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資治通鑑第127卷。 【宋紀九】昭陽大荒落,一年。。 太祖文皇帝下之下元嘉三十年(癸巳,公元四五三年)。 春,正月,戊寅,以南譙王義宣為司徒、揚州刺史。。 蕭道成等帥氐、羌攻魏武都,魏高平鎮將苟莫於將突騎二千救之。 道成等引還南鄭。。 壬午,以征北將軍始興王濬為荊州刺史。 帝怒未解,故濬久留京口; 既除荊州,乃聽入朝。。 戊子,詔江州刺史武陵王駿統諸軍討西陽蠻,軍於五洲。。 嚴道育之亡命也,上分遣使者搜捕甚急。 道育變服為尼,匿於東宮,又隨始興王濬至京口,。 或出止民張晤家。 濬入朝,復載還東宮,欲與俱往江陵。 丁巳,上臨軒,濬入受拜。 是日,有告道育在張晤家者,上遣掩捕,得其二婢,雲道育隨征北還都。 上謂濬與太子劭已斥遣道育,而聞其猶與往來,惆悵惋駭,乃命京口送二婢,須至檢覆,乃治劭、濬之罪。 潘淑妃抱濬泣曰:「汝前祝詛事發,猶冀能刻意思愆; 何意更藏嚴道育! 上怒甚,我叩頭乞恩不能解,今何用生為! 可送藥來,當先自取盡,不忍見汝禍敗也。」 濬奮衣起曰:「天下事尋自當判,願小寬慮,必不上累!」。 己未,魏京兆王杜元寶坐謀反誅; 建寧王崇及其子濟南王麗皆為元寶所引,賜死。。 帝欲廢太子劭,賜始興王濬死,先與侍中王僧綽謀之; 使僧綽尋漢魏以來廢太子、諸王典故,送尚書僕射徐湛之及吏部尚書江湛。。 武陵王駿素無寵,故屢出外籓,不得留建康; 南平王鑠、建平王宏皆為帝所愛。 鑠妃,江湛之妹; 隨王誕妃,徐湛之之女也。 湛勸帝立鑠,湛之意欲立誕。 僧綽曰:「建立之事,仰由聖懷。 臣謂唯宜速斷,不可稽緩。 『當斷不斷,反受其亂。』 願以義割恩,略小不忍; 不爾,便應坦懷如初,無煩疑論。 事機雖密,易致宣廣,不可使難生虎表,取笑千載。」 帝曰:「卿可謂能斷大事。 然此事至重,不可不殷勤三思。 且彭城始亡。 人將謂我無復慈愛之道。」 僧綽曰:「臣恐千載之後,言陛下唯能裁弟,不能裁兒。」 帝默然。 江湛同侍坐,出閣,謂僧綽曰:「卿向言將不太傷切直!」 僧綽曰:「弟亦恨君不直!」。 鑠自壽陽入朝,既至,失旨。 帝欲立宏,嫌其非次,是以議久不決。 每夜與湛之屏人語,或連日累夕。 常使湛之自秉燭,繞壁檢行,慮有竊聽者。 帝以其謀告潘淑妃,淑妃以告濬,濬馳報劭。 劭乃密與腹心隊主陳叔兒、齋帥張超之等謀為逆。。 初,帝以宗室強盛,慮有內難,特加東宮兵,使與羽林相若,至有實甲萬人。 劭性黠而剛猛,帝深倚之。 及將作亂,每夜饗將士,或親自行酒。 王僧綽密以啟聞,會嚴道育婢將至,癸亥夜,劭詐為帝詔云:「魯秀謀反,汝可平明守闕,帥眾入。」 因使張超之等集素所畜養兵士二千餘人,皆被甲; 召內外幢隊主副,豫加部勒,雲有所討。 夜,呼前中庶子右軍長史蕭斌、左衛率袁叔、中舍人殷仲素、左積弩將軍王正見並入宮。 劭流涕謂曰:「主上信讒,將見罪廢。 內省無過,不能受枉。 明旦當行大事,望相與戮力。」 因起,遍拜之。 眾驚愕,莫能對。 久之,淑、斌皆曰:「自古無此,願加善思!」 劭怒,變色。 斌懼,與眾俱曰:「當竭身奉命。」 淑叱之曰:「卿便謂殿下真有是邪? 殿下幼嘗患風,或是疾動耳。」 劭愈怒,因眄淑曰:「事當克不?」 淑曰:「居不疑之地,何患不克! 但恐既克之後,不為天地所容,大禍亦旋至耳。 假有此謀,猶將可息。」 左右引淑出,曰:「此何事,而雲可罷乎!」 淑還省,繞床行,至四更乃寢。。 甲子,宮門未開,劭以朱衣加戎服上,乘畫輪車,與蕭斌同載,衛從如常入朝之儀。 呼袁淑甚急,淑眠不起,劭停車奉化門催之相續。 淑徐起,至車後; 劭使登車,又辭不上,劭命左右殺之。 守門開,從萬春門入。 舊制,東宮隊不得入城。 劭以偽詔示門衛曰:「受敕,有所收討。」 令後隊速來。 張超之等數十人馳入雲龍門及齋閣,拔刀徑上合殿。 帝其夜與徐湛之屏人語至旦,燭猶未滅,門階戶席直衛兵尚寢未起。 帝見超之入,舉幾捍之,五指皆落,遂弒之。 湛之驚起,趣北戶,未及開,兵人殺之。 劭進至合殿中閣,聞帝已殂,出坐東堂,蕭斌執刀侍直,呼中書舍人顧嘏,嘏震懼,不時出,既至,問曰:「欲共見廢,何不早啟?」 嘏未及答,即於前斬之。 江湛直上省,聞喧噪聲,歎曰:「不用王僧綽言,以至於此!」 乃匿傍小屋中,劭遣兵就殺之。 宿衛舊將羅訓、徐罕皆望風屈附。 左細仗主、廣威將軍吳興卜天與不暇被甲,執刀持弓,疾呼左右出戰。 徐罕曰:「殿下入,汝欲何為!」 天與罵曰:「殿下常來,雲何於今乃作此語! 只汝是賊!」 手射劭於東堂。 幾中之。 劭黨擊之,斷臂而死。 隊將張泓之、朱道欽、陳滿與天與俱戰死。 左衛將軍尹弘惶怖通啟,求受處分。 劭使人從東閣入,殺潘淑妃及太祖親信左右數十人,急召始興王使帥眾屯中堂。。 濬時在西州,府舍人朱法瑜告濬曰:「台內喧噪,宮門皆閉,道上傳太子反,未測禍變所至。」 濬陽驚曰:「今當奈何?」 法瑜勸入據石頭。 濬未得劭信,不知事之濟不,騷擾不知所為。 將軍王慶曰:「今宮內有變,未知主上安危,凡在臣子,當投袂赴難; 憑城自守,非臣節也。」 濬不聽,乃從南門出,逕向石頭,文武從者千餘人。 時南平王鑠戍石頭,兵十亦千餘人。 俄而劭遣張超之馳馬召濬,濬屏人問狀,即戎服乘馬而去。 朱法瑜固止濬,濬不從; 出中門,王慶又諫曰:「太子反逆,天下怨憤。 明公但當堅閉城門,坐食積粟,不過三日,凶黨自離。 公情事如此,今豈宜去!」 濬曰:「皇太子令,敢有復言者斬!」 既入,見劭,劭謂濬曰:「潘淑妃遂為亂兵所害。」 濬曰:「此是下情由來所願。」。 劭詐以太祖詔召大將軍義恭、尚書令何尚之入,拘於內; 並召百官,至者才數十人。 劭遽即位; 下詔曰:「徐湛之、江湛弒逆無狀,吾勒兵入殿,已無所及,號惋崩衄,肝心破裂。 今罪人斯得,元兇克珍,可大赦,改元太初。」。 即位畢,亟稱疾還永福省,不敢臨喪; 以白刃自守,夜則列燈以防左右。 以蕭斌為尚書僕射、領軍將軍,以何尚之為司空,前右衛率檀和之戍石頭,征虜將軍營道侯義綦鎮京口。 義綦,義慶之弟也。 乙丑,悉收先給諸處兵還武庫,殺江、徐親黨尚書左丞荀赤松、右丞臧凝之等。 凝之。 燾之孫也。 以殷仲素為黃門侍郎,王正見為左軍將軍,張超之、陳叔兒等皆拜官、賞賜有差。 輔國將軍魯秀在建康,劭謂秀曰:「徐湛之常欲相危,我已為卿除之矣。」 使秀與屯騎校尉龐秀之對掌軍隊。 劭不知王僧綽之謀,以僧綽為吏部尚書,司徒左長史何偃為侍中。。 武陵王駿屯五洲,沈慶之自巴水來,咨受軍略。 三月,乙亥,典簽董元嗣自建康至五洲,具言太子殺逆,駿使元嗣以告僚佐。 沈慶之密謂腹心曰:「蕭斌婦人,其餘將帥,皆易與耳。 東宮同惡,不過三十人; 此外屈逼,必不為用。 今輔順討逆,不憂不濟也。」。 壬午,魏尊保太后為皇太后,追贈祖考,官爵兄弟,皆如外戚。。 太子劭分浙江五郡為會州,省揚州,立司隸校尉,以其妃父殷沖為司隸校尉。 沖,融之曾孫也。 以大將軍義恭為太保,荊州刺史南譙王義宣為太尉,始興王濬為驃騎將軍,雍州刺史臧質為丹陽尹,會稽太守隨王誕為會州刺史。。 劭料檢文帝巾箱及江湛家書疏,得王僧綽所啟饗士並前代故事,甲申,收僧綽,殺之。 僧綽弟僧虔為司徒左西屬,所親鹹勸之逃,僧虔泣曰:「吾兄奉國以忠貞,撫我以慈愛,今日之事,苦不見及耳; 若得同歸九泉,猶羽化也。」 劭因誣北第諸王侯,雲與僧綽謀反,殺長沙悼王瑾、瑾弟臨川哀王燁、桂陽孝侯覬、新渝懷侯玠,皆劭素所惡也。 瑾義欣之子; 義華,義慶之子; 玠,義慶之弟子也。。 劭密與沈慶之手書,令殺武陵王駿。 慶之求見王,王懼,辭以疾。 慶之突入,以劭書示王,王泣求入內與母訣,慶之曰:「下官受先帝厚恩,今日之事,唯力是視; 殿下何見疑之深!」 王起再拜曰:「家國安危,皆在將軍。」 慶之即命內外勒兵。 府主簿顏竣曰:「今四方未知義師之舉,劭據有天府,若首尾不相應,此危道也。 宜待諸鎮協謀,然後舉事。」 慶之厲聲曰:「今舉大事,而黃頭小兒皆得參預,何得不敗! 宜斬以徇眾!」 王令竣拜謝慶之,慶之曰:「君但當知筆札事耳!」 於是專委慶之處分。 旬日之間,內外整辦,人以為神兵。 竣,延之之子也。。 庚寅,武陵王戒嚴誓眾。 以沈慶之領府司馬; 襄陽太守柳元景、隨郡太守宗愨為咨議參軍,領中兵; 江夏內史朱修之行平東將軍; 記室參軍顏設為咨議參軍,領錄事,兼總內外; 以咨議參軍劉延孫為長史、尋陽太守,行留府事。 延孫,道產之子也。。 南譙王義宣及臧質皆不受劭命,與司州刺史魯爽同舉兵以應駿。 質、爽俱詣江陵見義宣,且遣使勸進於王。 辛卯,臧質子敦等在建康者聞質舉兵,皆逃亡。 劭欲相慰悅,下詔曰:「臧質,國戚勳臣,方贊翼京輦,而子弟波迸,良可怪歎。 可遣宣譬令還,鹹復本位。」 劭尋錄得敦,使大將軍義恭行訓杖三十,厚給賜之。。 癸巳,劭葬太祖於長寧陵,謚曰景皇帝,廟號中宗。。 乙未,武陵王發西陽; 丁酉,至尋陽。 庚子,王命顏竣移檄四方,使共討劭。 州郡承檄,翕然響應。 南譙王義宣遣臧質引兵詣尋陽,與駿同下,留魯爽於江陵。。 劭以兗、冀二州刺史蕭思話為徐、兗二州刺史,起張永為青州刺史。 思話自歷城引部曲還平城,起兵以應尋陽; 建武將軍垣護之在歷城,亦帥所領赴之。 南譙王義宣版張永為冀州刺史。 永遣司馬崔勳之等將兵赴義宣。 義宣慮蕭思話與永不釋前憾,自為書與思話,使長史張暢為書與永,勸使相與坦懷。。 隨王誕將受劭命,參軍事沈正說司馬顧琛曰:「國家此禍,開闢未聞。 今以江東驍銳之眾,唱大義於天下,其誰不響應! 豈可使殿下北面凶逆,受其偽寵乎!」 琛曰:「江東忘戰日久,雖逆順不同,然強弱亦異,當須四方有義舉者,然後應之,不為晚也。」 正曰:「天下未嘗有無父無君之國,寧可自安仇恥而責義於餘方乎! 今正以弒逆冤丑,義不同天,舉兵之日,豈求必全邪! 馮衍有言:『大漢之貴臣,將不如荊、齊之賤士乎!』 況殿下義兼臣子,事實國家者哉!」 琛乃與正共入說誕,誕從之。 正,田子之兄子也。。 劭自謂素習武事,語朝士曰:「卿等但助我理文書,勿措意戎旅; 若有寇難,吾自當之,但恐賊虜不敢動耳。」 及聞四方兵起,始憂懼,戒嚴,悉召下番將吏,遷淮南岸居民於北岸,盡聚諸王及大臣於城內,移江夏王義恭處尚書下捨,分義恭諸子處侍中下省。。 夏,四月,癸卯朔,柳元景統寧朔將軍薛安都等十二軍發湓口,司空中兵參軍徐遺寶以荊州之眾繼之。 丁未,武陵王發尋陽,沈慶之總中軍以從。。 劭立妃殷氏為皇后。。 庚戌,武陵王檄書至建康,劭以示太常顏延之曰:「彼誰筆也?」 延之曰:「竣之筆也。」 劭曰:「言辭何至於是!」 延之曰:「竣尚不顧老臣,安能顧陛下!」 劭怒稍解。 悉拘武陵王子於侍中下省,南譙王義宣子於太倉空捨。 劭欲盡殺三鎮士民家口,江夏王義恭、何尚之皆曰:「凡舉大事者不顧家; 且多是驅逼,今忽誅其室累,正足堅彼意耳。」 劭以為然,乃下書一無所問。。 劭疑朝廷舊臣皆不為己用,乃厚撫魯秀及右軍參軍王羅漢,悉以軍事委之; 以蕭斌為謀主,殷沖掌文符。 蕭斌勸劭勒水軍自上決戰,不爾則保據梁山。 江夏王義恭以南軍倉猝,船舫陋小,不利水戰,乃進策曰:「賊駿小年未習軍旅,遠來疲弊,宜以逸待之。 今遠出梁山,則京都空弱,東軍乘虛,或能為患。 若分力兩赴,則兵散勢離。 不如養銳待期,坐而觀釁。 割棄南岸,柵斷石頭,此先朝舊法,不憂賊不破也。」 劭善之。 斌厲色曰:「南中郎二十年少,能建如此大事,豈復可量! 三方同惡,勢據上流; 沈慶之甚練軍事,柳元景、宗愨屢嘗立功。 形勢如此,實非小敵。 唯宜及人情未離,尚可決力一戰; 端坐台城,何由得久! 今主,鹹無戰意,豈非天也!」 邵不聽。 或勸劭保石頭城,劭曰:「昔人所以固石頭城者,俟諸侯勤王耳。 我若守此,誰當見救! 唯應力戰決之; 不然,不克。」 日日自出行軍,慰勞將士,親督都水治船艦。 壬子,焚淮南岸室屋、淮內船舫,悉驅民家渡水北。。 立子偉之為皇太子。 以始興王濬妃父褚湛之為丹陽尹。 湛之,裕之之兄子也。 濬為侍中、中書監、司徒、錄尚書六條事,加南平王鑠開府儀同三司,以南兗州刺史建平王宏為江州刺史。 太尉司馬寵秀之自石頭先眾南奔,人情由是大震。 以營道侯義綦為湘州刺史,檀和之為雍州刺史。。 癸丑,武陵王軍於鵲頭。 宣城太守王僧達得武陵王檄,未知所從。 客說之曰:「方今釁逆滔天,古今未有。 為君計,莫若承義師之檄,移告傍郡。 苟在有心,誰不響應! 此上策也。 如其不能,可躬帥向義之徒,詳擇水陸之便,致身南歸,亦其次也。」 僧達乃自侯道南奔,逢武陵王於鵲頭。 王即以為長史。 僧達,弘之子也。 王初發尋陽,沈慶之謂人曰:「王僧達必來赴義。」 人問其故,慶之曰:「吾見其在先帝前議論開張,執意明決; 以此言之,其至必也。」。 柳元景以舟艦不堅,憚於水戰,乃倍道兼行,丙辰,至江寧步上,使薛安帥鐵騎曜兵於淮上,移書朝士,為陳逆順。。 劭加吳興太守汝南周嶠冠軍將軍。 隨王誕檄亦至,嶠素恇怯,回惑不知所從; 府司馬丘珍孫殺之,舉郡應誕。。 戊午,武陵王至南洲,降者相屬; 乙未,軍於溧洲。 王自發尋陽,有疾,不能見將佐,唯顏竣出入臥內,擁王於膝,親視起居。 疾屢危篤,不任咨稟,竣皆專決。 軍政之外,間以文教書檄,應接遐邇,昏曉臨哭,若出一人。 如是累旬,自舟中甲士亦不知王之危疾也。。 癸亥,柳元景潛至新亭,依山為壘。 新降者皆勸元景速進,元景曰:「不然。 理順難恃,同惡相濟,輕進無防,實啟寇心。」。 元景營未立,劭龍驤將軍詹叔兒覘知之,勸劭出戰,劭不許。 甲子,劭使蕭斌統步軍,褚湛之統水軍,與魯秀、王羅漢、劉簡之等精兵合萬人,攻新亭壘,劭自登朱雀門督戰。 元景宿令軍中曰:「鼓繁氣易衰,叫數力易竭; 但銜枚疾戰,一聽吾鼓聲。」 劭將士懷劭重賞,皆殊死戰。 元景水陸受敵,意氣彌強,麾下勇士,悉遣出鬥,左右唯留數人宣傳。 劭兵勢垂克,魯秀擊退鼓,劭眾遽止。 元景乃開壘鼓噪以乘之,劭眾大潰,墜淮死者甚多。 劭更帥餘眾,自來攻壘,元景復大破之,所殺傷過於前戰,士卒爭赴死馬澗,澗為之溢; 劭手斬退者,不能禁。 劉簡之死,蕭斌被創,劭僅以身免,走還宮。 魯秀、褚湛之、檀和之皆南奔。。 丙寅,武陵王至江寧。 丁卯,江夏王義恭單騎南奔; 劭殺義恭十二子。。 劭、濬憂迫無計,以輦迎蔣侯神像置宮中,稽顙乞恩,拜為大司馬,封鐘山王; 拜蘇侯神為驃騎將軍。 以濬為南徐州刺史,與南平王鑠並錄尚書事。。 戊辰,武陵王軍於新亭,大將軍義恭上表勸進。 散騎侍郎徐愛在殿中誑劭,雲自追義恭,遂歸武陵王。 時王軍府草創,不曉朝章; 爰素所諳練。 乃以爰兼太常丞,撰即位儀注。 乙巳,王即皇帝位,大赦。 文武賜爵一等,從軍者二等。 改謚大行皇帝曰文,廟號太祖。 以大將軍義恭為太尉、錄尚書六條事、南徐州刺史。 是日,劭亦臨軒拜太子偉之,大赦,唯劉駿、義恭、義宣、誕不在原例。 庚子,以南譙王義宣為中書監、丞相、錄尚書六條事、揚州刺史,隨王誕為衛將軍、開府儀同三司、荊州刺史,藏質為東騎將軍,開府儀同三司、江州刺史,沈慶之為領軍將軍,蕭思話為尚書左僕射。 壬申,以王僧達為右僕射,柳元景為侍中、左衛將軍,宗愨為右衛將軍,張暢為吏部尚書,劉延孫、顏竣並為侍中。。 五月,癸酉朔,臧質以雍州兵二萬至新亭。 豫州刺史劉遵考遣其將夏侯獻之帥步騎五千軍於瓜步。。 先是,世祖遣寧朔將軍顧彬之將兵東入,受隨王誕節度。 誕遣參軍劉季之將兵與彬之俱向建康,誕自頓西陵,為之後繼。 劭遣殿中將軍燕欽等拒之,相遇於曲阿奔牛塘,欽等大敗。 劭於是緣淮樹柵以自守,又決破崗、方山埭以絕東軍。 時男丁既盡,召婦女供役。。 甲戌,魯秀等募勇士攻大航,克之。 王羅漢聞官軍已渡,即放仗降,緣渚幢隊以次奔散,器仗鼓蓋充塞路衢。 是夜,劭閉守六門,於門內鑿塹立柵; 城中沸亂,丹陽尹尹弘等文武將吏爭逾城出降。 劭燒輦及兗冕服於宮庭。 蕭斌宣令所統,皆使解甲,自石頭戴白幡來降; 詔斬斌於軍門。 濬勸劭載寶貨逃入海,劭以人情離散,不果行。。 乙亥,輔國將軍朱修之克東府,丙子,諸軍克台城,各由諸門入會於殿庭,獲王正見,斬之。 張超之走至合殿御床之所。 為軍士所殺,刳腸割心,諸將臠其肉,生啖之。 建平等七王號哭俱出。 劭穿西垣,入武庫井中,隊副高禽執之。 劭曰:「天子何在?」 禽曰:「近在新亭。」 至殿前,臧質見之慟哭,劭曰:「天地所不覆載,丈人何為見器?」 又謂質曰:「可得為啟乞遠徙不?」 質曰:「主上近在航南,自當有處分。」 縛劭於馬上,防送軍門。 時不見傳國璽,以問劭,劭曰:』在嚴道育處。 就取,得之。 斬劭及四子於牙下。 濬帥左右數十人挾南平王鑠南走,遇江夏王義恭於越城。 濬下馬曰:「南中郎今何所作?」 義恭曰:「上已君臨萬國。」 又曰:「虎頭來得無晚乎?」 義恭曰:「殊當恨晚。」 又曰:「故當不死邪?」 義恭曰:「可詣行闕請罪。」 又曰:「未審猶疑賜一職自效不?」 義恭又曰:「此未可量。」 勒與俱歸,於道斬之,及其三子。 劭、濬父子首並梟於大航,暴屍於市。 劭妃殷氏及劭、濬諸女、妾媵,皆賜死於獄。 污瀦劭所居齋。 殷氏且死,謂獄丞江恪曰:「汝家骨肉相殘,何以枉殺無罪人?」 恪曰:』受拜皇后,非罪而何? 殷氏曰:「此權時耳,當以鸚鵡為後。」 褚湛之之南奔也,濬即與褚妃離絕,故免於誅。 嚴道育、王鸚鵡並都街鞭殺,焚屍,揚灰於江。 殷沖、尹弘、王羅漢及淮南太守沈璞皆伏誅。。 庚辰,解嚴,辛巳,帝如東府,百官請罪,詔釋之。 甲申,尊帝母路淑媛為皇太后。 太后,丹陽人也。 乙酉,立妃王氏為皇后。 後父偃,導之玄孫也。 戊子,以柳元景為雍州刺史。 辛卯,追贈袁淑為太尉,謚忠憲公; 徐湛之為司空,謚忠烈公; 江湛為開府儀同三司,謚忠簡公; 王僧綽為金紫光祿大夫,謚簡侯。 壬辰,以太尉義恭為揚、南徐二州刺史,進位太傅,領大司馬。。 初,劭以尚書令何尚之為司空、領尚書令,子征北長史偃為侍中,父子並居權要。 及劭敗,尚之左右皆散,自洗黃閣。 殷沖等既誅,人為之寒心。 帝以尚之、偃素有令譽,且居劭朝用智將迎,時有全脫,故特免之,復以尚之為尚書令,偃為大司馬長史,任遇無改。。 甲午,帝謁初寧、長寧陵。 追贈卜天與益州刺史,謚壯侯,與袁叔等四家,長給稟祿。 張泓之等各贈郡守。 戊戌,以南平王鑠為司空,建平王宏為尚書左僕射,蕭思話為中書令、丹陽尹。 六月,丙午,帝還宮。。 初,帝之討西陽蠻也,臧質使柳元景將兵會之。 及質起兵,欲奉南譙王義宣為主,潛使元景帥所領西還,元景即以質書呈帝,語其信曰:「臧冠軍當是未知殿下義舉耳。 方應伐逆,不容西還。」 質以此恨之。 及元景為雍州,質慮其為荊、江後患,建議元景當為爪牙,不宜遠出。 帝重違其言,戊申,以元景為護軍將軍,領石頭戍事。。 己酉,以司州刺史魯爽為南豫州刺史。 庚戌,以衛軍司馬徐遺寶為兗州刺史。。 庚申,詔有司論功行賞,封顏竣等為公、侯。。 辛未,徙南譙王義宣為南郡王,隨王誕為竟陵王,立義宣次子宜陽侯愷為南譙王。。 閏月,壬申,以領軍將軍沈慶之為南兗州刺史,鎮盱眙。 癸酉,以柳元景為領軍將軍。。 乙亥,魏太皇太后赫連氏殂。。 丞相義宣固辭內任及子愷王爵。 甲午,更以義宣為荊、湘二州刺史,愷為宜陽縣王,將佐以下並加賞秩。 以竟陵王誕為揚州刺史。。 秋,七月,辛丑朔,日有食之。 甲寅,詔求直言。 辛酉,詔省細作並尚方雕文塗飾; 貴戚競利,悉皆禁絕。。 中軍錄事參軍周朗上疏,以為:「毒之在體,必割其緩處。 歷下、泗間,不足戍守。 議者必以為胡衰不足避,而不知我之病甚於胡矣。 今空守孤城,徒費財役。 使虜但發輕騎三千,更互出入,春來犯麥,秋至侵禾,水陸漕輸,居然復絕; 於賊不勞而邊已困,不至二年,卒散民盡,可蹺足而待也。 今人知不以羊追狼、蟹捕鼠,而令重車弱卒與肥與悍胡相逐,其不能濟固宜矣。 又,三年之喪,天下之達喪; 漢氏節其臣則可矣,薄其子則亂也。 凡法有變於古而刻於情,則莫能順焉; 至乎敗於禮而安於身,必遽而奉之。 今陛下以大孝始基,宜反斯謬。 又,舉天下以奉一君,何患不給? 一體炫金,不及百兩,一歲美衣,不過數襲; 而必收寶連櫝,集服累笥,目豈常視,身未時親,是櫝帶寶、笥著衣也,何糜蠹之劇,惑鄙之甚邪! 且細作始並,以為儉節; 而市造華怪,即傳於民。 如此,則遷也,非罷也。 凡闕庶民,制度日侈,見車馬不辯貴賤,視冠服不知尊卑。 尚方今造一物,小民明已睥睨; 宮中朝制一衣,庶家晚已裁學。 侈麗之源,實先宮閫。 又,設官者宜官稱事立,人稱官置。 王侯識未堪務,不應強仕。 且帝子未官,人誰謂賤? 但宜詳置賓友,茂擇正人,亦何必列長史、參軍、別架從事,然後為貴哉! 又,俗好以毀沈人,不知察其所以致毀; 以譽進人,不知測其所以致譽。 毀徒皆鄙,則宜擢其毀者; 譽黨悉庸,則宜退其譽者。 如此,則毀譽不妄,善惡分矣。 凡無世不有言事,無時不有下令。 然昇平不至,昏危相繼,何哉? 設令之本非實故也。」 書奏,忤旨,自解去職。 朗,嶠之弟也。。 侍中謝莊上言:「詔云:『貴戚競利,悉皆禁絕。』 此實允愜民聽。 若有犯違,則應依制裁糾; 若廢法申恩,便為明詔既下而聲實乘爽也。 臣愚謂大臣在祿位者,尤不宜與民爭利。 不審可得在此詔不?」 莊,弘微之子也。。 上多變易太祖之制,郡縣以三周為滿,宋之善政,於是乎衰。。 乙丑,魏濮陽王閭若文、征西大將軍永昌王仁皆坐謀叛,仁賜死於長安,若文伏誅。。 南平穆王鑠素負才能,意當輕上; 又為太子劭所任,出降最晚。 上潛使人毒之,己巳,鑠卒,贈司徒,以商臣之謚謚之。。 南海太守蕭簡據廣州反。 簡,斌之弟也。 詔新南海太守南昌鄧琬、始興太守沈法系討之。 法系,慶之之從弟也。 簡誑其眾曰:「台軍是賊劭所遣。」 眾信之,為之固守。 琬先至,止為一攻道; 法系至,曰:「宜四面並攻; 若守一道,何時可拔!」 琬不從。 法系曰:「更相申五十日。」 日盡又不克,乃從之。 八道俱攻,一日即破之。 九月,丁卯,斬簡,廣州平。 法系封府庫付琬而還。。 冬,十一月,丙午,以左軍將軍魯秀為司州刺史。。 辛酉,魏主如信都、中山。。 十二月,癸未,以將置東宮,省太子率更令等官,中庶子等各減舊員之半。。 甲午,魏主還平城。。
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 127. [Song Records 9] The year Zhaoyang Dahuangluo—one year in all. The latter portion of the Annals of Emperor Wen, Year 30 of Yuanjia (guisi, 453 CE). In spring, the first month, on wuyin, Liu Yixuan, Prince of Nanqiao, was made Grand Mentor and Governor of Yang Province. Xiao Daocheng and others led Di and Qiang troops in an attack on the Northern Wei prefecture of Wudu; the Wei garrison commander at Gaooping, Gou Moyu, marched to the relief with two thousand picked horsemen. Daocheng and his forces then pulled back to Nanzheng. On renwu, Liu Jun, Prince of Shixing and Northern Campaigning General, was appointed Governor of Jing Province. The emperor's wrath had not yet cooled, and so Jun had long been detained at Jingkou; only after his appointment to Jing Province was he allowed to come to court. On wuzi, the emperor ordered Liu Jun, Prince of Wuling and Governor of Jiang Province, to take command of the armies against the Xiyang tribes and camp at Wuzhou. After Yan Daoyu fled, the emperor sent out agents on all sides to hunt her down with the utmost urgency. Daoyu disguised herself as a nun and hid in the Eastern Palace; she later accompanied Prince Liu Jun of Shixing to Jingkou. At times she stayed at the house of a commoner named Zhang Wu. When Jun came to court, he brought her back to the Eastern Palace again, planning to take her with him to Jiangling. On dingsi, the emperor held audience; Jun entered to receive his commission. That same day someone reported that Daoyu was at Zhang Wu's house. The emperor sent men to raid the place and seized two of her maidservants, who said Daoyu had returned to the capital with the Northern Campaigning General. The emperor believed that Jun and Crown Prince Shao had already banished Daoyu, and learning that they were still in contact with her left him stricken with grief and alarm. He ordered the two maidservants brought from Jingkou and declared that he would punish Shao and Jun only after they arrived and the case could be investigated. Consort Pan Shuji clasped Jun and wept, saying, "When your earlier sorcery scandal broke, I still hoped you would steel yourself to repent; how could you hide Yan Daoyu again! The emperor is furious beyond measure. I kowtowed and begged for mercy and could not move him—what is the point of going on living! Send me poison. I will take it first myself—I cannot bear to watch you destroyed." Jun threw off his robe and stood up. "The affairs of the realm will soon sort themselves out. Please calm yourself a little—you will surely not be dragged down with me! On jiwei, Du Yuanbao, Prince of Jingzhao of Northern Wei, was executed for treason; the Prince of Jianning Chong and his son Li, Prince of Jinan, were both implicated through Yuanbao and were ordered to take their own lives. The emperor intended to depose Crown Prince Shao and put Prince Liu Jun of Shixing to death. He first discussed the matter with Palace Attendant Wang Sengchuo; he had Sengchuo gather precedents from Han and Wei times onward for deposing heirs apparent and princes, and forwarded them to Xu Chengzhi, Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, and Jiang Zhan, Director of the Ministry of Personnel. Liu Jun, Prince of Wuling, had never enjoyed favor and was repeatedly posted to provincial commands, never allowed to remain at Jiankang; the Princes of Nanping and Jianping were both beloved of the emperor. Shuo's consort was the younger sister of Jiang Zhan; the consort of Liu Dan, Prince of Sui, was a daughter of Xu Chengzhi. Jiang Zhan urged the emperor to name Shuo heir; Xu Chengzhi favored Dan. Sengchuo said, "The choice of heir rests entirely with Your Majesty's judgment. I believe you should act at once and not hesitate. 'He who ought to strike and fails to strike will suffer disorder in return.' I beg you to let duty override affection and put aside undue tenderness; otherwise you should open your heart to them as before and put an end to these suspicions. Even a closely guarded plan can leak and spread. You must not let trouble breed at your very gate and become a laughingstock for posterity." The emperor said, "You are indeed capable of deciding great matters. Yet this is a matter of the gravest weight, and I must consider it again and again with the utmost care. Besides, Pengcheng has only just died. People will say I no longer know how to show a father's love." Sengchuo said, "I fear that a thousand years hence posterity will say that Your Majesty could punish your brothers but not your sons. The emperor said nothing. Jiang Zhan had been present at the audience. As they left the side chamber he said to Sengchuo, "What you said just now was rather too blunt and harsh! Sengchuo replied, "And I resent that you were not blunt enough! When Shuo came to court from Shouyang, he fell from favor as soon as he arrived. The emperor wished to name Hong heir but hesitated because he was not next in line of succession, and so the choice dragged on unresolved. Night after night he spoke with Chengzhi in private, sometimes for days on end. He often made Chengzhi carry the candle himself and walk the walls checking for eavesdroppers. The emperor confided his plan to Consort Pan Shuji, who told Jun, and Jun rode posthaste to warn Shao. Shao then secretly plotted treason with his trusted followers, including company commander Chen Shuer and palace guard Zhang Chaozhi. Earlier, fearing trouble within the clan, the emperor had greatly enlarged the Eastern Palace guard until it rivaled the imperial Feathered Forest troops—nearly ten thousand men under arms. Shao was cunning and fierce by nature, and the emperor relied on him heavily. As he prepared his coup, he feasted his officers every night and sometimes poured their wine himself. Wang Sengchuo secretly informed the emperor. Just as Yan Daoyu's maidservants were due to arrive, on the night of guihai Shao forged an imperial order: "Lu Xiu is plotting rebellion. At dawn hold the palace gates and lead your men inside." He then had Zhang Chaozhi and others muster more than two thousand soldiers he had long kept in his household, all in armor; and summoned the chief and deputy commanders of the inner and outer guard companies, telling them in advance that an operation was afoot. That night he summoned Xiao Bin, former Palace Aide to the Heir Apparent and chief clerk of the Right Army; Yuan Shu, commander of the Left Guard; Yin Zhongsu, palace secretary; and Wang Zhengjian, Left Strongbow General—all into the palace. Shao, in tears, told them, "The emperor believes slanders against me and is about to depose me. I know myself to be innocent and cannot accept this injustice. Tomorrow at dawn I shall act. I ask you to join your strength to mine." He then rose and bowed to each of them in turn. They were stunned and speechless. After a long silence, Shu and Bin both said, "Nothing like this has ever been done in history. We beg you to reconsider! Shao flushed with anger. Bin, frightened, joined the others in saying, "We will give our lives to obey." Shu shouted at him, "Do you really believe His Highness means to do this? His Highness suffered from fits in childhood—perhaps this is only his old illness returning." Shao grew still angrier and, glaring at Shu, demanded, "Will it succeed or not? Shu said, "You stand in a position beyond question—how could you fail! I only fear that once you succeed, Heaven and Earth will not bear you, and great disaster will follow at once. Even if you truly mean this, it is not yet too late to stop." Attendants dragged Shu away, crying, "What affair is this that you say can be stopped! Shu went back to his quarters, paced around his bed until the fourth watch, and only then lay down. On jiazi, before the palace gates had opened, Shao put vermilion robes over his armor, entered a painted carriage with Xiao Bin, and approached the palace with his escort in the ordinary manner of a court audience. He urgently summoned Yuan Shu, who would not get up. Shao halted at Fenghua Gate and sent messenger after messenger to hurry him. Shu rose at last and came to the rear of the carriage; Shao told him to get in; Shu refused again, and Shao ordered his men to kill him. The gatekeepers opened the gates, and he entered through Wanchun Gate. By established rule, Eastern Palace troops were not permitted inside the capital walls. Shao showed the forged edict to the gate guards, saying, "By imperial command—we are to make an arrest." He ordered the rear guard to follow at once. Zhang Chaozhi and several dozen men galloped through Yunlong Gate and the inner chambers, swords drawn, straight to the Hall of Union. The emperor had talked with Xu Chengzhi in private until dawn; the candles were still burning, and the guards at the doors and thresholds were still asleep. When the emperor saw Chaozhi enter, he raised a table to fend him off and lost all five fingers on his hand; then they killed him. Chengzhi sprang up in alarm and ran for the north door, but before he could open it the assassins cut him down. Shao advanced to the central pavilion of the Hall of Union. Learning that the emperor was dead, he went out and took his seat in the Eastern Hall while Xiao Bin stood guard with drawn sword. He summoned Palace Secretary Gu Gu, who came late, trembling with fear. When Gu arrived, Shao demanded, "If you knew we were to be deposed together, why did you not warn me sooner? Before Gu could answer, Shao had him cut down where he stood. Jiang Zhan was on his way to the Secretariat when he heard the uproar. He sighed, "Because we did not heed Wang Sengchuo, it has come to this! He hid in a cottage nearby, and Shao sent men to hunt him down and kill him. The veteran palace guards Luo Xun and Xu Han both submitted at once. Bu Tianyu of Wuxing, chief of the Left Fine Arms and General of Expansive Might, had no time to arm himself. Sword in one hand and bow in the other, he shouted for his men to sally out and fight. Xu Han cried, "His Highness is coming in—what do you think you are doing! Tianyu cursed him: "His Highness comes here all the time—how dare you say such a thing now! You are the traitor!" He loosed an arrow at Shao in the Eastern Hall. The shot nearly struck home. Shao's men cut him down, severing his arm, and he died. Company commanders Zhang Hongzhi, Zhu Daoqin, and Chen Man fell fighting beside Tianyu. Left Guard General Yin Hong, terrified, sent in a report asking to be punished. Shao sent men in through the Eastern Side Gate, killed Consort Pan Shuji and dozens of the late emperor's closest attendants, and urgently summoned the Prince of Shixing to bring his troops to the Central Hall. Jun was at Xizhou when his mansion attendant Zhu Fayu told him, "There is uproar inside the palace compound, every gate is shut, and the streets are full of talk that the crown prince has rebelled. No one knows how far the disaster will spread. Jun pretended alarm. "What are we to do now? Fayu urged him to enter Shitou Fortress and hold it. Jun had not yet heard from Shao and did not know whether the coup had succeeded. In confusion he did not know what to do. General Wang Qing said, "There is turmoil in the palace and we do not know whether the emperor is alive. Every loyal subject should rush to his aid; to shut ourselves up in a fortress is not the conduct of a loyal minister." Jun would not listen. He went out the South Gate straight for Shitou with more than a thousand officials and soldiers in his train. Prince Shuo of Nanping was then garrisoning Shitou with another thousand-odd troops. Soon Shao sent Zhang Chaozhi galloping to summon Jun. Jun questioned him in private, then armed himself, mounted, and rode off. Zhu Fayu tried hard to stop him, but Jun would not listen; as he passed the central gate Wang Qing pleaded again: "The crown prince is a traitor and the realm is furious with him. You need only shut the gates tight and live on your stores. In three days the rebels will fall apart on their own. Given your position, how can you go to him now!" Jun said, "By order of the crown prince—anyone who speaks again dies! When he entered and met Shao, Shao told him, "Consort Pan Shuji was killed in the fighting. Jun said, "That is what I have long wished for. Shao forged an imperial summons for Grand General Yigong and Director He Shangzhi and detained them inside the palace; he also summoned the officials, but only a few dozen came. Shao immediately proclaimed himself emperor; and issued an edict: "Xu Chengzhi and Jiang Zhan have committed outrageous regicide. I led troops into the palace but arrived too late. My grief is unbearable and my heart is torn apart. The criminals are now caught and the chief culprit destroyed. Let there be a general amnesty and let the era name be changed to Taichu." As soon as the ceremony was over he pleaded illness and withdrew to Yongfu Palace, not daring to attend his father's lying-in-state; he kept drawn swords at hand and at night set lamps in rows to watch those around him. He made Xiao Bin Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs and commanding general of the army, He Shangzhi Minister of Works, Tan Hezhi garrison commander at Shitou, and Yigi, Marquis of Yingdao and Northern Campaigning General, military governor at Jingkou. Yigi was the younger brother of Liu Yiqing. On yichou he recalled all troops previously issued to the provinces to the armory and executed Jiang and Xu's associates, including Left Assistant Director Xun Chisong and Right Assistant Director Zang Ningzhi. Zang Ningzhi. He was a grandson of Huan Zhaozhi. He appointed Yin Zhongsu Gentleman of the Yellow Gate and Wang Zhengjian Left Army General; Zhang Chaozhi, Chen Shuer, and the rest received offices and rewards according to their rank. Supporting-State General Lu Xiu was in Jiankang. Shao told him, "Xu Chengzhi was always plotting against you. I have already removed him for you. He paired Xiu with Commandant of Encamped Cavalry Pang Xiuzhi to share command of the army. Unaware of Wang Sengchuo's role in the plot against him, Shao appointed Sengchuo Director of the Ministry of Personnel and He Yan, Left Chief Clerk of the Secretariat, as Palace Attendant. Prince Liu Jun of Wuling was camped at Wuzhou. Shen Qingzhi came up from the Ba River to receive his orders. In the third month, on yihai, Registrar Dong Yuansi arrived at Wuzhou from Jiankang with full word that the crown prince had murdered the emperor and seized power. Jun had him inform his staff. Shen Qingzhi told his confidants in private, "Xiao Bin is no soldier, and the other commanders will be easy to handle. The Eastern Palace conspirators number no more than thirty; the rest were forced into it and will not fight for him. If we uphold the lawful heir and punish the traitor, we cannot fail." On renwu, Northern Wei elevated the Protecting Empress Dowager to full empress dowager, ennobled her ancestors posthumously, and granted her brothers the privileges of imperial affines. Shao carved five Zhejiang commanderies into a new Huizhou, reduced Yang Province, created the office of Director of the Retainers, and appointed his father-in-law Yin Chong to it. Yin Chong was a great-grandson of Yin Rong. He named Grand General Yigong Grand Tutor, Liu Yixuan of Nanqiao Grand Commandant, Liu Jun of Shixing Rapid Cavalry General, Zang Zhi Governor of Danyang, and Liu Dan of Sui Governor of Huizhou. Shao searched Emperor Wen's private papers and Jiang Zhan's correspondence and found Wang Sengchuo's memorial about the crown prince feasting his troops. On jiashen he arrested Sengchuo and executed him. Sengchuo's brother Sengqian was a Western Adjunct of the Secretariat. His friends all urged him to flee. Sengqian wept and said, "My brother served the state with loyal devotion and treated me with kindness. I bitterly regret that I was not included in his fate; if I could join him in death, it would be a kind of deliverance." Shao then framed the princes of the Northern Quarters, claiming they had plotted with Sengchuo, and executed the Lamented Prince of Changsha Jin, his brother Ye of Linchuan, Qi of Guiyang, and Jie of Xinyu—all men Shao had long hated. Jin was a son of Liu Yixin; Ye was a son of Liu Yiqing; Jie was a nephew of Liu Yiqing. Shao secretly wrote to Shen Qingzhi ordering him to kill Prince Liu Jun of Wuling. Qingzhi asked for an audience; the prince, afraid, pleaded illness. Qingzhi forced his way in and showed the prince Shao's letter. The prince wept and begged to go in and bid his mother farewell. Qingzhi said, "I owe the late emperor a great debt. In this matter I can only do my utmost; why do you doubt me so deeply!" The prince rose and bowed twice. "The fate of the realm rests entirely with you, General. Qingzhi at once ordered the army mobilized throughout the command. Chief clerk Yan Jun said, "The provinces do not yet know we have risen. Shao holds the capital. If we move before our allies are ready, we court disaster. We should wait until the provincial commands are aligned, then act." Qingzhi thundered, "We are embarking on a great enterprise, and yellow-headed boys want a say in it—how can we not fail! He ought to be beheaded as an example!" The prince made Jun apologize. Qingzhi said, "You stick to your documents! From then on he gave Qingzhi sole command. Within ten days the army was fully ready inside and out, and men called it a host sent from Heaven. Yan Jun was a son of Yan Yanzhi. On gengyin, Prince Liu Jun of Wuling put the army on alert and addressed the troops. He appointed Shen Qingzhi chief of staff; Liu Yuanjing, Governor of Xiangyang, and Zong Que, Governor of Suijun, as consulting adjutants commanding the central army; Zhu Xiuzhi, Interior Minister of Jiangxia, as acting General Who Pacifies the East; Yan She, recorder adjutant, as consulting adjutant in charge of records and overall administration; and Liu Yansun, consulting adjutant, as chief clerk and Governor of Xunyang, left in charge of headquarters affairs. Liu Yansun was a son of Liu Daochan. Liu Yixuan of Nanqiao and Zang Zhi both rejected Shao's orders and, with Lu Shuang, Governor of Si Province, raised armies in support of Jun. Zhi and Shuang both went to Jiangling to see Yixuan and sent envoys urging Jun to take the throne. On xinmao, Zang Zhi's sons who were in Jiankang, hearing that their father had risen, all fled. Shao tried to reassure them with an edict: "Zang Zhi is a kinsman of the throne and a meritorious minister who is even now serving the capital. That his sons should scatter in panic is truly strange and deplorable. Let messengers be sent to call them back; they shall all be restored to their posts." Shao soon captured Dun and had Grand General Yigong administer thirty strokes of the disciplinary staff, then richly rewarded him. On guisi, Shao buried the late emperor at Changning Mausoleum with the posthumous title Emperor Jing and temple name Zhongzong. On yimi, the Prince of Wuling marched west from Xiyang; By dingyou he had reached Xunyang. On gengzi he had Yan Jun send out a call to arms across the realm, summoning every province to join in punishing Shao. Provinces and commanderies took up the manifesto and rallied to the cause as one. Prince Yixuan of Nanqiao dispatched Zang Zhi with an army to Xunyang to march south alongside Jun, while keeping Lu Shuang at Jiangling. Shao transferred Xiao Sihua from the Yan-Ji governorship to Xu and Yan, and appointed Zhang Yong Governor of Qingzhou. Sihua withdrew his personal following from Licheng to Pingcheng and took up arms in support of the Xunyang coalition; Yuan Huzhi, General of Jianwu, was also at Licheng and marched his command thither to join them. Prince Yixuan of Nanqiao formally commissioned Zhang Yong as Governor of Jizhou. Zhang Yong dispatched Chief Clerk Cui Xunzhi and others with troops to join Yixuan. Fearing that Sihua and Zhang Yong still nursed old grudges, Yixuan wrote to Sihua in his own hand and had Chief Clerk Zhang Chang write to Yong, urging both men to set aside past grievances. Prince Dan of Sui was on the verge of accepting orders from Shao when staff officer Shen Zheng urged Chief Clerk Gu Chen: "The realm faces a disaster without precedent in all history. With Jiangdong's battle-hardened armies now raising the banner of righteousness throughout the empire, who would fail to answer the call! How can we let His Highness bow to a regicide and accept honors from a usurper!" Gu Chen replied: "Jiangdong has grown unused to war. Right may differ from wrong, but our strength does not match theirs—we should wait until righteous forces rise elsewhere, then join them; that would not be too late. Shen Zheng answered: "No kingdom has ever endured without filial duty or loyalty to its ruler. How can we hide in comfort while our honor lies in ruins and demand that others bear the burden of righteousness! We march against a son who murdered his father—a crime that puts us at irreconcilable odds with Heaven itself. When we take up arms, can we expect to come through unscathed? Feng Yan once wrote: 'Shall a great minister of Han rank lower than the humblest men of Jing and Qi!' And Your Highness owes duty both as a subject and as a son—how much more so to the realm itself!" Gu Chen and Shen Zheng then went in together to persuade Prince Dan, and he agreed. Shen Zheng was a nephew of Tianzi. Shao, confident in his martial experience, told the court: "Leave the paperwork to me—do not trouble yourselves with the conduct of war; should enemies appear, I will meet them myself. I only worry the rebels may not dare stir at all." But when word came that armies were rising everywhere, fear took hold. He imposed martial law, recalled every off-duty officer, evacuated the south bank of the Huai, concentrated princes and senior ministers inside the capital, quartered Prince Yigong of Jiangxia beneath the Secretariat offices, and dispersed Yigong's sons to the attendants' lower chambers. In summer, the fourth month, on the first day guimao, Liu Yuanjing led twelve armies—including General of Ningsuo Xue Andu—from Penkou, while Grand Master of Works Xu Yibao, serving as central-army aide, followed with the Jingzhou forces. On dingwei the Prince of Wuling marched out of Xunyang, with Shen Qingzhi in command of the central army. Shao installed Lady Yin as empress. On gengxu the Prince of Wuling's manifesto reached Jiankang. Shao showed it to Yan Yanzhi, Grand Commandant of Ceremonies, and asked: "Who wrote this? Yanzhi replied: "Yan Jun's hand." Shao exclaimed: "How could the language go so far! Yanzhi answered: "If Jun spares no thought for an old servant of the court, why would he spare any for Your Majesty! Shao's rage slowly eased. He held the Prince of Wuling's sons in the attendants' lower chambers and Prince Yixuan of Nanqiao's sons in vacant Taicang warehouses as hostages. Shao wanted to exterminate the families of every man from the three frontier garrisons. Prince Yigong of Jiangxia and He Shangzhi both argued: "Men who join a great cause do not let family ties hold them back; and most of them were pressed into service against their will. Slaughter their kin now, and you will only steel their determination." Shao accepted the advice and issued an order declaring a general amnesty. Distrusting the veteran court officials, Shao lavished favors on Lu Xiu and Right Army aide Wang Luohan and placed the whole military command in their hands; he named Xiao Bin his chief adviser and put Yin Chong in charge of dispatches and seals. Xiao Bin counseled Shao to take the fleet upriver and force a decisive engagement—or, failing that, to fortify Liangshan. Prince Yigong of Jiangxia, noting that the southern forces had been raised in haste and their vessels were small and unfit for river fighting, proposed instead: "The rebel Jun is young and untested in war, and his army is worn out from the long march—we should meet him with fresh troops and let fatigue do its work. If we advance as far as Liangshan, the capital will lie exposed, and the eastern army may strike at our weakness. Split our forces between two objectives, and we scatter our strength and lose cohesion. Better to keep our edge, bide our time, and wait for the enemy to show a flaw. Give up the south bank, fortify Shitou behind palisades—this was the proven strategy of earlier reigns, and the rebels cannot fail to be crushed." Shao agreed. Xiao Bin said sharply: "The southern heir is barely twenty, yet he has already pulled off a coup of this magnitude—who can guess what he is capable of! Three regions have joined against us, and they control the river above; Shen Qingzhi is a seasoned commander, and Liu Yuanjing and Zong Que are proven victors. Given such odds, this is no minor foe. We must strike now, while loyalty still holds, and stake everything on a single battle; sit idle behind Taicheng's walls, and how long can we last! Yet our ruler has no stomach for fighting at all—is this not Heaven itself turning against us!" (End of speech.) Shao would not heed him. Others advised Shao to defend Shitou, but he replied: "Our forebears held Shitou only because they expected loyal lords to ride to the emperor's rescue. If I barricade myself here, who will come to my aid! We must fight with everything we have and settle this on the field; otherwise we cannot win." Each day he inspected the camps in person, rallied the troops, and oversaw the imperial shipyards as they refitted the fleet. On renzi he torched every building on the south bank of the Huai and every vessel on the river, forcing all civilians to flee to the north shore. He named his son Weizhi crown prince. He made Chu Zhanzhi, father of Prince Jun of Shixing's consort, Administrator of Danyang. Chu Zhanzhi was a nephew of Chu Yuzhi. Jun received the posts of Attendant-in-Ordinary, Secretariat Director, Minister over the Masses, and overseer of the Six Departments; Shuo, Prince of Nanping, was granted the Grand General's seal with honors equal to the Three Excellencies; and Hong, Prince of Jianping, was transferred from South Yanzhou to govern Jiangzhou. Chief Clerk Long Xiuzhi of the Grand Commandant fled south from Shitou ahead of the crowd, and public morale collapsed. He named Marquis Yiji of Yingdao Governor of Xiangzhou and Tan Hezhi Governor of Yongzhou. On guichou the Prince of Wuling made camp at Quetou. Wang Sengda, Administrator of Xuancheng, received the Prince of Wuling's manifesto and could not decide which side to take. A visitor advised him: "The usurper's crime towers to the heavens—nothing like it has ever been seen. My counsel, my lord: accept the manifesto of the loyal armies and spread word to the neighboring prefectures. Where men still have conscience, who would not rally! That is the best course. If that proves impossible, gather every man willing to join the righteous cause, pick the safest route by land or water, and make your way south—that is the next-best choice." Wang Sengda fled south by the Hou Road and joined the Prince of Wuling at Quetou. The prince at once appointed him chief clerk. Wang Sengda was the son of Wang Hong. As the prince was leaving Xunyang, Shen Qingzhi told others: "Wang Sengda will certainly come to our side. When asked why, Qingzhi said: "I once watched him debate before the late emperor—bold in speech, clear and resolute in judgment; judging by that, his arrival is assured." Finding his vessels too flimsy for river fighting, Liu Yuanjing pressed forward by forced marches; on bingchen he entered Jiangning overland, sent Xue Andu at the head of armored horsemen to show force along the Huai, and wrote to court officials laying out the case for loyalty against rebellion. Shao promoted Zhou Qiao of Runan, Administrator of Wuxing, to General Champion. Prince Dan of Sui's manifesto arrived as well. Zhou Qiao, a man of habitual cowardice, wavered helplessly, unable to choose a side; Chief Clerk Qiu Zhensun killed him and raised the entire commandery for Prince Dan. On wuwu the Prince of Wuling arrived at Nanzhou, and defectors streamed in without pause. On yimi the army halted at Lizhou. From the day he left Xunyang the prince had been ill and could not receive his officers; only Yan Jun attended him in the sickroom, holding him on his lap and watching over his every need. The prince's condition repeatedly turned grave, and when he could no longer hear petitions, Yan Jun made every decision on his own. Apart from running the army and the administration, he drafted dispatches and proclamations, answered appeals from every quarter, and even led the mourning observances morning and night—as though one man alone carried the whole enterprise. Weeks passed in this way, until even the armored soldiers aboard the fleet knew nothing of the prince's grave condition. On guihai, Liu Yuanjing stole into Xinting and entrenched his men on the hillside. Every recent defector pressed Yuanjing to push forward at once; Yuanjing replied, "No. Righteousness alone is no guarantee; villains will rally to one another; rush in without guard and you only embolden the foe." Before Yuanjing's camp was fully set, Shao's Dragon-Steed General Zhan Shu'er spotted it and urged an attack; Shao refused. On jiazi, Shao sent Xiao Bin at the head of the foot soldiers and Chu Zhanzhi at the head of the fleet; with Lu Xiu, Wang Luohan, Liu Jianzhi, and other elite troops they mustered ten thousand men and assaulted the Xinting lines, while Shao himself took command from the Vermilion Bird Gate. The night before, Yuanjing had told his troops, "Too much drumming drains the will; too much shouting wears out the strength; fight in silence with bits between your teeth, and wait for my drum alone." Shao's men, tempted by his lavish bounties, fought as though death meant nothing. Beset on land and river alike, Yuanjing's resolve only hardened; he threw every able fighter into the fray and kept beside him only a handful of men to carry his orders. Shao's force was on the verge of breaking through when Lu Xiu sounded the retreat, and the whole army stopped short. Yuanjing threw open the camp, raised a thunder of drums and war cries, and pressed the advantage; Shao's army broke in rout, and great numbers drowned in the Huai. Shao rallied his survivors and led them personally against the fort again; Yuanjing routed them once more, with casualties surpassing the first fight; men trampled one another into Dead Horse Stream until the water ran over its banks; Shao himself cut down fleeing soldiers, but nothing could halt the panic. Liu Jianzhi was killed, Xiao Bin was wounded, and Shao barely escaped with his life and fled back to the palace. Lu Xiu, Chu Zhanzhi, and Tan Hezhi all fled south. On bingyin, the Prince of Wuling arrived at Jiangning. On dingmao, the Prince of Jiangxia, Liu Yigong, fled south alone on horseback; Shao executed Yigong's twelve sons. Desperate and out of options, Shao and Liu Jun had Lord Jiang's idol borne into the palace by imperial carriage; they kowtowed and begged for divine favor, appointing the image Grand Marshal and creating it Prince of Zhongshan; they also enfeoffed the god Lord Su as General of Agile Cavalry. Liu Jun was made inspector of South Xuzhou and, with the Prince of Nanping, Liu Shuo, was put in joint charge of Secretariat affairs. On wuchen, the Prince of Wuling encamped at Xinting, and Grand General Liu Yigong memorialized urging him to take the throne. Gentleman Attendant at Large Xu Yuan, still inside the palace, deceived Shao by claiming he was riding out after Yigong, then slipped away and joined the Prince of Wuling. The prince's headquarters had only just been formed and knew nothing of court protocol; but Xu Yuan knew those rites inside out. The prince therefore made him acting director of the Grand Ceremonial and charged him with drafting the accession rites. On yisi, the prince took the throne and proclaimed a general amnesty. Civil and military officials were raised one rank in nobility; men who had marched with the army received two. The late emperor's posthumous title was changed to Wen and his temple name to Taizu. Grand General Liu Yigong was made grand commandant, given charge of Secretariat affairs, and appointed inspector of South Xuzhou. That same day Shao held court to invest his son Weizhi as crown prince and issued his own amnesty, explicitly excluding Liu Jun, Yigong, Yixuan, and Dan. On gengzi, the Prince of Nanqiao, Liu Yixuan, was made supervisor of the Secretariat, chancellor, and inspector of Yangzhou with full control of state affairs; the Prince of Sui, Liu Dan, was made guard general and inspector of Jingzhou with honors equal to the Three Excellencies; Zang Zhi was made general of the eastern household and inspector of Jiangzhou with the same exalted standing; Shen Qingzhi was made general who leads the army; and Xiao Sihua was made left vice director of the Secretariat. On renshen, Wang Sengda was made right vice director; Liu Yuanjing was made palace attendant and left guard general; Zong Que was made right guard general; Zhang Chang was made director of the Ministry of Personnel; and Liu Yansun and Yan Jun were both made palace attendants. In the fifth month, on the first day guiyou, Zang Zhi reached Xinting with twenty thousand troops from Yongzhou. Liu Zunkao, inspector of Yuzhou, sent his general Xiahou Xianzhi with five thousand foot and horse soldiers to encamp at Guabu. Earlier, Liu Jun had sent General of Resolute Cavalry Gu Binzhi east with an army under the command of Prince Dan of Sui. Dan sent his aide Liu Jizhi forward with a force to join Binzhi in marching on Jiankang, while he himself held at Xiling to follow with reinforcements. Shao sent Palace General Yan Qin and others to block them; the armies met at Benniu Pond in Qu'e, and Yan Qin was routed. Shao then fortified the Huai line with palisades and breached the Gang and Fangshan dams to sever the eastern army's advance. With every able-bodied man already conscripted, he even pressed women into forced labor. On jiaxu, Lu Xiu and his allies raised volunteers, stormed the Great Bridge, and took it. When Wang Luohan learned the loyal army had crossed, he surrendered at once; banner units along the shore broke up one after another, and abandoned arms, drums, and parasols littered the streets. That night Shao sealed the six city gates and, within them, dug trenches and threw up barricades; the city erupted in chaos as Danyang prefect Yin Hong and other civil and military officers scrambled over the walls to defect. Shao burned the imperial carriage and the full regalia of state in the palace courtyard. Xiao Bin ordered his troops to disarm and came from Shitou under a white flag to surrender; an edict was issued, and he was beheaded before the army gate. Liu Jun urged Shao to load the treasury and escape by sea, but Shao, seeing loyalty collapse all around him, could not bring himself to go. On yihai, General Who Supports the State Zhu Xiuzhi took the Eastern Palace; on bingzi the allied armies stormed Taicheng, poured in through every gate, and gathered in the main hall, where they seized Wang Zhengjian and executed him. Zhang Chaozhi fled as far as the imperial bedchamber in the Hall of Union. Soldiers cut him down, ripped open his belly and tore out his heart, and the generals carved up his flesh and devoured it raw. The seven princes, beginning with Jianping, came out together in loud lamentation. Shao broke through the western wall, hid in the armory well, and was seized by squad deputy Gao Qin. Shao asked, "Where is the emperor? Gao Qin answered, "He is at Xinting right now. When they came before the hall, Zang Zhi saw him and wept bitterly; Shao said, "I am one heaven and earth themselves reject—elder, why trouble yourself over me? He then asked Zang Zhi, "Will you plead for me to be exiled far away? Zang Zhi replied, "His Majesty is just south of the bridge; he will decide your fate. They bound Shao to his horse and escorted him under guard to the army gate. The imperial seal of transmission could not be found; when Shao was questioned, he said, "It is with Yan Daoyu. They sent men to retrieve it, and the seal was recovered. Shao and his four sons were beheaded beneath the army standard. Liu Jun fled south with a few dozen followers, dragging the Prince of Nanping, Liu Shuo, with him, and met the Prince of Jiangxia, Liu Yigong, at Yuecheng. Liu Jun dismounted and asked, "What is the Southern Central Commander up to now? Yigong answered, "The Son of Heaven already holds sway over the realm. Jun pressed him, "So Tiger Head's arrival was not too late after all? Yigong said, "All the more reason to regret how late it was. Jun asked again, "Then am I not to die? Yigong said, "You may go to the traveling palace and plead guilty. Jun asked, "Do you think there is still a chance I may be given some post and allowed to serve? Yigong answered again, "That I cannot say. He forced Liu Jun to turn back with him, and on the road had him and his three sons executed. The heads of Shao and Liu Jun, father and son, were hung at the Great Bridge, and their bodies were left to rot in the marketplace. Shao's consort, Lady Yin, together with the daughters and concubines of Shao and Liu Jun, were all ordered to take their own lives in prison. Shao's private quarters were defiled and flooded into a cesspool. Facing death, Lady Yin said to prison warden Jiang Ke, "Your own house butchered its own blood—why kill an innocent woman? Ke replied, "You accepted the title of empress—if that is not guilt, what is? Lady Yin said, "That was only a stopgap; the throne should have gone to Yingwu. When Chu Zhanzhi fled south, Liu Jun at once cast off Chu's daughter as his wife, which spared her from execution. Yan Daoyu and Wang Yingwu were both flogged to death in the street; their bodies were burned and the ashes cast into the river. Yin Chong, Yin Hong, Wang Luohan, and Huainan administrator Shen Pu were all put to death. On gengchen the martial law was lifted; on xinsi the emperor visited the Eastern Palace, where officials begged forgiveness, and an edict pardoned them all. On jiashen the emperor's mother, Lady Lu the Pure and Honored, was honored as empress dowager. The empress dowager was a native of Danyang. On yiyou the consort Lady Wang was installed as empress. Her father Wang Yan was the great-great-grandson of Wang Dao. On wuzi, Liu Yuanjing was appointed inspector of Yongzhou. On xinmao, Yuan Shu was posthumously enfeoffed as grand commandant with the title Loyal and Lawful Duke; Xu Zhanzhi was posthumously enfeoffed as minister of works with the title Loyal and Fiery Duke; Jiang Zhan received the rank of grand prefect with honors equal to the Three Excellencies and was posthumously created Duke of Zhongjian, the Loyal and Simple. Wang Sengchuo was raised to grand master of the golden seal and purple girdle and posthumously ennobled as Marquis of Jian, the Simple. On renchen, Grand Commandant Liu Yigong was given Yangzhou and South Xuzhou, elevated to grand tutor, and made grand marshal as well. At first Shao had kept He Shangzhi as minister of the secretariat while also making him grand minister of works, and had appointed Shangzhi's son Yan, chief secretary on the northern expedition staff, palace attendant—father and son alike at the heart of power. After Shao's fall Shangzhi's staff melted away, and he scrubbed the Yellow Pavilion with his own hands. Once Yin Chong and his associates were put to death, everyone feared for Shangzhi's life. The emperor spared them because Shangzhi and Yan were men of established repute who, even under Shao, had more than once used their wit to shield him and see him safely through; Shangzhi was restored to the secretariat and Yan to the grand marshal's staff, with rank and favor undiminished. On jiawu the emperor paid his respects at the Chuning and Changning tombs. Bu Tianyu was posthumously made inspector of Yizhou and created Marquis of Zhuang; his house, with Yuan Shu's and three others, received grain stipends for all time. Zhang Hongzhi and his fellows were each posthumously given prefectural rank. On wuxu, Prince Shuo of Nanping became grand minister of works; Prince Hong of Jianping became left vice director of the secretariat; and Xiao Sihua was made director of the central secretariat and governor of Danyang. In the sixth month, on bingwu, the emperor went back to the palace. When the emperor had marched against the Xiyang tribes, Zang Zhi had dispatched Liu Yuanjing with an army to link up with him. When Zhi rebelled and sought to make Prince Yixuan of Nanqiao his figurehead, he secretly told Yuanjing to march west with his troops; Yuanjing instead handed Zhi's letter to the emperor and said to the courier: "General Zang must not yet have heard of Your Highness's loyal rising. We are about to strike the usurper; a return west is out of the question." Zang Zhi never forgave him for it. Once Yuanjing was made inspector of Yongzhou, Zhi worried he would one day threaten Jing and Jiang and urged that Yuanjing be kept at his side as enforcer rather than posted far off. Unwilling to defy Zhi outright, the emperor on wushen made Yuanjing general who guards the army and commander of the Shitou fortress. On jiyou, Lu Shuang, inspector of Si, was transferred to South Yuzhou. On gengxu, Xu Yibao, chief secretary on the guard army staff, was appointed inspector of Yanzhou. On gengshen the throne commanded a review of service and distribution of rewards; Yan Jun and others were created dukes and marquises. On xinwei, Prince Yixuan of Nanqiao was redesignated prince of Nanjun; Prince Dan of Sui became prince of Jingling; and Yixuan's second son, Marquis Kai of Yiyang, was invested as the new Prince of Nanqiao. In the intercalary month, on renshen, Shen Qingzhi, general who leads the army, was sent to South Yanzhou and stationed at Xuyi. On guiyou, Liu Yuanjing was appointed general who leads the army. On yihai the Wei empress dowager, Lady Helian, passed away. Chancellor Liu Yixuan repeatedly refused a capital post and the princely title for his son Kai. On jiawu, Yixuan was again given Jing and Xiang; Kai was made prince of Yiyang county; and every officer and aide from general down received extra honors. Prince Dan of Jingling was appointed inspector of Yangzhou. In the seventh month of autumn, on the first day xinchou, the sun was eclipsed. On jiayin the throne called for blunt counsel. On xinyou an edict cut back luxury crafts and ornamental work in the imperial workshops. Every form of profit-seeking among the imperial clan was banned outright. Zhou Lang, recording secretary on the central army staff, memorialized the throne: "Poison in the flesh must be cut out where it festers. Lixia and the country around the Si cannot be held with the forces we have. Advisers will tell you the Hu are fading and can be ignored—but our own sickness runs deeper than theirs. We squat in empty outposts and bleed treasure and manpower for nothing. Let the foe send three thousand light horse to raid in turn—trampling the wheat in spring, cutting the harvest in autumn—and river and road supply will fail altogether. The enemy need not lift a finger while the border collapses; in less than two years the armies will dissolve and the people be gone—and that end can be watched for with arms folded. Everyone knows you do not hunt wolves with sheep or mice with crabs, yet we send lumbering wagons and weary foot soldiers to chase down plump, savage Hu—small wonder they fail. Again: three years' mourning is the mourning ordained for all the world. When the Han curtailed it for officials, that was tolerable; to pare it for a son is to invite chaos. Any rule that breaks with the old ways and cuts against the heart will find no willing obedience. Men who betray propriety yet soothe their own conscience will seize on such changes at once. Your Majesty has taken the throne under the banner of supreme filial duty—this mistake should be undone. Again: if the empire feeds one ruler, how could want remain? Ornaments of gold on a single person need not reach a hundred taels; splendid dress for a year need not exceed a few changes. Yet treasures are hoarded box upon box and robes chest upon chest—seldom seen, seldom worn: jewels carried in their cases, clothes borne in their trunks. What ruinous waste, what vulgar delusion! Fine workshops were first consolidated to enforce frugality. But when the market ateliers turn out gaudy novelties, those fashions spill straight into the streets. That is relocation, not repeal. Among ordinary people custom grows more lavish by the day—carriages and horses no longer mark rank, caps and robes no longer signal status. What the imperial workshop fashions today, commoners are already eyeing tomorrow. A robe cut for the morning court is copied in common homes before nightfall. The fount of excess is the palace itself. Again: offices should be named for the work they do, and men chosen for the offices they can fill. Princes and marquises whose minds are not yet equal to duty should not be pressed into service. A prince without a post is still a prince—who would deem him low? Choose worthy companions and upright mentors—that is enough; why must a prince stack his household with chief secretaries, aides, and staff before he counts as grand? Again: the age loves to ruin men by rumor without asking why they were ruined. It loves to elevate men by praise without testing why they were praised. If every accuser is a scoundrel, promote the accusers. If every flatterer's circle is dull, demote the flatterers. Then blame and praise will not lie, and merit and fault will stand apart. No reign lacks remonstrance; no year lacks decrees. Yet tranquillity never comes, and turmoil follows turmoil—why? Because the roots of policy and command are hollow." The memorial reached the throne, crossed the emperor, and Zhou Lang resigned on his own. Zhou Lang was a younger brother of Zhou Jiao. Palace Attendant Xie Zhuang wrote: "The edict reads: 'Imperial kinsmen who scramble for profit are forbidden altogether. That truly satisfies what the people long to hear. If anyone breaks it, the law should strike. If the law is waived for favor, a bright decree will mean nothing the moment it is broken. I humbly submit that great ministers on the public payroll above all must not haggle with common folk for gain. Are they included under this edict?" Xie Zhuang was a son of Xie Hongwei. The emperor kept overturning Taizu's rules, shortening prefectural and county terms to three review cycles—and with that, Song's best practices withered. On yichou the Wei Prince Ruowen of Puyang and Prince Ren of Yongchang, general who conquers the west, were both convicted of treason; Ren was allowed to die at Chang'an and Ruowen was beheaded. Prince Shuo of Nanping, later styled Mu, was a man of real ability and was thought to hold the emperor in contempt. Shao had relied on him, and among the defectors he came in last. The emperor had him poisoned in secret; on jisi Shuo died, was posthumously made minister over the masses, and was given the posthumous name Shangchen—the same borne by the parricide of Chu. Xiao Jian, prefect of Nanhai, seized Guangzhou and rose in revolt. Xiao Jian was a younger brother of Xiao Bin. The throne ordered the new Nanhai prefect Deng Wan of Nanchang and Shixing prefect Shen Faxue to crush the rebellion. Shen Faxue was a paternal cousin of Shen Qingzhi. Xiao Jian lied to his troops, saying, "The imperial army was sent by the traitor Shao. The men believed him and fought on stubbornly for him. Deng Wan arrived first and opened only a single line of attack; when Shen Faxue came up, he said, "We should assault from all four sides at once; if we stick to one avenue, when will the place ever fall!" Deng Wan refused. Faxue said, "Give me fifty more days." When the fifty days passed and the city still held, Wan at last agreed. Eight assault columns struck together and took the city in a single day. In the ninth month, on dingmao, Xiao Jian was executed and Guangzhou was pacified. Faxue sealed the government stores, turned them over to Wan, and marched back. In winter, the eleventh month, on bingwu, Lu Xiu, Left Army General, was appointed inspector of Si Province. On xinyou the Wei emperor traveled to Xindu and Zhongshan. In the twelfth month, on guiwei, with the Eastern Palace about to be installed, the crown prince's director of reckoning and related offices were abolished, and the palace aides and others were each reduced to half their former numbers. On jiawu the Wei emperor returned to Pingcheng.