歷代三寶紀 3.2

3.2

帝年下者。始自三皇天唯一主。終乎兩漢地無二臣。爰洎魏晉已來逮我大隋馭世。其間京邑將若蝟毛。鵄蹲鶴立之都二十有二國。其一吳三秦涼魏齊陳等。此之八國雖曰各保名器。並皆宣譯佛經。能使三寶住持。則是四生蒙賴。所以務善者流慶。故致世錄相沿焉。而紀目無聞乘。時霸王者十有四國既不闡揚聖教。於事莫知祖修。今各依彼誌書粗略標其年世。庶知強弱始末廢興。曹魏文帝黃初二年辛丑。劉備都蜀號漢。二主四十三年。還入魏元帝。西晉惠帝太安元年壬戌。張軌起涼州號涼。是為前涼。七主六十二年。入前秦符永固。晉惠永安元年甲子。劉淵起平陽。初號漢後稱趙。是為前趙。四主二十六年。入後趙石勒。同永安元年。李雄起蜀。初號大成。後改稱漢。四主四十四年。為晉穆所滅。東晉元帝太興三年庚辰。石勒初起襄國。後徙都鄴號趙。是為後趙。四主通冉閔三十五年。入前燕慕容俊。晉穆永和十一年乙卯。慕容俊創起黃龍。後徙都鄴號燕。是為前燕。二主一十九年。入前秦符永固。晉孝武太元十一年丙戌。慕容垂起於中山還襲燕號。是為後燕。徙都黃龍。五主二十六年。入北燕馮跋。至十二年丁亥。呂光起涼州。還號為涼。是曰後涼。四主一十六年。入後秦姚興。晉安帝隆安元年丁酉。禿髮烏狐起於西平。亦號為涼。是曰南涼。三主一十八年。入西秦乞伏叱槃。至二年戊戌慕容德起於廣固。亦號為燕。是曰南燕。二主一十三年。還為晉安帝所滅。至四年庚子。李暠起於燉煌。亦號為涼。是曰西涼。二主二十二年。入北涼沮渠蒙遜。晉安帝義熙三年丁未。赫連勃勃起於朔漠。都統萬城。號為大夏。三主二十五年。入北魏太武至六年庚戌。馮跋起滅後燕。都於昌黎。號為大燕是為北燕。二主二十八年。亦入北魏太武。至宋文帝元嘉十六年已卯。是北魏太延五年。太武西征遂滅北涼。自是諸國相吞略盡。唯北魏存。至齊明帝隆昌元年甲戌。是北魏太和十八年。孝文南遷都于洛邑。至梁武帝中大通六年甲寅。是南魏永熙三年。武帝元循西遷長安。依周太祖宇文黑泰。齊太祖高歡別立清河王子元善見為主。北都于鄴。緣是復分為西東。魏梁孝元帝繹承聖四年乙亥。都在江陵。為西魏滅。自是南朝曆數北旋。其年即魏後元二年。蕭衍孫察魏賜嗣立紹繼梁基。是曰後梁。既為附庸則是影國。周受魏禪因而跱之。仍都江陵。三主三十三年。絕於開皇七年丁未。始魏文帝黃初元年庚子受後漢禪。二年辛丑天下三分。五十九年。至晉武帝咸寧五年己亥。宇宙之內文軌復同。二十三年到晉惠帝永寧元年辛酉。州土幅坼競建國都。至今開皇九年己酉。其間二百八十八年。故實沈已前天步孔艱。猶二六合。大梁之後王道清泰。還一九州。車書契來已九年矣。化有功被民無得稱魏。至大隋四十四。主紀歷三百七十八年。七代五都世錄云爾。

"Imperial Chronology, Part Two" begins with the Three Sovereigns, when heaven had only one ruler, and ends with the two Han dynasties, when the earth had no divided allegiance. Then down through the Wei and Jin dynasties, reaching our Great Sui's governance of the world, during this span the capitals and cities were like hedgehogs' quills, and there were twenty-two states whose capitals perched like kites or stood like cranes. Among them were the eight states of Wu, the three Qin, Liang, Wei, Qi, Chen, and so forth; although each of these eight states preserved its own sovereignty, they all propagated and translated Buddhist scriptures, making it possible for the triratna to abide in the world, which was a blessing relied upon by the four kinds of beings. Therefore, those who applied themselves to good deeds had their blessings extend widely, which is why their genealogical records have been transmitted down the generations. However, those whose annals record no renown, the hegemons and rulers of the other fourteen states who seized their moments, neither proclaimed nor promoted the holy teachings, and in practical matters had nothing to take as their ancestral model. Now, roughly following their historical treatises, I have set down their reigns and eras in outline, in the hope of making known the relative strengths, beginnings, ends, downfalls, and rises [of these states]. In the second year, xinchou, of the Huangchu era of Emperor Wen of the Cao-Wei dynasty, Liu Bei established his capital in Shu and named his state Han; after two rulers and forty-three years, it reverted to Emperor Yuan of Wei. In the first year, renxu, of the Tai'an era of Emperor Hui of the Western Jin, Zhang Gui arose in Liangzhou and named his state Liang; this was the Former Liang; after seven rulers and sixty-two years, it fell to Fu Yonggu of the Former Qin. In the first year, jiazi, of the Yong'an era of Emperor Hui of the Jin, Liu Yuan arose in Pingyang; at first he named his state Han, and later called it Zhao; this was the Former Zhao; after four rulers and twenty-six years, it fell to Shi Le of the Later Zhao. In the same first year of Yong'an, Li Xiong arose in Shu; at first he named his state Dacheng, and later changed it to Han; after four rulers and forty-four years, it was destroyed by Emperor Mu of Jin. In the third year, gengchen, of the Taixing era of Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin, Shi Le first arose in Xiangguo; later he moved his capital to Ye and called his state Zhao; this was the Later Zhao; after four rulers, including Ran Min, spanning thirty-five years, it fell to Murong Jun of the Former Yan. In the eleventh year, yimao, of the Yonghe era of Emperor Mu of Jin, Murong Jun first arose in Huanglong; later he moved his capital to Ye and named his state Yan; this was the Former Yan; after two rulers and nineteen years, it fell to Fu Yonggu of the Former Qin. In the eleventh year, bingxu, of the Taiyuan era of Emperor Xiaowu of Jin, Murong Chui arose in Zhongshan and restored the name Yan; this was the Later Yan; he moved his capital to Huanglong; after five rulers and twenty-six years, it fell to Feng Ba of the Northern Yan. Coming to the twelfth year, dinghai, Lü Guang arose in Liangzhou and again took the name Liang; this was the Later Liang; after four rulers and sixteen years, it fell to Yao Xing of the Later Qin. In the first year, dingyou, of the Long'an era of Emperor An of Jin, Tufa Wugu arose in Xiping, and also named his state Liang; this was the Southern Liang; after three rulers and eighteen years, it fell to Qifu Chipan of the Western Qin. Coming to the second year, wuxu, Murong De arose in Gugu, and also named his state Yan; this was the Southern Yan; after two rulers and thirteen years, it was destroyed in turn by Emperor An of Jin. Coming to the fourth year, gengzi, Li Gao arose in Dunhuang, and also named his state Liang; this was the Western Liang; after two rulers and twenty-two years, it fell to Juqu Mengxun of the Northern Liang. In the third year, dingwei, of the Yixi era of Emperor An of Jin, Helian Bobo arose in the northern desert, placed his capital at Tongwan City, and named his state Great Xia; after three rulers and twenty-five years, it fell to Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei. Coming to the sixth year, gengxu, Feng Ba arose and destroyed the Later Yan, established his capital in Changli, and called it Great Yan; this was the Northern Yan; after two rulers and twenty-eight years, it also fell to Emperor Taiwu of the Northern Wei. Coming to the sixteenth year, yimao, of the Yuanjia era of Emperor Wen of Song, which was the fifth year of Taiyan of the Northern Wei, Emperor Taiwu campaigned in the west and ultimately destroyed the Northern Liang; from this point, the various states had swallowed one another almost to exhaustion, and only the Northern Wei remained. Coming to the first year, jiaxu, of the Longchang era of Emperor Ming of Southern Qi, which was the eighteenth year of Taihe of the Northern Wei, Emperor Xiaowen moved his capital south to Luoyi. Coming to the sixth year, jiayin, of the Zhongdatong era of Emperor Wu of Liang, which was the third year of Yongxi of the Southern Wei, Emperor Wu, Yuan Xun, moved west to Chang'an, relying on Grand Ancestor Yuwen Heitai of the Zhou; Grand Ancestor Gao Huan of Qi separately enthroned Yuan Shanjian, the Prince of Qinghe's son, as sovereign, with his northern capital at Ye; because of this, [Wei] was divided again into Western and Eastern. In the fourth year, yihai, of the Chengsheng era of Emperor Xiaoyuan, Xiao Yi, of the Liang, his capital was in Jiangling; he was destroyed by the Western Wei; from this point, the dynastic mandate of the Southern Dynasties reverted to the north. That year was the second year of the Houyuan era of Wei; Xiao Yan's grandson Xiao Cha was granted succession by Wei to inherit and continue the Liang foundation; this was the Later Liang; having become a dependency, it was an insubstantial shadow state; Zhou accepted the abdication of Wei and therefore maintained it, still keeping Jiangling as its capital; after three rulers and thirty-three years, it came to an end in the seventh year, dingwei, of Kaihuang. Beginning from the first year, gengzi, of the Huangchu era of Emperor Wen of Wei, when he received the abdication of the Later Han, to the second year, xinchou, when the realm was divided into three, was fifty-nine years; reaching the fifth year, jihai, of the Xianning era of Emperor Wu of Jin, within the cosmos writing and axle-widths became unified again; twenty-three years to the first year, xinyou, of the Yongning era of Emperor Hui of Jin, when the provinces and lands were torn apart and states vied to establish their capitals; up to the present ninth year, jiyou, of Kaihuang, during this span were two hundred and eighty-eight years; thus before Shichen, the heavenly course was fraught with difficulty, like the twelve earthly branches clashing; after Daliang, the kingly way became clear and peaceful, returning the Nine Provinces to unity; it has already been nine years since the cart-tracks and scripts were made concordant; its transformative virtue has had meritorious effect upon the people, who have no need to call it Wei. Up to the Great Sui, there were forty-four rulers whose annals span three hundred and seventy-eight years, across seven dynasties and five capitals, as told in the worldly records.