1
=◎逆臣上=安祿山安祿山，營州柳城胡也，本姓康。 母阿史德，為覡，居突厥中，禱子於軋犖山，虜所謂鬥戰神者，既而妊。 及生，有光照穹廬，野獸盡鳴，望氣者言其祥。 范陽節度使張仁願遣搜廬帳，欲盡殺之，匿而免。 母以神所命，遂字軋犖山。 少孤，隨母嫁虜將安延偃。 開元初，偃攜以歸國，與將軍安道買亡子偕來，得依其家，故道買子安節厚德偃，約兩家子為兄弟，乃冒姓安，更名祿山。 及長，忮忍多智，善億測人情，通六蕃語，為互市郎。
◎ Rebellious Ministers, Part 1 ◎ An Lushan. An Lushan was a foreigner from Liucheng in Ying Prefecture; his family name had originally been Kang. His mother Ashide was a shaman. While living among the Turks she prayed for a son at Mount Yaluo—the deity whom the tribes called the god of battle—and soon became pregnant. At his birth light filled the domed tent, wild animals cried out all around, and diviners pronounced the event auspicious. Zhang Renyuan, military commissioner of Fanyang, ordered a search of the tents with intent to kill everyone in them; mother and child hid and survived. His mother took the spirit's command as a sign and gave him the courtesy name Yaluo. He lost his father early and went with his mother when she married the tribal general An Yanyan. Early in the Kaiyuan reign Yanyan brought him into Tang territory together with the son of General An Daomai, who had died; he was taken into that household. Daomai's son An Jie held Yanyan in high regard, and the two families bound their sons as sworn brothers. He thereupon adopted the surname An and took the personal name Lushan. As an adult he was ruthless and shrewd, adept at reading people's motives, fluent in the languages of the six border peoples, and worked as an interpreter in the frontier trade markets.
2
張守珪節度幽州，祿山盜羊而獲，守珪將殺之，呼曰：「公不欲滅兩蕃邪？ 何殺我？」 守珪壯其語，又見偉而皙，釋之，與史思明俱為捉生。 知山川水泉處，嘗以五騎禽契丹數十人，守珪異之，稍益其兵，有討輒克，拔為偏將。 守珪醜其肥，由是不敢飽，因養為子。 後以平盧兵馬使擢特進、幽州節度副使。
When Zhang Shougui held Youzhou, Lushan was caught stealing sheep. As Shougui was about to execute him, Lushan shouted, "My lord, do you not wish to destroy the two frontier kingdoms? Why kill me instead?" Shougui was struck by his boldness and, noting his imposing build and fair complexion, spared him. He and Shi Siming were then assigned as prisoner-catchers. He knew every pass, stream, and spring in the region. Once with only five riders he captured dozens of Khitan. Shougui took notice, steadily enlarged his command, and sent him on expeditions from which he always returned victorious; he was promoted to deputy general. Shougui found his obesity repulsive, so Lushan dared not eat his fill; Shougui eventually adopted him as a son. Later, while serving as Pinglu army-and-horse commissioner, he was promoted to extraordinary advance and made deputy military commissioner of Youzhou.
3
於是御史中丞張利貞采訪河北，祿山百計諛媚，多出金諧結左右為私恩。 利貞入朝，盛言祿山能，乃授營州都督、平盧軍使、順化州刺史。 使者往來，陰以賂中其嗜，一口更譽，玄宗始才之。 天寶元年，以平廬為節度，祿山為之使，兼柳城太守，押兩蕃、渤海、黑水四府經略使。 明年，入朝，奏對稱旨，進驃騎大將軍。 又明年，代裴寬為范陽節度、河北采訪使，仍領平盧軍。 祿山北還，詔中書門下尚書三省正員長官、御史中丞餞鴻臚亭。
When censor-in-chief Zhang Lizhen toured Hebei on inspection, Lushan flattered him by every means, spending large sums to cultivate Zhang's entourage for private advantage. When Lizhen reported to court he praised Lushan's talents at length, and Lushan was appointed protector-general of Ying Prefecture, commissioner of the Pinglu army, and prefect of Shunhua. As envoys traveled back and forth he secretly bribed them to win their favor, and they returned to court with a chorus of praise; only then did Emperor Xuanzong begin to take notice of his abilities. In the first year of Tianbao, Pinglu was elevated to a military circuit with Lushan as its commissioner; he also held the posts of prefect of Liucheng and overseer of the four frontier commands covering the two tribal states, Bohai, and Heishui. The following year he came to court; his answers in audience pleased the emperor, and he was promoted to general of the flying cavalry. The year after that he replaced Pei Kuan as military commissioner of Fanyang and Hebei inspection commissioner, retaining command of the Pinglu army. When Lushan departed northward, the emperor ordered the ranking chiefs of the three central departments and the censor-in-chief to give him a farewell banquet at Honglu Pavilion.
4
四載，奚、契丹殺公主以叛，祿山幸邀功，肆其侵，於是兩蕃貳。 祿山起軍擊契丹，還奏； 「夢李靖、李勣求食於臣，乃祠北郡，芝生於梁。」 其詭誕敢言不疑如此。 席豫為河北黜陟使，言祿山賢。 時宰相李林甫嫌儒臣以戰功進，尊寵間己，乃請顓用蕃將，故帝寵祿山益牢，群議不能軋，卒亂天下，林甫啟之也。
In the fourth year the Xi and Khitan killed the princess and rebelled. Lushan seized the chance to claim glory and pressed his attacks recklessly, driving the two peoples into open hostility. Lushan marched against the Khitan and, upon returning, reported to the throne: "I dreamed that Li Jing and Li Ji came begging food from me. I sacrificed at the northern commandery, and auspicious fungus sprouted on the beams." Such were the outlandish claims he could utter without the slightest suspicion. Xi Yu, serving as Hebei promotion-and-demotion commissioner, pronounced Lushan a man of merit. Chief minister Li Linfu resented scholar-officials who rose on military merit, fearing their honors would eclipse his own influence, and therefore urged the exclusive use of foreign generals. The emperor's trust in Lushan deepened accordingly; court opinion could not restrain him, and in the end the empire was thrown into chaos—Li Linfu had set it in motion.
5
祿山陽為愚不敏蓋其奸，承間奏曰：「臣生蕃戎，寵榮過甚，無異材可用，願以身為陛下死。」 天子以為誠，憐之。 令見皇太子，不拜。 左右擿語之，祿山曰：「臣不識朝廷儀，皇太子何官也？」 帝曰：「吾百歲後付以位。」 謝曰：「臣愚，知陛下不知太子，罪萬死。」 乃再拜。 時楊貴妃有寵，祿山請為妃養兒，帝許之。 其拜，必先妃後帝，帝怪之，答曰：「蕃人先母後父。」 帝大悅，命與楊铦及三夫人約為兄弟。 繇是祿山有亂天下意，令麾下劉駱谷居京師，伺朝廷隙。
Lushan feigned stupidity and simplicity to conceal his cunning. Seizing an opportunity he said, "Your servant was born among the frontier peoples; the honors Your Majesty has heaped upon me far exceed my deserts. I have no special talent to offer—only my life, which I gladly lay down for Your Majesty." The emperor took this for sincerity and was moved to pity. When he was presented to the crown prince he did not bow. Attendants prompted him, but Lushan said, "Your servant does not know court etiquette—what office does the crown prince hold?" The emperor said, "When I am gone I shall entrust the throne to him." He apologized, "Your servant is a fool who knew Your Majesty but not the crown prince—a crime deserving death ten thousand times over." Only then did he bow twice. Consort Yang Guifei was then in high favor; Lushan asked to be adopted as her son, and the emperor agreed. In his bows he always greeted the consort before the emperor. When the emperor remarked on this, he answered, "Among my people one honors the mother before the father." The emperor was delighted and had him swear brotherhood with Yang Xian and the three Ladies of the Yang clan. From this point Lushan nursed designs on the empire and stationed his follower Liu Luogu in the capital to watch for weaknesses at court.
6
六載，進御史大夫，封妻段為夫人，有國。 林甫以宰相貴甚，群臣無敢鈞禮，惟祿山倚恩，入謁倨。 林甫欲諷寤之，使與王鉷偕，鉷亦位大夫，林甫見鉷，鉷趨拜卑約，祿山惕然，不覺自罄折。 林甫與語，揣其意，迎剖其端，祿山大駭，以為神，每見，雖盛寒必流汗。 林甫稍厚之，引至中書，覆以己袍。 祿山德林甫，呼十郎。 駱谷每奏事還，先問：「十郎何如？」 有好言輒喜； 若謂「大夫好檢校」，則反手據床曰：「我且死！」 優人李龜年為帝學之，帝以為樂。
In the sixth year he was promoted to censor-in-chief and his wife Duan was ennobled as a lady with a fief. As chief minister Li Linfu stood so far above the court that no official dared treat him as an equal—only Lushan, secure in imperial favor, entered audience with arrogant bearing. Li Linfu wished to teach him a lesson and had him accompany Wang Hong. Hong too held grand-master rank, yet when Linfu received him Hong rushed forward with abject bows. Lushan stiffened with alarm and found himself bowing low without thinking. In conversation Linfu would read his thoughts and answer each unspoken motive before Lushan could voice it. Lushan was terrified and regarded him as almost supernatural; even in the depths of winter he would break into a sweat at every audience. Li Linfu gradually showed him greater favor, brought him into the Secretariat, and draped his own robe over him. Lushan was deeply beholden to Linfu and addressed him as "Tenth Son." Whenever Liu Luogu returned from reporting at court his first question was, "How is Tenth Son?" Good news would delight him; but if told "the grand master is scrutinizing things closely," he would throw himself back on the couch and cry, "I am finished!" The actor Li Guinian had been trained by the emperor himself; the emperor found the whole affair amusing.
7
晚益肥，腹緩及膝，奮兩肩若挽牽者乃能行，作《胡旋舞》帝前，乃疾如風。 帝視其腹曰：「胡腹中何有而大？」 答曰：「唯赤心耳！」 每乘驛入朝，半道必易馬，號「大夫換馬臺」，不爾，馬輒仆，故馬必能負五石馳者乃勝載。 帝為祿山起第京師，以中人督役，戒曰：「善為部署，祿山眼孔大，毋令笑我。」 為瑣戶交疏，臺觀沼池華僭，帟幕率緹繡，金銀為榜筐、爪籬，大抵服禦雖乘輿不能過。 帝登勤政樓，幄坐之左張金雞大障，前置特榻，詔祿山坐，褰其幄，以示尊寵。 太子諫曰：「自古幄坐非人臣當得，陛下寵祿山過甚，必驕。」 帝曰：「胡有異相，我欲厭之。」
In his later years he grew enormously fat, his belly sagging to his knees; he could walk only by hitching both shoulders as though hauling a cart. Yet when he performed the 《Barbarian Whirl》 before the emperor he spun swift as wind. The emperor eyed his belly and asked, "What does a barbarian keep in there to make it so big?" He answered, "Nothing but a loyal heart!" Whenever he traveled by post horse to court he changed mounts halfway, at a spot known as the Grand Master's Horse-Change Terrace—otherwise the horse would founder. Only animals strong enough to carry five piculs at a gallop could bear him. The emperor built him a mansion in the capital and put eunuchs in charge of construction, warning them, "Plan every detail carefully—Lushan has a keen eye; do not let him laugh at us." The house had carved doors and latticed screens, terraces, pavilions, ponds, and pools that exceeded proper rank; curtains were of fine silk brocade; gold and silver served for placards, baskets, and ornamental fences—in short, furnishings that even the imperial palace could not surpass. When the emperor ascended the Qinzheng Tower he hung a great golden-cock screen to the left of the curtained seat, placed a special couch before it, and bade Lushan sit there, drawing back the curtain to display his extraordinary favor. The crown prince remonstrated, "Since antiquity the curtained seat has never been for a subject. Your Majesty favors Lushan beyond measure—he will surely grow arrogant." The emperor said, "The barbarian has an unusual appearance; I mean to appease him."
8
時太平久，人忘戰，帝春秋高，嬖艷鉗固，李林甫、楊國忠更持權，綱紀大亂。 祿山計天下可取，逆謀日熾，每過朝堂龍尾道，南北睥睨，久乃去。 更築壘范陽北，號雄武城，峙兵積谷。 養同羅、降奚、契丹曳落河八千人為假子，教家奴善弓矢者數百，畜單於、護真大馬三萬，牛羊五萬，引張通儒、李廷堅、平洌、李史魚、獨孤問俗署幕府，以高尚典書記，嚴莊掌簿最，阿史那承慶、安太清、安守忠、李歸仁、孫孝哲、蔡希德、牛廷玠、向潤客、高邈、李欽湊、李立節、崔乾祐、尹子奇、何千年、武令珣、能元皓、田承嗣、田乾真皆拔行伍，署大將。 潛遣賈胡行諸道，歲輸財百萬。 至大會，祿山踞重床，燎香，陳怪珍，胡人數百侍左右，引見諸賈，陳犧牲，女巫鼓舞於前以自神。 陰令群賈市錦彩朱紫服數萬為叛資。 月進牛、橐駝、鷹、狗、奇禽異物，以蠱帝心，而人不聊。 自以無功而貴，見天子盛開邊，乃紿契丹諸酋，大置酒，毒焉，既酣，悉斬其首，先後殺數千人，獻馘闕下。 帝不知，賜鐵券，封柳城郡公。 又贈延偃范陽大都督，進祿山東平郡王。
Peace had lasted so long that men had forgotten war. The emperor was old; favorites and consorts held him in their grip. Li Linfu and Yang Guozhong traded power back and forth, and government discipline collapsed. Lushan judged the empire ripe for the taking; his rebellious designs burned hotter each day. Whenever he passed the Dragon Tail Way before the audience hall he would stare north and south over the palace grounds and linger long before moving on. He built another fortress north of Fanyang, called Heroic Martial City, where he massed troops and stored grain. He adopted eight thousand Tujue, surrendered Xi, and Khitan warriors as his sons, trained hundreds of household slaves in archery, kept thirty thousand Chanyu and Huzhen horses and fifty thousand head of cattle and sheep, and recruited Zhang Tongru, Li Tingjian, Ping Li, Li Shiyu, and Dugu Wensu for his staff; Gao Shang directed records, Yan Zhuang kept accounts; Ashina Chengqing, An Taiqing, An Shouzhong, Li Guiren, Sun Xiaozhe, Cai Xide, Niu Tingjie, Xiang Runke, Gao Miao, Li Qinchou, Li Lijie, Cui Qianyou, Yin Ziqi, He Qiannian, Wu Lingxun, Neng Yuanhao, Tian Chengsi, and Tian Ganzhen were all promoted from the ranks to senior command. He secretly dispatched Sogdian merchants along every trade route, funneling a million in wealth to the capital each year. At his great assemblies Lushan sat on a raised couch amid burning incense and rare treasures, with hundreds of foreign attendants at his side. He received the merchants, offered sacrifices, and had shamanesses dance and drum before him to display his supernatural power. He secretly ordered the merchants to purchase tens of thousands of brocades and purple and crimson garments as stores for rebellion. Each month he sent tribute of cattle, camels, hawks, dogs, and exotic creatures to dazzle the emperor, while the people could scarcely endure the burden. Feeling he had risen without merit and seeing the emperor eager for frontier victories, he tricked the Khitan chiefs into a great feast, poisoned the wine, and when they were drunk cut off every head—several thousand in all—and presented the trophies at court. The emperor knew nothing of this and rewarded him with an iron certificate of immunity, enfeoffing him as Duke of Liucheng. He posthumously honored Yanyan as great protector of Fanyang and advanced Lushan to Prince of Dongping.
9
九載，兼河北道采訪處置使，賜永寧園為邸。 入朝，楊國忠兄弟姊弟廷之新豐，給玉食； 至湯，將校皆賜浴。 帝幸望春宮以待，獻俘八千，詔賜永穆公主池觀為遊燕地。 徙新第，請墨敕召宰相宴。 是日，帝將擊球，乃置會，命宰相皆赴。 帝獵苑中，獲鮮禽，必馳賜。 詔上谷郡置五爐，許鑄錢。 又求兼河東，遂拜雲中太守、河東節度使。 既兼制三道，意益侈。 男子凡十一，帝以慶宗為太仆卿，慶緒鴻臚卿，慶長秘書監。
In the ninth year he was also made Hebei circuit inspection and disposition commissioner and granted Yongning Garden as his residence. On entering court, Yang Guozhong and his brothers and sisters entertained him at Xinfeng with the finest fare; and at Tang Springs all his officers were given baths. The emperor went to Wangchun Palace to receive him. Lushan presented eight thousand captives, and the emperor granted him Princess Yongmu's pools and gardens for his entertainment. After moving into his new mansion he asked for an edict in the emperor's own hand summoning the chief ministers to feast with him. That day the emperor had planned to play cuju; he arranged the feast instead and ordered every chief minister to attend. While hunting in the imperial park the emperor sent every fresh kill straight to Lushan's table. An edict authorized five mint furnaces in Shanggu Commandery and permitted him to cast coin. He next sought command of Hedong as well and was appointed prefect of Yunzhong and military commissioner of Hedong. Once he controlled all three frontier circuits his ambitions grew boundless. He had eleven sons in all; the emperor appointed Qingzong grand master of the stud, Qingxu director of the court of imperial entertainments, and Qingchang director of the secretariat.
10
十一載，率河東兵討契丹，告奚曰：「彼背盟，我將討之，爾助我乎？」 奚為出徒兵二千向導。 至土護真河，祿山計曰：「道雖遠，我疾趨賊，乘其不備，破之固矣。」 乃敕人持一繩，欲盡縛契丹。 晝夜行三百里，次天門嶺，會雨甚，弓弛矢脫不可用。 祿山督戰急，大將何思德曰：「士方疲，宜少息，使使者盛陳利以脅賊，賊必降。」 祿山怒，欲斬以令軍，乃請戰。 思德貌類祿山，及戰，虜叢矛註矢邀取之，傳言祿山獲矣。 奚聞亦叛，夾攻祿山營，士略盡。 祿山中流矢，引奚兒數十，棄眾走山而墜，慶緒、孫孝哲掖出之，夜走平廬。 部將史定方以兵鏖戰，虜解圍去。
In the eleventh year he led Hedong troops against the Khitan and told the Xi, "They have broken faith—I am marching to punish them. Will you help me?" The Xi furnished two thousand conscript troops as guides. At the Tuhuzhen River Lushan reasoned, "The march is long, but if I rush the enemy and strike before they are ready, victory is certain." He ordered every soldier to carry a rope, intending to bind every Khitan captive. They marched three hundred li without rest and halted at Tianmen Ridge. Torrential rain fell; bows went slack and arrows slipped from their strings and were useless. Lushan drove the attack relentlessly. Grand general He Side said, "The men are exhausted—we should pause and send envoys to parade our strength before the enemy; they will surely surrender." Lushan flew into a rage and was about to execute him to cow the army; He Side then volunteered to lead the assault. He Side resembled Lushan in appearance. In the fighting the tribesmen massed spears and arrows to take him, and rumor spread that Lushan himself had been captured. The Xi, hearing the rumor, turned on him as well and attacked his camp from both sides until his army was nearly destroyed. Lushan took an arrow in the flank. With a few dozen Xi youths he abandoned his army, fled into the hills, and fell; Qingxu and Sun Xiaozhe hauled him out and by night they reached Pinglu. His officer Shi Dingfang fought a desperate rear-guard action until the tribesmen broke off and withdrew.
11
祿山不得誌，乃悉兵號二十萬討契丹以報。 帝聞，詔朔方節度使阿布思以師會。 布思者，九姓首領也，偉貌多權略，開元初，為默啜所困，內屬，帝寵之。 祿山雅忌其才，不相下，欲襲取之，故表請自助。 布思懼而叛，轉入漠北，祿山不進，輒班師。 會布思為回紇所掠，奔葛邏祿，祿山厚募其部落降之。 葛邏祿懼，執布思送北庭，獻之京師。 祿山已得布思眾，則兵雄天下，愈偃肆。 皇太子及宰相屢言祿山反，帝不信。 是時國忠疑隙已深，建言追還朝，以驗厥狀。 祿山揣得其謀，乃馳入謁，帝意遂安，凡國忠所陳，無入者。
Humiliated, Lushan mustered his entire force—claiming two hundred thousand men—to march against the Khitan in revenge. When the emperor heard of this he ordered Shuo-fang military commissioner Abu Si to join forces with him. Abu Si was a chieftain of the Nine Surnames tribes—imposing in bearing and skilled in stratagem. Early in Kaiyuan he had been harried by the khan Mojie and submitted to Tang; the emperor favored him. Lushan had long envied his ability and refused to accept him as an equal; he wished to destroy him and therefore requested permission to lead the campaign himself. Abu Si, fearing a trap, rebelled and fled into the northern steppe. Lushan made no pursuit and promptly withdrew. Abu Si was soon overrun by the Uyghurs and fled to the Qarluk; Lushan offered rich rewards to win over his tribesmen. The Qarluk, alarmed, seized Abu Si and sent him to Beiting, whence he was presented at court. With Abu Si's followers now in his ranks Lushan's army was the strongest in the empire, and he grew ever more arrogant and unrestrained. The crown prince and chief ministers repeatedly warned that Lushan would rebel, but the emperor would not believe them. By then the mutual suspicion between Guozhong and Lushan ran deep, and Guozhong advised that Lushan be summoned back to court to test whether his disloyalty was real. Lushan divined the scheme and raced to court for an audience; the emperor's suspicions eased, and nothing Guozhong said thereafter gained a hearing.
12
十三載，來謁華清宮，對帝泣曰：「臣蕃人，不識文字，陛下擢以不次，國忠必欲殺臣以甘心。」 帝慰解之。 拜尚書左仆射，賜實封千戶，奴婢第產稱是，詔還鎮。 又請為閑廄、隴右群牧等使，表吉溫自副。 其軍中有功位將軍者五百人，中郎將二千人。 祿山之還，帝禦望春亭以餞，斥禦服賜之。 祿山大驚，不自安，疾驅去。 至淇門，輕艫循流下，萬夫挽繂而助，日三百里。 既總閑牧，因擇良馬內范陽，又奪張文儼馬牧，反狀明白。 人告言者，帝必縛與之。
In the thirteenth year he came to attend upon the emperor at Huaqing Palace and wept before him, saying, "I am a foreigner who cannot read, yet Your Majesty raised me beyond all precedent. Guozhong is bent on having me killed." The emperor comforted and reassured him. He was appointed Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, given a fief of a thousand households in actual revenue, along with slaves, a residence, and estates to match, and ordered back to his post. He also sought appointment as commissioner over the imperial stud and the Longyou pasture offices, recommending Ji Wen as his deputy. Five hundred men in his army held generalships earned by merit, and two thousand held the rank of captain. When Lushan left, the emperor himself went to Wangchun Pavilion to see him off, stripped off his own imperial robes, and gave them to Lushan. Lushan was deeply shaken and ill at ease, and sped away. At Qimen he boarded swift boats to ride the current downstream, with ten thousand men hauling towlines to help him along at three hundred li a day. Once he controlled the imperial pastures, he picked out the best horses and brought them into Fanyang, and seized Zhang Wenyan's herds as well; his plans to rebel were unmistakable. Whenever anyone reported Lushan, the emperor had the informant bound and delivered to him.
13
明年，國忠謀授祿山同中書門下平章事，召還朝。 制未下，帝使中官輔璆琳賜大柑，因察非常。 祿山厚賂之，還言無它，帝遂不召。 未幾事泄，帝托它罪殺之，自是始疑。 然祿山亦懼朝廷圖己，每使者至，稱疾不出，嚴衛然後見。 黜陟使裴士淹行部至范陽，再旬不見，既而使武士挾引，無復臣禮，士淹宣詔還，不敢言。 帝賜慶宗娶宗室女，手詔祿山觀禮，辭疾甚。 獻馬三千匹，騶靮自倍，車三百乘，乘三士，因欲襲京師。 河南尹達奚珣極言毋內騶兵，詔可。 帝賜書曰：「為卿別治一湯，可會十月，朕待卿華清宮。」 使至，祿山踞床曰：「天子安穩否？」 乃送使者別館。 使還，言曰：「臣幾死！」
The next year Guozhong schemed to appoint Lushan a concurrent Grand Councillor and recall him to the capital. Before the appointment could be issued, the emperor sent the eunuch Fu Youlin with large oranges as a gift, intending to probe for anything amiss. Lushan lavished bribes on him; Fu returned saying all was normal, and the emperor did not summon Lushan after all. Before long the matter came out; the emperor had Fu executed on unrelated charges, and from that point his suspicions began. Lushan, for his part, also feared the court meant to move against him. Whenever an imperial envoy arrived, he pleaded illness and refused to appear until his guards were mustered, and only then would he see the messenger. The imperial inspector Pei Shiyan reached Fanyang on his rounds and was refused an audience for twenty days. When he was finally brought before Lushan, armed men manhandled him in, and Lushan showed not a trace of a subject's deference. Shiyan read the edict and withdrew, daring to say nothing. The emperor arranged for Qingzong to marry an imperial clanswoman and personally wrote bidding Lushan come and witness the wedding; Lushan declined, claiming grave illness. He sent up three thousand horses, with twice as many grooms and harness, and three hundred wagons each carrying three men -- forming a force meant to seize the capital by surprise. Daxi Xun, intendant of Henan, urgently warned that the groom-soldiers must not be allowed into the city; the emperor agreed. The emperor wrote to him: "I am having a separate bath prepared for you. Let us meet in the tenth month; I shall wait for you at Huaqing Palace." When the messenger arrived, Lushan lolled on his couch and asked, "Is the Son of Heaven safe and well?" Then he had the envoy lodged in a separate guesthouse. On his return the envoy reported, "Your servant was nearly killed!"
14
冬十一月，反范陽，詭言奉密詔討楊國忠，騰榜郡縣，以高尚、嚴莊為謀主，孫孝哲、高邈、張通儒、通晤為腹心，兵凡十五萬，號二十萬，師行日六十里。 先三日，合大將置酒，觀繪圖，起燕至洛，山川險易攻守悉具，人人賜金帛，並授圖，約曰：「違者斬！」 至是，如所素。 祿山從牙門部曲百餘騎次城北，祭先冢而行。 使賈循主留務，呂知誨守平廬，高秀巖守大同。 燕老人叩馬諫，祿山使嚴莊好謂曰：「吾憂國之危，非私也。」 禮遣之。 因下令：「有沮軍者夷三族！」 凡七日，反書聞，帝方在華清宮，中外失色。 車駕還京師，斬慶宗，賜其妻康死，榮義郡主亦死。 下詔切責祿山，許自歸。 祿山答書慢甚，叵可忍。 賊遣高邈、臧均以射生騎二十馳入太原，劫取尹楊光翙殺之，以張獻誠守定州。
In the eleventh month of winter he rose in rebellion at Fanyang, claiming under false colors that he held a secret edict to punish Yang Guozhong, and posted notices throughout the commanderies and counties. Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang served as chief planners; Sun Xiaozhe, Gao Miao, Zhang Tongru, and Tong Wu were his trusted inner circle. His force numbered one hundred fifty thousand men, though he proclaimed two hundred thousand, and the army advanced sixty li a day. Three days before, he had assembled his senior generals for a feast to study painted maps from Yan to Luoyang, showing every pass, river, stronghold, and point of attack or defense. Each man received gold and silk and a copy of the map, with the warning: "Whoever disobeys will be executed!" When the moment came, everything proceeded exactly as planned. Lushan followed with a little over one hundred horsemen from his personal guard, pausing north of the city to offer sacrifice at his ancestral graves before marching out. He left Jia Xun in charge of rear administration, Lü Zhihui to hold Pinglu, and Gao Xiuyan to hold Datong. An elderly man of Yan caught his horse's bridle to plead with him; Lushan had Yan Zhuang speak gently, saying, "I act out of concern for the realm's peril, not for private ends." He sent the old man away with courtesy. He then issued an order: "Whoever obstructs the army shall have three generations wiped out!" Within seven days word of the rebellion arrived. The emperor was still at Huaqing Palace, and court and country alike were stricken with alarm. The emperor returned to the capital, had Qingzong executed, ordered his wife Kang put to death, and the Princess of Rongyi was also killed. The court issued an edict sharply rebuking Lushan and offering him amnesty if he surrendered. Lushan's reply was brazenly contemptuous, beyond endurance. The rebels sent Gao Miao and Zang Jun with twenty mounted scouts to ride into Taiyuan, seize and kill the intendant Yang Guanghui, and put Zhang Xiancheng in charge of Dingzhou.
15
祿山謀逆十餘年，凡降蕃夷皆接以恩； 有不服者，假兵脅制之； 所得士，釋縛給湯沐、衣服，或重譯以達，故蕃夷情偽悉得之。 祿山通夷語，躬自尉撫，皆釋俘囚為戰士，故其下樂輸死，所戰無前。 邈最有謀，勸祿山取李光弼為左司馬，不納。 既而悔之，憂見顏色，久而曰：「史思明可當之。」 賊之未反，邈為謀，聲進生口，直取洛陽，無殺光翙，天下當未有知者，賊不從。 何千年亦勸賊令高秀巖以兵三萬出振武，下朔方，誘諸蕃，取鹽、夏、鄜、坊，使李歸仁、張通儒以兵二萬道雲中，取太原，團弩士萬五千入蒲關，以動關中； 勸祿山自將兵五萬梁河陽，取洛陽，使蔡希德、賈循以兵二萬絕海收淄、青，以搖江淮； 則天下無復事矣。 祿山弗用。
Lushan had plotted rebellion for more than ten years. Every surrendered barbarian or tribesman he treated with kindness; those who would not submit he coerced with borrowed troops; captives he freed from their bonds and gave baths and clothing, sometimes using chains of interpreters to reach them, so that he learned the full truth and falsehood of barbarian sentiment. Lushan spoke the barbarian tongues and personally comforted his men; he released prisoners to serve as warriors, so his followers gladly fought to the death, and in battle none could stand before them. Miao was the most astute strategist and urged Lushan to take Li Guangbi as his Left Chief of Staff, but Lushan refused. Later he regretted the refusal; worry showed on his face, and after a long silence he said, "Shi Siming can fill that role." Before the rebellion broke out, Miao had devised a plan: make a show of advancing to take captives, strike straight for Luoyang, and spare Guanghui's life, so the realm would not yet know what was happening. The rebels did not follow it. He Qiannian also urged the rebels to send Gao Xiuyan with thirty thousand men out from Zhenwu to descend on Shuofang, win over the frontier tribes, and seize Yan, Xia, Bin, and Fang; to send Li Guiren and Zhang Tongru with twenty thousand men through Yunzhong to take Taiyuan; and to send fifteen thousand crossbow troops through Puguan to shake the Guanzhong heartland; he urged Lushan to lead fifty thousand men personally across at Heyang to take Luoyang, and to send Cai Xide and Jia Xun with twenty thousand men by sea to seize Zi and Qing and unsettle the Jianghuai region; then the empire would be theirs for the taking. Lushan did not adopt the plan.
16
時兵暴起，州縣發官鎧仗，皆穿朽鈍折不可用，持梃鬥，弗能亢，吏皆棄城匿，或自殺，不則就禽，日不絕。 禁衛皆市井徒，既授甲，不能脫弓襡、劍，乃發左藏庫繒帛大募兵。 以封常清為范陽、平盧節度使，郭子儀為朔方節度、關內支度副大使，右羽林大將軍王承業為太原尹，衛尉卿張介然為汴州刺史，金吾將軍程千里為潞州長史，以榮王為元帥，高仙芝副之，馳驛討賊。
The rebellion erupted suddenly. Commanderies and counties issued government armor and weapons, but everything was rotted, rusted, and broken beyond use. Fighting with clubs, they could not hold out. Officials abandoned their cities and fled, or killed themselves, or were captured -- and this went on day after day without cease. The palace guards were street rabble; once given armor, they could not even manage to don bow cases and swords. The court opened the Left Treasury's silks and brocades and launched a massive recruitment drive. Feng Changqing was appointed military commissioner of Fanyang and Pinglu; Guo Ziyi was made military commissioner of Shuofang and deputy commissioner for Guannei logistics; Wang Chengye, Right General of the Feathered Forest, was made intendant of Taiyuan; Zhang Jieran, Chamberlain for Ceremonials, was made prefect of Bianzhou; Cheng Qianli, General of the Golden Guard, was made chief administrator of Luzhou; the Prince of Rong was named commander-in-chief with Gao Xianzhi as his deputy; and by urgent dispatch they were sent to suppress the rebels.
17
祿山至鉅鹿，欲止，驚曰：「鹿，吾名。」 去之沙河，或言如漢高祖不宿柏人以佞賊。 賊投草頹樹於河，以長繩維舟集槎以結，冰一昔合，遂濟河，陷靈昌郡。 又三日，下陳留、滎陽。 次罌子谷，將軍荔非守瑜邀之，殺數百人，流矢及祿山輿，乃不敢前，更出谷南。 守瑜矢盡，死於河。 敗封常清，取東都，常清奔陜。 殺留守李憕、御史中丞盧弈。 河南尹達奚珣臣於賊。 時高仙芝屯陜，聞常清敗，棄甲保潼關，太守竇廷芝奔河東。 常山太守顏杲卿殺賊將李欽湊，禽高邈、何千年，於是趙郡、鉅鹿、廣平、清河、河間、景城六郡皆為國守，祿山所有才廬龍、密雲、漁陽、汲、鄴、陳留、滎陽、陜郡、臨汝而已。
When Lushan reached Julu he wanted to halt, then cried out in alarm, "Deer -- that is my name." He moved on to Shahe; someone remarked that it was like Han Gaozu refusing to lodge at Bairen to avoid the ill-omened sound of the place name. The rebels threw grass and rotted trees into the river, lashed boats together with long ropes and linked rafts into a bridge; the ice set overnight, and they crossed the river and took Lingchang Commandery. Three days later they captured Chenliu and Xingyang. At Yingzi Valley, General Lifei Shouyu intercepted them and killed several hundred men; a stray arrow struck Lushan's carriage, and the rebels dared not press forward, instead turning south out of the valley. Shouyu ran out of arrows and died at the river. They defeated Feng Changqing, seized the Eastern Capital, and Changqing fled to Shan. They killed the garrison commander Li Deng and the Censor-in-Chief Lu Yi. Daxi Xun, intendant of Henan, submitted to the rebels. Gao Xianzhi was then stationed at Shan; when he heard of Changqing's defeat, he abandoned his armor and fell back to hold Tong Pass, while Prefect Dou Tingzhi fled to Hedong. Yan Gaoqing, prefect of Changshan, killed the rebel general Li Qinchou and captured Gao Miao and He Qiannian. Thereupon Zhao, Julu, Guangping, Qinghe, Hejian, and Jingcheng -- six commanderies -- all held for the dynasty. Lushan retained only Lulong, Miyun, Yuyang, Ji, Ye, Chenliu, Xingyang, Shan Commandery, and Linru.
18
賊之據東京，見宮闕尊雄，銳情僭號，故兵久不西，而諸道兵得稍集。 尹子奇屯陳留，欲東略，會濟南太守李隨、單父尉賈賁、濮陽人尚衡、東平太守嗣吳王祗、真源令張巡相繼起兵，旬日眾數萬。 子奇至襄邑而還。
Once the rebels held the Eastern Capital and saw its palaces towering in splendor, their desire to usurp the throne grew fierce; the army therefore lingered long without marching west, giving troops from the various circuits time to assemble. Yin Ziqi was stationed at Chenliu and planned to advance east, but Li Sui, prefect of Jinan; Jia Ben, sheriff of Shanfu; Shang Heng of Puyang; Li Zhi, prefect of Dongping and Succeeding Prince of Wu; and Zhang Xun, magistrate of Zhenyuan, successively raised armies, and within ten days their combined forces numbered in the tens of thousands. Ziqi reached Xiangyi and turned back.
19
明年正月，僭稱雄武皇帝，國號燕，建元聖武，子慶緒王晉，慶和王鄭，達奚珣為左相，張通儒為右相，嚴莊為御史大夫，署拜百官。 復取常山，殺顏杲卿。 安思義屯真定，會李光弼出土門救常山，思義降，博陵亦拔，唯稿城、九門二縣為賊守。 史思明、李立節、蔡希德圍饒陽，不克，引軍攻石邑，張奉璋固守。 朔方節度使郭子儀自雲中引兵與光弼合，敗思明於九門，李立節死，希德奔鉅鹿； 思明奔趙郡，自鼓城襲博陵，復據之。 光弼拔趙郡，還圍博陵，軍恒陽。 希德請濟師於賊，賊以二萬騎涉滹沱入博陵，牛廷玠發媯、檀等兵萬人來助，思明益強，與光弼戰，敗於嘉山。 光弼收郡十三，河南諸郡皆嚴兵守，潼關不開。
In the first month of the following year he presumptuously declared himself Emperor Xiongwu, with the state named Yan and the era Shengwu. He made his son Qingxu Prince of Jin and Qinghe Prince of Zheng; appointed Daxi Xun Left Chancellor, Zhang Tongru Right Chancellor, and Yan Zhuang Censor-in-Chief; and invested a full roster of officials. They retook Changshan and killed Yan Gaoqing. An Siyi was stationed at Zhending. When Li Guangbi came out through Tumen Pass to relieve Changshan, Siyi surrendered and Boling was also recovered; only Gaocheng and Jiumen, two counties, remained in rebel hands. Shi Siming, Li Lijie, and Cai Xide besieged Raoyang without success, then turned to attack Shiyi, where Zhang Fengzhang held firm. Guo Ziyi, military commissioner of Shuofang, led troops from Yunzhong to join Guangbi and defeated Siming at Jiumen; Li Lijie was killed and Xide fled to Julu; Siming fled to Zhao Commandery, struck Boling from Gucheng, and reoccupied it. Guangbi took Zhao Commandery, returned to besiege Boling, and encamped at Hengyang. Xide requested reinforcements from the rebel court; the rebels sent twenty thousand cavalry across the Hutuo into Boling, and Niu Tingjie dispatched ten thousand men from Gui, Tan, and other prefectures to assist. Siming grew stronger still, but when he fought Guangbi he was defeated at Jiashan. Guangbi recovered thirteen commanderies; the commanderies south of the Yellow River all tightened their defenses, and Tong Pass remained closed.
20
祿山懼，谷還范陽，召嚴莊、高尚責曰：「我起，而曹謂萬全。 今四方兵日盛，自關以西，不跬步進，爾謀何在，尚見我為？」 遣尚等出。 凡數日，田乾真自潼關來，勸祿山曰：「自古興王，戰皆有勝負，乃成大業，無一舉而得者。 今四方兵雖多，非我敵也。 有如事不成，吾擁數萬眾，尚可橫行天下，為十年計。 且高尚、嚴莊，佐命元勛也，陛下何遽絕之，使自為患邪？」 祿山喜，道其小字曰：「阿浩，非汝孰悟我！ 然則奈何？」 乾真曰：「召而尉安之。」 乃內尚等，與飲宴，祿山自歌，君臣如初。 即遣孫孝哲、安神威西攻長安。 會高仙芝等死，哥舒翰守潼關，為乾祐所敗，囚之。 賊不謂天子能遽去，駐兵潼關，十日乃西。 時行在已至扶風，於是汧、隴以東，皆沒於賊。 祿山以張通儒守東京，乾真為京兆尹，使安守忠屯苑中。
Lushan grew afraid and hurried back to Fanyang. He summoned Yan Zhuang and Gao Shang and rebuked them, saying, "When I rose in rebellion, you assured me everything was secure. Now armies from every quarter grow stronger by the day, and west of the Pass we cannot advance even a short step. Where are your plans, and why do you still dare show your faces before me?" He sent Shang and the others away. Several days later Tian Qianzhen arrived from Tong Pass and urged Lushan, saying, "Since antiquity every founder of a dynasty has known both victory and defeat in war before achieving great things; none has won everything in a single stroke. Though armies from every quarter are numerous, none can match us. Even if things fail, I still command tens of thousands of men and can rampage across the realm -- enough to sustain us for ten years. Moreover, Gao Shang and Yan Zhuang are founding ministers who helped you rise; why cut them off so abruptly and turn them into enemies?" Lushan was delighted and addressed him by his childhood name, saying, "A Hao, who but you could have set me straight! Then what should be done?" Qianzhen said, "Summon them back and comfort them." He then brought Shang and the others back in, feasted with them, and Lushan sang for the company; lord and ministers were as before. He immediately dispatched Sun Xiaozhe and An Shenwei to attack Chang'an from the west. By then Gao Xianzhi and others had been executed; Geshu Han held Tong Pass but was defeated by Cui Qianyu and taken prisoner. The rebels did not expect the emperor could flee so suddenly; they halted at Tong Pass and only marched west after ten days. By then the traveling court had reached Fufeng; east of Qian and Long, everything fell to the rebels. Lushan put Zhang Tongru in charge of the Eastern Capital, made Qianzhen intendant of Jingzhao, and had An Shouzhong encamp in the imperial park.
21
祿山未至長安，士人皆逃入山谷，東西駱驛二百里。 宮嬪散匿行哭，將相第家委寶貨不貲，群不逞爭取之，累日不能盡。 又剽左藏大盈庫，百司帑藏竭，乃火其餘。 祿山至，怒，乃大索三日，民間財貲盡掠之，府縣因株根牽連，句剝苛急，百姓愈騷。 祿山怨慶宗死，乃取帝近屬自霍國長公主、諸王妃妾、子孫姻婿等百餘人害之，以祭慶宗。 群臣從天子者，誅滅其宗。 虜性得所欲則肆為殘虐，人益不附。 諸大將欲有咨決，皆因嚴莊以見。 禦下少恩，雖腹心雅故，皆為仇敵。 郡縣相與殺守將，迎王師，前後反覆十數，城邑墟矣。
Before Lushan reached Chang'an, scholars and gentlemen fled into the hills; for two hundred li east and west along the post road, the relay stations stood deserted. Palace women scattered in hiding, weeping as they fled. The mansions of generals and ministers were abandoned with treasures beyond reckoning, and mobs of ruffians fought over the loot for days on end without exhausting it. They also looted the Left Treasury and the Great Abundance Storehouse; when the treasuries of every office were emptied, they set fire to what remained. When Lushan arrived he was furious and launched a three-day dragnet; every scrap of civilian wealth was seized. Prefectures and counties implicated one another through guilt by association, extracting with brutal urgency, and the people grew ever more desperate. Lushan nursed a grievance over Qingzong's death; he seized more than a hundred of the emperor's close kin -- from the Princess of Huoguo to the consorts and concubines of the princes, their descendants, and their sons-in-law -- and killed them as sacrifices to Qingzong. For every official who had followed the emperor, their entire clan was exterminated. By nature, once the barbarian got what he wanted he indulged in cruelty without restraint, and people turned ever further from him. Whenever the senior generals wished to consult on decisions, they all had to go through Yan Zhuang to gain an audience. He treated his followers with scant mercy; even his closest companions of many years became his enemies. Commanderies and counties repeatedly killed their garrison commanders to welcome the imperial army; the cycle turned back and forth a dozen times over, until cities and towns lay in ruins.
22
肅宗治兵靈武，天下日跂首待。 長安相傳太子西來矣，人聞輒東走，圜裏至空，都畿豪桀殺賊吏自歸者無虛日，賊斬刈懲之不能止。 又賊將類剽勇無遠謀，日縱酒，嗜聲色財利，車駕危得入蜀，終無進躡之患。
Emperor Suzong was training his forces at Lingwu, and throughout the empire men waited day by day with necks craned in hope. Rumors spread through Chang'an that the Crown Prince was marching west; at each report the people rushed eastward until the inner wards stood empty. Not a day went by without local magnates in the capital region killing rebel officials and turning themselves in, and though the rebels executed them as punishment, they could not stop the tide. Moreover, most of the rebel generals were bold in battle but lacked far-sighted strategy; they drank daily and indulged in pleasure, music, and riches. Now that the emperor's procession had barely reached safety in Shu, there seemed little risk that the rebels would press their pursuit.
23
帳下李豬兒者，本降豎，幼事祿山謹甚，使為閹人，愈親信。 祿山腹大垂膝，每易衣，左右共舉之，豬兒為結帶。 雖華清賜浴，亦許自隨。 及老，愈肥，曲隱常瘡。 既叛，不能無恚懼，至是目復盲，俄又得疽疾，尤卞躁，左右給侍，無罪輒死，或棰掠何辱，豬兒尤數，雖嚴莊親倚，時時遭笞靳，故二人深怨祿山。 初，慶緒善騎射，未冠為鴻臚卿。 賊僭號，嬖段夫人，愛其子慶恩，欲立之。 慶緒懼不立，莊亦疑難作不利己，私語慶緒曰：「君聞大義滅親乎？ 自古固有不得已而為者。」 慶緒陰曉曰：「唯唯。」 又語豬兒曰：「汝事上罪可數乎？ 不行大事，死無日！」 遂與定謀。 至德二載正月朔，祿山朝群臣，創甚，罷。 是夜，莊、慶緒持兵扈門，豬兒入帳下，以大刀斫其腹。 祿山盲，捫佩刀不得，振幄柱呼曰：「是家賊！」 俄而腸潰於床，即死，年五十餘罽，包以氈，埋床下。 因傳疾甚，偽詔立慶緒為皇太子，又矯稱祿山傳位慶緒，乃偽尊太上皇。
In his household was Li Zhuer, once a surrendered captive boy who had served An Lushan faithfully from childhood. Lushan had him made a eunuch and grew ever more fond of him. An Lushan's belly hung so large that it reached his knees; whenever he changed clothes his attendants had to lift it together, and Zhuer would tie his belt. Even when Lushan was granted baths at Huaqing Palace, Zhuer was permitted to attend him. As he aged he grew ever more corpulent, and sores constantly broke out in the creases and folds of his flesh. Having rebelled, he lived in constant rage and fear. By now he had gone blind again, and soon developed a suppurating illness as well. He grew violent and quick-tempered; attendants who served him were killed on the slightest whim, or beaten for the smallest offense. Zhuer suffered this more than anyone, and even Yan Zhuang, though a favorite, was constantly whipped and humiliated. Both men came to harbor deep hatred for Lushan. Earlier, An Qingxu had been skilled in riding and archery and was appointed Director of Dependencies before he even came of age. When the rebel regime was proclaimed, An Lushan doted on Lady Duan and favored her son An Qing'en, intending to make him his heir. Qingxu feared he would be passed over, and Zhuang too suspected that any crisis would go badly for him. In private he said to Qingxu, "Have you ever heard of destroying one's own kin for the sake of righteousness? Since antiquity there have indeed been deeds one performs when there is no other choice. Qingxu understood his meaning and murmured, "Yes, yes." He then said to Zhuer, "Can you even count the offenses you have committed in serving him? If you do not do what must be done, your death is only a matter of days!" Then the three of them set their plot in motion. On New Year's Day of the second year of Zhide, An Lushan held court with his ministers but was wracked by his wounds and had to retire. That night Zhuang and Qingxu stood armed at the door while Zhuer slipped into the bedchamber and hacked open An Lushan's belly with a broad blade. Blind, An Lushan groped for the sword at his belt but could not find it. He seized a bedpost and cried, "Traitors in my own household! In moments his guts spilled across the bed and he was dead. He was in his fifties. They wrapped him in felt and buried him beneath the floor of the bedchamber. They announced that his illness had worsened, issued a forged edict naming Qingxu crown prince, and declared that Lushan had abdicated in his favor, installing Lushan as retired emperor in name only.
24
既襲偽位，改載初元年，即縱樂飲酒，委政於莊而兄事之。 以張通儒、安守忠等屯長安，史思明領范陽，鎮恒陽軍，牛廷玠屯安陽，張誌忠戍井陘，各募兵。
Once he had taken the throne, he changed the era name to Zai Chu, first year, and at once gave himself over to revelry and wine, handing affairs of state to Yan Zhuang and treating him as an elder brother. Zhang Tongru and An Shouzhong were stationed at Chang'an; Shi Siming held Fanyang and commanded the Hengyang army; Niu Tingjie camped at Anyang; and Zhang Zhizhong guarded Jingxing -- each raising troops as he could.
25
於是廣平王率師東討，李嗣業將前軍，郭子儀將中軍，王思禮將後軍，回紇葉護以兵從。 通儒等裒兵十萬陣長安中，賊皆奚，素畏回紇，既合，驚且囂。 王分精兵與嗣業合擊之，守忠等大敗，引而東，通儒棄妻子奔陜郡。 王師入長安，思禮清宮。 仆固懷恩以回紇、南蠻、大食兵前驅，王悉師追賊，莊自將兵十萬與通儒合，鉦鼓震百餘里。 尹子奇已殺張巡，悉眾十萬來，並力營陜西，次曲沃。 先是回紇傍南山設伏，按軍北崦以待。 莊大戰新店，以騎挑戰，六遇輒北，王師逐之，入賊壘。 賊張兩翼攻之，追兵沒，王師亂，幾不能軍。 嗣業馳，殊死鬥，回紇自南山繚擊其背，賊驚，遂亂。 王師復振，合攻之，殺掠不勝算，賊大敗，追奔五十餘里，屍髀藉藉滿坑壑，鎧仗狼扈，自陜屬於洛。 莊跳還，與慶緒、守忠、通儒等劫殘軍走鄴郡。
The Prince of Guangping then marched east at the head of the army. Li Siye led the vanguard, Guo Ziyi the center, Wang Sili the rear, and the Uighur khan Yehu followed with his own forces. Zhang Tongru massed a hundred thousand men and drew up his battle line inside Chang'an. His troops were mostly Xi tribesmen who had always feared the Uighurs; when the two armies met they panicked and broke into a clamor. The prince sent crack troops to join Li Siye in a combined assault. An Shouzhong and his men were routed and retreated east; Zhang Tongru abandoned his wife and children and fled to Shaan commandery. The imperial army entered Chang'an and Wang Sili secured the palace. Pugu Huai'en led Uighur, southern tribal, and Arab troops in the van as the prince pressed the pursuit with his full strength. Yan Zhuang personally commanded a hundred thousand men to join Zhang Tongru; the clash of gongs and drums could be heard for a hundred li. Yin Ziqi, who had killed Zhang Xun, marched up with his full force of a hundred thousand men. The rebel armies combined and camped west of Shaan, halting at Quwo. Earlier the Uighurs had lain in ambush along the southern mountains, holding their men on the northern slopes to wait. At Xindian, Yan Zhuang joined battle. His cavalry feigned retreat six times running, and each time the imperial army pursued them deep into the rebel lines. The rebels then closed their wings around them; the pursuers were cut off and the imperial forces fell into chaos, nearly breaking apart altogether. Li Siye spurred forward and fought with desperate fury. The Uighurs swept down from the southern heights and struck the rebels from behind; panic seized the enemy ranks and they broke. The imperial army recovered its order and pressed the attack. The dead were beyond counting. The rebels were routed and chased for more than fifty li; bodies and severed limbs filled the gullies, and discarded armor littered the road from Shaan all the way toward Luoyang. Yan Zhuang broke free and fled with Qingxu, An Shouzhong, Zhang Tongru, and the others, driving what was left of their army toward Ye.
26
王入洛陽，大陳兵天津橋。 偽侍中陳希烈等三百人素服叩頭待罪，王勞曰：「公等脅汙，非反也，天子有詔赦罪，皆復而官。」 眾大喜。 於是陳留殺賊將尹子奇以降。 莊妻薛舍獲嘉，紿言永王女，詣營，及見王，辭曰：「莊欲降，願得一信。」 王與子儀謀，莊若至者，餘黨可諭而下，乃約莊賜鐵券。 莊乃降，乘驛至京師，肅宗引見，釋其死，授司農卿。 阿史那承慶其以眾三萬奔恒、趙，或趨范陽，其從慶緒者，痍卒才千餘。
The prince entered Luoyang and assembled his troops in review at Tianjin Bridge. Three hundred officials of the puppet regime, led by Vice Director Chen Xilie, came in plain robes to kowtow and await punishment. The prince told them, "You were forced into service, not true rebels. The emperor has decreed a general amnesty; you are all restored to your offices. They rejoiced. At Chenliu the people killed the rebel general Yin Ziqi and surrendered. Yan Zhuang's wife Lady Xue was taken at Huojia. Claiming falsely to be a daughter of the Prince of Yong, she came to the imperial camp and told the prince, "My husband wishes to surrender, but he needs assurance of safe conduct. The prince discussed the matter with Guo Ziyi: if Zhuang surrendered, the remaining holdouts might be brought in as well. They pledged an iron certificate of immunity to Yan Zhuang. Yan Zhuang surrendered, traveled by fast post to the capital, was received in audience by Emperor Suzong, spared from execution, and appointed Minister of Agriculture. Ashina Chengqing fled north with thirty thousand men toward Hengzhou and Zhao, some perhaps heading for Fanyang. Only a little over a thousand wounded soldiers remained with An Qingxu.
27
會蔡希德自上黨，田承嗣自潁川，武令珣自南陽，各以眾來，邢、衛、洺、魏募兵稍稍集，眾六萬，賊復振。 以相州為成安府，太守為尹，改元天和，以高尚、平洌為宰相，崔乾祐、孫孝哲、牛廷玠為將，以阿史那承慶為獻城郡王，安守忠左威衛大將軍，阿史那從禮左羽林大將軍。 然部黨益攜解，由是能元皓以偽淄青節度使、高秀巖以河東節度使並納順。 德州刺史王柬、貝州刺史宇文寬皆背賊自歸，河北諸軍各嬰城守，賊使蔡希德、安雄俊、安太清等以兵攻陷之，戮於市、膾其肉。
Then Cai Xide marched in from Shangdang, Tian Chengsi from Yingchuan, and Wu Lingxun from Nanyang, each with his own troops. Conscripts from Xing, Wei, Ming, and Wei commanderies trickled in until the rebel force again swelled to sixty thousand men. He renamed Xiangzhou the prefecture of Chengan and styled its governor yin. He changed the era name to Tianhe, named Gao Shang and Ping Lie as chancellors, and appointed Cui Qianyu, Sun Xiaozhe, and Niu Tingjie as generals. Ashina Chengqing became Prince of Xiancheng, An Shouzhong Grand General of the Left Weiwu Guard, and Ashina Congli Grand General of the Left Yulin Guard. But dissension spread through the rebel ranks, and Neng Yuanhao, the puppet governor of Ziqing, and Gao Xiuyan, governor of Hedong, both surrendered to the Tang. Wang Dong, prefect of Dezhou, and Yuwen Kuan, prefect of Beizhou, renounced the rebels and returned to the Tang. Other garrisons across Hebei held their walls, but the rebels sent Cai Xide, An Xiongjun, An Taiqing, and others to take them. The captured officials were executed in the marketplace and their flesh minced for display.
28
慶緒懼人之貳己，設壇加載書、血與群臣盟。 然承慶等十餘人送密款，有詔以承慶為太保、定襄郡王，守忠左羽林軍大將軍、歸德郡王，從禮太傅、順義郡王，蔡希德德州刺史，李廷讓邢州刺史，苻敬超洺州刺史，楊宗太子左諭德，任瑗明州刺史，獨孤允陳州刺史，楊日休洋州刺史，恭榮光岐陽令； 自裨校等，數數為國間賊。 而慶緒治宮室、觀榭、塘沼，泛樓舡為水嬉，長夜飲。 通儒等爭權不能一，凡有建白，眾共訾沮之。 希德最有謀，剛狷，謀殺慶緒為內應，通儒以它事斬之，麾下數千皆亡去。 希德素得士，舉軍恨嘆。 慶緒以乾祐為天下兵馬使，權震中外，愎悍少恩，士不附。
Fearing disloyalty, Qingxu set up an altar, added the imperial oath tablet and blood sacrifice, and bound his ministers in covenant. More than a dozen rebel leaders, including Ashina Chengqing, secretly sent pledges of loyalty to the Tang. The court responded with edicts naming Chengqing Grand Preceptor and Prince of Dingxiang, An Shouzhong Grand General of the Left Yulin Army and Prince of Guide, Ashina Congli Grand Tutor and Prince of Shunyi, Cai Xide prefect of Dezhou, Li Tingrang prefect of Xingzhou, Fu Jingchao prefect of Ming commandery, Yang Zong Left Mentor of the Crown Prince, Ren Yuan prefect of Ming, Dugu Yun prefect of Chenzhou, Yang Rixiu prefect of Yang, and Gong Rongguang magistrate of Qiyang; From junior officers downward, many repeatedly served as Tang agents inside the rebel camp. Meanwhile Qingxu spent his time building palaces, pavilions, and ponds, launched pleasure boats on the water, and feasted through the night. Zhang Tongru and the others quarreled over power and could not act as one; every proposal was met with mutual obstruction and ridicule. Cai Xide was the sharpest of them, proud and unyielding. He plotted to assassinate Qingxu as an inside agent, but Tongru had him executed on a pretext; several thousand of his followers deserted. Cai Xide had always been beloved by his men, and the entire army mourned his death with bitterness. Qingxu made Cui Qianyu commander of all armies; Qianyu's power eclipsed everyone else, but he was stubborn, brutal, and devoid of loyalty to his men.
29
乾元元年秋九月，帝詔郭子儀率九節度兵凡二十萬討慶緒，攻衛州，遂度河，師背水壁而待。 慶緒遣安太清拒戰，聞衛州已圍，則鼓而南，作三軍：乾祐將上軍，雄俊、王福德佐之； 田承嗣將下軍，榮敬佐之； 慶緒自將中軍，孫孝哲、薛嵩佐之。 既戰，王師偽卻，慶緒逐之，遇伏而潰慶。 緒走，獲其弟慶和，斬於京師。 子儀引軍躡賊，戰愁思崗，賊復敗，自是銳兵盡矣。 因嬰鄴自固，使薛嵩以厚幣求救於史思明。 思明遣李歸仁將兵萬三千壁滏陽，未進，而王師圍已固，築浚城隍三周，決安陽水灌城。 城中棧而處，糧盡，易口以食，米鬥錢七萬餘，一鼠錢數千，屑松飼馬，隤墻取麥稭，濯糞取芻，城中欲降不得。 賊更以太清代乾佑將。
In the ninth month of autumn, first year of Qianyuan, the emperor ordered Guo Ziyi to lead two hundred thousand men from nine regional commands against An Qingxu. They invested Weizhou, crossed the river, and camped with their backs to the water to await the enemy. Qingxu sent An Taiqing to meet the attack. Learning that Weizhou was already under siege, he marched south at the drum and divided his force into three: Cui Qianyu led the upper army with An Xiongjun and Wang Fude as his seconds; Tian Chengsi led the lower army with Rong Jing as his second; and Qingxu himself took the center with Sun Xiaozhe and Xue Song at his side. Once battle was joined, the imperial army feigned retreat. Qingxu gave chase and, walking into an ambush, saw his army break and scatter. Qingxu fled. His brother An Qinghe was captured and executed in the capital. Guo Ziyi pressed the pursuit. At Chousigang the rebels were beaten again, and from that point their elite troops were spent. They shut themselves in Ye for a last stand and sent Xue Song with rich gifts to beg Shi Siming for relief. Siming sent Li Guiren with thirteen thousand men to hold Fuyang but did not advance further. By then the imperial siege was complete: they dug a triple ring of trenches around the walls and diverted the Anyang River to flood the city. Inside the city people lived on raised platforms. When grain ran out they traded lives to eat one another; a dou of rice cost more than seventy thousand cash and a rat several thousand. They ground pine needles to feed the horses, tore down walls for wheat stalks, and washed dung to recover fodder. Those who wished to surrender could not get out. The rebels replaced Cui Qianyu with An Taiqing as commander.
30
於是思明有眾十三萬，三分其軍趨鄴。 明年三月，營安陽。 慶緒急，乃遣太清奉皇帝璽綬讓思明。 思明以書示軍中，鹹呼萬歲，乃約慶緒為兄弟，還其書，慶緒大悅。 王師不利，九節度奔還，子儀斷河陽橋，戍谷水。 思明進屯鄴南。 慶緒收官軍餘餉，尚十餘萬石。 召孝哲等謀拒思明，諸將皆曰：「今日安得復背史王乎？」 通儒、尚、洌皆請自往謝思明，慶緒許諾。 思明見，為流涕，厚禮遣還。 三日，慶緒未出，思明請慶緒歃血盟，不得已，以五百騎詣思明軍。 先此，思明令軍中擐甲待，慶緒至，再拜伏地謝曰：「臣不克負荷，棄兩都，陷重圍，不意大王以太上皇故，暴師遠來，臣之罪，唯王圖之。」 思明恚曰：「兵利不利亦何事，而為人子，殺父求位，非大逆邪？ 吾乃為太上皇討賊。」 顧左右牽出斬之。 慶緒數目周萬誌，萬誌進曰：「慶緒為君矣，宜賜死。」 乃並四弟縊。 又誅尚、孝哲、乾祐，殊而膊之。 思明改葬祿山以王禮，偽謚燕剌王。 祿山父子僭位凡三年而滅。
By then Shi Siming had a hundred thirty thousand men and divided them into three columns marching on Ye. The following year, in the third month, he encamped at Anyang. In desperation Qingxu sent An Taiqing to present the imperial seal and abdicate in Shi Siming's favor. Shi Siming read the abdication to his troops, who roared their acclaim. He then treated Qingxu as a sworn brother, returned the document, and Qingxu rejoiced. The imperial army suffered defeat; the nine commanders retreated. Guo Ziyi destroyed the Heyang Bridge and held Gushui. Shi Siming advanced and camped south of Ye. Qingxu collected the provisions the imperial army had left behind, more than a hundred thousand shi of grain. He summoned Sun Xiaozhe and others to plan resistance against Shi Siming, but his generals said, "How can we turn against King Shi again? Zhang Tongru, Gao Shang, and Ping Lie all offered to go in person to make peace with Shi Siming, and Qingxu agreed. Shi Siming received them with tears and sent them back with rich gifts. Three days passed and Qingxu still had not appeared. Shi Siming demanded a blood oath, and Qingxu had no choice but to ride to his camp with five hundred cavalry. Earlier Shi Siming had ordered his troops to stand in armor. When Qingxu arrived he kowtowed and said, "I failed in my charge, lost both capitals, and fell into this siege. I never thought you would march so far for the Retired Emperor's sake. My life is yours to dispose of. Shi Siming said in fury, "What does it matter whether your armies win or lose? You killed your own father to take his throne -- is that not the gravest treason? I have come to punish the rebel on the Retired Emperor's behalf." He signaled his guards and had Qingxu dragged out and beheaded. Qingxu looked again and again at Zhou Wanzhi. Wanzhi stepped forward and said, "Qingxu has already reigned; he should be granted the mercy of a formal execution. His four younger brothers were strangled as well. He also executed Gao Shang, Sun Xiaozhe, and Cui Qianyu, dismembering their bodies for public display. Shi Siming reburied An Lushan with royal honors and gave him the posthumous title Prince Lie of Yan. The Lushans had held their usurped throne for three years before their line was extinguished.
31
初，祿山陷東京，以張萬頃為河南尹，士人宗室賴以免者眾，肅宗嘉其仁，拜濮陽太守。 帝以賊國讎，惡聞其姓，京師坊裏有「安」字者，悉易之。 高尚高尚者，雍奴人。 母老，丐食自給，尚客河朔不肯歸。 與令狐潮相善，淫其婢，生一女，遂留居。 然篤學善文辭，嘗喟然謂汝南周銑曰：「吾當作賊死，不能龁草根求活也。」 李齊物為新平太守，薦諸朝，贐錢三萬，介之見高力士。 力士以為才，置門下，家事一咨之，諷近臣表其能，擢左領軍倉曹參軍。
When An Lushan first took the Eastern Capital he had appointed Zhang Wanqing Henan intendant, and many scholars and members of the imperial clan owed their lives to him. Emperor Suzong praised his humanity and made him prefect of Puyang. Because the rebel surname was a national shame, the emperor could not bear to hear it; every place name in the capital wards that contained the character an was changed. Gao Shang was a native of Yongnu. His mother was old and lived by begging; Shang stayed on as a guest in Hebei and refused to go home. He befriended Linghu Chao, seduced a maidservant in Chao's household, and when she bore him a daughter he settled there permanently. He was a serious scholar with a gift for prose. Once he sighed to Zhou Xian of Runan, "I am fated to die as a rebel; I cannot chew roots in the dirt just to stay alive. Li Qiwu, prefect of Xinping, recommended him to the court. Mourning gifts of thirty thousand cash were sent, and an intermediary brought him before Gao Lishi. Lishi judged him talented and took him into his household, consulting him on every domestic matter. He prompted courtiers to praise his abilities, and Shang was promoted to adjutant in the Left Army warehouse office.
32
力士語祿山，表為平盧掌書記，因出入臥內。 祿山喜睡，尚嘗執筆侍，通昔不寢，繇是親愛。 遂與嚴莊語圖讖，導祿山反。 陷東都，偽拜中書侍郎。 大抵賊所下赦令，皆尚為之。 嚴莊降後，尚獨典政事，至偽侍中。 孫孝哲孫孝哲者，契丹部人。 母冶色，祿山通之，故孝哲得狎近。 長七尺，伉健有謀。 祿山對側門俟召，衣帶絕，不知所為，孝哲箴縷素具，徐為紉綻，祿山大悅。 尤能先事取情。 祿山魁大，非孝哲縫衣不能勝。 天寶末，官大將軍。
Lishi recommended him to An Lushan, who appointed him secretary of the Pinglu command, and so he came and went within Lushan's private quarters. An Lushan slept heavily; Shang would sit by him with brush in hand and stay awake through the night. In this way he won Lushan's affection. He then joined Yan Zhuang in reading omens and prophecies and steered An Lushan toward rebellion. After the Eastern Capital fell he was given the puppet title of Vice Director of the Secretariat. As a rule, every amnesty proclamation the rebels issued was written by Gao Shang. After Yan Zhuang defected, Gao Shang alone ran the rebel government, eventually receiving the puppet title of Palace Attendant. Sun Xiaozhe was a man of the Khitan tribes. His mother was strikingly beautiful. An Lushan took her as a lover, and through that connection Xiaozhe won his way into Lushan's inner circle. He stood seven feet tall — powerfully built and shrewd. Once, while An Lushan waited at a side gate to be summoned, his belt snapped and he was at a loss. Xiaozhe, who always carried needle and thread, calmly mended it. Lushan was delighted. Above all, he had a gift for reading moods and anticipating needs before they were spoken. An Lushan was enormous in build — only Xiaozhe could cut and sew clothes that fit him. By the end of the Tianbao era he had risen to grand general.
33
賊僭位，偽拜殿中監、閑廄使，爵為王，與嚴莊爭寵不平。 裘馬光侈，食輒珍滋。 賊令監張通儒等守長安，人皆目之。 殺妃、主、宗室子百餘人，窮誅楊國忠、高力士黨與及與賊忤者不勝計，剔首析肢，流離道衢。 祿山死，莊奪其使以與鄧季陽。 慶緒之奔，莊懼為所圖，因降。
After the rebels seized the throne, he received the puppet posts of Director of the Palace Administration and Commissioner of the Private Stud and was ennobled as a king. He and Yan Zhuang competed for favor and bore each other deep resentment. He rode in gleaming furs and fine horses and ate nothing but the rarest delicacies. The rebels put him in charge of Zhang Tongru and the others defending Chang'an, and all eyes were on him. He slaughtered more than a hundred imperial consorts, princesses, and clansmen. He hunted down without end the followers of Yang Guozhong and Gao Lishi and anyone who resisted the rebels — beheading them, dismembering them, and leaving the streets littered with the dead. After Lushan died, Yan Zhuang stripped Xiaozhe of his office and gave the post to Deng Jiyang. When An Qingxu fled, Yan Zhuang feared Xiaozhe would move against him and defected to the Tang.
34
有商胡康廉者，天寶中為安南都護，附楊國忠，官將軍。 上元中，出家貲佐山南驛稟，肅宗喜其濟，許之，累試鴻臚卿。 婿在賊中，有告其畔，坐誅。 事連莊，繫獄，貶難江尉。 京兆尹劉晏發吏防其家，莊恨之。 俄詔釋罪，莊入見代宗，誣晏常矜功怨上，漏禁中事，晏遂貶雲。 史思明史思明，寧夷州突厥種，初名窣於，玄宗賜其名。 姿臒露，鳶肩傴背，廞目側鼻，寡須發，躁健譎狡。 與安祿山共鄉里，生先祿山一日，故長相善。 少事特進烏知義，以輕騎覘賊，多所禽馘。 通六蕃譯，亦為互市郎。 頃之，負官錢，無以償，將走奚。 未至，為邏騎所困，欲殺之，紿曰：「我使人也，若聞殺天子使者，其國不祥，不如以我見王，王活我，功自汝得。」 邏以為然，送至王所，不拜，曰：「天子使見小國君不拜，禮也。」 王怒，然疑真使者，卒授館，待以禮。 將還，令百人從入朝。 奚有部將瑣高者，名聞國中，思明欲禽以贖罪，訹王曰：「從我者雖多，無足與見天子者，惟高材，可與至中國。」 王悅，命高將帳下三百俱。 既至平廬，遣謂戍主曰：「奚兵數百，外稱入朝，內實盜，請備之。」 主潛師迎犒，殺其眾，囚高以獻。 幽州節度使張守珪奇其功，表折沖，與祿山俱為捉生。
There was a Sogdian merchant named Kang Lian who, during the Tianbao era, served as Protector-General of Annam, attached himself to Yang Guozhong, and held the rank of general. During the Shangyuan era he donated his family fortune to provision the courier stations in Shannan. Emperor Suzong welcomed the relief and approved the gift, and Kang was repeatedly appointed acting Minister of Ceremonial. His son-in-law had joined the rebels. When someone reported him for treason, Kang was executed on that charge. The case also implicated Yan Zhuang. He was thrown into prison and demoted to magistrate of Nanjiang. Liu Yan, the metropolitan magistrate of Jingzhao, posted officials to watch over Yan Zhuang's household, and Zhuang nursed a grudge against him. Before long an edict cleared him of guilt. Yan Zhuang had an audience with Emperor Daizong and falsely accused Liu Yan of habitually boasting of his achievements, harboring resentment toward the throne, and leaking palace secrets. Liu Yan was banished to Yun Prefecture. Shi Siming was a Turk from Ningyi Prefecture. His original name was Suoyu; Emperor Xuanzong gave him the name by which history knows him. He was gaunt and rawboned, with hawk shoulders and a stooped back, bulging eyes and a crooked nose, little beard or hair, and a restless, vigorous, cunning, and treacherous temperament. He came from the same district as An Lushan and was born one day earlier, and the two had been close since boyhood. In his youth he served under Wu Zhiyi, a holder of the Special Advance title, leading light cavalry on reconnaissance and taking many enemy heads. He spoke the languages of the six frontier peoples and also worked as a broker in the border markets. Before long he fell into debt to the government with no way to pay it off and prepared to flee to the Xi. Before he reached Xi territory, patrol horsemen intercepted him and were about to kill him. He lied: "I am an imperial envoy. If you kill the Son of Heaven's messenger, your kingdom will suffer misfortune. Take me to your king instead — if he spares me, the credit will be yours. The patrol riders believed him and brought him before the king. Siming refused to bow. "When an envoy of the Son of Heaven meets the ruler of a petty state," he said, "protocol does not require a bow." The king flew into a rage, but still unsure whether this man might truly be an envoy, he lodged Siming in the guest quarters and treated him with courtesy. When he prepared to return, he persuaded the king to let a hundred Xi warriors accompany him to the Tang court. The Xi had a division commander named Suo Gao, renowned throughout the kingdom. Siming wanted to capture him to redeem his own crime and pressed the king: "Of all who follow me, none is worthy to be presented at court — only Gao has the talent to enter China with me. The king was pleased and ordered Gao to bring three hundred men from his own command as well. Once they reached Pinglu, he sent word to the garrison commander: "Several hundred Xi warriors claim to be coming to court, but they are really raiders. Be on your guard. The commander secretly deployed troops to greet them with a feast, slaughtered the Xi force, seized Gao, and sent him up as a prisoner. Zhang Shougui, military commissioner of Youzhou, was impressed by the exploit, recommended Siming for promotion to assault-resisting general, and he and An Lushan served together as prisoner-catchers.
35
天寶初，累功至將軍、知平盧軍事。 入奏，帝賜坐與語，奇之。 問年，曰：「四十矣。」 撫其背曰：「爾貴在晚，勉之！」 遷大將軍、北平太守。 從祿山討契丹，祿山敗，單騎走師州，殺其下左賢哥解、魚承仙自解。 思明逃山中，再閱旬，裒散卒得七百，追見祿山平盧，祿山喜，握手曰：「計而死矣，今故在，吾何憂！」 思明親密曰：「吾聞進退在時，向蚤出，隨哥解地下矣。」 契丹取師州，守捉使劉客奴亡去，祿山使思明擊走之，表平盧兵馬使。
In the early Tianbao years, repeated victories raised him to general and overseer of Pinglu military affairs. When he came to court to report, the emperor gave him a seat and spoke with him at length, and was struck by the man. Asked his age, he replied, "Forty. The emperor patted his back and said, "Your rise to greatness will come late in life — apply yourself!" He was promoted to grand general and appointed prefect of Beiping. He followed An Lushan on campaign against the Khitan. When Lushan was routed, he fled alone on horseback to Shizhou and killed his subordinate Zuo Xian Gejie; Yu Chengxian took his own life. Siming hid in the mountains. After some twenty days he rallied seven hundred scattered troops and rejoined An Lushan at Pinglu. Lushan was overjoyed, took his hand, and said, "I thought you were dead — yet here you are. What do I have left to fear? Siming answered warmly, "Advance and retreat are all a matter of timing. Had we moved out sooner, I would already be underground with Gejie." The Khitan seized Shizhou and the defense commissioner Liu Kenü fled. An Lushan sent Siming to drive them back and recommended him for the post of Pinglu army-and-horse commissioner.
36
思明少賤，鄉里易之。 大豪辛氏有女，方求婿，窺思明，告其親曰：「必嫁我思明。」 宗屬不可，女固以歸。 思明亦負曰：「自我得婦，官不休，生男子多，殆且貴乎！」
In youth Siming was poor and obscure, and people in his district looked down on him. A leading Xin clansman had a daughter of marriageable age. She caught sight of Siming and told her family, "I will marry no one but Siming. The clan objected, but the daughter insisted on marrying him anyway. Siming too took it as a sign and said, "Since I took this wife, my career has never stalled and I have fathered many sons — surely greatness lies ahead!"
37
祿山反，使思明略定河北，會賈循死，留思明守范陽，而常山顏杲卿等傳檄拒賊，祿山使向潤客等代，遣思明攻常山，九日執杲卿。 進薄饒陽，盧全誠拒守，河間、景城、平原、樂安、清河、博平六郡稍募兵自固。 河間李奐以兵七千救饒陽，景城李暐持兵八千助河間，平原顏真卿以兵六千助清河，悉為思明所敗，暐子杞死之，饒陽愈堅。 會李光弼收常山，思明遽解圍迎戰，晝夜行二百里，相持久不決。 郭子儀取趙郡，合兵攻賊。 凡再戰，皆大敗，走入博陵。 光弼追傅城，幾拔。 屬潼關潰，肅宗召朔方、河東兵，光弼引還，使王俌守常山。 賊尾追光弼於井陘，敗歸。 攻平盧，劉正臣輕之，不設備，敗保北平，兵貲二千乘皆沒。 思明得其銳卒，張甚，謀攻常山。 俌欲降，諸將殺之，遣使至信都迎刺史鳥承恩鎮守，不聽。 思明攻土門，城中伏甲詭降，賊登城，伏起，賊殲； 思明中戟，扶以免。 復攻陷之，焚廬舍，種誅其人。 取稿城，守將白嘉祐走趙郡，思明圍之五日，入之，嘉祐奔太原，思明再陷常山。 賊別帥尹子奇圍河間，顏真卿遣和琳將兵萬餘往救之。 於是北風號勁，鼓之，士不進。 賊縱擊，大敗，執琳，引眾攻城，禽李奐。 又拔景城，李暐赴河死。 招樂安，降之。 遂攻平原，未至，真卿棄郡去。 進破清河，執太守王懷忠，入博平，遂圍信都。 初，賊先獲承恩母、妻及子，故承恩降，而兵尚五萬，騎三千。 擊饒陽，李系自燔死。
When An Lushan rebelled, he sent Siming to subdue Hebei. After Jia Xun died, he left Siming to hold Fanyang while Yan Gaoqing at Changshan and others issued proclamations calling the region to resist. Lushan sent Xiang Runkè and others to relieve him and ordered Siming to attack Changshan; on the ninth day Siming captured Gaoqing. He advanced against Raoyang, where Lu Quancheng held the city in stubborn defense. Across Hejian, Jingcheng, Pingyuan, Le'an, Qinghe, and Boping, the prefectures began raising troops to defend themselves. Li Huan of Hejian marched seven thousand men to relieve Raoyang; Li Wei of Jingcheng brought eight thousand to support Hejian; Yan Zhenqing of Pingyuan sent six thousand to aid Qinghe. Siming defeated them all. Wei's son Qi was killed, and Raoyang's defense grew only stiffer. When Li Guangbi retook Changshan, Siming broke off the siege at once to meet him, marching two hundred li without rest. The two armies faced each other for days without a clear outcome. Guo Ziyi seized Zhao Prefecture and joined forces with Li Guangbi to attack the rebels. Twice they gave battle, and twice Siming was routed. He fled into Boling. Guangbi pressed the pursuit, built siege ramps against the city, and nearly captured it. Then Tong Pass fell. Emperor Suzong recalled the Shuofang and Hedong armies, Guangbi pulled back, and left Wang Fu to hold Changshan. The rebels pursued Guangbi through Jingxing, were beaten back, and withdrew. He struck Pinglu. Liu Zhengchen underestimated him and took no precautions, was routed, and fell back to Beiping; two thousand wagonloads of troops and supplies were lost. Siming absorbed Liu's crack troops, swelled with confidence, and planned an assault on Changshan. Wang Fu wanted to surrender, but his officers killed him. They sent envoys to Xindu asking Prefect Wu Chengen to come and take command, but he refused. Siming attacked Tumen. The defenders hid armored troops and feigned surrender; when the rebels climbed the walls, the ambush sprang up and wiped them out. Siming himself was struck by a halberd and had to be carried from the field. He attacked again, took the place, burned the buildings, and massacred the entire population. He seized Gaocheng. The defender Bai Jiayou fled to Zhao Prefecture; Siming besieged it for five days and took it, and Jiayou fled to Taiyuan. Siming then captured Changshan a second time. The rebel commander Yin Ziqi besieged Hejian. Yan Zhenqing dispatched He Lin with more than ten thousand men to relieve the city. At that moment a fierce north wind rose. When the drums beat for the advance, the soldiers refused to move. The rebels counterattacked, routed the relief force, captured He Lin, then turned on the city, stormed it, and took Li Huan prisoner. He also captured Jingcheng. Li Wei threw himself into the river and died. He summoned Le'an, and the prefecture submitted. He then marched on Pingyuan, but before he arrived Yan Zhenqing had already abandoned the prefecture and fled. He pressed on, broke Qinghe, captured Prefect Wang Huaizhong, entered Boling, and then laid siege to Xindu. Earlier the rebels had captured Chengen's mother, wife, and son, forcing him to surrender. Even so, his army still numbered fifty thousand men and three thousand cavalry. He attacked Raoyang, and Li Xi burned himself alive rather than surrender.
38
思明兵所向，縱其下椎剽，淫奪人妻女，以是士最奮。 是時，舉河北悉入賊，生人貲產掃地，壯賫負，老嬰則殺之，殺人以為戲。 祿山偽署范陽節度使。 始，麾下騎才二千，同羅步曳落河止三千，既數勝，兵最強，狺然有噬江、漢心。 以精卒五萬畀尹子奇，度河劫北海以震淮、徐。 會回紇襲范陽，范陽閉不出，子奇乃還救，遂不克。 至德二載，與蔡希德、高秀巖合兵十萬攻太原。 是時，李光弼使部將張奉璋以兵守故關，思明攻陷之，奉璋走樂平。 思明取攻具山東，奉璋匿士廣陽，改服紿為賊使者，責其後期，斬數人，引眾得還太原。 時光弼固守且十月，不能拔。 而安慶緒襲位，賜姓安，名榮國，爵媯川郡王。
Wherever Siming's army marched, he let his men plunder freely and seize other men's wives and daughters. That was why his troops fought with such savage zeal. By then all of Hebei had fallen to the rebels. The living were stripped of everything they owned. Able-bodied men were forced to carry loads like beasts of burden; the old and the very young were slaughtered; killing became a pastime. An Lushan gave him the puppet title of military commissioner of Fanyang. At first he had only two thousand cavalry and three thousand Tongluo and Yeluohe infantry. After a string of victories his force became the strongest in the rebel camp, hungry to swallow the Yangzi and Han river heartland. He handed Yin Ziqi fifty thousand crack troops to cross the Yellow River, raid Beihai, and terrify the Huai and Xu regions. Just then the Uyghurs struck at Fanyang. The city shut its gates and refused to sortie, and Ziqi had to turn back to relieve it, so the expedition failed. In the second year of Zhide he joined Cai Xide and Gao Xiuyan in a combined force of one hundred thousand to attack Taiyuan. Li Guangbi had posted his officer Zhang Fengzhang to hold the Old Pass. Siming stormed and took it, and Fengzhang fled to Leping. Siming moved his siege engines east of the mountains. Fengzhang hid troops at Guangyang, disguised himself as a rebel messenger, berated the garrison for being late, executed several men to sell the act, and led his force safely back to Taiyuan. Guangbi held the city for nearly ten months, and Siming could not break through. Meanwhile An Qingxu succeeded to the rebel throne. He was granted the surname An, given the name Rongguo, and ennobled as Prince of Guichuan.
39
賊之陷兩京，常以橐它載禁府珍寶貯范陽，如丘阜然。 思明見富強，𢢀然驕，欲自取之。 已而慶緒敗走相州，殘士三萬北歸，無所屬，思明擊殺數千人，降之。 慶緒知其貳，使阿史那承慶、安守忠、李立節詣思明議事，且共圖之。 判官耿仁智欲以大誼動賊，請間曰：「公貴且賢，無待下為之謀，然請一言而死。」 思明曰：「為我言之。」 對曰：「方祿山強，誰敢不服？ 大夫事之，固無罪。 今天子聰明勇智，有少康、宣王風，公誠發使輸誠，無不納，此轉禍入福之秋也。」 思明曰：「善。」 承慶等未知，以五千騎來，思明介而勞，前謂曰：「公等至，士不勝喜，然邊兵素憚使者威，不自安，請弛弓以入。」 從之。 思明從承慶等飲，即拘之，收其兵，給貲以遣，斬守忠、立節以徇。
After the rebels took the two capitals, they hauled the palace treasures to Fanyang on camelback until the hoard rose like hills. When Siming saw that wealth and power, he swelled with arrogant satisfaction and resolved to take it for himself. Before long An Qingxu was defeated and fled to Xiangzhou. Thirty thousand battered troops straggled north with nowhere to go. Siming killed several thousand of them and then accepted the rest into his ranks. Qingxu knew Siming was wavering and sent Ashina Chengqing, An Shouzhong, and Li Lijie to discuss affairs with him — and to plot his downfall together. Siming's aide Geng Renzhi hoped to sway him with a larger loyalty and asked for a private word. "You are too eminent and able to need a subordinate's counsel," he said, "but grant me one statement before I die. Siming said, "Speak plainly." He answered, "When Lushan was at his height, who dared refuse to obey him? Your service to him was no crime. Today's Son of Heaven is wise and resolute, with something of Shaokang and King Xuan about him. If you truly send envoys to offer your loyalty, the throne will accept you. This is the moment to turn disaster into fortune." Siming said, "Well said." Chengqing and the others did not yet suspect anything. They arrived with five thousand cavalry. Siming met them in full armor and said, "Your arrival delights the men, but frontier soldiers have always been intimidated by imperial envoys and grow uneasy. Please enter with bows unstrung." They agreed. Siming drank with Chengqing and his party, then seized them on the spot, confiscated their troops, gave the envoys travel funds and dismissed them, and executed Shouzhong and Lijie as a public warning.
40
李光弼聞其絕慶緒，使人招之。 前此烏承恩已歸國，帝遣鐫諭之，思明使牙門金如意奉十三郡兵八萬籍歸於朝，於是高秀巖以河東自歸。 有詔思明為歸義郡王、范陽長史、河北節度使，諸子並列卿； 以秀巖為雲中太守，亦官其諸子。 遣承恩與中人李思敬尉撫，趣討殘賊。 思明乃遣張忠誌守幽州，假薛以恒州刺史，招趙州刺史陸濟使降，授朝義兵五千守冀州，假令狐彰博州刺史，戍滑州。
When Li Guangbi learned that Siming had broken with An Qingxu, he sent envoys to win him over. By then Wu Chengen had already returned to the Tang side. The Emperor sent Juan to confirm the arrangement with Siming, who had his gate officer Jin Ruyi deliver the muster rolls of eighty thousand soldiers from thirteen prefectures back to the court. Gao Xiuyan then submitted Hedong on his own. An edict made Siming Prince of Guiyi, Administrator of Fanyang, and Military Commissioner of Hebei, and granted all his sons ministerial rank. Xiuyan was appointed Administrator of Yunzhong, and his sons received offices as well. The court dispatched Chengen and the eunuch Li Sijing to pacify the region and press the campaign against the remaining rebels. Siming posted Zhang Zhongzhi at Youzhou, made his son Xue acting prefect of Hengzhou, and summoned Zhao's prefect Lu Ji to submit. He gave Chaoyi five thousand men to hold Jizhou, made Linghu Zhang acting prefect of Bozhou, and stationed troops at Huazhou.
41
然思明外順命，內實通賊，益募兵。 帝知之，以其常事承恩父知義，冀其無嫌，即擢承恩為河北節度副大使，使圖思明。 承恩至范陽，羸服夜過諸將，陰諗以謀，諸將返以告思明，疑未有以驗。 會承恩與思敬奏事還，思明留館之，幃所寢床，伏二人焉。 承恩子入見，因留臥。 夜半，語其子曰：「吾受命除此逆胡。」 二人白思明，乃執承恩，探衣囊得賜阿史那承慶鐵券及光弼牒，又得薄紙書數番，皆當誅將士姓名。 賊大詬曰：「我何負於爾，至是邪！」 故答曰：「此太尉光弼謀，上不知也。」 思明召官吏於廷，西向哭曰：「臣赤心不負國，何至殺臣？」 因搒殺承恩父子及支黨二百餘人，囚思敬以聞。 帝遣使諭曰：「事出承恩，非朕與光弼意。」 又聞三司議陳希烈等死，思明懼曰：「希烈等皆大臣，上皇棄而西，既復位，此等宜見勞，返殺之，況我本從祿山反乎？」 諸將皆勸賊表天子誅光弼。 思明使耿仁智、張不矜上疏請斬光弼，不然，且攻太原。 疏入於函，仁智輒易去。 左右密白思明，執二人曰：「若負我邪！」 命斬之。 既又欲貸死，復召責曰：「仁智事我三十年，今日我忘爾邪？」 仁智怒曰：「人固有死，大夫納邪說，再圖反，我雖生不如死！」 思明怒，捶殺之。 九節度圍相州急，慶緒間道求救，思明懼王師，未敢進。 俄而蕭華舉魏州歸天子，崔光遠代守，思明乃引兵擊魏，拔之，殺數萬人。
Outwardly Siming obeyed the throne, but in fact he kept in touch with the rebels and stepped up recruitment. The Emperor knew it. Because Chengen had long served under Zhiyi, Wu Chengen's father, he hoped the appointment would arouse no suspicion and promptly made Chengen Vice Commissioner of Hebei with orders to bring Siming down. Chengen reached Fanyang in humble dress and visited the generals by night to sound them out in secret. They reported back to Siming, who grew suspicious but had no proof. When Chengen and Sijing returned from reporting at court, Siming lodged them in his guest quarters, hung curtains around the bed where he slept, and hid two men beneath it. Chengen's son came to see him and stayed to sleep there. At midnight he told his son, "I have orders to eliminate this rebel barbarian. The two men reported to Siming. He seized Chengen, searched his clothing, and found the iron tally given Ashina Chengqing and a dispatch from Li Guangbi, along with several slips of thin paper listing officers and soldiers marked for death. Siming raged, "What have I ever done to you, that you would come to this! Chengen answered, "This was Grand Marshal Li Guangbi's scheme. The Emperor knows nothing of it." Siming summoned his officials to the hall, turned west toward the capital, and wept aloud. "My loyal heart has never failed the state," he cried. "Why would you kill me?" He then had Chengen, his son, and more than two hundred of their followers beaten to death, imprisoned Sijing, and reported the affair to the throne. The Emperor sent an envoy to reassure him: "This was Chengen's doing alone. Neither I nor Li Guangbi intended it. Siming also learned that the Three Offices had condemned Chen Xilie and others to death. He grew afraid. "Men like Xilie were great ministers," he said. "When the Retired Emperor fled west and then returned to the throne, they should have been honored — yet they were killed instead. What hope is there for me, who originally followed Lushan into rebellion?" His generals all urged him to petition the throne to execute Li Guangbi. Siming sent Geng Renzhi and Zhang Bujin to memorialize the throne demanding Li Guangbi's execution, threatening otherwise to attack Taiyuan. When the memorial was sealed in its dispatch case, Renzhi quietly removed and altered it. Siming's attendants secretly reported the change. He seized the two men and demanded, "Have you betrayed me? He ordered their execution. Then, wanting to spare them, he summoned them again and rebuked them. "Renzhi, you have served me thirty years — would I forget you now? Renzhi answered in fury, "Every man must die. You have taken wicked counsel and plot rebellion again. Better dead than live for this!" Siming flew into a rage and beat them to death. Nine military commissioners were pressing the siege of Xiangzhou. Qingxu sent an urgent appeal by a hidden route. Siming feared the imperial armies and did not dare march to his relief. Soon afterward Xiao Hua surrendered Weizhou to the throne, and Cui Guangyuan took over its defense. Siming then marched against Wei, captured the city, and slaughtered tens of thousands.
42
乾元二年正月朔，築壇，僭稱大聖周王，建元應天，以周贄為司馬； 救相州，卻王師，殺慶緒，並其眾，欲遂西略，虞根本未固，即留朝義守相州，自引還。 夏四月，更國號大燕，建元順天，自稱應天皇帝。 妻辛為皇后，以朝義為懷王，周贄為相，李歸仁為將； 號范陽為燕京，洛陽周京，長安秦京。 更以州為郡，鑄「順天得一」錢。 欲郊及藉田，聘儒生講制度。 或上書言：「北有兩蕃，西有二都，勝負未可知，而為太平事，難矣。」 思明不悅，遂祠祀上帝。 是日大風，不能郊。
On New Year's Day of the second year of Qianyuan, Siming built an altar, declared himself Great Sage King of Zhou, adopted the era name Yingtian, and made Zhou Zhi his Grand Marshal. He relieved Xiangzhou, drove back the imperial armies, killed Qingxu, and absorbed his troops. He meant to push westward next, but fearing his base was not yet secure, he left Chaoyi to hold Xiangzhou and withdrew. In the fourth month of summer he renamed his state Great Yan, adopted the era name Shuntian, and proclaimed himself Emperor Yingtian. He made his wife Lady Xin empress, Chaoyi Prince of Huai, Zhou Zhi chancellor, and Li Guiren a leading general. He renamed Fanyang the Yan Capital, Luoyang the Zhou Capital, and Chang'an the Qin Capital. He restored the old commandery system in place of prefectures and minted coins inscribed "Shuntian Deyi." He planned to conduct the suburban sacrifice and the plowing ceremony, and hired Confucian scholars to explain the rites. One memorial warned, "Two foreign powers lie to the north and two capitals to the west. The outcome of the war is still uncertain — to perform ceremonies of universal peace now would be folly. Siming took offense and went ahead with sacrifice to Heaven. That day a fierce wind rose, and the suburban ceremony had to be abandoned.
43
留子朝清守幽州，使阿史那玉、向貢、張通儒、高如震、高久仁、王東武等輔之。 兵四出寇河南，身出濮陽，使令狐彰絕黎陽，朝義出白高，周萬誌自胡良度河圍汴州。 於是節度使許叔冀，濮州刺史董秦，梁浦、田神功皆附賊，即命叔冀與李祥守汴州，徙秦等家屬平盧，使浦、神功下江、淮，約曰：「得地，人取貲二艫。」 思明乘勝鼓行，西陷洛陽，破汝、鄭、滑三州，圍李光弼河陽，不能拔。 使安太清取懷州以守，光弼攻之，太清降。 思明又遣田承嗣擊申、光等州，王同芝擊陳，許敬釭擊兗、鄆，薛擊曹。 上元二年二月，思明以計敗光弼兵於北邙，王師棄河陽、懷州，京師震恐，益兵屯陜州。 思明遂西，使朝義為先鋒，身自宜陽繼進。
He left his son Chaoqing at Youzhou with Ashina Yu, Xiang Gong, Zhang Tongru, Gao Ruzhen, Gao Jiuren, Wang Dongwu, and others to assist him. His armies raided Henan on four fronts. Siming himself marched from Puyang, sent Linghu Zhang to sever Liyang, Chaoyi out from Baigao, and Zhou Wanzhi across the river from Huliang to besiege Bianzhou. The military commissioner Xu Shuji, Pu's prefect Dong Qin, Liang Pu, and Tian Shegong all went over to Siming. He put Shuji and Li Xiang in charge of Bianzhou, moved Qin's family and the others to Pinglu, and sent Pu and Shegong south toward the Yangzi and Huai with this promise: "For every place you take, each man may keep the loot of two boatloads. Siming pressed his advantage westward with drums rolling, took Luoyang, overran Ru, Zheng, and Hua, and besieged Li Guangbi at Heyang but failed to break the city. He sent An Taiqing to seize and hold Huaizhou. Li Guangbi attacked, and Taiqing surrendered. Siming sent Tian Chengsi against Shen, Guang, and neighboring prefectures; Wang Tongzhi against Chen; Xu Jinggang against Yan and Yun; and Xue against Cao. In the second month of the second year of Shangyuan, Siming outmaneuvered and defeated Li Guangbi's army at Mount Beimang. The imperial forces abandoned Heyang and Huaizhou. Chang'an was gripped with fear, and reinforcements were rushed to Shazhou. Siming then pushed west, with Chaoyi in the vanguard and himself advancing from Yiyang behind.
44
朝義攻陜，敗於姜子阪，退壁永寧。 思明大怒，召朝義並駱悅、蔡文景、許季常，將誅而釋之，詫曰：「朝義怯，不能成我事！」 欲追朝清自副。 又敕朝義築三角城居糧，終日畢，未塓而思明至，怒不如約，辭曰：「士疲少息耳。」 思明曰：「汝惜士而違我令邪？」 據鞍畢塓乃去，顧曰：「朝下陜，夕斬是賊。」 朝義懼。 思明居傳舍，令所愛曹將軍擊刁鬥呵衛。 駱悅等被讓，即共說朝義曰：「向兵敗，悅與王死無日，不如召曹將軍同計大事。」 朝義面不應。 悅曰：「王誠不忍，吾等且歸唐，不得事王矣。」 朝義許之，令季常以言動曹將軍。 曹將軍畏諸將，不敢拒。 思明愛優諢，寢食常在側，優者以其忍，恨之。 是夜思明驚，據床叱咤。 優問故，答曰：「我夢群鹿度水，鹿死而水乾，雲何？」 俄如匽，優相謂曰：「胡命盡乎！」 少選，悅以兵入，問思明所在，未對輒殺數人，共指匽，思明知有亂，逾亙出，至廄下，將乘馬走，悅麾下周子俊射其臂，墜，問難所起，曰：「懷王也。」 思明曰：「旦日失言，宜有此。 然殺我太早，使我不得至長安。」 大呼懷王三，曰：「囚我可也，無取殺父名！」 復罵曹將軍曰：「胡誤我！」 左右反接縛之，送柳泉傳舍。 悅還報，朝義曰：「驚聖人否？ 損聖人否？」 悅曰：「無有。」 時周贄、許叔冀以後軍屯福昌，季常，叔冀子也，朝義令告之。 贄聞，驚仆地。 賊領兵還，贄等出迎，悅惡其貳，乃殺贄。 次柳泉，悅畏眾不厭，縊殺思明，以氈裹屍，橐它負還東京。 朝義乃即位，建元顯聖。
Chaoyi attacked Shazhou, was beaten at Jiangziban, and fell back to hold Yongning. Siming flew into a rage. He summoned Chaoyi along with Luo Yue, Cai Wenjing, and Xu Jichang, nearly had them executed, then released them with a rebuke: "Chaoyi is too timid to finish what I have begun! He decided to recall Chaoqing to serve at his side. He also ordered Chaoyi to build the Triangular Fort for grain storage and finish it in one day. Siming arrived before the walls were plastered, furious that the deadline had been missed. Chaoyi pleaded, "The men were exhausted and needed a brief rest. Siming snapped, "You spare the men and defy my orders?" He stayed in the saddle until the plastering was done, then rode off, calling back, "Take Shazhou by morning, and by evening I will cut off that rebel's head." Chaoyi was terrified. Siming took quarters at a relay station and ordered his favorite General Cao to beat the night clapper and stand watch. Rebuked and desperate, Luo Yue and the others pressed Chaoyi together: "After that defeat, you and I were as good as dead. Better bring General Cao in and plot the great matter together. Chaoyi did not answer aloud. Yue said, "If you truly cannot bring yourself to it, we will go over to Tang and serve you no longer. Chaoyi agreed and sent Jichang to win General Cao over. General Cao, intimidated by the other officers, did not dare refuse. Siming doted on his jesters, who attended him at every meal and slept near him. They hated him for his cruelty. That night Siming woke with a start, clutched his bed, and cried out. A jester asked what troubled him. Siming said, "I dreamed of a herd of deer crossing water. The deer died and the water ran dry. What does it mean? Soon he went to the privy. The jesters whispered to one another, "The barbarian's luck has run out!" Moments later Yue burst in with soldiers and demanded Siming's whereabouts. Before anyone could answer he killed several men. They pointed to the privy. Siming knew rebellion had come, climbed the wall, reached the stable, and was about to flee on horseback when Yue had Zhou Zijun shoot him in the arm. He fell. Asked who had raised the revolt, they answered, "The Prince of Huai." Siming said, "I brought this on myself with what I said this morning. But you have killed me too soon. I will never reach Chang'an now." He shouted "Prince of Huai!" three times and cried, "Imprison me if you must, but do not bear the name of a patricide!" He cursed General Cao again: "You barbarian — you ruined me!" His attendants bound his arms behind his back and sent him to the relay station at Liuquan. Yue returned to report. Chaoyi asked, "Did you startle the Sage? Was the Sage hurt? Yue answered, "No." Zhou Zhi and Xu Shuji were then encamped with the rear guard at Fuchang. Jichang was Shuji's son. Chaoyi sent word to them. When Zhou Zhi heard the news, he collapsed in shock. The rebel army marched back. Zhou Zhi and the others came out to meet them. Yue despised Zhou Zhi's wavering and killed him. At Liuquan, fearing the troops would not accept leaving Siming alive, Yue strangled him, wrapped the body in felt, and had camels carry it back to the Eastern Capital. Chaoyi then took the throne and adopted the era name Xiansheng.
45
初，思明諸子無嫡庶分，以少者為尊。 朝義，孽長子，寬厚，下多附者。 及難起，陰令向貢、阿史那玉圖朝清。 朝清喜田獵，戕虐似思明，淫酗過之，養帳下三千人，皆剽賊輕死。 貢紿計曰：「聞上欲以王為太子，且車駕在遠，王宜入侍。」 朝清謂然，趣帳下出治裝，貢使高久仁、高如震率壯士入牙城。 朝清問其故，或曰：「軍叛矣。」 乃擐甲登樓，責貢等，士陣樓下，朝清自射殺數人，阿史那玉軍偽北，朝清下，被執，與母辛俱死。 張通儒不知，引兵戰城中，數日不克，亦死。 貢攝軍事，未幾，玉襲殺之，自為長史，治殺朝清罪，乃梟久仁，徇於軍。 如震懼，擁兵拒守。 五日，玉敗走武清，朝義使人招之，至東都，凡胡面者，無長少悉誅。 以李懷仙為幽州節度使，斬如震，幽州乃定。
From the first, Siming made no distinction among his sons by birth rank; the younger was favored. Chaoyi, the eldest son by a concubine, was generous and mild, and many of the men favored him. When the crisis broke, he secretly ordered Xiang Gong and Ashina Yu to move against Chaoqing. Chaoqing loved the hunt. He was as brutal as Siming and even more debauched and drunken. He kept three thousand men in his personal guard, all hardened raiders who thought little of death. Gong tricked him, saying, "I hear the Emperor means to make you crown prince. With the court so far away, you should go in and attend him. Chaoqing believed him and ordered his household to pack at once. Gong sent Gao Jiuren and Gao Ruzhen with picked men into the headquarters compound. Chaoqing asked what was happening. Someone cried, "The army has mutinied! He armored himself, climbed the tower, and denounced Gong and the rest while soldiers massed below. Chaoqing shot several men himself. Ashina Yu's troops feigned a northward retreat. Chaoqing came down, was seized, and was killed together with his mother Lady Xin. Zhang Tongru, unaware of what had happened, fought in the city for days without success and was killed as well. Gong took command of the army. Before long Yu ambushed and killed him, made himself chief administrator, tried him for Chaoqing's murder, and had Jiuren's head displayed before the troops. Ruzhen, terrified, gathered troops and held out in defiance. Five days later Yu was defeated and fled to Wuqing. Chaoyi sent for him. When he reached the Eastern Capital, every man with a non-Han face was killed, young and old alike. Chaoyi appointed Li Huaixian military commissioner of Youzhou, executed Ruzhen, and at last secured Youzhou.
46
朝義虛懷禮下，事皆決大臣，然無經略才。 當此時，洛陽諸郡人相食，城邑榛墟，又諸將皆祿山舊臣，與思明故輩行，恥為朝義屈，召兵輒不至，欲還幽州。
Chaoyi was deferential toward his subordinates and left major decisions to his ministers, but he lacked strategic ability. By then people were eating one another in the prefectures around Luoyang, and towns lay in ruins choked with weeds. The generals were all veterans of Lushan's cause, men of Siming's own generation, and they were ashamed to bow to Chaoyi. When he called for troops they would not come, and many wanted to return to Youzhou.
47
會雍王以河東、朔方、回紇兵十餘萬討賊，仆固懷恩與回紇左殺為先鋒，魚朝恩、郭英乂殿，入自黽池，李抱玉薄河陽，李光弼徑陳留，合兵。 始，代宗召南北軍諸將問所以討賊計，開府儀同三司管崇嗣曰：「我得回紇，無不勝。」 帝曰：「未也。」 右金吾大將軍薛景仙曰：「我若不勝，請以勇士二萬椎鋒死賊。」 帝員：「壯矣！」 右金吾大將軍長孫全緒曰：「賊若背城戰，破之必矣； 若閉城留死，未可取也。 且回紇短於攻城，持久勢且沮。 我若休士張勢以綴賊，使光弼取陳留，抱玉搗河北，先斷其手足，然後縱間賊中，彼脅從者相疑，則滅可待。」 帝曰：「善。」 命潼關、陜戒嚴。 師次洛陽，馳兵下懷州，王師部伍靜嚴，賊有懼色。
Just then the Prince of Yong marched against the rebels with more than one hundred thousand men from Hedong, Shuofang, and the Uyghurs. Pugu Huai'en and the Uyghur leader Zuo Sha led the vanguard; Yu Chao'en and Guo Yingyi brought up the rear. The main force entered through Mianchi while Li Baoyu pressed Heyang and Li Guangbi struck straight for Chenliu, and the armies joined. Earlier, Emperor Daizong had summoned the generals of the northern and southern armies to ask how best to destroy the rebels. Guan Chongsi, Grand General of the Palace with the Honorific Acting Third Rank, declared, "Give me the Uyghurs and I cannot fail. The Emperor said, "Not enough." Xue Jingxian, General of the Right Golden Guard, said, "If that is not enough, give me twenty thousand picked men and I will storm the rebel vanguard to the death." The Emperor exclaimed, "Spirited words!" Zhangsun Quanxu, General of the Right Golden Guard, said, "If the rebels come out and fight with their backs to the wall, we can break them for certain; but if they shut the gates and hold to the death, they will not be easy to take. Besides, the Uyghurs are poor at siege warfare. A long stalemate will only sap their fighting spirit. If we give the army a breathing spell while spreading our strength to pin the rebels down, send Guangbi to take Chenliu and Baoyu to strike Hebei, cut off their arms and legs first, and only then sow discord in their ranks so the men they press-ganged into service turn on one another, their collapse will come in due time. The Emperor said, "Well said." He ordered Tong Pass and Shaan to go on full alert. The army encamped at Luoyang and sent cavalry racing south toward Huai Prefecture. The imperial ranks stood silent and disciplined, and fear showed on the rebels' faces.
48
朝義以師十萬距橫水，戰大敗，俘馘凡六萬，委牛馬器甲不可計。 朝義燒明堂，東奔汴州，偽節度使張獻誠不納，自濮北趣幽州。 東都再更亂，英乂、朝恩等不能戢軍，與回紇縱掠，延及鄭、汝，閭井至無煙。 方冽寒，人皆連紙褫書為裳褕。 賊走至下博，仆固玚追及之，朝義復敗。 河東戍將李竭誠、成德李令崇皆背賊掎角戰。 至漳水，無舟，諸將勸降，朝義不悅。 田承嗣請環車為營，內女子車中，以輜重次之，伏兵以待。 既戰而卻，王師逐之，爭貲寶，賊引奇兵繞出，又伏發，王師卻數十里止。 朝義遂走莫州，玚追圍之。 閱四旬，賊八戰八奔。 明年正月，閱精兵，欲決死。 承嗣謂朝義：「不如身將驍銳還幽州，因懷仙悉兵五萬還戰，聲勢外張，勝可萬全。 臣請堅守，雖玚之強，不遽下。」 朝義然納，以騎五千夜出，比行，握承嗣手，以存亡為托。 承嗣頓首流涕。 將行，復曰：「闔門百口，母老子稚，今付公矣。」 承嗣聽命。 少選，集諸將曰：「吾與公等事燕，下河北百五十餘城，發人冢墓，焚人室廬，掠人玉帛，壯者死鋒刃，弱者填溝壑，公門華胄，為我廝隸，齊姜、宋子，為我掃除。 今天降鑒，吾等安所歸命？ 自古禍福亦不常，能改往修今，是轉危即安矣。 旦日且出降，公等謂何？」 眾咸曰：「善。」 黎明，使人號城上曰：「朝義夜半走矣，胡不追賊？」 玚未信，承嗣將朝義母及妻孺詣玚壘，於是諸軍率輕兵追之。
Chaoyi met them at Hengshui with a hundred thousand men, suffered a crushing defeat, and left sixty thousand dead or captured. Oxen, horses, weapons, and armor littered the field beyond reckoning. Chaoyi burned the Bright Hall and fled east to Bian Prefecture. The puppet military commissioner Zhang Xiancheng refused him entry, so he turned north of Pu and made for Youzhou. The Eastern Capital plunged into chaos once more. Yingyi, Chao'en, and the rest could not control their troops, and together with the Uyghurs they looted at will. The devastation reached Zheng and Ru until not a wisp of cooking smoke rose from lane or well. In the biting cold, people stitched together scraps of paper and tore pages from books to make coats and trousers. The rebels fled to Xiabo, where Pugu Yang caught up with them and Chaoyi suffered another defeat. Li Jiecheng, garrison commander of Hedong, and Li Lingchong of Chengde both broke with the rebels and joined the fight in coordinated pincer attacks. At the Zhang River they found no boats. The generals urged surrender, but Chaoyi would not hear of it. Tian Chengsi proposed forming a wagon laager, placing the women inside the carts and the baggage train behind them, with hidden troops waiting in ambush. They gave ground after the first clash, and the imperial troops pursued, scrambling for loot. The rebels sent elite units around the flank while the ambush struck from cover, and the imperial army fell back several dozen li before stopping. Chaoyi fled on to Mo Prefecture, where Yang pursued and laid siege. Within forty days the rebels had fought eight battles and been routed eight times. In the first month of the new year he reviewed his best troops, ready to stake everything on one final battle. Chengsi told Chaoyi, "You should lead the crack troops back to Youzhou in person, then have Huaixian raise fifty thousand men and return to fight. With your strength shown abroad, victory would be all but certain. Leave me to hold this place. Even with Yang at full strength, he will not reduce it in a hurry. Chaoyi agreed. That night he rode out with five thousand cavalry, and before leaving clasped Chengsi's hand and entrusted him with the fate of them all. Chengsi kowtowed, tears streaming down his face. About to depart, he added, "My whole household of a hundred souls—my aged mother, my little children—I leave them all in your hands. Chengsi pledged himself to the task. Shortly afterward he gathered the generals and said, "You and I have served Yan. We seized more than a hundred and fifty cities in Hebei, opened graves, burned homes, and looted every treasure in sight. The strong fell to the sword and the weak filled the ditches. Great families of noble lineage became our servants, and ladies of Qi and Song our housekeepers. Heaven has passed judgment on us. Where can we now turn? Fortune and disaster have never been fixed since antiquity. If we mend our ways and make amends, we can turn danger into safety. Tomorrow at dawn we shall go out and surrender. What say you? All agreed: "Well said." At dawn he sent a man to shout from the wall, "Chaoyi fled in the night—why not go after the rebels?" Yang did not believe it until Chengsi brought Chaoyi's mother, wife, and children to his camp. Then the armies sent light cavalry in pursuit.
49
朝義至范陽，懷仙部將李抱忠閉壁不受，曰：「頃既受命天子，一年之中，且降且叛，二三孰甚焉！」 朝義告饑，抱忠饋於野。 朝義飯，軍亦飯，飯已，軍子弟稍稍辭去。 朝義流涕罵承嗣曰：「老奴誤我！」 去至梁鄉，拜思明墓，東走廣陽，不受。 謀奔兩蕃，懷仙招之，自漁陽回止幽州，縊死醫巫閭祠下。 懷仙斬其首傳長安，召故將收其屍。 懷仙改服出次哭之，士皆號慟。 及葬，莫知其所。 偽恒州刺史張忠誌、趙州刺史盧俶、定州刺史程元勝、徐州刺史劉如伶、相州節度使薛嵩及懷仙、承嗣等皆舉其地以歸。 思明父子僭號凡四年滅。 朝義死，部送將士妻口百餘於官，有司請隸司農，帝曰：「是皆良家子，脅掠至此。」 命稟食還其親； 無所歸者，官為資遣。 贊贊曰：祿山、思明興夷奴餓俘，假天子恩幸，遂亂天下。 彼能以臣反君，而其子亦能賊殺其父，事之好還，天道固然。 然生民厄會，必假手於人者，故二賊暴興而亟滅。 張謂譏劉裕「近希曹、馬，遠棄桓、文，禍徒及於兩朝，福未盈於三載，八葉傳其世嗣，六君不以壽終，天之報施，其明驗乎！」 杜牧謂：「相工稱隨文帝當為帝者，後篡竊果得之。 周末，楊氏為作八柱國，公侯相襲久矣，一旦以男子偷竊位號，不三二十年，壯老嬰兒皆不得其死。 彼知相法者，當曰此必為楊氏之禍，乃可為善相人。」 張、杜確論，至今多稱誦之。 如祿山、思明，希劉裕、楊堅而不至者，是以著其論。
When Chaoyi reached Fanyang, Huaixian's officer Li Baozhong shut the gates against him and said, "You have only just accepted the Son of Heaven's commission, yet in a single year you have surrendered and rebelled over and over—which betrayal counts for more? Chaoyi pleaded hunger, and Baozhong sent food out to him in the fields. Chaoyi and his men ate, and Baozhong's troops ate with them. When the meal was done, soldiers and camp followers quietly slipped away one by one. Chaoyi wept and cursed Chengsi: "That old wretch has ruined me! He went on to Liangxiang, paid his respects at Siming's tomb, and fled east to Guangyang, where he was refused entry again. He planned flight to the northern tribes, but Huaixian lured him back from Yuyang to Youzhou, where he hanged himself beneath the shrine of the Physician-King Wizard Lord. Huaixian severed his head and sent it to Chang'an, then called on his former officers to recover the body. Huaixian changed into mourning dress, went out to the tent of mourning, and wept over him. The soldiers all broke into wailing grief. When the burial was done, no one knew where the grave lay. Zhang Zhongzhi, the puppet prefect of Hengzhou; Lu Xu of Zhao; Cheng Yuansheng of Ding; Liu Ruling of Xuzhou; Xue Song, military commissioner of Xiangzhou; and Huaixian, Chengsi, and the rest all surrendered their territories to the throne. Father and son Siming had held their usurped titles for four years before they were destroyed. After Chaoyi's death, more than a hundred wives and dependents of rebel officers and soldiers were delivered to the authorities. The responsible officials proposed registering them with the Directorate of Agriculture. The Emperor said, "These are all women of good families, carried off here by force. He ordered that they be given provisions and sent back to their families; those with no home to return to were to be given travel funds by the government. The commentator writes: Lushan and Siming were barbarian slaves and starving captives who, riding the Son of Heaven's favor, set the realm ablaze. They rebelled against their sovereign as subjects, and their sons in turn murdered them as rebels. What goes around comes around—the way of Heaven is plain. Yet when the people suffer catastrophe, Heaven always works through human agents. That is why the two rebels blazed up so fast and burned out just as quickly. Zhang Wei mocked Liu Yu: "He took Cao Cao and Sima Yi as his near models and cast aside Huan Wen and Duke Wen of Jin as his distant ones. Misfortune touched only two dynasties, yet blessing lasted less than three years. Eight generations carried on his line, and six rulers died before their time. Heaven's retribution—could the proof be any clearer? Du Mu wrote: "Physiognomists declared that Emperor Wen of Sui was fated to rule, and by usurpation he indeed won the throne. At the end of Northern Zhou the Yang had been made the Eight Pillar Dukes, and marquisates and duchies had passed from father to son for generations. Yet one man's theft of the throne brought, in less than thirty years, death by unnatural means to young and old alike. A physiognomist worth the name should have said this would bring ruin on the house of Yang." The hard judgments of Zhang and Du are still widely quoted to this day. Lushan and Siming aspired to the stature of Liu Yu and Yang Jian but never came close—hence these arguments are recorded here.
50
◎逆臣中李希烈李希烈，燕州遼西人。 少籍平盧軍，從李忠臣浮海戰河北有勞。 及忠臣在淮西，因署偏裨，試光祿卿，軍中藉藉高其才。 會忠臣荒縱不事，得間眾怒，逐忠臣聽命。 代宗詔忻王為節度副大使，使希烈專留後事，又詔滑亳節度使李勉兼領汴州。 德宗立，加御史大夫，即拜節度使，名其軍曰淮寧以寵之。 梁崇義之反，敕諸道進討，詔進希烈南平郡王、漢南北招討處置使，又拜諸軍都統。 平崇義功多，擁兵欲有其地，會山南節度使李承至，不克，猶大掠而去。 以功檢校尚書右僕射、同中書門下平章事。
◎ Rebellious Ministers, Part 2 ◎ Li Xilie. Li Xilie was a native of Liaoxi in Yan Prefecture. In his youth he enlisted in the Pinglu Army. He followed Li Zhongchen across the sea to fight in Hebei and earned distinction. When Zhongchen held Huai West, he appointed Xilie a junior commander with the acting rank of Director of the Imperial Household. Word of his talent spread through the ranks. Zhongchen had grown dissolute and neglectful of duty. Seizing the moment when the troops were furious, they drove him out and placed themselves under Xilie's command. Emperor Daizong named the Prince of Xin vice military commissioner and left Xilie in charge of day-to-day affairs. He also ordered Li Mian, military commissioner of Hua and Bo, to take Bian Prefecture under his command as well. When Emperor Dezong came to the throne, Xilie was promoted to Censor-in-Chief and immediately confirmed as military commissioner. His army was renamed Huaining—"Pacifying the Huai"—as a mark of imperial favor. When Liang Chongyi rebelled, the throne ordered every circuit to march against him. Xilie was promoted to Prince of Nanping, named commissioner for pacification north and south of the Han, and appointed overall commander of the armies. He did the most to crush Chongyi, then kept his army in the field hoping to seize the territory for himself. Li Cheng, military commissioner of Shannan, arrived before he could succeed, but Xilie looted the region heavily before withdrawing. For his service he was made acting Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and a co-equal of the Three Departments.
51
李納叛，以檢校司空兼淄青節度使討之。 希烈擁眾三萬次許州不進，遣李苣約納為唇齒，陰計取汴州，即檄李勉假道。 勉度所宜，出儲陳留，治梁除道以須。 希烈計得，因謾罵勉，勉嚴備以守。 納遣遊兵導希烈絕汴餉路，勉治蔡渠，引東南饋。 希烈遣使者約河北朱滔、田悅等連和，凶焰熾然。 俄而滔等自相王，遣使者來奉箋，希烈亦自號建興王、天下都元帥，五賊株連半天下。
When Li Na rebelled, Xilie was made acting Grand Preceptor and concurrent military commissioner of Zi and Qing and sent to suppress him. Xilie massed thirty thousand men and camped at Xu Prefecture without advancing. He sent Li Ju to pact with Na as mutual support while secretly plotting to seize Bian Prefecture, and issued Li Mian a requisition for passage through his territory. Mian judged it prudent to open the granaries at Chenliu, repair the bridges, and clear the roads—then wait. Xilie's ruse worked, and he turned to hurling abuse at Mian. Mian tightened his defenses and held firm. Na sent raiding parties to help Xilie cut Bian's supply lines. Mian repaired the Cai Canal and brought in provisions from the southeast. Xilie sent envoys to ally with Zhu Tao, Tian Yue, and the other Hebei rebels. His power and arrogance swelled by the day. Before long Tao and the others each declared themselves kings and sent envoys with formal submissions. Xilie styled himself King of Jianxing and Grand Marshal of All Under Heaven. The five rebels, bound together like the roots of a stump, held half the empire.
52
建中四年正月，詔諸節度以兵掎角攻討，唐漢臣、高秉哲以兵萬人屯汝州。 未至，賊將乘霧進，王師還，賊取汝州，執李元平，兵西首，東都大震，士皆走河陽、崤、澠。 留守鄭叔則壁西苑，賊按兵不進。 帝聽盧杞計，詔太子太師顏真卿諭賊，已行，又遣左龍武大將軍哥舒曜討之。 希烈見真卿，傲桀不臣，敕左右訾侮朝政，即北侵汴州，南略鄂州。 有詔江西節度使嗣曹王臯擊之，拔蘄、黃兩州，擊賊將李良、韓霜露於白巖，二將走。
In the first month of Jianzhong 4, the throne ordered the military commissioners to attack in coordinated pincers. Tang Hanchen and Gao Bingzhe encamped at Ru Prefecture with ten thousand men. Before they could arrive, rebel generals advanced through the fog. The imperial army fell back, the rebels took Ru Prefecture and captured Li Yuanping. With their vanguard turned westward, panic seized the Eastern Capital, and troops fled toward Heyang, Xiao, and Mian. The acting prefect Zheng Shuzhe walled himself up in the Western Park, and the rebels halted their advance. The Emperor took Lu Qi's advice and ordered Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent Yan Zhenqing to reason with the rebels. Yan had already set out when the Emperor also dispatched Geshu Yao, General of the Left Dragon Martial Army, to attack them. When Xilie received Zhenqing, he was haughty and defiant. He ordered his attendants to mock and revile the court, then marched north against Bian Prefecture and south to raid E Prefecture. An edict ordered Li Gao, military commissioner of Jiang West and Prince of Cao, to attack him. Gao recovered Qi and Huang Prefectures and routed the rebel generals Li Liang and Han Shuanglu at Baiyan; both fled.
53
初，希烈自襄陽還，留姚詹戍鄧州，賊又得汝，則武關梗絕。 帝使陜虢觀察使姚明敭治上津道，置館通南方貢貨。 希烈遣董待名、韓霜露、劉敬宗、陳質、翟崇暉分掠州縣，官軍數奔。 曜復取汝州，希烈遣周曾、呂從賁、康琳拒曜，次襄城，與王玢、姚詹、韋清合謀襲希烈，不克，皆死，清奔劉洽。 希烈懼，還蔡州，上疏歸罪曾等。 帝不赦，詔斬希烈者，四品以上得其官，五品以下戶四百，民賜復三年。 遣神策將劉德信將節度、觀察、團練子弟兵屯陽翟並力； 以李勉為淮西招討使，曜副之； 荊南節度使張伯儀為淮西應援招討使，山南節度使賈耽與臯副之。 德信去陽翟，入汝壁，賊取陽翟，覆伯儀軍。 曜戰不利，屯襄城，希列怙其壯，舉眾三萬圍曜。 時帝西狩，師氣不能抗，城遂陷，曜奔東都。 希烈資慘害，臨戰陣殺人，血流於前，而飲食自若也，以故人畏服，為盡死。 乘襄城之捷，進攻汴州，入之，運土木治道，怒不如程，驅人填塹，號「濕梢」。 勉奔宋州。
Earlier, when Xilie returned from Xiangyang he left Yao Zhan to garrison Deng Prefecture. Once the rebels retook Ru, the Wu Pass route was severed. The Emperor had Yao Mingyang, observation commissioner of Shaan and Guo, repair the Shangjin road and set up relay stations so southern tribute could flow through. Xilie sent Dong Daiming, Han Shuanglu, Liu Jingzong, Chen Zhi, and Zhai Chonghui to raid prefectures and counties on separate routes. Imperial troops fled again and again. Yao recovered Ru Prefecture. Xilie sent Zhou Zeng, Lü Congben, and Kang Lin to block him. They encamped at Xiangcheng and joined Wang Bin, Yao Zhan, and Wei Qing in a plot to assassinate Xilie. The plot failed; all were killed, and Qing fled to Liu Qia. Frightened, Xilie withdrew to Cai Prefecture and submitted a memorial blaming Zeng and the others. The Emperor would not forgive him. An edict promised the office of anyone who killed Xilie to men of fourth rank or above, four hundred tax households to men of fifth rank or below, and three years' tax remission to commoners. He dispatched the Shence general Liu Dexin to lead the sons and younger brothers of the military, observation, and training commissioners and encamp at Yangdi to combine forces; Li Mian was made pacification commissioner of Huai West, with Yao as his deputy; Zhang Boyi, military commissioner of Jing South, was made relief pacification commissioner of Huai West, with Jia Dan of Shannan and Gao as his deputies. Dexin left Yangdi and entered the defenses of Ru. The rebels seized Yangdi and destroyed Boyi's army. Yao fought without success and fell back to Xiangcheng. Xilie, trusting in his numbers, mustered thirty thousand men and besieged him. The Emperor had already fled west. The army's morale collapsed, the city fell, and Yao fled to the Eastern Capital. Xilie was cruel by nature. In battle he would slaughter men until blood pooled at his feet, yet eat and drink as if nothing had happened. His men feared him into submission and fought to the death for him. Emboldened by his victory at Xiangcheng, he marched on Bian Prefecture, took it, and pressed gangs of laborers to repair the roads. When the work fell behind schedule he drove captives into the moats to fill them, calling the corpses "wet rafters." Mian retreated to Song Prefecture.
54
希烈已據汴，僭即皇帝位，國號楚，建元武成； 以張鸞子、李綬、李元平為宰相，鄭賁為侍中，孫廣為中書令； 披其地建四節度，以汴州為大梁府治，安州為南關。 染石作璽。 又於上蔡、襄城獲折車釭，奉以為瑞，惑其下。 因窺江淮，盛兵攻襄邑，守將高翼死之。 於是汴滑副都統劉洽，率曲環、李克信軍十餘萬戰白塔，不利，洽引還，卒柏少清攬轡曰：「公小不利遽北，奈何？」 洽不聽，夜入宋州。
Xilie had seized Bian and declared himself emperor. He named his state Chu and his reign era Wucheng; he made Zhang Luanzi, Li Shou, and Li Yuanping chancellors, Zheng Ben chief minister of the Palace Secretariat, and Sun Guang chief secretary; he carved his territory into four military commissions, made Bian the seat of the Daliang Prefecture administration, and designated An Prefecture the southern gateway. He dyed stone to fashion an imperial seal. He also found broken chariot axles at Shangcai and Xiangcheng, proclaimed them auspicious omens, and used them to beguile his followers. He then turned his gaze toward the Jiang and Huai regions, massed troops against Xiangyi, and killed the defending general Gao Yi. Liu Qia, deputy overall commander of Bian and Hua, led the armies of Qu Huan and Li Kexin—more than a hundred thousand strong—to fight at White Tower and was beaten. As Qia pulled back, a soldier named Bai Shaoqing seized his reins and cried, "My lord, one small reverse and you flee north—what will become of us? Qia would not listen and rode into Song Prefecture that night.
55
賊驟勝，徑薄寧陵，舟乘銜踵進，亙七十里。 時洽將高彥昭、劉昌共嬰壘以守，賊使妖人祈風，火戰棚盡，坎堞欲登。 彥昭按劍乘陴，士感奮，風亦反。 昌計於眾曰：「軍法，倍不戰。 賊猥吾寡，不如退以驕賊，自宋出精銳，搗不意，功可成。」 彥昭謝曰：「君少待，請盡力。」 乃登城誓眾曰：「中丞欲示弱，覆而取之，誠善。 然我為守，得失在主人，今士創重者須供養，有如棄城去，則傷者死內，逃者死外，吾眾盡矣！」 士皆泣，且拜曰：「公在是，誰敢去！」 昌大慚。 彥昭擊家牛犒軍，士死戰，斬首三千級。 請援於洽，其屬作書，言城且危，彥昭視曰：「君輕我耶？」 取紙自為書。 洽得書，喜曰：「健將在西，吾何憂？」 選兵八百，夜艾而入，賊不知。 詰旦傅城，士奮出，希烈大敗，取其旆，斬首萬計，追北至襄邑，收賊貲糧而還。 洽表其功，拜彥昭御史大夫，實封百五十戶。
Fresh from victory, the rebels pressed straight to Ningling. Boats and wagons advanced nose to tail in an unbroken column seventy li long. Qia's generals Gao Yanzhao and Liu Chang held the fortress together. The rebels set sorcerers to pray for wind; flames consumed the battle sheds, and they undermined the ramparts to storm the walls. Yanzhao drew his sword and mounted the battlements. The soldiers were roused to fight, and the wind shifted in their favor. Liu Chang laid his plan before the troops: "By the rule of war, you do not fight when the enemy outnumbers you two to one. The rebels outnumber us—better to pull back and bait them into arrogance, then send crack troops from Song to strike where they least expect it. Victory can still be won. Yanzhao demurred: "Wait a moment, my lord—I will do everything I can." Then he mounted the wall and addressed the troops: "The chief commissioner means to feign weakness and lure them into a trap—that is sound strategy. But I am charged with holding this place—the decision rests with me. Many of our wounded need care. If we abandon the city, the wounded die inside its walls and the fugitives outside them—we will lose every man we have left!" The soldiers wept and kowtowed: "With you here, sir, who would dare abandon the city!" Liu Chang was deeply shamed. Yanzhao slaughtered his own ox to reward the troops. They fought to the death and took three thousand heads. He asked Liu Qia for reinforcements. A subordinate drafted a letter saying the city was on the verge of collapse. Yanzhao read it and said, "Do you take me for a weakling? He took the paper and wrote the letter himself. When Qia received the letter he exclaimed with delight, "With such a stalwart in the west, what have I to fear? He picked eight hundred men, slipped in under cover of night, and the rebels never knew they had come. At first light they massed beneath the walls; the soldiers sallied forth in fury. Li Xilie suffered a crushing defeat—they captured his banners and took more than ten thousand heads. They pursued north to Xiangyi, seized the rebels' stores, and marched back. Liu Qia reported his deeds to the throne. Gao Yanzhao was made Censor-in-Chief with a fief of one hundred fifty households.
56
希烈既沮卻，而壽州刺史張建封亦屯固始，其旁。 希烈懼，還汴州，遣崇暉以精兵襲陳，復為洽敗，俘眾三萬，執崇暉，進拔汴州，禽鄭賁、劉敬宗、張伯元、呂子巖、李達干，希烈遁歸蔡。 賊戍將孫液挈鄭州降，帝即拜液為刺史。 貞元二年，遣杜文朝寇襄州，為樊澤所破，獲文朝。 會臯、建封、環及李澄四略其地，勢日蹙，希烈縮氣不敢搖。 啖牛肉而病，親將陳仙奇陰令醫毒之以死。
With Xilie already in retreat, Zhang Jianfeng, prefect of Shou Prefecture, had also encamped at Gushi hard on his flank. Frightened, Xilie withdrew to Bian Prefecture and sent Chonghui with crack troops to raid Chen—but Liu Qia defeated him again, taking thirty thousand prisoners and capturing Chonghui. Qia advanced and recovered Bian Prefecture, seizing Zheng Ben, Liu Jingzong, Zhang Boyuan, Lü Ziyan, and Li Daigan. Xilie fled back to Cai Prefecture. Sun Ye, a rebel garrison commander, surrendered Zheng Prefecture; the Emperor immediately named him prefect. In Zhenyuan 2 he sent Du Wenchao against Xiang Prefecture. Fan Ze routed him and took Wenchao captive. Meanwhile Li Gao, Zhang Jianfeng, Qu Huan, and Li Cheng were harrying his territory from four directions. His position grew tighter by the day, and Xilie dared not stir. He fell ill after eating beef; his trusted general Chen Xianqi secretly arranged for a physician to poison him.
57
始，希烈入汴，聞戶曹參軍竇良女美，強取之。 女顧曰：「慎無戚，我能滅賊」後有寵，與賊秘謀，能轉移之。 嘗稱仙奇忠勇可用，而妻亦竇姓，願如姒胃者，以固其夫，希烈許諾。 乘間往謂仙奇妻曰：「賊雖強，終必敗，云何？」 竇久而寤。 及希烈死，子不發喪，欲悉誅諸將乃自立，未決。 有獻含桃者，竇請分遺仙奇妻，聽之，因蠟帛丸雜果中，出所謀。 仙奇大驚，與薛育率兵噪而入。 子出遍拜曰：「請去帝號，如淄青故事。」 語已，斬之，函希烈並妻子七首獻天子，屍希烈於市。 帝以仙奇忠，即拜淮西節度使，百姓給復二年。 俄為吳少誠所殺，有詔贈太子太保。 竇亦死。 朱泚朱泚，幽州昌平人。 父懷珪，事安、史二賊，偽置柳城使。
Early on, when Xilie entered Bian, he heard that Dou Liang's daughter, whose father served as a household administration aide, was beautiful—and seized her by force. The girl said calmly, "Do not grieve—I can bring down this rebel." She later won his favor and conspired with him in secret, learning to influence his decisions. She praised Chen Xianqi as loyal and brave and worth cultivating. Xianqi's wife was also surnamed Dou, and the Lady wished to treat her as a sister-in-law to bind her husband's loyalty. Xilie agreed. Seizing a private moment she told Xianqi's wife, "The rebels may be strong, but they are doomed in the end—don't you think so? Lady Dou took some time, but at last she understood. When Xilie died his son withheld the news of his death, planning to slaughter the generals before seizing power himself—but he could not make up his mind. When someone presented honey peaches, Lady Dou asked to share them with Xianqi's wife. Permission granted, she concealed a wax-sealed silk pellet among the fruit bearing word of their plot. Chen Xianqi was stunned. He and Xue Yu led troops storming inside with a great clamor. The son came out bowing to everyone: "I renounce the imperial title, as was done in Zi and Qing. Before he could finish they killed him, boxed the seven heads of Xilie and his wife and children for presentation to the Emperor, and left Xilie's corpse in the marketplace. The Emperor, deeming Xianqi loyal, immediately made him military commissioner of Huai West and granted the people two years' tax remission. Soon afterward Wu Shaoqing murdered him; the throne posthumously ennobled him as Grand Preceptor of the Heir Apparent. Lady Dou died as well. Zhu Ci. Zhu Ci was a native of Changping in You Prefecture. His father Huai Gui had served the rebel regimes of An and Shi and held the puppet title of envoy of Liucheng.
58
泚資壯偉，腰腹十圍，外寬和，中實很刻。 少推父蔭，籍軍中，與弟滔並為李懷仙部將。 輕財好施，凡戰所得，必分麾下士，以動其心，陰儲凶德。 朱希彩為節度使，頗委信之。
Zhu Ci was a man of imposing build, with a waist ten arm-spans round. Outwardly mild, he was inwardly ruthless and hard. In youth he entered the army on his father's connections. He and his younger brother Zhu Tao both served as officers under Li Huaixian. He spent freely and gave generously, always sharing battle spoils with the men under his command to win their hearts—all while quietly building a reservoir of violent loyalty. When Zhu Xicai became military commissioner he placed great trust in Ci.
59
大曆七年，希彩為下所殺，眾未有屬，泚方外屯，而滔主牙兵，尤狡譎，乃潛諗數十人大呼軍門曰：「帥非朱公莫可！」 眾愕眙，因共詣泚，推知留後，遣使至京師聽命。 有詔檢校左散騎常侍，即拜盧龍節度留後。 俄遷節度使，封懷寧郡王，實封戶二百。 泚上書謝，遣滔將兵西防秋。 代宗悅，手詔褒美。
In Dali 7 subordinates murdered Xicai, leaving the army without a leader. Ci was encamped outside while Tao commanded the palace guard—craftier than ever. Tao secretly prompted several dozen men to shout at the army gate, "Only Master Zhu will do as commander! The troops stared in astonishment, then went as one to Ci and made him acting military commissioner, dispatching an envoy to the capital for confirmation. An edict named him acting Left Regular Attendant and immediately confirmed him as acting military commissioner of Lulong. He was soon confirmed as full military commissioner, enfeoffed as Prince of Huaining, with a fief of two hundred households. Ci submitted a memorial of gratitude and sent Tao west with troops to guard the frontier against autumn raids. Emperor Daizong was delighted and sent a personal edict of praise.
60
居三年，求入朝。 自幽州首為逆，懷仙以來，雖外臣順，然不朝謁，而泚倡諸鎮，以騎三千身入衛，有詔起第以待。 既行，屬疾，或勸還，泚曰：「輿吾屍，猶至京師。」 將吏乃不敢言。 時四方無事，天子觭日視朝。 泚以偶日至，見內殿，賜乘輿馬二、戰馬十、金彩甚厚，士校皆有賜，宴賫隆渥。 泚之來，滔攝後務，稍稍翦落泚牙角。 泚自知失權，為滔所賣，不得志，乃請留京師。 帝因授滔節度留後，乃分防秋兵，使各有統：河陽、永平兵，郭子儀主之； 決勝、楊猷兵，李抱玉主之； 淮西、鳳翔兵，馬璘主之； 汴宋、淄青兵，泚主之。 進同中書門下平章事，出屯奉天，賜禁中兵以為寵。 遷檢校司空，代李抱玉為隴右節度副大使，仍知河西、澤潞行營兵馬事。 明年，徙王遂寧。 德宗立，改鎮鳳翔，進封戶三百。
After three years he petitioned to attend court in person. Youzhou had been first among the rebellious circuits. Since Huaixian's day the frontier commissioners had bowed to the throne in name only, never appearing at court. Ci led the way among them, riding into the capital in person at the head of three thousand cavalry. The throne ordered a mansion built in readiness. He fell ill on the road; some urged him to turn back. Ci said, "Even if you carry my corpse in a litter, I will still reach the capital. His officers and staff dared not say another word. The realm was at peace on every side, and the Emperor held audience on alternate days. Ci arrived on an alternate audience day and was received in the inner hall. He was given two imperial carriage horses, ten war horses, and a lavish gift of gold and silk. Every officer and soldier in his escort received a grant, and the feasting and rewards were sumptuous. While Ci was at court Tao took over affairs back home and gradually stripped away Ci's core supporters. Ci saw that he had lost his grip on power and been betrayed by Tao. Frustrated, he asked to remain in the capital. The Emperor therefore confirmed Tao as acting military commissioner and divided the autumn defense troops among separate commanders: the Heyang and Yongping troops under Guo Ziyi; the Decisive Victory and Yang You columns under Li Baoyu; the Huai West and Fengxiang forces under Ma Lin; the Bian-Song and Zi-Qing armies under Ci. He was promoted to co-equal of the Three Departments, encamped at Fengtian, and given imperial guard troops as a mark of imperial favor. He was made acting Grand Preceptor, replacing Li Baoyu as deputy military commissioner of Long West, with continuing command over the He West and Ze-Lu field armies. The next year his princely title was changed from Huaining to Suining. When Emperor Dezong came to the throne, Ci was reassigned to Fengxiang and his fief increased by three hundred households.
61
建中初，以李懷光代段秀實兼節度涇原，徙屯原州。 懷光前督作，泚與崔寧領兵繼進。 涇士素聞懷光暴，相恟懼，劉文喜因劫眾以亂，請留秀實，又求屬泚。 詔泚代懷光。 文喜合兵二萬乘城，使裨將劉海賓入陳事。 海賓請：「假文喜節，臣當斬其首。」 帝曰：「爾誠忠，然我節不可得。」 遣還，詔泚、懷光攻之，帝為減太官脯醢給軍。 文喜猶閉壁求救於吐蕃。 吐蕃師興，泚、懷光欲避之，別將韓游瓌曰：「戎若來，涇人必變，誰肯為反賊沒身於虜者，少須之。」 俄吐蕃遊騎外高招涇人，眾曰：「始吾屬為文喜求節度，天子致討則歸罪，安能以赭衊面為異俗乎！」 海賓果與其徒殺文喜，入泚軍，泚一無所戮，由是涇人德之。 詔加中書令，還屯，進拜太尉。
At the start of the Jianzhong era Li Huai'guang replaced Duan Xiushi as military commissioner of Jingyuan and moved his encampment to Yuan Prefecture. Huai'guang went ahead to oversee construction; Ci and Cui Ning led troops forward in support. The Jingyuan soldiers had long known Huai'guang's cruelty and were terrified. Liu Wenxi seized the moment to incite a mutiny, demanding that Xiushi stay and asking to be transferred to Ci's command. An edict ordered Ci to replace Huai'guang. Wenxi massed twenty thousand men and held the city, sending his deputy Liu Haibin to present their demands. Haibin proposed, "Give me Wenxi's commission for the moment—I will cut off his head myself. The Emperor said, "Your loyalty is real, but I cannot give you the commission." He sent Haibin back and ordered Ci and Huai'guang to attack. The Emperor cut back the imperial pantry's stores of cured meats to provision the troops. Wenxi still held the walls and appealed to Tibet for help. Tibetan forces marched; Ci and Huai'guang wanted to pull back. Han Yougui said, "If the Tibetans arrive the Jing troops will turn on us—who would die for a rebel among the barbarians? Wait a moment. Soon Tibetan scouts on the heights called out to the Jing troops. The men cried, "We asked for a commissioner for Wenxi—the Son of Heaven came to punish us and we would bear the blame. How can we redden our faces with ochre paint and become barbarians!" Haibin and his men killed Wenxi as promised and joined Ci's army. Ci put no one to death, and from that day the Jing troops were devoted to him. An edict made him Grand Councilor. He returned to his encampment and was promoted to Grand Preceptor.
62
滔合田悅叛，陰遣人與泚相聞，河東馬燧獲其書，帝召泚示之，泚惶懼請死。 帝勉曰：「千里不同謀，卿何謝？」 更以張鎰節度鳳翔，還泚京師，加實封千戶，不朝請，中人監第。
Tao allied with Tian Yue in rebellion and secretly sent a message to Ci. Ma Sui of Hedong seized the letter; the Emperor summoned Ci and showed it to him. Terrified, Ci pleaded for death. The Emperor reassured him: "A thousand li apart, how could you have conspired? Why apologize? Zhang Yi replaced him as military commissioner of Fengxiang and Ci was returned to the capital. His fief grew by one thousand households, he was excused from court attendance, and eunuchs were posted to watch his residence.
63
李希烈圍哥舒曜於襄城，詔涇原節度使姚令言督鎮兵五千東救曜，過闕下，師次浐水，京兆尹王翃使吏供軍，糲飯菜肴，眾怒不肯食，群噪曰：「吾等棄父母妻子前死敵，而乃食此，庸能持身蹈白刃耶？ 今瓊林、大盈庫寶訾如山，尚何往？」 乃盡甲反旗而鼓。 帝聞，命中人持賜往，人二縑。 士愈悖，射中人，中人返走。 時令言尚論兵禁中，既上變，乃馳至長樂阪，遇兵還，引滿向令言。 令言大呼曰：「引而東，富貴可取，何失計為滅族事？」 眾劫令言以西行。 帝復遣使者開諭，賊已陣通化門，殺使者。 帝遣普王與學士姜公輔載金彩慰撫。 賊薄丹鳳門，詔集六軍，無至者。 先是，關東、河北戰不利，禁兵悉東，衛士內空，而神策軍使白誌貞籍市人隸兵，聽其居肆，私取庸自入，故遽迫皆不至。
Li Xilie was besieging Geshu Yao at Xiangcheng when an edict ordered Yao Lingyan, military commissioner of Jingyuan, to lead five thousand garrison troops east to his relief. Passing below the palace gates they encamped at Chan River. Wang Hong, prefect of the capital district, sent provisions of coarse rice and plain vegetables. The troops erupted in fury and refused to eat, shouting, "We left parents, wives, and children to die fighting the enemy—and this is what you feed us? How can we throw ourselves against naked blades on rations like these? The Qionglin and Daying treasuries hold riches piled like hills—where else should we go? They armed at once, turned their banners about, and beat the drums of mutiny. Hearing of it, the Emperor ordered eunuchs to deliver gifts—two bolts of silk per soldier. The troops only grew bolder, shot at the eunuchs, and drove them fleeing back. Yao Lingyan was still briefing the Emperor on military affairs in the palace when the alarm came. He galloped to Wangle Plateau, met the returning troops, and drew a full bow on Lingyan. Lingyan shouted, "Turn east and riches await you—why choose the blunder that will destroy your whole families? The troops seized Lingyan and marched west. The Emperor sent envoys again to plead with them, but the rebels had already formed up at Tonghua Gate and killed the envoys. The Emperor sent the Prince of Pu and the academician Jiang Gongfu with gold and silk to placate them. The rebels massed before Danfeng Gate. An edict summoned the Six Armies, but not a man answered. Earlier, with the wars in Guandong and Hebei going badly, the palace guards had all marched east and the inner defenses were hollow. Bai Zhiben, commander of the Shence Army, had enrolled townspeople as soldiers, letting them keep their shops while pocketing their pay. When crisis struck, none of them showed up.
64
帝出苑北門，羽衛才數十，普王前導，皇太子、王韋二妃、唐安公主及中人百餘騎以從，右龍武軍使令狐建以數百人殿。 夜至咸陽，飯數匕而去。 賊已嚴何諸門，士人羸衣冒出，廬杞、關播、李竦皆逾垣走，與劉從一、趙贊、王翃、陸贄、吳通微等追及帝咸陽。 郭曙與童奴數十獵苑中，聞蹕，謁道左，帝勞之，懇乞從，許之。 遲曉至奉天，吏惶懼謁於門。 渾瑊以數十騎自夾城入北內，裒兵欲擊賊，聞乘輿出，遂奔奉天。 於是人未知帝所在，逾三日，諸王群臣稍稍自間道至。
The Emperor fled through the northern gate of the imperial park. His guard numbered only a few dozen. The Prince of Pu rode ahead, followed by the Crown Prince, the Wang and Wei consorts, Princess Tang'an, and more than a hundred eunuchs. Linghu Jian of the Right Dragon Martial Army brought up the rear with a few hundred men. They reached Xianyang by night, ate a few mouthfuls, and pressed on. The rebels had locked down every gate. Commoners in ragged clothes slipped through the gaps. Lu Qi, Guan Bo, and Li Song climbed over walls and fled, joining Liu Congyi, Zhao Zan, Wang Hong, Lu Zhi, Wu Tongwei, and others in catching up with the Emperor at Xianyang. Guo Shu and a few dozen young attendants were hunting in the park. Hearing the imperial procession they bowed at the roadside. The Emperor comforted them; they begged desperately to follow, and he agreed. At dawn they finally reached Fengtian, where trembling officials came out to greet them at the gate. Hun Jian entered the northern palace through a side gate with several dozen cavalry, mustered troops to attack the rebels, heard that the Emperor had fled, and galloped after him to Fengtian. No one yet knew where the Emperor was. After three days princes and officials began trickling in by back routes.
65
初，令言陣五門，衛兵不出，遂突入含元殿，周呼曰：「天子出矣，今日共可取富貴！」 噪而進，掠宜春苑，入諸宮。 奸人因亂竊入內府盜貲寶，終夜不絕。 道路更剽掠，居人嚴兵自保。 賊無屬，畏不能久，以泚昔在涇有恩，且失權久，庸思亂，乃相謀曰：「太尉方囚錮，若迎之，事可濟。」 令言率百餘騎見泚，泚偽讓不答，留使者飲，以觀眾心。 夜數百騎復往，泚知不偽，乃擁徒向闕下，炬火竟街，觀者以萬計。 舍前殿，總六軍。 明日下令曰：「國家有事東方，涇人赴難，不習朝章，驚乘輿，百官三日並赴行在，留者守本司，違令誅。」 逆徒居白華殿。 或說泚迎天子，泚顧望愕然。 光祿卿源休至，請間，教以不臣，詭稱符命，泚悅。 張光晟、李忠臣皆新失職怨望，亦勸成之。 鳳翔大將張廷芝、涇將段誠諫引潰兵三千自襄城來，泚自謂得人助，逆誌堅決。 因署休京兆尹、判度支，忠臣皇城使。 又以段秀實失軍，疑有怨，起之，委以謀。 秀實與劉海賓憤，發挺擊賊，忠臣護泚，才破面，得不死。
At first Lingyan massed his troops before the Five Gates. The guards would not come out, so the mutineers stormed the Hall of Elemental Origins shouting, "The Son of Heaven has fled! Today we take our share of riches! With a great roar they pressed forward, looted Yichun Park, and overran the palaces. Rogues exploited the chaos to break into the inner treasury and loot its riches all through the night without pause. On the roads pillagers robbed without letup; townspeople armed themselves and barred their doors. The rebels had no leader and feared they could not last. Ci had once earned the Jing troops' gratitude and had long been powerless—they assumed he would welcome chaos. They plotted: "The Grand Preceptor sits in confinement. Bring him in and we can pull this off. Lingyan rode with a hundred-odd cavalry to see Ci. Ci pretended to demur and would not answer, keeping the envoys to drink while he gauged the mood of the army. That night several hundred horsemen came again. Ci knew they meant it. He mustered his followers toward the palace gates, torches blazing the length of every street, while crowds in the tens of thousands looked on. He lodged in the front hall and assumed command of the Six Armies. The next day he issued orders: "The realm faces trouble in the east. The Jing troops marched to its aid—untrained in court protocol, they frightened the Son of Heaven. All officials must reach the temporary capital within three days; those who stay behind shall hold their posts. Disobey and die. The rebel troops took up residence in the Baihua Hall. Some suggested that Ci welcome the Emperor back. Ci glanced about, dumbfounded. Yuan Xiu, Director of Imperial Banquets, came and asked for a private word. He coached Ci in treason, inventing portents of heaven's favor. Ci was delighted. Zhang Guangcheng and Li Zhongchen had both just lost their posts and nursed grievances—they too pressed him to seize power. Zhang Tingzhi, a great general of Fengxiang, and Duan Chengjian, a Jing commander, arrived from Xiangcheng with three thousand scattered survivors. Ci believed he had gained strong support, and his rebel resolve hardened. He made Xiu prefect of the capital district and commissioner of the treasury, and Zhongchen commander of the imperial city guard. Xiushi had lost his command, and Ci, suspecting resentment, recalled him and entrusted him with planning. Xiushi and Liu Haibin, furious, grabbed clubs and struck at the rebels. Zhongchen shielded Ci. Xiushi was wounded in the face but survived.
66
明日，大陳旗章金石於廷，傳言立宗室王監國，士庶競往觀，泚僭即皇帝位於宣政殿，號大秦，建元應天。 侍衛皆卒伍，諸臣在位者才十餘，逼太常卿樊系為冊，冊成，仰藥死。 泚下詔稱「幽囚之中，神器自至」，以示受命。 即拜令言侍中、關內副元帥，忠臣司空兼侍中，休中書侍郎，蔣鎮門下侍郎，並同中書門下平章事。 以蔣諫為御史中丞，敬釭御史大夫，許季常京兆尹，洪經綸太常少卿，彭偃中書舍人，裴揆、崔幼真給事中，廷芝、光晟、誠諫、崔宣、張寶、何望之、杜如江等並偽署節度使。 以兄子遂為太子，以滔為冀王、太尉、尚書令，號皇太弟。
The next day banners, seals, bells, and drums filled the courtyard. Rumor spread that a prince of the imperial house would be made regent, and officials and commoners crowded in to watch. Ci seized the throne in the Xuanzheng Hall, styled his state Great Qin, and declared the era name Respond to Heaven. The guards were raw recruits; barely a dozen ministers stood in attendance. Fan Xi, Director of Imperial Sacrifices, was forced to draft the accession proclamation. When it was done he took poison and died. Ci issued an edict proclaiming, "While I languished in confinement, the imperial mandate came to me of its own accord," to show that heaven had chosen him. At once he made Lingyan Palace Attendant and deputy commander-in-chief of Guannei; Zhongchen Grand Preceptor and Palace Attendant; Xiu Vice Director of the Secretariat; Jiang Zhen Vice Director of the Chancellery—all co-equals of the Three Departments. He named Jiang Jian Vice Censor-in-Chief, Jing Gang Censor-in-Chief, Xu Jichang prefect of the capital district, Hong Jinglun Vice Director of Imperial Sacrifices, Peng Yan Drafting Secretary, Pei Kui and Cui Youzhen Supervising Secretaries, and Tingzhi, Guangcheng, Chengjian, Cui Xuan, Zhang Bao, He Wangzhi, Du Rujiang, and others to puppet posts as military commissioners. He made his nephew Su crown prince and Tao Prince of Ji, Grand Preceptor, and Director of the Department of State Affairs, styled Imperial Younger Brother.
67
帝使高重傑屯梁山禦賊，賊將李日月殺之，帝拊屍哭盡哀，結蒲為首以葬。 泚得首，亦集群賊哭曰：「忠臣也！」 亦用三品葬焉。 泚既勝，則令都人曰：「奉天殘黨不終日當平。」 日月銳甚，自謂無前，乃燒陵廟，鹵御物，帝患之。 渾瑊伏兵漠谷，引數十騎跳攻長安，泚大驚，踣榻前。 瑊引卻，日月尾追，遇伏鬥，射日月殺之。 泚悵恨。 其母不哭，罵曰：「奚奴，天子負而何事？ 死且晚！」
The Emperor posted Gao Chongjie at Liangshan to block the rebels. The rebel general Li Riyue killed him. The Emperor beat the body and wept without restraint, binding rushes into a head so he could bury him. When Ci received the head, he too gathered his rebel officers and wept: "A loyal man! He buried it with third-rank honors as well. Flush with victory, Ci told the people of the capital, "The holdouts at Fengtian will not last out the day. Li Riyue fought with savage confidence, believing none could stand before him. They burned the imperial tombs and plundered the palace stores, to the Emperor's grief. Hun Jian lay in ambush at Mogu Valley and led several dozen horsemen in a lightning strike on Chang'an. Ci was terrified and pitched forward off his couch. Jian pulled back. Riyue gave chase, ran into the ambush, and was shot dead. Ci brooded in bitter regret. His mother did not mourn. She cursed him: "Worthless slave—the Son of Heaven was good to you, and for what? You deserve to die—and not soon enough!"
68
泚自將逼奉天，竊乘輿物自侈。 以令言為上將，光晟副之，忠臣留守，以蔣鍊、李子平為宰相。 於是瑊率韓游瓌禦泚，泚大敗，死者萬計，退三里而舍。 修攻具，毀廬室為樓車百尺，下覘城中。 會杜希全以兵敗漠谷，賊益張。 又劉德信、高秉哲自汝州取沙苑馬五百壁昭應，戰思子陵西，三敗賊，次東渭橋，出遊弈軍以逼都城。 忠臣兵數衄請救，泚乃急攻城，驅民填塹，造雲梁，令壯士居上，將傅堞，守者震駭。 渾瑊乃使侯仲莊、韓澄穴地道，梁陷，縱火焚之，城上揮膏流數百步，眾亂而囂，城中兵出，皇太子督戰，賊大敗。 然賊負其眾，遂長圍，以百弮弩射城中，不及幄坐者三步。 城益急，帝召群臣曰：「朕負宗廟，宜固守。 公等家在賊，可先降，以完親族。」 眾泣下曰：「臣等死無貳。」 帝亦太息噓欷。 城圍凡三旬有六日，而李懷光以兵五萬至，敗賊於魯店，遂戰城下，自辰止昏，賊潰。 帝下觀戰，傳詔曰：「賊眾亦朕赤子，勿多殺！」 聞者感激。 是夜，泚引去。 初，帝至奉天，或言賊已立泚，必來攻，請治守具。 宰相廬杞曰：「泚，大臣，奈何疑其反？」 及泚圍城，帝卒不詰其言。
Ci led the advance on Fengtian in person, secretly decking himself out in imperial carriage finery. He made Lingyan supreme commander with Guangcheng as deputy, left Zhongchen to hold the capital, and appointed Jiang Lian and Li Ziping chief ministers. Jian and Han Yougui met Ci in battle. Ci suffered a crushing defeat—dead numbered in the tens of thousands—and fell back three li before making camp. They built siege engines, demolished houses to raise siege towers a hundred feet tall, and peered down into the city. Du Xiquan's army was routed at Mogu Valley, and rebel confidence soared. Liu Dexin and Gao Bingzhe drove five hundred horses from Shaya, fortified at Zhaoying, thrice defeated the rebels west of Siziling, then halted at the East Wei Bridge and sent raiding columns to threaten the capital. Zhongchen's forces took blow after blow and cried for help. Ci redoubled the assault, forcing civilians to fill the moat and building cloud-ladders manned by picked warriors ready to scale the walls. The defenders quaked. Jian had Hou Zhongzhuang and Han Cheng tunnel under the ladders. The structures collapsed. Fire consumed them; boiling grease poured from the walls in streams hundreds of paces long. The rebel ranks broke in uproar. Defenders sallied forth, the Crown Prince directed the fight, and the rebels were routed. Still trusting their numbers, the rebels settled into a long encirclement, raining bolts from hundred-bow crossbows that landed within three paces of the Emperor's tent. The siege tightened. The Emperor called his ministers and said, "I have failed the ancestral temples. We must hold. Your families are in rebel hands. Surrender first if you must, and save your kin. They wept and answered, "We will die without wavering." The Emperor sighed and wept with them. The siege lasted thirty-six days. Then Li Huai'guang arrived with fifty thousand men, routed the rebels at Ludian, and fought beneath the walls from dawn to dusk until the rebels collapsed. The Emperor came down to watch and proclaimed, "The rebel ranks are my people too—spare them! All who heard were moved. That night Ci pulled away. When the Emperor first reached Fengtian, some warned that the rebels had enthroned Ci and would attack, and urged defensive preparations. Chief Minister Lu Qi said, "Ci is a senior minister—why suspect him of treason? When Ci besieged the city, the Emperor never reproached Qi for what he had said.
69
泚之歸，令言方治攻具，忠臣坊坊團結，人皆厭苦。 泚悉止之曰：「攻守我自辦。」 賊嘗令士馳入曰：「奉天陷矣！」 百姓相顧泣，市無留人，臺省吏落落，郎官一二而已。
After Ci returned, Lingyan was still building siege engines while Zhongchen organized ward militias block by block. The people were exhausted and bitter. Ci put a stop to all of it: "I will manage attack and defense myself. Rebel riders galloped through the streets crying, "Fengtian has fallen!" People stared at one another and wept. The markets emptied. The central administration offices stood nearly deserted—one or two court gentlemen at most.
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李懷光壁九子澤，李晟自白馬津來，營東渭橋，尚可孤以襄、鄧兵五千次藍田，駱元光守昭應，馬燧使子匯以兵三千屯中渭橋。
Li Huai'guang fortified at Jiuzi Marsh. Li Sheng came from the White Horse Ford and encamped at the East Wei Bridge. Shang Ke'gu brought five thousand Xiang and Deng troops to Lantian. Luo Yuanguang held Zhaoying. Ma Sui posted his son Hui with three thousand men at the Central Wei Bridge.
71
始，奉天圍久，食且盡，以蘆秣帝馬，太官糲米止二斛。 圍解，父老爭上壺餐餅餌，劍南節度使張延賞獻帛數十馱，諸方貢物踵來，因大賜軍中，詔殿中侍御史万俟著治金、商道，權通轉輸。 群臣家在城者，賊猶給俸，中人朱重曜為賊謀曰：「執其家以招士大夫，不來者夷之。」 孫知古謬曰：「陛下以柔服人，若夷其妻子，是絕向化意。 且義士殺身，何顧於家？」 乃止。
At first the siege at Fengtian had worn on until food ran low. Imperial horses ate reed stalks; the imperial kitchen had only two hu of coarse rice left. When the siege lifted, elders rushed forward with pots of gruel and cakes. Zhang Yanshang, military commissioner of Jiannan, sent dozens of packloads of silk. Tribute poured in from every quarter. The army was richly rewarded. An edict put Palace Attendant Moqi Zhu in charge of the Jin and Shang routes to oversee supply. Ministers whose families remained in the city still received rebel stipends. The eunuch Zhu Chongyao counseled the rebels: "Seize their families to summon the officials. Exterminate those who refuse. Sun Zhigu objected: "Your Majesty wins men through kindness. Slaughter their wives and children and you destroy any will to submit. Besides, men of honor die for principle. What do they care for their families?" So the plan was dropped.
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興元元年，泚以本封遂寧，漢地也，更號漢，改元天皇。 或曰：「王師欲潛壞京城四隅垣以入。」 泚懼，詔金吾布士於衢，吏儲五炬以防夜，城隅率百步建一樓，候望非常。 凡祠房廟廬皆帷甲，戒曰：「軍來則四面擊。」 太倉糧竭，賊督吏索觀寺餘米萬斛，鞭撲流離，士浸饑，而神策六軍從行在及哥舒曜、李晟兵皆家稟不絕，或請停給，泚曰：「士在外，而弱稚絕食則死，豈吾心哉！」 即厚斂居人。 許季常曰：「一旦有急，請籍中人公侯三千族之。 貲足矣。」 或謂泚：「陛下既受命，而存唐九廟諸陵，不宜。」 泚曰：「朕嘗北面事唐，胡忍此！」 又曰：「官多缺，請擇才授之，脅以兵，使不得辭。」 泚曰：「強授則人懼，但欲仕者與之，安能叩戶拜官邪？」 奉天所下赦令，凡受賊偽官者，破賊日悉貸不問，官軍密榜諸道。
In Xingyuan 1, because Ci's original fief was Suining—a Han land—he renamed his state Han and his era Heavenly Sovereign. Rumor held that the imperial army meant to secretly breach the city walls at the four corners. Alarmed, Ci ordered the Gold Guard to patrol the streets, officials to stock five torches against night attacks, and watchtowers every hundred paces along the walls to watch for trouble. Shrines, temples, and lodges were hung with armor under orders: "When the army comes, strike from every side. The state granary ran dry. Rebels forced officials to seize ten thousand hu of leftover grain from monasteries, beating refugees as they went. Soldiers went hungry, yet the Shence Six Armies at the temporary court and the troops of Geshu Yao and Li Sheng still received family rations without interruption. Some urged cutting them off. Ci said, "Men fight abroad while their wives and children starve—is that what I want?" Instead he taxed the residents heavily. Xu Jichang said, "When crisis comes, register the three thousand clans of eunuchs and nobles. Their assets will be enough. Some told Ci, "You have received heaven's mandate, yet the Tang ancestral temples and tombs still stand. That will not do." Ci said, "I once served Tang in person—how could I endure that!" Others said, "Many posts stand empty. Choose talent, appoint them at sword-point, and they cannot refuse." Ci said, "Force breeds fear. Give office only to those who want it—who goes door to door pressing rank on people?" Amnesty edicts from Fengtian promised that all who had taken rebel posts would be pardoned without question on the day of victory. The imperial army posted them secretly in every circuit.
73
泚方宿未央，涇原士相與謀殺泚，泚知之，輒徙它處，眾謀亦止。
Ci was lodging at Weiyang when Jingyuan soldiers plotted to kill him. Whenever he learned of it he moved elsewhere, and each plot fizzled.
74
光晟與懷光對壁，李希倩請以精騎五百犯之，光晟不許，曰：「西軍方強，不可輕以取敗。」 日暮，兩軍退。 希倩謁泚曰：「光晟有他誌，視西軍不戰，臣請擊之。」 不許。 請斬光晟，又不許，曰：「彼善將，所以不戰，蓋知未可乎！」 希倩怒曰：「臣盡心以事君，不見信，願乞要領歸淮西。」 泚許諾，以馬十匹、繒錦百，曰：「以此東歸。」 希倩慚，復入曰：「臣愚褊，罪當死，願死軍前。」 泚又許之。 光晟見泚曰：「臣不敢反。」 因再拜，泚慰勉之。
Zhang Guangcheng faced Huai'guang across the lines. Li Xiqian asked to lead five hundred elite horsemen against him. Guangcheng refused: "The western army is strong. Do not invite defeat lightly. At dusk both armies pulled back. Xiqian went to Ci and said, "Guangcheng has other designs. Seeing the western army hold back, let me attack them. Ci refused. He asked to behead Guangcheng. Again Ci refused: "He is a capable commander. That is why he holds back—surely he knows victory is not yet at hand! Xiqian flared up: "I serve Your Majesty with all my heart and am not trusted. Grant me my head and let me return to Huai West." Ci agreed, gave him ten horses and a hundred lengths of silk and brocade, and said, "Take these and go east." Ashamed, Xiqian came back and said, "I am foolish and petty, deserving death. Let me die before the army." Ci agreed again. Guangcheng came to Ci and said, "I would never rebel. He bowed twice. Ci comforted and encouraged him.
75
官軍壞龍首、香積二堨，以決其流，城中水絕，泚役數百人治之。 東出灞水，與王師戰，大奔還，闔都門，士皆甲以待，久乃罷。 李子平請修攻具襲懷光，取苑中六街大木為沖車，程役苦甚，人不堪。 又禁居人夜行，三人以上不得聚飲食，上下惴恐。 賊所用唯盧龍、神策、團練兵，而涇原軍驕不可制，但完守所獲，不出戰，故泚數北，憂甚，欲出走。 術家爭曰：「陛下當不出宮，雖西軍入，且自有變。」 泚據以自安。
The imperial army breached the Longshou and Xiangji embankments and cut the water flow. The city went dry. Ci pressed several hundred men into repairs. He marched east beyond Ba River to fight the imperial army, was routed, fled back, shut the city gates, and the soldiers stood in armor for hours before standing down. Li Ziping proposed building siege engines to strike Huai'guang, taking the great timbers of the six main streets in the imperial park for battering rams. The labor was brutal; people could not bear it. Residents were forbidden to travel at night. Groups of three or more could not gather to eat or drink. High and low alike lived in fear. The rebels could rely only on Lulong, Shence, and militia troops. The Jingyuan army was proud and uncontrollable—they held their gains and refused to fight. Ci lost battle after battle in the north, grew desperate, and wanted to flee. Diviners all said, "Your Majesty should not leave the palace. Even if the western army enters, fortune will turn of its own accord. Ci took comfort in that.
76
會李懷光貳於帝不欲泚平，按軍觀望。 帝欲幸咸陽，趣諸將捕賊，懷光出醜言，乃詔戴休顏守奉天，尚可孤守灞上，駱元光守渭橋。 進狩梁州，次渭陽，太息曰：「朕是行，將有永嘉事乎？」 渾瑊曰：「臨大難無畏者，聖人勇也。 陛下何言之過？」 懷光遂與泚連和。 京師知帝益西，二叛膠固，謂亂且成，出受賊官者十八。 始，泚多出金，兄事懷光，約平關中，割地為鄰國，故懷光決反，因並陽惠元、李建徽軍。 泚知懷光反明白，即賜詔待以臣禮，督其兵入衛。 懷光慚見欺，引其軍保河中。 泚數遣人誘涇原馮河清，河清不從，又結其將田希鑒，遂害河清以應賊，泚即以代河清，使結吐蕃。
Just then Li Huai'guang turned against the Emperor and did not want Ci crushed. He held his army back and watched. The Emperor wished to go to Xianyang and press the generals to capture the rebels. Huai'guang spoke abusively. An edict put Dai Xiuyan in charge of Fengtian, Shang Ke'gu at Bashang, and Luo Yuanguang at the Wei Bridge. He pressed on in royal progress to Liang Prefecture, halted at Weiyang, and sighed, "On this march—will history repeat Yongjia? Hun Jian said, "To face great calamity without fear—that is the courage of a sage. Your Majesty judges himself too harshly." Huai'guang then joined forces with Ci. When the capital learned the Emperor was retreating farther west and the two rebels had joined in alliance, people believed the rebellion would prevail. Eighteen officials went out to accept rebel posts. At first Ci lavished gold on Huai'guang, honored him like an elder brother, and promised to pacify Guanzhong and carve out neighboring realms. Huai'guang thus made up his mind to rebel and absorbed the forces of Yang Huiyuan and Li Jianhui. Once Ci knew Huai'guang's defection was beyond doubt, he issued an edict treating him as a loyal minister and ordered his troops to march in and guard the capital. Ashamed at being duped, Huai'guang withdrew his army to Hezhong. Ci repeatedly tried to win over Feng Heqing of Jingyuan, but Heqing refused. Ci then turned Heqing's general Tian Xijian, had Heqing killed to curry favor with the rebels, installed Xijian in his place, and sent him to treat with Tibet.
77
李晟等兵浸強，士益附，而渾瑊又擊破賊將韓旻、宋歸朝於武亭川，斬計萬級，歸朝奔懷光。 晟率渾瑊、駱元光、尚可孤悉師攻賊，晟薄光泰門，敗賊將張廷芝、李希倩，賊棄門哭保白華。 晟引軍還，居三日復戰，大敗之，乃分道入。 泚將段誠伏莽中，為王伉所禽。 姚令言、張廷芝與晟遇，十斗皆北，遂至白華。
Li Sheng's army grew stronger by the day and the troops rallied to him. Hun Jian routed the rebel generals Han Min and Song Guichao at Wuting Stream, killing tens of thousands. Guichao fled to Huai'guang. Sheng marched Hun Jian, Luo Yuanguang, and Shang Ke'gu against the rebels with their full strength. He pressed the Guangtai Gate, routed Zhang Tingzhi and Li Xiqian, and the rebels abandoned the gate in tears and fell back to Baihua. Sheng pulled his army back, waited three days, and attacked again. The rebels were routed, and his forces entered the city from several directions. Ci's general Duan Cheng lay in ambush in the undergrowth and was taken by Wang Kang. Yao Lingyan and Zhang Tingzhi clashed with Sheng ten times and lost every fight, retreating all the way to Baihua.
78
始，張光晟以精兵壁九曲，距東渭橋十里，密約降於晟。 晟之入，光晟勸泚等出奔，故泚挾令言、廷芝、休、子平、朱遂引殘軍西走，光晟衛出之，因詣晟降。
Earlier Zhang Guangcheng had fortified Nine Bends with picked troops ten li from the East Wei Bridge and secretly pledged to surrender to Sheng. When Sheng entered the city, Guangcheng urged Ci and his followers to flee. Ci took Lingyan, Tingzhi, Xiu, Ziping, and Zhu Su and led the remnant army west. Guangcheng escorted them out, then went to surrender to Sheng.
79
泚失道，問野人，答曰：「朱太尉邪？」 休曰：「漢皇帝。」 曰：「天網恢恢，走將安所？」 泚怒，欲殺之，乃亡去。 泚至涇州長武城，田希鑒拒之，泚曰：「子之節吾所授，奈何拒我？」 火其門，希鑒擲節焰中曰：「歸汝節！」 泚舉軍哭，城中人望見其子弟，亦哭。 宋膺曰：「某妻哭，斬矣！」 眾止哭。 泚更舍逆旅，遣梁廷芬入見希鑒曰：「公殺一節度，唐天子必不容，何不納朱公成大事？」 希鑒陰可。 廷芬出報，泚悅。 廷芬請宰相不得，乃不復入。 泚猶餘范陽卒三千，北走驛馬關，寧州刺史夏侯英開門陣而待，泚不敢入，因保彭原西城。 廷芬與泚腹心朱惟孝夜射泚，墜窖中，韓旻、薛綸、高幽巖、武震、朱進卿、董希芝共斬泚，使宋膺傳首以獻。 泚死年四十三。 令言走涇州，休、子平走鳳翔，皆斬首。 泚婿金吾將軍馬悅走党項，得入幽州。 朱重曜者，事泚最親近，泚呼為兄。 會窮冬大雨，泚欲禳變，鴆殺重曜，以王禮葬。 賊平，出其屍膊之。 李希倩等諸將皆以次夷滅。
Ci lost his way and asked a countryman, who answered, "Grand Preceptor Zhu, is that you? Xiu said, "The Han Emperor." The man said, "Heaven's net is vast—where can a fugitive hide?" Ci flew into a rage and wanted him killed, but the man escaped. Ci reached Changwu fortress in Jing Prefecture, but Tian Xijian barred him. Ci said, "I gave you that commission—how can you shut me out? He set fire to the gate. Xijian cast the commission into the flames and cried, "Take back your commission!" Ci's whole army broke into tears. People in the city saw their sons and brothers in the ranks and wept with them. Song Ying shouted, "If my wife weeps, cut off her head! The weeping stopped. Ci lodged at an inn and sent Liang Tingfen to see Xijian with this message: "You have killed a military commissioner—the Tang emperor will never forgive that. Why not admit Lord Zhu and seize your chance? Xijian secretly agreed. Tingfen returned with the answer, and Ci was delighted. Tingfen asked for a post as chief minister and was refused; he never went in again. Ci still had three thousand Fanyang troops. He fled north to Yima Pass. Xiahou Ying, prefect of Ning, opened the gates and formed battle lines to meet him. Ci dared not enter and fortified the western city of Pengyuan instead. Tingfen and Ci's confidant Zhu Weixiao shot Ci by night and he fell into a cellar. Han Min, Xue Lun, Gao Youyan, Wu Zhen, Zhu Jinqing, and Dong Xizhi beheaded him together, and Song Ying carried the head to present it. Ci was forty-three when he died. Lingyan fled to Jing Prefecture; Xiu and Ziping fled to Fengxiang. All were beheaded. Ci's son-in-law Ma Yue, a Gold Guard general, fled through Tangut territory and reached You Prefecture. Zhu Chongyao had been Ci's closest attendant; Ci called him elder brother. Deep in winter came torrential rains. Ci sought to avert the ill omen and poisoned Chongyao, burying him with princely honors. After the rebellion was crushed, his corpse was dug up and hung on display. Li Xiqian and the other rebel generals were wiped out in turn.
80
初，源休為京兆尹，使回紇，將還，盧杞畏其辯，能結主恩，次太原，奏為光祿卿。 休怨望，故導泚僭號，為調兵食，署拜百官，事一咨之。 時訂其逆甚於泚，脅辱大臣，多殺宗室子孫幾於盡，每王師不利，喜見眉宇。 與姚令言勸泚圍奉天，晝夜為賊謀，二人爭自比蕭何。 休顧令言曰：「成秦之業，無輩我者。 我視蕭何，子當曹參可矣。」 即收圖籍，貯府庫，效何者，人皆笑謂為「火迫酇侯」。 本相州人。
Yuan Xiu had been prefect of the capital district. Returning from a mission to the Uyghurs, he stopped at Taiyuan. Lu Qi feared his eloquence and his gift for winning the emperor's favor and had him transferred to Director of Imperial Banquets. Xiu nursed a grievance and steered Ci toward usurpation—raising troops and grain, appointing officials, and consulting him on every decision. At the time his treachery was reckoned worse than Ci's. He intimidated and humiliated senior ministers, slaughtered imperial clansmen until almost none remained, and whenever the imperial army lost, his delight showed plainly on his face. With Yao Lingyan he pressed Ci to besiege Fengtian and schemed for the rebels day and night. Both men vied to cast themselves as Xiao He. Xiu turned to Lingyan and said, "In founding Qin's enterprise, none can rank with me. I am Xiao He; you may be Cao Shen. He thereupon gathered maps and registers and locked them in the treasury, aping Xiao He. People laughed and called him the "Fire-Pressed Marquis of Pei." He was a native of Xiang Prefecture.
81
令言者，河中人。 始應募，隸涇原節度使馬璘府。 孟臯之為留後，表其謹肅任將帥，遂為節度使。 既挾泚亂，頗盡力。
Lingyan was a native of Hezhong. He first enlisted and served under Ma Lin, military commissioner of Jingyuan. When Meng Gao became acting commissioner, he recommended Lingyan as diligent, sober, and fit to command. Lingyan was made military commissioner. Once he joined Ci's rebellion, he gave it everything he had.
82
彭偃，銳於進，自謂為宰相所抑，鬱鬱不慊。 泚亂，匿田家； 既得用，辭令一出其手，故辭尤誖慢。
Peng Yan was ambitious and believed the chief ministers had blocked his rise; he brooded in bitter discontent. When Ci rebelled, he hid on a farm; once given office, every proclamation came from his hand, and his language was especially insolent.
83
李晟愛張光晟才，表丐原死，置軍中。 駱元光怒曰：「吾不能與反虜同坐。」 拂衣去，晟乃殺之。 李懷光以宋歸朝獻諸朝，斬之。 唯李日月母得貸。 泚未敗，號其第為潛龍宮，徙珍寶實之，人謂「潛龍勿用」，亡兆也。
Li Sheng admired Zhang Guangcheng's talent, petitioned to spare his life, and kept him in the army. Luo Yuanguang flared up: "I will not sit with a rebel traitor. He flung off his robe and walked out. Sheng then had Guangcheng executed. Li Huai'guang delivered Song Guichao to the court, and he was beheaded. Only Li Riyue's mother was spared. Before his defeat Ci styled his residence the Hidden Dragon Palace and filled it with treasures. People cited the line "The hidden dragon—do not act" as an omen of ruin.
84
晟惡田希鑒之逆，欲因事誅之。 會吐蕃寇涇州，晟方帥涇原，故希鑒請救，晟遣史萬歲以騎兵三千往，請晟行邊。 希鑒來謁，其妻李，父事晟，晟屢入宴，將還師，好謂希鑒曰：「吾久留此，諸將皆故人，吾欲置酒以別，可過營飲也。」 希鑒等詣營，酒未行，晟曰：「諸君相過，宜自通姓名爵里。」 諸將以次言，無罪者坐自如，有罪者晟質責，一卒引出，斬而瘞之。 希鑒坐晟下，未知當死，晟顧曰：「田郎不得無罪。」 左右執以下，晟曰：「天子蒙塵，乃殺節度使，受賊節，今日何面目見我乎？」 希鑒不能對。 晟曰：「田郎老矣，坐於床置對。」 乃縊幕中，以李觀代為節度使。
Sheng despised Tian Xijian's treachery and wanted a chance to kill him. Tibet raided Jing Prefecture just as Sheng took command of Jingyuan. Xijian asked for help, and Sheng sent Shi Wansui with three thousand horsemen. Xijian then invited Sheng to inspect the frontier. Xijian came to pay his respects. His wife, surnamed Li, treated Sheng like a father, and Sheng often dined at their home. As he prepared to withdraw his army, he said warmly to Xijian, "I have been here a long while and the generals are all old friends. I mean to set out a farewell feast—you should come to camp and drink with us. Xijian and the others came to camp. Before the wine was poured, Sheng said, "Since you are all here, each of you should give your name, rank, and native place." The generals spoke in turn. The innocent sat at ease; the guilty Sheng questioned and rebuked, and a soldier led each one out to behead and bury him. Xijian sat below Sheng, not yet knowing his fate. Sheng glanced at him and said, "Commander Tian is not without guilt. Attendants seized him and dragged him down. Sheng said, "The Son of Heaven suffered exile, and you killed a military commissioner and took a rebel commission—what face do you have to show me today?" Xijian had no reply. Sheng said, "Commander Tian is old. Seat him on the couch and set wine before him. He was strangled in the tent, and Li Guan replaced him as military commissioner.
85
◎逆臣下黃巢黃巢，曹州冤句人。 世鬻鹽，富於貲。 善擊劍騎射，稍通書記，辯給，喜養亡命。
◎ Rebellious Ministers, Part 3 ◎ Huang Chao. Huang Chao was a native of Yuanqu in Caozhou. His family had sold salt for generations and was wealthy. He was skilled with sword and bow on horseback, knew something of letters, spoke sharply, and liked to shelter fugitives.
86
咸通末，仍歲饑，盜興河南。 乾符二年，濮名賊王仙芝亂長垣，有眾三千，殘曹、濮二州，俘萬人，勢遂張。 仙芝妄號大將軍，檄諸道，言吏貪沓，賦重，賞罰不平。 宰相恥之，僖宗不知也。 其票帥尚君長、柴存、畢師鐸、曹師雄、柳彥璋、劉漢宏、李重霸等十餘輩，所在肆掠。 而巢喜亂，即與群從八人，募眾得數千人以應仙芝，轉寇河南十五州，眾遂數萬。
At the end of the Xiantong era famine came year after year, and bandits rose across Henan. In Qianfu 2 the bandit Wang Xianzhi of Pu rebelled at Changyuan with three thousand men, ravaged Cao and Pu, took ten thousand captives, and his power swelled. Xianzhi styled himself Grand General and sent proclamations to every circuit denouncing greedy, slothful officials, crushing taxes, and unjust rewards and punishments. The chief ministers were shamed, but Emperor Xizong knew nothing of it. His lieutenants—Shang Junzhang, Chai Cun, Bi Shiduo, Cao Shixiong, Liu Yanzhang, Liu Hanhong, Li Chongba, and a dozen others—looted wherever they went. Chao thrived on chaos. He and eight kinsmen raised several thousand men to join Xianzhi, then raided fifteen Henan prefectures until their force numbered in the tens of thousands.
87
帝使平盧節度使宋威與其副曹全晸數擊賊，敗之，拜諸道行營招討使，給衛兵三千、騎五百，詔河南諸鎮皆受節度，以左散騎常侍曾元裕副焉。 仙芝略沂州，威敗賊城下，仙芝亡去。 威因奏大渠死，擅縱麾下兵還青州，群臣皆入賀。 居三日，州縣奏賊故在。 時兵始休，有詔復遣，士皆忿，思亂。 賊間之，趣郟城，不十日破八縣。 帝憂迫近東都，督諸道兵檢遏，於是鳳翔、邠寧、涇原兵守陜、潼關，元裕守東都，義成、昭義以兵衛宮。
The Emperor sent Song Wei, military commissioner of Pinglu, and his deputy Cao Quanzhang against the bandits again and again until they broke them. Wei was made commander-in-chief of the circuit campaign, given three thousand guard troops and five hundred cavalry, and all Henan garrisons were ordered to accept his command, with Zeng Yuanyu, Left Regular Attendant of the Palace Guard, as deputy. Xianzhi overran Yizhou. Wei routed the bandits beneath the walls, and Xianzhi fled. Wei memorialized that the rebel chieftain was dead, dismissed his troops on his own authority, and returned to Qingzhou. The ministers all came to court to congratulate him. Three days later prefectures and counties reported that the bandits were still at large. The troops had just stood down when an edict ordered them out again. The men were furious and ripe for mutiny. The bandits heard of it, rushed on Ying city, and within ten days overran eight counties. The Emperor feared the rebels were closing on the Eastern Capital and pressed every circuit to stop them. Fengxiang, Binning, and Jingyuan troops guarded Shan and Tong Passes; Yuanyu held the Eastern Capital; Yicheng and Zhaoyi sent troops to guard the palace.
88
仙芝去攻汝州，殺其將，刺史走，東都大震，百官脫身出奔。 賊破陽武，圍鄭州，不克，蟻聚鄧、汝間。 關以東州縣，大抵皆畏賊，嬰城守，故賊放兵四略，殘郢、復二州，所過焚剽，生人幾盡。 官軍急追，則遺貲布路，士爭取之，率逗橈不前。 賊轉入申、光，殘隋州，執刺史，據安州自如，分奇兵圍舒，擊廬、壽、光等州。
Xianzhi marched on Ruzhou, killed its general, and the prefect fled. The Eastern Capital shook, and officials fled for their lives. The bandits took Yangwu, besieged Zheng without success, and swarmed like ants between Deng and Ru. East of the passes most prefectures and counties feared the bandits and barricaded their walls, so the bandits ranged freely, ravaged Ying and Fu, and burned and plundered their way until scarcely a soul remained. When the imperial army pressed close, the bandits strewed loot along the road. Soldiers scrambled for it and usually dallied instead of advancing. The bandits turned into Shen and Guang, ravaged Suizhou, seized the prefect, held Anzhou at will, sent raiding columns to surround Shu, and struck Lu, Shou, Guang, and other prefectures.
89
時威老且暗，不任軍，陰與元裕謀曰：「昔龐勛滅，康承訓即得罪。 吾屬雖成功，其免禍乎？ 不如留賊，不幸為天子，我不失作功臣。」 故躡賊一舍，完軍顧望。 帝亦知之，更以陳許節度使崔安潛為行營都統，以前鴻臚卿李琢代威，右威衛上將軍張自勉代元裕。
Wei was old, dull, and unfit for command. He secretly told Yuanyu, "When Pang Xun was destroyed, Kang Chengxun was punished at once. Even if we succeed, can we escape punishment? Better to leave the bandits alive. If by misfortune one of them becomes emperor, we can still be rewarded as loyal ministers. So they followed one day's march behind the bandits, kept their armies intact, and watched without acting. The Emperor knew of it and replaced Wei with Cui Anqian, military commissioner of Chenxu, as overall campaign commander; the former Director of the Court of State Ceremonial Li Zhuo took Wei's place; and Zhang Zimian, General of the Right Victorious Guard, replaced Yuanyu.
90
賊出入蘄、黃，蘄州刺史裴渥為賊求官，約罷兵。 仙芝與巢等詣渥飲。 未幾，詔拜仙芝左神策軍押衙，遣中人慰撫。 仙芝喜，巢恨賞不及己，詢曰：「君降，獨得官，五千眾且奈何？ 丐我兵，無留。」 因擊仙芝，傷首。 仙芝憚眾怒，即不受命，劫州兵，渥、中人亡去。 賊分其眾：尚君長入陳、蔡； 巢北掠齊、魯，眾萬人，入鄆州，殺節度使薛崇，進陷沂州，遂至數萬，繇潁、蔡保嵖岈山。
The bandits ranged through Qi and Huang. Pei Wo, prefect of Qi, negotiated offices for them and agreed to a ceasefire. Xianzhi went with Chao and the others to drink with Wo. Before long an edict made Xianzhi adjutant of the Left Shence Army and sent a eunuch to reassure him. Xianzhi was delighted. Chao resented being left out and demanded, "You surrender and get an office alone—what about your five thousand men? Give me your troops and keep nothing back. He then struck Xianzhi and wounded his head. Xianzhi feared the men's wrath, refused the appointment, seized the prefectural troops, and Wo and the eunuch fled. The bandits split their force: Shang Junzhang marched into Chen and Cai; Chao raided north into Qi and Lu with ten thousand men, entered Yan, killed military commissioner Xue Chong, took Yizhou, and swelled to tens of thousands. He passed through Ying and Cai and fortified Chaya Mountain.
91
是時柳彥璋又取江州，執刺史陶祥。 巢引兵復與仙芝合，圍宋州。 會自勉救兵至，斬賊二千級，仙芝解而南，度漢，攻荊南。 於是節度使楊知溫嬰城守，賊縱火焚樓堞，知溫不出，有詔以高駢代之。 駢以蜀兵萬五千賫糒糧，期三十日至，而城已陷，知溫走，賊不能守。 於是詔左武衛將軍劉秉仁為江州刺史，勒兵乘單舟入賊柵，賊大駭，相率迎降，遂斬彥璋。
At the same time Liu Yanzhang took Jiang Prefecture and seized the prefect Tao Xiang. Chao led his army back to join Xianzhi and together they besieged Song Prefecture. Just then Zhang Zimian's relief force arrived and killed two thousand bandits. Xianzhi broke off the siege and marched south, crossed the Han, and attacked Jingnan. The military commissioner Yang Zhiwen barricaded the city and held out. The bandits set fires that burned the towers and battlements, but Zhiwen refused to emerge. An edict replaced him with Gao Pian. Pian marched with fifteen thousand Shu troops bearing grain, expecting to arrive within thirty days, but the city had already fallen. Zhiwen fled, and the bandits could not hold it. An edict then made Liu Bingren, General of the Left Martial Guard, prefect of Jiang. He led his men in a single boat into the bandit stockade. The bandits were terrified and surrendered one after another, and Yanzhang was beheaded.
92
巢攻和州，未克。 仙芝自圍洪州，取之，使徐唐莒守。 進破朗、嶽，遂圍潭州，觀察使崔瑾拒卻之。 乃向浙西，擾宣、潤，不能得所欲，身留江西，趣別部還入河南。
Chao attacked He Prefecture but failed to take it. Xianzhi personally besieged Hong Prefecture, captured it, and left Xu Tangju to hold it. He advanced and overran Lang and Yue, then besieged Tan Prefecture, but the observation commissioner Cui Jin drove him back. He then turned toward western Zhe and harassed Xuan and Run, but could not get what he wanted. He remained in Jiangxi himself and sent another division back into Henan.
93
帝詔崔安潛歸忠武，復起宋威、曾元裕，以招討使還之，而楊復光監軍。 復光遣其屬吳彥宏以詔諭賊，仙芝乃遣蔡溫球、楚彥威、尚君長來降，欲詣闕請罪，又遺威書求節度。 威陽許之，上言「與君長戰，禽之」。 復光固言其降。 命侍御史與中人馳驛即訊，不能明。 卒斬君長等於狗脊嶺。 仙芝怒，還攻洪州，入其郛。 威自將往救，敗仙芝於黃梅，斬賊五萬級，獲仙芝，傳首京師。
The Emperor recalled Cui Anqian to Zhongwu, restored Song Wei and Zeng Yuanyu, and sent them back as campaign commanders, with Yang Fuguang supervising the army. Fuguang sent his aide Wu Yanhong with an edict to parley with the bandits. Xianzhi then sent Cai Wenqiu, Chu Yanwei, and Shang Junzhang to surrender, intending to go to court and plead guilty, and also wrote Wei asking for a military commission. Wei pretended to agree and memorialized, "I fought Junzhang and captured him." Fuguang insisted that they had surrendered. He ordered a censor and a eunuch to ride post-haste and investigate on the spot, but they could not settle the matter. In the end Junzhang and the others were beheaded at Goji Ridge. Xianzhi was enraged, returned to attack Hong Prefecture, and entered its outer suburbs. Wei personally led troops to the rescue, routed Xianzhi at Huangmei, killed fifty thousand bandits, captured Xianzhi, and sent his head to the capital.
94
當此時，巢方圍亳州未下，君長弟讓率仙芝潰黨歸巢，推巢為王，號「沖天大將軍」，署拜官屬，驅河南、山南之民十餘萬掠淮南，建元王霸。
At this time Chao was still besieging Bozhou without success. Junzhang's younger brother Rang led Xianzhi's shattered remnants to Chao, proclaimed him king with the title "Great General Who Pierces Heaven," appointed officials, drove more than a hundred thousand people from Henan and Shannan to plunder Huainan, and declared the era Wangba.
95
曾元裕敗賊於申州，死者萬人。 帝以威殺尚君長非是，且討賊無功，詔還青州，以元裕為招討使，張自勉為副。 巢破考城，取濮州，元裕軍荊、襄，援兵阻，更拜自勉東北面行營招討使，督諸軍急捕。 巢方掠襄邑、雍丘，詔滑州節度使李嶧壁原武。 巢寇葉、陽翟，欲窺東都。 會左神武大將軍劉景仁以兵五千援東都，河陽節度使鄭延休兵三千壁河陰。 巢兵在江西者，為鎮海節度使高駢所破； 寇新鄭、郟、襄城、陽翟者，為崔安潛逐走； 在浙西者，為節度使裴璩斬二長，死者甚眾。 巢大沮畏，乃詣天平軍乞降，詔授巢右衛將軍。 巢度藩鎮不一，未足制己，即叛去，轉寇浙東，執觀察使崔璆。 於是高駢遣將張潾、梁纘攻賊，破之。 賊收眾逾江西，破虔、吉、饒、信等州，因刊山開道七百里，直趨建州。
Zeng Yuanyu defeated the bandits at Shen Prefecture, leaving ten thousand dead. The Emperor judged that Wei had been wrong to kill Shang Junzhang and had achieved nothing against the bandits. An edict recalled him to Qingzhou and made Yuanyu campaign commander with Zhang Zimian as deputy. Chao took Kaocheng and seized Pu Prefecture. Yuanyu's army was stuck at Jing and Xiang, and relief could not get through. Zimian was then made commander of the northeastern campaign headquarters and ordered to press all armies to capture the bandits quickly. Chao was plundering Xiangyi and Yongqiu. An edict ordered Li Chan, military commissioner of Hua, to fortify Yuanswu. Chao raided Ye and Yangdi, seeking to threaten the Eastern Capital. Just then Liu Jingren, Grand General of the Left Divine Martial Army, arrived with five thousand troops to reinforce the Eastern Capital, and Zheng Yanxiu, military commissioner of Heyang, posted three thousand men at Heyin. Chao's forces in Jiangxi were broken by Gao Pian, military commissioner of Zhenhai; those raiding Xinzheng, Ye, Xiangcheng, and Yangdi were driven off by Cui Anqian; those in western Zhe saw two chieftains beheaded by the commissioner Pei Ji, and very many died. Chao was deeply discouraged and afraid. He went to the Tianping army to beg surrender and was appointed General of the Right Guard. Chao judged that the garrison commissioners were divided and could not control him. He rebelled at once, turned to raid eastern Zhe, and seized the observation commissioner Cui Qiu. Gao Pian then sent the generals Zhang Lin and Liang Zuan against the bandits and routed them. The bandits regathered, crossed west of the river, overran Gan, Ji, Rao, Xin, and other prefectures, cut a seven-hundred-li road through the mountains, and drove straight on Jian Prefecture.
96
初，軍中謠曰：「逢儒則肉，師必覆。」 巢入閩，俘民紿稱儒者，皆釋，時六年三月也。 儳路圍福州，觀察使韋岫戰不勝，棄城遁，賊入之，焚室廬，殺人如蓺。 過崇文館校書郎黃璞家，令曰：「此儒者，滅炬弗焚。」 又求處士周樸，得之，謂曰：「能從我乎？」 答曰：「我尚不仕天子，安能從賊？」 巢怒斬樸。 是時閩地諸州皆沒，有詔高駢為諸道行營都統以拒賊。
At first a saying in the army ran, "Spare a scholar and the host is doomed. Chao entered Min. Captives who falsely claimed to be scholars were all released. It was the third month of the sixth year. Chao took a side route and besieged Fuzhou. The observation commissioner Wei Xiu fought and lost, abandoned the city and fled, and the bandits entered. They burned houses and halls and slaughtered people like cutting hemp. Passing the home of Huang Pu, proofreader of the Chongwen Institute, he ordered, "This man is a scholar—put out the torches and do not burn. He also sought the recluse Zhou Pu, found him, and asked, "Will you follow me? He answered, "I would not even serve the Son of Heaven—how could I follow a bandit? Chao flew into a rage and beheaded Pu. By then every prefecture in Min territory had fallen. An edict made Gao Pian overall campaign commander of every circuit to resist the bandits.
97
巢陷桂管，進寇廣州，詒節度使李迢書，求表為天平節度，又脅崔璆言於朝，宰相鄭畋欲許之，盧攜、田令孜執不可。 巢又丐安南都護、廣州節度使。 書聞，右僕射於琮議：「南海市舶利不貲，賊得益富，而國用屈。」 乃拜巢率府率。 巢見詔大詬，急攻廣州，執李迢，自號「義軍都統」，露表告將入關，因詆宦豎柄朝，垢蠹紀綱，指諸臣與中人賂遺交構狀，銓貢失才，禁刺史殖財產，縣令犯贓者族，皆當時極敝。
Chao took Guidong and advanced on Guangzhou. He sent the military commissioner Li Tiao a deceptive letter asking to be recommended as Tianping commissioner, and also coerced Cui Qiu to speak to the court. Chief minister Zheng Tian wanted to agree, but Lu Xie and Tian Lingzi refused. Chao also asked for Protector of Annam and military commissioner of Guangzhou. When the letter was received, Right Vice Premier Yu Cong argued, "The maritime trade profits of the Southern Sea are incalculable. If the bandits gain them, they will grow ever richer while state revenues fail. Chao was then appointed Commandant of the Rate-Furnishing Office. Chao saw the edict and cursed bitterly. He pressed the attack on Guangzhou, seized Li Tiao, styled himself "Overall Commander of the Righteous Army," and issued an open memorial announcing that he would enter the passes. He denounced eunuchs' grip on the court and the corruption of law and order, listed how ministers and eunuchs exchanged bribes and framed one another, how appointments and examinations lost talent, and how he forbade prefects to amass property and ordered the clans of corrupt county magistrates executed—all the worst abuses of the age.
98
天子既懲宋威失計，罷之，而宰相王鐸請自行，乃拜鐸荊南節度使、南面行營招討都統，率諸道兵進討。 鐸屯江陵，表泰寧節度使李系為招討副使、湖南觀察使，以先鋒屯潭州，兩屯烽驛相望。 會賊中大疫，眾死什四，遂引北還。 自桂編大桴，沿湘下衡、永，破潭州，李系走朗州，兵十餘萬焉，投胔蔽江。 進逼江陵，號五十萬。 鐸兵寡，即乘城。 先此，劉漢宏已略地，焚廬廥，人皆竄山谷。 俄而系敗問至，鐸棄城走襄陽，官軍乘亂縱掠，會雨雪，人多死溝壑。
The Son of Heaven, having punished Song Wei for his failed plans, dismissed him. Chief minister Wang Duo asked to lead in person. Duo was appointed military commissioner of Jingnan and overall southern campaign commander, leading troops from every circuit against the rebels. Duo encamped at Jiangling, recommended Li Xi of Taining as deputy campaign commander and Hunan observation commissioner, and posted the vanguard at Tan Prefecture. The two camps' beacon towers and relay stations faced each other. A great plague broke out among the bandits; four tenths of them died, and they turned north to retreat. From Guangxi they lashed great rafts, went down the Xiang past Heng and Yong, and took Tan Prefecture. Li Xi fled to Lang Prefecture. Their army numbered more than a hundred thousand, and corpses thrown into the river blocked it. They pressed on Jiangling, claiming five hundred thousand men. Duo had too few troops and immediately manned the walls. Before this Liu Hanhong had already overrun the territory, burning houses and granaries, and people fled into the mountain valleys. Soon word of Li Xi's defeat arrived. Duo abandoned the city and fled to Xiangyang. The imperial army looted amid the chaos. Snow and rain came, and many died in ditches and gullies.
99
其十月，巢據荊南，脅李迢草表報天子。 迢曰：「吾腕可斷，表不可為。」 巢怒，殺之。 欲進躡鐸，會江西招討使曹全晸與山南東道節度使劉巨容壁荊門，使沙陀以五百騎釕轡藻韉望賊陣縱而遁，賊以為怯。 明日，諸將乘以戰，而馬識沙陀語，呼之輒奔還，莫能禁。 官兵伏於林，鬥而北，賊急追，伏發，大敗之，執賊渠十二輩。 巢懼，度江東走，師促之，俘什八，鐸招漢宏降之。 或勸巨容窮追，答曰：「國家多負人，危難不吝賞，事平則得罪，不如留賊冀後福。」 止不追，故巢得復整，攻鄂州，入之。 全晸將度江，會有詔以段彥代其使，乃止。
In the tenth month Chao held Jingnan and coerced Li Tiao into drafting a memorial to the Son of Heaven. Tiao said, "My wrist may be severed, but the memorial will not be written. Chao flew into a rage and killed him. Wishing to pursue Duo, just then Cao Quanzheng, Jiangxi campaign commissioner, and Liu Jurong, military commissioner of Shannan East Circuit, fortified at Jingmen. They sent five hundred Shatuo horsemen with ornate bridles and saddle blankets to feign flight before the bandit lines, and the bandits took them for cowards. The next day the generals pressed the advantage, but the horses recognized Shatuo speech; when called they bolted back and could not be stopped. The imperial troops lay in ambush in the forest and fought while retreating north. The bandits pressed the pursuit; the ambush struck and they were routed. Twelve bandit chiefs were captured. Chao was afraid, crossed the river east and fled. The army pressed him and captured eight tenths of his force. Duo induced Hanhong to surrender. Someone urged Jurong to pursue to the end. He answered, "The state often wrongs its men—it does not spare rewards in crisis, but when things are settled you are punished. Better to leave the bandits alive and hope for future favor. He stopped the pursuit, so Chao was able to regroup, attacked E Prefecture, and took it. Quanzheng was about to cross the river when an edict arrived replacing him with Duan Yan, and he stopped.
100
巢畏襲，轉掠江西，再入饒、信、杭州，眾至二十萬。 攻臨安，戍將董昌兵寡，不敢戰，伏數十騎莽中，賊至，伏弩射殺賊將，下皆走。 昌進屯八百里，見舍媼曰：「有追至，告以臨安兵屯八百里矣。」 賊駭曰：「向數騎能困我，況軍八百里乎？」 乃還，殘宣、歙等十五州。
Chao, fearing attack, turned to plunder Jiangxi, entered Rao, Xin, and Hang again, and his force reached two hundred thousand. Attacking Lin'an, garrison general Dong Chang had too few troops and dared not fight. He hid several dozen horsemen in the brush; when the bandits arrived, crossbowmen in ambush shot and killed a bandit general, and the rest fled. Chang advanced and encamped at Eight Hundred Li. Seeing an old woman at an inn, he said, "If pursuers come, tell them Lin'an's army is encamped at Eight Hundred Li. The bandits were alarmed and said, "A few horsemen could trouble us—how much more an army at Eight Hundred Li? They retreated and ravaged Xuan, She, and fifteen other prefectures.
101
廣明元年，淮南高駢遣將張潾度江敗王重霸，降之。 巢數卻，乃保饒州，眾多疫，別部常宏以眾數萬降，所在戮死。 諸軍屢奏破賊，皆不實，朝廷信之，稍自安。 巢得計，破殺張潾，陷睦、婺二州，又取宣州。 而漢宏殘眾復奮，寇宋州，掠申、光，來與巢合，濟采石，侵揚州。 高駢按兵不出。 詔兗海節度使齊克讓屯汝州，拜全晸天平節度使兼東面副都統。 賊方守滁、和，全晸以天平兵敗於淮上。 宰相豆盧彖計：「救師未至，請假巢天平節度使，使無得西，以精兵戍宣武，塞汝、鄭路，賊首可致矣。」 盧攜執不可，請「召諸道兵壁泗上，以宣武節度統之，則巢且還寇東南，徘徊山浙，救死而已」。 詔可。 前此已詔天下兵屯溵水，禁賊北走。 於是徐兵三千道許，其帥薛能館徐眾城中，許人驚謂見襲，部將周岌自溵水還，殺能，自稱留後。 徐軍聞亂，列將時溥亦引歸，囚其帥支詳。 兗海齊克讓懼下叛，引軍還兗州，溵水屯皆散。
In Guangming 1 Gao Pian of Huainan sent Zhang Lin across the river to defeat Wang Chongba and accept his surrender. Chao retreated again and again, then held Rao Prefecture. Many fell to plague. A separate division under Chang Hong surrendered with tens of thousands, and wherever they went they were slaughtered. The armies repeatedly reported defeating the bandits, all falsely. The court believed them and grew somewhat reassured. Chao took advantage of the deception, killed Zhang Lin, took Mu and Wu, and also seized Xuan Prefecture. Hanhong's broken remnant rallied again, raided Song Prefecture, plundered Shen and Guang, joined Chao, crossed at Caishi, and invaded Yang Prefecture. Gao Pian held his troops and would not come out. An edict ordered Qi Kerang of Yanhai to encamp at Ru Prefecture and made Quanzheng military commissioner of Tianping and eastern deputy overall commander. The bandits were still holding Chuzhou and He Prefecture. Quanzheng's Tianping army was defeated on the Huai. Chief minister Dou Lu Zuan proposed, "Relief has not arrived. Grant Chao the Tianping commission temporarily so he cannot go west. Station elite troops at Xuanwu and block the Ru and Zheng routes—the bandit chief can be captured. Lu Xie refused and argued, "Summon troops from every circuit to fortify at Si Shang, with the Xuanwu commissioner commanding them. Chao will then turn back to raid the southeast, wandering among the mountains of Zhe, merely struggling to survive." The edict approved it. Before this an edict had already ordered troops from across the empire to encamp at Yinshui and bar the bandits from fleeing north. Then three thousand Xu troops passed through Xu city. Their commander Xue Neng quartered the Xu troops inside the city. The people of Xu were alarmed, thinking they were under attack. The subordinate general Zhou Ji returned from Yinshui, killed Neng, and declared himself acting commissioner. The Xu army heard of the disorder. The officer Shi Pu also led his troops back and imprisoned their commander Zhi Xiang. Qi Kerang of Yanhai feared mutiny among his subordinates, led his army back to Yan, and the Yinshui encampments all dispersed.
102
巢聞，悉眾度淮，妄稱「率土大將軍」，整眾不剽掠，所過惟取丁壯益兵。 李罕之犯申、光、潁、宋、徐、兗等州，吏皆亡。 巢自將攻汝州，欲薄東都。 當是時，天子沖弱，怖而流淚，宰相更共建言，悉神策並關內諸節度兵十五萬守潼關。 田令孜請自將而東，然內震擾，前說帝以幸蜀事。 帝自幸神策軍，擢左軍騎將張承範為先鋒，右軍步將王師會督糧道，以飛龍使楊復恭副令孜。 於是募兵京師，得數千人。
Chao heard of this, led his entire force across the Huai, presumptuously styled himself "Great General of All the Realm," kept his troops in order without plundering, and at each place took only able-bodied men to swell the army. Li Hanzhi raided Shen, Guang, Ying, Song, Xu, Yan, and other prefectures, and officials fled everywhere. Chao personally led the attack on Ru Prefecture, intending to press close to the Eastern Capital. At this time the Son of Heaven was young and weak. Terrified, he wept. The chief ministers jointly advised gathering one hundred fifty thousand Shence and Guannei garrison troops to defend Tong Pass. Tian Lingzi asked to lead the army east himself, but inwardly the court was shaken; earlier he had urged the Emperor to flee to Shu. The Emperor personally visited the Shence Army, promoted Zhang Chengfan, cavalry general of the Left Army, as vanguard, Wang Shihui, infantry general of the Right Army, to supervise supply routes, and made the Flying Dragon Commissioner Yang Fugong deputy to Lingzi. Troops were then recruited in the capital, and several thousand were obtained.
103
當是時，巢已陷東都，留守劉允章以百官迎賊。 巢入，勞問而已，里閭晏然。 帝餞令孜章信門，賫遺豐優。 然衛兵皆長安高貲，世籍兩軍，得稟賜，侈服怒馬以詫權豪，初不知戰，聞料選，皆哭於家，陰出貲雇販區病坊以備行陣，不能持兵，觀者寒毛以栗。 承範以強弩三千防關，辭曰：「祿山率兵五萬陷東都，今賊眾六十萬，過祿山遠甚，恐不足守。」 帝不許。 賊進取陜、虢，檄關戍曰：「吾道淮南，逐高駢如鼠走穴，爾無拒我！」 神策兵過華，裹三日糧，不能飽，無鬥志。
By then Chao had already taken the Eastern Capital. The acting commissioner Liu Yunzhang led the hundred officials to welcome the bandits. Chao entered and merely offered polite inquiries; the neighborhoods remained calm. The Emperor saw Lingzi off at the Zhangxin Gate with lavish gifts and generous awards. Yet the guard troops were all wealthy men of Chang'an, registered for generations in the two armies, who received stipends, wore extravagant clothes and rode spirited horses to impress the powerful, and at first knew nothing of war. When they heard they were being selected, they all wept at home, secretly paid out money to hire sick men from the market infirmaries to fill the ranks, could not even hold weapons, and onlookers shivered with dread. Chengfan defended the pass with three thousand strong crossbows and pleaded, "Lushan led fifty thousand troops and took the Eastern Capital. Now the bandits number six hundred thousand, far exceeding Lushan. I fear we cannot hold. The Emperor would not agree. The bandits advanced to take Shan and Guo and sent a proclamation to the pass garrison, "I came through Huainan and drove Gao Pian fleeing like a rat into its hole—you must not resist me! The Shence troops passed Hua with three days' rations wrapped up, could not eat their fill, and had no will to fight.
104
十二月，巢攻關，齊克讓以其軍戰關外，賊少卻。 俄而巢至，師大呼，川谷皆震，時士饑甚，潛燒克讓營，克讓走入關。 承範出金諭軍中曰：「諸君勉報國，救且至。」 士感泣，拒戰。 賊見師不繼，急攻關，王師矢盡，飛石以射，巢驅民內塹，火關樓皆盡。 始，關左有大谷，禁行人，號「禁谷」。 賊至，令孜屯關，而忘谷之可入。 尚讓引眾趨谷，承範惶遽，使師會以勁弩八百邀之，比至，而賊已入。 明日，夾攻關，王師潰。 師會欲自殺，承範曰：「吾二人死，孰當辨者？ 不如見天子以實聞，死未晚。」 乃羸服逃。 始，博野、鳳翔軍過渭橋，見募軍服鮮燠，怒曰：「是等何功，遽然至是！」 更為賊向導，前賊歸，焚西市。 帝類郊祈哀。 會承範至，具言不守狀。 帝黜宰相盧攜。 方朝，而傳言賊至，百官奔，令孜以神策兵五百奉帝趨咸陽，惟福、穆、潭、壽四王與妃禦一二從，中人西門匡範統右軍以殿。
In the twelfth month Chao attacked the pass. Qi Kerang fought with his army outside the pass, and the bandits fell back slightly. Soon Chao arrived. The bandit host shouted so that valleys and streams shook. The troops were starving; someone secretly burned Kerang's camp, and Kerang fled into the pass. Chengfan brought out gold and addressed the army, "Gentlemen, strive to serve the state—relief is coming. The troops wept at his words and stood firm to fight. The bandits saw that no relief was coming and pressed the attack hard. The imperial army ran out of arrows and hurled stones instead. Chao drove civilians into the moat, and the pass towers burned to the ground. From the start, a great valley to the left of the pass was closed to travelers and called the "Forbidden Valley." When the bandits arrived, Lingzi garrisoned the pass but forgot the valley offered a way in. Shang Rang led his men toward the valley. Chengfan panicked and sent Shihui with eight hundred strong crossbows to intercept them, but the bandits were already inside by the time they arrived. The next day the bandits attacked the pass from both sides and the imperial army collapsed. Shihui wanted to kill himself. Chengfan said, "If we two die, who will explain what happened? Better to see the Son of Heaven and tell him the truth—death can wait. They fled in ragged clothes. Earlier, the Boye and Fengxiang armies crossed Weiqiao Bridge and saw the recruited troops in fresh, fine clothing. Furious, they cried, "What have these men done to deserve such finery so suddenly! They turned into guides for the bandits instead, rode ahead of them back to the city, and burned the Western Market. The Emperor prayed as at a suburban sacrifice, wailing in grief. Just then Chengfan arrived and reported in full that the pass could not be held. The Emperor dismissed chief minister Lu Xie. During court, rumor spread that the bandits had arrived and officials fled. Lingzi led five hundred Shence troops escorting the Emperor toward Xianyang. Only the four princes Fu, Mu, Tan, and Shou and one or two consorts followed. The eunuch Ximen Kuangfan commanded the Right Army as rearguard.
105
巢以尚讓為平唐大將軍，蓋洪、費全古副之。 賊眾皆被髮錦衣，大抵輜重自東都抵京師，千里相屬。 金吾大將軍張直方與群臣迎賊灞上。 巢乘黃金輿，衛者皆繡袍、華幘，其黨乘銅輿以從，騎士凡數十萬先後之。 陷京師，入自春明門，升太極殿，宮女數千迎拜，稱黃王。 巢喜曰：「殆天意歟！」 巢舍田令孜第。 賊見窮民，抵金帛與之。 尚讓即妄曉人曰：「黃王非如唐家不惜而輩，各安毋恐。」 甫數日，因大掠，縛棰居人索財，號「淘物」。 富家皆跣而驅，賊酋閱甲第以處，爭取人妻女亂之，捕得官吏悉斬之，火廬舍不可貲，宗室侯王屠之無類矣。
Chao made Shang Rang Grand General Who Pacifies Tang, with Gai Hong and Fei Quangu as his deputies. The bandit masses all wore their hair loose and silken robes. Their baggage train from the Eastern Capital to the capital stretched unbroken for a thousand li. Grand General of the Golden Guard Zhang Zhifang and the officials welcomed the bandits at Bashang. Chao rode in a golden palanquin, his guards in embroidered robes and splendid caps. His followers rode bronze palanquins in train, and several hundred thousand horsemen followed before and behind. Having taken the capital, he entered through the Chunming Gate, ascended the Hall of Supreme Ultimate, and several thousand palace women came forward to bow and hail him Yellow King. Chao said joyfully, "Surely this is Heaven's will! Chao took up residence in Tian Lingzi's mansion. When the bandits saw the poor, they gave them gold and silk. Shang Rang at once falsely reassured the people, "The Yellow King is not like the Tang family, who care nothing for you—each of you may rest easy, do not fear. Within only a few days they launched great plundering, bound and beat residents to extort wealth—called "panning for goods." Wealthy families were driven barefoot from their homes. Bandit chiefs seized mansions to occupy and fought over men's wives and daughters. Captured officials were beheaded. Houses and halls burned beyond counting. Imperial clansmen and marquises were slaughtered to the last.
106
巢齋太清宮，卜日舍含元殿，僭即位，號大齊。 求袞冕不得，繪弋綈為之； 無金石樂，擊大鼓數百，列長劍大刀為衛。 大赦，建元為金統。 王官三品以上停，四品以下還之。 因自陳符命，取「廣明」字，判其文曰：「唐去醜口而著黃，明黃當代唐； 又黃為土，金所生，蓋天啟」云。 其徒上巢號承天應運啟聖睿文宣武皇帝，以妻曹為皇后，以尚讓、趙璋、崔璆、楊希古為宰相，鄭漢璋御史中丞，李儔、黃諤、尚儒為尚書，方特諫議大夫，皮日休、沈雲翔、裴渥翰林學士，孟楷、蓋洪尚書左右僕射兼軍容使，費傳古樞密使，張直方檢校左僕射，馬祥右散騎常侍，王璠京兆尹，許建、米實、劉瑭、朱溫、張全、彭攢、李逵等為諸將軍遊弈使，其餘以次封拜。 取趫偉五百人號「功臣」，以林言為之使，比控鶴府。 下令軍中禁妄殺人，悉輸兵於官。 然其下本盜賊，皆不從。 召王官，無有至者，乃大索里閭，豆盧彖、崔沆等匿永寧裏張直方家。 直方者，素豪桀，故士多依之。 或告賊納亡命者，巢攻之，夷其家，彖、沆及大臣劉鄴、裴諗、趙濛、李溥、李湯死者百餘人。 將作監鄭綦、郎官鄭系舉族縊。
Chao fasted in the Supreme Clarity Palace, chose a day to take the Hanyuan Hall, usurped the throne, and styled his state Great Qi. Unable to obtain imperial robes and caps, they painted silk gauze to make them; There was no bronze and stone music; several hundred great drums were beaten and long swords and broad blades were arrayed as guards. A general amnesty was proclaimed and the era Jintong was established. Tang officials of third rank and above were suspended; those of fourth rank and below were restored to office. He then proclaimed his destined mandate, taking the characters of "Guangming" and parsing the text to say, "Tang removes the 'chou' mouth to reveal huang—bright yellow shall replace Tang; Moreover yellow is earth, from which metal is born—surely this is Heaven's revelation," he declared. His followers hailed Chao as Emperor Who Receives Heaven, Responds to Fate, Initiates Sagacity, Proclaims Culture, and Wields Martial Power. He made his wife Cao empress and appointed Shang Rang, Zhao Zhang, Cui Qiu, and Yang Xigu as chief ministers; Zheng Hanzhang as censor-in-chief; Li You, Huang E, and Shang Ru as ministers of state; Fang Te as advisory censor; Pi Rixiu, Shen Yunxiang, and Pei Wo as Hanlin academicians; Meng Kai and Gai Hong as left and right vice premiers and army supervisors; Fei Chuangu as commissioner of confidential affairs; Zhang Zhifang as acting left vice premier; Ma Xiang as right attendant cavalry; Wang Fan as metropolitan prefect; Xu Jian, Mi Shi, Liu Tang, Zhu Wen, Zhang Quan, Peng Zan, Li Kui, and others as various generals and patrol commissioners; the rest were enfeoffed and appointed in turn. Five hundred stalwart men were selected as "meritorious officials," with Lin Yan as their commander, modeled on the Crane-Control Office. Orders went out in the army forbidding indiscriminate killing and requiring all weapons turned in to the authorities. Yet his followers had originally been bandits and none obeyed. Court officials were summoned but none came. A great search of the neighborhoods followed. Dou Lu Zuan, Cui Hang, and others hid in Zhang Zhifang's home in Yongning Lane. Zhifang had always been a bold hero, so many scholars relied on him. Someone reported that the bandits were harboring fugitives. Chao attacked the house and exterminated the family. Zuan, Hang, and ministers Liu Ye, Pei Yu, Zhao Meng, Li Pu, and Li Tang were among more than a hundred who died. Director of Palace Construction Zheng Qi and court official Zheng Xi hanged their entire clans.
107
是時，乘輿次興元，詔促諸道兵收京師，遂至成都。 巢使朱溫攻鄧州，陷之，以擾荊、襄。 遣林言、尚讓寇鳳翔，為鄭畋將宋文通所破，不得前。 畋乃傳檄召天下兵，於是詔涇原節度使程宗楚為諸軍行營副都統，前朔方節度使唐弘夫為行營司馬。 數攻賊，斬萬級。 邠將朱玫陽為賊將王玫裒兵，俄而殺玫，引軍入於王師。 弘夫進屯渭北，河中王重榮營沙苑，易定王處存次渭橋，鄜延李孝昌、夏州拓拔思恭壁武功。 弘夫拔咸陽，栰渭水，破尚讓軍，乘勝入京師。 巢竊出，至石井。 宗楚入自延秋門，弘夫傅城舍，都人共噪曰：「王師至！」 處存選銳卒五千以白𩫹自誌，夜入殺賊，都人傳言巢已走，邠、涇軍爭入京師，諸軍亦解甲休，競掠貨財子女，市少年亦冒作，肆為剽。
At this time the imperial carriage halted at Xingyuan. Edicts urged troops from every circuit to recover the capital, and ultimately they reached Chengdu. Chao sent Zhu Wen to attack Deng Prefecture, took it, and harassed Jing and Xiang. He sent Lin Yan and Shang Rang to raid Fengxiang, but Zheng Tian's general Song Wentong routed them and they could not advance. Tian then issued a proclamation summoning troops from across the empire. An edict made Cheng Zongchu, military commissioner of Jingyuan, deputy overall campaign commander, and Tang Hongfu, former military commissioner of Shuofang, campaign marshal. They attacked the bandits several times and beheaded ten thousand. Bin prefecture general Zhu Mei pretended to be the bandit general Wang Mei and gathered troops; soon he killed Mei and brought his army over to the imperial side. Hongfu advanced and encamped north of the Wei. Wang Chongrong of Hezhong encamped at Sha Yuan. Wang Chucun of Yiding posted at Weiqiao Bridge. Li Xiaochang of Fuyan and Tuoba Sigong of Xia encamped at Wugong. Hongfu took Xianyang, bridged the Wei, routed Shang Rang's army, and pressed the victory into the capital. Chao slipped out and reached Shijing. Zongchu entered through the Yanqiu Gate. Hongfu quartered troops along the city wall. The people of the capital all shouted together, "The imperial army has arrived! Chucun selected five thousand elite troops, marked themselves with white ramie cloth, entered at night and killed bandits. Rumor spread through the capital that Chao had fled. Bin and Jing armies vied to enter the city; other armies laid down arms to rest and competed to loot goods and women. Market youths disguised themselves and plundered freely.
108
巢伏野，使覘城中弛備，則遣孟楷率賊數百掩邠、涇軍，都人猶謂王師，歡迎之。 時軍士得珍賄，不勝載，聞賊至，重負不能走，是以甚敗。 賊執弘夫害之，處存走營。 始，王璠破奉天，引眾數千隨弘夫，及諸將敗，獨一軍戰尤力。 巢復入京師，怒民迎王師，縱擊殺八萬人，血流於路可涉也，謂之「洗城」。 諸軍退保武功，於是中和二年二月也。
Chao lay hidden in the wilds, sent scouts to watch for lax defenses in the city, then dispatched Meng Kai with several hundred bandits to strike the Bin and Jing armies. The people of the capital still thought it was the imperial army and welcomed them. The troops had obtained precious loot they could scarcely carry; when they heard bandits were coming they could not flee under the weight—thus they suffered a crushing defeat. The bandits seized Hongfu and killed him. Chucun fled back to camp. Earlier Wang Fan had taken Fengtian and led several thousand men with Hongfu. When the generals were defeated, this one army alone fought with particular force. Chao re-entered the capital, enraged that the people had welcomed the imperial army. He loosed troops to kill eighty thousand; blood in the streets ran deep enough to wade through—called "washing the city." The armies withdrew to defend Wugong—this was the second month of Zhonghe 2.
109
其五月，昭義高潯攻華州，王重榮與並力，克之。 朱玫以涇、岐、麟、夏兵八萬營興平，巢亦遣王璠營黑水，玫戰未能勝。 鄭畋將竇玫夜率士燔都門，殺邏卒，賊震懼。 於時畿民柵山谷自保，不得耕，米斗錢三十千，屑樹皮以食，有執柵民鬻賊以為糧，人獲數十萬錢。 士人或賣餅自業，舉奔河中。 李孝昌、拓拔思恭徙壁東渭橋，收水北壘。
In the fifth month, Gao Xun of Zhaoyi attacked Hua Prefecture; Wang Chongrong joined forces and took it. Zhu Mei encamped at Xingping with eighty thousand troops from Jing, Qi, Lin, and Xia. Chao also sent Wang Fan to encamp at Heishui. Mei could not win the battles. Zheng Tian's general Dou Mei led troops at night to burn the capital gates and kill patrol soldiers; the bandits were shocked and afraid. At that time people in the capital district barricaded mountain valleys for self-defense and could not farm. Rice cost thirty thousand cash per dou. They shaved tree bark to eat. Some captured barricaded commoners and sold them to bandits for grain, fetching several hundred thousand cash apiece. Some scholars sold cakes to make a living and all fled to Hezhong. Li Xiaochang and Tuoba Sigong moved their fortifications to East Weiqiao Bridge and recovered the north-of-water fort.
110
數月，賊帥朱溫、尚讓涉渭敗孝昌等軍。 高潯擊賊李詳，不勝，賊復取華州，巢即授華州刺史，以溫為同州刺史。 賊又襲孝昌，二軍引去。 賊破陳敬瑄兵，走南山。 齊克儉營興平，為賊所圍，決河灌之，不克。 有題尚書省戶譏賊且亡，尚讓怒，殺吏，輒剔目懸之，誅郎官門闌卒凡數千人，百司逃，無在者。
After several months, bandit chiefs Zhu Wen and Shang Rang crossed the Wei and defeated Xiaochang's army and others. Gao Xun attacked the bandit Li Xiang and failed. The bandits retook Hua Prefecture. Chao at once appointed a Hua prefect and made Wen prefect of Tong. The bandits struck Xiaochang again and both armies withdrew. The bandits defeated Chen Jingxuan's troops, who fled toward the southern mountains. Qi Kejian encamped at Xingping, was besieged by bandits, breached a river to flood them, but could not overcome them. Someone wrote on the Ministry of Revenue door mocking that the bandits would soon perish. Shang Rang flew into a rage, killed clerks, gouged out eyes and hung them up, and executed several thousand court officials, gatekeepers, and guards; every bureau fled—none remained.
111
天子更以王鐸為諸道行營都統，崔安潛副之，周岌、王重榮為左右司馬，諸葛爽、康實為左右先鋒，平師儒為後軍，時溥督漕賦，王處存、拓拔思恭為京畿都統，處存直左，孝章在北，思恭直右。 西門思恭為鐸都監，楊復光監行營，中書舍人盧胤徵為克復制置副使。 於是鐸以山南、劍南軍營靈感祠，朱玫以岐、夏軍營興平，重榮、處存營渭北，復光以壽、滄、荊南軍合岌營武功，孝章合拓拔思恭營渭橋，程宗楚營京右。
The Son of Heaven again made Wang Duo overall campaign commander of every circuit, with Cui Anqian as deputy; Zhou Ji and Wang Chongrong as left and right marshals; Zhuge Shuang and Kang Shi as left and right vanguard; Ping Shiru as rearguard; Shi Pu supervising grain transport; Wang Chucun and Tuoba Sigong as metropolitan campaign commanders—Chucun on the left, Xiaochang in the north, Sigong on the right. Ximen Sigong was Duo's army supervisor, Yang Fuguang supervised the campaign headquarters, and Secretariat drafter Lu Yinzheng was deputy commissioner for reconquest. Duo camped the Shannan and Jiannan armies at the Linggan Shrine; Zhu Mei camped the Qi and Xia armies at Xingping; Chongrong and Chucun camped north of the Wei; Fuguang combined Shou, Cang, and Jingnan armies with Ji at Wugong; Xiaochang combined with Tuoba Sigong at Weiqiao Bridge; Cheng Zongchu camped on the capital's west.
112
朱溫以兵三千掠丹、延南鄙，趨同州，刺史米逢出奔，溫據州以守。 六月，尚讓寇河中，使朱溫攻西關，敗諸葛爽，破重榮數千騎於河上，爽閉關不出，讓遂拔郃陽，攻宜君壘，大雨雪盈尺，兵死什三。 七月，賊攻鳳翔，敗節度李昌言於澇水，又遣強武攻武功、槐里，涇、邠兵卻，獨鳳翔兵固壁。 拓拔思恭以銳士萬八千赴難，逗留不進。 河中糧艘三十道夏陽，朱溫使兵奪艘，重榮以甲士三萬救之，溫懼，鑿沈其舟，兵遂圍溫。 溫數困，又度巢勢蹙且敗，而孟楷方專國，溫丐師，楷沮不報，即斬賊大將馬恭，降重榮。 帝進拓拔思恭為京四面都統，敕朱玫軍馬嵬。 溫既降，重榮遇之厚，故李詳亦獻款，賊覺，斬之於赤水，更以黃思鄴為刺史。
Zhu Wen with three thousand troops raided the southern borders of Dan and Yan and hastened on Tong Prefecture. Prefect Mi Feng fled. Wen seized the prefecture and held it. In the sixth month Shang Rang raided Hezhong and sent Zhu Wen to attack the West Pass. Wen defeated Zhuge Shuang and broke several thousand of Chongrong's horsemen on the river. Shuang closed the pass and would not come out. Rang then took Heyang and attacked the Yijun fort. A foot of rain and snow fell; three tenths of the troops died. In the seventh month the bandits attacked Fengxiang, defeated military commissioner Li Changyan at the Lao River, and also sent Qiangwu to attack Wugong and Huaili. Jing and Bin armies fell back; only the Fengxiang army held the walls. Tuoba Sigong brought eighteen thousand crack troops to the rescue but tarried without advancing. Thirty grain boats passed Xiayang. Zhu Wen seized the boats. Chongrong led thirty thousand armored troops to the rescue. Wen was afraid, scuttled the boats by boring holes, and the troops then besieged Wen. Wen was repeatedly distressed and also judged that Chao's position was cramped and near defeat, while Meng Kai monopolized state affairs. Wen begged for reinforcements; Kai obstructed and did not report. Wen then beheaded bandit general Ma Gong and surrendered to Chongrong. The Emperor promoted Tuoba Sigong to overall commander of the four sides of the capital and ordered Zhu Mei to camp at Mawei. After Wen surrendered, Chongrong treated him generously. So Li Xiang also offered submission. The bandits discovered, beheaded him at Chishui, and replaced him with Huang Siye as prefect.
113
十月，鐸浚壕於興平，左抵馬嵬，使將薛韜董之，由馬嵬、武功入斜谷，以通盩厔，列屯十四，使將梁璩主之，置關於沮水、七盤、三溪、木皮嶺，以遮秦、隴。 京左行營都統東方逵禽賊銳將李公迪，破堡三十。 華卒逐黃思鄴，巢以王遇為刺史，遇降河中。
In the tenth month Duo dug a moat at Xingping extending left to Mawei and had the general Xue Tao oversee it. From Mawei and Wugong he entered Xiegu to reach Zhouzhi, establishing fourteen encampments under the general Liang Ju, and set passes at Jushui, Qipan, Sanxi, and Mupi Ridge to block Qin and Long. Eastern Capital Left Campaign Commander Dongfang Kui captured the bandit sharp general Li Gongdi and broke thirty forts. Hua troops expelled Huang Siye. Chao appointed Wang Yu prefect. Yu surrendered to Hezhong.
114
明年正月，王鐸使雁門節度使李克用破賊於渭南，承制拜東北行營都統。 會鐸與安潛皆罷，克用獨引軍自嵐、石出夏陽，屯沙苑，破黃揆軍，遂營乾坑。 二月，合河中、易定、忠武等兵擊巢。 巢命王璠、林言軍居左，趙璋、尚讓軍居右，眾凡十萬，與王師大戰梁田陂。 賊敗，執俘數萬，僵胔三十里，斂為京觀。 璠與黃揆襲華州，據之，遇亡去。 克用掘塹環州，分騎屯渭北，命薛誌勤、康君立夜襲京師，火廥聚，俘賊而還。
In the first month of the following year Wang Duo had Yanmen military commissioner Li Keyong rout the bandits at Weinan and, by imperial order, appointed him Northeast Campaign Commander. As Duo and Anqian were both dismissed, Keyong alone led his army out from Lan and Shi to Xiayang, camped at Sha Yuan, routed Huang Kui's army, and then camped at Gan Pit. In the second month he combined Hezhong, Yiding, Zhongwu, and other armies to strike Chao. Chao ordered Wang Fan and Lin Yan's armies on the left and Zhao Zhang and Shang Rang's armies on the right; their force totaled one hundred thousand and fought the imperial army in a great battle at Liangtian Slope. The bandits were defeated; tens of thousands were captured, corpses lay stiff for thirty li, and they were gathered into a victory mound. Fan and Huang Kui raided Hua Prefecture, seized it, and Yu fled. Keyong dug a moat encircling the prefecture, split cavalry to camp north of the Wei, and ordered Xue Zhiqin and Kang Junli to raid the capital by night, burn the granaries, capture bandits, and return.
115
巢戰數不利，軍食竭，下不用命，陰有遁謀，即發兵三萬扼藍田道，使尚讓援華州。 克用率重榮迎戰零口，破之，遂拔其城，揆引眾出走。 涇原節度使張鈞說蕃、渾與盟，共討賊。 是時，諸鎮兵四面至。 四月，克用遣部將楊守宗率河中將白誌遷、忠武將龐從等最先進，擊賊渭橋，三戰，賊三北。 於是諸節度兵皆奮，無敢後，入自光泰門。 克用身決戰，呼聲動天，賊崩潰，逐北至望春，入升陽殿闥。 巢夜奔，眾猶十五萬，聲趨徐州，出藍田，入商山，委輜重珍貲於道，諸軍爭取之，不復追，故賊得整軍去。
Chao battled repeatedly without success; army food was exhausted and subordinates disobeyed. Secretly planning escape, he sent thirty thousand to hold the Lantian road and dispatched Shang Rang to reinforce Hua. Keyong led Chongrong to meet battle at Lingkou, defeated them, and took the city; Kui led his men and fled. Jingyuan military commissioner Zhang Jun persuaded the Tibetans and Hun to ally and jointly attack the bandits. At this time garrison troops arrived from all four sides. In the fourth month Keyong sent his subordinate Yang Shouzong leading Bai Zhicheng of Hezhong, Pang Cong of Zhongwu, and others to advance first, strike the bandits at Wei Bridge, fight three battles, and drive the bandits back three times. Then every commissioner army exerted itself; none dared lag, and they entered through the Guangtai Gate. Keyong fought decisively in person; his shouts shook heaven. The bandits collapsed; he pursued north to Wangchun and entered the inner gates of Shengyang Hall. Chao fled by night; his crowd still numbered one hundred fifty thousand and sounded as if heading for Xuzhou. They exited Lantian and entered Shangshan, discarded baggage and treasures on the road; the armies competed to seize them and did not pursue further, so the bandits were able to regroup and leave.
116
自祿山陷長安，宮闕完雄，吐蕃所燔，唯衢弄廬舍； 朱泚亂定百餘年，治繕神麗如開元時。 至巢敗，方鎮兵互入虜掠，火大內，惟含元殿獨存，火所不及者，止西內、南內及光啟宮而已。 楊復光獻捷行在，帝詔陳許、延州、鳳翔、博野軍合東西神策二萬人屯京師，命大明宮留守王徽衛諸門，撫定居人。 詔尚書右僕射裴璩修復宮省，購輦輅、仗衛、舊章、秘籍。 豫敗巢者：神策將橫沖軍使楊守亮、躡雲都將高周彜、忠順都將胡真、天德將顧彥朗七十人。
Since Lushan took Chang'an, the palace halls had remained intact and strong; what the Tibetans burned were only streets, lanes, and houses; More than a century after Zhu Ci's rebellion was put down, repairs had restored the capital to a splendor rivaling the Kaiyuan era. When Chao fell, regional armies crossed into one another's domains to loot and burn the inner palace. Only the Hanyuan Hall survived; the flames spared nothing beyond the Western Inner Palace, the Southern Inner Palace, and Guangqi Palace. Yang Fuguang reported victory to the court in exile. The Emperor ordered the Chenxu, Yanzhou, Fengxiang, and Boye armies, together with twenty thousand Eastern and Western Shence troops, to garrison the capital, and put Wang Hui, custodian of the Daming Palace, in charge of guarding the gates and reassuring the residents. An edict ordered Right Vice Premier Pei Yu to restore the palace offices and to procure imperial carriages, guard regalia, old statutes, and secret archives. Seventy men were rewarded for helping defeat Chao, among them Shence general and Cross-Assault Army commissioner Yang Shouliang, Cloud-Treading commander Gao Zhouyi, Loyal Submission commander Hu Zhen, and Tiande general Gu Yanlang.
117
巢已東，使孟楷攻蔡州。 節度使秦宗權迎戰，大敗，即臣賊，與連和。 楷擊陳州，敗死，巢自圍之，略鄧、許、孟、洛，東入徐、兗數十州。 人大饑，倚死墻塹，賊俘以食，日數千人，乃辦列百巨碓，糜骨皮於臼，並啖之。 時朱全忠為宣武節度使，與周岌、時溥帥師救陳，趙犨亦乞兵太原。 巢遣宗權攻許州，未克。 於是糧竭，木皮草根皆盡。
Chao had already fled east and dispatched Meng Kai to attack Cai Prefecture. Military commissioner Qin Zongquan met him in battle and was routed. He immediately submitted to the bandits and entered an alliance with them. Kai attacked Chen Prefecture, was defeated, and killed. Chao personally besieged the city, raided Deng, Xu, Meng, and Luo, and pushed east into dozens of prefectures in Xu and Yan. The people starved until corpses leaned against walls and moats. The bandits fed themselves on captives, several thousand a day. They set up a hundred great mortars, ground bones and hides in them, and ate the paste. At this time Zhu Quanzhong was military commissioner of Xuanwu. He marched with Zhou Ji and Shi Pu to relieve Chen, while Zhao Chou also pleaded for troops from Taiyuan. Chao sent Zongquan to attack Xu Prefecture, but the city did not fall. Soon their provisions ran out, and even tree bark and grass roots were gone.
118
四年二月，李克用率山西兵由陜濟河而東，會關東諸鎮壁汝州。 全忠擊賊瓦子堡，斬萬餘級，諸軍破尚讓於太康，亦萬級，獲械鎧馬羊萬計，又敗黃鄴於西華，鄴夜遁。 巢大恐，居三日，軍中相驚，棄壁走，巢退營故陽裏。 其五月，大雨震電，川溪皆暴溢，賊壘盡壞，眾潰，巢解而去。 全忠進戍尉氏，克用追巢，全忠還汴州。
In the second month of the fourth year, Li Keyong led Shanxi troops east from Shaan across the river and joined the eastern garrisons encamped at Ru Prefecture. Quanzhong struck the bandits at Wazi Fort and beheaded more than ten thousand. The allied armies routed Shang Rang at Taikang, killing another ten thousand and seizing tens of thousands of weapons, suits of armor, horses, and sheep. They also defeated Huang Ye at Xihua, and Ye fled under cover of night. Chao was terrified. After three days in camp, his army panicked, abandoned its fortifications, and fled. Chao withdrew to Guyangli. In the fifth month torrential rain and thunder rolled in, and streams and rivers burst their banks. The bandit fortifications were washed away, the army collapsed, and Chao broke camp and withdrew. Quanzhong advanced to garrison Weishi while Keyong pursued Chao. Quanzhong then returned to Bian Prefecture.
119
巢取尉氏，攻中牟，兵度水半，克用擊之，賊多溺死。 巢引殘眾走封丘，克用追敗之，還營鄭州。 巢涉汴北引，夜復大雨，賊驚潰，克用聞之，急擊巢河瀕。 巢度河攻汴州，全忠拒守，克用救之，斬賊驍將李周、楊景彪等。 巢夜走胙城，入冤句。 克用悉軍窮躡，賊將李讜、楊能、霍存、葛從周、張歸霸、張歸厚往降全忠，而尚讓以萬人歸時溥。 巢愈猜忿，屢殺大將，引眾奔兗州。 克用追至曹，巢兄弟拒戰，不勝，走兗、鄆間，獲男女牛馬萬餘、乘輿器服等，禽巢愛子。 克用軍晝夜馳，糧盡不能得巢，乃還。 巢眾僅千人，走保太山。
Chao took Weishi and attacked Zhongmou. Keyong struck while his troops were halfway across the river, and many bandits drowned. Chao led his shattered remnant toward Fengqiu. Keyong pursued, routed them, and returned to camp at Zheng Prefecture. Chao crossed north of the Bian and withdrew. That night another downpour sent the bandits into panic and rout. Keyong heard the news and rushed to strike Chao on the riverbank. Chao crossed the river and attacked Bian Prefecture. Quanzhong held the city, and Keyong came to his relief, beheading the bandits' fierce generals Li Zhou, Yang Jingbiao, and others. Chao fled by night to Zuocheng and on into Yuanqu. Keyong pursued with his whole army to the limit. Bandit generals Li Dan, Yang Neng, Huo Cun, Ge Congzhou, Zhang Guiba, and Zhang Guihou surrendered to Quanzhong, while Shang Rang brought ten thousand men over to Shi Pu. Chao grew ever more suspicious and furious, repeatedly executed his senior generals, and led his men in flight toward Yan Prefecture. Keyong pursued as far as Cao. Chao's brothers fought back but were defeated and fled between Yan and Yun. Keyong seized more than ten thousand men and women, cattle and horses, imperial carriages, utensils, and robes, and captured Chao's beloved son. Keyong's army raced day and night, but with provisions exhausted he could not catch Chao, and so he turned back. Chao's force had dwindled to a thousand men, and they fled to take refuge on Mount Tai.
120
六月，時溥遣將陳景瑜與尚讓追戰狼虎谷，巢計蹙，謂林言曰：「我欲討國奸臣，洗滌朝廷，事成不退，亦誤矣。 若取吾首獻天子，可得富貴，毋為他人利。」 言，巢出也，不忍。 巢乃自刎，不殊，言因斬之，及兄存、弟鄴、揆、欽、秉、萬通、思厚，並殺其妻子，悉函首，將詣溥。 而太原博野軍殺言，與巢首俱上溥，獻於行在，詔以首獻於廟。 徐州小史李師悅得巢偽符璽，上之，拜湖州刺史。
In the sixth month Shi Pu sent the general Chen Jingyu with Shang Rang to pursue and fight at Langhu Valley. Chao saw his options closing. He said to Lin Yan, "I set out to punish the treacherous ministers of the state and cleanse the court. To succeed and still not withdraw was my mistake. Take my head and present it to the Son of Heaven, and you may win wealth and honor—do not let someone else reap the reward. Yan was Chao's nephew and could not bring himself to do it. Chao then cut his own throat but did not finish the deed. Yan beheaded him, along with his elder brother Cun and younger brothers Ye, Kui, Qin, Bing, Wantong, and Sihou. He also killed their wives and children, boxed all the heads, and set out for Pu. But the Taiyuan Boye Army killed Yan and, together with Chao's head, sent both to Pu. The heads were presented to the court in exile, and an edict ordered Chao's head displayed at the ancestral temple. Li Shiyue, a minor clerk of Xuzhou, obtained Chao's counterfeit seals and presented them to the court. He was appointed prefect of Hu.
121
巢從子浩眾七千，為盜江湖間，自號「浪蕩軍」。 天復初，欲據湖南，陷瀏陽，殺略甚眾。 湘陰強家鄧進思率壯士伏山中，擊殺浩。 贊贊曰：廣明元年，巢始盜京師，自陳「唐去醜口而著黃，明黃且代唐也。」 嗚呼，其言妖歟！ 後巢死，秦宗權始張，株亂遍天下，朱溫卒攘神器有之，大氐皆巢黨也。 寧天托諸人告亡於下乎！ 秦宗權秦宗權，蔡州上蔡人，為許牙將。 巢涉淮，節度使薛能遣宗權搜兵淮西，而許軍亂，殺能。 宗權外示赴難，因逐刺史，據蔡以叛。 周岌代能領節度，即授以州，有兵萬人，乃遣將從諸軍敗賊於汝州。 楊復光言之朝，擢防禦使，寵其軍曰奉國，即為本軍節度使，進檢校司空。
Chao's nephew Hao led seven thousand men in banditry on the rivers and lakes and styled his force the "Roaming Army." At the beginning of the Tianfu era he sought to seize Hunan, captured Liuyang, and killed and plundered on a vast scale. Deng Jinsi, a powerful local man of Xiangyin, led stalwart men in ambush in the mountains and killed Hao. The commentator writes: In the first year of Guangming, when Chao first seized the capital, he proclaimed, "Tang removes the 'chou' radical to reveal huang—bright yellow shall soon replace Tang. Alas—were these not words of doom! After Chao died, Qin Zongquan rose in his place, and the roots of disorder spread across the empire. Zhu Wen ultimately seized the imperial regalia; most of his power base had been Chao's followers. Had Heaven truly entrusted these men to proclaim the dynasty's fall from below! Qin Zongquan. Qin Zongquan was a native of Shangcai in Cai Prefecture and served as a Ya general in Xu. When Chao crossed the Huai, military commissioner Xue Neng dispatched Zongquan to raise troops in Huai West, but the Xu army mutinied and killed Neng. Zongquan outwardly professed to rush to the rescue, then drove out the prefect, seized Cai, and rebelled. Zhou Ji replaced Neng as military commissioner and at once granted Zongquan the prefecture. With ten thousand troops under him, Zongquan sent a general to join the allied armies in defeating the bandits at Ru Prefecture. Yang Fuguang reported this to the court. Zongquan was promoted to defense commissioner, his army was honored with the name Fengguo, he was made military commissioner of his own command, and advanced to acting Minister of Works.
122
巢走出關，宗權與連和，遂圍陳州，樹壁相望，擾敚梁、宋間。 巢死，宗權張甚，嘯會逋殘，有吞噬四海意。 乃遣弟宗言寇荊南； 秦誥出山南，攻襄州，陷之，進破東都，圍陜州； 使秦彥寇淮、肥； 秦賢略江南； 宗衡亂嶽、鄂。 賊渠率票慘，所至屠老孺，焚屋廬，城府窮為荊萊，自關中薄青、齊，南繚荊、郢，北亙衛、滑，皆麕駭雉伏，至千里無舍煙。 惟趙犨保陳，朱全忠保汴，僅自完而已。 然無霸王計，惟亂是恃，兵出未始轉糧，指鄉聚曰：「啖其人，可飽吾眾。」 官軍追躡，獲鹽屍數十車。
Chao fled out of the pass. Zongquan allied with him, besieged Chen Prefecture, and raised ramparts that faced the defenders across the lines, raiding and plundering between Liang and Song. When Chao died, Zongquan grew vastly ambitious, gathered fugitive remnants, and set his sights on swallowing the empire whole. He sent his younger brother Zongyan to raid Jingnan; Qin Gao marched out from Shannan, attacked Xiang Prefecture and took it, then advanced to break the Eastern Capital and besiege Shan Prefecture; he sent Qin Yan to raid Huai and Fei; Qin Xian raided the lower Yangzi region; Zongheng stirred up disorder in Yue and E. The bandit chiefs led swift and merciless raids. Wherever they went they slaughtered old and young, burned houses and halls, and reduced cities and prefectures to thorny wasteland. From Guanzhong near Qing and Qi, south along Jing and Ying, north spanning Wei and Hua—people scattered like startled deer and crouching pheasants, until for a thousand li no hearth smoke rose. Only Zhao Chou held Chen and Zhu Quanzhong held Bian, barely managing to preserve themselves. Yet he had no plan for empire and relied only on chaos. His armies marched without transporting grain. Pointing at villages and settlements he said, "Eat these people, and my troops will be fed. When the imperial army pursued, they captured dozens of cartloads of salted corpses.
123
僖宗假朱全忠都統節以討賊。 秦賢略宋及曹，全忠好書約和，賢遣張調請分地，自汴以南歸之蔡，全忠陰許，而賢引兵濟汴，肆燔劫無孑餘。 全忠大怒，斬調而還，曰：「我出十將，必破此賊。」 進與賊戰，殺獲甚眾。 宗權急攻許，節度使鹿晏弘乞師於全忠，師未及出，已破晏弘，進攻鄭州，取之。 擊河橋，遂守河陽，放兵侵汴西鄙、北鄙。
Emperor Xizong granted Zhu Quanzhong the seal of overall commander and ordered him to attack the bandits. Qin Xian raided Song and Cao. Quanzhong wrote repeatedly proposing peace. Xian sent Zhang Diao to request a territorial division: everything south of Bian would go to Cai. Quanzhong secretly agreed, but Xian led troops across the Bian and burned and plundered until nothing was left standing. Quanzhong was furious. He beheaded Diao and returned, saying, "Send out ten of my generals, and these bandits will surely be broken. He advanced, fought the bandits, and killed and captured a great many. Zongquan pressed the attack on Xu. Military commissioner Lu Yanhong begged Quanzhong for troops, but before relief could arrive Yanhong was broken. Zongquan advanced on Zheng Prefecture and took it. He struck the He Bridge, then held Heyang and sent troops raiding the western and northern borders of Bian.
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全忠壁酸棗，戰不克。 宗權屯邊村，使秦賢營雙丘，侵板橋，盧瑭引兵進屯萬勝，夾汴而柵，將梁以濟師。 全忠詭擊殺瑭，宗權悉軍十五萬列三十六屯，逼汴。 全忠懼，求救於兗、鄆，而朱瑾、朱宣皆身自將同拒賊。 五月，全忠閉城大會，鼓聞於郊無置聲，陰啟北門擊賊壘，士嘩，趨中營，兗、鄆整兵合擊，大敗之。 宗權忿，過鄭，焚郛舍，驅民入淮西，全忠遂有鄭、許、河陽、東都。
Quanzhong fortified at Suanzao but could not win the battle. Zongquan encamped at Biancun and sent Qin Xian to camp at Shuangqiu, raiding Banqiao. Lu Tang advanced to encamp at Wansheng. They fenced in both sides of Bian and prepared beams to ferry troops across. Quanzhong feigned an attack and killed Tang. Zongquan brought out his full army of one hundred fifty thousand, arrayed thirty-six encampments, and pressed Bian. Quanzhong was afraid and begged Yan and Yun for rescue. Zhu Jin and Zhu Xuan both personally led troops to join him against the bandits. In the fifth month Quanzhong closed the city and held a great assembly; drums rolled through the suburbs without cease. Secretly he opened the north gate and struck the bandit fortifications. His troops shouted and rushed the central camp. Yan and Yun arrayed their armies and joined the attack, inflicting a crushing defeat. Zongquan withdrew in fury. Passing through Zheng he burned the outer city buildings and drove the people into Huai West. Quanzhong then came into possession of Zheng, Xu, Heyang, and the Eastern Capital.
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於是合諸鎮兵會上蔡，分為五軍入其地。 宗權召孫儒，儒不應。 宗權素壁上蔡以扼險要，全忠拔其壁，遂圍蔡州，傅城而壘，以羸兵誘賊。 賊出，全忠盡斬之。 宗權退守中州，未能下，全忠使大將胡元琮圍之，身還汴。 宗權間許無備，襲取其州，執守將元琮，引兵復收許。
Thereupon the combined garrison troops of the circuits met at Shangcai and divided into five armies to invade his territory. Zongquan summoned Sun Ru, but Ru did not answer the call. Zongquan had long fortified Shangcai to hold the strategic passes. Quanzhong took those fortifications, then besieged Cai Prefecture, built ramparts against the walls, and used weak troops to lure the bandits out. When the bandits sallied out, Quanzhong cut them all down. Zongquan withdrew to hold Zhong Prefecture, but the city would not fall. Quanzhong sent his great general Hu Yuancong to besiege it and returned personally to Bian. Finding Xu undefended, Zongquan raided and took the prefecture, seized the defending general Yuancong, and led troops to recover Xu.
126
宗權還，為愛將申叢所囚，折一足以待命。 全忠署叢節度留後，叢中悔，夷其族。 宗權至汴，全忠以禮迎勞，且曰：「公昔陷許，能戢兵賜盟，戮力勤王，烏有今日乎？」 宗權曰：「英雄不兩立，天亡仆以資公也。」 謷然無懼色。 全忠以檻車上送京師，兩神策兵縻護。 昭宗禦延喜樓受俘，京兆尹曳以組練，徇兩市，引頸視車外，呼曰：「宗權豈反者耶？ 顧輸忠不效耳。」 觀者大笑。 與妻趙俱斬獨柳下。 宗權以中和三年叛，居六年而誅。 董昌董昌，杭州臨安人。 始籍土團軍，以功擢累石鏡鎮將。 中和三年，刺史路審中臨州，昌率兵拒，不得入，即自領州事。 鎮海節度使周寶不能制，因表為刺史。 昌已破劉漢宏，兵益強，進義勝軍節度使、檢校尚書右僕射。 僖宗始還京師，昌取越民裴氏藏書獻之，補秘書之亡，授兼諸道采訪圖籍使。
When Zongquan returned, his beloved general Shen Cong imprisoned him, broke one of his legs, and kept him awaiting orders. Quanzhong appointed Cong acting military commissioner. Cong soon regretted his course, and Quanzhong exterminated his entire clan. When Zongquan arrived at Bian, Quanzhong welcomed him with ceremony and said, "When you took Xu, if you had restrained your troops and made alliance, joining strength to serve the throne—would we be here today? Zongquan said, "Two heroes cannot stand together. Heaven destroyed me to enrich you." He spoke loudly, without a trace of fear. Quanzhong sent him to the capital in a caged cart, escorted by troops of both Shence armies. Emperor Zhaozong received the captive at the Yanshi Tower. The metropolitan prefect dragged him in ropes and chains through both markets. Zongquan stretched his neck to look outside the cart and cried, "Am I truly a rebel? My offer of loyalty simply did not succeed. The onlookers burst out laughing. He and his wife Zhao were both executed beneath the Lone Willow. Zongquan rebelled in the third year of Zhonghe and was executed six years later. Dong Chang. Dong Chang was a native of Lin'an in Hang Prefecture. He was originally registered in the local militia and, through merit, rose step by step to garrison general of Shijing. In the third year of Zhonghe, prefect Lu Shenzhong came to take up his post. Chang led troops to bar his entry and then personally assumed charge of prefectural affairs. Zhou Bao, military commissioner of Zhenhai, could not control him and memorialized the court to appoint him prefect. Chang had already defeated Liu Hanhong, and his army grew stronger. He was advanced to military commissioner of the Yisheng Army and acting Right Vice Premier of the Ministry of State. When Emperor Xizong first returned to the capital, Chang took the book collection of the Pei family of Yue and presented it to replenish what the Secretariat had lost. He was appointed concurrent commissioner for surveying maps and archives of every circuit.
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始，為治廉平，人頗安之。 當是時，天下貢輸不入，獨昌賦外獻常參倍，旬一遣，以五百人為率，人給一刀，後期即誅。 朝廷賴其入，故累拜檢校太尉、同中書門下平章事，爵隴西郡王。 視詔書訖，字償一縑，歸當制官。 而小人意足，浸自侈大，托神以詭眾。 始立生祠，刳香木為軀，內金玉紈素為肺府，冕而坐，妻媵侍別帳，百倡鼓吹於前，屬兵列護門。 屬州為土馬獻祠下，列牲牢祈請，或紿言土馬若嘶且汗，皆受賞。 昌自言：「有饗者，我必醉。」 蝗集祠旁，使人捕沈鏡湖，告曰：「不為災。」 客有言：「嘗遊吳隱之祠，止一偶人。」 昌聞，怒曰：「我非吳隱之比！」 支解客祠前。
At first his governance was honest and fair, and the people were relatively content. At that time tribute from across the empire no longer reached the capital. Chang alone, beyond his tax quota, sent double the regular tribute every ten days, five hundred men per dispatch, each given a knife—late arrival meant execution. The court relied on his deliveries and repeatedly promoted him to acting Grand General, co-equal with the Secretariat and Chancellery, and ennobled him as Prince of Longxi Commandery. After reading an edict through, he paid the drafting official one bolt of silk for every character. But the petty man's ambition was satisfied, and he gradually grew extravagant, using the divine to deceive the masses. He first established a living shrine, hollowed fragrant wood for a body, filled it with gold, jade, and silk as organs, and sat crowned upon it. Wives and concubines attended in separate pavilions. A hundred singers and musicians performed before him, and subordinate troops lined up to guard the gate. Subordinate prefectures presented clay horses beneath the shrine and set out sacrificial animals to pray. Sometimes they falsely claimed the clay horses seemed to neigh and sweat—and all received rewards. Chang declared, "When there is an offering, I must become drunk. Locusts gathered beside the shrine. He had people capture them and sink them in Mirror Lake, announcing, "They will not become a disaster. A guest remarked, "I once visited Wu Yin zhi's shrine—there was only a single figure there. Chang heard this and said in fury, "I am no peer of Wu Yin zhi! He had the guest dismembered before the shrine.
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始，罷榷鹽以悅人，豐衣食，後稍峭法，笞至千百，或小過輒夷族，血流刑場，地為之赤。 有五千餘姓當族，昌曰：「能孝於我，貸而死。」 皆曰：「諾。」 昌厚養之，號「感恩都」，刻其臂為誓，親族至號泣相別者。 凡民訟，不視獄，但與擲博齒，不勝者死。 用人亦取勝者。
At first he abolished the salt monopoly to win the people's favor and enrich their food and clothing. Later he gradually tightened the laws. Beatings ran to hundreds or thousands, and minor offenses could bring extermination of an entire clan. Blood flowed at the execution ground until the earth turned red. More than five thousand households were marked for clan extermination. Chang said, "If you can show devotion to me, I will spare you from death. They all said, "We agree. Chang generously supported them and called them the "District of Gratitude." He had their arms branded with oaths, and kinsmen came to weep as they parted. In all civil disputes he did not hear the cases but only gambled with dice against the parties—the loser died. In appointing officials he likewise chose the winner.
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昌得郡王，咤曰：「朝廷負我，吾奉金帛不貲，何惜越王不吾與？ 吾當自取之！」 下厭其虐，乃勸為帝。 近縣舉狂謼請，昌令曰：「時至，我當應天順人。」 其屬吳繇、秦昌裕、盧勤、朱瓚、董庠、李暢、薛遼與妖人應智、王溫、巫韓媼皆贊之。 昌益兵城四縣自防。 山陰老人偽獻謠曰：「欲知天子名，日從日上生。」 昌喜，賜百縑，免稅征。 命方士朱思遠築壇祠天，詭言天符夜降，碧楮朱文不可識。 昌曰：「讖言『兔上金床』，我生於卯，明年歲旅其次，二月朔之明日，皆卯也，我以其時當即位。」 客倪德儒曰：「咸通末，《越中秘記》言：『有羅平鳥，主越禍福。』 中和時，鳥見吳、越，四目而三足，其鳴曰『羅平天冊』，民祀以攘難。 今大王署名，文與鳥類。」 即圖以示昌，昌大喜。
When Chang received the title of Prince of a Commandery, he exclaimed, "The court has wronged me! I have sent gold and silk beyond counting—why begrudge me the title of Prince of Yue? I shall seize it myself! His subordinates, weary of his cruelty, urged him to declare himself emperor. Nearby counties raised wild clamor petitioning him. Chang proclaimed, "When the time comes, I shall respond to Heaven and follow the people's will. His subordinates Wu Yao, Qin Changyu, Lu Qin, Zhu Zan, Dong Xiang, Li Chang, and Xue Liao, together with sorcerers Ying Zhi and Wang Wen and the shamaness Han Ao, all endorsed him. Chang reinforced his troops and fortified four counties in self-defense. An old man of Shanyin falsely presented a ballad saying, "To know the Son of Heaven's name—'day' is born from above 'day. Chang was delighted, rewarded him with a hundred bolts of silk, and exempted him from taxes. He ordered the Taoist adept Zhu Siyuan to build an altar and sacrifice to Heaven, falsely claiming a celestial talisman descended by night—green paper bearing red script no one could decipher. Chang said, "The prophecy reads 'a rabbit upon a golden bed.' I was born in a mao year; next year the cycle reaches that position again, and the day after the first day of the second month—all are mao. At that time I shall take the throne. The guest Ni Deru said, "At the end of the Xiantong era, the 《Secret Records of Yue》 stated, 'There is a Luoping bird that governs fortune and misfortune in Yue. During the Zhonghe era the bird appeared in Wu and Yue—four-eyed and three-legged. Its cry was 'Luoping Celestial Reign,' and the people worshipped it to ward off calamity. Your Highness's signature—the script resembles that of the bird.' He immediately drew a picture to show Chang, and Chang was overjoyed.
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乾寧二年，即偽位，國號大越羅平，建元曰天冊，自稱「聖人」，鑄銀印方四寸，文曰「順天治國之印」。 又出細民所上銅鉛石印十床及它鳥獸龜蛇陳於廷，指曰「天瑞」。 其下制詔，皆自署名，或曰帝王無押詔，昌曰：「不親署，何由知我為天子？」 即榜南門曰天冊樓。 先是，州寢有赤光，長十餘丈； 虺長尺餘，金色，見思道亭。 昌署寢曰明光殿，亭曰黃龍殿，以自神。 以次拜置百官，監軍與官屬皆西北向慟哭，乃北面臣昌。 或請署近侍，昌曰：「吾假處此位，安得如宮禁？」 不許。 下書屬州曰：「以某日權即位，然昌荷天子恩，死不敢負國。」
In the second year of Qianning he took the false throne. He named his state Great Yue Luoping, adopted the era name Tian Ce, and styled himself "The Sage." He cast a silver seal four inches square, inscribed "Seal of Governing the Realm in Accord with Heaven." He also produced ten trays of copper, lead, and stone seals submitted by commoners, along with birds, beasts, tortoises, and serpents displayed in the court, pointing to them and calling them "Heavenly portents." His subordinates drafted edicts, all bearing his own signature. Some said emperors do not personally affix a cipher to edicts. Chang said, "If I do not sign in person, how will anyone know I am Son of Heaven? He then posted a placard on the southern gate naming it Tian Ce Tower. Earlier, crimson light had appeared in the prefectural residence, more than ten zhang long; a serpent more than a chi long, golden in color, was seen at Sidao Pavilion. Chang named his residence Hall of Bright Light and the pavilion Hall of the Yellow Dragon, glorifying himself as divine. In succession he installed the hundred officials. The military supervisors and staff all faced northwest and wept bitterly, then turned north to submit to Chang as their sovereign. Some requested appointment of close attendants. Chang said, "I merely occupy this position provisionally—how could it be like the inner palace? He would not allow it. He issued a document to subordinate prefectures saying, "On a certain day I provisionally assume the throne, yet Chang bears the Emperor's grace and dares not betray the realm even in death."
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初，官屬不徇昌旨者，節度副使黃碣、山陰令張遜皆誅死。 鎮海節度使錢鏐書讓昌曰：「開府領節度，終身富貴，不能守，閉城作天子，滅親族，亦何賴？ 願王改圖。」 昌不聽，燜悉兵三萬攻之，望城再拜曰：「大王位將相，乃不臣。 能改過，請諭還諸軍。」 昌懼，獻鏐錢二百萬緡犒軍，執應智、王溫、韓媼、吳繇、秦昌裕送於鏐，且待罪。 燜乃還，表於朝，以為昌不可赦，復討之，傅城而壘。 昌又執朱思遠、王守真、盧勤送鏐軍求解。 昭宗遣中人李重密勞師，除昌官爵，授鏐浙東道招討使。 昌乃求援於淮南楊行密，行密遣將臺濛圍蘇州，安仁義、田頵攻杭州，以救昌。 鏐將顧全武等數敗昌軍，昌將多降，遂進圍越州。
Initially, officials who did not obey Chang's wishes—deputy military commissioner Huang Jie and Shanyin magistrate Zhang Xun—were all executed. Qian Liu, military commissioner of Zhenhai, wrote reproaching Chang: "You opened a princely establishment and held a commission—wealth and honor for life. Unable to keep them, you shut the city and made yourself Son of Heaven. With your kin exterminated, upon what can you rely? I pray Your Highness change your plans. Chang would not listen. Liu assembled thirty thousand troops and attacked. Facing the city he bowed twice and said, "Your Highness holds the rank of minister and general—yet you will not submit. If you can reform, I pray you instruct the armies to withdraw. Chang grew afraid. He offered Liu two million strings of cash to reward the army, seized Ying Zhi, Wang Wen, Han Ao, Wu Yao, and Qin Changyu and sent them to Liu, and awaited punishment. Liu then withdrew, memorialized the court that Chang could not be pardoned, and attacked again, pressing close to the walls and building ramparts. Chang again seized Zhu Siyuan, Wang Shouzhen, and Lu Qin and sent them to Liu's army seeking release. Emperor Zhaozong sent the eunuch Li Chongmi to comfort the armies, stripped Chang of his ranks, and appointed Liu Commissioner for Punitive Campaigns on the Zhedong Circuit. Chang then sought aid from Yang Xingmi in Huainan. Xingmi sent the general Tai Meng to besiege Suzhou and An Renyi and Tian Yun to attack Hangzhou, to rescue Chang. Liu's generals Gu Quanwu and others repeatedly defeated Chang's army. Many of Chang's commanders surrendered, and Liu advanced to besiege Yue Prefecture.
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候人言外師強，輒斬以徇； 紿告鏐兵老，皆賞。 昌身閱兵五雲門，出金帛傾鏐眾。 全武等益奮，昌軍大潰，遽還，去偽號，曰：「越人勸我作天子，固無益，今復為節度使。」 全武四面攻，未克，會臺濛取蘇州，鏐召全武還，全武曰：「賊根本在甌、越，今失一州而緩賊，不可。」 攻益急。 城中以口率錢，雖簪珥皆輸軍。 昌從子真得士心，昌信讒殺之，眾始不用命。 又減戰糧欲犒外軍，下愈怨，反攻昌，昌保子城。 鏐將駱團入見，紿言：「奉詔迎公居臨安。」 昌信之，全武執昌還，及西江，斬之，投屍於江，傳首京師，夷其族。 於是斬偽大臣李邈、蔣瑰等百餘人，發昌先墓，火之。 昌敗，猶積糧三百萬斛，金幣大抵五百餘帑，而兵不及萬人。 鏐遂為鎮海、鎮東兩軍節度云。 贊贊曰：唐亡，諸盜皆生於大中之朝，太宗之遺德餘澤去民也久矣，而賢臣斥死，庸懦在位，厚賦深刑，天下愁苦。 方是時也，天將去唐，諸盜並出，歷五姓，兵未嘗少解，至宋然後天下復安。 漢之亡也，天下大亂，至晉然後稍定； 晉之亡也，天下大亂，至唐然後復安。 治少而亂多者，古今之勢，盛王業業以求治，可少忽哉！
Scouts who reported that enemy forces were strong were immediately beheaded as a warning; those who falsely reported that Liu's troops were worn out were all rewarded. Chang personally reviewed troops at Wuyun Gate and poured out gold and silk to win over Liu's forces. Quanwu and the others fought all the harder. Chang's army collapsed utterly. He hurried back, abandoned his false title, and said, "The people of Yue urged me to become Son of Heaven—it was truly of no use. I now resume my post as military commissioner. Quanwu attacked from all sides but could not take the city. When Tai Meng captured Suzhou, Liu summoned Quanwu back. Quanwu said, "The rebels' root lies in Ou and Yue. To lose one prefecture now and slacken against the rebels—that will not do. The attack grew fiercer. In the city taxes were levied by head-count; even hairpins and earrings were turned over to the army. Chang's nephew Zhen had won the soldiers' hearts. Chang believed slander and executed him, and the troops then began to disobey. He further reduced battle rations, intending to reward the outside armies. His subordinates grew ever more resentful, turned against Chang, and Chang retreated to the inner citadel. Liu's general Luo Tuan entered for an audience and deceived him, saying, "By imperial edict I come to escort Your Grace to Lin'an. Chang believed him. Quanwu seized Chang and escorted him back. At the West River he was beheaded, his corpse thrown into the river, his head sent to the capital, and his clan exterminated. Thereupon more than a hundred false ministers including Li Miao and Jiang Gui were beheaded, Chang's ancestral graves were opened and burned. When Chang fell, he still had three million hu of grain stored, gold and coin in roughly five hundred coffers—and fewer than ten thousand soldiers. Liu thus became military commissioner of both the Zhenhai and Zhendong armies. The commentator says: When Tang fell, the bandits all arose in the Dazhong era. The lingering kindness of Emperor Taizong's benevolence had long since departed from the people. Worthy ministers were driven out and killed; mediocrities and cowards held office. Heavy taxes and harsh punishments filled the realm with misery. At that time Heaven was about to abandon Tang. Bandits emerged together, passing through five dynastic names. Arms never once rested, until Song at last restored peace to the realm. When Han fell, the realm was torn by great disorder; only under Jin did it gradually settle; When Jin fell, the realm was torn by great disorder; only under Tang was peace restored. Order is brief and chaos long—such is the pattern of ages past and present. A flourishing sovereign toils earnestly to seek good governance—can this be lightly neglected!