1
資治通-{鑑}-巻第二百一十六
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 216.
2
【唐紀三十二】起強圉大淵獻十二月，盡昭陽大荒落，凡六年有奇。
Tang Records 32 spans from the twelfth month of the year Qiangyu Dayuanxian through the year Zhaoyang Dahuangluo—a period of just over six years.
3
十二月，己巳，上以仙芝爲安西四鎭節度使，-{-{征}-}-靈察入朝，靈察大懼。 仙芝見靈察，趨走如故，靈察益懼。 副都護京兆程千-{里}-、押牙畢思琛及行官王滔等，皆平日構仙芝-{於}-靈察者也，仙芝-{面}-責千-{里}-、思琛曰：「公-{面}-雖男子，心如婦人，何也？」 又捽滔等，欲笞之，既而皆釋之，謂曰：「吾素所恨-{於}-汝者，欲不言，恐汝懷憂； 今既言之，則無事矣。」 軍中乃安。
In the twelfth month, on the day jisi, the emperor named Gao Xianzhi military commissioner of the four Anxi garrisons and recalled Fumeng Lingcha to the capital. Lingcha was terrified. When Xianzhi met Lingcha, he rushed to greet him just as he always had, which only deepened Lingcha's fear. Vice protector-general Cheng Qianli of Jingzhao, the yaya Bi Sichen, and the staff officer Wang Tao had all routinely maligned Xianzhi to Lingcha. Xianzhi confronted Qianli and Sichen and said, "You look like men, yet you have the hearts of women—how can that be?" He then seized Wang Tao and the others and was about to have them beaten, but in the end let them all go. He told them, "The grievances I have long held against you I kept silent about, lest you worry yourselves sick; now that I have said it plainly, the matter is finished." With that, the army was reassured.
4
初，仙芝爲都知兵馬使，猗氏人封常淸，少孤貧，細瘦纇目，一足偏短，求爲仙芝傔，不納。 常淸日候仙芝出入，不離其門，凡數十日，仙芝不得已留之。 會達奚部叛走，夫蒙靈察使仙芝追之，斬獲略盡。 常淸私作捷書以示仙芝，皆仙芝心所欲言者，由是一府奇之。 仙芝爲節度使，即署常淸判官； 仙芝出-{-{征}-}-，常爲留-{後}-。 仙芝乳母子鄭德詮爲郎將，仙芝遇之如兄弟，使典家事，威行軍中。 常淸嘗出，德詮走馬自-{後}-突之而過。 常淸至使院，使召德詮，毎過一門，輒闔之，既至，常淸離度謂曰：「常淸本出寒微，郎將所知。 今日中丞命爲留-{後}-，郎將何得-{於}-衆中相陵突！」 因叱之曰：「郎將須暫死以肅軍政！」 遂杖之六十，-{面}--{仆}-地曳出。 仙芝妻及乳母-{於}-門外叫哭救之，不及，因以狀白仙芝。 仙芝覽之，驚曰：「已死邪？」 及見常淸，遂不-{復}-言，常淸亦不之謝。 軍中畏之惕息。
Earlier, while Xianzhi was director of military affairs, Feng Changqing of Yishi—orphaned and poor as a youth, slight and gaunt with sunken eyes and one leg shorter than the other—asked to serve as his attendant, but Xianzhi refused. Changqing waited at Xianzhi's door every day, never leaving his post. After several weeks, Xianzhi reluctantly took him on. When the Daxi tribe rebelled and fled, Fumeng Lingcha sent Xianzhi in pursuit. Xianzhi killed or captured nearly the entire force. Changqing privately drafted a victory dispatch and showed it to Xianzhi. Every line expressed exactly what Xianzhi had wanted to say, and from that day the whole headquarters regarded him as remarkable. When Xianzhi became military commissioner, he immediately appointed Changqing adjutant; whenever Xianzhi marched out on campaign, Changqing remained behind as rear commander. Xianzhi's foster brother Zheng Dexuan held the rank of langjiang. Xianzhi treated him like a brother, entrusted him with household affairs, and his authority ran throughout the army. Once when Changqing was out riding, Dexuan galloped up from behind and shouldered past him. Changqing returned to headquarters and sent for Dexuan, ordering each gate shut behind him as he passed. When Dexuan arrived, Changqing said calmly, "You know that I come from humble origins. Today the commissioner has appointed me rear commander. How dare you ride down a fellow officer in front of the whole army!" He shouted, "You will have to die for a moment, langjiang, if army discipline is to be upheld!" He had him beaten sixty strokes and dragged out facedown along the ground. Xianzhi's wife and foster mother wailed at the gate to save him, but it was too late. They reported what had happened to Xianzhi. Xianzhi read the report and exclaimed in alarm, "Is he dead already?" When he saw Changqing, he said nothing more, and Changqing offered no apology either. The whole army feared him and dared not breathe freely.
5
自唐興以來，邊帥皆用忠厚名臣，不久任，不遙領，不兼統，功名著者往往入爲宰相。 其四夷之將，雖-{才}-略如阿史那社爾、契苾何力猶不專大將之任，皆以大臣爲使以-{制}-之。 及開元中，天子有呑四夷之-{志}-，爲邊將者十-{餘}-年不易，始久任矣； 皇子則慶、忠諸王，宰相則蕭-{嵩}-、牛仙客，始遙領矣； 蓋嘉運、王忠嗣專-{制}-數道，始兼統矣。 李林甫欲杜邊帥入相之路，以胡人不知書，乃奏言：「文臣爲將，怯當矢石，不若用寒畯胡人； 胡人則勇決習戰，寒族則孤立無黨，陛下誠心恩洽其心，彼必能爲朝廷盡死。」 上悅其言，始用安祿山。 至是，諸道節度使盡用胡人，精兵-{鹹}-戍北邊，天下之勢偏重，卒使祿山傾覆天下，皆出-{於}-林甫專寵固位之謀也。
Since the founding of the Tang, frontier commanders had been drawn from loyal, eminent statesmen. Their terms were short; they did not hold distant commissions or combine several commands at once. Those who distinguished themselves were often recalled to serve as chief ministers. Even foreign generals as capable as Ashina She'er or Qibi Heli did not hold sole command. A civil minister was always sent to supervise them. In the Kaiyuan era the emperor set out to subdue the border peoples, and frontier generals began to hold their posts for ten years or more without rotation; princes such as the Kings of Qing and Zhong, and chief ministers such as Xiao Song and Niu Xianke, began to hold commissions in name only from afar; Gai Jiayun and Wang Zhongsi came to dominate several circuits, and the practice of holding multiple commands began. Li Linfu wanted to shut frontier commanders out of the chancellorship. Because non-Chinese officers were unlettered, he argued, "Civil officials make poor generals—they flinch at arrows and stones. Better to appoint humble barbarian officers; barbarians are bold, decisive, and skilled in war; men from poor families stand alone without political ties. If Your Majesty wins their hearts with genuine favor, they will fight to the death for the throne." The emperor was pleased with this advice and first elevated An Lushan. By then every circuit commissioner was a non-Chinese officer, and the empire's best troops were massed on the northern frontier. The balance of power shifted dangerously northward, and in the end An Lushan overturned the realm—all of it the fruit of Li Linfu's plot to hoard favor and cling to office.
6
夏，四月，辛-{丑}-，左監門大將軍、知内侍省事髙力士加驃騎大將軍。 力士承恩歳久，中外畏之。 太子亦呼之爲兄，諸王公呼之爲翁，駙馬輩直謂之爺，自李林甫、安祿山輩皆因之以取將相。 其家富厚不貲。 -{於}-西京作寶壽寺，寺-{鐘}-成，力士作齋以慶之，舉朝畢集。 撃-{鐘}-一杵，施錢百緡，，有求媚者至二十杵，少者不減十杵。 然性和謹少過，善觀時俯仰，不敢驕橫，故天子終親任之，士大夫亦不疾惡也。
In summer, in the fourth month, on the day xinchou, Gao Lishi—Left Gate Guard General and director of palace eunuch affairs—was promoted to General of Agile Cavalry. Lishi had enjoyed the emperor's favor for many years, and the whole court, inside and out, feared him. The crown prince called him Elder Brother; the princes called him Sir; the imperial sons-in-law called him Grandfather. From Li Linfu and An Lushan on, everyone who sought a general's or minister's post went through him. His household was fabulously wealthy. In Chang'an he built Baoshou Temple. When the temple bell was cast, Lishi held a feast to dedicate it, and the entire court turned out. Each stroke of the bell cost a hundred strings of cash. Flatterers gave as many as twenty strokes; no one gave fewer than ten. Yet he was by nature cautious and seldom erred. He read the times well and never dared grow arrogant. The emperor therefore continued to trust him, and even the scholar-officials did not wholly despise him.
7
五月，壬午，群臣上尊號曰開元天寶聖文神武應道皇帝； 赦天下，免百姓來載租庸，擇-{後}-魏子孫一人爲三恪。
In the fifth month, on the day renwu, the ministers offered the honorific title Emperor of Kaiyuan, Tianbao, Sagely Culture, Divine Martial, and Responsive to the Way; a general amnesty was declared, land and corvée taxes for the coming year were remitted, and one descendant of the Later Wei was named among the Three Venerable Lines.
8
六月，庚子，賜安祿山鐵券。
In the sixth month, on the day gengzi, An Lushan was granted an iron certificate of immunity.
9
度支郎中兼侍-{御}-史楊釗善窺上意所愛惡而迎之，以聚斂驟遷，歳中領十五-{餘}-使。 甲辰，遷給事中，兼-{御}-史中丞，專判度支事，恩幸日隆。
Yang Zhao of the Revenue Bureau, who also served as attendant censor, was adept at reading the emperor's moods and pandering to them. Through ruthless revenue extraction he rose rapidly, and within a year held more than fifteen commissions. On the day jiachen he was made supervising secretary and vice censor-in-chief, with sole charge of revenue affairs. Imperial favor toward him grew daily.
10
蘇冕論曰：設官分職，各有司存。 政有恆而易守，事歸本而難失，經遠之理，-{捨}-此奚據！ 洎-{奸}-臣廣言利以邀恩，多立使以示寵，刻下民以厚斂，張虚數以獻狀； 上心蕩而益奢，人望怨而成禍； 使天子有司守其位而無其事，愛厚祿而虚其用。 宇文融首唱其端，楊愼矜、王□繼遵其軌，楊國忠終成其亂。 仲尼-{云}-：「-{寧}-有盜臣，而無聚斂之臣。」 誠哉是言！ 前車既覆，-{後}-轍未改，求達化本，不亦難乎！
Su Mian wrote: When offices are established and duties divided, each has its proper charge. Policy has fixed principles and is easy to uphold; affairs have their proper roots and are hard to lose. What other foundation is there for long-range governance? But when corrupt ministers preached profit to win favor, multiplied special commissions to display patronage, squeezed the people for heavier levies, and inflated figures in their reports; the emperor's mind grew restless and ever more extravagant, public resentment turned to disaster; and the regular officials kept their titles but had no real work, drawing generous salaries for empty posts. Yuwen Rong started this pattern; Yang Shenjin and Wang Hong followed it; Yang Guozhong brought the ruin to completion. Confucius said, "Better to have thieving ministers than revenue-extracting ministers." How true those words are! The warning cart has already overturned, yet the tracks behind remain unchanged. How can one hope to reach the root of lasting reform?
11
冬，十月，庚戌，上幸華淸宮。
In winter, in the tenth month, on the day gengxu, the emperor visited Huaqing Palace.
12
十一月，癸未，以貴妃姊-{適}-崔氏者爲韓國夫人，-{適}-裴氏者爲虢國夫人，-{適}-柳氏者爲秦國夫人。 三人皆有-{才}-色，上呼之爲姨，出入宮掖，-{並}-承恩澤，勢傾天下。 毎命婦入見，玉眞公主等皆讓不敢就位。 三姊與銛、錡五家，凡有請-{托}-，府縣承迎，峻-{於}--{制}-敕； 四方賂遺，輻湊其門，惟恐居-{後}-，朝夕如市。 十宅諸王及百孫院婚嫁，皆先以錢千緡賂韓、虢使請，無不如-{志}-。 上所賜與及四方獻遺，五家如一。 競開第-{捨}-，極其壯麗，一堂之費，運逾千萬； 既成，見它人有勝己者，輒毀而改爲。 虢國尤爲豪蕩，一旦，帥工徒突入韋嗣立宅，即撤去舊屋，自爲新第，但授韋氏以隙地十畝而已。 中堂既成，召工圬墁，約錢二百萬； -{復}-求賞技，虢國以絳羅五百段賞之，嗤而不顧，曰：「請取螻蟻、蜥蜴，記其數置堂中，苟失一物，不敢受直。」
In the eleventh month, on the day guiwei, the imperial consort's elder sisters—the one married to the Cui clan, the one married to the Pei clan, and the one married to the Liu clan—were ennobled as Ladies of Han, Guo, and Qin respectively. All three were talented and beautiful. The emperor called them Aunt. They moved freely within the inner palace, shared his favor equally, and their power overshadowed the realm. Whenever court ladies were summoned to audience, Princess Yuzhen and the others stepped aside and dared not take their seats. The three sisters and the families of Xian and Qi—five households in all—were obeyed by every prefecture and county with more urgency than an imperial edict whenever they made a request; gifts and bribes poured in from every quarter. Supplicants feared to arrive last; their gates were as busy as a market from dawn to dusk. When princes of the Ten Residences or the Hundred-Grandsons Institute sought a marriage, they first paid a thousand strings of cash to the Ladies of Han and Guo to intercede—and none failed to get what they wanted. Whatever the emperor bestowed or the provinces sent as tribute was divided equally among the five households. They vied to build mansions of spectacular grandeur. A single hall often cost more than ten million cash; and once finished, if they saw someone else's surpass theirs, they tore it down and rebuilt. The Lady of Guo was the most extravagant of all. One day she marched workmen into Wei Sili's house, demolished it, and built a new mansion for herself, leaving the Wei family only ten mu of vacant land. When the central hall was finished, she summoned plasterers and agreed on a fee of two million cash; then asked for a bonus for his skill. The Lady of Guo offered five hundred bolts of crimson silk. He scoffed and refused, saying, "Count every ant and lizard in the hall and mark their numbers. If even one is missing when I finish, I will not take your money."
13
十二月，戊戌，或言玄元皇帝降-{於}-朝元閣，-{制}-改會昌縣曰昭應，廢新-{豐}-入昭應。 辛酉，上還宮。
In the twelfth month, on the day wuxu, someone reported that the Emperor of Profound Origin had descended at Chaoyuan Pavilion. By edict Huichang County was renamed Zhaoying, and Xinfeng was abolished and merged into it. On the day xinyou the emperor returned to the palace.
14
哥舒翰-{築}-神威軍-{於}-靑海上，吐蕃至，翰撃破之。 又-{築}-城-{於}-靑海中龍駒島，謂之應龍城，吐蕃屛跡不敢近靑海。
Geshu Han established the Shenwei Army on the Qinghai frontier. When Tibetans attacked, he routed them. He also built a fortress on Longju Island in Qinghai called Yinglong City. The Tibetans withdrew and dared not approach the region again.
15
是歳，-{雲}-南王歸義卒，子閣羅鳳嗣，以其子鳳迦異爲陽瓜州刺史。
That year King Piluoge of Yunnan died. His son Geluofeng succeeded him and appointed his son Fengjiayi prefect of Yanggua.
16
春，二月，戊申，引百官觀左藏，賜帛有差。 是時州縣殷富，倉庫積粟帛，動以萬計。 楊釗奏請所在糶變爲輕貨，及-{-{征}-}-丁租地稅皆變布帛輸京師； 屢奏帑藏充牣，古今罕儔，故上帥群臣觀之，賜釗紫衣金魚以賞之。 上以國用-{豐}-衍，故視金帛如糞壤，賞賜貴寵之家，無有限極。
In spring, in the second month, on the day wushen, the emperor led the officials to view the Left Treasury and bestowed silk gifts in varying amounts. Prefectures and counties were prosperous then; storehouses held grain and silk in amounts reckoned by the tens of thousands. Yang Zhao proposed that local grain reserves be sold for portable goods and that corvée, land, and other taxes be collected in cloth and silk for shipment to the capital; he repeatedly reported that the treasury was fuller than at any time in memory. The emperor therefore led the court to inspect it and rewarded Zhao with purple robes and a golden fish tally. With state revenues overflowing, the emperor treated gold and silk like dirt, showering favored households with gifts without limit.
17
三月，朔方節度等使張齊丘-{於}-中受降城西北五百-{餘}--{里}-木刺山-{築}-橫塞軍，以振遠軍使鄭人郭子儀爲橫塞軍使。
In the third month, Zhang Qiqiu, commissioner of Shuofang and other circuits, established the Hengsai Army at Muci Mountain, five hundred-odd li northwest of Zhongshoujiang City, and appointed Guo Ziyi of Zheng, commander of the Zhenyuan Army, to lead it.
18
夏，四月，-{咸}--{寧}-太守趙奉璋告李林甫罪二十-{餘}-條； 狀未達，林甫知之，諷-{御}-史逮捕，以爲妖言，杖殺之。
In summer, in the fourth month, Zhao Fengzhang, prefect of Xianning, submitted a petition accusing Li Linfu of more than twenty crimes; before the petition reached the capital Linfu learned of it, had the censors arrest Zhao, denounced the charges as seditious rumor, and had him beaten to death.
19
先是，折-{衝}-府皆有木契、銅魚，朝廷-{-{征}-}--{發}-，下敕書、契、魚，都督、郡府參驗皆合，然-{後}-遣之。 自募置擴騎，府兵日益墮壞，死及逃亡者，有司不-{復}-點補； 其六馱馬牛、器械、糗糧，耗散略盡。 府兵入宿衞者，謂之侍官，言其爲天子侍衞也。 其-{後}-本衞多以假人，役使如奴隸，長安人羞之，至以相詬病。 其戍邊者，又多爲邊將苦使，利其死而沒其財。 由是應爲府兵者皆逃匿，至是無兵可交。 五月，癸酉，李林甫奏停折-{衝}-府上下魚書； 是-{後}-府兵徒有官吏而已。 其折-{衝}-、果毅，又歴年不遷，士大夫亦恥爲之。 其擴騎之法，天寶以-{後}-，稍亦變廢，應募者皆市井負販、無賴子弟，未嘗習兵。 時承平日久，議者多謂中國兵可銷，-{於}-是民間挾兵器者有禁； 子弟爲武官，父兄擯不齒。 猛將精兵，皆聚-{於}-西北邊，中國無武備矣。
Previously every zhechong garrison held wooden tallies and bronze fish tokens. When the court mobilized troops it issued edicts, tallies, and tokens together; only after regional and prefectural offices verified that all matched were troops dispatched. After the expanded cavalry was recruited, the militia system decayed steadily. Deaths and desertions went unreplaced; their pack animals, weapons, and rations were largely exhausted. Militiamen assigned to palace guard duty were called attendant officers—men who stood guard for the emperor. Later the guards mostly hired substitutes and treated them like slaves. Chang'an society was ashamed of this—it became a term of abuse. Frontier garrison troops were often worked to death by their commanders, who seized their property when they died. Men liable for militia service fled and hid. By now there were no troops left to deliver. In the fifth month, on the day guiyou, Li Linfu memorialized to abolish the exchange of fish tallies between zhechong garrisons; after which the militia existed only as empty offices. Zhechong and guoyi officers went years without promotion, and the gentry were ashamed to hold such posts. The expanded-cavalry system too fell into decay after the Tianbao era. Recruits were market peddlers and idle young men who had never trained as soldiers. After long peace many argued that China's armies could be abolished, and civilians were forbidden to carry weapons; and when a son took a military post, his family disowned him. The empire's best generals and troops were massed on the northwestern frontier. The heartland had no military strength left.
20
太白山人李渾等上言見神人，言金星洞有玉板石記聖主福壽之符； 命-{御}-史中丞王□入仙-{遊}--{谷}-求而獲之。 上以符瑞相繼，皆祖宗休烈，六月，戊申，上聖祖號曰大道玄元皇帝，上髙祖謚曰神堯大聖皇帝，大宗謚曰文武大聖皇帝，髙宗謚曰天皇大聖皇帝，中宗謚曰孝和大聖皇帝，睿宗謚曰玄眞大聖皇帝，竇太-{后}-以下皆加謚曰順聖皇-{后}-。
Li Hun of Taibai Mountain and others reported seeing a divine being who said that Golden Star Cave held a jade plaque inscribed with a talisman of fortune and long life for the sage emperor; the emperor ordered Vice Censor-in-Chief Wang Yue to search Immortal Roaming Valley, and the plaque was found. With auspicious omens appearing in succession—the blessings of his ancestors—in the sixth month, on the day wushen, he elevated the Sagely Ancestor to Emperor of the Great Way and Profound Origin, raised the posthumous titles of Gaozu, Taizong, Gaozong, Zhongzong, and Ruizong to Great Sage Emperor, and from Empress Dowager Dou downward added the posthumous title Complaisant Sage Empress to the imperial consorts.
21
辛亥，刑部尚書、京兆尹蕭炅坐贓左遷汝陰太守。
On the day xinhai, Xiao Jiong, Minister of Justice and metropolitan prefect of Jingzhao, was demoted to prefect of Ruyin on charges of corruption.
22
上命隴右節度使哥舒翰帥隴右、河西及突厥阿布思兵，益以朔方、河東兵，凡六萬三千，攻吐蕃石堡城。 其城三-{面}-險絶，惟一徑可上，吐蕃但以數百人守之，多貯糧食，積檑木及石，唐兵前-{後}-屢攻之，不能克。 翰進攻數日不拔，召裨將髙秀巖、張守瑜，欲斬之，二人請三日期可克； 如期拔之，獲吐蕃鐵刃悉諾羅等四百人，唐士卒死者數萬，果如王忠嗣之言。 頃之，翰又遣兵-{於}-赤嶺西開屯田，以謫卒二千戍龍駒島； 冬冰合，吐蕃大集，戍者盡沒。
The emperor ordered Geshu Han, military commissioner of Longyou, to lead Longyou, Hexi, and Türk Abusi forces, reinforced with troops from Shuofang and Hedong—altogether sixty-three thousand men—to attack the Tibetan fortress of Shibao. The fortress was sheer on three sides, with only a single path to the summit. The Tibetans held it with just a few hundred men, stockpiled grain, and heaped rolling logs and stones. Tang forces assaulted it again and again from every direction but could not break through. After days of failed assaults, Han summoned his subordinate generals Gao Xiuyan and Zhang Shouyu to behead them. They begged three days' grace, promising the city would fall within that time. They took the city on time, capturing four hundred Tibetans including Tieren Sinuoluo. Tang dead ran into the tens of thousands—just as Wang Zhongsi had warned. Soon afterward Han sent troops west of Chiling to open military farms and posted two thousand banished convicts to garrison Longju Island. When winter froze the waters, the Tibetans gathered in strength and wiped out the entire garrison.
23
閏月，乙-{丑}-，以石堡城爲神武軍，又-{於}-劍南西山索磨川置保-{寧}-都護府。
In the intercalary month, on yichou, Shibao was designated the Shenwu Army, and the Baoning Protectorate was set up on the Suomo River in the western mountains of Jiannan.
24
丙寅，上謁太淸宮。 丁卯，群臣上尊號曰開元天地大寶聖文神武應道皇帝，赦天下。 禘、祫自今-{於}-太淸宮聖祖前設位序正。
On bingyin the emperor paid homage at the Taiqing Palace. On dingmao the court presented the title Emperor of Kaiyuan, Heaven and Earth, Great Treasure, Sagely Culture, Divine Military, and Responsive Way, and proclaimed a general amnesty. Henceforth the di and xia rites would have their ritual placements ordered correctly before the Sacred Ancestor in the Taiqing Palace.
25
秋，七月，冊突騎施移撥爲十姓可汗。
In autumn, the seventh month, Yibo of the Turgesh was invested as Khaghan of the Ten Surnames.
26
八月，乙亥，護蜜王羅眞檀入朝，請留宿衞； 許之，拜左武衞將軍。
In the eighth month, on yihai, King Luozhentan of Humi arrived at court and asked to stay on as an imperial guardsman. His request was granted, and he was appointed General of the Left Martial Guard.
27
冬，十月，乙-{丑}-，上幸華淸宮。
In winter, the tenth month, on yichou, the emperor went to Huaqing Palace.
28
十一月，乙未，吐火羅-{葉}-護失裡怛伽羅遣使表稱：「朅師王親附吐蕃，因苦小勃律鎭軍，阻其糧道。 臣思破兇徒，望-{發}-安西兵，以來歳正月至小勃律，六月至大勃律。」 上許之。
In the eleventh month, on yiwei, Shilitanjialuo, protector of Tuhuoluo, sent envoys with a memorial: "The king of Kucha has sided with Tibet and is harrying the Lesser Bolü garrison, cutting off their grain routes. I wish to destroy these enemies and ask that Anxi forces march so as to reach Lesser Bolü by the first month of next year and Greater Bolü by the sixth." The emperor granted the request.
29
春，正月，己亥，上還宮。
In spring, the first month, on jihai, the emperor returned to the capital.
30
群臣屢表請封西-{嶽}-，許之。
The ministers repeatedly petitioned for a feng sacrifice at the Western Marchmount, and the emperor consented.
31
二月，楊貴妃-{復}-忤旨，送歸私第。 戸部郎中吉温因宦官言-{於}-上曰：「婦人識慮不遠，違忤聖心，陛下何愛宮中一席之地，不使之就死，豈忍辱之-{於}-外-{捨}-邪？」 上亦悔之，遣中使賜以-{御}-膳。 妃對使者涕泣曰：「妾罪當死，陛下幸不殺而歸之。 今當永離掖庭，金玉珍玩，皆陛下所賜，不足爲獻，惟-{發}-者父母所與，敢以-{薦}-誠。」 乃剪-{髮}-一繚而獻之。 上遽使髙力士召還，寵待益深。 時諸貴戚競以進食相尚，上命宦官姚思藝爲檢校進食使，水陸珍羞數千盤，一盤費中人十家之産。 中書-{舍}-人竇華嘗退朝，値公主進食，列-{於}-中衢，傳呼按轡出其間，宮苑小兒數百奮梃-{於}-前，華僅以身免。
In the second month, Imperial Consort Yang again displeased the emperor and was sent home to her family mansion. Ji Wen, a director in the Ministry of Revenue, had an eunuch tell the emperor: "Women's foresight is short. She has offended your sacred will—why cherish one corner of the palace and not let her die? Why endure the shame of keeping her in an outer house?" The emperor regretted it too and sent a palace envoy with imperial provisions. The consort wept before the envoy and said: "My crime deserves death. His Majesty was merciful not to execute me but sent me away. Now I must leave the inner palace forever. Gold, jade, and treasures—all your gifts—are unworthy to offer back; only my hair, which my parents gave me, do I dare present as proof of my devotion." She then cut off a lock of hair and sent it as an offering. The emperor at once sent Gao Lishi to bring her back, and his favor for her deepened further. The great clans were then competing to send delicacies, and the emperor named the eunuch Yao Siyi commissioner to inspect such offerings. Land and sea delicacies ran to thousands of dishes; a single dish could cost what ten middling households lived on. Dou Hua, a drafting secretary, was leaving court when he met a princess's food train lined along the main thoroughfare. Heralds shouted for riders to rein in and thread through. Several hundred palace boys swung clubs before him; Hua barely escaped with his life.
32
安西節度使髙仙芝破朅師，虜其王勃特沒。 三月，庚子，立勃特沒之兄素迦爲朅師王。
Gao Xianzhi, military commissioner of Anxi, crushed Kucha and took its king Botemo captive. In the third month, on gengzi, Botemo's elder brother Sujia was enthroned as king of Kucha.
33
上命-{御}-史大夫王□鑿華山路，設壇塲-{於}-其上。 是春，關中旱，辛亥，-{岳}-祠災； -{制}-罷封西-{嶽}-。
The emperor ordered Censor-in-Chief Wang Si to hew a path on Mount Hua and erect a ritual platform on the summit. That spring Guanzhong suffered drought, and on xinhai the marchmount shrine caught fire. An edict canceled the planned feng at the Western Marchmount.
34
夏，四月，己巳，-{御}-史中丞宋渾坐贓巨萬，流潮陽。 初，吉温因李林甫得進； 及兵部侍郎兼-{御}-史中丞楊釗恩遇浸深，温遂去林甫而附之，爲釗畫代林甫執政之策。 蕭炅及渾，皆林甫所厚也，求得其罪，使釗奏而逐之，以剪其心腹，林甫不能救也。
In summer, the fourth month, on jisi, Vice Censor-in-Chief Song Hun was found guilty of bribes worth tens of thousands and was exiled to Chaoyang. Earlier Ji Wen had risen through Li Linfu's patronage. As Yang Zhao, Vice Minister of War and concurrent Vice Censor-in-Chief, grew ever more favored, Wen abandoned Linfu for Zhao and devised a plan for Zhao to supplant Linfu at the helm. Xiao Jiong and Hun were both protégés of Linfu. Wen uncovered their crimes and had Zhao memorialize for their removal, cutting away Linfu's trusted men—Linfu could not protect them.
35
五月，乙卯，賜安祿山爵東平郡王。 唐將帥封王自此始。
In the fifth month, on yimao, An Lushan was created Prince of Dongping commandery. From this point Tang military commanders began to receive princely enfeoffments.
36
秋，七月，乙亥，置廣文館-{於}-國子監，以教諸生習進士者。
In autumn, the seventh month, on yihai, the Guangwen Hall was set up within the Directorate of Education to train students for the jinshi degree.
37
八月，丁巳，以安祿山兼河北道採訪處置使。
In the eighth month, on dingsi, An Lushan was additionally appointed Investigating and Disposing Commissioner of Hebei.
38
朔方節度使張齊丘給糧失宜，軍士怒，毆其判官； 兵馬使郭子儀以身捍齊丘，乃得免。 癸亥，齊丘左遷濟陰太守，以河西節度使安思順權知朔方節度事。
Zhang Qiqiu, military commissioner of Shuofang, issued rations badly; the troops were furious and beat his aide. Guo Ziyi, army marshal, threw himself in the way to shield Qiqiu, and Qiqiu escaped harm. On guihai Zhang Qiqiu was demoted to prefect of Jiyin, and An Sishun, military commissioner of Hexi, was named acting commander of Shuofang.
39
辛卯，處士崔昌上言：「國家宜承周、漢，以土代火； 周、隋皆閏位，不當以其子孫爲二王-{后}-。」 事下公卿集議。 集賢院學士衞包上言：「集議之夜，四星聚-{於}-尾，天意昭然。」 上乃命求殷、周、漢-{後}-爲三恪，廢韓、介、巂公； 以昌爲左贊善大夫，包爲虞部員外郎。
On xinmao the recluse Cui Chang memorialized: "The dynasty should follow Zhou and Han, taking Earth to succeed Fire; Zhou and Sui were usurping lines and their descendants ought not stand as the two collateral houses honored after the throne." The matter was sent down for deliberation by the chief ministers. Wei Bao, an academician of the Academy of Scholarly Worthies, wrote: "On the night of the conference, four stars gathered in the Tail—Heaven's will is plain." The emperor then ordered descendants of Yin, Zhou, and Han sought as the Sanke, and abolished the lines of Han, Jie, and Juan; Cui Chang was appointed Left Mentor, and Wei Bao Vice Director of the Ministry of Works.
40
冬，十月，庚申，上幸華淸宮。
In winter, the tenth month, on gengshen, the emperor went to Huaqing Palace.
41
太白山人王玄翼上言見玄元皇帝，言寶仙洞有妙寶眞符。 命刑部尚書張均等往求，得之。 時上尊道教，慕長生，故所在爭言符瑞，群臣表賀無虚月。 李林甫等皆請-{舍}-宅爲觀以祝聖壽，上悅。
Wang Xuanyi, a recluse of Mount Taibai, claimed he had seen the Mysterious Prime Emperor and that the Precious Immortal Grotto held miraculous true talismans. The emperor sent Minister of Justice Zhang Jun and others to fetch them, and they succeeded. The emperor now exalted Daoism and yearned for long life, so the empire vied to report omens, and congratulatory memorials from the court scarcely missed a month. Li Linfu and the rest all asked to turn their mansions into temples to pray for the sage's long life, and the emperor was delighted.
42
安祿山屢誘奚、契丹，爲設會，飲以莨菪酒，醉而坑之，動數千人，函其酋長之首以獻，前-{後}-數四。 至是請入朝，上命有司先爲起第-{於}-昭應。 祿山至戲水，楊釗兄弟姊妹皆往迎之，冠蓋蔽野； 上自幸望春宮以待之。 辛未，祿山獻奚俘八千人，上命考課之日書上上考。 前此-{聽}-祿山-{於}-上-{谷}-鑄錢五壚，祿山乃獻錢樣千緡。
An Lushan repeatedly enticed Xi and Khitan leaders to banquets, plied them with henbane wine, and when they were drunk buried them alive—often several thousand at once—then sent the chieftains' heads in boxes as tribute; he did this three or four times running. Now he asked to attend court, and the emperor ordered officials to build him a residence at Zhaoying beforehand. When Lushan reached Xishui, Yang Zhao's brothers and sisters all rode out to greet him; parasols and carriage canopies blanketed the countryside. The emperor himself went to Wangchun Palace to wait for him. On xinwei Lushan presented eight thousand Xi captives, and the emperor ordered that his annual evaluation be marked the highest grade. Earlier the emperor had allowed Lushan five mint furnaces at Shanggu; now Lushan presented a thousand strings of sample coinage.
43
楊釗，張易之之甥也，奏乞昭雪易之兄弟。 庚辰，-{制}-引易之兄弟迎中宗-{於}-房陵之功，-{復}-其官爵，仍賜一子官。 釗以圖讖有「金刀」，請更名； 上賜名國忠。
Yang Zhao was Zhang Yizhi's nephew and memorialized asking to rehabilitate Yizhi and his brothers. On gengchen an edict recalled how Yizhi's brothers had helped bring Zhongzong back from Fangling, restored their ranks and titles, and granted an office to one son of each. Zhao, because prophecy books contained the phrase "gold knife" (the character Liu dissected), asked to change his name. The emperor bestowed the name Guozhong.
44
十二月，乙亥，上還宮。
In the twelfth month, on yihai, the emperor returned to the capital.
45
關西-{遊}-弈使王難得撃吐蕃，克五橋，拔樹敦城，以難得爲白水軍使。
Wang Nande, Guanxi recreational commissioner, struck the Tibetans, seized five bridges, took Shudun city, and was appointed commander of the Baishui Army.
46
安西四鎭節度使髙仙芝偽與石國約和，引兵襲之，虜其王及部衆以歸，悉殺其老弱。 仙芝性貪，掠得瑟瑟十-{餘}-斛，黃金五六橐駝，其-{餘}-口馬雜貨稱是，皆入其家。
Gao Xianzhi, commissioner of the four Anxi garrisons, pretended to make peace with the Stone Kingdom, then struck by surprise, carried off its king and populace, and slaughtered every aged and weak person. Xianzhi was rapacious by nature: he seized more than ten hu of lapis lazuli, five or six camels' loads of gold, and comparable stocks of people, horses, and goods—all of it went into his private store.
47
楊國忠德鮮-{于}-仲通，-{薦}-爲劍南節度使。 仲通性褊急，失蠻夷心。
Yang Guozhong owed Xian Yu Zhongtong a debt of gratitude and had him appointed military commissioner of Jiannan. Zhongtong was narrow and hot-tempered by nature and alienated the southwestern tribes.
48
故事，南詔常與妻子倶謁都督，過-{雲}-南，-{雲}-南太守張虔陀皆私之。 又多所-{-{徴}-}-求，南詔王閣羅鳳不應，虔陀遣人詈辱之，仍密奏其罪。 閣羅鳳忿怨，是歳，-{發}-兵反，攻陷-{雲}-南，殺虔陀，取夷州三十二。
By custom the king of Nanzhao would visit the regional commander with his wife; when they passed through Yunnan, Prefect Zhang Qiantuo would take liberties with her. He also levied excessive demands. King Geluofeng of Nanzhao refused, so Qiantuo sent men to curse and humiliate him while secretly memorializing charges against him. Geluofeng burned with resentment; that year he raised an army in revolt, overran Yunnan, killed Qiantuo, and took thirty-two Yi prefectures.
49
春，正月，壬辰，上朝獻太淸宮； 癸巳，朝享太廟； 甲子，合祀天地-{於}-南郊，赦天下，免天下今載地稅。
In spring, the first month, on renchen the emperor made offerings at the Taiqing Palace. On guisi he performed rites at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On jiazi he offered the joint sacrifice to Heaven and Earth at the Southern Suburb, proclaimed a general amnesty, and remitted the land tax for that year empire-wide.
50
丁酉，命李林甫遙領朔方節度使，以戸部侍郎李□知留-{後}-事。
On dingyou Li Linfu was named titular military commissioner of Shuofang, while Vice Minister of Revenue Li Hui was left in charge as acting rear commander.
51
庚子，楊氏五宅夜-{遊}-，與廣平公主從者爭西市門，楊氏奴揮鞭及公主衣，公主墜馬，駙馬程昌裔下扶之，亦被數鞭。 公主泣訴-{於}-上，上爲之杖殺楊氏奴。 明日，免昌裔官，不-{聽}-朝謁。
On gengzi the five Yang households were out at night and quarreled with the Princess of Guangping's escort at the west market gate. A Yang bondsman lashed out with his whip and caught the princess's robe; she was thrown from her horse. Her consort Cheng Changyi leapt down to help her and was whipped several times as well. The princess wept before the emperor, and he had the Yang bondsman beaten to death on her account. The next day Cheng Changyi was stripped of office and barred from court attendance.
52
上命有司爲安祿山起第-{於}-親仁坊，敕令但窮壯麗，不限財力。 既成，具幄帟器皿，充牣其中，有貼白檀床二，皆長丈，闊六尺； 銀平脱屛風，帳一方一丈八尺； -{於}-廚廄之物皆飾以金銀，金飯罌二，銀淘盆二，皆受五-{斗}-，織銀絲筐及笊籬各一； 他物稱是。 雖禁中服-{御}-之物，殆不及也。 上毎令中使爲祿山護役，-{築}-第及儲偫賜物，常戒之曰：「胡眼大，勿令笑我。」
The emperor ordered officials to raise a mansion for An Lushan in Qinren Ward, instructing them to make it as grand as possible with no ceiling on cost. When it was finished, hangings and vessels packed every room. There were two white-sandalwood beds inlaid with gold, each a zhang long and six chi wide. There were silver pingtuo screens and a canopy eighteen chi on a side. Even kitchen and stable fittings were trimmed in gold and silver: two gold rice pots and two silver rinsing basins, each holding five dou, plus one silver-woven basket and one strainer. Everything else matched in scale. Even furnishings reserved for the inner palace scarcely compared. The emperor constantly sent eunuchs to supervise Lushan's building and the stockpiling of gifts, warning them: "The barbarian's eyes are large—do not let him laugh at my stinginess."
53
祿山入新第，置酒，乞降墨敕請宰相至第。 是日，上欲-{於}-樓下撃球，遽爲罷戲，命宰相赴之。 日遣諸楊與之選勝-{游}-宴，侑以梨園教坊樂。 上毎食一物稍美，或-{後}-苑校獵獲鮮禽，輒遣中使走馬賜之，絡驛-{於}-路。
Lushan moved into his new mansion, held a feast, and asked for an autograph edict summoning the chief ministers to his house. That day the emperor had meant to play cuju beneath the tower; he broke off the game at once and sent the ministers to Lushan's feast. Each day he dispatched the Yang clan to join Lushan on pleasure outings and banquets, with Pear Garden and Music Bureau artists to entertain them. Whenever the emperor tasted something especially fine, or when a hunt in the rear park yielded fresh game, he would send eunuchs galloping to Lushan with gifts—couriers riding in relays without pause.
54
甲辰，祿山生日，上及貴妃賜衣服、寶器、酒饌甚厚。 -{後}-三日，召祿山入禁中，貴妃以錦繡爲大襁褓，裹祿山，使宮人以彩輿舁之。 上聞-{後}-宮喧笑，問其故，左右以貴妃三日洗祿兒對。 上自往觀之，喜，賜貴妃洗兒金銀錢，-{復}-厚賜祿山，盡歡而罷。 自是祿山出入宮掖不禁，或與貴妃對食，或通宵不出，頗有-{丑}-聲聞-{於}-外，上亦不疑也。
On jiachen, Lushan's birthday, the emperor and Imperial Consort Yang lavished on him robes, treasures, food, and wine. Three days later Lushan was called into the inner palace. The consort bound him in a great brocade swaddling-cloth and had palace women lift him in a painted litter. Hearing loud laughter from the rear palace, the emperor asked why; attendants said the consort was holding the three-day ceremony to "bathe the child Lushan." The emperor went in person to look on, was delighted, gave the consort gold and silver for the bathing gift, heaped further rewards on Lushan, and the party broke up in high spirits. After that Lushan entered and left the palace precincts unchecked—sometimes dining face to face with the consort, sometimes not emerging all night. Ugly talk circulated outside, yet the emperor suspected nothing.
55
安西節度使髙仙芝入朝，獻所擒突騎施可汗、吐蕃酋長、石國王、朅師王。 加仙芝開府儀同三司。 尋以仙芝爲河西節度使，代安思順； 思順諷群胡割耳剺-{面}-請留己，-{制}--{復}-留思順-{於}-河西。
Gao Xianzhi, military commissioner of Anxi, arrived at court and presented prisoners: the Turgesh khaghan, Tibetan chiefs, the king of the Stone Kingdom, and the king of Kucha. Xianzhi was advanced to Grand Mentor of the Palace Corps with honorary credentials equal to the Three Excellencies. Soon afterward Xianzhi was appointed military commissioner of Hexi in place of An Sishun. An Sishun stirred the Hu followers to mutilate themselves—cutting ears and slashing faces—to beg that he be retained in command; the throne then ordered him kept in Hexi after all.
56
安祿山求兼河東節度。 二月，丙辰，以河東節度使韓休鈱爲左羽林將軍，以祿山代之。
An Lushan asked to take the Hedong command in addition to his existing posts. In the second month, on the day bingchen, Hedong commissioner Han Xiujian was transferred to the Left Forest of Feathers, and Lushan took his place.
57
戸部郎中吉温見祿山有寵，又附之，約爲兄弟，説祿山曰：「李右丞相雖以時事親三兄，必不肯以兄爲相； 温雖蒙驅使，終不得超擢。 兄若-{薦}-温-{於}-上，温即奏兄堪大任，共排林甫出之，爲相必矣。」 祿山悅其言，數稱温-{才}--{於}-上，上亦忘曩日之言。 會祿山領河東，因奏温爲節度副使、知留-{後}-，以大理司直張通儒爲留-{後}-判官，河東事悉以委之。
Ji Wen of the Revenue Bureau saw Lushan riding high in favor and clung to him; they swore brotherhood. Wen told Lushan, "Chancellor Li may play the fond uncle for now, but he will never put you in the chief ministership; I may run his errands, yet I will never rise past the middle ranks. Recommend me to the throne, and I will testify that you are the man for the top post—we will push Linfu aside together, and the chancellorship is yours." Lushan liked the scheme and praised Wen's ability again and again before the emperor, who had by now forgotten what he had once said against him. Once Lushan took Hedong, he had Wen appointed deputy commissioner and acting regent, with Zhang Tongru of the Court of Judicial Review as the regent's registrar; the whole circuit was placed in their hands.
58
是時，楊國忠爲-{御}-史中丞，方承恩用事。 祿山登降殿階，國忠常扶掖之。 祿山與王□倶爲大夫，□權任亞-{於}-李林甫。 祿山見林甫，禮貌頗倨。 林甫陽以他事召王大夫，□至，趨拜甚謹，祿山不覺自失，容貌益恭。 林甫與祿山語，毎揣知其情，先言之，祿山驚服。 祿山-{於}-公卿皆慢侮之，獨憚林甫，毎見，雖盛冬，常汗沾衣。 林甫乃引與坐-{於}-中書廳，撫以温言，自解披袍以覆之。 祿山忻荷，言無不盡，謂林甫爲十郎。 既歸-{范}-陽，劉駱-{谷}-毎自長安來，必問：「十郎何言？」 得美言則喜； 或但-{云}-「語安大夫，須好檢校！」 輒反手據床曰：「噫嘻，我死矣！」
Yang Guozhong was then vice censor-in-chief, newly swollen with imperial favor and office. On the palace steps Lushan would climb and descend, and Guozhong would steady him by the arm. Lushan and Wang Hong both held the grand councillor's rank; Hong's authority stood only beneath Li Linfu's. In Linfu's presence Lushan carried himself with open arrogance. Linfu, on a pretext of other business, called in Councillor Wang. Hong came at once and bowed with painstaking deference. Lushan, watching, felt his own assurance slip away and straightened his manner still further. In every conversation Linfu seemed to read Lushan's thoughts and speak them first; Lushan was shaken into admiration. He treated the court nobles with contempt, yet he alone feared Linfu; even in the depth of winter he would meet him drenched in sweat. Linfu drew him into the Secretariat hall, spoke to him kindly, and took off his own outer robe to lay over Lushan's shoulders. Lushan was grateful and unguarded, telling him everything, and called him "Young Master Ten." Back in Fanyang, whenever Liu Luogu arrived from the capital he would ask at once, "What did Young Master Ten say?" Good news made him glad; but if the message was only, "Tell Councillor An to watch himself!" He would wheel about, strike the couch, and wail, "Then I am finished!"1
59
祿山既兼領三鎭，賞刑己出，日益驕恣。 自以曩時不拜太子，見上春秋髙，頗内懼； 又見武備墮馳，有輕中國之心。 孔目官嚴莊、掌書記髙尚因爲之解圖讖，勸之作亂。
Lushan now commanded three frontier circuits at once; reward and punishment flowed from his own desk, and his pride swelled by the day. He recalled that he had once refused to bow to the crown prince, and with the emperor's age mounting, fear gnawed at him; he also saw arms and discipline rotting in the interior, and began to think lightly of the empire itself. His staff officers Yan Zhuang and Gao Shang read the omens for him and pressed him toward revolt.
60
祿山養同羅、奚、契丹降者八千-{餘}-人，謂之「曳落河」。 曳落河者，胡言壯士也。 及家僮百-{餘}-人，皆驍勇善戰，一可當百。 又畜戰馬數萬匹，多聚兵仗，分遣商胡詣諸道販鬻，歳輸珍貨數百萬。 私作緋紫袍、魚袋、以百萬計。 以髙尚、嚴莊、張通儒及將軍孫孝哲爲腹心，史思明、安守忠、李歸仁、蔡希德、牛廷玠、向潤容、李庭望、崔-{乾}-祐、尹子奇、何千年、武令珣、能元皓、田承嗣、田-{乾}-眞、阿史那承慶爲爪牙。 尚，雍權人，本名不危，頗有辭學，薄-{游}-河朔，貧困不得-{志}-，常歎曰：「髙不危當舉大事而死，豈能嚙草根求活邪！」 祿山引置幕府，出入臥内。 尚典牋奏，莊治簿書。 通儒，萬歳之子； 孝哲，契丹出。 承嗣世爲盧龍小校，祿山以爲前鋒兵馬使，治軍嚴整。 嘗大雪，祿山按行諸營，至承嗣營，寂若無人，入閲士卒，無一人不在者，祿山以是重之。
“He kept more than eight thousand Toghuz, Xi, and Khitan who had surrendered to him, calling them the yeluohe.” In the northern languages yeluohe means "brave men." More than a hundred household retainers, all hardened fighters, were said to match a hundred ordinary soldiers each. He stockpiled tens of thousands of warhorses and mountains of weapons, sent Sogdian traders along every route, and every year poured millions in treasure toward his camps. In secret his workshops turned out court robes and official insignia by the hundred thousand. Gao Shang, Yan Zhuang, Zhang Tongru, and the general Sun Xiaozhe formed his inner council; Shi Siming, An Shouzhong, Li Guiren, Cai Xide, Niu Tingjie, Xiang Runrong, Li Tingwang, Cui Qianyou, Yin Ziqi, He Qiannian, Wu Lingxun, Neng Yuanhao, Tian Chengsi, Tian Qianzhen, and Ashina Chengqing were the claws he set on the land. Gao Shang came from Yongquan; his birth name was Buwei, and he was a man of real learning. Penniless on the roads of Hebei, he would sigh, "A man called Gao Buwei ought to die in a great cause—what honor is there in chewing roots to linger on?" Lushan drew him into his staff and let him in and out of his private quarters. Shang drafted the papers; Zhuang kept the accounts. Zhang Tongru was the son of Zhang Wansui; Sun Xiaozhe was born among the Khitan. The Tian family had served for generations as petty officers in Lulong; Lushan made Tian Chengsi vanguard commander, and his camp ran on iron discipline. Once, in a driving snow, Lushan toured the camps. Chengsi's lines were so quiet they seemed empty; yet when he entered to muster the men, every soldier was in place. From that day Lushan trusted him above the rest.
61
夏，四月，壬午，劍南節度使鮮-{于}-仲通討南詔蠻，大敗-{於}-瀘南。 時仲通將兵八萬，分二道出戎、巂州，至-{曲}-州、靖州。 南詔王閣羅鳳遣使謝罪，請還所俘掠，城-{雲}-南而去，且曰：「今吐蕃大兵壓境，若不許我，我將歸命吐蕃，-{雲}-南非唐有也。」 仲通不許，囚其使。 進軍至西洱河，與閣羅鳳戰，軍大敗，士卒死者六萬人，仲通僅以身免。 楊國忠掩其敗狀，仍敘其戰功。
In summer, the fourth month, on the day renwu, Jiannan commissioner Xian Yu Zhongtong marched against Nanzhao and was shattered south of Lu. Zhongtong had eighty thousand men in two wings, marching from Rong and Xi toward Qu and Jing. King Piluoge of Nanzhao sent envoys to sue for peace, offering to return prisoners and booty and withdraw from Yunnan, and warning: "Tibetan armies are already on my border. Deny me, and I throw my lot with Tibet—Yunnan will not be Tang's again." Zhongtong refused and clapped the envoys in chains. He pushed on to the West Er River and met Piluoge in battle. Sixty thousand men died; Zhongtong alone crawled away alive. Yang Guozhong buried the news of the rout and still entered Zhongtong's name for merit.
62
閣羅鳳斂戰屍，-{築}-爲京觀，遂北臣-{於}-吐蕃。 蠻語謂弟爲「-{鐘}-」，吐蕃命閣羅鳳爲「贊普-{鐘}-」，號曰東帝，給以金印。 閣羅鳳刻碑-{於}-國門，言-{於}-不得已而叛唐，且曰：「我世世事唐，受其封賞，-{後}-世容-{復}-歸唐，當指碑以示唐使者，知吾之叛非本心也。」 -{制}-大募兩京及河南、北兵以撃南詔； 人聞-{雲}-南多瘴癘，未戰士卒死者什八九，莫肯應募。 楊國忠遣-{御}-史分道捕人，連枷送詣軍所。 舊-{制}-，百姓有勳者免-{-{征}-}-役，時調兵既多，國忠奏先取髙勳。 -{於}-是行者愁怨，父母妻子送之，所在哭聲振野。
Piluoge heaped the Tang dead into a victory mound and then bowed north to Tibet as vassal. In the southern tongues "younger brother" is zhong; Tibet named him "Brother of the Zanpu," styled him Eastern Emperor, and gave him a gold seal. At his capital gate he set up a stone declaring that he had turned against Tang only because he must, and adding: "My line has served Tang for generations and taken its gifts. If our sons return to the empire, let them show this stone to Tang envoys and prove our hearts were never traitors." The throne ordered a great levy from the two capitals, Henan, and the northern circuits to punish Nanzhao; but men said Yunnan was a land of fever where eight or nine in ten died before ever seeing the enemy, and the summons went unanswered. Guozhong sent censors along every road to drag men away in chains and march them to the colors. By old law, men who had earned merit were excused from service; now Guozhong ordered the draft to seize the meritorious first. The conscripts went off cursing; parents and wives walked beside them, and the roads shook with weeping.
63
髙仙芝之虜石國王也，石國王子逃詣諸胡，具告仙芝欺誘貪暴之狀。 諸胡皆怒，潛引大食慾共攻四鎭。 仙芝聞之，將蕃、漢三萬衆撃大食，深入七百-{餘}--{里}-，至恆羅斯城，與大食遇。 相持五日，葛羅祿部衆叛，與大食夾攻唐軍，仙芝大敗，士卒死亡略盡，所-{餘}--{才}-數千人。 右威衞將軍李嗣業勸仙芝宵遁，道路阻隘，拔汗那部衆在前，人畜塞路； 嗣業前驅，奮大梃撃之，人馬倶斃，仙芝乃得過。
After Gao Xianzhi seized the king of Shighnan, the prince fled to the western peoples and told them how Xianzhi had tricked, plundered, and broken faith. The tribes were furious and quietly called in the Arabs to strike the Four Garrisons together. Xianzhi marched out with thirty thousand Han and allied troops, drove seven hundred li and more to Talas, and met the Arab host. For five days the lines held; then the Qarluqs turned, caught the Tang between two fires, and the army was destroyed. Only a few thousand men were left alive. Li Siye of the Majestic Guards urged a night retreat, but the passes were jammed—Bukhara herds and wagons blocked the way ahead; Siye took the van and smashed a path with a great iron club, killing men and beasts alike until Xianzhi could break through.
64
將士相失，別將汧陽段秀實聞嗣業之聲，詬曰：「避敵先奔，無勇也； 全己棄衆，不仁也。 幸而得達，獨無愧乎！」 嗣業執其手謝之，留拒追兵，收散卒，得倶免。 還至安西，言-{於}-仙芝，以秀實兼都知兵馬使，爲己判官。
Officers were scattered. Duan Xiushi of Qianyang heard Siye riding past and shouted, "Running before the enemy—where is your courage? Saving yourself and leaving the ranks—where is your humanity? You escaped—and you feel no shame?" Siye seized his hand in remorse, turned back to cover the retreat, rallied the lost, and brought them out together. Back at Anxi he spoke for Xiushi to Xianzhi, who made him deputy director of army affairs and his own registrar.
65
八月，丙辰，武庫火，燒兵器三十七萬。
In the eighth month, on bingchen, the imperial arsenal burned, destroying three hundred seventy thousand weapons.
66
安祿山將三道兵六萬以討契丹，以奚騎二千爲鄕導，過平盧千-{餘}--{里}-，至土護眞水，遇雨。 祿山引兵晝夜兼行三百-{餘}--{里}-，至契丹牙帳，契丹大駭。 時久雨，弓駑筋膠皆弛，大將何思德言-{於}-祿山曰：「吾兵雖多，遠來疲弊，實不可用，不如按甲息兵以臨之，不過三日，虜必降。」 祿山怒、欲斬之，思德請前驅效死。 思德貌類祿山，虜爭撃，殺之，以爲已得祿山，勇氣增倍。 奚-{復}-叛，與契丹合，夾撃唐兵，殺傷殆盡。 射祿山，中鞍，折冠簪，失履，獨與麾下二十騎走； 會夜，追騎解，得入師州，歸罪-{於}-左賢王哥解、河東兵馬使魚承仙而斬之。
An Lushan took sixty thousand men from three commands against the Khitan, with two thousand Xi cavalry as guides. After a thousand li through Pinglu they came to the Tuhuluozhen River in rain. He forced a march of three hundred li in a day and a night straight to the Khitan royal camp; the Khitan were stunned. The rains had soaked bows and crossbows useless. He Side, his chief general, said, "We are many but spent from the march—we cannot fight. Camp here and wait; in three days they will yield." Lushan raged and would have killed him; Side begged to ride the van and die if he must. He Side looked like Lushan himself; the Khitan threw everything at him, killed him, and thought they had slain Lushan. Their spirits soared. Then the Xi turned coat, joined the Khitan, and crushed the Tang from both sides until almost no one was left standing. An arrow struck his saddle; his hat pin snapped, his shoes fell off, and he fled with barely twenty riders; night hid him from pursuit, and he reached Shi Prefecture, where he blamed the Left Wise King Gexie and the Hedong commander Yu Chengxian and put them to death.
67
平盧兵馬使史思明懼，逃入山-{谷}-近二旬，收散卒，得七百人。 平盧守將史定方將精兵二千救祿山，契丹引去，祿山乃得免。 至平盧，麾下皆亡，不知所出。 史思明出見祿山，祿山喜，起，執其手曰：「吾得汝，-{復}-何憂！」 思明退，謂人曰：「向使早出，已與哥解-{並}-斬矣。」 契丹圍師州，祿山使思明撃卻之。
Shi Siming, the Pinglu army commander, fled into the hills for nearly twenty days and scraped together seven hundred survivors. Shi Dingfang of Pinglu came with two thousand elite troops; the Khitan drew off, and Lushan lived. When he reached Pinglu his staff had vanished, and he had no plan left. Shi Siming came to him. Lushan sprang up, took his hand, and said, "With you back, what is left to fear?" When Siming withdrew he told others, "Had I shown myself sooner, Gexie would have died with me instead of taking the blame alone." The Khitan besieged Shi Prefecture; Lushan sent Siming to break the siege and drive them away.
68
冬，十月，壬子，上幸華淸宮。
In winter, the tenth month, on the day renzi, Emperor Xuanzong went to Huaqing Palace.
69
楊國忠使鮮-{于}-仲通表請己遙領劍南； 十一月，丙午，以國忠領劍南節度使。
Yang Guozhong had Xian Yu Zhongtong ask to keep Jiannan in name while yielding the field; in the eleventh month, on bingwu, Guozhong was given the Jiannan command.
70
春，正月，丁亥，上還宮。
In spring, the first month, on dinghai, the emperor returned to the capital.
71
二月，庚午，命有司出粟帛及庫錢數十萬緡-{於}-兩市易惡錢。 先是，江、淮多惡錢，貴戚大商往往以良錢一易惡錢五，載入長安，市井不勝其弊，故李林甫奏請禁之，官爲易取，期一月，不輸官者罪之。 -{於}-是商賈囂然，不以爲便。 衆共遮楊國忠馬自言，國忠爲之言-{於}-上，乃更命非鉛錫所鑄及穿穴者，皆-{聽}-用之如故。
In the second month, on gengwu, he ordered the ministries to pour out grain, silk, and treasury cash—hundreds of thousands of strings—into the markets to buy up debased coin. For years the lower Yangzi had flooded the realm with bad copper; great houses traded one good cash for five bad and carted them to Chang'an until trade staggered. Li Linfu had the state buy them in at par and gave the realm one month to comply. Merchants roared that the scheme was unworkable. Crowds stopped Guozhong's horse to plead; he carried their case to the throne, and a new edict allowed all coin that was not lead, tin, or holed to circulate as before.
72
三月，安祿山-{發}-蕃、漢歩騎二十萬撃契丹，欲以雪去秋之恥。 初，突厥阿布思來降，上厚禮之，賜姓名李獻忠，累遷朔方節度副使，賜爵奉信王。 獻忠有-{才}-略，不爲安祿山下，祿山恨之； 至是，奏請獻忠帥同羅數萬騎，與倶撃契丹。 獻忠恐爲祿山所害，白留-{後}-張□，請奏留不行，□不許。 獻忠乃帥所部大掠倉庫，叛歸漠北，祿山遂頓兵不進。
In the third month Lushan marched two hundred thousand mixed steppe and Chinese horse and foot against the Khitan to wash away last autumn's disgrace. Years before the Turk chieftain Abu Si had surrendered; the court honored him as Li Xianzhong, raised him to deputy commissioner of Shuofang, and made him Prince of Trust-Following. Xianzhong was able and proud and would not bow to Lushan, who hated him for it; now Lushan asked that Xianzhong lead tens of thousands of Toghuz horse to join the campaign. Fearing a trap, Xianzhong appealed to the acting commissioner Zhang Wei to keep him at his post; Wei refused. Xianzhong then looted the frontier stores, took his tribes north, and rebelled; Lushan's army never moved.
73
乙巳，改吏部爲文部，兵部爲武部，刑部爲憲部。
On yisi the Board of Civil Office became the Board of Letters, the Board of War the Board of Military Affairs, and the Board of Punishments the Board of Statutes.
74
戸部侍郎兼-{御}-史大夫、京光尹王□，權寵日盛，領二十-{餘}-使。 宅旁爲使院，文案盈積，吏求署一字，累日不得前； 中使賜繼不絶-{於}-門，雖李林甫亦畏避之。 林甫子岫爲將作監，□子淮爲衞尉少卿，倶供奉禁中。 淮陵侮岫，岫常下之。 然□事林甫謹，林甫雖忌其寵，不忍害也。
Wang Hong, vice minister of revenue, censor-in-chief, and Jingzhao intendant, grew daily in power and favor, holding more than twenty concurrent commissions. He built a bureau compound beside his mansion where papers stacked to the ceiling and clerks waited days for a single signature; imperial gifts streamed to his door without pause—even Li Linfu gave him wide berth. Linfu's son Song was director of palace works; Hong's son Huai was vice director of the Palace Guards; both served inside the inner palace. Huai bullied Song, and Song always yielded. Yet Hong still deferred to Linfu; though Linfu envied his rise, he could not bring himself to destroy him.
75
准嘗帥其徒過駙馬都尉王繇，繇望塵拜伏； 准挾彈命-{於}-繇冠，折其玉簪，以爲戲笑。 既而繇延准置酒，繇所尚永穆公主，上之愛女也，爲準親執刀匕。 准去，或謂繇曰：「鼠雖挾其父勢，君乃使公主爲之具食，有如上聞，無乃非宜？」 繇曰：「上雖怒無害，至-{於}-七郎，死生所-{繫}-，不敢不爾。」
Huai once marched his gang past Imperial Son-in-law Wang Yao; Yao saw the dust cloud and bowed flat in the dust. Huai slipped a pellet under the clasp of Yao's cap and broke his jade pin for sport. Yao then gave him wine; his wife was Princess Yongmu, the emperor's favorite daughter, and she herself carved and served Huai's portions. When Huai had gone, someone warned Yao: "That whelp rides his father's shadow, yet you let the princess wait on him at table—if word reaches the throne, will it not be unseemly?" Yao said: "The Son of Heaven may flare up, yet no real harm will follow—but as for Master Seven, my life is in his hand; I dare not refuse."2
76
□弟戸部郎中銲，凶險不法，召-{術}-士任海川，問：「我有王者之相否？」 海川懼，亡匿。 □恐事洩，捕得，-{托}-以他事杖殺之。 王府司馬韋會，安定公主之子，王繇之同産也，話之私庭。 □又使長安尉賈季鄰收會-{繫}-獄，縊殺之，繇不敢言。
Hong's brother Xian, a bureau director in the Revenue Ministry, was brutal and outside the law; he called in the diviner Ren Haichuan and asked, "Do I bear the marks of kingship?" Haichuan was terrified and went into hiding. Hong, afraid the story would out, had him caught and clubbed to death on a false charge. Wei Hui, secretariat marshal of the princely establishment, was a son of Princess Ding'an and Wang Yao's full brother; he spoke of these things in private. Hong again had the Chang'an marshal Jia Jilin seize Hui and bind him in jail, then strangled him; Yao did not dare utter a word.
77
銲所善刑縡，與龍武萬騎謀殺龍武將軍，以其兵作亂，殺李林甫、陳希烈、楊國忠； 前期二日，有告之者。 夏，四月，乙酉，上臨朝，以告狀-{面}-授□，使捕之。 □意銲在縡所，先遣人召之。 日晏，乃命賈季鄰等捕縡。 縡居金城坊，季鄰等至門，縡帥其黨數十人持弓刀格-{鬥}-突出。 □與楊國忠引兵繼至，縡黨曰：「勿傷大夫人。」 國忠之傔密謂國忠曰：「賊有號，不可戰也。」 縡-{斗}-且走，至皇城西南隅。 會髙力士引飛龍禁軍四百至，撃縡，捕其黨，皆擒之。
Xian's friend Xing Zai, together with the Dragon Martial Ten Thousand Riders, plotted to kill the Dragon Martial commander, raise his troops in revolt, and murder Li Linfu, Chen Xilie, and Yang Guozhong; two days before the appointed day, someone informed on them. In summer, the fourth month, on the day yiyou, the emperor held court, was given the denunciation in person, and ordered Hong to make the arrests. Hong supposed Xian was at Zai's house and first sent men to call him in. Not until dusk did he order Jia Jilin and the rest to seize Zai. Zai lived in Jincheng Ward; when Jilin came to the door, Zai led several dozen followers with bows and blades and fought his way out. Hong and Guozhong came after with soldiers; Zai's men shouted, "Do not hurt the Grand Madam!" Guozhong's servants whispered to him: "The bandits have a password—you must not engage." Zai fought as he ran to the southwest corner of the Imperial City. Gao Lishi came with four hundred Flying Dragon guards, struck Zai down, and seized his party; all were taken.
78
國忠以狀白上，曰：「□必預謀。」 上以□任遇深，不應同逆； 李林甫亦爲之辨解。 上乃命特原銲不問，然意欲□表請罪之； 使國忠諷之，□不忍，上怒。 會陳希烈極言□大逆當誅，戊子，敕希烈與國忠鞫之，仍以國忠兼京兆尹。 -{於}-是任海川、韋會等事皆-{發}-，獄具，□賜自盡，銲杖死-{於}-朝堂。 □子准、偁流嶺南，尋殺之。 有司籍其第-{捨}-，數日不能遍。 □賓佐莫敢窺其門，獨採訪判官裴冕收其屍葬之。
Guozhong reported to the throne: "Hong must have been in on it from the start." The emperor, who had heaped favor on Hong, would not credit him with rebellion; Li Linfu spoke in his defense as well. The emperor then specially spared Xian further inquiry, yet expected Hong to memorialize begging punishment; he had Guozhong drop hints; Hong could not bring himself to do it, and the emperor's anger flared. Chen Xilie then insisted that Hong's capital crime merited execution; on wuzi an edict put Xilie and Guozhong in charge of the trial, and Guozhong was also made Jingzhao intendant. The affairs of Ren Haichuan, Wei Hui, and the rest came to light; when the file was closed, Hong was allowed to kill himself and Xian was beaten to death in the audience hall. Hong's sons Huai and Cheng were banished to Lingnan and soon put to death. Officials inventoried his estates and could not complete the count for days. None of Hong's retainers dared approach his gates; only the investigating registrar Pei Mian gathered his body and buried it.
79
初，李林甫以陳希烈易-{制}-，引爲相，政事常隨林甫左右，晩節遂與林甫爲敵，林甫懼。 會李獻忠叛，林甫乃請解朔方節-{制}-，且-{薦}-河西節度使安思順自代； 庚子，以思順爲朔方節度使。
Earlier Li Linfu had installed Chen Xilie as a pliable chancellor; government ran at Linfu's gesture, but in his last years Xilie turned enemy and Linfu was afraid. When Li Xianzhong rebelled, Linfu asked to lay down the Shuofang command and recommended Hexi commissioner An Sishun in his place; on gengzi Sishun was made Shuofang commissioner.
80
五月，戊申，慶王琮薨，贈靖德太子。
In the fifth month, on wushen, Prince Qing Zong died and was given the posthumous title Heir Jingde.
81
丙辰，京兆尹楊國忠加-{御}-史大夫、京畿、關内採訪等使，凡王□所綰使務，悉歸國忠。
On bingchen, Jingzhao intendant Yang Guozhong was made censor-in-chief and Jijing and Guannei investigating commissioner, and every commission Wang Hong had held went to Guozhong.
82
初，李林甫以國忠微-{才}-，且貴妃之族，故善遇之。 國忠與王□爲中丞，□用林甫-{薦}-爲大夫，故國忠不悅，遂深探刑縡獄，令引林甫交私□兄弟及阿布思事狀，陳希烈、哥舒翰從而證之； 上由是疎林甫。 國忠貴震天下，始與林甫爲仇敵矣。
Earlier Linfu had been kind to Guozhong because his gifts were small and he belonged to the imperial consort's kin. Guozhong and Wang Hong had both been vice censors; Hong had become grand councillor on Linfu's word, so Guozhong was bitter; he drove the Xing Zai investigation until it implicated Linfu's private ties with Hong's brothers and the Abu Si matter; Chen Xilie and Ge Shuhan bore witness as well; and the emperor's heart turned from Linfu. Guozhong's wealth and power shook the empire; he and Linfu were enemies at last.
83
六月，甲子，楊國忠奏吐蕃兵六十萬救南詔，劍南兵撃破之-{於}--{雲}-南，克敵隰州等三城，捕虜六千三百，以道遠，簡壯者千-{餘}-人及酋長降者獻之。
In the sixth month, on jiazi, Guozhong reported that six hundred thousand Tibetan soldiers had marched to rescue Nanzhao; Jiannan forces routed them in Yunnan, recovered three prefectures including Diji and Yin, and took six thousand three hundred captives; the road being long, he sent on only a thousand-odd strong men and surrendering chiefs.
84
秋，八月，乙-{丑}-，上-{復}-幸左藏，賜群臣帛。 癸巳，楊國忠奏有鳳皇見左藏庫屋，出納判官魏仲犀言鳳集庫西通訓門。
In autumn, the eighth month, on yichou, the emperor again went to the Left Treasury and gave the ministers silk. On guisi, Guozhong reported a phoenix on the Left Treasury roof; registrar Wei Zhongxi said the birds had settled at the treasury's west Tongxun Gate.
85
九月，阿布思入寇，圍永淸柵，柵使張元軌拒卻之。
In the ninth month Abu Si raided in, besieged Yongqing stockade, and stockade commander Zhang Yuangui drove him off.
86
冬，十月，戊寅，上幸華淸宮。
In winter, the tenth month, on wuyin, the emperor visited Huaqing Palace.
87
己亥，改通訓門曰鳳集門； 魏仲犀遷殿中侍-{御}-史，楊國忠屬吏率以鳳皇優得調。
On jihai Tongxun Gate was renamed Phoenix Gather Gate; Wei Zhongxi was promoted to palace attendant; Guozhong's clerks mostly gained easy promotions by trading on the phoenix.
88
南詔數寇邊，蜀人請楊國忠赴鎭； 左-{僕}-射兼右相李林甫奏遣之。 國忠將行，泣辭上，言必爲林甫所害，貴妃亦爲之請。 上謂國忠曰：「卿暫到蜀區處軍事，朕屈指待卿，還當入相。」 林甫時已有疾，憂懣不知所爲，巫言一見上可小愈。 上欲就視之，左右固諫。 上乃命林甫出庭中，上登降聖閣遙望，以紅巾招之。 林甫不能拜，使人代拜。 國忠比至蜀，上遣中使召還，至昭應，謁林甫，拜-{於}-床下。 林甫流涕謂曰：「林甫死矣，公必爲相，以-{後}-事累公！」 國忠謝不敢當，汗流覆-{面}-。 十一月，丁卯，林甫薨。
Nanzhao struck the frontier again and again; men of Shu begged Guozhong to take the command; Left Vice Director and Right Chancellor Li Linfu memorialized that he be sent. As Guozhong was leaving, he wept to the emperor that Linfu would surely destroy him; the Noble Consort pleaded too. The emperor told him: "Go to Shu for a time and set the armies in order; I will count the days until you return—you shall be chancellor again." Linfu was already sick, anxious and helpless; sorcerers said one glimpse of the emperor would ease him a little. The emperor wished to go see him; those around him firmly dissuaded him. He had Linfu come into the courtyard while he climbed the Jiangsheng Pavilion and looked from afar, waving a red scarf. Linfu could not bow; he had someone bow in his stead. Before Guozhong reached Shu, the emperor sent a palace envoy to call him back; at Zhaoying he visited Linfu and bowed at the bed. Linfu wept and said, "Linfu is finished; you will surely be chancellor—remember me when you are!" Guozhong protested he dared not accept; sweat ran down his face. In the eleventh month, on dingmao, Linfu died.
89
上晩年自恃承平，以爲天下無-{復}-可憂，遂深居禁中，專以聲色自娯，悉委政事-{於}-林甫。 林甫媚事左右，迎合上意，以固其寵； 杜絶言路，掩蔽聰明，以成其-{奸}-； 妬賢疾能，排抑勝己，以保其位； 屢起大獄，誅逐貴臣，以張其勢。 自皇太子以下，畏之側足。 凡在相位十九年，養成天下之亂，而上不之寤也。
In his last years the emperor, trusting long peace, believed the realm had no further cares; he lived deep in the palace, gave himself to pleasure, and handed all affairs to Linfu. Linfu fawned on those beside the emperor and matched his moods to keep his grace; he sealed off every voice and hooded the emperor's sight to finish his plots; he envied talent and feared ability, and pushed down any who outshone him to hold his seat; he opened great trials again and again, killed and exiled the high nobles, to magnify his sway. From the crown prince downward, all feared him and went in dread. He sat in the chancellorship nineteen years, nursing the empire toward chaos, while the emperor never saw it.
90
庚申，以楊國忠爲右相，兼文部尚書，其判使-{並}-如故。
On gengshen Yang Guozhong was made Right Chancellor and concurrent Minister of Letters, with his other commissions unchanged.
91
國忠爲人強辯而輕躁，無威儀。 既爲相，以天下爲己任，裁決機務，果敢不疑； 居朝廷，攘裾扼腕，公卿以下，頤指氣使，莫不震懾。 自侍-{御}-史至爲相，凡領四十-{餘}-使。 -{台}-省官有-{才}-行時名，不爲己用者，皆出之。
Guozhong was sharp-tongued and volatile, without the gravity of office. Once in the seal he took the world as his charge, cutting through business with bold certainty; in the hall he would hitch his robe and clench his wrist; from the grandees down he commanded with a jerk of the chin, and all quake. From investigating censor to chancellor he held more than forty concurrent posts. Any Secretariat or Censorate officer of talent and name whom he could not bend to his will was driven out.
92
或勸陝郡進士張彖謁國忠，曰：「見之，富貴立可圖。」 彖曰：「吾輩依楊右相如泰山，吾以爲冰山耳！ 若皎日既出，吾輩得無失所恃乎！」 遂隱居-{嵩}-山。
Someone urged Zhang Can, a Shan Commandery candidate, to visit Guozhong: "One audience and fortune is yours." Can said, "We lean on Chancellor Yang as on Mount Tai—but I call him an iceberg! When the sun climbs high, will we not lose our footing?" He went into hiding on Mount Song.
93
國忠以司勳員外郎崔圓爲劍南留-{後}-，-{-{征}-}-魏郡太守吉温爲-{御}-史中丞，充京畿、關内採訪等使。 温詣-{范}-陽辭安祿山，祿山令其子慶緒送至境，爲温控馬出驛數十歩。 温至長安，凡朝廷動靜，輒報祿山，信宿而達。
Guozhong made Vice Director of Honors Cui Yuan Jiannan regent, recalled Wei Commandery prefect Ji Wen and made him vice censor-in-chief with Jijing and Guannei investigating duties, and the like. Ji Wen went to Fanyang to bid Lushan farewell; Lushan had his son Qingxu see him to the border and himself led Wen's horse on foot for dozens of paces beyond the relay station. Back in Chang'an, Wen reported every shift at court to Lushan; word reached him within two post stages.
94
十二月，楊國忠欲收人望，建議：「文部選人，無問賢不肖，選深者留之，依資據闕注官。」 滯淹者翕然稱之。 國忠凡所施置，皆-{曲}-徇時人所欲，故頗得衆譽。
In the twelfth month Guozhong sought popular praise and proposed: "For civil-office candidates, worthy or not, keep those of long waiting and fill posts by seniority and vacancy." Men long blocked in office praised him together. In everything he did Guozhong bent to what men of the day wanted, and for a time he won wide praise.
95
甲申，以平盧兵馬使史思明兼北平太守，充盧龍軍使。
On jiashen Pinglu army commander Shi Siming was also made Beiping grand prefect and Lulong army commissioner.
96
丁亥，上還宮。
On dinghai the emperor returned to the palace.
97
丁酉，以安西行軍司馬封常淸爲安西四鎭節度使。
On dingyou Anxi acting army commander Feng Changqing was made commissioner of the four Anxi circuits.
98
哥舒翰素與安祿山、安思順不協，上常和解之，使爲兄弟。 是冬，三人倶入朝，上使髙力士宴之-{於}-城東。 祿山謂翰曰：「我父胡，母突厥，公父突厥，母胡，族類頗同，何得不相親？」 翰曰：『古人-{云}-：狐向窟嗥不祥，爲其忘本故也。 兄苟見親，翰敢不盡心！』 祿山以爲譏其胡也，大怒，罵翰曰：「突厥敢爾！」 翰欲應之，力士目翰，翰乃止，陽醉而散，自是爲怨愈深。
Ge Shuhan had long been on bad terms with An Lushan and An Sishun; the emperor often patched peace between them and had them sworn as brothers. That winter all three came to court; the emperor had Gao Lishi give them a feast east of the city. Lushan said to Han, "My father was Hu and my mother Tujue; your father was Tujue and your mother Hu—we are much the same stock; how can we not be close?" Han said, "The ancients said: when a fox howls toward its den it bodes ill, for it has forgotten its home." "If you, brother, truly hold me kin, how dare Han not give you his whole heart!" Lushan heard this as a sneer at his Hu blood and raged, cursing Han: "You Tujue whelp—how dare you!" Han was about to retort; Lishi caught his eye; Han held back, pretended drunkenness, and left—and from that day their hatred deepened.
99
棣王琰有二孺人，爭寵，其一使巫書符置琰履中以求媚。 琰與監院宦者有隙，宦者知之，密奏琰祝詛上； 上使人掩其履而獲之，大怒。 琰頓首謝：「臣實不知有符。」 上使鞫之，果孺人所爲。 上猶疑琰知之，囚-{於}-鷹狗坊，絶朝請，憂憤而薨。
Prince of Di Yan had two junior consorts fighting for favor; one had a sorcerer write charms and hide them in Yan's shoes to win him. Yan had fallen out with the supervisory eunuch; the eunuch learned of the charms and secretly reported that Yan cursed the emperor; the emperor had his shoes searched, found the charms, and flew into a rage. Yan kowtowed: "Your servant truly knew nothing of the charms." The emperor had it tried; it was indeed the junior consort's work. The emperor still suspected Yan had known; he was imprisoned in the Hawk and Hound Ward, barred from court, and died of grief and rage.
100
故事，兵、吏部尚書知政事者，選事悉委侍郎以下，三注三唱，仍過門下省審，自春及夏，其事乃畢。 及楊國忠以宰相領文部尚書，欲自示精敏，乃遣令史先-{於}-私第密定名闕。
By custom, when the war and personnel ministers who sat in council handled appointments, the work went to vice ministers and below—three lists, three announcements, then review in the Chancellery; from spring to summer the round was done. When Yang Guozhong as chancellor also headed the Ministry of Letters and wished to seem sharp, he had clerks fix names and vacancies in secret at his private house first.
101
春，正月，壬戌，國忠召左相陳希烈及給事中、諸司長官皆集尚書都堂，唱注選人，一日而畢，曰：「今左相、給事中倶在座，已過門下矣。」 其間資格差繆甚衆，無敢言者。 -{於}-是門下不-{復}-過官，侍郎但掌試判而已。 侍郎韋見素、張倚趨走門庭，與主事無異。 見素，湊之子也。
In spring, the first month, on renxu, Guozhong called Left Chancellor Chen Xilie and the drafting reviewers and bureau chiefs to the Ministry of Letters, read out appointments in one day, and said, "The left chancellor and reviewers are here—this has already cleared the Chancellery." Rank and seniority were botched in countless cases, and no one dared object. After that the Chancellery no longer signed off on posts; vice ministers merely ran the written exams. Vice Ministers Wei Jiansu and Zhang Yi scurried through the courtyard gates no differently from chief clerks. Jiansu was Wei Cou's son.
102
京兆尹鮮-{于}-仲通諷選人請爲國忠刻頌，立-{於}-省門，-{制}-仲通撰其辭； 上爲改定數字，仲通以金塡之。
Jingzhao intendant Xian Yu Zhongtong urged candidates to commission a praise stele for Guozhong at the ministry gate; the emperor had Zhongtong draft the inscription; the emperor altered a few characters, and Zhongtong filled them in with gold.
103
楊國忠使人説安祿山誣李林甫與阿布思謀反，祿山使阿布思部落降者詣闕，誣告林甫與阿布思約爲父子。 上信之，下吏按問； 林甫婿諫議大夫楊齊宣懼爲所累，附國忠意證成之。 時林甫尚未葬，二月，癸未，-{制}-削林甫官爵； 子孫有官者除名，流嶺南及黔中，給隨身衣及糧食，自-{餘}-資産-{並}-沒官； 近親及黨與坐貶者五十-{餘}-人。 剖林甫棺，抉取含珠，褫金紫，更以小棺如庶人禮葬之。 己亥，賜陳希烈爵許國公，楊國忠爵魏國公，賞其成林甫之獄也。
Guozhong had agents tell Lushan to charge Li Linfu with plotting rebellion with Abu Si; Lushan sent surrendered tribesmen of Abu Si to court to claim Linfu and Abu Si had sworn father and son. The emperor believed them and ordered an investigation; Linfu's son-in-law Remonstrance Officer Yang Qixuan, afraid of being dragged in, followed Guozhong's line and helped close the case. Linfu was still unburied; in the second month, on guwei, an edict stripped him of rank and titles; descendants in office were struck from the rolls and banished to Lingnan and Qianzhong with clothes and grain for the road; the rest of their property was seized; more than fifty close kin and associates were demoted with them. They opened Linfu's coffin, took the pearl from his mouth, stripped his gold and purple, and reburied him in a small coffin with commoner's rites. On jihai Chen Xilie was made Duke of Xu and Guozhong Duke of Wei, rewarded for finishing Linfu's case.
104
夏，五月，己酉，-{復}-以魏、周、隋-{後}-爲三恪，楊國忠欲攻李林甫之短也。 衞包以助邪貶夜郎尉，崔昌貶烏雷尉。
In summer, the fifth month, on jiyou, the Wei, Zhou, and Sui lines were again made the Three Exalted Lines—Guozhong's blow at Linfu's legacy. Wei Bao, for aiding evil, was demoted to Ye Lang commandant; Cui Chang to Wulei commandant.
105
阿布思爲回紇所破，安祿山誘其部落而降之，由是祿山精兵，天下莫及。
Abu Si was shattered by the Uyghurs; Lushan lured his tribes to defect, and from then on his elite army had no match in the empire.
106
壬辰，以左武衞大將軍何-{復}-光將嶺南五府兵撃南詔。
On renchen Left Martial Gate general He Fuguang was ordered to lead the five southern circuits against Nanzhao.
107
安祿山以李林甫狡猾逾己，故畏服之。 及楊國忠爲相，祿山視之蔑如也，由是有隙。 國忠屢言祿山有反狀，上不-{聽}-。
Lushan had feared Linfu, who was craftier than he. Once Guozhong took the seal, Lushan held him in contempt, and the breach between them opened. Guozhong kept warning that Lushan meant to rebel; the emperor would not hear it.
108
隴右節度使哥舒翰撃吐蕃，拔洪濟、大漠門等城，悉收九-{曲}-部落。
Longyou commissioner Ge Shuhan struck Tibet, took Hongji, Damen, and other strongpoints, and recovered the Nine Bends tribes.
109
初，髙麗人王思禮與翰倶爲押牙，事王忠嗣。 翰爲節度使，思禮爲兵馬使兼河源軍使。 翰撃九-{曲}-，思禮-{後}-期； 翰將斬之，既而-{復}-召釋之。 思禮徐曰：「斬則遂斬，-{復}-召何爲！」
Earlier the Koguryo Wang Silu and Han had both been yamen guards under Wang Zhongsi. When Han became commissioner, Silu was made army commander and Heyuan army commander. In the Nine Bends campaign Silu was late; Han was about to behead him, then recalled him and spared him. Silu said evenly, "Behead me if you will—why summon me back?"3
110
楊國忠欲厚結翰與共排安祿山，奏以翰兼河西節度使。 秋，八月，戊戌，賜翰爵西平郡王。 翰表侍-{御}-史裴冕爲河西行軍司馬。
Guozhong wanted Han as an ally against Lushan and had him given the Hexi command as well. In autumn, the eighth month, on wuxu, Han was made Prince of Xiping. Han recommended Palace Attendant Pei Mian as Hexi acting army commander.
111
是時中國盛強，自安遠門西盡唐境凡萬二千-{里}-，閭閻相望，桑麻翳野，天下稱富庶者無如隴右。 翰毎遣使入奏，常乘白橐駝，日馳五百-{里}-。
China was at its height; from Anyuan Gate west to the frontier ran twelve thousand li of settled country, mulberry and hemp thick on the fields—the wealthiest land in the empire was said to be Longyou. Han sent memorials by white Bactrian camel, five hundred li in a day.
112
九月，甲辰，以突騎施黑姓可汗登裡伊羅蜜施爲突騎施可汗。
In the ninth month, on jiachen, Turgesh Black-Bone qaghan Dengli Yiluomishi was confirmed as Turgesh qaghan.
113
北庭都護程千-{里}-追阿布思至磧西，以書諭葛邏祿，使相應。 阿布思窮迫，歸葛邏祿，葛邏祿-{葉}-護執之，-{並}-其妻子、麾下數千人送之。 甲寅，加葛邏祿-{葉}-護頓毘伽開府儀同三司，賜爵金山王。
Beiting protector Cheng Qianli chased Abu Si beyond the sands and wrote the Qarluqs to act in concert. Abu Si, desperate, threw himself on the Qarluqs; their yabghu seized him and sent him on with wife, children, and several thousand followers. On jiayin the Qarluq yabghu was made Grand Master for Splendid Happiness, equal to the Three Dukes, and Prince of Jinshan.
114
冬，十月，戊寅，上幸華淸宮。
In winter, the tenth month, on wuyin, the emperor went to Huaqing Palace.
115
楊國忠與虢國夫人居第相鄰，晝夜往來，無-{復}-期度，或-{並}-轡走馬入朝，不施障幕，道路爲之掩目。 三夫人將從車駕幸華淸宮，會-{於}-國忠第； 車馬-{僕}-從，充溢數坊，錦繡珠玉，鮮華奪目。 國忠謂客曰：「吾本寒家，一旦縁椒房至此，未知稅駕之所，然念終不能致令名，不若且極樂耳。」 楊氏五家，隊各爲一色衣以相別，五家合隊，粲若-{雲}-錦； 國忠仍以劍南旌節引-{於}-其前。
Guozhong and the Lady of Guo had adjoining houses; they passed back and forth day and night without schedule, sometimes riding abreast to court without screens, and the street had to look away. The three ladies were to join the imperial progress to Huaqing Palace and gathered at Guozhong's mansion; horses and retinues overflowed several wards; brocade and jewels blazed on every side. Guozhong told guests, "I was born poor; one marriage into the palace clan brought me here. I do not know where I will end, but I know I will never earn a good name—so I might as well enjoy myself while I can." The five Yang clans each dressed their columns in one color; together they shone like brocade clouds; Guozhong still marched ahead under the Jiannan commander's banner.
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國忠子暄舉明經，學業荒陋，不及格。 禮部侍郎達奚珣畏國忠權勢，遣其子昭應尉撫先白之。 撫伺國忠入朝上馬，趨至馬下； 國忠意其子必中選，有喜色。 撫曰：「大人白相公，郎君所試，不中程式，然亦未敢落也。」 國忠怒曰：「我子何患不富貴，乃令鼠輩相賣！」 策馬不顧而去。 撫惶遽，書白其父曰：「彼恃挾貴勢，令人慘嗟，安可-{復}-與論-{曲}-直！」 遂置暄上第。 及暄爲戸部侍郎，珣始自禮部遷吏部，暄與所親言，猶歎己之淹回，珣之迅疾。
Guozhong's son Xuan sat for the classics exam; his work was wretched and he failed. Vice Minister of Rites Daxi Xun, afraid of Guozhong, sent his son Fu, the Zhaoying commandant, to tip him off first. Fu caught Guozhong mounting for court and rushed to his stirrup; Guozhong assumed his son would pass and looked pleased. Fu said, "My father told the chief minister your son's paper missed the mark, yet he has not dared fail him." Guozhong snapped, "My son need never fear poverty—must mice like you sell favors?" He whipped his horse away and never looked back. Fu panicked and wrote his father: "He rides his privilege—it breaks the heart; how can we argue justice with him!" Xuan was placed at the head of the list. When Xuan became vice minister of revenue, Xun had just left Rites for Personnel; Xuan still complained to friends that he had been held back while Xun rose fast.
117
國忠既居要地，中外餉遺輻湊，積縑至三千萬匹。
In high office, gifts from court and country flooded in; plain silk alone stacked to thirty million bolts.
118
上在華淸宮，欲夜出-{遊}-，龍武大將軍陳玄禮諫曰：「宮外即曠野，安可不備不虞！ 陛下必欲夜-{遊}-，請歸城闕。」 上爲之引還。
At Huaqing the emperor wanted a night outing; Dragon Martial general Chen Xuanli said, "Beyond the walls is open ground—you cannot go unguarded! If you must go out at night, return to the capital." The emperor turned back.
119
是歳，安西節度使封常淸撃大勃律，至菩薩勞城，前鋒屢捷，常淸乘勝逐之。 斥候府果毅段秀實諫曰：「虜兵羸而屢北，誘我也； 請搜左右山林。」 常淸從之，果獲伏兵，遂大破之，受降而還。
That year Anxi commissioner Feng Changqing attacked Greater Bolü, reached Bodhisattva Labor City; the van repeatedly won, and Changqing drove the pursuit. Scout officer Duan Xiushi warned, "The foe is weak and keeps falling back—they are baiting us; search the woods on both sides." Changqing listened, found the ambush, routed them utterly, took their surrender, and returned.
120
中書-{舍}-人宋昱知選事，前進士廣平劉乃以選法未善，上書-{於}-昱，以爲：「禹、稷、皋陶同居舜朝，猶曰載采有九德，考績以九載。 近代主司，察言-{於}-一幅之判，觀行-{於}-一揖之間，何古今遲速不侔之甚哉！ 借使周公、孔子今處銓廷，考其辭華，則不及徐、庾，觀其利口，則不若嗇夫，何暇論聖賢之事業乎！」
Drafting Officer Song Yu ran appointments; former candidate Liu Nai of Guangping, finding the law unsound, wrote Yu that "even Yu, Ji, and Gao Yao in Shun's court still spoke of the nine virtues and nine years of review. Today's masters read one exam sheet and one bow—how unlike the ancients in pace! Put the Duke of Zhou and Confucius in the Board today: their prose would lose to Xu and Yu, their tongues to a petty clerk—who would speak of sage's work?"4
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category:資治通-{鑑}-
Category: Zizhi Tongjian (Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance).
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