1
資治通鑑第188卷
Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 188.
2
【唐紀四】起屠維單閼十一月，盡重光大荒落二月，凡一年有奇。
[Tang Records 4], from the eleventh month of the Tuwéi Danque year through the second month of the Chongguang Dahuangluo year—a span of slightly more than one year.
3
十一月，己卯，劉武周寇浩州。
In the eleventh month, on the day jimao, Liu Wuzhou attacked Haozhou.
4
秦王世民引兵自龍門乘冰堅渡河，屯柏壁，與宋金剛相持。 時河東州縣，俘掠之餘，未有倉廩，人情恇擾，聚入城堡，征斂無所得，軍中乏食。 世民發教諭民，民聞世民為帥而來，莫不歸附，自近及遠，至者日多，然後漸收其糧食，軍食以充。 乃休兵秣馬，唯令偏裨乘間抄掠，大軍堅壁不戰，由是賊勢日衰。
The Prince of Qin, Li Shimin, marched from Longmen, crossed the frozen river, and encamped at Baiyu, where he locked horns with Song Jingang. In Hedong, the prefectures and counties had been stripped bare by raiding; granaries were empty, the populace panicked and crowded into fortified towns, and levies brought in nothing—so the army went hungry. Shimin issued reassuring proclamations to the people. When they heard he had come to command the army, they flocked to him from near and far until his camp was supplied with grain day by day, and the troops were fed. He then rested his men and horses, sending only junior officers on opportunistic raids while the main force held its walls and refused battle—so the enemy's strength ebbed day by day.
5
世民嘗自帥輕騎覘敵，騎皆四散，世民獨與一甲士登丘而寢。 俄而賊兵四合，初不之覺，會有蛇逐鼠，觸甲士之面，甲士驚寤，遂白世民，俱上馬，馳百餘步，為賊所及，世民以大羽箭射殪其驍將，賊騎乃退。
Once Shimin led a light cavalry patrol to scout the enemy. His riders scattered, and he was left alone with a single armored man; the two climbed a hill and lay down to sleep. Before long rebel troops had them surrounded on every side, yet they still did not know it. Then a snake chasing a rat brushed the soldier's face; he started awake and warned Shimin. They mounted and fled a hundred paces or more before the pursuers caught up. Shimin brought down their boldest commander with a heavy war arrow, and the enemy cavalry fell back.
6
李世勣欲歸唐，恐禍及其父，謀於郭孝恪。 孝恪曰：「吾新事竇氏，動則見疑，宜先立效以取信，然後可圖也。」 世勣從之。 襲王世充獲嘉，破之，多所俘獲，以獻建德，建德由是親之。 初，漳南人劉黑闥，少驍勇狡獪，與竇建德善，後為群盜，轉事郝孝德、李密、王世充。 世充以為騎將，每見世充所為，竊笑之。 世充使黑闥守新鄉，李世勣擊虜之，獻於建德。 建德署為將軍，賜爵漢東公，常使將奇兵東西掩襲，或潛入敵境覘視虛實。 黑闥往往乘間奮擊，克獲而還。
Li Shiji wanted to defect to Tang but feared his father would pay the price, so he took counsel with Guo Xiaoke. Xiaoke said, "We have only lately entered Dou Jian De's service—any move will raise suspicion. We must win his trust with a deed first; only then can we act." Shiji agreed. They struck Wang Shichong's garrison at Huojia, routed it, and sent a rich haul of captives to Dou Jian De, who thereafter treated them with favor. Liu Heita of southern Zhang had been fierce and wily since youth and was friendly with Dou Jian De. He later led bandits and served in turn Hao Xiaode, Li Mi, and Wang Shichong. Wang Shichong appointed him a cavalry commander, but Heita privately mocked Shichong's conduct whenever he saw it. Wang Shichong posted Heita at Xinxiang; Li Shiji defeated and captured him and turned him over to Dou Jian De. Jian De made him a general and created him Duke of Handong. Heita often led elite troops on swift strikes east and west, or stole into enemy lands to reconnoiter. Heita repeatedly seized his chance, struck hard, and came back laden with spoils.
7
十二月，庚申，上獵於華山。
In the twelfth month, on the day gengshen, the Emperor went hunting on Mount Hua.
8
於筠說永安王孝基急攻呂崇茂，獨孤懷恩請先成攻具，然後進，孝基從之。 崇茂求救於宋金剛，金剛遣其將善陽尉遲敬德、尋相將兵奄至夏縣。 孝基表裡受敵，軍遂大敗，孝基、懷恩、筠、唐儉及行軍總管劉世讓皆為所虜。 敬德名恭，以字行。
Yu Yun urged Prince Yong'an Li Xiaoji to attack Lü Chongmao immediately, but Dugu Huai'en wanted siege equipment finished first. Xiaoji took Huai'en's advice. Chongmao called on Song Jingang for help. Jingang sent his generals Yuchi Jingde of Shanyang and Xun Xiang, whose troops suddenly appeared at Xia County. Caught between enemies inside and out, Xiaoji's army was shattered. Xiaoji, Huai'en, Yun, Tang Jian, and the campaign commander Liu Shirang were all taken prisoner. Jingde's personal name was Gong; he went by his courtesy name.
9
上征裴寂入朝，責其敗軍，下吏，既而釋之，寵待彌厚。
The Emperor recalled Pei Ji to court, blamed him for the defeat, and had him placed under arrest—then released him and showed him even greater favor than before.
10
尉遲敬德、尋相將還澮州，秦王世民遣兵部尚書殷開山、總管秦叔寶等邀之於美良川，大破之，斬首二千餘級。 頃之，敬德、尋相潛引精騎援王行本於蒲板，世民自將步騎三千，從間道夜趨安邑，邀擊，大破之，敬德、相僅以身免，悉俘其眾，復歸柏壁。
As Yuchi Jingde and Xun Xiang marched back toward Huai, the Prince of Qin sent Yin Kaishan, Minister of War, and the commander Qin Shubao to ambush them at Meiliang River. The Tang force crushed them and took more than two thousand heads. Before long Jingde and Xun Xiang slipped away with elite cavalry to relieve Wang Xingben at Puban. Shimin led three thousand infantry and cavalry by a back road under cover of night to Anyi, struck them, and won a crushing victory. Jingde and Xiang escaped only with their lives; their entire force was captured, and Shimin returned to Baiyu.
11
諸將咸請與宋金剛戰，世民曰：「金剛懸軍深入，精兵猛將，咸聚於是。 武周據太原，倚金剛為□蔽。 金剛軍無蓄積，以虜掠為資，利在速戰。 我閉營養銳以挫其鋒，分兵汾、隰，沖其心腹。 彼糧盡計窮，自當遁走。 當待此機，未宜速戰。」
The generals all urged a pitched battle with Song Jingang. Shimin said, "Jingang has driven deep into our territory, and his best troops and boldest commanders are massed here. Liu Wuzhou holds Taiyuan and depends on Jingang as his shield. Jingang's army has no reserves and lives on loot—it needs a quick fight. We should hold our camps, husband our strength, and wear them down, while detachments strike Fen and Xi and hit them in the vitals. When their food runs out and their options fail, they will retreat on their own. We must wait for that moment—not rush into battle now."
12
永安壯王孝基謀逃歸，劉武周殺之。
Prince Yong'an Li Xiaoji plotted to escape back to Tang, and Liu Wuzhou had him executed.
13
李世勣復遣人說竇建德曰：「曹、戴二州，戶口完實，孟海公竊有其地，與鄭人外合內離； 若以大軍臨之，指期可取。 既得海公，以臨徐、兗，河南可不戰而定也。」 建德以為然，欲自將徇河南，先遣其行臺曹旦等將兵五萬濟河，世勣引兵三千會之。
Li Shiji again sent an envoy to persuade Dou Jian De: "The prefectures of Cao and Dai still have full populations. Meng Haigong holds them by theft and is allied with Zheng on the surface but divided within; if you march on them in force, you can take them within days. Once Haigong falls, you can threaten Xu and Yan, and all of Henan may submit without a fight." Jian De agreed and planned to lead the campaign south of the river himself. He first sent his field headquarters commander Cao Dan with fifty thousand men across the Yellow River; Shiji joined them with three thousand troops.
14
春，正月，將軍秦武通攻王行本於蒲板。 行本出戰而敗，糧盡援絕，欲突圍走，無隨之者，戊寅，開門出降。 辛巳，上幸蒲州，斬行本。 秦王世民輕騎謁上於蒲州。 宋金剛圍絳州。 癸巳，上還長安。
In spring, the first month, General Qin Wutong besieged Wang Xingben at Puban. Xingben sallied out and was beaten. With food gone and no relief coming, he tried to break out—but no one would follow. On the day wuyin he opened the gates and surrendered. On the day xinsi the Emperor went to Pu Prefecture and executed Xingben. The Prince of Qin rode ahead with a light escort to greet the Emperor at Pu Prefecture. Song Jingang laid siege to Jiang Prefecture. On the day guisi the Emperor returned to Chang'an.
15
李世勣謀俟竇建德至河南，掩襲其營，殺之，冀得其父並建德土地以歸唐。 會建德妻產，久之不至。
Li Shiji planned to wait until Dou Jian De reached Henan, then surprise his camp, kill him, and win back both his father and Jian De's territory for Tang. But Jian De's wife was giving birth, and he delayed his departure for a long while.
16
曹旦，建德之妻兄也，在河南，多所侵擾，諸賊羈屬者皆怨之。 賊帥魏郡李文相，號李商胡，聚眾五千餘人，據孟津中水單； 母霍氏，亦善騎射，自稱霍總管。 世勣結商胡為昆弟，入拜商胡之母。 母泣謂世勣曰：「竇氏無道，如何事之！」 世勣曰：「母無憂，不過一月，當殺之，相與歸唐耳！」 世勣辭去，母謂商胡曰：「東海公許我共圖此賊，事久變生，何必待其來，不如速決。」 是夜，商胡召曹旦偏裨二十三人，飲之酒，盡殺之。 旦別將高雅賢、阮君明尚在河北未濟，商胡以巨舟四艘濟河北之兵三百人，至中流，悉殺之。 有獸醫游水得免，至南岸，告曹旦，旦嚴警為備。 商胡既舉事，始遣人告李世勣。 世勣與曹旦連營，郭孝恪勸世勣襲旦，世勣未決，聞旦已有備，遂與孝恪帥數十騎來奔。 商胡復引精兵二千北襲阮君明，破之。 高雅賢收眾去，商胡追之，不及而還。 建德群臣請誅李蓋，建德曰：「世勣，唐臣，為我所虜，不忘本朝，乃忠臣也，其父何罪！」 遂赦之。
Cao Dan, the elder brother of Jian De's wife, was in Henan and preyed heavily on the countryside, and every subordinate bandit leader resented him. The bandit chief Li Wenxiang of Wei Commandery, who took the name Li Shanghu, mustered more than five thousand men and held the Zhongshuidan ford at Mengjin; his mother, Lady Huo, was herself a fine rider and archer and called herself Director-General Huo. Shiji swore brotherhood with Shanghu and went to pay his respects to Shanghu's mother. The old woman wept and said to Shiji, "The Dou clan is wicked—why serve them at all?" Shiji said, "Do not grieve, Mother—in a month at most we will kill him and all go over to Tang together!" After Shiji left, the mother told Shanghu, "The Duke of Donghai has pledged to strike this enemy with us. Delays breed trouble—why wait for him? Act at once." That night Shanghu invited twenty-three of Cao Dan's junior officers to drink and slaughtered every one of them. Dan's lieutenants Gao Yaxian and Ruan Junming were still on the north bank. Shanghu sent four large boats to ferry three hundred of their men across—and had them all killed midstream. A veterinary officer swam ashore, reached the south bank, and warned Cao Dan, who at once tightened his defenses. Only after the rising did Shanghu send word to Li Shiji. Shiji's camp adjoined Cao Dan's. Guo Xiaoke urged a surprise attack, but Shiji hesitated; when he learned Dan was alert, he and Xiaoke fled to Tang with only a few dozen horsemen. Shanghu then led two thousand elite troops north, routed Ruan Junming, and broke his force. Gao Yaxian gathered what was left of his force and withdrew. Shanghu pursued but failed to overtake him and turned back. Jian De's ministers demanded that Li Gai be put to death. Jian De said, "Shiji is a Tang official whom I hold captive, yet he has not forgotten his sovereign—that is loyalty. What fault lies with his father?" He spared Li Gai.
17
甲午，世勣、孝恪至長安。 曹旦遂取濟州，復還洺州。
On the day jiawu Shiji and Xiaoke arrived in Chang'an. Cao Dan seized Ji Prefecture and withdrew to Ming Prefecture.
18
二月，庚子，上幸華陰。
In the second month, on the day gengzi, the Emperor went to Huayin.
19
劉武周遣兵寇潞州，陷長子、壺關。 潞州刺史郭子武不能御，上以將軍河東王行敏助之。 行敏與子武不葉，或言子武將叛，行敏斬子武以徇。 乙巳，武周復遣兵寇潞州，行敏擊破之。
Liu Wuzhou sent troops against Lu Prefecture and captured Changzi and Huguan. The prefect of Lu, Guo Ziwu, could not hold them off, so the Emperor sent the general Wang Xingmin of Hedong to reinforce him. Xingmin and Ziwu were at odds. When word spread that Ziwu might defect, Xingmin executed him as a warning to the army. On the day yisi Liu Wuzhou attacked Lu again; Xingmin routed the invaders.
20
壬子，開州蠻酋冉肇則陷通州。
On the day renzi Ran Zhaoze, a tribal leader of Kai Prefecture, captured Tong Prefecture.
21
甲寅，遣將軍桑顯和等攻呂崇茂於夏縣。
On the day jiayin he sent General Sang Xianhe and others to attack Lü Chongmao at Xia County.
22
初，工部尚書獨孤懷恩攻蒲板，久不下，失亡多，上數以敕書誚讓之，懷恩由是怨望。 上嘗戲謂懷恩曰：「姑之子皆已為天子，次應至舅之子乎？」 懷恩亦頗以此自負，或時扼腕曰：「我家豈女獨貴乎？」 遂與麾下元君寶謀反。 會懷恩、君寶與唐儉皆沒於尉遲敬德，君寶謂儉曰：「獨孤尚書近謀大事，若能早決，豈有此辱哉！」 及秦王世民敗敬德於美良川，懷恩逃歸，上復使之將兵攻蒲板。 君寶又謂儉曰：「獨孤尚書遂拔難得還，復在蒲板，可謂王者不死！」 儉恐懷恩遂成其謀，乃說尉遲敬德，請使劉世讓還與唐連和，敬德從之，遂以懷恩反狀聞。 時王行本已降，懷恩入據其城，上方濟河幸懷恩營，已登舟矣，世讓適至。 上大驚曰：「吾得免，豈非天也！」 乃使召懷恩，懷恩未知事露，輕舟來至； 即執以屬吏，分捕黨與。 甲寅，誅懷恩及其黨。
Earlier the Minister of Works Dugu Huai'en had besieged Puban for a long time without success, suffering heavy losses. The Emperor rebuked him again and again by edict, and Huai'en grew bitter. The Emperor once teased him: "Sons of an aunt have all become emperors—surely it is an uncle's son next?" Huai'en took the remark to heart. Sometimes he would clench his fist and mutter, "Must our house rise only through its women?" He then conspired to rebel with his follower Yuan Junbao. When Huai'en, Junbao, and Tang Jian fell into Yuchi Jingde's hands, Junbao told Jian, "Minister Dugu was plotting a coup—if we had acted sooner, we would not be in this humiliation!" After the Prince of Qin defeated Jingde at Meiliang River, Huai'en escaped back to Tang, and the Emperor again put him in command against Puban. Junbao told Jian again, "Minister Dugu has slipped free once more and is back at Puban—a man destined for the throne cannot be killed!" Fearing Huai'en would succeed, Jian persuaded Yuchi Jingde to send Liu Shirang back to negotiate an alliance with Tang. Jingde agreed, and Jian reported Huai'en's treason. Wang Xingben had already surrendered, and Huai'en had occupied his city. The Emperor was crossing the river to visit Huai'en's camp and had already stepped aboard when Shirang arrived. The Emperor cried out in alarm, "Heaven itself saved me!" He sent for Huai'en, who did not yet know he was exposed and came in a small boat; they seized him at once and handed him to the law officers, while detachments rounded up his accomplices. On the day jiayin Huai'en and his followers were put to death.
23
竇建德攻李商胡，殺之。 建德洺州勸課農桑，境內無盜，商旅野宿。
Dou Jian De attacked Li Shanghu and killed him. At Ming Prefecture Jian De promoted farming and silkworm raising; banditry vanished within his borders, and merchants camped in the open without fear.
24
突厥處羅可汗迎楊政道，立為隋王。 中國士民在北者，處羅悉以配之，有眾萬人。 置百官，皆依隋制，居於定襄。
The Türk Qaghan Chuluo welcomed Yang Zhengdao and set him up as King of Sui. Chuluo assigned to him every Chinese scholar and commoner still in the north, giving him a following of ten thousand. He installed a full court on the Sui model and made his seat at Dingxiang.
25
三月，乙丑，劉武周遣其將張萬歲寇浩州，李仲文擊走之，俘斬數千人。
In the third month, on the day yichou, Liu Wuzhou sent Zhang Wansui against Haozhou. Li Zhongwen repulsed him and took several thousand prisoners and heads.
26
改納言為侍中，內史令為中書令，給事郎為給事中。
The titles Nayan, Neishiling, and Jishilang were renamed Shizhong, Zhongshuling, and Jishizhong.
27
甲戌，以內史侍郎卦德彝為中書令。
On the day jiaxu Feng Deyi, Vice Director of the Secretariat, was appointed Director of the Secretariat.
28
王世充將帥、州縣來降者，時月相繼。 世充乃峻其法，一人亡叛，舉家無少長就戮，父子、兄弟、夫婦許相告而免之。 又使五家為保，有舉家亡者，四鄰不覺，皆坐誅。 殺人益多而亡者益甚，至於樵采之人，出入皆有限數； 公私愁窘，人不聊生。 又以宮城為大獄，意所忌者，並其家屬收系宮中； 諸將出討，亦質其家屬於宮中，禁止者常不減萬口，餒死者日有數十。 世充又以臺省官為司、鄭、管、原、伊、殷、梁、湊、嵩、谷、懷、德等十二州營田使，丞、郎得為此行者，喜若登仙。
Month after month, Wang Shichong's commanders and local officials defected to Tang. Shichong tightened the laws: one deserter meant death for every member of his household, young and old. Fathers and sons, brothers, and husbands and wives could denounce one another to save themselves. He grouped households in fives as mutual guarantors: if an entire family fled and the four neighboring families failed to report it, all were executed. The more he killed, the more people fled. Even woodcutters and foragers were rationed in how often they might leave and return; public and private life alike were desperate, and the people could barely survive. He turned the palace into a vast prison. Anyone he suspected, together with his family, was locked up inside; when generals marched out on campaign, their families were held hostage in the palace as well. The prisoners never numbered fewer than ten thousand, and dozens starved to death every day. Shichong also appointed Secretariat and Department officials as agricultural commissioners over twelve prefectures. Assistants and directors lucky enough to receive such posts rejoiced as though they had become immortals.
29
甲申，行軍副總管張倫敗劉武周於浩州，俘斬千餘人。
On the day jiashen, Deputy Campaign Commander Zhang Lun defeated Liu Wuzhou at Haozhou, capturing and killing over a thousand of his men.
30
西河公張綸、真鄉公李仲文引兵臨石州，劉季真懼而詐降。 乙酉，以季真為石州總管，賜姓李氏，封彭山郡王。
The Duke of Xihe Zhang Lun and the Duke of Zhenxiang Li Zhongwen marched on Shizhou; Liu Jizhen, frightened, pretended to surrender. On the day yiyou, Jizhen was appointed commander of Shizhou, given the imperial surname Li, and enfeoffed as Prince of Pengshan.
31
蠻酋冉肇則寇信州，趙郡公孝恭與戰，不利。 李靖將兵八百，襲擊，斬之，俘五千餘人； 己丑，復開、通二州。 孝恭又擊蕭銑東平王闍提，斬之。
The tribal chieftain Ran Zhaize attacked Xin Prefecture; the Duke of Zhao Commandery Li Xiaogong met him in battle and was beaten. Li Jing led eight hundred men in a surprise raid, killed Zhaize, and took more than five thousand prisoners; On the day jichou, Kai and Tong prefectures were restored to Tang control. Xiaogong then attacked Sheti, Prince of Dongping under Xiao Xian, and killed him.
32
夏，四月，丙申，上祠華山； 壬寅，還長安。
In summer, the fourth month, on the day bingshen, the Emperor performed rites at Mount Hua; On the day renyin he returned to Chang'an.
33
置益州道行臺，以益、利、會、鄜、涇、遂六總管隸焉。
A mobile headquarters for the Yizhou circuit was set up, placing the six area commands of Yi, Li, Hui, Fu, Jing, and Sui under its authority.
34
劉武周數攻浩州，為李仲文所敗。 宋金剛軍中食盡； 丁未，金剛北走，秦王世民追之。
Liu Wuzhou attacked Haozhou several times and was repulsed each time by Li Zhongwen. Song Jingang's army ran out of provisions; On the day dingwei, Jingang retreated north; the Prince of Qin Li Shimin gave chase.
35
羅士信圍慈澗，王世充使太子玄應救之，士信刺玄應墜馬，人救之，得免。
Luo Shixin besieged Cijian; Wang Shichong sent Crown Prince Xuanying to the rescue. Shixin speared Xuanying and knocked him from his horse, but attendants pulled him to safety.
36
壬子，以顯州道行臺楊士林為行臺尚書令。
On the day renzi, Yang Sulin of the Xianzhou mobile headquarters was appointed chief minister of the field headquarters.
37
甲寅，加秦王世民益州道行臺尚書令。
On the day jiayin, the Prince of Qin Li Shimin was also made chief minister of the Yizhou mobile headquarters.
38
秦王世民追及尋相於呂州，大破之，乘勝逐北，一晝夜行二百餘里，戰數十合。 至高壁嶺，總管劉弘基執轡諫曰：「大王破賊，逐北至此，功亦足矣。 深入不已，不愛身乎！ 且士卒饑疲，宜留壁於此，俟兵糧畢集，然後復進，未晚也。」 世民曰：「金剛計窮而走，眾心離沮； 功難成而易敗，機難得而易失，必乘此勢取之。 若更淹留，使之計立備成，不可復攻矣。 吾竭忠徇國，豈顧身乎！」 遂策馬而進，將士不敢復言饑。 追及金剛於雀鼠谷，一日八戰，皆破之，俘斬數萬人。 夜，宿於雀鼠谷西原，世民不食二日，不解甲三日矣，軍中止有一羊，世民與將士分而食之。 丙辰，陝州總管於筠自金剛所逃來。 世民引兵趣介休，金剛尚有眾二萬，戊午，出西門，背城布陳，南北七里。 世民遣總管李世勣等與戰，小卻，為賊所乘。 世民帥精騎擊之，出其陳後，金剛大敗，斬首三千級。 金剛輕騎走，世民追之數十里，至張難堡。 浩州行軍總管樊伯通、張德政據堡自守，世民免冑示之，堡中喜噪且泣。 左右告以王不食，獻濁酒、脫粟飯。
The Prince of Qin caught Xun Xiang at Lü Prefecture and crushed him. Pressing the pursuit, he drove north for over two hundred li in a single day and night, fighting several dozen skirmishes along the way. At Gaobiling, Commander Liu Hongji seized the bridle and urged: "Your Highness has shattered the enemy and chased them this far. That is glory enough. To drive on like this—do you not value your own life? Your men are hungry and exhausted. Hold here, wait until reinforcements and supplies arrive, then advance—it will not be too late." Shimin replied: "Jingang is at his wit's end and running; his troops' morale is broken; victory is easily lost once won, and opportunity slips away in an instant. We must strike now, while the momentum is ours. If we linger and give them time to regroup and fortify, we will never break them again. I serve the realm with all my loyalty—why should I spare myself!" With that he spurred ahead, and none of his officers or men complained of hunger again. He overtook Jingang at Queshu Valley and fought eight battles in a single day, winning every one and killing or capturing tens of thousands. That night they camped on the western plain of Queshu Valley. Shimin had gone two days without food and three without removing his armor. The army had only one sheep; he divided it among his officers and men. On the day bingchen, Yu Jun, the commander of Shaan Prefecture, deserted Song Jingang and came over to Tang. Shimin marched on Jiexiu. Jingang still had twenty thousand men. On the day wuwu he sallied from the west gate and formed battle lines with the city behind him, seven li from end to end. Shimin sent Li Shiji and other commanders into battle; they gave ground slightly and the enemy pressed the advantage. Shimin led elite cavalry in a counterattack, hitting them from the rear. Jingang was routed, and three thousand heads were taken. Jingang fled with a light escort; Shimin chased him for dozens of li as far as Zhangnan Fort. Fan Botong and Zhang Dezheng, Haozhou campaign commanders, held the fort in defense. Shimin took off his helmet to reveal himself; inside the fort men cheered, shouted, and wept with joy. His attendants, learning the prince had not eaten, brought him coarse wine and plain rice.
39
尉遲敬德收餘眾守介休，世民遣任城王道宗、宇文士及往諭之，敬德與尋相舉介休及永安降。 世民得敬德，甚喜，以為右一府統軍，使將其舊眾八千，與諸營相參。 屈突通慮其變，驟以為言，世民不聽。 劉武周聞金剛敗，大懼，棄并州走突厥。 金剛收其餘眾，欲復戰，眾莫肯從，亦與百餘騎走突厥。
Yuchi Jingde rallied the remnants and held Jiexiu. Shimin sent Prince Daozong of Rencheng and Yuwen Shiji to parley with him; Jingde and Xun Xiang surrendered Jiexiu and Yong'an. Delighted to have Jingde, Shimin made him commander of the Right First Guard and let him keep his original eight thousand men, mixed in among the other units. Qu Tu Tong, fearing Jingde might turn traitor, urged this repeatedly, but Shimin paid no heed. When Liu Wuzhou heard of Jingang's defeat, he panicked, abandoned Bingzhou, and fled to the Turks. Jingang tried to rally his remnants for another fight, but no one would follow. He too fled to the Turks with just over a hundred riders.
40
世民至晉陽，武周所署僕射楊伏念以城降。 唐儉封府庫以待世民，武周所得州縣皆入於唐。
Shimin entered Jinyang; Yang Funian, whom Wuzhou had installed as grand minister, surrendered the city. Tang Jian had sealed the treasuries awaiting Shimin's arrival; every prefecture and county Wuzhou had held returned to Tang.
41
未幾，金剛謀走上谷，突厥追獲，腰斬之。 嵐州總管劉六兒從宋金剛在介休，秦王世民擒斬之。 其兄季真，棄石州，奔劉武周將馬邑高滿政，滿政殺之。
Soon after, Jingang tried to escape to Shanggu; the Turks caught him and executed him by cutting him in half at the waist. Liu Liu'er, commander of Lan Prefecture, had served under Song Jingang at Jiexiu; the Prince of Qin captured and executed him. His elder brother Jizhen abandoned Shizhou and fled to Gao Manzheng of Mayi, a general under Liu Wuzhou; Manzheng killed him.
42
武周之南寇也，其內史令苑君璋諫曰：「唐主舉一州之眾，直取長安，所向無敵，此乃天授，非人力也。 晉陽以南，道路險隘，縣軍深入，無繼於後，君進戰不利，何以自還！ 不如北連突厥，南結唐朝，南面稱孤，足為長策。」 武周不聽，留君璋守朔州。 及敗，泣謂君璋曰：「不用君言，以至於此。」 久之，武周謀亡歸馬邑，事洩，突厥殺之。 突厥又以君璋為大行臺，統其餘眾，仍令郁射設督兵助鎮。
When Wuzhou launched his southern campaign, his Secretariat director Yuan Junzhang warned: "The Tang ruler rallied one province's strength, marched straight on Chang'an, and swept all before him—that was heaven's mandate, not mere human effort. South of Jinyang the roads are treacherous. If you drive deep with no reserves behind you and the advance goes badly—how will you get back? Better to ally with the Turks in the north and Tang in the south, and rule your own domain in the south. That is the sound strategy." Wuzhou refused to listen and left Junzhang to hold Shuozhou. After his defeat he wept and told Junzhang: "I ignored your counsel, and this is where it has brought me." Before long, Wuzhou plotted to slip back to Mayi; the plan was discovered, and the Turks killed him. The Turks then made Junzhang commander of a grand mobile headquarters over Wuzhou's remaining forces, with Yüshe She supervising troops to help hold the region.
43
庚申，懷州總管黃君漢擊王世充太子玄應於西濟州，大破之； 熊州行軍總管史萬寶邀之於九曲，又破之。
On the day gengshen, Huang Junhan, commander of Huai Prefecture, attacked Wang Shichong's crown prince Xuanying at Xijizhou and routed him; Shi Wanbao, campaign commander of Xiong Prefecture, intercepted the retreat at Jiuqu and defeated him again.
44
辛酉，王世充陷鄧州。
On the day xinyou, Wang Shichong took Deng Prefecture.
45
上聞并州平，大悅。 壬戌，宴群臣，賜繒帛，使自入御府，盡力取之。 復唐儉官爵，仍以為并州道安撫大使； 所籍獨孤懷恩田宅資財，悉以賜之。
When the Emperor learned that Bingzhou had been pacified, he was overjoyed. On the day renxu he held a feast for his ministers and let them into the imperial treasury to take as much silk and cloth as they could carry. Tang Jian's rank and titles were restored, and he was again appointed pacification commissioner for the Bingzhou circuit; and all the lands, houses, and goods seized from Dugu Huai'en were given to him.
46
世民留李仲文鎮并州，劉武周數遣兵入寇，仲文輒擊破之，下城堡百餘所。 詔仲文檢校并州總管。
Shimin left Li Zhongwen to hold Bingzhou. Liu Wuzhou sent raiders again and again; Zhongwen beat them back each time and captured more than a hundred forts and walled towns. An edict appointed Zhongwen acting commander of Bingzhou.
47
五月，竇建德遣高士興擊李藝於幽州，不克，退軍籠火城。 藝襲擊，大破之，斬首五千級。 建德大將軍王伏寶，勇略冠軍中，諸將疾之，言其謀反，建德殺之，伏寶曰：「大王奈何聽讒言，自斬左右手乎！」
In the fifth month, Dou Jiande sent Gao Shixing to attack Li Yi at You Prefecture. The assault failed, and he withdrew to Longhuo Fort. Li Yi counterattacked by surprise, crushed them, and took five thousand heads. Jiande's great general Wang Fubao was the boldest and cleverest man in the army. The other generals envied him and accused him of treason; Jiande had him executed. Fubao cried: "My lord, why listen to slander and cut off your own right and left hands!"
48
初，尉遲敬德將兵助呂崇茂守夏縣，上潛遣使赦崇茂罪，拜夏州刺史，使圖敬德，事洩，敬德殺之。 敬德去，崇茂餘黨復據夏縣拒守。 秦王世民引軍自晉州還攻夏縣，壬午，屠之。
Earlier, Yuchi Jingde had helped Lü Chongmao hold Xia County. The Emperor secretly sent an envoy to pardon Chongmao, make him governor of Xia Prefecture, and turn him against Jingde. The plot was discovered, and Jingde killed the envoy. After Jingde left, Chongmao's remaining followers reoccupied Xia County and held it against Tang. The Prince of Qin marched back from Jin Prefecture and assaulted Xia County; on the day renwu he put the city to the sword.
49
辛卯，秦王世民至長安。
On the day xinmao the Prince of Qin arrived in Chang'an.
50
是月，突厥遣阿史那揭多獻馬千匹於王世充，且求婚； 世充以宗女妻之，並與之互市。
That month the Turks sent Ashina Jieduo to Wang Shichong with a gift of a thousand horses and a proposal of marriage; Shichong gave him a princess of his clan in marriage and opened border trade with the Turks.
51
六月，壬辰，詔以和州總管、東南道行臺尚書令楚王杜伏威為使持節、總管江淮以南諸軍事、揚州刺史、東南道行臺尚書令、淮南道安撫使，進封吳王，賜姓李氏。 以輔公祏為行臺左僕射，封舒國公。 丙午，立皇子元景為趙王，元昌為魯王，元亨為魯王。
In the sixth month, on the day renchen, an edict appointed Du Fuwei—Duke of Chu, commander of He Prefecture and chief minister of the Southeast mobile headquarters—as bearer of the imperial insignia, supreme commander of all forces south of the Yangtze and Huai, governor of Yang Prefecture, chief minister of the Southeast headquarters, and Huainan pacification commissioner. He was promoted to Prince of Wu and given the surname Li. Fu Gongshi was made left vice minister of the mobile headquarters and enfeoffed as Duke of Shuguo. On the day bingwu the princes Yuanjing, Yuanchang, and Yuanheng were enfeoffed as Prince of Zhao, Prince of Lu, and Prince of Lu respectively.
52
顯州行臺尚書令楚公楊士林，雖受唐官爵，而北結王世充，南通蕭銑； 詔廬江王瑗與安撫使李弘敏討之。 兵未行，長史田瓚為士林所忌，甲寅，瓚殺士林，降於世充，世充以瓚為顯州總管。
Yang Sulin, Duke of Chu and chief minister of the Xianzhou mobile headquarters, held Tang rank but allied with Wang Shichong in the north and Xiao Xian in the south; an edict ordered Prince Yuan of Lujiang and Pacification Commissioner Li Hongmin to suppress him. Before the army could march, Chief Administrator Tian Zan, whom Sulin had come to distrust, killed Sulin on the day jiayin and surrendered to Shichong, who made him commander of Xian Prefecture.
53
秦王世民之討劉武周也，突厥處羅可汗遣其弟步利設帥二千騎助唐。 武周既敗，是月，處羅至晉陽，總管李仲文不能制； 又留倫特勒，使將數百人，雲助仲文鎮守，自石嶺以北，皆留兵戍之而去。
During the Prince of Qin's campaign against Liu Wuzhou, the Turkic khan Chelu sent his brother Bili She with two thousand cavalry to aid Tang. After Wuzhou's defeat, Chelu arrived at Jinyang that same month; Commander Li Zhongwen could not restrain him; he left Luntele with several hundred men, ostensibly to help Zhongwen garrison the region, posted guards from Shiling northward, and then withdrew.
54
上議擊王世充，世充聞之，選諸州鎮驍勇皆集洛陽，置四鎮將軍，募人分守四城。 秋，七月，壬戌，詔秦王世民督諸軍擊世充。 陝東道行臺屈突通二子在洛陽，上謂通曰：「今欲使卿東征，如卿二子何？」 通曰：「臣昔為俘囚，分當就死，陛下釋縛，加以恩禮。 當是之時，臣心口相誓，期以更生餘年為陛下盡節，但恐不獲死所耳。 今得備先驅，二兒何足顧乎！」 上歎曰：「徇義之士，一至此乎！」
The Emperor planned an attack on Wang Shichong. Hearing of it, Shichong summoned the fiercest garrison troops from every prefecture to Luoyang, appointed four frontier generals, and drafted men to hold the four outer cities. In autumn, the seventh month, on the day renxu, an edict put the Prince of Qin in command of all forces against Shichong. Qu Tu Tong of the Shaan East mobile headquarters had two sons held in Luoyang. The Emperor asked him: "I mean to send you east to fight—what of your two sons?" Tong replied: "I was once your captive and deserved death. Your Majesty freed me and honored me with kindness. From that day I swore in my heart to spend whatever years remained in your service—I only feared I might never find a worthy place to die. Now that I may serve in the vanguard, what are two sons to me!" The Emperor sighed: "Devotion to duty can go this far!"
55
癸亥，突厥遣使潛詣王世充，潞州總管李襲譽邀擊，敗之，虜牛羊萬計。
On the day guihai Turkic envoys tried to reach Wang Shichong in secret; Li Xiyu, commander of Lu Prefecture, intercepted them, routed the escort, and seized tens of thousands of cattle and sheep.
56
驃騎大將軍可朱渾定遠告：「并州總管李仲文與突厥通謀，欲俟洛陽兵交，引胡騎直入長安。」 甲戌，命皇太子鎮蒲板以備之，又遣禮部尚書唐儉安撫并州，暫廢并州總管府，征仲文入朝。
General Kezhuhun Dingyuan reported: "Commander Li Zhongwen of Bingzhou is conspiring with the Turks. He plans to wait until the armies meet at Luoyang, then lead Turkic cavalry straight into Chang'an." On the day jiaxu the crown prince was posted at Puban as a precaution. Tang Jian, Minister of Rites, was sent to pacify Bingzhou, the Bingzhou command was temporarily dissolved, and Zhongwen was recalled to court.
57
壬午，秦王世民至新安。 王世充遣魏王弘烈鎮襄陽，荊王行本鎮虎牢，宋王泰鎮懷州，齊王世惲檢校南城，楚王世偉守寶城，太子玄應守東城，漢王玄恕守含嘉城，魯王道徇守曜儀城，世充自將戰兵，左輔大將軍楊公卿帥左龍驤二十八府騎兵，右游擊大將軍郭善才帥內軍二十八府步兵，左游擊大將軍跋野綱帥外軍二十八府步兵，總三萬人，以備唐。 弘烈、行本，世偉之子； 泰，世充之兄子也。
On the day renwu the Prince of Qin reached Xin'an. Wang Shichong deployed his forces: Prince Honglie of Wei at Xiangyang, Prince Xingben of Jing at Hulao, Prince Tai of Song at Huai Prefecture, Prince Shiyun of Qi to oversee the southern city, Prince Shiwei of Chu at Baocheng, Crown Prince Xuanying at the eastern city, Prince Xuanshu of Han at Hanjia Fort, and Prince Daoxun of Lu at Yaoyi Fort. Shichong himself took the field with thirty thousand battle troops—Yang Gongqing leading the Left Dragon Charger cavalry from twenty-eight guards, Guo Shancai the inner army infantry from twenty-eight guards, and Baye Gang the outer army infantry from twenty-eight guards—to meet Tang. Honglie and Xingben were sons of Shiwei; Tai was Shichong's nephew.
58
梁師都引突厥、稽胡兵入寇，行軍總管段德操擊破之，斬首千餘級。
Liang Shidu led Turkic and Ji Hu raiders across the border; Campaign Commander Duan Decao routed them and took over a thousand heads.
59
羅士信將前鋒圍慈澗，王世充自將兵三萬救之。 己丑，秦王世民將輕騎前覘世充，猝與之遇，眾寡不敵，道路險扼，為世充所圍。 世民左右馳射，皆應弦而斃，獲其左建威將軍燕琪，世充乃退。 世民還營，埃塵覆面，軍不復識，欲拒之，世民免冑自言，乃得入。 旦日，帥步騎五萬進軍慈澗； 世充拔慈澗之戍，歸於洛陽。 世民遣行軍總管史萬寶自宜陽南據龍門，將軍劉德威自太行東圍河內，上谷公王君廓自洛口斷其餉道，懷州總管黃君漢自河陰攻回洛城； 大軍屯於北邙，連營以逼之。 世充洧州長史繁水張公謹與刺史崔樞以州城來降。
Luo Shixin led the vanguard in the siege of Cijian; Wang Shichong marched out personally with thirty thousand men to relieve it. On the day jichou the Prince of Qin rode ahead with a light escort to scout Shichong's position and ran into him unexpectedly. Outnumbered on a narrow road, he was surrounded. Shimin wheeled and shot in every direction; every arrow found its mark. He captured Shichong's general Yan Qi, and Shichong pulled back. When Shimin rode back to camp, dust masked his face so completely that his own men did not recognize him and nearly turned him away. He removed his helmet and announced himself before they let him in. At dawn the next day he advanced on Cijian with fifty thousand infantry and cavalry; Shichong pulled the garrison out of Cijian and withdrew to Luoyang. Shimin sent Campaign Commander Shi Wanbao south from Yiyang to seize Longmen, General Liu Dewei east from the Taihang to invest Henei, Duke Wang Junkuo of Shanggu from Luokou to sever supply lines, and Huai Prefecture Commander Huang Junhan from Heyin to assault Huiluo City; The main force encamped on Mount Beimang in a chain of camps to tighten the siege. Zhang Gongjin of Fanshui, chief clerk of Weizhou, and Prefect Cui Shu surrendered the prefectural seat to Tang.
60
八月，丁酉，南寧西爨蠻遣使入貢。 初，隋末蠻酋爨玩反，誅，諸子沒為官奴，棄其地。 帝即位，以玩子弘達為昆州刺史，令持其父屍歸葬； 益州刺史段綸因遣使招諭其部落，皆來降。
In the eighth month, on the day dingyou, the western Cuan tribes of Nanning sent tribute envoys to court. At the end of the Sui, the Cuan chieftain Wan had rebelled and been put to death; his sons were seized as government slaves and his territory left without a ruler. When the Tang emperor came to the throne, he named Wan's son Hongda prefect of Kunzhou and sent him to bring his father's remains home for burial; Yi Prefecture Governor Duan Lun then sent envoys to win over the tribes, and they all submitted.
61
己亥，竇建德共州縣令唐綱殺刺史，以州來降。
On the day jihai, Tang Gang, magistrate of Gong Prefecture under Dou Jiande, killed the prefect and brought the prefecture over to Tang.
62
鄧州土豪執王世充所署剌史來降。
A Deng Prefecture magnate arrested Wang Shichong's appointee as prefect and defected to Tang.
63
癸卯，梁師都石堡留守張舉帥千餘人來降。
On the day guimao, Zhang Ju, garrison commander at Shibao under Liang Shidu, arrived with a thousand men to surrender.
64
甲辰，黃君漢遣校尉張夜叉以舟師襲回洛城，克之，獲其將達奚善定，斷河陽南橋而還，降其堡聚二十餘。 世充使太子玄應帥楊公卿等攻回洛，不克，乃築月城於其西，留兵戍之。
On the day jiachen, Huang Junhan dispatched Commandant Zhang Yecha with river troops against Huiluo City. They took the city, captured the general Daxi Shanding, destroyed the southern Heyang bridge, and on their return accepted the submission of over twenty fortified settlements. Shichong sent Crown Prince Xuanying with Yang Gongqing and others to retake Huiluo; when the assault failed, they built a crescent fort to the west and left a garrison there.
65
世充陳於青城宮，秦王世民亦置陳當之。 世充隔水謂世民曰：「隋室傾覆，唐帝關中，鄭帝河南，世充未嘗西侵，王忽舉兵東來，何也？」 世民使宇文士及應之曰：「四海咸仰皇風，唯公獨阻聲教，為此而來！」 世充曰：「相與息兵講好，不亦善乎！」 又應之曰：「奉詔取東都，不令講好也！」 至暮，各引兵還。
Shichong formed his battle line at Qingcheng Palace; the Prince of Qin deployed opposite him. Shichong shouted across the water to Shimin, "The Sui dynasty is gone. Tang rules in the west and Zheng in the east. I have never marched west—why have you suddenly brought an army east?" Shimin sent Yuwen Shiji to answer: "The whole realm looks to the emperor's virtue—you alone stand in the way. That is why we are here." Shichong called back, "Would it not be better for us to lay down arms and make peace?" The reply came again: "I have orders to take the Eastern Capital—not to negotiate peace." At nightfall both sides withdrew.
66
上遣使與竇建德連和，建德遣同安長公主隨使者俱還。
The emperor sent envoys to treaty with Dou Jiande; Jiande sent the Princess of Tong'an back with them.
67
乙卯，劉德威襲懷州，入其外郭，下其堡聚。
On the day yimao, Liu Dewei struck Huai Prefecture, broke into the outer city, and reduced its outlying forts.
68
九月，庚午，梁師都將劉旻以華池來降，以為林州總管。
In the ninth month, on the day gengwu, Liu Min, a commander under Liang Shidu, surrendered Huachi and was made commander of Lin Prefecture.
69
癸酉，王世充顯州總管田瓚以所部二十五州來降； 自是襄陽聲問與世充絕。
On the day guiyou, Tian Zan, Wang Shichong's commander of Xian Prefecture, defected with twenty-five prefectures under his authority; After that, Xiangyang was cut off from all communication with Shichong.
70
史萬寶進軍甘泉宮。 丁丑，秦王世民遣右武衛將軍王君廓攻轘轅，拔之。 王世充遣其將魏隱等擊君廓，君廓偽遁，設伏，大破之，遂東徇地，至管城而還。 先是，王世充將郭士衡、許羅漢掠唐境，君廓以策擊卻之，詔勞之曰：「卿以十三人破賊一萬，自古以少制眾，未之有也。」
Shi Wanbao marched on Ganquan Palace. On the day dingchou, the Prince of Qin sent Right Martial Guard General Wang Junkuo against Huyao and took it. Wang Shichong sent Wei Yin and others against Junkuo. Junkuo pretended to flee, laid an ambush, and inflicted a crushing defeat, then swept east as far as Guancheng before turning back. Earlier, Wang Shichong's generals Guo Shiheng and Xu Luohan had raided Tang soil; Junkuo drove them off by stratagem. An imperial message praised him: "You routed ten thousand enemies with thirteen men—a feat without parallel in history."
71
世充尉州剌史時德睿帥所部杞、夏、陳、隨、許、穎、尉七州來降。 秦王世民以便宜命州縣官並依世充所署，無所變易，改尉州為南汴州，於是河南州縣相繼來降。
Shi Derui, prefect of Yu Prefecture under Shichong, brought over seven prefectures—Qi, Xia, Chen, Sui, Xu, Ying, and Yu. The Prince of Qin, acting on his own authority, left all local officials in place as Shichong had appointed them and renamed Yu Prefecture Southern Bian Prefecture; Henan's prefectures and counties then defected one after another.
72
劉武周降將尋相等多叛去。 諸將疑尉遲敬德，囚之軍中。 行臺左僕射屈突通、尚書殷開山言於世民曰：「敬德驍勇絕倫，今既囚之，心必怨望，留之恐為後患，不如遂殺之。」 世民曰：「不然。 敬德若叛，豈在尋相之後邪！」 遽命釋之，引入臥內，賜之金，曰：「丈夫意氣相期，勿以小嫌介意，吾終不信讒言以害忠良，公宜體之。 必欲去者，以此金相資，表一時共事之情也。」 辛巳，世民以五百騎行戰地，登魏宣武陵。 王世充帥步騎萬餘猝至，圍之。 單雄信引槊直趨世民，敬德躍馬大呼，橫刺雄信墜馬，世充兵稍卻，敬德翼世民出圍。 世民、敬德更帥騎兵還戰，出入世充陳，往返無所礙。 屈突通引大兵繼至，世充兵大敗，僅以身免。 擒其冠軍大將軍陳智略，斬首千餘級，獲排槊兵六千。 世民謂敬德曰：「公何相報之速也！」 賜敬德金銀一篋，自是寵遇日隆。
Many of Liu Wuzhou's surrendered generals, including Xun Xiang, broke away and deserted. The commanders grew suspicious of Yuchi Jingde and had him imprisoned in camp. Qu Tu Tong, Left Vice Minister of the campaign headquarters, and Minister Yin Kaishan urged Shimin, "Jingde's courage is unmatched. Imprisoned now, he will only grow resentful. Keeping him is a risk—it would be safer to kill him." Shimin said, "No. If Jingde meant to rebel, he would not still be here after Xun Xiang already went!" He had Jingde released at once and brought him into his private quarters, presenting him with gold. "Men of honor trust one another," he said. "Do not let a petty grievance come between us. I will never believe slander against the loyal—you should know that. If you truly mean to go, take this gold as my parting gift—a token of what we shared." On the day xinsi, Shimin rode out with five hundred cavalry to survey the field and climbed the mound of Emperor Xuanwu of Wei. Wang Shichong appeared suddenly with more than ten thousand foot and horse and surrounded him. Shan Xiongxin drove his spear straight at Shimin. Yuchi Jingde spurred forward with a roar and struck Xiongxin from the saddle. Shichong's line buckled; Jingde shepherded Shimin out of the trap. Shimin and Jingde wheeled about with their cavalry, charging through Shichong's ranks as if the enemy line were open ground. Qu Tu Tong arrived with the main body; Shichong's army collapsed, and he barely escaped alive. Tang captured Champion Grand General Chen Zhilüe, took over a thousand heads, and took six thousand pike infantry prisoner. Shimin told Jingde, "You repaid my trust quickly!" He gave Jingde a chest of gold and silver; from then on Jingde's favor at court only grew.
73
敬德善避槊，每單騎入敵陳中，敵叢槊刺之，終莫能傷，又能奪敵槊返剌之。 齊王元吉以善馬槊自負，聞敬德之能，請各去刃相與校勝負，敬德曰：「敬德謹當去之，王勿去也。」 既而元吉刺之，終不能中。 秦王世民問敬德曰：「避槊與奪槊，孰難？」 敬德曰：「奪槊難。」 乃命敬德奪元吉槊。 元吉操槊躍馬，志在刺之，敬德須臾三奪其槊； 元吉雖面相歎異，內甚恥之。
Yuchi Jingde had a gift for dodging spears. Riding alone into enemy lines, he could weather a storm of thrusts unscathed—and seize a spear from his assailants and stab them with it. Prince Yuanji of Qi, proud of his lance-work, heard of Jingde's skill and proposed a bout with blunted weapons. Jingde said, "I'll take the edge off my lance, Your Highness—yours can stay sharp." Yuanji struck again and again but never touched him. The Prince of Qin asked Jingde, "Which is harder—dodging a spear or taking one away?" "Taking one is harder," Jingde said." The prince ordered Jingde to disarm Yuanji. Yuanji spurred forward, spear raised to strike—but in moments Jingde snatched it from his hands three times; Yuanji marveled aloud, but inside he burned with humiliation.
74
叛胡陷嵐州。
Rebellious Hu tribes overran Lan Prefecture.
75
初，王世充以邴元真為滑州行臺僕射。 濮州刺史杜才幹，李密故將也，恨元真叛密，詐以其眾降之。 元真恃其官勢，自往招慰，才幹出迎，延入就坐，執而數之曰：「汝本庸才，魏化置汝元僚，不建毫髮之功，乃構滔天之禍，今來送死，是汝之分！」 遂斬之，遣人繼其首至黎陽祭密墓。 壬午，以濮州來降。
Earlier, Wang Shichong had made Bing Yuanzhen vice minister of the Hua Prefecture campaign headquarters. Du Caigan, prefect of Pu Prefecture and a former Li Mi commander, despised Yuanzhen for betraying Mi and pretended to surrender his troops to him. Yuanzhen, confident in his rank, went personally to accept the surrender. Caigan welcomed him, seated him—and seized him. "You were a nobody," he raged. "The Duke of Wei made you one of his chief ministers, and you repaid him with treason that brought ruin on us all. You came here to die—that is your fate." He had Yuanzhen beheaded and sent his head to Liyang to be offered before Li Mi's grave. On the day renwu, Pu Prefecture came over to Tang.
76
突厥莫賀咄設寇涼州，總管楊恭仁擊之，為所敗，掠男女數千人而去。
The Turkic Mohuad she raided Liang Prefecture. Commander Yang Gongren gave battle and was routed; the raiders carried off several thousand captives.
77
丙戌，以田瓚為顯州總管，賜爵蔡國公。
On the day bingxu, Tian Zan was made commander of Xian Prefecture and created Duke of Cai.
78
冬，十月，甲午，王世充大將軍張鎮周來降。
In the tenth month of winter, on the day jiawu, Zhang Zhenzhou, a grand general under Wang Shichong, defected.
79
甲辰，行軍總管羅士信襲王世充硤石堡，拔之。 士信又圍千金堡，堡中人罵之。 士信夜遣百餘人抱嬰兒數十至堡下，使兒啼呼，詐云「從東都來歸羅總管」。 既而相謂曰：「此千金堡也，吾屬誤矣。」 即去。 堡中以為士信已去，來者洛陽亡人，出兵追之。 士信伏兵於道，伺其門開，突入，屠之。
On the day jiachen, Campaign Commander Luo Shixin stormed Wang Shichong's Xiashi Fort and took it. Shixin next invested Qianjin Fort; its defenders hurled abuse at him. “Shixin sent more than a hundred men at night with dozens of wailing infants to the fort gate, crying out that they were refugees from the Eastern Capital coming to surrender to Commander Luo.” Then they called to one another, "This is Qianjin Fort—we've come to the wrong place." They left at once. The fort's garrison assumed Shixin had withdrawn and that these were Luoyang refugees, and sallied out in pursuit. Shixin had men hidden along the road; when the gates opened, his troops poured in and massacred the garrison.
80
竇建德之圍幽州也，李藝告急於高開道，開道帥二千騎救之，建德兵引去，開道因藝遣使來降。 戊申，以開道為蔚州總管，賜姓李氏，封北平郡王。 開道有矢鏃在頰，召醫出之，醫曰：「鏃深，不可出。」 開道怒，斬之。 別召一醫，曰：「出之恐痛。」 又斬之。 更召一醫，醫曰：「可出。」 乃鑿骨，置楔其間，骨裂寸餘，竟出其鏃； 開道奏妓進膳不輟。
While Dou Jiande besieged Youzhou, Li Yi urgently called on Gao Kaidao, who rode to the rescue with two thousand cavalry. Jiande withdrew, and Kaidao sent envoys through Li Yi to submit to Tang. On the day wushen, Kaidao was made commander of Wei Prefecture, given the imperial surname Li, and created Prince of Beiping. Kaidao had an arrowhead embedded in his cheek and summoned a physician. "It is too deep," the doctor said. "It cannot come out." Kaidao had him beheaded in a rage. He called in another physician. "It will hurt to remove it," the man warned." Kaidao killed him too. A third physician was brought. "It can be removed," he said." He chiseled through the bone, wedged it apart an inch or more, and at last pulled out the arrowhead; Throughout the ordeal, Kaidao kept musicians playing and food coming without pause.
81
竇建德帥眾二十萬復攻幽州。 建德兵已攀堞，薛萬均、薛萬徹帥敢死士百人從地道出其背，掩擊之，建德兵潰走，斬首千餘級。 李藝兵乘勝薄其營，建德陳於營中，填塹而出，奮擊，大破之，建德逐北。 至其城下，攻之，不克而還。
Dou Jiande returned with two hundred thousand men to assault Youzhou again. Jiande's men had already reached the battlements when Xue Wanjun and Xue Wanche led a hundred dare-to-die soldiers through a tunnel to strike from behind. Jiande's army broke and fled, leaving over a thousand dead. Li Yi's forces pressed the attack on Jiande's camp. Jiande formed up within his lines, filled the moats, and sallied forth—but Li Yi broke him completely and drove him north in flight. They pursued to Jiande's city walls, assaulted it without success, and withdrew.
82
李密之敗也，楊慶歸洛陽，復姓楊氏。 及王世充稱帝，慶復姓郭氏，世充以為管州總管，妻以兄女。 秦王世民逼洛陽，慶潛遣人請降，世民遣總管李世勣將兵往據其城。 慶欲與其妻偕來，妻曰：「主上使妾侍巾櫛者，欲結君之心也。 今君既辜付託，徇利求全，妾將如君何！ 若至長安，則君家一婢耳，君何用為！ 願送至洛陽，君之惠也。」 慶不許。 慶出，妻謂侍者曰：「若唐遂勝鄭，則吾家必滅； 鄭若勝唐，則吾夫必死。 人生至此，何用生為！」 遂自殺。 庚戌，慶來降，復姓楊氏，拜上柱國、郇國公。
After Li Mi's defeat, Yang Qing went back to Luoyang and resumed the Yang surname. When Wang Shichong declared himself emperor, Qing took the Guo surname again; Shichong made him commander of Guan Prefecture and married him to his niece. As the Prince of Qin tightened the siege of Luoyang, Qing secretly sent envoys to offer surrender; Shimin sent Li Shiji to occupy Guan Prefecture. Qing wanted his wife to come with him. She said, "Our lord gave me to you to bind your loyalty. Now you break that trust for safety and gain—what am I to do with you? In Chang'an I would be nothing but a servant in your household—what good would you be to me then? Send me back to Luoyang—that is all I ask." Qing refused. After Qing left, his wife told her attendants, "If Tang wins over Zheng, our house will be destroyed; if Zheng wins, my husband will die. Life has come to this—why go on living?" She took her own life. On the day gengxu, Qing surrendered, took back the Yang surname, and was created Supreme Pillar of State and Duke of Xun.
83
時世充太子玄應鎮虎牢，軍於宋、汴之間，聞之，引兵趣管城，李世勣擊卻之。 使郭孝恪為書說榮州刺史魏陸，陸密請降。 玄應遣大將軍張志就陸徵兵，丙辰，陸擒志等四將，舉州來降。 陽城令王雄帥諸堡來降，秦王世民使李世勣引兵應之，以雄為嵩州刺史，嵩南之路始通。 魏陸使張志詐為玄應書，停其東道之兵，令其將張慈寶且還汴州，又密告汴州刺史王要漢使圖慈寶，要漢斬慈寶以降。 玄應聞諸州皆叛，大懼，奔還洛陽。 詔以要漢為汴州總管，賜爵郳國公。
Crown Prince Xuanying was then at Hulao with forces between Song and Bian; when he heard the news he marched on Guancheng, but Li Shiji drove him back. Shimin had Guo Xiaoke write to Rong Prefecture Governor Wei Lu, who secretly offered to defect. Xuanying sent Grand General Zhang Zhi to Lu to raise troops; on the day bingchen, Lu seized Zhang Zhi and three other generals and brought the whole prefecture over. Wang Xiong, magistrate of Yangcheng, brought over the surrounding forts; the Prince of Qin sent Li Shiji to meet him and made Wang Xiong governor of Song Prefecture, opening the route south of Mount Song for the first time. Wei Lu had Zhang Zhi forge a dispatch in Xuanying's name, ordering the eastern army to stand down and sending General Zhang Cibao back to Bian Prefecture for the moment. In secret he also urged Bian's governor Wang Yaohan to eliminate Cibao; Yaohan cut off Cibao's head and defected. When Xuanying learned that prefecture after prefecture was turning against him, he was terrified and raced back to Luoyang. The court appointed Yaohan commander of Bian Prefecture and created him Duke of Bi.
84
王弘烈據襄陽，上令金州總管府司馬涇陽李大亮安撫樊、鄧以圖之。 十一月，庚申，大亮攻樊城鎮，拔之，斬其將國大安，下其城柵十四。
Wang Honglie still held Xiangyang. The Emperor sent Li Daliang of Jingyang, adjutant on the Jin Prefecture staff, to win over Fan and Deng and lay plans against him. In the eleventh month, on the day gengshen, Daliang stormed Fancheng garrison, killed its commander Guo Da'an, and reduced fourteen outlying camps.
85
蕭銑性褊狹，多猜忌。 諸將恃功恣橫，好專誅殺，銑患之，乃宣言罷兵營農，實欲奪諸將之權。 大司馬董景珍弟為將軍，怨望，謀作亂； 事洩，伏誅。 景珍時鎮長沙，銑下詔赦之，召還江陵。 景珍懼，甲子，以長沙來降； 詔峽州刺史許紹出兵應之。
Xiao Xian was petty by temperament and quick to suspect those around him. His generals, bloated with pride in their victories, ran wild and killed at whim. Xian hated it. He announced that the armies would be stood down and sent to the fields—but his real aim was to wrest power from the commanders. Dong Jingzhen's younger brother, a general serving as grand marshal, brooded over his grievances and plotted revolt; The plot was discovered and he was put to death. Jingzhen was then holding Changsha. Xian issued a pardon and ordered him back to Jiangling. Terrified, Jingzhen surrendered Changsha on the day jiazi; The court ordered Xu Shao, governor of Xia Prefecture, to move troops to his aid.
86
雲州總管郭子和，先與突厥、梁師都相連結，既而襲師都寧朔城，克之。 又得突厥釁隙，遣使以聞，為突厥候騎所獲。 處羅可汗大怒，囚其弟子升。 子和自以孤危，請帥其民南徙，詔以延州故城處之。
Guo Zihe, commander of Yun Prefecture, had first thrown in his lot with the Turks and Liang Shidu—then turned and stormed Shidu's fortress at Ningshuo. He picked a quarrel with the Turks as well and sent word to the court—but Turkish scouts intercepted his messenger. Khan Quluo flew into a rage and clapped Zihe's nephew Sheng in irons. Feeling exposed and alone, Zihe asked leave to lead his people south. The court granted them the abandoned city of Yan Prefecture.
87
張舉、劉旻之降也，梁師都大懼，遣其尚書陸季覽說突厥處羅可汗曰：「比者中原喪亂，分為數國，勢均力弱，故皆北面歸附突厥。 今定楊可汗既亡，天下將悉為唐有。 師都不辭灰滅，亦恐次及可汗。 不若及其未定，南取中原，如魏道武所為，師都請為鄉導。」 處羅從之，謀使莫賀咄設入自原州，泥步設與師都入自延州，處羅入自并州，突利可汗與奚、□、契丹、靺鞨入自幽州，會竇建德之師自滏口西入，會於晉、絳。 莫賀咄者，處羅之弟咄苾也； 突利者，始畢之子什缽苾也。
When Zhang Ju and Liu Min defected, Liang Shidu was terrified. He sent his minister Lu Jilan to urge Khan Quluo of the Turks: "While the heartland has been torn apart, every petty realm was too weak to stand alone—so all bowed north to you. Now Dingyang Khan is gone, and before long all under heaven will belong to Tang. I do not flinch from my own ruin—but I fear, Khan, that you will be next. Better strike while they are still unsettled—march south and take the central plains, as Emperor Daowu of Wei once did. Shidu will guide you." Quluo agreed. He planned for Moheduo She to enter from Yuan Prefecture, Nibu She and Shidu from Yan, Quluo himself from Bing, Khan Tuli with the Xi, Khitans, and Mohe from You, and Dou Jiande's army from Fukou in the west—all to rendezvous in Jin and Jiang. Moheduo was Quluo's younger brother Tubo; Tuli was Shibobi, son of the late Khan Shibi.
88
處羅又欲取并州以居楊政道，其群臣多諫，處羅曰：「我父失國，賴隋得立，此恩不可忘！」 將出師而卒。 義成公主以其子奧射設丑弱，廢之，更立莫賀咄設，號頡利可汗。 乙酉，頡利遣使告處羅之喪，上禮之如始畢之喪。
Quluo also meant to seize Bing Prefecture and install Yang Zhengdao there. Many of his ministers objected. Quluo said, "My father lost his throne; only Sui restored us— that debt cannot be forgotten! He was on the point of marching when he died. Princess Yicheng judged her son Aoshe feeble and unfit, set him aside, and raised Moheduo She instead as khan, styled Il. On the day yiyou, Il sent envoys to announce Quluo's death. The Emperor received them with the same state mourning he had shown at Shibi's passing.
89
戊子，安撫大使李大亮取王世充沮、華二州。
On the day wuzi, Pacification Commissioner Li Daliang seized Qu and Hua, two prefectures held by Wang Shichong.
90
是月，竇建德濟河擊孟海公。
That same month Dou Jiande crossed the Yellow River to strike Meng Haigong.
91
初，王世充侵建德黎陽，建德襲破殷州以報之。 自是二國交惡，信使不通。 及唐兵逼洛陽，世充遣使求救於建德。 建德中書侍郎劉彬說建德曰； 「天下大亂，唐得關西，鄭得河南，夏得河北，共成鼎足之勢。 今唐舉兵臨鄭，自秋涉冬，唐兵日增，鄭地日蹙，唐強鄭弱，勢必不支。 鄭亡，則夏不能獨立矣。 不如解仇除忿，發兵救之，夏擊其外，鄭攻其內，破唐必矣。 唐師既退，徐觀其變，若鄭可取則取之，並二國之兵，乘唐師之老，天下可取也。」 建德從之，遣使詣世充，許以赴援。 又遣其禮部侍郎李大師等詣唐，請罷洛陽之兵，秦王世民留之，不答。
Earlier Wang Shichong had invaded Jiande's territory at Liyang; Jiande had answered by storming Yin Prefecture. After that the two realms were bitter enemies and no envoy crossed between them. When Tang armies closed on Luoyang, Shichong sent envoys begging Jiande for help. Liu Bin, vice minister of the central secretariat under Jiande, argued to him: "The empire is shattered. Tang holds the western passes, Zheng the heart of Henan, Xia Hebei—three powers like the legs of a tripod. Now Tang has marched on Zheng. From autumn into winter Tang's armies have swelled while Zheng's lands have shrunk. Tang grows stronger, Zheng weaker—the end is plain. If Zheng falls, Xia cannot stand alone. Better bury the feud and send relief: Xia strikes from without, Zheng from within—Tang will surely break. When Tang withdraws, watch and wait. If Zheng can be swallowed, swallow it. Unite both armies, strike when Tang is spent, and all under heaven may yet be yours." Jiande took his counsel, sent envoys to Shichong, and promised to march to his rescue. He also sent Li Dashii of the ministry of rites and others to Tang, asking that the siege of Luoyang be lifted. The Prince of Qin, Shimin, kept them and made no answer.
92
十二月，辛卯，王世充許、亳等十一州皆請降。
In the twelfth month, on the day xinmao, eleven of Wang Shichong's prefectures—including Xu and Bo—petitioned to surrender.
93
壬辰，燕郡王李藝又擊竇建德軍於籠火城，破之。
On the day renchen, Li Yi, Prince of Yan Commandery, again smashed Dou Jiande's army at Longhuo Fortress.
94
辛丑，王世充隨州總管徐毅舉州降。
On the day xinchou, Xu Yi, Wang Shichong's commander at Suizhou, brought the entire prefecture over.
95
癸卯，峽州剌史許紹攻蕭銑荊門鎮，拔之。 紹所部與梁、鄭鄰接，二境得紹士卒，皆殺之，紹得二境士卒，皆資給遣之。 敵人愧感，不復侵掠，境內以安。
On the day guimao, Xu Shao, governor of Xia Prefecture, stormed Xiao Xian's garrison at Jingmen and took it. Shao's command marched alongside Liang and Zheng. When those two realms captured his men, they killed them. When Shao captured theirs, he fed them, paid their way, and sent them home. His enemies were shamed into gratitude and stopped raiding; within his borders there was peace.
96
蕭銑遣其齊王張繡攻長沙，董景珍謂繡曰：「『前年醢彭越，往年殺韓信』，卿不見之乎？ 何為相攻！」 繡不應，進兵圍之。 景珍欲潰圍走，為麾下所殺； 銑以繡為尚書令。 繡恃功驕橫，銑又殺之。 由是功臣諸將皆有離心，兵勢益弱。
Xiao Xian sent his Prince of Qi, Zhang Xiu, against Changsha. Dong Jingzhen said to him, "Have you forgotten? 'The year before last they minced Peng Yue; last year they killed Han Xin. Why turn our blades on one another!' Zhang Xiu made no reply and pressed on to besiege the city. Jingzhen tried to break out and escape, but his own men cut him down; Xiao Xian made Zhang Xiu director of the department of state affairs. Zhang Xiu, drunk on his victory, grew insolent—and Xiao Xian killed him too. From that day the great captains and ministers lost heart, and Xia's armies grew ever feebler.
97
王世充遣其兄子代王琬、長孫安世詣竇建德報聘，且乞師。
Wang Shichong sent his nephew, Prince Wan, and Zhangsun Anshi to Jiande on a return embassy—and to plead for an army.
98
突厥倫特勒在并州，大為民患，并州總管劉世讓設策擒之。 上聞之，甚喜。 張道源從竇建德在河南，密遣人詣長安，請出兵攻洺州以震山東。 丙午，詔世讓為行軍總管，使將兵出土門，趣洺州。
The Turk Illi Teler was ravaging Bing Prefecture. Liu Shirang, the prefectural commander, laid a trap and took him. The Emperor was delighted when he heard. Zhang Daoyuan, then with Dou Jiande in Henan, secretly sent men to Chang'an urging a strike on Ming Prefecture to shake the eastern provinces. On the day bingwu the court made Shirang campaign commander and ordered him out through Tumen Pass toward Ming Prefecture.
99
己酉，瓜州刺史賀拔行威執驃騎將軍達奚暠，舉兵反。
On the day jiyou, Heba Xingwei, governor of Guazhou, seized Flying-Cavalry General Daxi Gao and rebelled.
100
是歲，李子通渡江攻沈法興，取京口。 法興遣其僕射蔣元超拒之，戰於庱亭，元超敗死，法興棄毘陵，奔吳郡。 於是丹楊、毘陵等郡皆降於子通。 子通以法興府掾李百藥為內史侍郎、國子祭酒。
That year Li Zitong crossed the Yangtze against Shen Faxiing and seized Jingkou. Faxiing sent his vice director Jiang Yuanchao to meet him. They fought at Chiting; Yuanchao was beaten and killed. Faxiing abandoned Piling and fled to Wu Prefecture. Danyang, Piling, and the surrounding commanderies all submitted to Zitong. Zitong took Li Baiyao, once a clerk in Faxiing's administration, and made him vice minister of the central secretariat and director of the imperial academy.
101
杜伏威遣行臺左僕射輔公祏將卒數千攻子通，以將軍闞稜、王雄誕為副。 公祐渡江攻丹楊，克之，進屯溧水，子通帥眾數萬拒之。 公祐簡精甲千人，執長刀為前鋒； 又使千人踵其後，曰：「有退者即斬之。」 自帥餘眾，復居其後。 子通為方陳而前，公祐前鋒千人殊死戰，公祐復張左右翼以擊之，子通敗走，公祐逐之，反為所敗，還，閉壁不出。 王雄誕曰：「子通無壁壘，又狃於初勝，乘其無備擊之，可破也。」 公祐不從。 雄誕以其私屬數百人夜出擊之，因風縱火，子通大敗，降其卒數千人。 子通食盡，棄江都，保京口，江西之地盡入於伏威，伏威徙居丹楊。
Du Fuwei sent Fu Gongshi, vice director of his itinerant secretariat, with several thousand men against Zitong, backed by Generals Kan Ling and Wang Xiongdan. Gongshi crossed the river, stormed Danyang, and pushed on to camp at Lishui. Zitong marched out with tens of thousands to block him. Gongshi picked a thousand elite armored men, armed them with long swords, and placed them in the van; He posted another thousand behind them with the order: "Any man who falls back dies. He himself led the rest of the army and took up position still farther to the rear. Zitong came on in a square formation. Gongshi's thousand-man van fought as if death meant nothing; then he spread left and right wings and struck. Zitong broke and ran. Gongshi chased him—but was beaten in turn, pulled back, and shut himself behind his walls. Wang Xiongdan said, "Zitong has no walls to hide behind, and he is drunk on his first victory. Hit him while he is careless and he will break. Gongshi refused. That night Xiongdan led several hundred of his own household troops out in a raid. They rode the wind to set fires. Zitong was routed, and thousands of his men surrendered. Zitong's grain ran out. He abandoned Jiangdu for Jingkou. All the country west of the river passed to Fuwei, who moved his capital to Danyang.
102
子通復東走太湖，收合亡散，得二萬人，襲沈法興於吳郡，大破之。 法興帥左右數百人棄城走，吳郡賊帥聞人遂安遣其將葉孝辯迎之，法興中塗而悔，欲殺孝辯，更向會稽。 孝辯覺之，法興窘迫，赴江溺死。 子通軍勢復振，帥其群臣徙都餘杭，盡收法興之地，北自太湖，南至嶺，東包會稽，西距宣城，皆有之。
Zitong fled east to Lake Tai, gathered the scattered remnants, and raised twenty thousand men. He fell on Shen Faxiing at Wu Prefecture and broke him utterly. Faxiing fled the city with a few hundred followers. Wen Ren Sui'an, a bandit chief of Wu Prefecture, sent Ye Xiaobian to receive him. Midway Faxiing changed his mind, meant to kill Xiaobian, and turned toward Kuaiji instead. Xiaobian saw through him. Cornered, Faxiing threw himself into the river and drowned. Zitong's strength returned. He moved his court to Yuhang and swallowed Faxiing's old domain—from Lake Tai in the north to the southern ranges, from Kuaiji in the east to Xuancheng in the west.
103
廣、新二州賊帥高法澄、沈寶徹殺隋官，據州，附於林士弘，漢陽太守馮盎擊破之。 既而寶徹兄子智臣復聚兵於新州，盎引兵擊之。 戰始合，盎免冑大呼曰：「爾識我乎？」 賊多棄仗肉袒而拜，遂潰，擒寶徹、智臣等，嶺外遂定。
Gao Facheng and Shen Baoche, bandit chiefs of Guang and Xin, killed the Sui officials, seized both prefectures, and submitted to Lin Shihong. Feng Ang, grand administrator of Hanyang, crushed them. Later Baoche's nephew Zhichen raised troops again in Xin Prefecture, and Ang marched against him. As the lines met, Ang tore off his helmet and roared, "Do you know who I am? Many rebels dropped their weapons, bared their chests, and kowtowed. The army melted away. Ang seized Baoche, Zhichen, and the rest, and the lands beyond the ranges were pacified.
104
竇建德行臺尚書令恆山胡大恩請降。
Hu Daen of Hengshan, chief minister on Dou Jiande's itinerant secretariat, offered to surrender.
105
春，正月，癸酉，以大恩為代州總管，封定襄郡王，賜姓李氏。 代州石嶺之北，自劉武周之亂，寇盜充斥，大恩徙鎮雁門，討擊，悉平之。
In spring, the first month, on the day guiyou, the court made Daen commander of Dai Prefecture, created him Prince of Dingxiang Commandery, and granted him the surname Li. North of the Stone Ridge in Dai Prefecture, ever since Liu Wuzhou's revolt, bandits had overrun the country. Daen moved his headquarters to Yanmen and hunted them until the region was quiet.
106
稽胡酋帥劉屳成部落數萬，為邊寇； 辛巳，詔太子建成統諸軍討之。
Liu Xiancheng, a Ji Hu chieftain at the head of a tribal host tens of thousands strong, raided the borderlands; On the day xinsi the court ordered Crown Prince Jiancheng to take command of all armies and crush him.
107
王世充梁州總管程嘉會以所部來降。
Cheng Jiahui, Wang Shichong's commander at Liang Prefecture, defected with his entire force.
108
杜伏威遣其將陳正通、徐紹宗帥精兵二千，來會秦王世民擊王世充，甲申，攻梁，克之。
Du Fuwei sent Generals Chen Zhengtong and Xu Shaozong with two thousand elite troops to join the Prince of Qin against Wang Shichong. On the day jiashen they stormed Liang Prefecture and took it.
109
丙戌，黔州刺史田世康攻蕭銑五州、四鎮，皆克之。
On the day bingxu, Tian Shikang, governor of Qian Prefecture, attacked five prefectures and four garrisons held by Xiao Xian and took them all.
110
秦王世民選精銳千餘騎，皆皁衣玄甲，分為左右隊，使秦叔寶、程知節、尉遲敬德、翟長孫分將之。 每戰，世民親被玄甲帥之為前鋒，乘機進擊，所向無不摧破，敵人畏之。 行臺僕射屈突通、贊皇公竇軌將兵按行營屯，猝與王世充遇，戰不利。 秦王世民帥玄甲救之，世充大敗，獲其騎將葛彥璋，俘斬六千餘人，世充遁歸。
The Prince of Qin chose more than a thousand crack horsemen, all in black tunics and dark armor, split them into left and right wings, and put Qin Shubao, Cheng Yaojie, Yuchi Jingde, and Zhai Changsun in command. In every fight Shimin himself put on dark armor and rode at their head. He struck when the moment opened, and nothing in his path held. His enemies learned to fear that black-clad vanguard. Qu Tu Tong, vice director of the itinerant secretariat, and Dou Gui, Duke of Zanhuang, were making the rounds of the camps when they ran headlong into Wang Shichong and were beaten back. The Prince of Qin swept in with his dark-armored riders. Shichong was shattered. They took his cavalry general Ge Yanzhang, killed or captured more than six thousand men, and Shichong fled for home.
111
李靖說趙郡王孝恭以取蕭銑十策，孝恭上之。 二月，辛卯，改信州為夔州，以孝恭為總管，使大造舟艦，習水戰。 以孝恭未更軍旅，以靖為行軍總管，兼孝恭長史，委以軍事。 靖說孝恭悉召巴、蜀酋長子弟，量才授任，置之左右，外示引擢，實以為質。
Li Jing laid out for Prince Xiaogong of Zhao Commandery ten plans for bringing down Xiao Xian, and Xiaogong forwarded them to the throne. In the second month, on the day xinmao, Xin Prefecture was renamed Kui Prefecture. Xiaogong was made its commander and ordered to build a fleet and train his men for river fighting. Because Xiaogong had never commanded in the field, Li Jing was made campaign commander and chief administrator on his staff, with full charge of the war. Li Jing urged Xiaogong to summon the sons and younger brothers of the Ba and Shu chieftains, give them posts suited to their gifts, and keep them close—ostensibly as promotions, in truth as hostages.
112
王世充太子玄應將兵數千人，自虎牢運糧入洛陽，秦王世民遣將軍李君羨邀擊，大破之，玄應僅以身免。
Wang Shichong's crown prince Xuanying was escorting several thousand men with grain convoys from Hulao into Luoyang. The Prince of Qin sent General Li Junxian to ambush him, broke the column utterly, and Xuanying escaped with only his life.
113
世民使宇文士及奏請進圍東都，上謂士及曰：「歸語爾王：今取洛陽，止欲息兵。 克城之日，乘輿法物，圖籍器械，非私家所須者，委汝收之。 其餘子女玉帛，並以分賜將士。」
Shimin sent Yuwen Shiji to memorialize for a tighter siege of the eastern capital. The Emperor told him, "Go back and tell your prince: we take Luoyang now only to end the killing. When the city falls, the imperial regalia, the maps and registers, the engines of state—nothing a private household would keep—are yours to gather in. The rest—the people, the silks, the treasure—is yours to divide among the officers and men."
114
辛丑，世民移軍青城宮，壁壘未立，王世充帥眾二萬自方諸門出，憑故馬坊垣塹，臨谷水以拒唐兵，諸將皆懼。 世民以精騎陳於北邙，登魏宣武陵以望之，謂左右曰：「賊勢窘矣，悉眾而出，徼幸一戰，今日破之，後不敢復出矣！」 命屈突通帥步卒五千渡水擊之，戒通曰：「兵交則縱煙。」 煙作，世民引騎南下，身先士卒，與通合勢力戰。 世民欲知世充陳厚薄，與精騎數十沖之，直出其背，眾皆披靡，殺傷甚眾。 既而限以長堤，與諸騎相失，將軍丘行恭獨從世民，世充數騎追及之，世民馬中流矢而斃。 行恭回騎射追者，發無不中，追者不敢前。 乃下馬以授世民，行恭於馬前步執長刀，距躍大呼，斬數人，突陳而出，得入大軍。 世充亦帥眾殊死戰，散而復合者數四，自辰至午，世充兵始退。 世民縱兵乘之，直抵城下，俘斬七千人，遂圍之。 驃騎將軍段志玄與世充兵力戰，深入，馬倒，為世充兵所擒，兩騎夾持其髻，將渡洛水，志玄踴身而奮，二人俱墜馬。 志玄馳歸，追者數百騎，不敢逼。
On xinchou, Shimin shifted his camp to Qingcheng Palace. Before his defenses were finished, Wang Shichong led twenty thousand men out through Fangzhu Gate, lining the old horse-park ramparts above the Gushui stream to block the Tang advance. The Tang generals were alarmed. Shimin posted his finest horsemen on Mount Beimang and climbed the tomb mound of Wei Emperor Xuandi to study the enemy. He told his staff, "Shichong is at the end of his rope—he has emptied the city hoping for one decisive fight. Break him today, and he will never risk another sortie." He ordered Qu Tu Tong to take five thousand foot soldiers across the stream and strike, telling him, "When the lines meet, signal with smoke." As soon as the smoke went up, Shimin spurred his cavalry south at the head of the charge and joined Qu Tu Tong in a pitched fight. Seeking to gauge the depth of Shichong's line, Shimin plunged through with a few dozen picked riders and burst out behind the enemy rear. The formation crumbled; casualties were heavy. A long dike cut him off from his riders; only General Qiu Xinggong stayed at his side. Shichong's horsemen overtook them, and an arrow brought down Shimin's mount. Xinggong wheeled about and shot down every pursuer in range; none dared press closer. He dismounted and put Shimin in the saddle, then on foot before the horse, swinging a long saber with leaps and shouts, cut down several foes and fought clear back to the main body. Shichong's men fought with desperate fury, rallying and breaking four times over. Not until the hour of wu did they finally give ground. Shimin pressed the pursuit to the walls, killing or capturing seven thousand men, and tightened the siege. Flying Cavalry General Duan Zhixuan fought deep into the Zheng line until his horse went down and enemy soldiers seized him. Two riders grabbed him by the hair to drag him across the Luo, but Zhixuan surged upward and all three tumbled from their saddles. Zhixuan rode clear to safety; though hundreds gave chase, none dared close the distance.
115
初，驃騎將軍王懷文為唐軍斥候，為世充所獲，世充欲慰悅之，引置左右。 壬寅，世充出右掖門，臨洛水為陳，懷文忽引槊刺世充，世充衷甲，槊折不能入，左右猝出不意，皆愕眙不知所為。 懷文走趣唐軍，至寫口，追獲，殺之。 世充歸，解去衷甲，袒示群臣曰：「懷文以槊刺我，卒不能傷，豈非天所命乎！」
Earlier, the Tang scout officer Wang Huaiwen had been taken prisoner. Shichong meant to win him over and kept him close at hand. On renyin, Shichong marched out through the Right Flank Gate and drew up along the Luo. Huaiwen suddenly drove his spear at him. Shichong wore hidden mail—the shaft snapped without piercing—and his startled attendants stood frozen, unsure how to react. Huaiwen bolted for the Tang lines but was run down at Xiekou and executed. Back in the palace, Shichong stripped off his hidden armor and showed himself bare-chested to the court. "Huaiwen drove a spear at me and could not so much as scratch me," he declared. "Is that not Heaven's own decree?"
116
先是，御史大夫鄭頲不樂仕世充，多稱疾不預事，至是謂世充曰：「臣聞佛有金剛不壞身，陛下真是也！ 臣實多幸，得生佛世，願棄官削髮為沙門，服勤精進，以資陛下之神武。」 世充曰：「國之大臣，聲望素重，一旦入道，將駭物聽。 俟兵革休息，當從公志。」 頲固請，不許。 退謂其妻曰：「吾束髮從官，志慕名節，不幸遭遇亂世，流離至此，側身猜忌之朝，累足危亡之地，智力淺薄，無以自全。 人生會當有死，早晚何殊？ 姑從吾所好，死亦無憾！」 遂削髮被僧服。 世充聞之，大怒曰：「爾以我為必敗，欲苟免邪？ 不誅之，何以制眾！」 遂斬頲於市。 頲言笑自若，觀者壯之。
For some time Grand Censor Zheng Ting had loathed serving Shichong and kept pleading illness to avoid office. Now he told him, "I hear the Buddha's body is diamond-hard and indestructible—Your Majesty, you truly are that man! How fortunate I am to live in the age of a living buddha! I beg leave to resign, shave my head, and take the tonsure, dedicating my devotions to Your Majesty's godlike valor." Shichong replied, "You are a pillar of the realm, a man of great standing. If you suddenly renounce the world, you will shock everyone who hears of it. Wait until the fighting is over, and I will honor your wish." Ting pressed his request again; Shichong refused. At home he told his wife, "I took up office young, caring for honor and principle. Fate dropped me into this chaos and this suspicious court on the brink of ruin. I am not clever enough to save myself. Every life ends in death—what matter whether it comes sooner or later? Let me at least do as I wish; I will have no regrets even in death." He shaved his head and donned the monk's robe. When Shichong heard, he flew into a rage. "You think I am doomed and want to save your own skin, do you? If I do not kill you, how can I keep the rest in line?" He had Ting beheaded in public. Ting met death smiling and unafraid; the crowd admired his composure.
117
詔贈王懷文上柱國、朔州刺史。
An edict posthumously made Wang Huaiwen a Supreme Pillar of the State and governor of Shuozhou.
118
并州安撫使唐儉密奏：「真鄉公李仲文與妖僧志覺有謀反語，又娶陶氏之女以應桃李之謠。 諂事可汗，甚得其意，可汗許立為南面可汗。 及在并州，贓賄狼藉。」 上命裴寂、陳叔達、蕭瑀雜鞠之。 乙巳，仲文伏誅。
Bingzhou Pacification Commissioner Tang Jian secretly reported that Duke of Zhenxiang Li Zhongwen had spoken of rebellion with the rogue monk Zhijue and had married a daughter of the Tao clan to fulfill the omen that "peaches and plums" would rise. He had fawned on the Qaghan and won his favor; the Qaghan had even promised to set him up as khan of the south. In Bingzhou his corruption was flagrant." The Emperor ordered Pei Ji, Chen Shuda, and Xiao Yu to examine the case jointly. On yisi, Li Zhongwen was executed.
119
庚戌，王泰棄河陽走，其將趙敻等以城來降。 別將單雄信、裴孝達與總管王君廓相持於洛口，秦王世民帥步騎五千援之，至轘轅，雄信等遁去，君廓追敗之。
On gengxu, Wang Tai abandoned Heyang and fled; his officers Zhao Xiong and others surrendered the city to Tang. The Zheng generals Shan Xiongxin and Pei Xiaoda were trading blows with Tang defender Wang Junguo at Luokou. The Prince of Qin hurried five thousand men to his aid. Near Hulao, Shan and Pei broke off and fled; Junguo pursued and routed them.
120
壬子，延州總管段德操擊劉屳成，破之，斬首千餘級。
On renzi, Yanzhou defender Duan Decao smashed Liu Zhancheng's force and took more than a thousand heads.
121
乙卯，王世充懷州刺史陸善宗以城降。
On yimao, Lu Shanzong, Wang Shichong's governor of Huai Prefecture, surrendered his city.
122
秦王世民圍洛陽宮城，城中守禦甚嚴，大砲飛石重五十斤，擲二百步，八弓弩箭如車輻，鏃如巨斧，射五百步。 世民四面攻之，晝夜不息，旬餘不克。 城中欲翻城者凡十三輩，皆不果發而死。 唐將士皆疲弊思歸，總管劉弘基等請班師。 世民曰：「今大舉而來，當一勞永逸。 東方諸州已望風款服，唯洛陽孤城，勢不能久，功在垂成，奈何棄之而去！」 乃下令軍中曰：「洛陽未破，師必不還，敢言班師者斬！」 眾乃不敢復言。 上聞之，亦密敕世民使還，世民表稱洛陽必可克，又遣參謀軍事封德彝入朝面論形勢。 德彝言於上曰：「世充得地雖多，率皆羈屬，號令所行，唯洛陽一城而已，智盡力窮，克在朝夕。 今若旋師，賊勢復振，更相連接，後必難圖！」 上乃從之。 世民遣世充書，諭以禍福； 世充不報。
The Prince of Qin tightened the siege of Luoyang's inner palace city. The defenders were formidably armed: catapults flung fifty-jin stones two hundred paces; great crossbows shot bolts thick as wheel spokes and heads wide as axes five hundred paces. Shimin assaulted from every side without pause, day and night, but after ten days and more had not broken the walls. Thirteen separate parties inside the city plotted to open the gates; every plot was crushed before it could act, and the plotters were killed. The Tang army was worn down and homesick; defender Liu Hongji and others asked to withdraw. Shimin said, "We came in force to settle this once for all. The eastern provinces have already bowed before us; Luoyang is a lone citadel that cannot hold out. Victory is in sight—how can we throw it away and march off?" He ordered the army: "Until Luoyang falls, no one returns. Speak of retreat, and you die." No one ventured another word. The Emperor heard and secretly ordered Shimin home. Shimin replied by memorial that Luoyang would fall, and sent his staff officer Feng Deyi to court to argue the case in person. Feng told the Emperor, "Shichong's domain looks vast, but most of it pays him only nominal obedience. Only Luoyang truly obeys him. He is spent; the city will fall within days. Withdraw now and the enemy will rally, link up again, and grow far harder to defeat." The Emperor accepted his counsel. Shimin wrote to Shichong, urging him to weigh ruin against reward; Shichong did not answer.
123
戊午，王世充鄭州司兵沈悅遣使詣左武候大將軍李世勣請降。 左衛將軍王群廓夜引兵襲虎牢，悅為內應，遂拔之，獲其荊王行本及長史戴冑。 悅，君理之孫也。
On wuwu, Shen Yue, Wang Shichong's army controller at Zhengzhou, sent envoys to Li Shiji asking to surrender. Left Guard General Wang Qunkuo struck Tiger Lock Fortress by night with Shen Yue as his inside man. They took the fort and captured Prince of Jing Xingben and chief administrator Dai Zhou. Shen Yue was a grandson of Shen Junli.
124
竇建德克周橋，虜孟海公。
Dou Jiande seized Zhouqiao and captured Meng Haigong.