釋氏稽古略 2.309

2.309

乙丑大業元年正月。帝為高祖造西禪定寺。又於高陽造降聖寺。賜婺州傅大士雙林寺書。略曰。朕欽承寶命撫育萬方。思弘德化覃被遐邇（句文崇敬見大士傳）。始置進士科。三月戊申詔曰聽採輿頌謀及庶民故能審刑政之得失。今將迴歷淮海觀省風俗。勅宇文愷與內史舍人封德彛等。營顯仁宮。南接卓湘。北跨洛濱。發大江之南五嶺以北奇材異石輸之洛陽。又求海內嘉木異草珍禽異獸以實園苑。又命尚書右丞皇甫儀。發河南淮北諸郡民前後百餘萬。開通濟渠。自西苑引穀洛水達於河。復自板渚引河歷榮澤入汴。又自大梁之東引汴水入泗達於淮。又發淮南民十餘萬。開邗溝通渠（安州）。自山陽至楊子入江。渠廣四十步。渠旁築御道樹以柳。自長安至江都置離宮四十餘所。又遣黃門侍郎王弘等往江南。造龍舟及雜船數萬艘。五月築西苑周二百里。其內為海周十餘里。為方丈蓬萊諸山。高出水面百餘尺。臺觀宮殿羅絡山上。向背如神。海北有龍鱗渠。縈紆注海內。㳂渠作十六院。門皆臨渠。每院以四品夫人主之。堂殿樓觀窮極華麗。宮樹秋冬彫落則剪綵為花葉綴於枝條。色渝則易以新者。常如陽春。沼內亦剪綵為荷芰菱芡。乘輿遊幸則去水而布之。上好以月夜從宮女數千騎遊西苑。作清夜遊曲馬上奏之。八月上行幸江都發顯仁宮出洛口御龍舟。龍舟四重高四十五尺長二百尺。上重有正殿內殿東西朝堂。中二重有百二十房。皆飾以金玉。下重內侍處之。皇后乘翔螭舟。制度差小而裝飾無異。挽船士皆以錦綿為袍。又有浮景漾彩朱鳥蒼螭等數千艘（蘇刀切）。挽船士八萬餘人。舳艫相接二百餘里。照耀川陸。騎兵翊兩岸而行。旌旗蔽野。帝每出遊幸。羽儀亘二十餘里。文物之盛近世莫及也（隋書）　二年三月帝發江都。四月入東京。立道場設無遮大會。度士女百二十人為僧尼。奉為文帝造金銅釋迦佛坐像一軀。并州（太原也）造弘善寺。傍龍山作彌陀坐像。高百三十尺。楊州立慧日道場。長安造清禪寺日嚴寺香臺寺。又捨九宮為九寺。於泰陵莊陵俱各造寺。為文皇獻后於長安造二寺二塔。別立寺二所。修治故經六百十二藏。計九十萬三千五百八十卷。故像十萬一千軀。鑄造新像三千八百五十六軀。度僧一萬六千二百人。帝出巡幸。常以僧尼道士女冠自隨。謂之四道場（帝紀并辯正錄）　三年正月二十八日帝設齋具疏稱。皇帝菩薩戒弟子廣白三寶。謹於率土之內建立勝緣。請僧七日行道。度僧一千人。以此功德普為眾生清淨罪垢同至菩提（辯正錄）。三月帝還長安。以高祖末年法令峻刻。詔改修律令。民久厭嚴刻喜於寬政。旅騎尉劉炫預修律令。吏部尚書牛弘從容問炫曰。周禮事多而府史少。今令史百倍於前。減則不濟。其故何也。炫曰。古人委任責成歲終考其殿最（下功曰殿上功曰最）。案不重校。文不繁悉府史之任掌要目而已。今之文簿恒慮覆治。若鍛鍊不密則萬里追證。百年舊按此之由也（隋書）。改州為郡。改度量權衡並依古式。改上柱國以下官為大夫。置殿內省於尚書門下。內史祕書為五省。增謁者司隷臺與御史為三臺。分太府寺置少府監與長秋國子將作都水為五監。又增改左右翊衛等為十六府。廢伯子男爵唯留王公侯三等。詔發丁男百餘萬築長城。西距榆林。東至紫河。尚書左僕射蘇威諫。帝不聽。築二旬而畢。八月車駕發榆林歷雲中泝金河。時天下承平。百物豐實。甲士五十餘萬。馬十萬匹。九月至東都　四年詔於汾州之北。汾州之源營汾陽宮　五年正月改東京為東都。詔天下均田。三月車駕西巡　六年勅穿江南河。自京口至餘杭八百餘里廣十餘丈。使可通龍舟。并置驛官。欲東巡會稽　七年二月帝自江都行幸涿郡。壬午下詔討高麗。天下騷動。鄒平民王薄擁眾據長白山。剽掠齊濟之郊。自稱知世郎。作毋向遼東浪死歌以相感勸。避征役者多往歸之　八年四方兵至高麗平壤凡一百一十三萬三千八百人。軍駕度遼。高麗諸城各堅守不下。初九軍之度遼也凡三十萬五千人。及帝之還至遼東城惟二千七百人。資儲器械失亡蕩盡　九年四月帝以衛尉少卿李淵為弘化郡留守。關右十三郡兵皆受征發　十年二月詔百僚議伐高麗。數日無敢言者。戊子詔復徵天下兵百道俱進。高麗亦自困弊。遣使乞降。帝乃班師還西京　十一年正月增祕書省官百二十員。並以學士補之　十一年正月詔以右驍衛將軍唐公李淵為大原留守。以王威高君雅為之副。車駕至江都。時饑饉其民采樹皮葉。或擣[葶-丁+呆]為末煮而食之。諸物皆盡。乃自相食。帝卒遇弑於江都。

In the yichou year, the first year of Daye (605), in the first month, the Emperor built the West Chanding Monastery for Emperor Gaozu. He also built the Jiangsheng Monastery in Gaoyang. He bestowed a letter upon Mahāsattva Fu's Shuanglin Monastery in Wuzhou, which stated in brief: 'We, having reverently inherited the precious mandate and nurturing the ten thousand regions, desire to propagate virtuous transformation so that it extensively reaches near and far.' (The text of the sentence expressing reverence can be seen in the Biography of the Mahāsattva.) He first instituted the jinshi examination. In the third month, on the wushen day, an imperial edict stated: 'Only by listening to popular songs and taking counsel with the common people can one truly examine the successes and failures of penal governance. Now We are about to travel through the Huai and sea regions to observe local customs.' He ordered Yuwen Kai, Secretariat Drafter Feng Deyi, and others to construct the Xianren Palace. To the south it adjoined Zhuoxiang, and to the north it spanned the banks of the Luo River. Rare timber and extraordinary stones were requisitioned from south of the Yangtze River and north of the Five Ridges to be transported to Luoyang. Moreover, fine trees, exotic plants, rare birds, and strange beasts were sought from throughout the realm to stock the gardens and parks. He also ordered the Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs, Huangfu Yi, to mobilize over one million commoners from the commanderies of Henan and Huaibei at various times to open the Tongji Canal. From the Western Park, it led the waters of the Gu and Luo to reach the Yellow River; further, from Banzhu it led the River through Rongze to enter the Bian River; and further, from east of Daliang it led the Bian River into the Si to reach the Huai. He also mobilized more than one hundred thousand commoners from Huainan to open the Hangou connecting canal (in Anzhou). From Shanyang to Yangzi it entered the Yangtze River. The canal was forty paces wide. Beside the canal, imperial highways were constructed and planted with willows. From Chang'an to Jiangdu, more than forty detached palaces were established. He also dispatched Gentleman Attendant of the Yellow Gate Wang Hong and others to Jiangnan to build dragon boats and tens of thousands of various vessels. In the fifth month, the Western Park was constructed with a circumference of two hundred li. Inside it, a sea was made with a circumference of over ten li, and such mountains as Fangzhang and Penglai were built, rising over one hundred feet above the water's surface. Terraces, watchtowers, and palaces were arrayed across the mountains, their orientations wondrously arranged as if by spirits. North of the sea was the Dragon Scale Canal, which meandered and flowed into the sea. Along the canal, sixteen courtyards were made, all with gates facing the canal. Each courtyard was presided over by a fourth-rank consort. The halls, palaces, and pavilions reached the utmost in splendor and magnificence. When the palace trees shed their foliage in autumn and winter, colored silk was cut into flowers and leaves and affixed to the branches; when the colors faded, they were replaced with new ones, so that it always seemed like balmy spring. In the ponds, cut colored silk was also made into lotus, water chestnuts, and fox nuts; when the imperial carriage went on an outing, the water was drained and these were laid out. The Emperor was fond of riding on moonlit nights, followed by several thousand palace maidens, roaming the Western Park, composing the 'Tune of the Pure Night Excursion' and performing it on horseback. In the eighth month, the Emperor made an imperial progress to Jiangdu. Setting out from the Xianren Palace, he exited Luokou and boarded the dragon boat. The dragon boat had four levels, was forty-five feet high, and two hundred feet long. On the upper level were the main hall, inner halls, and the eastern and western court halls. On the middle two levels were one hundred and twenty rooms, all adorned with gold and jade. On the lower level the inner attendants resided. The Empress rode the Soaring Chi-Dragon boat; its dimensions were slightly smaller, but its decorations were no different. The boat trackers all wore robes of brocade and silk. There were also several thousand vessels [with names] such as Floating Luminescence, Rippling Color, Vermilion Bird, and Azure Chi-Dragon (the character chī is pronounced with the fanqie su-dao). There were more than eighty thousand boat trackers. Prows and sterns connected one after another for more than two hundred li, illuminating the rivers and land. Cavalry flanked both banks as they marched, and their banners darkened the wilds. Whenever the Emperor went on an imperial tour, the imperial guard extended for over twenty li. The magnificence of the regalia and splendor was unmatched in recent times (Sui shu). / In the second year (606), in the third month, the Emperor departed from Jiangdu. In the fourth month, he entered the Eastern Capital. He established a bodhimaṇḍa and held a pañcavārṣika assembly, ordaining one hundred and twenty men and women as monks and nuns. On behalf of Emperor Wendi, he made a seated bronze-gilt image of Śākyamuni Buddha. In Bingzhou (which is Taiyuan), he built the Hongshan Monastery. Beside Longshan, he made a seated image of Amitābha, one hundred and thirty feet high. In Yangzhou, he established the Huiri Bodhimaṇḍa. In Chang'an, he built the Qingchan, Riyan, and Xiangtai Monasteries. Furthermore, he donated nine palaces to become nine monasteries. At both Tailing and Zhuangling, he built monasteries. On behalf of Emperor Wen and Empress Xian, he built two monasteries and two pagodas in Chang'an, and separately established two monasteries. He repaired six hundred and twelve canons of old scriptures, totaling 903,580 fascicles; one hundred and one thousand old statues; cast 3,856 new statues; and ordained 16,200 monks. When the Emperor went on tours of inspection, he was always accompanied by monks, nuns, Daoist priests, and Daoist nuns; these were called the 'Four Bodhimaṇḍas' (Di ji and Bianzheng lun). / In the third year (607), on the twenty-eighth day of the first month, the Emperor hosted a vegetarian feast and drew up a memorial stating: 'The Emperor, disciple of the bodhisattva precepts, Guang, addresses the Three Jewels: Within the entire realm, We respectfully establish supreme conditions, inviting monks to practice the Way for seven days and ordaining one thousand monks. By means of this merit, may the defilements of sin be universally purified for all sentient beings so that they together attain bodhi' (Bianzheng lun). In the third month, the Emperor returned to Chang'an. Because the laws and statutes were harsh and severe during Emperor Gaozu's final years, an edict ordered the revision of the penal code and statutes. The people, having long detested the harsh severity, rejoiced at the lenient governance. Commandant of Cavalry Liu Xuan participated in revising the penal code and statutes. Minister of Personnel Niu Hong leisurely asked Xuan: 'In the Rites of Zhou, affairs were many yet the clerks were few. Now the scribes are a hundredfold greater than before, yet if we reduce them, affairs do not succeed. What is the reason for this?' Xuan said: 'The ancients entrusted duties and held officials accountable for results, assessing their superior or inferior performances at the end of the year (inferior performance was called dian, and superior performance was called zui). Case files were not repeatedly collated, and texts were not convoluted and detailed; the duty of the clerks was merely to manage the essential headings. Today's written ledgers are constantly scrutinized for re-investigation; if the compilation is not airtight, witnesses are summoned from ten thousand li away, and centuries-old precedents are exhumed—this is the reason for it' (Sui shu). Commanderies (zhou) were renamed as commanderies (jun); weights, measures, and standards were all adjusted according to ancient patterns. Officials from the Pillar of State and below were renamed grandees. The Palace Administration was established alongside the Department of State Affairs, the Chancellery, the Secretariat, and the Palace Library to make the Five Directorates. The Receptionist Bureau and the Metropolitan Commandant's Bureau were added to the Censorate to make the Three Tribunals. The Court of the National Granaries was divided to establish the Directorate of Imperial Manufactories, which alongside the Court of the Imperial Consorts, the Directorate of the Sons of Heaven, the Directorate of Palace Buildings, and the Directorate of Waterways formed the Five Directorates. Furthermore, the Left and Right Guard Regiments were adjusted and expanded into the Sixteen Guards. The ranks of count, viscount, and baron were abolished, retaining only the three ranks of prince, duke, and marquis. An edict ordered the mobilization of over one million able-bodied men to build the Great Wall, extending west to Yulin and east to the Zi River. Left Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs Su Wei remonstrated, but the Emperor did not listen. The construction was completed in two decades of days. In the eighth month, the imperial carriage departed from Yulin, passed through Yunzhong, and sailed up the Jin River. At that time, the world was at peace, all commodities were abundant, there were over five hundred thousand armored soldiers and one hundred thousand horses. In the ninth month, he arrived at the Eastern Capital. / In the fourth year (608), an edict ordered the construction of the Fenyang Palace north of Fenzhou, at the source of the Fen River. / In the fifth year (609), in the first month, the Eastern Capital (Dongjing) was renamed Dongdu. An edict ordered the equal distribution of land throughout the realm. In the third month, the imperial carriage toured the west. / In the sixth year (610), an imperial edict commanded the excavation of the Jiangnan River, extending over eight hundred li from Jingkou to Yuhang and more than ten zhang wide, so that dragon boats could pass through. Post stations and officials were also established, as he wished to tour Kuaiji to the east. / In the seventh year (611), in the second month, the Emperor traveled from Jiangdu to Zhuo Commandery. On the renwu day, an edict was issued to launch a punitive expedition against Koguryŏ, and the realm was thrown into turmoil. Wang Bo, a commoner of Zouping, gathered a multitude and occupied Mount Changbai, plundering the outskirts of Qi and Ji. Calling himself the 'Master Who Knows the World', he composed the song 'Do Not Go to Liaodong to Die in Vain' to move and encourage others; many who fled conscription and corvée went to join him. / In the eighth year (612), troops from the four quarters reached Pyongyang in Koguryŏ, totaling 1,133,800 men. The army and the imperial carriage crossed the Liao River. The various cities of Koguryŏ all defended tenaciously and did not fall. Initially, when the nine armies crossed the Liao River, there were 305,000 men in all; by the time the Emperor returned to Liaodong City, there were only 2,700 men left, and supplies and weaponry were completely lost and destroyed. / In the ninth year (613), in the fourth month, the Emperor appointed Li Yuan, Junior Lord of the Imperial Insignia, as Garrison Commander of Honghua Commandery; troops from the thirteen commanderies of Guanxi were all placed under his conscription. / In the tenth year (614), in the second month, an edict ordered the hundred civil and military officials to deliberate on attacking Koguryŏ; for several days, none dared to speak. On the wuzi day, an edict ordered another mobilization of the realm's troops to advance simultaneously along a hundred routes. Koguryŏ was also impoverished and exhausted, and sent envoys begging to surrender. The Emperor then withdrew the army and returned to the Western Capital. / In the eleventh year (615), in the first month, one hundred and twenty officials were added to the Palace Library, all filled by scholars. / In the eleventh [recte: twelfth] year (616), in the first month, an edict appointed Li Yuan, General of the Right Valiant Cavalry and Duke of Tang, as Garrison Commander of Taiyuan, with Wang Wei and Gao Junya as his deputies. The imperial carriage arrived in Jiangdu. At that time, there was famine; the people gathered tree bark and leaves, or pounded weed seeds into powder to boil and eat. When all things were exhausted, they ended up eating one another. The Emperor was ultimately assassinated in Jiangdu.