Volume 184 Sui Records 8

資治通鑑第184卷卷第一百八十四

Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 184

【隋紀八】起強閼赤奮若六月，不滿一年。

[Sui Records 8] Covering the period from the sixth month of the Qiangge Chifenruo cycle year, less than a full year.

六月，己卯，李建成等至晉陽。

In the sixth month, on the day jimao, Li Jiancheng and his party reached Jinyang.

劉文靜勸李淵與突厥相結，資其士馬以益兵勢。淵從之，自為手啟，卑辭厚禮，遺始畢可汗云：「欲大舉義兵，遠迎主上，復與突厥和親，如開皇之時。若能與我俱南，願勿侵暴百姓；若但和親，坐受寶貨，亦唯可汗所擇。」始畢得啟，謂其大臣曰：「隋主為人，我所知也。若迎以來，必害唐公而擊我無疑矣。苟唐公自為天子，我當不避盛暑，以兵馬助之。」即命以此意為復書。使者七日而返，將佐皆喜，請從突厥之言，淵不可。裴寂、劉文靜等皆曰：「今義兵雖集而戎馬殊乏，胡兵非所須，而馬不可失；若復稽回，恐其有悔。」淵曰：「諸君宜更思其次。」寂等乃請尊天子為太上皇，立代王為帝，以安隋室；移檄郡縣；改易旗幟，雜用絳白，以示突厥。淵曰：「此可謂『掩耳盜鐘』，然逼於時事，不得不爾。」乃許之，遣使以此議告突厥。

Liu Wenjing advised Li Yuan to join forces with the Turks and draw on their cavalry and troops to strengthen his army. Li Yuan agreed. He wrote a personal letter himself, couched in deferential terms and accompanied by lavish gifts, and sent it to Qaghan Shibi: "I intend to launch a great righteous campaign, go far to welcome the emperor home, and renew the marriage alliance with the Turks as in Emperor Wen's reign. If you will march south with me, I ask that you not harm the common people; if you prefer only an alliance and to receive treasure while remaining at home, that too is entirely for the qaghan to decide." When Shibi received the letter, he told his ministers: "I know the Sui emperor's character well. If we bring him back, he will certainly harm Duke Tang and attack us—that is beyond doubt. If Duke Tang declares himself emperor, I will not hesitate even in the heat of summer to send troops and horses to help him." He at once ordered a reply written along these lines. The envoy returned after seven days. The officers were delighted and urged Li Yuan to accept the Turks' offer, but he refused. Pei Ji, Liu Wenjing, and the others all said: "Our righteous army has assembled, but we are desperately short of horses. We do not need Turkic infantry, but we cannot let these horses slip away; if we hesitate any longer, they may change their minds." Li Yuan said: "You should all think of another approach." Pei Ji and the others then proposed honoring the emperor as Retired Emperor, enthroning Prince Dai, and thus preserving the Sui dynasty; issue proclamations to the provinces and counties; change the army banners to a mix of crimson and white, as a signal to the Turks. Li Yuan said: "This is what people call 'covering your ears while stealing the bell'—pure self-deception—but the circumstances leave us no choice. He agreed and sent envoys to explain this plan to the Turks.

西河郡不從淵命，甲申，淵使建成、世民將兵擊西河；命太原令太原溫大有與之偕行，曰：「吾兒年少，以卿參謀軍事；事之成敗，當以此行卜之。」時軍士新集，鹹未閱習，建成、世民與之同甘苦，遇敵則以身先之。近道菜果，非買不食，軍士有竊之者，輒求其主償之，亦不詰竊者，軍士及民皆感悅。至西河城下，民有欲入城者，皆聽其入。郡丞高德儒閉城拒守，己丑，攻拔之。執德儒至軍門，世民數之曰：「汝指野鳥為鸞，以欺人主，取高官，吾興義兵，正為誅佞人耳！」遂斬之。自余不戮一人，秋毫無犯，各尉撫使復業，遠近聞之大悅。建成等引兵還晉陽，往返凡九日。淵喜曰：「以此行兵，雖橫行天下可也。」遂定入關之計。

Xihe Commandery refused to obey Li Yuan. On the day jiashen, he sent Jiancheng and Shimin to attack it with an army; He ordered the magistrate of Taiyuan, Wen Dayou, to accompany them, saying: "My sons are still young—I appoint you to counsel them in military matters; whether we succeed or fail will be foretold by this expedition." The troops had only just been assembled and had not yet been trained. Jiancheng and Shimin shared their hardships, and when they met the enemy they led from the front. When they passed fruit and vegetables along the road, they would eat only what they had paid for. If a soldier stole something, they made restitution to the owner without punishing the thief. Soldiers and civilians alike were deeply impressed. When they reached Xihe, they allowed any civilians who wished to enter the city to go in freely. The assistant magistrate Gao Deru shut the gates and held out, but on the day jichou they stormed and captured the city. They brought Gao Deru before the camp gate. Shimin denounced him: "You called wild birds phoenixes to deceive the emperor and win high office. I raised this righteous army precisely to execute sycophants like you! He was then beheaded. Beyond him they killed no one and harmed nothing. They comforted the people and let them return to their livelihoods. News of this spread far and wide, to universal acclaim. Jiancheng and his forces returned to Jinyang—the entire round trip had taken only nine days. Li Yuan said with delight: "With an army like this, you could march anywhere in the realm. He then fixed on the plan to march into Guanzhong.

淵開倉以賑貧民，應募者日益多。淵命為三軍，分左右，通謂之義士。裴寂等上淵號為大將軍，癸巳，建大將軍府；以寂為長史，劉文靜為司馬，唐儉及前長安尉溫大雅為記室，大雅仍與弟大有共掌機密，武士擭為鎧曹，劉政會及武城崔善為、太原張道源為戶曹，晉陽長上邽姜謨為司功參軍，太谷長殷開山為府掾，長孫順德、劉弘基、竇琮及鷹揚郎將高平王長諧、天水姜寶誼、陽屯為左、右統軍；自餘文武，隨才授任。又以世子建成為隴西公，左領軍大都督，左三統軍隸焉；世民為敦煌公，右三統軍隸焉各置官屬。以柴紹為右領軍府長史；咨議譙人劉贍領西河通守。道源名河，開山名嶠，皆以字行。開山，不害之孫也。

Li Yuan opened the granaries to feed the poor, and recruits poured in day by day. Li Yuan organized them into three armies, left and right wings, collectively known as the Righteous Warriors. Pei Ji and the others urged Li Yuan to assume the title of Grand General. On the day guisi they established his headquarters; Pei Ji became chief clerk, Liu Wenjing marshal, Tang Jian and the former Chang'an commandant Wen Daya recorders—with Daya and his brother Dayou jointly handling confidential affairs. Wu Shihuo was armor officer; Liu Zhenghui, Cui Shanwei of Wucheng, and Zhang Daoyuan of Taiyuan were revenue officers; Jiang Mo, magistrate of Jinyang, was director of merit; Yin Kaishan, magistrate of Taigu, was headquarters aide; and Sun Shunde, Liu Hongji, Dou Cong, the Yingyang commandant Wang Changxie of Gaoping, Jiang Baoyi of Tianshui, and Yang Tun were appointed left and right army commanders; all other civil and military men were given posts suited to their abilities. He made his heir Jiancheng Duke of Longxi and Grand Commander of the Left Army, with the three left-wing units under his command; Shimin was made Duke of Dunhuang, with the three right-wing units under him; each was given his own staff of officers. Chai Shao was appointed chief clerk of the Right Army headquarters; Liu Shan of Qiao, a staff adviser, was made acting defender of Xihe. Zhang Daoyuan's given name was He and Yin Kaishan's was Qiao; both were known by their style names. Yin Kaishan was a grandson of the official Yin Buhai.

李密復帥眾向東都，丙申，大戰於平樂園。密左騎、右步、中列強弩，鳴千鼓以沖之，東都兵大敗，密復取回洛倉。

Li Mi again led his forces toward Luoyang. On the day bingshen they fought a major battle at Pingle Garden. Li Mi arrayed cavalry on the left, infantry on the right, and powerful crossbows in the center, then charged with a thousand drums beating. The Luoyang army was routed, and Li Mi recaptured Huiluo Granary.

突厥遣其柱國康鞘利等送馬千匹詣李淵為互市，許發兵送淵入關，多少隨所欲。丁酉，淵引見康鞘利等，受可汗書，禮容盡恭，贈遣康鞘利等甚厚。擇其馬之善者，止市其半；義士請以私錢市其餘，淵曰：「虜饒馬而貪利，其來將不已，恐汝不能市也。吾所以少取者，示貧，且不以為急故也，當為汝貰之，不足為汝費。」乙巳，靈壽賊帥郗士陵帥眾數千降於淵，淵以為鎮東將軍、燕郡公，仍置鎮東府，補僚屬，以招撫山東郡縣。己巳，康鞘利北還。淵命劉文靜使於突厥以請兵，私謂文靜曰：「胡騎入中國，生民之大蠹也。吾所以欲得之者，恐劉武周引之共為邊患；又，胡馬行牧，不費芻粟，聊欲藉之以為聲勢耳。數百人之外，無所用之。」

The Turks sent their pillar general Kang Qiaoli and others with a thousand horses for trade with Li Yuan, and promised to send troops to escort him through the Pass—in whatever numbers he desired. On the day dingyou, Li Yuan received Kang Qiaoli and his party, accepted the qaghan's letter with full ceremonial courtesy, and sent them away with lavish gifts. He chose the best horses and bought only half of them; the warriors asked to buy the rest with their own money. Li Yuan said: "The Turks have plenty of horses and are greedy for profit. They will keep sending more, and I doubt you could afford to buy them all. I am taking so few to appear poor and because we are not desperate for them yet. I will buy the rest on credit for you—you need not spend your own funds." On the day yisi, Xi Shiling, a rebel leader from Lingshou, surrendered with several thousand men. Li Yuan made him General Who Pacifies the East and Duke of Yan, set up an Eastern Pacification headquarters with a full staff, and charged him with winning over the eastern provinces. On the day jisi, Kang Qiaoli returned north. Li Yuan sent Liu Wenjing on a mission to the Turks to request troops, and told him privately: "When Turkic cavalry enter China, they are a calamity for the people. I want them only because I fear Liu Wuzhou will enlist them to raid our borders; and besides, Turkic horses graze as they march and cost us no fodder—I only want to borrow their prestige. Beyond a few hundred men, they are useless to us."

秋，七月，煬帝遣江都通守王世充將江、淮勁卒，將軍王隆帥邛黃蠻，河北大使太常少卿韋霽、河南大使虎牙郎將王辯等各帥所領同赴東都，相知討李密。霽，世康之子也。

In autumn, the seventh month, Emperor Yang dispatched Wang Shichong, inspector-general of Jiangdu, with crack troops from the Jiang-Huai region; General Wang Long with Qiong and Huang tribesmen; Wei Ji, Director of Ceremonies and commissioner for Hebei; Wang Bian, Tiger-Fang commandant and commissioner for Henan; and others—each leading his own forces to Luoyang to coordinate the campaign against Li Mi. Wei Ji was a son of Wei Shikang.

壬子，李淵以子元吉為太原太守，留守晉陽宮，後事悉委之。癸丑，淵帥甲士三萬發晉陽，立軍門誓眾，並移檄郡縣，諭以尊立代王之意；西突厥阿史那大奈亦帥其眾以從。甲寅，遣通議大夫張綸將兵徇稽胡。丙辰，淵至西河，慰勞吏民，賑贍窮乏；民年七十已上，皆除散官，其餘豪俊，隨才授任，口詢功能，手注官秩，一日除千餘人；受官皆不取告身，各分淵所書官名而去。淵入雀鼠谷；壬戌，軍賈胡堡，去霍邑五十餘里。代王侑遣虎牙郎將宋老生帥精兵二萬屯霍邑，左武候大將軍屈突通將驍果數萬屯河東以拒淵。會積雨，淵不得進，遣府佐沈叔安等將羸兵還太原，更運一月糧。乙丑，張綸克離石，殺太守楊子崇。

On the day renzi, Li Yuan appointed his son Yuanji governor of Taiyuan to guard the Jinyang palace and entrusted him with all affairs there. On the day guichou, Li Yuan marched from Jinyang at the head of thirty thousand armored men, took an oath before the army, and issued proclamations to the provinces explaining his plan to enthrone Prince Dai; Ashina Danai of the Western Turks also brought his forces to join him. On the day jiayin, he sent Master of Ceremonies Zhang Lun to lead troops against the Ji Hu rebels. On the day bingchen, Li Yuan reached Xihe, comforted officials and civilians, and distributed relief to the poor; all people aged seventy or above were given honorary offices; other worthy men were appointed according to their abilities—he questioned each orally about his skills and wrote in their ranks by hand, appointing more than a thousand in a single day; none of them took formal appointment documents—they simply left with the office title Li Yuan had written for each. Li Yuan entered Queyu Valley; on the day renxu the army encamped at Jiahu Fort, a little over fifty li from Huoyi. Prince Dai You sent the Tiger-Fang commandant Song Laosheng with twenty thousand elite troops to hold Huoyi, and the Left Martial Guard general Qutu Tong with tens of thousands of crack troops to hold Hedong against Li Yuan. Heavy rains set in and Li Yuan could not advance. He sent his aide Shen Shu'an and others back to Taiyuan with a weak detachment to fetch another month's supplies. On the day yichou, Zhang Lun captured Lishi and killed its governor Yang Zichong.

劉文靜至突厥，見始畢可汗，請兵，且與之約曰：「若入長安，民眾土地入唐公，金玉繒帛歸突厥。」始畢大喜，丙寅，遣其大臣級失特勒先至淵軍，告以兵已上道。

Liu Wenjing reached the Turkic court, met Qaghan Shibi, and requested troops, agreeing with him: "If we take Chang'an, the people and territory shall belong to Duke Tang, while gold, jade, silks, and brocades shall belong to the Turks." Shibi was delighted. On the day bingyin he sent his minister Jishitele ahead to Li Yuan's camp to announce that the troops were already on their way.

淵以書招李密。密自恃兵強，欲為盟主，己巳，使祖君彥復書曰：「與兄派流雖異，根系本同。自唯虛薄，為四海英雄共推盟主。所望左提右挈，戮力同心，執子嬰於咸陽，殪商辛於牧野，豈不盛哉！」且欲使淵以步騎數千自至河內，面結盟約。淵得書，笑曰：「密妄自矜大，非折簡可致。吾方有事關中，若遽絕之，乃是更生一敵；不如卑辭推獎以驕其志，使為我塞成皋之道，綴東都之兵，我得專意西征。俟關中平定，據險養威，徐觀鷸蚌之勢以收漁人之功，未為晚也。」乃使溫大雅復書曰：「吾雖庸劣，幸承餘緒，出為八使，入典六屯，顛而不扶，通賢所責。所以大會義兵，和親北狄，共匡天下，志在尊隋。天生烝民，必有司牧。當今為牧，非子而誰！老夫年逾知命，願不及此。欣戴大弟，攀鱗附翼，唯弟早膺圖菉，以寧兆民！宗盟之長，屬籍見容，復封於唐，斯榮足矣。殪商辛於牧野，所不忍言；執子嬰於咸陽，未敢聞命。汾晉左右，尚須安輯；盟津之會，未暇卜期。」密得書甚喜。以示將佐曰：「唐公見推，天下不足定矣！」自是信使往來不絕。

Li Yuan sent a letter inviting Li Mi to join him. Confident in his military strength, Li Mi wanted to be alliance leader. On the day jisi he had Zu Junyan reply: "Though our branches diverge, our roots are one. I am unworthy, yet the heroes of the realm have unanimously made me their leader. I hope you will guide and support me as we strive together—to seize Ziying at Xianyang and destroy King Zhou at Muye. What glory that would be! He also wanted Li Yuan to come in person to Henei with several thousand infantry and cavalry to seal the alliance face to face. When Li Yuan read the letter, he laughed and said: "Li Mi is absurdly arrogant—not someone you can summon with a polite note. I am occupied with Guanzhong right now. If I cut him off abruptly, I would only create another enemy; better to flatter him with humble praise, inflate his pride, and let him block the Cheng'ao road and tie down Luoyang's army while I focus on the west. Once Guanzhong is secure, I can hold the passes, build my strength, and watch the snipe and clam fight while I reap the fisherman's reward. That will not be too late. He had Wen Daya reply: "Though I am unworthy, I have the good fortune of noble lineage. I served abroad as one of the Eight Commissioners and at home directed the Six Garrisons. To see the dynasty tottering and not lend support is what any worthy man would condemn. That is why I have raised a great righteous army, allied with the northern tribes, and set out to restore the realm—with the aim of preserving the Sui dynasty. Heaven created the people; there must be one to shepherd them. Who but you should be that shepherd today! I am past fifty and have no such ambition. I rejoice to follow my great younger brother, clinging to the dragon's scales and wings—may you soon receive Heaven's mandate and bring peace to the people! As head of our clan alliance, if my lineage is recognized and I am enfeoffed again as Duke of Tang, that honor is glory enough. As for destroying King Zhou at Muye—I cannot bring myself to speak of it; and as for seizing Ziying at Xianyang—I dare not accept such orders. The Fen and Jin region still needs pacifying; as for a meeting at Mengjin—I have not yet had leisure to set a date. Li Mi was delighted when he received the reply. He showed it to his officers and said: "Duke Tang has deferred to me—the realm is as good as won! From then on messengers passed between them without cease."

雨久不止，淵軍中糧乏；劉文靜未返，或傳突厥與劉武周乘虛晉陽；淵召將佐謀北還。裴寂等皆曰：「宋老生、屈突通連兵據險，未易猝下。李密雖雲連和，奸謀難測。突厥貪而無信，唯利是視。武周，事胡者也。太原一方都會，且義兵家屬在焉，不如還救根本，更圖後舉。」李世民曰：「今禾菽被野，何優乏糧！老生輕躁，一戰可擒。李密顧戀倉粟，未遑遠略。武周與突厥外雖相附，內實相猜。武周雖遠利太原，豈可近忘馬邑！本興大義，奮不顧身以救蒼生，當先入咸陽，號令天下。今遇小敵，遽已班師，恐從義之徒一朝解體，還守太原一城之地為賊耳，何以自全！」李建成亦以為然。淵不聽，促令引發。世民將復入諫，會日暮，淵已寢；世民不得入，號哭於外，聲聞帳中。淵召問之，世民曰：「今兵以義動，進戰則克，退還則散；眾散於前，敵乘於後，死亡無日，何得不悲！」淵乃悟，曰：「軍已發，奈何？」世民曰：「右軍嚴而未發；左軍雖去，計亦未遠，請自追之。」淵笑曰：「吾之成敗皆在爾，知復何言，唯爾所為。」世民乃與建成分道夜追左軍復還。丙子，太原運糧亦至。

The rains would not let up, and Li Yuan's army was running out of food; Liu Wenjing had not yet returned, and rumors spread that the Turks and Liu Wuzhou would seize the chance to attack Jinyang; Li Yuan called his officers together to plan a retreat north. Pei Ji and the others all said: "Song Laosheng and Qutu Tong hold the passes together—they cannot be taken quickly. Li Mi talks of alliance, but his schemes are impossible to trust. The Turks are greedy and untrustworthy, caring only for gain. Liu Wuzhou is a client of the Turks. Taiyuan is a major city, and our soldiers' families are there. We should return to secure our base and plan another campaign later. Li Shimin said: "The fields are full of grain—why worry about supplies! Laosheng is rash and reckless—we can capture him in a single battle. Li Mi is fixated on his granary stores and has no time for grand ambitions. Though Liu Wuzhou and the Turks are allied in name, they deeply distrust each other. Liu Wuzhou may covet Taiyuan from afar, but he will not forget Mayi right on his doorstep! We raised this righteous cause to save the people at the risk of our lives. We should march first into Xianyang and command the realm. If we retreat before a minor foe, our followers will scatter overnight. Reduced to defending Taiyuan alone, we would be no better than bandits—how could we survive! Li Jiancheng agreed as well. Li Yuan would not listen and ordered the army to march at once. Shimin was about to go in and remonstrate again, but night had fallen and Li Yuan had already gone to bed; Shimin could not get in and wept aloud outside until his cries reached the tent. Li Yuan summoned him and asked what was wrong. Shimin said: "This army fights for a righteous cause—advance and we win, retreat and we dissolve; our men scatter before us while the enemy closes in from behind—death is certain. How could I not weep! Li Yuan understood and said: "The army has already marched—what can we do? Shimin said: "The right wing is drawn up but has not yet departed; the left wing has left but cannot be far yet. Let me go after them myself." Li Yuan smiled and said: "My success or failure rests entirely with you. Say no more—do as you see fit." Shimin and Jiancheng then split up and pursued the left wing through the night, bringing them back. On the day bingzi, the grain convoy from Taiyuan also arrived."

武威鷹揚府司馬李軌，家富，好任俠。薛舉作亂於金城，軌與同郡曹珍、關謹、梁碩、李贇、安修仁等謀曰：「薛舉必來侵暴，郡官庸怯，勢不能御，吾輩豈可束手並妻孥為人所虜邪！不若相與並力拒之，保據河右以待天下之變。」眾皆以為然，欲推一人為主，各相讓，莫肯當。曹珍曰：「久聞圖讖李氏當王；今軌在謀中，乃天命也。」遂相與拜軌，奉以為主。丙辰，軌令修仁集諸胡，軌結民間豪傑，共起兵，執虎賁郎將謝統師、郡丞韋士政。軌自稱河西大涼王，置官屬並擬開皇故事。關謹等欲盡殺隋官，分其家貲，軌曰：「諸人既逼以為主，當稟其號令。今興義兵以救生民，乃殺人取貨，此群盜耳，將何以濟！」於是以統師為太僕卿，士政為太府卿。西突厥闕達度設據會寧川，自稱闕可汗，請降於軌。

Li Gui, marshal of the Yingyang headquarters in Wuwei, came from a wealthy family with a taste for bold adventure. When Xue Ju rebelled at Jincheng, Li Gui plotted with his fellow townsman Cao Zhen, Guan Jin, Liang Shuo, Li Yun, An Xiuren, and others: "Xue Ju will surely come to plunder us. The commandery officials are timid and useless—they cannot defend us. How can we sit idle while our families are taken captive! Let us join forces to resist him, hold the lands west of the Yellow River, and wait for the realm to change." All agreed and wanted to choose a leader, but each deferred to the others and none would accept. Cao Zhen said: "I have long heard prophetic texts say the house of Li is destined to rule; Li Gui appears in those prophecies—this is Heaven's mandate." They bowed to Li Gui together and made him their leader. On the day bingchen, Li Gui ordered An Xiuren to gather the tribal peoples while he rallied local heroes. Together they rose in arms and seized the Tiger-Fang commandant Xie Tongshi and the assistant magistrate Wei Shizheng. Li Gui declared himself Great King of Liang west of the River, appointed officials, and modeled his government on the Kaihuang era. Guan Jin and the others wanted to kill all the Sui officials and divide their property. Li Gui said: "You forced me to be your leader—you should obey my commands. We are raising a righteous army to save the people, yet you would kill for loot—that is mere banditry. How will that succeed! He then appointed Xie Tongshi Director of the Imperial Stud and Wei Shizheng Director of the Imperial Treasury. Que Datushe of the Western Turks held Huining Valley, declared himself Qaghan Que, and offered to submit to Li Gui."

薛舉自稱秦帝，立其妻鞠氏為皇后，子仁果為皇太子。遣仁果將兵圍天水，克之，舉自金城徙都之。仁果多力，善騎射，軍中號萬人敵；然性貪而好殺。嘗獲庾信子立，怒其不降，磔於火上，稍割以啖軍士。及克天水，悉召富人，倒懸之，以醋灌鼻，責其金寶。舉每戒之曰：「汝之才略足以辦事，然苛虐無恩，終當覆我國家。」

Xue Ju declared himself Emperor of Qin, made his wife Lady Ju empress, and his son Renguo crown prince. He sent Renguo to besiege Tianshui. When it fell, Xue Ju moved his capital there from Jincheng. Renguo was immensely strong and skilled at mounted archery—the army called him a match for ten thousand men; but he was greedy and bloodthirsty by nature. Once he captured Yu Xin's son Li, who refused to surrender. Enraged, he dismembered him over a fire and fed pieces to his soldiers. After capturing Tianshui, he summoned the wealthy, hung them upside down, poured vinegar into their nostrils, and extorted their gold and jewels. Xue Ju often warned him: "Your talent is sufficient for any task, but your cruelty and lack of mercy will ultimately destroy our state."

舉遣晉王仁越將兵趨劍口，至河池郡；太守蕭瑀拒卻之。又遣其將常仲興濟河擊李軌，與軌將李贇戰於昌松，仲興舉軍敗沒。軌欲縱遣之，斌曰：「力戰獲俘，復縱以資敵，將焉用之！不如盡坑之。」軌曰：「天若祚我，當擒其主，此屬終為我有；若其無成，留此何益！」乃縱之。未幾，攻張掖、敦煌、西平、□包罕，皆克之，盡有河西五郡之地。

Xue Ju sent Prince of Jin Renguo toward Jiankou, reaching Hechi Commandery; where Governor Xiao Yu repelled him. He also sent his general Chang Zhongxing across the river to attack Li Gui. At Changsong he fought Li Gui's general Li Yun, and Chang Zhongxing's entire army was destroyed. Li Gui wanted to release them. Li Yun said: "We fought hard to capture them—why release them to strengthen the enemy! Better to bury them all alive." Li Gui said: "If Heaven favors me, I will capture their leader and these men will ultimately be mine; if we fail, what good are they to us! He released them. Before long he attacked Zhangye, Dunhuang, Xiping, and Paohan, capturing them all and holding the five commanderies west of the River."

煬帝詔左御衛大將軍涿郡留守薛世雄將燕地精兵三萬討李密，命王世充等諸將皆受世雄節度，軍所過盜賊隨便誅剪。世雄行至河間，軍於七里井，竇建德士眾惶懼，悉拔諸城南遁，聲言還入豆子。世雄以為畏己，不復設備，建德謀還襲之。其處去世雄營百四十里，建德帥敢死士二百八十人先行，令餘眾續發，建德與其士眾約曰：「夜至，則擊其營；已明，則降之。」未至一里所，天欲明，建德惶惑議降；會天大霧，人咫尺不相辨，建德喜曰：「天讚我也！」遂突入其營擊之，世雄士卒大亂，皆騰柵走。世雄不能禁，與左右數十騎遁歸涿郡，慚恚發病卒。建德遂圍河間。

Emperor Yang ordered Xue Shixiong, general of the Left Imperial Guard and garrison commander of Zhuo, to lead thirty thousand crack troops from the Yan region against Li Mi, with Wang Shichong and the other generals under his command. Wherever the army passed, bandits were killed on sight. When Shixiong reached Hejian, he encamped at Qili Well. Dou Jiande's men were terrified and abandoned all the southern cities, claiming they would retreat to Douzi. Shixiong thought they feared him and let his guard down. Jiande planned a counterattack. His camp was one hundred forty li from Shixiong's. Jiande led two hundred eighty dare-to-die men ahead, with the rest to follow. He told his men: "If we arrive by night, we attack their camp; if day has broken, we surrender." Before they had gone one li, dawn was approaching. Jiande grew anxious and talked of surrender; then a thick fog descended so that men could not see each other at arm's length. Jiande exclaimed: "Heaven favors me! He stormed their camp. Shixiong's men panicked and fled over the palisades. Shixiong could not stop them. He fled to Zhuo with a few dozen horsemen, where shame and rage brought on an illness that killed him. Jiande then besieged Hejian.

八月，己卯，雨霽。庚辰，李淵命軍中曝鎧仗行裝。辛巳旦，東南由山足細道趣霍邑。淵恐宋老生不出，李建成、李世民曰：「老生勇而無謀，以輕騎挑之，理無不出；脫其固守，則誣以貳於我。彼恐為左右所奏，安敢不出！」淵曰：「汝測之善，老生不能逆戰賈胡，吾知其無能為也！」淵與數百騎先至霍邑城東數里以待步兵，使建成、世民將數十騎至城下，舉鞭指麾，若將圍城之狀，且詬之。老生怒，引兵三萬自東門、南門分道而出，淵使殷開山趣召後軍。後軍至，淵欲使軍士先食而戰，世民曰：「時不可失。」淵乃與建成陳於城東，世民陳於城南。淵、建成戰小卻，世民與軍頭臨淄段志玄自南原引兵馳下，沖老生陳，出其背，世民手殺數十人，兩刀皆缺，流血滿袖，灑之復戰。淵兵復振，因傳呼曰：「已獲老生矣！」老生兵大敗，淵兵先趣其門，門閉，老生下馬投塹，劉弘基就斬之，殭屍數里。日已暮，淵即命登城，時無攻具，將士肉薄而登，遂克之。

In the eighth month, on the day jimao, the rain finally stopped. On the day gengchen, Li Yuan ordered the army to air out its armor, weapons, and baggage. At dawn on the day xinsi, they advanced southeast along a narrow mountain path toward Huoyi. Li Yuan feared Song Laosheng would not come out. Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin said: "Laosheng is brave but stupid. Provoke him with light cavalry and he is bound to come out; if he refuses to budge, accuse him of secretly siding with us. He will fear being denounced by his own men—he will have to come out!" Li Yuan said: "Your judgment is sound. Laosheng would not fight at Jiahu—I know he is good for nothing!" Li Yuan rode ahead with several hundred horsemen to a point several li east of Huoyi to await the infantry, while Jiancheng and Shimin took several dozen horsemen to the city wall, gesturing with their whips as if preparing to besiege it and hurling insults. Laosheng flew into a rage and led thirty thousand men out through the east and south gates. Li Yuan sent Yin Kaishan to hurry up the rear army. When the rear army arrived, Li Yuan wanted the men to eat before fighting. Shimin said: "We cannot lose this moment." Li Yuan arrayed with Jiancheng east of the city and Shimin south of it. Li Yuan and Jiancheng's line gave ground slightly. Shimin and the army leader Duan Zhixuan of Linzi charged down from the southern heights, broke through Laosheng's formation, and struck from behind. Shimin personally killed dozens of men. Both his blades were notched and blood soaked his sleeves, but he shook it off and fought on. Li Yuan's troops rallied, and a cry went through the ranks: "We have captured Laosheng! Laosheng's army was routed. Li Yuan's men raced for the gate, but it was shut. Laosheng dismounted and threw himself into the moat. Liu Hongji went down and beheaded him. Corpses lay for miles. By evening Li Yuan ordered the city taken. With no siege engines, the soldiers scaled the walls by sheer force of numbers and captured it.

淵賞霍邑之功，軍吏疑奴應募者不得與良人同，淵曰：「矢石之間，不辨貴賤；論勳之際，何有等差，宜並從本勳授。」壬午，淵引見霍邑吏民，勞賞如西河，選其丁壯使從軍；關中軍士欲歸者，並授五品散宮，遣歸。或諫以官太濫，淵曰：「隋氏吝惜勳賞，此所以失人心也，奈何效之！且收眾以官，不勝於用兵乎！」

Li Yuan rewarded the victors of Huoyi. Some officers questioned whether slave recruits should share equally with free men. Li Yuan said: "In the hail of arrows, noble and base are not distinguished; when discussing merit, what place has rank? All should be rewarded according to their actual deeds." On the day renwu, Li Yuan received the officials and people of Huoyi, comforted and rewarded them as he had at Xihe, and drafted able-bodied men into the army; soldiers from Guanzhong who wished to go home were all given fifth-rank honorary offices and sent back. Some objected that he was giving away offices too freely. Li Yuan said: "The Sui dynasty was stingy with rewards—that is why it lost the people's hearts. Why should we imitate that! Besides, winning people over with offices—is that not better than fighting them!"

丙戌，淵入臨汾郡，慰撫如霍邑。庚寅，宿鼓山。絳郡通守陳叔達拒守；辛卯，進攻，克之。叔達，陳高宗之子，有才學，淵禮而用之。

On the day bingxu, Li Yuan entered Linfen Commandery and comforted the people as he had at Huoyi. On the day gengyin, he camped at Drum Mountain. Chen Shuda, inspector-general of Jiang Commandery, held out against him; on the day xinmao they attacked and captured it. Chen Shuda was a son of Emperor Gao of Chen, a man of talent and learning whom Li Yuan treated with courtesy and employed.

癸巳，淵至龍門，劉文靜、康鞘利以突厥兵五百人、馬二千匹來至。淵喜其來緩，謂文靜曰：「吾西行及河，突厥始至，兵少馬多，皆君將命之功也。」

On the day guisi, Li Yuan reached Longmen. Liu Wenjing and Kang Qiaoli arrived with five hundred Turkic soldiers and two thousand horses. Li Yuan was pleased they had arrived late and told Wenjing: "I reached the river before the Turks came—few soldiers but many horses. This is entirely thanks to your carrying out my orders."

汾陽薛大鼎說淵：「請勿攻河東，自龍門直濟河，據永豐倉，傳檄遠近，關中可坐取也。」淵將從之。諸將請先攻河東，乃以大鼎為大將軍府察非掾。

Xue Dading of Fenyang advised Li Yuan: "Do not attack Hedong. Cross the river directly from Longmen, seize Yongfeng Granary, and issue proclamations far and wide—Guanzhong can be taken without a fight." Li Yuan was about to follow this advice. The generals insisted on attacking Hedong first, so he made Xue Dading an investigator in the Grand General's headquarters.

河東縣戶曹任瑰說淵曰：「關中豪傑皆企踵以待義兵。瑰在馮翊積年，知其豪傑，請往諭之，必從風而靡。義師自梁山濟河，指韓城，逼郃陽。蕭造文吏，必望塵請服。孫華之徒，皆當遠迎，然後鼓行而進，直據永豐。雖未得長安，關中固已定矣。」淵說，以瑰為銀青光祿大夫。

Ren Gui, revenue clerk of Hedong county, told Li Yuan: "The heroes of Guanzhong are all waiting eagerly for the righteous army. I have lived in Fengyi for years and know its leaders. Let me go persuade them—they will surely flock to your banner. The righteous army crossed the river from Mount Liang, marched on Hancheng, and pressed toward Heyang. Xiao Zao is only a civil official; he is sure to surrender at the first glimpse of your dust. Men like Sun Hua should all come out to welcome you from afar; then you can march forward with drums beating and seize Yongfeng outright. Even if you have not yet taken Chang'an, Guanzhong will already be as good as secured. Li Yuan was persuaded and appointed Ren Gui Grandee of Splendid Happiness with Silver Seal."

時關中群盜，孫華最強。丙申，淵至汾陰，以書招之。己亥，淵進軍壺口，河濱之民獻舟者日以百數，乃置水軍。壬寅，孫華自郃陽輕騎渡河見淵。淵握手與坐，慰獎之，以華為左光祿大夫、武鄉縣公，領馮翊太守，其徒有功者，委華以次授官，賞賜甚厚。使之先濟；繼遣左右統軍王長諧、劉弘基及左領軍長史陳演壽、金紫光祿大夫史大柰將步騎六千自梁山濟，營於河西以待大軍。以任瑰為招慰大使，瑰說韓城，下之。淵謂長諧等曰：「屈突通精兵不少，相去五十餘里，不敢來戰，足明其眾不為之用。然通畏罪，不敢不出。若自濟河擊卿等，則我進攻河東，必不能守；若全軍守城，則卿等絕其河梁：前扼其喉，後拊其背，彼不走必為擒矣。」驍果從煬帝在江都者多逃去，帝患之，以問裴矩，對曰：「人情非有匹偶，難以久處，請聽軍士於此納室。」帝從之。九月，悉召江都境內寡婦、處女集宮下，恣將士所取；或先與奸者聽自首，即以配之。

At that time, among the rebel bands in Guanzhong, Sun Hua was the most powerful. On the day bingchen, Li Yuan reached Fenyin and wrote to summon him. On jihai, Li Yuan advanced to Hukou. River folk brought boats by the hundreds each day, and he accordingly formed a navy. On renyin, Sun Hua rode light cavalry from Heyang across the river to meet Li Yuan. Li Yuan took his hand, seated him beside him, and comforted and praised him. He appointed Sun Hua Left Grandee of Splendid Happiness and Duke of Wuxiang, with acting authority as Grand Defender of Fengyi. Merit among his followers was entrusted to Sun Hua for sequential appointment to office, and the rewards were lavish. He had them cross the river first. He then sent Wang Changxie and Liu Hongji, the Left and Right Unified Army commanders, together with Chen Yanshou, registrar of the Left Army Inspectorate, and Shi Dana, Grand Master for Splendid Happiness with Golden Seal, leading six thousand infantry and cavalry across from Mount Liang to camp on the west bank and await the main force. He appointed Ren Gui pacification commissioner. Ren Gui persuaded Hancheng to surrender. Li Yuan told Wang Changxie and the others: "Qutu Tong commands a considerable elite force. Though only fifty-odd li away, he dares not give battle—proof enough that his men are not willing to fight for him. Still, Tong fears punishment and will be forced to move sooner or later. If he crosses the river himself to strike you, I shall advance on Hedong and he will surely be unable to hold it. If he keeps his entire army in the city, you can sever his river crossing: choke him in front and strike his rear. If he does not flee, he is sure to be taken." Many of the elite troops who had followed Emperor Yang to Jiangdu had deserted. The emperor was troubled and asked Pei Ju, who answered: "Men cannot live without companions for long. Please allow the soldiers to take wives here." The emperor agreed. In the ninth month, he summoned all widows and unmarried women in the Jiangdu region to assemble below the palace, where officers and soldiers were free to choose among them. Women who had previously had illicit relations were permitted to confess and were then assigned to the men in question.

武陽郡丞元寶藏以郡降李密，甲寅，密以寶藏為上柱國、武陽公。寶藏使其客巨鹿魏徵為啟謝密，且請改武陽為魏州；又請帥所部西取魏郡，南會諸將取黎陽倉。密喜，即以寶藏為魏州總管，召魏徵為元帥府文學參軍，掌記室。征少孤貧，好讀書，有大志，落拓不事生業。始為道士，寶藏召典書記。密愛其文辭，故召之。

Yuan Baocang, assistant prefect of Wuyang, surrendered the commandery to Li Mi. On jiayin, Mi appointed Baocang Supreme Pillar of State and Duke of Wuyang. Baocang had his client Wei Zheng of Julu compose a letter of thanks to Li Mi and also requested that Wuyang be renamed Weizhou. He further asked to lead his forces west to seize Wei Commandery and south to join the other generals in capturing the Liyang granary. Li Mi was delighted. He at once appointed Baocang military commissioner of Weizhou and summoned Wei Zheng to serve as literary staff officer at marshal headquarters, in charge of the secretariat. Wei Zheng had been orphaned and poor from childhood. He loved books and cherished lofty ambitions, but lived freely and would not settle into any regular trade. He had first become a Taoist priest before Baocang summoned him to keep his written records. Li Mi admired his writing, and so brought him into his service.

初，貴鄉長弘農魏德深，為政清靜，不嚴而治。遼東之役，徵稅百端，使者旁午，責成郡縣，民不堪命，唯貴鄉閭裡不擾，有無相通，不竭其力，所求皆給。元寶藏受詔捕賊，數調器械，動以軍法從事。其鄰城營造，皆聚於聽事，官吏遞相督責，晝夜喧囂，猶不能濟。德深聽隨便修營，官府寂然，恆若無事，唯戒吏以不須過勝餘縣，使百姓勞苦；然民各自竭心，常為諸縣之最，縣民愛之如父母。寶藏深害其能，遣將千兵赴東都。所領兵聞寶藏降密，思其親戚，輒出都門，東向慟哭而返；或勸之降密，皆泣曰：「我與魏明府同來，何忍棄去！」

Earlier, Wei Deshen of Hongnong, chief magistrate of Guixiang, had governed with quiet clarity and achieved order without harshness. During the Liaodong campaign, taxes and levies multiplied in every form. Envoys shuttled back and forth, pressing counties and commanderies to deliver. The people could hardly survive, yet in Guixiang the neighborhoods remained undisturbed. Neighbors shared what they had, did not exhaust themselves, and met every demand. Yuan Baocang had been ordered to hunt down bandits. He repeatedly requisitioned equipment and routinely enforced military law. In neighboring cities all construction work was crowded into the government hall. Officials took turns supervising and rebuking one another day and night in ceaseless uproar, yet still could not finish on time. Deshen let people carry out repairs wherever convenient. The government offices stayed quiet and always seemed as if nothing were afoot. He only warned his clerks not to outdo neighboring counties and wear the people down. Yet the people gave their utmost willingly. His district was constantly foremost among the counties, and the people loved him as they would their parents. Baocang deeply resented his competence and sent a general with a thousand men to the Eastern Capital. When the troops under his command heard that Baocang had surrendered to Li Mi, they thought of their families, left the city gate at once, turned eastward, wept bitterly, and marched back. Some urged them to surrender to Li Mi. They all wept and said: "We came here with Magistrate Wei. How can we bear to desert him!"

河南、山東大水，餓殍滿野，煬帝詔開黎陽倉賑之，吏不時給，死者日數萬人。徐世勣言於李密曰：「天下大亂，本為饑饉。今更得黎陽倉，大事濟矣。」密遣世績帥麾下五千人自原武濟河，會元寶藏、郝孝德、李文相及洹水賊帥張升、清河賊帥趙君德共襲破黎陽倉，據之，開倉恣民就食，浹旬間，得勝兵二十餘萬。武安、永安、義陽、弋陽、齊郡相繼降密。竇建德、朱粲之徒亦遣使附密，密以粲為揚州總管、鄧公。泰山道士徐洪客獻書於密，以為：「大眾久聚，恐米盡人散，師老厭戰，難可成功。」勸密「乘進取之機，因士馬之銳，沿流東指，直向江都，執取獨夫，號令天下。」密壯其言，以書招之，洪客竟不出，莫知所之。

Henan and Shandong were ravaged by flood. The starving lay dead across the countryside. Emperor Yang ordered the Liyang granary opened for relief, but officials failed to distribute grain promptly, and tens of thousands died each day. Xu Shiji said to Li Mi: "The empire is in chaos above all because of famine. Now that we have the Liyang granary as well, the great enterprise can succeed. Li Mi sent Xu Shiji at the head of five thousand men under his command to cross the river from Yuanwu. Together with Yuan Baocang, Hao Xiaode, Li Wenxiang, Zhang Sheng the Huan River bandit chief, and Zhao Junde the Qinghe bandit chief, they jointly stormed and captured the Liyang granary. They held it, opened the stores, and let the people eat freely. Within ten days they had more than two hundred thousand battle-ready troops. Wu'an, Yong'an, Yiyang of Yi, Yiyang of Yi Prefecture, and Qi Commandery surrendered to Li Mi one after another. Dou Jiande, Zhu Can, and others also sent envoys to join Li Mi. Mi appointed Zhu Can military commissioner of Yangzhou and Duke of Deng. The Mount Tai Taoist Xu Hongke submitted a letter to Li Mi arguing that the great host had been gathered too long: grain might run out and men scatter, the army would grow weary and lose the will to fight, and success would be hard to achieve. He urged Li Mi to seize the moment for advance, exploit the sharpness of his troops and horses, sail downriver toward Jiangdu, seize the tyrant, and command the empire. Li Mi was impressed by his counsel and wrote to summon him, but Hongke never came forth and his whereabouts were unknown."

乙卯，張綸徇龍泉、文成等郡，皆下之，獲文成太守鄭元□。元□，譯之子也。

On yimao, Zhang Lun marched against Longquan, Wencheng, and other commanderies, all of which submitted. He captured Zheng Yuan[n], grand defender of Wencheng. Zheng Yuan[n] was the son of Zheng Yi.

屈突通遣虎牙郎將桑顯和將驍果數千人夜襲王長諧等營，長諧等戰不利，孫華、史大柰以游騎自後擊顯和，大破之。顯和脫走入城，仍自絕河梁。丙辰，馮翊大守蕭造降於李淵。造，修之子也。

Qutu Tong sent the Tiger Tooth general Sang Xianhe with several thousand elite troops to raid Wang Changxie's camp by night. Wang Changxie and his men fared badly until Sun Hua and Shi Dana hit Xianhe from the rear with light cavalry and routed him completely. Sang Xianhe broke free and fled into the city, then destroyed the river crossing himself. On bingchen, Xiao Zao, grand defender of Fengyi, surrendered to Li Yuan. Xiao Zao was the son of Xiao Xiu.

戊午，淵帥諸軍圍河東，屈突通嬰城自守。

On wuwu, Li Yuan led his forces to besiege Hedong, while Qutu Tong shut himself in the city and defended it stubbornly.

將佐復推淵領太尉，增置官屬，淵從之。時河東未下，三輔豪傑至者日以千數。淵欲引兵西趣長安，猶豫未決。裴寂曰：「屈突通擁大眾，憑堅城，吾捨之而去，若進攻長安不克，退為河東所踵，腹背受敵，此危道也。不若先克河東，然後西上。長安恃通為援，通敗，長安必破矣。」李世民曰：「不然。兵貴神速，吾席累勝之威，撫歸附之眾，鼓行而西，長安之人望風震駭，智不及謀，勇不及斷，取之若振槁葉耳。若淹留自弊於堅城之下，彼得成謀修備以待我，坐費日月，眾心離沮，則大事去矣。且關中蜂起之將，未有所屬，不可不早招懷也。屈突通自守虜耳，不足為慮。」淵兩從之，留諸將圍河東，自引軍而西。

His staff again urged Li Yuan to assume the post of grand marshal and expand his staff of officials, and he agreed. Hedong had not yet fallen, but heroes from the Three Assistants region were arriving by the thousand each day. Li Yuan wanted to march west toward Chang'an but still hesitated and could not decide. Pei Ji said: "Qutu Tong commands a large force behind strong walls. If we leave him and march away, and if we fail to take Chang'an, we will be caught from behind by Hedong. We would be attacked from front and rear. That is a dangerous course. It is better to take Hedong first and then march west. Chang'an depends on Tong for support. Once he is beaten, Chang'an is sure to fall. Li Shimin said: "That is not so. Speed is the soul of war. With the prestige of our repeated victories and the morale of those who have joined us, we need only march west with drums beating. The people of Chang'an will be struck with terror. They will lack the wit to plan and the nerve to act. Taking the city will be like shaking leaves from a withered branch. If we waste ourselves besieging a stronghold, they will have time to devise plans and strengthen their defenses. Days and months will slip away, morale will collapse, and the great enterprise will be lost. Besides, the rebel leaders rising in Guanzhong have not yet chosen a master. We cannot wait too long to win them over. Qutu Tong is only a man shut up in his own fortress. He is not worth worrying about." Li Yuan took advice from both sides: he left his generals to besiege Hedong and marched west himself."

朝邑法曹武功靳孝謨，以蒲津、中水單二城降，華陰令李孝常以永豐倉降，仍應接河西諸軍。孝常，圓通之子也。京兆諸縣亦多遣使請降。

Jin Xiaomo, law clerk of Chaoyi in Wugong, surrendered the two cities of Pujin and Zhongshui by himself. Li Xiaochang, magistrate of Huayin, surrendered the Yongfeng granary and continued to coordinate with the armies west of the river. Li Xiaochang was the son of Li Yuantong. Most of the counties in the Jingzhao region likewise sent envoys offering to surrender.

王世充、韋霽、王辯及河內通守孟善誼、河陽郡尉獨孤武都各帥所領會東都，唯王隆後期不至。己未，越王侗使虎賁郎將劉長恭等帥留守兵，寵玉等帥偃師兵，與世充等合十餘萬眾，擊李密於洛口，與密夾洛水相守。煬帝詔諸軍皆受世充節度。

Wang Shichong, Wei Ji, Wang Bian, Meng Shanyi the communications commissioner of the interior, and Dugu Wudu the commandery captain of Heyang each led their troops to gather at the Eastern Capital. Only Wang Long was late and failed to appear. On jiwei, Yang Tong, Prince of Yue, sent Liu Changgong, a Tiger Guard general, and others to command the garrison troops, and Chongyu and others to lead the Yanshi troops. Together with Wang Shichong and the rest they mustered more than a hundred thousand men and attacked Li Mi at Luokou, facing him across the Luo in a standoff. Emperor Yang ordered that all the armies were to obey Wang Shichong's command.

帝遣攝江都郡丞馮慈明向東都，為密所獲，密素聞其名，延坐勞問，禮意甚厚，因謂曰：「隋祚已盡，公能與孤共立大功乎？」慈明曰：「公家歷事先朝，榮祿兼備。不能善守門閥，乃與玄感舉兵，偶脫罔羅，得有今日，唯圖反噬，未諭高旨。莽、卓、敦、玄非不強盛，一朝夷滅，罪及祖宗。僕死而後已，不敢聞命！」密怒，囚之。慈明說防人席務本，使亡走。奉表江都，及致書東都論賊形勢，至雍丘，為密將李公逸所獲，密又義而釋之；出至營門，翟讓殺之。慈明，子琮之子也。

The emperor sent Feng Ciming, acting assistant prefect of Jiangdu, toward the Eastern Capital, but Li Mi captured him. Mi had long known his reputation. He seated him, questioned him warmly, and treated him with great courtesy. Then he said: "The Sui dynasty is finished. Will you join me in accomplishing great deeds?" Feng Ciming replied: "Your clan served the former dynasty for generations and enjoyed both honor and emolument. You could not keep your house in order, yet you rose with Yang Xuan'gan. By luck you escaped the net and have come to this day, only to turn against your sovereign. You do not yet grasp the higher purpose. Wang Mang, Dong Zhuo, Wang Dun, and Murong Xuan were none of them weak, yet each was destroyed in a day, and ruin reached their forebears. I shall serve to the death and dare not obey your order!" Li Mi was enraged and had him imprisoned. Feng Ciming persuaded his guard Xi Wuben to help him escape. He sent a memorial to Jiangdu and letters to the Eastern Capital describing the rebels' situation. At Yongqiu he was seized by Li Mi's general Li Gongyi, but Mi again released him out of respect for his integrity. When he reached the camp gate, Zhai Rang killed him. Feng Ciming was the son of Feng Zicong.

密之克洛口也，箕山府郎將張季珣固守不下，密以其寡弱，遣人呼之。季珣罵密極口，密怒，遣兵攻之，不能克。時密眾數十萬在其城下，季珣四面阻絕，所領不過數百人，而執志彌固，誓以必死。久之，糧盡水竭，士卒羸病，季珣撫循之，一無離叛，自三月至於是月，城遂陷。季珣見密不肯拜，曰：「天子爪牙，何容拜賊！」密猶欲降之，誘諭終不屬，乃殺之。季珣，祥子之子也。

When Li Mi took Luokou, Zhang Jixiong, colonel of the Jishan garrison, held firm and refused to submit. Seeing how few and weak he was, Mi sent men to call on him. Zhang Jixiong cursed Li Mi roundly. Enraged, Mi sent troops to attack him but could not take the place. At that time Li Mi had hundreds of thousands of men below the city, while Zhang Jixiong was cut off on every side with no more than a few hundred followers. Yet his resolve only hardened, and he swore to die rather than yield. In time grain and water ran out and his soldiers grew weak and sick. Zhang Jixiong cared for them, and not one deserted. From the third month until this month the city finally fell. When Zhang Jixiong saw Li Mi he refused to bow, saying: "I am the Son of Heaven's claw and fang. How can I bow to a rebel!" Li Mi still wished to win him over and tried persuasion, but Zhang Jixiong would not submit in the end, so Mi had him killed. Zhang Jixiong was the son of Zhang Xiangzi.

庚申，李淵帥諸軍濟河；甲子，至朝邑，捨於長春宮，關中士民歸之者如市。丙寅，淵遣世子建成、司馬劉文靜帥王長諧等諸軍數萬人屯永豐倉，守潼關以備東方兵，慰撫使竇軌等受其節度；敦煌公世民帥劉弘基等諸軍數萬人徇渭北，慰撫使殷開山等受其節度。軌，琮之兄也。

On gengshen, Li Yuan led his forces across the river. On jiazi he reached Chaoyi and lodged at Everlasting Spring Palace. Scholars and commoners of Guanzhong flocked to him like shoppers at a market. On bingyin, Li Yuan sent the heir apparent Li Jiancheng and Marshal Liu Wenjing at the head of Wang Changxie and other commanders with tens of thousands of men to encamp at the Yongfeng granary, guard Tong Pass against troops from the east, and place Pacification Commissioner Dou Gui and others under their command. The Prince of Dunhuang, Li Shimin, led Liu Hongji and others with tens of thousands of men to sweep the north bank of the Wei, with Pacification Commissioner Yin Kaishan and others under his command. Dou Gui was the elder brother of Dou Cong.

冠氏長於志寧、安養尉顏師古及世民婦兄弟長孫無忌謁見淵於長春宮。師古名籀，以字行。志寧，宣敏之兄子；師古，之推之孫也；皆以文學知名，無忌仍有才略。淵皆禮而用之，以志寧為記室，師古為朝散大夫，無忌為渭北行軍典簽。

Yu Zhiming, chief of Guanshi, Yan Shigu, captain of Anyang, and Zhangsun Wuji, Li Shimin's brother-in-law, came to pay their respects to Li Yuan at Everlasting Spring Palace. Yan Shigu's personal name was Zhou; he was known by his style name. Yu Zhiming was the nephew of Yu Xuanmin's elder brother. Yan Shigu was the grandson of Yan Zhitui. All were famed for literary accomplishment, and Wuji also possessed talent and strategic ability. Li Yuan honored them all and put them to use: he made Yu Zhiming recorder, Yan Shigu court gentleman for scattered service, and Zhangsun Wuji staff officer for the Wei north campaign.

屈突通聞淵西入，署鷹揚郎將湯陽堯君素領河東通守，使守蒲板，自引兵數萬趣長安，為劉文靜所遏。將軍劉綱戍潼關，屯都尉南城，通欲往依之，王長諧先引兵襲斬綱，據城以拒通，通退保北城。淵遣其將呂紹宗等攻河東，不能克。

Learning that Li Yuan had advanced west, Qu Tutong named Yao Junsu of Tangyang—an Eagle-Feathered general—to act as Hedong communications commissioner and hold Puban, while he himself took tens of thousands of men toward Chang'an; Liu Wenjing intercepted him. General Liu Gang held Tong Pass from Dudu South City. Tutong meant to join him, but Wang Changhe struck first, killed Gang, and held the city against Tutong, who withdrew to the north citadel. Li Yuan sent Lü Shaozong and other generals against Hedong, but they could not take it.

柴紹之自長安赴太原也，謂其妻李氏曰：「尊公舉兵，今偕行則不可，留此則及禍，奈何？」李氏曰：「君弟速行，我一婦人，易以潛匿，當自為計。」紹遂行。李氏歸鄠縣別墅，散家貲，聚徒眾。淵從弟神通在長安，亡入鄠縣山中，與長安大俠史萬寶等起兵以應淵。西域商胡何潘仁入司竹園為盜，有眾數萬，劫前尚書右衛李綱為長史，李氏使其奴馬三寶說潘會與之就神通，合勢攻鄠縣，下之。神通眾逾一萬，自稱關中道行軍總管，以前東城長令狐德棻為記室。德棻，熙之子也。李氏又使馬三寶說群盜李仲文、向善志、丘師利等，皆帥眾從之。仲文，密之從父；師利，和之子也。西京留守屢遣兵討潘仁等，皆為所敗。李氏徇盩厔、武功、始平，皆下之，眾至七萬。左親衛段綸，文振之子也，娶淵女，亦聚徒於藍田，得萬餘人。及淵濟河，神通、李氏、綸各遣使迎淵。淵以神通為光祿大夫，子道彥為朝請大夫，綸為金紫光祿大夫；使柴紹將數百騎並南山迎李氏。何潘仁、李仲文、向善志及關中群盜，皆請降於淵，淵一一以書慰勞授官，使各居其所，受敦煌公世民節度。

As Chai Shao set out from Chang'an for Taiyuan, he told his wife Lady Li: "Your father has risen in arms. I cannot take you with me, yet if I leave you here you will come to harm—what shall we do? Lady Li replied: "Go quickly, brother-in-law. I am only a woman and can hide easily; I will see to myself. Chai Shao went on his way. Lady Li withdrew to the family villa in Hu County, spent out the household goods, and rallied a following. Li Yuan's cousin Li Shentong was in Chang'an; he fled into the Hu County hills and, with Chang'an's champion Shi Wanbao and others, raised forces in Li Yuan's support. The Sogdian merchant He Panren had turned bandit in Sizhu Garden with a following of tens of thousands and forced the former Minister of the Right Guard Li Gang to serve as his chief clerk. Lady Li sent her servant Ma Sanbao to win He Panren over to Li Shentong; together they stormed Hu County and took it. Li Shentong's force passed ten thousand. He styled himself Commander-in-Chief of the Guanzhong Campaign and made the former chief of Dongcheng, Linghu Defen, his recorder. Defen was a son of Linghu Xi. Lady Li again sent Ma Sanbao to win over the bandit leaders Li Zhongwen, Xiang Shanzhi, Qiu Shili, and others, and each brought his men to her side. Li Zhongwen was a paternal uncle of Li Mi; Qiu Shili was a son of He. The Western Capital garrison sent troops against He Panren and his allies again and again, and was beaten every time. Lady Li overran Zhouzhi, Wugong, and Shiping, took them all, and swelled to seventy thousand men. Duan Lun of the Left Personal Guard—son of Yuwen Wen Zhen and husband to Li Yuan's daughter—also raised a band at Lantian and gathered more than ten thousand. When Li Yuan crossed the Yellow River, Li Shentong, Lady Li, and Duan Lun each sent envoys to welcome him. Li Yuan made Li Shentong a Grand Master for Splendid Happiness, his son Daoyan a Gentleman for Imperial Audiences, and Duan Lun a Grand Master of the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon; he sent Chai Shao with several hundred horsemen along the southern hills to fetch Lady Li. He Panren, Li Zhongwen, Xiang Shanzhi, and the Guanzhong bandits all offered submission to Li Yuan. He answered each with letters of comfort and an office, left them in their districts, and placed them under the Prince of Dunhuang, Li Shimin.

刑部尚書領京兆內史衛文開年老，聞淵兵向長安，憂懼成疾，不復預事，獨左翊衛將軍陰世師、京兆郡丞骨儀奉代王侑乘城拒守。己巳，淵如蒲津；庚午，自臨晉濟渭，至永豐倉勞軍，開倉賑饑民。辛未，還長春宮；壬申，進屯馮翊。世民所至，吏民及群盜歸之如流。世民收其豪俊以備僚屬，營於涇陽，勝兵九萬。李氏將精兵萬餘會世民於渭北，與柴紹各置幕府，號「娘子軍」。

Wei Wenkai, Minister of Justice and concurrent Metropolitan Governor of Jingzhao, was elderly. When he heard Li Yuan's army was bearing on Chang'an, anxiety and fear laid him low and he ceased to govern. Only the Left Wing Guard general Yin Shishi and the Jingzhao assistant magistrate Gu Yi, for the Prince of Dai Yang You, held the walls in defense. On the day jisi, Li Yuan went to Pujin; on the day gengwu he crossed the Wei from Linjin, came to Yongfeng Granary to review the army, and opened the stores to feed the starving. On the day xinwei he returned to Changchun Palace; on the day renshen he moved forward and encamped at Fengyi. Wherever Li Shimin went, officials, commoners, and bandits streamed to him. He took their best men into his staff, made camp at Jingyang, and mustered ninety thousand fighting men. Lady Li brought more than ten thousand elite troops to meet Li Shimin north of the Wei. She and Chai Shao each raised a separate headquarters, styled the "Lady's Army."

先是，平涼奴賊數萬圍扶風太守竇璡，數月不下，賊軍食盡。丘師利遣其弟行恭帥五百人負米麥持牛酒詣奴賊營，奴帥長揖，行恭手斬之，謂其眾曰：「汝輩皆良人，何故事奴為主，使天下謂之奴賊！」眾皆俯伏曰：「願改事公。」行恭即帥其眾與師得共謁世民於渭北，世民以為光祿大夫。璡，琮之從子也。隰城尉房玄齡謁世民於軍門，世民一見如舊識，署記室參軍，引為謀主。玄齡亦自以遇知己，罄竭心力，知無不為。

Earlier, tens of thousands of Pingliang "servant bandits" had besieged the Fufeng prefect Dou Jin for months without success, until the rebels' provisions ran out. Qiu Shili sent his younger brother Xinggong with five hundred men carrying grain, cattle, and wine to the servant-bandit camp. The slave chief bowed with clasped hands; Xinggong struck him down with his own hand and told the crowd: "You are all decent folk—why serve slaves as masters and let the world name you 'servant bandits'! They all prostrated themselves and said: "We wish to serve you, lord. Xinggong at once led his men, together with Shide, to present themselves to Li Shimin north of the Wei, and Li Shimin made him a Grand Master for Splendid Happiness. Dou Jin was a nephew of Dou Cong. Fang Xuanling, district captain of Suicheng, presented himself at Li Shimin's gate. Li Shimin received him as though they had long known each other, named him Registrar on the staff, and made him his chief planner. Fang Xuanling, for his part, believed he had found a true patron and gave his mind and strength without reserve, doing all he knew to do.

淵命劉弘基、殷開山分兵西略扶風，有眾六萬，南渡渭水，屯長安故城。城中出戰，弘基逆擊，破之。世民引兵趣司竹，李仲文、何潘仁、向善志皆帥眾從之，頓於阿城，勝兵十三萬，軍令嚴整，秋毫不犯。乙亥，世民自盩厔遣使白淵，請期日赴長安。淵曰：「屈突東行不能復西，不足虞矣！」乃命建成選倉上精兵自新豐趣長樂宮，世民帥新附諸軍北屯長安故城，至並聽教。延安、上郡、雕陰皆請降於淵。丙子，淵引軍西行，所過離宮園苑皆罷之，出宮女還其親屬。冬，十月，辛巳，淵至長安，營於春明門之西北，諸軍皆集，合二十餘萬。淵命各依壘壁，毋得入村落侵暴。屢遣使至城下諭衛文升等以欲尊隋之意，不報。辛卯，命諸軍進圍城。甲午，淵遷館於安興坊。

Li Yuan ordered Liu Hongji and Yin Kaishan to divide forces and strike west into Fufeng. They had sixty thousand men, crossed the Wei to the south, and encamped at the old Chang'an city. The city sortied; Hongji met them head-on and broke them. Li Shimin marched on Sizhu. Li Zhongwen, He Panren, and Xiang Shanzhi all followed with their bands. He halted at Echeng with one hundred thirty thousand effectives; discipline was iron—nothing was taken, not even a blade of grass. On the day yihai, Li Shimin sent word from Zhouzhi to Li Yuan, asking for a day to march on Chang'an. Li Yuan said: "Qu Tutong has gone east and cannot turn back west—he is nothing to fear! He then ordered Li Jiancheng to pick the finest grain-guard troops and hurry from Xinfeng to Changle Palace, while Li Shimin was to take the newly attached armies and encamp north at old Chang'an; both were to come and take his orders together. Yan'an, Shang Commandery, and Diaoyin all offered submission to Li Yuan. On the day bingzi Li Yuan marched west. Every detached palace and park he passed was closed, and palace women were sent back to their families. In winter, the tenth month, on the day xinsi, Li Yuan reached Chang'an and pitched camp northwest of the Spring Bright Gate. All forces assembled—more than two hundred thousand in all. Li Yuan ordered every unit to keep to its walls and not enter villages to loot. Again and again he sent envoys under the walls to tell Wei Wensheng and the rest that he meant to honor the Sui; they gave no answer. On the day xinmao he ordered the armies forward to besiege the city. On the day jiawu Li Yuan moved his quarters to Anxing Ward.

巴陵校尉鄱陽董景珍、雷世猛、旅帥鄭文秀、許玄徹、萬瓚、徐德基、郭華、沔陽張繡等謀據郡叛隋，推景珍為主。景珍曰：「吾素寒賤，不為眾所服。羅川令蕭銑，梁室之後，寬仁大度，請奉之以從眾望。」乃遣使報銑。銑喜從之，聲言討賊，召募得數千人。銑，巖之孫也。

Dong Jingzhen of Poyang, a Baling militia captain, together with Lei Shimeng, the expeditionary commander Zheng Wenxiu, Xu Xuance, Wan Chan, Xu Deji, Guo Hua, Zhang Xiu of Mianyang, and others plotted to seize the commandery and break with the Sui, setting up Jingzhen as their head. Jingzhen said: "I have always been poor and obscure; the crowd will not follow me. Xiao Xian, magistrate of Luochuan, is of the House of Liang—generous and open-handed. Let us set him up to satisfy the people's wish. They sent a messenger to tell Xiao Xian. Xiao Xian gladly assented. Proclaiming a campaign against bandits, he raised several thousand men. Xiao Xian was a grandson of Xiao Yan."

會穎川賊帥沈柳生寇羅川，銑與戰不利，因謂其眾曰：「今天下皆叛，隋政不行，巴陵豪傑起兵，欲奉吾為主。若從其請以號令江南，可以中興梁祚，以此召柳生，亦當從我矣。」眾皆悅，聽命，乃自稱梁公，改隋服色旗幟皆如梁舊。柳生即帥眾歸之，以柳生為車騎大將軍。起兵五日，遠近歸附者至數萬人，遂帥眾向巴陵。景珍遣徐德基帥郡中豪傑數百人出迎，未及見銑，柳生與其黨謀曰：「我先奉梁公，勳居第一。今巴陵諸將，皆位高兵多，我若入城，返出其下。不如殺德基，質其首領，獨挾梁公進取郡城，則無出我右者矣。」遂殺德基。入白銑，銑大驚曰：「今欲撥亂反正，忽自相殺，吾不能為若主矣。」因步出軍門。柳生大懼，伏地請罪，銑責而赦之，陳兵入城。景珍言於銑曰：「徐德基建義功臣，而柳生無故擅殺之，此而不誅，何以為政！且柳生為盜日久，今雖從義，凶悖不移，共處一城，勢必為變。失今不取，後悔無及！」銑又從之。景珍收柳生，斬之，其徒皆潰去。丙申，銑築壇燔燎，自稱梁王，改元鳴鳳。

Just then the Yingchuan bandit chief Shen Liusheng raided Luochuan. Xiao Xian fought poorly and told his men: "The whole empire is in revolt; Sui rule is dead. The heroes of Baling have risen and wish to make me their leader. If I accept and command the lands south of the Yangtze, we can restore the House of Liang. Summon Liusheng with that, and he will follow me too. The men were pleased and obeyed. He styled himself Duke of Liang and changed robes, colors, and banners to the old Liang style. Liusheng at once brought his followers in. Xiao Xian made him Grand General of the Chariots and Cavalry. Five days after raising arms, adherents near and far had reached tens of thousands, and he marched on Baling. Jingzhen sent Xu Deji with several hundred commandery notables to welcome him. Before Xiao Xian appeared, Liusheng and his clique plotted: "I was first to raise the Duke of Liang; my merit stands first. Now the Baling commanders all outrank me and have larger forces. If I enter the city, I fall beneath them. Better kill Deji, seize their chiefs as hostages, and alone hold the Duke of Liang to storm the commandery seat—then none will stand above me. They killed Deji. When this was reported, Xiao Xian was appalled and said: "We mean to set the realm right, yet at once we butcher one another—I cannot be your lord. He walked out of the camp gate. Liusheng was terrified, prostrated himself, and begged forgiveness. Xiao Xian rebuked but spared him and marched into the city in battle order. Jingzhen told Xiao Xian: "Xu Deji was a founding merit-holder, yet Liusheng murdered him without cause. If that goes unpunished, how can there be rule? Moreover Liusheng has been a bandit for years. Though he now follows the righteous cause, his brutish nature is unchanged. Under one roof, trouble is certain. Miss this moment and regret will be endless! Xiao Xian agreed again. Jingzhen seized Liusheng and executed him; his men broke and fled. On the day bingshen Xiao Xian built an altar, burned offerings, styled himself King of Liang, and proclaimed the era Mingfeng."

壬寅，王世充夜渡洛水，營於黑石，明日，分兵守營，自將精兵陳於洛北。李密聞之，引兵渡洛逆戰，密兵大敗，柴孝和溺死。密帥麾下精騎渡洛南，餘眾東走月城，世充追圍之。密自洛南策馬直趣黑石，營中懼，連舉六烽，世充釋月城之圍，狼狽自救；密還與戰，大破之，斬首二千餘級。

On the day renyin Wang Shichong crossed the Luo by night and encamped at Heishi. The next day he left a detachment to hold the camp and himself drew up picked troops north of the river. Li Mi heard and led his army across the Luo to meet him. Mi's force was shattered; Chai Xiaohe drowned. Mi took his elite cavalry to the south bank; the rest fled east to Yuecheng, and Shichong pursued and besieged them. From the south bank Mi spurred straight for Heishi. The camp panicked and lit six beacon fires in a row. Shichong broke off the siege of Yuecheng and rushed back in disorder to save his camp; Mi wheeled and struck again, crushing him and taking more than two thousand heads.

甲辰，李淵命諸攻城，約「毋得犯七廟及代王、宗室，違者夷三族！」孫華中流矢卒。十一月，丙辰，軍頭雷永吉先登，遂克長安。代王在東宮，左右奔散，唯侍讀姚思廉侍側。軍士將登殿，思廉厲聲訶之曰：「唐公舉義兵，匡帝室，卿等毋得無禮！」眾皆愕然，布立庭下。淵迎王於東宮，遷居大興殿後，聽思廉扶王至順陽閣下，泣拜而去。思廉，察之子也。淵還，捨於長樂宮，與民約法十二條，悉除隋苛禁。

On the day jiachen Li Yuan ordered the armies to storm the city, on pain of death: "Do not touch the seven temples, the Prince of Dai, or the imperial clan—whoever violates this exterminates three generations! Sun Hua was hit by a stray arrow and died. In the eleventh month, on the day bingchen, the assault leader Lei Yongji was first on the wall, and Chang'an fell. The Prince of Dai was in the Eastern Palace. Attendants scattered; only the Palace Reader Yao Silian remained at his side. Soldiers were about to mount the hall. Silian shouted them down: "Duke Tang has raised righteous troops to restore the throne—you must not be rude! The men stood stunned in ranks below the courtyard. Li Yuan received the prince at the Eastern Palace and moved him to quarters behind the Daxing Hall. He let Silian escort the prince down to the Shunyang Pavilion, where Silian wept, bowed, and withdrew. Silian was a son of Yao Cha. Li Yuan returned and lodged at Changle Palace. With the people he agreed twelve articles of law and swept away the Sui's harsh bans.

淵之起兵也，留守官發其墳墓，毀其五廟。至是，衛文升已卒，戊午，執陰世師、骨儀等，數以貪婪苛酷，且拒義師，俱斬之，死者十餘人，餘無所問。

When Li Yuan had first risen, the garrison officials had opened his ancestral graves and wrecked his five temples. By then Wei Wenkai was dead. On the day wuwu they seized Yin Shishi, Gu Yi, and others, charged them with greed, cruelty, and resisting the righteous army, and beheaded them—more than ten in all; the rest went unprosecuted.

馬邑郡丞三原李靖，素與淵有隙，淵入城，將斬之。靖大呼曰：「公興義兵，欲平暴亂，乃以私怨殺壯士乎！」世民為之固請，乃捨之。世民因召置幕府。靖少負志氣，有文武才略，其舅韓擒虎每撫之曰：「可與言將帥之略者，獨此子耳！」王世充自洛北之敗，堅壁不出；越王侗遣使勞之，世充慚懼，請戰於密。丙辰，世充與密夾石子河而陳，密佈陳南北十餘里，翟讓先與世充戰，不利而退；世充逐之，王伯當、裴仁基從旁橫斷其後，密勒中軍擊之，世充大敗，西走。

Li Jing of Sanyuan, assistant magistrate of Mayi, had long been at odds with Li Yuan. When Li Yuan entered the city he meant to kill him. Li Jing cried out: "You have raised righteous troops to quell chaos—will you slay a able man over a private grudge? Li Shimin pleaded hard for him, and he was spared. Li Shimin then took him onto his staff. From youth Li Jing was ambitious, skilled in civil and military arts alike. His uncle Han Qinhu would pat him and say: "Of all men, only this boy can talk strategy with me! After his defeat north of the Luo, Wang Shichong shut himself in his walls and would not come out; the Prince of Yue Yang Tong sent envoys to encourage him. Shichong, ashamed and afraid, asked to fight Li Mi. On the day bingchen Shichong and Mi faced each other across the Shizi River. Mi arrayed his line for more than ten li north and south. Zhai Rang engaged Shichong first, fared badly, and fell back; Shichong pursued. Wang Baidang and Pei Renji struck his rear from the flank. Mi drove the center against him. Shichong was routed and fled west.

翟讓司馬王儒信勸讓自為大塚宰，總統眾務，以奪密權，讓不從。讓兄柱國滎陽公弘，粗愚人也，謂讓曰：「天子汝當自為，奈何與人！汝不為者，我當為之！」讓但大笑，不以為意，密聞而惡之。總管崔世樞自鄢陵初附於密，讓囚之私府，責其貨，世樞營求未辦，遽欲加刑。讓召元帥府記室邢義期博，逡巡未就，杖之八十。讓謂左長史房彥藻曰：「君前破汝南，大得寶貨，獨與魏公，全不與我！魏公我之所立，事未可知。」彥藻懼，以狀告密，因與左司馬鄭頲共說密曰：「讓貪愎不仁，有無君之心，宜早圖之。」密曰：「今安危未定，遽相誅殺，何以示遠！」頲曰：「毒蛇螫手，壯士解腕，所全者大故也。彼先得志，悔無所及。」密乃從之，置酒召讓。戊午，讓與兄弘及兄子司徒府長史摩侯同詣密，密與讓、弘、裴仁基、郝孝德共坐，單雄信等皆立侍，房彥藻、鄭頲往來檢校。密曰：「今日與達官飲，不須多人，左右止留數人給使而已。」密左右皆引去，讓左右猶在。彥藻白密曰：「今方為樂，天時甚寒，司徒左右，請給酒食。」密曰：「聽司徒進止。」讓應曰：「甚佳。」乃引讓左右盡出，獨密下壯士蔡建德持刀立侍。食未進，密出良弓，與讓習射，讓方引滿，建德自後斫之，踣於床前，聲若牛吼，並弘、摩侯、儒信皆殺之。徐世勣走出，門者斫之傷頸，王伯當遙訶止之。單雄信叩頭請命，密釋之。左右驚擾，莫知所為，密大言曰：「與君等同起義兵，本除暴亂。司徒專行貪虐，陵辱群僚，無復上下；今所誅止其一家，諸君無預也。」命扶徐世勣置幕下，親為傅創。讓麾下欲散，密使單雄信前往宣慰，密尋獨騎入其營，歷加撫諭，令世勣、雄信、伯當分領其眾，中外遂定。讓殘忍，摩侯猜忌，儒信貪縱，故死之日，所部無哀之者；然密之將佐始有自疑之心矣。始，王世充知讓與密必不久睦，冀其相圖，得從而乘之。及聞讓死，大失望，歎曰：「李密天資明決，為龍為蛇，固不可測也！」

Zhai Rang's aide Wang Ruxin urged Rang to make himself Grand Prime Minister, take all affairs in hand, and strip Li Mi of power. Rang refused. Rang's elder brother Hong, Duke of Yingyang and a pillar of state—a coarse, stupid man—said to him: "The Son of Heaven is yours to be—why give it to someone else? If you will not take it, I shall! Rang only laughed it off. When Mi heard, he took it ill. Director-General Cui Shishu had lately come over from Yanling to Li Mi. Zhai Rang locked him in his private quarters and demanded a payoff. Before Shishu could raise the sum, Rang was ready to punish him. Rang summoned the marshal's recorder Xing Yiqi for a game of chance. When Xing delayed and did not appear, Rang had him flogged eighty strokes. Rang told Left Chief Clerk Fang Yanzao: "When you took Runan you seized a great haul of treasure and gave every bit to the Duke of Wei—not a scrap to me! I made the Duke of Wei what he is. How this ends is still uncertain. Yanzao, alarmed, reported everything to Li Mi. He and Left Major Zheng Ting then urged Mi together: "Rang is greedy, brutal, and disloyal. He already acts like a ruler in his own right. You should deal with him soon." Mi said: "Our position is still unsettled. If we turn to slaughter now, what will men far away think of us?" Ting said: "When a viper strikes the hand, a brave man severs the wrist to save the rest of the body. Let him get there first and you will have no chance to repent." Mi took his counsel, laid a feast, and summoned Rang. On wuwu day Zhai Rang came with his brother Hong and his nephew Mo Hou, chief clerk in the Steward of Masters' office. Li Mi sat with Rang, Hong, Pei Renji, and Hao Xiaode. Shan Xiongxin and the rest stood by. Fang Yanzao and Zheng Ting moved about, keeping watch. Mi said: "Today is a feast with our leaders. We need few men about—only a handful of attendants." Mi's guards were sent away. Rang's men remained. Yanzao said to Mi: "We are feasting and the day is bitterly cold. The Steward's men should have wine and food." Mi said: "Let the Steward say." Rang said: "Very well." Rang's men were then led out as well. Only Cai Jiande, a warrior in Mi's service, stood by with a blade in hand. Before the meal was served Mi brought out a fine bow and invited Rang to practice. As Rang drew the string to the full, Jiande struck from behind. Rang crashed before the couch with a roar like a bull. Hong, Mo Hou, and Wang Ruxin were killed as well. Xu Shiji fled. Guards at the gate slashed his neck. Wang Bodang shouted from a distance and made them stop. Shan Xiongxin kowtowed for mercy. Mi spared him. The hall erupted in confusion. Mi cried out: "We took up arms together to end tyranny and chaos. The Steward alone was greedy and cruel. He humiliated every officer and erased all rank between high and low. What we have killed is only his household. None of you are implicated." He had Xu Shiji carried to his tent and dressed the wound himself. Rang's troops were on the verge of breaking up. Mi sent Shan Xiongxin to reassure them, then rode alone into their camp and spoke to each company in turn. He put Shiji, Xiongxin, and Bodang in charge of Rang's men. Order was restored inside and out. Rang had been cruel, Mo Hou suspicious, Ruxin greedy and dissolute. When they died, none of their followers grieved. But from that day Mi's own officers began to doubt whether they were safe with him. Wang Shichong had long known that Zhai Rang and Li Mi could not remain allies for long. He hoped they would destroy each other so he could strike at the survivor. When he heard Rang was dead he was deeply disappointed and sighed: "Li Mi is brilliant and resolute. Whether he proves a dragon or a serpent, no one can tell."

壬戌，李淵備法駕迎代王即皇帝位於天興殿，時年十三，大赦，改元，遙尊煬帝為太上皇。甲子，淵自長樂宮入長安。以淵為假黃鉞、使持節、大都督內外諸軍事、尚書令、大丞相，進封唐王。以武德殿為丞相府，改教稱令，日於虔化門視事。乙丑，榆林、靈武、平涼、安定諸郡皆遣使請命。丙寅，詔軍國機務，事無大小，文武設官，位無貴賤，憲章賞罰，鹹歸相府；唯郊祀天地，四時禘示合奏聞。置丞相府官屬，以裴寂為長史，劉文靜為司馬。何潘仁使李綱入見，淵留之，以專掌選事。又以前考功郎中竇威為司錄參軍，使定禮儀。威，熾之子也。淵傾府庫以賜勳人，國用不足，右光祿大夫劉世龍獻策，以為「今義師數萬，並在京師，樵蘇貴而布帛賤；請伐六街及苑中樹為樵，以易布帛，可得數十萬匹。」淵從之。己巳，以李建成為唐世子，李世民為京兆尹、秦公，李元吉為齊公。

On renxu day Li Yuan brought out the imperial regalia and had the Prince of Dai enthroned in the Hall of Heavenly Felicity. The boy was thirteen. A general amnesty was declared, the reign title was changed, and Emperor Yang was acknowledged from afar as Retired Emperor. On jiazi day Yuan entered Chang'an from Everlasting Joy Palace. Yuan was appointed Acting Grand Chancellor, bearer of the staff of authority, supreme commander of all forces at home and abroad, Director of the Masters of Writing, and Grand Chancellor, and was enfeoffed as Prince of Tang. The Hall of Martial Virtue became the chancellor's headquarters. Edicts were restyled as orders. Each day he held court at the Gate of Sincere Transformation. On yichou day the commanderies of Yulin, Lingwu, Pingliang, and Anding all sent envoys to pledge allegiance. On bingyin day an edict placed all military and civil business, appointments high and low, and the power to reward and punish in the hands of the chancellor's office. Only suburban sacrifices to Heaven and Earth and the seasonal ancestral rites were to be reported to the throne jointly. The chancellor's staff was formed, with Pei Ji as chief clerk and Liu Wenjing as major. He Panren sent Li Gang to an audience. Yuan kept him in charge of appointments. He also named the former Director of Merit Review Dou Wei registrar aide and set him to codify court ritual. Dou Wei was the son of Dou Chi. Yuan emptied the treasury rewarding his followers, and the treasury ran dry. Right Grandee of Splendid Happiness Liu Shilong proposed: "Tens of thousands of our troops are in the capital. Firewood is dear and cloth is cheap. Cut the trees along the six main avenues and in the imperial park for fuel, trade the wood for cloth, and we can obtain several hundred thousand bolts." Yuan agreed. On jisi day Li Jiancheng was named Heir of Tang, Li Shimin Intendant of Jingzhao and Duke of Qin, and Li Yuanji Duke of Qi.

河南諸郡盡附李密，唯滎陽太守郇王慶、梁郡太守楊汪尚為隋守。密以書招慶，為陳厲害，且曰：「王之先世，本住山東，本姓郭氏，乃非楊族。芝焚蕙歎，事不同此。」初，慶祖父元孫早孤，隨母郭氏養於舅族。及武元帝從周文帝起兵關中，元孫在鄴，恐為高氏所誅，冒姓郭氏，故密云然。慶得書惶恐，即以郡降密，複姓郭氏。

Every commandery in Henan had submitted to Li Mi except Yingyang, where Prefect Xun Wang Qing still held for Sui, and Liang, where Prefect Yang Wang did the same. Mi wrote inviting Qing to submit, laying out the stakes, and added: "Your ancestors came from Shandong. Your true surname is Guo. You are no Yang clansman. When the orchid burns, the sweet flag sighs beside it—but your case is not that one." Earlier, Qing's grandfather Yuansun had lost his father young and was raised among his mother's Guo relatives. When Emperor Wu of Zhou followed Zhou Wendi in raising arms in Guanzhong, Yuansun was in Ye. Fearing the Gao clan would kill him, he took the surname Guo. That was why Mi wrote as he did. Qing was terrified by the letter, surrendered the commandery at once, and resumed the surname Guo.

十二月，癸未，追謚唐王淵大父襄公為景王；考仁公為元王，夫人竇氏為穆妃。

In the twelfth month, on guiwei day, posthumous honors were granted: Yuan's great-grandfather, Duke Xiang, was titled King Jing. His father, Duke Ren, was titled King Yuan, and Lady Dou was named Consort Mu.

薛舉遣其子仁果寇扶風，唐弼據汧源拒之。舉遣使招弼，弼乃殺李弘芝，請降於舉，仁果乘其無備，襲破之，悉並其眾。弼以數百騎走詣扶風請降，扶風太守竇璡殺之。舉勢益張，眾號三十萬，謀取長安；聞丞相淵已定長安，遂圍扶風。淵使李世民將兵擊之。又使姜謨、竇軌俱出散關，安撫隴右；左光祿大夫李孝恭招慰山南；府戶曹張道源招慰山東。孝恭，淵之從父兄子也。

Xue Ju sent his son Renguo against Fufeng. Tang Bi held Qianyuan and barred the way. Ju sent envoys to win Tang Bi over. Bi killed Li Hongzhi and offered to submit. Renguo caught him off guard, routed him, and absorbed his entire force. Bi fled with a few hundred horsemen to Fufeng to surrender. Prefect Dou Jin had him killed. Ju's power swelled. His army was said to number three hundred thousand men, and he aimed at Chang'an. Learning that Chancellor Yuan had already taken Chang'an, he laid siege to Fufeng instead. Yuan sent Li Shimin to attack him. He also sent Jiang Mo and Dou Gui through Sanshui Pass to pacify Longyou. Left Grandee of Splendid Happiness Li Xiaogong was to win over the lands south of the mountains. Headquarters registrar Zhang Daoyuan was to win over Shandong. Xiaogong was a cousin of Yuan's generation.

癸巳，世民擊薛仁果於扶風，大破之，追奔至□坻而還。薛舉大懼，問其群臣曰：「自古天子有降事乎？」黃門侍郎錢唐褚亮曰：「趙佗歸漢，劉禪仕晉，近世蕭琮，至今猶貴。轉禍為福，自古有之。」衛尉卿郝瑗趨進曰：「陛下失問！褚亮之言又何悖也！昔漢高祖屢經奔敗，蜀先主亟亡妻子，卒成大業；陛下奈何以一戰不利，遽為亡國之計乎！」舉亦悔之，曰：「聊以此試君等耳。」乃厚賞瑗，引為謀主。

On guisi day Shimin met Xue Renguo at Fufeng and shattered his army, pursuing as far as Gaozhi before turning back. Xue Ju was badly shaken and asked his ministers: "Has any Son of Heaven in history ever surrendered?" Yellow Gate Attendant-in-ordinary Chu Liang of Qiantang said: "Zhao Tuo submitted to Han. Liu Shan served Jin. In our own day Xiao Cong still enjoys rank and honor. Turning disaster into fortune is nothing new in history." Minister of the Guard Hao Yuan stepped forward sharply and said: "Your Majesty has asked the wrong question! What nonsense is Chu Liang talking! Gaodi of Han was routed again and again. The Former Lord of Shu lost his family more than once. Each still won the realm in the end. How can you, after a single defeat, talk at once of surrendering your state!" Ju regretted the question and said: "I was only testing you." He rewarded Hao Yuan lavishly and made him his chief strategist.

乙未，平涼留守張隆，丁酉，河池太守蕭瑀及扶風漢陽郡相繼來降。以竇璡為工部尚書、燕國公，蕭瑀為禮部尚書、宋國公。

On yiwei day Zhang Long, garrison commander of Pingliang, submitted. On dingyou day Prefect Xiao Yu of Hechi came over, followed by Fufeng and Hanyang. Dou Jin was appointed Minister of Works and Duke of Yan. Xiao Yu was appointed Minister of Rites and Duke of Song.

姜謨、竇軌進至長道，為薛舉所敗，引還。淵使通議大夫醴泉劉世讓安集唐弼餘黨，與舉相遇，戰敗，為舉所虜。

Jiang Mo and Dou Gui advanced to Changdao, were beaten by Xue Ju, and fell back. Yuan sent Master of Comprehensive Discussion Liu Shirang of Liquan to pacify Tang Bi's remnant followers. He met Xue Ju in battle, was defeated, and taken captive.

李孝恭擊破朱粲，諸將請盡殺其俘，孝恭曰：「不可，自是以往，誰復肯降矣！」皆釋之。於是自金川出巴、蜀，檄書所至，降附者三十餘州。

Li Xiaogong routed Zhu Can. His officers asked to kill every captive. Xiaogong said: "No. If we do that, who will ever surrender again?" He released them all. From Jinchuan he moved into Ba and Shu. Wherever his proclamations arrived, more than thirty provinces submitted.

屈突通與劉文靜相持月餘，通復使桑顯和夜襲其營，文靜與左光祿大夫段志玄悉力苦戰，顯和敗走，盡俘其眾，通勢益蹙。或說通降，通泣曰：「吾歷事兩主，恩顧甚厚。食人之祿而違其難，吾不為也！」每自摩其頸曰：「要當為國家受一刀！」勞勉將士，未嘗不流涕，人亦以此懷之。丞相淵遣其家僮召之，通立斬之。及聞長安不守，家屬悉為淵所虜，乃留顯和鎮潼關，引兵東出，將趣洛陽。通適去，顯和即以城降文靜。文靜遣竇琮等將輕騎與顯和追之，及於稠桑。通結陳自固，竇琮遣通子壽往諭之。通罵曰：「此賊何來！昔與汝為父子，今與汝為仇讎！」命左右射之。顯和謂其眾曰：「今京城已陷，汝輩皆關中人，去欲何之！」眾皆釋仗而降。通知不免，下馬，東南再拜號哭曰：「臣力屈至此，非敢負國，天地神示氏實知之！」軍人執通送長安，淵以為兵部尚書，賜爵蔣公，兼秦公元帥府長史。

Qu Tu Tong and Liu Wenjing had faced each other for more than a month. Tong again sent Sang Xianhe to raid the camp by night. Wenjing and Left Grand Master Duan Zhixuan fought desperately. Xianhe was routed and his entire force captured. Tong's position grew desperate. Some urged Qu Tu Tong to surrender. He wept and said: "I have served two emperors in succession, and both showed me great favor. I will not eat a lord's grain and abandon him in his hour of need!" He would stroke his own neck and say: "Sooner or later I must take the state's blade upon it!" When he exhorted his troops he wept every time, and they loved him for it. Chancellor Yuan sent a household servant to summon him. Tong beheaded the messenger on the spot. When he learned Chang'an had fallen and his family were Yuan's prisoners, he left Xianhe to hold Tong Pass and marched east toward Luoyang. Hardly had Tong left when Xianhe surrendered the city to Liu Wenjing. Wenjing sent Dou Cong and others with light cavalry and Xianhe in pursuit. They overtook Tong at Chousang. Tong drew up his battle line and held his ground. Dou Cong sent Tong's son Shou to reason with him. Tong roared: "What traitor is this! Once I was your father. Now you are my enemy!" He ordered his men to shoot at him. Xianhe called to Tong's troops: "The capital is lost. You are all men of Guanzhong. Where do you imagine you are going?" They laid down their arms and surrendered. Seeing there was no escape, Tong dismounted, bowed twice toward the southeast, and wailed: "I am broken, not faithless. Heaven and earth and the spirits know it!" Soldiers seized Tong and brought him to Chang'an. Yuan appointed him Minister of War, enfeoffed him as Duke of Jiang, and named him chief clerk on the Duke of Qin's staff.

淵遣通至河東城下招諭堯君素，君素見通，歔欷不自勝，通亦泣下沾衿，因謂君素曰：「吾軍已敗，義旗所指，莫不響應，事勢如此，卿當早降。」君素曰：「公為國大臣，主上委公以關中，代王付公以社稷，奈何負國生降，乃更為人作說客邪！公所乘馬，即代王所賜也，公何面目乘之哉！」通曰：「吁！君素，我力屈而來。」君素曰：「方今力猶未屈，何用多言！」通慚而退。

Yuan sent Tong to Hedong to persuade Yao Junsu to surrender. When Junsu saw him he sobbed uncontrollably. Tong wept until his collar was soaked and said: "Our army is beaten. Every city answers the banner of righteousness. You should submit while you can." Junsu said: "You are a pillar of the state. The emperor entrusted Guanzhong to you. The Prince of Dai entrusted the realm to you. How can you betray your country, save your skin, and then come back as another man's mouthpiece? The horse you ride is the very one Prince Dai gave you—how can you face riding it!" Qutu Tong said: "Alas! Junsu, I have come because I am at the end of my strength." Yao Junsu said: "Your strength is not yet spent—why say so much! Qutu Tong withdrew in shame.

東都米斗三千，人餓死者什二三。

In Luoyang rice cost three thousand cash per dou, and one or two people in ten starved to death.

庚子，王世充軍士有亡降李密者，密問：「世充軍中何所為？」軍士曰：「比見益募兵，再饗將士，不知其故。」密謂裴仁基曰：「吾幾落奴度中，光祿知之乎？吾久不出兵，世充芻糧將竭，求戰不得，故募兵饗士，欲乘月晦以襲倉城耳，宜速備之。」乃命平原公郝孝德、琅邪公王伯當、齊郡公孟讓勒兵分屯倉城之側以待之。其夕三鼓，世充兵果至，伯當先遇之，與戰，不利。世充兵即陵城，總管魯儒拒卻之，伯當更收兵擊之，世充大敗，斬其驍將費青奴，士卒戰溺死者千餘人。世充屢與密戰，不勝，越王侗遣使勞之，世充訴以兵少，數戰疲弊；侗以兵七萬益之。

On the day gengzi, some of Wang Shichong's soldiers deserted to Li Mi. Mi asked: "What is Shichong's army up to? The soldier said: "Lately they have been recruiting more troops and twice feasting the officers and men. I do not know why." Mi said to Pei Renji: "I nearly fell into that slave's trap—do you see it, Director of Ceremonies? I have kept my army idle so long that Shichong's supplies are nearly gone and he cannot get a battle. That is why he is recruiting and feasting his men—he means to strike the granary city under cover of the dark moon. We must prepare at once." He ordered the Duke of Pingyuan Hao Xiaode, the Duke of Langye Wang Bodang, and the Duke of Qi Meng Rang to station troops on either side of the granary city and wait. That night at the third watch Shichong's troops arrived as expected. Bodang met them first and fought, but was driven back. Shichong's men immediately assaulted the walls. Commander Lu Ru drove them back, and Bodang rallied his forces and struck again. Shichong was routed. His fierce general Fei Qingnu was beheaded, and more than a thousand soldiers were killed in battle or drowned. Shichong fought Li Mi again and again without winning. Prince of Yue Yang Tong sent envoys to encourage him. Shichong complained that his army was too small and exhausted from repeated battles; Yang Tong sent him seventy thousand more troops.

劉文靜等引兵東略地，取弘農郡，遂定新安以西。

Liu Wenjing and others led troops east to expand their holdings, captured Hongnong Commandery, and secured everything west of Xin'an.

甲辰，李淵遣雲陽令詹俊、武功縣正李仲袞徇巴、蜀，下之。

On the day jiachen, Li Yuan sent Zhan Jun, magistrate of Yunyang, and Li Zhonggun, rectifier of Wugong, to subdue Ba and Shu.

乙巳，方與帥張善安襲陷廬江郡，因渡江，歸林士弘於豫章；士弘疑之，營於南塘上。善安恨之，襲破士弘，焚其郛郭而去，士弘徙居南康。蕭銑遣其將蘇胡兒襲豫章，克之，士弘退保餘干。

On the day yisi, Zhang Shan'an, leader of Fangyu, raided and captured Lujiang Commandery, crossed the Yangzi, and submitted to Lin Shihong at Yuzhang; Shihong distrusted him and made camp on the south bank of the pond. Shan'an resented this, attacked and defeated Shihong, burned his outer defenses, and left. Shihong relocated to Nankang. Xiao Xian sent his general Su Hu'er to attack Yuzhang and captured it. Shihong withdrew to defend Yugan.

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