1
資治通鑑第272卷
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 272
2
【後唐紀一】昭陽協洽，一年。
[Later Tang Records 1] Zhaoyang Xieqia—one year in all.
3
莊宗光聖神閔孝皇帝上同光元年（ 癸未，公元九二三年）
Emperor Zhuangzong Guangsheng Shenmin Xiaoxiao, first part—first year of Tongguang ( guiwei, 923 CE)
4
春，二月，晉王下教置百官，於四鎮判官中選前朝士族，欲以為相。 河東節度判官盧質為之首，質固辭，請以義武節度判官豆盧革、河東觀察判官盧程為之； 王即召革、程拜行台左、右丞相，以質為禮部尚書。
In spring, the second month, the Prince of Jin ordered the establishment of a full bureaucracy and, from among the judges of the four circuits, chose men from former-dynasty gentry families to serve as chancellors. Lu Zhi of the Hedong commission was named first, but he firmly declined and recommended Doulu Ge of Yiwu and Lu Cheng of Hedong instead; the Prince immediately summoned Ge and Cheng and appointed them left and right chancellors of the provisional government, while naming Zhi Minister of Rites.
5
梁主遣兵部侍郎崔協等冊命吳越王鏐為吳越國王。 丁卯，鏐始建國，儀衛名稱多如天子之制，謂所居曰宮殿，府署曰朝廷，教令下統內曰制敕，將吏皆稱臣，惟不改元，表疏稱吳越國而不言軍。 以清海節度使兼侍中傳瓘為鎮海、鎮東留後，總軍府事。 置百官，有丞相、侍郎、郎中、員外郎、客省等使。
The Liang emperor dispatched Vice Minister of War Cui Xie and others to invest Qian Liu of Wuyue as king of the state of Wuyue. On dingmao, Qian Liu formally founded his state. Ceremonial guard and titles largely mirrored those of an emperor: his residence was called a palace, his offices the court, and his orders to the realm imperial edicts; officers and clerks all styled themselves subjects. Only the era name went unchanged, and memorials spoke of the state of Wuyue rather than the military commission. He appointed Fu Jin, military commissioner of Qinghai and concurrent Palace Attendant, acting commissioner of Zhenhai and Zhendong to oversee military headquarters affairs. He established a full bureaucracy, including chancellors, vice ministers, bureau directors, bureau vice directors, and commissioners such as the guest reception commissioner.
6
李繼韜雖受晉王命為安義留後，終不自安，幕僚魏琢、牙將申蒙復從而間之曰：「晉朝無人，終為梁所並耳。」 會晉王置百官，三月，召監軍張居翰、節度判官任圜赴魏州，琢、蒙復說繼韜曰：「王急召二人，情可知矣。」 繼韜弟繼遠亦勸繼韜自托於梁，繼韜乃使繼遠詣大梁，請以澤潞為梁臣。 梁主大喜，更命安義軍曰匡義，以繼韜為節度使、同平章事。 繼韜以二子為質。
Although Li Jiyao had accepted the Prince of Jin's appointment as acting commissioner of Anyi, he never felt secure. His staff adviser Wei Zhuo and guard officer Shen Mengfu again played on his fears, saying, "The Jin court has no capable leaders and will in the end be swallowed up by Liang." Just then the Prince of Jin established his bureaucracy. In the third month he urgently summoned army supervisor Zhang Juhan and commission judge Ren Yuan to Weizhou. Zhuo and Mengfu told Jiyao, "The Prince's urgent summons to these two men—his intent is obvious." Jiyao's younger brother Jiyuan also urged him to throw in his lot with Liang, so Jiyao sent Jiyuan to Daliang to offer Ze and Lu as Liang subjects. The Liang emperor was delighted. He renamed the Anyi army the Kuangyi army and appointed Jiyao military commissioner and concurrent Grand Councilor. Jiyao sent two sons to Liang as hostages.
7
安義舊將裴約戍澤州，泣諭其眾曰：「餘事故使逾二紀，見其分財享士，志滅仇讎。 不幸捐館，柩猶未葬，而郎君遽背君親，吾寧死不能從也！」 遂據州自守。 梁主以其驍將董璋為澤州刺史，將兵攻之。
Pei Yue, a veteran Anyi officer garrisoning Ze Prefecture, addressed his troops in tears: "I have served the late commissioner for more than twenty years and watched him share his wealth with his men and set his heart on destroying his enemies. He has died before his time, and his coffin is not yet buried, yet the young lord has abruptly betrayed his sovereign and kin—I would rather die than follow him!" He then seized the prefecture and held it on his own authority. The Liang emperor appointed his fierce general Dong Zhang prefect of Ze and sent troops to attack him.
8
繼韜散財募士，堯山人郭威往應募。 威使氣殺人，繫獄，繼韜惜其才勇而逸之。
Jiyao distributed wealth to recruit soldiers, and Guo Wei of Yaoshan came to enlist. Wei had killed a man in a fit of temper and was imprisoned, but Jiyao valued his talent and courage and released him.
9
契丹寇幽州，晉王問帥子郭崇韜，崇韜薦橫海節度使李存審。 時存審臥病，己卯，徙存審為盧龍節度使，輿疾赴鎮，以蕃漢馬步副總管李嗣源領橫海節度使。
When the Khitan raided You Prefecture, the Prince of Jin asked his chief strategist Guo Chongtao, who recommended Li Cunshen, military commissioner of Henghai. Cunshen was then bedridden. On jimao he was transferred to military commissioner of Lulong and went to his post despite illness in a litter, while Li Siyuan, deputy overall commander of Khitan and Han horse and foot, took over the Henghai commission.
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晉王築壇於魏州牙城之南，夏，四月，己巳，升壇，祭告上帝，遂即皇帝位，國號大唐，大赦，改元。 尊母晉國太夫人曹氏為皇太后，嫡母秦國夫人劉氏為皇太妃。 以豆盧革為門下侍郎，盧程為中書侍郎，並同平章事； 郭崇韜、張居翰為樞密使，盧質、馮道為翰林學士，張憲為工部侍郎、租庸使，又以義武掌書記李德休為御史中丞。 德林，絳之孫也。 詔盧程詣晉陽冊太后、太妃。 初，太妃無子，性賢，不妒忌； 太后為武皇侍姬，太妃常勸武皇善待之，太后亦自謙退，由是相得甚歡。 及受冊，太妃詣太后宮賀，有喜色，太后忸怩不自安。 太妃曰：「願吾兒享國久長，吾輩獲沒於地，園陵有主，餘何足言！」 因相向歔欷。 豆盧革、盧程皆輕淺無它能，上以其衣冠之緒，霸府元僚，故用之。
The Prince of Jin built an altar south of the Weizhou headquarters. In summer, the fourth month, on jisi he ascended it, sacrificed and announced his accession to Heaven, and took the imperial throne. The state was named Great Tang, a general amnesty was proclaimed, and the era name was changed. He honored his mother, Grand Lady Cao of Jin, as Empress Dowager and his father's principal wife, Lady Liu of Qin, as Imperial Consort Dowager. He appointed Doulu Ge Vice Minister of the Chancellery and Lu Cheng Vice Minister of the Secretariat, both concurrent Grand Councilors; Guo Chongtao and Zhang Juhan became commissioners of the Bureau of Military Affairs; Lu Zhi and Feng Dao became Hanlin academicians; Zhang Xian became Vice Minister of Works and commissioner of land tax and corvée; and Li Dexiu, secretary of Yiwu, became Censor-in-Chief. Delin was a grandson of Li Jiang. An edict ordered Lu Cheng to proceed to Jinyang to invest the Empress Dowager and the Imperial Consort Dowager. Earlier, the Imperial Consort Dowager had borne no sons. She was virtuous by nature and free of jealousy; the Empress Dowager had been a concubine of Emperor Wu. The Imperial Consort Dowager often urged Emperor Wu to treat her well, and the Empress Dowager in turn humbled herself, so the two women were on very cordial terms. At the investiture, the Imperial Consort Dowager came to the Empress Dowager's palace to congratulate her with evident joy, while the Empress Dowager felt awkward and ill at ease. The Imperial Consort Dowager said, "May my son reign long; may we both be laid in the earth with the imperial tombs secure—what more is there to say!" They then faced each other and wept. Doulu Ge and Lu Cheng were both shallow men without other real ability. The emperor employed them because they were scions of eminent families and veteran officials of his headquarters.
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初，李紹宏為中門使，郭崇韜副之。 至是，自幽州召還，崇韜惡其舊人位在己上，乃薦張居翰為樞密使，以紹宏為宣徽使，紹宏由是恨之。 居翰和謹畏事，軍國機政皆崇韜掌之。 支度務使孔謙自謂才能勤效，應為租庸使； 眾議以謙人微地寒，不當遽總重任，故崇韜薦張憲，以謙副之，謙亦不悅。 以魏州為興唐府，建東京。 又於太原府建西京，又以鎮州為真定府，建北都。 以魏博節度判官王正言為禮部尚書，行興唐尹； 太原馬步都虞候孟知祥為太原尹，充西京副留守； 潞州觀察判官任圜為工部尚書，兼真定尹，充北京副留守； 皇子繼岌為北都留守、興聖宮使，判不軍諸衛事。 時唐國所有凡十三節度、五十州。
Earlier, Li Shaohong had served as director of the Central Gate with Guo Chongtao as his deputy. Now he was recalled from You Prefecture. Chongtao resented that this old associate outranked him, so he recommended Zhang Juhan as commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs and assigned Shaohong to the Palace Secretariat instead—Shaohong therefore came to hate him. Juhan was mild, cautious, and deferential in office, and Chongtao managed all military and state affairs. Kong Qian, commissioner of revenue and expenditure, believed himself talented and diligent and fit to be commissioner of land tax and corvée; opinion held that Qian was of humble birth and should not suddenly be given overall responsibility, so Chongtao recommended Zhang Xian and made Qian his deputy—Qian too was displeased. Weizhou was made the Xingtang metropolitan prefecture and established as the Eastern Capital. Taiyuan was also established as the Western Capital, and Zhen Prefecture was made the Zhending metropolitan prefecture and established as the Northern Capital. Wang Zhengyan, judge of the Weibo commission, was made Minister of Rites and acting prefect of Xingtang; Meng Zhixiang, overall commander of horse and foot at Taiyuan, was made prefect of Taiyuan and deputy defender of the Western Capital; Ren Yuan, judge of the Lu observation commission, was made Vice Minister of Works and concurrent prefect of Zhending, serving as deputy defender of the Northern Capital; the imperial son Jiji was made defender of the Northern Capital and commissioner of the Xingsheng Palace, with charge over the various guards of the forbidden army. At this time the Tang state possessed thirteen military commissions and fifty prefectures in all.
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閏月，追尊皇曾祖執宜曰懿祖昭烈皇帝，祖國昌曰獻祖文皇帝，考晉王曰太祖武皇帝。 立宗廟於晉陽，以高祖、太宗、懿宗、昭宗洎懿祖以下為七室。
In the intercalary month, the emperor posthumously honored his great-grandfather Zhike as Emperor Zhaolie, the Founding Exalted Ancestor; his grandfather Guochang as Emperor Wen, the Founding Offering Ancestor; and his father the Prince of Jin as Emperor Wu, the Founding Martial Ancestor. An ancestral temple was established at Jinyang with seven shrines for Gaozu, Taizong, Yizong, Zhaozong, and the line from the Exalted Ancestor downward.
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甲午，契丹寇幽州，至易定而還。 時契丹屢入寇，鈔掠饋運，幽州食不支半年，衛州為梁所取，潞州內叛，人情岌岌，以為梁未可取，帝患之。 會鄆州將盧順密來奔。 先是，梁天平節度使戴思遠屯楊村，留順密與巡檢使劉遂嚴、都指揮使燕顒守鄆州。 順密言於帝曰：「鄆州守兵不滿千人，遂嚴、顒皆失眾心，可襲取也。」 郭崇韜等皆以為「懸軍遠襲，萬一不利，虛棄數千人，順密不可從。」 帝密召李嗣源於帳中謀之曰：「梁人志在吞澤潞，不備東方，若得東平，則潰其心腹。 東平果可取乎？」 嗣源自胡柳有渡河之慚，常欲立奇功以補過，對曰：「今用兵歲久，生民疲弊，苟非出奇取勝，大功何由可成！ 臣願獨當此役，必有以報。」 帝悅。 壬寅，遣嗣源將所部精兵五千自德勝趣鄆州。 比及楊劉，日已暮，陰雨道黑，將士皆不欲進，高行周曰：「此天讚我也，彼必無備。」 夜，渡河至城下，鄆人不知，李從珂先登，殺守卒，啟關納外兵，進攻牙城，城中大擾。 癸卯旦，嗣源兵盡入，遂拔牙城，劉遂嚴、燕顒奔大梁。 嗣源禁焚掠，撫吏民，執知州事節度副使崔簹、判官趙鳳送興唐。 帝大喜曰：「總管真奇才，吾事集矣。」 即以嗣源為天平節度使。
On jiawu the Khitan raided You Prefecture, reached Yi and Ding, and then withdrew. The Khitan were raiding repeatedly and plundering supply convoys. You Prefecture could not sustain itself on stored grain for half a year; Wei Prefecture had fallen to Liang; Lu Prefecture had rebelled within; morale was precarious; and many believed Liang could not yet be defeated—the emperor was deeply troubled. Just then Lu Shunmi, an officer of Yan Prefecture, defected to Tang. Earlier, Dai Siyuan, Liang military commissioner of Tianping, had encamped at Yang Village and left Shunmi, together with inspection commissioner Liu Suoyan and overall commander Yan Yong, to defend Yan Prefecture. Shunmi told the emperor, "Yan Prefecture has fewer than a thousand defenders, and Suoyan and Yong have both lost the troops' loyalty—it can be taken by surprise." Guo Chongtao and the others all objected: "A distant surprise raid with a detached force risks wasting several thousand men if anything goes wrong—Shunmi's plan should not be followed." The emperor secretly summoned Li Siyuan into his tent and said, "The Liang are bent on swallowing Ze and Lu and are unprepared in the east. If we take Dongping, we will strike at their heartland. Can Dongping truly be taken?" Siyuan still bore the shame of the river crossing at Huliang and longed to redeem himself with a singular exploit. He replied, "The war has dragged on for years and the people are exhausted. Unless we win by an unexpected stroke, how can we achieve a great victory! I am willing to undertake this campaign alone and will surely bring you news of success." The emperor was pleased. On renyin he dispatched Siyuan with five thousand picked troops from Desheng toward Yan Prefecture. By the time they reached Yangliu, night was falling, rain had darkened the road, and the troops were reluctant to advance. Gao Xingzhou said, "Heaven is aiding us—the enemy will surely be unprepared." That night they crossed the river to the foot of the wall before the people of Yan knew what was happening. Li Congke was first over the wall, killed the gate guards, opened the pass to admit the outside troops, and advanced on the headquarters compound as the city fell into uproar. At dawn on guimao, Siyuan's troops had all entered, stormed the headquarters compound, and Liu Suoyan and Yan Yong fled to Daliang. Siyuan forbade burning and plunder, reassured officials and civilians, seized acting prefect Cui Qian and judge Zhao Feng, and sent them to Xingtang. The emperor said in delight, "The overall commander is truly a rare talent—my enterprise is assured." He thereupon appointed Siyuan military commissioner of Tianping.
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梁主聞鄆州失守，大懼，斬劉遂嚴、燕顒於市，罷戴思遠招討使，降授宣化留後，遣使詰讓北面諸將段凝、王彥章等，趣令進戰。 敬翔知梁室已危，以繩內靴中，入見梁主曰：「先帝取天下，不以臣為不肖，所謀無不用。 今敵勢益強，而陛下棄忽臣言。 臣身無用，不如死！」 引繩將自經。 梁主止之，問所欲言，翔曰：「事急矣，非用王彥章為大將，不可救也。」 梁主從之，以彥章代思遠為北面招討使，仍以段凝為副。
When the Liang emperor learned that Yan Prefecture had fallen, he was terrified. He executed Liu Suoyan and Yan Yong in the marketplace, removed Dai Siyuan as frontier campaign commissioner and demoted him to acting commissioner of Xuanhua, and sent envoys to rebuke the northern generals Duan Ning, Wang Yanzhang, and others, ordering them to advance and fight. Jing Xiang knew the Liang house was already in peril. He hid a cord in his boot, went in to see the Liang emperor, and said, "The late emperor took the realm and did not consider me unworthy—none of his plans went unused. Now the enemy grows ever stronger, yet Your Majesty disregards my counsel. I am useless—better to die!" He drew out the cord and was about to hang himself. The Liang emperor stopped him and asked what he wished to say. Xiang said, "The situation is urgent—unless Wang Yanzhang is made grand general, nothing can save us." The Liang emperor agreed, making Yanzhang frontier campaign commissioner of the north in place of Siyuan, with Ning still as deputy.
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帝聞之，自將親軍屯澶州，命蕃漢馬步都虞候朱守殷守德勝，戒之曰：「王鐵槍勇決，乘憤激之氣，必來唐突，宜謹備之。」 守殷，王幼時所役蒼頭也。 又遣使遺吳王書，告以已克鄆州，請同舉兵擊梁。 五月，使者至吳，徐溫欲持兩端，將舟師循海而北，助其勝者。 嚴可求曰：「若梁人邀我登陸為援，何以拒之？」 溫乃止。
When the emperor heard of this, he personally led the imperial guard to encamp at Cang Prefecture and ordered Zhu Shouyin, overall commander of Khitan and Han horse and foot, to defend Desheng, warning him: "Wang the Iron Spear is fierce and resolute. Riding a wave of anger, he is sure to strike suddenly—you must prepare carefully." Shouyin had been a household servant in the emperor's youth. He also sent envoys with a letter to the King of Wu, reporting the capture of Yan Prefecture and asking that they jointly raise troops against Liang. In the fifth month the envoys reached Wu. Xu Wen wished to keep both sides in play and planned to lead a fleet north along the coast to aid whichever side prevailed. Yan Keqiu said, "If the Liang invite us ashore as reinforcements, how can we refuse?" Wen thereupon abandoned the plan.
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梁主召問王彥章以破敵之期，彥章對曰：「三日。」 左右皆失笑。 彥章出，兩日，馳至滑州。 辛酉，置酒大會，陰遣人具舟於楊村； 夜，命甲士六百，皆持巨斧，載冶者，具□炭，乘流而下。 會飲尚未散，彥章陽起更衣，引精兵數千循河南岸趨德勝。 天微雨，朱安殷不為備，舟中兵舉鎖燒斷之，因以巨斧斬浮橋，而彥章引兵急擊南城。 浮橋斷，南城遂破，斬首數千級。 時受命適三日矣。 守殷以小舟載甲士濟河救之，不及。 彥章進攻潘張、麻家口、景店諸寨，皆拔之，聲勢大振。
The Liang emperor summoned Wang Yanzhang and asked how long he needed to defeat the enemy. Yanzhang replied, "Three days." Those around him all laughed aloud. Yanzhang departed, and within two days he galloped to Hua Prefecture. On xinyou he held a great banquet and secretly sent men to prepare boats at Yang Village; that night he ordered six hundred armored soldiers, all bearing great axes, with smiths aboard and charcoal at hand, to float downstream. While the banquet was still in progress, Yanzhang pretended to leave to change clothes and led several thousand picked troops along the south bank of the river toward Desheng. A light rain was falling and Zhu Shouyin was unprepared. The soldiers in the boats used torches to burn through the chains, then chopped the pontoon bridge with great axes while Yanzhang led a swift assault on the southern city. The pontoon bridge was severed, the southern city fell, and several thousand heads were taken. It was now exactly three days since he had received his commission. Shouyin ferried armored soldiers across the river in small boats to rescue the city but could not arrive in time. Yanzhang advanced against the stockades at Panzhang, Majiakou, Jingdian, and elsewhere, capturing them all, and his momentum swelled greatly.
17
帝遣宦者焦彥賓急趣楊劉，與鎮使李周固守，命守殷棄德勝北城，撤屋為筏，載兵械浮河東下，助楊劉守備，徙其芻糧薪炭於澶州，所耗失殆半。 王彥章亦撤南城屋材浮河而下，各行一岸，每遇灣曲，輒於中流交鬥，飛矢雨集，或全舟覆沒，一日百戰，互有勝負。 比及楊劉，殆亡士卒之半。 己巳，王彥章、段凝以十萬之眾攻楊劉，百道俱進，晝夜不息，連巨艦九艘，橫亙河津以絕援兵。 城垂陷者數四，賴李周悉力拒之，與士卒同甘苦，彥章不能克，退屯城南，為連營以守之。 楊劉告急於帝，請日行百里以赴之； 帝引兵救之，曰：「李周在內，何憂！」 日行六十里，不廢畋獵，六月，乙亥，至楊劉。 梁兵塹壘重複，嚴不可入，帝患之，問計於郭崇韜，對曰：「今彥章據守津要，意謂可以坐取東平； 苟大軍不南，則東平不守矣。 臣請築壘於博州東岸以固河津，既得以應接東平，又可以分賊兵勢。 但慮彥章詗知，逕來薄我，城不能就，願陛下募敢死之士，日令挑戰以綴之，苟彥章旬日不東，則城成矣。」 時李嗣源守鄆州，河北聲問不通，人心漸離，不保朝夕。 會梁右先鋒指揮使康延孝密請降於嗣源，延孝者，太原胡人，有罪，亡奔梁，時隸段凝麾下。 嗣源遣押牙臨漳范延光送延孝蠟書詣帝，延光因言於帝曰：「楊劉控扼已固，梁人必不能取，請築壘馬家口以通鄆州之路。」 帝從之，遣崇韜將萬人夜發，倍道趣博州，至馬家口渡河，築城晝夜不息。 帝在楊劉，與梁人晝夜苦戰。 崇韜築新城凡六日，王彥章聞之，將兵數萬人馳至，戊子，急攻新城，連巨艦十餘艘於中流以絕援路。 時板築僅畢，城猶卑下，沙土疏惡，未有樓魯及守備； 崇韜慰勞士卒，以身先之，四面拒戰，遣間使告急於帝。 帝自楊劉引大軍救之，陳於新城西岸，城中望之增氣，大呼叱梁軍，梁人斷紲斂艦； 帝艤舟將渡，彥章解圍，退保鄒家口。 鄆州奏報始通。 李嗣源密表請正朱守殷覆軍之罪，帝不從。
The emperor sent the eunuch Jiao Yanbin in haste to Yangliu to hold firm with garrison commissioner Li Zhou. He ordered Shouyin to abandon the northern city of Desheng, tear down houses to make rafts, load weapons, and float downriver to reinforce Yangliu, moving its fodder, grain, fuel, and charcoal to Cang Prefecture—nearly half was lost in the process. Wang Yanzhang likewise tore down houses in the southern city and floated the timber downriver. Each side kept to one bank, and whenever they met a bend they fought in midstream—arrows fell like rain, boats were sometimes sunk outright, and a hundred battles might be fought in a day with victory alternating between them. By the time they reached Yangliu, nearly half their soldiers had been lost. On jisi, Wang Yanzhang and Duan Ning attacked Yangliu with a hundred thousand men, advancing on a hundred routes without cease day or night. They linked nine great warships across the river crossing to cut off relief troops. The city was on the verge of falling four times, but Li Zhou resisted with all his strength, sharing hardship with his soldiers, and Yanzhang could not take it. He withdrew to encamp south of the city and built a chain of camps to besiege it. Yangliu sent urgent word to the emperor, asking that he march a hundred li a day to its relief; the emperor led troops to the rescue, saying, "With Li Zhou inside, what is there to worry about!" He marched sixty li a day without giving up hunting. In the sixth month, on yihai, he reached Yangliu. The Liang army's trenches and ramparts were layered in depth and could not be breached; the emperor was troubled and asked Guo Chongtao for a plan. Chongtao replied, "Yanzhang now holds the river crossings and strong points, expecting to take Dongping without a fight; if the main army does not march south, Dongping cannot be held. I ask to build ramparts on the east bank of Bo Prefecture to secure the river crossing. That way we can support Dongping and divide the enemy's strength at the same time. But I fear Yanzhang will learn of it and come straight to attack us before the city is finished. I ask Your Majesty to enlist dare-to-die men and send out daily challenges to hold him back. If Yanzhang does not move east for ten days, the city will be complete." At this time Li Siyuan was defending Yan Prefecture. North of the Yellow River no word could get through, morale was slipping, and no one could count on living from one day to the next. Just then Kang Yanxiao, the Liang Right Vanguard Commanding Officer, secretly asked to surrender to Siyuan. Yanxiao was a Hu man from Taiyuan who had fled to Liang after committing a crime and was then serving under Duan Ning. Siyuan sent his adjutant Fan Yanguang of Linzhang to deliver Yanxiao's sealed letter to the emperor. Yanguang then told the emperor, "The Yangliu crossing is already firmly held and Liang troops cannot take it. I ask to build ramparts at Majiakou to open a route to Yan Prefecture. The emperor agreed and sent Chongtao with ten thousand men to set out at night. They took forced marches toward Bo Prefecture, crossed the river at Majiakou, and built the city without cease day and night. The emperor remained at Yangliu, fighting bitterly with Liang troops day and night. Chongtao finished the new city in six days. When Wang Yanzhang heard of it, he led tens of thousands of troops at full speed to the spot. On wuzi he pressed the attack on the new city and moored more than ten great warships in midstream to cut off the route of relief. The walls had only just been finished. The city was still low, the sand and earth loose and poor, and there were neither towers nor proper defenses yet; Chongtao comforted the soldiers, led from the front himself, fought on all four sides, and sent secret messengers to report the emergency to the emperor. The emperor led a great army from Yangliu to the rescue and deployed on the west bank opposite the new city. The men in the city saw this and their spirits rose; they shouted abuse at the Liang army, and the Liang men cut their cables and gathered in their ships; The emperor moored his boats and was about to cross when Yanzhang lifted the siege and withdrew to hold Zoujiakou. Reports from Yan Prefecture began to get through at last. Li Siyuan secretly memorialized asking that Zhu Shouyin be punished for losing his army, but the emperor would not agree.
18
秋，七月，丁未，帝引兵循河而南，彥章等棄鄒家口，復趣楊劉。 甲寅，游弈將李紹興敗梁遊兵於清丘驛南。 段凝以為唐兵已自上流渡，驚駭失色，面數彥章，尤其深入。
In autumn, the seventh month, on dingwei, the emperor led troops south along the river. Yanzhang and the others abandoned Zoujiakou and hurried back toward Yangliu. On jiayin, roving campaign general Li Shaoxing defeated Liang scouting troops south of Qingqiu Post. Duan Ning thought Tang troops had already crossed from upriver. He turned pale with alarm and rebuked Yanzhang to his face, blaming him especially for advancing so deep.
19
乙卯，蜀侍中魏王宗侃卒。
On yimao, Shu Grand Councillor Prince Wei Zongkan died.
20
戊午，帝遣騎將李紹榮直抵梁營，擒其斥候，梁人益恐，又以火筏焚其連艦。 王彥章等聞帝引兵已至鄒家口，己未，解楊劉圍，走保楊村； 唐兵追擊之，復屯德勝。 梁兵前後急攻諸城，士卒遭矢石、溺水、□曷死者且萬人，委棄資糧、鎧仗、鍋幕，動以千計。 楊劉比至圍解，城中無食已三日矣。
On wuwu, the emperor sent cavalry commander Li Shaorong straight to the Liang camp and captured their scouts. Liang troops grew ever more fearful and again set fire-rafts to burn their linked warships. Wang Yanzhang and the others heard the emperor had already led troops to Zoujiakou. On jiwei they lifted the siege of Yangliu and fled to hold Yang Village; Tang troops pursued them and re-encamped at Desheng. Before and after, the Liang army had pressed attacks on several cities. Nearly ten thousand soldiers were killed by arrows and stones, drowning, and heatstroke, and abandoned supplies, grain, armor, weapons, and camp gear ran to the thousands. By the time Yangliu's siege was lifted, the city had been without food for three days.
21
王彥章疾趙、張亂政，及為招討使，謂所親曰：「待我成功還，當盡誅奸臣以謝天下！」 趙、張聞之，私相謂曰：「我輩寧死於沙陀，不可為彥章所殺。」 相與協力傾之。 段凝素疾彥章之能而諂附趙、張，在軍中與彥章動相違戾，百方沮撓之，惟恐其有功，潛伺彥章過失以聞於梁主。 每捷奏至，趙、張悉歸功於凝，由是彥章功竟無成。 及歸楊村，梁主信讒，猶恐彥章旦夕成功難制，征還大梁。 使將兵會董璋攻澤州。
Wang Yanzhang hated Zhao and Zhang's corrupt governance. When he became campaign commissioner he told those close to him, "Wait until I return successful—I shall execute every villainous minister to answer to the realm! Zhao and Zhang heard this and said to each other in private, "We would rather die at the hands of the Shatuo than be killed by Yanzhang. Together they joined forces to bring him down. Duan Ning had always resented Yanzhang's ability while fawning on Zhao and Zhang. In the army he constantly clashed with Yanzhang and obstructed him in every way, fearing only that he might win merit, and secretly watched for Yanzhang's faults to report to the Liang emperor. Whenever victory reports arrived, Zhao and Zhang attributed all credit to Ning, so Yanzhang's achievements came to nothing. When they returned to Yang Village the Liang emperor believed slander and, still fearing Yanzhang might succeed at any moment and become hard to control, summoned him back to Liang. He ordered him to lead troops to join Dong Zhang in attacking Ze Prefecture.
22
甲子，帝至楊劉勞李周曰：「微卿善守，吾事敗矣。」 中書侍郎、同平章事盧程以私事幹興唐府，府吏不能應，鞭吏背。 光祿卿兼興唐少尹任團，圜之弟，帝之從姊婿也，詣程訴之。 程罵曰：「公何等蟲豸，欲倚婦力邪！」 團訴於帝。 帝怒曰：「朕誤相此癡物，乃敢辱吾九卿！」 欲賜自盡； 盧質力救之，乃貶右庶子。 裴約遣間使告急於帝，帝曰：「吾兄不幸，乃生梟獍，裴約獨能知逆順。」 顧謂北京內牙馬步軍都指揮使李紹斌曰：「澤州彈丸之地，朕無所用，卿為我取裴約以來。」 八月，壬申，紹斌將甲士五千救之，未至，城已陷，約死。 帝深惜之。 甲戌，帝自楊劉還興唐。
On jiazi the emperor reached Yangliu and thanked Li Zhou, saying, "But for your able defense, my cause would have failed. Vice Grand Councillor Lu Cheng came to Xingtang Prefecture on private business. The prefectural clerks could not accommodate him, so he flogged one on the back. Director of Imperial Entertainments and concurrent Xingtang Assistant Governor Ren Tuan—Yuan's younger brother and the emperor's cousin's husband—went to Cheng to complain. Cheng cursed him, "What sort of insect are you, trying to rely on your wife's family for power! Tuan complained to the emperor. The emperor said in anger, "I mistakenly made this fool chancellor—he dares insult one of my Nine Ministers! He wanted to grant him suicide; Lu Zhi strongly pleaded for him, and he was demoted to Right Companion of the Heir Apparent. Pei Yue sent secret messengers to report the emergency to the emperor. The emperor said, "My elder brother was unfortunate indeed to have raised such a wicked son; only Pei Yue knows right from rebellion. He turned to the northern capital's inner-gate horse-and-foot commanding officer Li Shaobin and said, "Ze Prefecture is a place no bigger than a pellet—I have no use for it. You fetch Pei Yue for me. In the eighth month, on renshen, Shaobin led five thousand armored soldiers to the rescue, but before he arrived the city had already fallen and Yue died. The emperor deeply mourned him. On jiaxu the emperor returned from Yangliu to Xingtang.
23
梁主命於滑州決河，東注曹、濮及鄆以限唐兵。 初，梁主遣段凝監大軍於河上，敬翔、李振屢請罷之，梁主曰：「凝未有過。」 振曰：「俟其有過，則社稷危矣。」 至是，凝厚賂趙、張求為招討使，翔、振力爭以為不可； 趙、張主之，竟代王彥章為北面招討使，於是宿將憤怒，士卒亦不服，天下兵馬副元帥張宗奭言於梁主曰：「臣為副元帥，雖衰朽，猶足為陛下扞御北方。 段凝晚進，功名未能服人，眾議哅哅，恐貽國家深憂。」 敬翔曰：「將帥系國安危，今國勢已爾，陛下豈可尚不留意邪！」 梁主皆不聽。
The Liang emperor ordered the Yellow River breached at Hua Prefecture so it would flow east into Cao, Pu, and Yan to block Tang troops. Initially the Liang emperor had sent Duan Ning to supervise the great army on the river. Jing Xiang and Li Zhen repeatedly asked that he be removed, but the Liang emperor said, "Ning has not yet done wrong. Zhen said, "Wait until he does wrong and the altars of state will be in peril. At this Ning lavishly bribed Zhao and Zhang to become campaign commissioner. Xiang and Zhen strongly argued against it; Zhao and Zhang backed him, and in the end he replaced Wang Yanzhang as northern campaign commissioner. Veteran generals were furious and the soldiers would not obey. Deputy Overall Commander of All Troops Zhang Zongshi said to the Liang emperor, "Your subject serves as deputy overall commander—though aged, I am still enough to defend the north for Your Majesty. Duan Ning is a latecomer whose achievements cannot command respect. Public opinion is in an uproar, and I fear deep trouble for the state. Jing Xiang said, "Generals and commanders bear on the state's safety and peril. Now that the state's position is already thus, how can Your Majesty still not pay heed! The Liang emperor would not listen to any of them."
24
戊子，凝將全軍五萬營於王村，自高陵津濟河，剽掠澶州諸縣，至於頓丘。
On wuzi, Ning led the entire army of fifty thousand and encamped at Wang Village. From Gaoling Ford he crossed the river and raided the counties of Cang Prefecture as far as Dunqiu.
25
梁主又命王彥章將保鑾騎士及它兵合萬人，屯兗、鄆之境，謀復鄆州，以張漢傑監其軍。
The Liang emperor also ordered Wang Yanzhang to lead the imperial guard cavalry and other troops totaling ten thousand to encamp on the border of Yanzhou and Yan Prefecture and plan to recover Yan Prefecture, with Zhang Hanjie supervising his army.
26
庚寅，帝引兵屯朝城。
On gengyin the emperor led troops and encamped at Chaocheng.
27
戊戌，康延孝帥百餘騎來奔，帝解所御錦袍玉帶賜之，以為南面招討都指揮使，領博州刺史。 帝屏人問延孝以梁事，對曰：「梁朝地不為狹，兵不為少； 然跡其行事，終必敗亡。 何則？ 主既暗懦，趙、張兄弟擅權，內結宮掖，外納貨賂，官之高下唯視賂之多少，不擇才德，不校勳勞。 段凝智勇俱無，一旦居王彥章、霍彥威之右，自將兵以來，專率斂行伍以奉權貴。 梁主每出一軍，不能專任將帥，常以近臣監之，進止可否動為所制。 近又聞欲數道出兵，令董璋引陝虢、澤潞之兵自石會關趣太原，霍彥威以汝、洛之兵自相衛、邢洺寇鎮定，王彥章、張漢傑以禁軍攻鄆州，段凝、杜晏球以大軍當陛下，決以十月大舉。 臣竊觀梁兵聚則不少，分則不多。 願陛下養勇蓄力以待其分兵，帥精騎五千自鄆州直抵大梁，擒其偽主，旬月之間，天下定矣。」 帝大悅。
On wuxu, Kang Yanxiao came over with more than a hundred horsemen. The emperor removed his own brocade robe and jade belt and bestowed them on him, appointing him southern campaign overall commanding officer and concurrent prefect of Bo. The emperor dismissed attendants and questioned Yanxiao about Liang affairs. He replied, "The Liang dynasty's territory is not narrow and its troops are not few; yet judging by its conduct, it will in the end be defeated and destroyed. Why? The ruler is both dim and weak. The Zhao and Zhang brothers monopolize power, bind themselves to the palace harem and take bribes from outside. Rank high or low depends only on how much is paid—neither talent nor virtue is chosen, neither merit nor toil is weighed. Duan Ning has neither wisdom nor courage, yet suddenly he stands above Wang Yanzhang and Huo Yanwei. Since taking command of troops he has devoted himself to squeezing the ranks to serve the powerful. Whenever the Liang emperor sends out an army he cannot fully entrust the generals and commanders. He always sends close ministers to supervise them, and advance, halt, approval, or refusal are constantly controlled by them. Recently I also heard they intend to send troops on several routes: Dong Zhang to lead Shaan-Guo and Ze-Lu troops from Shihui Pass toward Taiyuan; Huo Yanwei with Ru-Luo troops from Xiangwei and Xing-Mo to raid Zhen-Ding; Wang Yanzhang and Zhang Hanjie with the imperial guard to attack Yan Prefecture; Duan Ning and Du Yanqiu with the great army to face Your Majesty. They have decided on a major campaign in the tenth month. I observe that when Liang troops are gathered they are not few, but when divided they are not many. I ask Your Majesty to nurture courage and store strength while waiting for them to divide their forces, then lead five thousand picked cavalry straight from Yan Prefecture to Liang, seize their false ruler, and within a month or so the realm will be settled. The emperor was greatly pleased."
28
蜀主以文思殿大學士韓昭、內皇城使潘在迎、武勇軍使顧在珣為狎客，陪侍游宴，與宮女雜坐，或為艷歌相唱和，或談嘲謔浪，鄙俚褻慢，無所不至，蜀主樂之。 在珣，彥朗之子也。 時樞密使宋光嗣等專斷國家，恣為威虐，務徇蜀主之欲以盜其權。 宰相王鍇、庾傳素等各保寵祿，無敢規正。 潘在迎每勸蜀主誅諫者，無使謗國。 嘉州司馬劉贊獻陳後主三閣圖，並作歌以諷； 賢良方正蒲禹卿對策語極切直； 蜀主雖不罪，亦不能用也。 九月，庚戌，蜀主以重陽宴近臣於宣華宛，酒酣，嘉王宗壽乘間極言社稷將危，流涕不已。 韓昭、潘在迎曰：「嘉王好酒悲。」 因諧笑而罷。
The Shu ruler made Wensi Hall Academician Han Zhao, Inner Imperial City Commissioner Pan Zaiying, and Wuyong Army Commissioner Gu Zaiqun his intimate companions. They attended his tours and banquets, sat mixed with palace women, sometimes sang sensual songs in turn, sometimes traded jokes and coarse banter—vulgar, lewd, and disrespectful without limit—and the Shu ruler delighted in it. Zaiqun was the son of Yanlang. At this time Palace Secretariat Commissioner Song Guangsi and others monopolized state affairs, indulged in tyranny at will, and strove to satisfy the Shu ruler's desires in order to usurp his power. Grand Councillors Wang Kai, Yu Chuansu, and the rest each preserved their favor and stipends, and none dared remonstrate. Pan Zaiying often urged the Shu ruler to execute remonstrators so the state would not be slandered. Jia Prefecture aide Liu Zan presented a painting of the Later Chen ruler's Three Pavilions and also composed a song to satirize it; the Worthy and Upright candidate Pu Yuqing answered the examination with words extremely blunt and direct; the Shu ruler did not punish them, but he also could not employ them. In the ninth month, on gengxu, the Shu ruler held a Double Ninth banquet for close ministers at Xuanhua Park. When the wine was deep, Prince Jia Zongshou seized the moment and spoke at length that the altars of state were about to be in peril, weeping without cease. Han Zhao and Pan Zaiying said, "Prince Jia loves wine and grows sorrowful. With jesting laughter they ended it.
29
帝在朝城，梁段凝進至臨河之南，澶西、相南，日有寇掠。 自德勝失利以來，喪芻糧數百萬，租庸副使孔謙暴斂以供軍，民多流亡，租稅益少，倉廩之積不支半歲。 澤潞未下。 盧文進、王郁引契丹屢過瀛、涿之南，傳聞俟草枯冰合，深入為寇。 又聞梁人欲大舉數道入寇，帝深以為憂，召諸將會議。 宣徽使李紹宏等皆以為鄆州城門之外皆為寇境，孤遠難守，有之不如無之，請以易衛州及黎陽於梁，與之約和，以河為境，休兵息民，俟財力稍集，更圖後舉。 帝不悅，曰：「如此吾無葬地矣。」 乃罷諸將，獨召郭崇韜問之。 對曰：「陛下不櫛沐，不解甲，十五餘年，其志欲以雪家國之仇恥也。 今已正尊號，河北士庶日望昇平，始得鄆州尺寸之地，不能守而棄之，安能盡有中原乎！ 臣恐將士解體，將來食盡眾散，雖畫河為境，誰為陛下守之！ 臣嘗細詢康延孝以河南之事，度已料彼，日夜思之，成敗之機決在今歲。 梁今悉以精兵授段凝，據我南鄙，又決河自固，謂我猝不能渡，恃此不復為備。 使王彥章侵逼鄆州，其意冀有奸人動搖，變生於內耳。 段凝本非將材，不能臨機決策，無足可畏。 降者皆言大梁無兵，陛下若留兵守魏，固保楊劉，自以精兵與鄆州合勢，長驅入汴，彼城中既空虛，必望風自潰。 苟偽主授首，則諸將自降矣。 不然，今秋谷不登，軍糧將盡，若非陛下決志，大功何由可成！ 諺曰：『當道築室，三年不成。』 帝王應運，必有天命，在陛下勿疑耳。」 帝曰：「此正合朕志。 丈夫得則為王，失則為虜，吾行決矣！」 司天奏：「今歲天道不利，深入必無功。」 帝不聽。
The emperor was at Chaocheng. Liang's Duan Ning advanced to the south of Linhe, west of Cang and south of Xiang, with daily raids. Since the defeat at Desheng, fodder and grain lost ran to millions. Rent and Corvée Deputy Commissioner Kong Qian levied harshly to supply the army, the people fled in great numbers, rent and tax grew ever less, and storehouse reserves would not last half a year. Ze and Lu had not yet been taken. Lu Wenjin and Wang Yu led Khitan forces repeatedly south of Ying and Zhuo. Rumor held they were waiting for withered grass and frozen ice to raid deep. He also heard Liang troops intended a major campaign on several routes to invade. The emperor was deeply troubled and summoned the generals to confer. Palace Secretariat Commissioner Li Shaohong and the rest all held that beyond Yan Prefecture's gates lay nothing but enemy territory—lonely, distant, and hard to hold—better not to have it than to have it. They asked to exchange it with Wei Prefecture and Liyang for Liang, make peace with them, take the river as border, rest troops and soothe the people, wait until wealth and strength were somewhat gathered, and plan a later campaign. The emperor was displeased and said, "If it comes to this I shall have no place for burial. He dismissed the generals and summoned Guo Chongtao alone to question him. He replied, "Your Majesty has not washed your hair or removed your armor for more than fifteen years. Your will has been to wipe away the family and state's shame and humiliation. Now you have taken the proper title. The gentry and commoners north of the Yellow River daily look for peace. You have only just gained a scrap of land at Yan Prefecture—if you cannot hold it and abandon it, how can you fully possess the Central Plain! I fear the officers and soldiers will lose heart. When food runs out the masses will scatter. Even if the river is drawn as border, who will hold it for Your Majesty! I once questioned Kang Yanxiao in detail about affairs south of the Yellow River. Having measured and already anticipated them, I think on it day and night—the moment of success or failure will be decided this year. Liang now gives all its picked troops to Duan Ning to hold our southern frontier. It has also breached the river to secure itself, thinking we cannot cross in haste and relying on this no longer to prepare. It sends Wang Yanzhang to press Yan Prefecture—its intent is to hope for traitors to waver and rebellion to arise within. Duan Ning is by nature no general's material. He cannot decide on the spur of the moment—there is nothing to fear. Defectors all say Liang has no troops. If Your Majesty leaves troops to hold Wei, firmly secures Yangliu, and yourself leads picked troops to join forces with Yan Prefecture and drive straight into Bian, their city being already empty will surely collapse at the first blow. If the false ruler offers his head, the generals will surrender of themselves. Otherwise, this autumn the grain will not ripen and army provisions will run out. Without Your Majesty's resolute will, how can the great achievement be accomplished! A proverb says, 'Build a house in the road and in three years it will not be finished. A ruler who answers to the age must have Heaven's mandate—it rests with Your Majesty not to doubt." The emperor said, "This exactly matches my will. A man who wins becomes king, who loses becomes captive—I am resolved to act!" The Bureau of Astronomy reported, "This year the heavens are unfavorable; a deep advance will surely achieve nothing. The emperor would not listen.
30
王彥章引兵逾汶水，將攻鄆州，李嗣源遣李從珂將騎兵逆戰，敗其前鋒於遞坊鎮，獲將士三百人，斬首二百級，彥章退保中都。 戊辰，捷奏至朝城，帝大喜，謂郭崇韜曰：「鄆州告捷，足壯吾氣！」 己巳，命將士悉遣其家歸興唐。
Wang Yanzhang led troops across the Wen River, intending to attack Yan Prefecture. Li Siyuan sent Li Congke to lead cavalry against him, defeated his vanguard at Difang Town, captured three hundred officers and soldiers, and took two hundred heads. Yanzhang withdrew to hold Zhongdu. On wuchen the victory report reached Chaocheng. The emperor was greatly pleased and said to Guo Chongtao, "Yan Prefecture reports victory—that is enough to lift my spirits! On jisi he ordered the officers and soldiers to send all their families back to Xingtang.
31
冬，十月，辛未朔，日有食之。
In winter, the tenth month, on the first day xinwei, there was a solar eclipse.
32
帝遣魏國夫人劉氏、皇子繼岌歸興唐，與之訣曰：「事之成敗，在此一決。 若其不濟，當聚吾家於魏宮而焚之！」 仍命豆盧革、李紹宏、張憲、王正言同守東京。 壬申，帝以大軍自楊劉濟河，癸酉，至鄆州，中夜，進軍逾汶，以李嗣源為前鋒，甲戌旦，遇梁兵，一戰敗之，追至中都，圍其城。 城無守備，少頃，梁兵潰圍出，追擊，破之。 王彥章以數十騎走，龍武大將軍李紹奇單騎追之，識其聲，曰：「王鐵槍也！」 拔槊刺之，彥章重傷，馬躓，遂擒之，並擒都監張漢傑、曹州刺史李知節、裨將趙廷隱、劉嗣彬等二百餘人，斬首數千級。 廷隱，開封人； 嗣彬，知俊之族子也。
The emperor sent Lady Liu of Wei and Prince Jiji back to Xingtang, and taking leave of them said, "Success or failure in this affair will be decided in this one stroke. If it does not succeed, gather my family in the Wei palace and burn them! He also ordered Doulu Ge, Li Shaohong, Zhang Xian, and Wang Zhengyan jointly to hold Dongjing. On renshen the emperor led the great army from Yangliu across the river. On guiyou he reached Yan Prefecture, and in the middle of the night advanced across the Wen with Li Siyuan as vanguard. At dawn on jiaxu he met Liang troops, defeated them in one battle, pursued to Zhongdu, and besieged the city. The city had no defenses. Before long Liang troops burst through the encirclement and fled. Tang forces pursued and broke them. Wang Yanzhang fled with several dozen horsemen. Longwu Grand General Li Shaoqi pursued alone, recognized his voice, and cried, "Iron Spear Wang! He pulled his spear and thrust at him. Yanzhang was gravely wounded, his horse stumbled, and he was captured, along with Army Supervisor Zhang Hanjie, Cao Prefecture prefect Li Zhijie, staff generals Zhao Tingyin, Liu Sibin, and more than two hundred others. Heads taken numbered in the thousands. Tingyin was a man of Kaifeng; Sibin was a clansman of Li Zhijun."
33
彥章嘗謂人曰：「李亞子鬥雞小兒，何足畏！」 至是，帝謂彥章曰：「爾常謂我小兒，今日服未？」 又問：「爾名善將，何不守兗州？ 中都無壁壘，何以自固？」 彥章對曰：「天命已去，無足言者。」 帝惜彥章之材，欲用之，賜藥傅其創，屢遣人誘諭之。 彥章曰：「余本匹夫，蒙梁恩，位至上將，與皇帝交戰十五年； 今兵敗力窮，死自其分，縱皇帝憐而生我，我何面目見天下之人乎！ 豈有朝為梁將，暮為唐臣！ 此我所不為也。」 帝復遣李嗣源自往諭之，彥章臥謂嗣源曰：「汝非邈佶烈乎？」 彥章素輕嗣源，故以小名呼之。 於是諸將稱賀，帝舉酒屬李嗣源曰：「今日之功，公與崇韜之力也。 曏從紹宏輩語，大事去矣。」 帝又謂諸將曰：「曏所患惟王彥章，今已就擒，是天意滅梁也。 段凝猶在河上，進退之計，宜何向而可？」 諸將以為； 「傳者雖雲大梁無備，未知虛實。 今東方諸鎮兵皆在段凝麾下，所餘空城耳，以陛下天威臨之，無不下者。 若先廣地，東傅於海，然後觀釁而動，可以萬全。」 康延孝固請亟取大梁。 李嗣源曰：「兵貴神速。 今彥章就擒，段凝必未之知； 就使有人走告，疑信之間尚須三日。 設若知吾所向，即發救兵，直路則阻決河，須自白馬南渡，數萬之眾，舟楫亦難猝辦。 此去大梁至近，前無山險，方陳橫行，晝夜兼程，信宿可至。 段凝未離河上，友貞已為吾擒矣。 延孝之言是也，請陛下以大軍徐進，臣願以千騎前驅。」 帝從之。 令下，諸軍皆踴躍願行。
Yanzhang had once said to people, "Li Yazi is a cockfighting boy—what is there to fear! At this the emperor said to Yanzhang, "You always called me a boy—are you convinced now? He asked again, "You are famed as a capable general—why did you not hold Yanzhou? Zhongdu had no walls or ramparts—how could you hold yourself there? Yanzhang replied, "Heaven's mandate is already gone—there is nothing worth saying. The emperor valued Yanzhang's talent and wished to employ him. He gave him medicine and dressed his wounds and repeatedly sent men to persuade him. Yanzhang said, "I was originally a common man. I received Liang's grace and rose to grand general. I have fought the emperor for fifteen years; Now my army is defeated and my strength exhausted—death is my due. Even if the emperor pities me and lets me live, with what face could I meet the people of the realm! How could one be a Liang general in the morning and a Tang subject by evening! This is what I will not do. The emperor again sent Li Siyuan to persuade him in person. Yanzhang, lying down, said to Siyuan, "Are you not Yaojilie? Yanzhang had always looked down on Siyuan, so he called him by his childhood name. Then the generals offered congratulations. The emperor raised his cup and turned to Li Siyuan, saying, "Today's achievement is the work of you and Chongtao. Earlier, when I listened to Shaohong and his crowd, the great affair was lost. The emperor also said to the generals, "What I feared before was only Wang Yanzhang. Now he is captured—it is Heaven's will to destroy Liang. Duan Ning is still north of the river. As for whether to advance or retreat, which direction should we take? The generals held that; Reports say Daliang has no defenses, but we do not know whether that is true or false. Now all the troops of the eastern commanderies are under Duan Ning; what remains are empty cities. With Your Majesty's majesty pressing upon them, none will fail to submit. If we first spread our territory east until it reaches the sea and then watch for openings to act, we can be entirely secure. Kang Yanxiao firmly urged taking Daliang at once. Li Siyuan said, "In war, speed is prized. Now Yanzhang is captured—Duan Ning surely does not yet know; Even if someone ran to tell him, between doubt and belief three days would still be required. Suppose he knew where we were headed and dispatched rescue troops—the direct route would be blocked by the breached river. They would have to cross south from Baima, and for a force of tens of thousands, boats would be hard to prepare at once. From here to Daliang is extremely near, and there are no mountain barriers ahead. Form the ranks and march unopposed—day and night at forced march, we could arrive in two overnight stops. Before Duan Ning leaves the north bank of the river, Youzhen will already be in our hands. Yanxiao's words are correct. I ask Your Majesty to advance the great army at a steady pace while I take a thousand horsemen as vanguard. The emperor agreed. "When the order was issued, all the armies leaped with joy and wished to march.
34
是夕，嗣源帥前軍倍道趣大梁。 乙亥，帝發中都，舁王彥章自隨，遣中使問彥章曰：「吾此行克乎？」 對曰：「段凝有精兵六萬，雖主將非材，亦未肯遽爾倒戈，殆難克也。」 帝知其終不為用，遂斬之。
That evening Siyuan led the advance army by forced marches toward Daliang. On yihai the emperor set out from Zhongdu with Wang Yanzhang carried along and sent a palace envoy to ask Yanzhang, "Will I succeed on this expedition? He replied, "Duan Ning has sixty thousand picked troops. Though the commander-in-chief is no great talent, they will not lightly turn their spears—it will be hard to overcome. The emperor knew he would never serve them and had him executed.
35
丁丑，至曹州，梁守將降。
On dingchou they reached Cao Prefecture, and the Liang defending general surrendered.
36
王彥章敗卒有先至大梁，告梁主以「彥章就擒，唐軍長驅且至」者，梁主聚族哭曰：「運祚盡矣！」 召群臣問策，皆莫能對。 梁主謂敬翔曰：「朕居常忽卿所言，以至於此。 今事急矣，卿勿以為懟。 將若之何？」 翔泣曰：「臣受先帝厚恩，殆將三紀，名為宰相，其實朱氏老奴，事陛下如郎君。 臣前後獻言，莫匪盡忠。 陛下初用段凝，臣極言不可，小人朋比，致有今日。 今唐兵且至，段凝限於水北，不能赴救。 臣欲請取下出居避狄，陛下必不聽從； 欲請陛下出奇合戰，陛下必不果決。 雖使良、平更生，誰能為陛下計者！ 臣願先賜死，不忍見宗廟之亡也。」 因與梁主相向慟哭。 梁主遣張漢倫馳騎追段凝軍。 漢倫至滑州，墜馬傷足，復限水不能進。 時城中尚有控鶴軍數千，朱珪請帥之出戰。 梁主不從，命開封尹王瓚驅市人乘城為備。 初，梁陝州節度使邵王友誨，全昱之子也，性穎悟，人心多向之。 或言其誘致禁軍欲為亂，梁主召還，與其兄友諒、友能並幽於別第。 及唐師將至，梁主疑諸兄弟乘危謀亂，並皇弟賀王友雍、建王友徽盡殺之。 梁主登建國樓，面擇親信厚賜之，使衣野服，繼蠟詔，促段凝軍，既辭，皆亡匿。 或請幸洛陽，收集諸軍以拒唐，唐雖得都城，勢不能久留。 或請幸段凝軍，控鶴都指揮使皇甫麟曰：「凝本非將材，官由幸進，今危窘之際，望其臨機制勝，轉敗為功，難矣。 且凝聞彥章軍敗，其膽已破，安知能終為陛下盡節乎！」 趙巖曰：「事勢如此，一下此樓，誰心可保！」 梁主乃止。 復召宰相謀之，鄭玨請自懷傳國寶詐降以紓國難，梁主曰：「今日固不敢愛寶，但如卿此策，竟可了否？」 玨俯首久之，曰：「但恐未了。」 左右皆縮頸而笑。 梁主日夜涕泣，不知所為； 置傳國寶於臥內，忽失之，已為左右竊之迎唐軍矣。
Defeated soldiers of Wang Yanzhang had arrived at Daliang first and told the Liang emperor that Yanzhang had been captured and Tang troops were driving straight and would soon arrive. The Liang emperor gathered his clan and wept, saying, "Our fate is exhausted! He summoned the ministers to ask for plans, but none could answer. The Liang emperor said to Jing Xiang, "I usually neglected what you said, and it has come to this. Now the affair is urgent—do not take offense. What are we to do? Xiang wept and said, "Your subject received the late emperor's deep grace—nearly three decades have passed. Though titled grand councilor, I am in truth an old servant of the Zhu clan, serving Your Majesty as a son might a father. The advice I offered before and after was nothing if not loyal. When Your Majesty first employed Duan Ning, I spoke most strongly against it. Villains banded together and brought about today. Now Tang troops will soon arrive. Duan Ning is confined north of the river and cannot come to the rescue. I wish to ask that Your Majesty leave the capital and dwell elsewhere to avoid disaster—Your Majesty will surely not listen; I wish to ask Your Majesty to strike with a surprise force and join battle—Your Majesty will surely not decisively act. Even if Zhang Liang and Chen Ping were reborn, who could devise a plan for Your Majesty! I ask first to be granted death—I cannot bear to see the ancestral temples perish. Then he and the Liang emperor wept facing each other. The Liang emperor sent Zhang Hanlun at full gallop to overtake Duan Ning's army. Hanlun reached Hua Prefecture, fell from his horse and injured his foot, and again was blocked by the river and could not advance. In the city there were still several thousand Crane-Control troops. Zhu Gui asked to lead them out to give battle. The Liang emperor would not agree and ordered Kaifeng prefect Wang Zan to drive market people onto the walls to defend. Earlier, Liang's military commissioner of Shaanzhou, Prince of Shao Youhui, son of Quanyu, was quick-witted and men's hearts largely turned toward him. Some said he had lured the forbidden army intending rebellion. The Liang emperor summoned him back and, together with his older brothers Youliang and Youneng, confined them in separate residences. When Tang troops were about to arrive, the Liang emperor suspected the brothers might plot disorder in the crisis and, together with Imperial younger brother Prince of He Youyong and Prince of Jian Youhui, had them all killed. The Liang emperor ascended Jianguo Tower, personally chose trusted men and richly rewarded them, had them wear common clothes and carry sealed wax edicts urging Duan Ning's army, and once they had taken leave, all fled and hid. Some suggested going to Luoyang to gather the armies and resist Tang. Though Tang might take the capital, it could not remain long. Some suggested going to Duan Ning's army. Crane-Control Commanding Officer Huangfu Lin said, "Ning by nature is no general's material; his office came through favor. In this moment of crisis, to expect him to seize the moment and turn defeat into victory—that is hard. Moreover, when Ning hears Yanzhang's army was defeated, his courage is already broken. Who knows whether he can in the end devote himself fully to Your Majesty! Zhao Yan said, "The situation being thus, once you descend this tower, who can guarantee anyone's loyalty! The Liang emperor then stopped. He again summoned the grand councilors to consult. Zheng Jue asked to carry the imperial seal under his robe and feign surrender to ease the national crisis. The Liang emperor said, "Today I truly dare not begrudge the seal—but with your plan as this, can it really settle matters? Jue bowed his head a long time and said, "I fear only that it cannot settle them. Those nearby all shrank their necks and laughed. Day and night the Liang emperor wept, not knowing what to do; He placed the imperial seal inside his bedchamber, and suddenly it was lost—it had already been stolen by attendants to welcome the Tang army."
37
戊寅，或告唐軍已過曹州，塵埃漲天，趙巖謂從者曰：「吾待溫許州厚，必不負我。」 遂奔許州。 梁主謂皇甫麟曰：「李氏吾世仇，理難降首，不可俟彼刀鋸。 吾不能自裁，卿可斷吾首。」 麟泣曰：「臣為陛下揮劍死唐軍則可矣，不敢奉此詔。」 梁主曰：「卿欲賣我邪？」 麟欲自剄，梁主持之曰：「與卿俱死！」 麟遂弒梁主，因自殺。 梁主為人溫恭儉約，無荒淫之失； 但寵信趙、張，使擅威福，疏棄敬、李舊臣，不用其言，以至於亡。
On wuyin someone reported Tang troops had already passed Cao Prefecture—dust filled the sky. Zhao Yan said to those with him, "I treated Wen of Xuzhou generously—he will surely not fail me. Then he fled to Xuzhou. The Liang emperor said to Huangfu Lin, "The Li clan are my hereditary enemies; by rights I cannot bow my head in surrender. I cannot wait for their blades and saws. I cannot kill myself—you may cut off my head. Lin wept and said, "Your subject can die swinging his sword against Tang troops, but I dare not obey this edict. The Liang emperor said, "Do you wish to sell me out? Lin wished to cut his own throat; the Liang emperor held him and said, "Let us die together! Lin then killed the Liang emperor and took his own life. The Liang emperor as a man was mild, respectful, and frugal—there was no excess of licentiousness; But he favored and trusted Zhao and Zhang, letting them wield power and privilege at will. He estranged and cast aside old ministers Jing and Li and did not use their counsel, and thus he came to ruin."
38
己卯旦，李嗣源軍至大梁，攻封丘門，王瓚開門出降，嗣源入城，撫安軍民。 是日，帝入自梁門，百官迎謁於馬首，拜伏請罪，帝慰勞之，使各復其位。 李嗣源迎賀，帝喜不自勝，手引嗣源衣，以頭觸之曰：「吾有天下，卿父子之功也，天下與爾共之。」 帝命訪求梁主，頃之，或以其首獻。
At dawn on jimao Li Siyuan's army reached Daliang and attacked Fengqiu Gate. Wang Zan opened the gate and came out to surrender. Siyuan entered the city and pacified troops and people. That day the emperor entered through Liang Gate. The hundred officials welcomed and paid obeisance at his horse's head, prostrating themselves to beg forgiveness. The emperor comforted them and had each resume his post. Li Siyuan came to welcome and congratulate. The emperor was beyond himself with joy. He took Siyuan's robe in hand and touched his head to it, saying, "I have the realm—this is the achievement of you father and son. The realm I share with you. The emperor ordered a search for the Liang emperor, and before long someone presented his head.
39
李振謂敬翔曰：「有詔洗滌吾輩，相與朝新君乎？」 翔曰：「吾二人為梁宰相，君昏不能諫，國亡不能救，新君若問，將何辭以對！」 是夕未曙，或報翔曰：「崇政李太保已入朝矣。」 翔歎曰：「李振謬為丈夫！ 朱氏與新君世為仇讎，今國亡君死，縱新君不誅，何面目入建國門乎！」 乃縊而死。
Li Zhen said to Jing Xiang, "There is an edict to wash us clean—shall we together attend the new sovereign at court? Xiang said, "We two were Liang grand councilors. The ruler was benighted and we could not remonstrate; the state perished and we could not save it. If the new sovereign asks, with what words shall we answer! That evening before daybreak someone reported to Xiang, "Guard of the Inner Palace Li the Grand Protector has already entered court. Xiang sighed and said, "Li Zhen wrongly poses as a man of honor! The Zhu clan and the new emperor had been sworn enemies for generations. Now the state was lost and its ruler dead. Even if the new emperor spared my life, how could I bear to walk through Jianguo Gate again? With that she hanged herself."
40
庚辰，梁百官復待罪於朝堂，帝宣敕赦之。 趙巖至許州，溫昭圖迎謁歸第，斬首來獻，盡沒巖所繼之貨。 昭圖復名韜。
On gengchen the Liang officials once more stood in the hall awaiting judgment. The emperor issued an edict of pardon. When Zhao Yan arrived at Xuzhou, Wen Zhaotu received him with ceremony, brought him home, cut off his head and sent it in tribute, and seized every item of property Yan had come into. Zhaotu took back his original name, Tao.
41
辛巳，詔王瓚收朱友貞屍，殯於佛寺，漆其首，函之，藏於太社。
On xinsi the emperor ordered Wang Zan to recover Zhu Youzhen's body, lay it out in a Buddhist temple, lacquer the severed head, seal it in a box, and deposit it at the Imperial Altar of Earth.
42
段凝自滑州濟河入援，以諸軍排陳使杜晏球為前鋒； 至封丘，遇李從珂，晏球先降。 壬午，凝將其眾五萬至封丘，亦解甲請降。 凝帥諸大將先詣闕待罪，帝勞賜之，慰諭士卒，使各復其所。 凝出入公卿間，揚揚自得無愧色，梁之舊臣見者皆欲齕其面，抉其心。
Duan Ning crossed the Yellow River from Huazhou to bring reinforcements, appointing Du Yanqiu, commissioner for battle formation among the combined forces, as vanguard; At Fengqiu they ran into Li Congke, and Yanqiu was the first to submit. On renwu Ning marched his fifty thousand men to Fengqiu and, like Yanqiu, laid down their arms and offered surrender. Ning led his senior commanders to the palace to await judgment. The emperor received them with rewards and kind words, reassured the rank and file, and sent everyone back to his post. Ning walked among the court grandees with an easy, unashamed air. Every former Liang minister who saw him wished he could tear off his face and rip out his heart.
43
丙戌，詔貶梁中書侍郎、同平章事鄭玨為萊州司戶，蕭頃為登州司戶，翰林學士劉岳為均州司馬，任贊為房州司馬，姚顗為復州司馬，封翹為唐州司馬，李懌為懷州司馬，竇夢征為沂州司馬，崇政學士劉光素為密州司戶，陸崇為安州司戶，御史中丞王權為隨州司戶； 以其世受唐恩而仕梁貴顯故也。 岳，崇龜之從子； 顗，萬年人； 翹，敖之孫； 懌，亦兆人； 權，龜之孫也。
On bingxu an edict stripped rank from a slate of Liang grandees who had risen high under the old regime: Zheng Jue, Vice Chancellor of the Secretariat and Grand Councilor, was reduced to census clerk of Laizhou; Xiao Xiang to Dengzhou; Liu Yue, Hanlin academician, to Junzhou; Ren Zan to Fangzhou; Yao Yi to Fuzhou; Feng Qiao to Tangzhou; Li Yi to Huaizhou; Dou Mengzheng to Yizhou; Liu Guangsu, Chongzheng academician, to Mizhou; Lu Chong to Anzhou; and Wang Quan, Censor-in-Chief, to Suizhou—all as assistant prefects or census clerks; The reason was that their families had owed the Tang dynasty generations of favor, yet they had taken high office under Liang. Liu Yue was a nephew of Liu Chonggui; Yao Yi came from Wannian; Feng Qiao was a grandson of Feng Ao; Li Yi was likewise a native of the capital district; Wang Quan was a grandson of Wang Gui.
44
段凝、杜晏球上言：「偽梁要人趙巖、趙鵠、張希逸、張漢倫、張漢傑、張漢融、朱珪等，竊弄威福，殘蠹群生，不可不誅。」 詔：「敬翔、李振首佐朱溫，共傾唐祚； 契丹撒刺阿撥叛兄棄母，負恩背國，宜與巖等並族誅於市； 自餘文武將吏一切不問。」 又詔追廢朱溫、朱友貞為庶人，毀其宗廟神主。
Duan Ning and Du Yanqiu memorialized the throne: "Among the leading men of the usurper Liang—Zhao Yan, Zhao Hu, Zhang Xiyi, Zhang Hanlun, Zhang Hanjie, Zhang Hanrong, Zhu Gui, and the rest—many abused their power to prey on the realm. They must be put to death." The emperor responded with an edict: "Jing Xiang and Li Zhen were the first to aid Zhu Wen in bringing down the Tang; the Khitan Salagabo rebelled against his brother and forsook his mother, ingratitude and treason together—they, together with Yan and his associates, shall be executed in the market and their clans extirpated; All other civil and military officers and clerks shall be left unmolested." A further edict posthumously reduced Zhu Wen and Zhu Youzhen to commoners and demolished the spirit tablets in their ancestral shrine.
45
帝之與梁戰於河上也，梁拱宸左廂都指揮使陸思鐸善射，常於笴上自鏤姓名，射帝，中馬鞍，帝拔箭藏之。 至是，思鐸從眾俱降，帝出箭示之，思鐸伏地待罪，帝慰而釋之，尋授龍武右廂都指揮使。 以豆盧革尚在魏，命樞密使郭崇韜權行中書事。
During the fighting on the river against Liang, Lu Siduo of the Gongchen guard's left wing was a crack archer who engraved his name on every shaft. He once shot at the emperor and hit the saddle. The emperor quietly pulled out the arrow and kept it hidden. Now Siduo surrendered with his men. The emperor brought out the arrow and showed it to him. Siduo fell prostrate to await judgment, but the emperor reassured him and let him go, soon naming him commander of the Longwu guard's right wing. With Doulu Ge still at Weizhou, the emperor had Guo Chongtao, commissioner of the Bureau of Military Affairs, serve temporarily as acting head of the chancellery.
46
梁諸籓鎮稍稍入朝，或上表待罪，帝皆慰釋之。 宋州節度使袁象先首來入朝，陝州留後霍彥威次之。 像先輦珍貨數十萬，遍賂劉夫人及權貴、伶官、宦者，旬日，中外爭譽之，恩寵隆異。 己丑，詔偽庭節度、觀察、防禦、團練使、刺史及諸將校，並不議改更，將校官吏先奔偽庭者一切不問。
Liang's regional commanders began trickling in to court, some sending memorials begging forgiveness. The emperor received them all with reassurance and pardon. Yuan Xiangxian of Songzhou was the first to arrive; Huo Yanwei, acting commissioner of Shanzhou, followed. Xiangxian sent in treasures worth hundreds of thousands and spread gifts among Lady Liu, the great officers, actors, and eunuchs. Within ten days the whole court was praising him, and imperial favor fell on him in unusual measure. On jichou an edict declared that every military commissioner, observation commissioner, defense commissioner, training commissioner, prefect, and field officer appointed by the usurper regime would keep his post without review, and that no one who had earlier gone over to Liang would be called to account.
47
庚寅，豆盧革至自魏。 甲午，加崇韜守侍中，領成德節度使。 崇韜權兼內外，謀猷規益，竭忠無隱，頗亦薦引人物，豆盧革受成而已，無所裁正。
On gengyin Doulu Ge returned from Weizhou. On jiawu Guo Chongtao was promoted to acting Palace Attendant and appointed military commissioner of Chengde. Guo Chongtao held real power over court and camp alike. He gave frank, loyal counsel and brought forward capable men. Doulu Ge, by contrast, merely ratified decisions already made and exercised no independent judgment.
48
丙申，賜滑州留後段凝姓名曰李紹欽，耀州刺史杜晏球曰李紹虔。
On bingshen the emperor bestowed the Tang surname Li and the name Shaoqin on Duan Ning, acting commissioner of Huazhou, and the name Shaoqian on Du Yanqiu, prefect of Yaozhou.
49
乙酉，梁西都留守河南尹張宗奭來朝，復名全義，獻幣馬千計； 帝命皇子繼岌、皇弟存紀等兄事之。 帝欲發梁太祖墓，斫棺焚其屍，全義上言：「朱溫雖國之深仇，然其人已死，刑無可加，屠滅其家，足以為報，乞免焚斫以存聖恩。」 帝從之，但鏟其闕室，削封樹而已。
On yiyou Zhang Zongshi, Liang's western-capital garrison commander and governor of Henan, arrived at court, restored his former name Quanyi, and offered thousands of horses and bolts of tribute silk; the emperor commanded his son Li Jiji, his younger brother Li Cunji, and the other princes to honor him as an elder brother. The emperor wanted to open the Liang Founding Emperor's tomb, break the coffin, and burn the body. Quanyi pleaded: "Zhu Wen was indeed the dynasty's bitter foe, but he is dead and beyond further punishment. His house has already been destroyed—that is revenge enough. I beg Your Majesty to forgo desecration of the grave and show magnanimity." The emperor agreed, contenting himself with stripping the tomb mound and trimming the memorial trees.
50
戊戌，加天平節度使李嗣源兼中書令； 以北京留守繼岌為東京留守、同平章事。
On wuxu Li Siyuan, military commissioner of Tianping, was also named Director of the Chancellery; Li Jiji, garrison commander of the northern capital, was appointed garrison commander of the eastern capital and Grand Councilor.
51
帝遣使宣諭諸道，梁所除節度使五十餘人皆上表入貢。 楚王殷遣其子牙內馬步都指揮使希范入見，納洪、鄂行營都統印，上本道將吏籍。 荊南節度使高季昌聞帝滅梁，避唐廟諱，更名季興，欲自入朝，梁震曰：「唐有吞天下之志，嚴兵守險，猶恐不自保，況數千里入朝乎！ 且公朱氏舊將，安知彼不以仇敵相遇乎！」 季興不從。 帝遣使以滅梁告吳、蜀，二國皆懼。 徐溫尤嚴可求曰：「公前沮吾計，今將奈何？」 可求笑曰：「聞唐主始得中原，志氣驕滿，御下無法，不出數年，將有內變，吾但當卑辭厚禮，保境安民以待之耳。」 唐使稱詔，吳人不受； 帝易其書，用敵國之禮，曰：「大唐皇帝致書於吳國主」，吳人復書稱「大吳國主上大唐皇帝」，辭禮如箋表。 吳人有告壽州團練使鍾泰章侵市官馬者，徐知誥以吳王之命，遣滁州刺史王稔巡霍丘，因代為壽州團練使，以泰章為饒州刺史。 徐溫召至金陵，使陳彥謙詰之者三，皆不對。 或問泰章：「可以不自辨？」 泰章曰：「吾在揚州，十萬軍中號稱壯士； 壽州去淮數里，步騎不下五千，苟有它志，豈王稔單騎能代之乎！ 我義不負國，雖黜為縣令亦行，況刺史乎！ 何為自辨以彰朝廷之失！」 徐知誥欲以法繩諸將，請收泰章治罪。 徐溫曰：「吾非泰章，已死於張顥之手，今日富貴，安可負之！」 命知誥為子景通娶其女以解之。
The emperor sent envoys throughout the realm with proclamations of the new order. More than fifty military commissioners Liang had appointed all memorialized the throne and sent tribute. Ma Yin of Chu sent his son Xi Fan, commander of the palace guard, to court. Xi Fan surrendered the seals of the Hong-E field command and submitted a full roster of Chu officers and officials. When Gao Jichang of Jingnan learned that Tang had overthrown Liang, he changed his name to Jixing to avoid a taboo character and prepared to go to court himself. His adviser Liang Zhen warned: "Tang means to swallow the whole realm. Even with strong garrisons on every pass they may not feel secure—what hope is there in traveling thousands of li to pay homage? And you, sir, were once a general of the Zhu house. Who is to say they will not receive you as an enemy?" Jixing would not listen. The emperor sent envoys to Wu and Shu with news of Liang's fall. Both courts were alarmed. Xu Wen turned on Yan Keqiu with unusual severity: "You talked me out of my plan before. What do you propose we do now? Keqiu smiled and replied: "They say the Tang emperor has just taken the heartland, swollen with pride and loose in discipline. Give him a few years and there will be trouble within. Our task is to speak humbly, send rich gifts, hold our borders, and keep the people at peace until that day comes." The Tang envoy presented his letter as an imperial edict, and Wu refused to receive it; The emperor revised the text to treat Wu as an equal power: "The emperor of Great Tang to the lord of Wu." Wu answered in kind—"The lord of Great Wu to the emperor of Great Tang"—in the form of a formal memorial between sovereigns. Someone in Wu accused Zhong Taizhang, training commissioner of Shouzhou, of seizing and selling government horses. Acting on the Wu king's orders, Xu Zhigao sent Wang Min, prefect of Chuzhou, to inspect Huoqiu, took Shouzhou from Taizhang, and transferred him to Raozhou. Xu Wen had him brought to Jinling and ordered Chen Yanqian to interrogate him three times. Taizhang refused to reply. Someone asked Taizhang: "Will you not speak in your own defense? Taizhang answered: "At Yangzhou I was known as the bravest man in an army of a hundred thousand; Shouzhou lies only a few li from the Huai, with five thousand foot and horse under my command. If I had meant rebellion, could Wang Min have replaced me single-handed on one horse? My loyalty to the state is clear. I would accept even demotion to county magistrate—how much less object to a prefecture! Why should I argue my case and advertise the court's mistake?" Xu Zhigao wanted to make an example under the law and asked that Taizhang be arrested and prosecuted. Xu Wen said: "If not for Taizhang I would have died at Zhang Hao's hands. With the wealth and rank I enjoy today, how could I turn against him? He settled the affair by arranging for Zhigao's son Jingtong to marry Taizhang's daughter.
52
彗星見輿鬼，長丈餘，蜀司天監言國有大災。 蜀主詔於玉局化設道場，右補闕張雲上疏，以為：「百姓怨氣上徹於天，故彗星見。 此乃亡國之征，非祈禳可弭。」 蜀主怒，流雲黎州，卒於道。
A comet more than ten feet long appeared in the Yue-Gui asterism. The Shu Directorate of Astronomy declared that the realm faced a great disaster. The Shu emperor ordered rites performed at Yujuhua. Right Remonstrance Zhang Yun memorialized the throne: "The people's grievances have risen to heaven—that is why the comet has appeared. It is an omen of dynastic fall, not an evil that ritual prayer can avert." The Shu emperor in a rage banished Zhang Yun to Lizhou. He died on the way.
53
郭崇韜上言：「河南節度使、刺史上表者但稱姓名，未除新官，恐負憂疑。」 十一月，始降制以新官命之。
Guo Chongtao wrote: "Henan's military commissioners and prefects are memorializing under their old names because no new appointments have been issued. That is bound to leave them anxious and uncertain." In the eleventh month the emperor finally issued formal appointments under the new regime.
54
滑州留後李紹欽因伶人景進納貨於宮掖，除泰寧節度使。
Li Shaoqin, acting commissioner of Huazhou, secured the post of military commissioner of Taining by bribing the palace through the actor Jing Jin.
55
帝幼善音律，故伶人多有寵，常侍左右； 帝或時自傅粉墨，與優人共戲於庭，以悅劉夫人，優名謂之「李天下！」 嘗因為優，自呼曰：「李天下，李天下」，優人敬新磨遽前批其頰。 帝失色，群優亦駭愕，新磨徐曰：「理天下者只有一人，尚誰呼邪！」 帝悅，厚賜之。 帝嘗畋於中牟，踐民稼，中牟令當馬前諫曰：「陛下為民父母，奈何毀其所食，使轉死溝壑乎！」 帝怒，叱去，將殺之。 敬新磨追擒至馬前，責之曰：「汝為縣令，獨不知吾天子好獵邪？ 奈何縱民耕種，以妨吾天子之馳聘乎！ 汝罪當死！」 因請行刑，帝笑而釋之。 諸伶出入宮掖，侮弄縉紳，群臣憤嫉，莫敢出氣； 亦反有相附托以希恩澤者，四方籓鎮爭以貨賂結之。 其尤蠹政害人者，景進為之首。 進好采閭閻鄙細事聞於上，上亦欲知外間事，遂委進以耳目。 進每奏事，常屏左右問之，由是進得施其讒慝，干預政事。 自將相大臣皆憚之，孔巖常以兄事之。
The emperor had loved music since boyhood, and actors accordingly enjoyed great favor, always at his side; He sometimes painted his own face and played scenes in the courtyard with the troupe to amuse Lady Liu. Onstage they hailed him as "Li Tianxia!"—"Li Who Rules the Realm!" Once, while playing a part, he cried out, "Li Tianxia! Li Tianxia!" The actor Jing Xinmo darted forward and struck him across the face. The emperor went pale and the whole troupe froze in terror. Xinmo said calmly: "Only one man may rule the realm—whom else do you mean to summon? The emperor laughed and gave him a generous reward. On a hunt at Zhongmou the emperor rode through standing grain. The county magistrate stepped in front of his horse and pleaded: "Your Majesty is father and mother to the people. Why trample their food and drive them to starve in the ditches? The emperor flew into a rage, ordered him driven off, and was ready to execute him. Jing Xinmo ran after him, dragged him back to the horse, and scolded him: "You are a county magistrate—do you alone not know that our emperor loves to hunt? Why did you let peasants plant crops and block our emperor's riding ground! You deserve to die for this! He asked leave to carry out the sentence on the spot. The emperor laughed and let the magistrate go. Actors moved freely in and out of the inner palace, humiliating court gentlemen. Ministers seethed with anger but none dared speak; some officials instead cultivated them for favor, and regional commanders across the realm vied to buy their goodwill with gifts. The worst of them, the one who most poisoned government, was Jing Jin. Jin delighted in collecting trivial gossip from the streets and reporting it upstairs. The emperor, eager for news from beyond the palace, made him his informant. Whenever Jin came to report, he would send attendants away for a private audience. In this way he spread slander and meddled in state affairs. Even generals and grand councilors stood in awe of him. Kong Yan regularly addressed him as an elder brother."
56
壬寅，岐王遣使致書，賀帝滅梁，以季父自居，辭禮甚倨。
On renyin the Prince of Qi sent a letter congratulating the emperor on the fall of Liang. He styled himself the emperor's uncle-by-marriage and wrote in a tone of open arrogance.
57
癸卯，河中節度使朱友謙入朝，帝與之宴，寵錫無算。
On guimao Zhu Youqian of Hezhong came to court. The emperor held a banquet in his honor and showered him with rewards beyond number.
58
張全義請帝遷都洛陽，從之。
Zhang Quanyi urged the emperor to transfer the capital to Luoyang, and the emperor agreed.
59
己巳，賜朱友謙姓名曰李繼麟，命繼岌兄事之。
On jisi the emperor bestowed the name Li Jilin on Zhu Youqian and commanded Li Jiji to honor him as an elder brother.
60
以康延孝為鄭州防禦使，賜姓名曰李紹琛。
Kang Yanxiao was appointed defense commissioner of Zhengzhou and given the Tang name Li Shaochen.
61
廢北都，復為成德軍。
The northern capital was abolished and the region reverted to the Chengde command.
62
賜宣武節度使袁象先姓名曰李紹安。 匡國節度使溫韜入朝，賜姓名曰李紹沖。 紹沖多繼金帛賂劉夫人及權貴伶宦，旬日，復遣還鎮。 郭崇韜曰：「國家為唐雪恥，溫韜發唐山陵殆遍，其罪與朱溫相埒耳，何得復居方鎮，天下義士其謂我何！」 上曰：「入汴之初，已赦其罪。」 竟遣之。
Yuan Xiangxian, military commissioner of Xuanwu, received the Tang name Li Shao'an. Wen Tao of Kuangguo came to court and was given the name Li Shaochong. Shaochong lavished gold and silk on Lady Liu, the great officers, actors, and eunuchs. Within ten days he was sent back to his post. Guo Chongtao protested: "We restored Tang to avenge its humiliation. Wen Tao plundered nearly every Tang imperial tomb. His crime ranks with Zhu Wen's. How can we send him back to command a region? What will men of honor throughout the realm think of us? The emperor replied: "When we first entered Bian we already pardoned him. In the end Wen Tao was sent back anyway.
63
戊申，中書奏以：「國用未充，請量留三省、寺、監官，餘並停，俟見任者滿二十五月，以次代之； 其西班上將軍以下，令樞密院准此。」 從之。 人頗咨怨。
On wushen the chancellery reported: "Treasury income is still short. We ask to retain only a limited roster in the Three Departments and the directorates and supervisorates, suspend all other posts, and fill vacancies only after incumbents have served twenty-five months; the Bureau of Military Affairs should apply the same rule to military offices from senior generals of the western class downward." The emperor approved the proposal. There was widespread grumbling among officials.
64
初，梁均王將祀南郊於洛陽，聞楊劉陷而止，其儀物具在。 張全義請上亟幸洛陽，謁廟畢即祀南郊； 從之。
Earlier, the last Liang emperor had been preparing to offer sacrifice to Heaven at the southern suburbs in Luoyang. When he learned that Yangliu had fallen, he abandoned the rite, though all the ceremonial equipment was still in place. Zhang Quanyi urged the emperor to go quickly to Luoyang, perform the temple rites, and then carry out the southern suburbs sacrifice without delay; The emperor agreed.
65
丙辰，復以梁東京開封府為宣武軍汴州。 梁以宋州為宣武軍，詔更名歸德軍。
On bingchen Kaifeng—the Liang eastern capital—was restored as Bianzhou, seat of the Xuanwu command. Under the Liang, Songzhou had held the name Xuanwu; an edict now renamed that command the Guide army.
66
詔文武官先詣洛陽。
An edict commanded civil and military officials to go ahead to Luoyang.
67
議者以郭崇韜勳臣為宰相，不能知朝廷典故，當用前朝名家以佐之。 或薦禮部尚書薛廷珪，太子少保李琪，嘗為太祖冊禮使，皆耆宿有文，宜為相。 崇韜奏廷珪浮華無相業，琪傾險無士風； 尚書左丞趙光胤廉潔方正，自梁未亡，北人皆稱其有宰相器。 豆盧革薦禮部侍郎韋說諳練朝章。 丁巳，以光胤為中書侍郎，與說並同平章事。 光胤，光逢之弟； 說，岫之子； 廷珪，逢之子也。 光胤性輕率，喜自矜； 說謹重守常而已。
Some argued that Guo Chongtao, though a meritorious minister now serving as chancellor, lacked familiarity with court ritual and precedent, and that eminent men of the former dynasty should be appointed to assist him. Some recommended Xue Tinggui, Minister of Rites, and Li Qi, Junior Mentor of the Heir Apparent, both aged men of letters who had once served as investiture envoys under Emperor Taizu and were thought worthy of the chancellorship. Chongtao objected that Tinggui was showy and unfit for high office, and that Qi was scheming and lacked the character of a true scholar-official; Left Assistant Director Zhao Guangyin was honest, upright, and widely respected; even before the Liang fell, men in the north had spoken of him as chancellor material. Doulu Ge recommended Vice Minister of Rites Wei Shuo, who was thoroughly versed in court protocol. On dingsi Guangyin was appointed Vice Director of the Secretariat and, together with Shuo, named Grand Councilor. Guangyin was the younger brother of Zhao Guangfeng; Shuo was the son of Wei Xiu; Tinggui was the son of Zhao Feng. Guangyin was light-minded and fond of boasting; Shuo was merely cautious and steady, nothing more.
68
趙光逢自梁朝罷相，杜門不交賓客，光胤時往見之，語及政事。 他日，光逢署其戶曰：「請不言中書事。」
After Zhao Guangfeng was removed from the chancellorship under the Liang, he shut his doors to visitors. Guangyin still called on him from time to time and talked politics. One day Guangfeng posted a notice on his door that read, "Please do not discuss affairs of the Secretariat."1
69
租庸副使孔謙畏張憲公正，欲專使務，言於郭崇韜曰：「東京重地，須大臣鎮之，非張公不可。」 崇韜即奏以憲為東京副留守，知留守事。 戊午，以豆盧革判租庸，兼諸道鹽鐵轉運使。 謙彌失望。
Kong Qian, deputy commissioner of the Rent and Corvée Bureau, feared Zhang Xian's integrity and wanted sole control of the bureau. He told Guo Chongtao, "The eastern capital is too important to leave lightly guarded—it must be held by a senior minister, and only Lord Zhang will do. Chongtao promptly memorialized to appoint Xian deputy regent of the eastern capital with full authority over the garrison. On wuwu Doulu Ge was put in charge of the Rent and Corvée Bureau and also named transport commissioner for salt and iron across all circuits. Kong Qian was bitterly disappointed.
70
己未，加張全義守尚書令，高季興守中書令。 時季興入朝，上待之甚厚，從容問曰：「朕欲用兵於吳、蜀，二國何先？」 季興以蜀道險難取，乃對曰：「吳地薄民貧，克之無益，不如先伐蜀。 蜀土富饒，又主荒民怨，伐之必克。 克蜀之後，順流而下，取吳如反掌耳。」 上曰：「善！」
On jiwei Zhang Quanyi was promoted to acting Director of the Department of State Affairs and Gao Jixing to acting Director of the Secretariat. Jixing was then at court, and the emperor received him with great favor. In an unhurried tone he asked, "I mean to campaign against Wu and Shu—which should I strike first? Knowing how treacherous the road into Shu was, Jixing answered, "Wu is poor in land and people. Conquering it would gain you little. You would do better to attack Shu first. Shu is rich, its ruler idle, and its people resentful. A campaign there is sure to succeed. Once Shu falls, you can sweep downriver and seize Wu as easily as turning over your hand. The emperor said, "Well said!"2
71
辛酉，復以永平軍大安府為西京京兆府。
On xinyou Da'an—the seat of the Yongping command—was restored as Jingzhao prefecture, capital of the western capital.
72
甲子，帝發大梁； 十二月，庚午，至洛陽。
On jiazi the emperor departed Daliang; In the twelfth month, on gengwu, he arrived at Luoyang.
73
吳越王鏐以行軍司馬杜建徽為左丞相。
King Qian Liu of Wuyue appointed campaigning marshal Du Jianhui left chief minister.
74
壬申，詔以汴州宮苑為行宮。
On renshen an edict designated the Bianzhou palace grounds as an imperial traveling palace.
75
以耀州為順義軍，延州為彰武軍，鄧州為威勝軍，晉州為建雄軍，安州為安遠軍； 自餘籓鎮，皆復唐舊名。
Yaozhou was renamed the Shunyi command, Yanzhou the Zhangwu command, Dengzhou the Weisheng command, Jinzhou the Jianxiong command, and Anzhou the Anyuan command; all other regional commands likewise reverted to their Tang-era names.
76
庚辰，御史台奏：「朱溫篡逆，刪改本朝《律令格式》，悉收舊本焚之，今台司及刑部、大理寺所用皆偽廷之法。 聞定州敕庫獨有本朝《律令格式》具在，乞下本道錄進。」 從之。
On gengchen the Censorate reported: "When Zhu Wen seized power he revised the Tang Statutes, Ordinances, Decrees, and Formats, collected every old copy, and burned them. The Censorate, Ministry of Justice, and Court of Judicial Review now all rely on the spurious code of the usurping court. We have learned that the edict archive at Dingzhou alone still holds a complete set of the Tang code. We ask that the circuit be ordered to copy and submit it. The emperor approved the request."
77
李繼韜聞上滅梁，憂懼，不知所為，欲北走契丹，會有詔征詣闕； 繼韜將行，其弟繼遠曰：「兄以反為名，何地自容！ 往與不往等耳，不若深溝高壘，坐食積粟，猶可延歲月； 入朝，立死矣。」 或謂繼韜曰：「先令公有大功於國，主上於公，季父也，往必無虞。」 繼韜母楊氏，善蓄財，家貲百萬，乃與楊氏偕行，繼銀四十萬兩，他貨稱是，大布賂遺。 伶人宦官爭為之言曰：「繼韜初無邪謀，為奸人所惑耳。 嗣昭親賢，不可無後。」 楊氏復入宮見帝，泣請其死，以其先人為言； 又求哀於劉夫人，劉夫人亦為之言。 及繼韜入見待罪，上釋之，留月餘，屢從游畋，寵待如故。 皇弟義成節度使、同平章事存渥深詆訶之，繼韜心不自安，復賂左右求還鎮，上不許。 繼韜潛遣人遺繼遠書，教軍士縱火，冀天子復遣己撫安之，事洩，辛巳，貶登州長史，尋斬於天津橋南，並其二子。 遣使斬繼遠於上黨，以李繼達充軍城巡檢。 召權知軍州事李繼儔詣闕，繼儔據有繼韜之室，料簡妓妾，搜校貨財，不時即路。 繼達怒曰：「吾家兄弟父子同時誅死者四人，大兄曾無骨肉之情，貪淫如此； 吾誠羞之，無面視人，生不如死！」 甲申，繼達衰服，帥麾下百騎坐戟門呼曰：「誰與吾反者？」 因攻牙宅，斬繼儔。 節度副使李繼珂聞亂，募市人，得千餘，攻子城。 繼達知事不濟，開東門，歸私第，盡殺其妻子，將奔契丹，出城數里，從騎皆散，乃自剄。
When Li Jitao learned that the emperor had overthrown the Liang, he was stricken with fear and did not know what to do. He was about to flee north to the Khitan when an edict arrived summoning him to court; As Jitao prepared to leave, his younger brother Jiyuan said, "Brother, you are already branded a rebel. Where in the world can you hide! Whether you go or stay makes no difference. Better to dig deep moats, raise high walls, and live off your stored grain—you might still buy yourself some time; Go to court and you will be killed on the spot. Others told Jitao, "Your father rendered great service to the state. The emperor treats you as a nephew. If you go, you have nothing to fear. Jitao's mother, Lady Yang, was a shrewd hoarder of wealth; the family fortune ran to a million strings of cash. Jitao set out with her, bringing four hundred thousand taels of silver and gifts in proportion, and lavished bribes on all sides. Actors and eunuchs all pleaded on his behalf, saying, "Jitao never harbored treason. Evil men led him astray. Sizhao was a loyal kinsman and a worthy man. His house must not die out. Lady Yang went again into the palace to see the emperor, weeping and begging for his life and invoking the deeds of his ancestors; She also appealed to Lady Liu, who likewise interceded for him. When Jitao came to court to submit to judgment, the emperor pardoned him. He stayed more than a month, often joined the emperor on hunts and excursions, and was favored as before. The emperor's younger brother Li Cunwo, military commissioner of Yicheng and Grand Councilor, denounced him harshly. Jitao grew uneasy and again bribed the emperor's attendants to let him return to his post, but the emperor refused. Jitao secretly sent word to Jiyuan urging the garrison to set fires, hoping the emperor would send him back to restore order. When the plot was exposed, on xinsi he was demoted to secretary of Dengzhou and soon executed south of Tianjin Bridge along with his two sons. An envoy was sent to execute Jiyuan at Shangdang, and Li Jida was appointed garrison patrol inspector. Li Jichou, acting prefect of the command, was summoned to court. He seized Jitao's house, sorted through his concubines, inventoried his wealth, and delayed his departure. Jida raged, "Four men of our house—brothers, fathers, and sons—were put to death together, yet our eldest brother showed not a shred of kinship feeling. Instead he grows greedy and debauched; I am ashamed to call him kin. I have no face left to show the world. Better dead than alive! On jiashen Jida, dressed in mourning, led a hundred horsemen to the halberd gate and cried out, "Who will rise with me? He then stormed the headquarters residence and killed Jichou. Deputy military commissioner Li Jike, hearing of the revolt, raised more than a thousand townspeople and assaulted the inner city. Seeing that the revolt had failed, Jida opened the eastern gate, returned home, killed his wife and children, and tried to flee to the Khitan. A few li outside the walls his followers melted away, and he cut his own throat."
78
甲申，吳王復遣司農卿洛陽盧蘋來奉使，嚴可求豫料帝所問，教蘋應對，既至，皆如可求所料。 蘋還，言唐主荒於游畋，嗇財拒諫，內外皆怨。
On jiashen the King of Wu again sent Lu Pin of Luoyang, Minister of Agriculture, as envoy. Yan Keqiu anticipated every question the emperor would ask and coached Pin in his answers. When Pin arrived, events unfolded exactly as Keqiu had predicted. On his return Pin reported that the Tang emperor was idle with hunting, tight-fisted, deaf to remonstrance, and resented by court and country alike.
79
高季興在洛陽，帝左右伶宦求貨無厭，季興忿之。 帝欲留季興，郭崇韜諫曰：「陛下新得天下，諸侯不過遣子弟將佐入貢，惟高季興身自入朝，當褒賞以勸來者； 乃羈留不遣，棄信虧義，沮四海之心，非計也。」 乃遣之。 季興倍道而去，至許州，謂左右曰：「此行有二失：來朝一失，縱我去一失。」 過襄州，節度使孔勍留宴，中夜，斬關而去。 丁酉，至江陵，握梁震手曰：「不用君言，幾不免虎口。」 又謂將佐曰：「新朝百戰方得河南，乃對功臣舉手去，『吾於十指上得天下，』矜伐如此，則他人皆無功矣，其誰不解體！ 又荒於禽色，何能久長！ 吾無憂矣。」 乃繕城積粟，招納梁舊兵，為戰守之備。
While Gao Jixing was in Luoyang, the actors and eunuchs around the emperor demanded gifts without end, and Jixing grew furious. The emperor wanted to keep Jixing at court. Guo Chongtao advised, "Your Majesty has only just won the realm. Most lords send sons, brothers, or officers with tribute. Gao Jixing came in person. He should be honored and rewarded to encourage others to follow; To hold him against his will would break faith, violate justice, and chill the loyalty of the realm. That is no wise policy. The emperor then let him go. Jixing fled by forced marches. At Xuzhou he told his attendants, "This trip revealed two blunders: letting me come to court was one, and letting me leave was another. Passing through Xiangzhou, military commissioner Kong Qing kept him for a banquet. At midnight Jixing broke through the gate and fled. On dingyou, reaching Jiangling, he took Liang Zhen's hand and said, "Had I not heeded your counsel, I would barely have escaped the tiger's jaws. He also told his officers, "The new dynasty won Henan only after a hundred battles, yet the emperor waved his fingers at his ministers and said, 'I won the realm on these ten fingers.' With such boasting, every other man is rendered worthless. Who would not lose heart! He is idle with hunting and women. How can such a reign last! I have nothing left to fear. He then repaired his walls, stockpiled grain, recruited former Liang soldiers, and prepared for war and siege."
Footnotes
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