1
太祖聖神恭肅文武孝皇帝，姓郭氏，邢州堯山人也。 父簡，事晉為順州刺史。 劉仁恭攻破順州，簡見殺，子威少孤，依潞州人常氏。 潞州留後李繼韜募勇敢士為軍卒，威年十八，以勇力應募。 為人負氣，好使酒，繼韜特奇之。 威嘗遊於市，市有屠者，常以勇服其市人。 威醉，呼屠者，使進幾割肉，割不如法，叱之。 屠者披其腹示之曰：「爾勇者，能殺我乎？」 威即前取刀刺殺之。 一市皆驚，威頗自如。 為吏所執，繼韜惜其勇，陰縱之使亡，已而復召置麾下。 繼韜叛晉附於梁，後莊宗滅梁，繼韜誅死，其麾下兵悉隸從馬直，威以通書算補為軍吏。 好讀《閫外春秋》，略知兵法，後為侍衛軍吏。 漢高祖為侍衛親軍都虞候，尤親愛之。 後高祖所臨鎮，嘗以威從。 契丹滅晉，漢高祖起兵太原，即皇帝位，拜威樞密副使。
Taizu, temple name the Sagely, Divine, Reverent, Solemn, Civil, Martial, Filial Emperor, was of the Guo clan and came from Yaoshan in Xingzhou. His father Jian had served the Jin as prefect of Shunzhou. When Liu Rengong seized Shunzhou, Jian was killed. Wei was still a boy and, orphaned, was taken in by the Chang family of Luzhou. Li Jitao, regent of Luzhou, was raising bold men for the ranks; at eighteen Wei enlisted on the strength of his daring. Proud-spirited and quick to drink, he caught Jitao’s eye as someone out of the ordinary. Wei once walked the market where a butcher ruled the stalls by sheer bravado. Drunk, Wei hailed the butcher for a few slices; the cuts displeased him and he shouted the man down. The butcher ripped open his robe and cried, “You’re the brave one—dare you kill me?” Wei strode up, seized the knife, and ran him through. The market erupted in alarm; Wei himself was unruffled. The authorities arrested him, but Jitao valued his daring and quietly set him loose; before long he called him back into his service. When Jitao turned on Jin for Liang, Zhuangzong later crushed Liang and put Jitao to death. The remnant force entered the Imperial Horse Guard, and Wei, skilled in letters and accounts, was posted as a clerk. He read the Spring and Autumn Outside the Gate and picked up a rough grasp of warfare; he later served as a clerk in the Palace Guard. Han Gaozu, then chief adjutant of the Palace Guard, took a particular liking to him. Afterward, on every posting Gaozu held, Wei usually went along. After the Khitan overthrew Jin, Han Gaozu rose at Taiyuan and claimed the throne, naming Wei Vice Commissioner of the Privy Council.
2
乾祐元年正月，高祖疾大漸，以隱帝托威及史弘肇等。 隱帝即位，拜威樞密使。 是歲三月，河中李守貞、永興趙思綰、鳳翔王景崇相次反，隱帝遣白文珂、郭從義、常思等分討之，久皆無功。 隱帝謂威曰：「吾欲煩公可乎？」 威對曰：「臣不敢請，亦不敢辭，惟陛下命。」 乃加拜威同中書門下平章事，使西督諸將。 威居軍中，延見賓客，褒衣博帶，及臨陣行營，幅巾短後，與士卒無異； 上所賜予，與諸將會射，恣其所取，其餘悉以分賜士卒，將士皆歡樂。 威至河中，自柵其城東，思柵其南，文珂柵其西，調五縣丁二萬人築連壘以護三柵。 諸將皆謂守貞窮寇，破在旦夕，不宜勞人如此，威不聽。 已而守貞數出兵擊壞連壘，威輒補之，守貞輒復出擊，每出必有亡失。 久之，城中兵食俱盡，威曰：「可矣！」 乃治攻具，為期日，四面攻之，破其羅城，守貞與妻子自焚死，思綰、景崇相次降。
In the first month of Qianyou 1, as Gaozu lay dying, he committed the Hidden Emperor to the care of Wei, Shi Hongzhao, and the rest. On the Hidden Emperor’s accession, Wei became Commissioner of the Privy Council. In the third month of that year Li Shouzhen at Hezhong, Zhao Sixian at Yongxing, and Wang Jingchong at Fengxiang rose one after another. The Hidden Emperor dispatched Bai Wenke, Guo Congyi, Chang Si, and others on separate campaigns, yet month after month they could not break the rebels. The Hidden Emperor asked Wei, “May I burden you with this command?” Wei answered, “I would not presume to request it, nor dare I decline—only obey Your Majesty.” He was made Associate Grand Councilor and sent west to take command of the armies. In camp he met guests in formal robes and wide belt; on the march or at the front he wore a kerchief and short jacket like any soldier— imperial gifts he laid out at target practice for the commanders to claim at will, and whatever remained went to the troops. The army was elated. At Hezhong Wei walled the east, Chang Si the south, and Bai Wenke the west, while twenty thousand laborers from five counties threw up connecting works to guard the three siegelines. His officers insisted Shouzhen was spent and would collapse any day, and that so much conscription was wasteful. Wei paid them no heed. Shouzhen soon began raiding the lines again and again; Wei patched each breach, and every attack left the rebels weaker. When provisions inside the walls ran out, Wei declared, “Now we may strike!” He readied assault machines, fixed the assault for a set day, and stormed from every quarter until the outer wall fell. Shouzhen perished with his family in the flames; Sixian and Jingchong submitted one after the other.
3
隱帝勞威以玉帶，加檢校太師兼侍中，威辭曰：「臣事先帝，見功臣多矣，未嘗以玉帶賜之。」 因言：「臣幸得率行伍，假漢威靈以破賊者，豈特臣之功，皆將相之賢，有以安朝廷，撫內外，而饋餉以時，故臣得以專事征伐。」 隱帝以威為賢，於是悉召楊邠、史弘肇、蘇逢吉、禹珪、竇貞固、王章等皆賜以玉帶，威乃受。 威又推功大臣，請加爵賞，於是加貞固司空，逢吉司徒，禹珪、邠左右僕射。 已而又曰：「此特漢廷親近之臣耳。 漢諸宗室、天下方鎮，外暨荊、浙、湖南，皆未及也。」 由是濫賞遍於天下。
The Hidden Emperor honored Wei with a jade belt and made him Honorary Grand Preceptor and Palace Attendant. Wei refused: “Under the late emperor I watched countless men of merit, and none were given a jade belt.” He added, “I have only led common soldiers and, under Han’s authority, crushed the rebels—that triumph is not mine alone. The court’s wise ministers kept the realm calm and the convoys punctual; only then could I fight without distraction.” Moved, the Hidden Emperor called in Yang Bin, Shi Hongzhao, Su Fengji, Yu Gui, Dou Zhengu, Wang Zhang, and the others and belted them too; then Wei accepted his own. Wei pressed the case for his fellow ministers, and Dou Zhengu was elevated to Minister of Works, Su Fengji to Minister of Education, Yu Gui and Yang Bin to Vice Directors of the Left and Right. He said further, “That covers only the Han court’s inner circle. The imperial house of Han, every frontier command, and even Jing, Zhe, and Hunan in the south still go unrewarded.” Rewards then spilled across the empire without measure.
4
是冬，契丹寇邊，威以樞密使北伐，至魏州，契丹遁。 三年二月，師還。 四月，拜威鄴都留守、天雄軍節度使，仍以樞密使之鎮。 宰相蘇逢吉以謂樞密使不可以藩鎮兼領，與史弘肇等固爭。 久之，卒以樞密使行，詔河北諸州皆聽威節度。
That winter, with Khitan raids on the frontier, Wei led a northern campaign as Privy Commissioner. At Weizhou the invaders melted away. In the second month of year three the troops came home. In the fourth month he was named regent of Yedu and military commissioner of Tianxiong, retaining the Privy Council and going out to the command. Chancellor Su Fengji argued that the Privy Commissioner must not double as a military commissioner; he and Shi Hongzhao fought the appointment to the end. At last Wei departed as Privy Commissioner, with an edict placing all Hebei prefectures under his authority.
5
隱帝與李業等謀，已殺史弘肇等，詔鎮寧軍節度使李弘義殺侍衛步軍指揮使王殷於澶州，又詔侍衛馬軍指揮使郭崇殺威及宣徽使王峻於魏。 詔書先至澶州，弘義恐事不果，反以詔書示殷，殷與弘義遣人告威。 已而詔殺威、峻使者亦馳騎至，威匿詔書，召樞密使院吏魏仁浦謀於臥內。 仁浦勸威反，教威倒用留守印，更為詔書，詔威誅諸將校以激怒之，將校皆憤然效用。
The Hidden Emperor and Li Ye had already struck down Shi Hongzhao and his allies. He now ordered Li Hongyi of Zhenning to murder Wang Yin, foot commander of the Palace Guard, at Chanzou, and Guo Chong, horse commander, to kill Wei and Wang Jun, commissioner of the Palace Secretariat, at Wei prefecture. The Chanzou order arrived first. Li Hongyi, afraid the scheme would miscarry, showed the edict to Wang Yin; Yin and Hongyi dispatched a messenger to alert Wei. Then came the courier charged with executing Wei and Jun. Wei concealed the edict and called Privy Council clerk Wei Renpu to his bedside for counsel. Renpu urged revolt and showed him how to reverse the regent’s seal and issue a counterfeit order for Wei to kill his commanders. The officers, furious, rallied to him as one.
6
十一月丁丑，威遂舉兵渡河。 隱帝遣開封尹侯益、保大軍節度使張彥超、客省使閻晉卿等率兵拒威，又遣內養瑽脫覘威所向。 瑽脫為威所得，威乃附脫奏請縛李業等送軍中。 隱帝得威奏，以示業等，業等皆言威反狀已白，乃悉誅威家屬於京師。 庚辰，威至滑州，義成軍節度使宋延渥叛於漢來降。 壬午，犯封丘。 甲辰，及泰寧軍節度使慕容彥超戰於劉子陂，彥超敗，奔於兗州。 郭允明反，弒隱帝於趙村。 丙戌，威入京師，縱火大掠。 戊子，率百官朝太后於明德門，請立嗣君。 太后下令：文武百寮、六軍將校，議擇賢明，以承大統。 庚寅，威率百官詣明德門，請立武寧軍節度使赟為嗣。 遣太師馮道迎赟於徐州。 辛卯，請太后臨朝聽政，以王峻為樞密使，翰林學士、尚書兵部侍郎範質為副使。
On dingchou in the eleventh month Wei marched and crossed the Yellow River. The Hidden Emperor dispatched Hou Yi, governor of Kaifeng, Zhang Yanchao of Baoda, Yan Jinqing of the guest-reception office, and others to meet Wei in battle, and sent the palace attendant Zongtuo to track his march. Zongtuo fell into Wei’s hands, and Wei used him to forward a memorial demanding Li Ye and his party be bound and delivered to camp. The Hidden Emperor read the memorial to Li Ye’s circle; they declared Wei’s guilt proven and put every member of his household in the capital to death. On gengchen Wei entered Huazhou; Song Yanwo of Yicheng broke with Han and came over. On renwu he attacked Fengqiu. On jiachen he met Murong Yanchao of Taining at Liuzipo, routed him, and drove him toward Yanzhou. Guo Yunming turned traitor and murdered the Hidden Emperor at Zhao Village. On bingxu Wei entered the capital; fires blazed and the troops looted freely. On wuzi he led the civil and military officials to the Bright Virtue Gate to bow before the Empress Dowager and beg that a successor be chosen. The Empress Dowager commanded the court and the six armies to choose a worthy man to bear the succession. On gengyin Wei brought the ministers again to the Bright Virtue Gate and proposed Liu Yun, military commissioner of Wuning, as heir. Grand Preceptor Feng Dao was sent to fetch Yun from Xuzhou. On xinmao he had the Empress Dowager preside at court. Wang Jun became Privy Commissioner; Fan Zhi, Hanlin academician and Minister of War, vice commissioner.
7
十二月甲午朔，威北伐契丹，軍於滑州。 癸丑，至澶州而旋。 王峻遣郭崇以騎七百逆劉赟於宋州，殺之，其將鞏廷美、楊溫為赟守徐州。 戊午，次臯門，漢宰相竇貞固、蘇禹珪來勸進。 庚申，太后制以威監國。
On jiawu, the new moon of the twelfth month, Wei marched north against the Khitan and stopped at Huazhou. On guichou he came to Chanzou and wheeled about. Wang Jun dispatched Guo Chong with seven hundred cavalry to cut off Liu Yun at Songzhou and kill him. Yun’s officers Gong Tingmei and Yang Wen still defended Xuzhou in his name. On wuwu he camped at Gao Gate, where Han chancellors Dou Zhengu and Su Yugui came to press him to ascend. On gengshen the Empress Dowager named Wei regent of the realm.
8
廣順元年春正月丁卯，皇帝即位，大赦，改元，國號周。 己巳，上漢太后尊號曰昭聖皇太后。 戊寅，漢劉崇自立於太原。 己卯，馮道為中書令。 二月辛丑，西州回鶻使都督來。 丁未，契丹兀欲遣使裊骨支來。 癸丑，寒食，望祭於蒲池。 丁巳，尚書左丞田敏使於契丹。 回鶻使摩尼來。 三月甲戌，武寧軍節度使王彥超克徐州。 夏四月甲午，立夫人董氏為德妃。 五月辛未，追尊祖考為皇帝，妣為皇后：高祖璟謚曰睿和，廟號信祖，祖妣張氏謚曰睿恭； 曾祖諶謚曰明憲，廟號僖祖，祖妣申氏謚曰明孝； 祖蘊謚曰翼順，廟號義祖，祖妣韓氏謚曰翼敬； 考謚曰章肅，廟號慶祖，妣王氏謚曰章德。 六月辛亥，範質及戶部侍郎判三司李穀為中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事。 竇貞固、蘇禹珪罷。 癸丑，範質參知樞密院事。 丁巳，宣徽北院使翟光鄴為樞密副使。 秋七月戊寅，幸王峻第。 八月壬寅，契丹來歸趙瑩之喪。 冬十月丙午，漢人來討，攻自晉州。 十一月，王峻及建雄軍節度使王彥超拒之。 十二月，慕容彥超反。
On dingmao in the first month of Guangshun 1 the emperor was enthroned, proclaimed a general amnesty, and declared the dynasty Zhou. On jisi he honored the Han empress dowager as Illustrious Sage Empress Dowager. On wuyin Liu Chong of the northern Han regime proclaimed himself emperor at Taiyuan. On jimao Feng Dao was made Director of the Secretariat. On xinchou in the second month envoys came from the Western Xizhou Uighurs. On dingwei Wuyu of the Khitan sent the envoy Liaoguzhi. On guichou, the Cold Food Festival, he performed a distant-offering sacrifice at Puchi Pool. On dingsi Tian Min, Left Vice Director of the Secretariat, was dispatched to the Khitan. The Uighur envoy Mani arrived. On jiaxu in the third month Wang Yanchao of Wuning took Xuzhou. On jiawu in the fourth month Lady Dong was made Virtuous Consort. On xinwei in the fifth month he ennobled his forebears: great-grandfather Jing as emperor Ruihe, temple Xinzu, and great-grandmother Lady Zhang as empress Ruigong; great-great-grandfather Chen as emperor Mingxian, temple Xizu, and great-great-grandmother Lady Shen as empress Mingxiao; grandfather Yun as emperor Yishun, temple Yizu, and grandmother Lady Han as empress Yijing; father Jian as emperor Zhangsu, temple Qingzu, and mother Lady Wang as empress Zhangde. On xinhai Fan Zhi and Li Gu, Vice Minister of Revenue in charge of the Three Bureaus, were made Vice Directors and Associate Grand Councilors. Dou Zhengu and Su Yugui left office. On guichou Fan Zhi was added to the Privy Council. On dingsi Zhai Guangye, commissioner of the Northern Bureau of the Palace Secretariat, became Vice Privy Commissioner. On wuyin in the seventh month the emperor called at Wang Jun’s home. On renyin in the eighth month the Khitan sent back Zhao Ying’s remains. On bingwu in the tenth month Han armies advanced from Jinzhou. In the eleventh month Wang Jun and Wang Yanchao of Jianxiong met them in the field. In the twelfth month Murong Yanchao rose in revolt.
9
二年春正月甲子，侍衛步軍都指揮使曹英為兗州行營都部署。 庚午，高麗王昭使其廣評侍郎徐逢來。 二月庚寅，府州防禦使折德扆克岢嵐軍。 三月丁巳朔，寒食，望祭於郊。 戊辰，內客省使鄭仁誨為樞密副使，翟光鄴罷。 夏五月庚申，東征，李穀留守東都，鄭仁誨為大內都點檢。 癸亥，次曹州，赦流罪以下囚。 乙亥，克兗州。 壬午，赦兗州。 六月乙酉朔，幸曲阜，祠孔子。 庚子，至自兗州。 秋九月乙丑，太僕少卿王演使於高麗。 契丹寇邊。
On jiazi in the first month of year two, Cao Ying, foot commander of the Palace Guard, was named overall commander of the Yanzhou campaign. On gengwu King Zhao of Goryeo sent Xu Feng, vice director of broad appraisal. On gengyin in the second month Zhe Dewei of Fuzhou took Kelan garrison. On dingsi, the new moon of the third month and the Cold Food Festival, he sacrificed at the suburban altars. On wuchen Zheng Renhui of the palace guest office became Vice Privy Commissioner, and Zhai Guangye was removed. On gengshen in the fifth month the emperor marched east. Li Gu stayed as regent at Luoyang; Zheng Renhui was named chief inspector of the inner palace. On guihai he paused at Caozhou and freed all convicts short of exile. On yihai Yanzhou fell. On renwu Yanzhou received an amnesty. On yiyou, the new moon of the sixth month, he went to Qufu and offered sacrifice to Confucius. On gengzi he came back from Yanzhou. On yichou in the ninth month Wang Yan, vice director of the Palace Stud, was sent to Goryeo. The Khitans raided the border.
10
三年春正月乙卯，麟州刺史楊重訓叛於漢，來附。 閏月丙戌，回鶻使獨呈相溫來。 二月甲子，貶王峻為商州司馬。 三月甲申，封榮為晉王。 丙戌，鄭仁誨罷。 己丑，棣州團練使王仁鎬為左衛大將軍、樞密副使。 夏六月，大雨，水。 秋七月，契丹盧臺軍使張藏英來奔。 九月，吐渾黨富達等來。 冬十月庚申，馮道為奉迎神主使。 十一月癸未，党項使吳帖磨五等來。 十二月戊申，四廟神主至自西京，迎之於西郊，祔於太廟。 壬申，殺天雄軍節度使王殷。 乙亥，享於太廟。
In the first month of spring in year 3, on yimao day, Lin Prefecture governor Yang Chongxun rebelled against Later Han and defected to Zhou. In the intercalary month, on bingxu day, the Uyghur envoy Duxing Xiangwen arrived. In the second month, on jiazi day, Wang Jun was demoted to military adjutant of Shang Prefecture. In the third month, on jiashen day, Rong was enfeoffed as Prince of Jin. On bingxu day, Zheng Renhui was dismissed from office. On jichou day, Di Prefecture training commissioner Wang Renhao became Grand General of the Left Guard and deputy military affairs commissioner. In the sixth month of summer, heavy rains brought flooding. In the seventh month of autumn, Khitan Lutai army commissioner Zhang Cangying defected to Zhou. In the ninth month, Tuyuhun chieftain Fuda and others arrived. In the tenth month of winter, on gengshen day, Feng Dao was appointed commissioner to welcome the ancestral tablets. In the eleventh month, on guimao day, Tangut envoy Wu Tiemo and a party of five arrived. In the twelfth month, on wushen day, spirit tablets from the four temples arrived from the Western Capital. They were received at the western suburb and installed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On renshen day, Tianxiong army governor Wang Yin was executed. On yihai day, the emperor offered sacrifice in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.
11
顯德元年春正月丙子朔，有事於南郊，大赦，改元，群臣上尊號曰聖明文武仁德皇帝。 戊寅，罷鄴都。 丙戌，鎮寧軍節度使鄭仁誨為樞密使。 壬辰，端明殿學士、戶部侍郎王溥為中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事，王仁鎬罷。 是日，皇帝崩於滋德殿。
On the new-year day bingzi in the first month of spring, Xiande 1, the southern suburb rites were performed. A general amnesty was proclaimed, the era name changed, and the ministers honored him as Sagely, Bright, Martial, Civil, Benevolent, and Virtuous Emperor. On wuyin day, the Ye capital district was abolished. On bingxu day, Zhenning army governor Zheng Renhui was made military affairs commissioner. On renchen day, Duanming Hall academician and vice minister of revenue Wang Pu became vice director of the Secretariat and associate chancellor; Wang Renhao was dismissed. That same day the emperor died in the Hall of Nourishing Virtue.