1
資治通鑑第255卷
Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 255
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【唐紀七十一】起玄黓攝提格五月,盡閼逢執徐五月,凡二年有奇。
[Tang Records 71] From the fifth month of the third year of Guangming (883) through the fifth month of the first year of Zhonghe (884)—a span of slightly more than two years.
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五月,以湖南觀察使閔勖權充鎭南節度使。 勖屢求於湖南建節,朝廷恐諸道觀察使效之,不許。 先是,王仙芝寇掠江西,高安人鍾傳聚蠻獠,依山爲堡,眾至萬人。 仙芝陷撫州而不能守,傳入據之,詔即以爲刺史。 至是,又逐江西觀察使高茂卿,據洪州。 朝廷以勖本江西牙將,故復置鎭南軍,使勖領之。 若傳不受代,令勖因而討之。 勖知朝廷意欲斗二盜使相斃,辭不行。
In the fifth month, Min Xu, commissioner of Hunan, was named acting military governor of Zhennan. Xu had long pressed for a full military governorship in Hunan, but the court refused, fearing other regional commissioners would demand the same. Earlier, during Wang Xianzhi's raids in Jiangxi, Zhong Chuan of Gao'an had rallied tribal fighters, built strongholds in the hills, and gathered a force of ten thousand. When Xianzhi took Fuzhou but could not keep it, Chuan moved in and held the city; the court at once named him prefect. By then he had also expelled Gao Maoqing, the Jiangxi observation commissioner, and seized Hongzhou. Since Xu was himself a former Jiangxi staff officer, the court revived the Zhennan command and put him in charge of it. If Chuan refused to step down, Xu was to use the appointment as a pretext to attack him. Xu saw that the court meant to pit the two rebels against each other and declined the assignment.
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加淮南節度使高駢兼侍中,罷其鹽鐵轉運使。 駢既失兵柄,又解利權,攘袂大詬,遣其幕僚顧雲草表自訴,言辭不遜,其略曰:「是陛下不用微臣,固非微臣有負陛下。」 又曰:「奸臣未悟,陛下猶迷,不思宗廟之焚燒,不痛園陵之開毀。」 又曰:「王鐸僨軍之將,崔安潛在蜀貪黷,豈二儒士能戢強兵!」 又曰:「今之所用,上至帥臣,下及裨將,以臣所料,悉可坐擒。」 又曰:「無使百代有抱恨之臣,千古留刮席之恥。 臣但慮寇生東土,劉氏復興,即軹道之災,豈獨往日!」 又曰:「今賢才在野,憸人滿朝,致陛下爲亡國之君,此子等計將安出!」 上命鄭畋草詔切責之,其略曰:「綰利則牢盆在手,主兵則都統當權,直至京北、京西神策諸鎭,悉在指揮之下,可知董制之權。 而又貴作司徒,榮爲太尉。 以爲不用,如何爲用乎?」 又曰:「朕緣久付卿兵柄,不能翦蕩元兇,自天長漏網過淮,不出一兵襲逐,奄殘京國,首尾三年。 廣陵之師,未離封部,忠臣積望,勇士興譏,所以擢用元臣,誅夷臣寇。」 又曰:「從來倚仗之意,一旦控告無門,凝睇東南,惟增淒惻!」 又曰:「謝玄破苻堅於淝水,裴度平元濟於淮西,未必儒臣不如武將。」 又曰:「宗廟焚燒,園陵開毀,龜玉毀櫝,誰之過歟!」 又曰:「『奸臣未悟』之言,何人肯認! 『陛下猶迷』之語,朕不敢當!」 又曰:「卿尚不能縛黃巢於天長,安能坐擒諸將!」 又曰:「卿雲劉氏復興,不知誰爲魁首? 比朕於劉玄、子嬰,何太誣罔!」 又曰:「況天歩未傾,皇綱尚整,三靈不昧,百度俱存,君臣之禮儀,上下之名分,所宜遵守,未可墮陵。 朕雖沖人,安得輕侮!」 駢臣節既虧,自是貢賦遂絶。
Gao Pian of Huainan was made grand counselor as well, but stripped of his lucrative salt monopoly. Deprived of both command and the salt revenues, Pian flew into a rage and had his aide Gu Yun draft a defiant memorial. It began: "Your Majesty chose not to use me; I have not failed Your Majesty." He went on: "Villains still hold sway, and Your Majesty remains blind—unmoved by the burning of the ancestral shrines, unmoved by the desecration of the imperial tombs." He wrote: "Wang Duo commands a beaten army; Cui Anqian in Shu is corrupt—what can two bookish officials do against hardened troops?" He added: "Every commander you have appointed now, from the top down, could be taken without a fight—or so I judge." He pleaded: "Do not leave posterity a minister nursing a grievance, or history the shame of a loyal man turned away at the door. I fear only that rebels will rise in the east and the Han will rise again—the calamity of Zhidao is not a thing of the distant past alone!" He concluded: "Talent languishes in obscurity while flatterers pack the court—you are being made the last emperor of a dying dynasty. What are these men plotting?" The emperor had Zheng Tian draft a sharp rebuke. It read in part: "You held the salt revenues in your grasp and supreme command over the armies—even the Shence garrisons about the capital answered to you. Your power was absolute. You were made Minister of Education and Grand Marshal besides. If that is not being used, what would you call it?" The edict went on: "I entrusted you with command for years, yet you failed to destroy the rebel leader. After Huang Chao escaped at Tianchang and crossed the Huai, you never sent a man in pursuit while he laid waste to the capital—for three full years. Your army at Yangzhou never left your own territory. Loyal officials grew bitter; soldiers mocked you. That is why we promoted others and stripped you of power." It added: "We had leaned on you for so long—now you rail at us with nowhere left to turn. We look toward the southeast and can only grieve." The edict reminded him: "Xie Xuan routed Fu Jian at the Fei River; Pei Du crushed Wu Yuanji in Huaixi—civil officials are not always weaker than generals." It demanded: "The shrines burned, the tombs violated, the regalia shattered—whose fault is that?" On his charge that "villains still hold sway," the edict asked: "Who would admit to that? As for saying Your Majesty is still deluded—I will not hear it!" It taunted him: "You could not even seize Huang Chao at Tianchang—how can you claim every general could be taken without a fight?" On his warning of a Han restoration: "Who do you imagine would lead it? To compare me to Liu Xuan and Emperor Ziying—is slander beyond measure!" The edict concluded: "The dynasty still stands, the realm's order endures, the spirits are not abandoned, and government goes on. Ruler and subject still have their roles—you must not forget yours. Young though I am, I will not be insulted with impunity!" With his loyalty forfeit, Pian stopped sending tribute to the court altogether.
5
以天平留後曹存實爲節度使。
Cao Cunshi, acting governor of Tianping, was confirmed as military governor.
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黃巢攻興平,興平諸軍退屯奉天。
Huang Chao attacked Xingping, and the government forces there fell back to Fengtian.
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加河陽節度使諸葛爽同平章事。
Zhuge Shuang of Heyang was made associate chief minister as well.
8
六月,以涇原留後張鈞爲節度使。
In the sixth month, Zhang Jun, acting governor of Jingyuan, was confirmed as military governor.
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荊南節度使段彥謨與監軍朱敬玫相惡,敬玫別選壯士三千人,號忠勇軍,自將之。 彥謨謀殺敬玫; 己亥,敬玫先帥眾攻彥謨,殺之,以少尹李燧爲留後。
Duan Yanmo, governor of Jingnan, feuded with the army supervisor Zhu Jingmei, who raised three thousand picked troops as the Loyal and Brave Army and commanded them personally. Yanmo plotted to kill Jingmei; On jihai, Jingmei struck first, killed Yanmo, and installed Vice Prefect Li Sui as acting governor.
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蜀人羅渾擎、句胡僧、羅夫子各聚眾數千人以應阡能,楊行遷等與之戰,數不利,求益兵。 府中兵盡,陳敬瑄悉搜倉庫門庭之卒以給之。 是月,大戰於乾溪,官軍大敗。 行遷等恐無功獲罪,多執村民爲俘送府,日數十百人。 敬瑄不問,悉斬之。 其中亦有老弱及婦女,觀者或問之,皆曰:「我方治田績麻,官軍忽入村,系虜以來,竟不知何罪!」
In Shu, Luo Hunqing, Gou Huseng, and Luo Fuzi each raised thousands to support Qian Neng. Yang Xingqian's forces fought them repeatedly without success and asked for reinforcements. With the garrison spent, Chen Jingxuan scraped together every clerk and gate guard he could find and sent them out. That month the government forces were routed in a major battle at Qianxi. Fearing punishment for their failures, Xingqian's men seized villagers as captives and sent them to the capital by the dozens or hundreds each day. Jingxuan asked no questions and had them all executed. The condemned included the elderly, the weak, and women. When spectators asked, they all said: "We were farming and tending hemp when soldiers burst into our village, dragged us away, and we still do not know what crime we committed!"
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秋,七月,己巳,以鍾傳爲江西觀察使,從高駢之請也。 傳既去撫州,南城人危全諷復據之,又遣其弟仔倡據信州。
In the seventh month of autumn, on jisi, Zhong Chuan was made Jiangxi observation commissioner at Gao Pian's urging. Once Chuan left Fuzhou, Wei Quanfeng of Nancheng took it back and sent his brother Zichang to seize Xinzhou as well.
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尚讓攻宜君寨,會大雪盈尺,賊凍死者什二三。
Shang Rang attacked Yijun stockade, but a foot of snow fell and killed twenty or thirty percent of his men from exposure.
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蜀人韓求聚眾數千人應阡能。
In Shu, Han Qiu raised several thousand men to support Qian Neng.
14
鎭海節度使周寶奏高駢承製以賊帥孫端爲宣歙觀察使。 詔寶與宣歙觀察使裴虔餘發兵拒之。
Zhou Bao of Zhenhai reported that Gao Pian had unilaterally named the rebel Sun Duan Xuanshe observation commissioner. The court ordered Bao and Pei Qianyu of Xuanshe to raise troops against Sun Duan.
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南詔上書請早降公主,詔報以方議禮議。 以保大留後東方逵爲節度使,充京城東面行營招討使。
Nanzhao asked that the princess be sent promptly; the court replied that wedding protocol was still being negotiated. Dongfang Kui, acting governor of Baoda, was confirmed as military governor and named eastern campaign commander for the capital region.
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閏月,加魏博節度使韓簡兼侍中。
In the intercalary month, Han Jian of Weibo was also made grand counselor.
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八月,以兵部侍郎、判度支鄭紹業同平章使,兼荊南節度使。
In the eighth month, Zheng Shaoye, vice minister of war and fiscal director, was made associate chief minister and military governor of Jingnan as well.
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漸東觀察使劉漢宏遣弟漢宥及馬歩軍都虞候辛約,將兵二萬營於西陵,謀兼併浙西,杭州刺史董昌遣都知兵馬使錢鏐拒之。 壬子,鏐乘霧夜濟江,襲其營,大破之,所殺殆盡,漢宥、辛約皆走。
Liu Hanhong of eastern Zhejiang sent his brother Hanyou and cavalry commander Xin Yue with twenty thousand men to camp at Xiling, aiming to seize western Zhejiang. Hangzhou's Dong Chang sent Qian Liu to oppose them. On renzi, Liu crossed the river under cover of fog, stormed their camp, and nearly annihilated them. Hanyou and Xin Yue both escaped.
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魏博節度使韓簡亦有兼併之志,自將兵三萬攻河陽,敗諸葛爽於脩武; 爽棄城走,簡留兵戍之,因掠邢、洺而還。
Han Jian of Weibo likewise sought to expand his domain. He led thirty thousand men against Heyang and defeated Zhuge Shuang at Xiuwu. Shuang abandoned the city and fled. Jian garrisoned it, raided Xing and Ming prefectures, and withdrew.
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李國昌自達靼帥其族遷於代州。
Li Guochang led his clan from Dada to settle in Daizhou.
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黃巢所署同州防禦使朱溫屢請益兵以扞河中,知右軍事孟楷抑之,不報。 溫見巢兵勢日蹙,知其將亡,親將胡真、謝瞳勸溫歸國。 九月,丙戌,溫殺其監軍嚴實,舉州降王重榮。 溫以舅事重榮,王鐸承製以溫爲同華節度使,使瞳奉表詣行在。 瞳,福州人也。 李詳以重榮待溫厚,亦欲歸之,爲監軍所告。 黃巢殺之,以其弟思鄴爲華州刺史。
Zhu Wen, Huang Chao's defense commissioner at Tongzhou, repeatedly asked for reinforcements to hold Hezhong, but Meng Kai, who controlled the right wing, blocked every request. Seeing Huang Chao's cause collapse, Wen knew the rebellion was doomed. His officers Hu Zhen and Xie Tong urged him to defect to the Tang. In the ninth month, on bingxu, Wen killed his supervisor Yan Shi and surrendered Tongzhou to Wang Chongrong. Wen treated Chongrong as a kinsman by marriage. Wang Duo appointed him military governor of Tonghua and sent Xie Tong to the emperor's camp with a submission. Xie Tong was from Fuzhou. Li Xiang, seeing how well Chongrong treated Wen, also wanted to defect, but the army supervisor reported him. Huang Chao executed Li Xiang and appointed his brother Sixie prefect of Hua.
22
桂州軍亂,逐節度使張從訓,以前容管經略使崔焯爲嶺南西道節度使。
Troops at Guizhou mutinied and drove out Zhang Congxun. The court named former frontier commissioner Cui Zhuo military governor of Lingnan West.
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平盧大將王敬武逐節度使安師儒,自爲留後。
Wang Jingwu, a senior Pinglu general, expelled An Shiru and declared himself acting governor.
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初,朝廷以龐勳降將湯群爲嵐州刺史,群潛通沙陀,朝廷疑之,徙群懷州刺史,鄭從讜遣使繼告身授之。 冬,十月,庚子朔,群殺使者,據城叛,附於沙陀。 壬寅,從讜遣馬歩都虞候張彥球將兵討之。
The court had earlier made Pang Xun's surrendered general Tang Qun prefect of Lan, but suspected his secret ties to the Shatuo and transferred him to Huai. Zheng Congdang sent envoys to deliver his new commission. In the tenth month of winter, on the new moon of gengzi, Qun killed the envoy, rebelled, and threw in his lot with the Shatuo. On renyin, Congdang sent cavalry commander Zhang Yanqiu against him.
25
賊帥韓秀升、屈行從起兵,斷峽江路。 癸丑,陳敬瑄遣押牙莊夢蝶將二千人討之,又遣押牙胡弘略將千人繼之。
Rebel leaders Han Xiusheng and Qu Xingcong rose up and blocked traffic on the Three Gorges route. On guichou, Chen Jingxuan sent adjutant Zhuang Mengdie with two thousand men, followed by Hu Honglue with a thousand more.
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韓簡復引兵擊鄆州,節度使曹存實逆戰,敗死。 天平都將下邑朱瑄收餘眾,嬰城拒守,簡攻之不下。 詔以瑄權知天平留後。 以朱溫爲右金吾大將軍、河中行營招討副使,賜名全忠。
Han Jian attacked Yanzhou again. Governor Cao Cunshi met him in battle, was defeated, and killed. Zhu Xuan, a Tianping officer from Xiayi, rallied the survivors, shut the gates, and held out against Jian's assault. The court named Zhu Xuan acting governor of Tianping. Zhu Wen was made right Golden Crow general and deputy campaign commander for Hezhong, and given the name Quanzhong ('wholly loyal').
27
李克用雖累表請降,而據忻、代州,數侵掠並、汾,爭樓煩監。 義武節度使王處存與克用世爲婚姻,詔處存諭克用:「若誠心款附,宜且歸朔州俟朝命。 若暴橫如故,當與河東、大同軍共討之。」
Though Li Keyong kept petitioning to submit, he held Xin and Dai and repeatedly raided Bing and Fen while fighting for the Loufan salt route. Wang Chucun of Yiwu was linked to Keyong by marriage. The court told Chucun to warn him: "If you mean to submit in good faith, return to Shuozhou and await orders. If you continue your raids, Hedong and Datong will join forces against you."
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以平盧大將王敬武爲留後。 時諸道兵皆會關中討黃巢,獨平盧不至,王鐸遣都統判官、諫議大夫張濬往説之。 敬武已受黃巢官爵,不出迎,濬見敬武,責之曰:「公爲天子籓臣,侮慢詔使,不能事上,何以使下!」 敬武愕然,謝之。 既宣詔,將士皆不應,濬徐諭之曰:「人生當先曉逆順,次知利害。 黃巢,前日販鹽虜耳,公等捨累葉天子而臣之,果何利哉! 今天下勤王之師皆集京畿,而淄青獨不至。 一旦賊平,天子返正,公等何面目見天下之人乎! 不亟往分功名、取富貴,後悔無及矣!」 將士皆改容引咎,顧謂敬武曰:「諫議之言是也。」 敬武即發兵從濬而西。
Wang Jingwu of Pinglu was confirmed as acting governor. Every circuit had sent troops to Guanzhong against Huang Chao except Pinglu. Wang Duo sent remonstrance official Zhang Jun to bring them in. Jingwu had already accepted rank from Huang Chao and refused to come out to greet him. Zhang Jun rebuked him: "You are the emperor's vassal, yet you insult his envoy. If you cannot serve your lord, how can you command your men?" Jingwu was taken aback and apologized. When the edict was read, the troops did not respond. Zhang Jun addressed them calmly: "First know loyalty from rebellion; then know gain from loss. Huang Chao was only a salt smuggler yesterday—what do you gain by abandoning generations of emperors to serve him! Every loyal army in the empire is gathering at the capital, yet Ziqing alone stays away. When the rebels are crushed and the emperor restored, how will you face the world! March west now to win glory and riches, or you will regret it forever!" The troops' faces changed; they admitted their error and told Jingwu: "The remonstrance official is right." Jingwu at once mobilized and marched west with Zhang Jun.
29
劉漢宏又遣登高鎭將王鎭將兵七萬屯西陵,錢鏐復夜濟江襲擊,大破之,斬獲萬計,得漢宏補諸將官偽敕二百餘通。 鎭奔諸暨。
Liu Hanhong sent Wang Zhen of Denggao with seventy thousand men to camp at Xiling again. Qian Liu crossed the river by night, routed them, killed or captured tens of thousands, and seized more than two hundred forged commissions Liu had issued. Wang Zhen fled to Zhuji.
30
黃巢兵勢尚強,王重榮患之,謂行營都監楊復光曰:「臣賊則負國,討賊則力不足,奈何?」 復光曰:「雁門李僕射,驍勇,有強兵,其家尊與吾先人嘗共事相善,彼亦有徇國之志。 所以不至者,以與河東結隙耳。 誠以朝旨諭鄭公而召之,必來,來則賊不足平矣!」 東面宣慰使王徽亦以爲然。 時王鐸在河中,乃以墨敕召李克用,諭鄭從讜。 十一月,克用將沙陀萬七千自嵐、石路趣河中,不敢入太原境,獨與數百騎過晉陽城下與從讜別,從讜以名馬、器幣贈之。
Huang Chao was still strong, and Wang Chongrong was at a loss. He told campaign director Yang Fuguang: "If I join the rebels I betray the empire; if I fight them I am too weak. What can I do?" Fuguang replied: "Li Keyong of Yanmen is a fierce fighter with a powerful army. Our families were allies in an earlier generation, and he too wishes to serve the throne. The reason he has not appeared is a feud with Hedong. If His Majesty's orders were conveyed to Duke Zheng to summon him, he would surely come—and once he came, the rebels would be easily defeated." The eastern pacification commissioner Wang Hui agreed. Wang Duo was then at Hezhong; he issued an informal imperial summons for Li Keyong and urged Zheng Congdian to cooperate. In the eleventh month Li Keyong marched seventeen thousand Shatuo soldiers along the Lan–Shi road toward Hezhong. He would not enter Taiyuan's jurisdiction; with only a few hundred riders he passed beneath Jinyang to bid Zheng Congdian farewell, and Congdian sent him off with fine horses and gifts.
31
李詳舊卒共逐黃思鄴,推華陰鎭使王遇爲主,以華州降於王重榮,王鐸承製以遇爲刺史。
Li Xiang's former troops expelled Huang Siye and set up Huayin garrison commissioner Wang Yu as their leader, surrendering Hua prefecture to Wang Chongrong; Wang Duo appointed Yu prefect by imperial commission.
32
阡能黨愈熾,侵淫入蜀州境。 陳敬瑄以楊行遷等久無功,以押牙高仁厚爲都招討指揮使,將兵五百人往代之。 未發前一日,有鬻面者,自旦至午,出入營中數四,邏者疑之,執而訊之,果阡能之諜也。 仁厚命釋縛,溫言問之,對曰:「某村民,阡能囚其父母妻子於獄,云『汝詗事歸,得實則免汝家; 不然,盡死!』 某非願爾也。」 仁厚曰:「誠知汝如是,我何忍殺汝! 今縱汝歸,救汝父母妻子,但語阡能云:『高尚書來日發,所將止五百人,無多兵也。』 然我活汝一家,汝當爲我潛語寨中人云:『僕射愍汝曹皆良人,爲賊所制,情非得已。 尚書欲拯救湔洗汝曹,尚書來,汝曹各投兵迎降。 尚書當使人書汝背爲「歸順」字,遣汝復舊業。 所欲誅者,阡能、羅渾擎、句胡僧、羅夫子、韓求五人耳,必不使橫及百姓也。』」 諜曰:「此皆百姓心上事,尚書盡知而赦之,其誰不舞躍聽命! 一口傳百,百傳千,川騰海沸,不可遏也。 比尚書之至,百姓必盡奔赴如嬰兒之見慈母,阡能孤居,立成擒矣!」 遂遣之。 明日,仁厚引兵發,至雙流,把截使白文現出迎。 仁厚周視塹柵,怒曰:「阡能役夫,其眾皆耕民耳,竭一府之兵,歲餘不能擒,今觀塹柵重複牢密如此,宜其可認安眠飽食,養寇邀功也!」 命引出斬之。 監軍力救,久之,乃得免。 命悉平塹柵,才留五百兵守之,餘兵悉以自隨,又召諸寨兵,相繼皆集。 阡能聞仁厚將至,遣羅渾擎立五寨於雙流之西,伏兵千人於野橋箐以邀官軍。 仁厚詗知,引兵圍之,下令勿殺,遣人釋戎服賊中告諭,如昨日所以語諜者。 賊大喜,呼噪,爭棄甲投兵請降,拜如摧山。 仁厚悉撫諭,書其背,使歸語寨中未降者,寨中餘眾爭出降。 渾擎狼狽逾塹走,其眾執以詣仁厚,仁厚曰:「此愚夫,不足與語。」 械以送府。 悉命焚五寨及其甲兵,惟留旗幟,所降凡四千人。 明旦,仁厚謂降者曰:「始欲即遣汝歸,而前塗諸寨百姓未知吾心,或有憂疑,藉汝曹爲我前行,過穿口、新津寨下,示以背字告諭之,比至延貢,可歸矣。」 乃取渾擎旗倒系之,每五十人爲隊,授以一旗,使前走,揚旗疾呼曰:「羅渾擎已生擒,送使府,大軍行至。 汝曹居寨中者,速如我出降,立得爲良人,無事矣!」 至穿口,句胡僧置十一寨,寨中人爭出降。 胡僧大驚,拔劍遏之,眾投瓦石擊之,共擒以獻仁厚,其眾五千餘皆降。 又明旦,焚寨,使降者執旗先驅,一如雙流。 至新津,韓求置十三寨皆迎降。 求自投深塹,其眾鉤出之,已死,斬首以獻。 將士欲焚寨,仁厚止之曰:「降人皆未食。」 使先運出資糧,然後焚之。 新降者競炊爨,與先降來告者共食之,語笑歌吹,終夜不絶。 明日,仁厚縱雙流,穿口降者先歸,使新津降者執旗前驅,且曰:「入邛州境,亦可散歸矣。」 羅夫子置九寨於延貢,其眾前夕望新津火光,已不眠矣。 及新津人至,羅夫子脫身棄寨奔阡能,其眾皆降。 明日,羅夫子至阡能寨,與之謀悉眾決戰。 計未定,日向暮,延貢降者至,阡能、羅夫子走馬巡寨,欲出兵,眾皆不應。 仁厚引兵連夜逼之,明旦,諸寨知大軍已近,呼噪爭出,執阡能,阡能窘急赴井,爲眾所擒,不死; 又執羅夫子,羅夫子自剄。 眾挈羅夫子首,縛阡能,驅之前迎官,見仁厚,擁馬首大呼泣拜曰:「百姓負冤日久,無所控訴。 自諜者還,百姓引領,度頃刻如期年。 今遇尚書,如出九泉睹白日,已死而復生矣!」 歡呼不可止。 賊寨在他所者,分遣諸將往降之。 仁厚出軍凡六日,五賊皆平。 每下縣鎭,輒補鎭遏使,使安集戸口。 於是陳敬瑄梟韓求、羅夫子首於市,釘阡能、羅渾擎、句胡僧於城西,七日而冎之。 阡能孔目官張榮,本安仁進士,屢舉不中第,歸於阡能,爲之謀主,爲草書檄; 阡能敗,以詩啟求哀於仁厚,仁厚送府,釘於馬市。 自餘不戮一人。
Qian Neng's followers grew bolder still, pushing into the borders of Shu prefecture. Because Yang Xingqian and others had failed for so long, Chen Jingxuan named his adjutant Gao Renhou overall pacification commander and sent five hundred men to relieve them. The day before departure, a man selling noodles passed in and out of camp repeatedly from dawn until noon. Patrols grew suspicious, seized him, and under questioning he proved to be Qian Neng's spy. Renhou had his bonds removed and questioned him kindly. The man answered, 'I am a common villager. Qian Neng threw my parents, wife, and children into prison and told me, "Go spy on the army and come back. If your report is true, your family goes free; Otherwise the whole household dies!' I never wanted to do this.' Renhou said, 'Now that I know your story, how could I bring myself to kill you! I will let you go home to your family. Only tell Qian Neng this: "Minister Gao marches tomorrow with just five hundred men—hardly a large host." But because I have spared your household, secretly tell everyone in the camps: "The Vice Minister knows you are honest folk forced into rebellion against your will. He means to save and restore you. When he arrives, throw down your arms and surrender. He will mark your backs with the word 'Surrendered' and send you home to your old livelihoods. Only five men will die: Qian Neng, Luo Hunqing, Gou Huseng, Luo Fuzi, and Han Qiu. No harm will come to ordinary people.'" The spy said, 'That is everything the people long for. Once they know the Minister pardons them, who will not leap to obey! Word will spread one to a hundred, a hundred to a thousand—like rivers in flood and seas in storm, nothing can hold it back. When the Minister arrives, the people will flock to him as children to a mother. Qian Neng, left alone, will be seized in an instant!' Renhou sent him on his way. The next day Renhou marched out and reached Shuangliu, where interception commissioner Bai Wenxian came out to greet him. Renhou inspected the trenches and palisades and burst out in anger: 'Qian Neng's men are farmers! The whole prefecture exhausted its army for more than a year and could not catch him—and with fortifications this elaborate, no wonder you could sleep well, eat heartily, and fatten the rebels to win glory!' He ordered Bai Wenxian dragged out for execution. The supervising commissioner pleaded hard for him, and after a long dispute Bai was spared. He had every trench and palisade torn down, left only five hundred men to hold the post, and took the rest with him. He also called up troops from the other camps, who came flocking in. When Qian Neng heard Renhou was approaching, he sent Luo Hunqing to build five camps west of Shuangliu and posted a thousand men in ambush at Yeqiao Ravine to intercept the government forces. Renhou learned of the ambush, surrounded the camps, forbade killing, and sent unarmed men among the rebels to repeat the message he had given the spy. The rebels rejoiced, shouting and cheering; they threw off armor and weapons and begged to surrender, kowtowing in waves like an avalanche. Renhou reassured them all, marked their backs, and sent them to tell the holdouts in other camps. Those camps too poured out to surrender. Luo Hunqing scrambled over the palisade and fled, but his own men seized him and brought him to Renhou, who said, 'This fool is not worth addressing.' They put him in chains and sent him to headquarters. He burned all five camps along with their arms and armor, keeping only the banners. Four thousand men surrendered in all. The next morning Renhou told the prisoners, 'I meant to send you home at once, but the people along the road do not yet know my intentions and may hesitate. Go ahead of me. Pass Chuankou and Xinjin, show the marks on your backs, and spread the word. By the time you reach Yangong you may go home.' He took Luo Hunqing's banners, hung them upside down, and formed the men into squads of fifty, each with a flag. They ran ahead shouting, 'Luo Hunqing is taken alive and sent to headquarters! The main army is coming! Everyone still in the camps—surrender now as we did, and you will be free and safe at once!' At Chuankou, where Gou Huseng had eleven camps, the inhabitants rushed out to surrender. Gou Huseng panicked and tried to stop them with his sword. The crowd pelted him with stones, seized him, and delivered him to Renhou. More than five thousand of his men surrendered. The following morning they burned the camps and sent the surrenderers ahead with flags, just as at Shuangliu. At Xinjin all thirteen of Han Qiu's camps submitted without a fight. Han Qiu threw himself into a deep trench; his men pulled him out dead and presented his head. The troops wanted to burn the camps, but Renhou stopped them: 'The surrenderers have not eaten.' He had supplies brought out first, then set the camps ablaze. The new prisoners rushed to cook; they shared food with the earlier surrenderers who had come ahead, laughing, talking, singing, and playing music through the night. The next day Renhou let the men from Shuangliu and Chuankou go home first and sent the Xinjin prisoners ahead with flags, telling them they could disperse once they entered Qiong prefecture. Luo Fuzi held nine camps at Yangong. The night before, his men had seen the fires at Xinjin and could not sleep. When the Xinjin prisoners arrived, Luo Fuzi abandoned his camps and fled to Qian Neng. His entire force surrendered. The next day Luo Fuzi reached Qian Neng's camp and urged a last stand with every man they had. Before they could decide, dusk fell and the Yangong surrenderers arrived. Qian Neng and Luo Fuzi rode through the camps calling for battle, but no one answered. Renhou pressed forward through the night. At dawn the camps knew the main force was near. Men poured out shouting, seized Qian Neng, who in desperation ran for a well but was caught alive; They seized Luo Fuzi as well, but he slit his own throat. Carrying Luo Fuzi's head and Qian Neng bound, they rushed to meet the army. When they saw Renhou they clung to his horse's bridle, weeping and kowtowing, and cried, 'We have suffered wrongs for so long with nowhere to turn. From the day the spy came back we have waited, necks stretched, each hour feeling like a year. To meet the Minister is like rising from the grave into daylight—we are dead men brought back to life!' Their cheers would not cease. Renhou sent his generals to accept surrenders from rebel camps elsewhere. In only six days on campaign Renhou had crushed all five rebel leaders. Wherever he took a county or market town, he appointed a pacification officer to restore the population registers. Chen Jingxuan then exposed Han Qiu's and Luo Fuzi's heads in the marketplace, nailed Qian Neng, Luo Hunqing, and Gou Huseng to the west wall of the city, and after seven days dismembered their bodies. Zhang Rong, Qian Neng's chief clerk, was a native of Anren who had repeatedly failed the civil examinations and joined Qian Neng as his strategist, drafting his proclamations; When Qian Neng fell, Zhang Rong sent Renhou a poem begging for his life. Renhou forwarded him to headquarters, where he was impaled at the horse market. "No one else was put to death."
33
十二月,以仁厚爲眉州防禦使。
In the twelfth month Gao Renhou was appointed defender of Meizhou.
34
陳敬瑄榜邛州,凡阡能等親黨皆不問。 未幾,邛州刺史申捕獲阡能叔父行全家三十五人繫獄,請准法。 敬瑄以問孔目官唐溪,對曰:「公已有榜,令勿問,而刺史復捕之,此必有故。 今若殺之,豈惟使明公失大信,竊恐阡能之黨紛紛復起矣!」 敬瑄從之,遣押牙牛暈往,集眾於州門,破械而釋之,因詢其所以然。 果行全有良田,刺史欲買之,不與,故恨之。 敬瑄召刺史,將按其罪,刺史以憂死。 他日,行全聞其家由唐溪以免,密餉溪蝕箔金百兩。 溪怒曰:「此乃太師仁明,何預吾事,汝乃懷禍相餉乎!」 還其金,斥逐使去。 河東節度使鄭從讜奏克嵐州,執湯群,斬之。
Chen Jingxuan posted a proclamation in Qiong prefecture granting amnesty to all relatives and associates of Qian Neng and his followers. Before long the prefect of Qiong, Shen Bu, arrested thirty-five members of Qian Neng's uncle Xing Quan's household and imprisoned them, asking that the law be applied. Chen Jingxuan consulted his clerk Tang Xi, who replied, 'Your Excellency has already promised not to prosecute them, yet the prefect arrests them again. There must be an ulterior motive. If you execute them now, you will not only break your word—I fear Qian Neng's followers will rise up all over again!' Chen Jingxuan agreed. He sent his adjutant Niu Yun to the prefectural gate, gathered the crowd, broke their chains, freed them, and asked why they had been seized. It turned out Xing Quan owned rich farmland that the prefect had tried to buy; Xing Quan refused, and the prefect bore a grudge. Chen Jingxuan summoned the prefect to answer for his crime, but the man died of fright before he could be tried. Later Xing Quan learned his family had been saved through Tang Xi and secretly sent him a hundred taels of gold leaf as a gift. Tang Xi flew into a rage: 'That was the Grand Preceptor's mercy, not mine. Are you trying to buy me with this bribe?' He returned the gold and had the messenger driven off. Hedong military governor Zheng Congdian reported the capture of Lan prefecture, the seizure of Tang Qun, and his execution.
35
以忻、代等州留後李克用爲雁門節度使。
Li Keyong, acting commissioner of Xin, Dai, and related prefectures, was appointed military governor of Yanmen.
36
初,朝廷以鄭紹業爲荊南節度使,時段彥謨方據荊南,紹業憚之,逾半歲,乃至鎭。 上幸蜀,召紹業還,以彥謨爲節度使。 彥謨爲朱敬玫所殺,復以紹業爲節度使。 紹業畏敬玫,逗遛不進,軍中久無帥,至是,敬玫署押牙陳儒知府事。 儒,江陵人也。
Earlier the court had named Zheng Shaoye military governor of Jingnan, but Duan Yanmo already held the region. Shaoye was afraid of him and did not reach his post for more than half a year. When the emperor fled to Shu, Shaoye was recalled and Duan Yanmo was made military governor. Duan Yanmo was killed by Zhu Jingmei, and Zheng Shaoye was appointed military governor again. Shaoye feared Zhu Jingmei and hung back. The army had been without a commander for a long time, and now Zhu Jingmei put his adjutant Chen Ru in charge of the prefecture. Chen Ru was a native of Jiangling.
37
加奉天節度使齊克儉、河中節度使王重榮並同平章事。
Fengtian military governor Qi Kejian and Hezhong military governor Wang Chongrong were both made honorary chancellors.
38
李克用將兵四萬至河中,遣從父弟克修先將兵五百濟河嘗賊。 初,克用弟克讓爲南山寺僧所殺,其僕渾進通歸於黃巢。 自高潯之敗,諸軍皆畏賊,莫敢進。 及克用軍至,賊憚之,曰:「鴉軍至矣,當避其鋒。」 克用軍皆衣黑,故謂之鴉軍。 巢乃捕南山寺僧十餘人,遣使繼詔書及重賂,因渾進通詣克用以求和。 克用殺僧,哭克讓,受其賂以分諸將,焚其詔書,歸其使者,引兵自夏陽渡河,軍於同州。
Li Keyong marched forty thousand men to Hezhong and sent his cousin Li Kexiu ahead with five hundred troops to cross the Yellow River and probe the rebel lines. Earlier Keyong's brother Li Kerang had been killed by monks of Nanshan Temple, and Kerang's servant Hun Jintong had joined Huang Chao. After Gao Xun's defeat every government army feared the rebels and dared not advance. When Li Keyong's forces arrived, the rebels were afraid and said, 'The Crow Army is here. We must avoid their edge.' Li Keyong's soldiers all wore black, which is why they were called the Crow Army. Huang Chao seized more than a dozen monks from Nanshan Temple, sent envoys bearing imperial edicts and rich gifts, and dispatched Hun Jintong to Li Keyong to sue for peace. Li Keyong executed the monks, mourned his brother, took the bribes and divided them among his officers, burned Huang Chao's edicts, sent the envoys back, crossed the river from Xiayang, and encamped at Tong prefecture.
39
孟方立既殺成麟,引兵歸邢州,潞人請監軍呉全勖知留後。 是歲,王鐸墨制以方立知邢州事,方立不受,囚全勖; 與鐸書,願得儒臣鎭潞州,鐸以鄭昌圖知昭義軍事。 既而朝廷以右僕射、租庸使王徽同平章事,充昭義節度使,徽以車駕播遷,中原方擾,方立專據山東邢、洺、磁三州,度朝廷力未能制,辭不行,請且委昌圖。 詔以徽爲大明宮留守、京畿安撫制置修奉園陵使。 昌圖至潞州,不三月而去,方立遂遷昭義軍於邢州,自稱留後,表其將李殷銳爲潞州刺史。
After Meng Fangli killed Cheng Lin and withdrew to Xingzhou, the people of Lu asked that army supervisor Wu Quanxun be made acting commissioner. That year Wang Duo appointed Meng Fangli acting commissioner of Xingzhou by informal edict, but Fangli refused and imprisoned Wu Quanxun; He wrote to Wang Duo asking for a scholar-official to govern Luzhou, and Duo put Zheng Changtu in charge of Zhaoyi affairs. The court then named Right Vice Director and transport commissioner Wang Hui chancellor and military governor of Zhaoyi. Wang Hui saw the emperor in exile and the central plains in chaos; Meng Fangli held Xing, Ming, and Ci in eastern Shandong and seemed beyond the court's reach. Wang declined the post and asked that affairs remain with Zheng Changtu for the time being. An edict instead made Wang Hui custodian of the Daming Palace and commissioner for pacifying the capital region and restoring the imperial tombs. Zheng Changtu reached Luzhou but left within three months. Meng Fangli then moved the Zhaoyi headquarters to Xingzhou, styled himself acting commissioner, and recommended his general Li Yinrui as prefect of Luzhou.
40
和州刺史秦彥使其子將兵數千襲宣州,逐觀察使竇潏而代之。
Qin Yan, prefect of Hezhou, sent his son with several thousand troops to attack Xuanzhou, expelled observation commissioner Dou Yu, and took his place.
41
春,正月,李克用將李存貞敗黃揆於沙苑; 己巳,克用進屯沙苑。 揆,巢之弟也。 王鐸承製以克用爲東北面行營都統,以楊復光爲東面都統監軍使,陳景思爲北面都統監軍使。 乙亥,制以中書令、充諸道行營都統王鐸爲義成節度使,令赴鎭。 田令孜欲歸重北司,稱鐸討黃巢久無功,卒用楊復光策,召沙陀而破之,故罷鐸兵柄以悅復光。 又以副都統崔安潛爲東都留守,以都都監西門思恭爲右神策中尉,充諸道租庸兼催促諸道進軍等使。 令孜自以建議幸蜀、收傳國寶、列聖真容、散家財犒軍爲己功,令宰相籓鎭共請加賞,上以令孜爲十軍兼十二衞觀軍容使。
In spring, the first month, Li Keyong's general Li Cunzhen defeated Huang Kui at Shayuan. On the day jisi Li Keyong advanced and encamped at Shayuan. Huang Kui was Huang Chao's younger brother. Wang Duo appointed Li Keyong supreme commander of the northeastern campaign army, Yang Fuguang eastern army supervisor, and Chen Jingsi northern army supervisor by imperial commission. On the day yihai, an edict appointed Wang Duo, Grand Councilor and supreme commander of the multi-circuit campaign army, military commissioner of Yicheng and ordered him to take up the post. Tian Lingzi wanted to shift power back to the eunuch directorates. He claimed Wang Duo had achieved nothing after long campaigning against Huang Chao, and that the court had finally adopted Yang Fuguang's plan of summoning the Shatuo, who then broke the rebels. Duo's command was therefore stripped to gratify Fuguang. Cui Anqian, the deputy supreme commander, was appointed defender of the eastern capital, and Ximen Sigong, the chief army overseer, was made commander of the Right Shence Army and commissioned as envoy for circuit land taxes and for pressing all circuits to march their troops forward. Tian Lingzi counted as his own achievements having urged the flight to Shu, securing the dynastic treasures and portraits of former emperors, and spending his private fortune to reward the troops. He had the chief ministers and regional governors petition jointly for further rewards, and the emperor appointed him military commissioner over the ten armies and twelve guard divisions.
42
成德節度使常山忠穆王王景崇死,軍中立其子節度副使鎔知留後事,時鎔生十年矣。
Wang Jingchong, military commissioner of Chengde and posthumously titled Loyal and Solemn King of Changshan, died. The army installed his ten-year-old son Rong, the deputy commissioner, as acting circuit administrator.
43
以天平留後朱瑄爲節度使。
Zhu Xuan, acting administrator of Tianping, was appointed full military commissioner.
44
二月,壬子,李克用進軍乾干坑,與河中、易定、忠武軍合。 尚讓等將十五萬眾屯於梁田陂,明日,大戰,自午至晡,賊眾大敗,俘斬數萬,伏屍三十里。 巢將王璠、黃揆襲華州,據之,王遇亡去。
In the second month, on the day renzi, Li Keyong advanced to Qiangan Ravine and united with the forces of Hezhong, Yiding, and Zhongwu. Shang Rang and his commanders massed 150,000 men at Liangtian Slope. The next day they fought a great battle from noon until late afternoon. The rebel host was routed; tens of thousands were killed or captured, and the dead lay piled for thirty li. Huang Chao's generals Wang Fan and Huang Kui stormed Hua Prefecture and seized it; the defender Wang Yu fled.
45
初,光州刺史李罕之爲秦宗權所攻,棄州奔項城,帥餘眾歸諸葛爽,爽以爲懷州刺史。 韓簡攻鄆州,半年,不能下。 爽復襲取河陽,朱瑄請和,簡乃捨之,引兵襲河陽。 爽遣罕之逆戰於武陟,魏軍大敗而還。 大將澶州刺史樂行達先歸,據魏州,軍中共立行達爲留後,簡爲部下所殺。 己未,以行達爲魏博留後。
Earlier, Li Hanzhi, governor of Guang Prefecture, had been driven out by Qin Zongquan. He abandoned his post, fled to Xiangcheng, and led his surviving troops to Zhuge Shuang, who appointed him governor of Huaizhou. Han Jian besieged Yan Prefecture for six months without capturing it. Zhuge Shuang raided and recaptured Heyang. Zhu Xuan sued for peace, and Han Jian broke off the siege of Yan to march against Heyang instead. Shuang sent Li Hanzhi to give battle at Wuzhi. The Wei army was routed and retreated. The great general Yue Xingda, governor of Duan Prefecture, returned ahead of the main force, seized Weizhou, and was proclaimed acting military commissioner by the troops. Han Jian was murdered by his own men. On the day jiwei, Yue Xingda was appointed acting commissioner of Weibo.
46
甲子,李克用進圍華州,黃思鄴、黃揆嬰城固守。 克用分騎屯渭北。
On the day jiazi, Li Keyong invested Hua Prefecture. Huang Siye and Huang Kui shut themselves within the walls and held firm. Li Keyong detached cavalry to camp north of the Wei River.
47
以王鎔爲成德留後。
Wang Rong was appointed acting military commissioner of Chengde.
48
以鄭紹業爲太子賓客、分司,以陳儒爲荊南留後。
Zheng Shaoye was appointed attendant to the crown prince with duties in the branch secretariat, and Chen Ru was made acting administrator of Jingnan.
49
峽路招討指揮使莊夢蝶韓秀升、屈行從所敗,退保忠州,應援使胡弘略戰亦不利。 江、淮貢賦皆爲賊所阻,百官無俸。 雲安、淯井路不通,民間乏鹽。 陳敬瑄奏以眉州防禦使高仁厚爲西川行軍司馬,將三千兵討之。
Zhuang Mengdie, the gorge-route pacification commander, was defeated by Han Xiuyue and Qu Xingcong and fell back to Zhong Prefecture. The relief commissioner Hu Honglue also fought without success. Tribute from the Jianghuai region was cut off by the rebels, and the court officials went unpaid. The routes through Yun'an and Yujing were blocked, and salt grew scarce among the populace. Chen Jingxuan recommended Gao Renhou, defense commissioner of Meizhou, as deputy commander of the western Sichuan expedition, to lead three thousand men against the rebels.
50
加鳳翔節度使李昌言同平章事。
Li Changyan, military commissioner of Fengxiang, was appointed an associate chief councilor.
51
黃巢兵數敗,食復盡,陰爲遁計,發兵三萬扼藍田道。 三月,壬申,遣尚讓將兵救華州。 李克用、王重榮引兵逆戰於零口,破之。 克用進軍渭橋,騎軍在渭北,克用每夜令其將薛志勤、康君立潛入長安,燔積聚,斬虜而還,賊中大驚。
Huang Chao's forces had suffered repeated defeats and again ran out of provisions. He secretly planned retreat and dispatched thirty thousand men to hold the Lantian road. In the third month, on the day renshen, he sent Shang Rang with an army to relieve Hua Prefecture. Li Keyong and Wang Chongrong met the relief force at Lingkou and shattered it. Li Keyong pressed toward Wei Bridge with his cavalry on the north bank. Each night he sent his generals Xue Zhiqin and Kang Junli into Chang'an to burn supplies, kill stragglers, and withdraw before dawn. Panic spread through the rebel ranks.
52
以淮南押牙合肥楊行愍爲廬州刺史。 行愍本廬州牙將,勇敢,屢有戰功,都將忌之,白刺史郎幼復遣使出戍於外。 行愍過辭,都將以甘言悅之,問其所須,行愍曰:「正須汝頭耳!」 遂起斬之,並將諸營,自稱八營都知兵馬使。 幼復不能制,薦於高駢,請以自代。 駢以行愍爲淮南押牙,知廬州事,朝廷因而命之。 行愍聞州人王勖賢,召,欲用之,固徉。 問其子弟,曰:「子潛,好學慎密,可任以事; 弟子稔,有氣節,可爲將。」 行愍召潛置門下,以稔及定遠人季章爲騎將。 初,呂用之因左驍雄軍使俞公楚得見高駢。 用之橫甚,或以咎公楚,公楚數戒用之少自斂,毋相累,用之銜之。 右驍雄軍使姚歸禮氣直敢言,尤疾用之所爲,時面數其罪,常欲手刃之。 癸未夜,用之與其黨會倡家,歸禮潛遣人爇其室,殺貌類者數人,用之易服得免。 明旦,窮治其事,獲縱火者,皆驍雄之卒。 用之於是日夜譖二將於駢。 未幾,駢使二將將驍雄卒三千襲賊於慎縣,用之密以語楊行愍云:「公楚、歸禮欲襲廬州。」 行愍發兵掩之,二將不爲備,舉軍盡殪,以二將謀亂告駢。 駢不知用之謀,厚賞行愍。
Yang Xingmin of Hefei, a guard officer under the Huainan command, was appointed governor of Luzhou. Yang Xingmin had been a guard officer in Luzhou, bold and repeatedly distinguished in battle. The chief commander grew jealous and persuaded Governor Lang Yourfu to post him on distant border duty. When Yang Xingmin came to bid farewell, the chief commander flattered him and asked what he might need. Yang Xingmin replied, "Nothing but your head!" He sprang up and slew him on the spot, took command of every camp, and styled himself overall commander of the eight garrisons. Lang Yourfu could not restrain him and therefore recommended him to Gao Pian, asking to resign in Yang's favor. Gao Pian named him his guard officer and governor of Luzhou, and the court confirmed the appointment. Hearing that Wang Jin, a man of Luzhou, had a fine reputation, Yang summoned him for service, but Wang stubbornly feigned illness. Yang asked Jin's household instead. They said, "His son Qian is studious and discreet and can be trusted with affairs; his nephew Ren has spirit and can serve as a commander." Yang Xingmin took Qian into his staff and appointed Ren and Ji Zhang of Dingyuan as cavalry commanders. Lü Yongzhi had first gained access to Gao Pian through Yu Gongchu, commander of the Left Valiant Eagle Army. Yongzhi grew ever more arrogant, and blame fell on Yu Gongchu, who repeatedly warned him to restrain himself lest they both be ruined. Yongzhi bore a grudge. Yao Guili, commander of the Right Valiant Eagle Army, was blunt and fearless. He detested Yongzhi's conduct, often denounced him to his face, and longed to kill him with his own blade. On the night of guiwei, Yongzhi and his clique were at a brothel when Guili secretly set fire to the building. Several men who resembled Yongzhi were killed in the blaze, but Yongzhi swapped clothes and escaped. At dawn the authorities traced the arson and seized the culprits, all soldiers of the Valiant Eagle armies. Yongzhi then began night and day to slander the two commanders to Gao Pian. Soon afterward Gao Pian ordered the two commanders to lead three thousand Valiant Eagle troops on a raid into Shen County. Yongzhi secretly told Yang Xingmin that Gongchu and Guili were plotting to attack Luzhou. Yang Xingmin sent troops in ambush. The two commanders were taken unawares and their entire force was wiped out. Yang reported to Gao Pian that they had plotted rebellion. "Gao Pian, unaware of Yongzhi's scheme, richly rewarded Yang Xingmin."
53
己丑,以河中行營招討副使朱全忠爲宣武節度使,俟克復長安,令赴鎭。
On the day jichou, Zhu Quanzhong, deputy campaign commander in Hezhong, was appointed military commissioner of Xuanwu, with orders to take up the post once Chang'an was recovered.
54
癸巳,李克用等拔華州,黃揆棄城走。 劉漢宏分兵屯黃嶺、巖下、貞女三鎭,錢鏐將八都兵自富春擊之,破黃嶺,擒巖下鎭將史弁、貞女鎭將楊元宗。 漢安以精兵屯諸暨,鏐又擊破之,漢宏走。
On the day guisi, Li Keyong and his allies captured Hua Prefecture, and Huang Kui abandoned the city and fled. Liu Hanhong stationed detachments at the posts of Huangling, Yanxia, and Zhennü. Qian Liu led his Eight-Districts army from Fuchun, routed the force at Huangling, and captured Shi Bian at Yanxia and Yang Yuanzong at Zhennü. Liu Hanhong concentrated elite troops at Zhuji, but Qian Liu defeated them there as well and Hanhong fled.
55
莊夢蝶與韓秀升、屈行從戰,又敗。 其敗兵紛紜還走,所在慰諭,不可遏。 遇高仁厚於路,叱之,即止。 仁厚斬都虞候一人,更令修娖部伍。 乃召耆老,詢以山川蹊徑及賊寨所據,喜曰:「賊精兵盡在舟中,使老弱守寨,資糧皆在寨中,此所謂重戰輕防,其敗必矣!」 乃揚兵江上,爲欲涉之狀。 賊晝夜御備,遣兵挑戰,仁厚不與交兵,潛發勇士千人執兵負稿,夜,由間道攻其寨,且焚之。 賊望見,分兵往救之不及,資糧蕩盡,眾心已搖。 仁厚復募善游者鑿其舟底,相繼皆沉,賊往來惶惑,不能相救,仁厚遣兵於要路邀擊,且招之,賊眾皆降。 秀升、行從見眾潰,揮劍亂斫,欲止之。 眾愈怒,共執二人詣仁厚,仁厚詰之曰:「何故反?」 秀長曰:「自大中皇帝晏駕,天下無復公道,紐解綱絶。 今日反者,豈惟秀升! 成是敗非,機上之肉,惟所烹醢耳!」 仁厚愀然,命善食而械之。 夏,四月,庚子,獻於行在,斬之。
Zhuang Mengdie met Han Xiuyue and Qu Xingcong in battle and was defeated again. The routed troops stampeded homeward and could not be halted, no matter who tried to calm them. Gao Renhou met them on the road, shouted them down, and they halted at once. Gao Renhou executed one army overseer, reorganized the ranks, and restored discipline. He questioned local elders about mountain paths and rebel positions and exclaimed with satisfaction, "The rebels keep their best troops afloat while the old and weak guard the camps, and all their supplies are stored ashore. They are fighting hard while neglecting defense. They are bound to fall!" He then paraded his troops along the river as though preparing to ford it. The rebels stood guard day and night and sent parties to provoke a fight, but Renhou refused battle. By night he secretly led a thousand picked men with arms and bundles of straw along a hidden path to storm and burn their camp. The rebels saw the flames and sent detachments to save the camp, but too late; their stores were destroyed and morale collapsed. Renhou hired divers to bore holes in the rebel boats until they sank one after another. Stranded rebels panicked and could not aid one another. His men blocked the crossings, offered terms, and the rebel host surrendered. When Han Xiuyue and Qu Xingcong saw the rout, they flailed their swords wildly, trying to stem the flight. The men only grew more furious, seized both leaders, and hauled them before Gao Renhou, who demanded, "Why have you rebelled?" Xiuchang answered, "Since Emperor Da Zhong died, justice has vanished from the realm. Laws and bonds alike have snapped. Rebels today are hardly limited to Xiuyue and me! Success or failure is not the point. We are meat on the block, to be stewed or minced as you please! Gao Renhou's face darkened, but he gave them a good meal before putting them in fetters. In summer, the fourth month, on the day gengzi, they were sent to the emperor's camp and executed."
56
李克用與忠武將龐從、河中將白志遷等引兵先進,與黃巢軍戰於渭南,一日三戰,皆捷。 義成、義武等諸軍繼之,賊眾大奔。 甲辰,克用等自光泰門入京師,黃巢力戰不勝,焚宮室遁去。 賊死及降者甚眾,官軍暴掠,無異於賊,長安室屋及民所存無幾。 巢自藍田入商山,多遺珍寶於路。 官軍爭取之,不急追,賊遂逸去。
Li Keyong advanced with Pang Cong of Zhongwu and Bai Zhilian of Hezhong and fought Huang Chao's army at Weinan three times in a single day, winning each engagement. The armies of Yicheng, Yiwu, and other circuits pressed behind them, and the rebel host broke and fled. On the day jiachen, Li Keyong and his allies entered the capital through Guangtai Gate. Huang Chao fought fiercely, failed to hold, set the palaces ablaze, and fled. Vast numbers of rebels were killed or surrendered, but the imperial armies looted as savagely as the rebels had, and little of Chang'an's buildings or civilian property survived. Huang Chao withdrew from Lantian into the Shang Mountains, strewing treasures along the road. The soldiers stopped to seize the booty instead of pressing the pursuit, and the rebels escaped.
57
楊復光遣使告捷,百官入賀。 詔留忠武等軍二萬人,委大明宮留守王徽及京畿制置使田從異部分,守衞長安。 五月,加朱玫、李克用、東方逵同平章事。 升陝州爲節度使,以王重盈爲節度。 又建延州爲保塞軍,以保大行軍司馬、延州刺史李孝恭爲節度使。 克用時年二十八,於諸將最少,而破黃巢,復長安,功第一,兵勢最強,諸將皆畏之。 克用一目微眇,時人謂之「獨眼龍」。
Yang Fuguang sent envoys with news of victory, and the officials offered congratulations. An edict left twenty thousand men from Zhongwu and allied armies, under the Daming Palace defender Wang Hui and the capital disposition commissioner Tian Congyi, to garrison Chang'an. In the fifth month, Zhu Mei, Li Keyong, and Dongfang Kui were made associate chief councilors. Shaan Prefecture was elevated to a full military commission, with Wang Chongying as its commissioner. Yan Prefecture was made the Baosai circuit, and Li Xiaogong, deputy commander of the Baoda expedition and governor of Yan, was appointed its military commissioner. Li Keyong was only twenty-eight, the youngest of the major commanders, yet he had broken Huang Chao and recovered Chang'an. His merit ranked first and his army was the strongest; the other generals all feared him. “One of Li Keyong's eyes was dim, and men called him the One-Eyed Dragon.”
58
詔以崔璆家貴身顯,爲黃巢相首尾三載,不逃不隱,於所在斬之。
An edict ordered the execution of Cui Yan wherever found. Born to a prominent family and himself a high official, he had served Huang Chao openly for three years without fleeing or concealing his allegiance.
59
黃巢使其驍將孟楷將萬人爲前鋒,擊蔡州,節度使秦宗權逆戰而敗。 賊進攻其城,宗權遂稱臣於巢,與之連兵。 初,巢在長安,陳州刺史宛丘趙犨謂將佐曰:「巢不死長安,必東走,陳其沖也。 且巢素與忠武爲仇,不可不爲之備。」 乃完城塹,繕甲兵,積芻粟; 六十里之內,民有資糧者,悉徙之入城。 多募勇士,使其弟昶珝、子麓林分將之。 孟楷既下蔡州,移兵擊陳,軍於項城。 犨先示之弱,伺其無備,襲擊之,殺獲殆盡,生擒楷,斬之。 巢聞楷死,驚怒,悉眾屯殷水。 六月,與秦宗權合兵圍陳州,掘塹五重,百道攻之。 陳人大恐,犨諭之曰:「忠武素著義勇,陳州號爲勁兵,況吾家久食陳祿,誓與此州存亡。 男子當求生於死中,且徇國而死,不愈於臣賊而生乎! 有異議者斬!」 數引銳兵開門出擊賊。 破之。 巢益怒,營於州北,立宮室百司,爲持久之計。 時民間無積聚,賊掠人爲糧,生投於碓磑,並骨食之,號給糧之處曰「舂磨寨」。 縱兵四掠,自河南、許、汝、唐、鄧、孟、鄭、汴、曹、濮、徐、兗等數十州,鹹被其毒。
Huang Chao sent his fierce general Meng Kai ahead with ten thousand men against Cai Prefecture. Military Commissioner Qin Zongquan met him in battle and was defeated. The rebels pressed the siege. Zongquan then submitted to Huang Chao and joined forces with him. Earlier, while Huang Chao still held Chang'an, Zhao Chou of Wancheng, governor of Chen Prefecture, told his officers, "If Chao does not die in the capital, he will march east, and Chen lies on his road. He has long been at feud with Zhongwu. We must prepare." Zhao Chou repaired the walls and moats, readied arms and armor, and stockpiled fodder and grain; Every household with food within sixty li was moved inside the walls. He recruited brave men widely and put his brothers Chang and Xu and his son Lu Lin in separate commands. After Meng Kai took Cai Prefecture, he shifted against Chen and encamped at Xiangcheng. Zhao Chou feigned weakness, then struck when the enemy was off guard. He nearly annihilated the force, took Meng Kai alive, and executed him. Huang Chao, shocked and enraged at Kai's death, marched his entire host to Yinshui. In the sixth month he and Qin Zongquan united to besiege Chen, digging five rings of trenches and assaulting from a hundred directions. The people of Chen were terrified. Zhao Chou rallied them: "Zhongwu has always been famed for valor, and Chenzhou troops are counted among the empire's best. My family has long lived on Chen's pay. I swear to live and die with this city. A man should seek life in the jaws of death. To die for the dynasty is better than to bow to rebels and live! Whoever disagrees will be beheaded! He repeatedly led crack troops out the gates to strike the besiegers. And drove them back each time. Huang Chao, furious, pitched camp north of the city, raised palaces and government halls, and settled in for a long siege. With no grain left in the countryside, the rebels seized people for food, threw the living into pestles and millstones, and ate flesh and bone together. They named the supply camps the Pounding-and-Grinding Stockades. They sent their soldiers to ravage the countryside throughout dozens of prefectures from Henan, Xu, Ru, Tang, Deng, Meng, Zheng, Bian, Cao, Pu, Xu, Yan, and beyond, until the region was utterly scourged."
60
初,上蔡人劉謙爲嶺南小校,節度使韋宙奇其器,以兄女妻之。 謙擊群盜,屢有功,辛丑,以謙爲封州刺史。
Earlier, Liu Qian of Shangcai had served as a junior officer in Lingnan. Military Commissioner Wei Zhou was struck by his ability and married him to his elder brother's daughter. Qian raided outlaw bands with repeated success, and on the day xinchou he was appointed prefect of Feng Prefecture.
61
加東川節度使楊師立同平章事。
Yang Shili, military commissioner of Dongchuan, was made associate chief councilor.
62
宣武節度使朱全忠帥所部數百人赴鎭,秋,七月,丁卯,至汴州。 時汴、宋荐饑,公私窮竭,內外驕軍難制,外爲大敵所攻,無日不戰,眾心危懼,而全忠勇氣益振。 詔以黃巢未平,加全忠東北面都招討使。
Zhu Quanzhong, military commissioner of Xuanwu, marched several hundred of his men to take up his commission. In autumn, the seventh month, on the day dingmao, he reached Bian Prefecture. Bian and Song were gripped by famine after famine. Public and private resources were spent, the arrogant garrisons within and without were barely controllable, and a powerful foe pressed the borders with fighting every day. Morale was fraying, yet Zhu Quanzhong's fighting spirit only grew. Because Huang Chao was not yet subdued, an edict made Zhu Quanzhong grand punitive commissioner of the northeast.
63
南詔遣布燮楊奇肱來迎公主。 詔陳敬瑄與書,辭以「鑾輿巡幸,儀物未備,俟還京邑,然後出降。」 奇肱不從,直前至成都。
Nanzhao dispatched the bufie Yang Qigong to escort the princess. The court told Chen Jingxuan to reply in writing, pleading that "the emperor is still on campaign, the wedding equipage is not ready, and the princess will be sent only after we return to the capital." Yang Qigong refused to accept this and pressed on to Chengdu.
64
李克用自長安引兵還雁門,尋有詔,以克用爲河東節度使,召鄭從讜詣行在。 克用乃自東道過榆次,詣雁門省其父。 克用尋榜河東,安慰軍民曰:「勿爲舊念,各安家業。」
Li Keyong withdrew from Chang'an toward Yanmen. Soon an edict appointed him military commissioner of Hedong and summoned Zheng Congdian to the emperor's camp. He took the eastern road through Yuci to Yanmen to see his father. Shortly afterward he posted notices across Hedong reassuring soldiers and civilians: "Let go of old grievances and return to your homes and trades."
65
左驍衞上將軍楊復光卒於河中。 復光慷慨喜忠義,善撫士卒,軍中慟哭累日,八都將鹿晏弘等各以其眾散去。 田令孜素畏忌之,聞其卒,甚喜,因擯斥其兄樞密使復恭爲飛龍使。 令孜專權,人莫與之抗,惟復恭數與之爭得失,故令孜惡之,復恭因稱疾歸藍田。
Yang Fuguang, senior general of the Left Brave Guards, died at Hezhong. Yang Fuguang was open-handed and devoted to loyalty; he knew how to win over his troops. The army mourned him for days. Generals of the Eight Districts, including Lu Yanhong, each led their men away in separate bands. Tian Lingzi had long feared and resented him. On hearing of his death he was delighted and removed Yang Fuguang's elder brother, Privy Councilor Yang Fugong, demoting him to commissioner of the Feilong Bureau. Tian Lingzi held unchecked power and few dared oppose him. Yang Fugong alone argued with him repeatedly over policy, which earned Tian's hatred. Fugong feigned illness and retired to Lantian.
66
以成德留後王鎔、魏博留後樂行達、天平留後朱瑄爲本道節度使。
Wang Rong of Chengde, Yue Xingda of Weibo, and Zhu Xuan of Tianping were confirmed as full military commissioners of their circuits.
67
司徒、門下侍郎、同平章事鄭畋,雖當播越,猶謹法度。 田令孜爲判官呉圓求郎官,畋不許; 陳敬瑄欲立於宰相之上,畋以故事,使相品秩雖高,皆居真相之下,固爭之; 二人乃令鳳翔節度使李昌言上言:「軍情猜忌,不可令畋扈從過此。」 畋亦累表辭位,乃罷爲太子太保,又以其子兵部侍郎凝績爲彭州刺史,使之就養。 以兵部尚書判度支裴澈爲中書侍郎、同平章事。
Zheng Tian, grand tutor, vice-director of the Gate Department, and associate chief councilor, kept to proper procedure even in the turmoil of exile. Tian Lingzi asked him to grant a court office to his aide Wu Yuan; Zheng Tian refused. Chen Jingxuan wanted precedence over the civil chancellors. Zheng Tian cited precedent: however exalted a military commissioner might be, he remained below the true chancellor—and held his ground. The two men had Li Changyan, military commissioner of Fengxiang, memorialize that "the troops are suspicious and uneasy; Zheng Tian must not be allowed to accompany the court beyond this point." Zheng Tian too submitted repeated resignations and was removed to Grand Mentor of the Heir Apparent. His son Ningji, vice-director of the Ministry of War, was appointed prefect of Pengzhou so he could tend his father. Pei Che, director of the Ministry of War acting as finance chief, was made Secretariat vice-director and associate chief councilor.
68
八月,甲辰,李克用至晉陽,詔以前振武節度使李國昌爲代北節度使,鎭代州。
In the eighth month, on the day jiachen, Li Keyong reached Jinyang. An edict appointed his father Li Guochang, former commissioner of Zhenwu, military commissioner of Daibei with his seat at Daizhou.
69
升湖南爲欽化軍,以觀察使閔勖爲節度使。
Hunan was elevated to the Qinhua circuit, and Min Xu, the observation commissioner, was made its military governor.
70
九月,如陳敬瑄兼中書令,進爵穎川郡王。
In the ninth month Chen Jingxuan was also made director of the Secretariat and raised to Prince of Yingchuan.
71
感化節度使時溥營於殷水; 加溥東面兵馬都統。
Shi Pu, military commissioner of Ganhua, encamped at Yinshui; Shi Pu was made grand marshal of eastern armies.
72
以荊南留後陳儒爲節度使。
Chen Ru, regent of Jingnan, was confirmed as military commissioner.
73
昭義節度使孟方立,以潞州地險人勁,屢篡主帥,欲漸弱之,及遷治所於邢州,大將家及富室皆徙山東,潞人不悅。 監軍祁審誨因人心不安,使武鄕鎭使安居受潛以蠟丸乞師於李克用,請復軍府於潞州。 冬,十月,克用遣其將賀公雅等赴之,爲方立所敗; 又遣李克脩擊之,辛亥,取潞州,殺其刺史李殷銳。 是後克用每歲出兵爭山東,三州之人半爲俘馘,野無稼穡矣。
Meng Fangli of Zhaoyi found Luzhou's terrain formidable and its people warlike, with commanders often overthrown. To weaken the prefecture he moved his headquarters to Xingzhou and relocated leading families and the wealthy east of the Taihang Mountains. The people of Luzhou were bitterly resentful. Army Supervisor Qi Shenhui, seeing popular unrest, had the Wuxiang post commissioner An Jushou smuggle a wax-sealed plea to Li Keyong asking for troops to restore the military headquarters at Luzhou. In winter, the tenth month, Li Keyong sent He Gongya and other generals to Luzhou, but Meng Fangli defeated them. He then sent Li Kexiu, who on the day xinhai took Luzhou and killed the prefect Li Yinrui. Thereafter Li Keyong raided east of the mountains every year. Half the population of the three prefectures was killed or captured, and the fields lay untilled.
74
以宗女爲安化長公主,妻南詔。
An imperial daughter was made Princess Chang of Anhua and sent to marry the king of Nanzhao.
75
劉漢宏將十餘萬眾出西陵,將擊董昌; 戊午,錢鏐濟江逆戰,大破之,漢宏易服持鱠刀而遁。 己未,漢宏收餘眾四萬又戰,鏐又破之,斬其弟漢容及將辛約。
Liu Hanhong marched more than a hundred thousand men through Xiling Pass to strike Dong Chang. On the day wuwu, Qian Liu crossed the river to meet him and routed his army. Liu Hanhong disguised himself, seized a kitchen knife, and fled. On the day jiwei, Liu Hanhong regrouped forty thousand survivors and fought again. Qian Liu defeated him once more, killing his brother Hanrong and the general Xin Yue.
76
十一月,甲子朔,秦宗權圍許州。
In the eleventh month, on the new moon of the day jiazi, Qin Zongquan besieged Xu Prefecture.
77
忠武大將鹿晏弘帥所部自河中南掠襄、鄧、金、洋,所過屠滅,聲雲西赴行在。 十二月,至興元,逐節度使牛勖,勖奔龍州西山。 晏弘據興元,自稱留後。
Lu Yanhong, a senior general of Zhongwu, led his men south of the Yellow River in a sweep through Xiang, Deng, Jin, and Yang, leaving slaughter wherever they passed while announcing that he was marching west to join the emperor. In the twelfth month he reached Xingyuan, drove out Military Commissioner Niu Xu, who fled into the western hills of Long Prefecture. Lu Yanhong seized Xingyuan and proclaimed himself acting military commissioner.
78
感化節度使時溥因食中毒,疑判官李凝古而殺之。 凝古父損,爲右散騎常侍,在成都,溥奏凝古與父同謀。 田令孜受溥賂,令御史台鞫之。 侍卸史王華爲損論冤,令孜矯詔移損下神策獄,華拒而不遣。 蕭遘奏:「李凝古行毒,事出暖昧,已爲溥所殺,父損相別數年,聲問不通,安得誣以同謀! 溥恃功亂法,陵蔑朝廷,欲殺天子侍臣; 若徇其欲,行及臣輩,朝廷何以自立!」 由是損得免死,歸田裡。 時令孜專權,群臣莫敢迕視,惟遘屢與爭辯,朝廷倚之。
Shi Pu, military commissioner of Ganhua, suffered food poisoning, suspected his aide Li Ninggu of poisoning him, and had him killed. Li Ninggu's father Li Sun, a right Gentlemen-at-Large Cavalier Attendant, was in Chengdu. Shi Pu accused father and son of conspiring together. Tian Lingzi accepted Shi Pu's bribe and ordered the Censorate to investigate. Attending Censor Wang Hua pleaded Li Sun's innocence. Tian Lingzi forged an edict to move Sun into Shence custody, but Wang Hua refused to hand him over. Xiao Xu memorialized: "Li Ninggu's poisoning charge was murky to begin with, and Shi Pu has already killed him. Father and son have been separated for years without contact—how can they be accused of conspiracy? Shi Pu abuses his battlefield merit to defy the law and bully the court, and now seeks to kill the emperor's own attendants. If this is granted, it will reach us next—how can the court endure it?" Li Sun was spared execution and sent home to his estate. Tian Lingzi then held unchecked power and few ministers dared cross him. Xiao Xu alone argued with him again and again, and the court leaned on him.
79
升浙東爲義勝軍,以劉漢宏爲節度使。
Zhedong was elevated to the Yisheng circuit, and Liu Hanhong was appointed its military commissioner.
80
趙犨遣人間道求救於鄰道,於是周岌、時溥、朱全忠皆引兵救之。 全忠與黃巢之黨戰於鹿邑,敗之,斬首二千餘級,遂引兵入亳州而據之。
Zhao Chou sent envoys by hidden routes to beg aid from neighboring circuits. Zhou Ji, Shi Pu, and Zhu Quanzhong all marched to relieve him. Zhu Quanzhong fought Huang Chao's followers at Luyi, routed them, and took more than two thousand heads, then advanced into Bozhou and occupied it.
81
春,正月,以鹿晏弘爲興元留後。
In spring, the first month, Lu Yanhong was confirmed as acting military commissioner of Xingyuan.
82
賜魏博節度使樂行達名彥禎。
Yue Xingda, military commissioner of Weibo, was granted the personal name Yan Zhen.
83
東川節度使楊師立以陳敬瑄兄弟權寵之盛,心不能平。 敬瑄之遣高仁厚討韓秀升也,語之曰:「成功而還,當奏天子,以東川相賞。」 師立聞之,怒曰:「彼此列籓,而遽以我疆土許人,是無天地也!」 田令孜恐其爲亂,因其不發兵遏,征師立爲右僕射。
Yang Shili of Dongchuan could not stomach the Chen Jingxuan brothers' grip on favor and power. When Chen Jingxuan sent Gao Renhou against Han Xiuzheng, he told him: "Return victorious and I will petition the throne to give you Dongchuan as your reward." Yang Shili heard of it and raged: "We are fellow frontier commissioners, yet you casually offer my domain to someone else—as if heaven and earth meant nothing!" Tian Lingzi, fearing he would rebel, recalled him to court as right vice director because he had failed to block the rebels.
84
黃巢兵尚強,周岌、時溥、朱全忠不能支,共求救於河東節度使李克用。 二月,克用將蕃、漢兵五萬出天井關,河陽節度使諸葛爽辭以河橋不完,屯兵萬善以拒之。 克用乃還兵自陝、河中渡河而東。
Huang Chao's army was still formidable. Zhou Ji, Shi Pu, and Zhu Quanzhong could not hold the line and jointly begged Li Keyong of Hedong for help. In the second month Li Keyong marched fifty thousand Tangut and Han troops through Tianjing Pass. Zhuge Shuang of Heyang refused passage, claiming the Yellow River bridge was unfinished, and massed ten thousand men at Wanshan to block him. Li Keyong swung south, crossed the Yellow River through Shaan and Hezhong, and marched east.
85
楊師立得詔書,怒,不受代,殺官告使及監軍使,舉兵,以討陳敬瑄爲名,大將有諫者輒殺之,進屯涪城,遣其將郝蠲襲綿州,不克。 丙午,以陳敬瑄爲西川、東川、山南西道都指揮、招討、安撫、處置等使。 三月,甲子,楊師立移檄行在百官及諸道將吏士庶,數陳敬瑄十罪,自言集本道將士、八州壇丁共十五萬人,長驅問罪。 詔削師立官爵,以眉州防禦使高仁厚爲東川留後,將兵五千討之,以西川押牙楊茂言爲行軍副使。
Yang Shili received the recall, flew into a rage, and refused to step down. He killed the credential bearer and the army supervisor, took up arms in the name of punishing Chen Jingxuan, and executed any senior officer who objected. He advanced to Fucheng and sent Hao Juan against Mian Prefecture without success. On the day bingwu Chen Jingxuan was made overall commander, punitive commissioner, pacification commissioner, and disposition commissioner of Xichuan, Dongchuan, and Shannan West. In the third month, on the day jiazi, Yang Shili circulated a proclamation to the court in exile and to officers and civilians of every circuit, listing ten crimes of Chen Jingxuan and claiming an army of 150,000 drawn from his circuit's troops and ritual levies across eight prefectures, ready to march in force for justice. An edict stripped Yang Shili of rank and title. Gao Renhou, defense commissioner of Meizhou, was made acting commissioner of Dongchuan and sent with five thousand men against him, with Yang Maoyan of Xichuan as his deputy.
86
朱全忠擊黃巢瓦子寨,拔之; 巢將陝人李唐賓、楚丘王虔裕降於全忠。
Zhu Quanzhong stormed Huang Chao's Wazi Stockade and captured it; Huang Chao's generals Li Tangbin of Shaan and Wang Qianyu of Chuqiu surrendered to Zhu Quanzhong.
87
婺州人王鎭執刺史黃碣,降於錢鏐。 劉漢宏遣其將婁賚殺鎭而代之,浦陽鎭將蔣環召鏐兵共攻婺州,擒賚而還。 碣,閩人也。
Wang Zhen of Wuzhou seized Prefect Huang Jie and submitted to Qian Liu. Liu Hanhong sent Lou Ben to kill Wang Zhen and take his place. Jiang Huan, commander of the Puyang post, called in Qian Liu's troops to assault Wuzhou, captured Lou Ben, and withdrew. Huang Jie was a native of Min.
88
高駢從子左驍衞大將軍澞,疏呂用之罪狀二十餘幅,密以呈駢,且泣曰:「用之內則假神仙之説,蠱惑尊聽; 外則盜節制之權,殘賊百姓; 將佐懼死,莫之敢言。 歲月浸深,羽翼將成,苟不除之,恐高氏弈代勳庸,一朝掃地矣!」 因嗚咽不自勝。 駢曰:「汝醉邪!」 命扶出。 明日,以澞狀示用之,用之曰:「四十郎嘗以空乏見告,未獲遵命,故有此憾。」 因出澞手書數幅呈之。 駢甚慚,遂禁澞出入; 後月餘,以澞知舒州事。 群盜陳儒攻舒州,澞求救於廬州。 楊行愍力不能救,謀於其將李神福,神福請不用寸刃而逐之。 乃多繼旗幟,間道入舒州,頃之,引舒州兵建廬州旗幟而出,指畫地形,若布大陳狀; 賊懼,宵遁。 神福,洺州人也。 久之,群盜呉迥、李本復攻舒州,澞不能守,棄城走,駢使人就殺之。 楊行愍遣其將合肥陶雅、清流張訓等將兵擊呉迥、李本,擒斬之,以雅攝州刺史。 秦宗權遣其弟將兵寇廬州,據舒城,楊行愍遣其將合肥田頵擊走之。
Gao Pian's nephew Gao Yu, a senior general of the Left Brave Guards, drafted more than twenty sheets listing Lü Yongzhi's crimes and secretly handed them to Pian, weeping as he said: "Inwardly Yongzhi uses talk of immortals to bewitch your judgment; outwardly he steals command authority and brutalizes the people; your officers fear for their lives and dare not speak. Month by month his power grows. Unless he is removed, the Gao family's generations of merit may be swept away overnight!" He broke down sobbing. Gao Pian said, "Are you drunk?" He ordered attendants to help him out. The next day he showed Yu's memorial to Lü Yongzhi. Yongzhi said, "Forty Lang once begged me for funds I had not yet granted—hence this grudge." He produced several letters in Yu's own hand and showed them to Pian. Gao Pian was deeply shamed and forbade Yu to come and go; and a month later appointed him to govern Shuzhou. The bandit Chen Ru attacked Shuzhou, and Yu begged Yang Xingmin in Luzhou for aid. Yang Xingmin lacked the strength to rescue him and consulted his general Li Shenfu, who said he needed no weapon to expel the enemy. Li Shenfu raised many extra banners and slipped into Shuzhou by a back road. Soon he marched Shuzhou troops out under Luzhou colors, gesturing over the ground as if laying out a great battle line. The raiders panicked and fled overnight. Li Shenfu was a native of Luozhou. Long afterward the bandits Wu Hui and Li Ben attacked Shuzhou again. Yu could not hold the city, fled, and Gao Pian had him hunted down and killed. Yang Xingmin sent Tao Ya of Hefei and Zhang Xun of Qingliu against Wu Hui and Li Ben, captured and executed them, and made Tao Ya acting prefect. Qin Zongquan sent his brother to raid Luzhou and seize Shucheng. Yang Xingmin sent Tian Jun of Hefei to beat them back.
89
前杭州刺史路審中客居黃州,聞鄂州刺史崔紹卒,募兵三千人入據之。 武昌牙將杜洪亦逐岳州刺史而代之。
Former Hangzhou Prefect Lu Shenzhong, living in exile at Huang Prefecture, heard that Prefect Cui Shao of Ezhou had died, raised three thousand men, and seized the prefecture. Du Hong, a Wuchang garrison officer, likewise drove out the prefect of Yuezhou and took his place.
90
黃巢圍陳州幾三百日,趙犨兄弟與之大小數百戰,雖兵食將盡,而眾心益固。 李克用會許、汴、徐、兗之軍於陳州。 時尚讓屯太康,夏,四月,癸巳,諸軍進拔太康。 黃思鄴屯西華,諸軍復攻之。 思鄴走。 黃巢聞之懼,退軍故陽裡,陳州圍始解。
Huang Chao had besieged Chen Prefecture for nearly three hundred days. The Zhao Chou brothers fought him in hundreds of engagements. Though supplies and manpower were nearly gone, the defenders' resolve only hardened. Li Keyong united the armies of Xu, Bian, Xuzhou, and Yan at Chen Prefecture. Shang Rang was then encamped at Taikang. In summer, the fourth month, on the day guisi, the allied armies advanced and captured Taikang. Huang Siye held Xihua, and the allies attacked him there as well. Huang Siye fled. Huang Chao heard the news and panicked. He pulled back to Guyangli, and the siege of Chen Prefecture was finally broken.
91
朱全忠聞黃巢將至,引軍還大梁。 五月,癸亥,大雨,平地三尺,黃巢營爲水所漂,且聞李克用至,遂引兵東北趣汴州,屠尉氏。 尚讓以驍騎五千進逼大梁,至於繁台,宣武將豐人朱珍、南華龐師古擊卻之。 全忠復告急於李克用。 丙寅,克用與忠武都監使田從異發許州,戊辰,追及黃巢於中牟北王滿渡,乘其半濟,奮擊,大破之,殺萬餘人,賊遂潰。 尚讓帥其眾降時溥,別將臨晉李讜、曲周霍存、甄城葛從周、冤句張歸霸及從弟歸厚帥其眾降朱全忠。 巢逾汴而北,己巳,克用追擊之於封丘,又破之。 庚午夜,復大雨,賊驚懼東走,克用追之,過胙城、匡城。 巢收餘眾近千人,東奔充州。 辛未,克用追至冤句,騎能屬者才數百人,晝夜行二百餘里,人馬疲乏,糧盡,乃還汴州,欲裹糧復追之,獲巢幼子及乘輿器服符印,得所掠男女萬人,悉縱遣之。
When Zhu Quanzhong learned that Huang Chao was approaching, he withdrew his army to Great Liang. In the fifth month, on the day guihai, torrential rain raised the water three feet deep across the plain. Huang Chao's camp was washed away, and when word came that Li Keyong was near, he marched northeast toward Bian Prefecture and massacred Weishi. Shang Rang advanced on Great Liang with five thousand elite horsemen as far as Fantai, but Zhu Zhen of Feng and Pang Shigu of Nanhua, generals of Xuanwu, drove them back. Zhu Quanzhong again urgently appealed to Li Keyong for help. On the day bingyin, Li Keyong and Tian Congyi, army overseer of Zhongwu, marched out from Xu Prefecture. On the day wuchen he caught Huang Chao at Wangman Ford north of Zhongmou, struck while the rebels were half across the river, routed them utterly, and killed more than ten thousand. The rebel army disintegrated. Shang Rang surrendered with his following to Shi Pu. The detachment commanders Li Dan of Linjin, Huo Cun of Quzhou, Ge Congzhou of Zhencheng, Zhang Guiba of Yuanqu, and Zhang's younger cousin Guihou each submitted their troops to Zhu Quanzhong. Huang Chao crossed north of the Bian River. On the day jisi Li Keyong caught him at Fengqiu and defeated him again. At midnight on the day gengwu another downpour fell. Panic-stricken, the rebels fled eastward. Li Keyong pursued them through Zuocheng and Kuangcheng. Huang Chao mustered fewer than a thousand survivors and fled east toward Yan Prefecture. On the day xinwei Li Keyong chased Huang Chao as far as Yuanqu, but only a few hundred horsemen could keep pace. They had ridden more than two hundred li without rest; men and mounts were spent and provisions gone. He turned back to Bian Prefecture, intending to resupply and resume the pursuit. He captured Huang Chao's young son along with imperial regalia, seals, and ceremonial vessels, and recovered ten thousand captive men and women, whom he released and sent home.
92
癸酉,高仁厚屯德陽,楊師立遣其將鄭君雄、張士安據鹿頭關以拒之。
On the day guiyou, Gao Renhou camped at Deyang. Yang Shili sent Zheng Junxiong and Zhang Shi'an to hold Lutou Pass against him.
93
甲戌,李克用至汴州,營於城外,朱全忠固請入城,館於上源驛。 全忠就置酒、聲樂,饌具皆精豐,禮貌甚恭。 克用乘酒使氣,語頗侵之,全忠不平,薄暮,罷酒,從者皆沾醉,宣武將楊彥洪密與全忠謀,連車樹柵以塞衢路,發兵圍驛而攻之,呼聲動地。 克用醉,不之聞; 親兵薛志勤、史敬思等十餘人格鬥,侍者郭景銖滅燭,扶克用匿床下,以水沃其面,徐告以難,克用始張目援弓而起。 志勤射汴人,死者數十。 須臾,煙火四合,會大雨震電,天地晦冥,志勤扶克用帥左右數人,逾坦突圍,乘電光而行,汴人扼橋,力戰得度,史敬思爲後拒,戰死。 克用登尉氏門,縋城得出,監軍陳景思等三百餘人,皆爲汴人所殺。 楊彥洪謂全忠曰:「胡人急則乘馬,見乘馬者則射之。」 是夕,彥洪乘馬適在全忠前,全忠射之,殪。
On the day jiaxu, Li Keyong reached Bian Prefecture and pitched camp outside the walls. Zhu Quanzhong pressed him to enter the city and lodged him at Shangyuan Post. Zhu Quanzhong entertained him with wine and music, serving a lavish and elegant banquet with every show of respect. Emboldened by wine, Li Keyong grew overbearing and his words turned insulting. Zhu Quanzhong took offense. At dusk the banquet broke up, his escort dead drunk. The Xuanwu officer Yang Yanhong secretly plotted with Zhu Quanzhong: they chained wagons and raised barricades to seal the streets, then sent soldiers to surround the post. The din of battle shook the ground. Li Keyong, drunk, heard nothing; but a dozen of his personal guards, including Xue Zhiqin and Shi Jingsi, fought hand to hand. The attendant Guo Jingzhu snuffed the lamps, pulled Li Keyong under the bed, splashed water on his face, and slowly told him of the attack. Li Keyong opened his eyes, seized his bow, and rose. Xue Zhiqin shot down dozens of the men from Bian. Soon smoke and flame closed in on every side. Thunder and lightning lashed the sky in a torrential rain until heaven and earth were black. Xue Zhiqin guided Li Keyong and a few companions over the wall and through the encirclement, advancing by flashes of lightning. The men of Bian held the bridge, but after a fierce fight they forced their way across. Shi Jingsi covered the retreat and was killed in action. Li Keyong climbed Weishi Gate and was let down by rope from the wall to escape. Chen Jingsi, his army overseer, and more than three hundred others were all slain by the men of Bian. Yang Yanhong told Zhu Quanzhong, "When these barbarians panic they take to horseback. Shoot anyone you see on a horse. That night Yang Yanhong rode up directly in front of Zhu Quanzhong, and Zhu Quanzhong shot him dead.
94
克用妻劉氏,多智略,左右先脫歸者以汴人爲變告,劉氏神色不動,立斬之,陰召大將約束,謀保軍以還。 比明,克用至,欲勒兵攻全忠,劉氏曰:「公比爲國討賊,救東諸侯之急,今汴人不道,乃謀害公,自當訴之朝廷。 若擅舉兵相攻,則天下孰能辨其曲直! 且彼得以有辭矣。」 克用從之,引兵去,但移書責全忠。 全忠復書曰:「前夕之變,僕不之知,朝廷自遣使者與楊彥洪爲謀,彥洪既伏其辜,惟公諒察。」
Li Keyong's wife Lady Liu was a woman of keen intelligence. Attendants who had escaped first came back with word of treachery at Bian. Lady Liu did not flinch; she had them executed on the spot, secretly summoned the senior commanders to hold the ranks together, and planned how to withdraw the army safely. At daybreak Li Keyong arrived and wanted to march against Zhu Quanzhong. Lady Liu said, "You have been fighting the rebels for the empire and relieving the eastern lords in their distress. The men of Bian have committed a crime by plotting your murder—you should lay the case before the court. If you take up arms on your own, who under heaven will be able to tell right from wrong? You will only give them a pretext. Li Keyong agreed, withdrew his army, and merely sent a letter rebuking Zhu Quanzhong. Zhu Quanzhong wrote back, "I knew nothing of what happened the other night. The court itself sent envoys to plot with Yang Yanhong. He has paid for his crime. I beg your understanding."
95
克用養子嗣源,年十七,從克用自上源山,矢石之間,獨無所傷。 嗣源本胡人,名邈佶烈,無姓。 克用擇軍中驍勇者,多養爲子,名回鶻張政之子曰存信,振武孫重進曰存進,許州王賢曰存賢,安敬思曰存孝,皆冒姓李氏。 丙子,克用至許州故寨,求糧於周岌,岌辭以糧乏,乃自陝濟河還晉陽。
Li Keyong's adopted son Li Siyuan, seventeen years old, accompanied him away from Shangyuan. Though arrows and stones flew thick around them, he alone came through unhurt. Siyuan was originally a barbarian named Yaojilie and had no clan name. Li Keyong took the bravest men in his army and adopted many as sons: Zhang Zheng the Huigu's son he named Cunxin; Sun Chongjin of Zhenwu he named Cunjin; Wang Xian of Xuzhou he named Cunxian; An Jingsi he named Cunxiao. All took the surname Li. On the day bingzi, Li Keyong reached his old camp at Xu Prefecture and asked Zhou Ji for provisions. Zhou pleaded scarcity. Li Keyong crossed the Yellow River from Shaanxi and returned to Jinyang.
96
鄭君雄、張士安堅壁不出,高仁厚曰:「攻之則彼利我傷,圍之則彼困我逸。」 遂列十二寨圍之。 丁丑,夜二鼓,君雄等出勁兵掩擊城北副使寨,楊茂言不能御,帥眾棄寨走,其旁數寨見副使走,亦走。 東川人並兵南攻中軍,仁厚聞之,大開寨門,設炬火照之,自帥士卒爲兩翼伏道左右。 賊至,見門開,不敢入,還去。 仁厚發伏擊之,東川兵大奔,追至城下,蹙之壕中,斬獲甚眾而還。 仁厚念諸棄寨走者,明旦所當誅殺甚多,乃密召孔目官張韶,諭之曰:『爾速遣歩探子將數十人分道追走者,自以爾意諭之曰:「僕射幸不出寨,皆不知,汝曹速歸,來旦牙參如常,勿憂也。』」 韶素名長者,眾信之,至四鼓,皆還寨; 惟楊茂言走至張把,乃追及之。 仁厚聞諸寨漏鼓如故,喜曰:「悉歸矣!」 詰旦,諸將牙集,以爲仁厚誠不知也,坐良久,仁厚謂茂言曰:「昨夜聞副使身先士卒,走至張把,有諸?」 對曰:「昨夜聞賊攻中軍,左右言僕射已去,遂策馬參隨,既而審其虛,復還寨中。」 仁厚曰:「仁厚與副使俱受命天子,將兵討賊,若仁厚先走,副使當叱下馬,行軍法,代總軍事,然後奏聞。 今副使既先走,又爲欺罔,理當如何?」 茂言拱手曰:「當死。」 仁厚曰:「然!」 命左右扶下,斬之,諸將股慄。 仁厚乃召昨夜所俘虜數十人,釋縛縱歸。 君雄等聞之懼,曰:「彼軍法嚴整如是,自今兵不可復出矣!
Zheng Junxiong and Zhang Shi'an held their walls and refused battle. Gao Renhou said, "If we attack, they gain and we suffer. If we besiege, they grow desperate while we rest easy." He then pitched twelve camps and invested the place. On the day dingchou, at the second watch, Zheng Junxiong sent elite troops in a surprise strike against the northern deputy commander's camp. Yang Maoyan could not hold and fled with his men. When the neighboring camps saw the deputy commander run, they fled as well. The Dongchuan forces combined and attacked the center. When Renhou heard this, he threw open his camp gates, lit torches to blaze the field, and personally led men in ambush on both flanks along the roads. The enemy reached the camp, saw the gates wide open, dared not enter, and withdrew. Renhou sprang his ambush. The Dongchuan army broke and fled. He pursued to the walls, drove them into the moat, killed and captured a great many, and withdrew. Renhou reflected that if he punished every man who had abandoned his post, he would have to execute a great many the next day. He secretly summoned Zhang Shao, his chief clerk, and told him, 'Send foot scouts at once, several dozen in all, by different routes after the fugitives. Tell them in your own words, "The Delegate never left camp and knew nothing of what happened. Return at once. Tomorrow's morning assembly will proceed as usual. You need not fear." Zhang Shao enjoyed a reputation for honesty, and the men believed him. By the fourth watch they had all returned to camp.' Only Yang Maoyan had fled as far as Zhangba before he was caught. When Renhou heard the night watches striking as usual in every camp, he said with satisfaction, "They have all come back!" At dawn the generals assembled for the morning roll call, believing Renhou had been unaware of the rout. They sat a long while before Renhou turned to Yang Maoyan and said, "I heard that last night you led the flight as far as Zhangba. Is that true?" Maoyan answered, "Last night, when I heard the enemy strike the center, my attendants said you had left. I mounted to follow you, but when I learned it was untrue I came back to camp." Renhou said, "You and I both bear the Son of Heaven's commission to campaign against rebels. If I had fled first, you should have ordered me down from my horse, enforced military law, taken command, and then reported to the throne. You fled first and lied about it. What does military law require?" Yang Maoyan bowed and said, "Death." Renhou said, "Quite so." He had attendants lead Yang Maoyan away and beheaded him. Every officer shook with fear. Renhou then summoned several dozen prisoners taken the night before, freed them, and sent them home. When Zheng Junxiong heard of this he said in alarm, "Their discipline is this strict—from now on we dare not sally forth again!"
97
庚辰,時溥遣其將李師悅將兵萬人追黃巢。
On the day gengchen, Shi Pu sent his general Li Shiyue with ten thousand men in pursuit of Huang Chao.
98
癸未,高仁厚陳於鹿頭關城下,鄭君雄等悉眾出戰。 仁厚設伏於陳後,陽敗走。 君雄等追之,伏發,君雄等大敗。 是夕,遁歸梓州。 陳敬瑄發兵三千以益仁厚軍,進圍梓州。
On the day guiwei, Gao Renhou drew up his line before Lutou Pass. Zheng Junxiong led his entire force out to fight. Renhou placed an ambush behind his battle line and pretended to flee in defeat. Zheng Junxiong gave chase; the ambush struck, and his army was routed. That night they fled back to Zi Prefecture. Chen Jingxuan sent three thousand reinforcements to Renhou's army, which then advanced to besiege Zi Prefecture.