佛祖歷代通載 18.31

18.31

（十二）　是年五月竄秦王廷美。降涪陵縣公。安置房州。上甞以傳國意訪之趙普。普曰。太祖已誤。陛下豈容再誤耶。廷美所以得罪。則普為之也。盧多遜在朝握權。常短趙普。普惡之。遂入覲觀變。奏多遜謂陛下萬年之後。當以天下與魏王。魏王當還秦王。陛下不當立太子。俱坐大逆。免死放歸田里。咸以為冤。秦王即太祖少子德芳也。上遂南遷二王。尋殺之。忽一日趙普見空有火一團。一羔羊轉運其上。拜曰。普之罪也。須臾光滅。遂得疾。命方士禱疾。見烟焰中有朱牌金字書云。魏王廷。美士謝曰。普言非其罪也。有答之曰。杜大后遺言。丞相寫誓書。藏之金櫃石室。而首發多遜之獄。致主上殺一弟一姪。安可謂之無罪。俄而普薨。

(12 [982 CE]) In the fifth month of this year, Prince Tingmei of Qin was banished, demoted to Duke of Fuling County, and settled in Fangzhou. The Emperor had once consulted Zhao Pu regarding the transmission of the realm. Pu said, 'Taizu was already mistaken; how could Your Majesty permit another mistake?' The reason Tingmei met with blame was entirely Pu's doing. Lu Duoxun held power at court and constantly disparaged Zhao Pu. Pu resented him, so he arrived at court to observe developments, memorialising that Duoxun said that after Your Majesty's ten thousand years [of life], the realm should go to the Prince of Wei, and the Prince of Wei should return it to the Prince of Qin; Your Majesty ought not establish a Crown Prince. Both were indicted for high treason; Duoxun was spared death and dismissed to the countryside, which everyone considered an injustice. The Prince of [Wei was actually Taizu's younger son Defang]. The Emperor subsequently moved the two princes south, and soon killed them. Suddenly one day, Zhao Pu saw a ball of fire in the air, with a lamb rolling atop it. He bowed and said, 'It is Pu's crime.' In an instant the light vanished, and he fell ill. He ordered an occult master to pray for his illness, who saw in the smoke and flames a red plaque written with gold characters: 'Prince Ting[mei of Qin and Prince] of Wei.' Pu apologized and said, 'Pu speaks, but it was not his fault.' Someone answered him: 'Empress Dowager Du left testamentary instructions, and the Prime Minister wrote the oath-text, storing it in the golden coffer in the stone chamber. Yet you were the first to initiate Duoxun's trial, causing the Sovereign to kill a brother and a nephew. How can it be said you are blameless?' Shortly thereafter, Pu died.