1
明年冬十月，江南行臺御史大夫脫脫以疾請于朝，未得旨輒去職，鐵失奏罷之，杖六十七，謫居雲南。 治書侍御史鎖南，鐵木迭兒之子也，罷為翰林侍講學士，鐵失奏復其職，英宗不允。 十二月，鐵失以御史大夫、忠翊親軍都指揮使、左右衛阿速親軍都指揮使、太醫院使，兼領廣惠司事。
In the tenth month of winter the following year, Tuo Tuo, the Jiangnan regional censor-in-chief, asked the court for sick leave. He quit his post before any reply arrived. Tie Shi had him dismissed, beaten sixty-seven strokes, and sent into exile in Yunnan. Suonan, an associate censor of the Secretariat, was Temuder's son. After his dismissal to a Hanlin lecturing post, Tie Shi asked that he be reinstated, but Emperor Yingzong refused. In the twelfth month Tie Shi was appointed grand censor, commander of the Loyal and Supporting personal army and of the Asud guards of the left and right, superintendent of the Imperial Medical Academy, and concurrent head of the Broad Beneficence Office.
2
英宗嘗謂臺臣曰：「朕深居九重，臣下奸貪，民生疾苦，豈能周知，故用卿等為耳目。 曩者，鐵木迭兒貪蠹無厭，汝等拱默不言，其人雖死，宜籍其家，以懲後也。」 又明年正月，申命大夫鐵失，振舉臺綱，詔諭中外。 既而御史臺請降旨開言路，英宗曰：「言路何嘗不開，但卿等選人未當爾。 朕知嚮所劾者，率因宿怨，羅織成獄，加之以罪，遂玷其人，終身不得伸。 監察御史嘗舉八思吉思可任大事，未幾，以貪墨伏誅。 若此者，言路選人當乎，否乎？」 時鐵木迭兒既死，罪惡日彰，英宗委任拜住為右丞相，振立紀綱，修舉廢墜，以進賢退不肖為急務。 鐵失以姦黨不自安，潛蓄異圖。
Emperor Yingzong once told the censorate, "I live deep within the palace. How can I know every case of official corruption or every hardship among the people? That is why I rely on you as my eyes and ears. When Temuder was alive his greed knew no limit, yet you said nothing. He is dead now, but his estate should still be confiscated to warn future offenders." The following first month he promoted Tie Shi to grand master for thriving affairs and ordered him to restore discipline in the censorate, with an edict announced at home and abroad. The Censorate then asked for an edict opening the way for frank counsel. The emperor replied, "The way for counsel has never been closed. The problem is the men you choose. I know the men you have impeached were usually pursued over old grudges, with charges stitched together into cases until the accused were ruined and could never clear their names. A surveillance censor once recommended Basiji as fit for great responsibility, yet within a short time Basiji was executed for graft. Is that the kind of man you should be putting forward on the avenue of remonstrance?" By then Temuder was dead and his crimes were coming to light. Emperor Yingzong put Bayiju in charge as right chancellor to restore order, revive neglected institutions, and make promoting the worthy and removing the unfit his top priority. Tie Shi, uneasy as a member of the corrupt faction, secretly laid other plans.
3
孛羅帖木兒，荅失八都魯之子也。 從父討賊，屢立戰功，其語見父傳。 父既歿，孛羅帖木兒引兵退駐井陘口。 至正十八年正月，命孛羅帖木兒為河南行省平章政事，仍緫領其父元管諸軍。 三月，擊劉福通於衛輝，走之，進克濮州。 四月，屯兵真定。 六月，自武安由彭城邀截沙劉等，敗之。 九月，命統領諸軍夾攻曹州。 十月，遣參政匡福統苗軍自西門入，孛羅帖木兒自北門入，四門並進，克復曹州，擒殺偽官武宰相、仇知院，獲偽印信金牌等物。
Boluo Timur was the son of Dashi-Baturu. He followed his father against rebels and won repeated victories; those campaigns are recorded in his father's biography. After his father's death Boluo Timur withdrew his army and encamped at Jingxing Pass. In the first month of Zhizheng 18 he was made pingzhang of the Henan branch secretariat while continuing to command all the forces his father had once held. In the third month he attacked Liu Futong at Weihui, routed him, and went on to take Puzhou. In the fourth month he encamped at Zhending. In the sixth month he marched from Wu'an through Pengcheng, intercepted Sha Liu and his followers, and defeated them. In the ninth month he was ordered to lead a converging assault on Caozhou. In the tenth month he sent Vice Administrator Kuang Fu with Miao troops through the west gate while he himself entered from the north. All four gates attacked together, Caozhou was retaken, the rebel officials Wu the chancellor and Qiu the director were captured and killed, and false seals, gold tallies, and other booty were seized.
4
十九年二月，過代州，收山東潰將孟本周諸軍。 三月，詔孛羅帖木兒移兵至大同，置大都督兵農司，專督屯種，以孛羅帖木兒領之。 當月領兵豐州、雲內，與關先生戰，關軍奔潰。 時有楊誠者，據蔚州，六月，詔遣平章月魯不花、樞密同知八剌火者，督兵捕之，七月，圍其城。 俄有旨，命回兵。 十一月，再命勦捕。
In the second month of the nineteenth year he passed through Daizhou and took over the forces of the routed Shandong commander Meng Benzhou. In the third month he was ordered to move his army to Datong. A metropolitan military-agricultural commission was set up to oversee garrison farming, with Boluo Timur placed in charge. That same month he led troops at Fengzhou and Yunnei, fought Master Guan's forces, and routed them. Yang Cheng then held Youzhou. In the sixth month Pingzhang Yuelu Buhua and privy council vice director Balahuozhe were sent to hunt him down, and in the seventh month they besieged the city. Soon an edict arrived ordering the troops to withdraw. In the eleventh month he was again ordered to suppress Yang Cheng.
5
二十年正月，孛羅帖木兒追誠至飛狐縣東關，誠棄軍遁，降其潰卒，回駐大同。 二月，除中書平章政事。 三月，命討上都程思忠，兵次興和，思忠奔潰。 七月，擊銑田豐偽將王士誠於臺州。 詔緫領一應達達、漢人諸軍，便宜行事。 八月，命守石嶺關以北，察罕帖木兒守石嶺關以南。 九月，孛羅帖木兒欲得冀寧，遣兵自石嶺關直趨圍其城，三日，復退屯交城。 十月，詔孛羅帖木兒守冀寧，遣保保、殷興祖、高脫因倍道趨之，守者不納。 察罕帖木兒遣鎖住、陳秉直以兵來爭，孛羅帖木兒部將脫列伯戰敗之。
In the first month of the twentieth year Boluo Timur pursued Cheng to the eastern pass of Feihu County. Cheng abandoned his army and fled. Boluo Timur accepted the surrender of the routed troops and returned to encamp at Datong. In the second month he was made pingzhang of the central secretariat. In the third month he was ordered to campaign against Cheng Sizhong at Shangdu. When his army reached Xinghe, Sizhong fled in rout. In the seventh month he attacked Wang Shicheng, a rebel general of Tian Feng, at Taizhou. He was ordered to take overall command of all Mongol and Han forces and to act at his discretion. In the eighth month he was ordered to hold the territory north of Shiling Pass while Chaghan Timur held the south. In the ninth month Boluo Timur, wanting Jining for himself, sent troops straight through Shiling Pass to besiege the city. After three days he withdrew and encamped at Jiaocheng. In the tenth month an edict put Boluo Timur in charge of Jining and sent Baobao, Yin Xingzu, and Gao Tuoyin by forced marches to take it, but the garrison refused them entry. Chaghan Timur sent Suozhu and Chen Bingzhi to contest the place, but Boluo Timur's general Teliebo defeated them.
6
二十一年正月，命平章荅失帖木兒、參政七十往諭解之，孛羅帖木兒罷兵還鎮。 九月，命孛羅帖木兒於保定以東、河間以南屯田。
In the first month of the twenty-first year Pingzhang Dashi Timur and Vice Administrator Qishi were sent to negotiate a settlement, and Boluo Timur withdrew his troops to his base. In the ninth month he was ordered to establish garrison farms east of Baoding and south of Hejian.
7
二十二年二月，偽平章左李遣楊榮祖至大同降。 三月，孛羅帖木兒遣裨將也速不花等招兵五萬，戍大同。 陞孛羅帖木兒太尉、中書平章，位居第一。 張良弼來受節制，李思齊遣兵攻良弼于武功，良弼伏兵大破之。
In the second month of the twenty-second year the rebel pingzhang Zuo Li sent Yang Rongzu to Datong to surrender. In the third month Boluo Timur sent lieutenants such as Yesu Buhua to raise fifty thousand men to garrison Datong. Boluo Timur was promoted to grand marshal and central pingzhang, taking first rank among them. Zhang Liangbi placed himself under his command. When Li Siqi sent troops against Liangbi at Wugong, Liangbi ambushed them and won a crushing victory.
8
二十三年十月，孛羅帖木兒復南侵擴廓帖木兒所守地，遂據真定。 初，朝廷既黜御史大夫老的沙，安置東勝州，帝別遣宦官密諭孛羅帖木兒，令留軍中。 而皇太子累遣官索之，孛羅帖木兒匿不發。
In the tenth month of the twenty-third year Boluo Timur again invaded south into Köke Timur's territory and seized Zhending. Earlier the court had dismissed Grand Censor Laodesha and sent him to Dongsheng Prefecture. The emperor then secretly ordered Boluo Timur through a eunuch to keep Laodesha with his army. The heir apparent repeatedly sent officials to demand his surrender, but Boluo Timur hid him and refused to hand him over.
9
二十四年正月，孛羅帖木兒陰使人殺其叔父左丞亦只兒不花，佯為不知，往弔不哭。 朝廷知其跋扈，又以匿老的沙事，三月辛卯，詔罷孛羅帖木兒兵權，四川安置。 孛羅帖木兒殺使者拒命，遣部將會禿堅帖木兒提兵犯闕，揚言索右丞相搠思監、資正院使朴不花二人。
In the first month of the twenty-fourth year Boluo Timur secretly had his uncle, Left Chancellor Yijir Buhua, murdered, then feigned ignorance and attended the mourning without shedding a tear. Knowing how overbearing he had become, and because he had hidden Laodesha, on the xinmao day of the third month the court stripped him of military command and ordered him sent to Sichuan. Boluo Timur killed the envoy, defied the order, and sent his general Toqto'a Timur to march on the capital, openly demanding the surrender of Right Chancellor Bodaijian and Correct Resources director Pak Buha.
10
先是，朝廷立衛屯田，嘗命中書右丞也先不花提督，與禿堅帖木兒分院之地相近，因擾及其親里，搆成嫌隙，也先不花乃譖禿堅帖木兒詆毀朝政，孛羅帖木兒與禿堅帖木兒相友善，且知其誣，遣人白其非罪。 皇太子以孛羅帖木兒握兵跋扈，今乃與禿堅帖木兒交通，又匿不軌之臣，遂與丞相搠思監議，請詔削其官，分其兵授四川省丞相察罕不花領之。 孛羅帖木兒謂非帝意，故不聽命，舉兵助禿堅帖木兒。
Earlier the court had set up guard garrison farms under Right Vice Chancellor Yesen Buhua, whose district bordered that of Toqto'a Timur. Yesen Buhua's men disturbed Toqto'a Timur's kin and home district, breeding resentment until Yesen Buhua accused Toqto'a Timur of slandering the government. Boluo Timur, who was friendly with Toqto'a Timur and knew the charge was false, sent word that he was innocent. The heir apparent, seeing Boluo Timur's arrogance with troops in hand, his collusion with Toqto'a Timur, and his concealment of a disloyal minister, discussed with Chancellor Bodaijian a request to strip his offices and divide his army, giving command to Sichuan branch chancellor Chaghan Buhua. Boluo Timur claimed the order did not reflect the emperor's will, refused to obey, and raised troops to aid Toqto'a Timur.
11
四月壬寅，入居庸，乙巳，至清河列營，將犯闕。 帝遣達達國師、蠻子院使往問故，乃命屏搠思監于嶺北，竄朴不花于甘肅，實執送與之。 庚戌，禿堅帖木兒自健德門入，見帝延春閣，慟哭請罪，帝賜宴慰勉，詔赦其罪。 仍以孛羅帖木兒為太保、中書平章，兼知樞密院事，守禦大同； 以禿堅帖木兒為中書平章政事。 辛亥，孛羅帖木兒還大同，皇太子恚怒不已，再徵擴廓帖木兒兵，保障京師。
On the renyin day of the fourth month he entered Juyong Pass. On the yisi day he reached Qinghe and pitched camp, preparing to assault the capital. The emperor sent the Dada imperial preceptor and the Manshi court commissioner to ask his grievance, then ordered Bodaijian sent to Lingbei and Pak Buha banished to Gansu—in fact both men were seized and handed over to him. On the gengxu day Toqto'a Timur entered through Jiande Gate, saw the emperor at the Yanchun Pavilion, wept and begged forgiveness. The emperor gave him a feast of consolation and issued an edict pardoning his crimes. Boluo Timur was again made grand guardian and central pingzhang, with concurrent charge of privy council affairs, to guard Datong; and Toqto'a Timur was made central pingzhang. On the xinhai day Boluo Timur returned to Datong. The heir apparent, still furious, again summoned Köke Timur's troops to secure the capital.
12
五月，詔擴廓帖木兒緫兵，調諸道軍分討大同。 擴廓帖木兒自其父察罕帖木兒在時，與孛羅帖木兒連年相讎殺，朝廷累命官講和，二軍已還兵，各守其地。 至是，擴廓帖木兒乃大發兵，諸道夾攻大同，調麾下鎖住守護京師，兵不滿萬，以其部下青軍楊同僉守居庸，擴廓帖木兒自將至太原，調督諸軍。
In the fifth month Köke Timur was ordered to take overall command and mobilize forces from every circuit for a joint campaign against Datong. Ever since his father Chaghan Timur's day, Köke Timur and Boluo Timur had been locked in a feud of mutual slaughter. The court had repeatedly sent mediators, and both armies had withdrawn to their own territories. Now Köke Timur mobilized on a large scale. Armies from every circuit converged on Datong. He left Suozhu to guard the capital with fewer than ten thousand men, posted his Qing Army commander Yang Tongqian at Juyong, and marched in person to Taiyuan to direct the campaign.
13
七月，孛羅帖木兒率兵，與禿堅帖木兒、老的沙等復犯闕，京師震駭。 丙戌，皇太子親統兵迎於清河，丞相也速、詹事不蘭奚軍於昌平，也速軍士無鬪志，青軍楊同僉被殺於居庸，不蘭奚戰敗走，皇太子亦馳入城。 丁亥夜，鎖住脅東宮官僚從太子出奔太原。 戊子，孛羅帖木兒兵至，駐健德門外，欲追襲皇太子，老的沙力止之。 三人入見帝宣文閣，泣拜訴冤，帝亦為之泣，乃賜宴。 庚寅，就命孛羅帖木兒太保、中書左丞相，老的沙中書平章政事，禿堅帖木兒御史大夫。 部屬將士，布列臺省，緫攬國柄。
In the seventh month Boluo Timur marched again on the capital with Toqto'a Timur, Laodesha, and others, throwing the city into panic. On the bingxu day the heir apparent led troops in person to meet them at Qinghe, while Chancellor Yeshu and household superintendent Buranxi took position at Changping. Yeshu's men would not fight. Yang Tongqian was killed at Juyong, Buranxi was routed, and the heir apparent galloped back into the city. That night Suozhu forced the Eastern Palace staff to flee with the heir apparent to Taiyuan. On the wuzi day Boluo Timur's army arrived and camped outside Jiande Gate. He wanted to pursue the heir apparent, but Laodesha strongly dissuaded him. The three men entered the Xuanwen Pavilion, wept and bowed to plead their case, and the emperor wept with them before granting a feast. On the gengyin day Boluo Timur was made grand guardian and left chancellor on the spot, Laodesha central pingzhang, and Toqto'a Timur grand censor. Their officers and soldiers filled the censorate and secretariat offices and seized control of the government.
14
八月壬寅，詔加孛羅帖木兒開府儀同三司、上柱國、錄軍國重事、太保、中書右丞相，節制天下軍馬。 數月間，誅狎臣禿魯帖木兒、波迪哇兒禡等，罷三宮不急造作，沙汰宦官，減省錢糧，禁西番僧人佛事。 數遣使請皇太子還朝，使至太原，拘留不報。
On the renyin day of the eighth month Boluo Timur was further honored as commissioner equal to the Three Dukes, upper pillar of the state, recorder of weighty state and military affairs, grand guardian, and right chancellor, with command over all armies under heaven. Within a few months he executed favored ministers such as Tulü Timur and Bodaiwarta, halted nonessential construction in the three palaces, purged eunuchs, cut spending, and banned Buddhist rites by Tibetan monks. He repeatedly asked the heir apparent to return to court, but every envoy sent to Taiyuan was detained without reply.
15
二十五年，皇太子在外，日夜謀除內難，承制調遣嶺北、甘肅、遼陽、陝西及擴廓帖木兒等軍，進討孛羅帖木兒。 孛羅帖木兒怒，出皇后于外，幽置百日。 遣禿堅帖木兒率軍討上都附皇太子者，調也速南禦擴廓帖木兒軍。 也速次良鄉不進，而歸永平，遣人西連太原，東連遼陽，軍聲大振。 孛羅帖木兒患之，遣驍將姚伯顏不花統兵出禦，至通州，河溢，營虹橋以待，也速出其不意，襲而破之，擒姚伯顏，殺之。 孛羅帖木兒大恐，自將出通州，三日大雨而還。 孛羅帖木兒先嘗以自疑殺其將保安，既又失姚伯顏，鬱鬱不樂，乃日與老的沙飲宴，荒淫無度，酗酒殺人，喜怒不測，人皆畏忌。 威順王子和尚，受帝密旨，與徐士本謀，結勇士上都馬、金那海、伯顏達兒、帖古思不花、火兒忽達、洪寶寶等，陰圖刺之。
In the twenty-fifth year the heir apparent, still abroad, plotted day and night to remove the men who held the capital. Acting under imperial commission, he mobilized forces from Lingbei, Gansu, Liaoyang, Shaanxi, and Köke Timur's army for a campaign against Boluo Timur. Boluo Timur, enraged, sent the empress out of the palace and kept her under confinement for a hundred days. He sent Toqto'a Timur to suppress Shangdu supporters of the heir apparent and shifted Yeshu south to block Köke Timur's advance. Yeshu halted at Liangxiang without advancing, then withdrew to Yongping and sent envoys to link with Taiyuan in the west and Liaoyang in the east, until his army's reputation rose sharply. Alarmed, Boluo Timur sent his fierce general Yao Bayan Buhua to meet him. At Tongzhou the river was in flood, and Yao Bayan Buhua encamped at Hongqiao to wait. Yeshu surprised him, routed his force, captured Yao Bayan Buhua, and executed him. Boluo Timur was terrified and marched out to Tongzhou in person, but after three days of heavy rain he turned back. Boluo Timur had already killed his general Bao'an on suspicion. After losing Yao Bayan Buhua as well, he sank into gloom and spent his days feasting and drinking with Laodesha. He gave himself to debauchery, drank until he killed men at whim, and ruled by unpredictable fits of rage until all feared him. Heshang, son of the Prince of Weishun, received a secret order from the emperor and plotted with Xu Shiben to gather brave men—Shangdu Ma, Jin Nahai, Bayan Da'er, Tegus Buhua, Huo'erhuda, Hong Baobao, and others—for a secret attempt on his life.
16
七月乙酉，值禿堅帖木兒遣人來告上都之捷，孛羅帖木兒起入奏，行至延春閣李樹下，伯顏達兒自衆中奮出，斫孛羅帖木兒，中其腦，上都馬及金那海等競前斫死。 老的沙傷額，趨出，得馬，走其家，擁孛羅帖木兒母妻及其子天寶奴北遁。 有旨令民間盡殺其部黨。 明日，遣使函孛羅帖木兒首級往太原，詔皇太子還朝。 諸道兵聞詔，罷歸。 九月，皇太子朝京師。 十二月，獲禿堅帖木兒、老的沙，皆伏誅。
On the yiyou day of the seventh month, as Boluo Timur rose to report Toqto'a Timur's victory dispatch from Shangdu, he passed beneath the plum tree at the Yanchun Pavilion. Bayan Da'er sprang from the crowd and struck him on the head. Shangdu Ma, Jin Nahai, and the others rushed in and hacked him to death. Laodesha was wounded on the forehead, fled on horseback to his house, and escorted Boluo Timur's mother, wife, and son Tianbaonu north in flight. An edict ordered the people to kill every member of his faction. The next day envoys carried Boluo Timur's head in a box to Taiyuan and ordered the heir apparent to return to court. Armies from every circuit, hearing the edict, stood down and returned home. In the ninth month the heir apparent returned to the capital. In the twelfth month Toqto'a Timur and Laodesha were captured and executed.