The Filial and Dedicated King of Donghai, Yue. Part 1 (JS059)
The Filial and Dedicated [xiaoxian] King of Donghai, Yue, courtesy name Yuanchao, was the second son of the King of Gaomi, Tai. As young he had an impressive reputation, [but] modest and unassuming in commitment to grasping cloth clothes, he became revered within and outside. At first, as Heir he became Chief Commandant of Cavalry. He, the Chief Commandant of Appended Horse, Yang Miao, and the King of Langye, Zhou's son Yao together attended discussions in the Eastern Palace. He was designated Cavalier Attendant Gentleman, and successively became General of Guards of the Left, and in addition Attendant-at-Centre. He had merit in chastising Yang Jun, and was ennobled a five thousand households Marquis. He moved to Cavalier Regular Attendant, General who Assists the State, and Archer-Servant of the Right to the Masters of Writing, acting as General who Roams and Strikes. Then he became Attendant-at-Centre and in addition Chief Commandant of Offered Chariots, and was provided with fifty mild and trustworthy people, and separately ennobled King of Donghai with revenue of six counties. Beginning of the Yongkang era [300 – 301], he became Prefect of the Central Writers, transferred to Attendant-at-Centre, and moved to Minister of Works, acting as Overseer of the Central Writers.
The King of Chengdu, Ying, attacked the King of Changsha, Ai. Ai firmly defend Luoyang. The various generals Within the Halls and the Marshals of the Three Sections were exhausted from the battles and defending. They, together with the General of Guards of the Left, Zhu Mo, covertly restrained Ai in a detached department, pressured Yue to be their leader, and put forward to Emperor Hui to remove Ai from office. The affair settled, Yue claimed illness to yield his position. The Emperor did not allow it, and he was promoted to Interim Prefect of the Masters of Writing.
Beginning of Taian [302 – 303], the Emperor went on a northern campaign against Ye, and used Yue as Great Chief Controller. The Six Armies were defeated and Yue ran to xiapi. The Chief Controller of Xu province, the King of Dongping, Mao, would not admit him, and Yue went straight back to Donghai. The King of Chengdu, Ying, since Yue and his brothers were the finest of the imperial house, sent down a large-minded order to summon him, but Yue did not respond to the instructions.
The Emperor went west to favour. He used Yue as Grand Tutor, to, in a pair with the Grand Steward, Yong, assist the court's government. He declined and did not accept. The Central Commandant of Donghai, Liu Qia, urged Yue to issue out troops to prepare against Yong. Yue used Qia as Marshal of the Left and Master of Writing Cao Fu as Army Minister. Then he raised troops and Mao became afraid. He therefore used the province to join with Yue. Yue as Minister of Works acted as Chief Controller of Xu province, and used Mao to act as Inspector of Yan province.
Yue's three brothers were all in possession of regions and trusted with campaigns and offensives, and on their own selected Inspectors, wardens, and chancellors. Many gentlemen of the court came to Yue. And yet the King of Hejian, Yong, held close the Son of Heaven and issued out decrees to dismiss Yue and others, and they were all ordered to go to their states. Yue proclaimed he was righteously offering to welcome the Great Carriage to return back again to the old capital. He led 30 000 armoured soldiers and went west to stay at Xiao county.
The Inspector of Yu province, Liu Qiao, did not accept Yue's instructions. He dispatched his son You to resist him, and Yue's army was defeated. The King of Fanyang, Xiao, dispatched Controller-Protector Tian Hui with 800 charging cavalry to welcome Yue. They encountered You at Qiao, and You's multitudes scattered. Yue advanced to station at Yangwu. East of the Mountains the troops flourished, and Within the Passes they were greatly afraid. Yong cut off and sent Zhang Fang's head to seek peace, but soon after changed plans to resist Yue. Yue led the feudal lords and Xufuli and Jucisuigui of the Xianbei and others with infantry and cavalry to welcome Emperor Hui to return back to Luoyang. A decree used Yue as Grand Tutor to Record the Masters of Writings, with Xiapi and Jiyang commanderies added to his fief.
When Emperor Huai was enthroned, he entrusted the government to Yue. The Gentleman of the Personnel Section, Zhou Mu, was the King of Qinghe, Tan's maternal uncle and the son of Yue's paternal aunt. He and his younger sister's husband Zhuge Mei together advised Yue, saying:
That the Lord Sovereign became Brother-Heir was Zhang Fang's idea. The King of Qinghe was originally Heir-Apparent, but was deposed by the crowd of criminals. At the Previous Emperor's sudden collapse, many suspected the Eastern Palace. Your Excellency, why not think of the enterprise of Yi and Huo, and so soothe the altars of soil and grain?
Their speech was not yet finished, when Yue said:
How is this proper to talk about!
Thereupon he shouted to left and right to behead them. Since Mei and Mu belonged to old families, and their crimes stopped at their persons, he following that, petitioned to remove the law of Three Kindred.
[Yi Yin and Huo Guang were ministers famous for removing unfit rulers]
The Emperor started to personally take charge of the ten thousand circumstances, and kept in his heart the numerous affairs. Yue was not pleased, and sought to set out for his fiefdom. The Emperor did not allow it. Yue thereupon set out to garrison Xuchang.
Beginning of Yongjia [in 307 AD], he went from Xuchang to lead Gou Xi and the Inspector of Ji province, Ding Shao, to chastise Ji Sang, and routed him. Yue turned back to Xu. Senior Clerk Pan Tao advised him, saying:
Yan province is Under Heaven's pivot and midpoint. Your Excellency ought to shepherd it yourself.
When he moved Gou Xi to be Inspector of Qing province, this caused a crack between him and Xi.
Soon after a decree made Yue Imperial Chancellor, to act as Shepherd if Yan province and Controller for the Six Provinces of Yan, Yu, Si, Ji, You, and Bing. Yue declined Imperial Chancellor and did not accept, and moved from Xu to Juancheng. Yue feared the King of Qinghe, Tan, in the end would become the successor. He fabricated a decree to restrain and turn him over to Jinyongcheng, and soon after murdered him.
Wang Mi entered Xu. Yue dispatched the Marshal of the Left, Wang Bin, to lead 5 000 armoured soldiers to guard the Imperial Capital. Juancheng was itself a ruin, and Yue loathed it. He changed to station at Puyang, and then again moved Xingyang.
He summoned Tian Zhen and others, six leaders. Zhen did not accept the instructions, and Yue dispatched the Army Overseer Liu Wang to chastise Zhen. Earlier, when the Duke of Dongyin, Teng, had garrisoned Ye, he had pulled along the Bing province generals Tian Zhen, Zhen's younger brother Lan, Ren Zhi, Qi Ji, Li Yun, Bo Sheng, and others, with their divisions, more than ten thousand people, to arrive at Ye. He dispatched them to go and find grain in Ji province, titling them “Beg to Live”. When Teng was defeated, Zhen and others intercepted and routed Ji Sang at Chiqiao, and Yue used Zhen as Ji commandery, and Lan as Grand Warden of Julu. Zhen sought Wei commandery but Yue did not allow it. Zhen was furious and for that reason did not arrive at the summons. When Wang had crossed the He, Zhen withdrew. Li Yun and Bo Sheng beheaded Tian Lan, and led their multitudes to surrender. Zhen, Zhi, and Ji abandoned their armies and ran to Shangdang.
Yue returned from Xingyang to Luoyang and used the Great School as his headquarters. He suspected the court officials of disloyalty to himself, and therefore falsely accused the Emperor's maternal uncle Wang Yan and others of making chaos. He dispatched Wang Jing to lead 3 000 armoured soldiers to enter the palace and restrain Yan and others. He turned them over to the Commandant of Justice and killed them.
Yue let go of Shepherd of Yan province, and acted as Minister over the Masses. Yue already had formed a grudge with Gou Xi, and also considered that off the affairs that had risen recently, many were caused by the throne-hall departments. He therefore petitioned for those among the lodged guards who held feudal rank as marquis be dismissed. At the time military officials within the throne-hall had all been ennobled as marquises, and because of that, those sent out were roughly everyone, all cried and wept, and departed. He then used the state of Donghai's General of the Upper Army, He Lun, as General of Guards of the Right, and Wang Jing as General of Guards of the Left, to lead several hundred state troops as the lodged guard.