2
Zhai Guangye, styled Huaji, came from Juancheng in Puzhou. His father Jing Ke was a man of dash and nerve. Liang and Jin faced off on the river. Jing Ke rallied the townsmen to hold Yongding Post. Jin besieged it a year and could not break it; Jing Ke fell in the last fight. Guangye was ten when Jin soldiers carried him off. Mingzong prized his sharp mind and kept him close. Under Tang he rose to training commissioner of Yao. Under Jin Gaozu he was prefect of Di and Yi in turn and deputy defender of the Western Capital. Once the Deposed Emperor had broken Yang Guangyuan, Guangye was made defender of Qing. Guangye rallied troops and civilians with real grace. When the Khitan ended Jin, they set Guangye to govern Cao. When Prince Xu Congyi entered Bian, he was made Privy Commissioner. Han Gaozu entered the capital and made him Grand General of the Right Stern Guard and Grand General of the Left Jinwu Guard, and street commissioner. Zhou Taizu took the throne and named him Palace Commissioner and Vice Privy Commissioner, then sent him to govern Yongxing; he died in post.
3
Guangye spoke little and plotted much, and was known for honoring his stepmother. Though high in rank he built no fortune, lodging in borrowed government rooms, spare enough only to shed wind and rain. He kept kin close in coarse dress and plain fare, sharing all he had while he stayed easy, drinking with guests and piling books for joy. Wherever he ruled, he aimed at leniency, quiet, and ease. Near death he told his men: when breath fails, bear my body to Luoyang—do not linger and burden the command. After his death the prefecture petitioned to bury him locally and raise a shrine; the court refused.
4
Feng Hui came from Weizhou. He served the Loyalty army as a soldier and rose to squad leader by merit. Zhuangzong entered Wei and faced Liang on the river. Hui fled from his squad into Liang ranks. Wang Yanzhang took his dash and kept him close. Liang fell; Zhuangzong pardoned Hui and let the matter drop. He followed Mingzong against Yang Li and joined the Prince of Wei Jiji in pacifying Shu, rising to prefect of Kui and Xing. Dong Zhang rebelled in Dongchuan. Hui marched with Jin Gaozu to Jianmen, which held shut. He swung left by another road and cut down the Shu garrison almost to a man. Gaozu withdrew and made Hui prefect of Chan.
5
Under Tianfu, Fan Yanguang rebelled at Wei and sent Hui against Hua. Hui failed, entered Wei, and held it for Yanguang. Soon he surrendered, was made commissioner of Yicheng, and was shifted to Lingwu. Since Mingzong, Lingwu had traded for horses and grain, drawn tribes in, and paid the troops—sixty million a year from the treasury. West of the Pass the convoys broke the people, and exiles swarmed. Between Qinggang and Tuqiao, Di and Qiang robbed the roads, and merchants marched only under arms. Hui came and ruled by grace and trust; the tribes took his favor and raids stopped. He widened garrison farms to spare the convoys, raised a thousand storehouses and lodges from his own pay without new levies, and brought the circuit to order. Jin Gaozu praised him by edict.
6
党項拓拔彥超最為大族，諸族向背常以彥超為去就。 暉之至也，彥超來謁，遂留之，為起第於城中，賜予豐厚，務足其意。 彥超既留，而諸部族爭以羊馬為市易，期年有馬五千匹。 晉見暉馬多而得夷心，反以為患，徙鎮靜難，又徙保義。 歲中，召為侍衛步軍都指揮使，領河陽節度使，暉於是始覺晉有患己意。 是時，出帝昏亂，馮玉、李彥韜等用事，暉曲意事之，因得復鎮靈武。 時王令溫鎮靈武，失夷落心，大為邊患。 暉即請曰：「今朝廷多事，必不能以兵援臣，願得自募兵以為衛。」 乃募得兵千餘人，行至梅戍，蕃夷稍稍來謁，暉顧首領一人，指其佩劍曰：「此板橋王氏劍邪？ 吾聞王氏劍天下利器也。」 俯而取諸腰間，若將玩之，因擊殺首領者，其從騎十餘人皆殺之。 裨將藥元福曰：「今去靈武尚五六百里，奈何？」 暉笑曰：「此夷落之豪，部族之所恃也，吾能殺之，其餘豈敢動哉！」 已而諸族皆以兵扼道路，暉以言譬諭之，獨所殺首領一族求戰，即與之戰而敗走，諸族遂不敢動。 暉至靈武，撫綏邊部，凡十餘年，恩信大著。 官至中書令，封陳留王。 廣順三年卒，追封衛王。 子繼業。
Of the Tangut, Tuoba Yanchao was the greatest house; tribes turned or held by his lead. Yanchao came to call. Hui kept him, built him a house in the city, and heaped gifts until he was content. With Yanchao held, tribes traded sheep and horses in rivalry; within a year Hui had five thousand horses. Jin saw his horses and tribal favor and took alarm; he was moved to Jingnan, then to Baoyi. That year he was recalled as Palace Foot Guard commander with He-Yang; Hui first felt Jin’s mistrust. The Deposed Emperor was lost; Feng Yu and Li Yantao held court. Hui courted them and won Lingwu back. Wang Lingwen held Lingwu, lost the tribes, and bred great border trouble. Hui petitioned at once: "The court is beset and cannot send you troops. Let me raise my own guard." He raised a thousand-odd men. At Mei garrison tribesmen called in turn. Hui eyed one chief, pointed at his belt sword, and said: "A Banqiao Wang blade? I hear Wang blades are the finest steel under heaven." He bent as if to admire it, took it from the man’s belt, and killed the chief and a dozen of his riders besides. Deputy Yao Yuanfu said: "Lingwu is still five or six hundred li off—what now?" Hui laughed: "This was their great chief, the tribes’ pillar. Kill him and who dares move?" Soon every tribe barred the road. Hui talked them down; only the dead chief’s clan fought. He beat them off, and the rest held still. At Lingwu he soothed the border tribes more than ten years until grace and trust shone wide. He rose to Grand Councilor and was enfeoffed Prince of Chenliu. He died in the third year of Guangshun and was posthumously made Prince of Wei. He left a son Jiye.
8
皇甫暉，魏州人也。 為魏軍卒，戍瓦橋關，歲滿當代歸，而留屯貝州。 是時，唐莊宗已失政，天下離心。 暉為人驍勇無賴，夜博軍中，不勝，乃與其徒謀為亂，劫其部將楊仁晟曰：「唐能破梁而得天下者，以先得魏而盡有河北兵也。 魏軍甲不去體、馬不解鞍者十餘年，今天下已定，而天子不念魏軍久戍之勞，去家咫尺，不得相見。 今將士思歸不可遏，公當與我俱行。 不幸天子怒吾軍，則坐據一州，足以起事。」 仁晟曰：「公等何計之過也！ 今英主在上，天下一家，精甲銳兵，不下數十萬，公等各有家屬，何故出此不祥之言？」 軍士知不可強，遂斬之，推一小校為主，不從，又斬之，乃攜二首以詣裨將趙在禮，在禮從之，乃夜焚貝州以入於魏，在禮以暉為馬步軍都指揮使。 暉擁甲士數百騎，大掠城中，至一民家，問其姓，曰：「姓國。」 暉曰：「吾當破國！」 遂盡殺之。 又至一家，問其姓，曰：「姓萬。」 暉曰：「吾殺萬家足矣。」 又盡殺之。 及明宗入魏，遂與在禮合謀，莊宗之禍自暉始。 明宗即位，暉自軍卒擢拜陳州刺史，終唐世常為刺史。
Huang Fuhui came from Weizhou. He was a Wei soldier at Waqiao Pass. His term ended and he should have gone home, but the army kept him at Bei. Zhuangzong had already lost the realm, and hearts everywhere pulled apart. Fuhui was brutal and reckless. He gambled in camp at night, lost, and with his mates plotted mutiny. They seized their officer Yang Rencheng and said: "Tang broke Liang because it took Wei first and held all Hebei arms. For ten years Wei men never stripped mail or ungirt saddles. The realm is settled, yet the throne forgets our long watch. Home is a step away and we cannot see kin. Our longing to return cannot be held. March with us. If the throne rages at us, seize a prefecture and that is enough to rise." Rencheng said: "Your plans go too far! A bright lord rules, the realm is one house, and sharp arms number in the hundreds of thousands. You have kin—why such ill-omened talk?" The soldiers knew they could not force him, so they beheaded him; they pushed a junior officer to be leader, he refused, and they beheaded him too. Carrying the two heads they went to deputy Zhao Zaili; Zaili followed them. That night they burned Bei and entered Wei; Zaili made Fuhui horse-and-foot commander. Fuhui led hundreds of armored horse and plundered the city. At one house he asked the surname; they said: "Guo." Fuhui said: "I shall ruin the state!" and killed them to the last. At another house he asked; they said: "Wan." Fuhui said: "Slaying ten thousand houses is enough." and again killed them all. When Mingzong entered Wei, Fuhui plotted on with Zaili, and Zhuangzong’s ruin began with Fuhui. Mingzong raised him from the ranks to prefect of Chen, and through Tang he often held a prefecture.
9
Under Jin Tianfu he was a guard general in the capital. Zaili already held a commission and came to court on leave. Fuhui visited him: "We rose at Ganling and finished the great work, but I lit the fuse. You are rich now—will you spare me? If not, ruin will rise from this seat!" Zaili feared him, brought out thousands in goods at once, and poured wine. Fuhui drank easy and left without thanks. Long after he was made prefect of Mi. When the Khitan took the capital, Fuhui fled south with his prefecture. Li Jing made him prefect of She and commissioner of Fenghua at Jiang. Zhou marched on the Huai. Jing named Fuhui northern relief commissioner and posted him at Qingliu Pass. Zhou broke him and took him with his overseer Yao Feng. Shizong called him in. Golden wounds covered him; Shizong pitied him, gave belt and horse, and he died days later. Feng was made Senior General of the Left Stationed Guard.
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Tang Jingsi came from Qin. As a boy he wrestled well and butchered dogs for a living. Later he became a soldier and rose to commander. When Jiji attacked Shu, Jingsi held Guzhen for Shu. Jiji arrived; Jingsi yielded the city and was made prefect of Xing. Under Jin Gaozu he was Bei’s marching marshal. Under the Deposed Emperor the Khitan took Bei; Jingsi fell to Zhao Yanshou and was made trench commissioner. When the Khitan ended Jin, he was made defender of Bo. Under Han Gaozu he was Deng’s marching marshal, then Huai river inspector.
12
漢法酷，而史弘肇用事，喜以告訐殺人。 景思有奴，嘗有所求不如意，即馳見弘肇，言景思與李景交通，而私畜兵甲。 弘肇遣吏將三十騎往收景思，奴謂吏曰：「景思勇者也，得則殺之，不然將失之也。」 吏至，景思迎前，以兩手抱吏呼冤，請詣獄自理。 吏引奴與景思驗，景思曰：「我家在此，請索之。 有錢十千，為受外賂。 有甲一屬，為私畜兵。」 吏索之，惟一衣笥，軍籍、糧簿而已。 吏閔而寬之，景思請械送京師以自明。 景思有仆王知權在京師，聞景思被告，乃見弘肇，願先下獄明景思不反，弘肇憐之，送知權獄中，日勞以酒食。 景思既械就道，潁、亳之人隨至京師共明之。 弘肇乃鞫其奴，具伏，即奏斬奴而釋景思。 後從世宗戰高平，世宗以所得漢降兵數千為效順指揮，以景思為指揮使，復戍淮上。 周師伐淮南，以功領饒州刺史，遷濠州刺史，兵攻濠州，以戰傷重卒，贈武清軍節度使。
Han law ran harsh. Shi Hongzhao held power and loved to kill on accusation. Jingsi had a slave whose wish went unmet; the man galloped to Hongzhao and said Jingsi trafficked with Li Jing and hid arms. Hongzhao sent thirty horse to seize him. The slave told them: "Jingsi is bold—take him and kill at once or you will lose him." They came; Jingsi met them, seized the officer in both arms, cried injustice, and asked prison to clear his name. They brought the slave to face him. Jingsi said: "My house is here—search it. Ten thousand cash—that is outside bribe. One suit of mail—that is private arms." They searched and found only one clothes chest, muster rolls, and grain books. The officers pitied him and eased off. Jingsi asked fetters and the capital to clear himself. Servant Wang Zhiquan was in the capital; hearing the charge, he saw Hongzhao and offered prison first to prove no revolt. Hongzhao pitied him and jailed Zhiquan, daily feeding him wine and meat. Jingsi went fettered; men of Ying and Bo followed to the capital to clear him. Hongzhao examined the slave; he confessed all. Hongzhao memorialized, beheaded the slave, and freed Jingsi. Later he followed Shizong at Gaoping. Shizong formed several thousand Han surrender troops into the Obedient Command, made Jingsi commander, and posted him again on the Huai. When Zhou armies marched on Huainan, merit made him Rao prefect, then Hao prefect. Enemy troops struck Hao; he died of his wounds and was posthumously made military commissioner of Wuqing.
14
Wang Jin came from Liangxiang in Youzhou. He was fierce and bold, and could outrun a galloping horse. In youth he gathered a band and robbed the countryside. Fu Yanchao bribed him into service. Yanchao held Anyuan army when the camp mutinied. He sent Jin racing to the capital. Mingzong marveled at his speed and praised his legs, then assigned him to the Ningwei Guard. When Han Gaozu commanded the Palace Guard, he made Jin a company officer. When Gaozu governed Hedong, Jin went with him. In every crisis Gaozu sent him racing to the capital—a round trip of five or six days at most. Gaozu grew ever fonder and raised him to commander of the Fengguo army. He followed Zhou Taizu in the Wei rising and became commander of the right wing of the Tiger Swift Army. He was defender of Ru and Zheng in turn and military commissioner of Zhangde. In autumn of the first year of Xiande—one edition reads chu instead of qiu. He died of illness and was posthumously made Grand Preceptor.
15
嗚呼！ 予述舊史，至於王進之事，未嘗不廢書而嘆曰：甚哉，五代之君，皆武人崛起，其所與俱勇夫悍卒，各裂土地封侯王，何異豺狼之牧斯人也！ 雖其附托遭遇，出於一時之幸，然猶必皆橫身陣敵，非有百夫之勇，則必一日之勞。 至如進者，徒以疾足善走而秉旄節，何其甚歟！ 豈非名器之用，隨世而輕重者歟？ 世治則君子居之而重，世亂則小人易得而輕歟？ 抑因緣僥幸，未始不有，而尤多於亂世，既其極也，遂至於是歟？ 豈其又有甚於是者歟？ 當此之時，為國長者不過十餘年，短者三四年至一二年。 天下之人，視其上易君代國，如更戍長無異，蓋其輕如此，況其下者乎！ 如進等者，豈足道哉！ 《易》否泰消長，君子小人常相上下，視在上者如進等，則其在下者可知矣。 予書進事，所以哀斯人之亂，而見當時賢人君子之在下者，可勝道哉！ 可勝道哉！
Alas! When I set down the old histories and came to Wang Jin, I never failed to lay aside the book and sigh: How extreme! Every ruler of the Five Dynasties was a warrior risen from the ranks; the bold and brutal men who rose with him carved out domains and were made marquises and kings—what but wolves herding sheep? Even when favor and fortune came from a moment’s luck, they still had to throw themselves into the line—without the strength of a hundred men, at least a day’s worth of fighting. Jin held a commissioner’s baton for nothing but swift feet and a gift for running—how extreme is that! Is it not that rank and title grow light or heavy with the times? In ordered times gentlemen hold them and they weigh heavy; in chaotic times petty men seize them easily and they weigh light? Or is it that luck has never been absent, but runs riot in chaotic ages—and at the extreme, things come to this? And are there yet cases worse than this? In that age the longest reign was barely a dozen years; the shortest ran three or four, or one or two. Men under heaven watched their betters change rulers and dynasties as casually as a garrison chief is rotated—so lightly were they held; how much more those below! Men like Jin—what is there to speak of! The Changes tells how pi and tai wax and wane and gentleman and petty man trade places. When those on high are like Jin, those below may be guessed. I record Jin’s story to mourn that chaos—and to show how many worthy men were kept below. What sighs could number them all! What sighs could number them all!
17
Chang Si, styled Kegong, came from Taiyuan. He first followed Zhuangzong as a soldier and later commanded the Long Sword. Under Tang and Jin he was deputy commander of the Six Armies. When Han Gaozu governed Hedong, he made Si commander of the Laocheng garrison. When Gaozu took the throne, Si held the Wusheng commission and was shifted to Zhaoyi. Si rose from the ranks without battle merit and held a commissioner’s baton only by the luck of Han’s rise. Five years at Luzhou he spent extorting wealth, yet by nature he was stingy and frugal. When Si was still obscure, young Zhou Taizu was orphaned and ate at his home, calling him uncle. Later both rode Han’s rise to wealth and rank. Once Zhou Taizu reigned, he always called Si Uncle Chang and bowed to his wife as kin. In the third year of Guangshun he was moved to Guide. Three years later he came to court, then was shifted to Pinglu. Si petitioned: "When I governed Song, the people owed me one hundred thousand taels in silk interest. I wish to present the bonds to Your Majesty." Taizu nodded, burned the bonds, and ordered Song prefecture to forgive the debts entirely. At Qingzhou he fell ill within a year, returned to Luoyang, and died. He was posthumously made Grand Councilor.
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孫方諫，鄭州清苑人也。 初，定州西北有狼山堡，定人常保以避契丹，有尼深意居其中，以佛法誘民，民多歸之。 後尼死，堡人言其屍不朽，因奉而事之。 尼姓孫氏，方諫自以為尼族人，即繼行其法，堡人推以為主。 晉出帝時，義武軍節度使惡方諫聚徒山中，恐為邊患，因表以為遊奕使。 方諫因有所求不得，乃北通契丹。 契丹後滅晉，以方諫為義武軍節度使。 已而徙方諫於雲中，方諫不受命，率其徒復入狼山。 漢高祖起，契丹縱火燒定州，虜其人民北去。 方諫聞之，自狼山入，據之以歸漢，高祖嘉之，即拜方諫義武軍節度使。 周太祖時，徙鎮鎮國，以其弟行友為定州留後。 世宗攻太原，方諫朝於行在，從還京，至洛得疾，徙鎮匡國，卒於洛陽，年六十二，贈太師。
Sun Fangjian came from Qingyuan in Zheng prefecture. Northwest of Ding stood Langshan Fort, where Ding people sheltered from the Khitan. A nun, Shenyi, lived there and drew folk by Buddhist teaching; many followed her. When she died, the fort folk said her body did not decay and they honored and served her. The nun was surnamed Sun; Fangjian claimed her clan, carried on her practices, and the fort folk made him their leader. Under Jin’s Last Emperor the Yiwu commissioner hated Fangjian for gathering men in the hills and feared border trouble; he memorialized to make him roving patrol commissioner. When a request went unanswered, Fangjian turned to the Khitan in the north. The Khitan later destroyed Jin and made Fangjian military commissioner of Yiwu. Soon they moved him to Yunzhong; he refused and led his band back into Langshan Fort. Han Gaozu rose; the Khitan burned Ding prefecture and drove its people north as captives. Fangjian marched out of Langshan, seized the city, and submitted to Han; Gaozu praised him and at once restored him as Yiwu commissioner. Under Zhou Taizu he was moved to Zhenguo; his younger brother Xingyou was left as acting governor of Ding. When Shizong attacked Taiyuan, Fangjian came to the imperial camp, followed him home, fell ill at Luoyang, was moved to Kuangguo, and died there at sixty-two; he was posthumously made Grand Preceptor.