1
資治通鑑第273卷
Comprehensive Mirror in Aid of Governance, Volume 273
2
【後唐紀二】起閼逢涒灘，盡旃蒙作噩十月，凡一年有奇。
[Later Tang Records 2] From the year Jiepeng Youtan through the tenth month of Zhanmeng Zuoe—slightly more than one year in all.
3
莊宗光聖神閔孝皇帝中同光二年（ 甲申，公元九二四年）
Middle reign of Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, second year of Tongguang ( jiashen, AD 924)
4
春，正月，甲辰，幽州奏契丹入寇，至瓦橋。 以天平軍節度使李嗣源為北面行營都招討使，陝州留後霍彥威副之，宣徽使李紹宏為監軍，將兵救幽州。
In spring, the first month, on the jiachen day, Youzhou reported that Khitan forces had invaded and advanced as far as Wa Bridge. Li Siyuan, military governor of Tianping, was appointed overall commander of the northern campaign headquarters, with Huo Yanwei, acting prefect of Shanzhou, as his deputy and Li Shaohong, commissioner of the Palace Secretariat, as army supervisor; they marched to relieve Youzhou.
5
孔謙復言於郭崇韜曰：「首座相公萬機事繁，居第且遠，租庸簿書多留滯，宜更圖之。」 豆盧革嘗以手書假省庫錢數十萬，謙以手書示崇韜，崇韜微以諷革。 革懼，奏請崇韜專判租庸，崇韜固辭。 上曰：「然則誰可者？」 崇韜曰：「孔謙雖久典金谷，若遽委大任，恐不葉物望，請復用張憲。」 帝即命召之。 謙彌失望。
Kong Qian again told Guo Chongtao, "The chief minister is buried in state business, lives far away, and tax and corvée paperwork keeps piling up—we ought to find another arrangement." Doulu Ge had once borrowed several hundred thousand strings from the provincial treasury on his personal note; Qian showed the note to Chongtao, who used it to drop a pointed hint to Ge. Frightened, Ge memorialized that Chongtao alone should run tax and corvée affairs, but Chongtao firmly refused. The emperor asked, "Then who is fit for the post?" Chongtao replied, "Kong Qian has handled finances for years, but if we suddenly give him the full portfolio, I doubt it will satisfy expectations—please bring back Zhang Xian." The emperor at once ordered Zhang Xian summoned. Qian was bitterly disappointed.
6
岐王聞帝入洛，內不自安，遣其子行軍司馬彰義節度使兼侍中繼曮入貢，始上表稱臣。 帝以其前朝耆舊，與太祖比肩，特加優禮，每賜詔但稱岐王而不名。 庚戌，加繼曮兼中書令，遣還。
When the Prince of Qi learned that the emperor had entered Luoyang, he grew uneasy and sent his son Li Jiyan—chief of staff, military governor of Zhangyi, and chief minister—to present tribute and, for the first time, to submit a memorial acknowledging himself as a subject. As an elder of the former court who had ranked beside the founding emperor, he received exceptional courtesy: every imperial edict addressed him only as Prince of Qi, never by his personal name. On the gengxu day, Jiyan was also made chief minister and sent home.
7
敕：「內官不應居外，應前朝內官及諸道監軍並私家先所畜者，不以貴賤，並遣詣闕。」 時在上左右者已五百人，至是殆及千人，皆給贍優厚，委之事任，以為腹心。 內諸司使，自天祐以來以士人代之，至是復用宦者，浸干政事。 既而復置諸道監軍，節度使出征或留闕下，軍府之政皆監軍決之，陵忽主帥，怙勢爭權，由是籓鎮皆憤怒。
An edict declared: "Eunuchs must not serve outside the palace. Every eunuch from the former dynasty, every circuit military supervisor, and every one kept in private households—whatever their rank—must be sent to court." Five hundred eunuchs already attended the emperor; after this summons the number neared a thousand. They received lavish stipends, were given real responsibilities, and were treated as his trusted inner circle. Since the Tianyou era literati had held the inner bureau commissions; now eunuchs were restored and steadily encroached on state affairs. Soon circuit military supervisors were reinstated. Whether a military governor was in the field or detained at court, the supervisor ran army headquarters, slighted the commander, and used his position to grab power—enraging every regional command.
8
契丹出塞。 召李嗣源旋師，命泰寧節度使李紹欽、澤州刺史董璋戍瓦橋。
The Khitan withdrew beyond the border. Li Siyuan was recalled; Li Shaoqin, military governor of Taining, and Dong Zhang, prefect of Zezhou, were ordered to hold Wa Bridge.
9
李繼曮見唐甲兵之盛，歸，語岐王，岐王益懼。 癸丑，表請正籓臣之禮，優詔不許。
After seeing how strong Tang forces were, Li Jiyan returned and told the Prince of Qi, who grew still more frightened. On the guichou day he asked permission to observe the full rites owed a subject; a gracious edict refused.
10
孔謙惡張憲之來，言於豆盧革曰：「錢穀細事，一健吏可辦耳。 魏都根本之地，顧不重乎！ 興唐尹王正言操守有餘，智力不足，必不得已，使之居朝廷，眾人輔之，猶愈於專委方面也。」 革為之言於崇韜，崇韜乃奏留張憲於東京。 甲寅，以正方為租庸使。 正言昏懦，謙利其易制故也。
Kong Qian, who resented Zhang Xian's appointment, told Doulu Ge, "Money and grain are petty business—any capable clerk could manage them. But the Wei capital is the foundation of the realm—surely that deserves more weight! Wang Zhengyan, prefect of Xingtang, is scrupulous but not clever; if we must, keep him at court with others to help him—still better than handing everything to the provinces." Ge repeated this to Chongtao, who memorialized to keep Zhang Xian at the Eastern Capital. On the jiayin day, Zhengyan was made commissioner of tax and corvée. Zhengyan was muddle-headed and weak; Qian favored him because he was easy to manipulate.
11
李存審奏契丹去，復得新州。
Li Cunshen reported that the Khitan had withdrawn and Xinzhou had been recovered.
12
戊午，敕鹽鐵、度支、戶部三司並隸租庸使。
On the wuwu day, an edict placed the Salt and Iron, Revenue, and Households bureaus under the tax and corvée commissioner.
13
上遣皇弟存渥、皇子繼岌迎太后、太妃於晉陽，太妃曰：「陵廟在此，若相與俱行，歲時何人奉祀！」 遂留不來。 太后至，庚申，上出迎於河陽； 辛酉，從太后入洛陽。
The emperor sent his brother Cunwo and his son Jiji to bring the empress dowager and consort dowager from Jinyang. The consort dowager said, "The imperial tombs and temples are here—if we all leave, who will tend the seasonal rites?" She stayed behind and did not come. When the empress dowager arrived, on the gengshen day the emperor went out to meet her at Heyang; on the xinyou day he entered Luoyang with her.
14
二月，己巳朔，上祀南郊，大赦。 孔謙欲聚斂以求媚，凡赦文所蠲者，謙復徵之。 自是每有詔令，人皆不信，百姓愁怨。
In the second month, on the jisi new moon, the emperor offered sacrifice at the southern suburb and proclaimed a general amnesty. Kong Qian wanted to squeeze revenue to curry favor; whatever the amnesty remitted, he taxed again. After that, whenever an edict was issued, no one believed it, and the people groaned under the burden.
15
郭崇韜初至汴、洛，頗受籓鎮饋遺，所親或諫之，崇韜曰：「吾位兼將相，祿賜巨萬，豈藉外財！ 但以偽梁之季，賄賂成風，今河南籓鎮，皆梁之舊臣，主上之仇讎也，若拒，其意能無懼乎！ 吾特為國家藏之私室耳。」 及將祀南郊，崇韜首獻勞軍錢十萬緡。 先是，宦官勸帝分天下財賦為內外府，州縣上供者入外府，充經費，方鎮貢獻者入內府，充宴游及給賜左右。 於是外府常虛竭無餘而內府山積。 及有司辦郊祀，乏勞軍錢，崇韜言於上曰：「臣已傾家所有以所助大禮，願陛下亦出內府之財以賜有司。」 上默然久之，曰：「吾晉陽自有儲積，可令租庸輦取以相助。」 於是取李崇韜私第金帛數十萬以益之，軍士皆不滿望，始怨恨，有離心矣。
When Guo Chongtao first reached Bian and Luoyang, he accepted lavish gifts from the regional commands. Advisers warned him, but he said, "I hold both civil and military rank and draw enormous salary and gifts—why would I need outside money? In the last days of false Liang, bribery was the norm; the Henan commands are all former Liang ministers—the emperor's enemies. If I refuse their gifts, won't they only grow afraid? I am only banking it for the state in my own house." As the southern suburb rites approached, Chongtao was first to present one hundred thousand strings for rewarding the troops. Earlier, eunuchs had persuaded the emperor to split revenues into inner and outer treasuries: county and prefecture tribute funded the outer treasury for routine expenses, while regional gifts filled the inner treasury for feasts, travel, and rewards for his attendants. The outer treasury was often bare while the inner treasury overflowed. When the rites office prepared the suburban sacrifice and lacked reward money, Chongtao told the emperor, "I have emptied my household to support the great ceremony; I hope Your Majesty will also draw on the inner treasury for the officials." The emperor was silent a long while, then said, "I have my own stores at Jinyang—have the tax commissioner cart them here." They then seized several hundred thousand in gold and silk from Li Chongtao's private residence to make up the sum. The soldiers felt cheated, resentment spread, and loyalty began to fray.
16
河中節度使李繼麟請榷安邑、解縣鹽，每季輸省課。 己卯，以繼麟充制置兩池榷鹽使。
Li Jilin, military governor of Hezhong, asked to monopolize salt production at Anyi and Jie and remit provincial dues each quarter. On the jimao day, Jilin was made commissioner for regulating the two salt pools.
17
辛己，進岐王爵為秦王，仍不名、不拜。
On the xinsi day, the Prince of Qi was promoted to Prince of Qin, still addressed without personal name and exempt from bowing.
18
郭崇韜知李紹宏怏怏，乃置內句使，掌句三司財賦，以紹宏為之，冀弭其意，而紹宏終不悅，徒使州縣增移報之煩。 崇韜位兼將相，復領節旄，以天下為己任，權侔人主，旦夕車馬填門。 性剛急，遇事輒發，嬖倖僥求，多所摧仰，宦官疾之，朝夕短之於上。 崇韜扼腕，欲制之不能。 豆盧革、韋說嘗問之曰：「汾陽王本太原人徙華陰，公世家雁門，豈其枝派邪？」 崇韜因曰：「遭亂，亡失譜諜，嘗聞先人言，上距汾陽世四耳。」 革曰：「然則固從祖也。」 崇韜由是以膏梁自處，多甄別流品，引拔浮華，鄙棄勳舊。 有求官者，崇韜曰：「深知公功能，然門地寒素，不敢相用，恐為名流所嗤。」 由是嬖倖疾之於內，勳舊怨之於外。 崇韜屢請以樞密使讓李紹宏，上不許； 又請分樞密院事歸內諸司以輕其權，而宦官謗之不已。 崇韜鬱鬱不得志，與所親謀赴本鎮以避之，其人曰：「不可，蛟龍失水，螻蟻足以制之。」
Knowing Li Shaohong was unhappy, Guo Chongtao created the inner tally commissioner to oversee the three bureaus' accounts and gave the post to Shaohong, hoping to placate him—but Shaohong stayed sour, and counties and prefectures gained only more paperwork. Chongtao held civil and military rank and again bore a commander's baton; he treated the realm as his own charge, wielded power equal to the throne, and his gate was jammed with visitors day and night. He was harsh and quick-tempered, exploding at every issue. He crushed favorites who sought favors; the eunuchs hated him and whispered against him to the emperor morning and night. Chongtao clenched his fists in frustration, unable to bring them to heel. Doulu Ge and Wei Shuo once asked him, "The Prince of Fenyang was a Taiyuan native who moved to Huayin, while your family has long been from Yanmen—might you be of the same lineage?" Chongtao replied, "The genealogy was lost in the chaos, but elders told me we are only four generations removed from Fenyang." Ge said, "Then he is your collateral ancestor, surely." From then on Chongtao acted the grandee, sorting men by pedigree, promoting the flashy, and scorning the old soldiers of merit. When men sought office, Chongtao would say, "I know your talent, but your family is too humble—I dare not appoint you, lest the elite laugh at me." Favorites hated him at court; meritorious veterans resented him in the field. Chongtao repeatedly offered to yield the military affairs commission to Li Shaohong, but the emperor refused; he also asked to split Military Affairs Bureau duties among the inner bureaus to reduce his power, while the eunuchs never stopped slandering him. Depressed and thwarted, Chongtao plotted with confidants to return to his home command to escape; one warned, "You must not—a dragon out of water can be mastered by ants."
19
先是，上欲以劉夫人為皇后，而有正妃韓夫人在，太后素惡劉夫人，崇韜亦屢諫，上以是不果。 於是所親說崇韜曰：「公若請立劉夫人為皇后，上必喜。 內有皇后之助，則伶宦輩不能為患矣。」 崇韜從之，與宰相帥百官共奏劉夫人宜正位中宮。 癸未，立魏國夫人劉氏為皇后。 皇后生於寒微，既貴，專務蓄財，其在魏州，至於薪蘇果茹皆販鬻之。 及為後，四方貢獻皆分為二，一上天子，一上中宮。 以是寶貨山積，惟用寫佛經，施尼師而已。
Earlier the emperor had wanted to make Lady Liu empress, but legitimate consort Lady Han was still alive; the empress dowager had long disliked Lady Liu, and Chongtao had repeatedly objected—so the plan failed. Confidants then urged Chongtao, "If you petition to make Lady Liu empress, the emperor will be delighted. With the empress behind you, the actors and eunuchs cannot harm you." Chongtao took the advice and, with the chief ministers leading the officials, jointly memorialized that Lady Liu should be empress. On the guimao day, Lady Liu, Duchess of Wei, was made empress. Born in humble circumstances, once elevated she devoted herself to hoarding wealth; at Weizhou she had even sold firewood, fruit, and vegetables. As empress, every regional tribute was split in two—half for the emperor, half for her. Treasures piled up like mountains; she spent them only on copying sutras and gifts to nuns.
20
是時皇太后誥，皇后教，與制敕交行於籓鎮，奉之如一。
Edicts of the empress dowager and instructions of the empress now circulated among the commands alongside imperial orders, and all were obeyed equally.
21
詔蔡州刺史朱勍浚索水，通漕運。
An edict ordered Zhu Qin, prefect of Caizhou, to dredge the Suo River and open the canal for grain transport.
22
三月，己亥朔，蜀主宴近臣於怡神亭，酒酣，君臣及宮人皆脫冠露髻，喧嘩自恣。 知制誥京兆李龜禎諫曰：「君臣沉湎，不憂國政，臣恐啟北敵之謀。」 不聽。
In the third month, on the jihai new moon, the lord of Shu feasted his close ministers at the Pleasing Spirit Pavilion; deep in wine, ruler, courtiers, and palace women threw off caps and let down their hair, shouting and carousing without restraint. Li Guizhen of Jingzhao, drafter of edicts, warned, "Court and throne are drowning in wine and ignoring government—I fear this will invite the northern enemy's designs." The warning went unheeded.
23
乙巳，鎮州言契丹將犯塞，詔橫海節度使李紹斌、北京左廂馬軍指揮使李從珂帥騎兵分道備之； 天平節度使李嗣源屯邢州。 紹斌本姓趙，名行實，幽州人也。
On the yisi day, Zhenzhou reported an imminent Khitan raid; Li Shaobin, military governor of Henghai, and Li Congke, commander of the northern capital's left-wing cavalry, were ordered to prepare along separate routes; Li Siyuan, military governor of Tianping, encamped at Xingzhou. Shaobin was born Zhao Xingshi of Youzhou.
24
丙午，加高季興兼尚書令，時封南平王。
On the bingwu day, Gao Jixing was also made chief minister; he was then Prince of Nanping.
25
李存審自以身為諸將之首，不得預克汴之功，感憤，疾益甚，屢表求入覲，郭崇韜抑而不許。 存審疾亟，表乞生睹龍顏，乃許之。 初，帝嘗與右武衛上將軍李存賢手搏，存賢不盡其技，帝曰：「汝能勝我，我當授籓鎮。」 存賢乃奉詔，僅僕帝而止。 及許存審入覲，帝以存賢為盧龍行軍司馬，旬日除節度使，曰：「手搏之約，吾不食言矣。」
Li Cunshen, who regarded himself foremost among the generals yet had been denied a role in taking Bian, brooded on the slight; his illness worsened and he repeatedly asked to attend court, but Guo Chongtao blocked every request. When Cunshen grew critically ill, he begged to see the emperor's face while he still lived—and only then was permission granted. Earlier the emperor had wrestled Li Cunxian, general of the Right Martial Guard; Cunxian held back. The emperor said, "Beat me and I will give you a regional command." Cunxian then obeyed, barely threw the emperor down, and stopped. When Cunshen was allowed to attend court, the emperor made Cunxian chief of staff for the Luolong campaign; within ten days he was appointed military governor. "The wrestling bargain," the emperor said, "I do not break my word."
26
庚戌，幽州奏契丹寇新城。
On the gengxu day, Youzhou reported Khitan raids on Xincheng.
27
勳臣畏伶宦之讒，皆不自安，蕃漢內外馬步副總管李嗣源求解兵柄，帝不許。
Meritorious ministers, fearing slander from actors and eunuchs, grew uneasy; Li Siyuan, deputy overall commander of all Han and non-Han forces, asked to surrender military authority, but the emperor refused.
28
自唐末喪亂，搢紳之家或以告赤鬻於族姻，遂亂昭穆，至有舅叔拜甥、侄者，選人偽濫者眾。 郭崇韜欲革其弊，請令銓司精加考核。 時南郊行事官千二百人，注官者才數十人，塗毀告身者十之九。 選人或號哭道路，或餒死逆旅。 唐室諸陵先為溫韜所發，庚申，以工部郎中李途為長安按視諸陵使。 皇子繼岌代張全義判六軍諸衛事。
Since the chaos at the end of Tang, gentry families sometimes sold mourning notices to in-laws, scrambling genealogies until uncles bowed to nephews; office-seekers were rife with fraud. Guo Chongtao sought to end the abuse and ordered the selection office to examine candidates rigorously. Twelve hundred men were slated for the southern suburb rites, but only a few dozen were approved; nine in ten defaced their appointment documents. Some candidates wailed in the streets; others starved at roadside inns. Tang imperial tombs had already been looted by Wen Tao; on the gengshen day Li Tu of the Ministry of Works was sent to inspect all tombs at Chang'an. Prince Jiji replaced Zhang Quanyi as overseer of the Six Armies and palace guards.
29
夏，四月，己巳朔，群臣上尊號曰昭文睿武至德光孝皇帝。
In summer, the fourth month, on the jisi new moon, officials offered the honorific Illustrious in Culture, Sagacious in Warfare, Supreme in Virtue, Radiant in Filial Piety Emperor.
30
帝遣客省使李嚴使於蜀，嚴盛稱帝威德，有混一天下之志。 且言朱氏篡竊，諸侯曾無勤王之舉。 王宗儔以其語侵蜀，請斬之，蜀主不從。 宣徽北院使宋光葆上言：「晉王有憑陵我國家之志，宜選將練兵，屯戍邊鄙，積糗糧，治戰艦以待之。」 蜀主乃以光葆為梓州觀察使，充武德節度留後。
The emperor sent Li Yan of the Reception Bureau to Shu; Yan lavishly praised the emperor's power and declared his ambition to reunify the realm. He also said the Zhu had usurped the throne while the regional lords never stirred to defend the dynasty. Wang Zongchou, taking the speech as an insult to Shu, asked that Yan be executed, but the lord of Shu refused. Song Guangbao of the northern Palace Secretariat bureau memorialized, "The Prince of Jin means to overrun us—we should pick generals, drill troops, garrison the borders, stock provisions, and build warships to meet him." The lord of Shu then made Guangbao observation commissioner of Zizhou and acting military governor of Wude.
31
乙亥，加楚王殷兼尚書令。
On the yihai day, Prince Yin of Chu was also made chief minister.
32
庚辰，賜前保義留後霍彥威姓名李紹真。
On the gengchen day, former Baoyi acting prefect Huo Yanwei was given the name Li Shaozhen.
33
秦忠敬王李茂貞卒，遣奏以其子繼曮權知鳳翔軍府事。
Li Maozhen, Prince Zhongjing of Qin, died; his son Jiyan was reported to be temporarily overseeing Fengxiang headquarters.
34
初，安義牙將楊立有寵於李繼韜，繼韜誅，常邑邑思亂。 會發安義兵三千戍涿州，立謂其眾曰：「前此潞兵未嘗戍邊，今朝廷驅我輩投之絕塞，蓋不欲置之潞州耳。 與其暴骨沙場，不若據城自守，事成富貴，不成為群盜耳。」 因聚噪攻子城東門，焚掠市肆； 節度副使李繼珂、監軍張弘祚棄城走，立自稱留後，遣將士表求旌節。 詔以天平節度使李嗣源為招討使，武寧節度使李紹榮為部署，帳前都指揮使張廷蘊為馬步都指揮使以討之。
Earlier, Anyi guard officer Yang Li had been favored by Li Jitao; after Jitao's execution, Yang brooded and plotted revolt. When three thousand Anyi troops were sent to garrison Zhuozhou, Yang told his men, "Lu soldiers have never been posted to the frontier—the court is sending us to the ends of the earth because it does not want us back in Luzhou. Better to hold the city than die on some frontier field—if we win, we are rich; if we lose, we are bandits together." They rallied, stormed the inner city's east gate, and burned and looted the markets; deputy military governor Li Jike and army supervisor Zhang Hongzuo fled; Yang declared himself acting prefect and petitioned for imperial commission. Li Siyuan of Tianping was made campaign commander, Li Shaorong of Wuning deputy commander, and Zhang Tingyun overall horse and foot commander to crush the revolt.
35
孔謙貸民錢，使以賤估償絲，屢檄州縣督之。 翰林學士承旨、權知汴州盧質上言：「梁趙巖為租庸使，舉貸誅斂，結怨於人。 陛下革故鼎新，為人除害，而有司未改其所為，是趙巖復生也。 今春霜害桑，繭絲甚薄，但輸正稅，猶懼流移，況益以稱貸，人何以堪！ 臣惟事天子，不事租庸，敕旨未頒，省牒頻下，願早降明命！」 帝不報。
Kong Qian lent money to commoners and forced repayment in silk at cut-rate prices, repeatedly ordering prefectures and counties to enforce collection. Lu Zhi, chief Hanlin academician and acting prefect of Bianzhou, wrote, "When Zhao Yan of Liang ran tax affairs, he lent money and extorted until the people hated him. Your Majesty renewed the realm and cleared away such harm, yet the offices act unchanged—Zhao Yan has been reborn. Spring frost ruined the mulberries and silk is poor; people can barely pay regular taxes without fleeing—how can they bear forced loans on top? I serve the Son of Heaven, not the tax commissioner—no imperial edict has come, yet provincial orders rain down. I beg a clear command at once!" The emperor did not respond.
36
漢主引兵侵閩，屯於汀、漳境上； 閩人擊之，漢主敗走。
The lord of Han invaded Min and encamped on the Ting and Zhang border; Min forces routed him and he fled in defeat.
37
初，胡柳之役，伶人周匝為梁所得，帝每思之； 入汴之日，匝謁見於馬前，帝甚喜。 匝涕泣言曰：「臣所以得生全者，皆梁教坊使陳俊、內園栽接使儲德源之力也，願就陛下乞二州以報之。」 帝許之。 郭崇韜諫曰：「陛下所與共取天下者，皆英豪忠勇之士。 今大功始就，封賞未及一人，而先以伶人為刺史，恐失天下心。」 以是不行。 逾年，伶人屢以為言，帝謂崇韜曰：「吾已許周匝矣，使吾慚見此三人。 公言雖正，然當為我屈意行之。」 五月，壬寅，以俊為景州刺史，德源為憲州刺史。 時親軍有從帝百戰未得刺史者，莫不憤歎。
At the battle of Huliu, the actor Zhou Za had been captured by Liang, and the emperor often missed him; on the day Bian fell, Za greeted him before his horse and the emperor was delighted. Za wept and said, "I owe my life to Chen Jun of the Liang music office and Chu Deyuan of the inner gardens—I beg two prefectures from Your Majesty to repay them." The emperor agreed. Guo Chongtao objected, "Those who won the realm with Your Majesty are heroic, loyal soldiers. The great victory is barely won and not one man has been rewarded, yet actors are made prefects first—you will lose the realm's loyalty." The appointments did not go through. A year later the actors kept pressing; the emperor told Chongtao, "I promised Zhou Za—how can I face those three men in shame? You are right, but bend your will for me and do it." In the fifth month, on the renyin day, Jun became prefect of Jingzhou and Deyuan prefect of Xianzhou. Many in the imperial guard who had fought a hundred battles with the emperor still had no prefecture—all groaned in anger.
38
乙巳，右諫議大夫薛昭文上疏，以為：「諸道僭竊者尚多，征伐之謀，未可遽息。 又，士卒久從征伐，賞給未豐，貧乏者多，宜以四方貢獻及南郊羨餘，更加頒賚。 又，河南諸軍皆梁之精銳，恐僭竊之國潛以厚利誘之，宜加收撫。 又，戶口流亡者，宜寬徭薄賦以安集之。 又，土木不急之役，宜加裁省。 又請擇隙地牧馬，勿使踐京畿民田。」 皆不從。
On the yisi day, Xue Zhaowen, right remonstrance grandee, wrote, "Many circuits still have usurpers—campaign plans must not be dropped yet. Moreover, soldiers have campaigned for years with thin rewards—many are poor. Use tribute from the regions and surplus from the southern suburb rites for further gifts. Moreover, the Henan armies are Liang's elite—usurpers may secretly bribe them. Win them over more carefully. Moreover, ease corvée and lighten taxes to settle refugees. Moreover, cut non-urgent construction. He also asked to pasture horses on open land so they would not trample capital-region farmland." None of it was heeded.
39
戊申，蜀主遣李嚴還。 初，帝因嚴入蜀，令以馬市宮中珍玩，而蜀法禁錦綺珍奇不得入中國，其粗惡者乃聽入中國，謂之「入草物」。 嚴還，以聞，帝怒曰：「王衍寧免為入草之人乎！」 嚴因言於帝曰：「衍童騃荒縱，不親政務，斥遠故老，暱比小人。 其用事之臣王宗弼、宋光嗣等，諂諛專恣，黷貨無厭，賢愚易位，刑賞紊亂，君臣上下專以奢淫相尚。 以臣觀之，大兵一臨，瓦解土崩，可翹足而待也。」 帝深以為然。
On the wushen day, the lord of Shu sent Li Yan home. The emperor had sent Yan to trade horses for palace treasures, but Shu law barred brocades and curios from China—only coarse goods were allowed, called "grass-entry goods." When Yan reported this, the emperor raged, "Does Wang Yan think he can treat me like grass-entry goods!" Yan then told the emperor, "Wang Yan is childish and dissolute, ignores government, drives off elders, and favors petty men. His ministers Wang Zongbi and Song Guangsi flatter and dominate, take endless bribes, reverse merit and folly, scramble rewards and punishments, and court and throne compete only in luxury. In my view, when your armies arrive they will crumble—you need only wait." The emperor strongly agreed.
40
帝以潞州叛故，庚戌，詔天下州鎮無得修城浚隍，悉毀防城之具。
After the Luzhou revolt, on the gengxu day he ordered every command to stop fortifying walls and moats and to destroy all defensive gear.
41
壬子，新宣武節度使兼中書令、蕃漢馬步總管李存審卒於幽州。 存審出於寒微，常戒諸子曰：「爾父少提一劍去鄉里，四十年間，位極將相，其間出萬死獲一生者非一，破骨出鏃者凡百餘。」 因授以所出鏃，命藏之，曰：「爾曹生於膏梁，當知爾父起家如此也。」
On the renzi day, Li Cunshen, newly made military governor of Xuanwu, chief minister, and overall commander of Han and non-Han forces, died at Youzhou. Born humble, Cunshen often told his sons, "Your father left home with one sword; in forty years he rose to general and minister, cheated death again and again, and had more than a hundred arrowheads cut from his bones." He gave them the arrowheads to keep, saying, "You were born to comfort—you should know how your father rose."
42
幽州言契丹將入寇，甲寅，以橫海節度使李紹斌充東北面行營招討使，將大軍渡河而北。 契丹屯幽州東南城門之外，虜騎充斥，饋運多為所掠。
Youzhou reported an imminent Khitan invasion; on the jiayin day Li Shaobin of Henghai was made eastern-northern campaign commander and led a great army north across the river. The Khitan camped outside Youzhou's southeast gate; enemy horsemen swarmed the roads and supply trains were largely looted.
43
壬戌，以李繼曮為鳳翔節度使。
On the renxu day, Li Jiyan was made military governor of Fengxiang.
44
乙丑，以權知歸義留後曹義金為節度使。 時瓜、沙與吐蕃雜居，義金遣使間道入貢，故命之。
On the yichou day, acting Guiyi prefect Cao Yijin was made military governor. Guazhou and Shazhou then lived mixed with Tibetans; Yijin had sent envoys by secret routes with tribute, hence the appointment.
45
李嗣源大軍前鋒至潞州，日已暝； 泊軍方定，張廷蘊帥麾下壯士百餘輩逾塹坎城而上，守者不能御，即斬關延諸軍入。 比明，嗣源及李紹榮至，城已下矣，嗣源等不悅。 丙寅，嗣源奏潞州平。 六月，丙子，磔楊立及其黨於鎮國橋。 潞州城池高深，帝命夷之。
Li Siyuan's vanguard reached Luzhou at dusk; as the army was settling in, Zhang Tingyun led a hundred picked men over moat and wall; defenders could not stop them, and he cut the bar and let the armies in. By dawn Siyuan and Li Shaorong arrived to find the city already fallen—they were displeased. On the bingyin day, Siyuan reported Luzhou pacified. In the sixth month, on the bingzi day, Yang Li and his followers were dismembered at Zhenguo Bridge. Luzhou's walls and moat were high and deep; the emperor ordered them demolished.
46
丙戌，以武寧節度使李紹榮為歸德節度使、同平章事，留宿衛，寵遇甚厚。 帝或時與太后，皇后同至其家。 帝有幸姬，色美，嘗生子矣，劉後妒之。 會紹榮喪妻，一日，侍禁中，帝問紹榮：「汝復娶乎？ 為汝求婚。」 後因指幸姬曰：「大家憐紹榮，何不以此賜之！」 帝難言不可，微許之。 後趣紹榮拜謝，比起，顧幸姬，已肩輿出宮矣。 帝為之托疾不食者累日。
On the bingxu day, Li Shaorong of Wuning was made military governor of Guide and associate chief minister, kept at court for guard duty, and lavishly favored. The emperor sometimes visited his home with the empress dowager and empress. The emperor had a beautiful favored consort who had borne him a son; Empress Liu was jealous. When Shaorong's wife died, the emperor asked him one day at court, "Will you marry again? I will find you a wife." The empress pointed at the favored consort and said, "His Majesty pities Shaorong—why not give her to him!" The emperor could not refuse aloud and faintly agreed. The empress hurried Shaorong to bow thanks; when he rose and looked for the consort, she was already being carried out of the palace. The emperor feigned illness and refused food for days.
47
壬辰，以天平節度使李嗣源為宣武節度使，代李存審為蕃漢內外馬步總管。
On the renchen day, Li Siyuan of Tianping was made military governor of Xuanwu, replacing Li Cunshen as overall commander of all Han and non-Han forces.
48
秋，七月，壬寅，蜀以禮部書許寂為中書侍郎、同平章事。
In autumn, the seventh month, on the renyin day, Shu made Xu Ji, vice minister of rites, vice director of the Secretariat and associate chief minister.
49
孔謙復短王正言於郭崇韜，又厚賂伶宦，求租庸使，終不獲，意怏怏，癸卯，表求解職。 帝怒，以為避事，將置於法，景進救之，得免。 梁所決河連年為曹、濮患，甲辰，命右監門上將軍婁繼英督汴、滑兵塞之。 未幾，復壞。
Kong Qian again slandered Wang Zhengyan to Guo Chongtao and bribed actors and eunuchs for the tax commission but failed; on the guimao day he memorialized to resign in a sulk. The emperor raged, thinking he was shirking duty, and was about to punish him; Jing Jin intervened and he was spared. The Yellow River breach Liang had cut had plagued Cao and Pu for years; on the jiachen day Lou Jiying of the Right Gate Guard was ordered to supervise Bian and Hua troops in blocking it. Before long it broke again.
50
庚申，置威塞軍於新州。
On the gengshen day, the Weisai Army was established at Xinzhou.
51
契丹恃其強盛，遣使就帝求幽州以處盧文進。 時東北諸夷皆役屬契丹，惟渤海未服； 契丹主謀入寇，恐渤海掎其後，乃先舉兵擊渤海之遼東，遣其將禿餒及盧文進據營、平等州以擾燕地。
Confident in their power, the Khitan asked the emperor for Youzhou to settle Lu Wenjin. All northeastern tribes were subject to the Khitan except Bohai; the Khitan ruler planned invasion but feared Bohai would strike his rear, so he first attacked Bohai's Liaodong and sent Tunei and Lu Wenjin to hold Ying and Ping and harass Yan.
52
八月，戊辰，蜀主以右定遠軍使王宗鍔為招討馬步使，帥二十一軍屯洋州； 乙亥，以長直馬軍使林思諤為昭武節度使，戍利州以備唐。
In the eighth month, on the wuchen day, the lord of Shu made Wang Zong'e campaign horse and foot commander and posted twenty-one armies at Yangzhou; on the yihai day Lin Si'e was made military governor of Zhaowu and garrisoned Lizhou against Tang.
53
租庸使王正言病風，恍惚不能治事，景進屢以為言。 癸酉，以副使、衛尉卿孔謙為租庸使，右威衛大將軍孔循為副使。 循即趙殷衡也，梁亡，復其姓名。 謙自是得行其志，重斂急征以充帝欲，民不聊生。 癸未，賜謙號豐財贍國功臣。
Tax commissioner Wang Zhengyan had a stroke and could barely work; Jing Jin kept complaining. On the guiyou day, Kong Qian was made tax commissioner and Kong Xun, great general of the Right Weiwu Guard, his deputy. Xun was Zhao Yinheng; when Liang fell he recovered his original name. Qian then had free rein, taxing heavily to fill the emperor's coffers until the people could not survive. On the guiwei day, Qian was titled Meritorious in Enriching the State and Supplying the Realm.
54
帝復遣使者李彥稠入蜀，九月，己亥，至成都。
The emperor again sent Li Yanchou to Shu; in the ninth month, on the jihai day, he reached Chengdu.
55
癸卯，帝獵於近郊。 時帝屢出遊獵，從騎傷民禾稼，洛陽令何澤付於叢薄，俟帝至，遮馬諫曰：「陛下賦斂既急，今稼穡將成，復蹂踐之，使吏何以為理，民何以為生！ 臣願先賜死。」 帝慰而遣之。 澤，廣州人也。
On the guimao day, the emperor hunted near the capital. The emperor hunted often and his escort trampled crops. Luoyang magistrate He Ze hid in the brush and, when the emperor came, blocked his horse: "Your levies are already harsh—the crops are nearly ripe and your riders trample them. How can officials govern? How can the people live? Execute me first." The emperor comforted him and sent him away. Ze was from Guangzhou.
56
契丹攻渤海，無功而還。
The Khitan attacked Bohai and withdrew without success.
57
蜀前山南節度使兼中書令王宗儔以蜀主失德，與王宗弼謀廢立，宗弼猶豫未決。 庚戌，宗儔憂憤而卒。 宗弼謂樞密使宋光嗣、景潤澄等曰：「宗儔教我殺爾曹，今日無患矣。」 光嗣輩俯伏泣謝。 宗弼子承班聞之，謂人曰：「吾家難乎免矣。」
Wang Zongchou, former Qianshan military governor and chief minister, believing the lord of Shu had lost virtue plotted with Wang Zongbi to depose him; Zongbi hesitated. On the gengxu day, Zongchou died of grief and anger. Zongbi told military affairs commissioners Song Guangsi and Jing Runcheng, "Zongchou wanted me to kill you—today you are safe." Guangsi and the others prostrated themselves, weeping thanks. Zongbi's son Chengban heard and said, "Our family will hardly escape ruin."
58
乙卯，蜀主以前鎮江軍節度使張武為峽路應援招討使。
On the yimao day, the lord of Shu made former Zhenjiang military governor Zhang Wu relief campaign commander of the Gorges route.
59
丁巳，幽州言契丹入寇。
On the dingsi day, Youzhou reported a Khitan incursion.
60
冬，十月，辛未，天平節度使李存霸、平盧節度使符習言：「屬州多稱直奉租庸使貼指揮公事，使司殊不知，有紊規程。」 租庸使奏，近例皆直下。 敕：「朝廷故事，制敕不下支郡，牧守不專奏陳。 今兩道所奏，乃本朝舊規； 租庸所陳，是偽廷近事。 自今支郡自非進奉，皆須本道騰奏，租庸征催亦須牒觀察使。」 雖有此敕，竟不行。
In winter, the tenth month, on the xinwei day, Li Cunba, military governor of Tianping, and Fu Xi, military governor of Pinglu, reported: "Many subordinate prefectures say they receive posted orders from the tax and corvée commissioner on direct tribute matters without the commissioner's office knowing anything about them, which disrupts established procedure. The tax and corvée commissioner replied that recent practice had been to send orders straight to the prefectures. An edict declared: "By court precedent, imperial edicts were not sent straight to subordinate prefectures, and local governors were not to memorialize on their own authority. What the two circuits have reported reflects our dynasty's established rules; what the tax and corvée commissioner described reflects recent practices of the usurping court. Henceforth, unless making direct tribute, subordinate prefectures must report through their circuit, and tax and corvée collection must also be routed through the surveillance commissioner. Despite the edict, it was never put into effect."
61
易定言契丹入寇。
Yiding reported a Khitan incursion.
62
蜀宣徽北院使王承休請擇諸軍驍勇者萬二千人，置駕下左、右龍武步騎四十軍，兵械給賜皆優異於它軍，以承休為龍武軍馬步都指揮使，以裨將安重霸副之，舊將無不憤恥。 重霸，去州人，以狡佞賄賂事承休，故承休悅之。
Wang Chengyou, commissioner of the Northern Bureau of the Shu Palace Secretariat, asked to pick twelve thousand of the boldest troops from every army and form forty Left and Right Dragon Martial infantry and cavalry regiments under the ruler's direct command, with arms and pay better than any other unit. Chengyou was made overall commander of the Dragon Martial Army, with the lieutenant general An Chongba as his deputy—and every veteran general seethed with anger and shame. Chongba was from Quzhou and had won Chengyou's favor through sly flattery and bribery.
63
吳越王鏐復修本朝職貢，壬午，帝因梁官爵而命之。 鏐厚貢獻，並賂權要，求金印、玉冊、賜詔不名、稱國王。 有司言：「故事惟天子用玉冊，王公皆用竹冊； 又，非四夷無封國王者。」 帝皆曲從鏐意。
The King of Wuyue, Qian Liu, restored tribute and formal duties to the Later Tang court; on the renwu day the emperor confirmed his appointment using the titles and ranks of the Liang regime. Qian sent lavish tribute and bribed powerful officials, asking for a gold seal, a jade investiture book, an edict that omitted his personal name, and the title of king of a state. The responsible offices objected: "By precedent only the Son of Heaven received a jade investiture book; princes and dukes used bamboo books; moreover, only foreign peoples were enfeoffed as kings over designated states." The emperor bent precedent in every case to satisfy Qian.
64
吳王如白沙觀樓船，更命白沙曰迎鑾鎮。 徐溫自金陵來朝，先是，溫以親吏翟虔為閣門、宮城、武備等使，使察王起居，虔防制王甚急。 至是，王對溫名雨為水，溫請其故。 王曰：「翟虔父名，吾諱之熟矣。」 因謂溫曰：「公之忠誠，我所知也，然翟虔無禮，宮中及宗室所須多不獲。」 溫頓首謝罪，請斬之，王曰：「斬則太過，遠徙可也。」 乃徙撫州。
The Prince of Wu went to Baisha to review the tower ships and renamed the place Yingluan Prefecture. Xu Wen came to court from Jinling. Earlier he had placed his trusted aide Zhai Qian in charge of palace gates, the palace city, military stores, and related duties to watch the prince's every move—and Qian's control over the prince had been suffocatingly tight. On this occasion, when speaking with Wen the prince called rain "water," and Wen asked why. The prince said: "Qian's father's given name—I have grown very practiced at avoiding it. Then he added: "Your loyalty I know well, but Zhai Qian is insolent—the palace and the imperial clan often cannot get what they need. Wen kowtowed and apologized, asking to have Qian executed. The prince said: "Execution would be too much—a distant transfer will do. Qian was transferred to Fuzhou.
65
十一月，蜀主遣其翰林學士歐陽彬來聘。 彬，衡山人也。 又遣李彥稠東還。
In the eleventh month, the Shu ruler sent his Hanlin academician Ouyang Bin on a diplomatic visit. Bin was a native of Hengshan. He also sent Li Yanchou back to the east.
66
癸卯，帝帥親軍獵於伊闕，命從官拜梁太祖墓。 涉歷山險，連日不止，或夜合圍； 士卒墜崖谷死及折傷者甚眾。 丙午，還宮。
On the guimao day, the emperor led the imperial guard on a hunt at Yique and ordered his attendants to pay respects at the tomb of the Liang founding emperor. They crossed treacherous mountain country and hunted for days without pause, sometimes driving the beat at night; many soldiers died falling into ravines or were badly wounded. On the bingwu day, he returned to the palace.
67
蜀以唐修好，罷威武城戍，召關宏業等二十四軍還成都。 戊申，又罷武定、武興招討劉潛等三十七軍。
Because Shu had made peace with Tang, it withdrew the garrison at Weiwu Fort and recalled the twenty-four armies under Guan Hongye and others to Chengdu. On the wushen day, it also dissolved the Wuding and Wuxing suppression commands and recalled the thirty-seven armies under Liu Qian and others.
68
丁巳，賜護國節度使李繼麟鐵券，以其子令德、令錫皆為節度使，諸子勝衣者即拜官，寵冠列籓。
On the dingsi day, Li Jilin, military governor of Huguo, received an iron certificate of immunity; both his sons Lingde and Lingxi were made military governors, and every son old enough to wear adult robes was immediately given an office—no regional lord enjoyed greater favor.
69
庚申，蔚州言契丹入寇。
On the gengshen day, Weizhou reported a Khitan incursion.
70
辛酉，蜀主罷天雄軍招討，命王承騫等二十九軍還成都。
On the xinyou day, the Shu ruler dissolved the Tianxiong Army suppression command and ordered the twenty-nine armies under Wang Chengqian and others back to Chengdu.
71
十二月，乙丑朔，蜀主以右僕射張格兼中書侍郎、同平章事。 初，格之得罪，中書吏王魯柔乘危窘之； 及再為相用事，杖殺之。 許寂謂人曰：「張公才高而識淺，戮一魯柔，他人誰敢自保！ 此取禍之端也。」
In the twelfth month, on the yichou day, the first of the month, the Shu ruler made Right Deputy Director Zhang Ge concurrently Secretariat Vice Director and chief minister. When Zhang had first fallen from power, the Secretariat clerk Wang Rourou had seized the moment to humiliate him; when Zhang returned to office and took power, he had Rourou beaten to death. Xu Ji remarked to others: "Lord Zhang's talent is great but his judgment shallow—kill one Rourou, and who else will dare feel safe! This is the start of inviting disaster."
72
蜀主罷金州屯戍，命王承勳等七軍還成都。
The Shu ruler withdrew the Jinzhou garrison and ordered the seven armies under Wang Chengxun and others back to Chengdu.
73
己巳，命宣武節度使李嗣源將宿衛兵三萬七千人赴汴州，遂如幽州御契丹。
On the jisi day, Li Siyuan, military governor of Xuanwu, was ordered to lead thirty-seven thousand palace guard troops to Bianzhou and then on to Youzhou to repel the Khitan.
74
庚午，帝及皇后如張全義第，全義大陳貢獻； 酒酣，皇后奏稱：「妾幼失父母，見老者輒思之，請父事全義。」 帝許之。 全義惶恐固辭，再三強之，竟受皇后拜，復貢獻謝恩。 明日，後命翰林學士趙鳳草書謝全義，鳳密奏：「自古無天下之母拜人臣為父者。」 帝嘉其直，然卒行之。 自是後與全義日遣使往來問遺不絕。
On the gengwu day, the emperor and empress visited Zhang Quanyi's residence, where Quanyi laid out lavish tribute; When the wine had warmed them, the empress said: "I lost my parents young—whenever I see an elder I miss them; I ask to treat Quanyi as a father. The emperor consented. Quanyi, terrified, refused again and again, but after repeated insistence he finally accepted the empress's bow and again sent tribute to express his thanks. The next day the empress ordered Hanlin academician Zhao Feng to draft a letter of thanks to Quanyi. Feng secretly memorialized: "Since antiquity there has never been a Mother of the Realm bowing to a subject as father. The emperor praised his frankness but carried the arrangement through anyway. From then on the emperor and Quanyi exchanged envoys and gifts every day without pause.
75
初，唐僖、昭之世，宦官雖盛，未嘗有建節者。 蜀安重霸勸王承休求秦州節度使，承休言於蜀主曰：「秦州多美婦人，請為陛下采擇以獻。」 蜀主許之，庚午，以承休為天雄節度使，封魯國公； 以龍武軍為承休牙兵。
In the reigns of Tang Emperors Xizong and Zhaozong, eunuchs had been powerful, yet none had ever been granted a military commission with the ceremonial axe. In Shu, An Chongba urged Wang Chengyou to seek appointment as military governor of Qinzhou. Chengyou told the Shu ruler: "Qinzhou has many beautiful women—I ask to choose some to present to Your Majesty. The Shu ruler agreed. On the gengwu day Chengyou was made military governor of Tianxiong and enfeoffed as Duke of Lu; and the Dragon Martial Army was assigned as Chengyou's personal guard.
76
乙亥，蜀主以前武德節度使兼中書令徐延瓊為京城內外馬步都指揮使。 延瓊以外戚代王宗弼居舊將之右，眾皆不平。 壬午，北京言契丹寇嵐州。
On the yihai day, the Shu ruler appointed former Wude military governor and concurrent Director of the Secretariat Xu Yanqiong overall commander of capital infantry and cavalry, inside and outside the city walls. As a maternal kinsman Yanqiong took Wang Zongbi's place above the veteran generals, and everyone resented it. On the renwu day, the Northern Capital reported that the Khitan had raided Lanzhou.
77
辛卯，蜀主改明年元曰咸康。
On the xinmao day, the Shu ruler changed the next year's era name to Xiankang.
78
盧龍節度使李存賢卒。
Li Cunxian, military governor of Lulong, died.
79
是歲，蜀主徙普王宗仁為衛王。 雅王宗輅為幽王，褒王宗紀為趙王，榮王宗智為韓王，興王宗澤為宋王，彭王宗鼎為魯王，忠王宗平為薛王，資王宗特為莒王； 宗輅、宗智、宗平皆罷軍使。
That year the Shu ruler changed Prince Pu Zongren's title to Prince of Wei. Prince Ya Zongluo became Prince of You, Prince Bao Zongji Prince of Zhao, Prince Rong Zongzhi Prince of Han, Prince Xing Zongze Prince of Song, Prince Peng Zongding Prince of Lu, Prince Zhong Zongping Prince of Xue, and Prince Zi Zongte Prince of Ju; Zongluo, Zongzhi, and Zongping were all stripped of their military commands.
80
莊宗光聖神閔孝皇帝中同光三年（ 乙酉，公元九二五年）
Middle reign of Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang, third year of Tongguang ( yiyou, AD 925)
81
春，正月，甲午朔，蜀大赦。
In spring, the first month, on the jiawu day, the first of the month, Shu declared a general amnesty.
82
丙申，敕有司改葬昭宗及少帝，竟以用度不足而止。
On the bingchen day, an edict ordered the responsible offices to rebury Emperor Zhaozong and the Young Emperor, but the project was abandoned for lack of funds.
83
契丹寇幽州。
The Khitan raided Youzhou.
84
庚子，帝發洛陽； 庚戌，至興唐。
On the gengzi day, the emperor left Luoyang; On the gengxu day, he reached Xingtang.
85
詔平盧節度使苻習治酸棗遙堤以御決河。
An edict ordered Fu Xi, military governor of Pinglu, to repair the Suanzao distant levee to guard against a breach of the Yellow River.
86
初，李嗣源北征，過興唐，東京庫有供御細鎧，嗣源牒副留守張憲取五百領，憲以軍興，不暇奏而給之； 帝怒曰：「憲不奉詔，擅以吾鎧給嗣源，何意也！」 罰憲俸一月，令自往軍中取之。 帝以義武節度使王都將入朝，欲辟球場，憲曰：「此以行宮闕廷為球場，前年陛下即位於此。 其壇不可毀，請辟球場於宮西。」 數日，未成，帝命毀即位壇。 憲謂郭崇韜曰：「此壇，主上所以禮上帝，始受命之地也，若之何毀之！」 崇韜從容言於帝，帝立命兩虞候毀之。 憲私於崇韜曰：「忘天背本，不祥莫大焉。」
Earlier, when Li Siyuan marched north and passed through Xingtang, the Eastern Capital storehouse held fine armor reserved for imperial use. Siyuan sent a dispatch to deputy prefect Zhang Xian requesting five hundred sets; with troops mobilized, Xian had no time to memorialize and issued them; The emperor angrily said: "Xian did not await imperial command yet gave my armor to Siyuan on his own authority—what did he mean by that! He fined Xian one month's salary and ordered him to go to the army camp in person to recover the armor. Because Wang Du, military governor of Yiwu, was coming to court, the emperor wanted to clear a polo ground. Xian said: "That would turn the provisional palace court into a polo ground—the year before last Your Majesty took the throne here. That altar must not be destroyed. I ask that the polo ground be cleared west of the palace." Several days passed without the new ground being ready, and the emperor ordered the enthronement altar torn down. Xian told Guo Chongtao: "This altar is where His Majesty worshipped Heaven—the place where he first received the Mandate. How can it be destroyed! Chongtao spoke to the emperor in a measured tone, but the emperor immediately ordered two palace guards to destroy it. Xian privately told Chongtao: "To forget Heaven and turn one's back on one's origins—nothing could be more ill-omened."
87
二月，甲戌，以橫海節度使李紹斌為盧龍節度使。
In the second month, on the jiaxu day, Li Shaobin, military governor of Henghai, was appointed military governor of Lulong.
88
丙子，李嗣源奏敗契丹於涿州。
On the bingzi day, Li Siyuan reported that he had defeated the Khitan at Zhuozhou.
89
上以契丹為憂，與郭崇韜謀，以威名宿將零落殆盡，李紹斌位望素輕，欲徙李嗣源鎮真定，為紹斌聲援，崇韜深以為便。 時崇韜領真定，上欲徙崇韜鎮汴州，崇韜辭曰：「臣內典樞機，外預大政，富貴極矣，何必更領籓方？ 且群臣或從陛下歲久，身經百戰，所得不過一州。 臣無汗馬之勞，徒以侍從左右，時贊聖謨，致位至此，常不自安； 今因委任勳賢，使臣得解旄節，乃大願也。 且汴州關東衝要，地富人繁，臣既不至治所，徒令他人攝職，何異空城！ 非所以固國基也。」 上曰：「深知卿忠盡，然卿為朕畫策，襲取汶陽，保固河津，既而自此路乘虛直趨大梁，成朕帝業，豈百戰之功可比乎！ 今朕貴為天子，豈可使卿曾無尺寸之地乎！」 崇韜固辭不已，上乃許之。 庚辰，徙李嗣源為成德節度使。 漢主聞帝滅梁而懼，遣宮苑使何詞入貢，且覘中國強弱。 甲申，詞至魏。 及還，言帝驕淫無政，不足畏也。 漢主大悅，自是不復通中國。 帝性剛好勝，不欲權在臣下，入洛之後，信伶宦之讒，頗疏忌宿將。 李嗣源家在太原，三月，丁酉，表衛州刺史李從珂為北京內牙馬步都指揮使以便其家，帝怒曰：「嗣源握兵權，居大鎮，軍政在吾，安得為其子奏請！」 乃黜從珂為突騎指揮使，帥數百人戍石門鎮。 嗣源憂恐，上章申理，久之方解。 辛丑，嗣源乞至東京朝覲，不許。 郭崇韜以嗣源功高位重，亦忌之，私謂人曰：「總管令公非久為人下者，皇家子弟皆不及也。」 密勸帝召之宿衛，罷其兵權，又勸帝除之，帝皆不從。
Anxious about the Khitan, the emperor consulted Guo Chongtao. With famed veteran generals nearly all gone and Li Shaobin's standing inherently slight, he wanted to transfer Li Siyuan to Zhending to reinforce Shaobin—and Chongtao strongly approved. At the time Chongtao held Zhending, and the emperor wanted to transfer him to Bianzhou. Chongtao declined: "Within I manage the key mechanisms of state, without I share in great affairs—my wealth and rank are already at their height. Why must I govern a frontier circuit as well? Many of your ministers have followed Your Majesty for years, fought a hundred battles, and received no more than a single prefecture. I have no sweat-of-the-horse merit. I rose to this place merely by attending at Your Majesty's side and occasionally advising on policy, and I am never at ease; Now, by entrusting meritorious men, if I am allowed to surrender my command banner and axe, that would be my greatest wish. Moreover Bianzhou is the critical gateway of the east, rich and densely populated—if I never go to my post and leave others to act in my stead, how is that different from holding an empty city! That is no way to secure the foundation of the state. The emperor said: "I know your loyalty well, yet you devised the plan to seize Wenyang, secure the Yellow River crossings, and then drive straight for Daliang along that route while the enemy was exposed—thus completing my imperial enterprise. How can that compare to merit won in a hundred battles! Now that I am exalted as Son of Heaven, how can I let you hold not even an inch of territory! Chongtao kept refusing, and the emperor finally relented. On the gengchen day Li Siyuan was transferred to military governor of Chengde. The ruler of Han, hearing that the emperor had destroyed Liang, was afraid and sent Palace Gardens Commissioner He Ci to present tribute and also to gauge the strength of the Central Realm. On the jiashen day He Ci reached Wei. When he returned he reported that the emperor was arrogant, licentious, and neglectful of government—not worth fearing. The Han ruler was greatly pleased and from then on ceased all contact with the Central Realm. The emperor was by nature stubborn and competitive and unwilling to let power rest with his ministers. After entering Luoyang he believed slander from actors and eunuchs and grew distant and suspicious toward veteran generals. Li Siyuan's family was in Taiyuan. In the third month, on the dingyou day, he memorialized to appoint Li Congke, prefect of Weizhou, as commander of the inner cavalry and infantry of the Northern Capital to accommodate his family. The emperor angrily said: "Siyuan holds military power and governs a great circuit—military affairs are mine. How dare he memorialize on behalf of his son! Li Congke was demoted to commander of the Tiger Cavalry and led several hundred men to garrison Shimen Fort. Li Siyuan lived in anxiety and dread, memorializing the throne to clear his name; only after a long while was the affair laid to rest. On xinchou, Li Siyuan asked leave to come to the Eastern Capital for an audience; the request was denied. Guo Chongtao, seeing Li Siyuan's towering merit and rank, envied him as well; in private he told others, "The Overall Commander and Duke is not a man who will long serve beneath another—the imperial princes are none of them his equal." He secretly urged the emperor to summon Li Siyuan to palace guard duty, strip him of command, and even to eliminate him—but the emperor would not listen to any of it."
90
己酉，帝發興唐，自德勝濟河，歷楊村、戚城，觀昔時戰處，指示群臣以為樂。
On jiyou the emperor departed Xingtang, crossed the Yellow River at Desheng, and passed through Yang Village and Qicheng, touring the old battlefields and showing them to his ministers for sport.
91
洛陽宮殿宏邃，宦者欲上增廣嬪御，詐言宮中夜見鬼物。 上欲使符咒者攘之，宦者曰：「臣昔逮事咸通、乾符天子，當是時，六宮貴賤不減萬人。 今掖庭太半空虛，故鬼物游之耳。」 上乃命宦者王允平、伶人景進采擇民間女子，遠至太原、幽、鎮，以充後庭，不啻三千人，不問所從來。 上還自興唐，載以牛車，纍纍盈路。 張憲奏：「諸營婦女亡逸者千餘人，慮扈從諸軍挾匿以行。」 其實皆入宮矣。
The Luoyang palace was vast and deep; the eunuchs wanted the emperor to enlarge the consort quarters and falsely claimed that spirits walked the halls at night. The emperor was about to send in exorcists when a eunuch said, "Your servant once served the Xiantong and Qianfu emperors—in those days the inner palaces held no fewer than ten thousand women, high and low. Now the rear palace stands more than half empty—that is why spirits roam it." The emperor then ordered the eunuch Wang Yunping and the actor Jing Jin to gather common women from as far as Taiyuan, You, and Zhen to fill the rear palace—no fewer than three thousand, without asking whence they came. When the emperor returned from Xingtang, the women rode in ox carts that filled the roads in endless lines. Zhang Xian reported, "More than a thousand camp women have vanished; I fear the armies on the march are hiding them among the ranks." In truth they had all been taken into the palace.
92
庚辰，帝至洛陽； 辛酉，詔復以洛陽為東都，興唐府為鄴都。
On gengchen the emperor reached Luoyang; On xinyou an edict restored Luoyang as the Eastern Capital and Xingtang Prefecture as the Ye Capital.
93
夏，四月，癸亥朔，日有食之。
In summer, the fourth month, on the guihai new moon, the sun was eclipsed.
94
初，五台僧誠惠以妖妄惑人，自言能降伏天龍，命風召雨； 帝尊信之，親帥后妃及皇弟、皇子拜之，誠惠安坐不起，群臣莫敢不拜，獨郭崇韜不拜。 時大旱，帝自鄴都迎誠惠至洛陽，使祈雨，士民朝夕瞻仰，數旬不雨。 或謂誠惠：「官以師祈雨無驗，將焚之。」 誠惠逃去，慚懼而卒。
Earlier, the Wutai monk Chenghui had beguiled the people with sorcery, claiming he could subdue heavenly dragons and command wind and rain; The emperor revered and trusted him, personally leading consorts, imperial brothers, and princes to bow before him; Chenghui sat at ease and did not rise—every minister bowed save Guo Chongtao alone. There was a great drought; the emperor brought Chenghui from the Ye Capital to Luoyang to pray for rain, and the people looked to him morning and night—yet for many weeks no rain came. Someone told Chenghui, "The authorities say your prayers brought no rain—they mean to burn you." Chenghui fled; shamed and terrified, he died.
95
庚寅，中書侍郎、同平章事趙光胤卒。
On gengyin, Vice Director of the Secretariat and Co-equal Assessor Zhao Guangyin died.
96
太后自與太妃別，常忽忽不樂，雖娛玩盈前，未嘗解顏； 太妃既別太后，亦邑邑成疾。 太后遣中使醫藥相繼於道，聞疾稍加，輒不食，又謂帝曰：「吾與太妃恩如兄弟，欲自往省之。」 帝以天暑道遠，苦諫，久之乃止，但遣皇弟存渥等往迎侍。 五月，丁酉，北都奏太妃薨。 太后悲哀不食者累日，帝寬譬不離左右。 太后自是得疾，又欲自往會太妃葬，帝力諫而止。
Since parting from the Grand Consort, the empress dowager had been listless and unhappy; though diversions crowded before her, she never once softened her face; After parting from the empress dowager, the Grand Consort too fell ill with sorrow. The empress dowager sent palace emissaries with physicians and medicines in an unbroken stream; when she heard the Grand Consort's illness had eased a little, she would at once refuse food, and told the emperor, "The Grand Consort and I are bound like sisters—I wish to go and see her myself." The emperor, citing the summer heat and the long road, pleaded hard against it; after long persuasion she relented, and he sent only the imperial brother Cunwo and others to fetch and attend her. In the fifth month, on dingyou, the Northern Capital reported that the Grand Consort had died. The empress dowager grieved and would not eat for many days; the emperor comforted her and would not leave her side. Thereafter the empress dowager fell ill herself and again wished to attend the Grand Consort's funeral in person; the emperor pleaded forcefully and stopped her.
97
閩王審知寢疾，命其子節度副使延翰權知軍府事。
The Prince of Min, Shenzhi, lay gravely ill and ordered his son, deputy military governor Yanhan, to provisionally manage headquarters affairs.
98
自春夏大旱，六月，壬申，始雨。
Spring and summer had brought great drought; in the sixth month, on renshen, rain at last began.
99
帝苦溽暑，於禁中擇高涼之所，皆不稱旨。 宦者因言：「臣見長安全盛時，大明、興慶宮樓觀以百數。 今日宅家曾無避暑之所，宮殿之盛曾不及當時公卿第捨耳。」 帝乃命宮苑使王允平別建一樓以清暑。 宦者曰：「郭崇韜常不伸眉，為孔謙論用度不足，恐陛下雖欲營繕，終不可得。」 帝曰：「吾自用內府錢，無關經費。」 然猶慮崇韜諫，遣中使語之曰：「今歲盛暑異常，朕昔在河上，與梁人相拒，行營卑濕，被甲乘馬，親當矢石，猶無此暑。 今居深宮之中而暑不可度，奈何？」 對曰：「陛下昔在河上，勍敵未滅，深念仇恥，雖有盛暑，不介聖懷。 今外患已除，海內賓服，故雖珍台閒館猶覺郁蒸也。 陛下倘不忘艱難之時，則暑氣自消矣。」 帝默然。 宦者曰：「崇韜之第，無異皇居，宜其不知至尊之熱也。」 帝卒命允平營樓，日役萬人，所費巨萬。 崇韜諫曰：「今兩河水旱，軍食不充，願且息役，以俟豐年。」 帝不聽。
The emperor suffered from the sweltering heat; within the forbidden precincts he tried every high and cool spot, yet none pleased him. A eunuch then spoke: "Your servant saw Chang'an in its full splendor—the Daming and Xingqing palaces had towers and pavilions by the hundred. Today His Majesty has nowhere to escape the heat; the palace is not even as grand as the mansions of the great ministers of that day." The emperor then ordered the palace parks commissioner Wang Yunping to build a separate tower to escape the heat. A eunuch said, "Guo Chongtao is ever frowning, quarreling with Kong Qian over insufficient funds—I fear that even if Your Majesty wishes to build, you will never get your way." The emperor said, "I shall use the inner treasury's funds—it has nothing to do with state expenses." Yet he still feared Chongtao would remonstrate, and sent a palace emissary to tell him, "This year's heat is extraordinary. When I was on the Yellow River facing the Liang, the camps were low and damp; clad in armor and mounted, I faced arrows and stones myself—yet even then the heat was not like this. Now dwelling deep within the palace I cannot endure the heat—what is to be done?" Chongtao replied, "When Your Majesty was on the river, fierce enemies were not yet destroyed; you brooded on enmity and shame—though the heat was fierce, it did not touch your mind. Now external threats are gone and the realm submits; thus even within jeweled towers and idle halls you feel the stifling air. If Your Majesty would but remember the hard years, the heat would vanish of itself." The emperor fell silent. A eunuch said, "Chongtao's mansion is no different from the imperial residence—no wonder he cannot grasp how hot the Son of Heaven is." The emperor ultimately ordered Yunping to build the tower; ten thousand men labored each day, at a cost in the tens of millions. Chongtao remonstrated, "Both river regions suffer drought now; army provisions are insufficient—I ask that labor be suspended until a bountiful year." The emperor would not listen.
100
帝將伐蜀，辛卯，詔天下括市戰馬。
As the emperor prepared to attack Shu, on xinmao an edict ordered the realm to requisition war horses from the market.
101
吳鎮海節度判官、楚州團練使陳彥謙有疾，徐知誥恐其遺言及繼嗣事，遺之醫藥金帛，相屬於道。 彥謙臨終，密留中遺徐溫，請以所生子為嗣。
The Wu Zhenhai circuit judge-advisor and Chuzhou defense commissioner Chen Yanqian was ill; Xu Zhigao feared his dying words might touch the matter of succession and sent physicians, medicines, gold, and silk to him in an unbroken stream along the road. As Yanqian neared death, he secretly left a sealed testament for Xu Wen, asking that his newborn son be made heir.
102
太后疾甚。 秋，七月，甲午，成德節度使李嗣源以邊事稍弭，表求入朝省太后，帝不許。 壬寅，太后殂。 帝毀過甚，五日方食。
The empress dowager's illness was grave. In autumn, the seventh month, on jiawu, Chengde military governor Li Siyuan, finding border affairs somewhat eased, memorialized asking to enter court to visit the empress dowager; the emperor would not permit it. On renyin, the empress dowager died. The emperor's grief exceeded measure; only after five days did he eat.
103
八月，癸未，杖殺河南令羅貫。 初，貫為禮部員外郎，性強直，為郭崇韜所知，用為河南令。 為政不避權豪，伶宦請托，書積几案，一不報，皆以示崇韜，崇韜奏之，由是伶宦切齒。 河南尹張全義亦以貫高伉，惡之，遣婢訴於皇后，後與伶宦共毀之，帝含怒未發。 會帝自往壽安視坤陵役者，道路泥濘，橋多壞。 帝問主者為誰，宦官對屬河南。 帝怒，下貫獄； 獄吏榜掠，體無完膚，明日，傳詔殺之。 崇韜諫曰：「貫坐橋道不修，法不至死。」 帝怒曰：「太后靈駕將發，天子朝夕往來，橋道不修，卿言無罪，是黨也！」 崇韜曰：「陛下以萬乘之尊，怒一縣令，使天下謂陛下用法不平，臣之罪也。」 帝曰：「既公所愛，任公裁之。」 拂衣起入宮，崇韜隨之，論奏不已； 帝自闔殿門，崇韜不得入。 貫竟死，暴屍府門，遠近冤之。
In the eighth month, on guiwei, the magistrate of Henan, Luo Guan, was beaten to death. Initially Luo Guan had been an assistant director in the Ministry of Rites; forceful and upright by nature, he came to Guo Chongtao's notice and was appointed magistrate of Henan. In governing he did not shrink before the powerful; petitions from actors and eunuchs piled on his desk unanswered—all were shown to Chongtao, who reported them to the throne—wherefore actors and eunuchs gnashed their teeth at him. Henan intendant Zhang Quanyi too found Luo Guan overbearing and hated him; he sent a maidservant to complain to the empress, who together with actors and eunuchs slandered Luo Guan—the emperor nursed anger but did not yet act. It happened that the emperor went in person to Shou'an to inspect workers on the Kun Mausoleum—the roads were muddy and many bridges broken. The emperor asked who was responsible; a eunuch replied it fell under Henan. The emperor grew angry and imprisoned Luo Guan; the jailers tortured him until no patch of skin remained whole; the next day an order was transmitted to kill him. Chongtao remonstrated, "Luo Guan's offense of failing to maintain bridges and roads does not reach death by law." The emperor raged, "The empress dowager's spirit carriage is about to depart—the Son of Heaven travels back and forth daily; bridges and roads unrepaired—and you say he is guiltless? You are shielding him!" Chongtao said, "Your Majesty, with the dignity of the supreme ruler, enraged at a county magistrate—if the realm says Your Majesty applies the law unfairly, the fault is mine." The emperor said, "Since he is one you favor, let you decide." He swept his robes and rose into the palace; Chongtao followed, arguing and memorializing without cease; the emperor himself shut the hall doors, and Chongtao could not enter. Luo Guan died in the end; his corpse was displayed at the magistrate's gate, and far and near judged it an injustice.
104
丁亥，遣吏部侍郎李德休等賜吳越國王玉冊、金印，紅袍御衣。
On dinghai, Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel Li Dexiu and others were dispatched to present the King of Wuyue with a jade register, golden seal, and red imperial robe.
105
九月，蜀主與太后、太妃游青城山，歷丈人觀、上清宮，遂至彭州陽平化、漢州三學山而還。
In the ninth month, the Shu sovereign Wang Yan toured Mount Qingcheng with the empress dowager and Grand Consort, passing through Zhangren Abbey and Shangqing Palace, then reaching Pengzhou's Yangping transformation site and Hanzhou's Mount Sanxue before returning.
106
乙未，立皇子繼岌為魏王。
On yiwei, Prince Jiji was installed as Prince of Wei.
107
丁酉，帝與宰相議伐蜀，威勝節度使李紹欽素諂事宣徽使李紹宏，紹宏薦「紹欽有蓋世奇才，雖孫、吳不如，可以大任。」 郭崇韜曰：「段凝亡國之將，奸諂絕倫，不可信也。」 眾舉李嗣源，崇韜曰：「契丹方熾，總管不可離河朔。 魏王地當儲副，未立殊功，請依故事，以為伐蜀都統，成其威名。」 帝曰：「兒幼，豈能獨往，當求其副。」 既而曰：「無以易卿。」 庚子，以魏王繼岌充西川四面行營都統，崇韜充東北面行營都招討制置等使，軍事悉以委之。 又以荊南節度使高季興充東南面行營都招討使，鳳翔節度使李繼曮充都供軍轉運應接等使，同州節度使李令德充行營副招討使，陝州節度使李紹琛充蕃漢馬步軍都排陳斬斫使兼馬步軍都指揮使，西京留守張筠充西川管內安撫應接使，華州節度使毛璋充左廂馬步都虞候，邠州節度使董璋充右廂馬步都虞候，客省使李嚴充西川管內招撫使，將兵六萬伐蜀，仍詔季興自取夔、忠、萬三州為巡屬。 都統置中軍，以供奉官李從襲充中軍馬步都指揮監押，高品李廷安、呂知柔充魏王府通謁。 辛丑，以工部尚書任圜、翰林學士李愚並參預都統軍機。
On dingyou the emperor discussed attacking Shu with the chief ministers; Weisheng military governor Li Shaoqin had long flattered Palace Secretariat commissioner Li Shaohong, and Shaohong recommended, "Shaoqin has world-beating talent—even Sun Wu falls short; he can be greatly entrusted." Guo Chongtao said, "Duan Ning is a general of a fallen state, cunning and flattery beyond compare—not to be trusted." The assembly proposed Li Siyuan; Chongtao said, "The Khitan blaze just now—the Overall Commander cannot leave the northern rivers. The Prince of Wei's station is that of heir apparent, yet he has won no outstanding merit—I ask by precedent that he be made overall commander for the Shu campaign, to establish his renown." The emperor said, "The boy is young—how could he go alone? I must find his deputy." Then he said, "There is none to replace you." On gengzi, Prince of Wei Jiji was made overall commander of the four-sided Shu field headquarters; Chongtao was made northeastern overall pacification and disposition commissioner and the like—all military affairs were wholly entrusted to him. Jingnan military governor Gao Jixing was also made southeastern overall pacification commissioner; Fengxiang military governor Li Jiyong was made overall army supply, transport, and liaison commissioner; Tongzhou military governor Li Lingde was made deputy field pacification commissioner; Shaanzhou military governor Li Shaochen was made overall array-and-charge commissioner for barbarian and Han cavalry and infantry and also overall cavalry and infantry commander; Western Capital garrison commander Zhang Jun was made Western Shu circuit pacification and liaison commissioner; Huazhou military governor Mao Zhang was made left-wing cavalry and infantry chief inspector; Binzhou military governor Dong Zhang was made right-wing cavalry and infantry chief inspector; guest-reception commissioner Li Yan was made Western Shu circuit recruitment commissioner; with sixty thousand troops they attacked Shu, and an edict further allowed Jixing to take for himself the three prefectures of Kui, Zhong, and Wan as patrol dependencies. The overall commander established a central army; tribute officer Li Congxi was made central army cavalry and infantry commander and superintendent; senior attendants Li Ting'an and Lü Zhirou were made palace liaison officers for the Prince of Wei's household. On xinchou, Minister of Works Ren Yuan and Hanlin academician Li Yu were both appointed to participate in the overall commander's military deliberations.
108
自六月甲午雨，罕見日星，江河百川皆溢，凡七十五日乃霽。
From the sixth month, jiawu day, it rained; sun and stars were rarely seen; rivers and all streams overflowed—in all seventy-five days before the skies cleared.
109
郭崇韜以北都留守孟知祥有薦引舊恩，將行，言於上曰：「孟知祥信厚有謀，若得西川而求帥，無逾此人者。」 又薦鄴都副留守張憲謹重有識，可為相，戊申，大軍西行。
Guo Chongtao, because Northern Capital garrison commander Meng Zhixiang owed him old gratitude for recommendation, before departing told the emperor, "Meng Zhixiang is trustworthy, generous, and resourceful—if we take Western Shu and seek a military governor, none surpasses this man." He also recommended Ye Capital deputy garrison commander Zhang Xian, steady and discerning, as fit for chief minister; on wushen the great army marched west.
110
蜀安重霸勸王承休請蜀主東遊秦州。 承休到官，即毀府署，作行宮，大興力役，強取民間女子教歌舞，圖形遺韓昭，使言於蜀主； 又獻花木圖，盛稱秦州山川土風之美。 蜀主將如秦州，群臣諫者甚眾，皆不聽； 王宗弼上表諫，蜀主投其表於地； 太后涕泣不食，止之，亦不能得。 前秦州節度判官蒲禹卿上表幾二千言，其略曰：「先帝艱難創業，欲傳之萬世。 陛下少長富貴，荒色惑酒。 秦州人雜羌、胡，地多瘴癘，萬眾困於奔馳，郡縣罷於供億。 鳳翔久為仇讎，必生釁隙； 唐國方通歡好，恐懷疑貳。 先皇未嘗無故盤遊，陛下率意頻離宮闕。 秦皇東狩，鑾駕不還； 煬帝南巡，龍舟不返。 蜀都強盛，雄視鄰邦，邊亭無烽火之虞，境內有腹心之疾，百姓失業，盜賊公行。 昔李勢屈於桓溫，劉禪降於鄧艾，山河險固，不足憑恃。」 韓昭謂禹卿曰：「吾收汝表，俟主上西歸，當使獄吏字字問汝！」 王承休妻嚴氏美，蜀主私焉，故銳意欲行。
Shu's An Chongba urged Wang Chengxiu to invite the Shu sovereign Wang Yan to tour Qinzhou in the east. When Chengxiu took up his post, he at once tore down the prefectural offices and built a traveling palace; he launched grand corvée labor, forcibly took common women to teach singing and dancing, sent their portraits to Han Zhao and had him speak to the Shu sovereign; he also presented a catalogue of flowers and trees, lavishly praising Qinzhou's mountains, rivers, and local customs. The Shu sovereign Wang Yan was about to go to Qinzhou; many ministers remonstrated, yet he heeded none; Wang Zongbi submitted a memorial of remonstrance; the Shu sovereign cast the memorial to the ground; the empress dowager wept and refused food to stop him, yet could not prevail. Former Qinzhou judge-advisor Pu Yuqing submitted a memorial of nearly two thousand characters; in summary it read, "The late emperor labored through hardship to found the realm, wishing to pass it down for ten thousand generations. Your Majesty has known luxury from youth; you wander in licentiousness and delusion in wine. Qinzhou's people mix with Di and Hu; the land is rife with miasma—myriad hosts are exhausted by forced marches, counties and prefectures broken by supply levies. Fengxiang has long been our foe—clashes will surely arise; Tang now seeks harmony and friendship—we risk arousing suspicion of divided loyalty. The late emperor never wandered without cause; Your Majesty whimsically leaves the palace again and again. The First Emperor of Qin toured east—his imperial carriage never returned; Emperor Yang toured south—his dragon boat never returned. The Shu capital is strong, looking down on neighboring states; the frontier posts know no beacon-fire alarm—yet within the realm there is sickness at the heart: the people lose their livelihoods and bandits walk openly. Of old Li Shi submitted to Huan Wen, Liu Shan surrendered to Deng Ai—steep rivers and mountains are not enough to rely upon." Han Zhao said to Pu Yuqing, "I have received your memorial. When His Majesty returns from the west, I will have the jailers interrogate you on every word!" Wang Chengxiu's wife, Lady Yan, was beautiful, and the Shu sovereign Wang Yan coveted her in secret. That was why he was so eager to make the trip.
111
冬，十月，排陳斬斫使李紹琛與李嚴將驍騎三千、步兵萬人為前鋒，招討判官陳乂至寶雞，稱疾乞留。 李愚厲聲曰：「陳乂見利則進，懼難則止。 今大軍涉險，人心易搖，宜斬以徇！」 由是軍中無敢顧望者。 乂，薊州人也。
In winter, in the tenth month, Marshaling and Execution Commissioner Li Shaochen and Li Yan led three thousand elite horsemen and ten thousand foot soldiers as the vanguard. Expedition judge-advisor Chen Yi reached Baoji, feigned illness, and asked to stay behind. Li Yu said sharply, "Chen Yi pushes forward when he sees advantage and pulls back when he fears danger. The main army is now crossing treacherous terrain, and morale is easily unsettled. He should be executed to warn the rest!" After that, no one in the army dared hesitate or look back. Chen Yi was from Jizhou.
112
癸亥，蜀主引兵數萬發成都，甲子，至漢州。 武興節度使王承捷告唐兵西上，蜀主以為群臣同謀沮己，猶不信，大言曰：「吾方欲耀武。」 遂東行。 在道與群臣賦詩，殊不為意。
On guihai, the Shu sovereign Wang Yan set out from Chengdu with tens of thousands of troops. On jiazi he reached Hanzhou. Wuxing military governor Wang Chengjie reported that Tang forces were advancing from the west. The Shu sovereign assumed his ministers were conspiring to hold him back and still refused to believe it. He proclaimed, "I am about to put our might on display." He continued east all the same. Along the way he composed verses with his ministers, entirely unconcerned.
113
丁丑，李紹琛攻蜀威武城，蜀指揮使唐景思將兵出降； 城使周彥禋等知不能守，亦降。 景思，秦州人也。 得城中糧二十萬斛。 紹琛縱其敗兵萬餘人逸去，因倍道趣鳳州，李嚴飛書以諭王承捷。 李繼曮竭鳳翔蓄積以饋軍，不能充，人情憂恐。 郭崇韜入散關，指其山曰：「吾輩進無成功，不復得還此矣。 當盡力一決。 今饋運將竭，宜先取鳳州，因其糧。」 諸將皆言蜀地險固，未可長驅，宜按兵觀釁。 崇韜以問李愚，愚曰：「蜀人苦其主荒淫，莫為之用。 宜乘其人情崩離，風驅霆擊，彼皆破膽，雖有險阻，誰與守之！ 兵勢不可緩也。」 是日李紹琛告秉，崇韜喜，謂李愚曰：「公料敵如此，吾復何憂！」 乃倍道而進。 戊寅，王承捷以鳳、興、文、扶四州印節迎降，得兵八千，糧四十萬斛。 崇韜曰：「平蜀必矣！」 即以都統牒命承捷攝武興節度使。 己卯，蜀主至利州，威武敗卒奔還，始信唐兵之來。 王宗弼、宋光嗣言於蜀主曰：「東川、山南兵力尚完，陛下但以大軍扼利州，唐人安敢懸兵深入！」 從之。 庚辰，以隨駕清道指揮使王宗勳、王宗儼、兼侍中王宗昱為三招討，將兵三萬逆戰。 從駕兵自綿、漢至深渡，千里相屬，皆怨憤，曰：「龍武軍糧賜倍於它軍，它軍安能禦敵！」 李紹琛等過長舉，興州都指揮使程奉璉將所部兵五百來降，且請先治橋棧以俟唐軍，由是軍行無險阻之虞。 辛巳，興州刺史王承鑒棄城走，紹琛等克興州，郭崇韜以唐景思攝興州刺史。 乙酉，成州刺史王承樸棄城走。 李紹琛等與蜀三招討戰於三泉，蜀兵大敗，斬首五千級，餘眾潰走。 又得糧十五萬斛於三泉，由是軍食優足。
On dingchou, Li Shaochen attacked Shu's Weiwu Fort. Shu commander Tang Jingsi marched out and surrendered; Fort commander Zhou Yantian and the others, seeing the fort could not be held, surrendered as well. Tang Jingsi was from Qinzhou. They seized two hundred thousand hu of grain stored in the city. Shaochen let more than ten thousand defeated Shu soldiers go, then forced a march toward Fengzhou while Li Yan sent urgent messages urging Wang Chengjie to surrender. Li Jiyong drained Fengxiang's reserves trying to feed the army but still could not meet demand, and morale turned anxious and fearful. Entering San Pass, Guo Chongtao pointed at the mountains and said, "If we press on and fail, we will never see this place again. We must stake everything on one decisive battle. Our supply lines are nearly spent. We should take Fengzhou first and live off its stores." The generals argued that Shu terrain was treacherous and strongly defended, that a long advance was reckless, and that they should hold their position and wait for an opportunity. Chongtao consulted Li Yu, who said, "The people of Shu are weary of their ruler's dissipation and debauchery. None will fight for him. Strike while their loyalty is collapsing—sweep in like wind and thunder. Their courage will be broken. However steep the passes, who will stand to defend them? We cannot afford to let the army's momentum stall." That same day Li Shaochen reported victory. Chongtao was delighted and told Li Yu, "With you reading the enemy this clearly, what do I have to worry about?" They pushed forward at forced march. On wuyin, Wang Chengjie surrendered with the official seals and regalia of Feng, Xing, Wen, and Fu prefectures, yielding eight thousand troops and four hundred thousand hu of grain. Chongtao declared, "Shu is as good as pacified!" He immediately issued an order from overall command naming Chengjie acting military governor of Wuxing. On jimao the Shu sovereign reached Lizhou. When the shattered survivors from Weiwu Fort came streaming back, he finally believed the Tang army had invaded. Wang Zongbi and Song Guangsi told the sovereign, "Dongchuan and Shannan still have intact forces. If Your Majesty stations the main army at Lizhou, the Tang will never dare push deep with a force cut off from its base." He agreed. On gengchen he appointed imperial escort Qingdao commander Wang Zongxun and Wang Zongyan, together with palace attendant Wang Zongyu, as the three expeditionary commanders and sent thirty thousand men to give battle. The escort army stretched in an unbroken line for a thousand li from Mian and Han to Shendu. The men were full of bitter resentment: "The Dragon Martial Army gets twice the rations and pay we do—how are the rest of us supposed to face the enemy?" Li Shaochen's force passed Changju. Xingzhou commander Cheng Fenglian came over with five hundred men and offered to repair bridges and plank roads ahead of the Tang advance, so the army could march without fear of the terrain. On xinsi, Xingzhou prefect Wang Chengjian abandoned the city and fled. Shaochen's force took Xingzhou, and Guo Chongtao made Tang Jingsi acting prefect. On yiyou, Chengzhou prefect Wang Chengpu fled his city. Li Shaochen's force met Shu's three expeditionary commanders at Sanquan and routed them, taking five thousand heads. The rest broke and ran. They also seized one hundred fifty thousand hu of grain at Sanquan, and from then on the army ate well.
114
戊子，葬貞簡太后於坤陵。
On wuzi, Empress Dowager Zhenjian was interred at Kun Mausoleum.
115
蜀主聞王宗勳等敗，自利州倍道西走，斷桔柏津浮梁； 使中書令、判六軍諸衛事王宗弼將大軍守利州，且令斬王宗勳等三招討。 李紹琛晝夜兼行趣利州。 蜀武德留後宋光葆遺郭崇韜書，「請唐兵不入境，當舉巡屬內附； 苟不如約，則背城決戰以報本朝。」 崇韜復書撫納之。 己丑，魏王繼岌至興州，光葆以梓、綿、劍、龍、普五州，武定節度使王承肇以洋、蓬、壁三州，山南節度使兼侍中王宗威以梁、開、通、渠、麟五州，階州刺史王承岳以階州，皆降。 承肇，宗侃之子也。 自餘城鎮皆望風款附。
Learning that Wang Zongxun and his colleagues had been defeated, the Shu sovereign fled west from Lizhou at forced march and cut the pontoon bridge at Jiebai Ford. He ordered Secretariat Director Wang Zongbi, who also oversaw the Six Armies and Guard offices, to hold Lizhou with the main force and to execute Wang Zongxun and the other two expeditionary commanders. Li Shaochen forced night-and-day marches toward Lizhou. Shu's Wude garrison deputy Song Guangbao wrote to Guo Chongtao: "If Tang forces stay out of our territory, I will bring every district under my jurisdiction to submit. If you break that promise, I will fight to the death from the city walls in loyalty to my court." Chongtao answered with a reassuring letter accepting the offer. On jichou, the Prince of Wei's heir Li Jiji reached Xingzhou. Guangbao surrendered with Zi, Mian, Jian, Long, and Pu; Wuding military governor Wang Chengzhao with Yang, Peng, and Bi; Shannan military governor and palace attendant Wang Zongwei with Liang, Kai, Tong, Qu, and Lin; and Jiezhou prefect Wang Chengyue with Jiezhou. Wang Chengzhao was a son of Wang Zongkan. Every other city and garrison submitted at the first sign of Tang success.
116
天雄節度使王承休與副使安重霸謀掩擊唐軍，重霸曰：「擊之不勝，則大事去矣。 蜀中精兵十萬，天下險固，唐兵雖勇，安能直度劍門邪！ 然公受國恩，聞難不可不赴，願與公俱西。」 承休素親信之，以為然。 重霸請賂羌人買文、扶州路以歸； 承休從之，使重霸將龍武軍及所募兵萬二千人以從。 將行，州人餞於城外。 承休上道，重霸拜於馬前曰：「國家竭力以得秦、隴，若從開府還朝，誰當守之！ 開府行矣，重霸請為公留守。」 承休業已上道，無如之何，遂與招討副使王宗汭自文、扶而南。 其地皆不毛，羌人抄之，且戰且行，士卒凍餒，比至茂州，餘眾二千而已。 重霸遂以秦、隴來降。
Tianxiong military governor Wang Chengxiu and vice commissioner An Chongba planned a surprise attack on the Tang army. Chongba said, "If we strike and fail, everything is lost. Shu still has a hundred thousand crack troops, and the land's defenses are the steepest in the realm. However bold the Tang may be, how could they march straight through Jianmen Pass? Still, you owe the state a debt of gratitude, and when danger calls you cannot stay away. I am willing to go west with you." Chengxiu, who had long trusted him, agreed. Chongba proposed bribing the Di tribesmen for a route back through Wen and Fu prefectures; Chengxiu agreed and sent Chongba west with the Dragon Martial Army and twelve thousand levies. As they prepared to leave, the townspeople saw them off outside the city walls. Once Chengxiu was on the road, Chongba bowed before his horse and said, "The state spent its strength to win Qin and Long. If Your Commissionership returns to court, who will hold them? Go on, Commissioner. Let Chongba stay behind and govern in your name." Chengxiu was already on the road and could not turn back. He and expedition deputy Wang Zongxuan continued south through Wen and Fu. The country was barren wasteland. Di raiders harried them every step of the way. Soldiers froze and starved as they fought and marched. By the time they reached Maozhou, barely two thousand were left. Chongba thereupon surrendered Qin and Long to Tang.
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高季興常欲取三峽，畏蜀峽路招討使張武威名，不敢進。 至是，乘唐兵勢，使其子行軍司馬從誨權軍府事，自將水軍上峽取施州。 張武以鐵鎖斷江路，季興遣勇士乘舟斫之。 會風大起，舟絓於鎖，不能進退，矢石交下，壞其戰艦，季興輕舟遁去。 既而聞北路陷敗，以夔、忠、萬三州遣使詣魏王降。 郭崇韜遺王宗弼等書，為陳利害； 李紹琛未至利州，宗弼棄城引兵西歸。 王宗勳等三招討追及宗弼於白芀，宗弼懷中探詔書示之曰：「宋光嗣令我殺爾曹。」 因相持而泣，遂合謀送款於唐。
Gao Jixing had long wanted to seize the Three Gorges but feared Shu's Three Gorges Route commissioner Zhang Wu and never dared move. Now, taking advantage of Tang momentum, he had his son and chief of staff Conghui run headquarters while he personally led the fleet upriver to seize Shizhou. Zhang Wu blocked the Yangtze with iron chains. Jixing sent warriors in boats to cut them. A sudden gale rose. The boats fouled on the chains and could neither advance nor retreat while bolts and stones rained down and smashed the warships. Jixing fled in a light skiff. When word came that the northern front had collapsed, he sent envoys offering Qian, Zhong, and Wan to the Prince of Wei in surrender. Guo Chongtao wrote Wang Zongbi and the others laying out the stakes; Before Li Shaochen even reached Lizhou, Zongbi abandoned the city and marched west. Wang Zongxun and the other expeditionary commanders caught up with Zongbi at Baicao Ford. Zongbi pulled an edict from his robe and showed them: "Song Guangsi ordered me to execute you." They embraced and wept together, then conspired to surrender to Tang.