1
資治通鑑第181卷卷第一百八十一
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 181
2
【隋紀五】起著雍執徐，盡玄黓涒灘，凡五年。
[Sui Records 5] From Zhuanyong Zhixu through Xuanyi Tuantan—five years in all.
3
春，正月，乙巳，詔發河北諸軍五百餘萬眾穿永濟渠，引沁水南達於河，北通涿郡。 丁男不供，始役婦人。
In spring, the first month, on day yisi, an edict ordered more than five million troops from the Hebei armies to dig the Yongji Canal, channeling the Fen River south to the Yellow River and north to Zhuo commandery. When able-bodied men proved insufficient, women were conscripted for labor for the first time.
4
壬申，以太府卿元壽為內史令。
On day renshen, Yuan Shou, Grand Steward of the Palace, was appointed Director of the Palace Secretariat.
5
裴矩聞西突厥處羅可汗思其母，請遣使招懷之。 二月，己卯，帝遣司朝謁者崔君肅繼詔書慰諭之。 處羅見君肅甚倨，受詔不肯起，君肅謂之曰：“突厥本一國，中分為二，每歲交兵，積數十歲而莫能相滅者，明知其勢敵耳。 然啟民舉其部落百萬之眾，卑躬折節，入臣天子者，其故何也？ 正以切恨可汗，不能獨制，欲借兵於大國，共滅可汗耳。 群臣鹹欲從啟民之請，天子既許之，師出有日矣。 顧可汗母向夫人懼西國之滅，旦夕守闕，哭泣哀祈，匍匐謝罪，請發使召可汗，令入內屬。 天子憐之，故復遣使至此。 今可汗乃倨慢如是，則向夫人為誑天子，必伏屍都市，傳首虜庭。 發大隋之兵，資東國之眾，左提右挈，以擊可汗，亡無日矣！ 奈何愛兩拜之禮，絕慈母之命，惜一語稱臣，使社稷為墟乎！ ”處羅矍然而起，流涕再拜，跪受詔書，因遣使者隨君肅貢汗血馬。
Pei Ju, learning that Tuluq Khan of the Western Turks longed for his mother, asked that envoys be sent to win him over. In the second month, on day jimao, the emperor sent Cui Junsu, Attendant for Court Audiences, with a follow-up imperial letter of consolation and instruction. Tuluq received Junsu with great arrogance, accepted the edict but would not rise. Junsu said to him: "The Turks were once a single people, then split in two; year after year they fought, and for decades neither could destroy the other—plainly because their power was evenly matched." Yet Qimin led his tribes, a host of a million, and humbled himself to become the Son of Heaven's subject—why was that? Because he bitterly resented you as khan and could not overcome you alone, and wished to borrow troops from the great power to destroy you together. All the ministers wished to grant Qimin's request; the Son of Heaven had already agreed, and the army would march within days. But your mother, Lady Xiang, fearing the Western realm's destruction, kept vigil day and night at the palace gate, weeping and pleading, prostrating herself to beg pardon, and asked that envoys be sent to summon you to submit within the borders. The Son of Heaven took pity on her, and so sent envoys here once more. If you are arrogant like this, then Lady Xiang will be judged to have deceived the Son of Heaven; she will surely be executed in the capital market, and her head sent to your court. Mobilize the great Sui's armies, supply the Eastern state's forces, strike you from left and right together—and your destruction will not be long in coming! How can you cling to the honor of two bows, defy your loving mother's command, and for the sake of one word of subjection let your realm lie in ruins! "Tuluq started up in alarm, wept and bowed twice, knelt to receive the edict, and sent envoys to accompany Junsu in presenting blood-sweating horses.
6
三月，壬戌，倭王多利思比孤遣使入貢，遺帝書曰：“日出處天子致書日沒處天子無恙。 ”帝覽之，不悅，謂鴻臚卿曰：“蠻夷書無禮者，勿復以聞。”
In the third month, on day renxu, the king of Wa, Tarishihiko, sent envoys with tribute; his letter to the emperor read: "The Son of Heaven where the sun rises sends this to the Son of Heaven where the sun sets—are you well?" "When the emperor read it, he was displeased and told the Director of Guests: Do not bring me any more letters from barbarians that lack propriety.
7
乙丑，車駕幸五原，因出塞巡長城。 行宮設六合板城，載以槍車。 每頓捨，則外其轅以為外圍，內布鐵菱； 次施弩床，皆插鋼錐，外向； 上施旋機弩，以繩連機，人來觸繩，則弩機旋轉，向所觸而發。 其外又以矰周圍，施鈴柱、槌磐以知所警。
On day yichou, the imperial carriage visited Wuyuan, then crossed the frontier to tour the Long Wall. The mobile palace used a Six Directions board fort, carried on spear-wheeled carts. At each halt they set the outer shafts out as an outer wall and laid iron caltrops within; then set up crossbow platforms fitted with steel spikes pointing outward; above them they mounted revolving crossbows linked by cords—when anyone touched a cord, the mechanism would swing around and fire toward whatever had triggered it. Outside that they laid arrow screens all around and set up bell posts and sounding stones to warn of any approach.
8
帝募能通絕域者，屯田主事常駿等請使赤土，帝大悅。 丙寅，命駿等繼物五千段，以賜其王。 赤土者，南海中遠國也。
The emperor recruited men who could reach the farthest lands; Chang Jun of the agricultural garrisons office and others volunteered for an embassy to Chitu, and the emperor was greatly pleased. On day bingyin, he ordered Jun and his party to take five thousand bolts of silk as gifts for the king of Chitu. Chitu was a distant realm in the southern seas.
9
帝無日不治宮室，兩京及江都，苑囿亭殿雖多，久而益厭。 每游幸，左右顧矚，無可意者，不知所適。 乃備責天下山川之圖，躬自歷覽，以求勝地可置宮苑者。 夏，四月，詔於汾州之北汾水之源，營汾陽宮。
The emperor never ceased building palaces; in the two capitals and at Jiangdu, though gardens, parks, pavilions, and halls were plentiful, he grew ever more weary of them. Whenever he traveled, he would look about yet find nothing that pleased him, not knowing where to turn. He then had maps of mountains and rivers throughout the empire assembled and personally studied them, seeking scenic sites where palaces and parks might be built. In summer, the fourth month, an edict ordered the Fenyang Palace built at the source of the Fen River north of Fenzhou.
10
初，元德太子薨，河南尹齊王暕次當為嗣，元德吏兵二萬餘人，悉隸於□柬，帝為之妙選僚屬，以光祿少卿柳謇之為齊王長史，且戒之曰：“齊王德業修備，富貴自鐘卿門； 若有不善，罪亦相及。 ”謇之，慶之從子也。 暕寵遇日隆，百官趨謁，闐咽道路。 暕以是驕恣，暱近小人，所為多不法。 遣左右喬令則、庫狄仲錡、陳智偉求聲色。 令則等因此放縱，訪人家有美女，輒矯暕命呼之，載入暕第，淫而遣之。 仲錡、智偉詣隴西，撾炙諸胡，責其名馬，得數匹以進暕； 暕令還主，仲錡等詐言王賜，取歸其家，暕不知也。 樂平公主嘗奏帝，言柳氏女美，帝未有所答。 久之，主復以柳氏進暕，暕納之。 其後，帝問主：“柳氏女安在？ ”主曰：“在齊王所。 ”帝不悅。 暕從帝幸汾陽宮，大獵，詔暕以千騎入圍，暕大獲糜鹿以獻； 而帝未有得也，乃怒從官，皆言為暕左右所遏，獸不得前。 帝於是發怒，求暕罪失。 時制：縣令無故不得出境。 有伊闕令皇甫詡，得幸於暕，違禁，攜之至汾陽宮。 御史韋德裕希旨劾奏暕，帝令甲士千餘人大索暕第，因窮治其事。 暕妃韋氏早卒，暕與妃姊元氏婦通，產一女。 暕召相工令遍視後庭，相工指妃姊曰：“此產子者當為皇后。 ”暕以元德太子有三子，恐不得立，陰挾左道為厭勝，至是皆發。 帝大怒，斬令則等數人，賜妃姊死，暕府僚皆斥之邊遠。 柳謇之坐不能匡正，除名。 時趙王杲尚幼，帝謂侍臣曰：“朕唯有暕一子，不然者，當肆諸市朝，以明國憲！ ”暕自是恩寵日衰，雖為京尹，不復關預時政。 帝恆令虎賁郎將一人監其府事，暕有微失，虎賁輒奏之。 帝亦常慮暕生變，所給左右，皆以老弱，備員而已。 太史令庚質，季才之子也，其子為齊王屬。 帝謂質曰：“汝不能一心事我，乃使兒事齊王，何向背如此！ ”對曰：“臣事陛下，子事齊王，實是一心，不敢有二。 ”帝猶怒，出為合水令。
Earlier, when the Yuande Crown Prince died, Prince of Qi Yang Yu was next in line for the succession; the Yuande prince's more than twenty thousand officials and troops were all placed under Yang Yu's command. The emperor carefully chose retainers for him, appointing Liu Jianzhi, Vice Director of the Imperial Banquet Office, as Senior Steward of the Prince of Qi, and warned him: "The Prince of Qi's virtue and accomplishments are complete; wealth and honor will naturally flow from your house;" "if anything goes wrong, you will share the blame as well. "Jianzhi was a nephew of Liu Qingzhi. Yang Yu's favor grew daily; officials thronged to pay court, filling the roads. Yang Yu therefore grew arrogant and drew close to petty men; much of what he did was unlawful. He sent his attendants Qiao Lingze, Ku Di Zhongqi, and Chen Zhiwei to procure music and women. Lingze and the others therefore ran wild; wherever they found a household with a beautiful woman, they would falsely invoke the prince's name to summon her, bring her to the prince's residence, violate her, and send her away. Zhongqi and Zhiwei went to Longxi, tortured various Hu by roasting, demanded their famous horses, and obtained several mounts to present to the prince; the prince ordered the horses returned to their owners, but Zhongqi and the others falsely claimed the prince had bestowed them and kept them for themselves—the prince knew nothing of it. The Princess of Leping once told the emperor that the Lady Yang's daughter was beautiful; the emperor made no reply. After a long while, the princess again presented the Lady Yang to Yang Yu, and he took her in. Later the emperor asked the princess: "Where is the Lady Yang's daughter?" "The princess said: She is with the Prince of Qi. "The emperor was displeased. Yang Yu accompanied the emperor to the Fenyang Palace for a great hunt; an edict ordered Yang Yu to enter the drive with a thousand horsemen; Yang Yu took a great bag of elk and deer to present; yet the emperor had taken nothing, and in anger turned on his attendants, who all said Yang Yu's men had blocked the game so the beasts could not come forward. The emperor then flew into a rage and set out to find Yang Yu's offences. At that time the law forbade magistrates to leave their counties without cause. There was Huangfu Xu, magistrate of Yique, who had won Yang Yu's favor; in violation of the law, Yang Yu brought him to the Fenyang Palace. Censor Wei Deyu, currying favor, memorialized against Yang Yu; the emperor ordered more than a thousand armored soldiers to search the prince's residence and pursue the matter to the end. Yang Yu's consort of the Wei clan had died early; Yang Yu had relations with her elder sister, wife of the Yuan clan, and she bore a daughter. Yang Yu summoned a physiognomist to examine the entire rear court; the physiognomist pointed to the elder sister and said: "She who bears a child will become empress." "Yang Yu, because the Yuande Crown Prince had three sons, feared he might not be made heir and secretly used heterodox arts for sorcery—all of this was now exposed. The emperor was furious, executed Lingze and several others, ordered the elder sister put to death, and banished all the prince's staff to distant posts. Liu Jianzhi was punished for failing to correct the prince and was struck from the rolls. At that time Prince Zhao Yang Gao was still young; the emperor told his attendants: "Yang Yu is my only grown son; were it not so, I would expose him in the market to make clear the law of the land!" "From then on Yang Yu's favor steadily declined; though he remained Metropolitan Governor, he no longer had a hand in state affairs. The emperor constantly assigned one Tiger Guard officer to supervise his household; whenever Yang Yu had the slightest fault, the officer would report it. The emperor also constantly feared Yang Yu might rebel; the attendants assigned to him were all old and weak, mere placeholders. Grand Astrologer Geng Zhi was the son of Geng Jicai; his own son served as an aide to the Prince of Qi. The emperor said to Zhi: "You cannot serve me wholeheartedly, yet you let your son serve the Prince of Qi—why this divided loyalty!" "He replied: I serve Your Majesty; my son serves the Prince of Qi—that is one heart in truth, and I dare not be divided. "The emperor was still angry and sent him out to serve as magistrate of Heshui.
11
乙卯，詔以突闕啟民可汗遵奉朝化，思改戎俗，宜於萬壽戌置城造屋，其帷帳床褥以上，務從優厚。
On day yimao, an edict said that because Qimin Khan of the Tujue had submitted to court civilization and wished to abandon barbarian ways, a city and houses should be built at Wanshou fort; tents, bedding, and all such provisions should be as generous as possible.
12
秋，七月，辛巳，發丁男二十餘萬築長城，自榆谷而東。
In autumn, the seventh month, on day xisi, more than two hundred thousand corvée laborers were mobilized to build the Long Wall from Yuguk eastward.
13
裴矩說鐵勒，使擊吐谷渾，大破之。 吐谷渾可汗伏允東走，入西平境內，遣使請降求救； 帝遣安德王雄出澆河，許公宇文述出西平迎之。 述至臨羌城，吐谷渾畏述兵盛，不敢降，帥眾西遁，述引兵追之，拔曼頭、赤水二城，斬三千餘級，獲其王公以下二百人，虜男女四千口而還。 伏允南奔雪山，其故地皆空，東西四千里，南北二千里，皆為隋有，置州、縣、鎮、戍，天下輕罪徙居之。
Pei Ju persuaded the Tiele to attack the Tuyuhun and inflicted a crushing defeat. Tuyuhun Khan Fuyun fled east into Xiping territory and sent envoys to request surrender and aid; the emperor sent Prince of Ande Yang Xiong out along the Rao River and Duke of Xu Yuwen Shuo out from Xiping to receive him. Shuo reached Linyao city; Fuyun, fearing Shuo's army was too strong, dared not surrender and led his forces west; Shuo pursued, took the cities of Mantou and Chishui, beheaded more than three thousand, captured more than two hundred from king down to nobles, and took four thousand men and women captive before returning. Fuyun fled south to Snow Mountain; his former lands lay empty—for four thousand li east to west and two thousand li north to south—all became Sui territory; prefectures, counties, garrisons, and posts were established, and those convicted of minor offenses throughout the empire were relocated there.
14
八月，辛酉，上親祠恆岳，赦天下。 河北道郡守畢集，裴矩所致西域十餘國皆來助祭。
In the eighth month, on day xinyou, the emperor personally sacrificed at Mount Heng and proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the empire. The governors of Hebei circuit all assembled; more than ten states of the Western Regions that Pei Ju had brought into contact all came to assist at the sacrifice.
15
九月，辛未，征天下鷹師悉集東京，至者萬餘人。
In the ninth month, on day xinwei, falconers from throughout the empire were summoned to the Eastern Capital; more than ten thousand arrived.
16
冬，十月，乙卯，頒新式。
In winter, the tenth month, on day yimao, new models were promulgated.
17
常駿等至赤土境，赤土王利富多塞遣使以三十舶迎之，進金鎖以纜駿船，凡泛海百餘日，入境月餘，乃至其都。 其王居處器用，窮極珍麗，待使者禮亦厚，遣其子那邪迦隨駿入貢。
When Chang Jun and his party reached Chitu territory, King Lifuduo sent envoys with thirty ships to welcome them and presented golden chains to moor Jun's vessel; they sailed more than a hundred days on the open sea, spent more than a month after entering the territory, and only then reached the capital. The king's dwelling and furnishings were extravagantly luxurious; his treatment of the envoys was likewise generous, and he sent his son Najia to accompany Jun in presenting tribute.
18
帝以右翊衛將軍河東薛世雄為玉門道行軍大將，與突闕啟民可汗連兵擊伊吾，師出玉門，啟民不至。 世雄孤軍度磧，伊吾初謂隋軍不能至，皆不設備； 聞世雄軍已度磧，大懼，請降。 世雄乃於漢故伊吾城東築城，留銀青光祿大夫王威以甲卒千餘人戌之而還。
The emperor appointed Xue Shixiong of Hedong, Right Yiwuwei General, as Grand General on campaign for the Yumen circuit, to join Qimin Khan of the Tujue in attacking Yiwu; the army set out from Yumen, but Qimin did not come. Shixiong's isolated army crossed the desert; Yiwu at first believed Sui troops could not reach them and made no preparations; when they heard Shixiong's army had crossed the desert they were greatly afraid and requested surrender. Shixiong then built a city east of the old Han Yiwu city, left Wang Wei, Senior Adviser on the Silver-Green Grand Order, with more than a thousand armored troops to garrison it, and returned.
19
春，正月，丙子，改東京為東都。
In spring, the first month, on day bingzi, the Eastern Capital was renamed the Eastern Metropolis.
20
突闕啟民可汗來朝，禮賜益厚。
Qimin Khan of the Tujue came to court; ceremonial gifts and rewards grew ever more lavish.
21
癸未，詔天下均田。
On day guawei, an edict ordered equal-field land distribution throughout the empire.
22
戊子，上自東都西還。
On day wuzi, the emperor returned west from the Eastern Metropolis.
23
己丑，制民間鐵叉、搭鉤、刃之類皆禁之。
On day jichou, it was decreed that iron forks, grappling hooks, blades, and similar implements among the populace were all forbidden.
24
二月，戊申，車駕至西京。
In the second month, on day wushen, the imperial carriage reached the Western Capital.
25
三月，己巳，西巡河右； 乙亥，幸扶風舊宅。 夏，四月，癸亥，出臨津關，渡黃河，至西平，陳兵講武，將擊吐谷渾。 五月，乙亥，上大獵於拔延山，長圍周亙二十里。 庚辰，入長寧谷，度星嶺； 丙戌，至浩亹川。 以橋未成，斬都水使者黃亙及督役者九人，數日，橋成，乃行。
In the third month, on day jisi, he toured west along the right bank of the Yellow River; on day yihai, he visited his old home in Fufeng. In summer, the fourth month, on day guihai, he went out through Linjin Pass, crossed the Yellow River, reached Xiping, arrayed his troops for martial display, and prepared to strike Tuyuhun. In the fifth month, on day yihai, the emperor held a great hunt on Bayan Mountain; the long drive extended twenty li around. On day gengchen, he entered Changning Valley and crossed Star Ridge; on day bingxu, he reached the Haoyuan River. Because the bridge was not finished, he executed Huang Gen, Director of Waterways, and nine overseers of the work; within several days the bridge was completed and they proceeded.
26
吐谷渾可汗伏允帥眾保覆袁川，帝分命內史元壽南屯金山，兵部尚書段文振屯北雪山，太僕卿楊義臣東屯琵琶峽，將軍張壽西屯泥嶺，四面圍之。 伏允以數十騎遁出，遣其名王詐稱伏允，保車我真山。 壬辰，詔右屯衛大將軍張定和往捕之。 定和輕其眾少，不被甲，挺身登山，吐谷渾伏兵射殺之； 其亞將柳武建擊吐谷渾，破之。 甲午，吐谷渾仙頭王窮蹙，帥男女十餘萬口來降。 六月，丁酉，遣左光祿大夫梁默等追討伏允，兵敗，為伏允所殺。 衛尉卿劉權出伊吾道，擊吐谷渾，至青海，虜獲千餘口，乘勝追奔，至伏俟城。
Tuyuhun Khan Fuyun led his forces to hold Fuyuan River; the emperor separately ordered Yuan Shou, Director of the Palace Secretariat, to camp south at Jinshan, Duan Wenzhen, Minister of War, north at Snow Mountain, Yang Yichen, Grand Master of the Imperial Stud, east at Pipa Gorge, and General Zhang Shou west at Niling—surrounding him on four sides. Fuyun slipped out with several dozen horsemen; he sent a noble prince falsely claiming to be Fuyun to hold Mount Chewozhen. On day renchen, an edict ordered Zhang Dinghe, Right Tunweiwei Grand General, to go capture him. Dinghe despised their small numbers, wore no armor, and strode up the mountain unprotected; Tuyuhun ambushers shot and killed him; His deputy general Liu Wujian attacked the Tuyuhun and routed them. On day jiawu, the Tuyuhun Xiantou King, hard pressed, led more than a hundred thousand men and women to surrender. In the sixth month, on day dingyou, he sent Liang Mo, Left Senior Adviser on the Silver-Green Grand Order, and others to pursue Fuyun; the army was defeated and they were killed by Fuyun. Commandant of the Guards Liu Quan marched out by the Yiwu route, struck the Tuyuhun, reached Qinghai, captured more than a thousand people, pursued in victory, and reached Fuxi city.
27
辛丑，帝謂給事郎蔡征曰：“自古天子有巡狩之禮； 而江東諸帝多傅脂粉，坐深宮，不與百姓相見，此何理也？ ”對曰：“此其所以不能長世。 ”丙午，至張掖。 帝之將西巡也，命裴矩說高昌王麴伯雅及伊吾吐屯設等，啖以厚利，召使入朝。 壬子，帝至燕支山，伯雅、吐屯設等及西域二十七國謁於道左，皆令佩金玉，被錦罽，焚香奏樂，歌舞喧噪。 帝復令武威、張掖士女盛飾縱觀，衣服車馬不鮮者，郡縣督課之。 騎乘嗔咽，周亙數十里，以示中國之盛。 吐屯設獻西域數千里之地，上大悅。 癸丑，置西海、河源、鄯善、且末等郡，謫天下罪人為戌卒以守之。 命劉權鎮河源郡積石鎮，大開屯田，捍御吐谷渾，以通西域之路。
On day xinchou, the emperor said to Attendant Gentleman Cai Zheng: "From antiquity the Son of Heaven has observed the rite of imperial tours;" "yet the emperors south of the Yangzi mostly painted their faces, sat deep in their palaces, and never met the common people—what sense is there in that? "He replied: That is why their dynasties could not endure. "On day bingwu, he reached Zhangye. When the emperor was about to tour west, he ordered Pei Ju to persuade King Qu Boya of Gaochang and the Yiwu Tutan she and others, enticing them with rich rewards to come to court. On day renzi, the emperor reached Mount Yanzhi; Boya, the Tutan she, and twenty-seven states of the Western Regions paid court along the roadside, all ordered to wear jade and gold, draped in brocade, burning incense and performing music amid clamorous song and dance. The emperor again ordered the men and women of Wuwei and Zhangye to dress splendidly and watch; those whose clothes and carriages were not fine were compelled by their counties and districts. Riders and carriages choked the road for tens of li around, to display the splendor of China. The Tutan she presented lands of several thousand li in the Western Regions; the emperor was greatly pleased. On day guichou, he established the commanderies of Xihai, Heyuan, Shanshan, Qiemi, and others, and banished criminals throughout the empire as garrison troops to hold them. He ordered Liu Quan to garrison Jishi post in Heyuan commandery, greatly expand military colonies, hold the Tuyuhun at bay, and open the road to the Western Regions.
28
是時天下凡有郡一百九十，縣一千二百五十五，戶八百九十萬有奇。 東西九千三百里，南北萬四千八百一十五里。 隋氏之盛，極於此矣。
At that time the empire had one hundred ninety commanderies, one thousand two hundred fifty-five counties, and more than eight million nine hundred thousand households. It stretched nine thousand three hundred li east to west and fourteen thousand eight hundred fifteen li north to south. The splendor of the Sui reached its height at this point.
29
帝謂裴矩有綏懷之略，進位銀青光祿大夫。 自西京諸縣及西北諸郡，皆轉輸塞外，每歲鉅億萬計； 經途險遠及遇寇鈔，人畜死亡不達者，郡縣皆征破其家。 由是百姓失業，西方先困矣。
The emperor said Pei Ju had a gift for winning over distant peoples and promoted him to Senior Adviser on the Silver-Green Grand Order. From the counties of the Western Capital and the northwestern commanderies, all transported supplies beyond the passes, amounting to hundreds of millions each year; when the route was perilous and remote or they met bandit raids, and men and beasts died without delivering, the counties and districts all exacted payment by ruining their families. Because of this the common people lost their livelihoods, and the west was the first region to suffer.
30
初，吐谷渾伏允使其子順來朝，帝留順不遣。 伏允敗走，無以自資，帥數千騎客於党項。 帝立順為可汗，送至玉門，令統其餘眾； 以其大寶王尼洛周為輔。 至西平，其部下殺洛周，順不果入而還。
Earlier, Tuyuhun Fuyun had sent his son Shun to court; the emperor detained Shun and would not send him back. Fuyun fled in defeat, had no means to support himself, and led several thousand horsemen to lodge among the Tangut. The emperor installed Shun as khan, sent him to Yumen, and ordered him to command the remaining tribes; he appointed his Grand Treasure King Niluozhou as his assistant. When they reached Xiping, his followers killed Luozhou; Shun failed to enter and returned.
31
丙辰，上御觀風殿，大備文物，引高昌王麴伯雅及伊吾吐屯設升殿宴飲，其餘蠻夷使者陪階庭者二十餘國，奏九部樂及魚龍戲以娛之，賜賚有差。 戊午，赦天下。
On day bingchen, the emperor ascended Guanfeng Hall, fully arrayed ritual regalia, and led King Qu Boya of Gaochang and the Yiwu Tutan she up the hall for a banquet; more than twenty other barbarian envoys attended on the steps and in the courtyard; the Nine Sections music and dragon-fish entertainments were performed to amuse them, and gifts were bestowed in varying measure. On day wuwu, he proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the empire.
32
吐谷渾有青海，俗傳置牝馬於其上，得龍種。 秋，七月，置馬牧於青海，縱牝馬二千匹於川谷以求龍種，無效而止。
The Tuyuhun held Qinghai; legend held that brood mares placed upon it would breed dragon stock. In autumn, the seventh month, he established horse pastures at Qinghai and released two thousand brood mares in the valleys to seek dragon stock; it failed and was abandoned.
33
車駕東還，行經大斗拔谷，山路隘險，魚貫而出，風雪晦冥，文武饑餒沾濕，夜久不逮前營，士卒凍死者太半，馬驢什八九，後宮妃、主或狼狽相失，與軍士雜宿山間。 九月，癸未，車駕入西京。 冬，十一月，丙子，復幸東都。
The imperial carriage returned east, passing through Dabadu Valley; the mountain road was narrow and perilous, and they filed out in single line; wind and snow darkened the sky; civil and military officials hungered and were soaked; through the long night they could not reach the forward camp; more than half the soldiers froze to death, eight or nine tenths of the horses and donkeys perished, and consorts and princesses of the rear palace sometimes lost one another in disorder, sleeping among the soldiers in the mountains. In the ninth month, on day guiwei, the imperial carriage entered the Western Capital. In winter, the eleventh month, on day bingzi, he again visited the Eastern Metropolis.
34
民部侍郎裴蘊以民間版籍，脫漏戶口及詐注老小尚多，奏令貌閱，若一人不實，則官司解職。 又許民糾得一丁者，令被糾之家代輸賦役。 是歲，諸郡計帳進丁二十四萬三千，新附口六十四萬一千五百。 帝臨朝鑒狀，謂百官曰：“前代無賢才，致此罔冒； 今戶口皆實，全由裴蘊。 ”由是漸見親委，未幾，擢授御史大夫，與裴矩、虞世基參掌機密。 蘊善候伺人主微意，所欲罪者，則曲法鍛成其罪； 所欲宥者，則附從輕典，因而釋之。 是後大小之獄，皆以付蘊，刑部、大理莫敢與爭，必稟承進止，然後決斷。 蘊有機辯，言若懸河，或重或輕，皆由其口，剖析明敏，時人不能致詰。
Vice Minister of the Household Pei Yun, finding that household registers still had many omitted persons and fraudulent entries of old and young, memorialized that appearances should be inspected; if even one person was false, the responsible office would be dismissed. He also permitted the people to denounce one another; for each adult male found, the denounced household would pay his taxes and corvée in his stead. That year the commanderies' accounts reported 243,000 additional adult males and 641,500 newly registered persons. The emperor at court examined the registers and told the officials: "Former ages lacked worthy talent, and so this fraud arose;" "now the household registers are all true, entirely through Pei Yun." "From this he gradually won the emperor's trust; before long he was promoted to Censor-in-Chief and, with Pei Ju and Yu Shiji, shared control of confidential affairs. Yun was skilled at watching the ruler's subtle intentions; for those he wished to condemn, he would bend the law and forge their guilt; for those he wished to pardon, he would apply lenient statutes and thereby release them. After this, great and small cases were all entrusted to Yun; the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review dared not contend but had to report and await instructions before deciding. Yun had quick wit in debate; his words flowed like a hanging river; whether grave or light, all came from his mouth; his analysis was clear and sharp, and men of the time could not cross-examine him.
35
突厥啟民可汗卒，上為之廢朝三日，立其子咄吉，是為始畢可汗； 表請尚公主，詔從其俗。
Qimin Khan of the Tujue died; the emperor suspended court for three days on his account, installed his son Duojishi, who became Shibi Khan; he memorialized requesting marriage to a princess, and an edict followed their custom.
36
初，內史侍郎薛道衡以才學有盛名，久當樞要，高祖末，出為襄州總管； 帝即位，自番州刺史召之，欲用為秘書監。 道衡既至，上《高祖文皇帝頌》，帝覽之，不悅，顧謂蘇威曰：“道衡致美先朝，此《魚藻》之義也。 ”拜司隸大夫，將置之罪。 司隸刺史房彥謙勸道衡杜絕賓客，卑辭下氣，道衡不能用。 會議新令，久不決，道衡謂朝士曰：“向使高熲不死，令決當久行。 ”有人奏之，帝怒曰：“汝憶高熲邪！ ”付執法者推之。 裴蘊奏：“道衡負才恃舊，有無君之心，推惡於國，妄造禍端。 論其罪名，似如隱昧； 原其情意，深為悖逆。 ”帝曰：“然。 我少時與之行役，輕我童稚，與高熲、賀若弼等外擅威權； 及我即位，懷不自安，賴天下無事，未得反耳。 公論其逆，妙體本心。 ”道衡自以所坐非大過，促憲司早斷，冀奏日帝必赦之，敕家人具饌，以備賓客來候者。 及奏，帝令自盡，道衡殊不意，未能引決。 憲司重奏，縊而殺之，妻子徙且末。 天下冤之。
Earlier, Vice Director of the Palace Secretariat Xue Daoheng, famed for literary talent, had long held key posts; at the end of Emperor Gaozu's reign he was sent out as regional commander of Xiangzhou; when the emperor took the throne he was summoned from his post as prefect of Fanzhou, and the emperor wished to appoint him Director of the Palace Library. When Daoheng arrived, he presented "An Eulogy for Emperor Wen the Literary"; the emperor read it, was displeased, and turning to Su Wei said: "Daoheng extols the former court—this is the meaning of 'Fish and Waterweeds.'" " He was appointed Director of the Capital District and was about to be punished. Capital District Inspector Fang Yanqian urged Daoheng to cut off guests and speak humbly; Daoheng could not follow this advice. When the new statutes were under discussion and long unresolved, Daoheng told court officials: "If only Gao Jiong had not died, these statutes would surely have been in force long ago." "Someone reported this; the emperor raged: Do you miss Gao Jiong! "He was handed to the law officers for investigation. Pei Yun memorialized: "Daoheng relies on talent and old standing, harbors a heart that disowns the ruler, casts evil upon the state, and recklessly creates disaster." Judging by the charge, it seems obscure; but considering his intent, it is deeply rebellious. "The emperor said: So it is. When I was young I campaigned with him; he looked down on my youth, and with Gao Jiong, He Ruobi, and others arrogated authority outside; when I took the throne he felt ill at ease; only because the realm was at peace could he not rebel. "Your judgment of his rebellion finely grasps his true heart. "Daoheng thought his offence was not grave, urged the law officers to decide quickly, hoping that on the day of the report the emperor would surely pardon him, and ordered his household to prepare food for guests who might come to wait on him. When the report came, the emperor ordered him to take his own life; Daoheng had not expected this at all and could not bring himself to do it. The law officers reported again; he was strangled and killed, and his wife and children were banished to Qiemi. All under heaven considered it an injustice.
37
帝大閱軍實，稱器甲之美，宇文述因進言：“此皆雲定興之功。 ”帝即擢定興為太府丞。
The emperor greatly reviewed military stores and praised the beauty of weapons and armor; Yuwen Shuo thereupon said: "This is all the achievement of Yun Dingxing." "The emperor immediately promoted Dingxing to Vice Director of the Palace Treasury.
38
春，正月，癸亥朔，未明三刻，有盜數十人，素冠練衣，焚香持華，自稱彌勒佛，入自建國門，監門者皆稽首。 既而奪衛士仗，將為亂； 齊王暕遇而斬之。 於是都下大索，連坐者千餘家。
In spring, the first month, on the guihai new moon, before the third watch of dawn, several dozen robbers in white caps and plain mourning clothes, burning incense and holding flowers, calling themselves Maitreya Buddha, entered through Jianguo Gate; the gate guards all bowed their heads. Then they seized the guards' weapons and were about to rebel; Prince of Qi Yang Yu encountered them and beheaded them. Thereupon a great search was made in the capital; more than a thousand households were implicated by association.
39
帝以諸蕃酋長畢集洛陽，丁丑，於端門街盛陳百戲，戲場周圍五千步，執絲竹者萬八千人，聲聞數十里，自昏達旦，燈火光燭天地； 終月而罷，所費巨萬。 自是歲以為常。 諸蕃請入豐都市交易，帝許之。 先命整飾店肆，簷宇如一，盛設帷帳，珍貨充積，人物華盛，賣菜者亦藉以龍鬚席。 胡客或過酒食店，悉令邀廷就坐，醉飽而散，不取其直，紿之曰：“中國豐饒，酒食例不取直。 ”胡客皆驚歎。 其黠者頗覺之，見以繒帛纏樹，曰：“中國亦有貧者，衣不蓋形，何如以此物與之，纏樹何為？ ”市人慚不能答。
Because the chieftains of the various barbarians had all gathered at Luoyang, on day dingchou he lavishly staged a hundred entertainments on Duanmen Street; the performance ground extended five thousand paces around; eighteen thousand played string and wind instruments, the sound heard for tens of li; from dusk till dawn lamp and torch light illuminated heaven and earth; it lasted a full month before ending, at a cost of tens of millions. From this it became an annual custom. The various barbarians requested to trade in Fengdu market; the emperor permitted it. He first ordered the shops tidied; eaves and halls made uniform; tents and curtains lavishly set; precious goods piled high; people splendidly dressed; even vegetable sellers spread dragon-whisker mats. When Hu guests passed wine shops and eateries, they were all invited in to sit and eat; when drunk and full they departed without payment, and were told deceitfully: "China is abundant; food and drink are customarily not paid for." "The Hu guests were all astonished and sighed in admiration. The clever among them partly perceived the trick; seeing trees wrapped in silks, one said: "China also has poor people whose clothes do not cover their bodies—why not give these things to them? What is the use of wrapping trees?" "The townspeople were ashamed and could not answer.
40
帝稱裴矩之能，謂群臣曰：“裴矩大識聯意，凡所陳奏，皆朕之成算，未發之頃，矩輒以聞； 自非奉國盡心，孰能若是！ ”是時矩與左翊衛大將軍宇文述、內史侍郎虞世基、御史大夫斐蘊、光祿大夫郭衍皆以諂諛有寵。 述善於供奉，容止便辟，侍衛者鹹取則焉。 郭衍嘗勸帝五日一視朝，曰：“無效高祖，空自勤苦。 ”帝益以為忠，曰：“唯有郭衍心與朕同。”
The emperor praised Pei Ju's ability and told the officials: "Pei Ju greatly understands my intentions; whatever he memorializes is my own settled plan; before I have spoken, Ju has already reported it;" "if he were not serving the state with full heart, who could do thus!" "At that time Ju, with Left Yiwuwei Grand General Yuwen Shuo, Vice Director of the Palace Secretariat Yu Shiji, Censor-in-Chief Pei Yun, and Senior Adviser on the Grand Order Guo Yan, all won favor through flattery. Shuo was skilled at attendance; his bearing was nimble and obsequious, and the guards all took him as their model. Guo Yan once urged the emperor to hold court once every five days, saying: "Do not imitate Emperor Gaozu in toiling for nothing." "The emperor thought him all the more loyal and said: Only Guo Yan's heart is one with mine.
41
帝臨朝凝重，發言降詔，辭義可觀； 而內存聲色，其在兩都及巡遊，常以僧、尼、道士、女官自隨，謂之四道場。 梁公蕭矩，琮之弟子； 千牛左右宇文皛，慶之孫也； 皆有寵於帝。 帝每日於苑中林亭間盛陳酒饌，敕燕王倓與鉅、皛及高祖嬪御為一席，僧、尼、道士、女官為一席，帝與諸寵姬為一席，略相連接，罷朝即從之宴飲，更相勸侑，酒酣殽亂，靡所不至，以是為常。 楊氏婦女之美者，往往進御。 皛出入宮掖，不限門禁，至於妃嬪、公主皆有丑聲，帝亦不之罪也。
The emperor at court was grave and dignified; his pronouncements and edicts were admirable in wording and meaning; yet within he harbored sensual pleasures; when in the two capitals or on tour he constantly took monks, nuns, Daoist priests, and female officials with him, calling them the Four Assembly Grounds. Duke of Liang Xiao Ju was a nephew of Xiao Cong; Left Thousand-Ox Guard Yuwen Jiao was a grandson of Yuwen Qing; both were favored by the emperor. Each day the emperor lavishly spread food and drink in the gardens' pavilions among the groves; he ordered Prince of Yan Yang Tan to share one mat with Ju, Jiao, and Gaozu's consorts; monks, nuns, Daoist priests, and female officials another mat; the emperor and his favored concubines a third mat, all slightly connected; as soon as court ended he followed them to feast and drink, urging one another on; when wine ran deep and dishes lay in disorder, nothing was forbidden—this became the custom. Beautiful women of the Yang clan were often presented to the imperial bed. Jiao went in and out of the palace women's quarters without restriction at the gates; even consorts and princesses had scandalous rumors about him, yet the emperor did not punish him.
42
帝復遣朱寬招撫流求，流求不從。 帝遣虎賁郎將廬江陳稜，朝請大夫同安張鎮周發東陽兵萬餘人，自義安泛海擊之。 行月餘，至其國，以鎮周為先鋒。 流求王渴刺兜遣兵逆戰； 屢破之，遂至其都。 渴刺兜自將出戰，又敗，退入柵； 稜等乘勝攻拔之，斬渴刺兜，虜其民萬餘口而還。 二月，己巳，稜等獻流求俘，頒賜百官，進稜位右光祿大夫，鎮周金紫光祿大夫。
The emperor again sent Zhu Kuan to win over Liuqiu; Liuqiu would not submit. The emperor sent Tiger Guard Officer Chen Leng of Lujiang and Court Gentleman for Imperial Audiences Zhang Zhenzhou of Tong'an to mobilize more than ten thousand troops from Dongyang, cross the sea from Yi'an, and attack them. After more than a month at sea they reached that country and made Zhenzhou vanguard. King Katoku of Liuqiu sent troops to meet them in battle; they repeatedly defeated them and thus reached their capital. Katoku personally took the field; defeated again, he fell back behind the stockade; Pressing their advantage, Rencheng and his officers stormed the fort, slew Katoku, and carried off more than ten thousand captives before returning. In the second month, on day jisi, Rencheng presented the Liuqiu prisoners; the court bestowed gifts on the officials, promoted Rencheng to Right Grandee of Splendid Happiness, and Zhenzhou to Grand Master of the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon.
43
己卯，詔以“近世茅土妄假，名實相乖，自今唯有功勳乃得賜封； 仍令子孫承襲。 ”於是舊賜五等爵，非有功者皆除之。
On day jimao an edict declared: "In recent times enfeoffments have been handed out carelessly, so titles no longer match true service. Henceforth only men of real achievement shall receive fiefs; and their descendants shall continue to inherit them." All earlier grants of the five noble ranks to the undeserving were then revoked.
44
康申，以所征周、齊、梁、陳散樂悉配太常，皆置博士弟子以相傳授，樂工至三萬餘人。
On day gengshen the court assigned all the captured folk music of Zhou, Qi, Liang, and Chen to the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, set up doctoral pupils to pass it on, and mustered more than thirty thousand musicians.
45
三月，癸亥，帝幸江都宮。
In the third month, on day guihai, the Emperor went to the Jiangdu Palace.
46
初，帝欲大營汾陽宮，令御史大夫張衡具圖奏之。 衡承間進諫曰：“比年勞役繁多，百姓疲弊，伏願留神，稍加抑損。 ”帝意甚不平，後日衡謂侍臣曰：“張衡自謂由其計畫，令我有天下也。 ”乃錄齊王暕攜皇甫詡從駕及前幸涿郡祠恆岳時，父老謁見者衣冠多不整，譴衡以憲司不能舉正，出為榆林太守。 久之，衡督役築樓煩城，因帝巡幸，得謁帝。 帝惡衡不損瘦，以為不念咎，謂衡曰：“公甚肥澤，宜且還郡。 ”復遣之榆林。 未幾，敕衡督役江都宮。 禮部尚書楊玄感使至江都，衡謂玄感曰：“薛道衡真為枉死。 ”玄感奏之； 江都郡丞王世充又奏衡頻減頓具。 帝於是發怒，鎖詣江都市，將斬之，久乃得釋，除名為民，放還田裡。 以王世充領江都宮監。
The Emperor had long intended a grand Fenyang Palace and ordered Censor-in-Chief Zhang Heng to draft plans and submit them. Heng took his chance to advise: "Corvée has multiplied year after year and the people are exhausted; I beg Your Majesty to notice this and curb it somewhat." The Emperor was deeply displeased. Days later he told his attendants, "Zhang Heng imagines that through his schemes he put the realm in my hands." He cited Yang Jun the Prince of Qi traveling with Huangfu Xu, and how elders greeting the Emperor at Zhuo on the Mount Heng sacrifice had often been ill-dressed; blaming Heng as censor for not correcting it, he banished him to be Administrator of Yulin. Long afterward, while supervising work on Loufan city, Heng met the Emperor on tour and was received in audience. The Emperor resented that Heng had not wasted away, took this as lack of remorse, and said, "You look fat and flourishing—go back to your commandery for now." He was again dispatched to Yulin. Soon an edict put him in charge of building the Jiangdu Palace. When Minister of Rites Yang Xuangan sent a messenger to Jiangdu, Heng told him, "Xue Daoheng was truly wronged to death." Xuangan reported it to the throne; and Jiangdu Assistant Magistrate Wang Shichong also accused Heng of repeatedly cutting rations short. The Emperor flew into a rage, had Heng shackled in Jiangdu for execution, then after long delay released him, struck his name from the rolls, and sent him home a commoner. Wang Shichong was appointed superintendent of the Jiangdu Palace.
47
世充本西域胡人，姓支氏。 父收，幼從其母嫁王氏，因冒其姓。 世充性譎詐，有口辯，頗涉書傳，好兵法，習律令。 帝數幸江都，世充能伺候顏色為阿諛，雕飾池台，奏獻珍物，由是有寵。
Shichong was originally a foreigner from the Western Regions, family name Zhi. His father Shou, still a boy, went with his mother into a Wang marriage and took that surname. Shichong was sly and deceitful, quick-tongued, widely read, fond of warfare, and versed in law. On the Emperor's many visits to Jiangdu, Shichong read his mood, flattered him, adorned pools and terraces, and sent up curios—thus winning favor.
48
夏，六月，甲寅，制江都太守秩同京尹。
In summer, the sixth month, on day jiayin, the Jiangdu prefect's stipend was made equal to the capital intendant's.
49
冬，十二月，己未，文安憲侯牛弘卒。 弘寬厚恭儉，學術精博，隋室舊臣，始終信任，悔吝不及者，唯弘一人而已。 弟弼，好酒而□句，嘗因醉射殺弘駕車牛。 弘來還宅，其妻迎謂之曰：“叔射殺牛。 ”弘無所怪問，直答云：“作脯。 ”坐定，其妻又曰：“叔忽射殺牛，大是異事！ ”弘曰：“已知之矣。 ”顏色自若，讀書不輟。
In winter, the twelfth month, on day jiwei, Commendable Marquis Niu Hong of Wen'an died. Hong was magnanimous, courteous, and thrifty, with deep and broad learning; of all Sui's veteran ministers, he alone enjoyed trust to the end without reproach. His younger brother Bi was a drunkard; once in his cups he shot and killed the ox that pulled Hong's carriage. Hong came home; his wife greeted him and said, "Your brother shot the ox." Hong showed no surprise and only replied, "Salt it for jerky." Once seated, his wife added, "Your brother suddenly shot the ox—how strange!" Hong said, "I already know." His face unchanged, he went on reading without pause.
50
敕穿江南河，自京口至餘杭，八百餘里，廣十餘丈，使可通龍舟，並置驛宮、草頓，欲東巡會稽。
An edict ordered the Jiangnan Canal cut from Jingkou to Yuhang, over eight hundred li and more than ten zhang wide for imperial dragon boats, with relay palaces and supply posts for a tour east to Kuaiji.
51
上以百官從駕皆服褲褶，於軍旅間不便，是歲，始詔“從駕涉遠者，文武官皆戎衣，五品以上，通著紫袍，六品以下，兼用緋綠，胥史以青，庶人以白，屠商以皁，士卒以黃。”
Because officials on tour wore trousers and jackets ill-suited to camp life, he decreed that year that distant retinues must wear military garb: fifth rank and above in purple, sixth and below in scarlet or green, clerks in blue, commoners white, merchants black, soldiers yellow.
52
帝之幸啟民帳也，高麗使者在啟民所。 啟民不敢隱，與之見帝。 黃門侍郎裴矩說帝曰：“高麗本箕子所封之地，漢、晉皆為郡縣； 令乃不臣，別為異域。 先帝欲征之久矣，但楊諒不肖，師出無功。 當陛下之時，安可不取，使冠帶之境，遂為蠻貊之鄉乎！ 今其使者親見啟民舉國從化，可因其恐懼，脅使入朝。 ”帝從之，敕牛弘宣旨曰：“朕以啟民誠心奉國，故親至其帳。 明年當往涿郡，爾還日，語高麗王：宜早來朝，勿自疑懼，存育之禮，當如啟民。 苟或不朝，將帥啟民往巡彼土。 ”高麗王元懼。 籓禮頗闕，帝將討之； 課天下富人買武馬，匹至十萬錢； 簡閱器仗，務令精新，或有濫惡，則使者立斬。
On the Emperor's visit to Qimin Khan's camp, Goguryeo envoys were lodged there. Qimin dared not hide them and presented them to the Emperor. Pei Ju, Attendant at the Yellow Gate, urged: "Goguryeo was Jizi's ancient domain; Han and Jin ruled it as commanderies; now it refuses allegiance and stands apart as another realm. Your father long meant to chastise it, but Yang Liang proved unfit and the expedition failed. Under Your Majesty, how can we leave it be and let the civilized realm become barbarian country! Its envoys have seen Qimin submit with his whole people; play on their terror and force them to court. The Emperor agreed and had Niu Hong announce: "Because Qimin serves the throne in good faith, I came to his camp in person. Next year I go to Zhuo. Tell the King of Goguryeo on your return to come promptly, without fear; he shall receive the same care as Qimin. If he refuses, I will march Qimin against his land. King Yuan of Goguryeo was terrified. His tribute had grown slack, and the Emperor prepared to strike; the rich across the realm were taxed to buy war horses at ten thousand cash each; arms were reviewed and had to be flawless—any shoddy gear brought instant beheading by the inspector.
53
春，正月，壬寅，真定襄侯郭衍卒。
In spring, the first month, on day renyin, Xiang Marquis Guo Yan of Zhending died.
54
二月，己未，上升釣台，臨楊子津，大宴百僚。 乙亥，帝自江都行幸涿郡，御龍舟，渡河入永濟渠，仍敕選部、門下、內史、御史四司之官於前船選補，其受選者三千餘人，或徒步隨船三千餘里，不得處分，凍餒疲頓，因而致死者什一二。
In the second month, on day jiwei, the Emperor mounted the angling terrace overlooking Yangzi Ford and feasted the officials. On day yihai he left Jiangdu for Zhuo in the dragon boat, entered the Yongji Canal, and had the four bureaus fill posts from boats ahead—over three thousand appointees, many of whom walked three thousand li unable to assume office, freezing, starving, and dying at a rate of one or two in ten.
55
壬午，下詔討高麗。 敕幽州總管元弘嗣往東萊海口造船三百艘，官吏督役，晝夜立水中，略不敢息，自腰以下皆生蛆，死者什三四。 夏，四月，庚午，車駕至涿郡之臨朔宮，文武從官九品以上，並令給宅安置。 先是，詔總征天下之兵，無問遠近，俱會於涿。 又發江淮以南水手一萬人，弩手三萬人，嶺南排□手三萬人，於是四遠奔赴如流。 五月，敕河南、淮南、江南造戎車五萬乘送高陽，供載衣甲幔幕，令兵士自挽之，發河南、北民夫以供軍須。 秋，七月，發江、淮以南民夫及船運黎陽及洛口諸倉米至涿郡，舳艫相次千餘里，載兵甲及攻取之具，往還在道常數十萬人，填咽於道，晝夜不絕，死者相枕，臭穢盈路，天下騷動。
On day renwu an edict declared war on Goguryeo. Yuan Hongsi, Youzhou commander, was sent to Donglai to build three hundred ships; overseers kept men standing in water day and night till worms bred below the waist and three or four in ten died. In summer, the fourth month, on day gengwu, the court reached Linshuo Palace at Zhuo; all officials down to ninth rank were given houses. Earlier an edict had summoned troops from every quarter to converge on Zhuo. Another ten thousand sailors south of Jiang and Huai, thirty thousand crossbowmen, and thirty thousand Lingnan spear troops were called up, and the empire poured toward Zhuo like a flood. In the fifth month Henan, Huainan, and Jiangnan were ordered to build fifty thousand carts at Gaoyang for armor and tents, hauled by the soldiers themselves, while Yellow River corvée fed the army. In autumn, the seventh month, southern corvée and grain fleets moved stores from Liyang and Luokou to Zhuo in a line of ships a thousand li long; hundreds of thousands thronged the roads without pause, corpses heaped along the way, stench everywhere, the land in uproar.
56
山東、河南大水，漂沒三十餘郡。 冬，十月，乙卯，底柱崩，偃河逆流數十里。
Great floods drowned more than thirty commanderies in Shandong and Henan. In winter, the tenth month, on day yimao, the Dizhu cliffs fell and the Yellow River reversed for tens of li.
57
初，帝西巡，遣侍御兄韋節召西突厥處羅可汗，令與車駕會大斗拔谷，國人不從，處羅謝使者，辭以他故。 帝大怒，無如之何。 會其酋長射匱遣使來求婚，裴矩因奏曰：“處羅不朝，恃強大耳。 臣請以計弱之，分裂其國，即易制也。 射匱者，都六之子，達頭之孫，世為可汗，君臨西面，今聞其失職，附屬處羅，故遣使來以結援耳，願厚禮其使，拜為大可汗，則突厥勢分，兩從我矣。 ”帝曰：“公言是也。 ”因遣矩朝夕至館，微諷諭之。 帝於仁風殿召其使者，言處羅不順之狀，稱射匱向善，吾將立為大可汗，令發兵誅處羅，然後為婚。 帝取桃竹白羽箭一枚以賜射匱，因謂之曰：“此事宜速，使疾如箭也。 ”使者返，路徑處羅，處羅愛箭，將留之，使者譎而得免。 射匱聞而大喜，興兵襲處羅； 處羅大敗，棄妻子，將左右數千騎東走，緣道被劫，寓於高昌，東保時羅漫山。 高昌王麴伯雅上狀。 帝遣裴矩與向氏親要左右馳至玉門關晉昌城，曉諭處羅使入朝。 十二月，己未，處羅來朝於臨朔宮，帝大悅，接以殊禮。 帝與處羅宴，處羅稽首，謝入見之晚。 帝以溫言慰芝之，備設天下珍膳，盛陳女樂，羅綺絲竹，眩曜耳目，然處羅終有怏怏之色。
On the western tour the Emperor had Attendant Wei Jie summon Western Turk Qaghan Chuluo to Dadoubagu; the tribes refused; Chuluo politely declined. The Emperor raged but was helpless. When chief Shegui sent envoys to seek a marriage alliance, Pei Ju said: "Chuluo stays away only because he is strong. Let me weaken him by policy—split his realm and he is easily mastered. Shegui is Dulu's son, Datou's grandson, a hereditary qaghan of the west; now displaced and under Chuluo, he seeks aid. Honor his envoys and make him Great Qaghan—the Turks will split and both sides will serve us." The Emperor said, "You are right." He had Ju visit the lodge morning and evening to coax them. At Renfeng Hall he told the envoys of Chuluo's defiance, praised Shegui, promised to make him Great Qaghan if he marched on Chuluo, then seal the marriage. He gave Shegui a white-feather peach-bamboo arrow, saying, "Act quickly—as quick as this arrow." On the return route through Chuluo's lands he coveted the arrow; the envoys tricked him and got away. Shegui rejoiced and attacked; Chuluo was shattered, abandoned his family, and fled east with a few thousand riders, robbed along the way, sheltering in Gaochang then Mount Shiruo. King Qu Boya of Gaochang reported this. The Emperor sent Pei Ju with Xiang clan kin to Jinchang at Yumen to urge Chuluo to court. In the twelfth month, on day jiwei, Chuluo appeared at Linshuo; the Emperor was delighted and received him with extraordinary honors. At the feast Chuluo kowtowed, apologizing for his late coming. The Emperor soothed him with kind words, spread the realm's rare foods, music, silk, and pipes before him—yet Chuluo remained sullen throughout.
58
帝自去歲謀討高麗，詔山東置府，令養馬以供軍役。 又發民夫運米，積於瀘河、懷遠二鎮，車牛往者皆不返，士卒死亡過半，耕稼失時，田疇多荒。 加之饑饉，谷價踴貴，東北邊尤甚，斗米直數百錢。 所運米或粗惡，令民糴而償之。 又發鹿車伕六十餘萬，二人共推米三石，道途險遠，不足充餱糧，至鎮，無可輸，皆懼罪亡命。 重以官吏貪殘，因緣侵漁，百姓困窮，財力俱竭，安居則不勝凍餒，死期交急，剽掠則猶得延生，於是始相聚為群盜。
Since the year before, preparing war on Goguryeo, the court had set up Shandong offices to breed horses for the army. Corvée hauled grain to Lühe and Huaiyuan; cart teams never returned; more than half the troops died; fields lay untilled and largely fallow. Famine followed; grain prices soared, worst in the northeast, where a dou cost hundreds of cash. Some convoy grain was coarse; peasants were forced to buy it and make good the loss. Six hundred thousand deer-cart teams—two men per three shi—found the roads too long for food; at the posts there was nothing to hand in, and men fled in terror of punishment. Officials plundered on every pretext until the people were drained; staying home meant freezing or starving, while raiding bought time—so they began to band together.
59
鄒平民王薄擁眾據長白山，剽掠齊、濟之郊，自稱知世郎，言事可知矣； 又作《無向遼東浪死歌》，以相感勸，避征役者多往歸之。
Wang Bo of Zouping held Mount Changbai and raided Qi and Ji, calling himself Lord Who Knows the Age; he wrote the "Song of Not Drowning Yourself in Vain on the Eastern Sea" to rally men, and many draft-dodgers joined him.
60
平原東有豆子，負海帶河，地形深阻。 自高齊以來，群盜多匿其中。 有劉霸道者，家於其旁，累世仕宦，貲產富厚。 霸道喜遊俠，食客常數百人。 及群盜起，遠近多往依之，有眾十餘萬，號“阿舅賊”。
East of Pingyuan lies Douzi, hemmed by sea and rivers, a rugged refuge. Since Northern Qi bandits had often hidden there. Liu Badao lived nearby, a family long in office and great wealth. Badao loved bold companions and kept hundreds of guests. When rebellion spread, multitudes flocked to him—over a hundred thousand strong, nicknamed the Maternal Uncle Bandits.
61
漳南人竇建德，少尚氣俠，膽力過人，為鄉黨所歸附。 會募人征高麗，建德以勇敢選為二百人長。 同縣孫安祖亦以驍勇選為征士，安祖辭以家為水所漂，妻子餒死，縣令怒笞之。 安祖刺殺令，亡抵建德，建德匿之。 官司逐捕，蹤跡至建德家，建德謂安祖曰：“文皇帝時，天下殷盛，發百萬之眾以伐高麗，尚為所敗。 今水潦為災，百姓困窮，加之往歲西征，行者不歸，瘡痍未復； 主上不恤，乃更發兵親擊高麗，天下必大亂。 丈夫不死，當立大功，豈可但為亡虜邪！ ”乃集無賴少年，得數百人，使安祖將之，入高雞泊中為群盜，安祖自號將軍。 時鄃人張金稱聚眾河曲，蓨人高士達聚眾於清河境內為盜。 群縣疑建德與賊通，悉收其家屬，殺之。 建德帥麾下二百人亡歸士達，士達自稱東海公，以建德為司兵。 頃之，孫安祖為張金稱所殺，其眾盡歸建德，建德兵至萬餘人。 建德能傾身接物，與士卒均勞逸，由是人爭附之，為之致死。
Dou Jiande of Zhangnan, young and chivalrous, famed for strength, was the man his township followed. Called to the Goguryeo levy, Jiande was picked as captain of two hundred for his valor. Fellow-townsman Sun Anzu, chosen as a soldier, said flood had drowned his home and family; the magistrate beat him in rage. Anzu killed the magistrate and fled to Jiande, who sheltered him. When pursuers traced Anzu to Jiande's door, Jiande told him: "Under Emperor Wen the empire flourished; a million men attacked Goguryeo and still lost. Now floods ruin us, the people are destitute, last year's western expedition never came home, the land still bleeding— yet the throne shows no mercy and marches again on Goguryeo in person; the realm will surely plunge into chaos. While you still live, win glory—do not die a hunted fugitive! He raised several hundred ruffians under Anzu, took to the Gaojibo mars as bandits, and Anzu called himself General. Zhang Jincheng of Yu and Gao Shida of Tiao were already raising bands along the rivers and in Qinghe. Officials suspected Jiande of colluding with the rebels and executed his entire family. Jiande fled with his two hundred men to Gao Shida, who styled himself Duke of the Eastern Sea and made Jiande his quartermaster. Soon Zhang Jincheng killed Sun Anzu, and his followers flocked to Jiande until his force exceeded ten thousand. Jiande gave himself fully to his men and shared their toil; they flocked to him and fought to the death.
62
自是所在群盜蜂起，不可勝數，徒眾多者至萬餘人，攻陷城邑。 甲子，敕都尉、鷹揚與郡縣相知追捕，隨獲斬決； 然莫能禁止。
Rebellion then spread everywhere—hosts of ten thousand seized towns and cities beyond count. On jiazi day the throne ordered local officers to hunt rebels down and execute them on the spot; but the uprising could not be checked.
63
春，正月，帝分西突厥處羅可汗之眾為三，使其弟闕度設將羸弱萬餘口，居於會寧，又使特勒大奈別將餘眾居於樓煩，命處羅將五百騎常從車駕巡幸，賜號曷婆那可汗，賞賜甚厚。
That spring the emperor split Quluo Khan's Western Turks into three bands—weak tribes to Huining, the rest to Loufan—kept Quluo at court with five hundred horsemen, titled him Khan Yiboli, and heaped gifts upon him.
64
初，嵩高道士潘誕自言三百歲，為帝合煉金丹。 帝為之作嵩陽觀，華屋數百間，以童男童女各一百二十人充給使，位視三品； 常役數千人，所費巨萬。 雲金丹應用石膽、石髓，發石工鑿嵩高大石深百尺者數十處。 凡六年，丹不成。 帝詰之，誕對以“無石膽、石髓，若得童男女膽髓各三斛六斗，可以代之。 ”帝怒，鎖詣涿郡，斬之。 且死，語人曰：“此乃天子無福，值我兵解時至，我應生梵摩天”雲。
A Songgao Daoist named Pan Dan claimed to be three hundred years old and undertook to brew the emperor an elixir of immortality. The emperor built him the Songyang Abbey—hundreds of fine chambers staffed by 120 boys and 120 girls, with rank equal to a third-grade official; thousands of laborers were kept busy at ruinous expense. He insisted the elixir needed copper vitriol and stone marrow, and miners gouged the Songgao cliffs in dozens of pits a hundred feet deep. Six years passed without an elixir. When the emperor pressed him, Pan Dan said there was no vitriol or marrow—but the gall and marrow of 120 boys and girls, three hu six dou of each, would serve instead. Enraged, the emperor sent him in chains to Zhuo and had him beheaded. Facing death he declared that the Son of Heaven lacked fortune, that his own hour of transcendence had come, and that he would be reborn in Brahma Heaven.
65
四方兵皆集涿郡，帝征合水令庚質，問曰：“高麗之眾不能當我一郡，今朕以此眾伐之，卿以為克不？ ”對曰：“伐之可克。 然臣竊有愚見，不願陛下親行。 ”帝作色曰：“朕今總兵至此，豈可未見賊而先自退邪？ ”對曰：“戰而未克，懼損威靈。 若車駕留此，命猛將勁卒，指授方略，倍道兼行，出其不意，克之必矣。 事機在速，緩則無功。 ”帝不悅，曰：“汝既憚行，自可留此。 ”右尚方署監事耿詢上書切諫，帝大怒，命左右斬之，何稠苦救，得免。
With armies massing at Zhuo, the emperor called in Magistrate Geng Zhi of Heshui and asked whether his host could conquer Goguryeo when a single commandery could match its whole people. Geng Zhi answered that victory was certain. But he begged the emperor not to lead the campaign himself. The emperor flushed and snapped that he had brought the army this far and would not turn back without sight of the enemy. Geng Zhi warned that defeat would wound imperial prestige. Leave the court here, he urged, and let fierce generals march by forced stages and strike by surprise—victory would be sure. Speed was everything; delay meant failure. Displeased, the emperor told him to remain behind if he feared the road. Geng Xun of the Right Palace Workshops remonstrated sharply; the emperor ordered him killed, but He Chou's desperate plea won him a reprieve.
66
壬午，詔左十二軍出鏤方，長岑、溟海、蓋馬、建安、南蘇、遼東、玄菟、扶餘、朝鮮、沃沮、樂浪等道，右十二軍出黏蟬、含資、渾彌、臨屯、候城、提奚、蹋頓、肅慎、碣石、東□施、帶方、襄平等道，駱驛引途，總集平壤，凡一百一十三萬三千八百人，號二百萬，其饋運者倍之。 宜社於南桑干水上，類上帝於臨朔宮南，祭馬祖於薊城北。 帝親授節度：每軍大將、亞將各一人； 騎兵四十隊，隊百人，十隊為團，步卒八十隊，分為四團，團各有偏將一人； 其鎧冑、纓拂、旗幡，每團異色； 受降使者一人，承詔慰扶，不受大將節制； 其輜重散兵等亦為四團，使步卒挾之而行； 進止立營，皆有次敘儀法。 癸未，第一軍發； 日遣一軍，相去四十里，連營漸進； 終四十日，發乃盡，首尾相繼，鼓角相聞，旌旗亙九百六十里。 御營內合十一衛、三台、五省、九寺，分隸內、外、前、後、左、右六軍，次後發，又亙八十里。 近古出師之盛，未之有也。
On renwu day twenty-four armies marched by named routes toward Pyongyang—1,133,800 men on the rolls, two million in name, with twice as many in supply columns. The emperor sacrificed at the Sanggan, classified Heaven south of Linshuo Palace, and honored the Horse Ancestor north of Ji. The emperor himself set the order of battle: each army had a commander and a deputy; forty cavalry companies of a hundred, ten to a regiment; eighty infantry companies in four regiments, each with its own deputy; armor, helmets, pennants, and banners were color-coded by regiment; each army also had a surrender commissioner to receive capitulations, independent of the field commander; baggage and stragglers marched in four escorted columns; every movement and camp followed strict ritual order. On guwei day the first army marched; one army departed daily, camps forty li apart in a chain; forty days later the last column had left—a nine-hundred-sixty-li river of men, drums and horns audible from van to rear. The imperial train added eleven guards, the Three Platforms, five ministries, and nine courts in six armies—another eighty li behind the fighting columns. No army in living memory had matched this spectacle.
67
甲辰，內史令元壽薨。
On jiachen day Interior Minister Yuan Shou died.
68
二月，壬戌，觀德王雄薨。
In the second month, on renxu day, Prince Guande Xiong died.
69
北平襄侯段文振為兵部尚書，上表，以為帝“寵待突厥太厚，處之塞內，資以兵食，戎狄之性，無親而貪，異日必為國患。 宜以時諭遣，令出塞外，然後明設烽候，緣邊鎮防，務令嚴重，此萬歲之長策也。 ”兵曹郎斛斯政，椿之孫也，以器干明司，為帝所寵任，使專掌兵事。 文振知政險薄，不可委以機要，屢言於帝，帝不從。 及征高麗，以文振為左候衛大將軍，出南蘇道。 文振於道中疾篤，上表曰：“竊見遼東小丑，未服嚴刑，遠降六師，親勞萬乘。 但夷狄多詐，深須防擬，口陳降款，毋宜遽受。 水潦方降，不可淹遲。 唯願嚴勒諸軍，星馳速發，水陸俱前，出其不意，則平壤孤城，勢可拔也。 若傾其本根，餘城自克； 如不時定，脫遇秋霖，深為艱阻，兵糧既竭，強敵在前，靺鞨出後，遲疑不決，非上策也。 ”三月，辛卯，文振卒，帝甚惜之。
Duan Wenzhen, new Minister of War, warned that the emperor pampered the Turks within the passes with arms and grain—barbarians knew no loyalty and would one day ruin the realm. Send them beyond the frontier, he urged, man the beacons, and harden the border—that was the policy for ages. Husi Zheng, grandson of Chun, a gifted officer the emperor trusted with all military affairs, held the war bureau. Wenzhen saw Zheng as treacherous and unfit for secrets and warned the emperor repeatedly in vain. For the Goguryeo war Wenzhen was made Grand General of the Left Houwei and took the Nansu route. Stricken on the march, Wenzhen wrote that a petty eastern foe had drawn the Son of Heaven and a million men into the field in person. Barbarians were deceitful, he warned—do not trust spoken surrender. The rains were coming; delay was fatal. Strike Pyongyang by land and sea before they expect it, he urged, and the isolated capital would fall. Uproot the capital and the rest would follow; wait for autumn rains with empty granaries, Goguryeo ahead and Mohe behind, and hesitation would destroy the army. In the third month, on xinmao day, Wenzhen died, and the emperor mourned him deeply.
70
癸巳，上始御師，進至遼水。 眾軍總會，臨水為大陳，高麗兵阻水拒守，隋兵不得濟。 左屯衛大將軍麥鐵杖謂人曰：“丈夫性命自有所在，豈能然艾灸頞，瓜蒂歕鼻，治黃不差，而臥死兒女手中乎！ ”乃自請為前鋒，謂其三子曰：“吾荷國恩，今為死日！ 我得良殺，汝當富貴。 ”帝命工部尚書宇文愷造浮橋三道於遼水西岸，既成，引橋趣東岸，橋短不及岸丈餘。 高麗兵大至，隋兵驍勇者爭赴水接戰，高麗兵乘高擊之，隋兵不得登岸，死者甚眾。 麥鐵杖躍登岸，與虎賁郎將錢士雄、孟叉等皆戰死。 乃斂兵，引橋復就西岸。 詔贈鐵杖宿公，使其子孟才襲爵，次子仲才、季才並拜正議大夫。 更命少府監何稠接橋，二日而成，諸軍相次繼進，大戰於東岸，高麗兵大敗，死者萬計。 諸軍乘勝進圍遼東城，即漢之襄平城也。 車駕渡遼，引曷薩那可汗及高昌王伯雅觀戰處以懾憚之，因下詔赦天下。 命刑部尚書衛文昇、尚書右丞劉士龍撫遼左之民，給復十年，建置郡縣，以相統攝。
On guisi day the emperor took personal command and reached the Liao River. The hosts massed on the bank; Goguryeo held the far shore and the Sui army could not cross. Mai Tiezhang told his comrades that a man should not die like a sickbed invalid moxa-treated and pepper-snuffed while wives and children watched. He volunteered for the vanguard and told his three sons that the state's debt was due that day. Die well in battle, he said, and they would prosper. Yuwen Kai built three pontoon bridges on the west bank; when run out they fell more than a zhang short of the far shore. Goguryeo masses poured down from the heights on men struggling in the water; few reached the bank alive. Mai Tiezhang fought ashore and fell with Qian Shixiong, Meng Cha, and other officers. The army pulled back and the bridges were hauled to the west bank. Tiezhang was posthumously made Duke Su; his son Mengcai inherited the title and his brothers received court ranks. He Chou finished new bridges in two days; the army crossed, routed Goguryeo on the east bank, and left tens of thousands dead. Victorious columns besieged Liaodong—the old Han city of Xiangping. The emperor crossed the Liao, paraded allied kings before the slaughter, and proclaimed a general amnesty. Wei Wensheng and Liu Shilong were sent to pacify eastern Liao with ten years' tax relief and a new network of commanderies.
71
夏，五月，壬午，納言楊達薨。
In summer, fifth month, on renwu day, Censor-in-Chief Yang Da died.
72
諸將之東下也，帝親戒之曰：“今者弔民伐罪，非為功名。 諸將或不識朕意，欲輕兵掩襲，孤軍獨鬥，立一身之名以邀勳賞，非大軍行法。 公等進軍，當分為三道，有所攻擊，必三道相知，毋得輕軍獨進，以致失亡。 又，凡軍事進止，皆須奏聞待報，毋得專擅。 ”遼東數出戰不利，乃嬰城固守，帝命諸軍攻之。 又敕諸將，高麗若降，即宜撫納，不得縱兵。 遼東城將陷，城中人輒言請降； 諸將奉旨不敢赴機，先令馳奏，比報至，城中守禦亦備，隨出拒戰。 如此再三，帝終不悟。 既而城久不下，六月，己未，帝幸遼東城南，觀其城池形勢，因召諸將詰責之曰：“公等自以官高，又恃家世，欲以暗懦待我邪！ 在都之日，公等皆不願我來，恐見病敗耳。 我今來此，正欲觀公等所為，斬公輩耳！ 公今畏死，莫肯盡力，謂我不能殺公邪！ ”諸將鹹戰懼失色。 帝因留止城西數里，御六合城。 高麗諸城各堅守不下。 右翊衛大將軍來護兒帥江、淮水軍，舳艫數百里，浮海先進，入自浿水，去平壤六十里，與高麗相遇，進擊，大破之。 護兒欲乘勝趣其城，副總管周法尚止之，請俟諸軍至俱進。 護兒不聽，簡精甲四萬，直造城下。 高麗伏兵於羅郭內空寺中，出兵與護兒戰而偽敗，護兒逐之入城，縱兵俘掠，無復部伍。 伏兵發，護兒大敗，僅而獲免，士卒還者不過數千人。 高麗追至船所，周法尚整陳待之，高麗乃退。 護兒引兵還屯海浦，不敢復留應接諸軍。
As his generals marched east the emperor warned them that the war was to punish wrong, not to win glory. Some might seek solo glory in reckless raids, he said—that was not how a great army fought. Advance in three coordinated columns, he ordered, never letting a lone detachment be cut off. Every move required imperial approval—no independent action. After several failed sallies Liaodong shut its gates; the emperor ordered a general assault. He also forbade looting if the city surrendered. Whenever Liaodong seemed ready to fall its defenders cried surrender; generals obeyed orders to report first, and by the time approval came the garrison was ready to fight again. This happened again and again, yet the emperor never understood. In the sixth month, on jiwei day, the emperor inspected Liaodong's walls and raged at his generals for hiding behind rank and birth while the city stood. In the capital you prayed I would not come, he said, lest you be seen failing. I came to watch you work, he shouted—and to behead you! You fear death and hold back—do you think I cannot kill you? The generals went pale with fear. The emperor camped several li west at Liuhe city. Every Goguryeo stronghold held out. Lai Huer led a fleet hundreds of li long up the Pei River, met the enemy sixty li from Pyongyang, and won a great victory. Lai Huer wanted to rush Pyongyang, but Zhou Fashang held him for the main army. Lai Huer refused, took forty thousand picked troops, and marched on the capital. Goguryeo hid men in a temple inside the outer wall, lured him into the streets, and his army dissolved in looting. The trap sprang; Lai Huer barely escaped with a few thousand survivors. Goguryeo chased them to the ships until Zhou Fashang's formed line drove them back. Lai Huer withdrew to the coast and dared not rejoin the land campaign.
73
左翊衛大將軍宇文述出扶餘道，右翊衛大將軍於仲文出樂浪道，左驍衛大將軍荊元恆出遼東道，右翊衛將軍薛世雄出沃沮道，右屯衛將軍辛世雄出玄菟道，右御衛將軍張瑾出襄平道，右武將軍趙孝才出碣石道，涿郡太守檢校左武衛將軍崔弘昇出遂城道，檢校右御衛虎賁郎將衛文昇出增地道，皆會於鴨綠水西。 述等兵自瀘河、懷遠二鎮，人馬皆給百日糧，又給排甲、槍槊並衣資、戎具、火幕，人別三石已上，重莫能勝致。 下令軍中：“遺棄米粟者斬！ ”士卒皆於幕下掘坑埋之，才行及中路，糧已將盡。
Yuwen Shu, Yu Zhongwen, and six other commanders marched by separate routes and gathered west of the Yalu. Each man left Luzhe or Huaiyuan with a hundred days' rations, armor, weapons, tents, and more than three shi of gear—loads no one could carry. The order ran: discard grain and die. Men buried rations under their tents instead; halfway to the front the food was already gone.
74
高麗遣大臣乙支文德詣其營詐降，實欲觀虛實。 於仲文先奉密旨：“若遇高元及文德來者，必擒之。 ”仲文將執之，尚書右丞劉士龍為慰撫使，固止之。 仲文遂聽文德還，既而悔之，遣人紿文德曰：“更欲有言，可復來。 ”文德不顧，濟鴨綠水而去。 仲文與述等既失文德，內不自安，述以糧盡，欲還。 仲文議以精銳追文德，可以有功。 述固止之，仲文怒曰：“將軍仗十萬之眾，不能破小賊，何顏以見帝！ 且仲文此行，固知無功，何則？ 古之良將能成功者，軍中之事，決在一人。 今人各有心，何以勝敵！ ”時帝以仲文有計劃，令諸軍咨稟節度，故有此言。 由是述等不得已而從之，與諸將渡水追文德。 文德見述軍士有饑色，故欲疲之，每戰輒走。 述一日之中，七戰皆捷，既恃驟勝，又逼群議，於是遂進，東濟薩水，去平壤城三十里，因山為營。 文德復遣使詐降，請於述曰：“若旋師者，當奉高元朝行在所。 ”述見士卒疲弊，不可復戰，又平壤城險固，度難猝拔，遂因其詐而還。 述等為方陳而行，高麗四面鈔擊，述等且戰且行。 秋，七月，壬寅，至薩水，軍半濟，高麗自後擊其後軍，左屯衛將軍辛世雄戰死。 於是諸軍俱潰，不可禁止。 將士奔還，一日一夜至鴨綠水，行四百五十里。 將軍天水王仁恭為殿，擊高麗，卻之。 來護兒聞述等敗，亦引還。 唯衛文升一軍獨全。
Goguryeo sent Minister Yi Zhiven to feign surrender and spy on the army. Yu Zhongwen had secret orders to seize King Gao Yuan or Yi Zhiven if they appeared. Yu Zhongwen moved to arrest him, but comfort commissioner Liu Shilong forcibly prevented it. Zhongwen then let Wende withdraw; afterward he regretted it and sent someone to trick Wende, saying: "I have more to say—you may come again." " Wende paid no heed and crossed the Yalu River to depart. Zhongwen, Shuo, and the others, having lost Wende, were uneasy at heart; Shuo, with provisions exhausted, wished to withdraw. Zhongwen argued that pursuing Wende with elite troops could still win success. Shuo firmly objected; Zhongwen raged: "General, commanding a hundred thousand men you cannot defeat this petty enemy—what face have you to see the emperor!" Moreover, on this campaign I knew from the start we would fail—why? Among good generals of old who could succeed, one man decided all military affairs. Now every man has his own mind—how can we defeat the enemy!" " At that time the emperor, trusting Zhongwen's plans, had ordered every army to consult headquarters before acting—hence these words. Shuo and the others had no choice but to agree; with the generals they crossed the river to pursue Wende. Wende saw Shuo's soldiers looked hungry and meant to wear them down; in each battle he would retreat. In a single day Shuo fought seven battles and won them all; trusting in quick victory and pressed by his officers, he advanced, crossed the Sui River eastward, camped thirty li from Pyongyang, and pitched against the mountains. Wende again sent envoys feigning surrender, telling Shuo: "If you withdraw, we will present King Gao Yuan at your camp." "Shuo saw his troops exhausted and unable to fight on; Pyongyang was strong and he judged it could not be taken quickly—so he accepted the ruse and withdrew. Shuo and the others marched in square formation; Goguryeo struck from all sides, and they fought as they retreated. In autumn, the seventh month, on day renyin, they reached the Sui River; the army was half across when Goguryeo struck the rear; Left Tunweiwei General Xin Shixiong was killed in battle. Thereupon every army collapsed at once and could not be stopped. Officers and soldiers fled; in a day and a night they reached the Yalu River, covering four hundred fifty li. General Wang Rengong of Tianshui served as rearguard, struck Goguryeo, and drove them back. Lai Huer, hearing of Shuo's defeat, also withdrew. Only Wei Wensheng's army came back intact.
75
初，九軍渡遼，凡三十萬五千，及還至遼東城，唯二千七百人，資儲器械巨萬計，失亡蕩盡。 帝大怒，鎖系述等。 癸卯，引還。
When the nine armies had crossed the Liao they numbered three hundred five thousand; when they returned to Liaodong city only twenty-seven hundred remained; vast stores of supplies and weapons were lost entirely. The emperor was furious and had Shuo and the others put in chains. On day guimao, he led the army back.
76
初，百濟王璋遣使請討高麗，帝使之覘高麗動靜，璋內與高麗潛通。 隋軍將出，璋使其臣國智牟來請師期。 帝大悅，厚加賞賜，遣尚書起部郎席律詣百濟，告以期會。 及隋軍度遼，百濟亦嚴兵境上，聲言助隋，實持兩端。
Earlier, King Zhang of Baekje had sent envoys requesting an attack on Goguryeo; the emperor used them to spy on Goguryeo, but Zhang was secretly in league with Goguryeo. When the Sui army was about to march, Zhang sent his minister Guozhimou to ask the date of the campaign. The emperor was greatly pleased, richly rewarded him, and sent Xi Lü of the Secretariat's Works Bureau to Baekje to fix the rendezvous. When the Sui army crossed the Liao, Baekje also massed troops on the border, proclaiming aid to Sui while in truth hedging both ways.
77
是行也，唯於遼水西拔高麗武歷邏，置遼東郡及通定鎮而已。 八月，敕運黎陽、洛陽、太原等倉谷向望海頓，使民部尚書樊子蓋留守涿郡。 九月，庚寅，車駕至東都。
On this campaign they gained only Wuliluo west of the Liao, establishing Liaodong commandery and Tongding garrison—that was all. In the eighth month, an edict ordered grain from the depots of Liyang, Luoyang, Taiyuan, and others sent to Wanghai depot; Fan Zigai, Minister of the Household, was left to guard Zhuo commandery. In the ninth month, on day gengyin, the imperial carriage reached the Eastern Metropolis.
78
冬，十月，甲寅，工部尚書宇文愷卒。
In winter, the tenth month, on day jiayin, Yuwen Kai, Minister of Works, died.
79
十一月，己卯，以宗女為華容公主，嫁高昌。
In the eleventh month, on day jimao, an imperial clanswoman was made Princess of Huarong and married into Gaochang.
80
宇文述素有寵於帝，且其子士及尚帝女南陽公主，故帝不忍誅。 甲申，與於仲文等皆除名為民，斬劉士龍以謝天下。 薩水之敗，高麗追圍薛世雄於白石山，世雄奮擊，破之，由是獨得免官。 以衛文昇金為紫光祿大夫。 諸將皆委罪于于仲文，帝既釋諸將，獨系仲文。 仲文憂恚，發病困篤，乃出之，卒於家。
Yuwen Shuo had long been favored by the emperor, and his son Shiji had married the emperor's daughter, Princess of Nanyang—therefore the emperor could not bear to execute him. On day jiashen, he and Yu Zhongwen and the others were all struck from the rolls and made commoners; Liu Shilong was beheaded to appease the realm. After the defeat at the Sui River, Goguryeo pursued and besieged Xue Shixiong at Baishi Mountain; Shixiong fought fiercely and routed them, and thereby alone was spared dismissal. Wei Wensheng was made Senior Adviser on the Gold Grand Order. The generals all blamed Yu Zhongwen; the emperor released the generals but kept only Zhongwen in chains. Zhongwen, stricken with grief and rage, fell gravely ill; he was released and died at home.
81
是歲，大旱，疫，山東尤甚。
That year brought great drought and pestilence, especially severe in the east.
82
張衡既放廢，帝每令親人覘衡所為。 帝還自遼東，衡妾告衡怨望，謗訕朝政，詔賜盡於家。 衡臨死大言曰：“我為人作何等事，而望久活！ ”監刑者塞耳，促令殺之。
After Zhang Heng was dismissed, the emperor constantly had kinsmen spy on what Heng did. When the emperor returned from Liaodong, Heng's concubine reported that he harbored resentment and slandered the court; an edict ordered him put to death at home. Facing death Heng cried out: "What have I done for this man that I should hope to live on!" "The executioners stopped their ears and hurried to kill him.