釋氏稽古略 2.280

2.280

In the first month, Emperor Xuan of Northern Zhou, Yun, received the court at the Loumen Gate, and began wearing Han and Wei robes and caps together with his ministers. He proclaimed a general amnesty, changed the reign era to Dacheng, and established four assisting ministers: Grand Minister of Works Sheng, Prince of Yue, was made Grand Front Doubt; General Commandant of Xiangzhou Yuchi Jiong, Duke of Shu, was made Grand Right Assistant; Li Mu, Duke of Zhongshan, was made Grand Left Auxiliary; Grand Marshal Yang Jian, Duke of Sui, was made Grand Rear Support. Emperor Xuan abdicated the throne in favor of Crown Prince Chan, renamed him Yan, and changed the Dacheng year to the first year of the Daxiang era. Emperor Xuan called himself the Heavenly Origin Emperor. In the tenth month, he restored Buddhist statues and Heavenly Worthy statues. In the first month of the second year of the Daxiang era, an edict was issued that all titled women of the inner and outer courts should hold hu tablets, and when bowing at ancestral shrines and the Heavenly Altar, they should bow and rise just like men. In the fifth month, the Heavenly Origin fell ill; he summoned Liu Fang and Yan Zhiyi into his bedchamber, wishing to entrust the affairs after his death to them, but was mute and could no longer speak. Seeing that Emperor Jing, Yan, was young and weak, while the empress's father Yang Jian had a high reputation, Fang thereupon conspired with Pillar of State Zheng Yi, Duke of Pei, Liu Qiu, and others to bring in Jian to assist in the governance. On that day, the Heavenly Origin passed away, aged twenty-two. His death was kept secret and no mourning was announced. Fang and Yi forged an edict placing Jian in overall command of military affairs within and outside the court. Jian abolished the harsh and cruel policies of Emperor Xuan and made them more lenient. The Heavenly Origin had made over ten thousand statues, ordered three thousand sets of the Prajñā Sūtra to be transcribed, and observed the great fast, the eight precepts, and the mindfulness of the Buddha without interruption (Bian Zheng Lu).