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卷138 齊紀四

Volume 138 Qi Records 4

Chapter 138 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 138. [Qi Annals 4] The year Zhaoyang Zuoe—one year in all. Yongming year 11 of Emperor Wu of Qi (Guiyou, 493 CE). In spring, the first month, Emperor Wu appointed Grand Cavalry General Wang Jingze Minister of Works and General Who Pacifies the Army Chen Xianda governor of Jiang Province. Chen Xianda felt keenly that he had risen far from humble origins; each promotion brought him shame and anxiety, and he warned his sons never to flaunt wealth or rank over others; His sons, however, mostly lived lavishly; when Xianda learned of it, he was unhappy. His son Chen Xiushang, serving as chief clerk on the staff at Ying, traveled through Jiujiang. Xianda said, "Deer's-tail and fly-whisk fans belong to the great clans Wang and Xie—you have no business handling such things! He snatched them from his son's hands and burned them on the spot. Earlier the emperor had had three thousand uncovered wagons built at Shitou, planning to take Pengcheng on foot. When the Northern Wei learned of this, Liu Chang pleaded tearfully before the Wei emperor to serve on the frontier, rally dispersed loyalists, and redeem his disgrace. The Wei emperor convened dukes and officials in the Hall of Military Classics to debate invading south, while stockpiling fodder on a vast scale between the Huai and Si. Emperor Wu heard of this and appointed Right Guards General Cui Huijing governor of Yu Province to prepare defenses. Northern Wei sent Xing Luan, an extraordinary attendant, and others as envoys. Xing Luan was a grandson of Xing Shuo. On the day bingzi, Crown Prince Changmao died. The crown prince was gentle and even-tempered; as the emperor in his later years grew fond of feasting and travel, memorials from the secretariat were routed to the crown prince for review, and his authority reached throughout the court. The crown prince was extravagant by nature; the halls and gardens he built outdid the imperial palace and cost tens of millions; lest the emperor glimpse them from afar, he lined the gates with tall bamboo; Nearly everything he wore or collected smacked of presumptuous luxury. He laid out a private park on the Eastern Fields and set Eastern Palace officers to build in rotating shifts, walling off whole blocks until the complex sprawled in lavish grandeur. Though the emperor was strict by nature, he had informants everywhere, and no one dared report the crown prince's doings. Once, passing the crown prince's Eastern Fields, the emperor saw how grand they were, flew into a rage, and had the supervising officers arrested; The crown prince concealed them all and was sharply rebuked for it. He also had his favorite Xu Wenjing build imperial carriages and regalia; When the emperor once visited the Eastern Palace, there was no time to hide the carriage; Wenjing stuffed a Buddha image inside it, and the emperor suspected nothing. Wenjing's father Tao Ren told him, "All I should do now is tend graves and wait for the funeral! He moved his household away to distance himself from his son. When Wenjing was eventually ordered to die, Tao Ren did not weep. After the crown prince's death, the emperor toured the Eastern Palace, saw his lavish belongings, flew into a rage, and ordered officials to destroy them one by one. Prince Ziliang of Jingling, who had been close to the crown prince yet had not reported his excesses, was rebuked as well. The crown prince had long disliked Xiao Luan, Marquis of Xichang; he once told Ziliang, "I have always disliked that man and cannot say why—perhaps his fate is simply too slight. Ziliang pleaded on Luan's behalf. When Luan seized power, he left none of the crown prince's descendants alive. In the second month, the Wei emperor plowed the sacred field for the first time south of Pingcheng. Wang Huan, governor of Yong Province, hated Liu Xingzu, chief clerk for pacifying the barbarians; he jailed him on false charges of inciting mountain tribes to revolt and ordered him sent to Jiankang; Huan killed him in prison and claimed he had hanged himself. The emperor was furious and sent Palace Attendant Lü Wenxian and Direct-Palace General Cao Daogang with five hundred armed guards to arrest Wang Huan, while ordering Pacifying-the-West chief of staff Cao Hu to march overland from Jiangling and rendezvous at Xiangyang. Huan's son Wang Biao was violent and reckless by nature, and Huan could not control him. Chief clerk Yin Rui was Huan's son-in-law. He told Huan, "Cao and Lü are coming without a verifiable edict—we may be facing a coup. We should seize them and send an urgent report to the throne. Huan agreed. Biao at once mobilized over a thousand provincial troops, opened the armory to issue arms, deployed men in the Southern Hall, shut the gates, and prepared to resist. Huan's protégé Zheng Yu kowtowed and begged him to go out and welcome the imperial envoys; Huan said, "I am no rebel—I mean first to send a memorial explaining myself; I only fear petty men like Cao and Lü will abuse us, so for now I am merely holding the gates closed." Biao then sallied out, fought Cao Hu's troops, was beaten, and fled back inside. In the third month, on yihai, chief of staff Huang Yaoqi and pacifying-the-barbarians chief clerk Pei Shuye of Hedong mutinied inside the city, attacked Wang Huan, and killed him; they seized Biao, his brothers Shuang and Bi, and Yin Rui, and all were put to death. Biao's elder brothers Rong and Chen were killed at Jiankang; Chen's younger brother Su, a director in the secretariat, alone escaped and fled to Northern Wei. In summer, the fourth month, on jiawu, Prince Zhaoye of Nan Commandery was named imperial great-grandson; Eastern Palace officials were retitled as great-grandson staff; the late crown prince's consort, Lady Wang of Langye, became great-grandson grand consort; and Prince Zhaoye's consort, Lady He, became great-grandson consort. Lady He was a daughter of the Ji clan. Northern Wei's Grand Commandant Yuan Pi and others petitioned to establish an empress; on wuxu, Lady Feng was made empress. She was a daughter of Feng Xi. Citing the Baihu tong—"A king does not treat his wife's parents as subjects"—the Wei emperor decreed that Grand Preceptor Feng Xi need not style himself a subject in memorials or bow when entering court; Feng Xi firmly declined the privilege. Tian Yizong, a Guangcheng tribal chief holding the title General Who Punishes the Barbarians, led more than four thousand households in revolt and surrendered to Northern Wei. In the fifth month, on renxu, the Wei emperor entertained imperial clansmen from all four ancestral temples in the Hall of Promoting Culture, seating himself by their ages and treating them with family courtesy. On jiazi, the Wei emperor held court, called dukes and officials to settle doubtful matters of policy, and reviewed prisoners. The emperor told Minister of Works Mu Liang, "From now on, on court business before noon you are to deliberate among yourselves first; after noon I shall decide them together with you." On bingzi, Prince Keng of Yidu was appointed governor of Southern Yu Province. Earlier Prince Ziqing of Luling had been governor of Southern Yu Province; on the road to his post he playfully drilled his escort as a naval force; When the emperor heard of this, he flew into a rage, executed Ziqing's chief clerk, and replaced him with Keng. Ziqing returned home; the emperor never saw him again for the rest of his life. Lei Posi and other Xiangyang tribal chiefs led more than a thousand households seeking resettlement within Wei territory; the Wei placed them north of the Han. The Wei emperor found Pingcheng too cold—rain and snow even in the sixth month, wind and sand constant—and planned to move the capital to Luoyang; fearing his ministers would resist, he proposed a major campaign against Qi to bring them into line. He fasted in the left bay of the Bright Hall and had Director of Ceremonies Wang Chen cast the oracle, which yielded the hexagram Revolution; the emperor said, "'Tang and Wu carried out revolution, accordant with Heaven and responsive to the people. What omen could be more auspicious!' None of the assembled ministers dared object. Minister of the Masters of Writing Yuan Cheng, Prince of Rencheng, said, "Your Majesty's house has renewed its radiance generation after generation and already rules the central lands; to march out now against unsubdued foes yet draw the image of Tang and Wu's revolution is not wholly auspicious." The emperor snapped, "The commentary says, 'The great man transforms like a tiger'—how can you call that inauspicious! Cheng replied, "Your Majesty's dragon rise was long ago—how can you be transforming like a tiger only now! The emperor flushed and said, "The realm is mine—does Prince of Rencheng mean to discourage the army! Cheng said, "Though the realm belongs to Your Majesty, I am its subject—how can I see peril and stay silent! After a long while the emperor relented. "Speak your minds," he said—"what harm is there in that?" Back at the palace he summoned Cheng and, going out to meet him, said, "About the Revolution hexagram just now—I should discuss it further with you. My anger in the Bright Hall was feigned—I feared everyone would speak up and block my great plan, so I used harsh words to frighten the court, nothing more. I trust you understand my intent." He dismissed everyone else and told Cheng, "What I mean to do today is truly no small matter. Our state arose in the northern frontier and moved its seat to Pingcheng; that is a land for wielding arms, not for civil rule. Changing customs and habits is truly hard. I mean to seize this moment and move our capital to the Central Plains—what do you think?" Cheng replied, "Your Majesty means to establish the capital in the heartland and extend rule over the four seas—that is how Zhou and Han achieved their greatness. The emperor said, "Northerners cling to custom and old homes—they will panic and resist. What can be done? Cheng said, "An extraordinary task lies beyond ordinary men. Once Your Majesty decides from your own sage judgment, what can they do?" The emperor said; Rencheng, you are my Zhang Liang!" In the sixth month, on the day bingxu, he ordered a bridge built over the river to move his army across. “Secretary Supervisor Lu Yuan submitted a memorial arguing that emperors of earlier peaceful ages never personally led the Six Armies or decided battles in the field; for victory would scarcely enhance martial glory, while defeat would tarnish imperial prestige. In the past Cao Cao defeated Yuan Shao with ten thousand exhausted troops, and Xie Xuan crushed Fu Qin's army with three thousand infantry—the outcome turns in a moment, not on numbers alone." The imperial reply said, "Peaceful emperors stayed away from war either because the realm was united and they had no foe, or because they were timid and sought ease. Neither description fits us today—the first is not yet true, and the second would be shameful. If a true king should never take the field, why did the ancient kings establish the leather war chariot? Cao Cao won because he had justice on his side, and the Fu clan fell because it lost the way of governance; surely the few do not always defeat the many, nor the weak always master the strong!" On the day dingwei the Wei emperor held a military review and put Minister of Works Li Chong in charge of selecting troops. The monk Fazhi of Jiankang and Zhou Panlong, a commoner of Xuzhou, and others rose in rebellion; by night they attacked Xuzhou city and took it; Governor Wang Xuanyao put down the revolt and executed the ringleaders. In autumn, the seventh month, on the day guichou, Wei enthroned Prince Xun as crown prince. On the day wuwu Wei put the court and realm on alert, issued public proclamations and diplomatic letters, and announced a coming southern invasion. An edict mobilized laborers from Yang and Xu provinces and opened wide recruitment to prepare defenses. Wang Rong, an attendant gentleman of the Secretariat, counted on his family and status and expected to reach the highest offices before he turned thirty. Once, on night duty in the secretariat, he leaned on his desk and sighed, "To live so obscurely—Deng Yu would laugh at me! On his way out he found the Vermilion Bird Bridge raised and the throng so thick he could not pass; he pounded the carriage wall and sighed, "No eight outriders before my carriage—how can I call myself a man! Prince Ziliang of Jingling admired his literary gifts and treated him with exceptional warmth. Seeing that the emperor wished to campaign north, Rong repeatedly submitted memorials urging him on and trained hard in horsemanship and archery. When Wei was about to invade, Ziliang raised troops at the Eastern Headquarters, commissioned Rong as General Who Calms the North, and put him in charge of recruitment. Rong recruited with all his energy and gathered several hundred hardy men from Jiangxi, all of them capable and useful. Just then the emperor fell ill, and an edict permitted Ziliang to enter the Hall of Extended Splendor in armor to attend him and oversee his medicine; Ziliang made Xiao Yan, Fan Yun, and others commanders of the guard within his headquarters. On the day wuchen he sent Jiang Province Governor Chen Xianda to hold Fancheng. Fearing panic in court and country, the emperor forced himself despite illness to summon the Music Office to perform orthodox music. Ziliang remained inside day and night, while the crown prince came every other day to pay his respects. On the day wuyin the emperor's illness turned grave and he briefly lost consciousness; The crown prince had not yet arrived; court and palace were seized with fear, and all the officials had already changed into mourning dress. Wang Rong wanted to forge an edict enthroning Ziliang, and the draft was already written. Xiao Yan said to Fan Yun, "The streets are full of rumor—everyone says something extraordinary is coming. Wang Yuanzhang is no statesman—watch him fail." Fan Yun said, "The only one who cares for the state is Secretary Wang. Xiao Yan said, "Caring for the state—is he trying to be the Duke of Zhou and Duke of Shao, or Duke Huan's eunuch? Fan Yun did not dare answer. When the crown prince arrived, Wang Rong, dressed for battle in a scarlet shirt, blocked the Eastern Palace guard at the Secretariat gate and would not let them pass. Before long the emperor revived and asked where the crown prince was; he then summoned the Eastern Palace guard, weapons and all, and entrusted court affairs to Left Vice Minister of Works, Marquis of Xichang, Luan. Soon the emperor died, and Rong used Ziliang's troops to seal every gate. When Luan heard this he galloped to the Cloud Dragon Gate but could not get through; he cried, "I have been summoned by imperial order! He forced his way in, escorted the crown prince to the throne, and ordered attendants to lead Ziliang away; His orders rang out like a bell, and everyone in the hall obeyed. Rong saw that his plan had failed, changed out of mourning dress, returned to the Secretariat, and sighed, "My lord, you have led me astray! From that time on Emperor Yulin deeply resented him. The testamentary edict said, "The crown prince's virtue grows daily, and the altars of state have one to rely on. Ziliang is well suited to assist and support—let him strive to broaden good governance; on all matters within and without, great and small alike, consult with Luan and share your intentions! Affairs of the Secretariat, the root of government, entrust wholly to Right Vice Minister Wang Yan and Minister of Civil Appointments Xu Xiaosi; Military affairs entrust to Wang Jingze, Chen Xianda, Wang Guangzhi, Wang Xuanyao, Shen Wenji, Zhang Gui, Xue Yuan, and the rest." Emperor Wu attended closely to governance, keeping to the broad essentials with strict and decisive judgment; prefectures and counties kept their officials in office for long terms, and when local leaders broke the law he had them executed on the spot. Thus in the Yongming era the people were prosperous and content, and bandits and thieves disappeared. Yet he was rather fond of feasting and touring and of lavish display; he often said he regretted it but could not give it up all at once. Before Emperor Yulin was enthroned, everyone suspected that Ziliang would be made emperor, and rumors swirled. Before the assembly Prince Ye of Wuling declared loudly, "If a lesser prince is to be enthroned, it should be me; if the rightful heir is enthroned, it should be the crown prince." From this the emperor came to rely on him deeply. Chamber Attendants Zhou Fengshu and Cao Daogang had long been the emperor's trusted confidants; both were put in charge of the palace guard; A few days later Daogang was again made Gentleman at the Yellow Gate. Earlier Marquis Luan of Xichang had been favored by Emperor Gao; Luan was frugal and plain, his carriage, dress, and retinue no different from an ordinary scholar's, and in every office he held he was known for strict competence—so Emperor Wu also valued him. Emperor Wu's testamentary edict had Prince Ziliang of Jingling assist in governance and Luan oversee Secretariat affairs. Ziliang was naturally kind and generous and took no pleasure in worldly affairs, so he pushed authority toward Luan; hence the testament's words, "on all matters great and small alike consult with Luan," reflected Ziliang's own wish. The emperor had been raised from childhood by Ziliang's consort, Lady Yuan, and their mutual affection was well known. After Wang Rong's plot, he came to deeply mistrust Ziliang. When the imperial coffin was borne out of the Hall of Supreme Ultimate, Ziliang remained in the Secretariat; the emperor sent Captain of the Tiger Guard Pan Chang with two hundred armed men to hold the western steps of the Hall of Supreme Ultimate and guard against him. After the mourning period was complete, all the princes were to leave the capital; Ziliang asked to remain until the imperial tomb was finished, but permission was denied. On the day renwu, by testamentary edict Prince Ye of Wuling was made Defender-General and, together with General Who Conquers the South Chen Xianda, granted an independent command equal to the Three Excellencies; Left Vice Minister of Works, Marquis Luan of Xichang, was made Director of the Secretariat; Grand Mentor of the Crown Prince Shen Wenji was made Guardian-General. On the day guiwei Prince Ziliang of Jingling was made Grand Tutor; Taxes of three categories and all arrears were remitted; imperial storehouses and unused ponds, fields, and lodges were cut back; Levies at passes and markets were reduced. Before this, edicts remitting taxes and land often amounted to nothing; collection and enforcement continued as before. Now Marquis Luan of Xichang held the reins of government; favor and trust went hand in hand, and everyone was pleased. In Wei, Wei Yuan, Marquis Jingzhuang of Shanyang, died. The Wei emperor sent Grand Secretary Prince Yu of Guangling with credentials to reassure the Six Garrisons and levy their elite cavalry. On the day dinghai the Wei emperor took leave of Yonggu Mausoleum; On the day jichou he set out from Pingcheng on a southern campaign with more than three hundred thousand infantry and cavalry; He left Grand Commandant Pi and Prince Yu of Guangling to hold Pingcheng, both granted extraordinary credentials. Yu said, "The Grand Commandant should hold sole command; I can serve only as his deputy. The Wei emperor said, "The old have wisdom, the young have resolve—you need make no excuses. He then appointed Prince Gan of Henan General of Chariots and Cavalry and commander of all forces west of the Pass, with Minister of Works Mu Liang, General Who Pacifies the South Lu Yuan, and General Who Pacifies the South Xue Yin all serving as Gan's deputies; their combined force of seventy thousand marched out through Ziwu Valley. Yin was the great-grandson of Bian. Prince Yulin was quick-witted and eloquent by nature, handsome in bearing, skilled in repartee, and more expressive in joy and sorrow than others; Emperor Shizu therefore favored him. Yet he put on false feeling and practiced deceit, secretly nursing base resentments; he shared food and clothing with the low companions around him and slept and rose together with them. When he was first Prince of Nanjun, he followed Prince Ziliang of Jingling at Xizhou; Crown Prince Wenhui often restricted his daily conduct and curtailed his expenditures. The prince secretly approached wealthy men to borrow money, and none dared refuse him. He had a separate key-hook made and at night opened the rear gate of Xizhou, going with his companions to various camp offices for licentious feasting. Masters Shi Renzu and Hu Tianyi, attendants in the secretariat, said to each other, "If we report this to the two palaces, the matter will not be easily settled; if in the camp offices we are beaten by strangers or injured by dogs or the like, would the guilt stop with us alone? Our whole households would also be ruined. Each of us is seventy years old—why begrudge what little life remains!" Within a few days the two men killed themselves in succession, and the two palaces knew nothing of it. Those he favored among his attendants he all in advance conferred rank and titles upon, writing the appointments on yellow paper and having them stored in pouches and carried on their persons, with a promise that when he faced south as emperor these would be put into effect. When attending the crown prince in illness and during mourning, his face wore grief and he wailed and emaciated himself; those who saw him sobbed; but as soon as he returned to his private quarters he laughed merrily and drank deeply. He constantly had the shamaness Lady Yang perform prayers and sacrifices, urgently seeking the imperial throne. When the crown prince died, he believed it was through Lady Yang's power and redoubled his reverence for her. Once he became grand heir apparent, when Emperor Shizu fell ill he again had Lady Yang perform prayers and sacrifices. At that time Consort He was still at Xizhou. When Emperor Shizu's illness grew critical, the grand heir wrote to Consort He; in the center of the paper he drew one large character for joy, surrounded by thirty-six smaller joy characters. When attending Emperor Shizu in his illness, he spoke and tears fell. Emperor Shizu thought he would surely be able to bear the great enterprise and said to him, "For five years leave everything entirely to the chief minister; do not concern yourself; After five years do not entrust matters to others again. If you act on your own and achieve nothing, you will have little cause for regret." At the end of his life he took his hand and said, "If you remember your old grandfather, you must do well! Then he died. As soon as the grand dressing of the corpse was finished, he summoned all of Emperor Shizu's performers and had every sort of music played. Within little more than ten days of taking the throne he had Wang Rong arrested and sent to the Minister of Justice; he had Censor-in-Chief Kong Zhigui memorialize that Rong was reckless, volatile, and cunning, that he gathered malcontents, and that he slandered the court and government. Rong sought help from Prince Ziliang of Jingling; Ziliang was anxious and afraid and did not dare save him. He was therefore granted death in prison; he was twenty-seven years old at the time. Earlier, Rong had wished to become acquainted with Xu Mian of Donghai and repeatedly sent people to summon him. Mian said to others, "Master Wang's fame is high but his prospects are short; one can hardly lightly grasp his robe. Before long Rong met with disaster. Mian became famous on this account. Wei Zhun of Kuaiji, an Imperial University student, was admired by Rong for his talent and learning; Rong wished to establish Ziliang as emperor, and Zhun urged the matter on to success. University students Yu Xi and Qiu Guobin secretly said to each other, "Jingling lacks talent, and Wang the Palace Attendant-in-Ordinary has no resolve—defeat is plain to see. When Rong was executed, Zhun was summoned to the Secretariat of Palace Attendants for questioning; in terror and dread he died, his whole body turning blue-green, and people of the time thought his gall had burst. On the day renyin the Wei emperor reached Sizhou; seeing common people along the road who were lame or blind, he halted his carriage to comfort and reassure them and granted them food and clothing for life. Grand Marshal Prince Xiu of Anding had seized three soldiers who had been thieves, displayed them before the army, and was about to execute them. The Wei emperor encountered this on march and ordered them pardoned; Xiu would not consent and said, "Your Majesty personally leads the six armies and intends soon to clear the lands south of the Yangtze. We have only just set out and arrived here, yet petty men are already plundering—if we do not execute them, how can we check wrongdoing! The emperor said, "What you say is indeed true. Yet the bearing of a true king sometimes includes extraordinary grace. Though these three men's crime deserves death, by chance they encountered me; though this violates military law, they may be specially pardoned." Then he said to Grand Secretary Feng Yan, "The Grand Marshal enforces the law strictly—you gentlemen must be careful. Thereupon the army became orderly and solemn. Minister Guang said, "A ruler toward his state is like a body toward itself—he should regard the distant as he regards the near, and regard what is beyond the borders as though it were in his court hall. If he raises the worthy and talented to appoint the hundred officers, and rectifies government to benefit the common people, then within his domain none will fail to find their proper place. Therefore the former kings blocked their ears with cotton and covered their vision with the front pendants, wishing to set aside the immediate use of eyes and ears and extend their clarity and wisdom to the four quarters. Those maimed and disabled ought to be supported—the government offices should distribute care evenly throughout the realm. To grant it only to those encountered on the road means that many are left out. Is this not petty as an act of benevolence! Moreover, pardoning criminals and bending the law of the responsible officials is especially unworthy of a ruler's bearing. What a pity! Emperor Xiaowen was Wei's worthy sovereign, and yet he still did such things! On the day wushen the Wei emperor reached Bingzhou. Bingzhou Inspector Wang Xi had a reputation for good governance and kept the region quiet; the emperor commended him. Xi instructed the people to erect many steles placed beside the roads, falsely praising his merits; When the emperor heard and questioned him, Xi answered not according to the truth. The emperor was angry and reduced Xi's noble rank by two grades. In the ninth month, on the day renzi, Wei sent Acting Supernumerary Palace Attendant Gao Cong of Bohai and others on a diplomatic mission. On the day dingsi the Wei emperor decreed that wherever the imperial procession passed and damaged the people's autumn crops, five hu of grain would be given per mu. On the day xinyou they posthumously honored Crown Prince Wenhui as Emperor Wen, with temple name Shizong. When Emperor Shizu's coffin was lowered to the ferry, the emperor took farewell inside the Duan Gate; before the hearses had even passed out of the Duan Gate he urgently claimed illness and returned inside. Hardly had he entered the inner quarters when he had barbarian performers play inside; the sound of drums and bells shook inside and out. On the day bingyin they buried Emperor Wu at Jing'an Mausoleum, with temple name Shizu. On the day wuchen the Wei emperor crossed the river; On the day gengwu he reached Luoyang; On the day renshen he went to the former Imperial Academy to view the Stone Classics. On the day yihai King Su Peng of Dengzhi sent his son Jiu to attend Wei in audience and also requested to transmit the throne to Jiu; The Wei emperor granted it. From the time the Wei emperor set out from Pingcheng until he reached Luoyang, the rains did not cease. On the day bingzi he decreed that all armies advance. On the day dingchou the emperor donned military garb, took the whip, mounted a horse, and rode out. The ministers prostrated themselves kowtowing before his horse. The emperor said, "The plans made in the temple are settled and the great army is about to advance—what more do you gentlemen wish to say? Chief Secretary Li Chong and others said, "This campaign we now undertake is what all under Heaven does not wish for—only Your Majesty desires it. Your servants do not know where Your Majesty intends to go if you advance alone! We have the intent but not the words—we dare beg with our lives! The emperor flew into a rage and said, "I am now setting the empire in order, aiming at unification, yet you Confucian scholars repeatedly doubt the great design; The axe and halberd have their fixed law—speak no more! He spurred his horse and was about to depart; then Prince Xiu of Anding and the others all earnestly wept and remonstrated. The emperor then addressed the ministers, "The undertaking we launch today is no small matter—if we act and achieve nothing, how can we show ourselves to posterity! I have long dwelt in the northern wilds and wish to move south to the central lands; If we do not campaign south, we should move the capital here—what do the princes and dukes think? Those who wish to move, stand to the left; those who do not, to the right. Prince Xiu of Anding and the others led one another to the right. Prince Zhen of Nan'an stepped forward and said, "'He who would achieve great things does not consult the multitude. If Your Majesty would now abandon the plan for a southern campaign and move the capital to Luoyang, that is the wish of your servants—and the fortune of the people.' All the ministers cried, "Long live the emperor!" At the time the northerners, though unwilling to move south, feared the southern campaign and none dared object; and so the plan to move the capital was settled. Li Chong said to the emperor, "Your Majesty intends to establish the capital at Luoyang; the ancestral temples and palaces cannot be readied while you travel on horseback. I beg Your Majesty to return for the time being to the capital at Dai, wait until the ministers have finished their preparations, and then enter Luoyang with full ceremonial regalia and the imperial bells ringing. The emperor said, "I shall tour and inspect the provinces and commanderies, pause briefly at Ye, and return at the beginning of spring—it is not yet fitting to go back north. He then sent Prince Cheng of Rencheng back to Pingcheng to instruct the officials left behind in the Northern Capital concerning the move of the capital, saying, "Today this is truly revolution itself. Prince, exert yourself! Since the ministers' views differed greatly, the emperor asked Commander of the Guard and General Who Guards the South Yu Lie, "What is your view? Lie said, "Your Majesty's sacred design is profound and far-reaching—beyond what the dull and shallow can fathom. If I speak from the heart, those who welcome the move and those who cling to the old are about evenly divided. The emperor said, "Since you do not lead the opposition, that is support enough. I am grateful for your restraint. He sent him back to garrison Pingcheng, saying, "All routine affairs of the Northern Capital—I entrust them entirely to you. Lie was the grandson of Yu Lidi. Earlier, Zhi You of the Northern Lands gathered several thousand men and raised troops at Stone Mountain north of Chang'an, sending envoys to inform Governor of Liang Province Yin Zhibo; Wang Guang of Qin Province also rose in response, attacked and seized the Wei governor Liu Zao, and the people of the seven provinces between Qin and Yong all echoed the uprising until the force reached one hundred thousand; each held fortified walls and awaited relief from Qi. Prince Gan of Henan of Wei led troops to attack them, and Gan's army was utterly defeated; Zhi You advanced to Turbid Valley north of Xianyang; Mu Liang fought him and was again defeated; Yin Zhibo sent the army commander Xie Deren and others to lead several thousand troops to join and support them. You and the others advanced toward Chang'an; Lu Yuan, Xue Yin, and others repulsed and attacked them, inflicting a great defeat, and tens of thousands surrendered. Lu Yuan executed only the ringleaders and questioned none of the rest; capturing You and Guang, he beheaded them both. In winter, the tenth month, on the first day wuyin, the Wei emperor went to Jinyong City, recalled Mu Liang, and had him together with Chief Secretary Li Chong and Master of Works Dong Er oversee the construction of the Luoyang capital. On the day jimao he went to Henan City; On the day yiyou he went to Yu Province; On the day guisi he lodged at Shiji. On the day yiwei Wei lifted martial law, set up an altar east of Huatai City, and informed the traveling temple of the intent to move the capital. A general amnesty was proclaimed. The Huatai Palace was built. When Prince Cheng of Rencheng reached Pingcheng, the people first heard of the move of the capital and all were startled and dismayed. Cheng cited examples from past and present and gradually explained to them; the crowd then opened up and submitted. Cheng returned and reported at Huatai; the Wei emperor said with delight, "Without Rencheng, my undertaking would not have succeeded." On the day renyin the imperial great-grandson's grand consort was honored as empress dowager; and the consort was established as empress. On the day guimao the Wei emperor went to Ye City. Wang Su met the Wei emperor at Ye and set forth a strategy for campaigning against Qi. The Wei emperor spoke with him and, without noticing, drew his seat close and hours slipped by. From then on his honors and favor daily increased, and none among the emperor's kin and great ministers could come between them. The Wei emperor would sometimes dismiss his attendants and speak with Su until deep into the night, saying to himself that monarch and minister had found each other late. Soon he was appointed General Who Assists the State and chief clerk to the Grand General. At the time the Wei emperor was discussing reviving ritual and music and changing to civilized customs; nearly all ceremonial regalia and institutions were determined by Su. On the day yisi the Wei emperor sent Prince Xiu of Anding to lead the accompanying officials to bring the imperial household from Pingcheng. On the day xinhai the emperor's younger brothers Zhaowen, Zhaoxiu, and Zhaocan were enfeoffed as Prince of Xin'an, Prince of Linhai, and Prince of Yongjia respectively. The Wei emperor built a palace west of Ye; in the eleventh month, on the day guihai, he moved into it. Censor-in-Chief Jiang Yan impeached the former Governor of Yi Province Liu Quan and Governor of Liang Province Yin Zhibo for accepting bribes worth tens of thousands; both were punished according to law. Earlier, when Quan left his posts in Guang and Si provinces, he poured out his wealth as tribute to Emperor Shizu and left nothing in store at home. While in Yi Province he had a golden bathtub made, and his other possessions matched this in extravagance. When Emperor Yulin ascended the throne, the tribute Quan offered diminished. The emperor was enraged, seized Quan and handed him over to the Court of Justice, intending to execute him; Marquis of Xichang Luan rescued him, and he was spared, though still confined for life. Quan was the son of Mian.”
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