佛祖歷代通載 16.42

16.42

（廿四　戊辰）　九月詔曰。潮州司馬李德裕。早籍門第幼踐清華。累居將相之榮。唯以姦傾為業。當會昌之際極公台之崇。騁諛佞以得君。遂恣橫而持政。專權生事妬賢害忠。動多詭異之謀。潛懷僭越之志。秉直者必棄。向善者盡排。誣忠良造朋黨之名。肆姦偽生加諸之釁。計有逾於指鹿。罪實見於欺天。屬者方處鈞衡曾無嫌避。委國史於愛婿之手。寵祕文於弱子之身。洎參信書亦見親昵。恭推元和實錄。乃不刊之書。擅敢改張罔有畏忌。奪他人之懿績。為私門之令猷。附李榮之曲情。成吳緗之怨獄。擢爾之髮數罪未窮。載窺罔上之由。益見無君之意。朕務全本體久為含容。雖黜降其官榮。尚蓋藏其醜狀。而睥睨未已。兢惕無聞。積惡既張公議難抑。可崖州司戶。未幾德裕慚忿而卒。乃見夢哀訴於宰相令狐綯。乞歸葬其尸。識者謂之強魂雖死亦不哀云。

(24, wuchen) In the ninth month, an imperial edict stated: "Li Deyu, Marshal of Chaozhou, was registered in an illustrious clan early on and stepped into prestigious positions in his youth. Repeatedly enjoying the glory of general and minister, his sole vocation was villainy and subversion. During the Huichang era, he reached the pinnacle of the three excellencies, deploying flattery and obsequiousness to win over his lord, whereupon he held the government in an arbitrary and overbearing manner. Monopolizing power to stir up trouble, envying the worthy and harming the loyal, his actions were mostly deceitful plots, secretly harboring aspirations to usurpation. Those who upheld rectitude were certainly discarded; those who leaned toward goodness were entirely cast out. He slandered the loyal and good by concocting the name of 'cliques,' and gave rein to treachery and falsehood, generating fabrications of guilt. His machinations surpassed calling a deer a horse; his crimes were truly manifest in deceiving Heaven. Recently, when he was in charge of the realm's balance, he had no qualms or reservations: he entrusted the state history into the hands of his beloved son-in-law, and conferred secret texts upon his young son; and when he read confidential documents, he also showed personal favoritism. With due reverence we consider the Veritable Records of the Yuanhe Era: they are an unalterable book, yet he willfully dared to revise them without dread or hesitation, usurping the fine achievements of others to make them the illustrious plans of his private house; he catered to the biased affections of Li Rong, and manufactured the grievous trial of Wu Xiang. Pulling out your hair would not suffice to count your crimes; upon further examining the causes of your deception of the sovereign, your disregard for the ruler is all the more apparent. We have striven to preserve the imperial dignity and have long tolerated you; though We demoted your official honors, We still covered up your disgraceful conduct. Yet your haughtiness has not ceased, and no vigilance has been heard from you. Accumulated evil has already unfolded, and public opinion is hard to suppress. You may be appointed Census Officer of Yaizhou." Not long after, Deyu died of shame and indignation. He then appeared in a dream to Chancellor Linghu Tao, pleading mournfully and begging to have his corpse returned for burial. Discerning people said of him: "A stubborn ghost, though dead, is still unpitied."