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卷127 宋紀九

Volume 127 Song Records 9

Chapter 127 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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Chapter 127
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127 駿西 使 使 駿 便 使 使 使 使 便殿 殿 使 殿 殿 宿 殿 殿 滿 使使 西 殿 使 駿 駿使 西 駿 殿 簿 駿 使 使 西 使 駿 使使 使殿 殿 駿 便 使 使 宿 退 退 殿 駿 西 殿 使 殿 殿 穿西 殿 祿 祿 西使 使西殿 西 使 退 便 祿 滿 西 使
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.
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