Tang Annals 24
Zizhi Tongjian, Volume 208
Volume 208 [Tang Records 24] From the second month of the Yisi year to the end of the Dingwei year, a total of just over two years.
Zhongzong, the Great Harmony and Great Sage Filial August Emperor, in the first year of Shenlong (Yisi, 705 AD)
In the second month, on the Xinhai day, the emperor led the hundred officials to Shangyang Palace to inquire about the Grand Dowager’s well-being; thereafter, he went every ten days.
On the Jiayin day, the state name was restored to Tang. Suburban and temple sacrifices, altars of soil and grain, imperial tombs, the hundred officials, banners, clothing colors, and script all followed the old regulations before the Yongchun era. Shen Du was restored as the Eastern Capital, Bei Du was restored as Bingzhou, and the honored title of the Venerable Sovereign (Laozi) was reinstated as Mysterious Primordial August Emperor.
On the Yimao day, Fengge Shilang and Tongping Zhangshi Wei Chengqing was demoted to Gaoyao County Commandant; Zhengyi and Tongping Zhangshi Fang Rong was stripped of his official title and exiled to Gaozhou; Sili Qing Cui Shenqing was exiled to Qinzhou. Yang Zaishi was appointed Minister of Revenue, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, and of the Western Capital.
When the Grand Dowager moved to Shangyang Palace, Tai Pu Qing and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin Yao Yuanzhi alone wept and sobbed. Huan Yanfan and Zhang Jianzhi said to him, “Today is not the time for you to cry! I fear disaster begins for you from this.” Yao Yuanzhi replied, “I, Yao Yuanzhi, served the Zetian Emperor for a long time; suddenly parting like this, my grief is unbearable. Moreover, the other day I followed you gentlemen in slaying the evil and rebellious—this was the duty of a subject. Today I bid farewell to my former sovereign—this too is the duty of a subject. Even if I incur punishment for this, I am truly willing.” That day, he was sent out as the governor of Bozhou.
On the Jiazi day, Consort Wei was established as Empress, and a general amnesty was granted under heaven. The empress’s father, Wei Xuanzhen, was posthumously honored as the King of Shangluo, and her mother, née Cui, as the Princess. Zuo Shiyi Jia Xuji submitted a memorial, arguing: “A person of a different surname cannot be enfeoffed as a king—this is a universal principle from ancient to modern times. Now that the restoration has just begun, the myriad people crane their necks, watching Your Majesty’s governance; yet you first enfeoff the empress’s family—this is not the way to spread virtue under heaven. Moreover, in the previous dynasty, the empress’s father was posthumously honored as the Prince of Taiyuan; the mirror of that disaster is not far off, and one must guard against its beginnings. If the gracious decree has already been issued, let the empress firmly decline it—this will further enhance her modest virtue.” The emperor did not listen.
Initially, Empress Wei gave birth to Shao Wang Li Zhongrun, Princess Changning, and Princess Anle. When the emperor was relocated to Fangling, Princess Anle was born on the road, and the emperor especially doted on her. When the emperor was in Fangling, he and the empress were confined together, enduring hardships and dangers, and their affection was very deep. Whenever the emperor heard that an imperial envoy was coming, he was so terrified he wanted to commit suicide. The empress stopped him, saying, “Fortune and misfortune are unpredictable; why not rather accept death? Why be so hasty?” The emperor once privately swore to the empress: “If in the future I am fortunate enough to see the light again, I will let you do as you wish, without restraint.” After the empress was reestablished, she intervened in court affairs, just as Wu Zetian had done during Gaozong’s time. Huan Yanfan submitted a memorial, stating: “The Book of Changes says, ‘A woman should not act; she only needs to manage household affairs, and that is auspicious.’ The Book of Documents says, ‘A hen crowing at dawn signals the decline of a household.’ I observe that whenever Your Majesty holds court, the empress invariably sets up a screen and sits in the hall, participating in hearing state affairs. I privately observe that from ancient times, no emperor who shared governance with a woman has escaped the ruin of the state and his own death. Moreover, yin overriding yang violates Heaven’s will; a woman overriding her husband violates human ethics. I earnestly beg Your Majesty to take the lessons of ancient and modern times as a warning, to think of the altars of soil and grain and the people, and to keep the empress solely in the inner palace, managing feminine instruction, and not to let her go out to the outer court to interfere in state affairs.”
Before this, the Hu monk Huifan, relying on his magical arts, associated with powerful families, was friendly with the Zhang Yizhi brothers, and Empress Wei also valued him. After Zhang Yizhi was executed, Huifan claimed he had participated in the plot, and so, on merit, he was granted the silver-blue honorific title of Guanglu Daifu and enfeoffed as Duke of Shangyong County. He came and went from the palace, and the emperor often visited his residence incognito. Huan Yanfan again memorialized that Huifan used heterodox practices to disturb governance and requested his execution. The emperor did not heed this either.
Initially, Wu Zetian executed members of the Li imperial clan; those of talent and virtue died first. Only Wu Wang Li Ke’s son, Yulin Hou Li Qianli, who was narrow-minded, impatient, and without ability, and who repeatedly presented auspicious omens and talismans, alone escaped death. After the emperor ascended the throne, he made him Prince Cheng and appointed him Commander of the Left Jinwu Guard. The various princes, consorts, princesses, and imperial sons-in-law of the Li clan whom Wu Zetian had executed had no one to bury them. Their descendants were either exiled to the Lingnan region, imprisoned for years, or fled and hid among the people, working as hired laborers. At this time, an edict was issued ordering the prefectures and counties to search for their coffins, rebury them according to ritual, posthumously restore their ranks and titles, recall their descendants, and let them inherit their ranks. For those without descendants, heirs were chosen and settled. Soon, imperial clan descendants came in succession, were all summoned, wept and danced, and were each given ranks and offices according to their degree of kinship, with varying grades.
When Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong were eliminated, Luozhou Senior Administrator Xue Jixia said to Zhang Jianzhi and Jing Hui, “The two villains are gone, but Lü Chan and Lü Lu (referring to Wu Sansi and others) remain. If you uproot the weeds without removing the roots, they will grow again.” The two replied, “The great matter is settled; they are like meat on a chopping board—what can they do! Those we have killed are already many; we cannot add more.” Xue Jixia sighed and said, “I do not know where I will die!” The court assistant magistrate of Chaoyi, Liu Youqiu of Wuqiang, also said to Huan Yanfan and Jing Hui, “Wu Sansi is still alive; you gentlemen will eventually have no place to bury yourselves. If you do not plan early, regret will be too late.” They did not listen.
The emperor’s daughter, Princess Anle, was married to Wu Sansi’s son, Wu Chongxun. Shangguan Wan’er was the granddaughter of Shangguan Yi; after Shangguan Yi died, she was taken into the inner palace. She was clever, eloquent, skilled in writing, and familiar with official affairs. Wu Zetian loved her, and from the Shengli era onward, she often participated in deciding the memorials of the hundred officials. After the emperor ascended the throne, he made her solely responsible for drafting imperial decrees, trusted her even more, appointed her as Jieyu, and she held power within the palace. Wu Sansi had an illicit relationship with her, so she sided with the Wu clan and also recommended Wu Sansi to Empress Wei, bringing him into the palace. The emperor then discussed state affairs with Wu Sansi, and Zhang Jianzhi and the others all came under Wu Sansi’s control. The emperor let Empress Wei and Wu Sansi play double-six chess, while he himself sat beside them, keeping score. Wu Sansi then had an affair with Empress Wei, and from this, the power of the Wu clan revived.
Zhang Jianzhi and the others repeatedly urged the emperor to execute the Wu clan members, but the emperor did not listen. Zhang Jianzhi and the others said, “At the time of the dynastic change, the Li imperial clan was almost entirely killed or exiled. Now, relying on the spirits of heaven and earth, Your Majesty has been restored to the throne, yet the Wu clan, with their abusive appointments and usurped ranks, remain as before—is this what people far and near expect? We hope you will slightly reduce and restrain their emoluments to comfort the empire!” The emperor again did not listen. Some of Zhang Jianzhi and the others beat their beds in sighing indignation, some snapped their fingers until they bled, saying, “When the sovereign was formerly Prince Ying, he was called brave and fierce. The reason we did not execute the Wu clan members was that we wanted the sovereign to kill them himself, to display the majesty of the Son of Heaven! Now instead it has come to this; the situation is lost—what can we do!”
The emperor often visited Wu Sansi’s residence incognito. The supervising censor, Cui Jiao of Qinghe, secretly submitted a memorial remonstrating: “The state mandate has just been restored; the Zetian Emperor is still in the Western Palace, and people’s hearts still cling to her. The old officials of the Zhou dynasty sit in court. Why does Your Majesty lightly go out on excursions, not being aware of the danger of Yujie (a fisherman)?” The emperor leaked this matter, and Wu Sansi’s faction gnashed their teeth in hatred.
On the Bingyin day, the Wu Sansi was appointed Minister of Works and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin.
Zuo Sanqi Changshi, Prince Li Zhongfu of Qiao, was the emperor’s son by a concubine. His consort was the niece of Zhang Yizhi. Empress Wei detested him and slandered him before the emperor, saying, “Li Zhongrun’s death was caused by Li Zhongfu.” Therefore, he was demoted to be the external prefect of Puzhou, then transferred to be the prefect of Junzhou, and the prefectural authorities were often ordered to keep watch over him.
On the Dingmao day, You Sanqi Changshi, Prince Wu Youji of Anding, was appointed Minister of Education and Prince of Ding.
On the Xinwei day, Prince Xiang firmly declined the positions of Grand Commandant and presiding over government affairs, and the emperor consented. He was then to be established as the Imperial Grand Younger Brother, but Prince Xiang firmly declined, and the matter was dropped.
On the jiashu day, the Chancellor of the Directorate of Education, Shi Ping ren Zhu Qinming, was appointed as Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, and the Vice Director of the Chancellery, acting Director of the Chancellery Affairs Wei Anshi, was made Minister of Punishments, and his duties in presiding over government affairs were removed.
On the dingchou day, Wu Sansi and Wu Youji firmly declined their new official titles, fiefs, and government responsibilities. The Emperor agreed and conferred upon them the honorific title of Kai Fu Yi Tong San Si.
The Emperor established his son, Prince of Yixing Li Chongjun, as the Prince of Wei, and Prince of Beihai Li Chongmao as the Prince of Wen, still retaining Li Chongjun as the Governor of Luozhou.
In the third month, on the jiashen day, an edict was issued: “The descendants of those whose families were ruined since the Wenming era shall all restore their original hereditary privileges, except for Xu Jingye and Pei Yan, who are not included in the amnesty.”
On the dinghai day, an edict was issued: “The cruel officials Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, and others—those already dead shall have their offices and titles posthumously stripped; those still alive shall be exiled to the dangerous and evil regions of Lingnan.”
On the jichou day, Yuan Shuji was appointed as Zhongshu Ling.
Using a comfortable carriage, the Prince of Anping, Wu Youxu, was summoned from Mount Song. Upon his arrival in the capital, he was appointed as the Crown Prince’s Guest; he earnestly requested to return to the mountain, and the Emperor agreed.
An edict was issued: “The clans of Xiao and Mang shall all restore their original surnames.”
The magician Zheng Pusi and the Imperial Attendant of the Wardrobe Ye Jingsheng were both trusted and favored by the Emperor due to their mystical arts. In the summer, in the fourth month, the Emperor used an imperial rescript to appoint Zheng Pusi as the Director of the Palace Library and Ye Jingsheng as the Chancellor of the Directorate of Education. Huan Yanfan and Cui Xuanwei firmly opposed this, saying, “The appointments have already been made and cannot be hastily changed.” The Emperor said, “They have already been appointed; there is no time for a sudden alteration.” Huan Yanfan replied, “When Your Majesty first ascended the throne, you issued an edict saying, ‘All government decrees shall follow the precedents of the Zhenguan era.’ During the Zhenguan era, Wei Zheng, Yu Shinan, and Yan Shigu served as Directors of the Palace Library, and Kong Yingda served as Chancellor of the Directorate of Education. How can Zheng Pusi and Ye Jingsheng be compared to them!” On the gengxu day, the Left Reminder Li Yong submitted a memorial, stating: “The three hundred poems of the Classic of Poetry can be summarized in one phrase: ‘The thoughts have no depravity.’ If there were immortals who could grant humans eternal life, then Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han would have obtained it; if the Buddha could bring blessings, then Emperor Wu of Liang would have obtained them. The reason Yao and Shun became the foremost of emperors was merely their cultivation of human affairs. To honor and favor such people—what benefit does it bring to the state!” The Emperor did not heed any of this.
On the day the Emperor ascended the throne, he summoned Wei Yuanzhong from Gaoyao by post-horse. On the dingmao day, he arrived in the capital and was appointed as the Chief Steward of the Palace Garrison and Tong Pingzhangshi.
On the jiaxu day, Wei Yuanzhong was appointed as Minister of War, Wei Anshi as Minister of Personnel, Li Huaiyuan as Right Grand Master of the Palace Secretariat, Tang Xiujing as General of the Auxiliary State, Cui Xuanwei as Acting Chief of Yizhou, Yang Zaishu as Acting Chief of Yangzhou, and Zhu Qinming as Minister of Punishments, all with the title Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin. Wei Yuanzhong and the others were all rewarded because they had been former officials in the Eastern Palace. On the yihai day, Zhang Jianzhi was appointed as Zhongshu Ling.
On the wuyin day, the late Prince of Shao, Li Chongrun, was posthumously honored as Crown Prince Yide.
In the fifth month, on the renwu day, the seven ancestral tablets of the Zhou temple were moved to the Chongzun Temple in the Western Capital. An edict was issued: “The personal names of the three generations of the Wu clan shall not be violated by those presenting memorials.”
On the yiyou day, the Imperial Ancestral Temple and the Altar of Soil and Grain were established in the Eastern Capital.
Zhang Jianzhi and the others, along with Wu Youji, Wu Sansi, Zheng Pusi, and sixteen others, were all considered meritorious figures. They were granted iron certificates, exempting each from ten death penalties, except for treason and rebellion.
On the guisi day, Jing Hui and others led the hundred officials in presenting a memorial, stating: “The five phases succeed each other in rising, and affairs cannot allow two powers to coexist. During the Tianshou era, when the dynasty changed, the Li imperial clan was almost entirely executed or exiled. How could they be enfeoffed as kings alongside the members of the Wu clan! Now, with the mandate renewed, the Wu clan still retain their princely titles and reside together in the capital. Since the beginning of heaven and earth, there has been no such principle. We hope Your Majesty will consider the state’s welfare, comply with the sentiments of distant and near peoples, reduce their princely ranks, and stabilize both within and without.” The Emperor did not grant permission.
Fearful of Wu Sansi’s slander, Jing Hui and others used the Examining Secretary of Merit and Labor, Cui Shi, as their spy to watch his movements. Cui Shi, seeing that the Emperor favored Wu Sansi and was wary of Jing Hui and the others, reported all their plans to Wu Sansi and instead became his agent; Wu Sansi recommended him as a Secretariat Drafter. Cui Shi was the grandson of Cui Renshi.
Previously, the Palace Censor of the Palace Service, Nanpi ren Zheng Yin, flattered and served Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong. After the two Zhangs fell, he was demoted to be the Staff Supervisor of Xuanzhou. Later, due to corruption, he fled to the Eastern Capital and secretly visited Wu Sansi. When he first saw Wu Sansi, he wept bitterly, then burst into laughter. Wu Sansi, who had long been in a high and powerful position, found this very strange. Zheng Yin said, “When I first saw the Prince and wept, it was because I lamented that the Prince would be killed and his clan destroyed. When I later laughed, it was because I was delighted that the Prince had obtained me, Zheng Yin. Although the Prince enjoys the Emperor’s favor, those five men hold the power of generals and chancellors, with courage and strategy surpassing others. Deposing the Empress Dowager was as easy as turning over their hands. In the Prince’s own view, how does your power and status compare with that of the Empress Dowager? Those five grind their teeth day and night, thirsting to devour the Prince’s flesh; if they do not annihilate the Prince’s entire clan, they will not be satisfied. If the Prince does not remove these five men, your danger is like the morning dew, yet you complacently consider yourself as secure as Mount Tai—this is why I, Zheng Yin, feel a chill in my heart for the Prince.” Wu Sansi was overjoyed. He went upstairs with Zheng Yin, asked about strategies for self-preservation, and recommended him as a Secretariat Drafter. Together with Cui Shi, he became a chief strategist for Wu Sansi.
Wu Sansi and Empress Wei, day and night, slandered Jing Hui and the others, saying they “relied on their merits and acted arrogantly, and would harm the state.” The Emperor believed these words. Wu Sansi and his associates then plotted for the Emperor, saying: “It would be better to enfeoff Jing Hui and the others as princes and strip them of their government affairs. This way, externally, it would not lose the honor of rewarding meritorious officials, while internally, it would actually take away their power.” The Emperor deemed this correct. On the jiawu day, the Attendant-in-Chief, Duke of Qi, Jing Hui, was appointed as Prince of Pingyang; the Duke of Qiao, Huan Yanfan, as Prince of Fuyang; the Zhongshu Ling, Duke of Hanyang, Zhang Jianzhi, as Prince of Hanyang; the Duke of Nanyang, Yuan Shuji, as Prince of Nanyang; and the Special Advanced, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, Duke of Boling, Cui Xuanwei, as Prince of Boling. They were relieved of their duties in presiding over government affairs, granted gold, silk, saddles, and horses, and allowed to attend court only on the first and fifteenth days of each month. Huan Yanfan was also given the surname Wei to share the same clan registry as the Empress. Soon after, Cui Xuanwei was appointed as Acting Chief of Yizhou and Governor of the Circuit, then later transferred to be the Governor of Liangzhou. Wu Sansi ordered the hundred officials to revive and clarify the government decrees of the Zetian era, and those who did not adhere to the Wu clan were expelled. Those who had been driven away by the Five Princes were reinstated, and all power returned to Wu Sansi.
When the Five Princes requested the reduction of the Wu clan princes' titles, they sought someone to draft the memorial, but none of the officials were willing. The Secretariat Drafter Cen Xi drafted it, with very vehement language; the Secretariat Drafter, Yanshi ren Bi Gou, who was next in line to read the memorial aloud, did so with a clear and stern expression. After Wu Sansi achieved his aims, Cen Xi was transferred to be the Deputy Director of the Palace Library, and Bi Gou was sent out as the Governor of Runzhou.
The Governor of Yizhou, Zhao Lüwen, was the elder brother of Huan Yanfan’s wife. When Huan Yanfan executed Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong, he claimed that Zhao Lüwen had participated in the plot, summoned him to be the Vice Minister of Agriculture, and Zhao Lüwen gave two maidservants to Huan Yanfan. After Huan Yanfan was removed from office, Zhao Lüwen took back the maidservants.
The Emperor appreciated Song Jing’s loyalty and uprightness, and repeatedly promoted him to be the Vice Director of the Chancellery. Wu Sansi once had a matter to entrust to Song Jing, but Song Jing sternly refused him, saying: “Now that the Empress Dowager has returned the government to the enlightened ruler, the Prince should return to his mansion in his marquisate. How can you still interfere in court affairs! Have you not seen the affairs of Lü Chan and Lü Lu?”
Wei Anshi was appointed as Acting Chief of the Secretariat, Wei Yuanzhong as Acting Attendant-in-Chief, Li Zhan as Right Grand Master of the Palace Secretariat, Zhao Cheng’en as Minister of the Palace Seals, and Yang Yuanyan as Chief Steward of the Palace Garrison.
Previously, Yang Yuanyan, knowing that Wu Sansi was gradually seizing power, requested to resign his office and become a monk. The Emperor did not permit this. When Jing Hui heard of it, he laughed and said: “If I had known earlier, I would have urged the Emperor to grant it, shaving that barbarian’s head—wouldn’t that be wonderful!” Yang Yuanyan had a thick beard, resembling a barbarian, so Jing Hui teased him. Yang Yuanyan replied: “After achievements are made and fame is established, if one does not retreat, danger follows. This is a sincere request from my heart, not a casual remark.” Jing Hui, understanding his intent, was startled and displeased. Later, when Jing Hui and the others were convicted, Yang Yuanyan alone escaped disaster.
The Honored Consort Shangguan urged Empress Wei to imitate the precedents of Empress Zetian, presenting a memorial requesting that all scholars and commoners in the empire mourn for three years for their divorced mothers, and also requesting that commoners be considered adults at twenty-three and exempt from labor at fifty-nine, in order to reform the system and win popular support. The edict granted all these requests.
On the guimao day, an edict was issued: reduce the ranks of the various members of the Wu family. Liang King Wu Sansi was made Dejing Prince, Ding King Wu Youji was made Leshou Prince, and twelve others, including Henei King Wu Yizong, were all reduced to dukes, in order to calm people's hearts.
On the jiachen day, Tang Xiujing was appointed Left Puye, retaining his position as Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin as before, and Dou Lu Qinwang was made Right Puye.
In the sixth month, on the renzi day, Left Xiaowei General Pei Sishuo was appointed as acting Grand Commander of Lingwu Army to guard against the Turks.
On the guihai day, an order was given: Right Puye Dou Lu Qinwang, for matters of military and state importance, Zhongshu and Menxia could jointly deliberate and handle them.
Previously, the Puye was the chief chancellor, but afterwards, they mostly concurrently held posts in Zhongshu and Menxia, deciding court affairs in the forenoon and provincial affairs in the afternoon. By this time, Dou Lu Qinwang was solely appointed Puye and dared not intervene in government affairs, hence this order. Subsequently, those solely appointed as Puye no longer served as chancellors.
Furthermore, Wei Anshi was appointed Zhongshu Ling, Wei Yuanzhong as Shizhong, and Yang Zaisi as acting Zhongshu Ling.
On the dingmao day, the spirit tablet of Filial Emperor was placed in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, given the temple name Yizong.
On the wuchen day, the Luo River flooded, sweeping away over two thousand households.
In autumn, the seventh month, on the xinsi day, Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent Wei Juyuan was appointed Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, retaining his post as West Capital Defender.
Tejin Hanyang King Zhang Jianzhi submitted a memorial requesting to return to Xiangzhou to recover from illness; on the yiwei day, Zhang Jianzhi was appointed Prefect of Xiangzhou, not handling prefectural affairs, and granted full salary.
Seventeen prefectures in Henan and Hebei suffered major floods. In the eighth month, on the wushen day, due to the flood disaster, an edict was issued seeking candid remonstrance. Right Guard Cavalry Commandant from Xihe, Song Wuguang, submitted a memorial, stating: "Water is of the yin category, symbolizing ministers and concubines. I fear there may be those in the rear palace interfering in outer court affairs; this trend should be nipped in the bud. Now continuous rain does not cease, yet the ward gates are closed to avert calamity, to the point that the alleys call the ward gates 'chancellors,' saying the court has them regulate yin and yang. Also, the Heir Apparent is the foundation of the state; a worthy person should be chosen and established as soon as possible. Moreover, the outer relatives are too powerful, such as Wu Sansi and his ilk; their key posts should be removed, and their stipends and gifts generously increased. Furthermore, Zheng Pusi and Ye Jingneng, relying on petty skills, have stolen high positions; they are also pests of the court." The memorial was submitted, but the emperor paid no heed.
On the renxu day, Consort Zhao was posthumously established as Gong Empress, and Consort Pei, wife of Filial Emperor, as Ai Empress.
In the ninth month, on the renwu day, the emperor sacrificed to the Supreme Heavenly Emperor and the Earthly Sovereign in the Bright Hall, with Gaozong as the accompanying spirit.
Initially, when the emperor was at Fangling, the prefectural authorities were very strict; only the prefects Hedong Zhang Zhijie and Lingchang Cui Jingsi treated him with courtesy and provided generously. The emperor was grateful to them, promoting Zhang Zhijie from Prefect of Beizhou to Left Guard General and granting him the title of Duke of Fanyang. Cui Jingsi had already died; his son Cui Wang was found, but he was fond of drink and unable to perform official duties, so he was granted a fifth-rank sinecure office.
The reburial of Shangluo King Wei Xuanzhen was carried out, with all rituals following the precedent of Taiyuan King.
On the guisi day, Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin Wei Juyuan was removed and made Minister of Rites, due to his uncle Wei Anshi serving as Zhongshu Ling.
Left Guard General from Shanggui, Ji Ren’e, was concurrently appointed acting Grand Minister of the Imperial Treasury, because Ji Ren’e had married the elder sister of Wu Sansi’s wife.
In winter, the tenth month, Tang Xiujing was ordered to remain as Defender of the Capital.
On the guihai day, the emperor went to Longmen; on the yichou day, he returned after hunting in Xin’an.
On the xinwei day, Wei Yuanzhong was appointed Zhongshu Ling, and Yang Zaisi as Shizhong.
In the eleventh month, on the wuyin day, the assembled ministers presented the emperor with the honorific title Yingtian Emperor, and the empress as Shuntian Empress. On the renwu day, the emperor and empress went to the Imperial Ancestral Temple to give thanks, and a general amnesty was granted; Xiang Wang and Princess Taiping had their actual fiefs increased, both reaching ten thousand households.
On the jichou day, the emperor ascended the southern tower of Luoyang to watch the "Splashing Cold Hu" dance. Qingyuan Marshal Lü Yuantai submitted a memorial, arguing: "In planning the seasons, one should adhere to cold; why must one strip naked and splash water, beating drums and dancing on the roads to seek [blessings]?" The memorial was submitted but not adopted.
On the renyin day, Wu Zetian died at Shangyang Palace, at the age of eighty-two. Her posthumous edict said: "Remove the imperial title, and call me Empress Zetian Dasheng. The two clans of Empress Wang and Consort Xiao, as well as the relatives of Chu Suiliang, Han Yuan, and Liu Shi, are all pardoned."
The emperor observed mourning, entrusting Wei Yuanzhong as acting chief mourner for three days. Wei Yuanzhong had always had a reputation for loyalty and integrity, and both court and commoners relied on him; Wu Sansi feared him, and on the pretext of the Empress Dowager’s edict, comforted and instructed Wei Yuanzhong, granting him an actual fief of one hundred households. Wei Yuanzhong held the edict, sobbing and weeping, and those who saw him said: "The great situation is lost!"
In the twelfth month, on the dingmao day, the emperor began receiving the assembled ministers at the Tongming Hall.
The Empress Dowager was to be buried together in the Qianling Mausoleum. Jishizhong Yan Shansi submitted a memorial, stating: "The underground palace of Qianling has stone doors sealed with molten iron; now to open the tomb doors, they must be chiseled out. The way of the spirits esteems profundity and seclusion; mobilizing troops and workers for construction may cause much disturbance and desecration. Moreover, joint burial is not an ancient system. Among the Han dynasty mausoleums, most empresses were not buried together. Only after Wei and Jin did joint burials begin. I hope that a separate auspicious site be chosen beside Qianling for a tomb; if the spirits have awareness, they will naturally communicate in the unseen; if they have no awareness, what benefit is there in joint burial?" The emperor did not follow this advice.
This year, the Ministry of Revenue reported to the throne that there were 6,150,000 households nationwide, with a population of over 37,140,000.
Zhongzong Dahe Dasheng Dazhao Xiao Emperor, middle, Shenlong second year (Bingwu, 706 AD)
In spring, the first month, on the wuxu day, Minister of Personnel Li Jiao was appointed Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, and Zhongshu Shilang Yu Weiqian as Tong Pingzhangshi.
In the intercalary month, on the bingwu day, an edict was issued: "The princesses Taiping, Chang’an, Anle, Yicheng, Xindu, Ding’an, and Jincheng shall all establish administrative offices and set up officials."
Wu Sansi, because Jing Hui, Huan Yanfan, and Yuan Shuji were still in the capital, was wary of them. On the yimao day, they were sent out as prefects of the three prefectures of Hua, Ming, and Yu.
The monk Wanhui from Wenxiang was granted the dharma title "Fayun Gong." On the jiaxu day, the chieftain of Tuxishi, Wuzhile, was made Huaide Commandery Prince.
In the second month, on the yiwei day, Minister of Justice Wei Juyuan was appointed Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin, and was also ordered to acknowledge clan relations with the empress.
On the bingshen day, the monk Huifan and eight others were all granted fifth-rank official titles, and enfeoffed as commandery dukes or county dukes; the Daoist priests Shi Chong’en and two others were granted fifth-rank official titles, appointed as Guozijian Jijiu, with full regular status; Ye Jingneng was granted Jinzi Guanglu Daifu.
Twenty officials were selected from the Left and Right Censorates and from within and outside the court, of the fifth rank and above, to serve as ten circuit commissioners. They were entrusted with examining officials, soothing the people, recommending worthy talents, and adjudicating cases fairly, rotating every two years, with their merits and faults assessed to determine promotion or demotion. Among them were Prefect of Yizhou from Wei, Jiang Shidu; Libu Yuanwailang Ma Huaisu; Dianzhong Shiyushi from Linzhang, Yuan Qianyao; Jiancha Yushi from Lingchang, Lu Huaishen; and Weiwei Shaoging from Fuyang, Li Jie.
In the third month, on the jiazi day, Zhongshu Ling Wei Anshi was removed and made Minister of Revenue; Minister of Revenue Su Gui was appointed Shizhong and West Capital Defender. Su Gui was the father of Su Ting. Tang Xiujing retired.
At the beginning, the Director of the Palace Administration, Hongnong Song Zhiwen, and his younger brother, the Granary Administrator of Yunzhou, Song Zhixun, had both been implicated in the crimes of Zhang Yizhi and were exiled to Lingnan. They fled back to the eastern capital and hid in the home of their friend, the Court Secretary of the Imperial Stud and Commandant-Escort of the Princess, Wang Tongjiao. Wang Tongjiao detested the actions of Wu Sansi and Empress Wei. Whenever he spoke of them to those close to him, he would gnash his teeth in anger. Song Zhixun overheard this from behind the curtain and secretly sent his son Song Tan and his nephew, the Collator of the Imperial Library, Li Quan, to inform against Wang Tongjiao to Wu Sansi, hoping thereby to atone for his own crimes. Wu Sansi had Song Tan, Li Quan, and the Granary Administrator of Fuzhou, Ran Zuyong, submit a memorial accusing Wang Tongjiao, together with the Luoyang man Zhang Zhongzhi, Zu Yanqing, and the Assistant Magistrate of Wudang, Zhou Jing of Shouchun, of secretly plotting with armed men to assassinate Wu Sansi and lead troops to the palace gates to depose the Empress. The Emperor ordered the Chief Censor, Li Chengjia, and the Surveillance Censor, Yao Shaozhi, to hear the case, and also commanded Yang Zaisi, Li Jiao, and Wei Juyuan to participate in the examination. Zhang Zhongzhi set forth the crimes of Wu Sansi, and the matter implicated the inner palace. Yang Zaisi and Wei Juyuan feigned sleep and would not listen; Li Jiao and Yao Shaozhi ordered Zhang Zhongzhi bound and taken to prison. Zhang Zhongzhi turned his head and continued speaking without stopping. Yao Shaozhi ordered him beaten, breaking his arm. Zhang Zhongzhi shouted loudly: “I have already failed you; after death I will certainly accuse you before Heaven!” On the day Gengxu, Wang Tongjiao and the others were all executed, and their property was confiscated. Zhou Jing fled to the Temple of Bigan, where he cried out loudly: “Bigan was a loyal minister of antiquity; he knows my heart! Wu Sansi, together with the Empress, engages in licentious acts, endangering the state. Before long, he will be beheaded in the market; I regret only that I cannot see it with my own eyes!” He then committed suicide. Song Zhiwen, Song Zhixun, Song Tan, Li Quan, and Ran Zuyong were all appointed to posts in the capital and granted the title of Court Gentleman for Consultation.
Wu Sansi and Empress Wei ceaselessly slandered Jing Hui and the others day and night. Consequently, Jing Hui was demoted to be the Prefect of Langzhou, Cui Xuanwei to the Prefect of Junzhou, Huan Yanfan to the Prefect of Bozhou, and Yuan Shuji to the Prefect of Yingzhou. Those who had shared meritorious service with Jing Hui and the others, such as Xie Sixing, were all treated as members of the same faction and were punished by demotion.
A great number of supernumerary officials were established, totaling over two thousand from the various offices in the capital to the various prefectures. Eunuchs who had been promoted beyond the regular grades to the seventh rank and above as supernumerary officials numbered nearly another thousand.
Wei Yuanzhong, having returned from Duanzhou to serve as Chancellor, no longer offered frank remonstrances but merely drifted with the current, causing disappointment both at court and in the provinces. The Magistrate of Suanzao, Yuan Chuke, wrote a letter to Wei Yuanzhong, stating: “The sovereign has just ascended the throne. He ought to renew his virtuous conduct, advance gentlemen, and dismiss petty men, in order to revitalize education and transformation. How can you rest content with favor and honor, remaining silent! Now, not establishing the Heir Apparent early, and selecting tutors to assist him—this is the first error. The princesses establishing offices and appointing staff—this is the second error. Venerating Buddhist monks and nuns, allowing them to rush about the gates of the powerful, using influence to accept bribes—this is the third error. Actors and jesters, petty men, stealing official ranks and titles—this is the fourth error. The relevant departments selecting worthy talents, all seeking positions through bribery and influence—this is the fifth error. Favoring eunuchs, nearly a thousand of them—this is the ladder for breeding rebellion, this is the sixth error. Rewarding kings, dukes, and imperial relatives without restraint, competing in wasteful extravagance—this is the seventh error. Establishing a multitude of supernumerary officials, wasting resources and harming the people—this is the eighth error. The palace ladies of the previous reign being allowed to live outside on their own, coming and going without prohibition, mutually colluding and entrusting requests—this is the ninth error. Persons of heterodox ways deluding the sovereign’s hearing, stealing emoluments and official positions—this is the tenth error. These ten errors, if you, my lord, do not correct them, who will correct them?” Upon receiving the letter, Wei Yuanzhong only expressed shame and apologized.
Summer, the fourth month. The posthumous title of the Empress’s father, Wei Xuanzhen, was changed to King of Feng, and the Empress’s four younger brothers were all posthumously granted the title of Commandery Prince.
On the day Jichou, the Left Vice Director of the Chancellery and participant in the drafting of edicts, Li Huaiyuan, retired.
The retired scholar of Jingzhao, Wei Yuejiang, submitted a memorial accusing Wu Sansi of secretly colluding with the inner palace and of inevitably plotting rebellion. The Emperor was enraged and ordered him executed. The Yellow Gate Attendant, Song Jing, memorialized requesting an investigation. The Emperor became even angrier; without time to adjust his headdress, he shuffled in his slippers out the side gate and said to Song Jing: “I thought he had already been beheaded; he has not yet been executed!” He ordered him quickly executed. Song Jing said: “Someone has said that the Empress and Wu Sansi have improper relations. Your Majesty, without investigation, kills him. I fear that the people of the empire will certainly have private discussions.” He insisted on requesting an investigation, but the Emperor would not consent. Song Jing said: “If you must kill Wei Yuejiang, then please kill me first! Otherwise, I will ultimately not dare to obey the edict!” The Emperor’s anger subsided slightly. The Left Grand Censor, Su Jiong, the Reminder, Xu Jian, and the Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Chang’an Yin Sizhen, all considered that executing someone in the height of summer violated the seasonal order. The Emperor then ordered Wei Yuejiang flogged and exiled to Lingnan. On the day after the autumn equinox, at dawn, the Governor of Guangzhou, Zhou Rengui, killed him.
The Chief Censor, Li Chengjia, attached himself to Wu Sansi and reviled Yin Sizhen at court. Yin Sizhen said: “You attach yourself to a treacherous minister, plotting treason; are you going to remove a loyal minister first!” Li Chengjia was enraged and impeached Yin Sizhen, sending him out as the Prefect of Qingzhou. Someone said to Yin Sizhen: “You are usually not good at speaking; when you refuted Li Chengjia at court, how were you so sharp?” Yin Sizhen said: “Objects cannot produce sound; when shaken, they will resound. Li Chengjia relied on his power to bully me; I could not yield out of righteousness, and I do not know where the words came from.”
Wu Sansi detested Song Jing and sent him out as the Acting Prefect of Beizhou.
Fifth month, on the day Gengshen, the Empress Zetian the Great was buried in the Qianling Mausoleum.
Wu Sansi ordered Zheng Yin to accuse the Prefect of Langzhou, Jing Hui, the Prefect of Bozhou, Wei Yanfan, the Prefect of Xiangzhou, Zhang Jianzhi, the Prefect of Yingzhou, Yuan Shuji, and the Prefect of Junzhou, Cui Xuanwei, of conspiring with Wang Tongjiao. Sixth month, on the day Wuyin, Jing Hui was demoted to be the Adjutant of Yazhou, Wei Yanfan to the Adjutant of Rangzhou, Zhang Jianzhi to the Adjutant of Xinzhou, Yuan Shuji to the Adjutant of Douzhou, and Cui Xuanwei to the Adjutant of Baizhou, all placed as supernumerary officials with long-term appointments, and their honorary titles and fiefs were stripped. Wei Yanfan’s surname was restored to Huan.
Initially, Wei Xuanzhen had died in exile in Qinzhou. The Man chieftain Ning Chengji and his brothers had forced their suit for his daughter. His wife, Lady Cui, refused, and Ning Chengji and the others killed her, together with her four sons, Wei Xun, Wei Hao, Wei Dong, and Wei Ci. The Emperor ordered the Governor of Guangzhou, Zhou Rengui, to lead 20,000 troops to punish them. Ning Chengji and the others fled into the sea. Zhou Rengui pursued and beheaded them, using their heads as offerings at Lady Cui’s grave, and almost entirely exterminated their followers. The Emperor was pleased, and granted Zhou Rengui the title of General-in-Chief Pacifying the State, appointed him Commissioner of the Five Prefectures, and bestowed on him the title of Commandery Prince of Runan. Empress Wei received Zhou Rengui behind the curtain and served him like a father. When the Empress Wei was later overthrown, Zhou Rengui was executed as one of her faction.
Autumn, seventh month, on the day Wushen, the Prince of Wei, Li Chongjun, was established as the Heir Apparent. The Heir Apparent was by nature perceptive and decisive, but his staff were mostly sons of noble families, and their actions were often illegal. The Left Superior Steward of the Heir Apparent, Yao Ting, admonished him repeatedly, but the Heir Apparent would not listen. Yao Ting was the younger brother of Yao Shu.
On the day Bingyin, Li Jiao was appointed Zhongshu Ling.
The Emperor was about to return to the western capital. On the day Xinwei, the Left Vice Director of the Chancellery, Li Huaiyuan, was appointed participant in the drafting of edicts and acting as the Eastern Capital Defender.
Wu Sansi secretly sent someone to write about the Empress’s licentious conduct and posted it on the Tianjin Bridge, requesting her deposition. The Emperor was enraged and ordered the Chief Censor, Li Chengjia, to thoroughly investigate the matter. Li Chengjia memorialized: “Jing Hui, Huan Yanfan, Zhang Jianzhi, Yuan Shuji, and Cui Xuanwei ordered this done. Although it speaks of deposing the Empress, it is actually plotting high treason. I request that their clans be exterminated.” Wu Sansi also had the Princess of Anle slander them within the palace, while the Attending Censor, Zheng Yin, discussed the matter at court. The Emperor ordered the judicial department to conclude the case. The Chief Judge of the Court of Judicial Review, Sanyuan Li Chaoyin, memorialized: “Jing Hui and the others have not been interrogated; they cannot be summarily executed.” The Chief Judge, Pei Tan, memorialized: “Jing Hui and the others should be executed and their property confiscated according to the imperial edict; there should be no further interrogation.” Because Jing Hui and the others had previously been granted iron certificates promising exemption from death, the Emperor therefore permanently exiled Jing Hui to Qiongzhou, Huan Yanfan to Rangzhou, Zhang Jianzhi to Longzhou, Yuan Shuji to Huanzhou, and Cui Xuanwei to Guzhou. Their sons and younger brothers over the age of sixteen were all exiled to Lingnan. Li Chengjia was promoted to Grand Master for Golden and Purple Light, with the title of Commandery Prince of Xiangwu; Pei Tan was appointed Minister of Justice; Li Chaoyin was sent out as the Magistrate of Wenxi.
Wu Sansi further suggested that the Heir Apparent submit a memorial requesting the extermination of the three clans of Jing Hui and the others, but the Emperor would not consent.
Zhongshu Sheren Cui Shi urged Wu Sansi, saying: “If Jing Hui and the others return north in the future, they will ultimately be a lingering threat. It is better to send an envoy with a forged imperial edict to kill them.” Wu Sansi asked who could be sent, and Cui Shi recommended Dali Zheng Zhou Liyong. Zhou Liyong had previously been hated by the Five Princes and was demoted to be Sima of Jiazhou. Thus, Zhou Liyong was appointed acting You Tai Shiyushi and sent to the Lingnan region. By the time he arrived, Zhang Jianzhi and Cui Xuanwei had already died. When he met Huan Yanfan in Guizhou, he ordered his attendants to bind him, drag him onto a bamboo rack, scrape off his flesh until the bones were exposed, and then beat him to death. He captured Jing Hui and executed him by slicing. Yuan Shuji had long been taking gold elixirs; Zhou Liyong forced him to drink wild kudzu juice. After drinking several sheng, he did not die but could not endure the poison’s pain. He clawed the ground with his hands until his fingernails were nearly worn away, and still he was beaten to death. After Zhou Liyong returned, he was promoted to Yushi Zhongcheng. Xue Jichang was repeatedly demoted to be Sima of Danzhou and died by taking poison.
After Wu Sansi killed the Five Princes, his power overshadowed the emperor. He often said: “I do not know what the world calls good people or evil people; those who are good to me are good people, and those who are bad to me are evil people.”
At that time, Minister of War Zong Chuke, Jiangzuo Dajiang Zong Jinqing, Taifu Qing Ji Renchu, and Honglu Qing Gan Yuanjian were all Wu Sansi’s wings. Yushi Zhongcheng Zhou Liyong, Shiyushi Ran Zuyong, Taipu Cheng Li Jun, Guanglu Cheng Song Zhixun, and Jiancha Yushi Yao Shaozhi were all Wu Sansi’s eyes and ears, and people of the time called them the “Five Dogs.”
In the ninth month, on the Wuwu day, Zuo Sanqi Changshi, Tong Zhongshu Menxia Sanpin Li Huaiyuan died.
Initially, Li Qiao served as Libu Shilang and wanted to build personal favor. He sought again to enter court as chancellor and submitted a memorial to establish numerous supernumerary officials, widely recommending powerful nobles and close acquaintances. Later, when he became chancellor, appointments lost order, and the treasury was depleted. So he submitted another memorial stating the evils of excessive official appointments and requested to retire; the emperor comforted and instructed him but did not permit it.
In winter, in the tenth month, on the Jimao day, the imperial carriage departed from the Eastern Capital. The former acting Bingzhou Changshi Zhang Renyuan was appointed acting Zuo Tunwei Dajiangjun and Luozhou Changshi. On the Wuxu day, the carriage arrived at the Western Capital. In the eleventh month, on the Yisi day, a general amnesty was granted.
On the Bingchen day, Puzhou Cishi Dou Congyi was appointed Yongzhou Cishi. Dou Congyi was the son of Dou Dexuan, originally named Dou Huaizhen. To avoid the taboo of the empress’s father’s name, he changed it to Dou Congyi. He excelled at flattering and attaching himself to the powerful. Princess Taiping competed with a monk’s temple over a mill; Yongzhou Sihu Li Yuangong judged in favor of the temple. Dou Congyi was very frightened and urgently ordered Li Yuangong to change the judgment. Li Yuangong wrote in large characters at the end of the judgment: “Nanshan can be moved, but this judgment cannot be changed!” Dou Congyi could not alter it. Li Yuangong was the son of Li Daoguang.
Initially, Mishu Jian Zheng Pusi sent his daughter into the rear palace. Jiancha Yushi Lingchang Cui Riyong impeached him, but the emperor did not listen. Zheng Pusi gathered partisans in Yongzhou and Qizhou, plotting rebellion. The matter was exposed. Xijing Liushou Su Gui arrested and imprisoned him, thoroughly investigating. Zheng Pusi’s wife, Diwu, gained the empress’s favor through ghostly arts, and the emperor ordered Su Gui not to pursue the matter. When the carriage returned to the Western Capital, Su Gui argued at court. The emperor suppressed Su Gui and shielded Zheng Pusi. Shiyushi Fan Xianzhong said: “I request to have Su Gui executed!” The emperor asked: “Why?” He replied: “Su Gui, as the Liushou minister, failed to first execute Zheng Pusi and then report, allowing him to confuse the holy hearing. His crime is great. Moreover, the signs of Zheng Pusi’s rebellion are clear, yet Your Majesty twists the judgment for him. I have heard that those who would be kings do not die; perhaps this refers to such a case! I wish to be granted death first, for I cannot face north and serve Zheng Pusi.” Wei Yuanzhong said: “Su Gui is a loyal and generous elder, using punishment without bending the law. Zheng Pusi should be executed according to law.” The emperor had no choice. On the Wuwu day, Zheng Pusi was exiled to Danzhou; all his other partisans were executed.
In the twelfth month, on the Jimao day, the Turkic Moduo Qaghan invaded Mingsha. Lingwu Jun Dadudu Shazha Zhongyi engaged him in battle, and the army was defeated, with over six thousand dead. On the Dingsi day, the Turks again invaded Yuanzhou, Huizhou, and other places, plundering over ten thousand horses from the Longyou pastures and then leaving. Shazha Zhongyi was dismissed from office.
Anxi Daduhu Guo Yuanzhen went to the camp of the Turgesh chief Wuzhile to discuss military affairs. At the time, heavy snow fell. Guo Yuanzhen stood before the camp and spoke with Wuzhile. After a long time, the snow accumulated deeply, but Guo Yuanzhen did not move his feet. Wuzhile was old and could not bear the cold; after the meeting ended, he died. His son, Suoge, gathered troops and prepared to attack Guo Yuanzhen. The deputy envoy, Yushi Zhongcheng Xie Wan, learned of this and urged Guo Yuanzhen to flee by night. Guo Yuanzhen said: “I treat others with sincerity; what is there to fear or suspect? Besides, deep in enemy territory, where can I flee?” He lay down calmly and did not move. The next morning, he entered to mourn, showing great grief. Suoge was moved by his righteousness and treated Guo Yuanzhen as before. On the Wuxu day, Suoge was allowed to inherit the positions of Waluzhou Dudu and Huaide Wang.
Princess Anle relied on favor and acted arrogantly and willfully, selling offices and titles, interfering in lawsuits, and her power overshadowed the court and the countryside. Sometimes she wrote imperial decrees and edicts herself, covering the content and having the emperor sign; the emperor smiled and complied, not even looking. She requested to become the emperor’s heir, the Imperial Grand Princess. Although the emperor did not agree, he did not reprimand her.
Zhongzong Dahe Dasheng Dazhao Xiao Huangdi, in the Jinglong reign, first year (Dingwei, 707 AD)
In the spring, the first month, on the gengxu day, the emperor issued an edict, because the Turkic Mochuo had invaded the border, ordering officials inside and outside the court to each present strategies for pacifying the Turks. The Right Rectifier of Omissions, Lu Fu, submitted a memorial, stating: "Xi Gu delighted in rites and music, was devoted to the Book of Documents and the Book of Poetry, and served as marshal of the state of Jin; Du Yu could not shoot an arrow through armor, yet achieved merit in pacifying the state of Wu. From this it can be known that grasping strategies and setting plans within the army does not rely on individual bravery. Men like Shazha Zhongyi are merely talented as brave generals and were originally not sufficient to bear great responsibilities. Moreover, in the battle of Mingsha, the commanding general fled first and should be punished according to law; if rewards and punishments are clearly defined, the enemy will have no choice but to submit. Furthermore, the prefects of the border prefectures should be carefully selected for suitable persons, allowing them to train soldiers and accumulate supplies and fodder; when the enemy comes, they should resist; when the enemy retreats, they should prepare defenses. Last year, there was drought in various regions, and it is not easy to mobilize troops. The internal affairs should first be governed well, then external matters attended to; the nearby should be pacified to attract those far away; when the granaries are full and soldiers are well-trained, then a great expedition can be launched to punish them." The emperor considered his words good. In the second month, on the bingxu day, the emperor sent Wu Youji and Wu Sansi to the Qianling Mausoleum to pray for rain. Shortly afterward, it rained. The emperor, pleased, issued an edict restoring the Wu clan's Chong'en Temple, as well as the Haoling and Shunling mausoleums, and renamed the Yong King's temple as Baode and his mausoleum as Rongxian; he also ordered that the zhailang of the Chong'en Temple be filled by sons of fifth-rank officials. The Grand Erudite of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Yang Fu, said: "The Imperial Ancestral Temple only takes sons of officials of the seventh rank and below as zhailang; now the Chong'en Temple takes sons of fifth-rank officials—what should the Imperial Ancestral Temple do?" The emperor ordered the Imperial Ancestral Temple to also follow the standard of the Chong'en Temple. Yang Fu said: "Comparing a subject to the sovereign is already treason and rebellion, let alone comparing the sovereign to a subject!" The emperor then desisted. On the gengyin day, the emperor issued an imperial order to rename the Zhongxing temples and abbeys in the prefectures as Longxing; from then on, in presenting matters, the term "Zhongxing" was not to be mentioned. The Right Rectifier of Omissions, Quan Ruonuo, submitted a memorial, stating: "Characters such as Heaven, Earth, Sun, and Moon were all used during the reign of Empress Zetian; the traitorous ministers Jing Hui and others rashly disrupted the previous regulations. Now, deleting these characters does not benefit the cultivation of virtue, while retaining them brings glory to the governance of filial piety. Moreover, the edict of the first year of Shenlong decreed that all matters should follow the precedents of the Zhenguan era; how can we abandon the virtuous example of the mother of the empire nearby and honor the virtue of the ancestors far away?" When the memorial was presented, the emperor personally issued an edict praising him. In the third month, on the gengzi day, the Tubo sent their minister Xixunre to present tribute. In the summer, the fourth month, on the xinsi day, the emperor married the adopted daughter of the Yong King Li Shouli, the Princess Jincheng, to the Tubo btsanpo. In the fifth month, on the wuxu day, the Right Guard General of the Army, Zhang Renyuan, was appointed as the Grand General of the Shuofang Circuit to prepare against the Turks. The emperor, because of the year's drought and high grain prices, summoned the Grand Treasurer Ji Renchu to discuss. The next day, Wu Sansi had the Director of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Jiaye Zhizhong, submit a memorial saying: "Last night, the Sheti star entered the Taiwei Palace, reaching the Emperor's Seat star, foretelling that the chief ministers would feast and be received, offering loyalty to the Son of Heaven." The emperor considered it true and issued an imperial order praising Ji Renchu for his loyalty, which reached the celestial omens, granting him a set of clothes and sixty bolts of silk. In the sixth month, on the dingmao day, which was the first day of the month, a solar eclipse occurred. The Pacification and Punishment Commissioner of the Yaoxie Circuit, the Imperial Censor of the Surveillance Office, a man from Jincang named Tang Jiuzheng, attacked the rebellious Man tribes of Yao Prefecture, defeated them, and beheaded or captured over three thousand people. The empress, because the Crown Prince Li Chongjun was not her own son, detested him; the Grand Master of the Palace with Special Honor and Prince of Jingde, Wu Sansi, particularly feared the crown prince. The Fengyi Lady-in-Waiting Shangguan Wan'er, because of Wu Sansi, whenever issuing edicts or imperial orders, always honored the Wu clan. The Princess Anle and the Commandant-Escort of the Left Guard, Wu Chongxun, frequently insulted and bullied the crown prince, sometimes even calling him a slave. Wu Chongxun also incited the princess to speak before the emperor, requesting the deposition of the crown prince to establish herself as the imperial eldest daughter. The crown prince harbored resentment in his heart and could not remain calm. In the autumn, the seventh month, on the xinchou day, the crown prince, together with the General of the Left Feathered Forest Army, Li Duozuo, the generals Li Sichong, Li Chengkuang, Dugu Yizhi, and Shazha Zhongyi, among others, forged an imperial edict, mobilizing over three hundred Feathered Forest qianqi cavalrymen. They killed Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun at their mansions, along with more than ten of their close associates and followers. They also sent the General of the Left Golden Guard Army, the Prince of Cheng, Li Qianli, and his son the Prince of Tianshui, Li Xi, to divide their troops and guard the various palace gates. The crown prince and Li Duozuo led troops to break through the horizontal bar of the Suzheng Gate and charge in, striking the cabinet gates to demand the Fengyi Lady-in-Waiting Shangguan Wan'er. Shangguan Wan'er loudly said: "Looking at their intention, they first want to seize Wan'er, then seize the empress, and finally seize the emperor." The emperor then, together with Empress Wei, the Princess Anle, and Shangguan Wan'er, ascended the Xuanwu Gate tower to avoid the spearhead, sending the General of the Left Feathered Forest Army, Liu Jingren, to lead over one hundred feiji cavalrymen to station at the base of the tower for self-defense. Yang Zaixi, Su Gui, and Li Qiao, together with the Minister of War Zong Chuke and the General of the Left Guard, Ji Renchu, led over two thousand men to station in front of the Taiji Palace, closing the palace gates for self-defense. Li Duozuo first arrived below the Xuanwu Gate tower, attempting to ascend, but was blocked by the palace guards. Li Duozuo and the crown prince hesitated, holding their troops without moving, hoping that the emperor would question them. The Director of the Palace Domestic Service, a man from Shicheng named Yang Sixun, was at the emperor's side and requested to attack. Li Duozuo's son-in-law, the General of the Feathered Forest Guard, Ye Huli, served as the vanguard commander. Yang Sixun drew his sword and killed him, demoralizing Li Duozuo's troops. The emperor, leaning on the railing, bent down and said to the qianqi cavalrymen led by Li Duozuo: "You men are all my personal guards; why do you follow Li Duozuo in rebellion? If you can kill the rebels, do not worry about lacking wealth and honor." Thereupon, the qianqi cavalrymen killed Li Duozuo, Li Chengkuang, Dugu Yizhi, and Shazha Zhongyi; the remaining troops all scattered. The Prince of Cheng, Li Qianli, and the Prince of Tianshui, Li Xi, attacked the Right Yanming Gate, intending to kill Zong Chuke and Ji Renchu, but failed and died. The crown prince led a hundred cavalrymen and fled to the Zhongnan Mountains; by the time he reached the western part of Hu County, only a few could follow. While resting under a forest, he was killed by his attendants. The emperor presented the crown prince's head to the Imperial Ancestral Temple and offered sacrifices at the spirit tablets of Wu Sansi and Wu Chongxun, then suspended the head in the court for public display. He also changed the surname of the Prince of Cheng, Li Qianli, to Fu, and his associates were all executed. None of the officials of the Eastern Palace dared to approach the crown prince's corpse; only the Magistrate of Yonghe County, Ning Jiaxun, removed his clothes to wrap the crown prince's head and wept loudly. As a result, he was demoted to the Magistrate of Xingping. The guards of the various palace gates through which the crown prince's troops had passed were all sentenced to exile; the Wei faction submitted a memorial requesting their execution, but the emperor ordered the judicial officials to judge the case. The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, a man from Songcheng named Zheng Weizhong, said: "The major case has just been decided, and people's hearts are not yet settled; if there is any further investigation, then those who are fearful will be many." The emperor then stopped. Yang Sixun was appointed as Silver-Green Radiance Grand Master and Acting Director of the Palace Domestic Service. On the guimao day, a general amnesty was granted. Wu Sansi was posthumously appointed as Grand Commandant and Prince Xuan of Liang; Wu Chongxun as Honorary Grand Commandant of the Three Departments and Prince Zhong of Lu. The Princess Anle requested to follow the precedent of the Princess Yongtai by having Wu Chongxun's tomb called a mausoleum. The Supervising Secretary Lu Can refuted this, stating: "The matter of the Princess Yongtai was a special favor; now the Prince of Lu is the princess's husband and cannot be compared." The emperor personally issued an imperial edict, saying: "Anle and Yongtai are no different; the principle of sharing a tomb is the same in ancient and modern times." Lu Can again submitted a memorial, stating: "Your Majesty, because of your love for your daughter, extends it to her husband; how can you allow superiors and inferiors to have no distinction, and sovereign and subjects to be confused as one?" The emperor then complied. The princess, enraged, sent Lu Can out as the Prefect of Chen Prefecture. The Commandant of Xiangyi County, a man from Xiangyang named Xi Yu, upon hearing that the Princess Anle requested to be established as the imperial eldest daughter, sighed and said: "Mei Fu ridiculed and denounced the Wang clan; am I the only one who is such a man?" He then submitted a memorial requesting the establishment of a crown prince, with very profound and earnest words. The Princess Taiping wanted to present a memorial recommending him as a Remonstrance Official. Xi Yu considered this shameful and fled. In the eighth month, on the wuyin day, the empress, together with the princes, dukes, and officials below them, presented a memorial to the emperor, requesting that his honorific title be Yingtian Shenlong Emperor; the Xuanwu Gate was renamed Shenwu Gate, and its tower was renamed Zhisheng Tower. Zong Chuke again led the hundred officials in a memorial requesting that the empress be granted the honorific title of Shuntian Yisheng Empress. The emperor agreed to both. Initially, the Chief Minister of the Right Terrace, Su Jiong, investigated the partisans of the Crown Prince Li Chongjun. Among the prisoners, some implicated the Prince of Xiang. Su Jiong secretly defended him, and the emperor then did not pursue the matter. From then on, the Princess Anle and the Minister of War Zong Chuke plotted day and night to slander the Prince of Xiang; they had the Attendant Censor Ran Zuyong and others falsely accuse the Prince of Xiang and the Princess Taiping, saying that they "conspired with Li Chongjun and requested that they be arrested and handed over to the prison for trial." The emperor summoned the Vice Minister of Personnel and Vice Censor-in-Chief Xiao Zhizhong and ordered him to interrogate them. Xiao Zhizhong wept and said: "Your Majesty possesses the four seas, yet cannot accommodate one younger brother and one younger sister, but instead has someone weave a net of accusations to frame them? The Prince of Xiang was formerly the imperial heir; he once earnestly requested Empress Zetian to yield the empire to Your Majesty, and went several days without eating—this is known to all under heaven. How can he be suspected because of a single word from Ran Zuyong?" The emperor had always been fraternal, so he set the matter aside. The Right Rectifier of Omissions, a man from Junyi named Wu Jing, upon hearing of Ran Zuyong's plot, submitted a memorial, stating: "Since the Wenming era, the state's heirs have been as thin as a silk thread. Your Majesty ascended the throne, extending favor to the nine clans, retrieving them from the malarial shores and elevating them into the court. How much more is the Prince of Xiang Your Majesty's full brother? Under heaven there is no second one. Yet treacherous ministers conspire day and night, intending to subject him to the extreme penalty. The root of disaster will begin from this. When power is entrusted, even the distant become important; when power is stripped, even the close become insignificant. From ancient times, how many have trusted those of different surnames and suspected their own flesh and blood, thereby losing their state and ruining their family! Moreover, the branches and leaves of the state are not many. Your Majesty has not been on the throne long, yet one son was killed for mobilizing troops, and another was exiled far away for a fault. Only one younger brother remains, attending you day and night. The slander of a single piece of cloth and a peck of grain must be treated with caution; the poem 'The Blue Flies' is truly worthy of fear!" The Prince of Xiang was generous, respectful, content with tranquility, and fond of yielding; thus, through the periods when the Wu and Wei clans held power, he ultimately escaped calamity. Initially, the Right Deputy Director of the Department of State Affairs and Grand Secretary of the Secretariat, Wei Yuanzhong, because Wu Sansi monopolized power, was often indignant and depressed. When the Crown Prince Li Chongjun rose in arms, he encountered Wei Yuanzhong's son, the Junior Governor of the Court of the Imperial Stud, Wei Sheng, at the Yong'an Gate and coerced him to follow. After the crown prince died, Wei Sheng was killed by the rebel troops. Wei Yuanzhong declared: "The chief culprit is dead; even suffering death by boiling in a cauldron, what harm is there? It is only a pity that the crown prince has fallen!" The emperor, considering his previous merit and that he was valued by Emperor Gaozong and Empress Zetian, spared him and did not pursue the matter. The Minister of War Zong Chuke, the Grand Treasurer Ji Renchu, and others jointly testified against Wei Yuanzhong, saying that he "conspired with the crown prince and requested that his three clans be exterminated." The emperor issued an edict not permitting this. Wei Yuanzhong, fearful, submitted a memorial requesting the removal of his office and rank, returning to his residence as a titular official. On the bingxu day, the emperor personally issued an imperial edict agreeing to dismiss him from the post of Deputy Director, allowing him to retire as Grand Master of the Palace with Special Honor and Duke of Qi, while still attending court on the first and fifteenth of each month. In the ninth month, on the dingmao day, the Vice Minister of Personnel Xiao Zhizhong was appointed as Attendant of the Yellow Gate; the Minister of War Zong Chuke as General of the Left Guard; the Grand Treasurer Ji Renchu as Grand Treasurer; all three were also appointed as Grand Councilors of the Secretariat and Chancellery. The Grand Secretary of the Secretariat and Grand Councilor of the Secretariat and Chancellery, Yu Weiqian, was dismissed and appointed as the Director of the National University. On the gengzi day, a general amnesty was granted, and the reign title was changed. Zong Chuke and others recommended the General of the Right Guard, Yao Tingyun, as Vice Censor-in-Chief, and had him submit a memorial impeaching Wei Yuanzhong, stating: "Hou Junji was a founding meritorious official of the state; when he plotted rebellion, Emperor Taizong begged the ministers to spare his life but could not, and finally executed him with tears. Afterward, Fang Yiai, Xue Wanche, Prince Qi Li You, and others rebelled; although they were close relatives, they were all punished according to state law. Wei Yuanzhong's merit does not match that of Hou Junji; he himself is not a relative of the imperial clan. He conspired with Li Duozuo and others to rebel, and his son joined the rebel faction—this is a crime warranting the execution of his entire clan and the cleansing of the palace. Only his faction uses literary embellishments to rescue him, confusing the emperor's hearing. Your Majesty, with benevolent virtue, wishes to cover up his fault. The reason I dare to offend the dragon's scales and go against Your Majesty's intention is precisely because the matter concerns the ancestral temple and the altars of the state." The emperor considered this quite correct. Wei Yuanzhong was therefore imprisoned in the Court of Judicial Review and demoted to the Commandant of Qu Prefecture. Zong Chuke had the Supervising Secretary Ran Zuyong submit a memorial saying: "Since Wei Yuanzhong has committed high treason, he should not merely be sent out as Commandant of Qu Prefecture." Yang Zaixi and Li Qiao also concurred. The emperor said to Yang Zaixi and the others: "Wei Yuanzhong has been driven and employed for a long time; I especially pity and tolerate him. The imperial order has already been issued; how can it be repeatedly changed! The power to weigh what is light and heavy should be decided by me. You have memorialized several times, which greatly displeases my mind!" Yang Zaixi and the others, fearful, knelt and apologized. The Investigating Censor Yuan Shouyi again submitted a memorial impeaching Wei Yuanzhong, saying: "Li Chongjun was Your Majesty's son, yet was still subjected to the penalty of clear exposition; Wei Yuanzhong is neither a meritorious official nor an imperial relative; how can he alone escape severe punishment!" On the jiashen day, Wei Yuanzhong was further demoted to the Commandant of Wuchuan. Shortly afterward, Zong Chuke again had Yuan Shouyi submit a memorial saying: "When Empress Zetian was ill at the Sanyang Palace, Di Renjie requested that Your Majesty oversee the state, and Wei Yuanzhong secretly submitted a memorial saying this was not permissible. This shows that Wei Yuanzhong has harbored rebellious intentions for a long time. We request that he be severely punished!" The emperor said to Yang Zaixi and the others: "As I think of it, a subject serving his sovereign must be single-minded. How can there be a case where, as soon as the sovereign has a minor illness, he immediately requests that the crown prince manage state affairs! This is Di Renjie trying to establish private favor; I see no fault in Wei Yuanzhong. Yuan Shouyi wants to use past events to frame Wei Yuanzhong—how can this be allowed!" Zong Chuke then stopped. Wei Yuanzhong died when he reached Fuling. The Silver-Green Radiance Grand Master, the Duke of Shangyong, and the abbot of the Shengshan Temple, Zhongtian Temple, and Ximing Temple, Hui Fan, built the Shengshan Temple in Luoyang and constructed a large Buddha statue at Changle Slope, draining the state treasury. The emperor and Empress Wei both valued him; his power swayed the court and the countryside, and no one dared to criticize him. On the wushen day, the Attendant Censor Wei Chuangong exposed his corrupt gains of over four hundred thousand, requesting that he be sentenced to death. The emperor wanted to spare him. Wei Chuangong said: "Punishment and reward are great affairs of the state. Your Majesty has already distributed rewards carelessly; how can it be that punishment does not reach him?" The emperor then stripped Hui Fan of his office and rank, exiling him back to his home. The eunuch, General of the Left Palace Gate Guard, Xue Sijian, and others, favored by the Princess Anle, were unruly and lawless. Wei Chuangong submitted a memorial requesting their execution. The Censor-in-Chief Dou Congyi, afraid, strongly stopped him. At that time, eunuchs held power. When Dou Congyi served as the Governor of Yong Prefecture and Censor-in-Chief, if he mistakenly thought a litigant had no beard (i.e., mistook him for a eunuch), he would always accommodate them. Yang Zaixi was appointed as Grand Secretary of the Secretariat; Wei Juliang and Ji Renchu were jointly appointed as Attendants-in-Chief. On the renxu day, the Left and Right Feathered Forest qianqi cavalry were renamed wanqi cavalry. In the winter, the tenth month, on the dingchou day, the General of the Left Guard of the Army, Zhang Renyuan, was ordered to serve as the Grand General of the Shuofang Circuit to attack the Turks. By the time he arrived, the enemy had already retreated; he led his troops in pursuit and heavily defeated them. The Inner Instructor of the Academy of Arts, Su Anheng, was arrogant and fond of novelty. When the Crown Prince Li Chongjun killed Wu Sansi, Su Anheng claimed, "This was my plan." After the crown prince failed, someone reported him. On the wuyin day, he was executed. In the twelfth month, on the yichou day, which was the first day of the month, a solar eclipse occurred. This year, the emperor sent envoys on separate routes to the Yangtze and Huai River regions to redeem living creatures for release. The Secretariat Drafter, a man from Fangzi named Li Yi, submitted a memorial remonstrating, saying: "The villagers south of the Yangtze make their living by fishing; the profit from fish and turtles is the source of livelihood for the people. Although the favor of rain and dew reaches tiny creatures, the benefit of nurturing has not been universally extended to the common people. Why is this? The abundance of rivers and lakes is inexhaustible, but the wealth of the treasuries and storehouses is easily depleted. If the expenditure is small, then what effect will the relief have? If the expenditure is large, then there will be a shortage in daily expenses. From the perspective of relieving creatures, how can this compare to caring for the people! Moreover, those who sell living creatures are solely motivated by profit; coins arrive daily, and fishing nets increase year by year. The court's mercy in releasing them lasts only a moment, yet they profit a hundredfold. It would be better to use the money and goods for redeeming and releasing to reduce the corvée labor and taxes of the poor people, preserving the state and loving the people—such blessings surpass those practices."