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卷229 唐紀四十五

Volume 229 Tang Records 45

Chapter 229 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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1
229
Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 229.
2
滿
[Tang Records 45] This record runs from the eleventh month of one cycle year to the first month of the next—less than a full year.
3
In the fourth year of Jianzhong of Emperor Dezong, the Divine Martial and Sagely Cultural Emperor ( Guihai, AD 783)
4
使 使使使
In the eleventh month, on the day dinghai, Long Prefecture was designated the Fengyi Army district and Gao was appointed its military governor. Zhu Ci also sent the court envoy Liu Haiguang to offer Gao the Fengxiang military governorship. Gao had him executed.
5
使 退 穿 使
Du Xiquan, acting prefect of Lingwu, Dai Xiuyan, prefect of Yan, and Shi Changchun, prefect of Xia, joined Li Jianhui, military governor of Weibei, and together led ten thousand troops to relieve the siege. When they were nearing Fengtian, the emperor called his generals and ministers together to decide which route the relief force should take. Guan Bo and Hun Jian said, "The Mogu pass is narrow and dangerous—the rebels may well ambush us there. Better to march north of Qianling, keep to the cypress rampart road, and camp at Jizidui northeast of the city. That way we can support Fengtian in a pincer and split the rebel forces." Lu Qi said, "The Mogu route is shorter. If the rebels intercept them there, the city can send troops out to link up. But if they pass Qianling, we may disturb the imperial tombs." Jian replied, "Since Zhu Ci laid siege, he has been felling the pines and cypresses of Qianling day and night—how much more disturbance could there be? The city is in desperate straits. No relief armies from the provinces have arrived yet—only Xiquan and his men are coming, and everything depends on them. If they can seize a strong position, Zhu Ci can be broken." Qi said, "When Your Majesty sends an army, how can that be compared with rebel bandits! If you order Xiquan and his men to march past the tombs, we ourselves will be the ones disturbing the imperial resting place." The emperor then ordered Xiquan and his force to advance through Mogu. On the day bingzi, Xiquan's army reached Mogu and was ambushed as predicted. The rebels rained down boulders and bolts from the heights, and casualties were heavy. Troops sallied from the city to link up with them but were beaten back by the rebels. That night all four armies broke and retreated to Bin Prefecture. Zhu Ci paraded the captured baggage train beneath the walls. The officials who accompanied the emperor looked at one another, their faces ashen. Xiuyan was a native of Xia Prefecture. Zhu Ci pressed the siege harder still, digging trenches to ring the city. Zhu Ci moved his headquarters to Qianling, where he could look down on the city and see everything that moved within it. He kept sending envoys around the walls to entice soldiers and civilians, mocking them for failing to recognize Heaven's mandate.
6
使 使使 西 使
Li Sheng, military governor of the Shence Hebei campaign army, had recovered from illness. When he learned that the emperor had fled to Fengtian, he prepared to march to the rescue. Zhang Xiaozhong, hard pressed by Zhu Tao and Wang Wujun, depended on Li Sheng for support and did not want him to leave. He repeatedly blocked and dissuaded him. Li Sheng left his son Ping behind to marry Zhang Xiaozhong's daughter, and gave his jade belt to Xiaozhong's intimates to win them over on his behalf. Zhang Xiaozhong finally let Li Sheng march west, and sent his general Yang Rongguo with six hundred elite troops to accompany him. Li Sheng led his men out through the Feihu pass, marching day and night without rest until he reached Dai Prefecture. On the day dingchou, Li Sheng was appointed Shence campaign military governor.
7
Wang Wujun and Ma Sui attacked Zhao Prefecture without success. On the day xinsi, Ma Sui returned to Ying Prefecture. Wang Wujun escorted him five li and sent him off with lavish gifts. Wang Wujun then returned to Heng Prefecture as well.
8
使使 使
When the emperor fled to Fengtian, Yao Mingyi, observation commissioner of Shan and Guo, left military affairs in the hands of his deputy defense commissioner Zhang Quan and went to join the emperor. Zhang Quan raised troops and mustered tens of thousands of men. On the day jiashen, Zhang Quan was appointed military governor of Shan and Guo.
9
Zhu Ci had besieged Fengtian for a month, and the city's stores of food were exhausted. The emperor once sent a swift runner out to scout the rebel lines. The man pleaded bitter cold, knelt before the throne, and begged for a single padded jacket and trousers. The emperor had his attendants search but none could be found. In the end he sent the man away in sorrowful silence. The imperial kitchen had only two hu of coarse millet left. Whenever the rebels eased their assault, men were lowered by rope at night to gather turnip roots outside the walls. The emperor summoned his ministers, generals, and officials and said, "Through my own want of virtue I have brought us to the brink of ruin—that is only fitting. You are innocent. You should surrender soon and save your families." The ministers all prostrated themselves, weeping, and pledged to fight to the death. Though the soldiers were starving and exhausted, their fighting spirit never faltered.
10
使 西 西
When the emperor fled to Fengtian, the grain commissioner Cui Zong persuaded Li Huaiguang to march to the rescue, and Huaiguang agreed. Cui Zong gathered all military supplies and marched with Huaiguang. Li Huaiguang forced the march day and night. When he reached Hezhong his men were exhausted, and he rested the army for three days. Li Qiyun, prefect of Hezhong, lavished feasts and rewards on the army, yet the soldiers still wanted to linger. Cui Zong had goods and wealth ferried across the river ahead of the army and told the troops, "When we reach the west bank, everything will be divided among you. The promise stirred them. They crossed west and encamped at Pucheng with fifty thousand men. Qiyun was a grandson of Li Yun.
11
Li Sheng marched west, gathering troops along the way, crossed at Pujin, and encamped at the Eastern Wei Bridge. He began with four thousand men. Li Sheng was a master at winning soldiers' loyalty, sharing their hardships and comforts alike, and men flocked to his banner. Within a month his force had grown to more than ten thousand.
12
使
Shang Ke'gu, a Shence cavalry commissioner campaigning against Li Xilie, commanded three thousand men at Xiangyang. He entered through Wuguan to relieve the siege, encamped at Qipan, defeated Zhu Ci's general Qiu Jing, and seized Lantian. Ke'gu was of a collateral branch of the Yuwen people.
13
使 使西
Luo Yuanguang, deputy commissioner of the Zhenguo Army, was descended from Parthians. Luo Fengxian had adopted him as a son. He had held Tong Pass with his troops for nearly ten years and was deeply respected by his men. Zhu Ci sent his general He Wangzhi to seize Hua Prefecture. The prefect Dong Jin abandoned the city and fled to the emperor. Wangzhi occupied the city and prepared to mass troops to sever the eastern supply route. Yuanguang led his troops from below the Pass against Wangzhi, who fled back to Chang'an. Yuanguang then encamped at Hua Prefecture, raised troops, and within days had more than ten thousand men. Zhu Ci sent repeated attacks against Yuanguang, but Yuanguang drove them all back. The rebels were unable to push eastward. The emperor promptly appointed Yuanguang military governor of the Zhenguo Army. Yuanguang then led two thousand men west to encamp at Zhaoying.
14
Ma Sui sent his campaign chief of staff Wang Quan and his son Hui with five thousand troops to relieve the siege. They encamped at the Central Wei Bridge.
15
使 使 使使便 退
By now Zhu Ci's followers held only Chang'an itself. Scouting parties from the relief armies sometimes reached as far as Wangchun Tower. Li Zhongchen and his allies sent out troops again and again only to be defeated. They begged Zhu Ci for help. Zhu Ci feared that civilians would take advantage to raid his messengers, so he sent his troops out only at night, hiding by day. Anxious about Chang'an, Zhu Ci redoubled his assault on Fengtian. He had the monk Fajian build siege towers several zhang high and wide, sheathed in rhinoceros hide, mounted on great wheels below, each able to carry five hundred men aloft. Those within the city looked on in dread. The emperor asked his ministers what to do. Hun Jian and Hou Zhongzhuang replied, "Those towers are enormously heavy—too heavy to move easily. Let us dig a tunnel where they will approach, pile fuel, and wait with fire ready." Han Cheng, commissioner of the Shenwu Army, said, "Siege towers are a petty trick—not worth troubling Your Majesty. Let me handle them." He calculated where the towers would bear, widened the northeast corner of the wall by thirty paces, and stockpiled grease, pine resin, firewood, and reeds there. On the day dinghai, Zhu Ci massed his troops with drums and war cries against the southern wall. Han Yougui said, "He means to divide our strength." He led his men to strengthen the northeast instead. On the day wuzi a fierce north wind blew. Zhu Ci pushed the siege towers forward, draped them in wet felt, hung water bags from them, and loaded them with assault troops. Catapults flanked the towers while men below carried firewood and earth to fill the moat. Arrows, stones, and fire could not touch them. The rebels massed against the northeast corner. Arrows and stones fell like rain, and the dead and wounded within the city were beyond counting. Rebels had already gained the wall. The emperor and Hun Jian wept in each other's arms while the ministers could only raise their eyes to Heaven and pray. The emperor gave Hun Jian more than a thousand blank commissions—from Grand Censor down to stipends of five hundred households—and told him to recruit dare-to-die men to hold the line. He also gave him his own brush and told him to note each man's deeds in small script and award commissions on the spot; if the blanks ran out, to write names on the men's bodies. He said, "This may be our farewell." Jian prostrated himself, weeping. The emperor patted his back, overcome with grief. The soldiers were frozen and starving, and some were stripping off their armor. Jian went among them, urging loyalty and righteousness, and they roared back into the fight. Jian was struck by an arrow but never slackened his attack and never mentioned the wound. Just then a tower rolled over the tunnel. One wheel sank and the tower could neither advance nor retreat. Fire burst from below, the wind shifted, and defenders on the wall hurled reed torches, scattered pine resin, and poured on grease and oil. Their cheers shook the ground. In moments the towers and every man on them were reduced to ash. The stench carried for miles, and the rebels withdrew. All three gates sallied forth. The crown prince personally directed the battle. The rebels were routed, with thousands dead. The crown prince personally dressed the wounds of the injured. That night Zhu Ci attacked again. Arrows fell within three paces of the emperor before dropping to the ground. The emperor was terrified.
16
西使 使 使
Li Huaiguang marched from Pucheng toward Jingyang along the northern foothills. He first sent his cavalry commissioner Zhang Shao in disguise by a secret route to the emperor, with his memorial hidden in a wax pellet. When Shao reached Fengtian the rebels were assaulting the walls. They took him for a common laborer and drove him to fill the moat with the civilians. Shao seized his chance, scrambled over the moat, and shouted up at the wall, "I am an envoy from the Shuofang army!" Men on the wall lowered a rope and hauled him up. By the time he reached the top he had been struck by dozens of arrows. He drew the memorial from his clothing and presented it. The emperor was overjoyed. He had Shao carried around the walls to announce the news, and cheers erupted from every corner like thunder. On the day guisi, Li Huaiguang defeated Zhu Ci's army at Liquan. When Zhu Ci heard the news he was terrified and withdrew his army to Chang'an. Everyone agreed that if Li Huaiguang had been three days later, the city would not have held.
17
退 使 -{}-
When Zhu Ci withdrew, the ministers who accompanied the emperor all offered congratulations. Jia Yinlin, cavalry commissioner of the Bian campaign army, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty is too quick-tempered and too little inclined to bear with others. Unless that changes, even when Zhu Ci is destroyed your troubles will not end!" The emperor took no offense and praised him warmly. The attendant censor Moqi Zhu reopened the transport routes through Jin and Shang. Once the siege was lifted, tribute and supplies from the provinces began to arrive, and the court's finances began to recover.
18
Back in Chang'an, Zhu Ci devoted himself only to holding the city. From time to time he sent men out to run through the streets shouting, "Fengtian has fallen! Hoping to confuse the populace. Having seized the imperial treasuries, Zhu Ci lavished gold and silk on his officers and soldiers. He even paid monthly stipends to the families of high officials still trapped in the city. Zhu Ci supplied grain to the families of every man in the Shence Army and the Six Armies who had followed the emperor's flight, as well as to the households of Geshu Yao and Li Sheng. On top of that came the cost of repairing and replacing weapons and equipment, and daily expenditures grew enormous. When Chang'an was recovered, the treasury still held large surpluses, and everyone who saw them looked back with bitter resentment at the officials' ruthless levies.
19
Someone urged Zhu Ci: "Your Majesty has already taken the throne — the Tang imperial tombs and treasuries should not be allowed to remain." Zhu Ci replied: "I once served the Tang court as a subject facing north — how could I bring myself to do that!" Another proposal followed: "Many official posts stand empty — send soldiers to coerce scholars into accepting appointments." Zhu Ci said: "Force appointments on people and they will only be frightened. Give office only to those who want to serve — why go door to door pressing commissions on people!" The only men he actually relied on were the regimental troops of Fanyang and the Shence Army. The Jingyuan soldiers, insubordinate and arrogant, would not fight for him at all; they merely hoarded their plunder and refused to take the field. They also plotted secretly to assassinate Zhu Ci; when the attempt failed, they abandoned the plan.
20
輿 使 使使 便使
Li Huaiguang was blunt and rough by temperament. Marching from Shandong to relieve the throne in its distress, he often denounced Lu Qi, Zhao Zan, and Bai Zhizhen as treacherous flatterers, declaring: "The chaos engulfing the empire is entirely their work! When I see the emperor, I shall ask that they be put to death." After breaking the siege of Fengtian, he grew proud of his achievement and expected the emperor to greet him with exceptional honors. Someone warned Wang Hong and Zhao Zan: "All along the march Huaiguang has been venting his anger, blaming the chancellor for misguided counsel, the revenue commissioner for crushing taxes, and the capital prefect for miserly rewards. It was these three ministers, he says, who drove the emperor from his capital. Huaiguang has just won a great victory — the emperor is certain to open his heart and ask what has gone wrong. If Huaiguang's accusations reach the throne, will we not be ruined!" Wang Hong and Zhao Zan relayed this to Lu Qi. Lu Qi was frightened and, speaking calmly to the emperor, said: "Huaiguang's merit is the state's mainstay; the rebels are already terrified and have lost the will to hold out. Let him press his advantage and take Chang'an, and the rebels can be wiped out at one stroke — the momentum will be like splitting bamboo. But if he is summoned to court now, he will surely be feasted and kept for days, giving the rebels time to re-enter the capital and fortify it at leisure — then they may prove impossible to defeat!" The emperor agreed. An edict directed Huaiguang to march straight to Bian Bridge with his army and, on a fixed date, join Li Jianhui, Li Sheng, and Shence cavalry commissioner Yang Huiyuan in a joint assault on Chang'an. Huaiguang felt he had marched thousands of li in loyal haste to save the throne, had broken Zhu Ci and lifted a desperate siege, yet could not even get an audience with the emperor though he stood so near. Deeply aggrieved, he said: "Treacherous ministers have already shut me out — I can see how this will end!" He then marched away; at Ludian he halted two days before continuing.
21
西使西使 鹿
Zhang Fei, military commissioner of the Western Mountains in Jiannan, mutinied with his command, entered Chengdu, and Zhang Yanshang, governor of Xichuan, abandoned the city and fled to Hanzhou. Chi Gansui and other commanders at Lutou Fort marched against them, executed Zhang Fei and his followers, and Yanshang returned to Chengdu.
22
使 西使穿
Chen Shaoyou, military governor of Huainan, had been campaigning against Li Xilie from a base at Xuyi. When he heard of Zhu Ci's rebellion, he withdrew to Guangling, dug trenches, built ramparts, and readied arms and armor. Han Huang, governor of Zhedong and Xixi in Zhejiang, sealed the passes at Liang, barred horses and cattle from leaving the region, built Shitou Fortress, sank nearly a hundred wells, erected dozens of mansions, repaired embankments and walls, and raised fortifications from Jianye to Jingxian with linked towers and battlements — both to prepare for the emperor's possible crossing of the Yangzi and to strengthen his own position. Shaoyou mustered three thousand men for a grand review north of the Yangzi. Han Huang answered with three thousand warships, parading his strength on the Jing River.
23
使
Bao Ji, commissioner of salt and iron, held eight million strings' worth of cash and silk and was preparing to ship them to the capital. Chen Shaoyou reasoned that with rebels holding Chang'an, the capital would not be recovered anytime soon, and tried to seize the funds by force. Bao Ji refused; Shaoyou then wanted him killed. Terrified, Bao Ji hid his wife and children among the document chests and fled hastily across the river. Shaoyou seized all the cash and silk. Bao Ji also had three thousand troops guarding the treasury; Shaoyou took them too. Bao Ji had barely reached Shangyuan with a few dozen followers when Han Huang stripped him again.
24
使 使
At this time the southern regional commands mostly sealed their borders and looked to their own defense; only Prince of Cao Li Gao repeatedly sent envoys to clear routes and deliver tribute. With Li Xilie pressing Bian and Zheng, routes through the Jiang and Huai regions were severed, and tribute missions had to travel from Xuancheng, Raozhou, Jingzhou, and Xiangyang toward Wuguan. Gao restored the postal stations and repaired the roads, so envoys traveling to and fro could pass without hindrance.
25
使 輿 退 使
The emperor asked Lu Zhi what the most pressing business of the day was. Lu Zhi argued that the recent turmoil stemmed from a breakdown between ruler and ruled, and urged the emperor to be approachable and heed remonstrance. He submitted a memorial whose gist was: "Your servant believes the urgent task today is to read the mood of the people. Whatever the people most desire, Your Majesty should do first; whatever they most hate, Your Majesty should abolish first. From antiquity to the present, no ruler who shared the people's loves and hates has ever failed to win their loyalty. The root of order and chaos lies in the hearts of the people — all the more so in times of upheaval, when loyalty wavers and where the people turn flourishes while where they turn away collapses. How can Your Majesty fail to read the public mood, align with their loves and hates, and draw the masses back to restore peace to the realm! This is truly the most urgent matter of the day." He continued: "I have lately overheard public talk probing the mood of the realm: in the provinces the fear is that court and regions are at cross purposes; among officials the fear is that the bond between ruler and minister has been severed. The wishes of the provinces never reach the court, and the court's sincerity never ascends to the throne. Imperial favor does not reach the people below; their grievances do not reach the throne above. Facts need not be known, and what is known need not be true. Above and below are cut off from each other; truth and falsehood are tangled together. Resentment gathers and slander spreads — how can there be no distrust and obstruction!" He added: "Pool the wisdom of the empire to sharpen Your Majesty's judgment; align edicts with the people's hearts — then ruler and ministers will act as one, and who would not obey! Near and far will give their hearts to the throne — who would then dare rebel!" He also wrote: "Some advice seems foolish yet is close to the Way; some essential matters look impractical yet are vital." Ten days passed after the memorial was submitted; the emperor neither acted on it nor asked Lu Zhi about it. Lu Zhi submitted another memorial, writing in essence: "Your servant has heard that the foundation of a state is winning the people, and the key to winning the people is understanding their true feelings. Confucius therefore called human sentiment the sage-king's field — the soil from which right governance grows." He continued: "In the Book of Changes, Qian below and Kun above forms Tai; Kun below and Qian above forms Pi. Diminishing the upper and enriching the lower is called Increase; diminishing the lower and enriching the upper is called Decrease. Heaven below and earth above is a reversal of their proper places, yet the hexagram is called Peace — because upper and lower communicate. The ruler above and ministers below accords with propriety, yet the hexagram is called Obstruction — because upper and lower do not communicate. When the ruler restrains himself and is generous to others, the people will gladly serve him — is that not Increase! When the ruler despises others and indulges himself, the people will resent and turn against him — is that not Decrease!" He wrote further: "The boat is the way of the ruler; the water is the temper of the people. A boat that follows the water stays afloat; fight the current and it sinks; a ruler who holds the people's hearts is secure; lose them and he is in peril. That is why the sage-kings of old, though they ruled above others, always shaped their own wishes to the hearts of the people, and never forced the people to follow their personal desires." He also wrote: "Your Majesty, angry that entrenched custom obstructs good government, has taken harsh suppression upon yourself, ruling with open severity and stern law — yet these abuses are of long standing, and the cure has cut too deep. Those far off grow alarmed and defy orders or flee for their lives; those nearby cower and merely go through the motions to avoid punishment. Ruler and ministers are estranged; above and below no longer understand each other. The emperor seeks good order, yet officials below fear execution; ministers wish to offer loyal counsel, yet the throne suspects deception. Sagely sincerity never reaches the world, and the world's feelings never reach the throne. Your servant once served as censor and attended court audiences for barely half a year. Your Majesty remained aloof and stern, never descending to question officials in person. Ministers approached and withdrew in cramped silence and did not lay matters before the throne. Within the hall itself there was no real exchange — in a realm so vast, how could truth ever reach the throne on its own! Even when envoys were received by routine and chief ministers were summoned separately, this was not the same as instruction from one's teachers, nor the same as open counsel among colleagues. Those who had not yet acted were warned not to discuss state secrets; those who had already acted were told that what was done could not be remonstrated against. Constraints multiplied; every word bred suspicion. Each man hid his true feelings and feared to speak. When rebellion was about to erupt and the whole people shared one dread, Your Majesty alone remained untroubled, still believing peace was at hand. Let Your Majesty test what you once heard against what you see today — what was true and what false, what succeeded and what failed — and the full truth of how affairs stand will become clear! The truth and falsehood of men's hearts will be fully known!"
26
使 便 便 使
The emperor then sent a palace envoy to reply: "By nature I greatly favor openness and sincerity, and I am willing to accept remonstrance. I thought ruler and ministers were one body and needed no guard at all. Because I trusted openly and without suspicion, treacherous men often played upon me. The harm that has come of this, I believe, has no other root: the failure lies in being too trusting. Moreover, remonstrating officials rarely keep matters discreet; as a rule they boast and parade themselves, blaming me to win a reputation. Since my accession I have heard many officials memorializing or answering at audience on affairs; for the most part their views were identical, picked up from hearsay — question them and they immediately have nothing to say. If there were men of real talent and ability, would I begrudge promoting them? I see that things have always been this way, which is why of late I have not often granted casual audiences — not because I am weary of receiving people. You should understand this fully." Lu Zhi held that a ruler governing his subjects must take sincerity and trust as his foundation. Even when remonstrators' words were crude or awkward, they should still be treated with forbearance to keep the path of speech open. If they were cowed by authority or silenced by argument, how could officials below dare speak freely? He submitted yet another memorial, writing in essence: "The way of the Son of Heaven follows Heaven's example: Heaven does not cease to nurture life because the earth holds poisonous trees; the Son of Heaven should not cease to listen and accept counsel because the age has petty men." He continued: "In sincerity and trust alone, once lost there is no restoring them. One lapse of sincerity and the heart cannot be kept; one lapse of trust and words cannot be obeyed. What Your Majesty calls having failed through sincerity and trust and thereby brought harm — your servant privately believes that judgment goes too far." He added: "Rule people with cunning and they will dissemble; show them suspicion and they will become furtive. What the ruler practices, those below follow; what the ruler shows, those below return in kind. If one is not fully sincere oneself yet expects full sincerity from others, the people will slacken and refuse to follow. If one was insincere before yet speaks of sincerity afterward, hearts will doubt and refuse to believe. From this we know that sincerity and trust cannot for a moment be set aside. I urge Your Majesty to guard it carefully and practice it ever more faithfully — that is no cause for regret!" He wrote further: "Your servant has heard that Zhong Hui praised King Tang of Shang — not for having no faults, but for correcting his faults; Jifu sang the praises of King Xuan of Zhou — not for being flawless, but for mending what was lacking. Thus the intent of the sages is clear: they valued the ability to reform faults, not the possession of no faults. For in how people conduct themselves there are always errors and lapses — neither the wisest nor the most foolish can wholly avoid them. The wise reform their faults and turn toward goodness; the foolish are shamed by faults and persist in wrong; Turn toward goodness and virtue renews day by day; persist in wrong and evil accumulates ever deeper." He added: "That remonstrating officials are indiscreet and boastful is indeed not deep loyalty — yet it in no way diminishes Your Majesty's sagely virtue. If Your Majesty accepts remonstrance without turning away, then for such talk to spread would only add to your glory; If Your Majesty turns from remonstrance and refuses to heed it, how can you forbid it from spreading!" He continued: "Grand words that cannot be verified need not be acted on; plain words that fit reason need not be rejected. A man whose speech is awkward but whose results come quickly is not necessarily a fool; a man whose words are honeyed but whose gains are great is not necessarily wise. All of this should be tested against facts and weighed to the end — the only standard is where the good lies." He added: "As for what Your Majesty said — that those who have lately memorialized and answered at audience on affairs all repeat the same thing, parroting street gossip — Your servant believes that so many voices together reveal the temper of the people — some of it must be worth acting on, and some of it worth fearing. I fear it is wrong to dismiss the whole lot with contempt and refuse to examine and accept any of it. Your Majesty also said that when questioned, they immediately have nothing to say. Your servant holds only that though Your Majesty may exhaust their words, you have not exhausted their reasoning; you may silence their mouths, but you have not won their hearts." He wrote further: "Those below all wish to be loyal; those above all seek good order. Yet those below always complain that those above will not heed them, and those above always complain that those below are not loyal. If that is so, why is it so? Because the feelings of the two sides do not reach each other. Those below all wish their feelings to reach the throne; those above all wish to know the feelings of those below — yet those below always find those above hard to reach, and those above always find those below hard to know. If that is so, why is it so? It is because the nine abuses have not yet been removed. The so-called nine abuses are six on the ruler's side and three on the ministers' — loving to outdo others, shaming to hear of faults, indulging in glib argument, dazzling with one's cleverness, imposing harsh severity, and giving free rein to stubborn willfulness. These six are the ruler's abuses; flattery and sycophancy, looking to others and hesitating, and a timid heart grown soft. These three are the ministers' abuses. When the ruler loves to outdo others, he must relish flattering words; when the ruler is shamed to hear of faults, he must loathe straight remonstrance. Then flatterers below will follow his wishes, and honest words will never be heard. When the ruler indulges in argument, he must suppress debate and defeat people with words; when the ruler dazzles with cleverness, he must guess at motives and suspect people of deceit. Then those below who look to others and hesitate will take their own ease, and fully considered words will never be spoken. When the ruler imposes harsh severity, he cannot lower himself to receive people; when the ruler gives free rein to stubborn willfulness, he cannot accept blame and heed remonstrance. Then those below with timid hearts will avoid guilt, and reasoned counsel will never be fully expressed. Given the vastness of the realm, the multitude of the people, the depth of the palace precincts, and the barrier between high and low — from the common folk upward, those who even catch a glimpse of the Son of Heaven exceed a hundred million, yet not one in that number; of those who catch a glimpse, those who actually receive audience to speak on affairs are again one in ten million; even those fortunate enough to receive audience still have the nine abuses standing between them — how little then passes between the feelings of above and below! When the ruler's feelings do not reach the people below, the people are confused; when the people's feelings do not reach the ruler above, the ruler grows suspicious. Suspicious, he will not accept their sincerity; confused, they will not obey his commands. Sincerity not accepted is answered with defiance; commands not obeyed are answered with punishment. Defiance below and punishment above — what need wait for ruin! This is why disorder has always outnumbered order — it has been so from antiquity." He continued: "In the past Zhao Wu was halting in speech yet became a worthy minister of Jin; the Marquis of Jiang was dull and slow-tongued yet became a chief minister of Han. Thus a glib tongue does not guarantee trustworthy counsel, and a defeated argument does not mean the reasoning is exhausted. The difficulty of knowing people was what even Yao and Shun found vexing — how can a single audience and a single challenge exhaust a man's abilities! To judge the mood of the empire this way will often miss the truth; to slight the empire's men of talent this way will surely leave worthy men overlooked." He added: "When remonstrators are many, it shows my willingness to welcome them; when remonstrators are blunt, it shows my capacity to forbear; when remonstrators are reckless and slanderous, it shows my power to forgive; when remonstrators leak secrets, it shows my willingness to follow their counsel. To possess any one of these is great virtue. This is the way ruler and remonstrators mutually benefit each other. Remonstrators gain rank and reward; the ruler gains order and peace. Remonstrators win the name of offering candid counsel; the ruler wins the name of selecting and accepting it. Yet even when remonstrators miss the mark, the ruler remains without blemish — only fearing that straight words are not sharp enough and that all under Heaven does not hear them. Thus the virtue of accepting remonstrance shines forth." The emperor took much of his advice to heart.
27
Li Huaiguang halted his army and refused to advance, repeatedly submitting memorials that loudly exposed the crimes of Lu Qi and others. Public outcry swelled, and Lu Qi and the others were blamed as well. The emperor had no choice. In the twelfth month, on the day renxu, he demoted Lu Qi to Administrator of Xing Prefecture, Bai Zhizhen to Administrator of En Prefecture, and Zhao Zan to Administrator of Bo Prefecture. The eunuch Zhai Wenxiu, whom the emperor trusted, was also accused by Li Huaiguang; the emperor had him killed as well.
28
On day yichou, the Hanlin Academician and Assistant Director of the Ministry of Rites Lu Zhi was appointed Director in the Ministry of Personnel, and the Assistant Director of the Ministry of Revenue Wu Tongwei was appointed Director in the Ministry of War. Lu Zhi submitted a memorial declining the appointment on the grounds that "when we first arrived at Fengtian, the generals and officers who accompanied Your Majesty were by precedent promoted two ranks, yet now the Hanlin alone receives a promotion. When punishment is applied first to the noble and near, then to the humble and far, commands will not be violated; when rewards are granted first to the humble and far, then to the noble and near, merit will not be overlooked. I hope the greatest services are recorded first and rewards then extended to all ranks in turn — then your servant would not dare decline alone." The emperor did not permit it.
29
使 使 崿 西使 崿 使 使 紿
While at Fengtian, the emperor sent envoys to persuade Tian Yue, Wang Wujun, and Li Na, pardoning their crimes and lavishing them with rank and title. Tian Yue and the others all secretly pledged allegiance, yet still did not dare break with Zhu Tao; each continued to style himself king as before. Zhu Tao sent his Tiger-Fang General Wang Zhi to persuade Tian Yue, saying: "Recently when the Eighth Lord was in distress, Tao and the King of Zhao did not spare their lives but exerted all their strength to rush to the rescue, and fortunately lifted the siege. Now the Grand Marshal's third brother has received his commission in Guanzhong. Tao wishes to go with the Uyghurs to aid him. I hope the Eighth Lord will ready his troops and cross the river with Tao to take Daliang together." Tian Yue did not wish to go in his heart yet could not bear to break with Zhu Tao, so he agreed. Zhu Tao again sent his Palace Secretariat Attendant Li Guan to see Tian Yue and ascertain whether he would go. Tian Yue hesitated and could not decide, secretly summoning Hu Yu and others to discuss the matter. Vice Director of Martial Affairs Xu Shize said: "Zhu Tao once served Li Huaixian as a junior officer. With his elder brother Ci and Zhu Xicai he jointly killed Huaixian and enthroned Xicai. Xicai favored and trusted the brothers to the utmost, yet Tao again plotted with the magistrate Li Ziyuan to kill Xicai and enthroned Ci. Once Ci became commander, Tao urged Ci to enter court while taking the post of acting military governor himself — though urging loyalty and righteousness, in truth he seized Ci's authority. Throughout his life, men who shared in plots and achievements with him, such as Li Ziyuan — he betrayed and killed more than twenty of them. Now he is again coordinating with Ci east and west. If Tao gets his way, even Ci will not be tolerated by him — how much less an ally! This is the kind of man Tao is. Great King, how can you know his inmost heart and trust him! If he leads a hundred thousand Uyghur troops from Youling to encamp in the outskirts, and the Great King goes out to welcome him, you will be captured on the spot. If he imprisons the Great King and takes the Wei army as well, crosses the river southward, and coordinates with Guanzhong — who in all under Heaven could withstand him! The Great King will then regret it when it is too late. For the Great King's plan, it would be better to outwardly agree to go together while secretly preparing defenses — receive him with lavish welcome, and when he arrives plead some other reason and send generals with divided troops to follow him. Thus the Great King outwardly keeps the name of repaying kindness, and inwardly has no sudden alarm." Hu Yu and the others all agreed. Wang Wujun heard that Li Guan had arrived in Wei and sent his Assistant Director of Justice Tian Xiu in haste to see Tian Yue, saying: "Wujun, because the chief ministers handled affairs improperly and feared disaster reaching his person — and because the Eighth Lord was trapped in tight siege — therefore joined troops with Tao to rescue him. Now the Son of Heaven is amid hidden sorrow, soothing us with virtue — how can we not repent our faults and return to him! Abandon the Son of Heaven of nine generations and serve Ci and Tao instead! Moreover, before Ci declared himself emperor, Tao stood shoulder to shoulder with us as kings — he already looked down on us. If he is allowed to pacify Bian and Luo in the south and link with Ci, we will all become captives! Eighth Lord, be careful not to go south with him — only close the city and hold it. Wujun asks to watch for an opening, link with Zhao Yi's troops, strike and destroy him, and with the Eighth Lord again pacify the north, be restored as military governors, and serve the Son of Heaven together — would that not be fine!" Tian Yue's mind was then decided. He deceived Zhu Tao, saying: "I will go as agreed, just as in the former pact." On day dingmao, Zhu Tao led fifty thousand Fanyang infantry and cavalry, with more than ten thousand private followers besides and three thousand Uyghurs, setting out from Hejian southward. Supply wagons stretched forty li from head to tail.
30
忿 使 使
Li Xilie besieged Li Mian at Bian Prefecture, driving the people to haul earth and timber and build raised ramp-roads to attack the city. Angry that the work was not finished, he buried people alive to fill it in — calling it "wet firewood." Li Mian defended the city for months, but relief never came. He led his force of more than ten thousand and fled to Song Prefecture. On day gengwu, Li Xilie captured Daliang. Li Cheng, Prefect of Hua Prefecture, surrendered the city to Li Xilie. Li Xilie made Li Cheng Grand Counselor and concurrent Military Governor of Yongping. Li Mian submitted a memorial requesting punishment. The emperor told his envoy: "I myself have still lost the ancestral temple — Mian should set his mind at ease." He treated him as before.
31
Liu Qia sent his general Gao Yi with five thousand picked troops to hold Xiangyi. Li Xilie attacked and took it, and Gao Yi threw himself into the water and died. Li Xilie pressed his victory to attack Ningling, and the Jiang and Huai region was greatly shaken. Chen Shaoyou sent his staff officer Wen Shu to offer submission to Li Xilie, saying: "Hao, Shou, Shu, and Lu — I have already ordered swift preparations. Weapons are sheathed and armor rolled up; we wait concealed for your command." He also sent touring officer Zhao Shen to connect with Li Na at Yan Prefecture.
32
Vice Director of the Secretariat and Co-Equal to the Prime Minister Guan Bo was dismissed and made Minister of Justice.
33
使使
Kong Chaofu, Attendant of the Secretariat, was appointed Pacification Commissioner of Zi and Qing, and Dong Jin, Chancellor of the Imperial Academy, was appointed Pacification Commissioner of Hebei.
34
輿 使
Lu Zhi spoke to the emperor, saying: "Now rebels fill the empire and the imperial carriage has wandered in exile. Your Majesty should deeply blame yourself to move people's hearts. In the past King Tang of Shang, by blaming himself, rose vigorously; King Zhao of Chu, through good words, restored his state. If Your Majesty truly can be unstinting in correcting faults, speak forth to all under Heaven, and make written edicts open what has been taboo, your servant though dull and lowly can answer Your Majesty's sacred intent — perhaps making those who waver reform their hearts and turn toward the throne." The emperor agreed. Therefore the edicts issued from Fengtian — even proud generals and fierce soldiers, on hearing them, all were moved and wept.
35
使 使
A diviner submitted a statement: "The state is in ill fortune; there should be changes to accord with the times and cosmic numbers." The assembled ministers asked to add one or two characters to the honorific title. The emperor asked Lu Zhi. Lu Zhi submitted a memorial holding it impermissible, writing in essence: "The rise of honorific titles is originally not an ancient institution. Practiced in days of peace and security, it already strains modesty and restraint; carried on in times of calamity and disorder, it especially harms propriety." He continued: "When the virtue of Qin declined, it combined 'emperor' and 'sovereign' and first used them as a general title. Flowing down to later generations, benighted and perverse rulers then had titles such as Holy Liu and Celestial Prime. This shows that a ruler's true standing does not depend on his titles. To pare them back wins the praise of modesty and reverence for the past; to inflate them invites the charge of arrogance and a taste for sycophancy." Again he said: "Your Majesty must look down and weigh the signs and reckonings of fate — change is needed. Better to retire the old titles and heed Heaven's warning than to pile on flattering epithets and lose the people's hearts." The Emperor took his counsel but changed only the era name. The Emperor also showed Lu Zhi the amnesty edict drafted by the Secretariat. Lu Zhi submitted a memorial arguing that words alone move people only faintly, and when the words miss the mark, who will take them to heart? In this decree of grace, repentance must run deep and self-reproach must be spoken without reserve. Stains must be washed away and buried grievances aired, so that every man gets what he wants — then who would refuse to follow? Concrete reforms are needed; I respectfully submit a separate memorial along with this one. Beyond this, I still have a concern. I hold that knowing one's faults is not hard, but correcting them is; speaking what is right is not hard, but doing what is right is. Even if the amnesty edict were perfectly worded and went no further than confessing fault and speaking virtue, I would still ask Your Majesty to weigh what is truly hard. "The Emperor agreed.
36
In the first year of Xingyuan of Emperor Dezong, the Divine Martial and Sagely Cultural Emperor ( Jiazi, AD 784)
37
In spring, the first month, on guiyou, the new moon, he granted amnesty throughout the realm and changed the era name. The edict read: "To govern well and renew the realm, one must act with sincerity; forget oneself to serve others, and not shrink from correcting one's faults. I have inherited the great enterprise and rule the myriad states, yet I lost the ancestral temple and dwell in exile. I have not led by virtue, and the past cannot be undone; yet I will ever reflect on my faults and hope to make amends hereafter. I proclaim this plainly to show it to all under Heaven.
38
"This unworthy son fears his virtue does not match his inheritance and dares not be idle or negligent; yet I was raised in the deep palace and knew nothing of governing the realm. Old habits were easy to sink into; living in comfort I forgot danger. I did not know the hardship of the fields, nor pity the toil of campaign and garrison. Grace never reached the bottom; feeling never reached the top. Affairs piled up between us, and the people grew doubtful and estranged. Still blind to my own faults, I raised arms. Armies marched in every direction; supplies moved a thousand li; carts were seized and horses registered — near and far were thrown into turmoil. Those who marched were followed by those who stayed behind to send them off; the people labored without rest. Some crossed blades many times in a single day; some went years without doffing armor. Sacrifices went unoffered; families lost their breadwinners. Life and death wandered in exile; resentment hardened into a mass. Forced labor never ceased; fields lay largely untilled. Harsh orders outdid extortion; exhausted households were stripped to the spindle and loom. People died in ditches and gullies and fled their villages. Towns became ruins; the land grew empty of human smoke. Heaven reproached me from above and I did not wake; the people resented me below and I did not know. Step by step disorder arose; rebellion broke out in the capital. All ranks lost their place; the ancestral temples were shaken. Above I shamed my forebears; below I failed the people. My heart aches and my face burns with shame — the guilt is truly mine. I am forever ashamed, as if falling into an abyss. Henceforth no memorial from within or without the court may again use the title 'Sagely, Divine, Martial, and Cultural.' "Li Xilie, Tian Yue, Wang Wujun, Li Na, and the like — all men of merit and long service, each guarding a frontier domain — were governed by us in ways that missed the mark and drove them to suspicion and fear; all because the throne lost the Way and the people suffered for it. I alone failed as ruler — what crime have they committed! All their generals, officials, and subordinates should be treated as before.
39
"Though Zhu Tao was implicated through Zhu Ci's guilt, the distance between them makes joint plotting unlikely. In view of his old service, we should show broad clemency; if he submits and turns loyal, he too shall share in this renewal.
40
"Zhu Ci overturned Heaven's order, stole the symbols of rule, and violently violated the imperial tombs — what I cannot bear to put into words. Having offended the ancestors, I dare not pardon him. As for the generals, officials, and common people who followed under duress — if before the imperial army reached the capital they abandoned rebellion, submitted, and returned to their own circuits and armies — all shall be covered by the amnesty.
41
"All armies and circuits whose troops marched to Fengtian and helped recover the capital shall be granted the title Meritorious Servants Who Settled the Crisis at Fengtian. The added dianmo levy, the jianjia housing tax, and taxes on bamboo, timber, tea, lacquer, and iron monopolies — all such imposts shall be abolished."
42
When the amnesty was promulgated, people throughout the realm rejoiced. The year after the Emperor returned to Chang'an, Li Baozhen came to court and said, "When the amnesty was proclaimed in the east, the soldiers wept with emotion. When I saw feeling like that, I knew the rebels could not long stand!"
43
使
Li Chong, vice director in the Ministry of War, was appointed pacification commissioner for Heng and Ji.
44
Zhu Ci changed the state name to Han, styled himself Han Yuan Heavenly Emperor, and adopted the era name Tianhuang.
45
When Wang Wujun, Tian Yue, and Li Na saw the amnesty edict, they all dropped their royal titles and submitted memorials asking pardon. Only Li Xilie, trusting in his strong armies and rich stores, plotted to declare himself emperor. He sent men to ask Yan Zhenqing about the rites. Zhenqing replied, "This old man once served as a ritual official; all I remember are the rites for feudal lords attending upon the Son of Heaven!" Xilie thereupon took the imperial throne, named his state Great Chu, and adopted the era name Wucheng. He established a full bureaucracy, appointing his partisan Zheng Ben as Palace Attendant, Sun Guang as Director of the Secretariat, and Li Huan and Li Yuanping as co-directors of the Secretariat. He made Bian Prefecture his capital at Liang and divided his territory into four military governorships. Xilie sent his general Xin Jingzhen to tell Yan Zhenqing, "If you will not submit, burn yourself!" They piled firewood in his courtyard and poured oil over it. Zhenqing rushed toward the flames; Jingzhen hastily stopped him.
46
使 使使 使 使 西
Xilie also sent his general Yang Feng to deliver follow-up amnesty gifts to Chen Shaoyou and Zhang Jianfeng, prefect of Shou. Jianfeng seized Feng, paraded him before the army, and had him cut in two at the waist in the marketplace. When Shaoyou heard of it, he was terrified. Jianfeng reported in full Chen Shaoyou's dealings with Xilie. The Emperor was pleased and appointed Jianfeng overall training commissioner of Hao, Shou, and Lu. Xilie then made his general Du Shaoqian military governor of Huainan and sent him with more than ten thousand infantry and cavalry to take Shou first and then advance on Jiangdu. Jianfeng sent his generals Helan Yuanjun and Shao Yi to hold the Qiuchai stockade at Huoqiu. Shaoqian could not break through, so he raided south into Qi and Huang, intending to cut the Yangzi route. The Emperor had ordered Bao Ji to supervise Jiang-Huai revenues himself and sail upriver to the temporary court. At Qikou he ran into Shaoqian's raiding force. Prince Cao Wang Gao sent Yi Shen, prefect of Qi, with seven thousand men to block him. They fought at Yong'an garrison and won a great victory. Shaoqian escaped; ten thousand heads were taken. Bao Ji was then able to continue. Later, when Bao Ji came to court, he memorialized in full on Chen Shaoyou's seizure of revenues. Shaoyou was afraid and levied heavily on his jurisdiction to make restitution. Because Xiakou was a key point on the upper Yangzi, Li Xilie sent his fierce general Dong Shi to raise seven thousand death-defying men and strike E Prefecture. Prefect Li Jian lowered his banners, stilled his drums, and shut the gates to await them. Shi tore up house timbers to burn the gate; Jian led his troops out and won a great victory. The Emperor appointed Li Jian overall training commissioner of E, Yue, and Mian. Thereafter Xilie feared Prince Cao Wang Gao in the east and Li Jian in the west, and no longer dared cast covetous eyes on the Jiang-Huai region.
47
使 使
Zhu Tao led his army into Zhao territory; Wang Wujun prepared lavish feasts and rewards. Entering Wei territory, Tian Yue supplied him twice as generously as before; envoys greeted him one after another all along the road. On dingchou, Tao reached Yongji and sent Wang Zhi to see Yue, arranging to meet at Guantao and cross the river together. Yue told Zhi, "I truly wish to follow Fifth Brother south. Yesterday, when I was about to march out, my officers and soldiers drew up their arms and refused to let me go, saying, 'The imperial army was just beaten; we have fought and held out for more than a year, and our stores are exhausted. Now the men cannot escape cold and hunger — how can the whole army march on a distant campaign! Great King soothes them day by day and still cannot settle them. If you abandon the cities and leave, march out in the morning and by evening there will surely be trouble!'" My heart is not divided — but what can I do about the officers and soldiers! I have already ordered Meng You to prepare five thousand infantry and cavalry to follow Fifth Brother and supply fodder and grazing duties. He then sent his Director of Ritual Pei Kang and others to apologize to Tao. When Tao heard this, he flew into a rage and said, "Tian Yue, that rebel — when he was trapped in heavy siege with his life hanging by a thread, he made me betray my lord and abandon my elder brother and march day and night to save him. By good fortune he survived. He offered me Bei Prefecture and I refused it; he wanted to make me Son of Heaven and I refused — yet now he repays kindness with betrayal, lured me here from afar, and hides behind polished excuses not to march out!" That same day he sent Ma Shi to attack Zongcheng and Jingcheng, and Yang Rongguo to attack Guanshi — all were taken. He also let the Uighurs plunder Guantao of tents, utensils, carts, and oxen and depart. Yue shut himself inside the city and held out. On renwu, Tao sent Pei Kang and the others back, divided his troops, and posted officials to hold Ping'en and Yongji.
48
On bingxu, Lu Han, vice director in the Ministry of Personnel, was made vice director in the Ministry of War and co-director of the Secretariat. Lu Han was the seventh-generation descendant of Lu Yixi.
49
使
Zhu Tao led his army north to besiege Bei Prefecture, drew water to ring the city, and Prefect Xing Caojun shut the gates and held out. He let the Fanyang and Uighur troops plunder the counties, also took Wucheng, and opened communications with De and Di to supply his army. He sent Ma Shi with five thousand infantry and cavalry to encamp at Guanshi and press Wei Prefecture.
50
使
Du Huangshang, attendant within the Secretariat, was made deputy pacification commissioner for Jiang-Huai.
51
At the temporary palace the Emperor stored tribute gifts from the various circuits beneath the corridor eaves and posted a sign naming the treasury Qionglinda Ying. Lu Zhi argued that after the merit of fighting and holding the city, rewards had not yet been granted yet the Emperor had hastily set aside a private treasury — the soldiers would resent it and lose their fighting spirit. He submitted a remonstrance, the gist of which ran: "The Son of Heaven shares virtue with Heaven and takes the four seas as his home — why bend public rectitude aside and heap up private goods! To lower the supreme lord and do the work of petty officials, to disgrace the imperial chariot by imitating a common man's hoard — this injures the law, loses the people, invites wickedness, and gathers resentment. To govern this way — is it not going too far!" Again he said: "Recently, when the six armies first submitted, we had nothing in store; outwardly they held off the rebels, inwardly they defended the walls — day and night without rest for nearly fifty days. Cold and hunger pressed in together; dead and wounded lay one upon another. They gave their lives with one accord and finally overcame the great crisis. Truly it was because Your Majesty did not enrich himself or indulge his desires — you renounced delicacies to share with the ranks and stopped your own meals to feed those who had labored. Without harsh control the men did not desert — they were moved by what they felt; without rich rewards the men did not resent — because you had nothing to give. Now the siege is lifted and clothing and food are plentiful, yet grumbling is rising and army morale is faltering — is it not because brave men by nature love profit and prize merit? They shared hardship with you, yet good fortune is not shared with them. How can they keep silent and not complain!" Again he said: "If Your Majesty can truly recall the deep anxiety of the siege and take warning from ordinary days of selfish desire — let all goods in the two treasuries be issued as gifts to those with merit; whenever rare treasures arrive, give army rewards first — then disorder will be settled, rebels will be pacified, and slowly driving the six dragons you will return to the capital. The Son of Heaven's dignity — why should he worry about poverty! That is to scatter a small hoard and build a great one, to spend a small treasure and secure a great treasure." The Emperor immediately ordered the sign removed.
52
使 退 西西西使 使 使 使
Xiao Fu once told the Emperor, "Since the crisis, eunuchs have often served as army supervisors, relying on favor to run rampant. These men should manage only palace affairs; they should not be entrusted with military authority or state governance. The Emperor was displeased. He also said, "When Your Majesty first ascended the throne, your virtue shone everywhere; then by your own choice Yang Yan and Lu Qi corrupted court governance and brought us to this day. If Your Majesty will truly change your mind, how could I fail to give you my full strength? But if you expect me to flatter and dodge blame, I truly cannot." On another occasion he memorialized alongside Lu Qi. Qi spoke to please the emperor, but Xiao Fu said sternly, "Lu Qi is wrong!" The emperor was startled. After the audience he told his attendants, "Xiao Fu disrespects me!" On the day wuzi he stripped Fu of his appointment as pacification commissioner over Shannan, Jinghu, Huainan, Jiangxi, E-Yue, the two Zhejiangs, Fujian, Lingnan, and the other southern circuits — in effect pushing him aside. Soon Liu Congyi and other officials memorialized repeatedly asking Fu to stay. The emperor told Lu Zhi, "Since we fled the capital, distant regions along the Yangzi may have heard exaggerated rumors. I wanted to send a senior minister to reassure them. I consulted the chief ministers and the court, and everyone agreed. Now matters have reversed themselves like this, and I have brooded over it in regret for days. Do you think Fu changed his mind and had them petition for him? What sort of man is Xiao Fu, in your view? If he did not want to go, what was he after?" Lu Zhi replied that Fu was strict with himself and aspired to integrity — his talents might not cover every need, but his conduct could be trusted. As for playing such petty tricks, Fu would never do that. Even if Fu wanted to stay, why would Liu Congyi collude with him! The stories contradict each other. I urge Your Majesty to question both sides openly. If Xiao Fu had made some request, Liu Congyi could not have hidden it! If Liu Congyi was the one equivocating, Xiao Fu should not be suspected. Why should Your Majesty shrink from clearing the matter up and instead brood over it like this! Clarity dispels confusion; inquiry dispels injustice. Nothing breeds confusion like deceit met without clarity; nothing wounds like suspicion met without a hearing. That is how truth and falsehood mingle and loyalty and treachery become impossible to tell apart. This is the very hinge of how a ruler governs his subjects — I urge Your Majesty to heed it." "In the end the emperor never held the inquiry at all.
53
使 使使使使
On the day xinmao, Wang Wujun was appointed military governor of Heng, Ji, Shen, and Zhao. On renchen, Li Baozhen and Zhang Xiaozhong were both made co-directors of the Secretariat. On the day bingshen, Tian Yue was appointed acting Right Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat. Fan Ze, campaign chief of staff of Shannan East, became military governor of that circuit. Kang Rizhi, former observation commissioner of Shen and Zhao, became prefect of Tong and military governor of the Fengcheng Army. Li Na, prefect of Cao, became prefect of Yan and military governor of Pinglu.
54
使
On the day wuxu, Liu Qia was appointed deputy overall commander of Bian, Hua, Song, and Bo and given charge of overall command. Li Mian transferred all his troops to him.
55
On the day xinchou, each of the Six Armies received an army commander of third rank, to honor the meritorious.
56
使
Shang Jiezan of Tibet offered to send troops to help the Tang recover the capital. On the day gengzi, Cui Hanheng, Director of the Palace Library, was sent as envoy to Tibet to mobilize its army.
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