Volume 193 Biographies 118: Loyalty and Righteousness 3

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◎忠義下程千里程千里，京兆萬年人。長七尺，魁岸有力。應募磧西，累官安西副都護。天寶末，兼北庭都護、安西北庭節度使。突厥首領阿布思內附，本隸朔方，賜氏李，名獻忠，度屬幽州，素與安祿山有怨，內懼，故叛還磧外，數盜邊。玄宗患之，詔千里將兵討捕。千里諭葛邏祿，陰令掎角。獻忠果以窮歸葛邏祿，縛之，並妻子帳下數千人送千里所，乃獻俘勤政樓，詔斬以徇。擢千里右金吾衛大將軍，留宿衛。

◎ Loyalty and Righteousness (continued). Cheng Qianli was a native of Wannian in the Capital district. He was seven feet tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully built. He enlisted in the western frontier armies and eventually became Vice Protector-General of Anxi. Late in the Tianbao reign, he also served as Protector-General of Beiting and as military commissioner over Anxi and Beiting. The Turkic leader Abu Si had come over to the Tang and was originally assigned to Shuofang. The court gave him the surname Li and the name Xianzhong and placed him under Youzhou. He had long been at odds with An Lushan and, fearing for his safety, broke away to the outer steppe and repeatedly raided the frontier. The Xuanzong Emperor, alarmed by these raids, ordered Cheng Qianli to take troops in pursuit. Cheng Qianli persuaded the Geluolu to join the campaign and quietly arranged a pincer attack. Hemmed in, Xianzhong fled to the Geluolu, who seized him and, along with his family and several thousand of his followers, delivered the whole party to Cheng Qianli. He then presented the captive at Qinzheng Tower, where an imperial order had him executed as an example. Cheng Qianli was promoted to grand general of the Right Gold Crow Guard and retained at court for palace duty.

祿山反，詔募兵河東，即拜節度副使、雲中太守，遷上黨長史。賊來攻，鏖馘多，累加開府儀同三司、禮部尚書。至德二載，賊將蔡希德圍上黨，輕騎挑戰。千里恃勇開縣門，率百騎欲直禽希德，幾得而救至，乃退。會橋壞，馬顛，為賊執，仰首敕諸騎使還，曰：「為我報諸將，可失帥，不可失城。」軍中皆為泣下，增備固守。賊不能下，乃還。囚千里至東都，安慶緒偽署特進，囚客省。慶緒敗，為嚴莊所害。後赦令數下，追褒死難者，惟千里生見執，不及云。附袁光廷初，祿山構難，西北戍兵悉入援，故河、隴郡縣皆陷吐蕃，惟河西戍將袁光廷為伊州刺史，固守歷年，雖遊說百緒，終不降，諸下同心無攜畔者。及糧竭，手殺妻子，自焚死。建中初，贈工部尚書。龐堅龐堅，京兆涇陽人。四世祖玉，事隋為監門直閣。李密據洛口，玉以關中銳兵屬王世充擊之，百戰不衄。世充歸東都，秦王東徇洛，玉率萬騎降，高祖以隋舊臣，禮之。玉魁梧有力，明軍法，久宿衛，習知朝廷制度。帝顧諸將多不閑儀檢，故授玉領軍、武衛二大將軍，使眾觀以為模矱，出為梁州總管。巴山獠叛，玉梟其首，餘黨四奔，屬縣獠與反者州裏親戚為賊遊說，言不可窮躡。玉不聽，下令軍中曰：「谷熟，吾盡收以饋軍。非盡賊，吾不反。」聞者懼，相謂曰：「軍不止，吾谷盡，且餓死。」乃共入賊營，與所親相結，斬渠長以降，眾遂潰。徙越州都督。召為監門大將軍。太宗以耆厚，令主東宮兵。雖老不怠，小大之務無不親。卒，帝為廢朝，贈幽州都督、工部尚書。

When An Lushan rose in rebellion, the court ordered troops raised in Hedong. Cheng Qianli was immediately made deputy military commissioner and prefect of Yunzhong, then transferred to chief administrator of Shangdang. When the rebels attacked, he fought hard and killed many of the enemy. He was repeatedly promoted, eventually receiving the honorary title of Splendid Grand Master, Third Rank, and the post of Minister of Rites. In the second year of the Zhide reign, the rebel general Cai Xide besieged Shangdang and sent light horsemen to challenge the defenders. Trusting in his own valor, Cheng Qianli opened the county gates and led a hundred horsemen in a dash to capture Cai Xide. He nearly succeeded, but enemy reinforcements arrived and he was forced to pull back. Just then a bridge gave way; his horse stumbled and he was taken by the rebels. He raised his head and ordered his men to ride back, saying, "Tell the generals for me: you may lose your commander, but you must not lose the city." The whole army wept. The garrison redoubled its defenses and held the city. Unable to capture the city, the rebels withdrew. The rebels took Cheng Qianli to the Eastern Capital. An Qingxu gave him the empty title of Special Grand Master and kept him imprisoned in the Guest Bureau. When An Qingxu fell, Yan Zhuang had him killed. Later, repeated amnesties posthumously honored those who had died in the rebellion, but Cheng Qianli alone—because he had been taken alive—was not mentioned. Appended biography: Yuan Guangting. When An Lushan first raised the rebellion, the northwestern frontier garrisons were all drawn east to reinforce the capital, and the prefectures of He and Long fell to Tibet. Only Yuan Guangting, a Hexi garrison officer serving as prefect of Yizhou, held out year after year. Every kind of persuasion was tried, yet he would not surrender, and his officers and men stood together without a single defection. When food ran out, he killed his wife and children with his own hand and then burned himself to death. Early in the Jianzhong reign he was posthumously appointed Minister of Works. Pang Jian was a native of Jingyang in the Capital district. His great-great-grandfather Yu had served the Sui as a direct attendant in the Gate Guards. When Li Mi held Luokou, Yu led Guanzhong's best troops under Wang Shichong to attack him and fought a hundred engagements without a setback. When Wang Shichong withdrew to the Eastern Capital and the Prince of Qin marched east against Luoyang, Yu surrendered with ten thousand horsemen. Gaozu received him with full honors befitting a former Sui official. Yu was tall and strong, skilled in military regulations, and had long served in the palace guards, so he knew court protocol inside out. Seeing that many of his generals were careless about ceremony and decorum, the Emperor made Yu grand general of both the Central Army and the Martial Guard so that others might take him as a model, then sent him out as commander-in-chief of Liangzhou. When the Liao of Bashan rebelled, Yu cut off the head of their leader and the rest fled in all directions. Liao in neighboring counties who were related to the rebels went among the bandits to plead that pursuit must not be pressed to the bitter end. Yu refused to listen and issued an order throughout the army: "When the grain ripens, I shall take it all to feed my soldiers. Unless every last bandit is destroyed, I will not turn back." Those who heard were terrified and said to one another, "If the army does not stop, our grain will be gone and we shall starve." They then entered the rebel camp together, joined forces with their relatives inside, killed the chieftain, and surrendered. The whole force broke apart. He was transferred to regional commander of Yuezhou. He was recalled to serve as grand general of the Gate Guards. Taizong, trusting his age and steadiness, put him in charge of the crown prince's guard. Though advanced in years, he never slackened and personally oversaw every matter, large or small. When he died, the Emperor suspended court for a day and posthumously appointed him regional commander of Youzhou and Minister of Works.

堅歷潁川太守。安祿山反，南陽節度使魯炅表堅為長史兼防禦副使，以薛願為潁川太守，共守潁川。時陳留、滎陽已陷賊，南陽被圍，而潁川當往來劇。賊將阿史那承慶悉銳攻之，傅城百里，樹木皆刊。城中士單寡，糧少，而願、堅晝夜戰，諸郡兵無援者，自正月盡十一月。賊設木鵝、沖車、飛梯薄城，矢如雨，士皆雷噪，夜半逾城入，二人不肯降。賊縛致東京，將礫解之，有說祿山曰：「義士也，彼為其主，殺之不詳。」乃縛於樹。比且死，見者哭之。附薛願願，汾陰人。父縚，太常卿。兄崇一，娶惠宣太子女，其女弟為太子瑛妃。瑛廢，貶願嶺外，久乃得還。張興張興者，束鹿人。長七尺，一飯至斗米，肉十斤。悍趫而辯，為饒陽裨將。祿山反，攻饒陽。興開張禍福，譬曉敵人，而嬰城彌年，眾心遂固。滄、趙已隱，史思明引眾傅城，興擐甲持陌刀重十五斤乘城。賊將入，興一舉刀，輒數人死，賊皆氣懾。城破，思明縛之馬前，好謂曰：「將軍壯士，能屈節，當受高爵。」對曰：「昔嚴顏一巴郡將，猶不降張飛。我大郡將，安能委身逆虜？今日幸得死，然願以一言為誡。」思明曰：「云何？」興曰：「天子遇祿山如父子，今乃反。大丈夫不能為國掃除，反為其下，何哉？」思明曰：「將軍不觀天道邪？吾上起兵二十萬，直趣洛陽，天下大定。以偏師叩函谷，守將面縛，唐亡固矣。」興曰：「桀、紂、秦、隋窮人力，舉四海與為怨，故商、周、漢、唐因得代之而有神器。皇帝無違德，祿山非數帝賢，是茍延歲月，終即禽耳。」思明怒，鋸解之。且死，罵曰：「吾能裒強死兵敗賊眾！」軍中凜然為改容。蔡廷玉蔡廷玉，幽州昌平人。事安祿山，未有聞。與朱泚同里闬，少相狎近，泚為幽州節度使，秦署幕府。

Pang Jian had previously served as prefect of Yingchuan. When An Lushan rebelled, Lu Kui, military commissioner of Nanyang, recommended Pang Jian as chief administrator and deputy commissioner for defense, with Xue Yuan as prefect of Yingchuan, and the two jointly defended the city. Chenliu and Xingyang had already fallen, Nanyang was under siege, and Yingchuan lay on the busiest corridor of rebel movement. The rebel general Ashina Chengqing attacked with his best troops, encamping for a hundred li around the city and felling every tree in sight. The garrison was thin and food was short, yet Yuan and Jian fought day and night. No relief came from neighboring commanderies, from the first month through the eleventh. The rebels brought up wooden geese, battering rams, and flying ladders. Arrows fell like rain; the defenders roared like thunder. At midnight the enemy scaled the walls and broke in, but the two commanders still refused to surrender. The rebels bound them and sent them to the Eastern Capital, intending to dismember them alive. Someone told An Lushan, "These are men of loyalty who died for their lord. To kill them would bring ill fortune." They were bound to trees instead. As death approached, all who saw them wept. Appended biography: Xue Yuan was a native of Fenyin. His father Tao had been Minister of Imperial Sacrifices. His elder brother Chongyi married a daughter of Princess Huixuan, and his younger sister became a consort of Crown Prince Ying. When Prince Ying was deposed, Yuan was exiled beyond the Ling ranges and was not able to return until many years later. Zhang Xing was a native of Shulu. He stood seven feet tall and could eat a dou of rice and ten jin of meat in a single meal. Fierce, quick, and eloquent, he served as a deputy general at Raoyang. When An Lushan rebelled, he attacked Raoyang. Xing harangued the enemy at length on the consequences of their rebellion, and the city held out for a full year until the people's resolve was unshakable. Cangzhou and Zhao had already fallen. Shi Siming brought his army to the walls. Xing put on armor, took up a fifteen-jin mo-blade, and climbed to the battlements. As the rebels pressed in, a single stroke of his blade killed several men at once, and the enemy's spirit broke. When the city fell, Siming bound him before his horse and spoke kindly: "General, you are a brave man. Bend your will and you shall receive a high rank." He replied, "Long ago Yan Yan was only a commandery general in Ba, yet he still refused to bow to Zhang Fei. I am a grand commandery general. How could I submit to a rebel? Today I am fortunate enough to die, but I would leave you one word of warning." Siming asked, "What is it?" Xing said, "The Son of Heaven treated An Lushan as a father treats a son, yet now he has rebelled. A true man who cannot clear the realm for his country but instead serves beneath such a man—what sort of man is that?" Siming said, "General, have you not seen Heaven's mandate? Our lord raised two hundred thousand men and marched straight on Luoyang. The realm was nearly settled. A detached force struck Hangu Pass and the defenders came out with hands bound. The Tang's fall was already certain." Xing said, "Jie, Zhou, the Qin, and the Sui exhausted the people's strength and turned the whole realm against them. That is how Shang, Zhou, Han, and Tang were able to replace them and take the throne. The Emperor has done no wrong, and An Lushan is no sage among emperors. He merely drags out his days; in the end he will be taken." Siming flew into a rage and had him sawn apart. As he was dying he cursed, "I could rally the strong, die fighting, and break the rebel host!" The whole army was struck with awe. Cai Tingyu was a native of Changping in Youzhou. He had served An Lushan, but nothing noteworthy is recorded of him before this. He came from the same neighborhood as Zhu Ci and had been close to him since youth. When Zhu Ci became military commissioner of Youzhou, he took Tingyu onto his staff.

廷玉有沈略，善與人交，內外愛附。泚多所叩咨，數遣至京師。當是時，幽州兵最強，財雄，士驕悍，日思吞並，不知有上下禮法。廷玉間語泚曰：「古未有不臣而能推福及子孫者。公南聯趙、魏，北奚虜，兵我地險，然非永安計，一日趙、魏反噬，公乃沸鼎魚耳。不如奉天子，多難，可勒勛鼎彜，若何？」泚善之。廷玉陰欲耗其力，則諷泚出金幣禮士，又勸歸貢賦助天子經費，獻牛馬系道，儲廥為單。因勸泚入朝，泚將聽，諸校怒，縛廷玉辱之，廷玉無橈辭，泚不忍殺，囚歲餘出之，謂曰：「而亦悔乎？」廷玉曰：「導公為逆即悔，勉公以義何悔為？」復縶滿歲，問曰：「能省過否？不爾，且死。」對曰：「不殺我，公得名。殺我，吾得名。」泚不能屈，待如初。

Tingyu was shrewd and skilled at winning people over; everyone inside and outside Zhu Ci's circle liked and trusted him. Zhu Ci often sought his counsel and repeatedly sent him to the capital. At that time the Youzhou army was the strongest force in the realm and flush with wealth. Its soldiers were proud and fierce, constantly scheming to swallow up neighboring territories, and cared nothing for the rites between sovereign and subject. From time to time Tingyu told Zhu Ci, "Since antiquity no one who refused to serve his sovereign has ever secured blessings for his descendants. You are allied with Zhao and Wei to the south and the Xi to the north. Your troops are strong and your terrain defensible, yet this is no plan for lasting security. One day Zhao and Wei will turn on you, and you will be a fish in a boiling pot. Better to serve the Son of Heaven. In these troubled times you could win merit recorded on the royal tripods. What do you think?" Zhu Ci was persuaded. Secretly wishing to drain Zhu Ci's strength, Tingyu urged him to spend gold honoring scholars and to return tribute and taxes to support the court. Oxen and horses lined the roads as tribute, and the granaries were nearly emptied. He then urged Zhu Ci to go to court. Zhu Ci was about to agree when his officers grew furious, bound Tingyu, and humiliated him. Tingyu would not yield a word. Zhu Ci could not bring himself to kill him and kept him imprisoned for more than a year before releasing him and asking, "Do you regret it now?" Tingyu said, "I would regret it if I had led you into rebellion. But in urging you toward righteousness, what is there to regret?" He was imprisoned again for a full year. Zhu Ci asked, "Can you admit your fault? If not, you will die." He replied, "If you do not kill me, you will gain a reputation. If you kill me, I shall gain a reputation." Zhu Ci could not break him and treated him as before.

又有朱體微者，亦泚腹心。廷玉有建白，體微輒左右之，故泚愈信，桀傲稍革。廷玉遂蕆朝事。泚乃奏涿州為永泰軍，薊州靜塞軍，瀛州清夷軍，莫州唐興軍，置團練使，以支郡隸屬，盧龍軍稍削。而泚內畏弟滔逼己，滔亦勸泚入朝，乃以軍屬滔。廷玉、體微共白泚：「公入朝為功臣首，後務至重，須誠信者乃可付。滔雖大弟，多變不情，如假以兵，是嫁之禍也。」泚不聽。二人隨泚到朝，德宗為太子時，知廷玉名，及見，禮眷殊渥。泚統幽州行營為涇原鳳翔節度使，詔廷玉以大理少卿為司馬，體微為要籍。

There was also Zhu Tiwei, another of Zhu Ci's trusted confidants. Whenever Tingyu made a proposal, Tiwei would second it, so Zhu Ci trusted them all the more and his arrogance was gradually curbed. Tingyu thus came to oversee affairs at court. Zhu Ci then memorialized to establish Zhuozhou as the Yongtai Army, Jizhou as the Jingsai Army, Yingzhou as the Qingyi Army, and Mozhou as the Tangxing Army, each with a training commissioner so that neighboring commanderies were placed under their jurisdiction. The Lulong Army was thus gradually weakened. Yet Zhu Ci inwardly feared his younger brother Zhu Tao, who also urged him to go to court, and Zhu Ci therefore entrusted the army to him. Tingyu and Tiwei jointly told Zhu Ci, "When you go to court as the foremost of the meritorious, the affairs you leave behind will be weighty indeed. Only a man of sincerity and trust can be entrusted with them. Though Tao is your elder brother, he is fickle and ruthless. If you give him the army, you are handing him the means of your own ruin." Zhu Ci would not listen. The two men accompanied Zhu Ci to court. Dezong had known Tingyu's name since his days as crown prince, and when they met he treated him with exceptional favor. Zhu Ci took command of the Youzhou field army as military commissioner of Jingyuan and Fengxiang. Tingyu was appointed army deputy with the rank of vice director of the Court of Judicial Review, and Tiwei was made chief registrar.

滔有請於泚，或不順，廷玉必折之，俾循故法。滔已破田悅，浸傲肆自用。左右有惡廷玉者，妄云：「素毀滔，欲四分燕，廷玉倡之，體微和之。」滔表言二人離間骨肉，請殺於有司。亦遺泚書云云。泚恚滔奪其軍，不從。會滔以幽州叛，帝示滔表，而泚亦白髮其書，乃歸罪於二人，貶廷玉柳州司戶參軍、體微南浦尉以慰滔。滔使諜伺諸朝，曰：「上若不殺廷玉，當謫去，得東出洛，我且縛致麾下支解之。」將行，帝勞廷玉曰：「爾姑行，為國受屈，歲中當還。」遷玉至藍田驛，人白左巡使鄭詹：「商於道險，不可往。」詹追使趨潼關。廷玉告子少誠、少良曰：「我為天子不血刃下幽十一城，欲裂其壤，使不得桀，而敗於將成，天助逆邪？今吏使我出東都，此殆滔計，吾不可以辱國。」比至靈寶，自投於河。

Whenever Zhu Tao made requests of Zhu Ci that went against established practice, Tingyu would overrule them and make him follow the old rules. After defeating Tian Yue, Zhu Tao grew increasingly arrogant and willful. Those around Zhu Tao who hated Tingyu spread a false report: "He has long slandered Tao and wants to divide Yan into four parts. Tingyu started it and Tiwei backed him." Zhu Tao memorialized that the two men had driven a wedge between brothers and asked that they be put to death by the authorities. He also sent Zhu Ci a letter to the same effect. Zhu Ci resented Zhu Tao for taking his army and refused to comply. When Zhu Tao rebelled with Youzhou, the Emperor showed his memorial and Zhu Ci also reported the letter he had sent. Blame was placed on the two men. Tingyu was demoted to revenue assistant of Liuzhou and Tiwei to captain of Nanpu to appease Zhu Tao. Zhu Tao sent spies to watch the court, saying, "If the Emperor does not kill Tingyu, he will be banished. If he gets east of Luoyang, I shall seize him and dismember him before my troops." As he was about to leave, the Emperor comforted him: "Go for now. You are suffering disgrace for the state. You shall return within the year." At Lantian Post Station someone informed the Left Patrol Commissioner Zheng Zhan, "The Shangyu road is dangerous. He must not be sent that way." Zhan sent pursuers to hurry the escort toward Tong Pass. Tingyu told his sons Shaocheng and Shaoliang, "I brought eleven cities of You under the Son of Heaven without drawing a blade, intending to split their territory so they could not grow arrogant, yet failed on the verge of success. Is Heaven aiding the rebels? Now the officials are sending me out toward the Eastern Capital. This is likely Zhu Tao's scheme. I cannot bring disgrace upon the state." When he reached Lingbao, he threw himself into the river.

宰相盧杞方疾御史大夫嚴郢，欲逐之，得廷玉死狀，即抵詹死，而斥出郢。帝閔廷玉忠，歸其柩，厚賻之。李晟平朱泚，少誠等適終喪，晟表丐追贈廷玉。並官二子。而帝方招來滔，寢其奏，遂已。符令奇符令奇，沂州臨沂人。初為盧龍軍裨將。會幽州亂，挈子璘奔昭義，節度使薛嵩署為軍副。嵩卒，田承嗣盜其地，引令奇為右職。

Chief Minister Lu Qi was at odds with Censor-in-Chief Yan Ying and wished to drive him out. Learning of Tingyu's death, he immediately had Zhan charged with capital guilt and expelled Yan Ying. The Emperor pitied Tingyu's loyalty, had his coffin returned, and gave a generous funeral grant. When Li Sheng pacified Zhu Ci, Shaocheng and his brothers had just completed mourning. Sheng memorialized requesting posthumous honors for Tingyu. Both sons were given official posts. But the Emperor was then seeking to win Zhu Tao back and shelved the memorial. The matter ended there. Fu Lingqi was a native of Linyi in Yizhou. He first served as a deputy general in the Lulong Army. When Youzhou fell into turmoil, he took his son Lin and fled to Zhaoyi, where Military Commissioner Xue Song appointed him army deputy. When Xue Song died, Tian Chengsi seized his territory and brought Lingqi into a senior post.

田悅拒命，馬燧敗之洹水。令奇密語璘曰：「吾閱世事多矣。自安、史幹紀，無噍類。吾觀田氏覆亡無時，安用茍旦夕，系縲京師，宗族屠地？汝能委質朝廷，為唐忠臣，吾亦名揚後世矣。」璘泣曰：「悅，忍人也，近禍可畏。」答曰：「今王師四合，吾屬俎中醢。兒今行，吾死不朽；不行，吾亦死。屍疊逆地云何？」璘俯泣不能對。初，悅與李納會濮陽，因乞師，納分麾下隨之。至是，納兵歸齊，使璘以三百騎護送。璘與父嚙臂別，乃以眾降燧。璘之出，與三子同降。悅怒，引令奇切讓。令奇罵曰：「爾忘義背主，旦夕死。吾教子以順，殺身庸何悔？鈞死，愈爾遠矣！」悅怒，奮而起。令奇臨刑，色不變，年七十九，夷其家。

Tian Yue defied the court's orders, and Ma Sui defeated him at the Huan River. Lingqi spoke secretly to Lin: "I have seen much of the world in my time. Since An Lushan and Shi Siming stirred up their age, none of their followers have been left alive. I see the Tian clan's destruction as imminent. Why cling to a few more days only to end up bound in the capital with your whole clan put to the sword? If you can submit to the court and become a loyal minister of Tang, my name too will shine in later ages." Lin wept and said, "Yue is a ruthless man. Imminent disaster is to be feared." He replied, "The imperial armies close in from all four sides. We are meat on the chopping block. If you go now, my death will not be in vain. If you do not go, I shall die all the same. What good is it to pile corpses upon rebel ground?" Lin bowed his head and wept, unable to reply. Earlier Tian Yue had met Li Na at Puyang and requested troops. Na detached men from his command to accompany him. At this time Na's troops were returning to Qi, and he had Lin escort them with three hundred horsemen. Lin and his father bit their arms in farewell, then he led his force to surrender to Ma Sui. When Lin went out, his three sons surrendered with him. Tian Yue was enraged and summoned Lingqi to rebuke him sharply. Lingqi cursed him: "You have forgotten righteousness and turned against your lord. You will die any day now. I taught my son to follow the righteous path. What regret is there in dying for it? When Yan Jun died, you were far worse than he!" Tian Yue flew into a rage and sprang to his feet. Facing execution, Lingqi's countenance did not change. He was seventy-nine. His whole family was exterminated.

燧署璘為軍副，詔拜特進，封義陽郡王。既聞父見害，號絕泣血，燧表其冤，加檢校左散騎常侍，賜晉陽第一區、祁田五十頃，贈令奇戶部尚書。令奇子璘璘字元亮。李懷光反，詔燧討之。璘介五千兵先濟河，與西師合。從燧入朝，為輔國大將軍，賜靖恭裏第一區、藍田田四十頃。璘之降，母匿里中獨免，及悅死，詔迎於魏，賜宴別殿。璘居環衛十三年，卒，年六十五，贈越州都督。劉乃劉乃字永夷，河南伊闕人。少警穎，警誦《六經》，日數千言。善文詞，為時推目。天寶中擢進士第。喪父，以孝聞。服終，中書舍人宋昱知銓事，乃方調，因進書曰：《書》稱：『知人則哲，能官人則惠。』此唐虞以為難。今文部始掄材，終授位，是知人、官人，兩任其責。昔禹、稷、臯陶之聖，猶曰載采有九德，考績以九載。今有司獨委一二小宰，察言於一幅之判，觀行於一揖之內，何其易哉？夫判者，以狹詞短韻為體，是以小冶鼓眾金，雖欲為鼎鏞，不可得已。故雖有周公、尼父圖書《易象》之訓，以判責之，曾不及徐、庾；雖有至德，以喋喋取之，曾不若嗇夫。故幹霄蔽日，巨樹也，求尺寸之材，必後於椓杙；龍吟虎嘯，希聲也，尚頰舌之感，必下於蛙黽。豈不悲乎！執事誠能先政事，次文學，退觀其治家，進察其臨節，則龐鴻深沈之事，亦可窺其門閾矣。」昱嘉之，補剡尉。劉晏在江西，奏使巡覆，充留後。

Ma Sui appointed Lin army deputy. An edict made him Special Grand Master and enfeoffed him as Prince of Yiyang. When he learned his father had been killed, he cried out until he wept blood. Ma Sui memorialized on his behalf. He was made acting Left Regular Attendant of the Cavalier and given the finest residence in Jinyang and fifty qing of fields in Qi. Lingqi was posthumously appointed Minister of Revenue. Lingqi's son Lin, whose style was Yuanliang. When Li Huaiguang rebelled, an edict ordered Ma Sui to campaign against him. Lin led five thousand troops across the river first and joined the western army. He followed Ma Sui to court, was made Grand General Who Assists the State, and was granted the finest residence on Jinggong Lane and forty qing of fields in Lantian. When Lin surrendered, his mother hid in the neighborhood and alone escaped harm. When Tian Yue died, an edict summoned her to Wei and granted her a feast in a separate hall. Lin served in the palace guard for thirteen years, then died at sixty-five. He was posthumously appointed regional commander of Yuezhou. Liu Nai, whose style was Yongyi, was a native of Yique in Henan. As a youth he was quick-witted and could recite the Six Classics from memory, several thousand words a day. He excelled at literary composition and was highly regarded in his day. During the Tianbao reign he passed the jinshi examination. When his father died, he became known for his filial devotion. When his mourning ended, Song Yu of the Secretariat was in charge of appointments. Nai was about to receive his first posting and submitted a letter: The Documents says, "He who knows men is wise; he who can place men in office is benevolent." Even Yao and Shun regarded this as difficult. Today the Ministry of Rites selects talent at the start and confers office at the end, bearing both the responsibility to know men and to place them in office. Even the sages Yu, Ji, and Gao Yao said one must broadly gather the nine virtues and assess achievement over nine years. Today the authorities leave this to one or two minor officials, judging words from a single examination essay and observing conduct within one bow. How easy is that? Examination essays take narrow phrasing and short rhymes as their form, like a small smithy beating many metals together. Though one wishes to forge a great cauldron, it cannot be done. Thus though one has the teachings of the Duke of Zhou, Confucius, the Documents, and the Changes, judged by examination essay one would not even match Xu Ling and Yu Xin; though one has supreme virtue, if selected by glib chatter one would not even match the stingy farmer of the histories. Thus a great tree that reaches the sky, when inch-sized timber is sought, must rank below pounding-stakes and pegs; the dragon's cry and tiger's roar are rare sounds, yet if glib impressions are prized, they must rank below frogs and toads. Is this not lamentable! If you can truly put governance first and literature second, observe how a man manages his household in private and how he meets crisis in public, then even the deepest matters may be glimpsed at the threshold." Song Yu praised it and appointed him assistant magistrate of Shan. When Liu Yan was in Jiangxi, he memorialized to send Nai on an inspection tour and appointed him acting regional commander.

大歷中，召拜司門員外郎。德宗初，進郭子儀為尚父。時冊禮廢，視詔文者不適所宜，宰相崔祐甫召乃至閤草之，少選成文，詞義典裁。俄擢給事中，權知兵部侍郎。楊炎、盧杞當國，五歲不遷。建中四年，真拜兵部侍郎。

During the Dali reign he was summoned and appointed vice director of the Gate Guards Bureau. Early in Dezong's reign, Guo Ziyi was advanced to the title of Imperial Father. Enfeoffment rites had fallen into disuse and the draft edict was ill-suited. Chief Minister Cui Youfu summoned Nai to the privy chamber to draft it. In a short while the text was complete, classical and measured in wording and meaning. Soon he was promoted to Attendant-in-Ordinary and given acting charge of the post of Vice Minister of War. When Yang Yan and Lu Qi held power, he received no promotion for five years. In the fourth year of the Jianzhong reign he was formally appointed Vice Minister of War.

帝狩奉天，乃臥疾私第，朱泚遣人召之，固稱篤。復遣偽相蔣鎮慰誘，乃佯喑不答，灸無完膚。鎮再至，知不可脅，乃太息曰：「我嘗忝曹郎，不能死，寧以自辱亶腥，復欲汙賢哲乎？」遂止。乃聞車駕如梁州，自投於床，搏膺呼天，不食卒，年六十。帝聞其忠，贈禮部尚書，謚曰貞惠。子伯芻，別傳。孟華孟華，史失其何所人。初事李寶臣為府官屬，論議幸幸不回，同舍疾之。王武俊斬李惟嶽，遣華至京師陳事，德宗問河朔利害，華對稱旨，擢檢校兵部郎中兼侍御史。

When the Emperor withdrew to Fengtian, Nai took to his sickbed at home. Zhu Ci sent men to summon him, but he firmly claimed grave illness. Zhu Ci again sent the false chancellor Jiang Zhen to console and entice him. Nai feigned muteness and would not answer, and moxibustion left no patch of skin intact. When Zhen came again and saw he could not be coerced, he sighed deeply and said, "I once held a bureau directorship and could not die for my principles. Would I now disgrace myself further and also defile a man of wisdom?" He then stopped. When he heard the imperial carriage was bound for Liangzhou, he threw himself upon his bed, beat his breast, and cried to Heaven. He ate nothing and died, aged sixty. The Emperor, learning of his loyalty, posthumously appointed him Minister of Rites with the posthumous title Zhenhui, Upright and Kind. His son Bochu has a separate biography. Meng Hua's native place is not recorded in the histories. He first served Li Baochen on his staff. In discussion he was clever and unyielding, and his colleagues resented him. Wang Wujun killed Li Weiyue and sent Hua to the capital to report affairs. Dezong asked about the strategic situation in Hebei. Hua's answers pleased him, and he was promoted to acting director of the War Bureau and concurrent investigating censor.

朱滔與武俊謀解田悅之圍，帝詔華還諭，欲亂其謀。華至，讓武俊曰：「安、史未覆滅時，大夫觀其兵，自謂天下可取，今日何汩汩？且上於大夫恩甚厚，將還康中丞他州，而歸我深、趙。自古忠臣，未有不先大功而後得高官者。大夫何望於失地邪？夫藥苦口者利病，大夫後日思愚言，悔無逮！」或曰：「華入朝私奏便宜，欲傾我，故得顯職。」武俊惑之，然以華舊人，未忍奪其職，卒進援悅。華從至臨清，稱病還恒州。武俊令子察所為，乃闔門謝賓客。武俊知不足忌，無殺華意。既僭稱王，授禮部侍郎，不肯起，嘔血死。張伾張伾者，本為澤潞將，守臨洺，田悅攻之，乘城固守累月，士死，糧且盡，救不至。伾悉召部將立軍門，命女出遍拜，因曰：「諸君戰良苦，吾無貲為賞，願以是女賣直，為眾士一日費。」士皆哭曰：「請死戰！」會馬燧自河東將兵擊悅城下，敗之，伾乘勝出戰，無不一當百。以功遷泗州刺史。居州十年，擢右金吾衛大將軍，未拜卒，贈尚書右僕射。

Zhu Tao and Wujun plotted to lift the siege of Tian Yue. The Emperor ordered Hua to return and instruct them, intending to disrupt their plan. When Hua arrived, he reproached Wujun: "Before An and Shi were destroyed, you looked on their armies and thought the realm could be taken. Why are you so mired today? Moreover the Emperor's favor toward you is very great. He will return Vice Commissioner Kang to another province and restore Shen and Zhao to us. Since antiquity no loyal minister has won high office before earning great merit. What do you hope for in lost territory? Medicine that bitterly stings the mouth benefits the illness. One day you will recall my words and regret that it is too late!" Someone said, "When Hua went to court he privately memorialized measures to undermine us. That is why he received a prominent post." Wujun was swayed, yet because Hua was an old associate he could not bear to strip him of his post and in the end advanced to relieve Tian Yue. Hua followed as far as Linqing, then claimed illness and returned to Hengzhou. Wujun had his son investigate Hua's conduct. Hua thereupon shut his gates and declined visitors. Wujun knew there was nothing to fear and had no intention of killing Hua. After Wujun had presumptuously declared himself king, Meng Hua was appointed vice minister of rites but refused to accept the post; he vomited blood and died. Zhang Pi had originally been a general of Zhe-Lu, defending Linming. When Tian Yue attacked, he mounted the walls and held firm for months. His soldiers died, provisions ran nearly out, and no relief came. Pi summoned all his subordinate generals to the army gate, had his daughter come out and bow to each of them, and said, "You have fought with great hardship. I have no money for rewards. I wish to sell this daughter at a fair price to cover one day's expenses for all of you. The soldiers all wept and cried, "We beg to fight to the death!" Just then Ma Sui led troops from Hedong and attacked Tian Yue below the walls, defeating him. Pi seized the victory and sallied forth; each of his men fought as if a hundred. For his merit he was transferred to prefect of Sizhou. After ten years in office he was promoted to great general of the Right Gold Crow Guard. Before he could assume the post he died and was posthumously granted right vice minister of works.

軍中議立其子重政，母徐及兄號訴不肯從，奔告淮南節度使王鍔，乃免。詔嘉其忠，起為金吾衛大將軍，委鍔處以劇職，封徐魯國夫人。周曾周曾者，本李希烈部將，與王玢、姚詹韋清誌相善，號四公子。希烈反，曾密得其計，一二以告李勉。玢為許州鎮遏使。會哥舒曜拔汝州，希烈遣曾往拒。曾欲引軍據蔡，使玢為應，憺、清居中謀取希烈，密求藥毒希烈，不死。曾之行，希烈使假子十人從。次襄城，知其謀，以告。希烈使李克誠率騾軍千人劫曾殺之，而收其兵，並殺玢、憺。始，約事覺毋相引。清懼，陽說希烈曰：「今兵寡，恐不能就事，請乞師朱滔。」希烈然之。至襄邑，奪劉洽。德宗贈曾太尉，玢司徒，憺工部尚書，擢清安定郡王，實封戶二百。

The army discussed installing his son Chongzheng as leader. His mother Xu and elder brother wailed in protest and refused to go along; they fled to report to Huainan military commissioner Wang E, and only then were they spared. An edict praised their loyalty. Chongzheng was appointed great general of the Gold Crow Guard, and Wang E was entrusted to assign him a demanding post. Xu was enfeoffed as Lady of Lu. Zhou Ceng had originally been a subordinate general of Li Xilie. He was close to Wang Bin, Yao Dan, and Wei Qingzhi, and they were known as the Four Young Lords. When Li Xilie rebelled, Zhou Ceng secretly learned his plans and reported them one by one to Li Mian. Wang Bin served as military stabilization commissioner of Xuzhou. When Geshu Yao captured Ruzhou, Li Xilie dispatched Zhou Ceng to resist him. Zhou Ceng planned to lead the army to seize Cai while Wang Bin coordinated from outside. Yao Dan and Wei Qing, stationed at the center, plotted to overthrow Li Xilie; they secretly sought poison to kill him, but he did not die. When Zhou Ceng set out, Li Xilie had ten adopted sons accompany him. When they reached Xiangcheng, the adopted sons learned of the plot and reported it. Li Xilie sent Li Kecheng at the head of a thousand mule-cavalry to intercept and kill Zhou Ceng, then took over his troops and also killed Wang Bin and Yao Dan. From the outset they had agreed that if the plot were discovered, none would implicate the others. Wei Qing was afraid. He pretended to persuade Li Xilie, saying, "Our forces are too few now—we may not succeed. I request permission to ask Zhu Tao for reinforcements. Li Xilie agreed. When he reached Xiangyi, he captured the Tang general Liu Qia. Dezong posthumously granted Zhou Ceng the title of grand preceptor, Wang Bin minister of education, and Yao Dan minister of works. Wei Qing was elevated to Prince of Anding with a fief of two hundred taxable households.

又有呂賁、康秀琳、梁興朝、賈樂卿、侯仙欽皆死希烈之難，贈賁、秀琳尚書左右僕射，興朝等皆秩尚書，遣蕭昕致祭境上。命李勉、哥舒曜訪其家子孫，詔雖三世有罪，常降一等。

Lü Fen, Kang Xiulin, Liang Xingchao, Jia Leqing, and Hou Xianqin also died in Li Xilie's rebellion. Fen and Xiulin were posthumously granted left and right vice ministers of works; Xingchao and the others were given ministerial rank; and Xiao Xin was sent to offer sacrifices at the border. Li Mian and Geshu Yao were ordered to visit the descendants of their families. An edict decreed that even if guilt extended three generations, their descendants' punishments would always be reduced one grade.

曾無後，貞元中，女及曾兄子酆爭襲封，有司奏曾首謀歸順，身死賊手，陛下錫真食，不幸絕嗣，宜令酆以五十戶奉祀，女亦封五十戶。張名振張名振，李事李懷光為都將。始，懷光已立功，德宗賜鐵券，奉詔倨甚。名振到軍門大言曰：「太尉見賊不擊，使到不迎，將反邪？且安、史、仆固等今皆族滅，公欲何為？是資忠義士立功耳。」懷光召見，諭以賊強，須蓄銳俟時，誘為不反。及引軍入咸陽，又曰：「公不反，來此何邪？不急攻泚收京城，欲以賊誰遺？」懷光怒曰：「病狂人也。」使左右拉殺之。石演芬石演芬者，本西域胡人，事懷光至都將，尤親信，畜為假子。懷光軍三橋，將與朱泚連和。演芬使客郜成義到行在，言懷光無破賊意，請罷其總統。成義走告懷光子隹，懷光召演芬罵曰：「爾為我子，奈何欲破吾家？今日負我，宜即死。」對曰：「天子以公為股肱，公以我為腹心；公乃負天子，我何不負公？且我胡人，無異心，惟知事一人，不呼我為賊，死固吾分。」懷光使士臠食之，皆曰：「烈士也，可令快死。」以刀斷其頸。德宗聞，贈演芬兵部尚書，賜其家錢三百萬，斬成義於朔方。吳漵吳漵者，章敬皇后之弟。代宗立，詔贈後祖神泉為司徒，父令珪太尉，擢叔父令瑤太子家令、濮陽郡公，令瑜太子諭德、濟陽郡公，漵太子詹事、濮陽郡公，並開府儀同三司。令瑤兄弟故為縣令、郎將矣，而漵用盛王府參軍進，俄遷鴻臚少卿、金吾將軍。建中初，遷大將軍。漵循循有禮讓，無倨氣矜色，見重朝廷，時以為材當所位，不自戚屬者。

Zhou Ceng had no male heir. In the Zhenyuan era his daughter and his elder brother's son Feng disputed the inherited fief. The authorities memorialized that Ceng had been first to plot surrender to the dynasty and had died at rebel hands; the Emperor had granted him a fief, but unfortunately the line had ended. Feng should receive fifty households for sacrificial maintenance, and the daughter should also be enfeoffed with fifty households. Zhang Mingzhen served Li Huaiguang as a chief general. Initially, after Li Huaiguang had already won great merit, Dezong bestowed an iron certificate of indemnity on him. Yet in receiving the imperial command he was extremely arrogant. Zhang Mingzhen arrived at the army gate and shouted, "Grand Preceptor, you see the rebels but will not attack them. When the imperial envoy arrives you do not welcome him. Do you intend to rebel? Moreover An Lushan, Shi Siming, Pugu Huai'en, and the rest have now all been exterminated to the last clan. What do you intend? This is merely giving loyal and righteous men the chance to win merit. Li Huaiguang summoned him and explained that the rebels were strong and he must conserve his strength and await the right moment, coaxing him into believing he would not rebel. When Li Huaiguang led his army into Xianyang, Zhang Mingzhen said again, "If you do not intend to rebel, why have you come here? If you do not urgently attack Zhu Ci and recover the capital, to whom do you intend to leave the rebels? Li Huaiguang raged, "A raving madman." He had his attendants tear Zhang Mingzhen apart and kill him. Shi Yanfen was originally a man from the Western Regions. Serving Li Huaiguang he rose to chief general, was especially trusted, and was taken in as an adopted son. Li Huaiguang's army was at Sanqiao, and he was about to ally with Zhu Ci. Shi Yanfen sent a client, Gao Chengyi, to the mobile court to report that Li Huaiguang had no intention of destroying the rebels and to request that his overall command be removed. Gao Chengyi fled to tell Li Huaiguang's son Sui. Huaiguang summoned Shi Yanfen and cursed him, "You are my son—how dare you seek to destroy my house? Today you betray me—you ought to die at once. He replied, "The Son of Heaven treats you as his arm and thigh; you treat me as your heart and belly. You betray the Son of Heaven—why should I not betray you? Moreover, as a Hu man I have no divided loyalty—I know only to serve one master. You may not call me a rebel; death is my rightful portion." Li Huaiguang had his soldiers hack him to pieces. They all said, "A martyr—let him die quickly." They severed his neck with a blade. When Dezong heard, he posthumously granted Shi Yanfen minister of war, gave his family three million cash, and executed Gao Chengyi at Shuofang. Wu Su was the younger brother of Empress Zhangjing. When Daizong ascended the throne, an edict posthumously granted the empress's grandfather Shenquan the title of minister of education and her father Linggui grand preceptor. Her uncle Lingyao was promoted to supervisor of the heir apparent's household and enfeoffed as Duke of Puyang; Lingyu became preceptor of the heir and Duke of Jiyang; and Su became grand mentor of the heir and Duke of Puyang—all with the honorary rank of grand general with imperial insignia equal to the three excellencies. Lingyao and his brothers had previously served as county magistrates and brigade generals, but Su advanced through the post of adjutant on the Prince of Sheng's household. Soon he was transferred to vice director of the Court of State Ceremonial and general of the Gold Crow Guard. At the beginning of the Jianzhong era he was promoted to grand general. Wu Su was steadily courteous and yielding, without haughty air or proud bearing. The court valued him, and people at the time thought his talent matched his rank—not because he was an imperial relative.

朱泚反，盧杞、白誌貞皆謂泚有功，不宜首難，得大臣一人持節尉曉，惡且悛。德宗顧左右，無敢行，漵曰：「陛下不以臣亡能，願至賊中諭天子至意。」帝大悅。漵退謂人曰：「吾知死無益而決見賊者，人臣食祿死其難，所也。方危時，安得自計？且不使陛下恨下無犯難者。」即日賫詔見泚，具道帝待以不疑者。而泚業僭逆，故留漵客省不遣，卒被害。帝悲梗甚，贈太子太保，謚曰忠，賜其家實戶二百，一子五品正員官。京師平，官庀其葬。子士矩，別傳。高沐高沐者，渤海人。父馮，事宣武李靈耀，假守曹州。靈耀反，馮密遣人奏賊纖悉，有詔即拜曹州刺史。會李正已盜有曹、濮，馮不能自通朝廷，死官下。

When Zhu Ci rebelled, Lu Qi and Bai Zhizhen both argued that Ci had merit and should not be attacked first. If a senior minister were sent with imperial insignia to console and instruct him, his rebellion might yet be reversed. Dezong looked about him, but none dared go. Wu Su said, "If Your Majesty does not consider me incapable, I wish to enter the rebel camp and convey the Son of Heaven's full intent. The Emperor was greatly pleased. Wu Su withdrew and told others, "I know that death will not help, yet I resolved to face the rebels because a minister who eats the state's salary ought to die in its crises—that is only fitting. In perilous times, how can one think only of oneself? And so that Your Majesty would not regret that there was no one below you who dared face danger. That very day he carried the edict to an audience with Zhu Ci and fully explained how the Emperor treated him without suspicion. But Zhu Ci was already bent on usurpation, so he detained Wu Su in the Guest Bureau and would not release him. In the end Su was killed. The Emperor grieved deeply. He posthumously granted Wu Su the title of grand guardian of the heir with the posthumous name Loyal, gave his family two hundred taxable households, and appointed one son to a regular fifth-rank office. After the capital was pacified, the authorities arranged his funeral. His son Shiju has a separate biography. Gao Mu was a native of Bohai. His father Feng served under Li Lingyao of Xuanwu as acting administrator of Caozhou. When Li Lingyao rebelled, Feng secretly sent men to report detailed intelligence on the rebels to the court. An edict immediately appointed him prefect of Caozhou. When Li Zhengyi seized Caozhou and Puzhou, Feng could not get word to the court on his own and died in office.

沐，貞元中擢進士第，以家托鄆，故李師古辟署判官。師道叛，沐率其僚郭戶、郭航、李公度引古今成敗，前後鐫說，不能入。師道所厚吏李文會、林英等乘間訴曰：「比悉心憂公家事，而為沐等所疾，公奈何舉十二州地成沐輩千載名乎？」由是疏斥沐，令守濮州。沐上書盛誇山東煮海之饒，得其地可以富國。師道謀皆露。後英奏事京師，脅邸史言沐以誠款結天子。師道怒，誅沐，而囚戶濮州，守衛苛嚴，凡十年。

In the Zhenyuan era Gao Mu passed the jinshi examination. Because his family relied on Yanzhou, Li Shigu recruited him as an administrative aide. When Li Shidao rebelled, Gao Mu led his colleagues Guo Hu, Guo Hang, and Li Gongdu in citing examples of success and failure from antiquity to the present, admonishing him repeatedly in speech and writing—but they could not get through to him. Li Shidao's favored officials Li Wenhu and Lin Ying seized an opening to complain, "We have lately devoted ourselves to your household affairs, yet Gao Mu and his allies resent us. How can you surrender the twelve prefectures merely to win eternal fame for Mu and his friends? Thereupon Gao Mu was estranged and expelled, and ordered to defend Puzhou. Gao Mu submitted a memorial lavishly praising the wealth of Shandong's salt-boiling industry, arguing that obtaining those lands could enrich the state. Li Shidao's designs were all exposed. Later Lin Ying went to the capital on business. He coerced a hostel clerk into saying that Gao Mu was sincerely reaching out to the Son of Heaven. Li Shidao flew into a rage, executed Gao Mu, and imprisoned Guo Hu in Puzhou under harsh guard—for ten years in all.

吳元濟拒命，師道引兵攻彭城，敗蕭、沛數縣而還，以緩王師。戶為繒書藏衣絮間，使郭航間道走武寧軍見李願，請奇兵三千浮海搗萊、淄，賊倚海不為備，且居皆罪人，無與守。始，戶畏事泄，署師道所信吏劉諒名以遣，願白諸朝，議者疑師道使為之，不得報。航不敢循故道，間關回遠還戶所。未幾，師道召航，戶疑事露，欲引決，航曰：「事覺，吾獨死，君無患。」航卒自殺，遂絕。及王師討師道，諸節度兵四人，而彭城兵下魚臺金鄉、李聽軍取海州若拾遺，頗用戶策。

When Wu Yuanji defied imperial orders, Li Shidao led troops to attack Pengcheng, ravaged several counties in Xiao and Pei, and returned—to slow the imperial army. Guo Hu wrote a letter on silk and hid it in clothing padding. He sent Guo Hang by secret route to the Wuning Army to see Li Yuan, requesting three thousand elite troops to cross the sea and strike Lai and Zi. The rebels relied on the sea and were unprepared, and the inhabitants were all convicts with no one to defend the region. At first Guo Hu feared the matter would leak, so he signed the name of Liu Liang, an official Li Shidao trusted, to the letter. Li Yuan reported it to the court, but deliberators suspected Shidao had orchestrated it and gave no reply. Guo Hang dared not return by the old route. He took a roundabout path over a vast distance back to Guo Hu. Before long Li Shidao summoned Guo Hang. Guo Hu suspected the affair was exposed and wished to take his own life. Hang said, "If it is discovered, I alone will die—you need not worry. Guo Hang in the end killed himself, and the connection was severed. When the imperial army campaigned against Li Shidao with forces from four military commissioners, Pengcheng troops took Yutai and Jinxiang, and Li Ting's army seized Haizhou as easily as picking up lost goods—largely by using Guo Hu's strategy.

初，淮西平，師道勢蹙，內甚懼。李公度與大將李英曇都獻三州。使長子入侍。師道然可，俄中悔，欲殺英曇，賈直言諷師道嬖奴曰：「高沐冤氣在天，禍且至。英曇復死，是益其崇也。」乃止。逐於萊州，俄殺之。

Initially, when Huaixi was pacified, Li Shidao's position tightened and inwardly he was greatly afraid. Li Gongdu and the grand general Li Yingyan jointly offered to surrender three prefectures. They proposed sending Shidao's eldest son to serve at court. Li Shidao agreed at first, but soon repented and wished to kill Li Yingyan. Jia Zhijan hinted to Shidao's favorite slave, "Gao Mu's wronged spirit is in heaven—disaster is near. If Li Yingyan dies as well, that will only increase his haunting. Shidao then stopped. Li Yingyan was banished to Laizhou and soon killed.

又有崔承寵、楊偕、陳佑、崔清皆抗節忤賊，李文會指為沐黨，沐之死，皆被囚。劉悟既平師道，捉戶臂歔欷流涕，辟置義成節度府，亦請公度為僚屬。元和十四年，贈沐吏部尚書，委馬揔備禮收葬，恤其家。

Cui Chengbao, Yang Xie, Chen You, and Cui Qing also upheld their integrity and defied the rebels. Li Wenhu denounced them as Gao Mu's faction, and after Mu's death they were all imprisoned. After Liu Wu had pacified Li Shidao, he took Guo Hu by the arm, weeping and sighing, and recruited him to the Yicheng military commissioner's staff. He also invited Li Gongdu as an aide. In the fourteenth year of Yuanhe, Gao Mu was posthumously granted minister of personnel. Ma Cong was entrusted to prepare rites for his reburial and provide relief to his family.

航，萊州人，以氣聞，師道署右職，與戶世居齊。初，戶舉進士，權德輿將取之，聞其家賊中，乃罷，遂為賊聘。二人率能以忠顯。賈直言賈直言，河朔舊族也，史失其地。父道沖，以藝待詔。代宗時，坐事賜鴆，將死，直言紿其父曰：「當謝四方神祇。」使者少怠，輒取鴆代飲，迷而踣。明日，毒潰足而出，久乃蘇。帝憐之，減父死，俱流嶺南。直言由是鐍。

Guo Hang was a native of Laizhou, famed for his valor. Li Shidao appointed him to a high post. He and Guo Hu had lived in Qi for generations. Initially Guo Hu passed the jinshi examination. Quan Deyu was about to select him, but when he heard that Hu's family was in rebel territory he abandoned the matter, and Hu was then recruited by the rebels. Both men were able to display their loyalty. Jia Zhijan was of an old Hebei clan; the histories do not record his birthplace. His father Daochong served as artisan awaiting imperial command. In Daizong's time, for an offense Daochong was granted poison to die. As he was about to die, Jia Zhijan deceived his father, saying, "I must thank the spirits of the four directions. When the envoy relaxed his vigilance for a moment, Zhijan snatched the poison and drank it in his father's stead. He lost consciousness and collapsed. The next day the poison ruptured through his foot and drained out. Only after a long time did he revive. The Emperor took pity on them. He commuted his father's death sentence, and both father and son were exiled to Lingnan. From that ordeal Jia Zhijan was left lame.

後署師道府屬。及師道不軌，提刀負棺入諫曰：「願前死，不見城之破。」又畫縛載檻車狀而妻子系累者以獻，師道怒，囚之。劉悟既入，釋其禁，辟署義成府。後徙潞，亦隨府遷。

Later he was appointed to Li Shidao's staff. When Li Shidao rebelled, he entered bearing a knife and a coffin on his back and admonished him: "Let me die first—I refuse to live to see this city taken. He also painted a picture of himself bound and loaded into a prison cart, with wife and children shackled together, and presented it. Li Shidao flew into a rage and had him imprisoned. Once Liu Wu took control, he freed him and appointed him to the Yicheng military commissioner's staff. When the headquarters later moved to Lu Prefecture, he moved with them.

監軍劉承偕與悟不平，陰與慈州刺史張汶謀縛悟送闕下，以汶代節度。事泄，悟以兵圍承偕，殺小使，赴言遽入責曰：「司空縱兵脅天子使者，是欲效李司空邪？它日復為軍中所指笑。」悟聞，感悔，匿承偕於第以免。悟每有過，必爭，故悟能以臣節光明於朝。穆宗召為諫議大夫，群情灑然稱允。而悟固留，得聽。

The army supervisor Liu Chengjie bore a grudge against Liu Wu and secretly plotted with Cizhou Prefect Zhang Wen to seize Liu Wu and send him to the capital, so that Zhang Wen could take his place as military commissioner. When the plot was exposed, Liu Wu surrounded Liu Chengjie with troops and killed his attendants. Jia Zhijan rushed in and upbraided him: "Commissioner, you have turned soldiers on the emperor's envoy—are you trying to follow in Li Shidao's footsteps? One day the whole army will point at you and laugh. Liu Wu was moved to remorse and hid Liu Chengjie in his own mansion to protect him. Whenever Liu Wu erred, Jia Zhijan challenged him without fail, and so Liu Wu was able to uphold his loyalty before the throne. Emperor Muzong summoned him to serve as Remonstrance Grand Master, and the court received the appointment with universal approval. Liu Wu insisted on keeping him, however, and the court allowed the appointment to wait.

始，悟子從諫貴甚，見直言輒衣紫擁笏，以兵自衛。直言諫悟曰：「郎少年，毋使襲山東熊，朝服可擅著邪？」悟死，從諫不發喪，召大將劉武德等矯悟遺言，與鄰道使共表求襲位，直言入讓曰：「父死不哭，何顏面見山東義士乎？」從諫曰：「欲反耳。」直言仰天哭曰：「爾父提十二州地歸朝廷為功臣。然以張汶故，自謂不潔淋頭，卒羞死。郎今日乃欲反邪？」從諫起抱直言項哭曰：「計窮而然。」直言曰：「君何憂無土地，今脅朝廷，正速死耳。若從武德謀，吾見劉氏為元濟矣。」從諫拜曰：「唯大夫救之。」直言乃自攝留後，使從諫居喪。初，從諫惟鄆兵二千同謀。直言既折之，軍中遂安。

At first Liu Wu's son Liu Congjian carried himself with great arrogance; whenever he saw Jia Zhijan he would appear in purple robes with his court tablet in hand, surrounded by armed guards. Jia Zhijan admonished Liu Wu: "Your son is still young—do not let him imitate the swaggering warlords of the east. Does he think court robes are his to put on whenever he pleases? When Liu Wu died, Liu Congjian withheld the news of his death. He summoned the senior general Liu Wude and others to forge his father's dying instructions, then joined with envoys from neighboring circuits in a memorial asking to inherit the post. Jia Zhijan came in and rebuked him: "Your father is dead and you will not mourn—how will you ever face the loyal men of the east?" Liu Congjian replied, "I intend to rebel—that is all." Jia Zhijan lifted his face to heaven and wailed: "Your father surrendered twelve prefectures to the throne and died a honored servant of the empire. Yet because of Zhang Wen he felt himself disgraced beyond cleansing and died in humiliation. And now you mean to rebel?" Liu Congjian rose, threw his arms around Jia Zhijan's neck, and wept: "I am driven to this because I have no other way out." Jia Zhijan said, "Why worry about lacking territory? If you threaten the throne now, you will only bring on your own swift ruin. If you follow Liu Wude's counsel, I see the Liu clan ending as Wu Yuanji did." Liu Congjian bowed low and said, "Only you can save me, sir." Jia Zhijan then assumed the acting post of military commissioner himself and put Liu Congjian into proper mourning. At first only two thousand Yan troops were in on Liu Congjian's plot. Once Jia Zhijan had broken their resolve, the army settled down.

大和九年卒，贈工部尚書。辛讜辛讜者，太原尹雲京孫也。學《詩》、《書》，能擊劍，重然諾，走人所急。初事李嶧，主錢穀。性廉勁，遇事不處文法，皆與之合。罷居揚州，年五十，不肯仕，而慨然常有濟時意。

He died in 835 and was posthumously appointed Minister of Works. Xin Zan was the grandson of the Taiyuan governor Yin Yunjing. He studied the classics, was skilled with the sword, held his word sacred, and always rushed to help those in distress. He first served under Li Bi, managing finances and supplies. Upright and resolute by nature, he handled matters without fussing over formal procedure, and Li Bi always found himself in agreement with him. After leaving office he settled in Yangzhou. At fifty he refused further appointment, yet he burned with the desire to serve the times.

龐勛反，攻杜慆於泗州。讜聞之，挐舟趨泗口，貫賊柵以入。慆素聞其名，握手曰：「吾僚李延樞嘗為吾道夫子為人，何意臨教？吾無憂矣！」讜亦謂慆可共事，乃請還與妻子決，同慆生死。時賊張甚，眾皆南走，獨讜北行。讜未至，慆憂之，延樞知必來，曰：「讜至，可表為判官。」慆許諾。俄而至，慆喜曰：「圍急，飛鳥不敢過，君乃冒白刃入危城，古人所不能。」乃勸解白衣被甲。

When Pang Xun rebelled, he besieged Du Tao at Sizhou. When Xin Zan heard the news, he took a boat to the mouth of the Si River and broke through the rebel barricades to enter the city. Du Tao had long known his reputation. He grasped his hand and said, "My colleague Li Yanshu once told me what kind of man you are—what brings you here to guide us? I have nothing left to fear! Xin Zan also judged Du Tao a man worth standing with. He asked leave to return home and say farewell to his wife and children, pledging to live or die with Du Tao. The rebels were at the height of their power and everyone was fleeing south—Xin Zan alone headed north toward the siege. Before Xin Zan arrived, Du Tao worried for him. Li Yanshu, certain he would come, said, "When Xin Zan arrives, recommend him as military aide. Du Tao agreed. Before long Xin Zan arrived. Du Tao exulted: "The siege is desperate—even birds will not fly over the walls, yet you risked the enemy's blades to enter this doomed city. Not even the heroes of old did such a thing. He then urged Xin Zan to put off his plain clothes and take up armor.

賊將李圓焚淮口，讜曰：「事棘矣，獨出可以求援。」乃與楊文播、李行實戊夜逾淮，坎岸登，馳三十里至洪澤，見戍將郭厚本告急。厚本許出兵，大將袁公異等曰：「賊眾我寡，不可往。」讜拔劍瞋目呼曰：「泗州陷在旦夕，公等被詔來，乃逗留不進，欲何為？大丈夫孤國恩，雖生可羞。且失泗，則淮南為寇場，君尚能獨存？吾今斷左臂殺君去。」推劍直前，厚本持之，公異等僅免。讜望泗慟哭，帳下皆流涕。厚本決許付兵五百，讜曰：「足矣！」遍問士曰：「能行乎？」皆曰：「諾。」讜仆面於地，泣以謝。眾既叩淮，有人語曰：「賊破城矣！」讜將斬之，眾為請。讜曰：「公等登舟，吾赦其死。」士遽登。已濟，慆亦出兵，表裏擊，賊大敗。讜入，人心遂固。浙西杜審權遣將翟行約赴援，壁蓮塘，慆欲遣人廷勞，諸吏憚不敢出，讜獨往犒而還。

The rebel general Li Yuan set fire to the Huai River crossing. Xin Zan said, "The situation is desperate—the only hope is to break out and seek reinforcements. He set out with Yang Wenbo and Li Xingshi, crossed the Huai by night, scaled the far bank, and rode thirty li to Hongze to plead for help from the garrison commander Guo Houben. Guo Houben agreed to send troops, but his senior officers Yuan Gongyi and others objected: "The enemy outnumber us—we cannot march. Xin Zan drew his sword, glared, and roared: "Sizhou will fall at any moment! The throne sent you here—will you sit idle? What do you mean by this? A true man who abandons his sovereign's trust has no honor left in living. If Sizhou falls, all Huainan becomes rebel territory—do you think you will survive alone? I will cut off my own left arm and kill you before I leave." He lunged forward with his sword. Guo Houben held him back, and Yuan Gongyi and the others barely escaped with their lives. Xin Zan turned toward Sizhou and wept in anguish, and every man in the camp wept with him. Guo Houben finally committed five hundred men. Xin Zan said, "That is enough! He asked each soldier in turn, "Will you come with me?" They all answered, "We will." Xin Zan prostrated himself and wept his gratitude. As they were crossing the Huai, someone shouted, "The rebels have broken the city! Xin Zan was about to cut him down, but the men begged for his life. Xin Zan said, "Board the boats, all of you, and I will spare him. The men scrambled aboard at once. After they crossed the river, Du Tao sallied forth as well. Caught between the two forces, the rebels suffered a crushing defeat. When Xin Zan returned to the city, the defenders' morale was restored. Du Shenquan of Zhexi sent the general Zhai Xingyue with reinforcements, and he encamped at Liantang. Du Tao wanted to send an envoy to welcome him, but every official was too afraid to go—only Xin Zan went out alone to bring supplies to the relief force and returned safely.

圍三月，救兵外敗，城益危。讜復請乞兵淮南，與壯士徐珍十人持斧夜斬賊柵出，見節度使令狐，復詣浙西見審權。時皆傳泗州已陷，疑讜為賊計，囚之。讜引李嶧自明。嶧時為大同防禦使，稱其忠可信。審權乃許救，合淮南兵五千，鹽粟具。方淮路梗，不得進。讜引兵決戰，斬賊六百級，乃克入，城上歡叫，慆與下迎泣，表其功於朝，授監察御史。圍凡十月乃解，卒完一州。

After three months under siege, the relief army was beaten outside the walls and the city grew more desperate by the day. Xin Zan volunteered to seek troops from Huainan. With ten stalwarts including Xu Zhen, axes in hand, he cut through the rebel barricades by night, reached Military Commissioner Linghu Tao, and then traveled on to Zhexi to see Du Shenquan. Rumors were everywhere that Sizhou had already fallen, and Du Shenquan suspected Xin Zan of working for the rebels and had him imprisoned. Xin Zan invoked Li Bi's testimony to clear his name. Li Bi, then Defender of Datong, vouched for his loyalty and trustworthiness. Du Shenquan then agreed to send aid: five thousand Huainan troops with full supplies of salt and grain. But the Huai River routes were blocked and the relief force could not get through. Xin Zan led the relief force in a pitched battle, killed six hundred rebels, and fought his way into the city. The walls erupted in cheers; Du Tao came down to meet him in tears. His exploits were reported to the throne and he was appointed Investigating Censor. The siege lasted ten months in all before it was lifted, and the entire prefecture was saved.

初，讜求救也，過家十餘，未嘗見妻子，得糧累二十萬。讜子及兄子客廣陵，托慆曰：「使先人不乏祀，公之惠也。」後以功第一，拜亳州刺史，徙曹、泗二州。乾符末，終嶺南節度使。

When Xin Zan first set out to seek reinforcements, he passed his own home more than ten times without once stopping to see his wife and children, and raised two hundred thousand units of grain. His son and his brother's son stayed in Guangling, and he entrusted them to Du Tao with the words: "If my ancestors' rites are kept, it will be through your kindness. Later, ranked first in merit, he was appointed prefect of Bozhou and then transferred to govern Cao and Si prefectures. At the end of the Qianfu era he died while serving as military commissioner of Lingnan.

方讜之少，耕於野，有牛斗，眾畏奔踐，讜直前，兩持其角，牛不能動，久而引觸，竟折其角。里人駭異，屠牛以飯讜。然讜臒短，才及中人。後貴，力亦少衰云。黃碣黃碣，閩人也。初為閩小將，喜學問，軒然有志向。同列有假其筆者，碣怒曰：「是筆它日斷大事，不可假。」後戰安南有功，高駢表其能，為漳州刺史，徙婺州，治有績。劉漢宏遣兵攻之，兵寡不可守，棄州去，客蘇州。

In his youth, while plowing in the fields, Xin Zan once saw two oxen fighting. Everyone else fled in fear of being trampled, but he walked straight up, seized both animals by the horns, and held them fast. After a long struggle he wrenched one ox's head aside and snapped off its horn. The villagers were awestruck and slaughtered an ox to feast him. Yet Xin Zan was slight and short—barely of average height. After he rose to high rank, it is said, his strength waned somewhat as well. Huang Jie was a native of Fujian. He began as a junior officer in Fujian, loved learning, and carried himself with evident ambition. When a comrade asked to borrow his writing brush, Huang Jie snapped: "This brush will one day decide weighty matters—it is not to be lent. After distinguishing himself in campaigns in Annam, Gao Pian recommended his abilities. He was appointed prefect of Zhangzhou, later transferred to Wuzhou, and governed with distinction. When Liu Hanhong sent troops against him, his forces were too few to hold the city. He abandoned his post and took refuge in Suzhou.

董昌為威勝軍節度使，表碣自副，久乃應。及昌反，碣諫曰：「大王拔田畝，席貢輸之勤，位將相，非有勛業可紀。今不能盡忠王朝，乃自尊大，一日誅滅無種矣。桓、文不侮周室，曹操弗敢危漢。今王僻嬰一城，乃為大逆，何邪？碣請舉族先死，不能見王之滅。」昌怒曰：「碣不順我邪？」斥出之。碣移書幕府李滔曰：「『順天』建元，以愚策之，針可為槊邪？」或竊其書示昌，昌令使者斬之。使以首至，昌詬曰：「賊負我，三公不肯為，而求死邪？」抵混中，夷其家百口，坎鏡湖之南同瘞焉。昌敗，有詔贈司徒，求其後不能得。

Dong Chang, military commissioner of the Weisheng Army, invited Huang Jie to serve as his deputy, and only after much urging did he accept. When Dong Chang rebelled, Huang Jie admonished him: "Your Majesty rose from the fields through years of paying tribute to the throne and now hold rank as minister and general, yet you have no great deeds to your name. If you cannot serve the dynasty with full loyalty and instead set yourself above it, one day you and your whole line will be wiped out. Duke Huan and Duke Wen of Qi did not humiliate the Zhou royal house, and Cao Cao did not dare threaten the Han dynasty. Yet you hold one remote city and call yourself emperor—what madness is this? Huang Jie asked that his entire clan be executed first, saying he could not bear to live to see the king's ruin. Dong Chang raged: "Huang Jie, you defy me?" He had him thrown out. Huang Jie wrote to the staff officer Li Tao: "You have proclaimed the era name 'Obedient to Heaven'—tell me, can a needle pass for a spear? Someone stole the letter and showed it to Dong Chang, who sent an agent to execute him. When the agent returned with Huang Jie's head, Dong Chang snarled: "The fool betrayed me—he refused the Three Excellencies and chose death instead? He tossed the head into the filth, executed his entire household of a hundred souls, and buried them together in a common pit south of Mirror Lake. After Dong Chang's defeat, an edict posthumously made Huang Jie Grand Preceptor, but no descendants could be found.

昌已殺碣，滔亦遇害，乃召會稽令吳鐐問策，鐐曰：「王為真諸侯，遺榮子孫而不為，乃作偽天子，自取滅亡。」昌叱斬之，族其家。又召山陰令張遜知御史臺，固辭曰：「王自棄，為天下笑。且六州勢不助逆，王據孤州以速死，謂何？遜不敢以身許王也。」昌惡之，曰：「遜不知天意，議邪說拒我。」囚之。他日謂人曰：「我無碣、鐐、遜，何乏事？」即害之。碣孫揆孫揆，字聖圭，刑部侍郎逖五世從孫也。第進士，辟戶部巡官。歷中書舍人、刑部侍郎、京兆尹。昭宗討李克用，以揆為兵馬招討制置宣慰副使，既而更授昭義軍節度使，以本道兵會戰。克用伏兵刀黃嶺，執揆，厚禮而將用之，曰：「公輩當從容廟堂，何為自履行陣也？」揆大罵不詘，克用怒，使以鋸解之，鋸齒不行，揆謂曰：「死狗奴，解人當束之以板，汝輩安知？」行刑者如其所言，詈聲不輟至死。昭宗憐之，贈左僕射。

After Dong Chang had killed Huang Jie and Li Tao had also been murdered, he summoned the Kuaiji magistrate Wu Liao for counsel. Wu Liao said, "You could have remained a legitimate feudal lord and passed honor to your descendants—but instead you played at being emperor and have chosen your own ruin. Dong Chang ordered him executed on the spot and wiped out his entire family. He next summoned the Shanyin magistrate Zhang Xun to head the Censorate. Xun firmly declined: "You have cast yourself away and become the laughingstock of the realm. Moreover the six prefectures will not aid rebellion. You hold a lone prefecture only to hasten your death—what do you say to that? I dare not pledge my life to you." Dong Chang hated him and said, "Xun does not know Heaven's will and spreads perverse doctrines to reject me." He imprisoned him. Another day he said to others, "Without Huang Jie, Wu Liao, and Zhang Xun, what would I lack in affairs?" He then had him killed. Huang Jie's grandson Sun Kui, whose style was Shenggui, was a fifth-generation collateral descendant of Vice Minister of Justice Sun Di. He passed the jinshi examination and was recruited as an itinerant officer of the Revenue Bureau. He served successively as Secretariat drafter, Vice Minister of Justice, and metropolitan governor of Jingzhao. When Zhaozong campaigned against Li Keyong, Kui was made deputy commissioner for army pacification and comfort. Shortly afterward he was appointed military commissioner of the Zhaoyi Army and led his command's troops into battle. Li Keyong ambushed him at Daohuang Ridge and seized him. He treated Kui with great courtesy and was about to employ him, saying, "Men like you ought to move at ease in the court halls. Why do you walk the ranks yourself?" Kui cursed him loudly and would not yield. Li Keyong was enraged and had him sawn apart, but the saw teeth would not bite. Kui said, "Dead dog-slaves! When dismembering a man you ought to bind him with boards. What do you lot know?" The executioners did as he said. His curses did not cease until he died. Zhaozong pitied him and posthumously appointed him Left Vice President of the Secretariat.

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