1
資治通鑑第073卷
Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 73
2
【魏紀五】起旃蒙單閼，盡強圉大荒落，凡三年。
[Wei Records, Five] spans from the year Zhanmeng-Danyan through Qiangyu-Dahuangluo—a period of three years.
3
烈祖明皇帝中之下青龍三年（ 乙卯，公元二三五年）
Emperor Ming the Illustrious Ancestor, Part Two (conclusion), Qinglong year 3 ( yimao cycle, AD 235)
4
春，正月，戊子，以大將軍司馬懿為太尉。
In spring, the first month, on the day wuzi, Grand General Sima Yi was made Grand Commandant.
5
丁巳，皇太后郭氏殂。 帝數問甄后死狀於太后，由是太后以憂殂。
On the day dingsi, Empress Dowager Guo died. The emperor kept pressing the empress dowager about how Empress Zhen had died, and she died of distress as a result.
6
漢楊儀既殺魏延，自以為有大功，宜代諸葛亮秉政； 而亮平生密指，以儀狷狹，意在蔣琬。 儀至成都，拜中軍師，無所統領，從容而已。 初，儀事昭烈帝為尚書，琬時為尚書郎。 後雖俱為丞相參軍、長史，儀每從行，當其勞劇； 自謂年宦先琬，才能逾之，於是怨憤形於聲色，歎吒之音發於五內，時人畏其言語不節，莫敢從也。 惟後軍師費禕往慰省之，儀對禕恨望，前後云云。 又語禕曰：「往者丞相亡沒之際，吾若舉軍以就魏氏，處世寧當落度如此邪！ 令人追悔，不可復及！」 禕密表其言。 漢主廢儀為民，徙漢嘉郡。 儀至徙所，復上書誹謗。 ，辭指激切。 遂下郡收儀，儀自殺。
After Yang Yi of Shu killed Wei Yan, he believed his deed merited great reward and that he should succeed Zhuge Liang as head of government; but Zhuge Liang had privately indicated that Yi was narrow-minded and obstinate, and that he intended Jiang Wan to take his place. When Yi arrived in Chengdu, he was named Central Army Adviser but given no troops to command—an idle post, nothing more. Earlier, Yi had served Emperor Zhaolie as Director of the Masters of Writing while Wan was still a junior clerk in that office. Later, though both served as staff officer and chief clerk to the chancellor, Yi always marched with the army and shouldered the hardest work; He thought himself senior to Wan in age and rank and more capable besides, and his resentment showed plainly in voice and face—groans and outbursts from the depths of his being. Men of the day feared his intemperate tongue and kept their distance. Only Rear Army Adviser Fei Yi went to comfort him; Yang Yi poured out his grievances to Fei Yi at great length. He also told Fei Yi, "When the chancellor died, if I had led the army over to Wei, would I be living in such degradation now! The thought fills one with regret—and it can never be undone!" Fei Yi reported his words to the throne in a secret memorial. The ruler of Shu stripped Yi of rank and banished him to Hanjia commandery as a commoner. When Yi reached his place of exile, he submitted another memorial full of slander. The language was fierce and uncompromising. The commandery was ordered to arrest him; Yi took his own life.
7
三月，庚寅，葬文德皇后。
In the third month, on the day gengyin, Empress Wende was interred.
8
夏，四月，漢主以蔣琬為大將軍、錄尚書事； 費禕代琬為尚書令。 帝好土功，既作許昌宮，又治洛陽宮，起昭陽太極殿，築總章觀，高十餘丈。 力役不已，農桑失業。 司空陳群上疏曰：「昔禹承唐、虞之盛，猶卑宮室而惡衣服。 況今喪亂之後，人民至少，比漢文、景之時，不過一大郡。 加以邊境有事，將士勞苦，若有水旱之患，國家之深憂也。 昔劉備自成都至白水，多作傳捨，興費人役，太祖知其疲民也。 今中國勞力，亦吳、蜀之所願。 此安危之機也，惟陛下慮之！」 帝答曰：「王業、宮室，亦宜並立。 滅賊之後，但當罷守禦耳，豈可復興役邪！ 是固君之職，蕭何之大略也。」 群曰：「昔漢祖惟與項羽爭天下，羽已滅，宮室燒焚，是以蕭何建武庫、太倉，皆是要急，然高祖猶非其壯麗。 今二虜未平，誠不宜與古同也。 夫人之所欲，莫不有辭，況乃天王，莫之敢違。 前欲壞武庫，謂不可不壞也； 後欲置之，謂不可不置也。 若必作之，固非臣下辭言所屈； 若少留神，卓然回意，亦非臣下之所及也。 漢明帝欲起德陽殿，鐘離意諫，即用其言，後乃復作之； 殿成，謂群臣曰：『鐘離尚書在，不得成此殿也。』 夫王者豈憚一臣！ 蓋為百姓也。 今臣曾不能少凝聖德，不及意遠矣。」 帝乃為之少有減省。 帝耽於內寵，婦官秩石擬百官之數，自貴人以下至掖庭灑掃者，凡數千人，選女子知書可付信者六人，以為女尚書，使典省外奏事，處當畫可。 廷尉高柔上疏曰：「昔漢文惜十家之資，不營小台之娛； 去病臣匈奴之害，不遑治第之事。 況今所損者非惟百金之費，所憂者非徒北鍬之患乎！ 可粗成見所營立以充朝宴之儀，訖罷作者，使得就養； 二方平定，復可徐興。 《周禮》：天子后妃以下百二十人，嬪嬙之儀，既已盛矣。 竊聞後庭之數，或復過之，聖嗣不昌，殆能由此。 臣愚以為可妙簡淑媛以備內官之數，其餘盡遣還家，且以育精養神，專靜為寶。 如此，則《螽斯》之征可庶而致矣。」 帝報曰：「卿輒昌言，他復以聞。」 是時獵法嚴峻，殺禁地鹿者身死，財產沒官，有能覺告者，厚加賞賜。 柔復上疏曰：「中間以來，百姓供給眾役，親田者既減； 加頃復有獵禁，群鹿犯暴，殘食生苗，處處為害，所傷不貲，民雖障離，力不能御。 至如滎陽左右，周數百里，歲略不收。 方今天下生生者甚少，而麋鹿之損者甚多，卒有兵戎之役，凶年之災，將無以待之。 惟陛下寬放民間，使得捕鹿，遂除其禁，則眾庶永濟，莫不悅豫矣。」 帝又欲平北芒，令於其上作台觀，望見孟津。 衛尉辛毘諫曰：「天地之性，高高下下。 今而反之，既非其理； 加以損費人功，民不堪役。 且若九河盈溢，洪水為害，而丘陵皆夷，將何以御之！」 帝乃止。
In summer, the fourth month, the ruler of Shu made Jiang Wan Grand General with authority to oversee the Masters of Writing; Fei Yi succeeded Wan as Director of the Masters of Writing. The emperor loved grand construction. After finishing the palace at Xuchang, he turned to Luoyang—raising the Zhaoyang and Taiji halls and building the Zongzhang Pavilion to a height of more than ten zhang. Forced labor never let up, and farming and sericulture were abandoned. Minister of Works Chen Qun memorialized the throne: "Even Yu, inheriting the golden age of Tang and Shun, kept his dwellings humble and his dress plain. How much more so today, after generations of war—the population is tiny; compared with the reigns of Han Wen and Jing, we amount to little more than a single large commandery. The frontiers are active and the troops exhausted; flood or drought on top of that would be a grave national crisis. When Liu Bei built relay stations all the way from Chengdu to Baishui, he wasted labor and exhausted the people—our founding emperor saw through it at once. If we exhaust our own strength now, Wu and Shu will be only too pleased. This is the turning point between safety and ruin—may Your Majesty weigh it carefully!" The emperor answered, "A royal enterprise and its palaces ought to be raised together. Once the enemy is destroyed we need only stand down the garrisons—surely we will not keep pressing the people into labor! That is a ruler's proper duty—the grand design of Xiao He himself." Chen Qun replied, "When the Han founder fought Xiang Yu for the empire, the palaces were burned to ash after Xiang's fall. Xiao He then built the armory and the great granary—urgent necessities all—yet Gaozu still found them too grand. Our two enemies are not yet subdued—we truly ought not to take antiquity as our model. Whatever people desire, they can always justify—and how much more a Son of Heaven, whom none dare refuse. When you first wished to tear down the armory, it was argued that it had to come down; when you later wished to keep it, it was argued that it had to stand. If Your Majesty insists on building, no words of ours can turn you; but if Your Majesty would pause and change course of your own accord, that is beyond what any subject can accomplish for you. Emperor Ming of Han wished to build the Deyang Hall; Zhongli Yi remonstrated, and the emperor at once accepted his counsel—yet later built it anyway; when the hall was finished he told his ministers, "If Director Zhongli were still alive, this hall would never have been built." A king does not fear a single minister! He did it for the people's sake. As for me, I have not even slightly checked Your Majesty's resolve—I am no Zhongli Yi." The emperor then scaled the works back somewhat. The emperor was absorbed in his harem. Palace women's ranks and stipends rivaled those of the civil bureaucracy—from honored ladies down to the sweepers of the rear apartments, they numbered in the thousands. Six literate, trustworthy women were made female Masters of Writing to handle provincial memorials and mark approvals. Minister of Justice Gao Rou memorialized: "Emperor Wen of Han would not squander the livelihood of ten households on a pleasure terrace; Huo Qubing, once he had crushed the Xiongnu threat, had no time to build himself a mansion. Today the cost is not a mere hundred in gold, and the danger is not a trifling northern frontier alone! Finish roughly what is already underway so court ceremonies can proceed, then halt all new work and let the people return to their fields; when both enemies are subdued, building may resume at leisure. The Rites of Zhou allot the Son of Heaven one empress and consorts below her, one hundred twenty in all—the protocol for palace women is already ample. I hear the rear apartments may exceed even that number; the lack of flourishing imperial heirs may stem from this. I humbly suggest selecting only the finest ladies to fill the prescribed inner ranks, sending all others home so Your Majesty may conserve your vitality and keep to stillness. Then the blessing of many sons foretold in the "Locusts" ode may yet be realized." The emperor answered, "You speak plainly as ever; bring me word of anything else." At that time hunting laws were harsh—killing deer in the imperial preserves was punishable by death and confiscation of property, with heavy rewards for informers. Gao Rou memorialized again: "For some time the people have borne endless corvée; those who farm their own land grow fewer by the day; and now the hunting ban lets deer overrun the fields, devouring the young grain everywhere at incalculable cost. The farmers fence them out but cannot hold them back. Around Xingyang, for hundreds of li in every direction, the year has brought almost no harvest. Those who live and prosper under Heaven are few, while deer destroy far more—if war or famine should strike, what will we have to fall back on? May Your Majesty relax the ban and let the people hunt deer—the common folk will be forever sustained, and all will rejoice." The emperor also wished to level the Northern Mang hills and erect terraces and towers from which to view the Meng Ford. Commandant of the Guards Xin Pi remonstrated: "Heaven and Earth have their proper heights and depths. To level them now runs against nature itself; and it wastes labor the people cannot endure. If the nine rivers should flood and the hills are flattened, what barrier will remain!" The emperor abandoned the plan.
9
少府楊阜上疏曰：「陛下奉武皇帝開拓之大業，守文皇帝克終之元緒，誠宜思齊往古聖賢之善治，總觀季世放蕩之惡政。 曩使桓、靈不廢高祖之法度，文、景之恭儉，太祖雖有神武，於何所施，而陛下何由處斯尊哉！ 今吳、蜀未定，定旅在外，諸所繕治，惟陛下務從約節。」 帝優詔答之。 阜復上疏曰：「堯尚茅茨而萬國安其居，禹卑宮室而天下樂其業。 及至殷、周，或堂崇三尺，度以九筵耳。 桀作璇室象廊，紂為傾宮鹿台，以喪其社稷； 楚靈以築章華而身受禍； 秦始皇作阿房，二世而滅。 夫不度萬民之力，以從耳目之欲，未有不亡者也。 陛下當以堯、舜、禹、湯、文、武為法則，夏桀、殷紂、楚靈、秦皇為深誡，而乃自暇自逸，惟宮台是飾，必有顛覆危亡之禍矣。 君作元首，臣為股肱，存亡一體，得失同之。 臣雖駑怯，敢忘爭臣之義！ 言不切至，不足以感寤陛下。 陛下不察臣言，恐皇祖、烈考之祚墜於地。 使臣身死有補萬一，則死之日猶生之年也。 謹叩棺沐浴，伏俟重誅！」 奏御，帝感其忠言，手筆詔答。 帝嘗著衣冒，被縹綾半袖。 阜問帝曰：「此於禮何法服也？」 帝默然不答。 自是不法服不以見阜。 阜又上疏欲省宮人諸不見幸者，乃召御府吏問後宮人數。 吏守舊令，對曰：「禁密，不得宣露！」 阜怒，杖吏一百，數之曰：「國家不與九卿為密，反與小吏為密乎！」 帝愈嚴憚之。
Privy Treasurer Yang Fu memorialized: "Your Majesty holds the great enterprise of expansion begun by Emperor Wu and the founding work brought to completion by the Cultured Emperor. You should strive to equal the sage rulers of old and take warning from the reckless policies of the dynasty's final years. Had Emperors Huan and Ling not cast aside Gaozu's laws and the frugality of Wen and Jing, our founding emperor's martial genius would have had no field to prove itself—and how would Your Majesty sit upon this throne! Wu and Shu are not yet subdued and our armies are in the field—in all building and repair, may Your Majesty practice strict economy." The emperor replied with a gracious edict. Yang Fu memorialized again: "Yao lived in thatched huts and the myriad states dwelt in peace; Yu kept his palaces humble and the world rejoiced in its labors. Even in Yin and Zhou, halls rose no more than three chi, their span measured in nine mats. Jie built the Jade Chamber and Ivory Corridor; Zhou built the Tilting Palace and Deer Tower—and both lost their realms; King Ling of Chu built Zhanghua and brought disaster on himself; Qin Shihuang built Epang Palace; his line was extinguished in the second generation. Those who spend the people's strength to gratify their senses have never failed to fall. Your Majesty should take Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen, and Wu as your models, and Jie, Zhou, King Ling of Chu, and the First Emperor of Qin as solemn warnings—yet you indulge in ease and adorn only palaces and towers. Overthrow and ruin are sure to follow. The ruler is the head and his ministers the arms and legs—survival and ruin are one body, and gain and loss are shared alike. Though I am slow and timid, how dare I forget a loyal minister's duty to speak plainly! Words that are not blunt and urgent cannot move Your Majesty. If Your Majesty will not heed me, I fear the throne of your imperial ancestors may fall to ruin. If my death might avail even a little, the day I die would count as a day I lived. I have prepared my coffin and bathed, and await Your Majesty's severest judgment!" When the memorial reached him, the emperor was moved by Yang Fu's loyalty and answered in his own hand. The emperor once wore a traveling cloak with light silk half-sleeves. Yang Fu asked, "What ritual garment is this?" The emperor said nothing. After that he never received Yang Fu in improper dress. Yang Fu memorialized again to dismiss palace women who had never received the emperor's favor, and summoned an official of the Imperial Wardrobe to ask how many women were in the rear apartments. The clerk cited the old regulations: "That is secret—it may not be disclosed!" Yang Fu had him beaten a hundred strokes and rebuked him: "The state keeps no secrets from the Nine Ministers—must it keep them from petty clerks instead!" The emperor feared him all the more.
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散騎常侍蔣濟上疏曰：「昔句踐養胎以待用，昭王恤病以雪仇，故能以弱燕服強齊，羸越滅勁吳。 今二敵強盛，當身不除，百世之責也。 以陛下聖明神武之略，捨其緩者，專心討賊，臣以為無難矣。」 中書侍郎東萊王基上疏曰：「臣聞古人以水喻民曰：『水所以載舟，亦所以覆舟。』 顏淵曰『東野子之御，馬力盡矣，而求進不已，殆將敗矣。』 今事役勞苦，男女離曠，願陛下深察東野之敝，留意舟水之喻，息奔駟於未盡，節力役於未困。 昔漢有天下，至孝文時唯有同姓諸侯，而賈誼憂之曰：『置火積薪之下而寢其上，因謂之安。』 今寇賊未殄，猛將擁兵，檢之則無以應敵，久之則難以遺後，當盛明之世，不務以除患，若子孫不競，社稷之憂也。 使賈誼復起，必深切於曩時矣。」 帝皆不聽。
Regular Attendant Jiang Ji memorialized: "Goujian of Yue husbanded his strength until the time was ripe; King Zhao of Yan nursed the wounded to settle his score—thus weak Yan overcame mighty Qi, and exhausted Yue destroyed powerful Wu. Our two enemies are strong today; if they are not destroyed in Your Majesty's lifetime, the blame will fall on a hundred generations. With Your Majesty's sagacity and martial prowess, if you set aside lesser matters and concentrate on destroying the enemy, I see no difficulty at all." The Zhongshu Vice Director Wang Ji of Donglai submitted a memorial, saying, "I have heard that the ancients likened the people to water, saying, 'Water is what carries the boat—and it is also what capsizes it. Yan Yuan said, "In Dongyezi's driving, the horses' strength is already spent, yet he still presses onward without cease—he is on the verge of ruin." Corvée labor is now grueling, and men and women are torn apart and left alone. I beg Your Majesty to look closely at the harm in Dongye's driving, keep in mind the lesson of boat and water, stop the galloping team before their strength is gone, and curb forced labor before the people are worn down. In the past, when Han held the realm, by the reign of Emperor Xiaowen there were only feudal lords of the imperial surname—yet Jia Yi still worried and said, 'To pile firewood, lay a fire beneath it, sleep on top, and call that safe.' Today the bandits and rebels are not yet destroyed, and powerful generals hold armies in their hands. Restrain them, and you cannot meet the enemy; leave them too long, and you cannot safely bequeath the realm to posterity. In this age of splendor and enlightenment, if you do not strive to remove these dangers—and if your descendants prove unequal to the task—it will be a calamity for the altars of state. If Jia Yi were to rise again, his alarm would surely run even deeper than before.' The emperor did not heed any of it.
11
殿中監督役，擅收蘭台令史，右僕射衛臻奏案之。 詔曰：「殿捨不成，吾所留心，卿推之，何也？」 臻曰：「古制侵官之法，非惡其勤事也，誠以所益者小，所墮者大也。 臣每察校事，類皆如此，若又縱之，懼群司將遂越職，以至陵夷矣。」
The supervisor of palace construction forcibly detained a Lantai clerk; the Right Vice Director Wei Zhen memorialized requesting that the case be investigated. The emperor said by edict, "The palace buildings are not yet finished—that is what weighs on my mind. Why are you pressing this case?" Wei Zhen replied, "The ancient law against overstepping office was not made because diligence in affairs is hated; it is because what is gained is small, while what is lost is great. Whenever I examine such matters, they are all of this kind. If this is indulged again, I fear the various offices will go on overstepping their duties until government itself declines."
12
尚書涿郡孫禮固請罷役，帝詔曰：「欽納讜言。」 促遣民作； 監作者復奏留一月，有所成訖。 禮徑至作所，不復重奏，稱詔罷民，帝奇其意而不責。 帝雖不能盡用群臣直諫之言，然皆優容之。
Sun Li, Minister of the Masters, from Zhuo Commandery, repeatedly petitioned to halt corvée labor. The emperor issued an edict saying, "I respectfully accept your forthright counsel." He urgently ordered the corvée workers sent home; the construction supervisors again memorialized asking to keep them one month more until certain work was finished. Sun Li went straight to the work site without submitting another memorial, announced the edict dismissing the people, and the emperor admired his resolve and did not reproach him. Although the emperor could not fully act on his ministers' frank remonstrances, he nevertheless received them all with generous forbearance.
13
秋，七月，洛陽崇華殿災。 帝問侍中領太史令泰山高堂隆曰：「此何咎也？ 於禮寧有祈禳之義乎？」 對曰：「《易‧傳》曰：『上不儉，下不節，孽火燒其室。』 又曰：『君高其台，天火為災。』 此人君務飾宮室，不知百姓空竭，故天應之以旱，火從高殿起也。」 詔問隆：「吾聞漢武帝之時柏梁災，而大起宮殿以厭之，其義雲何？」 對曰：「夷越之巫所為，非聖賢之明訓也。 《五行志》曰：『柏梁災，其後有江充巫蠱事。』 如《志》之言，越巫建章無所厭也。 令宜罷散民役。 宮室之制，務從約節，清掃所災之處，不敢於此有所立作，則萐莆、嘉禾必生此地。 若乃疲民之力，竭民之財，非所以致符瑞而懷遠人也。」
In autumn, in the seventh month, Chonghua Hall in Luoyang burned down. The emperor asked the Palace Attendant and Acting Director of the Imperial Astronomers, Gao Tanglong of Taishan, "What fault does this signify? Does ritual provide any grounds for prayers of supplication and expiation?" He replied, "The Commentary on the Changes says, 'When those above are not frugal and those below are not restrained, baleful fire burns their house. It also says, "When the ruler raises his terraces high, heaven's fire becomes a calamity." This means the ruler busies himself adorning the palace, heedless that the common people are drained and exhausted—so Heaven answered with drought, and fire broke out from the high hall." The emperor asked Long by edict, "I have heard that in Emperor Wu of Han's time the Boling Hall burned, and he thereupon built palaces on a grand scale to suppress the omen—what is the meaning of that?" He replied, "That was the work of Yue and barbarian shamans—it is not the enlightened teaching of sages and worthies. The Records of the Five Phases says, "When Boling burned, the affair of Jiang Chong's witchcraft followed." As the Records say, the Yue shamans' building of Zhang Hall did nothing to suppress the omen. Your Majesty should now dismiss the corvée laborers. In palace construction, let everything be kept simple and restrained; sweep clean the burned ground and build nothing new upon it—then ten-thousand-leaf grass and auspicious grain will spring up there. To wear out the people's strength and drain their wealth is no way to summon auspicious omens or win over distant peoples."
14
八月，庚午，立皇子芳為齊王，詢為秦王。 帝無子，養二王為子，宮省事秘，莫有知其所由來者。 或云：芳，任城王楷之子也。
In the eighth month, on the day gengwu, Prince Fang was enfeoffed as Prince of Qi and Prince Xun as Prince of Qin. The emperor had no sons of his own and adopted the two princes as his own; the palace kept the matter secret, and no one knew their origins. Some said that Fang was the son of Prince Kai of Rencheng.
15
丁巳，帝還洛陽。
On the day dingsi, the emperor returned to Luoyang.
16
詔復立崇華殿，更名曰九龍。 通引穀水過九龍殿前，為玉井綺欄，蟾蜍含受，神龍吐出。 使博士扶風馬鈞作司南車，水轉百戲。 陵霄闕始構，有鵲巢其上，帝以問高堂隆，對曰：「《詩》曰：『惟鵲有巢，惟鳩居之。』 今興宮室，起陵霄闕，而鵲巢之，此宮未成身不得居之象也。 大意若曰：『宮室未成，將有他姓制御之』。 斯乃上天之戒也。 夫天道無親，惟與善人，太戊、武丁睹災悚懼，故天降之福。 今若休罷百役，增崇德政，則三王可四，五帝可六，豈惟商宗轉禍為福而已哉！」 帝為之動容。 帝性嚴急，其督修宮室有稽限者，帝親召問，言猶在口，身首已分。 散騎常侍領秘書監王肅上疏曰：「今宮室未就，見作者三四萬人。 九龍可以安聖體，其內足以列六宮； 惟泰極已前，功夫尚大。 願陛下取常食稟之士，非急要者之用，選其丁壯，擇留萬人，使一期而更之。 咸知息代有日，則莫不悅以即事，勞而不怨矣。 計一歲有三百六十萬夫，亦不為少。 當一歲成者，聽且三年，分遣其餘，使皆即農，無窮之計也。 夫信之於民，國家大寶也。 前車駕當幸洛陽，發民為營，有司命以營成而罷； 既成，又利其功力，不以時遣。 有司徒營目前之利，不顧經國之體。 臣愚以為自今已後，儻復使民，宜明其令，使必如期，以次有事，寧使更發，無或失信。 凡陛下臨時之所行刑，皆有罪之吏、宜死之人也； 然眾庶不知，謂為倉卒。 故願陛下下之於吏，而暴其罪，鈞其死也，無使污於宮掖而為遠近所疑。 且人命至重，難生易殺，氣絕不續者也，是以聖賢重之。 昔漢文帝欲殺犯蹕者，廷尉張釋之曰：『方其時，上使誅之則已，今下廷尉，廷尉，天下之平，不可傾也。』 臣以為大失其義，非忠臣所宜陳也。 廷尉者，天子之吏也，猶不可以失平，而天子之身反可以惑謬乎！ 斯重於為己而輕於為君，不忠之甚也，不可不察！」
An edict ordered Chonghua Hall rebuilt and renamed Nine Dragons Hall. The Gu River was diverted to flow before Nine Dragons Hall, with jade wells and ornate railings fashioned so that toads received the water and divine dragons spouted it forth. He had the Erudite Ma Jun of Fufeng construct a south-pointing chariot and water-driven mechanical entertainments. When Lingxiao Gate was first under construction and magpies built nests upon it, the emperor asked Gao Tanglong about it; he replied, "The Book of Songs says, 'The magpie has its nest; the turtledove dwells in it. Now, as palace construction rises and Lingxiao Gate is built, magpies nest upon it—this is an image of the palace unfinished while its occupant cannot yet dwell within. Taken broadly, it is as if to say, 'The palace is not yet finished, and another surname will come to control it.' This is a warning sent down from Heaven. Heaven is impartial and aids the good alone. Ta Yi and Wu Ding, when they saw calamity, were filled with dread—therefore Heaven bestowed blessings upon them. If Your Majesty now halts the hundred corvées and elevates virtuous governance, you may match the Three Dynasties and surpass the Five Emperors—how much more than merely turning misfortune to fortune, as the Shang ruler did!" The emperor was visibly moved by this. The emperor's nature was stern and impatient; when those supervising palace construction fell behind schedule, he would summon them personally—and even as the words were still on his lips, head and body were already parted. The Palace Attendant and Secretary Supervisor Wang Su submitted a memorial, saying, "The palace is not yet finished, and I see thirty or forty thousand workers on the site. Nine Dragons Hall can already accommodate Your Majesty's sacred person; within it there is room enough for the six palaces. Only the work before Taiji Gate still requires great labor. I beg Your Majesty to take men from the regular grain-ration troops who are not urgently needed elsewhere, select the strongest among them, keep ten thousand, and rotate them at fixed intervals. If every man knew the day when his turn would end, each would gladly set to work—laboring hard, yet without bitterness. Count the labor for a full year, and it comes to three million six hundred thousand man-days—not a trifling sum. Where a task could be finished in a year, stretch it across three; rotate the rest home in turn so that all may return to the fields at once—a policy that need never run dry. Trust in the eyes of the people is the state's greatest treasure. On an earlier progress, when Your Majesty was bound for Luoyang, commoners were conscripted for construction, and the responsible officials promised they would be released once the camps were finished; yet when the work was done, those in charge coveted their labor still and did not dismiss them when promised. Some ministers chased profit before their eyes and gave no thought to the enduring foundations of government. I humbly believe that hereafter, whenever the people are conscripted again, the command should be made explicit and release must come exactly as promised; when new tasks arise, it is better to levy fresh labor than ever to break faith. Every execution Your Majesty orders on the spot involves officials who have committed crimes and men who deserve to die; yet the common people do not know this, and believe you act in sudden, arbitrary wrath. I therefore beg Your Majesty to refer such cases to the proper officials, make the culprit's crimes public, and let the justice of the sentence be weighed—so that blood is not shed within the inner palace and the throne is not suspect in the eyes of near and far. Human life is the weightiest thing of all: hard to give back, easy to take away, and once breath is severed it cannot be restored. That is why sages and worthies hold it sacred. In the past, when Emperor Wen of Han wished to execute a man who had violated the imperial progress, Court Commandant Zhang Shizhi said: "At that moment, had Your Majesty ordered his death, so be it; but now that the case has been sent down to me—the Court Commandant is the scale of the realm, and that scale must not be tipped." I consider that a grave failure of principle—not what a loyal minister ought to say. The Court Commandant is the emperor's own officer; even he may not lose his balance—how then can the emperor's own person be allowed to err in judgment! That is to weigh one's own interest heavily and the ruler's lightly—the depth of disloyalty, and it must not pass unexamined!"
17
中山恭王兗疾病，令官屬曰：「男子不死於婦人之手，亟以時營東堂。」 堂成，輿疾往居之。 又令世子曰：「汝幼為人君，知樂不知苦，必將以驕奢為失者也。 兄弟有不良之行，當造膝諫之，諫之不從，流涕喻之，喻之不改，乃白其母，猶不改，當以奏聞，並辭國土。 與其守寵罹禍，不若貧賤全身也。 此亦謂大罪惡耳，其微過細故，當掩覆之。」 冬，十月，己酉，袞卒。
Prince Gong of Zhongshan, Cao Gun, fell gravely ill and told his officials: "A man should not die in a woman's hands—build the Eastern Hall at once, and see that it is finished on time." When the hall was finished, he had himself carried there, sick as he was, and took up residence in it. He also charged his heir: "You are young on the throne; you know pleasure but not hardship, and will surely take pride and luxury for your downfall. If any of your brothers commit unworthy acts, admonish them at close quarters; if they will not listen, plead with tears; if they still do not mend, tell your mother; if they still will not mend, report the matter to the throne and surrender your fief together with them. Better to live poor and obscure with one's life whole than to cling to royal favor and invite ruin. This applies only to great crimes and wickedness; minor faults and small slips should be covered over." In winter, the tenth month, on the day jiyou, Gun died.
18
十一月，丁酉，帝行如許昌。
In the eleventh month, on the day dingyou, the emperor traveled to Xuchang.
19
是歲，幽州刺史王雄使勇士韓龍刺殺鮮卑軻比能。 自是種落離散，互相侵伐，強者遠遁，弱者請服，邊陲遂安。
That year, Wang Xiong, governor of You Province, sent the warrior Han Long to assassinate Kebineng of the Xianbei. Thereafter the tribes broke apart and raided one another; the strong fled far off, the weak submitted, and the borderlands were at last quiet.
20
張掖柳谷口水溢湧，寶石負圖，狀象靈龜，立於川西，有石馬七及鳳皇、麒麟、白虎、犧牛、璜玦、八卦、列宿、孛彗之象，又有文曰「大討曹」。 詔書班天下，以為嘉瑞。 任令於綽連繼以問巨鹿張□，□密謂綽曰：「夫神以知來，不追已往，祥兆先見，而後廢興從之。 今漢已久亡，魏已得之，何所追興祥兆乎！ 此石，當今之變異而將來之符瑞也。」
At Liugu in Zhangye, floodwaters burst forth and a precious stone bearing a chart emerged, shaped like a numinous tortoise, standing on the west bank of the river. It bore images of seven stone horses, the phoenix, the qilin, the white tiger, the sacrificial ox, jade pendants and rings, the Eight Trigrams, the constellations, and comets, along with an inscription reading "Great chastisement of Cao." An imperial edict was promulgated throughout the realm, proclaiming it an auspicious portent. Magistrate Ren Ling Yu Chuo relayed the matter in turn to Zhang Mi of Julu, and Zhang Mi told Chuo: "The divine foreknows what is to come and does not chase what is already past; auspicious signs appear first, and only then do dynasties rise and fall. Han has long since perished and Wei already holds the realm—why would one chase omens to restore Han! This stone is a sign of change in the present age and a token of fortune yet to come."
21
帝使人以馬易珠璣、悲翠、玳瑁於吳，吳主曰：「此皆孤所不用，而可以得馬，孤何愛焉。」 皆以與之。
The emperor sent envoys to trade horses with Wu for pearls, jadeite, and tortoise shell; the ruler of Wu said, "These are things I have no use for, yet they can win me horses—why should I begrudge them?" He gave them all.
22
烈祖明皇帝中之下青龍四年（ 丙辰，公元二三六年）
Emperor Ming the Illustrious Ancestor, Part Two (conclusion), Qinglong year 4 ( bingchen cycle, AD 236)
23
春，吳人鑄大錢，一當五百。
In spring, Wu cast heavy coins, each worth five hundred of the standard coin.
24
三月，吳張昭卒，年八十一。 昭容貌矜嚴，有威風，吳主以下，舉邦憚之。
In the third month, Zhang Zhao of Wu died at the age of eighty-one. Zhao's bearing was stern and dignified, with an air of commanding authority; from the ruler of Wu down, the whole state stood in awe of him.
25
夏，四月，漢主至湔，登觀阪，觀汶水之流，旬日而還。
In summer, the fourth month, the ruler of Han reached Jian, climbed Guanban, and watched the Wen River flow; after ten days he returned.
26
武都氐王符健請降於漢； 其弟不從，將四百戶來降。
Fu Jian, Di king of Wudu, asked to surrender to Han; his younger brother refused, and led four hundred households to come over in surrender.
27
五月，乙卯，樂平定侯董昭卒。
In the fifth month, on the day yimao, Dong Zhao, Marquis of Leipingding, died.
28
冬，十月，己卯，帝還洛陽宮。
In winter, the tenth month, on the day jimao, the emperor returned to the Luoyang palace.
29
甲申，有星孛於大辰，又勃於東方。 高堂隆上疏曰：「凡帝王徙都立邑，皆先定天地、社稷之位，敬恭以奉之。 將營宮室，則宗廟為先，廄庫為次，居室為後。 今圜丘、方澤、南北郊、明堂、社稷神位未定，宗廟之制又未如禮，而崇飾居室，士民失業，外人鹹云『宮人之用與軍國之費略齊』，民不堪命，皆有怨怒。 《書》曰：『天聰明自我民聰明，天明畏自我民明威。』 言天之賞罰，隨民言，順民心也。 夫采椽、卑宮，唐、虞、大禹之所以垂皇風也； 玉台、瓊室，夏癸、商辛之所以犯昊天也。 今宮室過盛，天彗章灼，斯乃慈父懇切之訓。 當崇孝子祗聳之禮，不宜有忽，以重天怒。」 隆數切諫，帝頗不悅。 侍中盧毓進曰：「臣聞君明則臣直，古之聖王惟恐不聞其過，此乃臣等所以不及隆也。」 帝乃解。 毓，植之子也。
On the day jiashen, a comet appeared at Dachen, and blazed again in the east. Gao Tanglong submitted a memorial, saying, "Whenever an emperor moves the capital and establishes a city, he first fixes the positions of Heaven and Earth and the altars of soil and grain, and reverently attends to them. When palace halls are to be built, the ancestral temple comes first, the stables and storehouses next, and the living quarters last. Yet the Round Mound, the Square Pond, the southern and northern suburban altars, the Bright Hall, and the spirit-seats of the altars of soil and grain remain unfixed; the ancestral temple still falls short of ritual propriety; yet you lavish ornament upon the living quarters, scholars and commoners lose their livelihood, and outsiders all say, "The cost of the palace women nearly equals the expense of army and state," until the people can no longer bear their burdens and wrath fills the land. The Documents says, "Heaven is clear-sighted because we the people are clear-sighted; Heaven's bright awe comes from we the people's bright awe." This means that Heaven's rewards and punishments follow what the people say and accord with the people's hearts. Plain rafters and low halls—this is how the rulers of Tang and Yu and Great Yu left their imperial example to posterity; Jade terraces and jade chambers—this is how Jie of Xia and Zhou of Shang offended August Heaven. Now the palace halls are excessive, and Heaven's comet blazes forth—this is a father's earnest and urgent admonition. You ought to honor the reverent conduct of a filial son, and must not neglect it, lest Heaven's wrath be redoubled." Tanglong remonstrated repeatedly and sharply, and the emperor was quite displeased. The Palace Attendant Lu Yu stepped forward and said, "I have heard that when the ruler is enlightened, his ministers are upright. The sage kings of old feared only that they might not hear of their faults—this is why we your ministers fall short of Tanglong." The emperor's mood then eased. Yu was the son of Lu Zhi.
30
十二月，癸巳，穎陰靖侯陳群卒。 群前後數陳得失，每上封事，輒削其草，時人及其子弟莫能知也。 論者或譏群居位拱默； 正始中，詔撰群臣上書以為《名臣奏議》，朝士乃見群諫事，皆歎息焉。
In the twelfth month, on the day guisi, Chen Qun, Marquis of Yingyin, died. Qun had repeatedly set forth what was right and wrong in affairs of state; each time he submitted a sealed memorial, he would destroy the draft, so that neither his contemporaries nor his own sons and younger relatives could know what he had written. Some critics mocked Qun for holding office in silent deference; In the Zhengshi era, an edict ordered that memorials submitted by the ministers be compiled into the Memorials of Eminent Ministers, and only then did court officials see Qun's remonstrances and all sigh in admiration.
31
袁子論曰：或云：「少府楊阜豈非忠臣哉！ 見人主之非則勃然觸之，與人言未嘗不道。」 答曰：「夫仁者愛人，施之君謂之忠，施於親謂之孝。 今為人臣，見人主失道，直詆其非而播揚其惡，可謂直士，未為忠臣也。 故司空陳群則不然，談論終日，未嘗言人主之非； 書數十上，外人不知。 君子謂群於是乎長者矣。」
Yuan Hong remarked: Some say, "Was not the Privy Treasurer Yang Fu a loyal minister! When he saw that the ruler was in error, he would flare up and confront him; in speaking with others he never failed to speak of it." The reply was, "A benevolent man loves others; directed toward one's ruler this is called loyalty, directed toward one's kin this is called filial piety. Now, as a minister, to see the ruler lose the Way, directly denounce his faults, and broadcast his wrongdoing—one may be called an upright man, but not yet a loyal minister. The Minister of Works Chen Qun was not like that: he might talk all day and never speak of the ruler's faults; he submitted dozens of memorials, and outsiders knew nothing of them. Men of worth considered that in this Qun showed himself a man of mature character."
32
乙未，帝行如許昌。
On the day yiwei, the emperor traveled to Xuchang.
33
詔公卿舉才德兼備者各一人，司馬懿以兗州刺史太原王昶應選。 昶為人謹厚，名其兄子曰默，曰沈，名其子曰渾，曰深，為書戒之曰：「吾以四者為名，欲使汝曹顧名思義，不敢違越也。 夫物速成則疾亡，晚就而善終，朝華之草，夕而零落，松柏之茂，隆寒不衰，是以君子戒於闕黨也。 夫能屈以為伸，讓以為得，弱以為強，鮮不遂矣。 夫毀譽者，愛惡之原而禍福之機也。 孔子曰：『吾之於人，誰毀誰譽。』 以聖人之德猶尚如此，況庸庸之徒而輕毀譽哉！ 人或毀己，當退而求之於身。 若己有可毀之行，則彼言當矣； 若己無可毀之行，則彼言妄矣。 當則無怨於彼，妄則無害於身，又何反報焉！ 諺曰：『救寒莫如重裘，止謗莫如自修。』 斯言信矣！」
An edict ordered the chief ministers each to recommend one man of combined talent and virtue; Sima Yi nominated Wang Chang of Taiyuan, Governor of Yan Province. Wang Chang was by nature careful and earnest. He named his elder brother's sons Mo and Shen, and named his own sons Hun and Shen, and in a letter admonishing them wrote, "I have given you these four names because I wish you, my sons, to reflect on their meaning and not dare to transgress them. Things that are quickly completed quickly perish; what is slowly brought to completion ends well. The morning glory blooms at dawn and withers by evening; the pine and cypress flourish in deep cold and do not fade—therefore the gentleman is wary of excess and haste. He who can bend in order to straighten, yield in order to gain, and show weakness in order to become strong will rarely fail to succeed. Slander and praise are the source of love and hatred, and the pivot of fortune and disaster. Confucius said, "As for other men, whom would I praise, whom would I blame?" Even with the virtue of a sage he still held to this—how much more should ordinary men lightly indulge in blame and praise! If others slander you, you should withdraw and examine yourself. If you yourself have conduct that deserves blame, then their words are fitting; if you yourself have no conduct that deserves blame, then their words are false. If they are fitting, then be not resentful toward them; if they are false, then they harm not your person—why repay them in kind! A proverb says, "To ward off cold nothing is better than a heavy fur; to stop slander nothing is better than self-cultivation." These words are true!"
34
烈祖明皇帝中之下景初元年（ 丁巳，公元二三七年）
Emperor Ming the Illustrious Ancestor, Part Two (conclusion), Jingchu year 1 ( dingsi cycle, AD 237)
35
春，正月，壬辰，山茌縣言黃龍見。 高堂隆以為：「魏得土德，故其瑞黃龍見，宜改正朔，易服色，以神明其政，變民耳目。」 帝從其議。 三月，下詔改元，以是月為孟夏四月，服色尚黃，犧牲用白，從地正也。 更名《太和歷》曰《景初歷》。
In spring, the first month, on the day renchen, Shanzhi County reported that a yellow dragon had appeared. “Gao Tanglong held that Wei had received the virtue of Earth, and so its omen was the yellow dragon; the calendar should be corrected and dress colors changed to manifest the government and transform the people's eyes and ears.” The emperor followed his proposal. In the third month, an edict changed the reign era; this month became the first summer month, the fourth month; dress was to favor yellow, sacrificial victims were to be white—following the correct sequence of Earth. The calendar named the Grand Harmony Calendar was renamed the Jingchu Calendar.
36
五月，己巳，帝還洛陽。
In the fifth month, on the day jisi, the emperor returned to Luoyang.
37
己丑，大赦。
On the day jichou, a general amnesty was proclaimed.
38
六月，戊申，京都地震。
In the sixth month, on the day wushen, the capital was shaken by an earthquake.
39
己亥，以尚書令陳矯為司徒，左僕射衛臻為司空。
On the day jihai, Chen Jiao, Director of the Masters of Writing, was appointed Grand Minister, and Wei Zhen, Left Vice Director, was appointed Minister of Works.
40
有司奏以武皇帝為魏太祖，文皇帝為魏高祖，帝為魏烈祖； 三祖之廟，萬世不毀。
The relevant offices memorialized that Emperor Wu should be honored as Grand Ancestor of Wei, Emperor Wen as High Ancestor of Wei, and the present emperor as Founding Ancestor of Wei; the temples of the three ancestors were to stand forever, never to be destroyed.
41
孫盛論曰：夫謚以表行，廟以存容。 未有當年而逆制祖宗，未終而豫自尊顯。 魏之群司於是乎失正矣。
Sun Sheng remarked: Posthumous titles express conduct; temples preserve countenance. Never before had one in his own lifetime reversed the order and made ancestors of his forebears, nor before his end raised himself to lofty honor. The officials of Wei at this point lost the proper standard.
42
秋，七月，丁卯，東鄉貞侯陳矯卒。
In autumn, the seventh month, on the day dingmao, Chen Jiao, Marquis of Dongxiang, died.
43
公孫淵數對國中賓客出惡言，帝欲討之，以荊州刺史河東毌丘儉為幽州刺史。 儉上疏曰：「陛下即位已來，未有可書。 吳、蜀恃險，未可卒平，聊可以此方無用之士克定遼東。」 光祿大夫衛臻曰：「儉所陳皆戰國細術，非王者之事也。 吳頻歲稱兵，寇亂邊境，而猶按甲養士，未果致討者，誠以百姓疲勞故也。 淵生長海表，相承三世，外撫戎夷，內修戰射，而儉欲以偏軍長驅，朝至夕卷，知其妄矣。」 帝不聽，使儉率諸軍及鮮卑、烏桓屯遼東南界，璽書征淵。 淵前發兵反，逆儉於遼隧。 會天雨十餘日，遼水大漲，儉與戰不利，引軍還右北平。 淵因自立為燕王，改元紹漢，置百官，遣使假鮮卑單于璽，封拜邊民，誘呼鮮卑以侵擾北方。
Gongsun Yuan repeatedly uttered vile words before the guests of his state; the emperor wished to punish him, and appointed Guanqiu Jian of Hedong, Governor of Jing Province, Governor of You Province. Jian submitted a memorial, saying, "Since Your Majesty ascended the throne, there has been nothing worth recording in the annals. Wu and Shu rely on their rugged terrain and cannot quickly be subdued; for the moment, the idle soldiers of this region may be used to conquer and settle Liaodong." The Grand Master of Splendor Wei Zhen said, "What Jian proposes is the petty stratagem of the Warring States period—not the business of a true king. Wu has raised armies year after year, ravaging the frontier, yet we still hold our forces in readiness and nourish our soldiers without yet launching punishment—truly because the common people are exhausted. Yuan has grown up beyond the sea, ruling for three generations; outwardly he pacifies the barbarians, inwardly he trains for war and archery—and Jian would drive a partial force in a long rush, expecting to arrive in the morning and roll up the land by evening: this is delusion." The emperor would not listen; he sent Jian to lead the armies, together with the Xianbei and Wuhuan, to encamp on the southern border of Liaodong, and dispatched an imperial letter summoning Yuan. Yuan had already raised troops in rebellion and went to meet Jian at Liaosui. It happened that rain fell for more than ten days, the Liao River rose greatly, Jian fought without success, and withdrew his army to Right Beiping. Thereupon Yuan declared himself King of Yan, changed his era name to Shao Han, established the full roster of officials, sent envoys to borrow the seal of the Xianbei chanyu, enfeoffed and appointed the frontier people, and incited the Xianbei to harass the north.
44
漢張后殂。
In Han, Empress Zhang died.
45
九月，冀、兗、徐、豫大水。
In the ninth month, Ji, Yan, Xu, and Yu suffered great floods.
46
西平郭夫人有寵於帝，毛后愛弛。 帝游後園，曲宴極樂。 郭夫人請延皇后，帝弗許，因禁左右使不得宣。 后知之，明日，謂帝曰：「昨日游宴北園，樂乎？」 帝以左右洩之，所殺十餘人。 庚辰，賜后死，然猶加謚曰悼。 癸丑，葬愍陵。 遷其弟曾為散騎常侍。
Lady Guo of Xiping enjoyed the emperor's favor, and Empress Mao's affection waned. The emperor toured the rear garden and held a private banquet of utmost merriment. Lady Guo asked that the empress be invited, but the emperor refused, and forbade those around him to announce it. The empress learned of it; the next day she said to the emperor, "Yesterday you toured and feasted in the North Garden—was it pleasant?" The emperor, believing that those around him had leaked the matter, executed more than ten of them. On the day gengchen, the empress was ordered to die, yet she was still given the posthumous title Lamented. On the day guichou, she was buried at Minling. Her younger brother Zeng was transferred and appointed Regular Palace Attendant.
47
冬，十月，帝用高堂隆之議，營洛陽南委傑山為圓丘，詔曰：「昔漢氏之初，承秦滅學之後，采摭殘缺，以備郊祀，四百餘年，廢無禘禮。 曹氏世系出自有虞，今祀皇皇帝天於圓丘，以始祖虞舜配； 祭皇皇后地於方丘，以舜妃伊氏配； 祀皇天之神於南郊，以武帝配； 祭皇地之祇於北郊，以武宣皇后配。」
In winter, the tenth month, the emperor, following Gao Tanglong's proposal, built a Round Mound on Mount Weijie south of Luoyang. An edict said, "In the early days of Han, inheriting the ruin of learning under Qin, they gathered what remained and supplemented the suburban sacrifices; for more than four hundred years the seasonal di sacrifice was abandoned. The house of Cao traces its lineage to Youyu; now we sacrifice to August Imperial Heaven at the Round Mound, with the founding ancestor Yu Shun as correlate; we sacrifice to August Imperial Earth at the Square Mound, with Shun's consort Lady Yi as correlate; we sacrifice to the spirit of August Heaven at the southern suburb, with Emperor Wu as correlate; we sacrifice to the spirit of August Earth at the northern suburb, with Empress Wu Xuan as correlate."
48
廬江主薄呂習密使人請兵於吳，欲開門為內應。 吳主使衛將軍全琮督前將軍朱桓等赴之，既至，事露，吳軍還。
Lü Xi, chief clerk of Lujiang, secretly sent men to Wu to request troops, intending to open the gates as an inside response. The ruler of Wu sent the Guard General Quan Cong to supervise the Forward General Zhu Huan and others in going to their aid; when they arrived the plot was exposed, and the Wu army returned.
49
諸葛恪至丹楊，移書四部屬城長吏，令各保其疆界，明立部伍； 其從化平民，悉令屯居。 乃內諸將，羅兵幽阻，但繕籓籬，不與交鋒，候其谷稼將熟，輒縱兵芟刈，使無遺種。 舊谷既盡，新谷不收，平民屯居，略無所入。 於是山民饑窮，漸出降首。 恪乃復敕下曰：「山民去惡從化，皆當撫慰，徙出外縣，不得嫌疑，有所拘執！」 臼陽長胡伉得降民周遺，遺舊惡民，困迫暫出，伉縛送言府。 恪以伉違教，遂斬以徇。 民聞伉坐執人被戮，知官惟欲出之而已，於是老幼相攜而出，歲期人數，皆如本規。 恪自領萬人，餘分給諸將。 吳主嘉其功，拜恪威北將軍，封都鄉侯，徙屯廬江皖口。
Zhuge Ke reached Danyang and sent letters to the chief officials of the four districts under his command, ordering each to guard his own territory and clearly establish his companies; the common people who had submitted to transformation were all ordered to settle in garrison colonies. Then he arrayed his generals within, spread troops through the hidden passes, and merely repaired palisades without joining battle; when the grain crops were nearly ripe, he would release troops to mow them down, leaving not a seed behind. The old grain was exhausted and the new grain unharvested; the common people living in the garrisons had almost nothing to live on. Thereupon the mountain people, hungry and destitute, gradually came out to surrender. Ke then issued orders again, saying, "Mountain people who leave evil and follow transformation are all to be comforted and settled; move them to counties outside the mountains—do not on suspicion hold anyone in detention!" Hu Kang, chief of Baiyang, received the surrendered commoner Zhou Yi; Yi was an old evil-doer among the people who, hard pressed, had come out temporarily, and Kang bound him and sent him to the headquarters. Ke, because Kang had disobeyed his instruction, then executed him as a warning to others. When the people heard that Kang had been put to death for seizing and killing a surrendered man, they knew the officials wanted only to get them out; thereupon old and young led one another forth, and by year's end the numbers of people matched the original plan. Ke himself commanded ten thousand men; the remainder he divided among the various generals. The ruler of Wu praised his achievement, appointed Ke General Who Establishes Might in the North, enfeoffed him as Marquis of Duxiang, and transferred his encampment to Wankou in Lujiang.
50
是歲，徙長安鐘虡、橐佗、銅人、承露盤於洛陽。 盤折，聲聞數十里。 銅人重，不可致，留於霸城。 大發銅鑄銅人二，號曰翁仲，列坐於司馬門外。 又鑄黃龍、鳳皇各一，龍高四丈，鳳高三太餘，置內殿前。 起土山於芳林園西北陬，使公卿群僚皆負土，樹松、竹、雜木、善草於其上，捕山禽雜獸致其中。 司徒軍議掾董尋上疏諫曰：「臣聞古之直士，盡言於國，不避死亡，故周昌比高祖於桀、紂，劉輔譬趙后於人婢。 天生忠直，雖白刃沸湯，往而不顧者，誠為時主愛惜天下也。 建安以來，野戰死亡，或門殫戶盡，雖有存者，遺孤老弱。 若今宮室狹小，當廣大之，猶宜隨時，不妨農務，況乃作無益之物！ 黃龍、鳳皇、九龍、承露盤，此皆聖明之所不興也，其功三倍於殿捨。 陛下既尊群臣，顯以冠冕，被以文繡，載以華輿，所以異於小人； 而使穿方舉土，面目垢黑，沾體塗足，衣冠了鳥，毀國之光以崇無益，甚非謂也。 孔子曰：『君使臣以禮，臣事君以忠。』 無忠無禮，國何以立！ 臣知言出必死，而臣自比於牛之一毛，生既無益，死亦何損！ 秉筆流涕，心與世辭。 臣有八子，臣死之後，累陛下矣！」 將奏，沐浴以待命。 帝曰：「董尋不畏死邪！」 主者奏收尋，有詔勿問。
That year, the bell stands, the stone chimes, the bronze men, and the Dew Collecting Basin were moved from Chang'an to Luoyang. The basin broke, and the sound was heard for several tens of li. The bronze men were too heavy to be moved and were left at Bawu. Copper was cast on a great scale to make two bronze men, called Wengzhong, and they were set in rows outside the Sima Gate. Yellow dragons and phoenixes were also cast, one of each; the dragon was four zhang high, the phoenix more than three zhang high, and they were placed before the inner hall. An earthen hill was raised in the northwest corner of the Fanglin Garden; he made the chief ministers and the host of officials all carry earth, and planted pines, bamboo, miscellaneous trees, and fine grasses upon it, and captured mountain birds and assorted beasts and placed them within. Dong Xun, military planning aide to the Grand Minister, submitted a remonstrance, saying, "I have heard that the upright men of old spoke their full mind to the state and did not shun death; therefore Zhou Chang compared Gaozu to Jie and Zhou, and Liu Fu likened Empress Zhao to a serving maid. Heaven produces loyalty and uprightness; though white blades and boiling water lie ahead, they go forward without turning back—truly because they cherish the realm under the ruler of the age. Since Jian'an, battle after battle has emptied whole households; where anyone still lives, it is the orphaned, the aged, and the helpless. If the halls are cramped, enlarge them—but in season, without disturbing the harvest. How much less should you raise things of no use! Yellow dragons, phoenixes, the Nine Dragons, the Dew Collecting Basin—no enlightened sovereign would build such things; their cost is triple that of halls and chambers. You already exalt your ministers with caps and crowns, brocade robes, and splendid carriages, setting them apart from common men; yet you set them to dig and haul earth until their faces are black, their limbs caked in mud, their dress in tatters—dimming the nation's luster to glorify what is worthless. This is not what should be done. Confucius said, "The ruler treats his ministers with ritual; ministers serve their ruler with loyalty. Without loyalty and ritual, how can a state endure? I know these words will cost me my life; yet I am but one hair on an ox—useless alive, what harm in dying? Brush in hand, I weep; my heart has already left this world. I have eight sons; when I am gone, they will become Your Majesty's burden!" When he was ready to submit the memorial, he bathed and waited for the emperor's word. The emperor said, "Does Dong Xun not fear death? The chief attendant moved to arrest Xun; an edict followed: let the matter drop.
51
高堂隆上疏曰：「今之小人，好說秦、漢之奢靡以蕩聖心； 求取亡國不度之器，勞役費損以傷德政。 非所以興禮樂之和，保神明之休也。」 帝不聽。 隆又上書曰：「昔洪水滔天二十二載，堯、舜君臣南面而已。 今無若時之急，而使公卿大夫並與廝徒共供事役，聞之四夷，非嘉聲也，垂之竹帛，非令名也。 今吳、蜀二賊，非徒白地、小虜、聚邑之寇，乃僭號稱帝，欲與中國爭衡。 今若有人來告：『權、禪並修德政，輕省租賦，動咨耆賢，事遵禮度，』陛下聞之，豈不惕然惡其如此，以為難卒討滅而為國憂乎！ 若使告者曰：『彼二賊並為無道，崇侈無度，役其士民，重其賦斂，下不堪命，吁嗟日甚，』陛下聞之，豈不幸彼疲敝而取之不難乎！ 苟如此，則可易心而度，事義之數亦不遠矣！ 亡國這主自謂不亡，然後至於亡； 賢聖之君自謂亡，然後至於不亡。 今天下雕敝，民無儋石之儲，國無終年之蓄，外有強敵，六軍暴邊，內興土功，州郡騷動，若有寇警，則臣懼版築之士不能投命虜庭矣。 又，將吏奉祿，稍見折減，方之於昔，五分居一，諸受休者又絕稟賜，不應輸者今皆出半，此為官入兼多於舊，其所出與參少於昔。 而度支經用，更每不足，牛肉小賦，前後相繼。 反而推之，凡此諸費，必有所在。 且夫祿賜谷帛，人主所以惠養吏民而為之司命者也，若今有廢，是奪其命矣。 既得之而又失之，此生怨之府也。」 帝覽之，謂中書監、令曰：「觀隆此奏，使朕懼哉！」
Gao Tanglong submitted a memorial: "Petty men today praise Qin and Han extravagance to sway Your Majesty's heart; they demand the trappings of fallen dynasties, wasting labor and treasure and wounding good rule. This is no way to foster ritual and music, or to keep heaven and the ancestral spirits at peace." The emperor would not listen. Long wrote again: "When the great flood raged for twenty-two years, Yao and Shun and their ministers did nothing but face south. Today there is no such crisis, yet nobles and clerks toil beside common laborers. If the four quarters hear of it, it will not sound well; if it is written into history, it will not be a name to cherish. Wu and Shu are no empty borderlands or petty raiders—they have crowned themselves and would rival the Middle Kingdom. Suppose word came that Sun Quan and Liu Shan were practicing virtue, easing taxes, seeking counsel from elders, and keeping to ritual—would you not shudder at their strength and fear they would be hard to crush? Suppose instead he said they were lawless, extravagant, crushing their people with labor and taxes until the realm groaned—would you not rejoice that they were weakening and easy to overcome? If you can think thus, you can read their hearts and act accordingly—the right course is not far to seek. The lord of a falling state thinks himself secure—and only then does ruin come; The sage ruler thinks himself already lost—and only then does the state endure. The land is exhausted; families lack even a stone of grain; the treasury holds no year's supply. Enemies press the borders while the Six Armies stand exposed; at home you stir up works and the provinces are in uproar. At the first alarm, I fear the men on the walls will not die for you against the foe. Officers' pay has been cut again and again—today it is a fifth of what it once was. Retirees have lost their grain allotments; those once exempt now pay half. Revenue taken in exceeds the old totals, yet what goes out to the ranks falls short. Still the treasury runs short, and petty taxes on cattle and meat follow one upon another. Reason backward from this: every one of these costs must come from somewhere. Salaries, grain, and cloth are how a ruler feeds his officials and people and holds their lives in his hand. To revoke them is to snatch away their very breath. To grant and then withdraw—that is a treasury of resentment." When the emperor had read it, he told the Secretariat, "Long's memorial frightens me!"
52
尚書衛覬上疏曰：「今議者多好悅耳：其言政治，則比陛下於堯、舜； 其言征伐，則比二虜於狸鼠。 臣以為不然。 四海之內，分而為三，群士陳力，各為其主，是與六國分治無以為異也。 當今千里無煙，遺民困苦。 陛下不善留意，將遂凋敝，難可復振。 武皇帝之時，後宮食不過一肉，衣不用錦繡，茵蓐不緣飾，器物無丹漆，用能平定天下，遺福子孫，此皆陛下之所覽也。 當今之務，宜君臣上下，計校府庫，量入為出，猶恐不及； 而工役不輟，侈靡日崇，帑藏日竭。 昔漢武信神仙之道，謂當得雲表之露以餐玉屑，故立仙掌以承高露，陛下能明，每所非笑。 漢武有求於露而猶尚見非，陛下無求於露而空設之，不益於好而糜費功夫，誠皆聖慮所宜裁製也。」
Wei Ji, Minister of the Masters of Writing, wrote: "Counsellors today flatter the ear. Speak of government, and they liken you to Yao and Shun; speak of war, and they call Wu and Shu no more than rats and foxes. I do not believe it. The realm is split three ways; every able man serves his own master. This is no different from the Warring States. For a thousand li the land lies smokeless; the surviving people are in misery. If Your Majesty does not heed this, the state will sicken beyond recovery. Under Emperor Wu of Wei, the inner palace ate but one dish of meat, wore no brocade, used unadorned mats, and kept undecorated vessels—yet he pacified the realm and left fortune to his heirs. Your Majesty has read this history. Today's task is for court and country to count every storehouse, measure every outlay against income—and even then you may fall short; yet labor never stops, luxury mounts daily, and the coffers drain away. Han Wudi sought immortals and built the bronze palm to catch heaven's dew—Your Majesty, being clear-sighted, has often mocked this. Wudi at least wanted the dew; you want nothing from it and still build it—no gain, only wasted toil. A wise ruler would put a stop to this."
53
時有詔錄奪士女前已嫁為吏民妻者，還以配士，聽以生口自贖，又簡選其有姿首者內之掖庭。 太子舍人沛國張茂上書諫曰：「陛下，天之子也，百姓吏民，亦陛下子也，今奪彼以與此，亦無以異於奪兄之髮妻弟也，於父母之恩偏矣，又，詔書聽得以生口年紀、顏色與妻相當者自代，故富者則傾家盡產，貧者舉假貸貰，貴買生口以贖其妻。 縣官以配士為名而實內之掖庭，其醜惡乃出與士。 得婦者未必喜而失妻者必有憂，或窮或愁，皆不得志。 夫君有天下而不得萬姓之歡心者，鮮不危殆。 且軍師在外數十萬人，一日之費非徒千金，舉天下之曲以奉此役，猶將不給，況復有宮庭非員無錄之女。 椒房母后之家，賞賜橫與，內外交引，其費半軍。 昔漢武帝掘地為海，封土為山，賴是時天下為一，莫敢與爭者耳。 自衰亂以來，四五十載，馬不捨鞍，士不釋甲，強寇在疆，圖危魏室。 陛下不戰戰業業，念崇節約，而乃奢靡是務，中尚方作玩弄之物，後園建承露之盤，斯誠快耳目之觀，然亦足以騁寇讎之心矣！ 惜乎，捨堯、舜之節儉而為漢武帝之侈事，臣竊為陛下不取也。」 帝不聽。
An edict then ordered the seizure of women already married to officials and commoners for reassignment to soldiers, allowing ransom with captives of matching age and looks—and the fairest were sent to the inner palace. Zhang Mao of Pei, an attendant to the crown prince, remonstrated: "Your Majesty is Heaven's son, and the people are your children. To take wives from some and give them to others is like stealing an elder brother's wife for a younger—an offense against parental justice. The edict lets men ransom their wives with captives of like age and face, so the rich ruin their houses and the poor go into debt to buy slaves for ransom. The counties claim to assign wives to soldiers, but the fair ones go to the inner palace and only the homely are passed to the ranks. Men who gain wives may not rejoice; men who lose them must grieve—some ruined, some broken, none at peace. A ruler who holds the realm yet cannot win the people's hearts seldom escapes danger. Armies abroad number in the hundreds of thousands; a day's cost runs to more than a thousand in gold. The whole realm's revenue barely feeds the war—how much less can it feed unregistered women in the palace? Consorts and empresses' kin receive boundless gifts; court and kin trade favors, and their cost equals half the army's. Han Wudi dug seas and piled mountains—but then the empire was whole and none could resist him. For forty or fifty years since the fall, horses have not left the saddle nor soldiers their armor; enemies press the borders and plot Wei's ruin. You should tremble and practice thrift—yet you chase luxury, the Inner Workshop makes toys, and the rear garden raises a Dew Basin. It pleases the eye, but it also feeds the enemy's hope! Alas—to abandon Yao and Shun's thrift for Han Wudi's excess: I cannot think it worthy of you." The emperor would not listen.
54
高堂隆疾篤，口佔上疏曰：「曾子有言曰：『人之將死，其言也善。』 臣寢疾有增無損，常恐奄忽，忠款不昭，臣之丹誠，願陛下少垂省覽！ 臣觀三代之有天下，聖賢相承，歷數百載，尺土莫非其有，一民莫非其臣。 然癸、辛之徒，縱心極欲，皇天震怒，宗國為墟，紂梟白旗，桀放鳴條，天子之尊，湯、武有之。 豈伊異人？ 皆明王之冑也。 黃初之際，天兆其戒，異類之鳥，育長燕巢口爪胸赤，此魏室之大異也。 宜防鷹揚之臣於蕭牆之內。 可選諸王，使君國典兵，往往棋□寺，鎮撫皇畿，翼亮帝室。 夫皇天無親，惟德是輔。 民詠德政，則延期過歷； 下有怨歎，則輟錄授能。 由此觀之，天下乃天下之天下，非獨陛下之天下也！」 帝手詔深慰勞之。 未幾而卒。
Gao Tanglong, near death, dictated a memorial: "Zengzi said, 'When a man is about to die, his words are good. My sickness only worsens. I fear I may die before my loyalty is known—yet I beg Your Majesty to read these words! The Three Dynasties held the realm for centuries; sage succeeded sage; every inch of land and every soul was theirs. Yet Jie and Zhou gave free rein to desire; Heaven raged, their houses fell to dust. Zhou died beneath a white flag; Jie was driven to Mingtiao. Even the Son of Heaven's throne passed to Tang and Wu. Were they a different breed of man? They were all heirs of sage kings. At the dawn of Huangchu, Heaven sent a warning: a strange bird, nursed in a swallow's nest, red of beak, claw, and breast—a great omen for Wei. Guard against fierce ministers within your own walls. Choose princes to hold their states and command troops, set them as shields around the throne, pacify the capital region, and buttress the imperial house. Heaven shows no favor—it aids the virtuous alone. When the people praise good rule, a dynasty outlasts its span; when they groan beneath injustice, Heaven withdraws the mandate and gives it to another. See then: the realm belongs to all under Heaven—not to Your Majesty alone!" The emperor replied in his own hand with warm praise. Soon after, he died.
55
陳壽評曰：高堂隆學業修明，志存匡君，因變陳戒，發於懇誠，忠矣哉！ 及至必改正朔，俾魏祖虞，所謂意過其通者歟！
Chen Shou wrote: Gao Tanglong was learned and upright, his heart set on saving his ruler. He seized an omen to speak truth from the depths of sincerity—how loyal! Yet in urging a new calendar and ranking Wei with Yu, he overreached—intent outran wisdom.
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帝深疾浮華之士，詔吏部尚書盧毓曰：「選舉莫取有名，名如畫地作餅，不可啖也。」 毓對曰：「名不足以致異人而可以得常士：常士畏教慕善，然後有名，非所當疾也。 愚臣既不足以識異人，又主者正以循名案常為職，但當有以驗其後耳。 古者敷奏以言，明試以功； 今考績之法廢，而以毀譽相進退，故真偽渾雜，虛實相蒙。」 帝納其言。 詔散騎常侍劉邵作考課法。 卲作《都官考課法》七十二條，又作《說略》一篇，詔下百官議。
The emperor despised hollow reputation. He told Lu Yu, Minister of the Masters of Writing: "Do not choose men for fame alone. Fame is a cake drawn on the ground—it cannot be eaten." Lu Yu answered: "Fame will not win you prodigies, but it can win solid men. Ordinary men fear discipline and love virtue—that is how they earn a name. That is no evil. I am too dull to spot prodigies; your ministers' duty is to match names to records. What matters is to test men after they are chosen. Antiquity judged men by memorial and proved them by deeds; today performance review is dead, and praise and slander alone decide rank—so truth and pretense blur together." The emperor agreed. He ordered Palace Attendant Liu Shao to draft an examination law. Shao wrote seventy-two articles of the Capital Offices Examination Law and a brief exposition; the court circulated both for debate.
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司隸校尉崔林曰：「案《周官》考課，其文備矣。 自康王以下，遂以陵夷，此即考課之法存乎其人也。 及漢之季，其失豈在乎佐吏之職不密哉！ 方今軍旅或猥或卒，增減無常，固難一矣。 且萬目不張，舉其綱，眾毛不整，振其領，皋陶仕虞，伊尹臣殷，不仁者遠。 若大臣能任其職，式是百辟，則孰敢不肅，烏在考課哉！」 黃門侍郎杜恕曰：「明試以功，三考黜陟，誠帝王之盛制也。 然歷六代而考績之法不著，關七聖而課試之文不垂，臣誠以為其法可粗依，其詳難備舉故也。 語曰『世有亂人而無亂法』，若使法可專任，則唐、虞可不須稷、契之佐，殷、周無貴伊、呂之輔矣。 今奏考功者，陳周、漢之雲為，綴京房之本旨，可謂明考課之要矣。 於以崇揖讓之風，興濟濟之治，臣以為未盡善也。 其欲使州郡考士，必由四科，皆有事效，然後察舉，試辟公府，為新民長吏，轉以功次補郡守者，或就增秩賜爵，此最考課之急務也。 臣以為便當顯其身，用其言，使具為課州郡之法，法具施行，立必信之賞，施必行之罰。 至於公卿及內職大臣，亦當俱以其職考課之。 古之三公，坐而論道； 內職大臣，納言補闕，無善不紀，無過不舉。 且天下至大，萬機至眾，誠非一明所能遍照； 故君為元首，臣作股肱，明其一體相須而成也。 是以古人稱廊廟之材，非一木之枝，帝王之業，非一士之略。 由是言之，焉有大臣守職辦課，可以致雍熙者哉！ 誠使容身保位，無放退之辜，而盡節在公，抱見疑之勢，公義不修而私議成欲，雖仲尼為課，猶不能盡一才，又況於世俗之人乎！」 司空掾北地傅嘏曰：「夫建官均職，清理民物，所以立本也。 循名考實，糾勵成規，所以治末也。 本綱未舉而造制末程，國略不崇而考課是先，懼不足以料賢愚之分，精幽明之理也。」 議久之不決，事竟不行。
Cui Lin, Director of the Masters of Writing, said: "The Rites of Zhou set out examination in full. After King Kang it decayed step by step—the law lived on only in the men who embodied it. By Han's end, was the fault truly that clerks' duties were lax? Armies today swell and shrink without pattern—naturally one rule cannot fit all. When myriad eyes cannot see, lift the net; when countless hairs tangle, straighten the collar. Gao Yao served Yu, Yi Yin served Yin—and the wicked stood far off. If great ministers do their work and lead the hundred offices by example, who will not obey—what need of examinations?" Du Shu, Yellow Gate Gentleman, said: "To prove merit by deeds, with three reviews deciding rank—that is the sage ruler's finest institution. Yet six dynasties passed without such a law; seven sage kings left no full text. The principle may be followed, but the details cannot all be set down. They say: 'There are wicked men, but no wicked laws.' If law alone sufficed, Tang and Yu would not have needed Ji and Xie, nor Yin and Zhou Yi and Lü. Those who propose merit review cite Zhou and Han and follow Jing Fang's intent—they grasp the heart of the matter. To revive yielding courtesy and ordered rule by this alone—I think it is not yet enough. They would have districts test scholars by four ranks, with proven service, before recommendation; try them in office, appoint them as magistrates, and promote by merit to prefect—or raise rank and ennoble them at once. That is the urgent core of review. Let them stand forth, use their counsel, and draft the district examination law in full. When it is ready, grant rewards that will be trusted and punishments that will be enforced. Grand ministers and inner-court officers should be examined by their offices as well. The Three Excellencies of old sat and spoke of the Way; inner ministers remonstrated and filled what was missing—no good unrecorded, no fault unreported. The realm is vast and affairs countless—not one bright man can see all; therefore the ruler is the head and ministers the limbs—one body that must work together to stand. Therefore the ancients said that court and temple depend on more than one branch, and an emperor's work on more than one man's plan. From this it follows: how could ministers who only keep their posts and run examinations bring the realm to flourishing peace! If men only cling to office without demotion, yet serve in public while living under suspicion, neglecting justice while private talk rules desire—even Confucius as examiner could not measure one man's worth, still less ordinary men!" Fu Gu, aide to the Minister of Works, said, "To establish offices and balance duties and order the people's affairs is to set the root. To match names to deeds and enforce standards is to govern the branches. If the root is neglected while branch rules are rushed, if national strategy is set aside while examinations come first—I fear you cannot tell sage from fool, nor weigh what is hidden against what is clear." Debate dragged on, and in the end nothing was done.
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臣光曰：為治之要，莫先於用人，而知人之道，聖賢所難也。 是故求之於毀譽，則愛憎競進而善惡渾殽； 考之於功狀，則巧詐橫生而真偽相冒。 要之，其本在於至公至明而已矣。 為人上者至公至明，則群下之能否焯然形於目中，無所復逃矣。 苟為不公不明，則考課之法，適足以為曲私欺罔之資也。 何以言之？ 公明者，心也； 功狀者，跡也。 己之心不能治，而以考人之跡，不亦難乎！ 為人上者，誠能不以親疏貴賤異其心，喜怒好惡亂其志，欲知治經之士，則視其記覽博洽，講論精通，斯為善治經矣； 欲知治獄之士，則視其曲盡情偽，無所冤抑，斯為善治獄矣； 欲知治財之士，則視其倉庫盈產，百姓富給，斯為善治財矣； 欲知治兵之士，則視其戰勝攻取，敵人畏服，斯為善治兵矣。 至於百官，莫不皆然。 雖詢謀於人而決之在己，雖考求於跡而察之在心，研核其實而斟酌其宜，至精至微，不可以口述，不可以書傳也，安得豫為之法而悉委有司哉！ 或者親貴雖不能而任職，疏賤雖賢才而見遺； 所喜所好者敗官而不去，所怒所惡者有功而不錄，詢謀於人，則毀譽相半而不能決； 考求於跡，則文具實亡而不能察。 雖復為之善法，繁其條目，謹其簿書，安能得其真哉！
Sima Guang comments: The heart of government is employing the right people, and knowing people is what even sages find hard. Seek them in gossip, and love and hatred tangle good with evil; judge them by paperwork, and craft and deceit swarm until truth and falsehood blur. In the end, the root is nothing but perfect fairness and perfect clarity. A ruler utterly fair and clear sees every subordinate's strength or weakness plain before him, and none can hide. If he is neither fair nor clear, examination laws become tools for favoritism and fraud. Why is that? Fairness and clarity are in the mind; records of achievement are only traces. If you cannot govern your own mind, yet judge others by their traces—is that not hard? If a ruler will not let kinship, rank, pleasure, or anger sway him—to find a classicist, see whether his learning is broad and his exposition masterful; to find a jurist, see whether he weighs every circumstance and never wrongfully condemns; to find a treasurer, see whether the stores are full and the people prosper; to find a commander, see whether he wins in the field and the enemy fears him. The same holds for every office. Though you consult others, you decide yourself; though you read records, you judge in your heart—sifting truth, weighing fitness, too fine for speech or script. How can you pre-write a law and leave it all to clerks? Kin may hold office without ability; the distant and humble may be passed over though able; favorites who fail remain, men you hate though worthy go unrewarded; ask the court and hear only half-truths; read the files and find form without substance. Even perfect laws and meticulous ledgers cannot yield the truth!
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或曰：人君之治，大者天下，小者一國，內外之官以千萬數，考察黜陟，安得不委有司而獨任其事哉？ 曰：非謂其然也。 凡為人上者，不特人君而已。 太守居一郡之上，刺史居一州之上，九卿居屬官之上，三公居百執事之上，皆用此道以考察黜陟在下之人，為人君者亦用此道以考察黜陟公卿、刺史、太守，奚煩勞之有哉！ 或曰：考績之法，唐、虞所為，京房、劉邵述而修之耳，烏可廢哉？ 曰：唐、虞之官，其居位也久，其受任也專，其立法也寬，其責成也遠。 是故鯀之治水，九載績用弗成，然後治其罪； 禹之治水，九州攸同，四隩既宅，然後賞其功； 非若京房、劉邵之法，校其米鹽之課，責其旦夕之效也。 事固有名同而實異者，不可不察也。 考績非可行於唐、虞而不可行於漢、魏，由京房、劉邵不得其本而奔趨其末故也。
One may ask: A realm has millions of officials—how can promotion and demotion not be delegated? The answer is: That is not what is meant. Every superior is not only a Son of Heaven. A prefect, an inspector, a minister, a chancellor—each uses this same way on those below; the emperor uses it on them. Where is the burden? Another may say: Tang and Yu examined merit; Jing Fang and Liu Shao only codified it—how abolish it? The reply: Tang and Yu's officers served long and solely, laws were lenient, and accountability was distant. Gun labored nine years on the flood without success—only then was he punished; Yu tamed the flood until the nine regions were ordered—only then was he rewarded; not like Jing Fang and Liu Shao, who count rice and salt and demand results by nightfall. Names may match, yet realities differ—that must be weighed. Merit review failed in Han and Wei not because it could not work, but because Jing Fang and Liu Shao seized the branch and missed the root.
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初，右僕射衛臻典選舉，中護軍蔣濟遺臻書曰：「漢祖遇亡虜為上將，周武拔漁父為太師，布衣廝養，可登王公，何必守文，試而後用！」 臻曰：「不然。 子欲同牧野於成、康，喻斷蛇於文、景，好不經之舉，開拔奇之津，將使天下馳騁而起矣！」 盧毓論人及選舉，皆先性行而後言才，黃門郎馮翊李豐嘗以問毓，毓曰：「才所以為善也，故大才成大善，小才成小善。 今稱之有才而不能為善，是才不中器也！」 豐服其言。
Earlier, Wei Zhen oversaw appointments; Jiang Ji wrote him: "Gaozu made a surrendered barbarian his general; King Wu of Zhou made a fisherman his Grand Tutor—why insist on precedent and trial before use?" Zhen replied, "Not so. You would liken Muye to the age of Cheng and Kang, and a serpent omen to Wen and Jing—open the gate to eccentric choice and the realm will rush to chaos!" “Lu Yu always weighed character before talent in appointments; Li Feng of Fufeng once asked him about this. Yu said, "Talent is the vessel for goodness—great talent yields great good, small talent small good. To praise talent that produces no good is to praise a vessel that cannot hold water!"