and awe. Her mother-in-law Lady Liu stopped weeping and said, "Daughter-in-law, how could you go so far!" Fang answered, "Your daughter-in-law met misfortune young; [6] I feared my parents would not grasp the depth of my devotion and meant this act as a pledge to myself." All who heard were deeply moved. Her son Ji was then less than ten days old; she reared him within the inner quarters and never once left the house. For the rest of her life she would not listen to music or take her place at a feast. When Ji was twelve and Fang's parents were still living, she made a visit home. Her father and brothers still had doubts about her resolve; Ji overheard them and told his mother. Fang ordered the carriage prepared, pretended she was bound elsewhere, and returned home before her family realized what she had heard. After several tens of li her family realized what had happened and her brothers came in pursuit, but Fang wept and would not turn back. Such was the firmness of her purpose. She raised one son with the bearing and discipline of a true mother. When Ji's friends were men of distinction, she herself prepared wine and food; when they fell short of her standards, she would withdraw to bed and refuse to eat until they repented. In gentle guidance and strict discipline alike, she acted thus in every matter. She died at the age of sixty-five. Ji's biography appears elsewhere in this work. Ji's son Yue became Administrator of Jiyin, and officials and commoners erected a stele in praise of his virtue. Grandee of the Golden Bell and Purple Radiance Gao Lu composed its inscription, writing in the preface: "Our grandmother Fang, still in her maiden years, bore hardship and held to her resolve, embodying the conduct of a devoted wife and the sincerity of her self-mutilation." He also wrote a eulogy: "When the retired gentleman fell ill, he perished before his time. The wedded pair held firm to their purpose, rich in understanding and lofty in conduct. She maimed her body to show her integrity and vowed to honor their lifelong bond. She bore this fine heir, and devotion hidden in the depths was brought to light." Pu died without ever taking office, hence he is called a retired gentleman.
6
Lady Zhang, consort of Bureau of Music Gentleman Hu Changming, served her mother-in-law Lady Wang with scrupulous devotion. During the Tai'an era, wine was banned in the capital; because her mother-in-law was old and ill, Zhang brewed wine for her in secret and was reported by the authorities. Lady Wang went to the authorities and confessed: "In my old age and illness I need wine; the brewing at home was my doing." Lady Zhang said, "My mother-in-law is old and ill; I manage the household—she knew nothing of the brewing. The guilt is mine." The presiding official could not determine who was guilty and did not know how to rule. Prince of Pingyuan Lu Li reported the matter to the throne; Emperor Gaozong, moved by their righteousness, pardoned them both.
7
Sun Nanyu, a woman of Suxian in Pingyuan, had a husband who was murdered by a man from Ling County. They seized the killer in pursuit; Nanyu wished to kill him herself, but her younger brother tried to stop her and she would not listen. Nanyu said, "A woman who marries takes her husband as her heaven; I must avenge him myself—how could I leave it to another's hand!" She then beat him to death with a staff. The authorities sentenced her to death and reported the case to the throne. Emperor Xianzu issued an edict: "Nanyu prized integrity above her own life and broke the law in the name of righteousness. Given the circumstances, she deserves mercy—let her be specially pardoned."
8
[7]
Lady Cui, consort of Fang Aiqin of Qinghe, was the daughter of Cui Yuansun of the same commandery. Stern, principled, and of lofty character, she had read widely in books and records and possessed deep learning. Her sons Jingbo and Jingxian received the classics directly from Lady Cui; [7] both became men of cultivated learning and conduct, renowned in their day. When Jingbo served as Administrator of Qinghe, he would consult her first whenever a difficult case arose. A man of Beiqiu named Liezi was accused of unfilial conduct, and the clerks wished to prosecute him. Jingbo was moved to pity and went to tell his mother. His mother said, "I have heard that hearing is not equal to seeing. These mountain folk have never been taught ritual propriety—how can we blame them? Summon his mother here; I shall live with her. Keep her son at your side and let him watch how you serve me—perhaps he will reform himself." Jingbo summoned the mother; Lady Cui seated her on a couch and shared meals with her. While Jingbo attended to her comfort, the son stood waiting in the hall below. Within ten days he repented and asked to return home. Lady Cui said, "His face shows shame, but I do not yet know whether his heart feels guilt. Let him wait awhile." After more than twenty days, the son kowtowed until it bled and his mother wept and begged to take him home; only then did she consent, and he became known for filial piety. Such was her insight and the authority with which she guided others; she lived to a full age.
9
便
The chaste woman Sixian of Jing Prefecture had been betrothed to Peng Laosheng; the betrothal gifts were complete, but the wedding had not yet taken place. Sixian conducted herself with chaste purity; though poor, she pounded grain and drew water herself to support her parents. Laosheng repeatedly tried to force himself upon her; she said, "Though our betrothal is settled, both our families have suffered many troubles and we have not yet met. How dare you come to violate me without informing our parents! If you insist on violating propriety, I would rather die." She refused to yield. Laosheng in a rage stabbed her to death and took her clothing. She could still speak; dying, she said to Laosheng, "What crime did I commit in being born, that I should meet you? The reason I held firm to my integrity—was it that I sought anything else? I wished only to serve you properly. Now you have killed me instead; if spirits have knowledge, they will surely repay you." With these words she died. Laosheng took the girl's pearl ornaments to her uncle's house and told him what had happened. The uncle said, "She was your betrothed—how could you kill her? Heaven will not protect you!" He seized him and handed him over to the authorities. In the seventh year of Taihe, the authorities charged him with a capital offense. An edict declared: "Laosheng was cruel and violated a chaste woman; given his violence, let him be executed. The girl upheld ritual and integrity to the end; though she lived among common folk, her conduct matched the ancients—grant her a fine name to display her virtue. Mark her tomb and proclaim her virtue, styling her the 'Chaste Woman.'"
10
使 使 殿
Lady Yang of the Yao household was the aunt of the eunuch Fu Chengzu. Her family was poor and owned no property. When Chengzu won favor and rank from Empress Dowager Wenming, all his kin by marriage sought profit—only Yang refused. She often told her elder sister, "Sister, your momentary glory is nothing beside my carefree peace." When her sister sent her clothing, she usually refused it; if pressed to accept, she said, "My husband's family has been poor for generations—fine clothes would make us uneasy." When given servants, she said, "We have no food at home and cannot support them." In the end she would accept nothing. She wore worn clothing and performed labor with her own hands. When she did accept clothing, she rarely wore it, burying it in secret; if she wore any at all, she soiled it first. Whenever Chengzu saw her thin and shivering with cold, he blamed his mother for not providing for her. He told his mother, "I myself lack for nothing now—why should my aunt live like this?" His mother told him the full story. Chengzu sent men in a carriage to fetch her, but her resolve was firm and she would not go; when they forced her into the carriage, she wept and cried, "You mean to kill me!" From then on, everyone in the Fu household called her the mad aunt. When Chengzu fell from power, the authorities seized both his aunts and brought them before the throne. One aunt was punished; because the Yao daughter-in-law's clothing was worn and shabby, her guilt was specially remitted. Her foresight—even Empress Lü could not have surpassed it.
11
Lady Liu, consort of Zhang Hongchu of Jing County in Xingyang, was seventeen when her husband died; she bore a posthumous son who died at age three. Her parents-in-law were elderly; morning and evening she cared for them, observing every propriety. Her elder brother pitied her youth and widowhood and wished to marry her off again. Lady Liu vowed never to consent and remained a widow for life.
12
Lady Zhang, consort of Dong Jingqi of Chenliu. Jingqi died young; Zhang was then sixteen and mourned her husband's early death with grief beyond what ritual required. Her appearance wasted away; she never bathed, ate only vegetables, and kept perpetual fasts. She had no children and held to chaste integrity alone, resolved to share his coffin at the end. Her neighbors held her in high esteem, and in the end she was publicly honored.
13
Lady Gao, consort of Yang Ni, Administrator of Yuyang, was a native of Bohai. Learned and gifted with literary talent, Emperor Gaozu ordered her to serve in the inner palace. The memorials and reports of Empress You were entirely composed by her.
14
使
Lady Geng, consort of Shi Yingzhou of Xingyang, was a daughter of the Geng clan of the same commandery; at seventeen she married Yingzhou. In the twenty-third year of Taihe, Yingzhou died. Lady Geng feared her parents would force her to remarry; as Yingzhou was buried, she wept beside his coffin. All who witnessed it were moved to tears. When an imperial envoy came to observe local customs, her case was reported to the throne; an edict ordered her gate and lane marked with honor.
15
鹿 便 [8]
Grand Consort Meng of Rencheng was a native of Julu and mother of Director of the Secretariat and Prince of Rencheng Cheng. When Cheng served in Yangzhou, he led troops out on campaign. Afterward the rebel leader Jiang Qingzhen secretly joined traitors and seized Luocheng in a surprise attack. Chief Clerk Wei Zuan was caught unprepared and could think of no plan. Meng then rallied the troops onto the battlements and secured the strategic points. She roused the civil and military officers, comforted old and new alike, urged them with rewards and punishments, and taught them the difference between loyalty and treason; all were stirred to fight. She personally made the rounds on the walls, heedless of arrows and stones. The rebels could not take the city, and the whole fortress was preserved. Cheng reported the matter to the throne, but Emperor Shizong died [8] and the matter was set aside. Empress Dowager Ling later ordered: "Such great merit and splendid virtue ought to be handed down through the ages." She then ordered the authorities to erect a stele in her honor.
16
[9] 退
Lady Liu, consort of Gou Jinlong, was a native of Pingyuan. She was the elder sister of Vice Director of Justice Liu Shuzong. During Emperor Shizong's reign, Jinlong served as Administrator of Zitong and commander of the garrison at Guancheng. [9] Xiao Yan sent troops to besiege the city; Jinlong fell ill and could not command—the garrison was gripped with fear. Liu rallied the townspeople, repaired the weapons of war, and finished everything in a single night. They held out for more than a hundred days; more than half the soldiers were killed or wounded. Deputy commander Gao Jing secretly plotted treason; Liu beheaded him and several dozen of his followers. She shared clothing and reduced rations among the remaining troops, sharing hardship and ease alike; all revered and embraced her. The wells lay outside the outer wall and soon fell to the enemy; water inside the city ran out and many died of thirst. Liu gathered young and old, taught them loyalty and integrity, and led them in crying out to Heaven together; shortly afterward a soaking rain fell. Liu ordered cloth, silk, and even clothing brought out, hung within the city, and wrung for water; every vessel was put to use. The people's resolve grew firmer still. Just then Inspector of Yizhou Fu Shuyan was approaching, and the enemy dispersed. Shuyan marveled at her deeds and reported them to the throne; Emperor Shizong praised her. In the Zhengguang era, her son Qingzhen was granted the title Viscount of Pingchang with a fief of two hundred households, and two other sons received entry into office. When Qingzhen died, his son Chuntuo inherited the title. When Qi received the abdication, noble ranks were reduced accordingly.
17
Qingzhen's younger brother Fu, at the end of Wuding, served as Chief Clerk of the Equal in Attendance Opening Office.
18
便 宿漿
The filial and chaste woman Zong was a native of Boren in Zhao Commandery, daughter of Administrator of Zhao Li Shuyin, and consort of Lu Yuanli of Fanyang. Renowned throughout her commandery for supreme filial devotion. When her father died, she wailed until she nearly expired four times; only her mother Lady Cui's comfort saved her. For three years her body wasted away; she could not rise without support. When she joined her husband's household and was separated from her mother, she ate less each day, wept without cease, and grew steadily weaker. The entire Lu household tried in vain to console her and sent her home for a visit. At home she would recover, only to decline again when she returned—this happened eight or nine times. After Yuanli died, Zong mourned him and cared for the living with scrupulous observance of ritual, becoming known for devoted service to her mother-in-law. Her mother Cui died in Luoyang in the first year of Shengui; when the news arrived, Zong cried out and collapsed, reviving only after a night; for six days she took no food or water. Fearing she would not survive the journey, her mother-in-law personally escorted her to the funeral. Her strength failing, she took eighty days to travel from Fanyang to Luoyang; clinging to her mother's coffin, she wailed and stamped—and died. The authorities reported her case to the throne. An edict declared: "Confucius said that grief must not destroy one's nature, for excessive mourning abandons the living and cuts off one's line. Though Zong was not a legitimate heir, her filial devotion overcame all bounds; though she failed to preserve her life, her resolve was fierce and her righteousness profound. Without special honor, how may we guide those adrift in shallow ways? Let her be posthumously styled the 'Filial and Chaste Woman Zong,' her lane renamed Filial Virtue Lane, and the Li and Lu households honored to enrich the customs of the realm."
19
便 漿
The daughter of the Yao clan of Hedong, styled Nüsheng, lost her father in childhood; having no brothers, her mother kept and reared her alone. At six or seven she already showed filial feeling; whenever anyone spoke of her father, she wept. Her neighbors marveled at it. During the Zhengguang era her mother died; Nüsheng was fifteen and wept without cease, taking no food or water for days; overcome by grief, she died. Administrator Cui You petitioned to build her tomb and erect a stele, composing the inscription himself, honoring her gate and lane, comparing her to Cao E, and renaming her lane Shangyu Lane. Her tomb lies six li east of the commandery seat on the north side of the main road; to this day it is called the Tomb of the Filial Daughter.
20
使
The consort of Diao Sizun of Xingyang was a daughter of the Lu clan. Just as she came of age, she was betrothed to Sizun; before a month had passed, he died. His family pitied her youth and arranged another marriage; when Lu heard of it, she vowed to die rather than remarry. Her parents did not understand her purpose and appealed to the commandery, claiming the Diao clan was keeping the young widow from visiting her parents. Lu then walked on foot with her aged mother-in-law to the Secretariat and reported the truth herself. In the early Putai era the authorities reported the case; Emperor Fei decreed: "Chaste husbands and faithful wives have been honored in every age—let this office mark her gate according to precedent."
21
The historian remarks: 〈Missing〉
22
Textual collation notes
23
The chaste woman Sixian of Jing Prefecture: in juan 91 of the History of the Northern Dynasties, both the table of contents and the biography read "Er" instead of "Sixian."
24
Lady Liu, consort of Zhang Hongchu: in juan 91 of the History of the Northern Dynasties, both the table of contents and the biography read "Qi" instead of "Chu."
25
殿
Weishu juan 92: various edition catalogues mark this juan as "incomplete"; a Song-dynasty collation note at the end of the juan reads: "This biography, though somewhat fuller than in the Northern History and the Minor History, is still incomplete." The Palace Edition's textual verification notes: "Wei Shou's book is incomplete."
26
"This is why I lodge my complaint in the yellow mound": in the biography of Wei Pu's wife Lady Fang in juan 91 of the History of the Northern Dynasties, "mound (xu)" appears as "barrow (lu)." Note: "Yellow barrow" appears in the Military Strategy chapter of the Huainanzi and means the underworld. "Yellow mound" has no known source; "mound (xu)" is likely a corrupt reading.
27
"Considering that I am younger, share in the long grief of your departure": juan 91 of the History of the Northern Dynasties has "ever deep" before "long departure," possibly omitted here, but the text reads coherently without it—no supplementation is made.
28
"Your daughter-in-law met misfortune young": juan 91 of the History of the Northern Dynasties adds "early widowhood" after "misfortune," possibly omitted here, but the text reads well without it—no supplementation is made.
29
"Her sons Jingbo and Jingxian received the classics from Lady Cui": various editions and juan 91 of the History of the Northern Dynasties read "Jingguang" instead of "Jingxian." Note: juan 43's biography of Fang Fashou includes biographies of Jingbo and Jingxian; Jingxian's biography states: "His mother personally taught him the Mao Odes and the Record of Rites in One Volume." This agrees with the present biography. "Guang" is a corruption of "xian"; the text is corrected accordingly.
30
"As it happened Emperor Shizong died": various editions read "Ancestor" instead of "Shizong." Note: juan 8's annals of Emperor Shizong date the event to the second month of the first year of Zhengshi; "Ancestor" is a corrupt reading and is corrected here.
31
"Jinlong was Administrator of Zitong, commander of the garrison at Guancheng": Zhang Senkai notes: "The character for 'commandery' is superfluous." Note: juan 91 of the History of the Northern Dynasties opens this biography with "Lady Liu, consort of Gou Jinlong, Administrator of Zitong," and below reads "Jinlong held office in the commandery as garrison commander at Guancheng." "Held the commandery" means "served as administrator." In this book's biographies, when the husband held office, his title usually appears at the opening, as in "consort of Cui Lan, Secretariat Gentleman of Qinghe" and "consort of Hu Changming, Bureau of Music Gentleman." The original text likely agreed with the Northern History, opening with "consort of Gou Jinlong, Administrator of Zitong"; the four characters "Administrator of Zitong" were probably misplaced here, or a later editor rearranged the text and forgot to delete the superfluous "commandery."
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