Volume 61: Hereditary House of Wu

嗚呼！自唐失其政，天下乘時，黥髡盜販，袞冕峨巍。吳暨南唐，奸豪竊攘。蜀險而富，漢險而貧，貧能自強，富者先亡。閩陋荊蹙，楚開蠻服。剝剽弗堪，吳越其尤。牢牲視人，嶺皞遭劉。百年之間，並起爭雄，山川亦絕，風氣不通。語曰：清風興，群陰伏；日月出，爝火息。故真人作而天下同。作《十國世家》。

Alas! Once Tang lost hold of government, the whole world seized its chance: branded felons and traffickers in stolen goods donned court robes and caps as grand as any emperor's. In Wu and Southern Tang alike, ruthless adventurers stole the realm for themselves. Shu was rugged and rich, Han rugged and poor; poverty could steel a state to endure, while wealth invited ruin first. Min was mean and hemmed in, Jing pressed tight on every side, while Chu opened the frontier and brought the southern tribes to heel. Extortion and plunder grew unbearable, and none suffered more than Wu and Yue. Men were treated like livestock bound for slaughter, and Ling Hao was brought low by the Liu clan of the south. Within a single century they all rose at once to vie for supremacy, until mountains and rivers were cut off from one another and no common culture could pass between them. As the saying has it: when the clear wind rises, every shadow retreats; when sun and moon appear, the torch's flicker goes out. And so when the true sovereign arises, the realm is united as one. Hence I wrote the 《Hereditary Houses of the Ten Kingdoms》.

楊行密，字化源，廬州合淝人也。為人長大有力，能手舉百斤。唐乾符中，江、淮群盜起，行密以為盜見獲，刺史鄭棨奇其狀貌，釋縛縱之。後應募為州兵，戍朔方，遷隊長。歲滿戍還，而軍吏惡之，復使出戍。行密將行，過軍吏舍，軍吏陽為好言，問行密行何所欲。行密奮然曰：「惟少公頭爾！」即斬其首，攜之而出，因起兵為亂，自號八營都知兵馬使。刺史郎幼復棄城走，行密遂據廬州。

Yang Xingmi, whose courtesy name was Huayuan, came from Hefei in Luzhou. He was tall and powerfully built and could lift a hundred jin in his hands. During the Qianfu reign of Tang, brigands rose all along the Yangzi and Huai. Xingmi was seized as one of them, but Prefect Zheng Qi was struck by his bearing, loosed his bonds, and let him go. He later enlisted in the prefectural militia, served on garrison duty in Shuofang, and rose to squad leader. When his tour ended and he came home, the camp officers took a dislike to him and sent him out on garrison duty once more. As Xingmi was setting out, he stopped by the clerk's quarters; the man spoke to him with feigned warmth and asked what he wanted for the road ahead. Xingmi flared up and said, "All I want is your head!" He struck off the man's head at once, carried it out with him, raised troops in rebellion, and styled himself Commander-in-Chief of the Eight Camps. Prefect Lang Youfu abandoned the city and fled, and Xingmi took possession of Luzhou.

中和三年，唐即拜行密廬州刺史。淮南節度使高駢為畢師鐸所攻，駢表行密行軍司馬，行密率兵數千赴之。行至天長，師鐸已囚駢，召宣州秦彥入揚州，行密不得入，屯於蜀岡。師鐸兵眾數萬擊行密，行密陽敗，棄營走，師鐸兵饑，乘勝爭入營收軍實，行密反兵擊之，師鐸大敗，單騎走入城，遂殺高駢。行密聞駢死，縞軍向城哭三日，攻其西門，彥及師鐸奔於東塘，行密遂入揚州。

In the third year of Zhonghe, the Tang court appointed him Prefect of Luzhou. Gao Pian, military governor of Huainan, came under attack from Bi Shiduo; Pian recommended Xingmi as acting campaign commander, and Xingmi marched to his relief with several thousand men. By the time he reached Tianchang, Shiduo had already imprisoned Pian and brought Qin Yan of Xuanzhou into Yangzhou; unable to enter the city, Xingmi encamped at Shugang. Shiduo attacked with an army tens of thousands strong. Xingmi pretended defeat, abandoned his camp, and fled. Shiduo's hungry men, pressing their advantage, crowded into the camp to seize supplies; Xingmi wheeled about and struck them down. Shiduo was routed, rode alone into the city—and there killed Gao Pian. Learning of Pian's death, Xingmi dressed his troops in white mourning and wept toward the walls for three days, then assaulted the west gate. Yan and Shiduo fled to Dongtang, and Xingmi entered Yangzhou.

新五代史·世家是時，城中倉廩空虛，饑民相殺而食，其夫婦、父子自相牽，就屠賣之，屠者刲剔如羊豕。行密不能守，欲走。而蔡州秦宗權遣其弟宗衡掠地淮南，彥及師鐸還自東塘，與宗衡合，行密閉城不敢出。已而宗衡為偏將孫儒所殺，儒攻高郵破之，行密益懼。其客袁襲曰：「吾以新集之眾守空城，而諸將多駢舊人，非有厚恩素信力制而心服之也。今儒兵方盛，所攻必克，此諸將持兩端、因強弱、擇向背之時也。海陵鎮使高霸，駢之舊將，必不為吾用。」行密乃以軍令召霸，霸率其兵入廣陵，行密欲使霸守天長，襲曰：「吾以疑霸而召之，其可復用乎？且吾能勝儒，無所用霸，不幸不勝，天長豈吾有哉！不如殺之，以並其眾。」行密因犒軍擒霸族之，得其兵數千。已而孫儒殺秦彥、畢師鐸，並其兵以攻行密。行密欲走海陵，襲曰：「海陵難守，而廬州吾舊治也，城廩完實，可為後圖。」行密乃走廬州。久之，未知所向，問襲曰：「吾欲卷甲倍道，西取洪州可乎？」襲曰：「鐘傳新得江西，勢未可圖，而秦彥之入廣陵也，召池州刺史趙锽委以宣州。今彥且死，锽失所恃，而守宣州非其本誌，且其為人非公敵，此可取也。」行密乃引兵攻锽，戰於曷山，大敗之。進圍宣州，锽棄城走，追及殺之，行密遂入宣州。

At that time the city's granaries stood empty. The starving turned on one another for flesh; husbands and wives, fathers and sons led each other to the butcher's block to be sold, and the butchers skinned and carved them as they would sheep or swine. Xingmi could not hold the city and prepared to flee. Meanwhile Qin Zongquan of Caizhou sent his brother Zongheng to ravage Huainan. Yan and Shiduo came back from Dongtang and joined him, and Xingmi shut the gates and dared not venture out. Before long Zongheng was killed by his own deputy Sun Ru, who then stormed and captured Gaoyou, and Xingmi's fear deepened. His adviser Yuan Xi said, "We are holding an empty city with troops freshly gathered, and most of the generals are Gao Pian's old officers—men who owe us no deep kindness, no long trust, and no reason to submit in heart as well as in name. Sun Ru's army is at its peak and takes every place it strikes. This is the moment when those generals will sit on the fence, weigh the strong against the weak, and choose whom to follow. Gao Ba of Hailing is one of Pian's veterans and will never serve us faithfully." Xingmi summoned Ba by military order, and Ba marched his troops into Guangling. Xingmi meant to post him at Tianchang, but Xi said, "We called him in because we distrusted him—can we trust him again? If we defeat Sun Ru, we have no need of him; if we fail, Tianchang will not be ours in any case! Better to kill him and take his men for our own." At a feast held to reward the troops, Xingmi seized Ba, wiped out his clan, and took several thousand of his soldiers. Soon afterward Sun Ru killed Qin Yan and Bi Shiduo, united their forces with his own, and marched against Xingmi. Xingmi meant to flee to Hailing, but Xi said, "Hailing cannot be held, whereas Luzhou is your old seat—its walls and stores are sound and can serve as a refuge for later designs." Xingmi withdrew to Luzhou. After some time, still uncertain where to turn, he asked Xi, "Suppose I strike camp and march at forced pace to seize Hongzhou in the west—would that serve?" Xi replied, "Zhong Chuan has only lately taken Jiangxi and is not to be challenged yet. When Qin Yan entered Guangling he summoned Zhao Yin, prefect of Chizhou, and gave him Xuanzhou to hold. Yan is as good as dead, Yin has lost his patron, holding Xuanzhou was never his true aim, and he is no formidable enemy in his own right—there is our prize." Xingmi marched against Yin, met him at Mount He, and routed his army. He pressed on to besiege Xuanzhou; Yin abandoned the city and fled, was overtaken and killed, and Xingmi entered Xuanzhou.

是歲，復入揚州，唐拜行密淮南節度使。乾寧二年，加檢校太傅、同中書門下平章事。行密以田頵守宣州，安仁義守潤州。升州刺史馮弘鐸來附。分遣頵等攻掠，自淮以南、江以東諸州皆下之。進攻蘇州，擒其刺史成及。四年，兗州朱瑾奔於行密。初，瑾為梁所攻，求救於晉，晉遣李承嗣將勁騎數千助瑾，瑾敗，因與俱奔行密。行密兵皆江、淮人，淮人輕弱，得瑾勁騎，而兵益振。是歲，梁太祖遣葛從周、龐師古攻行密壽州，行密擊敗梁兵清口，殺師古，而從周收兵走，追至渒河，又大敗之。五年，錢镠攻蘇州，及周本戰於白方湖，本敗，蘇州復入於越。天復元年，遣李神福攻越，戰臨安，大敗之，擒其將顧全武以歸。二年，馮弘鐸叛，襲宣州，及田頵戰於曷山，弘鐸敗，將入於海。行密自至東塘邀之，使人謂弘鐸曰：「勝敗，用兵常事也，一戰之衄，何苦自棄於海島？吾府雖小，猶足容君。」弘鐸感泣，行密從十餘騎，馳入其軍，以弘鐸為節度副使，以李神福代弘鐸為升州刺史。

That year he re-entered Yangzhou, and the Tang court appointed him military governor of Huainan. In the second year of Qianning he was further made Honorary Grand Mentor and chancellor of the second rank. Xingmi left Tian Run to hold Xuanzhou and An Renyi to hold Runzhou. Feng Hongduo, prefect of Shengzhou, came over to his side. He sent Run and others on campaigns of conquest until every prefecture south of the Huai and east of the Yangzi had fallen to him. He advanced on Suzhou and captured its prefect, Cheng Ji. In the fourth year Zhu Jin of Yanzhou fled to join him. Earlier Zhu Jin had been hard pressed by Liang and appealed to the Jin court, which sent Li Chengsi at the head of several thousand elite horsemen to his aid. Defeated, Jin fled together with Chengsi to Xingmi's camp. Xingmi's soldiers were all natives of the Jianghuai region, regarded as slight and soft in the saddle; with Jin's hardened horsemen his army's morale rose sharply. That year the Liang founder sent Ge Congzhou and Pang Shigu against Shouzhou. Xingmi shattered the Liang army at Qingkou and killed Shigu; Congzhou withdrew in disorder, was pursued to the Pi River, and defeated again. In the fifth year Qian Liu attacked Suzhou. Zhou Ben met him at Baifang Lake, was defeated, and Suzhou passed back to Yue. In the first year of Tianfu he sent Li Shenfu against Yue, routed the enemy at Lin'an, and brought back their general Gu Quanwu as a captive. In the second year Feng Hongduo rebelled, struck at Xuanzhou, and was defeated by Tian Run at Mount He; he was preparing to take refuge on the open sea. Xingmi went in person to Dongtang to meet him and sent word: "Victory and defeat are the common lot of war. Why, for a single setback, condemn yourself to exile on some barren island? My domain is small, but it is still room enough for you." Hongduo wept with gratitude. Xingmi rode into his camp with barely a dozen followers, made him deputy military governor, and appointed Li Shenfu prefect of Shengzhou in his stead.

是歲，唐昭宗在岐，遣江淮宣諭使李儼拜行密東面諸道行營都統、檢校太師、中書令，封吳王。三年，以李神福為鄂嶽招討使以攻杜洪，荊南成汭救洪，神福敗之於君山。梁兵攻青州，王師範來求救，遣王茂章救之，大敗梁兵，殺朱友寧。友寧，梁太祖子也，太祖大怒，自將以擊茂章，兵號二十萬，復為茂章所敗。田頵叛，襲升州，執李神福妻子歸於宣州。行密召神福以討頵，頵遣其將王壇逆之，又遣神福書，以其妻子招之。神福曰：「吾以一卒從吳王起事，今為大將，忍背德而顧妻子乎？」立斬其使以自絕，軍士聞之，皆感奮。行至吉陽磯，頵執神福子承鼎以招之，神福叱左右射之，遂敗壇兵於吉陽。行密別遣臺濛擊頵，頵敗死。

That year, with Emperor Zhaozong at Qi, the court sent Li Yi from the Jianghuai mission to appoint Xingmi supreme commander of the eastern circuits, Honorary Grand Preceptor, Director of the Secretariat, and Prince of Wu. In the third year he made Li Shenfu commissioner for the suppression of Ezhou and Yuezhou to attack Du Hong. Cheng Ru of Jingnan marched to Hong's relief and was defeated at Junshan. When Liang forces besieged Qingzhou, Wang Shifan appealed for help. Xingmi sent Wang Maozhang, who routed the Liang army and killed Zhu Youning. Youning was a son of the Liang founder, who flew into a rage and took the field in person with an army said to number two hundred thousand men—only to be beaten again by Maozhang. Tian Run rebelled, seized Shengzhou, took Li Shenfu's wife and children captive, and withdrew to Xuanzhou. Xingmi summoned Shenfu to suppress Run. Run sent Wang Tan to block his path and wrote to Shenfu, offering the lives of his wife and children if he would defect. Shenfu said, "I followed the Prince of Wu when he had nothing but a single soldier's rank; now I command armies. Could I betray his trust for the sake of wife and children?" He executed the envoy on the spot to make his choice irrevocable, and every soldier who heard of it was stirred to fight. At Jiyang Ford, Run produced Shenfu's son Chengdian to lure him over. Shenfu ordered his men to shoot the boy down and routed Wang Tan at Jiyang. Xingmi sent Tai Meng by another route; Run was defeated and killed.

初，頵及安仁義、朱延壽等皆從行密起微賤，及江、淮甫定，思漸休息，而三人者皆猛悍難制，頗欲除之，未有以發。天復二年，錢镠為其將許再思等叛而圍之，再思召頵攻镠杭州，垂克，而行密納镠賂，命頵解兵，頵恨之。頵嘗計事廣陵，行密諸將多就頵求賂，而獄吏亦有所求。頵怒曰：「吏欲我下獄也！」歸而遂謀反。仁義聞之亦反，焚東塘以襲常州。常州刺史李遇出戰，望見仁義，大罵之。仁義止其軍曰：「李遇乃敢辱我如此，其必有伏兵。」遂引軍卻，而伏兵果發，追至夾岡，仁義植幟解甲而食，遇兵不敢追，仁義復入潤州。行密遣王茂章、李德誠、米誌誠等圍之。吳之軍中推朱瑾善槊，誌誠善射，皆為第一。而仁義嘗以射自負，曰：「誌城之弓十，不當瑾槊之一；瑾槊之十，不當仁義弓之一。」每與茂章等戰，必命中而後發，以此吳軍畏之，不敢進。行密亦欲招降之，仁義猶豫未決。茂章乘其怠，穴地道而入，執仁義，斬於廣陵。

Run, An Renyi, Zhu Yanshou, and the rest had all risen with Xingmi from nothing. Once the Jianghuai region was pacified he longed for peace, but these three were ferocious and unruly, and though he wished to remove them he had found no pretext. In the second year of Tianfu, Qian Liu was besieged when his generals Xu Zaisi and others rebelled. Zaisi called on Run to strike Hangzhou, and Run was on the brink of victory when Xingmi took Qian Liu's bribes and ordered him to stand down—an affront Run never forgave. On one visit to Guangling to discuss affairs, many of Xingmi's generals came to Run demanding bribes, and even the prison clerks held out their hands. Run flared up and said, "Do they mean to throw me in prison?!" He went home and began plotting rebellion. Renyi, hearing of it, rebelled as well, burned Dongtang, and struck at Changzhou. Li Yu, prefect of Changzhou, rode out to meet him and, catching sight of Renyi, hurled abuse at him. Renyi halted his army and said, "Li Yu dares insult me like that—he must have an ambush waiting." He drew back, and ambushers did spring up as he had feared. Pursued to Jiagang, he planted his banners, stripped his armor, and took a meal in plain sight; Yu's men dared not close in, and Renyi returned safely to Runzhou. Xingmi sent Wang Maozhang, Li Decheng, Mi Zhicheng, and others to besiege him. In the Wu army Zhu Jin was reckoned supreme with the spear and Mi Zhicheng supreme with the bow. Renyi prided himself on his bow and once boasted, "Ten of Zhicheng's bows are not worth one of Jin's spears; and ten of Jin's spears are not worth one of Renyi's bow." In every clash with Maozhang and the rest he would not loose an arrow until he was sure of his mark, and the Wu troops feared him so much they would not press forward. Xingmi wished to accept his surrender, but Renyi wavered and could not make up his mind. Maozhang caught him off guard, tunneled into the fortress, seized him, and had him beheaded at Guangling.

延壽者，行密夫人朱氏之弟也。頵及仁義之將叛也，行密疑之，乃陽為目疾，每接延壽使者，必錯亂其所見以示之。嘗行，故觸柱而仆，朱夫人扶之，良久乃蘇。泣曰：「吾業成而喪其目，是天廢我也！吾兒子皆不足以任事，得延壽付之，吾無恨矣。」夫人喜，急召延壽。延壽至，行密迎之寢門，刺殺之，出朱夫人以嫁之。

Yanshou was the younger brother of Lady Zhu, Xingmi's consort. As Run and Renyi prepared to rebel, Xingmi grew suspicious of Yanshou and pretended to suffer from failing sight; whenever Yanshou's envoys came he would deliberately mistake what lay before him. Once, walking abroad, he deliberately struck a pillar and collapsed. Lady Zhu helped him up, and he lay as though unconscious for a long while before coming to. Weeping, he said, "My work is done and I have lost my sight—Heaven has cast me aside! My sons are not fit to bear this burden. If I can entrust affairs to Yanshou, I shall die content." His wife was overjoyed and sent for Yanshou at once. When Yanshou arrived, Xingmi met him at the bedchamber door and ran him through, then sent Lady Zhu away to marry another man.

天祐二年，遣劉存攻鄂州，焚其城，城中兵突圍而出，諸將請急擊之，存曰：「擊之復入，則城愈固，聽其去，城可取也。」是日城破，執杜洪，斬於廣陵。九月，梁兵攻破襄州，趙匡凝奔於行密。十一月，行密卒，年五十四，謚曰武忠。子渥立。溥僭號，追尊行密為太祖武皇帝，陵曰興陵。

In the second year of Tianyou he sent Liu Cun against Ezhou and burned its walls. The garrison broke out of the encirclement, and the generals urged an immediate pursuit. Cun said, "If we strike and they slip back inside, the city will only grow harder to take. Let them go—the city will be ours." That same day the city fell; Du Hong was taken and beheaded at Guangling. In the ninth month Liang forces captured Xiangzhou, and Zhao Kuangning fled to Xingmi's protection. In the eleventh month Xingmi died at the age of fifty-four; his posthumous title was Wuzhong, Martial and Loyal. His son Wo succeeded him. When Pu declared himself emperor, he posthumously honored Xingmi as Emperor Wu, founding ancestor of the line, with the mausoleum Xingling.

渥字承天，行密長子也。行密病，出渥為宣州觀察使。右衙指揮使徐溫私謂渥曰：「今王有疾而出嫡嗣，必有奸臣之謀，若它日召子，非溫使者慎無應命。」渥涕泣謝溫而去。行密病甚，命判官周隱作符召渥，隱慮渥幼弱不任事，勸行密用舊將有威望者代主軍政，乃薦大將劉威，行密未許。溫與嚴可求入問疾，行密以隱議告之，溫等大驚，遽詣隱所計事。隱未出，而溫見隱作召符猶在案上，急取遣之。渥見溫使，乃行。行密卒，渥嗣立，召周隱罵曰：「汝欲賣吾國者，復何面目見楊氏乎？」遂殺之。以王茂章為宣州觀察使。渥之入也，多輦宣州庫物以歸廣陵，茂章惜而不與，渥怒，命李簡以兵五千圍之，茂章奔於錢塘。

Wo, whose courtesy name was Chengtian, was Yang Xingmi's eldest son. When Xingmi fell ill, he posted Wo to Xuanzhou as military commissioner. Xu Wen, commander of the right guards, took Wo aside and said, "The Prince is ill and has sent his heir away from court—someone is surely plotting treason. If you are summoned later, do not answer unless the messenger is mine." Wo wept, thanked him, and left. As Xingmi's illness worsened, he ordered his aide Zhou Yin to draft a summons for Wo. Yin judged the heir too young and weak to rule and urged Xingmi to entrust military and civil affairs to a seasoned general of standing instead, recommending Liu Wei—but Xingmi refused. Wen and Yan Keqiu came to inquire after his health, and Xingmi told them what Yin had proposed. They were horrified and rushed at once to Yin's office. Yin had not yet come out when Wen spotted the draft summons still on the desk, snatched it up, and sent it off at once. When Wo saw Wen's messenger, he set out for Guangling. Xingmi died and Wo succeeded him. He summoned Zhou Yin and raged, "You meant to sell out my realm—how dare you show your face to the house of Yang?" He had him executed. He appointed Wang Maozhang military commissioner of Xuanzhou. On entering Guangling, Wo had hauled away much of Xuanzhou's treasury stores; Maozhang refused to surrender the rest, and Wo in fury sent Li Jian with five thousand men to besiege him. Maozhang fled to Qiantang.

天祐三年二月，劉存取岳州。四月，江西鐘傳卒，其子匡時代立，傳養子延規怨不得立，以兵攻匡時。渥遣秦裴率兵攻之。九月，克洪州，執匡時及司馬陳象以歸，斬象於市，赦匡時。以秦裴為江西制置使。

In the second month of the third year of Tianyou, Liu Cun captured Yuezhou. In the fourth month Zhong Chuan of Jiangxi died and his son Kuangshi succeeded him. Chuan's adopted son Yan Gui, bitter at being passed over, raised troops against Kuangshi. Wo sent Qin Pei at the head of an army to suppress them. In the ninth month he took Hongzhou, seized Kuangshi and Vice Prefect Chen Xiang, executed Xiang in the marketplace, and pardoned Kuangshi. He made Qin Pei commissioner for the pacification of Jiangxi.

梁太祖代唐，改元開平，渥仍稱天祐。鄂州劉存、岳州陳知新以舟師伐楚，敗於瀏陽，楚人執存及知新以歸。楚王馬殷素聞其名，皆欲活之，存等大罵殷曰：「昔歲宣城脫吾刃下，今日之敗，乃天亡我，我肯事汝以求活耶？我豈負楊氏者！」殷知不可屈，乃殺之，岳州復入於楚。

When the Liang founder supplanted Tang and proclaimed the era Kaiping, Wo still dated his reign by Tianyou. Liu Cun of Ezhou and Chen Zhixin of Yuezhou led a fleet against Chu, were defeated at Liuyang, and were taken captive to Changsha. King Ma Yin of Chu had long admired them and wished to spare their lives. Cun and the others cursed him: "Last year at Xuancheng you slipped from under our blades; today's defeat is Heaven's judgment on us. Do you think I would serve you to live? I am no traitor to the Yang house!" Yin saw they would not yield and had them executed; Yuezhou passed back to Chu.

初，渥之入廣陵也，留帳下兵三千於宣州，以其腹心陳璠、範遇將之。既入立，惡徐溫典牙兵，召璠等為東院馬軍以自衛。而溫與左衙都指揮使張顥皆行密時舊將，又有立渥之功，共惡璠等侵其權。四年正月，渥視事，璠等侍側，溫、顥擁牙兵入，拽璠等下，斬之，渥不能止，由是失政，而心憤未能發，溫等益不自安。五年五月，溫、顥共遣盜入寢中殺渥，渥說群盜能反殺溫等者皆為刺史。群盜皆諾，惟紀祥不從，執渥縊殺之，時年二十三，謚曰景。弟隆演立。溥僭號，追尊渥為烈宗景皇帝，陵曰紹陵。

When Wo first entered Guangling he had left three thousand of his personal troops at Xuanzhou under his confidants Chen Fan and Fan Yu. Once enthroned he resented Xu Wen's control of the guard regiments and recalled Fan and the others as the Eastern Court Horse Army to protect himself. Wen and Zhang Hao, commander of the left guards, were both veterans of Xingmi's rise and had helped place Wo on the throne; together they resented Fan and his faction for usurping their authority. In the first month of the fourth year Wo took up rule with Fan and his men at his side. Wen and Hao marched the guard regiments in, dragged Fan and the others down, and beheaded them before Wo could intervene. From that day he was ruler in name only, burning with resentment he dared not show, while Wen and his party grew ever more fearful. In the fifth month of the fifth year Wen and Hao sent assassins into the royal chambers. Wo promised the killers that whoever turned on Wen and his party would be made a prefect. They all agreed except Ji Xiang, who seized Wo and strangled him instead. He was twenty-three; his posthumous title was Jing. His younger brother Longyan succeeded him. When Pu declared himself emperor, he posthumously honored Wo as Emperor Jing of the Liezong line, with the mausoleum Shaoling.

隆演字鴻源，行密第二子也。初名瀛，又名渭。初，溫、顥之弒渥也，約分其地以臣於梁，及渥死，顥欲背約自立。溫患之，問其客嚴可求，可求曰：「顥雖剛愎，而暗於成事，此易為也。」明日，顥列劍戟府中，召諸將議事，自大將朱瑾而下，皆去衛從然後入。顥問諸將，誰當立者，諸將莫敢對。顥三問，可求前密啟曰：「方今四境多虞，非公主之不可，然恐為之太速。且今外有劉威、陶雅、李簡、李遇，皆先王一等人也，公雖自立，未知此輩能降心以事公否。不若輔立幼主，漸以歲時，待其歸心，然後可也。」顥不能對。可求因趨出，書一教內袖中，率諸將入賀，諸將莫知所為。及出教宣之，乃渥母史氏教，言楊氏創業艱難，而嗣王不幸，隆演以次當立，告諸將以無負楊氏而善事之。辭旨激切，聞者感動。顥氣色皆沮，卒無能為，隆演乃得立。

Longyan, whose courtesy name was Hongyuan, was Yang Xingmi's second son. He had first been named Ying and was also known as Wei. When Wen and Hao had murdered Wo they had agreed to partition the realm and submit to Liang as vassals. Once Wo was dead, Hao meant to break the pact and seize power for himself. Wen was alarmed and consulted Yan Keqiu, who said, "Hao is obstinate but dull at finishing what he starts—this can be turned aside easily." The next day Hao lined the headquarters with swords and halberds and summoned the generals to council; from Zhu Jin downward, every man had to leave his escort outside before entering. Hao asked who should be enthroned; no one dared reply. Hao pressed the question three times. Keqiu stepped forward and whispered, "The realm is beset on every side—only a prince of the house will do, yet I fear we move too fast. Outside stand Liu Wei, Tao Ya, Li Jian, and Li Yu—men of the late king's first rank. Even if you seize the throne yourself, who knows whether they will bow to you? Better to set up the young heir and win their loyalty over time—then you may act." Hao had no answer. Keqiu slipped out, drafted an instruction and hid it in his sleeve, then led the generals in to offer congratulations—they had no idea what he intended. When he produced and read the instruction, it proved to be an order from Wo's mother Lady Shi: the Yang house had built its realm through hardship, the heir had met an untimely end, and Longyan was next in line; the generals must not betray the Yang and must serve him faithfully. The words were fierce and moving; every man who heard them was stirred. Hao's face fell; in the end he could do nothing, and Longyan took the throne.

顥由此與溫有隙，諷隆演出溫潤州。可求謂溫曰：「今舍衙兵而出外郡，禍行至矣。」溫患之，可求因說顥曰：「公與徐溫同受顧托，議者謂公奪其衙兵，是將殺之於外，信乎？」顥曰：「事已行矣，安可止乎？」可求曰：「甚易也。」明日，從乂頁與諸將造溫，可求陽責溫曰：「古人不忘一飯之恩，況公楊氏三世之將，今幼嗣新立，多事之時，乃求居外以茍安乎？」溫亦陽謝曰：「公等見留，不願去也。」由是不行。行軍副使李承嗣與張顥善，覺可求有附溫意，諷顥使客夜刺殺之，客刺可求不能中。明日，可求詣溫，謀先殺顥，陰遣鐘章選壯士三十人，就衙堂斬顥，因以弒渥之罪歸之。溫由是專政，隆演備位而已。

From that day Hao and Wen were at odds, and Hao persuaded Longyan to post Wen to Runzhou. Keqiu warned Wen, "If you leave the guard regiments for some outer prefecture, you are walking into your own death." Wen was alarmed. Keqiu then told Hao, "You and Xu Wen were entrusted together. Men say you stripped him of the guards to murder him in the provinces—is that your plan?" Hao said, "The order has already gone out—how can I recall it?" Keqiu said, "That is easily undone." The next day Keqiu led the generals to Wen's quarters and rebuked him before them all: "Men of old did not forget a single meal's kindness—and you, a general of three Yang rulers, would abandon a boy king in troubled times to seek safety in the provinces?" Wen played along and thanked them: "You have kept me here—I have no wish to go." The transfer was called off. Li Chengsi, campaign deputy, was close to Zhang Hao and, seeing Keqiu's leanings toward Wen, urged Hao to send an assassin by night. The man struck but missed. The next day Keqiu went to Wen and plotted Hao's death; secretly he sent Zhong Zhang with thirty picked men to cut Hao down in the headquarters and charged him with murdering Wo. From that day Wen held real power and Longyan reigned in name alone.

六月，撫州危全諷叛，攻洪州，袁州彭彥章、吉州彭釬、信州危仔倡皆起兵叛。隆演召嚴可求問誰可用者。可求薦周本，時本方攻蘇州敗歸，慚不肯出，可求強起之。本曰：「蘇州之敗，非怯也，乃上將權輕，而下多專命爾。若必見任，願無用偏裨。」乃請兵七千。戰於象牙潭，敗之，執全諷、彥章，而玕奔於楚，仔倡奔於錢塘。全諷至廣陵，諸將議曰：「昔先王攻趙锽，全諷屢餉給吳軍。」乃釋不殺。初，全諷欲舉兵也，錢镠送王茂章於梁，道過全諷，謂曰：「聞公欲大舉，願見公兵，以知濟否。」全諷陣兵，與茂章登城望之，茂章曰：「我素事吳，吳兵三等，如公此眾，可當其下將爾，非得益兵十萬不可。」而全諷卒以此敗。

In the sixth month Wei Quanfeng of Fuzhou rebelled and attacked Hongzhou, while Peng Yanzhang of Yuanzhou, Peng Gan of Jizhou, and Wei Zaichang of Xinzhou all rose in revolt. Longyan summoned Yan Keqiu and asked whom he could send. Keqiu recommended Zhou Ben, who had lately returned defeated from the Suzhou campaign and in shame refused the command until Keqiu pressed him to accept. Ben said, "We lost Suzhou not from cowardice but because the commander lacked authority and his subordinates took their own orders. If you truly mean to entrust me with this, give me no deputy commanders." He asked for seven thousand men. He met them at Ivory Pool Ford, routed their army, and seized Quanfeng and Yanzhang; Gan fled to Chu and Zaichang to Qiantang. When Quanfeng was brought to Guangling the generals said, "When the late king attacked Zhao Yin, Quanfeng repeatedly supplied our armies." They spared his life. Earlier, as Quanfeng prepared to rebel, Qian Liu was escorting Wang Maozhang toward Liang territory and, passing through, said, "I hear you mean to rise in arms—let me see your troops and judge whether you can succeed." Quanfeng drew up his men and climbed the wall with Maozhang to survey them. Maozhang said, "I served Wu for years. Their troops come in three grades—a force like yours would match only their lowest officers; you would need another hundred thousand men." In the end that was exactly why he failed.

八年，徐溫領升州刺史，治舟師於金陵。宣州李遇自行密時為大將，勛位已高，憤溫用事，嘗曰：「徐溫何人？吾猶未識，而驟至於此。」溫聞之，怒，遣柴再用以兵送王壇代遇，且召之。遇疑不受命，再用圍之，隆演使客將何蕘諭遇使自歸。蕘因說曰：「公若欲反，可殺蕘以示眾，若本無心，何不隨蕘以出？」遇自以無反心，乃隨蕘出，溫諷再用伺其出，殺之，並族其家。

In the eighth year Xu Wen became prefect of Shengzhou and built a fleet at Jinling. Li Yu of Xuanzhou had been a great general since Xingmi's day and resented Wen's dominance. He once said, "Who is Xu Wen? I hardly knew him, and now he stands above me." Wen heard of it, flew into a rage, and sent Chai Zaiyong with troops to install Wang Tan in Yu's place while summoning Yu to court. Yu suspected a trap and refused to obey; Zaiyong besieged him. Longyan sent He Rao to persuade him to submit peacefully. Rao said, "If you mean to rebel, kill me before your men to prove it; if your heart is loyal, why not come out with me?" Believing himself innocent, Yu followed Rao out. Wen signaled Zaiyong to strike as he emerged, killed him, and wiped out his clan.

九年，溫率將吏進隆演位太師、中書令、吳王。溫為行軍司馬、鎮海軍節度使、同中書門下平章事。陳章攻楚取岳州，執其刺史苑玫。十年，越人攻常州，徐溫敗之於無錫。梁遣王茂章攻壽春，溫敗之霍丘。十二年，封徐溫齊國公、兩浙都招討使，始鎮潤州。留其子知訓為行軍副使，秉政，而大事溫遙決之。冬，浚楊林江，水中出火，可以燃。

In the ninth year Wen led the court in advancing Longyan to Grand Preceptor, Director of the Secretariat, and Prince of Wu. Wen became acting campaign commander, military governor of the Zhenhai army, and chancellor of the second rank. Chen Zhang attacked Chu, captured Yuezhou, and took its prefect Yuan Mei prisoner. In the tenth year the Yue attacked Changzhou and Xu Wen defeated them at Wuxi. Liang sent Wang Maozhang against Shouchun; Wen routed him at Huoqiu. In the twelfth year Xu Wen was made Duke of Qi and supreme commissioner for the Two Zhe circuits, and established his base at Runzhou. He left his son Zhixun as campaign deputy to run daily affairs while he decided great matters from afar. That winter they dredged the Yanglin River, and fire burst from the water that men could kindle and burn.

十三年，宿衛將李球、馬謙挾隆演登樓，取庫兵以誅知訓，陣於門橋。知訓與戰，頻卻，朱瑾適自外來，以一騎前視其陣，曰：「此不足為也。」因反顧一麾，外兵爭進，遂斬球、謙，而亂兵皆潰。十四年，徐溫徙治金陵。十五年，遣王祺會洪、袁、信三州兵攻虔、韶，久之不克。祺病，以劉信代之。四月，副都統朱瑾殺徐知訓，瑾自殺。潤州徐知誥聞亂，率兵入，殺唐宣諭使李儼以止亂，遂秉政。

In the thirteenth year the palace guards Li Qiu and Ma Qian seized Longyan, armed themselves from the arsenal to kill Zhixun, and drew up before the gate bridge. Zhixun fought but was driven back again and again. Zhu Jin rode in from outside, surveyed the rebel line alone, and said, "This is nothing." He wheeled about and waved once; the outside troops surged forward, cut down Qiu and Qian, and the mutineers scattered. In the fourteenth year Xu Wen moved his seat to Jinling. In the fifteenth year he sent Wang Qi with troops from Hong, Yuan, and Xin to attack Qian and Shao, but after a long siege they could not prevail. Qi fell ill and Liu Xin took his place. In the fourth month Zhu Jin, deputy commander-in-chief, killed Xu Zhixun and then took his own life. Xu Zhigao at Runzhou, hearing of the chaos, marched in, killed the Tang commissioner Li Yi to quell the disturbance, and seized control of government.

徐氏之專政也，隆演幼懦，不能自持，而知訓尤淩侮之。嘗飲酒樓上，命優人高貴卿侍酒，知訓為參軍，隆演鶉衣髽髻為蒼鶻。知訓嘗使酒罵坐，語侵隆演，隆演愧恥涕泣，而知訓愈辱之。左右扶隆演起去，知訓殺吏一人，乃止。吳人皆仄目。知訓又與朱瑾有隙，瑾已殺知訓，攜其首馳府中示隆演曰：「今日為吳除患矣。」隆演曰：「此事非吾敢知。」遽起入內。瑾忿然，以首擊柱，提劍而出，府門已闔，逾垣，折其足，遂自刎死。米誌誠聞瑾殺知訓，被甲率其家兵至天興門問瑾所在，聞瑾死，乃還。徐溫疑誌誠助瑾，遣使殺之。嚴可求懼事不克，使人偽從湖南境上來告軍捷，召諸將入賀，擒誌誠斬之。劉信克虔州，執譚全播以歸。

Under Xu domination Longyan was young, timid, and powerless, and Zhixun above all delighted in humiliating him. Once at a feast in the tower he set the actor Gao Guiqing to pour wine, made Zhixun play the military aide, and dressed Longyan in quail feathers and a topknot as the grey hawk. Zhixun, drunk, cursed the company and insulted Longyan to his face until the prince wept with shame—and Zhixun only heaped more abuse on him. Attendants helped Longyan away; Zhixun killed a servant and only then relented. The people of Wu looked on in silent fury. Zhixun had long been at odds with Zhu Jin. After killing him Jin rode into the palace with the head and told Longyan, "Today I have rid Wu of a plague." Longyan said, "This is not for me to judge." He rose at once and fled within. Jin in a fury smashed the head against a pillar, drew his sword, and strode out—but the gates were shut. He scaled the wall, broke his leg in the fall, and cut his own throat. Mi Zhicheng, hearing Jin had killed Zhixun, donned armor and led his household troops to the Tianxing Gate to find him; learning Jin was dead, he turned back. Xu Wen suspected Mi Zhicheng had aided Zhu Jin and sent men to kill him. Fearing the plot would fail, Yan Keqiu staged a false report of victory from the Hunan frontier, summoned the generals to celebrate, seized Mi Zhicheng, and had him beheaded. Liu Xin captured Qianzhou and brought Tan Quanbo back as a prisoner.

溫之徙鎮金陵也，以其養子知誥守潤州。嚴可求嘗謂溫曰：「二郎君非徐氏子，而推賢下士，人望頗歸，若不去之，恐為後患。」溫不能用其言。及知誥秉政，其語泄，知誥出可求於楚州，可求懼，詣金陵見溫謀曰：「唐亡於今十二年，而吳猶不敢改天祐，可謂不負唐矣。然吳所以征伐四方，而建基業者，常以興復為辭。今聞河上之戰，梁兵屢絀，若李氏復興，其能屈節乎？宜於此時先建國以自立。」溫深然之，因留可求不遣，方謀迫隆演僭號。

When Wen shifted his base to Jinling, he left his adopted son Xu Zhigao to hold Runzhou. Yan Keqiu once warned Wen, "Zhigao is not a Xu by blood, yet he wins men by promoting talent and showing humility—if you do not remove him, he may become a threat." Wen would not heed him. When Zhigao took power the warning leaked; he posted Keqiu to Chuzhou. Keqiu fled to Jinling and told Wen, "Tang fell twelve years ago, yet Wu still dates its reign by Tianyou—that is loyalty enough to the old dynasty. Yet Wu has campaigned on every side and built its power always in the name of restoring Tang. Now Li Cunxu has destroyed Liang on the northern frontier. If Tang rises again, can we still bow as vassals? This is the moment to proclaim a kingdom and stand on our own feet." Wen agreed wholeheartedly, kept Keqiu at his side, and began pressing Longyan to take the imperial title.

二年五月，隆演卒。隆演少年嗣位，權在徐氏，及建國稱制，非其意，常怏怏，酣飲，稀復進食，遂至疾卒，年二十四，謚曰宣。弟溥立，僭號，追尊為高祖宣皇帝，陵曰肅陵。

In the fifth month of the second year Longyan died. Longyan had come to the throne young while the Xu clan held real power. Forced to preside over a kingdom he never wanted, he grew sullen, drank heavily, scarcely ate, and sickened and died at twenty-four; his posthumous title was Xuan. His brother Pu succeeded him, declared himself emperor, and posthumously honored him as Emperor Xuan, founding ancestor of the line, with the mausoleum Suling.

溥，行密第四子也，隆演建國，封丹陽郡公。隆演卒，弟廬江公濛次當立，而徐氏秉政，不欲長君，乃立溥。七月，改升州大都督府為金陵府，拜徐溫金陵尹。明年二月，改元順義，赦境內。冬十一月，祀天於南郊。禦天興樓，大赦。拜徐溫太師，嚴可求右僕射。

Pu was Yang Xingmi's fourth son; when Longyan founded the kingdom he was made Duke of Danyang. When Longyan died his younger brother Meng, Prince of Lujiang, stood next in line, but the Xu clan preferred a pliable youth and enthroned Pu instead. In the seventh month Shengzhou's metropolitan prefecture became Jinling Prefecture, and Xu Wen was named its intendant. In the second month of the following year the era became Shunyi and an amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm. In the eleventh month of winter the court sacrificed to Heaven at the southern suburb. He ascended the Tianxing Tower and proclaimed a great amnesty. Xu Wen was made Grand Preceptor and Yan Keqiu Right Vice Director of the Secretariat.

三年，唐莊宗滅梁。遣司農卿盧蘋使於唐，嚴可求密條數事授蘋以行。蘋見洛陽，莊宗問之，蘋次第以對，皆如所授。四年，溥至白沙閱舟師，徐溫來見，以白沙為迎鑾鎮。

In the third year Emperor Zhuangzong of Tang destroyed Liang. He sent Lu Ping, Minister of Agriculture, as envoy to Tang, with Yan Keqiu privately briefing him on several points to raise. At Luoyang Zhuangzong questioned him, and Ping answered point by point exactly as he had been coached. In the fourth year Pu reviewed the fleet at Baisha; Xu Wen came to meet him, and Baisha was made the Welcome-the-Imperial-Carriage garrison.

五年，唐遣諫議大夫薛昭文使福州，假道江西，劉信出勞之，謂曰：「亞次聞有信否？」昭文曰：「天子新有河南，未熟公名也。」信曰：「漢有韓信，吳有劉信，君還，其語亞次，當來較射於淮上也。」乃酌大卮，望牙旗鎞首百步，謂昭文曰：「一發而中，願以此卮為壽，否則亦以自罰。」言訖，而箭已穿矣。

In the fifth year Tang sent Xue Zhaowen, Remonstrance Grandee, to Fuzhou by way of Jiangxi. Liu Xin came out to greet him and asked, "Has the Son of Heaven heard of Liu Xin?" Zhaowen replied, "The Son of Heaven has only lately taken Henan and does not yet know your name." Xin said, "Han had Han Xin and Wu has Liu Xin. Tell the Son of Heaven when you return that I await him for an archery match on the Huai." He filled a great goblet, took aim at the finial on the command pennant a hundred paces off, and told Zhaowen, "If my first arrow strikes true, this cup is yours; if not, I drink it myself as penalty." He had scarcely finished when the arrow drove through the target.

六年，追爵大丞相徐溫四代祖考，立廟於金陵。左僕射徐知誥為侍中，右僕射嚴可求同平章事。是歲，莊宗崩，五月丁卯，詔為同光主輟朝七日。

In the sixth year the court posthumously ennobled four generations of Xu Wen's ancestors and built a temple for them at Jinling. Xu Zhigao, Left Vice Director, became Palace Attendant; Yan Keqiu, Right Vice Director, became chancellor of the second rank. That year Zhuangzong died; on the dingmao day of the fifth month the court suspended audiences for seven days of mourning.

七年，大丞相徐溫率吳文、武上表勸溥即皇帝位，溥未許而溫病卒。十一月庚戌，溥禦文明殿即皇帝位，改元曰乾貞，大赦境內，追尊行密武皇帝，渥景皇帝，隆演宣皇帝。以徐知誥為太尉兼侍中，拜溫子知詢輔國大將軍、金陵尹，治溫舊鎮。諸子皆封王。

In the seventh year Grand Chancellor Xu Wen led the civil and military officials in urging Pu to take the imperial throne; Pu had not yet agreed when Wen fell ill and died. On the gengxu day of the eleventh month Pu took the throne in the Hall of Civilization, proclaimed the era Qianzhen, declared a great amnesty, and posthumously honored Xingmi as Emperor Wu, Wo as Emperor Jing, and Longyan as Emperor Xuan. Xu Zhigao was made Grand Marshal and Palace Attendant; Wen's son Zhixun was made Supporting-the-State Great General and Jinling intendant to hold Wen's old domain. All his sons were enfeoffed as kings.

二年正月，封東海為廣德王，江瀆廣源王，淮瀆長源王，馬當上水府寧江王，采石中水府定江王，金山下水府鎮江王。六月，荊南高季興來附，封季興秦王。九月，季興敗楚師於白田，獲其將吏三十四人來獻。

In the first month of the second year the court enfeoffed the Eastern Sea as King of Broad Virtue, the Yangzi spirit as King of Broad Source, the Huai spirit as King of Long Source, and the upper, middle, and lower river regents at Madian, Caishi, and Jinshan as kings of the Jiang. In the sixth month Gao Jixing of Jingnan submitted and was enfeoffed King of Qin. In the ninth month Jixing defeated Chu forces at Baitian and sent thirty-four captured officers to the Wu court.

三年十一月，金陵尹徐知詢來朝，知誥誣其有反狀，留之不遣，以為左統軍，斬其客將周廷望。以徐知諤為金陵尹。溥加尊號睿聖文明孝皇帝，大赦境內，改元大和，以徐知誥為中書令。

In the eleventh month of the third year Xu Zhixun, Jinling intendant, came to court; Zhigao accused him of treason, detained him, made him Left Commander-in-Chief in name only, and executed his officer Zhou Tingwang. Xu Zhie was appointed Jinling intendant. Pu took the honorific Emperor of Sagely Brilliance, Civilization, and Filial Piety, declared a great amnesty, changed the era to Dahe, and made Xu Zhigao Director of the Secretariat.

二年，冊其子江都王璉為太子。三年，以徐知誥為金陵尹，以其子景通為司徒，及左僕射王令謀、右僕射宋齊丘皆平章事。四年，封知誥東海王。五年，建都於金陵。六年閏正月，金陵火，罷建都，廢臨川王濛為歷陽公，知誥遣親信王宏以兵守之。拜令謀司徒，宋齊丘司空。知誥召景通還金陵，為鎮海軍節度副使，以其子景遷為太保、平章事，與令謀等執政。

In the second year his son Lian, Prince of Jiangdu, was invested as crown prince. In the third year Xu Zhigao became Jinling intendant, his son Jingtong Minister of Education, and Wang Lingmou and Song Qiqiu, the Left and Right Vice Directors, all chancellors of the second rank. In the fourth year Zhigao was enfeoffed King of the Eastern Sea. In the fifth year the capital was moved to Jinling. In the intercalary first month of the sixth year fire swept Jinling and the move of the capital was abandoned; Meng, Prince of Linchuan, was demoted to Duke of Liyang and placed under guard by Zhigao's man Wang Hong. Wang Lingmou was made Minister of Education and Song Qiqiu Minister of Works. Zhigao recalled Jingtong to Jinling as deputy military governor of the Zhenhai army, made his son Jingqian Grand Guardian and chancellor, and ruled with Lingmou and the rest.

七年九月，溥加尊號曰睿聖文明光孝應天弘道廣德皇帝，大赦，改元天祚。知誥進位太師、天下兵馬大元帥，封齊王。二年，景遷病，以次子景遂為門下侍郎、參政事。三年，知誥建齊國，立宗廟、社稷，置左、右丞相已下，以金陵為西都，廣陵為東都。冬十月，溥遣江夏王璘奉冊禪位於齊王。十二月，溥卒於丹陽，年三十八，謚曰睿。

In the ninth month of the seventh year Pu took a still longer honorific title, declared a great amnesty, and changed the era to Tianzuo. Zhigao was advanced to Grand Preceptor and supreme commander of all armies and enfeoffed King of Qi. In the second year Jingqian fell ill and his second son Jingsui was made Vice Director of the Secretariat with a seat in government. In the third year Zhigao founded the state of Qi with its own temples and altars, appointed left and right chancellors, and made Jinling the western capital and Guangling the eastern. In the tenth month of winter Pu sent Prince Lin of Jiangxia with the abdication registers to yield the throne to the King of Qi. In the twelfth month Pu died at Danyang at the age of thirty-eight; his posthumous title was Rui.

升元六年，李遷其子孫於海陵，號永寧宮，嚴兵守之，絕不通人。久而男女自為匹偶，吳人多哀憐之。顯德三年，世宗征淮南，下詔撫安楊氏子孫，而李景聞之，遣人盡殺其族。周先鋒都部署劉重進得其玉硯、馬腦碗、翡翠瓶以獻，楊氏遂絕。

In the sixth year of Shengyuan Li moved Yang Pu's descendants to Hailing in the Palace of Everlasting Peace, guarded so closely that no outsider might reach them. In time the men and women paired among themselves, and the people of Wu looked on them with pity. In the third year of Xiande, when Emperor Shizong of Zhou campaigned in Huainan and issued an edict to protect the Yang line, Li Jing of Southern Tang sent men to exterminate them all. Liu Chongjin, Zhou's vanguard commander, seized their jade inkstone, agate bowl, and jadeite vase as trophies—the house of Yang was ended.

徐溫，字敦美，海州朐山人也，少以販鹽為盜，行密起合淝，隸帳下。行密所與起事劉威、陶雅之徒，號三十六英雄，獨溫未嘗有戰功。及行密欲殺朱延壽等，溫用其客嚴可求謀，教行密陽為目疾，事成，以功遷右衙指揮使，始預謀議。

Xu Wen, courtesy name Dunmei, came from Gushan in Haizhou. In youth he traded in salt and ran with bandits; when Yang Xingmi rose at Hefei, Wen joined his service. Those who rose with Xingmi—Liu Wei, Tao Ya, and the rest—were called the Thirty-Six Heroes; Wen alone had never won distinction in battle. When Xingmi plotted to kill Zhu Yanshou and the rest, Wen turned to his adviser Yan Keqiu, who taught Xingmi to feign blindness. When the plot succeeded, Wen was made commander of the right guards and entered council for the first time.

及行密病，平生舊將，皆以戰守在外，而溫居帳下，遂預立渥之功。及弒渥，又與張顥有隙，使鐘章殺之。章許諾，選壯士三十人，椎牛享之，刺血為盟。溫猶疑章不果，夜半使人探其意，陽謂曰：「溫有老母，懼事不成，不如且止。」章曰：「言已出口，寧可已乎？」溫乃安。明日，鐘章殺顥，溫因盡殺紀祥等，歸弒渥之罪於顥，以其事入白渥母史氏。史悸而泣曰：「吾兒年幼，禍亂若此，得保百口以歸合淝，公之惠也。」

When Xingmi fell ill, his veteran generals were all abroad on campaign while Wen stayed at headquarters and thus shared in placing Wo on the throne. After murdering Wo he fell out with Zhang Hao and had Zhong Zhang kill him. Zhang agreed, picked thirty stalwarts, slaughtered an ox for a feast, and sealed the pact in blood. Wen still doubted Zhang would act; at midnight he sent a man to test him, who pretended to say, "Wen has an aged mother and fears failure—better call it off." Zhang said, "The words are spoken—there is no turning back." Wen was reassured. The next day Zhang killed Hao; Wen then executed Ji Xiang and the rest, blamed Hao for Wo's murder, and reported the matter to Lady Shi, Wo's mother. Lady Shi wept and said, "My son was young, and chaos such as this—yet you have preserved our clan and brought us home to Hefei. That is your kindness."

隆演立，溫遂專政，遷升州刺史，治舟師於金陵。大將李遇怒溫用事，出嫚言，溫使柴再用族遇於宣州。行密舊將，人人皆自疑，溫因偽下之，恭謹如見行密，諸將乃安。八年，溫遷行軍司馬、潤州刺史、鎮海軍節度使、同平章事。十年，遣招討使李濤攻越，戰於臨安，裨將曹筠奔於越，濤敗被執。溫間遣人語筠曰：「吾用汝為將，汝軍有求，吾不能給，是吾過也。」赦筠妻子不誅，厚遇之。秋，越人攻毗陵，溫戰於無錫，筠感溫前言，臨戰奔歸，遂敗越兵。十二年，封溫齊國公，兼兩浙招討使，始就鎮潤州，以升、潤、宣、常、池、黃六州為齊國。溫城升州，建大都督府。十四年，徙治之，以其子知訓輔隆演於廣陵，而大事溫遙決之。知訓為朱瑾所殺，溫養子知誥自潤州先入，遂得政。

When Longyan took the throne Wen seized real power, became prefect of Shengzhou, and built a fleet at Jinling. Li Yu, a great general, cursed Wen's dominance; Wen sent Chai Zaiyong to wipe out his clan at Xuanzhou. Xingmi's old generals grew suspicious of one another; Wen treated them with feigned deference, as courteous as if Xingmi himself stood before them, and they were reassured. In the eighth year Wen became acting campaign commander, prefect of Runzhou, military governor of the Zhenhai army, and chancellor of the second rank. In the tenth year he sent Li Tao against Yue; at Lin'an the deputy Cao Jun defected and Tao was captured. Wen secretly sent word to Jun, "I made you a general and failed your men's requests—that was my fault." He spared Jun's wife and children and treated them generously. That autumn the Yue attacked Piling; Wen met them at Wuxi. Moved by Wen's earlier mercy, Jun defected mid-battle and the Yue were routed. In the twelfth year Wen was made Duke of Qi and commissioner for the Two Zhe circuits, established his seat at Runzhou, and made Sheng, Run, Xuan, Chang, Chi, and Huang his Qi domain. Wen fortified Shengzhou and built a metropolitan headquarters there. In the fourteenth year he moved his seat there, left Zhixun to assist Longyan at Guangling, and decided great matters from afar. After Zhu Jin killed Zhixun, Wen's adopted son Zhigao marched in first from Runzhou and seized power.

溫雖奸詐多疑，而善用將吏。江西劉信圍虔州，久不克，使人說譚全播出降，遣使報溫，溫怒曰：「信以十倍之眾，攻一城不下，而反用說客降之，何以威敵國？」笞其使者而遣之，曰：「吾以笞信也。」因命濟師，遂破全播。人有誣信逗留陰縱全播，言信將反者，信聞之，因自獻捷至金陵見溫，溫與信博，信斂骰子厲聲祝曰：「劉信欲背吳，願為惡彩，茍無二心，當成渾花。」溫遽止之，一擲，六子皆赤，溫慚，自以卮酒飲信，然終疑之。及唐師伐王衍，溫急召信至廣陵，以為左統軍，托以內備，遂奪其地。

Treacherous and suspicious though he was, Wen knew how to use generals and officials. Liu Xin of Jiangxi besieged Qianzhou for months without success and sent envoys to coax Tan Quanbo into surrender. When Xin reported this to Wen, Wen raged, "With ten times the force you cannot take one city, yet you hire talkers to win surrender—how will that awe our enemies?" He had the envoy flogged and sent back, saying, "This lash is meant for Xin." He ordered reinforcements and Quanbo was taken. Someone accused Xin of stalling and secretly aiding Quanbo, saying he meant to rebel. Xin came to Jinling with news of victory and gambled with Wen. Gathering the dice he prayed aloud, "If I mean to betray Wu, let me throw ill; if my heart is loyal, let every die show red." Wen tried to stop him, but with one throw all six dice came up red. Ashamed, Wen shared a cup with him—yet he never quite trusted him again. When Tang marched against Wang Yan, Wen summoned Xin to Guangling, made him Left Commander-in-Chief on the pretext of guarding the capital, and stripped him of his command in Jiangxi.

溫客尤見信者，惟駱知祥、嚴可求，可求善籌畫，知祥長於財利，溫嘗以軍旅問可求，國用問知祥，吳人謂之「嚴、駱。」溫亦自喜為智詐，尤得吳人之心。初隨行密破趙锽，諸將皆爭取金帛，溫獨據余囷，作粥以食餓者。十六年，溫請隆演即皇帝位，不許，又請即吳王位，乃許，遂建國改元，拜溫大丞相、都督中外諸軍事，封東海郡王。隆演卒，溫越次立其弟溥。順義七年，溫又請溥即皇帝位，溥未許而溫病卒，年六十六，追封齊王，謚曰武。李僭號，號溫為義祖。

Of Wen's advisers the most trusted were Luo Zhixiang and Yan Keqiu—Keqiu for strategy, Zhixiang for revenue. Wu called them "Yan and Luo." Wen prided himself on his cunning and won the hearts of the Wu people as few rulers could. When he first followed Xingmi against Zhao Yin, the other generals seized gold and silk while Wen alone took the remaining grain and fed the starving with porridge. In the sixteenth year Wen pressed Longyan to take the imperial title; refused, he won consent for the kingship of Wu instead. The kingdom was founded, the era changed, and Wen was made Grand Chancellor, commander of all armies, and King of the Eastern Sea. When Longyan died, Wen passed over the rightful heir to enthrone his younger brother Pu. In the seventh year of Shunyi Wen again urged Pu to take the imperial title; Pu had not yet agreed when Wen died at sixty-six. He was posthumously made King of Qi with the title Wu. When Li Bian declared himself emperor, he honored Wen as the Founding Ancestor of Righteousness.

嗚呼，盜亦有道，信哉！行密之書，稱行密為人，寬仁雅信，能得士心。其將蔡儔叛於廬州，悉毀行密墳墓，及儔敗，而諸將皆請毀其墓以報之。行密嘆曰：「儔以此為惡，吾豈復為邪？」嘗使從者張洪負劍而侍，洪拔劍擊行密，不中，洪死，復用洪所善陳紹負劍，不疑。又嘗罵其將劉信，信忿，奔孫儒，行密戒左右勿追，曰：「信負我者邪？其醉而去，醒必復來。」明日，果來。行密起於盜賊，其下皆驍武雄暴，而樂為之用者，以此也。故二世四主垂五十年。及渥已下，政在徐溫。於此之時，天下大亂，中國之禍，篡弒相尋，而徐氏父子，區區詐力，裴回三主，不敢輕取之，何也？豈其恩威亦有在人者歟！

Alas—even among thieves there is a way. How true that is! The histories describe Xingmi as generous, humane, refined, and trustworthy—a man who could win men's hearts. His general Cai Chou rebelled at Luzhou and desecrated Xingmi's tombs; when Chou was defeated the generals all demanded the same revenge on his grave. Xingmi sighed and said, "Chou did this out of malice—would I answer evil with evil?" Once he had his attendant Zhang Hong carry a sword at his side; Hong drew it and struck at Xingmi, missed, and was executed. Xingmi then appointed Chen Shao, whom Hong had favored, to carry the sword at his side without a second thought. He once cursed his general Liu Xin so harshly that Xin fled to Sun Ru in a rage. Xingmi told his men not to pursue and said, "Has Xin truly betrayed me? He left in a drunken fit; when he sobers he will come back." The next day Xin returned as he had said. Xingmi had risen from banditry, and his followers were fierce, violent men—yet they served him gladly for reasons such as these. That is how two generations and four rulers held power for nearly fifty years. From Wo onward real power rested with Xu Wen. In those years the realm was torn apart, and across the heartland usurpation and murder followed one upon another. Yet the Xu father and son, for all their cunning, circled three puppet rulers for decades without daring to take the throne outright—why? Surely it was because their kindness and their terror alike had taken root in men's hearts!

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