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卷120 宋紀二

Volume 120 Song Records 2

Chapter 120 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 120. 【Song Records 2】 From the year Yanfeng Kundun through Qiangyu Shan'ge—four years in all. Yuanjia 1, first year of the reign of Emperor Wen—above, part one (jiazi; 424 CE). In spring, in the first month, Northern Wei adopted the new reign title Shiguang. On bingyin day, Mi, Prince Shang of Anding in Wei, died. The Prince of Yingyang failed to observe mourning decorum, delighted in familiar intimacy with his attendants, and indulged in unrestrained amusements. Fan Tai, who held the rank of specially advanced and had retired from office, submitted a sealed memorial: "I have learned that Your Majesty often drills in military exercises in the rear garden; drums and martial music resound within the palace and can be heard beyond its walls. To parade arms within the inner palace and raise a din at the gates of the Secretariat will not overawe the four quarters; it can only breed astonishment near and far. When Your Majesty first took the throne, you entrusted affairs to your chief ministers, in the fine spirit of Gaozong's mourning seclusion; yet now you draw close to petty men instead—I fear this is no sound policy for the altars of state, nor a way to govern the age." The emperor did not listen. Fan Tai was a son of Fan Ning. Liu Yizhen, Prince of Luling and governor of South Yuzhou, was bright and fond of letters, but light and unserious in character; he kept close, affectionate company with Xie Lingyun, commander of the crown prince's left guard, Yan Yanzhi, attendant at large, and the monk Huilin. He once said, "When my day comes, I shall make Lingyun and Yanzhi chief ministers, and Huilin military governor of West Yuzhou." Xie Lingyun was a grandson of Xie Xuan—proud, impatient, and heedless of rules. The court valued him only for his literary gifts and did not count him fit for practical affairs. Lingyun believed his talents entitled him to a share in high power and nursed a constant grievance. Yanzhi was a great-grandson of Yan Han and was given to drink and dissolute conduct. Xu Xianzhi and his colleagues resented Yizhen's intimacy with Lingyun and the others. Fan Yan, a former officer under Yizhen, cautioned him gently. Yizhen replied, "Lingyun is shallow and ungrounded, Yanzhi petty and mean—just the sort Emperor Wen of Wei had in mind when he said that writers ancient and modern alike are careless of small conduct; yet in what our temperaments share, we cannot help speaking freely in mutual delight." Thereupon Xianzhi and his colleagues decided that Lingyun and Yanzhi were stirring faction and slandering the government; Lingyun was posted as administrator of Yongjia and Yanzhi as administrator of Shi'an. After Yizhen reached Liyang he made many demands, and those in power each time weighed his requests and refused to grant all he wanted. Yizhen nursed a deep resentment, spoke repeatedly of injustice, and also submitted a memorial asking to return to the capital. He Shangzhi of Lujiang, a staff adviser, remonstrated again and again, but Yizhen would not listen. By then Xianzhi and his colleagues had already plotted in secret to depose the emperor, and the man next in line for the throne should have been Yizhen; so, using the rift between Yizhen and the emperor, they first memorialized listing his offenses, stripped him of rank to commoner status, and banished him to Xin'an commandery. Zhang Yuezhi of Tangyi, former magistrate of Jiyang, submitted a memorial: "The Prince of Luling in youth enjoyed the late emperor's gracious favor, and as a man has received Your Majesty's warm kindness; therefore what is in his heart he must speak, and what he feels he must make plain. He may have overstepped a subject's duty and drawn the charge of arrogant insolence. Yet his natural gifts have long been formed, and he truly has outstanding qualities. He ought to be nurtured with patience, his virtues cherished and his flaws overlooked, instructed fully and guided by every proper means, advanced or restrained by gradual steps. To heap disgrace upon him now and banish him in seclusion to a distant commandery wounds Your Majesty's deep brotherly bond above and leaves men near and far alarmed and without counsel below. Your servant reflects that the Song, in the haste of founding, has not yet put down deep roots; it is fitting to extend the imperial kindred broadly and bind them in harmony by right principle. Who among men is without fault? What matters is the power to reform; as a son beloved of Emperor Wu and Your Majesty's worthy younger brother—how can a single fault condemn him to lasting ruin!" When the memorial was received, Yuezhi was appointed a staff officer in the Liangzhou headquarters—and soon afterward was put to death. In summer, in the fourth month, on jiachen day, the Wei emperor made an eastern tour to Daning. Qifu Chipan, King of Qin, sent the southern-pacifying general Ji Pi and others at the head of ten thousand infantry and cavalry on a southern campaign against the four states of Baigou, Chefu, Cuiti, and Pangwei; all surrendered. Xu Xianzhi and his colleagues, because Tan Daoji of South Yanzhou was a veteran general of the previous reign who commanded respect in the palace offices and held troops, summoned Daoji and Wang Hong, governor of Jiangzhou, to court; in the fifth month both reached Jiankang, and the plot to depose the emperor and enthrone another was revealed to them. On jiashen day, Xie Hui, finding the headquarters of the directorate of the guards in disrepair, sent all his household outside and assembled officers and soldiers within the compound; he also stationed the secretaries Xing Antai and Pan Sheng inside as collaborators. That night he invited Tan Daoji to lodge with him. Hui was restless and could not sleep, but Daoji lay down and slept soundly at once—whereupon Hui came to respect him. At this time the emperor had set up rows of market stalls in the Hualin Garden and sold goods himself, amusing himself with his attendants by towing boats; in the evening he roamed the Tianyuan Pool and went straight to sleep on the imperial dragon boat. At dawn on yiyou day, Daoji led troops in the van while Xianzhi and the others followed, entering through the Yunlong Gate; Antai and the others had already warned the night guards, and none offered resistance. The emperor had not yet risen. Soldiers rushed in, killed two attendants, wounded the emperor's finger, helped him out to the eastern pavilion, took the seals and cords of office, the officials bowed in farewell, and guards escorted him to the former crown prince's palace. Cheng Daohui, palace attendant, urged Xianzhi and his colleagues to enthrone the emperor's younger brother Yigong, governor of South Yuzhou. Xianzhi and his colleagues, because Prince Yilong of Yidu had long enjoyed a fine reputation and many auspicious signs had appeared, proclaimed an order of the empress dowager listing the emperor's offenses, deposed him as Prince of Yingyang, and on chen day installed the Prince of Yidu as heir to the throne, granting amnesty for all crimes short of death. They also proclaimed an order of the grand empress dowager returning the seals and cords of office; and at the same time reduced the empress to Princess of Yingyang and moved the Prince of Yingyang to Wu. They sent Tan Daoji in to hold the court hall. When the prince reached Wu he lodged at Jinchang Pavilion; in the sixth month, on guichou day, Xianzhi and his colleagues sent Xing Antai to assassinate him. The prince was very strong; he broke out through Chang Gate, and his pursuers struck him down with the gate bar and killed him. Pei Ziye remarked: In antiquity, when a ruler reared a son, once the child could speak a teacher was appointed to instruct him in speech; once he could walk, tutor and aide were appointed with the proper rites. Song practice in rearing heirs differed sharply from this: within the palace they relied on servant-girls and concubines; outside they kept runners and attendants close at hand. Crown princes and imperial sons had commanders and attendants—and both offices were filled by men of low rank. They controlled their movements, handed down rules and models, guided and conveyed praise and blame—nothing was done except through them; their speech never rose to ritual and righteousness, their understanding never reached present and past; the cautious might be urged toward miserliness, the reckless sometimes lured toward wickedness. Though there were masters and tutors, for the most part aged grandees filled those posts; though there were companions and literary scholars, for the most part pampered young men of good family filled those posts; they held title only and were not admitted to real companionship. When a young prince governed a province, the chief administrator conducted affairs; to proclaim and transmit orders there was also the registry clerk; who often acted with arbitrary license and secretly wielded authority—so that though the imperial house was numerous, upright and worthy princes were very few. Succession rulers were young and tender, and generation after generation inherited treacherous ways; though wickedness springs from nature, habit becomes second nature, and the current runs deep. Down to Emperor Taizong, who cast away all under Heaven—it too was the fruit of such intimate associations. Alas! Let those who hold a state and a clan take this as their mirror! Fu Liang led the officials of the traveling secretariat with the imperial equipage to welcome the Prince of Yidu at Jiangling. Cai Kuo, minister of the directorate of sacrifices, reached Xunyang but fell ill and could not continue; Fu Liang took leave of him. Kuo said, "The Prince of Yingyang is in Wu; he ought to be generously provided for; if misfortune should befall him, you gentlemen will bear the name of regicide—do you imagine you could still stand in the world!" By then Liang had already agreed with Xianzhi to kill the Prince of Yingyang; he sent an urgent message to stop it, but arrived too late. Xianzhi flew into a rage: "When men plot together, how can you turn at once and cast the blame on others?" Xianzhi and his colleagues then sent envoys to kill the former Prince of Luling, Yizhen, at Xin'an. Xianzhi, because Jingzhou was strategically vital and he feared that when the Prince of Yidu arrived another man might be placed there, urgently issued a recorded order appointing Xie Hui, director-general of the guards, acting commander of military affairs in Jing, Xiang, and seven other provinces and governor of Jingzhou, intending to keep him outside as a support; elite troops and veteran generals were all assigned to him. In autumn, in the seventh month, the traveling secretariat reached Jiangling, erected a traveling gate south of the city, and inscribed it "Gate of the Grand Marshal." Fu Liang led the hundred officials to the gate to submit a memorial presenting the seals and cords; the ceremonial display was magnificent. The Prince of Yidu was then eighteen. He issued an order: "Unworthy as I am, I have been undeservedly granted the great mandate; looking upon myself I tremble with fear—how could I bear it! I shall for the present return to court, pay mourning at the imperial tombs, and together with worthy ministers set forth what is in my heart. I hope you will understand my intent and spare me elaborate refusals. The staff officers of the prefecture and province all styled themselves subjects and asked to inscribe plaques on the gates after the palace model; the prince refused every request. He ordered that within the province, prefecture, and principality those under sentence in his jurisdiction be pardoned and overdue levies remitted. When the generals and staff officers learned that the Princes of Yingyang and Luling were dead, all were suspicious and urged the prince not to go east. Wang Hua, chief administrator, said, "The late emperor rendered great service to the realm and was obeyed throughout the four seas; Though the succession ruler had lost his way, popular esteem for the house had not changed. Xu Xianzhi is a man of middling talent from humble stock, Fu Liang a commoner and mere scholar—clearly they lack the ambition of Emperor Xuan of Jin or Grand General Wang; entrusted with a weighty charge, they could hardly dare to turn against their trust at once. They feared the Prince of Luling's stern decisiveness and knew they could not survive his rule; because Your Highness is known near and far for generous wisdom and humane kindness, and because they welcomed you out of turn, hoping thereby to show their virtue; the loose talk abroad is almost certainly wrong. Moreover, Xianzhi and the other five shared merit and rank equally—who among them would yield to another! Even if they harbored treasonous intent, the situation would not permit it. If the deposed ruler had lived, they feared future retribution and therefore brought about these killings; it sprang from an excessive fear for their lives—they would hardly dare in a single morning to harbor rebellious intent! They only wished to hold power and secure themselves, counting on a young ruler to depend on them. Your Highness need only drive straight on to answer the hearts of Heaven and men." The prince said, "Are you trying to play Song Chang again!" The chief administrator Wang Tanshou and the southern barbarian commandant Dao Yanzi both urged the prince to go east; Tanshou also cited heavenly and human portents. The prince then said, "These men received the late emperor's charge; they cannot be allowed to betray their trust. Moreover, meritorious ministers and veteran generals fill court and camp; our forces are sufficient to control affairs—what is there to doubt!" He then ordered Wang Hua to take charge of rear affairs and remain to guard Jingzhou. The prince wished to have Dao Yanzi lead troops as vanguard. Yanzi said, "If we know they will not rebel, we ought to go in court dress downriver; if there should be trouble, this force would not suffice and would only open a breach of suspicion—not the way to answer the hopes of near and far." It happened that Chu Shudu, governor of Yongzhou, died; he therefore sent Yanzi provisionally to hold Xiangyang. On jiaxu day the prince set out from Jiangling, summoned Fu Liang for audience, and wept aloud; his grief moved all who were near. He then asked the full story of Yizhen's death and the young emperor's deposition and demise, weeping and sobbing; none of those attending dared look up. Liang sweated until his back was soaked and could not reply; he then confided his inmost thoughts to Dao Yanzi, Wang Hua, and the rest and bound himself to them deeply. The prince had the civil and military officers of the prefecture and province guard him with strict troops; the hundred officials sent from the capital could not bring their forces near his ranks. Zhu Rongzi, staff officer of the central guard, held his blade at the door of the prince's boat and did not ungird his sword for many tens of days. The Wei emperor returned to the palace. Qifu Chipan, King of Qin, sent the crown prince Mumo at the head of the northern-campaigning general Muyigan and others with thirty thousand infantry and cavalry through Diaochu Valley to attack Baicao Ridge and Linsong commandery in Hexi; all were defeated, and more than twenty thousand households were relocated before they returned. In the eighth month, on bingshen day, the Prince of Yidu reached Jiankang; the officials welcomed and bowed at Xinting. Xu Xianzhi asked Fu Liang, "To whom may the prince be compared?" Liang said, "A man above Emperor Wen and Emperor Jing of Jin." Xianzhi said, "He will surely understand my loyal heart." Liang said, "Not so." On dingyou day the prince visited Chuning Mausoleum, returned, and stopped at the central hall. The hundred officials presented the seals and cords; the prince declined several times, then accepted and took the imperial throne at the central hall. With full imperial equipage he entered the palace, ascended the Hall of Supreme Ultimate, proclaimed a general amnesty, changed the era name, and raised civil and military ranks by two steps. On wuxu day he visited the imperial ancestral temple. An edict restored the Prince of Luling's former fief and brought back his coffin, together with Sun Xiuhua and Consort Xie, to Jiankang. On gengzi day the acting governor of Jingzhou, Xie Hui, was confirmed in office. As Hui was about to depart he took leave of Cai Kuo, dismissed others, and asked, "Will I escape harm?" Kuo said, "You received the late emperor's dying charge and were entrusted with the altars of state; to depose the benighted and establish the enlightened—righteousness permits no objection. But you killed his two elder brothers and set him on the throne; you hold the awe of a minister who startles his ruler and occupy the weight of the upper Yangzi—judging the present by antiquity, escape will be hard for you." At first Hui feared he would not be allowed to leave; once he had set out he looked back toward Stone City and said with joy, "Now I have escaped!" On guimao day Xu Xianzhi was advanced to Grand Minister, Wang Hong to Minister of Works, Fu Liang was given the open office with ritual equal to the Three Excellencies, Xie Hui was promoted to Defender General, and Tan Daoji to Northern Campaigning General. The relevant offices memorialized that the emperor should, according to precedent, attend at the Hualin Garden to hear lawsuits. An edict said, "In government and punishments there is much I do not yet understand; what may follow precedent, let the two excellencies examine and decide." The emperor made Wang Tanshou and Wang Hua palace attendants; Tanshou also headed the right guard. Hua headed the valiant cavalry, and Zhu Rongzi was made general of the right guard. On jiachen day the emperor's mother, Lady Hu, was posthumously honored as Empress Zhang. The emperor's younger brothers Yigong, Yixuan, and Yiji were enfeoffed as Prince of Jiangxia, Prince of Jingling, and Prince of Hengyang; Yixuan was also made Left General and stationed at Stone City. Xu Xianzhi and his colleagues wished at once to appoint Dao Yanzi to Yongzhou; the emperor did not permit it; Yanzi was summoned as director of the central guards and entrusted with military affairs. As Yanzi came south from Xiangyang, Xie Hui had already reached his post and feared Yanzi would not pass through his territory. When Yanzi reached Yangkou he went on foot to Jiangling and laid out his sincerity in full; Hui also received him warmly; Yanzi left horses, sharp swords, and famous blades with Hui, and Hui thereby grew greatly reassured. Keshenggai Khan of Rouran, hearing that Emperor Taizong of Wei had died, led sixty thousand cavalry into Yunzhong, killing and plundering officials and people and capturing Shengle Palace. Emperor Shizu of Wei personally led light cavalry against him and reached Yunzhong in three days and two nights. Keshenggai led his horsemen to surround the Wei emperor more than fifty ranks deep; riders pressed on the horses' heads, rank upon rank like a wall. Officers and soldiers were greatly afraid; the Wei emperor's countenance remained calm, and the men's hearts were thereby settled. Keshenggai had his nephew Yuzhijin as grand general; the Wei forces shot and killed him; Keshenggai was afraid and fled. Liu Jie, director of the Department of State Affairs, said to the Wei emperor, "Datan relies on his numbers and will surely come again; please wait until the harvest is complete, then raise a great force in two columns advancing east and west together to attack him." The Wei emperor approved. In the ninth month, on bingzi day, Consort Yuan was established as empress; she was a great-granddaughter of Yuan Danzhi. In winter, in the tenth month, Achai, Weiwang of Tuyuhun, died. Achai had twenty sons. When ill he summoned his sons and younger brothers and said, "Our late lord the chariot-and-horse general, for the sake of the great enterprise, set aside his son Shiqian and entrusted me; how dare I favor Weidai privately and forget our late lord's intent! When I die, you must take Mugui as lord." Weidai was Achai's eldest son; Mugui was the son of Achai's maternal younger brother and his uncle Wuheti. Achai also ordered each son to present one arrow, took a single arrow and gave it to his younger brother Muliyan to break; Muliyan broke it; then took nineteen arrows and had them broken together; Muliyan could not break them. Achai then instructed them, "Do you understand? One alone is easy to break; many together are hard to destroy. You must join your strength in one heart—only then can you preserve the state and secure the clan." When he had finished speaking he died. Mugui also had talent and strategy; he gathered displaced people of Qin and Liang and mixed Di and Qiang groups to the number of five or six hundred clans, and his following grew ever stronger. In the twelfth month the Wei emperor ordered the pacifying general Zhangsun Han and the northern-pacifying general Yu Juan to strike Rouran in the north; the Wei emperor personally led troops and encamped at Zhaoshan. Rouran fled north; the armies pursued and returned with great gains. Han was a son of Zhangsun Fei. An edict made Lady Zhang, mother of the Prince of Yingyang, Grand Princess of Yingyang. Fan Yangmai, king of Linyi, raided Rinan and the commanderies of Jiude and others. Liang Michong, King of Dangchang, sent his son Mihuang to pay court to Wei. Dangchang was a separate branch of the Qiang. Qiang lands adjoined China on the east and reached the Western Regions on the west, stretching several thousand li; each had its own chieftain, tribes holding separate territories without a single overlord; but Dangchang was the strongest, with more than twenty thousand clans, and the other tribes feared it. The Xia ruler was about to depose Crown Prince Gui and install his youngest son, Duke Lun of Jiuquan. Gui heard of it and marched north with seventy thousand troops to attack Lun. Lun mustered thirty thousand cavalry to resist; they fought at Gaoping, and Lun was defeated and killed. Lun's elder brother Chang, Duke of Taiyuan, led ten thousand cavalry against Gui, killed him, absorbed his eighty-five thousand men, and returned to Tongwan. The Xia ruler was greatly pleased and made Chang crown prince. The Xia ruler loved to boast of his greatness; he named his four gates Summoning Wei to the east, Attending Song to the south, Subduing Liang to the west, and Pacifying the North to the north. Yuanjia 2, second year of the reign of Emperor Wen—above, part one (yichou; 425 CE). In spring, in the first month, Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang submitted memorials returning power to the throne; after three submissions the emperor consented. On bingyin day he began personally to attend to affairs of state. Xianzhi still resigned and returned home; Xu Peizhi, Cheng Daohui, and Wang Shaozhi, governor of Wuxing, all said it was wrong and pressed him hard; he then accepted the edict and resumed office. On xinwei day the emperor sacrificed at the southern suburb and proclaimed a general amnesty. On jimao day the Wei ruler returned to Pingcheng. In the second month a woman in Yan transformed into a man. The Yan ruler asked his ministers; Fu Quan, left assistant director of the Secretariat, replied, "At the end of Western Han, hens turned into roosters, and still Wang Mang's disaster followed. How much more now that a woman has become a man—this is an omen that your subject will become ruler." In the third month, on bingyin day, the Wei ruler honored his foster mother Lady Dou as Grand Empress Dowager of Fostering. When Empress Mi died, Shizu was still young; Emperor Taizong, finding Lady Dou kind, good, and upright in conduct, entrusted her with his upbringing. Lady Dou cared for him with affection and guided him with propriety; Shizu held her in gratitude and therefore bestowed on her an honorific title, maintaining her support as before wherever she resided. On disi day Wei appointed Zhangsun Song Grand Minister, Zhangsun Han Minister over the Masses, and Xi Jin Minister of Works. In summer, in the fourth month, Qifu Chipan, King of Qin, sent the distant-pacifying general Chilu Jian and others to attack Juqu Baiti, southern-pacifying general of Hexi, at Linsong, captured him, and relocated more than five thousand households to Fuhan. The Wei ruler sent the dragon-charger general Bu Dui and others on a friendly mission, restoring diplomatic ties. In the sixth month Yang Sheng, the Cultured Literary King of Wudu, died. Previously, when Sheng heard that Jin had fallen, he kept the Yixi era name unchanged; he told his heir Xuan, "I am old; I shall die a subject of Jin—you serve the Song emperor well." When Sheng died, Xuan took the titles director of all military affairs of Longyou, great general on the western campaign, open office with ritual equal to the Three Excellencies, governor of Qinzhou, and King of Wudu; he sent envoys to announce the death and only then adopted the Yuanshi era name. In autumn, in the seventh month, Qifu Chipan's southern-pacifying general Ji Pi and others attacked Qiu Dan, chieftain of the Black Water Qiang, to the south and routed him thoroughly. In the eighth month the Martial Fierce Emperor of Xia died, was buried at Jiaping Mausoleum, and received the temple name Shizu; Crown Prince Chang ascended the throne. He proclaimed a general amnesty and changed the era name to Chengguang. Wang Hong, because he had not taken part in the original plot, refused the post of Minister of Works; he submitted memorials declining it year after year before permission was granted. On yiyou day Hong was made chariot-and-horse general with open office and ritual equal to the Three Excellencies. In winter, in the tenth month, Qiu Dan surrendered with his followers to Qin; Qin made him General Who Returns to Goodness; and appointed the breaking-campaign general Qifu Xindi colonel pacifying the Qiang to garrison the region. On guimao day the Wei ruler launched a major campaign against Rouran, five columns advancing together. Zhangsun Han and others took the eastern route through the Black Desert; Court Director Zhangsun Daosheng and others emerged between the White and Black deserts; the Wei ruler took the middle route; Duke of Dongping E Qing went out from Liyuan; Xi Jin and others took the western route from Erhanshan. When the armies reached the southern desert they abandoned baggage trains, traveled light with fifteen days' rations, crossed the desert, and attacked. The Rouran tribes were thrown into panic and fled north without a trace. In the eleventh month Wudu's heir Xuan was made governor of North Qinzhou and King of Wudu. Previously, Kong Ningzi of Kuaiji had served as the prince's western-staff advisory aide; when the emperor took the throne he made Ningzi commandant of the infantry; Kong and Palace Attendant Wang Hua both coveted wealth and rank; they resented Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang for monopolizing power and day and night whispered against them to the emperor. It happened that two daughters of Xie Hui were to marry Prince Yikang of Pengcheng and Marquis Yibin of Xinye; he sent his wife Lady Cao and his eldest son Shixiu to escort the brides to Jiankang. The emperor planned to execute Xianzhi and Liang and also dispatch troops against Hui; he gave out that he would attack Wei and recover Henan, and also spoke of visiting the imperial tombs and fitting out transport ships. Liang wrote to Hui, "The punitive expedition into the north of the river is still unfinished; throughout court and country anxiety runs high." He also wrote, "Court gentlemen have mostly remonstrated against the northern expedition; the emperor is likely to send Chief Surveillance Officer Wan Youzong to consult." By then the court's movements were unusual, and the plot leaked rather openly. Yuanjia 3, third year of the reign of Emperor Wen—above, part one (bingyin; 426 CE). In spring, in the first month, Zhan, younger brother of Xie Hui and palace attendant at the yellow gate, sent a messenger at full speed to warn Hui; Hui still disbelieved it and showed Fu Liang's letter to the advisory aide He Chengtian, saying; "Youzong should arrive within a day or two. Master Fu feared I would make trouble, and therefore sent this letter first." Chengtian said, "What is heard outside is that the western expedition is settled—how could Youzong have reason to come upriver!" Hui still thought it empty talk and had Chengtian prepare in advance a draft reply to the imperial edict, saying the barbarian campaign should wait until next year. Cheng Daohui, internal administrator of Jiangxia, received a letter from a man of Xunyang saying "the court is about to take drastic measures—the matter is already settled"; he had Yue Tong, aide-de-camp of the Protectorate of the State, seal it and show it to Hui. Hui asked Chengtian, "If it is really so, what do you tell me to do?" He replied, "I have received the general's especial regard and always think to repay your kindness. The crisis is upon us—how dare I hide what I know! But if tomorrow there is martial alert and military law is invoked, what little I can say here may not be enough." Hui, afraid, said, "Do you wish me to take my own life?" Chengtian said, "It has not yet come to that. With the weight of an emperor's throne, to raise all under Heaven against one province—the scale is already unequal, and right and wrong likewise differ. Seeking safety beyond the borders is the best course. Next best is to have trusted generals garrison troops at Yiyang while you yourself lead the main force to fight at Xiakou; if defeated, hurry to Yiyang and break out through the northern frontier—that is the second-best course." After a long while Hui said, "Jingzhou is a land made for war; troops and grain are easy to supply—we can fight first, and flight would come none too late!" He then had Chengtian draft manifestos and memorials, and also consulted with the defender-general's advisory aide Yan Shao of Langya about raising troops; Shao took poison and died. Hui raised banners and declared martial alert; he said to Chief Administrator Yu Dengzhi, "We are about to go downstream; I wish to impose on you to hold the city with three thousand men and guard against Liu Cui." Dengzhi said, "My aged parents are in the capital, and I have never had troops under my command; my heart wavers—I dare not accept this commission." Hui then asked the officers, "Are three thousand warriors enough to hold the city?" Southern Barbarian Chief Administrator Zhou Chao replied, "Not merely to hold the city—if an external enemy comes, one can win merit." Dengzhi thereupon said, "Chao is surely capable; I ask to resign as chief administrator and governor of Nanjun and confer both posts on him." Hui then appointed Chao chief administrator on the spot and made him acting governor of Southern Yiyang; he transferred Dengzhi to chief clerk while keeping him governor of Nanjun as before. Dengzhi was a grandson of Yu Yunzhi. The Emperor knew that Wang Hong and Tan Daoji had never been part of the plot to depose and kill the princes, and that Hong's younger brother Tanshou enjoyed his personal trust. As the crisis approached, he secretly sent word to Hong and summoned Daoji, intending to send him against Xie Hui. Wang Hua and the others all said it was inadvisable. The Emperor said, "Daoji was only coerced into following; he was not originally the author of the plot. The killings, moreover, did not involve him at all. If I reassure him and put him to use, there will be nothing to fear." On yichou, Daoji arrived at Jiankang. On bingyin, an edict was issued exposing the crimes of Xianzhi, Liang, and Hui in killing the Princes of Yingyang and Luling, ordering the proper offices to execute them, and declaring: "Hui holds the upper Yangtze; he may not submit at once—I shall personally lead the six armies to block his crossing. Dispatch the Central Army Inspector Dao Yanzhi to set out at once by forced march; the Northern Expedition General Tan Daoji is to follow in rapid relays along the route; send orders to the Defender-General's offices and the provinces to destroy them without delay; Liu Cui, governor of Yong Province, and others have already been ordered to cut off every route of escape. Punishment is limited to the ringleaders; no one else will be questioned." That same day, an edict summoned Xianzhi and Liang. Xianzhi, on his way to outside the Ximing Gate, met Xie Yan on duty and sent word to Liang: "There is an unusual disposition within the palace." Liang pleaded that his sister-in-law was ill and he must return briefly; he sent a messenger to warn Xianzhi. Xianzhi went back to Xizhou, rode an inner-court inquiry carriage out of the city, walked on foot to Xinlin, entered a pottery kiln, and hanged himself. Liang rode out through the city gate in a carriage, then mounted a horse and galloped to his elder brother Di's tomb; Colonel of the Garrison Cavalry Guo Hong seized him. At the Guangmo Gate, the Emperor sent a Palace Secretariat Attendant to show Liang the edict and added: "In view of your loyalty at Jiangling, your sons shall come to no harm." After reading the edict through, Liang said, "I received the late Emperor's favor when he was still in common dress, and thus received his dying charge. To remove the dim and establish the bright—that was a plan for the altars of state. If you wish to attach guilt to me, is there no pretext!" Thereupon Liang was executed and his wife and children were exiled to Jian'an; Xianzhi's two sons were executed, but his elder brother's son Peizhi was spared. Hui's son Shixiu was executed, and Xie Yan was arrested and imprisoned. The Emperor was about to campaign against Xie Hui and asked Tan Daoji for strategy. He replied, "Your servant once campaigned north with Hui; of the ten stratagems for entering the pass, Hui had nine—his talent and design are clear and practiced; he has scarcely an equal. Yet he has never won decisive victory with an isolated army; military affairs are probably not his strength. I know Hui's intelligence completely; Hui knows my courage completely. Now, receiving Your Majesty's command to campaign against him, he can be captured before battle is even joined." On dingmao, Wang Hong was summoned as Palace Attendant, Grand Mentor, Director of the Department of State Affairs, and governor of Yang Province; Prince Pengcheng Yikang was made commander-in-chief of military affairs over Jing, Xiang, and seven other provinces, and governor of Jing Province. Yue Tong again sent envoys to inform Xie Hui that Xu, Fu, Yan, and the others had already been executed. Hui first observed mourning for Xianzhi and Liang, then issued notifications of the violent deaths of kinsmen; afterward he personally went to the archery hall to muster troops. Hui had followed the Founding Emperor on campaign; in command and disposition his measures were always exactly right—within days men rallied from far and near, and he raised thirty thousand elite troops. He then submitted a memorial declaring Xianzhi, Liang, and the others loyal and true, cruelly and wrongfully condemned. And he said, "If we truly wished to seize power and did not act solely for the state, when Yingyang was first deposed, Your Majesty was far away, and among Emperor Wu's sons there were still young children—if we had gathered them and issued orders in their name, who would have dared oppose us! How could we have traveled upstream three thousand li, lodged in empty halls for seventy days, gazing up at the imperial banners! The late Prince of Luling, in the reign of Yingyang, accumulated grievances and offended his sovereign—he brought ruin upon himself. If one does not remove some, how can one raise up others! Geng Yan did not leave rebels to his lord and father—what debt do I owe the House of Song! All this is because Wang Hong, Wang Tanshou, and Wang Hua are rash, jealous, and suspicious—they slandered and brought calamity. Now we must raise troops to remove the evil at the ruler's side." King Qiwu Chiqian of Qin again sent envoys to Wei, requesting to deploy troops against Xia. Earlier, Empress Yuan bore the prince Shao; afterward she examined him closely and sent a fast rider to tell the Emperor, "This child's appearance is abnormal; he will surely ruin the state and destroy the family—he must not be made heir." She immediately wished to kill him. The Emperor hurried in disarray to outside the rear hall door, pushed aside the curtain with his hand and forbade it, and only then was she stopped. Because he was still in mourning seclusion, he kept it secret. In the intercalary month, on bingxu, the birth of Shao was first announced. The Emperor issued an edict of martial alert and a general amnesty; the armies advanced in succession to campaign against Xie Hui. Hui appointed his younger brother Dun interior minister of Jingling, left ten thousand men under him for overall retention duties, and led twenty thousand men from Jiangling; he arrayed ships from the Jiang crossing to Pozhong—the banners blotted out the sun—and sighed, "I only regret that these cannot serve as an army to rescue the throne!" Hui wished to dispatch troops to strike Zhang Shao, governor of Xiang Province. He Chengtian, because Shao's elder brother Maodu, governor of Yi Province, was on good terms with Hui, said, "Shao's inclinations are not yet known—it is inadvisable to attack him hastily." Hui tried to win Shao by letter; Shao would not follow. In the second month, on wuwu, Wang Jinghong, Grand Master of the Gold Seal and Purple Tassel, was made Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, and Zheng Xianzhi, governor of Jian'an, was made Right Vice Director. Jinghong was a great-grandson of Yi. On gengshen, the Emperor set out from Jiankang. He ordered Wang Hong and Prince Pengcheng Yikang to remain and guard the capital, entering and dwelling in the lower offices of the Secretariat; Palace Attendant Yin Jingren shared in managing retention duties; the Emperor's elder sister, the Princess of Kuaiji, remained within the palace precinct and supervised the Six Palaces overall. Xie Hui went east from Jiangling; He Chengtian remained at headquarters and did not follow. When Hui reached the river mouth, Dao Yanzhi had already reached Pengcheng Isle. Yu Dengzhi held Baling but, fearful and timid, dared not advance; As heavy rain fell for days on end, Staff Officer Liu Hezhi said, "Both sides share the same rain; General Tan the Northern Expedition will soon arrive—the eastern army is only growing stronger; we must fight at once." Dengzhi, craven, had a junior officer Chen You make great sacks, fill them with thatch, and hang them from masts and sails, claiming they could burn ships; fire required clear weather—thus to delay the battle. Hui agreed; he halted the army for fifteen days. He then sent Central Army Staff Officer Kong Yanxiu to attack General Xiao Xin at Pengcheng Isle and defeated him. He also attacked the stockade at the isle mouth and took it. The generals all wished to retreat to Xiakou; Dao Yanzhi would not permit it. They therefore held Yinfan. Hui again submitted a memorial pleading his own case and also boasting of his victory, saying, "If Your Majesty would execute the Four Evils in the ancestral temple courtyard and hang the Three Overseers at the surrendered gate, your servant will then rein in the host, turn the banners, and return to guard my post." Earlier, Hui together with Xu Xianzhi and Fu Liang had made a plan for self-preservation: they thought that with Hui holding the upper Yangtze and Tan Daoji garrisoned at Guangling, each having strong troops, they would be enough to control the court; with Xianzhi and Liang holding power at the center, they could endure long. When they heard that Daoji was leading troops upstream, they were fearful and without plan. Once Daoji arrived and joined Dao Yanzhi's army, they towed ships along the shore. Hui at first saw that the number of ships was not great and treated them lightly, not going out to fight immediately. By evening, as wind filled the sails they came upstream, bow to stern in unbroken succession; the western men were scattered and dispirited, with no will to fight left. On wuchen the imperial army arrived at the tail of Jizhi Isle, deployed ships and crossed the river—the army of Hui all collapsed at once. Hui went out by night, fled to Baling, obtained a small boat, and returned to Jiangling. Earlier, the Emperor had ordered Liu Cui, governor of Yong Province, to lead infantry and cavalry by the land route to strike Jiangling, and he reached Shaqiao; Zhou Chao led more than ten thousand men to meet him in battle and routed him; more than half of the troops were killed or wounded. Before long, news of Hui's defeat arrived. Earlier, Hui, regarding Cui as trustworthy, had made Cui's son Kuangzhi a staff officer; the Emperor was suspicious; Wang Hong said, "Cui has no private interests—there is surely no cause for worry." When he received orders for the southern campaign, he gave no thought to personal concerns; the Emperor praised him for this. Hui also did not kill Kuangzhi but sent him back to Cui. On bingzi, the Emperor returned east from Wuhu. When Hui reached Jiangling, he made no other dispositions but only apologized to Zhou Chao in shame. That night, Chao abandoned the army, took a single boat, and went to Dao Yanzhi to surrender. Hui's followers scattered and were nearly gone; he then took his younger brother Dun and six other riders and fled north. Dun was stout and could not ride a horse; Hui waited for him each time, and they could not travel fast. On jimao, they reached Yantou in Anlu and were seized by the garrison commander Guang Shunzhi, who sent them in a cage cart to Jiankang. When Dao Yanzhi reached Matou, He Chengtian came in and surrendered on his own. Yanzhi then took charge of the Jing Province headquarters and appointed Zhou Chao as an aide-de-camp; Liu Cui reported the defeat at Shaqiao, and Yanzhi had Zhou Chao arrested. Thereupon Xie Hui, Xie Can, and Xie Dun were put to death, together with their brothers' sons and fellow conspirators Kong Yanxiu, Zhou Chao, and the rest. Xie Hui's daughter, the Princess of Pengcheng, hair loose and barefoot, bade Hui farewell, saying, "A great man ought to fall dead on the battlefield—why end up strewn in disarray through the streets of the capital!" Yu Dengzhi was stripped of office and confined for dereliction of duty; He Chengtian, Wang Xuamo of Xinxing, acting aide-de-camp for the southern barbarians, and the others were all pardoned. When Hui fled, everyone around him deserted him. Only Yanling Gai stayed with him to the end; the Emperor made Gai staff officer and supervisor of the Pacification Army. When Hui raised troops, he sought support from Wang Huilong, the Wei commandant of the southern barbarians. Huilong led ten thousand men, took the Silin garrison, and advanced to besiege Xiangcheng. When he heard that Hui had been defeated, he withdrew. Zhang Maodu, governor of Yi Province, received orders to strike Jiangling; By the time Hui was defeated, Maodu's army had only just reached Baidi. Some suspected Maodu of divided loyalty, but the Emperor, because Maodu's younger brother Shao had shown loyal integrity, pardoned him without inquiry and ordered him to return. In the third month, on xinji, the Emperor returned to Jiankang, summoned Xie Lingyun as Director of the Secretariat and Yan Yanzhi as Vice Director of the Central Secretariat, and treated them with great favor. Because the monk Huilin was skilled at debate, the Emperor discussed major affairs of state with him, and Huilin came to share in power and influence. Guests converged on him; there were often dozens of carriages at his gate; gifts and bribes poured in from every quarter; seven or eight square banquets were laid out, and the seats were always full. Lin wore high clogs, draped himself in a sable fur robe, and kept an office clerk and secretary at hand. Kong Yi of Kuaiji once called on him and found the hall packed with guests; Lin greeted him only with a remark about the weather. Yi said with indignation, "We now have a monk in black serving as chancellor—cap and clogs have truly lost their proper place!" In summer, in the fifth month, on yiwei, Tan Daoji was made Great General on the Southern Campaign, given an open office with ritual equal to the Three Excellencies, and appointed governor of Jiang Province; Dao Yanzhi was made governor of South Yuzhou. Sixteen men including Attendant-in-Ordinary Yuan Yu were sent out separately to the provinces, prefectures, and counties to observe official conduct and inquire into the people's hidden grievances; The prefectures and counties were also ordered each to report what should be cut back or expanded. On bingwu, the Emperor personally heard cases at the Hall for Extending Worth, and thereafter held three such sessions each year. Wang Jinghong, Vice Director of the Left, was by nature tranquil and disinterested and enjoyed a great reputation; He never even looked through the documents of the offices under his charge. Once, when he was present at a hearing of cases, the Emperor questioned him about a doubtful criminal matter, and Jinghong did not answer. The Emperor's face darkened and he asked those around him, "Why were the interrogation documents not copied for the Vice Director?" Jinghong said, "Even when I did receive the interrogation documents and read them, I simply could not understand them." The Emperor was very displeased; though he continued to treat Jinghong with courtesy, he no longer consulted him on current affairs. In the sixth month, Wang Hua, Right Guard General, was made Central Army Protector while retaining his post as Attendant-in-Ordinary. Hua saw that Wang Hong was helping govern the realm and that Wang Tanshou enjoyed the Emperor's personal trust on a level with himself; feeling his own strength and ability were not fully used, he often sighed and said, "There are suddenly several chancellors—how can the realm ever be well governed!" At that time the chancellorship had no fixed office; whoever the ruler discussed affairs of state with and entrusted with secrets counted as a chancellor—hence Hua's remark. Some men held the post of Attendant-in-Ordinary yet were not chancellors; Yet the Director and Vice Director of the Secretariat, the Supervisor and Director of the Central Secretariat, Attendants-in-Ordinary, Vice Directors, and Supervising Secretaries were all important offices of the day. Hua, together with Liu Zhan, Wang Tanshou, and Yin Jingren, all served as Attendants-in-Ordinary; in force of character and administrative capacity they were the ornament of the age. The Emperor once feasted and drank with the four men in the Hall of Union and was greatly pleased. When they had withdrawn, the Emperor gazed after them for a long time and sighed, "These four worthies, the finest of their time, together hold the reins of state—I fear later ages will find them hard to match!" Xie Hongwei, Vice Director at the Yellow Gate, together with Hua and the others, were all men the Emperor valued; at the time they were called the Five Ministers. Hongwei was a grandnephew of Xie Yan. His spirit was composed and his bearing careful; he spoke only when the occasion called for it, and before maids and servants he never spoke or laughed lightly—wherefore high and low, great and small, revered him as a god. His cousin Xie Hun set great store by him and often said, "Hongwei is distinct without harming things, alike without injuring integrity—I find no fault in him." The Emperor wished to ennoble Wang Tanshou, Wang Hua, and the others; he struck the imperial couch and said, "This seat—were it not for you brothers, there would be no today." He then produced the enfeoffment edict and showed it to them. Tanshou firmly declined, saying, "In recent affairs, we have relied on Your Majesty's clear wisdom, and the guilty have been brought to justice. How could we turn the realm's disaster into our own good fortune!" The Emperor thereupon stopped. The Wei emperor issued an edict asking the high ministers, "We are about to use the army—between Helian and Rouran, which state should be attacked first?" Zhangsun Song, Zhangsun Han, and Xi Jin all said, "Helian is settled on the land and cannot yet become a threat. It would be better first to campaign against Rouran; if we pursue and overtake them, we can gain a great prize; if we do not overtake them, we can hunt on Yin Mountain and take its beasts, hides, and horns to fill out military stores." Minister of Ceremonies Cui Hao said, "Rouran are birds that gather and beasts that flee; if a great host pursues them it cannot overtake them, and if light troops pursue them they are not enough to control the enemy. The Helian clan's territory is no more than a thousand li; their government and punishments are cruel and savage, abandoned by men and gods alike—they should be attacked first." Minister of the Secretariat Liu Jie and Marquis of Wujing Anyuan asked to campaign against Yan first. Thereupon the Wei emperor personally toured west from Yunzhong to Wuyuan, hunted on Yin Mountain, and went east as far as Mount Hedou. In autumn, in the eighth month, he returned to Pingcheng. An edict ordered Palace Army General Ji Heng to go on a mission of courtesy to Wei. Yong, crown prince of Yan, died; the second son Yi was established as crown prince. Chiqian, King of Qin, campaigned against Hexi, reached Lianchuan, and sent the crown prince Mumo and others with thirty thousand infantry and cavalry to attack Xi'an; they did not take it, and then attacked Fanhe. Mengsun, King of Hexi, sent troops to resist him and also sent envoys to persuade the Xia ruler to seize the opportunity and strike Bohan. The Xia ruler sent Great General on the Southern Campaign Hulugu with twenty thousand cavalry to attack Yuanchuan and Chariot-and-Horse General Wei Fa with thirty thousand cavalry to attack Nan'an. When Chiqian heard of it, he withdrew and returned. In the ninth month he moved the old and weak within his borders and livestock to the Jiao River, the Mo River, and the Naihan River, leaving Left Chancellor Tanda to guard Bohan. Wei Fa attacked and took Nan'an, capturing Qin Governor of Qinzhou Zhai Shuang and Nan'an Administrator Li Liang. Wokui and others of Tuyuhun led more than twenty thousand households of their tribes to rebel against Qin, fled to Angchuan, and attached themselves to Murong Mugui, King of Tuyuhun. There was a great drought and a plague of locusts. Fan Tai, Grandee of Splendid Happiness of the Left, submitted a memorial saying, "A woman has the three obediences and no way of acting on her own. The women of Xie Hui's household are still in the Directorate of Palace Manufactories—may Your Majesty take note." An edict pardoned them. When the Wei emperor heard that Xia Shizu had died and his sons were contending with one another so that the people of the state were unsettled, he wished to campaign against them. Zhangsun Song and the others all said, "If they hold their cities and wait at ease for our weary force, and Datan hears of it and seizes the opportunity to raid us, that is a perilous course." Cui Hao said, "Since last year Mars has twice guarded Yulin and moved along Gouji; the omen reads that Qin will perish. This year the five planets all appear in the east—favorable for a western campaign. Heaven and man correspond—this opportunity must not be lost." Song stubbornly argued against it; the Emperor grew furious, rebuked Song for corruption in office, and ordered warriors to humiliate him publicly. Thereupon he dispatched Minister of Works Xi Jin leading forty-five thousand men to strike Puban, and Zhou Ji, General of the Song Army, leading ten thousand men to strike Shancheng, with Hedong Administrator Xue Jin as guide. Jin was a son of Xue Bian. The Wei emperor wished to put Li Shun of Pingji, Doctor of the Central Secretariat, in overall command of the vanguard army; he consulted Cui Hao, who said, "Shun truly has stratagems, but I am related to him by marriage and know well that in decisive action he is swift to advance or withdraw—he cannot be wholly entrusted." The Emperor thereupon stopped. From this Hao and Shun bore a grudge against each other. In winter, in the tenth month, on dingsi day, the Wei emperor departed from Pingcheng. Qin's left chancellor Tanda fought Xia's Hulügu at Mount Changmang, and Tanda's army was defeated. In the eleventh month, Hulügu and Weifa advanced to attack Fuhan. King Chi Pan of Qin relocated to Baodinglian. Hulügu entered the South City, but Zhao Shousheng, garrison-general of the capital, led three hundred death-defying soldiers and fought fiercely to drive him back. Hulügu and Weifa again attacked Shazhou governor Chulian Qian on the Huang River; Qian sent Rear General Qifu Wannian to strike and defeat them. They again attacked Xiping, seized Kuluo Gan, pacifying-general of the west, buried alive more than five thousand warriors, plundered more than twenty thousand civilian households, and withdrew. Yang Xingping of the Chouchi Di sought to submit to the court. Ji Han, governor of Liang and South Qin, sent Shiping administrator Chong Zi to occupy Wuxing. Di king Yang Chan sent his younger brother Nandang to lead troops against Zi; Zi struck and drove him off. When the Wei emperor reached Junzi Ford, the weather suddenly turned bitterly cold and the river froze over; on wuyin day his army crossed with twenty thousand light cavalry to raid Tongwan. On renwu day, the winter solstice, the Xia ruler was feasting his ministers when Wei forces suddenly arrived; court and camp alike were thrown into alarm. The Wei emperor encamped at Black Water, more than thirty li from the city. The Xia ruler sallied out to fight and was defeated, then fled back into the city. Before the gate could be closed, Inner Gentleman of the Third Rank Dou Daitian led his men in on the momentum of victory, entered the West Palace, and burned its west gate; when the palace gates closed, Daitian climbed over the palace wall and escaped. The Wei emperor appointed Daitian Brave Warrior General. The Wei army encamped north of the city overnight; on guiwei day they divided into four columns to plunder, killing and capturing tens of thousands and seizing more than one hundred thousand cattle and horses. The Wei emperor said to his generals, "Tongwan cannot be taken yet; another year I shall take it with you." He then relocated more than ten thousand of their households and withdrew. Cao Da, Xia's administrator of Hongnong, heard that Zhou Ji was approaching and fled without fighting. The Wei army pressed the victory and drove deep, entering the Three Assistants. Ji happened to die in camp; Yidou, Duke of Dongping and Puban's defending general, heard that Xi Jin was approaching and sent an envoy to Tongwan to report the emergency. When the envoy reached Tongwan, Wei forces had already besieged the city; on his return he told Yidou, "Tongwan has already fallen." Terrified, Yidou abandoned the city and fled west to Chang'an; Jin thereupon captured Puban. The Xia ruler's younger brother Zhuxingxian was defending Chang'an; when Yidou arrived, he and Zhuxingxian abandoned the city and fled west to Anding. In the twelfth month Jin entered Chang'an, and the Di and Qiang of Qin and Yong all came to Jin to surrender. Helan Mengsun, king of Hexi, and Di king Yang Xuan, hearing of this, both sent envoys to submit to Wei. Former Wu commandery administrator Xu Peizhi gathered a faction of more than a hundred men and plotted to raise a revolt in the palace at the next New Year assembly; the plot was discovered, and on renxu day he was arrested and executed. Grand Consort Zhang of Yingyang died. Qin's southern-campaigning general Ji Pi garrisoned Nanchang; Xin Dan of Longxi led three thousand households to seize the city and drive Pi out; Pi fled back to Fuhan, and Dan fled south to Yichi. When Wei first gained the Central Plains, many people hid from registration. In the Tianxing era an edict collected unregistered households and required them to pay silk tribute; thereupon very many declared themselves silk-weaver households of gauze, cocoon silk, crepe, and patterned silk, exempt from county jurisdiction, and taxation and corvée became uneven. This year an edict abolished the practice entirely and assigned such households to the counties. Yuanjia 4, fourth year of the reign of Emperor Wen—above, part one (dingmao; 427 CE). In spring, in the first month, on xinsi day, the Emperor sacrificed at the Southern Altar. On yiyou day the Wei emperor returned to Pingcheng. Many of the people relocated from Tongwan died on the road; only six or seven out of ten reached Pingcheng. On jihai day the Wei emperor went to Youzhou. The Xia ruler sent Duke Ding of Pingyuan to lead twenty thousand men toward Chang'an. When the Wei emperor heard of this, he felled trees on Yin Mountain, built siege equipment on a large scale, and again planned a campaign against Xia. The mountain Qiang rebelled against Qin. In the second month King Chi Pan of Qin sent left chancellor Tanda to summon and reassure the Qiang of Wushi, and southern-campaigning general Ji Pi to summon and reassure the Qiang of Yaoyang. The Qiang seized Tanda and sent him to Xia; Ji Pi was routed by the Qiang and fled back; eight or nine out of ten of his men and horses were killed or wounded. The Wei emperor returned to Pingcheng. On yimao day the Emperor went to Dantu; on jisi day he visited Jingling. Earlier, after Gaozu had risen to eminence, he had his farming tools from humble days stored away to show his descendants. When the Emperor reached the old palace and saw them, he looked ashamed. Some of those close at hand stepped forward and said, "Great Shun personally plowed on Mount Li, and Lord Yu personally attended to water and earth. If Your Majesty does not behold these relics, how can you know the late Emperor's supreme virtue and the hardship of tilling and sowing!" In the third month, on bingzi day, the Wei emperor sent Prince Li of Gaoliang to garrison Chang'an. Li was a grandson of Jin. An edict also ordered Commandant of the Capital Guard Huan Dai to build a bridge at Junzi Ford. On dingchou day Prince Lian of Guangping in Wei died. On dinghai day the Emperor returned to Jiankang. On wuzi day Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs Zheng Xianzhi died. King Chi Pan of Qin appointed state-supporting general Duan Hui governor of Liangzhou and garrisoned him at Ledu; he appointed pacifying-general of the west Qu Jing governor of Shazhou and garrisoned him at Siping; and northern-pacifying general Chulian Fuzheng governor of Liangzhou and garrisoned him at Chishui. In summer, in the fourth month, on dingwei day, Bu Dui, supernumerary attendant cavalier at large of Wei, and others came on a diplomatic mission. On gengxu day Wang Huizhi, director of the Court of Judicial Review, was made governor of Jiaozhou, and former governor Du Hongwen was summoned. Hongwen was ill but set out on the road in a sedan chair; some urged him to wait until his illness healed; Hongwen said, "I have borne the imperial staff through three reigns and have always wished to give my body to the imperial court—how much more when I am summoned!" He set out and died at Guangzhou. Hongwen was a son of Huinuo. Xi Jin of Wei and Duke Ding of Pingyuan of Xia faced off at Chang'an. The Wei emperor wished to exploit the opening to campaign against Tongwan; he selected troops and trained soldiers, assigned the generals, ordered Minister of Education Zhangsun Han and others to lead thirty thousand horsemen as vanguard, Wusu of Changshan and others to lead thirty thousand infantry as rear guard, Prince Fukang and others to lead thirty thousand infantry escorting siege equipment, and General He Duoluo to lead three thousand elite horsemen as advance scouts. Su was a son of Zun. In the fifth month the Wei emperor set out from Pingcheng and ordered Dragon-Charger General Lu Hou of Dai to oversee the armies and garrison the Great Desert against Rouran. On xinsi day he crossed Junzi Ford. On renwu day Central Palace Guard Wang Hua died. The Wei emperor reached Balin Mountain, built a fort, left the baggage train behind, and raced ahead with thirty thousand light cavalry at forced march. All the ministers remonstrated, saying, "The walls of Tongwan are strong and cannot be taken quickly. To campaign against it now with a light force—if we advance we cannot overcome it, and if we retreat we shall have no supplies—it would be better to go together with the infantry and siege equipment all at once." The Emperor said, "In the art of war, storming walled cities is the worst option. Only when there is no other choice should it be used. If we advance now with both infantry and siege engines, they will surely be alarmed and dig in. If we fail to take it quickly, our provisions will run out and our troops will be exhausted; with nothing to plunder outside, we will have nowhere to advance or retreat. Better to send light cavalry straight to their city; when they see the infantry has not yet arrived, they will surely let their guard down; I will feign weakness to lure them out; if they venture out to fight, we can capture them. The reason is that my soldiers are more than two thousand li from home, cut off by a great river—they are in what is called "death's ground," where men fight to live. Thus they are not enough for storming cities, but more than enough for a decisive battle." With that he set out. On the first day of the sixth month, guimao, there was a solar eclipse. The Wei emperor reached Tongwan, divided his army and hid them in a deep valley, and with a small force rode up to the city walls. The Xia general Di Ziyu surrendered to Wei. He reported, "When the Xia ruler heard a Wei army was coming, he sent a messenger to summon the Duke of Pingyuan, Ding. Ding said, 'Tongwan is strong and steep and will not be easy to take. Wait until I capture Xi Jin, then I shall come at my leisure. Attacking from within and without, we cannot fail to succeed.' So the Xia ruler dug in and waited." The Wei emperor was troubled by this. He withdrew his army to feign weakness and sent E Qing and Prince Yongchang, Tuoba Jian, leading five thousand cavalry west to raid the countryside. A Wei soldier who had committed an offense fled to Xia and reported that the Wei army had run out of grain, the soldiers were eating vegetables, the baggage train was still behind, and the infantry had not yet arrived—they should attack at once. The Xia ruler took his advice. On jiachen, he led thirty thousand infantry and cavalry out of the city. Changsun Han and others all said, "The Xia infantry formation is hard to break—better to avoid their charge." The Wei emperor said, "I came from afar seeking the enemy and feared only that they would not come out. Now that they have come out. To shrink from them now—making them bold while we look weak—is no strategy at all. He gathered his forces, feigned retreat, and drew them on to wear them down. The Xia troops split into two wings and pursued with drums and shouts; after five or six li, wind and rain blew in from the southeast, whipping up sand until the sky went dark. The eunuch Zhao Ni, who knew something of divination, told the Wei emperor, "The wind and rain are coming from the enemy's side; we face into it while they have it at their backs—Heaven is not helping us; Our officers and soldiers are hungry and thirsty; I beg Your Majesty to withdraw the cavalry and wait for another day." Cui Hao rebuked him: "What kind of talk is that! We marched a thousand li to win this battle—how can we change plans in a single day! The enemy is pressing forward without stopping and their rear is cut off—we should hide part of our army and strike them by surprise. Wind favors whoever seizes it—nothing is fixed!" The Wei emperor said, "Excellent!" He then split his cavalry into left and right wings to pin the enemy. The Wei emperor's horse stumbled and threw him; he was nearly captured by Xia troops; Tuoba Qi shielded him with his own body and fought with desperate fury until the Xia troops fell back. The Wei emperor remounted, ran through the Xia Minister of Works Heli Wen and killed him, then cut down more than ten horsemen; though an arrow struck him, he fought on without pause, and the Xia army broke in complete rout. Qi was the great-great-grandson of Xuan, son of Yihuai. The Wei pressed their victory and pursued the Xia ruler to the north of the city, killing his younger brother the Duke of Henan, Man, and his nephew Mengsun; more than ten thousand were killed. The Xia ruler could not reach the city in time and fled to Shanggui. The Wei emperor, dressed plainly, pursued the fugitives and entered the city; Tuoba Qi pleaded with him but was ignored. The Xia realized what was happening and shut every gate; The Wei emperor went into the palace with Qi and the others, seized a woman's skirt, tied it to a spear, and climbed it to escape—barely making it out alive. At dusk, the Xia Vice Director of the Masters of Writing, Wen Zhi, escorted the Xia ruler's mother in flight; Changsun Han led eight thousand cavalry in pursuit of the Xia ruler to Gaoping but failed to catch him and turned back. On yisi, the Wei emperor entered the city and took captive Xia royalty, nobles, ministers, generals, officers, royal mothers, empresses and consorts, sisters, and palace women by the tens of thousands, along with more than three hundred thousand horses, tens of millions of cattle and sheep, and storehouse treasures, chariots, banners, and goods beyond reckoning; he distributed rewards to his officers and soldiers according to rank. Earlier, the Xia emperor Shizu had been extravagant by nature; he built the city of Tongwan ten ren high, with foundations thirty paces thick and ten paces wide at the top; the palace walls stood five ren high, hard enough to sharpen knives and axes against them. Its terraces and pavilions were vast, carved and painted throughout, draped in brocades and embroideries—a riot of ornament. The Wei emperor turned to those around him and said, "A tiny realm, yet it drove its people like this—could it hope not to perish!" He captured the Xia Directors of Astronomy, Zhang Yuan and Xu Bian, and reappointed them to their old offices. He took the former Jin general Mao Xiuzhi and the Qin general Kuluo Gan; he sent Kuluo Gan back to Qin and, because Mao Xiuzhi was a gifted cook, made him Chief of the Imperial Kitchen. The Wei emperor read a text by the Xia Copying Director Zhao Yi of Tianshui that lavishly praised the Xia ruler and angrily said, "This scoundrel is utterly lawless—how dare he write like this! Who wrote this? Find out at once!" Cui Hao said, "Men of letters in praise and blame often go beyond the truth; they likely had no choice—it is no crime worth punishing." The emperor relented. The Wei emperor took three daughters of the Xia emperor Shizu as honored consorts. Xi Jin and the Xia Duke of Pingyuan, Ding, were still locked in stalemate at Chang'an. The Wei emperor ordered the Director of the Imperial Clan, E Qing, and the Grand Servant Qiu Dui to lead five thousand cavalry to raid the lands west of the pass. When Ding heard that Tongwan had fallen, he fled to Shanggui; Jin pursued as far as Yong but failed to catch him and turned back. Qing and Dui attacked the Xia city of Ercheng and captured it. The Wei emperor ordered Jin and the others to withdraw. Jin memorialized, saying, "Hedie Chang has fled to Shanggui and is gathering what remains of his force; he does not yet have the strength to dig in and hold out; Strike him now while he is vulnerable and destroying him will be easy. I ask for more armor and horses so I can finish off Chang and then return." The Wei emperor refused. Jin pressed his request until the emperor agreed, gave him ten thousand troops, sent General Liu Ba with three thousand horses, and kept E Qing and Qiu Dui to join him in attacking Xia. On xinyou, the Wei emperor set out east from Tongwan; he made Prince Changshan, Su, General Who Subdues the South with discretionary powers, and left him with the Commandant of the Guard, Huan Dai, and Mo Yun to garrison Tongwan. Mo Yun was the younger brother of Ti. The King of Qin, Juqen, returned to Fuhan. In autumn, the seventh month, on jimao, the Wei emperor reached Zhaling. The Rouran raided Yunzhong, but when they heard Wei had taken Tongwan, they withdrew. The King of Qin, Juqen, told his ministers, "I knew the Hedie clan would never succeed; Chang rashly defied Wei, and now it has turned out exactly as I predicted." In the eighth month, he sent his uncle, the General Who Pacifies the Distance, Wotou, and others to present tribute to Wei. On renzi, the Wei emperor returned to Pingcheng and distributed the spoils among the officials left at the capital according to rank. The Wei emperor was sturdy, fierce, and bold; in siege and battle he personally braved arrows and stones, and though those around him fell wounded and dead in succession, his face never changed; Because of this his officers and soldiers stood in awe of him and fought with all their strength. He was frugal by nature; for dress, equipage, food, and drink he took only what he needed. The ministers asked to fortify the capital and build palace halls, saying, "The Book of Changes says, 'Kings and dukes establish defenses to guard their states. Xiao He also said, 'The Son of Heaven takes the four seas as his home; if the palace is neither grand nor splendid, it cannot inspire awe.' The Emperor said, "The ancients said, 'Security lies in virtue, not in walls. Helian Bobo built walls of steamed earth, and I destroyed him anyway. What do walls matter? The realm is not yet at peace and still needs the people's strength; grand construction projects are what I have not undertaken. Xiao He's reply was not elegant speech." He always held that wealth is the foundation of army and state and must not be spent lightly. As for rewards and gifts, they went only to families with merit earned in death for the cause; kin and favorites never received anything without cause. When he ordered generals to take the field he personally set out plans and dispositions; those who disobeyed often met defeat. He was clear in knowing men and sometimes raised the capable from the ranks, valuing only what their talents could do, without regard to origin. His hearing and scrutiny were keen; below him nothing could be hidden. Rewards did not overlook the lowly, punishments did not avoid the noble—even those he loved most were never spared in the end. He often said, "The law is what I share with all under Heaven—how dare I treat it lightly." Yet by nature he was cruel and decisive in killing; often he had already killed and then repented. In the ninth month, on dingyou day, the people of Anding surrendered the whole city to Wei. Yang Xuan, king of the Di, sent the general Fu Baizuo to besiege Chulian Fuzheng, Qin's governor of Liangzhou, at Chiyan. When grain in the city was exhausted, the people seized Fuzheng and surrendered. Fuzheng reached Luogu Valley and fled back. In winter, in the tenth month, Qin made Wu Han, valiant cavalry general, Southern-pacifying General and governor of Liangzhou, stationed at Nanqiang. In the eleventh month the Wei emperor sent the marshal Gongsun Gui, also grand master of splendid happiness, bearing credentials to invest Yang Xuan as commander of all military affairs in Jing, Liang, and four other provinces, governor of Liangzhou, and King of Southern Qin. When he reached the border, Xuan did not come out to welcome him; Gui rebuked him and was about to return with the credentials; Xuan was afraid and went out to the suburbs to welcome him. The Wei emperor approved of this and made Gui director of the masters of writing. Gui was a son of Gongsun Biao. In the twelfth month Wu Han, Qin's governor of Liangzhou, was attacked by various Qiang groups and led two thousand households back to Fuhan.”
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