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卷一百一十一 列傳第三十六 郭二張三王蘇薛程唐

Volume 111 Biographies 36: Guo, two Zhangs, three Wangs, Xu, Xue, Cheng, Tang

Chapter 111 of 新唐書 · New Book of Tang
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Chapter 111
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25%
Twenty-five percent.
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Biographies 36: Guo Xiaoke, two members of the Zhang family, three Wangs, Su Dingfang, Xue Rengui, Cheng Mingzhen, and Tang Xiujing.
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Guo Xiaoke
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使
Guo Xiaoke was from Yangzhai in Xu Prefecture. As a young man he showed uncommon spirit and paid no heed to the family estate; his father and brothers took him for a good-for-nothing. During the turmoil at the end of the Sui, he gathered several hundred young men and attached himself to Li Mi. Li Mi was delighted and told him, "People say the Ru and Ying region breeds remarkable men, and they are not wrong." He assigned him, together with Li Ji, to hold Liyang. After Li Mi's defeat, Li Ji sent Xiaoke to submit to the Tang court; he was created Duke of Yangzhai and made prefect of Song Prefecture. He was ordered to campaign with Li Ji east of Wulao, and for every prefecture and county they brought under control he was given authority to appoint officials.
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祿
When Dou Jiande marched to relieve Luoyang, Xiaoke presented himself to the Prince of Qin and advised, "Wang Shichong is at the end of his strength and his wits; we can wait at our ease for him to be brought in with hands bound. Jiande has marched his entire army from far away with his supply lines severed; Heaven itself seems ready to destroy him. If we stand firm at Wulao and post our army at Sishui, responding to each turn of events, we are sure to take and destroy him!" The prince agreed. After the rebels were defeated, he held a grand banquet in the Luoyang palace and told his generals, "It was Xiaoke's strategy that brought the enemy down, and Wang Chang was first on the canal route—his achievement is plainly above yours." He was promoted to the rank of Pillar of State. He served in turn as prefect of Bei, Zhao, Jiang, and Jing, and everywhere he went he earned a name for capable administration. He was made general of the Left Majestic Tiger Guard and rose by stages to Grand Master of the Palace with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon.
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西西 西
In 642 he was named military governor of Liangzhou, then Protector-General of the Pacified West and prefect of Xizhou. The region was the former capital of Gaochang, where exiled convicts lived among frontier garrisons, separated from the heartland by desert wastes. Xiaoke ruled with open sincerity and kindness and won the people's complete trust. When the imperial forces had earlier destroyed Gaochang, the court had ordered seven hundred Kuchean captives to be returned to the king of Kucha. The king rebelled and fled to the Yehu She Khan. Xiaoke asked leave to strike him, was immediately made commander on the Xizhou campaign route, led three thousand foot and horse out along the Yinshan road, and in a night assault seized King Long Tuqizhi. The emperor was delighted and sent a sealed edict commending him.
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歿
Shortly afterward he was made deputy supreme commander on the Kunqiu route and marched against Kucha. After breaking the capital he stayed behind as garrison commander while the rest of the army advanced along several routes. Nali, the Kuchean chief minister, had escaped. Because the remaining enemy forces were not yet subdued, Xiaoke moved his camp outside the city. A local man warned Xiaoke, "Nali has always commanded the loyalty of the troops. Now that he is free outside the walls he is certain to make trouble, and many inside the city are of doubtful mind. I beg you to be on your guard." Xiaoke ignored the warning and took no precautions. Nali did in fact rally his men and secretly coordinated with the non-Chinese inside the city. They stormed the walls with drums and clamor before Xiaoke understood what was happening. He led a little over a thousand men into a desperate fight while the city rose for Nali. Xiaoke battled to the last and was killed by an arrow; his son Daizhao died as well. General Cao Jishu marched up and recaptured the city. Taizong held Xiaoke responsible for poor intelligence that had led to disaster and posthumously stripped him of rank. Later, moved by pity for his death in battle, the emperor ordered mourning rites held for him again. When Gaozong came to the throne he restored Xiaoke's offices and titles, posthumously made Daizhao General on Campaign of the Palace Attendant, and granted three hundred rolls of burial goods.
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His second son Daifeng served as general of the Left Leopard Bow Guard. Early in the Xianheng era he served under Xue Rengui against the Tibetans, was defeated at the battle of Dafeichuan, and was spared execution only to be reduced to commoner status.
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Zhang Jian
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Zhang Jian, styled Shiyue, was from Xinfeng in the capital district. He was the grandson of Wei, who had been Sui prefect of Xiangzhou and Duke of Wancheng. His father Zhi was General of Chariots and Cavalry and Duke of Liancheng.
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使
Jian was a maternal grandson of a cousin of Gaozu. When Gaozu raised his banner, Jian was made Right Guard commandant for his service and later became prefect of Shuozhou. At that time Khan Jieli was at the height of his power. Every demand arrived in documents styled as imperial edicts, and border officials obeyed them without daring to refuse. Jian alone refused to comply. He vigorously promoted military farming among the people, and each year the harvest ran to several hundred thousand bushels. Even in years of frost and drought he urged mutual relief among the people, kept starvation at bay, and left the prefecture whole and at peace. After Li Jing had defeated the Turks, members of the Sinie tribe, brought to ruin, came to Jian, and he received and pacified them. Those who lived north of the desert crossed back and forth to visit kin; Jian did not stop them, merely signaling a policy of loose control. When Jian was transferred to Shengzhou, a later commander, failing to understand the situation, hastily reported that the Sinie had rebelled and the court debated a punitive campaign. Jian was then in mourning for his mother but set mourning aside to go as envoy and win them back. Jian rode alone into their camps, summoned the chiefs, spoke to them with complete frankness, and won them all to submission on their knees. He then moved the whole tribe to Daizhou and was made acting military governor there. He urged the people to open new land and farm diligently. For several years the harvests were rich and private granaries overflowed. Fearing the tribes would grow arrogant from easy plenty, he instituted a grain-purchase system that channeled surplus into government stores. The tribes were pleased, and government reserves swelled.
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西 使 祿
He was transferred to military governor of Yingzhou and concurrently Colonel Protecting the Eastern Yi. He was removed from office for an offense but ordered to continue his duties as a commoner in official service. Yingzhou lay cheek by jowl with the Khitan, Xi, Hui, Mohe, and other frontier peoples. When Goguryeo invaded with a large force, Jian met them in battle and all but annihilated them, taking captives and heads in great number. He was again appointed military governor of Yingzhou. When Taizong prepared to campaign against Liaodong he sent Jian ahead with tribal auxiliaries to seize ground as far as western Liaodong, but flooded rivers long kept the army from crossing. The emperor took this for cowardice and recalled him. Received at the Luoyang palace, he explained in a memorial the quality of pastures and waterways, the lay of the land, and why the advance had taken so long. The emperor was pleased, made him commander on campaign, and set him at the head of all tribal cavalry as vanguard of the six armies. When Goguryeo scouts reported that Yeon Gaesomun was approaching, the emperor ordered Jian to ambush him on the Xincheng road, and the enemy did not dare show themselves. Jian crossed the Liao, pushed on to Jian'an, routed the enemy, and took several thousand heads. He was enfeoffed as Duke of Wancheng. Later the office of Colonel of the Eastern Yi was converted into a protectorate, and Jian was made its protector. Early in the Yonghui era he was promoted to Grand Master of the Palace with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon. He died at the age of sixty and was given the posthumous name Mi.
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Jian's elder brother Dash was Minister of the Imperial Stud, prefect of Hua, and Baron of Wugong.
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His younger brother Yanshi was General-in-Chief of the Left Guard and Duke of Fanyang. He was cautious by nature and served thirty years in the Feathered Forest guard without a single blemish on his record. When he died he was posthumously made military governor of Jingzhou, given the posthumous name Jing, and buried beside Zhaoling.
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All three Zhang brothers kept ceremonial halberds at their gates, and people called them "the house of three halberds."
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Wang Fangyi
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Wang Fangyi, styled Zhongxiang, was from Qi in Bing Prefecture. His grandfather Yu was prefect of Suizhou, married the Princess of Tong'an the Greater, rose to the rank of Grand Master with ceremonial privileges equal to the Three Dukes, and after his death received the posthumous name Wen.
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調 滿
Fangyi lost his father early and mourned with the gravity of a grown man; people called him the Filial Child. His mother, Lady Li, had been cast out by the princess and lived at the Fengquan villa. Though still a boy, Fangyi worked alongside hired hands and bondservants, toiling every day without rest. He cleared fields, planted trees, tended the woods, rebuilt the walls and roofs, even made ink from pine soot, and turned the household into a prosperous one. When the princess died he returned to the capital. Once on a night walk he saw a figure more than ten feet tall, drew his bow and felled it, only to find it was a wooden post. When Taizong heard the story he appointed him to the Right Thousand-Ox guard. When Gaozong came to the throne a cousin on his father's side became empress. Fangyi was made magistrate of Anding, where he broke the great clans and cowed the local bullies into silence. He was transferred to be marshal of the Hanhai Protectorate, then demoted for an offense to captain of a company in Shangde, Shuozhou. After a little more than a year he was relieved and recalled. During mourning for his mother he grew dangerously thin with grief, and the emperor sent court physicians to care for him. His friend Zhao Chiman was executed and his body left on the road; none of his kin dared approach. Fangyi said, "When Luan Bu mourned Peng Yue he acted in the name of righteousness; when King Wen of Zhou buried the unburied dead he acted in the name of benevolence. If one cuts off the righteousness owed a friend and hides a ruler's benevolence, how can one serve one's lord?" He went to weep over the body and buried it with full ceremony. The Golden Crow guard arrested him, but the emperor commended him and imposed no punishment.
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西 簿
He was again promoted to prefect of Suzhou. The prefecture had no walls or moat and was easy prey for raiders. Fangyi drafted laborers to build towers and battlements, diverted the Duoled River to ring the city, and organized beacons and patrols with exceptional care. During the Yifeng era locusts ravaged the Hexi region but did not touch Fangyi's jurisdiction. In neighboring prefectures people starved, and refugees in ragged layers of clothing flocked to his domain. He spent his own money to build water mills, recorded their profits, and used the proceeds to relieve famine and disease. He put up hundreds of rooms to shelter the destitute and saved a great multitude; miraculous fungus even appeared in his territory.
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西 西 西
When Pei Xingjian campaigned against Zhefu he asked for Fangyi as his deputy and acting Protector-General of the Pacified West, while the former protector Du Huaibao was moved to prefect of Tingzhou. Fangyi built the city of Suyab with three gates and a maze of winding approaches designed to confuse attackers, and finished it in fifty days. Western peoples came in crowds to watch and, unable to guess his design, all brought him tribute of rare goods. Before long Fangyi was moved to Tingzhou while Huaibao was shifted from the Golden Mountain protectorate back to the Pacified West, and harmony with the frontier peoples was lost.
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簿 西
Early in the Yongchun era Chebochuo of the Ashina of the Ten Surnames rebelled and besieged Gongyue. Fangyi led his army to battle on the Yili River. He defeated them and took a thousand heads. Soon a hundred thousand warriors of the Three Surnames of Yanmian came up behind him. Fangyi made camp at the Hot Sea and gave battle. An arrow struck his arm; he cut it off with his belt knife without those around him noticing. Some of the mixed tribesmen in his command plotted to seize him as a hostage for the enemy. Fangyi summoned them all into camp, lavished gifts on them, then had them led out beyond the walls one by one and bound. A great wind arose just then. He mingled the clash of gongs and drums with the storm so that his men's cries could not be heard, and put seven thousand to death. He immediately sent cavalry along separate routes against the Yanmian and others, who broke in panic. Wugu fled with his army, and three hundred chieftains including those of the Turgesh were taken. The western peoples submitted in awe. Earlier, when Fangyi halted at the Ge River, a sudden flood made crossing impossible. He cast offerings into the water in prayer, and the army forded the river and reached the far bank. In the seventh month he camped at the Ye River without boats, yet overnight the ice formed a solid bridge. People took this as a sign of Heaven's favor.
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西 西
After the Western Regions were pacified he was promoted to military governor of Xia Prefecture for his achievements. When a cattle plague left the fields untilled, Fangyi introduced paired-plow farming with mechanical rigging that saved labor while increasing yield, and the people came to depend on him. The following year Fangyi was summoned to discuss affairs in the west and received at Fengtian Palace, where the emperor fed him at table. Seeing stains on his robes, the emperor asked the cause, and Fangyi told in full of the hard fighting at the Hot Sea. The emperor examined his wounds, sighed long in admiration, and gave him lavish rewards.
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Soon the rebel Bai Tieyu rose at Suizhou, and Fangyi was ordered with Cheng Wuting to put him down. He battered the rebels with catapult stones, burned their stockades, and crushed the revolt, for which he was created Duke of Taiyuan. When Ashina Yuanzhen invaded he was ordered to take the field against him. The armory had no whole suits of armor, so Fangyi cut six boards, painted them with tigers, and hinged them together. Enemy horses took fright at the sight and bolted. He routed the foe, took two senior generals, and won the submission of the Sanggan and Sheli tribes.
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Under Empress Wu none of the Wang clan still survived. Fangyi, counting his many services, hoped to escape punishment, while the empress within the palace sought a pretext to destroy him but had not yet found one. When Wuting was executed Fangyi was implicated, summoned to court, imprisoned, and exiled to Yazhou. He died on the road at the age of sixty-three. Early in the Shenlong era his offices and titles were restored. Fangyi was an accomplished calligrapher, ranked with Wei Shuyan. Fangyi's son Xun, styled Boyu, with his elder brother Yu and younger brother Jin were known for literary talent and were called "the three Wangs." Early in the Tianshou era Xun passed the jinshi and special imperial examinations and was made assistant magistrate of Lantian. Promoted for exceptional merit to assistant magistrate of Chang'an, he was presented at court. Empress Wu questioned him on criminal law and commended him. She asked his lineage. He replied, "The deposed empress was my aunt." The empress was displeased and demoted him to legal adjutant at Bozhou. Early in the Shenlong era he was vice-prefect of Henan until Wu Sansi forged an edict demoting him to magistrate of Linchuan. When Song Jing took power he was recalled and made attendant censor. He was sent out as chief administrator of Xu Prefecture. During a drought, while acting prefect he opened the granaries to feed the people, then impeached himself. Xuanzong pardoned him. He rose by stages to Vice Minister of Works. His brother Jin rose to drafting secretary in the Secretariat. Xun had once been vice director of the Palace Library; several years later Jin succeeded him in that office. He ended his career as Right Regular Attendant of the Cavalry and died. He was posthumously made Minister of Revenue and given the posthumous name Xiao.
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殿
His son Tao served in the Tianbao era as Right Remonstrator and palace censor. Jin's son Hong has a separate biography.
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Su Dingfang
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Su Lie, styled Dingfang and known by that name, was from Wuyi in Ji Prefecture and later moved to Shiping. His father Yong, in the closing years of the Sui, led several thousand local men in the commandery's campaigns against bandits. Dingfang was fierce and resolute. At fifteen he fought under his father and many times was first over the wall and into the enemy ranks. After Yong's death he took command, defeated the major bandits Zhang Jincheng and Yang Gongqing, and pursued them north for miles. From then on bandits did not dare cross the border, and the countryside owed him its safety.
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Early in the Zhenguan era he was a garrison colonel at Kuangdao and followed Li Jing's raid on the Turk khan Jieli at Qikou. Leading two hundred armored horsemen as vanguard through the fog, he emerged a li from the enemy camp, saw the royal tent, and charged, killing hundreds. Jieli and the Sui princess fled in panic. Li Jing arrived soon after and the rest surrendered. He was promoted again to commandant of the Left Guard. He campaigned against Goguryeo with Cheng Mingzhen and defeated them. He was made general of the Right Garrison Guard and Duke of Linqing.
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He followed supreme commander Cheng Zhijie on the Congshan route against Helu. At the Yingsuo River, Helu met them with twenty thousand horsemen. Su Haizheng fought repeated engagements without a clear outcome while Shunishi brought another twenty thousand horsemen in support. Dingfang had just let the men rest when he saw dust on the horizon. He led five hundred elite horsemen over the ridge in a dash on the enemy camp. The rebels broke in rout; more than a thousand were killed, and armor, weapons, cattle, and horses lay strewn across the hills beyond count. Deputy commander Wang Wendu, jealous of his success, falsely told Zhijie, "The enemy may have fled, but our casualties are heavy. We should march with the baggage train in the center of the formation, fully armored, and fight only when the enemy comes—that is the safe course." He also forged an order halting the advance. The horses grew thin, the men exhausted, and fighting spirit collapsed. Dingfang urged Zhijie, "The emperor ordered us to destroy the rebels. If we merely defend ourselves, what achievement can we claim? You are the supreme commander, yet a deputy decides what happens beyond the frontier while you may not—that cannot be right! Why not arrest Wendu and await the emperor's orders?" Zhijie would not listen. At Tandu city some non-Chinese submitted. Wendu said roughly, "They surrender only because we are turning back and will rebel again. Better kill them and seize their goods." Dingfang said, "That would make us the rebels ourselves. We came to punish rebellion!" When the spoils were divided, Dingfang took nothing. When Gaozong learned of this and Zhijie and the others returned, all were arrested, condemned to death, and spared only by reduction to commoner status.
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祿 西 使 西
Dingfang was made supreme commander on the Yili route and again marched against Helu, with Ren Yaxiang and the Uyghur Boporun as his deputies. Marching north of the Golden Mountain, he first defeated the Chumukun tribe. The yagbu Nandulu submitted with ten thousand tents. Dingfang won them over, took a thousand of their horsemen with ten thousand Uyghurs, and advanced to the Yeqi River. Helu met him with a hundred thousand warriors of the Ten Surnames, thinking Dingfang's force too small and spreading both wings to envelop him. Dingfang posted his infantry on high ground with spears leveled outward and personally led his best cavalry onto the plain to the north. The enemy charged the infantry line three times without breaking through. Dingfang struck them in the confusion, fought for thirty li, took tens of thousands of heads, and put the enemy to rout. The next day he advanced again. The five Nuoshi tribes all submitted. Helu fled west with only a few hundred horsemen of the Chumukun Quelü tribe. Dingfang sent deputies Xiao Siye and the Uyghur Boporun with tribal auxiliaries in pursuit along the Yaluo River while he and Yaxiang cut off the rear with newly submitted troops. Heavy snow fell and his officers asked to rest. Dingfang said, "The enemy trusts the snow and thinks we cannot advance. If we let them escape far away we shall never take them." He pressed on to Shuanghe, joined Mizhe and Buzhen, came within a hundred li of Helu, ordered the army to advance in battle order, and closed on Golden Tooth Mountain. Helu was out hunting when Dingfang struck, routed the tens of thousands at his royal camp, and brought them all back under imperial authority. Helu fled to the kingdom of Shi. Mizhe's son Yuanshuang joined Siye, bound Helu, and brought him back. They repaired frontier posts, opened roads and passes, fixed boundaries, tended the sick and gathered the dead, and Tang administration reached to the Western Sea. Gaozong received him at the palace steps as Dingfang, in armor, presented Helu as a captive. For his merit he was made General-in-Chief of the Left Majestic Tiger Guard and Duke of Xing, and his son Qingjie was separately enfeoffed as Duke of Wuyi.
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使 殿 西 鹿
Duman, yagbu of the Sinie, who had once governed the western peoples, led his followers and the states of Shule, Zhujubo, and Hepantuo in rebellion. Dingfang was ordered back as Pacification Commissioner. He led his army to the Yeya River while the rebels fortified at Matou River. Dingfang chose ten thousand elite foot soldiers and three thousand horsemen, rode day and night three hundred li, and fell on them. Duman was taken by surprise, his men fought without discipline, and he was routed. He fled on horseback into his walled camp. The army pressed the siege until Duman, at his wits' end, came out with hands bound to surrender. The captive was presented at Qianyang Hall, and the judicial offices asked that he be punished according to law. Dingfang kowtowed and said, "I had already conveyed Your Majesty's promise that he would not die. I beg that his life be spared." The emperor said, "For your sake I will keep that promise intact." And he pardoned Duman. The lands west of the Pamirs were thus secured. He received an additional three hundred households at Julu in Xing Prefecture and was made General-in-Chief of the Left Martial Guard.
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使
He was sent out as supreme commander on the Shenqiu route to campaign against Baekje. From Chenshan he crossed the sea to Ungjin, where the enemy lined the riverbank. Dingfang came out on the left flank, drew up on the heights, routed them, and left several thousand dead. The imperial fleet rode the tide upstream, ships stem to stern, drums and shouts rolling. Dingfang led foot and horse on both flanks straight for the capital at Sabi. The enemy met them with the whole kingdom, fought a bitter battle, and were broken. Ten thousand were killed or captured. Pressing the victory into the outer city, King Uija and Crown Prince Yung fled north. Dingfang besieged the city while Uija's son Tae declared himself king and held out with the remaining forces. Uija's grandson Mun-ui said, "The king and crown prince have fled. How can an uncle make himself king? If the Tang army withdraws, how will my father and I survive?" He led his followers down the wall by rope. Many followed, and Tae could not stop them. Dingfang sent men onto the walls to raise the banners of Tang. Tae then opened the gates and submitted. His general Miruk surrendered with Uija, Yung and the other cities sent pledges of loyalty, Baekje was pacified, and Uija, Yung, Tae, and the rest were sent as captives to the Eastern Capital.
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浿 使
In the three kingdoms Dingfang destroyed he took every king alive. Rewards of treasure were beyond count, and Qingjie was made chief of the imperial carriage service. Soon he was made supreme commander on the Liaodong route, then transferred to the Pyongyang route. He defeated the Goguryeo army at the Pae River, seized Mayi Mountain for his camp, and besieged Pyongyang. Heavy snow forced him to lift the siege and withdraw. He was made Pacification Commissioner of Liangzhou to settle relations with Tibet and Tuyuhun. He died in 667 at the age of seventy-six. The emperor mourned him and rebuked his ministers: "Dingfang served the state with distinction and deserved posthumous honors. Why did none of you speak?" He then posthumously made him General-in-Chief of the Left Majestic Tiger Guard and military governor of Youzhou, with the posthumous name Zhuang.
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Xue Rengui
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Xue Rengui was from Longmen in Jiang Prefecture. In his youth he was poor and obscure, earning his living as a farmer. As he was preparing to rebury his forebears, his wife Liu said, "You have gifts that outshine your generation—you need only the right moment for them to flourish. The emperor is leading the campaign in Liaodong himself and searching for bold commanders. Such a moment does not come twice. Why not win honor and make your name known? Return home in wealth and high station—the dead can wait for their tomb. Rengui took her counsel and went to General Zhang Shigui to enlist.
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使
At Andi he found Langjiang Liu Junqiong surrounded by enemy troops. Rengui rode to his relief, cut down the rebel leader, and tied the severed head to his saddle until every foe shrank back in terror. His fame dates from that day. When the imperial forces besieged Ancheng, Yeon Gaesomun of Goguryeo dispatched Gao Yanshou and others with two hundred thousand men to meet them, camping with the mountains at their backs. Emperor Taizong ordered his commanders to strike from several directions. Confident in his ferocity, Rengui meant to win an unheard-of victory. He donned white so all could see him, took up a halberd, slung two bows at his belt, and with a battle cry spurred forward—every line he hit gave way before him. The main force swept up behind him, and the enemy broke and ran. The emperor saw it from afar and sent a mounted courier to ask, "Who is that white-clad man leading the charge? The answer came: "Xue Rengui. The emperor received him in audience, expressed astonishment, and lavished gold, silk, and horses upon him. He was made General of Guerrilla Warfare and Guoyi of the Yunquan Guard, and assigned to permanent duty at the North Gate. On the army's return the emperor told him, "My old commanders are aging. I mean to raise up a fierce champion and give him charge of campaigns abroad—and no one suits that role better than you. I do not rejoice over winning Liaodong—I rejoice over winning a shining general. He was promoted to Right Colonel of the Imperial Guard.
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宿
When Emperor Gaozong was staying at Wannian Palace, a flash flood struck and in the night burst through the Xuanwu Gate. The palace guards fled in every direction. Rengui cried, "When the emperor's life hangs in the balance, who may shrink from death? He climbed the gate and shouted to rouse the palace. The emperor hastened out and scaled the heights. Soon the flood reached the imperial bedchamber. The emperor said, "I owe my life to you. Now at last I know what a loyal servant is. He was given one of the emperor's own horses.
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使
During Su Dingfang's campaign against Helu, Rengui memorialized the throne: "I have heard that armies sent forth without a righteous name cannot prevail. Only when the wicked are clearly marked out will the foe acknowledge defeat. The Nishu tribes refuse Helu's rule and were crushed by him; their families are held captive. Wherever our forces have recovered such families from Helu's camps, they should all be restored to their people with generous gifts. Let the folk learn that Helu is a tyrant and Your Majesty a ruler of supreme virtue. The emperor approved the plan. Their families were sent home, and the Nishu begged to march with the army and die in its ranks.
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In 658 he was appointed deputy to Cheng Mingzhen for operations in Liaodong. They routed Goguryeo at Guiduan City and counted three thousand enemy dead. The following year, with Liang Jianfang and Qibi Heli, he met the Goguryeo commander Wen Shadumen at Hengshan. Rengui galloped deep into the enemy alone—every shaft he let fly struck home. At Shicheng an enemy marksman had killed more than a dozen imperial troops. Rengui, enraged, rode out alone. The man's bow failed him, and Rengui took him alive. Soon he and Xin Wenling smashed the Khitan at Black Mountain, captured their king Abu'gu, and brought him before the court at Luoyang. He was made General of the Left Martial Guard and created Baron of Hedong County.
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殿穿
He was appointed deputy to Zheng Rentai, commander of the Tiele campaign route. On the eve of departure the emperor entertained him in the inner hall. "Ancient masters pierced seven thicknesses of felt," he said. "Show me what you can do against five suits of armor. With a single arrow Rengui drove clean through them. The emperor, astonished, ordered heavier armor brought and bestowed it on him. The Nine Surname confederation mustered more than a hundred thousand men. They sent a few dozen of their fiercest riders to offer combat. Rengui fired three arrows and brought down three men. The enemy's courage broke, and they submitted. Fearing they would rise again, Rengui had every one of them executed by burial alive. He then campaigned against the remnants north of the desert and brought back the three brothers of the rebel yabghu. A camp song ran: "Three arrows from the general settled the Tian Mountains; bold men marched home in triumph through the frontier passes of Han. From that day the Nine Surname confederation waned.
41
The Tiele tribes of Sijie, Dolangege, and others had sheltered on the Tian Mountains. When Rentai arrived they submitted in fear, but he refused them. He took their families as booty to reward the troops, and the enemy bands slipped away in succession. A patrol rider reported, "Enemy baggage and livestock cover the plain—we can ride out and seize them. Rentai chose fourteen thousand armored riders and raced across the desert to the Xian'e River. They found no foe and turned back when their grain was spent. Starvation drove them to cannibalism. By the time they reached the frontier, barely one soldier in twenty remained. Rengui too had taken women from his ranks as concubines and accepted numerous bribes. Officials impeached him, but his past service won him pardon.
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Early in the Qianfeng era, Ch'ŏn Namsan of Goguryeo came over to the Tang. The court sent Generals Pang Tongshan and Gao Kan to welcome him. His brother Namgeon rallied the kingdom to block them, and Rengui was ordered to march to Tongshan's aid. At Xincheng the enemy struck by night. Rengui counterattacked and took several hundred heads. Tongshan pushed on to Jinshan, where the enemy was checked and held back. Goguryeo pressed the advantage, but Rengui split their force in two and the army broke at once. Five thousand heads were counted, the cities of Nansu, Mudi, and Cangyan were taken, and he joined Namsan's force. The emperor sent a letter in his own hand to praise and encourage him. Trusting his crack troops, Rengui led two thousand men against Fuyu City. The other commanders, citing their small numbers, urged him to hold back. Rengui replied, "Victory depends on how troops are used, not on how many there are. He led the men himself. Every clash ended in victory. More than ten thousand were killed, the city fell, and he swept the coast before linking up with Li Ji's army. After Fuyu submitted, forty other cities followed suit. His fame thundered across the Liaohai coast. An edict placed Rengui, with twenty thousand men, under Liu Ren'gui to garrison Pyongyang. He was made Grand General of his guard, created Duke of Pingyang, named provisional Protector-General of Andong, and moved his seat to Xincheng. He cared for orphans and the elderly, checked banditry, appointed men by merit, and honored loyalty and righteousness. The people of Goguryeo took heart and almost forgot their kingdom was gone.
43
退 西
In 670 Tibet invaded. Rengui was made Grand General of the Luosuo campaign route and, with Generals Ashina Daozhen and Guo Daifeng, marched to strike the Tibetans and relieve Tuyuhun. Daifeng had once been garrison commander at Zhan City and had stood equal with Rengui. Now he resented serving beneath him and often defied his orders. When the army halted at Danaichuan, bound for Wuhai, Rengui said, "Wuhai is treacherous ground, thick with miasma—we are marching into a death trap. Still, speed will bring victory; delay will bring ruin. The Danaichuan ridge is broad and open. Set up two stockades there, put all baggage inside, leave ten thousand men to guard it, and we can double our march and catch the enemy unprepared. They agreed on the plan and pressed to the river mouth, where they routed the enemy, slaughtered and plundered freely, and took cattle and sheep by the tens of thousands. They pushed on to Wuhai City and waited for the rear guard. Daifeng at first refused. He trailed behind with the baggage, and two hundred thousand Tibetans intercepted him. Provisions and arms were lost entirely, and Daifeng held a defensible position. Rengui fell back to Danaichuan. Tibet reinforced to four hundred thousand men and gave battle. The imperial army was routed. Rengui negotiated peace with the Tibetan general Lun Qinling and only then got his army out. Tuyuhun was lost. Rengui sighed, "This is the year gengwu, with the stars in Jianglou—there should be no business in the west. Deng Ai died in Shu for just such a reason. I knew from the first we were doomed. An edict spared his life but stripped his rank and reduced him to commoner status.
44
西
Before long the Goguryeo remnant forces rebelled, and he was raised up as Commander of the Jilin route. He was again demoted to Xiang Prefecture for another offense, then restored when an amnesty was declared. The emperor remembered his service and summoned him. "Years ago at Wannian Palace," he said, "but for you I would have drowned like a fish. When you crushed the Nine Surnames and broke Goguryeo, no one did more than you. Some say that below Wuhai City you let the enemy go without striking, and that is why we lost. That is what I resent—and what I doubt. Liaoxi is unsettled now, and the roads to Guazhou and Shazhou are cut. How can you sleep easy and refuse to fight for me? He was then made Prefect of Guazhou, General of the Right Imperial Guard, and provisional Governor of Daizhou, and sent to strike the Turk Yuan Zhen at Yun Prefecture. The Turks asked, "Who commands the Tang army? The answer came: "Xue Rengui. The Turks said, "We heard General Xue was exiled to Xiang Prefecture and died there. How can he be alive again? Rengui removed his helmet and showed his face. The Turks stared at one another, paled, dismounted, and bowed low before drifting away. Rengui pressed the attack and routed them utterly. Ten thousand heads were taken, thirty thousand captives seized, and cattle and horses beyond count.
45
輿
He died in 683, at the age of seventy. He was posthumously honored as Grand General of the Left Martial Cavalry Guard and Governor of Youzhou. The state provided a funeral carriage and escorted his body home. Rengui's son Ne, styled Shenyan, began his career as a Gate Guard Officer and was promoted to magistrate of Lantian. A wealthy Ni clansman brought suit at the Suizheng Office over interest on a loan. Censor-in-Chief Lai Junchen took a bribe and ordered several thousand bushels from the Public Granary paid to settle the claim. Ne said, "The Public Granary exists to guard against flood and drought. How can we cut off the people's food to enrich one family? He reported to the throne, and the grain was not issued. When Junchen fell from power, the matter was dropped as well.
46
使 殿
Later, when the Turks raided Hebei, Empress Wu, noting Ne's lineage of generals, ordered him to serve provisionally as General of the Left Martial Guard and Commissioner for the Eastern Campaign route. At Tongming Hall he explained in full: "The barbarians are brutal and cite the Prince of Luling as their pretext. Though he has returned to the Eastern Palace, the court still doubts his loyalty. If the Crown Prince is seen to stand firm, the raiders will melt away without a fight. The empress later took his advice. Soon he was transferred to Governor of Youzhou and Protector-General of Andong. He was reassigned as Prefect of Bingzhou and made provisional Grand General of the Left Guard. Ne had long served on the frontier and won distinction in battle. Early in the Kaiyuan era, Emperor Xuanzong held military exercises at Xinfeng and appointed Ne commander of the Left Army. The other units fell into disorder, but Ne and Jie Wan kept their armies in perfect formation. The emperor sent light cavalry to summon them, but when the riders reached the camp gate they were turned away. When the exercises ended, the emperor singled him out for praise and reward.
47
The next year the Khitan, Xi, and Turks allied and raided the frontier repeatedly. Ne urged a punitive campaign. Du Binke, General of the Gate Guards, and Cui Xuandao, Prefect of Dingzhou, were ordered to join him with twenty thousand men marching from Tan Prefecture. Binke and the others argued that in midsummer, troops laden with arms and extra grain on a deep strike would likely fail. Yao Yuanchong agreed. Ne alone said, "Summer grass is thick, lambs and calves are resting—we need little supply and can live off the raiders' stores. To show the empire's might, this chance must not be lost. The emperor wished to awe the four quarters and loved bold strokes of victory. He accepted Ne's plan and granted him Third Rank at the Ziwei and Huangmen to lend weight to his command. The army reached the Luan River and met the enemy. The commanders failed to keep their plan, were overrun, and the whole force was destroyed. Ne escaped alive. Cui Xuandao, the great general Li Sijing, and six others were held accountable and beheaded by edict as a warning. Only Binke was spared. All of Ne's offices and titles were stripped away.
48
使
Soon the great Tibetan chieftains Ben Dayan and Qili Xu led a hundred thousand men against Lintao, entered Lan Prefecture, and drove off the pastured horses. Ne was ordered to serve in plain clothes as provisional General of the Feathered Forest and Defender of Longyou, and marched with Wang Jun to strike them. They overtook the enemy and fought at Wujie Post, attacking from two sides and breaking their force; Pursuing north to the Tao River, they fought again at Changcheng Fort, killed tens of thousands of the enemy, captured the chieftain Liuzhi Xiangmihong, and recovered all the plunder together with weapons and gear beyond reckoning. The emperor had been planning to lead the northern campaign himself, but when Ne won a great victory, he abandoned the idea. He ordered Palace Secretariat Attendant Ni Ruoshui to the camp to register achievements. Ne was made General of the Left Feathered Forest, restored as Duke of Pingyang, and his son Chang was appointed Grand Master of Palace Attendance. He was also made Grand General Pacifying the Army of Liang Prefecture, with the frontier prefectures Chishui, Jiankang, and Heyuan placed under his authority. Before long he was made Grand Commander on Campaign of the Shuofang route. After many years he retired on account of old age. He died at seventy-two. He was posthumously made Minister of Ceremonies and given the posthumous name Zhaoding.
49
使 祿 使
Ne was deep-spirited and brave, sparing of speech. In battle he grew bolder still when facing a formidable foe. Ne's younger brother Chuyu served as military governor of Fanyang in the Kaiyuan era and was removed for dereliction of duty. He had a son, Song. Chuyu's son Song was born in the Yan and Ji region. Bold and high-spirited, he scorned trade and profit and lived by his strength, horsemanship, and archery. He joined An Lushan's rebellion and later defended Xiang Prefecture for Shi Chaoyi. When Pugu Huai'en defeated Chaoyi and swept through Heshuo, Song was terrified. He went out to submit at the camp gate, and Huai'en spared him and recommended him as Acting Minister of Justice and military governor of Xiang, Wei, Ming, Xing, and neighboring prefectures. In the aftermath of the great rebellion, when the people had had their fill of disaster, Song served conscientiously and earned a name for capable administration. Early in the Dali era he was made Prince of Gaoping with a fief of two hundred households, and his army was named the Zhaoyi command. He was promoted to Acting Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and re-enfeoffed as Duke of Pingyang. He died in the seventh year and was posthumously made Grand Mentor.
50
An edict appointed his younger brother Yi to handle affairs in his stead, and Yi was repeatedly promoted to Acting Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent. In the tenth year his general Pei Zhicheng expelled him, and he took his troops over to Tian Chengsi. He fled to Ming Prefecture. He asked to come to court, appeared in mourning dress to await judgment at the Silver Terrace Gate, and was pardoned. His territory was then divided. Song's clansman Ze was made prefect of Xiang, Xiong prefect of Wei, and Jian prefect of Ming. Chengsi tried to incite Xiong to rebel. When Xiong refused, Chengsi sent an assassin to kill him.
51
宿 使 西使
At first Song was fond of cuju. The recluse Liu Gang urged him to stop, saying, "There are many pleasures in life. Why risk yourself for a moment's sport?" Song was pleased and had Liu's portrait painted and kept at his side. Song had a son, Ping. Song's son Ping, styled Tantu, became prefect of Ci Prefecture at the age of twelve. When his father died, the army officers pressed him by precedent to take charge of affairs. He pretended to agree, then yielded to Yi and returned home that evening to observe mourning. He rose to General of the Right Guard and served in palace guard duty for thirty years. Chief Minister Du Huangshang promoted him to prefect of Ru Prefecture, where he governed with distinction. When the imperial army marched against Cai, he was made military governor of Zheng and Hua from his post as General of the Left Dragon Martial and won merit in several battles. At first the Yellow River burst its banks at Huzi and flooded east toward Hua, coming within two li of the city walls. Ping traced the old channel southwest of Liyang and sent his aide Pei Hongtai to ask Weibo military governor Tian Hongzheng for permission. Hongzheng agreed. He registered the fields that would be affected and compensated the owners with other land, dredged a channel twenty li long, and because the river remained fierce, restored seven hundred qing of embankment land south of the river. After that the people of Hua were free from further trouble. He was recalled to court as General of the Left Golden Guard. Before long he was again put in command of Zheng and Hua.
52
使 使 使
After Li Shidao was defeated, an edict divided Zi, Qing, Qi, Deng, and Lai into the Pinglu command and made Ping its military governor. When Wang Tingcou besieged Niu Yuanyi and Di Prefecture was in danger, Ping was ordered to march to its relief. Ping sent his general Li Shuzuo with two thousand men. Prefect Wang Ji supplied provisions that were meager and poor, and the troops broke and fled. They chose the vanguard soldier Ma Shiduan as leader, rallied ten thousand mutineers, and pressed against the city walls. With few troops in the city, Ping spent the public treasury and his own fortune to raise two thousand elite soldiers and met the enemy in battle. A flanking force struck the rebels' baggage train, and the rebels broke in panic. They surrendered, and the remaining mutineers were pacified. He executed two thousand ringleaders beneath the main hall and released those who had been coerced, sending them back to their farms. His authority shook the whole region. He was promoted to Acting Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and enfeoffed as Duke of Wei. During six years in command he kept armor and weapons in perfect order and levies and taxes fair and uniform. Early in the Baoli era he came to court. The people blocked the road begging him to stay, and several days passed before he could leave. He was made Acting Minister of Works and military governor of Hezhong, Jiang, and Xi, regained authority over Jin and Ci prefectures, and was given three thousand additional troops. He was promoted to Acting Minister of Education, re-enfeoffed as Duke of Han, and appointed Grand Mentor of the Heir Apparent. He retired as Minister of Education. He died at eighty and was posthumously made Grand Preceptor. Ping's nephew Cong, styled Shunzhi, entered service by inherited privilege as Army Staff Officer of the Left Clear Way Guard Command and rose to prefect of Fen Prefecture. He built dikes on the Wen Valley and Lu Rivers and irrigated public and private fields, to the great benefit of the people of Fen. Transferred to Pu Prefecture, he stored twenty thousand hu of grain against famine. When Shandong was struck by severe flooding, Zhao Jie of the Right Department was made relief commissioner. Jie recommended Cong's abilities, and Cong was promoted to Director of Palace Construction. He ended his career as Senior General of the Left Army Guard. He was posthumously made Minister of Works.
53
==
Cheng Wuting
54
使
Cheng Wuting was from Ping'en in Ming Prefecture. His father Mingzhen served Dou Jiande as magistrate of Pule in the final years of the Sui. Under his rule thieves vanished from the district. He soon abandoned the rebels and surrendered to Tang. Emperor Gaozu appointed him magistrate of Yongning and sent him to pacify Hebei. That same night he raided Ye County and brought back more than a thousand captives. Several stops later he found more than ninety nursing mothers among them and sent them home. The people of Ye were deeply moved by his kindness. When Liu Heita captured Ming Prefecture, Mingzhen and Prefect Chen Junbin fought their way out to rejoin the Tang. His mother and wife were captured by the rebels. Mingzhen led more than a thousand men in raids across Ji, Bei, Cang, Ying, and neighboring prefectures, cutting supply lines and destroying the rebels' provisions and transport by land and water. Enraged, Heita executed his mother and wife. After the rebels were defeated, he asked to behead Heita with his own hand and offer the head in sacrifice to his mother. He was made Chief Administrator of Ying Prefecture and Duke of Dongping, and granted two thousand bolts of goods and three hundred liang of gold. He was then made prefect of Ming Prefecture. When Emperor Taizong campaigned against Liaodong, he summoned Mingzhen to discuss strategy. The answers displeased him, and he questioned Mingzhen angrily. Mingzhen replied in ever greater detail until the emperor's mood softened. He said to those around him, "Fang Xuanling is always at my side, yet when he sees me angry at others he cannot hide his fear. Mingzhen had never met me before, yet when I rebuked him his words never faltered. What a remarkable man!" He was made General of the Right Valiant Cavalry Guard and Commander on Campaign of the Pyongyang route. He took Shabei City and broke the Dushan formation, each time defeating larger forces with smaller ones, and was acclaimed as a famous general. He was made Area Commander of Ying Prefecture and Protector-General of the Eastern Barbarians. He attacked Goguryeo at Guiduan River and burned their new city. He served as prefect of Jin and Pu prefectures and as Commander of the Lufang route. He died and was posthumously made General of the Right Guard, with the posthumous name Lie.
55
Wuting followed his father on campaign from youth and won fame for courage and strength. He was appointed Captain of the Right Army Guard. At Yun Prefecture he routed sixty thousand Turkic horsemen. When the false khan Ashina Funian rebelled, three commanders including Li Wenliang were defeated in turn and fled. Pei Xingjian was ordered to suppress the rebellion, with Wuting as his deputy and Acting Area Commander of Feng Prefecture. Funian was encamped at Golden Tooth Mountain. Wuting and Vice Commander Tang Xuanbiao marched against him, and Funian, afraid, surrendered by a hidden route to Xingjian. Pei Yan therefore argued that the credit belonged not to Xingjian but to Wuting, who was promoted to General of the Right Martial Guard and enfeoffed as Duke of Pingyuan.
56
使
The Suizhou tribesman Ji Baitieyu seized a city and rebelled, proclaimed himself ruler, appointed officials, attacked Suide and Dabin, killed officials, and burned dwellings throughout the region. Wuting and Wang Fangyi, Area Commander of Xia Prefecture, were ordered to suppress the rebellion, and Wuting captured Baitieyu alive. He was promoted to General of the Left Valiant Cavalry Guard and Acting Commander of the Left Feathered Forest Army. Early in the Sisheng era he joined Senior General of the Right Army Guard Zhang Qianxu and others in deposing Emperor Zhongzong and enthroning the Prince of Yu. He was repeatedly rewarded for his role. As General of the Left Martial Guard he was made Pacification Commissioner of the Chanyu route to guard against the Turks. Wuting excelled at frontier pacification. His soldiers respected both his authority and his kindness, the Turks feared him, and border raids ceased.
57
When Pei Yan was imprisoned, Wuting secretly memorialized in his defense. He had long been friendly with Tang Zhiqi and Du Qiuren, and some claimed he was secretly allied with Yan and Xu Jingye. The empress sent General of the Left Hawkish Yang Pei Shaoye to the camp to execute him and confiscate his property. When the Turks heard of Wuting's death they celebrated together, built a shrine in his honor, and prayed there whenever they took the field.
58
==
Wang Xiaojie
59
西
Wang Xiaojie was from Xinfeng in Jingzhao. He rose early through military merit. During the Yifeng era Liu Shenli campaigned against Tibet. Xiaojie fought as vice commander at Dafei River and was captured. The Tibetan emperor saw him and said, "You look like my father," and spared his life and sent him home. Under Empress Wu he served as General of the Right Hawkish Yang Guard. Having lived long among the Tibetans, Xiaojie knew their strengths and weaknesses intimately. In 692 he was made Commander of the Wuwei route and, with Ashina Zhongjie, campaigned against Tibet and recaptured Kucha, Khotan, Kashgar, Suyab, and other cities. Empress Wu said, "In the Zhenguan era the western frontier was held by the Four Garrisons, but later they were poorly defended and lost to Tibet. Now the old territory has been fully recovered. That is Xiaojie's achievement." She then promoted him to General of the Left Guard. He was promoted to Minister of the Summer Office with Third Rank at court and made Baron of Qingyuan County. Early in the Zhengsheng era he was again made Commander of the Shuofang route, but after an unsuccessful battle with Tibet he was removed from office.
60
退 使使
When the Khitan Li Jinzhong and others rebelled, an edict recalled him from civilian life as Commander of the Qingbian route at the head of one hundred eighty thousand men. The army reached East Xiashi Valley and met the enemy. The pass was narrow and the enemy numerous. Xiaojie led elite troops as vanguard, marched out of the valley, formed ranks, and gave battle. But Rear Commander Su Honghui withdrew his forces, reinforcements never came, and the enemy seized the advantage. The army collapsed. Xiaojie fell into the valley and died, and the soldiers trampled one another until nearly all were lost. Earlier, as the army marched on Ping Prefecture, white rats entered the camp in broad daylight and hid there. All said, "The rat is the spirit of the kan trigram and the image of the northern barbarians. White creatures submitting by day is an omen that Heaven will destroy them." When battle was joined, the omen was fulfilled and Xiaojie was destroyed. At the time Zhang Yue had returned as recorder to report what had happened. The Empress later questioned him, and Yue set it all forth: "Xiaojie was utterly loyal to the state. He dared to drive deep, matched many with few, and though he was defeated, his merit deserves to be recorded." She then posthumously appointed him Minister of the Summer Office and Duke of Geng, and made his son Wuzhe Grand Master of Palace Leisure. An envoy was dispatched to execute Honghui, but before the envoy arrived Honghui had already won distinction in battle, and his punishment was therefore remitted.
61
==
Tang Xiujing
62
Tang Xiujing, courtesy name Xiujing, styled himself by his courtesy name. He was from Shiping in Jingzhao. His great-grandfather Gui had served as Grand General of Cavalry under the Later Zhou. Xiujing lost his father while still young. He studied the Book of Changes under Ma Jiayun and the Rites under Jia Gongyan, and passed the Mingjing examination with highest honors. He served as recorder in the household of the Prince of Wu, then was transferred to Assistant Magistrate for Households in Ying Prefecture. When the Turks incited the Xi and Khitan to rebel, Area Commander Zhou Daowu gave Xiujing command of troops, and he defeated them at Mount Duhu. He took many heads and was promoted to Chief Administrator of Shuozhou.
63
西 西 西
During the Yongchun era the Turks besieged Feng Prefecture. Area Commander Cui Zhibian fell in battle, and the court debated abandoning Feng and holding only Ling and Xia. Xiujing held that this must not be done and memorialized: "Feng Prefecture commands the river and blocks invaders. It is called the collar and belt of the frontier. Since Qin and Han it has regularly been administered as commandery and county. Its soil and fields are excellent and suited to farming and grazing. At the end of the Sui, in the turmoil of collapse, it could not be held firm, so the seat was moved to Ning and Qing. The Rong and Jie were then able to exploit the opening and raid one another, and Ling and Xia became the frontier. Early in the Tang, men were recruited to settle it, and the northwest corner was thereby made secure. If it is abandoned now, the lands along the river will again fall to the enemy, and Ling and Xia will no longer be secure in themselves. That would not serve the state." Emperor Gaozong accepted his view. During the Chuigong era he was transferred to Vice Protector-General of Anxi. When Tibet destroyed Yanqi and Grand Commander Wei Daijia and others on the Anxi route were defeated, Xiujing gathered the scattered survivors, stabilized the western territories, and was appointed Area Commander of Ling Prefecture. He then laid out a plan and petitioned for the recovery of the Four Garrisons. Empress Wu sent Wang Xiaojie to recover Kucha and the other cities—an initiative that had begun with Xiujing.
64
使 使
In the Shenli era he was appointed Area Commander of Liang Prefecture, Right Censorate Grand Censor, and Vice Commissioner of the Longyou armies with plenipotentiary powers. The Tibetan general Qu Mangbuzhi led tens of thousands of horsemen against Liang Prefecture and entered Hongyuan Valley. Xiujing, with several thousand men, took the high ground and looked down on them. He saw the enemy banners and armor gleaming bright and said to his officers, "Since Qinling's death and Zhanpo's surrender, Mangbuzhi has newly taken command and means to show off his martial prowess. Moreover, those under him are all sons of great ministers and tribal chiefs. Their horses may be fine, but they are unused to battle. I will win them for you." He then donned armor and led the charge. Six battles, six victories. Two generals were beheaded and 2,500 heads taken. He built a victory mound and returned. Tibet came to sue for peace. After the banquet the envoy kept studying Xiujing from afar. The Empress later asked why, and the reply was, "At the battle of Hongyuan that general killed many of our soldiers. His bravery has no equal. We wished now to know him by sight." The Empress marveled and promoted him to Grand General of the Right Martial Wei and Golden Guard.
65
西西
The Western Turk Wuzhile fell out with the various frontier peoples and raised troops to attack one another, and the Anxi route was closed. Empress Wu ordered Xiujing to consult with the chief ministers. He made no hasty choices and mapped out what should be carried out. Before long the frontier prefectures submitted plans for garrison settlements, all exactly as Xiujing had proposed. The Empress said, "I regret having used you so late." He was promoted to Minister of the Summer Office with Third Rank at court. The Empress mocked Yang Zaisi, Li Jiao, Yao Yuanchong, and the others, saying, "When Xiujing advises on frontier affairs, not one of you is worth ten of him." He was made Right Vice Grand Master of the Heir Apparent but continued to handle affairs of state.
66
When the Khitan raided across the border, he was again made Minister of the Summer Office with acting authority as Area Commander of You, Ying, and other prefectures and Protector-General of Andong. At the time Zhongzong was crown prince. As Xiujing was about to depart, he submitted a memorial: "The Zhang brothers enjoy favor beyond what is proper. They enter the forbidden inner quarters again and again—conduct unbecoming a subject. I beg that they be watched closely." When the Emperor was restored to the throne, Xiujing was summoned and appointed Grand General Assisting the State, Third Rank at the Secretariat and Chancellery, and Duke of Jiuquan. The Emperor said to him, "At first I wished to summon you to discuss affairs, but there was trouble with the northern barbarians. Your frank words the other day—I have not forgotten them." He was granted special advance rank, made Right Vice Minister of the Department of State Affairs, given three hundred fief households, and enfeoffed as Duke of Song.
67
祿
That year there was severe flooding. He memorialized asking to be dismissed and take the blame, but the request was refused. He was successively promoted to Acting Minister of Personnel. In the second year of Jinglong he retired from office. Before long he was recalled as Junior Master of the Heir Apparent, Third Rank at the Secretariat and Chancellery, and Superintendent of the compilation of the National History. Early in the Jingyun era he was made Grand Master with special standing and Grand Commander of the Shuofang field army to guard against the Turks; his old fief was suspended and he was separately granted one hundred households. The next year he again asked to retire and was granted the full salary of the first rank. In the first year of Yanhe he died at eighty-six. He was posthumously made Grand Area Commander of Jing Prefecture, with the posthumous title Loyal.
68
綿
Though a Confucian scholar, Xiujing was famed for knowing warfare. From Jieshi to beyond the Four Garrisons, across nearly ten thousand li of continuous territory—mountains and rivers, level plains, and the vital points of barriers and passes—he could speak of them all. Therefore in campaigns and in sizing up the enemy he never failed. When he first received his fief he distributed several thousand bolts of silk tribute among his clan, and spent several hundred thousand in cash to build a great tomb and bury all his relatives within the five degrees of mourning. Contemporaries praised his weight of character. Only when Zhang Renyuan proposed building the Accept Surrender cities did Xiujing alone say it should not be done. In the end the cities were built, and south of the desert there was no further trouble from the barbarians. When he first grew old—already past eighty—he still leaned on those close to power in seeking to be restored to office. At that time the Palace Attendant Helou held power, and those who attached themselves to her rose swiftly in glory. Xiujing had his son marry her adopted daughter and was therefore recalled as chief minister—a move much criticized by his contemporaries. When he held power, he brought no other benefit to speak of.
69
His son Xianshen rose to Prefect of Chen, and Xianze became General of the Right Golden Guard.
70
==
Zhang Renyuan
71
殿
Zhang Renyuan was from Xia Gui in Hua Prefecture. His original name was Renyan; he changed it to avoid a sound too close to Ruizong's taboo name. He possessed both civil and military talent. Under Empress Wu he was successively promoted to Attending Censor of the Palace. The censor Guo Hongba declared that the Empress was the earthly body of Maitreya Buddha. Phoenix Pavilion Attendants Zhang Jiafu and Wang Qingzhi also petitioned that Wu Chengsi be made crown prince and invited Renyuan to join their memorial. Renyuan sternly refused. Later Wang Xiaojie served as Commander of the Tuci Army and fought Tibet with poor results. Renyuan supervised his army, entered court to report what had happened, Xiaojie was dismissed, and Renyuan was promoted to Attending Censor.
72
In the Wansui Tongtian era Supervising Censor Sun Chengjing supervised the Qingbian Army. Returning from battle, he himself drew a picture of himself in the vanguard facing arrows and stones. Empress Wu sighed and said, "Can a censor truly be like this!" Chengjing was promoted to Censor-in-Chief of the Right Censorate, and the Empress ordered Renyuan to register at once the merit of those under his command. Renyuan first questioned Chengjing about the details of the victory over the enemy. Chengjing had not actually been there and could answer none of his questions. Renyuan impeached Chengjing for deceiving the throne and fabricating enemy head counts. Chengjing was demoted to Magistrate of Chongren. Renyuan replaced him as Censor-in-Chief and Acting Area Commander of You Prefecture.
73
使
Mochuo raided Zhao and Ding and withdrew beyond the passes. Renyuan intercepted him with troops, and the enemy withdrew, but an arrow struck his hand. Empress Wu sent an envoy to comfort him and bestowed medicine and poultice. He was transferred to Chief Administrator of Bing Prefecture. In the Shenlong era he was promoted to Grand General of the Left Tunwei Guard and concurrently Acting Chief Administrator of Luo Prefecture. As grain was costly and thieves numerous, Renyuan captured and killed them all. Corpses piled before the prefectural gate, the capital region trembled in awe, and none dared offend. Earlier Jia Dunyi had served as chief administrator with notable achievements, and people made a saying: "In Luo there is first Jia, then Zhang—they rival the three Wangs of Jingzhao."
74
西 滿 西 退 退
In the third year the Shuofang army commander Shatuo Zhongyi was defeated by the Turks. Renyuan was ordered to serve as Acting Censor Grandee and replace him. When he arrived the enemy had already withdrawn. He led troops in pursuit, struck their camp by night, and routed them. At first the Shuofang army and the Turks took the river as their boundary. On the north bank stood the Fuyun Shrine. Whenever the Turks raided the border they always first visited the shrine to pray and sacrifice, then mustered troops and crossed south. At that time Mochuo had moved all his troops west to attack the Turgesh. Renyuan requested to seize the vacant lands south of the desert and build three Accept Surrender cities north of the river, cutting off the barbarians' southern route of invasion. Tang Xiujing argued, "Since the two Han dynasties the frontier has been held on the north bank of the river. If we now build cities deep in barbarian territory, in the end they will fall into enemy hands." Renyuan pressed his case, and Zhongzong accepted it. He memorialized to retain troops whose terms had expired to assist the work. Two hundred soldiers from Xianyang fled home, but Renyuan captured them and beheaded them all below the wall. The army trembled with fear, the laborers exerted themselves to the utmost, and in sixty days the three cities were complete. Fuyun became the middle city, facing due south toward Shuofang. The western city's south gate faced due south toward Lingwu, and the eastern city's south gate toward Yulin. The three fortresses stood more than four hundred li apart. To their north lay only great desert, extending the frontier three hundred li outward. North of Mount Niutou Chaona he also established eight hundred beacon towers. From then on the Turks dared not cross the mountains to pasture their horses. Shuofang grew ever freer of raiders, annual expenses fell by hundreds of millions, and garrison troops were reduced by tens of thousands. When the three cities were first built, no barrier gates, curved enemy screens, or battle frameworks were installed. Someone said, "A frontier city without defenses—is that acceptable?" Renyuan said, "In warfare offense is prized and retreat despised. When the enemy comes, all forces should sally forth together to resist. Whoever dares look back toward the city will be beheaded. Why install defenses? That would only weaken their will to fight!" Later Chang Yuankai replaced him as commander and was the first to build barrier gates. Commentators increasingly respected Renyuan and looked down on Yuankai.
75
祿
In the second year of Jinglong he was made Grand General of the Left Guard, Third Rank at the Secretariat and Chancellery, and Duke of Han. In spring he returned to court; in autumn he again took command to guard the frontier. The Emperor composed a farewell poem for him and bestowed rewards beyond measure. He was transferred to Grand General of the Garrison Army. When Ruizong ascended the throne, he retired. He was additionally made Minister of War, and his full salary was granted. In the second year of Kaiyuan he died and was posthumously made Junior Protector of the Heir Apparent.
76
簿
As a general Renyuan's orders were strict, and officers and men trusted and obeyed him. On the frontier he comforted the armies, and rewards and punishments matched merit and fault. Later generations remembered him and built a shrine to him at Accept Surrender City. Whenever troops marched out, they would offer sacrifice there. Of chief ministers who combined civil and military gifts, the age named Li Jing, Guo Yuanzhen, Tang Xiujing, and Renyuan. At Shuofang he memorialized to employ Supervising Censor Zhang Jingzhong, He Luan, Chang'an Prefect Kou Ci, E Prefect Wang Yicong, and Shiping Assistant Magistrate Liu Tiwei to divide military affairs; Palace Scholar Liu Yanzhuo as recorder; and Yiwu Prefect Chao Liangzhen as adjutant. All won renown and later reached high office, and the world named Renyuan a knower of men. His son Zhifu rose to Prefect of Zhao.
77
使
Zhang Jingzhong, starting from Supervising Censor, was successively promoted to Bureau Director of Personnel. In the seventh year of Kaiyuan he was made Military Commissioner of Pinglu.
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Wang Jun
79
調殿
Wang Jun was a native of Jingcheng in Cangzhou and later moved to Luoyang. His father Xingguo served as Warden of Chang'an and was well known. Jun lost his father while still young and loved learning. His grandfather Youfang thought him extraordinary and said, "This boy will revive our clan." He grew bold and free-spirited and disliked work hemmed in by petty formalities. He passed the Mingjing examination, was first appointed Warden of Qingyuan, and was successively promoted to Palace Attendant Censor. When Shuofang Commander-in-Chief Wei Yuanzhong's campaign against bandits went badly, he memorialized that Deputy General Han Sizhong had been defeated and, by law, ought to be executed. Jun argued that "Sizhong was a subordinate whose authority was not his own to command, and a man of such courage and wit was too valuable to lose—he should not die alone." After heated protest he secured Sizhong's release, but Jun himself was transferred out to serve as Magistrate of Weinan.
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{} 使
At the end of the Jinglong era he was appointed Military Commissioner of Guizhou. The prefecture maintained troops who had long depended on grain shipped from Hengzhou and Yongzhou. Jun first built the outer wall at Luo and dismissed the garrison troops; dammed the river, opened thousands of qing of military colonies, and thereby ended the need for transported grain; the people came to rely on him. Later he asked to return home to tend his parents' tombs, and the people of the prefecture went to the capital to petition that he remain. An edict said, "Guizhou has lately suffered bandit raids and its population is withered and depleted. He should remain at once and wait until his administration succeeds." He remained in Guizhou more than a year beyond his term, and the people begged to carve stone in praise of his virtue. Earlier Liu Youqiu was exiled to Fengzhou, and Guangzhou Commissioner Zhou Lizhen was determined to kill him. When his route passed through Jun's jurisdiction, Jun understood why and detained him, refusing to let him proceed. Lizhen sent letters pressing him onward. Youqiu grew afraid and said, "The situation will be hard to survive, and I fear I will implicate you. What can be done?" Jun said, "Your offense is not one for which friends should abandon you. While I live, I cannot bear to see you die innocent. Soon Cui Shi and others were executed, Youqiu returned to power, and Youqiu was ordered to compose the inscription for the stone monument. He was transferred to Vice Director of the Court of State Ceremonial and appointed Deputy Grand Commander of the Shuofang Army and Grand Protector of Andong, with Feng'an, Anyuan, and other cities all placed under his command. He was promoted to Vice Director of the Stud and Commissioner of the Pasturelands of Longyou.
81
使 祿
In the second year of Kaiyuan, Tibet sent a hundred thousand elite troops to raid Lintao and halted at Dalai Valley; their chieftain Banchi Dayan advanced with troops following close behind. Jun led his two thousand men to join the Lintao garrison, selected seven hundred elite troops, changed into barbarian dress, and attacked by night. Five li from the enemy he ordered, "When you reach the bandits, shout loudly, and let drums and horns answer." The enemy panicked, suspecting ambush nearby, and killed one another by the tens of thousands. Soon Xue Ne reached Wujie, twenty li from Dalai. The enemy camped between the two armies, about one day's march from each and dangerously close. Jun went to meet Ne and, by night, sent strong men with gags in their mouths to charge fiercely. The barbarians fled in alarm; they pursued them to the Tao River, defeated them, and captured booty heaped high. For his merit he was given the Silver Blue-Glittering Grand Master of Splendid Happiness and made Baron of Qingyuan, concurrently serving as Prefect of Yuanzhou; and his son Ting was made Grand Master for Miscellaneous Uses. He was further promoted to Chief Secretary to the Prefect of Bingzhou.
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The next year the Turk Mo-chuo was killed by the Bayegu; many of his followers surrendered and were distributed and settled along the bends of the Yellow River. Soon after Xiao Sha also surrendered in turn, and the surrendered people gradually rebelled and departed. Jun submitted a memorial:
83
使 鹿 西
The Turks formerly came in friendship to the frontier because their state was in turmoil, and they lived at peace with their tribes. Their longing for the north wind—how could they ever forget it? Now resettled in the river bends, they can watch the frontier's weak points from within; in time they will surely become a threat. Recently they have refused treaty terms, troops have already been mobilized repeatedly, they have set up beacon zones on their own, and they have blocked frontier passes to travelers. If the barbarians break south to pasture, the surrendered camps will surely join in alliance and coordinate with them. With enemies inside and out, even Han Xin, Peng Yue, Sun Wu, and Wu Qi could achieve nothing. I ask that at the farming interval the Shuofang army mass its troops, summon tribal chiefs, explain fortune and disaster, entice them with gold and silk, and speak of the abundance of deer, fish, and rice in the south. Resettle them all in broad townships south of the Huai and in Henan, and provide them travel grain. Though it would be labor for a time, within twenty years they would gradually accept Chinese ways, and if assessed for military service they would all become crack troops. If critics say surrendered Di cannot be placed in the south, then former Goguryeo captives were settled west of the desert and barbarians from the frontier cities were placed east of Qing and Xu. Why alone should the surrendered Turks not be moved?
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I further expect critics will say, "By precedent they were placed in the river bends; the frontier was already settled before, and there is no need for a separate exception now." Moreover, in the past when Jieli was destroyed the frontier was secure, so the surrendered households could live in long peace. Now the barbarians are not yet exterminated, and these surrendered people are all kin of the enemy—they surely are not the same as in former years. I ask to assess this with three strategies: move all their tribes into the interior, gain the substance of crack troops, and shut out cunning barbarian trouble—this is the best strategy; beneath the watchtowers, barbarians and Chinese mixed together, greatly expanding garrison colonies as a precaution—costly and laborious—this is the worst strategy; leave them on the barbarian frontier, nourishing the seeds of disaster—this is no strategy at all. Otherwise, before the river freezes there will surely be trouble.
85
Before the memorial was answered, the barbarians had already rebelled, and an edict ordered Jun to lead Bingzhou troops across the river to suppress them. Jun traveled by hidden routes, rolled up his armor and abandoned his tents to rush through the valleys. At night they met snow, and fearing he would miss the deadline he swore to the spirits, "If Jun serves his lord without loyalty and does not punish the guilty, let Heaven strike me alone—the troops are innocent. If the heart is truly loyal and Heaven watches it, then let the snow stop and the wind reverse to reward success." Soon the weather cleared. The rebel Turks fled in two directions; Jun pursued along the eastern route, caught them, and took three thousand heads. For his merit he was transferred to Left Regular Attendant-in-Ordinary and Grand Commander on Campaign in Shuofang. He was made Censor-in-Chief. The Tuyue tribe and Pugu Governor Shaomo and others scattered to hold the outskirts of Accept Surrender City and secretly brought Turks in to raid within. Jun secretly reported to the Emperor, lured them all in, and executed them. He was appointed Minister of War and again made Grand Commander of the Shuofang Army.
86
使西 使
In the ninth year the Lanzhou Hu Kang Daibin seized Changquan and rebelled, capturing six prefectures. An edict ordered Guo Zhiyun and Jun to suppress and pacify them. He was enfeoffed as Duke of Qingyuan, and one son was given office. Emperor Xuanzong bestowed palace women on Zhiyun and the others, but Jun alone dared not accept. He said, "In serving my lord I am like a son serving a father—how could a subject who constantly nears the inner quarters dare accept such a gift? I would rather die than accept." His plea was granted. Earlier Jun had memorialized, "Shuofang's military strength is more than sufficient; I wish to dismiss Zhiyun and guard the frontier alone." Before an answer came, Zhiyun arrived, so they did not cooperate. Those whom Jun had persuaded to surrender, Zhiyun repeatedly let his men attack freely. The bandits thought Jun had sold them out and rebelled again. Jun was demoted for the offense to Prefect of Zizhou. He was changed to Junior Tutor of the Heir Apparent and Duke of Zhongshan. He was promoted to Minister of Personnel and Governor of Taiyuan. Replacing Zhang Yue, he became Minister of War, Third Rank at the Secretariat and Chancellery, and Military Commissioner of the Shuofang Army; all armies of Hebei, Hexi, Longyou, and Hedong came under his command. That winter the Emperor personally performed the suburban sacrifice. To meet the great rite Jun, citing thick ice, asked to remain with troops guarding the frontier, and an autograph edict comforted and encouraged him. Someone reported that Wang Qiao, Prefect of Xuzhou, was plotting rebellion, and the testimony implicated Jun. An edict ordered Yuan Qianyao and Zhang Yue to conduct a joint inquiry. No case was found, but he was demoted to Prefect of Qizhou as an associate. He was transferred to Dingzhou. He was again made Military Commissioner of the Shuofang Army with the title Minister of Revenue. He died and was posthumously made Left Grand Chancellor, with the posthumous title Loyal and Stern.
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Jun's bearing was exceptionally imposing; men of the time said he had the countenance of bear and tiger. He admired and pursued integrity and righteousness and had the manners of the ancients. In his conduct toward subordinates he was stern and orderly, and officials and common people both feared and loved him. When the Two Zhangs framed Wei Yuanzhong, Jun alone submitted a memorial to plead his case. Song Jing said, "Lord Wei is already safe—you touch the dragon's scales again. Are you not in danger?" Jun said, "Lord Wei was punished for loyalty. If I can vindicate him, I will not regret death."
88
使
After Jun died, Prince Xin'an Li Yi campaigned against the Xi in Youzhou with successive victories and reported, "In battle the soldiers all saw Jun and his subordinate general Gao Zhao waving troops to join the fight." The Son of Heaven marveled. Bureau Director of Revenue Yang Bocheng submitted a memorial asking to ennoble Jun's tomb, mark him as extraordinary, and show favor to his descendants. The Emperor then sent an envoy to sacrifice at Jun's shrine and promoted his sons in office.
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Historical Commentary
90
鹿
The encomium says, "That Tang could awe the wild frontiers and expand its territory owed also to tiger ministers who served as fangs and claws. Campaigns stretched tens of millions of li; they pursued enemies to exhaustion in desperate fighting and hunted their kingdoms as if they were deer and pigs. One may say the right men were chosen for the task! A chief minister stands for Heaven in ordering all things and harmonizing men and spirits—only the virtuous are fit for this. If Xiujing and Renyuan were used as chief assistants—is that not forcing what cannot be forced? In the ground of merit and fame—they were more than adequate.
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