1
資治通鑑第141卷
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 141
2
【齊紀七】起強圉赤奮若，盡著雍攝提格，凡二年。
[Qi Records 7] From Qiangyu Chifenruo through Zhuoyong Shetige—two years in all.
3
高宗明皇帝下建武四年（ 丁丑，公元四九七年）
Emperor Ming of Qi, Jianwu year 4 ( dingchou, 497 CE)
4
春，正月，大赦。
In spring, the first month, Qi proclaimed a general amnesty.
5
丙申，魏立皇子恪為太子。 魏主宴於清徽堂，語及太子恂，李沖謝曰：「臣忝師傅，不能輔導。」 帝曰：「朕尚不能化其惡，師傅何謝也！」
On bingshen, Northern Wei established Prince Ke as crown prince. At a banquet in the Qingwei Hall, when the conversation turned to the deposed crown prince Xun, Li Chong apologized: "Your servant was honored to serve as his tutor yet could not guide him properly." The emperor said, "I myself could not reform his wickedness—why should the tutor apologize!"
6
乙巳，魏主北巡。
On yisi, the Wei emperor set out on a northern tour.
7
初，尚書令王晏為世祖所寵任，及上謀廢鬱林王，晏即欣然推奉。 鬱林王已廢，上與晏宴於東府，語及時事，晏抵掌曰：「公常言晏怯，今定何如？」 上即位，晏自謂佐命新朝，常非薄世祖故事。 既居朝端，事多專決，內外要職，並用所親，每與上爭用人。 上雖以事際須晏，而心惡之。 嘗料簡世祖中詔，得與晏手敕三百餘紙，皆論國家事，又得晏啟諫世祖以上領選事，以此愈猜薄之。 始安王遙光勸上誅晏，上曰：「晏於我有功，且未有罪。」 遙光曰：「晏尚不能為武帝，安能為陛下乎！」 上默然。 上遣心腹左右陳世范等出塗巷，采聽異言。 晏輕淺無防，意望開府，數呼相工自視，雲當大貴； 與賓客語，好屏人清閒。 上聞之，疑晏欲反，遂有誅晏之意。
Earlier, Minister of Works Wang Yan had been favored and trusted by Emperor Wu of Qi; when the present emperor plotted to depose Emperor Yulin, Wang Yan gladly supported him at once. After Emperor Yulin was deposed, the emperor banqueted with Wang Yan at the Eastern Mansion; discussing current affairs, Wang Yan slapped his palms and said, "Your Lordship always called me timid—what do you think now?" After the emperor took the throne, Wang Yan saw himself as a founder of the new dynasty and often belittled the ways of Emperor Wu's reign. Once he stood at the head of the government, he decided most affairs on his own, filled important posts at court and in the provinces with his own men, and often disputed the emperor's choice of personnel. Although the emperor still needed Wang Yan for the moment, he loathed him inwardly. Once the emperor sorted through Emperor Wu's mid-level edicts and found more than three hundred letters in Wang Yan's own hand on state affairs; he also found Wang Yan's memorial urging Emperor Wu to curb the present emperor's control of appointments—and from this his suspicion deepened. Prince of Shian Xiao Yaoguang urged the emperor to execute Wang Yan. The emperor said, "Wang Yan has served me well, and he has committed no crime yet." Yaoguang said, "If Wang Yan could not be loyal to Emperor Wu, how could he be loyal to you!" The emperor said nothing. The emperor sent trusted aides such as Chen Shifan into the streets and alleys to gather rumors. Wang Yan was careless and unguarded; he coveted the rank of Grand Commander, repeatedly called in diviners to read his fate, and said he was destined for great honor; when he spoke with guests he liked to dismiss attendants for a private talk. When the emperor heard this, he suspected Wang Yan of plotting rebellion and resolved to kill him.
8
奉朝請鮮于文粲密探上旨，告晏有異志。 世范又啟上云：「晏謀因四年南郊，與世祖故主帥於道中竊發。」 會虎犯郊壇，上愈懼。 未郊一日，有敕停行，先報晏及徐孝嗣。 孝嗣奉旨，而晏陳「郊祀事大，必宜自力。」 上益信世范之言。 丙辰，召晏於華林省，誅之，並北中郎司馬蕭毅、台隊主劉明達，及晏子德元、德和。 下詔云：「晏與毅、明達以河東王鉉識用微弱，謀奉以為主，使守虛器。」 晏弟詡為廣州刺史，上遣南中郎司馬蕭季敞襲殺之。 季敞，上之從祖弟也。 蕭毅奢豪，好弓馬，為上所忌，故因事陷之。 河東王鉉先以少年才弱，故未為上所殺。 鉉朝見，常鞠躬俯僂，不敢平行直視。 至是，年稍長，遂坐晏事免官，禁不得與外人交通。
Court gentleman Xianyu Wencan secretly sounded out the emperor's mind and reported that Wang Yan harbored disloyal intent. Shifan also reported: "Wang Yan plans to use the southern suburban sacrifice in the fourth year to strike along the road with Emperor Wu's former commanders-in-chief." When a tiger entered the suburban altar enclosure, the emperor grew all the more afraid. One day before the sacrifice, an edict halted the procession; it was sent first to Wang Yan and Xu Xiaoci. Xiaoci obeyed, but Wang Yan argued, "The suburban sacrifice is a great affair; one must certainly go in person." The emperor trusted Shifan's report all the more. On bingchen, Wang Yan was summoned to the Hualin Office and executed, together with Chief of the Northern Gentlemen's Mansion Xiao Yi, garrison commander Liu Mingda, and Wang Yan's sons Deyuan and Dehe. An edict stated, "Wang Yan, Yi, and Mingda judged Prince of Hedong Xiao Xuan weak in talent and ability and plotted to set him up as ruler, making him hold an empty title." Wang Yan's younger brother Xu was governor of Guangzhou; the emperor sent Chief of the Southern Gentlemen's Mansion Xiao Jichang to strike and kill him. Jichang was the emperor's younger cousin. Xiao Yi was extravagant and fond of archery and horsemanship—a man the emperor disliked—so he was swept up in the affair. Prince of Hedong Xuan had earlier been spared because he was young and lacked ability. At court he would bow low and stoop, not daring to walk abreast of others or look straight ahead. Now that he had grown somewhat older, he was removed from office on Wang Yan's account and forbidden to have dealings with outsiders.
9
鬱林王之將廢也，晏從弟御史中丞思遠謂晏曰：「兄荷世祖厚恩，今一旦贊人如此事； 彼或可以權計相須，未知兄將來何以自立！ 若及此引決，猶可保全門戶，不失後名。」 晏曰：「方啖粥，未暇此事。」 及拜驃騎將軍，集會子弟，謂思遠兄思征曰：「隆昌之末，阿戎勸吾自裁； 若從其語，豈有今日！」 思遠遽應曰：「如阿戎所見，今猶未晚也！」 思遠知上外待晏厚而內已疑異，乘間謂晏曰：「時事稍異，兄亦覺不？ 凡人多拙於自謀，而巧於謀人。」 晏不應。 思遠退，晏方歎曰：「世乃有勸人死者！」 旬日而晏敗。 上聞思遠言，故不之罪，仍遷侍中。
As Emperor Yulin was about to be deposed, Wang Yan's cousin, imperial censor Wang Siyuan, said to him, "Brother, you owed Emperor Wu a great debt of gratitude; now in a single stroke you have helped others in such a deed; they may need you for a time as an expedient—but how will you stand on your own afterward! If you take your own life now, you can still preserve your household and your name for posterity." Wang Yan said, "I am eating my porridge; I have no time for that." When he was appointed Grand General of Agile Cavalry, he gathered his clansmen and said to Siyuan's elder brother Sizheng, "At the end of the Longchang era, A-Rong urged me to kill myself; had I listened to him, would I have what I have today!" Siyuan at once replied, "As A-Rong saw it then, it is still not too late!" Siyuan knew the emperor treated Wang Yan generously in public while inwardly he already distrusted him; seizing a moment he said, "Affairs are shifting—do you not feel it? Most people are clumsy at planning for themselves yet clever at plotting against others." Wang Yan made no reply. After Siyuan left, Wang Yan finally sighed and said, "There really are people in this world who urge others to die!" Within ten days Wang Yan was ruined. When the emperor heard what Siyuan had said, he did not punish him and instead promoted him to Palace Attendant.
10
晏外弟尉氏阮孝緒亦知晏必敗，晏屢至其門，逃匿不見。 嘗食醬美，問知得於晏家，吐而覆之。 乃晏敗，人為之懼，孝緒曰：「親而不黨，何懼之有！」 卒免於罪。
Wang Yan's nephew by marriage, Ruan Xiaoxu of Weishi, also knew Wang Yan was doomed; Wang Yan often came to his door, but Xiaoxu hid and refused to see him. Once he tasted a fine sauce and learned it had come from Wang Yan's household; he vomited it out and poured it away. When Wang Yan fell, people feared for Xiaoxu; he said, "I was kin but not partisan—what is there to fear!" In the end he escaped punishment.
11
二月，壬戌，魏主至太原。
In the second month, on renxu, the Wei emperor reached Taiyuan.
12
甲子，以左僕射徐孝嗣為尚書令，征虜將軍蕭季敞為廣州刺史。
On jiazi, Left Vice Director Xu Xiaoci was appointed Minister of Works, and General Who Subdues the Barbarians Xiao Jichang was appointed governor of Guangzhou.
13
癸酉，魏主至平城，引見穆泰、陸睿之黨問之，無一人稱枉者； 時人皆服任城王澄之明。 穆泰及其親黨皆伏誅； 賜陸睿死於獄，宥其妻子，徙遼西為民。
On guiyou, the Wei emperor reached Pingcheng; he summoned and questioned the faction of Mu Tai and Lu Rui—not one claimed innocence; and people at the time all admired Prince of Rencheng Wang Cheng's discernment. Mu Tai and his confederates were all executed; Lu Rui was granted death in prison; his wife and children were spared and exiled to Liaoxi as commoners.
14
初，魏主遷都，變易舊俗，并州刺史新興公丕皆所不樂； 帝以其宗室耆舊，亦不之逼，但誘示大理，令其不生同異而已。 及朝臣皆變衣冠，朱衣滿坐，而丕獨胡服於其間，晚乃稍加冠帶，而不能修飾容儀，帝亦不強也。
Earlier, when the Wei emperor moved the capital and changed old customs, the new Duke of Xinxing Yuan Pi, governor of Bingzhou, was among those who disliked it; the emperor, considering him an elder of the imperial house, did not press him but only guided him with great principle so he would not breed dissent. When the court ministers all adopted Chinese dress and red robes filled the hall, Pi alone still wore barbarian garb among them; only late did he gradually add cap and belt, and he could not polish his appearance—the emperor did not force him either.
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太子恂自平城將遷洛陽，元隆與穆泰等密謀留恂，因舉兵斷關，規據陘北。 丕在并州，隆等以其謀告之。 丕外慮不成，口雖折難，心頗然之。 及事覺，丕從帝至平城，帝每推問秦等，常令丕坐觀。 有司奏元業、元隆、元超罪當族，丕應從坐。 帝以丕當受詔許以不死，所免死為民，留其後妻、二子，與居於太原，殺隆、超、同產乙升，餘子徙敦煌。 初，丕、睿與僕射李沖、領軍於烈俱受不死之詔。 睿既誅，帝賜沖、烈詔曰：「睿反逆之志，自負幽冥； 違誓在彼，不關朕也。 反逆既異餘犯，雖欲矜恕，如何可得？ 然猶不忘前言，聽自死別府，免其孥戮。 元丕二子、一弟，首為賊端，連坐應死，特恕為民。 朕本期始終而徙自棄絕，違心乖念，一何可悲！ 故此別示，想無致怪。 謀反之外，皎如白日耳。」 沖、烈皆上表謝。
When Crown Prince Xun was about to move from Pingcheng to Luoyang, Yuan Long with Mu Tai and others secretly plotted to detain him, raise troops to block the passes, and seize the region north of Xia Pass. Pi was in Bingzhou; Long and the others reported their plot to him. Outwardly Pi feared it would not succeed; though his words argued against it, in his heart he rather agreed. When the plot was exposed, Pi followed the emperor to Pingcheng; whenever the emperor interrogated Tai and the others, he often had Pi sit and watch. The officials reported that Yuan Ye, Yuan Long, and Yuan Chao deserved clan extermination; Pi should suffer death by association. The emperor, holding that Pi had been granted an edict promising he would not die, commuted his sentence to commoner status, left his second wife and two sons to live with him in Taiyuan, executed Long, Chao, and their younger brother Yisheng of the same mother, and exiled the remaining sons to Dunhuang. Earlier, Pi, Rui, Vice Director Li Chong, and Commander of the Guards Yu Lie had all received edicts granting immunity from death. After Rui was condemned, the emperor sent edicts to Chong and Lie saying, "Rui's rebellious intent relied on the shades below; breaking his oath was his own doing—it has nothing to do with Us. Rebellion differs from other offenses; though We wished to show mercy, how could it be granted? Yet still not forgetting Our former words, We permit him to die by his own hand in a separate residence and spare his family from execution. Yuan Pi's two sons and one younger brother were foremost as ringleaders of the plot and by association should die; they are specially pardoned as commoners. We expected loyalty to the end, yet he cast himself off—heart and words at odds—how lamentable! Therefore this separate notice—We trust you will not take offense. Apart from rebellion, the matter is as clear as noonday." Chong and Lie both submitted memorials of thanks.
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臣光曰：夫爵祿廢置，殺生予奪，人君所以馭臣之大柄也。 是故先王之制，雖有親、故、賢、能、功、貴、勤、賓，苟有其罪，不直赦也，必議於槐棘之下，可赦則赦，可宥則宥，可刑則刑，可殺則殺。 輕重視情，寬猛隨時。 故君得以施恩而不失其威，臣得以免罪而不敢自恃。 及魏則不然，勳貴之臣，往往豫許之以不死； 使彼驕而觸罪，又從而殺之。 是以不信之令誘之使陷於死地也。 刑政之失，無此為大焉！
Your servant Guang says: Bestowing and revoking rank and salary, granting life and taking it—these are the great handles by which a ruler controls his ministers. Therefore the institutions of the early kings: though there were kin, old friends, the worthy, the able, the meritorious, the noble, the diligent, and honored guests—if guilty, they were not pardoned outright; the case had to be debated beneath the pagoda tree and the jujube thorns—if pardonable, pardon; if excusable, excuse; if punishable, punish; if executable, execute. Severity and leniency followed the facts; sternness and mildness followed the times. Thus the ruler could show favor without losing his authority, and ministers could escape punishment without daring to rely on privilege. With Wei it was not so: meritorious and noble ministers were often granted immunity from death in advance; this made them arrogant until they offended, and then they were killed in turn. Thus an untrustworthy promise lured them into the ground of death. In the failure of penal government, nothing surpasses this!
17
是時，代鄉舊族，多與泰等連謀，唯於烈一族無所染涉，帝由是益重之。 帝以北方酋長及侍子畏暑，聽秋朝洛陽，春還部落，時人謂之「雁臣」。
At this time many of the old clans of Dai were implicated in Tai's plot; only Yu Lie's clan was untouched—therefore the emperor valued him all the more. Because northern chieftains and hostages at court feared the heat, the emperor permitted them to attend at Luoyang in autumn and return to their tribes in spring—people of the time called them "Wild-Goose ministers."
18
三月，己酉，魏主南至離石。 叛胡請降，詔宥之。
In the third month, on jiyou, the Wei emperor marched south to Lishi. Rebellious Hu tribes requested surrender; an edict pardoned them.
19
夏，四月，庚申，至龍門，遣使祀夏禹。 癸亥，至蒲阪，祀虞舜。 辛未，至長安。
In summer, the fourth month, on gengshen, he reached Longmen and sent envoys to sacrifice to Yu the Great. On guihai, he reached Puban and sacrificed to Emperor Shun. On xinwei, he reached Chang'an.
20
魏太子恂既廢，頗自悔過。 御史中尉李彪密表恂復與左右謀逆，魏主使中書侍郎邢蠻與咸陽王禧，奉詔繼椒酒詣河陽，賜恂死，斂以粗棺、常服，瘞於河陽。
After Crown Prince Xun of Wei was deposed, he showed considerable repentance. Imperial censor Li Biao secretly reported that Xun was again plotting rebellion with his attendants; the Wei emperor sent Palace Secretary Xing Luan and Prince of Xianyang Yuan Xi with an imperial edict and poisoned wine to Heyang, granted Xun death, and buried him in a coarse coffin and ordinary dress at Heyang.
21
癸未，魏大將軍宋明王劉昶卒於彭城，追加九錫，葬以殊禮。
On guimao, Northern Wei Grand General Prince of Songming Liu Chang died at Pengcheng; he was posthumously granted the nine bestowals and buried with exceptional rites.
22
五月，己丑，魏主東還，泛渭入河。 壬辰，遣使祀周文王於車，武王於鎬。 六月，庚申，還洛陽。
In the fifth month, on jichou, the Wei emperor returned east, sailing down the Wei River into the Yellow River. On renchen, he sent envoys to sacrifice to King Wen of Zhou at Feng and King Wu at Hao. In the sixth month, on gengshen, he returned to Luoyang.
23
壬戌，魏發冀、定、瀛、相、濟五州兵馬二十萬，將入寇。
On renxu, Northern Wei mobilized two hundred thousand troops from Ji, Ding, Ying, Xiang, and Ji and prepared to invade.
24
魏穆泰之反也，中書監魏郡公穆羆與之通謀，赦後事發，削官爵為民。 羆弟司空亮以府事付司馬慕容契，上表自劾，魏主優詔不許； 亮固請不已，癸亥，聽亮遜位。
When Mu Tai rebelled in Wei, Chief Secretariat Supervisor Mu Pi, Duke of Wei Commandery, had conspired with him; after an amnesty the plot was exposed, and he was stripped of rank and reduced to a commoner. Pi's younger brother, Director of Works Mu Liang, entrusted departmental affairs to Secretary Murong Qi and memorialized to impeach himself; Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen replied with a gracious edict refusing permission; Liang pressed insistently; on guihai, he was allowed to step down from office.
25
丁卯，魏分六師以定行留。
On dingmao, Northern Wei divided the six armies to determine marching and garrison forces.
26
秋，七月，甲午，魏立昭儀馮氏為皇后。 後欲母養太子恪； 恪母高氏自代如洛陽，暴卒於共縣。
In autumn, the seventh month, on jiawu, Northern Wei installed Lady Feng, Bearer of the Jeweled Canopy, as empress. The empress wished to raise Crown Prince Ke as her own; Ke's mother, Lady Gao, traveling from Dai to Luoyang, died suddenly at Gong County.
27
戊辰，魏以穆亮為征北大將軍、開府儀同三司、冀州刺史。
On wuchen, Northern Wei appointed Mu Liang Grand General Who Conquers the North, Champion of the Secretariat with ceremonial equipage equal to the Three Excellencies, and regional inspector of Ji.
28
八月，丙辰，魏詔中外戒嚴。
In the eighth month, on bingchen, Northern Wei ordered martial law throughout the realm.
29
壬戌，魏立皇子愉為京兆王，懌為清河王，懷為廣平王。
On renxu, Northern Wei enfeoffed Prince Yu as Prince of Jingzhao, Prince Yi as Prince of Qinghe, and Prince Huai as Prince of Guangping.
30
追尊景皇所生王氏為恭太后。 甲戌，魏講武於華林園； 庚辰，軍發洛陽。 使吏部尚書任城王澄居守； 以御史中丞李彪兼度支尚書，與僕射李沖參治留台事。 假彭城王勰中軍大將軍，勰辭曰：「親疏並用，古之道也。 臣獨何人。 頻煩寵授！ 昔陳思求而不允，愚臣不請而得，何否泰之相遠也！」 魏主大笑，執勰手曰：「二曹以才名相忌，吾與汝以道德相親。」
He posthumously honored the birth mother of the Jing Emperor, Lady Wang, as Respectful Empress Dowager. On jiaxu, Northern Wei conducted military exercises in the Hualin Garden; On gengchen, the army set out from Luoyang. He ordered Minister of Personnel, Prince of Rencheng Wang Cheng, to remain as guardian of the capital; He made Censor-in-Chief Li Biao concurrently Director of the Department of Revenue and, with Vice Director Li Chong, jointly administer affairs of the rear capital. He provisionally appointed Prince of Pengcheng Xie as General of the Central Army. Xie declined, saying, "Using both kin and outsiders is the ancient way. What sort of man am I. to receive favor after favor! In old times Cao Zhi sought office and was refused; a foolish subject did not ask yet obtained it—how far apart are fortune and misfortune!" Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen laughed heartily, took Xie by the hand, and said, "The two Caos were jealous of each other for talent; you and I are kin by virtue."
31
上遣軍主、直閣將軍胡松助北襄城太守成公期戍赭陽，軍主鮑舉助西汝南、北義陽二郡太守黃瑤起戍舞陰。
Emperor Ming of Qi sent Army Commander and Direct Attendant General Hu Song to assist the northern defender of Xiangcheng, Cheng Gongqi, in garrisoning Zheyang, and Army Commander Bao Ju to assist the defender of western Runan and northern Yiyang, Huang Yaoqi, in garrisoning Wuyin.
32
魏以氐帥楊靈珍為南梁州刺史。 靈珍舉州來降，送其母及子於南鄭以為質，遣其弟婆羅阿卜珍將步騎萬餘襲魏武興王楊集始，殺其二弟集同、集眾； 集始窘急，請降。 九月，丁酉，魏主以河南尹李崇為都督隴右諸軍事，將兵數萬討之。
Northern Wei appointed the Di chieftain Yang Lingzhen regional inspector of southern Liang. Lingzhen surrendered the province; he sent his mother and son to Nanzheng as hostages and dispatched his younger brother Poluo A-bozhen with more than ten thousand infantry and cavalry to attack Wei Prince of Wuxing Yang Jishi, killing his two younger brothers Jitong and Jizhong; Jishi, in dire straits, requested surrender. In the ninth month, on dingyou, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen appointed Henan Intendant Li Chong commander of all military affairs west of Long and led several tens of thousands of troops against him.
33
初，魏遷洛陽，荊州刺史薛真度勸魏主先取樊、鄧。 真度引兵寇南陽，太守房伯玉擊敗之。 魏主怒，以南陽小郡，志必滅之，遂引兵向襄陽； 彭城王勰等三十六軍前後相繼，眾號百萬，吹脣沸地。 辛丑，魏主留諸將攻赭陽，自引兵南下； 癸卯，至宛，夜襲其郛，克之。 房伯玉嬰內城拒守。 魏主遣中書舍人孫延景謂伯玉曰：「我今蕩壹六合，非如向時冬來春去。 不有所克，終不還北。 卿此城當我六龍之首，無容不先攻取； 遠期一年，近止一月。 封侯、梟首，事在俯仰，宜善圖之！ 且卿有三罪，今令卿知：卿先事武帝，蒙殊常之寵，不能建忠致命而盡節於其仇，罪一也； 頃年薛真度來，卿傷我偏師，罪二也； 今鸞輅親臨，不面縛麾下，罪三也。」 伯玉遣軍副樂稚柔對曰：「承欲攻圍，期於必克。 卑微常人，得抗大威，真可謂獲其死所！ 外臣蒙武帝采拔，豈敢忘恩！ 但嗣君失德，主上光紹大宗，非哺副億兆之深望，抑亦兼武皇之遺赦； 是以區區盡節，不敢失墜。 往者北師深入，寇擾邊民，輒厲將士以修職業。 返己而言，不應垂責。」
Earlier, when Northern Wei moved the capital to Luoyang, Jing regional inspector Xue Zhendu had urged Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen to take Fan and Deng first. Zhendu led troops to raid Nanyang; the defender Fang Boyu defeated him. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen was enraged; because Nanyang was a small commandery, he resolved that it must be destroyed, and led his army toward Xiangyang; Prince of Pengcheng Xie and thirty-six other armies followed in succession; the host was said to number a million, and their war cries shook the earth. On xinchou, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen left the generals to attack Zheyang and himself led troops south; On guimao, he reached Wan and by night raided its outer wall and took it. Fang Boyu shut himself in the inner city to resist. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen sent Palace Secretary Sun Yanjing to say to Boyu, "I now pacify all within the four seas; this is not like the old days when armies came in winter and left in spring. If I do not achieve something, I will never return north. Your city will be at the head of my six dragons; it must be taken first; at the farthest, a year; at the nearest, a month. Enfeoffment and exposure of your head depend on a single glance—plan wisely! Moreover you have three crimes; I now let you know them: you first served Emperor Wu and received extraordinary favor, yet could not establish loyalty and give your life, exhausting your integrity toward his enemy—crime one; in recent years when Xue Zhendu came, you wounded my detached force—crime two; now that the imperial carriage comes in person, you do not bind yourself and come before my standard—crime three." Boyu sent his deputy Yue Zhirou to reply, "I hear you intend to invest the city and expect certain capture. A lowly common man who can resist great majesty may truly be said to have found the place to die! As an outer subject I received Emperor Wu's selection and promotion—how could I forget his grace! But the successor sovereign lost the Way; our lord has brilliantly continued the great lineage—not only fulfilling the myriad people's deep hopes, but also carrying out the martial emperor's lingering pardon; therefore in my petty person I exhaust my integrity and dare not let it fall. When the northern army went deep before, it harassed the border people; I then encouraged my officers and men to perform their duty. Turned back on myself, I ought not to be blamed."
34
宛城東南隅溝上有橋，魏主引兵過之。 伯玉使勇士數人，衣斑衣，戴虎頭帽，伏於竇下，突出擊之，魏主人馬俱驚； 召善射者原靈度射之，應弦而斃，乃得免。
On the moat at the southeast corner of Wan city there was a bridge; Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen led his troops across it. Boyu sent several brave men in spotted garments wearing tiger-head caps to lie in ambush beneath the bridge; they burst out and struck; Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen's men and horses were all alarmed; he summoned skilled archers; Yuan Lingdu shot them and they fell at the twang of the bowstring, and only then did he escape.
35
李崇槎山分道，出氐不意，表裡襲之； 群氐皆棄楊靈珍散歸。 靈珍之眾減太半，崇進據赤土。 靈珍遣從弟建帥五千人屯龍門，自帥精勇一萬屯鷲硤； 龍門之北數十里中，伐樹塞路； 鷲硤之口，積大木，聚礌石，臨崖下之，以拒魏兵。 崇命統軍慕容拒帥眾五千從它路夜襲龍門，破之。 崇自攻鷲硤，靈珍連戰敗走； 俘其妻子，遂克武興。 梁州刺史陰廣宗、參軍鄭猷等將兵救靈珍； 崇進擊，大破之，斬楊婆羅阿卜珍，生擒猷等； 靈珍奔還漢中。 魏主聞之，喜曰：「使朕無西顧之憂者，李崇也。」 以崇為都督梁、秦二州諸軍事、梁州刺史，以安集其地。
Li Chong built rafts and divided his forces along the mountains, taking the Di by surprise and striking them from front and rear; All the Di abandoned Yang Lingzhen and scattered homeward. Lingzhen's force was reduced by more than half; Chong advanced and occupied Chitu. Lingzhen sent his younger cousin Jian to lead five thousand men to garrison Longmen while he himself led ten thousand picked warriors to garrison Jiuxia; for several tens of li north of Longmen they felled trees to block the road; at the mouth of Jiuxia they piled great timbers and gathered boulders and rolled them down the cliff to repel the Wei army. Chong ordered Commander Murong Ju to lead five thousand men by another route to raid Longmen by night and break it. Chong himself attacked Jiuxia; Lingzhen fought repeatedly and fled in defeat; they captured his wife and children and then took Wuxing. Liang regional inspector Yin Guangzong and staff officer Zheng You and others led troops to rescue Lingzhen; Chong advanced to attack and routed them greatly, beheaded Yang Poluo A-bozhen, and captured You and others alive; Lingzhen fled back to Hanzhong. When Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen heard it, he said with pleasure, "The man who lets me have no worry to the west is Li Chong." He made Chong commander of all military affairs in Liang and Qin and regional inspector of Liang to settle the region.
36
丁未，魏主發南陽，留太尉咸陽王禧等攻之。 己酉，魏主至新野，新野太守劉思忌拒守。 冬，十月，丁巳，魏軍攻之，不克，築長圍守之，遣人謂城中曰：「房伯玉已降，汝何為獨取糜碎！」 思忌遣人對曰：「城中兵食猶多，未暇從汝小虜語也！」 魏右軍府長史韓顯宗將別軍屯赭陽，成公期遣胡松引蠻兵攻其營，顯宗力戰破之，斬其裨將高法援。 顯宗至新野，魏主謂曰：「卿破賊斬將，殊益軍勢。 朕方攻堅城，何為不作露布？」 對曰：「頃聞鎮南將軍王肅獲賊二、三人，驢馬數匹，皆為露布； 臣在東觀，私常哂之。 近雖仰憑威靈，得摧丑虜，兵寡力弱，擒斬不多。 脫復高曳長縑，虛張功烈，尤而效之，其罪彌大。 臣所以不敢為之，解上而已。」 魏主益賢之。
On dingwei, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen set out from Nanyang, leaving Grand Marshal Prince of Xianyang Xi and others to attack it. On jiyou, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen reached Xinye; the defender Liu Siji held out against him. In winter, the tenth month, on dingsi, the Wei army attacked but could not take it; they built a long encirclement to besiege it and sent someone to say in the city, "Fang Boyu has already surrendered—why do you alone court being ground to bits!" Siji sent someone to reply, "The city still has plenty of grain and arms—we have no leisure to heed your petty barbarian talk! Wei Right Army Headquarters Chief of Staff Han Xianzong led a detached army to garrison Zheyang; Cheng Gongqi sent Hu Song to lead barbarian troops to attack his camp; Xianzong fought hard and broke them, beheading his lieutenant Gao Fayuan. When Xianzong reached Xinye, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen said to him, "You broke the enemy and beheaded a general—this greatly strengthens army morale. I am now assaulting a strong city—why do you not issue a victory bulletin?" He replied, "I recently heard that General Who Guards the South Wang Su captured two or three of the enemy and several donkeys and horses, and all were made victory bulletins; when I was at the Eastern Observatory I privately often laughed at that. Recently, though relying on your majesty's might, I crushed the ugly foe, yet our troops were few and weak and captures and beheadings were not many. If I again hung out a long silk banner and falsely inflated my achievements, imitating that fault, the offense would be all the greater. That is why I dare not do it and merely report upward to relieve Your Majesty—that is all." Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen esteemed him all the more.
37
上詔徐州刺史裴叔業引兵救雍州。 叔業啟稱：「北人不樂遠行，唯樂鈔掠。 若侵虜境，則司、雍之寇自然分矣。」 上從之。 叔業引兵攻虹城，獲男女四千餘人。
Emperor Ming of Qi ordered Xu regional inspector Pei Shuye to lead troops to rescue Yong Province. Shuye memorialized, saying, "Northerners do not like to march far; they only like to raid and plunder. If we invade their territory, the enemies at Si and Yong will naturally divide themselves." Emperor Ming of Qi followed this advice. Shuye led troops to attack Hong city and seized more than four thousand men and women.
38
甲戌，遣太子中庶子蕭衍、右軍司馬張稷救雍州。 十一月，甲午，前軍將軍韓秀方等十五將降於魏。 丁酉，魏敗齊兵於沔北，將軍王伏保等為魏所獲。
On jiaxu, Emperor Ming of Qi dispatched Crown Prince Senior Attendant Xiao Yan and Right Army Major Zhang Ji to rescue Yong Province. In the eleventh month, on jiawu, Forward Army General Han Xiufang and fifteen other generals surrendered to Northern Wei. On dingyou, Northern Wei defeated Qi troops north of the Han; General Wang Fubao and others were captured by Northern Wei.
39
丙辰，以楊靈珍為北秦州刺史、仇池公、武都王。
On bingchen, Northern Wei appointed Yang Lingzhen regional inspector of northern Qin, Duke of Qiuchi, and Prince of Wudou.
40
新野人張□者帥萬餘家據柵拒魏。 十二月，庚申，魏人攻拔之。 雍州刺史曹虎與房伯玉不協，故緩救之，頓軍樊城。
A man of Xinye surnamed Zhang [—] led more than ten thousand households to hold a stockade and resist Northern Wei. In the twelfth month, on gengshen, the Wei forces attacked and took it. Yong regional inspector Cao Hu was at odds with Fang Boyu and therefore delayed the rescue, halting his army at Fancheng.
41
丁丑，詔遣度支尚書崔慧景救雍州，假慧景節，帥眾二萬、騎千匹向襄陽，雍州眾軍並受節度。
On dingchou, an edict dispatched Director of the Department of Revenue Cui Huijing to rescue Yong Province, provisionally granting Huijing the tally of authority; he led twenty thousand infantry and a thousand cavalry toward Xiangyang, and all armies of Yong Province were placed under his command.
42
庚午，魏主南臨沔水； 戊寅，還新野。
On gengwu, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen came south to the Han River; On wuyin, he returned to Xinye.
43
將軍王曇紛以萬餘人攻魏南青州黃郭戍，魏戍主崔僧淵破之，舉軍皆沒。 將軍魯康祚、趙公政將兵萬人侵魏太倉口，魏豫州刺史王肅使長史清河傅永將甲士三千擊之。 康祚等軍於淮南，永軍於淮北，相去十餘里。 永曰：「南人好夜斫營，必於渡淮之所置火以記淺處。」 乃夜分兵為二部，伏於營外； 又以瓠貯火，密使人過淮南岸，於深處置之，戒曰：「見火起，則亦然之。」 是夜，康祚等果引兵斫永營； 伏兵夾擊之。 康祚等走趣淮水，火既競起，不知所從，溺死及斬首數千級，生擒公政，獲康祚之屍以歸。 豫州刺史裴叔業侵魏楚王戍，肅復令永擊之。 永將心腹一人馳詣楚王戍，令填外塹，夜伏戰士千人於城外。 曉而叔業等至城東，部分將置長圍。 永伏兵擊其後軍，破之。 叔業留將佐守營，自將精兵數千救之。 永登門樓，望叔業南行數里，則開門奮擊，大破之，獲叔業傘扇、鼓幕、甲仗萬餘。 叔業進退失據，遂走。 左右欲追之，永曰：「吾弱卒不滿三千，彼精甲猶盛，非力屈而敗，自墜吾計中耳。 既不測我之虛實，足使喪膽。 俘此足矣，何更追之！」 魏主遣謁者就拜永安遠將軍、汝南太守，封貝丘縣男。 永有勇力，好學能文。 魏主常歎曰：「上馬能擊賊，下馬作露版，唯傅修期耳！」 曲江公遙欣好武事，上以諸子尚幼，內親則仗遙欣兄弟，外親則倚後弟西中郎長史彭城劉暄、內弟太子詹事江祏。 故以始安王遙光為揚州刺史，居中用事； 遙欣為都督荊、雍等七州諸軍事、荊州刺史，鎮據西面。 而遙欣在江陵，多招才勇，厚自封殖，上甚惡之。 遙欣侮南郡太守劉季連，季連密表遙欣有異跡； 上乃以季連為益州刺史，使據遙欣上流以制之。 季連，思考之子也。
General Wang Tanfen with more than ten thousand men attacked the Wei southern Qingzhou Yellow Outer Garrison; the garrison commander Cui Sengyuan defeated them and the whole army perished. Generals Lu Kangzuo and Zhao Gongzheng led ten thousand troops to invade the Wei Grand Granary mouth; Wei Yu regional inspector Wang Su ordered Chief of Staff Fu Yong of Qinghe to lead three thousand armored soldiers to attack them. Kangzuo and the others were encamped south of the Huai; Yong's army was north of the Huai, separated by more than ten li. Yong said, "Southerners like to raid camps by night; they are sure to set fires where they cross the Huai to mark the shallows." Therefore at midnight he divided his force in two and lay in ambush outside the camp; He also stored fire in gourds and secretly sent men across the south bank of the Huai to place them in deep spots, instructing them, "When you see fires rise, do the same." That night, Kangzuo and the others indeed led troops to raid Yong's camp; the ambushers struck them from both sides. Kangzuo and the others fled toward the Huai; fires blazed up everywhere and they did not know which way to go; thousands drowned or were beheaded; Gongzheng was captured alive and Kangzuo's corpse was taken back. Yu regional inspector Pei Shuye invaded the Wei Prince of Chu's garrison; Wang Su again ordered Yong to attack him. Yong took one trusted man and galloped to the Prince of Chu's garrison, ordered the outer moat filled in, and hid a thousand warriors outside the wall by night. At dawn Shuye and the others reached the east of the city and were deploying generals to set a long encirclement. Yong's ambush struck their rear army and broke it. Shuye left his officers and staff to guard the camp and himself led several thousand picked troops to the rescue. Yong mounted the gate tower; when he saw Shuye marching south several li, he opened the gates and struck fiercely, routing them greatly and seizing more than ten thousand of Shuye's parasols, drums, curtains, armor, and weapons. Shuye lost his footing in advance and retreat and fled. Those at his side wished to pursue; Yong said, "My weak troops number fewer than three thousand; their fine armor is still strong—they did not fall from exhaustion but fell into my trap. If they cannot gauge my strength and weakness, that is enough to make them lose heart. Capturing this much is enough—why pursue further!" Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen sent an envoy to appoint him on the spot General of Distant Pacification of Yong'an and defender of Runan, enfeoffing him as Baron of Beqiu. Yong had courage and strength, loved learning, and could write. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen often sighed and said, "On horseback he can strike the enemy; off horseback he can draft victory bulletins—only Fu Xiuyuan!" Duke of Qujiang Yao Xin loved military affairs; because Emperor Ming of Qi's sons were still young, for inner kin he relied on Yao Xin and his brothers, and for outer kin he relied on his empress's younger brother, Chief of Staff of the Western Palace Attendant Liu Xuan of Pengcheng, and his wife's younger brother, Steward of the Crown Prince Jiang Shi. Therefore he made Prince of Shi'an Yao Guang regional inspector of Yang and let him wield power at court; Yao Xin was made commander of all military affairs in Jing, Yong, and six other provinces and regional inspector of Jing, holding the western frontier. But Yao Xin was at Jiangling, recruiting many men of talent and courage and enriching himself greatly; Emperor Ming of Qi hated this deeply. Yao Xin insulted the defender of Nan Commandery, Liu Jilian; Jilian secretly memorialized that Yao Xin showed signs of disloyalty; the emperor therefore made Jilian regional inspector of Yi to hold the upper reaches against Yao Xin. Jilian was the son of Liu Sikao.
44
是歲，高昌王馬儒遣司馬王體玄入貢於魏，請兵迎接，求舉國內徙； 魏主遣明威將軍韓安保迎之，割伊吾之地五百里以居儒眾。 儒遣左長史顧禮、右長史金城麴嘉將步騎一千五百迎安保，而安保不至； 禮、嘉還高昌，安保亦還伊吾。 安保遣其屬朝興安等使高昌，儒復遣顧禮將世子義舒迎安保，至白棘城，去高昌百六十里。 高昌舊人戀土，不願東遷，相與殺儒，立麴喜為王，復臣於柔然。 安保獨與顧禮、馬義舒還洛陽。
That year, King Ma Ru of Gaochang sent Secretary Wang Tixuan to offer tribute to Northern Wei, requesting troops to escort him and asking to move the whole state inward; Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen sent General of Illustrious Might Han Wenbao to welcome him and carved out five hundred li of Yiwu territory to settle Ru's people. Ru sent Left Chief of Staff Gu Li and Right Chief of Staff Qu Jia of Jincheng with fifteen hundred infantry and cavalry to welcome Wenbao, but Wenbao did not arrive; Li and Jia returned to Gaochang and Wenbao also returned to Yiwu. Wenbao sent his subordinate Chao Xing'an and others as envoys to Gaochang; Ru again sent Gu Li to lead the heir Ma Yishu to welcome Wenbao; they reached Baidi City, one hundred sixty li from Gaochang. The old people of Gaochang were attached to their land and unwilling to move east; together they killed Ru, installed Qu Xi as king, and again submitted to Rouran. Wenbao alone returned to Luoyang with Gu Li and Ma Yishu.
45
高宗明皇帝下永泰元年（ 戊寅，公元四九八年）
Emperor Ming of Qi, Yongtai year 1 ( wuyin, 498 CE)
46
春，正月，癸未朔，大赦。
In spring, the first month, on guiwei, the new moon, a general amnesty was proclaimed.
47
加中軍將軍徐孝嗣開府儀同三司，孝嗣固辭。
General of the Central Army Xu Xiaosi was promoted to Champion of the Secretariat with ceremonial equipage equal to the Three Excellencies; Xiaosi firmly declined.
48
魏軍李佐攻新野，丁亥，拔之，縛劉思忌，問之曰：「今欲降未？」 思忌曰：「寧為南鬼，不為北臣！」 乃殺之。 於是沔北大震。 戊子，湖陽戍主蔡道福，辛卯，赭陽戍主成公期，壬辰，舞陰戍主黃瑤起、南鄉太守席謙，相繼南遁。 瑤起為魏所獲，魏主以賜王肅，肅臠而食之。 乙巳，命太尉陳顯達救雍州。
Wei officer Li Zuo attacked Xinye; on dinghai it was taken; he bound Liu Siji and asked him, "Do you wish to surrender now?" Siji said, "I would rather be a ghost of the south than a subject of the north!" Then they killed him. At this the region north of the Han was greatly shaken. On wuzi, the garrison commander of Huyang, Cai Daofu; on xinmao, the garrison commander of Zheyang, Cheng Gongqi; on renchen, the garrison commander of Wuyin, Huang Yaoqi, and the defender of Nanxiang, Xi Qian, fled south in succession. Yaoqi was captured by Northern Wei; Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen gave him to Wang Su, and Su cut off his flesh and ate it. On yisi, Emperor Ming of Qi ordered Grand Marshal Chen Xianda to rescue Yong Province.
49
上有疾，以近親寡弱，忌高、武子孫。 時高、武子孫猶有十王，每朔望入朝，上還後宮輒歎息曰：「我及司徒諸子皆不長，高、武子孫日益長大！」 上欲盡除高、武之族，以微言問陳顯達，對曰：「此等豈足介慮！」 以問揚州刺史始安王遙光，遙光以為當以次施行。 遙光有足疾，上常令乘輿自望賢門入。 每與上屏人久語畢。 上索香火，嗚咽流涕，明日必有所誅。 會上疾暴甚，絕而復甦，遙光遂行其策。 丁未，殺河東王鉉、臨賀王子岳、西陽王子文、永陽王子峻、南康王子琳、衡陽王子鈱、湘東王子建、南郡王子夏、桂陽王昭粲、巴陵王昭秀，於是太祖、世祖及世宗諸子皆盡矣。 鉉等已死，乃使公卿奏其罪狀，請誅之，下詔不許； 再奏，然後許之。 南康侍讀濟陽江泌哭子琳，淚盡，繼之以血； 親視殯葬畢，乃去。
Emperor Ming of Qi was ill; because his close kin were few and weak, he feared the descendants of the Gao and Wu emperors. At that time there were still ten princes among the Gao and Wu descendants; on each new and full moon they entered court; after the emperor returned to the inner palace he would sigh and say, "I and the sons of the Director of Works are none of us growing tall, while the Gao and Wu descendants grow taller day by day!" Emperor Ming of Qi wished to exterminate the Gao and Wu clans; he probed Chen Xianda with veiled words, and he replied, "These are hardly worth worrying over!" He asked Yang regional inspector Prince of Shi'an Yao Guang, who thought they should be dealt with step by step. Yao Guang had an ailment of the foot; the emperor often had him enter by carriage through the Wangxian Gate. Each time he and the emperor spoke at length behind screens until finished. The emperor would ask for incense, weep and sob, and the next day there would certainly be executions. When the emperor's illness suddenly grew very severe and he stopped breathing then revived, Yao Guang carried out his plan. On dingwei, they killed Prince of Hedong Xuan, Prince of Linhe Ziyue, Prince of Xiyang Ziwen, Prince of Yongyang Zijun, Prince of Nankang Zilin, Prince of Hengyang Ziyin, Prince of Xiangdong Zijian, Prince of Nan Commandery Zixia, Prince of Guiyang Zhao Can, and Prince of Baling Zhao Xiu; thus the sons of Taizu, Shizu, and Shizong were all gone. After Xuan and the others were already dead, they had the high ministers memorialize their crimes and request execution; an edict refused permission; they memorialized again, and only then was permission granted. Jiang Mi of Jiyang, reader for the Prince of Nankang, wept for Zilin until his tears ran dry and then blood followed; he personally oversaw the funeral and burial and only then left.
50
庚戌，魏主如南陽。 二月，癸丑，詔左衛將軍蕭惠休等救壽陽。 甲子，魏人拔宛北城，房伯玉面縛出降。 伯玉從父弟思安為魏中統軍，數為伯玉泣請，魏主乃赦之。 庚午，魏主如新。 辛巳，以彭城王勰為使持節、都督南征諸軍事、中軍大將軍、開府儀同三司。 三月，壬午朔，崔慧景、蕭衍大敗於鄧城。 時慧景至襄陽，五郡已沒，慧景與衍及軍主劉山陽、傅法憲等帥五千餘人進行鄧城，魏數萬騎奄至，諸軍登城拒守。 時將士蓐食輕行，皆有饑懼之色。 衍欲出戰，慧景曰：「虜不夜圍人城，待日暮自當去。」 既而魏眾轉至。 慧景於南門拔軍去，諸軍不相知，相繼皆遁。 魏兵自北門入，劉山陽與部曲數百人斷後死戰，且戰且卻行。 慧景過鬧溝，軍人相蹈藉，橋皆斷壞。 魏兵夾路射之，殺傅法憲，士卒赴溝死者相枕，山陽取襖仗填溝乘之，得免。 魏主將大兵追之，晡時至沔。 山陽據城苦戰，至暮，魏兵乃退。 諸軍恐懼，是夕，皆下船還襄陽。
On gengxu, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen went to Nanyang. In the second month, on guichou, an edict ordered Left Guard General Xiao Huiyou and others to rescue Shouyang. On jiazi, the Wei forces took the north city of Wan; Fang Boyu bound himself and came out to surrender. Boyu's cousin from the father's side, Si'an, was a central commander in Wei; he repeatedly pleaded for Boyu in tears, and Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen then pardoned him. On gengwu, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen went to Xin. On xinsi, Prince of Pengcheng Xie was made bearer of the staff of office, commander of all military affairs of the southern campaign, General of the Central Army, and Champion of the Secretariat with ceremonial equipage equal to the Three Excellencies. In the third month, on renwu, the new moon, Cui Huijing and Xiao Yan were greatly defeated at Deng city. At that time Huijing had reached Xiangyang; five commanderies had already fallen; Huijing, together with Yan and Army Commanders Liu Shanyang, Fu Faxian, and others led more than five thousand men to advance on Deng city; several tens of thousands of Wei cavalry suddenly arrived and the armies mounted the walls to resist. At the time the officers and men were traveling light on bedding rations and all had the color of hunger and fear. Yan wished to go out and fight; Huijing said, "The barbarians do not invest cities by night; wait until evening and they will naturally leave." Before long the Wei host turned and came on. Huijing at the south gate drew off his army and left; the armies did not know of one another and fled in succession. Wei troops entered from the north gate; Liu Shanyang and several hundred of his personal followers fought a rear-guard action to the death, fighting as they withdrew. Huijing crossed Naogou; soldiers trampled one another and the bridges were all broken. Wei troops shot them from both sides of the road, killing Fu Faxian; soldiers who plunged into the ditch died piled on one another; Shanyang took padded coats and gear to fill the ditch and cross, and escaped. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen was about to pursue with a great army; at the hour of shen he reached the Han. Shanyang held the city and fought bitterly; by evening the Wei army withdrew. The armies were terrified; that evening they all went aboard ship and returned to Xiangyang.
51
庚寅，魏主將十萬眾，羽儀華蓋，以圍樊城，曹虎閉門自守。 魏主臨沔水，望襄陽岸，乃去，如湖陽； 辛亥，如懸瓠。
On gengyin, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen led a hundred thousand men with feathered banners and ornate canopies to invest Fancheng; Cao Hu shut the gates and held out. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen came to the Han River and gazed at the Xiangyang shore, then departed and went to Huyang; on xinhai, he went to Xuanhu.
52
魏鎮南將軍王肅攻義陽，裴叔業將兵五萬圍渦陽以救義陽。 魏南兗州刺史濟北孟表守渦陽，糧盡，食草木皮葉。 叔業積所殺魏人高五丈以示城內； 別遣軍主蕭瑰等攻龍亢，魏廣陵王羽救之。 叔業引兵擊羽，大破之，追獲其節。 魏主使安遠將軍傅永、征虜將軍劉藻、假輔國將軍高聰等救渦陽，並受王肅節度。 叔業進擊，大破之，聰奔懸瓠，永收散卒徐還。 叔業再戰，凡斬首萬級，俘三千餘人，獲器械雜畜財物以千萬計。 魏主命鎖三將詣懸瓠。 劉藻、高聰免死，徙平州； 傅永奪官爵； 黜王肅為平南將軍。 肅表請更遣軍救渦陽，魏主報曰：「觀卿意，必以藻等新敗，故難於更往。 朕今少分兵則不足制敵，多分兵則禁旅有闕，卿審圖之。 義陽當止則止，當下則下； 若失渦陽，卿之過也。」 肅乃解義陽之圍，與統軍楊大眼、奚康生等步騎十餘萬救渦陽。 叔業見魏兵盛，夜，引軍退； 明日，士眾奔潰，魏人追之，殺傷不可勝數。 叔業還保渦口。
Wei General Who Guards the South Wang Su attacked Yiyang; Pei Shuye led fifty thousand troops to invest Guoyang to rescue Yiyang. Wei southern Yan regional inspector Meng Biao of Jibei defended Guoyang; grain was exhausted and they ate plants, tree bark, and leaves. Shuye piled the Wei dead he had killed to a height of five zhang to show inside the city; separately he sent Army Commander Xiao Gui and others to attack Longkang; Wei Prince of Guangling Yu came to the rescue. Shuye led troops to strike Yu and routed him greatly, pursued and seized his tally of authority. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen sent General of Pacifying the Distant Fu Yong, General Who Punishes the Barbarians Liu Zao, and Provisionally General Who Assists the State Gao Cong and others to rescue Guoyang, all under Wang Su's command. Shuye advanced to attack and routed them greatly; Cong fled to Xuanhu and Yong gathered the scattered troops and withdrew slowly. Shuye fought again; in all they beheaded ten thousand, captured more than three thousand, and seized weapons, mixed livestock, and goods worth tens of millions. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen ordered the three generals chained and brought to Xuanhu. Liu Zao and Gao Cong were spared death and exiled to Ping Province; Fu Yong was stripped of office and rank; Wang Su was demoted to General Who Pacifies the South. Su memorialized requesting that another army be sent to rescue Guoyang; Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen replied, "Judging from your intent, you must think that because Zao and the others were newly defeated, it is hard to send them again. If I send few troops now they are not enough to control the enemy; if I send many, the capital guard will be short—you weigh it carefully. At Yiyang stop if you should stop, descend if you should descend; if Guoyang is lost, the fault is yours." Su then lifted the siege of Yiyang and, with Commander Yang Dayan, Xi Kangsheng, and others, marched infantry and cavalry of more than a hundred thousand to rescue Guoyang. When Shuye saw the Wei army was strong, by night he drew off his army; the next day the troops fled in rout; the Wei forces pursued and killed and wounded beyond counting. Shuye withdrew to hold the mouth of the Guo.
53
初，魏中尉李彪，家世孤微，朝無親援； 初游代都，以清淵文穆公李沖好士，傾心附之。 沖亦重其材學，禮遇甚厚，薦於魏主，且為之延譽於朝，公私汲引。 及為中尉，彈劾不避貴戚，魏主賢之，以比汲黯。 彪自以結知人主，不復藉沖，稍稍疏之，唯公坐斂袂而已，無復宗敬這意，沖浸銜之。
Earlier, Wei Chief of the Imperial Guards Li Biao came from a poor and humble family line with no kin support at court; on his first travels in the capital of Dai he found that Duke of Qingyuan, the Cultured and Martial Lord Li Chong, loved scholars, and he devoted himself to Chong. Chong also valued his talent and learning, treated him with great courtesy, recommended him to Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen, and praised him in court; in public and private he drew him upward. When he became Chief of the Imperial Guards, he impeached without avoiding the noble and kin; Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen esteemed him and compared him to Ji An. Biao, believing he had won the emperor's personal regard, no longer leaned on Chong; he grew gradually distant, and at court merely folded his sleeves at formal audience without the respect he had once shown. Chong nursed a growing grudge.
54
及魏主南伐，彪與沖及任城王澄共掌留務。 彪性剛豪，意議多所乖異，數與沖爭辨，形於聲色； 自以身為法官，它人莫能糾劾，事多專恣。 沖不勝忿，乃積其前作過惡，禁彪於尚書省，上表劾彪」違傲高亢，公行僭逸，坐輿禁省，私取官材，輒駕乘黃，無所憚懾。 臣輒集尚書已下、令史已上於尚書都座，以彪所犯罪狀告彪，訊其虛實，彪皆伏罪。 請以見事免彪所居職，付廷尉治罪。」 沖又表稱：「臣與彪相識以來，垂二十載。 見其才優學博。 議論剛正，愚意誠謂拔萃公清之人。 後稍察其為人酷急，猶謂益多損少。 自大駕南行以來，彪兼尚書，日夕共事，始知其專恣無忌，尊身忽物； 聽其言如振古忠恕之賢，校其行實天下佞暴之賊。 臣與任城卑躬曲己，若順弟之奉暴兄，其所欲者，事雖非理，無不屈從。 依事求實，悉有成驗。 如臣列得實，宜殛彪於北荒，以除亂政之奸； 所引無證，宜投臣於四裔，以息青蠅之譖。」 沖手自作表，家人不知。
When Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen marched south, Biao, Chong, and Prince of Rencheng Cheng jointly managed affairs at the rear capital. Biao was by nature bold and domineering; his views often clashed with Chong's, and they argued repeatedly, their quarrels breaking into raised voices and angry faces; trusting that as chief judicial officer no one could impeach him, he acted with broad arbitrary license. Chong could not contain his anger; he gathered Biao's past offenses, detained Biao in the Department of State Affairs, and submitted a memorial impeaching Biao: "Insolent, lofty, and defiant; he openly indulges in presumptuous ease, sits in a carriage within the forbidden offices of the secretariat, takes official materials for private use, and drives the imperial yellow carriage at will, without fear or restraint. Your servant has assembled all officials from the Director of the Department down through the clerks at the central dais of the Secretariat, announced to Biao the crimes charged against him, examined truth and falsehood, and Biao confessed to all. I request that he be removed from his present offices on the basis of these facts and handed over to the Court of Judicial Review for punishment." Chong submitted a further memorial stating: "From the time I came to know Biao, nearly twenty years have passed. I saw that his talent was outstanding and his learning broad. His discourse was firm and upright; in my humble opinion he was truly a man who stood above the common run—public-spirited and clean-handed. Later I came gradually to perceive that his character was harsh and precipitate, yet I still judged that the gains outweighed the losses. Since the imperial coach went south, Biao has held concurrent charge as Director; working with him day and night, I have begun to know his arbitrary willfulness without restraint, his esteem for himself and contempt for others; hear his words like the loyal and forgiving sages of old, yet compare his conduct and he is in truth the flatterer and tyrant of the realm. The Prince of Rencheng and I bowed low and bent ourselves, like obedient younger brothers serving a violent elder brother; whatever he wanted, however unreasonable, we did not refuse. Seek the facts in each matter and all of this can be verified. If what your servant has listed proves true, Biao should be executed in the northern wilds to remove the scoundrel who disrupts governance; if what I cite lacks proof, your servant should be cast to the four borderlands to still the slander of the blueflies." Chong wrote the memorial in his own hand; his household knew nothing of it.
55
帝覽表，歎悵久之，曰：「不意留台乃至於此！」 既而曰：「道固可謂溢矣，而僕射亦為滿也。」 黃門侍郎宋弁素怨沖，而與彪同州相善，陰左右之。 有司處彪大辟，帝宥之，除名而已。
Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen read the memorial and sighed in distress for a long while, saying, "I never expected the rear capital to come to this!" Then he said, "The Way may indeed be said to overflow—and the Vice Director is full as well." Palace Attendant Song Bian had long resented Chong but was on good terms with Biao as a fellow townsman; in secret he influenced matters in Biao's favor. The relevant offices sentenced Biao to execution; the emperor pardoned him and merely struck his name from the rolls.
56
沖雅性溫厚，及收彪之際，親數彪前後過失，瞋目大呼，投折幾案，御史皆泥首面縛。 沖詈辱肆口，遂發病荒悸，言語錯繆，時扼腕大罵，稱「李彪小人」，醫藥皆不能療，或以為肝裂，旬餘而卒。 帝哭之，悲不自勝，贈司空。
Chong was by nature mild and generous; yet at the seizure of Biao he himself enumerated Biao's offenses past and present, glared and shouted, smashed and broke desks, and all the censors knelt bound with faces to the earth. Chong poured forth abuse without restraint, then fell ill with frenzy and palpitations, his speech confused; at times he clutched his wrists and raged, calling "Li Biao, base fellow"; medicine could not cure him—some thought his liver had split—and within ten-odd days he died. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen wept for him, overcome with grief, and posthumously enfeoffed him as Grand Minister of Works.
57
沖勤敏強力，久處要劇，文案盈積，終日視事，未嘗厭倦，職業修舉，才四十而發白。 兄弟六人，凡四母，少時頗多忿競。 及沖貴，祿賜皆與共之，更成敦睦。 然多授引族姻，私以官爵，一家歲祿萬匹有餘，時人以此少之。
Chong was diligent, quick, and strong; long in weighty posts, with documents piled high, he handled affairs all day without weariness; his duties were admirably discharged, and his hair had turned white by forty. He had six brothers by four mothers in all, and in youth there had been much quarreling. When Chong rose to eminence he shared salary and gifts with them all, and they became again harmonious. Yet he recommended many kinsmen by marriage and bestowed offices and titles privately; one household's yearly stipend exceeded ten thousand bolts of silk, and contemporaries looked down on him for this.
58
魏主以彭城王勰為宗師，詔使督察宗室，有不帥教者以聞。
Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen made Prince of Pengcheng Xie clan tutor and ordered him to oversee the imperial clan and report those not obedient to instruction.
59
夏，四月，甲寅，改元。
In summer, the fourth month, on jiayin, the era name was changed.
60
大司馬會稽太守王敬則，自以高、武舊將，必不自安。 上雖外禮甚厚，而內相疑備，數訪問敬則飲食，體干堪宜。 聞其衰老，且以居內地，故得少寬。 前二歲，上遣領軍將軍蕭坦之將齋仗五百人行武進陵，敬則諸子在都，憂怖無計。 上知之，遣敬則世子仲雄入東安尉之。
Grand Marshal and Kuaiji governor Wang Jingze, as an old officer of the Gao and Wu emperors, knew he could not feel secure. Emperor Ming outwardly treated him with great courtesy yet inwardly suspected and guarded against him, repeatedly inquiring after Jingze's food and drink and whether his body remained fit. Hearing that he had aged, and since he held an interior post, Emperor Ming relaxed his wariness somewhat. Two years before, Emperor Ming had sent Commander of the Guards Xiao Tanzhi with five hundred ceremonial guards to march at Wujin Mausoleum; Jingze's sons in the capital were terrified and at their wits' end. Emperor Ming learned of this and sent Jingze's heir Zhongxiong into the Eastern Peace quarter to comfort them.
61
仲雄善琴，上以蔡邕焦尾琴借之。 仲雄於御前鼓琴作《懊惱歌》，曰：「常歎負情儂，郎今果行許。」 又曰：「君行不淨心，那得晉人題！」 上愈猜愧。
Zhongxiong was skilled at the zither; Emperor Ming lent him Cai Yong's "Scorched Tail" lute. Before the throne Zhongxiong played the zither and sang the Song of Vexation, saying, "So often I lamented a faithless love—and now, my lord, you have truly gone and done it." He also said, "Your heart was never pure—how could you win verse from a Jin gentleman!" Emperor Ming grew still more suspicious and ashamed.
62
上疾屢危，乃以光祿大夫張瑰為平東將軍、吳郡太守，置兵佐以密防敬則。 中外傳言，當有異處分。 敬則聞之，竊曰：「東今有誰，只是鵒平我耳； 東亦何易可平！ 吾終不受金罌！」 金罌，謂鴆也。
Emperor Ming's illness repeatedly turned critical; he therefore made Palace Counselor Zhang Gui General Who Pacifies the East and governor of Wu commandery, with military aides to guard Jingze in secret. Inside and outside the court it was rumored that unusual measures were coming. Jingze heard this and said privately, "Who is there now in the east? Only Tanzhi has been sent to pacify me; and the east is not so easily pacified! I will never accept the poisoned cup!" Golden goblet" means poisoned wine.
63
敬則女為徐州行事謝朓妻，敬則子太子洗馬幼隆遣正員將軍徐岳以情告朓：「為計若同者，當往報敬則。」 朓執岳，馳啟以聞。 敬則城局參軍徐庶，家在京口。 其子密以報庶，庶以告敬則五官掾王公林。 公林，敬則族子也，常所委信。 公林勸敬則急送啟賜兒死，單舟星夜還都。 敬則令司馬張思祖草啟，既而曰：「若爾，諸郎在都，要應有信，且忍一夕。」
Jingze's daughter was wife to Xie Tiao, acting prefect of Xu Province; Jingze's son Youlong, Groom of the Heir Apparent, sent Regular General Xu Yue to confide in Tiao: "If your plans agree with ours, you should go inform Jingze." Tiao seized Yue and galloped off with a memorial to report it. Jingze's clerk Xu Shu had his family at Jingkou. His son secretly reported to Shu, and Shu told Jingze's Registrar Wang Gonglin. Gonglin was Jingze's clansman, whom he habitually trusted. Gonglin urged Jingze urgently to send a memorial begging that his sons be granted death, and return to the capital alone by boat through the night. Jingze had his Marshal Zhang Sizu draft the memorial, then said, "If it were so, my sons in the capital ought surely to have sent word—let us wait one night."
64
其夜，呼僚佐文武樗蒲，謂眾曰：「卿諸人欲令我作何計？」 莫敢先答。 防閣丁興懷曰：「官祗應作爾！」 敬則不應。 明旦，召山陰令王詢、台傳御史鐘離祖願，敬則橫刀跂坐，問詢等：「發丁可得幾人？ 庫見有幾錢物？」 詢稱「縣丁猝不可集」； 祖願稱「庫物多未輸入」。 敬則怒，將出斬之，王公林又諫曰：「凡事皆可悔，唯此事不可悔； 官詎不更思！」 敬則唾其面曰：「我作事，何關汝小子！」 丁卯，敬則舉兵反，招集，配衣，二三日便發。
That night he summoned his civil and military staff to play liubo and said to the assembly, "What course do you gentlemen wish me to take?" No one dared answer first. Gate guard Ding Xinghuai said, "My lord can only do this!" Jingze did not reply. At dawn he summoned Shanyin magistrate Wang Xun and investigating censor Zhongli Zuyuan; Jingze sat astride his seat with sword across his knees and asked Xun and the others, "How many men can be levied? How much money and goods are in the treasury?" Xun said, "The county levies cannot suddenly be assembled"; Zuyuan said, "Much in the treasury has not yet been delivered in." Jingze grew angry and was about to have them taken out and beheaded; Wang Gonglin again remonstrated, saying, "Everything can be regretted—only this cannot be regretted; will my lord not reconsider!" Jingze spat in his face and said, "What I do is none of your business, boy!" On dingmao, Jingze raised troops in rebellion, mustered men, issued military garb, and set out within two or three days.
65
前中書令何胤，棄官隱居若邪山，敬則欲劫以為尚書令。 長史王弄璋等諫曰：「何令高蹈，必不從； 不從，便應殺之。 舉大事先殺名賢，事必不濟。」 敬則乃止。 胤，尚之之孫也。
Former Director of the Secretariat He Yin had abandoned office and lived in seclusion on Mount Ruoye; Jingze wished to seize him and make him Director of the Department of State Affairs. Chief of Staff Wang Nongzhang and others remonstrated, saying, "Director He walks the high path and will surely not comply; if he does not comply, he should be killed. To launch a great undertaking by first killing a famed worthy—the affair will surely not succeed." Jingze thereupon desisted. Yin was grandson of He Shangzhi.
66
庚午，魏發州郡兵二十萬人，期八月中旬集懸瓠。
On gengwu, Northern Wei mobilized two hundred thousand troops from the provinces and commanderies, with a deadline of mid-eighth month to assemble at Xuancheng.
67
魏趙郡靈王幹卒。
Northern Wei Prince Ling of Zhao commandery Gan died.
68
上聞王敬則反，收王幼隆及其兄員外郎世雄、記室參軍季哲、其弟太子舍人少安等，皆殺之。 長子黃門郎元遷將千人在徐州擊魏，敕徐州刺史徐玄慶殺之。 前吳郡太守南康候子恪，嶷之子也，敬則起兵，以奉子恪為名； 子恪亡走，未知所在。 始安王遙光勸上盡誅高、武子孫，於是悉召諸王侯入宮。 晉安王寶義江陵公寶覽等處中書省，高、武諸孫處西省，敕人各從左右兩人，過此依軍法； 孩幼者與乳母俱入。 其夜，令太醫煮椒二斛，都水辦棺材數十具，須三更，當盡殺之。 子恪徒跣自歸，二更達建陽門，剌啟。 時刻已至，而上眠不起，中書舍人沈徽孚與上所親左右單景雋共謀少留其事。 須臾，上覺，景雋啟子恪已至。 上驚問曰：「未邪？ 未邪？」 景雋具以事對。 上撫床曰：「遙光幾誤人事！」 乃賜王侯供饌，明日，悉遣還第。 以子恪為太子中庶子。 寶覽，緬之子也。
Emperor Ming heard that Wang Jingze had rebelled; he arrested Wang Youlong and his elder brother Staff Officer Shixiong, Recorder of the Heir Apparent Jizhe, and his younger brother Palace Attendant Shao'an, and had them all killed. His eldest son, Palace Attendant Yuanyuan, was leading a thousand men at Xu Province to attack Northern Wei; an edict ordered Xu regional inspector Xu Xuanqing to kill him. Former Wu governor Marquis of Nankang Zike, son of Xiao Yan, had raised troops in Jingze's name to support Zike; Zike had fled and his whereabouts were unknown. Prince of Shi'an Yaoguang urged Emperor Ming to execute all descendants of the Gao and Wu emperors; thereupon all princes and marquises were summoned into the palace. Prince of Jin'an Baoyi, Duke of Jiangling Baolan, and others were placed in the Secretariat; the Gao and Wu grandsons were placed in the Western Offices; an order allowed each man only two attendants at left and right—more than that would be punished by military law; infants entered together with their wet nurses. That night Emperor Ming ordered the court physicians to boil two hu of pepper, the Directorate of Waterworks to prepare several dozen coffins, and at the third watch all were to be killed. Zike came back barefoot; at the second watch he reached the Jianyang Gate and submitted an urgent memorial. The hour had come, yet Emperor Ming slept and would not rise; Palace Secretary Shen Huifu and the emperor's close attendant Shan Jingjun together plotted to delay the matter a little. After a moment Emperor Ming awoke; Jingjun reported that Zike had arrived. Emperor Ming asked in alarm, "Not yet? Not yet?" Jingjun reported the whole affair in detail. Emperor Ming struck the bed and said, "Yaoguang nearly ruined everything!" He then granted the princes and marquises provisions; the next day he sent them all back to their residences. He appointed Zike Palace Attendant to the Heir Apparent. Baolan was son of Xiao Mian.
69
敬則帥實甲萬人過浙江。 張瑰遣兵三千拒敬則於松江，聞敬則軍鼓聲，一時散走，瑰棄郡，逃民間。 敬則以舊將舉事，百姓擔篙荷鍤，隨之者十餘萬眾； 至晉陵，南沙人范修化殺縣令公上延孫以應之。 敬則至武進陵口，慟哭而過。 烏程丘仲孚為曲阿令，敬則前鋒奄至，仲孚謂吏民曰：「賊乘勝雖銳，而烏合易離。 今若收船艦，鑿長岡埭，瀉瀆水以阻其路，得留數日，台軍必至，如此，則大事濟矣。」 敬則軍至，值瀆涸，果頓兵不得進。
Jingze led ten thousand men in real armor across the Zhe River. Zhang Gui sent three thousand troops to oppose Jingze at Song River; hearing the drums of Jingze's army, they scattered at once; Gui abandoned the commandery and fled among the people. Jingze raised the standard as a veteran general; common people shouldered poles and carried spades, and more than a hundred thousand followed; reaching Jinling, Fan Xiuhua of Nansha killed magistrate Gongshang Yansun to join him. Jingze came to the mouth of Wujin Mausoleum and passed through wailing in grief. Qiu Zhongfu of Wucheng was magistrate of Qu'e; Jingze's vanguard suddenly arrived, and Zhongfu said to officials and people, "The rebels are sharp in victory, but a mob easily scatters. If we now gather boats and ships, cut the Long Hill dam, and drain the channel water to block their route, we can hold them several days; the capital army will surely come—thus the great affair will succeed." When Jingze's army arrived, the channel happened to be dry; indeed his troops halted and could not advance.
70
五月，壬午，詔前軍司馬左興盛、後軍將軍崔恭祖、輔國將軍劉山陽、龍驤將軍、馬軍主胡松築壘於曲阿長岡； 右僕射沈文季為持節都督，屯湖頭，備京口路。 恭祖，慧景之旅也。 敬則急攻興盛、山陽二壘，台軍不能敵，欲退，而圍不開，各死戰。 胡松引騎兵突其後，白丁無器仗，皆驚散。 敬則軍大敗，索馬再上，不能得，崔恭祖刺之仆地，興盛軍客袁文曠斬之。 乙酉，傳首建康。 是時上疾已篤，敬則倉猝東起，朝廷震懼。 太子寶卷使人上屋，望見征虜亭失火，謂敬則至，急裝欲走。 敬則聞之，喜曰：「檀公三十六策，走為上策，計汝父子唯有走耳！」 蓋時人譏檀道濟避魏之語也。 敬則之來，聲勢甚盛，裁少日而敗。
In the fifth month, on renwu, an edict ordered former army marshal Zuo Xingsheng, rear army general Cui Gongzu, aide to the army general Liu Shanyang, and Dragon-Charger General and cavalry commander Hu Song to build fortifications at Long Hill in Qu'e; Right Vice Director Shen Wenji was made commissioner with the tally of authority, encamped at Hutou, and guarded the Jingkou route. Gongzu had been a subordinate of Huijing. Jingze pressed the attack on the two forts of Xingsheng and Shanyang; the capital army could not withstand him and wished to withdraw, but the encirclement would not open, and each side fought to the death. Hu Song led cavalry in a thrust at their rear; the common levies without arms and gear all scattered in panic. Jingze's army was utterly defeated; he sought a horse to mount again but could not find one; Cui Gongzu stabbed him so he fell to the ground, and Xingsheng's staff adviser Yuan Wenkuan beheaded him. On yiyou, his head was sent to Jiankang. At this time Emperor Ming's illness was already grave; Jingze had risen hastily in the east, and the court was shaken with fear. The crown prince Baojuan sent a man onto the roof; seeing fire at the Pacify-the-Barbarians Pavilion, he thought Jingze had arrived and hurriedly packed to flee. Jingze heard of it and said in delight, "Lord Tan's thirty-six stratagems—flight is the best; I reckon you father and son have nothing but flight!" This was the saying of the time mocking Tan Daoji for avoiding Wei. Jingze's coming had been very imposing in sound and force, yet within only a few days he was defeated.
71
台軍討賊黨，晉陵民以附敬則應死者甚眾。 太守王瞻上言：「愚民易動，不足窮法。」 上許之，所全活以萬數。 瞻，弘之從孫也。
The capital army punished the rebel faction; among the people of Jinling many who had joined Jingze deserved death. Governor Wang Zhan submitted, saying, "The foolish common people are easily stirred; it is not worth pursuing the law to the limit." Emperor Ming approved; those spared numbered in the tens of thousands. Zhan was a great-grandnephew of Hongzhi.
72
上賞謝朓之功，遷尚書吏部郎。 朓上表三讓，上不許。 中書疑朓官未及讓，國子祭酒沈約曰：「近世小官不讓，遂成恆俗。 謝吏部今授超階，讓別有意。 夫讓出人情，豈關官之大小邪！」 朓妻常懷刃欲殺朓，朓不敢相見。
Emperor Ming rewarded Xie Tiao's merit and promoted him to Director of the Department of Personnel in the Secretariat. Tiao submitted a memorial declining three times; the emperor did not permit it. The Secretariat doubted whether Tiao's office was high enough to warrant declining; Director of the National University Shen Yue said, "In recent times minor offices do not decline, and this has become a constant custom. Director Xie has now been granted a leap in rank; his declining has a separate meaning. Declining springs from human feeling—what has it to do with the size of the office!" Tiao's wife often carried a blade intending to kill Tiao; Tiao did not dare meet her.
73
秋，七月，魏彭城王勰表以一歲國秩、職俸、親恤裨軍國之用。 魏主詔曰：「割身存國，理為遠矣。 職俸便停，親、國聽三分受一。」 壬午，又詔損皇后私府之半，六宮嬪御、五服男女供恤亦減半，在軍者三分省一，以給軍賞。
In autumn, the seventh month, Northern Wei Prince of Pengcheng Xie memorialized offering one year's state stipend, salary, and kin-relief funds to aid military and state expenses. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen issued an edict, "To cut the body to preserve the state—the principle is remote indeed. Salary is forthwith halted; for kin-relief and state stipend, accept one-third of each." On renwu, another edict reduced the empress's private treasury by half, halved the provisions for the six palaces' consorts and for men and women of the five degrees of mourning, and cut by one-third those in the army, to supply military rewards.
74
癸卯，以太子中庶子蕭衍為雍州刺史。
On guimao, Xiao Yan, Palace Attendant to the Heir Apparent, was made regional inspector of Yong.
75
己酉，上殂於正福殿。 遺詔：「徐令可重申前命。 沈文季可左僕射，江祏可右僕射，江祀可侍中，劉暄可衛尉。 軍政可委陳太尉； 內外眾事，無大小委徐孝嗣、遙光、坦之、江祏，其大事與沈文季、江祀、劉暄參懷。 心膂之任可委劉悛、蕭惠休、崔慧景。」
On jiyou, Emperor Ming died in the Zhengfu Hall. His testamentary edict said: "Director Xu may again affirm the previous appointment. Shen Wenji may be Left Vice Director, Jiang Shi Right Vice Director, Jiang Si Palace Attendant, Liu Xuan Commander of the Guards. Military affairs may be entrusted to Grand Marshal Chen; all affairs within and without, great and small, are entrusted to Xu Xiaosi, Yaoguang, Tanzhi, and Jiang Shi; on great matters consult with Shen Wenji, Jiang Si, and Liu Xuan. Tasks of the heart and backbone may be entrusted to Liu Jun, Xiao Huixiu, and Cui Huijing."
76
上性猜多慮，簡於出入，竟不郊天。 又深信巫覡，每出先占利害。 東出雲西，南出雲北。 初有疾，甚秘之，聽覽不輟。 久之，敕台省文簿中求白魚以為藥，外始知之。
Emperor Ming was by nature suspicious and full of cares, sparing in going out, and never performed suburban sacrifice to Heaven. He also deeply trusted shamans and diviners; before each outing he first divined benefit and harm. Going east, clouds were in the west; going south, clouds were in the north. When illness first came he kept it very secret and did not cease attending to documents. After a long while he ordered the secretariat and departments to search the records for white fish for medicine, and only then did the outside learn of it.
77
太子即位。
The crown prince ascended the throne.
78
八月，辛亥，魏太子自洛陽朝於懸瓠。
In the eighth month, on xinhai, the Northern Wei crown prince came from Luoyang to attend court at Xuancheng.
79
壬子，奉朝請鄧學以齊興郡降魏。
On renzi, Court Gentleman Deng Xue surrendered Qi-Xing commandery to Northern Wei.
80
魏主之入寇也，遣使發高車兵。 高車憚遠役，奉袁紇樹者為主，相帥北叛。 魏主遣征北將軍宇文福討之，大敗而還，福坐黜官。 更命平北將軍江陽王繼都督北討諸軍事以討之，自懷朔以東悉稟節度，仍攝鎮平城。 繼，熙之曾孫也。
When Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen invaded, he sent envoys to mobilize Gaoche troops. The Gaoche feared distant service; they made Yuan Hei Shuzhe their leader and led one another in rebellion to the north. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen sent Campaign-North General Yuwen Fu to punish them; Fu was greatly defeated and returned, and Fu was demoted and dismissed from office. He then appointed Pacify-North General Prince of Jiangyang Ji to command all northern punitive military affairs; from Huaishuo east all were placed under his authority, and he still held charge of garrisoning Pingcheng. Ji was a great-grandson of Xi Zhi.
81
八月，葬明皇帝於興安陵，廟號高宗。 東昏侯惡靈在太極殿，欲速葬。 徐孝嗣固爭，得逾月。 帝每當哭，輒雲喉痛。 太中大夫羊闡入臨，無發，號慟俯仰，幘遂脫地。 帝輟哭大笑，謂左右曰：「禿鶖啼來乎！」
In the eighth month, Emperor Ming was buried at Xing'an Mausoleum; his temple name was Gaozong. Emperor Donghun hated the coffin in the Hall of Supreme Ultimate and wished to bury it quickly. Xu Xiaosi firmly remonstrated and gained a delay of more than a month. Whenever the emperor was to mourn, he would claim a sore throat. Grand Master of the Palace Yang Chan came to attend the lying-in-state; he was bald; wailing and bowing up and down, his cap fell to the ground. The emperor stopped mourning and laughed loudly, saying to those beside him, "Has the bald egret come crying!"
82
九月，己亥，魏主聞高宗殂，下詔稱「禮不伐喪」，引兵還。 庚子，詔北伐高車。
In the ninth month, on jihai, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen heard that Gaozong had died and issued an edict citing "ritual does not attack during mourning" and withdrew his troops. On gengzi, an edict ordered a northern campaign against the Gaoche.
83
魏主得疾甚篤，旬日不見侍臣，左右唯彭城王勰等數人而已。 勰內侍醫藥，外總軍國之務，遠近肅然，人無異議。 右軍將軍丹陽徐謇善醫，時在洛陽，急召之。 既至，勰涕泣執手謂曰：「君能已至尊之疾，當獲意外之賞； 不然，有不測之誅。 非但榮辱，乃系存亡。」 勰又密為壇於汝水之濱，依周公故事，告天地及顯祖，乞以身代魏主。 魏主疾有間，丙午，發懸瓠，捨於汝濱，集百官，坐徐謇於上席，稱揚其功，除鴻臚卿，封金鄉縣伯，賜錢萬緡； 諸王別餉賚，各不減千匹。
Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen's illness grew very grave; for ten days he did not see attending ministers—only Prince of Pengcheng Xie and a few others were at his side. Within, Xie attended to medicine; without, he oversaw military and state affairs; near and far were solemn, and no one voiced dissent. Right Army General Xu Qian of Danyang was skilled in medicine and was then at Luoyang; he was urgently summoned. When he arrived, Xie wept, took his hand, and said, "If you can cure the Supreme One's illness, you will receive an unexpected reward; otherwise there is execution beyond reckoning. It is not merely honor and disgrace—it concerns survival itself." Xie also secretly built an altar on the bank of the Ru River, following the precedent of the Duke of Zhou, and announced to Heaven and Earth and to the Manifest Ancestor, begging to substitute his own body for Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen's illness eased; on bingwu he set out from Xuancheng, halted on the Ru bank, gathered the hundred officials, seated Xu Qian in the place of honor, praised his merit, appointed him Director of the Court for Diplomatic Reception, enfeoffed him as Baron of Jinxiang county, and granted ten thousand strings of cash; the princes each gave separate gifts, none less than a thousand bolts.
84
冬，十一月，辛巳，魏主如鄴。
In winter, the eleventh month, on xinsi, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen went to Ye.
85
戊子，立妃褚氏為皇后。
On wuzi, he established Consort Chu as empress.
86
魏江陽王繼上言：「高車頑昧，避役遁逃，若悉追戮，恐遂擾亂。 請遣使，鎮別推檢，斬魁首一人，自餘加以慰撫。 若悔悟從役者，即令赴軍。」 詔從之。 於是叛者往往自歸。 繼先遣入慰諭樹者。 樹者亡入柔然，尋自悔，相帥出降。 魏主善之； 曰：「江陽可大任也。」 十二月，甲寅，魏主自鄴班師。
Northern Wei Prince of Jiangyang Ji submitted, saying, "The Gaoche are stubborn and dull; they flee service and escape—if all are pursued and executed, I fear disorder will follow. I request that envoys be sent to investigate separately in each garrison, execute one ringleader, and comfort and reassure the rest. Those who repent and accept service should forthwith be sent to join the army." An edict approved this. Thereupon rebels often returned of themselves. Ji first sent men in to comfort and instruct Shuzhe. Shuzhe fled into Rouran; soon he repented and led his followers out to surrender. Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen approved of this; he said, "Jiangyang can bear great responsibility." In the twelfth month, on jiayin, Northern Wei Emperor Xiaowen returned his army from Ye.
87
林邑王諸農入朝，海中值風，溺死，以其子文款為林邑王。
King Zhunong of Linyi came to court; on the sea he met a storm and drowned; his son Wenkuan was made king of Linyi.