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卷一百四十四 列傳第三十一: 答里麻 月魯帖木兒 卜顏鐵木兒 星吉 福壽 道童

Volume 144 Biographies 31: Dalima, Yuelutiemuer, Buyantiemuer, Xingji, Fushou, Daotong

Chapter 144 of 元史 · History of Yuan
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1
Dalima
2
宿 访 访使 访使 访使 西访使 使 访使 宿 使 使 使 访使 绿 西
Dalima was from Gaochang. His great-grandfather Sagisi had been tutor to the Prince of Liao, and Emperor Shizu had praised his virtue. He took part in the campaign against Li Tan and, for his achievements, was appointed Dadudu of the Shandong Branch Secretariat. Dalima joined the imperial guard in his early twenties. In 1307 he was made Darughachi of the Imperial Pharmacy, then moved to the Muslim Medicaments Office; shortly afterward he was sent out as an associate of the surveillance commissions for Hubei and Shannan, and was summoned to serve as a supervising censor. At the time Chancellor Temuder held sole power and was rapacious; Dalima led his colleagues Yirenzhen and Ma Zuchang in impeaching him. A monk from Gaochang, relying on the chancellor's power, illegally took a wife in the southern capital; Dalima questioned him, caring nothing for personal risk, and official discipline was greatly restored. He was promoted to vice commissioner of the Hedong surveillance commission. In Xi Prefecture, villagers were holding a temple festival when, in a drunken brawl, one man beat and killed Yao Jia. The ringleader fled in the uproar; officials arrested everyone who had been present and kept them in prison for a year without resolving the case. Dalima said, "The killer has escaped and we do not even know whether he is alive or dead. These people are all innocent victims of mistaken implication—why should they be shackled?" He released them all. In 1321 Temuder returned as chancellor and pursued vendettas; Dalima resigned his post. The following year he was appointed vice commissioner of the Yannan surveillance commission. Shibuhuadai, the Darughachi of Kai Prefecture, had distinguished himself in office; jealous colleagues incited locals to accuse him of drinking with a commoner's wife, Mistress Yu. Dalima found that Mistress Yu was an eighty-year-old woman and that Shibuhuadai had never drunk with her; he punished the false accusers and restored Shibuhuadai to his post. A man in Xingtang County was cutting mulberry trees by the roadside when someone borrowed his axe to trim a walking staff; that man later used the staff at night to rob a passerby. When the crime was discovered, both the axe owner and the robber were arrested and imprisoned together. Dalima found that the axe owner had known nothing of the crime and released him at once. In Shen Prefecture an elderly woman beat her daughter-in-law to death in a rage; the daughter-in-law was holding her baby, and the child also died when struck in the struggle. The woman was seventy, and colleagues argued she should be exempt from punishment. Dalima refused, saying, "Under the law of the realm, criminals aged seventy are spared punishment because their vital force has waned and they can no longer endure it. Yet this woman was strong enough to kill two people—how can she be called decrepit?" She ultimately died in prison. In 1321 he was appointed prefect of Jining Circuit, where he promoted schools and agriculture, restored neglected public works, and left the prefectural office with no backlog of cases. In Jiyang County a shepherd boy was using an iron chain to strike at wild sparrows when he accidentally killed a companion; he remained in prison for several years. Dalima said, "The boy killed his companion by accident and had no intent to kill; he cannot properly be convicted of murder." He imposed a fine in copper and released him. In 1324 he was promoted to commissioner of the Fujian surveillance commission. The court had sent the eunuch Boyan to supervise the production of embroidered silks, and he extorted money from the people; Shulin, a judge of the Xuanzheng Yuan, also took bribes from wealthy monks; Dalima impeached them all. He was transferred to commissioner of the Zhexi surveillance commission. When Emperor Wenzong set out from Jiangling, Arhatu came bearing the imperial command; when Dalima refused his demand for a bribe, Arhatu returned to court and slandered him; Dalima was summoned to the capital and sentenced to a heavy penalty. By the time he reached the capital, the emperor's anger had cooled; he was appointed associate defender of the Upper Capital. In the eighth month of 1329 Emperor Mingzong died and Emperor Wenzong assumed the throne; messengers arrived in an unbroken stream. Dalima labored from morning to night without neglecting a single duty; the emperor specially rewarded him with brocade robes in recognition. In 1330 he was transferred to commissioner of the Huaidong surveillance commission. The following year he was summoned and appointed Minister of Punishments. By established custom, when a new emperor took the throne, gold and silks were distributed to princes, imperial sons-in-law, consorts, and palace guard officials. Dalima insisted that distributions be made only by calling out each recipient's name, with no inflated numbers on the rolls. State expenditure was greatly reduced, and the emperor again rewarded him with a golden belt in recognition of his efficiency. In 1333 he was promoted to vice administrator of the Liaoyang Branch Secretariat. When a Goryeo envoy came to court and passed through Liaoyang, he called on the provincial officials, each of whom was offered four bolts of cloth and a letter sealed with the Eastern Campaign Secretariat's seal. Dalima questioned the envoy: "Under the law of the realm, seals exist to authenticate official documents and prevent fraud—why use one to seal a private letter? Moreover, when you left your country I was still in the capital and was not yet an official in Liaoyang—why should you now have a letter for me? Why are your sovereign and ministers so deceitful?" The envoy had no reply and returned the letter and cloth. In 1335 he was transferred to commissioner of the Shandong surveillance commission. At that time banditry broke out in Shandong; Chen Maluo and Xin Li led daylight raids and killings. Dalima believed the unrest was caused by corrupt officials; he first impeached and removed them, then submitted a plan for capturing the bandits. The court approved his plan, troops were dispatched at once, the bandits were captured, and Qi and Lu were pacified. He was appointed defender of the Dadu Circuit. At a feast for his ministers in the Yanchun Pavilion, the emperor specially gave Dalima a white hawk as a token of his integrity. The emperor once ordered Dalima to renovate the Seven Stars Hall. Previous renovations had always used gold, silver, and bright pigments; Dalima insisted on simplicity and had painters depict mountain and forest scenery, to the disapproval of the younger attendants around him. That autumn, when the emperor returned from the Upper Capital and entered to view the hall, he was delighted; stroking the wall he exclaimed, "What thoughtful care the Defender has taken!" He rewarded him with fifty taels of white gold and a suit of brocade robes. In 1346 he was promoted to right chancellor of the Henan Branch Secretariat, then transferred to Academician Expositor-in-Chief of the Hanlin Academy. In 1347 he was transferred to vice censor-in-chief of the Shaanxi Branch Secretariat at the age of sixty-nine. After his retirement he was summoned to serve as a deliberating Pingzhang of the Central Secretariat but declined; he received his full salary in generous support for the rest of his life.
3
Yuelutiemuer
4
宿访使 宿 殿 便殿 西 使 使 西 访使 使
Yuelutiemuer was of the Bolingqinduoliboqitai clan. His great-grandfather Guiyu had served Emperor Taizu as officer in charge of the qielian households of the imperial camp. His grandfather Hela inherited his father's post and served Emperor Shizu. His father Pulanxi rose from the imperial guard to outer section member of the right secretariat of the Central Secretariat; with Chancellor Halaqhasun he had urged the enthronement of Emperor Wuzong, and was eventually promoted to surveillance commissioner of the Shanbei Liaodong circuit. From childhood Yuelutiemuer was quick-witted and had an excellent memory; he was bold and ambitious. At twelve he was ordered by Emperor Chengzong to enter the National Academy together with Halaqhasun's son Tuohuan. During Emperor Renzong's reign he joined the imperial guard; one day the emperor asked his attendants, "This man has an unusual bearing—whose son is he?" His attendants could not recall the father's name; Yuelutiemuer answered at once, "Your servant's father is Pulanxi." The emperor said, "Your father counseled me through the national crisis; I have never forgotten him." He then ordered Tuohutai to convey to the four keshik and the imperial guard that Yuelutiemuer was to attend constantly at court and none was to bar his entry. Halaqhasun wished to appoint him Mongol secretary of the Central Secretariat, but he repeatedly declined. Halaqhasun asked, "You are still young—what do you want to do?" He replied, "I wish to serve as a censor." People admired his ambition. Eventually he was appointed supervising censor; while inspecting the Upper Capital he impeached Grand Preceptor and Right Chancellor Temuder for accepting a bribe of sixty thousand strings of cash from Zhang Bi and commuting a death sentence. The emperor was enraged, destroyed the Grand Preceptor's seal, rewarded Yuelutiemuer with ten thousand strings of paper money, appointed him director of the Ministry of War, and made him palace attending censor. He was transferred to supervising secretary, left attendant of ceremonies, and associate compiler of the imperial diary. Soon he became director of the right secretariat; seated in the side hall, the emperor told his attendants, "Yuelutiemuer has clear vision and great capacity; he is fit for high office." On another occasion the emperor told his close ministers, "I have heard that previous dynasties all had retired emperors; now the crown prince has come of age and can take the throne. I wish to become a retired emperor and spend my remaining years roaming the Western Hills with you." Censor-in-Chief Manzi and Hanlin academician Minglidong'a both praised the idea. Yuelutiemuer alone rose and bowed, saying, "Your servant has heard that the so-called retired emperors of old, such as Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Emperor Huizong of Song, all took that title only amid calamity and disorder, when they had no other choice. I pray that Your Majesty will hold the throne firmly and preserve the realm's boundless inheritance; what is there to admire in the empty titles of former ages?" The emperor approved his reply. After Emperor Renzong's death, Temuder returned to the Central Secretariat and seized the chancellorship. Consultant Qishijian was imprisoned for accepting a golden belt as a bribe; Temuder then had Qishijian accuse Yuelutiemuer of having falsely charged the chancellor with bribery when he was a censor. The empress dowager ordered Chancellor Hasan and others to investigate at once in the Huizheng Yuan; the charge proved false and the matter was dropped. Temuder then had Yuelutiemuer appointed vice commissioner of the Shandong Salt Transport Office, demoting him from vice director of the palace to gentleman for managing affairs; within a month salt revenue increased by tens of thousands. Upon his father's death he escorted the coffin westward to return home. He was promoted to vice surveillance commissioner of the Shannan Jiangbei circuit. At the beginning of the Taiding reign he was appointed prefect of Bianliang Circuit and then transferred to prefect of Wuchang, but declined in order to care for his parents. In 1328 Bayan, Pingzhang of the Henan Branch Secretariat, forged an imperial order summoning Yuelutiemuer as vice administrator of the province to join in planning a military rising. Yuelutiemuer firmly declined, saying, "When the prince returns from the north and asks the vice administrator who gave him his commission, what answer will he give?" Bayan was enraged. Minglidong'a happened to be escorting the prince through Henan; when Yuelutiemuer had been a censor he had impeached Minglidong'a for marrying a prostitute and fraudulently receiving a title. Minglidong'a persuaded Bayan to act against him, and Chancellor Biebuhua, who also bore a grudge, joined in; Yuelutiemuer was demoted and placed under the Ganning Pacification Commission. In 1333 he was transferred to Lei Prefecture. In 1340 Emperor Shundi summoned him back. In 1342 he came to court; the emperor wished to retain him, but he declined because his mother's funeral had not yet been conducted. In 1344 he was finally appointed associate director of the Directorate of Palace Buildings. Shortly afterward he was appointed Darughachi of the Court of the Imperial Clan. In 1349, after serving as commissioner of the Imperial Medical Service, he was appointed Academician Expositor-in-Chief of the Hanlin Academy and director of the Classics Mat lectures. In his lectures before the throne he drew on the classics and histories, grounding all in the principles of benevolent rule; the emperor warmly approved. In 1352 bandits overran the prefectures of Jiangnan; an edict appointed Yuelutiemuer Pingzhang and sent him to the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat. He told Chancellor Toghto, "Merely defending Jiangnan is already too late a strategy; if I may act with discretionary authority, there is still something that can be done." Toghto refused. On taking leave of the court he was granted imperial wine, imperial robes, bow and arrows, armor, ten guard soldiers, and fifteen thousand strings of paper money for his journey. Upon reaching his post he gathered his staff and local elders to discuss defense, recruited several thousand militiamen, and enforced clear and strict discipline. Leading his troops he encamped at Jiande, captured the bandit leader He Fu and executed him in the market, then recovered Chun'an and other counties; more than ten thousand captives were taken and over thirty thousand households returned to their livelihoods. In the seventh month of that year he reached Huizhou and died of illness in camp.
5
Buyantiemuer
6
宿 殿使访使 寿广西 广西宿 使 西广 寿
Buyantiemuer, whose style name was Zhenqing, was of the Tangwu Wumi clan. He was bright, sharp, and unconventional; he entered the imperial guard early and served Emperors Wuzong, Renzong, and Yingzong. At the beginning of the Tianli reign he rose from assistant director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to supervising censor, then palace attending censor; he successively served as Darughachi of Dadu Circuit, salt transport commissioner, and surveillance commissioner, rose from vice administrator to left and right chancellor of the branch secretariat, became vice censor-in-chief of the branch censorate, and was finally appointed Pingzhang of the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat. In the spring of 1352 the bandit Xu Shouhui of Qi and Huang sent troops who overran Huguang and invaded Jiangdong and Jiangxi; an edict ordered Buyantiemuer to lead an army against them. Buyantiemuer recruited more able-bodied men as soldiers, raising three thousand fierce warriors and three hundred warships. At that time Yexiantiemuer, Pingzhang of Huguang, Xingji, Pingzhang of Jiangxi, and Manzi Haiya, vice censor-in-chief of the Jiangnan branch censorate, all had troops at Taiping but lingered without advancing. When Buyantiemuer arrived, they advanced together. The bandits were gathered at Dingjiazhou; the government forces suddenly encountered them, fought fiercely and routed them, recovered Tongling County, captured their leader, and retook Chizhou. He then sent the ten-thousand household Puxiannu to garrison Yangling, Wang Jianzhong to garrison Baimiandu, and Lv'er to attack Wuwei Prefecture, while he himself led Pacification Commissioner Buhua and the ten-thousand household Ming'an to hold Chikou and block the upper river, directing overall operations. Before long Jiang Prefecture fell again and Xingji was killed. Manzi Haiya and the army of Prince Weishun Kuanchapuhua both broke and fled eastward. Anqing was under increasingly desperate siege and sent envoys to seek aid. The generals all wished to hold their own secure territories; Buyantiemuer said, "How disloyal your words are! Anqing and Chizhou are separated by only a stretch of water. Anqing is holding firm—that is its duty—and as for the obligation to relieve a neighbor in distress, how can we delay? Moreover, though the upstream government forces have been routed, they are all battle-hardened veterans who lack only money, grain, and equipment. I have been ordered to command the army—how can I look on without helping?" He immediately opened the treasury to supply them generously; the routed armies regathered in force, both armies recovered their strength, and the siege of Anqing was lifted. In the third month of 1353 the bandits again attacked Chizhou with nearly one hundred thousand men, and all the surrounding counties rose in support. Buyantiemuer convened his generals and said, "The bandits are linked inside and out; if we wait until they finish their fortifications and live off the grain of the surrounding counties, defeating them will be very hard. They have just arrived and are exhausted; if we strike while they are arrogant and slack, and attack with our full strength, victory can be won in an instant." All agreed. They fought in relays and inflicted a crushing defeat, captured their rebel commander, took and killed countless prisoners, pacified all the counties, and then advanced by fleet in victory. In the fifth month they fought at Wangjiang, then at Xiaogushan and Pengze, and again at Longkai River, routing the enemy each time. They advanced and recovered Jiang Prefecture, leaving troops to garrison it. In the seventh month they advanced on Qi Prefecture, captured the rebel commander Zou Putai, and took the city. Advancing to Daoshifu they burned the enemy palisades and reached Lanxikou. The bandits' stronghold was called Huanglian Stockade; they captured and destroyed it. They sent detachments to pacify Liangba River, and the river route was finally reopened. In the eleventh month he joined forces with Manzi Haiya, Halintu, vice administrator of the Sichuan Branch Secretariat, Left Chancellor Sangtushili, and the army of Prince Xining Yahansha, while the armies of Bayan Buhua, left chancellor of Huguang, and others also assembled. In the twelfth month they attacked Qishui County by separate routes, seized the rebel capital, and captured more than four hundred rebel officials and generals; Xu Shouhui alone escaped. For his achievements an edict granted him superior wine and a golden belt. At that time Chancellor Toghto was commanding the southern campaign; hearing that the bandits had been defeated, he ordered Bayan Buhua to campaign in Huaidong, Manzi Haiya to guard Yuxikou, and Prince Weishun to return to Wuchang, while Buyantiemuer alone held the Yangzi. In the sixth month of 1356 he again garrisoned Chizhou with his army. In the eleventh month he died. Buyantiemuer was scrupulously honest; no one dared approach him with private requests. As a general, wherever he passed he accepted no gifts, banquets, or rewards, and the people scarcely knew an army was present. He was deeply filial; raised from childhood by his uncle Ashu, he served him as he would his own father. He often rode a piebald horse and was known at the time as Pingzhang Huama'er, the Piebald Horse.
7
西 使 广 广 广 西 西 广西 西
Xingji, whose style name was Jifu, was from Hexi. His great-grandfather Duoji, grandfather Suosijiduorezhi, and father Suosiji had all served Emperors Taizu, Xianzong, and Shizu as qielimachi. From youth Xingji served in Emperor Renzong's household before his accession and was known for keen intelligence. At the beginning of the Zhizhi reign he was appointed director of the Central Palace Service, then transferred to right attendant of ceremonies and associate compiler of the imperial diary. He was appointed supervising censor and earned a reputation for integrity. He was promoted fifteen times in succession to commissioner of the Xuanzheng Yuan, then appointed censor-in-chief of the Jiangnan branch censorate. Peace had lasted so long that officials everywhere adopted a wait-and-see attitude; Xingji alone upheld strict discipline, and whenever he sent censors on circuit tours he admonished them sternly before their departure. Sanbaozhu, associate commissioner of Hudong, was a Confucian scholar of incorruptible character who struck at the greedy and cunning wherever he went without mercy. When a censor made a private request of him, he refused; the censor then fabricated charges and impeached him. When the memorial arrived, Xingji said angrily, "Everyone knows that man's integrity—how dare you make such an accusation!" He immediately memorialized to have the censor caned and to clear the false charge. The ruling faction disliked him and transferred him to Pingzhang of the Huguang Branch Secretariat. Huguang bordered the north bank of the Yangzi; Prince Weishun went hunting every year and the people suffered greatly. He also built the Guangle Garden, gathering famous entertainers and wealthy merchants to reap great profits, and no official dared oppose him. When Xingji arrived to call on the prince, the prince closed the central gate and opened only the left side door to admit him. Xingji drew up a rope bed and sat west of the central gate, saying, "I have received the Son of Heaven's command to govern this region; I am not your private servant—how can I enter by an improper entrance!" The gatekeeper was alarmed and reported to the prince, who ordered the central gate opened. Xingji entered and reproached the prince: "Your Highness is a kinsman of the imperial house, what the ancients called a royal uncle. Yet no word of your virtue is heard, while you roam hunting and indulge in dissipation, earning resentment among the people—I fear this is not the way to secure blessings for yourself." The prince hastily grasped Xingji's hand and apologized, abolishing all his excesses. There was a Hu monk called Little Abbot who held third-rank appointment, relied on imperial favor, and repeatedly bullied government offices. Xingji ordered his secret arrest; eighteen wives, concubines, female musicians, and women were found; he was convicted and his property confiscated; from then on the powerful held back and the poor rejoiced. In 1351 rebel bandits arose in Ru and Ying; when Xingji convened his staff to discuss the crisis, some said, "There is the ten-thousand household Zheng, an old general—we should summon and employ him." Xingji then ordered the recruitment of militia, repair of the city walls, preparation of weapons, and strict patrols, entrusting all these matters to Zheng. When the bandits heard of this, they sent two thousand men to negotiate surrender. Xingji and Zheng agreed: "This is a ruse, but to accept their surrender and then reject them would be improper; we should accept them and investigate." They confirmed the deception, annihilated the force, and shackled several dozen ringleaders to await orders. Just then an edict summoned him to the capital as Minister of Revenue. Colleagues who had taken bribes from the bandits and envied Xingji's achievements falsely charged Zheng with crimes and released the prisoners he had shackled. The next day the bandits arrived in force; the city rose in response inside and out, and the city fell. The people of Wuchang wept together by night: "Had our commissioner not left, how could we have become captives?" When Xingji appeared at court he gave a full account of the bandit uprising. The emperor was greatly pleased and ordered a meal served. The chief ministers were displeased and had him appointed Pingzhang of the Jiangxi Branch Secretariat on an extra-staff basis. When Xingji reached Jiangdong, an edict ordered him to defend Jiang Prefecture. Jiang Prefecture had already fallen and the bandits held Chiyang. The government troops at Taiping numbered only three hundred; the bandits claimed a million men; everyone wished to flee. Xingji said, "To flee from fear of bandits is not courage; to sit and await attack is not wisdom. You all have wives, children, and property—even if you flee, can you escape? He borrowed money from the wealthy and recruited soldiers. Previously the branch censorate had offered one hundred fifty thousand cash per recruit, with no takers. Now Xingji offered fifty thousand per recruit and men competed to join; in one day he raised three thousand. He equipped boats and sailed straight to Tongling, which he captured. He again defeated the bandits at Baimawan. The bandits were routed and fled; he sent detachments in pursuit and reached Baimai. Cornered, the bandits turned to fight; the government forces pressed their advantage and killed them to the last man, capturing their leader Zhou Lv and seizing six hundred boats. Military prestige soared, and Chizhou was recovered. He then ordered his generals to pursue the bandits by separate routes and recovered Shizhi and other counties. When the bandits attacked again, he ordered Wang Weigong to form battle lines; as the vanguards engaged, he sent small boats to strike from the flank, routing the enemy and advancing to occupy Qingshuiwan. Scouts reported bandit ships approaching from upstream under full sail with favorable wind, nearly ten times their strength; the generals turned pale. Xingji said, "No matter—the wind is strong and they will not be able to moor in haste. Lie in ambush in the cross-channel with flags lowered and strike after they pass; you cannot fail." The wind roared and the current raced; the bandits swept past; he ordered flags raised, sails spread, and drums beaten as his forces closed in. The government troops fought to the death; the wind shifted in their favor, and they inflicted another crushing defeat. The bandits had long besieged Anqing; when news of the victory arrived, they hastily burned their camps and fled. He advanced and recovered Hukou County, captured Jiang Prefecture, and left troops to garrison it. He ordered Wang Weigong to fortify Xiaogushan while he himself held Panyangkou, controlling the vital river junctions to plan the recovery of the region. Huguang had fallen, Jiangxi was besieged, and Huai and Zhe were also in turmoil; no relief came, and as time passed grain grew scarce and the soldiers were exhausted. Someone said, "The southeast is still intact—why not withdraw there with its grain and plan another campaign?" Xingji said, "I have been ordered to defend Jiangxi—I will die here." No one dared speak again. Before long the bandits gathered four large ships and attacked the government forces; they wove reeds into great rafts, blocked the upper and lower reaches of the river, and set them ablaze. The government troops fought fiercely until nearly all were dead. Xingji's nephew Bohua and several dozen personal guards died fighting. Xingji remained seated, unmoving. The bandits shot arrows at Xingji, and he collapsed unconscious. The bandits had long heard of Xingji's reputation and could not bring themselves to kill him; they carried him to a secret chamber, and by dawn he had revived. The bandits bowed before him and competed to offer him food. Xingji rebuked them and refused to eat again. After seven days he rose by his own strength, bowed twice to the north, and said, "Your servant's strength is exhausted." He then died at the age of fifty-seven. Xingji was fair, incorruptible, and decisive; in the army he shared hardship and comfort with his officers and soldiers, inspiring loyalty and righteousness in their hearts. Thus he could defeat larger forces with smaller ones and win men's utmost devotion unto death.
8
寿 使使使 西访使 访使 驿 寿使 寿寿 广 寿 寿 寿 寿 寿
Fushou was from Tangwu. From childhood he was handsome and accomplished; he was literate and especially skilled in conversation. When he came of age he joined the imperial guard; for long service he was appointed vice director of the Changning Temple, then transferred to introducing commissioner, promoted to director of the ceremonies office, and finally made chief commissioner. He was sent out as Darughachi of Raozhou Circuit and promoted to vice commissioner of the Huaixi surveillance commission. He entered court as vice minister of works, associate of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and Rites, and supervising censor; he was transferred to vice minister of revenue, promoted to minister, sent out as commissioner of the Yannan surveillance commission, and promoted five times to vice director of the Bureau of Military Affairs. In 1351 Ying Prefecture reported a bandit rebellion; the emperor was at the Upper Capital, and the court hesitated, wishing to report by courier and await orders. Fushou alone said, "By the time a messenger obtains permission and returns, it will be too late." They therefore resolved to dispatch five hundred troops under guard officers Halazhang, Xindu, and Qie to suppress the rebels and report afterward. Emperor Shundi approved his handling of the crisis; the following year he was appointed Yeke Jarquchi. Before long he was appointed Pingzhang of the Huainan Branch Secretariat. By then Hao and Si had both fallen, and the army had long failed to achieve success. When Fushou arrived he pressed the fighting urgently; the upstream bandit forces were fierce, so he proposed fortifying Shitou to block the river and organized the defense systematically; the troops relied on this as their stronghold. In 1355 he was transferred to censor-in-chief of the Jiangnan branch censorate. Previously Jiqing had been threatened; Aruhui, Pingzhang of Huguang, had led Miao troops to its relief, and after the crisis his army was garrisoned at Yangzhou. But Aruhui commanded his troops without discipline; the Miao soldiers were by nature fierce and brutal, killing and plundering daily, and no one could control them. Before long the Miao troops killed Aruhui in rebellion, and aid to Jiqing was cut off. When Gaoyou, Lu, He, and other prefectures fell in succession, Jiqing grew ever more isolated, panic spread among the people, and the storehouses were empty; with no plan in sight, the people volunteered to serve as soldiers in their own defense. Fushou ordered wealthy citizens to contribute grain and provisions, roused the troops, and organized a comprehensive defense. The court recognized his efforts and repeatedly rewarded him. In the third month of 1356 Ming forces besieged Jiqing; Fushou repeatedly led troops into battle, closed all the city gates except the east gate for passage, but the city could no longer hold and fell. All government offices collapsed in flight; Fushou alone took a folding chair and sat beneath the Phoenix Terrace, directing his attendants. When someone urged him to flee, he rebuked them: "I am a great minister of the state—if the city stands I live, if it falls I die—where else should I go?" The Darughachi Danisi, seeing him sit alone as if resolved on something, asked his intention and stayed without leaving. Before long disorderly troops gathered from all sides; Fushou was killed, his body never found; Danisi also died with him. Also killed at the same time was investigating censor He Fang. Danisi's style name was Siming. He Fang, whose style name was Bojing, was from Jinning and was famed for his literary accomplishments. When news reached the court, Fushou was posthumously granted the titles of Golden Purple-Gleam Grand Master of the Palace, left chancellor of the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat, and supreme pillar of state, enfeoffed as Duke of Wei with the posthumous title Zhongsu, Loyal and Solemn.
9
西 便使 广 怀 殿 西西 便 西 便 退
Daotong was from Gaochang and styled himself Shiyan, Stone Cliff. He was deep and reserved, sparing of words. By noble birth he entered office as direct secretariat attendant; he held a series of eminent posts and had long enjoyed a reputation for ability. As prefect of Xinzhou Circuit and then of Pingjiang, he was praised for good governance in both posts. In 1341 he was transferred to Darughachi of Dadu Circuit, sent out as vice administrator of the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat, shortly summoned as vice administrator of the Central Secretariat, then sent out again as right chancellor of the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat, and finally promoted to Pingzhang of that province. In 1351 an edict appointed him Pingzhang to administer Jiangxi province. That year bandits arose in Qi and Huang; Pingzhang Tujianlibuhua led troops to defend Jiang Prefecture. Before long local bandits swarmed forth; Daotong had no knowledge of military affairs and was at a loss in the crisis. Left and right secretariat director Puyanbuhua said, "The bandits are pressing hard and the city is unprepared—if it should fall, what then? There is the retired left chancellor Zhang Boyan living in Fuzhou; he is well versed in military affairs. We should invite him with appropriate ceremony, have him act as left chancellor of this province, and charge him with commanding the army—then perhaps we can succeed." Daotong followed his advice; Boyan also gladly came forward, saying, "This is precisely the season for me to serve the state." When he arrived he and Puyanbuhua devised detailed plans against the enemy. In the first month of the following year Huguang fell and Tujianlibuhua fled back from Jiang Prefecture. In the second month Puyanbuhua led troops toward Jiang Prefecture; at Shitoudu he was defeated by the bandits; when Daotong heard this he was terrified and fled with the provincial seal. Puyanbuhua returned and with Boyan organized the city's defense. Several days later Daotong returned from hiding in a Nanchang household; they then organized defense by assigning each gate separately. In the third month the bandits came to besiege the city. Officials were appointed for each ward and headmen for each lane; the people held firm day and night with united resolve. Daotong had long been compassionate toward the people and skilled at employing men; he always rewarded merit and often overlooked failure, so many served him willingly. The bandits besieged the city for two months, yet the people showed no wish to abandon it. Daotong secretly summoned several thousand death-defying warriors with green-painted faces, yellow cloth bound on their foreheads, and yellow garments as the vanguard; he selected several thousand elite troops as the center army and recruited supporting fighters as the rear guard. He ordered the ten-thousand household Zhangtuoyinbuluhadai to lead them. At midnight they opened the gates and lay in ambush beneath the palisade; at dawn gongs and drums thundered and they struck fiercely at the bandits, who fled in alarm, thinking it supernatural. They pressed their victory to storm the enemy camp and sent detachments to sweep up the remaining bandits. At that time Zhang Boyan and Puyanbuhua contributed the greater part of the victory. Boyan soon died of illness. The court rewarded Daotong for defending the city by granting him the titles of grand steward and establishment of a household, along with dragon robes and imperial wine. By autumn the court appointed Yirenzhenban left chancellor of the Jiangxi Branch Secretariat and Huonichi left chancellor, both leading troops to Jiangxi. Before long Yirenzhenban died; Daotong assigned Huonichi to pacify Fu and Rui prefectures and garrison them separately. That year brought severe drought and scarcity; Daotong requested from the Jiang-Zhe Branch Secretariat several hundred thousand piculs of rice and several hundred thousand yin of salt. Soldiers and civilians could buy one dou of government rice every three days for two strings of paper money, and ten jin of government salt every three days for two strings; the people found this arrangement convenient. Peace was maintained as before, and the bandits did not dare invade his territory. In the fourth month of summer of 1358, Chen Youliang again attacked the Jiangxi capital. By then Huonichi had been promoted to Pingzhang, granted the title Duke Who Establishes the State and discretionary authority, and held sole military power; he had long been at odds with Daotong and was greedy and cruel, winning no loyalty from his troops; seeing the city about to fall, he fled by night. Daotong also abandoned the city and withdrew to Fuzhou Circuit, hoping to gather militia from the surrounding counties to recover the lost territory, but the situation was already hopeless. He sighed and said, "I am a great minister of the Yuan dynasty who reached the highest rank—now the city has fallen and I could not hold it—what face have I left to show the world?" Just then bandit pursuers arrived; Daotong tried to face them, but while crossing a river before he reached the bank, the bandits overtook him and killed him. When news reached the court, he was granted the posthumous title Zhonglie, Loyal and Valiant.
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