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Alas—how extreme! From Kaiping to Xiande, fifty-three years passed—and through them the realm saw five dynasties. Few were the scholars born into that age who could keep their integrity intact and never serve a second lord. In such an age, demanding that every gentleman die or quit office would have left the realm without gentlemen at all. Yet custom came to treat clinging to life and never leaving office as only natural. Confucians trained in benevolence, righteousness, loyalty, and faith—men who ate another’s salary and governed another’s state—often ignored their state’s survival, calmly treating shameful survival as success; not only unashamed, they took it as glory. Their number was beyond counting! That is why I find something worth honoring in ministers who died for their lord’s cause. A gentleman delights in another’s virtues and does not demand perfection—especially when death is what men find hardest. In the Five Dynasties I find only three men who kept their integrity intact throughout. Fifteen men lacked outstanding integrity at first yet died for another’s cause in the end; those killed in battle are not counted here. Yet that I include Wang Qing and Shi Yanchao—was there not a reason? There was a reason! Hence I wrote the “Biographies of Martyrs to Service.”
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Five men could not receive full biographies: Ma Yanchao is appended to Zhu Shouyin’s biography; Song Lingxun, Li Xia, Zhang Yanqing, and Zheng Zhaoye appear only in the annals.
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Zhang Yuande’s lineage is unknown; some say he was originally from Jin. In youth he served Jin without distinction. He followed Li Hanzhi when Hanzhi rebelled at Luzhou and surrendered to Liang; Hanzhi sent Yuande to Emperor Taizu of Liang. Under Taizu, Yuande rose from General of the Imperial Insignia Guard to prefect of Cai. In Liang’s third Zhenming year, Weibo governor Yang Shihou died; the Last Emperor split Wei and five other prefectures into two commands, fearing mutiny, and sent Liu Yan with ten thousand men to camp at Wei. The Wei army rebelled, forcing Governor He Delun to surrender Wei and Bo to Jin. At that time Yuande, under Liu Yan, held Bei Prefecture. When the Prince of Jin entered Wei, his generals wanted to attack Bei first; he said, “Bei is small but strong—hard to seize quickly. Yuande relies on Liu Yan, but he and Cangzhou back each other; Dezhou lies between, undefended—take it first, and Cang and Bei will be split and easier to crack." They stormed Dezhou first, then attacked Yuande with five thousand men; he held out, and the Jin army trenched and besieged him.
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Soon Liu Yan was crushed at Old Yuancheng and fled to Liyang; Jin took Luozhou; Lai Zhao of Weizhou and Yan Bao of Xingzhou surrendered; Jin Zhao, Zhang Yun, and Dai Siyuan fled their posts. Jin had taken all Yan; Zhen and Ding submitted; for a thousand li north of the river and east of the mountains, six commands and dozens of prefectures fell to Jin—only Bei remained, besieged over a year without falling. Yuande held firm, but Bei’s people heard Jin held all Hebei; food ran low; they urged surrender; he refused and was killed.
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After Yuande’s death, Bei’s people said, “Jin has besieged us long—if we yield only when broken, none of us will be spared." They asked Jin, “Let us surrender in armor, weapons in hand—grant amnesty, then we disarm. Will you?” Jin agreed; three thousand men of Bei surrendered and disarmed; Jin surrounded them and killed them all.
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夏魯奇，字邦傑，青州人也。 唐莊宗時，賜姓名曰李紹奇，其後莊宗賜姓名者，皆復其故。 魯奇初事梁為宣武軍校，後奔於晉，為衛護指揮使。 從周德威攻劉守光於幽州，守光將單廷珪、元行欽以驍勇自負，魯奇每與二將鬥，輒不能解，兩軍皆釋兵而觀之。 晉已下魏博，梁將劉鄩軍於洹水，莊宗以百騎覘敵，遇鄩伏兵，圍之數重，幾不得脫，魯奇力戰，手殺百餘人，身被二十餘創，與莊宗決圍而出。 莊宗益奇之，以為磁州刺史。 從戰中都，擒王彥章，莊宗壯之，賜絹千疋，拜鄭州防禦使。 遷河陽節度使，為政有惠愛。 徙鎮忠武，河陽之人遮留不得行，父老詣京師乞留，明宗遣中使往諭之，魯奇乃得去。 唐師伐荊南，以魯奇為招討副使，無功而還。 徙鎮武信，東川董璋反，攻遂州，魯奇閉城拒之，旬月救兵不至，城中食盡，魯奇自刎死，年四十九。
Xia Luqi, courtesy name Bangjie, was from Qingzhou. Zhuangzong granted him the surname Li and the name Shaoqi; later all such granted names were restored. Luqi first served Liang in the Xuanwu Army, then fled to Jin as commander of the Palace Guard. With Zhou Dewei he besieged Liu Shouguang at Youzhou; Shouguang’s generals Shan Tinggui and Yuan Xingqin boasted of valor; Luqi duelled each in turn without decision, both armies watching. After Jin took Weibo, Liu Yan camped on the Huan; Zhuangzong scouted with a hundred horsemen, walked into an ambush, and was nearly trapped; Luqi fought hand to hand, slew a hundred men, took twenty wounds, and broke out with him. Zhuangzong prized him and made him prefect of Ci. At Zhongdu he captured Wang Yanzhang; Zhuangzong rewarded him with a thousand bolts of silk and made him Defender of Zhengzhou. He became governor of Heyang, ruling with kindness. Transferred to Zhongwu; Heyang’s people blocked his road; elders petitioned the capital; Mingzong sent an envoy to reason with them before Luqi could go. On Tang’s Jingnan campaign he served as deputy pacification commissioner and returned without success. Transferred to Wuxin; when Dong Zhang rebelled and attacked Suizhou, Luqi held the city; relief failed for ten days; food ran out; he killed himself at forty-nine.
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Yao Hong had been a petty officer of Liang. He had served Dong Zhang when Zhang was a Liang general; later he served Tang as a commander. In the Changxing era he garrisoned Langzhou with a thousand men. When Zhang rebelled he sent letters to win Hong over; Hong threw each into the privy. Zhang’s troops later took Langzhou and seized Hong; Zhang said, “You were a brave man—I favored you; how could you betray me?" Hong cursed, “Old bandit! You were once Seventh Master Li’s slave, shoveling dung, grateful forever for a scrap of meat. The Son of Heaven made you a governor—why rebel? I can die for the state—I will not live as someone’s slave!” Zhang in rage set a cauldron boiling and had ten men slice his flesh and eat it; Hong cursed to the last. Mingzong wept when he heard; he enrolled Hong’s two sons and richly comforted the family.
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Wang Sitong was from Youzhou. His father Jingrou married Liu Rengong’s daughter and fathered Sitong. Sitong served Rengong as Silver Hu Record commander; when Shouguang imprisoned his father, Sitong fled to Jin as commander of the Flying Victory Army. When Liang and Jin faced off at Xin he built fortifications at Yangliu; for merit he rose to commander of the Ten Divine Martial Armies and Defender of Zhengzhou. Bold, skilled in archery, fond of study and poetry, generous and courteous to scholars—yet he never won a battle.
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Under Mingzong, after long service he governed Kuangguo, then Xiongwu. Tibetans raided often; Qinzhou had no outposts; Sitong built forty-odd stockades. After five years he came to court; Mingzong asked about the border; Sitong traced the mountains and explained every advantage and risk. As Sitong left, Mingzong told his attendants, “They say Sitong cannot govern—yet see this!" Then he recognized Sitong’s ability and made him General-in-Chief of the Right Martial Guard, metropolitan prefect, and western capital regent. When Shi Jingtang attacked Dong Zhang, Sitong led the vanguard into Jianmen; the rear failed to follow; he fought Zhang, lost, and withdrew. When Jingtang’s campaign ended, Sitong governed Shannan West Circuit, then again became metropolitan prefect and western capital regent.
14
應順元年二月，潞王從珂反鳳翔，馳檄四鄰，言奸臣幸先帝疾病，賊殺秦王而立幼嗣，侵弱宗室，動搖藩方，陳己所以興兵討亂之狀。 因遣伶奴安十十以五弦謁思同，欲因其歡以通意。 是時，諸鎮皆懷向背，所得潞王書檄，雖以上聞，而不絕其使。 獨思同執十十及從珂所使推官郝詡等送京師。 湣帝嘉其忠，即以思同為西面行營馬步軍都部署。 三月，會諸鎮兵圍鳳翔，破東西關城。 從珂兵弱而守甚堅，外兵傷死者眾，從珂登城呼外兵而泣曰：「吾從先帝二十年，大小數百戰，甲不解體，金瘡滿身，士卒固嘗從我矣。 今先帝新棄天下，而朝廷信用奸人，離間骨肉，我實何罪而見伐乎？」 因慟哭。 士卒聞者，皆悲憐之。 興元張虔釗攻城西，督戰甚急，士卒苦之，反兵攻虔釗，虔釗走。 羽林指揮使楊思權呼曰：「潞王，吾主也！」 乃引軍自西門入降從珂。 而思同未知，猶督戰。 嚴衛指揮使尹暉麾其眾曰：「城西軍入城受賞矣！ 何用戰邪？」 士卒解甲棄仗，聲聞數里，遂皆入城降。 諸鎮之兵皆潰。 思同挺身走，至長安，西京副留守劉遂雍閉門不納，乃走潼關。 從珂引兵東，至昭應，前鋒追執思同。 從珂責曰：「罪可逃乎？」 思同曰：「非不知從王而得生，恐終死不能見先帝於地下。」 從珂愧其言，乃殺之。 漢高祖即位，贈侍中。
In Yingshun’s first year, second month, Prince of Lu Congke rebelled at Fengxiang and circulated proclamations accusing treacherous ministers of murdering the Prince of Qin during the late emperor’s illness, enthroning a child, weakening the clan, and shaking the realm—and stating why he had taken arms. He sent the actor An Shishi with a five-string lute to visit Sitong, hoping pleasure would win him over. Every command wavered; they reported Congke’s letters to court yet kept his envoys coming. Only Sitong seized Shishi and Congke’s staff officer Hao Xu and sent them to the capital. The Deposed Emperor praised his loyalty and made him overall western campaign commander. In the third month allied commands besieged Fengxiang and took the east and west gate cities. Congke was weak but held firm; besiegers died in droves; he mounted the wall weeping: “Twenty years I followed the late emperor, hundreds of battles, armor never off, scars over my body—you marched with me! The late emperor has just died, and the court’s wicked men sunder kin—what crime is mine that you attack me?" Then he sobbed aloud. The soldiers who heard were moved to pity. Zhang Qianzhao of Xingyuan stormed the west wall so hard the men mutinied and drove him off. Yulin commander Yang Siquan shouted, “The Prince of Lu is our lord!" He led his men through the west gate to surrender to Congke. Sitong had not yet heard, yet still pressed the attack. Yanwei commander Yin Hui called to his men, “The western army is in the city taking rewards! Why fight?" Men threw off armor; the clamor carried for li; all entered the city and surrendered. Every allied army broke and fled. Sitong fled to Chang’an; Deputy Regent Liu Suiyong shut the gates; he fled toward Tong Pass. Congke marched east; at Zhaoying his vanguard captured Sitong. Congke reproached him: “Did you think your crime could escape?" Sitong said, “I knew following you meant life—but I feared I could never face the late emperor in the grave.” Congke was shamed by his words and had him killed. When Gaozu of Han took the throne, Sitong was posthumously made Palace Attendant.
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Sitong fled east to surrender to the emperor himself—unlike Yuan Xingqin’s flight—so he is counted among the martyrs.
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Zhang Jingda, courtesy name Zhitong, was from Daizhou; his childhood name was Raw Iron. Young and skilled in archery, he served Zhuangzong as commissioner of the Hall Direct Army. Under Mingzong he commanded Hedong horse and foot and governed Qin, rose to governor of Zhangguo and Datong, then Wuxin and Jinchang. In Qingtai’s second year Khitan raids multiplied; the Deposed Emperor made Shi Jingtang overall commander of the northern armies at Xinzhou; his troops mutinied, blocked him, and shouted “Long live!”; he beheaded thirty men to quell them. The Deposed Emperor suspected Jingtang and made Jingda deputy northern commander to split his force. Next summer Jingtang was moved to Tianping; Jingda took his armies—and Jingtang rebelled. Jingda was at once made four-sided pacification commissioner of Taiyuan. In the sixth month he besieged Taiyuan with linked ramparts, ladders, and catapults—yet whenever the works neared completion, storms smashed them.
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敬瑭求救於契丹。 九月，契丹耶律德光自雁門入，旌旗相屬五十餘里。 德光先遣人告敬瑭曰：「吾欲今日破敵可乎？」 敬瑭報曰：「大兵遠來，而賊勢方盛，要在成功，不必速也。」 使者未復命，而兵已交。 敬達陣於西山，契丹以羸騎三千，革鞭木鐙，人馬皆不甲胄，以趨唐軍。 唐軍爭馳之，契丹兵走。 追至汾曲，伏發，斷唐軍為二，其在北者皆死，死者萬餘人。 敬達收軍柵晉安，契丹圍之。 廢帝遣趙延壽、範延光等救之。 延壽屯團柏谷，延光屯遼州，相去皆百餘里。 契丹兵圍敬達者，自晉安寨南，長百餘里，闊五十里，敬達軍中望之，但見穹廬連屬如岡阜，四面亙以毛索，掛鈴為警，縱犬往來。 敬達軍中有夜出者，輒為契丹所得，由是閉壁不敢復出。 延壽等皆有二心，無救敬達意。 敬達猶有兵五萬人、馬萬匹，久之食盡，削木篩糞以飼其馬，馬死者食之，已而馬盡。 副招討使楊光遠勸敬達降晉，敬達自以不忍背唐，而救兵且至，光遠促之不已，敬達曰：「諸公何相迫邪！ 何不殺我而降？」 光遠即斬敬達降。 契丹耶律德光聞敬達死，哀其忠，遣人收葬之。
Jingtang sought Khitan aid. In the ninth month Yelü Deguang entered through Yanmen; his banners stretched fifty li. Deguang first asked Jingtang, “Shall I break the enemy today?" Jingtang replied, “You have marched far; the foe is strong—success matters, not haste.” Before the envoy returned, battle had begun. Jingda formed on the western hills; the Khitans sent three thousand unarmored horses with leather whips and wooden stirrups to charge the Tang line. The Tang army gave chase; the Khitans fled. At Fen Qu an ambush sprang; the Tang line was cut in two; everyone north of the trap died—more than ten thousand. Jingda fell back to Jin’an; the Khitans besieged him. The Deposed Emperor sent Zhao Yanshou, Fan Yanguang, and others to relieve him. Yanshou camped at Tuanbai Valley, Yanguang at Liaozhou—more than a hundred li apart. The Khitan ring around Jin’an ran a hundred li south of the stockade and fifty li wide; inside Jingda’s camp yurts rose like hills; raw ropes and bells guarded every side; dogs patrolled the lines. Night sorties from Jingda’s camp were captured; thereafter the walls stayed shut. Yanshou and the rest were half-hearted and had no will to save him. Jingda still had fifty thousand men and ten thousand horses; food ran out; they shaved wood and sifted dung for the horses, then ate the dead horses—until there were no horses left. Deputy commissioner Yang Guangyuan urged surrender to Jin; Jingda could not betray Tang and believed relief was near; Guangyuan pressed him; Jingda said, “Why do you hound me so! Why not kill me and surrender?" Guangyuan beheaded Jingda and surrendered. Deguang mourned Jingda’s loyalty and sent men to bury him.
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而傳錄其死者，終嘉其不降也。 然己雖不屈而諷人降賊，故不得為死節。
Yet the biography records the dead man and ultimately honors him for refusing to submit. Yet though he himself did not yield, he urged others to surrender to the rebels, so he did not qualify as a martyr of integrity.
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Di Jinzong (Zhang Wandi appended)
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Di Jinzong and Zhang Wandi—both origins unknown. Both served Tang, then Jin; Jinzong governed Zi, Wandi Deng. When Yang Guangyuan rebelled he seized both prefects with cavalry; Wandi submitted, Jinzong alone refused; Guangyuan killed Jinzong. The Chu Emperor of Later Jin posthumously made Jinzong General-in-Chief of the Left Martial Guard. When Guangyuan fell, Qingzhou was amnestied—even his kin were freed—yet Wandi alone was denied pardon, his crimes proclaimed, and he was beheaded. The court sought Jinzong’s body, buried him at state expense, and made his son Renqin an Eastern Head Palace Attendant.
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Shen Bin, courtesy name Anshi, was from Xiapi in Xuzhou. In youth he was a soldier; under Liang he became commander of the Gongchen Guard. Later he served Tang, followed Prince Jiji in the Shu campaign and pacification of Kang Yanxiao, and for merit became prefect of Guo, then held eight prefectures including Sui and Zhao. In Jin’s first Kaiyun year he became prefect of Qi. When the Khitans raided to Yulin and passed Qi, Bin judged their return column deep in Jin territory was weary and vulnerable, and intercepted them with prefectural troops. Khitans sent elite cavalry to storm the gate; Bin lost many men and the city was unprepared. Zhao Yanshou pressed the assault and called on Bin to surrender. From the wall Bin cursed him: “You and your father chose wrongly and fell among barbarians—how can you use a herd of dogs and sheep to ravage your own homeland? I can die for the state, but I will never do as you have done!” Soon the city fell; Bin killed himself, and his family were all taken captive.
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王清，字去瑕，洺州曲周人也。 初事唐為寧衛指揮使。 後事晉為奉國都虞候。 安從進叛襄州，從高行周攻之，逾年不能下，清謂行周曰：「從進閉孤城以自守，其勢豈得久邪？」 因請先登，遂攻破之。 開運二年冬，從杜重威戰陽城，清以力戰功為步軍之最，加檢校司徒。 是冬，重威軍中渡橋南，虜軍其北以相拒，而虜以精騎並西山出晉軍後，南擊欒城，斷晉餉道。 清謂重威曰：「晉軍危矣！ 今去鎮州五里，而守死於此，營孤食盡，將若之何？ 請以步兵二千為先鋒，奪橋開路，公率諸軍繼進以入鎮州，可以守也。」 重威許之，遣與宋彥筠俱前，清與虜戰，敗之，奪其橋。 是時，重威已有二誌，猶豫不肯進，彥筠亦退走，清曰：「吾獨死於此矣！」 因力戰而死。 年五十三。 漢高祖立，贈清太傅。
Wang Qing, courtesy name Quxia, was from Quzhou in Luozhou. He first served Tang as commander of the Ningwei Guard. Later he served Jin as chief adjutant of the Fengguo Army. When An Congjin rebelled at Xiangzhou, Gao Xingzhou besieged him a year without success; Qing said, “He holds one city—how long can that last?" He asked to lead the assault and took the city. In Kaiyun’s second winter he fought with Du Chongwei at Yangcheng; for valor he was judged best among the infantry and made Acting Minister of Works. That winter Chongwei camped south of Zhongdu Bridge, the Khitans north; Khitan elite cavalry swept behind the Jin line along the western hills, struck Luancheng, and cut Jin’s supplies. Qing told Chongwei, “The Jin army is doomed! Zhenzhou is five li away, yet we sit here to die, cut off and starving—what now? Give me two thousand foot to seize the bridge; you follow with the main army into Zhenzhou—we can hold." Chongwei agreed and sent him with Song Yanyun; Qing beat the Khitans and took the bridge. Chongwei already wavered and would not advance; Yanyun retreated; Qing said, “Then I die here alone!" He fought on and died. He was fifty-three. When Gaozu of Han took the throne, Qing was posthumously made Grand Preceptor.
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Shi Yanchao was from Yunzhou. He was fierce, hardy, and swift. When Taizu of Zhou rose in Wei, Yanchao commanded the Han Dragon Swift Army and marched with him. When Taizu took the throne, Yanchao commanded the Tiger Swift Army and garrisoned Jinzhou. Liu Min attacked Jinzhou; there was no commander; Prefect Wang Wangan could not hold; Yanchao held a month until Wang Jun relieved him and Min withdrew. For merit he became commander of the Dragon Swift right wing and Defender of Zhengzhou. At Gaoping he led the vanguard, first over the wall; for merit he became governor of Gande. When Zhou besieged Han’s Taiyuan, Khitans came from Xin and Dai to aid Han. Shizong sent Fu Yanqing to meet them with Yanchao as vanguard; at Xin Pass Yanchao charged four times through the line and fell.
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Shizong had won at Gaoping and pressed on, but at the siege the generals quarrelled and success was slow. Shizong wanted to withdraw but hesitated; hearing Yanchao had fallen, he withdrew at once—in the haste losses were heavy. Shizong grieved Yanchao and raged at failure; for days he would not eat. He was posthumously made Grand Preceptor; his family was richly comforted.
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Sun Cheng—born Feng, also called Ji—was from Mizhou. He loved learning, wrote well, and excelled at poetry. In youth he was a Daoist at Jianji Palace on Mount Lu. He painted the Tang poet Jia Dao and hung the portrait on his wall, honoring it morning and evening. The priests hated him as an occultist and drove him out with staves. He donned scholar’s robes, went north to Zhao and Wei, and met Zhuangzong at Zhenzhou, who made him Assistant in the Palace Library. In the Tiancheng era Zhu Shouyin governed Bianzhou and made him administrative aide. When Shouyin rebelled and was executed, Cheng abandoned wife and children and fled between Chen and Song. An Chonghui blamed him for teaching Shouyin rebellion, posted his likeness for reward, could not catch him, and exterminated his family.
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Cheng fled to Wu. Li Fang seized power in Wu and gathered talent; he prized Cheng’s prose for edicts, and Cheng became famous. He stammered at greetings, yet once seated his talk blazed and listeners forgot fatigue. Li Jing loved him, consulted him often, made him Right Vice Director and chief minister with Feng Yansi. Cheng despised Yansi and said, “A golden bowl and jade cup full of dog shit—is that fitting?" Serving father and son twenty years, he rose to Minister of Works; his house grew rich and arrogant; at meals singing girls stood in a ring each holding a dish—the “Flesh Pedestal”—and many copied him.
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周世宗征淮，李景懼，始遣泗州牙將王知朗至徐州，奉書以求和，世宗不答。 又遣翰林學士鐘謨、文理院學士李德明奉表稱臣，不答。 乃遣禮部尚書王崇質副晟奉表，謨與晟等皆言景願割壽、濠、泗、楚、光、海六州之地，歲貢百萬以佐軍。 而世宗已取滁、揚、濠、泗諸州，欲盡取淮南乃止，因留使者不遣，而攻壽州益急。 謨等見世宗英武非景敵，而師甚盛，壽春且危，乃曰：「願陛下寬臣五日之誅，容臣還取景表，盡獻淮北諸州。」 世宗許之，遣供奉官安弘道押德明、崇質南還，而謨與晟皆見留。 德明等既還，景悔，不肯割地。 世宗亦以暑雨班師，留李重進、張永德等分攻廬、壽，周兵所得揚、泰諸州，皆不能守，景兵復振。 重進與永德兩軍相疑，有隙，永德上書言重進反，世宗不聽。 景知二將之相疑也，乃以蠟丸書遺重進，勸其反。
When Shizong campaigned on the Huai, Jing in fear sent Wang Zhilang to Xuzhou to sue for peace; Shizong ignored him. He sent Zhong Mo and Li Deming with a memorial of submission; still no answer. Then he sent Minister of Rites Wang Chongzhi as deputy to Cheng with a memorial; Mo, Cheng, and the rest offered six Huai prefectures and a million a year in tribute. Shizong had already taken Chu, Yang, Hao, and Si and wanted all Huainan; he detained the envoys and tightened the siege of Shouzhou. Mo and the rest saw Shizong’s might and Shouchun’s peril; they said, “Grant us five days to return with Jing’s offer of all north Huai prefectures." Shizong agreed, sent An Hongdao south with Deming and Chongzhi, and kept Mo and Cheng. When Deming returned, Jing repented and refused to cede land. Shizong withdrew for summer rain, leaving Chongjin and Yongde to attack Lu and Shou; Zhou lost Yang and Tai; Jing’s army revived. Chongjin and Yongde mistrusted each other; Yongde accused Chongjin of rebellion; Shizong disbelieved. Jing knew they were at odds and sent Chongjin a wax-sealed letter urging rebellion.
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初，晟之奉使也，語崇質曰：「吾行必不免，然吾終不負永陵一抷土也。」 永陵者，墓也。 及崇質還，而晟與鐘謨俱至京師，館於都亭驛，待之甚厚，每朝會入閣，使班東省官後，召見必飲以醇酒。 已而周兵數敗，盡失所得諸州，世宗憂之，召晟問江南事，晟不對，世宗怒，未有以發。 會重進以景蠟丸書來上，多斥周過惡以為言，由是發怒曰：「晟來使我，言景畏吾神武，願得北面稱臣，保無二心，安得此指斥之言乎？」 亟召待衛軍虞候韓通收晟下獄，及其從者二百餘人皆殺之。 晟臨死，世宗猶遣近臣問之，晟終不對，神色怡然，正其衣冠南望而拜曰：「臣惟以死報國爾！」 乃就刑。 晟既死，鐘謨亦貶耀州司馬。 其後，世宗怒解，憐晟忠，悔殺之，召拜鐘謨衛尉少卿。 景已割江北，遂遣謨還，而景聞晟死，亦贈魯國公。
When Cheng first went as envoy he told Chongzhi, “I shall surely not return—but I will never betray Yongling’s soil." Yongling means the royal tomb. When Chongzhi returned, Cheng and Mo reached the capital, lodged at the Capital Pavilion, were honored at court, ranked after eastern officials, and were plied with wine at every audience. Soon Zhou armies lost repeatedly; Shizong worried and asked Cheng about the south; Cheng was silent; Shizong raged but had no cause. When Chongjin sent up Jing’s wax letter full of Zhou’s crimes, Shizong exploded: “Cheng told me Jing feared my might and would submit—how is this abuse?" He summoned Han Tong, imprisoned Cheng, and killed him and two hundred followers. At execution Shizong still sent an attendant to question him; Cheng was calm, straightened his robes, bowed south, and said, “I repay the state with death alone!" Then he was executed. After Cheng died, Mo was demoted to military adjutant of Yao. Later Shizong’s anger cooled; he pitied Cheng and regretted the killing; he recalled Mo as Vice Director of the Imperial Guard. Jing had ceded land north of the Yangzi and sent Mo back; hearing Cheng was dead, he too posthumously made him Duke of Lu.