1
李崧，深州饒陽人也。 崧幼聰敏，能文章，為鎮州參軍。 唐魏王繼岌為興聖宮使，領鎮州節度使，以推官李蕘掌書記。 崧謂掌書呂柔曰：「魏王皇子，天下之望，書奏之職，非蕘所當。」 柔私使崧代為之，以示盧質、馮道，道等皆以為善。 乃以崧為興聖宮巡官，拜協律郎。 繼岌與郭崇韜代蜀，以崧掌書記。 繼岌已破蜀，劉皇后聰讒者言，陰遣人之蜀，教繼岌殺崇韜，人情不安。 崧入見繼岌曰：「王何為作此危事？ 誠不能容崇韜，至洛誅之何晚？ 今遠軍五千里，不見咫尺之詔殺大臣，動搖人情，是召亂也。」 繼岌曰：「吾亦悔之，奈何？」 崧乃召書吏三四人，登樓去梯，夜以黃紙作詔書，倒用都統印，明旦告諭諸軍，人心乃定。
Li Song was a native of Raoyang in Shenzhou. As a youth Song was quick-witted and skilled at writing; he served as a staff officer in Zhenzhou. During the Tang, Prince Ji Ji of Wei served as director of the Xingsheng Palace and concurrently as military commissioner of Zhenzhou, with the legal officer Li Rao as chief secretary. Song told the secretary Lü Rou, "The Prince of Wei is an imperial prince on whom the empire's hopes rest; the office of drafting memorials is not one Li Rao should hold." Rou secretly had Song draft the documents in his place and showed them to Lu Zhi and Feng Dao, who all approved. Song was then appointed inspector of the Xingsheng Palace and promoted to Gentleman for Harmonizing the Pitchpipes. When Ji Ji and Guo Chongtao marched against Shu, Song served as chief secretary. After Ji Ji had conquered Shu, Empress Liu listened to slander and secretly sent a messenger to Shu urging Ji Ji to execute Guo Chongtao; morale in the army grew unsettled. Song went in to see Ji Ji and said, "Why would Your Highness do something so dangerous? If you truly cannot abide Guo Chongtao, what harm in putting him to death once you reach Luoyang—would that be too late? Your army is five thousand li from the capital; to execute a senior minister without a visible imperial order will shake the troops' loyalty—that is how rebellions begin." Ji Ji said, "I regret it as well—but what can I do now?" Song then summoned three or four clerks, had them climb a tower and remove the ladder, and through the night drafted an edict on yellow paper, impressing it with the army commander's seal in reverse; at dawn he announced it to the troops, and morale steadied.
2
師還，繼岌死於道。 崧至京師，任圜判三司，用崧為鹽鐵判官，以內憂去職還鄉里。 服除，範延光居鎮州，辟崧掌書記。 延光為樞密使，崧拜拾遺，直樞密院。 累遷戶部侍郎、端明殿學士。 長興中，明宗春秋高，秦王從榮多不法，晉高祖為六軍副使，懼禍及，求出外藩。 是時，契丹入雁門，明宗選將以捍太原，晉高祖欲之。 樞密使範延光、趙延壽等議將，久不決，明宗怒甚，責延壽等，延壽等惶恐，欲以康義誠應選，崧獨曰：「太原，國之北門，宜得重臣，非石敬瑭不可也！」 由是從崧議。 晉高祖深德之，陰遣人謝崧曰：「為浮屠者，必合其尖。」 蓋欲使崧終始成己事也。 其後晉高祖以兵入京師，崧竄匿伊闕民家，晉高祖召為戶部侍郎，拜中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事兼樞密使。 丁內艱，起復。
On the march home, Ji Ji died en route. Song reached the capital, where Ren Yuan headed the Three Departments and appointed him salt-and-iron commissioner; he later left office and returned home to observe mourning for a parent. After his mourning period ended, Fan Yanguang, then stationed at Zhenzhou, engaged Song as chief secretary. When Yanguang became commissioner of military affairs, Song was appointed remonstrance official and served on the staff of the Bureau of Military Affairs. He rose through successive posts to vice minister of revenue and academician of the Duanming Hall. During the Changxing reign, Emperor Mingzong was elderly; Prince Qin Li Congrong repeatedly broke the law; Shi Jingtang, then deputy commander of the Six Armies, feared he would be implicated and asked to be sent out to a border command. At that time the Khitan raided through Yanmen Pass; Mingzong was selecting a general to defend Taiyuan, and Shi Jingtang wanted the assignment. The commissioners Fan Yanguang and Zhao Yanshou debated the appointment for a long time without deciding; Mingzong grew furious and rebuked them; in their alarm they were ready to nominate Kang Yicheng, but Song alone said, "Taiyuan is the empire's northern gate and needs a senior commander—no one but Shi Jingtang will do!" The court adopted Song's recommendation. Shi Jingtang was deeply obliged to him and secretly sent a messenger to thank Song, saying, "When one builds a pagoda, the capstone must crown it. He meant that Song should help him see the matter through to the end. Later Shi Jingtang marched on the capital with his army; Song hid in a commoner's house at Yique; Shi Jingtang recalled him as vice minister of revenue and appointed him vice director of the Secretariat, councilor of the Secretariat and Chancellery, and commissioner of military affairs. When his parent died he entered mourning, but was recalled to office before the mourning period ended.
3
契丹耶律德光犯京師，德光素聞延壽等稱崧為人，及入京師，謂人曰：「吾破南朝，得崧一人而已！」 乃拜崧太子太師。 契丹北還，命崧以族俱行，留之鎮州。 其後麻棄鎮州，崧與馮道等得還。 高祖素不悅崧，又為怨者譖之，言崧為契丹所厚，故崧遇漢權臣，常惕惕為謙謹，莫敢有所忤。
The Khitan ruler Yelü Deguang attacked the capital; Deguang had long heard Yanshou and others praise Song; on entering the city he told his followers, "In conquering the Southern Court I have gained only Li Song!" He then appointed Song grand preceptor of the heir apparent. When the Khitan withdrew north, they ordered Song to travel with his whole clan and kept him at Zhenzhou. Later, when the Khitan prince Ma withdrew from Zhenzhou, Song returned with Feng Dao and the others. Gaozu had never liked Song, and rivals slandered him as having been favored by the Khitan; so when Song dealt with powerful men of the Later Han he was always timid, humble, and careful never to give offense.
4
漢高祖入京師，以崧第賜蘇逢吉，崧家遭亂，多埋金寶，逢吉悉有之。 而崧弟嶼、{山義}與逢吉子弟同舍，酒酣，出怨言，以為奪我第。 崧又以宅券獻逢吉，逢吉尤不喜。 漢法素嚴，楊邠、史弘肇多濫弄法。 嶼仆葛延遇為嶼商賈，多幹沒其貲，嶼笞責之。 延遇夜宿逢吉部曲李澄家，以情告澄。 是時，高祖將葬睿陵，河中李守貞反。 澄乃教延遇告變，言崧與其甥王凝謀因山陵放火焚京師，又以蠟丸書通守貞。 逢吉遣人召崧至第，從容告之，崧知不免，乃以幼女托逢吉。 逢吉送崧侍衛獄。 崧出乘馬，從者去，無一人，崧恚曰：「自古豈有不死之人，然亦豈有不亡之國乎！」 乃自誣伏，族誅。
When Later Han Gaozu entered the capital he gave Song's residence to Su Fengji; during the chaos Song's family had buried much gold and treasure, and Fengji seized it all. Song's younger brothers Yu and Yan shared lodgings with Fengji's sons and nephews; when drunk they complained that their family home had been seized. Song also presented Fengji with the deed to the property, which only deepened Fengji's dislike. Later Han law was notoriously harsh; Yang Bin and Shi Hongzhao frequently twisted it to their own ends. Yu's servant Ge Yanyu conducted business for him and repeatedly embezzled his funds; Yu had him beaten. Yanyu spent the night at the home of Li Cheng, a retainer in Fengji's service, and confided the affair to Cheng. At that time Gaozu was preparing to bury Emperor Ruizong at Ruiling, while Li Shouzhen rebelled in Hezhong. Cheng then coached Yanyu to denounce Song, claiming that Song and his nephew Wang Ning plotted to set fire to the capital during the imperial funeral and had sent a message in a wax-sealed ball to Shouzhen. Fengji summoned Song to his residence and told him calmly; knowing he could not escape, Song entrusted his young daughter to Fengji. Fengji sent Song to the guard prison. Song rode out on horseback; his attendants deserted him until not one remained; Song said in fury, "Since antiquity, has any man escaped death? Yet has any state escaped ruin?" He then falsely confessed, and his whole clan was put to death.
5
崧素與翰林學士徐臺符相善，後周太祖入立，臺符告宰相馮道，請誅葛延遇，道以延遇數經赦宥，難之。 樞密使王峻聞之，多臺符有義，乃奏誅延遇。
Song had long been friendly with the Hanlin academician Xu Taifu; when Later Zhou Taizu took the throne, Taifu told the chief minister Feng Dao and asked that Ge Yanyu be executed; Dao hesitated because Yanyu had been pardoned several times. Commissioner of military affairs Wang Jun heard of this, admired Taifu's sense of justice, and memorialized for Yanyu's execution.
6
李鏻，唐宗室子也。 其伯父陽事唐，咸通間為給事中。 鏻少舉進士，累不中，客河朔間，自稱清海軍掌書記，謁定州王處直，處直不為禮。 乃易其綠衣，更為緋衣，謁常山李弘規，弘規進之趙王王镕，镕留為從事。 其後張文禮弒镕自立，遣鏻聘唐莊宗於太原。 鏻為人利口敢言，乃陰為莊宗畫文禮可破之策。 後文禮敗，莊宗以鏻為支使。
Li Lin was a member of the Tang imperial clan. His uncle Yang served the Tang and during the Xiantong reign held the post of remonstrance official. As a young man Lin repeatedly failed the jinshi examination; he wandered in the Hebei region, styling himself secretary of the Qinghai Army, and called on Wang Chuzhi of Dingzhou, who received him coldly. He then exchanged his green robe for a crimson one, called on Li Honggui of Changshan, and Honggui introduced him to Prince Zhao Wang Rong, who kept him as an aide. Later Zhang Wenli murdered Rong and seized power, and sent Lin as envoy to Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang at Taiyuan. Lin was quick-tongued and bold; he secretly devised for Zhuangzong a strategy to break Zhang Wenli. After Zhang Wenli's defeat, Zhuangzong appointed Lin branch commissioner.
7
莊宗即位，拜鏻宗正卿，以李瓊為少卿。 獻祖、懿祖墓在趙州昭慶縣，唐國初建，鏻、瓊上言：「獻祖宣皇帝建初陵，懿祖光皇帝啟運陵，請置臺令。」 縣中無賴子自稱宗子者百餘人，宗正無譜牒，莫能考按。 有民詣寺自言世為丹陽竟陵臺令，厚賂宗正吏，鏻、瓊不復詳考，遂補為令。 民即持絳幡招置部曲，侵奪民田百餘頃，以謂陵園壖地。 民訴於官，不能決，以聞。 莊宗下公卿博士，問故唐諸帝陵寢所在。 公卿博士言：「丹陽在今潤州，而竟陵非唐事。 鏻不學無知，不足以備九卿。」 坐貶司農少卿，出為河中節度副使。
When Zhuangzong ascended the throne he appointed Lin director of the imperial clan and Li Qiong as vice director. The tombs of the Exalted Ancestor and the August Ancestor lay in Zhaoping County, Zhao Prefecture; when the Tang was first established, Lin and Qiong memorialized: "The Exalted Ancestor, Emperor Xuan, lies at Jianchu Mausoleum; the August Ancestor, Emperor Guang, at Qiyun Mausoleum—we ask that platform directors be appointed." More than a hundred local troublemakers in the county claimed to be imperial clansmen; the Directorate of the Imperial Clan had no genealogies and could not verify them. One man presented himself at the directorate claiming his family had for generations held the post of platform director at Danyang and Jingling; he bribed the directorate clerks heavily; Lin and Qiong failed to investigate and appointed him director. The man then raised crimson banners and recruited retainers, seizing more than a hundred qing of farmland from local people on the pretext that it belonged to the imperial tombs. The people sued in court, but officials could not decide the case and reported it to the throne. Zhuangzong referred the matter to the grandees and erudite scholars and asked where the tombs of the former Tang emperors lay. They replied, "Danyang is in present-day Runzhou, while Jingling has nothing to do with the Tang. Lin is ignorant and unlearned and unfit to hold one of the Nine Ministers' posts." He was demoted to vice director of the directorate of agriculture and sent out as deputy military commissioner of Hezhong.
8
明宗即位，以鏻故人，召還，累遷戶部尚書。 鏻意頗希大用，嘗謂馮道、趙鳳曰：「唐家故事，宗室皆為宰相。 今天祚中興，宜按舊典，鏻雖不才，嘗事莊宗霸府，識今天子於藩邸，論才較業，何後眾人？ 而久置班行，於諸君安乎？」 道等惡其言。 後楊溥諜者見鏻言事，鏻謂安重誨曰：「楊溥欲歸國久矣，若朝廷遣使諭之，可以召也。」 重誨信之，以玉帶與諜者使為信，久而無效，由是貶鏻兗州行軍司馬。
When Mingzong took the throne he recalled Lin as an old acquaintance and promoted him repeatedly until he became minister of revenue. Lin eagerly sought high office and once told Feng Dao and Zhao Feng, "By Tang precedent, imperial clansmen all became chief ministers. Now that the dynasty is restored, the old rules should apply; though I am without talent, I once served in Zhuangzong's princely headquarters and knew the present emperor when he was still a prince—measured by talent and service, how am I behind the others? Yet I have long remained among the ordinary court officials—are you gentlemen comfortable with that?" Dao and the others resented his speech. Later a spy from Yang Pu came to discuss affairs with Lin; Lin told An Chonghui, "Yang Pu has long wished to submit to the dynasty; if the court sends an envoy to instruct him, he can be recalled." Chonghui believed him and gave the spy a jade belt as credentials; after a long while nothing came of it, and Lin was demoted to acting military administrator of Yanzhou.
9
鏻與廢帝有舊，湣帝時，為兵部尚書，奉使湖南，聞廢帝立，喜，以謂必用己為相。 還過荊南，謂高從誨曰：「士固有否泰，吾不為時用久矣。 今新天子即位，我將用矣！」 乃就從誨求寶貨入獻以為賀，從誨與馬紅裝拂二、猓犭然皮一，因為鏻置酒，問其副使馬承翰：「今朝廷之臣，孰有公輔之望？」 承翰曰：「尚書崔居儉、左丞姚顗，其次太常盧文紀也。」 從誨笑顧左右，取進奏官報狀示鏻顗與文紀皆拜平章事矣。 鏻慚失色。 還，遂獻其皮、拂，廢帝終不用。
Lin had old ties with the deposed emperor; under Emperor Min he was minister of war and on a mission to Hunan; when he heard the deposed emperor had taken the throne he rejoiced, certain he would be made chief minister. On his return he passed through Jingnan and told Gao Conghui, "A gentleman's fortunes rise and fall; I have long gone unused. Now that a new emperor has ascended the throne, I am about to be employed!" He then asked Conghui for valuables to present as congratulatory gifts; Conghui gave him two horses with red trappings and whisks and one orangutan hide, and over wine asked his vice envoy Ma Chenghan, "Among the court ministers today, who is likely to become chief minister?" Chenghan said, "Minister of War Cui Jujian and vice director of the left secretariat Yao Hao; after them, Director of Imperial Sacrifices Lu Wenji." Conghui smiled, turned to his attendants, and produced the memorial courier's report showing that Hao and Wenji had both already been appointed councilors. Lin flushed and went pale. When he returned he presented the hide and whisks, but the deposed emperor never used him.
10
初，李愚自太常卿作相，而盧文紀代之，及文紀作相，鏻乃求為太常卿。 及拜命，中謝曰：「臣叨入相之資。」 朝士傳以為笑。
Earlier Li Yu had risen from director of imperial sacrifices to chief minister, and Lu Wenji replaced him; when Wenji became chief minister, Lin sought the post of director of imperial sacrifices. On receiving the appointment, in his thanksgiving address at court he said, "Your servant presumptuously possesses the qualifications for the chief ministership." Courtiers spread the remark as a laughingstock.
11
賈緯，鎮州獲鹿人也。 少舉進士不中，州辟參軍。 唐天成中，範延光鎮成德，辟趙州軍事判官，遷石邑令。 緯長於史學。 唐自武宗已後無實錄，史官之職廢，緯采次傳聞，為《唐年補錄》六十五卷。 當唐之末，王室微弱，諸侯強盛，征伐擅出，天下多事，故緯所論次多所闕誤。 而喪亂之際，事跡粗存，亦有補於史氏。 晉天福中，為太常博士，非其好也，數求為史職，改屯田員外郎、起居郎、史館修撰，與修《唐書》。 丁內艱，服除，知制誥。 累遷中書舍人、諫議大夫、給事中，復為修撰。 漢隱帝時，詔與王伸、竇儼等同修晉高祖、出帝、漢高祖實錄。 初，桑維翰為相，常惡緯為人，待之甚薄。 緯為維翰傳，言「繼翰死，有銀八千鋌。」 翰林學士徐臺符以為不可，數以非緯，緯不得已，更為數千鋌。 廣順元年，實錄成，緯求遷官不得，由是怨望。 是時，宰相王峻監修國史，緯書日曆，多言當時大臣過失，峻見之，怒曰：「賈給事子弟仕宦亦要門閥，奈何歷詆當朝之士，使其子孫何以仕進？」 言之太祖，貶平盧軍行軍司馬。 明年卒於青州。
Jia Wei was a native of Huolu in Zhenzhou. As a youth he failed the jinshi examination and was recruited as a staff officer by his prefecture. During the Tiancheng reign of the Tang, Fan Yanguang governed Chengde and recruited him as military administrator of Zhao Prefecture; he was later promoted to magistrate of Shiyi. Wei excelled in historical scholarship. From Emperor Wuzong of Tang onward there were no Veritable Records and the historiographers' office lapsed; Wei gathered hearsay and compiled the Supplementary Annals of the Tang Years in sixty-five juan. At the end of the Tang the throne was weak, regional lords were powerful, and war was constant; much of what Wei recorded is therefore incomplete or mistaken. Yet amid chaos and ruin some events survived in rough outline, and his work still supplements the historical record. In the Jin Tianfu era he served as erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, a post he disliked; he repeatedly sought historiographical office and was moved to vice director of the directorate of agriculture, attendant of the heir apparent, and compiler in the History Institute, where he helped compile the Book of Tang. He entered mourning for a parent; when mourning ended he was appointed drafter of edicts. He rose through successive posts to secretariat drafter, remonstrance official, and palace attendant, and again served as a compiler. Under Later Han's Hidden Emperor, an edict ordered him, together with Wang Shen and Dou Yan and others, to compile the Veritable Records of the Jin high ancestor, the deposed emperor, and Han Gaozu. Earlier, when Sang Weihan was chief minister, he had always disliked Wei's character and treated him very coldly. Wei wrote Weihan's biography, stating that "when Weihan died there were eight thousand ingots of silver." The Hanlin academician Xu Taifu objected that this was unacceptable and repeatedly criticized Wei, who had no choice but to reduce the figure to several thousand ingots. In the first year of Guangshun the Veritable Records were completed; Wei sought promotion and was denied, and from this he nursed resentment. At that time chief minister Wang Jun supervised the national history; Wei wrote the court calendar and recorded many faults of the leading ministers of the day; when Jun saw it he said in anger, "Palace Attendant Jia's sons and brothers also seek office through eminent families—why vilify the men of this court so that their descendants cannot advance?" He reported this to Taizu, and Wei was demoted to acting military administrator of the Pinglu army. The following year he died at Qingzhou.
12
段希堯
Duan Xiyao
13
段希堯，河內人也。 晉高祖為河東節度使，以希堯為判官。 高祖軍屯忻州，軍中有擁高祖呼萬歲者，高祖惶惑，不知所為。 希堯勸高祖斬其亂首，乃止。 高祖將舉兵太原，與其賓佐謀，希堯以為不可，高祖雖不聽，然重其為人，不責之也。 高祖入立，希堯比諸將吏，恩澤最薄。 久之，稍遷諫議大夫，使於吳越。 是時，江、淮不通，凡使吳越者皆泛海，而多風波之患。 希堯過海，遭大風，左右皆恐懼，希堯曰：「吾平生不欺，汝等恃吾，可無恐也。」 已而風亦止。 歷萊、懷、棣三州刺史。 出帝時，為吏部侍郎，判東、西銓事，累遷禮部尚書。 卒，年七十九，贈太子少保。
Duan Xiyao was a native of Henei. When Shi Jingtang was military commissioner of Hedong, he appointed Xiyao his administrative aide. Shi Jingtang's army was encamped at Xinzhou when some soldiers began shouting "Long live the emperor"; he was alarmed and unsure how to respond. Xiyao urged him to execute the ringleaders, and the disturbance ceased. When Shi Jingtang was about to raise troops at Taiyuan and consulted his staff, Xiyao advised against it; though Jingtang did not listen, he still respected Xiyao's character and did not reproach him. After Jingtang took the throne, Xiyao received fewer rewards than any of the generals and officials. After some time he was promoted to remonstrance official and sent as envoy to Wu and Yue. At that time travel along the Yangtze and Huai was cut off; envoys to Wu and Yue had to go by sea, and many were lost to storms. Xiyao crossed the sea and met a violent storm; his companions were terrified, but Xiyao said, "I have never deceived anyone in my life—you may trust me and need not fear." Before long the wind died down as well. He served in succession as prefect of Lai, Huai, and Di. Under the deposed emperor he was vice minister of personnel and oversaw the eastern and western selection boards; he rose to minister of rites. He died at seventy-nine and was posthumously honored as junior guardian of the heir apparent.
14
張允，鎮州人也。 少事鎮州為張文禮參軍。 唐莊宗討張文禮，允脫身降，莊宗系之獄，文禮敗，乃出之為魏州功曹。 趙在禮辟節度推官，歷滄、兗二鎮掌書記。 入為監察御史，累遷水部員外郎，知制誥。 廢帝皇子重美為河南尹，掌六軍，以允剛介，乃拜允給事中，為六軍判官。 罷，遷左散騎常侍。 晉高祖即位，屢赦天下，允為《駁赦論》以獻曰：「管子曰：『凡赦者小利而大害，久而不勝其禍； 無赦者小害而大利，久而不勝其福。』 又漢之吳漢疾篤，帝問漢所欲言。 漢曰：『惟願陛下無赦爾！』 蓋行赦不以為恩，不行赦不以為無恩，罰有罪故也。 自古皆以水旱則降德音而宥過，開狴牢而出囚，冀感天心以救其災者，非也。 假有二人之訟者，一有罪而一無罪，若有罪者見舍，則無罪者銜冤。 此乃致災之道，非救災之術也。 至使小人遇天災，則皆喜而相勸以為惡，曰：『國將赦矣，必舍我以救災。』 如此，則是教民為惡也。 夫天之為道，福善而禍淫。 若舍惡人而變災為福，則是天又喜人為惡也。 凡天之降災，所以警戒人主節嗜欲，務勤儉，恤鰥寡，正刑罰而已。」 是時，晉高祖方好臣下有言，覽之大喜。 允事漢為吏部侍郎，隱帝誅戮大臣，京師皆恐，允常退朝不敢還家，止於相國寺。 周太祖以兵入京師，允匿於佛殿承塵，墜而卒，年六十五。
Zhang Yun was a native of Zhenzhou. As a youth he served in Zhenzhou as an aide to Zhang Wenli. When Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang campaigned against Zhang Wenli, Yun slipped away to surrender; Zhuangzong imprisoned him, but after Wenli's defeat released him and appointed him merit officer of Weizhou. Zhao Zaili recruited him as legal officer of the military commission; he served in succession as chief secretary in the Cang and Yan commands. He entered court service as investigating censor and rose to vice director of the ministry of works and drafter of edicts. The deposed emperor's son Li Chongmei was director of Henan and commanded the Six Armies; because Yun was upright and firm he was appointed palace attendant and judge of the Six Armies. When he left that post he was promoted to left regular attendant. When Shi Jingtang took the throne he repeatedly proclaimed general amnesties; Yun presented a "Refutation of Amnesty," citing Guanzi: "Amnesties bring small benefit and great harm; in the long run their harm cannot be overcome; where there is no amnesty there is small harm and great benefit; in the long run its blessing cannot be overcome. He also cited Wu Han of the Han, who on his deathbed was asked what he wished to say. Han replied, "I only wish Your Majesty would never proclaim amnesties!" Granting amnesty is not true grace, and withholding it is not cruelty—it is because punishment belongs to the guilty. Since antiquity rulers facing flood or drought have issued edicts of virtue, pardoned offenses, and opened prisons, hoping to move Heaven's heart and end the disaster—but this is mistaken. Suppose two men are in litigation, one guilty and one innocent; if the guilty is pardoned, the innocent is wronged. That is how calamity is invited, not how it is averted. It even teaches petty men, when disaster strikes, to rejoice and urge one another to evil, saying, "The state will soon grant an amnesty—we are sure to be released to end the disaster. In this way the people are taught to do evil. Heaven's way is to bless the good and punish the wicked. If the wicked are pardoned and disaster turned to blessing, then Heaven would delight in evil. When Heaven sends calamity, it warns the ruler to restrain his appetites, practice diligence and frugality, care for widows and orphans, and correct punishments—that is all." At that time Shi Jingtang welcomed outspoken ministers; he read it with great delight. Yun served the Later Han as vice minister of personnel; when the Hidden Emperor executed senior ministers, the capital was terrified; Yun often dared not go home after court and stayed at the Xiangguo Temple. When Later Zhou Taizu marched into the capital, Yun hid in the dust layer above a Buddha hall, fell, and died at sixty-five.
15
裴皞，字司東，河東人也。 裴氏自晉、魏以來，世為名族，居燕者號「東眷」，居涼者號「西眷」，居河東者號「中眷」。 皞出於名家，而容止端秀，性剛急，直而無隱。 少好學，唐光化中舉進士，拜校書郎、拾遺、補闕。 事梁為翰林學士、中書舍人。 事後唐為禮部侍郎。 皞喜論議，每陳朝廷闕失，多斥權臣。 改太子賓客，以老拜兵部尚書致仕。 晉高祖起為工部尚書，復以老告，拜右僕射致仕。 卒，年八十五，贈太子太保。
Pei Hao, styled Sidong, was a native of Hedong. The Pei clan had been an eminent family since the Jin and Wei dynasties; those in Yan were called the Eastern Branch, those in Liang the Western Branch, and those in Hedong the Central Branch. Hao came from a distinguished family; he was refined in bearing and handsome in appearance, stern and quick-tempered, upright and blunt. He loved learning from youth; in the Tang Guanghua era he passed the jinshi examination and was appointed collator, remonstrance official, and supplementation official. He served the Liang as Hanlin academician and secretariat drafter. He served Later Tang as vice minister of rites. Hao loved debate and often criticized the court's failings, denouncing powerful ministers. He was made mentor of the heir apparent; in old age he was appointed minister of war and retired. Shi Jingtang recalled him as minister of works; he again pleaded old age and was appointed right vice director of the Department of State Affairs and retired. He died at eighty-five and was posthumously honored as grand guardian of the heir apparent.
16
皞以文學在朝廷久，宰相馬胤孫、桑維翰，皆皞禮部所放進士也。 後胤孫知舉，放榜，引新進士詣皞，皞喜作詩曰：「門生門下見門生。」 世傳以為榮。 維翰已作相，嘗過皞，皞不迎不送。 人或問之，皞曰：「我見桑公於中書，庶寮也； 桑公見我於私第，門生也。 何送迎之有？」 人亦以為當。
Hao had long served at court through his literary accomplishments; chief ministers Ma Yinsun and Sang Weihan were both jinshi graduates he had passed in the Ministry of Rites. Later Yinsun conducted the examinations; when the list was posted he led the new jinshi to call on Hao; Hao joyfully composed a poem: "Among my students I see my students. The line was celebrated as a mark of honor. Weihan had already become chief minister and once visited Hao's home; Hao neither welcomed him nor saw him off. When someone asked why, Hao said, "When I saw Lord Sang at the Secretariat he was a subordinate; when Lord Sang visited me at home I was his teacher. Why should there be welcome or send-off?" People agreed he was right.
17
王仁裕
Wang Renyu
18
王仁裕，字德輦，天水人也。 少不知書，以狗馬彈射為樂，年二十五始就學，而為人俊秀，以文辭知名秦、隴間。 秦帥辟為秦州節度判官。 秦州入於蜀，仁裕因事蜀為中書舍人、翰林學士。 唐莊宗平蜀，仁裕事唐，復為秦州節度判官。 王思同鎮興元，辟為從事。 思同留守西京，以為判官。 廢帝舉兵鳳翔，思同戰敗，廢帝得仁裕，聞其名不殺，置之軍中。 自廢帝起事，至其入立，馳檄諸鎮，詔書、告命皆仁裕為之。 久之，以都官郎中充翰林學士。 晉高祖入立，罷職為郎中，歷司封左司郎中、諫議大夫。 漢高祖時，復為翰林學士承旨，累遷戶部尚書，罷為兵部尚書、太子少保。 顯德三年卒，年七十七，贈太子少師。
Wang Renyu, styled Dening, was a native of Tianshui. As a youth he knew no books and amused himself with dogs, horses, and archery; at twenty-five he began to study, yet he was handsome and refined and became known in Qin and Long for his writing. The military governor of Qin recruited him as administrative aide of the Qinzhou command. When Qinzhou fell to Shu, Renyu entered Shu service as secretariat drafter and Hanlin academician. When Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang pacified Shu, Renyu returned to Tang service as administrative aide of the Qinzhou command. Wang Sitong governed Xingyuan and recruited him as an aide. When Sitong remained at the western capital as regent, he made Renyu his administrative aide. The deposed emperor raised troops at Fengxiang; Sitong was defeated; the deposed emperor took Renyu captive, heard his reputation, spared his life, and kept him in the army. From the deposed emperor's uprising until his enthronement, all urgent dispatches, edicts, and appointments were drafted by Renyu. After some time he was made attendant of the directorate of the imperial clan and concurrently Hanlin academician. When Shi Jingtang took the throne he was reduced to attendant; he served in succession as attendant of the directorate of the imperial clan, left attendant of the left secretariat, and remonstrance official. Under Later Han Gaozu he again became chief Hanlin academician and rose to minister of revenue; he was later dismissed as minister of war and junior guardian of the heir apparent. He died in the third year of Xiande at seventy-seven and was posthumously honored as junior preceptor of the heir apparent.
19
仁裕性曉音律，晉高祖初定雅樂，宴群臣於永福殿，奏黃鐘，仁裕聞之曰：「音不純肅而無和聲，當有爭者起於禁中。」 已而兩軍校斗升龍門外，聲聞於內，人以為神。 喜為詩。 其少也，嘗夢剖其腸胃，以西江水滌之，顧見江中沙石皆為篆籀之文，由是文思益進。 乃集其平生所作詩萬餘首為百卷，號《西江集》。 仁裕與和凝於五代時皆以文章知名，又嘗知貢舉，仁裕門生王溥、凝門生範質，皆至宰相，時稱其得人。
Renyu had a keen ear for music; when Shi Jingtang first fixed the court music and feasted his ministers at Yongfu Hall, the yellow bell pitch was played; Renyu said, "The tone is impure and lacks harmony—strife will arise within the palace." Soon two military officers fought outside Longmen Gate; the clamor was heard inside the palace, and people took him for a prophet. He loved composing poetry. In youth he dreamed his bowels were cut open and washed in the waters of the West River; looking back he saw sand and stones in the river written in seal and clerical script; from this his literary inspiration grew sharper. He collected more than ten thousand poems of his lifetime into a hundred juan titled Collected Poems of the West River. Renyu and He Ning were both famed for literature in the Five Dynasties era; each had also conducted the examinations; Renyu's student Wang Pu and Ning's student Fan Zhi both became chief ministers, and their contemporaries praised their judgment of talent.
20
裴羽，字用化，其父贄，相唐僖宗，官至司空。 羽以一品子為河南壽安尉。 事梁為御史臺主簿，改監察御史。 唐明宗時，為吏部郎中，與右散騎常侍陸崇使於閩，為海風所飄至錢塘。 是時，吳越王錢镠與安重誨有隙，唐方絕镠朝貢，羽等被留經歲，而崇以疾卒。 後镠遣羽還，羽求載崇屍與俱歸。 镠初不許，羽以語感動镠，镠惻然許之，因附羽表自歸。 明宗得镠表大喜，由是吳越復通於中國。 羽護崇喪至京師，及其橐裝還其家，士人皆多羽之義。 羽，周太祖時為左散騎常侍，卒，贈戶部尚書。
Pei Yu, styled Yonghua, was the son of Zan, who served as chief minister to Emperor Xizong of Tang and rose to director of works. As the son of a first-rank official, Yu was appointed sheriff of Shou'an in Henan. He served the Liang as chief clerk of the censorate and was promoted to investigating censor. Under Mingzong of Tang he was director of the ministry of personnel and, with right regular attendant Lu Chong, was sent as envoy to Min; a sea storm drove them to Qiantang. At that time King Qian Liu of Wu and Yue was at odds with An Chonghui; the Tang court had just cut off his tribute missions; Yu and his party were detained for a year, and Chong died of illness. Later Liu sent Yu back; Yu asked to take Chong's body home with him. At first Liu refused; Yu's words moved him to pity, and Liu consented and attached to Yu a memorial submitting himself to the Tang court. Mingzong received Liu's memorial with great joy, and from that time Wu and Yue resumed contact with the central court. Yu escorted Chong's coffin to the capital and returned his belongings to his family; scholars admired Yu's sense of duty. Under Later Zhou Taizu he was left regular attendant; he died and was posthumously honored as minister of revenue.
21
王延，字世美，鄭州長豐人也。 少好學，嘗以賦謁梁相李琪，琪為之稱譽，薦為即墨縣令。 馮道作相，與延故人，召拜左補闕。 遷水部員外郎，知制誥。 拜中書舍人，權知貢舉。 吏部尚書盧文紀與故相崔協有隙。 是時，協子頎方舉進士，文紀謂延曰：「吾嘗譽子於朝，貢舉選士，當求實效，無以虛名取人。 昔有越人善泅，生子方晬，其母浮之水上。 人怪而問之，則曰：『其父善泅，子必能之。』 若是可乎？」 延退而笑曰：「盧公之言，為崔協也，恨其父遂及其子邪！」 明年，選頎甲科，人皆稱其公。 累遷刑部尚書，以太子少保致仕。 卒，年七十三。
Wang Yan, styled Shimei, was a native of Changfeng in Zhengzhou. He loved learning from youth; he once presented a fu to the Liang chief minister Li Qi, who praised him and recommended him as magistrate of Jimo. When Feng Dao became chief minister, as an old acquaintance of Yan he summoned him and appointed him left supplementation official. He was promoted to vice director of the ministry of works and drafter of edicts. He was appointed secretariat drafter and given provisional charge of the examinations. Minister of personnel Lu Wenji bore a grudge against the former chief minister Cui Xie. At that time Xie's son Qi was taking the jinshi examination; Wenji told Yan, "I once praised your son at court; in selecting candidates one should seek real merit and not take men on empty reputation. There was once a man of Yue skilled at swimming; when his son was a month old his mother floated him on the water. People marveled and asked why; she said, "His father swims well—the son is sure to swim as well. Would that be acceptable?" Yan withdrew and laughed, "Lord Lu's words are aimed at Cui Xie—does he hate the father and therefore punish the son?" The next year he placed Qi in the top grade of the jinshi; everyone praised his fairness. He rose to minister of punishments and retired as junior guardian of the heir apparent. He died at seventy-three.
22
延為人重然諾，與其弟規相友愛，五代之際，稱其家法焉。 ○馬重績
Yan greatly valued his word; he and his younger brother Gui were deeply affectionate; in the Five Dynasties era their family conduct was widely praised. Ma Zhongji
23
馬重績，字洞微，其先出於北狄，而世事軍中。 重績少學數術，明太一、五紀、八象、《三統大曆》，居於太原。 唐莊宗鎮太原，每用兵征伐，必以問之，重績所言無不中，拜大理司直。 明宗時，廢不用。 晉高祖以太原拒命，廢帝遣兵圍之，勢甚危急，命重績筮之，遇《同人》，曰：「天火之象，乾建而離明。 健者君之德也，明者南面而向之，所以治天下也。 同人者人所同也，必有同我者焉。 《易》曰：『戰乎乾。』 乾，西北也。 又曰：『相見乎離。』 離，南方也。 其同我者自北而南乎？ 乾，西北也，戰而勝，其九月十月之交乎？」 是歲九月，契丹助晉擊敗唐軍，晉遂有天下。 拜重績太子右贊善大夫，遷司天監。 明年，張從賓反，命重績筮之，遇《隨》，曰：「南瞻析木，木不自續，虛而動之，動隨其覆。 歲將秋矣，無能為也！」 七月而從賓敗。 高祖大喜，賜以良馬、器幣。
Ma Zhongji, styled Dongwei, was descended from the northern Di and for generations his family served in the military. From youth Zhongji studied numerology and calendrical science; he mastered the Grand Unity, the Five Chronologies, the Eight Images, and the Comprehensive Calendar of the Three Unifications, and lived at Taiyuan. When Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang governed Taiyuan, he consulted Zhongji before every campaign; Zhongji's predictions never failed, and he was appointed directing officer of the Court of Judicial Review. Under Mingzong he was dismissed and went unused. When Shi Jingtang defied the court at Taiyuan, the deposed emperor sent troops to besiege him; the situation was desperate; Jingtang ordered Zhongji to cast the hexagrams and obtained Fellowship; Zhongji said, "This is the image of Heaven and Fire—Qian established and Li bright. Strength is the ruler's virtue; brightness is facing south—by this the realm is governed. Fellowship means men unite together; there will surely be those who join you. The Changes says, "Battle in Qian." Qian is the northwest. It also says, "They meet in Li." Li is the south. Will your allies come from the north toward the south? Qian is the northwest; victory in battle—will it come at the turn of the ninth and tenth months?" That year in the ninth month the Khitan aided Jin and defeated the Tang army; Jin then took the realm. Zhongji was appointed right mentor of the heir apparent and promoted to director of the directorate of astronomy. The next year Zhang Congbin rebelled; Jingtang ordered Zhongji to divine and obtained Following; he said, "Looking south at the Divided Wood star, wood cannot sustain itself; though empty it stirs—when it moves it follows to its fall. The year will reach autumn—he can do nothing!" In the seventh month Congbin was defeated. Jingtang was greatly pleased and bestowed fine horses, vessels, and silks.
24
天福三年，重績上言：「歷象，王者所以正一氣之元，宣萬邦之命。 而古今所紀，考審多差，《宣明》氣朔正而星度不驗，《崇玄》五星得而歲差一日，以《宣明》之氣朔，合《崇玄》之五星，二歷相參，然後符合。 自前世諸歷，皆起天正十一月為歲首，用太古甲子為上元，積歲愈多，差闊愈甚。 臣輒合二歷，創為新法，以唐天寶十四載乙未為上元，雨水正月中氣為氣首。」 詔下司天監趙仁锜、張文皓等考覈得失。 仁锜等言：「明年庚子正月朔，用重績歷考之，皆合無舛。」 乃下詔班行之，號《調元曆》。 行之數歲輒差，遂不用。 重績又言：「漏刻之法，以中星考晝夜為一百刻，八刻六十分刻之二十為一時，時以四刻十分為正，此自古所用也。 今失其傳，以午正為時始，下侵未四刻十分而為午。 由是晝夜昏曉，皆失其正，請依古改正。」 從之。 重績卒年六十四。
In the third year of Tianfu Zhongji memorialized: "The calendar and the stars are what kings use to fix the origin of cosmic order and proclaim the mandate of the myriad states. Yet calendars ancient and modern, on examination, contain many errors; the Xuanming calendar had correct qi and new moons but star positions did not verify; the Chongxuan calendar tracked the five planets but erred by a day per year—only by joining Xuanming's qi and new moons with Chongxuan's planetary tables can the two be made to agree. Former calendars all began the year at the eleventh month of the celestial standard and used the primordial jiazi of high antiquity as the superior origin; the more years passed, the wider the error grew. I have joined the two calendars and devised a new method, taking the yiwei year, the fourteenth year of Tang Tianbao, as the superior origin and the mid-qi of the Rain Water month as the head of qi." An edict ordered Zhao Renqi, Zhang Wenhao, and others of the directorate of astronomy to examine its strengths and flaws. Renqi and the others reported, "On the first day of the first month of the coming gengzi year, Zhongji's calendar matches perfectly." An edict was issued to promulgate it under the title Calendar for Regulating the Origin. After a few years discrepancies appeared and it was abandoned. Zhongji also said, "The clepsydra method uses culmination stars to divide day and night into one hundred ke; eight ke and sixty minute-ke make one double-hour; each double-hour takes four ke and ten minutes as the standard—this is the ancient usage. The tradition is now lost; noon is taken as the start of the double-hour, encroaching four ke and ten minutes into the wei period to make noon. Thus day and night, dusk and dawn, all lose their proper measure; I ask that it be corrected according to antiquity." His proposal was adopted. Zhongji died at sixty-four.
25
趙延義
Zhao Yanyi
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趙延義，字子英，秦州人也。 曾祖省躬通數術，避亂於蜀。 父溫珪，事蜀王建為司天監，每為建占吉兇，小不中，輒加詰責。 溫珪臨卒，戒其子孫曰：「數術，吾世業，然吾仕亂國，得罪而幾死者數矣！ 子孫能以佗道仕進者，不必為也。」 然延義少亦以此仕蜀為司天監。 蜀亡，仕唐為星官。 延義兼通三式，頗善相人。 契丹滅晉，延義隨虜至鎮州。 李筠、白再榮謀逐麻答歸漢，猶豫未決，延義假述數術贊成之。 周太祖自魏以兵入京師，太祖召延義問：「漢祚短促者，天數邪？」 延義言：「王者撫天下，當以仁恩德澤，而漢法深酷，刑罰枉濫，天下稱冤，此其所以亡也！」 是時，太祖方以兵圍蘇逢吉、劉銖第，欲誅其族，聞延義言悚然，因貸其族，二家獲全。 延義事周為太府卿、判司天監，以疾卒。
Zhao Yanyi, styled Ziying, was a native of Qinzhou. His great-grandfather Shenggong was versed in numerology and fled the turmoil to Shu. His father Wengui served Wang Jian of Shu as director of the directorate of astronomy; whenever he divined good or ill fortune for Jian, the slightest error brought harsh rebuke. On his deathbed Wengui admonished his descendants: "Numerology is our family trade, yet I served a chaotic state and several times nearly died for it! If my descendants can advance by another path, they need not follow this trade." Yet Yanyi in youth also entered office through this art and served Shu as director of the directorate of astronomy. When Shu fell he served the Tang as an astral official. Yanyi was also versed in the Three Styles and skilled at physiognomy. When the Khitan destroyed Jin, Yanyi followed the captives to Zhenzhou. Li Yun and Bai Zairong plotted to drive out Mada and return to the Han court; they hesitated; Yanyi, feigning divination, urged them to act. When Later Zhou Taizu marched into the capital from Wei, he summoned Yanyi and asked, "Was the brevity of the Han mandate due to Heaven's decree?" Yanyi said, "A king who rules the realm should govern with benevolence and grace; but Han law was harsh and cruel, punishments were wrongly applied, and the realm cried out in grievance—that is why it perished!" At that time Taizu was besieging the residences of Su Fengji and Liu Chu, intending to execute their clans; hearing Yanyi's words he was startled, pardoned their families, and both households were spared. Yanyi served Zhou as director of the imperial storehouse and provisional director of the directorate of astronomy; he died of illness.