1
嗚呼，盛衰之理，雖曰天命，豈非人事哉！ 原莊宗之所以得天下，與其所以失之者，可以知之矣。 世言晉王之將終也，以三矢賜莊宗而告之曰：「梁，吾仇也，燕王吾所立，契丹與吾約為兄弟，而皆背晉以歸梁。 此三者，吾遺恨也。 與爾三矢，爾其無忘乃父之志！」 莊宗受而藏之於廟。 其后用兵，則遣從事以一少牢告廟，請其矢，盛以錦囊，負而前驅，及凱旋而納之。 方其係燕父子以組，函梁君臣之首，入于太廟，還矢先王而告以成功，其意氣之盛，可謂壯哉！ 及仇雠已滅，天下已定，一夫夜呼，亂者四應，蒼皇東出，未及見賊而士卒離散，君臣相顧，不知所歸，至於誓天断髮，泣下沾襟，何其衰也！ 豈得之難而失之易歟？ 抑本其成敗之迹而皆自於人歟？ 《書》曰：「滿招損，謙得益。」 憂勞可以興國，逸豫可以亡身，自然之理也。 故方其盛也，舉天下之豪傑莫能與之爭； 及其衰也，數十伶人困之，而身死國滅，為天下笑。 夫禍患常積於忽微，而智勇多困於所溺，豈獨伶人也哉！ 作《伶官傳》。
Alas! Rise and fall may be called fate—but is it not, in the end, the work of men? Consider how Zhuangzong won the realm and how he lost it—the answer lies there. Men say that as the Prince of Jin lay dying he gave Zhuangzong three arrows and said: “Liang is my foe; the Prince of Yan I raised up; the Khitan and I were sworn brothers—yet all turned from Jin to Liang. These three are the debts I leave unpaid. Take these three arrows—do not forget your father’s charge! Zhuangzong took them and laid them in the ancestral temple. Whenever he marched to war he sent a clerk with a young ox to announce it at the temple, drew out the arrows, packed them in brocade pouches, bore them on his back at the van—and when victory came home, returned them to their place. When he had bound the Yan princes with cord, cased the heads of Liang’s court, entered the Grand Temple, and given back the arrows to his father’s shade with news of triumph—what pride, what splendor! When his enemies were gone and the realm secure, a single shout in the night brought mutiny on every side; he fled east in disarray, his army melting away before he met the foe; court and emperor stared at one another with nowhere to turn, swearing to Heaven and shearing their hair, weeping until their robes were wet—how far he had fallen! Is it hard to win the world and easy to lose it? Or do success and ruin always trace back to human choices? The Book says: “Pride invites ruin; humility brings gain. Care and hardship can revive a kingdom; idleness and indulgence can destroy a man—that is the way of things. At his zenith no champion under Heaven could stand against him; at his fall a handful of actors brought him down—he died, his house ended, and the world mocked him. Disaster grows from tiny neglects; wit and valor drown in obsession—is that true only of actors? Hence this “Biography of Court Entertainers.”
2
莊宗既好俳優，又知音，能度曲，至今汾、晉之俗，往往能歌其聲，謂之「御製」者皆是也。 其小字亞子，當時人或謂之亞次。 又别為優名以自目，曰李天下。 自其為王，至於為天子，常身與俳優杂戲於庭，伶人由此用事，遂至於亡。 皇后劉氏素微，其父劉叟，賣藥善卜，號劉山人。 劉氏性悍，方與諸姬爭寵，常自恥其世家，而特諱其事。 莊宗乃為劉叟衣服，自負蓍囊藥篋，使其子繼岌提破帽而隨之，造其卧内，曰：「劉山人来省女。」 劉氏大怒，笞繼岌而逐之。 宫中以為笑樂。
Zhuangzong loved actors, knew music, and wrote songs himself—even now in Fen and Jin people still sing his tunes; whatever is called “imperial composition” is his. His pet name was Yazi; some called him Yaci. He gave himself another stage name: Li Tianxia—“Li Who Owns the World.” From prince to emperor he played the fool with actors in the palace yard; through them power passed into their hands—and on to destruction. Empress Liu came from nothing; her father Old Liu sold herbs and told fortunes, known as Liu the Mountain Man. The empress was proud and jealous, fighting the palace women for favor; she hated her low origins and hid them at all costs. Zhuangzong put on Old Liu’s clothes, shouldered the diviner’s pouch and medicine chest, sent his son Jiji after him in a torn cap, and walked into her chamber: “Liu the Mountain Man is here to see his girl. The empress erupted, beat Jiji, and threw them out. The inner court roared with laughter.
3
其戰於胡柳也，嬖伶周匝為梁人所得。 其後滅梁入汴，周匝謁於馬前，莊宗得之喜甚，賜以金帛，勞其良苦。 周匝對曰：「身陷仇人，而得不死以生者，教坊使陳俊、内園栽接使儲德源之力也。 願乞二州以報此兩人。」 莊宗皆許以為刺史。 郭崇韜諫曰：「陛下所與共取天下者，皆英豪忠勇之士。 今大功始就，封賞未及於一人，而先以伶人為刺史，恐失天下心。 不可！」 因格其命。 踰年，而伶人屢以為言，莊宗謂崇韜曰：「吾已許周匝矣，使吾慙見此二人。 公言雖正，然當為我屈意行之。」 卒以俊為景州刺史、德源為憲州刺史。
At Huliu his beloved actor Zhou Za fell into Liang’s hands. When Liang fell and he entered Bian, Zhou Za knelt before his horse; Zhuangzong was delighted, heaped gifts on him, and praised his endurance. Zhou Za said: “I was in the enemy’s grip and should have died—Chen Jun of the Music Bureau and Chu Deyuan of the Inner Garden saved me. Grant me two prefectures for these two men. Zhuangzong agreed to make each of them a prefect. Guo Chongtao objected: “The men who won the realm with you are heroes—loyal and fierce. The war is barely won and not one soldier has been rewarded, yet actors are to become prefects—you will lose the army’s heart. You must not do this! He held the edicts back. A year later the actors pressed him again. Zhuangzong said to Guo Chongtao: “I gave Zhou Za my word—I cannot bear to meet those two men now. You are right—but for my sake, swallow your objections and do it. At last Chen Jun became prefect of Jingzhou and Chu Deyuan prefect of Xianzhou.
4
莊宗好畋獵，獵于中牟，踐民田。 中牟縣令當馬切諫，為民請，莊宗怒，叱縣令去，將殺之。 伶人敬新磨知其不可，乃率諸伶走追縣令，擒至馬前責之曰：「汝為縣令，獨不知吾天子好獵邪？ 奈何縱民稼穑以供税賦！ 何不饑汝縣民而空此地，以備吾天子之馳騁？ 汝罪當死！」 因前請亟行刑，諸伶共唱和之。 莊宗大笑，縣令乃得免去。 莊宗嘗與羣優戲于庭，四顧而呼曰：「李天下，李天下何在？」 新磨遽前以手批其頰。 莊宗失色，左右皆恐，羣伶亦大驚駭，共持新磨詰曰：「汝奈何批天子頰？」 新磨對曰：「李天下者，一人而已，復誰呼邪！」 於是左右皆笑，莊宗大喜，賜與新磨甚厚。 新磨嘗奏事殿中，殿中多惡犬，新磨去，一犬起逐之，新磨倚柱而呼曰：「陛下毋縱兒女嚙人！」 莊宗家世夷狄，夷狄之人諱狗，故新磨以此譏之。 莊宗大怒，彎弓注矢將射之，新磨急呼曰：「陛下無殺臣！ 臣與陛下為一体，殺之不祥！」 莊宗大驚，問其故，對曰：「陛下开國，改元同光，天下皆謂陛下同光帝。 且同，銅也，若殺敬新磨，則同無光矣。」 莊宗大笑，乃释之。
Zhuangzong loved the chase; at Zhongmou he rode through the farmers’ crops. The county magistrate seized his bridle and pleaded for his people; Zhuangzong raged, ordered him away, and prepared to execute him. Jing Xinmo saw the danger and rallied the actors to chase the magistrate down, drag him before the horse, and scold him: “You hold office under Heaven’s Son—do you not know he loves to hunt? Why let peasants sow grain for taxes! Why not starve your whole county and clear the ground for the emperor’s horses! You deserve to die! He pressed for instant punishment; the rest of the actors joined the chorus. Zhuangzong burst out laughing—and the magistrate was spared. Once, playing with the actors in the yard, Zhuangzong glanced around and shouted: “Li Tianxia! Where is Li Tianxia? Xinmo darted up and struck him across the face. Zhuangzong went pale; his attendants froze in terror; the actors cried out and seized Xinmo: “How dare you strike the emperor’s face? Xinmo answered: “There is only one Li Who Owns the World—who else did you mean?” The court burst into laughter; Zhuangzong was delighted and heaped gifts on Xinmo. Reporting to the throne one day, Xinmo was set upon by the palace dogs. He clung to a pillar and yelled: “Your Majesty—control your children! They bite! Zhuangzong’s line was Turkic; Turkic peoples shun talk of dogs—so Xinmo was needling his origin. Zhuangzong snatched up his bow to shoot him; Xinmo screamed: “Do not kill me, Majesty! You and I are one—slay me and you slay yourself! Zhuangzong stared, baffled; Xinmo said: “You founded the dynasty and named the era Tongguang—‘Shared Radiance’—so the world calls you the Emperor of Shared Radiance. Tong also means bronze—kill Jing Xinmo and you snuff out the guang in Tongguang! Zhuangzong roared with laughter and let him go.
5
然時諸伶，獨新磨尤善俳，其語最著，而不聞其佗過惡。 其敗政亂國者，有景進、史彦瓊、郭門高三人為最。
Of all the actors, only Xinmo was a true master of the jest—his lines are still remembered, and no other scandal attaches to his name. The men who wrecked the realm were three: Jing Jin, Shi Yanqiong, and Men Gao.
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是時，諸伶人出入宫掖，侮弄縉紳，羣臣憤嫉，莫敢出氣，或反相附託，以希恩倖，四方藩鎮，貨賂交行，而景進最居中用事。 莊宗遣進等出訪民間，事無大小皆以聞。 每進奏事殿中，左右皆屏退，軍機國政皆與參決，三司使孔謙兄事之，呼為「八哥」。 莊宗初入洛，居唐故宫室，而嬪御未備。 閹宦希旨，多言宫中夜見鬼物，相驚恐，莊宗問所以禳之者，因曰：「故唐時，後宫萬人，今空宫多怪，當實以人乃息。」 莊宗欣然。 其後幸鄴，乃遣進等採鄴美女千人，以充後宫。 而進等緣以為姦，軍士妻女因而逃逸者數千人。 莊宗還洛，進载鄴女千人以從，道路相屬，男女無别。 魏王繼岌已破蜀，劉皇后聽宦者讒言，遣繼岌賊殺郭崇韜。 崇韜素嫉伶人，常裁抑之，伶人由此皆樂其死。 皇弟存乂，崇韜之壻也，進讒於莊宗曰：「存乂且反，為婦翁報仇。」 乃囚而殺之。 朱友謙，以梁河中降晉者，及莊宗入洛，伶人皆求賂於友謙，友謙不能給而辭焉。 進乃讒友謙曰：「崇韜且誅，友謙不自安，必反，宜幷誅之。」 於是及其將五六人皆族滅之，天下不勝其冤。 進，官至銀青光祿大夫、檢校左散騎常侍兼御史大夫，上柱國。
Actors wandered the inner quarters, mocking officials; the court seethed but no one spoke; some ministers flattered them for favor; governors bought their goodwill with gifts—and Jing Jin ruled from the center. Zhuangzong sent Jin and his crew to spy on the realm; nothing was too small to reach his ear. When Jin came to report, the room was cleared; he sat in on war and policy; Kong Qian of the Three Offices called him “Eighth Brother” and bowed to him like kin. Zhuangzong entered Luoyang and moved into the old Tang palaces, but his harem was still thin. Eunuchs told him the palace was haunted at night; he asked how to cleanse it. They said: “Tang’s inner court held ten thousand women—emptiness breeds ghosts. Put real people in the halls and the shadows will go. Zhuangzong liked the plan. On a later visit to Ye he sent Jin and the rest to collect a thousand Ye beauties for the harem. Jin and his men turned the roundup into rape; thousands of soldiers’ wives and daughters ran. Returning to Luoyang, Jin marched a thousand Ye women in his train; the roads were choked, sex and order forgotten. Prince of Wei Jiji had taken Shu; the empress, swayed by eunuchs, ordered Jiji to murder Guo Chongtao. Chongtao had long hated the actors and curbed them—the actors celebrated when he died. Imperial brother Cunyi was Chongtao’s son-in-law; Jin whispered to Zhuangzong: “Cunyi will rise to avenge his wife’s father. They seized him and put him to death. Zhu Youqian, who had brought Hezhong over from Liang, was shaken down by every actor when Zhuangzong reached Luoyang; he could not pay and refused. Jin accused him: “With Chongtao gone, Youqian is uneasy—he will rebel. Kill him too. Youqian and five or six of his commanders were wiped out to the last cousin; the empire groaned at the wrong. Jin climbed to Silver Glory Light Grand Master, Investigating Left Regular Cavalry Attendant and Censor Grandee, Upper Pillar of State.
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史彦瓊者，為武德使，居鄴都，而魏博六州之政皆決彦瓊，自留守王正言而下，皆俛首承事之。 是時，郭崇韜以無罪見殺於蜀，天下未知其死也，第見京師殺其諸子，因相傳曰：「崇韜殺魏王繼岌而自王於蜀矣，以故族其家。」 鄴人聞之，方疑惑。 已而朱友謙又見殺。 友謙子建徽為澶州刺史，有詔彦瓊使殺之，彦瓊秘其事，夜半馳出城。 鄴人見彦瓊無故夜馳出，因驚傳曰：「劉皇后怒崇韜之殺繼岌也，已弑帝而自立，急召彦瓊計事。」 鄴都大恐。 贝州人有来鄴者，傳引語以歸。 戍卒皇甫暉聞之，由此劫趙在禮作亂。 在禮已至館陶，鄴都巡檢使孫鐸，見彦瓊求兵禦賊，彦瓊不肯與，曰：「賊未至，至而給兵豈晚邪？」 已而賊至，彦瓊以兵登北門，聞賊呼聲，大恐，棄其兵而走，單騎歸於京師。 在禮由是得入於鄴以成其叛亂者，由彦瓊啓而縱之也。
Shi Yanqiong held Ye as Military Virtue Commissioner and ruled Weibo’s six prefectures; from Wang Zhengyan the garrison commander down, everyone kowtowed to him. Guo Chongtao had been murdered in Shu, but the news had not spread—only the slaughter of his sons in the capital was seen; rumor said Chongtao had killed Jiji and declared himself king in Shu, and so his house was exterminated. Ye buzzed with uncertainty. Then Zhu Youqian was killed as well. Youqian’s son Jianhui governed Cizhou; orders came for Yanqiong to kill him; Yanqiong hid the command and fled the city at midnight. Seeing Yanqiong bolt at midnight without cause, Ye took fright and whispered: “The empress, enraged that Chongtao killed her son, has slain the emperor and seized the throne—she has called Yanqiong in haste to plot. Terror seized the city. A traveler from Beizhou heard it in Ye and carried the story back. Garrison soldier Huangfu Hui heard it and forced Zhao Zaili into revolt. Zaili was already at Guantao; Sun Duo the patrol commissioner begged Yanqiong for troops; Yanqiong refused: “The rebels aren’t here yet—why not wait until they are? The rebels came; Yanqiong manned the North Gate, heard their battle cries, panicked, threw down his men, and rode alone to the capital. Zaili walked into Ye and made good his revolt—because Yanqiong opened the gate and let him pass.
8
郭門高者，名從謙，門高其優名也。 雖以優進，而嘗有軍功，故以為從馬直指揮使。 從馬直，蓋親軍也。 從謙以姓郭，拜崇韜為叔父，而皇弟存乂又以從謙為養子。 崇韜死，存乂見囚，從謙置酒軍中，憤然流涕，稱此二人之冤。 是時，從馬直軍士王溫宿衛禁中，夜謀亂，事覺被誅。 莊宗戲從謙曰：「汝党存乂、崇韜負我，又教王溫反。 復欲何為乎？」 從謙恐，退而激其軍士曰：「罄爾之貲，食肉而饮酒，無為後日計也。」 軍士問其故，從謙因曰：「上以王溫故，俟破鄴，盡坑爾曹。」 軍士信之，皆欲為亂。 李嗣源兵反，嚮京師，莊宗東幸汴州，而嗣源先入。 莊宗至萬勝，不得進而還，軍士離散，尚有二萬餘人。 居數日，莊宗復東幸汜水，謀扼關以為拒。 四月丁亥朔，朝羣臣於中興殿，宰相對三刻罷。 從駕黄甲馬軍陣於宣仁門、步軍陣於五鳳門以俟。 莊宗入食内殿，從謙自營中露刃注矢，馳攻興教門，與黄甲軍相射。 莊宗聞亂，率諸王衛士擊亂兵出門。 亂兵縱火焚門，緣城而入，莊宗擊殺數十百人。 亂兵從楼上射帝，帝伤重，踣於絳霄殿廊下，自皇后、諸王左右皆奔走。 至午時，帝崩，五坊人善友聚樂器而焚之。 嗣源入洛，得其骨，葬新安之雍陵。 以從謙為景州刺史，已而殺之。
Men Gao was really named Congqian; Men Gao was his stage name. He had entered as an actor but once earned battle honors, so they made him commander of the Following Horse Direct. The Following Horse Direct were the emperor’s own troops. Congqian was a Guo by birth and called Chongtao uncle; imperial brother Cunyi had adopted him as a son. When Chongtao was dead and Cunyi in chains, Congqian feasted his troops, wept, and cried out at the wrong done to both men. A guardsman named Wang Wen, posted in the palace, plotted mutiny by night; he was caught and killed. Zhuangzong teased Congqian: “Your friends Cunyi and Chongtao betrayed me, and you set Wang Wen on the path of treason. What are you plotting now? Congqian was terrified; he went back and roused his men: “Spend everything you have—feast today and leave tomorrow to chance.” They asked why; Congqian said: “The emperor blames you for Wang Wen—when Ye falls he will massacre every one of you.” They believed him—and every man was ready to rise. Li Siyuan’s army rose and marched on the capital; Zhuangzong hurried east to Bianzhou—but Siyuan was already inside. Zhuangzong reached Wansheng, could not push forward, and withdrew; the army broke apart, but he still had twenty thousand men. Days later he went east again to Sishui, intending to hold the pass and block his enemies. On the first day of the fourth month he held court at Zhongxing Hall; the chancellors were heard for three quarters of an hour, then dismissed. The imperial yellow-armor horse arrayed at Xuanren Gate and the foot at Wufeng Gate, waiting. Zhuangzong went to eat in the inner palace; Congqian rode out of camp with blades bare and bows drawn, struck Xingjiao Gate, and traded volleys with the yellow-armor guard. Hearing the uproar, Zhuangzong led the princes and guards out to fight the mutineers. The mutineers fired the gate and scaled the walls; Zhuangzong cut down hundreds. Mutineers rained arrows from the tower; Zhuangzong was mortally wounded and collapsed in the corridor of Jiangxiao Hall—the empress, the princes, and everyone near him ran. By noon he was dead; Shanyou of the Five Workshops heaped instruments and set them ablaze. Siyuan entered Luoyang, recovered his remains, and buried them at Yongling in Xin’an. They made Congqian prefect of Jingzhou—and soon put him to death.
9
《傳》曰：「君以此始，必以此終。」 莊宗好伶，而弑於門高，焚以樂器。 可不信哉！ 可不戒哉！
The Commentary says: “What a lord begins with, he must end with.” Zhuangzong doted on actors—yet was killed by Men Gao and consumed in a fire of instruments. Who would not believe it! Who would not take warning!