Volume 155 Biographies 80: Ma Sui and son: Chang, Hun Jian and son: Gao

馬燧馬燧，字洵美，系出右扶風，徙為汝州郟城人。父季龍，舉孫吳倜儻善兵法科，仕至嵐州刺史。燧姿度魁傑，長六尺二寸。與諸兄學，輟策歎曰：「方天下有事，丈夫當以功濟四海，渠老一儒哉？」更學兵書戰策，沈勇多算。

Ma Sui, styled Xunmei, traced his line to right Fufeng and had settled as a native of Jiaocheng in Ruzhou. His father Ji Long had passed the examination in Sun-Wu unconventional talent and skill in military methods, and rose to prefect of Lanzhou. Sui was imposing in stature and stood six feet two inches tall. While studying with his brothers, he laid aside his text and sighed: "The empire is in turmoil — a man should win merit to save the realm. Why waste away as a bookish recluse? He turned instead to military texts and strategy, becoming deep in courage and rich in stratagem.

安祿山反，使賈循守范陽。燧說循曰：「祿山首亂，今雖舉洛陽，猶將誅覆。公盍斬向潤客、牛廷玠！傾其本根，使西不得入關，退亡所據，則坐受禽矣，此不世功也。」循許之，不時決。會顏杲卿招循舉兵，祿山遣韓朝陽召循計事，因縊殺之。燧走西山，間道歸平原。平原不守，復走魏。

When An Lushan rose in rebellion, he sent Jia Xun to hold Fanyang. Sui urged Xun: "Lushan started this revolt. He may have seized Luoyang, but he is still headed for ruin. Why not strike down Xiang Runkes and Niu Tingjie at once! Cut out their root so he cannot force the passes from the west; when he retreats with nowhere to stand, you can take him at your leisure — a triumph for the ages. Xun agreed, yet could not bring himself to act in time. When Yan Gaoqing called on Xun to raise arms, Lushan sent Han Chaoyang to summon him for counsel and had him strangled on the spot. Sui fled into the western hills and made his way back to Pingyuan by secret routes. When Pingyuan could no longer be held, he fled once more toward Wei.

寶應中，澤潞節度使李抱玉署為趙城尉。時回紇還國，恃功恣睢，所過皆剽傷，州縣供餼不稱，輒殺人。抱玉將饋勞，賓介無敢往，燧自請典辦具。乃先賂其酋與約，得其旗章為信，犯令者得殺之。燧又取死囚給役左右，小違令輒戮死，虜大駭，至出境，無敢暴者。抱玉才之。因進說曰：「屬與回紇接，且得其情。觀僕固懷恩樹党自重，裂河北以授李懷仙、張忠志、薛嵩、田承嗣等，其子瑒佻勇不義，將必窺太原，公當備之。」既而懷恩與太原將謀舉其城，辛雲京覺之，不克。嵩自相、衛歸懷恩糧，以絕河津。抱玉令燧說嵩，嵩告絕於懷恩。即署燧左武衛兵曹參軍。

During the Baoying reign, Li Baoyu, military governor of Zelu, appointed him magistrate of Zhaocheng. The Uyghurs were then marching home, swaggering over their service; they looted and ravaged every district they crossed, and killed officials whenever local provisions fell short. Baoyu was preparing gifts to reward them, but none of his staff dared go near; Sui volunteered to oversee the supplies himself. He first bribed their chiefs and bound them by agreement, taking their banner tokens as warrant to execute anyone who broke the rules. Sui also took condemned men to serve at his side and had them executed for the least breach; the Uyghurs were terrified, and by the time they left the province none dared run wild. Baoyu came to value his ability. He then offered counsel: "I have just dealt with the Uyghurs and know their temper well. Pugu Huai'en has built a faction to magnify his power, carved up Hebei for Li Huaixian, Zhang Zhongzhi, Xue Song, Tian Chengsi, and the rest — and his son Yang is rash, bold, and unprincipled. He will surely eye Taiyuan. Your Excellency must prepare for that. Soon afterward Huai'en and Taiyuan officers plotted to seize the city; Xin Yunjing uncovered the scheme and they failed. Song hauled grain from Xiang and Wei back to Huai'en, severing the river crossings. Baoyu sent Sui to win over Song, and Song declared his break with Huai'en. He promptly appointed Sui military aide in the Left Martial Guard.

累進至鄭州刺史。勸督農力，歲一稅，人以為便。徙懷州。時師旅後，歲大旱，田茀不及耕。燧務勤教化，止橫調。將吏有親者，必造之，厚為禮。瘞暴胔，止煩苛。是秋，穭生於境，人賴以濟。抱玉守鳳翔，表燧隴州刺史。西山直吐蕃，其上有通道，虜常所出入者。燧聚石種樹障之，設二門為譙櫓，八日而畢，虜不能暴。從抱玉入朝，代宗雅聞其才，召見，授商州刺史，兼水陸轉運使。

By successive promotions he rose to prefect of Zhengzhou. He urged and supervised farming, levying only one tax a year — a policy the people welcomed. He was transferred to Huaizhou. Armies had lately marched through the region, and a severe drought followed; fields lay choked with weeds and could not be plowed in season. Sui worked hard at moral instruction and put an end to arbitrary exactions. Whenever an officer or clerk had kin in the district, he paid them a visit and treated them with generous courtesy. He buried the unburied dead and curbed petty harassment. That autumn millet sprang up across his territory, and the people were saved by it. While Baoyu held Fengxiang, he recommended Sui for prefect of Longzhou. The western hills faced Tibet directly, with a pass above that the enemy used constantly for raids. Sui piled stone and planted trees to block the route, built two gate-towers as watch posts, and finished in eight days; the Tibetans could no longer raid through. When he followed Baoyu to court, Emperor Daizong, who had long admired his ability, received him in audience and appointed him prefect of Shangzhou with concurrent charge of water and land transport.

大曆中，河陽兵逐其將常休明，詔燧檢校左散騎常侍，為三城使。汴將李靈耀反，帝務息人，即授以汴宋節度留後，靈耀不拜，引魏博田承嗣為援。詔燧與淮西李忠臣討之。師次鄭，靈耀多張旗幟以犯王師，忠臣之兵潰而西。燧軍頓熒澤，鄭人震駭。忠臣將遂歸，燧止之，益治軍，忠臣乃還收亡卒，復振。忠臣行汴南，燧行汴北，敗賊于西梁固。靈耀以銳卒八千，號「餓狼軍」，燧獨戰破之，進至浚儀。是時河陽兵冠諸軍，田悅帥眾二萬助靈耀，破永平將杜如江等，乘勝距汴一舍而屯。忠臣合諸軍戰不利，燧為奇兵擊之，悅單騎遁，汴州平。

During the Dali reign the He'yang garrison drove out its commander Chang Xiuming; the court named Sui acting Left Regular Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary and commissioner of the Three Cities. The Bian commander Li Lingyao rebelled; hoping to spare bloodshed, the emperor at once offered him the regency of Bian-Song — but Lingyao refused the post and called on Tian Chengsi of Weibo for aid. The court ordered Sui and Li Zhongchen of Huaixi to suppress him. The armies halted at Zheng; Lingyao raised a forest of banners and struck the imperial column, and Zhongchen's force broke and fled west. Sui's army encamped at Yingze, and the people of Zheng were stricken with fear. Zhongchen was about to pull back; Sui held him, redoubled discipline in the ranks, and Zhongchen then rallied his scattered men and restored his army's morale. Zhongchen marched along the south bank of Bian, Sui along the north, and together they routed the rebels at Xilianggu. Lingyao fielded eight thousand elite troops he called the "Hungry Wolf Army"; Sui met them alone, shattered them, and pressed on to Junyi. The He'yang army then outranked all others in the field; Tian Yue led twenty thousand men to Lingyao's aid, routed Yongping's Du Rujiang and his fellows, and following victory encamped a day's march from Bian. Zhongchen joined all forces but the battle went badly; Sui struck with a flanking force, Yue fled alone on horseback, and Bianzhou was pacified.

燧知忠臣暴傲，讓其功，出舍板橋。忠臣入汴，果因會擊殺宋州刺史李僧惠。燧還河陽。秋大雨，河溢，軍吏請具舟以避，燧曰：「使城中盡魚而獨完其家，吾不忍。」既而水不為害。

Knowing Zhongchen's brutality and arrogance, Sui yielded him the credit and moved his quarters out to Banqiao. Zhongchen entered Bian — and at a banquet, as Sui had foreseen, struck down Li Senghui, prefect of Songzhou. Sui returned to He'yang. That autumn torrential rains swelled the river; his officers begged for boats to escape the flood. Sui said, "I cannot bear to see the whole city drowned while my household alone survives. Before long the waters subsided without harm.

遷河東節度留後，進節度使。太原承鮑防之敗，兵力衰單，燧募廝役，得數千人，悉補騎士，教之戰，數月成精卒。造鎧必短長三制，稱士所衣，以便進趨。為戰車，冒以狻猊象，列戟於後，行以載兵，止則為陣，遇險則制沖冒。器用完銳。居一年，辟廣場，羅兵三萬以肄，威震北方。建中二年，朝京師，遷檢校兵部尚書，封豳國公，還軍。

He was made regent military governor of Hedong, then full military governor. Taiyuan still bore the sting of Bao Fang's defeat; its forces were thin. Sui recruited laborers by the thousands, enrolled them all as cavalry, drilled them in warfare, and within months had a corps of crack horsemen. He had armor made in three lengths to fit each man's stature, so troops could charge and pursue with ease. He built war chariots draped with lion figures, halberds ranked behind; on the march they carried troops, at rest they formed a battle line, and in rough ground they served as battering rams. Every weapon was kept keen and ready. Within a year he cleared a broad parade ground, drew up thirty thousand men for drill, and his reputation shook the north. In the second year of Jianzhong he came to court, was promoted acting Minister of War, enfeoffed Duke of Bin, and returned to his command.

初，田悅新有魏博，恐下未附，即輸款朝廷，燧建言悅必反。既而悅果圍邢州，身攻臨洺，築重城絕內外援。邢將李洪、臨洺將張伾固守。詔燧以步騎二萬與昭義李抱真、神策兵馬使李晟合軍救之。燧出𡻳口，未過險，移書抵悅，示之好。悅以燧畏己，大喜。既次邯鄲，悅使至，燧皆斬之，遣兵破其支軍，射殺賊將成炫之。悅聞，使大將楊朝光以兵萬人據雙岡，築東西二柵以禦燧。燧率軍營二壘間。是夜，東壘遁，燧進營狗明山，取棄壘置輜重。悅計曰：「朝光堅柵，且萬人，雖燧能攻，未可以數日下，且殺傷必眾，則吾已拔臨洺，饗士以戰，必勝術也。」即分恒州兵五千助朝光。燧令大將李自良等以騎兵守雙岡，戒曰：「令悅得過者斬！」燧乃推火車焚朝光柵，自晨及晡，急擊，大破之，斬朝光，禽其將盧子昌，獲首五千，執八百人。居五日，進軍臨洺。悅悉軍戰，燧自以銳士當之，凡百餘返，士皆決死，悅大敗，斬首萬級，俘系千余，館穀三十萬斛，邢圍亦解。以功遷尚書右僕射。初，將戰，燧約眾，勝則以家貲賞。至是，殫私財賜麾下。德宗嘉之，詔出度支錢五千萬償其財。進兼魏博招討使。

When Tian Yue had just seized Weibo and feared his men were not yet loyal, he sent tokens of submission to the court; Sui warned that Yue would surely rebel. Before long Yue did rebel, besieging Xingzhou and attacking Linming in person, raising layered walls to sever the cities from aid within and without. Li Hong at Xing and Zhang Pi at Linming held their walls in a stubborn defense. The court ordered Sui with twenty thousand foot and horse to join Li Baozhen of Zhaoyi and Shence messenger Li Sheng in a combined relief force. Sui marched out through She Pass and, before crossing the difficult ground, sent Yue a letter feigning goodwill. Yue took this as proof that Sui feared him and was delighted. When they reached Handan, Yue's envoys came; Sui had them all beheaded, sent troops to rout his detached force, and shot down the rebel general Cheng Xuanzhi. On hearing this, Yue sent his chief general Yang Chaoguang with ten thousand men to hold Shuanggang and built eastern and western palisades to block Sui. Sui led his army to encamp between the two forts. That night the eastern fort broke and fled; Sui advanced to Gouming Mountain, seized the abandoned works, and stored his baggage there. Yue reasoned: "Chaoguang's works are strong and he has ten thousand men. Even if Sui attacks, he cannot take them in days without heavy losses — by then I will have seized Linming, fed my troops, and struck: a certain path to victory. He at once detached five thousand Hengzhou troops to reinforce Chaoguang. Sui ordered his generals Li Ziliang and others to hold Shuanggang with cavalry, warning: "If Yue gets through, you die! Sui then drove fire-carts against Chaoguang's palisades and attacked fiercely from morning until afternoon, routing the position completely: Chaoguang was beheaded, his general Lu Zichang captured, five thousand heads taken, and eight hundred prisoners seized. Five days later he marched on Linming. Yue threw his whole army into the fight; Sui himself led crack troops against them in more than a hundred charges; every man fought as if resolved to die; Yue was utterly routed — ten thousand heads taken, more than a thousand prisoners bound, thirty thousand bushels of grain captured, and the siege of Xing was lifted as well. For this achievement he was promoted Right Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat. Before the battle Sui had promised his men that if they won, he would reward them from his private fortune. Now he emptied his private wealth in gifts to his command. Emperor Dezong praised him and ordered five million from the treasury to make good his losses. He was further appointed concurrent Commissioner for Suppressing and Pacifying Weibo.

李納、李惟岳合兵萬三千人救悅，悅裒散兵二萬壁洹水，淄青軍其左，恒冀軍其右。燧進屯鄴，請益兵。詔河陽李芃以兵會，次於漳。悅遣將王光進以兵守漳之長橋，築月壘扼軍路。燧於下流以鐵鏁維車數百絕河，載土囊遏水而後度。悅知燧食乏，深壁不戰。燧令士齎十日糧，進營倉口，與悅夾洹而軍，造三橋逾洹，日挑戰。悅不出，陰伏萬人，將以掩燧。燧令諸軍夜半食，先雞鳴時鳴鼓角，而潛師並洹趨魏州，令曰：「聞賊至，止為陣。」留百騎持火，待軍畢發，匿其旁，須悅眾度，即焚橋。燧行十餘里，悅率李納等兵逾橋，乘風縱火，噪而前。燧乃令士無動，命除榛莽廣百步為場，募勇士五千人陣而待。比悅至，火止，氣少衰，燧縱兵擊之，悅敗走橋，橋已焚，眾赴水死者不可計，斬首二萬級，殺賊將孫晉卿、安墨啜，虜三千人，屍相駘藉三十里，淄青兵幾殲。悅夜走魏州，其將拒不納，比明，追不至，悅乃得入。

Li Na and Li Weiyue joined forces with thirteen thousand men to relieve Yue; Yue rallied twenty thousand scattered troops and fortified along the Huan River, with the Ziqing army on his left and the Hengji army on his right. Sui advanced to encamp at Ye and asked for reinforcements. The court ordered Li Pang of He'yang to join him with troops; they halted at Zhang. Yue sent Wang Guangjin to hold the long bridge on the Zhang with crescent ramparts that blocked the imperial line of march. Downstream Sui chained hundreds of wagons with iron links to dam the river, piled earth bags to hold back the current, and then crossed. Yue knew Sui's supplies were running low and dug in behind strong walls, refusing battle. Sui had his men carry ten days' rations, advanced to Cangkou, faced Yue across the Huan, threw three bridges across the river, and taunted him to fight every day. Yue would not come out, but secretly hid ten thousand men to ambush Sui. Sui ordered the armies to eat at midnight, sound drums and horns before cockcrow, and secretly march along the Huan toward Weizhou, with the command: "If you hear the enemy, stop and form ranks only. He left a hundred horsemen with torches to wait until the main body had gone, then lie in hiding; once Yue's forces had crossed, they were to burn the bridges. Sui had marched more than ten li when Yue led Li Na and the rest across the bridges, fanning the flames with the wind and charging forward with a great clamor. Sui ordered his men to hold still, had brush cleared for a hundred paces to make a field, and mustered five thousand picked warriors in battle order to receive them. By the time Yue arrived the fires had died and his men's ardor had faded; Sui loosed his troops on them. Yue was routed and fled for the bridges — but they were already burning. Countless men drowned in the river; twenty thousand heads were taken, the rebel generals Sun Jinqing and An Mochuo were killed, three thousand captured, and corpses lay heaped for thirty li — the Ziqing army was nearly wiped out. Yue fled by night toward Weizhou; his own officers at first refused him entry; by dawn the pursuers had not caught him, and only then did he slip inside the city.

抱真、芃問曰：「糧少而深入，何也？」燧曰：「糧少戰利速，兵善於致人。今悅與淄青、恒三軍為首尾，欲不戰以老我師。若分擊左右，未可必破，悅且來助，是腹背支敵也。法有攻其必救，故趨魏以破之。」皆曰：「善。」

Baozhen and Pang asked him: "Your supplies were scant — why did you drive so deep into enemy country? Sui replied: "Scant rations make for swift victory, and good troops excel at drawing the enemy out. Yue and the Ziqing and Heng armies now form a single front; they mean to avoid battle and wear our force down. If we split to strike their flanks, we cannot be sure of breaking either wing, and Yue will come to their aid — we would face enemies before and behind. The classic rule is to strike what the enemy must relieve — that is why I marched on Wei to break them." They all agreed that he was right."

悅嬰城自守。於是李再春以博州、悅兄昂以洛州、王光進以長橋皆降。悅使符璘、李瑤衛還淄青殘兵，璘等亦降。魏導禦溝貫城，燧塞其上游，魏人恐。悅遣許士則、侯臧間行告窮於硃滔、王武俊，會二人者怨望，乃連和。悅恃燕、趙方至，即出兵背城陣，燧復與諸軍破之。進同中書門下平章事、北平郡王、魏州大都督長史。

Yue shut himself inside the city walls and held on. Then Li Zaichun surrendered Bozhou, Yue's elder brother Ang Luozhou, and Wang Guangjin the long bridge — all came over. Yue sent Fu Lin and Li Yaowei to escort the battered Ziqing troops home; they too surrendered. A defensive canal ran through Wei; Sui dammed its upper course, and the city was stricken with fear. Yue sent Xu Shize and Hou Zang by secret paths to beg help from Zhu Tao and Wang Wujun; both men were nursing grievances against the court, and they now joined forces with him. Counting on the Yan and Zhao reinforcements that had just arrived, Yue marched out and drew up a line with the city at his back; Sui and the allied armies routed him again. He was promoted Grand Councilor, enfeoffed King of Beiping, and made chief administrator of Weizhou.

滔、武俊聯兵五萬傅魏。會帝遣李懷光以朔方軍萬五千助燧。懷光勇於鬥，未休士，即與滔等戰，不利。悅決水灌軍，燧兵亦屈，退保魏縣。滔等瀕河為壘。會涇師亂，帝幸奉天，燧還軍太原。

Tao and Wujun joined fifty thousand men and closed on Wei. The emperor then sent Li Huai'guang with fifteen thousand Shuofang troops to reinforce Sui. Huai'guang was eager for a fight; without giving his men rest he engaged Tao and the rest at once and was beaten. Yue broke the dikes to inundate the imperial camp; Sui's force was driven back as well and withdrew to hold Weixian. Tao and his allies threw up ramparts along the riverbank. When the Jingzhou garrison mutinied and the emperor fled to Fengtian, Sui marched his army back to Taiyuan.

初，李抱真欲殺懷州刺史楊鉥，鉥奔燧，燧奏其非罪，乃免。抱真怒。及共解邢圍，獲軍糧，燧自有之，以餘給抱真軍，抱真益怒。洹之捷，軍進薄魏，悅以突騎犯燧營，李芃救之，抱真勒兵不出。燧將攻魏，取攻具于抱真營，並請雜兩軍平其功，抱真不聽，請獨當一面，繇是逗遛。帝數遣使講解。武俊略趙地，抱真分麾下二千人戍邢，燧怒謂：「抱真以兵還守其地，我能獨戰死邪？」將引還，李晟和之，乃復與抱真善。及田昂降，燧請以洺州隸抱真，而用昭義副使盧玄卿為刺史，兼魏博招討副使。李晟兵前獨隸抱真，抱真亦請兼隸於燧，以示協一。然議者咎燧私忿交惡，卒不成大功。

Earlier Li Baozhen had wanted to execute Yang Shu, prefect of Huaizhou; Shu fled to Sui, who pleaded that he was innocent, and he was spared. Baozhen was furious. When they together relieved Xing and seized army stores, Sui kept the bulk for himself and gave Baozhen only the leavings — and Baozhen's resentment deepened. After the victory on the Huan the armies pressed Wei; Yue's shock cavalry hit Sui's camp, Li Pang rode to the rescue, but Baozhen held his men back and would not move. As Sui prepared to assault Wei he took siege engines from Baozhen's camp and asked to blend both armies so credit would be shared; Baozhen refused and demanded a separate front — and from that moment the campaign stalled. The emperor sent mediator after mediator, to no avail. Wujun overran Zhao; Baozhen peeled off two thousand of his men to garrison Xing. Sui raged: "He pulls his troops back to guard his own ground — am I supposed to fight and die alone? He was on the verge of pulling out when Li Sheng patched things up, and the two were on good terms again. When Tian Ang surrendered, Sui asked that Linming be assigned to Baozhen, with Zhaoyi deputy Lu Xuanqing as prefect and his own deputy in the Weibo campaign. Li Sheng's force had reported only to Baozhen; Baozhen now asked that it answer jointly to Sui as well, as a gesture of unity. Critics blamed Sui's private feuds for the failure to finish the great enterprise.

至太原，遣軍司馬王權以兵五千走奉天，又遣子匯與諸將子壁中渭橋，帝已幸梁，乃還。時天下方騷，北邊數有警，燧念晉陽王業所基，宜固險以示敵。乃引晉水架汾而屬之城，瀦為東隍，省守陴萬人。又釃汾環城，樹以固堤。詔兼保甯軍節度使。

At Taiyuan he sent army marshal Wang Quan with five thousand men racing to Fengtian, and his son Hui with other generals' sons to hold the central Wei Bridge — but the emperor had already fled to Liang, so they turned back. The empire was in uproar and the northern frontier alarm after alarm; Sui judged that Jinyang, foundation of the Tang house, must be made defensible and daunting to any foe. He diverted the Jin River, carried it over the Fen on aqueducts into the city, impounded an eastern moat, and cut ten thousand men from the wall garrison. He also ringed the city with the Fen and planted trees along the embankments to hold them firm. He was also named concurrent military governor of the Baoning Army.

帝還京，李懷光反河中，詔燧為河東保寧、奉誠軍行營副元帥，與渾瑊、駱元光合兵討之。時賊黨要廷珍守晉、毛朝易攵守隰、鄭抗守慈，燧移檄鐫諭，皆以州降，因拜燧晉絳慈隰節度使。

After the emperor returned to Chang'an, Li Huai'guang rebelled in Hezhong; Sui was named deputy supreme commander of the eastern campaign and joined Hun Jian and Luo Yuanguang to crush him. Rebel holdouts still guarded Jin under Yao Tingzhen, Xi under Mao Chaoai, and Ci under Zheng Kang; Sui's written appeals brought them all over, and he was appointed military governor of Jin, Jiang, Ci, and Xi.

武俊之圍趙也，康日知不支，將棄趙，燧請詔武俊擊硃滔，授以深、趙，以日知為晉慈隰節度使。及三州降，燧固讓日知，且言因降受節，恐後有功者踵以為利，帝嘉許。籍府庫兵仗以授日知，日知大喜過望。燧乃率步騎三萬次於絳，略定諸縣，降其將馮萬興、任象玉，遂圍絳，拔外郛，守將夜棄城去，降四千人。遣李自良定六縣，降其將辛兟，收卒五千。裨將谷秀違令掠士女，斬以徇。與賊戰寶鼎，射殺賊將徐伯文，斬首萬級，獲馬五百。

When Wujun besieged Zhao and Kang Rizhi was near collapse, Sui proposed that the court order Wujun against Zhu Tao, reward him with Shen and Zhao, and give Rizhi the Jin-Ci-Xi command. When the three prefectures came over, Sui firmly yielded the post to Rizhi, warning that rewarding surrender with a command might teach future generals to trade capitulation for office — and the emperor approved. He turned over the treasury rolls and armories to Rizhi, who was overwhelmed with gratitude. Sui marched thirty thousand foot and horse to Jiang, swept the surrounding counties, and won over Feng Wanxing and Ren Xiangyu; he then invested Jiang, took the outer suburbs, and when the garrison fled by night four thousand men surrendered. He sent Li Ziliang to secure six counties, won over the general Xin E, and enrolled five thousand men. Lieutenant Gu Xiu had defied orders and looted civilians; Sui had him beheaded as an example. At Baoding he met the rebels, shot down their general Xu Bowen, took ten thousand heads, and seized five hundred horses.

于時天下蝗，兵艱食，物貨翔踴，中朝臣多請宥懷光者，帝未決。燧以「懷光逆計久，反覆不可信。河中近甸，舍之屈威靈，無以示天下，」乃舍軍入朝，為天子自言之：「且得三十日糧，足平河中。」許之。乃與瑊、元光、韓遊瑰之兵合。

Locusts ravaged the land, armies went hungry, prices soared, and many at court urged clemency for Huai'guang — but the emperor hesitated. Sui argued that "Huai'guang has plotted rebellion for years and cannot be trusted to keep his word. Hezhong lies on the capital's doorstep; to let him off would humble the throne before the world." He left his army and went to court in person: "Give me thirty days' provisions and I will finish Hezhong." The emperor agreed. He then united his force with those of Hun Jian, Luo Yuanguang, and Han Yougui.

賊將徐廷光守長春宮城。燧度長春不下，則懷光固守，久攻所傷必眾，乃挺身至城下見廷光。廷光憚燧威，拜城上。燧顧其心已屈，徐曰：「我自朝廷來，可西向受命。」廷光再拜。燧曰：「公等朔方士，自祿山以來，功高天下，奈何棄之為族滅計？若從吾言，非止免禍，富貴可遂也。」未對，燧曰：「爾以吾為欺邪？今不遠數步，可射我。」披而示之心。廷光感泣，一軍皆流涕，即率眾降。燧以數騎入其城，眾大呼曰：「吾等更為王人矣！」渾瑊亦自以為不及也，歎曰：「嘗疑馬公能窘田悅，今觀其制敵，固有過人者，吾不逮遠矣！」

The rebel general Xu Tingguang held Changchun Palace. Sui reckoned that unless Changchun fell, Huai'guang would dig in and a long siege would bleed his army dry — so he walked alone to the wall and called on Tingguang. Tingguang, in awe of Sui's reputation, bowed from the battlements. Seeing his will already broken, Sui said gently: "I bear the court's commission — face west and receive your orders. Tingguang bowed low twice. Sui said: "You are Shuofang soldiers — since An Lushan's day your service has outshone the realm. Why throw that away on a course that will destroy your families to the last man? Heed me and you will not merely escape ruin — wealth and rank can still be yours. When he did not answer, Sui said: "Do you think I am lying to you? I stand only a few steps away — shoot me if you doubt me." He opened his robe and bared his chest to them. Tingguang wept; the whole garrison wept with him, and he led them out in surrender at once. Sui rode into the city with only a few escorts; the men shouted: "We are the emperor's soldiers again! Hun Jian judged himself outclassed and sighed: "I used to wonder whether Lord Ma could truly corner Tian Yue — but watching him master an enemy, I see gifts I lack by a wide margin."

進營焦籬堡，堡將降，餘戍望風遁去。燧濟河，兵八萬陣城下。是日，賊將牛名俊斬懷光降，眾猶萬六千。誅其党閻晏、孟寶、張清、吳冏等，它脅附悉赦之。不閱月，河中平。遷光祿大夫，兼侍中，賜一子五品官。還太原，帝賜《宸扆》、《台衡》二銘，以言君臣相成之美。勒石起義堂，帝榜其顏以寵之。

He advanced on Jiaoli Fort; its commander surrendered, and the other posts fled before his approach. Sui crossed the river and drew up eighty thousand men beneath the walls. That same day the rebel general Niu Mingjun killed Huai'guang and came over, with sixteen thousand men still under arms. His hard-core followers Yan Yan, Meng Bao, Zhang Qing, Wu Jiong, and the rest were put to death; everyone else who had been forced along was pardoned. Within a month Hezhong was pacified. He was promoted Grand Master for Splendid Happiness and concurrent Palace Attendant, and one son was given a fifth-rank post. Back in Taiyuan, the emperor gave him two commemorative texts, "Imperial Screen" and "Pillar and Scale," praising the harmony of throne and servant. The texts were carved in stone at the Hall of Righteous Uprising, with the emperor's own brush for the title as a mark of favor.

貞元二年，吐蕃尚結贊破鹽、夏二州，守之，自屯鳴沙。及春，畜產死，糧乏。詔燧為綏銀麟勝招討使，與駱元光、韓遊瑰等會師擊虜。燧次石州。結贊懼，乞盟，帝不許。乃遣將論頰熱甘辭請於燧，且重幣申勤勤。明年，燧還太原，與論頰熱俱朝，盛言宜許以盟，天子然之。燧之朝，結贊遽引去。帝詔渾瑊與盟平涼，虜劫瑊，僅得免。吐蕃歸燧之兄子弇，曰：「河曲之屯，春草未生，吾馬饑，公若度河，我無種矣。賴公許和，今釋弇以報。」帝聞，悔怒，奪其兵，拜司徒，兼侍中，賜妓樂，奉朝請而已。與李晟皆圖像淩煙閣。後病足，不任謁。九年十月，自力朝延英，詔毋拜。時晟已卒，帝顧燧曰：「尚記與太尉晟俱來邪？今乃獨見公。」因悲涕。燧亦疾而僕，帝親掖之，詔左右扶去，送至陛，燧頓首泣謝。固乞骸，讓侍中，不許。卒，年七十，贈太傅，諡曰莊武。子匯、暢。子暢暢少以廕至鴻臚少卿。建中中，燧討賊山東，暢留京師。於是大旱，朝廷議括商旅緡錢，多亡命入南山為盜。暢客單超俊、李雲端等竊議，以為事且危。暢是其言，遣奴諫燧班師。燧怒，執奴以聞，使兄炫拘暢請罪。帝方倚燧，貸不問，但誅其客，敕炫賜暢杖三十，然亦罷括商人令。燧沒後，以貲甲天下，暢亦善殖財，家益豐。晚為豪幸牟侵，又匯妻訟析產。貞元末，神策中尉楊志廉諷使納田產。至順宗時，復賜之。中官往往逼取，暢畏不敢吝，以至困窮。終少府監，贈工部尚書。諸子無室廬自托。奉誠園亭觀，即其安邑裏舊第雲，故當世視暢以厚畜為戒。有司諡曰縱。

In the second year of Zhenyuan the Tibetan commander Shang Jiezan took Yan and Xia, garrisoned them, and camped at Mingsha. By spring their herds were dying and provisions ran short. Sui was named commissioner to suppress the frontier and joined Luo Yuanguang, Han Yougui, and others to strike the Tibetans. Sui halted at Shizhou. Jiezan grew fearful and sued for peace; the emperor refused. He sent the general Lun Binre with humble pleas to Sui and rich gifts to press his sincerity. The following year Sui returned to Taiyuan and came to court with Lun Binre, urging strongly that peace be granted — and the emperor assented. While Sui was at court, Jiezan abruptly pulled his army back. The emperor sent Hun Jian to treat at Pingliang; the Tibetans ambushed him, and he barely escaped with his life. The Tibetans returned Sui's nephew Yan with a message: "Our camps on the bend of the Yellow River — the spring grass is not yet up and our horses are starving. Had you crossed the river, we would have been wiped out. Thanks to your agreeing to peace, we release Yan in return. The emperor heard this, flushed with anger and regret, stripped him of command, made him Minister of Education and Palace Attendant, gave him musicians and courtesans, and left him a courtier in name only. He and Li Sheng were both enshrined with portraits in the Lingyan Pavilion. Later illness in his feet kept him from court audiences. In the tenth month of the ninth year he dragged himself to Yanying Hall; the emperor excused him from bowing. Li Sheng was already dead; the emperor turned to Sui and said, "Do you still remember coming to court with Grand Marshal Sheng? Now I see you alone. He wept as he spoke. Sui too was ill and could barely stand; the emperor steadied him with his own hands, had attendants help him away, walked him to the steps, and Sui kowtowed in tears of gratitude. He begged repeatedly to retire and yield the Palace Attendant title; the emperor would not allow it. He died at seventy, was posthumously made Grand Tutor, and given the temple name Zhuangwu. His sons were Hui and Chang. His son Chang — in youth Chang rose by yin privilege to Vice Director of the Court for Diplomatic Relations. During Jianzhong, while Sui campaigned in the east, Chang stayed in the capital. A severe drought struck; the court debated seizing merchants' cash reserves, and many desperate men fled into the southern hills as bandits. Chang's clients Shan Chaojun, Li Yunduan, and others whispered among themselves that disaster was near. Chang believed them and sent a servant to urge Sui to withdraw his army. Sui was furious, seized the servant and reported the matter, and had his brother Xuan detain Chang to answer for it. The emperor still depended on Sui and spared Chang further punishment, executing only his clients; he ordered Xuan to give Chang thirty strokes of the staff, and dropped the plan to seize merchants' wealth. After Sui's death the family wealth was said to be the greatest in the realm; Chang too was adept at piling up riches, and the house grew still wealthier. In later years powerful favorites preyed on him, and his brother Hui's wife sued to split the family property. Near the end of Zhenyuan, Shence vice-commissioner Yang Zhilian hinted that he should surrender land and estates. Under Shunzong it was returned to him. Eunuchs repeatedly extorted from him; Chang was too afraid to refuse, until he was ruined. He ended his career as Supervisor of the Palace Storehouses and was posthumously made Minister of Works. His sons were left without homes of their own. The Fengcheng Garden estate was said to be his old mansion in Anyi Lane — and his fate became a byword against hoarding wealth. The court gave him the posthumous name Zong — "Licentious."

子繼祖，生四歲以門功為太子舍人，五遷至殿中少監。兄炫燧兄炫，字弱翁。少以儒學聞，隱蘇門山，不應辟召。至德中，李光弼鎮太原，始署掌書記，常參軍謀，光弼器焉。刑部郎中田神功帥宣武，署節度判官，授連、潤二州刺史，以清白顯。燧為司徒，授刑部侍郎，辭疾，以兵部尚書致仕，卒。渾瑊渾瑊，本鐵勒九姓之渾部也。世為皋蘭都督。父釋之，有才武，從朔方軍，積戰多，遷累開府儀同三司、試太常卿、甯朔郡王。廣德中與吐蕃戰沒。

His son Jizu, at four, was made Crown Prince Attendant on the family's merit and rose through five promotions to Vice Director of the Palace Domestic Service. His elder brother Xuan, styled Ruoweng. As a young man he was known for scholarship, retired to Mount Sumen, and refused every summons. During Zhide, when Li Guangbi held Taiyuan, he made Xuan his chief secretary and relied on him in counsel — Guangbi thought highly of him. When Tian Shengong commanded Xuanwu he made Xuan his chief administrator, then prefect of Lian and Run, winning fame for spotless conduct. When Sui became Minister of Education, Xuan was named Vice Minister of Justice; pleading illness, he retired as Minister of War and died. Hun Jian was descended from the Hun clan of the Tiele confederation's nine tribes. For generations his family had held the Gaolan command. His father Shizhi was gifted in arms and statecraft, served with the Shuofang army through countless campaigns, and rose to Grand General with Extraordinary Honors, Acting Minister of Ceremonies, and King of Ningshuo. He was killed fighting the Tibetans in the Guangde era.

瑊年十一，善騎射，隨釋之防秋，朔方節度使張齊丘戲曰：「與乳媼俱來邪？」是歲立跳蕩功。後二年，從破賀魯部，拔石堡城、龍駒島，其勇常冠軍。署折沖果毅。節度使安思順授瑊偏師，入葛祿部，略特羅斯山，破阿布思，與諸軍城永清及天安軍。遷中郎將。

At eleven Jian was already skilled in riding and archery; on an autumn campaign with his father, Shuofang governor Zhang Qiqiu teased him: "Did you bring your nursemaid along? That year he won credit in the assault corps. Two years later he helped crush the Helu tribe, took Shibao Fortress and Longju Island, and his bravery routinely led the field. He was appointed commander of a frontier shock unit. Governor An Sishun gave him a detached column; he raided deep into Gelu territory, overran Mount Teluosi, defeated Abu Si, and helped build the fortresses at Yongqing and Tian'an. He was promoted to general of the household guard.

祿山反，從李光弼定河北，射賊驍將李立節，貫其左肩，死之。肅宗即位，瑊以兵趨行在。至天德，與虜軍遇，敗之。從郭子儀復兩京，討安慶緒，勝之新鄉，擢武鋒軍使。從僕固懷恩平史朝義，大小數十戰，功最，改太常卿，實封二百戶。懷恩反，瑊以所部歸子儀，會釋之喪，起復朔方行營兵馬使。從子儀擊吐蕃邠州，留屯邠。虜復入，至奉天，瑊戰漠谷，有功，遷太子賓客，屯奉天。周智光反，子儀令瑊以步騎萬人下同州。智光平，以邠甯隸朔方軍，瑊屯宜祿。

When Lushan rebelled he served under Li Guangbi in Hebei, shot the rebel champion Li Lijie through the left shoulder, and killed him. When Suzong came to the throne, Jian marched his troops to join the emperor in exile. At Tiande he met the enemy and routed them. He followed Guo Ziyi in retaking the capitals, defeated An Qingxu at Xinxiang, and was made commander of the Martial Vanguard. He campaigned with Pugu Huai'en against Shi Chaoyi through dozens of battles and led in merit; he was made Minister of Ceremonies with a fief of two hundred households. When Huai'en rebelled, Jian returned to Guo Ziyi with his troops; on his father's death he was recalled from mourning as Shuofang army messenger. He followed Guo Ziyi against the Tibetans at Bin and was left to garrison the prefecture. When the Tibetans struck again as far as Fengtian, Jian fought them at Mogu Valley with distinction, was made Companion to the Heir Apparent, and garrisoned Fengtian. When Zhou Zhiguang rebelled, Guo Ziyi sent Jian with ten thousand foot and horse against Tongzhou. After Zhiguang's defeat, Bin-Ning was attached to Shuofang command, and Jian garrisoned Yilu.

大曆七年，吐蕃盜塞深入，瑊會涇原節度使馬璘討之。次黃菩原，瑊引眾據險，設槍壘自營，遏賊奔突。舊將史抗等內輕瑊，顧左右去槍，叱騎馳賊。既還，虜躡而入，遂大敗，死者十八。子儀召諸將曰：「朔方軍高天下，今敗於虜，奈何？」瑊曰：「願再戰。」乃馳朝那，與鹽州刺史李國臣趨秦原。吐蕃引去，瑊邀擊破之，悉奪所掠而還。自是歲防長武城盛秋，領邠州刺史。吐蕃入方渠、懷安，瑊擊走之。

In the seventh year of Dali the Tibetans broke through the frontier in a deep raid; Jian joined Ma Lin of Jingyuan to drive them back. At Huangpuyuan Jian took the high ground, threw up spear palisades around his camp, and blocked the enemy's charges. Veterans such as Shi Kang secretly despised Jian, ordered the palisades torn down, and drove the cavalry straight at the enemy. On the retreat the Tibetans pressed in and routed them; eight men in ten were lost. Guo Ziyi called his generals together: "The Shuofang army has no peer under Heaven — and now the Tibetans have broken us. What do we do? Jian said, "Give me another fight." He galloped to Chaona and, with Yanzhou prefect Li Guochen, raced for Qinyuan. As the Tibetans withdrew, Jian ambushed and shattered them, recovered all their loot, and marched home. Thereafter he guarded Changwu each autumn at the height of the season and served as prefect of Bin. When the Tibetans raided Fangqu and Huai'an, Jian drove them off.

子儀入朝，留知邠甯慶兵馬後務。回紇侵太原，破鮑防軍。拜瑊都知兵馬使，自石嶺關而南，督諸軍掎角，虜引去。進兼單于副都護、振武軍使。子儀為太尉，德宗析所部為三節度，以瑊兼單于大都護，振武、東受降城、鎮北大都護府、綏銀麟勝州節度副大使。未幾，崔甯領朔方，故召為左金吾衛大將軍。建中中，李希烈詐為瑊書，若同亂者，帝識其諜，用不疑，更賜良馬、錦幣。普王為荊襄元帥討希烈也，以瑊為中軍都虞候。

When Guo Ziyi went to court, Jian was left in charge of Bin-Ning-Qing logistics. The Uyghurs invaded Taiyuan and routed Bao Fang's army. Jian was made overall commander of cavalry and infantry; south from Shiling Pass he coordinated the armies in mutual support until the enemy withdrew. He was further named Vice Protector-General of the Chanyu and commander of the Zhenwu Army. When Guo Ziyi became Grand Marshal, Dezong split his domain into three commands; Jian was named Grand Protector-General of the Chanyu and deputy governor over Zhenwu, the surrender cities, the northern protectorate, and Sui-Yin-Lin-Sheng. Soon Cui Ning took over Shuofang, and Jian was recalled as great general of the Left Golden Crow Guard. During Jianzhong, Li Xilie forged a letter in Jian's name implicating him in rebellion; the emperor saw through the ruse, trusted him all the more, and gave him fine horses and silks. When the Prince of Pu led the Jing-Xiang campaign against Xilie, Jian served as chief adjutant of the center.

帝狩奉天，瑊率家人子弟以從，授行在都虞候、京畿渭北節度使。硃泚兵薄城，戰譙門，晨至日中不解。或以芻車至，瑊曳車塞門，焚以戰，賊乃解。泚治攻具，矢石四集如雨，晝夜不息，凡浹日，鑿塹圜城。城中死者可藉，人心危惴，或夜縋出掇蔬本供禦，帝與瑊相泣。泚方據乾陵下瞰城，翠翟紅袍，左右宦人趨走，宴賜拜舞，又縱慢辭戲斥天子，以為勝在景刻。使騎環馳，責大臣不識天命。造雲梁，廣數十丈，施大輪，濡氈及革冒之，周布水囊為鄣，指城東北；構木廬，蒙革周置之，運薪土其下，將塞隍。帝召瑊，授以詔書千余，自御史大夫、實封五百戶而下，募突將死士當賊，賜瑊筆，使量功署詔，不足則署衣以授，因曰：「朕與公訣矣，令馬承倩往，有急可奏。」瑊俯伏嗚咽，帝撫而遣之。瑊前與防城使侯仲莊揣雲梁所道，掘大隧，積馬矢及薪然之。賊乘風推梁以進，載數千人。王師乘城者皆凍餒，甲弊兵盬，瑊但以忠義感率使當賊，人憂不支，群臣號天以禱。瑊中矢，自揠去，被血而戰愈厲。雲梁及隧而陷，風返悉焚，賊皆死，舉城歡噪。是日詔授瑊二子官，乃第賞將校。泚攻城益急，會李懷光奔難，賊乃去。進行在都知兵馬使，實封五百戶。

When the emperor fled to Fengtian, Jian brought his kin and household troops with him and was named chief adjutant at court and military governor of the capital approaches north of the Wei. Zhu Ci's army pressed the walls; at the watchtower gate the battle raged from dawn until noon without pause. When fodder carts arrived, Jian dragged them to block the gate, set them ablaze as a barrier, and the rebels broke off. Ci built siege engines; arrows and stones fell like rain from every side, day and night without cease for days on end, while his men dug trenches to ring the city. The dead in the city lay in heaps; panic gripped every heart; some were lowered by rope at night to gather wild greens for the emperor's table — and the emperor and Jian wept together. Ci held Qianling overlooking the city in imperial green and crimson, eunuchs scurrying at his side, feasting and dispensing rewards while his men danced obeisance — and he hurled insults at the emperor, sure that victory was only hours away. He sent horsemen circling the walls to berate the ministers for failing to read Heaven's will. He built a siege tower tens of paces wide on great wheels, sheathed in wet felt and leather, ringed with water bags as a fire screen, and aimed it at the northeast corner; and threw up wooden sheds wrapped in hides, hauling brush and earth beneath to fill the moat. The emperor called Jian in and gave him a thousand blank patents — from Vice Director of the Secretariat and five-hundred-household fiefs on down — to reward shock troops who would face the enemy. He gave Jian his brush to sign commissions by merit, and when the edicts ran out, to write on robes instead. "I bid you farewell," the emperor said. "Ma Chengqian will carry word — report any crisis at once. Jian prostrated himself, sobbing; the emperor comforted him and sent him out. Jian and city-defense commissioner Hou Zhongzhuang had guessed the tower's path, dug a great tunnel, and piled horse dung and brush to burn. The rebels pushed the tower forward on the wind, thousands of men aboard. The defenders on the walls were frozen, starving, in rotting armor with dulled blades; Jian could only rally them by appeal to loyalty and duty; men feared the line would break; ministers cried to Heaven in prayer. Jian took an arrow, pulled it out himself, and fought on all the fiercer, drenched in blood. The tower reached the tunnel and collapsed; the wind shifted and the blaze consumed it; the attackers perished; the whole city erupted in cheers. That day the emperor ennobled Jian's two sons and ranked rewards for his officers. Ci pressed the attack harder still — until Li Huai'guang marched to the rescue and the rebels withdrew. He was promoted overall commander at the imperial camp with a fief of five hundred households.

乘輿進狩山南，瑊以諸軍衛入穀口，懷光追騎至，後軍擊卻之。遷檢校尚書左僕射、同中書門下平章事，兼靈鹽豐夏定遠西城天德軍節度、朔方邠甯振武道永平軍奉天行營副元帥。帝臨軒授鉞，用漢拜韓信故事，制曰：「寇賊幹紀，授爾節鉞，以戡多難，往欽哉！」瑊頓首曰：「敢不畢力以對揚天子休命？」乃率諸軍趨京師。

As the emperor fled south into the hills, Jian guarded the valley mouth with the army; when Huai'guang's pursuit caught up, the rearguard beat them back. He was made acting Left Vice Director, Grand Councilor, military governor over the northwestern commands, and deputy supreme commander of the Fengtian campaign and the Shuofang-Bin-Ning-Zhenwu frontier. At court the emperor invested him with the battle-axe, following the Han precedent of enfeoffing Han Xin: "Rebels defy Heaven's order — I give you command to crush this calamity. Go, and be worthy of it! Jian kowtowed and said, "How dare I not give my all to answer the emperor's gracious trust?" Then he led the armies toward the capital.

賊韓旻拒武功，瑊率吐蕃論莽羅兵破之武亭川，斬首萬級，遂屯奉天，以抗西面。李晟自東渭橋破賊，瑊與韓游瑰、戴休顏以西軍收咸陽，進屯延秋門。泚平，論功，以瑊兼侍中，實封戶八百。天子還宮，授河中絳慈隰節度使、河中同陝虢行營副元帥，繇樓煩郡王徙咸寧；賜大寧裏甲第，女樂五人，將相送歸第，與李晟鈞禮。俄加朔方行營副元帥，與馬燧同討李懷光。懷光平，檢校司空，任一子五品官。還屯河中。

The rebel Han Min held Wugong; Jian led Tibetan allies under Lun Mangluo and routed him at Wutingchuan, taking ten thousand heads, then encamped at Fengtian to hold the western approach. Li Sheng broke the rebels from the eastern Wei Bridge; Jian, Han Yougui, and Dai Xiuyan swept in from the west, retook Xianyang, and encamped at Yanqiu Gate. When Zhu Ci was crushed, Jian was made Palace Attendant with a fief of eight hundred households. When the emperor returned to the palace, Jian was made military governor of Hezhong, Jiang, Ci, and Xi and deputy commander of the eastern campaign; his title shifted from King of Loufan to Xianning; and was given a mansion in Daning Lane, five musicians, and an escort home by the court's highest officers — honors equal to Li Sheng's. Soon he was named deputy commander of the Shuofang campaign and joined Ma Sui against Li Huai'guang. When Huai'guang fell, Jian was made acting Minister of Works and one son received a fifth-rank post. He returned to garrison Hezhong.

吐蕃相尚結贊陷鹽、夏，陰窺京師，而畏瑊與李晟、馬燧，欲以計勝之。乃詭辭重禮，請燧講好，燧苦贊，帝乃詔約盟平涼川，以瑊為會盟使。為結贊所劫，副使崔漢衡以下皆陷，惟瑊得免。自奉天入朝，羸服待罪，詔釋之。會吐蕃復入盜，使瑊鎮奉天。虜罷，還河中。貞元四年，虜入涇、邠，授邠甯慶副元帥。進檢校司徒，兼中書令。十五年卒，年六十四。群臣奉慰延英，贈太師，諡曰忠武。喪車至自鎮，帝復廢朝。

The Tibetan minister Shang Jiezan held Yan and Xia and watched the capital, but feared Jian, Li Sheng, and Ma Sui — and sought to defeat them by guile. He sent honeyed words and rich gifts to coax Sui into peace talks; Sui pressed for an accord; the court agreed to treaty at Pingliangchuan and named Jian the envoy. Jiezan ambushed the party; deputy Cui Hanheng and the rest were taken, but Jian alone escaped. He came to court from Fengtian in humble dress to await judgment; the emperor pardoned him. When the Tibetans raided again, he was sent to hold Fengtian. When the raiders withdrew, he returned to Hezhong. In the fourth year of Zhenyuan, when the enemy struck Jing and Bin, he was named deputy commander of Bin-Ning-Qing. He was promoted acting Minister of Education and Director of the Secretariat. In the fifteenth year of Zhenyuan he died at sixty-four. Ministers offered condolences at Yanying Hall; he was posthumously made Grand Preceptor with the temple name Zhongwu. When the funeral train arrived from his command, the emperor again suspended court.

瑊好書，通《春秋》、《漢書》。嘗慕《司馬遷自敘》，著《行紀》一篇，其辭一不矜大。天性忠謹，功高而志益下，歲時貢奉，必躬閱視。每有賜予，下拜跽受，常若在帝前，世方之金日磾，故帝終始信待。貞元後，天子常恐籓侯生事，稍桀驁則姑息之，惟瑊有所奏論不盡從可，輒私喜曰：「上不疑我。」故治蒲十六年，常持軍，猜間不能入。君子賢之。本名日進，稍顯改焉。五子，鎬、鐬為達官。子鎬鎬謙謹，喜交士大夫，曆鄧、唐二州刺史，有政譽。元和中，延州沙陀部苦邊吏貪，震擾不安。李絳建言，宜選才職稱者為刺史。乃任鎬延州。會討王承宗，而義武節度使任迪簡病不能軍，以鎬將家可用，乃遷檢校右散騎常侍、義武軍節度副使，俄代迪簡為使。治兵頗有法，然短于計略，不持重。鎮、定二軍間不百里，鎬引兵壓鎮境而屯，距賊三十里，鼓角聲相聞。賊始亦畏，見鎬無斥候，乃潛師入定境，焚廥蓄，屠鄉聚，鎬軍遂搖。亦會中人督戰，乃出薄賊，大敗而還。詔以陳楚代之。時師饑凍，聞鎬方罷，遂亂，劫鎬之家，至裸辱。楚聞，馳入城，乃定。令軍中斂所剽歸鎬，以兵衛出之。貶韶州刺史。後代州刺史韓重華奏收鎬供軍金幣十余萬，乃復貶循州。卒，贈工部尚書。子鐬鐬以廕補諸衛參軍，累擬至豐州刺史。坐贓七百萬，文宗以勳臣子，貶袁州司馬。還為袁王傅，至太子詹事。訓、注亂，或言鐬匿賈餗，為百騎所捕，苦辨乃免，然家為兵剽皆盡。文宗憐之，授少府監，遷殿中。宰相以瑊之裔，擢刺史，帝曰：「是豈可以牧民？念其父功，富之可也。」宰相言鐬嘗治郡有績，從之，拜夀州刺史。終諸衛大將軍。

Jian loved learning and was versed in the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Book of Han. He admired Sima Qian's autobiographical postface and wrote a "Record of Conduct" whose tone never once swaggered. By nature loyal and scrupulous, he grew humbler as his achievements mounted; he personally inspected every item of seasonal tribute. Whenever the emperor gave him anything, he knelt to receive it as if in the throne room itself; men compared him to Jin Midi, and the emperor trusted him to the end. After Zhenyuan the emperor feared trouble from the regional lords and indulged any who grew defiant — so whenever the throne did not adopt every point of Jian's advice, he would privately rejoice: "The emperor still does not doubt me. He governed Pu for sixteen years, always keeping his army ready — and no whisper of suspicion could touch him. Men of judgment held him in esteem. His birth name was Rijin; he changed it when he rose to prominence. He had five sons; Gao and Hui rose to high office. His son Gao was modest and careful, cultivated ties with scholar-officials, served as prefect of Deng and Tang in turn, and won a name for sound administration. During Yuanhe the Shatuo of Yanzhou groaned under corrupt frontier officers and grew restless. Li Jiang advised appointing a prefect whose ability matched the post. Gao was given Yanzhou. During the campaign against Wang Chengzong, Yiwu governor Ren Dijian fell too ill to command; Gao's martial lineage recommended him, and he was made acting Right Cavalier Attendant and deputy governor of Yiwu, soon replacing Dijian outright. He drilled his troops well enough, but lacked strategic depth and steady judgment. Zhen and Ding lay less than a hundred li apart; Gao pressed the Zhen frontier and camped thirty li from the rebels, drums and horns answering across the gap. The rebels feared him at first — until they saw he posted no scouts. They slipped into Ding territory, burned stores, massacred villages, and Gao's army lost its nerve. A palace eunuch was also pressing for action; Gao sallied against the rebels, was routed, and retreated. The court replaced him with Chen Chu. The army was starving and freezing; when word spread that Gao had been removed, the troops mutinied, looted his home, and humiliated his family openly. Chu galloped into camp on hearing the news and restored order. He made the men return what they had stolen to Gao and escorted him out under guard. Gao was demoted to prefect of Shaozhou. Later Yanzhou prefect Han Chonghua reported recovering over a hundred thousand in army funds Gao had held; Gao was demoted again to Xunzhou. He died and was posthumously made Minister of Works. His son Hui entered the guard regiments by yin privilege and rose through nominations to prefect of Fengzhou. Convicted of embezzling seven million, he was spared harsher punishment as a hero's son and demoted to military aide of Yuanzhou. He returned as tutor to the Prince of Yuan and rose to Household Steward of the Heir Apparent. During the Xun-Zhu coup he was accused of sheltering Jia Su, seized by the imperial guard, and cleared only after desperate pleas — but soldiers looted his home bare. Wenzong took pity on him, made him Supervisor of the Palace Storehouses, and later moved him into palace service. The chief ministers, citing his descent from Hun Jian, proposed him for a prefecture; the emperor said, "How could such a man govern a province? Remember his father's service — enrich him, by all means, but do not put him over people. The ministers argued that Hui had once governed competently; the emperor relented and named him prefect of Shouzhou. He ended his career as great general of the guard regiments.

贊曰：唐史臣稱燧沈雄忠力，常先計後戰。每戰，親令於眾，無不感概用命，鬥必決死，未嘗折北，名蓋一時。然力能得田悅而不取，虜不可信而決信之，故河北三盜卒不臣，平涼大臣奔辱，燧之罪也。雖然，燧賢者也，天下以為可責故責之，不以功掩罪，亦不可以罪廢功。瑊親與結贊盟，不能料虜詐，但以如詔為恭，殆有猛志而無英才乎？李晟謂虜不可與盟，則燧、瑊固出晟下遠甚。功名大小，信其然乎！

Commentary: Tang historians describe Sui as deep, bold, loyal, and forceful — a commander who always planned before he fought. Before every battle he addressed the ranks in person; none failed to answer with fierce devotion; his men fought as if death meant nothing; he never knew defeat, and his fame eclipsed his contemporaries. Yet when he had the power to finish Tian Yue he held back; when the Tibetans had proved untrustworthy he trusted them anyway — so the three Hebei rebels never submitted, and ministers were shamed at Pingliang. These faults are Sui's. Still, Sui was a man of worth; the world held him to a higher standard and therefore faulted him — merit must not hide fault, but fault must not erase merit. Jian treated with Jiezan in person, failed to foresee Tibetan treachery, and mistook obedience to the edict for true loyalty — fierce in spirit, perhaps, but not quite a master? Li Sheng had warned that the Tibetans could not be trusted in treaty — and in that judgment Sui and Jian fell far short of him. Great fame and small — is it not exactly so!

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