釋氏稽古略 4.281

4.281

女真也。阿骨打建國稱帝。遼主天祚在京中。聞燕王兵敗女真入新州。晝夜憂懼。秋女真取東京黃龍府五十餘城。是時有楊朴者。遼東鐵州人也。本渤海大族。登進士第累官校書郎。先是渤海人高永昌殺遼東京留守蕭保先。自稱為渤海國皇帝。據遼東五十餘州。遼主遣相張琳將兵討之。琳敗績。女真破渤海軍斬高永昌。降楊朴而用之。朴勸阿骨打稱皇帝。改元天輔。以王為姓。以旻為名。以其國產金號大金。又說阿骨打曰。自古英雄開國受禪。先求大國封冊。秋八月。阿骨打遣人詣遼主天祚求封冊。其事有十。徽號大聖大明皇帝（一也）國號大金（二也）玉輅（三也）衮冕（四也）玉刻御前之寶（五也）以兄弟通問（六也）生辰正旦遣使（七也）歲輸銀絹二十五萬匹兩分南宋歲賜之半（八也）割遼東長春兩路（九也）送還女真阿鶻產趙三大王（十也）天祚付群臣議。蕭奉先大喜。以為自此無患。差靜江軍節度使蕭習烈．翰林學士楊勉充封冊使。副歸州觀察使張孝偉．太常少卿王府充通問。副使衛尉少卿劉湜充管押禮物官。將作少監楊主忠充讀冊使。備天子衮冕．玉冊．金印．車輅．法駕之屬。冊立阿骨打為東懷國至聖至明皇帝。其冊文略曰。眷惟。蕭慎之區。實介扶餘之俗。土濱上國。材布中嶔。雅有山川之名承其父祖之胤。碧雲袤野固須挺於渠材。皓雪飛霜疇不惟於絕駕。章封屢報。誠意交孚。載念遙芬宜膺多𭟺。是用遣蕭習烈等。持節備禮。冊為東懷國至聖至明皇帝。義敦友睦。地裂豐腴。嗚呼戒哉欽哉。式孚于休所有徽號。緣犯祖號改為至聖至明。餘悉從之。使人自十月發行。冬十二月至金國。是月阿骨打追尊九代祖龕福。諡景元皇帝號始祖。八代祖名訛魯諡德皇帝。七代祖名洋海諡安皇帝。六代祖名隨闊諡定昭皇帝號獻祖。五代祖名實魯諡成襄皇帝號昭祖。曾祖太師名胡來諡惠皇帝號景祖。父大師名楊哥諡孝平皇帝號穆宗。妃后皆追加諡號（金志）。阿骨打以遼使儀物示楊朴。楊朴以儀物不全用天子之制。又東懷國乃小邦懷其德之義。仍無冊為兄之文。如遙芬多𭟺皆非美意。彤弓象輅亦諸侯事。渠材二字意似輕侮。命習烈歸易其文。習烈曰。兄友弟恭出自周書。言友睦則兄之意見矣。楊朴等面折以為非是。阿骨打大怒。叱出使副欲腰斬之。䊀罕諸酋為謝乃解。然猶人各笞百餘。至次年三月止遣蕭習烈楊立忠回云。冊文我都不曉。徽號國號王輅御寶我都有之。須稱我大金國皇帝兄即已。能從我今秋可至軍前。不然我提兵取上京矣。天祚惡聞女真事。蕭奉先揣其意皆不以聞。遷延久之。聞上京已破和議遂寢。後天祚雖復言和。阿骨打皆不報（遼志）。

These were the Jurchen. Aguda founded the state and declared himself emperor. The Liao ruler Tianzuo was in the capital. Hearing that the Prince of Yan's army had been defeated and the Jurchen had entered Xinzhou, he was gripped by anxiety day and night. In the autumn, the Jurchen took over fifty cities of the Liao Eastern Capital and Huanglong Prefecture. At that time, there was one Yang Pu, a native of Tiezhou in Liaodong, originally from an eminent Bohai clan. He had passed the jinshi examination and risen through successive offices to Collator of Texts. Previously, the Bohai native Gao Yongchang had killed Xiao Baoxian, the Liao regent of the Eastern Capital, declared himself Emperor of the Bohai State, and occupied more than fifty prefectures of Liaodong. The Liao ruler dispatched Grand Councilor Zhang Lin to lead troops to punish him, but Lin was utterly defeated. The Jurchen crushed the Bohai army, beheaded Gao Yongchang, accepted Yang Pu's surrender, and employed him. Pu urged Aguda to declare himself emperor, change the reign era to Tianfu, adopt Wang as his surname, take Min as his given name, and, because his country produced gold, adopt the state title Great Jin. He further persuaded Aguda, saying: 'Since antiquity, whenever heroes founded states or received dynastic abdication, they first sought investiture and conferral of title from the great state.' In the autumn, the eighth month, Aguda sent envoys to the Liao ruler Tianzuo to request investiture, with ten conditions: First, the honorary title of Emperor Greatly Sage and Greatly Illuminating; second, the state title Great Jin; third, a jade-adorned imperial carriage; fourth, imperial robes and crown; fifth, a jade-carved imperial seal; sixth, diplomatic correspondence conducted as brothers; seventh, dispatching envoys on birthdays and New Year's Day; eighth, an annual tribute of 250,000 bolts and ounces of silver and silk, sharing half of what was annually granted to the Southern Song; ninth, the ceding of the two circuits of Liaodong and Changchun; tenth, the repatriation of the three grand princes of the Jurchen, Aguchan and Zhao. Tianzuo submitted this to his ministers for deliberation. Xiao Fengxian was overjoyed, believing that from then on there would be no worries. He appointed Xiao Xilie, Military Commissioner of Jingjiang Army, and Yang Mian, Hanlin Academician, as Principal Envoys of Investiture; Zhang Xiaowei, Surveillance Commissioner of Guizhou, and Wang Fu, Junior Chamberlain for Ceremonials, as Envoys for Diplomatic Correspondence; Liu Shi, Junior Chamberlain of the Guards, as Official in Charge of Escorting Gifts; and Yang Zhuzhong, Junior Director of the Directorate for the Palace Buildings, as Envoy to Read the Investiture Decree. Preparing the imperial robes and crown, jade investiture tablets, gold seal, imperial carriages, ceremonial retinue, and the like, they invested Aguda as Emperor Most Sage and Most Illuminating of the State of Donghuai. The investiture text read in summary: 'Looking back upon the region of the Sushen, it indeed borders the customs of Fuyu. Its lands border the superior state; its talents spread through the towering peaks. Having long held the renown of mountains and rivers, you have inherited the lineage of your forebears. In the vast wilderness under azure clouds, an outstanding talent should indeed emerge; amidst white snow and flying frost, who would not consider this an extraordinary vehicle? Memorials and petitions have been repeatedly presented, with sincere intentions reciprocated. Reflecting upon your distant renown, you ought to receive abundant favor. We therefore dispatch Xiao Xilie and others, bearing the imperial tallies and complete ceremonial regalia, to invest you as Emperor Most Sage and Most Illuminating of the State of Donghuai, fostering fraternal amity and enfeoffing fertile territories. Alas, be vigilant and reverent! Let this accord with auspiciousness. Regarding all the requested honorary titles, because they infringe upon our ancestral names, they are changed to Most Sage and Most Illuminating; all else is granted as requested.' The envoys departed in the tenth month and arrived in the Jin state in the winter, the twelfth month. In this month, Aguda posthumously honored his ninth-generation ancestor Kanfu with the posthumous title Emperor Jingyuan and the temple name Shizu; his eighth-generation ancestor Elu with the posthumous title Emperor De; his seventh-generation ancestor Yanghai with the posthumous title Emperor An; his sixth-generation ancestor Suikuo with the posthumous title Emperor Dingzhao and the temple name Xianzu; his fifth-generation ancestor Shilu with the posthumous title Emperor Chengxiang and the temple name Zhaozu; his great-grandfather, Grand Preceptor Hulai, with the posthumous title Emperor Hui and the temple name Jingzu; and his father, Grand Master Yangge, with the posthumous title Emperor Xiaoping and the temple name Muzong. Posthumous titles were likewise conferred upon the consorts and empresses (Annals of Jin). Aguda showed the ceremonial items brought by the Liao envoys to Yang Pu. Yang Pu pointed out that the ceremonial items did not fully accord with the system of the Son of Heaven; furthermore, 'State of Donghuai' carried the meaning of a petty state cherishing the virtue [of the suzerain], and there was still no text investing him as an elder brother. Phrases like 'distant renown' and 'abundant favor' were not benevolent in intent; red bows and ivory carriages were matters suited to feudal lords; and the two characters 'channel talent' (qucai) carried an undertone of slight and insult. He commanded Xilie to return and alter the text. Xilie said: ''Elder brothers are amicable and younger brothers respectful' comes from the Book of Zhou; speaking of amity already implies the sense of elder brother.' Yang Pu and others refuted him to his face, deeming it unacceptable. Aguda was furious; shouting out to have the principal and deputy envoys dragged away, he wished to cut them in two at the waist. Only after Wolihan and other chieftains pleaded on their behalf was the matter dropped; nevertheless, each was beaten over a hundred strokes with a cane. By the third month of the following year, only Xiao Xilie and Yang Lizhong were sent back, saying: 'I do not understand the text of the investiture decree at all. The honorary title, state title, royal carriage, and imperial seal—I already have all of them. You must address me as 'Imperial Elder Brother, Emperor of the Great Jin State,' and that will be that. If you can comply, you may come to the front of my army this autumn; otherwise, I shall lead troops to take the Supreme Capital.' Tianzuo loathed hearing about Jurchen affairs, and Xiao Fengxian, divining his wishes, suppressed all reports from reaching him. After prolonged delay, hearing that the Supreme Capital had already fallen, the peace negotiations were abandoned. Although Tianzuo subsequently sought peace again, Aguda never responded (Annals of Liao).