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卷233 唐紀四十九

Volume 233 Tang Records 49

Chapter 233 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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1
233
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 233
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[Tang Records 49] From the eighth month of Qiangwu E through Chongguang Xiejia—four years and change in all.
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Emperor Dezong, the Divine Martial and Sage Literary Emperor—Zhenyuan year 3 ( dingmao, AD 787)
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In the eighth month, on the xinsi new moon, a solar eclipse occurred.
5
使
Tibet's Shang Jiezan dispatched five riders to return Cui Hanheng and submitted a memorial requesting peace. “At Panyuan, Li Guan told them that an edict forbade receiving Tibetan envoys; he took their memorial but turned the envoys away.”
6
使
Earlier, when Liu Hun and Zhang Yanshang both served as chancellors, Hun often disagreed with Zhang in deliberations. Zhang sent a confidant to say, "Your Excellency's established merit would keep you in high office longer if you spoke more sparingly in court." Liu Hun replied, "Tell Lord Zhang for me: Liu Hun's head may be severed, but his tongue will not be stilled!" From that point they became bitter enemies. The emperor prized refined, restrained speech, but Hun was blunt and casual, lacking courtly dignity, and sometimes used colloquial language in his presence. Displeased, the emperor wanted to demote Hun to chief administrator of a princely household. Li Bi said, "Hun is merely narrow and blunt—there is nothing else against him. By precedent, no dismissed chancellor had ever been assigned as a princely chief administrator." The emperor then proposed making him a prince's tutor; Bi asked instead for attendant cavalier. The emperor said, "If I can remove him from office, anything will do." On jichou, Hun was removed from the chancellorship and appointed Left Attendant Cavalier at Large.
7
輿 使 使 使 使 使 使 殿 使 使
Earlier, the Princess of Guo State, a grand imperial aunt, had married Commandant of Cavalry Xiao Sheng. Sheng was a cousin of Emperor Dezong on the maternal line. The princess conducted herself loosely; Chamberlain Li Sheng, Acting Governor of Shu Xiao Ding, Secretary of Peng Li Wan, and Magistrate of Fengyang Wei Ke all frequented her mansion. Her daughter was crown princess; at first the emperor showed her great favor, and she often took a palanquin directly to the Eastern Palace. The imperial kin all resented her. Someone accused the princess of sexual misconduct and of practicing malign sorcery against the court. The emperor flew into a rage, confined the princess within the palace, and sharply rebuked the crown prince. The crown prince did not know how to answer and asked to divorce Consort Xiao. The emperor summoned Li Bi and told him, adding, "Prince Shu has lately come of age—filial, friendly, gentle, and benevolent." Bi said, "How can matters have come to this! Your Majesty has only one son. How can you suddenly doubt him, depose him, and set up a nephew? Would that not be a grave mistake?" The emperor flared up in anger. "How dare you drive a wedge between father and son! Who told you Prince Shu was a nephew?" He replied, "Your Majesty said so yourself. In the early Dali reign you told me, 'Today I have gained several sons.'" When I asked why, you said, 'The sons of Prince Zhaojing—the late emperor ordered me to treat them as my own sons.'" If you doubt even your own son, how much less should you trust a nephew! Prince Shu may be filial now, but from this day forward Your Majesty should not count on his filial devotion!" The emperor said, "Do you not care for your own family?" He replied, "It is precisely because I love my family that I dare not hold back. If I feared your wrath and flattered you, when you repented tomorrow you would blame me: 'I alone made you chancellor; you did not remonstrate forcefully and let matters come to this—you will kill your sons again.'" I am old; my remaining years are not worth sparing. But if my sons were killed unjustly and I had to adopt a nephew as heir, I do not know whether my sacrifices would be honored!" With that he sobbed and wept. The emperor wept as well. "Matters have already come to this—what can I do?" He replied, "This is a grave matter. I beg Your Majesty to weigh it carefully. I had thought your sage virtue would make even distant barbarians revere you as parents—who would have thought you would doubt your own son to this degree! I speak fully now and dare not avoid forbidden topics. From antiquity, whenever father and son doubted each other, state and family alike were destroyed. Does Your Majesty remember Pengyuan—why was Prince Jianning executed?" The emperor said, "Uncle Jianning was truly wronged. Suzong was hasty by nature, and the slander ran very deep!" Bi said, "Because of Jianning I once firmly declined office and swore never again to approach the throne. Alas, today I am again your chancellor and witness this affair once more. At Pengyuan I received favor beyond compare, yet I still did not dare speak of Jianning's injustice; only when taking leave did I speak of it, and Suzong too repented and wept. After Jianning's death the late emperor lived in constant dread; I also recited for him the 'Melon of Huangtai' poem to guard against the beginnings of slander." The emperor said, "I have always known that." His expression eased somewhat. "In Zhenguan and Kaiyuan they both replaced crown princes—why did the dynasty not perish?" He replied, "I was just about to speak of that. In the past Chengqian had repeatedly acted as regent; many attached themselves to him, and the Eastern Palace had a large force of armored soldiers. He plotted rebellion with Chancellor Hou Junji; when the affair was exposed, Taizong had his maternal uncle Zhangsun Wuji and dozens of court officials interrogate him until the facts were fully clear, and only then convened all officials to deliberate. Even then speakers still said, 'We hope Your Majesty will not cease to be a loving father and will let the crown prince live out his natural span.'" Taizong followed this counsel and also deposed Prince Wei Tai. Since Your Majesty already knows Suzong was hasty by nature and that Jianning was wronged, I cannot contain my rejoicing. I beg Your Majesty to learn from overturned carts, take three days at ease, trace the matter to its roots and reflect on it—Your Majesty will surely be relieved to know the crown prince has no other intent. If there truly are traces of guilt, summon twenty great ministers who understand principle and right conduct, together with me, to interrogate those around him—there will surely be solid facts. I beg Your Majesty to act as in the Zhenguan precedent, also deposing Prince Shu and establishing the imperial grandson; then a hundred generations hence whoever holds the realm will still be Your Majesty's descendants. As for Kaiyuan, Consort Wu Huifei slandered Crown Prince Ying and his brothers until they were killed; throughout the realm there was wrongful indignation—this is what a hundred generations ought to take warning from. How can it be taken as a model! Moreover, Your Majesty once had the crown prince meet me at Penglai Pool so I might observe his bearing—he does not have the look of wasp eyes and jackal voice like the minister Shang. I only fear he errs on the side of excessive gentleness and benevolence. Again, since Zhenyuan the crown prince has constantly resided in the Shaoyang Courtyard beside the sleeping hall; he has never received outsiders or taken part in external affairs—how could there be a divergent plot! Slanderers are crafty in a hundred ways; even a handwritten letter like Jin's Prince Minhuai's, or hidden armor like Crown Prince Ying's, would still not be credible—how much less when the charge is merely that his wife's mother is guilty! Fortunately Your Majesty spoke to me; I dare pledge my clan that the crown prince surely knows nothing of plotting. Had men like Yang Su, Xu Jingzong, or Li Linfu received such an intent, they would already have fixed the succession for Prince Shu!" The emperor said, "My son and I owe our preservation to you. I entrust my descendants to you and will make your line wealthy generation after generation to repay your virtue—why speak such words!" On jiawu an edict declared Li Wan, for not knowing how to avoid the imperial clan, should be beaten to death; Li Sheng and the others, and the princess's five sons, were all exiled to Lingnan and distant prefectures.
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使 西 使
On wushen Tibet led Qiang and Hun forces against Long Prefecture, pitching camps in a chain several tens of li long; the capital was shaken with fear. In the ninth month, on dingmao, Shence general Shi Jizhang was sent to garrison Wugong, and Victorious Army commissioner Tang Liangchen to garrison Baili City. On dingsi Tibet raided Qianyang, Wushan, and Huating on a great scale; the old and weak they killed, some with hands cut off and eyes gouged out before being abandoned. They drove more than ten thousand able-bodied men west of Anhua Gorge to be apportioned among the Qiang and Hun, then told them, "You may face east and weep farewell to your native land." The multitude wept loudly; more than a thousand threw themselves into cliffs and ravines, dead or injured. Before long Tibet returned, besieging Long Prefecture; Prefect Han Qingmian and Shence deputy general Su Taiping led troops out by night and drove them off. The emperor said to Li Bi, "Each year circuit tributes together are worth five hundred thousand strings of cash; this year we have obtained only three hundred thousand. To speak of this—I know it is beneath imperial dignity, yet palace expenditures are quite insufficient." Bi said, "In antiquity the Son of Heaven did not seek wealth for himself. I now ask that one million strings be supplied to the palace each year, and I beg Your Majesty not to accept circuit tributes and to abolish requisition orders. If something is needed, issue an edict to levy tax by assessment, and do not let corrupt officials use the occasion to extort and strip the people." The emperor followed this counsel.
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祿 西 祿 祿使祿 使 退 使 祿 使
The Uighur Qaghan Heluogu repeatedly sought peace through marriage and also requested a marriage alliance. The emperor had not granted it. Frontier generals reported a shortage of horses and there were none to supply them. Li Bi said to the emperor, "If Your Majesty truly employs my plan, within several years horses will be a tenth of today's price." The emperor said, "For what reason?" He replied, "I beg Your Majesty to extend the utmost impartial heart, humble yourself and yield to others for the great plan of the altars of soil and grain—then I dare speak." The emperor said, "Why do you doubt yourself so!" He replied, "I wish Your Majesty to ally with the Uighurs in the north, connect with Yunnan in the south, and join with Dashi and Tianzhu in the west—thus Tibet will constrain itself, and horses will also be easy to obtain!" The emperor said, "The three states should be as you say; as for the Uighurs, it cannot be done." Bi said, "I knew all along Your Majesty would be thus, which is why I did not dare speak earlier. For the present plan, the Uighurs should come first; the three states can wait a little." The emperor said, "Only on the Uighurs—do not speak of it." Bi said, "I occupy the post of chancellor in name; whether affairs may proceed rests with Your Majesty—how can you not allow me to speak!" The emperor said, "In all your other words I heed you; as for making peace with the Uighurs, let that await my descendants; in my own lifetime it absolutely cannot be done!" Bi said, "Is it not because of the shame at Shazhou!" The emperor said, "It is so. Wei Shaohua and others suffered insult and died on my account—how could I forget! The realm has been beset with many hardships and I have had no leisure to repay it; peace is absolutely impossible. Do not speak of it again!" Bi said, "The one who harmed Shaohua was Qaghan Mouyu. When Your Majesty took the throne he raised troops and invaded; before he had left his own territory the present Qaghan Heluogu killed him. Thus the present qaghan has rendered merit to Your Majesty and ought to receive enfeoffment and reward—what grievance remains! Afterward Zhang Guangcheng killed Tudong and more than nine hundred others; Heluogu in the end did not dare kill the court's envoys—thus Heluogu was in fact without guilt." The emperor said, "If you hold peace with the Uighurs to be right, then am I in the wrong?" He replied, "I speak for the altars of soil and grain; if I bent to please and sought only to be accommodated, how could I face Suzong and Daizong in Heaven!" The emperor said, "Give me time to consider this." From then on, over more than fifteen further audiences, Li Bi never failed to raise the Uighurs—and the emperor still refused in the end. Li Bi said, "If Your Majesty will not permit alliance with the Uighurs through marriage, I ask leave to resign my post." The emperor said, "I am not refusing your counsel—I only wanted to argue the matter through with you. Why would you so quickly want to abandon me!" He replied, "If Your Majesty will hear me out on the merits of the case, that in itself is a blessing for the realm." The emperor said, "I would not hesitate to humble myself to make peace with them—but I cannot betray men like Shaohua." He replied, "As I see it, Shaohua and his associates failed you—it was not you who failed them." The emperor said, "How so?" He replied, "When the Uighur Ye Hu once led troops to help suppress An Qingxu, Suzong only had me feast and reward him at the marshal's headquarters—the Former Emperor never received him at all. Ye Hu repeatedly pressed me to come to his camp, but Suzong still refused to allow it. Only when the main army was about to set out did the Former Emperor meet him for the first time. The reason was that they are barbarian wolves who had marched deep into the heart of China—one had no choice but to guard against them to the utmost. When you were at Shazhou, still young, Shaohua and his associates failed to think it through: they sent the heir apparent of an empire straight into the Uighur camp without first settling the protocol for the meeting, letting the Uighurs indulge their arrogance—is that not Shaohua and his associates failing you? Death would not be enough to atone for it. Moreover, after the victory at Xiangji, Ye Hu wanted to march his troops into Chang'an; the Former Emperor bowed to him from before his horse to stop him, and Ye Hu then did not dare enter the city. More than a hundred thousand onlookers sighed and said, "The Prince of Guangping is truly a ruler for both Chinese and barbarians alike!" Thus what the Former Emperor yielded was little, and what he gained was much. Ye Hu was Mouyu's uncle. Mouyu held the title of qaghan himself and brought the entire nation's army to relieve the Central Plains in its crisis—so his spirit was proud and overbearing, and he dared demand proper ceremony from Your Majesty. Your Majesty, endowed by nature with divine martial prowess, did not yield to him. At that time I dare not speak of anything else—but if the qaghan had kept Your Majesty in camp, feasting for ten days, would the realm not have been chilled with dread! Yet where imperial majesty reached, even wolves were tamed: the qaghan's mother wrapped Your Majesty in sable furs, shouted down the attendants, and personally saw you mount your horse and ride home. Judging by the affair at Xiangji—is humbling oneself the right course? Or is refusing to humble oneself the right course? Did Your Majesty yield to Mouyu? Or did Mouyu yield to Your Majesty?" The emperor said to Li Sheng and Ma Sui, "They say old friends ought not meet again. I have long resented the Uighurs, but hearing Li Bi speak of Xiangji, I feel I was partly in the wrong. What do you two think?" They replied, "If it is truly as Li Bi says, then the Uighurs seem forgivable." The emperor said, "You two again will not side with me—what am I to do!" Li Bi said, "I believe the Uighurs are not worth resenting—it is the chancellors of recent times who deserve resentment. The present Uighur qaghan killed Mouyu, and his people have the merit of twice recovering the capital—what crime have they committed! Tibet rejoiced in our nation's disaster, seized thousands of li of territory in He and Long, and again marched on the capital, forcing the Former Emperor into exile at Shazhou—this is a feud that must be avenged for generations; moreover the Tibetan tsenpo still lives. The chancellors fail to make this distinction clear for Your Majesty, yet wish to ally with Tibet against the Uighurs—that is what deserves resentment." The emperor said, "I have been their enemy for years, and I have heard that Tibet broke the alliance by force. If I now seek peace with them, will they not reject me again and make us a laughingstock among the barbarians?" He replied, "Not at all. When I was at Pengyuan, the present qaghan was Hulun regional commander, and the present prime minister Baipodi both came in Ye Hu's train; I treated them with great personal warmth. When they hear that I have become chancellor and seek peace, how could they refuse again! I propose to write them a letter setting five terms: they shall call themselves subjects and Your Majesty's son; each embassy shall bring no more than two hundred men; branded tribute horses shall not exceed one thousand; and they may not take Chinese subjects or foreign merchants beyond the frontier. If they can keep all five terms, Your Majesty will surely grant the marriage alliance. "Thus your authority would reach the northern wilds and Tibet would be cowed on the flank—enough to satisfy what Your Majesty has long desired." The emperor said, "Since the Zhide era we have been brother-states; now suddenly to demand that they become subjects—will they agree to peace?" He replied, "They have long wanted alliance with China through marriage; their qaghan and prime minister have always trusted my word. If agreement is not reached at once, we need only send another letter." The emperor agreed.
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使 使 西西 使 西 西 使 殿 使 退
Before long the Uighur qaghan sent envoys with a memorial calling himself son and subject; on all five points Li Bi had stipulated, he obeyed without exception. The emperor was greatly pleased and said to Li Bi, "How is it that the Uighurs fear and obey you so completely!" He replied, "This is Your Majesty's awesome authority—what power had I in the matter!" The emperor said, "The Uighurs are reconciled—but how are we to win over Nanzhao, the Arabs, and India?" He replied, "With the Uighurs at peace, Tibet will no longer dare raid the frontier lightly. Next win over Nanzhao—that will cut off Tibet's right arm. Nanzhao has been China's subject since Han times; Yang Guozhong harassed them without cause until they rebelled. Under Tibet they suffer heavy levies and corvée, and not a day passes without their wishing to return as subjects of Tang. The Arabs are the strongest power in the Western Regions; from the Pamirs to the western sea their lands cover nearly half the world. Both they and India admire China and have been enemies of Tibet for generations—I therefore know they can be won over." On the guihai day, the court sent the Uighur envoy General Heque home, promising Princess Xian'an in marriage to the qaghan and returning fifty thousand bolts of silk as payment for horses. Tibet attacked Huating and Lianyun Fortress; both were taken. On the jiaxu day, Tibet drove off several thousand civilians from the two cities and tens of thousands of people and livestock from Bin and Jing, resettling them west of Danzheng Gorge. Jing Prefecture had relied on Lianyun as its forward outpost; once Lianyun fell, the west gate stayed shut and everything beyond it was enemy territory—the routes for firewood and foraging were cut off. Each harvest had to be protected by deployed troops; much time was lost, and they harvested only empty husks. Hence Jing Prefecture was chronically short of food. In winter, the tenth month, on the jiashen day, Tibet attacked Fengyi City; the vanguard reached Dayuan Plain, and Bining military commissioner Han Yougui drove them back. On the yiyou day, they attacked Changwu City again, and also rebuilt and garrisoned old Yuan Prefecture. The sorcerer-monk Li Ruanu declared, "I am of the imperial clan by birth; the gods of the mountains and rivers have commanded me to be Son of Heaven." He joined Palace Corps bowman-captain Han Qinxu and others in plotting rebellion. On the bingxu day, members of the plot informed on them; the emperor ordered them arrested and sent to the Inner Palace Service for interrogation. When Li Sheng heard of it, he suddenly threw himself to the ground and cried, "My clan is ruined!" Li Bi asked why; Li Sheng said, "I have just been slandered; I have more than a thousand kinsmen inside and outside the court—if even one of them is in their faction, not even my elder brother can save me." Li Bi then memorialized: "When a major case is opened, those implicated are always many; outside the court people are gripped with fear. I ask that the case be transferred to the Censorate for investigation." The emperor agreed. Qinxu was Han Yougui's son; he fled and reached Bin Prefecture. Yougui, who had gone out to encamp at Changwu City, had the acting prefect send him to the capital in chains. On the renchen day, Qinnu and eight others were cut in two at the waist; more than eight hundred northern army soldiers were executed for complicity, but no court ministers were implicated. Han Yougui relinquished his command and came to court to apologize; the emperor sent messengers to stop him, and his trust and appointment remained unchanged. Yougui also sent Qinxu's two sons to the capital in chains; the emperor pardoned them as well. Tibet did not raid because of the bitter cold, but grain supplies could not keep up. In the eleventh month, an edict ordered Hun Jian back to Hezhong, Li Yuanliang back to Hua Prefecture, and Liu Chang to take five thousand troops back to Bian Prefecture; the remaining autumn-defense troops withdrew to Fengxiang, Jingzhao, and other counties to live off local supplies. In the twelfth month, Han Yougui came to court for audience.
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西
From Xingyuan until this year, the harvest was the most abundant yet; rice sold for a hundred fifty cash per dou and millet for eighty; an edict ordered government grain purchases throughout the realm. On the gengchen day, the emperor hunted at Xindian, entered the home of a commoner named Zhao Guangqi, and asked, "Are the people happy?" He replied, "No, they are not." The emperor said, "This year the harvest has been quite good—why are they not happy?" He replied, "Imperial edicts are not trusted. It was declared before that apart from the two taxes there would be no other levies—yet extractions that are not taxes now almost exceed the taxes themselves. Later it was called government purchase of grain, but in fact grain was seized by force—not a single coin was ever paid. At first it was said purchased grain would be delivered at roadside stations; now it must be sent to the western expeditionary camp near the capital, often hundreds of li away—carts break down, oxen die, and families are ruined trying to comply. With misery like this, what happiness could there be! Whenever edicts come down promising relief, they are nothing but empty words! I fear the sage sovereign, deep within the palace, knows nothing of this!" The emperor ordered Zhao Guangqi's household tax obligations restored. Master Guang commented: How deeply Tang Dezong fails to awaken! From antiquity the great fear has been that the sovereign's grace is blocked and never reaches the people below, while the common people's grievances are pent up and never reach the ruler above; thus though the ruler is diligent in care above, the people below do not respond in kind; though the people groan in resentment below, the ruler above does not know—leading to separation, rebellion, and ruin. All of this stems from that blockage. Dezong happened through a hunting excursion to reach a commoner's home and met Guangqi, who dared speak frankly and reveal the people's hardships—this was a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity. He should have at once investigated officials who shelved edicts, cruelly abused the common people, wantonly increased levies, and embezzled public funds, along with courtiers who fawned on him and daily proclaimed the people's prosperity—and put them to death. Only then should he have purged his heart of old habits, renewed his policies entirely, set aside superficial display, abolish empty formalities, enforce commands strictly, cultivate good faith, distinguish truth from falsehood, loyal from treacherous, show compassion for the poor and distressed, and redress long-standing wrongs—then the enterprise of great peace could have been achieved. Instead of doing any of this, he merely restored Guangqi's household tax obligations. For a realm as vast as the four seas and a populace numbering in the millions—how could every person speak directly to the Son of Heaven, and every household have its levies restored! Li Bi, knowing that some of Li Ruanu's accomplices in the northern army had not yet acted, requested a general amnesty to reassure them.
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Emperor Dezong, the Divine Martial and Sage Literary Emperor—Zhenyuan year 4 ( wuchen, AD 788)
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In spring, the first month, on the gengxu new moon, a general amnesty was proclaimed; an edict fixed tax brackets for the two-tax system, to be reassessed every three years from this point forward.
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Li Bi memorialized that the salaries of capital officials were too low and requested that salaries be doubled for all ranks from the Three Preceptors downward. The emperor approved.
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使使 使使 西 使 忿 使
On the renshen day, Liu Chang, expeditionary military commissioner of Xuanwu, was appointed military commissioner of Jingyuan. On the jiaxu day, Li Yuanliang, military commissioner of Zhenguo, was appointed military commissioner of Longyou. Liu Chang and Li Yuanliang both had their soldiers farm the land; within a few years army rations were plentiful, and the Jing and Long regions grew somewhat stable. When Han Yougui went to the capital, the troops assumed he would never come back, and they gave him a very stingy farewell. When Yougui met the emperor, he spoke at length about how building Fengyi Fort could check the Tibetans. The emperor was pleased and sent him back to his post. Many in the army were anxious and afraid. Yougui resented chief adjutant Fan Xichao of Yuxiang, who had distinguished himself, won the soldiers' loyalty, and enjoyed a strong reputation; he hunted for a pretext to kill him. Xichao fled to Fengxiang. The emperor summoned him and assigned him to the Left Shence Army. Yougui led his troops to build Fengyi Fort, but after two sections of wall were raised it collapsed. In the second month, Yuan Youzhi brought two hundred thousand in cash and silk from Huainan to Chang'an, and Li Bi had all of it deposited in the Daying Treasury. Yet the emperor still made repeated requisitions, and ordered the various circuits not to inform the chief ministers. When Bi heard of this, he was deeply troubled but did not dare say anything. Master Guang commented: A true king treats the realm as his household, and all its wealth belongs to him. He gathers the realm's wealth to sustain its people—and he himself must surely share in that abundance. To hoard it instead as private treasure is the petty impulse of an ordinary man. The ancients said, "The poor need not be taught thrift." Great wealth is the very source from which extravagant desires spring. Li Bi sought to restrain Dezong's appetites while swelling his private coffers—but the richer the treasury, the stronger the desires become. When wealth cannot satisfy desire, how can demands fail to follow! That is like opening a door and then forbidding anyone to pass through! Though Dezong had many eccentric ways, Bi also failed as his minister because he pursued the wrong course. A man from Xianyang submitted a memorial: "I saw Bai Qi, and he told me to report: 'I wish to defend the western frontier for the state. In the first month the Tibetans will surely invade in force; I shall defeat them for the court and thereby win your trust.'" Soon afterward the Tibetans did invade, but border generals defeated them and kept them from penetrating deep into Tang territory. The emperor took this as proof and wanted to build a temple in the capital and posthumously grant Bai Qi the rank of Situ. Li Bi said, "I have heard that 'when a state is about to flourish, it listens to men. Yet now living generals have won victories while Your Majesty would honor Bai Qi instead—I fear the border commanders will lose heart! If a temple is built in the capital and grand prayers are offered there, word will spread everywhere and encourage shamanistic practices. There is already an old shrine at Duyou; please order the local officials to repair it. That would not draw undue attention. Besides, Bai Qi was merely a general of the Warring States period; granting him one of the Three Excellencies would be excessive. Minister of War would be enough.' The emperor laughed and said, "So even you begrudge Bai Qi an honorary title!" Bi replied, "Men and spirits are alike in this. If Your Majesty does not value the title, then the spirit will not regard it as an honor either." The emperor accepted his advice. Bi said he was growing old; serving as the sole chief minister had exhausted him, and since the emperor would not let him retire, he asked that another chief minister be appointed. The emperor said, "I know full well how hard you have worked, but I have not yet found the right person." The emperor then spoke at ease with Bi about the chief ministers since his accession. He said, "Lu Qi is loyal, upright, firm, and principled. People call him treacherous and wicked, but I do not see it that way at all." Bi said, "People say Lu Qi is treacherous and wicked, yet Your Majesty alone fails to see his treachery—that is precisely what makes him treacherous and wicked. If Your Majesty had seen it, would there ever have been the Jianzhong rebellion! Lu Qi killed Yang Yan over a private grudge, hounded Yan Zhenqing to his death, and provoked Li Huaiguang into rebellion. Thanks to Your Majesty's wisdom in banishing him, the people rejoiced at once and Heaven itself seemed to repent the disaster. Otherwise, how could the rebellion ever have been ended!" The emperor said, "Yang Yan treated me like a child. Whenever we discussed policy, he was pleased if I approved his memorial, but if I pressed him with questions he grew angry and threatened to resign. From his manner, he clearly thought me unworthy of real conversation. That is why I could not tolerate working with him—it had nothing to do with Lu Qi. As for the Jianzhong rebellion, a diviner had beforehand urged fortifying Fengtian—that was Heaven's decree, not something Lu Qi could have caused!" Bi said, "Others may speak of Heaven's decree, but the ruler and his minister must not. It is the ruler and his minister who shape destiny. If one appeals to fate, then rites, music, law, and government all become useless. King Zhou of Shang said, 'My life is ordained by Heaven!' That is why the Shang dynasty fell!" The emperor said, "I like to debate principles with my ministers. Cui Youfu was narrow-minded and impetuous; when I pressed him hard, he lost his composure. I often knew his weaknesses yet shielded him. Yang Yan's policy arguments often had merit, but his manner was coarse and arrogant. When challenged he would flare up in anger and forget the rites between ruler and minister. Every audience with him left me furious. After that, the others did not dare speak up again. Lu Qi was deferential; he never failed to do whatever I said. But he had no learning and could not debate with me, so I could never fully express what was on my mind." Bi replied, "Lu Qi never contradicted you—is that what a loyal minister does! For 'words to which no one may object'—that is what Confucius meant by 'one word can destroy a state'!" The emperor said, "Only you are different from those three. When I spoke rightly, you looked pleased; when I was wrong, you often looked troubled. Even when you spoke harsh truths, as you just did about King Zhou and the fall of a state, on reflection I see that you always speak before events unfold: follow your counsel and order prevails; ignore it and disaster follows. Your words may cut deep, yet your manner stays calm—nothing like Yang Yan's overbearing arrogance. When I pressed you in debate, your reasoning never broke, yet you had no desire to win. You simply drew out everything in my heart until I had no choice but to agree. That is why I am privately overjoyed to have you." Bi said, "Your Majesty has appointed many chief ministers—why discuss none of the others?" The emperor said, "None of them were true chief ministers, in my view. A true chief minister must be entrusted with governing the state. Take Niu Xianke and Chen Xilie under Xuanzong—can they be called chief ministers! When Suzong and Daizong employed you, you did not hold the title, yet you were a true chief minister. If holding the title of Grand Councilor alone makes one a chief minister, then Wang Wujun and men like him would all count as chief ministers." Liu Chang rebuilt Lianyun Fort.
16
殿 西
In summer, in the fourth month, on the yimwei day, the Left and Right She-sheng units of the Palace Guard were renamed the Shenwei Army. Together with the Left and Right Yulin, Longwu, Shenwu, and Shence armies, they were called the Ten Armies. The Shence Army was especially powerful, with many troops garrisoned west of the capital and detachments scattered across the capital region.
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使 使
Wu Shen, observation commissioner of Fujian, looked down on his troops as weak and drove them with harsh labor. The soldiers mutinied, killed more than ten of Shen's closest associates, and forced Shen to issue an order putting senior general Hao Jie in temporary command of the circuit. Hao Jie submitted a memorial asking to be punished. The emperor sent a palace envoy to grant a pardon and restore order.
18
使
On the yimwei day, Li Yuanliang, military commissioner of Longyou, rebuilt the old city of Liangyuan and established his headquarters there.
19
使 殿 使
Yi Muxun, king of Nanzhao, wished to submit to Tang rule but did not dare send his own envoy. He first sent three Eastern Man chieftains—Piao Pang, Ju Mengchong, and Ju Wuxing—to audience at court. In the fifth month, on the yimao day, the emperor feasted them in Linde Hall, gave them lavish gifts, conferred royal seals, and sent them home. On the xinwei day, Wu Cou, guest of the crown prince, was appointed observation commissioner of Fujian, and Wu Shen was demoted to prefect of Fuzhou.
20
退
More than thirty thousand Tibetan cavalry raided the prefectures of Jing, Bin, Ning, Qing, and Fu. Previously the Tibetans had usually invaded in autumn and winter and withdrew in spring, when plague often broke out. This time they captured Tang subjects, held their families hostage, and used them to guide their generals in a midsummer invasion. Every prefecture held behind its walls; none dared give battle. The Tibetans seized people and livestock by the tens of thousands and withdrew.
21
Yang Cheng of Xia County was renowned for learning and integrity and lived in seclusion north of Liugu Valley. Li Bi recommended him. In the sixth month he was summoned to court and appointed remonstrance and policy advisor.
22
使使使 滿 使使 使使 使
Because the Tibetans were raiding the frontier, Han Yougui personally garrisoned Ning Prefecture. He fell ill and asked to be relieved and allowed to return to court. In autumn, in the seventh month, on the gengxu day, Hun Jian was promoted to deputy commander of Binning. Left Golden Guard general Zhang Xianfu was appointed military commissioner of Binning, and Han Quanyi, army commissioner of Chenxu, was appointed expeditionary military commissioner of Changwu Fort. Before Zhang Xianfu arrived, on the night of the renzi day, Yougui left without telling his troops and rode swiftly back to the capital. Garrison soldiers led by Pei Man feared Zhang Xianfu's strictness. Seizing the moment when the circuit had no commander, on the guichou day they mutinied and declared, "If General Zhang is not chosen from our own army, we will refuse him. They then looted the city, surrounded army supervisor Yang Mingyi's residence, and forced him to memorialize requesting Fan Xichao as military commissioner. Chief adjutant Yang Zhaosheng had fled the city during the chaos. When he heard what was happening, he went back in and said, "Your request matches my own wishes exactly—I have come to congratulate you!" The mutineers gradually calmed down. Zhaosheng secretly plotted with the other generals. At dawn he assembled his troops, went to the mutineers, and said, "Your request has been denied. General Zhang has already reached Bin Prefecture. Mutiny is punishable by death, but we cannot kill you all—you should identify the ringleaders yourselves." He then executed more than two hundred men and led the troops out to welcome Zhang Xianfu. When the emperor heard that the troops wanted Fan Xichao, he was about to appoint him. Xichao declined, saying, "I came to court because I feared Yougui's persecution. If I go now to replace him, that will not deter ambition or settle restless troops." The emperor praised him and promoted him to prefect of Ning Prefecture to serve under Zhang Xianfu. When Yougui reached the capital, he was appointed commander of the Right Longwu Army. Tang Zhaochen, military commissioner of Zhenwu, failed to maintain proper scouting. On the jiwei day, the Xi and Shiwei raided Zhenwu, captured two palace envoys on a pacification mission, and carried off people and livestock in great numbers. Uyghur troops escorting the princess back were then stationed at Zhenwu. Zhaochen sent seven hundred horsemen together with several hundred Uyghur cavalry in pursuit, but Uyghur envoys were killed by the Xi and Shiwei. In the ninth month, on the gengshen day, the Tibetan general Shangzhi Dongxing raided Ning Prefecture. Zhang Xianfu attacked and drove him off. The Tibetans then raided Fu and Fang prefectures before withdrawing.
23
Yuan Youzhi audited extra-tax goods from all circuits and had them all remitted to the Ministry of Revenue. This became a permanent system, yielding more than a million strings of cash and hu of grain each year beyond regular taxes—a burden the people could not endure. “Officials from many circuits petitioned the emperor on their own account. When he grasped the situation, he issued an edict: whatever extra-tax goods had already been entered into government stores this year were to be sent to the capital; whatever had not yet been entered was to be returned entirely to the people. From the following year onward, the levy would be abolished altogether." With that, the people of the southeast were able to resume their livelihoods in peace.
24
祿祿婿 使 西 使 使 使 使 使 使 使
The Uyghur khagan Qapaghan, delighted that Tang had granted the marriage alliance, sent his younger sister Princess Qutluq Bilge, the wives of his ministers, the kingdom's chancellor, the Diexie governors, and more than a thousand persons of rank to welcome the imperial bride. Their language and ceremony were most respectful: 'Once we stood as brothers; now we are son-in-law and father-in-law — in effect, half a son. If the Tibetans bring trouble, the son shall remove the threat for his father-in-law!" They then reviled and humiliated the Tibetan envoys, severing relations with Tibet. In winter, in the tenth month, on the day wuzi, the Uyghurs arrived at Chang'an. The khagan again petitioned to change the name from Huihe to Huihu, and the request was granted. Tibet mobilized a hundred thousand men for a planned invasion of western Sichuan and also called up Yunnan forces. Yunnan was inwardly aligned with Tang but still dared not openly break with Tibet; it likewise raised tens of thousands of troops and encamped north of the Lu River. Knowing that Yunnan was still hesitating, Wei Gao wrote to its king affirming his sincerity in abandoning Tibet and returning to Tang, sealed the letter in a silver box, and had the Eastern Barbarians deliver it to the Tibetans. Tibet now grew suspicious of Yunnan and sent twenty thousand men to garrison Huichuan, blocking the road by which Yunnan could advance toward Shu. Enraged, Yunnan withdrew its army and returned home. Mutual suspicion and obstruction now arose between Yunnan and Tibet, and Yunnan's determination to rejoin Tang only hardened. Deprived of Yunnan's support, Tibet's military position began to weaken. Tibet had already launched its invasion, however, and now split its army: forty thousand to strike the Lianglin and Piao peoples, thirty thousand against the Eastern Barbarians, seven thousand against Qingxi Pass, and five thousand against Tongshan. Wei Gao sent Li Prefecture governor Wei Jin and others to combine with the Eastern Barbarians in defense and routed the Tibetans outside Qingxi Pass. On the day gengzi, Princess Xian'an received her investiture, and the Uyghur khagan was granted the title Longevity and Heavenly Kin Khagan. In the eleventh month, Guan Bo, Minister of Justice, was appointed envoy to escort Princess Xian'an and invest the Uyghur khagan. Stung by its recent defeat, Tibet again sent twenty thousand men against Qingxi Pass and ten thousand against the Eastern Barbarians. Wei Gao ordered Wei Jin to hold Yaichong Fort and supervise the various armies in repelling the attack. Xi's defense commissioner Liu Chaocai and others marched out of the pass and fought continuously from the day yimao through the day guihai, winning a crushing victory. Li Mi said to the emperor: 'Grain transport on the Jiang and Huai routes enters the Bian Canal from the Huai; Yongqiao is the vital choke point. That ground belongs to Xuzhou and lies next to Li Na's territory. Prefect Gao Mingying is young and inexperienced. If Li Na should ever again turn disloyal and seize Xuzhou, we would lose the Jiang and Huai — and with them the state's revenue. I ask that Zhang Jianfeng, regimental training commissioner of Shou, Lu, and Hao, be posted to Xuzhou, with Hao and Si detached and placed under his authority. Restore Lu and Shou to Huainan, and Ziqing will be kept in check while the transport lines stay open — the Jiang and Huai will be secure. Mingying is still young and untested and can be replaced now; summon him and appoint him a general of the Jinwu Guard. If someone else were to seize it, recovery would be impossible." The emperor accepted the proposal. Zhang Jianfeng was appointed military governor of Xu, Si, and Hao. Jianfeng governed with generosity and firm discipline alike; he showed no favoritism before the law. His men feared him and yet admired him. Cheng Rihua, military governor of Henghai, died; his son Huai zhi installed himself as acting governor.
25
Tibet repeatedly sent agents to entice and intimidate Yunnan.
26
The eighth year of Emperor Dezong's Zhenyuan reign ( jisi, 789 CE)
27
使 使 使 使
In spring, the second month, on the day dinghai, Wei Gao wrote to Nanzhao's Yi Muxun: 'The Uyghurs have repeatedly offered to join the Son of Heaven in destroying Tibet. If you do not decide quickly and the Uyghurs move first, the glory your house has won through generations will come to nothing. Yunnan has endured Tibet's humiliations for years. Fail to use the great power of the empire now to settle old scores and restore your honor, and you will regret it when it is too late." On the day wuxu, Cheng Huai zhi, acting governor of Henghai, was appointed observation commissioner of Cangzhou. Huai zhi asked that Jingcheng and Gonggao be carved out as Jing Prefecture and requested that the court appoint a prefect. The emperor said delightedly: 'Nothing like this has happened in thirty years! He then appointed outer-office official Xu Shen prefect of Jing. Li Mi, Vice Director of the Secretariat and Grand Councilor, repeatedly asked to be relieved of his post as chief minister. The emperor wanted to appoint Ban Hong, Vice Minister of Revenue. Mi said that while Hong was upright and capable, he was overly cautious and slow; he therefore recommended Dou Can as quick-witted and fit to oversee fiscal transport and the salt and iron monopolies concurrently. Dong Jin was upright and suited to the Secretariat. The emperor rejected both recommendations. Can was the great-grandson of Dou Yan and then served as Censor-in-Chief and concurrent Vice Minister of Revenue. Jin was Minister of Ceremonies. By then Mi was gravely ill and once more recommended the two men. On the day gengzi, Dong Jin was appointed Vice Director of the Secretariat, and Dou Can Vice Director of the Secretariat and Commissioner of Fiscal Transport; both were made Grand Councilors. Ban Hong was promoted to Minister and retained his post as Deputy Commissioner of Fiscal Transport. Can was hard, decisive, and cutting; he lacked scholarly training and trafficked in schemes. After each audience, when the other councilors withdrew, Can alone lingered behind on the pretext of fiscal business and in practice seized control of major policy. He placed relatives and allies in key posts to serve as his eyes and ears. Dong Jin held the title and nothing more. Jin, however, was grave and cautious by nature and never disclosed to others what he had said before the throne. When his sons and brothers asked him, he replied: 'Judge a chief minister by whether the realm is safe or in peril. The words exchanged before the emperor are not the measure of the man." In the third month, on the day jiachen, Li Mi died. Mi was a man of strategy, yet he loved to talk of immortals and marvels, and for that the world undervalued him.
28
使 使 使
Earlier the emperor, mindful of Li Huaiguang's past service, had wished to spare one of his sons, but all his sons and grandsons had already been put to death. On the day wuchen, an edict adopted Huaiguang's daughter's son Yan Baba as his heir, bestowed on him the name Li Chengxu, appointed him Army Adjutant of the Left Guard, granted a thousand strings of cash, and charged him with supporting Huaiguang's widow Lady Wang and maintaining the family sacrifices. In winter, the tenth month, Wei Gao sent his general Wang Youdao with troops to fight at Taideng Valley in Xi Prefecture alongside the Eastern Barbarians, the Lianglin tribes, and the Tibetan Qinghai and Lacheng circuit forces. He won a great victory, taking two thousand heads; countless men were hurled from cliffs or drowned; and the enemy's great cavalry commander Qizang Zhezhe was killed. Qizang Zhezhe had been the enemy's boldest commander; after his death, every fortress and stockade Wei Gao attacked fell. Within a few years he had fully recovered the territory of Xi Prefecture. Zhang Xiaozhong, military governor of Yiding, mobilized troops, raided Yu Prefecture, and drove off people and livestock. An imperial rebuke was sent; after ten days he returned to his post.
29
使
Qiong Prefecture had fallen to mountain bandits since the Qianfeng period; now Lingnan military governor Li Fu sent judge Jiang Mengjing and Ya Prefecture governor Zhang Shaoqian to attack and retake it.
30
祿 西 祿 祿
In the twelfth month, on the day gengwu, news arrived that the Uyghur Longevity and Heavenly Kin Khagan had died. On the day wuyin, Guo Feng, Minister of Hospitality, was dispatched to invest the son as Dengli Luomei Mishijulu Zhongzhen Bilge Khagan. Previously, both Anxi and Beiting had depended on the Uyghurs for passage when reporting to court, and so remained allied with them. Beiting lay close to Uyghur territory; the Uyghurs' demands were never-ending, and more than six thousand Shatuo households were bound to Beiting. Once the Three Karluk tribes and the White-clad Turks had submitted to the Uyghurs, the Uyghurs repeatedly preyed on them. Tibet drew on the Karluk and White-clad peoples to attack Beiting, and the Uyghur great chancellor Bogu Qarakhuz marched to its relief. Yunnan had already wavered in its loyalty to Tibet, yet still dared not break openly with it. On the day renchen, Wei Gao again wrote to summon and persuade them.
31
The ninth year of Emperor Dezong's Zhenyuan reign ( gengwu, 790 CE)
32
使 使 西 使 使西 西紿 西西 祿西 使 使
In spring, an edict brought the Buddha's finger bone out from Wuyouwang Temple on Mount Qi into the palace, then sent it to temples throughout the capital for public veneration. The city poured forth to worship, and offerings amounted to vast sums. In the second month, on the day yihai, palace envoys were sent to return the relic to its original resting place. Earlier, after Zhu Tao's defeat at Bei Prefecture, his Di Prefecture governor Zhao Gao had surrendered the prefecture to Wang Wujun; later he fell out with Wujun, and when summoned he refused to come. Tian Xu was ruthless; his elder brother Chao served Li Na as prefect of Qi. Word spread that Li Na meant to bring Chao into Wei; Xu grew alarmed. Judge Sun Guangzuo and others devised a plan for Xu: they lavished bribes on Li Na and urged him to win Zhao Gao over and seize Di Prefecture as a gift, while also requesting that Chao be sent to the capital. Li Na agreed. On the day dingyou, Zhao Gao surrendered Di Prefecture to Li Na. In the third month, Wang Wujun sent his son Shizhen to attack but failed to retake the prefecture. The Uyghur Loyal and Chaste Khagan's younger brother murdered him and seized the throne. The great chancellor Bogu Qarakhuz was campaigning against Tibet in the west and had not returned. In summer, the fourth month, the secondary chancellor led the nation to kill the usurper and set the Loyal and Chaste Khagan's son Achuo on the throne; he was fifteen. In the fifth month, Wang Wujun encamped at Ji Prefecture intending to strike Zhao Gao; Gao fled with his followers to Yan Prefecture. Li Na sent troops to occupy it. Tian Xu sent Sun Guangzuo to Yan Prefecture with a forged edict placing Di Prefecture under Li Na. Enraged, Wang Wujun sent his son Shiqing against Bei Prefecture and seized Jingcheng and three other counties. Bogu Qarakhuz's battle with Tibet went badly, and Tibet pressed hard against Beiting. Beiting's people, exhausted by Uyghur exactions, joined Shatuo chieftain Zhuye Jinzhong in surrendering to Tibet. Military governor Yang Xigu fled to Xi Prefecture with two thousand men. In the sixth month, Bogu Qarakhuz returned home with his army. Fearing he might overturn the succession, the secondary chancellor and the khagan went out to meet him in the suburbs, prostrated themselves, and confessed that they had enthroned the boy without authority: 'Today our lives are entirely in the great chancellor's hands. They then displayed in full the imperial credentials and gifts Guo Feng had brought and presented them all to him. The khagan bowed and wept: 'I am young and foolish; if I am fortunate enough to reign, I shall depend on Father Aduo for my very livelihood and will not presume to meddle in affairs of state. Among the Uyghurs, 'aduo' means father. Moved by such abasement, Bogu Qarakhuz held him and wept, then took the posture of a subject; he distributed all the gifts among his followers and kept nothing for himself. The realm gradually regained its calm. That autumn Bogu Qarakhuz raised the whole nation's army, tens of thousands strong, called on Yang Xigu, and marched to retake Beiting; Tibet defeated him again, and more than half his force perished. Xigu gathered the few hundred survivors and prepared to return to Xi Prefecture. Bogu Qarakhuz deceived him: 'Come first to my camp; I will then send you back to court. Once there, he held him and refused to let him go; in the end he had him killed. Anxi was thus severed from the empire, and no one knew whether it still stood; Xi Prefecture alone remained loyally held for Tang. The Karluks, pressing their advantage, seized the Uyghurs' Futuchuan. Terrified, the Uyghurs shifted all their northwestern tribes south of the royal camp to escape them. They dispatched Tabo Tegin Meilu to accompany Guo Feng, announcing the Loyal and Chaste Khagan's death and seeking a new investiture from Tang. Previously, when Uyghur envoys arrived in China, they carried themselves with arrogant insolence, and prefects treated them as equals in ceremony. When Meilu reached Feng Prefecture, Prefect Li Jinglve resolved to break his arrogance with sheer force of bearing. He told Meilu, 'I hear your khagan has just died; I wish to offer my condolences. Jinglve seated himself first on a raised platform. Meilu bowed low and stepped forward to weep. Jinglve patted him and said, 'Your khagan has departed this life; let me mourn with you. Meilu's haughty bearing and fierce temper drained away entirely. After that, every Uyghur envoy who arrived bowed to Jinglve in the courtyard. His name for stern authority spread far beyond the passes. In the tenth month of winter, on the day xinhai, Guo Feng at last returned from the Uyghur court. In the eleventh month, on the day gengwu, the Emperor performed the sacrifice at the Round Mound.
33
The Emperor repeatedly ordered Li Na to return Di Prefecture to Wang Wujun, but Na evaded the command by every possible excuse and asked the court to swap it for Hai Prefecture instead. The Emperor refused. Na then asked that Wang Wujun first return four counties to Tian Xu; the Emperor agreed. In the twelfth month, Na at last surrendered Di Prefecture to Wujun. Eighth year of Zhenyuan, reign of Emperor Dezong, the Divine Martial Sagely Cultured Sovereign ( xinwei, AD 791)
34
In the first month of spring, on the day jisi, the Prince of Xiang, Huang, died.
35
In the second month, on the day guimao, the court sent Assistant Director of the Court of Diplomatic Reception Yu Ting to invest the Uyghur Fengcheng Khagan.
36
使 忿 使
On the day wuxu, an edict ordered Jingyuan Military Governor Liu Chang to rebuild the old city of Pingliang and seal the mouth of Danzheng Gorge. The work was finished in twelve days, and garrisons were posted throughout. Chang also built Chaogu Fort. On the day jiazi, an edict named the fort Zhangxin, and Jingyuan gradually grew secure. When the Emperor first returned to Chang'an, he rewarded the Shence and other armies for their service in guarding and escorting him by granting them all the title of Meritorious Ministers Who Accompanied Him at Xingyuan and Quelled the Crisis at Fengtian. Officials were appointed to lead them, and they received lavish care and favor. The imperial guard, emboldened by imperial favor, grew arrogant and violent. They preyed on common people, trampled prefectural and county offices, reviled officials, and even tore up official documents. If a prefectural or county official, unable to contain his rage, punished a guardsman, that official would be flogged by morning and exiled ten thousand li by evening. Though upright and stern men still held office in the prefectures and counties, none could do his job. Wealthy merchants often bribed their way onto military rolls, and once enrolled they were beyond the reach of prefectural and county authority. On the day xinsi, an edict declared that lawsuits between officers and men of the Shenwei and Six Armies and common people were to be handled by prefectures and counties; minor cases were to be reported to the soldier's own army, major ones to the throne. If soldiers bullied prefectural or county offices, they were to be detained pending report, and the Censorate was to investigate. Any county clerk who dared beat or humiliate a soldier was to be demoted and exiled without exception. On the day guimao, Yiding Military Governor Zhang Xiaozhong died.
37
Protector-General of Annan Gao Zhengping imposed crushing taxes and levies. In the fourth month of summer, tribal chiefs led by Du Yinghan rose in arms and besieged the Protector-General's headquarters. Zhengping died of grief. When the tribes heard of his death, they all submitted. In the fifth month, on the day xinsi, the Rouyuan Army was established in Annan. The Prince of Duan, Yu, died.
38
使使
For years Wei Gao had sent letters seeking to win over the King of Nanzhao, Yimouxun, yet never received an answer. Yet whenever Tibet called on Nanzhao for troops, Nanzhao sent fewer and fewer men. Gao knew Yimouxun's heart leaned toward Tang. Suppression and Attack Deputy Commissioner Duan Zhongyi had once served as an envoy of Geluofeng. In the sixth month, on the day bingshen, Gao sent Zhongyi back to Nanzhao with a letter urging and instructing Yimouxun. In the seventh month of autumn, on the day wuyin, Zhang Shengyun, Prefect of Ding Prefecture, was appointed acting military governor of Yiwu.
39
On the day gengchen, Zhao Chang, Prefect of Qian Prefecture, was appointed Protector-General of Annan, and the tribes were pacified.
40
In the eighth month, on the day bingwu, Hanlin Academician Lu Zhi was appointed Vice Minister of War, and all his other offices were stripped away. Dou Can had engineered this out of hatred for him.
41
使 使 使 使 使
Tibet attacked Ling Prefecture, was defeated by the Uyghurs, and fled under cover of night. In the ninth month, the Uyghurs sent envoys to present captives to the court. In the twelfth month of winter, on the day jiawu, they again sent envoys to present the captured Tibetan chieftain Shang Jiexin. Fujian Observation Commissioner Wu Cou was widely praised for his governance, but Dou Can slandered him out of private spite and claimed he suffered from paralysis. The Emperor summoned Cou to the capital and had him walk so he could see for himself. Realizing Dou Can had lied, the Emperor began to turn against Can. On the day dingyou, Cou was appointed Shaan-Guo Observation Commissioner, replacing Li Yi, a member of Dou Can's faction. The Prince of Mu, Shu, died.
42
使使 紿使 使
When Tibet learned that Wei Gao's envoy was in Nanzhao, it sent an envoy to rebuke the Nanzhao court. King Yimouxun of Nanzhao deceived them, saying, 'The Tang envoy is one of our own people. Gao simply let him come home. There is no other scheme. Then he seized the envoy and handed him over to Tibet. Tibet repeatedly took the sons of Nanzhao ministers as hostages, and Nanzhao's resentment deepened. Wudeng chieftain Jumengchong secretly colluded with Tibet, stirred up the tribal peoples, and blocked Nanzhao's envoys. Wei Gao dispatched Three-Tribes Commander Su Wei to lead troops to Pipa River.
43
CATEGORY:
CATEGORY: Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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