釋氏稽古略 3.486

3.486

Ma Xie, Military Commissioner of Wuping, was the elder brother of [Ma] Xiguang. He seized Xiguang, King of Chu, and killed him. Xie declared himself Military Commissioner of the Wu'an, Jingjiang, and Ningyuan armies and surrendered to the Tang. Tang enfeoffed him as King of Chu, but ultimately extinguished [his regime] and relocated the Ma clan to Jinling. In summer, the fourth month, the Han court decreed Guo Wei to be Defender of Yedu and Military Commissioner of Tianxiong, while remaining Bureau of Military Affairs Commissioner as before. It appointed Guo Rong, General of the Right Gate Defense Guard, as Palace Commander-in-Chief of Tianxiong. Rong's original surname was Chai; his father Shouli was the elder brother of Guo Wei's wife. Wei had no sons of his own and adopted Rong as his son. In the fifth month, Wei received his orders and took leave of the court, saying to the emperor: "The Empress Dowager attended the Late Emperor for a long time and has experienced many of the affairs under heaven. Your Majesty is in the bloom of youth; whenever there are matters to attend to, you should receive her instructions and carry them out. Personally draw near to the loyal and trustworthy, and send far away the wicked and flattering. What is good and what is evil should be clearly and carefully distinguished." Bureau of Military Affairs Commissioner and Right Vice Director of the Department of State Affairs with Equal Rank to the Executive Officials Yang Bin oversaw the executive administration. Bureau of Military Affairs Commissioner concurrently Palace Attendant Guo Wei was in charge of military campaigns. Military Commissioner of Guide, Commander-in-Chief of the Palace Guard Armies, and concurrently Secretariat Director Shi Hongzhao took charge of the palace night watch. State Finance Commissioner with Equal Rank to the Executive Officials Wang Zhang had charge of treasury and taxes. Bin and the others were devoted and loyal, but the emperor favored and trusted Director of the Palace Guest Reception Office Yan Jinqing, Chief Secretary of the Bureau of Military Affairs Nie Wenjin, Flying Dragon Commissioner Hou Kuangzan, and Hanlin Tea and Wine Commissioner Guo Yunming, who slandered the executive officials. The emperor grew older and resented being restrained by the senior ministers; he then conspired with Nie Wenjin of the Bureau of Military Affairs, Kuangzan, and Yunming. On the morning of bingzi in the eleventh month, they killed Bin, Hongzhao, and Zhang below the eastern veranda of the Guangzheng Hall. The emperor dispatched Palace Attendant Meng Ye carrying a secret edict to Chanzhou and Yedu to kill Wang Yin, and also ordered Cavalry Commander-in-Chief of the Yedu Expeditionary Forces Guo Chongwei and Infantry Commander-in-Chief Cao Wei to kill Guo Wei and Military Supervisor and Xuanhui Commissioner Wang Jun. Guo Wei then summoned Guo Chongwei, Cao Wei, and the various generals, informing them of the unjust deaths of Bin and the others, and saying: "Gentlemen and I hacked through thorns and brambles, following the Late Emperor to conquer all under heaven. We received the charge of guardianship over the orphan, exhausting our strength to defend the state. Now that those gentlemen are already dead, how could I have the heart to survive alone? You gentlemen should carry out the imperial edict and take my head to report to the Son of Heaven, so that you are not entangled." Guo Chongwei and the others wept and said: "The Son of Heaven is young and inexperienced; this must be the doing of the petty men at his side. We wish to follow you to court to appeal in person, sweep away the vermin, and purify the court. You must not be slain by a single courier!" Guo Wei thereupon left his adopted son Rong to defend Yedu, ordered Guo Chongwei to lead the cavalry in the vanguard, and personally led the main army following him to Fengqiu. In the eleventh month, the emperor dispatched Murong Yanchao and others leading troops to oppose him. Yanchao and his forces were defeated and fled back. On that day, the emperor went out to reward the army; when the troops were routed, he stayed overnight at Qili Camp with only several dozen palace attendants, while the rest all scattered and fled. On the morning of yiyou, the emperor spurred his horse to return to the palace, arriving at the Xuanhua Gate. Liu Zhu, standing atop the gate, asked the emperor: "Where are the soldiers and horses of your attendants?" and then shot arrows at his retinue. The emperor turned his reins northwest toward Zhao Village. The pursuing troops had already arrived; he dismounted and entered a commoner's house, where he was slain by the mutinous soldiers. Guo Wei entered via the Yingchun Gate. On dinghai, Guo Wei led the civil and military officials to the Mingde Gate to pay respects to the Empress Dowager, presented a full memorial regarding affairs of the army and state, and requested the enthronement of a successor. The Empress Dowager issued an edict to invest Liu Yun, Military Commissioner of Wuning and son of Liu Chong, Military Commissioner of Hedong, as emperor. Wei submitted a memorial dispatching Grand Preceptor Feng Dao to Xuzhou to welcome him. On gengyin, Wei led the assembled ministers to memorialize: "It will take more than ten days for the emperor to arrive at the palace. We request that the Empress Dowager hold court and hear state affairs." On renchen, the Empress Dowager first held court. Guo Wei crossed the Yellow River and lodged at Chanzhou. On guichou, the officers and soldiers raised a great clamor, set up Wei [as ruler], and escorted Wei marching south. Wei then submitted a letter to the Empress Dowager requesting to offer sacrifice at the Han ancestral temple and honor the Empress Dowager as his mother. Yun, Military Commissioner of Wuning, had already reached Songzhou. Guo Wei sent a letter to Yun saying that he had been coerced by the generals, and recalled Feng Dao first. Yun said, "What plan can be made now?" Dao remained silent. In the twelfth month, on jiwei, the Empress Dowager issued an edict demoting Yun to Duke of Xiangyin, and appointed Palace Attendant Guo Wei to supervise the state. In the spring of the xinhai year, the first month, on dingmao, the Han Empress Dowager issued an edict conferring the tally and imperial seal upon the Regent, who then ascended the imperial throne. Regent Wei entered the palace through the Gaomen Gate and assumed the throne at the Chongyuan Hall. The edict proclaimed: "We are a descendant of the royal house of Zhou, the posterity of Guoshu. The state name should appropriately be called Zhou." In this month, on wuyin, the Duke of Xiangyin was killed in Songzhou.