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卷八十一 列傳第六 三宗諸子

Volume 81 Biographies 6: Sons of the Three Zongs (Taizong, Gaozong, and Zhongzong)

Chapter 81 of 新唐書 · New Book of Tang
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Emperor Gaozong had eight sons: Lady Liu of the inner palace gave birth to Zhong; Lady Zheng to Xiao; Lady Yang to Shangjin; Consort Xiao Shufei to Sujie; and Empress Wu to Hong, Xian, Emperor Zhongzong, and Emperor Ruizong. The Prince of Yan, Zhong, bore the style name Zhengben. While the Emperor was still crown prince, Zhong was born. A feast was held in the palace, and soon Taizong paid a visit. He told the palace officials, "I now have a grandson and wish to share the joy with you all." When the wine had gone deep, the Emperor danced and passed the cup to his ministers; everyone present danced, and gifts were bestowed in varying measure. In the twentieth year of the Zhenguan era, he was first enfeoffed as Prince of Chen. At the start of the Yonghui era, he was appointed Governor of Yong Prefecture. Empress Wang had no son. The Empress's uncle Liu Shi urged her that because Zhong's mother was of humble birth, making him heir would surely bind him to her; the Empress agreed and petitioned the Emperor; Liu Shi, together with Chu Suiliang, Han Gui, Zhangsun Wuji, Yu Zhining, and others in succession pressed the case, and Zhong was thereupon established as crown prince. After Wang was deposed, Empress Wu's son Hong was only three. Xu Jingzong, eager to please the Empress, urged that "the state has a legitimate eldest son; the crown prince ought to follow the Han precedent of Liu Qiang." The Emperor summoned Xu Jingzong and asked, "What of establishing the legitimate heir?" He replied, "When the root is correct, all affairs are well governed; the crown prince is the root of the state. Moreover, the heir in the Eastern Palace is of low birth; once he knows a legitimate eldest son exists, he cannot rest easy; Holding a position he cannot keep in peace—this is no plan for the altars of state." The Emperor said, "Zhong has indeed offered to step aside of his own accord." Xu Jingzong said, "To be able to play Taibo—is that not also a fine thing?" Thereupon Zhong was demoted and enfeoffed as Prince of Liang and Military Commissioner of Liang Prefecture, granted a fine mansion, a fief of two thousand households, and twenty thousand bolts of goods. Shortly afterward he was transferred to Governor of Fang Prefecture. Zhong lived in dread and could scarcely endure; he even wore women's clothing and kept assassins at hand. He had demonic dreams again and again and once performed divination for himself. When the affair came to light, he was deposed to commoner status and imprisoned in Chengqian's former residence at Qian Prefecture. At the start of the Linde era, the eunuch Wang Fusheng offended Empress Wu. Xu Jingzong then falsely charged Zhong and Shangguan Yi with Fusheng of plotting rebellion; Zhong was ordered to die, aged twenty-two. He left no sons. The following year Crown Prince Hong memorialized requesting that he be buried; permission was granted. At the start of the Shenlong era he received posthumous enfeoffment, and was also granted the posthumous titles Grand Preceptor and Grand Military Commissioner of Yang Prefecture. Prince of Yuan, the posthumous Prince Xiaowang Xiao: in the first year of Yonghui he was first enfeoffed as Prince of Xu, together with the Princes of Qi and Yong. He died young. At the start of Shenlong he received posthumous enfeoffment and a posthumous title. Prince of Ze Shangjin was first enfeoffed as Prince of Qi. In the third year of Yonghui he held the distant appointment as Grand Military Commissioner of Yi Prefecture. He served in succession as Governor of Fu and Shou prefectures. Empress Wu hated his mother; the authorities therefore falsely memorialized against him, reduced his fief, and transferred him to Li Prefecture. After a long interval the Empress feigned pleasure and memorialized that Prince of Qi Shangjin and Prince of Poyang Sujie might attend court assemblies, and that the Princesses of Yiyang and Xuancheng should each have their husbands' ranks raised. Thereupon Shangjin became Governor of Mian Prefecture and Sujie Governor of Yue Prefecture, yet in the end they never came to court. When Gaozong died, an edict summoned Shangjin, Sujie, and the two princesses to come mourn. In the first year of Wenming he was transferred to Prince of Bi, then again to Prince of Ze. He served as governor of five prefectures. In the early Zaichu era Wu Chengsi prompted Zhou Xing to falsely charge Shangjin and Sujie with rebellion; they were summoned and held in the censor's prison. When Shangjin heard that Sujie had already been killed, he at once hanged himself; his seven sons were all exiled and died at Xian Prefecture. At the start of Shenlong his offices and titles were posthumously restored, and his son Yixun succeeded to the princedom. Yixun, at first exiled, hid himself working as a hired laborer; the successor Prince of Xu Guan coveted his title and fief and reported Yixun as an impostor, and he was again exiled beyond the ranges. At the start of Kaiyuan, Sujie's son Qiu was made heir; but Princess Yuzhen memorialized that Yixun was truly Shangjin's son; Qiu's title was then stripped and Yixun was again made to succeed, appointed Director of the Court of the Crown Prince's Sons. When he died, his son Juan succeeded. Prince of Xu Sujie was first enfeoffed as Prince of Yong and appointed Governor of Yong Prefecture. While still in swaddling clothes he could recite a thousand characters of text per day. He studied under Xu Qiluan, tempering himself with strenuous effort; the Emperor cherished him. He was transferred to Governor of Qi Prefecture and re-enfeoffed as Prince of Xun. When his mother was slandered to her death, Sujie was sent out as Governor of Shen Prefecture. At the start of Qianfeng an edict declared that Sujie was ill and need not enter court. But in fact he was not ill; he thereupon composed the Treatise on Loyalty and Filial Piety to clear himself. Army Aide Zhang Jianzhi reported it, hoping the Emperor would see through the false charge; Empress Wu was all the more displeased; he was demoted for accepting bribes to Prince of Poyang, his fief was cut by seven-tenths, he was transferred to Yuan Prefecture, and confined for life. In the third year of Yifeng he was Governor of Yue Prefecture, re-enfeoffed as Prince of Ge, again transferred in princedom, and served as governor of three prefectures. Together with Shangjin he was summoned and escorted toward the capital; on the road he heard mourners wailing and said to his attendants, "Death by illness—who could hope for that? Yet must one weep?" At Longmen Post he was strangled, aged forty-three; he was buried with commoner's rites. His sons Ying and eight others were all executed; only Lin, Guan, Qiu, and Qingu were still young and were long imprisoned at Lei Prefecture. When Zhongzong was restored, former titles were posthumously restored, and he was also granted the posthumous office of Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with Same Ceremony as the Three Dukes and Governor of Xu Prefecture, buried with honor at Qianling. An edict had Guan succeed to the princedom with a fief of four hundred households. At the start of Kaiyuan, Lin was enfeoffed as successor Prince of Yue and Qiu as successor Prince of Ze. Lin rose to Right General of the Right Majestic Gate Guard; his son Sui was enfeoffed Duke of Kui. Guan was Minister of the Court for the Imperial Clan but, because he had blocked Shangjin's son from receiving enfeoffment, was demoted Vice Prefect of E Prefecture. Thereupon an edict declared that all who had succeeded to princedom from outside the direct line should return to their clans; successor Prince of Jiang Yi was made Prince of Xin'an, successor Prince of Shu Yu Prince of Guanghan, successor Prince of Mi Che Prince of Puyang, successor Prince of Cao Zhen Duke of Ji, successor Prince of Zhao Ju Prince of Zhongshan, and Prince of Wuyang Jizong Duke of Li. Guan was repeatedly promoted to Grand Mentor of the Heir Apparent. When he died, he was posthumously made Grand Military Commissioner of Shu Commandery. His two sons Jie and Xu were both young; Qiu's son Yi was made to succeed. In the fourteenth year of Tianbao, Jie first inherited the princedom.
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祿 殿 殿 使 調 耀 使
Qiu was at first enfeoffed successor Prince of Ze, reduced to Duke of Ying, served as Director of the Imperial Clan and Minister of Splendid Affairs, and advanced to Prince of Baoxin. At first Zhang Jiuling composed the Ode to the Dragon Pool, carved in stone at Xingqing Palace; the imperial clansmen thought it ill matched the sovereign's virtue, and Qiu was ordered to compose a new ode, erected north of the Hua'e Tower. At the start of Tianbao he was again appointed Director of the Imperial Clan. By nature friendly, brotherly, and clever, whenever a clansman had any merit he never failed to recommend and advance him; therefore many of the imperial clan serving within the inner offices were men Qiu had brought forward. When he died, he was posthumously made Grand Military Commissioner of Jiangling Commandery. Three sons: Qian was Duke of Ying and Governor of Zi Prefecture; Xun Duke of Runan. Qingu was enfeoffed Duke of Si; his son Ben succeeded. The Filial and Respectful Emperor Hong: in the sixth year of Yonghui he was first enfeoffed as Prince of Dai, together with the Prince of Lu. In the first year of Xianqing he was established as crown prince. He studied the Zuo Commentary on the Spring and Autumn under Director Guo Yu; when he came to the Chu heir Shangchen murdering his lord, he sighed and cast the scroll aside, saying, "The sage left instruction—why does this book record such a thing?" Yu said, "Confucius composed the Spring and Autumn; good and evil must be written; praising the good to encourage and condemning the evil to warn—therefore Shangchen's crime, though a thousand years pass, still cannot be wiped away." Hong said, "Yet what I cannot bear to hear—I wish to read another book." Yu bowed and said, "A lane named Shengmu—Zengzi would not enter it. Your Highness is by nature wise and filial; banish the traces of fierce perversity and do not keep them in sight or hearing. I have heard that to settle the superiors and govern the people, nothing is better than ritual; therefore Confucius said, "Without learning ritual, one cannot stand." Please change to studying the Rites instead." The crown prince said, "Good." In the fourth year he received the capping ceremony. He was also ordered that his tutors Xu Jingzong, Right Vice President of the Heir Apparent Xu Yuanshi, Vice Minister of the Secretariat Shangguan Yi, and Attendant Gentleman Yang Sijian should at the Hall of Literary Thought gather and select articles ancient and modern, titled Jade Splendor of Mount Yao, five hundred pieces in all. When the book was presented, the Emperor bestowed thirty thousand bolts of goods; the remaining ministers received graded gifts. He was also ordered to attend the Guangshun Gate every five days to decide affairs. In the first year of Zongzhang he performed the capping rite at the Imperial Academy and requested posthumous titles for Yan Hui as Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent and Zeng Shen as Junior Protector of the Heir Apparent; the decree approved. It happened that the authorities, regarding soldiers who had fled from the Liaodong campaign and deserters who did not promptly surrender, imposed death by dismemberment and confiscation of families into government service. Hong remonstrated that "when soldiers fell ill and could not reach the deadline, or were seized as in drowning or crushing, yet military law did not treat battle deaths, the whole squad was punished; the legalists called it desertion, yet families were confiscated like true deserters. The Classic says, "Better to lose the inconstant than to kill the innocent. Your servant requests separate statutes for each case, lest all be dragged down together." The edict approved. When the Emperor visited the eastern capital, an edict appointed Hong to oversee the state. At the time Guanzhong suffered famine; Hong saw soldiers under the granary eating elm bark and fleabane seeds and quietly ordered the Director of the Palace Domestic Service to supply rice. The Princesses of Yiyang and Xuancheng, because of their mother, were confined in the Rear Palace; at forty they were still unmarried; Hong heard and was deeply moved, and memorialized requesting they be given in marriage. Empress Wu was angry and immediately matched them to palace guards on duty; thereby he lost favor. He also requested that the Shayan pasture of Tong Prefecture be divided and lent to the poor. When he was taking a consort, Pei, the authorities memorialized that the betrothal gift should use a white goose; it happened that one was obtained in the park; the Emperor rejoiced and said, "Han obtained a vermilion goose and made a Music Bureau song. Now obtaining a white goose as a marriage gift—marriage is the head of human relations; I have no cause for shame." When the rites were complete, a partial amnesty was granted for Qi Prefecture. The Emperor once told his attendants, "Hong is benevolent and filial, treats great ministers with guest ritual, and has never had a fault." Yet afterward, when Empress Wu was about to pursue her ambitions, Hong's memorials and petitions repeatedly ran counter to her wishes. In the second year of Shangyuan, while accompanying the Emperor to Hebi Palace, he fell ill and died, aged twenty-four; the whole realm mourned him. An edict declared, "The crown prince has been gravely ill since infancy; I need him to recover and intend to yield the throne to him. Hong was by nature benevolent and generous; having received the command, he was deeply moved, and his illness grew worse day by day. The former command should be proclaimed; he was given the posthumous title Filial and Respectful Emperor." He was buried at Gongshi; the tomb was named Gong Mausoleum; the regulations wholly followed the rites of a Son of Heaven; officials followed the provisional rule of laying aside mourning after thirty-six days. The Emperor himself composed the Record of Sagely Virtue and had it carved in stone beside the mausoleum. Building the mausoleum cost hundreds of millions; the people were worn down and distressed; they hurled stones and injured the officials in charge, until they fled in bands. When the consort died, she was given the posthumous title Empress Ai. He left no sons. At the beginning of the Yongchang era, Prince of Chu Longji was made his successor. When Emperor Zhongzong took the throne, an edict enshrined Hong in the ancestral temple under the title Yizong. During the Kaiyuan era, the relevant offices memorialized: "The Filial and Respectful Emperor should have a temple built in the Eastern Capital, with the temple named after his posthumous title." The edict approved the proposal. Thereupon the title Yizong was abolished. The consort was Pei Judao's daughter, renowned for wifely virtue; because of her, Judao was appointed Inner Palace Grand Counselor, later served as Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent and Duke of Yi, but was framed by cruel officials, thrown into prison, and died there. Crown Prince Zhanghuai — Prince Xian, whose style name was Mingyun. Dignified and grave in bearing and deportment, he was beloved by the Emperor from childhood. While still only a few years old, he could read a text once and never forget it; when he came to the Analects passage on valuing virtue over beauty, he recited it over and over. The Emperor asked why; he replied, "It is my nature to love this passage." The Emperor told Li Shiji and praised the boy's precocious intelligence. He was first enfeoffed as Prince of Lu and later served as Protector-General of Youzhou and Governor of Yongzhou. He was transferred to Prince of Pei and eventually promoted to Grand Protector-General of Yangzhou and General-in-Chief of the Right Guard. His name was changed to De. He was transferred to Prince of Yong while retaining the posts of Governor of Yongzhou and Grand Protector-General of Liangzhou, with an actual fief of one thousand households. In the first year of Shangyuan, his name was restored to Xian. At this time the crown prince died; in the sixth month Xian was installed as crown prince. Soon he was ordered to oversee state affairs; in adjudicating cases Xian was especially clear and thorough, winning praise at court, and the Emperor personally wrote an edict commending and rewarding him. Xian also gathered a circle of scholars — Left Guardian Zhang Da'an, Groom Liu Neyan, Luozhou Revenue Clerk Ge Xixuan, and Academicians Xu Shuya, Cheng Xuanyi, Shi Cangzhu, and Zhou Baoning — to annotate Fan Ye's Book of Later Han together. When the annotated work was submitted, the Emperor generously bestowed tens of thousands of bolts of goods. At the time Remonstrating Grandee Ming Chongyan, who practiced heterodox arts, enjoyed Empress Wu's trust; when Chongyan said the Prince of Ying resembled Emperor Taizong while the Prince of Xiang was the more exalted, Xian heard of it and took offense. Palace women also circulated the rumor that Xian was born to the Empress's elder sister, the Lady of Han; Xian grew more suspicious still, and when the Empress composed the Shaoyang Political Canon and Biographies of Filial Sons and bestowed them on him, repeatedly admonishing him in writing, he grew ever more uneasy. During the Diaolu era, while the Son of Heaven was in the Eastern Capital, Chongyan was killed by bandits; the Empress suspected Xian's involvement and sent men to expose the crown prince's secret affairs, ordering Xue Yuanchao, Pei Yan, and Gao Zhizhou to investigate jointly; several hundred sets of armor were found in the Eastern Palace. The Emperor had always loved Xian and wished to lighten his guilt, but the Empress said, "Xian harbors treason; where great righteousness is at stake, even kin must be destroyed — he cannot be pardoned." He was then deposed to commoner status; the armor was burned at Tianjin Bridge; Da'an was demoted to Prefect of Puzhou, Neyan was exiled to Zhenzhou, and more than ten others were implicated and banished. In the first year of Kaiyao, Xian was transferred to Bazhou. After Empress Wu seized power, she ordered Left Jinwu General Qiu Shenji to guard Xian's residence and forced him to commit suicide; he was thirty-four. Later she held mourning rites at Xianfu Gate, demoted Shenji to Prefect of Diezhou, and posthumously restored Xian's original princely rank. At the beginning of the Shenlong era, he was posthumously made Grand Preceptor; envoys were sent to retrieve his remains, and he was buried alongside Emperor Gaozong at Qian Mausoleum. When Emperor Ruizong took the throne, Xian was posthumously elevated to crown prince and given a posthumous title. He had three sons: Guangshun, Shouli, and Shouyi. Guangshun was Prince of Le'an, transferred to Yifeng, and was executed. Shouyi was Prince of Qianwei, later transferred and enfeoffed as Prince of Guiyang, and died. During the Xiantian era, Guangshun was posthumously enfeoffed as Prince of Ju and Shouyi as Prince of Bi.
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祿 退 使 滿 西簿 婿 西 忿使 殿
Shouli succeeded to the princely line; originally named Guangren, he was appointed Groom to the Crown Prince. When Empress Wu changed the dynasty, she feared and distrusted the imperial clan; because his father had been disgraced, Shouli was confined within the palace together with Ruizong's sons for more than ten years. When Ruizong was enfeoffed as Prince of Xiang and permitted an outer residence, Shouli and the others were at last allowed to live outside the palace and were appointed Directors of Court Discussion. When Emperor Zhongzong took the throne, Shouli's former enfeoffment was restored; he was appointed Grand Master for Splendid Happiness with an actual fief of five hundred households. In the first year of Tanglong, he was promoted to Prince of Bin. When Emperor Ruizong took the throne, Shouli concurrently served as Acting General-in-Chief of the Left Jinwu Guard, was sent out as Prefect of Youzhou while remotely serving as Grand Protector-General of the Chanyu Court, and was later transferred to Minister of Works. At the beginning of the Kaiyuan era, he served successively as several prefects. At the time the Princes of Ning, Shen, Qi, and Xue all served as prefects, and each chose outstanding subordinates to uphold local administration. Shouli cared only for hunting and feasting and did not attend to affairs, so Yuan Qianyao, Yuan Jiazuo, and Pan Haoli all served as chief secretaries of the Bin prefecture and prefectural aides to supervise him. Later, when the princes returned to the capital, Shouli — a prince of the collateral line and not particularly talented — kept many favored concubines and had more than sixty sons, none of whom distinguished themselves. He was constantly in debt for several million in interest-bearing loans. When someone urged him to manage his household property, Shouli said, "Could the Emperor's elder brother really lack someone to bury him?" The princes often reported this to the Emperor, who found it amusing. The Prince of Qi once reported that Shouli could predict rain; during a drought the Emperor asked why, and Shouli replied, "I have no special art — when Empress Wu was in power, the crown prince was condemned and I was confined in the palace, beaten on imperial order three or four times a year until my skin was covered with scars; before rain I feel depressed, and when the sky clears I feel well — that is how I know." He wept as he spoke, and the Emperor was deeply moved. He died at seventy and was posthumously made Grand Commandant. Among his sons, Chenghong, Chengning, and Chengcai are worth noting. Chenghong was enfeoffed as Prince of Guangwu; for associating with unsuitable men he was demoted to Vice-Prefect of Fangzhou, but later returned to serve as Director of the Imperial Clan. In the first year of Guangde, when the Tibetans entered the capital and the Son of Heaven fled to Shan, the captive minister Ma Chongying installed Chenghong as emperor and appointed Academicians-in-Attendance Yu Kefeng and Huo Gui as chancellors. When the rebels withdrew, an edict released Chenghong at Huazhou, where he died. Chengning was enfeoffed as heir Prince of Bin. Chengcai, Prince of Huang, was appointed Director of the Imperial Clan; he accompanied Pugu Huai'en on a marriage alliance mission to the Uyghurs, took their khan's daughter as his consort, and she was enfeoffed as Princess Pijia. When he died, he was posthumously made Minister of Works. Under Tang custom, heirs of commandery princes received a four-rank promotion, while sons of imperial princes wore scarlet robes. During the Kaiyuan era, Zhang Jiuling memorialized: "The Princes of Ning and Xue and the three sons of the Prince of Bin who held princely titles were granted purple robes; the rest wore scarlet; their offices did not exceed Sixth Bureau Director, and princely household staff were still appointed as supernumeraries." Later, all who followed the Emperor to Shu wore purple. Sons of Zhongzong — Emperor Zhongzong had four sons: Consort Wei bore Chongrun; ladies of the inner palace bore Chongfu, Chongjun, and the Short-lived Emperor. Crown Prince Yide — Prince Chongrun, originally named Chongzhao, changed his name to avoid Empress Wu's taboo. While still crown prince, Zhongzong's son was born in the Eastern Palace; Emperor Gaozong was overjoyed, and when the nursing month was complete he granted a great amnesty and changed the era name to Yongchun. That year he was installed as imperial grand heir, with an office opened and staff appointed. The Emperor asked Vice Minister of Personnel Pei Jingyi and Director Wang Fangqing, who replied, "In ritual law there is a designated son but no designated grandson. In Han and Wei times, when the crown prince was alive, the son was only enfeoffed as a prince. Jin installed Minhuai's son as imperial grand heir, and Qi installed Wenhui's son as imperial grand heir; both resided in the Eastern Palace. To have a crown prince and also install an imperial grand heir has no precedent in antiquity." The Emperor said, "What if I establish the precedent myself?" They replied, "In ritual, a gentleman carries his grandson in his arms rather than his son; a grandson who may represent his deceased grandfather shares the same lineage alignment. Your Majesty's establishment of an imperial grand heir brings the blessing of a thousandfold increase to the root branch of the dynasty." The Emperor was pleased and ordered deliberation on the staff appointments. Jingyi and others memorialized to establish the offices of Tutor, Mentor, Companion, Academician, Chancellor, Left and Right Chief Secretaries, East and West Bureau Clerks, Recorder, Archive Keeper, Registrar, and the Six Bureaus — one rank above a normal princely establishment — yet in the end none of the posts were filled. When the court was about to perform the fengshan rite at Mount Song, the crown prince was summoned to the Eastern Capital while the imperial grand heir was left to guard the capital. When Zhongzong lost the throne, the grand heir's office was abolished; Chongrun was demoted to commoner status and imprisoned separately. When the Emperor regained the throne, Chongrun was enfeoffed as Prince of Shao. During the Dazu era, the Zhang Yizhi brothers gained Empress Wu's favor; someone slandered Chongrun, the Princess of Yongtai, and the princess's husband for having spoken privately about the Empress; enraged, she had Chongrun beaten to death; he was nineteen. Chongrun was handsome in bearing and famed for filial devotion; he was killed without cause, and all who heard wept. At the beginning of the Shenlong era, he was posthumously elevated to crown prince and given a posthumous title, buried alongside Emperor Gaozong at Qian Mausoleum with his tomb styled a mausoleum; the Princess of Yongtai was posthumously granted full princess rank. Prince of Qiao — Prince Chongfu was under Gaozong enfeoffed as Prince of Tangchang Commandery and later transferred to Prince of Ping'en. At the end of the Chang'an era he was promoted to full princely rank. At the beginning of the Shenlong era, Consort Wei slandered that he and the Zhang Yizhi brothers had framed Chongrun; he was demoted to Acting Prefect of Puzhou, then transferred to He and Jun prefectures without actually governing. In the third year of Jinglong, Emperor Zhongzong personally performed the suburban sacrifice, amnestied the realm, pardoned even those guilty of the ten abominations, and allowed exiles to return. Chongfu was not permitted to return and pleaded, "All the people are granted renewal, yet one son alone is cast aside — is this truly Heaven's justice?" He received no reply. When Empress Wei seized power, she ordered Left Tunwei General Zhao Chengen and Xue Sijian to guard him under armed escort. When Emperor Ruizong took the throne, Chongfu was transferred to Jizhou; before he could depart, a Luoyang man named Zhang Lingjun persuaded him, "Your Highness, as the eldest legitimate son, ought to be Son of Heaven. Though the Prince of Xiang quelled a great crisis, how can he leap over you to take the throne? In Han times, after the Lü clan was destroyed, the court went east to welcome the Prince of Dai. Now officials and commoners alike wish for Your Highness to come. If you slip away to the Eastern Capital in secret, kill the regent there, gather troops and seize Shaan from the west, then sweep through Henan and Hebei, the realm can be yours. Chongfu also sent Lingjun to confer with his ally Zheng Yin, who likewise secretly recruited Chongfu as emperor. They planned to honor Ruizong as Imperial Younger Uncle and Chongmao as Imperial Younger Brother, with the reign title Zhongyuan Kefu, Year One. Yin would appoint himself Left Chancellor, overseeing all civil and military affairs; Lingjun would be Right Chancellor and Grand General of the Heavenly Pillar, overseeing campaigns; the rest would receive appointments in turn. Chongfu left Junzhou and rode post horses with Lingjun to rush to Luoyang, staying at the home of Palace Attendant Pei Xun. The magistrate of Luoyang was staking out Pei Xun's house. Alarmed, Chongfu fled at once, intending to seize the Left and Right Garrison troops. At Tianjin Bridge, only a few hundred men were willing to follow him. Censor Li Yong met him on the way, galloped ahead to the Right Garrison camp, and cried out, "The Prince of Qiao offended the late emperor and has entered the capital without permission to raise rebellion. Gentlemen, do your utmost to win merit and gain wealth and rank. One by one the gates of the Imperial City were shut to keep him out. Chongfu tried to rally the Right Camp but could not move them. He rushed to the Left Flanking Gate, but it was already closed. Enraged, he set it ablaze. Soldiers from the Left Camp closed in, and his followers scattered. Chongfu fled into the hills. The next day Regent Pei Tan mobilized troops for a thorough search. Chongfu drowned himself in the canal. He was thirty-one. His body was pelted with stones. The emperor ordered that he be buried with third-rank honors. The Respectful and Lamented Crown Prince Chongjun was enfeoffed as Prince of Yixing in the third year of Shengli. At the start of the Shenlong era he was made Prince of Wei and appointed Governor of Luozhou, with an actual fief of one thousand households. Shortly afterward he was also made Grand Commander of Yangzhou. The following year he was made crown prince. When the empress dowager died, the enthronement ceremony was scaled back. An edict allowed him to draw income from his fief while at his princely estate and to pay an annual tribute to the Eastern Palace. Supervising Secretary Lu Can submitted a memorial: "For the crown prince to draw fief income like the feudal princes cannot be made precedent. An edict put an end to the practice. Chongjun was bright and resolute by nature, but he had little sense of propriety. Once Yang Rui and Wu Chongxun became his companions, the two men traded on their lofty connections. They had no learning and spent their days with dogs, horses, and cuju, amusing themselves together. Left Junior Mentor Yao Ting repeatedly submitted memorials to admonish and guide him. Right Junior Mentor Ping Zhenshen also presented treatises such as Discourse on the Classic of Filial Piety and Nourishing Virtue. The crown prince accepted them but could not bring himself to follow them. Wu Sansi, leaning on Empress Wei's power, was plotting rebellion and inwardly resented the crown prince. Chongxun was Sansi's son and husband to Princess Anle. She often urged her husband to humiliate Chongjun, calling him a bastard of non-Wei birth and reviling him as a slave. She repeatedly petitioned to have him deposed so that she herself might become crown princess. In the seventh month of the third year, burning with rage, Chongjun led Li Duozuo and the Left Yulin generals Li Sichong, Li Chengkuang, Dugu Yizhi, and Shazha Zhongyi. Under false orders they mobilized the Left Yulin Guard and the thousand-rider corps, killed Sansi, Chongxun, and more than ten of their followers, and sent Left Jinwu Grand General Prince Cheng Wang Qianli to hold the palace city. Chongjun himself led troops to Su Zhang Gate, broke through the gate, and searched for Empress Wei, Princess Anle, and Brilliant Attendant Lady Shangguan. He then forced the emperor up to the Xuanwu Gate. Chancellors Yang Zaisi, Su Gui, and Li Qiao, together with Zong Chuke and Ji Chuna, mustered more than two thousand men to guard the Hall of Supreme Ultimate. The emperor summoned Right Yulin General Liu Renjing and others to lead a hundred flying cavalry from the palace guard against them, and Duozuo's troops could not advance. Leaning on the railing, the emperor addressed the thousand-riders: "You are my own claws and teeth — why have you suddenly turned to rebellion? Whoever cuts down the rebels will be rewarded. At that the troops turned on Duozuo and killed him; the rest of the rebels broke and fled. Chongjun fled into the Zhongnan Mountains, intending to escape to the Turks. Chuke sent Colonel Zhao Shenshen in pursuit. Resting in the wilderness, Chongjun was killed by his own followers. An edict ordered his head cut off and displayed at court, offered at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and reported to the coffins of Sansi and Chongxun. When Emperor Ruizong took the throne, posthumous honors were added and Chongjun was buried beside Ding Mausoleum.
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When Chongjun was killed, none of his staff dared even to look at his body. Only Yonghe Assistant Magistrate Ning Jiaxu wailed aloud, stripped off his own garment, and wrapped the prince's head. People of the time honored him for it. Chuke was enraged, had him arrested and thrown into prison, and demoted him to assistant magistrate of Pingxing, where he died. At that time Ning was also posthumously granted the title of magistrate of Yonghe.
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Chongjun's son Zonghui was enfeoffed as Prince of Huyang Commandery in the third year of Jingyun. During the Tianbao era he rose to supernumerary director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, and then died. Emperor Ruizong had six sons: Empress Suming bore Xian; the palace woman Liu bore Cui; Empress Zhaocheng bore Emperor Xuanzong; Lady Cui the Commoner bore Fan; Consort Wang De bore Ye; and a woman of the inner palace bore Longti.
6
The Yielding Emperor Xian was at first Prince of Yongping. In the first year of Wenming, when Empress Wu made Ruizong emperor, Xian was installed as crown prince. When Ruizong was reduced to imperial heir and then re-enfeoffed as imperial grandson, Xian and the other princes all left the inner quarters, opened princely offices, and appointed staffs. In the second year of Changshou he was reduced to Prince of Shouchun and enfeoffed at the same time as the princes of Hengyang, Baling, and Pengcheng; he was again ordered into the inner apartments. When Emperor Zhongzong took the throne, Xian was made Prince of Cai, but he firmly declined and refused to accept. In the first year of Tanglong he was advanced to Prince of Song.
7
使
When Ruizong was about to establish the Eastern Palace, the choice remained unsettled for a long time: Xian was the eldest legitimate son and had once been crown prince, but the Prince of Chu had rendered great service. Xian declined, saying, "The heir apparent is the common trust of the realm. In peaceful times precedence goes to the eldest legitimate son; in times of crisis precedence goes to merit — because the altars of state come first. If the succession is wrongly assigned, the empire will lose heart. I beg this at the cost of my life. He wept as he pressed his refusal. The leading ministers also argued that the Prince of Chu had saved the dynasty, and that a sage emperor's favored younger son should not be set aside for the eldest legitimate heir; further debate was out of place. The emperor praised Xian's selflessness and agreed. The Prince of Chu was made crown prince. Xian was appointed Governor of Yongzhou, Grand Commander of Yangzhou, and Grand Mentor of the Crown Prince, with an actual fief of two thousand households. He was also granted a fine mansion, five thousand bolts of goods, twenty fine horses, ten households of slaves, and thirty qing of superior farmland. He was promoted to Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and also made Minister over the Masses. He declined the post of Minister over the Masses and was instead made a client of the crown prince.
8
At that time Princess Taiping was plotting treacherously. Yao Chongyuan and Song Jing reported this to the emperor and asked that Xian and Prince Shen Wang Chengyi be sent out as regional governors to break up her secret designs. Xian was then made Minister over the Masses and concurrently Governor of Puzhou, and promoted to Grand Minister of Works. After Xuanzong had put down the crisis involving Xiao and Cen, Xian was promoted to Grand General and granted an additional thousand households, but he firmly declined. He was instead given the honor of Grand Precedence Equal to the Three Excellencies and relieved of the posts of Grand General and Grand Commander of Yangzhou. He was transferred to Prince of Ning and also made Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. In the fourteenth year of Kaiyuan he submitted a memorial asking to resign the directorship. After some time he was again made Grand General. He served in turn as governor of Ze, Qi, and Jing prefectures, and his cumulative fief rose to five thousand five hundred households. He died in the twenty-ninth year of Kaiyuan.
9
西西 使 殿
At first the emperor's five sons had their mansions lined up in Jishan Ward of Luoyang, called the Five Princes' Residence. When mansions were granted in Longqing Ward of the capital, they were likewise called the Five Princes' Mansion. When Xuanzong was crown prince, he once had a large quilt and long pillow made, intending to share them with his brothers. Ruizong heard of this and was deeply pleased. After the Xiantian era the old Longqing residences were all converted into Xingqing Palace. Mansions in Shengye Ward were granted to Xian and the Prince of Xue, while the princes of Shen and Qi lived in Anxing Ward, encircling the palace. The emperor built towers west and south of the palace: the western tower was named the Tower of Flowers and Calyxes Shining Upon Each Other, and the southern the Tower of Diligent Governance and Foundational Duty. He often climbed them. Whenever he heard his brothers making music, he would summon them at once to join him on the tower and sit with them on the same couch, or visit their mansions himself to compose poetry, feast, and give them gold and silk to share in their pleasure. The princes attended court daily at the side gate. After returning home they would at once set out music and drink freely, playing ball games, cockfighting, and hunting with hawks and hounds. Month after month this never stopped, and wherever they went palace envoys bearing imperial gifts followed one after another. People of the age said the emperor's brotherly affection was unmatched even in antiquity. The emperor's brotherly warmth was truly in his nature; though slander and malice stirred between them, in the end nothing could shake it. At the time several thousand wagtails gathered in the court trees of Linde Hall, flying and roosting there for a whole day. Wei Guangsheng, chief clerk of the Left Qingdao Commandant's office, composed an encomium, taking it as an omen of the emperor's brotherly harmony. The emperor was delighted and composed an encomium of his own.
10
西 耀 使 宿
Xian was especially cautious and restrained. He never meddled in affairs of state, yet he kept close ties with others, and the emperor trusted and valued him all the more. Once he sent a letter to Xian and the others, saying, "In Emperor Wen of Wei's poem: 'How high the western mountains — so high there is no end. On them live two thousand youths who neither drink nor eat. They gave me one pill of medicine, shining with five colors. After taking it for four or five days, the body grows wings. I often say: to take medicine in search of wings — how can that compare with the wings brothers are born with? Prince Si of Chen had talent enough to govern the state, yet Cao Pi cut off his access to court and in the end worried him to death. Wei's mandate had not yet run its course when the Sima clan seized power — was that the work of a divine pill? Yu Shun, the most sage of men, set aside his arrogant brother Xiang to draw the nine clans close. Once the nine clans were at peace, he brought harmony to the common people. Even after thousands of years, the world still honors his goodness — this is what I admire so deeply that I forget sleep and food. Recently, in a moment of leisure, I copied out a thousand prescriptions and came upon a divine formula said to grant long life if taken. Now that I hold this medicine, I wish to share it with my brothers so that we may all live long together, forever without end. Later the Prince of Shen and the others died one after another, and only Xian remained. The emperor treated him with ever greater personal affection. On every birthday the emperor visited his mansion to celebrate with him, and often stayed the night. On ordinary days there was scarcely a day without gifts — delicacies from the Director-General of the Imperial Kitchen and rare foods sent from all quarters. All of these were divided and sent to him. Xian once asked that at year's end the record of gifts be copied out for the historiographers — invariably several hundred pages long. When he later fell ill, physicians and food-bearers sent from court followed one another on horseback along the road. The monk Chongyi treated him, and his illness eased somewhat. The emperor was overjoyed and granted Chongyi a crimson robe and silver fish badge. Before long the illness worsened, and he died at the age of sixty-three. The emperor broke into loud mourning, and those around him all wept.
11
耀 宿退 使使 使耀鹿
Because Xian had truly yielded the throne and lived on a level above his age, the emperor felt that no lesser title would suffice. He posthumously honored him as the Yielding Emperor and sent Left Director Pei Yaoqing and Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices Wei Tao with credentials to present the encomium. His son Jin submitted a memorial saying that Xian had always been plain and self-effacing and would not have dared accept so great a title. An edict refused the request. At the encoffining a set of imperial robes was brought out. An edict ordered Right Palace Gate Grand General Gao Lishi to place a letter written in the emperor's own hand at the spirit seat. Consort Fei Yuan was posthumously made Empress Gong, and Xian was buried beside Qiao Mausoleum. At the burial, palace envoys were sent to tell Jin and the others what was being provided for the funeral, showing the items publicly to demonstrate its simplicity. The responsible office asked, as at other imperial tombs, to place a thousand-flavor offering inside the burial chamber. Overseer Yaoqing submitted a memorial: "The Imperial Kitchen lists more than a thousand land and water dishes — horse, ox, donkey, calf, roe deer, deer, goose, duck, fish, and wild goose in cuts — along with thirty kinds of medicinal wine. In midsummer, when animals are nursing their young, one should not slaughter so many. I have searched the ritual precedents and found no basis for this. Your Majesty has repeatedly affirmed the Yielding Emperor's wish to keep things plain and simple. I ask that the offerings be cut back to a balanced minimum. An edict approved the proposal. When the funeral procession set out, heavy rain fell. An edict ordered Prince Qing Wang Tan and the others to wade through the mud and escort the coffin on foot for ten li. The tomb was named Huiling, the Benevolent Mausoleum.
12
便
Xian once accompanied the emperor to watch dancers at Wansui Tower. From the elevated passage the emperor saw guards who had already eaten throwing the leftovers into a ditch. The emperor was angry and ordered Gao Lishi to beat them to death. Xian said calmly, "To spy on men's private affairs from the elevated passage will make the guards uneasy and, more importantly, violates proper dignity. Can a man's life weigh less than leftover food? The emperor stopped him at once and said to Lishi, "The prince has just saved me in a moment of crisis. Otherwise I would nearly have killed these men by mistake. On another occasion Liangzhou presented a new tune. The emperor took an informal seat and summoned the princes to listen. Xian said, "The tune is fine, but the gong mode is disconnected and unresolved, and the shang mode is chaotic and harsh — as if the ruler were abasing himself and pressing down on his subjects while ministers presumptuously violated their superiors. What begins in something slight takes shape in sound, spreads through song, and appears in human affairs. I fear that one day this will bring the calamity of exile and upheaval. The emperor fell silent. When the An-Shi rebellion broke out, people at last recalled what Xian had said about reading music—and how right he had been.
13
Xian had originally been named Chengqi. To avoid the posthumous name of Empress Zhaocheng, he and Prince Shen Cheng Yi both took their present names. Xian had nineteen sons; the best known were Jin, Sizhuang, Lin, and Yu.
14
Jin, Sizhuang, Lin, and Yu.
15
Jin had handsome, well-set features, a careful and upright nature, and skill at archery. The emperor loved him. He was made Prince of Ruyang and served as Grand Master of the Imperial Stud. He was close to He Zhizhang, Chu Tinghui, Liang She, and others. When he died, he was posthumously made Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince.
16
Sizhuang had a fine name from childhood. He served as Mentor to the Crown Prince and was enfeoffed as Prince of Jiyin. When he died, he was posthumously made Grand Protector of Youzhou.
17
Lin, while serving as Director of the Secretariat, was made Heir Prince of Suining. He followed the emperor into exile in Shu and died there.
18
西 西使
Yu showed early promise and a commanding presence. He was first enfeoffed as Duke of Longxi Commandery. On the flight to Shu, he was enfeoffed at Hechi as Prince of Hanzhong and appointed Military Commissioner of the Western Circuit of Shannan. At the start of the Qianyuan era, when Princess Ningguo was sent to marry the Uyghurs, Yu was ordered, as Special Promotion Grand Master and Minister of Rites, to carry the imperial seal and invest the Uyghur khan as Khan Weiyuan. Yu also had an ear for music. Once, on his way to early court through Yongxing Lane, he heard a flute and turned to his attendants. "Is that a musician from the Court of Imperial Sacrifices? They said yes. Another day he recognized the man and asked, "Why are you playing lying down?" The flutist, startled, apologized. Hearing Kang Kunlun play the pipa, he said, "There is more pi-sound than pa-sound. That will not do for the heavy strings of a fifty-four-string instrument. Musicians explain that striking upward from below is called pi, and striking downward from above is called pa. When Emperor Suzong ordered the seizure of officials' horses for the war effort, Yu and Wei Shaoyou and others argued against it. The emperor was angry and demoted him to chief administrator of Peng Prefecture. When he died, he was posthumously made Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince and given the posthumous title Xuan, "Illustrious." His grandson was Jing Jian.
19
使 宿宿 宿
Jing Jian, courtesy name Kuanzhong. He passed the jinshi examination. He had a prodigious memory and wide learning, and loved to expound the grand patterns of ancient rise and fall, of kingship and hegemony. He thought highly of himself and deferred to no scholar-official. Wang Shuwen and his circle praised him still more, comparing him to Guan Zhong and Zhuge Liang. When Shuwen fell, Jing Jian escaped punishment because he was in mourning for his mother. When Wei Xiaqing governed the Eastern Capital, he brought Jing Jian onto his staff. When Dou Qun became Censor-in-Chief, he made Jing Jian an investigating censor. After Qun was demoted, Jing Jian became a clerk in the household section at Jiangling. He rose in succession to governor of Zhong Prefecture. Near the end of the Yuanhe era he came to court but found no favor, and was sent out again as governor of Li Prefecture. He had long been close to Yuan Zhen and Li Shen. The two were then in the Hanlin Academy and spoke up for his talent. When he took leave at Yanying Hall, Jing Jian complained that he had been kept down and sent far away. Emperor Muzong took pity on him and issued a recall appointing him vice director in the Revenue Bureau—but never sent the order. A month later he was appointed remonstrance and review grand master. He was proud and unrestrained by nature, and when drunk would speak with open contempt of the chief ministers. Xiao Fu and Duan Wenchang complained to the emperor, and he was demoted to governor of Jian Prefecture. When Yuan Zhen won the emperor's favor, he intervened on Jing Jian's behalf, and Jing Jian was restored as remonstrance and review grand master. He joined Feng Su, Yang Sifu, Wen Zao, Li Zhao, and others at the house of the historian Dugu Lang. Drunk, Jing Jian went to the Secretariat and reviled the chief ministers Wang Bo, Cui Zhi, and Du Yuanying. Only after the clerks spoke humbly and apologized at length did he leave. He was demoted to governor of Zhang Prefecture, and Feng Su and the others were driven out as well. Before he reached Zhang Prefecture, Yuan Zhen came to power and changed the appointment to governor of Chu Prefecture. Critics said that since Jing Jian had insulted a chief minister, it was wrong to move him again before the demotion had even taken effect. Fearing the outcry, Yuan Zhen changed the appointment to vice director of the Palace Manufactories and fully restored Feng Su and the others. Jing Jian, submerged in misfortune and never able to fulfill his ambitions, died. Yet he was generous with money and steadfast in friendship. When he died, men of learning mourned him.
20
西
Crown Prince Huizhuang Cou had originally been named Chengyi. At his birth Empress Wu, deeming his mother too low in rank to count among her children, meant to disown him and showed him to the monk Wan Hui. Wan Hui said craftily, "This child is a tree deity of the Western Land—he is fit to be your brother. The empress was pleased and kept him. In the third year of Chuigong he was first enfeoffed as Prince of Heng, together with the princes of Wei and Zhao. Soon afterward he was made Prince of Hengyang. When Ruizong took the throne, Cou was advanced to Prince of Shen, enfeoffed together with the princes of Qi and Xue. He rose in succession to general-in-chief of the Right Guard and of the Imperial Insignia Guard, with an actual fief of a thousand households. He was advanced to minister of education and concurrently made grand protector of Yizhou, and served four times as a prefectural governor. In the eighth year of Kaiyuan, when princes were no longer sent out as prefects, he again became minister of education. When he died, an edict conferred on him posthumous rank and title as crown prince, and he was buried beside Qiaoling. Cou was magnanimous by nature, with a dignified and imposing bearing. He left no heirs. An edict made the Yielding Emperor's son Xun his successor as Prince of Huaining, later transferred to Prince of Tong'an. He died. In the Tianbao era the Yielding Emperor's son Shu succeeded in his turn.
21
滿
Crown Prince Huiwen Fan had originally been named Long Fan. When Xuanzong took the throne, he and Prince Xue Long Ye dropped the second character of their names to avoid the imperial taboo. He was first Prince of Zheng, then made Prince of Wei. Soon he was reduced to Prince of Baling, then advanced to Prince of Qi. He served as minister of rites, grand protector of Bingzhou, and general-in-chief of the Left Forest Guard. For following Xuanzong in the execution of Princess Taiping he was rewarded with increased fief; he and Prince Xue Ye each reached five thousand households. He served in succession as a prefectural governor and was then made grand mentor of the crown prince. He died in the fourteenth year of Kaiyuan. An edict conferred on him posthumous rank and title as crown prince, and he was buried beside Qiaoling. The emperor wept bitterly and refused his regular meals for more than ten days before the ministers pressed him to eat again.
22
使
Fan loved learning, wrote well, and cherished scholars. He showed full courtesy to men of every rank. He was close to Yan Chaoyin, Liu Tingqi, Zhang E, Zheng Yao, and others, and they often drank and wrote poetry together for pleasure. He also collected books and paintings, all treasures of the age. When the Sui fell, the palace library had been scattered and lost. After the Tang rose, the court sent out agents to seek the books, and little by little they reappeared and were stored in the secret archive. Early in the Chang'an era Zhang Yizhi petitioned to summon skilled craftsmen from across the realm to mount and repair paintings. Secretly he had copies made nearly indistinguishable from the originals and stole the true works for his own house. After the Zhang brothers were executed, Xue Ji took them all. When Ji fell in his turn, Fan acquired the collection—but in the end it was destroyed by fire. The empress's son-in-law Pei Xuji was versed in prophecy and apocrypha. For privately associating with Fan he was exiled to Lingnan; Liu Tingqi was demoted to registrar of Ya Prefecture and Zhang E to magistrate of Shanzhi. Yet the emperor's affection for Fan did not waver in the least. He told those around him, "Brotherly feeling is heaven's own gift—how could mine be any different? Those who scramble for favor thrust themselves upon me, but I will never hold the least grudge against him for it. At the time Wang Maozhong and others had risen from humble origins to sudden wealth. The other princes always added ceremony when receiving them; Fan alone treated them as he always had. His son Jin succeeded him.
23
Jin was unrestrained and careless of reputation, sunk in wine and women. He served as grand master of the imperial stud and was enfeoffed as Prince of Hedong. He died suddenly and was posthumously made junior preceptor of the crown prince. In the Tianbao era Prince Xue's son Zhen, Duke of Lueyang, again succeeded as Prince of Qi.
24
使
Zhen was handsome and imposing. He served as vice director in the Court of the Imperial Clan and was close to Zhu Rong, garrison commander of Wei Prefecture. Rong once said that Zhen resembled the Retired Emperor, and on that basis formed a secret plot. He went to the imperial insignia general Xing Ji and said, "The enemy beyond the passes is near and the capital is in turmoil. What is to be done? Ji said, "I serve in the Imperial Insignia Guard, the emperor's personal escort. I follow him in life and death. How could I save myself?" Rong said, "If you see the Heir Prince of Qi, you need not worry." Ji reported the matter. Emperor Suzong stripped Zhen of rank, made him a commoner, and ordered him to die. Rong's faction were all executed, and Ji was promoted to military commissioner of Guiguan.
25
使
Crown Prince Huixuan Ye was first Prince of Zhao, then reduced to Prince of Zhongshan and appointed commissioner of waterways. He was transferred to Gucheng and made concurrently vice prefect of Chen Prefecture, then advanced to Prince of Xue and appointed general-in-chief of the Feathered Forest Guard and grand protector of Jingzhou. Because he loved learning, he was appointed director of the Secretariat. At the start of the Kaiyuan era he was made junior mentor of the crown prince and then at once grand mentor, and served in succession as a prefectural governor.
26
殿 殿
His mother had died early, and his stepmother Consort Xian raised him. In the eighth year he brought Consort Xian to an outer residence and served her with the utmost reverence. His younger sisters, the Princesses of Huaiyang and Liang, had also died early. He raised their sons exactly as he did his own, and the emperor loved him all the more. Once when he fell ill, the emperor himself prayed for his recovery. When he recovered, the emperor visited his residence, set out wine, and composed poetry to celebrate his return to health. Once when the emperor was unwell, Ye's wife's younger brother, inner attendant Wei Bin, and the palace director Huangfu Xun spoke recklessly of fortune and misfortune. Bin was executed, and Xun was demoted to governor of Jin Prefecture. The princess, afraid, wore mourning garb and awaited punishment; Ye too dared not come to court. When the emperor heard of it he summoned them at once. Ye prostrated himself below the hall steps to beg forgiveness. The emperor hurried down and took his hand. "Any suspicion I harbor against my brothers," he said, "let heaven and earth together condemn! They resumed their feast, and the emperor also ordered the princess to resume her rank. Soon afterward he was advanced to minister of education. In the twenty-second year Ye fell ill. The emperor worried so deeply that in a single night his face and hair seemed to age. He napped and dreamed of obtaining a prescription; when he awoke Ye had slightly improved. Prince of Bin Shouli and others asked that the affair be recorded by the historians. When Ye died, the emperor grieved until he could not eat. An edict added posthumous honors and title, and Ye was buried beside Qiaoling.
27
祿
He had eleven sons; those worth recording were Yuan, Yang, and Xuan. Later the Emperor, remembering Ye with longing, summoned Yuan and the others, was deeply moved, and issued an edict jointly granting them a fief of one thousand households. Yuan was made Prince of Le'an. Yang was Prince of Xingyang and Director of the Imperial Clan. Xuan was successor Prince of Xue and served as Minister of the Court for Dependencies. During the Tianbao era, Xuan's uncle Wei Jian was framed by Li Linfu, demoted to Vice Prefect of Yiling, and transferred to Yelang and Nanpu. When the An Lushan rebellion broke out, he returned to the capital.
28
調 使 輿 使
His great-grandson Zhirou succeeded to the princedom and twice served as Director of the Imperial Clan. After a long interval he was promoted to Governor of the Capital District. At first the Zheng and Bai canals were blocked and silted, and the people could not bring in their harvests. Zhirou regulated the three metropolitan districts, restored the old channels, and irrigation met its quotas; thereafter drought ceased to be a threat. The people petitioned at court for a stone monument to record his achievement, but Zhirou firmly declined and the plan was dropped. He was cumulatively appointed Acting Grand Preceptor and Associate Grand Councillor of the Secretariat-Chancellery. He was also ordered to repair the Grand Ancestral Temple, to oversee the Department of Revenue, and to serve as Commissioner for Salt and Iron Transport in all circuits. When Emperor Zhaozong fled Shacheng, only Zhirou accompanied him; he oversaw the imperial carriage, utensils, and provisions, and everything great and small was supplied. By nature frugal and abstemious, though his rank was eminent, he owned no house of his own. Before long he was posted as Military Commissioner of the Qinghai Army; in his command he was honest and incorrupt, tribute arrived on schedule, and he was advanced to Acting Grand Tutor and concurrently Palace Attendant. He served through four reign-periods in all and was constantly foremost among the imperial clan. He died in his command.
29
Prince Sui Longti was first enfeoffed as Prince of Runan. He died young; Ruizong posthumously enfeoffed him as prince and granted the posthumous title Grand Military Commissioner of Jing Prefecture; the title was not transmitted. [Eulogy] The eulogy says: Zhongzong lost the Way; he was deposed by his mother and murdered by his wife; all four of his sons met unnatural deaths, and the succession too was cut off—perhaps Heaven reviled his virtue and ended his line. Why else? They had cut themselves off from Heaven—that is all. Ruizong had sage sons: one received the Mandate, one was posthumously made emperor, three were posthumously made crown princes—Heaven's reward to him; blessings flowed without end—how splendid!
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