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卷267 後梁紀二

Volume 267 Later Liang Records 2

Chapter 267 of 資治通鑑 · Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance
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1
267
Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 267
2
【Later Liang Annals II】 From the eighth month of 909 through the second month of 912—a span of slightly more than two years.
3
使
In the eighth month, Wuyue's King Qian Liu sent his Ningguo military governor Wang Jingren to Daliang with a memorial outlining a strategy for taking Huainan. Jingren had formerly been called Maozhang; he had changed his name to avoid a taboo of the Liang court.
4
使使 使使
Huainan dispatched its infantry commander Zhou Ben and southern army commander Lü Shizao against Wuyue; in the ninth month they laid siege to Suzhou. The Wuyue general Zhang Renbao attacked Dongzhou in Changzhou and took it. Huainan lost more than ten thousand men. Huainan made Chizhou regimental commissioner Chen Zhang overall commander of the joint land-and-water force and sent him with Chai Zaiyong and other generals to relieve Dongzhou; at Yudang they crushed Zhang Renbao and retook Dongzhou. During the fighting Chai Zaiyong's boat was smashed; he clung to a long spear to stay afloat and barely made it ashore. His family had arranged a feast for a thousand monks in his honor; Zaiyong took all the food to reward his troops, saying, "It was the soldiers who saved me—what did the monks do for me!"
5
On the day bingzi, Shu invested Lady Zhou as empress. The empress was from Xuzhou.
6
使 退 使 使使
Jin's Zhou Dewei and Li Sizhao marched thirty thousand men through Yindi Pass against Jinzhou, where prefect Xu Huaiyu shut himself in to resist. The emperor led a relief force in person; on dingchou he left Daliang and on yiyou reached Shazhou. On wuzi, Yanzhou military governor Hu Jingzhang, whom the Prince of Qi had commissioned, raided Shangping Pass; Liu Zhijun routed him. Learning that the emperor was on his way, Zhou Dewei and his colleagues fell back to Xi Prefecture on yiwei. Jingnan military governor Gao Jichang posted troops at Hankou, severing the route by which Chu sent tribute. King Ma Yin of Chu sent his general Xu Dexun with a fleet against him; when the Chu ships reached Shatou, Jichang grew alarmed and sought peace. Yin also sent infantry commander Lü Shizhou into Lingnan; after more than ten engagements with Qinghai military governor Liu Yin he seized the six prefectures of Zhao, He, Wu, Meng, Gong, and Fu. With his domain greatly enlarged, Yin began to patronize scholars and give the people respite, and Hunan grew secure.
7
In winter, the tenth month, the Shu ruler elevated Zhang of the inner palace to noble consort, a lady of the Xu clan to wise consort, and her younger sister to virtuous consort. Lady Zhang was from Qi and was the mother of Zongyi. The two Xu sisters were daughters of Xu Geng.
8
The Huayuan bandit leader Wen Tao rallied men on Cuo'e Mountain and plundered the counties of Yong Prefecture; he had looted almost every Tang imperial tomb.
9
宿
On gengxu the Shu ruler held a grand military review on Xingxiu Mountain with three hundred thousand foot and horse.
10
On dingsi the emperor returned to Daliang.
11
使使
On xinyou Liu Yin was appointed military governor of Qinghai and Jinghai; Zhao Guangyi of the Ministry of Rites and right remonstrance official Li Yinheng were dispatched as credential envoys, and Yin detained them all. Guangyi was a younger brother of Zhao Guangfeng; Yinheng was a grandson of Li Deyu.
12
使
Liang Zhen of Yizheng, a metropolitan graduate who had passed the examinations late in Tang, now returned to Shu. Passing through Jiangling, Gao Jichang was taken with his ability and detained him, intending to recommend him as administrative aide. Zhen was ashamed and wanted to leave, yet feared reprisal; he said, "I have never coveted rank. If you do not think me a fool and truly want my counsel, let me attend your table as a private guest—that is enough; why must I sit in your headquarters!" Jichang consented. For the rest of his life Zhen styled himself only a former metropolitan graduate and never accepted formal appointment from the Gao family. Jichang held him in high esteem, treated him as chief strategist, and addressed him as Senior.
13
使使
At King Qian Liu of Wuyue's request, the emperor made Bozhou regimental commissioner Kou Yanqing overall commander of the southeastern campaign and sent him against Huainan. In the eleventh month Yanqing led two thousand men in a raid on Huoqiu and was beaten by local magnate Zhu Jing; he then attacked Lu and Shou prefectures but failed in both. Huainan sent Chuzhou prefect Shi Yan against him, and Yanqing withdrew.
14
使
Dingnan military governor Li Sijian died; on jiaxu his son Yichang installed himself as acting military governor.
15
Liu Shouwen mobilized the armies of Cang and De against Youzhou; Liu Shouguang appealed to Jin, and the Prince of Jin sent five thousand men to his aid. On dinghai Shouwen's army reached Lutai Army and was defeated by Shouguang; they fought again at Yutian and lost once more. Shouwen then withdrew.
16
On guisi Vice Director of the Secretariat and co-equal chief minister Zhang Ce retired as Minister of Justice; Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs Yang She was made co-equal chief minister.
17
使使
Baosai military governor Hu Jingzhang died; Jingnan military governor Li Jihui sent his general Liu Wanzi to take over Yanzhou.
18
That year the King of Hongnong sent army officer Wan Quangan with a letter by a secret route to Jin and Qi to announce his succession.
19
The emperor planned to move the capital to Luoyang.
20
In spring, the first month, on jisi the spirit tablets of the imperial ancestral temple were moved to Luoyang. On jiaxu the emperor left Daliang. On renshen Prince of Bo Zhu Youwen was made regent of the eastern capital. On jimao the emperor arrived in Luoyang. On gengyin he offered sacrifice in the imperial ancestral temple. On xinsi he sacrificed at the Round Mound and proclaimed a general amnesty.
21
On bingshen, with revenues somewhat improved, full salaries were paid to officials for the first time.
22
In the second month, on the first day dingyou, there was a solar eclipse.
23
使使 使西
Baosai military governor Liu Wanzi was brutal and lost the loyalty of his troops; he also plotted to defect to Liang. Li Jihui sent Yanzhou garrison officer Li Yanshi to deal with him. At Wanzi's funeral for Hu Jingzhang, Yanshi struck, killed him, and seized Yanzhou. Cavalry commander Gao Wanxing of Hexi and his brother Wanjin, hearing of the turmoil, brought several thousand men to Liu Zhijun and surrendered. The Prince of Qi had established Zhai Prefecture at Fucheng; its garrison commander surrendered as well.
24
使使
In the third month, on jiaxu the emperor left Luoyang. Shannan East Circuit military governor Yang Shihou was also made commander of the encircling campaign against Lu Prefecture.
25
On gengchen the emperor reached Hezhong and sent foot and horse to join Gao Wanxing in taking Dan and Yan prefectures.
26
使
On bingxu Shuofang military governor and concurrent Secretariat director Han Xun was created Prince of Yingchuan. Xun had been a garrison officer at Lingzhou; late in Tang he seized his circuit, and the former court had granted him a military commission in recognition.
27
On xinmao Danzhou prefect Cui Gongshi offered to surrender.
28
使使使
Because Jinling was strategically vital and a concentration point for warships, Xu Wen took the Shengzhou prefecture himself as Huainan deputy campaign commander while remaining at Guangling; he sent his adopted son Yuancong, commander Zhigao, as Shengzhou patrol officer and deputy riverine commander to govern it.
29
使
In summer, the fourth month, on the first day bingchen Liu Zhijun marched against Yanzhou; Li Yanshi barred the gates and defended the city. Zhijun sent Baishui garrison commissioner Liu Ru with a detachment to besiege Fang Prefecture.
30
On gengzi Wang Shenzhi was created Prince of Min and Liu Yin Prince of Nanping.
31
Liu Zhijun took Yanzhou and Li Yanshi surrendered.
32
竿 使使
Huainan forces besieged Suzhou with rolling siege sheds; Wuyue general Sun Yan of Linhai mounted wheels on pole tops, stretched silk between them, and cast grappling hooks to raise the sheds—exposing every attacker; when stones flew, defenders spread nets to catch them, and Huainan could not take the city. King Qian Liu sent palace guard commander Qian Biao, deputy campaign commander Du Jianhui, and others with a relief army.
33
竿
Waterways ran from outside into Suzhou; Huainan strung nets rigged with bells in the channels so that any fish or turtle passing would set them off. Wuyue patrol commander Sima Fu wanted to slip into the city; he deliberately brushed the nets with a pole, and when the enemy heard the bells they hauled the nets up—Fu slipped through; he spent three full days in the water before reaching the city. Thereafter orders inside the city coordinated with the relief force, and the enemy took it for sorcery.
34
使 使
King Qian Liu had once toured the government gardens, noted gardener Lu Renzhang's skill and sharp mind, and remembered him; when Suzhou was besieged he sent Renzhang with messages into the city, and Renzhang brought back a reply as promised. Liu raised him like a grandson, promoted him steadily, and eventually made him overseer of grain for both prefectures—he proved his worth in the end. Renzhang was from Muzhou.
35
殿
On xinhai Wuyue forces inside and outside the city struck the Huainan army together, crushing them, capturing more than thirty officers including He Lang, and taking two hundred warships. Zhou Ben fled by night; the pursuers defeated him again at Huangtiandang. Zhong Taizhang covered the retreat with two hundred picked troops and planted many banners among the reeds; the pursuers dared not press on and withdrew.
36
使 使使
Baoda military governor Li Yanbo and Fangzhou prefect Li Yanyu, both Qi appointees, abandoned their posts and fled to Fengxiang; Fuzhou garrison commander Yan Hongyi surrendered the city. On jiwei Gao Wanxing was appointed Baosai military governor and Jiangzhou prefect Niu Cunjie Baoda military governor.
37
Huainan established civil examinations for the first time and placed Luo Zhixiang in charge.
38
In the fifth month, on dingmao the emperor ordered Liu Zhijun to follow up and take Bin Prefecture; Zhijun demurred, citing lack of supplies, and was recalled.
39
使
Youguo military governor Wang Chongshi had governed Chang'an for years; while the emperor was at Hezhong he grew angry that Chongshi's tribute was late; on jisi he summoned Chongshi to court and made Left Dragon-Tiger commander Liu Han regent of Youguo. On guiyou the emperor left Hezhong; on jimao he reached Luoyang.
40
When Liu Han arrived in Chang'an, Wang Chongshi slighted him; Han denounced him to the emperor, claiming Chongshi was secretly in league with Bin and Qi. On jiashen Chongshi was demoted to prefect of Xi and soon ordered to kill himself; his entire clan was destroyed.
41
Liu Shouwen had attacked Liu Shouguang for years without success; he now raised a large force and, with lavish bribes, enlisted Khitan and Tuyuhun troops—forty thousand in all encamped at Jizhou. Shouguang met him at Jisu and was defeated. Shouwen rode alone to the front of his line and wept to his men, "Do not kill my younger brother!" Shouguang's general Yuan Xingqin recognized him, charged forward, and seized him; the Cang-De army collapsed. Shouguang locked him in a side room and bound him among thorn bushes, then pressed on to attack Cangzhou. Cangzhou administrative aides Lü Yan and Sun He installed Shouwen's son Yanzuo as leader and held the walls against him. Yan was from Anci.
42
使 西 使使 使使
As his fame and achievements grew, Zhongwu military governor and concurrent palace attendant Liu Zhijun grew uneasy—the emperor's suspicion and cruelty were increasing daily. When Wang Chongshi was executed, Zhijun's fear only deepened. The emperor planned a campaign against Hedong and urgently summoned Zhijun to court, intending to make him overall commander of the western Hedong campaign; and because Zhijun had captured Dan and Yan, the emperor rewarded him lavishly. Zhijun's brother Liu Zhihuan, Right Baosheng commander, was with the emperor at Luoyang and secretly sent word: "If you go to court, you will die." He also petitioned the emperor to lead his brothers and nephews to meet Zhijun, and the emperor agreed. In the sixth month, on the first day yiwei, Zhijun reported that he was "held back by soldiers and civilians" and submitted Tong Prefecture to Qi; he seized the military supervisor and officers who refused to follow and sent them in chains to Qi. He sent troops against Hua Prefecture, expelled prefect Cai Jingsi, and posted troops to hold Tong Pass. He secretly sent men to bribe the Chang'an generals with rich rewards; they seized Liu Han, sent him to Qi, and he was executed. Zhijun asked Qi for troops and also asked Jin to attack Jin and Jiang prefectures; he wrote the Prince of Jin: "Within ten days we can take the two capitals and restore the Tang dynasty."
43
使
On dingwei Shuofang military governor Han Xun reported the capture of Yancheng and the beheading of Li Jizhi, Qi's appointee as prefect.
44
使 使西使使
The emperor sent a close attendant to Liu Zhijun: "I have treated you generously—why have you turned against me?" He replied, "I am not ungrateful, but I fear my clan will be destroyed as Wang Chongshi's was." The emperor sent word again: "Liu Han claimed Chongshi was secretly allied with Bin and Qi; I regret that now beyond remedy—Han's death cannot atone for it." Zhijun made no answer. On gengxu an edict stripped Zhijun of rank and office; Shannan East Circuit military governor Yang Shihou was made western campaign commander and led palace guard cavalry-and-infantry commander Liu Yan and others against him. On xinhai the emperor left Luoyang.
45
使
Liu Yan reached a point east of Tong Pass and captured thirty of Liu Zhijun's ambush troops, including Lin Ruhui; he released them to serve as guides. Liu Zhihuan lost his way and wandered for days before reaching the pass; the gate officers let him in. Ruhai and the others followed; the gate officers, not knowing they had been captured, admitted them too. Yan's troops burst through the opened gates and took Tong Pass; they pursued and captured Zhihuan.
46
On guichou the emperor reached Shan Prefecture.
47
Danzhou cavalry commander Wang Xingsi and others rose in mutiny; prefect Song Zhihai fled.
48
西 祿
The emperor sent Zhijun's nephew Siye to Tong Prefecture with an edict summoning him; Zhijun wanted to ride lightly to the imperial camp to plead guilty, but his brother Zhiyan dissuaded him. When Yang Shihou reached Hua Prefecture, Zhijun's general Nie Shang opened the gates and surrendered. Learning Tong Pass had fallen and imperial troops were closing in, Zhijun panicked; on the night of yimao he fled with his entire clan to Qi. When Yang Shihou reached Chang'an, Qi troops already held the city; he led picked troops along the southern hills in a forced march, entered by the west gate, and retook it. On gengshen Liu Yan was made acting regent of Youguo. The Prince of Qi received Liu Zhijun with great honor and made him Vice Director of the Secretariat. The domain was too small to grant him a frontier command; he received only a generous stipend.
49
使
Liu Shouguang sent a memorial reporting victory and saying, "When Cang and De are settled, I will sweep away the Bing bandits for Your Majesty." He also wrote the Prince of Jin offering to join in destroying the usurper Liang.
50
使 使使 使
Fuzhou prefect Wei Quanfen styled himself Zhennan military governor and led armies from Fu, Xin, Yuan, and Ji—said to number one hundred thousand—against Hong Prefecture. Huainan had only a thousand defenders; the officers were terrified; military governor Liu Wei secretly sent urgent word to Guangling while each day holding banquets for his staff. Hearing this, Quanfen camped at Ivory Pool and hesitated to advance; he asked Chu for aid, and King Ma Yin sent commander Yuan Mei to join Yuanzhou prefect Peng Yanzhang in besieging Gao'an. Mei was from Caizhou; Yanzhang was a nephew of Peng Gan.
51
西使
Xu Wen asked Yan Keqiu to recommend a general; Keqiu named Zhou Ben. Ben was made southwestern campaign relief commander and led seven thousand men to relieve Gao'an. Ben had failed at Suzhou and pleaded illness; Keqiu forcibly roused him from his bed. Ben said, "At Suzhou the enemy could not beat us—the problem was that the commander lacked authority. If I am to command now, appoint no deputy—that is my condition." Keqiu agreed. Ben said, "The Chu troops are only backing Quanfen—they do not mean to take Gao'an. Defeat Quanfen and the relief force will withdraw." He then marched hard for Ivory Pool. He passed through Hong Prefecture. Liu Wei wanted to feast the troops; Ben refused to stop. Someone urged, "Quanfen's force is strong—you should assess the situation before advancing." Ben said, "The enemy outnumbers us ten to one; if our men hear that they will lose heart—better to attack while their confidence is still fresh."
52
In autumn, the seventh month, on jiazi Liu Shouguang was created Prince of Yan.
53
Liang troops took Dan Prefecture and captured Wang Xingsi.
54
西
Shangzhou prefect Li Chou drove soldiers and civilians to flee west; officers overtook and killed him and installed chief adjutant Li Mei to govern the prefecture.
55
On gengwu the Youguo Army was renamed Yongping.
56
Hedong troops raided Jin Prefecture, looting as far as Yaoci before withdrawing.
57
On guiyou the emperor left Shan Prefecture; on yihai he reached Luoyang and fell ill.
58
使使 西使 使 使
Earlier the emperor had summoned Shannan East Circuit military governor Yang Shihou to supervise the attack on Lu Prefecture; former Yanhai regent Wang Ban was made regent at Xiang Prefecture. Shihou repeatedly warned Ban that garrison soldiers Wang Qiu and others were violent and dangerous; Ban, trusting his own strongmen, ignored the warning and publicly humiliated them. On wuyin Qiu was demoted to the western frontier; that night he mutinied, killed Ban, and installed overall commander Liu Qi of Yongqiu as regent. Qi feigned acceptance; the next day he fled with commander Wang Yanshun to the emperor. The mutineers installed Pinghuai commander Li Hong as regent and went over to Shu. Soon Fangzhou prefect Yang Qian also rebelled and submitted to Shu.
59
使 使使 使 使 使 西 使
Wei Quanfen was at Ivory Pool with palisades along the stream stretching for miles. On gengchen Zhou Ben formed his line across the stream and first sent weak troops to test the enemy. Quanfen's men waded the stream in pursuit; Ben struck when they were half across; Quanfen's army collapsed in panic, trampling one another; many drowned; Ben cut off their retreat and captured Quanfen and five thousand men. Pressing on, he took Yuan Prefecture and captured prefect Peng Yanzhang, then advanced on Ji; Shezhou prefect Tao Ya sent his son Jingzhao and overall commander Xu Zhang to raid Rao and Xin; Xinzhou prefect Wei Zaichang surrendered and Raozhou prefect Tang Bao fled. Campaign commander Mi Zhicheng and commander Lü Shizao defeated Yuan Mei at Shanggao. Jizhou prefect Peng Gan fled to Chu with several thousand men; King Ma Yin petitioned to make him Chenzhou prefect and had his son Xifan marry Gan's daughter. Huainan made Left Vanguard commander Zhang Jingsi prefect of Xin and sent campaign deputy commander Guyán with five thousand men to escort him. When Wei Zaichang heard troops were approaching, he fled to Wuyue; King Qian Liu made him Huainan deputy military governor and changed his surname to Yuan. When Wei Quanfen reached Guangling, the King of Hongnong released him—Quanfen had once aided the Prince of Wuzhong—and treated him generously. In the eighth month Qianzhou prefect Lu Guangchou submitted his prefecture to Huainan. Thereafter all of Jiangxi fell to the Yang clan. Guangchou also sent envoys submitting to Liang.
60
On jiayin the emperor's illness eased and he resumed holding court.
61
使西使
Zhenguo military governor Kang Huaizhen was made deputy western campaign commander.
62
The Shu ruler ordered Crown Prince Zongyi to oversee the Six Armies, opened the Yonghe Office, and carefully selected court officials for his staff.
63
On xinyou Junzhou prefect Zhang Jingfang reported the capture of Fang Prefecture.
64
使 穿
The Prince of Qi planned to send Liu Zhijun against Ling and Xia and coordinated with the Prince of Jin to attack Jin and Jiang. The Prince of Jin marched south, first sending Zhou Dewei through Yindi Pass against Jin Prefecture; prefect Bian Jiwei defended with all his strength. Jin troops tunneled under the wall and breached it for more than twenty paces; the defenders fought a bloody battle; overnight the wall was rebuilt. An edict ordered Yang Shihou to relieve Jin Prefecture; Zhou Dewei's cavalry held Mengkeng Pass; Shihou broke through and reached Jin Prefecture; the Jin army lifted the siege and withdrew.
65
使
Li Hong raided Jingnan; Gao Jichang sent his general Ni Kefu and defeated him. An edict ordered cavalry-and-infantry commander Chen Hui to join Jingnan troops against Hong.
66
The Shu ruler made censor-in-chief Wang Kai Vice Director of the Secretariat and co-equal chief minister.
67
When Chen Hui reached Xiang Prefecture, Li Hong gave battle and was crushed; Wang Qiu was killed. In the ninth month, on dingyou the city fell; a thousand mutineers were beheaded; Li Hong, Yang Qian, and others were sent to Luoyang and executed.
68
使使
On dingwei Baoyi military governor Wang Tan was made eastern Lu Prefecture campaign commander.
69
使
Liu Shouguang memorialized sending his son, central army horse-and-arms commissioner Liu Jiwei, to pacify Cangzhou's officials and people. On wushen Jiwei was made regent of Yichang.
70
On xinhai Palace Attendant Han Jian was demoted to Grand Mentor; Left Vice Director Yang She was reduced to his original rank. Court of Imperial Sacrifices director Zhao Guangfeng was made Vice Director of the Secretariat, and drafting academician Du Xiao of the Ministry of Works was made Vice Director of the Ministry of Revenue—both as co-equal chief ministers. Xiao was a son of Du Rangneng.
71
使
Huainan sent envoy Zhang Zhiyuan to open relations with Fujian; Zhiyuan was arrogant; Prince of Min Wang Shenzhi executed him, forwarded his letter to the throne, and broke with Huainan. Shenzhi was frugal by nature, often wearing hemp sandals; his offices were humble and he never renovated them. He eased punishments and lowered taxes; public and private coffers grew full, and his domain was at peace. Each year tribute went by sea through Deng and Lai; as many as four or five in ten were lost to the waves.
72
In winter, the tenth month, on jiazi, Shu astronomy director Hu Xiulin submitted the Everlasting Prosperity Calendar, and the court adopted it.
73
紿 使
Huzhou prefect Gao Li was vicious by nature; he once called his staff together and asked, "I want to slaughter every commoner in the prefecture—is that acceptable?" The clerks replied, "If you do that, where will rent and taxes come from? You should pick out those worth killing and kill them—that is all." While pressing the people into militia service, Gao Li heard reports of grumbling; he assembled the militia at Kaiyuan Temple under the pretense of a reward feast and slaughtered them once inside—well over half were killed; Those still outside caught on, torched the city, and rebelled. Gao Li shut the gates and launched a sweeping purge, killing three thousand people. King Qian Liu meant to put him to death; on wuchen Gao Li turned the prefecture over to Huainan, burned Yihe and Linping, and Qian Liu sent commander Qian Biao against him.
74
In the eleventh month, on jiawu the emperor offered thanks at the Round Mound Altar; On wuxu he proclaimed a general amnesty.
75
使 使 使
The Prince of Ye, Luo Shaowei, fell ill with crippling paralysis and memorialized: "Wei was once a great stronghold with many outside troops; I ask that an accomplished senior official hold it—I beg leave to retire." When the emperor heard this, he struck the table, visibly moved. On jihai he appointed Shaowei's son Zhouhan deputy military governor of Tianxiong to run the prefecture. He told the envoy, "Go back at once and tell your master to eat well for my sake! If the worst should happen, I will exalt your descendants for generations in return. For now Zhouhan leads the army headquarters, but I still hope you recover."
76
使 使使 使使 使 使
The Prince of Qi wanted Lingzhou to install Liu Zhijun and use the region as horse pasture, and sent Zhijun to attack it. Shuofang military governor Han Xun sent messengers reporting dire straits; The court ordered Zhenguo military governor Kang Huaizhen and Ganhua military governor Kou Yanqing to march against Bin and Ning to relieve the siege. Huaizhen's forces won at every turn, taking Ning and Yan and capturing the southern quarter of Qing Prefecture, where prefect Li Yanguang surrendered. Raider columns pushed to the borders of Jing Prefecture; hearing this, on jichou in the twelfth month Liu Zhijun broke off the siege of Lingzhou and withdrew. The emperor hurriedly recalled Huaizhen and sent troops to meet them at Qinggu near Sanyuan. At Sanshui on the return march, Zhijun's men seized the passes; Wang Yanzhang of Shouzhang, Left Dragon Courage commander, fought desperately, and Huaizhen's column barely broke through. Huaizhen split with subordinates Li Deyu, Xu Congshi, and Wang Shenquan, each taking a different road and missing the relief force; at Shengping Liu Zhijun ambushed them at a pass—Huaizhen escaped alone while Deyu and the others were wiped out. The Prince of Qi made Zhijun Zhangyi military governor and posted him at Jing Prefecture.
77
“Wang Yanzhang was peerlessly fierce; he fought with two iron spears of a hundred jin each—one in his saddle, one in hand—and cut down everything in his path; men called him Iron Spear Wang.”
78
Shu Suizhou prefect Wang Zongbian pleaded illness, resigned, returned to Chengdu, and shut himself indoors. The Shu ruler suspected pride and simmering resentment, tried to promote him to honorary Grand Guardian, but Zongbian refused, saying, "The honest man has enough and does not worry; the greedy man worries though he never has enough. I am a nobody who has risen this high—that is enough; how could I keep grasping for more!" The Shu ruler admired his restraint, granted his wish, and heaped gifts upon him.
79
Liu Shouguang besieged Cangzhou for a long time; he dragged Liu Shouwen to the foot of the walls, yet the defenders still held out. The city's food ran out; civilians ate akē mud; soldiers ate human flesh; donkeys and horses fed on one another, gnawing each other's tails. Lü Yan picked the weakest men and women, fattened them on flour and cooked them to feed the army—a practice called the Butchery Office.
80
使 紿
In spring, the first month, on yimei Liu Yanzuo, spent at last, came out and surrendered. Jiwei was still a child; Shouguang had Zhang Wanjin and Zhou Zhiyu help him hold Cangzhou, sent Yanzuo and his officers to Youzhou, wiped out Lü Yan's clan, and freed Sun He. Lü Yan's son Qi was fifteen; client Zhao Yu tricked the execution overseer: "This is my younger brother—do not kill him by mistake." The overseer believed him and snatched the boy away. Qi's feet were too sore to walk; Yu carried him, changed their names, begged along the roads, and barely escaped. Grieving his family's destruction, Qi threw himself into study; the Prince of Jin heard of him and made him judge-advocate of Daizhou.
81
On xinchou Lu Guangchou was made acting military governor of Zhennan.
82
使
Shouguang petitioned for his father Rengong to retire; on bingwu Rengong was named Grand Preceptor and stepped down. Before long Shouguang secretly had Shouwen murdered, pinned the crime on the killers, and executed them.
83
In the second month Wan Quangan returned from Qi to Guangling; the Prince of Qi elevated the King of Hongnong to Director of the Secretariat and heir as Prince of Wu, who then proclaimed amnesty throughout his domain.
84
Gao Li asked Wu for help; Wu's Changzhou prefect Li Jian marched out, but Huzhou generals Sheng Shiyou and Shen Xingsi shut the gates and refused entry; Gao Li took his five thousand followers and fled into Wu. In the third month, on guisi King Qian Liu toured Huzhou and installed Qian Biao as prefect.
85
使 西使 使使 使使
Shu crown prince Zongyi was proud and brutal and loved to bully veteran officials. Palace Affairs commissioner Tang Daoxi was a Shu favorite; the crown prince repeatedly ridiculed him at court until each went to the ruler with complaints. Fearing open enmity, the Shu ruler posted Daoxi to Shannan West Circuit as military governor and co-equal chief minister. Daoxi recommended Northern Privy Secretariat commissioner Zheng Xu to succeed him; the day Xu took office he moved to investigate Daoxi's brothers for stealing from the inner treasury. Alarmed, Daoxi memorialized that Xu was narrow and rash; on bingwu Xu was demoted to Guo Prefecture and Pan Kang of the Southern Privy Secretariat was named Commissioner of Palace Affairs.
86
使使 使 使
Xia Prefecture chief commander Gao Zongyi rose in revolt and killed military governor Li Yichang. Officers killed Zongyi together and chose Yichang's clansman Li Renfu, Fan-Han chief commander, as leader; on guichou Renfu reported to the throne. In summer, the fourth month, on jiazi Renfu was appointed Dingnan military governor.
87
使 使
On dingmao Prince of Heng You Liang, Songzhou military governor, presented auspicious wheat with three heads on one stalk; the emperor said, "A bountiful harvest is the greatest good omen. Songzhou is drowning in flood—what good is this!" He ordered the magistrate's name struck from the record, rebuked You Liang, and replaced him with Prince of Hui You Neng as Songzhou regent. You Liang and You Neng were both sons of Quanyu.
88
使使
The emperor meant to reward Jin Prefecture's Hua Wenqi of Xiayi for holding off Jin; Prince of Ji You Qian argued Jin and Jiang lay on the Hedong frontier; on renshen Jin, Jiang, and Qin became the Dingchang Army under Wenqi.
89
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Left Golden Warriors grand general Kou Yanqing came to court; at Tianjin Bridge a commoner failed to clear the road and Yanqing had him thrown over the railing to his death. Yanqing turned himself in. The emperor, knowing Yanqing was capable and had long served at his side, ordered him to pay the dead man's family from his own purse. Censorate director Cui Yi impeached him: "Yanqing killed a man at the palace gate—punish him by law." The emperor ordered Yanqing to answer. Yanqing replied, "I told my followers to lift him over the railing—I never meant for him to die." The emperor wanted to treat it as accident; Yi argued: "Under law whoever gives the order is the principal and whoever carries it out is the accessory—you cannot shift blame to followers; Striking without mutual combat adds a degree to the assault charge—that is not accidental harm." On xinsi Yanqing was demoted to Mobile General and Left Guard Central Commandant. Yanqing announced, "Ten thousand strings of cash to whoever brings me Cui Yi's head." Yi reported this; the emperor warned Yanqing, "If Cui Yi loses so much as a hair, I will wipe out your whole clan!" The merit-holders were swaggering; after this they quieted down; Yi was Cui Hang's younger brother.
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In the fifth month Xu Wen's mother Zhou died; officers made funeral effigies dressed in brocade; Wen said, "All this was wrung from the people—why waste it here only to burn it? Give the cloth to the poor." Soon he was recalled to command all horse and foot forces and hold Runzhou governorship.
91
The Prince of Qi kept asking Shu for goods, and the Shu ruler gave whatever he wanted. He also demanded Ba and Jian; the Shu ruler said, "I have already done all I can for Maozhen; To hand over territory would abandon the people—I would rather send more goods." He sent another seventy thousand measures of silk, tea, cloth, and brocade.
92
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On jihai Liu Jiwei was made Yichang military governor.
93
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On guichou Luo Shaowei, Prince of Ye Zhenzhuang, Tianxiong military governor and Secretariat director, died. The court appointed his son Zhouhan Tianxiong regent.
94
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Feng Xingxi, Prince of Changle Zhongjing and Kuangguo military governor, fell gravely ill and asked to be replaced. Two thousand Xuzhou garrison troops were Qin Zongquan holdovers, and the emperor was deeply worried. In the sixth month, on gengxu the emperor sent Chongzheng academician Li Ting posthaste to Xingxi, saying, "Make my wishes clear—do not let nearby garrisons fall into chaos." At Xuzhou Ting told the officers, "The Son of Heaven commands a million soldiers only a few dozen li away; Lord Feng is loyal through and through—do not give the throne reason to doubt. Serve the state with honest hearts—what need to fear missing wealth and rank!" After that no one objected. Xingxi wanted someone to receive the edict for him; Ting said, "To face east in court dress is the proper rite." The edict was read in his sickroom; Ting said, "Look after yourself and leave affairs alone—that blesses your descendants." Xingxi wept his thanks and handed both commissioner seals to Ting to run headquarters. The emperor said, "I knew Ting could manage this—the Feng line will not die out." On gengchen Xingxi died. On jiashen Li Ting was made acting Kuangguo regent; Xingxi's soldiers were split among commanders and everyone who had taken the Feng surname reverted to his own clan.
95
King Ma Yin asked to be Grand Strategist General, and the court granted it. Yin opened the Grand Strategist Office, naming brothers Cong left chancellor and Cun right chancellor. Yin sent generals against Jingnan and camped at Youkou. Gao Jichang routed them, took five thousand heads, chased them to Baitian, and withdrew.
96
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Wu naval commander Ao Pian besieged Peng Gan's brother Jian at Chishi; Chu forces relieved Jian, captured Pian, and carried him off.
97
In autumn, the seventh month, on the new moon of wuzi, Wei Zhaoyuan—deputy director of the chancellery, minister of personnel, and co-equal chief minister of Shu—died.
98
King Qian Liu of Wuyue submitted a memorial: "The eunuchs Zhou Yanhao and twenty-four others fled here at the end of the Tang to escape calamity; they are not partisans of the Liu or Han factions—we ask that they be pardoned." The emperor replied, "I know these men are innocent, but at the outset of reform I do not mean to bring them into the inner palace; let them remain where they are for now and explain that to them."
99
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The Prince of Qi and the commanders of Bin and Jing each sent messengers to Jin to propose a joint campaign against Dingnan military governor Li Renfu. The Prince of Jin dispatched Zhende military governor Zhou Dewei at the head of an army to join the allied force; fifty thousand troops surrounded Xia Prefecture, and Renfu shut the gates and defended.
100
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In the eighth month Liu Shouguang was also made military governor of Yichang.
101
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Zhen and Ding had not paid regular taxes since the emperor took the throne, but their tribute gifts had been lavish. When Prince of Zhao Wang Rong's mother, Lady He, died, the court sent condolences on gengshen and authorized him to leave mourning and resume office. Envoys from neighboring circuits were all lodged in the guesthouse when one of them spotted Jin's messengers; returning, he told the emperor, "Rong is secretly dealing with Jin, and with Zhen and Ding so strong, he may prove impossible to control in the end." The emperor thought that quite right.
102
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On renxu Li Renfu sent an urgent plea for help. On jiazi Zhang Zongshi, governor of Henan and chancellor, was appointed western capital garrison commander. Fearing a Jin strike on the western capital, the emperor named Xuanhua acting governor Li Si'an commander of the northeastern field headquarters and sent ten thousand men to camp at Heyang. On bingyin the emperor left Luoyang; On jisi he reached Shan Prefecture. On xinwei Zhenguo military governor Yang Shihou was made western field commander, joining Ganhuo military governor Kang Huaizhen with thirty thousand troops at Sanyuan. The emperor feared Jin might advance from Ze Prefecture toward Huai Prefecture, but then word came they were stuck in the wastes of Sui and Yin. "Nothing to worry about," he said." On jiashen he sent Jiamu commanders Li Yu and Liu Wan from Fu and Yan toward Yin and Xia to cut off the enemy's retreat.
103
King Qian Liu of Wuyue built a stone seawall, enlarged Hangzhou's walls, and lavishly restored pavilions and halls. Qiantang became the richest and most prosperous place in the southeast.
104
In the ninth month, on jichou, the emperor marched from Shan; On jiawu he reached Luoyang, and his illness flared again.
105
Once Li Yu's force reached Xia Prefecture, the Qi and Jin armies broke off and withdrew.
106
In winter, the tenth month, Yang Shihou of Zhenguo and Li Si'an of Xiangzhou were sent to camp at Ze Prefecture with an eye to Shangdang.
107
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While King Qian Liu toured Huzhou he left Shen Xingsi as inspection commissioner; Xingsi returned together with Sheng Shiyou. Xingsi asked his colleague Chen Gui, "If the king makes Shiyou a prefect, what place will there be for me?" Gui had already received Liu's secret order to summon Xingsi to court, so he lied: "Why not go plead your case before the king yourself!" Xingsi took his advice. Within days his family was sent for and arrived as well; Xingsi realized Liu had betrayed him. When Liu returned from the Yijin Army and his officers came out to greet him, Xingsi grabbed a smith's hammer, killed Chen Gui with it, then confronted Liu and Sheng Shiyou over credit for merit; seizing a guard's spear he tried to run Shiyou through, but the bystanders grabbed him. Liu had Xingsi beheaded and appointed Shiyou prefect of Wu.
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In the eleventh month, on jichou, Ningguo military governor and co-equal chief minister Wang Jingren was named northern field commander; Han Qing of Lu Prefecture served as his deputy; Li Si'an led the vanguard toward Shangdang. Soon Wang Jingren's force was posted at Weizhou while Yang Shihou went back to Shan.
109
The Shu ruler renamed crown prince Zongyi as Yuantan. On gengxu he enfeoffed his adoptive sons: Zongyu as Prince of Tong, Zongfan as Prince of Kui, Zong Jinsui as Prince of Chang, Zongshou as Prince of Jia, and Zonghan as Prince of Ji; His sons received titles as well: Zongren as Prince of Pu, Zonglu as Prince of Ya, Zongji as Prince of Bao, Zongzhi as Prince of Rong, Zongze as Prince of Xing, Zongding as Prince of Peng, Zongjie as Prince of Xin, and Zongyan as Prince of Zheng. In late Tang, eunuch commanders often adopted bold soldiers as sons to bolster their power, and generals soon followed suit. The Shu ruler had more than most; only Zongyi and eight others, along with Zongte and Zongping, were truly his sons; Zongyu, Zong Jinsui, and Zongshou were all kinsmen; Zonghan, surname Meng, was the Shu ruler's sister's son; Zongfan, surname Zhang, was the son of the concubine Lady Zhou; The other hundred twenty adoptive sons were all distinguished men; though they took his surname and bore the "Zong" generation name, marriage among them was not barred.
110
After a slight recovery the emperor went hunting between the Yi and Luo on xinhai.
111
The emperor suspected Wang Rong of tilting toward Jin and also hoped to use Prince of Ye Luo Shaowei's death to reshuffle power in Zhen and Ding. When Prince of Yan Liu Shouguang massed troops at Lishui to threaten Dingzhou, the emperor sent palace attendants Du Tingyin and Ding Yanhui with three thousand Weibo troops to occupy Shen and Ji, claiming they were helping Zhao repel a southern raid by Yan. They added that the troops were merely being spread out to live off local supplies. Zhao general Shi Gongli, stationed at Shenzhou, warned Wang Rong and asked to turn the Liang troops away. Rong at once ordered the gates opened and posted Gongli outside the city to make way. Gongli walked out, pointed back at the city, and wept: "The Zhu clan ruined the Tang—every child knows their kind. Yet our prince still trusts the bond of marriage and treats them like gentlemen—this is opening the door to robbers. Alas—the people of this city are lost!"
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A Liang deserter reached Zhending and disclosed the plot; Rong was terrified but did not dare cut ties first; he sent only a plea to Luoyang: "Yan has withdrawn and we are at peace with Dingzhou as before; the people of Shen and Ji panic at the sight of Weibo troops—we ask that they be recalled." The emperor sent messengers to Zhending to reassure him. Before long Du Tingyin's men shut the gates, slaughtered the Zhao garrison, and seized the walls. Rong ordered Shi Gongli to retake the city but failed, then appealed to Yan and Jin for help. Rong's envoys reached Jinyang just as Wang Chuzhi of Yiwu sent his own; both wanted to make the Prince of Jin alliance leader and join forces against Liang. The Prince of Jin consulted his commanders, who all said: "Rong has served Zhu Wen for years, paid him lavish tribute, and married into his house—this must be a trick; watch and wait." The prince replied, "He is only weighing his interests. The Wangs submitted and rebelled throughout the Tang—why would they stay Zhu subjects forever? Zhu Wen's daughter is no Princess Shou'an! When life is at stake, who cares about a marriage tie! If we hesitate and refuse to help, we play straight into Zhu's hands. Send troops at once; with Jin and Zhao combined, Liang will surely fall." He mobilized an army under Zhou Dewei, marched through Jingxing Pass, and camped at Zhao Prefecture. Rong's envoys reached Youzhou while Liu Shouguang was hunting; staff officer Sun He rode out to warn him: "Zhao is asking for troops—Heaven is handing you your chance." Shouguang asked, "How so?" Sun He said, "We have long feared their tight bond with Zhu Wen. Zhu Wen will not rest until he devours Hebei; now Zhao has turned enemy against him—join them, break Liang, and Zhen and Ding will bow to Yan. If you delay, Jin will beat us to it." Shouguang said, "Wang Rong breaks his word at every turn—let him and Liang bleed each other while I sit back and profit. Why should I save him?" Envoys kept arriving from Zhao, but Shouguang never sent an army. Zhen and Ding thereafter restored the Tang Tianyou reign title and renamed the circuit Wushun back to Chengde.
113
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The astronomy office warned: "Next month's lunar eclipse bodes ill for armies camped in the field." The emperor recalled Wang Jingren to Luoyang. In the twelfth month, on jiwei, learning that Zhao and Jin had allied and Jin was camped at Zhao Prefecture, he ordered Wang Jingren to attack. On gengshen Wang Jingren crossed from Heyang, joined Luo Zhouhan, and massed forty thousand men at Xing and Ming.
114
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Qianzhou prefect Lu Guangchou fell ill and tried to hand his post to Tan Quanbo, who refused. When Guangchou died his son Yanchang, prefect of Shaozhou, came for the funeral; Quanbo placed him in authority and served him. Wu recognized Yanchang as Qianzhou prefect and he accepted, but he secretly wrote Liang through Prince of Chu Yin Tong: "I took Huainan's commission only to buy time—I mean to secure Jiangxi for the throne." On bingyin Yanchang was appointed acting Zhennan governor. Yanchang recommended his general Liao Shuang, a man of Gan, for Shaozhou. Wu aide Yan Keqiu of Huainan proposed a special commissioner at Xingan County with a garrison aimed at Qianzhou. Each rotation of troops brought a quiet increase in strength that the people of Qianzhou never noticed.
115
On gengwu the Shu ruler named Vice Censor-in-Chief Zhou Kuang and fiscal commissioner Yu Chuansu co-equal chief ministers and vice directors of the chancellery.
116
Li Yan of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices and others finalized the Liang law code; it took effect on guiyou.
117
On dingchou Wang Jingren marched on Baixiang.
118
On xinsi Shu proclaimed a general amnesty and named the coming year Everlasting Peace.
119
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Wang Rong again appealed urgently to Jin; the Prince of Jin left Li Cunshen at Jinyang and led the main army east from Zanhuang, with five thousand men from Wang Chuzhi in support. On xinsi the Prince of Jin reached Zhao Prefecture, linked up with Zhou Dewei, and seized two hundred Liang foragers. He asked them: "When you left Luoyang, what were the Liang ruler's orders?" They said: "The Liang ruler warned his commanders: 'Zhenzhou is treacherous—it will haunt your heirs. I give you every crack soldier; even if Zhenzhou were iron-walled, you must take it for me.' The prince sent them on to Zhao. On renwu the prince advanced to within thirty li of Baixiang and sent Zhou Dewei with allied cavalry to taunt the Liang camp; the Liang army refused to fight. On guiwei he pushed to within five li of Baixiang and camped north of the Yegou River, again sending cavalry to skirmish and hurl insults at the Liang lines. Liang general Han Qing led thirty thousand horse and foot in three columns, armor draped in brocade set with gold and silver so dazzling the Jin troops lost heart just looking. Zhou Dewei told Li Cunzhang: "The Liang aren't here to fight—they only want to show off. Unless we blunt their swagger, our men won't recover their spirit." 」He then rallied the troops: "They're all Tianwu men from Bian—butchers, tavern keepers, day-laborers, and hawkers. Their armor may glitter, but ten of them won't equal one of you. Take one prisoner and you're set for life. This is treasure on legs—don't let it get away." 」Dewei personally led a thousand crack cavalry against both ends of their line, wheeling left and right, striking in and pulling back four times. He took over a hundred prisoners, fighting all the way back until he halted at the Wild River. The Liang army pulled back as well.
120
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Dewei told the Prince of Jin, "The enemy is at full strength—we should hold back and let that strength spend itself. 」The prince replied, "I marched here from afar with a single army to relieve a desperate ally. Three commands have thrown themselves together—we win by striking fast. You want to sit tight and play it safe. Why? 」Dewei said, "Zhen and Ding men are good behind walls and poor in the open field. We depend on cavalry, which needs open ground to run and strike. Pressed up against their fortifications, our horsemen have no room to maneuver. We are too few. If they learn our real numbers, we're in grave danger." 」The prince took offense, retired to his tent, and lay down. None of the generals dared say another word. Dewei sought out Zhang Chengye. "Fresh off a quick win, His Highness is treating the enemy lightly—ignoring the odds and pushing for immediate battle. We're a stone's throw from the enemy—only a river away. If they throw up bridges and close in, our army will be destroyed on the spot. Better to fall back on Gaoyi and bait them out of camp—hit and fade, fade and hit—while light cavalry strips their supply lines. Give it a month and they'll break." 」Chengye parted the tent flap and roused the prince. "This is no hour for sleeping! Zhou Dewei is a veteran who knows war. You cannot ignore him." 」The prince bolted upright. "I was just turning it over in my mind. 」The Liang army had shut themselves in. Interrogating a deserter, they learned, "Jingren is mass-producing pontoon bridges. 」The prince told Dewei, "Just as you predicted. 」That same day they broke camp and fell back to Gaoyi.
121
Song Ye, a Chenzhou tribal chief, and Pan Jinsheng, a Xuzhou tribal chief, trusted their rugged mountain strongholds and raided the Chu frontier again and again. Now Ye struck Xiangxiang and Jinsheng struck Wugang. King Ma Yin of Chu sent Lü Shizhou, prefect of Zhaozhou, with five thousand Hengshan soldiers against them.
122
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Ningyuan military governor Pang Juzhao and Gaozhou defense commissioner Liu Changlu had both served as Tang officials. When Huang Chao swept through Lingnan, Juzhao was Rongguan observation commissioner and Changlu was Gaozhou prefect. They rallied the tribes to hold the passes; Chao's army never crossed the border. Tang honored their service by creating the Ningyuan command at Rongzhou, appointing Juzhao its governor and Changlu defense commissioner of Gaozhou. When Liu Yin took control of Lingnan, neither prefecture bowed to him; Yin sent his brother Yan against Gaozhou; Changlu crushed him. Yan then turned on Rongzhou and failed again. Changlu decided he could never best Yin. That year he wrote offering to come over to Chu. King Ma Yin was delighted and dispatched Yao Yanzhang, prefect of Hengzhou, with an escort. At Rongzhou, deputy commander Mo Yanzhao advised Juzhao: "The Hunan army is exhausted from the long march. Empty the granaries, abandon the city, and hide in the hills— They'll walk straight in. Then we hit them with everything we've got. Cut off from relief, they're ours." 」Juzhao said, "The Mas are ascendant. Beat them today—and then what? Better to greet them with cattle and wine." 」Yanzhao refused. Juzhao had him killed and surrendered the entire prefecture. Yanzhang pushed on to Gaozhou and convoyed the families of Juzhao and Changlu, along with a thousand-odd troops, back to Changsha. King Yin put Yanzhang in charge of Rongzhou and made Changlu vice governor of Yongshun. Changlu came from Ye.
123
In spring, on the first day of the first month—bingxu—a solar eclipse occurred.
124
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Baixiang had no fodder reserves. Liang soldiers scoured the fields for forage while Jin patrols picked off the foragers daily. The Liang army stayed inside. Zhou Dewei sent allied cavalry to ride rings around the camp, loosing arrows and taunts. The Liang army, fearing ambush, dug in further. They fed their horses under makeshift blade-roof shelters on straw matting; horses died in droves. On dinghai, Zhou Dewei with Shi Jiantan and Li Siyuan drove three thousand crack cavalry to the Liang gates, jeering. Wang Jingren and Han Qing, furious, marched out with their full strength. Dewei's force fought a fighting retreat north to the south of Gaoyi; Li Cunzhang formed infantry along the Wild River. The Liang line stretched for miles, surging for the bridge. Zhen and Ding foot soldiers held but were buckling. The Prince of Jin told Li Jianji, commander of the Kuangwei Guard, "Once they cross that bridge, we lose them forever. 」Jianji picked two hundred men, spears in hand, and with a roaring charge fought them back. Jianji, born in Xuzhou, bore the surname Wang and was the adopted son of Li Hanzhi. From a hilltop the Prince of Jin watched and said, "The Liang army pushes forward in chaos and noise. Ours holds steady and silent. We will win. 」Fighting lasted from mid-morning until noon with no clear victor. The prince told Zhou Dewei, "The armies are locked together. We can't pull apart now—everything rides on this charge. I'll go first—you follow." 」Dewei seized the prince's bridle. "Look at their line—we can beat them with fatigue, not a frontal rush. They're thirty li from camp. They brought rations but haven't had time to eat. After midday, hunger and thirst will gnaw at them while blades press from every side. Their men are exhausted—they'll want out. That's when we hit them with our best cavalry—a crushing win. Not yet." 」The prince held back.
125
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Wei and Hua units held the east; Song and Bian units the west. By late afternoon the Liang army had eaten nothing. Morale collapsed. Jingren began to pull back. Zhou Dewei shouted, "They're running! 」Jin troops roared forward. Wei and Hua broke first. Li Siyuan rode before the western line shouting, "The east wing is gone—what are you still doing here! 」Panic spread through the Liang ranks and they collapsed. Li Cunzhang drove the infantry after them, crying, "Liang soldiers are our own people—spare the kin who came only to bring supplies! 」Soldiers shed armor and dropped weapons by the thousand—the din shook the sky. Zhao soldiers, still burning over Shen and Ji, ignored loot and chased with naked steel. Liang's Dragon Flying and Divine Swift elites were virtually wiped out. From the Wild River to Baixiang, the dead carpeted the earth. Wang Jingren, Han Qing, and Li Si'an escaped with a few dozen riders. Jin troops reached Baixiang by night. The Liang army was gone, leaving food, treasure, and weapons beyond reckoning. The dead numbered twenty thousand. Li Siyuan's pursuit reached Xingzhou. All of Hebei reeled. Baoyi governor Wang Tan stood ready, then opened his gates to the survivors, gave them provisions, and sent them home. The Prince of Jin pulled his army together at Zhao Prefecture. Hearing of the defeat, Du Tingyin and his cohort abandoned Shen and Ji. They marched every able-bodied man and woman off as slaves and buried the old and weak alive. The cities held nothing but broken walls.
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On guisi Yang Shihou was reappointed northern campaign commander. He camped at Heyang, rallied stragglers, and within ten days had ten thousand men. On jihai the Prince of Jin sent Zhou Dewei and Shi Jiantan with three thousand cavalry toward Chan and Wei. Zhang Chengye and Li Cunzhang hit Xingzhou with infantry while the main army followed. Proclamations went out across Hebei spelling out the stakes. The emperor sent Xu Renpu with a thousand men into Xingzhou by night through the western hills to reinforce Wang Tan. On jiyou Wang Jingren lost his campaign command and his grand councilor rank.
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Princess Puci, the Shu ruler's daughter, had married Jichong—the Prince of Qi's nephew and Qinzhou governor. She sent the eunuch Song Guangsi with a silk letter complaining that Jichong was proud and drunken, begging to come home. The Shu ruler summoned her for a visit. On xinhai the princess arrived in Chengdu. The Shu ruler kept her there and made Song Guangsi commissioner of the inner southern gate. The Prince of Qi, furious, cut ties with Shu. Guangsi came from Fuzhou.
128
Lü Shizhou's men scaled cliffs on vines, burst into Feishan Cave, and seized Pan Jinsheng. They took him to Wugang and beheaded him. He then turned his army against Song Ye.
129
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In the second month, on jiwei, the Prince of Jin besieged Wei Prefecture without success. The emperor, doubting young Luo Zhouhan and his veteran staff, on gengshen sent Revenue Minister Li Zhen as Tianxiong vice governor. Du Tingyin escorted him with a thousand men across the Yellow River at Yangliu, slipped into Wei Prefecture by night, and helped Zhouhan prepare the defense. On guihai the Prince of Jin surveyed the river at Liyang. Ten thousand Liang soldiers were about to cross—but at news of his arrival they abandoned their boats and ran.
130
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The emperor called Caizhou prefect Zhang Senshi to Luoyang and left the prefecture without a successor for months. Caizhou's right-wing commander Liu Xingcong mutinied, letting his men burn and loot as he prepared to flee to Huainan; Shunhua commander Wang Cunyan killed Xingcong, calmed the troops, took command himself, and sent an urgent report to the capital. Eastern Capital regent Prince Bo Youwen marched against him without asking first. When the army reached Yanling, the emperor said, "Cunyan is already terrified—send troops at him and he'll bolt. 」He sent riders to call them back. On jiazi Cunyan was made acting prefect of Caizhou.
131
On yichou Zhou Dewei struck Bei Prefecture from Linqing, taking Xiajin and Gaotang; He took Bo Prefecture, capturing Dongwu and Chaocheng. At Chan Prefecture, prefect Zhang Kezhen fled; the emperor had him beheaded. Dewei pushed into Liyang, taking Linhe and Qimen; He threatened Weizhou and raided Xinxiang and Gongcheng. On gengwu the emperor moved his personal army to White Sima Slope to block him.
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Having taken Cangzhou, Liu Shouguang—the Prince of Yan, governor of Lulong and Yichang—decided Heaven was on his side and turned ever more brutal and debauched. For every execution he locked the victim in an iron cage and roasted them with fire; he scraped faces with an iron brush. When he heard of the Liang defeat at Baixiang, he messaged Zhao prince Rong and Wang Chuzhi: "I hear you and the Prince of Jin smashed the Liang army and are marching south. I have thirty thousand elite cavalry and would lead them myself to clear your path. But four armies together need a leader. When I arrive, where do I stand?" Alarmed, Rong sent word to the Prince of Jin, who laughed: "When Zhao pleaded for help, Shouguang would not send a single man; Now that we've won, he wants to use force to split the two circuits—nothing could be more foolish!" The generals said, "Yun and Dai border Yan; if they raid our posts and shake morale, we're a thousand li from home and can't respond in time—that's a threat to our rear as well. Better to take Shouguang first, then we can focus on the south." The prince said, "Good!" Just then Yang Shihou marched from Ci and Xiang to relieve Xing and Wei; on renshen Jin lifted the siege and withdrew; Shihou pursued, crossed the Zhang River, and turned back; the siege of Xingzhou was lifted as well. Shihou stayed encamped at Weizhou.
133
King Wang Rong of Zhao came in person to Zhaozhou to pay his respects and feasted the army lavishly; thereafter he sent his adopted son Deming with thirty-seven companies to follow the prince on campaign. Deming had originally been surnamed Zhang, named Wenli, and was from Yan. On renwu the Prince of Jin left Zhaozhou for Jinyang, leaving Zhou Dewei and three thousand men to garrison Zhaozhou.
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