1
劉旻，漢高祖母弟也。 初名崇，為人美須髯，目重瞳子。 少無賴，嗜酒好博，嘗黥為卒。 高祖事晉為河東節度使，以旻為都指揮使。 高祖即帝位，以為太原尹、北京留守、同中書門下平章事。 隱帝時，累加中書令。
Liu Min was the full younger brother of Later Han's founding emperor. Born Chong, he was strikingly handsome, with a fine beard and mustache and double pupils. As a young man he was unruly and dissolute, given to drink and dice, and at one point was branded and pressed into the ranks. While Gaozu was still in Jin's service as governor of Hedong, he made Min his chief commander. After Gaozu took the throne, Min was appointed prefect of Taiyuan, defender of the northern capital, and concurrent Grand Councillor. During the reign of the youthful Yin Emperor, he was promoted repeatedly until he held the post of Grand Secretary.
2
隱帝少，政在大臣，周太祖為樞密使，新討三叛，立大功，而與旻素有隙，旻頗不自安，謂判官鄭珙曰：「主上幼弱，政在權臣，而吾與郭公不葉，時事如何？」 珙曰：「漢政將亂矣！ 晉陽兵雄天下，而地形險固，十州征賦足以自給。 公為宗室，不以此時為計，後必為人所制。」 旻曰：「子言，乃吾意也。」 乃罷上供征賦，收豪傑，籍丁民以益兵。 三年，周太祖起魏，隱帝遇弒，旻乃謀舉兵。
Yin was still a child, so state affairs were in the hands of the senior ministers. Guo Wei, lately appointed chief of the privy council, had just crushed the three major rebellions and won towering credit—yet he and Min had old grievances. Min grew increasingly uneasy and asked his staff officer Zheng Qing, "The Son of Heaven is young, and power sits with the men at court. Guo and I have never been on good terms—how do you read the situation? Qing replied, "The Han regime is heading for chaos! Jinyang commands the finest soldiers in the realm, and its mountains make it a natural fortress. Taxes from ten prefectures would be enough to keep you supplied. You are a kinsman of the house—if you fail to act now, others will certainly hem you in later. Min said, "That is precisely what I mean. He stopped sending tribute levies up to the capital, recruited bold spirits, and registered civilian males to swell his army. In the third year Guo Wei rebelled in Wei; the young emperor was assassinated; Min now planned to take the field.
3
周太祖之自魏入也，反狀已白，而漢大臣不即推尊之，故未敢即立，乃白漢太后，立旻子赟為漢嗣，遣宰相馮道迎赟於徐州。 當是時，人皆知太祖之非實意也，旻獨喜曰：「吾兒為帝矣，何患！」 乃罷兵，遣人至京師。 周太祖少賤，黥其頸上為飛雀，世謂之郭雀兒。 太祖見旻使者，具道所以立赟之意，因自指其頸以示使者曰：「自古豈有雕青天子？ 幸公無以我為疑。」 旻喜，益信以為然。 太原少尹李驤曰：「郭公舉兵犯順，其勢不能為漢臣，必不為劉氏立後。」 因勸旻以兵下太行，控孟津以俟變，庶幾赟得立，赟立而罷兵可也。 旻大罵曰：「驤腐儒，欲離間我父子！」 命左右牽出斬之。 驤臨刑嘆曰：「吾為愚人畫計，死誠宜矣！ 然吾妻病，不可獨存，願與之俱死。」 旻聞之，即並戮其妻於市，以其事白漢，以明無他。 已而周太祖果代漢，降封赟湘陰公。 旻遣牙將李鋋奉書周太祖，求赟歸太原，而赟已死。 旻慟哭，為李驤立祠，歲時祠之。
When Guo marched out of Wei toward Luoyang, his treason was plain, but the Han court still would not proclaim him emperor, so he hesitated to take the throne outright. He had the empress dowager name Yun, Min's son, as heir and sent Feng Dao to fetch him from Xuzhou. All who watched knew Guo's pledge was hollow, yet Min alone rejoiced: "My son is emperor—what danger remains? He stood down his army and sent envoys to the capital. Guo Wei had begun life in the lowest ranks; a tattoo of a flying sparrow on his neck earned him the nickname Sparrow Guo. Receiving Min's messenger, he laid out at length why Yun should reign and, tapping his tattooed neck, asked, "When in history has a Son of Heaven borne a convict's mark? I beg you not to doubt me for this. Min was overjoyed and believed him all the more. Li Xiang, deputy governor of Taiyuan, warned, "Guo has taken up arms against his sovereign; he cannot remain Han's minister and will never install a Liu heir. He urged Min to march through the Taihang passes, hold Meng Ford, and wait on events—perhaps Yun could still be seated; once Yun reigned, they could disband. Min roared, "You pedant—trying to set my son and me at odds! He had attendants haul Xiang out and behead him. On the scaffold Xiang sighed, "I schemed for a fool—death is only fair. But my wife is ill and cannot survive alone; let us die together. Hearing this, Min had Xiang's sick wife killed in the marketplace too, then wrote the court to prove his loyalty. Soon Guo replaced the Han dynasty and reduced Yun to Duke of Xiangyin. Min sent an aide, Li Qian, petitioning for Yun's return to Taiyuan—but Yun was already dead. Min mourned bitterly, raised a shrine to Li Xiang, and sacrificed to him each year.
4
已而兀欲為述軋所弒，述律代立。 旻遣樞密直學士王得中聘於述律，求兵以攻周。 述律遣蕭禹厥率兵五萬助旻。 旻出陰地攻晉州，為王峻所敗。 是歲大寒，旻軍凍餒，亡失過半。 明年，又攻府州，為折德扆所敗，德扆因取岢嵐軍。
Not long after, Wuyu was murdered by Shuzha, and Shulü came to the throne. Min sent Privy Council academician Wang Dezong to Shulü to request troops against Zhou. Shulü dispatched Xiao Yuque with fifty thousand men to aid him. Min raided from Yinzhou toward Jin Prefecture and was routed by Wang Jun. That winter was savage; hunger and frost claimed more than half his force. The following year he attacked Fu Prefecture, lost to She Deyi, who then seized Ke-lan garrison.
5
周太祖崩，旻聞之喜，遣使乞兵於契丹。 契丹遣楊袞將鐵馬萬騎及奚諸部兵五六萬人號稱十萬以助旻。 旻以張元徽為先鋒，自將騎兵三萬攻潞州。 潞州李筠遣穆令鈞以步騎三千拒元徽於太平驛，元徽擊敗之，益圍潞州。
When Guo Wei died Min rejoiced and asked the Khitans for troops. Khitan sent Yang Gun with ten thousand armored horse and fifty or sixty thousand Xi and allied riders—nominally a hundred thousand—to reinforce him. He put Zhang Yuanhui in the van and led thirty thousand cavalry against Luzhou himself. Luzhou's Li Yun sent Mu Lingjun with three thousand mixed troops to meet Yuanhui at Taiping Post; Yuanhui smashed them and tightened the encirclement.
6
是時，世宗新即位，以謂旻幸周有大喪，而天子新立，必不能出兵，宜自將以擊其不意。 自宰相馮道等多言不可，世宗意甚銳。 顯德元年三月親征，甲午，戰於高平，李重進、白重贊將左，樊愛能、何徽將右，向訓、史彥超居中軍，張永德以禁兵衛蹕。 旻亦列為三陣，張元徽居東偏，楊袞居西偏，旻居其中。 袞望周師謂旻曰：「敵也，未可輕動。」 旻奮髯曰：「時不可失，無妄言也！」 袞怒而去。 旻號令東偏先進，王得中叩馬諫曰：「南風甚急，非北軍之利也，宜少待之。」 旻怒曰：「老措大，毋妄沮吾軍！」 即麾元徽，元徽擊周右軍，兵始交，愛能、徽退走，其騎軍亂，步卒數千棄甲叛降元徽，呼萬歲聲振川谷。 世宗大駭，躬督戰士，士皆奮命爭先，而風勢愈盛，旻自麾赤幟收軍，軍不可遏，旻遂敗。 日暮，旻收余兵萬人阻澗而止。
The new Zhou emperor Chai Rong assumed Min would exploit the court's mourning and his own fresh accession—no army would come. He resolved to lead the campaign himself and surprise them. Feng Dao and others urged against it, but Shizong's mind was set. Third month, Xiande 1: he marched in person. On jiawu day the armies met at Gaoping—Li Chongjin and Bai Chongzan on the left, Fan Aineng and He Hui on the right, Xiang Xun and Shi Yanchao in the center, Zhang Yongde shielding the imperial train with the palace guard. Min arrayed three corps—Yuanhui east, Yang Gun west, himself in the middle. Yang Gun studied the Zhou lines and warned, "That is a real enemy—do not strike lightly. Min stroked his beard and snapped, "The hour will not wait—enough foolish talk! Gun stalked off in a rage. Min ordered the eastern wing forward. Wang Dezong caught his bridle: "This fierce south wind favors the enemy—not us. Hold a while. Min snarled, "You old pedant—do not stammer at my host! He waved Yuanhui on. Yuanhui charged the Zhou right; at first clash Fan Aineng and He Hui fled; cavalry broke; thousands of infantry threw down arms and surrendered to Yuanhui, shouting "Long live!" till valleys echoed. Shizong was shaken but rode the line himself; men fought desperately; the wind rose fiercer still; Min waved red flags to recall his host—the host would not heed—Min was beaten. At dusk he rallied ten thousand survivors and barred a ravine to stand.
7
是時，周之後軍，劉詞將之，在後未至，而世宗銳於速戰，戰已勝，詞軍繼至，因乘勝追擊之，旻又大敗，輜重器甲、乘輿服御物皆為周師所獲。 旻獨乘契丹黃騮，自雕窠嶺間道馳去，夜失道山谷間，得村民為鄉導，誤趨平陽，得他道以歸，而張元徽戰歿於陣。 楊袞怒旻，按兵西偏不戰，故獨全軍而返。 旻歸，為黃騮治廄，飾以金銀，食以三品料，號「自在將軍」。
Liu Ci's rearguard had not caught up; Shizong fought fast and won; then Ci arrived and pursued; Min suffered a second rout; wagons, armor, chariots, court dress, and imperial gear fell to Zhou. Min alone fled on a yellow Khitan charger by mountain paths through Diaoke Ridge; night lost him in the hills until a farmer led him—wrongly toward Pingyang, then by another track home—while Yuanhui died on the field. Yang Gun, furious at Min, held the west wing idle and marched home whole. Back in Taiyuan he housed the horse in a gilded stable, fed it third-rank provender, and titled it "The Unfettered General."
8
世宗休軍潞州，大宴將士，斬敗將樊愛能、何徽等七十餘人，軍威大振。 進攻太原，遣符彥卿、史彥超北控忻口，以斷契丹援路。 太原城方四十里，周師去城三百步，圍之匝，自四月至於六月，攻之不克，而彥卿等為契丹所敗，彥超戰歿，世宗遽班師。
Shizong paused at Luzhou, banqueted his captains, and beheaded seventy-odd failed commanders, Fan and He among them; discipline surged. He advanced on Taiyuan, posting Fu Yanqing and Shi Yanchao at Xin Ford to sever Khitan aid. The forty-li walls defied them from April through June; Yanqing's force was routed by Khitan; Yanchao fell; Shizong hurried south.
9
初，周師圍城也，旻遣王得中送楊袞以歸，因乞援兵於契丹，契丹發數萬騎助旻，遣得中先還。 至代州，代州將桑珪殺防禦使鄭處謙，以城降周，並送得中於周。 世宗召問得中虜助兵多少，得中言送袞歸，無所求也，世宗信之。 已而契丹敗符彥卿於忻口，得中遂見殺。
Early in the siege Min sent Dezong to escort Yang Gun home and plead for reinforcements; Khitan dispatched tens of thousands and sent Dezong ahead. At Dai, General Sang Gui slew the defender Zheng Chuqian, yielded the city to Zhou, and delivered Dezong. Shizong questioned Dezong on Khitan numbers; Dezong claimed he had only escorted Gun back—no aid asked—and was believed. Khitan soon routed Fu Yanqing at Xin Ford; Dezong was executed.
10
旻自敗於高平，已而被圍，以憂得疾，明年十一月卒，年六十，子承鈞立。
Broken at Gaoping, then besieged, he sickened with care and died at sixty in the eleventh month of the following year; Chengjun succeeded.
11
承鈞，旻次子也。 少頗好學，工書。 旻卒，承鈞遣人奉表契丹，自稱男。 述律答之以詔，呼承鈞為兒，許其嗣位。 初，旻常謂張元徽等曰：「吾以高祖之業，赟之冤，義不為郭公屈爾，期與公等勉力以復家國之仇。 至於稱帝一方，豈獲已也，顧我是何天子，爾亦是何節度使？」 故其僭號仍稱乾祐，不改元，不立宗廟，四時之祭，用家人禮。 承鈞既立，始赦境內，改乾祐十年曰天會元年，立七廟於顯聖宮。
Chengjun was Min's second son. He had been studious as a youth and wrote a fine hand. On Min's death he sent Khitan a petition calling himself the emperor's "boy." Shulü replied by edict, hailed him as "son," and confirmed his throne. Min had told Yuanhui and others, "Gaozu's realm and Yun's blood forbid me to bend to Guo—we must regain our patrimony. Proclaiming myself emperor in one corner—was that my wish? Think what Son of Heaven I am, and what sort of governors you are! So his throne still bore the era Qianyou; no new reign title; no imperial temple; sacrifices followed family rites. Chengjun then declared amnesty, renamed Qianyou 10 as Tianhui 1, and raised seven shrines at Xiansheng Palace.
12
契丹遣高勛助承鈞，承鈞遣李存瑰與勛攻上黨，無所得而還。 明年，世宗北伐契丹，下三關，契丹使來告急，承鈞將發兵，而世宗班師，乃已。
Khitan sent Gao Xun; Chengjun paired Li Cungui with him against Shangdang but gained nothing. Next year Shizong marched on Khitan and seized three passes; urgent Khitan pleas moved Chengjun to mobilize—until Shizong retired and he stood down.
13
宋興，昭義節度使李筠叛命，遣其將劉繼沖、判官孫孚奉表稱臣，執其監軍周光遜、李廷玉送於太原，乞兵為援。 承鈞欲謀於契丹，繼沖道筠意，請無用契丹兵。 承鈞即率其國兵自將出團柏谷，群臣餞之汾水。 僕射趙華曰：「李筠舉事輕易，陛下不圖成敗，空國興師，臣實憂之。」 承鈞至太平驛，封筠隴西郡王。 筠見承鈞儀衛不備，非如王者，悔臣之，筠因自陳受周氏恩，不忍背德。 而承鈞與周世仇也，聞筠言亦不悅。 遣宣徽使盧贊監其軍，筠心益不平，與贊多不葉，承鈞遣宰相衛融和解之。
As Song began, Li Yun of Zhaoyi rebelled, sent Liu Jichong and Sun Fu to swear fealty, and delivered overseers Zhou Guangxun and Li Tingyu to Taiyuan for aid. Chengjun meant to call on Khitan; Jichong conveyed Yun's plea to keep Khitan out. He led his own army through Tuanbai Gorge while ministers toasted him on the Fen. Zhao Hua warned, "Yun acts rashly; you risk the realm without judging the odds—I fear disaster. At Taiping Post he created Yun Duke of Longxi. Yun found Chengjun's train unkingly, repented his oath, and admitted Zhou's kindness left him unable to rebel. Chengjun, Zhou's hereditary foe, took equal offense. He posted Lu Zan as supervisor; friction grew; Wei Rong was sent to patch peace.
14
已而筠敗死，衛融被執至京師，太祖皇帝問融承鈞所以助筠反狀，融言不遜，太祖命以鐵楇擊其首，流血被面，融呼曰：「臣得死所矣！」 太祖顧左右曰：「此忠臣也。」 釋之，命以良藥傅其瘡。 遣融致書於承鈞，求周光遜等，約亦歸融太原。 承鈞不報，融遂留京師。 承鈞謂趙華曰：「不聽公言，幾至於敗。 然失衛融、盧贊，吾以為恨爾。」
Yun fell; Wei Rong was captured; Song's Taizu asked how Chengjun helped the revolt; Rong answered rudely; an iron maul split his brow; he shouted, "A worthy death! Taizu told his men, "Here is loyalty. He freed him and sent salves. Rong carried a letter seeking Zhou Guangxun and company, offering to send Rong back too. Chengjun did not answer; Rong remained. He told Zhao Hua, "Your counsel almost saved me— but losing Rong and Zan grieves me."
15
承鈞由此益重儒者，以抱腹山人郭無為參議國政。 無為，棣州人，方顙鳥喙，好學多聞，善談辯。 嘗衣褐為道士，居武當山。 周太祖討李守貞於河中，無為詣軍門上謁，詢以當世之務，太祖奇之。 或謂太祖曰：「公為漢大臣，握重兵居外，而延縱橫之士，非所以防微慮遠之道也。」 由是太祖不納。 無為去，隱抱腹山。 承鈞內樞密使段常識之，薦其材，承鈞以諫議大夫召之，遂以為相。 五年，宿衛殿直行首王隱、劉紹、趙鸞等謀作亂，事覺被誅，其詞連段常，乃罷常樞密為汾州刺史，縊殺之。
Thereafter he prized scholars and installed the mountain man Guo Youwei in counsel. A Di Prefecture man with high brow and hooked nose, widely read and silver-tongued. He had lived as a Daoist in brown on Wudang. During Guo's siege of Li Shouzhen at Hezhong, Youwei appeared at camp and debated policy; Guo was impressed. An aide warned, "A Han minister with armies abroad who hosts roaming strategists invites suspicion. Guo declined him. Youwei retired to Mount Baofu. Duan Chang of the privy council praised him; Chengjun made him Remonstrance Officer, then chancellor. Fifth year: guards Wang Yin, Liu Shao, Zhao Luan plotted treason, were killed, and implicated Chang—demoted to Fen prefect and strangled.
16
自旻世凡舉事必稟契丹，而承鈞之立多略。 契丹遣使者責承鈞改元、援李筠、殺段常不以告，承鈞惶恐謝罪。 使者至契丹輒見留，承鈞奉之愈謹，而契丹待承鈞益薄。 承鈞自李筠敗而失契丹之援，無復南侵之意。 地狹產薄，以歲輸契丹，故國用日削，乃拜五臺山僧繼颙為鴻臚卿。 繼颙，故燕王劉守光之子，守光之死，以孽子得不殺，削髮為浮圖，後居五臺山，為人多智，善商財利，自旻世頗以賴之。 繼颙能講《華嚴經》，四方供施，多積畜以佐國用。 五臺當契丹界上，繼颙常得其馬以獻，號「添都馬」，歲率數百匹。 又於柏谷置銀冶，募民鑿山取礦，烹銀以輸，劉氏仰以足用，即其冶建寶興軍。 繼颙後累官至太師、中書令，以老病卒，追封定王。
Under Min every move was cleared with Khitan; Chengjun often acted without telling them. Khitan envoys rebuked his new era, aid to Yun, and Chang's death unreported; he prostrated himself in apology. Envoys to Khitan were routinely held hostage; Chengjun grew more obsequious, Khitan more dismissive. After Yun's defeat Chengjun lost Khitan backing and abandoned any plan to strike south. Territory was cramped and poor; annual Khitan tribute drained the treasury, so he named the Wutai monk Jiyong Director of Guests. Jiyong, illegitimate son of Liu Shouguang of Yan, survived his father's fall by taking vows and settling on Wutai—a shrewd trader the Liu house had leaned on since Min's day. He lectured on the 《Avatamsaka》, drew donations from every direction, and stockpiled wealth for the state. Wutai bordered Khitan; he procured their horses as tribute—"Supplementary Capital Horses"—hundreds yearly. At Bai Valley he opened silver works, hired miners, and smelted tribute silver that kept the Liu treasury solvent—founding Baoxing garrison at the site. He rose to Grand Preceptor and Grand Secretary, died in old age, and was posthumously made Prince of Ding.
17
太祖皇帝嘗因界上諜者謂承鈞曰：「君家與周氏為世仇，宜其不屈，今我與爾無所間，何為困此一方之人也？ 若有志於中國，宜下太行以決勝負。」 承鈞遣諜者復命曰：「河東土地兵甲，不足以當中國之十一； 然承鈞家世非叛者，區區守此，蓋懼漢氏之不血食也。」 太祖哀其言，笑謂諜者曰：「為我語承鈞，開爾一路以為生。」 故終其世不加兵。
Song's Taizu once told a border agent to ask Chengjun, "Your house and Zhou are ancient enemies—no wonder you resist; but I bear you no grudge—why make this pocket of land suffer? If you mean to contest the empire, come down through the Taihang and fight it out. Chengjun sent back word: "Hedong's land and arms are less than a tenth of yours— yet my line was never rebel-born; I hold this corner lest the Han house lose its sacrifices forever. Taizu was moved, smiled, and said, "Tell him I will leave him a road to live by. So for Chengjun's lifetime Song never marched against him.
18
承鈞立十三年病卒，其養子繼恩立。
After thirteen years Chengjun died; his adopted heir Jien took the throne.
19
繼恩本姓薛氏，父釗為卒，旻以女妻之，生繼恩。 漢高祖以釗婿也，除其軍籍，置之門下。 釗無材能，高祖衣食之而無所用。 妻以旻女常居中，釗罕得見，釗常怏怏，因醉拔佩刀刺之，傷而不死，釗即自裁。 旻女後適何氏，生子繼元，而何氏及旻女皆卒。 旻以其子承鈞無子，乃以二子命承鈞養為子。 承鈞立，以繼恩為太原尹。 承鈞嘗謂郭無為曰：「繼恩純孝，然非濟世之才，恐不能了我家事。」 無為不對。 承鈞病臥勤政閣，召無為，執手以後事付之。
Jien was born Xue; his father Zhao was a common soldier whom Min married to a daughter—thus Jien. Gaozu, as Zhao was family, struck him from the rolls and kept him at court. Zhao had no ability; Gaozu clothed and fed him but never employed him. Min's daughter kept to the inner quarters; Zhao seldom saw her, grew bitter, and once, drunk, stabbed her—she lived—and then killed himself. She later wed a He and bore Jiyuan; both she and the He clan died. As Chengjun had no heir, Min had both boys adopted as his sons. On his accession Chengjun made Jien prefect of Taiyuan. Chengjun once told Guo Youwei, "Jien is dutiful but no statesman—I doubt he can settle our house's affairs. Youwei said nothing. Dying in the Diligence Pavilion, he summoned Youwei, clasped his hand, and entrusted the aftermath.
20
承鈞卒，繼恩告哀於契丹而後立。 繼恩服缞裳視事，寢處皆居勤政閣，而承鈞故執事百司宿衛者皆在太原府廨。 九月，繼恩置酒會諸大臣宗子，飲罷，臥閣中。 供奉官侯霸榮率十餘人挺刃入閣，閉戶而殺之。 郭無為遣人以梯登屋入，殺霸榮並其黨。
After Chengjun's death Jien notified Khitan of mourning, then enthroned himself. Jien governed in hemp mourning and lived only in the Diligence Pavilion; Chengjun's old officials and guards stayed in the prefectural offices. In the ninth month he banqueted ministers and kin, then retired to the pavilion. Palace officer Hou Barong and a dozen men burst in, barred the door, and slew him. Guo Youwei sent men over the roof and killed Barong and his accomplices.
21
初，承鈞之語郭無為也，繼恩怨無為不助己，及立，欲逐之而未果，故霸榮之亂，人皆以謂無為之謀，霸榮死，口滅而無知者。 無為迎繼元而立之。
Jien had resented Youwei since Chengjun's remark that he lacked talent; on taking power he tried to oust him and failed—so when Barong struck, rumor blamed Youwei; Barong's death left no witness. Youwei installed Jiyuan as ruler.
22
繼元為人忍。 旻子十餘人，皆無可稱者。 當繼元時，有鎬、鍇、锜、錫、銑，於繼元為諸父，皆為繼元所殺，獨銑以佯愚獲免。 承鈞妻郭氏，繼元兄弟自少母之。 繼元妻段氏，嘗以小過為郭氏所責，既而以它疾而卒，繼元疑其殺之。 及立，遣嬖者範超圖殺郭氏，郭氏方缞服哭承鈞於柩前，超執而縊殺之，於是劉氏之子孫無遺類矣。
Jiyuan was ruthless by nature. Min had a dozen sons, none distinguished. Under Jiyuan his uncles Gao, Kai, Qi, Xi, and Xian were all killed—only Xian survived by playing the fool. Chengjun's consort was a Guo; Jiyuan and his brothers had called her mother since childhood. Jiyuan's wife Duan had once been scolded by Lady Guo for a trifle; she later died of illness—Jiyuan suspected murder. On his accession he sent his favorite Fan Chao to kill Lady Guo as she mourned before Chengjun's bier—strangling her—and with that the Liu line was extinguished.
23
繼元立，改元曰廣運。 王師北征，繼元閉城拒守，太祖皇帝以詔書招繼元出降，許以平盧軍節度使，郭無為安國軍節度使。 無為捧詔色動，而並人及繼元左右皆欲堅守以拒命。 無為仰天慟哭，拔佩刀欲自裁，為左右所持。 繼元自下執其手，延之上坐，無為曰：「奈何以孤城拒百萬之王師？」 蓋欲搖動並人，而並人守意益堅。 宦者衛德貴察無為有異志，以告繼元，繼元遣人縊殺之。
Jiyuan took the throne and proclaimed the era Guangyun. Song's northern expedition found Jiyuan behind closed walls; Taizu offered surrender—Jiyuan as governor of Pinglu, Youwei of Anguo. Youwei, reading the edict, wavered—but Bingzhou and Jiyuan's court wanted to hold out. Youwei wept to heaven and tried to fall on his sword; attendants restrained him. Jiyuan came down, took his hand, and seated him above, while Youwei asked, "How can a lone city defy a million imperial troops? He meant to sway Bingzhou—but their will to resist only hardened. Eunuch Wei Degui detected his disloyalty and told Jiyuan, who had him strangled.
24
初，太祖皇帝命引汾水浸其城，水自城門入，而有積草自城中飄出塞之。 是時，王師頓兵甘草地中，會歲暑雨，軍士多疾，乃班師。 王師已去，繼元決城下水註之臺駘澤，水已落而城多摧圮。 契丹使者韓知璠時在太原，嘆曰：「王師之引水浸城也，知其一而不知其二，若先浸而後涸，則並人無類矣！」
Taizu had the Fen diverted to flood Taiyuan; water poured through the gates until grass bundles floated out from within and choked the breach. The army camped at Licorice Ground; summer heat and rain sickened the troops, and they withdrew. After Song withdrew, Jiyuan drained the flood into Taitai Marsh; as waters fell, much of the wall collapsed. Khitan envoy Han Zhifan, present in Taiyuan, sighed, "Song knew half the trick of flooding—had they soaked the city and then let it dry, Bingzhou would have been annihilated!"
25
太平興國四年，王師復北征，繼元窮窘，而並人猶欲堅守。 其樞密副使馬峰老疾居於家，舁入見繼元，流涕以興亡諭之，繼元乃降。 太宗皇帝御城北高臺受降，以繼元為右衛上將軍，封彭城公。 其後事具國史。
Taiping Xingguo 4 brought another northern campaign; Jiyuan was cornered, yet Bingzhou still wanted to resist. Vice privy councilor Ma Feng, aged and ill at home, was carried in weeping to lecture Jiyuan on survival—whereupon he surrendered. Taizong received surrender on the north terrace, made him General of the Right Guard, and created him Duke of Pengcheng. His later career is recorded in the dynastic histories.
26
〈（旻年世興滅，諸書皆同，自周廣順元年建號，至皇朝太平興國四年滅，凡二十八年，余具年譜註。）〉
(All sources agree on Min's dates: he founded his state in Zhou Guangshun 1 and fell in our Taiping Xingguo 4—twenty-eight years; see my chronological notes.)〉