1
蘇綽字令綽，武功人，魏侍中則之九世孫也。 累世二千石。 父協，武功郡守。
Su Chuo, styled Lingchuo, came from Wugong and was the ninth-generation descendant of Ze, Attendant-in-Chief of Wei. For generations his family had held office at the two-thousand-bushel level. His father Xie served as administrator of Wugong commandery.
2
綽少好學，博覽羣書，尤善筭術。 從兄讓為汾州刺史，太祖餞于東都門外。 臨別，謂讓曰：「卿家子弟之中，誰可任用者？」 讓因薦綽。 太祖乃召為行臺郎中。 在官歲餘，太祖未深知之。 然諸曹疑事，皆詢於綽而後定。 所行公文，綽又為之條式。 臺中咸稱其能。 後太祖與僕射周惠達論事，惠達不能對，請出外議之。 乃召綽，告以其事，綽即為量定。 惠達入呈，太祖稱善，謂惠達曰：「誰與卿為此議者？」 惠達以綽對，因稱其有王佐之才。 太祖曰：「吾亦聞之久矣。」 尋除著作佐郎。
From boyhood Su Chuo loved study, read widely, and was especially adept at reckoning and accounts. When his older cousin Rang became governor of Fen Province, Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai saw him off with a feast outside the Eastern Capital Gate. As they parted, he asked Rang: "Among the men of your clan, who is fit for service?" Rang recommended Su Chuo. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai summoned him and appointed him palace aide on the mobile imperial secretariat. Su Chuo had been in office for more than a year before Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai truly knew his worth. Yet whenever a bureau faced a doubtful matter, it consulted Su Chuo before acting. He also standardized the forms for all outgoing official documents. Everyone in the secretariat praised his competence. Later, when Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai debated policy with Vice Director Zhou Huida, Huida could not reply and asked leave to consult outside. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai summoned Su Chuo, explained the issue, and Su Chuo settled it at once. When Huida returned and presented the answer, Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai approved it and asked: "Who worked this out with you?" Huida named Su Chuo and praised him as a man with the talent to assist a ruler. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai said: "I have heard the same for some time." Su Chuo was soon appointed Assistant Gentleman of the Palace Library.
3
屬太祖與公卿往昆明池觀漁，行至城西漢故倉地，顧問左右，莫有知者。 或曰：「蘇綽博物多通，請問之。」 太祖乃召綽。 具以狀對。 太祖大悅，因問天地造化之始，歷代興亡之迹。 綽旣有口辯，應對如流。 太祖益喜。 乃與綽並馬徐行至池，竟不設網罟而還。 遂留綽至夜，問以治道，太祖臥而聽之。 綽於是指陳帝王之道，兼述申韓之要。 太祖乃起，整衣危坐，不覺膝之前席。 語遂達曙不厭。 詰朝，謂周惠達曰：「蘇綽真奇士也，吾方任之以政。」 即拜大行臺左丞，參典機密。 自是寵遇日隆。 綽始制文案程式，朱出墨入，及計帳、戶籍之法。
Once, when Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai went with the chief ministers to Kunming Pool to watch the fishing and passed the old Han granary west of the city, he turned and asked his attendants, but none knew what it was. Someone said: "Su Chuo knows everything—ask him." Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai had Su Chuo summoned. Su Chuo answered in full, exactly as things were. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai was delighted and went on to ask about the origins of heaven and earth and the rise and fall of dynasties through history. Su Chuo was an eloquent speaker and answered without hesitation. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai grew even more pleased. He rode beside Su Chuo at an easy pace to the pool, then turned back without ever casting a net. He kept Su Chuo until nightfall and questioned him on the art of governance while lying down to listen. Su Chuo laid out the way of sage-kings and also expounded the core teachings of Shen Buhai and Han Fei. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai sat up, straightened his robes, and listened with such rapt attention that he edged forward on his mat without noticing. They talked until dawn and still were not weary of it. The next morning he told Zhou Huida: "Su Chuo is a rare talent. I mean to put him in charge of government." Su Chuo was at once made Left Assistant Director of the Grand Mobile Imperial Secretariat and given a role in confidential state business. From then on his favor and rank rose day by day. Su Chuo first established documentary procedures—red for outgoing papers, black for incoming ones—along with systems for fiscal accounts and household registers.
4
大統三年，齊神武三道入寇，諸將咸欲分兵禦之，獨綽意與太祖同。 遂併力拒竇泰，擒之於潼關。 四年，加衛將軍、右光祿大夫，封美陽縣子，邑三百戶。 加通直散騎常侍，進爵為伯，增邑二百戶。 十年，授大行臺度支尚書，領著作，兼司農卿。
In the third year of Datong, Gao Huan invaded on three fronts. The generals all wanted to split their forces to meet him, but only Su Chuo agreed with Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai. They concentrated their strength against Dou Tai and captured him at Tong Pass. In the fourth year he was made Guard General and Right Grand Master of Splendid Happiness, enfeoffed as Viscount of Meiyang with a fief of three hundred households. He was given the additional title Honest and Direct Regular Palace Attendant, raised to earl, and granted two hundred more households. In the tenth year he became Director of Revenue of the Grand Mobile Imperial Secretariat, head of the Palace Library, and Minister of Agriculture as well.
5
太祖方欲革易時政，務弘彊國富民之道，故綽得盡其智能，贊成其事。 減官員，置二長，幷置屯田以資軍國。 又為六條詔書，奏施行之。 其一，先治心，曰：
Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai was then intent on reforming the government and strengthening the state and enriching the people, and Su Chuo was able to give his full talent to helping carry it out. He cut redundant offices, instituted the two-chief system, and set up tuntian colonies to support army and state. He also drafted the Six Ordinances and memorialized the throne to put them into effect. The first ordinance, "First Govern the Heart," reads:
6
凡今之方伯守令，皆受命天朝，出臨下國，論其尊貴，並古之諸侯也。 是以前世帝王，每稱共治天下者，唯良宰守耳。 明知百僚卿尹，雖各有所司，然其治民之本，莫若宰守之最重也。 凡治民之體，先當治心。 心者，一身之主，百行之本。 心不清淨，則思慮妄生。 思慮妄生，則見理不明。 見理不明，則是非謬亂。 是非謬亂，則一身不能自治，安能治民也！ 是以治民之要，在清心而已。 夫所謂清心者，非不貪貨財之謂也，乃欲使心氣清和，志意端靜。 心和志靜，則邪僻之慮，無因而作。 邪僻不作，則凡所思念，無不皆得至公之理。 率至公之理以臨其民，則彼下民孰不從化。 是以稱治民之本，先在治心。
All the regional governors and magistrates of today receive their commissions from the imperial court and go out to govern the lands below; in rank and dignity they are the equals of the feudal lords of antiquity. That is why the emperors and kings of former ages, when they spoke of ruling the realm together with others, meant nothing more than good local administrators. It is well known that though the hundred officials and commandery chiefs each have his own duties, the foundation of governing the people lies above all with magistrates and prefects. The first principle of governing the people is to govern the heart. The heart is the ruler of the body and the root of every act. When the heart is not clear, wayward thoughts arise. When wayward thoughts arise, one cannot see principle clearly. When principle is not seen clearly, right and wrong fall into confusion. When right and wrong are confused, a man cannot even govern himself—how can he govern others! Therefore the key to governing the people is to purify the heart. Purifying the heart does not mean merely refusing to grasp for wealth; it means keeping the spirit clear and calm and the will upright and steady. When the heart is calm and the will settled, crooked impulses find no opening. When crooked impulses do not arise, every thought naturally tends toward perfect fairness. Rule the people with perfect fairness, and who among them will not submit and be transformed? That is why the foundation of governing the people begins with governing the heart.
7
其次又在治身。 凡人君之身者，乃百姓之表，一國之的也。 表不正，不可求直影； 的不明，不可責射中。 今君身不能自治，而望治百姓，是猶曲表而求直影也； 君行不能自脩，而欲百姓脩行者，是猶無的而責射中也。 故為人君者，必心如清水，形如白玉。 躬行仁義，躬行孝悌，躬行忠信，躬行禮讓，躬行廉平，躬行儉約，然後繼之以無倦，加之以明察。 行此八者，以訓其民。 是以其人畏而愛之，則而象之，不待家教日見而自興行矣。
Next comes governing oneself. The ruler's own person is the standard for the people and the mark at which the whole realm aims. If the standard is crooked, you cannot expect a straight shadow; if the mark is unclear, you cannot demand a bull's-eye. If the ruler cannot govern himself yet expects to govern the people, it is like setting up a crooked standard and hoping for a straight shadow; if he cannot discipline his own conduct yet demands disciplined conduct from the people, it is like shooting at no mark and then blaming the archer for missing. A ruler must keep a heart as clear as water and a bearing as pure as white jade. He must himself practice benevolence and righteousness, filial piety and brotherly duty, loyalty and trustworthiness, rites and forbearance, integrity and fairness, and thrift—then press on without tiring and add clear-sighted judgment. By living out these eight virtues he teaches his people. Then the people will revere and love him, take him as their model, and day by day practice virtue of their own accord without waiting to be taught at home.
8
其二，敦教化，曰：
The second ordinance, "Encourage Teaching and Transformation," reads:
9
天地之性，唯人為貴。 明其有中和之心，仁恕之行，異于木石，不同禽獸，故貴之耳。 然性無常守，隨化而遷。 化于敦朴者，則質直； 化於澆偽者，則浮薄。 浮薄者，則衰弊之風； 質直者，則淳和之俗。 衰弊則禍亂交興，淳和則天下自治。 治亂興亡，無不皆由所化也。
In the nature of heaven and earth, humanity alone is held supreme. Humans possess a heart of balanced harmony and a capacity for benevolence and forbearance; unlike wood and stone, unlike birds and beasts—that is why they are honored. Yet human nature has no fixed form; it changes with the influences around it. Shaped by plain sincerity, people become honest and upright; shaped by shallow artifice, they become frivolous and corrupt. Frivolity and corruption produce a climate of decline; honesty and uprightness produce a custom of simple goodness. Where decline spreads, calamity and rebellion follow one after another; where simple goodness prevails, the realm orders itself. Whether a age knows order or chaos, prosperity or ruin, all comes from the forces that shape it.
10
然世道雕喪，已數百年。 大亂滋甚，且二十歲。 民不見德，唯兵革是聞； 上無教化，惟刑罰是用。 而中興始爾，大難未平，加之以師旅，因之以饑饉，凡百草創，率多權宜。 致使禮讓弗興，風俗未改。 比年稍登稔，徭賦差輕，衣食不切，則教化可脩矣。 凡諸牧守令長，宜洗心革意，上承朝旨，下宣教化矣。
Yet the moral order of the age has been wasting away for centuries. Great chaos has grown worse for nearly twenty years. The people have seen no virtue—only the sound of arms; above them there has been no moral instruction—only punishment. Restoration has only just begun, great dangers are not yet past, armies are still on campaign, and famine follows in their wake. In rebuilding everything from the ground up, most measures have had to be makeshift. That is why rites and forbearance have not taken root and old habits remain unchanged. In recent years harvests have improved somewhat, levies have eased, and people are no longer desperate for food and clothing—now moral instruction can be restored. Every governor, prefect, and magistrate should cleanse his heart and change his ways—carry out the court's orders above and spread moral instruction below.
11
夫化者，貴能扇之以淳風，浸之乙太和，被之以道德，示之以朴素。 使百姓亹亹，中遷於善，邪偽之心，嗜欲之性，潛以消化，而不知其所以然，此之謂化也。 然後教之以孝悌，使民慈愛； 教之以仁順，使民和睦； 教之以禮義，使民敬讓。 慈愛則不遺其親，和睦則無怨於人，敬讓則不競於物。 三者旣備，則王道成矣。 此之謂教也。 先王之所以移風易俗，還淳反素，垂拱而治天下以至太平者，莫不由此。 此之謂要道也。
True transformation means stirring people with wholesome custom, soaking them in harmony, clothing them in moral example, and showing them simplicity. Let the people advance steadily toward goodness until crooked impulses and greedy desires quietly melt away without their even knowing why—that is transformation. Then teach filial piety and brotherly duty so that the people become loving and tender; teach benevolence and gentleness so that they live in harmony; teach rites and righteousness so that they become respectful and forbearing. Where love prevails, no one forsakes his family; where harmony prevails, no one bears grudges; where respect and forbearance prevail, no one quarrels over possessions. When these three are fully in place, the kingly Way is achieved. That is what is meant by teaching. The reason the ancient kings could change customs, restore simplicity, and rule the realm in effortless peace was none other than this. That is the essential path.
12
其三，盡地利，曰：
The third ordinance, "Make Full Use of the Land," reads:
13
人生天地之間，以衣食為命。 食不足則饑，衣不足則寒。 饑寒切體，而欲使民興行禮讓者，此猶逆阪走丸，勢不可得也。 是以古之聖王，知其若此，故先足其衣食，然後教化隨之。 夫衣食所以足者，在於地利盡。 地利所以盡者，由於勸課有方。 主此教者，在乎牧守令長而已。 民者冥也，智不自周，必待勸教，然後盡其力。 諸州郡縣，每至歲首，必戒敕部民，無問少長，但能操持農器者，皆令就田，墾發以時，勿失其所。 及布種旣訖，嘉苗須理，麥秋在野，蠶停於室，若此之時，皆宜少長悉力，男女併功，若援溺、救火、寇盜之將至，然後可使農夫不廢其業，蠶婦得就其功。 若有遊手怠惰，早歸晚出，好逸惡勞，不勤事業者，則正長牒名郡縣，守令隨事加罰，罪一勸百。 此則明宰之教也。
Human beings live between heaven and earth on clothing and food alone. Without enough food they go hungry; without enough clothing they go cold. When hunger and cold gnaw at the body, to expect the people to practice rites and forbearance is like rolling a ball uphill—it cannot be done by force of will alone. The sage kings of old knew this, and so they first saw that the people had enough food and clothing before they turned to moral instruction. Food and clothing become sufficient only when the land's potential is fully used. The land is fully used only when cultivation is urged and supervised by sound methods. Those responsible for this work are simply the governors, prefects, and magistrates. The common people are inert; left to themselves they cannot see what to do—they need guidance and instruction before they will give their full effort. In every province, commandery, and county, at the year's opening each official must charge his people: young or old, anyone who can wield a farm tool is to go to the fields, breaking ground in season and missing no proper time. When sowing is done, seedlings need tending; at wheat harvest people belong in the fields, and when silkworms rest in the rooms everyone, young and old, men and women together, must labor as if saving the drowning, fighting a fire, or repelling bandits—only then will farmers keep at their work and silk workers finish theirs. If anyone idles, leaves early, comes back late, loves ease and hates labor, and neglects his livelihood, the neighborhood heads should register his name and report him to the commandery and county, and the governor or magistrate should punish him as the case requires—one punishment to warn a hundred. That is how a capable administrator teaches.
14
夫百畝之田，必春耕之，夏種之，秋收之，然後冬食之。 此三時者，農之要也。 若失其一時，則穀不可得而食。 故先王之戒曰：「一夫不耕，天下必有受其饑者； 一婦不織，天下必有受其寒者。」 若此三時不務省事，而令民廢農者，是則絕民之命，驅以就死然。 單劣之戶，及無牛之家，勸令有無相通，使得兼濟。 三農之隙，及陰雨之暇，又當教民種桑、植果，藝其菜蔬，脩其園圃，畜育雞豚，以備生生之資，以供養老之具。
A field of a hundred mu must be plowed in spring, sown in summer, and harvested in autumn before it can feed anyone in winter. These three seasons are the heart of agriculture. Miss one of them and there will be no grain to eat. That is why the ancient kings warned: "If one man does not plow, someone under Heaven will go hungry because of it; if one woman does not weave, someone under Heaven will go cold because of it." If at these three seasons officials do not simplify their duties and instead make the people neglect farming, they cut off the people's livelihood and drive them toward death. For weak, poor households and families without oxen, urge those who have resources and those who lack them to help one another so that all may be sustained. In the intervals between the three farming seasons and on rainy days when fieldwork stops, teach the people to plant mulberry, set out fruit trees, grow vegetables, tend gardens, and raise chickens and pigs, so they have daily sustenance and something to live on in old age.
15
夫為政不欲過碎，碎則民煩； 勸課亦不容太簡，簡則民怠。 善為政者，必消息時宜而適煩簡之中。 故《詩》曰：「不剛不柔，布政優優，百祿是求。」 如不能爾，則必陷於刑辟矣。
In governing, one should not be excessively fussy—too much detail wears the people down; yet urging cultivation cannot be too lax either—too lax and the people grow idle. A good administrator must weigh the season's needs and strike the right balance between burden and ease. That is why the Odes says: "Neither hard nor soft, spread rule with ease, and seek the hundred blessings." Fail at that, and one is sure to fall under the penal code.
16
其四，擢賢良，曰：
The fourth ordinance, "Promote the Worthy and Good," reads:
17
天生蒸民，不能自治，故必立君以治之。 人君不能獨治，故必置臣以佐之。 上至帝王，下及郡國，置臣得賢則治，失賢則亂，此乃自然之理，百王不能易也。
Heaven produces the multitudes of people, but they cannot govern themselves; therefore a ruler must be established to govern them. A ruler cannot govern alone, and so ministers must be appointed to assist him. From emperors and kings down to commanderies and counties, appoint worthy ministers and there is order; appoint unworthy ones and there is chaos. That is nature's law, and no dynasty has ever changed it.
18
今刺史守令，悉有僚吏，皆佐治之人也。 刺史府官則命於天朝，其州吏以下，並牧守自置。 自昔以來，州郡大吏，但取門資，多不擇賢良； 末曹小吏，唯試刀筆，並不問志行。 夫門資者，乃先世之爵祿，無妨子孫之愚瞽； 刀筆者，乃身外之末材，不廢性行之澆偽。 若門資之中而得賢良，是則策騏驥而取千里也； 若門資之中而得愚瞽，是則土牛木馬，形似而用非，不可以涉道也。 若刀筆之中而得志行，是則金相玉質，內外俱美，實為人寶也； 若刀筆之中而得澆偽，是則飾畫朽木，悅目一時，不可以充榱椽之用也。 今之選舉者，當不限資蔭，唯在得人。 苟得其人，自可起塚養而為卿相，伊尹、傅說是也，而況州郡之職乎。 苟非其人，則丹朱、商均雖帝王之胤，不能守百里之封，而況於公卿之冑乎。 由此而言，觀人之道可見矣。
Today's inspectors, governors, and magistrates all have subordinate officials, and every one of them helps govern. An inspector's secretariat staff are appointed by the imperial court, but all other provincial officials are chosen by the governor himself. From of old, major provincial and commandery posts have gone by family pedigree, with little regard for worth; petty clerks have been chosen by brush-and-knife tests alone, with no inquiry into character. Family pedigree is inherited rank and salary from past generations—it does not keep a descendant from being dull or blind; brush-and-knife skill is an outward, minor talent—it does not rule out deceit and corruption of character. If pedigree yields a worthy man, it is like spurring a thousand-li steed; if pedigree yields a fool, it is like an earthen ox or wooden horse—shaped like the real thing but useless on the road. If clerical skill is joined to good character, it is gold outside and jade within—a true treasure among men; if clerical skill hides baseness and deceit, it is painted rotten wood—pleasing for a moment but unfit to bear a roof beam. Selection today should not be bound by pedigree and inherited privilege; what matters is getting the right man. Get the right man and he may rise from tending graves and feeding cattle to minister and chancellor, as with Yi Yin and Fu Yue—how much more so for provincial office! Get the wrong man and even Dan Zhu and Shang Jun, though sons of kings, could not hold a hundred-li fief—much less the offspring of great ministers. From this the way to judge men becomes clear.
19
凡所求材藝者，為其可以治民。 若有材藝而以正直為本者，必以其材而為治也； 若有材藝而以姦偽為本者，將由其官而為亂也，何治之可得乎。 是故將求材藝，必先擇志行。 其志行善者，則舉之； 其志行不善者，則去之。
Talent and skill are sought because they can be used to govern the people. If a man has talent but takes uprightness as his root, that talent will be turned to good government; if he has talent but takes treachery and deceit as his root, his office will breed disorder—what governance can come of that? Therefore, in seeking talent, character must come first. Promote those whose character is good; remove those whose character is bad.
20
而今擇人者多云「邦國無賢，莫知所舉」。 此乃未之思也，非適理之論。 所以然者，古人有言：明主聿興，不降佐於昊天； 大人基命，不擢才於后土。 常引一世之人，治一世之務。 故殷、周不待稷、契之臣，魏、晉無假蕭、曹之佐。 仲尼曰：「十室之邑，必有忠信如丘者焉。」 豈有萬家之都，而云無士，但求之不勤，擇之不審，或用之不得其所，任之不盡其材，故云無耳。 古人云：「千人之秀曰英，萬人之英曰雋。」 今之智效一官，行聞一邦者，豈非近英雋之士也。 但能勤而審察，去虛取實，各得州郡之最而用之，則民無多少，皆足治矣。 孰云無賢！
Yet those who choose officials today often say, "There are no worthy men in the realm—I do not know whom to promote." That is thoughtlessness, not sound reasoning. The ancients said: when a wise ruler rises, he does not look to Heaven for assistants; when a great man receives the mandate, he does not pluck talent from the earth below. He always leads the men of his own age to govern the affairs of his own age. That is why Yin and Zhou did not wait for men like Hou Ji and Qi; Wei and Jin did not have to borrow aides like Xiao He and Cao Shen. Confucius said: "In a hamlet of ten households there must be someone as loyal and trustworthy as I am." How can a city of ten thousand households have no talent? People say there are none only because they do not search diligently, choose carefully, appoint men to the right posts, or use their abilities fully. The ancients said: "Outstanding among a thousand is called ying; outstanding among ten thousand is called jun." Are not the men today whose ability fits one office and whose reputation fills one province nearly such outstanding figures? Search diligently, examine carefully, discard the hollow and keep the real, and appoint each man to the post in province or commandery that suits him best, and people will be governable whether they are many or few. Who can say there are no worthy men!
21
夫良玉未剖，與瓦石相類； 名驥未馳，與駑馬相雜。 及其剖而瑩之，馳而試之，玉石駑驥，然後始分。 彼賢士之未用也，混於凡品，竟何以異。 要任之以事業，責之以成務，方與彼庸流較然不同。 昔呂望之屠釣，百里奚之飯牛，甯生之扣角，管夷吾之三敗，當此之時，悠悠之徒，豈謂其賢。 及升王朝，登霸國，積數十年，功成事立，始識其奇士也。 於是後世稱之，不容於口。 彼瑰偉之材，不世之傑，尚不能以未遇之時，自異於凡品，況降此者哉。 若必待太公而後用，是千載無太公； 必待夷吾而後任，是百世無夷吾。 所以然者，士必從微而至著，功必積小以至大，豈有未任而已成，不用而先達也。 若識此理，則賢可求，士可擇。 得賢而任之，得士而使之，則天下之治，何向而不可成也。
Uncut fine jade looks like ordinary tile and stone; an unridden famous steed is indistinguishable from a nag. Cut and polish the jade, run and test the horse—only then do jade and stone, thoroughbred and nag, stand apart. Before worthy men are employed, they mingle with the common run—how can anyone tell the difference? The point is to give them real work and hold them accountable for results—only then do they stand clearly apart from the mediocre crowd. Once Lü Wang was a butcher and fisherman, Baili Xi fed cattle, Ning Sheng played horn, and Guan Yiwu was defeated three times—at the time, who among ordinary men would have called them worthy? When they entered the royal court and rose in hegemonic states, and after decades of achievement people finally recognized them as extraordinary men. Then later ages praised them without end. Even such magnificent, once-in-an-age talents could not, before their chance came, distinguish themselves from ordinary men—how much less lesser men! If you must wait for a Taigong before appointing anyone, there will be no Taigong for a thousand years; if you must wait for a Guan Yiwu before assigning anyone, there will be no Guan Yiwu for a hundred generations. Talent rises from obscurity to fame, and achievement grows from small to great—how can there be finished achievement before office, or advancement before use? Understand this, and worthy men can be found and talent can be chosen. Find worthy men and appoint them, find talent and use it, and there is no direction in which good government cannot be achieved.
22
然善官人者必先省其官。 官省，則善人易充，善人易充，則事無不理； 官煩，則必雜不善之人，雜不善之人，則政必有得失。 故語曰：「官省則事省，事省則民清； 官煩則事煩，事煩則民濁。」 清濁之由，在於官之煩省。 案今吏員，其數不少。 昔民殷事廣，尚能克濟，況今戶口減耗，依員而置，猶以為少。 如聞在下州郡，尚有兼假，擾亂細民，甚為無理。 諸如此輩，悉宜罷黜，無得習常。
Yet a ruler who knows how to appoint men must first reduce the number of offices. Fewer offices make it easier to fill them with good men; when good men are easy to find, affairs fall naturally into order; too many offices force unworthy men into service, and when unworthy men are mixed in, government inevitably goes wrong. Hence the saying: "Few offices mean few affairs; few affairs mean a clear-minded people; numerous offices mean numerous affairs; numerous affairs mean a confused people." Clarity or confusion among the people depends on whether offices are many or few. Look at the official roster today and the number is not small. In the past, when the population was larger and business more extensive, the state still managed; now, with fewer households, officials are kept at full quota and still deemed too few. I hear that in lower provinces and commanderies men still hold concurrent acting appointments, harassing ordinary people—a gross abuse. All such cases should be dismissed and abolished; old habit must not be allowed to stand.
23
非直州郡之官，宜須善人，爰至黨族閭裏正長之職，皆當審擇，各得一鄉之選，以相監統。 夫正長者，治民之基。 基不傾者，上必安。
It is not only provincial and commandery officials who must be good men—even clan heads, neighborhood heads, and village chiefs should be carefully chosen, each the best man of his community, to supervise and keep watch together. Neighborhood heads are the foundation of governing the people. If the foundation does not shift, the structure above stands firm.
24
凡求賢之路，自非一途。 然所以得之審者，必由任而試之，考而察之。 起于居家，至於鄉黨，訪其所以，觀其所由，則人道明矣，賢與不肖別矣。 率此以求，則庶無愆悔矣。
There is more than one path to finding worthy men. But the way to know you have the right man is to appoint him, test him, examine him, and inspect him. From his conduct at home to his reputation in village and neighborhood, inquire into his motives and observe his ways—then human character becomes clear and the worthy stand apart from the unworthy. Search in this way and you will rarely err or regret your choice.
25
其五，恤獄訟，曰：
The fifth ordinance, "Care for Prisons and Litigation," reads:
26
人受陰陽之氣以生，有情有性。 性則為善，情則為惡。 善惡旣分，而賞罰隨焉。 賞罰得中，則惡止而善勸； 賞罰不中，則民無所措手足。 民無所措手足，則怨叛之心生。 是以先王重之，特加戒慎。 夫戒慎者，欲使治獄之官，精心悉意，推究事源。 先之以五聽，參之以證驗，妙睹情狀，窮鑒隱伏，使姦無所容，罪人必得。 然後隨事加刑，輕重皆當，赦過矜愚，得情勿喜。 又能消息情理，斟酌禮律，無不曲盡人心，遠明大教，使獲罪者如歸。 此則善之上也。 然宰守非一，不可人人皆有通識，推理求情，時或難盡。 唯當率至公之心，去阿枉之志，務求曲直，念盡平當。 聽察之理，必窮所見，然後栲訊以法，不苛不暴，有疑則從輕，未審不妄罰，隨事斷理，獄無停滯。 此亦其次。 若乃不仁恕而肆其殘暴，同民木石，專任捶楚。 巧詐者雖事彰而獲免，辭弱者乃無罪而被罰。 有如此者，斯則下矣，非共治所寄。 今之宰守，當勤於中科，而慕其上善。 如在下條，則刑所不赦。
Human beings are born from the qi of yin and yang; they have both feeling and nature. Nature tends toward good; feeling tends toward evil. Once good and evil are distinguished, reward and punishment follow. When rewards and punishments are balanced, evil ceases and good is encouraged; when they are not balanced, the people do not know where to put hand or foot. When the people do not know where to stand, resentment and rebellion arise. That is why the ancient kings treated this matter with special weight and caution. Caution means requiring prison officials to concentrate their minds, investigate thoroughly, and trace each case to its source. Begin with the five modes of hearing, cross-check with evidence, read the emotions subtly, and penetrate what is hidden, so that deceit has no refuge and the guilty are surely found. Then punish according to the case, with penalties neither too light nor too heavy; pardon faults and show mercy to the simple-minded; and when the truth is found, do not exult. They could also weigh reason against sentiment and rites against law, fully grasp the human heart, make the great moral teaching clear, and leave the punished feeling as though they had come home. That is the highest standard. But overseers and magistrates are many, and not every man can see all the way through a case by reasoning alone. They should only act from utmost fairness, put aside favor and distortion, seek the truth of each case, and aim at perfect equity. In hearing cases they must pursue every lead, then examine by law without harshness or violence; where doubt remains, lean toward leniency; where guilt is unproved, do not punish; decide each matter promptly so that prisons never stall. That is the middle standard. But if a man is not humane or forgiving and indulges cruelty, treating people like wood and stone and relying only on beatings and torture— the cunning escape though their guilt is plain, while the inarticulate innocent are punished. Such men belong to the lowest grade and are unfit to share in governing. Today's overseers and magistrates should strive for the middle standard and aim at the highest. If they fall to the lowest grade, the law will not spare them.
27
又當深思遠大，念存德教。 先王之制曰，與殺無辜，寧赦有罪； 與其害善，寧其利淫。 明必不得中，寧濫舍有罪，不謬害善人也。 今之從政者則不然。 深文巧劾，甯致善人于法，不免有罪于刑。 所以然者，皆非好殺人也，但云為吏寧酷，可免後患。 此則情存自便，不念至公，奉法如此，皆姦人也。 夫人者，天地之貴物，一死不可複生。 然楚毒之下，以痛自誣，不被申理，遂陷刑戮者，將恐往往而有。 是以自古以來，設五聽三宥之法，著明慎庶獄之典，此皆愛民甚也。 凡伐木殺草，田獵不順，尚違時令，而虧帝道； 況刑罰不中，濫害善人，甯不傷天心、犯和氣也！ 天心傷，和氣損，而欲陰陽調適，四時順序，萬物阜安，蒼生悅樂者，不可得也。 故語曰，一夫籲嗟，王道為之傾覆，正謂此也。 凡百宰守，可無慎乎。
They should also think deeply and keep moral instruction in view. The ancient rule said: better to pardon the guilty than to kill the innocent; better to let the wicked go free than to harm the good. If the mark cannot be hit, it is better to release too many guilty men than to wrong a single good one. Those who govern today do the opposite. They twist the law with clever accusations, preferring to ensnare the innocent rather than let the guilty escape. The reason is not that they love killing, but that they say a harsh official avoids future trouble. That is self-interest, not fairness; men who serve the law in this way are wicked. Man is heaven and earth's most precious creature; once dead, he cannot be restored. Yet under torture men falsely confess from pain, receive no fair hearing, and are sent to their deaths—this surely happens all too often. That is why antiquity established the five hearings and three pardons and set forth careful rules for judging cases—all signs of deep love for the people. Even felling trees, cutting grass, or hunting out of season violates the seasons and mars the imperial Way; how much more when punishments miss the mark and good people are harmed—does that not wound heaven's heart and violate the harmonious qi! When heaven's heart is wounded and harmonious qi is lost, how can yin and yang stay balanced, the seasons keep order, all things flourish, and the people live in joy? Hence the saying: one man's sigh can overturn the kingly Way—this is what it means. Should not every overseer and magistrate take heed?
28
若有深姦巨猾，傷化敗俗，悖亂人倫，不忠不孝，故為背道者，殺一利百，以清王化，重刑可也。 識此二途，則刑政盡矣。
But where deep villainy and great scoundrels harm moral order, ruin custom, overturn human relations, and deliberately rebel against the Way, to kill one and benefit a hundred, clearing the kingly transformation, heavy punishment is justified. Once these two paths are understood, penal administration is complete.
29
其六，均賦役，曰：
The sixth ordinance, "Equalize Levies and Corvée," reads:
30
聖人之大寶曰位。 何以守位曰仁，何以聚人曰財。 明先王必以財聚人，以仁守位。 國而無財，位不可守。 是故 （五） 三以來，皆有徵稅之法。 雖輕重不同，而濟用一也。 今逆寇未平，軍用資廣，雖未遑減省，以恤民瘼，然令平均，使下無匱。 夫平均者，不舍豪強而征貧弱，不縱姦巧而困愚拙，此之謂均也。 故聖人曰：「蓋均無貧。」
The sage's greatest treasure is the throne. What guards the throne is benevolence; what gathers people is wealth. Clearly the ancient kings used wealth to gather people and benevolence to keep the throne. Without wealth a state cannot keep its throne. Therefore [Since the Three Five] since then, every age has had systems of taxation. Though the burdens differ in weight, the purpose of meeting public needs is the same. Today the rebels are not yet subdued and military costs are heavy; though we cannot yet cut levies to ease the people's distress, we must still distribute burdens evenly so that none below are ruined. Equal distribution means not exempting the powerful while taxing the weak, nor favoring the cunning while crushing the simple—that is what equality means. As the sage said: "When all is equal, none are poor."
31
然財貨之生，其功不易。 織紝紡績，起於有漸，非旬日之間，所可造次。 必須勸課，使預營理。 絹鄉先事織紝，麻土早脩紡績。 先時而備，至時而輸，故王賦獲供，下民無困。 如其不預勸戒，臨時迫切，複恐稽緩，以為己過，捶扑交至，取辦目前。 富商大賈，緣茲射利，有者從之貴買，無者與之舉息。 輸稅之民，於是弊矣。
Yet wealth is not easily produced. Weaving and spinning build up by degrees and cannot be produced in a few days. Officials must encourage and supervise people so that they prepare in advance. In silk districts let weaving begin early; in hemp districts let spinning be prepared ahead of time. Prepared in advance and delivered on time, the royal levies are met and the people are not distressed. Without advance warning, officials panic at the deadline, fear delay as their own fault, and resort to beatings to force immediate payment. Great merchants seize the chance for profit, selling dear to those with money and lending at interest to those without. The tax-paying people are ruined by it.
32
租稅之時，雖有大式，至於斟酌貧富，差次先後，皆事起於正長，而系之於守令。 若斟酌得所，則政和而民悅； 若檢理無方，則吏姦而民怨。 又差發徭役，多不存意。 致令貧弱者或重徭而遠戍，富強者或輕使而近防。 守令用懷如此，不存恤民之心，皆王政之罪人也。
At tax time, though a general rule exists, adjusting for rich and poor and setting the order of payment all begin with the headmen and rest with the magistrates. If the adjustment is fair, government is harmonious and the people are content; if management is inept, clerks grow corrupt and the people resentful. In assigning corvée labor, too, many give no thought to fairness. The poor may bear heavy corvée and serve on distant frontiers, while the rich receive light duty and guard nearby. Magistrates who think this way, with no care for the people, are criminals against royal government.
33
太祖甚重之，常置諸座右。 又令百司習誦之。 其牧守令長，非通六條及計帳者，不得居官。
Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai valued it greatly and always kept it at his side. He also ordered every office to study and recite it. No governor, prefect, or magistrate who had not mastered the Six Ordinances and the account books could hold office.
34
自有晉之季，文章競為浮華，遂成風俗。 太祖欲革其弊，因魏帝祭廟，羣臣畢至，乃命綽為大誥，奏行之。 其詞曰：
From the late Jin onward, writing grew ever more ornate until florid style became the norm. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai wished to reform the abuse. When the Wei emperor sacrificed at the ancestral temple and all the ministers were present, he had Su Chuo compose a Great Announcement and memorialized it for promulgation. It reads:
35
惟中興十有一年，仲夏，庶邦百辟，咸會於王庭。 柱國泰洎羣公列將，罔不來朝。 時乃大稽百憲，敷於庶邦，用綏我王度。 皇帝曰：「昔堯命羲和，允厘百工。 舜命九官，庶績咸熙。 武丁命說，克號高宗。 時惟休哉，朕其欽若。 格爾有位，胥暨我太祖之庭，朕將丕命女以厥官。」
In the eleventh year of Restoration, in midsummer, the myriad states and all ministers assembled at the royal court. The Pillar of State and all the grandees and ranking generals came to court without exception. Then the hundred laws were reviewed in full, proclaimed to the myriad states, and royal order was secured. The Emperor said: "In antiquity Yao charged Xi and He to regulate the hundred offices. Shun appointed the Nine Ministers, and every task flourished. Wu Ding charged Yue, and worthily earned the title High Ancestor. Those were glorious ages; I shall reverently follow their example. You who hold office, having all come to our Grand Progenitor's court—I will grandly charge you with your posts."
36
六月丁巳，皇帝朝格於太廟，凡厥具僚，罔不在位。
On the fourth day of the sixth month the Emperor offered morning rites at the Grand Temple; every officer was in his place.
37
皇帝若曰：「咨我元輔、羣公、列將、百辟、卿士、庶尹、禦事，朕惟寅敷祖宗之靈命，稽于先王之典訓，以大誥于爾在位。 昔我太祖神皇，肇膺明命，以創我皇基。 烈祖景宗，廓開四表，底定武功。 暨乎文祖，誕敷文德，龔惟武考，不霣其舊。 自時厥後，陵夷之弊，用興大難於彼東丘，則我黎人，咸墜塗炭。 惟臺一人，纘戎下武，夙夜祗畏，若涉大川，罔識攸濟。 是用稽於帝典，揆于王廷，拯我民瘼。 惟彼哲王，示我彝訓，曰天生蒸民，罔克自乂，上帝降鑒叡聖，植元後以乂之。 惟時元後弗克獨乂，博求明德，命百辟羣吏以佐之。 肆天之命辟，辟之命官，惟以恤民，弗惟逸念。 辟惟元首，庶黎惟趾，股肱惟弼。 上下一體，各勤攸司，茲用克臻於皇極。 故其彝訓曰：「后克艱厥後，臣克艱厥臣，政乃乂。」 今台一人，膺天之嘏，旣陟元后。 股肱百辟又服我國家之命，罔不咸守厥職。 嗟夫，後弗艱厥後，臣弗艱厥臣，於政何弗斁，嗚呼艱哉！ 凡爾在位，其敬聽命。」
The Emperor said: "Chief minister, grandees, ranking generals, hundred ministers, ministers, officials, and officers—I reverently carry out the spiritual mandate of the ancestors, consult the canonical instructions of the former kings, and address you who hold office with this Great Announcement. In antiquity our Grand Progenitor the Divine Emperor first received the bright mandate and founded our royal house. Our resolute ancestor the Illustrious Emperor opened the four quarters and settled the realm by force of arms. Then came the Literary Ancestor, who spread civil virtue abroad, and our martial forebear, who did not let the old order fall. After that decline set in, great disaster arose in the east, and our people fell into fire and water. I alone, inheriting the martial legacy of the former kings, am reverently on guard day and night, as one crossing a great river without knowing how to reach the farther shore. Therefore I consult the canon of the emperors and weigh affairs at court to rescue the people from distress. That wise king showed us the constant instruction: Heaven gave birth to the multitude, but they cannot govern themselves; Heaven sent down a discerning sage and set up a chief to govern them. The chief could not govern alone; he sought the bright and virtuous and charged the hundred ministers and all officials to assist him. Heaven's mandate reaches the chief, and the chief's mandate reaches the officers—all to care for the people, not to seek ease alone. The chief is the head, the people are the feet, and the ministers are the supporting limbs. Above and below form one body; each diligently performs his charge—and so the supreme standard can be reached. Therefore the constant instruction says: "When the ruler is stern with himself and the minister is stern with himself, government is well ordered." Now I alone, receiving Heaven's blessing, have ascended to be chief. You ministers, the hundred officers, again obey our state's mandate; none fail to keep your posts. Alas! If ruler and minister are not stern with themselves, how can government not fail? Ah, how hard it is! All you who hold office, reverently heed this mandate."
38
皇帝若曰：「柱國，唯四海之不造，載繇二紀。 天未絕我太祖列祖之命，用錫我以元輔。 國家將墜，公惟棟樑。 皇之弗極，公作相。 百揆諐度，公惟大錄。 公其允文允武，克明克乂，迪七德，敷九功，龕暴除亂，下綏我蒼生，旁施於九土。 若伊之在商，周之有呂，說之相丁，用保我無疆之祚。」
The Emperor said: "Pillar of State, the realm has not yet been settled, for nearly two reign periods. Heaven has not cut off the mandate of our Grand Progenitor and successive ancestors, and has granted me a chief minister. The state was about to collapse—you alone were its pillar. The throne was not yet established—you served as chief minister. The hundred offices were in disorder—you alone were the great recorder. You have been both literary and martial, both discerning and governing, advancing the seven virtues and spreading the nine achievements, pacifying violence and removing disorder, soothing our people below and extending grace to the nine regions. Like Yi Yin in Shang, Lü Wang in Zhou, and Yue assisting Wu Ding—you preserve our boundless fortune."
39
皇帝若曰：「羣公、太宰、太尉、司徒、司空。 惟公作朕鼎足，以弼乎朕躬。 宰惟天官，克諧六職。 尉惟司武，武在止戈。 徒惟司眾，敬敷五教。 空惟司土，利用厚生。 惟時三事，若三階之在天； 惟茲四輔，若四時之成歲。 天工人其代諸。」
The Emperor said: "Grandees, Grand Steward, Grand Commandant, Minister of Education, and Minister of Works. You are the three legs of my tripod, supporting my person. The Steward is Heaven's officer, harmonizing the six duties. The Commandant is the officer of war; the aim of war is to stop warfare. The Minister of Education is the officer of the multitude, reverently spreading the five teachings. The Minister of Works is the officer of earth, using resources to enrich life. At this time the Three Dignities are like the Three Steps in heaven; And these Four Supports are like the four seasons completing the year. May you carry out Heaven's work in its place."
40
皇帝若曰：「列將，汝惟鷹揚，作朕爪牙，寇賊姦宄，蠻夷猾夏，汝徂征，綏之以惠，董之以威。 刑期于無刑，萬邦咸寧。 俾八表之內，莫違朕命，時汝功。
The Emperor said: "Commanders-in-chief, you shall soar like hawks and be My talons and fangs; against bandits, thieves, traitors, and wicked men, against barbarians who vex China—you go forth to punish; soothe with kindness, oversee with authority. Aim at punishment so that punishment may cease; let all regions be at peace. Make it so that within the eight directions none disobey Our command—that will be your merit.
41
皇帝若曰：「庶邦列辟，汝惟守土，作民父母。 民惟不勝其饑，故先王重農； 不勝其寒，故先王貴女功。 民之不率於孝慈，則骨肉之恩薄； 弗惇於禮讓，則爭奪之萌生。 惟茲六物，寔為教本。 嗚呼！ 為上在寬，寬則民怠。 齊之以禮，不剛不柔，稽極於道。」
The Emperor said: "Princes of the many domains, you guard the land and are fathers and mothers to the people. The people cannot prevail against hunger, so the former kings prized agriculture; They cannot prevail against cold, so the former kings valued women's work. If the people do not follow filial piety and kindness, then ties of kin grow thin; If they are not earnest in rites and yielding, then strife and seizure arise. These six things are truly the root of teaching. Alas! For rulers, leniency has its place—but leniency alone makes the people slack. Balance them with rites: neither hard nor soft, and measure to the utmost of the Way."
42
皇帝若曰：「卿士、庶尹、凡百禦事，王省惟歲，卿士惟月，庶尹惟日，禦事惟時。 歲月日時，罔易其度，百憲咸貞，庶績其凝。 嗚呼！ 惟若王官，陶均萬國，若天之有鬥，斟元氣，酌陰陽，弗失其和，蒼生永賴； 悖其序，萬物以傷。 時惟艱哉！」
The Emperor said: "Ministers, lesser directors, and all who handle affairs—the king examines by the year, ministers by the month, directors by the day, handlers by the hour. Year, month, day, and hour—do not alter their measures; all statutes will be upheld, and many achievements will consolidate. Alas! You royal officers blend and balance the myriad states, as heaven has the Dipper—you measure out primal energy, temper yin and yang, never lose harmony, and the people will forever rely on you; Break the order, and the myriad things suffer. The times are hard indeed!"
43
皇帝若曰：「惟天地之道，一陰一陽； 禮俗之變，一文一質。 爰自三五，以迄於茲，匪惟相革，惟其救弊，匪惟相襲，惟其可久。 惟我有魏，承乎周之末流，接秦漢遺弊，襲魏晉之華誕，五代澆風，因而未革，將以穆俗興化，庸可暨乎。 嗟我公輔、庶僚、列侯，朕惟否德，其一心力，祗慎厥艱，克遵前王之丕顯休烈，弗敢怠荒。 咨爾在位，亦協乎朕心，惇德允元，惟厥難是務。 克捐厥華，即厥實，背厥偽，崇厥誠。 勿愆勿忘，一乎三代之彝典，歸於道德仁義，用保我祖宗之丕命。 荷天之休，克綏我萬方，永康我黎庶。 戒之哉！ 戒之哉！ 朕言不再。」
The Emperor said: "In the Way of heaven and earth, there is one yin and one yang; In the change of rites and custom, one refinement and one plainness. From the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors down to the present, change is not merely change—it is to remedy abuses; succession is not merely succession—it is what can endure. Our Wei alone inherits the late drift of Zhou, meets the lingering abuses of Qin and Han, takes up the florid falsehoods of Wei and Jin; five ages of thin custom have still not been reformed—can we bring calm to custom and raise transformation to that end? Alas, my chief aides, officials, and enfeoffed lords—I am without virtue; do you exert one heart and one strength, reverently heed this hardship, and be able to follow the eminent glorious achievements of former kings—do not grow lax. I charge you who hold office: join with My heart, make virtue solid and be trustworthy, and make this hardship your sole task. Cast off ornament, embrace substance; turn from falsehood, honor sincerity. Do not err, do not forget—unite with the eternal canons of the Three Dynasties, return to moral virtue and humaneness and righteousness, and thereby protect the great mandate of our ancestors. Bear heaven's favor, be able to pacify our myriad regions, and forever bring peace to our people. Be warned! Be warned! My words will not be repeated."
44
柱國泰洎庶僚百辟拜手稽首曰：「「亶聰明作元后，元后作民父母。」 惟三五之王，率繇此道，用臻于刑措。 自時厥後，歷千載而未聞。 惟帝念功，將反叔世，逖致於雍。 庸錫降丕命於我羣臣。 博哉王言，非言之難，行之實難。 罔不有初，鮮克有終。 《商書》曰：『終始惟一，德乃日新。』 惟帝敬厥始，慎厥終，以躋日新之德，則我羣臣，敢不夙夜對揚休哉。 惟茲大誼，未光於四表，以邁種德，俾九域幽遐，咸昭奉元後之明訓，率遷於道，永膺無疆之休。」
Pillar-of-State Yuwen Tai together with the myriad officials bowed, hands folded to forehead, and said: ""Solely through intelligence does one become the supreme ruler; the supreme ruler is father and mother to the people. The kings of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors all followed this Way and thereby reached the point where punishments were set aside. Since that age, a thousand years have passed and it has not been heard of again. Only the Emperor, mindful of merit, will turn back the decadent age and bring far peace. Hence he has granted his great mandate to us ministers. How broad the king's words! It is not speech that is hard—it is action that is truly hard. Nothing lacks a beginning; few reach the end. The Book of Shang says: "From beginning to end be one, and virtue daily renews." If the Emperor reveres the beginning and is careful at the end, ascending to daily-renewing virtue, then we ministers—how dare we not from early till late respond and spread this excellence! Only let this great principle shine to the four quarters; planting virtue far and wide, make the nine regions, however remote, all clearly follow the supreme ruler's bright instruction, one and all move toward the Way, and forever receive boundless blessing."
45
帝曰：「欽哉。」
The Emperor said: "Take heed."
46
自是之後，文筆皆依此體。
From this time onward, all official writing followed this style.
47
綽性儉素，不治產業，家無餘財。 以海內未平，常以天下為己任。 博求賢俊，共弘治道，凡所薦達，皆至大官。 太祖亦推心委任，而無間言。 太祖或出遊，常預署空紙以授綽，若須有處分，則隨事施行，及還，啟之而已。 綽嘗謂治國之道，當愛民如慈父，訓民如嚴師。 每與公卿議論，自晝達夜，事無巨細，若指諸掌。 積思勞倦，遂成氣疾。 十二年，卒于位，時年四十九。
Su Chuo was frugal and plain by nature, did not manage property, and his household had no surplus wealth. Because the realm was not yet settled, he constantly took all under Heaven as his own charge. He widely sought worthy men to enlarge the Way of governance together; every man he recommended rose to high office. Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai also gave him his full trust and delegated authority, and there was never a word of dissension between them. When Grand Progenitor went touring, he would often pre-sign blank sheets and give them to Su Chuo; if any decision was needed, Su Chuo would act on the spot, and when Grand Progenitor returned he need only be informed—that was all. Su Chuo once said that the Way of governing a state is to love the people as a kindly father and instruct them as a strict teacher. Whenever he debated with the chief ministers, it ran from day into night; matters great and small seemed laid out on the palm of his hand. Accumulated thought and toil brought weariness, and he thereupon developed a qi disorder. In the twelfth year he died in office, aged forty-nine.
48
太祖痛惜之，哀動左右。 及將葬，乃謂公卿等曰：「蘇尚書平生謙退，敦尚儉約。 吾欲全其素志，便恐悠悠之徒，有所未達； 如其厚加贈諡，又乖宿昔相知之道。 進退惟穀，孤有疑焉。」 尚書令史麻瑤越次而進曰：「昔晏子，齊之賢大夫，一狐裘三十年。 及其死也，遺車一乘。 齊侯不奪其志。 綽旣操履清白，謙挹自居，愚謂宜從儉約，以彰其美。」 太祖稱善，因薦瑤於朝廷。 及綽歸葬武功，唯載以布車一乘。 太祖與羣公，皆步送出同州郭門外。 太祖親于車後酹酒而言曰：「尚書平生為事，妻子兄弟不知者，吾皆知之。 惟爾知吾心，吾知爾意。 方欲共定天下，不幸遂舍我去，奈何！」 因舉聲慟哭，不覺失卮於手。 至葬日，又遣使祭乙太牢，太祖自為其文。
Grand Progenitor grieved and cherished his memory; his sorrow moved those around him. When the burial was at hand, he said to the chief ministers: "Master of Writing Su in his lifetime was humble and retiring, and honored thrift and restraint. I wish to honor his lifelong intent, but fear that idle gossips may not understand; Yet if I richly bestow posthumous honors and title, that too would go against the bond of long friendship. Advancing or holding back—I alone am undecided." Secretariat section chief Ma Yao overstepping rank advanced and said: "In olden days Yanzi, Qi state's worthy grandee, wore one fox-fur coat for thirty years. When he died, he left a single cart. The Marquis of Qi did not override his intent. Su Chuo's conduct was pure and white, and he lived in humility and restraint—I hold that he should be buried with thrift to display his virtue." Grand Progenitor praised this, and on that account recommended Ma Yao to the court. When Su Chuo was returned for burial at Wugong, he was carried on a single cloth-covered cart. Grand Progenitor with all the lords walked on foot to see him off outside Tong Province's outer gate. Grand Progenitor personally poured libation behind the carriage and said: "In his lifetime the Master of Writing did things his wife, children, and brothers did not know of—but I knew them all. Only you know my heart, and I know your intent. We were just about to settle all under Heaven together, when unfortunately he left me—what can be done!" He then raised his voice and wept bitterly, unaware that he had dropped the cup from his hand. On the burial day he again sent an envoy to sacrifice a second-grade offering of ox, sheep, and pig, and Grand Progenitor wrote the sacrificial text himself.
49
綽乂著《佛性論》、《七經論》，並行於世。 明帝二年，以綽配享太祖廟庭。 子威嗣。
Su Chuo also wrote On the Buddha Nature and On the Seven Classics, both of which circulated in the world. In the second year of Emperor Ming, Su Chuo was given paired sacrifice in Grand Progenitor's ancestral temple. His son Wei succeeded him.
50
威少有父風，襲爵美陽伯。 娶晉公護女新興公主，拜車騎大將軍、儀同三司，進爵懷道縣公。 建德初，稍遷御伯下大夫。 大象末，開府儀同大將軍。
Wei from youth had his father's bearing; he inherited the title Baron of Meiyang. He married Princess Xinxing, daughter of Duke of Jin Yuwen Hu, was appointed Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry and equal-in-protocol to the Three Excellencies, and advanced in enfeoffment to Duke of Huaidao county. At the start of Jiande he was gradually promoted to Under Master of the Imperial Guard, lower grand master. At the end of Daxiang he was made opening-office equal-in-protocol grand general.
51
隋開皇初，以綽著名前代，乃下詔曰：「昔漢高欽無忌之義，魏武挹子幹之風，前代名賢，後王斯重。 魏故度支尚書、美陽伯蘇綽，文雅政事，遺跡可稱。 展力前王，垂聲著績。 宜開土宇，用旌善人。」 於是追封邳國公，邑二千戶。
At the start of Sui's Kaihuang era, because Su Chuo had been famous in the former age, an edict was issued: "In olden days Emperor Gao of Han admired the righteousness of Wang Ling; Emperor Wu of Wei drew upon the spirit of Cao Zigan—former ages' eminent worthies were honored by later kings. Former Wei Director of Revenue, Baron of Meiyang Su Chuo—in literary elegance and administration his traces are worth praise. He deployed his strength for the former king and left lasting fame and achievement. It is fitting to open territory and reward the good man." Thereupon Su Chuo was posthumously enfeoffed Duke of Pi state, fief two thousand households.
52
綽弟椿，字令欽。 性廉慎，沉勇有決斷。 正光中，關右賊亂，椿應募討之，授蕩寇將軍。 累功 （封） 遷奉朝請、厲威將軍、中散大夫，賜爵美陽子，加都督、持節、平西將軍、太中大夫。 大統初，拜鎮東將軍、金紫光祿大夫，賜姓賀蘭氏。 四年，出為武都郡守。 改授西夏州長史，除帥都督，行弘農郡事。
Su Chuo's younger brother Chun, styled Lingqin. By nature he was honest and cautious, deep and brave with decisive judgment. In Zhengguang, when bandits rose in the west of the Passes, Chun answered the call to campaign against them and was appointed Bandit-Suppressing General. Through accumulated merit [variant: enfeoffed] He was transferred to Attendant at Court, Fierce-Power General, and Grand Master in Attendance, enfeoffed Baron of Meiyang, and additionally made area commander, bearing the staff, Pacifying-West General, and Grand Master for All Purposes. At the start of Datong, he was appointed Pacifying-East General and Grand Master of the Golden Seal and Purple Tether, and granted the surname Helan. In the fourth year he went out as administrator of Wudu commandery. He was reassigned as chief administrator of Western Xia Province, appointed campaign-area commander, and acted in the affairs of Hongnong commandery.
53
椿當官強濟，特為太祖所知。 十四年，置當州鄉帥，自非鄉望允當眾心，不得預焉。 乃令驛追椿領鄉兵。 其年，破槃頭氐有功，除散騎常侍，加大都督。 十六年，征隨郡，軍還，除武功郡守。 旣為本邑，以清儉自居，小大之政，必盡忠恕。 尋授使持節、車騎大將軍、儀同三司，進爵為侯。 武成二年，進位驃騎大將軍、開府儀同三司、大都督。 保定三年，卒。 子植嗣。
Chun in office was forceful and efficient, and was especially known to Grand Progenitor. In the fourteenth year, township commanders were established in the province; unless one's local standing matched the people's hearts, one could not be appointed. Grand Progenitor therefore sent a courier post-haste to summon Chun to lead township troops. That year, for merit in defeating the Pantou Di, he was appointed Regular Attendant at the Royal Court and given the additional title of great area commander. In the sixteenth year he campaigned against Suizhou commandery; when the army returned he was appointed administrator of Wugong commandery. Since this was his native district, he maintained himself in purity and thrift; in small and great affairs of government he always exerted loyalty and forbearance fully. Soon he was given the additional commission bearing the staff, Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry, and equal-in-protocol to the Three Excellencies, and advanced in enfeoffment to marquis. In the second year of Wucheng, he was promoted to Grand General of Rapid Cavalry, opening-office equal-in-protocol to the Three Excellencies, and great area commander. In Baoding 3 he died. His son Zhi succeeded him.
54
史臣曰：《書》云：「惟後非賢弗乂，惟賢非後罔食」。 是以知人則哲，有國之所先； 用之則行，為下之常道。 若乃庖廚、胥靡、種德、微管之臣，罕聞於世； 黜魯、逐荊、抱關、執戟之士，無乏於時。 斯固《典慕》所以昭則，《風雅》所以興刺也。 誠能監前事之得喪，勞虛己於吐握，其知賢也必用，其授爵也勿疑，則舜禹湯武之德可連衡矣，稷契伊呂之流可比肩矣。
The historiographer writes: The Documents say: "If the sovereign is not worthy, he cannot govern; if the worthy man is not sovereign, he cannot find sustenance." Therefore to know men is wisdom, and for one who holds a state it comes first; and to employ them is to put policy into action—the constant duty of ministers. Men like Yiyin the cook, Fuyue the prisoner, Gao Yao who "advanced in planting virtue," and Guan Zhong in humble obscurity are rarely celebrated in their own time; Yet men demoted from Lu, banished in Chu, gatekeepers, and halberd-bearers were never wanting in any age. That is why the Documents set forth standards and the Odes stir rebuke. If rulers could truly weigh past success and failure, humble themselves as Duke of Zhou did when he "spit out his food and released his hair grip" to receive men, employ the worthy without fail, and grant office without hesitation, then the virtue of Shun, Yu, Tang, and Wu would stand in one line and men like Hou Ji, Xie, Yi Yin, and Lü Shang could walk shoulder to shoulder.
55
太祖提劍而起，百度草創。 施約法之制於競逐之辰，脩治定之禮於鼎峙之日。 終能斲雕為朴，變奢從儉，風化旣被，而下肅上尊； 疆埸屢擾，而內親外附。 斯蓋蘇令綽之力也。 名冠當時，慶流後嗣，宜哉。
Grand Progenitor Yuwen Tai drew sword and rose to power when every institution had still to be created. He imposed austere law amid fierce rivalry and built stable rites while rival states still stood like the legs of a tripod. In the end he stripped ornament back to plainness and turned luxury toward frugality; once custom had taken hold, inferiors were reverent and superiors were honored; Though the frontiers were repeatedly disturbed, within the realm kinship held firm and outside powers drew near in alliance. That was largely the work of Su Lingzuo (Su Chuo). First in fame in his own day, a blessing to his descendants—entirely as it should be.
56
全文以中華書局、一九七一年十一月版《周書》為本校。
This text was collated against the Zhonghua Shuju edition of the 《Book of Zhou》 (November 1971).