1
春,正月,東羌先零圍祋祤,掠雲陽,當煎諸種復反。 段熲擊之於鸞鳥,大破之,西羌遂定。
In the first month of spring, the Eastern Qiang Xianlian band besieged Fufeng, raided Yunyang, and the Dangjian tribes rose in revolt once more. Duan Yong routed them at Luanniao in a crushing victory, and the Western Qiang were finally brought to order.
2
夫餘王夫台寇玄菟; 玄菟太守公孫域擊破之。
Futai, king of Fuyu, invaded Xuantu Commandery. Gongsun Yu, the grand administrator of Xuantu, drove him off in defeat.
3
夏,四月,先零羌寇三輔,攻沒兩營,殺千餘人。
In the fourth month of summer, the Xianlian Qiang struck the Three Metropolises, overran two garrisons, and killed more than a thousand people.
4
五月,壬子晦,日有食之。
In the fifth month, on renzi day, the last day of the month, there was a solar eclipse.
5
陳蕃既免,朝臣震慄,莫敢復為黨人言者。 賈彪曰:「吾不西行,大禍不解。」 乃入雒陽,說城門校尉竇武、尚書魏郡霍諝等,使訟之。 武上疏曰:「陛下即位以來,未聞善政,常侍、黃門,競行譎詐,妄爵非人。 伏尋西京,佞臣執政,終喪天下。 今不慮前事之失,復循覆車之軌。 臣恐二世之難,必將復及,趙高之變,不朝則夕。 近者奸臣牢修造設黨議,遂收前司隸校尉李膺等逮考,連及數百人。 曠年拘錄,事無效驗。 臣惟膺等建忠抗節,志經王室,此誠陛下稷、伊、呂之佐; 而虛為奸臣賊子之所誣枉,天下寒心,海內失望。 惟陛下留神澄省,時見理出,以厭人鬼喁喁之心。 今台閣近臣,尚書朱寓、荀緄、劉祐、魏朗、劉矩、尹勳等,皆國之貞士,朝之良佐; 尚書郎張陵、媯皓、苑康、楊喬、邊韶、戴恢等,文質彬彬,明達國典,內外之職,群才並列。 而陛下委任近習,專樹饕餮,外典州郡,內干心膂,宜以次貶黜,案罪糾罰; 信任忠良,平決臧否,使邪正毀譽,各得其所,寶愛天官,唯善是授,如此,咎徵可消,天應可待。 間者有嘉禾、芝草、黃龍之見。 夫瑞生必於嘉士,福至實由善人,在德為瑞,無德為災。 陛下所行不合天意,不宜稱慶。」 書奏,因以病上還城門校尉、槐裡侯印綬。 霍諝亦為表請。 帝意稍解,因中常侍王甫就獄訊黨人范滂等,皆三木囊頭,暴於階下,甫以次辨詰曰:「卿等更相拔舉,迭為脣齒,其意如何?」 滂曰:「仲尼之言:『見善如不及,見惡如探湯。』 滂欲使善善同其清,惡惡同其污,謂王政之所願聞,不悟更以為黨。 古之修善,自求多福。 今之修善,身陷大戮。 身死之日,願埋滂於首陽山側,上不負皇天,下不愧夷、齊。」 甫愍然為之改容,乃得並解桎梏。 李膺等又多引宦官子弟,宦官懼,請帝以天時宜赦。 六月,庚申,赦天下,改元; 黨人二百餘人皆歸田裡,書名三府,禁錮終身。 范滂往候霍諝而不謝。 或讓之,滂曰:「昔叔向不見祁奚,吾何謝焉!」 滂南歸汝南,南陽士大夫迎之者,車數千兩,鄉人殷陶、黃穆侍衛於旁,應對賓客。 滂謂陶等曰:「今子相隨,是重吾禍也!」 遂遁還鄉里。
Once Chen Fan was removed from office, the court was terrified, and no one dared speak up for the partisans again. Jia Biao said, "Unless I go west myself, this great disaster will never be undone." He then went to Luoyang, won over Commandant of the City Gates Dou Wu, Master of Writing Huo Xu of Wei Commandery, and others, and urged them to press the case at court. Dou Wu submitted a memorial: "Since Your Majesty came to the throne, we have heard of no worthy policies; the eunuch attendants vie with one another in deceit and bestow titles on unworthy men. Consider the Western Capital: when sycophants held sway, the dynasty lost the realm in the end. Today you take no lesson from past failures and again follow the path of the overturned cart. I fear the catastrophe of the Second Emperor will return, and a coup like Zhao Gao's may come not in months but in days. Not long ago the villain Wang Fu invented the partisan purge, had the former Director of the Retainers Li Ying and others seized for interrogation, and dragged several hundred men into the net. They have languished in prison for years, yet no proof has ever been found. In my view, Ying and his fellows have shown loyal resolve and stood firm against corruption, their hearts set on the royal house—they are truly ministers of the caliber of Hou Ji, Yi Yin, and Lü Wang. Yet wicked officials and their accomplices have framed them on false charges; the empire is disheartened and the realm has lost faith. May Your Majesty examine the matter with clear judgment, release the innocent in good time, and so quiet the uproar of both the living and the dead. The ministers close at hand in the Secretariat—Zhu Yu, Xun Yun, Liu You, Wei Lang, Liu Ju, Yin Xun, and the rest—are all men of integrity and fine servants of the throne. The attendant masters of writing—Zhang Ling, Gui Hao, Yuan Kang, Yang Qiao, Bian Shao, Dai Hui, and others—combine learning and integrity and understand the laws of the realm; for every office, within the court and beyond, able men stand ready. Yet Your Majesty relies on cronies and nurtures greedy parasites who rule the provinces abroad and meddle with the core of government at home—they should be demoted in turn, their crimes investigated and punished. Trust loyal men, judge merit and fault fairly, let the worthy and the wicked each receive their due, honor the offices of state and give them only to the capable—then ill omens will fade and Heaven's favor may be won. Of late there have been reports of fine grain, spirit fungus, and yellow dragons. Omens appear only where worthy men dwell; blessings truly come through good men—with virtue they are auspicious, without virtue they are disasters. Your Majesty's conduct does not accord with Heaven's will; you ought not to celebrate." When the memorial was in, he pleaded illness and returned the seals and ribbon of his posts as Commandant of the City Gates and Marquis of Huaili. Huo Xu likewise submitted a memorial in their defense. The emperor relented somewhat and sent Regular Attendant Wang Fu to the prison to question the partisans Fan Pang and others, who wore the triple cangue with their heads hooded and were displayed on the steps below. Wang Fu questioned them one by one: "You keep promoting and recommending one another, acting as each other's mouthpiece—what is your purpose?" Fan Pang replied, "Confucius said: 'When you see what is good, hurry toward it as if you cannot catch up; when you see what is evil, shrink from it as if from scalding water. I wanted the good to share in purity and the wicked to share in shame—I thought that was what good government should hear. I never imagined it would be called forming a faction. In old times, doing good brought blessings on oneself. Today, doing good means falling under the executioner's blade. When I die, bury me on the slopes of Mount Shouyang—then I shall not fail Heaven above nor shame Yi and Qi below." Wang Fu was moved and his manner changed; they were all released from their shackles. Li Ying and the others had also implicated many sons of eunuch families; the eunuchs grew afraid and urged the emperor that the season called for a general amnesty. In the sixth month, on gengshen day, the empire was granted a general amnesty and the reign era was changed. More than two hundred partisans were sent home; their names were entered in the registers of the Three Excellencies and they were barred from office for life. Fan Pang called on Huo Xu but did not thank him. When someone reproached him, Pang said, "In antiquity Shu Xiang did not go to see Qi Xi—why should I offer thanks?" Pang went south to Runan. Gentry and officials from Nanyang turned out to welcome him in thousands of carriages; his fellow villagers Yin Tao and Huang Mu attended him and received guests on his behalf. Pang told Tao and the others, "Your accompanying me now only makes my disaster worse!" He slipped away and went home in secret.
6
初,詔書下舉鉤黨,郡國所奏相連及者,多至百數,唯平原相史弼獨無所上。 詔書前後迫切州郡,髡笞掾史,從事坐傳捨責曰:「詔書疾惡黨人,旨意懇惻。 青州六郡,其五有黨,平原何治而得獨無?」 弼曰:「先王疆理天下,畫界分境,水土異齊,風俗不同。 它郡自有,平原自無,胡可相比! 若承望上司,誣陷良善,淫刑濫罰,以逞非理,則平原之人,戶可為黨。 相有死而已,所不能也!」 從事大怒,即收郡僚職送獄,遂舉奏弼。 會黨禁中解,弼以俸贖罪。 所脫者甚眾。 竇武所薦:朱寓,沛人; 苑康,勃海人; 楊喬,會稽人; 邊韶,陳留人。 喬容儀偉麗,數上言政事,帝愛其才貌,欲妻以公主,喬固辭,不聽,遂閉口不食,七日而死。
When the edict went out to hunt down partisans, most commanderies and kingdoms reported chains of names running into the hundreds; only Shi Bi, the chancellor of Pingyuan, submitted no names at all. Edict after edict pressed the provinces; clerks were beaten and cropped. The investigator, lodged at the relay station, rebuked him: "The edict condemns the partisans in the strongest terms; its intent is urgent and sincere. Five of Qingzhou's six commanderies have reported partisans—what sort of rule leaves Pingyuan alone without any?" Bi replied, "The former kings divided the realm, drew boundaries and set borders—lands differ in soil and water, and customs are not the same. Other commanderies have them; Pingyuan simply does not—how can you compare the two? If I curried favor with my superiors, framed the innocent, and abused the law to satisfy injustice, then every household in Pingyuan could be called a partisan. As chancellor I would rather die than do such a thing!" The investigator flew into a rage, had the commandery staff arrested and thrown into prison, and memorialized against Bi. The partisan prohibition was lifted before long, and Bi paid a fine from his salary to clear the charge. The number he had spared was very great. Those Dou Wu had recommended included Zhu Yu of Pei Commandery. Yuan Kang of Bohai. Yang Qiao of Kuaiji. Bian Shao of Chenliu. Qiao was tall and striking in appearance and often submitted opinions on government affairs. The emperor admired his talent and looks and wished to marry him to a princess. Qiao refused firmly; when the emperor would not relent, he stopped eating and died after seven days.
7
秋,八月,巴部言黃龍見。 初,郡人欲就池浴,見池水濁,因戲相恐,「此中有黃龍,」語遂行民間,太守欲以為美。 故上之。 郡吏傅堅諫曰:「此走卒戲語耳。」 太守不聽。
In the eighth month of autumn, Ba Commandery reported that a yellow dragon had been seen. Earlier, locals had gone to bathe in a pool; seeing the water was murky, they joked in fright that "there is a yellow dragon in here," and the story spread. The grand administrator wanted to treat it as a good omen. So he reported it to the court. The commandery clerk Fu Jian remonstrated: "That is only soldiers' idle talk." The grand administrator would not listen.
8
六月大水,勃海海溢。
In the sixth month came great floods, and the Bohai Sea overflowed its shores.
9
冬,十月,先零羌寇三輔,張奐遣司馬尹端、董卓拒擊,大破之,斬其酋豪,首虜萬餘人,三州清定。 奐論功當封,以不事宦官故不果封,唯賜錢二十萬,除家一人為郎。 奐辭不受,請徙屬弘農。 舊制,邊人不得內徙,詔以奐有功,特許之。 拜董卓為郎中。 卓,隴西人,性粗猛有謀,羌胡畏之。 十二月,壬申,復癭陶王悝為勃海王。 丁丑,帝崩於德陽前殿。 戊寅,尊皇后曰皇太后。 太后臨朝。 初,竇後既立,御見甚稀,唯采女田聖等有寵。 後素忌忍,帝梓宮尚在前殿,遂殺田聖。 城門校尉竇武議立嗣,召侍御史河間劉鰷,問以國中宗室之賢者,鯈稱解瀆亭侯宏。 宏者,河間孝王之曾孫也,祖淑,父萇,世封解瀆亭侯。 武乃入白太后,定策禁中,以鯈守光祿大夫,與中常侍曹節並持節將中黃門、虎賁、羽林千人,奉迎宏,時年十二。 孝靈皇帝上之上
In the tenth month of winter, the Xianlian Qiang raided the Three Metropolises. Zhang Huan sent his major Yin Duan and Dong Zhuo to meet them, won a crushing victory, slew their chieftains, and took more than ten thousand heads and captives; the three border provinces were pacified. By rights Zhang Huan deserved a fief for his merit, but because he would not court the eunuchs he received no title—only two hundred thousand cash and an appointment as gentleman for one member of his household. Zhang Huan refused the reward and asked to move his household registration to Hongnong instead. By old rule, frontier households were not allowed to move inland; an edict made an exception for Zhang Huan because of his service. Dong Zhuo was appointed a gentleman at the palace. Dong Zhuo was a native of Longxi, rough and fierce by nature but shrewd, and the Qiang and the Hu feared him. In the twelfth month, on renshen day, Liu Ti was restored from Marquis of Yingtao to King of Bohai. On dingchou day, the emperor died in the front hall of Deyang. On wuyin day, the empress was honored as empress dowager. The empress dowager assumed regency over the court. After Empress Dou was installed, the emperor rarely visited her chamber; only palace ladies such as Tian Sheng enjoyed his favor. The empress had always been jealous and cruel; even while the emperor's coffin still lay in the front hall, she had Tian Sheng put to death. Commandant of the City Gates Dou Wu deliberated on the succession and summoned Attendant Imperial Clerk Liu Tao of Hejian, asking which members of the imperial house were worthy. Tao named Marquis Hong of Jiedu. Hong was the great-grandson of King Xiao of Hejian; his grandfather was Shu and his father Chang—the family had held the marquisate of Jiedu for generations. Dou Wu went in to inform the empress dowager, and the choice was settled within the palace. Tao was made acting Grandee of Splendid Happiness; he and Regular Attendant Cao Jie, each bearing credentials, led a thousand guards from the Central Yellow Gate, Tiger Guards, and Feathered Forest to escort Hong to the capital—he was twelve years old. Emperor Ling, Part One, Section One.
10
春,正月,壬午,以城門校尉竇武為大將軍。 前太尉陳蕃為太傅,與武及司徒胡廣參錄尚書事。 時新遭大喪,國嗣未立,諸尚書畏懼,多托病不朝。 陳蕃移書責之曰:「古人立節,事亡如存。 今帝祚未立,政事日蹙,諸君奈何委荼蓼之苦,息偃在床,於義安乎!」 諸尚書惶怖,皆起視事。 己亥,解瀆亭侯至夏門亭,使竇武持節,以王青蓋車迎入殿中; 庚子,即皇帝位,改元。 二月,辛酉,葬孝桓皇帝於宣陵,廟曰威宗。 辛未,赦天下。 初,護羌校尉段熲既定西羌,而東羌先零等種猶未服,度遼將軍皇甫規、中郎將張奐招之連年,既降又叛。 桓帝詔問熲曰:「先零東羌造惡反逆,而皇甫規、張奐各擁強眾,不時輯定,欲令熲移兵東討,未識其宜,可參思術略。」 熲上言曰:「臣伏見先零東羌雖數叛逆,而降於皇甫規者,已二萬許落; 善惡既分,餘寇無幾。 今張奐躊躇久不進者,當慮外離內合,兵往必驚。 且自冬踐春,屯結不散,人畜疲羸,有自亡之勢,欲更招降,坐制強敵耳。 臣以為狼子野心,難以恩納,勢窮雖服,兵去復動; 唯當長矛挾脅,白刃加頸耳! 計東種所餘三萬餘落,近居塞內,路無險所,非有燕、齊、秦、趙從橫之勢,而久亂並、涼,累侵三輔,西河、上郡,已各內徙,安定、北地,復至單危。 自雲中、五原,西至漢陽二千餘里,匈奴、諸羌,並擅其地,是為癰疽伏疾,留滯脅下,如不加誅,轉就滋大。 若以騎五千、步萬人、車三千兩,三冬二夏,足以破定,無慮用費為錢五十四億,如此,則可令群羌破盡,匈奴長服,內徙郡縣,得反本土。 伏計永初中,諸羌反叛,十有四年,用二百四十億; 永和之末,復經七年,用八十餘億。 費耗若此,猶不誅盡,餘孽復起,於茲作害。 今不暫疲民,則永寧無期。 臣庶竭駑劣,伏待節度。」 帝許之,悉聽如所上,熲於是將兵萬餘人,繼十五日糧,從彭陽直指高平,與先零諸種戰於逢義山。 虜兵盛,熲眾皆恐。 熲乃令軍中長鏃利刃,長矛三重,挾以強弩,列輕騎為左右翼,謂將士曰:「今去家數千里,進則事成,走必盡死,努力共功名!」 因大呼,眾皆應聲騰赴,馳騎於傍,突而擊之,虜眾大潰,斬首八千餘級。 太后賜詔書褒美曰:「須東羌盡定,當並錄功勤; 今且賜熲錢二十萬,以家一人為郎中。」 敕中藏府調金錢、彩物增助軍費,拜熲破羌將軍。
In the first month of spring, on renwu day, Commandant of the City Gates Dou Wu was appointed Grand General. Former Grand Commandant Chen Fan was made Grand Tutor and, with Dou Wu and Minister over the Masses Hu Guang, shared oversight of the Masters of Writing. The court had just entered deep mourning and the heir was not yet enthroned; many masters of writing were afraid and stayed away from court on pretext of illness. Chen Fan sent a letter rebuking them: "The ancients upheld integrity by serving the dead as if they still lived. Today the throne stands empty and government grows more urgent by the day—how can you abandon your duties to the bitter hardship of the realm and lie abed—is that righteous conduct?" The masters of writing were terrified and all returned to their posts. On jihai day, Marquis Hong of Jiedu reached Xiamen Pavilion; Dou Wu was sent with credentials to welcome him into the palace in the prince's green-canopied carriage. On gengzi day he ascended the throne and the reign era was changed. In the second month, on xinyou day, Emperor Xiaohuan was buried at Xuan Mausoleum with the temple name Weizong. On xinwei day the empire was granted a general amnesty. Earlier, after Protector of the Qiang Duan Yong had pacified the Western Qiang, the Eastern Qiang Xianlian and other tribes remained unsubdued. General Who Crosses the Liao Huangfu Gui and General of the Gentlemen of the Household Zhang Huan had spent years trying to win them over, but they submitted only to rebel again. Emperor Huan asked Yong by edict: "The Xianlian Eastern Qiang have risen in wicked rebellion, yet Huangfu Gui and Zhang Huan each command large forces and have not pacified them in good time. We wish to send you east with your troops—we are not sure whether that is wise; consider the strategy and advise us." Yong replied: "I observe that although the Xianlian Eastern Qiang have rebelled repeatedly, some twenty thousand encampments have already submitted to Huangfu Gui. The loyal and the hostile are already separated; only a few rebels remain. Zhang Huan's long hesitation to advance surely stems from fear that those outside will unite with those within—if troops march in, the tribes will panic and rally together. Moreover, from winter into spring they have camped together without dispersing; men and livestock are exhausted and weak and are on the verge of collapse on their own. He means to win them over again and thereby control a formidable foe without fighting. In my view they have the nature of wolf cubs and cannot be won by kindness; though they submit when desperate, they rebel again once the army withdraws. Only long spears at their ribs and naked blades at their throats will do! The Eastern tribes still number more than thirty thousand encampments. They live close inside the frontier passes where the roads offer no natural barriers; they do not enjoy the strategic depth of Yan, Qi, Qin, and Zhao. Yet they have long ravaged Bing and Liang, repeatedly struck the Three Metropolises, and forced the relocation of Xihe and Shang—Anding and Beidi are again in grave peril. From Yunzhong and Wuyuan west to Hanyang stretches more than two thousand li of territory now held by the Xiongnu and the Qiang tribes. This is an abscess festering at the empire's side; if we do not destroy them, the wound will only grow worse. With five thousand cavalry, ten thousand foot soldiers, and three thousand chariots, three winters and two summers would suffice to crush and pacify them at an estimated cost of five hundred forty million cash. Then the Qiang could be broken completely, the Xiongnu brought to lasting submission, and the relocated frontier commanderies restored to their homelands. I reckon that from the Yongchu era, when the Qiang tribes rose in rebellion, the empire spent two thousand four hundred million cash over fourteen years; and from the end of the Yonghe era through another seven years, more than eight hundred million cash besides. After such expense, the enemy was still not destroyed; remnant bands rose again and continue to ravage the realm. If we will not burden the people for a season now, lasting peace will never come. I will give all my poor strength and await your orders." The Emperor approved the plan in full. Yong then led more than ten thousand men with fifteen days' rations, marched from Pengyang straight on Gaoping, and fought the Xianlian tribes at Fengyi Mountain. The enemy force was overwhelming, and Yong's men were terrified. Yong ordered long arrowheads and keen blades, three ranks of long spears backed by strong crossbows, and light cavalry on both wings. He told his officers and men: "We are thousands of li from home. Advance, and we prevail; retreat, and we perish. Fight for glory together!" He gave a great shout. The whole army surged forward at once; horsemen swept in from the flanks and struck. The enemy broke completely, and more than eight thousand heads were taken. The Empress Dowager sent an edict of praise: "When the Eastern Qiang are fully pacified, your full merit will be recorded; for now grant Yong two hundred thousand cash and appoint one member of his household as a Gentleman of the Palace." She also ordered the palace treasury to supply gold, cash, and goods for the army, and appointed Yong General Who Breaks the Qiang.
11
閏月,甲午,追尊皇祖為孝元皇,夫人夏氏為孝元後,考為孝仁皇,尊帝母董氏為慎園貴人。
In the intercalary month, on jiawu day, the imperial grandfather was posthumously honored as Emperor Xiaoyuan, Lady Xia as Empress Xiaoyuan, the father as Emperor Xiaoren, and the Emperor's mother Lady Dong was made Honored Lady of Shenyuan.
12
夏,四月,戊辰,太尉周景薨,司空宣酆免; 以長樂衛尉王暢為司空。 五月,丁未朔,日有食之。 以太中大夫劉矩為太尉。 六月,京師大水。 癸巳,錄定策功,封竇武為聞喜侯,武子機為渭陽侯,兄子紹為鄠侯,靖為西鄉侯,中常侍曹節為長安鄉侯,侯者凡十一人。 涿郡盧植上書說武曰:「足下之於漢朝,猶旦、奭之在周室,建立聖主,四海有系,論者以為吾子之功,於斯為重。 今同宗相後,披圖案牒,以次建之,何勳之有! 豈可橫叨天功,以為己力乎! 宜辭大賞,以全身名。」 武不能用。 植身長八尺二寸,音聲如鐘,性剛毅,有大節。 少事馬融,融性豪侈,多列女倡歌舞於前,植侍講積年,未嘗轉眄,融以是敬之。 太后以陳蕃舊德,特封高陽鄉侯。 蕃上疏讓曰:「臣聞割地之封,功德是為。 臣雖無素潔之行,竊慕君子『不以其道得之,不居也』。 若受爵不讓,掩面就之,使皇天振怒,災流下民,於臣之身,亦何所寄!」 太后不許。 蕃固讓,章前後十上,竟不受封。 段熲將輕兵追羌,出橋門,晨夜兼行,與戰於奢延澤、落川、令鮮水上,連破之; 又戰於靈武谷,羌遂大敗。 秋,七月,熲至涇陽,餘寇四千落,悉散入漢陽山谷間。 護匈奴中郎將張奐上言:「東羌雖破,餘種難盡,段熲性輕果,慮負敗難常,宜且以恩降,可無後悔。」 詔書下熲,熲復上言:「臣本知東羌雖眾,而軟弱易制,所以比陳愚慮,思為永寧之算,而中郎將張奐說虜強難破,宜用招降。 聖朝明監,信納瞽言,故臣謀得行,奐計不用。 事勢相反,遂懷猜恨,信叛羌之訴,飾潤辭意,雲臣兵『累見折衄,又言『羌一氣所生,不可誅盡,山谷廣大,不可空靜,血流污野,傷和致災。』 臣伏念周、秦之際,戎狄為害,中興以來,羌寇最盛,誅之不盡,雖降復叛。 今先零雜種,累以反覆,攻沒縣邑,剽略人物,發塚露屍,禍及生死,上天震怒,假手行誅。 昔邢為無道,衛國伐之,師興而雨; 臣動兵涉夏,連獲甘澍,歲時豐稔,人無疵疫。 上佔天心,不為災傷; 下察人事,眾和師克。 自橋門以西、落川以東,故宮縣邑,更相通屬,非為深險絕域之地,車騎安行,無應折衄。 案奐為漢吏,身當武職,駐軍二年,不能平寇,虛欲修文戢戈,招降獷敵,誕辭空說,僭而無征。 何以言之? 昔先零作寇,趙充國徙令居內,煎當亂邊,馬援遷之三輔,始服終叛,至今為鯁,故遠識之士,以為深憂。 今傍郡戶口單少,數為羌所創毒,而欲令降徒與之雜居,是猶種枳棘於良田,養虺蛇於室內也。 故臣奉大漢之威,建長久之策,欲絕其本根,不使能殖。 本規三歲之費,用五十四億; 今適期年,所耗未半,而餘寇殘燼,將向殄滅。 臣每奉詔書,軍不內御,願卒斯言,一以任臣,臨時量宜,不失權便。』 八月,司空王暢免,宗正劉寵為司空。 初,竇太后之立也,陳蕃有力焉。 及臨朝,政無大小,皆委於蕃。 蕃與竇武同心戮力,以獎王室,徵天下名賢李膺、杜宻、尹勳、劉瑜等,皆列於朝廷,與共參政事。 於是天下之士,莫不延頸想望太平。 而帝乳母趙嬈及諸女尚書,旦夕在太后側,中常侍曹節、王甫等共相朋結,諂事太后。 太后信之,數出詔命,有所封拜。 蕃、武疾之,嘗共會朝堂,蕃私謂武曰:「曹節、王甫等,自先帝時操弄國權,濁亂海內,今不誅之,後必難圖。」 武深然之。 蕃大喜,以手椎席而起。 武於是引同志尚書令尹勳等共定計策。 會有日食之變,蕃謂武曰:「昔蕭望之困一石顯,況今石顯數十輩乎! 蕃以八十之年,欲為將軍除害,今可因日食斥罷宦官,以塞天變。」 武乃白太后曰:「故事,黃門、常侍但當給事省內典門戶,主近署財物耳; 今乃使與政事,任重權,子弟布列,專為貪暴。 天下匈匈,正以此故,宜悉誅廢以清朝廷。」 太后曰:「漢元以來故事,世有宦官,但當誅其有罪者,豈可盡廢邪!」 時中常侍管霸,頗有才略,專制省內,武先白收霸及中常侍蘇康等,皆坐死。 武復數白誅曹節等,太后□豫未忍,故事久不發。 蕃上疏曰:「今京師囂囂,道路喧嘩,言侯覽、曹節、公乘昕、王甫、鄭颯等,與趙夫人、諸尚書並亂天下,附從者升進,忤逆者中傷,一朝群臣如河中木耳,泛泛東西,耽祿畏害。 陛下今不急誅此曹,必生變亂,傾危社稷,其難量。 願出臣章宣示左右,並令天下諸奸知臣疾之。」 太后不納。 是月,太白犯房之上將,入太微。 侍中劉瑜素善天官,惡之,上書皇太后曰:「案《占書》:宮門當閉,將相不利,奸人在主傍,願急防之。」 又與武、蕃書,以星辰錯繆,不利大臣,宜速斷大計。 於是武、蕃以朱寓為司隸校尉,劉祐為河南尹、虞祁為雒陽令。 武奏免黃門令魏彪,以所親小黃門山冰代之,使冰奏收長樂尚書鄭颯,送北寺獄。 蕃謂武曰:「此曹子便當收殺,何復考為!」 武不從,令冰與尹勳、侍御史祝□雜考颯,辭連及曹節、王甫。 勳、冰即奏收節等,使劉瑜內奏。 九月,辛亥,武出宿歸府。 典中書者先以告長樂五官史朱瑀,瑀盜發武奏,罵曰:「中官放縱者,自可誅耳,我曹何罪,而當盡見族滅!」 因大呼曰:「陳蕃、竇武奏白太后廢帝,為大逆!」 乃夜召素所親壯健者長樂從官史共普、張亮等十七人,歃血共盟,謀誅武等。 曹節白帝曰:「外間切切,請出御德陽前殿。」 令帝拔劍踴躍,使乳母趙嬈等擁衛左右,取棨信,閉諸禁門,召尚書官屬,脅以白刃,使作詔板,拜王甫為黃門令,持節至北寺獄,收尹勳、山冰。 冰疑,不受詔,甫格殺之,並殺勳; 出鄭颯,還兵劫太后,奪璽綬。 令中謁者守南宮,閉門絕復道。 使鄭颯等持節及侍御史謁者捕收武等。 武不受詔,馳入步兵營,與其兄子步兵校尉紹共射殺使者。 召會北軍五校士數千人屯都亭,下令軍士曰:「黃門、常侍反,盡力者封侯重賞。」 陳蕃聞難,將官屬諸生八十餘人,並拔刃突入承明門,到尚書門,攘臂呼曰:「大將軍忠以衛國,黃門反逆,何-{云}-竇氏不道邪!」 王甫時出與蕃相遇,適聞其言,而讓蕃曰:「先帝新棄天下,山陵未成,武有何功,兄弟父子並封三侯! 又設樂飲宴,多取掖廷宮人,旬日之間,貲財巨萬,大臣若此,為是道邪! 公為宰輔,苟相阿黨,復何求賊!」 使劍士收蕃,蕃拔劍叱甫,辭色逾厲。 遂執蕃,送北寺獄。 黃門從官騶蹋踧蕃曰:「死老魅! 復能損我曹員數、奪我曹稟假不!」 即日,殺之。 時護匈奴中郎將張奐徵還京師,曹節等以奐新至,不知本謀,矯制以少府周靖行車騎將軍、加節,與奐率五營士討武。 夜漏盡,王甫將虎賁、羽林等合千餘人,出屯朱雀掖門,與奐等合,已而悉軍闕下,與武對陳。 甫兵漸盛,使其士大呼武軍曰:「竇武反,汝皆禁兵,當宿衛宮省,何故隨反者乎! 先降有賞!」 營府兵素畏服中官,於是武軍稍稍歸甫,自旦至食時,兵降略盡。 武、紹走,諸軍追圍之,皆自殺,梟首雒陽都亭; 收捕宗親賓客姻屬,悉誅之,及侍中劉瑜、屯騎校尉馮述,皆夷其族。 宦官又譖虎賁中郎將河間劉淑、故尚書會稽魏朗,-{云}-與武等通謀,皆自殺。 遷皇太后於南宮,徙武家屬於日南; 自公卿以下嘗為蕃、武所舉者及門生故吏,皆免官禁錮。 議郎勃海巴肅,始與武等同謀,曹節等不知,但坐禁錮,後乃知而收之。 肅自載詣縣,縣令見肅,入閣,解印綬,欲與俱去。 肅曰:「為人臣者,有謀不敢隱,有罪不逃刑,既不隱其謀矣,又敢逃其刑乎!」 遂被誅。 曹節遷長樂衛尉,封育陽侯。 王甫遷中常侍,黃門令如故。 朱瑀、共普、張亮等六人皆為列侯,十一人為關內侯。 於是群小得志,士大夫皆喪氣。 蕃友人陳留朱震收葬蕃屍,匿其子逸,事覺,繫獄,合門桎梏。 震受拷掠,誓死不言,逸由是得免。 武府掾桂陽胡騰殯斂武屍,行喪,坐以禁錮。 武孫輔,年二歲,騰詐以為己子,與令史南陽張敞共匿之於零陵界中,亦得免。 張奐遷大司農,以功封侯。 奐深病為曹節等所賣,固辭不受。
In summer, the fourth month, on wuchen day, Grand Commandant Zhou Jing died and Minister of Works Xuan Feng was dismissed; Wang Chang, Palace Guard of Changle, was appointed Minister of Works. In the fifth month, on the first day of dingwei, there was a solar eclipse. Grand Palace Secretary Liu Ju was appointed Grand Commandant. In the sixth month, the capital was struck by severe flooding. On guisi day, those who had settled the succession were rewarded: Dou Wu was made Marquis of Wenxi; his son Ji, Marquis of Weiyang; his brother's sons Shao and Jing, Marquises of Hu and Xixiang; Regular Palace Attendant Cao Jie, Marquis of Chang'an District—eleven ennoblements in all. Lu Zhi of Zhuo Commandery wrote to Dou Wu: "Your place in the Han house is like that of the Duke of Zhou and Duke of Shao in the Zhou dynasty—you raised a worthy sovereign and secured the realm. Men of judgment hold that among all your deeds, this is the greatest. Yet succession within one clan follows charts and registers in fixed order. What merit lies in that? How can you seize Heaven's credit and call it your own achievement! Decline these great honors to preserve your life and name." Wu would not heed him. Zhi stood eight chi and two inches tall, spoke in a voice like a bell, and was by nature stern and resolute, a man of great principle. In youth he studied under Ma Rong, who lived lavishly and kept singing girls and dancers before him. Zhi attended his lectures for years without once glancing aside, and Rong came to respect him for it. Because of Chen Fan's long service and virtue, the Empress Dowager specially enfeoffed him as Marquis of Gaoyang District. Fan submitted a memorial of refusal: "I have heard that fiefs and titles are granted for merit and virtue. I cannot claim unstained conduct, yet I honor the saying of the noble man: what is not gained by the proper Way, one does not accept." If I take this title without refusing, I would invite Heaven's wrath and bring disaster on the people. What honor would remain to me?" The Empress Dowager would not allow it. Fan persisted in refusing and submitted ten memorials in all, and in the end never accepted the title. Duan Yong pursued the Qiang with light forces through Qiao Gate, marching day and night. He fought them at Sheyan Marsh, Luochuan, and Lingxian River and defeated them again and again; then fought them again at Lingwu Valley, and the Qiang suffered a great rout. In autumn, the seventh month, Yong reached Jingyang. Four thousand remaining encampments scattered into the mountain valleys of Hanyang. Protector of the Xiongnu Zhang Huan submitted a memorial: "The Eastern Qiang are broken, but the remnant tribes cannot easily be wiped out. Duan Yong is rash and reckless; defeat may come when least expected. Better to win them with kindness now and avoid regret later." The edict was sent to Yong, who replied: "I knew all along that though the Eastern Qiang were numerous, they were weak and manageable. That is why I urged a plan for lasting peace. Zhang Huan argued that the tribes were too strong to crush and that we should win them by surrender. The court saw clearly and accepted my counsel, so my plan went forward and Huan's did not. When matters turned against him, he grew suspicious and resentful. He believed the rebel Qiang's complaints and dressed them up in fine words, claiming my army 'has suffered defeat after defeat,' and saying 'the Qiang share one breath and cannot be exterminated; the mountains and valleys are vast and cannot be emptied; blood will soak the fields, disturb harmony, and bring disaster.'" I reflect: from Zhou and Qin onward the Rong and Di have been a scourge, but since the restoration no raiders have been worse than the Qiang. Destroy them incompletely, and they submit only to rebel again. The Xianlian and their allies have turned again and again: they have overrun counties and towns, plundered the people, opened graves and exposed the dead. Their evil touches both the living and the dead. Heaven is enraged and has lent us its hand to punish them. Long ago, when Xing ruled wickedly, Wei marched against them and rain fell as the army set out; I have campaigned through summer and received timely rain again and again. The harvest has been rich and the people free of plague. Heaven shows no sign of wrath; on earth the troops are united and victories come. From Qiao Gate west to Luochuan east, old commanderies and counties lie in linked succession. This is no trackless wilderness; chariots and horsemen can pass safely. There is no cause for repeated defeat. Huan is an officer of Han in command of troops. He camped two years and could not pacify the enemy, yet talks of culture and peace, of winning fierce foes by surrender—empty words, grand claims without deed. Why do I say so? When the Xianlian first raided, Zhao Chongguo moved them within at Lingju; the Jiandang troubled the frontier; Ma Yuan resettled them in the Three Metropolises. They submitted at first and rebelled in the end, and remain a bone in the throat to this day. Men of foresight have long feared exactly this. The border commanderies are thinly populated and have suffered repeated ravages at the hands of the Qiang. To settle surrendered tribes among them would be like sowing thorn trees in good farmland, or keeping vipers in one's own house. Your servant therefore draws upon the might of Han to pursue a lasting policy — to uproot the trouble at its source and leave it no room to spread. The plan as first drawn up called for five hundred forty million cash over three years. Yet scarcely a year has gone by, less than half the funds have been consumed, and the remnant rebels are little more than smoldering ash, on the verge of annihilation. Each time I receive an edict forbidding the army to march inward in defense, I beg that this plan be allowed to run its course — entrust the matter wholly to me, and I shall act as circumstances demand without losing sight of what is expedient." In the eighth month, Wang Chang was removed from the post of Minister of Works, and Liu Chong, Director of the Imperial Clan, was appointed in his place. When Empress Dowager Dou was first elevated, Chen Fan had played no small part in it. Once she assumed the regency, she entrusted every affair, great or small, to Chen Fan. Chen Fan and Dou Wu joined forces in a single-minded effort to restore the throne, summoning celebrated men from throughout the empire — Li Ying, Du Mi, Yin Xun, Liu Yu, and others — and seating them at court to share in the governance of the realm. Men of talent across the land craned their necks in anticipation, yearning for an age of peace. Yet the Emperor's wet nurse Zhao Rao and certain female secretaries attended the Empress Dowager from morning till night, while the palace eunuchs Cao Jie, Wang Fu, and their ilk banded together in a clique to fawn upon her. The Empress Dowager placed her faith in them and repeatedly issued edicts conferring offices and titles. Chen Fan and Dou Wu loathed this state of affairs. On one occasion when they met at court, Fan took Wu aside and said, "Cao Jie, Wang Fu, and their kind have twisted the levers of power since the late Emperor's day and poisoned the realm. If we do not destroy them now, we shall find them impossible to remove later." Dou Wu agreed wholeheartedly. Chen Fan was overjoyed and struck the mat with his hand as he rose to his feet. Dou Wu thereupon gathered his allies, including the Grand Secretary Yin Xun, to lay their plans together. A solar eclipse occurred about this time. Chen Fan said to Dou Wu, "In the old days Xiao Wangzhi was undone by a single Shi Xian — and now there are dozens of them! I am eighty years old, yet I would still clear this scourge away for you, General. We may seize upon the eclipse to dismiss and purge the eunuchs, and so answer Heaven's reproof." Dou Wu then addressed the Empress Dowager: "By ancient precedent, the Yellow Gate and Palace Attendants were charged only with service inside the palace — keeping the gates and overseeing the household stores. Now they have been given a hand in affairs of state, laden with weighty power. Their sons and brothers fill every post, and they devote themselves to nothing but greed and cruelty. The realm seethes with unrest for this very reason. They should all be executed and cast out, that the court may be cleansed." The Empress Dowager replied, "Since the reign of Emperor Yuan it has been the custom of every generation to keep eunuchs in service. Only the guilty should be punished — how could we abolish them altogether?" At the time the Palace Attendant Guan Ba was a man of some ability who had seized control within the palace precincts. Dou Wu first memorialized for the arrest of Ba, the Palace Attendant Su Kang, and others; all were condemned and executed. Dou Wu repeatedly memorialized for the execution of Cao Jie and his faction, but the Empress Dowager hesitated and could not bring herself to act; the plan languished for a long time without being carried out. Chen Fan submitted a memorial stating, "The capital is in an uproar and the streets ring with reports that Hou Lan, Cao Jie, Gongcheng Xin, Wang Fu, Zheng Sa, and others, together with Lady Zhao and the secretaries, are throwing the realm into chaos. Those who attach themselves to them rise in rank; those who cross them are destroyed by slander. The ministers at court drift like fungus on a river, carried this way and that, clinging to their stipends and dreading retribution. If Your Majesty does not move swiftly to destroy this pack, calamity and revolt will surely follow, and the altars of state will be overturned — the consequences are beyond reckoning. I beg that this memorial be shown to those at your side, and that every villain in the realm may know the depth of my resolve against them." The Empress Dowager refused to heed it. That same month, the planet Venus trespassed against the Upper General star of the Room asterism and entered the Supreme Palace Enclosure. The Attendant Within Liu Yu, who had long been versed in celestial matters, was deeply troubled and wrote to the Empress Dowager: "The Books of Prognostication declare that when the palace gates should be closed, generals and ministers face peril and villains stand at the sovereign's side. I beg Your Majesty to guard against this at once." He also wrote to Dou Wu and Chen Fan that the stars were awry and ill-omened for great ministers, and that they must settle upon a decisive course without delay. Thereupon Dou Wu and Chen Fan appointed Zhu Yu Director of the Capital Protectorate, Liu You Intendant of Henan, and Yu Qi magistrate of Luoyang. Dou Wu memorialized for the dismissal of the Yellow Gate Director Wei Biao and replaced him with his own man, the Junior Yellow Gate Attendant Shan Bing. He then had Bing submit a memorial for the arrest of the Changle Secretary Zheng Sa and his transfer to the Northern Prison. Chen Fan said to Dou Wu, "These wretches should be seized and put to death immediately — why bother with interrogation!" Dou Wu would not hear of it. He had Bing, together with Yin Xun and the Imperial Censor Zhu Liang, jointly examine Zheng Sa. Under questioning, Sa's testimony implicated Cao Jie and Wang Fu. Yin Xun and Bing at once memorialized for the arrest of Cao Jie and his associates, while Liu Yu was dispatched to deliver the report within the palace. On the day xinhai in the ninth month, Dou Wu left the palace and returned to lodge at his own residence. Those who handled the Secretariat documents first alerted Zhu Yu, a clerk of the Changle Five Offices. Zhu Yu secretly opened Dou Wu's memorial and raged, "The corrupt among the palace staff may deserve death — but what crime have we committed, that we should all be wiped out to the last clan!" He then shouted aloud, "Chen Fan and Dou Wu have memorialized the Empress Dowager to depose the Emperor — this is treason of the highest order!" That night he summoned seventeen stalwart men he had long favored among the Changle attendants — Gong Pu, Zhang Liang, and others — and they swore a blood oath together, plotting the death of Dou Wu and his allies. Cao Jie reported to the Emperor, "There is urgent alarm outside — I beg Your Majesty to withdraw to the front hall of Deyang Palace." He had the Emperor draw his sword and spring forward, while the wet nurse Zhao Rao and others closed ranks around him. They seized the tallies of authority, barred every inner gate, summoned the secretaries of the Masters of Writing, and forced them at blade-point to draft an edict appointing Wang Fu Yellow Gate Director. Wang Fu then took the imperial staff to the Northern Prison to arrest Yin Xun and Shan Bing. Shan Bing grew suspicious and refused to accept the edict. Wang Fu struck him down on the spot and killed him, and Yin Xun was slain as well. They released Zheng Sa, then turned their troops upon the Empress Dowager, seizing her by force and stripping her of the imperial seal and cord. They posted palace ushers to hold the Southern Palace, barred the gates, and severed the covered passageway. They dispatched Zheng Sa and others, bearing the imperial staff, together with attendant-censors, to seize Dou Wu and his party. Dou Wu refused the edict, galloped into the Infantry Camp, and together with his nephew Shao, Colonel of the Infantry, shot down the envoys. He rallied several thousand men from the five colonels of the Northern Army and encamped them at Duting, proclaiming to the troops, "The Yellow Gate and Palace Attendants have risen in rebellion! Those who fight with all their strength shall be enfeoffed as marquises and richly rewarded." When Chen Fan heard of the crisis, he led more than eighty officials and students, blades drawn, and forced their way through Chenming Gate. Reaching the gate of the Masters of Writing, he rolled up his sleeves and shouted, "The Grand General has served the realm in loyalty — it is the Yellow Gate that has rebelled! How can you say the House of Dou is in the wrong!" Wang Fu happened to come out just then and encounter Chen Fan. Hearing these words, he turned on him and said, "The late Emperor has scarcely left this world, and his tomb is not yet finished — by what merit has Dou Wu earned three marquisates for brothers, fathers, and sons alike! He holds feasts with music, seizing palace women from the Inner Household by the score — and within ten days his wealth swelled to tens of thousands! Is this how a great minister ought to conduct himself? Is this the Way? You stand at the head of the realm—yet if you only flatter one another and band together, what further search need we make for the true villains?" Swordsmen were dispatched to take Chen Fan. Fan drew his blade and shouted down Wang Fu, his voice and bearing turning ever harsher. They seized Fan at once and had him conveyed to the Northern Prison. Yellow Gate attendants and runners trampled him, crying, "You dead old fiend! Can you still cut our ranks and strip us of our stipends and perquisites, can you?" That very day they put him to death. Protector of the Xiongnu Zhonglang General Zhang Huan had just been summoned back to the capital. Cao Jie and his faction, knowing Huan was newly arrived and ignorant of their design, forged an imperial order making Palace Privy Director Zhou Jing acting General of Chariots and Cavalry with full credentials, to march with Huan at the head of the Five Camp troops against Dou Wu. At the end of the night watch Wang Fu led more than a thousand Tiger Guard and Feathered Forest troops out to hold the Vermilion Bird side gate. He joined Zhang Huan's force, then drew the entire army up beneath the palace gates and formed ranks opposite Dou Wu. Wang Fu's numbers steadily swelled. He had his men shout across to Dou Wu's host: "Dou Wu has risen in rebellion! You are palace guards, sworn to keep watch over the inner precincts—why do you march with a rebel? Whoever yields first shall be rewarded!" The garrison troops had long feared and obeyed the eunuchs. Dou Wu's lines began to melt away toward Wang Fu, and from dawn until the morning meal nearly the whole force had surrendered. Dou Wu and Dou Shao fled. Pursuing columns closed in on them from every side. Both took their own lives, and their heads were hung at the Luoyang capital pavilion. Kinsmen, clients, guests, and in-laws were hunted down and put to death without exception. Palace Attendant Liu Yu and Colonel of the Garrison Cavalry Feng Shu were swept up as well, and their whole clans were annihilated. The eunuchs also denounced Tiger Guard Zhonglang General Liu Shu of Hejian and former Master of Writing Wei Lang of Kuaiji, claiming they had plotted with Dou Wu and his allies. Both men killed themselves. The Empress Dowager was removed to the Southern Palace, and Dou Wu's household was banished to Rinan. Every official from the Three Ducal Ministers down who had been promoted by Chen Fan or Dou Wu, together with their disciples and former retainers, was stripped of office and placed under detention. Gentleman Consultant Ba Su of Bohai had taken part in the original plot with Dou Wu and his circle. Cao Jie and the rest did not know this at first and merely confined him; only later, when they discovered the truth, did they move to seize him. Ba Su drove himself to the county seat. When the magistrate saw him coming, he withdrew to his inner chamber, took off his seal and sash, and prepared to flee with him. Ba Su said, "A loyal subject who has taken part in a plot does not hide it; one who has committed a crime does not run from judgment. I did not conceal my part in the plot—how then could I flee the penalty?" He was executed. Cao Jie was made Commandant of the Changle Palace Guard and enfeoffed as Marquis of Yuyang. Wang Fu was promoted to Regular Palace Attendant while retaining his office as Yellow Gate Prefect. Zhu Yu, Gong Pu, Zhang Liang, and five others were all made full marquises; eleven more were raised to Marquises Within the Pass. Petty men now had their heart's desire, and the scholar-officials sank into despair. Chen Fan's friend Zhu Zhen of Chenliu gathered up Fan's body for burial and hid his son Yi. When the affair came to light, Zhu was thrown into prison and his entire household clapped in irons. Zhu Zhen endured torture and flogging, vowing to die rather than speak—and Yi was spared. Dou Wu's staff officer Hu Teng of Guiyang laid out and buried Dou Wu's body and performed the mourning rites. For this he was sentenced to detention. Dou Wu's grandson Fu was only two years old. Hu Teng passed him off as his own child and, with clerk Zhang Chang of Nanyang, concealed him in the wilds near Lingling. The boy too survived. Zhang Huan was appointed Grand Minister of Agriculture and enfeoffed as marquis for his service. Huan was deeply shamed at having been made the eunuchs' instrument and firmly refused the marquisate.
13
以司徒胡廣為太傅,錄尚書事,司空劉寵為司徒,大鴻臚許栩為司空。
Grand Commandant Hu Guang was made Grand Tutor with oversight of the Secretariat; Minister of Works Liu Chong became Grand Commandant; Grand Herald Xu Xu became Minister of Works.
14
冬,十月,甲辰晦,日有食之。 十一月,太尉劉矩免,以太僕沛國聞人襲為太尉。 十二月,鮮卑及濊貊寇幽、并二州。 是歲,疏勒王季父和得殺其王自立。 烏桓大人上谷難樓有眾九千餘落,遼西丘力居有眾五千餘落,自稱王。 遼東蘇僕延有眾千餘落,自稱峭王。 右北平烏延有眾八百餘落,自稱汗魯王。
In winter, the tenth month, on the last day of the cycle, jia-chen, the sun was eclipsed. In the eleventh month Grand Marshal Liu Ju was removed from office, and Wenren Xi of Pei, Director of the Imperial Transport, was appointed Grand Marshal in his place. In the twelfth month the Xianbei and Wuhuan struck at You and Bing provinces. That year Hede, the king's uncle in Shule, murdered the reigning king and seized the throne. Among the Wuhuan, Nalou of Shanggu commanded more than nine thousand households, and Qiuliju of Liaoxi more than five thousand; each declared himself king. Supuyan of Liaodong mustered more than a thousand households and styled himself King Qiao. Wuyan of Youbeiping gathered more than eight hundred households and called himself King Hanlu.
15
春,正月,丁丑,赦天下。 帝迎董貴人於河間。 三月,乙巳,尊為孝仁皇后,居永樂宮,拜其兄寵為執金吾,兄子重為五官中郎將。
In spring, the first month, on ding-chou, the emperor proclaimed a general amnesty. The emperor brought Lady Dong from Hejian into the palace. In the third month, on yi-si, she was elevated as Empress Xiaoren and installed in Yongle Palace. Her elder brother Chong was made Commandant of the Capital Guard, and her nephew Zhong Five-Office Zhonglang General.
16
夏,四月,壬辰,有青蛇見於御坐上。 癸巳,大風,雨雹,霹靂,拔大木百餘。 詔公卿以下各上封事。 大司農張奐上疏曰:「昔周公葬不如禮,天乃動威。 今竇武、陳蕃忠貞,未被明宥,妖眚之來,皆為此也。 宜急為改葬,徙還家屬,其從坐禁錮,一切蠲除。 又,皇太后雖居南宮,而恩禮不接,朝臣莫言,遠近失望。 宜思大義顧復之報。」 上深嘉奐言,以問諸常侍,左右皆惡之,帝不得自從。 奐又與尚書劉猛等共薦王暢、李膺可參三公之選,曹節等彌疾其言,遂下詔切責之。 奐等皆自囚廷尉,數日,乃得出,並以三月俸贖罪。
In summer, the fourth month, on ren-chen, a green serpent was seen coiled upon the imperial seat. On gui-si a great wind rose, hail fell, and thunder cracked the sky; more than a hundred great trees were torn up by the roots. An edict went out commanding every official from the Three Ducal Ministers down to submit sealed memorials. Grand Minister of Agriculture Zhang Huan memorialized the throne: "Long ago, when the Duke of Zhou was buried without proper rites, Heaven itself stirred in anger. Dou Wu and Chen Fan were men of loyalty and integrity, yet they have never been openly cleared. The strange omens that have followed all spring from this wrong. Your Majesty should at once grant them honorable reburial, restore their families, and release every person implicated and held in detention. Moreover, though the Empress Dowager dwells in the Southern Palace, no grace or proper ceremony reaches her. The court dares not speak of it, and men near and far have lost hope. Your Majesty should weigh the greater duty and repay the kindness of the mother who raised you." The emperor was deeply moved by Zhang Huan's words and put the matter to his regular attendants—but every voice at his side turned against it, and he could not follow his own mind. Zhang Huan again joined Master of Writing Liu Meng and others in recommending Wang Chang and Li Ying for the Three Excellencies. Cao Jie and his cohort were all the more furious, and an edict was issued sharply rebuking them. Zhang Huan and the others voluntarily turned themselves in to the Director of Convicts. After several days they were released, each forfeiting three months' salary to expiate the offense.
17
郎中東郡謝弼上封事曰:「臣聞『惟虺惟蛇,女子之祥』。 伏惟皇太后定策宮闥,援立聖明,《書》曰:『父子兄弟,罪不相及』,竇氏之誅,豈宜咎延太后! 幽隔空宮,愁感天心,如有霧露之疾,陛下當何面目以見天下! 孝和皇帝不絕竇氏之恩,前世以為美談。 禮,『為人後者為之子』,今以桓帝為父,豈得不以太后為母哉! 願陛下仰慕有虞蒸蒸之化,俯思《凱風》慰母之念。 臣又聞『開國承家,小人勿用』。 今功臣久外,未蒙爵秩,阿母寵私,乃享大封,大風雨雹,亦由於茲。 又,故太傅陳蕃,勤身王室,而見陷群邪,一旦誅滅,其為酷濫,駭動天下; 而門生故吏,並離徙錮。 蕃身已往,人百何贖! 宜還其家屬,解除禁網,夫台宰重器,國命所繫,今之四公,唯司空劉寵斷斷守善,餘皆素餐致寇之人,必有折足覆餗之凶,可因災異,並加罷黜,征故司空王暢、長樂少府李膺並居政事,庶災變可消,國祚惟永。」 左右惡其言,出為廣陵府丞,去官,歸家。 曹節從子紹為東郡太守,以它罪收弼,掠死於獄。
Xie Bi, a palace gentleman from Dong Commandery, submitted a sealed memorial: "I have heard it said: 'Only the viper, only the snake—the omen of a woman. I humbly reflect that the Empress Dowager settled the succession within the palace and set a wise ruler upon the throne. The Book of Documents says: "Between fathers and sons, brothers—guilt does not reach across kin." The Dou clan was destroyed—how can that blame be laid upon the Empress Dowager! She dwells alone in an empty palace, her grief stirring Heaven itself, like one wasting away with a lingering illness—what face can Your Majesty show to the empire! Emperor He never broke with the Dou clan, and the age held that up as a noble example. Ritual says: "He who becomes another's heir stands as a son." Emperor Huan was made heir to the throne—how can he not treat the Empress Dowager as his mother! May Your Majesty look up to the gentle warmth of the age of Shun, and bend your mind to the Ode to the South Wind and its longing to comfort a mother. I have also heard: "In founding a state and sustaining a house, do not employ petty men." Meritorious ministers are kept at arm's length without titles or rank, while wet nurses favored in private enjoy great fiefs—the violent storms and hail owe to this as well. Again: the late Grand Tutor Chen Fan gave his life to the throne, yet was ensnared by wicked men and in a single stroke destroyed. The cruelty of it shook the empire; his students and former subordinates were all exiled and barred from office. Fan is dead—what can the living do to redeem him! Restore their families and lift the ban. The chief ministers are the state's great anchors; upon them the realm's fate hangs. Of the four high ministers now, only Minister of Works Liu Chong holds fast to integrity; the rest feast on empty salaries and invite disaster—the omen of the broken leg and overturned feast cannot be far off. Use these portents to remove them all, recall former Minister of Works Wang Chang and Chamberlain for Changle Li Ying to govern—and the calamities may abate and the dynasty endure." Those around the throne hated what he said. He was posted as assistant to the grand administrator of Guangling, resigned his post, and went home. Cao Jie's nephew Shao, grand administrator of Dong Commandery, had Bi arrested on another charge and tortured to death in prison.
18
帝以蛇妖問光祿勳楊賜,賜上封事曰:「夫善不妄來,災不空發。 王者心有所想,雖未形顏色,而五星以之推移,陰陽為其變度。 夫皇極不建,則有龍蛇之孽,《詩》云:『惟虺惟蛇,女子之祥。』 惟陛下思乾剛之道,別內外之宜,抑皇甫之權,割艷妻之愛,則蛇變可消,禎祥立應。」 賜,秉之子也。 五月,太尉聞人襲、司空許栩免; 六月,以司徒劉寵為太尉,太常汝南許訓為司徒,太僕長沙劉囂為司空。 囂素附諸常侍,故致位公輔。 詔遣謁者馮禪說降漢陽散羌。 段熲以春農,百姓布野,羌雖暫降,而縣官無廩,必當復為盜賊,不如乘虛放兵,勢必殄滅。 熲於是自進營,去羌所屯凡亭山四五十里,遣騎司馬田晏、假司馬夏育將五千人先進,擊破之。 羌眾潰東奔,復聚射虎谷,分兵守谷上下門,熲規一舉滅之,不欲復令散走。 秋,七月,熲遣千人於西縣結木為柵,廣二十步,長四十里遮之。 分遣晏、育等將七千人銜枚夜上西山,結營穿塹,去虜一里許,又遣司馬張愷等將三千人上東山,虜乃覺之。 熲因與愷等夾東、西山,縱兵奮擊,破之,追至谷上下門,窮山深谷之中,處處破之,斬其渠帥以下萬九千級。 馮禪等所招降四千人,分置安定、漢陽、隴西三郡。 於是東羌悉平。 熲凡百八十戰,斬三萬八千餘級,獲雜畜四十二萬七千餘頭,費用四十四億,軍士死者四百餘人; 更封新豐縣侯,邑萬戶。
The emperor asked Director of the Imperial Secretariat Yang Ci about the serpent omen. Ci submitted a sealed memorial: "Blessings do not arrive without cause, nor disasters without warning. When a ruler's heart holds a thought, even before it shows on his face, the five planets shift and yin and yang alter their courses. When the royal pole is unsettled, serpent portents appear. The Odes say: "Only the viper, only the snake—the omen of a woman." May Your Majesty hold to the firm way of Heaven, keep inner and outer in their proper places, restrain the Huangfu faction's power, and cut away fondness for a beautiful consort—then the serpent omen will fade and blessings will follow." Ci was the son of Yang Bing. In the fifth month, Grand Commandant Wenren Xi and Minister of Works Xu Xu were removed from office; In the sixth month Liu Chong, Minister over the Masses, was appointed Grand Commandant; Xu Xun of Runan, Grand Master of Ceremonies, became Minister over the Masses; and Liu Xiao of Changsha, Grand Master of the Stud, was made Minister of Works. Liu Xiao had long curried favor with the eunuch attendants, and that was how he rose to the highest offices. An edict sent Internuncio Feng Chan to win the surrender of the scattered Qiang in Hanyang. Duan Yong reasoned that with spring planting underway and farmers scattered across the fields, the Qiang might submit for the moment, but with no government granaries to feed them they would soon turn bandit again. Better to strike while they were exposed—troops released now would surely wipe them out. Yong advanced his camp to within forty or fifty li of the Qiang encampment at Fanting Mountain and sent Cavalry Major Tian Yan and Acting Major Xia Yu ahead with five thousand men to break them. The Qiang broke and fled east, regrouping at Shehu Valley and posting troops at the upper and lower passes. Yong planned to finish them in one blow and would not let them scatter again. In autumn, the seventh month, Yong had a thousand men at Xi County build a wooden palisade twenty paces wide and forty li long to block their escape. He sent Yan and Yu with seven thousand men, mouths gagged with wooden pegs, up West Mountain by night to camp and dig trenches a li from the enemy. Major Zhang Kai led three thousand up East Mountain—and only then did the Qiang notice. Yong and Kai pressed the attack from both mountains, routed the Qiang, and pursued them to the valley gates—through mountain fastnesses and deep ravines, breaking them everywhere—taking nineteen thousand heads from chieftains down to the rank and file. Four thousand Qiang whom Feng Chan had won over were settled across Anding, Hanyang, and Longxi commanderies. The Eastern Qiang were pacified at last. In all Yong fought one hundred eighty engagements, took more than thirty-eight thousand heads, seized more than four hundred twenty-seven thousand head of livestock, spent four hundred forty million cash, and lost just over four hundred soldiers; He was promoted to Marquis of Xinfeng, with a fief of ten thousand households.
19
臣光曰:書稱:「天地,萬物父母,惟人萬物之靈。 但聰明,作元-{后}-,元-{后}-作民父母。」 夫蠻夷戎狄,氣類雖殊,其就利避害,樂生惡死,亦與人同耳。 御之得其道則附順服從,失其道則離叛侵擾,固其宜也。 是以先王之政,叛則討之,服則懷之,處之四裔,不使亂禮義之邦而已。 若乃視之如草木禽獸,不分臧否,不辨去來,悉艾殺之,豈作民父母之意哉! 且夫羌之所以叛者,為郡縣所侵冤故也; 叛而不即誅者,將帥非其人故也。 苟使良將驅而出之塞外,擇良吏而牧之,則疆場之臣也,豈得專以多殺為快邪! 夫御之不得其道,雖華夏之民,亦將蜂起而為寇,又可盡誅邪! 然則段紀明之為將,雖克捷有功,君子所不與也。
Master Guang comments: The Book of Documents says: "Heaven and Earth are the parents of all things; of all things, man alone is the spirit endowed. Let the wise and enlightened become sovereign, and the sovereign become the people's parents." The barbarian tribes of the four directions differ in nature, yet in seeking gain and fleeing harm, in loving life and fearing death, they are no different from us. Govern them rightly and they submit; govern them wrongly and they rebel and raid—that is only to be expected. The ancient kings punished rebellion and embraced submission, settling tribes on the outer marches so they would not disrupt the civilized realm—nothing more. To treat them like weeds and wild beasts—to make no distinction between the loyal and the hostile, the departing and the staying—and slaughter them all: is that the mind of a ruler who would be the people's parent? The Qiang rebel because commandery and county officials wrong them; when rebels go unpunished, it is because the wrong men hold command. Send able generals to drive them beyond the frontier and appoint worthy officials to govern them, and they become guardians of the border—what joy is there in slaughter for its own sake! Govern badly and even the people of the heartland will rise in rebellion—can you execute them all? Duan Jiming won his battles and earned his laurels—but a gentleman will have no part of such methods.
20
九月,江夏蠻反,州郡討平之。
In the ninth month the Man of Jiangxia rebelled; provincial and commandery forces put them down.
21
丹楊山越圍太守陳夤,夤擊破之。
The Shanyue of Danyang besieged Grand Administrator Chen Yin; Yin drove them off in defeat.
22
初,李膺等雖廢錮,天下士大夫皆高尚其道而污穢朝廷,希之者唯恐不及,更共相標榜,為之稱號:以竇武、陳蕃、劉淑為三君,君者,言一世之所宗也; 李膺、荀翌、杜宻、王暢、劉祐、魏朗、趙典、朱㝢為八俊,俊者,言人之英也; 郭泰、范滂、尹勳、巴肅及南陽宗慈、陳留夏馥、汝南蔡衍、泰山羊陟為八顧,顧者,言能以德行引人者也; 張儉、翟超、岑晊、苑康及山陽劉表、汝南陳翔、魯國孔昱、山陽檀敷為八及,及者,言其能導人追宗者也; 度尚及東平張邈、王孝、東郡劉儒、泰山胡母班、陳留秦周、魯國蕃向、東萊王章為八廚,廚者,言能以財救人者也。 及陳、竇用事,復舉拔膺等; 陳、竇誅,膺等復廢。 宦官疾惡膺等,每下詔書,輒申黨人之禁。 侯覽怨張儉尤甚,覽鄉人朱並素佞邪,為儉所棄,承覽意指,上書告儉與同鄉二十四人別相署號,共為部黨,圖危社稷,而儉為之魁。 詔刊章捕儉等。
Though Li Ying and his fellows had been barred from office, scholars everywhere honored their integrity and despised the court. Men vied to join them, outdoing one another in praise, and coined titles: Dou Wu, Chen Fan, and Liu Shu they called the Three Lords—lords, meaning the men an age holds up as its exemplars; Li Ying, Xun Yi, Du Mi, Wang Chang, Liu You, Wei Lang, Zhao Dian, and Zhu Yu were the Eight Talents—talents, meaning the finest men of their generation; Guo Tai, Fan Pang, Yin Xun, Ba Su, Zong Ci of Nanyang, Xia Fu of Chenliu, Cai Yan of Runan, and Yang Zhi of Taishan were called the Eight Guardians—guardians, men who drew others toward them through virtue and character; Zhang Jian, Zhai Chao, Cen Zhi, Yuan Kang, Liu Biao of Shanyang, Chen Xiang of Runan, Kong Yu of Lu, and Tan Fu of Shanyang were the Eight Peers—peers, men who led others to emulate the worthy; Du Shang, Zhang Miao of Dongping, Wang Xiao, Liu Ru of Dong Commandery, Humu Ban of Taishan, Qin Zhou of Chenliu, Fan Xiang of Lu, and Wang Zhang of Donglai were the Eight Granaries—granaries, men who rescued others with their wealth. When Chen Fan and Dou Wu came to power, they once again advanced Li Ying and his fellows; When Chen Fan and Dou Wu were killed, Li Ying and the others were stripped of office once more. The eunuchs loathed Li Ying and his circle, and in every edict they issued they renewed the ban on partisan association. Hou Lan harbored a special hatred for Zhang Jian. Zhu Bing, a fellow townsman of Lan's, was by nature sycophantic and corrupt and had been spurned by Jian. Reading Lan's mind, he memorialized the throne that Jian and twenty-four men of their district had taken up separate titles and formed a partisan clique bent on subverting the state—with Jian as their ringleader. An edict went out, names published, commanding the arrest of Zhang Jian and his associates.
23
冬,十月,大長秋曹節因此諷有司奏「諸鉤黨者故司空虞放及李膺、杜宻、朱㝢、荀翌、翟超、劉儒、范滂等,請下州郡考治。」 是時上年十四,問節等曰:「何以為鉤黨?」 對曰:「鉤黨者,即黨人也。」 上曰:「黨人何用為惡而欲誅之邪?」 對曰:「皆相舉群輩,欲為不軌。」 上曰:「不軌欲如何?」 對曰:「欲圖社稷。」 上乃可其奏。 或謂李膺曰:「可去矣!」 對曰:「事不辭難,罪不逃刑,臣之節也。 吾年已六十,死生有命,去將安之!」 乃詣詔獄,考死; 門生故吏並被禁錮。 侍御史蜀郡景毅子顧為膺門徒,未有錄牒,不及於譴,毅慨然曰:「本謂膺賢,遣子師之,豈可以漏脫名籍,苟安而已!」 遂自表免歸。
In winter, the tenth month, Cao Jie, Grand Director of the Palace Household, maneuvered the relevant offices into memorializing: "All those ensnared in the partisan inquiry—the former Minister of Works Yu Fang, Li Ying, Du Mi, Zhu Yu, Xun Yi, Zhai Chao, Liu Ru, Fan Pang, and others—should be handed over to the provinces and commanderies for trial and punishment." The emperor was then fourteen. He asked Cao Jie and the others, "What does it mean to be caught up in a partisan inquiry?" They replied, "To be implicated in a partisan association is to be a partisan." The emperor said, "What crime have these partisans committed that they must be put to death?" They answered, "They band together and promote one another, scheming treason." The emperor said, "What treason do they intend?" They answered, "They mean to overthrow the state." The emperor approved the memorial. Someone said to Li Ying, "You should flee!" He replied, "To refuse no duty however hard, to accept punishment rather than evade it—that is a subject's honor. I am sixty years old. Life and death are Heaven's decree—where could I flee?" He went straight to the imperial prison and died under interrogation; His disciples and former retainers were all barred from office. Censor Jing Yi of Shu Commandery had sent his son Gu to study under Li Ying. Gu's name appeared on no register, so he escaped punishment. Yi declared in anger, "I believed Ying a worthy man and entrusted my son to him—shall I slip through the rolls and save myself alone?" He memorialized the throne for his own dismissal and went home.
24
汝南督郵吳導受詔捕范滂,至征羌,抱詔書閉傳捨,伏床而泣,一縣不知所為。 滂聞之曰:「必為我也。」 即自詣獄。 縣令郭揖大驚,出,解印綬,引與俱亡,曰:「天下大矣,子何為在此!」 滂曰:「滂死則禍塞,何敢以罪累君。 又令老母流離乎!」 其母就與之訣,滂白母曰:「仲博孝敬,足以供養。 滂從龍舒君歸黃泉,存亡各得其所。 惟大人割不可忍之恩,勿增感戚!」 仲博者,滂弟也。 龍舒君者,滂父龍舒侯相顯也。 母曰:「汝今得與李、杜齊名,死亦何恨! 既有令名,復求壽考,可兼得乎!」 滂跪受教,再拜而辭。 顧其子曰:「吾欲使汝為惡,惡不可為; 使汝為善,則我不為惡。」 行路聞之,莫不流涕。
Wu Dao, chief clerk of Runan, was ordered to arrest Fan Pang. At Zhengyang he shut himself in the post station, clutching the edict, weeping face down on his bed while the whole county stood paralyzed. When Pang heard of it he said, "This must be for my sake." He went straight to the jail. Magistrate Guo Yi was stunned. He came out, removed his seal of office, and tried to flee with Pang, crying, "The world is wide—why must you stay here!" Pang said, "My death will stop the calamity here. How could I let my guilt fall upon you? And would that not also force my aged mother into exile?" His mother came to take her leave. Pang said to her, "Zhongbo is filial and dutiful—he can provide for you. I follow my father, Lord Longshu, to the Yellow Springs—in life and death we each have our place. Only grant me this: set aside love that cannot be borne and add no grief to what cannot be changed!" Zhongbo was Pang's younger brother. "Lord Longshu" was Pang's father Xian, who had served as Chancellor to the Marquis of Longshu. His mother said, "You will share fame with Li and Du—what room is left for regret in death! You seek a noble name and a long life together—can any man have both?" Pang knelt to receive her words, bowed twice, and departed. She turned to her son and said, "I might have wished you to do evil, but evil cannot be done; if I wished you to do good, I could not choose evil for myself." Passersby who overheard wept without exception.
25
凡黨人死者百餘人,妻子皆徙邊,天下豪桀及儒學有行義者,宦官一切指為黨人; 有怨隙者,因相陷害,睚眥之忿,濫入黨中。 州郡承旨,或有未嘗交關,亦離禍毒,其死、徙、廢、禁者又六七百人。
More than a hundred partisans died; their wives and children were banished to the frontier. Bold men and upright scholars everywhere—the eunuchs denounced them all as partisans; Men with old grudges turned on one another; the slightest feud landed men on the partisan rolls. The provinces obeyed. Some who had never even met the accused were swept up in the ruin. Death, exile, dismissal, and detention claimed six or seven hundred more.
26
郭泰聞黨人已死,私為之慟曰:「《詩》云:『人之云亡,邦國殄瘁。』 漢室滅矣,但未知『瞻烏爰止,於誰之屋』耳!」 泰雖好臧否人倫,而不為危言核論,故能處濁世而怨禍不及焉。
When Guo Tai learned the partisans were dead, he grieved privately, quoting the Book of Songs: "When good men perish, the realm withers. The Han dynasty is finished. Only one question remains: 'The crow looks and settles—on whose roof?'" Guo Tai appraised men's character but never spoke recklessly or with dangerous severity, and so weathered a corrupt age unscathed.
27
張儉亡命困迫,望門投止,莫不重其名行,破家相容。 後流轉東萊,止李篤家。 外黃令毛欽操兵到門,篤引欽就席曰:「張儉負罪亡命,篤豈得藏之! 若審在此,此人名士,明廷寧宜執之乎!」 欽因起撫篤曰:「蘧伯玉恥獨為君子,足下如何專取仁義!」 篤曰:「今欲分之,明廷載半去矣。」 欽歎息而去。 篤導儉經北海戲子然家,遂入漁陽出塞。 其所經歷,伏重誅者以十數,連引收考者布遍天下,宗親並皆殄滅,郡縣為之殘破。
Zhang Jian fled for his life, knocking at every door. All honored his repute and risked ruin to shelter him. He eventually made his way to Donglai and took refuge with Li Du. Mao Qin, magistrate of Waihuang, arrived at the door with soldiers. Du sat him down and said, "Zhang Jian is a fugitive with a price on his head—how could I hide him! If he is truly here, consider: he is a man of fame and principle. Would Your Honor truly arrest him?" Qin rose and clasped Du's hand. "Qu Boyu was ashamed to be the only gentleman—why should you keep all the honor for yourself!" Du said, "Share him with me now and you take half the credit." Qin sighed and left. Li Du guided Zhang Jian via Beihai and Xi Ziran's home, then through Yuyang and across the frontier. Wherever he had stayed, more than ten hosts were executed. Investigations swept the empire; whole clans were destroyed; counties and commanderies lay in wreckage.
28
儉與魯國孔褒有舊,亡抵褒,不遇,褒弟融,年十六,匿之。 後事洩,儉得亡走,國相收褒、融送獄,未知所坐。 融曰:「保納捨藏者,融也,當坐。」 褒曰:「彼來求我,非弟之過。」 吏問其母,母曰:「家事任長,妾當其辜。」 一門爭死,郡縣疑不能決,乃上讞之,詔書竟坐褒。 及黨禁解,儉乃還鄉里,後為衛尉,卒,年八十四。
Zhang Jian was old friends with Kong Bao of Lu. He fled to Bao's house but missed him; Bao's sixteen-year-old brother Rong hid him instead. When the matter came out, Jian escaped. The kingdom Chancellor arrested Bao and Rong; none could say which should bear guilt. Rong said, "I sheltered him—I alone am guilty." Bao said, "He came for me—not my brother's fault." The officers questioned their mother. She said, "The elder son runs the household—the guilt is mine." The whole family vied to die for the others. The local authorities could not decide and referred the case upward; in the end Kong Bao was condemned. When the partisan ban was lifted, Zhang Jian returned home. He later served as Minister of the Guards and died at eighty-four.
29
夏馥聞張儉亡命,歎曰:「孽自己作,空污良善,一人逃死,禍及萬家,何以生為!」 乃自翦鬚變形,入林慮山中,隱姓名,為冶家傭,親突煙炭,形貌毀瘁,積二三年,人無知者。 馥弟靜載縑帛追求餉之,馥不受曰:「弟奈何載禍相餉乎!」 黨禁未解而卒。
Xia Fu, hearing of Zhang Jian's flight, sighed, "I brought this ruin on myself and have only stained the innocent. One man runs and ten thousand households suffer. Why go on living?" He cut his beard, altered his features, and withdrew to Mount Linlu under a false name, hiring himself to a smith and tending the forge until his body was broken. For two or three years no one recognized him. His brother Jing found him with silks and goods. Fu refused them: "Brother, would you bring catastrophe to me as a gift?" He died before the partisan ban was lifted.
30
初,中常侍張讓父死,歸葬穎川,雖一郡畢至,而名士無往者,讓甚恥之,陳寔獨弔焉。 及誅黨人,讓以寔故,多所全宥。 南陽何顒,素與陳蕃、李膺善,亦被收捕,乃變名姓匿汝南間,與袁紹為奔走之交,常私入雒陽,從紹計議,為諸名士罹黨事者求救援,設權計,使得逃隱,所全免甚眾。 初,太尉袁湯三子,成、逢、隗。 成生紹,逢生術。 逢、隗皆有名稱,少歷顯官。 時中常侍袁赦以逢、隗宰相家,與之同姓,推崇以為外援,故袁氏貴寵於世,富奢甚,不與它公族同。 紹壯健有威容,愛士養名,賓客輻湊歸之,輜軿、柴轂,填接街陌。 術亦以俠氣聞。 逢從兄子閎,少有操行,以耕學為業,逢、隗數饋之,無所受。 閎見時方險亂,而家門富盛,常對兄弟歎曰:「吾先公福祚,後世不能以德守之,而競為驕奢,與亂世爭權,此即晉之三郤矣。」 及黨事起,閎欲投跡深林,以母老,不宜遠遁,乃築土室四周於庭,不為戶,自牖納飲食。 母思閎時,往就視,母去,便自掩閉,兄弟妻子莫得見也。 潛身十八年,卒於土室。 初,范滂等非訐朝政,自公卿以下皆折節下之,太學生爭慕其風,以為文學將興,處士復用。 申屠蟠獨歎曰:「昔戰國之世,處士橫議,列國之王至為擁彗先驅,卒有坑儒燒書之禍,今之謂矣。」 乃絕跡於梁、碭之間,因樹為屋,自同傭人。 居二年,滂等果罹黨錮之鍋,唯蟠超然免於評論。
When the eunuch Zhang Rang's father died and was buried in Yingchuan, the whole commandery turned out—but no man of reputation attended, to Rang's shame. Chen Shi alone paid his respects. When the partisans were marked for death, Zhang Rang spared many for Chen Shi's sake. He Yong of Nanyang, a friend of Chen Fan and Li Ying, was also hunted. He changed his name and hid in Runan, where he became Yuan Shao's closest ally. He slipped into Luoyang in secret, plotted with Shao, and engineered escapes for scholars caught in the purge—saving a great many. Grand Marshal Yuan Tang had three sons: Cheng, Sui, and Kui. Cheng was the father of Yuan Shao; Sui was the father of Yuan Shu. Sui and Kui were both well known and had held high office early in life. The eunuch Yuan She, sharing the clan name, championed Sui and Kui as family allies of a great ministerial house. The Yuans flourished—wealthy beyond other noble lines. Yuan Shao was imposing in bearing, cultivated scholars and reputation, and drew crowds of retainers—carriages choked the streets around his gates. Yuan Shu was known for his swashbuckling spirit. Hong, a cousin's son in Sui's branch, lived by farming and study from youth. Sui and Kui sent him gifts repeatedly; he refused them all. Hong watched troubled times and a rich household and often warned his brothers: "Our ancestor's blessings—yet our kin guard them with pride, not virtue, grasping for power in chaos. This is the Three Xi of Jin all over again." When the purge began, Hong wished to vanish into the wilds, but his mother was aged, so instead he built an earthen cell in the courtyard with no door, taking food through the window. When his mother missed him she would visit at the window; when she left he sealed himself in again. Not even wife or brothers could see him. He lived hidden eighteen years and died in his earthen cell. Fan Pang and his circle did not openly attack the court, yet from the highest ministers down all deferred to them. University students emulated them, believing learning would flourish and worthy recluses would serve again. Shentu Pan alone warned: "In the Warring States, freelance scholars held forth and kings swept paths before them—and it ended in buried scholars and burnt books. The same is coming now." He vanished into the wilds between Liang and Dang, built a hut from branches, and lived like a hired hand. Two years later Fan Pang and the rest were indeed caught in the calamity of the partisan proscription—only Pan, keeping his distance, escaped the reckoning.
31
臣光曰:天下有道,君子揚於王庭,以正小人之罪,而莫敢不服; 天下無道,君子囊括不言,以避小人之禍,而猶或不免。 黨人生昏亂之世,不在其位,四海橫流,而欲以口舌救之,臧否人物,激濁揚清,撩虺蛇之頭,踐虎狼之屬,以至身被淫刑,禍及朋友,士類殲滅而國隨以亡,不亦悲乎! 夫唯郭泰既明且哲,以保其身,申屠蟠見幾而作,不俟終日,卓乎其不可及已!
Sima Guang remarks: When the realm is governed by the Way, gentlemen speak openly at court to judge petty men's crimes, and no one dares rebel; when the realm has lost the Way, gentlemen hold their tongues to avoid petty men's vengeance—and still may not escape. The partisans lived in a fallen age, out of office, with chaos everywhere—yet they hoped to save the realm with words alone, praising and condemning, stirring up what was filthy and what was pure, rousing vipers and treading on tigers. They earned torture, destroyed their friends, wiped out the scholar class, and the state followed into ruin. What tragedy! Guo Tai alone was wise enough to preserve himself; Shentu Pan saw the turning point and acted without delay—how far beyond the rest!
32
庚子晦,日有食之。 十一月,太尉劉寵免; 太僕扶溝郭禧為太尉。 鮮卑寇并州。 長樂太僕曹節病困,詔拜車騎將軍。 有頃,疾瘳,上印綬,復為中常侍,位特進,秩中二千石。 高句驪王伯固寇遼東,玄菟太守耿臨討降之。
On the last day of the geng-zi cycle the sun was eclipsed. In the eleventh month Grand Marshal Liu Chong was removed from office; Guo Xi of Fugou, Director of the Imperial Transport, was appointed Grand Marshal. The Xianbei raided Bing Province. Cao Jie, Chancellor of Changletai, lay gravely ill and was appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry by edict. He soon recovered, returned the seal, and resumed his post as Regular Attendant with the rank of Special Advance and salary of middle two thousand shi. Bogu, king of Goguryeo, raided Liaodong. Geng Lin, Grand Administrator of Xuantu, attacked and accepted his surrender.
33
春,三月,丙寅晦,日有食之。 征段熲還京師,拜侍中。 熲在邊十餘年,未嘗一日蓐寢,與將士同甘苦,故皆樂為死戰,所向有功。
In spring, the third month, on the last day of bing-yin, the sun was eclipsed. Duan Jiong was recalled to the capital and appointed Palace Attendant. Jiong spent more than ten years on the frontier, never once sleeping in comfort, sharing every hardship with his men. They fought willingly to the death for him, and his campaigns never failed.
34
夏,四月,太尉郭禧罷; 以太中大夫聞人襲為太尉。 秋,七月,司空劉囂罷; 八月,以大鴻臚梁國橋玄為司空。 九月,執金吾董寵坐矯永樂太后屬請,下獄死。 冬,鬱林太守谷永以恩信招降烏滸人十餘萬,皆內屬,受冠帶,開置七縣。 涼州刺史扶風孟佗遣從事任涉將敦煌兵五百人,與戊己司馬曹寬、西域長史張宴將焉耆、龜茲、車師前、後部,合三萬餘人討疏,攻楨中城,四十餘日不能下,引去。 其後疏勒王連相殺害,朝廷亦不能復治。 初,中常侍張讓有監奴,典任家事,威形喧赫。 孟佗資產饒贍,與奴朋結,傾竭饋問,無所遺愛。 奴咸德之,問其所欲。 佗曰:「吾望汝曹為我一拜耳!」 時賓客求謁讓者,車常數百千兩,佗詣讓,後至,不得進,監奴乃率諸倉頭迎拜於路,遂共輿車入門,賓客咸驚,謂佗善於讓,皆爭以珍玩賂之。 佗分以遺讓,讓大喜,由是以佗為涼州刺史。
In summer, the fourth month, Grand Marshal Guo Xi was removed from office; Grand Counselor Wenren Xi was appointed Grand Marshal in his place. In autumn, the seventh month, Minister of Works Liu Xiao was removed from office; In the eighth month, Qiao Xuan of Liang State, Grand Herald, was appointed Minister of Works. In the ninth month, Dong Chong, Commandant of the Capital Guard, was found guilty of using forged petitions in Empress Dowager Yongle's name, was imprisoned, and died there. In winter, Gu Yong, Grand Administrator of Yulin, won over more than a hundred thousand Wuhu people through kindness and trust; they all submitted to Han rule, received official caps and sashes, and seven new counties were established. Meng Tuo of Fufeng, Inspector of Liang Province, dispatched his aide Ren She with five hundred Dunhuang troops, and together with Wuji Commandant Cao Kuan and Chief Clerk of the Western Regions Zhang Yan, who led forces from Qiuci, Kucha, and the Front and Rear Divisions of the Cheshi, more than thirty thousand men in all, marched against Shule and besieged Zhongzhong city. After more than forty days they failed to capture it and withdrew. Thereafter the kings of Shule slew one another in turn, and the court could no longer restore order there. Earlier, Regular Attendant Zhang Rang kept a steward slave who ran his household affairs, and whose power and presence were loud and overwhelming. Meng Tuo was wealthy and well supplied; he befriended the slave, lavished gifts upon him without stint, and withheld nothing. The slave was deeply grateful and asked what he wanted. Tuo said, "All I want is for you to bow to me once!" At the time, visitors seeking an audience with Rang often lined the road with hundreds or thousands of carriages. When Tuo arrived late and could not get in, the steward slave led the head stewards out to bow to him in the street, and together they carried his carriage through the gate. The guests were astonished, assuming Tuo was on excellent terms with Rang, and all vied to ply him with precious gifts. Tuo shared the gifts with Rang, who was delighted and thereupon had him appointed Inspector of Liang Province.
35
春,正月,甲子,帝加元服,赦天下,唯黨人不赦。 二月,癸卯,地震。 三月,辛酉朔,日有食之。 太尉聞人襲免; 以太僕汝南李咸為太尉。 大疫。 司徒許訓免; 以司空橋玄為司徒;
In spring, the first month, on jiazi day, the emperor came of age, proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the realm, but the partisans alone were excluded. In the second month, on guimao day, the earth shook. In the third month, on the first day of xinyou, there was a solar eclipse. Grand Marshal Wenren Xi was removed from office; Li Xian of Runan, Director of the Imperial Transport, was appointed Grand Marshal in his place. A great plague broke out. Minister over the Masses Xu Xun was removed from office; Minister of Works Qiao Xuan was appointed Minister over the Masses;
36
夏,四月,以太常南陽來艷為司空。
In summer, the fourth month, Lai Yan of Nanyang, Grand Master of Ceremonies, was appointed Minister of Works.
37
秋,七月,司空來艷免。 癸丑,立貴人宋氏為皇后,後,執金吾酆之女也。 司徒橋玄免; 以太常南陽宗俱為司空,前司空許栩為司徒。 帝以竇太后有援立之功,
In autumn, the seventh month, Minister of Works Lai Yan was removed from office. On guichou day, Noble Lady Song was made empress; she was the daughter of Feng, Commandant of the Capital Guard. Minister over the Masses Qiao Xuan was removed from office; Zong Ju of Nanyang, Grand Master of Ceremonies, was appointed Minister of Works, and former Minister of Works Xu Xu became Minister over the Masses. Because the emperor felt that Empress Dowager Dou had helped put him on the throne,
38
冬,十月,戊子朔,率群臣朝太后於南宮,親饋上壽。 黃門令董萌因此數為太后訴冤,帝深納之,供養資奉,有加於前。 曹節、王甫疾之,誣萌以謗訕永樂宮,下獄死。 鮮卑寇并州。
In winter, the tenth month, on the first day of wuzi, he led the court to pay homage to the empress dowager at the Southern Palace and personally offered her the toast of long life. Yellow Gate Commandant Dong Meng repeatedly pressed the empress dowager's case before the emperor, who took it deeply to heart and increased her stipends and support beyond what she had received before. Cao Jie and Wang Fu resented this, falsely accused Dong Meng of slandering Yongle Palace, had him imprisoned, and he died there. The Xianbei raided Bing Province.