#eastern wu

[the-archlich]

In Part 1 of this series, we discussed the general events of the Crown Prince Affair, its major figures, and how exactly the state of Wu came to such a point of crisis. In this article, we will observe the events of the crisis itself and how it reached it’s bloody resolution. (more…)

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[ttoca]

Liu Yao’s Army ‘The Yang Alliance’

(Left to Right)

Top Row

Xu Gong, Taishi Ci, Ze Rong

Upper Middle Row

Lu Kang, Yan Baihu, Yan Yu

Lower Middle Row

Liu Xun, Zhou Xin, Zhu Hao, Sheng Xian

Bottom Row

Hua Xin, Liu Yao, Wang Lang

A motley collection of scholars, warriors, eccentrics and opportunists.

Ze Rong was a treat to design. I’m surprised he doesn’t get more attention in 3K-related media.

[fuyonggu]

Biography of Tao Huang (Book of Jin 57)

陶璜，字世英，丹陽秣陵人也。父基，吳交州刺史。璜仕吳曆顯位。孫皓時，交阯太守孫諝貪暴，為百姓所患。會察戰鄧荀至，擅調孔雀三千頭，遣送秣陵，既苦遠役，咸思為亂。郡吏呂興殺諝及荀，以郡內附。武帝拜興安南將軍、交阯太守。尋為其功曹李統所殺，帝更以建甯爨穀為交阯太守，谷又死，更遣巴西馬融代之。融病卒，南中監軍霍弋又遣犍為楊稷代融，與將軍毛炅，九真太守董元，牙門孟幹、孟通、李松、王業、爨能等，自蜀出交阯，破吳軍於古城，斬大都督修則、交州刺史劉俊。吳遣虞汜為監軍，薛珝為威南將軍、大都督，璜為蒼梧太守，距稷，戰于分水。璜敗，退保合浦，亡其二將。珝怒謂璜曰：「若自表討賊，而喪二帥，其責安在？」璜曰：「下官不得行意，諸軍不相順，故致敗耳。」珝怒，欲引軍還。璜夜以數百兵襲董元，獲其寶物，船載而歸，珝乃謝之，以璜領交州，為前部督。璜從海道出於不意，徑至交阯，元距之。諸將將戰，璜疑斷牆內有伏兵，列長戟於甚後。兵才接，元偽退，璜追之，伏兵果出，長戟逆之，大破元等。以前所得寶船上錦物數千匹遺扶嚴賊帥梁奇，奇將萬餘人助璜。元有勇將解系同在城內，璜誘其弟象，使為書與系，又使象乘璜軺車，鼓吹導從而行。元等曰：「象尚若此，系必去志。」乃就殺之。珝、璜遂陷交阯。吳因用璜為交州刺史。

Tao Huang, styled Shiying, was a native of Moling county in Danyang commandary. His father, Tao Ji, served as Eastern Wu's Inspector of Jiaozhou. Tao Huang himself also served Wu in several conspicuous posts.

During the reign of Sun Hao, Wu's Administrator of Jiaozhi, Sun Xu, was greedy and cruel, a blight upon the common people. And around the same time, the Overseer, Deng Xun, came to Jiaozhi, where he forced the people to round up three thousand peacocks and to send them to Moling (Jianye). The two of them imposed great hardships and distant travels upon the local people, who all began to consider rebelling against them. And when in the end, one of the commandary officials, Lü Xing, killed Sun Xu and Deng Xun, the people of the commandary all supported him. Emperor Wu of Jin recognized Lü Xing as Jing's General Who Maintains The South and Administrator of Jiaozhi. But Lü Xing was soon killed by his Merit Manager, Li Tong. So Emperor Wu appointed the General Who Establishes Tranquility, Cuan Gu, as the new Administrator of Jiaozhi. When Cuan Gu also died, Emperor Wu sent Ma Rong of Baxi commandary to replace him. And after Ma Rong passed away from illness, the Directing-General of Nanzhong, Huo Yi, sent Yang Ji of Jianwei commandary to succeed him. So Yang Ji, the general Mao Jiong, the Administrator of Jiuzhen, Dong Yuan, several Generals of the Standard, Meng Gan, Meng Tong, Li Song, Wang Ye, and Cuan Neng, and others marched out of the Shu region to attack Jiaozhi commandary. They routed the Wu army at Gucheng and took the heads of Wu's Grand Commander, Xiu Ze, and their Inspector of Jiaozhou, Liu Jun.

Wu appointed Yu Si as General Who Directs The Army, Xue Xu as General Who Awes The South and Grand Commander, and Tao Huang as Administrator of Cangwu. Tao Huang was sent to oppose Yang Ji, and they fought at the Fen River. But Tao Huang was defeated and fell back to defend Hepu, having lost two of his subcommanders.

Xue Xu berated Tao Huang, telling him, "Didn't you say that you were going to thrash the enemy? Yet now you've lost two officers. Whose fault is that?"

Tao Huang huffed, "I only lost because my forces wouldn't coordinate with each other."

This did nothing to soothe Xue Xu's anger, and he was planning to lead the rest of the Wu army away and abandon the region. But during the night, Tao Huang led several hundred soldiers to launch a surprise attack against Dong Yuan; he captured Dong Yuan's treasure fleet and then returned to base. Xue Xu then apologized to him for his earlier anger, and he yielded command of Jiaozhou to Tao Huang, while he served as Commander of the Vanguard.

Tao Huang advanced by an unexpected sea route to approach the city of Jiaozhi. Dong Yuan mustered his forces to oppose Tao Huang in the field. The Wu generals wanted to advance to battle, but Tao Huang suspected that Dong Yuan had placed ambush troops to hide behind isolated walls in the area, so he organized a rearguard of halberdiers. The two armies had barely clashed when Dong Yuan pretended to retreat, and as Tao Huang pursued him, Jin ambush troops indeed emerged. But the halberdiers were able to deal with them, and Tao Huang greatly routed Dong Yuan and the other local Jin leaders.

Tao Huang took several thousand bolts of brocade from the treasure fleet he had earlier captured from Dong Yuan and sent them to a bandit leader in Fuyan, Liang Qi, who then brought more than ten thousand followers to support Tao Huang.

Dong Yuan had a certain bold general within Jiaozhi, Xie Xi. Tao Huang enticed Xie Xi's younger brother Xie Xiang into writing a letter to Xie Xi, and he had Xie Xiang ride around the city in Tao Huang's light carriage, beating the drums and offering directions. Dong Yuan and the other Jin leaders said to one another, "If Xie Xiang is already acting like this, Xie Xi is sure to lose his resolve to oppose Wu as well." So they killed Xie Xi.

In the end, Xue Xu and Tao Huang took Jiaozhi. Wu then officially appointed Tao Huang as Inspector of Jiaozhou.

璜有謀策，周窮好施，能得人心。滕修數討南賊，不能制，璜曰：「南岸仰吾鹽鐵，斷勿與市，皆壞為田器。如此二年，可一戰而滅也。」修從之，果破賊。

Tao Huang was calculating and clever, fully generous and magnanimous, and able to gain the hearts of the people.

Several times, Teng Xiu had campaigned against southern bandits, but he had been unable to properly subdue the region. Tao Huang advised him, "The people on the south bank of the river crave our salt and our iron. You should cut off all trade with them to deny them these things. This will soon ruin their farming implements, and within two years, they will crumble after just one battle." Teng Xiu did as he advised, and he indeed crushed the bandits.

初，霍弋之遣稷、炅等，與之誓曰：「若賊圍城未百日而降者，家屬誅；若過百日救兵不至，吾受其罪。」稷等守未百日，糧盡，乞降，璜不許，給其糧使守。諸將並諫，璜曰：「霍弋已死，不能救稷等必矣，可須其日滿，然後受降，使彼得無罪，我受有義，內訓百姓，外懷鄰國，不亦可乎！」稷等期訖糧盡，救兵不至，乃納之。修則既為毛炅所殺，則子允隨璜南征，城既降，允求復仇，璜不許。炅密謀襲璜，事覺，收炅，呵曰：「晉賊！」炅厲聲曰：「吳狗！何等為賊？」允剖其腹，曰：「復能作賊不？」炅猶罵曰：「吾志殺汝孫皓，汝父何死狗也！」璜既擒稷等，並送之。稷至合浦，發病死。孟幹、爨能、李松等至建鄴，皓將殺之。或勸皓，幹等忠於所事，宜宥之以勸邊將，皓從其言，將徙之臨海。幹等志欲北歸，慮東徙轉遠，以吳人愛蜀側竹弩，言能作之，皓留付作部。後幹逃至京都，松、能為皓所殺。幹陳伐吳之計，帝乃厚加賞賜，以為日南太守。先是，以楊稷為交州刺史，毛炅為交止太守，印緩未至而敗，即贈稷交州，炅及松能子並關內侯。

Before, when Huo Yi had sent Yang Ji, Mao Jiong, and others to assume command, he had warned them, "If the enemy besieges your city, and you surrender before a hundred days have passed, your families and dependents will be executed. But if you hold out for more than a hundred days and there is still no hope of reinforcements, and the city is thus lost, then I will accept responsibility." 

During this siege, Yang Ji and the others had not yet held the city for a hundred days when the grain ran out. They begged to surrender to Tao Huang, but he would not permit it, and he even gave them grain so they could continue to resist his own siege. Tao Huang's generals all remonstrated with him for this, but Tao Huang told them, "Huo Yi is already dead, so there is certainly no hope of relief for Yang Ji and the others. We can wait until their full allotment of days has passed, and then receive their surrender afterwards. By doing so, we ensure that they have committed no offense, and it will add to our virtue. We can serve as a model to the people within, and neighboring states will also cherish us. Can this not be done?" Yang Ji and the others had grain enough to last until their set period had expired, and as reinforcements had still not come, Wu accepted their surrender.

Xiu Ze had been killed by Mao Jiong. Xiu Ze's son Ziu Yun had accompanied Tao Huang during this southern campaign. After the city surrendered, Xiu Yun asked for permission to kill Mao Jiong to avenge his father's death, but Tao Huang would not permit it. However, Mao Jiong secretly plotted to kill Tao Huang. But the plot was discovered, and Mao Jiong was arrested. He was denounced as a "Jin bandit!" But he sternly retorted, "You dogs of Wu! Who is the bandit here?"

Xiu Yun cut open Mao Jiong's stomach, saying, "Still intending to play the rebel any longer?" 

Mao Jiong continued to revile him even as he died, saying, "I wished I could have killed your Sun Hao! Your father died like a dog!" 

Tao Huang then detained Yang Ji and the others and sent them off as prisoners. Yang Ji made it as far as Hepu, where he developed an illness and passed away; Meng Gan, Cuan Neng, Li Song, and the others went to Jianye, where Sun Hao killed them. At first, someone had advised Sun Hao that Meng Gan and the others had been loyal to their duties and out to be pardoned in order to encourage further defections to Wu by other Jin border generals, so Sun Hao had followed this advice and had only been planning to exile the captives to Linhai commandary. But Meng Gan and the others, who wanted to return north, had no wish to be exiled so far away to the east. And since the people of Wu had a craving for the "slanted bamboo" crossbows of the Shu region, the captives claimed that they knew how to craft these crossbows, so Sun Hao had allowed them to remain with local garrisons. But later, when Meng Gan escaped and fled back to the Jin capital (at Luoyang), Sun Hao had Li Song and Cuan Neng killed. Meng Gan explained to Emperor Wu a strategy for how to campaign against Wu, so Emperor Wu granted him generous gifts and rewards and appointed him as Jin's Administrator of Rinan.

Jin had earlier appointed Yang Ji as Inspector of Jiaozhou and Mao Jiong as Administrator of Jiaozhi. But their seals and ribbons of office had never arrived before the two of them were defeated by Wu. So Yang Ji was posthumously appointed as Inspector, and the sons of Mao Jiong, Li Song, and Cuan Neng were all appointed as Marquises Within The Passes.

九真郡功曹李祚保郡內附，璜遣將攻之，不克。祚舅黎晃隨軍。勸祚令降。祚答曰：「舅自吳將，祚自晉臣，唯力是視耳。」逾時乃拔。皓以璜為使持節、都督交州諸軍事、前將軍、交州牧。武平、九德、新昌土地阻險，夷獠勁悍，曆世不賓，璜征討，開置三郡，及九真屬國三十餘縣。征璜為武昌都督，以合浦太守修允代之。交土人請留璜以千數，於是遣還。

Wu's Merit Manager of Jiuzhen commandary, Li Zuo, had caused the commandary to defect to Jin. Tao Huang sent a general to attack Jiuzhen, but the city did not fall at once. 

Li Zuo's uncle Li Huang had accompanied the Wu army to Jiuzhen, and he urged Li Zuo to surrender. But Li Zuo replied, "Uncle, you are a general of Wu; I am a subject of Jin. We can only both do our utmost and see what results."

Eventually, the city was taken. Sun Hao appointed Tao Huang as Commissioner Bearing Credentials, Commander of military affairs in Jiaozhou, General of the Front, and Governor of Jiaozhou.

The natural terrain of the regions of Wuping, Jiude, and Xinchang was rugged and difficult, and the Lao and other peoples living there were wild and fierce and for generations had refused to submit to the authority of Wu. Tao Huang campaigned against these regions, and he organized the area into three commandaries, forming more than thirty counties altogether when combined with the Dependent State of Jiuzhen.

Tao Huang was summoned away to serve as Commander of Wuchang; the Administrator of Hepu, Xiu Yun, was to replace him as Governor of Jiaozhou. But thousands of people from Jiaozhou asked that Tao Huang be permitted to stay, so he was sent back.

皓既降晉，手書遣璜息融敕璜歸順。璜流涕數日，遣使送印綬詣洛陽。帝詔復其本職，封宛陵侯，改為冠軍將軍。

When Sun Hao surrendered to Jin (in 280), he handwrote a letter and sent Tao Huang's son Tao Rong to bring the letter to Tao Huang, calling on Tao Huang to submit to Jin. Tao Huang wept for several days before sending a messenger to bring his seal and ribbons of office to Luoyang. Emperor Wu issued an edict confirming Tao Huang in his existing positions; he also appointed him as Champion General and as Marquis of Wanling.

吳既平，普減州郡兵，璜上言曰：交土荒裔，鬥絕一方，或重譯而言，連帶山海。又南郡去州海行千有餘里，外距林邑才七百里。夷帥范熊世為逋寇，自稱為王，數攻百姓。且連接扶南，種類猥多，朋黨相倚，負險不賓。往隸吳時，數作寇逆，攻破郡縣，殺害長吏。臣以尪駑，昔為故國所采，偏戍在南，十有餘年。雖前後征討，翦其魁桀，深山僻穴，尚有逋竄。又臣所統之卒本七千餘人，南土溫濕，多有氣毒，加累年征討，死亡減耗，其見在者二千四百二十人。今四海混同，無思不服，當卷甲清刃，禮樂是務。而此州之人，識義者寡，厭其安樂，好為禍亂。又廣州南岸，周旋六千餘里，不賓屬者乃五萬餘戶，及桂林不羈之輩，復當萬戶。至於服從官役，才五千餘家。二州脣齒，唯兵是鎮。又甯州興古接據上流，去交址郡千六百里，水陸並通，互相維衛。州兵未宜約損，以示單虛。夫風塵之變，出於非常。臣亡國之餘，議不足采，聖恩廣厚，猥垂飾擢，蠲其罪釁，改授方任，去辱即寵，拭目更視，誓念投命，以報所受，臨履所見，謹冒瞽陳。又以「合浦郡土地磽確，無有田農，百姓唯以采珠為業，商賈去來，以珠貿米。而吳時珠禁甚嚴，慮百姓私散好珠，禁絕來去，人以饑困。又所調猥多，限每不充。今請上珠三分輸二，次者輸一，粗者蠲除。自十月訖二月，非采上珠之時，聽商旅往來如舊」。並從之。

After Wu was conquered, Jin implemented a general reduction of the size of provincial and commandary garrisons. Tao Huang sent up a letter to the Jin court, arguing, "The Jiao region is a barren frontier, a distant and contested corner of the realm; the whole area is flanked by mountains and seas, and sometimes messages must be translated before they can be expressed. 

"The southernmost commandaries are more than a thousand li distant from the provincial capital (Hepu) on the coast, while being only seven hundred li from the borders of the foreign state of Linyi (Lâm Ấp). The foreign leader (of Lâm Ấp), Fan Xiong (Phạm Hùng), has repeatedly invaded the borders of this area and styled himself a King, and he constantly attacks the local people. And adjacent to Linyi is Funan, a place full of wild and fierce people; these two states are partners in mischief, and they count on their rugged terrain in order to defy the imperial authority. During the Wu era, they continually invaded and raided this province; they attacked and broke into the cities of the counties and commandaries and killed or wounded the chief local officials. Now I am no one of importance, yet the late state selected me for this post, and I served here in the south for more than ten years. But even though all through that time I led campaigns and expeditions to put a stop to the depredations of these villains, they still have their lairs and their hiding places within their deep mountains and remote caves.

"I command a nominal garrison force here of about seven thousand soldiers. But these southern lands are hot and humid, full of foul miasma, and combined with the exertions of constant campaigns and expeditions, my troops have been wasting away, so that I only have 2,420 soldiers actually fit for service.

"The thinking behind your policy of reduction of garrisons is that all the realm within the Four Seas has now been united, so that there is no place which does not submit to the central government, and so the armor should be rolled up and the blades cleaned and put away, and ritual behavior and music should be the focus of government. Yet there are already very few people in this province who take their martial duties seriously, and if you indulge them with ease and pleasure, that will surely lead to trouble and turmoil.

"The southern coast of Guangzhou runs for more than six or seven thousand li, and it contains more than fifty thousand households that have not yet submitted to the government. And in Guilin commandary, there are another ten thousand such malcontents as well. Even those households which are submissive enough to comply with corvee labor demands still only amount to about five thousand. These two provinces are as lips and teeth to one another, and they have only the soldiers to guard them. Furthermore, Ningzhou and Xinggu are positioned on the upper reaches of the river, only a thousand and six hundred li from Jiaozhi commandary, and the people there could advance against us by land and by water, mutually shielding and supporting each other. This is no time for the provincial garrison here to be reduced; it would only be a display of our isolation and weakness. The disasters of wind and dust arise from things that are unexpected.

"I was merely the remnant of a fallen state, and I was hardly worth any regard. Yet Your Majesty, displaying saintly grace and generous treatment, condescended to grant me a role and rank, to overlook my crimes and faults, and to confirm me in my positions. Thus I was able to exchange shame for favor, to wipe my eyes and see clearly once more. So I had sworn to devote my life to consider how best to repay such grace as you have shown me. Approaching the abyss and treading on thin ice, I have presumed to carefully present my foolish thoughts for your consideration."

He also wrote, "The ground and soil of Hepu commandary is stony and rough, unsuited for agricultural cultivation. The people can only make their living by collecting pearls, which merchants used to come here to exchange for rice. Yet during the Wu era, there was a strict ban on the collecting of pearls, due to fears that the best pearls would be scattered out among the common people, and this ban led to hunger and suffering among the populace. Nor have the people here ever been able to fulfill the various tax quotas imposed on them. Thus I now ask that the people be allowed to pay two-thirds of the best quality pearls and one-third of the middling quality pearls as taxes, while keeping the roughest kinds for themselves. I also ask that during the period from the tenth to the second months, which is not the time suitable for collecting the best pearls, that merchants be allowed to come here to conduct trading as they once did."

Both of these requests were accepted.

在南三十年，威恩著於殊俗。及卒，舉州號哭，如喪慈親。朝廷乃以員外散騎常侍吾彥代璜。彥卒，又以員外散騎常侍顧秘代彥。秘卒，州人逼秘子參領州事。參尋卒，參弟壽求領州，州人不聽，固求之，遂領州。壽乃殺長史胡肇等，又將殺帳下督梁碩，碩走得免，起兵討壽，禽之，會壽母，令鴆殺之。碩乃迎璜子蒼梧太守威領刺史，在職甚得百姓心，三年卒。威弟淑，子綏，後並為交州。自基至綏四世，為交州者五人。

Tao Huang was in the south for thirty years, and his power and mercy were felt near and far. When he passed away, the whole province rose in mourning for him, as though they had lost one of their own relatives.

The court appointed one of the Cavaliers In Regular Attendance Without Assignment, Wu Yan, to succeed Tao Huang. After Wu Yan passed away, they appointed another Cavalier, Gu Mi, to succeed him. When Gu Mi passed away, the people of the province forced Gu Mi's son Gu Can to take control of provincial affairs. But when Gu Can soon passed away, his younger brother Gu Shou sought to take control; the people of the province refused him at first, but when he insisted, he was granted his way. Gu Shou then killed the Chief Clerk, Hu Zhao, and others. He was planning to kill the Commander of the Tent, Liang Shuo, as well, but Liang Shuo fled and was able to escape. Liang Shuo then raised troops to campaign against Gu Shou, and he captured him; he also found Gu Shou's mother and compelled her to poison herself. 

Liang Shuo then welcomed the Administrator of Cangwu, Tao Huang's son Tao Wei, to be the new acting Inspector. Tao Wei served in this role for three years, during which he greatly gained the hearts of the people, before he too passed away. And Tao Wei's younger brother Tao Shu and Tao Wei's son Tao Sui both later served as Inspectors of Jiaozhou as well. Thus the Tao family had five members who each served as Inspectors, across four generations, from Tao Ji down to Tao Sui.

璜弟濬，吳鎮南大將軍、荊州牧。濬弟抗，太子中庶子。濬子湮，字恭之；湮弟猷，字恭豫，並有名。湮至臨海太守、黃門侍郎。猷宣城內史，王導右軍長史。湮子馥，於湖令，為韓晃所殺，追贈廬江太守。抗子回，自有傳。

Tao Huang's younger brother Tao Jun was Wu's Grand General Who Guards The South and Governor of Jingzhou.

Tao Jun's younger brother Tao Kang was Superintendent of the Crown Prince's Household.

Tao Jun's sons Tao Yan, styled Gongzhi, and Tao You, styled Gongyu, both became prominent as well: Tao Yan rose in office as high as Administrator of Linhai and Gentleman-Attendant of the Yellow Gate, and Tao You became Interior Minister of Xuancheng and Chief Clerk to Wang Dao when Wang Dao was General of the Right.

Tao Yan's son Tao Fu served as Prefect of Yuhu. He was killed by Han Jiong (during Su Jun's rebellion), and posthumously appointed as Administrator of Lujiang.

Tao Kang's son Tao Hui has his own biography.

[the-archlich]

The Crown Prince Affair (Part I)

“Meanwhile in the South Land, the Ruler of Wu, Sun Quan, had named his son Sun Deng as his heir. His mother was Lady Xu. But Sun Deng died in the fourth year of the Red Crow Era (AD 241). So the second son Sun He was chosen his successor. His mother was Lady Wang. A quarrel arose between Sun He and Princess Quan, who maligned him and intrigued against him, so that he was set aside. Sun He died of…

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[fuyonggu]

Biography of Sun Quan (SGZ 47)

Probably both more and less than you might expect.

[fuyonggu]

Lu Ji’s “Discourse on the Fall of Wu (Part 2)”

The second part of this post.

其下篇曰：昔三方之王也，魏人據中夏，漢氏有岷、益，吳制荊、揚而掩有交、廣。曹氏雖功濟諸華，虐亦深矣，其人怨。劉翁因險以飾智，功已薄矣，其俗陋。夫吳，桓王基之以武，太祖成之以德，聰明睿達，懿度弘遠矣。其求賢如弗及，血阝人如稚子，接士盡盛德之容，親仁罄丹府之愛。拔呂蒙於戎行，試潘浚於系虜。推誠信士，不恤人之我欺；量能授器，不患權之我偪。執鞭鞠躬，以重陸公之威；悉委武衛，以濟周瑜之師。卑宮菲食，豐功臣之賞；披懷虛己，納謨士之算。故魯肅一面而自托，士燮蒙險而效命。高張公之德，而省游田之娛；賢諸葛之言，而割情欲之歡；感陸公之規，而除刑法之煩；奇劉基之議，而作三爵之誓；屏氣跼蹐，以伺子明之疾；分滋損甘，以育淩統之孤；登壇慷愾，歸魯子之功；削投怨言，信子瑜之節。是以忠臣競盡其謨，志士咸得肆力，洪規遠略，固不厭夫區區者也。故百官苟合，庶務未遑。

And in the second part he wrote:

"Formerly, the realm was split into three kingdoms. The people of Wei occupied the Central Plains, the clan of Han possessed the regions of Min and Yizhou, while Wu controlled the provinces of Jingzhou and Yangzhou and spread to grasp the lands of Jiaozhou and Guangzhou. But although the Cao family had performed outstanding achievements among the Xia (ethnic Han) people, their cruelty was just as great, stirring up the people's hatred against them. As for the old codger Liu (Liu Bei), though he controlled difficult terrain and had pretensions to cleverness, his achievements were slight things, and his state was a mean and vulgar one. It was very different with Wu, which had its foundation laid down by the martial feats of King Huan (Sun Ce) and completed by the virtues of Taizu (Sun Quan).

"How numerous were Taizu's good qualities! He was intelligent and wise, astute and perceptive; he was understanding and measured, generous and farsighted. He sought out worthy people as though worried that he would never have enough of them, and he sympathized with the people as though they were his own children; he drew people in with complete demonstrations of his abundant virtues, and he exhibited kinship and benevolence through utter displays of love and affection. From out of the rank and file of the soldiers did he pluck Lü Meng; from among the masses of the captives did he recruit Pan Jun. He was ever sincere and invariably trusting, with no reservations that we might be swindled or cheated; he was always taking the full measure of a person and employing them according to their full potential, with no suspicion that his proteges might turn against us.

"He could confer the whip of authority upon others, as displayed by the power he granted to Lord Lu (Lu Xun); he could entrust the military defense of the state to subordinates, as exhibited by the army he assigned to Zhou Yu. He lived in a humble palace and ate meager fare, so that he might richly reward the achievements of his subjects; he was modest and unassuming about himself, the better to accept the plans and strategies of his advisors. Thus did Lu Su join him after only a single meeting; thus did Shi Yue yield to his rule despite the natural defenses of his own domain.

"He respected Lord Zhang's (Zhang Zhao's) virtues and so dispensed with the frivolities of wandering and hunting; he honored Zhuge Jin's advice and so reduced indulging his personal wishes and desires; he was moved by Lord Lu's (Lu Xun's) arguments and so mitigated the burdens of the laws and punishments; he was impressed by Liu Ji's criticism and so swore 'the oath of the three cups' (to ignore his commands while drunk). Holding his breath and treading silently, he peered through the gap in the wall to observe Ziming (Lü Meng) on his sickbed; fighting back tears and denying himself delicacies, he adopted the orphans of Ling Tong; ascending the altar and overwhelmed by emotion, he recalled the achievements of Lu Zijing (Lu Su); dismissing and denying words of slander, he trusted in the good faith of Ziyu (Zhuge Jin).

"His loyal ministers all exhausted their minds for his sake, and his ambitious subjects all devoted their full strength to his cause. His aims and ambitions were distant and lofty indeed, nor was he content to restrict himself to a small domain. And for that reason, his offices of state formed quite the collection, nor had he ever any respite from his affairs.

初都建鄴，群臣請備禮秩，天子辭而弗許，曰：「天下其謂朕何！」宮室輿服，蓋慊如也。爰及中葉，天人之分既定，故百度之缺粗修，雖醲化懿綱，未齒乎上代，抑其體國經邦之具，亦足以為政矣。地方幾萬里，帶甲將百萬，其野沃，其兵練，其器利，其財豐；東負滄海，西阻險塞，長江制其區宇，峻山帶其封域，國家之利未見有弘於茲者也。借使守之以道，禦之以術，敦率遺典，勤人謹政，修定策，守常險，則可以長世永年，未有危亡之患也。

"When the capital was first established at Jianye (in 229), Taizu's ministers asked him to prepare the rites and offices at the usual glorious standards, but he declined and would not agree, saying, 'What would the realm say of me?' And his palaces and chambers, his carriages and clothing, were all kept accordingly frugal. For since the world was experiencing a new era and the division of the realm was a fact, Taizu established the imperial offices on a modest basis and rarely added to their luster. Though there was a gradual increase in finery, it never reached the excesses of past dynasties; though Taizu reduced the forms of government affairs, they were still sufficient for the administration of the state.

"Was not Wu remarkable in those days? Its territory encompassed about ten thousand li, and its army boasted a million armored soldiers. Its fields were fertile, its soldiers were disciplined, its weapons were keen, and its resources were rich. To the east it hugged the wine-dark sea, and to the west it straddled the mountains and gorges; the Yangzi girded its border, and the steep mountains guarded its fiefs and regions. Never before had the state enjoyed such great and abundant advantages.

"If only its later rulers had perpetuated such a system and kept up its practices! If only they had led the people to preserve the laws, acted cautious in their conduct and circumspect in their government, maintained and defined the policies of state, and closely guarded and observed the avenues of approach. Then Wu could have continued to exist, down the years and through the ages, without the slightest worry of destruction or collapse.

或曰：「吳、蜀脣齒之國也，夫蜀滅吳亡，理則然矣。」夫蜀，蓋籓援之與國，而非吳人之存亡也。其郊境之接，重山積險，陸無長轂之徑；川厄流迅，水有驚波之艱。雖有銳師百萬，啟行不過千夫；軸轤千里，前驅不過百艦。故劉氏之伐，陸公喻之長蛇，其勢然也。昔蜀之初亡，朝臣異謀，或欲積石以險其流，或欲機械以禦其變。天子總群議以諮之大司馬陸公，公以四瀆天地之所以節宣其氣，固無可遏之理，而機械則彼我所共，彼若棄長技以就所屈，即荊、楚而爭舟楫之用，是天贊我也，將謹守峽口以待擒耳。逮步闡之亂，憑寶城以延強寇，資重幣以誘群蠻。于時大邦之眾，雲翔電發，懸旍江介，築壘遵渚，衿帶要害，以止吳人之西，巴、漢舟師，沿江東下。陸公偏師三萬，北據東坑，深溝高壘，按甲養威。反虜宛跡待戮，而不敢北窺生路，強寇敗績宵遁，喪師太半。分命銳師五千，西禦水軍，東西同捷，獻俘萬計。信哉賢人之謀，豈欺我哉！自是烽燧罕驚，封域寡虞。陸公沒而潛謀兆，吳釁深而六師駭。夫太康之役，眾未盛乎曩日之師；廣州之亂，禍有愈乎向時之難，而邦家顛覆，宗廟為墟。嗚呼！「人之雲亡，邦國殄瘁」，不其然歟！

"There are those who argue that 'Wu and Shu needed each other like the teeth need the lips; the destruction of Shu meant that Wu's fall was only a matter of time'. Now it was certainly a benefit to Wu to have Shu as its ally and helper. Yet Shu was not so critical to Wu that only through its existence could Wu survive. The border regions of Wu were sufficient in themselves to hold out against any foe. We had our share of many mountains and cliffs, so that nowhere was there any broad avenue of advance upon land, and our rivers had narrow points and swift currents, not to mention the difficulties posed by terrifying waves. Even if the enemy had an army of a million soldiers altogether, the terrain of our land meant that the heads of their columns could never exceed a thousand men; the enemy might amass a navy of a thousand ships, but its vanguard on the water could never surpass a hundred boats. And it was for this very reason that, when the Liu clan campaigned against us (at Yiling in 222), Lord Lu (Lu Xun) compared their army to a massive snake, unable to concentrate all its power at any one point.

"When Shu first fell (in 263-264), our court ministers had various ideas of how we ought to respond. Some proposed checking the flow of the Yangzi by piling stones and boulders in it, while others advocated for setting up barriers and barricades across the river to guard against any developments. The Son of Heaven (Sun Xiu) convened an assembly to solicit the advice of the Grand Marshal, Lord Lu (Lu Kang). Lord Lu told them that, as the Yangzi was one of the Four Rivers (the Yellow River, the Huai River, the Ji River, and the Yangzi) whereby Heaven and Earth make manifest their power, any proposal to dam the river would be doomed to failure. He also argued against building any barricades, saying that they would be an obstruction to us as much as to the enemy; if our foes should ever cede their current advantage and appear weak, then we could use the Yangzi as our own avenue of invasion against them by having the navies of the Jingzhu and Chu regions row upstream. For the Yangzi was a treasure bestowed upon us by Heaven, as he said, and the best thing to do would be to carefully maintain our existing garrisons among the gorges and mouths of the river and wait for the momentum of war to shift in our favor.

"When Bu Chan rebelled against us (in 272), he offered up a valuable city to entice a powerful enemy (Jin) to invade, and he distributed heavy bribes to induce the Man tribes to rise against us. At that time, the vast forces of our enemy gathered together like clouds and advanced like lightning, pouring down upon the banks of the Yangzi; they built ramparts along the river and occupied critical places in order to halt our advance west, and they dispatched their fleet in the Ba and Han regions east down the Yangzi against us. Yet Lord Lu (Lu Kang) led a force of thirty thousand soldiers to occupy Dongkang to the north (of Bu Chan's base at Xiling), where he deepened the moats and raised the ramparts, maintained his soldiers and magnified his aura. The rebel swine (Bu Chan) simply huddled up in his city and waited for death, never daring to march north and take a chance on survival; our powerful foe suffered a great defeat and fled through the night, losing more than half their army. Lord Lu split off a detachment of five thousand keen soldiers and sent them west to block the arrival of the enemy's fleet. He triumped everywhere, east and west, and he took captives and prisoners by the tens of thousands. Such was the genius of this man's planning; would he ever have steered us wrong? And in the years following, there were rarely any disturbances which might have required the signal fires and hardly any concerns within the state.

"It was after Lord Lu left us (in 274) that our fortunes and our planning ebbed. Wu became engulfed by deep divisions, and our armies were gripped by defeatism and despair. In the invasion of the Taikang era (by Jin in 280), the enemy's forces were no greater than in former times, nor were the disturbances we experienced in Guangzhou (during the rebellion of 279) any worse than difficulies Wu had faced before. Yet the state toppled and collapsed, and the ancestral temple was left in ruins. Alas! 'Once good men have all departed, the state never lasts for long.' Was it not so?

《易》曰「湯、武革命順乎天」，或曰「亂不極則治不形」，言帝王之因天時也。古人有言曰「天時不如地利」，《易》曰「王侯設險以守其國」，言為國之恃險也。又曰「地利不如人和」，「在德不在險」，言守險之在人也。吳之興也，參而由焉，孫卿所謂合其參者也。及其亡也，恃險而已，又孫卿所謂舍其參者也。夫四州之萌非無眾也，大江以南非乏俊也，山川之險易守也，勁利之器易用也，先政之策易修也，功不興而禍遘何哉？所以用之者失也。故先王達經國之長規，審存亡之至數，謙己以安百姓，敦惠以致人和，寬沖以誘俊乂之謀，慈和以結士庶之愛。是以其安也，則黎元與之同慶，及其危也，則兆庶與之同患。安與眾同慶，則其危不可得也；危與下同患，則其難不足血阝也。夫然，故能保其社稷而固其土宇，《麥秀》無悲殷之思，《黍離》無湣周之感也。

"It may be true that the Book of Changes states, 'It was in accordance with the will of Heaven that Tang of Shang and King Wu of Zhou accepted the Mandate.' And someone did once say, 'An age of order will not take shape until the age of turmoil has reached its zenith.' Such things are indications of the importance which the sovereigns of old placed upon the circumstances of the age. Yet it is also true that the ancients tell us that 'Circumstance is not so important as favorable terrain', and when the Book of Changes speaks of 'the kings and nobles employing their natural defenses to safeguard the state', this too is an emphasis on such natural terrain. But greater still than either of these is common purpose among the people, for as the ancients assure us, 'Favorable terrain means less than a united will'. We are instructed to place our faith 'in virtue, not in terrain' because it is through the people that our defenses can be held at all. When Wu rose, it was because it observed all three of these aspects, and acted fully in accordance with the principles illustrated by Minister Sun (Xunzi); when Wu fell, it was because it focused on natural defenses to the exclusion of all else, violating the system that Minister Sun had laid out.

"The four provinces of Wu (Yangzhou, Jingzhou, Guangzhou, and Jiaozhou) had no shortage of manpower; the lands south of the Yangzi did not lack for talents. The natural terrain of our mountains and rivers were well-suited for defense, and our military equipment was neither dull nor difficult to use. We could easily have maintained the same practices which had worked for our ancestors. Why then did we fail? Why did we suffer calamity? It was because, though we had the means, we failed to use them.

"It was for such reasons that the kings of old were always sure to fortify their states by cultivating good traditions, and they studied the rises and falls of states across time. They were modest about themselves in order to reassure the people, and they were kind to the population in order to achieve harmony; they were open of hand in order to attract the advice of talented and righteous people, and they were kind of heart in order to bind the people to them with love. When this situation prevailed, then in times of peace the people shared in their joy, and in times of danger the populace shared in their sorrow. When joy is shared by all during peace, then even danger can pose no threat; when sorrows are held in common, then even chaos will never descend into bloodshed.

"If only this had been the case in our final years. Then we could have preserved our altars of state and protected our territory, and none among us would have experienced the agony of the Barley Ears poem or felt the despair of the Drooping Millet poem."

[fuyonggu]

Biography of Hua He (SGZ 65)

Poetry and prose in this one.

華覈字永先，吳郡武進人也。始為上虞尉、曲農都尉，以文學入為秘府郎，遷中書丞。蜀為魏所並，核詣宮門發表曰：“間聞賊眾蟻聚向西境，西境艱險，謂當無虞。定聞陸抗表至，成都不守，臣主播越，社稷傾覆。昔衛為翟所滅而桓公存之，今道里長遠，不可救振，失委附之土，棄貢獻之國，臣以草芥，竊懷不寧。陛下聖仁，恩澤遠撫，卒聞如此，必垂哀悼。臣不勝忡悵之情，謹拜表以聞。”

Hua He, styled Yongxian, was a native of Wujin county in Wu commandary. He was originally appointed as Commandant of Shangyu county (in Kuaiji commandary) and as an Agricultural Supervisor. Later, because of his literary education, he was summoned to the capital (at Jianye) to serve as a Gentleman of the Imperial Library, then transferred to be an Assistant to the Palace Secretariat.

When Shu was annexed by Wei (in 263-264), Hua He visited the gates of the palace to present a petition. He wrote, "Lately I have heard that the rebel armies (of Wei) have swarmed together and marched west (against Shu). People always claimed that the west possessed such difficult terrain that there would be nothing to worry about from that direction. But by now, I have heard that Lu Kang has sent a petition reporting that Chengdu (the Shu capital) has fallen, the lord of Shu and his ministers have gone into exile, and the altars of their state have been toppled.

"In ancient times, although the state of Wey was initially destroyed by the state of Di, Duke Huan of Qi was still able to restore Wey in the end and preserve it. It may be true that the road to Shu is long and distant. But are we truly not going to offer our assistance to them and thereby abandon a region which has entrusted itself to us and abandon a vassal state which has been offering us tribute? Foolish though I may be, I cannot help but be unsettled by this prospect.

"Your Majesty (Sun Xiu) is sage and benevolent, and your mercy and grace comfort even those in distant places. Surely, having heard such news as this, you will sympathize with the plight of our allies. As for me, being unable to master my feelings of distress and despair, I have respectfully presented this petition for your consideration."

孫皓即位，封除陵亭候。寶鼎二年，皓更營新宮，制度弘廣，飾以珠玉，所費甚多。是時盛夏興工，農守並廢，核上疏諫曰：臣聞漢文之世，九州晏然，秦民喜去慘毒之苛政，歸劉氏之寬仁，省役約法，與之更始，分王子弟以藩漢室，當此之時，皆以為泰山之安，無窮之基之也。至於賈誼，獨以為可痛哭及流涕者三，可為長歎息者六，乃曰當今之勢何異抱火積薪之下而寢其上，火末及然而謂之安。其後變亂，皆如其言。臣雖下愚，不識大倫，竊以囊時之事，揆今之勢。

After Sun Hao came to the throne (in 264), Hua He was appointed as Marquis of Xuling District.

In the second year of Baoding (267), Sun Hao began building a new palace; the design was on a grand and luxurious scale, adorned with pearls and jade, and the expense was very considerable. People were conscripted as workers to build the palace, even though it was during the height of summer, which caused a considerable shortage of labor for farm work.

Hua He sent up a petition to remonstrate against what Sun Hao was doing. He wrote, "I have heard that during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, the Nine Provinces (the whole realm) enjoyed an age of peace; the people of the Qin region (Guanzhong, the capital region for Western Han) were glad to have been spared from the burden of onerous laws and were supportive of the royal Liu clan because of their generous and benevolent policies. The dynasty had reduced corvee labor demands and simplified the laws, granting the people a new beginning, and they had appointed younger relatives of the clan as Princes across the realm to serve as shields for the imperial line. Truly one could have described that era as being 'as secure as Mount Tai, with a boundless foundation'. Yet Jia Yi was still able to bring up 'three sources of grief and six potential concerns' for the realm, and he described the situation as being as perilous as 'a man who has piled up firewood and then gone to sleep on top of it, thinking himself perfectly safe just because no sparks have yet appeared'. Indeed, the disasters and disturbances which came afterwards all proved to be just as he described. And though I might be an incompetent fool, certainly no peer of Jia Yi, still I cannot help but feel that the situation of our time has much in common with those days which Jia Yi described.

誼曰復數年間，諸王方剛，漢之傅相稱疾罷歸，欲以此為治，雖堯、舜不能安。今大敵據九州之地，有大半之眾，習攻戰之餘術，乘戎刀之舊勢，欲與中國爭相吞之計，其猶楚漢勢不兩立，非徒漢之諸王淮南，濟北而已。誼之所欲痛哭，比今為緩，抱火臥薪之喻，於今而急。大皇帝覽前代之如彼，察今勢之如此，故廣開農桑之業，積不訾之儲，恤民重役，務養戰士，是以大小感恩，各思竭命。斯運未至，早棄萬國，自是之後，強臣專政，上詭天時，下違從議，忘安存之本，邀一時之利，數興軍旅，傾竭府藏，兵勞民困，無時獲安。今之存者乃創夷之遺眾，哀苦之餘及耳。遂使軍盜空匱，倉廩不實，布帛之賜，寒暑不周，重以失業，家戶不贍。而北積穀養民，專心向東，無復他警。蜀為西藩，土地險固，加承先主統御之術，謂其守禦足以長久，不圖一朝奄至傾覆！唇亡齒寒，古人所懼。交州諸郡，國之南土，交阯、九真二郡已沒，日南孤危，存亡難保，合浦以北，民皆搖動。因連避役，多有離叛，而備戍減少，威鎮轉輕，常恐呼吸復有變故。昔海虜窺窬東縣，多得離民，地習海行，狃於往年，鈔盜無日，今胸背有嫌，首尾多難，乃國朝之厄會也。誠宜住建立之役，先備豫之計，勉墾殖之業，為饑乏之救。惟恐農時將過，東作向晚，有事之日，整嚴未辦。若捨此急，盡力功作，卒有風塵不虞之變。當委版築之役，應烽燧之急，驅怨苦之眾，赴自刃之難，此乃大敵所因為資也。如但固守，曠日持久，則軍糧必乏，不待接刃，而戰士已困矣。

"Jia Yi warned that within a few years, the Princes of the realm would have become so powerful and so many of their Tutors and Chancellors would have resigned on claims of illness that 'even ancient sages like Yao and Shun would no longer be able to restore peace and order to the realm'. And what sort of situation do we face now? Our great enemy (Jin) occupies the region of the Nine Provinces (the Central Plains) and controls more than half the population of the realm, and they have an abundance of experience and skill in battle and warfare. Considering the difference in strength between the two sides, if we intended to contend for control of the Middle Kingdom with them, we would not even have the rough parity between Chu and Han during their contention, but we could only muster the power of Han's Princes of Huainan and Jibei. What Jia Yi considered 'a source of grief' is insufficient to describe how dire our own disparity is, and his example of 'a man sleeping on firewood' still does not match our distress.

"The Grand Emperor (Sun Quan) reflected upon the events of past dynasties like this, and he considered the circumstances of his own times. That was why he expanded and encouraged agriculture and silk cultivation among the people, built up incalculable supplies, spared the people from excessive labor demands, and tended to and nurtured his warriors and officers. The great and small were moved by his grace, and all submitted themselves to his wishes.

"Yet before the Grand Emperor could fully realize his designs, he left us before his time. From then on, powerful ministers dominated the government; above, they defied the circumstances of the time, and below, they ignored the advice of the counselors. They disregarded the things which lead to peace and stability in order to chase after momentary gains. They repeatedly engaged in military adventurism and used up and exhausted all the stores and supplies; the soldiers were worn-out and the people distressed, and at no time did they enjoy repose. 

"What we have left by now is no more than the remnants of a strained army and the leftovers of a grieving populace. Our military is pitiful and bare, our warehouses and stores have nothing of substance, we lack enough cloth and silks to distribute to protect the people from cold and heat, and the people's livelihoods have suffered so much that the families and households cannot provide for themselves. Meanwhile, the northerners (Jin) have been stockpiling grain and tending to their people, their hearts are set towards subduing the east (Wu), and they have no other disturbances to distract them.

"Shu was our western shield: it was a region of strong natural defenses, and it was skillfully led and overseen by the Former Lord (Liu Bei). People said that thanks to Shu, our western flank would always be well-defended. Who could have expected that Shu would topple and fall in a single morning? 'When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold', as the ancients feared. And the commandaries of Jiaozhou are the southern regions of our state. Yet by now, Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen have already been lost, and Rinan is isolated and threatened. It is difficult to know whether we will be able to hold the region or not, and all the people north of Hepu (on the coast) have been disturbed by the turmoil. In order to avoid conscript labor, many people have deserted or turned rebel, yet local defenses have been gradually diminished and the authority of the garrisons has been scorned. I have often feared that this could breathe life into new developments. And in past years, pirates have been scouting out the eastern counties, taking many people there as captives, and accustomed as they are to both land and water, they have plundered the region incessantly.

"Thus there is suspicion from front and rear, and many difficulties from head and tail, so that the state and the court find themselves in a perilous situation. If there is any need for corvee labor, it should be for augmenting our military defenses and preparations; otherwise, the people should be encouraged to see to their livelihoods in order to spare themselves from hunger and poverty. I only fear that the farming season may already be too far gone, and that we may be too late to prevent our enemies from turning east; if anything should happen, our defenses may not be sufficient. But if we neglect this urgent task and expend all our efforts in projects, then we will be unprepared for any sudden development. Better for us to be building boards and frames to serve as walls and setting up beacon fires to act as warning signals. If we stir up the anger of the people through projects such as this one, then if we send our people into the fray, our great enemy will take advantage of their rage to turn them against us. And if we only use the people to man our defenses and let the days slip by, then our military supplies will surely be exhausted, and our warriors will be defeated without even crossing blades with the enemy.

昔太戊之時，桑谷生庭，懼而修德，怪消殷興。熒惑守心，宋以為災，景公下從瞽史之言，而熒惑退捨，景公延年。夫修德於身而感異類，言發於口通神明。臣以愚蔽，誤忝近署，不能冀宣仁澤以感靈祗，仰慚俯愧，無所投處。退伏思惟，榮惑桑谷之異，天示二主，至如他余錙介之妖；近是門庭小神所為，驗之天地，無有他變，而征樣符瑞前後屢臻，明珠既覿，白雀繼見，萬億之祚，實靈所挺。以九域為宅，天下為家，不與編戶之民轉徙同也。又今之宮室，先帝所營。卜土立基，非為不祥。又楊市土地與宮連接，若大功畢竟，輿駕遷住，門行之神，皆當轉移，猶恐長，久未必勝舊。屢遷不少，留則有嫌，此乃愚臣所以夙夜為憂灼也。臣省《月令》，季夏之月，不可以興土功，不可以會諸侯，不可以起兵動眾，舉大事必有大殃。今雖諸侯不會，諸侯之軍與會無異。六月戊己，土行正王，既不可犯，加又農月，時不可失。昔魯隱公夏城中丘，《春秋》書之，垂為後戒。今築宮為長世之洪基，而犯天地之大禁，襲《春秋》之所書，廢敬授之上務，臣以愚管，竊所未安。

"In ancient times, during the reign of Tai Wu of Yin (Shang), a mulberry tree and a millet tree suddenly grew within the courtyard, but when Tai Wu feared this omen and cultivated his virtue, the evil subsided and the Yin dynasty flourished. And in another instance, when Mars resided in the Heart constellation of the night sky, the state of Song took it as a warning; Duke Jing of Song heeded the advice of Gu Shi, causing Mars to retreat, and Duke Jing enjoyed a long life. These things demonstrate that changing one's behavior can be sufficient to ward off omens, and the words of mortals can be perceived by the spirits.

"Now I am merely an ignorant and obscure fellow, most unworthy of the close position I have been granted, and I have no hopes of demonstrating any understanding or benevolence which might capture the attention of the spirits. Looking up, I feel guilty, and gazing down, I feel ashamed; there is no place for me to turn to. But as I withdraw, I cannot help but dwell upon this subject. The movements of Mars and the growth of the trees were omens sent by Heaven to the two lords as indications of its feelings, even as are the most insignificant of oddities. The smallest of occurrences within the gate or in the courtyard are none other than the expressed intentions of Heaven and Earth, who have repeatedly made manifest their will; such incidents as the discovery of a bright pearl or the observation of white swallows are bound up in the significance of all things and are the omens of the very spirits.

"The Nine Regions (the whole realm) are all one residence; the people of the realm are all one family. The movements of any one affect the movements of all. Besides, the current palace was the one built by the past sovereigns, and when they studied the ground and soil upon which it was to be built, they found no cause to think that the site would be ill-omened. Furthermore, the ground and soil of the Yang Marketplace is already adjacent to the existing palace. Even supposing that the great project of building the new palace will be successful, it will become the new imperial residence, and the spirits of the household will all be properly shifted there, I still fear that the process will take a long time to carry out. Nor is it certain that the new palace will prove superior to the old one in the end. And the constant movements of the imperial residence to new sites are sure to arouse the jealousy and suspicion of the people left behind. These are the things which cause your foolish subject to burn with worry, day and night.

"From what I have studied of the 'Monthly Restrictions' chapter of the Book of Rites, the height of summer is not the time for undertaking any earth-shifting projects, for assembling the feudal lords, or for raising troops and undertaking military activities, and that any great endeavor begun at such a time will surely come to a bad end. Although we may not be 'assembling the feudal lords', calling together their soldiers (for the building project) is no different. And on the Wuji day of the sixth month, earth was shifted for the royal project, which violates these restrictions, and this took place during the farming months, which goes against the natural cycle of agricultural work.

"In ancient times, Duke Yin of Lu heedlessly walled Zhongqiu during the summer months, and the Spring and Autumn Annals records his error as a warning to future generations. Now Your Majesty wishes to build this new palace to serve as a long-lasting foundation for generations to come. Yet in the process of building it, you are violating the great restrictions of Heaven and Earth, going against the principles laid out in the Spring and Autumn Annals, and neglecting your supreme duties of paying your requests. Your foolish subject cannot help but be concerned for you.

又恐所召離民，或有不至，討之則廢役興事，不討則日月滋慢。若悉並到，大眾聚會，希無疾病。且人心安則念善，苦則怨叛。江南精兵，北土所難，欲以十卒當東一人。天下未定，深可憂惜之。如此宮成，死叛五千，則北軍之眾更增五萬，著到萬人，則倍益十萬，病者有死亡之損，叛者傳不善之語，此乃大敵所以歡喜也。今當角力中原，以定強弱，正於際會。彼益我損，加以勞困，此乃雄夫智士所以深憂。

"Another concern is that, when you summon the deserters to come back, some of them may refuse to return. If you take time to punish them, you will divert efforts from your labors to deal with this issue instead. But if you do not punish them, then the people will grow slacker and more indolent by the days and months. Furthermore, you have mustered a great deal of people for these efforts, and it is a rare thing indeed when such a gathering of people does not result in some outbreak of illness.

"People are content to consider themselves good subjects in times of peace, but when they must toil, they are driven to hatred and rebellion. Now we may pride ourselves on the fact that our soldiers of the Southland are so skilled that the northerners must oppose each of our soldiers with ten of theirs to stand a chance. But this principle also applies in reverse, and considering that the realm has not yet been settled, it is a matter of serious concern. Suppose in order to complete Your Majesty's new palace, five thousand of our people either perished during their labors or ran off to become rebels. That would be effectively the same thing as increasing the ranks of the northern army by fifty thousand troops. And if we increase the number of losses on our side to ten thousand, then for the enemy it is a gain of a hundred thousand. Illnesses among the laborers here will lead to further losses from those laid low or killed, and rebels from deserters of this project will spread evil tales about us to dishearten the people. These are things which our great enemy would welcome with glee. When we lock horns with the Central Plains, it will be a contest of pure strength, and the margin between us is narrow enough as it is. Shall we then diminish our own side and bolster the enemy's by adding to the burdens and toils of our people? These are things which deeply concern bold heroes and calculating strategists.

臣聞先王治國無三年之儲，曰國非其國，安寧之世戒備如此。況敵強大而忽農忘畜。今雖頗種殖，間者大水沉沒，其餘存者當須耘獲。而長吏怖期，上方諸郡，身涉山林，盡力伐材，廢農棄務；士民妻孥羸小，墾殖又薄；若有水旱則永無所獲。州郡見米，當待有事，冗食之眾，仰官供濟。若上下空乏，運漕不供，而北敵犯疆，使周、召更生，良、平復出，不能為陛下計明矣。臣聞君明者臣忠，主聖者臣直，是以悽悽，昧犯天威，乞垂哀省。

"I have heard that the ancient kings believed that 'if there is not a surplus sufficient for three years, the state cannot continue.' Even in an age of peace and tranquility, such preparations were a necessity. Isn't this even more the case when we are faced with a strong and powerful enemy while having neglected agriculture and turned away from livestock? 

"Although our population is not insignificant, recently we have lost people due to flooding, making it even more imperative that the survivors should devote themselves to weeding and harvesting. Yet the chief local officials, ignoring the natural cycle, have gathered together the men of several commandaries to wade through the mountains and forests and exert all their strength for felling trees, thus abandoning their agricultural and other duties. The wives and children left behind are weak and small, barely able to make any effort towards farmwork, and if there should be any flooding or famine, then none of them will be able to obtain anything to sustain themselves. The provinces and commandaries ought to be focusing their efforts on rice. Only then will they be prepared to deal with any emergency, keep the people and the army fed, and use what is left over to fill the government stores. But if both those above and those below exhaust all their supplies and leave nothing behind to sustain anyone, then once the northern enemy crosses our borders, even if the Duke of Zhou or Duke of Shao were reborn or Zhang Liang or Chen Ping appeared among us, they would not be able to come up with any wise plans to save Your Majesty.

"I have heard that the lord is wise when the servants are loyal, that the master is sage when the ministers are candid. Quivering with fear and trembling at the prospect of going against the heavenly authority, I beg that you will condescend to take pity on me."

書奏，皓不納。後遷東觀令，領右國吏，核上疏辭讓。皓答曰：“得表，以東觀儒林之府，當講校文藝，處定疑難，漢時皆名學碩儒乃任其職，乞更選英賢。聞之，以卿研精墳典，博覽多聞，可謂悅禮樂敦詩書者也。當飛翰騁藻，光贊時事，以越揚、班、張、蔡之疇，怪乃謙光，厚自菲薄，宜勉備所職，以邁先賢，勿復紛紛。”

Hua He's petition was accepted, but Sun Hao did not heed his advice.

Later, Hua He was appointed as Prefect of the Dongguan Bureau (of historical writing) and as acting State Historian of the Right. He sent up a petition attempting to decline this honor. But Sun Hao wrote in response, "I have received your petition. But the staff of the scholars of the Dongguan Bureau should be supervised by someone of considerable literary skill and elegance. I have pondered and considered deeply about who would be best for the role. During the Han dynasty, it was always a famous scholar of considerable learning who held this post, and I too wanted to seek out a great and worthy person as well.

"As for what I have heard about you, they say that you are a man of exceptional study and detailed knowledge, and many have heard of your deep learning and reflection. Surely you could be described as someone who takes joy in the rites and music, in studying the Book of Poetry and the Book of Documents. You ought to be raising your writing brush with a flourish and glorifying and praising the events of our age; your work would surpass even those of Yang Xiong, Ban Gu, Zhang Heng, or Cai Yong. How strange, then, for you to be so modest about your brilliance and to belittle yourself so greatly. You should be rushing to prepare for your new role and striving to inherit the legacy of the ancient worthies. Let there be no further delays."

時倉廩無儲，世俗滋侈，核上疏曰：今冠虜充斥，征伐未已，居無積年之儲，出無敵之畜，此乃有國者所宣深憂也。夫財谷所生，皆出於民，趨時務農，國之上急。而都下諸官，所掌別異，各自下調，不計民力，輒與近期。長吏畏罪，晝夜催民，委捨佃事，遑赴會日，定送到都，或蘊積不用，而徒使百姓消力失時。到秋收月，督其限入，奪其播殖之時，而責定送其今年之稅，如有逋懸，則籍沒財物，故家戶貧困，衣食不足。宜暫息眾役，專心農桑。古人稱一夫不耕，或受其饑。一女不織，或受其寒。是以先王治國，惟農是務。軍興以來，已向百栽，農人廢南畝之務，女工停機杼之業。推此揆之，則蔬食而長饑，薄衣而履冰者，固不少矣。臣聞主之所求於民者二，民之所望於主者三。二謂求其為己勞也，求其為己死也。三謂譏者能食之，勞者能息之，有功者能賞之。民以致其二事而主失其三望者，則怨心生而功不建，今帑藏不實，民勞役猥，主之二求已備，民之三望未報。且饑者不待美饌而後飽，寒者不俟狐貉而後溫，為味者口之奇，文繡者身之飾也。今事多而役繁，民貧而俗奢，百工作無用之器，婦人為綺靡之飾，不勤麻枲，並鄉黼黻，轉相倣傚，恥獨無有。兵民之家，猶復遂俗，內無儋石之儲，而出有綾綺之服，至於富賈商販之家，重以金銀，奢恣尤甚。天下未平，百姓不贍，宜一生民之原，豐谷帛之業。而棄功於浮華之巧，妨日於侈靡之事，上無尊卑等級之差，下有耗財物力之損。今吏士之家，少無子女，多者三四，少者一二，通令戶有一女，十萬家則十萬人，人織績一歲一束，則十萬束矣。使四疆之內同心戮力，數年之間，布帛必積。恣民五色，惟所服用，但禁綺繡無益之飾。且美貌者不待華采以祟好，艷姿者不待文綺以致愛，五采之飾，足以麗矣。若極粉黛，窮盛服，未必無醜婦。廢華采，去文繡，未必無美人也。若實如論，有之無益廢之無損者，何愛而不斬禁以充府藏之急乎？此救乏之上務，富國之本業也，使管、晏復生，無以易此。漢之文、景，承平繼統，天下已定，四方無虞，猶以雕文之妨農事，錦繡之害女紅，開富國之利，杜饑寒之本。況今六台分乖；豺狼充路；兵不離疆；甲不解帶。而可以不廣生財之原，充府藏之積哉？

At this time, the grain stores had no reserves, while the common trend was towards decadence and luxury. So Hua He sent up another petition. He wrote, "We currently have an abundance of powerful enemies, and we have campaigns and expeditions yet to conduct. But at home, we lack several years' worth of supplies, and in the field, we shall be no match for the enemy's reserves of food. These are things which those with a clear understanding of the state find deeply concerning.

"The food and goods of the state are all produced by the people; following the natural cycle of agriculture and encouraging the people in their farmwork is the most important duty of the state. Yet all of the capital ministries have been diverting the people to other tasks, each with their own agendas, and heedless of how much strength the people can even offer for such work, they press for labor conscripts to be sent to them at once. For their part, the chief local officials are terrified of being accused of some crime if they fail to meet these central demands, and so day and night they are harrying the people; totally neglecting agricultural affairs, they carelessly set days for the people to assemble and then rush them off to the capital. Thus in some instances these local regions are totally bereft of supplies, for the people have all been hurried away to waste their strength and squander the season. By the time the autumn months arrive and the harvest must be brought in, there is often little to be reaped, for the time for sowing and growing was taken away from the people. Yet they are still not spared from the full tax demands of grain to be sent to the government for the year. Some people, unable to pay, resort to going into hiding or even hanging themselves. So the taxes come up short, and this leads to families and households being poor and destitute, without enough food or clothing to sustain themselves.

"We should halt labor demands and spare the people from conscription, focusing all our attention on farming and silkworm cultivation. The ancients believed that 'for every man who does not plow, someone will go hungry; for every woman who does not weave, someone will go cold'. Thus when the kings of old governed their states, they took only agriculture to be their duty. Military affairs and conscript service have always been lesser concerns, for they divert the farmers from 'tending to their south-facing fields' and distract the women from their business at the looms. Whenever such conditions are imposed, then quite a few people will be short on food and long on hunger, lacking clothing and treading on ice.

"I have heard that there are two things which the lord demands from the people, and three things which the people desire from the lord. The lord demands that the people offer up their labor and their lives; the people hope that the lord will give them food when they are hungry, rest when they are tired, and rewards when they have done good works. When the people strive to fulfill the two demands, and yet the lord fails to satisfy their three desires, then anger grows in their hearts and nothing can be achieved. Right now, the people are striving diligently to carry out their corvee labor, yet the treasury has no reserves of food. The lord's demands are being carried out, yet the people's desires are not being repaid.

"Someone who is starving will not wait to be offered delicious morsels before they will eat; someone who is shivering will not insist upon fancy furs before wrapping themselves in warmth. Taste is only a luxury for the mouth, and patterns and brocades are only ornaments for the body. At the moment, there are many pressing matters, yet we are engaged in numerous projects; the people are in poverty, yet we live extravagantly. The workers are building things which are of no use, while the women dress themselves in finery, adorning their clothes with embroidery rather than frugally using hemp. Everyone is trying to imitate one another, and no one feels shame. Even the families of the soldiers and the common people are still following this custom; though they do not even have a jug's or a bushel's worth of grain stored up, when they go out they also dress themselves in fine silks. And things are so bad that the families of rich merchants and wealthy traders dazzle themselves with gold and silver and indulge in outrageous displays of excess. At a time when the realm is not yet at peace and the common people have no food stored away, we ought to be returning to the foundation of the peoples' livelihoods, and devote our efforts to filling the valleys with grain. Yet we are throwing away this worthy endeavor in order to craft decadent and flashy things and encourage more and more harmful extravagance by the day. Above, there is no distinction made between the esteemed and the lowly; below, there is great spending of wealth and dwindling of fortunes.

"Very few of the families of officials or gentry have no children; most of them have three or four, while a smaller share has one or two. But let us simply assume a single daughter for every household. That would mean a hundred thousand daughters across a hundred thousand families. If each of those daughters weaved and produced one bolt of cloth in a year, they would produce a hundred thousand bolts altogether. And if all the people within every corner of our territory were as industrious as this and devoted to the same task, then within the space of a few years, we would have a ready supply of cloth and silk. Let them indulge themselves in the Five Colors, so long as they labor, but forbid them from adding useless embroidery or designs. Besides, a remarkable appearance does not depend upon ostentatious clothing to be exceptional, nor does a glamorous figure require patterned designs to be lovely. The Five Colors are sufficient adornment to provide beauty. Ugliness will not be hidden even by heavy powder and makeup or lavish clothing; beauty will still shine through even without floral patterns or intricate embroidery. And if these principles be accepted as true, that possessing such finery gives no advantage and removing it imposes no loss, then why treasure such things rather than forbid them for the sake of meeting the pressing needs of the treasury?

"To spare the people from poverty is the greatest duty of the ruler and the basic enterprise of a wealthy state. Even if Guan Zhong or Yan Ying were born again, they still could not change this fundamental truth. During the Han dynasty, Emperors Wen and Jing ruled over a peaceful age for consecutive reigns; the realm was already at peace, and there were no enemies in any corner of the land. Yet even they felt that artisanal crafting was a distraction from farm labor and brocades and embroideries harmed women's work, that the path to prosperity for a wealthy state was through preventing suffering from hunger and cold. Doesn't this apply even more to our times, when there are enemies on every side and wolves and jackals fill the roads, when our weapons are never laid aside and our armor is never put away? How then can we fail to expand the foundation of the peoples' wealth and fill the treasury with grain reserves?"

皓以核年老，敕令草表，核不敢。又敕作草文，停立待之。核為文曰：咨核小臣，草芥凡庸。遭眷值聖，受恩特隆。越從朽壤，蟬蛻朝中。熙光紫闥；青璅是憑。毖挹清露，沐浴凱風。效無絲氂，負闕山祟。滋潤含垢，恩貸累重。穢質被榮，局命得融。欲報罔極，委之皇穹。聖恩雨注，哀棄其尤。猥命草對，潤被下愚。不敢達敕，懼速罪誅。冒承詔命，魂逝形留。

Sun Hao felt that, since Hua He was an older man, he would be proficient in cursive script. He commanded Hua He to compose a petition in the cursive style, but Hua He did not dare to do so. Then Sun Hao pressed his demand: he ordered Hua He to write out a draft in cursive script, and finish before Sun Hao had sat back down. So Hua He wrote out the following verses in cursive:

Your servant Hua He

Accedes to your wishes

Though middling of talents

Lacking in true skill.

Fortunate have I been

To encounter your sagacity

Your grace I received

Your favor you lavished.

Thus have I burst

Through the rotten soil

Or like a cicada

Cast off my cocoon.

For by your brilliance

Is the chamber resplendent

And even the gems

May only reflect it.

With caution I pour

A measure of dew

And immerse myself in

Winds from the south.

Of merits I claim

Not the finest hairs

While faults and mistakes

Bear down like mountains.

I wallow in filth

Mouth full of dirt

Yet time and again

You extend your grace.

And now I may

Exchange infamy for honor

If this be fate

Shall I not rejoice?

Then let me repay

To the fullest degree

And all that I am

Entrust to your greatness.

Your mercy and grace

Are soothing as rain

What a terrible prospect

To lose such magnificence!

Thus I hastily comply

With your expressed wishes

A composition in cursive

Though stained by ignorance.

To call this achievement

I never could dare

And guilt and punishment

Shall surely await me.

But here lies proof

Of fulfilling your command

Though my soul departs

May this form remain.

核前後陳便宜，及貢薦良能，解釋罪過，書百餘上，皆有補益，文多不悉載。天冊元年以微譴免，數歲卒。曜、核所論事章疏，咸傳於世也。

On many occasions, Hua He wrote petitions explaining beneficial policies, recommending good and able people, or defending those who had been accused of crimes or faults. He wrote more than a hundred petitions, all addressing how to deal with deficiencies, and his writings were too numerous to be counted.

In the first year of Tiance (275), because of some trifling incident, Hua He was censured and removed from office. He passed away several years later.

The discussions and petitions which Wei Zhao and Hua He wrote were all passed down through the generations.

[the-archlich]

The War in Jiangxia

The War in Jiangxia

From 195-198, Sun Ce led a series of campaigns to conquer Jiangdong, with remarkable success. He crushed all local rivals and claimed the east, establishing the foundation of the state of Wu. In 199 events in Yuzhang commandery and beyond drew his eyes westward. What would begin as an operation against the remnants of two old enemies would end in a war against Liu Biao, Governor of Jing. This…

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