1
高祖、太宗之制，兵列府以居外，將列衛以居內，有事則將以征伐，事已各解而去。 兵者，將之事也，使得以用，而不得以有之。 及其晚也，土地之廣，人民之衆，城池之固，器甲之利，舉而予之。 何慮於其始也深，而易於其後也忽，如此之異哉？ 豈其弊有漸，馴而致之，勢有不得已而然哉？ 方鎮之患，始也各專其地以自世，旣則迫於利害之謀，故其喜則連衡而叛上，怒則以力而相并，又其甚則起而弱王室。 唐自中世以後，收功弭亂，雖常倚鎮兵，而其亡也亦終以此，可不戒哉！ 作方鎮表。
Under the systems of Emperors Gaozu and Taizong, troops were stationed in prefectural armies posted outside the capital, while commanders were grouped in guard units stationed within; when need arose the generals would campaign, and once the task was finished each force disbanded and withdrew. Troops belonged to the generals' command—they could deploy them in service, but not claim them as their own. By the dynasty's later days, vast territories, large populations, fortified cities, and superior arms were all handed over wholesale. Why was precaution so thorough at the outset, yet reform so abruptly abandoned afterward—what a striking contrast! Perhaps the decline came by degrees, gently leading to this end—was it not a situation that could scarcely have been otherwise? The trouble with the frontier commanderies began when each clique monopolized its region as a hereditary fief; once entrenched and driven by calculations of profit and loss, they allied against the throne when it suited them, fought one another by force when provoked, and at worst rose up to enfeeble the imperial house. From the mid-Tang period onward, though the court often drew on frontier armies to restore order and secure victory, the dynasty's fall too ultimately stemmed from this very reliance—should we not take warning! The compilers drew up the table of military commanderies.
2
表第四方鎮表一
Table 4: Military Commanderies, Part One.
3
西元京畿興鳳隴涇原邠寧渭北鄜坊朔方東畿
CE dates. Columns: Capital Region; Xing–Feng–Long; Jing–Yuan; Bin–Ning; Wei-Bei Fu–Fang; Shuofang; Eastern Capital Region.
4
710景雲元年
710 CE, first year of the Jingyun reign.
5
712先天元年
712 CE, first year of the Xiantian reign.
6
713開元元年
713 CE, first year of the Kaiyuan reign.
7
742天寶元年朔方節度增領邠州。
In 742, the first year of Tianbao, the Shuofang military commissioner gained jurisdiction over Bin Prefecture.
8
763廣德元年罷鎮國軍節度。 懷州隸昭義，陝西觀察使增領虢州。
In 763, the first year of Guangde, the Zhenguo Army military commissioner was abolished. Huai Prefecture was assigned to the Zhaoyi circuit, and the Shanxi West observation commissioner gained Guo Prefecture.
9
766大曆元年
766 CE, first year of the Dali reign.
10
779十四年潁州隸永平節度使。 復置邠寧慶節度使。 罷渭北節度，置都團練觀察使。 析置河中、振武、邠寧三節度，朔方所領靈鹽夏豐四州、西受降城、定遠天德二軍。 振武節度復領鎮北大都護府及綏銀二州、東中二受降城。 復置東畿觀察使，以留臺御史中丞兼之，復領汝州，廢陝西防禦觀察使。
In 779, the fourteenth year of Dali, Ying Prefecture was transferred to the Yongping military commissioner. The Bin–Ning–Qing military commissioner was reinstated. The Wei–Bei military commissioner was abolished and replaced by a chief training and observation commissioner. Hezhong, Zhenwu, and Bin–Ning were established as separate circuits, leaving Shuofang with four prefectures—Ling, Yan, Xia, and Feng—along with West Accept-the-Surrender Fortress and the Dingyuan and Tiande garrisons. The Zhenwu military commissioner regained the Zhenbei Grand Protectorate, Sui and Yin prefectures, and the eastern and central Accept-the-Surrender fortresses. The Eastern Capital Region observation commissioner was reinstated, filled concurrently by the Left Censorate vice censor-in-chief at Luoyang; Ru Prefecture was restored to his command and the Shanxi West defense and observation commissioner was abolished.
11
780建中元年
780 CE, first year of the Jianzhong reign.
12
783四年置京畿渭南節度觀察使，領金、商二州。 是年，兼渭北、鄜坊、丹、延、綏五州。 未幾，罷五州及金州，為京畿商州節度使。 興鳳隴節度賜號保義節度。 是年，罷保義，以隴州置奉義軍節度使，尋廢。 復置渭北節度，如上元之舊，尋罷。 未幾復置，徙治鄜州，其後置都團練觀察防禦使。 罷觀察，置東畿汝州節度。
In 783, the fourth year of Jianzhong, a Capital Region Wei–Nan military and observation commissioner was created, commanding Jin and Shang prefectures. That same year he also took charge of Wei–Bei, Fu–Fang, Dan, Yan, and Sui—five prefectures in all. Before long those five prefectures and Jin were removed from his charge; the post became military commissioner of the Capital Region Shang Prefecture circuit. The Xing–Feng–Long military commissioner was given the honorific name Baoyi circuit. That same year the Baoyi circuit was abolished and a Fengyi Army military commissioner was created at Long Prefecture; before long this too was abolished. The Wei–Bei military commissioner was restored on the old Shangyuan model; before long it was abolished again. Before long it was reinstated with its seat moved to Fu Prefecture; later a chief training, observation, and defense commissioner was appointed. The observation post was abolished and an Eastern Capital Region Ru Prefecture military commissioner was installed.
13
置陝西都防禦使，尋升為節度使。
A Shanxi West chief defense commissioner was appointed and soon raised to military commissioner.
14
787三年罷保義節度，置都團練觀察防禦使。 未幾，復置節度，兼右神策軍行營節度使。 初，隴右節度兵入屯秦州，尋徙岐州，及吐蕃陷隴右，德宗置行秦州，以刺史兼隴右經略使，治普潤，以鳳翔節度使領隴右支度營田觀察使。 復置渭北節度使，以綏州隸銀夏節度。 置夏州節度觀察處置押蕃落使，領綏、鹽二州，其後罷領鹽州。 唐、鄧二州隸山南東道。
In 787, the third year of Zhenyuan, the Baoyi circuit was abolished and a chief training, observation, and defense commissioner was installed. Before long the military commissioner was reinstated, concurrently commanding the Right Divine Strategy Army campaign. At first Longyou troops were posted at Qin Prefecture and soon shifted to Qi; after the Tibetans overran Longyou, Dezong created an Acting Qin Prefecture whose prefect doubled as Longyou pacification commissioner at Purun, while the Fengxiang military commissioner took charge of Longyou supply, garrison-fields, and observation duties. The Wei–Bei military commissioner was reinstated, and Sui Prefecture was assigned to the Yin–Xia circuit. A Xia Prefecture military commissioner with frontier-tribal oversight was created, commanding Sui and Salt prefectures; later Salt Prefecture was withdrawn from his charge. Tang and Deng prefectures were transferred to the Shannan East circuit.
15
805永貞元年
805 CE, first year of the Yongzhen reign.
16
821長慶元年東都畿防禦罷領汝州。
In 821, the first year of Changqing, the Eastern Capital Region defense commissioner relinquished Ru Prefecture.
17
825寶曆元年
825 CE, first year of the Baoli reign.
18
827大和元年
827 CE, first year of the Dahe reign.
19
836開成元年復置陝虢都防禦觀察使。
In 836, the first year of Kaicheng, the Shan–Guo chief defense and observation commissioner was reinstated.
20
841會昌元年
841 CE, first year of the Huichang reign.
21
847大中元年
847 CE, first year of the Dazhong reign.
22
860咸通元年
860 CE, first year of the Xiantong reign.
23
874乾符元年
874 CE, first year of the Qianfu reign.
24
880廣明元年
880 CE, first year of the Guangming reign.
25
881中和元年
881 CE, first year of the Zhonghe reign.
26
885光啟元年邠寧節度賜號靜難軍節度。 置東畿觀察兼防遏使。
In 885, the first year of Guangqi, the Bin–Ning military commissioner was given the honorific name Jingnan Army circuit. An Eastern Capital Region observation commissioner with concurrent frontier-suppression duties was appointed.
27
888文德元年
888 CE, first year of the Wende reign.
28
889龍紀元年賜陝虢節度為保義軍節度。
In 889, the first year of Longji, the Shan–Guo military commissioner was renamed the Baoyi Army circuit.
29
890大順元年
890 CE, first year of the Dashun reign.
30
892景福元年
892 CE, first year of the Jingfu reign.
31
901天復元年升隴州防禦使為保勝節度使。
In 901, the first year of Tianfu, the Long Prefecture defense commissioner was raised to Baosheng military commissioner.
32
本北宋作品在全世界都属于公有领域，因为作者逝世已经遠遠超过100年。
This Northern Song work is in the public domain worldwide, as the author's death lies far more than a century in the past.