'''卷二百二十三上''' 列傳第一百四十八上姦臣上

◎奸臣上許敬宗許敬宗，字延族，杭州新城人。父善心，仕隋為給事中。敬宗幼善屬文，大業中舉秀才中第，調淮陽書佐，俄直謁者臺，奏通事舍人事。善心為宇文化及所殺，敬宗哀請得不死，去依李密為記室。武德初，補漣州別駕。太宗聞其名，召署文學館學士。貞觀中，除著作郎，兼修國史，喜謂所親曰：「仕宦不為著作，無以成門戶。」俄改中書舍人。文德皇后喪，群臣衰服，率更令歐陽詢貌醜異，敬宗侮笑自如，貶洪州司馬。累轉給事中，復修史，以勞封高陽縣男，檢校黃門侍郎。高宗在東宮，遷太子右庶子。高麗之役，太子監國定州，敬宗與高士廉典機劇。岑文本卒，帝驛召敬宗，以本官檢校中書侍郎。駐蹕山破賊，命草詔馬前，帝愛其藻警，由是專掌誥令。

◎ Corrupt Officials (Upper) — Xu Jingzong. Xu Jingzong, whose courtesy name was Yanzu, came from Xincheng in Hangzhou. His father Shansin had served the Sui dynasty as a supervising secretary. From childhood Jingzong excelled at writing. During the Daye reign he passed the xiucai examination, was posted as a secretary at Huaiyang, and before long entered the Office of Visitors, where he petitioned for the post of master of ceremonial intercourse. When Shansin was killed by Yuwen Huaji, Jingzong begged so piteously that his life was spared. He then went over to Li Mi and served as his secretary. Early in the Wude era he was appointed vice-prefect of Lianzhou. When Emperor Taizong heard of him, he summoned Jingzong to serve as a scholar in the Literary Academy. During Zhenguan he was made director of composition and also worked on the national history. He told his intimates with satisfaction, "In public life, unless you hold the post of director of composition you cannot build a lasting house for your family." Before long he was transferred to the post of secretariat drafter. During mourning for Empress Wende the court wore sackcloth, but when Ouyang Xun, director of palace attendants, appeared in his homely and odd looks, Jingzong openly mocked him. For this he was demoted to military adjutant of Hongzhou. After further promotions to supervising secretary he again took up historical compilation and, for his service, was enfeoffed as Baron of Gaoyang and made acting vice director of the Yellow Gate. While Gaozong was still crown prince, Jingzong was appointed right vice director of the heir apparent. In the war against Goguryeo the crown prince governed from Dingzhou, and Jingzong together with Gao Shilian handled the most pressing affairs of government. After Cen Wenti died the emperor summoned Jingzong by urgent relay and, while retaining his current rank, made him acting vice director of the Secretariat. When the army broke the rebels at Zhujishan, the emperor had him draft an edict from horseback and was so taken with his vivid, polished prose that Jingzong thereafter held sole charge of imperial edicts and commands.

初，太子承乾廢，官屬張玄素、令狐德棻、趙弘智、裴宣機、蕭鈞皆除名為民，不復用。敬宗為言玄素等以直言被嫌忌，今一概被罪，疑洗宥有所未至。帝悟，多所甄復。高宗即位，遷禮部尚書。敬宗饕沓，遂以女嫁蠻酋馮盎子，多私所聘。有司劾舉，下除鄭州刺史。俄復官，為弘文館學士。

Earlier, after Crown Prince Chengqian was deposed, his staff members Zhang Xuansu, Linghu Defen, Zhao Hongzhi, Pei Xuanji, and Xiao Jun were all stripped of office and reduced to commoners, never to be employed again. Jingzong argued that Xuansu and the others had been resented precisely because they spoke plainly, and that to punish them all indiscriminately now suggested the court's mercy had not yet gone far enough. The emperor took the point and restored many of them to office. When Gaozong ascended the throne, Jingzong was promoted to minister of rites. Greedy and grasping, Jingzong married his daughter to the son of the southern chieftain Feng Ang and kept much of the betrothal wealth for himself. When the responsible offices impeached him, he was demoted to prefect of Zhengzhou. Before long he was restored to office as a scholar of the Hongwen Hall.

帝將立武昭儀，大臣切諫，而敬宗陰揣帝私，即妄言曰：「田舍子剩獲十斛麥，尚欲更故婦。天子富有四海，立一後，謂之不可，何哉？」帝意遂定。王後廢，敬宗請削後家官爵，廢太子忠而立代王，遂兼太子賓客。帝得所欲，故詔敬宗待詔武德殿西闥。頃拜侍中，監修國史，爵郡公。

When the emperor meant to elevate Consort Wu to empress and the chief ministers protested sharply, Jingzong guessed his private wish and said rashly, "A farmer who has just harvested ten hu of wheat still wants to trade in his old wife. The Son of Heaven owns the realm—how can installing one empress be called impossible?" With that the emperor's mind was made up. After Empress Wang was deposed, Jingzong urged stripping her family's ranks and titles, deposing Crown Prince Zhong and installing the Prince of Dai; he then also served as mentor of the heir apparent. Having gotten his way, the emperor ordered Jingzong to await commands at the western side chamber of Wude Hall. Soon he was made palace attendant, put in charge of compiling the national history, and ennobled as duke of a commandery.

帝嘗幸故長安城，按蹕裴回，視古區處，問侍臣：「秦、漢以來幾君都此？」敬宗曰：「秦居咸陽，漢惠帝始城之。其後苻堅、姚萇、宇文周居之。」帝復問：「漢武開昆明池實何年？」對曰：「元狩三年，將伐昆明，實為此池以肄戰。」帝乃詔與弘文學士討古宮室故區，具條以聞。進中書令，仍守侍中。敬宗於立後有助力，知後鉗戾，能固主以久己權，乃陰連後謀逐韓瑗、來濟、褚遂良，殺梁王、長孫無忌、上官儀，朝廷重足事之，威寵熾灼，當時莫與比。改右相，辭疾，拜太子少師、同東西臺三品。年老，不任趨步，特詔與司空李勣朝朔日，聽乘小馬至內省。

Once, touring the old city of Chang'an, the emperor paused his escort to wander the ancient sites and asked his attendants, "Since Qin and Han, how many rulers have made this their capital?" Jingzong replied, "The Qin ruled from Xianyang; Emperor Hui of Han was the first to wall this city. Later Fu Jian, Yao Chang, and the Yuwen Zhou also ruled from here." The emperor asked again, "In what year did Emperor Wu of Han actually open Kunming Pool?" He answered, "In the third year of Yuan-shuo, when he was preparing to attack Kunming, he built this pool to train his fleet for war." The emperor then ordered him and the Hongwen scholars to research ancient palaces and former sites and report their findings in full. He was promoted to director of the Secretariat while continuing to serve as palace attendant. Having helped install the empress, Jingzong knew how fierce and unyielding she was and secured her favor to prolong his own power. He secretly joined her in driving out Han Yuan, Lai Ji, and Chu Suiliang and in destroying the Prince of Liang, Zhangsun Wuji, and Shangguan Yi. The court walked on tiptoe before him; his power and favor burned so hot that none in his day could rival him. He was made right chancellor, then pleaded illness and was appointed junior tutor of the heir apparent with third rank at both the eastern and western offices. In old age he could no longer keep pace on foot, so a special edict allowed him, like Minister of Works Li Ji, to attend only on the first of the month and to ride a pony as far as the inner offices.

帝東封泰山，以敬宗領使。次濮陽，帝問竇德玄：「此謂帝丘，何也？」德玄不對。敬宗儳曰：「臣能知之。昔帝顓頊始居此地，以王天下。其後夏後相因之，為寒浞所滅。後緡方侲，逃出自竇，在此地也。後昆吾氏因之，而為夏伯。昆吾既衰，湯滅之。其頌曰：『韋、顧既伐，昆吾、夏桀』是也。至春秋時，衛成公自楚丘徙居之，《左氏》稱『相奪予享』，以舊地也。由顓頊所居，故曰帝丘。臣聞有德者啟其國土，失道者則喪其疆宇。自古大都美國，居者不一姓，故有國家者不可不慎也。」帝曰：「《書》稱『浮於濟、漯』，今濟與漯斷不相屬，何故而然？」對曰：「夏禹道沇水東流為濟，入於河。今自漯至溫而入河，水自此洑地過河而南，出為滎；又洑而至曹、濮，散出於地，合而東，汶水自南入之，所謂『泆為滎，東出於陶丘北，又東會於汶』是也。古者五行皆有官，水官不失職，則能辨味與色。潛而出，合而更分，皆能識之。」帝曰：「天下洪流巨谷，不載祀典，濟甚細而在四瀆，何哉？」對曰：「瀆之言獨也。不因餘水，獨能赴海者也。且天有五星，運而為四時；地有五嶽，流而為四瀆；人有五事，用而為四支。五，陽數也；四，陰數也，有奇偶、陰陽焉。陽者光曜，陰者晦昧，故辰隱而難見。濟潛流屢絕，狀雖微細，獨而尊也。」帝曰：「善。」敬宗退，矜曰：「大臣不可無學，向德玄不能對，吾恥之。」德玄聞之，不屑曰：「人各有能。不強所不知，吾所能也。」李勣曰：「敬宗多聞，美矣；竇之不強，不亦善乎？」

When the emperor went east to perform the feng rite on Mount Tai, he put Jingzong in charge of the mission. At Puyang the emperor asked Dou Dexuan, "This place is called Diqiu—what does that mean?" Dexuan had no answer. Jingzong broke in, "Your servant knows. In antiquity Emperor Zhuanxu first made this place his seat and ruled the realm. Later the Xia ruler Xiang held it too until he was destroyed by Han Zhuo. Later Fang Zhen of Youqian fled the Dou clan and found refuge here. Afterward the Kunwu clan held it and became earl of Xia. When Kunwu declined, Tang destroyed them. As the hymn says, "Wei and Gu having been attacked, Kunwu and Xia Jie"—that is the event meant. By Spring and Autumn times Duke Cheng of Wei moved here from Chuqiu; the Zuo Commentary's line about "Xiang seizing his sacrifice" refers to this as an ancient seat. Because Zhuanxu once dwelt here, the place is called Diqiu, the Hill of the Emperor. I have heard that the virtuous open their states and lands, while those who lose the Way forfeit their domains. From antiquity great capitals and fertile lands have never stayed with one clan, so rulers who hold a state cannot afford to be careless." The emperor said, "The Documents speak of 'floating on the Ji and the Luo,' yet today the Ji and the Luo no longer connect—why is that?" He answered, "Yu of Xia directed the Yan River eastward to form the Ji, which entered the Yellow River. Today the Luo reaches the river at Wen; from there the water surges underground, crosses the Yellow River to the south, and emerges as the Ying. It surges again toward Cao and Pu, breaks out above ground, reunites and flows east, and the Wen enters from the south—this is the passage that says, "the overflow becomes the Ying, flows east from north of Taoqiu, and again east joins the Wen." In antiquity each of the five phases had its officer; when the water officer did his duty he could tell taste and color apart. Whether a stream ran hidden or surfaced, joined or split again, he could identify it." The emperor said, "Great floods and vast valleys across the realm are not listed in the sacrificial canon—why is the Ji, so slight a stream, counted among the four sacred rivers?" He answered, "Du means alone. It does not rely on other waters but reaches the sea on its own. Heaven has five stars, which in motion become the four seasons; earth has five sacred peaks, which in flowing become the four streams; and man has five faculties, which in use become the four limbs. Five is the yang number; four is the yin number—there are odd and even, yin and yang. Yang shines forth, yin stays dim, so the fifth star is hidden and hard to see. The Ji runs hidden and often breaks off; though slight in appearance, it is honored because it stands alone." The emperor said, "Well said." After Jingzong withdrew he said with pride, "A great minister must be learned; I am ashamed that Dexuan could not answer just now." When Dexuan heard this he said disdainfully, "Each man has his own strengths. Not to force what one does not know—that is what I can do." Li Ji said, "Jingzong is widely learned—that is admirable; is it not also good that Dou does not force himself?"

初，《高祖、太宗實錄》，敬播所撰，信而詳。及敬宗身為國史，竄改不平，專出己私。始虞世基與善心同遭賊害，封德彜常曰：「昔吾見世基死，世南匍匐請代；善心死，敬宗蹈舞求生。」世為口實，敬宗銜憤。至立《德彜傳》，盛誣以惡。敬宗子娶尉遲敬德女孫，而女嫁錢九隴子。九隴，本高祖隸奴也，為虛立門閥功狀，至與劉文靜等同傳。太宗賜長孫無忌《威鳳賦》，敬宗猥稱賜敬德。蠻酋龐孝泰率兵從討高麗，賊笑其懦，襲破之。敬宗受其金，乃稱「屢破賊，唐將言驍勇者唯蘇定方與孝泰，曹繼叔、劉伯英出其下遠甚」。然知貞觀後，論次諸書，自晉盡隋，及《東殿新書》、《西域圖志》、《姓氏錄》、《新禮》等數十種皆敬宗總知之，賞賚不勝紀。

At first the Veritable Records of Gaozu and Taizong, written by Xu Jingbo, were trustworthy and detailed. Once Jingzong himself held the national history, he altered the record unfairly and shaped it to serve his private ends. When Yu Shiji and Shansin alike fell victim to the rebels, Feng Deyi often said, "I once saw Shiji die while Shinan crawled on the ground begging to take his place; when Shansin died, Jingzong danced and capered to save his own life." The story became a byword, and Jingzong nursed a grudge. When he wrote Deyi's biography he heaped slander upon him. Jingzong's son married a granddaughter of Yuchi Jingde, and his daughter married a son of Qian Jiulong. Jiulong had been one of Gaozu's bondsmen; Jingzong fabricated his pedigree and merits and even placed him in the same biography as Liu Wenjing. Taizong had given Zhangsun Wuji the "Rhapsody on the Majestic Phoenix," but Jingzong falsely recorded that it was given to Jingde. The southern chieftain Pang Xiaotai led troops against Goguryeo; the enemy mocked his cowardice, attacked, and destroyed him. Jingzong took his gold and then wrote that he had "repeatedly broken the enemy," and that among Tang generals famed for valor only Su Dingfang and Xiaotai were worth naming, with Cao Jishu and Liu Boying far beneath them. Yet after Zhenguan he oversaw the compilation of dozens of works, from histories spanning Jin through Sui to the Eastern Hall New Book, the Western Regions Gazetteer, the Register of Surnames, and the New Rites, and the rewards he received were beyond counting.

敬宗營第舍華僭，至造連樓，使諸妓走馬其上，縱酒奏樂自娛。嬖其婢，因以繼室，假姓虞。子昂烝之，敬宗怒黜虞，奏斥昂嶺外，久乃表還。

Jingzong built a mansion so lavish it exceeded his rank, even erecting linked towers where he had his courtesans race horses while he drank and made music for his own amusement. He favored a maidservant, made her his successor wife, and gave her the false surname Yu. When his son Ang took her as a mistress, Jingzong in anger dismissed Yu, memorialized to exile Ang beyond the mountains, and only after a long interval petitioned for his return.

咸亨初，以特進致仕，仍朝朔望，續其俸祿。卒，年八十一。帝為舉哀，詔百官哭其第，冊贈開府儀同三司、揚州大都督，陪葬昭陵。太常博士袁思古議：「敬宗棄子荒僥，女嫁蠻落，謚曰繆。」其孫彥伯訴思古有嫌，詔更議。博士王福畤曰：「何曾忠而孝，以食日萬錢謚繆醜，況敬宗忠孝兩棄，飲食男女之累過之。」執不改。有詔尚書省雜議，更謚曰恭。

Early in the Xianheng era he retired with special advancement rank but still attended court on the first and fifteenth of each month, and his salary continued. He died at the age of eighty-one. The emperor mourned him, ordered the officials to weep at his residence, and posthumously enfeoffed him as grand master of the palace with golden seal and acting three excellencies and great governor-general of Yangzhou, with burial honors at Zhaoling. Yuan Sigu, erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, proposed, "Jingzong abandoned his son, lived dissolutely, and married his daughter into the frontier—his posthumous name should be Miu, 'False.' His grandson Yanbo protested that Sigu bore a grudge, and the emperor ordered the matter reconsidered. Erudite Wang Fuchou said, "He Zeng was loyal and filial, yet because he spent ten thousand cash a day on food his posthumous name Miu was thought ugly—how much more Jingzong, who abandoned loyalty and filial piety alike and whose indulgence in food, drink, and women surpassed him." He held to his view and would not change it. An edict ordered the Secretariat to discuss the matter jointly, and the posthumous name was changed to Gong, "Respectful."

彥伯，昂子也，頗有文。敬宗晚年不復下筆，凡大典冊悉彥伯為之。嘗戲昂曰：「吾兒不及若兒。」答曰：「渠父不如昂父。」後又納婢譖，奏流彥伯嶺表，遇赦還，累官太子舍人。既與思古有憾，欲邀擊諸路，思古曰：「吾為先子報仇耳。」彥伯慚而止。

Yanbo, Ang's son, was quite accomplished in letters. In his later years Jingzong no longer wrote himself; Yanbo drafted all the great state documents. He once teased Ang, "My son is not the equal of your son. He answered, "His father is no match for Ang's father." Later he again accepted a maid's slander and memorialized to have Yanbo exiled beyond the frontier. Yanbo returned on an amnesty and eventually rose to attendant of the heir apparent. Because he bore a grudge against Sigu, he wanted to waylay and beat him on the road. Sigu said, "I was only avenging my late father. Ashamed, Yanbo desisted.

垂拱中，詔敬宗配饗高宗廟廷。李義府李義府，瀛州饒陽人。其祖嘗為射洪丞，因客永泰。貞觀中，李大亮巡察劍南，表義府才，對策中第，補門下省典儀。劉洎、馬周更薦之，太宗召見，轉監察御史，詔侍晉王。王為太子，除舍人、崇賢館直學士，與司議郎來濟俱以文翰顯，時稱「來李」。獻《承華箴》，末云：「佞諛有類，邪巧多方。其萌不絕，其害必彰。」義府方諂事太子，而文致若讜直者，太子表之，優詔賜帛。

During the Chuigong era, an edict ordered that Jingzong be given a place in Emperor Gaozong's temple to share in the sacrifices. Li Yifu was a native of Raoyang in Yingzhou. His grandfather had once served as assistant magistrate of Shehong and settled as a guest at Yongtai. During the Zhenguan era, Li Daliang inspected Jiannan and recommended Yifu for his talent. Yifu placed first in the policy examination and was appointed master of ceremonies in the Secretariat. Liu Ji and Ma Zhou recommended him further. Emperor Taizong summoned him for an audience, transferred him to supervising censor, and ordered him to attend Prince Jin. When the prince became heir apparent, Yifu was made an attendant and direct scholar of the Chongxian Hall. He and policy advisor Lai Ji were both noted for their writing, and people at the time called them "Lai and Li." He submitted "Admonitions on Upholding Splendor," which concludes, "Flattery comes in many kinds, and treacherous cunning takes many forms. If its sprouts are not uprooted, the harm it does will surely become plain. Yifu was at that very time fawning on the heir apparent, yet his text was crafted to sound like blunt remonstrance. The heir memorialized about it, and the emperor responded with a gracious edict awarding silk.

高宗立，遷中書舍人，兼修國史，進弘文館學士。為長孫無忌所惡，奏斥壁州司馬。詔未下，義府問計於舍人王德儉。德儉者，許敬宗甥，癭而智，善揣事，因曰：「武昭儀方有寵，上欲立為後，畏宰相議，未有以發之。君能建白，轉禍於福也。」義府即代德儉直夜，叩閣上表，請廢後立昭儀。帝悅，召見與語，賜珠一斗，停司馬詔書，留復侍。武后已立，義府與敬宗、德儉及御史大夫崔義玄、中丞袁公瑜、大理正侯善業相推轂，濟其奸，誅棄骨鯁大臣，故後得肆誌攘取威柄，天子斂衽矣。

When Emperor Gaozong came to the throne, Yifu was promoted to secretariat drafting officer, given concurrent charge of the national history, and advanced to Hongwen Hall scholar. Zhangsun Wuji disliked him and memorialized to have him demoted to military adjutant of Bizhou. Before the edict was issued, Yifu asked attendant Wang Dejian for advice. Dejian was Xu Jingzong's nephew — goitered but clever and skilled at reading affairs. He said, "Consort Wu Zhao is just now in favor. The emperor wants to make her empress but fears what the chief ministers will say and has no way to bring the matter forward. If you can propose it, you may turn misfortune into fortune. Yifu immediately took Dejian's place on night duty at the palace gate, knocked on the gate, and submitted a memorial asking that the empress be deposed and the Zhao Consort installed in her place. The emperor was pleased, summoned him for an audience, bestowed a peck of pearls, halted the edict appointing him adjutant of Bizhou, and kept him at court to attend again. Once Empress Wu had been installed, Yifu together with Jingzong, Dejian, censor-in-chief Cui Yixuan, vice censor-in-chief Yuan Gongyu, and senior justice Hou Shanye egged one another on, abetting his treachery and executing outspoken ministers. Thereafter he was able to indulge his designs and seize power, and even the Son of Heaven drew in his robes before him.

義府貌柔恭，與人言，嬉怡微笑，而陰賊褊忌著於心，凡忤意者，皆中傷之，時號義府「笑中刀」。又以柔而害物，號曰「人貓」。

Yifu looked mild and deferential. When he spoke with others he smiled pleasantly, yet treachery and narrow jealousy were lodged in his heart. Anyone who crossed him he slandered. People at the time called Yifu "a blade hidden in a smile." Because he was soft-spoken yet harmed people, he was also called "the human cat."

永徽六年，拜中書侍郎、同中書門下三品，封廣平縣男，又兼太子右庶子，爵為侯。洛州女子淳於以奸系大理，義府聞其美，屬丞畢正義出之，納以為妾。卿段竇玄以狀聞。詔給事中劉仁軌、侍御史張倫鞫治。義府且窮，逼正義縊獄中以絕始謀。侍御史王義方廷劾，義府不引咎，三叱之，然後趨出。義方極陳其惡，帝陰德義府，故貸不問，為抑義方，逐之。未幾進中書令，檢校御史大夫，加太子賓客，更封河間郡公，詔造私第。諸子雖褓負皆補清官。

In the sixth year of Yonghui he was appointed vice director of the Secretariat and associate director of the Chancellery with third rank, enfeoffed as baron of Guangping, and also made right vice mentor of the heir apparent; his title was raised to marquis. A woman of Luozhou named Chunyu was imprisoned at the Court of Judicial Review on a charge of adultery. Yifu heard she was beautiful, told vice director Bi Zhengyi to release her, and took her as his concubine. Minister Duan Jixuan reported what had happened. An edict ordered attendant Liu Rengui and attending censor Zhang Lun to investigate the case. Yifu was nearly cornered. He forced Zhengyi to hang himself in prison so as to cut off the trail to the original scheme. Attending censor Wang Yifang impeached him at court. Yifu refused to accept blame, shouted at him three times, and then hurried out. Wang Yifang laid out his crimes in full. The emperor secretly favored Yifu, so he pardoned him and did not pursue the matter; to suppress Yifang, he had him driven away. Before long he was promoted to director of the Secretariat and acting censor-in-chief, made mentor of the heir apparent, and further enfeoffed as duke of Hejian commandery; an edict ordered a private residence built for him. Even his sons still in swaddling clothes were all given respectable official posts.

初，杜正倫為黃門侍郎，義府才典儀。及同輔政，正倫恃先進不相下，密與中書侍郎李友益圖去義府，反為所誣，交訟帝前。帝兩黜之，正倫為橫州刺史，義府普州刺史，流友益峰州。明年，召為吏部尚書、同中書門下三品。母喪免，奪喪為司列太常伯、同東西臺三品。更葬其先永康陵側，役縣人牛車輸土築墳，助役者凡七縣，高陵令不勝勞而死。公卿爭赗遺。葬日，詔御史節哭。送車從騎相銜，帷帟奠帳自灞橋屬三原七十里不絕，需盾芻偶，僭侈不法，人臣送葬之盛無與比者。殷王出閣，又兼府長史，稍遷右相。

At first Du Zhenglun was vice director of the Secretariat while Yifu was only master of ceremonies. When they served together as chief ministers, Zhenglun relied on seniority and would not defer to him. Secretly he and vice director Li Youyi plotted to remove Yifu, but Yifu framed them instead, and the two sides traded accusations before the emperor. The emperor demoted them both — Zhenglun to prefect of Hengzhou, Yifu to prefect of Puzhou — and exiled Youyi to Fengzhou. The next year he was recalled as minister of personnel and associate director with third rank. He left office for his mother's mourning, then was recalled from mourning as minister of ceremonial arrangement and associate of the eastern and western chancelleries with third rank. He reburied his ancestors beside Yongkang Tomb, conscripting county people and ox-carts to haul earth and build the mound. Laborers were drawn from seven counties in all, and the magistrate of Gaoling died from the strain of the work. Grandees competed to send funeral gifts. On the day of the burial, an edict ordered censors to regulate the mourning. Escort carriages and mounted attendants stretched end to end; curtains and offering tents ran from Ba Bridge to Sanyuan for seventy li without interruption. Paraphernalia, shields, and straw figures made the display extravagantly unlawful. No minister's funeral had ever matched it. When Prince Yin left the palace school, Yifu also served as chief administrator of his household, and gradually he was promoted to right chancellor.

義府已貴，乃言系出趙郡，與諸李敘昭穆，嗜進者往往尊為父兄行。給事中李崇德引與同譜，既謫普州，亟削去，義府銜之，及復當國，傅致其罪，使自殺於獄。貞觀中，高士廉、韋挺、岑文本、令狐德棻修《氏族志》，凡升降，天下允其議，於是州藏副本以為長式。時許敬宗以不載武后本望，義府亦恥先世不見敘，更奏刪正。委孔誌約、楊仁卿、史玄道、呂才等定其書，以仕唐官至五品皆升士流。於是兵卒以軍功進者，悉入書限，更號《姓氏錄》，搢紳共嗤靳之，號曰「勛格」。義府奏悉收前誌燒絕之。自魏太和中定望族，七姓子孫叠為婚姻，後雖益衰，猶相誇尚。義府為子求婚不得，遂奏一切禁止。

Once he had risen high, Yifu claimed descent from Zhao commandery and arranged senior and junior kinship with various Lis; the ambitious often honored him as an elder kinsman. Attendant Li Chongde linked him to the same genealogy. Once Yifu was demoted to Puzhou, Chongde swiftly cut the connection. Yifu resented this, and when he again held power he fabricated crimes against him and had him commit suicide in prison. During the Zhenguan era, Gao Shilian, Wei Ting, Cen Wenben, and Linghu Defen compiled the Record of Clans. The realm accepted their decisions on every promotion and demotion, and thereafter each prefecture kept a copy as a standing regulation. At the time Xu Jingzong resented that Empress Wu's origins had not been recorded, and Yifu was ashamed that his own forebears had not been listed; together they memorialized to revise and correct the work. They entrusted Kong Zhiyue, Yang Renqing, Shi Xuandao, Lu Cai, and others to finalize the book, decreeing that anyone who in Tang service had reached fifth rank or above would be elevated to gentry status. Thereupon soldiers promoted by military merit all entered the register. The work was retitled Register of Surnames. The gentry jointly scoffed at it and called it the "Merit Register." Yifu memorialized to collect all the previous registers and burn them completely. Since the great clans had been fixed in the Taihe era of Wei, descendants of the seven surnames had intermarried generation after generation. Later, though they grew ever more diminished, they still prided themselves on it. Yifu sought a marriage for his son but could not obtain one, so he memorialized to forbid such marriages altogether.

既主選，無品鑒才，而溪壑之欲，惟賄是利，不復銓判，人人咨訕。又母、妻、諸子賣官市獄，門如沸湯。自永徽後，御史多制授，吏部雖有調註，至門下覆不留。義府乃自註御史、員外、通事舍人，有司不敢卻。帝嘗從容戒義府曰：「聞卿兒子女婿橈法多過失，朕為卿掩覆，可少勖之。」義府內倚後，揣群臣無敢白其罪者，不虞帝之知，乃勃然變色，徐曰：「誰為陛下道此？」帝曰：「何用問我所從得邪！」義府謷然不謝，徐引去，帝由是不悅。

Once he was in charge of selection, he had no talent for judging men. His greed was bottomless and he cared only for bribes. He no longer evaluated and decided appointments, and everyone murmured against him. His mother, wife, and sons also sold offices and traded in prison cases, and their gate was as busy as boiling water. After Yonghui, many censors were appointed by direct decree. Even when the Ministry of Personnel made assignments, the Secretariat review rejected them all. Yifu himself registered censors, outside-section officials, and masters of ceremonial intercourse, and the relevant offices dared not refuse. The emperor once casually admonished Yifu, saying, "I hear that your sons and sons-in-law bend the law and commit many faults. I have covered for you — you should exhort them a little. Yifu inwardly relied on the empress and assumed no minister would dare report his crimes, so he did not expect the emperor to know. He suddenly changed color and said slowly, "Who told Your Majesty this?" The emperor said, "What need is there to ask where I learned it!" Yifu answered loudly without thanking him and withdrew slowly. From that point the emperor was displeased with him.

會術者杜元紀望義府第有獄氣，曰：「發積錢二千萬，可以厭勝。」義府信之，裒索殊急。居母喪，朔望給告，即羸服與元紀出野，馮高窺覘災眚，眾疑其有異謀。又遣子津召長孫延，謂曰：「吾為子得一官。」居五日，延拜司津監，索謝錢七十萬。右金吾倉曹參軍楊行穎白其贓，詔司刑太常伯劉祥道與三司雜訊，李勣監按，有狀，詔除名，流巂州，子率府長史洽、千牛備身洋及婿少府主簿柳元貞並流廷州，司議郎津流振州，朝野至相賀。三子及婿尤凶肆，既敗，人以為誅「四凶」。或作《河間道元帥劉祥道破銅山大賊李義府露布》，榜於衢。乾封元年大赦，獨流人不許還，義府憤恚死，年五十三。自其斥，天下憂且復用，比死，內外乃安。

A diviner named Du Yuanji, looking at Yifu's residence, saw an aura of imprisonment. He said, "Spend twenty million in accumulated cash and you can suppress and overcome it. Yifu believed him and searched and extorted money with extraordinary urgency. While in mourning for his mother, on the first and fifteenth of the month when leave was granted he would put on mourning garb and go into the countryside with Yuanji, climbing high to observe calamities and portents. People suspected he had secret designs. He also sent his son Jin to summon Zhangsun Yan and said, "I have obtained an office for you. Five days later Yan was appointed supervisor of the Office of Ferries, and they demanded seven hundred thousand in thank-you money. Yang Xingying, a warehouse section officer of the Right Golden Guard, reported his bribery. An edict ordered Liu Xiangdao, minister of punishment, to conduct a joint interrogation with the Three Offices under Li Ji's supervision. The charges were substantiated. Yifu was struck from the rolls and exiled to Qiongzhou. His sons Zhi and Yang, his son-in-law Liu Yuanzhen, and his son Jin were also exiled. Court and country alike rejoiced. The three sons and the son-in-law had been especially vicious and unrestrained. Once they were ruined, people regarded it as the punishment of the "Four Evils." Someone wrote a dispatch proclamation titled "Hejian Circuit Commander Liu Xiangdao Defeats the Great Bandit Li Yifu of Copper Mountain" and posted it in the streets. In the general amnesty of the first year of Qianfeng, exiles alone were not permitted to return. Yifu died of rage and resentment at the age of fifty-three. From the time of his dismissal the realm feared he might be employed again. Only when he died did court and country feel at ease.

上元初，赦妻子還洛陽。如意中，贈義府揚州大都督，崔義玄益州大都督，王德儉、袁公瑜魏、相二州刺史，各賜實封。睿宗立，詔停。少子湛，見《李多祚傳》。傅遊藝傅遊藝，衛州汲人。載初初，由合宮主簿再遷左補闕。武后奪政，即上書詭說符瑞，勸後當革姓以明受命。後悅，擢給事中。閱三月，進同鳳閣鸞臺平章事，即拜鸞臺侍郎。後乃黜唐稱周，廢唐宗廟，自稱皇帝，賜遊藝姓武氏，以兄神童為冬官尚書。遊藝嘗夢登湛露殿，既寤，以語所親。有告其謀反者，下獄自殺，以五品禮葬之。

Early in the Shangyuan era, his wife and children were pardoned and allowed to return to Luoyang. During the Ruyi era, Yifu was posthumously enfeoffed as great governor-general of Yangzhou, Cui Yixuan as great governor-general of Yizhou, and Wang Dejian and Yuan Gongyu as prefects of Wei and Xiang prefectures; each was granted a substantive fief. When Emperor Ruizong came to the throne, an edict halted these honors. His youngest son Zhan is treated in the Biography of Li Duozuo. Fu Youyi was a native of Ji in Weizhou. At the very beginning of the Zai Chu era, he rose from clerk of the Palace of Universal Harmony through two promotions to left assistant censor. When Empress Wu seized power, he immediately submitted a memorial with forced interpretations of portents, urging her to change the dynastic surname so as to manifest her receipt of the Mandate. The empress was pleased and promoted him to attendant. Within three months he was advanced to associate councilor of the Phoenix Pavilion and Crane Terrace and immediately appointed vice director of the Crane Terrace. Thereafter she abolished Tang in favor of Zhou, dismantled the Tang ancestral temples, styled herself emperor, granted Youyi the surname Wu, and appointed his elder brother Shentong minister of public works. Youyi once dreamed that he had ascended the Hall of Pure Dew. When he woke he told those close to him. Someone reported that he was plotting rebellion. He was imprisoned and committed suicide, and was buried with fifth-rank rites.

初，遊藝探後旨，誣殺宗室，復請發六道使，後卒用其言。萬國俊等既出，天下被其酷。遊藝起一歲，賜袍自青及紫，人號「四時仕宦」。然歲中即敗，前古少其比雲。李林甫李林甫，長平肅王叔良曾孫。初為千牛直長，舅姜交愛之。開元初，遷太子中允。源乾曜執政，與交為姻家，而乾曜子為林甫求司門郎中，乾曜素薄之，曰：「郎官應得才望，哥奴豈郎中材邪？」哥奴，林甫小字也。即授以諭德，累擢國子司業。宇文融為御史中丞，引與同列，稍歷刑、吏部侍郎。初，吏部置長名榜，定留放。寧王私謁十人，林甫曰：「願絀一人以示公。」遂榜其一，曰：「坐王所囑，放冬集。」

At first Youyi sounded out the empress's intent, falsely implicated and killed members of the imperial clan, and again requested the dispatch of commissioners on six circuits; the empress ultimately adopted his proposal. Once Wanguo Jun and the others were dispatched, the realm suffered their cruelty. Youyi rose in a single year, receiving robes from azure to purple in succession, and people called him "an official for all four seasons." Yet within the year he fell — antiquity had few like him, it is said. Li Linfu was the great-grandson of Prince Su of Changping, Shuliang. At first he served as chief of the Thousand-Ox Guard, and his maternal uncle Jiang Jiao favored him. Early in the Kaiyuan era he was transferred to principal of the heir apparent's palace. Yuan Qianyao was in power and was related by marriage to Jiang Jiao. Qianyao's son sought the post of director of the Office of Gates for Linfu, but Qianyao had always held him in low esteem and said, "Directors should have talent and standing — is Genun really fit to be a director? Genun was Linfu's childhood name. Linfu was immediately given the post of preceptor and through successive promotions rose to vice director of the Directorate of Education. When Yuwen Rong was vice censor-in-chief, he brought Linfu onto the same roster, and Linfu gradually served as vice minister in the ministries of Justice and Personnel. At first the Ministry of Personnel maintained a long-list roster to determine who would be retained and who would be released. Prince Ning privately solicited on behalf of ten men. Linfu said, "I wish to demote one person to show you that I am fair. He then listed one of them, noting, "At the prince's request, released to the winter roster."

時武惠妃寵傾後宮，子壽王、盛王尤愛。林甫因中人白妃，願護壽王為萬歲計，妃德之。侍中裴光庭夫人，武三思女，嘗私林甫，而高力士本出三思家。及光庭卒，武請力士以林甫代為相。力士未敢發，而帝因蕭嵩言，自用韓休。方具詔，武擿語林甫，使為休請。休既相，重德林甫，而與嵩有隙，乃薦林甫有宰相才，妃陰助之，即拜黃門侍郎。尋為禮部尚書、同中書門下三品，再進兵部尚書。

At the time Consort Wu Huifei monopolized favor in the inner palace, and her sons the Prince of Shou and the Prince of Sheng were especially beloved. Linfu told the consort through a eunuch that he wished to protect the Prince of Shou for the long term, and the consort was grateful to him. Chancellor Pei Guangting's wife, a daughter of Wu Sansi, had once been intimate with Linfu, and Gao Lishi had originally come from Sansi's household. When Guangting died, Wu asked Lishi to have Linfu replace him as chancellor. Lishi did not dare to raise the matter, but the Emperor, acting on Xiao Song's recommendation, appointed Han Xiu on his own. Just as the edict was being drafted, Wu tipped off Linfu and had him intercede on Han Xiu's behalf. Once Han Xiu became chancellor, he held Linfu in high regard, but he and Xiao Song were at odds; he therefore recommended Linfu as chancellor material. The consort secretly backed the move, and Linfu was promptly appointed Vice Director of the Secretariat. Soon he was made Minister of Rites and Associate Director of the Secretariat with the Third Rank, and later promoted again to Minister of War.

皇太子、鄂王、光王被譖，帝欲廢之。張九齡切諫，帝不悅。林甫惘然，私語中人曰：「天子家事，外人何與邪？」二十四年，帝在東都，欲還長安。裴耀卿等建言：「農人場圃未畢，須冬可還。」林甫陽蹇，獨在後。帝問故，對曰：「臣非疾也，願奏事。二都本帝王東西宮，車駕往幸，何所待時？假令妨農，獨赦所過租賦可也。」帝大悅，即駕而西。始九齡繇文學進，守正持重，而林甫特以便佞，故得大任，每嫉九齡，陰害之。帝欲進朔方節度使牛仙客實封，九齡謂林甫：「封賞待名臣大功，邊將一上最，可遽議？要與公固爭。」林甫然許。及進見，九齡極論，而林甫抑嘿，退又漏其言。仙客明日見帝，泣且辭。帝滋欲賞仙客，九齡持不可。林甫為人言：「天子用人，何不可者？」帝聞，善林甫不專也。由是益疏薄九齡，俄與耀卿俱罷政事，專任林甫，相仙客矣。初，三宰相就位，二人磬折趨，而林甫在中，軒驁無少讓，喜津津出眉宇間。觀者竊言：「一雕挾兩兔。」少選，詔書出，耀卿、九齡以左右丞相罷，林甫嘻笑曰：「尚左右丞相邪？」目恚而送乃止，公卿為戰栗。於是林甫進兼中書令。帝卒用其言，殺三子，天下冤之。大理卿徐嶠妄言：「大理獄殺氣盛，鳥雀不敢棲。今刑部斷死，歲才五十八，而烏鵲巢獄戶，幾至刑措。」群臣賀帝，而帝推功大臣，封林甫晉國公，仙客豳國公。

The Crown Prince, the Prince of E, and the Prince of Guang fell victim to slander, and the Emperor wished to depose them. Zhang Jiuling remonstrated forcefully, and the Emperor took offense. Linfu looked blank and quietly told a palace attendant, "This is the Son of Heaven's own family business—what business is it of outsiders?" In the twenty-fourth year, the Emperor was at the Eastern Capital and wished to return to Chang'an. Pei Yaoqing and others advised, "The farmers have not yet finished work in their fields and orchards; the court should wait until winter before returning." Linfu feigned lameness and hung back alone. The Emperor asked why; he replied, "I am not ill, Your Majesty; I wish to report a matter. The two capitals are the Son of Heaven's eastern and western palaces—why must the imperial progress wait for the right season? Even if the journey should disrupt farming, it would be enough to remit rent and taxes along the route." The Emperor was delighted and immediately set out for the west. Jiuling had risen through scholarship and held fast to integrity and dignity, while Linfu won great trust through flattery alone; he always envied Jiuling and worked secretly to destroy him. The Emperor wished to grant Shuo-fang Military Commissioner Niu Xianke an enfeoffment with actual revenue. Jiuling told Linfu, "Rewards and enfeoffment are for famous ministers with great achievements—can we rush to grant them when a frontier general submits one top performance rating? I intend to fight this out with you." Linfu agreed. When they went in to audience, Jiuling argued his case to the hilt, while Linfu held his tongue; after they withdrew, he leaked Jiuling's words. The next day Xianke appeared before the Emperor, weeping and declining the honor. The Emperor only wanted more to reward Xianke, but Jiuling stood firm against it. Linfu told others, "When the Son of Heaven chooses a man for office, what is there that cannot be done?" When the Emperor heard this, he approved Linfu for not being obstinate. From this the Emperor grew ever colder toward Jiuling; before long both he and Yaoqing were removed from office, Linfu was given sole charge of affairs, and Xianke was made chancellor. When the three chancellors first took their places, the other two bowed low and hurried forward, while Linfu stood in the middle, proud and unyielding, delight brimming from his brow. Onlookers whispered, "One hawk has caught two rabbits. Before long the edict appeared: Yaoqing and Jiuling were dismissed as Left and Right Chief Ministers. Linfu laughed and said, "Still Left and Right Chief Ministers?" He glared after them angrily as they were dismissed, then stopped; the nobles and ministers trembled. Thereupon Linfu was promoted and additionally appointed Director of the Secretariat. The Emperor ultimately took his advice and executed the three princes; all under Heaven regarded it as a grievous wrong. Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review Xu Jiao falsely claimed, "The Court of Judicial Review is so steeped in killing that birds dare not perch there. This year the Ministry of Justice has sentenced only fifty-eight men to death, and crows and magpies nest in the prison gates—we are nearly at the point where punishments need not be used at all." The assembled ministers congratulated the Emperor, who credited his great ministers and enfeoffed Linfu as Duke of Jin and Xianke as Duke of Bin.

及帝將立太子，林甫探帝意，數稱道壽王，語秘不傳，而帝意自屬忠王，壽王不得立。太子既定，林甫恨謀不行，且畏禍，乃陽善韋堅。堅，太子妃兄也。使任要職，將覆其家，以搖東宮。乃構堅獄，而太子絕妃自明，林甫計黜。杜良娣之父有鄰與婿柳勣不相中，勣浮險，欲助林甫，乃上有鄰變事，捕送詔獄賜死。逮引裴敦復、李邕等，皆林甫素忌惡者，株連殺之。太子亦出良娣為庶人。未幾，擿濟陽別駕魏林，使誣河西節度使王忠嗣欲擁兵佐太子。帝不信，然忠嗣猶斥去。林甫數曰：「太子宜知謀。」帝曰：「吾兒在內，安得與外人相聞？此妄耳！」林甫數危太子，未得志，一日從容曰：「古者立儲君必先賢德，非有大勛力於宗稷，則莫若元子。」帝久之曰：「慶王往年獵，為豽傷面甚。」答曰：「破面不愈於破國乎？」帝頗惑，曰：「朕徐思之。」然太子自以謹孝聞，內外無惎言，故飛語不得入，帝無所發其猜。

When the Emperor was about to name a Crown Prince, Linfu probed his intent and repeatedly praised Prince Shou; his words were kept secret, but the Emperor's heart was set on Prince Zhong, and Prince Shou was not chosen. Once the Crown Prince was established, Linfu resented the failure of his plot and feared reprisal; he therefore pretended to treat Wei Jian kindly. Wei Jian was the elder brother of the Crown Prince's consort. He placed him in important posts, intending to bring down his household and undermine the Eastern Palace. He then fabricated a case against Jian, but the Crown Prince repudiated his consort to clear himself, and Linfu's scheme came to nothing. Du Liangdi's father Youlin and his son-in-law Liu Ji were at odds. Liu Ji was reckless and treacherous and wished to help Linfu; he submitted a report accusing Youlin of sedition, had him arrested and sent to the imperial prison, and he was put to death. The case was extended to implicate Pei Dunfu, Li Yong, and others—all men Linfu had long hated—and they were executed in a chain of linked prosecutions. The Crown Prince also demoted Liangdi to commoner status. Before long he prompted Jiyang Assistant Administrator Wei Lin to accuse Hexi Military Commissioner Wang Zhongsi of plotting to raise troops in support of the Crown Prince. The Emperor did not believe the accusation, but Zhongsi was dismissed nonetheless. Linfu kept saying, "The Crown Prince must surely have known of the plot." The Emperor said, "My son lives within the palace—how could he be in contact with outsiders? This is nonsense!" Linfu repeatedly moved against the Crown Prince without success; one day he said casually, "In antiquity an heir was chosen first for virtue and talent; unless a prince had rendered great service to the altars of state, none was better than the eldest son." After a long pause the Emperor said, "Years ago, when Prince Qing went hunting, a badger badly scarred his face." Linfu replied, "Is a scarred face not better than a broken kingdom?" The Emperor was unsettled and said, "I will think on this in time. Yet the Crown Prince was known for diligence and filial piety, and no slander arose within or without the court; malicious rumors could not take hold, and the Emperor had no opening to act on his suspicions.

林甫善刺上意，時帝春秋高，聽斷稍怠，厭繩檢，重接對大臣，及得林甫，任之不疑。林甫善養君欲，自是帝深居燕適，沈蠱衽席，主德衰矣。林甫每奏請，必先餉遺左右，審伺微旨，以固恩信，至饔夫禦婢皆所款厚，故天子動靜必具得之。性陰密，忍誅殺，不見喜怒。面柔令，初若可親，既崖阱深阻，卒不可得也。公卿不由其門而進，必被罪徙；附離者，雖小人且為引重。同時相若九齡、李適之皆遭逐；至楊慎矜、張瑄、盧幼臨、柳升等緣坐數百人，並相繼誅。以王鉷、吉溫、羅希奭為爪牙，數興大獄，衣冠為累息。適之子霅嘗盛具召賓客，畏林甫，乃終日無一人往者。林甫有堂如偃月，號月堂。每欲排構大臣，即居之，思所以中傷者。若喜而出，即其家碎矣。子岫為將作監，見權勢熏灼，惕然懼，常從遊後園，見輦重者，跪涕曰：「大人居位久，枳棘滿前，一旦禍至，欲比若人可得乎？」林甫不樂曰：「勢已然，可奈何？」

Linfu excelled at reading the sovereign's mind. By then the Emperor was advanced in years, his attention to governance had slackened, he had grown weary of restraint, and he valued easy daily contact with his ministers; once he had Linfu, he entrusted him without reservation. Linfu was skilled at indulging the sovereign's desires; from then on the Emperor withdrew into pleasure, sunk in sensual ease upon his couch, and the sovereign's virtue waned. Whenever Linfu submitted a memorial or request, he first sent gifts to those around the Emperor and watched carefully for the slightest hint of his mood to secure favor—even cooks and palace maidservants he treated generously—so that he knew the Son of Heaven's every move. Secretive by nature, he could order executions without flinching and showed neither joy nor anger. His face was gentle and his words mild; at first he seemed approachable, but once his traps were set and his barriers raised, no one could reach him in the end. Any noble or minister who rose without going through his gate was inevitably convicted and banished; those who attached themselves to him, even base men, would be given weight and backing. Contemporary chancellors such as Jiuling and Li Shizhi were all driven out; Yang Shenjin, Zhang Xuan, Lu Youlin, Liu Sheng, and others—hundreds implicated by association—were executed one after another. With Wang Hong, Ji Wen, and Luo Xishi as his claws and fangs, he repeatedly launched great prosecutions, and the gentry and officials lived in constant dread. Shizhi's son Zha once laid out a lavish feast for guests, but out of fear of Linfu not a single person came all day. Linfu had a hall shaped like a crescent moon, called the Moon Hall. Whenever he wished to plot against a great minister, he would retire there and brood over how to destroy him. If he emerged smiling, that man's household was finished. His son Xiu was Director of Palace Construction. Seeing how fiercely his father's power burned, he grew fearful. Often while walking with him in the rear garden, when he saw heavy imperial carriages pass, he would kneel in tears and say, "Father, you have held office so long that thorns fill the path before you. When disaster strikes, can you hope to end like those men?" Linfu, displeased, said, "The momentum is already set—what can be done?"

時帝詔天下士有一藝者得詣闕就選，林甫恐士對詔或斥己，即建言：「士皆草茅，未知禁忌，徒以狂言亂聖聽，請悉委尚書省長官試問。」使御史中丞監總，而無一中程者。林甫因賀上，以為野無留才。俄兼隴右、河西節度使。改右相，罷節度，加累開府儀同三司，實封戶三百。

At that time the Emperor decreed that any scholar in the realm with a single skill might come to the palace gate for selection. Linfu feared that some might use the audience to denounce him, so he advised, "These men are rustic commoners who know nothing of court taboos; they would only speak recklessly and confuse Your Majesty's judgment. Please have the senior officials of the Secretariat examine them all." The Vice Censor-in-Chief was put in charge of the examinations, and not one candidate passed. Linfu then congratulated the sovereign, declaring that no talent had been left untapped in the realm. Before long he additionally served as Military Commissioner of Longyou and Hexi. He was made Right Chancellor, relieved of his military commission, and additionally granted successive honors as Grand Master with Splendid Honors Equal to the Three Dukes, with an enfeoffment of three hundred actual households.

咸寧太守趙奉璋得林甫隱惡二十條，將言之，林甫諷御史捕系奉璋，劾妖言，抵死；著作郎韋子春坐厚善貶。帝嘗大陳樂勤政樓，既罷，兵部侍郎盧絢按轡絕道去，帝愛其藉，稱美之。明日林甫召絢子曰：「尊府素望，上欲任以交、廣，若憚行，且當請老。」絢懼，從之。因出為華州刺史，俄授太子員外詹事，絢繇是廢。於時有以材譽聞者，林甫護前，皆能得於天子抑遠之，故在位恩寵莫比。凡禦府所貢遠方珍鮮，使者傳賜相望。帝食有所甘美，必賜之。嘗詔百僚閱歲貢於尚書省，既而舉貢物悉賜林甫，輦致其家。從幸華清宮，給御馬、武士百人、女樂二部。薛王別墅勝麗甲京師，以賜林甫，它邸第、田園、水硙皆便好上腴。車馬衣服侈靡，尤好聲伎。侍姬盈房，男女五十人。故事，宰相皆元功盛德，不務權威，出入騎從簡寡，士庶不甚引避。林甫自見結怨者眾，憂刺客竊發，其出入，廣騶騎，先驅百步，傳呼何衛，金吾為清道，公卿辟易趨走。所居重關復壁，絡版甃石，一夕再徙，家人亦莫知也。或帝不朝，群司要官悉走其門，臺省為空。左相陳希烈雖坐府，卒無人入謁。

Xianning Prefect Zhao Fengzhang obtained twenty counts of Linfu's hidden crimes and was about to report them. Linfu prompted the censors to arrest Fengzhang, charged him with seditious speech, and he was put to death; Compilation Official Wei Zichun was demoted for being on close terms with Fengzhang. The Emperor once held a great musical performance at the Hall of Diligence in Governance. When it ended, Vice Minister of War Lu Xuan rode off along a cleared road, reins in hand; the Emperor admired his bearing and praised him. The next day Linfu summoned Xuan's son and said, "Your father enjoys great standing, and the sovereign wishes to appoint him to Jiao and Guang. If he dreads the posting, he should at least request retirement." Xuan was frightened and complied. He was sent out as Prefect of Hua, and soon appointed Supernumerary Household Steward of the Crown Prince—a post that effectively ended his career. Whenever anyone of talent and reputation emerged, Linfu—jealous and defensive—was able through the Son of Heaven to have them suppressed and sent away; thus no one in office enjoyed favor to match his. Rare delicacies from distant places sent to the imperial storehouse were relayed to him in an unbroken stream of gifts. Whenever the Emperor tasted something he enjoyed, he invariably sent a portion to Linfu. Once the Emperor had the hundred officials review the year's tribute at the Secretariat; afterward every item of tribute was granted to Linfu and carted to his home. When he accompanied the Emperor to Huaqing Palace, he was given imperial horses, a hundred warrior guards, and two troupes of female musicians. Prince Xue's villa, the finest in the capital, was granted to Linfu; his other mansions, fields, gardens, and water mills were all choice properties on rich land. His carriages, horses, and clothing were extravagantly luxurious, and he was especially fond of music and performers. His concubines filled the rooms, and he kept fifty male and female attendants. By precedent, chancellors were men of founding merit and lofty virtue who did not flaunt authority; their mounted retinues were modest, and scholars and commoners did not greatly shrink from their path. Linfu knew he had made many enemies and feared a hidden assassin; whenever he went out, he expanded his mounted escort, with heralds a hundred paces ahead calling out which guard unit was passing. The Golden Guard cleared the road, and nobles and ministers scattered and fled. His residence had layered gates and double walls, latticed panels and piled stone; he would change sleeping quarters twice in a single night, and even his household did not know where he slept. Sometimes when the Emperor did not hold court, key officials from every bureau flocked to Linfu's gate, and the central ministries stood empty. Left Chancellor Chen Xilie might sit in his office, but in the end no one came to pay calls.

林甫無學術，發言陋鄙，聞者竊笑。善苑咸、郭慎微，使主書記。然練文法，其用人非諂附者一以格令持之，故小小綱目不甚亂，而人憚其威權。久之，又兼安西大都護、朔方節度使。俄兼單于副大都護，以朔方副使李獻忠反，讓還節度。

Linfu had no learning; his speech was coarse and vulgar, and those who heard him laughed behind his back. He favored Yuan Xian and Guo Shenwei and put them in charge of his correspondence. Yet he was well versed in statutes and regulations; in appointing men he held all who were not his sycophants strictly to the rules, so that minor affairs were not greatly disordered, and people feared his power. After some time he additionally served as Grand Protector of Anxi and Military Commissioner of Shuo-fang. Soon he additionally served as Vice Grand Protector of Shanyu; when Shuo-fang deputy commissioner Li Xianzhong rebelled, he relinquished the military commission.

始厚王鉷，為盡力。及鉷敗，詔宰相治狀，林甫大懼，不敢面鉷，獄具署名，亦無所申救。因以楊國忠代為御史大夫。林甫薄國忠材孱，無所畏，又以貴妃故善之。及是權益盛，貴震天下，始交惡若仇敵。然國忠方兼劍南節度使，而南蠻入寇，林甫因建遣之鎮，欲離間之。國忠入辭，帝曰：「處置且訖，亟還，指日待卿。」林甫聞之憂懣。是時已屬疾，稍侵。會帝幸溫湯，詔以馬輿從，禦醫珍膳繼至，詔旨存問，中官護起居。病劇，巫者視疾云：「見天子當少間。」帝欲視之，左右諫止。乃詔林甫出廷中，帝登降聖閣，舉絳巾招之。林甫不能興，左右代拜。俄而國忠至自蜀，謁林甫床下，垂涕托後事，因不食卒。諸子護還京發喪，贈太尉、揚州大都督。

At first he treated Wang Hong generously and did everything he could for him. When Hong fell, the Emperor ordered the chancellors to investigate the case. Linfu was terrified, dared not face Hong, and when the indictment was complete and signed, made no effort to save him. Thereupon Yang Guozhong was appointed to replace him as Censor-in-Chief. Linfu despised Guozhong as a man of feeble ability and feared him not at all; yet because of the Noble Consort he remained on good terms with him. By then Guozhong's power had grown overwhelming and his eminence shook the empire, and the two men came to hate each other like sworn foes. Guozhong was also serving as military commissioner of Jiannan, and when the southern tribes raided the frontier, Linfu proposed dispatching him to take up his post there, hoping to drive a wedge between him and the court. When Guozhong came to bid farewell, the Emperor said, 'Once affairs are handled, come back at once—I expect you within days. When Linfu heard this, he was anguished and resentful. By then he was already ill, and the disease was slowly spreading. When the Emperor visited the hot springs, he ordered Linfu carried along in a horse-litter; imperial physicians and delicacies arrived one after another, edicts expressed concern for his condition, and palace eunuchs watched over his daily care. As the illness worsened, a shaman who divined his condition said, 'If he sees the Son of Heaven, he should improve somewhat. The Emperor wanted to visit him in person, but those at his side remonstrated and dissuaded him. He then summoned Linfu out into the courtyard; the Emperor climbed the Jiangsheng Pavilion and waved a crimson kerchief to beckon him. Linfu could not get up; attendants at his side bowed in his place. Before long Guozhong returned from Shu, visited Linfu at his bedside, wept and entrusted his affairs to him, and then died from refusing all food. His sons escorted the body back to the capital for the funeral; he was posthumously granted the titles of Grand Mentor and Grand Governor-General of Yangzhou.

林甫居相位凡十九年，固寵市權，蔽欺天子耳目，諫官皆持祿養資，無敢正言者。補闕杜琎再上書言政事，斥為下邽令。因以語動其餘曰：「明主在上，群臣將順不暇，亦何所論？君等獨不見立仗馬乎，終日無聲，而飫三品芻豆；一鳴，則黜之矣。後雖欲不鳴，得乎？」由是諫爭路絕。

Linfu held the chancellorship for nineteen years in all, entrenching imperial favor and trading in power while screening and deceiving the Son of Heaven's eyes and ears; remonstrating officials merely drew their salaries and kept their mouths shut, and none dared speak plainly. Remonstrance Supplementer Du Jin again submitted a memorial on state affairs and was banished to serve as magistrate of Xia Gui. Linfu then used this case to warn the others, saying, 'An enlightened sovereign sits above us; ministers barely have time to fall in line—what is there left to debate? Have you never seen the horses that stand in the palace guard ceremony? All day they make not a sound, yet they feast on third-rank fodder and beans; if one neighs, it is cast out. Afterward, even if it wished to stay silent, could it? From that point on, the road of remonstrance was closed entirely.

貞觀以來，任蕃將者如阿史那社爾、契何力皆以忠力奮，然猶不為上將，皆大臣總制之，故上有餘權以制於下。先天、開元中，大臣若薛訥、郭元振、張嘉貞、王晙、張說、蕭嵩、杜暹、李適之等，自節度使入相天子。林甫疾儒臣以方略積邊勞，且大任，欲杜其本，以久己權，即說帝曰：「以陛下雄材，國家富強，而夷狄未滅者，繇文吏為將，憚矢石，不身先。不如用蕃將，彼生而雄，養馬上，長行陣，天性然也。若陛下感而用之，使必死，夷狄不足圖也。」帝然之，因以安思順代林甫領節度，而擢安祿山、高仙芝、哥舒翰等專為大將。林甫利其虜也，無入相之資，故祿山得專三道勁兵，處十四年不徙，天子安林甫策，不疑也，卒稱兵蕩覆天下，王室遂微。

Since the Zhenguan era, foreign generals such as Ashina She'er and Qibi Heli had served with loyal zeal, yet even they were never made supreme commanders; great ministers always held overall command, so the throne retained enough leverage to keep subordinates in check. During the Xiantian and Kaiyuan reigns, great ministers such as Xue Ne, Guo Yuanzhen, Zhang Jiazhen, Wang Jun, Zhang Yue, Xiao Song, Du Xian, and Li Shizhi had all risen from military commissioner to chancellor and served at the Son of Heaven's side. Linfu resented scholar-officials who won frontier distinction through strategy, accumulated border achievements, and then received high office; wishing to cut off that path and prolong his own power, he told the Emperor, 'With Your Majesty's heroic gifts and the realm's wealth and strength, the reason the barbarians remain undefeated is that civilian officials are made generals—they dread arrows and stones and never lead the charge themselves. Better to use foreign generals—they are born fierce, raised in the saddle, and bred in battle lines; that is their nature. If Your Majesty wins them with kindness and puts them to use, making them fight to the death, the barbarians will be no great matter. The Emperor agreed. An Sishun replaced Linfu as military commissioner, while An Lushan, Gao Xianzhi, Geshu Han, and others were promoted to serve as great generals in their own right. Linfu counted on the fact that they were barbarians with no prospect of entering the chancellorship, so Lushan was left in sole command of crack troops across three circuits for fourteen years without transfer; the Son of Heaven trusted Linfu's policy and suspected nothing—until Lushan finally raised arms, overturned the realm, and the royal house withered.

初，林甫夢人皙而髯，將逼己。寤而物色，得裴寬類所夢，曰：「寬欲代我。」因李適之黨逐之。其後楊國忠代林甫，貌類寬雲。國忠素銜林甫，及未葬，陰諷祿山暴其短。祿山使阿布思降將入朝，告林甫與思約為父子，有異謀。事下有司，其婿楊齊宣懼，妄言林甫厭祝上，國忠劾其奸。帝怒，詔林甫淫祀厭勝，結叛虜，圖危宗社，悉奪官爵，斫棺剔取含珠金紫，更以小槥，用庶人禮葬之；諸子司儲郎中、太常少卿嶼及岫等悉徙嶺南、黔中，各給奴婢三人，籍其家；諸婿若張博濟、鄭平、杜位、元撝，屬子復道、光，皆貶官。

Earlier Linfu had dreamed of a fair-skinned, bearded man closing in on him. When he awoke he searched for such a man and found that Pei Kuan matched the dream; he said, 'Kuan means to take my place. Through Li Shizhi's faction he had Kuan driven out. Later Yang Guozhong replaced Linfu—and his appearance matched Kuan's, just as the omen had foretold. Guozhong had long resented Linfu, and before the body was even buried he secretly urged Lushan to expose Linfu's crimes. Lushan sent the surrendered general Abu Si to court to accuse Linfu of having sworn a pact of father and son with Si and plotting treason. The case was referred to the proper offices; his son-in-law Yang Qixuan, terrified, falsely claimed that Linfu had cursed the Emperor with sorcery, and Guozhong impeached him for treason. The Emperor was furious and decreed that Linfu had practiced illicit sacrifices and curse-magic, conspired with rebel barbarians, and plotted against the altars of state; all his titles were stripped, his coffin was hacked open and the mouth-pearl and gold and purple vestments removed, he was re-coffined in a small box, and buried with commoner's rites; His sons—Director of Palace Provision Yu, Vice Director of Court Ceremonies Yu, Xiu, and the rest—were all exiled to Lingnan and Qianzhong, each given three slaves, and their property was confiscated; All his sons-in-law—Zhang Boji, Zheng Ping, Du Wei, and Yuan Hui—and his younger sons Fudao and Guang were all demoted.

博濟亦憸薄自肆。為戶部郎中，部有考堂，天下歲會計處，博濟廢為員外郎中聽事，壯偉華敞，供擬豐侈至千品；別取都水監地為考堂，擅費諸州籍帳錢不貲，有司不敢言。

Boji was likewise cunning, shallow, and utterly unrestrained. As a director in the Ministry of Revenue—whose examination hall was where the empire's annual accounts were compiled—Boji turned it into the reception office of an auxiliary director; the building was grand and lavish, with provisions and furnishings running to a thousand items; He separately seized land from the Directorate of Waterways for a new examination hall and recklessly spent the registry funds of the prefectures without restraint; the responsible offices dared not protest.

帝之幸蜀也，給事中裴士淹以辯學得幸。時肅宗在鳳翔，每命宰相，輒啟聞。及房琯為將，帝曰：「此非破賊才也。若姚元崇在，賊不足滅。」至宋璟，曰：「彼賣直以取名耳。」因歷評十餘人，皆當。至林甫，曰：「是子妒賢疾能，舉無比者。」士淹因曰：「陛下誠知之，何任之久邪？」帝默不應。

When the Emperor fled to Shu, Supervising Secretary Pei Shiyan won favor through his eloquence and erudition. At that time Emperor Suzong was at Fengxiang; whenever he appointed a chancellor he always sent word to inform the Retired Emperor. When Fang Guan was made a general, the Emperor said, 'He is not the man to break the rebels. If Yao Chong were still alive, the rebels would scarcely be worth mentioning. Of Song Jing he said, 'That man sold his integrity to buy a reputation.' He then ran through more than ten men in succession, and every judgment hit the mark. When he came to Linfu, he said, 'That man is jealous of the worthy and hates the able—there is no equal to him in that. Shiyan then said, 'If Your Majesty truly knows this, why keep him in office so long?' The Emperor said nothing.

至德中，兩京平，大赦，唯祿山支黨及林甫、楊國忠、王鉷子孫不原。天寶時，嘗鏤玉為玄元皇帝及玄宗、肅宗像於太清宮，復琢林甫、陳希烈像列左右序。代宗時，或言：「林甫陰險，嘗不利先帝，宗廟幾危，奈何留像至今？」有詔瘞宮中。廣明初，盧攜為太清宮使，發地得其像，輦送京兆毀之云。陳希烈陳希烈者，宋州人。博學，尤深黃老，工文章。開元中，帝儲思經義，自褚無量、元行沖卒，而希烈與康子元、馮朝隱進講禁中，其應答詔問，敷盡微隱，皆希烈為之章句。累遷中書舍人，十九年為集賢院學士，進工部侍郎，知院事。帝有所撰述，希烈必助成之。遷門下侍郎。

In the Zhide era, after the two capitals were recovered, a general amnesty was proclaimed—but the Lushan faction and the descendants of Linfu, Yang Guozhong, and Wang Hong alone were excluded. During the Tianbao period jade images of the Emperor Xuanyuan, of Emperors Xuanzong and Suzong, and also of Linfu and Chen Xilie were carved for the Taiqing Palace and arranged in order to left and right. In Emperor Daizong's reign someone said, 'Linfu was treacherous and once harmed the Former Emperor; the ancestral temple was nearly lost—why does his image remain? An edict ordered it buried within the palace grounds. At the start of the Guangming era, Lu Xie was commissioner of the Taiqing Palace; when the ground was dug up the image was found, carted to the capital prefecture, and destroyed—or so it is said. Chen Xilie. Chen Xilie was a native of Songzhou. He was broadly learned, especially steeped in Huang-Lao thought, and skilled at writing. During the Kaiyuan reign the Emperor, in his leisure, pondered the meaning of the classics; after Chu Wuliang and Yuan Xingchong died, Xilie lectured in the inner palace with Kang Ziyuan and Feng Chaoyin, and whenever the Emperor questioned him and hidden subtleties had to be fully expounded, Xilie supplied all the commentarial passages. Through successive promotions he rose to Drafting Secretary; in the nineteenth year he became an academician of the Hall of Assembled Worthies, was promoted to Vice Minister of Public Works, and directed the academy. Whenever the Emperor undertook a literary project, Xilie always helped bring it to completion. He was transferred to Vice Director of the Chancellery.

天寶元年，有神降丹鳳門，以為老子告錫靈符，希烈因是上言：「臣侍演《南華真經》至七篇，陛下顧曰：『此言養生，朕既悟其術，而《德充符》詎無非常應哉？』臣稽首對：『陛下德充於內，符應於外，必有絕瑞表之。』今靈符降錫，與帝意合，宜示史官，著顯祥，摛照無窮。」其俞佞類如此。俄兼崇玄館大學士，封臨潁侯。

In the first year of Tianbao a spirit descended at Danfeng Gate, taken as Laozi announcing the gift of a numinous talisman. Xilie thereupon memorialized: 'While Your servant was lecturing on the Zhuangzi through the seventh chapter, Your Majesty turned and said, "This speaks of nurturing life—I have already grasped its method; yet surely the chapter Sign of Complete Virtue ought to have some extraordinary response, should it not? Your servant bowed and replied, 'Your Majesty's virtue is complete within, and signs respond without—there must be a supreme omen to reveal it.' Now the numinous talisman has descended in accord with the Emperor's thought. It should be shown to the historiographers, recorded as a brilliant omen, and its radiance proclaimed without end." His sycophantic flattery ran to such lengths. Soon he was additionally made Grand Academician of the Palace of Venerating the Mysteries and enfeoffed as Marquis of Linying.

林甫顓朝，茍用可專制者，引與共政。以希烈柔易，且帝眷之厚，乃薦之。五載，進同中書門下平章事，遷左丞相兼兵部尚書，許國公，又兼秘書省圖書使，寵與林甫侔。林甫居位久，其陰詭雖足自固，亦希烈左右焉。楊國忠執政，素忌之，希烈引避，國忠即薦韋見素代相，罷為太子太師。希烈失職，內忽忽無所賴。及祿山盜京師，遂與達奚珣等偕相賊。後論罪當斬，肅宗以上皇素所遇，賜死於家。

Linfu monopolized the court; any pliable man he could use to rule alone, he brought in to share power. Because Xilie was mild and compliant and enjoyed the Emperor's deep favor, Linfu recommended him. In the fifth year he was promoted to Co-signer of the Secretariat-Chancellery with equal rank as Grand Counselor, made Left Grand Counselor and Minister of War, enfeoffed as Duke of Xu, and additionally appointed commissioner of the Palace Library—his favor rivaled Linfu's. Linfu had long held office; though his secret machinations were enough to secure himself, he also leaned on Xilie at his side. When Yang Guozhong took power he had long envied Xilie; Xilie withdrew to avoid him, and Guozhong immediately recommended Wei Jiansu to replace him as chancellor, demoting Xilie to Grand Preceptor of the Crown Prince. Deprived of office, Xilie grew inwardly restless, with nothing left to lean on. When Lushan seized the capital, he joined Daxi Xun and others in serving the rebels as chancellor. Later, when guilt was assessed and execution was warranted, Suzong, because the Retired Emperor had always favored him, granted him death at home.

◎奸臣下盧杞盧杞，字子良。父弈，見《忠義傳》。杞有口才，體陋甚，鬼貌藍色，不恥惡衣菲食，人未悟其不情，咸謂有祖風節。藉蔭為清道率府兵曹參軍，仆固懷恩辟朔方府掌書記，病免。補鴻臚丞，出為忠州刺史。上謁節度府衛伯玉，伯玉不喜，乃謝歸。稍遷吏部郎中，為虢州刺史。奏言虢有官豕三千為民患。德宗曰：「徙之沙苑。」杞曰：「同州亦陛下百姓，臣謂食之便。」帝曰：「守虢而憂它州，宰相材也。」詔以豕賜貧民，遂有意柄任矣。俄召為御史中丞，論奏無不合。逾年遷大夫，不閱旬，擢門下侍郎、同中書門下平章事。

◎ Corrupt Officials (Lower) — Lu Qi. Lu Qi, whose courtesy name was Ziliang. His father Yi—see the Biographies of Loyal Righteousness. Qi was eloquent, but his body was grotesquely ugly—his face ghostly and bluish; he wore coarse clothes and ate plain food without shame, and before anyone saw through his cold heart, all said he had inherited his grandfather's integrity. Through inherited privilege he became army staff officer of the Qingdao Leading Office; Pugu Huai'en recruited him as secretary of the Shuofang headquarters, but he resigned citing illness. He was appointed aide of the Court of State Ceremonial and sent out as prefect of Zhongzhou. He went to call on Military Commissioner Wei Boyu; Boyu took no liking to him, and Qi excused himself and returned. He was gradually promoted to director in the Ministry of Personnel and appointed prefect of Guozhou. He memorialized that Guo had three thousand official pigs that were plaguing the people. Dezong said, 'Move them to Shayuan. Qi said, 'The people of Tongzhou are also Your Majesty's subjects; Your servant thinks it would be better to have the pigs eaten.' The Emperor said, 'To govern Guo yet worry about other prefectures—that is the mark of a chancellor.' An edict granted the pigs to the poor, and from then on the Emperor marked him for high office. Soon he was summoned as Vice Censor-in-Chief; his indictments and memorials never failed to please the Emperor. Within a year he was made Censor-in-Chief; in less than ten days he was promoted to Vice Director of the Chancellery and Co-signer with equal rank as Grand Counselor.

既得誌，險賊浸露。賢者冒，能者忌，小忤己，不傅死地不止。將大樹威，脅眾市權為自固者。楊炎與杞俱輔政，炎鄙杞才下，不悅，未半歲，譖罷炎。時大理卿嚴郢與炎有隙，即擢郢御史大夫以自助，炎卒逐死。張鎰材裕忠懿，帝所倚愛，未有以間。會隴右用兵，杞乃見帝，偽請行，帝不可，即薦鎰守鳳翔。既又惡郢。時幽州朱滔與泚有違言，誣其軍司馬蔡廷玉間鬩，請殺之。俄而滔反，帝欲斥之以悅滔，下御史鄭詹按狀，貶柳州司戶參軍，敕吏護送。廷玉疑送滔所，因自沈於河。杞奏，恐泚疑為詔所殺，願下詹三司雜治，並劾大夫郢。初，詹善張鎰，每伺杞間，獨詣鎰，杞知之。它日伺詹來，即徑至鎰便坐。詹趨避，杞遽及機事，鎰不得已，曰：「鄭侍禦在。」杞陽驚曰：「向所言，非外所得聞。」至是並按。有詔詹杖死，流郢費州。杜佑判度支，帝尤寵禮。杞短毀百緒，訖貶蘇州刺史。李希烈反，杞素惡顏真卿挺正敢言，即令宣慰其軍，卒為賊害。故宰相李揆有雅望，畏復用，遣為吐蕃會盟使，卒於行。李洧以徐州降，有所經略，使人誤先白鎰，杞怒，沮解之，不使有功。其狙害隱毒，天下無不痛憤，以杞得君，故不敢言。

Once he had gained his aim, his treacherous cruelty gradually emerged. He encroached on the worthy and envied the capable; for the smallest slight he would not rest until his victim stood at death's door. Intent on building towering authority, he intimidated the court and traded in power to fortify his position. Yang Yan served alongside Qi as chancellor; Yan despised Qi's lesser ability and disliked him; within half a year Qi slandered him and had him removed. At that time Chief Judge of the Court of Judicial Review Yan Yi bore a grudge against Yang Yan; Qi immediately promoted Yi to Censor-in-Chief to bolster himself, and Yang Yan was ultimately driven out and died. Zhang Yi was talented, generous, loyal, and upright; the Emperor relied on and favored him, and Qi had found no opening against him. When troops were mobilized in Longyou, Qi appeared before the Emperor and falsely offered to go in person; when the Emperor refused, he immediately recommended Zhang Yi to guard Fengxiang. Soon he also turned against Yan Yi. At that time Zhu Tao of Youzhou had fallen out with Zhu Ci and falsely accused Ci's army vice director Cai Tingyu of sowing discord, requesting his execution. Soon Tao rebelled; the Emperor wished to banish someone to appease him, so Censor Zheng Zhan was ordered to investigate; Tingyu was demoted to army staff officer of Liuzhou and officials were commanded to escort him. Tingyu suspected he was being sent into Tao's hands and drowned himself in a river. Qi memorialized that he feared Ci would suspect Tingyu had been killed by imperial order; he asked that Zhan be turned over to the Three Offices for joint trial and simultaneously impeached Censor-in-Chief Yan Yi. Earlier Zhan had been on good terms with Zhang Yi; whenever he found an opening while Qi was occupied, he would visit Yi alone—and Qi knew it. One day, having watched for Zhan's visit, Qi went straight to where Yi was sitting informally. Zhan rushed to slip away, but Qi at once pressed the sensitive business. Yi could only say, "Investigating Censor Zheng is here. Qi pretended to be startled. "What we were discussing could not have been overheard from outside," he said. Both men were then investigated together. An edict had Zhan beaten to death and sent Yan Yi into exile at Feizhou in Ying. Du You was acting head of the Revenue Bureau, and the Emperor treated him with exceptional favor. Qi picked fault with him on endless pretexts until he was demoted to prefect of Suzhou. When Li Xilie rebelled, Qi—who had long resented Yan Zhenqing's upright outspokenness—sent him to pacify Xilie's forces, and Yan was ultimately killed by the rebels. The former chancellor Li Kui enjoyed great prestige. Fearing he might be brought back into office, Qi dispatched him as envoy to a treaty conference with Tibet, and Li died on the road. When Li Xu surrendered Xuzhou he had strategic plans in hand, but a messenger mistakenly reported to Zhang Yi first. Qi was furious, blocked and unraveled the operation, and kept Xu from winning any credit. His ambushes and hidden malice left the whole empire aching with outrage, yet because Qi held the sovereign's ear, no one dared speak out.

是時兵屯河南、北，挐不解，財用日急。於是度支條軍所仰給，月費緡百餘萬，而藏錢才支三月。杞乃以戶部侍郎趙贊判度支，其黨韋都賓等建言：「商賈儲錢千萬，聽自業；過千萬者，貣其贏以濟軍。軍罷，約取償於官。」帝許之。京兆暴責其期，校吏頸大搜廛裏，疑占列不盡，則笞掠之，人不勝冤，自殞溝瀆者相望，京師囂然不闋日。然悉田宅奴婢之直，緡止八十萬。又僦櫝、質舍、居貿粟者，四貣其一，僅至二百萬。而長安為閉肆，民皆邀宰相祈訴。杞無以諭，驅而去。帝知民愁忿，而所得不足給師，罷之。贊術窮，於是間架、除陌之暴縱矣。其法：屋二架為間，差稅之，上者二千，中千，下五百，吏執籌入第室計之，隱不盡，率二架抵罪，告者以錢五萬畀之。凡公私貿易，舊法率千錢算二十，請加五十，主儈註所售，入其算有司；其自相市，為私籍自言，隱不盡，率千錢沒二萬，告者以萬錢畀之。由是主儈得操其私以為奸，公上所入常不得半，而恨誹之聲滿天下。及涇師亂，呼於市曰：「不奪而商人僦質矣，不稅而間架、除陌矣！」其倡和造作以召怨挻亂，皆杞為之。

Armies were then encamped north and south of the Yellow River in a grip that would not loosen, and the treasury grew tighter by the day. The Revenue Bureau then tallied what the armies required: more than a million strings of cash each month, while reserves would last only three months. Qi put Vice Minister of Revenue Zhao Zan in charge of the bureau, and his allies Wei Dubin and others proposed: "Merchants who hoard ten million in cash may keep trading as they please; those who hold more than ten million must lend their surplus profits to support the army. When the campaigns end, the government will repay them as agreed. The Emperor approved the plan. The metropolitan prefecture enforced the deadline with brutal haste. Clerks wearing measuring chains on their necks ransacked the markets; anyone suspected of concealing holdings was beaten and tortured. Desperate people drowned themselves in ditches and streams in an unbroken line, and the capital roared with protest day after day. Yet even after seizing the full value of fields, houses, slaves, and servants, they collected only eight hundred thousand strings of cash. When they also assessed rented strongboxes, pawnshops, and grain dealers, taking one quarter from each, the total rose to only two million. Chang'an closed its shops anyway, and commoners waylaid the chancellors in the streets to beg for mercy. Qi could not reason with them and had them driven away. The Emperor saw the people's fury, but the yield was too small to feed the armies, and the scheme was abandoned. With Zhao Zan's methods exhausted, the brutal jianjia and chumo taxes were unleashed next. Under the law, every two rafters counted as one bay and was taxed by grade—two thousand for the highest, one thousand for the middle, five hundred for the lowest. Officials with tally-sticks entered homes to measure; anyone who concealed space paid a penalty of two bays, and informers received fifty thousand cash. On all public and private trade the old rate had been twenty per thousand cash; they asked to add fifty. The chief broker recorded each sale and reported the tally to the authorities; when buyers and sellers dealt directly with one another they were to keep private ledgers and declare the amounts themselves. Concealment brought confiscation of twenty thousand for every thousand hidden, and informers received ten thousand. Chief brokers thus wielded private leverage for fraud; the treasury rarely saw even half the due revenue, and resentment and ridicule spread across the empire. When the Jingshi troops rebelled, they cried in the markets: "They did not seize our goods, yet merchants were squeezed for loans and pawn! They did not tax us, yet jianjia and chumo were imposed! The slogans that stirred hatred and spread chaos were all Qi's work.

帝出奉天，杞與關播從。後數日，崔寧自賊中來，以播遷事指杞，杞即誣寧反，帝殺之。靈武杜希全率鹽、夏二州士六千來赴，帝議所從道，杞請道漠谷。渾瑊曰：「不然，彼多險，且為賊乘，不如道乾陵北，逾雞子堆而屯，與為掎角，賊可破矣。」帝從杞議，賊果拒隘，兵不得入，奔還邠州。

The Emperor escaped to Fengtian, with Qi and Guan Bo in attendance. Days later Cui Ning arrived from rebel-held territory and, speaking of the court's flight, implicated Qi. Qi at once accused Ning of treason, and the Emperor had him put to death. Du Xiquan of Lingwu led six thousand troops from Yan and Xia to the rescue. When the court debated which route to take, Qi urged the Mogu pass. Hun Jian said, "No—that way is treacherous and gives the rebels their chance. Better to march north of Qianling, cross Jizi Ridge, and encamp in pincers with our allies. Then the rebels can be broken. The Emperor sided with Qi. The rebels held the defiles as expected, the army could not pass, and the force retreated to Binzhou.

李懷光自河北還，數破賊，泚解去。或謂王翃、趙贊曰：「聞懷光嘗斥宰相不能謀，度支賦斂重，而京兆刻損軍賜，宜誅之以謝天下。方懷光有功，上必聽用其言，公等殆矣！」二人以白杞。杞懼，即譎帝曰：「懷光勛在宗社，賊憚之破膽，今因其威，可一舉而定。若許來朝，則犒賜留連，賊得裒整殘餘為完守計，圖之實難，不如席勝使平京師，破竹之勢也。」帝然之。詔懷光無朝，進屯便橋。懷光自以千里勤難，有大功，為奸臣沮間，不一見天子，內怏怏無所發，遂謀反，因暴言杞等罪惡。士議嘩沸，皆指目杞，帝始寤，貶為新州司馬。

Li Huai'guang marched back from Hebei, routed the rebels again and again, and Zhu Ci broke off the siege and withdrew. Someone told Wang Hong and Zhao Zan, "I hear Huai'guang has blasted the chancellors for bad counsel, the Revenue Bureau for crushing taxes, and the metropolitan office for skimming army pay. Qi and his circle ought to be executed to satisfy the realm. Huai'guang has just saved the dynasty. The Emperor will surely listen to him—and you gentlemen are finished! The two reported this to Qi. Qi was terrified and at once misled the Emperor: "Huai'guang's service has saved the dynasty; the rebels are terrified of him. If we ride that momentum, we can finish this in one blow. If he is allowed to come to court, feasts and rewards will delay him while the rebels regroup and fortify the capital. Then the campaign will be hard indeed. Better to strike while the iron is hot and let him sweep Chang'an—the way bamboo splits once the first joint gives. The Emperor agreed. An edict barred Huai'guang from audience and ordered him to press forward and camp at Bian Bridge. Huai'guang felt he had raced a thousand li to rescue the throne and earned towering merit, only to be blocked by treacherous ministers and denied even one audience. Smoldering with nowhere to vent, he turned to rebellion and publicly denounced Qi and his crimes. Officers' talk boiled over, every finger pointing at Qi. The Emperor finally saw clearly and demoted him to secretary of Xinzhou.

始，帝即位，以崔祐甫為相，專以道德導主意，故建中初綱紀張設，赫然有貞觀風。及杞相，乃諷帝以刑名繩天下，亂敗踵及。其陰害矯譎，雖國屯主辱，猶謷然肆為之。後雖斥，然帝念之不衰。及興元赦令，俄徙吉州長史。杞乃曰：「上必復用我。」貞元元年，詔拜饒州刺史。給事中袁高當行詔書，不肯草，白宰相曰：「杞反易天常，使萬乘播遷，幸赦不誅，又委大州，失天下望。」宰相不悅，乃召它舍人作制，高固執不得下。於是諫臣趙需、裴佶、宇文炫、盧景亮、張薦等眾對，極言杞罪四海共棄，今復用之，忠臣寒膺，良士痛骨，必且階禍。其言懇到。帝語宰相曰：「授杞小州可乎？」李勉曰：「陛下與大州亦無難，如四方之謗何？」乃詔為澧州別駕。後散騎常侍李泌見，帝曰：「高等論杞事，朕可之矣！」泌頓首賀曰：「比日外謂陛下漢之桓、靈，今乃知堯、舜主也。」帝喜。杞遂死澧州。

When the Emperor first ascended the throne he made Cui Youfu chancellor, who led the court by moral example. In the early Jianzhong years discipline stood tall again, with something of the Zhenguan age about it. Once Qi took power he urged the Emperor to rule the realm through harsh law and punishment, and chaos followed in quick succession. His hidden malice and twisted schemes continued even while the dynasty staggered and the sovereign suffered humiliation. Even after his exile the Emperor's fondness for him did not wane. After the Xingyuan amnesty he was soon moved to chief administrator of Jizhou. Qi said, "The Emperor is bound to bring me back. In the first year of Zhenyuan an edict made him prefect of Raozhou. Supervising Secretary Yuan Gao, who was to draft the appointment edict, refused. He told the chancellors, "Qi overturned Heaven's order and drove the Son of Heaven into exile. Spared execution by the amnesty, he is now given a great prefecture—the empire's trust is betrayed. The chancellors were displeased and called another drafter to write the decree, but Gao held firm and the appointment could not go forward. Remonstrance officials Zhao Xu, Pei Ji, Yuwen Xuan, Lu Jingliang, Zhang Jian, and others then appeared together, declaring that Qi's crimes had made him an outcast throughout the realm, that reappointing him would freeze loyal hearts and wound good men to the marrow, and that calamity would surely follow. Their remonstrance was impassioned and unsparing. The Emperor asked the chancellors, "Would it do to give Qi only a small prefecture? Li Mian replied, "Your Majesty could as easily give him a large prefecture—but what of the outcry from every quarter?" An edict then appointed him vice-prefect of Lizhou instead. Later, when Attendant-in-Ordinary Li Bi was received in audience, the Emperor said, "On Gao and the others' remonstrance about Qi—I have accepted it! Bi kowtowed in congratulation. "Lately outsiders compare Your Majesty to the Han emperors Huan and Ling," he said. "Now I see you are a ruler in the mold of Yao and Shun." The Emperor was delighted. Qi died soon afterward in Lizhou.

初，尚父郭子儀病甚，百官造省，不屏姬侍。及杞至，則屏之，隱几而待。家人怪問其故，子儀曰：「彼外陋內險，左右見必笑，使後得權，吾族無類矣！」崔胤崔胤，字垂休，宰相慎由子也。擢進士第，累遷中書舍人、御史中丞。喜陰計，附離權強，其外自處若簡重，而中險譎可畏。崔昭緯屢薦之，由戶部侍郎同中書門下平章事。方王珙兄弟爭河中，以胤為節度使，不得赴，半歲，復以中書侍郎留輔政。及昭緯以罪誅，罷為武安節度使。陸扆當國，時王室不競，南、北司各樹黨結藩鎮，內相淩脅。胤素厚朱全忠，委心結之。全忠為言胤有功，不宜處外，故還相而逐扆。

When Grand Mentor Guo Ziyi fell gravely ill, officials of every rank came to inquire after him, and he did not send away his concubines and attendants. When Qi arrived, Ziyi dismissed them, leaned on his armrest, and waited. His family marveled and asked why. Ziyi said, "That man is homely outside and dangerous within. If those around me see him they will laugh—and if he ever gains power, my house will be wiped out! Cui Yin—courtesy name Chuixiu—was the son of Chancellor Shenyou. He passed the jinshi examination and rose through the ranks to Secretariat Drafter and Vice Censor-in-Chief. He loved secret plots and clung to the powerful. Outwardly he seemed plain and dignified; inwardly he was treacherous and frightening. Cui Zhaowei repeatedly recommended him, and he advanced from Vice Minister of Revenue to Co-signer with equal rank as Grand Counselor. While the Wang Gong brothers were fighting over Hezhong, Yin was named military commissioner but could not take up the post. Half a year later he returned as Vice Director of the Secretariat and stayed at court. When Zhaowei was executed for his crimes, Yin was removed and sent out as Military Commissioner of Wu'an. While Lu Yi directed the government the throne was weak. The southern and northern palace offices each built factions and tied themselves to military governors, and inner officials bullied one another. Yin had long been close to Zhu Quanzhong and threw himself into cultivating that bond. Quanzhong argued that Yin had merit and should not be kept in the provinces, so Yin returned to the chancellorship and Lu Yi was pushed out.

光化初，昭宗至自華，務安反側，而胤陰為全忠地，俾擅兵四討。帝醜其行，罷為吏部尚書，復倚扆以相。會清海無帥，因拜胤清海節度使。始，昭緯死，皆王摶等白髮其奸，胤坐是賜罷，內銜憾。既與摶同宰相，胤議悉去中官，摶不助，請徐圖之。及是不欲外除，即漏其語於全忠，令露劾摶交敕使共危國，罪當誅。胤次湖南，召還守司空、門下侍郎、平章事，兼領度支、鹽鐵、戶部使，而賜摶死，並誅中尉宋道弼、景務修，繇是權震天下，雖宦官亦累息。至是，四拜宰相，世謂「崔四入」。

Early in the Guanghua era Zhaozong returned from Hua and tried to calm the restless factions, but Yin quietly cleared space for Quanzhong to march armies in every direction. The Emperor detested his behavior, demoted him to Minister of Personnel, and again relied on Lu Yi as chancellor. When Qinghai happened to lack a commander, Yin was appointed its military commissioner. Earlier, when Zhaowei died, Wang Tuan and others had exposed Yin's treachery, and Yin was dismissed—nursing a grudge ever since. When he later served as chancellor with Tuan, Yin proposed purging all palace eunuchs. Tuan would not help and urged a slower approach. Unwilling to accept exile, he leaked Tuan's words to Quanzhong and had him publicly accuse Tuan of colluding with decree-bearing eunuchs to endanger the state—a capital offense. Yin was halted in Hunan, then recalled as Minister of Works, Vice Director of the Chancellery, and Grand Counselor, while also heading the Revenue Bureau and the Salt and Iron and Revenue commissions. Tuan was condemned to death, and Palace Directors Song Daobu and Jing Wuxiu were executed with him. From then on Yin's power shook the realm—even the eunuchs kept their heads down. By then he had become chancellor four times, and people called him "Cui the Four-Time Chancellor."

劉季述幽帝東內，奉德王監國，畏全忠強，雖深怨胤，不敢殺，止罷政事。胤趣全忠以師西，問所以幽帝狀。全忠乃使張存敬攻河中，掠晉、絳。神策軍大將孫德昭常忿閹尹廢辱天子，胤令判官石戩與遊，乘間伺察。德昭飲酣必泣，胤揣得其情，乃使戩說曰：「自季述廢天子，天下之人未嘗忘，武夫義臣搏手憤惋。今謀反者特季述、仲先耳，它人劫於威，無與也。君能乘此誅二豎，復天子，取功名乎？即不早計，將有無之者。」德昭感寤，乃告以胤謀。德昭許諾，胤斬帶為誓。俄而季述、仲先誅，以功進司徒，不就，復輔政，並還使領。帝德之，延見或不名，以字呼之，寵遇無比。

Liu Jishu confined the Emperor in the Eastern Inner Palace and set Prince De to govern as regent. Fearing Quanzhong's power, he hated Yin deeply yet dared not kill him, and only removed him from office. Yin pressed Quanzhong to march west and asked for the full story of the Emperor's confinement. Quanzhong then sent Zhang Cunjing to attack Hezhong and ravage Jin and Jiang. Sun Dezhao, a general of the Divine Strategy Army, often burned with rage that eunuch lords had deposed and shamed the Son of Heaven. Yin had his aide Shi Jian cultivate his company and watch for an opportunity. Dezhao wept whenever he drank deeply. Yin read his heart and sent Shi to say, "Since Jishu deposed the Son of Heaven, the realm has never forgotten. Martial men and loyal ministers clench their fists in fury. Only Jishu and Zhongxian truly plotted this. The rest were bullied into compliance and had no share in the crime. Can you seize this moment, kill those two vermin, restore the Son of Heaven, and win glory for yourself? If you wait too long, someone else will beat you to it. Moved, Dezhao was let in on Yin's plan. Dezhao agreed, and Yin cut his belt as a pledge. Soon Jishu and Zhongxian were killed. For his service Dezhao was offered Minister of Education but declined; he returned to assist in government and regained his commissionerships as well. The Emperor was deeply grateful. In audience he sometimes omitted Yin's name and called him by his courtesy name—a favor without parallel.

天復元年，全忠已取河中，進逼同、華。中尉韓全誨以胤與全忠善，恐導之翦除君側，乃白罷政事，未及免，倉卒挾帝幸鳳翔。胤怨帝見廢，不肯從，召全忠以兵迎天子，令太子太師盧渥率群臣迎全忠。始，全忠至華，遣幕府裴鑄奏事。帝不得已，聽來朝。至是胤為之謀，乃以兵迫行在。帝下詔趣還鎮，因詔遣渥等俱西。全忠上表具言：「向書詔皆出宰相，乃今知非陛下意，為所詿誤。師業入關，請得與李茂貞約釋憾以迎乘輿。」茂貞劾奏：「胤畜死士，用度支使榷利，令親信陳班與京兆府募兵保所居坊。天子出次，遣使者五輩往召，安臥不動，一奉表陳謝。」時帝見全忠表，亦大恚，因下詔顯責之，以工部尚書罷知政事，胤出居華州。

In the first year of Tianfu, Quanzhong had already seized Hezhong and was pressing Tong and Hua. Palace Director Han Quanhui, seeing Yin's closeness to Quanzhong, feared Yin would lead him to purge the court. He petitioned to remove Yin from office, but before the order could take effect he hurried the Emperor off to Fengxiang. Yin resented the Emperor's forced removal and refused to go along. He called Quanzhong to march with his army and welcome the Son of Heaven, and ordered Grand Mentor of the Heir Apparent Lu Wo to lead the officials out to meet him. When Quanzhong first reached Hua, he sent his staff member Pei Zhu to report to the court. The Emperor had no choice but to permit him to come to audience. By then Yin had devised the plan and sent troops to pressure the emperor's mobile court. The Emperor issued an edict ordering him back to his command, and also ordered Lu Wo and the others to proceed west together. Quanzhong submitted a detailed memorial: "The edicts I received all came from the chancellors. I now realize they did not reflect Your Majesty's intent—I was misled. Shiye entered the pass and asked to arrange with Li Maozhen a reconciliation so they could welcome the emperor back. Maozhen memorialized against him: "Yin keeps assassins, uses the revenue commissioner to squeeze monopoly profits, and has his confidant Chen Ban and the capital prefecture recruit troops to guard his ward. When the emperor moved to a temporary lodging, five envoys were sent to summon Yin, but he lay unmoved and merely submitted one apologetic memorial." When the emperor read Quanzhong's memorial he was furious. He issued an edict openly censuring Yin, stripped him of the chancellorship while retaining him as Minister of Works, and Yin withdrew to Hua Prefecture.

初，天復後宦官尤屈事胤，事無不咨。每議政禁中，至繼以燭，請盡誅中官，以宮人掌內司事。韓全誨等密知之，共於帝前求哀。乃詔胤後當密封，無口陳。中官益恐，滋欲得其謀，乃求知書美人宗柔等內左右以刺陰事。胤計稍露，宦者或相泣無憀，不自安，劫幸之謀固矣。

After Tianfu the eunuchs were especially deferential to Yin and consulted him on everything. Their policy debates in the palace often ran late into the night, candle after candle. Yin proposed executing all eunuchs and putting palace women in charge of inner court business. Han Quanhui and others learned of this in secret and together pleaded for their lives before the emperor. The emperor then ordered that Yin must submit sealed memorials in future and not speak his proposals aloud. The eunuchs grew more terrified and were desperate to learn his plans, so they recruited literate palace women like Zong Rou as inner attendants to uncover his secrets. As Yin's plot leaked, some eunuchs wept together in despair. Uneasy, they settled firmly on a plan to abduct the emperor.

居華時，為全忠數畫醜計。全忠引兵還屯河中，胤迎謁渭橋，奉觴為全忠壽，自歌以釂酒。會茂貞殺全誨等，與全忠約和。帝急召之，墨詔者四、朱劄三，皆辭疾。及帝出鳳翔，幸全忠軍，乃迎謁於道，復拜平章事，進位司徒，兼判六軍諸衛事，詔徙家舍右軍，賜帷帳器用十車。胤遂奏：「高祖、太宗無內侍典軍，天寶後宦人浸盛，德宗分羽林衛為左右神策軍，令宦者主之，以二千人為率。其後參掌機密，至內務百司悉歸中人，共相彌縫為不法，朝廷微弱，禍始於此。請罷左右神策、內諸司使、諸道監軍。」於是中外宦官悉誅，天子傳導詔命，只用宮人寵顏等。

While at Hua, he repeatedly plotted wicked schemes for Quanzhong. Quanzhong withdrew his army to garrison Hezhong. Yin met him at Weiqiao Bridge, offered a cup to wish him long life, and sang a song to drain the toast. Then Maozhen killed Quanhui and the others and made peace with Quanzhong. The emperor urgently summoned him—four ink edicts and three vermilion notes—and each time Yin pleaded illness. When the emperor left Fengxiang and went to Quanzhong's camp, Yin met him on the road. He was again made chancellor, promoted to Minister of Education, and put in charge of the Six Armies and guards. His household was ordered to lodge in the Right Army camp and he was given ten carts of furnishings. Yin then submitted a memorial: "Gaozu and Taizong had no eunuchs commanding troops. After Tianbao eunuchs grew ever stronger; Dezong split the Feathered Forest Guard into the Left and Right Divine Strategy Armies and put eunuchs in charge at two thousand men each. They soon shared in state secrets, and eventually every inner office came under eunuch control. They covered for one another's crimes, the court was enfeebled, and the disaster began here. He asked that the Left and Right Divine Strategy Armies, the inner-bureau commissioners, and the circuit army supervisors all be abolished. Eunuchs inside and outside the palace were then all executed. Palace women like Chongyan alone carried the emperor's edicts.

帝之在鳳翔，以廬光啟、蘇檢為相，胤皆逐殺之，分斥從幸近臣陸扆等三十餘人，惟裴贄孤立可制，留與偕秉政。帝動靜一決於胤，無敢言者。胤議以皇子為元帥，全忠副之，示褒崇其功。全忠內利輝王沖幼，故胤藉以請。帝曰：「濮王長，若何？」還禁中，召翰林學士韓偓以謀。偓陰佐胤，卒不能卻。全忠還東，到長樂，群臣班辭，胤獨至霸橋置酒，乙夜乃還。帝即召問：「全忠安否？」與飲，命宮人為舞劍曲，戊夜乃出，賜二宮人，固讓乃許。是時天子孤危，威令盡去，胤之劫持類如此。進侍中、魏國公。

While the emperor was at Fengxiang, Lu Guangqi and Su Jian had served as chancellors; Yin drove them out and had them killed. He expelled more than thirty courtiers who had followed the emperor, such as Lu Yi, leaving only Pei Zhan, isolated and manageable, to share power. Every move the emperor made was decided by Yin, and no one dared object. Yin proposed making an imperial prince commander-in-chief with Quanzhong as his deputy—a gesture meant to honor Quanzhong's achievements. Quanzhong privately favored Prince Hui because he was young, and Yin framed his request accordingly. The emperor said, "Prince Pu is the eldest—what about him? Back in the palace he summoned Hanlin academician Han Wo for advice. Han Wo secretly sided with Yin, and in the end could not stop him. Quanzhong headed east. At Changle the ministers took formal leave, but Yin alone went to Baxia Bridge to host a banquet and did not return until the second watch. The emperor summoned him at once and asked, "Is Quanzhong safe and well? They drank together. The emperor had palace women perform a sword-dance song. Yin did not leave until the fifth watch. Two palace women were granted him; he refused firmly before finally accepting. The emperor was isolated and powerless, his authority gone. Yin's hold over him was mostly of this sort. He was promoted to Palace Attendant and made Duke of Wei.

自鳳翔還，揣全忠將篡奪，顧己宰相，恐一日及禍，欲握兵自固，謬謂全忠曰：「京師迫茂貞，不可無備，須募軍以守。今左右龍武、羽林、神策，播幸之餘，無見兵。請軍置四步將，將二百五十人；一騎將，將百人。使番休遞侍。」以京兆尹鄭元規為六軍諸衛副使，陳班為威遠軍使，募卒於市。全忠知其意，陽相然許。胤乃毀浮圖，取銅鐵為兵仗。全忠陰令汴人數百應募，以其子友倫入宿衛。會為球戲，墜馬死，全忠疑胤陰計，大怒。時傳胤將挾帝幸荊、襄，而全忠方謀脅乘輿都洛，懼其異議，密表胤專權亂國，請誅之。即罷為太子少傅。全忠令其子友諒以兵圍開化坊第，殺胤，汴士皆突出，市人爭投瓦礫擊其屍，年五十一，元規、陳班等皆死，實天復四年正月。

After returning from Fengxiang, sensing Quanzhong's ambitions and fearing that as chancellor he might one day be ruined, Yin wanted troops of his own. He falsely told Quanzhong, "Maozhen threatens the capital—we must recruit a garrison to defend it. The Dragon Martial, Feathered Forest, and Divine Strategy guards have been scattered since the emperor's forced wanderings—there are hardly any troops left. He asked to raise four infantry commanders of two hundred fifty men each; and one cavalry commander of one hundred men. They would rotate duty in shifts. Zheng Yuangui, the capital prefect, was made deputy commissioner of the Six Armies and guards; Chen Ban was made commander of the Weiyuan Army; and troops were recruited openly in the markets. Quanzhong saw through him but pretended to agree. Yin then demolished pagodas to melt down their bronze and iron for arms. Quanzhong secretly had several hundred men from Bian enlist, and sent his son Youlun into palace guard duty. During a ball game Youlun fell from his horse and died. Quanzhong suspected Yin had plotted it and was furious. Rumors spread that Yin meant to take the emperor to Jing and Xiang, while Quanzhong was planning to force the court to move the capital to Luoyang. Fearing opposition, he secretly memorialized that Yin's monopoly on power was ruining the state and asked that he be executed. Yin was immediately demoted to Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent. Quanzhong sent his son Youliang with troops to surround Yin's mansion in Kaihua Ward and kill him. The Bian soldiers burst out; townspeople hurled tiles and stones at his corpse. Yin was fifty-one. Yuangui, Chen Ban, and others were killed too. This was the first month of Tianfu year four.

胤罷凡三日死，死十日，全忠脅帝遷洛，發長安居人悉東，徹屋木自渭循河下。老幼系路，啼號不絕，皆大罵曰：「國賊崔胤導全忠賣社稷，使我及此！」先是，全忠雖據河南，顧強諸侯相持，未敢決移國。及胤間內隙，與相結，得梯其禍，取朝權以成強大，終亡天下，胤身屠宗滅。世言慎由晚無子，遇異浮屠，以術求，乃生胤，字緇郎。及為相，其季父安潛唶曰：「吾父兄刻苦以持門戶，終為緇郎壞之！」崔昭緯崔昭緯字蘊曜，其先清河人。及進士第。至昭宗時仕浸顯，以戶部侍郎同中書門下平章事，居位凡八年，累進尚書右仆射。性險刻，密結中人，外連強諸侯，內制天子以固其權。令族人鋋事王行瑜邠寧幕府。每它宰相建議，或詔令有不便於己，必使鋋密告行瑜，使上書訾訐，己則陰阿助之。方是時，帝室微，人主若贅斿然。始，帝委杜讓能調兵食以討鳳翔，昭緯方倚李茂貞、行瑜為重，陰得其計，則走告之，激使稱兵向闕，遂殺讓能。後又導三鎮兵殺韋昭度等。帝性剛明，不堪忍，會誅行瑜，乃罷昭緯為右仆射。復請朱全忠薦己，又厚賂諸王，為所奏，貶梧州司馬，下詔條其五罪，賜死。行次江陵，使者至，斬之。鋋亦誅。柳璨柳璨字炤之，公綽族孫也。為人鄙野，其家不以諸柳齒。少孤貧，好學，晝采薪給費，夜然葉照書，強記，多所通涉。譏訶劉子玄《史通》，著《析微》，時或稱之。顏蕘判史館，引為直學士，由是益知名。遷左拾遺。昭宗好文，待李磎最厚，磎死，內常求似磎者。或薦璨才高，試文，帝稱善，擢翰林學士。

Yin died just three days after his dismissal. Ten days later Quanzhong forced the emperor to move the capital to Luoyang, sending every Chang'an resident east and dismantling buildings to float the timber down the Wei and along the river. Old and young lined the roads, wailing without end. They cursed loudly, "That traitor Cui Yin guided Quanzhong to sell out the realm and bring us to this! Before this, though Quanzhong held Henan, the strong regional lords kept one another in check and he dared not move to seize the throne. Yin exploited court divisions and allied with Quanzhong, letting him ride one crisis after another to seize court power and grow mighty—until the Tang was destroyed and Yin himself was slaughtered along with his clan. People said Shenyou had no son in his later years. He met an eccentric monk and used occult arts to obtain an heir—thus Yin was born, with the courtesy name Zilang. When Yin became chancellor, his uncle Anqian lamented, "Our fathers and elder brothers toiled to uphold this house, and Zilang ruined it in the end! Cui Zhaowei, courtesy name Yunyao, came from Qinghe. He passed the jinshi examination. Under Emperor Zhaozong he rose steadily. As Vice Minister of Revenue he became associate chancellor, served eight years in all, and was promoted to Right Vice Director of the Ministry of Works. Treacherous and harsh by nature, he secretly allied with eunuchs and powerful warlords abroad while controlling the emperor at court to cement his power. He placed his kinsman Chan on the staff of Wang Xingyu's Binning command. Whenever another chancellor proposed something, or an edict went against his interests, he had Chan secretly tell Xingyu to submit attacking memorials while he quietly backed them from behind. At that time the throne was enfeebled; the emperor was little more than a figurehead. When the emperor put Du Rangneng in charge of supplies for the campaign against Fengxiang, Zhaowei, who leaned on Li Maozhen and Xingyu, learned the plans in secret and raced to warn them, goading them to march on the capital—Rangneng was then killed. He later guided the armies of the Three Circuits to kill Wei Zhaodu and others. The emperor was resolute and clear-sighted and would not tolerate it. When Xingyu was executed, Zhaowei was demoted to Right Vice Director of Works. He again asked Zhu Quanzhong to recommend him and heavily bribed the princes, but they reported him. He was demoted to Wuzhou adjutant; an edict listed five crimes and ordered his death. When he reached Jiangling, the executioner's envoy arrived and beheaded him. Chan was executed as well. Liu Can, courtesy name Zhaozhi, was a descendant of Liu Gongchuo's clan line. Crude and rustic in manner, his own family did not count him among the Liu kin. Orphaned and poor, he loved learning. By day he gathered firewood for money; by night he burned leaves to read by. He had a prodigious memory and read widely. He mocked Liu Zixuan's Shitong and wrote Xiwai, which won some praise. Yan Rao, head of the History Office, made him a direct academician, and his reputation grew. He was promoted to Left Reminder. Emperor Zhaozong loved letters and favored Li Xi above all. After Xi died the court sought someone like him. Someone recommended Can's brilliance. His writing was tested; the emperor approved and made him a Hanlin academician.

崔胤死，昭宗密許璨宰相，外無知者。日暮自禁中出，騶士傳呼宰相，人皆大驚。明日，帝謂學士承旨張文蔚曰：「璨材可用，今擢為相，應授何官？」對曰：「用賢不計資。」帝曰：「諫議大夫可乎？」曰：「唯唯。」遂以諫議大夫同中書門下平章事。起布衣，至是不四歲，其暴貴近世所未有。裴樞、獨孤損、崔遠皆宿望舊臣，與同位，頗輕之，璨內以為怨。朱全忠圖篡殺，宿衛士皆汴人，璨一厚結之，與蔣玄暉、張廷範尤相得。既挾全忠，故朝權皆歸之。進中書侍郎、判戶部，封河東縣男。

After Cui Yin died, Emperor Zhaozong secretly promised Can the chancellorship; no one outside knew. At dusk he left the palace; mounted escorts called out "Chancellor!"—everyone was stunned. The next day the emperor said to chief academician Zhang Wenwei, "Can's talent is usable. I am making him chancellor—what title should he receive? Wenwei replied, "When appointing the worthy, rank should not matter." The emperor asked, "Would Remonstrating Advisor suffice?" Yes, yes," he answered. Can was then made associate chancellor with the title Remonstrating Advisor. From commoner to chancellor in under four years—such a sudden rise was unheard of in recent memory. Pei Shu, Dugu Sun, and Cui Yuan were senior ministers of long standing. Sharing rank with Can, they looked down on him, and he nursed a grievance. Zhu Quanzhong was plotting regicide. The palace guards were all from Bian, and Can closely cultivated them, getting on especially well with Jiang Xuanhui and Zhang Tingfan. Backed by Quanzhong, court power passed entirely to Can. He was promoted to Vice Director of the Secretariat and put in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, and enfeoffed as Baron of Hedong County.

天祐二年，長星出太微、文昌間，占者曰：「君臣皆不利，宜多殺以塞天變。」玄暉、廷範乃與璨謀殺大臣宿有望者。璨手疏所仇冒若獨孤損等三十餘人，皆誅死，天下以為冤。全忠聞之，不善也。其後急於九錫，宣徽北院使王殷者構璨等，言其有貳，故禮不至。玄暉懼，自往辨解。全忠怒罵曰：「爾與柳璨輩沮我，不由九錫，作天子不得邪？」璨懼，即脅哀帝曰：「人望歸元帥矣，陛下宜揖讓以授終。」璨請自行，進拜司空，為冊禮使，即日進道。及玄暉死，而全忠恚璨背己，貶登州刺史，俄除名為民，流崖州，尋斬之。臨刑悔咤曰：「負國賊柳璨，死宜矣！」弟瑀、瑊皆榜死。

In Tianyou year two a comet appeared between the Supreme Palace and Literary Glory constellations. Diviners said, "This bodes ill for emperor and ministers alike—many must be killed to appease heaven. Xuanhui and Tingfan then plotted with Can to kill senior ministers of standing. Can personally listed more than thirty men he hated, including Dugu Sun. All were executed, and the realm regarded it as a gross injustice. Quanzhong heard of this and was displeased. When Quanzhong grew impatient for the nine bestowals, Wang Yin of the Northern Court of the Palace Secretariat framed Can and his allies, claiming disloyalty—that was why the rites had not been performed. Terrified, Xuanhui went in person to explain. Quanzhong raged: "You and Liu Can's crowd are blocking me—must I have the nine bestowals before I can become emperor? Can, terrified, immediately pressured Emperor Ai: "The people's hopes are with the Marshal. Your Majesty should abdicate in favor of him." Can volunteered to carry the message. He was promoted to Minister of Works and made commissioner of enthronement rites, setting out that same day. After Xuanhui died, Quanzhong, angry that Can had betrayed him, demoted Can to prefect of Dengzhou, then stripped his rank, exiled him to Yazhou, and soon had him executed. At the execution block he cried in remorse, "The traitor Liu Can deserves to die! His brothers Yu and Jian were both flogged to death.

玄暉者，少賤，不得其系著。事朱全忠為腹心。昭宗東遷，玄暉為樞密使。帝駐陜州，術家言星緯不常，且有大變，宜須冬幸洛。帝度全忠必篡，命衛官高瑰持帛詔賜王建，告以脅遷，且言：「全忠以兵二萬治洛陽，將盡去我左右，君宜與茂貞、克用、行密同盟，傳檄襄、魏、幽、鎮，使各以軍迎我還京師。」又詔全忠：「後方娠，須十月乃東。」全忠知帝有謀，遣寇彥卿趣迫。天子不得已，遂行。抵谷水，全忠盡殺左右黃門、內園小兒五百人，悉以汴兵為衛。初，全忠至鳳翔，侵邠州，節度使楊崇本降，質其家。崇本妻美，全忠與亂，故崇本怒。至是遣使者會克用、茂貞，南告趙匡凝及建，同舉兵問劫遷狀，全忠大懼。

Xuanhui came from humble beginnings; his lineage was unknown. He served Zhu Quanzhong as a trusted confidant. When Emperor Zhaozong was moved east, Jiang Xuanhui was made commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs. The emperor stopped at Shan Prefecture. Astrologers warned that the stars were out of order and a great upheaval was coming; the court should wait until winter before proceeding to Luoyang. The emperor was sure Quanzhong meant to seize the throne. He ordered the guard officer Gao Gui to carry a silk edict to Wang Jian, telling him of the forced move and saying, "Quanzhong is rebuilding Luoyang with twenty thousand men and will strip away everyone at my side. You should join Maozhen, Keyong, and Xingmi in alliance, send proclamations to Xiang, Wei, You, and Zhen, and have each of them march to bring me home to the capital." He also wrote Quanzhong: "The empress is with child; I cannot move east until the tenth month." Quanzhong saw through the emperor's scheme and sent Kou Yanqing to hurry him along. The emperor had no choice and departed. At Gushui, Quanzhong slaughtered all five hundred eunuchs and inner-palace attendants around the emperor and replaced every one of them with Bian soldiers as guards. Earlier, when Quanzhong marched to Fengxiang and invaded Bin Prefecture, the military governor Yang Chongben surrendered and left his family behind as hostages. Chongben's wife was beautiful. Quanzhong forced himself on her, and Chongben was furious. At that point he sent envoys to Keyong and Maozhen and, to the south, alerted Zhao Kuangning and Wang Jian, urging them all to take up arms and demand an explanation for the emperor's abduction. Quanzhong was terrified.

帝自出關，畏不測，常默坐流涕。玄暉與張廷範內诇，必以告全忠。全忠恨帝無傳禪意，乃謀弒以絕人望，因令其屬李振諭玄暉。玄暉與龍武統軍朱友恭、氏叔琮夜選勇士百人叩行在，言有急奏，請見帝。宮門開，門留十士以守。至椒蘭院中，夫人裴貞一啟關，殺之，乃趨殿下。玄暉曰：「上安在？」昭儀季漸榮曰：「院使毋傷宅家，寧殺我！」士持劍入，帝聞，遽單衣走，環柱，遂弒之。漸榮以身蔽帝，亦死。復執後，後求哀。玄暉以全忠所弒者帝也，乃釋後。明日，宰相請對，日晏不出。玄暉矯遺詔，言帝夜與昭儀博，為貞一、漸榮所弒，出二人首。全忠自河中來朝，振曰：「晉文帝殺高貴鄉公，歸罪成濟。今宜誅友恭等，解天下謗。」全忠趨西內臨，對嗣天子自言弒逆非本謀，皆友恭等罪，因泣下，請討罪人。是時洛城旱，米鬥直錢六百，軍有掠糴者，都人怨，故因以悅眾，執友恭、叔琮斬之。全忠邀九錫，玄暉自持詔趨汴言之。還洛不淹日，全忠矯詔收付有司車裂之，貶為兇逆百姓，焚屍都門外。

From the moment he left the pass, the emperor lived in dread of what might come next and often sat in silence, weeping. Xuanhui and Zhang Tingfan kept watch on him inside the palace and always carried word back to Quanzhong. Quanzhong hated that the emperor would not abdicate in his favor, so he plotted to kill him and kill off the people's hopes, and sent his man Li Zhen to instruct Xuanhui. That night Xuanhui, together with Dragon Martial commander Zhu Yougong and Shi Shuzong, picked a hundred stalwart men and knocked at the traveling palace, claiming there was an urgent memorial and asking to see the emperor. The palace gate opened, and ten men were left behind to hold it. When they reached the Pepper-Orchid Court, Lady Pei Zhenyi opened the gate and they killed her, then pressed on toward the lower hall. Xuanhui called out, "Where is His Majesty? Attendant-in-ordinary Ji Jianrong cried, "Commissioner, do not harm the Son of Heaven—kill me instead!" The soldiers burst in with swords drawn. Hearing them, the emperor fled in his underclothes, circled a pillar, and was cut down. Jianrong threw her body over the emperor and died as well. They seized the empress too, and she pleaded for her life. Xuanhui knew Quanzhong's order had been to kill the emperor alone, so he let the empress go. The next day the chief ministers asked for audience, yet the sun was setting and he still had not appeared. Xuanhui forged a death edict claiming the emperor had gambled with an attendant-in-ordinary at night and been murdered by Zhenyi and Jianrong, and he displayed the two women's severed heads. Quanzhong came from Hezhong to attend court. Li Zhen said, "When Jin Wendi killed the Duke of Gaoguixiang, he pinned the crime on Cheng Ji. Now you should execute Yougong and the rest to quiet slander across the realm. Quanzhong hurried to the Western Inner Palace, faced the new emperor, declared that regicide had never been his plan and that Yougong and the others were to blame, wept, and asked permission to punish the guilty. Luoyang was in drought at the time; a peck of rice cost six hundred cash. Soldiers were seizing grain by force, and the people of the capital were furious. To placate them, he had Yougong and Shuzong arrested and beheaded. Quanzhong was pressing for the nine bestowals, and Xuanhui himself carried the edict to Bian to make the case. Within days of his return to Luoyang, Quanzhong forged an edict ordering his arrest, execution by dismemberment, reduction to the rank of treacherous commoner, and the burning of his corpse outside the capital gate.

廷範者，以優人為全忠所愛，扈東遷為禦營使，進金吾衛將軍、河南尹。全忠欲以為太常卿，宰相裴樞持不可，繇是樞罷去。柳璨希旨下詔，責中外不得妄言流品清濁，卒用廷範太常卿。會天子將郊，以為修樂縣使，又與蘇楷等駁昭宗謚。全忠恚九錫緩也，王殷譖其與璨等祀天祁延唐祚，及玄暉死、璨誅，即貶廷範萊州司戶參軍，軒於河南市。

Tingfan had been an actor whom Quanzhong favored. Escorting the emperor east, he became commissioner of the Imperial Camp, then rose to general of the Golden Crow Guard and mayor of Henan. Quanzhong wanted to make him Minister of Ceremonies, but chief minister Pei Shu refused to agree, and Shu was driven from office. Liu Can, eager to please, issued an edict forbidding officials throughout the court from recklessly debating who was noble and who was base, and Tingfan was finally made Minister of Ceremonies. When the emperor was preparing the suburban sacrifice, he was made commissioner for ritual music and regalia, and with Su Kai and others he rejected Emperor Zhaozong's posthumous title. Quanzhong was angry that the nine bestowals were slow in coming. Wang Yin accused him of joining Can and others in sacrificing to Heaven to prolong the Tang mandate. After Xuanhui was killed and Can executed, Tingfan was at once demoted to army staff officer at Laizhou and paraded on a stake through the Henan market.

叔琮亦汴州人，中和末隸感化軍，以騎士奮，性沈壯有膽力。從全忠擊黃巢陳、許間，名右諸將，得為親校。與時溥、朱宣戰，以多累表檢校尚書右仆射，為宿州刺史。攻趙匡凝於襄陽，不克。又與李克用戰洹水，遷曹州刺史。天復初，拔澤、潞，擊太原，授晉慈觀察使。全忠屯鳳翔，克用襲絳州，攻臨汾，叔琮以二壯士類沙陀者牧馬於原，與克用軍偕行，伺隙各禽一虜還。克用大驚，疑有伏，遂退屯蒲。會朱友寧以兵三萬來援，叔琮曰：「賊遁矣，無以立功。」乃潛師夜獵遊騎，殺數百，進破其壘，俘斬萬級，收馬三千，遂長驅取汾州，轉戰薄太原而還。遷檢校司空，再進為保大軍節度使。

Shuzong too was from Bian Prefecture. At the end of the Zhonghe era he entered the Ganhua army, made a name as a cavalryman, and was by nature quiet, solid, and fearless. Campaigning with Quanzhong against Huang Chao between Chen and Xu, he ranked among the foremost generals and became one of Quanzhong's personal guard officers. In campaigns against Shi Pu and Zhu Xuan, repeated memorials on his behalf won him appointment as acting Right Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat and prefect of Suzhou. He besieged Zhao Kuangning at Xiangyang but failed to capture the city. He fought Li Keyong again at the Huan River and was transferred to prefect of Cao Prefecture. At the start of the Tianfu era he took Ze and Lu, attacked Taiyuan, and was made military governor of Jin and Ci. While Quanzhong was encamped at Fengxiang, Keyong raided Jiang Prefecture and attacked Linfen. Shuzong sent two tough men who looked like Shatuo to herd horses on the plain; they marched alongside Keyong's army, waited for an opening, and each seized one enemy soldier and brought him back. Keyong was badly shaken, suspected an ambush, and pulled back to camp at Pu. When Zhu Youning arrived with thirty thousand reinforcements, Shuzong said, "The enemy has run off—there is no glory to be won. So by night he secretly led troops against roaming cavalry, killed several hundred, broke their fortified camp, took and slew enemies by the tens of thousands, gathered three thousand horses, then drove deep to seize Fen Prefecture, fought his way to the outskirts of Taiyuan, and returned. He was promoted to acting Grand Master and later to military governor of the Baoda army.

全忠欲遷帝於洛，表為右龍武統軍。與弒帝，故全忠請貶白州司戶參軍，斬之。叔琮將死，呼曰：「朱溫賣我以取容天下，神理謂何？」

When Quanzhong planned to move the emperor to Luoyang, he memorialized to make Shuzong Right Dragon Martial commander. Because he had helped assassinate the emperor, Quanzhong had him demoted to army staff officer at Baizhou and executed. As he faced death, Shuzong cried, "Zhu Wen sold me out to win favor with the world—what does Heaven make of that?"

友恭者，本李彥威也。壽州人，客汴州。殖財任俠，全忠愛而子畜之。領長劍都，積功，表為檢校尚書左仆射。乾寧中，授汝州刺史，檢校司空。楊行密侵鄂州，友恭將兵萬餘援杜洪，至江州，還攻黃州，入之，獲行密將，俘斬萬計。又襲安州，殺守將。遷潁州刺史、感化軍節度留後。帝東遷，為左龍武統軍，貶崖州司戶參軍。臨刑曰：「溫殺我，當亦滅族！」又語張廷範曰：「公行及此」雲。【贊】贊曰：木將壞，蟲實生之；國將亡，妖實產之。故三宰嘯兇牝奪辰，林甫將蕃黃屋奔，鬼質敗謀興元蹙，崔、柳倒持李宗覆。嗚呼，有國家者，可不戒哉！

Yougong's original name was Li Yanwei. He was from Shou Prefecture and had lived in Bian Prefecture as a sojourner. He amassed wealth and lived as a knight-errant; Quanzhong favored him and raised him like a son. He commanded the Long Sword division, and through accumulated merit was memorialized for appointment as acting Left Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat. During the Qianning era he was made prefect of Ru Prefecture and acting Grand Master. When Yang Xingmi invaded E Prefecture, Yougong led more than ten thousand men to aid Du Hong. At Jiang Prefecture he turned back to attack Huang Prefecture, took the city, captured Xingmi's generals, and killed and captured enemies by the tens of thousands. He raided An Prefecture again and killed the defending general. He was transferred to prefect of Ying Prefecture and acting military governor of Ganhua. When the emperor moved east, he became Left Dragon Martial commander, then was demoted to army staff officer at Yazhou. At the block he cried, "When Wen kills me, his whole clan will be destroyed! He is also said to have told Zhang Tingfan, "Your turn will come." 【Appraisal】The appraisal says: When a tree is about to rot, worms hatch inside it; when a state is about to fall, demons are born from it. So it was that three chancellors roared like beasts while a woman seized the hour; Linfu put barbarian generals in command and the emperor fled; Lu Qi wrecked good counsel and the court was driven to Xingyuan; Cui and Liu turned the sword against their master and the house of Li fell. Alas—can any who hold a state afford not to take warning!

Cite this Chapter