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卷241 唐紀五十七

Volume 241 Tang Records 57

Chapter 241 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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1
241
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 241
2
[Tang Records 57] From the second month of the year Tuwé Dàyuānxiàn through the sixth month of Chongguāng Chìfèiruò—two years and a fraction in all.
3
In the fourteenth year of Yuanhe ( the year jihai, corresponding to 819 CE)
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使使 使便 使使 使 使使使 使 使 使 使 使 使使 使 使 使 使 使 使 使 使
In the second month, Li Ting struck at Haizhou and took Donghai, Qushan, Huairen, and the other counties there. At Yizhou, Li Su routed the Pinglu forces and seized Cheng County. Learning that imperial troops were closing in, Li Shidao pressed the people into digging Yanzhou's moat and strengthening its defenses—even women were put to work—and fear and resentment spread through the city. Liu Wu, commander of all military affairs and grandson of Liu Zhengchen, was ordered by Shidao to hold Yanggu with more than ten thousand men against the imperial forces. Wu made a point of treating his men generously and letting them have their way, and the troops nicknamed him Father Liu. When Tian Hongzheng crossed the river, Wu's troops were caught unprepared and lost battle after battle. Someone warned Shidao, "Liu Wu ignores military discipline and courts the men's loyalty—he may have other plans. You should move against him while you still can." Shidao called Wu in to consult on affairs, planning to kill him. Another adviser objected: "Imperial forces are closing in from every side, and Wu has given no sign of disloyalty. Kill him on one man's word, and who among the generals will still fight for you? You would only be tearing out your own claws and fangs." Shidao detained Wu for ten days, then sent him back with generous gifts of gold and silk to put him at ease. Wu saw through the ploy; back in camp he quietly made ready. With Wu still in the field, Shidao appointed his son Congjian as a separate memorialist at the Secretariat. Congjian spent his days carousing with Shidao's household staff and picked up much of their scheming, which he relayed to his father in secret reports. Again someone urged Shidao, "Liu Wu will be trouble in the end—better cut him down now." On bingchen, Shidao secretly sent two envoys in succession with sealed orders to Zhang Xuan, deputy commander of the expeditionary forces, instructing him to cut off Wu's head and present it, and to assume interim command of the camp. Wu was then feasting under an awning on a hilltop, two or three li from camp. The two envoys reached camp and quietly handed the sealed order to Xuan. Xuan had always been friendly with Wu; he feigned agreement with the envoys and said, "Wu has been on his guard ever since he came back from headquarters—we cannot rush this. Let me go ahead and tell him that the Commissioner has sent envoys to inquire after the men and bring gifts, and ask the commander to return at once to hear the message with us. That way he will not suspect anything, and we can strike." The envoys agreed. Xuan hid the order in his robe, ran to Wu, dismissed everyone else, and showed it to him. Wu secretly sent men ahead to seize and kill the two envoys. Dusk was falling; Wu rode slowly back to camp, took his seat in the tent, and posted a heavy guard. He summoned the generals and said harshly, "You and I have risked death to hold off the imperial army—we have done the Commissioner no wrong. Now he believes slander and has sent men to take my head. When I die, you will be next. The Son of Heaven wants only the Commissioner punished. Our position grows worse every day—why follow him to the destruction of our families! I propose we furl our banners, arm ourselves, and march back into Yanzhou to obey the Son of Heaven—not merely to escape ruin, but to win wealth and honor. What do you say?" Military commissioner Zhao Chuiji stood at the front of the crowd; after a long silence he asked, "Can this really succeed?" Wu roared back, "Are you in league with the Commissioner!" He had him beheaded at once. He went down the line; anyone who hesitated or held back was killed, along with men the troops had long hated—more than thirty in all—until corpses lay piled before the tent. The rest shook with fear and cried, "We obey the commander—command us and we will die!" He told the men, "When we enter Yanzhou, each of you gets a hundred strings of cash—but stay away from the military treasury. The commissioner's mansion and the rebels' households are yours to plunder, and anyone with a score to settle may do so." The men ate their fill and took up arms; at midnight, when the third drum roll ended, they marched—gag-sticks in their mouths, horses' muzzles bound; anyone they met was seized, and no one knew they were coming. A few li from the city, before dawn, Wu halted and waited until the night watch on the walls fell silent; then he sent ten men ahead to announce that Commander Liu was entering the city on sealed orders." The gatekeepers asked to write a note to the commissioner first; the ten drew their blades, and the guards scattered. Wu brought up the main force behind them, and uproar shook the city. By the time he arrived, the outer city was wide open; only the inner citadel still resisted. They set fire and hacked through its gate. The citadel held only a few hundred men; a few still loosed arrows at first, but seeing they could not hold, they threw down their weapons. Wu led his troops up to the audience hall and sent men to seize Shidao. Shidao and his two sons were found hiding under a privy bench. Wu had them placed in the open ground outside the inner gate and sent word: "I am sending you back to the capital on a secret edict—but what face do you have left to show the Son of Heaven?" Shidao still hoped to live; his son Hongfang looked up and said, "It has come to this—a quick death is the best we can hope for!" Soon all three were beheaded. From morning through midday Wu sent the two chief military inspectors to patrol the streets and forbid looting, and the city settled at once. He assembled soldiers and civilians on the drill ground, rode among them in person, and reassured them. He executed more than twenty households that had supported Shidao's rebellion; the civil and military staff came in both fear and relief to congratulate him. When Wu saw Li Gongdu he took his hand and wept; he released Jia Zhiyan from prison and took him onto his staff. As Wu marched back from Yanggu toward Yanzhou, he had secretly told Tian Hongzheng of his plan: "When it succeeds, I will light beacon fires to let you know. If the city is prepared and we cannot get in, I ask you to bring your troops to help. When the day comes, everything is yours—I would not dare claim a thing!" He also had Hongzheng advance and occupy his camp. Hongzheng saw the beacons, knew the city had fallen, and sent envoys to congratulate him. Wu sent Shidao and his two sons' heads in a box to Hongzheng's camp; Hongzheng was overjoyed and issued a public bulletin to the court. All twelve prefectures of Zi, Qing, and the rest were pacified. When Hongzheng first received Shidao's head he doubted it was real and called in Xiahou Cheng to identify it. Cheng studied the face, wailed until he fainted, then embraced the head, licked the dust from its eyes, and wept again. Hongzheng's expression changed; he honored Cheng's loyalty and did not reproach him.
5
使 使
On renxu, Tian Hongzheng's victory report reached the capital. On yichou, Vice Minister of Revenue Yang Yuling was appointed pacification commissioner for Zi and Qing. On jisi, Li Shidao's head arrived at the capital in a box. For nearly sixty years since the Guangde era, more than thirty prefectures north and south of the Yellow River had lived under arrogant military commissioners who appointed their own officials and withheld tribute; now all submitted to the court's authority. The emperor ordered Yang Yuling to partition Li Shidao's domain. Yuling studied the registers, weighed distances, troop strengths, and storehouse stocks, and divided the territory into three balanced circuits: Yan, Cao, and Pu; Zi, Qing, Qi, Deng, and Lai; and Yan, Hai, Yi, and Mi. The emperor approved.
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使 使 使 西
Liu Wu recalled the original edict against Li Shidao: "Any subordinate who kills Shidao and surrenders with his troops shall receive all of Shidao's offices and ranks." He believed this meant all twelve prefectures were his; he appointed civil and military officers and replaced prefectural and county chiefs; and told his men, "Army administration will go on as before. From now on we need only hold our grandchildren—what is left to worry about?" The emperor wanted to move Wu to another post but feared he would not accept replacement and force another campaign; he secretly told Tian Hongzheng to watch him. Hongzheng sent envoys to Wu daily on the pretext of friendship, but in fact to watch what he did. Wu was powerfully built and loved wrestling; three days after taking Yanzhou he had his strongest men wrestle in the courtyard for the Weibo envoys, rolling his shoulders and leaving his seat to cheer them on. When Hongzheng heard this he laughed and said, "The moment he hears of his transfer he will leave—what trouble can he make?" On gengwu, Wu was appointed military commissioner of Yicheng. When Wu heard the appointment, his limbs went slack with shock. The next day he departed. Hongzheng had already advanced with troops from several circuits; two li west of the city he met Wu at a roadside pavilion. Wu took the insignia of command at once and rode hard for Huazhou, taking Li Gongdu, Li Cun, Guo Han, and Jia Zhiyan with him.
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使 使 使
Wu had long been friendly with Li Wenhui; after taking Yanzhou he sent for him, but Wenhui had not yet arrived. Learning that Wu was to be transferred, Guo Han and Li Cun plotted: "Wenhui is a sycophant who wrecked Zi-Qing, destroyed Commissioner Li's family, and is hated by everyone! If we do not kill him now, when Commissioner Tian comes and shows mercy, how will the Three Qi ever have their revenge!" They forged an order in Wu's name and sent men to wherever Wenhui was to bring back his head. The envoy met Wenhui at Fengqi Post and killed him. By the time they returned, Wu, Guo Han, and Li Cun were gone; there was no one left to report to. Wenhui's two sons—one fled, one died in prison—and looters took everything; his lands and house were confiscated.
8
使
An edict appointed Zhang Xuan, deputy commander of the Zi-Qing expedition, prefect of Rongzhou.
9
On guiyou, Tian Hongzheng was made honorary Grand Mentor and co–Grand Councilor of State.
10
For months before his fall, Li Shidao suspected treachery at every rustle of wind or flight of birds; he banned gatherings among kin and friends and casual talk in the streets, punishing offenders. Once Hongzheng entered Yanzhou he lifted every harsh restriction and let people enjoy themselves; for seven days and nights around Cold Food Festival no curfew was imposed. Someone urged caution: "The people of Yanzhou were our enemies for years; though the city is pacified, hearts are unsettled—we must stay on guard." Hongzheng replied, "The violent are gone; this is the time for mercy. Strict surveillance again would only replace one tyrant with another—what would we gain?"
11
簿
Earlier the rebels had repeatedly sent agents through the passes to cut down tomb halberds, burn storehouses, and shoot in letters meant to terrify the capital and hamper the imperial armies. Official supervision was severe—Tong Pass guards even searched travelers' bags—but the agents could never be stopped entirely. Once Tian Hongzheng entered Yanzhou he went through Li Shidao's ledgers and found rewards for Wang Shiyuan and others who had killed Wu Yuanheng, and for clerks and soldiers at Tong Pass and Pujin Ferry—proof that the men slipping through the passes had been bribed to let the rebels' agents through.
12
Pei Du compiled a record of the emperor's anxious planning since the Cai and Yan campaigns and presented it at a banquet, asking that the palace seal be applied so it could go to the historiographers. The emperor said, "That would make it look as if it came from my own mind, which is not what I want." He refused.
13
使 使使 使使
In the third month, on wuzi, Ma Zong, governor of Huazhou, was made military commissioner of Yan, Cao, Pu, and the other prefectures. On jichou, Xue Ping of Yicheng was made military commissioner of Pinglu and observation commissioner over Zi, Qing, Qi, Deng, Lai, and the rest. Wang Sui, supply officer of the Zi-Qing expedition, was made observation commissioner of Yi, Hai, Yan, Mi, and the rest.
14
使 使 使 使
Wu Chongyin, commissioner of Heng-hai, wrote: "Hebei commissioners defied the court for sixty years because every county had garrison generals who seized power from prefects and magistrates and ruled as they pleased. Had prefects been allowed to govern, even men as bold as An Lushan and Shi Siming could not have raised a single prefecture in revolt. In De, Di, and Jing under my command I have already restored each prefect to his full duties and put all local troops under prefect command." In the fourth month of summer, on bingyin, an edict directed that all troops in subordinate prefectures under circuit commissioners, regimental training commissioners, defense commissioners, and frontier commissioners were to be led by the prefects. Since the Zhide era military commissioners had grown overpowerful; every prefecture under them kept garrison troops commanded by senior generals who bullied the people—hence Chongyin's argument. Afterward, of all the Hebei garrisons, only Heng-hai stayed most loyal to the court—because Chongyin and his colleagues governed it well.
15
On xinwei, Cheng Yi, vice minister of works and chief minister, died.
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使
While Pei Du was chief minister he held nothing back when he knew the court should hear it; Huangfu Bo's faction worked quietly to force him out. On bingzi, Pei Du was ordered to serve as vice director of the Secretariat and chief minister while taking command as military commissioner of Hedong. Huangfu Bo won favor by squeezing the people dry, and no one dared object—only Remonstrance Counselor Wu Ruheng memorialized the throne against him. Bo complained to the emperor, who said, "Are you saying this because Ruheng memorialized against you—you want revenge?" Bo said no more. Ruheng was Wu Yuanheng's paternal cousin.
17
Academician Li Ao submitted a memorial arguing that "martial force ends calamity and disorder; civil virtue brings great peace. Your Majesty has already pacified the realm by force of arms; if you would now root out abuses and restore the institutions of Gaozu and Taizong, employ loyal men without suspicion and keep the wicked and flattering at arm's length; revise the tax laws to collect cloth and silk rather than pressing for cash; end tribute presentations and lighten the people's rents and levies; strengthen frontier garrisons to check barbarian raids; consult ad hoc policy advisers often to pierce obstruction and blind spots; these six are the roots of government and the foundation on which great peace is built. Your Majesty has already done what is hard—why not do what is easy? With Your Majesty's heaven-sent wisdom, if you are not misled by the flattery of nearby favorites and instead entrust blunt, upright men to help launch great reform, it can be achieved without great strain. If these things are not done, I fear that after this great victory indulgence will come easily. Those who advise you will say, 'The realm is at peace now; Your Majesty may rest easy.' If that happens, great peace will never come!"
18
使
In autumn, on the first day of the seventh month, Tian Hongzheng sent up sixteen men including Wang Shiyuan, who had killed Wu Yuanheng; the court ordered the Capital Prefecture and the Censorate to interrogate them thoroughly in the capital, and all confessed. Capital Prefect Cui Yuanlue questioned them using Wu Yuanheng's descriptions of the assailants, but their accounts diverged widely. Yuanlue asked why; they answered, "Heng and Yan plotted together to send assassins against Yuanheng, but Shiyuan and the others arrived late; hearing that the Heng side had succeeded, they stole the credit, went back, and collected the reward. Now we judge the guilt equal and know we cannot escape death anyway, so we confess." The emperor did not wish to investigate further and had them all executed.
19
使
On wuyin, Han Hong, military commissioner of Xuanwu, came to court for the first time and was received with great honor. Hong presented three thousand horses, five thousand bolts of silk, thirty thousand assorted silks, and a thousand gold and silver vessels—yet Bian's treasuries and stables still held more than a million strings of cash, more than a million bolts of silk, seven thousand horses, and three million bushels of grain.
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On jichou, the officials offered the honorific title "Emperor of the Yuanhe era, sage in civil and divine in martial virtue, conforming to Heaven and responding to the Way," and a general amnesty was proclaimed.
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使 使 使
Wang Sui, commissioner of Yi, Hai, Yan, and Mi, had begun as a grain and revenue clerk; he was narrow and quick-tempered and lacked foresight. The army headquarters was newly established and morale unsettled; Sui governed through harsh severity alone—the clubs he used were far larger than usual, and whenever he cursed officers and men he called them "rebel bandits"; Moreover, in the height of summer he put soldiers to work building headquarters quarters and drove them with brutal urgency. Officers and men seethed with resentment. On xinmao, labor conscript Wang Bian and four companions bathed in the Yi River and secretly plotted rebellion, saying, "If we serve on labor and slip up we die; if we risk our lives and act we die too—isn't it better to die doing something? Tomorrow the commissioner will feast with the army supervisor and vice commissioner; the commanders will all be on leave and most of the guards will be resting—we can strike by surprise and succeed with certainty." The four agreed, and they pledged that if the plot succeeded Bian would be made acting commissioner. On renchen, while Sui was still feasting past midday, Bian and four others burst in, seized bows and blades before the guard quarters, and shot Vice Commissioner Zhang Dunshi dead. Sui and the army supervisor fled in panic; Bian seized Sui, denounced him for putting men to labor in fierce heat and for cruel punishments, and had him beheaded on the spot. Word went out not to alarm the army supervisor; Bian at once styled himself acting commissioner, took the hall to issue orders, treated the army supervisor as an equal, and summoned officers and clerks to congratulate him—none dared refuse. The army supervisor reported the whole affair to the court.
22
西 使
On jiawu, Han Hong again presented two hundred fifty thousand bolts of silk, thirty thousand bolts of coarse silk, and two hundred seventy silver vessels. The left and right palace army commissioners each presented ten thousand strings of cash. Since the Huai-Xi campaign, the Finance Commission, Salt and Iron Bureau, and regions everywhere competed in presenting tribute, calling it "aid to the army"; when the rebels were pacified they presented again, calling it "congratulatory gifts"; later they presented again, calling it "aid for rewards"; when the emperor received his honorific title they presented again, likewise calling it "congratulatory gifts." On dingyou, Linghu Chu, military commissioner of Heyang, was made vice director of the Secretariat and chief minister. Chu and Huangfu Bo had passed the jinshi examination in the same year; Bo brought him in as chief minister.
23
使
When the court heard of the mutiny at Yizhou, on jiachen Cao Hua, prefect of Di, was appointed commissioner of Yi, Hai, Yan, and Mi.
24
使 使
Han Hong repeatedly memorialized asking to remain in the capital. In the eighth month, on jiyou, Hong was made Situ in perpetuity and concurrently director of the Secretariat. On guichou, Zhang Hongjing, minister of civil personnel and chief minister, was made military commissioner of Xuanwu. Hongjing was the son of a chief minister; from youth he had a fine reputation, and in court he was brief and restrained. Hedong and Xuanwu both lacked commanders; the court sent men of long-standing rank and prestige to take command. Hongjing succeeded Wang E's hoarding and Han Hong's harsh rule; both garrisons welcomed his integrity, restraint, and generosity, and all ranks settled into peace.
25
On jiwei, Tian Hongzheng came to court and was received with especial honor.
26
使使
On wuchen, Xi Shimei, military commissioner of Chen-Xu, died; Li Bo, vice director in the Ministry of Revenue, was sent as condolence envoy. Bo submitted a memorial: "Passing Weinan, I heard that Changyuan township once had four hundred households and now has barely a hundred; Minxiang county once had three thousand and now barely a thousand—the same pattern holds across other prefectures and counties. Tracing the cause, it all stems from shifting fugitive households' taxes onto their neighbors, driving whole communities to flee together—work of revenue-grinding ministers who strip the people to please their superiors, draining the pond without thinking there will be no fish left. I beg that an edict be issued to end the abuse of shifting fugitive-household taxes onto neighbors. Let fugitive households' property be used to pay what they owe, and where it is insufficient, grant exemptions. Within a few years, by my reckoning, the people would return to farming." When those in power saw it they took offense; Bo resigned citing illness and returned to the eastern capital.
27
On guiyou, Tibet raided Qingzhou and encamped at Fangqu.
28
使 使紿 使
The court debated sending troops against Wang Bian but feared Qing and Yan might incite one another into further revolts; instead Bian was appointed prefect of Kaizhou and a palace envoy was sent with his commission. The envoy deceived him, saying, "People should already be waiting along the road to Kaizhou; Acting Commissioner, you should set out at once." Bian left Yizhou that same day with more than a hundred escorts; once he entered Xuzhou territory his party was thinned at each stop and his followers gradually scattered; he was put in fetters and entered the pass riding a donkey. In the ninth month, on wuyin, he was cut in two at the waist in the eastern market. Earlier, Yan troops had been divided among three garrisons; when Wang Sui died, the court believed Li Shidao's remnant followers had not been subdued and ordered Cao Hua to bring Di prefecture troops to his post to suppress them. The Yizhou officers and men who came to welcome him were all soothed with kind words; he had them enter the city first and reassured the rest, and none suspected anything. On his third day in office Hua held a great feast for the officers and men, concealed a thousand armored soldiers beneath the tent, then assembled the crowd and said, "The Son of Heaven, because the Yan men have the hardship of relocation, has granted them special favor—they should take the places of honor on the right and Yi men on the left." When this was settled, he had all the Yi men leave, then closed the gates and said to the Yan men, "Commissioner Wang was appointed commander here by the Son of Heaven—how could officers and men rashly kill him!" Before he finished speaking, the hidden men emerged, surrounded them, and killed them—twelve hundred dead, not one escaped. A red mist more than ten feet high rose between the gate and screen and only after a long while dispersed.
29
殿 使
Commentator Sima Guang says: The Spring and Autumn Annals records that King Kang of Chu enticed Marquis Ban of Cai and killed him at Shen. They were feudal states. Confucius still condemned this deeply, hating enticement used in punishment—how much more when the Son of Heaven entices a common man! Wang Sui, with talents fit only for revenue-grubbing, was placed at the head of a newly formed command and brought on disorder through harsh cruelty. Wang Bian was a common fellow who seized an opening to rebel—had Yizhou's commander been the right man, killing him would have been easier than slaughtering a dog or pig—why use an imperial edict as bait to lure a man! Moreover, only five men rose in revolt—yet Cao Hua was allowed to set a trap and slaughter more than a thousand—is that not excessive! From this time forth, which soldier will not suspect his commander—and how are commanders to command their soldiers! Above and below will eye each other warily, like enemies under one roof; given an opening they will prey on one another—and only whoever strikes first wins; when will calamity and disorder ever be stilled! Alas! Emperor Xianzong suppressed rebellious pretenders and nearly achieved great order—yet his splendid enterprise did not reach completion because he was eager for quick success and did not uphold great trustworthiness.
30
使
On jiachen, Tian Hongzheng was also made palace attendant while remaining military commissioner of Weibo. Hongzheng three times memorialized asking to remain; the emperor refused. Hongzheng lived in constant fear that if he died, the Wei clansmen would still press their hereditary claims. So he saw to it that his brothers, sons, and nephews all held office under successive regimes, and the emperor raised every one of them to high rank. Official robes in vermillion and purple filled the court, and contemporaries regarded the family with envy.
31
祿
On yisi, the emperor asked his chancellor, "Emperor Xuanzong's reign began in good order and ended in chaos. Why was that?" Cui Qun answered, "When Xuanzong used men like Yao Chong, Song Jing, Lu Huaishan, Su Ting, Han Xiu, and Zhang Jiuling, the realm was well governed; when he turned to Yuwen Rong, Li Linfu, and Yang Guozhong, it fell into disorder. The choice of ministers, then, is no trifling matter. Most people date the collapse to An Lushan's rebellion in the fourteenth year of Tianbao, but I believe the turning point came in the twenty-fourth year of Kaiyuan, when Zhang Jiuling was removed from office and Li Linfu was given unchecked power. That was where good government gave way to ruin. If Your Majesty takes the early Kaiyuan years as your model and the late Tianbao years as your warning, the dynasty will know boundless good fortune." Huangfu Bo took this as a deep personal affront.
32
使使 使
In winter, the tenth month, on renxu, Rong Circuit reported that the An Nan rebel Yang Qing had overrun the protectorate headquarters and killed Protector-General Li Xianggu, his wife and children, his staff, and more than a thousand men of his command. Xianggu was Daogu's elder brother. His greed, self-indulgence, and cruelty had long since cost him the loyalty of those under him. Qing came from a long line of tribal chieftains. Xianggu brought him in as a staff officer, but Qing brooded over his thwarted ambitions. Xianggu sent Qing at the head of three thousand men to campaign against the Huangdong tribes. Qing turned the men's resentment to his own purpose, marched back by night, stormed the prefectural seat, and took it. The trouble had begun with the tribal bandit Huang Shaoqing, who had risen and fallen repeatedly since the Zhenyuan era. Pei Xingli, inspector of Guiguan, and Yang Min, commissioner of Rongguan, each hoped to seize a quick victory and competed to ask for a punitive expedition. The emperor consented. Kong Kui, military commissioner of Lingnan, remonstrated again and again: "These people are no better than beasts. One weighs one's own costs and benefits — there is no point arguing morality with them." The emperor would not hear of it. He raised a great army from the Yangzi and lake regions and sent it with the forces of Rong and Gui against the rebels. The troops were ravaged by miasma; the dead were beyond number. An Nan seized the moment and killed the protector-general. Xingli and Min won nothing for all their effort. The two circuits were left in ruins, while only Kong Kui's territory remained undisturbed.
33
On bingyin, Gui Zhongwu, prefect of Tangzhou, was named protector-general of An Nan. Yang Qing was pardoned and appointed prefect of Qiongzhou.
34
使
That same month, the Tibetan commander Lun Sanmo and his colleagues invested Yanzhou with a hundred and fifty thousand men, and the Tangut sent forces to support them. Prefect Li Wenyue defended the city with everything he had. For twenty-seven days the Tibetans could not break in. Shi Fengjing, an adjutant at Lingwu, proposed to Du Shuliang, military commissioner of Shuofang, that he be given three thousand men and thirty days' supplies to strike deep into Tibetan territory and break the siege of Yanzhou. Shuliang gave him twenty-five hundred men. Fengjing marched for more than ten days without a word. In Shuofang everyone assumed the whole force was lost. Then, without warning, Fengjing appeared by another route in the Tibetans' rear. They panicked and broke camp. Fengjing pressed the attack and routed them utterly. The slain were beyond counting. Fengjing, Ye Shiliangpu of Fengxiang, and Hao Qi of Jingyuan were all celebrated on the frontier for their bravery, and the Tibetans feared them.
35
使 使
When Liu Bi reached Taizhou he pressed officials and commoners into gathering herbs. After more than a year without success he grew frightened, and his whole household fled into the hills. The inspector of Zhedong had him seized and sent to the capital. Huangfu Bo and Li Daogu shielded him, and the emperor restored him to the Hanlin as an attendant awaiting edicts; The emperor took his elixirs and grew daily more irritable and feverishly thirsty.
36
“Pei Lin, attendant of records, submitted a memorial arguing that those who remove the world's ills share in its blessings, and those who share the world's joys partake of its good fortune. From the Yellow Emperor down to Kings Wen and Wu, long reigns and long lives had all rested on that principle. Since the previous year, alchemists had been recommended everywhere, each one bringing in others, and their numbers had steadily grown. Even if immortals truly existed, they would hide deep in the mountains and gorges and dread nothing so much as being found out. Men who haunt the doors of the powerful, trumpeting grand claims and dazzling crowds with strange tricks, are lawless profiteers. How can one believe their promises and swallow their drugs! Medicine exists to cure sickness; it is not food to be taken morning and night. Metal and mineral compounds are fiercely toxic to begin with, and when they are further refined by fire they are scarcely something the human body can bear. In antiquity, when a ruler took medicine, a minister tasted it first. I ask that anyone who offers an elixir be required to take it himself for a full year. Then truth and fraud would reveal themselves." The emperor was furious. In the eleventh month, on jihai, Pei Lin was demoted to magistrate of Jiangling.
37
使
When the ministers were debating an honorific title for the emperor, Huangfu Bo wanted to add the words "Filial Virtue." Cui Qun, vice director of the Secretariat and co-member of the Secretariat, objected: "To call him sage already implies filial piety." Bo whispered to the emperor that Qun begrudged him the words "Filial Virtue." The emperor was enraged. At the time Bo was distributing rewards to the frontier armies, but the men often received them late, and much of what arrived was rotten and useless. The soldiers were furious, and word spread that they meant to rebel. Li Guangyan was so distressed that he contemplated suicide. He sent a messenger to plead with the emperor, but the emperor refused to believe him. Alarm spread through the capital, and Qun laid out the mood of court and country in full to the emperor. Bo secretly told the emperor, "The frontier rewards follow the old rules, yet sentiment has turned so suddenly only because Qun is stirring it up. He means to parade his integrity and lay the blame on Your Majesty." The emperor believed him. In the twelfth month, on yimao, Qun was sent out as inspector of Hunan. From that day on, court and country alike seethed with hatred for Bo.
38
Wu Ruheng, a drafter in the Secretariat, was a man of principle who spoke his mind. The emperor prized him and treated him with exceptional favor, and everyone said he would soon join the chancellorship. Linghu Chu resented him and looked for a way to block his rise. He recommended Di Jianmo, a legal officer on the staff of the Shannan East Circuit, praising his talent and character. On guihai, Jianmo was promoted to left reminder with an inner palace appointment. Jianmo was a great-great-grandson of Di Renjie. Chu drafted the appointment edict himself, lavishing praise on how "the Empress Dowager usurped the throne and wicked ministers seized power, until Renjie protected Zhongzong and restored the rightful sovereign." Ruheng wept before the emperor and protested, adding, "My great-grandfather Pingyi, in the Empress Dowager's day, declined office and lived out his life in retirement." From that moment the emperor looked on Chu with contempt.
39
In the fifteenth year of Yuanhe ( the year gengzi, corresponding to 820 CE)
40
使
In spring, the first month, Cao Hua, inspector of the Yi, Hai, Yan, and Mi circuits, asked to move his headquarters to Yanzhou, and the request was granted.
41
使
Liu Wu, military commissioner of Yicheng, came to court.
42
殿 殿
Earlier, Tuhu Chengcui, director of the Left Army, had plotted to make Prince Li of Li crown prince, but the emperor had refused. When the emperor fell gravely ill, Chengcui's scheming had not ceased. The crown prince heard of it and was alarmed. He secretly sent a messenger to ask Guo Zhao, minister of revenue, what he should do. Zhao said, "Your Highness has only to remain filial and careful and wait. Do not trouble yourself over anything else." Zhao was the crown prince's uncle on his mother's side. The emperor was taking alchemical elixirs and grew ever more irritable and violent. The eunuchs around him were constantly punished, some even put to death, and everyone lived in fear. On gengzi he died suddenly in the Zhonghe Hall. Contemporaries widely believed that Inner Attendant Chen Hongzhi had murdered him. His accomplices covered it up, dared not pursue the killer, and said only that the elixir had taken effect. Outsiders had no way to know the truth.
43
Director Liang Shouqian, together with the eunuchs Ma Jintan, Liu Chengjie, Wei Yuansu, Wang Shoucheng, and others, enthroned the crown prince, killed Tuhu Chengcui and Prince Li of Li, and distributed rewards: fifty strings of cash to each soldier of the Left and Right Shence Armies, thirty to the Six Armies and Weiyuan, and fifteen to the Left and Right Jinwu.
44
殿 殿
In the intercalary month, on bingwu, Muzong took the throne in the east wing of the Taiji Hall. That same day he summoned the Hanlin academician Duan Wenchang and others, together with Xue Fang of the Bureau of Military Affairs and Ding Gongzhu of the Riding Office, for an audience in the Sizheng Hall. Fang was Rong's younger brother; Gongzhu was a native of Suzhou; both had served as tutors to the crown prince. Before the emperor had begun to hold court, Fang and Gongzhu attended him constantly in the inner palace and took part in confidential deliberations. The emperor wanted to make them chancellors, but both firmly refused.
45
西
On dingwei the mourning audiences at the Western Palace were suspended, and the ministers were assembled outside the Yuehua Gate. Huangfu Bo was demoted to revenue clerk of Yazhou, and people in the streets congratulated one another.
46
When the emperor discussed appointing chancellors, Linghu Chu recommended Xiao Mian, chief of the censorate. On xinhai, both Mian and Duan Wenchang were appointed vice directors of the Secretariat and co-members of the Secretariat. Chu, Mian, and Huangfu Bo had all passed the jinshi examination in the same year. The emperor wanted Bo executed, but Mian and the eunuchs intervened, and Bo was spared. On renzi, Liu Bi and the monk Datong were beaten to death. All the other alchemists were exiled beyond the mountains, and Li Daogu, general of the Left Jinwu, was demoted to military adjutant of Xunzhou.
47
On guichou, Xue Fang was appointed vice director of the Works Ministry and Ding Gongzhu was made chief remonstrance officer.
48
使 使
In the second month, on yimao, Noble Consort Guo was honored as empress dowager. The emperor ascended the Danfeng Gate tower and proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the realm. When the ceremony was over, he had singers, actors, and variety performers lavishly arrayed inside the gate and watched them perform. On dinghai the emperor visited the Left Shence Army to watch wrestling and variety performances. “On gengyin, Investigating Censor Yang Yuqing submitted a memorial arguing that the emperor ought to receive his ministers at length, question them thoroughly, and meet them with a gracious face, so that offering loyal counsel felt as natural as pursuing profit and discussing policy as urgent as pleading a grievance. If he did that and still failed to bring peace to the realm, it would be unprecedented.” Zhao Zhiwei of Hengshan also submitted a memorial remonstrating against the emperor's unrestrained hunting. The emperor could not bring himself to follow their advice, but he did not punish them. On renchen, Yong Circuit was abolished, and Yang Min, commissioner of Rongguan, was ordered to take charge of it as well.
49
使 使
When Protector-General Gui Zhongwu reached An Nan, Yang Qing closed the border and refused him entry. Qing ruled with cruel punishments, and his followers began to desert him. Zhongwu sent envoys to win over the tribal chieftains. Within a few months defectors came in one after another, and he gathered more than seven thousand troops. The court judged Zhongwu too slow to act. On jiawu, Pei Xingli, inspector of Guiguan, was appointed protector-general of An Nan. On yiwei, Du Shifang, minister of the imperial stud, was made inspector of Guiguan. On bingshen, Zhongwu was demoted to prefect of Anzhou.
50
Prince Dan Yu died.
51
The Tibetans raided Lingwu.
52
Near the end of Emperor Xianzong's reign, the Uyghurs sent Hegedagan to press a marriage alliance with unusual urgency, and Xianzong agreed. In the third month, on the first day of the cycle, guimao, Hegedagan was sent back to his country.
53
The emperor saw the calligraphy of Liu Gongquan, an aide on the staff of the Xiazhou inspector, and admired it. On xinyou, Gongquan was appointed right reminder and Hanlin calligraphy academician. The emperor asked Gongquan, "How is it that your writing can be so fine?" He answered, "The brush follows the heart; when the heart is true, the brush is true." The emperor fell silent, his face changing; he understood that Gongquan was remonstrating through his brush. Gongquan was the younger brother of Gongchuo.
54
On xinwei, Annan troops opened the city gates to Gui Zhongwu, seized Yang Qing, and put him to death. Pei Xingli reached Haimen and died there. Zhongwu was again appointed protector-general of Annan.
55
The Tibetans raided Yanzhou.
56
Earlier, Yuan Zhen, vice director of the Bureau of Provisioners, had served as a legal aide at Jiangling and was close to the army supervisor Cui Tanjun. When the emperor was still crown prince, he heard palace women reciting Zhen's songs and poems and admired them. After his accession, Tanjun returned to court and presented more than a hundred of Zhen's songs and poems. The emperor asked, "Where is Zhen?" The answer came: "He is now a supernumerary official." In summer, the fifth month, on gengxu, Zhen was appointed bureau director of the Ministry of Rites and put in charge of drafting edicts. Court opinion held him in contempt. Once, as colleagues were eating melon under the pavilion and flies gathered on it, Vice Minister Wu Ruheng fanned them away and said, "Where did you just come from, to swarm here so suddenly!" His colleagues all blanched, but Ruheng remained perfectly at ease.
57
On gengshen, the Divine Sacred Filial Martial Emperor was buried at Jing Mausoleum; his temple name was Xianzong.
58
使殿
In the sixth month, Cui Qun, governor of Hunan, was appointed vice minister of the Ministry of Personnel and summoned to audience in a separate hall. The emperor said, "When I was made heir apparent, I knew you were my ally." He answered, "The late emperor's choice had long rested on Your Sagacious Majesty—what credit can I claim!"
59
The empress dowager lived at Xingqing Palace; on each new and full moon, the emperor led the officials to the palace to offer birthday felicitations. The emperor was extravagant by nature, and his care for the empress dowager was especially sumptuous.
60
In autumn, the seventh month, on yisi, the Yuncao-Pu command was reorganized as the Tianping Army.
61
使 使
Vice Minister of the Chancellery and Chief Minister Linghu Chu was punished because, as overseer of the imperial mausoleum, his staff stole government goods and he failed to pay workers' wages, instead pocketing one hundred fifty thousand strings of cash as surplus to present to the throne; complaints of injustice filled the roads. On dingmao, he was dismissed and made governor of Xuan, She, and Chi.
62
In the eighth month, on guisi, two thousand Shence troops were sent to dredge the Yuzao Pool. On wuxu, Censor-in-Chief Cui Zhi was appointed Vice Minister of the Secretariat and Chief Minister. On jihai, Linghu Chu was demoted again to prefect of Hengzhou.
63
使
The emperor had barely completed the mourning period when he took up hunting, music, and pleasure, lavishing gifts without restraint. In the ninth month, he planned a grand banquet for the Double Ninth Festival. Remonstrance official Li Jue led his colleagues in submitting a memorial: "We note that the new year has not yet begun and the imperial tombs are still fresh; though Your Majesty has entered the month of reduced mourning and yielded to popular desire, the Book of Rites still prescribes three years of mourning, and the heart remains in mourning. The assembly at Tonggui has only just departed the capital, and envoys sent to announce the death to distant peoples have not yet returned. Relaxing the mourning restrictions was meant for the common people. To plan a grand feast in the inner palace—this truly cannot be done." The emperor refused to listen.
64
使使
On wuwu, Li Guangyan, military commissioner of Binning, and Li Su, military commissioner of Wuning, were both made chief ministers.
65
使 使 使
In winter, the tenth month, Wang Chengzong died; his subordinates concealed the death and did not announce mourning; his sons Zhigan and Zhixin were both at court; the generals wanted to choose a new commander from among the prefectures under their control. Staff officer Cui Sui, acting on orders from Chengzong's grandmother, the Lady of Liang State, announced to the generals and personal troops and installed Chengzong's younger brother Chengyuan, an administrative aide in the governor's office. Chengyuan was then twenty; the officers bowed to him, but he refused, weeping and bowing in return; the generals pressed him again and again. Chengyuan said, "The Son of Heaven has sent a palace envoy to supervise the army; when there is business, it should be discussed with him." When the army supervisor arrived, he too urged him to accept. Chengyuan said, "You gentlemen have not forgotten our forebear's virtue; though I am young, you wish me to administer military affairs—I ask to devote myself fully to the Son of Heaven and follow the will of the Loyal and Valiant Prince—will you consent?" The assembly assented. Chengyuan then took up duties in the chief general's hall, forbade those around him to call him acting commander, delegated affairs to his staff, and secretly memorialized asking the court to appoint a commander. On gengchen, the army supervisor reported that Chengzong was gravely ill and his brother Chengyuan was temporarily acting as commander, and forwarded Chengyuan's memorial.
66
The Tangut again led Tibetans to raid Jingzhou, their camps stretching for fifty li.
67
On xinsi, attendant recorder Bai Qi was dispatched to Zhenzhou to proclaim consolation.
68
輿 使 使
On renwu, the ministers entered the privy council hall. Remonstrance officials Zheng Tan, Cui Yan, and five others stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty's feasting and music are excessive, and your hunting knows no bounds. Barbarian raiders now press the borders; if an urgent report suddenly arrives, no one will know where the imperial carriage is. Moreover, morning and evening you are intimate with favorites, entertainers, and performers, bestowing rewards far too lavishly. Great stores of gold and silk are the flesh and blood of the people—they should not be given without merit. Though the inner treasury may have surplus, we beg Your Majesty to guard it carefully, so that if trouble arises in the four directions, officials need not again heavily levy the people." It had been long since anyone spoke on business in the privy council; the emperor was at first greatly surprised and said to the chief ministers, "Who are these people?" The answer was, "Remonstrance officials." The emperor then sent someone to comfort them, saying, "I shall follow your advice." The chief ministers all congratulated one another, but in fact the emperor could not act on the advice. Tan was the son of Xunyu. The emperor once said to Attendant-in-Ordinary Ding Gongzhu, "I hear that many people outside are feasting and making merry—this shows the times are harmonious and the people at peace, enough to be reassuring." Gongzhu replied, "This is not a good thing; I fear it will gradually burden Your Majesty with cares." The emperor asked, "Why?" He answered, "Since the Tianbao era, officials high and low have vied in pleasure outings, drowning in revelry day and night, mixing with singers and dancers, unashamed before those at their side. If this continues without end, every office will fall into neglect—can Your Majesty avoid bearing all the worry and toil alone! I beg that it be somewhat restrained—that would be fortune for all under heaven."
69
西 使 使
On guiwei, Jingzhou reported that Tibetans had advanced their camps to within thirty li of the city and urgently sought rescue. Right Inner Palace Commander Liang Shouqian was made overall supervisor of the Left and Right Shence western and northern expeditionary camps, leading four thousand troops, and the full armies of the eight garrisons were also mobilized to the rescue. The soldiers were given twenty thousand strings of cash for equipment. Shao Tong, chief administrator of the Prince of Tan's household, was appointed vice minister of the Court of the Imperial Treasury and concurrently censor-in-chief, serving as envoy to respond to Tibet's request for peace. Earlier, Vice Director of the Secretariat Tian Ji had entered Tibet as a mourning envoy; Tibet requested to ally with Tang below Changwu city; Ji feared Tibet would detain him and merely agreed evasively. Before long Tibet, led by the Tangut, invaded; they used this as a pretext, saying, "Tian Ji promised we could bring troops to the alliance." Ji was therefore demoted to registrar of Chenzhou.
70
使使使使 使
The Chengde army first reported that Wang Chengzong had died. On yiyou, Tian Hongzheng was transferred to military commissioner of Chengde; Wang Chengyuan was made military commissioner of Yicheng; Liu Wu was made military commissioner of Zhaoyi; and Li Su was made military commissioner of Weibo. Left Jinwu General Tian Bu was also appointed military commissioner of Heyang.
71
退 西 退
Hao Bi, prefect of Weizhou, sent troops to strike the Tibetan camp and killed a great many. Li Guangyan mobilized Binning troops to rescue Jingzhou. Binning soldiers, resentful that the Shence Army received rich rewards, all said angrily, "Those who get fifty strings apiece and don't know how to fight—who are they! Those who can't even get their regular clothing allowance yet rush ahead under naked blades—who are we!" The uproar could not be stopped. Guangyan personally expounded the greater principle to them, speaking through tears; only then were the soldiers moved and willing to march. When they were nearing Jingzhou, the Tibetans feared them and withdrew. On bingxu, the Shence expeditionary camp was disbanded. Sichuan reported that the Tibetans raided Yazhou. On xinmao, Yanzhou reported that Tibetans had camped at the Black and White Pools, but soon all withdrew.
72
使 使
In the eleventh month, on guimao, Remonstrance Official Zheng Tan was dispatched to Zhenzhou to proclaim consolation, and one million strings of cash were bestowed to reward the troops. After Wang Chengyuan had requested an imperial appointment, generals and neighboring circuits all urged him by precedent to resist, but Chengyuan would listen to none of them. When he was transferred to Yicheng, the officers clamored and refused to accept the order; Chengyuan and Bai Qi summoned the generals and explained the imperial decree, but the generals wailed and would not obey. Chengyuan distributed his family wealth among them, selected those who had served with merit and promoted them, and said, "You gentlemen, out of regard for our forebears, do not wish me to leave—this feeling is very deep. Yet if I defy the Son of Heaven's decree, the crime would be grave indeed. In the past, before Li Shidao's defeat, the court once pardoned his crimes; Shidao wished to go, but the generals forcibly kept him. Those who later killed Shidao were also the generals. If you do not make me into another Shidao, that would be fortunate." He wept uncontrollably as he spoke and bowed to them. More than ten officers including Colonel Li Ji forcibly tried to keep Chengyuan; Chengyuan had them executed as a warning, and only then was the army stabilized. On dingwei, Chengyuan departed for Huazhou. Officers and clerks wished to take Zhenzhou's utensils and goods with them; Chengyuan ordered everything left behind.
73
退 使
The emperor was about to visit Huaqing Palace; on wuwu, the chief ministers led the two secretariats' attendants to the Yanying Gate, thrice submitting urgent remonstrances, adding, "If it must be so, then we your servants must accompany you." They asked for an audience; the emperor refused to hear them. Remonstrating officials lay prostrate at the gate and did not withdraw until evening. On jiwei, before dawn, the emperor left the city by the secret pass and went to Huaqing Palace, accompanied only by princesses, imperial sons-in-law, the chief eunuch, the six Shence Army commanders, and a little over a thousand palace guards; he returned to the palace in the afternoon.
74
In the twelfth month, on the first day of jisi, Yanchou reported that more than a thousand Tibetans were besieging the Wu and Bai pools.
75
西
On gengchen, Xichuan reported that twenty thousand Nanzhao troops had crossed the border and asked to campaign against Tibet.
76
使 使 使
On guiwei, Rongguan reported defeating Huang Shaoqing's force of more than ten thousand and taking thirty-six stockades. Huang Shaoqing had long remained undefeated; Han Yu, Director of the Directorate of Education, submitted a memorial: "Last year I was banished to the south and came to know the Huang bandits well. They have no walled towns to live in; they cling to mountains and rivers, call themselves cave chiefs, ordinarily make their own living, and when pressed gather together for mutual protection. Lately the military commissioners of Yong and Rong circuits have too often been the wrong men: lacking virtue to win people over and authority to keep them in check, they mistreated and bound the natives until resentment boiled over. So they raided prefectures and counties and preyed on common people—sometimes to settle private scores, sometimes for petty gain; they might gather or scatter, but in the end could accomplish nothing lasting. The recent campaigns began with Pei Xingli and Yang Min—men without far-sighted plans who sought only glory and reward. Also, when the bandits had not yet massed, everyone took them for easy prey and vied to offer plans. Two years of campaigning have produced reports of more than twenty thousand killed or captured; if none of those figures were false, the bandits would already be gone. Yet the bandits remain as before—enough to show the court has been deceived. Yong and Rong circuits have been devastated—casualties, pestilence, nine houses in ten standing empty. If this goes on, I fear Lingnan will never know peace. Since the southern campaign began, the bandits too have suffered heavily; judging their mood, their weariness and bitterness must run deep. Their territory is remote and barren; even if every bandit were killed and every inch of land taken, the state would gain nothing from it. If, amid the great celebration of the new reign era, their crimes were pardoned and envoys sent to proclaim amnesty, they would surely surrender at the first word. Choose as military commissioner a man of proven authority; handle matters properly, and raids and rebellion will naturally cease forever." The emperor did not adopt his advice.
77
Emperor Xianzong — Year 1 of Changqing ( xinchou, AD 821)
78
In spring, the first month, on xinchou, the emperor sacrificed at the Circular Mound Altar. He proclaimed a general amnesty and changed the reign era. All circuits of Hebei were ordered to equalize and fix the two-tax system.
79
西使
Vice Director of the Chancellery and co-equal chief minister Xiao Mian was upright, scrupulous, and hated evil; as chief minister he set great store by office and rarely promoted anyone. Xichuan military commissioner Wang Bo greatly increased tribute and bribed eunuchs to win the chancellorship; Duan Wenchang again backed him. An edict summoned Bo to the capital. Mian repeatedly argued strenuously at Yanying Hall, saying, "Bo is petty and unscrupulous; public opinion seethes—he must not stain the chief-ministerial office. The emperor would not listen, and Mian resigned. On jiwei, Bo arrived at the capital. On renxu, Mian was removed and made Right Vice Director of the Imperial Secretariat. Mian firmly declined the vice directorship; in the second month, on guiyou, he was reassigned Minister of Civil Appointments.
80
使 使退
Lu-Long military commissioner Liu Zong, having killed his father and elder brothers, was haunted by guilt and repeatedly saw his father and brothers as vengeful spirits. He regularly fed several hundred monks at headquarters and had Buddhist rites performed day and night; whenever he finished business he withdrew among them; if he stayed in another room, he would start awake and unable to sleep. In his later years his fear grew especially severe. He also saw that both Henan and Hebei had submitted; on jimao he memorialized asking to abandon office and become a monk. He also asked that a million strings of cash be granted to reward his troops.
81
西使 退 西使 使
The emperor had instructed Xichuan military commissioner Wang Bo to return to his post; Bo repeatedly memorialized asking to remain in the capital. When Vice Director of the Secretariat and co-equal chief minister Duan Wenchang asked to retire, on renshen Wenchang was made co-equal chief minister; and appointed military commissioner of Xichuan; Hanlin Academician Du Yuanying was made Vice Minister of Revenue and co-equal chief minister. Bo was made Minister of Justice and Salt and Iron Commissioner. Yuanying was the sixth-generation descendant of Du Yan.
82
The Uyghur Baoyi Khan died.
83
使 使使
In the third month, on guichou, Liu Zong was additionally made Palace Attendant and appointed military commissioner of Tianping. Xuanwu military commissioner Zhang Hongjing was made Lu-Long military commissioner.
84
使
On yimao, Acting Metropolitan Governor Lu Shimei was made overseer of Ying and Mo.
85
On dingsi, an edict appointed all of Liu Zong's brothers, sons, and nephews to office, ordered senior generals and staff promoted as well, granted the people a one-year tax exemption, and bestowed a million strings of cash on the soldiers.
86
On wuwu, the emperor's younger brothers Jing, Yue, Qiong, Yi, Yin, Yi, Xie, Tan, and Wan were enfeoffed as Princes of Fu, Qiong, Mian, Wu, Mao, Guang, Zi, Qu, and Chan respectively; the imperial sons Zhan, Han, Cou, Rong, and Chan were enfeoffed as Princes of Jing, Jiang, Zhang, An, and Ying.
87
使
Liu Zong earnestly memorialized asking to become a monk and to convert his private residence into a Buddhist temple. An edict granted Zong the monastic name Dajue and the temple the name Bao'en; an imperial envoy was sent with purple monastic robes, the Tianping command baton, and a Palace Attendant commission for him to take as he chose. Before the edict arrived, Zong had already tonsured himself; when officers and soldiers tried to detain him, he killed more than ten ringleaders, and that night handed the seal and command baton to acting commissioner Zhang Qi and fled. Only at dawn did the army learn of it. Qi reported that Zong's whereabouts were unknown. On guihai, he died within the borders of Dingzhou.
88
西使 婿
Hanlin Academician Li Deyu, son of Li Jifu, bore a grudge because Vice Director of the Secretariat Li Zongmin had once mocked his father sharply in a policy examination. Zongmin also feuded with Hanlin Academician Yuan Zhen over competing for advancement. Right Remonstrance Officer Yang Rushi and Vice Minister of Rites Qian Hui oversaw the civil examinations; Xichuan military commissioner Duan Wenchang and Hanlin Academician Li Shen each wrote recommending favored candidates to Hui; when the list was posted, none of those recommended by Wenchang or Shen had passed; among those who passed was Zheng Lang, Tan's younger brother; Pei Zan, son of Pei Du; Su Chao, Zongmin's son-in-law; Yang Yinshi was Rushi's younger brother. Wenchang told the emperor, "This year's Ministry of Rites was grossly unfair; the jinshi chosen were all sons and relatives without talent who gained admission through connections. The emperor asked the academicians; Deyu, Zhen, and Shen all said, "It is indeed as Wenchang says. The emperor then ordered Vice Director of the Secretariat Wang Qi and others to re-examine them. In summer, the fourth month, on dingchou, an edict stripped ten men including Lang of their degrees; Hui was demoted to prefect of Jiangzhou, Zongmin to prefect of Jianzhou, and Rushi to magistrate of Kaijiang. Some urged Hui to memorialize submitting Wenchang's and Shen's recommendation letters—the emperor would surely see the truth. Hui said, "If my conscience is clear, gain and loss are the same—how could I memorialize another man's private letters? Is that what a gentleman would do? He took the letters and burned them; people at the time widely praised him. Shen was the great-grandson of Li Jingxuan; Qi was Bo's younger brother. From this time Deyu and Zongmin each formed factions and undermined each other—a struggle that would last nearly forty years.
89
On bingxu, the Uyghur heir was enthroned as Khan Dengluo Yulu Moimi Shijuzhu Pijia Chongde.
90
In the fifth month, on the first day of bingshen, the Uyghurs sent more than five hundred men including a governor and chief ministers to escort the princess.
91
使
On renzi, Salt and Iron Commissioner Wang Bo memorialized proposing to fix the tea monopoly quota and add a tax of fifty cash per hundred. Right Reminder Li Jue and others submitted a memorial arguing, "The tea monopoly arose in the troubled Zhenyuan era; now the realm is at peace—we ought to ease oppressive levies, not increase them. When will the people ever be able to lay down their burdens? The proposal was not adopted.
92
On bingchen, Prince Jian Ke died.
93
西
On guihai, the Princess of Taihe was married to the Uyghurs. The princess was the emperor's younger sister. When Tibet heard that Tang was marrying a princess to the Uyghurs, in the sixth month, on xinwei, it raided Qingzhai Fort; Yanchou Prefect Li Wenyue drove it back. On wuyin, the Uyghurs reported, "Ten thousand horsemen will ride out from Beiting and ten thousand from Anxi to block Tibet and escort the princess."
94
涿使 使使 使 宿使使祿
Earlier Liu Zong had memorialized dividing his domain into three circuits: You, Zhuo, and Ying as one circuit, with Zhang Hongjing as military commissioner; Ping, Ji, Gui, and Tan as one circuit, with Pinglu military commissioner Xue Ping as military commissioner; Ying and Mo as one circuit, with Acting Metropolitan Governor Lu Shimei as overseer. Hongjing had previously served in Hedong, where his leniency and simplicity won the people; Zong bordered his territory, heard of his reputation, and because the men of Yan had long been fierce and unruly, recommended Hongjing to succeed him and pacify them. Ping was the son of Xue Song; he knew the customs of the Hebei region and was wholly loyal to the state. Shimei was a relative of Zong's wife's clan. Zong also selected all the veteran generals under him who were strong, capable, and hard to control—such as Army Commander Zhu Kerong—and sent them to the capital, asking that they be rewarded and promoted so the men of Yan would aspire to court rank and salary. He also presented fifteen thousand campaign horses, and only then tonsured himself and departed. Kerong was the grandson of Zhu Tao.
95
使
At this time the emperor was deep in feasting and paid no heed to affairs of state; Cui Zhi and Du Yuanying lacked far-sighted plans and did not grasp the larger question of security—they merely honored Hongjing in form, cut off only Ying and Mo for Shimei to govern, and left everything else under Hongjing. Zhu Kerong and the others had long been detained in the capital, even begging for food and clothing; day after day they went to the Secretariat seeking office, but Zhi and Yuanying paid them no attention. When Hongjing was appointed to Youzhou, Kerong and his fellows were ordered back to their original armies for service; they were all bitter and resentful.
96
使 輿 滿
Previously, Hebei military commissioners had personally braved heat and cold and shared hardship and ease with their soldiers. When Hongjing arrived, he was stately, proud, and exalted, carried in a palanquin amid ten thousand men—the men of Yan were astonished. Hongjing was solemn, silent, and self-important; only after ten days would he emerge to sit and decide affairs. Guests, officers, and clerks rarely heard him speak; he kept his distance, and left most government business to his staff. Yet the judicial commissioners he appointed, such as Wei Yong, were mostly young frivolous men who loved wine and lived extravagantly; their comings and goings were announced with great fanfare, and sometimes at night they returned with torches filling the streets—customs the men of Yan found alien. An edict granted a million strings of cash to reward the troops; Hongjing kept two hundred thousand for army headquarters miscellaneous expenses. Yong and his fellows further cut the soldiers' grain allotments and rewards, bound them with strict law, and repeatedly reviled officers and men as rebels and barbarians, saying to the soldiers, "The realm is at peace today—you who can draw a two-stone bow are worth less than knowing a single character! From this every man in the army nursed resentment and rage.
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