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卷九十八 列傳第二十三 王珪 薛收子:元超 從兄子:元敬 從孫:稷 馬周 韋挺子:待價 玄孫:武 子:萬石

Volume 98 Biographies 23: Wang Gui, Xue Shou and son Yuanchao, Cong's Elder Brother's Son: Yuanjing, Grandson: Ji, Ma Zhou, Wei Ting and Son: Daijia, Xuan's Grandson: Wu, Son: Wanshi

Chapter 98 of 新唐書 · New Book of Tang
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Chapter 98
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1
Wang Gui, whose courtesy name was Shujie. His grandfather Sengbian had served the Liang as Grand Marshal and Director of the Department of State Affairs. His father Yan had been governor of Leling commandery under the Northern Qi. The family had long lived at Mei. He was grave and reserved by nature, with hidden but upright purposes; he was content with his lot and did not make friends lightly. In 593, the thirteenth year of Emperor Wen's Kaihuang reign, he was summoned to the Inner Secretariat to collate the classics and appointed a ritual officer in the Ministry of Rites. His uncle Puo, a broadly learned Confucian of keen judgment, especially admired and encouraged him. When Puo was executed for joining Prince Liang's rebellion against the Sui, Gui lived as a fugitive in the southern mountains for more than ten years. After Gaozu entered the capital region, Li Gang recommended him for appointment as adviser to the heir apparent's household. When Li Jiancheng became crown prince, Gui was made a palace attendant and later promoted to junior mentor, receiving exceptional favor. When the crown prince and the Prince of Qin fell out, the emperor blamed Gui for failing to guide the heir and exiled him to Xizhou. After the crown prince was put to death, Taizong summoned him and appointed him remonstrance grand master. The emperor once said, "A righteous ruler with wicked ministers cannot bring good government; nor can righteous ministers serving a wicked ruler bring good government. Only when ruler and ministers share the same purpose will the realm be at peace. Though I am not wise, I am fortunate that you gentlemen often correct me, so that I may bring peace to the realm. Gui stepped forward and said, "In antiquity the Son of Heaven had seven remonstrating ministers; if their counsel went unheeded, they died one after another. Now Your Majesty has opened your sage virtue and gathers even humble counsel; I wish to offer whatever poor insight I have, however slight its help. The emperor agreed and decreed that remonstrance officials should enter the privy council together with the Central Secretariat, the Chancellery, and officials of the third rank and above. Gui was sincere in accepting good counsel and always offered constructive advice; the emperor relied on him all the more. He was enfeoffed as Baron of Yongning, appointed vice director of the Yellow Gate, and later promoted to palace attendant.
2
On another day when he came to audience, a beautiful woman stood at the emperor's side; she had originally been a concubine of Prince Yuan of Lujiang. The emperor pointed to her and said, "Lujiang was wicked: he murdered her husband and took his household into his own—how could he not be destroyed? Gui rose from his place and said, "Does Your Majesty regard Lujiang as in the right? Or not? The emperor said, "He killed a man and took his wife—yet you ask me whether that was right or wrong; what do you mean?" He replied, "I have heard that when Duke Huan of Qi was at Guo, he asked the elders, 'Why did Guo perish? They said, 'Because he honored the good and hated the wicked.' The duke said, 'If what you say is so, he was a worthy ruler—how could he have come to ruin?' The elders said, 'Not so. The lord of Guo honored the good but could not employ them, hated the wicked but could not remove them—that is why he perished.' Now Your Majesty knows why Lujiang perished, yet his concubine remains; I privately think Your Majesty regard it as right. If you truly know it was wrong, this is what is called knowing evil yet not removing it.' The emperor sighed in admiration at his words.
3
使 使
The emperor had Vice Minister of Rites Zu Xiaosun teach musical pitch to palace musicians; the performers made no progress and were repeatedly rebuked. Gui and Wen Yanbo advanced together and said, "Xiaosun is a cultivated and careful gentleman. Your Majesty has him teach female musicians and then reproaches him—will not the realm come to hold scholars lightly! The emperor said angrily, "You are all my closest confidants—yet you side with inferiors to deceive your superiors and plead for others, is it not so?" Yanbo was afraid and apologized; Gui did not apologize but said, "I originally served the former palace and deserved death; Your Majesty spared my life and placed me in the inner councils, charging me with loyal service. Now to suspect me of private motives is for Your Majesty to fail me; I have not failed Your Majesty. The emperor fell silent in shame and then dropped the matter. The next day he said to Fang Xuanling, "In the past King Wu did not employ Boyi and Shuqi, and King Xuan killed Duke of Du—since antiquity it has indeed been hard for rulers to accept remonstrance. I day and night hope to approach the former sages; yesterday I rebuked Gui and the others and deeply repented—do not let this discourage you from remonstrating!"
4
At that time Gui, together with Xuanling, Li Jing, Yanbo, Dai Zhou, and Wei Zheng, jointly assisted in government. Because Gui was skilled at judging men and spoke well, the emperor said to him, "You are penetrating in appraisal—tell me the talents of Xuanling and the others, and say yourself which of them you surpass in worth. He replied, "In diligent service to the state, knowing nothing he would not do—I am not the equal of Xuanling; combining civil and military ability, going out as general and entering as chancellor—I am not the equal of Jing; in presenting memorials with clarity and detail, in intake and output with sole fairness—I am not the equal of Yanbo; in managing the complex and governing the urgent, in all affairs surely accomplishing—I am not the equal of Zhou; with remonstrance as his heart, ashamed if his lord did not reach Yao and Shun—I am not the equal of Zheng. But in stirring the muddy and raising the clear, in hating evil and loving good—I have a slight edge over these several men. The emperor praised his answer. Xuanling and the others also thought he had fairly stated their strengths and called it a sound judgment.
5
He was promoted in rank to duke of a commandery. He was punished for leaking words from within the forbidden precincts and demoted to governor of Tongzhou. The emperor, remembering a renowned minister, soon summoned him and appointed him minister of rites and concurrently tutor to Prince Wei Tai. When the prince saw him, he bowed first; Gui also took the position of teacher upon himself. The prince asked Gui what constituted loyalty and filial piety; Gui said, "Your Majesty is the prince's lord—in affairs think to exhaust loyalty; Your Majesty is the prince's father—in affairs think to exhaust filial piety. Loyalty and filial piety can establish the person and can establish a name. The prince said, "I have received instruction on loyalty and filial piety; I wish to hear what I should practice." Gui said, "Prince Cang of Dongping in Han said, 'Doing good is the greatest joy'—may the prince keep this in mind." When the emperor heard, he said with joy, "The boy may be without fault!"
6
退
His son Jingzhi married Princess Nanping. At that time when princesses married down, because an emperor's daughter was deemed too exalted, they had never performed the rite of seeing their parents-in-law. Gui said, "The sovereign follows law and regulation; I ought to receive the princess's visit of respect. It is not for personal glory but to complete the state's beauty. Thereupon he and his wife sat in the hall; the princess took the hairpin, performed the washing, and presented food before withdrawing. Afterward when princesses married down, if there were parents-in-law, they prepared the wife's rites—this originated with Gui.
7
In the thirteenth year he fell ill. The emperor sent the princess to his residence to visit him and also sent Minister of Revenue Tang Jian to adjust his medicines and food. He died at the age of sixty-nine. The emperor in plain dress wept at a separate lodge and decreed that the Prince of Wei should lead the hundred officials to attend the mourning. He was posthumously made minister of personnel; his posthumous title was Yi.
8
簿
Gui was orphaned young and poor; when people gave him gifts, at first he did not decline. When he became eminent he repaid them generously; even if they had died, he surely compensated and supported their families. By nature he was not harsh in scrutiny; in office he strove to uphold essentials, removing only what could not be tolerated—even toward servants and concubines he showed no joy or anger. He served his widowed sister-in-law; on household affairs he consulted her before acting. He taught and nurtured his orphaned nephews, not treating them less than his own sons. When clansmen were in want, he relieved them generously and was sparing in his own maintenance. He alone did not build a family temple but sacrificed at the four seasons in his bedchamber; the authorities impeached him, and the emperor built a temple for him out of shame on his behalf and did not punish him. The age thought Gui's frugality did not accord with ritual and slighted him for it. At the beginning, while in seclusion, he was on good terms with Fang Xuanling and Du Ruhui; his mother Lady Li once said, "You will surely become eminent, yet I do not know what sort of men those you associate with are—bring them to try them with me. When Xuanling and the others happened to pass his home, Lady Li peered out and was greatly startled; she ordered wine and food prepared, and they rejoiced the whole day; she said with joy, "These two guests have the talent of chief ministers—your eminence is beyond doubt." Jingzhi was enfeoffed as Baron of Nancheng; later he was punished for associating with Crown Prince Chengan and was banished beyond the ranges. Gui's grandsons were Tao and Xu. Gui's grandson Tao was supremely filial by nature and served as vice governor of Xuzhou. When his mother was ill, for a full year he did not remove his belt and personally attended to her bedding and medicines. He often associated with eminent physicians and thoroughly mastered their arts; accordingly he wrote a book from what he had learned, titled Essentials from the Outer Terrace, with exposition refined and penetrating—the age treasures it. He served as attendant within the Yellow Gate and governor of Ye commandery; his governance was renowned in his time. Xu is treated in the Biography of Harsh Officials. Xue Shou, whose courtesy name was Bobao. He was a native of Fenyin in Puzhou. He was the son of Daoheng, vice director of the inner secretariat of Sui, and was given in adoption to his father's younger cousin Ru. At twelve he could compose literary pieces. Because his father had not been permitted to die for Sui, he refused to take office. The commandery recommended him as presented scholar; he did not respond. When he heard that Gaozu had risen, he fled into Mount Shouyang, intending to join the righteous rising. Circuit administrator Yao Junsu detected him, welcomed his mother into the city, and Shou could not leave. When Junsu linked eastward with Wang Shichong, he then threw himself forward and returned to the Tang cause. Fang Xuanling urged the Prince of Qin again and again to see him. The Prince called him in and questioned him on plans of war. His answers hit the mark. The Prince made him Master of Records in his household and put him in charge of the Gold Department under the Eastern Shaanxi Grand Commandery. They were then pressing the campaign against Wang Shichong, and the military burden was heavy. Shou wrote dispatches and field bulletins, sometimes drafting on horseback—apt and swift, as though the words had always been there, never needing a second pass. When Dou Jiande marched to the rescue, the generals all urged pulling back to watch how the enemy shaped up. Shou alone said, "No. Shichong holds Luoyang, his granaries are full, and his men are elite troops from the Jiang-Huai—but they are starving. That is why they cannot force a fight and remain pinned by us. Now Jiande has come at the head of his army himself. He will have to fly grain wagons back and forth, and the two armies will sustain each other. If the two rebel forces join and dig in, the outcome between the Yi and Luo may not be decided for months. Better to have the generals drill their men, seal the camps, deepen the moats and ramparts, and forbid anyone to sally out. Your Highness should take the picked troops in hand, seize Chenggao, keep the army ready under arms, and cut off Jiande on the road. They will meet our fresh, disciplined line with tired, aging men—one stroke and they will fall. In less than ten days both enemies can be bound and delivered into your hands." The Prince said, "Well said." Jiande was taken, and Shichong surrendered.
9
The Prince toured the Sui palaces and lamented that Emperor Yang had abandoned the Way, wasting the people's strength on empty display. Shou advanced and said, "Towering halls and painted walls ruined King Xin of Shang; earthen steps and a thatched roof made Tang Yao prosper. The First Emperor built Epang and Qin perished in haste; Emperor Wen stopped work on the Terrace of Dew and Han endured. The Last Ruler of Chen never took this to heart, but gloried in cruelty and excess. He died by one man's hand and became a laughingstock for ages to come—how could such a house endure?" The Prince weighed his words heavily. Before long he was made Secretary in the Heavenly Stratagem Office. He took part in crushing Liu Heitu and was enfeoffed as Baron of Fenyin County. He once memorialized the Prince to stop hunting. The Prince answered, "Reading what you wrote, I see that you are the one who makes me whole. Bright pearls and matched horses are worth less than one true word. I now give you forty ingots of gold."
10
使 輿 使
In the seventh year of Wude he fell gravely ill. The Prince sent messengers to inquire after him, and they passed one another on the road. He had Shou carried by litter to the palace though he was sick, lifted his own sleeve to touch him, talked over their lives together, and wept until the tears ran. He died at thirty-three. The Prince mourned him bitterly and wrote to his clansman's son Yuanjing: "Bobao and I shared the hardships of camp life. When did we not ride out together to plan campaigns and speak freely from the heart? Who thought one morning would part us forever? His house has always been poor and his son is still young. Be kind to them and keep them safe, to comfort me." He sent envoys to mourn and offer sacrifice, and gave three hundred bolts of silk. Later, when the portraits of the Literary Scholars were painted, he sighed that Shou's early death had kept him from joining them. Once he had taken the throne, he told Fang Xuanling, "If Shou were alive, I would have made him Grand Councilor." He also dreamed of Shou as in life and gave his family grain and silk. In the seventh year of Zhenguan he was posthumously made Governor of Ding Prefecture. In the Yonghui period he was again honored as Minister of Ceremonies and buried beside Zhaoling. Shou's son Yuanchao inherited the title at nine. When he came of age he loved study and wrote well. He married Princess Hejing, daughter of Prince Chao, and rose through several posts as Attendant to the Heir Apparent. When Emperor Gaozong came to the throne, he was moved to Drafting Censor and often wrote in on the rights and wrongs of the day. The emperor praised and accepted his counsel. He was made Drafting Secretary of the Central Secretariat and a Scholar of the Hongwen Academy. In the Secretariat stood a great stone on which Daoheng, when he was Vice Minister, had often sat to draft edicts. Each time Yuanchao saw it, he wept. He left office to mourn his mother, but before the mourning was finished was recalled as Vice Minister of the Yellow Gate and Acting Left Subordinate of the Heir Apparent. Among the able men he recommended—Ren Xigu, Gao Zhizhou, Guo Zhengyi, Wang Yifang, Meng Lizhen, Zheng Zuxuan, Deng Xunting, Cui Rong, and others—each won fame in his day for talent. He rose by stages to Vice Minister of the Eastern Terrace. When Li Yifu was banished to Xizhou, old rules forbade exiles to ride horses. Yuanchao pleaded for him and was demoted to prefect of Jian Prefecture. More than a year later he was punished again for close literary ties with Shangguan Yi and sent into exile at Xizhou. At the start of the Shangyuan reign he was pardoned and recalled, and made remonstrance grand master. In the third year he became vice minister of the Central Secretariat and a third-rank participant in the Secretariat and Chancellery.
11
使 殿 使 殿 使 祿 祿 仿 使 祿 使 西
When the emperor hunted at the Hot Springs, chieftains of the frontier peoples were permitted to carry bows and arrows in the chase. Yuanchao submitted: "The hearts of the barbarians are untamed. To let them carry weapons inside the hunting grounds is unwise." The emperor agreed. Once, while feasting the princes, he called Yuanchao to him and said lightly, "With you at the Central Secretariat, do I need a crowd?" Before long Yuanchao was made grand councilor of the Central Secretariat and left subordinate as well. When the emperor went to the Eastern Capital, he left Yuanchao to assist the heir apparent in governing the realm. In his own hand he wrote, "Leaving you behind is like losing an arm. The heir apparent is still unused to the business of state. For all affairs in Guanzhong, you alone shall decide." At that time the heir apparent was out hunting. An edict allowed him into the forbidden park, and he slowly let state affairs slide. Yuanchao remonstrated: "The inner park is dense with brush and shadow, its paths steep and dangerous. Your Highness brings down small birds and runs down clever hares—if the bridle should jerk or the horse bolt, what then? Besides, many of the household slaves are kin of rebels, or the dregs of foreign tribes. If treachery should break out in secret, how would you defend yourself? A dutiful son does not climb high or stand at the edge—that is, he keeps away from danger and shame. The Son of Heaven's letter of warning was full and earnest. If Your Highness would leave off riding and shooting and turn your heart to the classics, would that not be fine?" When the emperor learned of this, he sent rich gifts to comfort Yuanchao and recalled the heir apparent to the Eastern Capital. When the emperor's illness turned grave, power passed to Empress Wu. He then pretended to be mute and asked to resign on grounds of age and infirmity. He was given the honorary title of grand master of the golden-girdled purple. He died at sixty-two and was posthumously honored as grand master of splendid brightness and military commissioner of Qin Prefecture, and buried beside Qianling. His son Yao, in the Shengli period, joined Zhang Yizhi's faction and served as remonstrance grand master. Shou's clansman Yuanjing, son of Mai, who had been a selection officer under the Sui, was as famous as Shou and Shou's elder clansman Deyin. Their generation called them the Three Phoenixes of Hedong. Shou was likened to a young changli phoenix, Deyin to a young zhuo, and Yuanjing, the youngest of the three, to a young yuan. In the Wude period he served as secretary, staff officer in the Heavenly Stratagem Office, attendant in the Secretarial Office, and scholar of the Literary Academy. At that time Shou, Fang, and Du stood in the Prince's inner circle and leaned on one another. Yuanjing was guarded and reserved and never offered easy intimacy. Ruhui sighed and said, "That young secretary—you cannot get close to him, yet you cannot keep him at arm's length either!" When the Prince of Qin became crown prince, Yuanjing was made attendant. Military and civil affairs then centered on the Eastern Palace, and Yuanjing managed the documents—people said he filled the role. He died in office. Shou's grandson Ji, styled Sitong, was the great-great-grandson of Daoheng. He passed the jinshi examination. He rose through the Ministry of Rites and the Central Secretariat, serving as lang and drafting secretary. He and his clansman Yao each served in turn in both secretariats, and both were known for their writing. Near the end of Jinglong he was remonstrating and advising grand master and a scholar of the Zhaowen Academy. In Zhenguan and Yonghui, Yu Shinan and Chu Suiliang had dominated calligraphy; afterward no one matched them. Ji's maternal grandfather Wei Zheng owned many works by Yu and Chu. Ji copied them with fierce devotion until his hand grew strong and graceful, and his calligraphy became famous under heaven. His painting, too, was unmatched. While Ruizong was still a prince, he favored Ji and had Ji's son Boyang marry Princess Xianyuan. When Ruizong took the throne, Ji became vice minister of ceremonies, was enfeoffed as Duke of Jin, and received three hundred households as his fief. When Zhong Shaojing was grand councilor, Ji prompted him to step down and then told the emperor, "Shaojing began as a petty clerk without long-standing talent or standing. To raise him now on merit alone to lead the hundred officials is hardly the sight the court should present to the realm." The emperor agreed, allowed Shaojing to resign the post, and made him minister of revenue instead. The next day Ji was made vice minister of the Yellow Gate and given a share in deciding state affairs. He quarreled repeatedly with Cui Riyong before the throne and was removed to left regular attendant of cavalry. He later served as junior tutor to the heir apparent and minister of rites. Because of his help in bringing Ruizong to the throne, the emperor often called him into the palace to decide matters with him, and his favor stood above all the rest. When Dou Huaizhen was put to death, Ji was judged to have known the plot from the start and was ordered to die in the prison at Wannian. He was sixty-five. Ji's son Boyang was commandant of escort cavalry and Duke of Anyi, with an additional fief of four hundred households. After Ji's death Boyang was demoted to supernumerary assistant prefect of Jin Prefecture, then banished south of the Ling range, where he took his own life. Boyang's son Tan married Emperor Xuanzong's Princess Hengshan and was made commandant of escort cavalry and supernumerary director of splendid brightness. Ma Zhou, whose courtesy name was Binwang, was from Chiping in Bozhou. He lost his father early, and the family was poor and narrow in means. He loved learning and was accomplished in the Odes and the Spring and Autumn Annals. He was gifted with a broad, unbounded spirit, but his fellow townsfolk thought him careless in small matters and held him in contempt. During the Wude reign, he was appointed assistant instructor in the prefecture but neglected his duties. Prefect Daxi Shu rebuked him again and again, so Ma Zhou departed and took lodging as a guest in Mizhou. Zhao Renben admired his gifts, lavished travel provisions on him, and sent him toward the capital. He stopped at Bian as a guest and was humiliated by Cui Xian, magistrate of Junyi. Stung to indignation, he traveled west and stopped at Xinfeng, where the innkeeper ignored him entirely. Ma Zhou ordered a peck and eight tenths of wine and drank alone with serene ease, to the wonder of all who saw him. When he reached Chang'an, he took lodging in the household of Chang He, captain of the Central Guard.
12
使 使
In the fifth year of the Zhenguan reign, the emperor decreed that all officials should speak on the empire's strengths and failings. Chang He was a soldier who had never touched scholarship; Ma Zhou drew up more than twenty items for him, each a matter urgently pressing upon the age. Taizong questioned Chang He in astonishment. He replied, "This is beyond what I could do alone—my house guest Ma Zhou taught me what to say. That guest is a man of loyalty and filial devotion. The emperor at once summoned him, and before Ma Zhou had even arrived sent four successive envoys to press him onward. When he was received in audience and the emperor spoke with him, the emperor was greatly pleased and ordered him stationed at the Secretariat gate. The following year he was appointed investigating censor and, on the missions entrusted to him, fulfilled his charge with distinction. The emperor, considering that Chang He had found a worthy man, rewarded him with three hundred bolts of silk. Ma Zhou submitted a memorial, saying:
13
Whenever I read the chronicles of former ages and encounter the loyal and filial deeds of worthy men, I cannot but set the scroll aside and dwell upon them at length, longing to walk in their footsteps. I was sadly bereft of my parents while still young, and can no longer offer them even the meanest care. Of what lies ahead, only loyalty and righteousness remain for me to perform. For this reason I walked two thousand li to place myself in Your Majesty's service. Your Majesty did not deem me unworthy and raised me beyond ordinary rank. I can find no adequate way to repay such grace, and can only pour out what little I have—let Your Majesty take or leave it as you see fit.
14
I observe that Da'an Palace stands to the right within the palace city, yet its walls, towers, and gates are plainly mean beside the Purple Forbidden. The Eastern Palace, where the crown prince dwells, lies within the inner precincts; yet Da'an Palace, where the supreme sovereign dwells, is set outside instead. Though the retired emperor wishes to remain pure and frugal and to spare human labor—and Your Majesty dare not disobey—when foreign tribes come to audience and all the world looks on, something is still lacking. I would have battlements, gates, and towers raised high and made conspicuous, to answer the hopes of all lands—then great filial piety would shine clear for all to see.
15
Reading reverently Your Majesty's clear edict, I see that in the second month you will sojourn at Jiucheng Palace. I reflect that the retired emperor's years are advanced, and Your Majesty ought to attend his meals morning and evening. The palace you now favor lies three hundred li from the capital—not a distance one can cover between dawn and dusk. Should the retired emperor, moved by longing, wish at once to see Your Majesty, how could you reach him in time? This journey is meant to escape the heat, yet the retired emperor stays where it is hot while Your Majesty hastens to where it is cool—the proper care owed a parent in warmth and comfort leaves me deeply uneasy. Yet the edict has already gone forth and the journey cannot be called off—still, I ask that a date of return be announced, to lay the people's doubts to rest.
16
使 使祿
I observe the edict directing all imperial clansmen and meritorious ministers to take up their fiefdoms, granting them to their descendants to hold and govern in perpetuity. I take Your Majesty's intent to be a true desire to love and honor them—to have their lineages inherit and hold fast, sharing unending years with the realm. If matters must follow the edict as written, Your Majesty ought rather to consider how to keep them secure and make them prosper—why must they hold hereditary office? Even Yao and Shun had worthy fathers—and sons in Zhu and Jun besides. If unworthy sons were allowed to inherit fiefs and succeed to office, the myriad people would suffer and the state would bear the calamity. When one wishes to cut a line off entirely, Ziwen's good governance still stands in memory; when one wishes to preserve it, Luan Yan's wickedness already stands exposed to all. If one must choose between letting poison afflict the living and cutting off the grace owed the dead, then what was called love and honor becomes, in truth, the very thing that destroys them. I hold that they should be granted fiefs and allotted households and estates, and that office should be conferred only where talent and conduct warrant it, each according to his measure. Even if their wings are not strong, they may yet be spared ruin and disgrace. Emperor Guangwu of Han did not burden his meritorious ministers with administrative affairs—that he was able to preserve them to the end of their days shows he had mastered the right art indeed. I ask that Your Majesty ponder this deeply, that they may receive your great grace and their descendants enjoy fortune and rank to the end of their days.
17
輿便
I have heard that in transforming the realm, the sage takes filial piety as root. Hence the saying: "Of filial acts none is greater than honoring the father; of honoring the father none is greater than matching Heaven"; "The great affairs of state lie in sacrifice and war"; and Confucius said, "If I do not personally take part in the sacrifice, it is as though no sacrifice were held at all"—such is the weight the sage placed upon sacrifice. Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, you have never personally attended the offerings at the ancestral temple. I understand that in Your Majesty's sage heart, since even a single departure of the imperial carriage costs beyond reckoning, you restrain your filial longing to spare the people. Yet if the historians of this age record no entry of the emperor into the temple, what counsel will this leave to your descendants, what example to generations yet unborn? I know that great filial piety is not truly measured by sacrificial vessels alone, yet the sage, in instructing others, always leads by his own example, showing that one must never forget one's roots.
18
輿 調 使
I have heard that the way to bring about good order lies in seeking worthy men and scrutinizing appointments to office. Confucius said, "Titles and the instruments of rank must not be lent to others. This speaks to how weighty careful selection truly is. I observe that Wang Changtong and Bai Mingda were originally musicians, grooms, and common menials; Wei Bandi and Husi Zheng had no other gifts—they knew only how to train horses. Though their skills surpass the common run, they might richly be rewarded with gold and silk to enrich their households. Now they have been promoted beyond measure to high rank and attend court alongside outer officials—grooms, jesters, and songboys, jade ornaments chiming at their belts, hems sweeping the floor—and I am secretly ashamed of it. If the court's appointments cannot be recalled, at the least they ought not to stand in the ranks alongside grand masters and officials.
19
The emperor approved his words and appointed him attendant censor. He spoke again, saying:
20
使 殿 使
Surveying in turn how Xia, Shang, Zhou, and Han held the realm—the longest enduring more than eight hundred years, the shortest still four or five hundred, each dynasty heaping up virtue upon virtue and binding grace to the people—I see that though wayward kings arose, the legacy of former sages preserved them from ruin. From Wei and Jin down through Zhou and Sui, the longest endured five or six decades, the shortest perished in twenty or thirty years. This came chiefly because founding rulers did not pursue humane governance: they could barely hold what they had in their own day and left no lingering virtue for later ages to cherish. When their heirs succeeded, governance soon faltered—a single man cried out, and the realm collapsed like crumbling earth. Though Your Majesty has by great merit settled the realm, the store of accumulated virtue grows daily shallow. You ought rather to exalt the way of Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu, leaving grace with room to spare and laying a foundation that will endure for ten thousand generations—not merely holding fast to the present day alone. Yet since antiquity, even sage kings and luminous sovereigns, though they adapted their teaching to the men before them, made frugality in their own persons and grace extended to others their great principle; hence their subjects loved them as parents, looked up to them as sun and moon, feared them as thunder—and their reigns ran long, and calamity and disorder did not arise. Today the people, emerging from war and chaos, number scarcely one tenth what they did under the Sui; yet corvée assignments follow one upon another—one brother goes out, another returns—and those traveling from afar journey five or six thousand li through spring, summer, autumn, and winter with scarcely a moment of rest. Though Your Majesty has decreed reductions, the responsible offices dare not halt their works and merely circulate documents—the levies continue as before. Over the past four or five years the people have grown openly resentful, believing that Your Majesty does not care for and nurture them. Yao's thatched hut and earthen steps, Yu's coarse garments and meager fare—I know these cannot be practiced again in our age. Emperor Wen of Han, sparing the hundred-gold cost of the Exposed Terrace, abandoned the project; he gathered the satchels from memorials to make hall draperies, and Lady Shen, whom he favored, wore robes that did not sweep the ground; Emperor Jing likewise held that brocade and ornamental stitching wasted women's labor and specially decreed their abolition—hence the people's peace and contentment. When it came to Emperor Wu, though he exhausted the realm in extravagance, he still inherited the lingering virtue of Wen and Jing, and the people's hearts did not waver. Had Gaozu's heirs immediately succeeded to Emperor Wu's reign, the realm could not have remained whole. That age is not far removed from our own, and the record stands plain before us. Today in the capital and throughout Yizhou, objects crafted for imperial service and the robes and adornments of princes' consorts and imperial princesses all exceed proper splendor. I have heard that though one rises at dawn in pursuit of excellence, later ages still grow lax; establish custom in a time of order, and its decay will still breed disorder. Your Majesty once lived among common men and knows the people's hardship; the triumphs and failures of former ages you witnessed with your own eyes—yet things stand thus already. How much greater the matter for concern when the crown prince, raised deep within the palace and knowing nothing of the world outside, succeeds you in years to come.
21
I reflect that since antiquity, when the common people turn resentful and gather as bandits, no state has failed to perish at once; though the ruler afterward repents, none has ever secured safety again. In all reform of governance and teaching, one must act while reform is still possible. To wait until disaster has already struck and only then repent avails nothing. Hence rulers, whenever they witness the fall of a former age, know through what failure of governance and teaching it was lost—yet cannot see their own errors. Thus Zhou of Shang laughed at Jie of Xia's ruin; Kings You and Li of Zhou laughed at Zhou of Shang's fall; and Emperor Yang of Sui laughed at Qi and Wei's loss of their realms. Those who look upon Emperor Yang today stand where Emperor Yang himself stood when he looked upon Qi and Wei.
22
西 使
In the early Zhenguan years famine gripped the land—a bolt of silk scarcely bought a peck of grain—yet the empire remained tranquil because the people knew Your Majesty grieved for and pitied them; each man rested secure, and there was no outcry of complaint. Over the past five or six years harvests have run abundant—a bolt of silk buys more than ten hu of grain—yet the people all complain, believing that Your Majesty no longer grieves for and pities them. Why is this? Because what is now undertaken is mostly business of no urgent need. Since antiquity the rise and fall of states has never depended on the size of the treasury, but on whether the people suffered or prospered. Judge by recent events: the Sui stored grain at the Luokou granary and Li Mi seized upon it; it piled cloth and silk at the eastern capital and Wang Shichong took possession; the western capital's treasuries likewise became spoils for rebels and usurpers. Had Luokou and the eastern capital held no grain or silk, Wang Shichong and Li Mi could not so readily have gathered great hosts. To store up reserves is indeed the constant practice of statecraft—but one ought collect only when the people have strength to spare. How can one levy harshly while they toil and thereby arm one's enemies?
23
Frugality to give the people rest—in early Zhenguan Your Majesty already practiced this yourself; to practice it now would not be hard. Practice it for a single day and the realm will know it—the people will sing and dance in joy. If the people are already exhausted and the levies do not cease, then should the heartland suffer flood or drought while the frontier raises alarms of war, and the violent and cunning rise in rebellion—the danger would be far graver than merely losing sleep and skipping meals. An old saying runs, "Move men by deeds, not words; respond to Heaven with substance, not ornament. With Your Majesty's luminous understanding, if you truly wish to sharpen your spirit in governance, there is no need to reach back to high antiquity—only return to early Zhenguan, and the realm would be greatly blessed.
24
使 使
In former times Jia Yi told Emperor Wen of Han of matters "that could make one weep aloud and sigh deeply," saying, "When Han Xin held Chu, Peng Yue held Liang, and Ying Bu held Huainan—had Wen immediately ascended the throne, he could not have remained secure." He also said, "They were spared only because the princes were still young and tutors and ministers restrained them—but once grown, calamity and disorder would surely arise." Later ages have all held Jia Yi's words to be true. I observe that among the generals and meritorious ministers who fixed the realm with Your Majesty, none possesses such terrifying power and stratagem as Han and Peng did, such as might shake the throne; Yet all the princes are still young; even when grown, so long as Your Majesty lives they will surely harbor no other intent—yet for ten thousand generations to come, this cannot go unconsidered. Since Han and Jin, has the realm ever been thrown into chaos by anyone other than the princes? All because they were established in the wrong measure, with no restraint laid down in advance, until ruin followed. Do rulers not know this? They are drowned in private affection—that is all. Hence the cart ahead overturns, yet the cart behind does not change its track. Today the people of the realm are still few, yet the princes are already many; those who receive excessive favor—I fear, in my foolish view—will not merely grow arrogant on imperial grace. In former times Emperor Wu of Wei favored Prince Si of Chen; when Emperor Wen succeeded, he was guarded and confined like a prisoner in a dungeon. Why was this? The former emperor had bestowed too much favor, so the succeeding sovereign suspected and feared him. Thus in favoring Prince Si of Chen, Emperor Wu had only brought him suffering. Moreover, an emperor's son feeds upon a great fief—what need has he to fear poverty? Yet year after year special grants are made, without limit or end. A village saying runs, "The poor do not need to learn thrift; the rich do not need to learn extravagance. This speaks to what is natural. Now the Great Sage has founded the enterprise—surely this is not merely a matter of arranging his sons and younger brothers; he ought to establish lasting law that ten thousand generations may follow.
25
使
I have heard that the realm takes the people as its foundation. Surely to make the common people secure and at ease lies with the prefectural inspectors and county magistrates. Magistrates are many and cannot all be worthy—but if each province finds a good inspector, that suffices. If the empire's inspectors are well chosen, what need has Your Majesty to do anything, seated in dignity upon the lofty hall? In antiquity, prefects and magistrates were all chosen for virtue and talent; when one was to be employed, he was first tested in governing men, or might enter the chancellorship through high standing among the two-thousand-bushel officials. Today inner court officials alone are heavily esteemed, while the selection of magistrates and inspectors is rather slighted. Moreover, most inspectors are military men and men of merit—or capital officials who proved unfit for their posts are sent out to fill outer appointments; Those strongest in repelling enemies and resolute in combat enter as commandants of the palace guard; only the next rank are assigned to frontier provinces. Of those promoted for virtue, conduct, talent, and skill, not one in ten can be found. That the people are not yet at ease lies, I suspect, in this.
26
When the memorial was submitted, the emperor praised it. Ma Zhou was promoted to Gentleman Attendant-at-Discussions and then transferred to drafting secretary of the Secretariat.
27
祿
Ma Zhou excelled at laying out memorials: quick and sharp in debate, always striking the crux of affairs, thorough in deciding and disposing—and the acclaim of the age flowed to him. The emperor often said, "Briefly away from Ma Zhou, I already miss him. Cen Text told those close to him, "When Master Ma discusses affairs, his language meets the text and cuts to principle—not a word can be added or taken away; listening to him, the flow never wearies one. Su Qin, Zhang Yi, Zhong Jun, and Jia Yi were truly men of this kind. Yet his shoulders are like a kite's and his complexion fire-red—those who rise swiftly cannot long endure, I fear." Not long after he was transferred to supervising secretary of the Censorate, concurrently acting as remonstrance counsellor, and made acting chief administrator of the Prince of Jin's household. When the prince became crown prince, Ma Zhou was appointed vice director of the Secretariat, concurrently right assistant to the crown prince. In the eighteenth year he was transferred to Director of the Secretariat, still concurrently assistant to the crown prince. At that time the office of remonstrance adviser to the crown prince was established, and the emperor held Ma Zhou's appointment in high regard. Ma Zhou sighed and said, "I regret that my qualifications were unduly elevated—I was not able to hold this office myself. When the emperor campaigned against Liaodong, Ma Zhou was left behind at Dingzhou to assist the crown prince. Upon the emperor's return, he served as acting Minister of Personnel and was advanced to Grand Master with Silver Seal and Blue Ribbon. The emperor once wrote in flying-white script and bestowed it upon Ma Zhou, saying, "The luan and phoenix soar to the sky—they must borrow wings; the charge laid upon my arms and thighs lies above all in loyalty and strength."
28
使調
Ma Zhou suffered from wasting thirst for years; the emperor visited the Cuiwei Palace, sought a fine site to build him a mansion, repeatedly ordered the Ministry of Revenues to supply full meals, sent the finest physicians to attend him, personally mixed medicines for him, and the crown prince inquired after his illness. When his illness grew severe, Ma Zhou took all the memorials he had submitted and burned them, saying, "Guan Zhong and Yan Ying reproached their rulers' failings to win fame after death—I will not do this! In the twenty-second year he died, aged forty-eight; he was posthumously made regional commander of Youzhou and buried beside the Zhaoling tomb.
29
宿
At first the emperor treated Ma Zhou with great favor, and Ma Zhou grew rather self-assured. While serving as censor he sent men with a blueprint to buy a house; the crowd, knowing him for a penniless scholar risen from nothing, all secretly laughed. Another day he was told of a fine house worth two million cash; Ma Zhou immediately reported it, and an edict ordered the offices to pay the price and also bestowed slaves, maids, and furnishings—whereupon people understood. Whenever Ma Zhou traveled through commanderies and counties, chicken was invariably served at meals; a petty clerk sued him over it. The emperor said, "I forbade censors from eating meat for fear counties and prefectures would expend lavishly—what has chicken to do with this? He had the clerk beaten and driven off. When he took charge of selections, he still abolished the post of magistrate of Junyi. Before this, the capital at dawn and dusk used call-and-response to warn the populace; afterward drums were installed in place of this—the people called them the "dong-dong drums"; Officials of rank had formerly worn only yellow and purple; then third rank wore purple, fourth and fifth cinnabar, sixth and seventh green, eighth and ninth blue-green; city gates: enter by the left, exit by the right; flying courier stations to convey urgent alarms; collecting ground rent from residents; palace guards of all ranks on rotating watch; trimming courier horses' tails; gate guards, guard barracks, and garrison soldiers—each month one from each was assigned among the counties to prevent misconduct; all these were Ma Zhou's proposals. After Ma Zhou's death the emperor missed him deeply and intended to employ alchemical arts to see his likeness. When Emperor Gaozong ascended, Ma Zhou was posthumously made Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and Duke of Gaotang County. In the Chuigong era he was enshrined in the hall of Emperor Gaozong's temple. Ma Zhou's son Ma Zai, courtesy name Zizai—in the Xianheng era served as vice minister of the Secretariat for ranking, shared charge of appointments with Pei Xingjian, and those who spoke of the Ministry of Personnel named Pei and Ma. He ended as chief administrator of Yongzhou.
30
使 西
The encomium says: Was Ma Zhou's meeting with Emperor Taizong not singular indeed! From a single blade of thatch in the fields to speak of the empire's affairs as though he had always served at court and knew the statutes by heart—had he not possessed talent fit to assist a king, who could have reached this? How was his view of himself different from building on a cliff or fishing beside the Wei! Mark how the emperor was keen to establish affairs, and all Ma Zhou proposed was urgent to the moment; with a clear man assisting a sage, lord and minister needed no glue or lacquer to bind firm—regret that they found each other late was only fitting. Yet Ma Zhou's talent did not reach Fu Yue or Lü Wang—and that later ages have no full account of him is a pity! Wei Ting, a native of Wannian in Jingzhao. His father Chong served the Sui as Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. In youth Wei Ting was on good terms with the Hidden Crown Prince; when Emperor Gaozu pacified the capital, he was appointed libationer of the Duke of Longxi's household. He was promoted in succession to commander of the Left Guard Wing of Cavalry in the crown prince's household, and acting commander of the Left Guard. The crown prince treated him generously—among palace officials none could compare. In the seventh year of Wude the emperor spent the summer at Renzhi Palace. Some said the crown prince and palace officials plotted rebellion; moreover Yang Wengan, prefect of Qingzhou, was executed for great treason and implicated the Eastern Palace in his confession—the emperor blamed the palace officials exclusively, and for this Wei Ting, Du Yan, Wang Gui, and others were all exiled to Yuexi. Before long he was recalled and appointed director of the Bureau of Enfeoffment. At the beginning of Zhenguan, Wang Gui repeatedly recommended him, and he was transferred to right vice director of the Department of State Affairs. He passed through the Ministry of Personnel and Vice Director of the Department of the Imperial Household, and was appointed Censor-in-Chief and Baron of Fuyang County. Emperor Taizong said to Wei Ting, "In appointing you Censor-in-Chief, only my own intent decided it—none at my side made room for you! Wei Ting said, "I, your servant, am slow and base—not worthy to disgrace so high a post; moreover I neither earned merit nor am an old companion, yet I stand above former colleagues of Your Majesty's princely household; I would ask that you place me after others, to encourage those who have achieved merit." The emperor would not hear of it. At that time, inheriting the great disorder of the Sui, customs were shallow and corrupt, and men knew nothing of teaching. Wei Ting submitted a memorial, saying, "The grace of parents—boundless as heaven; the pain of deepest wound—when can it ever end in a lifetime? Today among gentry clans, on chen days they do not weep, calling it a doubly heavy mourning; when kin and guests come to condole, they do not even attend the rites. Among common folk in the lanes, whenever there is a heavy mourning they do not immediately raise the inquiry; first they visit the village altar, wait until all arrangements are ready, and only then begin wailing. They even hire carriages and coffins to make the funeral procession glorious. After burial the neighbors gather and drink together until drunk—calling it "bringing out mourning." The way of husband and wife is the foundation of royal transformation; hence the feeling of three days without extinguishing candles or raising music. Today at the start of marriage, string and bamboo are mixed in performance to exhaust all revelry. Officialdom follows custom and makes no prohibitory statutes. I hope all these may be punished and reformed, and the ritual code clearly declared. Not long after he was again made Vice Director of the Department of the Imperial Household, concurrently administering the household of Prince Tai of Wei. At that time Prince Tai was favored, the crown prince had many faults, and the emperor secretly wished to depose and install anew; he spoke to Du Zhenglun, and Du Zhenglun was demoted for leaking the words. The emperor said to Wei Ting, "I cannot bear to place you under the law again. He was transferred to Minister of Ceremonies.
31
使 使 便 綿 使
At first, when Wei Ting was Censor-in-Chief, Ma Zhou was investigating censor, and Wei Ting did not show him much courtesy. When Ma Zhou became Director of the Secretariat, the emperor wished to cleanse and employ Wei Ting; Ma Zhou said Wei Ting was obstinate in self-will and not material for chancellor—the matter was dropped. The emperor was about to campaign against Liaodong and was choosing one to oversee provisions and transport. Ma Zhou said that Ting's talents were fit only for coarse assignments, and the emperor agreed. Ting's late father had served as governor-general of Yingzhou and had once campaigned against Goguryeo; old maps were kept in the family, and Ting presented them to the throne. The emperor said with pleasure, "From Youzhou to Liaodong stretches two thousand li without a single prefecture or county; our army has nowhere to draw its provisions—you must devise a plan for Us. If Our army's supplies never run short, that will be your achievement. Choose for yourself ten civil and military officials of the fourth rank to serve as your lieutenants, and take three hundred picked soldiers and as many horses from each of the three prefectures of You, Yi, and Ping. An edict was immediately issued that all prefectures of Hebei should obey Ting's command, with discretionary powers granted. The emperor personally removed his sable fur coat and bestowed it on him, along with a horse from the imperial stables. Ting dispatched Wang An, assistant administrator of Yanzhou, to open a canal and build transport barges to move grain from the Sanggan River to Lusi Terrace—a distance of eight hundred li—but the canal was blocked and could not be opened. Ting judged that the bitter cold made advance impossible, so he unloaded the grain beside the terrace, stored it in granaries, and planned to transport it once the ice thawed. He immediately memorialized, "I estimate that when the imperial army arrives, provisions will suffice. The emperor said displeased, "In war, better clumsy speed than skillful delay. Our army marches next year—yet Ting plans transport for some other year. What is the meaning of this? An edict was issued ordering Fanzhi magistrate Wei Huizhi to ride posthaste and investigate. Huizhi returned with impeachment charges: "Ting in Youzhou spends his days feasting and neglects his duties. He did not first inspect whether the canal's length would serve, but at once built ships to transport grain over eight hundred li; only then did he realize his error, yet could not advance, and on the return journey the water had already dried up. The requirements of the six armies will probably fall short of Your Majesty's expectations. The emperor in anger dispatched Vice Director of Palace Receptions Li Daoyu to replace him. He ordered Investigating Censor Tang Lin to ride posthaste, put Ting in fetters and escort him to Luoyang, stripped him of rank and made him a commoner, yet allowed him to follow in plain clothes.
32
When the emperor captured Gaimou Fortress, he ordered Ting to lead troops to garrison it—a sign that he would be employed again. The fortress adjoined the enemy's Xincheng, and day and night the fighting raged without respite. Ting, having lost his office, felt inwardly aggrieved and wrote a letter to his friend Gongsun Chang. Chang, who was skilled in divination, had been detained on another matter and hanged himself. In searching his belongings they found Ting's letter, which spoke of his garrison's peril and distress and betrayed resentment; he was demoted to prefect of Xiangzhou. More than a year later he died, aged fifty-eight.
33
婿 殿 使
His sons were Daijia and Wanshi. Ting's son Daijia—Daijia at first served as a Left Palace Guard attendant; in the Yonghui era, when the Prince of Jiangxia, Li Daozong, fell from favor, Daijia, as his son-in-law, was demoted to captain of Lulong District. At that time General Xin Wenling was pacifying Goguryeo and encamped at the Tuhuzhen River, where he was attacked by the enemy; Daijia with General of the Palace Guard Xue Rengui led their troops and killed them, Wenling also fought bitterly, and they escaped danger. Daijia was severely wounded, an arrow lodged in his left foot, which he concealed and did not report; he was eventually dismissed on grounds of illness. He was recalled and made prefect of Lanzhou. When the Tibetans raided the frontier, Emperor Gaozong made Prince Pei Xian governor-general of Liangzhou, with Daijia as his vice administrator. Soon he was transferred to be prefect of Suzhou; for his achievements he was summoned and appointed General of the Right Martial Guard. In the third year of the Yifeng era, when the Tibetans again invaded, Daijia was made acting governor of Liangzhou and concurrently charged with garrison troops and horses. Recalled to court, he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Fuyang. When Empress Wu assumed the regency, he served as acting Minister of Works, supervised construction of the Qianling tomb, and was made Minister of the Heavenly Office and Third Rank of the Phoenix Gate and Crane Terrace. Daijia had risen through military prowess and had no talent for overall management of appointments, so court and country alike looked down on him. Soon he was made commander-in-chief of the campaign route to Mount Yanran to repel the Turks. After more than a year he returned and was appointed Right Chancellor of the Directorate of Literature and Third Rank of the Phoenix Gate and Crane Terrace. Ill at ease, he repeatedly submitted memorials resigning; his requests were not granted. He also petitioned to serve fully in the field; this was granted, and he was then appointed commander-in-chief of the Anxi campaign route, directing thirty-six commanders against the Tibetans, and advanced to duke. The army reached the Yinshijia River and joined battle with the Tibetans; victory and defeat were roughly even. But his deputy Yan Wengu dallied, and the weather turned bitterly cold; Daijia was poor at keeping his troops in hand, many soldiers died, supplies ran out, and he withdrew to encamp at Gaochang. Later the empress was greatly angered, executed Wengu, and banished Daijia to Xiuzhou, where he died. Ting's great-great-grandson was Wu. Wu lost his father while young. At eleven he inherited appointment as a Right Palace Guard and rose through successive posts to aide of Chang'an. When Emperor Dezong went to Liangzhou, Wu left wife and children and rushed to the imperial encampment, and was appointed Palace Assistant Censor. When Vice Minister of Revenue Yuan Xiu served as commissioner for land and water transport, he recommended Wu as his aide in the capacity of Vice Director of the Granary Department. His plans were not adopted; he shut his doors for several months, and then Xiu fell from power. He was transferred to Vice Director of the Ministry of Justice. At that time the emperor had announced the restoration at the suburban altars; after the great wars, though the rites and regulations were barely intact, those in charge frequently consulted Wu. Wu weighed what was suitable and applied it with restraint, hitting the heart of ritual propriety, and the various offices followed his lead. Later as prefect of Jiangzhou he cut channels from the Fen River to irrigate more than thirteen thousand qing of fields, and received an imperial letter of commendation. Under Emperor Xianzong he entered court as chief administrator of the capital region, supervised construction of Fengling tomb, died before it was finished, and was posthumously made Minister of the Civil Service. Ting's son Wanshi—Wanshi was broadly learned and skilled in music. In the Shangyuan era he rose through successive posts to Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices. At that time the music for suburban sacrifices, temple rites, and banquet gatherings was all revised by Wanshi together with Court Astronomer Yao Yuanbian, and he was praised as diligent in office. At first Wanshi memorialized: "Students of the Grand Music Master who suffer bereavement, having no other occupation, should be recalled after the end of mourning." Censor Liu Sili impeached Wanshi, saying, "Of all means to transform custom and reform manners, none surpasses music; to harmonize kin and transform the people, none surpasses filial piety. Hence the rites of three years' mourning are universal throughout the realm. Now you send musicians to lay aside mourning garb and perform music, wearing hemp bands while regulating musical affairs—is it because common men cannot observe ritual that you wish to reduce it to something unlawful? Wanshi holds office as Vice Minister of Imperial Sacrifices yet leads in corrupting custom and teaching; I ask that he be handed over to the officials for judgment. Emperor Gaozong was then placing trust in Wanshi and dismissed the impeachment. Later he oversaw appointments in the Ministry of Personnel and died in office. The encomium says: For a sovereign to employ men is not difficult; to exhaust their talents is difficult. Consider how Emperor Taizong charged his men: counsel he followed, words he heeded, talents he unleashed, with clear vision and no doubt—hence ministers never held back their strength, the Son of Heaven sat elevated with folded hands yet achieved success, and great peace was attained. At first they were all daring men who had risked their lives, commoners in plain cloth—yet they were arranged in succession among the highest rank. Though Xue Shou died young, the emperor had intended to treat him as Grand Counselor. Was his way of governing ministers not admirable! That Ting in his later years fell to ruin was surely something he brought upon himself.
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